Volume 48, Issue 8

currentcampus

Remembering Kevin Li

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currenta&e

Almost No One Danced to Their own BeatHeadphone Disco fails to draw crowd

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currentlifestyles

thecurrentissue8 volume48

the student newspaper of green river community college

march10.2014 www.thegrcurrent.com

Downtown Emergency Service Center HelpsHow students can give back to those less fortunate

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The tragic loss of a fellow student sends shack waves through campus.

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

LEAVING AUBURN FOR SPRING BREAK

MORE ON PAGE 5

By: Ian LobdellPhoto Editor

RememberingZongda “Kevin” Li

Arraignment for driver of automobile accident

March 3, the body of a Green River Student, Zong-da “Kevin” Li, 18, was found on the lookout point at the end of the trail system in the southeast corner of the campus. The King County Medical examin-er confirmed a gunshot as the cause of death. His death was ruled as a suicide.

Friends on Facebook began to search for him at about 11 a.m. after he posted a concerning Facebook status. Witness reports say they heard two gun shots around noon, and Campus Safety was informed when students found the body. The Auburn Police Department was called and dispatched shortly thereafter.

On March 6, a memorial for Li was held at the Campus Corner Apartments. President Eileen Ely spoke a few words and encouraged the attendees to remember Li’s life. “When you don’t have answers the best thing you have is relationships around you, and I think relationships and the opportunity to talk—together —here is. . . probably the best oppor-tunity for healing that we have,” said Ely.

Friends talked about how he was always helping others first and always participating in class. “He was really enthusiastic, he always participated, and he always offered up examples or his own experi-ences [and] opinions,” said Sociology classmate Sim Hee. “He had a lot to contribute [in class]. . . If you disagreed with him, he’d always disagree respectful-ly.”

Li was known as Kevin Li by his friends and peers at GRCC. Kevin was from China and was studying Bioengineering.

An arraignment was set for Qiang Liu, a student at Green River, on March 6, 2014. At around 10 o’clock on Sunday Feb. 16, Liu lost control and crashed his VW Phantom while driving with four friends.

Liu crashed into a power pole in the 11500 block of SE 320th ST, cresting the hill at a very high rate of speed, far over the speed limit.

The impact ejected two of his rear passengers Zhenyu Yang and Weihao Xu. Yang was pronounced dead at the scene by a King County Medic One after CPR was unsuccessful. Xu was sent to Harborview with severe injuries including head trauma.

The other two passengers, Zigeng Wang and Shixuan Yang suffered only minor injuries. The vehicle was traveling at around 80 mph in a post-ed 35 mph zone, on a wet road.

The impact with the power pole was great enough to remove the right rear door of the vehicle, punching holes in the sheet metal in the process. Instead of rebounding off the pole, the car sheared off the pole to the ground.

Two officers, Officer Scott and Officer Shepard arrived at the scene at around 10:13.

The total distance of the scene was 769 feet based on the information gathered by the two officers.

Neighbors quickly helped who they could, moving them into houses and tending to the wounded the best they could. Liu was quickly established as the driver and arrested soon after.

Liu was charged with three counts: Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, which were charged initially, and Reckless Endangerment which Liu was charged with later on. Liu’s

campus Spencer Rock| Campus [email protected]

www.thegrcurrent.com

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By: David PriceStaff Writer

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bail is set at $2 million.Liu also had a case pending of

Attempting to Elude a Pursuing Police Vehicle on Nov. 29 of 2013. The inci-dent took place at around 1 a.m. on Highway 167 while Liu drove to speeds of up to 120 mph attempting to lose a police vehicle containing Deputy Corlis and Sgt. Caballero. He passed other vehicles on the highway during the chase, and blew out the front right tire of the Volkswagen Passat he was driving.

The chase ended at the intersec-tion of Auburn Way N and 15 Street N when Liu stopped at a red light. Deputy Corlis instructed Liu to turn

the vehicle off, which Liu did then got back in the car. The deputy instruct-ing then told Liu to step out of the vehicle again, which Liu did. He then didn’t comply with verbal commands and was Tased.

Liu’s bail for that incident was set at $8,888,888.00. Liu pled not guilty to all charges during the arraign-ment. He was forced to turn over his passport to the clerk’s office, remain in King County, and is banned from driving any motor vehicles.

“I cannot answer any questions at this time,” said Gregory Scott Hoover, Liu’s defense attorney, when prompt-ed to talk about the charges Liu faced.

Quiang Lui standing at his arraignment in the Maleng Regional Justice CenterJesse Torres| The Current

By: Eugene KimStaff Writer

currentcampus 3march10.2014

GRCC OPEN BUDGET MEETING

The president, Eileen Ely, had the winter forum on March 6.

She started the winter forum with, “I cannot tell how difficult it was as college in the last three weeks.” The last three weeks have been hard and the deaths that occurred during this time were unusual and awful.

While she was considering the difficulty Green River Community College had, she was thankful to all of the students, faculty and staff members. She said GRCC can move beyond these struggles because of the understanding and support from peo-ple who were engaged. “I am really proud of the international program”, said Ely. She was also thankful to international program that provides mental care for the students.

An important budget meet-ing took place earlier in March in the Lindbloom Center. There were representatives there from all of the programs and clubs here at Green River Community College. Each of them had anticipated the meeting with great enthusi-asm. Each representative was asked a number of questions about why they needed the budget that was offered for their program.

Some of them felt that they needed the money because they needed more equipment to help their students reach the highest achievement and best learning atmosphere.

Those who attended also saw programs like the Diversity & Multicultural Affairs (DMA).

The DMA needs their bud-get because they are part of a program that helps students that may not have the same financial opportunity as some of our other students. This club offers to help students pay for get an education and to buy their books, despite their financial struggle.

They allow students to borrow books that the book store will not have, due to the limited amount of textbooks for certain classes. They also help to provide tutors for students that have a difficult time in their classes. The club organizes tutoring sessions for the students, in order to let the tutors to spend more time helping the students.

Although GRCC does have a tutoring center, this organiza-tion of tutors adds more time for each individual by focus-ing on a smaller group of stu-dents, rather than the entire student body. This allows the tutors to have the time to sit down with the students, one on one, for a longer amount of time.

They also offer help to our students whose first language is not English. They set stu-dents up with tutors that can be helpful in learning to speak a new language. The DMA not only offers assistance to low income families or house-holds, but to any student who is willing to come to them and ask for their help.

There were many people there whose sole purposes were, and continue to be,

helping students find finan-cial aid to help them make their way through school.

There were also some rep-resentatives from our Kent campus. The Kent campus hosts about 1,224 students per quarter. This alternate campus is in need of contin-ued funding in order to create more programs for its growing student population. They feel as though there is less of an opportunity on campus for after class activities.

There was also a represen-tative of the sports program in attendance. This represen-tative felt that the program is in need of an increased investment in the GRCC base-ball team and cheer-leading squad. They also feel that it is necessary to add an athletic trainer to the program.

Diversity, Kent Campus Ask for Funding


President Speaks on Hard Times

This week, a couple piles of debris were hauled off in semi trucks being diverted to recycling and waste cen-ters. There were two piles of building materials to get off the site.

Next week, the plan is to take half of the Shipping and Receiving (SS) build-ing down and leave half of it up. A por-tion of that building needs to remain during the duration of the demolition work for the shipping and receiving people at the college to use.

“The reason the SS building isn’t coming down all at once is because we had to run some power and telephone lines to the guys in shipping and re-ceiving so they can maintain commu-nication, power and turn their lights on and off when working,” said project

manager Michael Samborsky of Walsh Construction.

A temporary roof will be put over the remaining portion of the SS building.

Walsh is going to crush the founda-tion and existing concrete slabs with a crusher and a jackhammer and then remove those materials from the site. This should take another week.

Concrete crushing aside, the main bulk of demolition is expected to be completed two weeks from now.

After finals and grading, excavation of the construction site should start. Walsh is going to bring bulldozers and excavators to flatten out the area and remove stumps and roots out from un-derneath the dirt of the construction site. He also plans to move material around to get ready for a building pad and foundation.

Workers will be coming in to pour concrete about a month after that.


SS Building to be recycledIan Lobdell | The Current

GRCC has its own UN organi-zation.

“Diversity is a future of Green River Community College,” said Michael Tuncap, the director of the diversity office.

Michael Tuncap came to GRCC in May 2012. At that time the diversity office had four different programs for students. Now, the office has expanded to 18 differ-ent programs, and is continuing development. There are six main groups in the diversity depart-ment: Pacific Islanders Students Union, Green River Veterans Club, MSA, First Nations, Latino Student Union and Black Student Union.

The diversity office holds many annual events which promote diversity in the college. A few examples are the African Ameri-can Leadership Conference, Fall Diversity Festival, First Peoples Conference, and Students of Col-or Conference, among others.

138 different cultures are counted in our college communi-ty today. 25 of them are working in the Diversity office. Most of the workers are bilingual. The director of the program, Michael Tuncap, compares the office with the United Nations organization. The goal of the diversity office is to make GRCC the most multicul-tural college in the US.

“By 2016, our diversity office will be the number one diversity office

in the US. This will hopefully attract many new students to our community,” said Tuncap.

The diversity office has a four year developing plan from 2012 to 2016. The office already started helping students with book supply, by organizing a free book loan program which is available for every student.

Also, the diversity office is of-fering work for students who are interested. The office cooperates with International Programs, Stu-dent Life, financial aid, and Work Force, which helps them provide students with jobs.

Tuncap’s work helps increase the number of graduating students, and develop diversity within the college. Employees of the diversity office help students to go all the way to graduation and also aid in the transfer to a four year school.

Commencement Achievement Program (CAP) in Green River is organized in the Diversity Office and it is directed to help stu-dents successfully navigate GRCC academics. The program helps historically under-served stu-dents who need help connecting with the right people, as well as community services, advisors or special organizations.

The next big event will be held by the diversity office on April 23, and will be an Equity Conference. The guest speaker is Dr. Cornel West. Workshops for faculty, graduating students and com-munity organizers will be there during the conference.

Plans are in the works for a new Downtown Auburn Campus to be built parallel to Auburn Way North. This acquisition includes an approximate 3.7 acres of vacat-ed land, according to Washing-ton’s State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). It is located near the Auburn Regional Hospital and about a quarter mile from the Auburn airport. The building is going to be large, at 36,000 square feet and three floors high.

Currently, GRCC is leasing building space at Auburn Center near the train station. The plan is to move everyone from that space into the first floor of the new downtown Auburn campus. The nursing and aviation programs are expanding from being an Associates program to Bachelors. To free up room in the technology center of the main campus these two programs would be moved to the downtown campus to make way for the Information Technol-ogy of Applied Science (IT BAS) programs. The nursing program

would be on the second floor and Aviation on the third.

The Aviation department seems very excited about this change. “The relocation will consolidate us into one building. Right now our classes are scattered all over the place,” said Aviation instruc-tor George Comollo.

An additional benefit is the close proximity to the airport.

“We train people to be ready to go into the aviation field - job ready - so after two years they’re ready to work. It’ll be important that they have real life experience to get them to that. Students are going to be able to just walk across the street, and fly,” said Josh Clearman, Dean of Technol-ogy and Trades Divisions.

Easier access to the campus is another benefit students will have. The area where the new campus is going to be built is right off of Highway 167, accord-ing to Clearman. “If it takes an extra 30 minutes to go up the hill and park and then come back then that’s an extra thirty min-utes out of your day. When you’re working and attending school time is critical.”

As it turns out the college will

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Diversity Office Info

Details on construction of Auburn Campus not be petitioning the state for money to build this campus like they did with the Student Life and Trades Building. According to SBCTC the estimated cost of this project is $15.5 million. In order to pay this exorbitant cost, the college will be drawing upon local funds the college has in reserve for times like these, (dubbed “local” because they do not come from the state). A locally supported Certificate of Participation (COP) will also be requested to fund the construct-ing of the facility.

One question that has not been answered yet is how the plans for this project are going to be imple-mented. “Right now what they’re doing with the Auburn Center is working with the architects and getting a design together,” said college spokeswoman Vickie Sheehan, “once they get that fig-ured out we will know what we’re looking at cost wise.” Sheehan also said that the estimation the permits would be acquired by spring 2015, start construction by summer 2015, and then be completed by summer 2016, and hopefully have the new campus open by fall 2016.


currentcampus march10.2014


Save a tree!

Read thecurrent on issuu.com

Vacant lot in Auburn where a new Green River campus will soon be built.Dominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

A sign outside of the Office of Diversity: Equity & Inclusion office.


5

GETTING AWAY DURING SPRING BREAK

DISTANCE:BEST ROUTE:EST. TIME:GAS MONEY:ATTRACTIONS:

PORTLAND, OR

VANCOUVER, BC

PORT ANGELES, WA

SEASIDE, OR

SPOKANE, WA

153 MilesI-5 South

2 hours 24 Minutes$23

No sales tax


164 MilesI-5 North


Drinking age is 19


118 MilesHighway 16 North


Olympic National Park



178 MilesI-5 South


A real beach

279 MilesI-90 East


Riverfront Park

AUBURN, WA

Spring Break is practically a rite of passage for a College stu-dent. Whether you’re looking forward to recovering from finals or partying like the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, there’s am-ple opportunity to make memories. If you are looking to hit the road for a while, here are some recommendations on where to go, how long it will take to get there, and a few attractions that are worth mentioning.

a&e Laura Gray | A&E [email protected]


6 thecurrent

By: Patrick DalyStaff Writer

Movie CalendarNeed For Speed

Veronica Mars

Mar.

14

Muppets Most Wanted

Divergent

Mar.21

On Thursday Feb. 27 Green River hosted an event for the Interurban Center for the Arts called “Painting with the Stars.” The purpose of this event was to help support art programs in Washington's elementary schools. Art programs are being shut down in several elementary schools. Art is a way that some students express themselves, so losing the arts is a big blow in these students' lives.

Parents volunteer at elementary schools to help teach children the arts. Green Riv-er’s event helps these parents and students by supporting their creativity and remind-ing the younger generation how import-ant art is. It also encourages upcoming students, and helps teach children from nearby elementary schools using a variety of different methods. There were about 30-40 elementary schools represented at the event, with a few drawings and paintings from students in second to sixth grade, showcasing their works to the guests.

But the kids were not the only people showing off their artistic abilities. There were also professional local artists who were showcasing their work. Each profes-sional artist had their own station around the room where they would present differ-

ent kinds of art such as sewing, woodcarv-ing, pottery and painting. There was also a large poster board of a Seahawk that guests could color in as well.

Artists like Rawhide Papritz, who began his visual art experiences by drawing and painting features like the Old Portuguese Fort Jesus in Mombasa, Kenya. He has also drawn the burned out city hall in Hiroshi-ma, Japan, the unique geological features of Devils Tower in Wyoming, and the stone towers of the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. “We are using this facility for the fundraising for the auction of the art programs,” said Papritz on the importance of this event to the Green River community.

There was an auction going on at the event. Each artist offered something to auction off at the end of the event. There was another auction section where there were different kinds of paintings and ce-ramic plates that the guests could bid on. There was even a large metal football up for bidding. The starting prices for auction items started as low as $16 and went up to about $275. All the proceeds were donat-ed to the children’s art program that was hosting the event.

“The Terror” is a horror-alternative history novel based on the failed Franklin expedition from the years 1845-1848. The majority of the book is about the crew’s attempt to survive in the harsh arctic weather after their ships, the HMS Terror and the HMS Erebus, become trapped in ice. Many ordeals hinder their attempts at survival and escape including poisoned provisions from unsanitary practices, scurvy, and lightning and hail storms that assault the crew while exploring the ice. In addition to all of this there is a monster out on the ice killing the crew off one by one.

The prose is excellent although not as poignant as some of his earlier, more popular novels such as “Hyperion” or “Summer of Night.” Still this book does have a very unique structure like many of his other books. The story is told through the perspectives of three men aboard the ships, Crozier the captain of the HMS Terror, Goodsir the surgeon, and Franklin the captain of the HMS Erebus. At first, the perspectives of these three characters occur at different time periods with Crozier's chapters happening in the present and Goodsir's a few years earli-er. Goodsir’s chapters are mostly told in the first-person through diary entries. A slow read, Simmons takes much time to describe the abhorrent environment. The gritty details are not left out.

Rio 2

Oculus

Apr.

11

A Haunted House 2

Apr.18

By: Eudrice GildonStaff WriterPromoting the Arts

Dominic Yoxtheimer | The CurrentDominic Yoxtheimer | The Current

By:David PriceStaff Writer

NoahMar.

28

Captain America:The Winter Soldier

Apr.4

Student Life put on a Headphone Disco in the Lindbloom Center on March 6th. This is another first as far as Green River dances go. Headphone discos are a rela-tively new party style to hit the scene.

The dance started at 7 pm and ended at 11 pm. The cost for students was $5 and $7 for non-students.

At 9:30 pm, there were about 15 people dancing and yelling with headphones on. There were two DJs on the stage in the front of the cafeteria. The decorations looked like something from a rave. There were even hula hoops going around to

spice up the dancing. The dance moves were much more conservative than at homecoming.

The cost to book this Headphone Disco was $3000. The event was put on and fund-ed by Student Life.

“It’s spreading quickly,” said DJ Screw Loose, who has done countless headphone discos all around New England.

A Headphone Disco is very similar to all other dances, as long as you are wearing the headphones. The headphones have two settings, one for each DJ. DJ Candy played mostly throwback hip hop. DJ Screw Loose

played a more contemporary mix.With the headphones, dancers listen

to their preferred music. Without the headphones, lyrics from different songs are being shouted back and forth.

According to the DJs, it is important to start out by playing everyone’s favorite song. This helps people get used to the idea. Then, they will go into the less pop-ular music once people are comfortable rocking out to their head phones.

It is definitely important to help people get used to the idea. Trying to dance in a silent dance hall is a hard idea to sell.

Almost No One Danced to Their Own Beat

Sci-fi Novel Presents Harrowing Struggle

Headphone Disco Failed to Draw a Crowd

Ian Lobdell | The Current Ian Lobdell | The Current

Green River students enjoy a private jam at the Headphone Disco.

currenta&emarch10.2014 7Crossword

1. Seven sided polygon2. Protection from rain4. Largest Country6. The _____ of the Rings7. Yellow bag of chips9. Season of crunchy leaves10. Gum disease11. World’s Largest Online Retailer

3. Washington state marine animal5. You throw a ball into a basket8. The _______ Dead12. Coffee Shop started in Seattle13. Capital of Ukraine14. Famous grunge rock band from Seattle15. GRCC school mascot16. Expensive edible crustacean

DOWN

ACROSS

Across3. Orca5. Basketball8. Walking12. Starbucks13. Kiev14. Nirvana15. Alligator16. Lobster

Concert CalendarKings Of Leon

Local Natives

@ Seattle Key Arena(Doors open at 8 pm $40 - $215)

Mindless Self Indulgence Death Valley High, Iris

@ El Corazon(Doors open at 7 pm Show at 8 pm, $25 in Adv. $30 Day of Show, All Ages, Bar with ID)

11

Apr.

Apr.

15

Mar.23

Caravan PalaceGood Co.

@ Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room(Doors open at 8 pm $25 in Adv. 21 and Over)

Beats Antique

@ Showbox Sodo(Doors open at 8 pm Show at 9 pm $22 in Adv. $25 Day of ShowAll Ages, Bar with ID)

Apr.

5

In and Around: The Auburn Area

There are a number of opportuni-ties for performing arts in Auburn in the next month.

The Auburn Ave Theater presented a series of movies for the Olympic games, including Miracle on Ice. Then on March 28 they will show Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, Psycho, which is the basis for cur-rent Showtime show “Bates Motel.”

Theater goers can look forward Comedy at the Ave on March 14 featuring local comedians.

The Auburn Performing Arts Center also has a full line-up for the next few weeks. The Auburn Sym-phony Orchestra performed a family friendly adaptation of the Brothers Grimm tale, The Bremen Town Musicians, narrated by KING FM’s Marta Zekan, on March 2 at 4 pm.

Then on March 9, the chamber or-chestra presented a double feature, the Circus Ballet and a Little Jazz at St. Matthew Episcopal Church in Auburn.

Last week the Auburn Symphony performed a series called “Musical Gems,” featuring three stand alone pieces from composers Nielsen, Weber, and Dvorak.

The Auburn Ave also presented

“Goldilocks & the 3 Bears” as a part of the Ave Kids performance series, with themes like teamwork and friendship, it was a family education centered show playing off the well-known fairy tale.

The Ave will soon host the Jet City Improv troupe on March 21 at 7:30 pm. Much like Green River’s own improve troupe, The Ministry of Madness, this fun, family-friendly show includes several skits, games, and songs based on audience partic-ipation.

If Tacoma is within range, the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts always has something going on. Black Violin, an ensemble of classical instruments playing mod-ern beats, performed on March 7 at the Pantages Theater. There was

By: Aaron BalesCopy Editor

the Poetry Out Loud competition on March 8 at the Theater on the Square.

Auburn High School Actor’s Guild presents “Once Upon a Mattress,” the Broadway musical adaptation of the fairy tale of the princess and the pea, showing March 6-8 and 13-15 at 7 pm.

The Auburn Riverside High School drama program presents “All Shook Up,” a musical telling the story of legendary King of Rock, Elvis. The show is running March 6-8 and March 13-15 at 7:30 pm, with dinner shows on March 7 and 14.

Auburn Mountainview High School drama will be performing their Spring play, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” on March 20-22, and March 27-29 at 7:30 pm.

Down1. Heptagon2. Umbrella4. Russia6. Lord7. Lays9. Autumn10. Gingivitis 11. Amazon

A sign points towards the entrance to the Auburn Performing Arts Center.


8

Running For Your LifeThe Benefits of Staying in Shape

lifestyleSpencer Rock| Lifestyle Editor

[email protected]

thecurrent

By: Haley CurlStaff Writer

“I don’t like running, I feel it’s pointless. I like football, and sports, not sprinting or running for no reason,” said Green River student Jerry Thiel. How many of us have thought this exact same thing?

I used to think it was dumb to go out running. I watched track teams in high school and shook my head, astounded. How on earth could someone willingly submit to running that far, and

for that long? I honestly thought that the only time I would run is if I were being chased.

Now, however, I have watched the health benefits of loved ones who went from a sedentary lifestyle to running every day. I’ve seen women begin to believe in themselves, and diagnosable depression lessen immensely over the course of three months.

I got curious and started re-searching. I found that, according

to many websites (but in this instance, specifically health.india.com) there are nine specific health benefits that are a result of running.

Running is fantastic for your heart, lungs, bones and digestion. It slows down visible aging, helps you to sleep, and obviously helps you lose weight.

Running is also proven to help reduce depression. Health.india.com states that, “What happens

is that running releases endor-phins in your body and thus elevates your mood.” On a day to day basis, the endorphins help to battle the depressive tendency.

Long term moods are more consistently happy after someone has begun to run regularly.

According to Health.india.com, “People who run have better self-confidence as they know they are choosing good health in their lives. Also, running releas-es endorphins and gives you an escape from all the stress that can accompany existence in the urban world.”

Running start student K.C. McIntyre told us that her habit of going for a run, “. . .shows how I can make small goals and ac-

complish them. And I feel better about my body because I know I’m taking care of it and being healthy.”

Running is a fantastic way to in-corporate activity into every day. Bradley Heart explained to me that, due to being in the military, he is “required to run a mile and half in approximately 11 minutes.”

So how do we get into this hab-it? When I asked how he began adding a run into every workout, another student, Brendan Bersey said, “Training for climbing, skiing and the military. . .I feel healthier, I eat better, my weight stays in check and it aids me an all my actives. I look forward to it.”

By: Michelle SpencerStaff Writer

Downtown Emergency Service Center HelpsMost students, if they want to

continue onto a four year college program need to have some sort of community service under their belt. A lot of shelters and non-profit organizations offer many volunteer programs for stu-dents from all over Washington.

One of the most well-known and outspoken organizations can be found in Seattle, Downtown Emergency Service Center or DESC. DESC provides housing and care for homeless adults in the downtown Seattle area. They focus mainly on the homeless with severe behavioral health disorders and addictions to drugs and alcohol. DESC’s mission is to care for and keep homeless citizens safe without strict hous-

ing rules. They do not want their clients to feel judged or worried about being themselves in their own homes.

“Often times you hear the rants like ‘They did this to themselves’ and ‘They’re choosing this life-style, if only they worked harder.’ Nobody wants to be homeless.” Says Volunteer Manager of DESC, Hannah Mandala. “It’s usually a symptom of a series of events di-rectly related to people’s health.”

DESC aspires to be a welcoming and understanding community to all homeless who are in need of attention and care in their lives. While DESC supports sobriety, it is not a requirement for living in their housing complexes. They do not force any sort of religious ideals and are open to all inter-pretations of a higher power or none.

“Our goal is to help someone, wherever they are in life start to move towards the best quality of life they can achieve. For some people that just may be taking a shower every day or engaging in a community. But for someone with schizophrenia or late stage addiction or late stage alcoholism that’s a lot to ask, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to be safe,” said Mandala.

The homeless men and women that are housed in DESC shelters are given as many rights as some-one who signs a lease with an apartment building. This method can ultimately save the taxpayer thousands of dollars in the long run. Studies have shown that victims of alcohol abuse are less likely to drink if they are in a safe, judgement-free environment. This means less visits to the

emergency room from overdose and less use of the jail systems. Putting them in just one of the eleven DESC apartment buildings will save the city of Seattle $4 million a year.

“People’s beliefs aside and politics aside, it boils down to saving the taxpayers money and standing back and saying it’s the ethical thing to do,” says Manda-la. “They’re drinking less, they’re safer, they have more of an op-portunity to grow and to change.”

DESC offers many programs for students from all around Wash-ington looking to get involved with their shelter and to help change the lives of so many people in need. One project that can be done by students is a move-in kit drive. This would involve getting donated items for formally homeless citizens mov-

ing into their new apartments sponsored by DESC. This drive can even be done on campus with permission from the school. Getting involved with any sort of homeless organization, even just for a day, not only looks good on a college application but can also be self-fulfilling.

“People say all the time that volunteering is a selfless thing,” Mandala said. “The truth is it’s not a selfless thing, people wouldn’t do it if they don’t get anything out of it.”

“What I believe is that serving or helping another human being gives you a moment of not being inside yourself so much. Research actually shows that being of ser-vice to another person increases peoples’ general happiness. So if you’re having a hard time, go and help somebody.”

Volunteer embracing a homeless man in Seattle. A homeless woman covers her belongings with a towel to keep them dry.

DESC| Courtesy Photo

currentlifestylesmarch10.2014 9Bai Tong: A Slice of Thai

By: Evan YuStaff Writer

It is common for students to have at the Pacific North-west has a colorful palette of cultures which lead to a unique dining experience. Though Auburn has good ethnic restaurants, if you want to find the best you have to drive a bit farther. Bai Tong located in Red-mond and also in South-center has some of the most delicious, authentic Thai food I’ve ever experienced. In 1989 the original Bai Tong was founded near Sea-Tac by former flight attendant Chanpen Lapangkura and has since thrived within the Pacific Northwest com-munity. Walking into the restaurant you can see many awards and reviews on their black wall, bearing a com-mon message: it simply is a great place to get Thai food.

Bai Tong’s menu has a lot of options with entrée prices start at $9. They have the classic dish, Pad Thai, which

I strongly recommend if you have never eaten Thai food before. Pad Thai is noodles stir-fried with eggs and flavored with tamarind, with your choice of chicken, tofu or seafood. This noodle entrée is one of Thailand’s national dishes and has a unique flavor that Bai Tong masterfully pinpoints.

Additionally Bai Tong caters to vegetarians. The restaurant marks entrees with a “Veg” to indicate this. The Mixed Veggie Deluxe is a healthy dish composed of many vegetables including bamboo shoots that are tossed and stir-fried in their seasoned wok. Bai Tong has the ability to masterfully cook vegetables so they don’t instantly dissolve when bitten and aren’t rock hard either.

When I went to Bai Tong I got the Pad Sei-Iew. Their Pad Sei-Iew is one of the best noodle dishes I’ve ever tasted, it consists of wide noodles lightly seasoned with soy sauce and stir fried

with broccoli and your choice of meat, in my case chicken. The dish tastes light while still retaining comfort-food status that feels hot and filling. After-wards, I decided to order a classic Thai dessert, Man-go Sticky Rice which was absolutely scrumptious. It features warm sticky rice enriched with sweetened coconut milk served with freshly sliced mango.

The atmosphere of Bai Tong is relaxed with dim lights and beautiful Thai decor. Bai Tong would be a perfect place for a date, lunch, or dinner, though be sure to make reservations on weekends as the restaurant gets quite packed during the week. The staff was friendly, regularly checking for any needs, and the restaurant was kept quite clean. The restaurant takes a justified pride in its culinary au-thenticity and delectability which makes Bai Tong a premier restaurant for Thai cuisine.

Intro to St. Patrick’s Day By: Patrick DalyStaff Writer

If you are new to celebrating St. Pat-rick’s Day or are new to American culture in general, this St. Patrick’s Day guide may help.

St. Patrick was born in England in the fifth century. He was captured by pirates as a child and forced into slavery in Ire-land. He later escaped back to England, but returned to Ireland as a missionary. Now he is the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland with his feast day being March 17. St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated for many years by wearing blue on that day every year.

According to folklore, St. Patrick used the shamrock as a symbol to teach Chris-tian beliefs. The shamrock, or clover leaf, is a small green plant with three leaves which is what lead to St. Patrick becom-ing synonymous with the color green instead of blue.

The shamrock continued to be part of St. Patrick’s legacy even after it was no longer a tool for teaching Christianity. Instead, people rub shamrocks between their fingers for good luck.

Today, millions of Americans celebrate by wearing green. On St. Patrick’s Day you may see hundreds or thousands of people wearing green to celebrate the holiday.

Many people participate, but is this due to celebration or fear? It became a tradition that if someone were caught not wearing green, they would get pinched. The pinch became the sanctioned punish-

ment, enforced by hardcore St. Patrick’s Day fans. However, the effects are short lasting.

Another popular clothing item to wear on St. Patrick’s Day are t-shirts that say “Kiss Me I’m Irish.” This saying refers to the tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland. Kissing the stone is said to make it so the person will never be at a loss for words.

All of these are popular traditions, but they are mostly still around so minors don’t feel totally left out while their par-ents celebrate with drinks.

The more popular tradition of St. Patrick’s Day is to drink a lot of alcohol. Many participants of the holiday are Christians. St. Patrick’s Day occurs in the middle of the Christian season of Lent.

During Lent many Christians fast and abstain from certain luxuries like alcohol. However, there is one day off from Lent and that is St. Patrick’s Day.

The holiday is placed exactly two weeks into Lent. The celebration is magnified because of this. Many bars have special promotions where they sell green beer.

Across America, all of the major cities celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in their own way. Many cities have parades. Chicago dyes its rivers green, the White House fountain is filled with green-dyed water, and the Empire State Building is lit up with green lights.

Seattle has a St. Patrick’s Day parade every year. The parade route is painted green and everybody with Irish affiliation or fondness for the holiday is welcome.

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Ornate dining area inside Bai Tong restaurant in Southcenter.Bia Tong| Courtesy Photo

10 opinion Lisa Gray | Opinion [email protected]


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Correction:In the Feb. 24 issue a factual error was made in “GRCC Hosts First Homecoming Dance”, saying that the king and queen were chosen by the crowd but they were actually chosen by a ballot at the beginning of the dance. In the same article, we stated that the main coordina-tors were three students Emeka Odoh, Alexandro Maldonaldo and Matt Yango. Instead, the dance was made with com-mitees instead of separate students.

Corrections

It has been said that one only knows a good thing when it’s gone. In terms of death and loss, does this saying hold any truth?

When a loved one passes or moves away, is it only then that they are noticed as “good”?

Jesse Peterson thinks so. He says that, “When people know their date, they tend to change their lifestyle…” and “…try to put some value to their life.”

The idea that when the clock starts timing out, the motor of life starts kicking in to make things worthwhile, seems to be a common theme in today’s culture.

Bucket lists are an excellent example. Many people make them, yet the only people who adamantly try to check things

off are people who feel their time running out.

The lifespan of a person could almost be compared to the lifes-pan of a homework assignment in terms of procrastination. Any col-lege student would suggest that completing homework assign-ments on time and not waiting until the last minute is the best strategy, yet few actively use it.

How does this relate to death?Well, just like homework as-

signments, the lives of human be-ings have due dates. Many young people think about life as a long and grueling process in which college and high school are the worst parts.

Yet, when adults grow older and become more and more aware of the ever-looming due date, they learn to appreciate those rushed days of youth much more.

Many regret their early lives,

Editorial PolicyThe Current is a limited public forum for student expression, in which student editors make policy and content decisions. Green River Community College delegates editorial responsibility for the content of the publications. The college acknowledges the dual free purpose of student publications as instructional tools and as vehicles for free inquiry and free expression in the academic community. The views and opinions expressed in The Current do not necessarily reflect those of the college or student body.

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Due-Dates: Death Makes Life Worth More

Jesse MaiwaldSports Editor

and like Peterson said, they try reshaping their name and giving the world something to remem-ber them by.

Some can look back and say they did something worthwhile. Jabari Barton says he is “…glad they were around long enough to teach me what they did,” when asked to remember the feeling of losing a loved one.

Any person can hope for such a thing after living a long life, and completing as many valuable and satisfying things as possible before their due date.

Here the question is raised, what if the due date is closer than expected?

What if a professor changes the due date to a week earlier, leaving no time to finish the assignment?

There is no clear answer to why or how to deal with an early or unexpected death. When a child

is killed in a car accident, and their due date suddenly is no longer in the future but instead too soon and too close, they don’t even have time to accept it.

Due Dates: Good or Gone? Jabari says, “Everything happens for a reason.” If death could have a reason, I think it would be to appreciate life more.

If children dying could have a reason, it would be to teach every person that relying on due dates as indicators of when to start living life is a hunk of bologna.

If everyone lived life to the fullest every day, as in living every moment like it was their last, due dates would no longer be import-ant, then the tragedy of growing old or losing a loved one would be balanced out by the knowledge that all things are good−even before they are gone.


Heavy Class Load

Have you ever crammed for an exam the night before? For the full time student multiply that by three. This only applies if you are a procrastinator like myself. Let's bump it up even further. How about five classes or six classes? This winter quarter, I enrolled in six classes where five of them were five-credit classes. Now imagine procrastinating for all six of these classes the night before something is due. Trust me, counting seconds to minutes to hours is not an exciting experi-ence.

I did not jump into this six class enrollment off the bat. I gradually worked my way up to this amount of classes. My first quarter here I took 15 credits per quarter. Two quarters after that it was 20, and the next quarter 25. I've worked all the way up to 28 and I'm feel-ing the heat.

Whenever I think that aca-demics is getting tough, I am reminded of a friend that left fall quarter. Steve is his name. He took a whopping 45 credits over the summer. Taking 45 credits is challenging enough but when taken during a summer quarter, it becomes admirable.

I asked Steve, "How do you manage the assignments when they all have similar due dates?"

He replied, "Well, honestly you have to study bit by bit, piece by piece, on every subject in order to keep up. If not, and you end up procrastinating, then you better make some sacrifices."

So would you recommend this kind of enrollment to other students?

“I'm just trying to graduate early and go back home to Ore-gon,” Steve said. “I don't know if everyone else has similar goals. Therefore, I cannot say. But if I had to give an opinion on this matter, don't do what I am doing if you care about your GPA.”

After speaking with Steve in fall quarter, I realized taking 25-30 credits per quarter is not so bad after all. I just have to remember the detrimental effects of pro-crastination. Taking academics step by step and piece by piece is the most effective method in achieving beyond full time stu-dent enrollment.

Do all your assignments and studying on a daily basis in small amounts. Remember to keep up with all your syllabuses. As a matter of fact just keep all of your syllabuses together in one pile for easy access. Use a calendar to organize all your due dates for assignments, and mark your exam dates.

Most important of all look at your calendar everyday.

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currentopinionmarch10.2014 11

A common financial question we face every day is simple: should we pay with cash or credit? The money management between paying with cash or a credit card is controversial.

People make the decision based on logical considerations such as, the cash you have, the limitation of your credit card, and the amount of the pur-chase. However, why do people tend to spend more when they use a credit card? First, it is much easier to use credit card than cash. Second, people cannot see their cash decreas-ing when they pay with a credit card. They feel fine about a high price with a credit card, and end up spending over their budget.

A Green River Community College Student named Ashley Welch said, “I try to use cash so I can keep track of my money better and spend less in the long run. Though I often use my credit card for bigger purchases. Credit cards definitely can cause you to waste your money faster

The Smart Way To Use a Credit CardGO THE DISTANCE.Personal attention, small class sizes, academic programs designed for the 21st century, and a commitment to affordability — it’s how Saint Martin’s University can prepare you for unlimited possibilities.

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since all you have to do is swipe the card. I try to keep track of my spending but I usually end up spending more.”

A credit card makes people unaware of extravagance. It happens because of the uncon-sciousness of spending money. People don’t count how much they spend accurately until they get bills since they usually stop keeping track of money. Using a credit card requires a strong mind to suppress extravagance. Otherwise, people might spend a lot of money on unnecessary things.

Even though a credit card may cause of extravagance, a credit card is still important for financial actions, especially on internet-based shopping. It’s definitely more convenient to do online shopping with a credit card. Using a credit card allows people to carry a lot less cash, too. Also, you may get rewards and benefits from your pur-chase, such as cash-back, gift cards, and so on. Furthermore, using a credit card is one way to avoid being robbed.

Another Green River Com-munity College student, Sharon Wu said, “I use credit card more often because I don’t like to get too much change, I don’t like to bring a lot of cash in fear of being robbed, also, a credit card is a convenient tool when needing to pay a large amount of money or when others do not have change, it saves a lot of problems.”

If people are responsible and pay their bills, a credit card is a useful tool. However, many consumers struggle to make payments due to extravagance.

There are three steps to being a wise credit card user. First, you may get rid of your credit cards if you have more than one. This helps you to organize your payments, and makes it easy to keep track of bills. Second, take notes whenever paying with a credit card, so that you can visualize how much you spend. Third, make sure to check your statement once a month before an actual due date of payments, so you won’t be surprised about large bills.

By: Kotaro OizumiGuest Writer

It's one week until finals, and the time crunch is settling in. The cashier gives me a worried look, and I assure her the four 16-ounce Red Bulls are not to be consumed all at once. Her ex-pression relaxes, but I still feel her gaze on me as I leave the student store. She knows. The girl behind me knows. I know.

These cans are going to sit in the fridge until next Saturday−when the real work begins. 18-hour days will turn into 36-hour days, and all notions of health, happiness, and well being will be put on hold to bump up that grade point average by two tenths of a point. The lifestyle of a typical college student, right? Deep sleep comes rarely, time for relaxation is a fantasy, and the most important thing is staying on top of the grade.

In reality, the vision of the cra-zy, hard-working scholar staying up until five in the morning buzzed on coffee is just a stereo-type that so many of us foolishly accept as orthodoxy. Teachers want students to bleed for their exam scores. Parents want their kids to earn everything through

hard work and perseverance. The media portrays the college student as innovative, fearless, and striving for accuracy no matter the consequence.

Of course, there are those who dodge the onslaught of expecta-tions, or simply crumble under their weight. What is uncom-monly tried, however, is the simple act of being selfish.

This miracle could be the big break everybody is searching for. Weighing one's own health over the outcome of an exam? Is such a thing possible? Yes, Watson, such a thing is, in fact, elementary.

Here are a few things that no college teacher, parent, or media pundit will suggest: Eat blue-berries and fish. Blueberries and fish are known brain food, help keep focus, and taste heavenly. Eating healthy is the first step to feeling better about your grades, yourself, and life in general.

Go on a run. The best way to take a break from studying while keeping an active brain is to keep an active body. Stay away from “Call of Duty” and “Sky-rim”- which are great at killing those brain cells it has taken all quarter to train.

Finally, the night before an

exam, watch “Captain America.” At this point, any additional information crammed in a brain will sizzle up and burn, taking away some much needed sleep as well. Instead, get pumped up, like before a smack down in the cage. Watch Steve Rogers define honor, punch Nazis, and explain how to get chicks by being total-ly passive.

In summation, baby the brain. All quarter, dozens of equations and definitions and concepts have been pounded into memo-ry. So much so, that all the Red Bull, coffee, and sleep depriva-tion in the world will not make any difference the Saturday before.

Needless to say, this is all old news. Staying healthy and taking it easy is not a new-found cure for anxiety−it's been around a while. Yet I still buy four Red bulls religiously at the end of each quarter in prepara-tion for obliterating my sanity, as many other college students do. What is important to re-member is that the Red Bull and the two tenths of a point higher GPA will never beat watching “Captain America.”

Red Bull, or “Captain America?”

By: Elena PraggastisStaff Writer

Alternative Study Habits to Preserve Sanity

sports Jesse Maiwald| Sports Editor [email protected]


12 thecurrent

All the action deriving from the new Student Life Building is the beginning process of the construction of the new Recreational Athletic Center. This state-of-the-art complex is designed specifically for the student body to potentially have a 12-hours-a-day weight room and athletics center available to them.

“Priority one is the student body and making the facility accessible to all stu-dents,” said Athletic Director Bob Kickner. “This 12,000-approximate-square-foot complex will include a new bookstore, dining area, coffee shop, stage, student government office, and will represent the Student Life Building that will redefine the campus,” Kickner said.

While the new recreational center is being built, there have been a couple of nuisances that have followed.

“My only problem is that the shuttle got moved, taking me a few extra minutes to get to class and now it is in the parking lot with a bunch of asshole students,” said Green River student Taylor Harris. Students will be able to use the weights

Sat, March 15Sun, March 16Sat, March 22 Sun, March 23 Sat, March 29Sun, March 30Wed, April 2 Sat, April 5

Fastpitch Schedule

@ Walla Walla Columbia@Wenatchee @WenatcheeCentralia Tacoma @Bellevue @Tacoma

2 p.m 2 p.m11 p.m2 p.m1 p.m1 p.m3 p.m1 p.m./4 p.m.

Sat, March 8Sat, March 8Tue, March 11Sat, March 15Sat, March 15Fri, April 4 Fri, April 5Fri, April 18Sat, April 19Fri, April 25Sat, April 26

Bellevue OlympicEdmondsSpokane@Yakima Centralia@ S Puget SounGrays Harbor@ HighlinePierce @Centralia

RAC- Lacey RAC- LaceyEdmondsYakimaYakimaService ClubRAC- OlympiaService ClubDes MoinesService ClubCentralia

Baseball Schedule

1 p.m5 p.m3 p.m/5 p.m1 p.m3 p.m2 p.m/4 p.m1 p.m/3 p.m2 p.m/4 p.mNoon/2 p.m2 p.m/4 p.m3 p.m/5 p.m

Walla WallaPascoWenatcheeWenatcheeRussell Road Heritage Park BellevueTacoma

RECREATIONAL ATHLETIC CENTERNew Student Life building may cancel 24 Hour and LA Fitness gym memberships for students

By: Jesse MaiwaldSports Editor and elliptical machines, and registered

students living close to campus will be able to bolster recreational fitness by personal work-outs, basketball, table tennis, yoga, and even an indoor softball league.

“I would take part in indoor soccer and table tennis tournaments. I think having co-ed volleyball would be cool too,” Said Green River student Brian Shelton.

In the future Green River wants to devel-op more out-of-school sports clubs such as rugby and soccer. The facility is projected to be completed by the fall of 2015 during the 50th anniversary of GRCC.

“With this new building it gives the students more things for people to do together. Working out creates endorphins, therefore our school will be happier,” Harris said.

This innovative building will be a way for students and faculty to connect outside the classroom, and will be there primarily for students to have a comfortable place to work out in. This facility will not be closed for varsity athletics, and will be open to all Green River students.

“I can’t think of anything better the school could have spent its money giving back to the students,” Shelton said.

Taylor Harris Bob Kickner Brian Shelton

Documents

Volume 48, Issue 8