Issue 2 Volume 54

thecurrent the student newspaper of green river college

October 30, 2019

www.thegrcurrent.com

issue 2 volume 54

Fight for Freedom in Hong Kong pg. 10 Studio Incendo

2 October 30, 2019

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Halloween Party Gets Students in The Spooky Spirit By: Macie Jean Staff Writer

The International Student Ambassadors hosted the annual Green River College Halloween Party from 8 to 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 2019.

Activities provided for those in attendance included a dance party, a magic show, a photo booth, and a costume contest. There were many creative costumes dawned by the students and staff, from silly and cute to intricate and scary.

The winner of the contest was Audrey Lee Hang Yee, 16, a Running Start student, who was dressed as a dinosaur. At the beginning of the party, Craig Martin performed a magic show and continued to do card tricks and other slights-of-hand on and off throughout the night.

For snacks, the ambassadors chose a wide variety of finger food so that no matter the dietary restrictions, everyone in attendance would have something to eat.

Among the other exciting activities for students to participate in, the loudest attraction was the dance floor. The music and lights have been provided for the last three years for both the Halloween party and the Lunar New Year’s Eve party by Digital Hitz, founded by Brian Boyd, 46, an entrepreneur.

In past years, the playlists have

contained more Korean Pop since that was what was on the pre-submitted music request list.

This year, the international student ambassadors submitted more mainstream pop and hip-hop, since they wanted music that was just as familiar to foreign students as it was to the locals at the college.

“Building a great playlist is really important,” Boyd said. “We do a lot of proms and homecomings, and when doing events for high school and college aged kids, you need to know the current music. We basically just prepare by making sure we’ve got all the current hits.”

He continued to explain that while they prepare a playlist unique to every event, Boyd and his crew also take requests so they can cater to the experience of each individual in the audience.

Since Green River College is so diverse in race and culture, students will tend to request music from a wide variety of influences.

“It really is challenging,” Boyd said, “because the deejays have to balance it all together and come up with the right mixture of songs, and that’s the job of the deejay is to incorporate and get the dance going. That’s a big part of deejaying.

Just reading the crowd.”

Sandra Bravo-Rodriguez, 19, a student ambassador from Venezuela, said that plans for the party began in summer quarter by the

previous student ambassadors.

When the new student ambassadors arrived in the fall quarter, the planning continued with the finalization of dinner plans, contracts, and the schedule for the night.

There are six international student ambassadors at Green River College, and they are involved across campus year-round.

“We all have the same position,” said Bravo-Rodriguez. “We plan events outside of campus for students, like concerts, retreats, hikes... We do two major events a year, the Halloween party and the Lunar New Year’s Eve party.”

She said that one of the reasons they put so much work into the Halloween party is to give international students the opportunity to experience this American tradition.

“When you’re outside of this country, you always hear about Halloween, and how [to] celebrate it,” said Bravo-Rodriguez.

“We want to give this experience to international students so they can [know what it’s like] to celebrate Halloween.”

The resources for all the events run by the international student ambassadors comes from the international programs, but the events themselves are available to all Green River students.

“Everybody is welcome to enjoy our events,” said Bravo-Rodriguez.

“It’s not only for international students, it’s for everybody; we would be more than happy to see every student of Green River interacting and getting to know each other.”

Events on campus are a great way to form bonds with peers and relieve the day to day stress of being a college student.

So remain in the Halloween spirit by sharing the tricks, treats, and scares of Halloween night with friends, peers and family alike.

Stay spooky Gators.

It is election season, and on November 5, voters will cast their ballots to decide on issues that will affect the state, county, and city levels.

Such things on the ballot that voters will decide on are propositions and initiatives, with positions from the local city council to higher up positions like the mayor. Local general and special elections are important, even if it might not seem like it at first glance.

Here is a quick look at some items on the ballot this election that will be important to keep in mind while voting.

The position of Director of Elections is on the ballot this year, and the incumbent Julie Wise is getting prepared to run for re-election against Mark Greene.

“As Director of Elections my job is to help people have a say in the most important issues facing their community,” said Wise, who is a graduate from Green River College.

“The Director of Elections is responsible for protecting one of the most sacred institutions in this county, the right for people to have a voice in their government and on the most important issues facing their community,” she added.

On the Auburn City Council the Positions One, Three, Five, and Seven are all up for grabs this election season. The Auburn City Council approves commercial and residential utility fees which would, in turn, affect Green River College’s spending. Such utility fees would be a cost on water usage, garbage collection, stormwater, and sewage.

Depending on who gets elected to the Auburn City Council, it is possible that the utility rates over the next few years could either go up or down. In addition, the cities of Black Diamond, Covington, Kent, Maple Valley, and Renton

thecurrent Green River College 12401 SE 320th St., Mailstop: SU Auburn, WA 98092-3699 NEWSROOM DIRECT LINE 253-288-3457 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dakota Farnsworth thecurrent.EditorinChief@ mail.greenriver.edu 253-508-2555 ext. 2375 MANAGING EDITOR ONLINE MANAGER Taylor Robertson thecurrent.SocialMediaManager@ mail.greenriver.edu CAMPUS EDITOR Connor O’Boyle thecurrent.Campus@ mail.greenriver.edu A&E EDITOR Amy Carpenter thecurrent.AE@mail.greenriver.edu OPINION EDITOR Maddie Farnsworth thecurrent.Opinion@mail. greenriver.edu

Macie Jean | The Current

Students enjoy music and snacks at Green River College’s Halloween Party.

Voters prepare for the Upcoming Election on November 5 By: Connor Upton Staff Writer

Connor O’Boyle | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

will all have available City Council positions on the ballot.

Initiative Measure No. 976 would limit the annual car-tab fee in the state to only $30, while also taking away the authority to impose specific vehicle-related fees and taxes.

Opponents of this initiative say it would take away critical funding for infrastructure and road improvements, while supporters say the current high cost of car tabs needs to be set to an affordable price.

Advisory Vote No. 27 is a vote to keep the Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5993 that implements a tax on petroleum products and

other hazardous substances. In the first ten years of being in place, the bill would raise around $2.7 billion in taxes for the state.

This bill has already been initiated by the legislators; the advisory vote is a public referendum used to find out if the bill is supported by the American people.

Even if the voters decide that the bill should be repealed, the legislature could disregard the vote and keep the taxes in place. It is important that all citizens who can vote do so, especially in local elections where small issues lead to big impacts on their community.

SPORTS EDITOR Efrain Pardo thecurrent.Sports@mail.greenriver. edu PHOTOGRAPHER Rakesh Kommanagunta mkommanagumta2@mail. greenriver.edu LAYOUT EDITOR Dee Senaga thecurrent.PageLayout@mail. greenriver.edu GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elsa Finkbeiner efinkbeiner@mail.greenriver.edu STAFF WRITERS:

Abdi Sidali, Chris Sundet, Connor Upton, Emelia Songras-Rosales, Gianna Aubin Pinti, Halley Swindle, Jadelyn Castro, Jessi Zamorano-Saucedo, Kamea Primacio, Kylee McManus, Lance Simons, Macie Jean Walker, Marian Mohamed, Romeo Buckley, Samantha Olguin, Tatiana Vila-Ferreri, Taylor Bailey, Valentin Dreher

Corrections

If you find a factual error or simply a name spelled The author of “Initiative incorrectly, to please Decrease Taxesus onat: Car contact Tabs” in issue 1, vol.

54 is - editor@thegrcurrent.com Gianna Aubin-Pinti.

- 253-288-3457 Emelia Songras-Rosales’s - or find us OEB 17 name is spelled with an E, not an A.

Connor Upton| The Current

Voter filling out their ballot for the upcoming 2019 election taking place on November 5th.

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Connor O’Boyle| Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

3 October 30, 2019

Rise of Energy Drinks Keeps Students Alert With Health Risks

Jorge Franganillo | Flickr.com

Various drinks set up on a table.

By: Jadelyn Castro Staff Writer Energy drinks are a popular coping method for the stressful college environment. However, the beverage’s high caffeine and sugar content can lead to significant health risks.

The energy drink industry has been rapidly growing and new brands are on the rise. There is Monster, Rockstar, Red Bull, NOS, 5-hour energy, and Bang. One may also consider coffee an energy drink. Energy drinks typically come in 16 oz cans similar to a can of soda, or in a two oz shot bottle like 5-hour energy.

Companies advertise their drinks to be healthy, provide energy, and enhance performance, but what they fail to showcase is the immense amounts of sugar in the product which can lead to health risks. Most energy drinks are composed of ingredients such as sugar, amino acid derivatives, vitamins, herbal extracts, and caffeine.

All energy drinks contain a generous amount of caffeine, but this can vary depending on the brand. A regular can of Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, while a 16 oz monster contains 142 mg and for comparison, a can of Rockstar contains 160 mg. Although they are both equal in size (16 oz) the Rockstar brand has 18 more mg of caffeine than the Monster brand.

5-hour energy, on the other hand, is only 1.93 oz but contains 200 mg of caffeine in it.

In terms of sugar content, a regular can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar while a 16 oz can of monster contains roughly 54. This

amount alone is far above our recommended daily sugar intake and could be dangerous for someone with diabetes.

The consumption of energy drinks also contributes to heart disease.

According to Healthline.com, over 20,000 trips to the emergency room have been tied to energy drink intake every year in the U.S. alone.

Abyan Ahmed, 16, a full time running start student here at Green River College, recently got into drinking Red Bull drinks with added syrups and cream from coffee shops. Ahmed says she has been consuming infused Red Bulls the whole week and loving every energized minute of it.

While browsing the internet, however, Ahmed came across a YouTube video regarding the negative effects Red Bull has on the human body. “Yesterday I was searching up different flavors [on YouTube] so I can try new ones and a video [came up] about what it does to your body… I watched it but I mean I’m

Climate Change Activism at GRC By: Emilia Songras-Rosales Staff Writer Climate change activism has grown significantly throughout the decades due to the overwhelming evidence that supports its devastating effects on the planet.

Gene McCaul, a natural resources professor at Green River College, is a firm believer in climate change, who specializes in teaching students how to conserve natural resources.

“I think it’s raising awareness, if you will, I struggle with it being an effective means of accomplishing change [since] much of it seems directed at the big corporate business and wanting them to do things [differently], and yet to me it’s probably more about us as individuals changing our habits that would make a big difference,” McCaul said.

Although McCaul doesn’t practice activism himself, he enjoys sharing his knowledge of climate change by teaching, speaking, and changing his own habits to reduce his carbon footprint.

“I’ve never been much for being an activist or confronting people you know I work more one on one with people in these kind of discussions and doing and making changes in my own life,” McCaul said.

Climate change is the effects that greenhouse gases have on earth’s climate. The greenhouse gases are gases that have entered the atmosphere and trap heat within it. This trapped heat is used to warm the earth, and without them, the planet would experience a global ice age.

Because of humanity’s overproduction of carbon dioxide emissions ever since the rise of the industrial age, greenhouse gases rise the temperature of the earth at an alarming rate. The warmer temperatures cause the polar ice caps to melt and the sea level to rise, which consequently makes the continents sink, negatively affecting the inhabitants.

According to the National Assessment Synthesis team, during the 20th century alone, the U.S. had experienced an increase

Wikimedia Commons

in average yearly temperature by about one degree Farenheight and precipitation by five to 10 percent. This causes natural ecosystems to become stressed or disappear entirely.

Movements to slow down climate change have grown in recent years. One of the key leaders in starting climate activism was Margaret Thatcher, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom.

In 1988, Thatcher gave a speech to the UK’s national academy of science about climate change. In January of 1989, Time magazine released an issue called planet of the year replacing their iconic person of the year.

On the political side of things, there have been green parties who began to be created in the early 1980s and still exist today in Germany, the U.S, and in other countries as well.

Green Peace, a U.S.-based organization, has a mission to investigate, bring people together, and act to help stop climate change. There is also the King County climate action team who plans to plant 1 million trees, cut down carbon dioxide emissions, and work with the community to create a clean energy future.

Most recently there has been a strong movement among newer generations for cleaner future, with famous activist Greta Thunberg, who began the school strike for climate change.

So, no matter where a professor may stand on climate change activism, it will continue to thrive and grow through the coming years as the effects of climate change become more devastating by the decade.

not drinking red bull by itself and it’s infused with other things so I think it’s okay,” said Ahmed.

Ahmed believes that if she consumed Red Bull alone without extra add-ins then it would have an effect on her body, but with the add ins, it won’t. Ahmed claims the drink doesn’t provide her with energy but provides satisfaction with its taste.

Emma Drofyak, 16, a full time Running Start student, consumes red bull Italian sodas every couple days, but not on a daily basis to the point where it becomes unhealthy.

“I usually get it because it tastes good,” Drofyak said. Drofyak says she enjoys the drink for its taste and because it provides her with the caffeine boost to get through the whole day.

Teenagers make up a large portion of energy drink consumers. Although drink labels have recommendations and age restrictions listed directly on them, it is not getting the point across to the teens.

In 2011, the American Academy of

Pediatrics stated that energy drinks are not to be consumed by children and teens whatsoever. If those standards are not met, then the fixation is that teens should not consume over 100 mg of caffeine regularly.

Having energy drinks on occasion is perfectly fine and will not cause much more harm than the average cup of coffee. However, overconsumption can lead to health risks and possibly hospitalization if the intake is not properly monitored.

Elsa Finkbeiner | The Current

The Tutoring Center Helps Students Succeed By: Kylee Mcmanus Staff Writer Both the testing and tutoring center at Green River College are two resources that can help students find success in their studies and academic future.

The Tutoring and Resource Center is located on the second floor of the Holman Library. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition, there is a computer lab available for students to use whenever it is not being occupied by another class for library research instruction.

Kathi Anderson-Marshall, the program manager of the center, said that the center was created as a “retention piece to help students persist in completing their degree.”

There is tutoring available for every course at the center with the exclusion of math, proficiency in reading and writing, and presentation skills. Students can visit the Math Center, Writing and Reading Center, and Public Speaking Center for tutoring in these kinds of subjects.

Anderson-Marshall shared that the tutors are students who have successfully completed the course and had been recommended by the faculty in charge of the subjects they wish to tutor. There are tutors who volunteer in their free time as well as tutors who are parttime employees of Green River College.

The Testing Center is located on the bottom floor of the Student Affairs and Success Center in room 148. It is open, even during construction, on Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Testing Center is a “large part of placement for students” where they can be “assessed in their math and English skills for placement into their classes”, said Sarah Postel, director of violence prevention and student testing at the college.

She also shared that any instructors can have their tests proctored in the center, and students can take accommodation and makeup exams there as well.

The success of students in attaining their degree is very important, which is why it is so important to reach out for help and take advantage of the different resources offered at Green River College.

“We want students to succeed and attain their goals, said Anderson-Marshall.

Putting time into studying can help students perform better in the classroom and on exams. Balancing extracurriculars with academics and creating good time management skills can help students become successful in their studies as well as their future career.

The Tutoring and Resource Center has many informative pamphlets on study skills, test-taking tips, and additional strategies that are free for students to take home. Using the resources that are available there can help students curate plans to perform better on tests at the Testing Center.

“Coming hydrated, eating something recently, and getting a good night’s sleep can help students focus while taking tests,” Postel said. “There can be a lot of students testing at once, which can be distracting.”

The Testing Center administered 22,647 tests in the 2018-2019 year, according to Postel, while Anderson-Marshall shared that the Tutoring and Resource Center had around 12,000 visits in the same time period.

Students can find additional information on the various resources intended for academic success on campus by visiting the Green River College website and selecting the academics section.

Rakesh Kommanaguta | The Current

Students prepare for upcoming exams.

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October 30, 2019

Campus Crime Blotter Campus Safety responded to the following incidents from October 15 to October 22 among others.

All information is from Campus Safety incident reports.

10/15/19 2:45 a.m.

Campus Corner Trespass

A staff member reported an unknown female sleeping in an apartment in Campus Corner Apartments. Occurred in Campus Corner Apartments.

10/15/19 12:03 p.m.

P.E. Building Theft.

A staff member reported stereo equipment taken from Physical Education building. Occurred in Physical Education building.

10/16/19 2:00 p.m.

Parking Lot 14.

Theft.

10/17/19 2:06 p.m.

Holman Library.

Theft.

10/18/19 12:33 p.m. Holman Library.

Vandalism.

10/18/19 8:30 a.m.

Holman Library.

Theft.

10/19/19 12:50 a.m.

Campus Corner.

Underage Drinking.

10/19/19 10:40 p.m.

Campus Corner.

Underage Drinking.

10/19/19 11:00 p.m.

SU. Tespass.

10/21/19 9:00 p.m.

Trades Building Assault.

A student reported her vehicle was hit while parked lot 14.

A student reported his backpack taken from the Holman Library.

Facilities reported vandalism in the Holman Library.

Vapes Banned Due to Severe Injuries By: Samantha Olguin Staff Writer

Vape users have been left outraged after a flavored vape ban was passed due to several teenager’s hospitalizations that were tied to the use of flavored vape brands.

The ban prevents the use of almost all of flavored nicotine and THC products including the e-cigarette giant, Juul labs. According to CNN there have been roughly 805 lung Injuries across the states this year alone.

Thirteen people, seven of them teenagers, have died from a lung illness tied to vaping and its effects. This ban was put into place in order to prevent further casualties or any other harm caused by flavored vapes and products with any similar content.

Adults who do use vape products at the legal age of 21 and up are upset about the ban, blaming teenagers who they claim are too young to properly monitor their use of vape products.

“Juul products have helped me stay off cigarettes, and I personally do like the flavored kind but now because of teenagers and youth I don’t have that option anymore,” said Elizabeth Procter, 38, who is a frequent e-cigarette user.

Companies that produce flavored nicotine and THC products also took a hit when this ban was put into place on Oct. 9. The vaping industry was caught off guard by this ban as they are now prohibited to sell any flavored nicotine or THC products, which could cause million dollar losses for these companies and

11 underage students found drinking at Campus Corner Apartments.

Six underage students found drinking at Campus Corner Apartments

A non-student was trespassed from campus north of Student Union.

A staff member reported a non-student for harassing students at Trades Building.

10/22/19 1:12 p.m.

Campus Corner Auto Accident.

Two (2) students were involved in an auto accident in parking lot 12.

10/22/19 5:00 p.m.

SA. Fire Alarm.

A possible system surge set off the fire alam in Student Affairs.

Occurred in Student Affairs.

could potentially put small businesses at risk.

In Washington, this executive order on banning flavored vape products is set to last 120 days, but Governor Jay Inslee hopes to make this ban permanent for the upcoming 2020 legislation.

It is common knowledge that teens use flavored nicotine and THC products, despite the age restriction being 21. With the lack of a fully formed frontal lobe, vape users at a young age can tend to use vape products without performing the necessary precautions that come with it.

The ban is not only impacting the stores and companies relying on its success in profit, but it also is affecting those who quit smoking and rely on vape products to change their addiction for the better.

On the bright side, keeping vape products off store shelves could encourage teens and adults alike to avoid both nicotine and vape products altogether. Both of which have proven to be harmful to the human body, just in different ways.

Rakesh Kommanaguta | The Current

Student vaping on campus grounds.

Community Classes Prepare Students By: Halley Swindle Staff Writer

A student reported his backpack was taken from the second floor of the Holman Library.

Connor O’Boyle | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

Learning community classes are two hour, ten credit classes that combine the work of two separate courses.

Marcie Sims, a community class professor at Green River College, believes that these classes create a faster pace environment, long lasting connections, and prepare students for higher level courses.

Dez Everett, a new GRC student who is currently taking a community English 101/ English 220 class, said that the class has enhanced her understanding of the course and improved her social life.

“Since you’re with a small group of around 25 students, you get so close to people in such a short amount of time and work together easily,” Everett said.

She added that this classroom environment has made her adjustment into college a lot easier and that she would recommend these classes to anyone.

Nolan Hamel, another Green River student, also agrees that learning community classes create stronger bonds between students.

“I used to struggle with ELA,” Hamel said, “but with learning community classes and the help of Ms. Sims I am absorbing all the information [with ease].”

Overall, Hamel could not be more grateful for the opportunity to take such an inspiring and academically challenging college course.

Ben Holland, a student taking his second quarter at the college, signed up for his community class by accident.

“It was the only English 101 class left so I registered before I realized I was signing up for two classes in one,” Holland said. “We

have a lot more time in class to discuss and get work done so not only does that make the work go smoothly but also allows for better understanding of the material.”

Liam Connor, an upperclassman and student athlete at the college, said that he could see the direct impact a learning community class has in the success of even more difficult classes.

“I already knew how to do a majority of the skills,” Connor said. “I felt like I was ahead of some of my other classmates because I was more prepared.”

In addition to seeing a positive impact on his future classes, he recalled how the environment of the classroom made his experience more positive.

“We were all in this together, [and] when you’re in a classroom together everyday for two hours you automatically spend more time together and make deeper bonds,” Connor said.

Signing up for community classes are a great way to make friends, get a lot of credits, and learn how to balance an intimidating work load. Keep this in mind when signing up for winter quarter this November.

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Students sit and discuss class material.

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Connor O’Boyle | Campus Editor campus@thegrcurrent.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

5 October 30, 2019

Completing Fafsa Leaves Students With an Overwhelming Work Load By: Marian Mohamed Staff Writer

Students have struggled to balance completing the FAFSA with other academic and work related responsibilities ever since its opening on Oct. 1.

Oct. 1 is the day that The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) opened up for all students to apply in order to help pay their college tuition.

All that is required to apply is to fill out a form with the student’s tax and financial information and send it in to the financial aid office.

However, some students find this to be a much more difficult process than it seems.

For Lisa Ha, a Kent-Meridian High School senior, there were many factors involved in completing FAFSA that gave her some stressful nights. Ha was able to finish her requirements for FAFSA two weeks after it opened, which is uncommon compared to most of her peers. Despite finishing it earlier than others, she still had some obstacles to overcome.

“I kind of just went with it and [was] not sure what was going to be on there besides the financial stuff.

The most difficult part of it was the taxes,” Ha said.

For high school seniors like Ha, filling out FAFSA forms can be a lonesome and difficult task, as her parents worked late hours. Ha explained how her mom works at night and the only time she could catch her to ask questions was before she went off to work or before Ha would get ready for school.

“On a normal day from 8:30 to 9:30 is the [only] period when I can reach her. Usually, I’m tired before then. So, throughout that week I’ve just been staying up at night when she woke up so I can do my FAFSA while asking her the questions [about it],” Ha said.

Ha is not the only student with this problem. Daliyah Garcia is a first-year student at Green River College. She explained the stress she had to go through in finding the taxes needed to complete the FAFSA form. Garcia recalled how difficult it was for her mom to

find their family’s tax information, which was a requirement for the form. On top of all her schoolwork, completing college essays, and finding scholarships, FAFSA proved to add even more stress to her already busy schedule.

“I believe I should’ve been more prepared filling it out because [me] and my family had no idea what we were doing or what the requirements were. I had to find my family’s taxes and we were very broke so we didn’t have the paperwork yet or could find it at all,” Garcia said.

Both Ha and Garcia struggled in sitting down with their parents and filling out the FAFSA. If given the chance to advise people who would fill out the FAFSA, Ha said how making it a priority to fill the FAFSA within the first week or even the day it opens is really helpful. Garcia gave similar advice.

“Do not procrastinate and talk to your family as soon as possible,” Garcia said.

There are resources out there for both high school seniors and college students to help with financial

Volunteer Fair offers Diverse Opportunities By: Valentin Dreher Staff Writer

The Green River Volunteer Fair will give students a wide variety of opportunities to apply for volunteer positions.

The fair will take place at 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union on Nov. 7.

“The purpose of the Volunteer Fair is to help students find volunteer opportunities that match their passions,” said Robin Dinh, International Student Ambassador, who is in charge of the fair. “Thereby, they can affect positive change in the local community.”

He expects around 100 students and 12 organizations to take part in the event. The organizations are active in a variety of fields, most of them focusing on healthcare, social work, and community support.

One of them is Multicare, an organization that maintains numerous regional hospitals in King County. Jaime Garcia is responsible for 140 volunteers in South King County. He believes that working with Multicare can get student volunteers ahead in life by gaining essential lab skills and experience in the health care scene. Garcia sees volunteers as a vital part of his organization. “We enter into a partnership between staff and volunteers to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient,” he said.

Volunteer coordinator Jeffrey Gustaveson, who works with Casa Latina, believes that volunteer work is also a great way to learn more about social issues affecting members of the community. His working rights organization helps Latino immigrants to find jobs and become leaders in their community.

For that, he relies on the help of local volunteers. “Half of our 300 volunteers are college students,” said Gustaveson. “Most of them have learned about social justice in class and decide to take action,” he added.

He says that working with this organization helps students understand the struggles immigrants are facing and also helps them get in contact with Latino cultures. Both

Garcia and Gustaveson agree that the most significant takeaway from volunteering is to learn how to work in a team.

“Volunteer work is all about long-term commitment, starting with showing up and being on time,” said Gustaveson. Garcia adds that the business world can be very different from what students know from college.

“As a volunteer, you learn that people depend on you. This is especially valuable because most future jobs will be teamwork,” Garcia warned.

The Volunteer Fair will also feature opportunities apart from common volunteer positions. For example, the Auburn Symphony Orchestra is looking for volunteers that are interested in the arts. The professional orchestra is looking for ushers and administrative office help.

“Careers in arts have a lot to offer,” said Rachel Perry, the orchestra’s press spokesperson. “With these volunteer positions, we want to enable students to acquire customer service skills and take a look at the administrative side of an arts organization,” said Perry. The volunteers can attend the orchestra’s concerts for free.

The Volunteer fair will not only help students network with the leaders of non-profits in the area, but will also encourage them to discover the many unique ways they can give back to their community.

Valentin Dreher | The Current

Picture of an empty Gator Hall, Student Union.

aid. Kent-Meridian High School hosts FAFSA nights where students can come with their parents and find the help they need in complet-

ing the process. Green River College also has a financial aid office that can help students with FAFSA and other aid related questions.

Rakesh Kommanaguta | The Current

Student works on a laptop to get his FAFSA paper work in on time.

Students and Staff Prepare For Cold Weather

Taylor Bailey | The Current

Leaves show the frost of early morning.

By: Chris Sundet Staff Writer Students are wearing more layers, hats, thicker jackets, and bundling up inside as temperatures get colder by the month.

Logan McMurray, a 16-year-old part-time Running Start student here at Green River College and junior and Kentwood High School, discussed the differences and challenges he faces every morning before he goes to class. McMurray is at Green River all week at about 7 a.m., but the cold forces him to get up even earlier.

“Well, I’m definitely wearing some heavier coats, and I’ve been wearing hats more often and just like doing stuff to stay warm,” McMurray said. “Also, whenever I wake up in the morning my car is always frozen over so I got to put the defrosters on or scrape the car off, [so I] usually have to wake up a little earlier to make sure I can get everything ready.”

Ethan Rogers, a 16-year-old, is also a Running Start student and a junior at Auburn Mountainview High School. Rogers faces some difficulty now that the weather is becoming wetter and colder.

“I’m starting to wear thicker coats, more frequently wear long sleeves, especially on the coldest days. I always make sure to stay dry because being wet in cold weather is not a fun time and something that can easily be avoided with a couple of steps to be prepared,” Rogers said.

“I always wear sneakers but try to avoid

wearing mesh shoes because they get wet too easily,” he added. Rogers takes his first class at Green River at 12 p.m. but still faces some difficulties with the weather when you drives home in the afternoon.

Aman Khera is an 18-year-old full-time student here at Green River. Khera deals with similar challenges as McMurray since he has early classes as well. “I’ve been wearing sweatshirts and heavier clothes. [I’ve] Also been leaving my home earlier so my car can defrost, [and] been checking the weather so I know what to expect.” Khera said.

There seems to be a consistency on campus with layering up as the weather gets colder in our transition from fall to winter. With that being said, remember to dress warm and stay dry this season.

Rakesh Kommanaguta | The Current

Student dressed appropriately for the weather.

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Amy Carpenter | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.com www.thegrcurrent.com

October 30, 2019

By: Tatiana Vila-Ferreri Staff Writer

Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime…”

Martin says. Disney+ will now have what other streaming services will not, the ability to stream all of Disney's successful The Walt Disney Company has recently entertainment property. announced its new streaming service, Disney+ is clearly making a play to be the Disney+, that will contain a huge portion most popular streaming service. It will surely of the company's growing list of content. have something for every Disney fanatic.

In April of 2019, Disney announced the From the old princess classics, to the current streaming service that will have many shows flashier live action movies that have become and movies that fans want from the service. hugely popular over the last several years.

It has both new and old Disney content This means that the classic Disney movies that fans are very excited for. High School will be accompanied by the new Marvel Musical, Lizzie McGuire, and The Proud movies, the Star Wars movies, Pixar movies, Family are just some of the older shows that and other popular films and TV shows. are going to be available for nostalgia binges “I really love a lot of the classic Disney from all over the world. movies,” Olivia Cowley, another Green River Christina Paavola, a former Green River College student says. “You College student, is one can’t really stream them of many excited for what anywhere, so I’d hope to will come with the new “As a kid who grew up on Disney see those on there.” All the Disney streaming service. shows and movies, I’m excited to classics and more will be “I was super excited see a platform where I can watch available to stream. to see that Disney was Disney+ offers its own all of them.” going to have a streaming - Calvin Martin way to reliving the childish service with all of their wonder and memories that movies,” Paavola says. accompany so many of its Disney+ is not the only beloved characters and streaming service that animation, proving itself to be an inevitable wants to break into this market. Many major link to accessing the nostalgia of childhood. companies have jumped onto the trend, with “I would definitely use the streaming some notable examples including Apple TV service. As a kid who grew up on Disney and HBO Max. shows and movies, I'm excited to see a “Sooner or later all of these networks platform where I can watch all of them,” and companies are going to have their own Martin said about Disney+. streaming services,” said Calvin Martin, a Disney+ will be released Nov. 12 and will student here at Green River College. cost $7 a month for all the company’s shows “[Disney+ is] set to be the biggest and movies and is available for early sign ups. streaming service platform, overthrowing

Wikimedia Commons

Flickr The statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse outside of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World.

Green River College Presents its Fall Production of The Diary of Anne Frank By: Romeo Buckley Staff Writer On Nov. 22, Green River College is putting on its first performance of the fall play “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

In the play, The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne writes about her immediate family and the relationship that was developed with another family that was staying with them. These two families were hiding in the attic for two years during the Holocaust of World War II. The Holocaust is real and millions of Jewish people died because of hatred and religious differences. The Drama Director Robin Bowles said that he selected this play because some people don’t believe that the Holocaust existed and that it is made up and never actually happened.

Bowles believes that the play is a timely play and that the country is rewriting history with everything that is going on today. He feels that the youth should come see the play because they will be able to relate to the characters in the play.

Today’s youth are experiencing some of the same issues that Anne wrote about 70 years ago. For example, she wrote about love, anguish, isolation, fear, and loneliness. A person can be surrounded by their family or a community that loves and cares for them but can still feel lonely and isolated from other people. These emotions are still experienced by many teenagers today even though they are free to interact with the world in ways Anne could not.

Bowles believes that the theme of the play is life. He stated that life will change depending on circumstances since in life there are many different experiences that a person will go through. The actors will create the visual of how Anne felt in her writings and the audience will be able to feel the emotional state of Anne’s thoughts.

Young people will be able to assimilate the feeling that Anne wrote about 70 years ago. Bowles believes that The Diary of Anne Frank is true and the play will shed light on a very important piece of history because throughout Anne’s writings there are many examples of hatred and religious persecution she experienced.

The audience will be able to compare her experiences 70 years ago with what is happening today. The people and the religion that was targeted in Anne’s writings might differ today, but the negative impact is still comparable. Today there is a lot of people and religions that are being looked upon negatively just for their culture and religion.

Bowles believes that his greatest asset to a successful production of the play are the actors. The actor’s relationship; their ability to get along and teamwork help capture and command the audience attention will make the show a success. They have a complete understanding of Anne’s writings and will be able to project the feelings and emotions outlined in her diary.

The purpose of the play is to reinforce that the Holocaust did exist. Jewish people really died because of hatred and religious

persecution. Actors will be able to create a show that is reflective of her writings.

Young people will be able to assimilate the feeling that Anne wrote about seventy years ago. Times have changed but human

experiences and natural desires remain constant. Bowles believes that The Diary of Anne Frank is true and the play will shed light on a very important piece of history that has shaped society.

Dakota Farnsworth | The Current Picture of the poster for the fall production of The Diary of Anne Frank at Green River College

Amy Carpenter | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.com www.thegrcurrent.com

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thecurrent

7 October 30, 2019

Briana Austin Shares Her Lifelong Passions in Photography and Fashion

Briana Austin A photo of the Photographer Briana Austin

By: Lance Simons Staff Writer Briana Austin, 20, is an art student here at Green River and shows great interest in photography and fashion.

Austin is not yet sure which path she will decide to take here at Green River but with her interest in art, fashion, and photography, she is confident she will follow some form.

Ever since she was young Austin had always enjoyed art and fashion. She discovered her love for art when she noticed that as she got older and progressed through elementary school that everyone had stopped drawing.

She didn’t want to let that go which further encouraged that she should continue with her passion for art.

“My mom helped me find a good way to express what I couldn’t put in words, into

art,” Austin said. As encouraged by her mother, art and fashion continued to interest her more and more as she grew up.

She knew from a young age that this interest would help create who she is today and that she would continue with her passion. Austin continued to sketch and draw while she was in high school.

What really took her interest was sketching and drawing on computers. There she could express her ideas on a whole new platform with endless options.

“My mom had really helped me explore new mediums of art,” Austin said. It was around this same time that she took a class about black and white photography. Austin explains how this class was new and different for her because when she was younger her art had a close relationship with color.

Black and white photography helped her take a new and different perspective on surroundings rather than medium. At some point in her academic career she took a photography course as a required class.

“The class had really evolved and formed into something that I really ended up loving,” Austin said. “I never wanted to leave the classroom.” She explains that without her teachers she wouldn’t have found her interest in photography. They helped open up new doors for her and her future.

“Photography for me is a window into the mind and it makes it easier to see uniqueness in a subject that may appear repetitive to others,” Austin said.

When it came time for Austin to make decisions for her future she intended to go to school at the University of Washington.

However, she realized that they did not have the fashion program she desired. This made Green River a better fit for her career path.

This realization forced her to make some difficult decisions, but she is glad to be enrolled at Green River College because of all the programs that the college offers.

Austin has also put time into learning Spanish, French, Japanese, and Italian on her own time. “I focus on languages because in the future it could help me with a degree and finding a career,” Austin said.

She has relied on her passion since she was young to help her determine both her career path and what classes she should take at Green River College to help her in all of her future endeavors.

Briana Austin

Briana Austin

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Amy Carpenter | A&E Editor thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.com www.thegrcurrent.com

submission

October 30, 2019

Frame Encased TheThe Frame Encased ‘Twas a simple commission that changed my perception of death in its many luminous corners. ‘Twas a simple commission and nothing more. I was hired by the acolyte’s father, who had a fancy of my previous work.

I was to point the camera in the direction of the altar from the church balcony. I was to record from the marked position and not stop no matter what may have occurred. I did not know her who fell to expiry. I only recorded the occurrence. Her entrance within the frame was not of my accord, and neither was her death.

I placed the key within the rusted lock hastily whilst the fire of December grew o’er in a white tempestuous frost. I poured my numb flesh through the crack of the open door and shut it without care. The sounds echoed the architecture. No one responded; no one was there. The ceiling stretched as high as the heaven it worships, yet there were no crevices.

No small vestibules in which someone could hide, no windows capable of being opened without stained glass accumulating to finite shards of azul and crimson ‘cross the cold stone floor. I carried my equipment up a spiral staircase, my steps swallowed in the acoustics.

I arrived at the top and detached the legs of my tripod in the middle of the balcony. I placed it still on the points stretched across the stone floor marked by my employer. I fiddled with my instruments for a while, then it was time to record. Light struck the individual frames and picked up pace as I cranked faster. No motion was received for the first twenty minutes; my inherent dispositions wasted with each copied image of the golden altar.

20 minutes had past before she stumbled from the bottom of the viewfinder. I saw her preceding any semblance of a noise; the door remained shut and the windows fully in tact.

It would be impossible for a human being to arrive so abruptly, for there was not even the shortest crevice to fit and breathe within. My heart swept rotunda the moment I recalled her apparitional appearance: her skin was seemingly transparent, and shined as if it were a type of mineral. The wind became colder the moment she stumbled into frame.

I clenched my bosom out of sheer instinctual measure. She began to speak in wild tongues

By Connor O’Boyle

of a peccant whore; her entirely inhuman body gradually overbrimming ‘cross the aisle. She wore a torn peasant dress and hair as golden as the altar she approached.

with her clear body stretched along the peak of the altar. I walked timidly along the aisle, still cranking slowly to the rhythm of a fresh draft within the air. A fresh draft without a source.

Everything from her wild chants, her firelike aura, her shining bijoux swaying ‘cross her alabaster neck, the painful temptation to know and touch her hidden face -- all of these burning gems of sweet lust existed out of reach, but I knew I must keep at my post ‘till the reel rang exposed. She began to roar and wail, still yet to feel known of my presence.

I continued to shuffle the crank, round droplets of sweat peering o’er my grimaced countenance. I choked underneath my own breath and winced at the sound of my beating heart.

Still and prostrate she did lay at the peak of the altar; not a sound but the tattering of the film within my camera, and my seldom pressed steps along the stone floor. I finally decided to speak to her, though I had no prediction of what was to follow. “Mis…..” I whispered. The only response I received was the draft becoming ever so slightly more. I approached kindly with the intention to assist, yet again the draft became ever so more and ever so colder the closer I became. “Mis… Whatever have you done? Why must god hear your plea?” I asked, my voice shivering over a subtle frost rising the closer I became to the golden-haired maiden. “We all know god responds with occurrences rather than words, don’t you know this madame?” I asked, now hovering over her motionless exterior.

I reached to feel her pate: to finally see the curiously translucent face that held these golden locks, but something wrested me from the act. A kind of hoarfrost not as the cold before. Her radiating temperature burned as a freezing flame. I stumbled back several paces, and down the altar’s steps. I landed upright in the middle of the aisle on my back, still cranking the camera as before: the church’s ceiling now growing a frosted encasement. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the floor burned the more I struggled. My back became stuck, and snow began to inexplicably fall from the ceiling; stuck to my shaking skin.

Her shrieks became so overbearing that she couldn’t hear my instruments catching her ambiguous form. She began to exclaim to god as if mad that he never responded. She stumbled hastily below the sconces burning a warm incense above the altar, and onto the stairs preceding it. She continued to wail and hobbled up the short stone steps with whatever was left of her strength to push upward. I cranked faster with hope that the roll would soon be finished so that I could attend to this young maiden’s plea, but I was here to make a solitary penny and nothing more. I had never seen death before this day; I had never recorded death before this day.

What was about to happen proceeding my soliloquy of sorts was completely autonomous of my own control. A sudden impetus broke within: I picked up the camera, swung it over my galvanized shoulders, and raced down the spiral steps. I still recorded every slide of my descent, an aimless descent to attend the brooding orisons that came out her glowing soul and swallowed o’er the ever-growing cold of the chapel’s acoustics.

I arrived at the bottom step of the spiral staircase, the maiden’s cries falling silent the moment I touched the ground. I almost swept to the floor, but something rose me up. I was now able to control myself, yet still I recorded as the girl laid seemingly lifeless… Soundless

I couldn’t see her, yet still I cranked to let the film roll to its final frames. I wailed as the snow fell from the ceiling and covered the lens in white -- as with my entire body. There I lay, my hand attached to the crank now impossible to move. I could hear the lens crack from the sheer pressure of its frozen sheet -- as with my bones. I could feel nothing but a white numbed euphoria juxtaposed with the primal terror of irrefutable death. I wanted to scream but suffocated under the growing feet of white powder burying me alive. I was now shattered bones and twisted skin encased in a mile high fresco; ever-growing ‘till the chapel not hollow.

studentsubmissions Students may submit short stories, graphics, photos, drawings, poems, etc.

Not guaranteed to be published.

Must be sent to the thecurrent.ae@mail.greenriver.edu We encourage students to submit whatever they wish and to use this as a creative space.

Deadlines: [November 15th, December 1st]

opinion Phones Distract Green River College Students Madison Farnsworth| Opinion Editor TheCurrent.Opinion@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

thecurrent

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October 30, 2019

Pixabay

By: Jessi Zamorano-Sausedo Staff Writer Are cellphones considered a distraction or a helpful tool for college students?

The opinions people have on phones being a distraction to college students are split with half for and against. Some say it helps them with their studies while others admit to not being able to control themselves from getting distracted.

Some students went ahead and explained thoroughly why they think that phones are indeed a distraction to their studies.

“I think that phones are treated like an addiction because you’re wondering what’s going on with your personal social media, which can be a huge distraction for your mind and makes it hard to focus,”

said Israel Marcial, a first-quarter student at Green River College.

Many of the college students who agreed with that sentiment said they had a hard time controlling the urges to check and be on their phone all the time.

While trying to get work done, it would become very difficult with your phone right there at an arm’s length. Even if they aren’t getting any notifications with their phones on silent and flipped with the screen pointed down it can be difficult for students to stay focused.

There are many reasons why students think phones are a huge distraction for them. For instance all the social media apps that people have downloaded could lure them away from their work.

However, there are also college students who have the opposite opinion on the issue. Many saying how phones are more of a helpful tool for them to use. Some understand why phones can be a distraction to others, but they explained how it’s helpful to them.

“Phones are not a distraction,” said Joseph Fagan a 19-year-old college student at Green River College.

The problem is not the phone, yet how people are taught how to use and perceive technology. Anything can be a distraction if your mind chooses it to be.”

For some college students, their phone is something helpful for them to get work done. As Fagan said, “It’s not the phone but how

people use it and the main thing college students will use their phones for is to play music.”

When studying or simply just getting homework done, some can’t work in a quiet environment. Others also say that music motivates them to get work done and helps them focus better.

Furthermore, students who did find it to be helpful for them all came to the same conclusion. That it depends on how you control yourself when it comes to your phone. If you are able to not let your curiosity get the best of you, then your phone won’t take over your ability to get things done.

If you can’t, then it could lead to chaos in a student’s life.

Students who do agree that phones are seen as a distraction can still understand the opinions of others who think that phones could be helpful for them.

They admit that it is all part of personal self-control and the ability to not let your mind wander off, stating that this can be quite difficult for them to do.

Distractions can be very damaging. Phones are one of the bigger ones in today’s modern society.

Overall many students have similar ideas that phones distracting to them depending on someone’s own self-control but agree that phones can be taken advantage of for both multitasking and studies. Both have their own pros and cons, when it comes to being used as a tool.

You need to make decisions when it comes to your own cellphone usage and time mangement.

In our generation technology is something that revolves around each one of us. That’s what happens

tiple classes and a job to keep up with regularly, time management is an important obstacle she must overcome. With an online class, Swindle has a more open schedule and is able to complete her work in her free time away from school.

This can be a benefit for all students with jobs. It can help students who do many sports or extracurricular activities, giving them more time to accomplish their personal goals, when it comes to school and extracurriculars.

“Online classes allow me to work in a more comfortable environment which helps me work better,” Swindle said.

Many students might work more efficiently at home or in another location of their choosing, rather than at school or in a classroom.

Being surrounded by others can often be distracting for certain types of people. Classmates can either make or break a class for a person.

While online classes do allow students to create more time for them and work in comfortable environments, it can also cause problems.

Ashley Cornwell, a Running Start student, has some obstacles that she has faced in her online

classes. “I find that taking classes such as history, English, or physical education work very well online,” Cornwell said. “Classes like math and science, where you constantly need to ask questions, are much more difficult for me.”

Sometimes online classes can cause students stress when they already struggle with the subject.

Taking classes that fit better with their strengths will help people achieve better grades.

While this is true, sometimes even a person’s best subject can become difficult for them in an online

environment. Everyone learns differently and people who are more visual or hands on learners might face more difficulties when taking an online course.

With all this in mind, whether or not a person will succeed in an online class all depends on the type of person they are. If they consistently need others to inspire and motivate them, online classes are not a good option for their personality. It also isn’t a good choice for people who don’t learn well from a textbook.

It can be a great choice though for students who manage their time

when we’re born into a tech world.

With info and play at our fingertips it is not hard to imagine the struggle between the two. But students should be weary of the consequences of distraction.

Elsa Finkbeiner |The Current

How Online Classes are Helpful for Green River Students By: Gianna Aubin-Pinti Staff Writer

Online classes are a great idea for busy students, but are they absolutely necessary for every Green River student?

Students have been told that online classes are challenging, that it is not a good place to begin their studies due to struggles many students have faced in the past. They require better self-discipline and independent learning, which many students are not accustomed to.

These difficulties might be even harder for students in Running Start or for people who are in their first year of college. It is challenging to make the adjustment from a high school to an online college.

But maybe it isn’t as hard as students have been told to believe.

Maybe it could make a few students lives easier and simple.

Halley Swindle, a college student who works at a daycare center part time, finds online classes nice.

Swindle said, “It allows my day to be more flexible which is very helpful.”Students like Swindle need online classes for balance in life.

Due to the fact that she has mul-

well and seek help when they need it. And it can help out a student with a busy schedule and not much time to sit in a classroom.

If someone analyzes their strengths and weaknesses in learning, they can decipher what the best option for their college experience will benefit those most. If the student knows what is the best experience is for them, they can get good grades and succeed.

Online classes might not be for everyone, but the ones who do use it fully enjoy the benefits. Education is not a one-way road.

Flickr

Photo by pxhere

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thecurrent

10 October 30, 2019

Madison Farnsworth| Opinion Editor TheCurrent.Opinion@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

Hong Kong’s Fight Against Chinese Rule By: Madison Farnsworth Opinon Editor

Editorial

The citizens deserve to be recongnized and treated as their own country and not part of China in any way, shape, or form.

Since March of this year a movement was started by the people of Hong Kong in order to come into their own as a country. However, it wasn’t until June that actual protests started to pick up. Currently, the protests are still raging on in the streets of Hong Kong.

The reason that this whole movement started was because of a controversial extradition bill that stated that the Chinese government was allowed to extradite prisoners to Mainland China.

How this bill came to be was after an incident back in 2018, where a Hong Kong citizen ended up killing his pregnant girlfriend in Taiwan.

He confessed to the crime once he retuned to Hong Kong, however he wasn’t charged because the police were unable to arrest him or extradite him back to Taiwan.

For some background knowledge

about Hong Kong; it was under British Hong Kong, then the President Xi rule from 1892 to 1997. Then Hong Jinping, who has often been compared Kong became somewhat of its own to the childrens character Winnie the country that is ruled under a “One Pooh, would work closely to Chinese Country, Two Systems.” elected Chief Excutive Carrie Lam to In 2047, 50 years after Hong Kong is ensure Hong Kong’s democratic freefree from British rule, it will be under dom as its own country.

Chinese rule. With the extradition Hong Kong was returned to Chibill, which has now been withdrawn, na in 1997 and it was agreed that its China could have taken economic system and control of Hong Kong way of life would not The 5 Demands of Hong Kong sooner. be officially changed 1. Full withdrawal of the Despite the fact that for 50 years. In just 20 Extradition Bill Hong Kong became a years of that time, the 2. Commission of Inquiry into Chinese administrative People’s Republic of alleged Police Brutality 3. Retracting the classification of region in 1997, the ‘one China (PRC) has alprotesters as “rioters”. country, two systems’ ready begun to try and 4. Amnesty for arrested model should still be change the Hong Kong protesters. put into practice. Hong government, despite 5. Dual universal suffrage, for Kong should have the the principle set of ‘one both the Legislative Council right to its own democcountry, two systems’ and the Chief Executive. racy and autonomy; it agreed by both parties. is still legally separate Currently, the PRC from its parent country and it should considers the Joint Declaration as void. stay that way.

Hong Kong has been protesting a China is acting like a parent who is numerous amount of things. They are smothering its own child. Hong Kong protesting the idea of becoming one has the right to its own independence, with China, which would remove their so they’ll fight for it until they receive capitalist economy and replace it with a the democratic rights they deserve. socialist market economy.

If China knew what was best for With China in charge of Hong Kong,

they will have to follow their rules and laws. The people of Hong Kong will be introduced to a society where they could be arrested at any time and have to fear for their lives more often then orginally.

China is very well known to be tough on their prisoners, since they have a guilty until proven innocent state of mind. China considers their crime policies absolutely necessary.

They have a population of over 1.368 billion people and they are determined to have as little crime as possible. It’s not something that Hong Kong wants any part of.

Under the intense pressure of the bill the citizens of Hong Kong have created a list of five demands for the Chinese government to adhere.

Hong Kong should gain complete independence from China and be fully autonomous. Americans should support Hong Kong in this endeavor because we enjoy a plethora of freedoms, and we should use this privilege to support those who do not have the same.

As Americans, we should be more wary to the treatment of the Hong Kong protesters as they are like us.

Editorials reflect the opinions of the entire editing staff of The Current.

The Positive Effects of Listening to Music While Studying By: Kamea Primacio Staff Writer

Listening to music while doing schoolwork had created troubling opinions for many researchers as well as students.

From the researcher’s point of view, some believe there are benefits of listening to music when doing schoolwork, while other researchers believe that there are negative effects.

For example, in the article “Can Music Help You Study and Focus?” written by Dr. Masha Godkind at Northcentral University, it states that classical music is helpful when studying because there are not any lyrics to be distracting to students.

In addition, it states that music affects our mood, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Different types of music affect our ability to focus and how well we perform while working. This article shows only some of the benefits of listening to music while doing schoolwork or homework.

However, in the article “The Effects of Music on a Student’s Schoolwork,” it states that doing multiple tasks at a time is distracting and can cause someone to not be completely focused.

A different study had also shown that listening to loud music distracts from reading as music tends to agitate rather than help a person

focus on their main goal, which is not good for a studying student.

However, asking around the Green River campus had some students saying the opposite.

Jose Ramos who is lives in Covington, says that being a student who has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) his original coping system was playing soccer.

He had used this throughout his whole life, unfortunately, he hadn’t been playing soccer recently and says he had been feeling the effects of his ADHD. Ramos said that recently he had been playing instrumental music to stay focused on doing his schoolwork, saying it keeps some sort of background noise to keep his brain focused on his work and keeps from distracting onto other things.

Ramos also says that in this aspect it is a positive but, he comes to say that he had seen it become a negative thing for him in the past because the instrumentals can become “ boring “ and leads to him wanting to listen to his own music preference of 90s rap, modern-day rap, and hip hop. This is when it can be a distraction as the focus becomes more on the music and less of the classwork.

Ramos’ opinion on the scientific study which states that music is a distraction is that he can listen to hip hop and still be focused however he catches himself becoming

more off guard. He also says that to a certain extent he can agree with the studies but our brain and how we work is different for everyone, “I know my brain won’t work the same as yours or the person to the left of me.” He then goes on to say it is a person’s responsibility to understand and make a decision whether or not music is beneficial.

Another student at Green River College, Morgan Stahl who also lives in Covington, said the way

music helps her school productivity was by helping her to focus and get things done in a timely manner.

Stahl’s opinion on the scientific perspective was similar to Ramos, “it depends on the person and especially the type of music you listen to.” She had read about articles that said classical music can help people be more focused with their work and study for their classes.

The controversy about music being a good or bad habit while doing

school work seems to be mixed. It has scientific studies for both sides of the argument and it seems to be based more on a person’s personal usage of music.

Music can be a helpful studying tool for those who might need it.

In the end it is up to the individual to decide whether listening to the right kind of music while doing their schoolwork really is a beneficial tool for themselves or if it is just another distraction.

Rakesh Kommanagunta | The Current

A student is listening to music from her cellphone, while looking at her laptop screen and doing schoolwork.

sports

thecurrent

Efrain Pardo | Sports Editor TheCurrent.sports@mail.greenriver.edu www.thegrcurrent.com

11 October 30, 2019

New Women’s Basketball Team Wants a Winning Season By: Abdi Sidali Staff Writer

Last year, coming out from a losing season, the women’s basketball team wants to finish the season within the first four places of their conference.

There are a lot of new faces in the 20192020 season Green River College women’s basketball roster and the new head coach, Karim McDonald, hopes to implement a new sports-driven mindset. Also, McDonald wants everyone to be good teammates on and off the court and wants everyone to have respect for each other and create a family-like environment.

The Green River College women’s basketball holds a long and rich history. The team finished on average in fourth place in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) from 1984 to 1990, but for the last decade and a half, things haven’t worked out as they have expected for the team.

During the previous season, the team finished 0-24 and most of the players did not return for personal reasons. But this year’s team is made up of six freshmen and only two returning sophomores. McDonald handled the tryout and cut process well with this new young squad. McDonald says, “I just have to be honest with everyone, if you bring important aspects of winning to the game then you have a clear shot of making the team, also communicating to the ladies

about who made it to the team and who did not is crucial from my part.”

McDonald’s philosophy is simple. He likes his team to get out into the transition and score quickly so that they are able to force bad shots from their rivals and be able to compete. McDonald wants his team to make their opponents to dribble to the left so they have a hard time scoring under the board. Also, McDonald also wants to be the coach he didn’t have during the time he was growing up while playing.

In addition to this season’s winning games and - Yazmin Young finishing in the NWAC first four spots, the team wants the sophomores to graduate with a 3.5 GPA as well as the team wants to create memories and friendships for a lifetime.

So far, Yazmin Young, a freshmen guard on the team, has had just good opinions about her team’s coaches and the college itself. ‘’Practices have been amazing with my new teammates, everybody gets along well, we do not have any drama, and we’re building [good] chemistry from practice for the real games,‘’ Young said.

In this pre-season practice, the team did not play games while all other teams are still training for when their matches start in November. The team’s season-opening game will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at the “Swamp” (the main campus gym), so come out and support the lady Gators as they are going to have a great opening game and a promising season for all of the other games.

“Practices have been amazing with my new teammates,”

Flickr

Women’s basketball games are fun to watch when the Green River College gators are playing.

Green River College

This season’s new women’s basketball team is promising to give us a winning and exiting season.

Men’s Basketball Team Needs a NWAC Championship By: Lucas Bohannon Student Writer

game “Just focus on winning one game and go from there. We played in a jamboree this weekend down in Centralia and it went well, so I believe that everyone is locked in now.”

Head coach Godfrey Drake and the The Gators are now ready more than ever to Gators are back for more this season and continue their prior success. The desire and the team is prepared to make another focus the team has this year is unmatched run in the Northwest Athletic Conferand Drake expects a few of his players to step ence(NWAC) tournament. up when it matters the most.

The men’s basketball season has already Pa’Treon Lee (Joose) is a transfer guard begun and the Gators are primed for another from Lewis and Clark State and he is a impactful season. Last year the team made “tough nosed” guard from a statement with a 20-win Auburn High School. “It’s season and a ticket to the huge for him to be back NWAC tournament. Drake “Getting the NWAC home,” Drake said. has decided that this year Tanner Nygren is a will be no different as he tournament is priority transfer from Utah State plans on setting his team number one,” University Eastern, a Naup for similar success.

- Godfrey Drake, Head Coach tional Junior College Ath“We are rebuilding our letic Association school. leadership group so that Nygren is a “smooth guard our guys can learn to lead with range and the ability to finish at the rim. the other young guys on the team,” Drake He is an amazing leader,” Drake said. said. “We do have some transfers from other RJ Wilgar is a return missionary from Dixie programs and some guys that have gone on High School. As a new player in the team “RJ missions that will make us a little bit of an is a flat out stud and he is a matchup nightolder team. We are keeping it simple early so mare on any given night,” Drake said. we can all be on the same page.”

Derek Cox is a 6’8 forward who returned Simplicity and leadership were key factors from last year. “I believe he is ready to break for the Gators last year, and with some out of his shell,” Drake said. “He will lead us returners and a couple transfers the team is on the defensive side of the ball and he will excited to show the NWAC that the Gators be the leading rebounder as well.” are not to be forgotten. The expectations for The men’s basketball team is on a path tothis year’s team are quite simple. wards success, the coaching staff and players “Getting to the NWAC tournament is prihave built a program that will lead this team ority number one, but we will keep it simple towards any goal they set their mind to. early,” Drake said. In regards to the level of

Rakesh Kommanagunta | The Current

Men’s basketball team training at the swamp during the pre-season practice with the new members

Green River College

The men’s basketball team has many talented players which can give us a championship this season

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