thecurrent the student newspaper of green river college
March.14.2018
www.thegrcurrent.com
issue08 volume52
Fight Night At Green River
page 11
currentcampus
currenta&e
currentopinion
Several Counts Of Vandalism Spotted On Campus
Deep Dive Into The ‘Black Panther’ Movie
Video Games Not A Cause For Violence
Hateful comments written out in similar writing on poster boards and toilets. page2
Discussion on how the diverse cast strengthens the movie making it one to remember.
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Student shares research and opinion related to videogames and violence.
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Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Faculty Spotlight: Sara Lucas By: Luis Cervantes Staff Writer
Blake Latta | The Current
Isabel Barni | The Current
The vandalism in the men’s bathroom (top) on the first floor of the Student Affairs and on the student exercises in the Art Critique Space in Salish Hall (bottom)
Down and Dirty: Vandalism On Campus Spreads By: Melanie Bell Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com With Contributions From: Mariya Mubeen Editor-In-Chief editor@thegrcurrent.com In a highly politicized climate, even the college is not safe from targeted messages and has fallen victim to political vandalism campus-wide. Messages such as “#feminismworsethancancer” or “Black Lives Matter = Hate Group” have appeared in places such as the men’s bathroom on the first floor of the Student Affairs Building. It has also appeared in the art critique space on the second floor of Salish Hall, this being the most recent. The President of the college, Dr. Suzanne Johnson, was caught unaware of the incidents that occurred until approached for a statement. “Any speech that reflects hatred, prejudice, and discrimination is not acceptable,” Johnson said. An email sent out among Fine Arts Division faculty pertained to this incident in the critique space. The Current attempted to reach out to the Fine Arts division for a statement. However, they refused
to comment for fear that it might written, and even some of the fine incite more vandalism on student arts faculty didn’t know much work. about it. In both the men’s bathroom and This type of vandalism has also the critique space, the vandalism is begun to spread to other colleges written small and in the same neat as well. University of Washington handwriting, and using a similar Tacoma (UWT) has been experimedium. It is speculated that, in encing similar incidents. both instances, the perpetrator On March 5, the Chancellor of is the same. Considering that UW Tacoma, Mark A. Pagano, sent there has been none found in any an email to the UWT campus comof the women’s munity, bathrooms, it is relegating suspected that this that the person is a male. sticker of In the men’s a white bathroom, the supremamessage is written cy group on one of the stalls. appeared In the critique both on space, messages and off - Dr. Suzanne M. Johnson, president were originally campus. written on the wall “This and were subsemorning, quently covered up with a number Campus Safety removed a sticker of class exercises that the Fine Arts found on a pole by the main camDivision use as a warm-up for new pus stair that featured the name students. These, too, eventually and logo of an organization that ended up with the same neat hand- identifies with white supremacy,” writing that had been on the wall the email said. and in the bathroom. Not only has this spread to other A number of faculty, students, Wash. campuses, but all over the and even administrators aren’t nation, according to Pagano. aware that this has been happenMartin Viney, assistant director of ing. Students that gather regularcampus safety at Green River Colly in the critique space had not lege, spoke on the specfics of the noticed that there was anything vandalism that has been happening
“Any speech that reflects hatred, prejudice, and discrimination is not acceptable.”
and where it is on campus. “There has been several dozen,” he said. “They’ve duplicated this several times.” “It’s kind of hard to say, from looking at those [pictures],but it’s the same person doing the writing. It looks like one person,” Viney said. According to Viney, this is technically not a crime, but can be counted as a bias-related incident. “We’re taking it super serious and documenting everything, but we have to have a specific guideline on how we have to categorize it,” Viney said. Campus safety, if they find the perpetrator, will file and report to the Judicial Affairs department of the college, who would then administer the punishment. Safety is taking precautions in the areas effected, such as increasing the amount of patrols and reviewing cameras at every chance possible. “As safety, we’re responsible for the safety here on the campus. But we’re all responsible for keeping campus safe. Everyone, keep your eyes out. Students, faculty, everyone. If you see anyone messing around with or looking at something or staring at a flyer extra long, have a pen out, or anything, relay it to safety,” Viney said.
What is your official position at the college? How long have you been at the college? “I’m a Chemistry instructor and I’m full-time tenure now, and this is my fourth year being full-time. I was an adjunct here for a year prior to that, so a total of five years but they weren’t consecutive.” How did you come to teach at Green River? “My husband got a job in Seattle, and we were in Illinois working on finishing up with my graduate degree. So, since we were moving out here I had to start finding some teaching positions and Green River thankfully hired me for an adjunct position. This was in 2012.” Is the subject you’re teaching now the initial thing you set out to study? Did you change majors at all? “I’ve liked chemistry for a long time, and high school was when I started my passion. I changed majors a little bit, but it went from chemical engineering to chemistry, and my graduate work was in the learning sciences, so researching how people learn and I did that in the context of chemistry. What do you do when you aren’t at school? What hobbies do you have? “I have a 2-year-old, so she makes up most of my world outside of class. Watching her explore the world is pretty awesome. Other hobbies would be cooking, doing puzzles, reading fun dystopian novels like Harry Potter.” What’s the best experience you’ve had in one of your classes? “I can’t think of one best experience, but I do group work in my classes where the students build their knowledge, and what I get every day is the ‘lightbulb’ moment. This is a specific moment, but it happens almost every day.” What was your very first job? “I was working for the Detroit Lions in their summer camp. I was one of the food runners for them. This was in the late 90’s when Barry Sanders was still there.”
Isabel Barni | The Current
Another piece of the vandalism in the critique space. This art was originally hung to cover more vandalism but ended up being vandalised regardless of the efforts.
If you had the choice to be anything other than a teacher, what would you be? “I would be a chef. Chemistry is everything, so chemistry is in cooking in that context.”
Melanie Bell | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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Former Mayoral Candidate Nikkita Oliver Visits To Advocate For Diversity By: Nahrawend Gheribi Staff Writer
Nahrawend Gheribi | The Current
Nikkita Oliver shaking the hand of a student that attended her diversity speech in the Lindbloom Student Union in Feb.
Green River College hosted Nikkita Oliver, an attorney, writer, and organizer for Seattle’s “No Youth” Jail and the Black Lives Matter movement. Her visit was on Feb 28 in the Lindbloom Student Union and was organized by Student Life. Oliver’s speech began with an introduction about herself, her religion, her ethnicity, where she came from. She does that to acknowledge her identity within the system she’s living in. “Intersectionality help us think about how is interaction and privileged is placed around us in the world, “ Oliver said. Oliver believes that there is an impact of identity on her job. “There are places where I feel privileged and others where I feel oppressed, which impacts the work I do,” Oliver said. According to Oliver, anything she does involves activism or civic engagement. She advocates for people who are most marginalized in a system that oppress people based on race, class, gender, religion. “It’s not like I sat down and charted out my employment goals, I do the work that I do. And then when there’s a need,
if I’m the one who’s equipped to respond to it, I do.” Oliver was also a candidate for Seattle Mayor. Her mayoral campaign, she said, was inspired by a child who told her that he didn’t see people like him running for mayor. In addition, the young attorney has participated in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. “I think what BLM has done that is really powerful is it has built itself intersectionally. It has allowed incarcerated people, trans women of color, poor black women, queer black women, and other folks within the black community who have been pushed farthest out to the margins, to be center, not only in the conversation but in leadership within the movement,” she said. Oliver was impacted by the acquittance of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. She said that she felt somewhat alone in New York, when she was there, so she went out into the street and marched. It was there, in 2013, while grappling with the reality of Martin’s murder and his public trial, that she wrote her new poem “Firearms” which comes from the perspective of the weapon. The poem was created in a video format and shared on Vimeo for all to see.
Staff History: GRC Faculty That Have Been Teaching For More Than 10 Years Information and Photos Compiled by: Maria Arciniega, Staff Writer
Allison Jansen - Political Science, 19 years How have you liked it so far? “I love Green River. I love the forest appearance of the campus. I absolutely love being in the classroom I still get excited about teaching.” Why Political Science? “Politics have been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I come from a hard-working family and I remember we got three newspapers and and the news was always on. Radio news in the morning TV news in the evenings I grew up with a real awareness. Plus I grew up in the Vietnam War Phase Civil Rights era in the sixties so politics is part of my DNA. I read all the times my favorite author is the one I’m reading at the moment I read more nonfiction than fiction.”
Carsh Wilturner - Psychology, 42 years Have you seen any changes throughout the years? “The number of buildings has increased quite a bit and this office is like a millionaires office compared to what we left behind. When I first started there was no running start and there was no international program so all this stuff is brand new and we’re better off for it.” Besides teaching, do you have any hobbies? “I’m a scuba diver and I like working out, it’s my stress reducer weightlifting mostly I do cardio because you have to I’m not going to pretend to like it.” Are there any places in specific you like to scuba dive? “I would love to, but it is expensive. Probably one of my favorite places is Costa Rica. Belize is great.” Any Advice To Students “You don’t have control of everything, but don’t be discouraged because of this. Although life’s going to hit you, you just gotta get back up and keep going. As for your goals, remember to shoot for the stars and if you hit the moon, that’s okay.” Walter Lowe- English, 18 years Has anything changed since you’ve been here? “Yes, in a variety of different ways. In some ways we’ve become less intimate because of all the new buildings and the expansion of things a bit. I also think there are a lot more things that faculties are involved in so we don’t get together as much as we used to. Student population has increased a lot and with the advance in technology I find that students don’t interact as much. Do you have any hobbies? “I enjoy soccer. Go Sounders! I would referee soccer on the weekends, it keeps me involved in the community. I started refereeing when I took my son to the sport when he was 13, he’s now 26. I also like poetry and reading.” Do you have any life advice for students? “I’ll pass on some advice one student gave me. His advice to my current students was to really invest themselves in what’s going on in the class. To apply themselves to what the teacher is teaching them. Don’t look at your assignments as some kind of duty but look at each of your assignments as creative work of your own.”
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Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Study Abroad Program: Students Offered Trip To Japan For Humanities Credits By: Kenneth Wilson Staff Writer The Study Abroad Program at the college is accepting students interested in studying in Japan. This opportunity will allow students to gain 15 credits in art, photography, and humanities. Classes offered at Art 100: Art Appreciation, Photography 111: Beginning Digital Photography, and Humanities 186: Japanese Cultural Studies. In Art Appreciation, students will learn to understand artworks and styles across time and cultures of the world with a special emphasis on Japanese art. It will introduce the basic elements, the principles of art, and the media with which artists create. These include themes such as visual culture, entertainment, technology, nature, mortality and immortality, mind and body, sexuality, and power and politics. Explicit connections between art and daily life will be examined and suggestions for interacting with it will be provided. Tokyo offers an extremely large number of art museums and galleries, which will compliment the classroom education.
Beginning Digital Photogradifferences between American and phy introduces the aesthetic and Japanese cultures. technical theories and techniques This course facilitates student of digital photography. Through orientation to Japan and will classroom instruction and field provide essential conversational trips to exciting Tokyo neighborJapanese language skills needed to hoods such as Harajuku, Akicommunicate in basic daily life. habara, Shinjuku, and the Tsukiji Cultural and language activities fish market, may include students will welcome, learn about Halloween, “The cost for studying camera and sayonara in Japan is $6490 with lens operaparties, a tion, memory game night, a $450 deposit. This cards, file trips includes round trip group field formats, to shrines, airfare on program dates temples, exposure, white balance, museums, from Seattle to Tokyo” composition, pop culture lighting, centers and creativity and neighborimage editing software. hoods, a school festival, sports Students will also visit various festival, food, movies, music and Tokyo photography museums and daily interaction with your Japanese galleries. The course requires a dig- student campus attendant friends. ital camera and laptop computer. Patrick Navin of the fine arts The last class you will be taking division will be the faculty member is Japanese Cultural Studies. This accompanying students on this class offers an introduction to trip. Japanese society and culture by The trip to Japan will take place examining its history, people and from Sept. 25 to Dec. 5. The cost for traditions. Students will engage studying in Japan is $6490 with a in critical discussions about the $450 deposit. This includes round
trip group airfare on program dates from Seattle to Tokyo, some cultural activities and excursions, pre-departure and arrival orientations, welcome and farewell parties, and basic medical insurance for students. There is a cheaper option of $5390 that does not include travel cost but the student must then pay airfare. Some of the cost not included are tuition, books, passport, visa fees, and other fees. Students will be attending Kogakuin University in Hachioji, Tokyo. While at Kogakuin University, students will be accommodated in shared apartments contracted by the university. These are small Japanese-style lodgings with futons, a kitchenette and bathroom. Students will generally share an apartment with other students in the group. Housing accommodations are subject to change depending on availability (alternate arrangements provided). Students can find many food choices right at the Hachioji campus, while the town of Hachioji offers many additional food options, including grocery stores and
familiar chains such as Starbucks or Burger King. While Japan has the reputation of being expensive, one can make the same inexpensive and everyday food choices that are enjoyed by the local population. Small noodle shops offer delicious and very reasonably priced dishes while others offer tempura, sushi, and bento-box lunches. Some of the activities student will experience are a visit to Harajuko: Meiji Shinto-Jingu, a shrine, Yoyogi Park, Takeshita-Dori, and Omotesando Street. Trips to the beautiful Shibuya Shinjuku, Shinjuku Koen, Photography galleries Asakua: Senso-Ji, and many more places. Other field trips are optional and may require an additional fee. There will also be plenty of opportunity to do your own exploring using convenient public transport or tour specialists. Each year, the study abroad program introduces other trips that are offered to students. In the past, the program has done trips to places such as Spain, Austrailia, Scotland, Taiwan and other many places around the world.
New Voices Act Passes In 43-5 Senate Vote By: Jefferson Bolin Staff Writer
co-sponsor of the New Voices Act, he was one of its biggest proponents, and as the Republican floor leader, his influence has been a major help for the supporters of the bill. Senate Bill 5064, also known as the New Republicans have rallied behind Fain, leadVoices Act, has passed the Washington ing to the bill’s large margin of support. Fain State Legislature and only requires the originally introduced the bill in 2016, but it governor’s signature to become law. never made it out of committee. He believes On Feb. 22, the judiciary committee in that student journalism helps cultivate skills the Washington House of Representatives that will be useful later in life. “Journalism approved the bill with several minor amendin schools provide an incredible learning ments in an executive session, sending the experience,” said Fain. “We must ensure stubill to the rules committee. On Feb. 26, the dents have necessary bill was sent to the full backing.” chamber of the House Another big supportand on March 2, it “ er of the New Voices passed on a 91-6 vote. Act has been Fern ValOnce the amended entine a member of the bill passed the House, Press Rights Commisit had to be sent back to sion of the Washington the Senate. On March ” Journalism Education 5, the Senate approved - Kathy Shrier, executive director of Association (WJEA). the amended bill in the WJEA She started the movea 45-4 vote, a larger ment to pass the New margin than the SenVoices Act in 1992. Valate’s original 43-5 vote. entine has been recognized by the WJEA and Two days later, the President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib, signed the similar organizations for her efforts to defend student’s First Amendment rights. Accordbill and the next day, Speaker of the House ing to Kathy Shrier, the executive director Frank Chopp followed suit, marking the of the WJEA, she was the one who made the official passage of the New Voices Act in the passage of the bill possible. Legislature. Schrier herself has also been a big propoWhile Governor Jay Inslee has not yet nent of the New Voices Act. “[Schools are] commented on whether he will sign the not doing their job if they’re suppressing stuNew Voices Act, however, he is expected to. dent voices,” she claims. Schrier was ecstatic The bill enjoys wide bipartisan support, so a and somewhat surprised upon the passage of gubernatorial veto would be easily overruled and result in a substantial amount of political the bill. “We really didn’t expect them to have time to hear it,” she said. backlash. This enacting of this bill has been attemptSenator Joe Fain has been instrumental in ed over the last two years. pushing the bill through the legislature. As a
[Schools are] not doing their job if they’re suppressing student voices,
Attend A trAnsfer InformAtIon sessIon! To register visit: www.uwb.edu/admissions/visit/transfer
www.uwb.edu
425.352.5000
Melanie Bell| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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TEDtalk held by ODEI to promote diversity
Campus Crime Blotter Campus Safety responded to the following incidents from Jan. 27 to Jan. 31, among others. All information is from Campus Safety incident reports.
01/29 12:42 p.m. Parking Lot P1
A student reported that their car had been hit and that the car that had him them was still present, but the driver was not. The victim’s car had a long scratch down the side and had white paint on it, while the other car had a red scratch down the side of it.
1/27 2:01 p.m. Trades and Technologies Vandalism
Campus safety received a report of vandalism in the Trades and Technologies building. It was on a new cement wall. At the time of the vandalism, there was no one present in the area. All of the doors near the area were secured. Green River Facilities cleaned up the graffiti.
1/29 2:55 p.m. Auburn Center Vandalism
Campus safety on the Auburn Center Campus reported that there was red lipstick on a wall of the Auburn Center.
1/30 12:04 p.m. Cedar Hall Theft
A student reported that their bicycle had been stolen from the west side of the Cedar Hall building. The victim stated that a colleague moved his bikes but were both forgotten left outside. One was returned to campus safety and the other went missing.
1/31 9:41 a.m. Cedar Hall Theft
A staff member reported that their department vehicle had the batter stolen out of it’s engine compartment. The vehicle was okay Tuesday night but when a staff member arrived to Cedar Hall, the trucks hood was popped open and they found that the battery was missing. The surveillance footage shows that a male entered the area and pulled the battery out and put it in his backpack.
1/31 11:54 a.m Parking Lot P15 Hit and Run
A staff member reported that her 2000 Ford Mustang was hit sometime between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in Parking Lot P15. They also noted that there was a note on the window and all it said was sorry and had no other information. They reviewed the camera footage to see if it was caught on camera.
1/31 3:53 p.m. CCA Drug Law Violation Liquor Law Violation
CCA Resident Assistant called cmapus safety reqesting a drug sweep of a housing unit. Marijuana, alcohol, and other items against the Green River policy were found and turned over to the CCA staff. They also found a gun present in the housing unit. The suspect claimed that a friend gave them the weapon and the bullets.
Up and Coming Classes: Spring Quarter 2018 MUSIC& 105
MUSIC APPRECIATION COURSE
TIME AND LOCATION: Covington Library, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Spring Quarter INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jessica Jumper DESCRIPTION: Introduces the music of the great master composers beginning with the elements of music and progressing through the common style periods. Satisfies a humanities requirement for AA-DTA degree.
Nina Meas | The Current
Nina Meas | The Current
Sione Sausau (left) and Memi Yamaashit (right), and Venereable Prenz Sa Ngoun (not pictured) speaking to students. works in the Office of Diversity, Prenz Sa-Ngoun, a 19-year-old By: Nina Meas Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) and Cambodian-American Buddhist Staff Writer helps to promote and educate stumonk. Sa-Ngoun was born and All around the globe, TEDtalks dents about the importance of the raised in Tukwila, Wash but moved unite those interested in techvalues of ODEI. His topics were to Cambodia at the age of 13 to nology, education, science, and The InBetweener and The Change become a Buddhist monk. creativity by recruiting experito Contemporary Culture. The After his time in Cambodia, enced speakers to talk about a goal of his speech was to encourage Sa-Ngoun returned to Wash. and niche subject. people to build their own leaderobtained his GED to continue his These talks are typically 18 minship skills and strive for the change studies at Green River College. Now utes or less in duration. to culture that will help society studying computer science, VeneraThis organization began in 1984 develop for the better. ble Prenz hopes to inspire others to and has been growing ever since. The second speaker was Memi follow their own path and embrace These talks are available to attend Yamaashit, who shared her expetheir own uniqueness. in person but are subsequently riences after finishing her college His topic at TEDTalk was The uploaded to the internet and have education. Yamaashit worked at a Journey of Life. Sa-Ngoun said that subtitles available in 100+ languagcouple places that she did not like after he came back to the United es, according to ted.com. but ultimately had no choice but to States, he realized that enjoys helpOn March 9 in the Lindbloom work there. ing other people. Student Union, the International After graduating from college, Sa Ngoun recounted a story about Ambassador, James Chen of the Yamaashit was hired at Amazon in an old lady that was carrying her college held one of these TEDtalks a call center department. Yamaashit groceries alone, and how he was for students. disliked the job so much that she the only one to help, relating this There were three speakers: Sione moved on and later began working back to his compassion for helping Sausau, Memi Yamaashit, and as a server in a restaurant. Yamaasothers. Venerable Prenz who shared their hit is now running her own catering This event, while different from stories. business. “Do what you love to do, the highly-produced TEDtalks put The first speaker was Sione don’t follow the social norm or on by the TED organization itself, Sausau, who is in his second year at whatever majority of others doing,” provided a mouthpiece for students the college and plans on majoring Yamaashit said. to share their stories and inspire in graphic design. Sausau currently The last speaker was Venerable others.
Transfer Fair Advertises Four Year Univesities To Students By: Kinsey Miller Staff Writer
Many students that attend Green River College have a goal to transfer to a four year university, and the college promotes the many universities available to them each quarter at the Transfer Fair. On March 1 in the Lindbloom Student Union was packed with many different universities that want the students of Green River to transfer to their school. Universities in attendance at the winter quarter Transfer Fair include Bastyr University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Evergreen State College, Pacific Lutheran University, Saint Martin’s University, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, University of Wash-
ington (Seattle, Tacoma, Bothell), Washington State University, and Western Washington University. Roughly 50 percent of students at the college will transfer to a four year college after receiving their associates. According to Srey Chea, Education Planner at the Career & Advising Center, “Our goal is to make sure students have the resources and knowledge to transfer to a four year school... It is never too early to get started and keep in contact with schools.” At this Transfer Fair, students can talk to counselors and other university officials in person rather than communicating with them over email. Andrew Garcia, 20, is looking to transfer to Washington State University. He loves that Green River offers the transfer fair, “I prefer talking in
person instead of through emails or over the phone.” Though the Career and Advising Center works with a committee to set the fair up, the main goal is to advertise and make sure there is a place for the fair to be held. Then, university representatives from each school reserve a table. The Career and Advising Center tries to make sure that all professors know about fairs and events that are going on around campus and rely on them to spread the news. Along with the fair, the Career and Advising Center offers workshops that help with writing admission essays and anything relating to the transfer process. The Transfer Fair is a great resource for students that want to transfer to other another school.
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Taylor Yamamoto | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Music Monday: XLovers Light Up The Stage By: Maria Arciniega Staff Writer
stage. They not only entertained but, connected with the crowd joking with students as they sang along to the music. Green River students jam out The pair grew up listening to with Music Monday performers 70s rock n’ roll from their parents Jacob Ames and London Jackson record collections. Later the two from the band X Lovers. discovered many different styles Singer/songwriter London Jackof music like pop, hip hop, rap son, 19, and drummer/producer and techno, which they drew Jacob Ames, 18, sated Green River inspiration from. Some of their students musical appetite during favorites included ‘The Stones’ and lunch in the ‘Radiohead’ with Student Union each artist and building with genre fueling “If you’re trying to be like pure talent. their passion for somebody else that person already The duo played music. hit pop songs They drew did it better than you so be you.” with their own musical inspi- XLover, artists musical twist, ration from highlighting them all and both individual’s in the process, talents. Songs such as “She will be they found their own sound. This loved” by Maroon 5, and “Sumduo finds risk, rebellion, and pure mertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey intoxication in pursuing their sigwere played. nature sound called POP N’ ROLL. Each song had upbeat sound but Music is a hard industry to break with a slow soulful vibe added to it. into because it can be harsh and Jackson’s and Amen’s drew students judgmental but that hasn’t disto the event through a combination couraged XLovers “We don’t really of clean vocals, skillful guitar, and care what people think and that’s unique percussion beats. been working way better for us.” The two California singers also The pair complimented each performed their own original song other well during the performance. called “Hearts” which was recently Each note had musical authenticfeatured in the movie ‘Piece of ity and confidence that not many Cake’. Preforming with style the artists have, which is what made two really knew how to light up a the performance very moving.
The beat’s from Amen’s the Cajon instrument were perfectly complimented Jackson’s guitar strumming creating an incredible aura. The performers seemed feed off the other’s vibe and energy allowing their unique sound to echoed throughout the room. This is only the beginning for X Lovers and they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Ames
and Jackson are breaking onto the scene with a passion and work ethic that could carry them to the top. Their advice for those that wish to pursue a career in music is, “Do what comes from your heart.” The two also encourage others to find their own authentic sound adding “If you’re trying to be like somebody else that person already did it better than you so be you.”
The much anticipated “Black Panther” didn’t disappoint and got people feeling the spirit of the movie. People were caught up in the “Wakanda” spirit as crowds of moviegoers cheered and barked upon exiting the cinema. The movie had created an ebullient vibe that interested everyone. Having watched the movie twice now, it is clear that Marvel and director Ryan Coogler set about making a movie that catered and related to a race of over 1 billion people – and they succeeded, spectacularly. A key thing that “Black Panther” has going for it is the thematic weight it easily carries on its shoulders. “Black Panther” has a plethora of themes relevant to the modern-day struggles of POC (People of Color). These themes include ethnic separatism, colonization, differences between Africans and Africans of Diaspora, Afrofuturism, sins of the past, absent fathers as well as the more common themes of heroism, love and loyalty. The score composer Ludwig
Gorensson did an excellent job at creating authentic African sounds and the movie itself used a few songs that would be familiar to keen ears. Coogler expertly directed beautiful transition shots and spectacular actions scenes. As heavy as the themes were they wouldn’t have been so successful if not for the amazing cast who play a variety of complex, multi-dimensional characters. The run-time, pacing, execution, directing and story, can be all rated and assigned a value. But, the importance and meaning of the movie, the way in which each person will experience it, will be different. With a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes, the movies brisk pace carries the viewer through the movie. The excellent pacing makes it hard to notice that time is passing until the last act of the movie. Like every movie, it does have its shortcomings. The story isn’t particularly superb but because of the good directing, scene executions and fantastic acting and characterization it’s easy to overlook the flaws or lulls in the story. Lupita Nyong’o, who stars as Nakia, says the fictional land of Wakanda encourages female power.
By: Taylor Yamamoto A&E Editor
*A baby octopus is about the size of a flea when it’s born *Banging your head against a wall burns 150 calories an hour *Cherophobia is the fear of fun *Human saliva has a boiling point three times that of regular water Maryia Mubeen | The Current XLovers moving with the beat showcasing their comfortability on stage.
Iconic Black Panther Movie Wow’s Audiences By: Lucy Arciniega Staff Writer
Facts by thefactsite.com
“Wakanda offers us a glimpse into the world as it could be — self-determined and developed on their own terms without the interruption of colonialism. [It] has figured out how to make the most of all its citizens,” Nyong’o said. “Women are allowed to realize their full potential and that’s what Ryan [Coogler] wanted to show and he committed to having that number of women around him.” She says the women contribute to answering central questions the film poses such as, “Who am I?” Nyong’o adds that specifically the character of Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, is an important image for young girls to see given her position
as a young, tech-savvy woman. Race deeply matters in “Black Panther”; it explores larger human concerns about the past, the present and the uses and abuses of power. That gives the movie more insight into how the world works than a lot of mainstream movies, even if those ideas are interspersed with plenty of comic-book posturing. It wouldn’t be a Marvel production without manly skirmishes and digital avatars. Yet in its emphasis on black imagination, creation and liberation, the movie becomes an emblem of a past that was denied and a future that feels very present. And in doing so opens up its world, and the viewers, beautifully.
*If you lift a kangaroo’s Tail off the ground it can’t hop *A lion’s roar can be heard from five miles away *In Uganda, 50% of the population is under 15 years of age *Catfish are the only animals that naturally have an odd number of whiskers *Slugs have 4 noses *Kleenex tissues were originally used as filters in gas masks
David Holt | Flickr A picture of a poster from the ‘Black Pathers’ London premiere.
*Bananas are curved because they grow towards the sun
a&e Artist Spotlight: Eric Burghard Shows Off Unique Style Taylor Yamamoto | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Spotlighted artist Eric Burghard.
By: Maelee Morey Staff Writer
Eric Burghard, 39, is the artist spotlight spot light for this issue. Burghard is originally from New York and moved to Washington state in 1992. After moving, he attended and graduated from Auburn Senior High School where he discovered his love for art. In 2005 Burghard started attending Green River College where he pursued “a civil engineer type careers”, but he ended up being dissatisfied with it and chose to seek
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other career paths. After leaving for a short period of time, Burghard decided to head back to Green River in 2015 where he attend classes in the hopes of getting a transfer degree in computer science. Realizing that, computer science might not be a career path he wished to pursue either he decided to chase a different degree and ended up with an with an Associates in Arts (AA). “This path was not for me and my wife convinced me that I was good at art and to pursue it as a career.” Burghard’s wife is extremely supportive of him and it is this strong base that gave him the courage to seek out his dream. He said that his wife, peers, and teachers the people who inspire him the most to create his art. He had finally discovered his passion and dedicated his life to creating his work through drawing and graphic design. When Burghard encounters creativity blocks (being unable to be creative) he said that he practices techniques to get the juices flowing again. One: step away from it, two: have something to eat and drink, and three: go back to it. Key components to being an
artist are that they must have patience, work ethic, and persistence to create magic. The advice Burghard would give to budding artists is, “To try or try again. If that does not help, Google it.” Having idols can be important to an artist. Seeing different kinds of art can inspire and artist to conceptualize and develop their own unique style. Burghard said that the artists who inspire him the most are Seurat’ and Michelangelo both who are known for their paintings. The correct tools are extremely important to and artist. He explains what he frequently uses pencils, conte, water colors, charcoal, and photoshop to make his art. One assignment he spoke about which he called “OhSnap!” where he, ‘.... had to look at a corner of a room and draw it, it was rather boring but it helped me get onepoint perspective down.” He then explained how he spiced up the drawing somehow incorporating an octopus into it. Showing the unique way he uses tools create his works of art. Burghard is a talented artist. If you are interested in seeing his art work, it is being displayed in President Johnson’s office.
Eruc Burghard | Arts Department Eric Burghard takes a spin on a picture showcasing his unique talent.
eecs.wsu.edu/software-engineering
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Taylor Yamamoto | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
The Story Of Two Adorable Baby Goats Tim And Tam By: Annamarie Graver Graphic Designer Out of all times in the day, Tim and Tam were born on March 6 at around 10 p.m. when no one was home. The two little fireworks are both Pigmy Nubian mixed goats who, even though are twins, look completely different. Tam, white with black spots, is the troublemaker out of the two. Always demanding food, love, and attention, his appearance takes after his mother. He is the tallest and strongest between the two. Even though Tam’s only a week old, his hobbies include jumping off the back porch even if his owner tells him not to and doing backflips off his brother. His eating habits are probably relatable to some, a little messy but always excited whenever he sees dinner come his way. His bad behaviors are instantly forgiven due to his talent of cuddling. A true natural, Tam, loves snuggling up with anyone near and relaxing near his owner while they are watching television or while being brushed. He can be annoying at times, but it’s hard being upset at such a cute baby. Tim is the angel (and favorite, just don’t tell anyone) between them. Unlike his brother, he is quiet and instead of eating the Christmas tinsel that was forgotten, he would
rather sun bathe or take naps outside when it is sunny. His curiosity is limited, only exploring when his brother is up and about running or when guests are over. Tim has so far been raised inside the home with the Kramer family and slowly, day-by-day is learning from the other fluffy four-legged animal that watches over the two: the family dog, Turduncan. The family at this point is worried about if the baby goat will actually grow up to be a goat or will forever believe that his path is to run alongside his golden retriever buddy and eat out of dog bowls. I try not to let the cute ears and tails fool me, the two have been through a lot considering they are only a week old. After being born, their mother for some reason rejected them, refusing to keep them warm or feeding them which resorted in the owners having to work together to keep the babies alive and healthy. The family is on a strict plan when it comes to feeding; the family has to make sure the two kids get three to four meals a day. The two have been constantly having ups and downs, battling colds that only one has seemed to overcome so far. With only three family members, the Kramer’s have been working hard on making sure that the babies have a safe and clean environment to grow and become their bubbly happy selves.
In the future, Tim and Tam will be trained to pull flower carts on the Kramer farm and be integrated with the other four goats that already live on the property. The family plans on starting a petting zoo within the next few years which the two will of course participate
in due to their sweet nature. There is still a long road ahead for the two lively goats, but with love and happiness counted in how much their tails wag, they will for sure grow stronger together.
Annamarie Graver| The Current Tim and Tam saying “hello”to one another with a gental sniff showing the love between siblings.
studentsubmissions Students may submit short stories, graphics, photos, drawings, poems, etc. Not guarenteed to be published. Must be sent to the editor@thegrcurrent.com We encourage students to submit whatever they wish and to use this as a creative space.
Deadlines:
April 19, May 3, May 17, May 31
Annamarie Graver| The Current Tim and Tam cuddling up next to each other to settle down for a nap in the bed box.
opinion Recent Vandalism Sweeps Campus
Isabel Barni| Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
thecurrent
Editorial
The vandalism of bathrooms, posters, and even student art productions publicized political beliefs while also offending students campus-wide. Phrases such as “#Feminismworsethancancer” and “Black Lives Matter=hate group” have been found handwritten in pen on surfaces and posters across GRC. At The Current, while most are offended by the statements written by the vandal, the real issue lies in both the tarnishing of public property and the difficulty of getting information about this incident. As seen in the photographs on page 2 of the Campus section, student artwork in the Salish Hall’s critique space was one of the vandalized locations. However, rather than giving information to report on this occurance, the Fine Art Division refused to comment or share information. The reactions to this throughout the office of editors was unanimous. Rather than addressing the situation head-on, there was an attempt to cover and ignore the situation entirely. This was to ensure that the events were not overexaggerated. “The Art Department doesn’t want this blown out of proportion, but they know we’re writing an article about it anyway,” said Editor-In-Chief, Mariya Mubeen. “Why not let it be their narrative?”
However, while The Current staff disagreed with the Fine Art Division on their handling of the situation, there is a mutual understanding amongst both communities that the vandalism is unacceptable. According to Melanie Bell, campus editor, “The issue isn’t the things that were written. The problem is that it was done in general. People have the right to protest but you can’t deface public property.” Although the highlighted area of vandalism was in Salish Hall’s art critique space, instances of vandalism have taken place throughout the GRC campus. Locations such as the Student Affairs’ bottom floor men’s bathroom and softboards in the Student Union also were vandalized. “The vandalism is annoying and a waste of money,” said Web Editor Alex Markovich. “Someone has to go out and take it down [which will cost the school]. There are better ways to voice your opinion.” In reference to Markovich’s statement, some people at The Current added that other methods of expression would lead to a more calm and serious consideration of the vandal’s publicized opinions. “[When I see vandalized opinions], I believe that they are just seeking attention,” said Sports Editor Blake Latta. In addition to what Latta claimed,
Markovich followed by saying “No one really thinks about vandalism’s meaning. It doesn’t change a single person’s mind.” Because many at The Current fail to see the vandalism as more than a cry for attention, the staff members become increasingly concerned with the limited access to further information. According to Taylor Yamamoto, the A&E editor, “I think that the Fine Art Division had an extreme reaction to this. What they did was exactly what the person who wrote on the art wanted...in a way, by trying to cover this up, the vandals got the attention that they wanted.” Hopefully these acts of vandalism will come to a close so the conflicting opinions can be further discussed in a civil manner.
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thestaff
Mariya Mubeen Editor-in-Chief Photographer 253-833-9111 x2377
Melanie Bell Campus Editor
Mollie Clements Managing Editor Ads Manager Copy Editor Isabel Barni Opinion Editor
Taylor Yamamoto A&E Editor
Meanwhile At The Current... The Current newspaper staff would like to welcome Blake Latta to the workplace. He is the new sports editor and his work will be present in future issues. The Current newspaper also won 8th place at ACP, a national Journalism competition.
Blake Latta Sports Editor
Annamarie Graver Graphic Designer
Alex Markovich Web Editor
Editorials reflect the opinions of the entire editing staff of the Current.
Racial Exclusion From Black Panther Movie Release By: Blake Latta Sports Editor
The recent outcry and backlash between cultural groups surrounding the release of Marvel’s new movie, Black Panther, has created social tensions around what should be a shared form of entertainment. It’s no secret that Marvel’s Black Panther is one of the most talked about movies of 2018. There are numerous reasons for people to be so enthusiastic about this movie. This includes that it’s the first Marvel cinematic universe movie (MCU) to portray a black superhero as the leading role, it has a predominantly black cast, and the soundtrack has been produced by Kendrick Lamar. This film has gotten a significantly different level of excitement than past productions; it’s a level that hasn’t been seen for a Marvel movie to date. This movie has managed to get people that aren’t huge fans of superhero movies to rush the ticket stands to purchase a seat. Black Panther has seen the most pre-ordered tickets in the
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first 24-hours for any MCU movie to date, surpassing the previous record holder, which was Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. The opening weekend for this movie has proven that pre-orders can translate to actual sales numbers. Black Panther has pulled in $218 million in its opening weekend, and had pulled in over $700 million total at the time of writing this article. People have to wonder what the cause is for this surge of movie fans clamoring to see the film for themselves. The area that this movie has been getting the most excitement on has been on social media, specfically Twitter. The most vocal of Twitter users on this issue have come to be called “Black Twitter”. The movie has been the cause of several different types of discussions and debates. From a general excitement, to people saying that it is the first time they have felt empowered by seeing black actors being shown as superheros being just as powerful than their white counterparts, to people even
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
criticizing the film for a lack of representation of LGBTQ. Despite the reactions to the movie being universally positive among all categories of people, a very different negative reaction has taken place. A very vocal subset of users on Twitter seem to have the mindset that white people can’t see this movie for the simple reason that they are white. There is the claim that the production and watching of Marvel’s Black Panther movie is a black-only event. As a form of retaliation, there have been some Twitter trolls claiming to have been attacked and beaten by black movie attendees. These Twitter trolls went as far as to find photos of people in gruesome makeup, or using stock photos of bloody towels as “proof” that they were attacked. These were quickly debunked when people found that the photos were fake and even became the cause for mockery by other Twitter users. Twitter user @RobloxZionist wrote; “I was so excited to see #BlackPanther and a young black
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man at the theater shouted ‘you in the wrong place, cracker!’ And proceeded to bloody my face. It hurts so bad I can’t take it!”. Along with the tweet, @RobloxZionist posted a photo of actor Jensen Ackles in bloody makeup from the popular show, Supernatural. The social division caused by this film, which should be seen as both a unity and mixing of cultures, is the exact opposite of how people should react to this event. The politics being interwoven around this movie have spiraled out of control. It’s dumbfounding and ridiculous that a simple superhero movie could cause such a firestorm on social media platforms. There isn’t another movie, T.V. show, or any other form of media in the modern era that has caused such polarizing debate and uproar in recent memory. It’s difficult to say if such a phenomenon will happen again, but one thing is for certain; the executives in Hollywood can observe the power behind casting people of color in leading movie roles.
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Wilson, Luis Cervantes, Mohamed Mohamud, Macy Erickson, Kinsey Miller, Anthony Greenlee, Lucy Arciniega, Jefferson Bolin, Nahrawend Gheribi, Juanita Vann, Maria Arciniega, Chloe Johnson, Mario Garcia, Maria Asomo, Blake Latta, Sun Nina Meas, MaeLee Morey
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opinion Why The Recent Criticism Of The NRA Is Justified
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the NRA for these violent events. Many companies are even beginning to cut ties with the association The National Rifle Association in light of the recent backlash. (NRA) deserves the recent backMany in the population have also lash that it has received, as many demanded that President Donald of the policies that it supports Trump propose solutions for the should be reconsidered. shootings; the main restriction beThe NRA was created in 1871 by ing additional control of firearms. Col. Williams It is necessary Church and to mention that Gend. George some, but not Public safety does not Wingate. The necessarily all, depend on the age of main goal of the aspects of the an individual, but the association was NRA can be conto promote and trolled. A pomental health of each encourage rifle tentially flawed gun owner. shooting on a area to consider scientific basis. is the excessive It also focused financing that on training and marksmanship. the NRA did in favor of Trump’s However, over multiple years the 2016 presidential campaign. principle purpose has changed. Trump will not end the problem, “The NRA has donated millions much less propose measures for of dollars to politicians who have the security of citizens in the face then passed laws that make guns of massive shootings. His exposure more accessible,” said Karina Pereto the public was insufficient and pelkina, a student at Green River not very affable, giving a primarily College. These laws have created negative response to the events. little control of who should and Trump additionally claimed that who should not use a firearm. For guns should be provided to teachexample, the most recent case that ers in order to protect the children occurred on February 14, where during a potential school shooting. a 19-year-old adolescent shot 17 This method is not effective and people in Parkland, Florida with a does not guarantee any kind of semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle, security. The only impact it would abused these lenient laws. have and will have on the people is This event induced a national that it incites more conflict. conversation, some people blaming Comprehensive background
By: Maria Osomo Staff Writer
checks may be a key point of re-evaluation, but ultimately they would only be a modification for a damaged system. The accelerators of the shots, however, should definitely be prohibited. The actual reduction of anything will be difficult, as both the government and the NRA benefit from their currently obtainable status. The increase of age for the possession of weapons is reasonable. However, public safety does not depend on the age of an individual, but the mental health of each gun owner. Trump has been against stricter age constraints on firearms which, overall, he has made clear. The NRA should absolutely be receiving backlash in light of recent events. If guns weren’t so easy to get, then it would have been a lot harder for the Parkland shooter to purchase the used weapon, which he bought earlier in the same day. Companies have the right to cut ties with the NRA as they deem necessary. The public can see that the NRA has played a huge role in current gun laws, which many continue to find unsatisfactory. The stores that broke from the NRA and implemented stricter gun rules in their stores, the most striking being the limiting of firearm purchases to those aged 21 and over, are just listening to their consumers. They are doing what’s best for their company and their buyers.
Isabel Barni | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
Democracy Chronicles flickr.com
whitewall buick flickr.com
Top/Bottom: Artistic interpretations of the NRA.
Little To No Correlation Found Between Video Games And Violence By: Kinsey Miller Staff Writer Public violence, such as the events that took place in Florida on Feb. 14, does not primarily occur because of the violence present in video games. Questions as to whether video games have any correlation in the rise of violence are starting to plague everyones brain. Many begin to wonder if video games cause bullying on playgrounds, or are actually resulting in the multiple
Anna Graver | The Current
mass shootings Americans either experience themselves or hear about later in the news. While it may seem logical to blame violent video games on one of the largest current problems that American society faces, it’s not logical to just blame a singular aspect. Studies show that, although video games can lead to violent behavior, violent video games alone are not the leading cause. According to Regis University, the College of Contemporary Liberal Studies, “Violence is a complex problem, and cannot be attributed to one single cause [such as the impact of violent video games]”. There are many ways that America’s youth could become violent. The games that they play can have some impact on their behavior, but there will always be more to why people act the way that they do. Kara Swinney, a 20 year-old GRC student, believes that violent video games don’t cause people to
be violent. However, they can lead to the “desensitization of violent weapons.” Swinney feels that it is all up to the individual to act on any violent thoughts that they get from playing violent video games. While everyone knows that there have been multiple American mass shootings recently, comparing America to other countries that have the same access to violent video games produces telling results. According to PolitiFact, despite common beliefs, America is not the leader in mass shootings. They state that “there’s evidence that the rate of killings in mass-shooting events occurred at a higher per-capita rate than in the United States between 2000 and 2014.” The United States has a lower amount of deaths due to mass shootings than Norway, Finland, and Switzerland. Though America’s are more frequent, they are not as deadly as some other countries’. “Violence is programmed into
human [nature],” said 18-year-old Running Start student, Dario Munoz. According to Munoz, humans all have the capability of doing something violent. However, there are a few different people whose capability is higher than others. The citizens of the United States have the most lenient access to guns compared to the rest of the world. To get a permit to carry a gun in Washington State, a prospective buyer only has to be at least 21 years old (depending on the store), apply in person at a law enforcement agency, and get fingerprinted for a background check. While there is a background check to see if the person applying for a permit has no criminal history, there is currently no way to tell if a person is mentally stable enough to be the personal owner of a gun. A person can seem stable on the outside, but that doesn’t mean that they are reliable enough to be trusted with a firearm. A mental screening before the purchase of a gun could help decrease the ability of any person having access to buying and carrying guns. Recently, even President Donald Trump has been blaming public violence on video games. Trump
showed his beliefs on the matter when he tweeted “Video game violence & glorification must be stopped --- it is creating monsters!” While the president has the same right as other Americans to express his opinions, there is no scientific backing behind his connections between violence and video games. Dalton Bair, a 19-year-old GRC student, said, “Politicians blame events on unrelated subjects in order to create a popular opinion that secures their re-election. There is no connection between violent video games and [violent behavior].” Similarly to Bair, Mark Applebaum, a psychology professor at the University of California San Diego, said, “The short answer is there is virtually no research [on the correlation between violent video games and public aggression].” Because there is no research to back the claim that video games create violence, it is not acceptable to place the blame on video games. Until a study comes out suggesting otherwise, there is no telling for certain why modern America has spiked in violent trends. It could be anything from the bullying that in schools to the mental illnesses that have yet to be diagnosed.
Blake Latta| Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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Backwoods Photography
Pictured (clockwise): Liz Tuani landing a kick on Jonalyn Marelic in the 125 pounds kickbxing weight group. Deshon Bousley punching Josh Moore in the 155 pounds kickboxing weight group. Jovaanis Rodriguez dons his new championship belt. Jeremy Ang
Backwoods Photography
MMA Cage Fights Take Center Stage At Green River By: Juanita Vann Staff Writer
River didn’t compete in Doerge’s show. The fighters are from different gyms or around Washington, Travis Doerge hosted a mixed Oregon, and Canada. martial arts (MMA) event on Doerge has participated in many campus. cage fights throughout his 26 years The event was called Redemption in the sport. 12 cage fights. “Some of the big organizations I Doerge has been into MMA fought in was the World extreme fighting for about 26 years where he cagefighting, International fight started out as a kickboxer. league, and the world of series “When I was fighting,” said kickboxing, I Doerge. turned profesDoerge gave sional in 1999 and some final words “I was ranked 18th in encouraging quickly moved the world.” up the ranks,” those interested - Travis Doerge, Event Organizer in joining the Doerge says. “And before switching sport. “Find a to MMA fighting, good gym to I was ranked 18th start training at.” in the world.” Otherwise getting hurt is bound Not only does Doerge have his to happen without the proper own gym that he operates, but he training. “Make sure the coaches also has merchandise such as shirts are credible because, there are a related to fighting. The clothing lot of gyms out there without good booth could be seen at the event. coaching that are just opening For those who don’t know the gist gyms to try and make money beof the basic rules of cage fighting, cause of the sport growing so fast!” the rules generally depend on the Doors opened at 6 p.m on March organization and if it’s pro or am3 and the fights began at 7 p.m. ateur fighting. Also depending on With live action MMA, kickboxing, the style of fighting. and Muay Thai style fighting. Being Although the event was held here an all ages event, there were three on campus, students from Green title fights and many more follow-
ing match ups. This style of fighting allows striking, grappling and gathers techniques from other combat sports. Kickboxing is a form of martial arts based on kicking and boxing. Elements of karate is infused in this style of combat. Muay Thai being a boxing type of combat sport, this style of fighting uses stand up striking and various clinching techniques. The lineup for the event consisted of 16 fighters. All of which were of various ages, genders, and weight; each of which fought in a different style of fighting. Whether it be kickboxing, MMA or Muay Thai. From the beginning of the first bell to the very last, all fighter gave everything they had and put all their efforts into fighting. With the fighter’s supporters on deck (family, friends and coaches) there was non-stop action. Other than the big three title rewards which fought for a belt, there were also other awards throughout the night. The fight of the night award went out to Tristen Hansen and Julio Layva. Knock out of the night went to Josh Moore-Ilkb. Submission of the night was awarded to Kyle Hayden.
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Blake Latta| Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com
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Women’s Basketball: A Season In Review Athletic Advisor Vacancy By: Mohamed Mohamud Staff Writer
Despite finishing just 1-13 in the 2017-18 season, the Gator Women’s Basketball team had their fair share of solid contributors to the team overall. The Women’s hoops squad exhibited solid contributions from two of their biggest stars this season, particularly from Ariana Dougall, a sophomore guard, and Dayna-Joy Calubaquib, the second-leading scorer on the Gator Women’s Basketball team. Dougall, who was arguably the team’s go-to option on the offensive side of the ball, finished with averages of 15.3 points for the 201718 basketball season. Calubaquib ended her versatile season with averages of 9.3 points while leading the Gators Women’s Basketball team in assists at 3.7 per contest. “Primarily, we played the six women that were on our team, and everyone had a role to play,” said Tamara Shilipetar, assistant coach of the Women’s Basketball team. “Our one role player did a great job in playing their role; they came off the bench, got off a quick three-point shot, and played solid defense.”
Despite having solid contributors on the offensive side of the ball, the Gator Women’s basketball team has shown their versatility by playing both sides at an elite level as well. “The one thing that contributed to any successes that we’ve had this season was the way we played defense,” continued Shilipetar. “We held teams to low numbers of scoring, and we played tenacious defense for 40 minutes. That was something they could hang their hat on and be proud of.” The lone win the Gator Women’s Basketball team had this season featured a double-digit victory against South Puget Sound on Feb. 10. Green River was able to force South Puget Sound into committing 19 turnovers on a low shooting percentage from both the field and three, where they went 29.8 and 22.6 percent respectively. The basketball team, known for their rough style of play on both ends of the floor, accumulated 15 total steals as a team during that same victory, compared to South Puget Sound’s four. They were also able to drain more field goals from downtown, hitting 11 of their 32 attempted three-point shots, compared to South Puget Sound’s seven made threes.
Perhaps the most notable part of the season was when sophomore guard Ariana Dougall set the Gator Women’s Basketball team record for the most three-point field goals made in a game. Dougall connected on nine of her 19 attempted threes, an impressive feat that occurred during a 22-point loss to Grays Harbor on Jan. 27. Dougall also ended that game with 35 points as she went on to lead both of the teams in scoring that night. The Playoffs that the Women’s team missed this season will be taking place this upcoming weekend, from March 17 onward in Everett, Wash. at Everett Community College. Albeit a rough season for the Women’s Basketball team, they look to capitalize and find a bevy of areas of improvement as they head into next fall quarter. They are looking to add onto the two NWACC championships the Gators won in the mid-1980s and continue that mission through hard work and excellence. The Women’s team will start training in the summer, and their next season will officially start this upcoming fall quarter.
By: Blake Latta Sports Editor There is a vacancy after the abrupt and sudden departure of Green River’s former Athletic Director, Bob Kickner. Kickner decided that he would rather work closer to home and found a similar position at a new school where he didn’t have to drive over an hour just to get to work. He came to the difficult decision of departing from Green River. Green river is now in need of a new athletic director. This position pays about $76,000 per year. A new athletic director would need to be able to lead and direct in the development of short and long term plans for athletic and recreational programs, assist head
coaches with student recruitment, and serve as advisor to recreational sports clubs and fitness instructors. They must supervise the scheduling of all athletic competitions and practices, over see travel arrangements, coordinate officiating and event management, and provide supervision at all campus athletic events. This would include assisting visiting teams and serve as safety coordinator. GRC had three people be interviewed for the position and will hopefully the college will be able to welcome the new director in the coming weeks. The College plans to announce the new athletic director after the start of spring quarter. The names of the candidates for the position are: Rick Turner, Godfrey Drake, and Shannon Percell.
Graeme Maclean| flickr.com
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