The Huffington Post cited a pre-diction that 88 percent of the Afghani-stan and Iraq war veterans that have returned home and begun attending college in the United States will drop out by next summer.

Peggy Ursin, Cosumnes River College Outreach Specialist at admis-sions and records, clarified that it is a tough calculation to make for our campus.

“The college knows what veterans are enrolled who are taking advan-tage of educational benefits,” Ursin said. “But we have never had a handle on how many veterans are going to school here because some of them

Men's basketball is taking the court. Young but talented group looks to start the season off right. >>Heartheirexpectations,page4

Of the Cosumnes River Col-lege students interviewed many were

“not surprised” by President Barack Obama’s re-election over Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

President Obama won the Elec-toral College 332 votes to Romney’s 206, as well as the popular vote by about 4.35 million votes. The race was predicted to be a close one, but the president appeared to have won by a landslide.

Sacramento County contributed to the president’s re-election; 57 per-cent of the population darkened the bubble next to his name, according to the New York Times.

In a previous poll, conducted by the Connection, CRC students’ votes lay with Obama 3-1, but in a sample done the day after the election the preferences between the two candi-dates were fifty-fifty.

“I wasn’t surprised, I had a very strong feeling that he (Obama) was going to win,” said Lauren Mulvany,

Obama re-election no surprise to students

Brittany Patrick bpatrick.connect@gmail

>>SeeRomneysupporters, Page 2

Volume 58, Issue 1Volume60,Issue5 NoVember 15, 2012

California“comestoitssenses”

With Proposition 30 being passed by voters in the election, California community colleges will be able to avoid $338 million in budget cuts and will gain $210 million in revenue.

Voters said “Yes” to increasing taxes on individuals who earn an annual income of more than $250,000 for seven years, as well as increasing sales tax for four years by one quarter of a penny starting on Jan. 1.

“Cosumnes River College and the Los Rios District are grate-ful to those who voted yes on Proposition 30,” said CRC President Dr. Deborah Travis. “While we are celebrating its passage, we also understand that many challenges lie ahead and we will need to rebuild the student access that’s been lost over the last few years.

“However, I am confident we will face those challenges togeth-er and the college, its students and the community will begin to see

the benefits of Prop 30’s passage soon.”In a teleconference on Nov. 7, California Community Col-

leges Chancellor Brice Harris said that California schools will be able to add 20,000 students statewide.

Harris said that Proposition 30 "gets the state’s commitment to higher education back on track,” and “makes good on funding the state has deferred.”

Harris also noted that Proposition 30 passing will not restore schools to “pre-recession” level.

Cosumnes River College Dean of humanities and social sci-ences Ginny McReynolds said that her department was faced with cutting over 25 classes over the next year if Proposition 30 had failed.

McReynolds said that cuts to courses would not occur, and “there could be some addition, but it could stay flat.”

“Our goal is to work with the district to see what their plans are,” McReynolds said, adding that the district is currently assess-ing the proposition’s passage. She described Los Rios as a “smart and frugal district.”

McReynolds has served at CRC for the past four years. She previously worked at Sacramento City College and said she has never seen education is such bad shape.

“For me, what the relief is, is that people understand the im-portance of education, the importance of community college edu-cation,” McReynolds said.

Communications, Visual and Performing Arts Dean Torence

StephanStarnessstarnes.connect@gmail

Based solely on campus appearance and location, one might not expect that

students enrolled here at Cosumnes River College have been subject to property dam-age, harassment and grand theft.

These crimes, while sporadic in na-ture, are nothing new to the Los Rios dis-trict and on Sept. 22, the Los Rios District Police Department notified students that it had published its annual Clery Report.

Originally known as the Crime Aware-ness and Campus Security Act of 1990, the Annual Clery Report “requires colleges and universities to publish an annual re-port every year by Oct. 1st that contains three years’ worth of campus crime statis-tics and certain security police statements,” according to the LRDPD notification.

In comparison with the ten other campuses and centers CRC ranks second for criminal activity.

However within the past three years the campus has seen a decrease in all forms of criminal offenses and arrests with the exception of drug related instances, where the average number has held at 17 viola-tions annually for the last two years accord-ing to the Clery Report.

While decreasing in frequency the severity of these crimes have not followed suit.

On Oct. 12 an unidentified group of

Josh Slowiczekjslowiczek.connect@gmail

Campus crime occurring less; still affecting students

>>SeeClery, Page 2

sports

Students turn tables on profes-sors: Popular website lets students grade professors. >>Learnmoreonpage7

FeaturesopiNioN

Disney's purchase of "Star Wars" is not the end of the franchise. The films will pull through.>>Hearourwriter'sreasoning,page3

San Diego Community College Chancellor Constance Carroll says passage of Proposition 30 marks a turning point

BritniAlford|The Connection

MembersfromPost521ofAmericanLegionwereoneofthemanywhowerehonoredintheElkGroveVeteran'sDayPa-radeonNov.11.AmericanLegionworkstouniteveteransandprovidesupportforfamiliesofveterans.

>>SeeProposition, Page 2

Programsoncampusaidveteransadjustingtocollegelife

Mozes Zaratemzarate.connect@gmail

>>SeeVeternas'Center, Page 2

Volume 58, Issue 1 www.thecrccoNNectioN.comVolume60,Issue5 NoVember 15, 2012

November 15, 2012 | News | 2 www.thecrccoNNectioN.com

facebook.com/CRCconnection twitter.com/CRCconnection

Like The Connection on Facebook and follow @CRCconnection on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all the latest CRC news, trends and stories.

Clery: Petty theft at CRC

Powell said that school officials were “more invested in building scenarios if it [Proposition 30] didn’t pass.”

Powell said that he stayed up until midnight watching elec-tion coverage, and was hopeful that Proposition 30 would pass. When he was watching, Proposi-tion 30 was hovering around 48 percent “Yes” votes.

The next morning, Powell awoke to a text message saying that Proposition 30 passed, and called it “a good precedent for California.”

“I was very grateful to Cali-fornia and to voters for prioritiz-ing,” Powell said. “An investment in students is an investment in ourselves, our future and our

economy.”Powell said it is hard to esti-

mate how many cuts his depart-ment was facing because it had more performance and lab class-es, and it was hard to find equiva-lents. He said it wouldn’t have been as large as the humanities and social science department, as communications isn’t as large a department.

Powell said the only draw-back he could think of is that the quarter of a penny sales tax increase would affect everyone, and those with lower incomes would be affected disproportion-ately.

“It’s a small price to pay for higher education,” he said of the

“very small drawback.”History professor and CRC

campus President of the Los Rios College Federation of Teachers Jason Newman was worried that

the proposition would not pass.“The efforts of students

in particular in campaigning pushed it over the edge into vic-tory,” Newman said.

Proposition: “small price to pay” Continued from page 1

an 18-year-old English major. “Forty-seven percent of America was neglected by Romney.”

Mulvany said that Romney’s stance on abortion was a key factor as to why she voted for Obama.

“It’s not like I am for abortion, but health is totally personal and should not be brought into poli-tics,” Mulvany said.

Two students in favor of Obama’s re-election stated hopes for a better economy and finan-cial aid in school as the main reasons they supported the presi-dent.

“I voted for Obama,” said Nick Quiro, 21, a broadcast-ing major. “I’m hoping he starts

bringing the economy back up, like he said he is.”

Justin Barrels, 18, a business major, said he expects more jobs, more financial aid for college students and for education to be “pushed up” in priority for the next four years.

The Romney supporting students also expressed a lack of surprise in regards to Obama’s victory.

“I was indifferent, I already knew Obama was going to win.” said Levi Brown, a 20-year-old pharmacy technician major at Asher College.

“I watched Obama fail for the past four years and triple the debt that the other presidents made,” Brown said. “I expect the worst

economic downturn since the great depression.”

Samantha Whitt, a 19-year-old undecided major, appeared slightly more optimistic about the outcome of the election. “I’m honestly not surprised people wanted to give him (Obama) one more chance,” Whitt said.

She expects these next four years to be like the last and that the issues the country is facing will stay the same.

While some are pessimistic about the outcome of the elec-tion, others are looking forward to what the next four years will bring.

“I was stoked, so stoked,” said Quiro, over Obama’s victory.

N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y ®

Transferring?BEgIN YOUR BAchELOR’S DEgREE IN hEALThcARE TODAY!National University makes obtaining a higher degree in healthcare possible with bachelor completion programs in the areas of: allied health, clinical laboratory science, healthcare administration, public health, and radiation therapy.

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As a nonprofit university, we invest in our students’ success, which means we offer:

8 0 0 . N A T . U N I V | N U . e d U / h e A l T h c A r e

Approved participant in the Cal Grant Program for current and transfer students

© 2

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Nat

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3 cONVENIENTSacramento locationS

suspects snuck into the CRC parking structure, currently in the process of development, and stole up to $20,000 worth of high-capacity power cable, ac-cording to a police report.

While the “acquisition” of copper on such a scale is note-worthy, most students are af-fected in a much more direct manner when crime occurs.

Petty Theft, or theft under $950, is nothing new to CRC.

On Sept. 28 a student’s backpack was taken from the CRC library and charges were placed on their debit and credit cards, according to a police re-port.

Last year Zamir Omaid, a 21-year-old broadcast jour-nalism major, had his bike stolen from in front of the campus theater.

“I didn’t check until bi-ology class at 9 p.m. and then it was just gone,” said Omaid, who remembers the night clear-ly. “I kept walking back and forth trying to believe it didn’t get stolen, like it would appear somehow.”

The effect of crime on stu-dents does not limit itself to fi-nancial repercussions.

A mother of a student con-tacted the LRDPD on Sept. 28 wishing to file a report “re-garding females threatening her daughter on campus and through twitter,” according to a police report.

No further information was available on the matter but Kristie West, the CRC public in-formation officer, commented via email on the subject going on to say that “professors are in charge of their classroom and if they suspect anything or if a student comes to them with a complaint of bullying, they are encouraged to report it.”

A daily crime log for all campuses and centers is avail-able on the LRDPD website. For students who might like to learn more about a criminal activ-ity on campus, the California Public Records Act “requires the District Colleges to make public records available upon

request for in-spection,” ac-cording to the Los Rios dis-trict website. The website also goes on to state that

“ inspect ions p e r f o r m e d during nor-mal business hours are free of charge.”

C a p t . John McPeek, the CRC interim police chief is developing a plan to have a station set up in the lobby of the police station that will be open to those who wish to view the Clery Report and public records, according to an email from West.

If you have been subject or witness to a crime and wish to file a report you may contact the CRC station at (916) – 691

– 7393. To do so in person the front counter hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Connection

EditorinChief:Zach HanniganNewsEditor:Stephan StarnesFeaturesEditor:Ashley BoucherSportsEditor:Zach HanniganOpinionEditor:Alex MosquedaOnlineEditor:Stephan StarnesProductionManager: Brittany PatrickFacultyAdviser:Rubina Gulati

Staf

f Takara Campbell, Emanuel Espinoza, Kevin Frodahl, Mary Garcia, Latisha Gibson, Victor Macias, Osay Ogbebor, Jonathan Rich, Simon, Mozes Zarate

EditorialAssistants: Britni Alford, Cody Durham, Ariel Hevesi, Scott Redmond, Josh Slowiczek

The Connection is an award-winning newspaper published bi-weekly by the Journalism 400 newspaper production class. Editorials and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the students, staff or faculty of CRC or Los Rios Community College District. The Connection is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC).

LetterstotheEditormust be typed, signed and include the first and last name of the author and a phone number. They must be 200 words or less and may be edited for length, clarity or taste.

Telephone:(916) 691-7471Fax:(916) 691-7181Website:www.thecrcconnection.comE-mail:connect@crc.losrios.edu

TheConnectionCosumnes River College8401 Center ParkwaySacramento, CA 95823

Edit

ors

It is the duty of The Connection to report all news with the highest accuracy, brevity and clarity as possible. All feedback regarding stories and photos should be sent to connection.crc@gmail.com

Romney supporters disappointedContinued from page 1

Continued from page 1

“I kept walking back and forth trying to believe it didn’t get stolen, like it would appear somehow.”

Zamir OmaidBroadcast Journalism

Major

“An investment in stu-dents is an investment in ourselves, our future and our economy.”

Torence PowellDean, CVPA

EDITORIAL

Voters establish new social norms in election

Regardless of one’s feelings towards the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the success of pro-marijuana and pro same-sex marriage ballot initiatives show that Americans today are becoming more progressive. This election proved that when equipped with the proper forward-moving mentality, Americans have the ability to progress the nation.

With a 54 percent and 55 percent majority, Colorado and Washington voters approved recreational use of marijuana, re-ported by NBC News. Although both face legal ramification with the federal government since the possession of marijuana is still a federal crime. Despite the legal guidelines of the national govern-ment, the approval of the legalization of marijuana shows that the people of Washington and Colorado no longer see marijuana in the negative light it once had.

Since the late 90s, nearly 32 states have held votes on same-sex marriage and it has been opposed every time, according to

the Huffington Post. Addressing this matter in a press release over the summer, Brian Brown, presi-dent of the National Organization for Marriage said, “The American people know in their heart what marriage is, and they have ex-pressed that in the form of over 70 million votes cast in 32 consecu-tive state elections to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”

It would be interesting to hear how Brown would approach the issue now after three states, Washington, Maine and Mary-land, legalized same-sex marriage

in this election. Although joining the likes of New York and Iowa, what makes

these initiatives truly victorious is the fact it is the first time mar-riage equality has been legalized via popular vote.

Despite opponents like Brown, other events during the elec-tion showed that an individual’s sexual orientation is no longer an issue with many Americans. Along with three states settling the status of marriage, Wisconsin voted in Tammy Baldwin, the state’s first openly-gay senator. While the state continues to de-bate over marriage,the people of Minnesota voted down Amend-ment 1, a constitutional amendment that would have defined the union of marriage as solely being between a man and a woman. Thus, becoming the first state in the country voting against such an amendment.

As great as these victories are, exactly how does our state of California fit in?

Even if the state was silent about such popular issues, there was a small landmark victory for the people with the passing of Proposition 30. As stated in the San Francisco Chronicle, Cali-fornians haven’t voted in favor of a tax hike since Proposition 13 in 1978. So with the approval for Proposition 30 it shows we are confident in our current leaders in office, and that they are sure to put the additional revenue to a good purpose. And that educa-tion is something that is sacred in this state, so with previous cuts to the educational budget, we finally stated enough was enough.

There is much wonder exactly how such an open-minded state like California can keep dragging its feet in moving forward with particular political topics, but with the achievement of Prop-osition 30 it shows that it’s not too far behind.

Many Americans are opposed to or uncomfortable using the term “progressive,” but when seen through a different perspective it has nothing to do with whether a person leans left or right.

The election on Nov. 6 proved that U.S. citizens in any state are capable of extended efforts to bring pressing issues to state-wide and national attention. To make a stance on the definition of marriage, the legalization of marijuana, increase taxes in order to deflect from cutting from the educational budget, shows that we are fully capable of contesting policies we find to be unjust.

Whether people agree on “progressive” or not, to be able to live in a democratic country where the citizens are capable of change is what truly makes the United States great.

AT A GLANCE

The Issue: Five states make landmark laws in regards to same-sex marriage and marijuana.

Our View: Voters celebrate change and analyze initiatives for the betterment of the people.

Agree? Disagree?Send comments to

connect@crc.losrios.edu

OpiniOn | November 15, 2012 | 3Follow us oN twitter @CRCCoNNeCtioN

A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away a man named George Lucas created a little movie called "Star Wars," which went on to spawn an expansive universe and franchise.

You might have heard about it. In the same galaxy an even longer time before,

there was another man by the name of Walt Disney that started a little park called Disneyland and a media empire that is a dominating force in the entertainment world.

What could happen if those two billion dollar entities were to come together in a financially backed marriage? Well we’re poised to find out just that.

In news that seemed to surprise many, Lucas sold Lucasfilms, the studio behind Star Wars and other projects, to Disney for $4.05 billion, according to an article from the Hollywood Reporter.

With this deal comes news that Star Wars Episode Seven through Nine will be produced and distributed by Disney with goals to release Star Wars movies every two to three years.

On the day this was announced, to paraphrase the great Obi Wan Kenobi, many could feel a great dis-turbance “as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror.”

Words have been thrown around by fans--most of them relating to despair and outrage at the idea of fur-ther movies that might deter from the extended uni-verse that grew out of the movies. Death of the fran-chise was a favorite one used by many around the net.

After the release of the original trilogy of mov-ies the world of Star Wars continued. Novels, comics

and various games were included in this extended uni-verse.

I’m one of those who loved just about everything Star Wars that came out. I have shelves full of the nov-els that have told the continuing stories of Luke, Han and Leia and even various offspring and other char-acters.

I’ve read many of them cover to cover repeatedly and would do so again in a heartbeat. I’ll admit that there were many nights I often wished those books could be turned into movies.

Yet if Disney does not go that route and choses to do something else based off the treatments for a new trilogy they got from Lucas in the deal, I won’t lose any sleep.

Would I prefer to see the extended universe ad-ventures I know and love continue? Of course, but just because Disney is making a new trilogy does not change the extended universe’s place in my heart and mind.

I don’t see the franchise dying because of some new movies that are made by Disney. If the franchise could survive the prequel trilogy and the whining of Anakin Skywalker and the walking abomination called Jar Jar Binks, it can survive Disney having a hand in the movies.

Will this truly turn out to be the worst decision that could be made when it comes to Star Wars? Per-haps, but until things move further ahead we’ll never know.

If Disney could purchase Marvel and stay true to the core of Marvel’s properties and chose Joss Whedon to bring to light a billion dollar grossing Avengers movie, there is still hope for Star Wars.

May the force be with us. We’re going to need it.

By Scott Redmondsredmond.connect@gmail

The Disney empire strikes back

RE: “The Cheap Seats” by Zach HanniganIssue date: Oct. 4

Dear Editor,

As a person who follows sports, I could not help but feel dismay when I learned that the NHL had under-gone a lockout.

Needless to say, it is sad that other sports leagues have locked out their players for a ridiculous amount of money. Your article to why community college ath-letics deserve attention has given me an opportunity to see sports on another level.

Being raised with the television set to professional league sports, I never witnessed the excitement college sports brought. Thanks to your article, I am happy to announce that the television is now set to record col-lege sports games.

I am amazed with the performances these young athletes bring to our community. While the athletes on television show off their skills, the Cosumnes River College athletes have skills of their own and are not far from making their way to fame. Not only have these athletes amazed me, but everyone in my family can’t help but watch these games.

It brings me much joy to see everyone in the family coming together to bond over these games. Although I eagerly anticipated the start of the NBA season, my desire to watch community college sports have greatly

rose. Thanks to the Cosumnes River College athletes, we will never have to worry about another lockout again. The athletes have my attention and support all the way!

-Priyanka Parmar, 20Biochemistry

RE: “CRC students take a stand in presidential election” by Brittany Patrick Issue date: Nov. 1

Dear Editor,

This letter is a response to the article, "CRC students take a stand in presidential election" by Brittany Pat-rick. I felt it was really cool to get a look on how my fel-low students feel about the presidential election. Never have I seen so many people 50/50 on a presidential election, especially in California. It makes me happy and relieved that people are not only talking about who they would vote for, but actually voting. The CRC Connection did a good job obtaining great informa-tion from fellow students and I was very happy about the outcome of the article. Keep up the good work!

-Rob Loa, 23Communications

Letters to the Editor

CORRECTION: The Nov. 1 Hawk Talk incorrectly attributed a comment to Colleen Crews. The student pictured was 21-year-old communications major Dominique Bouza.

Scan the QR Code with your smartphone to hear CRC students discuss what three things they'd take with them during a hurricane evacuation.

The volleyball team was unable to claim victory in any of the three sets and lost to Sierra College on Nov. 9.

“We’re being tentative at times,” Hawks’ Head Coach Natalie Wells said. “Because we’re a young team, we’re not as confident as we could be in situations where we can take games and close out. If we just come out confident and knowing that we’ve got this skill base, I think that’ll help.”

In game one, Sierra College freshman

setter Madisen Macauley took advantage of a vulnerable Hawks’ defense with sev-eral point-winning serves.

With Sierra leading 14-5, an extended rally that could have changed the momen-tum in favor of the Hawks was ended by a strike from another strong opponent, Si-erra freshman outside hitter Ashley McEl-haney.

“We have a hard time sticking to our positions and not interfering with our teammates,” said Hawks’ freshman outside hitter Gabrielle Hinz.

A spike from Sierra sophomore mid-dle hitter Julia Dorsey concluded the first match at 25-7.

But the game wasn’t over, and the Hawks’ spirits were unhindered. During the break, Wells participated in an inspir-ing rendition of “Gangnam Style” for her team.

“We’re having fun,” said Hawks’ sopho-more middle hitter Rose Koloamatangi.

“During the whole season, we were just go-ing through the motions, but today we had fun and we played as a team.”

The second match saw the Hawks in-tensify their game. Hinz battled back with

her opponents when she patted the ball over the net and scored a point.

The team also appeared to recognize Sierra’s strongest players in the previous match, with Hawks’ sophomore outside hitter Hoang Nguyen often venturing out-side her position to intercept McElhaney’s strikes.

Freshman setter Candace Boehman and Hinz managed to win several extend-ed rallies during the course of the second match.

But Sierra persisted, and McElhaney landed the set point, winning the set 25-20.

“We had a slow start,” said Hawks as-sistant coach Chris Banks.“But we came in on the second and third game with a little more energy and our hitting took off.”

Hawks freshman setter Laura Villano initiated the third game. Again, the match started out closely contested.

Koloamatangi’s powerful strikes al-lowed the team to gain some leverage, and Sierra’s focus appeared to weaken with many out-of-bounds shots.

Soon after, Nguyen destroyed Sierra College’s momentum with a quick strike. A five-point streak followed, and the match

was closing in at 21-19, with Sierra leading.The streak was stopped dead after

Hinz failed to intercept another hit from McElhaney.

Sierra College fought back, and the match ended at 25-9, with an out of bounds hit from Hinz.

Banks is confident that the team can fix its communication for the end of the season.

“We were a little quiet on the court. We struggle with it. We have a couple more practices to improve.”

Nguyen, a noticeable presence on the court that night, was optimistic about the result.

“Compared to what we have done with them in the past, we fought our best today,” she said.

Cosumnes River College went head-to-head with the Santa Rosa Bear Cubs on the frigid night of Nov. 8, mark-ing the last women’s soccer game of the season.

The game was tied 0-0 for the majority of the first half. Both CRC and Santa Rosa struggled to mount any offense throughout the first half of the game.

Santa Rosa scored an accidental goal when Hawks’ freshman defender Ashley Briglia tried to pass the ball but inadvertently kicked it into CRC’s net, which resulted in Santa Rosa’s first goal of the match.

The first half ended with the Bear Cubs leading the game 1-0.

The second half kicked off with Santa Rosa control-ling the ball first but CRC gained possession back. The Hawks and the Bear Cubs kept on going back and forth with the ball.

Freshman midfielder Jessica DeAnda tripped and fell during a passing attempt to one of her teammates. The ball was then intercepted by Santa Rosa.

The Hawks had an attempt on goal, but the ball sailed over the goal post. The goal posts were hit several times, but neither team could cash in on a goal.

Freshman goalie Joana Hernandez successfully blocked a couple of goal attempts from Santa Rosa, but the Bear Cubs ended up scoring a goal after their third at-tempt, resulting in their second goal of the game.

Less than nine minutes left in the match, both teams still struggled to make goals.

In the final few minutes, Hernandez blocked a goal attempt but was hurt in the process. She was carried out of

the game and freshman goalie Oliana De La Torre took her spot for the rest of the game.

The game ended in 2-0 Santa Rosa victory.Head coach Cesar Plasencia said that the team could

have done a lot better.“It was typical of how we played this season,” Plasencia

said. “We just can’t seem to find a goal when we need it.”The players were down by their loss as well, but some

said that they gave it their all out there.“I feel like we gave it our all and 110 percent effort,”

said freshman center midfielder Sydney Miller. “We knew it might be our last game together.”

Plasencia also said that the team still tried their best out there.

“My team always competes,” Plasencia said. “I’m really proud of what they do. They give it their best.”

November 15, 2012 | SportS4 | www.thecrccoNNectioN.com

Straight out of the gym doors from basketball practice, returning Cosumnes River College men’s basketball player Shauwn Brooks stands both proud and humble as he takes on the leadership role as one of the two returning players of the 2012-2013 team.

“We want to win and prove a lot of people wrong,” Brooks said.

This year features a group of young and talented athletes who plan to take on a whole new meaning of the word speed.

“We’re all unified, we’re all on the same page and we all want to win,” Brooks said.

Although they are a team of eager players, they have big shoes to fill after last year’s wicked season in which they finished fourth in the Big 8 Conference and advancing to the sweet sixteen.

With only two returning players, Brooks and Orion Kidd, the upcoming season poses complete unpredictability with a roster of unfamiliar faces.

Lead assistant coach Nicholas Podesta expressed his excitement towards the en-tirely new team.

“It’s a good mix of kids we recruited as freshmen and kids who transferred from other schools,” Podesta said.

Returning player Orion Kidd also shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

“I’ve never been on a team that clicks like this one does,” Kidd said as he described the daily jokes and laughter in the locker room. “We’re a bunch of goofs,” he chuckled.

All jokes aside, Pod-esta predicts a competi-tive season this year as he emphasized the teams up-tempo and athletic style.

“Every single player brings something that makes the team better,” Podesta said. In order to bring home the win “we need to embrace the philosophy of playing to-gether.”

Team defense and rebounding will be

critical this season.There needs to be a lot of help-side on

the defensive team, with five guys defend-ing the ball, Podesta said.

Head coach James Giacomazzi also re-iterated the importance of aggression and proper execution.

“We need to eliminate dribble penetration and force teams to beat us from outside,” Giacomazzi said.

Regardless of the team’s smaller size, they pose a force to be reckoned with.

“We’re only as strong as our weakest link,” Kidd said as he emphasized the importance of staying healthy outside the court. “Your whole life-style has to be basketball.”

Both coaches and team players are ready and anxious to start competing.

The team plans to “come out like a pack of wolves” and “go undefeated,” Kidd

said.The fans should expect to see the

team play hard every single night and be entertained by coach Giacomazzi scream-ing his head off, Kidd said with a laugh.

“He’s much more than a basketball coach, he’s a good person outside of the court,” Kidd said.

When the team breaks the huddle they always end on the word “family” be-cause it’s such a close knit group of players.

“We’re all like brothers,” Kidd said.It’s clear the team has a strong work

ethic and a winning mindset that will bring home the points.

“If we see a big mountain, we think how we’re going to prepare to climb over it,” Kidd said.

In order to progress as a mature team, there needs to be consistency among players, dedication and hard work, said Brooks.

Ultimately “I want to start this season off on a good note and really make this school a winning college,” Brooks said.

“Every single player brings something that makes the team better.”

—Nicholas PodestaAssistant Coach

By Ariel Hevesiahevesi.connect@gmail

‘Brothers’ make basketball their lifestyle

Women’s soccer finishes season with disappointing loss

Confidence a focal point for volleyball team after another loss

Mary Garcia | The Connection

Freshman defender Ashley Briglia agonizes after scoring an own goal, giving Santa Rosa a 1-0 lead. The Hawks lost the game but managed to squeak into the playoffs.

By Emanuel Espinozaeespinoza.connect@gmail

By Mozes Zaratemzarate.connect@gmail

>> Check out the photo gallery at www.thecrcconnection.com

SportS | November 15, 2012 | 5Follow us oN twitter @CrCCoNNeCtioN

Hawks battle through three games, win CRC Invitational

Mary Garcia | The Connection

Game 1— CRC freshman guard Samantha Reeder scores a layup off a long pass from a teammate. The Hawks won the game against Yuba College 96-49.

Jonathan Rich | The ConnectionThe women's basketball team prepares to take on the American River College Beavers with a pre-game ritual before the second round of the annual CRC Invitational.

Game 3—Sophomore guard Brooke Fletcher attempts a free throw after being fouled by a Modesto Jr. College player. After Modesto kept it close, the Hawks were able to pull away in the fourth quarter and win the game 76-58. The win sealed the tournament for CRC and allowed them to hoist the trophy.

Mary Garcia |The Connection

Jonathan Rich | The Connection

Game 2 —Freshman guard Jade Sowell-Hundon drives through the American River College defense for a layup.

Cosumnes River Col-lege invited seven other teams to compete in the an-nual tournament from Nov. 8-10.

In the first game, the Hawks took on Yuba Col-lege, and blew past them. CRC eventually defeated Yuba 96-49 and moved on to the second round.

Game two proved to be a tougher test. The Hawks squared off against American River College on Nov. 9. After a four quarter battle with the Beavers, the Hawks squeaked out a vic-tory with a score of 77-70.

Finally CRC moved on to the championship game to take on Modesto Jr. Col-lege. The Hawks soared past Modesto and took the tournament championship.

"We are trying to get into the habit of pot locking but it never seems to work. It’s a day of having too much to eat and play-ing games. We have a large family, so from the biggest to the middlest of all the gen-erations. We have a great day and we are thankful.”

Gennell Sires, 63 human services major

"Sometimes my extended family comes over but not very often. We use traditional recipes from back in the past, like my grandma’s Jell-O salad, we always make that."

Ashley

Gallenstein,18animal science

major

“We actually fight. We go and we rent a big jump house and get padding and everything and everybody settles there family disputes on Thanks-giving. Then after everything is done, we just sit and eat for the rest of the day."

Jeff Mack, 23kinesolgy major

"We always gather as a family and we usual-ly do watch football. We actually go to dif-ferent houses, like we’ll have dinner at one house then we have dessert at a different house. It's always very hectic, lots of kids running around, lots of food."

Michael Yarbroughmathematics and statistics professor

"I don’t have a big family so usually just me, my brother and my mom go out. Don’t usually cook, but the last couple years we have gone to Wine and Roses, or something, that’s a restau-rant in Lodi and in Sacramento."

Kayli Sessions,18undecided major

“We go camping. We go to the coast and we deep fry turkey. We

usually go for three days. So we have the whole family out there all togeth-er for Thanksgiving. We play games, cards, board games, hike, sometimes we take bicycles, cook and eat around the camp fire."

Marjorie Duffycomputer information science

professor

November 15, 2012 | Arts & EntErtAinmEnt6 | www.thecrccoNNectioN.com

Local EventsNews 10 Coats for Kids When: Nov. 1 – Dec. 14What: Bring new or gently used coats to any Swanson’s Cleaners, Tri Counties bank or News 10 studio to help keep local people warm during the cold winter.To find out more about where to drop off or pick up coats please visit: http://www.news10.net/life/community/events/coatsforkids/

Cal Expo’s Sacramento Harvest Festival Original Arts and Crafts When: Nov. 16 – 18, 9a.m. – 6 p.m.What: Hundred of vendors, hand made arts, crafts, jewelry, cloth-ing, blankets and more, as well as entertainers and festive food. A KidZone for eco friendly hands one arts and crafts activities for kids.Adults $9 Seniors $7 Youth (13-17yrs) $4 Kids 12 and under are FREE receive $2 off if you bring a non perishable food item to the gate. Ticket is good for the whole weekend.

Festival of Trees feat. A Taste of Northern California When: Nov. 18, 4 p.m. What: Portion of proceeds goes to Birth Connection, with start costs at $25, which helps keeps kids out of foster care and helps mothers in crisis. There will be live entertainment, holiday music, food and activities for kids.

Campus EventsCRC Share Fair When: Nov. 15-16, 10a.m. – 1p.m.What: This event benefits non-profit, social service entities and philanthropic entities. Shows opportunities to work and giving time and money to the com-munity. Can drop off new toys, note pads, pen, calculations, gifts cards, gently used childrens clothing, canned food, cat and dog food. diaper, gently used chil-dren’s books, toiletries and much more. Located in the campus cafeteria.

CRC 2nd Annual Tellabration: International Storytelling When: Nov. 15, 10:30p.m. - 1:15p.m.What: CRC’s second annual Tella-bration, an international celebra-tion of oral storytelling. Located in the recital hall.

CRC Oregon Shakespeare Festival Performance When: Nov. 15, 6:30p.m. - 9p.m.What: An annual performance free to all playing in the recital hall

Fall events, personal enjoyment with the added spirit of giving

Compiled by Brittany Patrickbpatrick.connect@gmail

Bond is back: Lines are blurred between hackney and tradition

By Mozes Zaratemzarate.connect@gmail

Campus community shares Thanksgiving traditions and celebrations

By Osay Ogbeborkoogbebor.connect@gmail

“I’m frightened because our enemies are no longer known to us. They do not exist on a map, they’re not nations. They’re indi-viduals.”

“Skyfall” opened this week-end, the twenty-third film in the long-running James Bond: 007 franchise. Britain’s Central In-telligence Agency, MI6, is being sabotaged by one man (played by Javier Bardem) and his tech-nological prowess.

The old ways of espionage are being tried against the digital age, where terror runs without flags or borders. In this new are-na, Bond struggles as an old dog with his Walther PPK and some quick feet.

The opening scene provokes a far more vulnerable Bond, played by Daniel Craig. A bullet wound has destroyed his marksmanship. His stamina has weakened from drink. Most importantly, his loyalty to king and country isn’t what it used to be.

Throughout the film, there are consistent thematic elements that are sure to keep the literary types enthused. Tones of resur-rection, of struggles with change and tried and true good vs. evil are all here.

There’s even a bit of social commentary that attempts to make the film more important than it is, but not with the same vomit-inducing melodrama con-tained in the “The Dark Knight.” This film knows how to be subtle.

There are plenty of Bond tra-ditions that fans will be quick to catch. There’s a musical intro-duction performed by a famous singer, Adele. There are your chase scenes, shoot outs, gadgets, vodka martinis and yes sir, beau-tiful women. The tantalizing Bérénice Marlohe plays the bond

girl, Sévérine.The film has some brilliantly

rendered moments. One night scene has Bond tailing an assas-sin in Shanghai. He follows him to the top floor of a high-rise building illuminated by the city lights. Bond allows the assassin to kill his victim, then comes my favorite part: old fashioned fisti-cuffs. Craig has a body type that is perfect for hand-to-hand com-bat (can’t say the same about his awkward running), and it’s taste-fully shot in one continuous take, which you don’t see often in the cut-up, music video approach to modern filming (See “The Dark Knight Rises”).

Shanghai looks beautiful in the backdrop, creating a silhou-etted struggle between two “men of the shadows.” It’s poetic, it’s choreographed wonderfully and it’s a blast to watch.

Another scene, again weaving itself tightly with the struggles of old and new, has Bond and his allies shacked up in an aban-doned estate on the countryside of England. Using homemade explosives and a hunting rifle, Bond and an old friend are at odds with a platoon of fully armed gunmen and a fancy new helicopter.

It’s a Die Hard approach to action scenes, where the hero is weakened, outnumbered and outgunned.

Witnessing how the old man manages to kill everyone anyway is an expected surprise. The loca-tion is equally surprising, as ex-otic cityscapes or secluded mili-tary bases are the usual locales in a Bond film.

Skyfall is a sophisticated study of the spy archetype (with explo-sions), but it’s not perfect.

I felt fatigued with a lot of the material here. From the vehicular chase scenes, to the villain who’s always one step ahead of the he-roes (I meant for you to capture me all along!), to the last-words from a dying central character.

Many of scenes will make you aware of how often Hollywood likes to use the same cut-outs to stencil their films. Insert Judi Dench here, they might have said.There’s even a part where both Bond and the villain defy death after a large explosion, just so they can have one last confronta-tion, which I’m sure you’ve never seen before.

Regardless, it’s all done well, and if you’re thinking of dip-ping your feet in the longest run-ning franchise in cinema history, you’ll get your money’s worth. Every penny of it.

Courtesy Photo

Bond, played by Daniel Craig, appears shaken and stirred during a firefight with minions of the villon Raoule Silva in Sam Mendes's directed movie "Skyfall," the twenty-third 007 film.

Features | November 15, 2012 | 7Follow us oN twitter @CrCCoNNeCtioN

Enrollment choices swayed by students' opinions

By Ariel Hevesiahevesi.connect@gmail

It’s that time of year again, Cosumnes River College students glue themselves to their laptops and smartphones as they strategically plan next semester's schedule. It isn't just a matter of choosing classes, it’s choosing one's destiny.

Luckily, between tomorrow’s technol-ogy and today’s cyberspace-addicted gen-eration, students have the luxury to sam-ple any class they wish before nailing the coffin shut with enrollment.

The website ratemyprofessor.com pro-vides an inside look at professors and their courses through anonymous student-based reviews.

Simply type in a professor’s name and a novel's worth of comments appear at the tip of your fingers.

“Really great professor,” wrote one of the reviewers for CRC film and media Profes-sor Rick Boeck. “Lectures that would have been boring, he made hilarious and inter-esting.”

Another student shared advice after taking English Professor Norman Hom’s class, “P.S. Don't walk in front of him while he’s talking...eek.”

Before committing to 16 weeks of un-

familiar territory, liberal studies major Grace Bramlett is just one of many stu-dents who check the site before choosing next semester courses.

“I like how you can rate and discuss their [professors] strengths and weakness-es,” Bramlett said.

With a click of a mouse, students can rate a professor’s overall teaching qual-ity with either a blue sad face or a yellow smiley face. For those seeking eye-candy along with education, there’s even a “hot” chili pepper icon to rate the professor’s overall attractiveness.

For many students, the professor rat-ings can either make or break enrolling in a course.

Last semester, reviewers warned ad-ministration justice major Maranda Dean, 19, of a professor's heavy accent and disor-ganized teaching style.

To Dean’s dismay, the comments turned out to be completely accurate. “I ended up switching to an evening class and she turned out to be my favorite professor,” Dean said.

Engineering major Berenice Cervantes, 24, also used the website for insight on a public speaking course she signed up for.

“I was able to see that people thought my teacher was an easy grader and the ex-ams were helpful,” Cervantes said.

Cervantes emphasized the site’s cred-

ibility when her personal experience matched the comments she read before-hand.

“What the students say is true,” Cer-vantes said enthusiastically.

Although the site can provide keen in-formation on courses, comments can also leave viewers torn and conflicted.

Since students use the site to voice their admirations and vent their frustrations, it’s no surprise comments can range from happy to hurtful.

After referencing the websites com-ments “I found out some of the professors weren’t up to social standards of polite-ness” said 19-year-old psychology major Scott Miller.

With over 200 comments to his name, sociology Professor Paul Zisk chuckled at the mention of the student-led website.

“I think it’s hilarious,” Zisk said. “Some of the comments are really creative.”

One Zisk reviewer wrote,“Quite a char-acter! This guy pushes the limits each class. Crazy stories and many jokes.”

However, Zisk mentioned the website’s potential danger when students biased opinions determine their future courses.

“Usually students with good grades leave good comments and students with bad grades leave bad comments,” Zisk said.

Students must navigate the site like a ship when it comes to judging credibility.

“Everyone has their own opinion,” said 19-year-old social work major Kayalne Pearson.

But at least with ratemyprofessors.com, “I know what I’m getting myself into,” said Cervantes.

From praise to patrony, chili pepper to blue sad face, any comment is fair game with a website “led by students, focused on students,” Dean said.

"I think it's hilarious. Some of the comments are really creative."

-Paul ZiskSociology Professor

With registration approaching, students begin to search potential professors on ratemyprofessors.com

The Top 5 Hot Chili Peppered Professors

Other professors on campus who have been hot chili peppered

Jason Newman, History

Annmarie Beasley, Anthropology

Patty Felkner, Photography

Kathryn Mayo, Photography

Melanie Lewis, English

Shannon Mills, Anthropology

Paul Zisk, Sociology

David Weinshilboum, English

Martin Morales, Political Science

November 15, 2012 | News | 8 www.thecrccoNNectioN.com

FivepropositionswillchangeCalifornialaw

may not want to use their benefits until they get to the university.”

This semester Los Rios changed their enrollment ap-plication form to ask if a student is a veteran or in active duty.

“What we’re seeing is an influx of students definitely coming in,” Ursin said. “Students that have just retired from the military, that are young and want to go to school. They’re not in a mindset of dropping out.”

Ursin has 20 years of experience in helping students at CRC, including veterans of all ages.

“My personal observation is that the students who are in the military have a commitment to finishing what they’ve started,” she said. “They’re not inclined to drop out just because they don’t get along with the teacher. They will put up with a lot of garbage from students who are less mature.”

The college currently provides many opportunities for vets struggling to transition. Ursin refers to it as a “three-armed” conglomerate of resources.

The first arm is the newly opened Veterans Center, lo-cated on the second floor of the Learning Resource Cen-ter. It’s a place where students like Lester Stone, a veteran discharged in 2009, find solace in interacting with like-minded individuals.

“It gives the vets an opportunity to come in and hang out and share experiences,” Stone said. “They need help, and we’re here to help them.”

The second arm comes from the counseling depart-ment. Counselors like Ralph Hendrix and Teresa Aldrege

specialize in dealing with soldier’s needs. Soon, a group counseling effort provided by the VA

will give veterans on campus that are affected with post-traumatic stress disorder an opportunity to seek help from professional psychologists.

The third arm is the admissions office, where folks like Ursin are “jumping through the hoops” to get all the paperwork in so that soldiers returning home can retrieve their benefits, including giving priority zero enrollment to veterans.

It is a benefit that is sure to cut down the frustration level for vets needing a minimum number of units in order to continue to receive benefits.

Veteran Tony Dunns acknowledged the availability of resources and stressed the importance of being proactive to seek them out.

“There are areas here that all students can connect to,” Dunns said. “People are willing to help. It’s upon the indi-vidual to have the courage to ask.”

Setting aside the resources, not all veterans have the same career ambitions or circumstances.

“There’s a possibility I might be deploying,” David

Hayes, in the army reserve, said. “It might be a long time before I’m ever back here.”

Hayes is a mechanical engineering major working to transfer to a four-year. If he is deployed overseas next year, he intends to finish his education when he returns.

“Some veterans are not looking for the four-year expe-rience,” Ursin also clarified.

Many soldiers receive technical training during their service, so when returning home, she says, they are look-ing to utilize that experience in a job that would require a certificate.

These career paths may not amount to a traditional diploma, which could skew the prediction.

“If I were to just, out of the air, pull a number,” Ur-sin said, speaking in terms of CRC, “it would be less than 10 percent, and that’s not substantiated with data. It’s just based on what I see.”

“It’s been non-stop students who have been saying, ‘I want to get in,'" she said. “‘Here are my military discharge papers. What do I need to do next? Where do I go? Who do I see?’ The desire is too strong to have people say ‘For-get it. I’m going to bail.’”

Veterans Center: plans to help returning military personnel

WhatItMeans: Proposition 35 will increase

prison sentences for human traf-ficking convictions. It will also require human traffickers to reg-ister as sex offenders.

Furthermore, the bill will re-quire these registered sex offend-ers to disclose their Internet activ-ity and identities.

Proposition 35 could cost California a few million dol-lars but because fines will be in-creased on human trafficking violations, the potential revenue could be the same as the cost, ac-cording to the information guide.

WhatItMeans:Propostion 30 will increase

taxes for those making over $250,000 for the next seven years. Sales taxes will also be increased by a quarter of a penny for the next four years.

The revenue from these taxes will go towards maintaining and creating public education in Cali-fornia.

The taxes will increase fund-ing to community colleges in California by $210 million. The state will be able to add 20,000 additional community college students.

WhatItMeans: The state senate approved

boundaries for the districts of California to continue to be used.

These district boundaries were certified by the the Indepent Citizens Reistricting Commision.

By adhering to the current stucture of the districts, the State of California will save $1 million in revenue.

If Proposition 40 had failed to pass the California Supreme court would designate a new commision with the sole pur-pose of re-designing the district boundaries.

WhatItMeans: Proposition 39 closes the

loophole that multi-state busi-nesses used to escape paying cer-tain taxes to California.

The bill requires these busi-nesses to pay income taxes based on their percentage of sales in California.

Proposition 39 would in-crease state revenue $1 billion annually. Half of the new revenue will be dedicated to clean energy projects for the next five years.

The other portion would likely be spent on state schools, according to the official guide.

YES YESProposition 35

YESProposition 36

WhatItMeans: Proposition 36 revises the

California three strikes law. The new bill revises the law to impose a life sentence only when the new felony conviction is serious or violent.

The legislation may allow re-sentencing if the third strike was not serious or violent.

Proposition 36 would double the usual sentence for that third crime.

The bill saves the state cor-rectional institutes $70 million annually, according to the official voters guide.

YESProposition 39

YESProposition 40Proposition 30

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