Dec.02.2015
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thecurrent the student newspaper of green river college
Feds Probe College Over Alleged Violations of Campus Crime Act page 2
Ian Lobdell | The Current
currentcampus
currentopinion
currentsports
Faculty Present Third Vote of No Confidence in Administration
Believing in More than Yourself
Men’s Basketball Place Second in Thanksgiving Tournament
A counter-argument to the story ‘Reminiscence of an Atheist’
Pierce hosts 12th annual Raider Thanksgiving Classic Tournament
The faculty signed a vote of no confidence in the Board of Trustees
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James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Underreported Hate Crimes Part of Federal Investigation By: James Ristig Managing Editor
federal investigators. The student was harassed on two separate occasions from the same offender based on her race and sexuality. Three members of the Department of She spoke with the administration about Education visited Green River College to these incidents but she says not much was investigate alleged violations of the Jeanne done. The people she approached asked how Clery Act. best to resolve the situation. She had never The federal investigators could not combeen involved in a hate crime situation in ment on their investigation, and no one from college before, and she did not know her the Clery Center for Security on Campus options to solve the issue. could be contacted. “It is hard to come up with an answer to a Michael Tuncap, director of Diversity, problem you’ve never faced,” she said. Equity, and Inclusion, met with the investiThe administration did not offer her any gators to discuss hate crimes and sexual assolution, she said. saults on campus not being reported. Tuncap Recently, she has felt threatened while said he has been the victim of hate crimes on at college and fears for her safety. She was Green River. told by the administration that she misunAccording to the Clery Act guidelines: “A derstood the situation and wanted to focus hate crime is a criminal offense committed on her schoolwork. She said they wanted to against a person or property which is motiprove that she was afraid, while she feels the vated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s person harassing her was given the benefit bias. Bias is a preformed negative opinion or of the doubt. She says she was told she has a attitude toward a group of persons based on “hyper imagination.” their race, gender, religion, Afterwards, she apdisability, sexual orientation The Department of proached Campus Safety so or ethnicity/national origin.” that they could observe her Education can fine a When he reported these during classes and protect events to Campus Safety, college institution up to her. Safety officers escorted Tuncap said he was asked, her to class, but they did $35,000 per violation of not stay or observe her to “How do you know it happened on campus?” ensure her safety. the Jeanne Clery Act. In 2013, a white suprem“I feel threatened,” she acist tried to intimidate said. “To this day, I don’t Tuncap while he was in the feel safe.” bathroom. The suspect stood next to him The second time she reached out to the and looked like he wanted to fight. When he administration, she said they were defensive was confronted, the man said, “You F****** about the situation. The people she told people.” This event was reported to safety. never came to her to investigate the harassTuncap said last spring he found a white ment charge. She thought they felt she was supremacist skull drawn on his car in dust. just being overly emotional and overblowing He tried to take a picture, but could not the situation. clearly see it. He said safety questioned the “The numbers on the Clery Act should not events and it intimidated him from reporting be zero,” she said. any future crimes. She had to rely on her own courage to feel “What do I benefit from lying?” Tuncap safe on campus, though she does not feel said. “I’m afraid to do my job.” cared for or protected. She said that the In the most recent Annual Security, Safety situation reached the point where she had and Fire Report, a notice of the report was to drop some of her classes to feel safe from emailed to the campus community by Deb harassment at Green River. Casey, vice president of student services, six “Where’s my freedom to feel safe at weeks after the Oct. 1 deadline, itself a violaschool?” she asked. tion of the act. Carlos Adams, social science adjunct According to the Clery Act guidelines, instructor, did not have any interaction with “There is no grace period and there are no the Clery Act investigators but has felt there exemptions.” are issues on campus concerning race. He A Green River student who chooses to said there has not been any investigation into remain anonymous due to the nature of the issues of racism on campus. situation and fear of reprisal from certain Adams said the possible reason the statisparties also reported her incident to the tics in the Annual Security, Safety and Fire
The act states all colleges that participate in federal financial aid programs must report all violent crimes occurring on campus. The law outlines procedures for Campus Safety to report and enforce policies related to certain crimes, such as assault, missing persons, and fires. Campus Safety must also collect, classify, and count crime reports and keep crime statistics. Campus wide alerts must also be reported when a violent crime under the Clery Act is committed on campus. Campus Safety must also publish an annual security report detailing and categorizing all violent crimes that have occurred on campus.
Report were so low is because people are unwilling to report these crimes. “There are a number of people on campus that will not admit they are involved in resisting progression of race and ethnicity,” he said. While working at Green River, Adams has faced incidents of micro-aggressions. These are everyday insults that can add up and send the message that the victim is valued less while on campus. Adams said he has experienced these “micro-aggressions” from both students and staff. “It sends me the signal, time and time again, that my presence on this campus disturbs people,” Adams said. Adams wants there to be a safe space to bring up issues of diversity without fear of negative retaliation. According to him, there have been plans to create this space for seven years, but nothing has been done, and the space still does not exist. On campus, Adams feels there are very few people to go to for support who are not afraid to express themselves honestly. Adams said this situation is not unique to Green River. Many other colleges have similar issues, and Adams said Green River is no better or worse than other colleges. “They have ignored the warning signs from students,” Adams said. “That they (the students) don’t feel welcome on this campus.”
Public Records Sought The Current has made freedom-of-information requests of emails sent/ received by President Eileen Ely, as well as documents she received related to the ongoing Clery investigation. The requests are for all emails Ely sent and received November 3, 4 and 5. In addition, the request is for a copy of courier-delivered mail Ely received on those same dates. The Administratoin says the expected delivery date is Dec. 11.
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James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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3 2015-2016
Faculty Vote No Confidence in Board of Trustees During Recent Board Meeting, Faculty Present Issues with Board of Trustees By: James Ristig Managing Editor
The faculty of Green River College presented the Board of Trustees with a vote of no confidence. This is the third vote of no confidence the faculty have presented to the Board of Trustees. During the Nov. 18 board meeting, faculty representative Jaeney Hoene presented the board with the vote of no confidence. She said, “This vote represents the faculty’s belief that your actions, or inaction, as the case may be, represent that you have turned your backs on protecting the mission of this community college and all community colleges.” The vote of no confidence outlines the various issues the faculty have with the Board of Trustees. According to the faculty statement, the board has done an insufficient job of evaluating President Eileen Ely. During the May 21 board meeting, the faculty presented the board with a second vote of no confidence in Ely. The board only spent a few minutes discussing the matter in executive session before stating their support for Ely. The second vote of no confidence had the support of 92 percent of the full-time faculty. In Ely’s performance review, the Board of Trustees rated her highly for her relationship with the faculty of Green River College. The faculty statement also said that there are issues of poor communication with faculty and the community. During the board meeting, when the auto-body, carpentry, and geographic information systems programs were being cut, staff and students were denied to speak to the Board of Trustees. In the Nov. 12 issue of The Current, on page 3, the story “Administration Closed to Outside Voices” reported on the lack of communication between Ely and various other members of campus and the community, including Washington State Senator Karen Keiser concerning the program cuts. Ely did not respond to most of the communication attempts. Faculty wish to have a system of shared governance with the administration. According to the faculty statement, “The final 2013 accreditation report from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) recommended that ‘The College administration should clarify and operationalize its system of governance with
particular attention to communication regarding process and decision-making with all college constituencies.’” The faculty statement also said the chairman and vice-chairman position has traditionally rotated between the various board members. In an open meeting held on June 18, the current Board of Trustees Chairman Pete Lewis has continued as chairman indefinitely. There is also a concern over the diminished role the faculty play in making decisions. According to the faculty statement, “The academic deans were removed from the President’s Executive Team as well.” There have also been questionable financial decisions made at Green River that the faculty are questioning. The administration has chosen to participate in the Achieve the Dream program, a national program dedicated to helping students at the community college level. According to the faculty statement, the faculty were not informed of this decision beforehand, and this program will cost $225,000 over three years. The faculty are also concerned about the recently enacted Civility and Respect Policy. The faculty statement said the policy is ill-considered and it will “affect academic freedom and free speech.” Hoene also said the vote has been sent to Governor Jay Inslee. According to the email sent to Inslee, Green River College needs trustees who support unions. The faculty are requesting that Inslee appoint new trustees who “understand the concerns of labor” and that the board requires more diversity. The email stated, “For these reasons, we believe the Board is derelict in its oversight duties, and thus we approve of this Vote of No Confidence.” Faculty met for a small rally in Salish Hall before the board meeting. They held up signs protesting the lack of responsiveness and ignoring the grievances of the faculty. Kaite Mark, union representative for the classified staff, was at the rally to support the Green River faculty. She said the classified staff want a peaceful work environment. After Hoene presented the vote of no confidence, Lewis spoke about creating more diversity on campus. He also said that the board cannot comment because they are involved with ongoing contract negotiations. Rochelle Mitchell, math instructor, said the board is ignoring issues at the college but the faculty won’t make them go away. Allison Jansen, political science instructor, said she joined a team
Board of Trustees member Mark Albertson has stepped down from his position. Pete Lewis, chairman of the board of trustees, said during the recent board meeting that Albertson was ill and would not be attending. The college could not be contacted for comment on this event. Jaeney Hoene, president of the faculty union, said the faculty are concerned about Albertson’s health and wish him a speedy recover. The union is eager to work with the governor to find a replacement board member. She said this is an opportunity to appoint a new board member who is willing to work with the union or support labor. when she joined Green River. She declined a job at Shoreline to stay at Green River because she enjoyed working at the college. The administration actually talked to the faculty when she began working at the college. “Now everyone’s just tired and frustrated. Is this what you want?” Jansen said. Jeff Johnson, president of the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC), arrived late to the board meeting and was not allowed to speak before the board. He said there is systematic behavior at Green River of disrespect. When people stand up they face reprisal for their actions. Johnson sent a letter to Ely about the issues on campus between the faculty and the administration, but received no response. Johnson said he has worked with many community colleges, and the situation at Green River is “way out of the norm.” On Nov. 23, Johnson sent a statement to Lewis regarding the faculties concerns about the lack of communication at Green River. Johnson said in the statement
that he is surprised at the board’s decision to now allow him to speak during the board meeting after executive session. He said, “This way of doing business is precisely what is wrong with Green River Community College under President Ely’s administration.” At the July convention of the WSLC, over 400 members passed resolution 35. According to the resolution, “The campus morale and work environment have been crushed by petty and mean actions (such as: desk audits, threatening to discipline employees who are even a minute late from breaks, and threatening to reprimand employees who speak out).” The WSLC is going to explore putting Green River on the Unfair to Labor/Do Not Patronize list. Attached to the statement was the letter Johnson sent to Ely on Sept. 4. Johnson explained the passing of resolution 35 in the letter, along with issues the faculty are concerned about on campus. According to the statement, he has still not received a response to this letter from Ely. “They have done so much dam-
age,” Johnson said. “They may never rebuild those bridges.” The meeting continued with reports on enrollment by Chris Johnson, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness. Enrollment is projected to be down for winter quarter and that the college’s budget could be cut. The state measures student achievement on a scale of points students earn by advancing through higher education. As a student advanced through these levels, the college earns more money. Linda Cowan, Board of Trustees member, wanted to know if the systems punishes students who enter college at a higher level. Johnson said the state requires the system and that the system is used to help measure each college against each other. Green River ranks ninth overall in the state of Washington across the community college system. The lowest Green River ranks is twenty seventh in pre-college English across the state. Moving out of basic skills levels one through four and is very difficult for new students but produces money for the college.
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James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Campus Crime Blotter
Campus Safety responded to the following incidents from November 9 to November 17 among others. All information is from Campus Safety incident reports.
11/9 8:11 p.m. Welcome Center Classroom Conduct
Campus Safety was informed of a student who was disrupting class and needed to be escorted from the building. The instructor said the suspect was refusing to do his work in class, disrupted the lesson, and refused to leave the classroom. The suspect was even attempting to coerce the other students into joining him in disrupting the class. Safety staff was also informed that the instructor was filling in for the regular instructor that day. Upon entering the classroom, safety staff noticed the suspect standing next to his desk. He said the classroom was with him and that he would not leave the room. Safety staff told the suspect that he needed to leave the room and discuss the issue with them privately. The suspect entered the hall and safety staff said they were going to escort him to his advisor. The suspect said, “What if I refuse?” Safety staff informed him that the advisor would hear his side of the story.
11/9 11:04 a.m. Lindbloom Student Center Medical Aid
Campus Safety was approached by a staff member about a medical emergency in the Lindbloom Center. The victim was concious, breathing and resting in a chair. He had been in a human sized hamster ball for an event and had hit his shoulder. The shoulder looked swollen and deformed. 911 was called and the operator spoke to the victim about his injuries. The victim was escorted to the safety patrol car to be taken to the fire station. He was then sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
11/17 4 p.m. Parking Lot Informational
Campus Safety was informed that while a staff member was walking to his car during the wind storm, a tree branch fell and struck the staff member in the head. The injury required immediate medical attention. The staff member has since returned to campus. During the windstorm, a branch also fell and smashed into another staff member’s cars.
11/17 6:30 p.m. Student Housing Assault
Campus Safety was informed of an altercation happening in Student Housing. The incident began as just an argument between roomates over a disagreement. The three roommates had been fighting over chores such as keeping the apartment clean. Also, there had been an incident between two of the roommates over one of them smoking marijuana in the apartment. The argument got heated later on when a fourth party entered the apartment to help and was told to leave. It then turned into a shoving match between everyone in the apartment. The participant left the apartment and notified Campus Safety. Safety staff responded, but the participant was adamant about pressing assault charges on the roommates. Auburn police responded, but after talking with those involved, they ruled it was a mutual disturbance and that the city prosecutor would not be pressing charged. Auburn police then left the scene without making any arrests.
Student senate held an open meeting in the main dining hall to be more open with students about student government.
Student Government Divided on Budget By: James Ristig Managing Editor
During the Nov. 19 student government meeting there was a debate about the use of funds. There was a debate during the meeting over the spending of $2,000 for a drunk driving simulator provided by the Arrive Alive Tour for the quarterly Safety Fair. The bill was proposed by Daniel Kolb, head of the finance committee, and seconded by Connor Theisen, head of the judicial committee. Theisen supported the drunk driving simulator, but said the money could be better spent out of a different pool of funds from the 522 budget. Kolb proposed in the bill that the $2,000 be pulled from the Legislative Branch budget. This is a budget for the student senate to use for senate sponsored events and contains $16,214. As an alternative, Theisen proposed the use of three other budgets for the simulator, Campus/ Community Development, Art and Culture, and the Student Engagement budget. Kolb said the Legislative Branch budget has never run out and that the senate should try to spend it. Susan Evans, program coordinator for student life, said the money has never run out during previous years. Julie French, heal services coordinator, was at the meeting because health services donated $500 for the drunk driving simulator. She said the program is worth it and was successful when it came to Green River a few years ago. Kolb said, “Why are we being so precautionary on spending this money? There is no reason to be so conservative.”
Theisen asked for any statistics about the program but none could be provided. Melisa Williams, director of student affairs, said the senate should not be making financial decisions based on hypothetical situations. Ahmed Karam asked if the senate was sponsoring the event because according to the advertisement for the Safety Fair, the event was being sponsored by the student life office. There was confusion over who was sponsoring the safety fair because The Legislative Branch budget is for senate events. Williams said there was a typo on the advertisements and that it will be corrected that student senate is sponsoring the event. Theisen said the senate did not know they were sponsoring the event and it created confusion during the meeting. Peter Cila, a student at Green River College, approached student life hoping to get a job to help support himself while in college. Theisen said the money in the Legislative Branch budget could be used to help students like Cila. He does not qualify for financial aid so he is looking for other options. As a single dad taking college courses, he doesn’t have time for an outside job and is asking the various departments for work. The bill was proposed by Williams, though she wrote on the form that the organization proposing the bill was the public relations committee. During the vote there was confusion over who was voting for the bill to approve the money. Williams physically held up a student’s hand during the vote so Evens could make an accurate count. Kolb moved to vote on the bill,
and it passed with a result of nine for the bill and five against. During the Safety Fair, the drunk driving simulator could not be used because it would not fit in the building and could not be moved to another building. Williams said the simulator would not clear the doorway by one inch. It was also too cold to use the simulator outside. Williams said they rescheduled the simulator to come during spring quarter. Patrick DeGrasse, CEO of Arrive Alive, said the money used for the drink driving simulator is going to transfer to the event scheduled for spring quarter but was troubled that the company had to drive 11 hours to campus only to turn around and drive to the next location. “I can count on one hand how many times we haven’t had proper entry into a building,” DeGrasse said. The public relations committee gave its report on the faculty luncheon. Vanessa Crestego, chairman of the public relations committee, said the faculty were enthusiastic for the event, but they did not book the main dining area and KGRG was already using the room. Lavina Tang said the next meeting would be held in the main dining area to be more visible to the students. Evens said there has been meetings on the state in the past and the noise level was a problem for the senators. Though the senators debated about moving the meeting to a new room, Tang said they booked the venue and could not change the location. During the meeting in the main dining area, Tang asked the students eating lunch to quiet down.
James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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5 2015-2016
Many Disabilities Services Offered at Green River College By: Jordyn Wilson Staff Writer
DSS at Green River College assists a multitude of students every year and has been provided to students in need since around 1991. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created in 1990 in order to prohibit discrimination against persons with any disability. Green River has provided different services to students with different needs. For the past five years, the DSS program has been under the direction of Jamie Hatleberg, director of Disability Support Services. Hatleberg said she decided to take on this role as director because she believes in equal access. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout to serve individuals with disabilities. Majoring in Vocational Rehabilitation, Hatleberg also volunteered in the Special Olympics, which, she explains, is what got her interested serving in this particular field. After entering the workforce, Hatleberg went back to school and received her Master’s in Educational Counseling. Over 600 students request some type of assistance per year. “From the data that we collect-duplicated numbers, we have served as many as 3,000 students for the year,” Hatleberg said. The duplicated numbers come from both the students who formally request and qualify for assistance, and those who simply come into the office for accommodations. Green River student Rebecca Muchmore uses the program because of her learning disability. Muchmore has attended the college for seven years and has been receiving assistance from DSS from the start. “I want to make sure everything I learned in high school will stay with me and that I can get the support I need,” Muchmore said. “The program has benefited me because I’m able to have my accommodations met such as extra time on tests, or help with note-taking,” she said. “Each student has the right to decide if they want their qualified accommodations or not each quarter,” Hatleberg said. “Even though students may qualify, they might not request their letters of accommodation.” Around 200 students have requested their qualified letter of accommodation. Students can qualify for accommodations through a self-report and historical or current records that confirm they are diagnosed with a disability. The effects of the diagnosis are to be filled out by a professional and brought to the DSS office. Following the report and records, the student will participate in an intake interview with Hatleberg. Four different areas are covered by the program. Service areas include the following accommodations: in the classroom, with tests, with course materials, and structural access. A diagnosis that restricts a student’s access is what the program looks for in hopes of providing equal learning access, as with every other student. There is no limit as to what the student can be aided with. Qualified students can be served in one or more of the four areas. “In the classroom, a student could qualify for preferential seating to minimize distrac-
tions in the classroom so they can pay better attention in a focused way during a lecture,” Hatleberg said. Students may also qualify for copies of lectures, professor’s notes, sign language interpreters, or the use of a recorder during a lecture. As for tests, a student may qualify for a separate testing location for a quiet, distraction-free place to take their exams. They also may receive extra test time, a reader to read the test questions to them, or a scribe to write the answers they give onto the test form. Examples of course materials services include “alternatively formatted materials.” The textbook may be formatted onto a tape or in braille. Also, the films, movies, or videos shown in class may be captioned. “Lastly, with building access, we make sure that our buildings are compliant and accessible for students,” Hatleberg said. Some examples of the physical implementations at Green River College are elevators, ramps, signage, and brailled signs. From the 2014 to 2015 records provided, the highest ranked diagnosis is a learning disability. Learning disabilities were the highest population that was served in the last two years, followed by psychological disabilities, and chronic acute health diagnosis. Recently, an accommodation was made regarding a visual interpreter, someone who provides visual detailing to students with visual restrictions. The DSS worked with a student doing a community clinical for one of their courses. The visual interpreter traveled to the site to aid the student “to ensure equal access.” “It was very exciting to be a part of this,” Hatleberg said. Also, in the past, a specific student had a hearing restriction. DSS provided an in-person sign interpreter in the classroom to help the student. However, the interpreter was unable to attend in person. Fortunately, DSS worked with technology to receive remote help. They extended their services to multimedia, and, through the laptop, they were able to have the interpreter sign the lecture over a videocamera. They worked with the instructor to set up a speaker, and the student eventually had success in having his needs met through this circumstance. The state funding for the program is cut more and more each year. The budget that the program receives from state-allocated dollars is on a continual decline. When the program reaches the maximum allowed in state budget, the college then steps in to cover the remaining costs. “Green River College has done an amazing job. They always come to ensure equal access,” Hatleberg said. At times, some services tend to be much more costly than others. While Hatleberg states that she would of course love for the program to provide even more opportunities with more money, the college does a great job of supporting equal access. Hatleberg finds it of great importance that everyone understands that people with disabilities make up the largest amount of the nation’s minority group. Around 20 percent of the population is made up of people with a disability. These people should be treated respectfully, as anyone at anytime could become a part of this group.
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Study Break:
Things You Never Knew You Wanted to Know By: Langston Thomas A&E Editor
A Bug’s Life is a Sleepless One
Clubs at Green River College Support the Community By: Sylvia Jones Staff Writer The TOMS club is trying to make a difference in the world by raising awareness for people in developing countries who don’t have shoes. At first glance, the club may not be recognizable by name. “When they look at TOMS, they don’t know what it’s about,” said TOMS club vice president and social science major Bosco Yeung. However, this small club on our small campus is part of a huge movement. The TOMS shoe company gives students and educators an opportunity to help those in need through their campus programs. Campuses across the country are involved in the TOMS tribe. The University of Washington is among the schools who hace a TOMS organization. Any college or school could start their own TOMS club. Donations go to people in countries, such as those in Africa, who lack basic footwear. With every purchase of a pair of TOMS shoes, the company will give a pair to someone in need. The same goes for a pair of glasses. Every purchase helps restore sight to those in need. According to the GRC website, the TOMS club was started a few years ago by international student Earl Deskada. He said he started the club, “to bring awareness (about) kids that do not have shoes.” The club is listed as permanent and is ratified every year by student government. The TOMS club hosts two major events throughout the year: Hunger Banquet, and One Day Without Shoes. The TOMS company also hosts World Sight Day. Both of the events held by the club give people the chance to walk in the shoes of those without. “We’re trying to
promote it more,” said Yeung. One of their bigger events is the Hunger Banquet, which will be held at the beginning of the winter quarter. At the banquet, guests are randomly assigned a role: poor, middle class, rich, and so forth. They also receive information about their assigned role, such as a name and a living situation. Poor people are served rice with soy sauce, and rich people get pizza or spaghetti. “That’s the experience,” said Yeung. “Rich people can always have better food with more nutrition.” Last year for the banquet they made their own shoes out of paper and held a race. “At the end we also have a presentation on poverty and volunteering in foreign countries,” Yeung said. Previously they invited a former member and experienced volunteer to give a presentation. One Day Without Shoes will take place during the spring quarter. Hundreds of participants will go barefoot for the day. According to the TOMS website, this year they are focusing on raising awareness for children’s health and education. For every photo of bare feet tagged on Instagram, TOMS will supply a child with a brand new pair of shoes. The club plans on asking administration to participate as well. “This year we’re trying to make it a bigger event,” said Yeung. During last year’s event, they walked around the library with signs asking others to go barefoot. “Not a lot of people took off their shoes, but they certainly paid attention,” Yeung said. World Sight Day was Oct. 8. This day, promoted by TOMS, was used to bring attention to blindness and other visual impairments. “I would encourage people to read the newspaper more,” said Yeung. “We cannot just focus on our own lives, but other lives around the world. When we have
power we can help people.” Their mission goes beyond helping provide shoes. They believe in helping other people in general. “The main thing we do is raise awareness,” said Yeung. In their regular meetings, TOMS club discusses poverty, social issues, and social gaps. They have presentations and open discussions every week about current, relevant topics. Kevin Bunarjo is the president, and Kai Hibbeln is the adviser. Yeung shared his own vision for the club: “I want to raise awareness about vegetarians. My goal is to ask the school to have a vegetarian week.” This would include the cafeteria providing one vegetarian option every day for the whole week according to nationalvegetarianweek.org. National Vegetarian Week 2016 will be May 16-22. Yeung went on to explain that being a vegetarian is healthier for the planet and for the human body. He said the consumption of meat is linked to global warming. The processing of meats releases methane and other chemicals into the environment. He also mentioned that some researchers say that eating red meat can cause cancer. Although Yeung is not a vegetarian himself. “Even though I eat meat, I love vegetables,” he said. “I try to eat less meat and eat more veggies.” Unfortunately, the TOMS club is not planning anything for the upcoming Christmas season. Club ratification took place in October, which made it too late to plan anything for December. Nonetheless, several organizations in the local community offer ways to get involved and help each other this Christmas season, such as the Auburn Food Bank. The TOMS club continuously keeps active. “When we have big events, come join us,” Yeung said.
As a college student, I know quite well how it feels to be running on little to no sleep. But I could never ascend to the level of fatigue a worker fire ant must feel. Throughout their lifespan, these little troopers aren’t able to catch a regular amount of Z’s. Instead, they take hundreds of very short power naps to ensure that there are enough soldiers to protect and serve the queen around the clock. According to a study done by Deby Cassill (University of South Florida in St Petersburg) Skye Brown and Devon Swick (also from USF) and George Yanev (University of Texas in Arlington), the length of a queens life may depend on the amount of sleep she gets. The study found that worker ants take around 250 naps per day, each lasting about a minute. This means these ants get about four hours and 48 minutes of sleep a day. Due to the length of these naps, 80 percent of a colony’s workforce would be awake at any given time. This evidence may give weight to the theory that queens live longer due to the amount of sleep they get. Queens can carelessly sleep for six minute intervals about 90 times a day and can live up to six years before dying of old age. Sadly, workers are constantly, well, working. They only live around six months to a year or so before dying of old age. They must get really tired of being tired.
Heaviest Sugar Cube in the Universe When a massive star collapses, one of two things can happen. Either a Black hole or a Neutron Star is formed. A black hole is a region of space from which nothing, even light, can escape. A neutron star is a sphere of extremely dense particles that are mainly closely packed neutrons. A neutron star is formed only when a collapsing star isn’t massive enough to create a black hole. These stars are only around 20 kilometers across but have the density of a sun. According to Author and Astronomer Philip Plait, “The average density of a neutron star is immense: about 400 trillion grams per cubic centimeter (a cube the size of a six-sided die).” Plait, who is currently in the process of writing his second book, regularly appears on the show “How the Universe Works.” In December of 2012 he posted online about the magnitude of neutron stars, leaving the statement, “This kind of freaks me out.” After doing a few calculations, he came to the following conclusion: “There are about 250 million cars in the US. Assuming they weigh about 1500 kilograms on average, that’s a total of just about 400 trillion grams!” This means that if all the cars in the U.S. were combined, their weight would equal just about the same as a cubic centimeter of neutron star material. That’s a sugar cube size block of immense outer space mass.
a&e Mary Poppins Has Landed at Green River Langston Thomas | A&E Editor a&e@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
By: Langston Thomas A&E Editor
The timeless feel-good story of a whimsical nanny will soon be hitting the stage at Green River. Over winter break, Heavier Than Air Family Theatre Company will be putting on the Broadway Musical version of Mary Poppins. As opening night approaches, final preparations are being made to ensure that this production will be one to remember. Director Joe Baker has hired the widely respected theatrical flying service Flying By Foy to assist with the production’s aerial needs. Flying By Foy’s Jason Wilson has been the key component in getting the cast off the ground. He and his team provided and installed all the tracks, wires, and pulleys needed for liftoff. While Flying By Foy has been the driving, or should I say flying, force behind the weightlessness of Ke$ha, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus and even Taylor Swift, flying can still be a nerve racking experience for everyone involved. “It’s scary when you don’t know what’s going to happen,” said actress Olivia Thomas. Thomas plays the role Jane Banks, the wealthy Banks family’s neglected daughter. Jane and her brother Michael, played by Sawyer Englund, embark on many fantastical adventures, including flying through the air, with their new nanny Mary Poppins. It takes a total of four stagehands to lift and keep an actor in the air. For an adult, it takes two wires attached to a hip harness to balance the actor’s weight. For the kids though, only one wire is needed to hold them up, and it’s attached to a torso girdle. The idea of being suspended in the air solely by the physical strength of only four people may be scary, but in Thomas’ opinion, “It’s really peaceful and calming.” While the eccentric Mary Poppins, played by Windy Autumn Foster, flies around with the help of her umbrella, there’s plenty of
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airtime to be had by all. Even Burt, the light hearted chimney sweep, played by Kurt Eby, does his iconic rooftop handstand with the help of Flying By Foy. Eby seems to have had no trouble taking to the air as Burt. The scene in which Burt goes “over the rooftop” is quite a physically demanding moment. Eby said he approaches the scene wondering, “How much can I pack into this minute.” Mary Poppins opens at 7 p.m. on December 11, and it will be the last Heavier Than Air production for 2015. “It’s a considerable investment to bring these folks in,” said Heavier Than Air’s Terri Woyvodich, speaking about the time and money spent on the musical. While the cost of this production might be a tad higher than others put on at Green River’s Performing Arts Theatre, ticket prices remain very affordable at $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Come and witness a brother and sister who seek their father’s approval, a fun loving jack-of-alltrades, and a practically perfect nanny rise to the occasion with the help of a little stage magic. This will be a show to remember and the first time in Green River community theatre’s 40-year history when cast members will become airborne!
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Scaling a wall, Burt (top) played by Kurt Eby is lifted into the air via wire. Mary Poppins (above) played by Windy Autumn Foster watches Jane and Michael played by Olivia Thomas and Sawyer Englund soar through the air. Mary Poppins glances at Burt (bottom left) as she flies away. The flyer (below) from Heavier Than Air’s Facebook page displays the times and dates of all the showings of the Mary Poppins musical.
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The Chainsmokers DallasK, Jahkoy, Cheat Codes, Darrius Washington
@ The Showbox Doors: 8 p.m. $20 - 25
Jazz Cartier G4SHi
@ The Vera Project Doors: 7 p.m. $15 DECK THE HALL BALL 2015 Death Cab For Cutie, Cage the Elephant, Twenty One Pilots & more
@ KeyArena Doors: 2 p.m. $40 - 95
SLOW MAGIC & GIRAFFAGE Lindsay Lowend
@ The Showbox Doors: 8 p.m. $22
Falling In Reverse & Artreyu From Ashes to New, Assuming We Survivie
@ Showbox SoDo Doors: 7 p.m. $25
Never Shout Never Jule Vera, Waterparks
@ The Showbox Doors: 7:30 p.m. $20
Yellow Claw @ Showbox SoDo Doors: 7 p.m. $25 - 35
THE 1975 Swim Deep
@ Showbox SoDo Doors: 7 p.m. $30
Pity Sex
Colleen Green, Eskimeaux, Where My Bones Rest Easy
@ El Corazon Doors: 7 p.m. $13
KGRG 89.9 FM will be *giving away tickets for the marked show(s). Find out more at www.kgrg.com.
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Langston Thomas | A&E Editor a&e@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
‘Wanderlust’ Art on Display By: Nick Entsminger Staff Writer
The full list of student artists whose works are displayed in this exhibit is as follows: Alex Adams Fumi Maeyama Chak San Chan Johnnae McDaniels Jingya Deng Hayato Mori Xiaojing Fu Phuong Nguyen Chris Glasscock Leigh Richardson Alyssa Hanson Claudia Ruslan Skip Lammon Andrea Smith Chankyu Lee Noah Warren Lingya Li Quianquian Zhao Alina Moss | The Current
his art from the show. Mori is a second year Green River student and aspiring graphic designer. He likes the idea of selling some of his pieces, and went on to The Wanderlust Artist’s Portsay, “I’m looking right now for a folio student exhibit is running project to sell.” from November 19 until DecemMori will soon be featured in ber 3 in the Helen S. Smith Galanother exhibit on campus called lery, located near the entrance “A Day Without Art” starting on of the Holman Library. December 1 in the first floor of The exhibit showcases the Salish Hall. original art work of the students in The Wanderlust student exhibit the Art 180 Artist’s Portfolio class. is a combination of several different Many of the pieces on display were types of medicreated in various ums including art classes. “If you’re a good stuphotography, Each artist has paintings, their own section dent whose major is art you crayon drawings, in the gallery to should of course take this multimedia show off their class. It helps to transfer, it sculptures, work. Their artist helps to get a job.” pencil drawings, statements are -Hayato Mori graphic designs also displayed and and more. have been placed Many stualong with small dents completed their pieces on notebooks for the public to leave their own time in preparation for messages for the artists. the exhibit. “It’s a student art exhibition Andrea Smith, a second year art show, so we just show our artworks student who has her own candle in the gallery. And the purpose (of and crayon wax projects in the the show is) to finish our final for exhibit, thinks that the class is the Art 180 class,” said Lingya Li, more about the presentation of the who once had her works on display artwork rather than the quality of in a gallery in China when she was the art itself. just eight years old. Li added, “But “Each one was a little different; (if) there is someone calling to the some of them took me weeks, instructor to buy our artworks, it others I did in one night- maybe might depend on the student if he like four or five hours,” said Smith, or she wants to sell it.” commenting on the pieces she has The pieces in the show aren’t on display. for sale as of now, but many of the While it all depends on a percontributing artists would consider son’s inspiration and the medium selling some of their works and a they work with, some artists may few are actively searching for projfinish pieces in as little as an hour. ects to complete and sell after the In Mori’s opinion, to complete show is done. a piece, “Usually it takes 20 to 25 “I’d like to; I’ve sold my work hours. It depends of the quality of just once,” said Hayato Mori when the piece, but usually something asked if he would consider selling
like that.” It’s clear to see that these students worked quite hard on their projects and hope that the community will enjoy the diversity of the exhibit. “My favorite artistic medium is drawing on the paper, and most of my art works are on paper, but I also like graphic designs which work on the computer,” said Li. The class overall was a learning experience for the students and helped give some of them their first public exposure. “I think the Art 180 is a really helpful class which is especially beneficial for art students who want to finish their portfolios,” said Li. “Besides the art exhibition we are doing our own websites, CD and portfolios, so it is a very interesting class.” When asked if she would recommend this class to other students, Smith said, “Oh yes, definitely, especially if they plan on doing anything in the arts. I think it was really helpful to get different insights from different perspectives and different genres of art.” Mori offered a similar answer, saying, “Of course, yes, if you’re a good student whose major is art you should of course take this class. It helps to transfer, it helps to get a job.” The exhibit is free for anyone, the gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be an hour long closing reception on the final day of the exhibit, December 3. It will start at noon and will give the students a chance to discuss their art with the public and are invited to bring their friends and family. Food and drinks will be available at the event.
The PlayStation TV: What Is It Really? By: Josh Dragoo Guest Writer While walking aimlessly through a Target, I came across the new PlayStation TV. I thought to myself, I have no need for this, but that night when I returned home I discovered the magic of price match. The TV was priced at $100 at Target but Best Buy had it on sale for $60. The next day I purchased it and after a little bit of waiting I am now the owner of this strange and interesting product. The PlayStation TV itself is an anomaly. While it may sound great on paper, using it was surprisingly underwhelming. What the PlayStation TV actually is may be a bit hard to explain.
memory card and a slot for PS Vita It’s essentially a PlayStation Vita without a screen or dedicated Game Cards. controls. It has only The PlayStation TVs memory card carecently been categorized as a PlayStation pability, for all intents and purposes, is a 4 accessory, streaming box, and even a letdown. Micro console. If you intend to use the PSTV as game While it is at least two of those things, system you will have it’s quite limited in to get a proprietary what it can actually memory card which functionally do. ranges in price from $11.99 for 8 GB, to $64 Being basically a PS Vita without the for a 32 GB card. screen, the conAnother letdown of sole itself is about the PSTV is it’s limited the size of a deck compatibility with of cards. It sports most PlayStation Vita Courtesy | Amazon.com a wired Ethernet titles. jack, a USB port for While games like charging any compatible controller, TxK, Persona 4 Golden, Killzone an HDMI port, a slot for the PS Vita Mercenary and Need for Speed:
Most Wanted are compatible and play just fine on the big screen, there’s also a large list of incompatible Vita titles that just will not work on this system. Now for the deal breaker for this console; the fact that most major streaming apps are not supported. These essential apps such as Netflix, Plex, Hulu, and Youtube either don’t work or don’t exist at all on PSTV. As a console/set-top streaming box, the PSTV just can’t compare to the Apple TV or the Amazon Fire TV. The lack of support from Sony limits its potential, which is a huge dissapointment. On the other hand, as a PS4 Accessory, the PSTV’s secondary potential can be unlocked through a feature called remote play. This feature essentially streams
your PS4 to another part of your house, and even to another city if you have sufficient internet speeds. In my opinion, this is where the PSTV shines. It does a fairly decent job streaming any PS4 game anywhere around my house. If you could care less about playing PS Vita titles and, if you own a PS4, the PSTV may be for you. Overall, the PlayStation TV is what it is. Which is an experiment that, while failing at being a console, works well as an accessory to one of Sony’s most successful console to date. If you can find it discounted, it’s worth the buy. I would highly recommend it to anyone who owns a PS4 or wants to play their compatible Vita titles on the big screen.
Kartik Sarda | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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Safety Mis-Classifying Crimes on Campus
Editorial
Editor-in-Chief Ian Lobdell and Managing Editor Alina Moss were verbally threatened on the phone by Sina Ghodsee, a former Green River student. The Current staff were attempting to contact Ghodsee and get a statement about events he was involved in on and off campus. Ghodsee was not cooperative. When The Current staff informed him about what was being written, he flew into a rage and began verbally berating the staff. Wewould not comply with Ghodsee’s demands to pull the story. We even received a call from his lawyer who was wondering what was being written. When we informed him that we had received Ghodsee’s records through the Freedom of Information Act, he complied but told us to be careful. We began receiving frequent phone calls from Ghodsee throughout the day, each one with more colorful verbal harassment than the last. We frequently informed both of them of how we received the records and that we have a right to publish the information contained in those records. At The Current, we receive every safety report that is filed by Campus Safety. Anyone can obtain these records as they are open to the public, all you need to do is request them. That is where the information in the Campus Crime Blotter comes from. Originally for the article on Ghodsee, we approached Jontae Wiggins after hearing her story about being harassed. She complied and knew the information we were putting in issue 01 of The Current. However, we also needed Ghodsee’s side of the story, which is why he was contacted. After more harassing calls and even attempts to bribe us, Ghodsee verbally threatened to shoot Lobdell.
The verbal abuse continued and he threatened Moss as well. The Current staff, fearing for their safety, called Campus Safety who responded by placing safety staff inside and outside our office while also locking the door. We finished the issue and filed a report with the Auburn Police Department and Campus Safety. And that is where our story ends. There were no repercussions or attempts to inform the campus that two students were threatened by a dangerous individual with a criminal record and jail time. As reported on page 2, three members of the Department of Education visited campus to investigate violations of the Jaenne Clery Act. The Jeanne Clery Act states that colleges must report all violent crimes which occur on campus. College’s are required to provide this information because in 1990 a college student was killed in her dorm room. The college she attended at the time did not report the incident and the act was created in response to the backlash from people who believed people should be informed of crimes happening on campus. Colleges must compile a detailed list of crimes that occur over the year and make that information available to the students. The Current met with the members of the Clery Act Compliance Division, and they could not give any details into their investigation, they were interested in hearing about the event with Ghodsee. These federal investigators had not been informed of the situation by campus safety and were directed towards the written report filed by Moss. One of the investigators said that Ghodsee’s threats could be considered an act of terrorism and should be reported by the college.
Safety did not respond to the threat in accordance with the Clery Act. When The Current staff met with safety and an officer with the Auburn police department after the incident, they said the two have dealt with Ghodsee in the past, and did not see him as a viable threat to our safety or the campus safety. This was a personal opinion of the officers and it is questionable if they should be making judgments about the severity of a situation based on biases and past history. The law should be followed regardless of personal feeling. If this had been a turning point there would be now warning for the public and no warning to take preventive measures. The fact that the college is under federal investigation is a sign that there may be consequences for the college not reporting the crimes on campus. Our situation was listed as a verbal altercation, but it could be better catagorized as intimidation which falls under the Clery Act reporting guidelines. By categorizing the situation under altercation, Campus Safety does not have to report the event as a crime to the college. The college has an opportunity to change things and foster a culture where reports are taken serious, especially ones concerning race and sexuality. There is a growing distrust of the administration, and these violations could be the wake up call they need to make campus truly safe for everyone. It is important to note that safety had a quick response to our call and made the right actions in posting a safety officer in our office for our protection. At no point did the treatened members of The Current fear for our own personal safety, our concern is simply for the general safety of this campus.
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Alina Moss Editor-in-Chief Ads Manager 253-833-9111 x2376
James Ristig Managing Editor Campus Editor 253-833-9111 x2377 Langston Thomas A&E Editor
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Haley Flem Sports Editor
Logan Hoerth Copy Editor
Staff Writers: Valory Lovejoy, Nick Entsminger, Skip Lammon, D’marye Dedrick, Sydney Taylor, Jordyn Wilson, Sylvia Jones, Savannah Snyder, Wyatt Philpot Photographers: Ian Lobdell and Alina Moss
Editorials reflect the opinions of the entire editing staff of the Current.
Tips-&-Tricks to Fend off Car Hazards and Inconveniences in Winter
By: D’Marye Dedrick Staff Writer
The winter months are almost here, and the problems that come with them will soon be with us. Waking up in the morning, rushing to get ready, and then finding your car to be completely covered with snow can be really frustrating. Although it is a common scenario here in the Northwest, it is still a hassle. Here are some tips to best minimize the time wasted on defrosting your vehicle. Frozen locks can prevent anyone from getting into the car. Rd.com suggests one way to prevent this is to place a magnet over the lock overnight. Accuweather.com offers another way to prevent locks from
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freezing: Dip your car key in Vaseline and turn the key repeatedly in the lock to lubricate the mechanisms. They suggest this be done once a month. If it’s too late to prevent frozen locks, one of the best ways to thaw them is to heat up the car key by holding it over a lighted match or lighter. This should always be done with extreme caution not to damage yourself or the key, especially if the it has a plastic top. Another hazard of the cold is the frozen-shut car doors. This can be prevented by spraying the door frame with cooking spray lubricant such as Pam. If the doors are already frozen over, you can try the following steps provided by accuweather. com. First, choose the least frozen
The Current is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions without censorship or advanced approval. The opinions of the opinion stories are that of the writer and the writer alone. If you have an opposing viewpiont feel free to write The Current a Letter to the Editor at editor@thegrcurrent.com
door to start with, including the back hatch if you have one. Do not try to force a frozen door open— you could easily damage the seal around it. Next, with gloves, hit the ice with your palms and remove it as it breaks away from the body of the car. If this does not work, an extension cord and a hair dryer can help to speed up the melting process. For car windows that seem frozen tightly shut, the2mortgageguys. com suggests using a credit card or anything slim that can fit in between the window and the rubber strip to help break the ice away from the bottom edge. For the windshield, a quick trick of unfreezing the ice is to fill three-fourths of a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and one-fourths
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with water. While it is covered with a layer of ice, turn on the car and start to spray the solution directly onto the frozen area. The ice should melt in a matter of seconds as soon as the solution soaks into its layers. Putting the windshield wipers on should help spread around the solution as well. No need to wipe off the solution—just clear the water off to the sides of the car. Now that you know these free tips and tricks, walking out the front door and seeing a completely frozen mess should not be such a painful sight. Getting to school or work will be an easier task and a faster process. So, remember these remedies and put them to good use because winter is coming, and along with it comes only more ice and cold.
Each individual is permitted one free copy per issue. Additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Current. Newspaper theft is a crime. Anyone who removes, discards or destroys more than one copy to prevent other individuals from reading that issue may be subject to civil, criminal and/or campus penalties.
Letters to the Editor
In the caption on page 12 of issue 03, Monica Wisdom’s name was spelled incorrectly.
If you find a factual error or simply a name spelled incorrectly, please contact us at: - editor@thegrcurrent.com - 253-288-3457 - or find us OEB 17
The Current encourages its readers to be involved and will accept letters of 400 words or less for publication. Anonymous letters are not accepted and the editors reserve the right to reject or edit letters for space, taste and legal concerns. All letters become property of The Current. Send letters to editor@ thegrcurrent.com.
opinion
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2015-2016
Kartik Sarda | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Does a Lie Told Often Enough Ever Become the Truth? Is there anything like Absolute Truth, or does the Truth change from person to person?
By: Kartik Sarda Opinion Editor @Krysis_Kartik
argue against this philosophy, saying that truth is “relative” and that “it is different for different people.” Sure, but is it the truth? The contradiction I recently read a quote by Russian that lies in relativistic philosophy can Politician Vladimir Lenin. He once be explained this way: If nothing can said, “A lie, told often enough, bebe said as absolutely true, then there comes the truth.” I found it interesting lies a probability that the statements to debate upon the quote, and thus “Truth is relative” and “Truth is differI compiled my own ent for different people” views and opinions “What we think, per- are false. That means about it. ceive and believe might these may not be comThough, not combe true for us, but there pletely true, and that pletely—I disagree lies a truth that is actu- there is a possibility that with the quote. I ally the Truth.” these statements might read an article that be false, according to described the differthe relativistic view. If ence between “absolute” and “relative” that’s the case, then there actually lies truth from absolute--truth.com. an absolute truth, and thus whatever According to the article, an “absolute actually happens is absolute and it truth” is “an inflexible reality.” What cannot be changed. we think, perceive and believe might Historical evidence for the reason be true for us, but there lies a truth why I disagree with the quote can be that is actually the “truth.” Relativists found in the Dark Ages. There was a
time when no one actually believed that the earth is round, and it was told that the earth is flat. For centuries the belief went on, and those who opposed were curbed and jailed. However, empirical evidence—Absolute Truth—remained that the earth is spherical in shape, and that fact didn’t change according to what people believed in. People still ask how one can be sure of the “empirical evidence”, as it is another work of humans. Here’s the argument against this relativistic view: If the relativist says that there is still a chance that the observations are wrong and it is a possibility that the earth is flat, and the humans perceive it as round, then according to the relativistic view there is also a possibility that their own statement is wrong. This makes it a probability that the “earth being flat” is absolutely false, or “earth being spherical” is absolute
(assuming it as absolute truth), but truth. Thus, relativistic view itself poses the fact that earth is round. every single person is blind, or cannot see that light, then the absolute truth The reason I said that I do not for them would be that there exists no completely disagree with the quote is light. But in fact, the absolute truth because we can never prove what exremains that the sun is shining its actly is an absolute truth, but we can always contradict relativistic truth. light on earth. Thus, a lie told often enough does For us, something might be absolute not ‘become’ the truth, truth, but in actuality, but it is ‘perceived’ as the absolute truth “We can never prove the truth. A lie, told might be something what exactly is an however long, can else. Thus, there does absolute truth, but we never replace the ‘inexist an absolute truth can always contradict flexible’ absolute truth. but we can only make relativistic truth.” All it can do is change our best estimates how the people see to reach there. So, if their own observations a false information, thought as absolute truth, is passed and thoughts. On the other hand, an absolute truth can never be proved over the centuries, then that might as ‘absolute’, but can only be guessed become the truth for us. But there as inflexible. Red can be Blue in the might be another absolute truth that absolute truth, but then that ‘Blue’ cannot be changed according to what we believe in. Consider this: If the sun is spelled as ‘Red’ in our medium of is everyday shining bright on earth communication.
Believing in More Than Yourself
A Response to ‘Reminiscence of an Atheist’ from Issue 02 By: Haley Flem Staff Writer
perfect for us. God could have made us a bunch of Mom. God allows Satan to work in the world, and robots who worship Him all day long, but that’s not for mankind to have free will. As a result of these two what he wants. He wants us to choose for ourselves to things, “bad things” happen to good people. follow Him. Rejection, suffering, death, inequality— In the midst of all these bad things happening in these things have all become normal in our world. our world, there are different ways that humanity Many times, in various ways, I have encountered God did not intend for these things to be normal copes with the disasters in their lives. Some people people who ask this question. The fact that there is for humanity, but we put ourselves here, by rejecting turn to drugs or alcohol, some get depressed, and tragedy in this world, even after Christians make Him. The majority of people don’t recognize that our some choose to ignore their problems. proclamations about God who loves and cares for own sin, selfishness, anger, and hate, are the cause of As a Christian, while God may allow bad things to us, raises some eyebrows. Although I can neither the “bad things” in this world. happen to us, He also gives us hope that we can cling give you a scientific explanation nor claim to fully You see, I was raised in the to during whatever problem we may be facing. C.S. understand it myself, I would like church. Every Sunday I went to Lewis, a famous Christian and Oxford professor, said, to express my basic understandchurch with my five brothers, two “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but ing of why bad things happen in “God could have sisters, and both of my parents. My peace in difficulties.” this world. made us a bunch of parents raised us according to the You may be wondering how someone can find According to my beliefs, God Bible. We followed the Bible to the comfort and hope in God if we can’t see Him. Well, created the world and everything robots who worship best of our abilities, although we God is like the wind—we cannot see him, but we can that comprises it, including you Him all day long” do still make mistakes because we “feel” Him there, helping us through the difficulties and me. A lot of people might are imperfect people. in our lives. When I say that God is helping you not agree with that statement, but I think most would say, in genthrough hardships, it does not mean that He is physeveryone is entitled to their own eral, we are good people. We didn’t go around killing, ically holding your hand through whatever situation opinion, thus I have kept mine. cursing, or hating. Now please, don’t think I’m saying you are in. What I am trying to say is that He knows To my personal opinion, when God created the my family is perfect, because we are far from it. What what you need during this time, and He will provide world and the people in it, He gave us free will to I’m trying to get across is that even following the for you in various ways. Some people may not know choose who we want be—free will to do right or that God was helping them. wrong. He gave us the ability to make our own choic- Bible to the best of our abilities, we’re still going to have hardships in our lives. Most This may not be the most es—including the choice to follow Him, or not. of my family is Christian, but that specific answer, and you still might You might ask what sin comes from. Well, sin “God allows Satan not agree with it. But this is my doesn’t mean my family is protected comes from the abuse of free will. Let me give you from the natural troubles of this an example of what I mean by that. I’m sure you’ve to work in the world, understanding of why God allows world. “Bad things” are still going to “bad things to happen to good struggled with selfishness, just as I do. Being selfish, and for mankind to people.” I hope I have helped you happen in our lives. in most cases, doesn’t make for great character. I For example, just last year my to better understand why people think we can all agree on that. Selfishness is somehave free will” Mom had two strokes. It was really believe in God. thing we choose. By choosing to be selfish, we are hard for my family. Now, if my Mom If you have any questions about deciding our own course which may or may not lead is a good mother, a good person in general, loving, what I’ve said, or would just like to know more about to certain consequences. caring, and has all the good characteristics, then why what I believe, then please don’t hesitate to contact Here’s the thing: we live in a fallen world. As far did this happen to her? Why did my family have to me at sportseditor@thegrcurrent.com or hflem@ as my observations go, our world rejects God and go through this? God didn’t make this happen to my mail.greenriver.edu. then becomes angered that he won’t make everything
The opinions of this story are that of the writer and the writer alone. If you have an opposing viewpiont feel free to write The Current a Letter to the Editor at editor@thegrcurrent.com
Haley Flem | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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Green River men’s basketball team of 2015-2016 in the Swamp for a team photo. Photo courtesy of Green River Athletics.
Gators Place Second at Pierce Thanksgiving Invite 18 By: Nick Entsminger Staff Writer The Green River men’s basketball team finished in second place in the 12th annual 2015 Raider Thanksgiving Classic Tournament. The Gators came just short of the championship with a loss to the Whatcom Orcas, ending with a final score of 74-60. Damon Cikanek, a Green River sophomore guard who comes from Anchorage, Alaska, was named the all tournament player for the team. Cikanek had high scoring outputs in the second championship game, scoring 7 in the first two games and 17 in the finale match. After being asked how it felt to be named the all tournament team player “It feels pretty good, but it would have been nice to get first place,” Cikanek said. “But it’s okay, that was a good team we played, so we’ll be able to build some things up and get ready for the tournament next week.” The loss of the championship round was a result of a poor shooting day. The team only made 36 percent of their shots from the field, having a rush of fouls—19 in total—and getting badly out-rebounded 39-28. Compared to the previous game of the tournament, where the team had a scoring average of 51 percent. The Gators were out-shot from the beginning of the tournament and were down 26-34 by the half.
The best chance the team had to take the game was when they were down by just 5 points, midway through the second half after a string of good plays by Cikanek and freshman guard Tory Causey. Unfortunately, though, a string of three-pointers by the Orcas and a number of fouls by the Gators let the Orcas pull away and effectively win over the game. The Orcas were led by sophomore guard and forward Jordan Johnson with 27 points and 8 rebounds, he was later named the championship game MVP. Cikanek led the Gators in scoring, followed by sophomore guard Marcus Harris. “I love my team, I think we’re a tough group,” said Ryan Blassingame first year head coach for Green River. Blassingame also said, “We ran into a really tough Whatcom team tonight, a team that’s going to be in the tournament. You know we’re gonna keep working, we’re gonna keep growing early on, but I like everything that I see out of my squad.” It was a disappointing loss for the team who had two successful games the past two days. In their first game against the Shoreline Dolphins, the Gators were able to come back from a 30-41 deficit in the second half and get the win with the final score being 65-62. The teams made the same amount of baskets, 23 each, although the Gators three pointers were the deciding factor in the win. As they 8 out of 21 from deep
as opposed to 5 out of 22 for the Dolphins. Although this was overall poor shooting game for the Gators, with only 38 percent of their shots going in the basket, but it didn’t matter in the end because their defense was able to hold the other team in check. The team was led by Harris this round with 18 points and four rebounds. Following with freshman forward Marquis Blackwell, who had 9 points and 6 rebounds. The Dolphins were led by freshman guard Derrik Dean with 15 points. In the second game against the Columbia Basin Hawks, the Gators were in control the whole way through, leading 35-32 at the half and finishing with the final score at 75-66. It was the Gators best shooting performance of the tournament as they shot 51 percent from the field and making 6 of 17 from behind the three point line. The Gators held the Hawks to 38 percent shooting and 6 of 17 from behind the arc. All of this despite getting out rebounded on the boards 35 to 29. Cikanek led the team in scoring with his 17 points, followed by Harris with 13 points, then Blackwell with 11 points and 7 rebounds. The Hawks were led by sophomore guard and forward Andrew Reddout with 22 points, he ended up leading the tournament in scoring with 70 points total throughout the three days and was named to the all tournament team. But unfortunately for the Gators,
they just couldn’t find a way to make things work in the championship round. When asked what the team needed to improve on at this point in the season coach Blassingame said, “Just execution, the little things and that’s gonna come along with playing games. The more games we play the better we’ll execute. We just got to clean that a little bit and cut down on the turnovers and the fouls.” Harris said he’s, “not too happy with second, but we’re gonna come out and just compete every time and try to do our best. Just right now we didn’t play at our best.” “We should have got the win but everything will be fine,” said Dedrian Miller a freshman guard for Green River, “just keep playing hard and it will be cool.” When asked how the team could improve Miller said, “Just keep having chemistry and talk and have energy. If we have that we’re good.” Jason Smarr, of the Shoreline Dolphins, Yonathan Michael of the Bellevue Bulldogs, Andrew Reddout of the Columbia Basin Hawks, Damon Cikanek of the Green River Gators, and Casey Leek of the Whatcom Orcas, were named to the all tournament team. The Gators are now 4-2 on the season and have a game coming up on December third against North Idaho, then starting another three day tournament the following day in Coeur d’Alene with their first game against Big Bend.
Dec
30
Jan
9
Jan
13
Jan
23
Jan
30
Women’s Basketball
Green River vs Shoreline
@ Green River 7 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Green River vs Northwest Indian
@ Green River 3 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Green River vs Olympic
@ Green River 2:30 p.m.
Women’s Basketball
Green River vs Blue Mt/ Mt Hood
@ Green River Time: TBD
Men’s Basketball Green River vs Shoreline
@ Green River 6 p.m.
Men’s Basketball
Green River vs South Puget Sound
@ Green River 5 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Green River vs Grays Harbor
@ Green River 8 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Green River vs Highline
@ Green River 5 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Green River vs Pierce
@ Green River 5 p.m.
12 2015-2016
sports
thecurrent
Athletic Director Bob Kickner: ‘Run a high-integrity ship’ By: D’Marye Dedrick Staff Writer
Bob Kickner’s hard work paid off, he earned himself a full ride basketball scholarship to Pacific University. Pacific at that time, was only a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school, but now is a division three school. At Pacific he excelled as a team player. Before receiving the job as athletic director at Green River, Kickner coached in many different jobs. He initially wanted to coach boys basketball, but he started off coaching girls basketball from elementary and continued to coach girls basketball all the way through college, where Kickner coached at the University of St Mary. Kickner has been the head coach of the Green River Girl’s team for two years now, and said he has loved every year he’s coached. Kickner, 47, moved to Washington when he received a job as the athletic director for Green River, just 11 years ago. When Kickner first started working at the school, the athletic department was relatively weak. The athletic teams often weren’t making it to the playoffs, and the department wasn’t receiving a lot of money. The college has made some strides in the right direction in the sports aspects of things, thanks to Kickner.
Green River teams didn’t used to have the resources that they have today, such as fields to play on. Kickner has also built steady relationships with nearby recreational leagues and fields where they hold their practices. When Kickner first started, the athletic teams weren’t so good. “As years passed teams got better, but plateaued,” Kickner said. Last year, three teams made playoffs. Kickner wants that number to go up, and it’s his job to make it happen. Kickner wants to push towards the ultimate goal, to build successful student athletes who push for good grades just as hard as their sport. Kickner believes the school isn’t being taken as seriously as it should be for the athletes of Green River. Kickner wants to run a high integrity ship. He wants to provide a collegiate experience that an athlete can be proud of. Above all Kickner wants school to be the main focus so no matter what happens in an athletes respective sports they are doing well in school. Kickner wants to help prompt the athletes to improve on their grades. Kickner is constantly thinking of ways to help motivate the sports teams. In his latest attempt to do so, the college added a new gym to the campus, complete with a weight room, and many other attractions which will give team members as well as Green River
students a place to stay healthy and fit in the off-season. He genuinely cares about the sports for Green River and is determined to help get the athletes motivated not just sports-wise, but academically. Kickner has taken on the personal challenge to help take the college athletic department to the next level. The sports department, with the exception of the men’s basketball, has not been delivering the kind of results he was hoping to see this year.
Haley Flem | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
None of the teams have been making playoffs on consistent basis, which is a disappointment for Kickner, but that also helps motivate him. Kickner is working on putting pieces in their places to attract talent to Green River and to help build more successful sports teams. It’s not an easy job, Kickner said. He cares about the students and athletes of Green River and is willing to put his best foot forward to ensure progress for the school.
Coach Kickner with last years basketball team. Picture courtesy of Green River Athletics.