Volume 68, Edition 11

CURRENT The

Wednesday 05.03.17 American River College Sacramento, Calif. Vol. 68, Ed. 11

Fashion student wins regional contest

By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com

the San Mateo district attorney began the investigation after accusers came forward with allegations that Winchester had sexually assaulted them while serving as as officer for the Los Rios Police Department, according to abc’s website.

As reported in a previous article by the L.A. times American River College’s former Public Information Officer Mitchel Benson said “We are appalled to think they (the allegations) could be true.”

Now in the wake of Winchester’s coming trial there is talk from the Los Rios Board of Trustees for modifying LRPD general orders.

Not the typical college student on campus, Kimberlee Wilson came back to school after her children had grown, returning with a grand life plan on her shoulders.

Among the varying art and theater classes she’s taking at American River College, Wilson explained that her passion is to create a non-profit group called “The Circle Stops With Me.” Experiencing a childhood where she said she was abused, Wilson said she overcame a lot growing up. “I want to take what I learned and share it with other people, so that I can be able to facilitate the art center,” Wilson said.

Wilson explains it as “the circle of violence, the circle of abuse, the circle of anything negative” that must stop with us. It will be a place where “families can come and work together to heal … and build something together with art and make it be a positive impact.”

Creating this art center will make possible for families to be able to have a safe space where they can come together.

All the classes she has taken and is currently taking is a means to this end, and are pivotal for this vision happen, she explained.

As an art and theater major, Wilson has participated in a number of plays and productions at American River College: “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Blues for Mr. Charlie”, “The Music Man” and “The Shepherd’s Story.”

Wilson appeared in the play production of “Beaux Stratagem”, a comedy show which ran April 21-30.

Wilson’s performance in “The Shepherd’s Play” last semester earned her a nomination to perform at a top regional competition for the Irene Ryan scholarship and attend the Kennedy Center Theater Festival in Denver.

The theater department – individual actors, singers, and student directors, along with the production of “Cabaret” that performed last semester at ARC – was also selected to perform and compete at the festival.

Wilson returned with good news from the event. Aside from competing in the acting competition, she presented a display of

Winchester | Page 2

Fashion Winner | Page 3

File photo

Former LRPD officer Noah Winchester on a ride-along in November of 2014. Winchester currently awaits trial for five counts of rape and remains in custody on $3.1 million bail, according to prosecutors.

Former LRPD officer to stand trial for five counts of rape NOAH WINCHESTER ORIGINALLY FACED 22 CHARGES

By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com Former Los Rios police officer Noah Winchester was ordered on April 22 by a San Mateo County Superior Court judge to stand trial for allegedly raping five women.

Winchester was employed with the Los Rios Police Department from January 1, 2009 to January 16, 2015 before transferring to the San Mateo Police Department.

According to an article posted on Fox40’s web site, “prosecutors last year charged Winchester with raping the women between July 2013 and October 2015 while he served with the San Mateo Police Department and also as an officer

Now in the wake of Winchester’s coming trial there is talk from the Los Rios Board of Trustees for modifying LRPD general orders.

Photo courtesy of San Mateo Sheriff’s Department.

Noah Winchester worked as an LRPD officer from 2009-2015.

for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento.”

Originally, Winchester faced 22

For more ARC coverage, go to www.arcurrent.com

INDEX

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News Scene

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Sports A&C

charges, “including kidnapping with intent to commit rape, rape, sexual penetration and oral copulation under color of authority, sexual battery, criminal threats and forcible sex offenses,” according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe as reported by the L.A. Times.

It wasn’t until fall 2015 that

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10-11 Opinion 12 Photo Essay

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DAMN. REVIEW Two Current editors go head to head

PAGES 6-7

over Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.”

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May 3, 2017

News

ARC’s LRPD crime logs

By John Ennis alexennis@gmail.com Keep up to date with the crime activity on campus by checking out Los Rios Police Department’s website www.police. losrios.edu/

File photo

It wasn’t until fall 2015 that the San Mateo district attorney began the investigation after accusers came forward with allegations that Winchester had sexually assaulted them while serving as as officer for the Los Rios Police Department.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gabe Ross the Associate Vice Chancellor/ Communications and Media Relations said they are “reexamining general orders to see if any areas may warrant re-evaluation now,” following the recent update for the Winchester case.

After the sexual assault complaints came to light in San Mateo County, protocol was followed.

District attorney for Winchester’s case in San Mateo County, Stephen M. Wagstaffe said “every agency and college does a debriefing on it.”

He mentioned questions they ask themselves such as “what could we do next time? Were we thorough with them?”

He also said there should always be “a day after analysis” of the case.

The LRPD could not be reached for comment on whether it is fol-

lowing San Mateo’s practices and declined to elaborate what steps it is taking to ensure future legitimate allegations made by sex crime victims are treated properly.

The investigative process for Los Rios is unknown because the “law presents us from sharing specific details about their investigation,” Ross said.

But with what information they can release their “goal is to be as transparent as possible,” Ross said.

As far as how thorough the investigation was conducted there was“no indication they could’ve done anything more,” and that they have the “best practices in regards to hiring officers,” Ross said.

The reason SPD intervened and led the investigation was because the LRPD did “not have sufficient investigative resources to handle (the) particular case,” Ross said.

According to Ross, the reason LRPD “did not make an arrest or pursue charges” was because “the decision was made by the investigating agency- Sacramento Police Department.”

In respect to SPD’s decision to close the case, “We had what they didn’t have and that’s five separate victims,” Wagstaffe said.

Little is known about the information San Mateo received from the LRPD or SPD when Winchester became an officer for San Mateo’s County Police Department.

“Our independent review of this matter has concluded that San Mateo’s representatives were provided with all available information by LRPD at the time of their inquiry and that LRPD acted appropriately based on the information available at the time,” Ross said in an email to the Current.

Also the details and whereabouts of Winchester’s resigna-

tion letter are unknown according to Wagstaffe.

“I don’t know about the resignation letter but I will look into it,” he said.

Pretrial and trial dates will be set on Winchester’s court date, May 5.

Benson could not be reached for a comment in light of Winchester’s new charges.

ARC President Thomas Greene declined to comment, but Greene relayed a message through the college’s Public Information Officer Scott Crow.

“Since the Los Rios Police Department is a district, not a college-coordinated function, the district is in a better position to answer the below questions,” said Crow via email.

ARC hosts diverse fashion show Friday

By Lidiya Grib griblidiya@yahoo.com The fashion program at American River College will present a diversity themed fashion show “Fluent” on May 5.

There was a model casting on March 24 where models, both men and women, were selected to present the designer’s clothing style for the upcoming fashion show.

There was a good turnout for the model casting; over 100 people turned up to sign up for the fashion show, according to Sara Durrant, who is taking the Productions 393 class.

“We had some people who had never modeled, people who had been doing it for years, people who had done the show before; the designers found some amazing people,” said Durrant.

The fashion program is composed of two classes: the designing class, which creates the design and brings it to life, and the promotion class, which handles the stage, marketing, production, and finding the models.

Either class, designing or promotions can only be taken sepa-

rately, and both are heavily time consuming and deadline strict, according to Durrant.

There are 10 designers presenting in the show this semester, and each designer gets five models to represent and wear their style design and creation.

During a meeting together in the beginning of the semester, the fashion production classes had the realization that they were a diverse group with different backgrounds from all over the world, according to Durrant.

The name of the fashion show, which is “Fluent: a Modern Diversity,” came out of that epiphany to describe their diverse group and uniquely diverse styles.

Durrant explained that the process of picking a name was in actuality a very long process, since with it they were trying to “change the direction of the following shows”.

This diversity likewise extends to their varying and different design ideas they each introduced to the class. “It’s something that really shows what they want to get across,” explained Durrant.

Durrant added that she hopes people will be excited to come

to the show, adding that “we just want to show the message we’re trying to get across.”

The varying styles of these design collections will include edgy street, Japanese streetwear, abstract and supplemental, vibrant colors, seasonal, business dress, and different cultural design.

Melek Uluk, a designer in the

Photo courtesy of Sara Durrant

Fashion show model casting was held on March 24 in the Arts and Science building. The model Alexis Wilson poses in the forefront.

show, is in her third year living in America. She is presenting an el-

egant collection that depicts the fashion and style of her Turkish roots.

The other designers are Alexandria Dowty, Kaysy Xaynhlath, Kelsey Lightfoot, Olga Komlyk, Sepideh Hassani, Tanya Verhoug, Tetyana Shevelenko and Yoon Soo Cho. A group of judges will select the winner of the fashion show, and will be announced at the final show. The winning design will depend on presentation, construction and the theme of their garments.

The fashion production is presenting its show on May 5. There will be three runs of the show, the first beginning at 11 a.m. There will be a 5 p.m. and a 7:30 p.m. show, where the winners are announced.

The money that will be collected from the ticket fee will be donated to a fund for the designers.

“It’s kind of a way to give back, because all of the designers do put their money into this, for their fabric and everything,” said Durrant.

Burglary – MisdCrime: 459 PC Crime Type: Burglary Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 1/25/2017 at 1215 Case #: 17-50 Incident #: 1701250079 Battery on School or Park groundsCrime: 243.2(A) PC Crime Type: Assault Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE AK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 1/18/2017 at 1000 Case #: 17-19 Incident #: 1701180027 Shoplift/Petty TheftCrime: 484(A) Crime Type: Larceny Theft Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 12/22/2016 at 1730 Case #: 17-4 Incident #: 1701040023 Shoplift/Petty TheftCrime: 484(A) Crime Type: Larceny Theft Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 12/23/2016 at 1600 Case #: 17-3 Incident #: 1701030032 Shoplift/Petty TheftCrime: 484(A) Crime Type: Larceny Theft Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 3/8/2017 at 0000 Case #: 17-161 Incident #: 1703140041 Petty TheftCrime: 484(A) PC Crime Type: Larceny Theft Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 2/8/2017 at 1600 Case #: 17-85 Incident #: 1702080065 Battery Spouse/Ex-Spouse/ Date/EtcCrime: 243(E)(1) PC Crime Type: Assault Crime Classification: Misdemeanor Address: 4700 Block of COLLEGE OAK DR City: Sacramento Occurred: 3/21/2017 at 0855 Case #: 17-177 Incident #: 1703210011 *Incidents of vandalism were not reported in the crime log.

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May 3, 2017

News

The angry black woman myth

By Solange Echeverria solangerecheverria@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of Brian Williams

Kimberlee Wilson did Ariel Ryan’s hair and makeup for the show “The Tempest”

Photo courtesy of Derek Giovanni

The American River College UNITE sponsored “The Myth of the Angry Black Woman as part of its ‘Women of Color Dialogue Series” on April 20.

The Women of Color dialogue series event is part of an ongoing dialogue series that discusses not just stereotypes, but ways to address and overcome them.

Bitchy, angry and domineering were some of the words tossed around the room, but many in the room struggled with striking a balance between addressing the stereotypes and the very need to talk about the real complexities of life in being black and female in today’s America.

“I was honestly compelled to work on the dialogue series due to the fact that I just felt there is so much to talk about being in terms of being a black youth, especially in modern times with what is all going on. I could honestly talk about so many topics in terms of being black, but I really wanted to bring the biggest issues to the table and take them apart,” said Breanna Martin, the organizer of the event.

The mood in the room was lively; many spoke of the need to to bridge the gap of knowledge between older and younger generations of Black Americans. “ I feel like there is a gap in history...many young people don’t know that we have a black national anthem, they don’t even know that there is a black national anthem...I am just really glad that there is dialogue and that the younger generation is hungry,” said Stacey Gershon.

“It’s all about your personal transformation,” Joclyn Gaines said.

According to Martin, these conversations are important because they are already happening in the black community but the black community is often not listened or heard by the larger community.

“I want these conversations to be started and I am willing to work hard to make sure the black community is heard. It’s time for the black community to be heard.

The black community has been ignored for too long and I want to put a stop to that,” Martin said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 her hair and makeup design for the ARC show “The Tempest,” for which she won first place for Allied Arts in makeup design.

After winning the regional competition, Wilson was selected to attend the national competition at the United States Institute for Theater Technology in Missouri, which she left for five days after her trip back from Denver. The trip took place March 6 through 11.

“I didn’t pass the first level for the Irene Ryan, but I won for the design technology management!”

Wilson said excitedly. “I didn’t think I was going to win!”

The expenses for her trip to St. Louis, Missouri, the flight, hotel, lodging, registration, and other expenses were all covered and paid for.

Although other ARC students won in other competitions, Wilson was the only one to

Photo courtesy of Brian Williams

Kimberlee Wilson did Emmanuel Jimenez’s hair and makeup for “The Tempest.”

make it to the top winner from Region 7, consisting of several states from the west.

“It’s like my life’s work has been validated,” said Wilson. “It was so awesome! I worked so hard on the production.”

At USITT, Wilson participated in decorating a wall display, and although she didn’t win at the national convention, she still got a free week at the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas as courtesy of Jane Childs, one of the founders of the institute and judge for the national competition who sponsored the event. The event will be taking place June 4 through 9 of this year.

Wilson mentioned the help she received from certain members of the theater department that had supported her, such as Tracy Martin Shearer, the dean of the five arts department, Dr. Charles Braden, and others.

Photo courtesy of Brian Williams “I really appreciated everyone’s support and help in this,” said Wil- Left to right: Rayana Wedge, Supatchaya Sunpanich, Kyra Britto, Emmanuel Jimenez and Alysia Samba pose in costume. son.

ASB NOTEBOOK

For weekly coverage of ARC student government, go to ARCurrent.com.

STUDENT SENATE PASSES BILL TO FUND END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION

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By John Ennis johnAlexanderEnnisIII@gmail. com The Student Senate passed a bill to allocate $3,000 to pay for its Associated Student Body End of the Year celebration at its meeting on Thursday.

“What would you guys like the End of the Year celebration to look like?” Student Senate President Valencia Scott asked the board at the start of the meeting.

CAEB President Justin Nicholson responded that he would like the celebration to have a lot of food to bring people together.

“Not because, you know, eating and we’re all starving college students, but because I think that’s a way to bring people together and to incentivize participation,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson also said he wants there to be recognition for the members of the board that have done well and exceeded expectations, and recognition for the future members of the board.

I think that’s a way to bring people together.

-JUSTIN NICHOLSON

Photo by John Ennis / News Editor

Student Senate Vice President Alejandra Hilbert, CAEB President Justin Nicholson and Student Senate President Valencia Scott at the April 20.

On April 4 and 5, the Associated Student Body held elections via eServices and students voted in their new student leaders.

Deborah Hernandez was elected Student Senate President, Jesse Taylor was elected Director of Finance and the board gained three new senators; Hadiya Brown, Lidia Lara and Lauryn Grant.

Evan Nguyen from Cosumnes River College was elected Student Trustee.

Current senator Laurie Jones, from American River College, was re-elected.

An email from Student Senate Advisor Juan Blanco provided to The Current said dates for fall special elections and appoint-

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Photo Illustration by T.J. Martinez

ARC theater student Kimberlee Wilson won at the regional competition at Kennedy Center Theater Festival in Denver. She was the top winner from Region 7.

ments for vacation positions will be determined during the summer.

Student Senate President-Elect Deborah Hernandez is currently the head of ARC’s Undocumented and Unafraid Club.

A resolution to discuss and potentially urge the Los Rios Community College District and campus administration to offer a district-wide leadership class for ASB members failed to pass by a two to four vote.

The board unanimously passed a bill allocating $360 to help the Psi Beta Club attend the Western Psychological Association Conference.

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Scene

ARC moves towards more ecofriendly campus

By T.J. Martinez teejmrtnz17@gmail.com

Concert aims to change lives SOUNDS FOR SAFETY RAISES FUNDS TO HELP SEX WORKERS GET OFF THE STREETS

By Cheyenne Drury cheyennemdrury@gmail.com Someone very dear to his heart is involved in the world of sex trafficking, she has been a sex worker since she was 14 years old; she is what inspired him to spearhead the benefit concert, Sounds for Safety.

Bryan Herndon is one of the lead organizers for Sounds for Safety. The event, which included a performance from an ARC student, “aims to strike a balance between an informative and fun night,” according to Herndon’s summary on its Facebook page.

ARC alum James Ballas has volunteered for Sounds for Safety two years in a row.

“I volunteer because of what Sounds For Safety has been doing with the funds they raise,” Ballas

said.

The lead lineup was all women with featured male musicians such as guitarist/singer Jordan Moore.

Moore is a local Sacramento musician who played guitar for poet Grace Loescher.

“I think it’s a really cool charity event and it’s cool that it’s a female performer-oriented show,” Moore said.

All leftover proceeds from the concert went to the nonprofit Community Against Sexual Harm.

CASH strives “to assist women that have been commercially sexually exploited through survivor-led peer support and harm reduction services, while providing education about the harm inflicted on women and the community,” according to information on the organization’s website.

“They raised $1,500 dollars last

year for community against sexual harm, and that was enough to get three women who had been involved in sex trafficking [to get] the help they needed to get back to their families,” Ballas said.

This nonprofit was “created by Sacramento Police officers, former sex workers, professors, Oak Park residents and a business district,” according to CASH’s website.

The show provided a unique blend of local poets live music and “two live painters on one massive canvas,” Herndon said.

Herndon had similar artists on his list like Moore. People who “offer a message of hope, strength and upliftment,” Herndon said.

Although Herndon says he wants to “strike a balance” he still wants a message to get across: His “goal [is to] give the women on the streets of Sacramento some options beyond the very

limited ones, in the dark world of sex trafficking,” Herndon said.

Herndon added that he knew what he wanted readers to understand, The “average lifespan of a victim is reported to be 7 years (found dead from attack, abuse, HIV and other STD’s, malnutrition, overdose or suicide,)” according to Ark of Hope For Children’s website.

Although these are dismal and bleak facts, they’re “actually helping people in our community leave a very dark chapter in their lives, and “this year they are projecting an even higher amount [profits raised], which will help even more women get off the streets,” Ballas said.

The saga of Bucky the Beaver THE LEGEND OF ARC’S FATHER AND SON MASCOT TEAM

imjoelwhited@gmail.com There is a bridge that holds up the American River College spirit, and the builders of that bridge are the gender neutral Bucky Sr. and Bucky Jr. Bucky Sr.’s story goes back 20 years, beginning with a fire that was survivable.

Bucky Sr. lost its significant other and all the fur on its body as well as its ability to play sports.

After a long two decade rejuvenation, the mascot decided to come out of hibernation and return to American River College, according to Katarina Bailey, an employee at the Dusty Baker Center, best friend, and translator for the mammals.

Sr. returned during the fall 2016 semester, and brought life to a

younger offspring via the birth of Bucky Jr. Bucky Jr. is a freshman in college and has the ability to play sports on almost a professional level.

Bucky Sr. and Bucky Jr. never speak a word, according to Bailey, and are secretive, but reveal their outgoing personalities during American River College-related events or sports.

Bucky Jr. is well known for its mad dance skills especially if you catch the mascot around the song “The Walker” by Fitz and The Tantrums.

Jr. has a wardrobe almost any college student would wish to have including jerseys and others sports-related swagger.

Bailey tells how it is and how to become such a mascot.

“Usually the person that is chosen to be the mascot has to be a

“

Usually the person that is chosen to be the mascot has to be a student athlete, but also outgoing, fun and energetic.

-KATARINA BAILEY

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By Joel Whited

student athlete but also outgoing, fun and energetic,” she said.

Students can find Bucky Sr. at File photo Bucky Jr. waves to the audience dur- a majority of public events on campus, whereas Bucky Jr. can be ing an ARC football game. Bucky seen at a majority of games and Jr. is a regular at sporting events sport events being as wild as posthroughout the semester while sible.

Bucky Sr. sticks to public events

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It’s not because I’m a tree hugger, which I am, it’s the law.

-DON REED

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Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez / Managing Editor

Jordan Moore performs at Ruhstaller Beer on February 25. Moore and Poet Grace Loescher performed at Sounds for Safety on April 27. The duo has also released an album of poetry together: “Some Call it Holy,” which can be found on iTunes.

On Thursday April 20 in room 160 at Raef Hall, Don Reed addressed the current recycling fallacies present at American River College.

“It’s not because I’m a tree hugger, which I am, it’s the law,” Reed said.

Showing the measures ARC has gone to, Reed pulled up Google Maps and showcased the fact that all trash and recycle cans on campus are now geo-tagged.

Sarah Mattson, an ARC art professor, has joined the cause by recycling garbage panels as art canvases to put on recycle cans throughout the ARC campus.

Student Senate has also taken part in the endeavor within recent years by having water bottle refill stations installed at some water fountains.

The new installation has saved over 200,000 water bottles and is still going strong on campus to this day since its installation in 2015.

Referring to the new trash and recycle cans that have recently been installed in the ARC cafeteria, Reed explained the purpose behind the new and improved bins.

“We build the infrastructure and then we teach people how to divide their trash,” Reed said.

As of now, trash cans outnumber recycle cans on campus 20014.

AB 341, California’s latest waste management legislation, states that its goal is to have California recycling at least 75 percent of its waste by the year 2020.

This law requires that public entities, large households and other big establishments that produce four or more cubic yards of waste per week to indefinitely adopt recycling practices.

Recent studies conducted by Reed and his team found that only 30 percent of ARC waste was correctly placed in the waste bin it belonged in throughout 2016.

Referring back to the new garbage system within the cafeteria, Reed expressed again what the mission is.

“The hope is that the infrastructure shows people that this goes in here and that that goes in there,” Reed said.

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May 3, 2017

Scene

PTK to host free public health fair ARC’S HONOR SOCIETY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS FOR SATURDAY’S EVENT

“

By Cheyenne Drury

It’s goal is not only to educate but to provide (students) with an improved societal perspective one that encourages them to take the intiative to assist groups in need.

cheyennemdrury@gmail.com

-JULIO LUIS GOPEZ

File Photos

Top: Students lobby a mental health bill to legislators in Feb. 2016.

Bottom: A tray of disinfectant supplies at the Health resource center.

panies all of these public health

uity such as for members of the

issues in one capacity or another.

LGBTQ community, are at a higher

He pointed out that social ineq-

risk to “drug abuse and suicide.”

These sort of destructive behaviors are a byproduct of mental health problems and mental illnesses.

Its goal is not only to educate but to “provide (students) with an improved societal perspective,” one that “encourage(s) them to take the initiative to assist groups in need,” Gopez said.

ARC student Mariya Katsman and Vice President of communications for PTK and triple major; political science, international studies and sociology will be a volunteer at the “Heath fair.”Katsman said she hopes “each attendee can find something specific to carry out of the fair since it covers so

“

American River College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is hosting a “Public Health Fair,” on ARC’s campus on May 6 in the student center.

Attendees will be “educated on public health issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse, mental illness, sex trafficking, drug addiction, and hunger, among other issues,” said Julio Luis Gopez. President of American River College Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (Beta Zeta Pi), Resources, presentations, and activities for mental and physical well-being will be available for students as a way to promote student wellness, according to an outline provided by Gopez.

There will also be panels, workshops and informational booths available to attend and seek out information.

Gopez stressed that each topic is equally as important as the next but he did point out that “sex trafficking is a very serious problem in Sacramento that a lot of people don’t know about.”

Gopez continued and said that mental illness is one of the overarching problems that accom-

many diverse important topics.”

She added that “there will be an activity hosted by the Lotus Garden Meditation Center, yoga demo and meditation ,so that attendees (can) relax and consume new information even better.”

“In addition, to free admission, we provide continental breakfast and lunch,” Katsman said.

All workshops will take place in community rooms one and two.

Breakout sessions will be held in community rooms, club and board rooms and the opening, closing and keynote speakers will take place in the cafeteria.

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May 3, 2017

FEATURE

DAMN. IT’S

Jared Smith Opinion Editor sjared33@gmail.com

GOOD.

Jared Smith is a second semester student with the Current.

Last semester he worked as a staff writer, and this semester he is working as the opinion editor on the paper. Smith is finishing up his Associates of Arts in journalism and is planning on transferring to California Polytechnic State University in fall 2017.

In 2016, for “To Pimp A Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar almost tied the record for the most Grammy nominations in one night. With 11 nominations, Lamar only lost to Michael Jackson by one nomination. With his new album “Damn.”

Lamar may beat that record, but as Lamar says on “Element.,” “I don’t do it for the Gram; I do it for Compton.” This line sets the tone for the majority of “Damn.” Here Lamar is thankful for where he is, and he’s not forgetting what got him there.

“Damn.” is the aftermath of Lamar’s success. Here we find him coping with all of the fame and fortune he has gained. He recognizes all of the evil that comes with stardom, and he’s trying to keep it at bay by staying humble and true to who he is.

After the much praised “To Pimp a Butterfly,”“Damn.” has a lot to live up to. “Damn.” is Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album and he is still constantly experimenting with his style and tone each time he releases a new LP. “Damn.” is a slow-paced melodic album with a few banger tracks like “DNA.,” and “Humble.” It’s damn good, and arguably Lamar’s best album yet.

The album only has a few features which make it feel more personal, including appearances from U2, Rihanna, and Zacari.

In “To Pimp a Butterfly” Lamar experimented with jazz reminiscent tracks. Here, there is more of a psychedelic rock sound. With guitar riffs throughout, and a sample from Pink Floyd, these riffs and samples create songs that almost feel like hallucinations, with such songs like “Pride.,” and “Lust.” The only low point of the album is the song “Loyalty.,” which feels too generic, and sounds too familiar.

Lamar’s rapping is still center stage as always and it doesn’t disappoint. His ability to be sporadic yet consistent is what keeps every track going, and non-stop until the end.

While Lamar’s previous albums were more focused on storytelling or social issues, this album is much more focused on self-reflection.

Religion has been a theme in other Lamar albums and that doesn’t change here. Released on Good Friday, the album has many religious undertones, with con-

“Damn.” is a slow-paced melodic album with a few bangers tracks like “DNA.,” and “Humble.” It’s damn good, and arguably Lamar’s best album yet. fame will turn him into.

The album is also a statement of hip-hop culture itself. With samples of Geraldo Rivera criticizing Lamar’s work for being destructive to the black community, Lamar fires back and says his content cannot be ignored because it’s in his ‘DNA.’ He also states that without hip-hop his life wouldn’t be as great as it is, and that his ‘DNA’ is what got him to the point he’s now at:

Photo Illustration by Tanner Mets

Kendrick Lamar’s new album “Damn.” features R&B singer Rihanna and the Irish rock band U2.

stant references to prayer and to God. There is even a song titled “God.” Although this song is more dealing with how Lamar’s current status of fame makes him feel. The song “Yah.” is a reference to the Hebrew name of God, and the Book of Deuteronomy. The fifth book of the Torah and the Christian Old Testament, is also mentioned a lot.

The album opens with a slow monologue where some of the

first words sung are “are we gonna live or die.” This instantly sets the dramatic melancholy tone for the whole album. Lamar is angry in this album, and it shows through the music.

Yet even though Lamar is angry, he seems to be so grateful for where he is here.

The album is filled with the themes that are central to Lamar’s work, though this album has a ma-

jor theme of staying true to what you are, and staying ‘humble’.

Specifically, “Element.,” “Humble.,” “God.,” and “Fear.”

In “Fear.,” Lamar directly gives us a view of three acts of his life, and what he was afraid of during those times. When he was young, he fear was his mother. When he reached his teens he was afraid of death, and then at 27, he became fearful of what money and

“I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA ‘This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years’ I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA I live a better life, I’m rollin’ several dice, f**k your life I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA; I live a better life, f**k your life.”

“Damn.” is Lamar’s manifesto of success. It manages to simultaneously be a slow album with nice beats, yet it can go fast and hard at some points. While not as ambitious as “To Pimp a Butterfly,” there is beauty in simplicity, and that is where “Damn.” shines the most.

DAMN. May 3, 2017

IT’S

FEATURE

7

DEPRESSING.

Cheyenne Drury Editor-In-Chief cheyennemdrury@gmail.com

Cheyenne Drury is a third-semester student on the American River Current, where she serves as the Editor-inChief. She previously served as arts and culture editor and news editor. She is double majoring in journalism and photojournalism. She has competed in softball, cross country and track, all at the college level. She was published in the American River Review, the award-winning college literary magazine.

Kendrick Lamar is depressed. A depressed musical genius.

“Damn.” is a master mixtape at best.

Unlike “Section.80, Good kid m.A.A.d city” and “To Pimp a Butterfly,” his new album is scattered and disoriented - it is a reflection of his inner darkness. Never before has Lamar thrown so much anger, confusion and hopelessness with lyrical left hooks and powerful poetic uppercuts.

In the past it has been concept albums with a narrative woven through. Section.80 left hip-hop heads to ruminate on raw verses such as “You know we crack babies cuz we born in the 80s,” and troubling ambitions “I used to wanna see the penitentiary way after elementary/ Thought it was cool to look the judge in the face when he sentenced me.”

This was a free entry into the then 24 -year- old’s mind, it offers insight into the politics, institutionalized oppression and nihilism that feels like “standing on the field full of landmines doing the moonwalk, hoping [he blows] up in time.”

Listeners are coerced to look Lamar’s bleak realities straight in the face.

“DNA.” is one of the most politically charged songs on “Damn.” instead of offering perspective it outright tells its music listeners that ‘King Kendrick’s’ fight to be a positive influence has been horribly misinterpreted by news outlets.

Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera said “Lamar stated his views on police brutality with that line in the song, quote: “And we hate the popo, wanna kill us in the street fo’ sho’…”

Oh please, ugh, I don’t like it.”

This is the outro on the first track “Blood.” that features two news anchors who take his lyrics completely out of context. Lamar doesn’t need to prove that he is the best in the rap game anymore, he is now up against the media.

Though, even more disturbing is in the bridge of “DNA.” “Rivera said “This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African-Americans than racism in recent years.”

It comes with no surprise to catch biblical allusions and references in Lamar’s music, but a red flag emerged on track five “Feel.” when he says “ ain’t nobody prayin’ for me.” His struggle with faith has become evident and at no

Kendrick’s fight to be a positive influence has been horribly misinterpreted by news outlets.

Photo Illustration by Tanner Mets

Kendrick Lamar released his fourth album “Damn.” on April 14, one week after the originally scheduled release date.

point does he reach a resolve.

The repetition of, “ain’t nobody prayin’ for me,” in the intro, chorus and outro shows the exhaustion Lamar feels.

“Fear.” was one of, if not the most cathartic releases on “Damn.”

The journey begins with a young boy being told by his ‘momma’ “I’ll whoop yo ass boy,” for innocent things even members from the Full House cast wouldn’t be scolded for.

Next, Lamar talks about all of the ways, “[he’ll] probably die,” I’ll prolly die tryna buy weed at the apartments, I’ll prolly die tryna diffuse two homies arguin’, I’ll prolly

die ‘cause that’s what you do when you’re 17.”

The last verse talks about the fears Lamar experienced at his height of fame,“ When I was 27, I grew accustomed to more fear/ Accumulated 10 times over throughout the years.”

But the fears in his late twenties are concerned with newer and more complex reasons, “my biggest fear was bein’ judged/ How they look at me reflect on myself, my family, my city.”

It takes an even bleaker and more twisted turn at the end of the track.

In the outro there is a recording

by Carl Duckworth in which he says “the so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians, are the true children of Israel.”

This intensity builds when Duckworth claims that “[God’s] gonna punish us for our iniquities, for our disobedience.”

This seems like a very high price to pay because according to Duckworth, Lamar has “[chosen] to follow other gods that aren’t [God’s] son.”

Although with all of that said there are breaks from his inner turmoil.

On the track “Love.” a Drakestyled hook is sweetly repeated, “I

wanna be with you, ayy.”

This isn’t a side of Lamar that is often seen. At first it’s a little cringe-worthy, it seems like such a far cry from the more introspective concepts Lamar has produced.

But after a few listens it becomes painfully vulnerable, (still a little cheesy.)

Sometimes simplicity and cliches are refreshing to hear. It has ‘played on the radio 40 times a day all over it,’ but it is honest and real.

Keeping with the honesty and realness throughout the album earns the rapper major kudos but it also causes problems.

Love, loyalty, lust and fear are huge ideas to tackle, maybe it was Lamar’s effort to lie it all out on the table but it isn’t isn’t one that’ll keep his fans up at night.

Change isn’t always bad and that’s one of the biggest takeaways from “Damn.”

Every artist, every person should have the freedom to explore themselves and express themselves.

In this case Lamar took “Damn.” as an opportunity to open up.

It was a risk that does not imitate his past works; it creates something entirely new.

His fame and influence offers hope that when you “feel like [you] can’t breathe,” you can use “Damn.” as motivation to express yourself and maybe even get the help you need.

If you’re not thoroughly convinced take it straight from the horse’s mouth.

In an interview with Zach Lowe for Beats 1 Radio, Kendrick said “Y’know it’s not easy telling your truth and things that you fear...

He added that “the music is not for me. It’s for somebody else that’s going through a f**ked-up day to listen to and progress in their lives.”

8

May 3, 2017

SPORTS

SEASON RECAPS Men’s Track & Field Individual wins by Ross Walker in the 1500m, Ozzie Hassen in the 5000m and the 10000m, Derrick Griffith in the 110m hurdles, and Devin Scheidt in the 3000m, along with other high placing performances allowed the men’s track and field team to capture it’s seventh consecutive Big 8 title by over 60 points. They will now look to defend their NorCal title, which they have won four of the last five years.

Women’s Basketball

Photo by Mychael Jones / Staff

Sophomore Tam Duong prepares to swing at the ball during a NorCal semifinal game against De Anza College on April 21 at ARC. ARC defeated De Anza en route to winning their second consecutive NorCal title.

Men’s tennis team repeat as NorCal Champions UNDEFEATED IN NORCAL, TEAM FALLS JUST SHORT OF STATE TITLE

By Mychael Jones mychael.jones.arc@gmail.com The American River College men’s tennis are regional championsh once again as they defeated De Anza College and Fothill College on back-to-back days to claim their second consecutive NorCal title.

The semifinal match against De Anza was originally scheduled for Apr. 18, but was delayed due to rain and rescheduled for Apr. 21.

The Beavers then breezed past De Anza 5-0 to reach the final for the second year running.

Head Coach Bo Jabery Madison had encouraging words after the match.

“Challenge yourself and see what you’re capable of,” Madison said.

The matches were a back and

forth contest for both ARC and DeAnza, however ARC came out on top.

ARC needed five points out of nine to win the game and received three points from its doubles matches with two points from singles.

Madison said their game at ARC against De Anza was a good opportunity to advance to the Nor Cal Championship.

“It’s a good team and a good challenge,” Madison said.

A player that stood out according to Madison was freshman Pete Gibson who helped get the final points in his 6-1, 6-0 win over De Anza’s Jack Eastling match.

“Pete Gibson got the clinching win to close us out,” Madison said.

Gibson said he did his job and wanted to improve on how he plays while moving forward towards their match against Foothill

College.

“We have a lot of momentum,” Gibson said.

During one of the sets a player from De Anza was injured and was seen by a medical official.

The medical official did not disclose any information.

His opponent Cody Duong had said he focused on his own game and knew what he had to do to win.

“I knew my opponent had a weak backhand,” Duong said.

ARC then went on to face Foothill College the next day in a rematch of last year’s NorCal title game.

This time around, the Beavers dispatched of the Owls with relative ease and a 5-1 victory saw them repeat of champions of Northern California.

Madison during the playoffs that ranking shouldn’t influence

or their game or provide any more pressure because they measure themselves differently.

“You don’t shy away from being the best,” Madison said. “When you measure success by improvement and not by ranking, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

With the regional tournaments finshed, ARC traveled down to Ventura to face the Southern California champions Irvine Valley College in a rematch of last year’s state championship game.

Once again IVC proved to be too strong of an opponent for ARC and they lost 5-1 as the Lasers won their third straight state championship.

The Beavers finish the season with a 17-2 overall record, undefeated in matches against Northern California teams and another perfect conference record at 7-0.

SEASON RECAPS

The women’s basketball team earned a second consecutive playoff berth this season after finishing the season with a 19-11 record and beating Fresno in the second round before falling to College of the Sequoias in the Regional final.

Deja Samuels led the team in points and assists with 14.3 PPG and 5.0 APG while sophomore Dominique Gordon added 9.3 rebounds/game.

Softball The ARC softball team managed to end the season with a 2-1 win against Diablo Valley last Tuesday to finish the season at 18-17.

Their 9-15 conference record was not enough to get them into the playoffs as they finished sixth in the Big 8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The team batted .282 on the season with 110 RBI and 9 home runs.

Photo by John Ennis/ News Editor

ARC women’s softball pitcher Haley Dosher prepares to pitch during a game against Sacramento City College on Apr. 4. The softball team finished the season with a 1817 reecord on the season.

Men’s Tennis

Photo by Cheyenne Drury/ Editor-in-Chief

Sophomore guard Jermaine Henderson is guarded by Sacramento City’s Gabe Serna during a conference basketball game on February 16. ARC advanced to the regional final before being eliminated by Canada College.

Men’s Basketball The men’s basketball team had a rebound season this year, finishing with a 16-11 record, up from 8-18 last year, and reaching the NorCal regional final before losing to Canada for a spot in the state championship. Sophomore guard Richard Reed led the team with 20.6 PPG, Jermaine Henderson averaged 3.1 assists/game, and Jerico Avery finished with 13.9 rebounds.

Photo by Lidiya Grib/ Arts and Culture Editor

Sophomore pitcher Micah Gunter throws a ball during a game against Solano College on March 2. The baseball team suffered a bad run of form in conference play and finished with a 17-23 record.

Baseball After starting the season with a nine game winning streak, the baseball team finished with a 17-23 record, losing nine of the last 13 games in the month of April, including six straight losses to end the season,finishing with a 6-16 conference record in the Big 8. The team finished with a .277 batting average over 1,411 at-bats, scoring 209 RBI and 9 home runs.

The men’s tennis team captured their sixth consecutive Big 8 conference title after an undefeated season against teams in Northern California, before adding their second straight NorCal title after defeating Modesto, De Anza, and Foothill in the final.

The team then faced Irvine Valley for a second straight year in the State Championship game, where they lost again, 5-1.

Women’s Tennis After a winless season in 2016, the women’s tennis team rebounded this season with a 9-4 overall record, a 4-0 conference record, and the Big 8 conference title after beating Folsom Lake 7-2 in the final. They qualified as the fifth seed in the NorCal tournament, but fell to fourth seeded Modesto in the first round.

9

May 3, 2017

Arts & Culture

Photo by Luis Gael Jimenez / Managing Editor

Blanca Bastida established The Shadow Box Gallery as a permanent showcase of American River College student art. The window was originally used by the culinary department to display food served in the Oak Cafe.

The heart of the American River Art Club: Blanca Bastida

“

By Luis Gael Jimenez

Art invokes ideas. It makes you feel and gives you a perspective in life. The more people see, the more I think we become connected in our humanity.

The campus of American River College has become an artistic mecca in Sacramento. The ARC Art Club regularly hosts art exhibitions, performs live art and has its work hung up in galleries all over town.

All of this can be largely attributed to one person: Art Club President Blanca Bastida.

Bastida took over as president in the fall of 2016 and in the span of a semester she has transformed the arts at ARC, injecting a muchneeded shot of life into the arm of the arts department, according to those who work with her.

The Shadow Box Gallery is one of the best examples of her efforts; Bastida has made it possible for students to have a permanent spot to showcase their work.

Bastida has also arranged events and activities for the art club to participate in all over town as well as on campus.

Events like live art at the Oak Park Brewing Company held every Tuesday (which is currently on hold due to the weather) have not only provided valuable exposure to those involved, but also financial compensation for the starving artists who managed to sell their pieces.

Surprisingly, Bastida doesn’t use any of these opportunities to sell her own work. Instead she focuses on organizing and curating events.

Art club vice president Erica Campbell stressed the selfless work that Bastida has put towards helping her fellow artists.

“She is passionate, driven, and absolutely in love with art. She loves hanging shows even more than creating work herself,” Campbell said. “She is tireless in making

-BLANCA BASTIDA

Photo courtesy of Blanca Bastida

A portrait of actor Samuel L. Jackson drawn by Blanca Bastida. While Bastida doesn’t typically display her own work, she is an avid artist.

File Photo

The American River Art Club has regular shows at several different venues in Sacramento such as the Oak Park Brewing Company, pictured above.

a name for the art club at ARC and making it a space where students and former students have a continual source of inspiration and support.”

Bastida has quietly established

the art club as a force to be reckoned with in the Sacramento artistic community.

“One of [Bastida’s] biggest goals is to create opportunities for artists to get there work out into the

community, to get it seen and, with any luck, sold,” Campbell said.

Art Club Secretary Erika Gonzalez emphasized the importance of Bastida’s role within the art club.

“Blanca is tenacious in her mission to advance the arts … [she is] always on top of things. She always has the club and its members in mind when it comes to calls to artists and club days on campus,” Gonzalez said. “She also thinks big by getting information on events the club can do anywhere in Sacramento. Such as the open mic nights we did at the Oak Park Brewery and Second Saturday booths behind Badlands.”

With her efforts, Bastida has created a living, breathing community that lets artists not only express themselves, but also exhibit their work to the community.

“She thinks big by getting information on events the club can do anywhere in Sacramento. Such as

“

luisgaeljimenez@gmail.com

the open mic nights we did at the Oak Park Brewery and Second Saturday booths behind Badlands,” Gonzalez said.

While she is an artist herself, Bastida is first and foremost an ambassador of the arts.

“Art invokes ideas. It makes you feel and gives you a perspective in life,” Bastida said. “The more people see the more I think we become connected in our humanity.”

She bridges the gap between the artist and the viewer.

“I want to create a name for ARC,” Bastida said. “I want to push [ARC] students out into the world.”

10

May 3, 2017

Opinion

Are you curious about ‘The Fate of the Furious?’

By Jared Smith

sjare33@gmail.com

Photo courtest of Flickr

Social media captures our attention for most of our days. Lets give it some time off.

Social media has become an anti-social presence in our lives

By Jared Smith sjared33@gmail.com It used to be that in order to hear what’s going on with someone, or how they’re doing you’d have to go find and talk to them.

Nowadays we have mass information about others in the palm of our hands.

Social media is a huge part of a college student’s life today: According to the Harvard Institute of Politics, IOP, “Facebook (87 percent), Twitter (47 percent), Instagram (45 percent), Pinterest (37 percent), Snapchat (34 percent) and Tumblr (19 percent) are all more popular among college students than among young Americans who are not in, or never have attended, college.”

Social media is meant to be a tool to connect with others.

Instead it is dividing us and in addition to being less social in person, we may also be losing self-esteem.

Before everybody had a smartphone, people used to speak to one another in person. We still do, it’s just considerably less. Now we gather around and all stare at our phones and check our feeds instead of talking to the person sitting right next to us.

Family gatherings are now filled with chirps, and dings of other people’s lives seeping into the quiet room. By comparing our lives to others on social media, we may be compromising our confidence, and self-esteem.

Self-esteem is how someone measures his or her own worth.

Social media, besides being a tool to connect with one another, is usually used to promote one’s self. People are constantly posting how great their life is, which may cause others to compare their own life to another’s whose life may seem exponentially better than theirs.

According to Igor Pantic, MD, a doctor in clinical immunology,

cancer research, and biophysics, on an article he posted on “The National Center for Biotechnology Information,” web site, one reason that social media is linked with depression is that it leads to incorrect ideas about physical appearance, education level, and other characteristics. This is mainly because people can create new narratives about themselves on the internet.

It should be stated though that because of social media’s relative newness, that not all of this data is conclusive because it is a subject that has not had as much attention yet. However, in 1998 general internet use was studied.

This was of course before Facebook was founded in 2004, but the study concluded a positive relationship between depression and internet use.

According to Rachel Simmons, social media can also be seen as a “toxic mirror” that causes us to self reflect on own images in a

negative light. Rachel Simmons, a reporter for Time.com, reported that studies found that college girls who post, and comment on the most photos were likely to link their worth to their looks.

This “toxic mirror” effect is crafting negative body images in our mind, and because of things like photoshop, people are starting to think that people who look like greek gods and goddesses are the norm.

A solution to this anti-social media isn’t to stop using it. It’s become so ingrained in all of our everyday lives that it’s becoming harder and harder to not use it.

Instead, just practice moderation.

Don’t spend so much time on social media. Maybe take a few days off and see how you feel after that. You may feel refreshed and rejuvenated from not being a servant to social media.

Go, go see ‘Power Rangers’ in theaters

By T.J. Martinez teejmrtnz17@gmail.com While purchasing a ticket to the latest Power Rangers reboot, directed by Dean Israelite, my expectations were anything but high.

Surprisingly, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The character building and development that took place amongst the randomly selected teen super heroes really hit home when it came to them taking a stand on social issues together.

Many themes stood out during the film’s two hour and four minute presentation, including not fitting in, self-forgiveness, making the right choice, taking ownership, showing empathy and teamwork.

Although the film was predictable, the way that the teens deal with their newfound power and bind together despite the

Photo courtest of Lionsgate Studios

‘Power Rangers’ hit movie theaters on March 24 and made over $13 million in its opening weekend.

fact that they were all complete strangers was not.

Israelite gave great background and depth to the characters by providing a back story for each one and having them eventually share their stories in front of one another before forging their su-

perhero bond.

Although the film has received relatively negative reviews from multiple sources, including Rotten Tomatoes and RogerEbert. com saying that the film was “loud, trashy and weird”.

I highly recommend it if there

is time to kill and money to be spent.

If you really want to make the most of your dollar wait until $5 Tuesday and visit Palladio 16 Cinemas located in Folsom California.

The “Fast and Furious” is an old franchise at this point. With the first film coming out in 2001, the franchise is fast approaching being 20 years old.

In order to survive in an age where bombastic space films and superhero films bring in all the dough, the “Fast and the Furious” has adapted a new formula.

If you haven’t been following the series, they’ve evolved from car racing crime-dramas to an explosion of action, engines, and men yelling because they can’t cope with their emotions.

Now a remnant of what the series started out as, “The Fate of the Furious” is now almost a parody of itself with a crew of street racers teaming up with dangerous criminals, and CIA spoofs to save the world. This isn’t a bad thing.

“The Fate of the Furious” thrives in the ridiculous. The film is very self aware, and because of this it’s easy to go along for the ride and enjoy it. Many of the set pieces are filled with comedic moments that heightened the experience. Without these, the film would not have been as good as it was.

Living up to its franchise name, the movie rarely slows down, and most characters seem filled with angst throughout. The time that the film does slow down, and explains to you why everything is going on, is when the film is at its lowest.

That’s mostly because the characters never seem like real people, so it’s hard to really feel the emotional impact of the film, especially when some tragic events that happen are never explained to other characters in the film, and the characters keep on trucking like all is right as rain.

The film shouldn’t be devoid of emotional moments; even the greatest action movies have them.

Emotion is what drives action in action movies; it’s what invests you in the characters. The more invested you are in the characters, the more you want them to win, and the more intense the scenes becomes.

These scenes in the film could have just been done so much better with less yelling. The franchise had a long time to flesh out some of these characters, yet they’re still so two-dimensional it’s unbelievable.

The cast does a good job for most of the film. Charlize Theron is probably the best villain that they have had in the series, and Tyrese Gibson provides a lot of laughs throughout the film. This is the first “Fast and Furious” film to not have Paul Walker star, as he died in tragic car accident in 2013, but film stands ground without him.

The film overall is a fun rollercoaster. If you’re a fan of the “Fast and Furious” series, this film is a must. If you hate the series, this film won’t change your mind.

11

May 3, 2017

OPINION

CURRENT EDITORIAL

The LRPD lacks transparency

By Current Staff Police transparency isn’t a phrase to just throw around; that said some concern has arisen among the student body since a former Los Rios Police Officer allegedly raped an ARC student on campus grounds in Fall 2015.

During this time the LRPD was undergoing investigation, it declined to make any official comments for the Current staff.

According to an article published by the Current on May 12, 2015, LRPD Captain John McPeek referred the Current to Los Rios Police Chief Cheryl Sears who did not return multiple calls.

The difficulty that accompanies this lack of contact has left the school’s student body uninformed and if the public isn’t able to hold public officials accountable, then who is?

LRPD turned the investigation over to the Sacramento Police Department. No charges were made.

On April 22, the former LRPD officer Noah Winchester was ordered by a San Mateo County Superior Court judge to stand trial for allegedly raping five women.

At the time of the rape claims, little to nothing was known about the investigative process and now in wake of Winchester’s alleged rape charges, information still remains scarce.

One explanation was offered

. . . if the public isn’t able to hold public officials accountable, then who is?

File Photo

American River College President Thomas Greene, left, and Los Rios Police Department Capt. John McPeek.

The Los Rios Police Department needs to be more transparent with the students its job it is to protect.

by the Associate Vice Chancellor and head of Communications and Media Relations for the Los Rios Board of Trustees, Gabe Ross.

“Facts (are) coming in and changing,” and the LRPD is “not to speak before (they) know all of the facts,” Ross said.

Now that the investigation has ended, a lack of compliance to comment still remains.

The LRPD did not return phone calls and were not available for drop in concerning the recent Winchester update.

Likewise, President Thomas Greene asked the school’s Public Information Officer Scott Crow to redirect any questions to Ross.

This lack of transparency creates a roadblock. There is no way to judge or criticize LRPD’s pro-

tocol because there is no protocol available to examine.

According to the district attorney for Winchester’s case in San Mateo County, Stephen M. Wagstaffe, every agency and college does a debriefing on past investigations.

He mentioned questions San Mateo County asks themselves such as “what could we do next time? Were we thorough with

them?”

He also said there should always be “a day after analysis” of the case.

These are a few questions and ideas the LRPD could implement to their protocol, and if in fact they already follow similar steps, ARC’s student body should know about it.

This isn’t a matter of accusing our police officers of negligence, it’s to say that a student made claims that they were raped by an LRPD officer on ARC’s campus and as students we were and are still denied access to information regarding it.

Even if there was negligence, because of the circumstances negligence can’t be claimed.

The relationship between the press and the police will never be a perfect one but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be one.

How to eat healthy on a budget

By Jared Smith

sjared33@gmail.com Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it can be accomplished fairly easily even if you are on a budget.

What is a healthy diet? According ARC nutrition professor Jana Gonsalves, a healthy diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for carbohydrates.

For protein, the diet emphasizes lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts.

A healthy diet’s general principles are balance, variety, and moderation. You can have a healthy diet and still eat the foods that you love like ice cream and brownies, as long as it’s in moderation. According to Gonsalves, there is “no way to have a healthy diet balance diet by excluding stuff [food].”

The key element here in moderation is portion control. Gonsalves said that in the last 20 years food portions have “exploded.” An 8 ounce soda is now a 20 ounce bottle for example.

A healthy diet limits such things like added sugar, trans-fats, so-

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An American River College student-run publication.

4700 College Oak Drive Liberal Arts, Room 120, Sacramento, Calif. phone: 916-484-8304 email: current@arc.losrios.edu

Photo by T.J. Martinez / Scene Editor

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. Carrots are an easy snack that are cheap and low-calorie.

dium, and saturated fat. It’s important to note that these should be limited not excluded, except trans-fats. Trans-fats have been linked a various amount of health issues that can be avoided by simply not consuming them.

One way to keep a healthy diet is to stay away from liquid calories.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have them, just in moderation. Soda and Starbucks drinks can really add to your daily total amount of

calories. For example according to Starbucks’ nutritional information, a Java Chip Frappuccino is 600 calories. Meanwhile, a Big Mac from McDonalds is 563 calories.

According to Gonsalves, ways to stick to your diet include planning your meals, sticking to your grocery list, cooking larger portions at home so you have easy meals for the week, and buying whole foods.

Whole foods can be found by

EDITORIAL BOARD Cheyenne Drury Luis Gael Jimenez John Ennis Jared Smith Joel Whited T.J. Martinez

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Scene Editor

Lidiya Grib Mack Ervin III

Arts & Culture Editor Multimedia Editor

staying away from the aisles in the grocery store and sticking to the perimeter. Gonsalves said that frozen fruits and vegetables are acceptable though.

One of the ways to save money while shopping for your diet is to avoid buying packaged foods. According to Myplate (Myplate.gov), convenience foods often cost more than preparing and eating these foods at home. This includes foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut fruits, vegetables, and take-out meals.

Both Myplate, and Gonsalves recommend buying produce that is in season as it’s usually cheaper.

By going to farmer’s markets you are not only directly supporting local farmers, but you are also getting good deals on fresh produce.

Gonsalves recommended trying to go towards the end and negotiate with the farmer to see if you can get a better deal, as some farmers won’t want to take all of their produce home.

Some examples of foods that are low cost and very nutritious, are eggs, beans, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, oatmeal, pea-

STAFF

ADVISERS

Solange Echeverria Mychael Jones

Rachel Leibrock Jill Wagner

nuts, and lean meats like chicken.

According to the USDA, a dozen large eggs in California is just $1.36, And according to Gonsalves a pound of dry beans is just $1.79, which is 12 servings of beans opposed to the three found in canned beans priced at $1.69.

Eating healthy on a budget is not hard. By avoiding pricey sugary drinks from the likes of Starbucks, avoiding spending money on high-priced frozen meals, having a healthy diet, and a happy wallet can be achieved.

TO READ MORE OPINIONS ABOUT ARC GO TO ARCURRENT. COM

POLICY The Current is produced by the students of College Media Production, J410-413. 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.

PACESETTER AWARD WINNERS JACC STATE CONVENTION 2016

May 3, 2017

12

PHOTO ESSAY

A protester holds up a sign at the Sacramento Science March depicting an elephant burying its head in the sand. The elephant is the mascot of the Republican Party.

A

march √16 science

On April 22, cities all across the United States held a national march for science.

According to organizers, the march was a nonpartisan celebration of science meant to raise awareness over the Trump’s administration antiscience agenda.

An estimated 20,000 or so people turned out for the march in downtown Sacramento.

Some supporters used the march to raise awareness for other issues, like women’s inequality in the workplace.

FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE SCIENCE MARCH GO TO ARCURRENT.COM

By Solange Echeverria | solangerecheverria@gmail.com

A dog dressed as a shark poses for the camera at the Sacramento Science March. Many of the protesters brought their dogs and found ways to include them.

American River College Professor Jane Mantey talks about the intersectionality of racism, sexism and the sciences at the Sacramento Science March. Mantey is an adjunct professor of biology at ARC. A demonstator holds up a sign with the word ‘women’ spelled as ‘womyn’ in an attempt to be more inclusive and avoid using the suffix ‘-men.’