Issue 7 Spring 2019

THE

RAMPAGE

The Student-Run Newspaper of Fresno City College

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 7 | May 1, 2019

The Hunger Issue

For the typical college student, sitting through class is an annoyance. For students who suffer from food insecurity, class is a constant struggle.

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NEWS

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NEWS ASG Ends on a positive note. Plus, read about the new electronic voting method for asg elections.

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@FCCRAMPAGE The rampage online

Opinion We profile Marianne Combs, a woman suffering food insecurity and living in the poverello house "village."

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news editor tamika rey shares her personal experience with food insecurity and homelessness.

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ASG Elections: Voting Reminder Hannah Lanier | Reporter hlanier@therampageonline.com

THE RAMPAGE

The student-run newspaper of Fresno City College

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Tommy Tribble

News Editor Tamika Rey

Art Director Ramuel Reyes

Sports Editor Ben Hensley

Entertainment Editor Peter Lopez

Opinion Editor Gage Carmichael

Assistant Opinion Editor Sarah Chavez

Social Media Editor Omari Bell

Reporters

Alberto Granados Alfredo Rodriguez Angel De Jesus Blake Evans Conner Stevens Derek Bullis Emily Perez Gisella Luna Hannah Lanier Kellie Clark Leticia Leal Ramon Castanos

Business Manager Tamika Rey Joanna Murrieta

Adviser/Instructor Dympna Ugwu-Oju

Contact Us

Tip Line 559-422-8262

Letters to the Editor editorial@therampageonline.com

Check your emails and cast your votes, it’s election time at Fresno City College and this year the ballot is electronic.

The executive branch of FCC, also known as Associated Student Government, is currently having their fall 2019 elections.

All FCC students should have received an email with details regarding the new e-ballot being used for elections.

The email will include both a username and password

personalized to all students to ensure a secure ballot. Along with directions on how the e-ballot works.

The e-ballot was proposed in an ASG meeting during this Spring 2019 semester, where it hesitantly passed.

Some members of the organization were unsure as to whether or not the amount of money towards the e-ballot would be worth it.

Nevertheless, the bill passed and votes can be sent in from anywhere with internet access.

Voting will be open from Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 9 a.m. until Friday, May 3, 2019 at 10 a.m.

Almost all positions from President to Senators, excluding Vice President, are up for election.

Here is the list of candidates and the positions they are running for: Presidential Candidates: Marisol Valdivia, Business DeRon Walker, Computer Science

Senate Candidates: Alyssa Smith, Psychology Erika Tongol, Business Administration and Accounting Armando Garcia, Psychology Treasurer Candidate: Henry Evans, Sociology Trustee Candidate: Fernanda Tortoledo, Kinesiology Icc Chair Candidate: Bryan Macias, Business Management Communications Officer Candidate: Shanwanda Davis

Ending On A Positive Note Hannah Lanier | Reporter hlanier@therampageonline.com

ASG has been in the spotlight for the past year, and the current team have made great efforts to defy the labels that have been placed on the association.

Through the presidential position being turned into a game of musical chairs to being understaffed. The ASG has faced every obstacle head on as a team to conclude their year in the manner that they are: Noting their growth and stability.

Many bills have been proposed. Some passed, some denied. Clubs have received endorsements, sports teams have been provided money as condonement for good work.

Overall a lot has changed, but more has been accomplished in this short semester.

Marisol Validivia, current president of ASG, was thrown into a position that was given up by her predecessor, deciding to persevere in the unfortunate situation she was given.

“I stepped into a challenging moment for ASG,” said the ASG president, “We were able to grow closer as an organization.

There has been a lot of unity and

stability. A lot getting done.”

Stepping into her executive chair position, Validivia had the main goal of obtaining mandatory training for student governments at all California community colleges.

One of her proudest moments of her time as president was implementing said goal and turning it into a reality, “The resolution we presented was almost unanimously passed,” at the annual General Assembly for CCC. Training and proper understanding of rules has also been a priority for Trustee Carlos Rodriquez.

“I regret not getting trained enough,” Rodriguez reflected on previous years, “We did not come together until Marisol came in.”

Once again, the biggest accomplishment for the trustee was the essence of togetherness and cooperation, “We came together like a family, or a team,” said Rodriguez.

Every semester is different from the next, and each group after the previous learns from their mistakes and grows through the seeds that we planted.

ICC Chair Josephine Alvarez,

has been with ASG for the past six semesters and notices this current semester for all its positive reinforcement, “I do see a huge change from the past to today,” said Alvarez.

Yet with a list of accomplishments, follows an upset of failure and regrets.

“Granted we had our minor setbacks, we have pushed through,” said Alvarez, “I have regrets, but change is growth.

I wouldn't change anything because it is part of growing.”

The team has turned it weaknesses into strengths.

Pushing each other out of their comfort zones to a point of

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I wish to end on a positive note” -Marisol Validivia Current ASG President

production and proficiency.

Reflecting on all that this student government has been through, they surely wish to focus in on their ability to rise from the figurative yet symbolic ashes.

In each aspect of ASG, the group has moved to be better.

While most of the team is up for election for the upcoming fall 2019 semester, everything that the current team has started, they wish to finish this next semester.

Regarding the budget that the ASG is provided, they have been able to help most all of the clubs that have asked for their help.

While encouraging clubs in the future to take advantage of ASG’s willingness to help, or at least notice that it is there.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election, Valdivia wishes nothing but the best for the student government. “I would have no hard feelings. I want what is best for the student body.

Maybe it will be a good time to focus on myself and what I need, while being involved in any way that I can,” said Valdivia.

Simply put, “I wish to end on a positive note,” said the president.

Corrections media@therampageonline.com

Any correction needed for an article should be brought to the attention of the staff of The Rampage. The Rampage is committed to accuracy and should be made aware of any mistake in an article that appears in this paper.

Views expressed in the opinion pages are those of the individual writer and not of the newspaper.

The Rampage is produced by students of the Journalism 11 A, B, C, D class.

The Best Ways to Prepare for Finals Week Alfredo Rodriguez | Reporter arodriguez@therampageonline.com

Fresno City College offers many services that can help students stay on top of their game and prepare them for the end of the semester exams. Services offered here at FCC range from tutoring, the reading and writing center, PASS, ETC, EOPS, and the computer lab/media center.

FCC students have different habits for preparing for their finals. Some study weeks in advance so they won't have to pull off an all-nighters the day before the exam.

“Don't be that kid that studies the day before an exam,” said Tina Sureydi a second semester student here at FCC Sureydi says she does the

opposite of what her friends do, she studies weeks in advance and says that's a good habit of hers because compared to her friends they pull all-nighters and study the day before the final.

Eslie Nunez a second semester student and psychology major at FCC said most of her time is spent at the library studying for her classes. She says she likes the library because it's refreshing inside, quiet, and helps her concentrate more than studying outside. She says studying in the library can benefit you and your finals.

Cathy Ornelas a second semester student says she goes to the EOPS center for tutoring and to use the computers. Ornelas says she will study and get help from

EOPS to prepare herself for the end of the semester exams The Tutorial Center provides tutoring services for a variety of subjects, including English, Spanish, math and science courses including physics and biology.

They are open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m to 7 p.m, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Their page on the FCC website has the full list of subjects.

Students who are in need of some snacks and others goods during finals week can check out the Ram Pantry. The Ram Pantry, located by the bookstore is open Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Ram Pantry is a program

offered here at FCC that assist students in need of food and students with an ASB card can check the Ram Pantry.

Finals can add emotional stress to your average student who may already be dealing with problems and can get in the way of finals week. FCC offers psychological services to students who are eligible for clinical services.

Students seeking psychological services can head to the Student Center room 216, located above the bookstore schedule an intake session. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Finals week begins on Monday, May 20 and goes till Friday, May 24.

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“This is my little bruiser boy. He’s good protection. He don’t like aggressiveness. He’s a good alarm he does not hold back barking, and he barks at people who are no good. He has sense and I’m grateful for him he’s my best friend.” Marianne Combs with Shiloh, April 24, 2019 outside of Mike McGarvin Jr. Village of Hope. Photo/Tamika Rey

Combs Holds Her Own at Poverello House Tamika Rey | News Editor trey@therampageonline.com

“I’m homeless. I’ve been out here on the streets for six years. It’s not a picnic,” said Marianne Combs, standing about 4 feet, 11 inches. “It’s hard, especially being a woman out here.”

Combs stands out; she sports a nude lipstick and pink blush. She looks showered and well groomed.

She is very animated, even so early in the morning.

“You know, [women] are picked up or pimped out or get into drugs real heavy, and it’s rough out here. I call it a concrete jungle,” Combs said. She ended up the streets at the age of 57. Her husband of 41 years had just died.

Her puppy, Shiloh, is both her main companion and protection in an environment she says is not suitable for a woman such as her, or anyone for that matter. But even in the midst of her struggles,Combs and Shiloh try to stay positive.

“I’m always helping; you can ask anybody out here about me. I’ve never denied anybody food, clothing or shelter,” she said, now sitting on the curb and petting Shiloh, “I’m a caretaker. I like to take care of people, people that are sick, elderly, the weak, the meek, animals.”

How She Ended Up Here

“I’ve been out here for six years, and you know it’s hard. I’ve got health issues right now, and I’m trying to get housing, but I’ve been in there, oh God, since June of last year in the village,” Combs said.

The Poverello house provides overnight shelter at their villages, and emergency shelter at Naomi’s House.

“They are for people that are supposed to get housing within six weeks; I’ve been in there for nine months going on 10 months, and I still haven’t gotten anything. I feel like I’ve fallen through the cracks.”

Her previous life was very different.

“I owned my own home and everything. But I couldn’t come up with $2,000 in back taxes, property taxes, because they’re all tied up in everything when a person dies for a month and a half,” Combs said. “So, I lost everything.”

In front of the Poverello House, she is ahead of about two dozen people, sitting on coolers and turned over shopping carts; some are shooting dice, others play cards; a handful seem to be listening to rap music which blasts from a device on the sidewalk, all in front of the Poverello house.

“It’s a blessing and a curse being beautiful and out here because I’m not an object,” Combs said.

“I’m a human being.” As she spoke, a man, mumbling incoherently, walked up. Combs’ demeanor changes; she seems to be on alert and eyes the man repeatedly.

“And I take people for face value. I don’t expect much from anybody out here because it’s hard enough just taking care of yourself.”

The assistance she receives from the Poverello House include “services from the clinic for health reasons.” Combs uses the Women’s Center for “hygiene and showers and cleaning up.” She spends her nights in the village.

Directly in front of the Poverello House is a new building complex that appears clean from the outside. Combs told a different story about the inside and the people it shelters.

“They take in people that are mentally disturbed.

They should still take care of themselves, but they need to be housed in separate living area because people do take advantage,” she said.

Combs says that new residents take the shelter over, and sometimes mentally ill residents are afraid to do anything, becoming prisoners in their own home.

She says the real stories rarely get to the public.

“It’s the truth. There’s a lot of s**t out here that needs to be taken care of or at least addressed,” she said. “They’re saying people aren’t getting taken advantage of. There’s thievery, really bad.”

Rampant Crimes

Combs noticed that a black grocery bag on the ground beside her was gone. Someone had taken it while she spoke.

She suddenly seems anxious and afraid. Combs is ill and is exposed to violence and crime daily. She has even been sexually assaulted.

“I’ll be 63 this year. It’s on and crackin’ for me;

I shouldn’t be out here,” she said with a distressed look on her face. “Lately there’s been a lot of rapes going on. You know that’s kind of a surprise ‘cause I’ve been out here six years and you just hear about it once in a blue moon, I happen to be one of those.”

She didn't report it because she was fearful. “But you know I’m no worse for wear. I’m here. And I’m not gonna whine over it. It happened.”

Combs said the rape caused her a lot of pain, and that at some point, her alleged assailant went to jail and her “homeboy” paid him a visit after which the alleged assailant was confined in the infirmary for two weeks. Jungle justice, politics or simply survival.

Poverello House policies ensure that Marianne and others are safe within their walls, but they cannot control what happens outside of them. The center’s meal plans are generous and include three meals a day, five days a week and breakfast and dinner on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday.

“If I miss it [a meal at Poverello], I wait till the next time around, dinner,” she said. “If it’s not too late, and people are still eating, but they’re not serving, they give you a sack lunch. But they try to get everybody.”

Helping the Homeless

“We’re homeless,” she asserted. “We’re not bums.

At least I’m not.”

She credits the Poverello House for making life more liveable.

“They’re doing a good job. They’re doing what they can for as many people as are out here,” Combs said, scooping up Shiloh.

Combs is philosophical about her situation.

“This is a test for me. God brought me out here for myself to show me that what happened to me was bad but there are people out here that are worse,” she said, pointing to tents around the area. ”It has changed my whole attitude in life. I actually love myself now. I used to never do that before because I was always selfish.”

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C

lose your eyes and visualize the word hunger. Many people imagine an emaciated person, their ribs showing, probably homeless and living in filth.

You may conjure up a family with both parents unemployed, on a street corner with a sign, soliciting your help.

That is not always the case.

Dozens of men and women huddle together on the outskirts of the Poverello House, waiting their turn to enter the facility for breakfast, lunch or for a number of other services.

And then there are the students.

They are sitting in class trying to concentrate, tapping their pencil and gripping an aching stomach. Their eyes sneak to the clock.

The only thing on their mind is rushing to the food bank for tonight’s dinner.

For the typical college student, sitting through class is an annoyance. For students who suffer from food insecurity, class is a constant struggle. Food pantries become lifelines. The donations of strangers become essential to survival.

What is Food Insecurity?

The Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as, “the lack of access at times, to enough food for all household members,” according to DoSomething. org.

Food insecurity is experienced everywhere: in every country, in every state, in every county. According to DoSomething.org, food insecurity is not a factor due to lack of food, as the world has more than enough food to feed every person on the planet. Instead, the primary cause is poverty.

“Malnutrition can lead to growth failure. Principal types of growth failure are ‘stunting’ and ‘wasting.’ Stunting is a slow process caused by a lack of nutrients and wasting is caused by insufficient protein,” according to The Borgen Project.

Who is Hungry?

Every day, 821 million people worldwide are chronically undernourished, according to November 2017 statistics by The Hunger Project, a nonprofit focused on the eradication of global hunger.

Ninety-eight percent of the world's undernourished people live in developing countries, and it is most prevalent in Asia, affecting 515.1 million, as well as 236.5 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 32.2 million in Latin America, according to The Hunger Project.

In an article published April 2017, according to the World Bank, 896 million people in developing countries live at or below $1.90 a day.

According to a 2017 article by The Borgen Project, a nonprofit focused on global hunger, around 794 million people or 10.9% of the global population were undernourished worldwide.

Seventy-five percent of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihood, according to The Hunger Project. “Yet, 50% of hungry people are farming families.”

Causes of Food Insecurity Institutional Challenges Among factors complicating access to food are government regulations and red tape.

Ara Guekguezian, pastor of Community United Church of Christ said challenges in dealing with institutions and

Shame, Stigma, Misinformation Compound Food Insecurity Problems

By Tamika Rey, Hannah Lanier, Angel De Jesus and Blake Evans

structures can lead to food insecurity.

“It is a shame to call yourselves the bread basket or the food basket of the world, and you have some of the highest rates of food insecurity, particularly among children,” he said. “I think that’s shameful.”

Marilyn Wall, administrative assistant for Community United Church of Christ said that residents of the Central Valley are blessed with resources, but “we don’t do anything with it.”

The Working Poor A sizeable portion of food insecure people belong in families of people who are classified as the working poor.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the working poor comprised 6.3% of all individuals in the labor force or about 9.5 million people.

In 2014, 11.7% of the working poor population comprised of African American, 11.7% Hispanic/Latino, 5.5% White and 4.3% Asian.

Most times, working class people must choose between meeting their obligations and feeding their family. Guekguezian said he understands how hard hunger can be for children who need proper nutrition to develop properly.

“It’s not an 8-year-old’s fault that there’s no food in the house, and forget all the Christian faith stuff, righteousness all that,” he said. “It’s the best investment we make -- giving children the chance to be healthy until they are fully shaped and formed.”

The pastor said that the main factor in food insecurity is the economy. “The minimum wage hasn’t kept up with [the cost of living],” Guekguezian said. “It’s not the minimum wage that allows for you to live life; it’s the minimum I can pay you by law.”

1 in 6 people in the United States face hunger and 45 million Americans struggle to put food on the table.

Source: DoSomething.Org

20% of American food insecure families are not eligible for government assistance as of July 2016

Source: Mashable.com

4.6 million people have food insecurity in California Source: Cafoodbanks.org

He also said that most companies are not concerned about what happens to the employees once they clock out. “‘I don’t care whether you can live off this or not,’” the pastor said, describing employers’ attitudes. “And for me, that’s a spiritual question; it’s a moral question.

If I give you my labor, I ought to be able to live off of that. I ought to be able to live off my labor.”

He added that emphasis on acquiring new technologies contributes to money mismanagement. because people are forced to choose between a meal or a commodity.

“Like you have to have access to communication,” Guekguezian said. “Your smartphone, your access to the internet in the house for entertainment options, and so forth, that can be costly.”

He explained that it is like not being able to afford a meal but going out to buy a car -- a nice car instead of eating.

“But if I have an 8-year-old child and I make that decision,” Guekguezian said, “that’s not that child’s fault. And then, they’re malnourished and don’t grow up to be all that they can be.”

The Community United Church Of Christ ministry helps members of their own congregation by feeding them at their own church. And they also take up a collection for food and take it to Hope Lutheran, a nearby church which Guekguezian says has a ”terrific food pantry and program.”

Wall said people line up every Tuesday to collect food.

“It’s not homeless people. It’s regular people that live in apartments, that have their cart; they got the bags and they’re walking,” she said. “They’re you and me.”

Although not all these people are homeless, Guekguezian said he realizes that the cost of housing also plays a part in going hungry.

“It is the high cost of housing,” he said.

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“It eats up so much of the income of people that are at the poverty level, lower income level, even the lower middle class.”

He said that if a family earning $2,000 a month pays $1,400 in rent, they must cut back on some need. In many cases, they cut back on food.

Food is a basic necessity, Guekguezian said. “You know that thing of being full?

That’s a basic joy. It is a basic human joy, and going to bed hungry, where it’s not your choice, affects your spirit.”

Lack of Awareness “One of the biggest challenges we face is the lack of awareness on the current state of food insecurity in the valley. That lack of awareness also spreads to the programs available to individuals in need,” Hamid Akbar, an associate of Masjid Fresno Muslim Center, said.

“Many individuals are also afraid to ask for help and visit the programs, in fear of their legal status being questioned,” Akbar said.

According to Akbar, some individuals are deterred by practical issues such as transportation.

This results in people going hungry and becoming, “Less than they could have been, and it [food] was right there,” Guekguezian said.

Shame/Stigma Few struggling with food insecurity wish to be identified, fearing the shame and ridicule that comes with poverty, and having less.

Josh M, a talented welder, is one of the many millions affected by food insecurity. He stays up late tinkering on a custom scooter he is building. Connecting a throttle linkage cable is one of the final steps before he preps for a test run.

He has rebuilt the motor and welded a custom frame over a long period of time with his limited income.

He hopes to start his own bicycle frame company and is taking classes at Fresno City College to obtain the certificates and knowledge necessary to run his own business.

Unable to work, Josh relies on various government assistance programs. He is able to buy some groceries thanks to CalFresh government assistance.

“It is still not enough,” he said. “It doesn’t cover our housing, or the necessities for the kids the way it should, but if I didn’t get at least that, I don’t know what I would do.”

“I can weld,” Josh says. “But nobody wants to hire me; nobody wants to hire anyone with a criminal record; my only options are under-the-table construction, field work, or selling drugs.”

He said that there is a stigma attached to jail time and “nobody wants to trust you because of it.”

Only recently has he benefited from the programs in place by the state to cover food and the little cash aid he receives.

Before receiving assistance, Josh would rely solely on the money he would make selling various narcotics to cover these living costs, bartering drugs for cash, and even shoplifting groceries.

“These were things I need, and that was a means for me to get them,” he says, “my options were very slim.”

Josh is building his scooter for a means of transportation for himself to reduce the cost of gas to get to school.

He hopes that obtaining an education will help him change his life. He hopes to find employment and end his reliance on government programs.

Empty trays left by those who attended breakfast at the Poverello House on April 26, 2019. Photo/Leticia Leal

He worries about his children, their future, and the examples he sets for them.

“I don’t want them to have to go through what I’ve dealt with,” Josh says.

For him, school is his only option.

Josh isn’t alone in this struggle. According to a 2016 Hunger on Campus report which surveyed 3,700 community college students, 25% experience food insecurity. Additionally, 13% experience homelessness.

Potent Combination -- College, Single Parenting & Limited Finances Causes vary greatly -- financial instability, ballooning cost of housing and tuition, and lack of real world work skills, can all make it difficult to maintain the costs associated with a family. Other variables including life events can negatively affect a person’s financial situation.

For Connie L, a returning student and single mother, life changed dramatically after her husband died and she moved back to Fresno from Texas. With no work skills and no degree, Connie would not be able to provide for her daughter with a conventional job.

“In order to afford my own place, utilities, groceries, a car and everything else that comes with life, I would have to work three jobs at minimum wage,” she said.

“How can anyone do that?”

She too relies on government programs for assistance with groceries and living costs.

“School would not be an option to me without it; I would have to work three jobs, never be home, never see my daugh-

ter, and never move forward in bettering my life because I am stuck just trying to make enough for that,” she said.

Losing any of her assistance could mean quitting school to find a job to provide the extra income needed to cover those costs.

On a limited budget, Connie brings herself small snacks and fruit to eat throughout the day to avoid the cost of eating on or around campus.

“I feel guilty eating out and spending money on food when I know my daughter is at home eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich,” she said.

Rather than risk the uncertainty of managing living on her own, she shares accommodations with her sister and mother, who help with her daughter while she’s in school.

“I want a house, or at least a place of our own for me and her, but I can’t afford that without an education,” she said. “I can’t get an education and take care of my daughter without help.”

In her first semester back, Connie has made the Dean’s List and now qualifies for financial aid. Still, she said she must sacrifice the things she needs for school in order to cover utilities and expenses for her daughter.

holds with children headed by a single mother [30.3%] and for women living alone [14.7%] are very high.”

Pay discrimination due to gender, gender-based violence, inadequate federal nutrition programs and benefits, motherhood care and responsibilities, pregnancy risks, and even race are a few factors that predispose women to poverty, thus leading to hunger.

“Women are also more likely to work in low-wage, part-time jobs with no benefits,” according to Bread for the World, a Christian advocacy group focused on hunger and poverty.

Food deficiency is a never ending cycle for women who can’t find adequate work.

“One in three single mothers struggles to feed herself and her children,” according to Bread for the World.

“Malnourished mothers are likely to experience numerous health risks during pregnancy,” according to the Food Research and Action Center.

“Malnutrition during pregnancy increases the risk of mental illness. Studies investigating famines reported increases in the rate of schizophrenia during periods of prolonged prenatal exposure to hunger, or ‘nutritional inadequacy,’” according to The Borgen Project.

Youth, Gender Divide “I’m going to live with Daddy, Mommy, because he has money and hamburgers, and you are poor with no food!”

A startling 60% of the world’s hungry are women, according to the Food and Agriculture Association of the U.N. According to a 2017 report by the USDA, “Food insecurity rates for house-

Intolerance Food insecurity has been gradually rising in recent years among college students in general.

Aaron K. said he never experienced food insecurity as a student until last year.

He works part time at a Family Dollar store and struggles to cover the costs

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A line outside the door of the Poverello House on April 26, 2019. Photo/Leticia Leal

school has incurred. His small paycheck covers his gas, insurance, and some utilities he pays for. He lives with his sister and her two elementary school aged children after breaking up with his boyfriend after nine years.

Before moving in with his sister, he would spend his nights floating from one friend to another, sleeping on a couch, sometimes in his car parked in a Walmart parking lot.

When Aaron was 16 years old, he came out to his family as gay.

“My stepdad couldn’t take it. We had a big fight, and I left,” he said. “My mom didn’t even seem to fight for me; she just went in the room and cried.”

His father left him and his mother when he was only 4 years old.

“I never knew him. I have memories of him, but he never came back,” Aaron said. “We don’t talk; I don’t know what happened to him.”

At 16 he began staying the night at friends’ homes, sometimes for as long as two months, other times for as little as a few days, until he moved in with his much older boyfriend, less than a year after leaving home.

“I didn’t finish high school because of it, I later finished my GED because he made me,” Aaron said. “But living with him was comfortable; he provided. I just worked small part time jobs to pay for things I wanted and to help him how I could.”

When the relationship ended, he left again, and moved in with his younger sister.

“I don’t make enough to afford my own place. I can barely afford my car, and the only reason I keep it is for school and work,” he said. He budgets for everything: food, clothes, school and gas, but it never seems to work out.

Aaron often feels that he isn’t pulling his own weight, and feels guilty for relying on his sister. “I know she doesn’t have much money, like anything she wants to share with me, is taking something from her kids.”

For now, Aaron continues to go to school where he studies business. One day, he hopes to pay his sister back for her generosity.

Effects FRAC reported that 28.3 million (11.5%) and 12.9 million children (17%) suffered from food insecurity in 2016.

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, food insecure adults have an increased risk for obesity and chronic disease.

Food insecurity is linked to impaired academic performance in boys and girls, weaker social skills for boys, and greater weight gain for girls, according to a 2005 study published in the Oxford Journal of Nutrition.

Sadly, these developmental effects of food insecurity continue to affect children into adulthood. According to a 2017 study published by Cornell University, impoverished children experience more psychological distress and exhibit more antisocial behavior in adulthood than children from non-impoverished backgrounds.

According to a 2017 FRAC report, people and families suffering from food insecurity are often forced to make financial decisions that are harmful to their overall health. Families suffering from food insecurity must often choose between food and their utilities.

Moreover, the damage of food insecurity extend far beyond hunger. The same FRAC report said that some people suffering from food insecurity choose to skip doses of medicine to afford food.

Others may choose to postpone needed medical care or disregard health-related dietary restrictions.

As a result of sacrificing health guidelines for a full stomach, food insecure households often exacerbate their conditions if they become ill. The report mentions failure to adhere to a diabetic diet can lead to poor glycemic control in diabetic patients.

But of all demographics, the most vulnerable to food insecurity is the disabled.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that people with disabilities are twice as likely to suffer from poverty and food insecurity than the non disabled population. In fact, 33% of food insecure households have a member of working age who is disabled.

The impact of food insecurity can be felt even in food secure households. The

Iowa Food Bank Association reports that the higher rates of illness among people suffering from food insecurity places a large strain on the economy. Child hunger costs the federal government $28 billion annually due to malnourished children having higher rates of absenteeism and requiring more healthcare later in life.

The Ram Pantry, SNAP, and the Poverello House In 2015, Sean Henderson, dean of students at FCC, began to explore the idea of a food resource on campus that would be attainable to all enrolled students.

As a result of the idea, a committee of community members and FCC faculty collaborated to find a solution to the problem of food insecurity which an alarming number of enrolled students were facing.

“People were very committed to providing food for students because they believed that would help them to be more successful,” said Cindy Dunn, coordinator of the Ram Pantry. The plan was to eradicate a classic student dilemma: between buying food and buying a textbook.

Dunn explained that the commitment from the college staff members was so strong that some even took a reduction in their paychecks to give to the Ram Pantry, which is majority funded by donations.

“I have seen close to a doubling of students coming in,” Dunn said.

The Ram Pantry is open 30 hours a week and accommodates students’ needs and schedules.

The pantry opens Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., reopening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for athletes and students taking classes in the evening.

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, it is open from 10 a.m to 2 p.m.

The only requirement to use the pantry is a student I.D. They can avail themselves of all that the pantry serves, ranging from whole lunches and unlimited fresh fruit to pancake mix and spaghetti noodles.

Maurice Kelly, a former FCC student who used to get food from the Ram Pan-

try said he has muddled feelings about it.

“I feel like if you are going to have some food, have some food,” he said, adding that the pantry does not have a diverse enough selection.

“They are not giving real food -- like salads and water, cold water, not warm water. I feel like everything should be refrigerated,” Kelly said. “Just like how they have at the café [Taher Campus Dining], it should be the same way.” The on-campus cafe’s food selection is wider, but not free, eliminating it from the options students like Kelly have.

Government Programs CalFresh, the California implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, offered through FCDSS, helps provide food for hungry people. While it is another piece of the social safety net, it comes with various conditions that deter many who need their benefits.

SNAP beneficiaries must be approved for state or federal work-study money and are expected to work during the school term, or, they must be a full-time student with a child under age 12, or a part-time student with a child under age 6, or be part-time with a child 6-11 who lacks adequate child care.

Those already receiving CalWORKS, a jobs program, will qualify. Those enrolled in CalFresh employment and training or another job training program accepted

by CalFresh will qualify.

Many students meet one half of the criteria but not another. Many meet all the criteria but struggle to verify it.

An October 2018 article in USA Today identified Fresno as having a high rate of SNAP beneficiaries. 21% of Fresno residents receive SNAP benefits, and the city ranked 16 out of 25 cities in the U.S. in the number of households on SNAP benefits.

Fresno Safety Nets The Poverello House offers numerous services from food supply, overnight shelter, and an emergency shelter voucher program, according to Sara Mirhadi,

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"'Are you OK? Do you need food? Are you hungry?'

And a lot of times they are, especially the ones that come with children. It is heartbreaking."

Rouby Mayvan, emergency services manager at the Marjaree Mason Center

chief programs officer of The Poverello House.

Emergency shelters like the Marjaree Mason Center benefit from their relationship with the Poverello House, which provides two meals a day to those staying at the shelter.

The intersection of hunger and domestic violence is a difficult choice between fight or flight: either victims will stay, remaining fed but facing violence each day, or they will leave and face hunger. The latter often means fleeing to the Marjaree Mason Center, or to the Poverello House.

Despite federal aid, nonprofits, and on-campus resources, food insecurity remains prevalent across Fresno County, California, the U.S. and globally.

The Masjid Fresno Islamic Center The Masjid Fresno Islamic Center is at the forefront of feeding the hungry in Fresno and often invites the community of all faiths to dinner.

The center also provides lunch and activities for the community in its neighborhood community picnic once a quarter to foster good relations amongst the residents and business owners of the Sierra Madre neighborhood, said Akbar, an associate of the center.

“The Masjid distributes food to 40 to 50 families twice a month, [first and third Sundays from 8-10 a.m. at Masjid Fresno] which equates to approximately 175 to 200 individuals,” said El Sayed Ramadan, Imam of Masjid Fresno.

“In 2018, 45,785 pounds of food was distributed,” he said. Through their food distribution program, the center has been able to reach an extensive amount of the food insecure population in Fresno.

Akbar said the distributed items include “nonperishable items such as oil, rice, cereal, macaroni and cheese and juice” as well as perishable items like bread, pastries, and seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The most popular items with recipients, Akbar said, include bread, pastries, rice, cereal, and macaroni and cheese, adding that the center serves people of all walks and all faith, older veterans, families, and elderly, “asking for food, coming via bus, car, or walking.”

“There isn’t a defined prevalence of demographics. We see a variance of ages and ethnicities,” Akbar said. “We also do not ask our participants for information on where they are from or their current circumstances.” Akbar said.

Akbar said he believes that food recipients should be treated with respect.

“As they leave, thank them for coming,”

he said. “By treating all individuals with respect and dignity, you are letting them know that there are people who care about them and their wellbeing.”

Akbar said he believes that the benefit to the community is immense. First, healthy foods support nutrition and gives them [the hungry] hope that the community they live in supports them when they are in need.”

Additionally, this food allows the food insecure to focus on other areas that can support their families without the stress of how they are going to eat.

Masjid Fresno also assists the community in a variety of ways. The mosque is affiliated with Muslim Society of Central California which holds a free health fair twice a year.

Imam Ramadan said it is important for places of faith to get involved in helping the community in every way possible.

“All places of worship need to open their doors to those in need by providing food by working with organizations such as the Central California Food Bank.”

Akbar said feeding the hungry should be continuous, “not only giving food on a scheduled basis, but opening food pantries that can support the communities at all times.”

“Human dignity is very important,” said Ramadan. “Welcome them, [those experiencing hardship] with respect and open arms when they arrive, no matter their faith.”

Community United Church Of Christ Wall, the administrative assistant for Community United Church of Christ, said people line up every Tuesday to collect food.

“It’s not homeless people. It’s regular people that live in apartments, that have their cart; they got the bags and they’re walking,” she said. “They’re you and me.”

Wall said that the church fills gallon-sized ziplock bags with bottled water, sandwiches made with baked bread, chips, cookies, nuts, mandarin oranges, and socks to give away to hungry people.

On Sunday, March 17, 2018, the church distributed more than 100 such bags on Eaton Plaza and G Street near the Poverello House area in less than five minutes.

Guekguezian, pastor at Community United Church of Christ, said, “We [also] made little bags with [detergent] pods and fabric softener and distributed more than 200 of those at 10 laundromats around town, near apartment complexes because those are the folks who use them.”

He also said that becoming engaged in

the community, recognizing the needs and and participating in addressing that need “fills something in you, and the world becomes less scary.”

The Marjaree Mason Center Most people wouldn't correlate domestic violence with hunger, but the narratives of the women and families who take shelter at the Marjaree Mason Center say otherwise.

“We try to assist the community in any way we can, and although we do focus on domestic violence, we help anyone that comes through our doors, and most of the times they’ve been hungry,” said Rouby Mavyan, an emergency services manager at the center.

“That’s the first thing we ask them, ‘Are you ok? Do you need food? Are you hungry?’ And a lot of the times they are, especially the ones that come with children. It is heartbreaking.”

Mavyan said that their clients become homeless mostly due to domestic violence, which means the victims leave their home unexpectedly.

“They have no money; they have no food. So when they come into shelter, finding their own food becomes a barrier.”

Sometimes children are affected by the abuse as well and may effects of starvation, used a tool for control by perpetrators of violence.

Mayvan said that in most cases abusers who have children with their victim will target the victim with food deprivation, rather than the children.

Most of the time when children come into the shelter and they are hungry, it is because the victimized parent has had to sleep in their car for a day or two and didn't know where to go for emergency services, Mavyan said.

Often times, when these victims work or attend school, their abusive partner will show up to their job or school, stalk them, harass them and get them fired, leaving them without income and a means to provide for their families.

“There have been instances where a victim has returned to us five, six times either with the same partner issues or with different partners,” Mavyan said. This is a large part of the problem, and getting these victims to leave these dire situations for good is not always easy.

“They say it takes a victim anywhere from six to nine times to finally leave an abusive relationship,” Mavyan said. “So, we’ve had instances where they become homeless because of domestic violence, and they are left without food; they are left without money.”

Some of the victims lack proper documentation and do not qualify for county services such as cash aid or food stamps, but the center provides for all.

“Once they come here we try to equip them with the tools either, to get up on their feet to find employment or to get any type of aid or connect them to any agency,” Mavyan said.

The center also assists about 10-20 percent of homeless people who aren't victims of domestic violence with food.

Clients typically stay at MMC and average of 30-31 days. Those that come simply for food, are packed little emergency kits with snacks and juices and if Poverello has just been by they pack hot meals to go.

Community food banks, local churches, WIC and county assistance programs are all services that MMC helps their clients to utilize so they and their families don't go hungry once they leave.

“We also let them know to come to us.

We’ve had a lot of clients that have moved out where you know it's the end of the month and food stamps haven’t kicked in yet,” Mavyan said. And yes, although they’ve left the facility, MMC still feeds these families.

NEWS 7

Breaking the Cycle Kimberly Villalobos, an FCC student, who found herself trapped between academia, homelessness, and hunger, is evidence that the cycle of hunger can be broken..

At 17, Villalobos fled her household and went to FCC straight out of high school.

Her financial aid award went towards her rent and utilities rather than books. She would eventually drop out.

Then she took a janitorial job which brought her some stability.

“When I was working as a janitor, I started thinking about going back to school to better myself,” Villalobos said.

She returned to school as a 35-year-old, seeking a degree in child development and met her boyfriend, Henry Farias, whose family took her in. With a roof over her head and a full stomach, Villalobos started getting straight A’s.

“Now that I’ve returned, I feel set to start the path towards where I want to be in life,” she said.

The cycle leaves scars. “I still struggle with food,” Villalobos said. “I try not to stress about meals, but you never forget your past.”

Because of that past she makes sure to tell homeless FCC students about the Ram Pantry, and she continues to give back to the pantry.

“Now that I’m in a slightly better position, I try to donate whenever I can,” she said. “I try to think of everyone else who needs food.”

But even for people like Villalobos who have found a reprieve from hunger and the streets, the possibility of a downturn--of the pendulum swinging the other way--is always there.

According to a 2012 study conducted by the University of California, Davis’ Center for Poverty Research, 36 percent of individuals who manage to escape poverty will return to poverty within the next four years.

Giving Hope -- More than FOOD Guekguezian, pastor at Community United Church of Christ, said he is in the “hope business” and believes there's always room for encouragement for people who may be down on their luck. “I like to make sure that the people [those he is feeding] understand that we are establishing a relationship.”

He reassures those who look to him for help that he doesn't intend on abandoning them. “This isn’t a one shot deal. In everything we do, we’ll be here again,” he said.

“This isn’t the first and last bag of food that we're going to have available.”

Guekguezian said the hope comes out of the relationship that is established, “between you and me and that I have with God that moves me to do this, and moves us to do this.”

He said he hopes that the person he is relating to, sees that and “starts to think about that kind of relationship with the other human and then with the Divine.”

His focus is always on the person right before him. “The entry point or reentry point to the source of my hope, that the person I’m with has that or re-establishes that.”

Then, Pastor Guekguezian said, “You feel full.”

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Bullard High School students perform a dance for the Asian Festival at the public speaking area on April 27, 2018. Photo/Ramon Castanos

Asian Festival a Celebration of Asian Culture Ramon Castanos | Reporter rcastanos@therampageonline.com

Asian Fest is a spectacular event for the community to celebrate Asian cultures that offered delicious food, magnificent dancing, fun games, cosplay, martial arts, and the Sake garden to help scholarships on Saturday, April 27.

The event held over 300 performances at the north water fountain.

The show kicked off with a variety of cultural dances, with two children playing the Chinese Guzheng, which is an instrument that combines both piano and guitar elements together. Sikh martial arts was also on display during the event, and an Asian clothing fashion show was featured as well.

Sikh’s martial arts instructor, Manhgal Kur, explained the history behind martial arts and weapons of the Sikh. Children may begin training around five or six years of age, and begin using weapons like swords and shields when they turn 10 or 11.

Male and female martial artists wear different types of clothes when fighting. “Females have more modest clothing to cover them more than men,” said Kur, which includes leggings and head-

wear called Chiou.

Asian Fest includes a variety of food from different cultures like Sikh, Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Omar Lemus, a participant who has been going to Asian Fest for three years, enjoys the number of highlighted cultures and food.

For those interested in attending the event, Lemus has a tip for you: “Bring an appetite because you could find anything that you would like.”

Showcased at the main stage were Red Dragon martial arts, Asian cultural dancing, and cosplay. Among the group of performers were the Polynesian Club of Fresno, which consists of dancers with ages ranging from fiveyears-old to 80. Martha Leina’ala Kuma, Polynesian Club of Fresno Leader, explained the history of the club. The group was made because her father wanted his children to remember where they came from and share their culture with Fresno.

A cosplay contest also took place during the event at the main stage which featured a variety of characters from video games, cartoons, comics and so much more.

The contest included two separate groups: The first for children who

dressed up as Supergirl, Rainbow Dash from “My Little Pony,” Goku from “Dragon Ball,” and Ladybug from “Miraculous Ladybug.”

The second involved adults, and many of them dressed as characters from the anime “My Hero Academia,” Zelda from “The Legend of Zelda,” and Princess Allura from “Voltron.”

Asian Fest has implemented a new fund raising venture called Sake Garden which helped raise money for student scholarships, according to Michael Takeda, English instructor. “One of the hard things this year is to raise awareness,” because the initiative is brand new, said Takeda. The location of the Sake Garden was inside of the Ram Pantry, and they sold alcoholic beverages from Japan and other cultures.

At first, Asian Fest was small and consisted of “one food booth,” said Maile Martin, senior program specialists and Asian Fest director.

When Martin took charge of the event, she made it bigger by getting sponsorships like student activities, Toyota, Central Valley Asian Pacific Group, EECU and many more to help Asian Fest get more recognition and money.

A Night of Poetry, Applause, and Entertainment Gisella Luna | Reporter gluna@therampageonline.com

The fourth annual poetry slam was held in the library’s reading room. The mood was soft and friendly. It was well lit, and not too bright. The event started at 5 p.m. and ended at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23.

There were many people of different race, gender and religion all in one room sharing the same thing, their love for poetry.

The poetry slam is one of many “fan favorites,” according to Pedro Gonzalez, a student attendee who

was there to support his classmates as they performed.

Poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It encourages poets to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. In competition, the poets are judged by members of the audience.

Typically, the host or another organizer selects the judges, who are instructed to give numerical scores on a zero to 10 or one to 10 scale based on the performance.

Gonzalez has been attending poetry slams for the past two

years. “I think poetry is underrated, especially slam poetry, it really makes you feel some type of way.”

“Every poem is written by the heart and it's interesting to hear them coming from people you'd never imagine to write poetry,” he said.

The poetry slam at FCC was different, it was not judged, it was a simple open mic performance.

People were encouraged to go up and read their original work and listen to others.

DIVISION OF FINE, PERFORMING AND COMMUNICATION ARTS

MAY 24 through

JUNE 9 FCC THEATRE Reserved seating: $16 Theatre Box Office (559) 442-8221 www.newwrinklesfresno.com State Center Community College District

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ENTERTAINMENT 9

DIVISION OF FINE, PERFORMING AND COMMUNICATION ARTS

MUSIC IN MAY WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES May 1 • 7:30pm • Theatre

$8 General, $6 Staff & Seniors, $5 Students

HAMMER AND STRUM: PIANO AND GUITAR CELEBRATION May 2 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium At Door Only – $5 donation

CHORAL MUSIC SPRING CONCERT May 3 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium $8 General, $6 Staff & Seniors, $5 Students

SAMUELE AMIDEI & RAFFAELLO RAVASIO CONCERT May 4 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium

At Door Only – $10 • Free Admission for Students

COMMUNITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA May 7 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium $8 General, $6 Staff & Seniors, $5 Students

HONORS RECITAL & SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS May 8 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium

STRING ENSEMBLE

May 9 • 5:00pm • Recital Hall

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED PIANO RECITAL May 10 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium At Door Only – $5 donation

A picture of a few healthy and delicious treats. It’s truly the breakfast of champions. Photo/Leticia Leal

How To Get Fit For Summer Peter Lopez | Reporter plopez@therampageonline.com

Let’s face it: Some of us drank way too much beer and indulged in way too many snacks and goodies this spring break. We’re bloated, full of air, and more than likely broke a scale or two in an effort to identify how much damage we have done to our bodies. Well, there’s some good news, we have plenty of time to address our spring break decisions before summer arrives.

Cut Those Carbs

Carbohydrates aren’t necessarily a bad thing - there are good carbs and bad carbs.

For example, good carbs are things which reside within sweet potatoes, bananas, or oatmeal.

Whereas bad carbs are those found in bread, pasta, and fast food menus.

“

If you cut off a vast number of bad carbs, keeping your total intake well below 50 grams, your body will begin to delete fat stores which will result in loss of water-weight and body fat.

The Right Tools Can Help

There are many fitness applications available on iOS and Android devices, some are free while others will set you back a few dollars. MyFitnessPal, on the other hand, offers both free and paid services and happens to be one of the best fitness applications for those who wish to get back into shape.

Thankfully the free version of the application will do the trick -- I suppose you can opt into the premium edition if you have the green, which provides additional features not found in the basic version, but why bother?

MyFitnessPal allows users

If you cut off a vast number of bad carbs, keeping your total intake well below 50 grams, your body will begin to delete fat stores which will result in loss of water-weight and body fat.”

to scan grocery barcodes which then displays that food’s macronutrients. This is a fantastic feature as it gives users an idea of what they are ingesting. For instance, Kirkland Signature Organic Eggs, when scanned, equal zero carbs, 10 grams of fat, and 12 grams of protein.

You can also create meal plans for yourself as well, making the chance to become macrocognizant incredibly easy and worthwhile.

Run, Forest! Run! Cardio is one of the best ways to increase your heart rate and break a sweat. I’m obviously not a fitness expert, but having a heart rate within the 120-150 range is pretty good. Cardio, along with implementing a low carb diet, go hand-in-hand and marry well together, making the combination essential and powerful for weight and water loss.

Drink Apple Cider Vinegar

OK, this may sound pretty terrible--and it totally is if you drink it straight--but apple cider vinegar is the way to go.

Having a glass of water with one tablespoon of this stuff, along with some stevia for great flavoring, can do wonders for your body.

According to WebMD, “one small study found that vinegar improved blood sugar and insulin levels in a group of people with type 2 diabetes.”

Additionally, vinegar is said to have antioxidants “that can curb cell damage that can lead to other diseases, such as cancer.”

MAKE A SCENE: OPERA/MUSICAL SCENES May 11 • 7:30pm • OAB Auditorium $8 General, $6 Staff & Seniors, $5 Students

JAZZ ENSEMBLE & JAZZ COMBOS

May 13 • 7:30pm • Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater Call (559) 266-9494 for tickets

LATIN JAZZ ENSEMBLE & JAZZ SINGERS

May 14 • 7:30pm • Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater Call (559) 266-9494 for tickets

State Center Community College District

Eat Tons of Fat

So, before you begin to freak out and hit me with that “fat makes you fatter” remark, keep in mind that trans fat, which has no real benefit to the human body, is the type that makes you gain unnecessary weight.

Whereas saturated fats, found in things like butter and meat, are good for you. All good things come in moderation, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a delicious, bloody, steak every now and then especially when it’s smothered in butter and served alongside mushrooms.

If you’re unaware of the Ketogenic diet, this diet focuses almost exclusively on the consumption of healthy fat intake, allowing your body to burn fat as fuel as opposed to carbs. Although you should be aware of the amount of fat with which you can eat, filling your body with healthy fat will allow your body to get used to burning fat, which will result in a slimmer

waistline and smaller gut.

Generally, it’s a good ruleof-thumb, with regards to the keto diet, to keep your macros in check while knowing your personal gram limit. “Keto calculators” founds all over the web can assist you with that.

I Triple-Double-Dog Dare You!

Ok, if you manage to pull this one off you deserve a million dollars because you will, without a doubt, see a difference in body weight and personality within one week’s time. Challenge yourself to not eat any processed food--fast food or microwavable meals--and do not consume any sugar, including sugary drinks, for one week.

Yes, your body will likely freak out and go through withdrawls for a brief period, but you are guaranteed to see results if you stack this tip with the others mentioned in this article.

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THE SOUND OF SPRING

Paul Lucckesi, director, explaining the song Photo/Kellie Clark Kellie Clark | Reporter kclark@therampageonline.com

The Chamber Winds and Percussion proudly presented the Spring Concert to the Fresno City College faculty, students and families on Tuesday, April 30.

With three different ensembles, the end of the spring concert could only be as lively and lovely as it was made out to be.

The FCC Woodwind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble expressed how ready they were before the performance even began.

“This is our end of semester performance which features our chamber ensembles and woodwind, brass and percussion,” Elisha Wilson,

director of bands, brass and music theory, said. “We practice for an entire semester and periodically perform for each other throughout the semester.”

After a silly introduction by Paul Lucckesi, director of jazz studies and woodwind instructor, regarding cell phones, the magic began. The ensemble included flutes, soprano clarinets, alto clarinet, bass clarinet and bassoon. This collection of students performed pieces such as “Courante” by Michael Praetorius and “Finale” by the infamous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Next to play was the FCC Brass Ensemble conducted by Wilson. “I will be playing with my students to support them,”

said Wilson, “I'll be playing horn on one of the pieces.”

Wilson is lively for the audience, explaining each piece as they were played. Even going as far as to play along with her students.

This ensemble contained tubas, horns, trumpets, a trombone and a baritone. Before their last piece, “Pizza Party” by Harold L. Walters, Wilson expresses her pride towards her students and, in an emotional and moving moment, said goodbye to two of her students who will be transferring.

“Pizza Party,” a more upbeat tune, seems to lift the audience’s spirit again.

Last but certainly not least was the FCC Percussion Ensemble,

conducted by Joe Lizama, the FCC percussion instructor. He provided historical context for each piece. The small ensemble had each student with at least two or more instruments.

They gave liveliness to each piece while expressing how usually difficult these pieces are but the percussion ensemble has managed to pull through with instruments most of them haven't even heard of. With an extravagant and upbeat “Descarga Sandia” the Spring Concert comes to an end with a round of applause from the audience.

Wilson was also happy to announce that they had been invited to Carnie Hall which is a $100,000 trip. A fundraiser

will be held on Saturday, May 11, in which the band will sell mattresses at 50 percent off.

Flyers have been placed all over FCC with other details about the 1st FCC Annual Mattress Fundraiser. Every purchase benefits the band.

Despite the separation of each ensemble, it is very clear that this group of musicians are more than just students and teachers but family. “We have this really vibrant program where we totally support each other,” Wilson said.

“The faculty is really close like a family and the students are a part of that. Here there is a really special tight-knit bond.”

FCC Student Artists Aim for The Stars and Succeed Emily Perez | Reporter eperez@therampageonline.com

FCC Student Artists Aim for The Stars and Succeed.

Fine art students at Fresno City College are having their art displayed at the annual Student Art Exhibition, held at FCC’s Art Space Gallery April 29 through May 16.

According to the gallery's flyer, event hours are Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

The Art Space Gallery is also holding a reception on May 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to celebrate student artists.

According to the Art Space Gallery Instagram page, FCC art students can enter paintings,

films, sculptures, installations and performances.

Miriam Ouassou, an Art student at FCC who has a painting in the exhibition, said students who wish to submit their work to the art gallery must fill out a form with information on the piece. You can get a form by contacting the gallery’s curator Elena Harvey Collins.

Despite being slightly embarrassed by the name, her painting is called “Booby Woman,” Ouassou’s painting remains on display and she feels pretty good about it.

“It feels good to be recognized for something you worked hard on and are proud of.”

The work of two FCC art students, “Joy” (left) by Leila Rofan and “The Essence of Beauty” (right) by Janine Tate. Photo/Emily Perez

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CAMPUS VOICES Gisella Luna | Reporter gluna@therampageonline.com

What can we as a community do better or start doing to help with the food insecurity problem, (hungry people not having affordable access to food)?

Lauryn Ok

Nursing Major “I feel like the poverello house should get more word out so that people can donate more and volunteer more, leftovers at cafeterias that get thrown away should be donated as well.”

Summer Ridgway

OPINION 11

PRO: Here’s A Tip, You Should Tip Sarah Chavez | Assistant Opinion Editor schavez@therampageonline.com

America relies on tipping for most services that you receive. The rules for tipping are not definite and vary with different situations--but the fact is that workers in tipped positions need and deserve gratuity.

It may be confusing to figure out who you should tip and who you shouldn’t, but there is a really easy way to decipher it.

A lot of the time the work that we pay to be done deserves a tip, but that is not to say that all jobs require a tip. You don’t have to give a few extra dollars to the grocery clerk or the bagging boy, but you should tip your nail technician.

Tipping is important because it provides more for the working student to live off of. Working a minimum wage job is not enough to support you, especially when you are a full-time student.

These days you would have to rent apartments with one or two other people so that you would not drown in living expenses. Being tipped for the work you do would add cushion to the little money already made.

People who work to service others have some of the most difficult times in their jobs. They are often met with harsh work schedules and customers while still maintaining a “good company attitude.” It

is often very hard to maintain a positive attitude when you are met with so much negativity, so tipping is the reward that workers receive for dealing with all of that.

One of the main concerns with tipping would be the 20% tax that it adds onto the bill. It is preferred that you pay 20% of your bill when going out to eat, but anything helps the waiter.

Imagine getting a dollar tip for every person that was served. That money begins to add up at the end of the day and even more at the end of the week.

Those tips would be able to help with bills, student loans, or any emergency that needs to be paid for.

Although it is important to take into consideration the financial aspect of tipping, we should also consider the connection that it builds between customers and employees. Today it is rare that people build connections with strangers. Being able to connect with someone by giving a tip or receiving one makes your day and you yourself feel better.

Some would say that there is no need to tip because workers are paid what they work for, except that they don’t understand that they deserve more than what they get. You don’t truly know the hardships of working in customer services until you have actually done it.

Those opposed wonder why they

should pay for something they can do themselves. If that is the case then save everyone the trouble and actually do it yourself.

“Tipping hurts the customer and the waiter.” The argument goes that apparently tipping is what persuades places such as restaurants to underpay their workers, making tipping necessary. The “solution” is that people should stop tipping completely. They believe by doing this it would somehow change the way that businesses operate.

But getting everyone in America to stop tipping is an insanely unreasonable expectation. Gratuity culture has its hooks deep in American society at large.

Moreover, not tipping hurts workers in the long-term.

When you step back and look at why you should tip the main question would be, “why shouldn’t we?” If you are really that concerned about paying $5 extra then maybe you should just stay home. Don’t go out to eat, don’t get your nails done, and don’t hire someone to move your furniture for you.

The bottom line is that services are privileges, workers are not paid enough for their work and their treatment, and tipping is important because you are paying someone for something that you are not doing yourself.

PRO/CON: To Tip or Not to Tip?

Radio Technology Major “I think as a community we should stop spending on so many things that aren't as important, if people don't want to give or they don't know where to give they should just start cutting food portion sizes because so much of our food goes to waste”.

CON: Tipped-Off Gage Carmichael | Opinion Editor gcarmichael@therampageonline.com

Geovanny Calderon Theater Major

“We should have more things like the Ram Pantry to stay open longer and earlier, especially for kids, having after school lunches there should be more of that food offered and not just for the kids but for their families as well."

Sebastian Lopez Film Major

“Teaching nutrition, teaching what is good for us, teach us what is healthy for us because we buy unnecessary food that can be for people who need it, also to stop taking food from the Ram Pantry if you don't actually need it”

Tipping your server is a great way to show that the services provided were commendable, but it shouldn’t be mandatory.

To tip a server for the goods and/or services they provided is to say that, that server provided excellent goods and/or services.

In some countries, like Japan and China, tipping is seen as an offensive gesture, because excellent service is the standard for servers in these countries. To tip would say that the service was poor, and the server may need to invest more into their serving standards.

Tipping in the U.S. is thought of as a mandatory, yet controversial custom, in which a patron will pay extra for goods and services deemed exceptional.

I agree that tipping a server for great service is an acceptable act, if not an act someone should always do when they receive service worth tipping extra.

Furthermore, tipping seems necessary in some circumstances in the food and beauty industries, because most of the workers in these industries only receive

minimum wage for the work they do.

And, minimum wage is different from a living wage.

Waitress, waiters, busers, bartenders, nail technicians, hair stylists and make-up artists all rely on tips to make ends-meet.

In some states employers are able to underpay their employees, due to the amount of tips the employee may receive.

This difference in wage payment is known as the federal tipped minimum wage.

Currently, the federal tipped minimum wage is set at least $2.13 an hour, and this amount can increase if the employee receives less tips.

However, wouldn’t that mean even if the wage was cut back, the amount of tips a service worker receives would still compensate for the wage reduction? And, if the tips didn’t compensate for the wage cut, the employer would have to raise their minimum wage amount?

Moreover, why should I spend more of my money I earned at my part-time, minimum wage job (which I don’t get tipped at), to support another individual in the same boat.

I work as a cashier, serving any and all of my customers’ needs, picking up

customers’ trash and messes, cleaning bathrooms and remeiding tough customer situations (even if the customer is wrong) with all the professionalism that is required of me by my employer. For all of this work, I never get any sort of extra compensation.

Someone might say, “You shouldn’t go out if you can’t afford to tip a couple extra bucks.” For all that, why don’t the employers price their services accordingly, and pay their employees fairly?

It doesn’t seem like the consumer’s responsibility to compensate for the unfair wage conditions established by the employers and the federal government.

As a disclaimer, I do try to tip when I can. This is especially true if I receive praiseworthy service. But no matter how much I could try and help compensate for the unfair wage gap, it will never make it fair, or even.

Instead of attacking the consumer for not supporting the extra funds, we should reevaluate our wage compensation system entirely to better fit the cost of products, labour of the worker and wage that could support a life, than just minimum.

12 OPINION 5.1.19

therampageonline.com

Mental Health: A Journey with No Apparent Destination Hannah Lanier | Reporter hlanier@therampageonline.com

As we begin the month of May, also known as #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, it is time to get comfortable with uncomfortable conversations.

As I am currently embarking into my 20s, I feel like I am being suffocated by the unfair obstacles that I have been thrown with the requirement to overcome.

I’ve become so fixated with accomplishing my goals and aspirations in a specific amount of time. I’ve wasted nearly all of my time worrying about time.

I wish to graduate at a certain time. I wish to have my career established by a certain time. I wish to be married with a family by a certain time.

Unfortunately, time doesn’t always play out the way you wish. While being caught in the dead center of disillusion, I distracted myself with all things unnecessary and unimportant.

I can’t tell you about anything I have learned in my philosophy class, but I can tell you what happened on Jane the Virgin last week. Or how Ross and Rachel weren’t on a break that one time on Friends. My point is, I am wasting my time.

Maybe it’s because I am scared, worried that I am incapable of living up to the insane expectations that nobody aside from myself has set.

I have overworked myself with a huge course load, job, internships, and personal relationships.

Yet, I have not prioritized any of those listed above.

I prioritize Netflix. I prioritize Hulu and Youtube. I prioritize the useless.

And I am damn near depressed, anxious and overall lonely because of it.

My room has become as messy as my mind.

My grades have fallen to the point of breaking a promise I made to my father: a low that I thought I would never fall to.

Rather than accept the fact that I am not okay, I convince myself that it’s just life. “I am just tired,” I say to myself. “I am just doing too much.”

Is my distortion of priorities forcing my mind to focus on a dark place of insecurities and self-doubt? To a point that I just don’t care anymore.

I have people in my life that I love dearly telling me I won’t get anywhere with that attitude.

But not caring has made everything

easier; Everything that has happened I have pushed in to a deep, far away corner where I locked it and threw away the key.

Thus, here I am. Feeling nothing. Not caring. Allowing numbness to take control and make feeling nothing present itself as happiness.

I will have frantic outbreaks of stress, making those around me uncomfortable, or concerned.

Regardless of all that, you know what? I appear happy, cheerful even—for the most part.

Going about life as if I have everything together. As if my future is intact, as if I have no worries in the world other than what I plan to eat for lunch.

Weird, right? Having read this far, it must be clear to you that I struggle. And that struggle reflects my mental health.

But any person off the street would glance at me and guess that my life is damn near perfect, because mental health is never printed in big bold letters across your forehead: “HELP ME.” Wouldn’t that be nice though? You wouldn’t be forced to be vulnerable with someone. You wouldn’t have to let anyone in. They would just know.

Aren’t those closest to you just supposed to know?

No. Only you know your experience, or maybe you don’t.

Mental health is not a desired destination that once you arrive, you are forever content.

It is a continual growth and development.

As you progress, so does your mental state.

You may be okay today, but something happens and you are off balance again.

Mental health is something that must be prioritized and maintained; taken care of as if it is something of worth. Because it is.

Simply, just realize that you are having a hard time and figure out the cause of the stormy cloud hanging over your head.

Tell someone that school is draining you, or that you need time to yourself in the abundance of chaos that has become your life. Realize that it is OK--necessary even-to get rid of whatever or whoever is causing said stormy cloud.

You may not be OK--and that is OK. What is not OK, is acting like you are.

Is my distortion of priorities forcing my mind to focus on a dark place of insecurities and self-doubt?

To a point that I just don’t care anymore.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

5.1.19

therampageonline.com

OPINION 13

A Legacy of Hunger and Homelessness Tamika Rey | News Editor trey@therampageonline.com

I could remember lying there incapacitated, and delirious.

What were all those black and white images dancing on the ceiling?

Why did everything look like I was in a cloud?

And why was I dizzy even though I was lying down?

I could hardly tell what was going on around me, but I could hear my mother saying weird things, in her drug induced state of mind.

She was on the floor picking at every little white thing and standing in the corners of the room jabbering at the ceiling; twitching nonstop.

Tweaking at it’s finfest.

I was 5-years-old, but I could count.

One, two, three days. It had been three days since we last ate, and one day since we last drank water.

I remember crying, and my mother asking, “Mija, what’s wrong?”

“I’m hungry,” I wept. “We’re hungry!”

My siblings and I were immobilized by our hunger. My 11-month-old brother lay on his side, in a filthy diaper, curled up in a fetal position on the far right edge of the bed closest to the door. My 2-year-old brother lay between us, too tired to cry, staring at the ceiling.

We were so hungry.

Light hurt our eyes.

Sound hurt our ears.

How had our mother not thought to go to Salvation Army? Catholic Charities? Anywhere, to feed her children?

She was preoccupied with her drug habit and spending all of our welfare money on heroin and crack cocaine.

But had our mother sought help, would the agencies have come to our rescue immediately? Or would we have waited for weeks or months before someone helped us?

Why didn’t the men who came in and out of our hotel room bring anything for us to eat?

A loaf of bread?

Some crackers?

Water?

Anything?

We would wince every time someone opened the door, because the light was unbearable. Our bodies ached, and we were nauseated.

By the fourth day, we were too hungry to sleep, and too weak to move. Our cries had become whimpers, accompanied by tears that barely flowed from what was left of the fluid in our little malnourished, dehydrated bodies.

Finally, my paternal grandmother, Grandma Florine, who knew how unstable my mother was, found us after searching for about two weeks.

When she came into the hotel room and saw us, she just began to cry. I never understood why she always felt so bad for my mother, but I knew she loved us.

She came with milk, bread, cereal, instant potatoes, and PB&J in Tom and Jerry glass jars. My grandma walked over to us and held up our heads to help us drink water. She made my baby brother a milk bottle.

That was the most refreshing room temperature water I had ever had in my five years of life. I was ready for a sandwich within an hour or two.

And my mom was ready for me to make them.

Not just for me, but for my siblings as well. I could remember feeling weighed down as I walked over to the cupboard where my grandma had placed the Tom and Jerry jars.

Grandma Florine had already left. There weren’t any utensils, so I used a pen to spread the PB&J on the bread. Somehow I knew I had to feed my

brothers first. Those were both the best and worst PB&J sandwiches we’d ever had.

Although we were starving and had gone for so long without food, those sandwiches made our tummies hurt. I remember now in my adulthood that when children are malnourished, you have to gradually reintroduce food into their diet.

At 5-years-old, we were living with my maternal grandmother and I was scrambling eggs for my brothers and changing diapers.

For whatever reason, we weren’t allowed to bring food with us when we left to run errands with Grandma Mammal, as we called her. Why? I don’t know. And she wouldn’t feed us while we were out either. So I devised a plan.

I could remember one rainy morning, we were getting ready before the sun was up, and I already knew the drill. So while she was in the next room getting my brothers ready, again my 5-year-old self

Tamika Rey, left, and her paternal grandmother, Florine. Rey suffered food insecurity in her youth. Photo courtesy of Tamika Rey.

had to watch out for us.

In my desperation, to feed us without getting caught, I got about five slices of bread, half-chewed each of them, rolled them into balls, and hid them in my rain coat pocket. Grandma never found them. My brothers and I were OK for the 12 hours we were out.

I told myself I would never place myself and my children in that type of situation. Ever. But I was wrong. I didn’t know then that the legacy of bad decisions and helplessness that I inherited would control me and that what I wanted to shield my children from, would befall us all.

I had become a statistic.

According to The American Journal of Public Health, a study done of 92 U.S. households who had experienced homelessness before and 395 people who hadn’t, showed that “Lack of care from a parent during childhood sharply increased the likelihood of subsequent homelessness.”

This study concluded that, “Adverse childhood experiences are powerful risk factors for adult homelessness. Effectively reducing child abuse and neglect may ultimately help prevent critical social problems including homelessness.”

In 2014, my boyfriend at the time tried to murder me in front of my children. We had to move immediately because his friends stayed directly above me and his mom stayed less than three minutes away.

My children and I were forced to move in with Grandma Mammal in my adulthood. But she eventually put us out. Why? Because we ate her

chicken nuggets that I had bought with our food stamps.

Without any other family that would house us, my children 3 and 4-years-old, and I lived out of our car. No shelter had room, apparently. So for about a month, we roughed it out.

It was summer time, so the nights were excruciatingly hot. I was fearful to leave the windows cracked because someone might open the doors and hurt us. So I hardly got any rest.

I made sure to cool my babies down with a damp cloth throughout the night, so they wouldn’t get sick. We would go to water parks like the one at Dickey Playground downtown and the Martin Ray Reilly Park near Chestnut and Olive, with a washcloth and soap, and bathe in broad daylight with our clothes on.

We would go to the Downtown library, so my children could get a sack lunch, and we could escape the summer heat. It also gave them a chance to play with other children, read books, and play games on the computer.

I wanted them to know as little as possible about what was really going on. I tried to ‘normalize’ or ‘minimize’ our situation, although it was everything but normal.

One day, I got a ticket for being parked there all day. I tried to dispute it by sharing my story about how we were homeless and hungry and that I was simply trying to feed my family and escape the heat.

It didn’t work.

The libraries didn’t have lunches for adults, so at first, I would go days without eating because most of our food was left at Grandma Mammal’s house and we had very little food stamps left.

During this time, on two separate occasions, a cousin and a close friend offered food from their table, even though they were already feeding families of 10 or more themselves. I was ashamed to ask more than once.

After the third week, I eventually got enough money to buy a cooler, which helped keep us hydrated with drinks, and to keep lunch meat cool.

We were finally able to get shelter space at the Madera Rescue Mission. After a month and some days, this was like winning the lottery and being invited to live in a mansion. We stayed there for an additional month.

They fed us, provided a laundry facility, church services, a play yard for the children, showers, and we even had our own room with two bunk beds.

My children didn’t realize what was going on.

After calling 2-1-1, an Information and Referral Helpline that gets people connected with agencies and organizations in their time of need, Westcare was able to assist us with a deposit for an apartment in Fresno with a property management company that thankfully overlooked my credit history. We were saved!

After all of this, I still couldn’t understand how my mother couldn’t make it happen for us.

Although it was hard to find resources initially for myself, I made a way for me and my children to bathe. I made sure their hair was combed. I made a way for me and my children to eat.

I wasn’t too proud to bathe in public at the water park. I wasn’t too proud to ask for assistance from agencies, even though I was denied time after time.

But I was morbidly ashamed that I had to expose my children to this dire situation because of my terrible choice in men.

I hope my children’s children will not live through this experience, and that social agencies will be there to catch them when they fall and give them housing, food, so they never have to experience hunger, and mental health services, so that unresolved childhood issues doesn’t perpetuate the ongoing cycle of abuse

14 SPORTS 5.1.19

therampageonline.com

Rams’ Allison has Stellar Season, Commits to Arkansas Conner Stevens | Reporter cstevens@therampageonline.com

To say that sophomore outfielder Chet Allison has had a good season for the Fresno City College baseball team would be an understatement.

Some may even say that a great season doesn’t even put into context of how much of an asset Allison has been to the team in the 40 games he has played in the 2019 season.

To give readers a speck of what Allison has been able to do on the field this year, here is a list of the hitting categories that the Rams’ center fielder leads the team with: Batting Average (.439), Hits (65), Runs (54), Doubles (17), Triples (6), Home Runs (10), RBIs (46), Stolen Bases (17), On-Base Percentage (.538), and Total Bases (124).

Looking at a videogame-like stat line that Allison has built, one would think that there were some insane changes in the offseason that led him to play at the high level that he is at today.

One would think that a Chet Allison morning includes waking up at dawn and heading to a local gym for a grueling workout, before spending countless hours studying film, to find the kinks in his picture perfect swing that he has showcased to fans all season.

One would think that Chet Allison eats, sleeps and breathes baseball and is chomping-at-the-bit everyday to get back to the nations past time.

One would think that someone who has had as successful season as Allison may have an ego that would create a problem with him fitting his head through doors.

At least, one would like to think?

Though the work ethic and drive to be successful couldn’t be more spot on when

describing Chet, the ego part couldn’t be further from the truth.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 220 pound outfielder who graduated from Clovis High School in 2017 was anything but what you might think a typical star athlete might be.

Humble. Calm. Present. These are the characteristics that came to mind after an interview with Allison.

Chet is the type of person that puts his nose to the grindstone day in and day out and doesn’t look for the public to notice or put him on a pedestal.

Consistently putting in the work to put himself above the competition and to get the results both he and his team needs.

And letting his game talk for him has worked his entire life, but as of recently his game has been talking pretty loud.Its safe to say that Allison’s game does a lot more talking than Chet himself.

“I just like to act like anyone else,” said a modest Allison. “I don’t really like to talk about how good I do.” For someone who carries the second best batting average in the state, that says a lot about the type of person he is.

When asked about the difference in work ethic over the past two years, Allison described that not much had really changed in his dayto-day workouts.“Last year the strength was there,” Allison said. “I just wasn’t barreling up balls as much as I am this year.”

One college in particular took notice to Allison barreling up the ball more this

season and decided to make a move to get him to the next level.

This past week in April, Chet decided to commit to the University of Arkansas and play under Dave Van Horn. Van Horn, who has been with the Razorbacks for 15 years, has built quite the resume himself that would entice a player like Allison to join the program “It’s the SEC,” Allison said when asked what led to the decision to pick Arkansas.

“I couldn’t really turn it down when they gave me an offer.”

Allison will be put to the test next year as he will be in the same conference as some of the nations top teams in Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Georgia, along with other highly respected teams.

When asked about how he will adapt Chet Allison takes his cuts against Cerro Coso college on April 23, 2019. Photo/Ben Hensley to a move across the country, Allison playoff opener against Cabrillo College didn’t miss a beat. “Seems like the best this Friday May 3 at 3:30 p.m. atmosphere in college baseball,” he said.

Allison has only seen Cabrillo one other “Just something I wanted to be a part of.” time this season, where he went 3-4 with Though with all the talk of the big move three singles and a stolen base. to division one baseball, he still has one “I think we are as good or better than last playoff run with the Rams. any team in the state” Allison said when Allison has been a key part throughout asked about the Rams’ playoff hopes. “If the season to the Rams’ success and will we play like we should, then we should look to continue that good run in FCC’s win.”

Rams' outfielder Chet Allison rifles a ball back to the infield during the Rams' April 23 game against Cerro. Photo/Ben Hensley

With Win Over Reedley To End Conference, It’s Clear FCC Has Displayed Improvement Omari Bell | Reporter obell@therampageonline.com

Coming off a three game winning streaking to end conference play, Fresno City softball has shown a lot of improvement as a whole compared to the way they started the season off with four wins and six tough losses.

The Rams have competed against the top 10 RPI teams in Northern California, and through the tough times head coach Rhonda Williams stated that she preached nothing other than positivity and reminding her team that they were matching up against the best teams and that it would only make them better.

“It’s always about getting better and being at your best at the end of the season, because once you get into the playoffs the rest of the season doesn't matter anymore,'' coach Williams said.

Towards the end of the Fall semester, returning freshman pitcher Melanie Morales came across a tough decision to hang up her glove and cleats, catching coach Williams by surprise but also putting her in a tough position as a head coach.

After 23 years of being a collegiate head coach for the Fresno City Women’s softball team, Rhonda Williams had already made the decision that this would be her last season at Fresno City, but what she didn’t have planned was one of her best pitchers quitting on her a few weeks before the

season started.

“Coming into the season in January, we had a big question mark on what we were gonna do about pitching,” coach Williams said. “We struggled a little bit, I mean we have a team with a lot of freshmen Pitchers but just lacked that experience because none of the girls have played college ball before and at this level, pitching is a little more Fresno City College Center Fielder Savanna Pena belts a double during the Rams' game against Cerro Coso College on April 16, 2019 at the FCC difficult against some Softball Diamond. Photo/Derek Bullis Reedley College had a 30-9 record and winning the first game 4-1 but falling in of the conferences best the Rams going into it with a record of the second 7-1. hitters.”

21-17, they beat them 8-6, which lead to “I think that we stack up well against In just the right amount of time, the Rams ending the season being the 11th them, ” Coach Williams said. “I think we Rhonda was able to have Former Selma seed going into playoffs. have a good shot to move on.”

High School pitcher, Katie Delgadillo The Rams are healthy and ready to go With this being Williams last season joined the team a few weeks into the into the playoffs with a clear head and a coaching, she wouldn’t want anything season. Delgadillo is also a freshman, solid game plan. more than to go out with a bang; It would but she was attending Reedley College at Coach Williams’ strategy for playoffs be her first state championship as a head the time but she was not playing for the is to limit the amount of errors on the coach if the Rams get into that position in college. defensive side because she knows as well the next few weeks.

When asked about that, Coach Williams as the stats show how well the Rams’ Last remarks Coach williams had to said, “that was a huge relief for us to pick offense has been throughout the season. say before going into playoffs were, “Let’s up another pitcher mid semester like that.”

The Rams first game will be matched up make some noise in the playoffs and finish The Rams came across a few minor against Sierra College for a best of three strong.

I would love to go out with a bang, injuries a couple games before going series, a team that they played against late and i know the girls would too!” into that last game of the regular season, February in a split double-header at home

5.1.19

therampageonline.com

SPORTS 15

Gearing up for Football Season - a Sit-down with Coach Caviglia Ben Hensley | Sports Editor bhensley@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College Rams are coming off a successful 9-3 season, having won the Valley Conference over Modesto and reaching the final four in the playoffs before losing to Laney College 24-7 in the Northern California Football Conference Championship.

Next year looks to build on that already impressive status.

Head coach Tony Caviglia gives some insight into the expectations of the team, leaders, schemes and discipline on the gridiron in the upcoming 2019 fall semester.

Leadership of the Signal Caller Coming off a season which saw a changing of the guard at quarterback, Jonah Johnson returns at quarterback.

Coming off a very successful season seeing him complete just over 61% of his throws, 18 touchdowns and 1635 yards, coach

“

to recover from, so he just wasn’t able to let the ball go until he got almost to the midpoint of the season,” coach Caviglia said of his playcaller.

Johnson looks to continue to build off the numbers from last year with a standout sophomore season.

“Finally, the lightbulb came on and he just took over our team,” Caviglia continued. “We went on an eight game winning streak with him.”

Further into the quarterback position, coach Caviglia goes on to explain the transformation Johnson went through since coming to FCC. “He changed his body. He came in [at] about 250 pounds and now he’s down to about 212,” Caviglia went on. “He’s trimmed up and he’s highly motivated.

He’s a very good student. Well respected by players and instructors and coaches.”

Coming off as successful a season as Johnson had in the fall of 2018, the sky looks to be the limit under center.

The Running Game Split

Finally, the lightbulb came on and he just took over our team.”

-Tony CAviglia Rams Football Head Coach

Caviglia has high praise for his sophomore quarterback.

Johnson, coming off a labrum surgery did not hit his stride until the midway point of the season. “I believe those labrum surgeries take almost two years

The Rams run their running game by committee. Coach Caviglia emphasizes the importance of having a running back by committee, putting emphasis on keeping players fresh and on the field come playoff time.

“Rico Rosario who was one of our key running backs last year, and Selby OBrien.

Both have had tremendous offseasons.

They got a taste of it last year and they’re just gonna build and grow from last season,” Caviglia said about his team’s running game.

Rosario played in all 12 of the Rams’ games last season, totalling 688 yards and collecting seven touchdowns on an average of 6.1 yards per carry.

OBrien, who looks to split the load with Rosario also performed well in his performances last season, playing in eight games and totalling 162 yards on only 29 attempts, for an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

Don’t expect to only see Rosario and OBrien on the field come this September

though.

“We’re gonna play three or four running backs every game. We want our running backs to be fresh in the fourth quarter, and we want them to be fresh at the end of the year,” Caviglia added, emphasizing the importance of keeping his players fresh not only for the end of games, but also at the end of the season.

With a backfield looking as promising as the Rams’ backfield looks, expect to see the rushing yards pile up when the Rams hit the gridiron this fall.

A Defense That can Produce Defensively, the Rams’ as a unit picked Photo courtesy of The Rampage archives. Photo/Daisy off the opposition 15 times, forced Rodriguez three fumbles, 22 sacks and scored four outside linebacker,” Caviglia said. “He’s touchdowns as unit. This year, they look got a nice skill set to be a rush outside to continue to force turnovers against the linebacker.” opposition.

Macias recorded 26 tackles last season, “We want to get turnovers. If you play 7.5 of which for a loss. “[He] took over good defense, you’re gonna get turnovers,” in the Delta [College] game. Had a really Caviglia said of his expectations of the strong offseason. He’s just so smart, so upcoming season. intelligent. He’s gonna play our field Starting from the secondary, coach outside linebacker.”

Caviglia gave a detailed look into what to expect defensively from the Rams this Playing for the Playoffs season.

“In the back side, we like Khalid Hylton The Rams look to build off a very who played solid last year,” Caviglia said of successful 2018 season with an even more his sophomore defensive back. productive 2019 campaign in a hopeful Coming off a season which saw Hilton return to the playoffs and a potential pick off three passes, Caviglia praises his versatility. “He could play down at a nickel, championship season.

Last year, San Mateo, Laney, FCC he could play a deep safety. He can even and Butte all met in the playoffs, with play corner. He’s very versatile.”

FCC losing to Laney in the NCFC Moving forward defensively, Caviglia Championship. Laney eventually went outlined his key players at linebacker Cameron Lamanuzzi, Toamalama Scanlan, on to win the state championship against Ventura College. This year, the Rams and Javion Macias. will look to flip the results of last year’s Lamanuzzi “had a great freshman playoffs, and take home their first state campaign and is just gonna build off that,” championship since 1973.

Caviglia said. Coming off a season which The Rams will open up competition saw him record 51 solo tackles, six tackles on Thursday, Aug. 29 in a scrimmage for a loss, and two sacks, Caviglia praises against Chabot College. Game time will be his off season commitment. “[He] had a updated at a future date. great off season. Got bigger and stronger.”

The first official home game on the Scanlan played in three games last Rams’ schedule next season is on Saturday, season and looks to have a productive Sept. 14 against Siskiyous College at 5:00 2019 season. “We moved from inside to p.m. at Ratcliffe Stadium.

Rams Drop Final Regular Season Home Game to Cerro Coso Ben Hensley | Sports Editor bhensley@therampageonline.com

Darren Jansen throws four strong innings of relief during the Rams' 7-3 loss against the Cerro Coso Coyotes on April 23, 2019. Photo/ Ben Hensley

The Rams wrapped up their regular season home schedule on a low note on April 23, 2019, dropping the first game in a three game series against the Cerro Coso Coyotes by a score of 7-3.

Jiovanni Savvedra threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking three taking the loss.

“We were always in a hole,” head coach Ron Scott said of Savvedra’s performance. “Leadoff guy was always getting on and he made a couple of bad pitches. Just wasn’t his day tonight.”

After a relatively uneventful first two frames, the Rams got on the board first on a sacrifice fly from star outfielder Chet Allison, driving in Antonio Noriega who had reached on a single to lead off the inning.

The Coyotes tied the score in the top of the fourth on an RBI single off the bat of Nick Erickson driving in Caleb Johnson, bringing the score to a 1-1 tie.

The Rams saw the tie disappear in the top of the fifth inning, which saw Cerro Coso drive in four more runs, capped off by two doubles and a Rams’ error in the frame. By the end of the fifth, the Coyotes had taken a 5-1 lead.

Darren Jansen relieved Savvedra with one out in the top of the fifth, allowing both of his inherited baserunners to score before shutting down the Coyotes offense.

“He [Jansen] was all right tonight,” Scott said following the game. “I thought we pitched pretty poorly.”

One Rams outfielder made no doubt he showed up to play; Chet Allison blasted a two run home run in the bottom of the fifth, drawing the Rams closer at a score of 5-3.

Possibly the Rams’ best chance to score came in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two out and runners on first and second, Chet Allison reached first on an error following a hard ground ball to third. Josh May rounded third and headed to the plate while the ball was still in the infield. By the end of the play, May was easily tagged out at the plate on what appeared to be a major baserunning error.

“Coaching mistake,” coach Scott said of the misplay in the sixth inning. “He thought the ball had rolled farther away from first.”

Jansen continued to pitch very effectively, striking out five and walking two in his four innings pitched. One

of his walks however came at an inopportune time in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Jansen walked Coyote’s shortstop Ezekiel Gutierrez.

Following the walk, third baseman Cole Martin atoned for his earlier error by blasting a no-doubt home run over the right field fence, extending the lead to 7-3 and effectively taking the wind out of the Rams sails for the remainder of the night.

The Rams were able to draw leadoff walks in both the eighth and ninth innints, but could not plate any more runners, falling by a final score of 7-3.

While the Rams ended their home season on a loss, overall they were 17-6 at home during the regular season.

The Rams head into the playoffs having won the Central Valley Conference of the CCCAA, after a final regular season week which saw rival COS drop from first to third in the conference, and rival Taft finishing runner up.

The Rams will face Cabrillo College in their first playoff game this Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Euless Park. Cabrillo College comes into their matchup with a 22-16 record following a runner up finish in the Coast Pacific Conference.

! e er h e er w ou y Wish

16 SPORTS 5..19

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