Issue 8, Volume 49

thecurrent the award winning student newspaper of green river college

Mar4.2015

www.thegrcurrent.com

issue08 volume49

Men Head to the

NWAC Tournament page 11

#GoGators @thegrcurrent Cover By | Ian Lobdell

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Faculty Rally Before Campus, Administration Ignores Cries

The Current Wins National Award for Journalism

Editorial: What GRC is Not Doing to End Faculty Disputes

Faculty members took to picketing around campus for National Adjunct Walkout Day Page3

The Current ranked 6 in a national journalism competition for best of show.

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Faculty members and The Current weigh in on what is happening during contract negotiations Page8

During a monthly board meeting, the campus was filled with the chants of faculty members. The protesters held signs in an attempt to get the attention of the members of the administration as they walked to the board room. John Clark, Assistant Attorney General, (right) one of the college’s lawyers is attempting to weave his way through the protesters. Tim Clark, the newly appointed board of trustees member, (left) greeted the protesters with handshakes and hugs.

Adjunct faculty members and their supporters walk through campus holding signs in response to the delays in contract negotiations. Many instructors canceled classes and talked with the students and other faculty members they met. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of how the contract negotiations have made working at Green River difficult. Photos by Ian Lobdell and Alina Moss.

James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

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GREENRally RIVER FACULTY for Admin’s Attention

Faculty Corner Administration By: James Ristig & Taylor Lopes Campus Editor & Staff Writer Faculty members of Green River College stood in front of the administration building in protest. The members of the protest were upset over the lack of any resolution to the ongoing contract dispute.

They were protesting because the board of trustees had their monthly meeting on that day. The protesters stood in front of the entrances to the administration building, trying to be noticed by the five board members and Eileen Ely, president of Green River College.

Sandy Johanson, a philosophy instructor, said that the union has been trying to negotiate for a new contract. The negotiation team is unwilling to compromise on any points that the college may present.

Despite being in negotiations with the faculty for over a year, the administration has yet to make an offer that could be agreed upon.

On February 25, the administration made public on Communigator the current offer to the faculty.

They offered to increase full time faculty wages by 1.2 percent and adjunct faculty wages by 1.7 percent.

In an email, Mark Millbauer, the united faculty president, said, “The act of publishing a contract proposal for all to see is almost unheard of in community college contract bargaining and is clearly suspect.”

The negotiations are being mediated by the Public Employment Relation’s Commission (PERC).

They are an independent organization dedicated to resolving disputes between public employers and employees.

Glen Martin, a carpentry technology instructor, said he is disappointed to see that over the last three years, faculty wages have

stayed the same, while the administrations salaries have gone up.

John Avery, division chair for transitional studies, said the faculty has been in negotiations with the administration for almost two years. The original contract that the faculty was working under ran out almost a year ago.

Millbauer also raised a concern among the faculty that the contract negotiator that the administration hired is slowing down the negotiation process intentionally.

“The lack of willingness to work with us has showed a lack of respect for us,” Johanson said.

Because of this lack of respect perceived by the faculty, they were holding up signs in front of the board of trustee members which said, “Tell the College…To value us.

To listen to us. To Work with us. We want to make GRCC better.”

During the negotiations, administration has not made the effort to talk with the faculty members, Martin said.

“We’re not high priority. It’s disheartening,” Martin said.

Frank Primiani, a business administration instructor, said despite there being a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase, salaries have not been adjusted at Green River. COLA is a slight adjustment in the wages of employees to account for inflation. Wealth disparity is growing larger and larger between the administration and the faculty, Primiani said.

Millbauer said that funding for faculty wages comes from legislation passed by Washington state.

Though there is a budget for faculty wages, he said that the government cannot give the college much money to help.

“We can’t rely on legislation to totally fund faculty,” Millbauer said.

See > Board Meeting pg5

Part-Time Faculty Walk Out of Classes in Protest By: Nadine Ntibarufata Staff Writer

Adjunct instructors across the country protested on National Adjunct day against poverty-level wages, with a goal to raise awareness and attention to adjunct faculty members.

Adjuncts are hired by colleges, but are not full members of the faculty. These instructors are hired quarterly, and their salaries are equal to 70 percent of what full timers make while teaching the same classes.

“I am only surviving because my husband has a better income, but some of my colleagues aren’t as lucky,” said Erin Gilbert, an adjunct faculty member.

While full timers get benefits and are paid during breaks, adjuncts do not receive these benefits.

Eileen Ely, the president of Green River College, the main focus of the faculties allegations, could not comment on the current situations at the college because she was off campus.

Allison Friedly, executive director of college relations, and Marshall Sampson, vice president of human resources and legal affairs for Green River, spoke on behalf of the administration. In an email, they said that, as of last fall, there has been only one faculty member who is homeless due to her work situation.

“Her under-employment was due to the fact that she also taught for Renton Tech. Renton dropped all of her classes for the quarter in question—although, Green River maintained their contract with this faculty member,” Friedly said in the email. “Just as any part-time employee, their wages are lower than full-time employees, due to the number of credits and hours that they teach.”

At Green River College, the Olympia, then to Everett in one walkout started at a rainy 8 a.m. day. Six hours in car, how can you Adjuncts, wearing rainy coats and get time to meet up with students, spring gloves, stood at college’s converse with them, grade their main entrance and greeted stuwork?” said one of the adjuncts. dents with picket signs that said, At noon, the protesters wanted to “Tell the College…To value us. To make the situation visible to both listen to us. To Work with us. We students and other faculty memwant to make GRCC better.” bers. In front of LC building, the “The administration claims they protesters gathered and held a rally, don’t have money, but of course where they went around the college they have money to reward thempicketing the various buildings. selves and give themselves a raise,” It did not take long before they Fleites-Lear said. caught attention from many stuFleites-Lear said she is simdents who left their classes. Some ply sickened by how Ely earned students went to protest together $200,000 last year. Fleites-Lear said with their instructors. The protestthis is five times the amount of ers also included full time faculty money she makes. members who said they felt the Although adjuncts make up the pain of their colleagues. majority of instructors at Green “Well if my instructor is not River College, Mark Millbauer, the getting my tuition to teach me then united faculty president, said that who is?” said Rachel Dunnings, a adjuncts make up 65.9 percent in domestic student at Green River 2009, they do College. “I not have their think its “The choice to work as own individimportant ual offices nor that we a part-time employee do they have support our is their own, and not other places to teachers and meet up with make sure determined by the their students. that they are college.”

Friedly said getting our - Spokeswoman Allison Friedly this is not money that an issue and we are paying argues that there are other options to the school to teach us and more available. students need to help in order to “If students need additional make an impact.” support from a faculty member, After speaking with the adjunct they can contact them via email or faculty members that were protestphone and arrange a time to meet ing, Dunnings believes the adminwith them—even if its outside of istration is getting the money that a designated office,” Friedly said in the adjuncts want for raises. an email. “Additionally, if a student International students were also needs academic assistance, they present at the rally. In anger and can contact our Tutoring & Redisappointment of where their sources Center on campus.” money goes, they helped to sing Due to low paying salaries and “Value Adjuncts / Value Us.” having to travel to different camDue to the enormous amount of puses, adjuncts said they cannot tuition the international students work anytime, anywhere.

“One time I drove from here, to See > Walkout pg5

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James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Green River Becomes Even Greener College Installs Energy Saving, Environmentally Conscious Systems in Buildings By: Cassandra Houghton Staff Writer Green River’s buildings are becoming more energy efficient all the time. Recently, Facilities has been redoing the heating, cooling and lighting control systems on campus.

The new control systems are the biggest energy savers on campus, John McCormick, a control technician said.

The increase in energy efficiency because of these new systems is estimated to save the college over $51,000 the next year, said Terry Stanford, resource conservation and infrastructure manager for Facilities.

The revamped control systems do a couple things to help save energy. They allow Facilities staff to keep a better eye on the energy usage from heating and cooling in the buildings, Stanford said. If a piece of equipment is broken or not working properly facilities can easily see where the problem is and trouble shoot it pretty quickly.

The control systems have all the building’s lights, heating, and air conditioning on a schedule that adjusts based on the conditions, McCormick said. The control systems save energy by shutting off rooms and buildings when no one is in them and then turn everything back on shortly before people return.

“If everything goes right, no one ever knows that anything was off,”

McCormick said.

If a schedule changes or temperatures need to be adjusted, the control technicians simply make an adjustment when the call comes in.

This time of year, Facilities frequently gets called about people being too hot or cold in a building, Stanford said.

“They say just turn the thermostat up, but when you adjust that dial there’s a whole factory of people and machines in the background making the adjustments happen correctly,” Stanford said.

When adjustments are made, one room in the building will complain that its too cold and another will complain that its too warm, Stanford said. Facilities uses the control systems to work with occupants to find the hot or cold spots in a building, and to find way to make things more comfortable.

To balance comfort and energy savings, the school also recently began installing heat pumps this last January, Kyle Evans, a control technician said. Five heats pumps were recently installed, some in the OEB building, the Child Care Center, and on Kent Campus, Evans said.

Heat pumps help save energy because they can take hot or cool air from where you don’t want it and they put it where you need it, Evans said. Simply moving air around is much more efficient than trying to heat or cool it all the time.

Not only do the new heat pumps help save energy, but they can be manually controlled by the

occupants in the room, Evans said.

If the yoga class is working up a sweat, they can simply turn on the heat pump and pump cool air from somewhere else.

In recent months, the school has also upgraded all the indoor lighting to more efficient fluorescent bulbs and all the outdoor lighting

David Carr from the New York Times during a keynote the second day. We listened to, watched, and shook hands with Rory Kennedy (a relative of John F. Kennedy), after listening to her talk about her documentary titled “The Last Days in Vietnam.”

The bizarre happened. A man taught a class dressed as Fidel Castro, cigar and all, in a session called “chicken salad” (journalists are weird, you need to understand).

Our managing editor, Ian Lobdell, networked like a pro, collecting a stack of personal business cards that he is very proud of.

Alina Moss (sports editor) and James Ristig (campus editor) noticed the willingness and interest of the many who attended, creating a sense of belonging. There was a shared thirst for knowledge that was prevalent and showed in the way people interacted. Complete strangers jumped eagerly into conversations with each other, concurring and complaining about the ins

and outs of the others newspaper.

We checked out Universal Studios and City Walk, dodging the stereotypical, angry L.A. driver every once in a while.

At the end of it all, we won awards. The convention hosts a competition every year, where each school submits papers and online websites for judging. There are various categories, two of which The Current entered (2- year college overall and special edition overall). We entered Issue 6, that issue being particularly about examining dating, relationships, and sex.

Out of 143 total entries, The Current ranked 5th for special editions and 6th for 2-year college overall.

Though awards aren’t the end all be all of journalism, it’s a nice reminder that the work and sweat that we put into this is appreciated by more than one community.

A former editor of The Current, Haley Curl, won best of show for a four year school at Central Washington University. This is close to

Alina Moss | The Current Energy usage often increases as Facilities’ staff make adjustments to a buildings temperature during the hotter and colder months of the year. These fans push hot or cold air around the building, making it easier and more energy efficient than just heating or cooling various rooms at one time. It also makes things easier for Facilities to control and maintain. to even more efficient LED bulbs, Evans said.

Thicker insulation has been added to some buildings to help regulate building temperatures, McCorrmick said.

In the coming months, students and teachers will have access to energy usage data for Cedar Hall and

Salish Hall. Now that the control systems are in place, facilities is setting up energy dashboards to show electricity and gas usage of those two buildings, Stanford said.

These energy conservation efforts are all a part of Green River’s Resource Conservation Management Plan established in 2012.

The Current Wins National Journalism Award By: Jesse Tores Editor-in-Chief

Winter quarter is quickly coming to an end. Finals are rushing closer and stress levels are higher than ever so, of course, editors on staff here at The Current decided to take a trip for the 31st annual Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) convention.

For a weekend, we dined on the delicatessens that Los Angeles has to offer, such as the elusive In-andOut burger. We also tried the not so elusive overly priced, poorly waited hotel dinner. We geeked out at the thought of new fonts and witty headlines among a sea of other people just like us, journalists from colleges everywhere. Hawaii to New York, and even a few groups from out of the country attended. It was a very interesting mix.

Brian Stelter, the senior media correspondent for CNN, took the place of his fallen former colleague

Rachel Wood | The Current The editors enjoy a day away from classes to eat Mexican food and relax. the best that one can achieve in the competition, and it was very nice to see her take it home.

There are rough times in the journalism business. People can be uncooperative. Stories fall through, people have to be fired, and others take their places. You make a lot of mistakes, especially starting out.

There are times where people can feel like they don’t do enough or aren’t important.

One of the reasons I think these conventions are put together, and one of the reasons we go to them, is to allow journalists to see “their own kind.” It reaffirms the fact that we are still alive and well.

This job, in my brief time doing it, takes a lot out of you but also adds a lot. To be a part of something that changes and moves like a newspaper is a very unique and odd experience, and a lot of fun.

James Ristig | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

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Green River Schools Tutors at National Conference Students Learn Newest Tutoring Strategies, Improve Grades By: Drew Monson Staff Writer

Green River College hosted the Northwest Tutoring Center Conference, a conference meant to give tutors more experience and advice on how to teach their fellow students.

Tutors from around the country came in clusters from their corresponding schools, huddling into Salish Hall to pickup their name tag and event packet, containing all they would need to know for the events proceeding within the next eight hours.

The tutoring conference is held every few years at one of the colleges in the Pacific Northwest, and this year GRC was the school to host.

Jamie Fitzgerald, English faculty member and writing center director, was responsible for applying for the grant associated with hosting, giving GRC around $75,000 to pay for expenses, and some additional money coming out of registration fees.

This conference was not meant to make money, but to give the people attending something more valuable: experience, Fitzgerald said.

Planning for this event dates back to last March, when Fitzgerald first applied for the grant, but the planning committee started working on this event in August.

The event is staffed by volunteers, most of which are GRC students who work at the tutoring centers across campus.

“I think that the college should fully support the tutoring centers to support student success.” Fitzgerald said.

Most of the students in attendance are there to gain different

Board Meeting < From 1 A possible solution to the wages disparity is using local money along with the funds provided by the state.

“Faculty are under compensated.

That’s a fact. The college admitted it in the Auburn Reporter,” Millbauer said.

Avery said that other colleges have been able to use local funds to help increase the wages of their faculty members, though he could not name a specific college.

“Time to get serious and give us a real offer,” Avery said.

During the board meeting, Millbauer spoke for the United Faculty about the ongoing contract disputes. He said, “Faculty salaries have flat-lined. They’ve been virtu-

Courtesy | Riyad Salman Tutors from all different colleges cam together to share their experiences with teaching struggling students, and improve the schools overall grade point average. perspectives and more experience to help tutor students better. A plethora of guest speakers and presentations throughout the event give talks and help tutors.

The tutors from around the country are attending the conference to further their knowledge and perspective as to how to tutor students in the best way possible.

“I want to be here to get other

people’s points of view,” said Erick Velasquez, GRC student writing tutor.

The event started with a general meet-and-greet continental breakfast before Joyce Hammer, director of transfer education and state board for community and technical colleges, took the stage for a keynote address, speaking about the importance of tutoring centers

are for colleges and for the student body as a whole, raising the average GPA and graduation percentile.

Following the keynote address, there were three “breakout” sessions, where the tutors could listen to the different guest speakers and presentations corresponding to their tutoring expertise.

The tutors from around the country as well as the student vol-

unteers were impressed with how well GRC hosted the event, and their new-found perspectives that they are able to take away from the experience.

Fitzgerald hopes that tutors and students alike would walk away from the conference energized, ready to bring their new thoughts into their work, and further bettering student success.

ally the same since 2008.”

Despite the lack of increase in wages, tuition and student fees have increased by 41 percent from 2008 to 2013.

He said in an email that Marshall Sampson, Vice President of Human Resources and legal Affairs, is already using local funds to pay for some salaries, some going to the administration.

Millbauer also said that the makeup of the faculty has changed over the years. In 1969, only 21.7 percent of faculty at Green River were adjuncts. In 2009, that number has increased to 65.9 percent.

The faculty are considering if they can afford to continue to work beyond their contracts for the college if they aren’t willing to compensate them for that work.

Walkout < From 1

River College for almost two years and has witnessed similar protests here before.

She said she would understand if the school was a private college where money is provided by other means, but for a state funded school, she said it is shameful.

The protesters levied their grievances against the administration, the board of trustees, and especially Ely. Although most of the allegations come down to who really is using local funds and students fees, in an FAQ document sent by Friedly, the administration explained how funding works within the Washington State Community and Technical College system (SBCTC).

According to the documents, local funds are generated through

grants, contracts, international student fees, and student fees other than tuition, and are used to support campus projects to ensure that GRC is meeting the needs of students. When it comes to salaries, according to the document, “Most of the money allocated to a college by the legislature is unrestricted, allowing colleges to best serve their own local priorities. However, salaries are not within this allocation. Salary funds are determined by the legislature, and are separate from the other funds available to the College.”

Because the negotiations for bettering the salary of the adjuncts are still going on, no one wanted to comment on that.

pay, adjuncts tried to convince the international students participating in the rally that they are some of the biggest customers Green River has, and that their voice count even more.

“The international students are paying way too much. They are paying over double of what domestic students pay, but that’s going to what exactly? After listening to protesters, there is really a lot that sounds unfair like the fact that buildings are being built, no we are actually just paying for the Dean’s gas when our actual instructors aren’t getting anything,” said Yihui Hoh, a liberal arts info tech student.

She has been a student at Green

Bayside

Bring Me The Horizon

New Found Glory • Beartooth Four Year Strong All Time Low • Periphery Seaway • Such Gold Adventures

Listen at KGRG.com or on

Rachel Wood | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

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Final Call for Authors and Artists to be Heard By: Sabrina Chou Staff Writer Espial is the award-winning Green River College literary and art journal that annually publishes student artwork. For this year’s upcoming issue, the due date for submitting all artwork is March 17. Espial is looking for students to submit all different kinds of creations, including poetry, short stories, photography, paintings, and artwork in all mediums. Students can submit pictures of their artwork online or have them photographed in the art department.

“Espial represents the culture of Green River College,” Espial Advisor Sarah Dillon-Gilmartin said.

Espial encompasses both the art and English department, in hopes to give students more opportunity for involvement. Any student can submit their writing or artwork for Espial, regardless of whether or not they are majoring in art or English.

Green River’s Espial has a long history on campus. The first journal was published in 1989 and was called the “Literary Journal,” which was originally printed in black and white. It was not until 2002 that the journal changed its name to Espial.

When comparing past and present

issues of the journal, a notable difference can be seen in the quality and professionalism.

“Everyone can be an artist and everything is art,” Dillon-Gilmartin stated, which is why she encourages every student to submit some form of his or her artwork. Art comes in all different forms, even though many people think of artwork as simply a painting or drawing.

Although paintings and drawings are widely welcomed, students are encouraged to submit forms of their work that branch into the English department, such as poems and short stories.

The creation of Espial is no walk in the park. In order to produce a neat and beautiful journal, aspects of both art and English must work in unison. Green River offers an Espial course in which students are provided with knowledge on how to construct a published literary journal. Trysteen Tran is the instructor of Espial course and the editor in chief of XIN CHAO magazine, which is based in Seattle.

Tran stresses that students who take the Espial course work around one major goal – to respect each other and all of the artwork. It is important for students taking this course to experience working with

others cooperatively and flexibly in order to meet a shared, final goal.

“I will be learning along with the students as well,” Tran mentioned, particularly in the Espial course.

The Espial course offers students with a distinctive experience that pushes them to work with other students in order to create a larger end product. From the very first day of class, students discuss and outline their goals for Espial, in hopes of bringing it all together by the time the deadline comes around.

According to Dillon-Gilmartin, Espial has definitely had its struggles when it comes to the financial aspect. Espial is working to increase its funding in order to continue showcasing the unique work generated from students on campus. Espial requires the support and participation from GRC students in order to be a success.

Both Dillon-Gilmartin and Tran are encouraging students from all over campus to submit their work and showcase their artistic abilities.

Students wishing to participate should submit their art by March 17. For more information please visit: http://espialjournal.wix.com/ greenriverespial.

Espial features the art of students wanting to get their work seen by the community. The book is filled with poems, stories, and pictures showing what the students feel and what inspires them to create and want that creativity to be seen.

A painting of Maya Angelou and other, more interpretive, paintings. The paintings were inspired by Angelou’s work and writing.

‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’ Art, Beautiful Misery By: Walter Schinkelshoek Staff Writer

An African-American exhibition called “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” took place in the Lindbloom Center on February 18, 19 and 20. From the early morning until the end of the day, both students and administration had the opportunity to view multiple paintings by Green River College student Keion Robertson and decipher their meanings.

Six paintings were shown, each containing a strong message. The paintings were marked by bright colors and messages going further than just the visual aspect. One of the most eye-catching paintings depicted a skull, however, not in the traditional dark color scheme.

This skull, surrounded by bright strokes of paint, represented the beauty of release that death provides.

Another notable painting displayed a colored woman in front of a red background, aimed towards representing the importance of education and womens’ rights. When combined with the provided background information about education rates among African-American people, the artwork did its job.

“Each painting told its own story in such a unique way,” GRC student Danielle Combs said. “They demonstrated the resistance and determination that African-Americans needed to break away from the abuse that they experienced.”

Robertson was the only artist who was featured in this exhibit.

He is currently a GRC student who prefers to tell stories through his artwork. The book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, written by the

African-American writer and poet Maya Angelou, is what inspired Robertson. The title makes clear that oppression should not be a reason to remain quiet. On the contrary, the key step leading to freedom is to let your voice be heard.

Trayvon Webster, organizer of the exhibition, believes that Robertson’s artwork is truly inspirational.

Robertson’s paintings depicted the struggles of African-Americans, shedding light on the oppression that they experienced. In Webster’s opinion, this is a matter that requires much more recognition among students at Green River. As an example, Webster mentions recent events affecting African-Americas, like several shootings.

“The reason we wanted to show this is just to open it up, to let people express themselves and give them a voice,” Webster said.

Salman Jaffar, one of the students admiring Robertson’s art, felt like the paintings truly portrayed the emotions that Robertson was aiming to represent.

“All the paintings had a deep meaning and were well made,” Jaffar said. He even had the feeling that the paintings took him out of the real world, if just for a moment.

However, Jaffar recommended that it would have been more beneficial to display the paintings in a place that was more open to GRC students, so that more students would have attended the exhibit.

About 150 students viewed the artwork in the Lindbloom Center over the course of the three-day event. According to event organizer Webster, the next event will be even bigger, and at a different location, in hopes that more people will visit and have the opportunity to experience artwork on campus.

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Rachel Wood | A&E Editor ae@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Don’t Finalize Your Attitude on Finals Week By: Kate Stoutamore Staff Writer

Finals week is fast approaching, and the time to begin reviewing notes and consolidating information has begun. This is typically a stressful period for many students, as final projects and papers also tend to pile up around this week. However, it is important to approach studying for these final exams with a positive, success-oriented attitude.

Unpleasant emotions surrounding the idea of final exams and grades can cause students to practice active avoidance behavior, also known as procrastination, Professor Carsh Wilturner said. Students that practice active avoidance behavior often feel unprepared or confused, and that their workload is too heavy to even begin. The only cure for this, however, is to start whatever work you need to do now, Wilturner said.

It may seem daunting at first,

but it simply requires one to look past the feelings of dread often associated with finals week and devise a systematic approach to one’s studies. Directly facing one’s workload and outlining steps for a comprehensive plan of attack can work wonders in reducing stress and increasing academic confidence. Ideally, students should be studying every night, Wilturner said. He recommends setting a specific time and place to study every day. The location of the study spot is important, and it is best to choose a place with the fewest possible distractions, such as the Holman Library.

Sticking to a schedule combats the desire to procrastinate, and can help build positive study habits.

Carsh also emphasized the importance of testing yourself on your knowledge as you study. Not only is this a great way to ensure that you know the information, but it is an aspect of studying that is often overlooked by students. Scrambling last minute to cram before a test is never recommended, because you

will not be able to retain information gathered in such a rushed way.

In addition the brain consolidates information during sleep, Wilturner said, so the night before the test is best spent getting plenty of it. In addition to the academic preparation, it is also important to make sure that you go into the test feeling confident and at ease. Test anxiety is something many students struggle with, and can have a variety of undesirable effects on test performance if left untreated.

According to counseling services, there are four components of test anxiety; emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physiological.

The emotional component is your feelings about the test, such as fear or nervousness. The cognitive component involves thoughts about the test, which are often negative and distracting. The behavioral component of test anxiety deals with what you do during a testing setting, which can also be very distracting, and the physiological component of test anxiety is the way your body changes under the stress of testing,

Work hard, stay positive during the week and don’t let stress overwhelm you. including an upset stomach, sweaty palms, and headaches.

Devon Klein from counseling services wrote that tests are “gatekeepers” and that it is the meaning that we attach to tests that causes this anxiety. In order to reduce test anxiety, it is necessary to notice negative thoughts that have been associated with testing in the past and gradually replace them with more positive ones, wrote Klein.

Another technique that can help is to relax in a quiet place and visualize the testing day going smoothly and successfully. This helps consciously foster a more positive expectation for the test and connect it with pleasant emotions.

Preparing both academically and emotionally for finals week can help you achieve your desired grades and makes the testing process easier to bear.

Dragoo’s Den: ‘The DUFF’ is Rough By: Joshua Dragoo Guest Reporter Going into the movie The DUFF, I knew I wasn’t the target audience that the producers had in mind. Based on the book with the same name, The Duff is a 2015 teen comedy directed by Ari Sandel, starring Mae Whitman and Robbie Amell. Director Sandel previously won an Oscar for his film West Bank Story in 2005.

The plot focuses primarily on Bianca, portrayed by Whitman, who discovers that she is secretly known The Duff stars a dorky but perky high school girl learning how to accept herself for who she really is, all while trying to attract the attention of her childhood friend. It’s a story that’s been done before. Bad execution makes this movie one to pass on.

as the DUFF, or designated ugly fat friend, by her prettier and more popular friends.

As the movie progresses, Bianca strikes a deal with her charming male friend Wesley (Amell) – she helps him pass chemistry if he can help her abolish her label of being a DUFF. Slowly and surely, Bianca becomes more confident and asks a guy out on a date, only to realize it isn’t what she thought it would be.

She eventually comes to terms with who she is and finds the confidence she needs in order to confront her senior year of high school.

More or less, The Duff is like every other high school movie out there when it comes to the plot.

Despite the overused clichés, most of the acting was fairly good. Mae Whitman does a good job with the material given to her, although I felt that her character could have been more developed. Robbie Amell, who also did a nice job, played the supporting role.

One thing noticeable as the movie went on is that it felt like it was lacking more character development. There wasn’t really any in depth background regarding the people on screen other than the clichéd opening explaining the different characters.

When The DUFF breaks from the typical teenage clichés with some comedy it does show potential, although that potential is unfor-

tunately rarely used. Most of the comedy came off as little random moments that didn’t really have any context to the situation in the movie. The random cutaways into Bianca’s inner conflict and the conversations with her teacher Mr. Arthur (Ken Jeong), being just one of many examples.

In terms of camera work, there wasn’t really anything to write home about. The camera work in The DUFF was pretty standard in comparison to other teen-targeted comedies. Some scenes could have been a bit better, but as whole, the movie was shot up to par. With a little room for improvement, director Ari Sandel does prove that he can direct a feature film, and I look forward to what he has in store for future films.

This movie could have been good, but The DUFF tries to send out the message of “just be yourself,” which exerts the “been there done that” feeling to the extreme. However, what it boils down to is a generic movie crafted from a cookie cutter template that is used for almost every teen comedy that comes out nowadays.

Overall, The DUFF is a very predictable, mediocre movie that adds nothing to the table despite its potential and decent acting.

Upon leaving the theater I was just wishing that I had seen Hot Tub Time Machine 2 instead.

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

opinion

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2014-2015

In the 277 days since faculty contract negotiations began, ISIS has risen to become the most powerful and wealthiest terrorist organization ever; Ebola struck fear into the heart of America; Germany swept Brazil in the World Cup; the shooting of Michael Brown sparked protests in Ferguson Missouri; Israel invaded the Gaza Strip last summer; and Sony was hacked. A lot has happened in these 277 days.

There is no reason that administration and faculty should not have come to agreement.

For some background, faculty members work under contract, both tenured and adjunct. Every (insert number here) years, the faculty contract expires. The faculty contract is a document that contains the details of salaries for adjunct and tenured members.

Working with administration, they must then write up a new one.

Because this is the case, until both parties meet an agreement, the members are essentially working without a contract, causing them to

default to their old contract.

For over a year, this default mode has been the case. A document released by Green River administration on Feb. 20 shows that Full Time Faculty have received a 1.2 percent increase in salary and adjunct faculty have received a 1.7 percent increase in salary.

The fact that this document was released is highly unorthodox. Contract negotiations are often kept very quiet, with only the parties involved and mediators gaining full information.

“The act of publishing a contract proposal for all to see is almost unheard of in community college contract bargaining and is clearly suspect,” Mark Millbauer, United Faculty President, said in an email.

“The possibility that the college committed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) by doing so is currently being investigated.”

Because the administration won’t negotiate with faculty, refusing to give them pay raises, there have been a couple of recent protests.

The first was in front of the admin-

istration building on Feb. 19, and the second was on national adjunct walkout day, Feb. 25 (Read more on page 3). National adjunct walkout day is meant to raise awareness of unfair treatment to adjuncts by colleges. Many adjuncts canceled their classes on this day so they could protest all day.

“Faculty are already doing work beyond their contracts,” said Faculty Union President Mark Millbaeur in a board of trustees meeting on Feb. 19.

“The choice to work as a parttime employee is their own, and not determined by the college.” said Allison Friedly in an email, this is not true. It is the college’s choice to hire a person as full time or part time. The college has elected to hire adjuncts in lieu of hiring the equivalent work load of full time tenure faculty. At the board meeting on Feb. 19, Mark Millbaeur showed statistics that 65 percent of faculty are part time. He went on to say that most of these faculty members want to work full time and that in the 60’s these trends were reversed.

Back then the majority of faculty was full time and the adjuncts actually wanted to be adjuncts.

Administration should hire more full time faculty members and fewer adjuncts. In the process of negotiations it is adjunct faculty who suffer the most. Administration does not have to give adjuncts benefits like they do with full time faculty. As a result, many adjuncts are stuck making an average yearly salary and many with families are not able to make ends meet on such a lowly wage. They have to take other part time jobs at other colleges, which may be far away.

It is not fair that adjuncts should have to face such inconvenience in their daily lives. We’re talking about people with master’s degrees for crying out loud, making $30,000 or $40,000 per year, if that. Maybe Administration should take some of the money they keep for pay raises for themselves and give the faculty, both adjuncts and full time employees much deserved pay raises.

Editorials reflect the views of the editing staff of The Current

Negative Stereotypes Breed Judgmental Attitudes By: Jordahn Nelson Staff Writer Stereotyping is an unfortunate necessity that ultimately leads to our small, over-crowded, and ever-on-the-verge-of-exploding filing cabinet brains to cram complex ideas and individuals into superficial preconceptions and unfair judgments. We take in billions of pieces of information each day, filling our heads with so much junk that we essentially need these shallow indicators to tell ourselves things, like whether or not the muffin with the lime green and black speckled fuzz grazing over the top of it is going to make us run to the nearest toilet in the middle of math class that morning, or alert us that the dark, barely lit alleyway in which strangled cat noises are coming from is probably not the best way to walk home from work alone at two in the morning.

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These stereotypes or preconceived notions on which we choose to govern ourselves are useful, and sometimes helpful. Although, arguably inevitable in some cases, these knee-jerk assumptions can be damaging when applied to real live sentient beings.

We often define others according to the reality we desire to create for ourselves. If you personally would not sport frosted tips, a Nickelback wristband, and a XXL Teletubbies onesie to an award ceremony, that is your own prerogative. However, if you were to judge that person as more than slightly distasteful, and make large, over-reaching assumptions about the core of their character based on that fact, you are probably being unfair.

Speaking to some Green River students about their own personal experiences with being stereotyped, I hoped to get to the core of some of these negative and superfi-

The Current is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions without censorship or advanced approval. Editorials reflect the views of the editing staff of The Current. Opinion articles reflect the opinions of their writers.

cial judgments and debunk them.

“When my tattoos are visible sometimes, people will avoid me, or give me dirty looks,” student Nicole McDaniel said.

Sporting things like Sublime song lyrics and a nautical star, these tattoos are hardly offensive to just about anyone at their core.

“When people find out that I am gay, specifically other guys, they sometimes assume I am automatically hitting on them when I am not,” Zach Brown, a Green River student, said.

A person’s sexual orientation does not mean they find everyone and everything that fits that orientation attractive. There are certain social constructs in place that lead us to these judgments.

For some reason, there are stereotypes that label tattooed individuals as criminals. Sometimes these judgments come out of fear as being seen as identifying with

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a certain group of people such as when talking to a gay person your heteronormative masculinity is put into question.

Someone who could have been a great friend, business partner, acquaintance, or fellow 90’s children show enthusiast is cut out of our lives based on some unfair misconception about the content of their character. Sometimes these judgments work to our benefit.

The guy with the swastika tattoo on his forehead is probably not someone you want to invite back to your Bar Mitzvah. It is important, however, to understand the differences we have with one another, and not write people off so quickly.

It may not turn into a life-long friendship but we should keep an open mind and embrace people for what they are. They can give you a more well-rounded view of the cultures and people around you, and the beauty that exists within them.

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thestaff Jesse Torres Editor-in-Chief 253-388-3457

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Staff Writers: Cassandra Houghton, Drew Monson, Jordahn Nelson, Jordan Olson, Kate Stoutamore, Mitchell Johnson, Nadine Ntibarufata, Nicolas D’Ambrosio, Olivia Ringhiser, Phanthipa (Bell) Sae-tae, Rahma Abraham, Sabrina Chou, Sawyer Lane, Taylor Lopes, Walter Schinkelshoek Graphics: Ian Lobdell, Alina Moss,

Corrections

Security officers Harold Curd and Karl Hamilton’s names were switched in the caption below the “Behind the Booth” story of the last issue.

The movie “Chappie” was labeled rated G in the Movie Calendar section. It (Chappie) is in fact rated R. If you find an error in our facts or simply a name spelled wrong, please contact us at: editor@thegrcurrent.com 253-288-3457 or come in to our office in: OEB room 16

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Editorial: Contract Chaos, Faculty Fed Up, Administration Silent

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David Price | Opinion Editor opinion@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

Study Time is Best Spent Distraction Free

Taking Breaks can Improve Studying Efficiency each Session By: Jordan Olson Staff Writer No one likes finals, but when students properly prepare for them they are not nearly as bad.

Winter Quarter finals are rapidly approaching, and the sooner students get on top of their studying habits and practices for finals, the better.

It is important to look at the environment in which a student chooses to study. Many students prefer quietness, maybe in a library to study.

College student Anthony Passantino said he prefers to study alone in his room where it is quiet.

The more is going on in an environment, the harder it becomes to focus on the material the student is studying.

When in a place where there are a lot of people, studying becomes a great challenge. Especially if a student engages in conversation.

It is best to stay separate as much as possible from other students while studying.

Having a lot of distractions

around when trying to study greatly hinders the effectiveness of the students study time.

The duration in which a student studies greatly impacts its effectiveness as well.

“About an hour. Maybe two depending on the subject,” Passantino said.

Studying for too long can also prohibit the effectiveness of the study session. Although it is possible to study all night long, after about an hour it stops being useful.

At the same time, studying for two small of a time period can be ineffective as well. A students mind needs to have some time to be fully engaged in the subject before they start to really remember what they studied.

If a student is fully intending to study for a while, it is important to have breaks every once in a while.

“Breaks definitely help. Especially video game and 24 breaks. Taking it all in one session can be overwhelming and can cause me to forget things,” Passantino said.

Although some might suggest these breaks only help to distract a student more from their study

Cheryl Tam Cheuk Yi | The Current

material, it is important to give your mind a break and just relax.

No longer than ten to fifteen minute breaks are best, any longer and things studied will easily be forgotten.

During study sessions, many students prefer to have music playing.

“It helps me focus,” college stu-

dent Jared Daiber said. “Without lyrics.”

When a student studies to music with lyrics it is very hard not to focus on the song rather than the study material. It would be like trying to study in a crowded room with everyone talking.

Lastly, it is important that the

student has their ideal study situation in mind so they don’t have to keep thinking of new ideas. “My ideal studying situation is alone in my room with absolute quiet sitting in a super comfortable recliner with my computer on hand ready to listen to music or watch 24 and Skittles as a snack,” Passantino said.

Reporters Without Borders Releases 2015 Press Freedom Index By: David Price Staff Writer Last month the organization Reporters Without Borders released the new 2015 Press Freedom Index for 2014. The Press Freedom Index attempts to accurately rank 180 countries on how much freedom the press has in that country. Press freedom is a measure of the press’s ability to report without interference from government authority or organizations. Reporters Without Borders goal is to create a safer world for Journalists, and to report on instances where Journalists are either attacked or jailed simply for doing their jobs.

It is sad and foretelling of a bleak future to come that most countries fell in their press freedom index scores from last year’s edition.

Many events around the world are making it difficult for journalists to do their jobs. For example ISIS captured and publicly beheaded several journalists last year including most famously American journalist James Foley and American-Israeli journalist Steven Sotloff in Syria.

In Eastern Ukraine the conflict has developed into an information war between the two countries, in which journalists are not even allowed over the border into

Ukraine – ranked at 129 – and news organizations have been raided and journalists threatened or killed.

Russia – ranked at 152 – has implemented a number of laws in recent years that greatly hurt freedom of information. New laws in Russia require people with blogs and social network pages with more than 3000 visits a day to register under their real name with a governmental agency. Content of an extremist nature or content involving state secrets is banned, which should be concerning to journalists.

As far as where countries are ranked on the Press Freedom Index it is quite interesting. The top five ranked countries are Finland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden. It has been a common trend for the Nordic countries to rank the highest in press freedom.

The exception to this is Iceland, which ranks at 21. It fell down 13 places from the 2014 index, due to increasing conflict between politicians and the media.

The U.S. itself, which ranks at number 49, is down three places from the 2014 index. This will probably be very surprising to some.

Many still have this idea stuck in their head that the U.S. is the freest nation in the world but this is not necessarily the reality. You can’t expect a superpower nation that takes

away people’s right to privacy in the name of national security to be truly free. Don’t get me wrong though, were still one of the freest nations in the world but press freedom is something our country could work on improving. Throughout the 2000’s the U.S. has fluctuated in its rankings on the Press Freedom index. From the 2014 index to the 2013 index, the U.S. fell from 46 in the index all the way down to 34. It is difficult to know exactly why the United States is falling on the press freedom index in recent years.

The reason may be in part due to the Obama administration’s policy in regards to whistleblowers. Under the Espionage Act of 1917, eight whistleblowers have been charged during Obama’s presidency. Before his presidency it had only been used against three whistleblowers by all presidents combined.

Our legal system shouldn’t treat whistleblowers like criminals. It is a good thing to publish government secrets. Our government should be transparent and not keep secrets from the people. By revealing to people what the government doesn’t want the public to know whistleblowers are being true patriots. Just think what life would be like if Edward Snowden hadn’t revealed to the world what the NSA is doing by spying, not only on U.S.

citizens, but also spying internationally. People would not know and understand how much their privacy is being infringed upon, and thus would not take the necessary steps to protect their private information from intrusion.

Another interesting aspect of the index is Israel falling to 101 from 96 on the index. 15 journalists and media workers were killed last year in Israel’s war with Hamas. During the conflict, they exerted greater control over television coverage, suppressing voices that disagree with Israel’s policies, or even that appear sympathetic to the Palestinian people. For example on July 24, the Israel Broadcasting Authority banned a spot made by the Israeli NGO B’Tselem that cited the names of 150 children killed in the Gaza Strip. Press freedom is also attacked in Palestine – ranked at 140 – where journalists are not free to express criticism of the Palestinian president.

Near the very bottom of the index there are those countries which are information black holes.

In these countries, the government oppresses dissenting voices and portrays any criticism of their leader or the government as propaganda. Many of the countries at the bottom are not surprisingly Middle Eastern countries such as

Iran ranked at 173, Syria ranked at 177, and Saudi Arabia ranked at 164.

In the regions of Iraq and Syria that ISIS controls they impose a military dictatorship. Journalists have to covertly report on what is happening, resulting in partial coverage of the war. ISIS controls five T.V. station in the Iraqi city of Mosul and two in the Syrian province of Raqqa, creating a media propaganda machine that defends its ideology and espouses propaganda designed to encourage jihad recruitment.

Lastly it’s not surprising that communist China is ranked an abysmal 176 in press freedom, only four away from being ranked last.

North Korea, where freedom of information is virtually non-existent is ranked at 179. The country ranked lowest in press freedom at 180 is an obscure country in Africa known as Eritrea.

The Current is fortunate in the fact that we have the freedom to report on what we need to without being barred from doing so. Being a journalist out in the real world, covering international events and wars is a difficult thing. We applaud those journalists who risk their lives to get at the truth and mourn for those journalists who are jailed.

All information was taken from the Reporters Without Borders website.

Alina Moss | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

sports

thecurrent

11 2014-2015

Gators Advance for First Time Since 2010 By: Alina Moss Sports Editor The Green River Gators, for the first time in five years have earned their way to the NWAC playoffs and chance to win the championship.

“It’s what we have worked all year for,” said Assistant Coach Jesse Brown with his eyes slightly glazed with the tears, showing how proud he was of his team. “A lot of times when you have strong personalities a lot of guys bump heads, but that is just competitive nature. So these guys do that but they do it because they love each other and they want to fight and they want to win basketball games.”

There are 15 colleges from all across the Northwest region that have made their way to the playoffs and are lined up to fight for the championship. The Gators are now on that list.

Based on the stats from previous years, Green River College was not a school that was anticipated to be included in the NWAC (Northwest Athletic Conference) playoffs.

The Gators, however, have greatly improved their stats over the past season. In 2014, Green River only placed fifth in the Western region and did not make it to the playoffs.

Their scores improved so much that the score was high enough to be eligible for the playoffs.

Unlike most cases, the Green River Gators were tied with another team, the Lower Columbia Red Devils, for a spot in the playoffs.

The game to break this tie and meant either the end of the season for the Gators or going to NWAC playoffs, was at The Swamp, home of the Gators, on March 2. Both teams were ready to give this game their all.

“When we are together, no one is better,” said Glenn Brooks, sophomore guard for the Gators, in the debriefing after the game to his teammates.

With the bleachers filled and the

tension high, the whistle was blown and the ball thrown high to start this tie breaking game between the Red Devils and the Gators.

The Gators had a rough start, falling behind the Red Devils early in the game and staying behind by nine points at the halftime score of 27-36.

Even with starting out under and falling behind, there was a moment in the second half that the atmosphere changed, and there seemed to be a chance for victory.

Benny Bridges, freshman forward for the Gators, made a shot from the three-point line which brought the score to 47-50 and the Gators to their feet.

Only three points behind and 11 minutes left on the clock, the intensity of the roaring crowd shook the gymnasium with excitement and encouragement for the Gators.

In the last 10 minutes of the game, you could feel anxiety of the fans and the players as the score tilted back and forth.

The excitement only grew with

5 minutes and 40 seconds left on the clock the scores board reading 56-54. The score continued to fluctuate, the scores being tied and changing leads at a rapid pace.

The two teams were fighting hard to gain and keep the lead. With 27 seconds left on the clock, the Gators were ahead at 62-60.

From that point, the Gators were just trying to run down the clock.

Three penalties were called during those short 27 seconds, all of which were on the Red Devils in their desperate act to score. This resulted in the Gators gaining 5 points from free throws and the buzzer sounding the end.

The Gators fans cheered as the score board flashed the score of 67-60.

The Gators played well as a team and came out on top in the most important game they have played all season.

Many aspects of the game played a part in the Gators win, but one interesting factor was The Swamp bringing the home court advantage

Clark 81.3% L. Columbia 93.8% L. Columbia 62.5% S.P. Sound 50% Centralia 12.5% Grays Harbor 0%

Clark 77.8% Centralia 86.2% Pierce 50% S.P. Sound 43.5% Centralia 14.8% Grays Harbor 0%

Clark 81.6% L. Columbia 76.5% Green River 72.6% Pierce 59.5% Centralia 62.1% Grays Harbor 43.7%

Clark 81.6% Centralia 52.5% Tacoma 72.4% Clark 63% Grays Harbor 82.7% Grays Harbor 79.5%

to this important game.

During the game, fans reacted strongly in excitement and even anger. They stood to cheer when calls for points and fouls were in the Gators favor. They yelled and booed at the referee when the calls for the abundant amount of fouls.

“For the first time the crowd had a big effect on the game. Our fans have been great all year but it was the first time we fed off the crowds support and it resulted in a win.”

Brown Said as the crowd flooded out of The Swamp doors celebrating the Gators win, already ecstatic for the upcoming tournament.

To see the Gators get this close to the playoffs for NWAC for the first time in six years is a clear indicator that their hard work is paying off; it was an exciting night for the players as well as the fans.

According to head coach Ryan Blassingame, the team is starting to play as a whole rather than being one dimensional, this new strategy shows on the court with how well the team mates play well with one another, and how far they have come in this season alone.

The Green River Gators were able to win the intense game against the Red Devils. Even after difficulties due to a late start in the game, putting the Gators behind the Red Devils for the majority of the game.

“We were down 16 at one point, normally that is a lot of reason for teams to fold,” said Assistant Coach Jesse Brown. “But we’ve got good sophomores who lead us and a lot of freshman so that experience is valuable and that no quit attitude.

A game like this in front of a crowd like that it shows the character of these guys when it comes to competing.”

The Gators will have their chance to continue their improvement at the tournament starting March 7. Whether they lose on the first game or win the championship, the Green River Gators basketball team has improved greatly as a team this season and are already preparing for next season.

Coach rallies the troops (top) at in the last minutes of the game. Gators celebrate win (first) during the debriefing. Trevante Williams (second) takes free throw in last minute of the game. Team (third) rallies together during a timeout to plan their strategy against the Red Devils. Photos by Ian Lobdell and Alina Moss.

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Alina Moss | Sports Editor sports@thegrcurrent.com www.thegrcurrent.com

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Alina Moss | The Current Coach Bob Kickner talking to the girls on his team to get them rallied to finish the game strong.

Trailblazers Leave Gators in the Dust By: Phanthipa “Bell” Saetae Staff Writer

The Centralia College Trailblazers left The Swamp with a victory of 70-35 over the Gators at the end of the basketball season.

Coming into the game against the Trailblazers, it was clear that the Lady Gators would be challenged with a rough game.

According to Head Coach Bob Kickner, the Lady Gators did not expect to go into this game and come out victorious, even though they were determined to try their best for the last game of the season.

By halftime, the Trailblazers had more than tripled the Lady Gators score at 41-12.

The Lady Gators stepped up their game in the second half, scoring another 23 points, but the Trailblazers kept the lead by scoring another 29 points.

The Trailblazers defense was strong, keep-

ing the Lady Gators at a peak of 35 points.

Centralia doubled the Lady Gators, securing 25 wins for the season.

"Today we played against the best game of the league. It isn't the best situation as far as the outcome, but it won't take away the success of the girls," Kickner said. "I'm really proud of the girls for the effort that they gave all year, and again, Centralia is the best team in the league. It isn't the way that we wanted it to go out, but the girls still kept strong through it."

Many of the fans said that the Green River Gators improved greatly since the start of the season, and even in previous years despite the disappointing finish.

With GRC’s sophomores leaving the team, some of the freshman players are returning next year, new players will be joining the ranks and don a Gators uniform in the 20152016 season.

The pace never stops, with the athletic department already training for what’s next.

Gators take a free throw (top left) after a foul against the Trailblazers, results in two points. Gina Mitchell (23) takes a shot (top right) from outside the three-point line. Girls prepare to catch the rebound (bottom right) off of a free throw. Jamesa Dubois shoots for a layup (bottom left) while most other players were left on the other side of the court. Photos by Phanthipa “Bell” Saetae.

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