BASEBALL STAR COPES WITH INJURY, LOSS AND HEARTACHE ON THE FIELD Photo Illustation by Jenn Schopfer
american river
current
ARCurrent.com @ARCurrent Facebook.com/ARCurrentcom Vol. 64, Ed. 11 • April 24, 2013
American River College students protest ASB candidates MEMBERS OF FIERCE AND INDIVIDUALS IN ASB VOICE OPPOSITION TO STANCE By Jeff Gonzales jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com The recent American River College Associated Student Body elections came with their fair share of controversy. Students from Fierce, the campus’ LGBTQA club, along with a few members of ASB chose to take a vocal stance against two candidates running for office. The protests included individuals walking around campus with signs that read, “Vote no,” on the controversial candidates. Los Rios District Student Trustee candidate Luke Otterstad and the newly elected ASB Director of Finance Jorge Riley came under fire during campaigning for a controversial stance they endorsed as part of the ASB in 2008. “I didn’t want my constituents to be manipulated,” ASB Student Senate President Quierra Robey said for her reasons to protest the candidates. “We are supposed to be leaders. We are supposed to inform them.” The 2008 ASB Student Senate made national news by endorsing the now infamous Proposition 8, banning same sex marriage in the state of California. As the only Student Senate to endorse Proposition 8, ARC was the subject of much public scrutiny. Riley does not believe that his support of Proposition 8 should have been used against him during his campaign. “They say stop the hate, but that is what they are doing,” Riley said to The Current. The controversy prompted one ASB Senator to resign on April 18. Former Senator Paul Coram notified the board via an email that stated, “I regrettably believe that American River College Student Senate has taken to altercations of ‘free-speech’ and, in turn, began to fail to be the representation of ‘all’ students of American River College. These altercations have caused division and have misconstrued the allocations of equality amongst our constituents.”
A LOOK INSIDE
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By Jessica Maynard jessica.r.maynard87@gmail.com
With bases loaded and two outs, the opposing team’s cleanup hitter steps up to the plate. He stands on the mound with a distinct tattoo, peeking out from under the left sleeve of his jersey, lips pursed as he shakes off a signal from his catcher; he negates a few more before he and the catcher finally agree upon a pitch. He throws a fastball that skates
across the edge of the strike zone; the batter connects on the pitch, hitting a pop fly caught by an outfielder ending the top of the inning. For American River College baseball pitcher and utility player Jason Fletcher, a sophomore, this scene has occurred many times. Fletcher, a first team all-conference player from the 2012 season, has only been able to pitch in five games this season due to a nerve injury in his throwing
arm. “It started last year. My last three starts, my elbow was giving me some problems and I thought that it would get better over summer and it hasn’t,” Fletcher said. “It’s just getting to the point where I can start pitching again.” Overcoming adversity can be a tough feat for most people, but Fletcher isn’t your average person. He has overcome the loss of his father, the financial
struggles h i s m o t h er went through, and giving up his option to play Division 1 baseball to keep playing at ARC. “Mentally he doesn’t get flustered. He’s steady,” baseball head coach Doug Jumelet said. “He’s been through a lot in his life that other people haven’t had to deal with. Things that have made him
SEE BASEBALL, PAGE 7 Editor’s Note: This is the second part in a two-part series showcasing the conspiracy theories surrounding the death of former ARC student Eric Webb’s father, reporter Gary Webb, in 2004.
part 2
ERIC WEBB HOPES TO BRING AWARENESS TO HIS FATHER’S STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE JOURNALISTIC ETHICS IN HIGH-POWERED MEDIA AND SHED LIGHT ON THE DEPRESSION THAT LEAD TO HIS 2004 SUICIDE By Jeff Gonzales jeff.a.gonzales@gmail.com U.S. government-sponsored foreign rebels, asylum-seeking immigrants, and crack cocaine deals performed with CIA knowledge—Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Gary Webb reported on subjects that would change people’s lives. Hollywood films can both
Diversity of ARC Athletes Athletes bring culture to campus
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glorify and fog reality. The story of former American River College student Eric Webb’s father is taught in history classes and, as The Current reported, is now being made into a Hollywood movie. The years during Gary Webb’s investigative reporting and after his suicide were filled with triumphs, tragedy and confusion. Unanswered questions
“The Three Musketeers”
Chelsea Ciechanowski speaks to The Current about her upcoming role in the theatre production
led to numerous theories over what happened to Gary Webb. To his family, the reasons are unfortunate but clear.
The Reporting
“For most of a decade, a San Francisco Bay Area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the Crips and Bloods street gangs of Los Angeles and funneled millions in drug profits to a
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Latin American guerrilla army run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, a Mercury News investigation has found,” began the story that started Gary Webb’s problems and changed the lives of those closest to him. Following the trail from a large-scale crack cocaine dealer
SEE WEBB, PAGE 7
MLS in Sacramento
Staff writer Jorden Hales makes his case for downtown soccer stadium