Vol 03 Issue 52 The Current

thecurrent the student newspaper of green river college

Nov. 15, 2017

www.thegrcurrent.com

issue03 volume52

November’s Artist Expresses Through Surrealism

pg.6

Amanda Jenkinson | Art Student

currentcampus

currentsports

currentopinion

Information Regarding Mental Health Services At GRC

GRC Volleyball Barely Miss The Winning Title

Representation Of Minority Women In Media

Learn about the various facilties in place for students.

page2

Women’s volleyball team celebrate despite the season loss. page11

Read about how Hollywood lacks the incorporation of people from different races. page 10

2 2017-2018

campus

thecurrent

Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Volunteer Fair Offers Community Service Opportunities to Students By: Deja Cook Staff Writer Every year, Green River College holds a volunteer fair that provides community service opportunities for students.

The event took place on Nov 6 in the Student Union building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event had six tables in total with at least one to two representatives sitting at each to their establishment and at least two to six students frequented in and out of the fair.

There was a wide array of organizations that students could participate in such as Habitat for Humanity, which students would be able to assist with building affordable housing, The Auburn Food Bank, which volunteers could help bag and give out food to families in need, and AmeriCorp, which helps minorities with aid with college admissions and pass out backpacks.

Students could also tutor kids in technology and general studies at the local Auburn Library, assist at the Regional Animal Services of

a part of everything. I want to see King County, assist in senior care, what is going on and give back to helping out in local shelters and the community.” Talaga, while not much more. sure of what he was interested in, “The purpose of the Volunteer Fair said that he would is to help sign up for whatever students at was available.

“I want to be a part of Green River “I signed up with the College everything. I want to see Auburn Library, The connect what is going on and give Auburn Food Bank’s and add value in our back to the community.” Domestic Volience community - Tu-u Talaga, student program and animal shelter,” Fedi Tadele, through volstudent, said. The volunteerism,” unteer fair offers hours to students Melanie Kaneshiro, an internationthat are in need of hours. For examal student advisor at the college, ple, Tadele, a running start student, said, “Students are able to explore was in need of hours in order to a wide variety of service opportunicomplete the 30 required. ties with reputable organizations.

The Volunteer Fair is held twice a All students on the Green River year during the months of April Auburn Campus were welcome to and November. This gives everyone participate and join in on what was the chance to get involved in their offered during these events. local community and give back.

As students were trickling in and If any students happened to miss out of the open event, there some this particular event, Student Life that gave feedback as to what they also offers a variety of volunteer were interested in and how they events and outings throughout the wanted to use this opportunity. entirety of the school year and are Tu-u Talaga, a returning student welcome to sign up. to the campus, said “I want to be

Photo by Deja Cook

A poster detailing the Green River College Access Corps.

Photo by Deja Cook

A student approaching one of the booths at the Volunteer Fair

Professional Counseling Services Available in Student Affairs Building By: Sandra Suchkova Staff Writer Strong mental health is a crucial part of adolescence, the growth of the brain, and the development of overall well-being.

But the topic of mental health has long had a stigma attached to it, making it difficult for young people to get help for issues surrounding stress, anxiety, depression.

Many students at Green River College are struggling with overwhelming amounts of stress and don’t know how to cope with it.

Maricar Panlasigui, a student at the college, said “From my perspective, many young individuals don’t seek help due to the huge stigma against mental health. An endless number of people become so uncomfortable when the topic of mental health gets brought [up].

How are people expected to get help when they can’t even talk about the problem at hand?”

As a result, students, bottle up their negative emotions, and the results are potentially damning.

Especially in a setting like a college campus, where it seems like there’s so much to do with so little time, mental health becomes less of a priority and can be neglected.

There has been a shift in societal approach to the issue of mental health. Mental health counselor, Devon Klein, said “People in the public eye speaking out about their mental health struggles, public awareness campaigns and large-

Graphic by Anna Graver

scale public screenings are some ways that this change has been happening.”

Just last year, rapper Kid Cudi openly spoke about his struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, making him one of the first rap artists to represent something that affects so many people today in our world.

Pop star Lady Gaga talked extensively about her battle with depression in her documentary, Gaga Five Foot Two, which was released only a few months ago. Celebrities, who historically have a large platform to speak on, are finally opening up about significant issues that are

plaguing both themselves and their fans alike.

This awareness and discussion about depression, anxiety, etc can potentially save lives of millions of people and help improve how millions of others seek help and learn to cope in a healthy way.

Seeking professional help is a vital first step in recovering and having stronger mental health, even if it isn’t clear exactly what the issue is.

“The biggest advantage to seeking professional help is how you finally get the real support and help that you need and deserve. When you first get professional help, you feel

this huge relief lifted upon your shoulders and self,” Panlasigui said.

The college offers to all students resources, which includes professional mental health counseling, free of charge. “Counseling services offers confidential, professional, mental-health counseling to students for up to seven sessions past the intake. We create an individual treatment plan with each student to address their needs and can draw on a variety of different methods to do this,” Klein said.

Taking the step to get counseling at Green River, or an outside counselor or therapist can be a healthy outlet where any problems, issues

or worries about mental health can be professionally dealt with, and receive proper referrals for treatment plans and future actions toward improving mental health.

Counseling offices are easily accessible at the Student Affairs Building, room 231, to any student enrolled at GRC, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

While counseling and therapy sessions might be the best way to get on the road to recovery for some people, other options and resources might be more convenient for those who are not comfortable with speaking face-to-face with a mental health professional. Students have the option of calling 24/7 free and confidential crisis hotlines, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 1-800-273-8255.

Students can also contact 1-866427-4747 or text HOME to 741741 for text support, which is a useful alternative for those who prefer to type their concerns, rather than call or meet someone in person.

Overall, no matter what method of reaching out to receive professional help a student chooses, it will only help them to get in the right direction.

There are numerous resources available within the college itself, and they are all included with tuition, which means it is possible to utilize them without having to worry about insurance coverage or extra fees.

campus

thecurrent

Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

3 2017-2018

ESOL and IESL Supports Students Of All Cultural Backgrounds By: Mehria Zamiry Staff Writer ESOL stands for “English for Speakers of Other Languages,” and is offered to students that may struggle learning the English language outside of a classroom.

The English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program at Green River serves immigrant and refugee students. “Each class must have 23-25 students, and the program started in Green River College almost 25 years ago. The first ESOL teacher in Green River College was Jan Every,” Catherine Duva, an ESOL teacher on campus, said. “The first students were from Russia and the Ukraine.”

Those students came to the U.S. because of conflict in their home country. According to Duva, a main difference between international ESOL students and refugee ESOL students is that refugee ESOL students are less educated than International ESOL students.

The ESOL program offers six levels of English and additional support classes. There are classes in the morning and evening on the main campus and sites in Kent and Auburn.

The ESOL program fee is $25 per quarter and another $10 fee for materials per quarter. The maximum charge to any ESOL student is $35 per quarter.

“The main difference is the students. IESL classes are only for international students.

ESOL classes are for immigrants and

refugees,” Aaron Leavitt, an ESOL faculty and other classes at community-based sites.

The ESOL program teaches reading, writing, member, said. speaking, and listening, as well as offering The other noticeable differences are demographics and age. Usually, IESL (Internaresources and advisement for students in relation to their education and life outside tional English Second Language) and ESOL classes differ in terms of where the students of school. The two programs began because of a community in need of English language are from. Also, the median age is older in instruction.

ESOL classes. Most The program has evolved students in ESOL have immensely over time. The children, families, and “I was good at speaking jobs. The difference in demographics change English, but I was not good depending on the influx of the curriculum is also at writing so this class helps immigrants to South King apparent. Although we do emphasize transition- me to improve my writing.”

County. It is difficult to preing to college-level class- Sher Ahmad, ESOL student dict what the demographics es, we also understand will look like in the future. many of our students are The varying demographics of the college depends on the not interested in pursustate of the world; when countries experience ing their education beyond ESOL. Many take our classes hoping to eventually find a better war, economic collapses, and other disruptions, people are either forced to move or job. Therefore, we also emphasize career pathways. IBEST is one example of this. He choose to leave their homes and start a new also provided more information about ESOL life elsewhere.

Two differences between the IESL classes classes in the past, present and future. Some and the ESOL classes are that IESL probasic information about ESOL is that Green gram offers small class sizes and courses for River offers English language instruction to specific topics such as grammar. The ESOL adult immigrants and refugees (not international students). program has 23-25 students per class and The college offers pre-literacy level to level does not offer specific courses except for one level two course on grammar that just barely six (advanced) English classes. Green River scratches the surface. The IESL program’s has a large program with classes offered small class size and specific courses focused at the main campus, Kent Station, Auburn on grammar are two noticeable differences.

Center, various King County Library sites,

Sher Ahmad, an ESOL student from Kabul, Afghanistan, has lived in the U.S. for almost three years. He is a student at the college and he started English classes at the ESOL level 4 and is continuing at this level. He was an interpreter in Afghanistan. “I was good at speaking English, but I was not good at writing so this class helps me to improve my writing,” Ahmad said.

Rasha Alabdulla, is another ESOL student from Iraq. She has lived in the USA for almost four years. Her journey began with the level one ESOL course at Highline College. She has since trasferred and is now a student at Green River College and she started English class at ESOL level four and is continuing at this level. Alabdulla also mentioned she wants to continue to ESOL level six, and then she wants to become an interpreter.

ESOL and IESL come from all places all over, not just middle eastern countires.

Coral Leon, for example, is from Mexico.

She has lived in the U.S. for almost five years.

She had lived in Washington for two years and three years in Indiana. She is a single woman and this is her first quarter attending college as an ESOL student. She is at ESOL level two as of now.

Thao Nguyen is from Vietnam and she started at level three, and she found a job then she stopped. As of now, she is still in level three of the ESOL program. She was an interpreter in her home country.

The Eating Habits Of College Students

International Students Tend To Eat Out More

question the

answer

Attend A trAnsfer InformAtIon sessIon! To register visit: www.uwb.edu/admissions/visit/transfer

www.uwb.edu

425.352.5000

By: Alex Markovich Web Editor

each meal, each meal comes out to be about $8-$9 per meal. It does get pricey having for students who eat out multiple times a week.

Not including tax, if a student eats out at A survey was taken of many students at least five times a week, at $8 a meal, is $40 Green River College, international, and per week on food alone that works out to $160 resident students to see how often coldollars a month and almost $2000 dollars lege students eat out, how often did they a year. While also paying for things such as eat in, and how many meals they have tuition and housing, it can add up. prepared for themselves.

The food can also make an obvious effect From the survey of about 35 individuals, on health, but as it turns out, the places that every single individual claimed that they cost less are the least healthy. Students that went out to a restaurant to eat at least once eat out multiple times a a week. These restaurants week tend to go to cheaper ranged from fast food such “Ordering food for fast food places. Students as McDonalds to other sit delivery or having who eat out once or twice a down kind of restaurants.

Other students claimed someone prepare the food week tend to spend a little more and eat somewhat that they ate out every sinfor me is just easier,” nicer, like Olive Garden. gle day for breakfast, lunch, - Kyehwan Kim, Student In the end, it is surprisand dinner. ingly more expensive to eat Data between resident out at these cheap places and international students, constantly, than to go to the grocery store showed that international students tend to and create a meal plan for an entire week. eat out more on a weekly basis.

Studies have shown that too much pro“I know how to cook, but it’s kind of a lot cessed food can have severe negative effects of work and preparation, and I’m too lazy to to your body that go beyond adding excessive do so. Ordering food for delivery or having weight. There have been many cases where someone prepare the food for me is just easier,” Kyehwan Kim, a student on campus, said. blood sugar levels dropped and spiked, high cholesterol, shortness of breath, heart probWhile data showed many resident students lems, dental distress, and acne, and not only stayed in and ate home cooked meals. “I does it affect a students body in the short don’t usually eat out because it’s a waste term but the long term as well. of time and money, it’s cheaper to buy the Eating out is very popular in younger ingredients and prepare a week’s meal than college students, and is a natural part of life to going out every single day. But I still will go out with friend’s time to time,” Vinny Hue, to students. But being cautious and aware that having too much of these processed a residential student, said. and prepared foods can impact quality of life Analyzing the total spending average on negatively and financially.

4 2017-2018

campus

thecurrent

Campus Crime Blotter

Campus Safety responded to the following incidents from November 1 to November 13 among others. All information is from campus safety incident reports.

11/01 7:45 p.m.

CCA Fire

A safety officer, during his foot patrol of CCA, reported that he saw smoke and heard an alarm. He approached the apartment and asked the students if they were okay. The RA entered the apartment and made an assessment and deciphered that there was no longer a fire.

11/03 8:33 p.m.

Science Center Vandalism

A safety offices was directed to the SC to interview the Secretary on the second floor by Campus Safety Dispatch. There were three graffiti tags in the NW stairwell on the first and second floors of the SC written in ballpoint pen. The graffiti tags depicted racial slurs. One of the tags on the second floor was directed towards a faculty member.

11/03 10:30 a.m.

Student Union Vandalism

On the loading doc in the SU, fecal mater was found. There were 14 reports of fecal matter found on the wall. FAC crew arrived at the scene and began to clean up. The wall and floor were sprayed clean to disinfect and get rid of any remaining fecal matter.

11/06 11:52 a.m.

CCA Domestic Abuse

The east booth Safety Officer reported the Auburn Police entered a student housing unit just about the Townsend center office. The APD reported that a student had hit her girlfriend, a non-student.

The non-student victim was packing up for a move and a fight ensued. The witnesses to this even only heard the fighting and di not see anything. The victim received help pamphlets and the APD helped the student retrieve her items from the apartment she had just been assaulted in.

11/07 9:12 a.m.

Student Union Theft (Personal Property)

A student reported to Campus Safety that a student in the Student Union bathroom was using her stolen makeup. The student had reported the make up missing a week prior. Campus safety talked to the suspect and asked if she had stolen the make up. The suspect said that she didn’t normally bring make up to school and that she was running late, so she was doing it in the bathroom. The suspect claimed that she bought the make up with her own money and that she had not stolen it. The marks on the eyeshadow kit made the victim sure that it was theirs.

11/08 3:59 p.m.

Kent Campus Drug Law Violation

A campus safety office parked his bus at the Kent pick up spot. When he got off, a tall, white male tried to sell him cocaine. The Kent Police Department (KPD) was called and they arrived not long after. The suspect was arrested. It was later found out that it was a joke for YouTube and that the man did not have any drugs on him.

11/13 1:45 p.m.

Off Campus Robbery

Just off of the Green River Campus, a student was walking toward northbound on 124th st and had just turned east on 304th st at the roundabout.

A black Honda Civic pulled up alongside the student. Two males jumped out of the car and robbed the student at gun point. The males were described as being in their early 20s and wearing baggy jeans, black shirts, and white tennis shoes.

Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Differences Between WAFSA and FAFSA By: Mehria Zamiry Staff Writer

The Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WAFSA) and the Federal Application for Student Federal Aid (FAFSA) are both a tool for students to use when applying for college aid.

The difference between the two programs is immigration or citizenship status. The WASFA awards financial aid to students who are non-citizens and have lived in Washington for one year or more and are not eligible for federal aid.

To receive FAFSA a student must be a citizen or an eligible non-citizen.

The WASFA application process is simple. An eligible student can fill out the WASFA at www.readysetgrad.org/wasfa. The FAFSA is the financial aid students receive from the federal government. The WASFA is state aid from Washington.

Past financial aid awards for WAFSA and FAFSA in Washington for year 2014-2015 reached $1.9 billion for undergraduate students. To receive the financial aid, a student must apply and meet the various financial need qualifications to receive any aid.

To apply for the FAFSA a student can file for free at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Colleges have deadlines and forms that need to be completed so it is important to apply as soon as possible and contact the school’s financial aid office if any help is needed.

Financial aid assistance is dependent on an income-based need, so students must apply every year to receive financial support from WASFA and the FAFSA. Both applications are free.

Students can start the application

process October 1 of each year for financial aid assistance for the coming school year using their prior year income tax return. This is a new start date and helps in expediting the completion of the application and the awards processes.

Inja Paker from the financial aid office at Green River College has been working at the college 11 years.

According to Paker the main difference between the two programs is that FAFSA is the financial aid you receive from the U.S. Department of Education at the federal government level and the WASFA is financial assistance received from the state of Washington through the Washington Student Achievement Council.

All students are encouraged to sign up for the FAFSA and WAFSA depending on their immigration or citizenship status. Both the WAFSA and the FAFSA financial aid gifts are given on a first come first serve basis, meaning that those who apply the first have a better chance of receiving aid.

Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to give time for submitting necessary forms and ensure funding is available. Students can access the FAFSA eligibility criteria by visiting studentaid. ed.gov/eligibility/basic-criteria or contact the financial aid office at their school.

Some important documents required are a social security number or alien registration number when applying for FAFSA. For students who are not eligible for FAFSA, the WASFA is a good option for them.

They will need a driver’s license of state ID. For all students, information on prior year income tax return is required. Both programs award financial aid assistance on an income-based need.

Lyudmila Adamyur, the financial aid coordinator, has worked at the college for three years. According to Adamyur, the Washington Student Achievement Council is currently developing a new state financial aid application for students who are unable to complete a FAFSA because of theirimmigration status.

She stressed that eligibility for the state need grant does not guarantee an award because the grant is awarded on a funds available basis.

Once all the money is awarded, students who applied late will have to apply again next year. She recommends that students not wait to apply.

For students who meet the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Washington State is awarding state financial aid to students who meet the qualifications according to the WASFA resdysetgrad.org site. The website is encouraging (DACA) students to apply. If a college has determined a student DACA qualified, the student is eligible to apply. A student can qualify for a State Need Grant, College Bound Scholarship, and other financial aid. These students will pay in-state tuition and are eligible to receive state financial aid assistance. The website offers a download of WASFA Application Guide, Financial Aid Facts sheet, and College Goal Washington events.

ACCESSING FINANCIAL AID FAFSA: https://fafsa.ed.gov WASFA: www.readysetgrad.org/wafsa

December Brings Day Trip To Leavenworth By: Nikole Schroeder Guest Writer Leavenworth, WA. -- Green River College is offering a day trip to anyone interested in going to this town’s Christmas Village for holiday enjoyment.

This trip begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 from the bus circle on the Auburn campus, and will return at 10 p.m. that same day.

The trip will highlight the famous Lighting Ceremony, an event attended by an estimated 35,000 people per weekend as projected by the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

“It all culminates each Saturday and Sunday with the Lighting Ceremony (4:30 p.m.), when a bit of pomp and circumstance brings about the lighting of the village with over half a million lights,” according to this city’s website. “[This site will give] cute picture opportunities [and the ability to]

Photo by Sam DeLong | Flickr.com

Leavenworth, Washington - a bavarian themed town. dress up and take pictures with friends that will hold lasting memories,” Bailey LaFantase, a student at the college said.

Individuals on this trip will also get to experience the famous Santa’s Workshop that is filled with any Christmas-related item a person could think of such as ornaments, candy, clothing, toys, gifts, etc.

The people will also get to experience the famous Bavarian food such as Bratwurst sausage, pretzels and the chance to embrace the average temperature of 39-degrees

Fahrenheit of a winter wonderland with grounds covered in snow.

This seasonal trip is open to Green River students with a fee of $25, and non-students with a fee of $35. This fee covers the transportation to and from Green River campus, and according to Kristina Pratt, gives students the opportunity to meet new people While leading up to this event, most students are intrigued to take part in this open opportunity and Pratt is excited to see the town and create new memories.

campus

5

thecurrent

Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

2017-2018

Aviation Night Advertises GRC Acclaimed Trades Program

Current and Potential Students Explore Aviation Program Through Instuctors and Simulations

Photo by Sam Reeves

Photo by Sam Reeves

By: Sam Reeves Staff Writer

Photo by Sam Reeves

STUDY TIPS FOR FINALS

PACE YOURSELF

1

P DON’T PROCRASTINATE

8

Pr

Green River College held Aviation Night at the Auburn Center, encouraging students to pursue aviation as a potential career option and to enroll in the program offered at the college.

The event took place on Nov 8 and began at 4 p.m. and offered things like flight simulators, which give a feel of what it is like to be in the cockpit and actually fly the plane.

Jerry Wolfe, the lead instructor for the Air Traffic Control program at Green River stressed that the aviation field is expanding and pilots will be in demand. “Half a million pilots will be needed within the next decade,” Wolfe said. With airlines expanding, the need for pilots is increasing. The Federal Aviation Association says that need 1000 more controllers a year.

Wolfe said that if a student is interested in the aviation program, it is good to the explore options that the college offers. Whether they are interested in being an air traffic controller, a pilot, or an airport dis-

COMPILED BY SAM REEVES, STAFF WRITER STUDY ON CAMPUS

TAKE BREAKS

S

T

3

4

business in Seattle. Chris Clayton, the representative for Galvin Flying, is a Green River alumni and highly recommends the Aviation program. According to Clayton, pilots are retiring and droves, creating a demand. So, alongside with the airlines expanding, pilots retiring at the same time. According to Clayton, over 30 flights are cancelled a day because of the amount of pilots available.

Galvin Flying, while it assists aspiring pilots at Green River from essentially the ground up, is expensive. His experience was $250 per hour, and he was required to do at least 200 hours to become a commercial pilot. That’s over $50000 at the end of the day. Galvin Flying only teaches how to pilot a plane, not helicopters and doesn’t teach air traffic control.

The college’s aviation program is a starting place for students that are interested in working out in the field. The program provide resources such as Aviation Night as a way to help current and prospective students learn more about their upcoming career.

patcher,there are options that the program offers to gauge interest.

“Immerse yourself in the aviation field,” Wolfe said.

The Green River Aviation program offer 5 AS degrees and a Bachelor’s degree. Wolfe recommends taking Private Pilot and Airline Operations as the first classes in the programs. The Private Pilot and Airline Operations course allows the student to explore the field and move on from there.

Preston Cade, an Green River student, is working on getting his Bachelor’s degree through the aviation program. He continuously promotes the Green River program, as it is his passion to assist others in his program. The standards of the aviation program are higher than an average program at the college.

A ‘C’ is passing for most classes, but for the aviation program, that is not good enough. “Stay committed to the process of learning,” Cade said to encourage students.

Besides having faculty that have experienced backgrounds in what they teach, Green River also works with outside sources, such as Galvin Flying, a flight training

FLASH CARDS

5

ORGANIZE NOTES

6

O

F Pa

With finals week only four weeks away, veteran Green River students have offered to share some tips for our first year Green River students in how to study for finals.

PAY ATTENTION

7

6

a&e

thecurrent

2017-2018

Mollie Clements | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Amanda Jenkinson: November Artist Spotlight

Photo Credit : Mollie Clements

Studio Artist, Amanda Jenkinson

By: Mollie Clements A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com The fine arts faculty chose Amanda Jenkinson, 19, to be the November artist spotlight.

Jenkinson is an artist pursuing an Associates of Fine Arts degree here at Green River College. She has lived in Auburn her whole life. After getting her AFA she is going to transfer to Western Washington University where she is thinking of becoming an illustrator.

Jenkinson has been drawing seriously since her junior year of high school when she took her first actual drawing class. Be-

Photo courtesy of the artist

Oil painting on canvas titled as “Red”

fore then she would free hand Pokémon drawings but has since moved on from this.

Her favorite medium to use is graphite and recently has been drawn to oil pastels. She finds oil pastels to be new and interesting.

Both of her parent’s support her interest in drawing for which she is extremely grateful. She has a younger sister, 17, who also is an artist. They often bond over art works of their own and art works of others.

Jenkinson can easily see herself as an artist in 10 years. She wouldn’t like to be a freelance artist because there is little structure. She would prefer a structured job possibly illustrating children’s books or working for Disney.

Everything to Jenkinson is inspiring. She often finds inspiration from her sister’s art works.

She said it is very much like a symbiotic relationship.

Jenkinson prefers her work to be very detailed and have a lot of thought put into the piece and that is the same for her preference of art to look at when at museums. Her favorite pieces to look at while at the Seattle Art Museum are the Renaissance paintings. She finds

the artist’s attention to detail pleasing and inspiring.

She has taken a plethora of classes in the 3 years she has been attending GRC. Currently she is taking ART 180 which is a class specifically for building a portfolio of all of the student’s artworks.

Jenkinson has never had the a professor twice. She believes that it is helpful to have a variation in teaching. It encourages her to see the different perspectives of each of her professors.

“You soak in all of that professors little quirks and I just want the whole shmorgishborg” said Jenkinson.

Her first year on campus she was a first year running start student and fourth year high school student. At the time she felt regret, like she was missing out on too many events that her other classmates were participating in at her high school.

Upon looking back at her first year on campus, she no longer regrets taking courses here and now has an appreciation for her choice.

Jenkinson’s advice for beginning artists is “don’t focus on finding a specific style” and “get outside of your comfort zone” Jenkinson said.

Photo courtesy of the artist

Surreal art named“Unititled”. Made with Oil Pastel.

Photo courtesy of the artist

Ink and pen piece titled as “A Mind’s Fantasy”

a&e

thecurrent

Mollie Clements| A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

7 2017-2018

Kali Uchis First Headlining Tour Debuts In Downtown Seattle By: Sandra Suchkova Staff Writer Indie-soul singer Kali Uchis made a stop in Seattle for her first headlining tour at The Showbox at The Market.

The Colombian-American singer was awaited by hundreds of adoring fans anticipating to hear and experience the glamorous magnetism that has attracted such a massive following for Uchis. The atmosphere, even while waiting in line to get into the venue on Tuesday, October 31, was equal parts electric and exhausting.

It’s intoxicating to wait for a concert, both inside and outside the venue, anticipating the artist and being able to hear them play live, but the amount of time that was spent waiting during the entire duration of Uchis’ show was quite disappointing. Doors to The Showbox were supposed to open at 8 p.m., but people were only gradually let in at 8:20 p.m. Shows usually begin an hour after doors open, but the opening act started around 9:15, and played for about 50 minutes, after which it took another half hour for Uchis to take the stage. Even with this inconvenience, it was all absolutely worth the wait time.

Fans continued to line up even right before doors opened and where sparkling in the fluorescent

glow of the shops around the block.

It was truly incredible to see how all of Uchis’ fans have adopted her style and every single fan was emulating the ultra-feminine aesthetic that she introduced with her 2015 EP, Por Vida. The atmosphere in the crowd was clouded with cigarette smoke and compliments, with everyone being very welcoming of each other, but dead set in doing anything to get closer to the barricade in front of the stage.

The opener, a Brooklyn, N.Y.based band called Phony Ppl, gave a thrilling performance that perfectly represented Uchis’ musical vision: a soulful vibe with R&B and indie influences. Phony Ppl were highly interactive with the crowd, encouraging everyone to chant along with them and cheer on as they played new songs from their upcoming album. Although the band is still fairly new to the music scene, its confidence and passion made up for their lack of name recognition. Phony Ppl also acted as Uchis’ backing band, replicating the signature acoustic feel of her records.

Before Uchis got on stage to begin her set, the crowd already had hours of pent-up energy, anticipating her arrival, so when she flirtatiously walked up in front of the band, with a glowing red light over the stage, everyone erupted with eager screams and proclamations of love for the singer. Uchis was

dressed as Salma Hayek’s character, vampire queen Santanico Pandemonium, from the 1996 film, From Dusk Till Dawn, a costume Uchis later revealed she put together just hours before the show.

From then, she kicked off her setlist with “Speed”, a track from 2015’s Por Vida. She then followed with hits, including “Rush”, a 1950s inspired track with luscious vocals and accentuated drums.

“Loner”, “Know What I Want”, and new releases like “Tyrant” and her verse in Tyler, The Creator’s “See You Again”. Her performance of “Tyrant” was met with some of the loudest and enthusiastic screams of the night, with fans yelling for her to sing the Spanish version of the song. Uchis kept going with the English version, and satisfied fans later on with her rendition of the 1959 song “Sabor a Mi” by Alvaro Carrillo.

Uchis’ performance in Seattle was overall one of the most intense concert experiences ever, with every moment pulsing with a passionate energy and devotion from the crowd. She’s part of a new wave of artists who push themselves out of the mainstream to create their own genres and visuals. Innovative artists such as Uchis, SZA, Jorja Smith and Syd all ignore and bend the ideals and rules of current music and attract millions of fans in pursuit of originality and progressive sounds.

Photo credit: Sandra Suchkova

Kali Uchis performing on stage for many screaming fans.

Join thecurrent Take JOUR 104

Available in 3 or 5 activities credits Enter the world of Journalism and be a member of the campus community. item number

5 credit: 5655 3 credit: 5659

instructor

John Knowlton

day

time

MWF

12-12:50

a&e New Orleans Cuisine Found in Downtown Auburn: thecurrent

8

Mollie Clements | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

2017-2018

The Quarters Review By: Isabel Barni Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com

Service: 5 When entering The Quarters, it wouldn’t be accurate to state that they seated people immediately. The entire restaurant only seats about 25 people, so there was a 15-minute wait.

They offered menus to look through while waiting and even brought beverages to those not yet seated. This sped up the process dramatically.

There was also a journal full of notes left in the waiting area. Inside were notes from past customers dating back to 2014, all of which were positive reviews of the restaurant’s food.

One of the owners of the restaurant was extremely personable, having in-depth conversations with those who were interested.

She even cranked the music loud for a few minutes and danced with the customers. This was very entertaining to watch and, thankfully, no one was expected to join in the fun if they were uninterested.

It is important to note that this restaurant only accepts cash, however, there is an ATM provided by the front door. Alongside this, if getting a receipt from the ATM, a customer can bring it upon returning and receive $3 off of their next meal.

The owner stopped by the table at the end of the dinner, gifting a card to come in for free brunch another day. The employees went so above and beyond in everything that they did, not only would someone want to leave a tip, they are tempted to pay a hefty one.

Atmosphere: 4.5 The only reason this rating falls below 5 is that, from the outside, the restaurant looks like an ordinary house. It would be nearly impossible to find if it weren’t for the sign placed out front.

However, this also creates a comfortable atmosphere. Sitting in this restaurant was reminiscent of sitting at home.

The music was chosen directly by the

workers and was changed often. It was loud but just quiet enough to hear someone else at the table.

The eating experience felt more like a party with old friends because of how personable the staff was. This, in combination with the music and amiable hosts, created a uniquely positive experience at The Quarters.

The dinner options were varied, though the menu was small. Despite this, there was no shortage of options as everything worked well together and sounded delicious.

Price vs. Quality: 5 For one person, the price ranged from $1015 without a drink. For the quality/quantity of the food, this was an insanely good deal.

Paying almost twice as much would have been acceptable, however, the low prices were a great surprise.

One owner of the restaurant claimed that they got inspiration from musician Bon Jovi, who was able to open JBJ Soul Kitchen in New Jersey to give those nearby free, high-quality meals.

The Quarters started off with a system that let people pay what they could, however, this didn’t work in the end. Despite not being able to allow people to choose their price, the owners of The Quarters work to keep their costs low which allows most college students to be able to afford their food.

On Thanksgiving day, they serve everybody for free. This is to give those who don’t have someone to eat with a sense of community.

It is also an area for anybody to sit down and have a good, homemade meal on the holiday.

Alongside the free food being served on Thanksgiving, an owner mentioned that they allow those on the streets to also dine without paying. This works as a nod to their primary goal of letting people eat and pay what they could. How it differs is that the current system allows them to make more of a profit.

They do not serve soda. While this at first was a disappointment, they offered watermelon or peach fruit juice, both of which were much better than any Coke or Pepsi options. In the end, the lack of soda almost felt like a blessing in disguise.

At night, they ran out of dessert. Although this was disappointing, it made sense be-

cause it appeared that they made a single dessert at the beginning of the day.

Distance From Campus: 3 The restaurant was only 9 minutes away from campus. A short bus ride from the college would get a student there in no time.

Overall: 5

With a terrific staff and amazingly cheap food, it would almost feel like a crime to not rate this restaurant highly.

This is a place where everyone feels welcome. The casual atmosphere feels welcoming no matter what you decide to wear; anyone from a businessman to a college student could stop in for a good meal. It’s a restaurant that is best shared with others.

This could be a friendly outing, a fun date, or a family dinner.

It may be hard to see the restaurant without looking for it, but don’t stop looking.

Once it’s found, it is definitely worth the search.

Source Credit: The Quarters Fusion

opinion

thecurrent

Isabel Barni | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

9

2017-2018

A Lack of Information About Thanksgiving

Editorial

The true meaning behind Thanksgiving has been lost since the first celebration in 1621.

The importance behind Thanksgiving to the typical American citizen involves an extravagant family dinner, football, and a four-day weekend. Beyond this, many fail to recall what the day was actually supposed to represent.

Most people tend to spout off information about pilgrims inviting the Native Americans to a celebratory feast.

The Current Editors came to realize almost no one has the same understandings of the holiday. The entire team started bickering over true origins of Thanksgiving.

The internet, where most people go to back up an argument, provided no help.

As one can expect, there were thousands of results that came up with their own ideas on how the holiday came about.

A room full of students bickering over the true meaning of Thanksgiving is disappointing, but ordinary enough. The fact that sources who strive to tell the historical truth are in

disagreement over what actually happened is proof in itself that the holiday’s inital importance has been erased from society.

At first glance, forgetting a crucial part of American history is a horrible concept.

However, as times have changed and the values of citizens transform, it is entirely possible that the true meaning of Thanksgiving has now become irrelevant.

That is not to say that the historical event of the holiday is insignificant, but rahter unclear. What citizens decide to celebrate could easily change with American values over time. Most Americans use the holiday as a way to gather family and celebrate what they are thankful for.

According to the nonprofit news organization, Truthout, Californian students said that “if their teachers mentioned California Indians at all, it was to say that California Indians and mission padres were friends.”

This claim, when taking into account the Gold Rush

that began in 1848, is extremely questionable.

The murder of Native Americans during the late 1840s was generally accepted by non-native citizens. In order to have formed this negative relationship between the two groups, there must have been a long, rocky history of Native Americans and the colonists that citizens forget when considering Thanksgiving.

When people imagine the first Thanksgiving with pilgrims and Native Americans grouping together in a celebratory feast, that image isn’t necessarily incorrect. According to Time magazine, the Wampanoag Indians that were “ [the] key to the survival of the colonists” that attended the feast.

While it is currently unknown exactly why the Native Americans and colonists ate together, multiple sources did confirm that it happened, including Time magazine and the History News Network.

Some believe that it is because the Natives helped the colonists learn to plant crops and help them survive the harsh winters of the country they

settled in.

The validity of the typical idea of Thanksgiving ends there. Thanksgiving was not truly annual or considered a true holiday until the 1800s.

Throughout the years following the first Thanksgiving, the image of Native Americans and colonists dining peacefully together grows more unlikely.

According to Time’s site, “Early European colonizers and Native Americans lived in peace through a symbiotic relationship for about 10 years until thousands of additional settlers arrived.”

It is also important to note that the majority of the Native American population was wiped out with disease that was brought by the American colonists. Time goes on to say that “many Native Americans have long marked Thanksgiving as a day of somber rememberance.”

Since the Native Americans have a documented, rocky past with colonists, it is hard to believe that the typical concept of Thanksgiving that many modern Americans believe, is incorrect and has been erased.

Editorials reflect the opinions of the entire editing staff of the Current.

The Importance Of Photography In Journalism By: Abdi Ibrahim Staff Writer

Photography plays a large role in journalism and is found accompanying almost every news article.

The relevance and importance of photography in journalism is undying and unequivocal. Photos possess an objective quality to writing and can show an unbiased image that is relevant to the story.

A story with visual aids can make it easier for the readers to paint a picture in their head of what the scenario was like. Readers can also get an even clearer idea of what they’re reading. In most, if not all cases, a photo is necessary to an article or story.

Besides a bold headline, a photo is also one of the best attention grabbers when on a website, newspaper, or a printed magazine.

Some stories even use only photos to tell an entire story. A series of photos can be both visually appealing and can run a story

Editorial Policy

often more powerful than written through a lens. Sometimes it’s even journalism.” easier to make mental connections Writing is indeed a very difficult through a series of photos than profession and is the foundation of through text. journalism. However, it is importVisuals enhance the original ant to note story and can be that photogvery compelling. raphy can be Good examples challenging of photojouras well. When nalism has the done correctly, power to move images can tell people or even stories that impact somewriting alone one’s perspective. Showing an Photo Credit: Kassy Coan from sketchport.com might not be able to. event can be more powerful than Although all people may not simply explaining it. agree, it’s worth considering that Today, photos are more importphotography and writing are made ant than ever. People’s trust in weaker when standing alone. journalists has been, and continues Photos compliment an article and, to be, extremely low. Photos are in a way, both methods depend on more important than ever as they each other. This is the reason that are harder to use advantageously. it is very hard to find news articles In their truest form, photography that aren’t accompanied by a photo captures a real moment in time. or a visual.

Writer Nora Ephron said that Photos are used heavily as a photographs “disturb readers marketing tool, even outside of just [and that] is exactly as it should regular journalism. According to a be: that’s why photojournalism is

The Current is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions without censorship or advanced approval. The opinions of these stories are those of the writers and the writers alone. If you have an opposing viewpiont feel free to write The Current a Letter to the Editor.

Theft Policy

study done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on the top 20 posts on their Facebook page, 70 percent either were a photo or had a visual aid.

Because a lot of people in the digital age receive their news on social media, photography is more important than ever. People choose what news to read by first scrolling to find a photo and headline that captures their attention. Something shocking, a familiar face, an intriguing design, or just an aesthetically pleasing image are all resources that can dictate what an individual chooses to read.

Photography is not new in journalism, however some of the most famous and memorable stories are remembered through images.

Words alone are sometimes are not enough to ingrain a story into history.

Multiple stories could be written about the same photo, which is what makes photography a very powerful and important medium in journalism.

Each individual is permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Current. Newspaper theft is a crime.

Anyone who removes, discards or destroys more than one copy to prevent other individuals from reading that issue may be subject to civil, criminal and/or campus penalties.

Letters to the Editor

thestaff

Mariya Mubeen Editor-in-Chief Photographer 253-833-9111 x2377 Mollie Clements A&E Editor Ads Manager

Melanie Bell Campus Editor

Isabel Barni Opinion Editor

Janai Curtis Sports Editor

Alex Markovich Web Editor

Dee Senaga Layout Designer

Staff Writers: Mehira Zamiry, Sandra Suchkova, Taylor Yamamoto, Jack Tuia, Mohamed Abdullahi, Connor Bitney, Sam Reeves, Aaron Hayes, Alex Markovich, Deja Cook, Abdi Ibrahim Photographer: Mariya Mubeen

Corrections If you find a factual error or simply spelled If you findaaname factual error incorrectly, or simply a name spelled please contact us at: incorrectly, editor@thegrcurrent.com please contact us at: EXT. 2377 -253-833-9111 editor@thegrcurrent.com or- find us in SA218 253-288-3457 - or find us OEB 17

The Current encourages its readers to be involved and will accept letters of 400 words or less for publication. Anonymous letters are not accepted and the editors reserve the right to reject or edit letters for space, taste and legal concerns. All letters become property of The Current. Send letters to editor@ thegrcurrent.com.

10

2017-2018

opinion

thecurrent

Isabel Barni| Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

A Lack Of Minorities In The American Film Industry By: Mohamed Abdullahi Staff Writer Racial inequality is one of the most controversial issues happening in Hollywood right now.

Modern day is a century that has been taken over by media.

Typically, anything that anybody does has to do with technology. As consumers, Americans are always watching TV shows, movies, and are on social media. Even the baby boomer generation, who didn’t grow up with technology and media everywhere, are usually up to date with things.

When people have many different technological options such as televisions, movie theaters, and social media, there’s always a digital source open. On these sources, there’s always a white man or woman.

The issue here is not that it’s only a white man talking to people through the TV, it’s how they portray white populations compared to minorities. Of these minorities, the real problem reveals itself between black citizens.

“While black actors are now more numerous in film, it’s an open

question as to how well they’re being represented,” as read by The Entman-Rojecki Index of Race and the Media. “In the top movies of 1996, black female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity [is at] 89%. White female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity [is at] 17%. Black female movie characters shown being physically violent [is at] 56%. White female movie characters shown being physically violent [is at] 11%. Black female movie characters shown being restrained [is at] 55%. White female movie characters shown being restrained [is at] 6%.”

The evidence shown here comes from the top films in Hollywood in the past decade and represents the stereotypical approach Hollywood is following. People can assume from the character portrayal that black people are criminals, thugs, violent, rapists, and are always resisting arrest.

These percentages from Entman and Rojecki’s index are worryingly high and are very disappointing.

This unequal representation is still going on in a time where we supposedly have moved past these dilemmas.

Some of the only roles that black populations are offered are demeaning. Alongside this, these roles are provided just so movie creators can enforce false stereotypes.

The previous statistics also suggest that there is a high amount of white privilege in the film industry.

White privilege is defined as a set of advantages and/or immunities that white people benefit from on a daily basis beyond those common to all others.

Race is a socially constructed myth, and while we understand that race is a social classification and not a biological one, it is still a very meaningful concept to most people in America.

Minorities being put into degrading roles isn’t the only current problem in this industry. The biggest issue besides this is that, even though minorities are offered some larger roles, it is at disproportionate percentage compared to white actors.

White males rule this industry.

They have the majority of the roles, including the larger characters.

They make up the majority of the actors, the producers, the directors,

the writers, and the runners.

Of the top 100 films of 2015, 49 included no Asian or Asian-American characters and 17 featured no black/African American characters.

Similarly, according to a source from USC Annenberg. 45 films did not include a character with a disability and 82 did not feature a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender character. Also, characters from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups were 26.3% of all characters, and only 14 of the movies depicted an underrepresented leading role.

As stated by IndieWire, a film industry and review website, nine of the leads were black, one Latino, and four were mixed race in the top 100 films. Not one leading role was played by an Asian actor. This information shows the disproportionate percentages between white actors and minorities in even the past year. Although the amount of minorities in movies and TV shows have increased, it only has increased slightly, and not enough to notice a large change.

The final issue facing minorities in Hollywood is the wage gap. Most people when they hear the names Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon,

Robert Downey Jr, or George Clooney will immediately know who they are. People also know they are in the biggest movies in Hollywood and are only put in the best, most paid roles. Naturally, this would make them the highest paid actors.

According to Time writer Alicia Adamczyk, the estimated earnings for the biggest American actors include $40 million for Robert Downey Jr, $20-40 million for George Clooney, $25 million for Matt Damon, and Leonardo DiCaprio getting $25 million. The evidence here shows that the highest paid actors are all white males.

The next closest minority was Dwayne Johnson, who is still half white. He is the highest paid minority in Hollywood, and there is no other even approaching him.

Alongside this, Dwayne Johnson was already famous from being in the WWE. This would influence the amount he is paid because he had a large name prior to acting in films.

Hollywood is starting to become the epitome of inequality. This lack of diversity needs to stop, and that could begin with the film industry coming together to recognize the problem.

It’s All About Politics: Why People Distrust Mainstream Media By: Taylor Yamamoto Staff Writer

A large percentage of the public show little trust in news media.

Politico, a political journalism company, published a piece on a recent poll showing Americas trust in news media had risen from 39 percent in November of 2016 to 48 percent in October of 2017. While this is definitely an improvement, there are still many problems to address.

While the trend on trust is increasing, 48% is just shy of half the population. What caused the trust in news writing to become so low?

Photo Source: DonkeyHotey from flickr.com

The answer to this question inevitably would involve political influence because, put simply, politics ruin trust. From the birth of America, there have been politicians who have wanted to use the news media to their advantage. Whether it be McCarthy and his red scare or some more recent examples in the last election cycle, using media as a promotional tool destroys news credibility and makes people wary of granting their trust to the mainstream news.

Partisanship plays a role in American citizen’s lack of trust in news sources. There is no doubting that news media today has changed from actual news to twisted facts and borderline slander.

Someone can go to any mainstream outlet and be overwhelmed with partisan political viewpoints.

After a while, anybody would get exhausted of the bombardment of opinions. These political battles happen all of the time; so often, in

Because they match their biases, fact, that we can track it back to as people tend to trust what fits their recent as 2014. political views. This is a fallacy Pew Research published in called confirmation bias, which 2014 that conservatives showed more distrust in 24 out of 36 news creates questionable validity of people’s decisions. networks at But the sad fact the time. 88% “If Americans can’t trust is that this gets polled chose Fox the news they receive to be ratings. The most News as their accurate, what are they to most trusted prevalent example would be a Pew source. do?”

On the other - Taylor Yamamoto, Staff Writer research from 2017 that shows 74% of hand, liberals Republicans and showed more 77% of Democrats support media trust in 28 out of 36 networks and placed more trust in a wider variety keeping tabs on major political figures or, as it’s more commonly of news networks. known, watchdogging.

This speaks to maybe how In the last election cycle, the partisanship can affect people’s term “fake news” was coined. This trust in new media. Most of the news organizations and talk shows term exists on both sides of politiwe receive news from today show cal debates.

The term first really came into a left leaning bias. This could be use when president Trump used why conservatives tend to gravitate it to call CNN out for a story they towards places like Breitbart or Fox ran on a Buzzfeed article that was News and away from CNN, MSNBC, and ABC. unverified and made accusations

against Donald Trump. From that point on it hung over the people’s heads.

That opened the flood gates to multiple different news sources being called “fake news”, whether it be because they fabricated a story or twisted a situation around in their favor.

When most major news organizations are accused to have produced fake news, it becomes hard to differentiate fact from fiction.

If Americans can’t trust the news they receive to be accurate, what are they to do? The only real option is to read many different versions of the story as possible because, somewhere in there, the truth exists.

News networks have fallen into a sad state. What happened to journalistic integrity and, more importantly, when did getting ratings and pushing a political message become more important than telling the truth?

Janai Curtis | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

sports

thecurrent

11 2017-2018

Lady Gators Fend off The Red Devils

Photo Credits: Greenriver.edu

Greenriver’s women’s volleyball team, from left: Skyla Salama (14), Arielle Aquino-Lazaro (2), Michaela Braswell (11), Taylor Sterling (8), Maysen Tinney (7), Darby Deaton (9), Kaylee Ketner (13), and Andrea Barrie (6)

By: Jack Tuia Staff Writer

2017 NWAC Reigning High Jump champion.

The women’s volleyball team The Green River College was led by Head Coach Kyle women’s volleyball team fell Densley on his 11th year with the short on their final game of Gators and Assistant Coach and the season. former Gator, Kelsie Cornett.

The final game was not just Their opponent, the Lower held on any night, it was also Columbia Red Devils came in Sophomore Night. Sophomores: with an impressive record of 24 Taylor Sterling, wins and 12 Kaylee Ketner, losses. This and Darby “It was a good season, no drama, was anothDeaton were er successit was a hard working team. Our introduced ful season record didn’t really show how good with their famifor the Red we were” ly and friends.

Devils, the - Jansen Graves Family and previous Freshman Volleyball Player friends came season they to support had 31 wins the three as and only they played their final game in eight losses.

The Swamp. Some came from The Red Devils started off the out of state and traveled a long game strong with a four to zero way just to support them. The lead and developed momentum sophomores were surprised with throughout the sets. Sterling, the posters, flowers, and much more. leader in points and kills for the Ketner and Deaton were both team, tried to spark a comeback recognized for being on the 2017 late in the first set, but it wasn’t NWAC All-Academic team, while enough to keep the Red Devils Sterling was introduced as the down.

In the second set, the Gators started strong with a three to one lead as they tried to win the second set. The Red Devils picked up a comfortable lead late in the second set. Deaton with a couple kills gave the Gators a little spark, but it still wasn’t enough to stop the impressive Red Devils team. Deaton is second on the team with the most kills and overall points.

Even though the game did not go the way the Gators wanted, they never lost any positivity. They had fun and kept each other up as they tried their best to win a set on their final game.

Unfortunately, the Gators could not stop the Red Devil offense and lost the third set as well. Although the referees

seem to have some questionable calls, as the crowd booed them throughout the sets, the Lady Gators did their best and stayed positive throughout the whole game.

Overall, it was a great night for both teams.

The Gators and Red Devils showed great manship sportstowards each other.

Family and friends were there to congratulate and celebrate with their players despite the outcome.

Freshman, Roselle Quinit, says she had a great experience and learned a lot this season. Quinit learned the meaning of working and staying emotionally, mentally, and physically prepared. Quinit plans to return to the Gator vol-

leyball team if her plans to go on a mission for her church doesn’t work out.

“It was a good season, no drama, it was a hard working team.

Our record didn’t really show how good we were.” said Jansen Graves The Lady Gators finish this season with eight wins and 25 losses.

Graves, a freshman on the team, also plans to return next year and play for the Gators. She will be working on her blocking, hitting and especially her hustling this off season so she can help out the team as best as she can next year.

Look out for the Gators next year as they have a majority of the team returning for their season next quarter .

The past two years they had a total of only eight wins while this year they have eight in just one season. The Gators are slowly, but surely improving every year.

Congratulations Lady Gators on a great season.

12 2017-2018

sports

thecurrent

Janai Curtis | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

New Coach Encourages Student Athlete Bonding

Photo credits: Greenriver.edu Greenriver men’s basketball team, from left: Corbin Beets (21), Luke Bohannon (10), Benson Gillies (5), Nizhole Sherman (4), Makkai Griffin (32), Jassem Cumlat (11), Bo Moawad (25), Xavier Butler (22), Naji Ibrahim (2), Jimmy Archer (1), Eddie Aslanyan (24), Austin Wiebe (3), Cameron Cawley (14), and Alex Sommerfield (34).

By: Jack Tuia Staff Writer New coaching staff and a new basketball team.

The men’s Green River College basketball team is trying to establish a new culture with a brand new coaching staff and a fresmen-heavy team. Head Coach Godfrey Drake was described as a coach who cared about his players as if they were his own children.

Drake’s goal as a coach is turn his players into men. For example, Drake is holding his players accountable for school and for basketball practice.

Players are required to have at least a 90 percent in all of their classes. If players fail to meet the percentage they have to meet with a tutor every day.

Majority of the team last year were ineligible to play due to grades. This year Drake plans to ensure that all of the players are eligible. Drake has his players download an app on their phone called “Marco Polo” which is an app that lets Drake know his players are attending all of their classes for the day.

Drake expects his players to be 15 minutes early to every class and to make sure they honor it, players use the “Marco Polo” app to take a video or picture of them proving that they are in class. They also use the Marco Polo app to prove that they are in the weight room. Coach Drake has them check in before, during and after the workout.

The team also uses another app called Max 1 which holds all the workouts the players have to do.

Technology is a big part of society currently and Drake decided to use that to his advantage. This way he can keep track of the boy’s workout and class schedules.

The team has developed a lot of chemistry over the past couple of months. According

to Freshman Guard, Eddie Aslanyan, Coach Drake has them doing a lot of team activities to develop a brotherhood and a bond.

Coach Drake held a team activity in which had the entire team stayed the night in The Swamp. The team competed in different activities that tested their basketball abilities as well as their abilities to work together as a team. They all participated in things such as, skills contest, three-point shootouts, and other team activities.

“One of the activities, coach had us split into two teams to assemble a puzzle as fast as possible. Coach purposely did not give us the pieces needed in order to finish the puzzle.

As we raced to complete the puzzle we found out that we were missing some pieces. Coach stepped in and told us that the other team had some of our pieces and the only way to complete the puzzle is to work together as a team. I thought that was pretty awesome,” Aslanyan said when describing the The Swamp lock in.

This activity was made to be one big group effort that helped to teach the team how to work with each other.

Many of the team members have been to coach Drake’s house for team BBQ’s or even just to hangout and play video games.

The team even does yoga together in order to increase flexibility and develop a more relaxed mindset. The team has interacted with each other in many group activities, this seems to be working for great chemistry on and off the court. They’ve developed a bond amongst themselves and with the coaches.

They are esentially one big family. The team’s intense training will all lead up to how far they will go. They all would like to make it as far as possible in this upcoming season.

Their first game of the season is Nov 18 against Whatcom. The boys are looking forward to making the most of this upcoming season.