thecurrent the student newspaper of green river community college
Oct22.2014
www.thegrcurrent.com
issue02 volume49
Find Your Program This Fall page6&7
Ian Lobdell | The Current
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currenta&e
Instructors Hold Silent Flash Mob
Limited Flu Shots Offered on GRCC Campus
Visit Maris Farms for Festive Autumn Activities
Faculty attempts to get students attention leading up contract negotiations
Affordable vaccines offtered to students, staff, and their families. Offered in Baker room, Nov 4
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From a six acre corn maze to monster truck rides, Maris Farms promises a good time page8
campus thecurrent
2 2014-2015
Campus Editor | James Ristig campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Enrollment Decreasing at GRCC By: Taylor Lopes Staff Writer
Ian Lobdell | The Current
Ian Lobdell | The Current
A group of faculty frozen in place displaying signs asking for more communication at the college (above).
Instructors Hold Silent Flash Mob Faculty Convey Concerns to Green River Students By: James Ristig Campus Editor A group of concerned faculty members held a silent flash mob on Oct. 14 to raise awareness to problems at Green River Community College. The group walked into the cafeteria in the Lindbloom Center at noon and began mingling with the students. At 12:15 p.m. the group froze in place while holding up signs to raise awareness about the ongoing disputes between the faculty and the administration. The faculty members held up signs with messages such as, “Tell the college to listen to us.” The organizer of the group of concerned faculty members was Ajay Narayanan, a physics and astronomy instructor. Narayanan said the flash mob was to inform the students about the faculty’s disagreements with how the college is being run. The stunt was a way to grab the attention of the students and get them involved. Narayanan said that the stunt was to help the faculty connect with the students. He said the students need to decide if they can help, and how. They can start by talking to their instructors and voicing their support for their cause.
Antonia Bennie-George, a physics instructor, said that students can get involved by talking to their deans and division chairs and being more vocal to their instructors about issues they feel that the college is facing. The majority of faculty members at the stunt were tenured faculty while Bennie-George was the only representative of the adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty have less job security than tenured members. Adjunct faculty are reappointed after every quarter and “making waves” by participating in the stunt could put their jobs at risk. The faculty also want to have a say in how the college is run. Narayanan said the faculty want to institute a policy of shared governance. Shared governance is where the faculty works together with the administration on key issues that the college is facing. Bennie-George said that right now the administration works under the idea of participatory governance. The higher members of the administration report what they’re doing to the lower members, who then report it to the faculty. The members of the group feel that the faculty are under-appreciated by the administration. Narayanan said that there have been times when the administra-
tion implemented a new policy or initiative without consulting the faculty. One example is a survey that the administration administered during class periods without consulting the instructors. Another project the administration implemented was called Achieving the Dream, a survey in which some faculty members believe they could have helped with if they had been consulted. The faculty and administration are negotiating the faculty’s new contracts and the process has been slow for both parties. Bennie-George said that the faculty feel that the negotiator hired by the administration is another sign the college doesn’t respect or value the faculty at Green River. “My sense from being at meetings is that contract negotiations are going really slow,” Narayanan said. Narayanan said the stunt was based on a popular Youtube video from 2008. Narayanan said there are more plans for future stunts but they haven’t been finalized, in hopes that this will keep the stunts spontaneous. Though the faculty and administration are currently in a heated discussion about how the college should be run, Bennie-George said that the possibly of a strike is slim.
Green River Community College is struggling to meet the quota for full time students. A certain amount of Worker Retraining and State Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students attending the college are enrollment numbers that a school must strive for every quarter. According to the FTE Summary Report on Gatornet, Worker Retraining and State enrollment is down 11 percent from the FTE target for this fall quarter. However, Running Start enrollment is 23 percent above it’s FTE target and international enrollment is 85 percent above it’s FTE target. The increase in International and Running Start students has made the Total FTEs for GRCC four percent above target. The International enrollment is always 80 to 100 percent over the FTE target. “These FTEs are set artificially low,” English Division Chair Jaeney Hoene said. The FTE and Worker Retaining numbers are set by the state based on past enrollment statistics but running Start and International FTEs are set by the college. The Trades Division Chair Dan Sorensen said, the faculty was informed on Oct. 13 that they should not expect any new tenure positions to be offered due to problems with the budget. Tenured faculty members are appointed for an indefinite period of time and cannot be fired except with sufficient cause. Sorensen said there will be a replacement freezing, meaning that the college may not be able to fill positions left vacant by retirees. Hoene and Sorensen have concerns that these cuts will have detrimental effects to the academic quality at Green River. The division chairs are concerned about how money is being allocated at Green River when they cannot even afford to replace retiring faculty members,
Sorensen said. The Vice President of Instruction Derek Brandes said, the biggest chunk of money from the state comes from FTE and Worker Retraining enrollment. These students that are enrolled at the college are funded by the state. The college does not know what the whole financial picture looks like, but the administration does know that the college is missing about one-half million in tuition due to FTEs, Brandes said. To increase the colleges FTE numbers, Derek Brandes created the Wildly Important Goal (WIG) initiative. It involves teams of faculty trying to retain and enroll new students to inflate the colleges numbers towards the goal. According to the FTE Summary Report, the goal is for the college to attract 5242 FTE students by the end of Dec. Currently, the college has only 4665 FTE students enrolled. Another economic problem that the college is facing which is caused by enrollment is the money provided by the students who exceed the colleges FTE targets. This money gets put into a fund that is separate from the money that is generated by the rest of the students enrolled at GRCC. Because this money cannot be counted on every year, it is put into a temporary fund which is not accounted for during budgeting for yearly costs. This is the reason why the FTE target for international and Running Start students is intentionally set at a low number. Although this choice saves money for the college, the quality of education may go down as well, Sorensen said. Having the International FTE set so low every year sends a lot of money that could go into the general fund into the temporary fund, making the money off-limits for ongoing expenses. Although the college can benefit from having a reserve fund, there are also a lot of ongoing expenses that are underfunded, Hoene said.
5,242 FTE Students 4,918 FTE Students
Fall 2013
Actual FTE Enrollment
4,682 FTE Students
Fall 2014
FTE Goal
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thecurrent
James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
3 2014-2015
Brandes: Students, Staff Should have Voice at GRCC By: Taylor Lopes Staff Writer
Alina Moss | The Current
Dieynaba Drabo Felylicia Martinez, Paper Tree employees.
Alina Moss | The Current
Library Assistant Ethan Pham at the front desk.
Jobs Offered at Green River By: Alexis Ball Staff Writer
Green River Community College students have the possibility of finding employment on-campus. According to the Green River Community College website, many of these on-campus jobs require students that are hired to be enlisted in the Federal Work Study program. This is a financial aid program that provides employment opportunities for students both on and off campus. Anyone can apply for the workstudy program, whether they are in need of extra financial support during their college studies, or if they would simply like to gain work experience for future jobs. One of the only requirements is that the student takes a minimum of six credits per quarter. Students can make anywhere from $300 to $4500 per academic school year through this program. Students are paid on an hourly basis at minimum wage, which currently stands at $9.32. Washington state residency is not required. However, international
students must have a United States social security number, and a work visa to apply. Claire Gorenstein, consultant assistant in human resources, said the amount of students that an employer hires does depend on the needs of the department, and how many students that are in the Federal Work Study program. Departments such as the bookstore, cafeteria, library, Student Help Desk, and the Math Learning Center hire work-study students. The campus bookstore, The Paper Tree, is one of the main departments that hires students each quarter. They do not require that the student be enlisted in the workstudy program. However, it is easier to get a job there if the student is in the program. Students looking for a job there need to apply at least one month before the beginning of the quarter. They currently have 2 tentative positions opening up for winter quarter. The Paper Tree typically hires students to be cashiers and very rarely are any other positions open. Gary Jones, the manager of The Paper Tree, said that they have employees that have been working
there for many years. The Paper Tree is allowed a certain number of work-study students to hire, based off of how many students are in the program. Federal Work Study students can be hired at the Math Learning Center as well. An employee at the Math Learning Center, who chose to remain anonymous, confirmed that students need to get the approval of the department’s supervisor to work at a specific location. For example, students must have sufficient math skills to work in the Math Learning Center. Also, in the writing center, students that sign on to be tutors obviously need significant skills and knowledge on a specific topic in order to be helpful. Winter quarter begins on January 5, which means that students can start applying for participation in the Federal Work Study program and at the end of November. Most employers look to hire students about one month before each quarter begins. A majority of the on-campus employers are not looking to hire students until winter quarter begins. Federal Work Study job listings have already been filled for winter quarter.
Green River Community College is concerned with retaining students and methods to get students and employees more involved in what is going on at the college. Vice President of Instruction Derek Brandes during the “Down with Derek” meeting said, “We get a lot of students here, but we don’t retain them.” A major issue discussed was how to give students and faculty more say in what goes on at GRCC. “All employees and all students should have a voice in what’s going on at Green River,” Brandes said. One way of accomplishing this is to set into action the new Participatory Governance system. A draft model of the Participatory Governance system was presented at the meeting but the fine details of what this plan will entail or how it will be implemented are still unclear. The new system looks to give students and employees a more impactful voice at Green River and provide more transparency about what is happening on campus. Currently, students are not always well-informed on what is actually taking place at the college. The new Participatory Governance system hopes to keep both students and employees in the know about potential plans before they happen. The Participatory Governance system should help the Green River community to get involved. The plan is to ensure students will not just be sitting around and listening to what happens at the college, but actually standing up and doing something about what is important to them and what affects them.
This could be due to a multitude of reasons, but one of the main issues brought to attention was that the community at large simply does not know where Green River is. The college is not a widely known community college in the area. Another issue is that the college needs to figure out what is important to its students, Brandes said. If the college can figure out what students do or do not appreciate about GRCC, they may be able to make themselves more welcoming to a larger number of students. A student poll may be able to give the college an indicator as to what we need to change, Brandes said. It may not be easy to do, but listening to what students like and dislike about GRCC could make it easier to retain students. “This needs to be an all-handson-deck situation,” Brandes said. Many colleges look to update recruitment and marketing, orientation, admission and financial aid. Green River Community College is looking to also improve classroom experiences, retention, degree attainment, academic support and co-curricular support. “Green River’s demographics now is what Seattle faced ten years ago,” Brandes said. The college plans to look at what the Seattle community colleges did ten years ago to help them retain their students but nothing concrete has been gathered yet. Brandes also discussed the DiscoverU program and what GRCC can do to help support it. DiscoverU helps get K-12 students to think about future college plans. The DiscoverU program helps get K-12 students thinking about college. “In a few years, most jobs will need further training or education,” Brandes said.
Gator Grill Moving to New Building By: Sean Chounlamany Staff Writer
Alina Moss | The Current
GRCC’s grill, possibly moving to the new Student Life building
The Board of Trustees is considering changes to the campus and potential grant awards for various programs. The Lindbloom Student Center encompasses the Gator Grill, Student Affairs, Instructional, and Student Life. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees, the members discussed plans for the new Gator Grill. Linda Cowan, a Board of Trustees member, said, “Green River wants to provide nutritional and delicious food to students rather than seeing students bring their own lunch because they’re forced out of lines.”
The 36 year old facility is structurally unreliable and poorly configured to meet minimal customer service standards. The size and design of the building is a factor of long wait times for food. The college plans to have the new Gator Grill located in the newly built Student Life building. The relocation is a strategy to allow food services to flow smoothly. The cafeteria will give students a sufficient amount of meal variety with 100 more available seats than in the Gator Grill, allowing more space for students to relax during lunch and enjoy their food. Hilary Loeb from the Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) approached the board
with a resolution for the college to focus on equity and excellence in education. PSESD would work collaboratively with school district personnel such as Green River to accomplish this mission through the works of Ready, Achieve, Succeed. This program is committed to helping guarantee each child is ready to achieve at high levels throughout K-12 education. They will also try to provide a strong transition to college and to their chosen career. $4 million in funds will be used towards the program and it will be funded by the Melinda Gates Foundation within 3 years to successfully prepare students entering new fields of technology in the future.
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thecurrent
4 2014-2015
Campus Editor | James Ristig campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Course Evaluations Impact Instructors By: Ed Ali Staff Writer
Each quarter, dozens of classes are given course evaluations at Green River Community College. “We use student evaluations as part of our measurement of a course, and or, a faculty performance in a class. That could be an adjunct or a full time faculty person,” Vice President of Instructions, Derek Brandes, said. “We don’t do it based on a student member, we’re doing it based on if the faculty member is on a tenure track process. We have a rotational scheme for faculty that are post-tenure.” According to Brandes, the course evaluations implementation “depends upon how the instructor uses the feedback to either adjust the course or adjust their instruction. Typically, we’re using multiple things to look at feedback at a class or an instructor, the student instructions being one, we also do class evaluation. There’s a cycle of every five years a faculty member goes through a post-tenure process and student evaluation again.” Course evaluations are also contractually obligated, and adjunct members of faculty, or contingent instructors, are given to them on a quarter to quarter basis. Faculty post-tenure are also told to do them after they have finished and are in “the file,” maybe one or two per academic year. New adjuncts are given
them in their first two quarters, and if they decided to follow the tenure track then it’s moved back into a quarter to quarter format. Students play a role in that, but the key for course evaluations is how the instructor can use them to improve their class. Some instructors can and have voluntarily done course evaluations. They have noted that it is good feedback for adjusting how their classes work and can be improved. Instructors like Mark Thomason, who is also a division chair, said “given the resources of the college, I think that the number of required post-tenure student evaluations as stipulated in the contract is sufficient.” Students like Julian Zhu feel like course evaluations are important because “students are the ones experiencing the course and their feedback is most likely valuable assuming honesty in the review.” The course evaluations do have an impact on the course and the instructors. Instructors have the potential to climb to a higher positions in the college if the evaluations are mostly positive. “All of this requires quite a bit of coordination to ensure that all of the student evaluations are administered by the faculty, and then processed by the building secretaries in a timely manner so that faculty have their student evaluations by the beginning of the next quarter, in order to make any necessary adjustments,” said Thomason.
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Ian Lobdell | The Current
Counselors Liz Becker (left), and the new counselor Elza Boycheva (right).
Counselors Overworked and Understaffed Counselors Struggle with International Students By: Nicholas Rasmussen Staff Writer
The mental health counseling staff at Green River Community College are understaffed. According to the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS),Green River has almost half as many counselors as the organization recommends for a college of over 11,000 students. In a letter of support from Ellen Carruth, the associate program director for the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA) recommended one counselor for every 1,500 students. According to the letter, the WMHCA offered their support with one additional counselor for the college. Student Affairs Counselor Devon Klein said the help of the new counselor, Elza Boycheva, has alleviated some of the workload. The college only had two counselors before Boycheva was hired. Even with an additional counselor, the high volume of students can cause longer wait times when seeking counseling appointments. Students can potentially face wait times as long as two weeks to see a counselor. This is troublesome when some issues require timely assistance. The three counselors also have to handle the large population of international students at the college. Dean of International Programs Wendy Lee Stewart said the school has just over 1,700 students coming from more than 60 countries. The diversity of the student body at GRCC adds a unique challenge for the counselors to face. The new counselor Elza Boycheva said that while working with diverse student body, the counselors must practice “patience and understanding” with students who may struggle with the English language. Although a language barrier can pose an
issue in counseling services, the school has the available use of a Language Line. The Language Line is a translation service that allows the counselors to better communicate with students who struggle with the English language. The counselors can call the program and get a professional translator to help them communicate with the students. Klein said the conversations with the Language Line can tend to feel “detached” but that it is “a nice resource to have” for communicating with international students. The counselors are a resource for international students who might be facing difficulties in college. They offer seven personal sessions with the student, and can assist in locating another professional counselor if further help is needed. International students that come to the U.S. can face a multitude of challenges while adjusting and settling into a new country. The school now offers a variety of services and resources beyond counseling to assist students in this transition. In recent years, international programs have expanded and students now have more options in regard to receiving emotional help. The advisers in the International Village on campus assist as best they can with any issues the student may be facing beyond college and class work. All international students are also required to take the College Experience course within their first two quarters at Green River. This course introduces students to the education system in the U.S. and gives detail on what to expect as they enroll at Green River. All incoming international students are now required to participate in a peer-to-peer mentoring group where they are encouraged to open up and talk about their problems with their peers. The students are matched by country of origin as best as possible in order to facilitate the interaction between students, and make them more comfortable away from home.
James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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2014-2015
GRCC Offers Flu Shots to Public Two Hundred Vaccines Availible to Students, Staff, and Families
By: Brent Gibson Staff Writer Flu shots are being offered again at Green River Community College in order to combat the contagious disease that tends to thrive between the months of Oct. and May. This year the flu vaccinations will be administered by the Seattle Visiting Nurses Association. “We are a 501 c3 non-profit community immunizer,” Jeff Barrett, client engagement director for the association, said. They visit approximately 60 school districts all across the state of Washington and offer affordable flu shots to students, staff and their families. The cost will be $28 and it will be difficult to find a lower price anywhere nearby. If you have an insurance card and it covers flu vaccinations, be sure to have it ready as there is no co-pay for flu vaccinations and the entire cost can be billed to them. The flu vaccine is being offered twice this year at the college. The first event took place on Oct. 20 and the next will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 4 between 3pm to 5pm in the Baker Room of the Lindbloom Center. The Visiting Nursing Association tend to give about 200
shots per school. “It will protect against the three most common virus strains,” Community Health Educator Julie French said. “It doesn’t immunize all of them.” According to a brochure provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu may seem to be a trivial nuisance, but in reality, the death count from this virus ranges in the thousands every year. For less serious cases, the flu can cause sore throat, coughing, fever, fatigue, can lead to pneumonia and more. The negative effects are known to vary in accordance with the individual and the amount of exposure. The CDC brochure said that the flu vaccine is still the best preventative measure for the flu and the symptoms that it causes. The vaccine will lower the immune system for a short time after it is introduced, so the recipient will be more susceptible to the flu and other diseases before the vaccine kicks in and builds it back up. French said there are some other precautions to be taken, particularly in the coming months such as washing your hands and a good diet. It is important not to come to school or work if you are feeling sick, as exposure to the virus only makes it spread
SAFE Fund Helps Students in Financial Trouble By: Sean Chounlamany Staff Writer
Green River Community College offers a Student Assistance for Emergencies (SAFE) Fund for students in dire need of financial assistance. It is a one-time emergency fund for students to overcome obstacles to academic success posed by costs of attending college and expenses that may apply. The college implemented the SAFE Fund program to focus on eliminating financial complications that students may face during their college career. The Women’s Programs office, which administers the SAFE Fund, will refer students to local human service organizations for needs which the SAFE Fund cannot address. They work closely with individuals in overcoming personal barriers to success and in reaching academic, personal, and career goals. Women’s Programs loans books and calculators to students who are not receiving funds elsewhere and can’t afford to purchase them. Green River wants to prevent financial issues as a factor for why students can't attend college. “Before I was introduced to the SAFE Funds, freshmen year unfortunately would have been my last year here.” Aaron said who is a second year student. “The SAFE Funds made my second year possible despite coming from a low-income household and faced with financial problems.” The funds provided by the college include utilities, housing, car repairs (if made at GRCC) and gas. Other necessities such as book fees, yearly tuition, and medication are usually ineligible as other resources exist to fund them.
The college provides an ideal amount of money for students in aid, giving students a supplement amount of money to efficiently use. In 2009-2010 the average SAFE Fund that was given to applicants was $325. With different circumstances concerning funds that may exceed over $500, applicants must be approved by a designated representative of the GRCC Foundation Board of Directors. In order for students to receive funds, applicants must meet specific academic requirements. Students must have attended GRCC for at least one quarter as a full-time student, and have a minimum of 2.0 GPA or equivalent. The SAFE Fund only administers request help on a one-time basis, students may not request funds chronically, as the funds should be carefully expended. Throughout the years, the implementation of the SAFE Fund has drastically increased and remains to help students continue their education at GRCC. “I would probably say the SAFE Funds was my savior.” James Greene said, a second year student. “I was personally in a predicament dealing with unemployment and the SAFE Funds financially put me right back on my feet.” Applicants must be referred to by a GRCC employee who can vouch for their academic merit. Referral forms are located on the Green River website and are available in the Women’s Programs, located at the Lindbloom Student Center (LC) in room LC-230. The student who request funding must be the person responsible for the payment. Funds are made directly to creditors or in the form of bus tickets, vouchers and other compensations. The college continues to undermine the financial obstacles that students encounter at the college.
Alina Moss | The Current
Flu shots are offered on campus, but only about 200 are available faster. Also, as the vaccine temporarily lowers you immune system, it is best to skip the vaccination process if you are feeling under the weather, or just getting over being sick when the vaccinations are distributed. There will be other places to offer them. However, there are reasons not to get vaccinated such as an allergies to eggs, gelatin and antibiotics. If you have ever had an allergic reaction after a vaccination or suffered from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. All of these would
be indicators that it may be inadvisable to get a vaccination. After you get your flu shot, be certain to sit down for about 15 minutes just to be on the safe side. Also, contact your doctor if any medical issues crop up afterward. For more information regarding the influenza (flu) virus and vaccinations against possible diseases, go to the CDC website at www.cdc. gov/flu.
COMMUNITY RADIO NEEDS
YOUR SUPPORT KGRG‘s Fall Pledge Drive Kicks Off
Oct 31 th Donate and Help
Green River College Radio
www.kgrg.com
Find your program at Green River Community College 124TH AVE SE
The Currents guide to programs and where you can find them on FUTURE SITE OF NEW TRADES BUILDING the Green River campus
Bleha Center for the Performing Arts
-Drama Programs Heavier Than Air Family Theatre Green River Drama Department -Music Programs Concert Choir Green River Jazz Voices
CCA
SE 320TH ST
Holman Library
-One Book Program Free Book. Give your student ID and get the book many at Green River are reading; Homeland. -Tutoring and Resource Center Provide tutoring in most subjects -Computers -Books -Study Rooms -Printers
SS HL
TID
KENNELLY COMMONS
PA
-The Current -Open Aerobics M-Th 12-1p.m.
-Compass and Class Testing -Career and Advising Center Find and explore potential career paths. -Courtesy Phone
HR
RLC
Occupational Education Building
Zgolinski Welcome Center
TIC
FUTURE SITE OF NEW STUDENT LIFE BUILDING
-Writing Learning Center One-on-one assistance with students and staff writing tutors.
TIB
TIA
Rutkowski Learning Center
Lindbloom Student Center
AD
LC
SH SALISH COMMONS
OEB
Administration Building
ZWC ARA TC
SC
PE
Technology Center
-Computers -Printers -Cafe
IVB
Cedar Hall
IVC
CH
-Math Learning Center -Study Rooms
IVD
Paid Guaranteed Parking -$100 a quarter
MC WT FO
-Student Affairs Your place for events info, ASGRCC student government, CELO, and many other programs. -KGRG and KGRG1 GRCC’s Radio Station -Diversity Office -Womens Programs SAFE Fund see page 5 -Career and Advising Center -Counseling & Health Services -TRiO -Registration -Veteran Services -Financial AID -The Paper Tree -Gator Grill -Cashier -ATM -Cafe -Study Rooms
FC IVA
-Campus Safety Offers safety rides dusk-2pm within a 2 mile radius of the campus (253) 288-3350
Salish Hall
-Clubs Most clubs meet in Salish Hall. If you need to find out more about a club visit Student Life or talk to the Club and Organizations Coordinator. -ATM -Study Rooms
Physical Education Building -Intramurals M-Th 12-1pm F 12-2pm -Open Weight Room M-F 12- 1p.m. -Open Fitness Center M&W 12-1p.m. and 4:30-6p.m. T&Th 12-1p.m. and 4:30-5:30p.m. F 12-1p.m.
Being a member of a club or organization can greatly improve your college experience. Green River Community College offers a multitude of varied clubs and activities that students can take part in. Not only can clubs be a fun time, they can also help prepare you for your future careers. Many classes also offer clubs for extra help and extended lessons. It’s a much more personal environment than in the classroom. Other activities can help you build a resume. Some clubs participate in volunteer work. Volunteer work will help you get into a four year college and these clubs provide a fun, focused and community oriented environment. If you are a creative or outgoing person, it would be in your best interest to attend a club meeting. It’s possible to make friends and connections through the clubs at Green River. You can make friends that share your hobbies and interests and get to know the informed and inviting faculty of GRCC. If you’ve got nothing to do after your classes, it couldn’t hurt to attend a club meeting and learn about the opportunities that could be available to you. You’ll learn new skills that can be applied throughout your college life. If you want to be more involved on campus, joining a club is the right place for you. Some clubs meet with other students and try to improve the college experience for others. It’s a great way to show that you want to be an important part of the college and can work with other people. It can be hard to find out where clubs meet which is why this map shows when the clubs meet and in what buildings.
Some other Programs that are Available Nursing Club -Join us and make friends. -Shape this year’s community events. -Help make a difference in our community. -Contact Lori, Ldietz@mail.greenriver.edu for more details. GRCC Honeybee Program -Mondays at 1:00 pm in the SC lobby. -The club promotes environmental awareness through honeybees. -Needs motivated students to help make educational material. ESPIAL -Taking notice of something; a discovery. -An accumulation of GRCC creative culture in the form of an award-winning literary and art journal. -Students, staff, and faculty are invited to submit artwork, poetry and creative writing. Noodle Shop -The library hosts free drop-in workshops that take the stress away from doing citations. -The 2nd floor teaching classroom, HL 213. -All students can create an account and use NoodleTools through a link on the library’s website -Produce a perfectly formatted bibliography in MS Word. Accounting Club -For students interested in accounting or business. -Club will meet every other Friday,12-12:50 p.m. -On Facebook, search GRCC Accounting Club.
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2014-2015
A&E Editor | Rachel Wood a&e@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Maris Farms Has Festive Activities & Attractions By: Rachel Wood A&E Editor
Courtesy | Maris Farms
Rachel Wood | The Current Maris Farms (above) incudes an eight-acre pumpkin patch, as well as a corn maze, an animal barn, and two haunted attractions.
Maris Farms offers more than 40 acres of festive activities and attractions, including six acres of corn mazes and an eight-acre pumpkin patch. Maris Farms has everything from farm animals to festive foods to monster truck rides, all at one destination. The entrance to Maris Farms is located at 25001 Sumner-Buckley Highway in Buckley on the scenic and rural Old Sumner-Buckley Highway, which runs parallel and approximately one mile north of Highway 410 (SR 410). Maris Farms is open daily until Oct. 31. Daytime admission to the farm is $7 during the week, and $12 on the weekends. Admission includes access to the corn maze, jump pillow, tube slide, barnyard ball zone, animal barn, and goat walk, all in addition to the eight acre pumpkin patch. In addition to pumpkins, Maris Farms offers gourds, corn stalk bundles, carving kits, and mini straw bales. Pumpkins are priced at 30 cents per pound, which sits just above the average price of local grocery stores like Fred Meyer and Albertsons. However, daytime admission to the farm can be credited towards a pumpkin purchase if it’s within 30 minutes of entry. Maris Farms offers two festive frights – The Haunted Woods and Monster Safari. The Haunted Woods is about a 35-minute walk, where visitors walk in small groups through a haunted corn maze and forest. The Haunted Woods costs $25 per person. Monster Safari invites visitors
to battle the walking dead as they shoot one of 40 mounted paintball guns on a safari bus. The 15-minute ordeal takes place in a remote part of Maris Farms, where visitors test their shooting skills against an army of zombies. Monster Safari costs $15 per person, although there is a $35 combination pass, which includes admission to both the Haunted Woods and Monster Safari. For those who are looking for a more “farmish” type of visit, on weekends Maris Farms offers a scenic, slow-paced hayride around the pumpkin patch, as well as pony or camel rides. A catch and release trout pond is also open during weekends, where visitors are invited to drop a line and try their luck at fishing. During the week, vendors offer simple snacks such as candy bars and chips, in addition to espresso and hot chocolate. On the weekend, full food concession options are available, including roasted corn, fresh squeezed lemonade, kettle corn, and more. Rabbits, piglets, chickens, turkeys, and goats are on display every day of the week, where animal food is available for a quarter to feed the goats and sheep at the goat walk. In addition to all of the fun, Maris Farms has a pumpkin-filled cornucopia, a sunken tractor, a hay-wagon, and many other scenic options, all of which are great opportunities for festive fall photos. Maris Farms is stocked with activities and attractions for visitors of all ages, so whether you’re going with a group of friends, or taking a younger sibling, Maris Farms is sure to fill your day with endless fun.
Pumpkin Bread Recipe By: Rachel Wood A&E Editor
Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup water, 1 box Libby’s pumpkin bread mix.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep ingredients.
Step 2: Combine water, oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a large bowl. Stir until blended, then add bread mix.
Thrift Stores Provide Inexpensive Costume Supplies By: Samantha Ward Staff Writer As Halloween and the Green River Community College Halloween dance quickly approach, students are struggling to come up with ideas and the funds for a great Halloween costume. The average costume typically costs right around $30, although virtually any amount can be spent on a costume. Accessories such as wigs, shoes, face paint, and makeup are all factors that add to the cost. At Spirit Halloween, Skin Suits, Police Officers, and Day of the Dead costumes rank among the top sellers. These costumes start at $30, although some of them range upwards of $60. Spending that amount of money for one night on a college budget can prove to be difficult. One of the
best alternative ideas is to take a trip to the local thrift shop. Thrift Shops such as Goodwill and Value Village offer an entire Halloween section during the month of October. Costumes such as the Skin Suits can be found at Goodwill for less than half the price of the costumes at Halloween superstores like Spirit Halloween. Goodwill also has an entire section of accessories such as face paint and home decorations. Goodwill spends the year collecting and storing Halloween costumes and decorations that have been donated before shipping them to other Goodwill stores around the country. With a large selection of unique and festive items, Goodwill is a helpful place to start the search for costume basics. During the fall season, Goodwill becomes a busy place for Hallow-
een necessities. “It can get crazy,” Goodwill store employee, Correne Sexton, said. Creating a Halloween costume begins with getting the supplies. According to Jeanine Bartelt, costume designer for the drama department, thrift shops and discount stores provide a great resource. Bartelt advises that it’s best to figure out who you want to be before you begin shopping. “There are many household items that can be used, such as tinfoil, paper, and recycled fabrics,” Bartelt said. When putting together the costume, Bartelt recommends to just have fun with it. Ideas for cheap and easy DIY costumes can be found anywhere on the Internet. A package of green or purple balloons, green pipe cleaners, matching pants, and a shirt can turn your supplies into a
unique costume like a “bunch of grapes.” Creative ideas like this cost very little to put together, considering that many of these items can be found at home. Another DIY idea is a long red shirt or dress with black construction paper polka-dots to create a ladybug dress. “Be creative. You can also choose a theme - silly, 80’s, or 60’s costumes, and build around that,” Bartelt said. Try checking out costumes from previous years, to see if there’s a way to give an old costume a new angle. If that doesn’t work, talk to some friends and trade costumes amongst each other. Whatever the costume may be, using household items and thrift shop finds from stores like Goodwill can help to make the costume unique, as well as affordable.
Step 3: Pour batter into two lightly greased pans and place in over for 60 minutes.
Step 4: After 60 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.
Rachel Wood | A&E Editor a&e@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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KGRG Hires New Program Director By: Megan Tilton Staff Writer
Courtesy | ASGRCC Courtesy | ASGRCC
Students (above) enjoy themselves at the Horror Night Halloween Dance Party last Halloween.
Halloween Dance Promotes Festivities
International Students Encouraged to Attend Event By: Job Williams Staff Writer
Green River Community College is hosting their annual Halloween dance party on Friday, Oct. 31 from 7 p.m. to midnight. The Horror Night Halloween Dance Party will take place in the main dining room of the Lindboom Student Center. The event will cost $5 for Green River students and $10 for non-students, if payed for in advance. All other tickets will cost $15 at the door. There will be snacks, Halloween themed games, a tarot reader, a numerologist, and a photo booth during the on-campus event. There will also be a DJ playing music, as well as a dance for all of the students who attend. There are currently about 100 students who are signed up for the Horror Night Halloween Dance Party, although more are expected to show up at the door on the night of the event. Risqa Syakhroza, project manager of the event, stressed the significance of the festive night, particu-
larly for international students. “We want our international students to experience the Halloween spirit, since they may not have had that in their home town,” Syakhroza said. This is Syakhroza’s second year contributing to the Halloween event, and according to her, a majority of the students who attend the event are international students, although other students will be attending as well. Student life representatives strongly encourage students to sign up in advance, as opposed to buying tickets at the door, considering that this will save Green River students $10 per ticket. Halloween has been said to be an opportunity to mingle with peers, and with the high volume of students attending, finding someone to socialize with should pose no issue. The event also has a costume contest with prizes for categories such as funniest, creepiest, and most original costume, so wearing a costume is encouraged. GRCC student Bailey Williams,
who is studying for a degree in fashion, advises that Halloween costume shops are not always the best place to find the makings of a memorable costume. “A great place to start shopping for the pieces of your costume is the thrift store. Lots of materials on the cheap,” Williams said. “I’m ready for the party,” said Lee Sisson, a student at GRCC, “I made my own costume and it’s just about time to unveil it.” The Halloween party will be a safe place to socialize and have fun with a wide variety of people from the college. The dance is sponsored by International Programs at Green River. Students can sign up for the event online, or buy tickets in the Lindbloom Student Center. Students are encouraged to attend the Halloween dance party. There will be a DJ playing music, snacks for all, Halloween games, the opportunity to have fortunes read by the tarot reader, a numerologist, and prizes that will be awarded to students who arrive in their best Halloween costumes.
The Green River Community College on-campus radio station has changed program directors. On Oct. 9 2014 it was announced that Brandon Cassidy, also known by his on-air names, Gabe and Caveman, had been hired as 89.9 FM KGRG’s program director. Just last spring KGRG hired a new program director, Katen Burgess. However, by summer Burgess had stopped showing up to the station without any explanation. It was later revealed that personal problems stopped him from showing up to his job. As a result, the advisor for KGRG, Tom Krausē, hired someone else. Applicants sent in resumes, just like they would during a regular interviewing process, and Cassidy was the one who was chosen. Cassidy’s responsibilities as program director includes managing all of the departments within the radio station, apart from sales and traffic, as well as having the final in what goes out on air. This isn’t Cassidy’s first time in the GRCC radio scene. While working on getting his general associate of art degree, he took a journalism class because it was geared more towards radio. “Probably a week or two in I realized that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Cassidy said. Cassidy has his own morning radio show, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., called Daily Dysfunction, where he
announces the news. He tries to come up with fun ways to tell the news. In some cases, he even incorporates the news through games. As the program director, he is also in charge of essentially the entire radio station, such as hiring people. “It’s just for the love of the job,” Cassidy said. “We love what we do.” And Cassidy is not the only one with a love for the program. The assistant program director, Katie Borton, along with the Green River students that participate in the radio station, all have a passion for broadcasting. “I came up here a couple of years ago and I knew I wanted to do radio,” Borton said. Borton’s job as the assistant program director is to help Cassidy in his decision making, as well as any problems that the station may come across. GRCC hosts two radio stations on campus, which gives students a unique opportunity to gain both on-the-air and behind the scenes experience in news broadcasting, radio production, and disc jockey work. Some KGRG alumni have even established radio careers across the country. KGRG plays a variety of rock, with specialty shows that cater to specific genres, such as heavy metal. They also seek out local and unheard of bands to play for the station, in hopes of helping them to make their big break. “It’s a great starting station for anybody trying to pursue broadcasting as a possible career,” GRCC student Connor Heilborn said.
Ian Lobdell | The Current KGRG gives students a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience to get on-the-air.
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10 2014-2015
David Price | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
No Smoke Campus Talk Provides Opportunity For Makes For Foreign Students to Practice their English A Cleaner International Students Still Find Difficulty In Befriending Domestic Students Campus By: Mari Regalado Staff Writer On January 1, 2013, Green River Community College became a tobacco free campus. The purpose of this was to protect students, staff, visitors, and the environment at the college. For many students this has been a very dramatic change. Part time student Sulekha Ali stated that “ever since Green River became a tobacco free campus I have noticed that the atmosphere feels and smells much cleaner”. This is completely true, no more walking out of class into clouds of smoke. The mainstream and side stream smoke coming from the cigarettes and the smoke they breathe out harms the health of bystanders. Every student now has the privilege of breathing clean air. This is an advantage for everyone. An article on second hand smoke stated that “second hand smoke makes you more likely to get cancer, and it is also bad for your heart”. This could potentially harm many students and faculty members. Smoking can also have a really strong negative effect on the environment. A cigarette pollutes the air with nearly 7,000 chemical compounds, 250 that are known to cause diseases and 69 which are known to cause cancer. Cigarettes are also to known for having caused many forest fires. About five million hectares (600 million trees) are destroyed each year. These trees are used to dry tobacco. This is in no way healthy for any of our staff, students, or visitors, much less the environment. Teresa Vanderpol, a student at Green River Community College told us that she loves the way the campus has so much nature, all the green trees, and squirrels, and would hate to see all that go to waste for a simple cigarette. How has this tobacco free campus affected daily smokers? Third year student Jeremy Bell told us that this rule has helped him resist the temptation to smoke a cigarette after every class. Not only that, but it has also helped him smoke less. Some, however, were less pleased with the policy. Leslie Stanford said that it’s not fair how just because some people don’t like it they should take away other peoples’ privileges.
By: Sayaka Nishi Staff Writer
A lot of international students are currently studying at GRCC, but some of them are still struggling to improve their English speaking and listening skills due to less opportunities to be friends with domestic students. To improve their English speaking and listening skills, it is often said that having domestic friends is the best and quickest way to improve those skills. But the fact is few of them have native speaking friends. Although GRCC says they have some places to practice English, like Campus Talk, it does not work as well as it was intended for international students. Befriending domestic students is not always easy considering that they are not usually in places like Campus Talk. Instead, there are some volunteering English speakers and international students who are also eager to practice English.
Campus Talk occurs every Tues. and Thur. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the St. Helen’s room of the Lindbloom Student Center. The goal of the program is to act as a cross cultural exchange between students of various backgrounds. To have a lot of international students is, of course a wonderful thing, but listening to and getting used to native English is necessary for them to do well in academic classes. Haruna Matsumoto, an international student, is one of whom has been struggling to make friends with English speakers. She has been to Campus Talk many times, but she said it did not help her a lot because she finds few domestic students there. Although she became friends with two native speaker after trying for more than a half year, she said she had a hard time finding them. Kazumi Takahashi, an international student, pointed out the environment of Campus Talk. First of all, the room is too dark and exclusive because it is
located at a small room on the corner of LC, which makes her nervous when she enters there. Because both of them have English speaker friends in academic class activities, both said that IESL (Intensive English as a Second Language Program) students have few opportunities to be friends with domestic students even though they keep visiting Campus Talk. On the other hand, Yen Viet Pham, an IESL student, has some English speaker friends even though she is still in IESL. This is because she goes to the Friends of International Students club (FIS), which takes place every Friday night at a church. She said FIS club seems similar to Campus Talk, but it is better. There is one volunteer at each table, and they have a topic to talk about every week. Like these stories above, some of the international students can get English speaking friends easily, while others do not. This happens due to the gap of how much information they have.
Of course international students are responsible to put away their shyness, and be outgoing and open-minded. However, GRCC is also responsible to inform equally. Even though Campus Talk occurs weekly, many domestic students still do not even know of its existence. Only some informed students, like Pham for instance, become friends with English speakers. But it is also true that others still are uninformed and still struggling to improve their English speaking and listening skills. While it is true that international students have to make an effort on their own, GRCC should also be responsible to take care of and help the international students, as long as GRCC is continuing to accept more and more international students. As the first step, it seems that Campus Talk and the way to convey the information about some activities has a lot of space for improvement. Then more information on these activities would reach the student body.
Rumors Regarding Later Registration Access Times for International Students Proven False Registration Priority Exists but Not in Favor of Domestic Students
By: Renno Jeon Staff Writer
As GRCC is approaching the halfway point of fall quarter with registration dates that officially begin Nov. 12, many students are starting to consider what classes to sign up for, and many myths about different registration access times for international students are circulating. The rumor is that domestic students have earlier registration dates than international students. “That rumor is true because I have a friend who really saw a domestic student register one week earlier than my friend,” said Anqi Wu, an international student. The overload policy has been voted down and the voices of students wanting to be in high-demand classes, like Public Speaking or Physics, are rising. So many students don’t get into
classes they want to be in, not because they are too idle to register in time, but because of different access times. “I think American students do receive early access times because they are literally domestic students and we are just foreigners” said Eriko Taguchi, an international student. This shows that many international students feel they are being treated unfairly. Registration access times are given through appointments made available online, two weeks prior to the start of the registration cycles every quarter. Depending on the student, the time difference of the access times ranges from hours to days. Priority, as a matter of fact, does exist but not in favor of domestic students as some people may think. The registration date for veterans and workforce begins Nov. 10, followed by currently enrolled students on Nov. 12 and lastly new students on Nov.24, according to registration information at Enrollment services Fair enough. As far as most peo-
ple are concerned, nobody would disagree to giving veterans and workforce priority. The myth about the access time difference in terms of nationalities has been proven untrue. However, another question has arisen here. How are access times different among students? According to the registration information, currently enrolled students are assigned registration access times determined by the number of credits earned at Green River, and transferred-in credits from other institutions that have been evaluated by Green River. “The more credits you earn, the earlier your registration appointment,” said Denise Bennatts, the director of enrollment services and registration. “We want to give these folks the opportunity to register (first) so they are able to finish their requirement for their degree”. Yet, there is an old saying, the early bird catches the worm. Likewise, shouldn’t the currently used registration system be on a first-come/first-
serve basis? If the registration system were on this basis, those who are waiting for the clock to run down until the registration access time would be students who are motivated, based on the premise that motivated students tend to be diligent and make more effort. It would help them fit into the optimum classes and serve less committed students right. That may be, however, impossible to deal with. The server would go down if enough students simultaneously surged onto the GRCC website. “I don’t believe our current system could handle the load if all 10,000 students logged in at the same time,” said Bennatts. “We bring in approximately 50 students every half hour to spread out the load.” Enrollment services prevents overwhelming surges through the mechanic of different access times given, and yet, maybe we should come up with a solution that also blows out the holdup of students who have earned less credit in fairness to all students.
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David Price | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
11 2014-2015
Editorial: Transparency at GRCC Could Improve Relationships GRCC claims that they’re trying to be more transparent. At this point it is difficult to say if this is true or just administrative talk. As of recently the college has not been open and honest. Being transparent is necessary because when the college is holding secrets, students feel excluded. If the college were more transparent then this would lead to a more open environment, in which faculty and students would more freely be able to voice discontent with administration or other issues they may have. Plus the students would better understand the operations of the college The faculty and administration have been unable to come to an agreement on a number of issues and if the administration was more transparent then perhaps, these disagreements could be better resolved. More productive discussion would follow. GRCC officially has implemented what is called “participatory governance” which utilizes close comment
and involvement with the staff and students as a means to prompt more effective participation, on the part of all members of the college. Derek Brandes says that participatory governance is the way to get people more involved and knowing what is going on in the college. The Current doesn’t see that happening. The problem is that we currently have a top down model, where orders are passed down the chain from the higher echelons to the lower echelons. Such structure sets into mind the military’s chain of command. That type of governance does not work well in operating a college. Within the inter-workings of the college there are a lot of moving parts, each performing a different function. Due to centralization of administration, these moving parts often times do not coordinate very well. When you have various constituents, each with their own goal in mind, it is hard to expect that effective communica-
tion would flow freely throughout. More open communication at every level of the college’s staff could better guide us toward a unified goal. Shared governance is a far larger leap in the direction towards transparency. In shared governance the entire college community would participate in the everyday operations of the college. If everyone has a stake in what is occurring then people are naturally going to care and are more likely to actively participate. There are a number of things that the college should do in order to become more transparent and take the first steps toward shared governance. First of all they should open GatorNet to the public. GatorNet is an internal network available only to staff, containing information about the college’s inner workings. It includes info on things such as the new policies being put in place, meetings that have taken place (and what went on in them), and who gets paid what. Most of this
isn’t sensitive information at all. GatorNet could be a great tool if it were open to students, and could potentially encourage the student body to get further involved in the college. There’s no real reason it should be closed to students. Administration should have office hours like teachers. That way students and staff would be able to readily contact Deans and other administrative workers about problems they feel need to be addressed. Lastly more focus should be put into PR which will allow the college to have more of a voice in the community and be better prepared for any potential conflicts that might arise. Start by hiring a new college relations vice president to replace Vickie Sheehan, who was abruptly fired last summer. The school wide emails and text messages could be used to better inform the student body and staff about policy changes and the inner workings of the college.
Financial Aid Provides Inadequate Funding to Applied Students By: C.M. Warnke Staff Writer
One academic year at Green River Community College costs just under $20,000. The average degree at Green River Community College takes two years to get, meaning that a degree at Green River can cost close to $40,000. According to Financial Aid Office employee, Anna Jackson, 40 percent of all students at Green River Community College apply for Financial Aid every quarter. 10 percent of those students who apply are turned away and have to find other ways of paying for their schooling. Over half of the students at Green
Editorial Policy
River Community College have to resort to loans, grants, or scholarships. Getting scholarships though in most cases is too hard because of the many applicants for one or two scholarships. There simply isn’t enough money provided from private and public scholarships for students to be able to avoid getting into debt with loans. There isn’t enough money in school funding to let students expand their education. More companies need to have scholarships for a larger range of students. Microsoft, for example, could give out scholarships for people wanting to get IT degrees. How can people complain unemployment is down when people don’t have the training to do the empty jobs? If more teachers were trained then classrooms wouldn’t be over-
The Current is a limited public forum for student expression, in which student editors make policy and content decisions. Green River Community College delegates editorial responsibility for the content of the publications. The college acknowledges the dual free purpose of student publications as instructional tools and as vehicles for free inquiry and free expression in the academic community. The views and opinions expressed in The Current do not necessarily reflect those of the college or student body.
flowing due to lack of enough trained teachers. Loans are always an option, but who can afford to get buried by $40,000 in loans as soon as they graduate? Green River offers scholarships through the Green River Community College Foundation, but the amounts and options are limited and require a letter of recommendation that asks questions such as how interested is the student in learning and in their degree. Green River Community College Foundation only offers seven scholarships for Spring-Winter 2015. Private scholarships are always an option for students trying to get funding for their degrees, although this type of funding is highly selective based on government affiliation and religious beliefs.
Theft Policy
Another option students have for their education is grants, which is offered through Financial Aid. There are also private and public grants offered through governments like the state need grant. The same applies when transferring to a four-year university. For example, the University of Washington has offered over $300 million in scholarships to over 20,000 undergraduate students in the past years alone, not including grants and Financial Aid, according to the University’s Financial Aid and scholarship web page. It is also important to keep in mind the school you’re trying to transfer into, like Western for example. Western’s funding is limited to eligibility for whatever degree the student is trying to attain.
A person commits the offense of publication theft when he or she willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than three copies of The Current that is distributed on campus (with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading that edition of the publication). A “publication” includes any periodical that is distributed on a complimentary or compensatory basis. In addition to the imposition of other campus disciplinary penalties, a person who violates this provision is responsible for compensating the publication for all reasonable costs incurred, including, where appropriate, the refund of advertising fees.
Letters to the Editor
thestaff Jesse Torres Editor-in-Chief 253-388-3457
Ian Lobdell Managing Editor Ads Editor 253-833-9111 x2376 James Ristig Campus Editor
Rachel Wood A&E Editor/ Copy Editor
David Price Opinion Editor
Jesse Maiwald Sports Editor
Staff Writers: Alanna Argudo, Alexis Ball, Megan Tilton, Sean Chounlamany, Kaylee Markonich, Taylor Lopes, Mari Regalado, C.M. Warnke, Job Williams, Megan Hopper, Samantha Ward, Madeline Wentz, Brent Gibson, Nicholas J. Rasmussen, Renno Jeon, Sayaka Nishi, and Ed Ali Photographers: Ian Lobdell, Alina Moss, and Job Williams
Corrections
As much as The Current would like to think we are perfect, we are not. Because of this, we welcome our readers’ thoughts and comments on the our work an it’s accuracy. A story in the Oct. 8 issue misrepresented Janet Ash’s comments; the administration encouraged but did not require teachers to accept overloads. It is also unclear at this time, if the administration has the money to pay faculty for overloads. If you find and error in our facts or simply a name spelled wrong, please contact us at: editor@thegrcurrent.com 253-288-3457 or come in to our office in: OEB room 17
The Current encourages all its readers to be involved and will publish letters. Anonymous letters are not accepted and the editor reserves the right to reject or edit letters on the basis of length, libel, or propriety. All letters become property of The Current. Send letters to editor@thegrcurrent.com.
sports Womens Soccer Team
Jesse S. Maiwald | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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12 2014-2015
Struggles to Find Rhythm By: Madeline Wentz Staff Writer The Green River Women's Soccer team was defeated by the Shoreline Dolphins 0-2, at 2 p.m. Oct.15 at the Wilson Play Fields. The girls "connect really well" and "played as a team" Danielle Gunter (#9), one of the Gators defenders said. Even thought they did not come out with a win, they "played really well" head coach Stu Snow said. The Gators played hard but the Dolphin’s Forward, Haylee Warren, was able to put two goals in the back of the net. The first goal was scored in the first 16 minutes, the Gators were then able to battle through and hold them off until the second goal was scored in the middle of the second half. The team played strong, but with many of the girls injured, it was hard to pull out a win. With support from the Green River students, staff, and parents, the team put in their all to hold the Shoreline Dolphins at a two goal minimum. Goal Keeper, Molly Lambert, had 4 great saves to stop the ball from entering the goal. The Gator’s offense went up against a tough defense and were unable to bolster any points to the game. There were many opportunities at the net, but no one was able to get the ball past Shoreline’s goal keeper. Siri Lyder (#14), midfielder and freshman at GRCC, was tackled near the opponents goal, and received a penalty kick at the goal, but was unable to score. The Gator’s Midfielder and Captain, Monica Whitfield (#6) took the corner kicks at this game, where there were close goals
but never made it to the back of the net. Whitfield commented on the game, "I am so proud of everyone.” At the last game against the Dolphins on Sept. 27, the Gators were able to score two goals and keep the Dolphins at three goals with an end result of a loss, 2-3. The GRCC Women's Soccer team standings, in the NWAAC North Region, are ranked second to last above the Skagit Valley Cardinals. The women stand with a score of 4-9-0 in league and 6-9-0 on the season. Over last two years, the Gators have finished sixth in their league, last place in the region. They currently stand in fifth place in the North Region with 12 points, and the team in sixth place has 11 points. In order to keep above the Skagit Valley Cardinals off of the Gator’s heels, the girls need to step it up and bring in some more wins. GRCC's Director of Athletics, Bob Kickner, explained that the last few games the girls have played have all been on the road, which may have contributed to their losses. Brandy Sinclair, Green River’s forward has scored 6 of the 23 goals for the Gators and she believed that "everyone played as a team" at their game on Wednesday Oct. 15. She was unable to get a goal at this game, leaving the field with a score of 0-2, but with the contentment of a well played game. The girls practice at their home field, Wilson Play Field, whenever they are not competing against other teams. Their practices run for two hours from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. where they work on the skills they need to win the next tough five games this season. The Gators play Edmonds tonight, Oct. 22 at 5p.m. at Edmonds Community College.
Percy Harvin, Onto Next Mega Deal By: Jesse Maiwald Sports Editor
Percy Harvin - standing back from the plethora of individual awards he has acquired, including a 2006 SEC Championship Game MVP, to his 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, he’s been able to help his team win a championship at all levels of play. Starting in peewee football when he led his pop warner team to the national championship. Then he led Landstown High School in Virginia Beach, to winning the high school state championship in 2004. Then came the ever so famous, “Tim Tebow era” where Harvin helped bring two BCS Championship game victories to the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2008. Harvin was then able to win the championship game once again, this time at the highest level. This was with his second professional organization, the Seattle Seahawks. Harvin was arguably one injury away from being untradeable, which would have left him as a dead weight on the salary cap space for two more years. Harvin also has long time battled with anger issues dating all the way back to high school when once he even fought a referee. Harvin fought with several teammates as well during his Florida tenure. These disputes continued throughout his
career with the Minnesota Vikings, and even during the Super Bowl week with opposite Seahawks wide receiver, Golden Tate. Pictures and videos of Tate during the Super Bowl game show the bruising of a black eye as a result from where Harvin hit him. In a league where teams are protecting players who are facing charges of child abuse, drug use, and domestic violence, Seattle still chose to release one of their most talented receivers, in his prime simply because he was being a bad teammate. Another instance of Carroll and the front office valuing their team and the next man up philosophy over personal ego. The week before the trade, the front office reached a point with Harvin - if they were unable to trade him before the deadline, they would have outright released him. Carroll will take any player and try to make the most out of him. The fact he let him go leads me to believe Harvin was asking to be released. Now, in Harvin’s six year career, two teams have unloaded on him in his physical prime, with Harvin’s sure talent it seems telling that this receiver can be too high maintenance to match his current production on the field. Although the Hawks may have lost their team’s best receiving talent, I think it would be better for Seattle to move on from a mistake, than to be stubborn and cash strapped for two more seasons.
Photographer Credit | Tamara Snow
Goal Keeper Molly Lambert saving the ball. Lambert was able to finish the game with an impressive four saves to keep the Shoreline Dolphins at bay.
12912 SE Kent Kangley Rd NW Corner of Lake Meridian Market Place Shopping Center - Behind Shari’s -