Volume 67, Edition 9

CURRENT ARCURRENT.COM

The American River

‘FOREIGNER’:

ARC THEATER DEPARTMENT PRESENTS A COMEDIC PLAY ON REAL ISSUES PAGE 10 Vol. 67, Ed. 9

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raphy, discommunication with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, knowingly using a minor to assist with an obscene matter, computer crime or access without permission to defraud or control and attempted extortion. His bail was set at $100,000.

One of the accusers came forward to say that Hirtzel had stolen photos of her from her email and threatened to post them online if she didn’t send him more nude photos or get on Skype so he could watch her masturbate.

In accordance with the Associated Press guidelines, the Current does not publish the names of sex crime accus-

ers or victims.

“He harassed me relentlessly for a month and a half,” she said. “It started to trickle down once he knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with me, but he would keep checking in in weird ways to let me know he was still around.”

After the harassment continued over the course of a few months, she said that she found out that there were other women going through a similar situation, and they were able to talk and realize that they were all dealing

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OBAMA’S SISTER:

MAYA SOETORO-NG VISITS SACRAMENTO STATE TO TALK ABOUT PEACE PAGE 9 March 9, 2016

Ex-student arrested for sextortion

By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com Christian Brian Hirtzel, a former American River College theater student, was arrested Jan. 22 on 18 counts of six different felonies stemming from sexual extortion allegations made in November 2014.

Hirtzel, who attended ARC from summer 2012 until fall 2014, was originally reported to school administration by two girls with statements from two others.

The official booking charges were extortion, distribution of child pornog-

File Photo

Actor and former ARC student Christian Brian Hirtzel (standing right), pictured practicing for ARC’s production of Young Frankenstein, was arrested on Jan. 22 on charges of distribution of child pornography and extortion.

Sextortion | Page 3

Twins stab parents

FORMER ARC STUDENT SELECTED TO THE U.S. WOMEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM

ONE ATTENDED ARC FROM ‘06 TO ‘14

By Matthew Peirson matthewpeirson@gmail.com

File photo

McCall Madriago (right), pictured above challenging a Santa Rosa player in 2014, was selected to the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team in January.

Deaf soccer player vies for spot on US national team

By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com

File photo

Madriago played for ARC from during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

A former American River College women’s soccer player was selected to play for the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team on Jan. 16.

McCall Madriago, who played for ARC during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, said that when she found out she got selected, it was initially weird because she felt both ecstatic and awkward at the same time.

“Until I met the women on the team, I had never been associated with deaf culture,” Madriago said. “I have always been around hearing people, so joining the

team opened a whole new world for me. Now, it’s one of the best things that’s happened to me.”

Madriago, who now plays for Humboldt State, said the process of being selected to the team smooth but difficult since she started it in 2014.

The players have to have a hearing loss of 50 decibels or more in their best ear, and then go through camp tryouts and fitness tests, which Madriago said was harder than she expected.

“I admit, my first fitness test back in 2014 did not go very well, but I have worked hard and I have passed every fitness test since,” Madriago said.

ARC’s women’s soccer coach

Paul Arellanes said that it’s a great honor to see someone he coached play for a national team.

“To be selected to represent your country is a tremendous honor,” Arellanes said. “There aren’t many people out there who can achieve that.”

Madriago said that playing for ARC allowed for physical, emotional and mental growth that she probably wouldn’t have received if she had gone straight to a four-year college. “(At ARC), I learned the different playing styles of my teammates and my opponents,” Madriago said. “I learned the expectations, the pressure and the

Madriago | Page 5

Two brothers, one a former American River College student, were arraigned on charges of attempted murder and probation violation Wednesday, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

Cody and Kevin Martinez got into an argument with their mother and stepfather and stabbed each of them multiple times before fleeing the scene by car.

According to Sgt. Bryce Heinlein, an altercation involving the brothers, their mother, Tammy Christian, and their stepfather, Richard Turner, escalated when the brothers got into a fight with Turner before Christian attempted to intervene to break up the scuffle.

The stabbing occurred outside the Los Robles Apartments near the corner of Marysville and Los Robles boulevards in Del Paso Heights on the night of Feb. 28.

The incident left Turner with multiple stab wounds in his back and Christian with a gash on her throat.

A handwritten sign posted on the window of the couple’s apartment warned that the brothers were not welcome inside.

The brothers’ apparent reason for the visit was to take Christian to a hospital for an undisclosed ailment, according to reports.

Several neighbors said that family argues frequently, but this was the first time confrontations took a violent turn.

Both brothers, who are 26-year-old twins, were arrested at Hagginwood Park at around 8 a.m. on Feb. 29 before being taken to Sacramento County Main

Twins | Page 2

March 9, 2016

Page 2

News

RT proposes bus fare increase TRANSIT BOARD WILL PRESENT NEW RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE PUBLIC ON MONDAY

By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com

they’re raising every single thing on campus. I feel the game is rigged, the dice is weighted, the cards are counted, however you want to put it,” Bedingfield said.

“So whatever we say doesn’t matter (as students).”

Bedingfield also claimed that he’d sought help from the school on these issues to no avail.

“I’ve been to David Hylton, the ASB student president, and he’s refused to help,” Bedingfield said.

“I’ve been to Thomas Green, the president of American River College, set up three meetings. (I’ve) never been called backed, never been emailed, never been told ‘no we’re too busy.’”

For students and others who feel like Asher, RT set up a public comment time for responses to the proposal presented in the end of January to be heard.

The adjusted recommendation from the RT board, based on the public comments, will be posted online on Wednesday and presented at the RT board meeting next Monday.

Alane Masui, spokesperson for RT, said that she would be unable to comment on any complaints or issues surrounding the proposed RT increases until after the recommendations were released.

The Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) has plans for drastic fare increases effective July 1.

Although the proposed 20 percent increase to the regular $100 pass won’t affect current students, the discounted fare of $50 for senior, disabled and Los Rios students with three or fewer units will see increases between 30% and 40%.

Paratransit, which provides transportation for the elderly and individuals with disabilities, will also be experiencing huge changes. The single-ride fee with increase by $1 to $6 and the monthly pass will be eliminated.

Under the new proposed plan, the monthly cost of taking one round-trip per day would be around $375, which is a 300 percent increase on the current $125 monthly plan.

Student Senator Laurie Jones said that the most alarming change to the RT fares was the large increase in Paratransit fees.

“This will make them homebound, more isolated, depressed, unable to access necessary life support services such as food & medical,” Jones said. “This is

our most vulnerable population.

Whose budget can take a hit like that, especially on fixed incomes?”

Jones added that some students, including herself, will be at the RT board meeting next Monday to protest the increases, especially the elimination of the monthly Paratransit pass.

Jail, according to Heinlein.

Both brothers were arraigned on the charges March 2 and are currently being held without bail at the jail.

The brothers will reappeared in court on Wednesday. The results were not available as of press time.

Both Christian and Turner are listed in serious but stable condition at a local hospital, according to Heinlein.

Cody attended ARC sporadically starting in the summer of 2006 and most recently attended during

spring 2014, according to ARC public information officer Scott Crow.

According to Cody’s Facebook page, he was studying photography, though Crow said that had no official major listed.

Crow also confirmed that Cody attended Mira Loma High School, where he graduated in 2007.

Crow said no records of Kevin could be traced as a student at ARC. The Current attempted to reach Photo courtesy of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department out to the manager of the apartARC student Cody Martinez (left) and his brother Kevin (right) were arrested ment complex but the person after stabbing their mother and stepfather following an argument on Feb. 29. was not available for comment.

By Robert Hansen

The Senate will take action on this resolution Thursday.

The RT fare increase would affect students taking three units or less and Sacramento residents who use public transportation.

The fare increase would bring a 20 percent general increase along with additional increases to disabled and student fares.

Applications for ASB candidates, the Student Trustee position and student sages are now available and CAEB passed a grant and two bills at its meeting March 1.

The application packets have been available since Feb. 23.

Students who are interested in participating in Student Senate or CAEB have until Tuesday to have a petition with 50 signatures endorsing their candidacy and submit it with their application, according to adviser Juan Miguel Blanco.

Applications are available in the Center for Leadership and

File Photo

Students get onto an RT bus that may cost up to 40% more to ride in July.

Several ARC students have expressed concern over the possibility of raised bus pass prices.

However, history major Asher Bedingfield said that, while the proposal was important, it was almost guaranteed so there were more “pointed issues” to worry about.

“It’s been proposed before …

Twins: Parents are stable after stabbing

ASBNOTEBOOK

w1090476@apps.losrios.edu The resolution for safety prioritization passed unanimously, a Club Day theme was decided, and Associated Student Body application packets were made available at recent Associated Student Body Clubs and Events Board and Student Senate meetings.

Senate President David Hylton proposed the creation of an on-campus event to replace the canceled March in March event, citing a need for student input.

“Without their input, we’re legislating for ourselves and not our constituents,” Hylton said. “It would be really great to do some outreach and advocacy for our students.”

The Senate had a second reading of a resolution against the proposed RT fare increase and against the elimination of the Paratransit monthly pass.

american river

current Editor-in-Chief Jordan Schauberger Managing Editor Matthew Nober t News Editor Matthew Peirson Opinion Editor Timothy Lipuma Sports Editor Mack Er vin III Arts and Culture Editor Shiavon Chatman Scene Editor Justina Sharp Multimedia Editor Joe Padilla Copy Editor Hannah Darden Staff Itzin Alpizar Timon Barkley Bailey Carpenter Ashley Davis Kyle Elsasser Trevor Haynes Rober t Hansen Nicole Kesler Allante Morris Sharriyona Platt Adviser Walter Hammer wold Photo Adviser Jill Wagner

BOARDS DISCUSS CAMPUS SAFETY AND CLUB DAY Development (CL&D).

Notifying students about these important dates has been challenging, according to Hylton.

“That’s been the struggle we’ve been having,” said Hylton. “That’s why I wanted to get the sign (near the library) fixed.”

CAEB also passed a grant giving $150 to the Sociology Club as well as bills allocating $150 to the Progressive Democrats Club and $300 for the March 17 Club Day. Both the Sociology Club and Progressive Democrats Club are using the money to support the students who are planning to attend NCORE, a race and equality conference held in San Francisco.

“It’s probably going to cost about $1,500 per student,” said Sen. Laurie Jones. ”It would just help (to cover the cost).”

Another bill was passed granting the Pre-Pharmacy Club $150 toward promotional ideas and supplies.

Pre-Pharmacy Club secretary

Raul Rastaman was present at the meeting to advocate the bill.

“We need the money, I’m happy it was granted,” Rastaman said.

“Super Heroes vs. Super Villains” will be the the theme for the March 17 Club Day. “(CAEB) can be the villains and (the ARC clubs) can be the heroes,” said Sen. Bruce Rand said.

“Each club can design a hero and it can be a part of the club contest.”

There was enthusiasm from most board and club members on the decision.

“I’m glad that we finally made a decision, now we can work toward the event,” said CAEB President Justin Nicholson.

CAEB members suggested themes, games, promotional ideas and the club contest for the event.

The clubs in attendance were also asked to design a superhero related to their club in accordance with the theme selection.

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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. 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

March 9, 2016

Page 3

Students lobby at Capitol LIFE IS WORTH THE WALK CLUB MEMBERS FIGHT FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BILL

By Hannah Darden hannah.k.darden@gmail. com A delegation of American River College students and faculty lobbied for the passing of Assembly Bill 2017 at the State Capitol on the afternoon of Feb. 29.

AB 2017, if passed, would create funding streams to allow public California colleges to invest in mental health services on campus.

AB 2017 will be heard by a committee next month before moving to the assembly floor for a vote.

The delegation from ARC included Life is Worth the Walk club members, psychology professor Peg Scott and ARC Student Senate Sen. Laurie Jones.

The group split into two and visited the offices of California state senators and assemblymembers, including Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, Assemblyman Kevin Cooley, Sen. Richard Pan, Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, Sen. Lois Wolk and Assemblyman Bill Dodd.

In a meeting with Dodd, Life is Worth the Walk treasurer Eugenia Torres, along with Scott and Jones, encouraged him to vote “aye” on AB 2017.

The lobbyists shared personal stories and discussed the benefits the bill would bring to ARC. Torres shared a personal story with Dodd to help him understand the cause, explaining that a friend of hers was removed from a classroom by a uniformed police officer after an incident relating to her mental health, as per current Los Rios protocol.

Her friend, while compliant with police, was handcuffed in front of other students.

By Jordan Schauberger and Matthew Peirson jschauberger94@gmail.com matthewpeirson@gmail.com

Photo by Hannah Darden / Staff

Professor Peg Scott (left) and student Eugenia Torres (right) discuss lobbying plans in front of the State Capitol.

calming it.

“It should be across the board for everyone. Anyone, any school or person in crisis should have access to help without being locked up or calling a 5150 (police code for an involuntary psy-

chiatric hold),” Dodd said.

ARC lobbyists also met with Brendan Repicky, one of Cooley’s staffers, who explained that there is currently another bill competing against AB 2017 for the same Prop. 63 funding that 2017 would draw from.

The meeting with Caitlin O’Halloran, a staffer of Wolk’s, went well, and the ARC lobbyists left multiple letters, student newspaper clippings and other

resources with her office.

Scott said that the meeting with Pan’s staffer, Miranda Shepherd, went well.

“Pan has been an advocate (for community colleges for) forever.

We can’t say enough about him,” said Scott.

After its afternoon meetings, the group reconvened at Ambrosia Cafe on K Street to write thank-you notes to the legislators they had lobbied to.

Another accuser said that an anonymous person had emailed her, posted photos of her in lingerie online and demanded more.

After deleting her email and social media accounts, she said she was ready to move on.

A friend had told her shortly afterwards that she knew someone who’d gone through a similar situation and that Hirtzel was the one who’d harassed her.

At the time Hirtzel, was dating her lifelong friend who she described as her “sister” and said that she refused to believe that he would do something like that.

“When I was told about the girl who it happened to, I said ‘No it wasn’t him, he knows me, he wouldn’t do that to me,’ ” she said.

Months later, after Hirtzel had starred in ‘Young Frankenstein,’ her sister had said that she had be hacked in the same way and mentioned Hirtzel’s name.

After hearing Hirtzel’s name mentioned in three separate situations, she said that “all the red lights went off” and she got it contact with the other girls she’d heard of and ended up concluding that it was definitely Hirtzel

behind all of it.

She said that by the end she heard of at least nine girls at ARC who Hirtzel had attempted to extort.

Her and her sister then contacted the Sacramento Sheriff’s County Department and two deputies were sent out to her home.

She said that when they explained the situation the deputies said it was their “fault for taking the pictures.” She couldn’t remember the names of the deputies.

“I was so flabbergasted that they would say that to us,” she said. “Here I was trying to protect her and deputies came into my house and revictimized her right in front of me.”

Tony Turnbull, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Department, did not return a call as of press time.

She then went to the Los Rios Police Department and it immediately started an investigation.

Now that Hirtzel has been arrested, she said that she felt relieved.

Los Rios police officer Amy Freeman and ARC public information officer Scott Crow both

confirmed that there was an ongoing investigation, but due to the nature of the case, they could not release any details.

Crow, however, was able to confirm that there were multiple accusers who placed a complaint with the school and that Hirtzel was a student at the time.

Associated Vice President of Instruction Lisa Lawrenson, who is in charge of handling discrimination and harassment complaints, said that although she can’t talk about specific cases, there is a procedure she follows for any claim.

“There is a case-to-case basis in any situation, but there are general procedures online that are open to the public,” Lawrenson said. “If a student felt threatened, we would follow the threat assessment process.”

The threat assessment process involves contacting the Los Rios Police for any incident involving an attack, assault or menace of any faculty, staff, or students.

Hirtzel is being held in the Sacramento Main Jail expected to appear in court on April 12.

The Current will update this story online as more information becomes available.

“Mental illness is not a crime,” Torres said.

Dodd agreed, saying that calling police to handle a mental health situation “further exacerbates the situation” rather than

Sextortion: Hirtzel remains in jail CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 with the same person.

“We went to anyone who would listen (and) the campus police are the ones who picked up the investigation and gave it the attention it deserved,” she said. “It was because of them that he was caught and punished.”

She said that several teachers also knew and didn’t believe it because he was a good student, but also said that she didn’t blame them because of the level of the accusation.

“Even after I knew it was him, I still had to see him around and have everyone whisper about it behind my back,” she said.

She added that Hirtzel was also getting in trouble for doing the same thing while he was in high school.

“I think what he ultimately got in trouble for though was for all the stuff he did involving minors,” she said. “He had stuff on his computer from years before (and) that got him into more trouble.”

Now that Hirtzel is in custody, she said that it was a long process but “the truth eventually raised to the top.”

Former student dies in custody A former American River College student died in Sacramento Sheriff’s custody on Feb. 20 after suffering an apparent seizure, officials said Monday. He was 31.

Edward Shabbaz Currie, who attended ARC from in 2003 and 2004, according to ARC Public Information Officer Scott Crow, was arrested early on the night of Feb. 20 on suspicion of drug possession.

Currie “suffered a medical emergency” and was unresponsive after the jail medical staff administered CPR, police said. He was rushed to the Sutter Medical Hospital and pronounced dead later that night.

The father of four had no recorded history of seizures and the original coroner’s office report listed the cause of death as undetermined.

Family members to Currie have demanded to know what the cause of death was and said that they had no knowledge that he was involved with drugs or had poor health.

The Sacramento Police Department said in a statement that the homicide, internal affairs and crime scene investigations units will investigate Currie’s death in conjunction with the city, the coroner’s office and the district attorney.

Currie played football while in high school and as a student at Grambling State University.

According to family members, he was almost drafted into the NFL before leaving school and moving to Sacramento in 2005.

During his time at ARC, Currie was registered in the class to be eligible for being on the football team’s roster, though it is unknown if he played for ARC or was simply a member of the team, such as a redshirt player, according to Crow.

Currie also attended Sacramento City College in the summer of 2004, fall 2006 and spring of 2007.

At Sac City, he was registered in the class to be eligible for the baseball team’s roster.

The Current will update this story online as more information becomes available.

Screencapture from Edward Currie’s Facebook

Edward Currie died of an apparent seizure the night of Feb. 20.

March 9, 2016

Page 4

Sports

ARC track team races in downpour

By Mack Ervin III w1562393@apps.losrios.edu American River College held the 31st annual Beaver Relays on Friday after the threat of inclement weather pushed the meet up from its original date of Saturday.

The last-minute change of date meant that several schools who had planned to attend were not able to rearrange their transportation and were forced to miss the event.

This left only eight schools able to attend: American River College, Sacramento City College, Diablo Valley College, Merritt College, Yuba College, College of the Siskiyous, Chabot College and Redwoods College.

“We lost about three quarters of the schools,” said men’s head coach Rick Anderson. “Typically there are about 16 or 17 schools and we had only seven.”

Anderson also pointed out how track is unique compared to other sports because there are so many people involved in just getting the meet to happen.

“It’s not like a baseball game or a football game where you only have to call one team,” Anderson said. “We have to call seven or eight teams, and 40 volunteers and officials to get it rescheduled.”

Some competitions, like the women’s pole vault, were con-

tested by only one participant (Alexis Babbes of ARC), as well as the men’s 4x200 meter relay and the women’s 5,000 meter race.

Women’s head coach Jeanette Allred-Powless lamented the loss of the other schools, but was confident that the event would go ahead.

“We didn’t have as many teams as we wanted to have so that was unfortunate,” Allred-Powless said. “But we still go ahead because we’ve never canceled this event in the school’s history. We got most of our events contested so that was good.”

Despite the reduced amount of competitors, the event went ahead as planned and most of the events were completed before the heavy rain came in.

ARC teams took 1st place in the men’s and women’s 4x100 meter relays, and also took 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th in the men’s 4,000-meter distance medley.

Other wins in men’s individual events for ARC included Isaiah Griffin winning the 200-meter dash, Treshon Woods winning the 400-meter hurdles, Abdul Hamid winning the 1,500-meter race, Matt Morris winning the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Cambron Lyles in the pole vault, and Lenny Nelson taking the long and triple jump.

Griffin said afterwards that the rain made things a little more dif-

ficult for the race.

“I did decent but the rain made it a little more difficult because the track is slick and there’s rain

in your face,” Griffin said.

Anderson also said that the rain had an effect because “it still gets your spirits down.”

For the women’s individual events, Tatiana Bell took home the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes, Morgan Simpson won the 400-meter dash, Micayla Rennick won the 800-meter dash, Jenica Dodge brought home the 5000-meter race, Ashley Albor won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, and Lauren Cariaso captured the long jump.

Allred-Powless said that both the men’s and the women’s team can be serious competitors this season.

“Both our men’s and women’s teams are pretty strong this season and we’re looking to take NorCal and hopefully some more on top of that,” Allred-Powless said. “The key is to keep everybody eligible and healthy and we should be able to do some damage this year.”

The next track meet for both ARC teams is the Occidental Distance Carnival on March 11 in Los Angeles.

Photo by Robert Hansen / Staff

ARC runner Tatiana Bell races in the women’s 200-meter dash during heavy rainfall Friday. Bell placed first in the 200 and also won the 100-meter dash.

SPORTSUPDATES

Photo by Itzin Alpizar / Staff

ARC pitcher Ian Codina throws a pitch during an 8-4 victory at Sierra College on Thursday.

MEN’S TENNIS

MEN’S GOLF

Men’s tennis continued its undefeated season on March 1 by beating Folsom Lake College 7-2 before having its Friday match against Diablo Valley College and its Saturday match against Foothill College postponed due to rain. The results of its Tuesday game against Solano College were not immediately available.

The men’s golf team played last Wednesday at the Ancil Hoffman Golf Course in Carmichael and finished in third place overall with a score of 409, which was 18 strokes off of winners Santa Rosa Junior College. The team’s next match is today at Rancho Murieta.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s tennis lost 9-0 to Folsom Lake College last Tuesday before having its Friday match against Diablo Valley College postponed due to rain. A rematch date with Diablo Valley has not been set and the results of its match from Tuesday against Sierra College were not immediately available.

Freshman guard Jennifer Manduca’s 32 points were not enough as the team lost to Skyline College in the first round of the NorCal Tournament, eliminating them and ending their season. The team finish the season with a 15-13 record overall record and 5-9 in the Big 8 Conference.

Photo by Mack Ervin III / Staff

ARC guard Abigail Herrera attempts to pass the ball to a teammate during a 78-59 first-round playoff loss against Skyline College. The team finished the 2015-16 season with a 15-13 overall record.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES March 10 Baseball vs. Cosumnes River 2:30 p.m.

March 15 Men’s and Women’s Tennis vs. Santa Rosa 1 p.m.

March 15 Baseball vs. Cosumnes River 2:30 p.m.

March 15 Softball vs. Sierra 3 p.m.

March 18 Women’s Tennis vs. Folsom Lake 1 p.m.

March 19 Baseball vs. Diablo Valley 1 p.m.

Sports

March 9, 2016

Page 5

Softball team hits its stride BEAVERS LOOK TO CONFERENCE PLAY

By Jordan Schauberger jschauberger94@gmail.com

Photo by Itzin Alpizar / Staff

ARC baseball player Michael Hatfield slides home during the Beavers 8-4 win over Sierra College on Thursday. The team now has a 6-9 overall record.

ARC swings past Sierra THE BEAVERS’ BATS COME ALIVE IN AN 8-4 VICTORY OVER SIERRA COLLEGE

By Matthew Nobert mdnob40@gmail.com American River College’s baseball team started off March with a strong win against Sierra College on Thursday, but both players and coaches still think there are some areas that can be improved on before going into conference play.

ARC started off with a good defense, forcing Sierra to have a three up, three down at-bat in the bottom of the first.

ARC was quick to get points on the board when third baseman Brayden Gomez ran in from second with a go-ahead shot from catcher Matt Elliot in the top of the second to make it a 1-0 game.

ARC wasn’t keeping Sierra’s bats quiet, but the Beavers defense was able to make some

good plays that kept Sierra scoreless.

Sierra was able to get a run in the bottom of the third, but ARC opening pitcher Micah Gunter knocked out the next batter to close out the inning.

Gunter was pulled at the bottom of the fourth and Tommy Balmain was put in.

Sierra was able to get some hits in the frame, but ARC’s defense was on it and caught out all three outs.

“We did good, there are definitely some spots we can always improve on, but we made more things happen than they did and that’s what it comes down to at the end of the day,” said outfielder Cade Parker.

Defense wasn’t the only game winning factor for ARC, as in the bottom of the fifth the bats came alive for ARC.

Gomez came up to bat with bases loaded and cranked one out to deep center to bring in two runs and make it 3-1 ARC. The Beavers weren’t done scoring yet, as shortstop Michael Hatfield and infielder Tyler Swank brought in two more runs to make it a 5-1 game.

Throughout the next two innings, both teams played solid defense and kept it scoreless.

ARC started back up on their scoring campaign towards the end of the of the seventh, when Swank once again brought in two more runs, giving ARC a 7-1 lead.

Swank was then brought in for his third run of the game giving ARC an 8-1 lead.

ARC’s pitching and defense did show some signs of fatigue in the final innings, allowing Sierra to bring in three more runs.

“Pitch execution is something I believe could be better (at),” said Balmain.

Tyler McCombs was pulled off the mound with only one out left in the bottom of the ninth and closing pitcher Ian Codina finished the job.

Codina walked one and struck out the second to make it an 8-4 win for ARC. “I thought we played pretty well, far from our best possible game, but we played well enough to win today,” said assistant coach Preston Vancil. “Overall we had a B today and a B was enough to win.”

ARC, now having a 6-9 record, will have its Big 8 Conference opener against 12-1 Cosumnes River College Thursday.

Madriago: ACL injury fuels player

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 dedication of being a studentathlete.”

During her senior year of high school, Madriago tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee and had to play for ARC instead of going straight to a four-year college, according to Arellanes.

Madriago said that she remembers the day clearly and how heartbreaking it was. “(It) didn’t affect me physically as much as it did mentally,” Madriago said. “My first season at ARC I struggled because it was a battle with what I wanted to do on the field versus what my body allowed me to do.

“I was scared to go for a tackle or cut to change directions because I was in fear of tearing it again,” Madriago said. “It was so frustrating. However, looking back now I’m glad I went through that. It made me a stronger play-

er, it made me think quicker and ahead of the game, and it gave me the drive to want to be better.”

Arellanes said that when leaving ARC, she had to advertise herself to scouts more than she should have.

“When she got here (ARC), she had to work hard, talk to coaches (from four-year colleges) and study film,” Arellanes said. “She pretty much recruited herself.”

Arellanes added that he had to learn how to coach her since she is deaf and said that he even contacted her dad, who he played with and against while growing up, for help.

“The hardest part was the first month or so and figuring out how to communicate with her,” Arellanes said. “After that, it was easy.”

Although already well into the process, Madriago’s spot on the Photo courtesy of McCall Madriago final roster is not guaranteed and Former ARC women’s soccer player McCall Madriago, right, poses with she will continue to compete in her new teammates from the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team. the coming months.

American River College’s softball team holds a 13-4 record on the season after picking up a 7-3 win against Napa Valley College on March 1.

After a quick start to the game, where ARC scored four runs in the first two innings, the Beavers struggled to score in the middle innings despite consistently getting runners on base.

One of the bright spots of ARC’s early offensive game was infielder Sierra Cryderman, who scored a run and had an RBI with two doubles.

Cryderman said that she tried to work on handling the slower pace of Napa’s pitcher.

“I felt confident seeing the speed that she was throwing,” Cryderman said. “I know that our team really struggles sometimes waiting on the pitch, so I thought of it like coach just soft tossing it to me.”

Assistant coach Christina Mueller said that when the competition starts getting tougher, ARC needs to play its hardest from first to last pitch.

“If we don’t turn it on earlier in the game, we’re going to get eaten up,” Mueller said.

ARC broke away from Napa in the fifth inning when infielder Haley Dosher came in as a pinchhitter and hit a three-RBI double.

Dosher said that coming into the at-bat, she put pressure on herself and had a “huge want” to hit.

Mueller pointed out Dosher’s hit as the highlight of the game and said that there’s a lot of pressure for a pinch-hitter coming in late during a close game.

“Some athletes buckle in these situations and some thrive,” Mueller said. “(Dosher) came in with energy and motivation and sent it to left field.”

Pitcher Sharie Albert started the game on the mound, but after giving up three runs in the first two innings, she was replaced by Alexandra Pudlo before coming back out to close the game.

Albert said that she was able to settle down between her two appearances on the mound and finish off with more confidence.

“Softball is a big mental game and it can defeat you at times,” Albert said. “Going into that second half of pitching, I was more mentally focused.”

Looking toward the upcoming Big 8 Conference games, Albert said that the team was ready to come out strong and outplay expectations.

“We’re going to practice hard.

We’re going to make adjustments and come into conference better than people expect,” Albert said.

ARC won against Yuba College on Friday 4-1 in six innings, before having its second game postponed to Tuesday because of rain. The results of Tuesday’s game were not available as of press time.

March 9, 2016

Page 6

Feature

Kaneko turns smoke into art

By Hannah Darden

hannah.k.darden@gmail.com The James Kaneko Gallery at American River College has installed a refurbished cigarette machine that now dispenses art to raise money for gallery costs.

The machine, dubbed the ArtO-Matic, originally sat in the art department’s administrative office but opened to the public this semester as a part of the gallery.

The Art-O-Matic dispenses art from seven different artists, along with art by ARC students.

“It used to be a cigarette machine in a beauty shop, and then a restaurant, in Memphis,” said ARC art student Abbey Cocreham.

“Laura Parker (an ARC art professor) works with metal and converted it.”

The machine takes tokens, which are sold at the gallery for ten dollars each.

“It’s the best, cheapest way to start a bonafide art collection,” said ARC art professor and gallery director Patricia Wood. “Everyone should collect real art.”

All profits generated by the machine go back to the gallery to help cover costs to book artists and run shows.

“It helps us get artists from further places. It helps us achieve greater things,” said art student Trisha Carter.

The machine may even help the gallery start a lecture series, bringing in artists and art curators, according to Wood.

The machine has a storied past, and ARC art students even have a theory that connects the machine to Elvis.

“Priscilla Presley may have used the machine, she went to the barbershop,” said Carter. “She also went to the restaurant that the barbershop was converted to.”

Wood and her students highly encouraged ARC students and staff to see the Art-O-Matic and the current exhibition in the gallery, “Selections from the Museum of Historical Makeovers” by Kathy Aoki.

The Kaneko Gallery is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

Photo by Hannah Darden

For $10 tokens that are sold at the Kaneko Gallery, the refurbished machine dispenses any of seven artists’ art pieces

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The Clubs & Events Board and Student Senate

Meets:

Meets: Tuesdays from 10:30-12:00, In the Boardroom

Thursdays from 10:30-12:00, In the Boardroom

IT’S YOUR CHOICE. USE YOUR VOICE!

Page 8

March 9, 2016

Scene

Students discuss diversity ‘MEN OF COLOR’ GROUP WELCOMES EVERYONE TO ARC

By Nicole Kesler nicolecheree03@gmail.com American River College staff are coming together to form the group “Men of Color,” which allows students to voice their opinion in finding more efficient ways to create a welcoming environment at ARC. Men of Color is in the beginning stages of constructing a group to help ARC staff understand the cultural diversity between students on campus and create new ways to help every student excel.

Also attending the meeting was ARC CalWorks counselor Vinson Saldivar.

“Personally welcoming students can make a big difference, we all started as students so let’s be more supportive,” Saldivar said.

An ARC student spoke on the importance of having counselors that are supportive.

“Talking to a counselor that welcomes you so well, makes you want to stay. I hate talking to counselors that lead me to the wrong path,” said Pardis Pezeshki Rad, a criminal justice major.

One main focus in this discussion was student run around, as every student has wasted multiple hours being sent in the wrong direction.

“If ARC staff understood how each department runs it would help move students to the next place needed,” said Saldivar.

Julius Smith, who is currently in his fourth year at ARC, said “a lot of young adults don’t know how to handle the real world and schooling.”

It’s understood that every student has a different background and their own values.

“When students are scared to ask or don’t have the right words to say, be more mindful that you are smart and educated making us afraid to ask, give out important information without students asking,” said Smith.

“Students need a way to hear about current events they may want to do, having teachers give out information would be a good way for students to get it, a speaker came into my class and it really brought the students together by asking good questions, the class is diverse but it brought us all together,” said Rad. Also attending the meeting was Steve Sagura, dean of the public safety center interested in creating a more diverse atmosphere in the workforce.

Sagura is reaching out to ARC students that may have interest in public safety.

Hearing student voices and making connections with students is the sole purpose of Men of Color.

This group is an open public meeting for all ARC students.

Photo by Timon Barkley / Staff ARC alumni Chase Yepez-Patterson (left), Lydia Garcia-Potter (center), and Pedro Reyes (right) speaks with students at the ARC Honor’s Club Panel.

Alumni advise students

By Itzin Alpizar

itzinalpizar@gmail.com The honors club at American River College hosted a panel about the transfer experience, with three honors alumni on Feb. 18 at Davis Hall.

Kathy Rogers, coordinator of the ARC honors program, said that the goal of the first meeting of the semester was to share the alumni experience and answer questions about transferring from ARC to elite universities.

Lydia Garcia-Potter, a 2013 ARC alumnus who earned her BA in English in 2015, shared her experience at Mills College in Oakland.

Garcia-Potter said that Rogers and other faculty members recommended Mills and described it as a “very interesting and feminist experience” and said she was glad she went there.

“If it wasn’t for the honors program, I wouldn’t have applied to

Mills and never been there. It’s a small college, I think it is one of the two women-only colleges on this coast,” Garcia-Potter said.

The biggest challenge she had at Mills College was time management while working full-time because Mills is more expensive than ARC, but there are other benefits.

Garcia-Potter plans to get a master to teach English at community colleges and overseas.

Yepez-Patterson said that transferring from ARC to UCLA is a big adjustment - there are things like long lines at office hours and the quarter system.

“In like three weeks, classes started, you have a midterm… you really wish to have homework,” said Yepez-Patterson.

“But once you get adjusted, it is easier.”

He said that time management was the biggest challenge during the first quarter after transfer.

He recommends to keep it up

“

He said ‘you are just as smart as those people.’

Yepez-Patterson

even if you feel intimidated and overwhelming at UCLA. “A lot of people there are prodigy kids, they are super smart and they know like 10 instruments, but you belong there, if you are accepted, you belong there, you are just as smart as those people,” said Yepez-Patterson.

Pedro Reyes, who earned his bachelor in English in 2013, said that his transfer experience to Stanford was fluid thanks to his transcript and the honors program.

“I filled out half of the application and they called me. They wanted me,” said Reyes. “I was

an English and Math major at ARC … I did a lot to get in there, but being Native American, veteran, honors and 4.0 GPA helped me.”

Reyes said that Stanford offers small classes, which makes it easier to build relationships with professors; but its environment is very competitive, so students have to talk with a lot of people to know what they can or cannot do.

He said that the biggest challenge was the quarter system and the diversity of classes.

“In Stanford I locked myself in the room all the time. The quarter system is a big adjustment and the diversity of classes … because you can do whatever you want. You kind of design you own major,” said Reyes.

Currently he is applying for law and businesses schools, writing poetry and doing open mic events in downtown Sacramento.

Club Day brings school spirit to ARC

By Ashley Davis ashleyn.davis93@gmail.com This semester, both Welcome Day and Club Day were held on Feb. 11 and added up to a day full of excitement.

Clubs set up their areas with decorations, games and music hoping to attract students who shared common interest.

Staff set up individual tables filled with information for several different departments.

The tables were filled with complimentary treats and souvenirs that also attracted students.

Many vendors also set up shop in front of the library, drawing students’ attention with their displays and collections.

There were a variety of vendors, which sold everything from clothing to antique artifacts that had been hand carved to handmade ethnic jewelry and accessories.

Kayla Nelson, an early childhood education major at American River College, says “Club Day and Welcome Day are a benefit to students, because it shows us (students) what’s going on on campus.”

Nelson also expressed how students feel more comfortable getting involved when they see a group of students who like the same thing.

As an ECE major, Nelson expressed her excitement for Club Day and Welcome Day as an “update of information” in regards to new programs and classes available.

Nelson mentioned how students are often so busy with classwork and assignments that they don’t take the time to see a counselor to get informed on new activities or opportunities taking place.

Vendors like Antonio Rubio also saw that Club Day and WelPhoto by Jordan Schauberger / Staff come Day brought in a lot of A math club representative plays with a prop from its booth on club day. profit.

“Student events like this bring event, and he was surprised at “For students to feel like they in a good amount of profit,” Ru- how much business he received are a part of their college is esbio said. “I think students are and does plan to attend future sential to their academic sucmore likely to stop and buy items events. cess,” Wolf said.

“It was a better turnout than I because of all that is going on, Club Day and Welcome Day they want to look at everything.” thought,” said Rubio. were definitely events to get stuMary Wolf was one of many dents involved.

Performers and games that were hosted by different clubs faculty members enjoying the Wolf mentioned “diversity Club Day. attracted crowds as well. among staff and students” as one She sat behind her table, of many factors that make events “The displays are outstandwhich displayed all the current such as Club Day and other ing,” said Rubio.

This was Rubio’s first time at programs the career technical events possible. the ARC Welcome and Club Day education programs offer.

March 9, 2016

Scene

Page 9

Black heritage honored

By Sharriyona Platt

sharriyonaplatt@gmail.com

Photos by Kyle Elsasser / Staff

Maya Soetoro-Ng (center) laughs among members of the audience before giving her speech at California State University, Sacramento on Feb. 25.

Obama’s half-sister speaks

By Shiavon Chatman schatman916@gmail.com Maya Soetoro-Ng, assistant faculty specialist at the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and also the half sister of President Barack Obama, was the keynote speaker at California State University, Sacramento on Feb. 25.

Soetoro-Ng, who has a Ph.D. in international comparative education, has a sparked interest in the education of children and teaching them the power of peace very young.

She bases her theories of peace on the ‘four C’s’ which are “compassion, critical thinking, communication, and curiosity.”

Soetoro-Ng asked the audience, “What is your definition of peace?”

American River College student Stacey Martinez said, “I really appreciated how she asked us what we thought peace was because this means she doesn’t think that her definition is the only definition.”

Loud chatter filled the air while she called on random audience members.

Martinez answered, “You have the ability to evolve as a person without putting other people down.”

Soetoro-Ng said that “leader-

ship will build peaceful environment by implanting seeds of encouragement in young children.”

She credited her mother for teaching her that humans are extraordinary.

This helped implement in her mind that “every culture and faith has something great to share,” said Soetoro-Ng. Even though the event was hosted at Sacramento State, many students from ARC came to see Soetoro-Ng speak.

“Her ideas about peace can make a real change if more people knew about them,” said Martinez.

American River College student Alyssa Gomez said, “Maya is a really eloquent speaker just like her brother (President Obama).”

One of the most interesting segments of the speech was Soetoro-Ng explaining that instead of constantly trying to argue an opinion, one should be able to debate both sides of an argument.

“Draw a new understanding that pulls from both sides,” said Soetoro-Ng. She told the audience that it’s very important to watch multiple news outlets, saying “I watch television that is less than flattering to people I love, but it’s my job.”

According to Soetoro-Ng “this

L

CAMPUS PU SE “The educational system is a lie.”

-SERGIORODRIGUEZ Criminal Justice

Photo by Kyle Elsasser / Staff

Maya Soetoro-Ng says peace can and should be taught to children.

is important” because with multiple news organizations giving different perspectives on current events “we’ve created a biased nation.”

American River College student Ashley Smith said “I really wish I could’ve talked to (Soetoro-Ng) because to be honest I came here to hear stories about (President) Obama but I still loved her speech.”

Smith said Soetoro-Ng’s small

anecdotes about Indonesia and “instilling peace into children” were her favorite moments of the speech.

Daniel Kazanjian, a Sacramento State alum, came to hear Soetoro-Ng’s speech because “passionate women are the future.”

Dr. Boatamo Musupyoe of Sacramento State said that SoetoroNg is “welcomed back anytime.”

What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned this semester so far?

“How to manage a college schedule and a home life”

-NICOLETORREZ Psychology

“I learned about camera work, and film.”

-LEILABLAKELEY Film

The Center for Leadership and Development collaborated with UNITE to organize and facilitate the Black Heritage Celebration held in the student center at American River College on Feb. 25 in honor of Black History Month.

Live music, poetry, praise dancers, short talks and vendors were among the many forms of entertainment contributing to the event.

The student center was also decorated with images of historical African-Americans and Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have A Dream Speech’, surrounded by posted messages from ARC students.

Student personal assistant Frankie Johnson facilitated the event with expectations for a day filled with information and learning about black history.

“It’s Black History Month,” Johnson said. “The entertainment and vendors are just part of the story, this event is about information.”

“The idea is to bring awareness to black culture and give students the chance to experience through our display,” Johnson said.

Club and Events Board member Jeremy Diefenbacher said he was happy to be involved in the celebration.

“It’s really important to represent ourselves as black students on this campus and events like this gives us the opportunity to express ourselves and make ourselves recognized,” Diefenbacher said.

Vendors provided goods for sale that included wooden carved masks, oils and perfumes, incense, keepsakes, jewelry, bags, t-shirts and a variety of other items.

There were representatives from the UNITE Diversity Center, Black Student Union, Bethune Cookman College and a host of other organizations to discuss the importance of black culture.

UNITE community interns were present to garner interest in a black student union and promote future goals.

One student, Eric Johnston, said that he attended last year’s celebration and that this year didn’t disappoint.

“The guy playing the flute was amazing, the praise dancers were good too,” Johnston said.

The celebration attracted an array of ARC students throughout the day.

“Happiness comes from a positive mindset.”

-DANIELNIKRAVI Earth Science

March 9, 2016

Page 10

Arts&Culture

Chicana culture shared ARTIST SPEAKS ON INDIGENOUS CULTURE

By Allante Morris allantemorris123@gmail. com This week’s college hour featured artist Celia Herrera Rodriguex, focusing on her artwork and the injustices she fights against for indigenous people like herself.

Rodriguez’s background, and how she grew up to achieve her many accomplishments, was the center of her speech.

She begins by talking about her grandmother, who raised her, and how her mother died very young of cancer.

She shares with the audience how her family wasn’t legalized when first coming to America from Gurando and how her mother’s death was the cause of them getting legalized.

Herrera is a brilliant artist whose paintings focus on symbols and the indigenous peoples’ culture.

Herrera is also a founding member of Chicana Indigenous Women, a program that started with her discussing the issues of indigenous people and what they face.

The program then grew worldwide and now meets in front of United Nations.

The program welcomes everyone, but those who participate must be indigenous.

Last week’s college hour’s main focus was indigenous peoples, such as those from Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and many more countries as well as what it really means to be indigenous.

Rodriguez helped explain what indigenous culture is, their history and background and a brief understanding of who they are and how they became the way they are.

During her presentation Rodriguez said “we look at our president and say everything’s okay now, but the bad news is that ev-

erything’s not okay.”

This led to Rodriguez speaking on the injustices and racial issues that every indigenous person may not realize.

Student Tona Miranda said “I love the awareness she brings about indigenous as well as how she reminds me of my mom.”

Another student expressed how they felt about the different kind of cuisine that indigenous people make.

ARC student Stewart Behavidaz said “I believe all cultures are different and I would be surprised as well, but they should try some of the food, they may like it.”

The college hour brought an issue that taught many students about a different culture and way of life.

Students are able to see the upcoming speakers for college hour on the multiple event boards around the ARC campus.

Photo by Timothy Lipuma / Staff

(From left to right) Sarah Townsend, Tommy Anderson, Micah Smith and Vannah Nettel rehearse for ‘The Foreigner,’ which ended its run on Mar. 6.

‘80s play relatable even today ARC’S ‘THE FOREIGNER’ BRINGS COMEDIC RELIEF TO REAL LIFE PRESENT DAY ISSUES

By Allante Morris allantemorris123@gmail. com The American River College theater program debuted ‘The Foreigner’, a comedic play in which two guests at a lodge put on a ruse pretending one of them cannot speak English, at the American River College Theatre on Feb. 26.

Charlie Baker starts out as a mundane man who unintentionally goes along with Sgt. Froggy LeSueur, his more outgoing friend, and pretends to be foreign and unable to understand English.

Throughout his life, Baker has a hard time communicating with people, but once he becomes “the foreigner” he seems to develop a personality.

Micah Smith, who portrays Baker in ‘The Foreigner,’ said

Photo by Timothy Lipuma/Staff

Sarah Townsend (left), who plays Betty Meeks, talks with Charlie Charm (right), who plays Sgt. Froggy LaSueur in ‘The Foreigner.’

that he loves the work of the play’s writer Larry Shue.

“The way he does his shows, there’s no throw away character,” Smith said. “Every single one of us is touched on equally; equal amount of stage presence, equal amount of lines.”

‘The Foreigner’ displays real

life morals and issues through puns.

Paul Perkins, who portrays antagonist Owen Musser, said that the play is relatable to current culturally issues.

“I feel like now the play is more relevant than it’s ever been, because you have movements like

said art professor Sarah Mattson.

Mattson created the event in 2007, with its purpose being to offer a more creative outlet and opportunity for ARC students.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our figure-study students to have the opportunity to work next to professional artist to observe and learn,” said Mattson.

“Additionally I’ve found it as a wonderful recruiting tool to expose our figure-study program to the public.”

ARC is the only Los Rios Community College District campus to run such an event.

The event is hosted by Brad Carps, a former Figure Friday attendee who describes the event as “great fun.”

“Attending and running the event has personally helped me improve a lot,” Carps said. “We

provide the nude model, chairs, tables and boards to draw on, but people must bring their own supplies.”

The event allows for almost any form of art, including drawing, painting, pastels, sculptures and digital media, but excludes photography.

Art major Kashia Lynhiavue attended the event for the first time on Feb. 26 and described it as a way to “get better at appreciating and learning the art of the human anatomy.”

“I heard about it around campus and thought i’d try it out,” said Lynhiavue. “I was a little nervous, but I’m happy I came, I’ll definitely come again.”

The event is open to all students, faculty, staff and professional artists.

black lives matter and people getting killed,” Perkins said. “It shouldn’t be a timely play, but it really is.”

Sarah Townsend, a theater arts professor at ARC, filled in for the role of Betty Meek due to the previous actor dropping out.

Townsend said that she loved the older feel that the play presented.

“I’ve been doing theater longer than these people have been alive, and I love that it gets us away from technology,” Townsend said. “We’re in this world of the 1980s.”

ARC theater director Nancy Silva said that she believed the opening night “went great” the student’s hard work payed off.

Stage manager Carson Morris mentioned the issues they dealt since ‘The Foreigner’ was more difficult to put on than other productions.

Figures on display every Friday

By Sharriyona Platt sharriyonaplatt@gmail.com American River College has provided professional and student artists an opportunity to join together for weekly figure drawing sessions in the Fine Arts Building.

‘Figure Friday’ is an open life workshop sponsored by the art department, allowing for a cheaper and easier way to access figure drawing sessions in Sacramento.

The event is held every Friday of the spring semester in Fine Arts room 510 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for $5.

“As the only figure workshop in town that is under $10 per session, it is looked forward to by many artists around town,”

Photo by Sharriyona Platt / Staff

Artist setting up for the figure drawing session on Friday at ARC.

March 9, 2016

Opinion

Page 11

PROPOSED RT BUS FARE CURRENTEDITORIAL INCREASE IS UNFAIR Current@arc.losrios.edu Sacramento Regional Transit is proposing a fare increase that would punish American River College students for using public transportation while taking 3 units or less.

Currently, ARC students who take 3.1 units or more are eligible for the Universal Transit Pass, which acts as a bus and light rail pass for five months each semester.

Students pay $2.10 per unit each semester toward the UTP, whether they use it or not.

But students who take just one class per semester, worth three units or less, do not qualify for the UTP. Approximately two in five of these students take public transportation to school, and pay full fare per ride, or purchase a $50 monthly pass at ARC’s business services.

This is already a huge increase from the max fee of $31.50 that an ARC student taking 15 units or more would pay through the UTP for five months of service, and it only covers one month of service.

This means a student taking 3 units would pay $250 per semester to take the bus, and RT wants to increase prices even more.

Standard one-way bus and rail fares would increase 20 percent, from $2.50 to $3, and the related monthly passes would increase from $100 to $120, or from $50 to $60 for students purchasing through business services.

An extra $10 per month may not sound like a lot, but low-unit

MENTAL HEALTH: SAC STATE STUDENT REFLECTS ON HER STRUGGLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS To the Editor:

File photo

Students who take three units or less will be paying substantially more for the daily transit to and from campus.

community college students are often working to support themselves or their families, or cannot afford to take multiple classes, and in those instances, every penny counts.

For students with disabilities, who often or always have to use RT’s Paratransit service (which is not included in the UTP), the price difference will be much more dramatic.

RT wants to increase the Paratransit one-way fare a corresponding 20 percent, from $5 to $6, but will also eliminate the Paratransit monthly pass, forcing all Paratransit users to pay full fare for each ride.

If a Paratransit user took one full-price round trip per day at $12, one month of Paratransit service would cost them $360.

The current monthly pass, which will be eliminated, costs $125.

That is a staggering 288 percent increase in transportation costs for a student, or any Paratransit user.

While it’s true that most Paratransit users do not use Paratransit exclusively, this means that these users must pay for a standard bus and rail pass in addition to necessary Paratransit trips.

The number of students who

will be greatly impacted by the fare changes may not be huge, but if there’s a possibility that even one student could be forced to drop out or suffer financially from these new prices, that student deserves to be advocated for.

With RT struggling financially, it makes sense to raise fares - but refusing to include a discounted regular fare for Los Rios students, who accounted for 4.4 million rides on RT in 2014, is ridiculous.

Every student should be able to afford to get to school, no matter their situation, and RT’s fare hikes are a danger to that ability.

Death isn’t a place to look for likes

By Justina Sharp justinasharparc@gmail. com Everything has changed in the many hands of the internet - including how death is processed.

With everyone living their lives online, it’s no shock that death has its place there too.

The latest culture shift has taken a final moment and made it something that can be double tapped, liked and commented on, sometimes before anyone has even realized it’s happened.

Social media is connecting us more than it ever was before, but it is also making it easier to be apathetic.

In a moment where more and more social media audiences are made up entirely of complete strangers, the very personal matter of a death is becoming increasingly public.

Digital word of mouth in the form of retweets, screenshots and comment sections can be composed of people who know next to nothing about the deceased.

It would be more sincere to call up the surviving family and express condolences beyond social media.

What does it mean to post “RIP” and a praying hands emoji in the comment section?

LETTER TOTHE EDITOR

Photo by Hannah Darden / Staff

In the digital age, feelings about death can be communicated through social media, but it might not be healthy.

It’s the equivalent of a shop employee muttering “have a nice day” as you walk out.

The emotion is being erased from one of the two human experiences everyone is promised.

An argument for sincerity can be made, but there’s still the question of why strangers participate.

Some of these online outpourings seem to be more about taking the stage to give an insincere performance, rather than honoring the memory of the deceased.

Technology, and social media specifically, are often blamed for

creating an apathy among the youth.

However, this isn’t solely a millennial feature - or even strictly applied towards death.

So many relationships between people of all ages and backgrounds are born, live and die on the back of a wi-fi signal, in a box that asks “What’s on your mind?”

Our smart phones hold all the people we know, and often ones we don’t.

No one needs to “keep in touch”, because our fingers are on our screens.

Too frequently, those accumulating the likes on this 21st century obituary aren’t those you’d expect to be sharing such sad news either.

They’re the friend-of-a-friend, someone from a childhood long forgotten.

There’s an eerie air of profiteering that surrounds this, as though a tragedy is social media gold.

It comes to a point where one can begin to wonder if all reverence and respect will be erased amid a flood of likes and favorites.

As an ARC alumna and current Sacramento State student who co-exists with major depression and PTSD, I want the student body to know that resources are out there to help when you are feeling on the brink of a nervous breakdown or contemplating suicide. When I was an ARC student, I used intellectual stimulation as an unofficial antidepressant. This feeling ran out as I transferred to Sacramento State two years ago.

If I had had the benefit of personal counseling on the ARC campus, mental resiliency would have been strengthened along with my academic progress. This is where the college fails its students. Fortunately, Sacramento State has a great counseling services department, which literally saved my life last year.

The stigma of struggling with mental illness has lessened significantly because I am still alive to fight for others who feel completely boxed into their grief and mental distress stemming from issues ranging from childhood sexual abuse to the pressures of a work/family/school balance in life.

It is of the utmost importance that the LRCCD and American River College works on its support resource deficits and start a trend of caring for the emotional and mental well-being of the student body, for as Lipuma stated in his Opinion piece “[O]nly 8 percent of community colleges [have on-site psychiatric services], according to the 2014 American College Counseling Association survey.”

For suicide prevention services, please visit Sacramento State’s Emergency Resources page at https://shcssacstate.org/ counseling-services/suicide. Sierra College in Rocklin also has an extensive list of resources for people living in Placer, Nevada, Sacramento, and El Dorado counties at http://www.sierracollege. edu/student-services/campusservices/health-services/mental-health.php.

Most Sincerely, Jasmine May, ARC alumna and Sacramento State student

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters must be typed. Mail or deliver letters to 4700 College Oak Dr., Liberal Arts Room 120, Sacramento, California 95841 or go to ARCurrent.com

GETTING FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE SACRAMENTO UNDY RUN, GO TO ARCURRENT.COM

Photo essay by Joe Padilla On Feb. 27, 2016, runners of all ages gathered at William Land Park for the annual 5k Cancer Undy Run. This run brings awareness to the Mission of the Colon Cancer Alliance. The Undy Run/Walk hopes to bring conversations to the forefront to help kick colon cancer, and to have people get screened for their benefit.

CHEEKY

Above, participants get together for a photo during the Sacramento Colon Cancer Undy Run on Feb. 27, 2016. Bottom left, runners look at their race results after finishing the Sacramento Undy Run. Bottom right, a participant dresses in patriotic clothing to run in the Sacramento Undy Run.