Issue 10 Volume 53

thecurrent the student newspaper of green river college

May 8, 2019

www.thegrcurrent.com

issue 10 volume 53

Jonica Biedler Finds Beauty in Macabre Photography Pg 6

Jonica Biedler

2 May 8, 2019

campus

thecurrent

Danielle Kim | Campus Editor thecurrent.campus@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.edu

Artist in Residence Jody Joldersma Visits Campus Local Artist Emboldens Students By Promoting Their Imaginative Liberation

Cindy Small | Green RIver College

A photo of the Artist, Jody Joldersma.

By: Joseph Charrier Staff Writer Inspiring students in her workshop, Jody Joldersma’s Artist in Residence event focused on “harnessing inspiration through habit.”

From April 22 to April 27, students were able to attend a session hosted by local Seattle artist Jody Joldersma. Cindy Small reached out to Joldersma, having been previously familiar with some of her artistic work.

“I became acquainted with Jody’s art through the First Thursday Gallery Walk in Seattle,” Small said.

“She has her own gallery space in the Tashiro Kaplan building where there are many artist studios/ galleries/living spaces.”

As an active participant in the session, Small admired how

Joldersma emphasized the personal aspect of creating art.

“Jody made art making and being creative approachable. It is not solely based on technical skill. She prioritized having your own point of view,” she said. “I really liked how she emphasized the need to value your own work and to be careful with the messages that play within your head.”

Those involved in the workshop would participate in exercises that emphasized using whatever was at their disposal and create something from it. For example, one exercise had participants select a singleword theme, pick a magazine she provided, cut out whatever could be related to said theme and paste them into a journal.

Another involved cutting a square frame into a piece of paper, pointing it at any object in the room, and simply drawing whatever was inside that small window.

This simplified approach forced students to get creative and make anything from practically nothing.

“The exercises were designed to help participants get out of their comfort zone by embracing and leveraging ambiguity, as well as learning new tools when creating, or seeing things from new perspectives,” Joldersma stated.

Coming from a low-income background, Joldersma has been a lover of art since she was a child. Her childhood passion that

stemmed from her mother’s own artistic sensibilities has stayed with her all throughout her life.

“I’ve been creating art as long as I could hold a drawing utensil.

My mother is an artist, so from a very early age she exposed me to art, literature, and films,” she said.

“In addition, since I was poor, art provided a way to create anything I wanted, at least virtually. I could summon the jungle or the beach or a mansion for my cats on paper.”

She cites everything from books to movies as inspiration for her work, specifically other artists such as “ women surrealists”.

However, the one she singles out the most is nature itself.

She largely attributes this to her childhood experiences hiking through the wooded areas near her grandparents home.

Joldersma understands the inspirational power that art can have over society as a whole.

“Art intersects with every other subject on earth,” she said, “art has the ability to change how society works by inspiring the right people.

If I can envision a new world and commit it to paper, who knows where that will take someone else’s mind one day. Innovation starts in the imagination.”

To further support her argument, she mentioned the fact that modern devices like cell phones were initially inspired by communicators used on the sci-fi

television series, Star Trek. She encourages students to let their imagination run wild.

Joldersma also understands the difference between inspiration and commitment. “A lot of non-artists/ beginners think inspiration is a magical gift bestowed on artists - in reality, it’s about committing to a lot of hard work,” Joldersma said.

To emphasize this, she quoted famed author Octavia Butler: “Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”

Breaking into the art world and staying there can be a frustrating and terrifying prospect. To all aspiring artists wondering what to do with their talents, Joldersma wants them to know that the best thing to do is to simply be truthful to oneself about what they want.

“Be honest with yourself,” she said, imparting advice. “It is not an easy life being an artist and it takes a lot of sacrifice and courage.

Decide if you want to create art as hobby or as a career, they are very different paths. Another option is to be involved in the arts tangentially such as working with an art non-profit. If you’re serious about art, find a mentor.”

For those who would like to see Joldersma’s work, feel free to visit https://www.jjoldersma.com/ and see more of what she has to offer.

The Career Fair Prepares Students for Workforce By: Dakota Farnsworth Opinion Editor

Green River College’s Career Fair provides students with various employment options and assistance in the skills needed for employment.

The Career Fair was held May 2 in the Lindbloom Student Union.

It was a free event that both students and the general public could attend. Representatives from different businesses were available to talk about open positions, the culture of their company, and what kind of people the employers are looking for in candidates.

The Career Fair offers many benefits to students who attend, such as getting professional headshots for free, finding jobs to help pay for different needs, and learning about the skills that different employers require. “[Students are] surprised to learn the lack of soft skills employers are begging for in their employees,” said Amrit Gill, the employment specialist at Green River College.

“It is not always about what degree you get of what technical skills you have – those can be

learned. But there is a dire need for people with communication skills and personal responsibility,” said Gill when regarding the fair.

There were many different businesses and organizations at the Career Fair such as Amazon, Chickfil-A, the Auburn School District and King County. The booths had banners and boards up that gave information about the company and the positions they offered. The booths also had promotional items and flyers that were free for anyone at the event to take.

Students who attended had the chance to look into employment options that worked with their schedules. Manjot Kaur, a student at Green River College, wanted to look at positions that gave them experience in their area of study.

Kaur’s goal was to look around and see what was available in the IT field, which she is majoring in to get her bachelor’s degree.

The representatives of the businesses were eager to talk about the positions that they offered, as well as answer any questions and take any resumes presented to them. These businesses and organizations each had a different

thecurrent Green River College 12401 SE 320th St., Mailstop: SU Auburn, WA 98092-3699 NEWSROOM DIRECT LINE 253-288-3457 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Margo Mead thecurrent.editorinchief@ mail.greenriver.edu 253-833-9111 ext. 2375 MANAGING EDITOR A&E EDITOR Kaedyn Kashmir-Whitaker thecurrent.ae@ mail.greenriver.edu CAMPUS EDITOR Danielle Kim thecurrent.campus@mail. greenriver.edu OPINION EDITOR Dakota Farnsworth thecurrent.opinion@mail. greenriver.edu SPORTS EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER Christina Praggastis thecurrent.sports@mail. greenriver.edu PHOTOGRAPHER Connor O’Boyle coboyle3@mail.greenriver.edu LAYOUT EDITOR Dee Senaga thecurrent.pagelayout@mail. greenriver.edu GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elsa Finkbeiner efinkbeiner@mail.greenriver.edu ADVERTISING MANAGER Taylor Robertson ads@thegrcurrent.com STAFF WRITERS:

Dakota Farnsworth | The Current

A group photo of TRIO Student Support Services faculty, posing with smiles. goal that took priority, but each one wanted students to know what jobs were available to them.

Steve Namkung, a representative for the King County booth, came to the Career Fair with the goal to “create awareness of the variety of jobs that King County has to offer.”

Namkung provided information on different environmental positions, skills trades, and project managers.

The different businesses and organizations also offered many benefits within the positions they were offering. The Korean Women’s Association (KWA), which is a registered non-profit organization, offers benefits for their employees,

such as paid training, flexible hours, and mileage reimbursement.

Nelvina Heck, the representative for the KWA, was at the Career Fair in search of attendees who were interested in caregiver positions.

Heck provided many materialwith the information about these positions and handed out business cards to anyone who passed by.

The Career Fair has provided many employment opportunities to attendees and allows them to build on their skills and resume for future employment options. This opportunity is beneficial to many who need a job but don’t know where to start looking.

Abdirizak Abdi, Ana Sanchez, Austin Butler, Autumn Reeves, Dakota Farnsworth, Dmytro Dimor, Hinata Kokobun, Jaysen Bay, Joseph Charrier, Ritwan Abdinor, Ryan Childress, Sarah Dees, Satchit Dahal, Steven Asetre,

Corrections

If you find a factual error Featured Athlete for orThe simply a name spelled last issue was Hailey Suit, incorrectly, notcontact Haley Suit. please us at: If- editor@thegrcurrent.com you find a factual error - 253-288-3457 or simply a name spelled - orincorrectly, find us OEB 17 please contact us at: - editor@thegrcurrent.com - 253-833-9111 ext. 2375

Danielle Kim| Campus Editor thecurrent.campus@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.edu

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Running Start Students Voice Perspectives By: Steven Astere Staff Writer

How do high schoolers feel about Running Start before they enroll? Are they overwhelmed? Nervous? Excited?

The campus is home to many people from faculty to students. Even students from different continents and countries attend this college. Most of the college population is at least the age of 18. However, there are a few students that are still enrolled in a high school. These students are referred to as Running Start students.

Some high schools have a program that gives students an opportunity to be enrolled dually and graduate with college credits and completion of high school credits. Through this program, students can be both enrolled in a high school and a certain community college at the same time.

Depending on what the students choose, they can be a part-time student or a fulltime student. If they choose to be a parttime student, they will have classes in both their high school and college. This is a large struggle for some because arranging their schedule to fit for both can become a mess without the help of counselors.

However, these students can choose what to do in the community college. They can work towards their general AA, use the credits to transfer to a four-year university, among other things that provide them academic advantages. It might a little strange to see high schoolers attending college classes, but it is becoming more and more common. With high schoolers getting their first college experience while enrolled in a high school comes with a pool of emotions.

Finding out what it is like to be a high schooler enrolled in a community college at the same time is interesting. Some of these high schoolers participate in the program out of inquisitive interest, while others enroll to better themselves and get a head start on others. Some Running Start students will even go the further step and enroll into summer quarter, when the program does not pay for their tuition fees.

One student attending her first year of Running Start, Sydney Wate, commented that she was “really excited to enroll” because she “was outgrowing the high school environment and needed a change.”

Two full-time Running Start students, Maison Turner and Megan Peacor, were also excited when they first started.

3 May 8, 2019

Campus Crime Blotter

Campus Safety responded to the following incidents from March 5 to May 1, among others. All information is from Campus Safety incident reports.

Elsa Finkbeiner | The Current

A student pondering their academic journey.

“I was also nervous about taking classing and not having any friends in them,” Turner said, after commenting on her ambition to take harder classes while spending less time at school through the program.

Peacor stated that she was also, “a little nervous just because of [the] new environment, bigger responsibilities, and newer faces all over.”

Another Running Start first year, Emily Lombard, mentioned that she was also nervous and she did not know what to expect. “The big thing I was worried about was missing out on the high experience, but I feel like I’m still getting that.,” she said.

A majority of the Running Start students interviewed had many varying experiences when it came to their initial encounters here at Green River College. Some felt nervous, excited, or challenged, but saw that it was a great opportunity. Those are just some of the words these students used.

One thing they all had in common was that they benefited from the program and some even recommended it to their underclassmen in their high school.

3/5 5:00 p.m.

Off-Campus Fondling

A student reported being fondled at an off campus location in December, 2018.

3/6 12:20 p.m.

P-8 Vandalism

A student reported her vehicle was vandalized whlie parked on campus. The vandalism took place in Parking Lot 8, between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

3/11 6:46 p.m.

CCA Aggravated Assault/Attempted Robbery

A student was assaulted by three unknown males on campus.

Occurred on 124th Avenue SE and Campus Corner Apartments.

3/13 1:46 p.m.

Salish Hall Theft

A student reported her purse was stolen from a classroom.

Occurred in Salish Hall Building, on Wednesday, between 12 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.

3/18 3:15 p.m.

CCA Drug Law Violation / Trespass

Students were suspected of using marijuana in a housing unit. One student trespassed from the property by CCA staff.

Occurred at Campus Corner Apartments. Monday, 3:15 p.m.

4/03 5:45 p.m.

Holman Library Attempted Theft

A student reported he prevented an unknown male from going through his unattended backpack. Occurred in Holman Library. on Wednesday, 5:45 p.m.

4/12 8:23 p.m.

CCA Domestic Dispute

Staff members reported a verbal altercation between a student and two non-students. Occurred at the Campus Corner Apartments, on Friday, 8:23 p.m.

4/17 11:10 a.m.

Salish Hall Disorderly Conduct

A student reported he received inappropriate messages from an unknown sender. Occurred in Salish Hall, on Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. The search for the sender resumes.

4/17 9:15 a.m.

Salish Hall Harassment

A student reported another student harassed her while on campus. Occurred in Salish Hall, between Monday, 12 a.m. and Tuesday 12 a.m.

4/19 12:15 p.m.

Student Union Disturbance

Staff members reported a fight between a group of students on campus. Occurred in the Student Union Building, on Friday, 12:15 p.m.

5/1 7:33 a.m.

Science Center Vandalism

Faculty reported their office area was found open and files were thrown about. Occurred in the Science Center Building.

Between Tuesday, 6:45 p.m. and Wednesday, 7:32 p.m.

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Danielle Kim | Campus Editor thecurrent.campus@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.edu

15-Year-Old Student Graduates With the College’s Class of 2019 Lamar Toppin | The Current

A photo of Ricko Sample, the 15-year old student graduating upon completion of the spring quarter.

By: Lamar Toppin Staff Writer

Ricko Sample is a 15-year-old student who is attending his final quarter at Green River this spring. Sample is an aspiring actor, an author, dancer, musician and singer.

Sample’s father is mixed, was born in Missouri and is a Stage IV cancer survivor.

His mother is from Indonesia. Both his parents moved and met each other in Washington before having Sample.

Sample is currently working on getting an AA but plans on transferring his credits to New York Film Academy (NYFA), at the Los Angeles campus. He hopes to get a bachelor’s degree this coming Fall. His work as an actor is one that he wishes to pursue as a full-time gig. He is already part of an agency called Tiffany Talent, located in Seattle.

“I attended a few workshops hosted by them. I eventually became a member of their team,” said Sample.

Sample has been in a few independent films and was in the most recent play performed by Winter Quarter’s Drama class, 1940s Radio Hour.

He attended an online school in 7th grade, taking 10th year level courses. Because of his advanced academic achievements, his teacher recommended that he apply for the Running Start program.

Even though he was too young to apply, he went in for an interview and passed the placement tests. As a result, in Fall of 2017, he was officially enrolled into the Running Start program as a Running Start Student.

Aside from acting, he is also a published author. At the age of 15, he has already released two fully published books, “Bigfoot Untold” and “Three Mysterious Tales”.

Both books have been published through TellWell Publishing, a self-publishing company located in Victoria, B.C. His book, “Bigfoot Untold”, is based on true stories that his mother had told him throughout his life.

He actually got the inspiration to write this book afterseeing a challenge of Facebook called the “Bigfoot Script Challenge”.

However, the challenge was not about the mythical creature, Bigfoot, at all. Even so, he felt the need to write a screenplay and submitted it into a contest. Since it was his first screenplay, he did not win. Nevertheless, he decided to continue to write a book instead since he thought the story he had written was “interesting and unique”.

“I wanted to share it,” he said. ”Use it to support my acting career.”

After publishing his first book, he continued writing more books since his mom had plenty of stories to share.

“Well, I’m planning to publish more books in the future. I have already started writing one,” said Sample.

When asked how his parents felt about him already graduating from college, he mentioned that his parents previously were and currently are very supportive of the success he has already achieved at such a young age of 15 years old.

Besides financial support, his parents are encouraging him to pursue his various passions and want him to succeed.

International Literature Cart Campaign Displayed on Green River College Campus By: Ana Sanchez Staff Writer In an era where freedom of speech is embraced by others, many religious denominations have taken to the streets to spread their message.

As opposed to the people who have occasionally rallied in the middle of campus with signs against cigarette smokers and fornicators, pairs of cheerful, well-dressed individuals stand outside the Student Union building. Smiling at students when they walk by, these individuals welcome conversations.

They are Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian denomination that claims 8.4 million members in 240 countries and counting.

Although they usually go door to door to share their message and beliefs with whoever is interested, they have taken a new approach. They have turned to free literature display carts, which can be found on the streets of over 35 countries.

According to a website on the religious denomination, JW.ORG, in 2015, they were supplied with 165,390 literature display carts. Interestingly enough, a display cart similar to the one here at Green River College was displayed at the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The astonishing part about this is that it is all made possible through voluntary donations, with no system of tithing (taxes of one-tenth of income).

Why though, do Jehovah’s Witnesses use this method of preaching, and what is the purpose of these literature carts?

“We are able to reach people whom we can’t

reach at home when we go door to door. We also offer subjects in which students here at the college might be interested in,” says Chelsea Pogosyan, a member of one of the local congregations here in Auburn.

She is accompanied by Chihiro Tabata, a Jehovah’s Witness visiting from Japan.

Similarly to when they go from door to door, they are always in pairs.

“The thing that makes us different is that people approach us. It is really just about making ourselves available to whoever wants to speak to us,” says Tim Ward, a member of one of the local congregations.

Ward explains that the process of getting permission from the college was rather simple than one might initially perceive.

All that was needed was a verbal agreement between the coordinators and conference services here at Green River College.

So far, the display has been rather successful, as the Witnesses have been at the college for about two years.

“This year has been very productive.

We mostly get college-aged students who have questions or are just interested in the publications we are offering. Both local and foreign exchange students have shown interest,” said Pogosyan. “A 16-year-old student who had seen the literature cart in his native country actually started studying the Bible with us and is also attending our weekly meetings.”

What do Jehovah’s Witnesses believe though? According to an article on their website, they believe that “God’s personal name is Jehovah and that Jesus is the Son

of God.” They believe in “showing unselfish love” in all of their actions. They “respect the government where they live and obey its laws as long as these do not call on them to disobey God’s laws.”

All of their literature is Bible-based and is produced in over 800 languages and dialects including, but not limited to, English, Spanish, Russian, ASL, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, and Kalanga, the dialect of the Kalanga people in Zimbabwe.

The literature cart here at GRC offers publications such as the newest issues of their magazines—The Watchtower and Awake!—that offer topics such as “Will We Ever Feel Safe and Secure?” and their Bible study guide, What Does the Bible Really Teach?. They also offer free Bibles, but their

most distributed publication here on campus is their 31-page brochure entitled Good News from God. “We like sharing our beliefs with others and we also enjoy asking the people who approach us what they believe. It is about having a good conversation,” said Armaven Pogosyan, who is another member of the local congregation.

Their next featured publication will be a magazine titled “Is Life Worth Living?”, which is very fitting, considering that Green River College has a suicide prevention campaign in place.

The Witnesses have chosen to exercise their right to freedom of speech in a very peaceful manner, waiting for those who are interested to approach them first.

Ana Sanchez | The Current

The international literature cart stationed at the campus, with the Green River College’s permission.

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Danielle Kim| Campus Editor thecurrent.campus@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.edu

5 May 8, 2019

The Students of Color Conference Impacts Diverse Students Green River College Students Discuss the Emphasis of Cultural Mindfulness By: Dalamari Holman Staff Writer

The Students of Color Conference proved to be a very impactful event for many individuals of all different ethnicities and backgrounds.

This conference took place April 18th through the 20th in Yakima, Washington.

The goal of this conference, according to the Multicultural Student Services Directors Council, is to “support Washington State students to become more active proponents of their own education and life choices, and expand the opportunities and possibilities for students to become agents of change.”

According to The Multicultural Student Service Directors Council, there are five main themes that the conference is guided by. One is “Identity Development”, which helps “introduce students to concepts and structures that will strengthen their ethnic and/or racial identity.”

Two is “Awareness of others”. This theme, in connection to others, involves workshops “designed to increase students’ awareness, knowledge, and understanding related to race, ethnicity, and other differences of groups other than their own.”

Three is “Skill development”, which helps students “build and learn skills that they can use to achieve their full potential”.

Four is “Social Justice/ Social Activism”, which is emphasized through workshops to “introduce and/or advance students’ understanding of the importance of becoming social agents of change”.

Five is “Personal Development” which

allows students to “learn the importance of health and wellness issues related to the mind, body, and soul.”

All these themes have workshops set up to achieve specific goals. Each session last within about 90 minutes. There are 10 to 13 of these workshops for every day that the conference is taking place. By making these available to the public, it gives the individuals participating in the conference the ability to fully engage in what is going on and learn as much as they can out of the event.

“The conference was great,” said Warren Wilson, a Green River student. “We had some keynote speakers and workshops that fit different identities. There was every race you could think of: black, white, LatinX, South Asian, etc.”

Wilson saw that this conference extended conversation beyond racial background to “as far as gender and sexuality.”

When asked if he would recommend other students to attend the conference next time, Wilson was enthusiastic about the event’s value to other students and visitors.

“Absolutely. It is so cool getting to make connections with other schools and learn from them and the speakers. Quite inspiring the event was,” he said.

Shewit Abraha, a Running Start student, had a similar experience of the event to that of Wilson’s perspective.

“It was amazing and so empowering,” said Abraha. “Like Warren said, there were keynote speakers and lots of workshops about a variety of topics. From gender, race and sexuality to finances and schooling.”

There was a rainbow of different people from various backgrounds: Latinx, Pacific Islanders, Asians, Native Americans and whites. There were quite a few black people and even that was diverse because it ranged from African Americans to different nationalities of African.

“I would definitely recommend going”, Abraha said. “It truly was so eye-opening; I’ve never seen so much diversity in one area. I feel like when I left I came back more educated and more aware.”

Erika Sims, another Running Start student who attended this conference had similar experiences to Abraha and Wilson.

“It was really a great experience; it opened my eyes on many different perspectives on not just myself, but others,” said Sims, in regards to the event. “I left with a whole different perspective on not just myself but others. There were a lot of workshops, my favorite one was the women workshop.”

Sims also believed the event was something everyone should experience because of how diverse and educational the conference was.

Overall, the Students of Color Conference is a very eye-opening event that can teach people many things within the three days they are there. This event can teach people things about others and themselves by providing a new perspective. This conference does not exclude anyone. People of all different races, nationalities, sexual orientations are welcomed to this event.

With the diversity that can be experienced and the life lessons that can be learned, this event should definitely be attended.

Event Calendar: Spring Quarter Event Calendar Continued May

May

May

May

May

Horseback Riding

11

Enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Flying Horseshoe Ranch while riding horses!

Contact Sandra: sbravo-rodriguez@mail.greenriver.edu

@ Flying Horseshoe Ranch 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Student: $ 30 Non-Student: $60

Color Run

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May

Enjoy a 5km charity run through colored dye and an amazing after party in the middle of Seattle.

Contact Daan Pijs: dpijs@greenriver.edu

May

Student: $ 12 Non-Student: $25

UW Night Market

Contact Sai: szinphyolwin@greenriver.edu

25 31

June

@ 5:05 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Student: $ 5 Non-Student: $10

Sun Lake State Park Camping Trip Contact Cristina Conde: RCondeGutierrez@greenriver.edu

June

@ 8 a.m. Saturday - 6 p.m. Sunday Student: $ 25 Non-Student: $40

The Talent Show

Contact Sai: szinphyolwin@greenriver.edu

@ 5:05 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.

Student: $ 5 Non-Student: $10

June

Mt. Washington Hike @ 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Student: $ 5 Non-Student: $10

Pride Prom with Q&A

Contact Anne: ahiles@greenriver.edu

@ 7 p.m. - Midnight.

Student: $5 Non-Student: $10

Steamboat Rock State Park Camping Trip

1 4 5

Students will have the opportunity to camp in Eastern Washington.

Contact Ace: akaung@greenriver.edu

Meet @ Bus Circle @ 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Student: $ 25 Non-Student: $40

Pizza with the President @SU, Gator Grind by the Fireplace, 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Student: Free Non-Student: Free

Juneteenth with BSU @ SA, Cascade Hall, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Prices: TBD

MSSDC

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May 8, 2019

Kaedyn Kashmir-Whitaker | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

Watching a Car Crash: How Biedler Finds Beauty in the Creepy

Jonica Biedler | Artist

A selfie from the artist, Jonica Biedler.

By: Satchit Dahal Staff Writer Photographer Jonica Biedler does not shy away from darker genres and captures the beauty of creepy in her photos.

Being the daughter of a photographer, playing with cameras has been both a passion and a hobby from an early age for Biedler.

This youthful passion started to gain more structure when she received an old film camera from her dad: “It was at that point where my photos started to change from being just a picture,” said Biedler.

Moving around a lot growing up, Biedler got to experience three different high schools, the last of which being situated in Honolulu, where she also graduated from.

After carrying her camera around with her and taking pictures of her friends, she quickly became known as the local paparazzi.

From taking pictures of birds, moths, and icicles while going on trips with her dad to capturing pieces to “manipulate the emotions of a piece to initiate a reaction from others.”

Biedler has paved a beautiful road

with talent and hard work. Her love and appreciation for art does not just stop at photography. She also enjoys drawing, painting, pottery, oil pastels, and 3D arts.

As the list went on and on, Biedler said, “I don’t make stamps. Yet.” Being fascinated with the peculiarity of things, her main goal as a photographer is to be able to reproduce unsettling emotions and convey it to her viewers.

Talking more about her fascination with horror, “there’s always a dark side to a movie or a story that you see,” Biedler said.

The magnetism and appeal that she finds in the eerie is like watching a car crash. “It’s horrifying to look at, but you also don’t want to look away,” she said.

Inspired by the eccentric filmmaker, Tim Burton, who is known for his gothic style of work, Biedler’s recent portfolio encompasses lots of macabre works. In one of her photos, titled, “IT”, she put clown make up on her 10-year-old niece Meya. She was inspired by the movie of the same title to create this piece. The use of black and white along with the application of clown makeup on a 10-year-old is quite scary to look at.

Biedler does a great job of finding things deadly within the beautiful. To be able to make people feel things just by looking at a picture is an amazing feat. People experience such strong emotions, such as fear, so her talent of giving viewers goosebumps is an even bigger accomplishment.

“I like it when people look at my pictures and...it gave them nightmares,” she said.

Determined to achieve perfection and truly to make people feel creeped out but intrigued, Biedler spends a lot of time coming up with ideas for her photos, taking them, and editing them.

Biedler believes that it is not about how expensive the camera is, but rather it is all about what photographers are trying to capture and how they position the camera.

An important lesson in life about different perspectives could be learned from her ideas about what makes a good photographer.

Jonica Biedler | Artist

Jonica Biedler | Artist

She advises interested students to take the beginner photography classes at Green River since they helped her out in her journey.

However, being a talented artist is not the only thing Biedler can put down on her resume. Originally, she wanted to become an art teacher, but since her love for kids outshone her interest in teaching, she decided to explore the road of art therapy.

She is currently working on her degree to become a Child Psychologist specializing in art therapy. She wants to use different types of art mediums as means of communication to assist children who have dealt with traumatic experiences.

With her unique style of photography and her choice of a future career, one would say Bieldler’s future looks bright.

Jonica Biedler | Artist

Kaedyn Kashmir-Whitaker | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

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thecurrent

May 8, 2019

Music Streaming Services Now Offer Student Discounts the top two services: they offer a multitude of benefits to their most receptive demographic.

“People enjoy music a lot more Music is one of the most when they can listen to whatever recognized forms of art. they want, especially if they’re It is a significant part of all working or studying,” said Shae cultures, used to express emotions, Fairchild, a prospective college and evolved throughout history. transfer student.

But the maestros of the medieval What services are students using? times might not have expected “I’ve tried Apple Music before, what was to come for music in a but Spotify’s my favorite because technology-filled future. it’s free and has a massive library,” Streaming services have become said Fairchild. a popular and convenient way to Massive, indeed—Spotify has access music. According to recent tens of millions of songs, quite the statistics, Apple Music, Spotify, and mind-boggling number. Thanks Pandora Radio are among the most to its browse button, it is easy to popular music streaming services. navigate. Under this tab, music Just within the U.S., Apple Music is categorized into genres and has reached monthly users just moods, such as “Rock,” “Country,” short of 50 million, Spotify has 48 “Workout,” and “Focus.” million, and Pandora Radio has To go one step further, curated nearly 37 million monthly users. playlists are provided to match every niche mood one might feel.

If someone is on their morning commute and needs a pick-me-up, listen to “Songs to Sing in the Car.” Are you pulling an all-nighter for your exam tomorrow? Press play for “Intense Study Session.” Or, if people would rather escape the cold Washington weather, turn up the volume for “Hawaiian Dreams.”

Linnea Thorpe, a high school senior, is an avid concert-goer and Spotify user. She uses their services mainly due to the concerts section.

This section lists artists who are recommended that have upcoming concerts nearby. It makes it easy for Wiki Commons those interested to grab tickets.

A variety of music streaming logos: Apple music; Pandora; Spotify; Youtube.

“I’ve gone to so many concerts

By: Kaitlyn Enrico Student Writer

Unfortunately, such easy access to music comes with a catch. If one wants to listen to music ondemand and ad-free with unlimited skips and downloadable content, Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora require a $9.99 monthly fee to be a Premium user. Apple Music is the outlier of this group, because without hashing out a monthly fee, people cannot use the service.

But if individuals that are curious attend a college, Apple Music and Spotify offer student discounts of only $4.99 a month. One drawback of Pandora is that student discounts are not offered.

People ages 18 to 34, those who commonly pursue higher education, make up a considerable section of total streaming service listeners. This may give a clue as to why Apple Music and Spotify are

Pexels

A person listening to music on their phone through headphones. that otherwise I wouldn’t have known about,” said Thorpe.

Though, what might be most notable is the opportunity to discover new music on Spotify.

The platform is individualized and oriented around the user, always on the mission to find new music to listen to. Both Thorpe and Fairchild agree that they have discovered many artists, genres and songs that they are now fans of. Country, indie, alternative, modern rock, and electronic dance music are among those they listed.

Fairchild added a thought that truly captures the essence of the entirety of music streaming services: “I feel like it broadens

people’s horizons and makes them more open-minded about music and the world.”

Apple Music, Pandora Radio, Spotify—they have all revolutionized the way society experiences music. Music lovers now have endless songs at their fingertips and endless ways in which music influences feelings, minds, and perspectives.

Whether people want to buy concert tickets, discover new artists, or play the same song on repeat, they can do all of the above in one easy-access place.

In this digital age, students have the ability to create the soundtrack to their busy lives.

Avengers: Endgame Shatters Marvel Records With 95 Percent Rating By: Maclayne Credere Staff Writer

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was an achievement that is unprecedented in the film industry.

The film’s release does not play out as other movies do; the scale of the film is so grand that it feels like more of a highly-anticipated event or an experience.

Many are choosing their preferred film between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. For casual viewers, Infinity War would probably be the more entertaining movie. However, for dedicated Marvel fans, Endgame is as close as one can get to perfection.

While Infinity War is a huge summer party, Endgame is more of a fun day with old friends. This feeling emanates because Endgame is more rewarding depending on how big of a Marvel fan is.

The film even goes as far as to reference deleted scenes and reportedly has more than 200 “Easter Eggs” (which are references to prior movies).

SPOILERS BELOW. The best way to describe Avengers: Endgame is that it is simply grand. From the start, the film subverts expectations well.

Endgame can be broken into three parts: the dramatic and heavy beginning; the time heist portion; the final battle and the aftermath.

This first section of the film provides some of the darkest moments to date in the MCU. No one expected the film to go the way that it did, especially the first encounter with Thanos. The director’s choice to kill Thanos so promptly then immediately moving on to the time skip took audiences’ collective breath away.

This intentionally leaves viewers bewildered and confused.

It was a smart move to go darker with the tone and lighting during this section of the film. The cameras’ close-ups get personal with the actors. This shooting style displays a lot more emotion and gives a somber, intimate feeling.

This section of the film has possibly the best character work seen in the MCU to date. For example,

Hawkeye is jaded, and viewers get the sense that he is no longer a “hero”—but an antihero.

Tony is the furthest he has ever been from who he was at the start of the MCU. His overall arc is spectacular; yet this is a lot less special if one is not an avid fan.

Thor is considered one of the most controversial characters in this film. Some loved the funny, fat Thor; many thought it was a step backward from the direction his character was moving to in Ragnarok and Infinity War. On one hand, this makes sense as he lacks a drive for life. He lost everything and is deeply depressed. On the other hand, he seems like he is there simply for a semblance of comedic relief.

The time heist is the most Marvel-esque section of the movie, in which it has some laughs and good action scenes. Despite being the generic Marvel style, it is still pure fun and depicts intense yet relieving moments.

During this section of the movie, Black Widow dies. While the scene where she dies is beautiful, the

way it is handled after her death is subpar. Hawkeye’s reaction was perfect, but the rest of the Avengers moved on rather fast, the exception being Banner/The Hulk.

Following this, the third section of the movie begins with the Avengers gathering the Infinity Stones and preparing to bring back those that were trapped in the soul gem after the snap.

The scene where Bruce snaps with the Infinity Gauntlet is tranquil, as after they realized they won, they did not cheer. They were in complete awe.

Directly after this, the final battle begins, and the action is extremely well choreographed. As per usual in these movies, the highlights are the team-up attacks. Early in the battle one of the most anticipated moments from fans is when Captain America was able to use Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer.

Captain America also has a stunning scene following his loss to Thanos where he faces down with the opposing force only to have all of the MCU heroes come in and join the fight.

The actual war with all the heroes that returned is grand; however, it is at times hard to follow exactly what the directors want the viewer to see. This took away some of the awe that came along with the fight because it takes multiple viewings to fully understand what happened.

At the end of the battle, Tony Stark dies in one of the most tearjerking scenes in the MCU. The final highlights of the movie after this are Tony’s funeral and Captain America’s dance with Peggy.

All and all, the film has slight flaws, but true fans of these movies and these characters have an easy time looking past them.

The somber moments are close to perfect, and the action spectacles are incredibly breathtaking.

Many said that this film is for the fans—and this is very true. The film received a 95% critic rating and an 8.9/10 on IMDb, which is well-deserved. Crowds laughed, cheered, and cried together.

All fans of Marvel movies are encouraged to see this groundbreaking film to experience something like never before.

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May 8, 2019

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Kaedyn Kashmir-Whitaker | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

“Where I’m From” by Christina Praggastis

I’m from the hidden dwelling behind the path of maples The scent of fresh rain soaked into the fertile ground From the ever-changing bed chamber in which I rest The ceiling windows where I lay and watch the clouds roll by I’m from the smell of smoke that wafts through the house in December The sweet sound of carols coming from the stereo under the well polished granite From the rich taste of delight on my tongue when I bite into the first season’s cookie The kitchen fans never turning dormant even after the first hint of a chill I’m from the never-ending squabble of the crazy residents The shouts, bangs, and clatters that you can hear from the house over From the smell of freshly made chili, filling the nostrils of hungry imbeciles The warm and hearty meal expected after a hard day’s work I’m from the quiet solitude of sitting and reading in the privacy of my room The cozy feeling of home when the relatives come for the holidays From the noisy zipping squirrels to the groaning lazy guard dog The man-made machines non-existent in the untouched region Flickr

studentsubmissions Students may submit short stories, graphics, photos, drawings, poems, etc.

Not guaranteed to be published.

Must be sent to: thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.edu We encourage students to submit whatever they wish and to use this as a creative space.

Deadlines: May 17 & May 31

opinion Phi Theta Kappa Provides Opportunities to Students Dakota Farnsworth | Opinion Editor TheCurrent.Opinion@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

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May 8, 2019

By: Ritwan Abdinor Staff Writer

Green River College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society achieves to produce leaders.

Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship. Four strong principles of an honor society. Dozens of students loom over their Emails in anticipation to get ‘the invitation’, an invitation that recognizes and exposes these students to a whirlwind of experiences and skills.

Invitations to honor societies are typically earned through academic achievement which ultimately result in leadership qualities and communication skills. These are all characteristics required for one to succeed in life but are honor societies worth it? More specifically why should you consider joining the Phi Theta Kappa society?

For starters, PTK offers more than $90 million in scholarships. Some of these scholarships are offered to non-members but most of them are only available to PTK members.

Claudea Jennifer, the vice president of scholarships for PTK, mentions how most scholarships are mostly only offered during spring and fall quarters. Her job in the society is to help look for scholarships during summer and winter and share her results with her fellow members.

“My job is also to apply for the scholarships itself,” Jennifer said.

“I know how to apply for it and the steps required which allows me to help other members, too.”

PTK also allows students to have an opportunity to develop research and leadership skills by participating in Honors In Action projects.

HIA projects pushes students to do something or improve a situation in the community and then write up a research paper on it.

“We do this with sustain dialogues, we see a problem in the community and try to solve it with an event and after that we do a report about it,” Jennifer said.

“During the Muslim Awareness week, we did a sustain dialogue when an incident occurred where Muslims and people of color were insulted, Campus Awareness notified us that students were disturbed, we talked to students of different religious groups, we talked about it and how to recover from it,” said Patricia Wendy, the secretary of PTK. This society also exposes its members to several workshops such as Competitive Edge and College Fish. Competitive edge is an exclusive online professional development plan that is designed for PTK members to practice and strengthen the soft skills that many employers look for.

“There are five different levels you go through,” said Megan Evans, the advisor for the Honor Society.

“Going through each level there is some tasks you complete, and you end up with a resume, a cover letter, knowing how to do a job interview and how to apply for another school. This is really helpful

to students.” College Fish helps students to search and select the best fit four-year college, give planning support for transfer students and also helps with scholarship search and recommendations.

“It’s a whole scholarship warehouse database where you put in your information, criteria and where you want to go to school,” Evans said. “It will help you find scholarships and also help you be in track. For example, if you were to go to UW and the due date for applications was near, it makes sure you got all the steps done.”

One of the most exciting parts of becoming a member, however, is the ability to learn new people, cultures, helping out the community and the ability to make connections. “I wouldn’t know the people I know now if it wasn’t for PTK, it allowed me to have connections with people,” Wendy said.

“For me I get to learn different things that I can do for my community, even though if I move somewhere, I still have access to the tools PTK has given me like the ability to communicate well,” said Kayla Lawrence, the vice president of service for PTK. Having a Grade Point Average of 3.5 and completing a minimum of 12 credits at the college is what makes a student a PTK member.

However, to maintain membership one needs to maintain a 3.0. This discourages many students because of the high expectations.

“Students that are not familiar

with the society think that members are already smart,” Lawrence said. “I don’t think I am. In my first quarter, I didn’t do well, but just try. There is a lot of recourses and most people are not willing to try they just give up.” Wendy mentions how you don’t have to be a member to get involved and how they are welcome to everyone.

Golden opportunities are also available to non-members. Students who participate in the society and help with volunteer work get a chance to get nominated to join the club for only $10. Members of PTK pay a $75 registration fee.

Participation in the community such as graffiti cleanup that mem-

bers do every month, attending meetings and also attending events helps students earn Regalia points.

“Regalia points count as cash,” Evans said. “The graduation regalia costs $45 but when students earn enough points, they can either get it for free or at a...lower price.”

PTK is worth it once you get involved in your community.

Becoming an active member allows students to take advantage of the recourses and opportunities that PTK has to offer. In addition, people can develop relationships with administrators on campus and other students. Wendy “would be in her personal own personal bubble,” if it was not for PTK.

Ritwan Abdinor | TheCurrent

From left to right: Claudea Jennifer, Kayla Lawrence, and Patricia Wendy.

Students Gain Financial and Educational Benefits From Attending Community College By: Autumn Reeves Staff Writer

Going to a community college first is one of the most financially and educationally beneficial decision that a university-bound student can make.

“Where are you going to college?” is one of the most common questions that a high school student hears, and there is a lot of pressure surrounding the answer.

People get excited at the idea of a state or private university, but when a student says a community college, people tend to be less than enthusiastic. Community college has been stigmatized as a place that is much less than a university or is a student’s last resort, but people fail to realize the value in the community college system.

It is no secret that community college is less expensive, but how much money would a student be able to save from this? According to College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees is $9,970 for a public in-state four-year college, $25,620 for a public out-of-state four-year college, and 34,740 for a private four-year college.

Green River’s tuition and fees for 15 credits is $1,342. Stacking these numbers against each other show that over the two years that a student would go to Green River, that student would save $31,828 from a public in-state university, $94,428 from a public out-of-state university, and $130,908 from a private four-year college.

The amount of money that can be saved from going to community college is incredible, but the value of going to a community college goes beyond the numbers.

“I came out of high school and I didn’t have any money,” said Green River English professor, Marcie Sims. “I wanted to go to college and I knew that community college was really my only option but what I didn’t know was how many benefits I was going to get just beyond the fact that I saved money.”

Community college not only saves money but gives students an easier transition between the high school setting and university.

At a university, the change in pace from high school is shocking.

The classes are bigger, there is little communication with the professor,

and the responsibility put on the student is much higher.

Community college prepares students for that environment with smaller classes, helpful and interactive professors, but still higher expectations and responsibility on the student. Plus, the smaller and more interactive classes are just educationally better.

The Center for Public Education shows through numerous studies that smaller class sizes boost academic performance.

“It is easier to feel more of a sense of community and more of a sense of belonging in the individual classrooms generally because they are much smaller,” Sims said.

Community college also allows students to explore what they want to do with their future. According to The Mentor, an academic advising journal from Pennsylvania State University, 20 percent to 50 percent of college students go to college undecided, and 75 percent of college students change their major before their graduation.

Many of those students take and pay for classes that they do not need and it will take longer to

graduate because they have to take even more classes, but the student who has tried things at community college and really got the opportunity to see whether they wanted to go into a field or not saved both time and money.

“The reason I chose to teach

at the community college level is because of what it did for me,” Sims said. “I believe in it because I think it gives opportunity to people who don’t have privilege right away - whether it’s racial privilege or financial privilege or cultural privilege....It’s a land of opportunity.”

Green River College

Photo by pxhere

10 May 8, 2019

opinion

thecurrent

Dakota Farnsworth | Opinion Editor TheCurrent.Opinion@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

Mortal Kombat Violence Causes Concern By: Ryan Childress Staff Writer

On April 23 after Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage beat each other to the brink of death, the famous words were uttered once more and then a gruesome act would take place.

Finish him. These are the famous words uttered by the announcer of the wildly popular game series Mortal Kombat. These words are usually uttered after you have completely pummeled your opponent into the ground and have left them broken and bloody.

The first Mortal Kombat game was released back in 1992 as an arcade cabinet. This game had the look of Streetfighter and played pretty similarly, however, there was one big difference. Blood. Not just a little bit, but instead a whole lot.

In the Streetfighter arcade cabinets, the most blood ever seen would be a bloody nose and a couple of scrapes. This changed when Mortal Kombat sparred with the Fatality. The most memorable out of these secret moves was Sub Zero’s where he would grab the player’s character by the neck and proceed to rip their spine out.

This game has always been considered controversial for its inclusion of extreme violence and is one of the reasons we now have game rating systems from E for everyone to M for mature audiences.

Since 1992 technology has advanced farther than we could have ever imagined and we have put this technology into our games, making them faster, even for accurate. But to what extent does this accurateness go too far?

In the latest addition to the Mortal Kombat series, the 11th game adds even more detail than the last.

While in the past it might have just been a few pixels that are colored red, they have since changed to fully depict what it would look like to have a body sawed in half by a spinning saw blade, including the gory details of what the insides look like.

Players can see their individual interests and individual verity all sawed in half and then presented for them to either shame their victim or to be humiliated. Which begs the question, has violence in video games truly gone too far?

“With where we are, it is going to keep getting more visually graphic,” said Hayden Meyer, a student at Green River College. “Children

under the age of 13 should probably not be playing games that are super super graphic.”

Students like Peyton Wilson tend to agree that violence in video games is going too far, but they all differ with what age should be allowed to play graphic video games.

Games like Mortal Kombat usually are pointed at for being too violent in the fact they are too graphic and it not just the act.

However, there are games that do exist that perform just as violent of acts minus the graphic detail. One game that was brought up in conversation was the game Fortnite.

Fortnite’s developer, Epic Games, states that “Fortnite Battle Royale is the free 100-player player versus player mode in Fortnite, one giant map, a battle bus, Fortnite building skills and destructible environments combined with intense player versus player combat. The last one standing wins.”

To achieve this last one standing status, one must find various weapons to “eliminate” opponents around that map.

When parents were asked if they felt comfortable with this kind of gameplay, most of them replied yes. But when asked if they would

let their child ages 5-14 play a game like Mortal Kombat they replied with mostly no’s.

The question remains why is the act of shooting a player and

eliminating them, which is much more realistic, looked upon as ok while two characters fighting hand to hand combat is not? Is it merely the blood or is it the act itself?

Ryan Childress | TheCurrent

Two PlayStation controllers on top of Mortal Kombat: The Complete Edition.

Students Voice Their Dislike for Gas Prices Rising After Energy Bill Failed Dakota Farnsworth | TheCurrent

A black and white photo of the 76 + 7/11 gas station just down the street from Green River College, which drastically increased their pricing to $3.69 per gallon, enraging many college students who drive. choose to make the wealthy gas and fill in the circle, this can influence Curtis King said it was too soon to and cheap of these gasoline comBy: James Davis whether a bill passes or not. It is oil companies pay for the upkeep revisit the issue. People who were panies when they are the ones that Staff Writer on their fuel? Maybe it is just that against the ballot measure outspent have the funds to pay for it,” said very critical that when people are voting they know what they are people do not care about paying for supporters, spending a grand total Cyril Carty, a 19-year-old student at During voting season in voting for and why. their gas due to the high demand.

Green River College.

Washington, everyone including of $30 million to defeat it.

“I don’t care about paying for gas Carty doesn’t really mind paying Because the bill was turned down Many people who know about the most of the students and staff when I have to drive places and I the price on gas has been slowly carbon fee also think the same way more for gas because he likes to at Green River College had the don’t mind driving anyway,” said about how the big gas companies drive his car places. chance to participate in the mid- going up and it is not stopping anytime soon. This is because the are making the people pay, even Furthermore, he thinks that it is Hector Villiava, a 19-year-old stuterm election. annoying that people did not take dent at Green River College. Villiastate is charging $15 per ton of though they have other important One of the bills on that ballot va thinks of going to the gas station the proper amount of time to uncarbon and an additional six cents bills to pay for. meant that big gas and oil compaas paying a bill like car insurance. derstand the question so now the per gallon for the fuel tax increase.

“People probably didn’t even nies would be held responsible for Villiava would care when the Residents in the state of Washingknow what the question was asking state has to pay even more. cleaning, making, and maintainprices went back up “only because ton would most likely see the most and also did not take the time in “I like to go places and I’ll need ing the fuel and oil that would be it’s now affecting my daily life by expensive gas prices in the nation. order to research for a better under- my car for that,” said Carty. “It just produced. Voting yes meant that making it harder to get to a class.

Soon the gas prices will be more standing,” Carty said. makes me mad that I have to pay the big companies would be held more for others being unreasonable I would vote no because its taking expensive here in Washington than This is most likely true because responsible and voting no meant and not reading it thoroughly.” my money that I make myself.” it is in California. The carbon fee as adults in the world many of us that the general population would So how would the people in the would add 15 cents per gallon, a tend to think that our one vote does One would wonder what would have to pay for it. total increase of 21 cents per gallon. not matter. But, if multiple people happen if the energy bill came state make it so the prices stay After the bill for carbon tax was back to us. Would the state then where they are?

“I think that it is inconsiderate feel this way and do not vote or just turned down, Republican State Sen.

Christina Praggastis | Sports Editor TheCurrent.sports@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

sports

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11 May 8, 2019

Archery Class Revives After Facing A Shut Down When Professor Resigns By: Austin Butler Staff Writer Archery class is not often thought of when registering for PE classes, but it is viewed as a fun and stress-relieving class with no experience required.

Many students at Green River College are unaware that an archery class is even offered as a one-credit PE course. It meets twice a week for an hour and is available to anyone every quarter except summer.

If you were to talk to Professor Aubrey Kreitzmann about the class then you would get a sense of how fun and engaging the class is.

The archery class almost disappeared from the college a few years back when the former professor retired, but Kreitzmann, who had never done archery before, decided it was too cool a class to let die.

Over the course of a year she taught herself how to shoot and coached, while also practicing on her own time. Now she has been teaching the class for over two years, and loves doing it.

The students who take the class agree that the class staying at the college is an amazing thing, and that more people should consider signing up for it come fall quarter.

Gabe Hanson, a student currently enrolled in the class, enjoys the class so much, but is disappointed that it only meets twice a week. “I really put my stamp of approval on it, it’s a very fun class,” said Hanson.

Arpit Sindhu | The Current

if you are caught messing around with the bows and being careless then you could get removed from the class. “They have to remember it is a loaded weapon... and it could hurt someone,” said Kreitzmann.

After the first few weeks of prep work the class moves on to sighting and finally begins shooting at targets. They begin on large hard round targets, but eventually advance to smaller paper targets.

After mastering the basics of archery, the class has the skills to compete with each other in the last

few weeks of the quarter when they begin, “shooting for points, and the class gets more competitive,” said Kreitzmann when interviewed.

Kreitzmann loves the challenge.

“It’s difficult, and it can be frustrating. Some days you’re awesome, some days you suck,” said Kreitzmann, “but there’s lots of technique involved, I enjoy the process of improving and getting better.”

Archery is a fun and engaging stress-relieving activity, where students can get a PE credit for their general requirments in an AA.

A student tests out his rusty draw as he prepares to shoot his bow-n-arrow. in something like archery, which Hanson enjoys shooting competrequires a ton of focus. itively, though he says he prefers “Some students with archery archery because it feels more like a experience get really good in the sport and it is more of a challenge first few weeks. For others, it just when compared to shooting rifles. don’t really click until the end of When asked, Kreitzmann comthe quarter, but evmented that eryone goes at their what she would own pace,” added tell someone “You get a bow, you get Kreitzmann. who might an arrow, and you get a People of all ages be interested target...it’s a really great are encouraged to in taking her take the class; it is a class, “you get a stress reliever.” beginner level class bow, you get an - Professor Aubrey Kreitzmann and the bows have arrow, and you a light draw weight get a target. If so you do not need to be a super you’re having a bad day, it’s a really athletic person to do well. great stress reliever.”

The first few weeks are all funAccording to Kreitzmann, most damentals and safety, something students see significant improveso important that you must pass a ment over the course of the class, safety quiz before you even pick up but everyone moves at their own a bow and learn how tto hold it. pace. Kreitzmann has learned you Safety is taken very seriously and cannot push people to learn quickly

Austin Butler| The Current

An archery student pulls back his arrow as he aims before firing at his target.

The New RAC Personal Training Services Receives Positive Feedback By: Hinata Kokuban Staff Writer

The Recreation Athletic Center’s fitness trainer service improves the fitness lifestyle of students who participate in it.

RAC started to have a service of fitness trainers this spring quarter.

The service is consists of six RAC fitness trainers who are students themselves at Green River College.

The RAC is an open gym located on the ground floor of Student Union building. Opened in February 2016, it is a feature that is free for all Green River students.

Equipment and resources include weights in the weight room, cardio machines in the Fitness Center and several group fitness classes.

There are also Intramural Sport leagues and tournaments where students can join games of basketball, soccer, badminton, table tennis, and even volleyball.

The personal trainer service is a new installment, and according to Rob Pedicone, the Recreation and Athletic Coordinator, “we try to make a convenient program for students to utilize the service.”

The college has tried to have a

personal trainer in the past, but there were only a couple of students who utilized and took advantage of having an official personal trainer.

In order to have a personal training session students had to make an appointment because the trainer was not available 24/7.

“It didn’t work very well,” said Pedicone, “it was low demand.”

However, since a lot of students started utilizing the gym, more personal trainer service has been demanded. By having a couple of informal trainers who are also Green River students, who have the quality of working out, this RAC fitness trainer service could be really utilized to the fullest extent.

A total of six fitness trainers were selected by Pedicone for spring quarter: Kenta Fukuda, Jacqueline Gani, Megumi Shuto, Obioma Sharon, Sofie Bogdanove, and Steven Duong. “They know how to work out and they have some [equipment] knowledge,” said Pedicone.

Even though their specialties are different they are pretty well rounded. Some of them have a license of athletic trainer and have experience working as a personal trainer before. Students can ask them any

questions they might have and they will get somewhat quality answers.

They teach students how to use cardio machines, how to train specific body parts and correctly workout their body in an effective and progressive way. Each of them have different schedules, but all trainers will be at the RAC at some point throughout the week.

Students do not have to make an individual appointment, they can just ask for help or the trainer on site a question.

“I recommend utilizing this service,” said Kenta Fukuda, one of the RAC fitness trainers. “Understanding the correct form of working out can make training much more effective and could prevent injuries.”

Mary Oguntonade, a student who utilizes the RAC fitness trainer service, says that this service is very effective. She says she feels more effective and better while she is working out with someone who can teach in person. She used to watch the working out video online, but she did not get enough.

What Oguntonade likes most about the RAC trainer service is that, “this helps my working out much more effective because the

trainer shows me in person so I can see and learn physically,” she commented enthusiastically.

The RAC fitness trainer services’ purpose is to educate and help students become more effective in working out and to do it safely.

Pedicone points out that “we are also here for students who don’t have any experience or knowledge

of working out…we want them to be safe and meet their fitness goals by using this service.”

The RAC personal trainer services seem to have had a promising start this quarter. Many people are excited to see how many more students it can potentially service in the near future and how many more qualified trainers it could recieve.

Austin Butler| The Current

A student helps out another by spotting him as he works out at the RAC.

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