SPORTS

Head Cases Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

american river

current

ARCurrent.com @ARCurrent Facebook.com/ARCurrentcom Vol. 64, Ed. 3 • Oct. 24, 2012

NEWS

Online textbooks bills signed into law

BILLS 1052, 1053 CREATE ONLINE LIBRARY TO HELP STUDENTS AFFORD TEXTBOOKS FOR CLASSES

ARC COACHES, ATHLETIC STAFF SEEK TO DECREASE CONCUSSION RISK, INCREASE SAFETY FOR ALL SPORTS TEAMS By Jessica Maynard & Sergio Portela maynarj@imail.losrios.edu portels@imail.losrios.edu

“I

forgot the play that I made,” Nicole Lopes said. “I didn’t know the day. I thought it was the day before. I was dizzy. I had an instant headache. When I was on the ground trying to get up, I couldn’t. My eyes wouldn’t open and I didn’t know where I was.” Lopes, a sophomore forward on the American River College women’s soccer team, was diagnosed with a concussion after going up for a routine header when she collided heads with another player on Aug. 31

versus Butte College. Concussions have become an epidemic that has not gone unnoticed. Although most of the stories that have come out are focused on head injuries sustained by male athletes, studies have proven that women are more vulnerable when it comes to sustaining a concussion. According to the Sports Concussion Institute, women who play soccer have a 50 percent chance of receiving a concussion during play due to the lack of muscle in their neck and because of their smaller

SEE CONCUSSIONS, PAGE 8

By Sergio Portela portels@imail.losrios.edu

G

Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

ov. Jerry Brown signed Senate bills 1052 and 1053 into law on Sept. 27 in front of a group of college students. One of them was American River College Associated Student Body President Quierra Robey, who helped advocate the bill. “Honestly, it’s something I’m so proud of because it’s the first bill I advocated on, that I got to see pass and ASB President Quierra Robey signed,” said Robey. “So it’s dear to my heart. It’s very personal.” The bills, introduced by Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, plans to make it easier for students to get access to textbooks. The bills will create an online library where the 50 most popular lower level college textbooks can be downloaded for free, or $20 for hard copies, for California State Universities, University of California and community colleges. “The current cost of traditional textbooks is so high, some college students are forced to struggle through a required class without the textbook, forced to drop classes or sometimes even drop out of college altogether,” Steinberg said in a prepared

TECHNOLOGY

PHONE WARS

By Lance Gawthrop

gawthrl@imail.losrios.edu

W

ith so many handheld devices at hand, it is easy for students to be confused by options and commercials when it comes to selecting the right phone for their personal needs, so the Current went shopping for you. On the journey to the market, the Current selected the iPhone 5 with iOS 6 operating system, Samsung Galaxy S3 using Android technology, and the Windows HTC 8x that is scheduled for release in November. According to Nielsen, 50 percent of cellphone consumers in the U.S. own a smartphone. Forty-eight percent of all smartphone users use Google’s Android operating system, 32 percent use Apple’s iOS, while the other 20 percent use other operating systems such as Windows Phone or Blackberry RIM.

SEE ONLINE, PAGE 2

A LOOK INSIDE

4

THEATRE REVIEW A review of ARC’s latest play, “Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

THE PROS AND CONS OF THE THREE HOTTEST SMARTPHONES ON THE MARKET

SEE PHONES, PAGE 2

6

BIG WEIGHT LOSS

Student Samuel Ayala undergoes an amazing transformation by losing more than 500 pounds.

11

RACIAL OUTCAST

The Current’s Daniel Romandia shares what it’s like not belonging to either of his two races.

Page 2

Oct. 24, 2012

ONLINE: Textbook options save student cash statement on Sept. 27 to the Sacramento Bee. “There’s absolutely no reason a basic biology, statistics or accounting textbook, for example, should cost $200.” It is also extremely difficult for students who are on financial aid and do not get their money in time to purchase required readings. “I’m a financial aid student, and I’m very proud of it,” said Robey. “I’m not afraid to admit that, but I’ve got to wait for the check to go to the card to get the text book. I have my own budget, and when I find out that my book is 200 bucks, it’s just like, why? Why $200?” Kristina Casper-Denman, ARC history and anthropology professor, feels the pressure of the high-priced textbooks and is in favor of the passing of the bills. She would love to be able to use them in her classes, but won’t be abled too this upcoming semester. “I just ordered textbooks for next semester and my textbooks are more expensive than the

classes I’m teaching, so I am all in favor,” said Casper-Denman. “If we really want students to succeed, one of the barriers we have is finances and anything we can do in order to make those textbooks accessible.” CasperAn illustration of a student accessing textbooks online, a possiblility for American Denman’s River College students in the near future. physical anthropol“How do you tell a student, ‘yeah, great, you ogy textbook is $120, and with recent budget can afford the class, but you can’t afford the cuts, she feels it has been unfair for students to textbook?’” said Casper-Denman. have to pay so for her textbooks.

Bryce Fraser/fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

PHONES: Battle of the devices 8X Pros:

Pros:

The iPhone 5 is slightly bigger than the previous models, allowing the user to use the device with one hand. The shell is all aluminum and, according to apple.com, the new model is 18 percent thinner and 20 percent lighter. The intelligent assistant Siri will come equipped on the new iPhone 5, along with with an eight-megapixel camera on the rear and a face camera capable of recording 720p HD video. The rear camera is capable of capturing a panoramic view of up to 240 degrees in 1080 HD thanks to the help of 1 GB of RAM with the new A6 chip. The A6 chip enhances the overall performance by giving the user eight hours of browsing time, eight hours of talk-time and a big 10 hours of video playback time.

Samsung sung a whole new tune with the Galaxy S3, giving this phone an edge over the iPhone 5. The GS3 gives the user 4.8 inches of screen to view Quantum Leap reruns, as opposed to 4 inches, and 2 GB of RAM that will prove its speed when transferring a playlist from one GS3 to another GS3 device by simply tapping them together using S Beam. The website for AT&T describes that the GS3 runs on an Android 4.0 operating system that will simultaneously run other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart video files. The eight-megapixel camera will take three photos per second.

Cons:

Cons:

Unfortunately, the device is predictable and almost unaffordable to low-income families. If a contract is preferred, then the iPhone 5 can be purchased at Verizon Wireless for $199 for 16 GB, $299 for 32 GB and $399 for 64 GB. If there is a contract already, or it is too early for an upgrade, then the device will cost the consumer $649 for 16 GB, $749 for 32 GB and $849 for 64 GB.

The most noticeable difference that the GS3 has compared to the iPhone 5 is the architecture of the protective shell that protects the software. The GS3 is covered in hard plastic oppose to metal and will cost $549.99 with no commitment. Or the phone can be bought for $199.99 with a very convincing 2-year agreement.

ASBNOTEBOOK By Jeff Gonzales gonzalj68@imail.losrios.edu The American River College Associated Student Body does a lot for the campus, from hosting events to speaking up for student needs. In order to be able to handle the many needs of students, the way ASB is structured very important. But many people on campus don’t know about the ASB, let alone the different departments that are in place to support this structure. The Campus Life Center is one part of this structure. Located in room 611 in the portable village,

Campus Life employees help with many of the needs of ASB. “We help facilitate (the ASB’s) initiatives,” said Campus Life Supervisor and ASB Advisor Tanika Byrd. Along with things such as bike locker rentals and holding a book of rental units near ARC, Campus Life supports ARC in many things along with ASB. Another aspect of ASB is the Club and Events Board. Meeting weekly on Tuesdays at the Campus Life Center, CAEB officials are made up of a representative from each club as well as a president, vice president and

Pros: For those who feel

that Apple phones are overrated, then the up-and-coming Windows HTC 8x is scheduled to release in early November; however, the phone can be pre-ordered at select Best Buy locations on Oct. 26, 2012. The HTC 8x will have a built in amplifier powered by Beats Audio, according to htc. com, and will display graphics on a 4.3 inch screen, giving Ben Matlock plenty of room to be seen in his television legal drama. It will be accompanied with an eight-megapixel camera with an additional 2.1 megapixels for the front camera, allowing for clearer face-to-face talk time in 1080 HD unlike the iPhone 5 that has only half of the amount of pixels on the front camera. Windows 8 will operate this system with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and will be assembled with HTC’s ImageChip technology that helps color and image accuracy.

Cons: HTC will only have 1 GB of RAM,

whereas the GS3 has 2 GB of RAM. Plus, waiting until November to find out price agreements will be a bummer for Windows advocates.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CAEB, STUDENT SENATE AND THE OTHER STRUCTURES OF ASB

secretary, the latter three having been elected by the student body. In the CAEB meeting on Oct. 16, the clubs talked about their plans to make a fun and interactive club day. “Senate and CAEB are equal first and for most,” said ASB Senate President Quierra Robey. “Student Senate is the voice of the students, but CAEB brings life to the campus.” ASB Student Senate is the body of ASB that is made up of people who were all elected by student votes or appointed by senate if the post was vacant. As representatives

of the student body, ASB senate makes decisions that can affect everything from fees charged at registration to reviewing textbook affordability. At the ASB Senate meeting on Oct. 11, representatives voted to approve a number of action items. One such action was to demand a 10-year audit of its financial records to address the concerns of the budget crisis was approved. This is important to ASB senate and students because it will allow for more funds accountability in the future. After all, this is student money that the ASB uses.

News

Editor-in-Chief Josh Baumbach

Managing Editor Steven Paxiao

News Editor Sergio Portela

Arts & Culture Editor Cintia Lopez

Sports Editor Jessica Maynard

Scene Editor Mayra Sanchez

Opinions Editor Jaime Carrillo

Photo Editor

Daniel Romandia

Web Editor

Carlos Guerrero

Assistant Web Editor Korbl Klimecki

Media Editor

Lance Gawthrop

Social Media Director Shelby Young

Copy Chief

Cody Alexander

Design Editor Megan Houchin

Feature Design Editor Steven Condemarin

Designer

Sarah Scott

Staff Writers

Jeff Gonzales Trevor Horn Alisha Kirby Kenneth Loafea Carla Manes Michael Pacheco Alex Panasenko Garitt Rocha Sharon Styles Olesya Sytnyk Dakota Williams

Staff Photographers Bryce Fraser Ashley King Stephanie Lee

Adviser

Tim Swanson

Photo Adviser Jill Wagner

PROUD MEMBERS OF THE CNPA & JACC

POLICY

The Current is produced by the students of Newspaper Production, J402. All opinions are signed and not necessarily endorsed by the Current staff. All letters and articles appearing in the Editorial, Opinion or Forum sections are not necessarily representative of the Current staff or American River College policy. All articles are the property of the Current. Please go online at arcurrent. com to see the full text of criteria and guidelines for submissions. Letters must be typed and can be submitted by mail, e-mail or in person at the following addresses: The American River Current 4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120 Sacramento, CA 95841 Phone: 916-484-8304 Fax: 916-484-8668 E-mail: Current@arc.losrios.edu www.ARCurrent.com

News Stephanie Lee / lees87@imail.losrios.edu

INBRIEF n OAK CAFÉ RATED FOUR

STARS This September American River College’s Oak Café received fourstar rating from Sacramento Bee’s food critic Allen Pierleoni. “Both the faculty and the students are pleased with the article,” said Brian Knirk, department chair of culinary arts and hospitality management at American River College. “This is the third consecutive four star rating the Oak Café has received from the Sac Bee, which speaks to the high level of training and consistency provided by the staff and the dedication and hard work of the students.” n WORKSHOPS It may not always be easy to know where to start when you want to figure out your natural talents and strengths. On Oct. 25 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Career Center will be holding a workshop that helps with discovering what you are naturally good at. For more information and to register, contact the Career Center at (916) 484-8492. n ARC ORCHESTRA The American River College Orchestra will be performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” based on “One Thousand and One Nights.” •On Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Gibbons Park Community Center, located at 4701 Gibbons Drive in Carmichael. Free to attend. •On Nov. 4 at American River College Theater. Ticket price is $10 general and $5 for students. For more information, contact Dr. Steven Thompson at (916)484-8368. n DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME Don’t forget to set your clock back one hour for daylight savings time on Nov. 4.

Page 3

Oct. 24, 2012

Jon Sharpe

Calif. Community College System Chancellor Jon Sharpe discusses background, school finances and Proposition 30 By Sharon Styles styless@imail.losrios.edu Deputy Chancellor Jon Sharpe accepted the position of interim chancellor when Brice Harris retired in January 2012. Harris has since been named chancellor of the California Community College System. The Current recently sat with Sharpe to discuss his future and that of the Los Rios Community College District. The Current: What is your background? Jon Sharpe: My background is more on the finance and non-

Interim chancellor talks about future of Los Rios academic side. I went for my master’s in school business administration. I’m from Wisconsin, so my education was achieved back in Wisconsin. I moved to California in 1986. In Los Rios, our business operation works more closely than other institutions with the academic side. I did have a great deal of exposure to instructional issues that we are facing, and that has served me well for the last few months. What are your thoughts on Proposition 30? Proposition 30 is critical to our students. We have to educate the public, including our students and everyone else. I really don’t, on district time, have the ability to advocate for Proposition 30. But Proposition 30 is critical to our future. A great many of our students are at risk from the opportunity to continue their education and access to instructional programs. Even the breadth and depth of those programs are a little bit at risk because of the significant budget cutbacks that would be necessary. It is absolutely critical to our future. What are the biggest issues

facing Los Rios? Certainly a good portion of it resolves around the finances. We’ve absorbed tremendous budget reductions in the last four years. We have been cut more than $100 million cumulatively during that period of time. That is a tremendous amount of money. Up to 10,000 students are being educated in our system without us really being funded for them. Our employees have had to take some additional cost adjustments. There have been sacrifices by everyone. First our students, but certainly our staff. What solutions do you have for those problems? We implemented some of them and we do have some longer range plans to deal with the potential for unsuccessful (Proposition) 30. We’ve had to reduce course sections. We’ve had to leave vacant positions unfilled. We are attempting to do all this without layoffs and we believe we have a plan that can achieve that. We have made other reductions in general operating expenses. We’ve become much more efficient and we have been using some reserves prudently.

ELECTION 2012

How difficult will it be to find a replacement for Brice Harris? Finding an exact replacement is not going to happen. Because of his leadership style and success in the district, it’s a very attractive position. As Interim Chancellor, I am not a candidate for the position. We have a board policy that precludes that. Had I been interested, I would not have offered to serve in this capacity. Once the position is filled, I look forward to going back to my position as deputy chancellor. Who are the leading contenders? I really can’t say at this point in time. We are working through the process. We do have impression groups and public forums scheduled. We do try to be very respectful to applicants for a variety of reasons. They have their own districts to deal with and we don’t know what point in time they will inform their local constituents. We don’t want people going out doing their own research on these candidates. We want to have a very level playing field. The successful candidate will be well vetted within the organization.

Editor’s Note: In the spirit of fairness, all information used to inform this article has been taken directly from the candidates’ websites and/or speeches.

KNOW YOUR VOTE

JOB CREATION

CORRECTIONS In Volume 64, Edition 2 of the American River Current, the following corrections are listed: - In the story “Football’s winning streak ends amid tragedy,” there is an editing error to page seven “Losses.” It should read “But the loss and grieving for one of his young players did hit close to home for the Beavers before the biggest regular season game in school history.” - On the front-page scene story “ARC rocks the bells,” the sub-headline spells silence incorrectly. - On the front page “A Look Inside,” it reads that news story “HigherOne bank’s hidden fees” is on page four when it is on page two. - On page six, sports briefs for women’s volleyball it states that they are ranked 8th when it should’ve been 5th. - On page seven the sports story, “Losses” states that San Joaquin Delta College is (X-1) when at the time of Oct. 10 they were (4-1).

OBAMA

ROMNEY

resident Barack Obama intends to create more American jobs by offering incentives to companies for keeping production in the states, primarily through tax cuts. He will also propose tax cuts for businesses that are hiring and raising employee wages, while eliminating tax breaks for companies that ship production overseas. Obama recently signed legislation making it easier for small businesses to raise funds and get loans to offset startup costs. He will also work to make tax cuts on the middle class permanent, in hopes to remove financial strain and make it possible for small businesses to succeed. In addition to these tax breaks, Obama plans to invest in education and training programs for Americans, and create partnerships between community colleges and employers to train workers for jobs that already exist. Supporting community college and vocational education will make training for high-demand jobs more accessible to workers. Throughout Obama’s first term as president, he has worked to save the auto industry and helped to save more than one million jobs. If re-elected, he plans to continue his support of the auto industry. Obama’s goal is to offer Americans the education and training necessary to find work in the struggling economy.

he focal point of Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s campaign this election has been his plan to create 12 million new jobs during his first term as president. Romney’s Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is a five-point plan designed to create more jobs and improve the overall economy. The first goal of the plan is to become energy independent as a continent by 2020. Developing natural resources in the United States will not only create millions of jobs, but will also benefit the economy by keeping the billions of dollars spent on oil within the American economy. The second point is to improve trade and open new markets for American goods and services. Romney would like to build stronger economic ties in Latin America and reduce the unfair trade practices of countries like China. Part three consists of giving Americans the skills necessary to attain a job by providing better public schools, easier access to a higher education and retraining programs for unemployed workers. The fourth part centers on cutting the nation’s deficit by reducing the size of the government and immediately cut back non-security spending by five percent. Lastly, Romney would like to support small businesses by reducing taxes and protecting workers from labor union authority.

P

By Sarah Scott scottse@imail.losrios.edu

T

Page 4

Sports

Oct. 24, 2012

Concussions: Rise of head injuries lead to concern for athletes body frames. A study done by the Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics discovered that female athletes have greater symptoms and a longer recovery time than male athletes following a concussion. The report also revealed that, in gendercomparable sports, women’s concussion rates are higher than men 1.7-to-1. A concussion occurs when you sustain a hard hit to the head resulting in the brain being jerked around, making contact with the skull. “Basically, a concussion happens when the brain makes contact with the skull,” said American River College Athletic Trainer Gil Bejarano. “It’s basically like when you get a bruise on a muscle, there’s a tendency for a bleed to happen and you get bruising on the brain, which is technically a bleed on the brain and it’s just like any other bruise; it takes a while to go away.” The sport of football has the highest concussion rate nationally for males having a 75 percent chance of receiving one, according to the Sports Concussion Institute. This year alone, the Beavers have experienced a total of four or five concussions according to Bejarano; one of them is sophomore linebacker Eric Niederberger, who received one during the first day of fall camp doing a tackle circuit drill. “I just shuffled across the line and the running back came through the hole and just hit me in the head with his helmet. I went back and my head bounced off the grass,” said Niederberger. “Everything felt foggy and I felt sick to my stomach for a little bit.” The Beavers coaching and training staff are doing everything they can to make the game as safe as possible and to make sure the players receive everything they need when faced with a concussion. The trainers went through all the precautions with Niederberger, having him rest for two weeks before returning and giving him an ImPACT test, aerobic test and a condition test, making sure his symptoms did not return. Concussions are close to home for football Head Coach Jerry Haflich after his head injury two years ago at the first Dusty Baker Golf Tournament when he was struck in the head with a golf ball. “I’ve read hundreds of articles on concussions myself,” said Haflich. “I still currently have issues, so for me it is still a real day-to-day kind of thing. The severity of it is much more prevalent to me now than it was before. “In my day, it was a right of passage to get your bell rung, and in today’s world they’re more conscious of the damage that can occur for the long term.” ARC Athletic Director Greg

Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Warzecka has recommended all coaches involved in any of the contact sports on campus participate in a course focused on concussions. The course educates coaches about the severity of concussions, symptoms and protocols to follow after a player shows signs of a concussion. “I try and encourage coaches that haven’t gone through the course to participate especially in contact sports,” said Warzecka. “It’s just not a football issue. Concussions can occur in a lot of different sports.” Coaches and players are becoming more aware of the symptoms of concussions. Regardless of all the education tools implemented for coaches, athletic trainers are now the final say when it comes to a player returning to a game. Women’s concussion rates are higher than men’s 1.7-to-1. “Sometimes, I think a player is okay and the trainers decide to hold her out,” said Paul Arrelanes, women’s soccer head coach. “There’s a huge balancing act. It’s definitely an issue that has come up over the last several years that we have to pay a lot more attention to.” Most people believe that in order to sustain a concussion, you have to be knocked out. That statistic is true for about 10 percent concussions of concussions. When a player is involved in a play resulting in a Football 6 5 concussion, the most common side-effect is a headache followed Volleyball 2 1 by nausea and dizziness. W. Soccer 2 3 “If you have a head to head or a headache you’re out,” said softball 2 n/a Bejarano. “It’s nonnegotiable.” M.Soccer 0 2 The short-term and long-term effects aren’t the only dangerous 0 0 M&W.Basketball aspects of a concussion. “If you have an athlete that has Baseball 0 2 a concussion and is still suffering from the symptoms of that concussion, and they sustain their baseline score. that point in time. It’s just like a second concussion on top of “If they have sustained a if you strain a hamstring, you that, that’s what is called second concussion, they come back 24 don’t want them exercising until impact syndrome,” said Bejarano. hours later after they’re symptom they’re able to.” Second-Impact Syndrome free.” said Bejarano. “It’s a five Concussions account for near(SIS) occurs when a person hasn’t day process no matter what. Like ly 10 percent of all sports related fully healed from a concusI’ve said, we have had athletes injuries. A study conducted by sion and they sustain another go months and actually had to Luke M. Gessel found concusone. According to the National have medical red shirts done for sions occur most frequently in Athletic Trainers Association, a concussion.” soccer (21.5 percent) followed by the mortality rate for SIS is 50 However, there are no treatbasketball (9.5 percent). Women percent and disability occurs in ments available for a person also sustain a higher percentage 100 percent of people. who has sustained a concussion. of concussions in these sports Experts say one of the most Certain drugs on the market can than men. The study revealed important protocols impletreat some of the side effects of that 15.4 percent of men’s soccer mented for student-athletes is the a concussion such as headaches injuries were concussions. In requirement to take an ImPACT and depression, but time is the basketball, 2.8 percent of the test. Every athlete who plays in only way for the brain to heal injuries were concussions. a contact sport must take this itself. Lopes, who has sustained computerized neurocognitive test “Usually it’s just rest the brain; her second concussion in two that measures a player’s cognithe brain does a tremendous seasons, has set a personal limit tive function. Any player who amount of healing while you of three. sustains a concussion will not be sleep,” said Bejarano. “The things “Soccer is not my future, my allowed to participate in their that we stress are you don’t brain is. I want to be able to use sport until they pass the test with want to stimulate the brain at it when I need to,” said Lopes.

“

Soccer is not my future, my brain is. I want to be able to use it when I need to.

NICOLELOPES

Number of arc sport 2011

2012

Out of Bounds

Coaches need to protect youth players from concussions

By Steven Paxiao paxiaos@imail.losrios.edu Concussions have become a huge part of athletics over the past few years, and fans are left wondering why. Being a former football player, I have had my encounters with injuries over the years, but the only one I sustained multiple times was concussions. One of my injuries came as a junior in high school. I was running down field on kickoff coverage towards the ball carrier, and I knew I had to be the one to take him down. After breaking down to make the tackle, the ball carrier lowered his head at me and the collision occurred. All I remember was getting up off the ground a couple seconds after the play was over feeling like I had just left a frat party, experiencing dizziness and a sort of “drunk” feeling. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just experienced a concussion. Something needs to be done soon before youth football becomes a thing of the past. With the decreasing numbers in players in the past years, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the youth programs becoming extinct if things don’t change. According to usnews.com, high school and youth football players sustained 14 brain injuries with longlasting damage in 2011, which is the highest number in more than 25 years. Could this be a coincidence or is there someone to blame? These youth coaches need to be more informed about the proper way to play the game. If the leagues would simply ask participates to pay a little more per season in order to ensure that these coaches are trained and certified by USA Football, there wouldn’t be fingers pointed at coaches for being at fault for these injuries. In an interview with the Seattle Times, executive director of USA Football Scott Hallenbeck admitted, “Something like 25 to 30 percent of equipment doesn’t fit properly.” This is simply unacceptable. If these coaches can’t even fit the children right for their equipment, then I’m certain these coaches have no real knowledge of what they’re doing out there. Sure, most of these coaches have probably played the game at some point in their life, but that has nothing to do with knowing how to properly teach these kids about player safety and the correct way to block and tackle. I was a very aggressive player when I played football, and I know that most of my hits were not correct form tackles. So you would never see me try and be a coach without taking the proper classes to be one, and the fact that these coaches are willing to put these kids in danger in order to be somehow connected to the game is definitely out of bounds.

Sports

Page 5

Oct. 24, 2012

ARC players get second opportunity By Trevor Horn horntc@imail.losrios.edu Jerry Haflich loves to win. The 25-3 record the American River College football team has posted since 2010 proves it. But the number that really gets the head coach excited is 91. Since Haflich took over the program in 2007, that is the number of student-athletes he has sent to four-year programs to play football, but most importantly, to continue their education. “The number one thing we wanted to do was to help guys move on,” Haflich said. “That has been and remains to be our number one priority. Don’t get me wrong, I want to win them all. But at the end of the day, helping those guys go on and furthering their education to play the great game.” Like nearly all two-year colleges, ARC is a second chance opportunity for a lot of players. Most players at ARC were either too small or too slow in high school for a scholarship, great athletes who didn’t make the grades or a player who had some offers but needed more time to show his abilities before going to a bigger program. And Haflich has taken players in all three of those categories and helped them further their education and be able to continue play-

ing football. And it’s a challenge. Haflich says about 70 percent of the players that come to ARC are considered qualifiers by the NCAA, NAIA and other governing boards of four-year university athletic associations. But of those 30-some percent that are deemed non-qualifiers, it can be a challenge. Per NCAA rules, a player needs to complete a certain number of core classes with a high enough GPA and score at or above a bottom line score on the SAT and/or the ACT to qualify. If they do not, the player must earn an AA from a community college within two years to be deemed eligible. And of those 30 percent come some of the top athletes looking for a second opportunity to show they still have the talent. But without the grades, the talent becomes useless. And four-year head coaches understand that risk when looking at community college athletes. “Sometimes when they get in the JC mode, they have a bit of self-entitlement issues,” Western Michigan Head Coach Bill Cubit said. But with two former Beavers on his team in linebacker Terry Easmon and wide receiver Justin Collins, Cubit says these two fit the mold of someone who has matured greatly since high school.

Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

Transfer athletes get another chance once they move on to a four-year university

“Both of these kids are two really quality kids,” Cubit said. “And because of these two kids, I will go back because you have a person there who does it the right way.” And the players agree being under Haflich for two years helped them mature. “Being at ARC taught me to be patient,” Collins said. “I needed to work harder and the opportunity will come.” Both players started this season for the Mustangs. Easmon has started every game for WMU and Collins was a starter before breaking his hand during a game where he caught his first touchdown. Then there are players like LaDon Hudson. A 2009 graduate of Inderkum, Hudson took the long route to get to a four-year program. After three years at ARC as a student and Former ARC player Justin Collins playing against Cola two-year starter at wide receiver, lege of Siskiyous in Weed, Calif. on Oct. 15, 2011. Hudson finally completed his AA Collins said that Haflich “treated me like a in May and is the top scoring receiver for Mid America Nazarene University son” while instilling in him the work ethic to “wake up at 7 a.m. every day.” in Kansas. “If we are not preparing our guys to sucRegardless of the situation a studentceed in college, then we are doing them a athlete is in, Haflich gives them a chance to disservice,” said Haflich. “I think that is redeem their selves with an education and to what community college is all about—preshow their abilities as athletes. paring them for the next step.” When talking about his time at ARC,

SPORTSUPDATES The women finished fifth at the Mt. Sac Invitational on Oct. 12, led by Alexa Lua who finished third. After the meet, the women are tied for the No. 3 ranking in the state with Modesto Junior College. The women’s next match is Friday, Oct. 26 at the Big 8 Conference Championships.

Sophomore Sam Hudson blocks a goal against Diablo Valley College on Oct. 17.

Sophomore running back Antonia Bumpers Oct. 20 at a game against Fresno City College.

Daniel Romandia / romandd@imail.losrios.edu

CROSS-COUNTRY

Bryce Fraser/ fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

Stephanie Lee / lees87@imail.losrios.edu

WOMEN’S

Freshman forward Ceci Velazquez Sept. 25 against a Modesto Junior College player.

GOLF

SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL

The women’s golf team is currently ranked No. 6 in the Big 8 Division. Megan Santo Domingo leads the team in average score with a 99.17 this season. The women’s next match is the Big 8 Conference on Tuesday, Oct. 23 at Ancil Hoffman Golf Course at 11 a.m.

As of Oct. 20, the women’s soccer team is ranked No. 10 in northern California. The women are 4-3-1 in division play this season. Goalie Heather Derossett has allowed 17 goals on 83 attempts. The soccer teams next home game is Oct. 30 versus division rival Santa Rosa Junior College at 3:30 p.m.

WATER POLO

The No. 5 ranked team in the state fell to the No. 8 ranked team and division rival Santa Rosa Junior College on Oct. 17 in four sets. The ladies are currently 6-1 in division. Their next home game is Friday, Oct. 26 versus Modesto Junior College at 6:30 p.m.

Mackenzie Kaplan has led the defensive charge on the team with 19 steals. After losing their first divisional match of the season on Oct. 17 versus Diablo Valley College, the women look to bounce back on Oct. 24 against Santa Rosa Junior College at 3:30 p.m.

MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY

FOOTBALL

The No. 1 ranked squad competed at the Bronco Invitational on Oct. 13. The men placed fourth behind San Francisco State, UC Davis and Chico State. The fourth place finish is the lowest for the team this season. Their next match is Friday, Oct. 26 in the Big 8 Conference Championships.

After back-to-back losses, the team went on the road to Fresno City College and got back on track with a win. Led by quarterback Jonathan Kodama, the Beavers came from behind to win 3121. Their next game is at home versus Modesto Junior College Saturday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m.

WATER POLO

SOCCER

The men lost their second divisional game this season versus Diablo Valley College on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Led by attacker Pedro Moraes with five goals, the men lost the match 9-12. The men’s next home game is on Oct. 24 versus Santa Rosa Junior College at 5 p.m.

The team is currently on a losing streak winning just one game in the past five. Despite the losing streak, they’re 2-2 in division play. Matt Iwasa and Daniel Lomeli are tied in goals scored with four each. Their next home match is Tuesday, Oct. 30 versus Santa Rosa Junior College at 4 p.m.

Page 6

Feature

Oct. 24, 2012

Worth the Weight ARC student Samuel Ayala reaches goal of shedding 500 pounds through hard work and perseverance

By Sharon Styles styless@imail.losrios.edu

“

I just want to live healthy. I don’t want to look like a crackhead or all twigged out. You can tell a healthy skinny from a sickly skinny. SAMUELAYALA neuropathy, shortness-of-breath, fatigue, varicose veins and stress to his joints. “A lot of obese people, their sex drive diminishes,” Ayala said. “That is a personal question that people always want to ask. I’m thankful I’m still healthy in that way.” He was able to purchase 9X-sized clothing at Men’s Big & Tall or Casual Male. Ayala saved many of those large shirts and pants. “I keep them as a memory of what I’m never going back to,” Ayala said. “I’m sure Oprah will

want to see them one day.” Ayala had a wake-up call in 2000 when he visited his dying grandmother in the hospital. A nurse took him and his uncle to be weighed. The bed scale hovered between 860 to 870 pounds. “That hit me like a ton of bricks,” Ayala said. “I knew I was big, but almost a thousand pounds! That’s scary.” His fear was greatest at night. “I would lay on my left side,” Ayala said. “But I knew the blood wasn’t circulating properly to my heart. I would get scared and think I was going to die in my sleep. So, I would turn over to the other side, and even then it was not very comfortable.” Ayala decided to lose the weight the old fashioned way. He started backing away from the table, walking, swimming and a little dancing. He walks about five to 10 miles a week. Swimming is easier on his knees and ankles. Ayala said yo-yo dieting and binge eating will not work. Ayala was a member of his high school swim team. “I’m getting older, but maybe I’ll be able to sport a speedo again one day.” Ayala said.

Today, Ayala’s weight is 311 pounds. It took 10 years for him to lose 559 pounds. His doctor feels he needs to lose another 110 pounds to meet his BMI (body mass index) suggested weight. “I just want to live healthy,” said Ayala. “I don’t want to look like a crackhead or all twigged out. You can tell a healthy skinny from a sickly skinny.” In the meantime, he enjoys doing little things most people take for granted, such as crossing his legs, shopping at any store and taking a walk without getting winded. Ayala is also enjoying his time at ARC. He is majoring in criminal justice and Ayala wants to pursue a PhD in the field. Ayala knows people will have many questions or maybe want advice. He welcomes the opportunity to share his experience. He encourages anyone who wants to stop and talk with him, to feel free to do so. He advises anyone planning to lose weight that, “if you’re going do it, do it for you. That way, you don’t have any regrets later on.”

Courtesy of Samuel Ayala

When death pounded on his door, Samuel Ayala stood on wobbly legs mapped with varicose veins, pressed his 870-pound morbidly obese body against the door and refused to open it. “I knew I didn’t have long,” Ayala said. “If I didn’t do something, I was not going to see my kids or grandkids.” According to a recent report in the Huffington Post, one-in-three Americans is obese and that number is expected to rise to one-in-two by the year 2030. Obesity is such a concern that the first lady has dedicated much of her time and effort to reducing childhood obesity. Obesity has traditionally been defined as weighing more than 20 percent of your ideal weight. Ayala, 43-years-old and affectionately called Big Daddy, came from two cultures that enjoy food on any or all occasions. His mother was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York. His African-American father, who died at the age of 42, was born and raised in Memphis, Tenn. “We just loved food,” Ayala said. His food of choice was “anything fried.” In addition to the family love of food, Ayala ate out of frustration: sorrow, sadness and loss. He was taunted and insulted for being overweight. “It was pretty ugly,” Ayala said. “The things I would hear in different languages. Horrid things. I speak Spanish as well. I wasn’t scared, but

I have a heart. (I heard things) even from people I know whose parents are obese. Thankfully, I have tough skin.” Carrying all of that weight on a 6-foot-4-inch frame caused a variety of health issues. Ayala suffered with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, edema,

Courtesy of Samuel Ayala

870 Samuel Ayala at 870 pounds before he began his journey to lose weight in 2000.

311 Samuel Ayala, now at 311 pounds, is leading a much happier and healthy life having lost more than 500 pounds.

Entertainment

Page 7

Oct. 24, 2012

Stephanie Lee / lees87@imail.losrios.edu

Wiener Works serves small-town tastes

Wiener Works offers you a variety of specialty hot dogs, ranging from the basic hot dog, to a chili cheese dog (above) and everything in between.

Hole-in-the-wall restaurant highlights expansive menu for more than 20 years By Korbl Klimecki klimecb@imail.losrios.edu

I

magine a hole in the wall with a décor of cluttered posters, local celebrity photos and vintage beer adverts. Imagine food made from scratch rather than cheaply premade, a fridge half full of microbrews and Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap. Wiener Works might almost be the epitome of a hipster restaurant, if not for the fact that it’s more than 20 years old and has always been like that. Wiener Works is a small, counter order restaurant located near the corner of Madison and Auburn. It has a simple but expansive menu, focused primarily on hot dogs in almost anyway you could want them, but also with a handful of other items. They provide a choice of beer steamed foot longs, 14 inch “wonder dogs,” bagel dogs, mild German sausage, hot polish sausage, handmade beef patty hamburgers in single, double or “mad cow” and grilled cheese, BLT or pastrami sandwiches. The vegetarian options are few, however, with just salad, coleslaw or grilled cheese, and vegans will have to content themselves with coleslaw, or ask for something custom. For drinks, Wiener Works offers Pepsi products (refills are 50 cents), a handful of fruit juices or a vast variety of beers; everything from standbys such as Corona or Budweiser, to little known microbrews

such as Kilt Lifter and Arrogant Bastard Ale. This reporter ordered a mustard dog with yellow mustard, tiny fries and a soda for $8.62. The dog was steamed in PBR and served in a large white bread bun. Not quite plump, but juicy, with good flavor. The fries were plentiful, comparable to a fast food restaurant’s medium or large, but exponentially better and made fresh from potatoes cut on premises, lightly seasoned, and fried to a crispy golden brown to order. The only complaint would be the size of the hot dog. While it’s a foot long, it’s otherwise a pretty standard size and could stand to be larger, or doubled in the absolutely huge bun. They do serve chilidogs both in the white bread buns and in bagel buns, which would fill up the bun, but that doesn’t help the simple mustard dog. Wiener Works serves Pabst Blue Ribbon and Budweiser on tap for $2 all day, and Sierra Nevada for $3. The manager is currently trying to arrange for Beer Pong tournaments, and the TV plays sports all day with sound.

WIENER WORKS 5207 MADISON AVE, #C SACRAMENTO, CALIF. 95841

MEAL FOR 1: $

««««

The James Kaneko Gallery’s newest exhibition will run until Nov. 15 By Carla Manes c.manes@imail.losrios.edu

Mic Sheldon, art professor and director of the James Kaneko Gallery at American River College, is excited about his upcoming “Retablos” exhibition running from Oct. 22 to Nov. 15, 2012. The literal translation for “retablos,” known in Mexico as “laminas,” is “behind the altar.” This genre of folk art represents the traditional religious beliefs in the 17th, 18th and 19th century Mexican culture. The introduction of this inexpensive medium of oil paint on tin, reached its height of popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century. A typical “retablero” may have reproduced the same image hundreds of times in his career. “The story goes, painters would travel with their wares in donkey pulled carts, from hacienda to hacienda, offering to paint religious scenes, per request of the property owner, in exchange for room and board, while the art work was in progress.” Sheldon said, “during a lull in the color theory class last

semester, I got to talking about Paul Thiebaud’s “Retablos” with one of my students, who happened to be one of several people involved with the administration of the Thiebaud collection.” They spent the rest of the spring semester making arrangements with the Thiebaud Gallery in San Francisco, California, for 25 of the 400-piece collection to be viewed in the Kaneko Gallery. Thiebaud was born and raised in Sacramento, Ca. He started collecting art as a teenager. After graduating from the California University of Davis he joined Christie’s Auction House of New York, mentored by Martha Baer. Thiebaud, the son of famed painter Wayne Thiebaud, who first gained recognition in the 1960s during the birth of the Pop Art revolution with his “Pies, Pies, Pies” and “Three Machines” and received the National Medal of Art in 1994. “Good collectors make certain that there will be access to their collections,” Sheldon said. “These will be on loan to us for one month and we are lucky indeed to enjoy the views and presence of these works in our own Kaneko Gallery.” Opening reception for the gallery will be Tuesday, Oct. The outside of ARC’s James Kaneko Gallery, which will be host30 at noon. ing the “Retablos” exhibit until Nov. 15.

Daniel Romandia/ Romandd@imail.losrios.edu

Mexican folk art exhibit opens on campus

Page 8

Entertainment

Oct. 24, 2012

Fall musical highlights 19-piece orchestra, but suffers setbacks from some performances

Que ´ Carlos?

?

By Josh Baumbach

To Gov. Mitt Romney: Being Latino won’t help you win

baumbaj@imail.losrios.edu The ARC Theatre Department’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” directed by Nancy Silva, is a sweeping musical adventure through a dreary 19th century London. Although suffering some setbacks, “Todd” is sure to leave the viewer satisfied. When putting on a production of a storied musical such as “Sweeney Todd,” the most important part is the music. The 19-piece ARC pit orchestra did a fabulous job of bringing the epic soundtrack of “Todd” to life. Pounding drums, blaring horns, and gloomy violins all come together fantastically to re-create the classic Stephen Sondheim sound. The only issue with the orchestra was that it was too loud during some parts and drowned out the actor’s singing. The sets were sparse but not without some interesting pieces. There was a fully working barber chair that would drop the victim down below by pulling a lever, and a four-sided house that was used at multiple angles for different scenes. Fog was always looming around the stage, giving a sense of impending doom. The costumes were excellent and added to the realism of the time period. And despite comments from the director about gore being absent, some form of fake blood was used during murder scenes. Although there might not have been too many alternating

Courtesy of ARC Archives

‘Sweeney Todd’ impresses

By Carlos Guerrero guerrecg@imail.losrios.edu

The cast of ARC’s newest production, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” which plays through Oct. 28.

sets, it never took the audience out of the play, thanks in part to the lighting. The backdrop of the city would change from night to morning, all with a simple lighting change. The cast had an overall great performance, but there were some that stood out more than others. Brianne Hidden-Wise, who plays Mrs. Lovett, was the standout of the show. Her mix of humor and ability to change pitch quickly while she was singing was entertaining to watch, and she helped carry the plot forward better than anyone else. Anthony and Johanna, played by Clay Kirkwood and Kellee Craven respectively, had electric chemistry in nearly every scene they were in. This was evident throughout the play, but especially during the “Kiss Me” segments, where they were perfectly in sync with each other, and anything otherwise would have ruined the moment. Judge Turpin, portrayed by Joel Porter, and The Beadle, played by Andrew Leggett, made the evil pair convincingly despicable. There was a bit more of humor

INOURHEADS

The Current’s Jessica Maynard shares the wide variety of what is in her head maynarj@imail.losrios.edu

GAME “Dead Trigger” for Android Like almost everyone in the world, I have succumbed to the zombie apocalypse mania. This first-person shooter game is perfect if you’re trying to kill time between classes. The game features amazing graphics, it’s easy to control and the best thing about this app is that it’s free.

MUSIC Boyce Avenue: “All We Have Left” - If you’re trying to escape the over processed vocals of today’s artists, Boyce Avenue delivers a fresh acoustic sound. Their album is a mixture of midtempo rock songs and ballads. “On My Way” is written from a man’s perspective to his future wife.

than other iterations between them, such as Leggett’s exaggerated pompous walk, or Porter’s dark humor relating to the creepiness between him and Johanna. But that was a welcome addition in this viewer’s eyes. Kathryn Busch was tiring to watch as she ran around the stage screaming “Alms! Alms!” as the Beggar Woman. Her energy brought the character the necessary craziness needed and helped add to the play’s climax. The character that had an unfortunately short amount of time on stage was Adolfo Pirelli, the rival barber played by Barnie Warrick. His accent was spot-on, and every scene he was in was a hilarious to watch. The ensemble cast was excellent as a crowd and as assorted bit parts. Their ongoing “Ballad of Sweeney Todd” weaved together nicely throughout the play to narrate in song. Despite these great performances, there were some less-inspired ones as well. Jonathan Blum, who played the depressed lead Sweeney Todd, did not have the range for the

part. During what is supposed to be the most powerful solo effort in the play, “Epiphany,” Blum’s singing felt rushed and lacked the feeling of a mixed sadness and anger necessary to the song. Emotional points in the play were punctuated by forced yelling when it should have been subtler, and when singing, Blum’s arms would often lay stationary by his side, portraying a certain awkwardness rather than the necessary emotion needed at the moment. This disappointing performance may have kept the production from reaching its true potential. Tobias, as played by Peter Messick, was funny at most times, perhaps too often, because he was never believable as a young boy who had been abused. Messick also had some pitch issues during his singing performances, especially the high notes of “Not While I’m Around.” Even with these subpar performances and a bloated running time of about 3 hours, “Sweeney Todd” still entertained and excited, and there was never a boring moment.

BOOK “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn - This classic thriller has perfectly written characters and proves knowledge is the ultimate power in any relationship. The book will play with your mind; one minute you think you have the book figured out and in the next chapter everything changes.

TELEVISION “Around the Horn” - Four of the biggest sports journalists, a mute button, a point system that doesn’t make sense at times and current sports news all mixed in to 30 minutes of humor. It’s a entertaining approach to the typical debate talk show.

MOVIE Derek Cianfrance’s “Blue Valentine” - Sometimes no matter how great a relationship once was, memories can’t sustain it. This beautiful yet depressing movie is an honest interpretation of a couple when “happily ever after” wasn’t meant to be. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams bring this intimate, heartbreaking and emotional movie to life.

Sorry, Gov. Mitt Romney, but even if you were a Latino it wouldn’t help you win the election. On a private recording at a fundraiser dinner, Romney jokingly said that had his father been born to Mexican parents, “I’d have a better shot of winning this.” Unfortunately for Mitt, his father was born to Americans living in a Mormon colony in Chihuahua, Mexico. Seriously, doesn’t that sound like it has an Adam Sandler movie written all over it? Even worse news, the most recent ImpreMedia/Latino Decisions tracking poll has Obama holding a slight lead over Romney 69 to 24 percent and it’s expected to grow higher. Not the most shocking news this election season. But Mitt, I think your ethnicity matters not and you’re going about it all wrong. You don’t have a lesser shot because you’re not Latino; it’s mostly because of your values, being out of touch with Middle America and your political plans. Latinos will not withhold their votes just because you are very rich. George Lopez is rich, and he’d also make a terrible president. The novelty of him being Latino would not last long enough to receive the votes. I don’t think Romney needs to be Latino, but following my advice could help. From the right angle, Romney kind of looks like Hollywood heartthrob Matthew Fox. He is too white and we can’t relate to him, so find another good-looking celebrity to look like and make sure he is Latin. But you shouldn’t go to extreme lengths to look the part. Like when he appeared on Univision with a spray tan that gave him a more unnatural skin pigment than Big Bird. It looked real bad, like the Latino version “blackface” bad. Another thing you could work on is your Spanish. Don’t have your son speak Spanish at the convention; I don’t know who that is. I mean, Obama didn’t make his kids parade on stage and sing “La Bamba.” Latinos are often made to do embarrassing things by overbearing parents. Like when we have company over. I can hear my mom now. “Do that thing you do so well, mijo.” “What thing, mom?” “You know that thing you do so well, do it mijo! Do it! Do it!” I would then break out into a song and dance, “Como Te Voy a Olvidar,” and hope it would all end. So Mitt, if you want that vote, we are going to need to make sure you can speak Spanish fluently and clearly because by the end of your term, most of the country will be speaking it.

Scene

Former President Bill Clinton speaks at UC Davis

CAMPUS Photo by Denisse Gomez

On the XO

Page 9

Oct. 24, 2012

Which presidential issue is the most important to you?

“It’s got to be the money. We’ve been on decline for so long, we’re no longer going to be a power. I like that America is a world power.”

Right love, wrong man By Mayra Sanchez

sanchezm25@imail.losrios.edu

TYLERLANCE

Graphic Communications “I think education, especially in high school. A lot of my high school teachers were layed off, so we had to let go of a lot of important programs like AVID.”

Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, giving a speech to 8,000 people at UC Davis on Oct. 9 to rally support for northern California congressional candidates. Denisse Gomez, an American River College student majoring in journalism, took the photo for her photojournalism class. “That was one of the photos I took of Clinton as he was coming out of the building for the UC Davis Democratic rally,” said Gomez. “I’m barely getting into photography, so I’m no expert, but when I got there, I saw there was a bunch of photographers. I just tried to take a look and see where I could get near.” Gomez waited 30 minutes near the side of the main podium, then captured the photo of Clinton as he was coming out to begin speaking. “You could easily see who he is from his profile. It’s really interesting because you could see the reaction in people,” Gomez said about the photo.

MISHANBHANDARI

Undecided

-- Cody Alexander piersoac@imail.losrios.edu

TAKETHISCLASS ARCHERY By Megan Houchin

Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.lsorios.edu

houchim@imail.losrios.edu

If you’re a fan of Katniss Everdeen, Hawkeye, Legolas or Apollo, you’ll probably enjoy taking PACT 300, also known as Archery. In this class, students learn how to aim and shoot a bow and arrow at targets from varying distances, testing their skills along the way with tournaments. “We just did the 20yard tournament, we’ll have the 30-yard tournament in a couple weeks,” said Doug Jumelet, one of the two archery professors. But neither Jumelet nor Joline Matsunami, the other archery professor, grades you on your skills. The course’s one unit is earned solely by your attendance. The archery shed, located behind the gym, is equipped with plenty of bows for the students to borrow, but they must purchase their own six aluminum arrows. However, at only around $26, these arrows are much cheaper and far more fun to use than your average textbook. Since the class counts toward your

“Funding for education, because we could all be facing some dire cuts in classrooms that are going to have many students and many classes that are lost.”

PATRICEGIBSON Anthropology Teacher “The voter ID stuff is important to me, especially with discrimination against other people. We fought since the beginning of this country for equality; it’s 2012, so this should already be over with.” RYANFARRINGTON Bryce Fraser / fraserb@imail.losrios.edu

I’ve always considered myself a risk taker, but recently I’ve discovered the daunting task of hopelessly trying to convince a man I’m worthy of a commitment. I’m a sucker for anything a little broken and, in fact, I prefer a bit of a challenge. But I quickly grew tired of the circus that became my life. Jumping through flaming hula hoops and back flips all in hopes that I was one step closer to making him mine. Holding on to high expectations and reading too much into, well, everything, has a way of turning any fun little chase into a frustrating mind game. It’s problematic, and it’s one of those things where it’s over before it even started. His causal narrow look on what we could never be had me constantly wondering what I was doing wrong or how I could make it better. Even though he had been honest about his inability to commit to anything other than Monday Night Football, I believed otherwise. He was funny, charming and had a way of making me just melt. We played the happy couple role well. We’d hang out all the time and watch movies. I even gave up meat for the guy (he’s a vegetarian), and I’m a lady who enjoys a good steak every once and a while. After all my efforts and tofu dinners went unnoticed, I began to lose my cool. He wanted the “benefits” of a devoted couple, with the freedom of a bachelor. After repeatedly ignoring any of my mother’s advice, “men are all evil,” I finally realized that the only role I was actually playing out was one of a delusional teenager in my own Lifetime Original movie titled, “Anyone But Mayra.” All of my wishful thinking had completely blurred out all the things I had wanted for myself. Somewhere between “I’m just not ready” and “let’s not get into it,” I realized I was no longer able to justify his excuses. I decided I needed to get out before I ended up angry, bitter and in therapy. I mean, taking it slow is one thing, but when you have reached a complete stop on a very bumpy ride, maybe it’s best to just ditch the scene and start walking. Regardless of my “it’s you, not me” George Costanza-situation, I have been undeniably defeated. I know now that when a man says he isn’t looking for a commitment, that isn’t code for try harder; it’s a red flag, and you should thank the man for his brutal honesty and run the other way.

PULSE

Samuel Smith retrieves his arrows from the target at 30 yards away.

physical education graduation requirements, Archery is the perfect class to take for the stressed-out American River

College student who just wants to learn a new skill and have some fun at the same time.

“I was always interested in trying archery. I don’t know if it was a part of it, but I’ve seen it in anime and always wanted to give it a shot, so when I found out it was offered at ARC I couldn’t pass up the chance.”

“You’d be surprised how much fun it is and how competitive people get with just shooting and trying to get better. The class is really social. You get to talk to people, meet people, it’s a lot of fun that way and it’s a good time shooting.”

TRISTANBURNS student

DOUGJUMELET professor

General Education

“To be honest with you, I have not been that up to date on the presidential debates. Schoolwork has been keeping me very busy so I just don’t have the time.”

NORMANROBINSON Auto Mechanics

“For the most part, tax policy. I am kind of concerned about whichever president it is, and how much will we be paying in taxes.”

PERRYBIRCHFIELD Culinary Arts

Page 10

Scene

Oct. 24, 2012

Sacramento’s Ghostbuster

Sacramento-based paranormal investagator Paul Dale Roberts says there are ‘a lot of spots in Sacramento that are haunted’ due to some gruesome or unexplained deaths in the area Photo courtesy of Paul Dale Roberts

paxiaos@imail.losrios.edu

Daniel Romandia / romandd@imail.lsorios.edu

By Steven Paxiao

With Halloween just around the corner, many people in Sacramento are becoming more interested in ghost stories and it leaves some to wonder what kind of paranormal findings might have been documented around the city. For the answer to this question one could ask Paul Dale Roberts, who is one of the very few paranormal investigators in Sacramento. He has been featured in shows such as “ConversaPaul Dale Roberts’s paranormal gear including a two-way radio, night vision goggles, tions with a Serial Killer: a rosary, and holy water. The Richard Chase Story,” deaths or suffering experienced by those in internment and Showtime’s “Penn & camps. Teller,” and has been featured in the History Channel’s Roberts uses a voice recorder to pick up EVP’s, or elec“Monster Quest.” tronic voice phenomenon, including a woman calling his He is also an author of two paranormal books, and is curname, a young girl’s voice at the foot of a bed, and silent rently working on his third. taps on the headboard above his head. Such as in the case While skeptics may raise an eyebrow to his assertions, Paul Dale Roberts, a paranormal investigators that serves of a Citrus Heights residence that Roberts investigated that the Sacramento area. Roberts says that he has had numerous encounters with was built on a former Japanese internment camp. This was paranormal around Sacramento and the surrounding areas; racing down the old country road, and right before the 90 they include cases of demonic possessions as well as benevo- also the experience that catalyzed his entrance into paranor- degree turn it is said to have vanished into nothing. mal investigation. lent ghosts. Although this all may sound a little hazy, Roberts encourRoberts then goes into details about Dyer Lane in El“There are definitely a lot of spots in Sacramento that are ages skeptics to accompany him on any investigation as a verta, which is arguably one of Sacramento’s most haunted haunted,” Roberts says. “I usually do most of my investigascout. spots. tions at private residence that call me because something is “My dad was a huge skeptic until I asked him to come “With so many different stories it is hard to determine happening to them at their house.” along with me on an investigation and his answer was, ‘hell what is really going on there, but there is definitely some Roberts insists that this isn’t a joke and claims that there no.’” kind of paranormal activity happening there,” says Roberts. are many of other places around Sacramento that has For more information visit HPI-International.com. One story often told is about a police car that is seen happened in the past, including gruesome or unexplained

Opinion CURRENTEDITORIAL current@arc.losrios.edu Four years ago, we elected Barack Obama to be our president. He captivated the nation with his goals, character and composure. Many people felt like he had a lack of experience, but we decided that he was the right person for the job. Since being voted into office, Obama has proven he is an advocate for education. He has dealt with many issues that affect American River College. He has made going to college an option for many by increasing federal funding and he has helped double the amount of grant money offered to students. Women deserve equality and the right to make their own healthcare choices. The first law

ENDORSING OBAMA 2012

Obama signed into office was the “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,” which gave women equal pay for equal work. Obama also supports a woman’s right to choose; under his healthcare law, Obama has made cancer screenings, contraceptives and preventive women’s healthcare accessible to millions of women (Refer to women’s rights online). Obama supports marriage rights. Earlier this year, Obama became the first sitting president to support same-sex marriage. Obama signed the “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would require the U.S. federal government to acknowledge same-sex marriages. President Obama also repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” giving gay and lesbian service members

the right to serve in the military openly. In Obama’s latest job proposal, he has proposed an initiative to put veterans back-to-work. The plan offers companies who employ veterans a tax credit, and for companies who hire veterans who have been wounded in combat to receive a bigger tax credit. Let’s not forget Obama’s finest moment as president on May 2, 2011, when Osama bin Laden was pronounced dead. Obama gave the order for Seal Team Six to raid bin Laden’s compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan where he was shot and killed. Gov. Mitt Romney’s policies are not as friendly to 47 percent of the population he claims not to worry about. His policies aren’t as clear as Obama’s; he has been referred

Allegations of sex, crime and treason on the campaign trail

to as an etch-a-sketch (he will say one thing, but later change his viewpoint) by his own personnel. Romney has recently spoken out about abortions, stating there are no legislation bills dealing with abortion on his agenda. His spokesperson, Andrea Saul, stated a few days later that Romney would support legislation bills targeted towards protecting life. Over the past four years, Barack Obama has fought for education, equal rights and followed through with his policies, even in the face of adversity. These are the characteristics America deserves in a president. As Barack Obama enters the Nov. 6 election, the American River Current will be in support of his re-election.

The race for the White House was much more antagonistic in the past Jaime Carrillo / carrilj8@imail.losrios.edu

By Korbl Klimecki klimecb@imail.losrios.edu Every four years, people have a big argument about the tone of politics and how we have lost civility in public discourse. Try to guess which presidential candidates said the following in the course of campaigning: “(My opponent) is a blind, bald, crippled, toothless man who wants to start a war with France. While he’s not busy importing mistresses from Europe, he’s trying to marry one of his sons to (a princess of England). Haven’t we had enough monarchy in America?” “If (my opponent) wins, murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced. The air will be rent with the cries of the distressed, the soil will be soaked with blood, the nation black with crimes. Are you prepared to see your dwellings in flames? Female chastity violated? Children writhing on a pole?” Both were uttered in the presidential campaign of 1800, the first by Thomas Jefferson, regarding John Adams, the second by Adams, regarding Jefferson. They

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Oct. 24, 2012

make modern campaign attacks, such as “an out of touch millionaire’s just declared war,” or an ad depicting small town America under Obama’s rule as having been hit some manner of apocalypse, seem pretty tame, don’t they? People labor under the impression that we have fallen from some kind of lofty, civil perch of 200 years ago into modern filth and dross when, in reality, it’s rather the opposite. In our earliest elections, candidates came right out and stated that their opponent

would, essentially, unleash hell on earth and that large men would come and assault you in the night because the other guy won. Today, the ads aren’t exactly gleaming and pure, but at least they talk about issues other than a literal apocalyptic calamity striking our fair country just because we picked the wrong guy (well, mostly). In late September, Ann Romney, wife of presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney, made news when she told the press and rival politicians to “stop it.” She con-

tended that the portrayal of Mitt Romney as a heartless man who was out of touch with voters was inaccurate, and that “(running in an election) is hard.” More recently than that, a pro-Obama ad starring Samuel L. Jackson has come under fire for repeated use of the line “Wake the f--- up.” Studies have shown that people dislike such ads, shying away from vulgarity, profanity and direct attacks in politics, but also that such ads work. We focus too much on “dirty campaigning” and don’t even know the history of dirty campaigning in America. Worse, while we’re arguing about whether some rich guy who wants to rule the country went too far, we’re ignoring real issues such as wars on the rights of segments of the population, or the growth of government. Compared to the attacks flung by our founding fathers, we have incredibly tame campaigns. The next time you think someone’s gone too far because they swore, or said the other guy doesn’t care, just remember – it could be a lot worse.

Student is family’s white sheep The Current’s Daniel Romandia experiences racial stigma among darker relatives By Daniel Romandia romandd@imail.losrios.edu Everyone in the world looks for a place they belong. It could be through religion, sports or music. However, people commonly find a sense of community within their own race and family. Finding that in your own race is not so easy when you belong to more than one race. I am half Mexican and half Caucasian. I know, that doesn’t sound too different. Hell, it’s downright common here in California. Being so common, it is still a

new concept for most of America. The term “two or more races” was only added to U.S. census forms in 2000. In that year, 6,826,228 people were estimated to be of “two or more races.” By 2010, that number jumped to 9,009,073. That is only counting the people who “associate” themselves with more than one race rather than actually being one or more race. There are still plenty of racial purists in this country. For me, I come into contact with such people on a regular basis. I don’t have darker skin, I’m six feet tall and I simply just don’t look like a stereotypical Mexican person. I have had people tell me

that they don’t believe me when I say I’m half Mexican. It’s one thing for random people and acquaintances to tell me that they don’t accept my race for what it truly is. It’s another when family tells you that you don’t belong in with them. My Caucasian family has never said anything about my race. It’s my extended Mexican family that likes to point out that my blood is “impure.” It is not as prevalent anymore, but at family events it was not uncommon to be told that I wasn’t one of them, that my brothers and I were different. These comments were intended to be jokes and my brothers seemed

to have taken them more that way, but I must be more sensitive. Joking is common, but as the old adage goes, “there’s truth behind every joke.” I used to resent my Mexican family for telling me that I didn’t belong, and that my brothers and I were the only ones who aren’t entirely Mexican. It just made me feel isolated. But I have matured. I have come to let all of that go. However, evidence shows that I am not the only one that has felt this at some point. I guess, knowing that, those that are “two or more races” have somewhere else to look for a community.

I Oughta

Know By Jaime Carrillo

carrilj8@imail.losrios.edu It seems like just yesterday, Republicans were carefully picking a candidate through a handful of sociopaths before settling with the guy with the best hair. Congrats for rising to the top, Gov. Mitt Romney, you did it! Congresswoman Michele Bachman couldn’t win because she’s what scientists would describe as “completely bananas.” Speaker Newt Gingrich probably pulled out because the Justice League found his lair and secret stash of weapons grade plutonium. And Herman Cain… I’ll miss you most of all, Herman Cain. But there’s no time to be wistful, the 2012 presidential campaign is coming down to the wire. Well, “down to the wire” is perhaps not the right word here. I’m not suggesting everyone break out their polished mahogany to knock their fists against. I’m fairly positive President Barack Obama will remain president for one more term. Unless he gets a late in the game political bomb dropped in his lap, known to politico’s as an “October Surprise.” I simply don’t know what it could be, though. Can you? Obama has taken off the gloves, given up that whole “let’s come together and compromise” schlock and it’s paying off in key states like Ohio, where Obama is up by 2.4 points according to Real Clear Politics polling data. On Oct. 18, he even hammered how crucial it is for people to vote in as many Democrats as possible into congressional seats, because he doesn’t want to deal with the same obstruction that he’s dealt with since he took the oath of office. National security is always a huge issue, especially in post 9/11 America. Heck, the Osama bin Laden tape released the weekend before the election gave President George W. Bush the edge he needed to win against Senator John Kerry, who was effectively painted as some sort of pansy despite winning three Purple Hearts. That picture of him windsailing didn’t help either. But can Romney use similar tactics on the man that gave the order to annihilate bin Laden? I would love to see him try. But more than anything, Romney’s Waterloo is Romney. Not just the political figure but the man himself, and the campaign that bears his name. Republicans are not compassionate, as much as they like to think they are. And that’s just fine! At the end of the day, you can only be you. October surprises don’t usually come in late summer. When you discount almost half the country (47 percent, to be exact), don’t be so disappointed when they decide to not vote for you, and I Oughta Know.

PARTING

SHOTS

Apple Hill Photos by Stephanie Lee With most growers opening up on Labor Day weekend, Apple Hill is home to over thirty apple ranches, seven wineries and a day spa. For the adventurous, Apple Hill even has some farms that allow you to go into the orchard to pick the apples right off the trees. As the season continues, families can find their perfect pumpkin or their very own Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Seventeen of the farms in Apple Hill serve pastries including various forms of apple pie.

Bill’s Apples and Felice’s Dolls features some colorful flowers, making a beautiful backdrop on the farm.

Left: Apple Hill is wonderful for families as it allows them to pick their own apples at farms like Denver Dan’s. Top Left: Apple Ridge Farms is just one of many farms that also caters to children, with the ability to feed animals and have their faces painted. Top Right: Winesap apples are just one of the 50 different types of apples that Denver Dan’s has growing. Right: Debe Lee, of Sacramento, walks down a row of apple trees at Denver Dan’s Apple Patch.