thecurrent the student newspaper of green river community college
april22.2014
www.thegrcurrent.com
issue9 volume48
CAMPUS SECURITY NEW DIRECTOR HOPES TO MAKE GREENRIVER SAFER. PAGE 2
Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current
currentcampus
currenta&e
currentopinion
King County Metro cutting back bus routes
KGRG launches new post rock show ‘The Post’
Editorial: Student Code of Conduct to be changed
KGRG’s The Post is a post rock Adderall to KGRG’s ADD.
Student Code of Conduct to be changed later this year, why were we not told?
Due to expected revenue loss, bus routes, potentially effecting students, will be cut.
page5
page6
page10
2
campus
thecurrent
Jesse Torres| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
New GRCC Director of Campus Safety By: Christin Peter Staff Writer
Green River Community College has a new director of campus safety and transportation. The search for a new director began last October after Fred Creek, former director of campus safety and transportation, announced his decision to leave. Human Resources posted a job listing, and applications came flowing in. “We had a strong pool of candidates,” Jaime Hatleberg, director of disability support services, and also a member of the search committee said. The search committee comprised of staff and faculty members from all areas of campus. The director of campus safety and transportation interacts with a variety of people and groups on campus, and the college wanted the search committee to reflect this, Hatleberg said. Once the job listing ended, screeners from the committee reviewed the applications against the job description, narrowing the choices down to seven applicants. These seven applicants were interviewed and then reduced to three. The remaining candidates were sent through a second interview process. “As part of the second interview, open forums were made available to students, to faculty, to staff, to come and meet these candidates,” Hatleberg said. This feedback was then passed on to Deb Casey, vice president of student affairs and human resources who made the ultimate hiring decision. “It was a very comprehensive process, because the college was absolutely committed to finding the best candidate,” Hatleberg said. “It didn’t want to just fill the position.” In addition to educational requirements and work history, Hatleberg said the committee was looking for a candidate who was committed to providing a safe community, putting students first, and who had cultural competencies. Richard Axtell displayed this careful balance, was pulled aside by the search committee and selected by Casey as the new director of campus safety and transportation. Axtell, who began work at Green River April 1, has a long
career in the realm of safety. He served in the Marines and in the U.S. Army infantry, serving in multiple operations overseas and helping to develop force protection programs. He entered college after his departure from the military and gained an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. From there, Axtell went to work as a sheriff’s deputy for Clackamas County, one of the largest counties in the state of Oregon. There he worked with search and rescue, river safety, the jail and helped a medical program that assists search and rescue teams. “I really learned the ins and outs of law enforcement and community,” Axtell said of his time spent in Clackamas County. From there, he went into insurance investigation, setting up programs in both Washington and Oregon that deal with fraud, fire, and auto theft investigations. During this time, Axtell also founded The Guardians of Freedom and Peace, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping needy veterans and their families. Axtell continued in his education, gaining a Bachelor’s in Political Science, a Master’s in Public Administration Management, and completing a graduate program in homeland security management, with just a dissertation to go. He recognizes the importance of education, having worked as a college instructor in Portland before coming to Green River. “You’ve got to take pride in what you do, even as a student,” Axtell said. “Every time you finish a class, that’s one step closer to graduation and moving on.” Axtell believes that safety is all-encompassing and a safe environment is key to student success. He wants to get students thinking about safety and becoming proactive in the well-being of themselves and others. “When we think of safety, especially as a student, that’s not in our mind; we’re focused on the work,” Axtell said. “But sometimes, someone’s got to have your back. That’s what we’re going to do.” Axtell stresses that communication and education are the keys to campus and student safety. He identifies “The Three E’s”— engineering, education, and empowerment as the key to stepping forward and bridging the communication gap. Axtell encourages students to
Regina Pozzi | The Current
Regina Pozzi | The Current
Richard Axtell overviews the campus and it’s safety measures talk to campus security, whether there is a safety concern, or just questions. “I want the students, I want the faculty, to be able to come and just talk to us, get to know who we are, because we’re part of their success,” Axtell said. During the interview, Axtell was asked, “Is there anything you want the students to know?” “We’re here as partners with them, because for me, safety is
a zero sum game. Because we’re talking about life and safety, I take everything seriously and I take everything with responsibility. So if one part of our team fails, then I will bear the burden of that responsibility because it’s who I am. So what I want the students to understand is we’re here to help them, we’re here to be part of the team and to be proactive in their success. Their success is
dependent on a safe environment and we don’t want something disastrous happening... We need to be prepared all across the board, and to be able to help students along. For the most part I want them to be able... to come talk to me. I’ve got an open door and I welcome anyone who wants to sit and chat with me about my background, or what we’re doing now, or the direction we’re going.”
currentcampus
april22.2014
Street Awareness
3
Crimes on 124th Target Students
By: Renno Jeon Staff Writer
Ian Lobdell | The Current
Bus stop and park on 124th, a known area for crime
Ian Lobdell | The Current
Many crimes and robberies have occurred this year, especially on 124th street. Considering that most students who live near campus are international students, they tend to be the main targets when walking alone at night. 20 year old Japanese international student Eriko Taguchi was robbed while walking and listening to music on 124th street at 9 p.m. Jan. 20. “[It] happened all of a sudden and ended within 1 minute,” said Taguchi. Four people covering up their faces with neck warmers demanded that she give them her phone. Then they took her iPod Touch and bag where her phone was. “They just ran away like that,” Taguchi said. Campus Safety insists students living around the campus should be alert when walking on 124th street at night. Students sometimes walk alone to the Food Market and 7-Eleven wearing headphones. A safety guard who wanted to remain anonymous said, “Don’t listen to music. Don’t walk alone. Go in pairs. Please be alert of surroundings.” Also he added that he wanted students to take the shuttles that Green River Community College provides for
students’ convenience. According to Campus Safety, a Green River Community College student was assaulted around 7:30 p.m. Mar. 15 at the bus stop on 316th and 124th while waiting alone for the bus. The student said two men approached and shouldered him down and ran away. The next day he found out that his wallet was missing and his credit card had been used. At night when not many people are out it becomes easier for crime to occur on 124th street. “Walk in a group, keep stuff out of sight if possible,” said Shannon, a safety guard. He also wanted students to report immediately if they get robbed or see anything suspicious.
In Case of Emergency a campus telephone:
ext. 2250 or 3350
off-campus pay phone:
(253) 833-9111 ext. 2250 or 3350. Safety Director:
ext. 3350
Tips for Internet Security from Green River’s IT Professionals By: James Ristig Staff Writer Hackers are everywhere and they are vigilant. A hacker has a multitude of methods for stealing your identity and information. The best method of fighting hackers is to stay calm and understand ways to be safe. Here are some tips according to Krish Mahadevan, an IT professor at Green River Community College. Students are prime targets for hackers, but that does not mean that they’ll be attacked right away. Hackers are patient. A hacker could have a person’s personal information hidden away for years before using it. Imagine a student who has just graduated only to find out a year later that their credit rating has been destroyed. The first rule to protecting yourself on the Internet is to make sure that every password is
unique. You should not use the same password for every single account. Every single one of your passwords should be 12 to 15 characters long. An easy way to do this is to get a dictionary and pick out three random five letter words. To help remember these passwords, make up a story that connects these seemingly random words together. There are also free programs on the Internet called Password Generators which will generate random passwords and store them for you. They’re secure and easy to use. Mahadevan recommends a program called LastPass. When a group of students were interviewed about being hacked on the Internet, the majority of students said they had been hacked before. Facebook was the main way people have their information stolen and the main way that it was hacked was through applications and spam. To avoid
being hacked on social media, make sure not to download unfamiliar applications that could steal your information. Make sure no one else knows your passwords. A few of the students interviewed said that it was a friend who tried to break into their account. If you get a friend request you should ask yourself if you know that person. If not, it’s best to ignore them. Don’t advertise your personal information on Facebook including your birthday and where you grew up. All this information can be used against you. Always be aware of where you are and what you’re doing on the Internet. Do not click on links that look unfamiliar. Just hover your mouse over the link and in the bottom corner of the screen, the real link will appear. If the website is unfamiliar or is a bunch of random letters and
numbers, don’t click on that link. If you want to buy something off the Internet, look at the website’s address. If the beginning of the website has the letters “https” then you know it is a secure site and your information is safe. You do not even need to be on the Internet to be hacked. Mahadevan said that hackers had methods of stealing your information through the ATMs you use. Make sure to always use an ATM that is in a bank or somewhere secure. If there is a camera pointed at the machine, it’s most likely monitored for potential hackers or criminals. Smart hackers can even use a technique called social engineering to get your personal information. This is when a hacker walks up to you and starts a conversation with the sole purpose of getting these valuable pieces of information about you. They will ask you when your birthday is or
if you have any siblings. It’s best to not reveal any information about yourself to strangers. Do not carry all your cards at once. It will be easier for you if your wallet is stolen and you’re not carrying every card you need at once. If you need to destroy documents such as tax information then use a secure shredder. There are shredders on campus that can be used and some stores have days when they allow you to shred your information. The most important thing to do is not panic when your information is stolen. The best method to stop hackers is to always be on the alert. All this may be scary to hear about but Mahadevan paraphrased a quote from Helen Keller, “The safest place for a ship to be is in the harbor, but that’s not what a ship is used for.” With a little vigilance you can be safe.
4
currentcampus
Photographic manipulation
Ian Lobdell | The Current
By: Taylor Lopes Staff Writer According to the Green River website, ctcLink is a “...uniform system for online processes,” for 34 colleges around Washington State. ctcLink is a program designed to make everything colleges do online simple and efficient, which should make work easier for students and faculty. Our current system, Legacy, has been in place for 30 years. David Larsen, one of the project manager for ctcLink at Green River, said that 30 years ago, business was much simpler and that those systems from back then are simply, “Not able to keep up with what we do.” Although ctcLink is an improvement to our technology, Larsen has said that the project is really centered on business. He explained that right now everyone does business a little differently and that ctcLink will help in uniting community colleges in the way they do business. While Green River will not be switching to ctcLink until May of 2015, the first colleges to make the switch will be doing so this Summer. Sarah Postel, also a project manager at GRCC, has said that after the first colleges implement ctcLink, Green River will have a better idea of what will happen with the system here. There is a sixty day “stabilization period” after ctcLink has been put in place during which any problems that may arise will be fixed. For Green River, this period will occur over the summer of 2015. While Postel and Larsen have said that they cannot be sure of what problems will occur until the first colleges have applied the system, they are confident that ctcLink will have these problems taken care of before Green River has to adopt the system. ctcLink is supposed to enhance
everyone’s experience at community colleges in Washington by making online processes and procedures quicker and more uniform. Although the system itself will be changed, Larsen said that the real change will be how people interact with the system. By unifying colleges and enhancing operational and business systems, ctcLink will make doing work easier for students and faculty, especially those who belong to more than one school. One thing that will definitely be changing with ctcLink is the way that students register for classes. Larsen said that the new system will make this process simpler by letting students choose their major, degree, or program before choosing classes. The new system will then filter out any classes that do not count toward that student’s program. The biggest perk, however, may be the new system’s flexibility. This flexibility will likely be greeted with open arms after the strict rigidity of the Legacy system, which currently does not allow for much innovation. ctcLink will be able to develop as other technologies progress and the needs of students and faculty change. Larsen said that this flexibility will allow Green River to meet the existing requirements for students, as well as any future needs of students. Sarah Postel said that she thinks people are “cautiously optimistic” about ctcLink. She said many people are ready for a new system that gives them the opportunity to work faster and with more ease. Postel said that she expects ctcLink to make the lives and work of students and faculties more efficient. The problem is that this project isn’t something that students and faculty can actually see or interact with. Postel said that the project isn’t “tangible” and that people just “don’t know what to expect of this yet.”
april22.2014
Vice President of Business Affairs Retires By: David Price Staff Writer On April 1, Vice President for Business Affairs, Rick Brumfield, retired at the age of 65. According to an email that College President Eileen Ely sent to staff on March 26, Brumfield had disclosed this decision to retire to her on 24 of the same month. Brumfield greatly enjoyed his time at Green River but wanted more time to be with his family. As vice president for business affairs, Brumfield’s job was to advise President Ely in management and business operations. Though he only gave a week’s notice, this plan to retire came as no surprise to his colleagues. “He’d actually been working on a retirement plan for two or three years. He had never had a date nailed down,” said Debbie Knipschield, director of business services and interim vice president for business affairs. “Our only surprise was when the real date was going to be. That was one thing he kept on saying – I’ll let you know when I decide.” Prior to working at Green River, Brumfield worked at Highline Community College as a controller for about six and a half years. He began working at Green River on September 1, 1984 as Vice
president for business affairs after receiving a call from the president of the college at that time, Rick Rutkowski, asking him to apply for the vacated position. Brumfield worked on many projects and did many things over the years to assist in the development of the college. He served on many statewide committees including the Business Affairs Commission and the Budget Accounting and Reporting Council. He was the treasurer of the GRCC Foundation which facilitated the funding of major projects such as student housing. He was also involved in the establishment of the Foundation Computer Purchase program which has allowed faculty and staff to benefit from an interest-free loan to purchase computer technology. He was a leader in technology at the school as well. “That’s a major reason this college is as up to date on technology as they are, especially our office,” said Controller Teresa Collins. For example he was involved in decisions to implement the first computer network on Green Rivers campus. Besides contributions to the strategic planning of the school, he was also more intimately involved with the community here on campus.
“He used to teach accounting classes off and on,” said Knipschield. “He did that at Highline more but he did that some here too. He didn’t necessarily do it for pay as part of a regular class load but they’d have someone who is a part of the profession come to talk to the class. He hadn’t done that in recent years just for the fact that his work load didn’t allow him time to be able to do that, but early on he did that quite a bit.” Brumfield’s most recent accomplishments include extensive work with capital projects, particularly obtaining money for these state-funded projects. “Obtaining money for state-funded capital projects is very competitive so the strategy behind the requests just to obtain the money is very important,” Brumfield said in an email. He was involved in remodeling of the Lindbloom Student Center, the remodeling of Rutkowski Learning Center, and the new Student Life Building. Brumfield also helped with the Trades building replacement projects among others. His colleagues appreciated his leadership and are happy for him, although he will be missed. “It’s kind of strange not to have him here,” said Knipschield.
Nurture • your • CalliNg helped affirm my beliefs that “Bastyr integrative medicine is the future of our health care system. ” Emily Fenton, Class of 2014
Create a Healthier World Degrees Include: • Ayurvedic Sciences • Naturopathic Medicine • Nutrition • Psychology • Midwifery
Learn more: Bastyr.is/Bachelor • 425-602-3330 Kenmore, Wash. • San Diego
april22.2014
Breaking Ground
5
currentcampus
Trades Building Construction Raises Concerns By: Brennen Moe Staff Writer Construction on the new GRCC trades complex broke ground on April 3, 2014. On April 3 the baseball field across the street from GRCC was removed and crews began working on the site for the new Trades Complex. The new building will be designed for LEED silver certification in accordance with state building standards along with an emphasis on sustainable design. According to GRCC’s web site this new building will help to increase the space and functionality of GRCC in an effort to keep up with student demand. The welding, auto-body, automotive, carpentry, and manufacturing classes will be in the new trades building, along with the golden shovel that was used for the opening ceremony that officially started construction for the trades building on March 13, 2014. AT an estimated the cost of $34 million, this new building will provide space and comfort for the GRCC campus in the future, but the current construction has
had a negative effect on some students. Local GRCC student Darea Woolery who lives less than a block away from the site described the construction as both “loud” and “bothersome.” She felt that the loud noises distracted her during much of the time she spent at home, and that it might also be distracting to students in the library. However, GRCC’s director of capital projects Sam Ball explained that a sound wall is going to be put up at the construction site that will reduce noise pollution for both neighboring residents and students on campus. Once the sound wall is in place, students such as Woolery will for the most part be no longer be affected by the noise, and will be able to carry out their daily tasks without the disturbance of the noisy machinery. Ball continued by ensuring that the construction site will be rising out of the ground within the next coming month as work crew begins to work on the assembly of the building. He believes that if construction goes as planned, after construction, interior, staff,
Ian Lobdell | The Current
Sound wall to be arrange soon to reduce construction noise and landscaping are put into place, this new trades building will be completed by the summer of 2015 and will make a wonderful addition to GRCC. However, Woolery argued that even though the new trades building will be an improvement of scenery compared to the old baseball field which used to re-
side on the grounds, the placing is poor. Students will be forced to cross the street to get to class. Woolrey felt that students attending the five classes that are being places in the trades building will potentially cause traffic problems or even safety issues as the students cross the street each day to attend their classes. She
believes that it would have been more appropriate to have put the Trades building somewhere near the GRCC trails. Even though students would have to cross the parking lot and potentially have to commute though the muddy trails, Woolery suggests it would have been a safer route.
King County Buses
Expected Revenue Fall Forces Time Cuts By: Jaelyn Colley Staff Writer
Ian Lobdell | The Current
New bus changes could potentially affect GRCC students
Metro transportation is proposing changes in bus schedules and routes which may affect Green River students. A Metro representative said they “...are discussing changes due to budget cuts,” but that “the changes won’t take place immediately.” Another representative later said the changes may take place in June or July but that these dates were subject to change. The most direct changes to Green River students are to buses 181 and 164 which deliver many students to the school, near the Holman Library on 320th street and 122nd avenue. Extra stops are to be added to the routes. As of now both buses stop running at 10 p.m. but the plan is for both buses to stop running at 9 p.m. Bus 181 will also be changing its time interval between buses at peak time on weekdays, which is between 5 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 7
p.m., to between 15-30 minutes. Bus 164 will not be changing it’s time interval between buses, it will remain at approximately 30 minutes. The buses are expected to be much busier due to the proposed changes so students should plan accordingly. One student, Chelsea Watson, said “I’ll have to wake up even earlier,” in order to make it to her 8 a.m. class. She then went on to say that “It’s already crowded enough as it is,” referring to the included bus stops. There are 107 routes who would experience some form of change and 74 routes who would be deleted all together. 33 routes remain unchanged. Some price changes may also occur but this has not yet been confirmed. These changes are taking place in order to balance the Metro’s budget where revenue is expected to fall $75 million dollars short of what is needed to maintain the current services. The public can vote on the transportation funding proposal on the ballot which will circulate April 22.
6
a&e
thecurrent
Laura Gray | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
KGRG Launches New Post Rock Show By: Laura Gray A&E Editor
On April 17, KGRG launched a new program called The Post. The Post will play post rock music Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The show can be heard on the radio at KGRG 89.9 FM, the KGRG website, or I Heart Radio during this time. Post rock music is mellower and more melodic than rock. This tends to lead to longer songs. This does not mean that these songs are all slow, there are upbeat ones; they just are not the same as rock or pop upbeat songs. The show has three hosts along with a couple of interns. When you tune in on Thursday nights you will hear JP, Graves, and Shutter talking about and playing post rock music. “KGRG has attention deficit disorder,” said JP. When listening to KGRG normally, the music is all over the place. He described The Post to be the Adderall for KGRG’s ADD. While listeners may not hear a lot from voiceless and nameless interns on air, Seaweed and
Goldy participate in the behind the scenes work. They get to help decide what music will go on as well as help make sure everyone’s choices fit together cohesively. They also help out with running the social media pages. For now, listeners can get a feel for the anonymous interns through their music selections. The first episode was called “Origins.” Their theme for the night was to play songs that got the hosts started on liking post rock and who they are musically. It may seem like putting on a radio show would be easy. One just has to picks songs they like to play and talk about them on air. In reality there is actually a lot more that goes into creating a radio show to it. The first step to making this show a reality was writing up a proposal and making a case for placing it on air. Once a show gets approved, there are several planning meetings that happen. In these meetings the hosts of the show talk about what music fits for their show. What songs to air and how they fit for the chosen theme of
Ian Lobdell | The Current
an episode, choosing the themes of the episodes. Deciding what songs to air during an episode is not that easy of a thing to do. Not only must one pick the songs to play but they must keep in mind the length of the song, how much time they will talk and when they must place in a spotblock. In a show like The Post, timing is made a bit more difficult due to the songs being longer than most
songs on the radio, preventing them from playing as many as they may like in an hour. Along with timing, the type of songs played need to be a good mix, even though they are all the same genre. There are four types of songs: heavy, medium, light, and throwback. Heavy songs are the songs that are played more often on the radio. Mediums are an in-between with ambient guitars with
the heavier influences and some vocals. “The light stuff is more crunchy, more acoustic, more indie. So the softer and indie,” JP said “Then the throwback is older that people remember.” The Post may be just getting off the ground, but it has a definite feel. The Post shows that music does not need to be “stoner” in order to be chill. The show will get even better as it continues to find its footing at KGRG.
Film Photography Still Lives By: Ian Lobdell Photography Editor
Ian Lobdell | The Current
Walking around our Auburn or Kent campus, you are bound to come across the occasional photography student. You can easily spot the program’s participants on campus. Many of them will be showing off their shiny new tripod, camera bag or lens, admiring the many aesthetic locations of our campus. Upon closer inspection though, you may be shocked to see the number of people who are proudly displaying their negatives, packs of photo paper, or old 35mm film cameras. The realm of photography on campus is almost evenly split between those who shoot digital photographs and those who prefer the analogue process that is film photography. Film photography is falling out of fashion on most campuses and in many photography circles. Although, here at Green River you can see a film camera carried on many students’ sides. The analogue photography world is still strong in the Green River scene. Approximately 300
students make their way through the popular five credit class of Photo 101 every year. “University of Washington focuses more on digital [photography] for beginning students… Photo 101 students here are taught to work with film cameras right from the start.” said Aaron Hartzell, Green River’s own photography lab technician. He works in the Salish Hall film lab and also works for the UW’s photo department. Many photographers would not be given the opportunity to work with film outside of these kinds of classes due to financial difficulty. The cost of getting started in this department and industry is incredibly high when you factor in the facilities, equipment, and chemicals costs. With all of the preliminary costs placed on the shoulders of film photography students, the cost of entry is greatly lowered for all those who want to try their hand in the film world. The department even has a 35mm camera loaning program for current photo students who can’t get their own camera.
Upon completion of the construction of Salish Hall in 2011, the photography and fine arts departments got a large upgrade to their facilities. These additions also included a greatly enlarged photo lab and darkroom. Keeping in mind the prominence of digital cameras in the pocket of every cellphone owner, photography on campuses in Washington state is becoming a digital trend. Green River however has kept its faith in film photography, and is using it as a teaching tool. “Analogue, being a very handson art form, is a great way to demonstrate the photographic process to students.” Hartzell said, “Film seems to capture some students creativity unlike other mediums.” The photography projects, as well as the very nature of photography, require a keen artistic eye, patience, and a willingness to search for the perfect picture. With the dedication of the faculty and the financial help of GRCC, any artist, rich or poor, is fully equipped and more than capable of participating in our photography program.
7
currenta&e
april22.2014
Review:Heaven Is For Real Falls a Little Flat By: Adam Denchfield Guest Writer
Evaluation:
“Heaven Is For Real” is a dramatized version of events that the Burpo family claims to have occurred. The story is about a little boy, Colton, who visits heaven when he was near death during a surgery. After his surgery, Colton starts sharing stories of what happened to him in heaven. His father, Todd, starts to feel an urgency to confirm this as Colton recounts tales of meeting other people in heaven. Despite the PG Connor Corum in TriStar Pictures’ Heaven Is For Real. rating, the movie contains a few passionate kisses themselves. The depiction of and a couple of sexual innuenheaven looked cheesy and not very dos between husband and wife. amazing, either; some clouds and Speaking of the husband and wife, blurry angels. the relationship between Todd However, the movie does have and Sonja Burpo is done well. some very good shots of both However, looking at their roles, nature and family drama scenes. Todd is not only the breadwinner There were some occasional awkof the family, but insists that his ward shots and points of view, but wife not have a job despite their for the most part the camerawork considerable financial difficulwas done well enough. ties. Beyond that, Todd also has There was a fight scene that was an unrealistic number of roles obviously faked, and a bad injury in the community, including that also looked very unrealistic. preacher, wrestling coach, on-call There also is not much to mark firefighter, construction worker, the passage of time, so it is hard to local baseball player, and is also judge how the movie spaces out, expected to take day shifts with but it seems to take place over a the kids. Sonja, meanwhile, is a period of a few months. stay at home mom, even though The movie takes a while to get she wants to do more. going, and the first third seems The initial scene was intrigufull of mostly inane and useless ing, but it did not come into play build-up that could have been until the end of the movie, which shown in much less time. When seemed like wasted potential. In the movie’s plot finally unfolds, other ways, the movie reaches too there are three main conflicts far. It tries to depict what heaven, present, all of which seem Jesus, and God’s angels look like. half-heartedly done. It may have been a better idea to For example, one is the financial leave it at Colton’s descriptions hardships that the Burpo family and let viewers imagine it for keeps saying they have. Yet they
Thursday April 24
Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current
Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current
Alan Fraser | 2013 CTMG
go on two trips to Denver and have filled their large house with all kinds of unneeded things. Their financial crisis, which is worsened due to large medical bills, is not addressed by the end of the movie and leave viewers wondering how they managed after that. The actors were overall decent. Greg Kinnear did a superb job as Todd, only held back by some spots of bad writing. In contrast, Connor Corum was not as great as Colton Burpo. Sure, he is a little kid, but throughout the movie he looked uncomfortable in his own skin. One thing he has going for him in the film is that he looks remarkably like the real life Colton. The other actors did fine in their roles but some scenes just simply did not mesh right, which seemed to be more the scriptwriter’s than the actors’ fault. Overall, it was a decent movie. Excellent camerawork and lead actor combined with a good plot idea are the main positive contributors, while the poor special effects, unaddressed issues, and subpar scripting pulled it down.
GO THE DISTANCE. Personal attention, small class sizes, academic programs designed for the 21st century, and a commitment to affordability — it’s how Saint Martin’s University can prepare you for unlimited possibilities. Learn about our seamless transfer process by scheduling a campus visit at www.stmartin.edu.
Friday April 25
The Other Woman
Artist and Speakers Series Presents: Author Julie Otsuka $10 reserved, Students Free, 7:30 pm Lindbloom Student Center, Main Dining Room
Saturday April 26
Franz Ferdinand Starting at $31.50 Doors at 7 pm, Show at 8 pm All ages, 21+ with ID for Bar The Showbox Sodo
The Wanted Cassio Monroe and Midnight Red Starting at $29.50, Doors at 7 pm, Show at 8 pm All ages, 21+ with ID for Bar The Showbox Sodo
Sunday April 27
Video Games Live $25.25-$65.25 Doors at 6:30 pm, Show at 7:30 pm The Paramount Theatre
Upcoming Events Thursday April 24
Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current
The Quiet Ones
8
thecurrent
Thinner Waists, Fatter Wallets
By: Ashley Wallace Staff Writer
Spring is here, and most of our New Year’s resolutions have probably been broken. Whether we swore to lose weight or to gain muscle, these things are hard to accomplish when healthy foods seem out of our price range. Some students might be leftfeeling hopeless and wondering if there is a way to eat right without emptying our wallets. We are all looking for ways to save some money during our college years. Some students believe that instant ramen for lunch or dinner is the answer to all of their budgeting problems. It has unfortunately become apparent to our generation that junk food is much more affordable than health foods. Although junk food can be an option for the occasional splurge, try to stay away from those food groups on a regular basis. Other students may go so far as to skip their meal all together to save money. Skipping meals is not the answer, and being hungry isn’t healthy either. Neither is eating chemically enhanced dishes of noodles every day.
lifestyle
The food in the cafeteria is less than helpful in terms of losing weight, although it might cause your wallet to grow thinner. “They have very few healthy options, in my opinion,” GRCC student Allie Hilde said. “They have apples, oranges, bananas and salads...it isn’t exactly cheap to eat here.” The trick to eating well on a small budget is to purchase some of your own groceries. Try getting fresh vegetables or fruits, and packing a lunch from home. Another option is the Food Market or the Subway just down the road on 312th street. Many of them are available all year round and they can be considerably cheaper than eating out. Be careful to look up which items are in season, or you risk buying produce that has come from cold storage. If you go to cuesa.org you will find an easily accessable chart for seasonal vegetables. Despite the variety of unhealthy foods that are available to us, we need to make an effort to be healthy. New Years resolutions may have been broken, but swimsuit season is coming. Taking care of ourselves, as well as looking our best, should be a priority.
Season’s Cleanings
By: Haley Huminik Staff Writer
Living in a small space? Tight on money? No problem: here are some easy and afforadable solutions for spring cleaning. Cleaning out your space, as well as organizing, can be overwhelming, but don’t stress about it. Spring cleaning does not have to be difficult, just start with the basics. Put away anything that already has a place and throw everything else in a box. Then go through the box. Determine what can stay and what can go. Donate anything you don’t want and then find a place for everything you decided to keep. If you’re having trouble, try asking a friend to help you decide
what is and is not worth keeping. The next step is organization. When money is tight, try using empty mint cans or medicine bottles to store small items such as paper clips or bobby pins. If you do not have room for these small containers you can attach a magnetic strip to a cupboard or wall and stick your metal goods up there. You can create drawer organizers by cutting small cardboard boxes down to size and attaching them with duct tape. Now that the hard part is over, I recommend labeling storage areas like drawers and boxes. An affordable way to color code is to use Post-it notes. They make it easy for you to change the label when you need to, and they come in a variety of colors.
New Years Resolutions; Trailing Behind By: Haley Curl Lifestyles Editor Broken promises are unavoidable. We, as good people, make promises with at least the hope that they will come true. Every year, we promise ourselves that something will change. Almost every year, those promises are broken, if not forgotten. The time for New Years resolutions has come and gone. It flew by with complete disregard for our busy schedules. Winter classes, work, friends and family have taken up every ounce of our time. Despite our sincere efforts to improve, we have either fallen off the wagon, or forgotten to get on it all together. Some of us may have carried on in denial of our apparent failure. Others have trudged along, fully aware, and feeling rather guilty. Recently, the weather has begun to take a turn for the better. As
windows are opened for the first time in months, and the sun warms our ghostly pale faces, a beautiful and glorious realization comes to mind: Summer is not far away. We can only rejoice for a single moment before another realization hits us. We feel the terror, or the dread as we know what is coming: swimsuit season. Resist the urge to stay indoors all summer. Do not give in to the desire to hide. There is a simple and convenient way to get back out there and start excersizing again. Go out for a walk, run, jog, or even a crawl. The difficulties of going for a run are location and self discipline. If you can find a peaceful place to go, then the rest will be easy. Fortunately there’s one close by. Did you know that GRCC had it’s own set of running trails? Go for a run between class and kiss those inches goodbye.
Haley Curl| Lifestyle Editor life@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Balance your new eating habits with a convenient jog around GRCC’s Auburn Campus
I know cleaning can seem a bit intimidating, but you will feel so much better about your space once it has been done. Start with dusting. If you are struggling to remove dust from fabric lampshades, try using a lint roller. Disinfecting your hard surfaces is also important. Next, wash your windows and mirrors. This will make your space seem brighter as well as more open. Finally, use a vacuum to get grime or dirt off your carpeted floors and use the hose attachment for your furniture. The most important thing is to pace yourself. Work little by little and take plenty of breaks. Listen to music or watch a movie while you work to pass the time. Don’t forget to recycle what you can.
9
currentlifestyles
april22.2014
Local Mexican Cuisine By: Evan Yu Staff Writer Casa Cabaña is a tasty, inexpensive restaurant that is only a ten minute walk from Green River’s Auburn campus. Upon walking in, my friend Wallace and I were immediately greeted by chef Jesus, who is also the restaurant owner. Casa Cabaña was opened in September 2011. Chef Jesus, who was a sous chef for the Hyatt Hotel, described the food served at Casa Cabaña as, “Fine dining and traditional cooking.” Oftentimes, with the Mexican restaurants I go to, the food is very salty. However, chef Jesus’s food defied this common trend. I ordered the “chorizo con huevos,” which translates to sausage with eggs. Wallace ordered two delicious enchiladas. My chorizos con huevos were fluffy and filling. My meal also came with the traditional side of refried beans and rice which exceeded my expectations for
simple side dishes. Wallace ate his whole meal in around five minutes, and signaled his joy by saying, “It was definitely worth the walk.” Unwilling to be done eating, I asked for the mini taco with carne asada which costs $1.75. In three bites the mini taco ended my hunger on a satisfying and scrumptious note. The prices at Casa Cabaña are more than affordable. First of all, chef Jesus acknowledges the existence of Green River and will take off a dollar from your combo if you present your student ID card. The combos are varied, and include items such as two sopitos, three taquitos, a chimichanga, and other popular Mexican small plates. Each combo comes with your choice of whole pinto beans or refried beans with rice and cost $7.55 each. There is also a daily lunch special. On the Friday that we went it was an enchilada with sour cream with rice and beans for $5.99. I recommend the pollo a la
crema and chef Jesus suggests the chicken chipotle. Casa Cabaña also has breakfast options, such as the chorizo con huevos. For those with a sweet tooth, try the dessert menu. It sports traditional Mexican sweets such as flan and churros for $3.50. The house specials are all around $11.00 a dish. Next time, I think I’ll try the huevos rancheros which are fried eggs with tomatoes and tortillas. The atmosphere, though not fancy, is refreshing. It has many windows, light Mexican music, and simple architecture. This restaurant is a perfect place to walk to with a friend for lunch after or between classes. For those over 21, happy hour is 3-6 p.m. Casa Cabaña is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and closes at 8 p.m. on Sunday. If your idea of Mexican food is fast food like Taco Bell, try eating at Casa Cabaña for a more authentic, traditional Mexican dining experience.
Jesus Moreno, Chef for Casa Cabaña
Finishing Touches
Five Fashion Do’s for the Season Gain knowledge to be successful in the workforce. Join our graduates and experience all UW Bothell has to offer.
Meet with an advisor today! We have an outstanding team ready to help you choose from our exciting degree offerings. 425.352.5000 | www.uwb.edu
By: Rachel Wood Staff Writer Now that the weather is finally starting to warm up, it’s time to clean out that winter wardrobe from your closet and make room for new spring trends. Fresh color combinations and floral prints are starting to work their way through stores, and even right here onto Green River Community College campus. According to Lidia Whyte, retail associate at Nordstrom, there are five trending must-haves for the upcoming Spring fashion season. First are crop tops. Adding some crop tops to your closet doesn’t always mean exposing your midriff. Pairing them with bottoms that sit just above your belly button reveals the perfect amount of skin. The second item on the list of essentials is a pair of high waisted shorts. Over the last few spring seasons, high-waisted shorts have come back from the dead. Crop tops and high-waisted shorts are a match made in heaven. However this is not to say that high-waisted shorts can’t be paired with other tops. Consider tucking a looser chiffon top into your shorts. Bralettes are trending more and more as the weather heats up. Finding bralettes with fun prints and designs can help them to look less like a regular bra, mak-
ing them easier to wear on a day-to-day basis. Try layering a scoop neck tank top or tee with a printed bralette. Skater dresses generally have narrower tops with a gentle, wider flare toward the bottom of the skirt. For the transition between spring and summer, pair a skater dress with a cute pair of booties and a thin belt to accentuate your waist line. Crochet and knit patterns are compatible with anything from cardigans to dresses. Also, crochet patterns are making their way from winter styles into hot spring trends! Pair your crochet top with a contrasting colored tank underneath, or go bold with a bralette. The finishing touches can be added to any outfit with a statement necklace or a simple assortment of bracelets. Don’t forget that no girl’s closet is complete without a versatile pair of flats and a few trendy cardigans. After all, these items can go with anything, and provide a simple and comfortable touch to any outfit. “BOBS and TOMS are great flats that go with almost any outfit,” said Abi Shaver, student at GRCC. Something to keep in mind is the One For One Movement charity. With every pair you purchase, a pair will be given to a child in need. Don’t forget, though, that no outfit is complete without your most valuable accessory, your confidence.
opinion
10
thecurrent
thestaff
Dominic Yoxtheimer Editor-in-Chief 253-833-9111 x2375 Patrick Daly Ad Manager 253-833-9111 x2376 Haley Curl Lifestyles Editor
Laura Gray A&E Editor
Aaron Bales Opinion Editor Copy Editor Ian Lobdell Photography Editor
Jesse Maiwald Sports Editor
Aaron Bales | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Editorial:Students Should Have Say in Rule Changes It has come to the attention of the editors at The Current that revisions are under way on the Green River Community College student code of conduct. Traditionally, students and the public at large have been kept informed as to the nature of any proposed changes. They have also been included in the process by votes and public hearings. However, no such action has been taken to involve the students in these proposed changes to the rules they are expected to follow. We at the Current are of the opinion that, even if the changes are small, the students have a right to know what they are, and to submit their own feedback on them, before the proposal is ratified. We advocate openness and transparency, in all aspects of
college administration. But this is not always the case. At Green River, security logs are not only very hard to find online, they are updated every two weeks instead of once a day which is what’s required by law. A recently amended section of Washington State Law, empowers boards of trustees to make revisions to the student code of conduct. According to Revised Code of Washington 28B.50.140, boards have the power to “...enforce the rules prescribed by the state board for community and technical colleges…students and teachers, and adopt such rules… provided, that [they] shall include, but not be limited to, rules relating to housing, scholarships, conduct at the various community and technical college facilities, and discipline.” Other commu-
nity and technical colleges and other institutions of higher education in the state of Washington help regulate the state laws on student conduct and coordinate any changes made to them. Tim Malroy, Judicial Officer and Education Planner for GRCC, declined an interview and stated, “The revision process is still in its early stages.” The duty of the judicial officer is to inform students of rights and responsibilities regarding process and procedures of student code of conduct. Malroy stated that he “Would be happy to contribute to a story that outlines the new Code of Conduct once it has been adopted,” and that, “A part of this process does include open hearings for comments and feedback.” The school’s Department of Human Resources did not respond
to questions, and we received no reply from Public Records either. With the recent rash of violent incidents here at GRCC both on and off campus, there may be a concern that students do respect the learning environment. When asked about how the changing rules affect them, students seemed indifferent. Justin Lehner, a student here at Green River stated, “I don’t know about student conduct codes, but I would still [be] me even if my friends were not conducting themselves right.” Justin also stated “I don’t really see any students in violation or acting out…most people here carry themselves with respect.” Sonia Pacho also a student here at GRCC said, “I feel safe here, most people care about conduct but I never saw any code.”
CURRENT CARTOON
Jesse Torres Campus Editor
you can’t vape here.
Staff Writers: Brennen Moe, Rikki Hinderson, Patrick Daly, Christin Peter, Taylor Lopes, Renno Jeon, David Price, Madi Gessel, Jaelyn Colley, Evan Yu, KC McIntyre, Rachel Wood, Ashley Wallace, Brad Xinyu, Chase Lawrence
Save a tree!
our campus
is tobacco free.
Photographers: Ian Lobdell and Regina Pozzi
Corrections As much as we like to think we are, journalists are not perfect. Because of this, we welcome our readers to let us know when we make mistakes in our paper. If you find that we’ve spelled someone’s name wrong or stated our facts incorrectly, please contact us at
OEB room 17 (253) 288 3497 editor@thegrcurrent.com
In the previous issue, a rude and offensive slur was printed in the byline of Haley Curl. The Current regrets this, and we extend her our apologies. Such behavior is not in line with the standards of respect and integrity we seek to uphold, and internal action was taken to make sure this will not happen again. The person responsible has resigned.
Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current
Editorial Policy 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.
Theft Policy 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 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 thecurrent@greenriver.edu.
Read thecurrent on issuu.com
Jesse Maiwald| Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
sports
thecurrent
11
Jesse Maiwald | The Current Left: Rachel Barcena (pitcher) throwing a strike. Above: Catcher Shelby Myton tags Grays Harbor’s baserunner.
Jesse Maiwald | The Current
Fastpitch Team Woes for Tournament By: Jesse Maiwald Sports Editor The Green River fast pitch team has gotten off to a slower start than usual boasting a conference record of 2-4, and a total record of 4-12. The Gators are currently the steady number four seed in the division. The showdown with division rival Highline was building up to be one of the biggest games yet to keep the number five seed off our heels. However, that game was rained out and will be rescheduled to a later time. Friday night’s game against the Grays Harbor Chokers yielded two heated battles both resulting in a loss. The first game’s score was 3-2. “The first game was close, a 3-2 game with runners on 2nd and 3rd, we had our chance,” athletic director Bob Kickner said. Rachel Barcena started the game for the Gators on the mound which was her 11th start out of sixteen games played. She’s taken on quite a heavy workload since losing a couple players before the season got underway. “Injuries and illness have hurt this team, as well as losing three players to academics. We lost a pitcher, a catcher, and a third baseman,” head coach Al Simmons said. Barcena has stepped up nicely by finishing out all 11 games
she has started including Friday’s game against the Chokers. After a humble interview I came to find out she was battling injuries too. “I was sick this whole week with a sinus infection and had no practice, I kind of just came out here and played today,” said Barcena. Playing well might add with a crucial run scored in the bottom of the seventh to narrow the lead to three points, as well as two other hits in the game. She pitched all seven innings due to not having a relief pitcher available. The game did not really start for us until the third inning when Aris Califano (11) ran home off of a wild pitch. At the bottom of the fourth the game was in reach with Grays Harbor only leading 3-1. Then in the 4th Grays Harbor was able to load the bases when catcher Samanda King hits a 2-run double bringing in two runs. The Gators were never able to rein the game back in despite having their oppurtunities. The girls couldn’t quite pull it together with a 6-4 loss which was the second defeat of the day. “We needed to win this game and tomorrow’s game to better prepare us for the tournament,” said Simmons.”
FASTPITCH SCHEDULE Fri, April 25 Fri, April 25 Sat, April 26 Sat, April 26 Fri, May 2 Fri, May 2 Sat, May 3 Sat, May 3 Tue, May 6 Tue, May 6 Fri, May 9 Fri, May 9
2:00 p.m. Pierce 4:00 p.m. Pierce 12:00 noon Centralia 2:00 p.m. Centralia 2:00 p.m. South Puget Sound 4:00 p.m. South Puget Sound 12:00 noon Grays Harbor 2:00 p.m. Grays Harbor 2:00 p.m. Highline 4:00 p.m. Highline 4:00 p.m. Pierce 6:00 p.m. Pierce
Service-Kent Service-Kent Centralia Centralia Service-Kent Sercie Kent Bishop Complex Bishop Complex Service-Kent Service-Kent Heritage Park Heritage Park
FASTPITCH STANDINGS Bellevue Edmonds Edmonds Spokane Yakima Valley SW Oregon Mt Hood Clackamas Centralia Centralia S Puget Sound S Puget Sound Skagit Valley Clark Grays Harbor Grays Harbor Highline Highline
0-8 8-9 17-12 0-9 3-4 1-9 18-1 1-12 5-2 4-2 5-0 1-3 4-5 1-3 3-2 6-4 Rainout Rainout
West/North West/North West/North West/East West/east West/South South/West West/South West West West West North/West West/South West West West West
12
currentsports
april22.2014
BASEBALL SCHEDULE Pierce Grays Harbor Grays Harbor Pierce Pierce Pierce Pierce Centralia Centralia
Russell Road Heritage Park Heritage Park Mt Tahoma HS Mt Tahoma HS Heritage Park Heritage Park Wheeler Wheeler
Sat, April 23 Sun, April 27 Sun, April 27 Sat, May 3 Sat, May 3 Sun, May 4 Sun, May 4 Fri, May 9 Fri, May 9
4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
BASEBALL STANDINGS
Regina Pozzi | The Current
Struggling baseball team trying to bring back Resplendent History By: Brad Xinyu Li Staff Reporter
Green River baseball began its 2014 season on March 1, against Tacoma. However, the Gators did not showcase a strong showing during their first game. The first win came on the second competition against Thompson River in Moses Lake, from there the Gators have had a tough time collecting wins from March 31 to April 19, going on a six-game losing streak. At this point, The baseball team has a combined W-L record of 4-13. “We are having a really hard time here,” Ryu Hirayama, a Japanese student who is a big fan of college baseball said. “The Gators have a good coach and college players, but not a good won and loss record, it’s difficult to explain,” Hirayama said. The Green River Gators have a resplendent history. Since the project began in 1968 our baseball team has attended North West Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC). Green river won NWAACC titles in 1975, under the direction of Ron Hopkins and has won seven Western Region titles during that time. Recently, the school won the western region in 1998, 1994 and 1992.
Several players have been drafted in the Major League draft, and Zach Gagnon (3B), Tanner Nielsen (OF) have received scholarships to participate in NCAA Division I, II and NAIA programs. Green River Gators have arguably the best coach in the state: Brian Embery, who joined the Green River athletic department staff in 2011. Embery has over thirty years of baseball coaching experience, and has previously coached at NCAA Division Emporia State University for sixteen years. The Green River Gators have 29 team members. If you check the player profile page, you will see a large part of players are freshman, so it means Green River baseball team is attractive to the students. There are two international students from Japan on The Gators team, they are Takahiro Tsujimura, position IF/P and Yuki Hikichi, position RHP. Both of them are freshman. Other transfers include Zach Cooper, position RHP, A big guy from Bosie, Idaho and Erik Van Tuyl, position OF, from Laguna Hills, Calif. This Wednesday April 23 , the baseball teams squares off against Pierce College at Russell Road at 3 p.m. It is a great opportunity to see what will likely be the end of a six-game losing streak.
Golf Schedule Whitman College Invite Bigfoot Invitational
April 19- April 20
League Match
April 27-April 28
Skagit Valley Invite League Match
May 4- May 5 May 11 - May 12
NWAACC Championship
April 20- April 21
May 18 - May 19
@ Wine Valley G.C. @Meadowwood Golf Course @Gold Mountain woods @Avalon GC @Brandon Dunes @TBA
Walla Walla, Wa Spokane, Wa Bremerton, Wa Burlington, WA Bandon, OR Tri-Cities, Wa
Tacoma Tacoma Thompson River Big Bend Thompson River Big Bend Walla Walla Walla Walla Columbia Basin Columbia Basin Wenatchee Valley Wenatchee Valley Wenatchee Valley Wenatchee Valley
1-5 1-13 7-6 2-16 5-11 9-8 7-18 3-12 9-12 6-20 9-2 2-9 12-13 1-8
Tacoma Grays Harbor Centralia Bellevue Tacoma Tacoma Tacoma Tacoma Lower Columbia Lower Columbia Lower Columbia Lower Columbia Grays Harbor Grays Harbor
4-2 1-11 17-8 3-9 0-12 6-11 20-2 5-0 1-7 1-2 11-0 9-0 7-0 4-3