Opinion – Page 6 – The Connection

Re; “Scholarship opportunites available on campus”

Cameron Crouch, Reader

April 13, 2016

Dear Editor, Many students neglect to take advantage of this great opportunity to help raise funds for their continued education. I am personally a success story of applying and receiving one of CRC’s student scholarships. The entire process took less than an hour and was well worth it! Not only do you receive the monetary...

Re; “Students still need free college tuition”

Jenna Pulanco, Reader

April 13, 2016

Dear Editor, Hey. Thank you for putting out an opinion piece regarding free college tuition. I think that tuition should be free and that education should be free. Hopefully Obama's plan, America’s College Promise proposal, even though it fell through during his administration will be revived during whoever wins the next...

Gender-neutral bathrooms a step forward for gender equality

LeShea Munoz

March 17, 2016

Gender-neutral restrooms are the hot topic right now. Should anyone, regardless of gender, be allowed to use the restroom of their choice, no matter what anatomical figure is welded on the outside of the door? Beginning in January 2016, some universities such as University of California, Davis have begun to phase out single...

Sexually-transmitted diseases increases a dangerous result of dating apps

Erica Trujillo, Staff

March 16, 2016

Sexually transmitted diseases are a growing problem among young adults in particular. STDs are a topic people don’t like talking about because the thought of having one is unnerving. Today, many young adults have the mindset that casual sex is acceptable because everyone else is doing it. Peer pressure is a noteworthy facto...

Whose lives matter?

EJ Aguayo, Editor

March 10, 2016

The U.S. was founded on principles of theft through the genocide of its natives and the stolen labor of African slaves, but its citizens stand on pledges of freedom, liberty and justice for all who choose to settle on its soil. Depending on the skin color of whom you ask, those promises have been maintained. However, we sti...

Society submits to rape culture

Courtney Fong, Staff

March 10, 2016

Rape culture is an environment in which beliefs and practices encourage behaviors leading to rape, normalizing sexual violence. Recently, many have taken a stand to shine light on the issue. At the 88th Annual Oscars Awards Show, Lady Gaga sang “Till it Happens to You” as several survivors of sexual assault, branded w...

Editorial: Colleges should not undermine accomplishments of skill builders

Editorial Staff

March 10, 2016

Community colleges exist to help students further themselves. Whether it’s in pursuit of a degree, transferring to a university or just looking to better themselves for their career, success should be measured in different ways. Currently, students who want to enhance their professional skills for employment, referred to ...

Editorial: Students still need free college tuition

Editorial Staff

March 10, 2016

Most students would jump for joy if free community college tuition actually became a reality. Between rent, living expenses and transportation, many people give up on the idea of going to college, believing that incurring debt from tuition costs isn’t worth it. In January 2015, President Barack Obama unveiled the America’s...

Women in politics are disturbingly objectified

Courtney Fong, Staff

March 6, 2016

Women have played an essential role in American politics from the beginning, both behind-the-scenes as influential wives and directly as policy-making senators and governors. But in 2015, only six of the nation’s 50 governors were women, despite the fact that the first female governor took office nearly 100 years ago, acco...

The Apple that won’t crack

Matt Johnson and EJ Aguayo

February 25, 2016

News of Apple’s non-compliance to the FBI’s court order to bypass encryption of an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters has caused an uproar, sparking arguments of privacy versus limitations of national security. The case reintroduced a growing debate: should personal privacy be sacrificed in order to satis...

Split Decision: Will a higher minimum wage do more harm than good?

EJ Aguayo and Ashley Navarro

February 25, 2016

Pro: EJ Aguayo For many first-timers out in the job market, especially young adults, starting at minimum wage may not seem so bad. The plan is to move up a position or two, savor even the smallest pay raise and to eventually pursue better employment opportunities as that low wage was only supposed to be temporary, jus...

Oscar nominees lack diversity but not talent

Kayleen Carter, Staff

February 17, 2016

The 20 actors nominated this year for an Oscar award are white, which has brought into question the diversity of the awards. About 94 percent out of the nearly 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, those who determine the winners through votes, are primarily white, according to an article from The E...

Editorial: Students should be aware of online footprint

Editorial Staff

February 17, 2016

Most social media regulars post freely, even when content isn’t necessarily appropriate, and often feeling guarded by a private profile. The term privacy should be used loosely in regards to social media. Social media and its many platforms have changed so much in the last decade. We’re constantly tapped into our ...

Donald Trump’s candidacy a national embarrassment

Matt Johnson, Staff

December 19, 2015

Donald Trump is many things: a billionaire, a bully, self-obsessed and an entertainer. In his campaign to be the Republican nominee for president, the media has helped Trump propel the 2016 presidential race into a sensationalized embarrassment. Trump lives off national attention as a narcissist. He is the dream interview for n...

Split Decision: Should the United States take in Syrian refugees?

Matt Johnson and Quincie Pruitt

December 9, 2015

Pro: Matt Johnson When Paris was shaken by deadly terrorist attacks on Nov. 13, it left many Americans fearing for their own safety. In the days following the attacks, many states outright refused to accept Syrian refugees. The actions and emotions by a majority of the country speak to many things: A growing angst about a...

Split Decision: Do selfies have an impact on mental health?

Nichelle Heu and Kalaisha Totty

December 9, 2015

Pro: Nichelle Heu We all seem to be taking self-portraits when no one is looking. We’ve almost all been guilty of taking selfies. During my freshman year in high school, I was overweight and non-materialistic. I was bullied and body shamed by many of my classmates because of it. Being bullied didn’t stop me f...

Police officers crossing the line with violence

Cole McCarthy, Staff

December 1, 2015

The boys in blue just might leave you blue, black and bruised for the mere failure to cooperate as they say you should. The demonstration of unwarranted, excessive police force continues to be a problem in the U.S. Cell phone video of a bikini-clad teen being forced to the ground while attending a pool party in Arlin...

Split Decision: “Black Friday” a great deal or risky business?

LeShea Munoz and Sean Pastrana

November 26, 2015

Pro: LeShea Munoz Gone are the days of the early 4 a.m. openings on what was appropriately deemed “Black Friday.” Stores are now opening on the evening of Thanksgiving or even earlier, just so that people can take advantage of the early bird specials or pre-Black Friday prices. Items are slashed significantly and ...

Preventing climate change must remain a priority to protect our future

Sean Pastrana, Staff

November 23, 2015

The old adage “nothing lasts forever,” can be used to define an assortment of things in life such as: an intimate relationship gone stale, having a pet pass away or losing contact with a close-childhood friend. It could also be used to describe the constant changes of the Earth’s climate and the negative impacts it ...

“Right to Die” finally a right

Coy Granderson, Staff

November 23, 2015

When news of California becoming the fifth state to adopt the right to die legislation had reached me, I thought about the legislation, which gives terminally-ill patients the option of doctor assisted suicide, and had an epiphany. Apparently, God forgives suicide. According to Catholic and Christian doctrines, Christ all...

Cancer charities may not all have the same interests in mind

Cole McCarthy, Staff

November 11, 2015

When you give money to a charity, typically you intend for that money to help the cause, but some charities don’t use that money where it’s intended. Instead, they put it inside their own pockets to spend it on themselves. Marie Claire, an international magazine geared towards women, reported a case in which a lawsuit was ...