Exhibit shows stories of expression See Page 5
Alicia | The Connection Connection LucyIlaga Vang|The
Task Force
Campus forms committee to address sexual harrassment News, Page 2 Issue 2 Spring 2019 Student voice of CRC since 1970
Club Unites
Club focuses on bringing Native Americans together Features, Page 5
FACEBOOK /crcconnection
Clark Ruling
Legislation should change to avoid cases like Stephon Clark Opinion, Page 8
TWITTER @crcconnection
Point Guard Scores Student athlete scores over 1,000 points Sports, Page 12
INSTAGRAM @crcconnection
Page 2
March 14, 2019
>>News
Committee focuses on Speaker talks about immigrants’ rights the culture of sexual harrassment on campus By Jayson Price
jprice.connect@gmail.com
By Kellie Bevins kbevins.connect@gmail.com
Following an investigation that occurred in early 2018 when a 20-year-old student filed a sexual harassment complaint against a former counselor, Cosumnes River College has since assembled a task force to enact change in college culture. College President Ed Bush said he is pushing to increase awareness of campus-wide programs aimed toward preventing more incidents from occurring. “Because of power dynamics, those who are subject to or who witness harassment and assault may feel they have to remain silent because our institution will not support them,” Bush said. “Moving forward, we wanted to set principles about creating an environment where potential victims can know that the institution is going to support them.” Bush said the Sexual Harassment Task Force, now run by the Cultural Competence Committee, is working to have a greater relationship with Women Escaping a Violent Environment and make their presence known with pop-up booths and student leadership events. WEAVE offers confidential advocacy and seeks to bring an end to domestic and sexual violence within the Sacramento community, according to their website.
“Because of power dynamics, those who are subject to or who witness harassment and assault may feel they have to remain silent because our institution will not support them.” —Ed Bush
College President
Perez, who recently settled a lawsuit against the district, said she wants to see more advertisement about WEAVE and suggested using trained student advocates to aid those who may fear the process of filing a complaint. “It can be intimidating filing a report at the police station,” Perez said. “You feel very vulnerable.” English Professor David Weinshilboum, who briefly served on the task force and was Perez’s advocate before and during the investigation, said that while the district is trying to make significant progress, there are still questions that haven’t been answered. Weinshilboum said he recalled a time where, while working as adjunct faculty, he felt unable to speak up against those who abused their power. “We need to create systems to allow people to say ‘this isn’t okay’ and not fear losing their career,” Weinshilboum said. Even though Weinshilboum said he feels the system is flawed, he is “optimistic those on the task force are working to address those issues.” Faculty now receive mandatory sexual harassment training, and if a similar situation were to occur, Bush said an investigation would continue regardless of whether personnel resigned or not. “The thing I felt most was that nobody would trust my word,” Perez said. “There was so much overwhelming support from students and faculty I had never even met. They heard my name, and they supported me.” Bush said that change lies in being proactive instead of reactive. “We want a culture where all students can come to college and focus on their education and not their personal safety,” Bush said.
The Dream Center partnered with the Council on American Islamic Relations to host a “Know Your Rights” workshop on Feb. 27. Civil Rights Attorney and Keynote Speaker Saad Sweilem spoke about CAIR and how to handle encounters with law enforcement to a small diverse group of students who, whether they knew it or not, were all immigrants. “I think it’s important to understand that this is a country of immigrants,” said Sweilem. “Unless you are Native American, you are an immigrant.” Amongst the group was Alma Aguilar, a representative of Folsom Lake College Outreach for Undocumented Students, who attended in hopes of starting a Dream Center like the one at CRC. “Nineteen percent of our community is Latino, so we are trying to cater to those 19 percent,” said Aguilar. Sweilem touched on the different tactics that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, will use to prey on immigrants that may not know what their rights are. “It’s pretty common that ICE agents show up with their own warrant instead of one signed by a judge,” said Sweilem. “Most of the communities they target aren’t knowledgeable about their rights. They don’t really understand the difference. They’re able to use that to get people to think they have to let them in their homes.” After being detained by ICE, Mahmoud Zahriya, who was a former Cosumnes River College student and current Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for CAIR Sacramento, said it is commonplace for immigrants to be held in correctional centers or even county jails for long periods of time. “People are being held in jail for years, sometimes indefinitely for an immigration hearing or deportations,” Zahriya said. With the combined efforts of Zahriya and CAIR, a multi-million dollar contract between Sacramento County and ICE hat allowed detainees to be held at Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center was canceled, according to Capitol Public Radio. With the continued efforts of CAIR, The Sacramento Family Unit, Education and Legal Coalition, and even students, the persecution of immigrants and the attack on their rights can be mitigated. Sweilem said he wants everyone, especially DREAMers, to feel safe. “Know your rights, be aware of the different protections you have and speak with an immigration attorney,” said Sweilem. “There is a lot you can talk about for free. Understand there is hope.”
Thecrcconnection.com
Page 3
Campus highlights emotional support options for students after decision in the Clark case By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe.connect@gmail.com When it was announced on March 2 that the police officers who shot Stephon Clark would not be charged, the decision was met with mixed responses. Clark was a 22-year-old Sacramento man who was shot multiple times after two officers mistook his cellphone for a gun. Counseling Dean Shannon Cooper said this incident has impacted the emotional well-being of black students. “A young man of 22 years of age and who was a student in Los Rios certainly feels closer to our black students,” Cooper said. “Some students may have known him. To have that close proximity, it creates another level of trauma for our students.” Cooper, who is also a licensed clinical psychologist, said the creation of fear and uncertainty in students is an aftermath of the Clark shooting. She also said students may wonder if an incident like that could ever happen to them, which then creates a lot of discomfort. “That can make it hard
to study when you have the burden of wondering if you’re going to be next, because that affects your mental health,” Cooper said. “It can make you feel anxious, it can make you feel depressed, and those are a just a couple of things that can happen to our students.” A 2018 study published in British medical journal The Lancet found that the death of unarmed black Americans caused by police officers has “significant effects” on the mental health of black Americans. “Police killings of unarmed black Americans were associated with worse mental health among other black Americans in the general US population,” according to the study. Sociology Professor Donnisha Lugo also said the decision of the ruling could impact students’ interactions with law enforcement. “I feel like black students are already on edge when it comes to dealing with law enforcement,” Lugo said. “I think this situation is just more confirmation for them to feel like they can’t trust law enforcement in any interactions.”
Lugo said the decision could make students think that if they ever see or interact with law enforcement, there’s a chance it could be a “life or death situation.” Chris Adams, a 31-yearold political science major, said he grew up in the neighborhood Clark was shot in, adding that Clark definitely wasn’t the first person to die because of a police officer. “You never know what they’re capable of doing,” Adams said. Los Rios Police Chief Larry Savidge said students should not paint law enforcement with the “same paintbrush.” “Campus law enforcement and municipal law enforcement are not the same,” Savidge said. In comparison to municipal law enforcement, Savidge said campus law enforcement operates in a more proactive mode, which means they have the time to try and develop relationships with students and student groups on campus. “I don’t believe any of the police officers come to work thinking, ‘what can I do wrong?’” Savidge said. “They come here to try and do good
“I really think it’s important for us to dialogue and just unpack any feelings that students have.” —Donnisha Lugo Sociology Professor
things for the students and for everybody else here.” Lugo said she spent one of her class periods talking about Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert’s statement about Clark’s case, further adding that discussing situations like this in class gives students a “safe space” to talk about any hurt or pain they may feel about the decision. “I really think it’s important for us to dialogue and just unpack any feelings that students have about this issue,” Lugo said. Cooper said a crisis counselor is available to students every day and said if a student is feeling anxious, depressed or upset, faculty can redirect them to the counseling center. Additionally, Cooper said the campus provides a mental
health counselor as well, but only through a referral by a faculty or staff member. Cooper said the Behavioral Intervention Team would discuss the situation with the student and then direct them to the mental health counselor if needed. She said students always have a choice of whether they want counseling or not. Healing circles were also held for students from March 5 to 7 in the Village, which is located in BS 147A. Cooper said communities like Umoja Diop Scholars and the African-American Male Educational Network Development club are important for students to have a place to be themselves and have people they can relate to. “When trauma occurs, a condition that can result from trauma is isolation,” Cooper said. “It’s really important for our black students to be and feel part of a community, however they define that community.” The Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Library building. In an immediate crisis, call the Suicide Prevention Line at 800273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Event focuses on Asian and Pacific Islander women By Michaela Graves mgraves.connect@gmail.com Asian Pacific Islander Women Voices held their first community event discussion in honor of Women’s History Month on March 7 in the Winn Center. The event was held by community groups such as Advocate Sacramento, the Indian Association of Sacramento and My Sister’s House of Sacramento. The event was designed for different cultural groups in the community to come together to share ideas and provide a call to action to a safer environment for women in the community.
Counselor Paolo Soriano attended the event to support the women of the API community. “My role was to simply collaborate with the main organizers of the event and encourage as many of our students to attend,” Soriano said. The event started with introducing emcee of the event, Marlei Martinez. Martinez opened the event and welcomed all who attended. She gave the audience a brief background on her heritage and the reason why she is honored to emcee the event. “What better way to spend International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month
by coming together and sharing our voices,” Martinez said. “We are here to talk and share our opinion.” The event had tables labeled with different races, including Filipinos, Indians, and Pacific Islander among others. Women sat down at the ta-
“What better way to spend International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month by coming together.” —Marlei Martinez Emcee of event
bles identified as their ethnic group. At the tables, women discussed two focus questions provided by the event that were related to helping and improving women’s lifestyle and struggles in the community. The first question asked what kind of services or information are needed to improve the well-being of API women in the Sacramento County and the second talked about what problems they see API women in Sacramento County facing. The attendees of the event spent about 15 to 20 minutes discussing these questions and writing their ideas down
on a poster board. After time was up, each of the groups shared their discussions and hung their posters up around the room. The event ended with community leaders hearing and reacting to the discussions and also shared actions that needed to be taken. Event organizer Nilda Valmores said she was inspired to see how many women showed up to the event. “It was inspiring to see API women empowered to share their thoughts and opinions,” Valmores said. “I would like to see more local government funding to provide these services.”
Page 4
March 14, 2019
Proposed legislation would let homeless students sleep in vehicles overnight By Blynn Beltran bbeltran.connect@gmail.com Assembly Bill 302, or the Safe Lot Legislation Bill, would allow homeless community college students to sleep in their campus parking lot. The main goal of the bill is to provide temporary housing until a permanent solution to provide food and housing is implemented, according to a press release by District 24 assemblymember Marc Berman. Housing takes up to 43 percent of a student’s budget, according to an article published in January by The Sacramento Bee. History Professor Alexander Peshkoff said that homelessness is a concern on campus. “We have a huge parking space,” Peshkoff said. “Why can’t we make some of those space designated for homeless students who lives in their cars?”
Peshkoff said that the Hawk Spot food pantry serves 380 students a month and that at least 22 of them were homeless. Nineteen percent of California community college students are homeless, according to a report published on March 7 by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. Malisha Blakes is a peer mentor and head of a project called “Home for Hawks,” which helps homeless students reach their academic goals. Blakes said she has a few concerns about the “wording” of the bill itself which says that students need to be “in good standing with the community college.” “Homeless students have to have paid their fees and have a certain GPA,” Blakes said. “However, if a student has food and housing insecurities, what are the chances of that student being in good standing?”
Lilianna Ordaz | The Connection
If Assembly Bill 302 is passed, homeless community college students would be permitted to park in safe lots and sleep in their vehicles overnight on campus.
Blakes said that this clause in the bill is “a little unrealistic” for students who are currently in the poverty line. Brianna Baeta, an 18-yearold visual communication major, agrees that this bill is reasonable.
“Nobody wanders around the campus at night time,” said Baeta. “Why can’t you sleep in your car?” Peshkoff and Blakes said they both believe homelessness among students is a much deeper problem than
having a place to sleep. “It’s a temporary fix,” Peshkoff said. “We as a community college also have to act politically and put pressure on those people in political positions in order to have a more profound change.”
There should be more attention given to the LGBTQ community on campus, faculty say By Summer Lomendehe slomenedehe.connect@gmail.com Several staff and faculty met on Feb. 22 to discuss ways to make the LGBTQ community more visible on campus. The meeting was prompted by a previous one between a few faculty members and American River College’s Pride Center Director Emilie Mitchell, where they discussed the center’s efforts and their progress. “How do we do things that are more inclusive?” asked Dean of Student Success and Equity Tadael Emiru during the meeting. In an email sent to faculty inviting them to attend the meeting, History Professor Gabriel Gorman said the LGBTQ community “does not appear to be truly recognized.” English Professor Jose Alfaro said while he was a student at Cosumnes River College, he didn’t feel like there were many spaces for LGBTQ students on campus. “I think there’s a need for institutional change and support for LGBTQ students within our community,” Alfaro said. Anthropology Professor Anastasia Panagakos
said the Social Responsibility Committee, in collaboration with the Safe Spaces program, conducted a climate survey last spring and said that while the results are still being put together, it is evident that students in LGBTQ the community do not feel welcome on campus. The meeting was primarily held to introduce the plan of creating a Pride Center. Panagakos said the center would not only serve as a space for students to find resources, but for them to be able to be themselves and build a community as well. During the meeting, some faculty and staff emphasized the collaboration between the Pride Center and student services like the Dream Center in order to promote intersectionality. Alfaro said a space for LGBTQ students could be an opportunity for the campus to create a queer space that is “very conscious of other identities that intersect with it.” “We allow our students to see that they don’t have to divide their identities,” Alfaro said. “They have support for each aspect of their lives.” While a Pride Center will be in the works in the future, Emiru said during the meeting he doesn’t want faculty efforts to be centered solely around the physical space of a center. He later said there should
be short-term goals they should be striving for within the next academic year. “The ultimate goal, of course, is to have a Pride Center,” Gorman said. “What we can do now is create an LGBTQ community that is more visible and more supported.” In the past, the Gay-Straight Alliance was an active club on campus, but Gorman said it had “fizzled out” due to the club president stepping down. With the establishment of a Pride Center, Alfaro said faculty will also begin to be more conscious about standing in solidarity with students in the community, including queer students of color. “It’ll help them be more mindful of equitable practices in the classroom,” Alfaro said. Ultimately, Panagakos said there will be things coming up this spring that will hopefully be able to get students excited about possibilities for the future. “Be patient with us as a campus,” Panagakos said. “The campus culture is moving in the right direction of being inclusive but we just have a lot of obstacles right now, and space really is the big one.” What do you think about this piece? Let us know at Twitter @CRCconnection.
Page 5
Thecrcconnection.com
>>Features
Exhibit highlights work of local artists By Lucy Vang
lvang.connect@gmail.com
Courtesy Photo
Native Student Alliance Club members attending performance day for Native Heritage Week.
Club offers support for Native American students By Alexandra Trigg atrigg.connect@gmail.com For the past 10 years, the Native Student Alliance Club has served as a student support group for people of Native American heritage to come together and assist in community services. Club President November Rain, a 25-year-old photography major, said the club aims to bring cultural awareness to campus, taking place during a conjunction with the start of Native American Heritage Week celebrations on campus in mid-November. In addition, she said that the NSAC collaborates with other Native American student clubs at Sacramento City, UC Davis and Sierra College. Rain said she plans for the organization to attend the “Indigenous People Sunrise Ceremony,” an annual Thanksgiving Day event of the 1969-71 commemoration of “Indians of All Tribes” that occupied Alcatraz Island. Hundreds of tribes will be in attendance, and members from the NSAC club will witness the performance of rituals, customs and learn more about the culture that won’t be taught in a
“Any student can become a member of the Native Alliance club as long as they have interest in learning about the Native community and are enrolled in classes. ” —Crystal Martinez
Student Success and Support Porgrams Counselor
classroom. History Professor Jason Newman, who is also the club’s advisor, said he helps plan the major events on campus. He said that other faculty members including another club advisor Crystal Martinez, a Student Success and Support Programs Counselor and Aselia Valadez-Melo who is also a counselor, have expanded the club’s organization and outreach over the past year to include more students and activities. Justin Briones, an 18-year-old ethnic studies major, said he is glad to have a network of people that identify with the same ethnic background and culture as himself. Briones said he has been a member for two semesters now and wants to learn to play the drums at an upcoming event workshop. “We are in the process of scheduling events for Spring 2019 and two more for the fall semester,” said Newman. He said the main upcoming event this spring will be the joint Los Rios Native Student graduation which will be held oncampus May 9. The association provides Alina Barajas, a 24-year-old human services major, with a friendly space to discuss educational opportunities in a relaxed setting with other native students and faculty. She said the group encourages her to be more involved internally and advance the growth of the club externally. “Any student can become a member of the Native Alliance club as long as they have an interest in learning about the Native community and are enrolled in classes,” said Martinez. Meetings are held every other Monday, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in the Conference Room in the Southeast Office Complex.
The art gallery hosted the opening reception for the exhibition “Narrative Expression” on Feb. 22. The exhibition showcased a variety of 3D shapes, sizes and figures portraying different perspectives and expressions. Art Professor Yoshio Taylor, who has been curator of the art gallery for the last four years, showcased the work of local artists Ed Blackburn, Marga- “The kind of knowledge ret Keelan, Craig Martinez, you find in art you won’t and Michael Stevens this sefind elsewhere. You mester. “Art is a way to express begin to understand the yourself through what you create and how you feel,” connection within the Taylor said. “It’s not every- world that you didn’t day that students get to see before.” that.” Taylor said overtime he realized showcasing in a —Anna T. Trent classroom wasn’t doing artArt History Professor work any justice, and that’s when he and the art department decided to push forward with dedicating a gallery just for art. Some professors and students who attended the reception enjoyed observing and expressing how they felt about the unique arts. “The kind of knowledge you find in art you won’t find elsewhere,” said Art History Professor Anna T. Trent. “You begin to understand the connection within the world that you didn’t before.” About thirty minutes into the reception, more students begin to arrive and show support for the art exhibition. “I enjoy looking at the details of each art piece,” said 21-year-old liberal arts major Arlee Su. “I just love how they all have their own unique twist to it.” Jordan Isley, a 27-year-old art design major, said it was his second time attending an art exhibition. “It’s not only good to see local talent but it’s also good to understand where you are in the art world,” Isley said. Taylor encourages students to at come by the gallery and see it for themselves because it is “well worth the experience.” The exhibit in the art gallery is open to students and the community until March 22 from Monday through Thursday between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Lucy Vang | The Connection
“Bucksnort” is a piece by Michael Stevens in the “Narrative Expressions” exhibit. The exhibit will be open in the Art Gallery until March 22.
Page 6
March 14, 2019
Department Chair is recipient of Golden Hawk Award By Kellie Bevins kbevins.connect@gmail.com Math Professor and Department Chair Camille Moreno won the Cosumnes River College Golden Hawk Diversity Award, which honors faculty who address issues involving diversity. The Golden Hawk award recipients become automatically nominated for the Stanback-Stroud Diversity award which focuses on the same issues, but is instead recognizing people from across the state as opposed to the local community. “‘It’s really humbling,” Moreno said. “What I’ve accomplished, I haven’t done by myself. It’s taken many people with lots of effort.” Over her 18 years working full-time at CRC, Moreno has worked closely with students to build up their confidence in academics. She said she began a fourweek long summer course called Math Boot Camp that’s been running for eight years. The course seeks to fill in math knowledge gaps at a pace students can be comfortable with and covers areas such as basic arithmetic and calculus. “I felt a big need to create opportunities that we didn’t have for students outside of class that would support
“Some stuents may not have seen themselves as college material and now they have a second chance.” —Camille Moreno Math Department Chair
them in their math courses,” Moreno said. “Some students may not have seen themselves as college material and now they have a second chance.” Moreno was involved in initiating the Math and Human and Career Development Learning Community, a program she said is designed to aid students who have taken Math Boot Camp in the summer and want to be successful with classes in the fall and spring semesters. “I also started a course called math study skills,” Moreno said. “It’s a one unit course you take in conjunction with a math class.” The course provides test-taking skills as well analyzing how to read math textbooks, said Moreno. Jeffrey Aparicio, who is a 28-year-old alumni, said he first took geometry with Professor Moreno. “I had just been released from jail, and she saw how hard I was working and asked
Professor Camille Moreno is this years Golden Hawk Diversity Award Recipient, automatically nominating her for the Stanback-Stroud Diversity Award.
me to be a tutor,” Aparicio said. Aparicio said he is now studying engineering at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. “She was the reason I didn’t drop out,” Aparicio said. “She basically became my mentor.” Moreno serves as Tri-
Chair for the Hispanic Serving Institution. Currently, they have submitted a grant to get a location which they would call “Mi Casa” in hopes of creating a family environment on campus for Latino and Hispanic students. Biology Professor Julie Oliver, who nominated
Kellie Bevins | The Connection
Moreno for the awards, said she always has an outlook in regards to diversity. “She participates in a lot of committees, both in the math department and other college programs,” Oliver said. “She’s an extremely hard worker.”
New show grants college graduates forgiveness By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe@gmail.com Student debt is an ongoing crisis that affects college students across the country. When a pitch for a web-based reality show boils down to a company seemingly being deceived into paying two college graduates’ student loans, there’s really no other way to fathom the genius behind it besides being ecstatic it was even greenlit in the first place. “Total Forgiveness” follows CollegeHumor cast members Ally Beardsley and Grant O’Brien as they compete in challenges against each other to win money they can use to pay off their student loan debt. The show is currently available on CollegeHumor’s original subscription platform
Dropout, where they host other subscription-based content. “This is either a terrible idea on your part or a brilliant idea, and I’m eager to
more serious issue. The docu-series opened with O’Brien covered in leeches as he interviewed a student loan attorney, and Beardsley painstak-
Courtsey Photo
see which it is,” said CollegeHumor Chief Creative Officer Sam Reich during the pitch meeting in the first episode. The show, of course, doesn’t fall short of using humor to raise awareness for a
ingly reconnecting with an ex as they eat spicy food (surprise, the spoonfuls of spicy food wasn’t the most painful thing to watch). The two of them had successfully completed their chal-
lenges, and by the end of the episode, they earned $750. As the amount of money steadily increases with every episode that airs, the challenges progressively do, too. The dares themselves are ridiculous enough to a force a few chuckles out of someone watching them, but sometimes you can’t help but cringe at how absolutely absurd they are. The cringiness of the show, however, takes the show to a hilariously new dimension. And while taking a driver’s license photo dressed as an Oompa Loompa or doing a comedy show without any jokes seem a little extreme to do in exchange for money, being able to pay off any type of debt definitely seems worth that extra step. More than 44 million bor-
rowers collectively owe $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, according to a Forbes article citing a 2018 study by personal finance website Make Lemonade. The brilliance of the show simply lies in its ability to get the best of both worlds, and that’s shedding light onto a crisis that needs more recognition all while trying to solve individual loan-related crises. At its core, “Total Forgiveness” is extremely loud, bold and so fearless that it doesn’t shy away from getting personal–like, really personal–to illustrate a point that extends far beyond college students. That vulnerability cashes into the show’s greatness and ultimately shows how common and universal student debt is, no matter who you are or where you are in life.
Page 7
March 14, 2019
Hip-hop students express themselves through dance By Lucy Vang lvang.@gmail.com Among the many dance classes offered at Cosumnes River College, hip-hop is one of them. Unlike the common lecture classes, Dance 353 is all about body movement and hands-on experience. Dance Professor Michelle Green-Clark said she evaluates her students by advising them how to improve certain movements when needed and letting them learn from one another. Clark said students are expected to learn about the hiphop culture and the origin of where each movement came from, while applying that knowledge to their choreography and exercises. Lucy Vang | The Connection “There is so much to learn Students in Dance 353 learn a new technique called “tutting.” The class is held in the Elk Grove Center. about hip-hop,” Clark said. “Students are constantly expe- of where the hip-hop culture the students said they found it riencing and expanding what began in order to get a better to be more valuable than just they know when they come to understanding of what the another class to pass. moves are all about. “I think the most importthis class.” Beyond dancing, some of ant thing that I’ve gotten out of The students began by the students said the class has this class is that we can learn doing exercises and grooving changed their education and and critique each other and are together as a class to warm evpersonal life. still able to build friendships eryone up. Ericisha Burkhalter, a together,” Willis said. Student choreographers 20-year-old business adminKaylissa Dunson, a were teaching specific moveistration major, said the class 22-year-old communications ments such as turfing and tutting that require the right was not only a good way to major, encourages students skills and techniques to per- work out, but it was a place to join the class even if they fect. Each student was given an she could express herself and don’t have any experience in dance saying “because it is an evaluation sheet afterwards, not be judged. “I love that I could be free open-friendly environment and graded based on the effort and not have to worry about and will change your life.” they put into learning the techwhat other people think about “Sometimes you don’t niques. me,” Burkhalter said. know that this could be your CJ Willis, a 26-year-old While students are able thing,” Clark said. “Just giving photography major, said one Lucy Vang | The Connection must take it back to the surface to fulfill course requirements it a chance is all it takes.” with the hip-hop class, some of Dance students learn a hip-hop technique called
When is it really time to dump your friends? By Lilliana Ordaz lordaz.connect@gmail.com BFFs are supposed to best friends forever, but are they really forever? Many of us want our friends to be with us forever, but a toxic friend is worse than having no friends at all. Here are some tips to know when it’s time to dump your friend. 1). It should be 50/50 even in friendships. We all have busy lives, and between work, school, and other people it does get tiring. However, that is not ex-
cuse for a friendship to be one-sided. If both of you have a phone, you shouldn’t be the only one texting. 2). Your time is valuable. With busy lives, your time is crucial. So if your friend is constantly flaking or rescheduling they aren’t valuing your time. If this is a consistent pattern in your friendship a discussion needs to be had because you deserve to be valued. If not, they are #blocked. 3). If your friend is being inconsistent, the toxicity is
not.
If one minute your bestie is in the best mood and thinks you’re amazing but then the next they’re lashing out at you for being the most terrible person, they’re most likely the terrible person. More times than not, you result in being a punching bag when something goes wrong in your besties life, and that’s not okay. We all have bad days, but if your best friend is constantly taking it out on you, it’s time for you to kick that toxicity out your life.
4). Life is a competition, but friendships shouldn’t be. Is your friend always one to try and “one up” you? If you get the latest release of Post Malone Crocs, do they get the same ones and the matching Jibbitz charms? While there is such a thing as healthy competition, you shouldn’t have to worry about your bestie taking away a moment of excitement just to try and beat you. 5). Friends shouldn’t be ‘askholes’. Do you always find yourself get asked about your life
by your friend, but they never want to tell you anything about their life? That’s what I call an “askhole.” They love to know everything going on with you so they can go off and share the juicy info, but come time to talk about their own life, there’s nothing to say. This toxic behavior is not okay because friends should communicate with one another. While you shouldn’t have to know everything about your friends’ lives, you should both be sharing the same amount of information.
March 14, 2019
Page 8
>>Opinion EDITORIAL
Californians need to act to save lives
On March 18, 2018, Sacramento lost local resident and former Los Rios student Stephon Clark when law enforcement, convinced he held a gun, shot and killed him. A year later, the police officers responsible for his death were not charged, causing an outpouring of grief and anger amongst people who are questioning the authorities that allowed this. Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert declared on March 2 that the officers “feared for their lives and acted lawfully under the circumstances,” according to the Sacramento Bee. Following the release of the District Attorney’s report,
organized protests and walkouts erupted in the Sacramento area, and at one point, 84 people, including a reporter from The Sacramento Bee, were detained. Clark’s family and supporters are lashing back, claiming that officials were biased because of Clark’s personal choices and past decisions, like drug use and former charges. His mother, Sequette Clark, blasted Schubert for the decision. “I don’t care if he was a criminal,” Sequette Clark said during an impromptu press conference. “None of that matters. Stop trying to justify it by looking at a person’s character.”
Black Americans are twice as likely to be unarmed when killed in conflict with police, according to research conducted by The Guardian in 2015. The report also found through analysis of public record that 32 percent of black people were killed while unarmed in comparison to the 15 percent of white people. Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump said the thing the DA failed to see is Clark was shot in the back multiple times. If he had advanced upon officers, how was he shot in the back? Schubert said the evidence was enough to justify the police officers’ use of deadly force, but the evi-
dence from the two autopsies vary. With the autopsy commissioned by the family, the results say something different than the one done by the official coroner. “We need to acknowledge the hard truth,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a written statement released hours after the ruling on March 2. “Our criminal justice system treats young black and Latino men and women differently than their white counterparts.” However, Newsom is receiving criticism for not taking action on his comments. Assembly Bill 392, also known as the Act to Save Lives, is a bill seeking to shift
legal standards that govern police shootings, however Newsom has yet to endorse such legislation. While protesting is an unalienable right, innocent people are still losing their lives. When those in prominent positions make decisions to abuse their power, sometimes the only thing we can do is fight back. . Moving forward, we need to carefully elect officials who will push for laws that ensure the safety of our local communities. It’s now on us to demand legislators hear our voices when we say we don’t want another Stephon Clark, and call for change to be made.
HAWK TALK Compiled by Tairiq Marshall and Lucy Vang
Following the release of the findings in the Stephon Clark case, the campus is emphasizing the importance of “safe spaces” and having allies to talk to on campus. How do you feel about safe spaces?
Jay Lampano Campus Police Captain
“Safe spaces are great outlets for students to speak out. Regardless of your major, it is imperative that students use this platform.”
Iris Dimond Early childhood education Professor
“As an individual who has been a safe space outlet for many of my students, I think that it is great that we offer this venue on campus.”
Freddy Mande Computer science, 27
Iridian Urrea Child development, 19
“Safe spaces will help many of us open up because we have to bridge the gap between students and faculty.”
“It’s a great idea to have safe spaces because students will feel more comfortable expressing themselves now.”
Page 9
thecrcconnection.com
This month seriously needs to march off the calendar By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe.connect@gmail.com Heads up, everyone: The forecast for the rest of March is sunny with a chance of sadness. And while it does sound funny to be concerned about clear skies and the perfect, falsely perceived image of spring, seasonal depression is actually a real thing. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Most people experience seasonal depression during the fall or winter, but it’s not uncommon to experience it during the spring. My depressive episodes
are incredibly sporadic, and it’s difficult to really say why. How do I tell people my mood solely relies on the weather without sounding like I’ve gone completely off the rails? Melatonin, which is a sleep-related hormone located in the brain, has been linked to seasonal depression, according to a webpage about the disorder on the website of nonprofit organization Mental Health America. The webpage states that melatonin affects sleep patterns and mood and is made at higher levels in the dark, which can result in some of the symptoms connected to seasonal depression. With a couple of weeks
leading up to spring and my mood gradually getting worse, I can already tell the rest of the month will suck. I’ve always been under the impression that the sun would bring out the best in me, but sometimes I guess that isn’t the case when it comes to depression. As the seasons are bound to change just like our time did (curse daylight saving time), please be mindful of the people in your life who may be experiencing a depressive episode. While we can’t entirely bounce into the happier month of April just yet, know that people like me have a reason for constantly being sad and groaning about why March sucks.
Nike continues to profit off of trending controversies By Alexandra Trigg atrigg.connect@gmail.com Nike can be commended for having their fingers on the pulse of today’s trends by following what’s hot and in right now. What’s more intriguing is that the apparel empire is taking risks by sponsoring world-renowned professional athletes who are involved in current and controversial social issues. When Colin Kaepernick was blackballed from the NFL due to his activism on police brutality, Nike stepped in and offered him a campaign, released his own apparel and donated to his “Know Your Rights” charity. While other companies and advertisers would typically shy away from controversy, Nike embraces it because there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Nike has stated that
they support their athletes especially when they “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” But has their involvement with the martyred football star been entirely genuine for his cause, or is it more so for the profitable controversy that his name brings? The apparel empire has never publicly said they sided with his protests or spoken out on police brutality. In fact, Kaepernick’s attachment to the brand has spawned them $43 million since the announcement of the campaign, according to Apex Marketing Group. Additionally, the brand apparel has a deal with the NFL that is cemented until 2028, allowing them to freely capitalize off Kaepernick’s movement and making their assets safely guarded. Talk about impeccable timing.
Black pain and loss cannot be advertised without recognizing what is being trumpeted. In corporate America, the minority is considered property to be regularly re-sold to the masses as monetary trends. Nike’s “Dream Crazier” ad narrated by tennis legend Serena Williams shines a spotlight on the gender-bias of female athletes in the sports world, but this is coming from a company that has been linked to numerous anti-sweatshop protests and the virulent mistreatment of women, according to the Huffington Post. Nike jumped on the opportunity to monetize on these social issues for praise and profit rather than to actually rally for and make a change for social justice. So yes, Nike is winning in the profit-off-of-controversy game.
Can Democrats avoid repeat of 2016 election? By Roger Mitchell rmitchell.connect@gmail.com As we enter the third month of 2019, it is becoming increasingly clear as to the type of election we should be expecting this time next year. A surplus of new faces line the Democratic Party’s roster of declared candidates for the 2020 presidential election, but can too many faces be the downfall of the Democrats? Many in the party seem to think so. When former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he would not be running for president in an article on his website Bloomberg News on March 5, he implored the Democratic Party to unify behind a single candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump in 2020. “It’s essential that we nominate a Democrat who will be in the strongest position to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country back together,” Bloomberg wrote. “We cannot allow the primary process to drag the party to an extreme that diminishes our chances in the general election and translate into ‘four more years.’” Bloomberg isn’t the only big name Democrat to announce their non-candidacy. Former United States Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and Former Senator and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton have all announced they would not be running for the nation’s top office. So far, 14 Democrats have announced they are running for president. Nine say they are still considering it. In 2016, 12 percent of those who voted for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the
“If the Democrats can consolidate their support to one of these candidates, they may be able to avoid many of the problems that plagued them in the last presidential election.” primary ended up voting for Trump in the general election after Sanders lost the nomination, according to the Cooperative Congressional Election Study. If the Democratic Party wants to get past the turmoil that culminated into Donald Trump being the president, they are going to have to put their differences aside and compromise on a candidate that is in the best position to beat him in 2020. With so many experienced and qualified candidates, who are the Democrats going to throw their support behind? Three names that come to mind, out of the ones that have officially announced their candidacy, are Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and California Senator Kamala Harris. If the Democrats can consolidate their support to one of these candidates, they may be able to avoid many of the problems that plagued them in the last presidential election. And the sooner, the better. The more time that is spent bickering by the Democrats, the more the Trump campaign can capitalize on the divisiveness of their opponents. The Democratic Party cannot afford to look like they’re just going to give the voters the same cacophony of bickering that led to a Trump presidency. They cannot let the nomination process drag on again.
Page 10
March 14, 2019
>>Sports
Tennis is a means to an ends for team’s star player By Jayson Price jprice.connect@gmail.com Take a look inside the Cosumnes River College tennis courts any day of the week and you will encounter a group of student-athletes hard at work. Amongst the group is headband wearing, smile inspiring jokester and tennis star Kien Dang. While he may look like a beast as he emulates his idol Roger Federer and scores a point with a ridiculous between the legs shot called a “tweener”, the aspiring nursing student is more care than scare. “He’s very willing to help everyone else and has a great sense of humor, and he likes to keep everything light,” said Head Coach Eva De Mars. “I do like to give him a hard time because he runs like he’s 90.” Dang is not new to tennis, but the player of seven years is new to America. He moved from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in December 2016. “My uncle brought us here for the purpose that me and my sister would study and have a better education,” said Dang. Education has always
“My dad wanted me to play tennis because I played too many video games.”
--Kien Dang
Freshman tennis player
come first for Dang. Originally an engineering student, he decided to switch to nursing where he hopes to eventually transfer to Sacramento State. Tennis has always just been something of a hobby according to Dang. “My dad wanted me to play tennis because I played too many video games,” said Dang. What may have just started out as a hobby has developed into quite a talent that has his coach and teammates impressed. “He’s very dedicated to his academics but he is a very good tennis player, so if he wanted to, he could go very far,” said De Mars. “His dedication is more or less to his academics.” Dang’s doubles partner, freshman Kyle Lopez, is often the beneficiary of his on-court dominance. “As his doubles partner, I
Max Connor | The Connection
Freshman Kien Dang has been a force early in the season for the Hawks with a 5-1 record in singles matches. Dang immigrated from Viet Nam in 2016 and his main focus is transferring to a nursing program.
can always rely on him to get easy points for us,” said Lopez. “He’s always on the net poaching shots so all I gotta do is close it out.” In addition to excelling as a doubles teammate, Dang is a dominant singles player as well.
Baseball statistics Overall record: 14-5 Batting
Conference record: 5-2 Pitching
“As a singles player, this guy is just a beast,” said Lopez. “He just overpowers opponents.” Dang has his eyes and aspirations set on the nursing program at Sacramento State University in 2021. Until then, the students of CRC should
Overall record: 8-5
take some time to check out a seriously special student-athlete. The next home match for Dang and the Hawks will be on Tuesday, March 19, at 1 p.m. at the tennis courts on campus. Students can attend sporting events for free.
Softball statistics
Batting
Conference record: 3-3
Pitching
Team batting average: .248
Team E.R.A.: 3.87
Team batting average: .275
Team E.R.A.: 5.37
Team slugging %: .411
Strike outs per 9 innings: 8.06
Team slugging %: .376
Strike outs per 7 innings: 3.85
Team on base %: .406
Strike outs (K’s): 152
Team on base %: .335
Strike outs (K’s): 33
Runs scored per game: 7.05
Walks per 9 innings: 4.94
Runs scored per game: 4.0
Walks per 7 innings: 3.88
Hits per game: 9.2
Walks: 93
Hits per game: 6.9
Walks: 36
Total hits: 175
Hits allowed: 145
Total hits: 90
Hits allowed: 106
Doubles: 38
Total runs allowed: 90
Doubles: 16
Total runs allowed:57
Triples: 8 Home runs: 8
Fielding
Triples: 1
Walks: 104
Errors: 31
Home runs: 5 Walks: 28
Strike outs: 132
Fielding %: .957
Strike outs: 44
Fielding Errors: 19 Fielding %: .945
thecrcconnection.com
Page 11
The Cheap $eats Buying a ticket doesn’t buy you the right to be an abusive jerk
Courtesy photo
The womens softball team has had a solid start to the season winning eight of their first 13 games. After losing their first three conference games, they have bounced back to go on a three game winning streak.
Strong pitching helps softball team sweep doubleheader By Halimeh Edais hedais.connect@gmail.com The Hawks’ softball team sent the Folsom Lake Falcons packing with back-to-back wins of a double header on Friday, winning the second of the two games 9-4. Poor defense from the Falcons and a barrage of hits from the Hawks helped them jump out to an early 5-1 lead after four innings. “We came in and we scored some runs and that makes it easier when we’re on defense,” said freshman utility-player Hannah Steege. “We have a couple of errors, it’s okay because we have that run support and that’s going to makes it easier for our pitcher, and it just takes a little pressure off of everyone.” Solid pitching from sophomore Courtney Lozano kept the Falcons in check early in the game, only allowing two runs through the first five innings. “I like getting pumped with my team,” said Lozano. “I love having a team and I love having them around me, they get me hyped.” The Hawks snatched both home games of the double header from the Falcons and
Editor in Chief: Summer Lomendehe News Editor: Summer Lomendehe Features Editor: Kellie Bevins Sports Editor: Max Connor Opinion Editor: Lilianna Ordaz Faculty Adviser: Rubina Gulati Staff: Blynn Beltran, Halimeh Edais, Michaela Graves,Tairiq Marshall, Roger Mitchell, Jaymes Naval, Jayson Price, Alexandra Trigg, Lucy Vang, Mason White
“We came in and we scored some runs and that makes it easier when we’re on defense.” --Hannah Steege
freshman utility player strong pitching was key to both wins. “I thought our pitchers threw well today; I was real happy with their performance on the mound,” said Head Coach Kristy Schroeder. “They kept us in the game, they hit their spots and stayed composed throughout the game, so I think both the pitchers did really well.” The season has had ups and downs, but the Hawks have compiled a 7-5 record in their first 12 games this year. Members of the team said the same thing about playing, just have fun with the game. Freshman outfielder Aliah Cisneros loves softball and she said she is happy to play it in college. “It’s a great feeling before a game, with all of my friends, getting hyped up,” said Cisneros. “It’s a good feeling.”
The Connection The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Cosumnes River College 8401 Center Parkway Journalism 410 & 411 media proSacramento, CA 95823 duction class. Editorials and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the Telephone: (916) 691-7471 opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or Los Rios Community www.thecrcconnection.com connection.crc@gmail.com College Letters to the Editor must be typed, Facebook.com/crcconnection signed and include the first and last Twitter: @CRCconnection name of the author and a phone num- Instagram: @CRCconnection ber. They must be 200 words or less Storify.com/TheConnection and may be edited for length, clarity or taste.
It’s a very straightforward and it certainly does not give and simple point to make: Buy- them a right to completely deing a ticket to a sporting event, humanize athletes with despieven a very expensive one, ad- cable comments and language. mits a person into the venue to All stadiums should take watch, cheer and witness the note of what happened and bespectacular displays of athletic gin to put in place more security ability put before them. and safeguards to squash It does not permit someone disrespectful behavior to hurl racist and disrespectful from fans. This is as imcommentary towards the athportant for all the decent letes who are there to enterfans out there as it is tain and inspire. for the players. Max Connor Oklahoma With City Thunder guard mconnor.connect@gmail.com ticket pricRussell Westbrook was caught es in all sports increasing and on camera on Monday telling the fan experience from home a Utah Jazz fan that he would becoming so dynamic, the least physically harm him and his teams can do for the fans who wife. pay money and show up in per The video went viral son is make the environment at immediately, and people were the game as enjoyable as possiquick to blame Westbrook for ble. having a short fuse. If a fan becomes abusive, The fan, Shane Keisel, stuck vulgar and disrespectful, they around after the game to be in- should be removed immediateterviewed by reporters and to ly. Players who are close enough give his account of the story. should be able to to reach out to Keisel painted himself as an in- security and have a fan watched nocent, wide-eyed fan who was or ejected. harmlessly jawing back and Players are paid millions forth with Westbrook when he of dollars because they are outsnapped. standing at their given form of In less than 24 hours since entertainment. The notion that editorhisgive fanhave view of up with the incident, Sports Keisel deleted theythe should to put Twitter account after people crass and dehumanizing behavcurrent sports topics quickly began going through ior from fans because they are his archive and allegedly found rich and famous is ridiculous. racist and vulgar views being Fans should feel free to boo, expressed. jeer, and be able to say a guy Soon after that, the Utah stinks or is even a bum. Jazz organization finished a Dressing up, bringing crequick and definitive investiga- ative signs and t-shirts are all tion which found that Keisel wonderful ways for fans to inlied about the interaction and teract at a game. did, in fact, use disrespectful Hurling angry, derogatory and disgusting language to- comments towards players is wards Westbrook before he not only unacceptable, it’s obsnapped. noxious and sad. He has since been banned Just because fans paid their from the arena for life. money does not give them the This is the type of swift ac- right to act however they want, tion that needs to be happening because everyone else around more and more in arenas and them also paid their money and stadiums across the country. they didn’t do it to listen to the Buying a ticket does not Shane Keisel’s of the world act give anyone a right to be a jerk. like morons. They paid their It does not give a person the money to watch the Russell right to ruin the fan experience Westbrook’s of the world perfor everyone in their vicinity form.
The Cheap $eats
Page 12
March 14, 2019
Courtesy Photo
Brookelyn Larkin (left) led her team in almost every major offensive category, including points per game (19.8) and assists (97). She helped the Hawks improve drastically over last season, increasing their win total by eight and left her mark with Head Coach Coral Sage saying it will “be hard to really ever see another player like her come through our program.”
Point guard puts her stamp on school history By Summer Lomendehe slomendehe.connect@gmail.com Since joining the women’s basketball team, a student athlete has racked up over a thousand points as a point guard. Brookelyn Larkin, a sophomore point guard, has been on the women’s team for the past two years and has built up quite a reputation on the team despite her quiet exterior. “She’s just a different kind of player that you don’t normally see,” Head Coach Coral Sage said. “We kind of talk about it is as being a Haley’s comet.” Sage said Larkin’s ability to produce offensively and defensively is “rare” to find in a player. “She’s very unorthodox in the way she plays,” Sage said. “For Brookelyn, she can just play a full 40-minute game and she’s just gonna give you the same effort from the very beginning to the very end.” Larkin said her interest in basketball started in sixth grade, when her friend wanted to try out for their school’s basketball team but didn’t want to be the only one cut. Instead, Larkin made the team and said she has been playing basketball ever since.
“I feel like we kind of got to a point where midway through the season, we just sort of sat back and started to enjoy watching her play and doing the amazing things she was doing.” -- Head Coach Coral Sage “I thought it was more challenging than other sports,” Larkin said. Sophomore forward Mickey Dagler said Larkin is extremely confident as a player. Sage said Larkin leads by example, saying that she simply shows up, does what she’s supposed to do and then leaves. Despite her quiet personality, she said it doesn’t hinder Larkin’s performance at all. “It probably made it harder for my teammates,” Larkin said. “Basketball requires a lot of communication.” Larkin said her motivation as a college athlete comes from her desire to do better for her teammates. Freshman forward Kiki Jones said she does a lot of “crazy moves” that makes it hard for her to guard.
“She’s just really fun to watch,” Sage said. “I feel like we kind of got to a point where midway through the season, we just sort of sat back and started to enjoy watching her play and doing the amazing things she was doing.” Sage said the point guard has scored 1,008 points in regular-season games within the past two years. Since the Hawks did not make it to the play-offs this year, she said they’re not counting the points she could have scored in those games. “She really did an amazing thing in a compact amount of time,” Sage said. Sage said she does her job in the classroom, too, further saying she has a 3.8 GPA. Additionally, Sage said she was named Hawk of the Week three times and was also voted All-Conference, Academic-All-Conference and Academic-All-State. Sage further said she was selected to play in the Sophomore Showcase, where all the top sophomore players in the state get to play at the end of the season. She also said Larkin is probably one of the highest-scoring point guards in the state,
if not the highest-scoring point guard in the state. “It’s gonna be hard to replace Brookelyn,” Sage said. “It’s gonna be hard to really ever see another player like her come through our program, at least in the time that I’m here.”
Larkin 2018-19 Statistics Total games played: 25 Points per game: 19.8 Field goal %: 36.3 Free throw %: 75.8 Rebounds per game: 5.0 Assists per game: 2.44 Blocks: 7.0 Hawk of the Week three times Voted All-Conference Voted Academic All-Conference Voted Academic All-State