Out of numerous community colleges across the nation, Green River college won a spot amongst the top 150 colleges eligible to be a recipient of the 2023 Aspen Prize. Starting in 2011, the Aspen Prize is a recognition award from the Aspen Institute to colleges every two years and consists of funding of up to $1 million awarded to the winning college. Apart from the main winner, being the finalist(s), passing the determining factors and showcasing rapid improvement can also grant runner-up colleges with funds. To determine eligibility, this excellence program majorly focuses on aspects like teaching and its effect…

The Mysterious Trebuchet Back in the Middle Ages, trebuchets were used in wars and sieges to throw stones at castles and walled cities, trying to break them down. They were also used to throw things, like manure and animal corpses, over the walls of cities. But why in the world is there a trebuchet tucked in one of the hiking trails adjacent to GRC? Was it built as a physics project by students on campus? How long has it been there? Like all good mysteries, these questions may not have answers. But in case you happen to stumble upon it…

Last month, Governor Jay Inslee was in Glasgow, Scotland attending the U.N. Climate Summit. Part of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, Inslee joined other leaders for the launch of the Low Carbon Construction Task Force. Said Inslee, “Washington and the PCC region are leaders in demonstrating how strategies to reduce climate pollution also create good jobs and a strong economy”. A spokesperson from the governor’s office stated he will lead a team of governors and mayors committed to making measurable progress to slash greenhouse gases emission in half by 2030.  On Nov. 7, Inslee issued an executive order committing to having…

A goal to have 90 percent of floating plastic reduced in the ocean by 2040, sounds incredible, does it not? That is the goal that the Ocean Cleanup has in mind and is in pursuit of fulfilling. So, what is the Ocean Cleanup? Started in 2013 by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat, the Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit environmental organisation focused on pollution cleanup in oceans and in water bodies that lead to the ocean. The concept of their technology includes a vessel that gets deployed into the ocean and goes through a route, picking up floating plastic along the way.…

Recently a new show known as Santa inc. has been released to the public. The show features talent such as Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman. However, the show has been drowning in negative reviews and disapproval. The only question is why audiences seem to dislike the show in such overwhelming numbers? According to Rogen from his personal Twitter account, the hate is coming from review bombing white supremacists. Rogen stated, “We really pissed off tens of thousands of white supremacists…” However, despite how confident Rogen is, the numbers aren’t exactly on his side. Considering the over one-hundred thousand dislikes on…

After a year and a half of the pandemic shutdown, it is wonderful to see things starting to “normalize” a bit on campus. But as this happens I have noticed that people, including myself, are tending to have a hyper-critical eye on how it happens. The new protocols are obviously not going to please everyone, but I think we could all use a shift in mindset to appreciate the creativity of others at this time.  I was guilty of being this critical eye recently when, browsing through the Green River College website, I came upon a link to “Ask a…

Stress. Too much and we find it difficult to function. But it is highly unlikely any person can live without some level of stress. Work, school, finals, relationships, and holidays all cause one’s stress levels to rise even though some of the stressors are exciting and fun. Layer on top of that the last couple of years of the dark cloud of Covid-19 throwing lives out of whack.  One common reaction to stress is seeking out comfort foods. Comfort foods is a term first coined by the Palm Beach Post in 1966. They are as unique as the individual or…

The trial of Kyle Rittenhouse wrapped up at the end of last week. This trial was possibly the most high-profile trial since that of OJ Simpson and by some is considered to be just as infamous. The trial was deciding over whether Kyle Rittenhouse, who at the time of the incident was 17, was practicing self-defense when he fatally injured two rioters and severely injured another during a riot in Kenosha Wisconsin over the shooting that paralyzed Jacob Blake. After the trial went on for more than two weeks, the jury entered deliberation and returned just over 24 hours later…

On October 29, the Food and Drug Administration, FDA, authorized vaccinations for children aged 5-11. Soon after on November 2, CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) director Rochelle Walensky made eligible the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11. Out of roughly 47 million COVID-19 cases in the US, children make up for nearly 6.6 million cases. Since its approval, almost 2.6 million children have received the first dose of the vaccination. Children ages 5 to 11 are now eligible for vaccinations that will be provided in significantly lower dosages, two injections given with a three-week period in between. Comparatively,…

Norway pledged to be completely carbon neutral by 2050, alongside many other countries. They seem to forward towards the goal, how do they make this possible, what is their strategy, and why is it working? Norway runs mostly on hydropower energy. Favorable climate and resource location aids Norway in being able to generate and rely heavily on hydroelectricity. That said, Norway plans to continue its oil and gas production and while forwarding policies that produce profitable oil within the country’s climate goals. The recycling system in Norway is said to be one the most efficient of its kinds across the…