Breaking Down Barriers, Upsetting The Status Quo

The Unfiltered Lens

www.TheUnfilteredLens.com

Serving The CCRI Student Body Since 2007

Faculty forced to F-ail students

Your future could be withdrawn

November 13, 2014

Volume 11
Issue 12

Info@theunfilteredlens.com

Fee or Foe
Know where your money goes

By Erin Atwood
Staff Writer
When a full time student registers for
classes there are certain fees that must be paid
to the school. They include fees such as a registration fee, a technology fee, a commuting and
parking fee, a placement fee and a student activity fee. Many students are not aware of the
different fees they pay and what those fees are
used for, the student activity fee being one of
them. As a student it is important to know where
your money is going, what that money is being
used for, and who is using the money.

If a student were to look up the explanation of what the student activity fee is, they
would find that the school defines it as a fee that
covers student services such as IDs as well as
various activities sponsored by student organizations and the student athletic program. It is a
non-refundable fee and is required of all students
regardless of whether they are full or part time.

Fifty percent of the budget is reserved
for Athletics, 23.5% for Student Life and 26.5%
for Student Government. Ninety-seven thousand
dollars was set aside in a travel account originally reserved for Athletics, but is now being shared
with other clubs, according to Jim Gracik, President of Knight Campus Student Government. He
says the money is split between all four campuses and is based on the number of students each
campus has in attendance. In the past three years
Knight campus has gotten 42% while Flanagan
and Liston received 32% and 18% respectively.
(Continued in Student Fees on p 3)

Edward Kdonian/Lens

By Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

According to a message sent out by Dr. Greg Lamontagne, CCRIs Vice President of Academic
Affairs, a reccomendation has been made by the Accademic Advisory Commitee to discuss abolishing the WP/WF grading options. This act would in effect force teachers to enter a students grade as
Failed after 10 weeks if the student were unable to complete a passing grade after the first 10 weeks of
class. The most disturbing part of this is that they havent told the students, or even asked for their input.

Currently the system allows a teacher to input a grade of Withdrawal/Passing or Withdrawal/
Failing instead of imputing the grade as an actual failure. This allows students who have been forced
by circumstance to miss too many classes or who are unable to obtain a passing grade to withdraw from a
class unofficially without the class affecting the students grade point index. Basically if you fail to show
up for a class to the point where you can no longer gain a passing grade a teacher can enter you as having
withdrawn and denote whether you had a passing or failing grade at the time you stopped showing up.

Learn
more
Failed classes are held against your about your
record and never wiped clean
Student
Government

This is most important for students who are forced to stop attending class due to financial, work related, or family based hardships that require priority above school. If you
as a student were forced to attend to a sick family member or move out of state temporarily
you could speak to a teacher and have them enter your grade as WP, WF or NA. The credits
would count against your attempted credit count, but would not affect your grade point average
if you were to reenroll at a later date to retake the class or to work towards a different degree.

Just as importantly this safety net helps to protect first time students who are just out of high
school. There is no shortage of 18 year old students who enroll right out of high school only to skip
classes because they are not ready to devote themselves to college. (Continued in Failed on p3)

P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7

This
Issue

Where are the safe zones?

Student Government
A discussion on voting
Police hassle jounalists
A good cup of coffee
Unfiltered Advice

Dont
vote
stupid
Featured on Page 4

...and how to get involved

Read article on Page 3

An apple a day
can get you
suspended

Wanted:
Knight chivalry
read on page 2
@ccriunfiltered

Find out how on page 5

/unfilteredlens

Campus News

The Unfiltered Lens

Knight needs chivalry when it comes to diversity

By Jess Le Beau
Staff Writer
Even though CCRI is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary,
the Triangle Alliance at CCRIs
Knight Campus, a group specifically dedicated towards creating a safe environment for LGBTQQ students, has only been
sporadically maintained. its
first truly successful semester
as a student organization was
the spring of 2014. In an article
previously put out by the Unfiltered Lens, Professor Pellicio
of CCRI Knight Campus discussed communication issues
between the administration
and students regarding issues
such as discrimination, HIV and
AIDS, and domestic violence.
While Knight Campus has
been less than successful, Flanagan Campus has had theirs
for several years. The club recently had a surge of attendance in 2012 when two CCRI
students, Danilo Ospina and
Evelyn Rodriguez, along with
Dr. Rekha Rosha and the clubs
previous co-advisor, Andrew
Cook, brought the club back.
Even with the clubs revival,
they only see about five active
members on average per semester. Jordan Lally, the President of the Triangle Alliance
on Flanagan Campus, stated,
Currently there are many
people on the Triangle Alliance Facebook page, but most
of these members are either no
longer active or do not attend
meetings...There are many reasons for the lack of popularity...
Hopefully, as time goes on and
we become more visible, the
popularity of the club will grow.

In order for the Triangle
Alliance to grow, there needs
to be communication between
the administration and students. This disconnect between

Pictured left to right: Professor William Pelliccio and Christion S. Battey

students and administration regarding the LGBTQQ community is seen across all campuses. Tyneasha Hazard, a Triangle
Alliance member on Flanagan
Campus, notes that There are
no visible markers on our campus, like Safe Zone stickers or
rainbow flags or symbols of
any kind that signal to LGBTQQ
students, faculty, and staff that
people here [at CCRI] are safe
and accepting.. Lally goes on
to say that, The college could
definitely promote equality
more ...which would allow people to see that CCRI is a safe
place to be themselves....as a
club we would like to host such
events when we have enough
members to do so.. In a previous article put out by the Unfiltered Lens, Professor Pellicio,
advisor for the Human Services
Club, has stated they are looking to bring in seminars regarding these issues in order to
bring more light to the situation.
Things have been looking
up for the Triangle Alliance at
Flanagan Campus, however.
Dr. Rosha cites, Last year, Triangle Alliance student mem-

bers petitioned administrators

to provide gender-neutral facilities on all CCRI campuses.
With input from Deans Yount
and Cunningham, that petition
was granted last spring. Currently, each campus has one,
designated gender non-specific facility...With the help of
Student Government leaders,
we co-sponsored free, rapid
HIV testing last semester. Flanagan Campus also hosted
its first Safe Zone Training on
November 7th. Dr. Rosha discussed how events such as this
are more common on other
college campuses, and aim to
inform on issues such as appropriate language, national
and local resources for LGBTQQ individuals, LGBTQQ
culture, the coming out process, and many other topics.
James Gracik, the Student
Government President, says
the Student Government wholly supports clubs and organizations, and would love to see the
Triangle Alliance be brought
back on Knight Campus. Before Student Government can
help any situation, students

Jess Le Beau/Lens

need to bring their needs forward, Our role [as Student

Government] is to support the
students If the students want
more large scale advocation,
we would then step in and add
our voice to the Triangle Alliance and assist in getting their
message and concerns out....
Gracik also invites students to sit in on Student Government meetings. The next
meetings in the fall semester
at Knight Campus areon December 12that1pmin room
4090. The Triangle Alliance at
Flanagan Campus is always
accepting new members from
all campuses, and meet everyWednesday at 2pm, in the
All Clubs Room. There are also
free, fast, and confidential HIV
and AIDs testing clinics at Flanagan and Knight Campuses.
On Flanagan Campus, testing
will be available to all onDecember 11th, from
11am to
3pm, in the All Clubs Room.
Testing on Knight Campus
will take place December 3rd
from12 to 2pmin room 3140.

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October 18, 2014
November 15, 2014

Campus News

The Unfiltered Lens

Become more astute about student government

By Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

What does Student Government do? This is a question you as
a CCRI student may have asked
yourself at one time or another, or
perhaps you are one of the alarming number of students who wasnt
even aware of their existence. Considering that as a student, your Student Government is your representation to the colleges faculty and
administration, all students should
be aware of exactly what it is that
the student government is responsible for, and what it is they can do
for you.

According to the Official
Constitution of CCRI, the Student
Governments is empowered to
act upon issues brought before it
and to govern all Student clubs and
Organizations. That sounds like
a confusing mouthful, but it boils
down to the very simple responsibility of Organizing and representing the best interests of the students
and clubs as well as providing a
voice for the average student who
wants to be heard by the college.
If you have an idea for a club, you

THE
LENS
The overall mission of THE UNFILTERED LENS is to inform
and improve the quality of student
life at the Community College of
Rhode Island. We strive to accomplish this standard by reporting and
writing the truth in an ethical and
responsible fashion that enlightens
the entire college community, while
providing information in an unvarnished manner that seeks thoughtful responses, dialogue and, of
course, action. We fully understand
serving students is our clear objective and recognize the impact and,
more importantly, the importance
of this endeavor. We realize we do
not make news but cover events
that stimulate our community, improve college life and strengthen
our democracy.

would go to the Student Government to send a request to the administration to get it approved and find
a space on campus as well as a budget for club related matters. If you
had a problem on campus or with
a teacher that you wanted to bring
to the faculties attention, you would
seek out the Student Government
on your campus to make your voice
heard.

However that is not the only
thing our Student Government does
here at CCRI. They also work to

sponsor and arrange student oriented events on campus. Sometimes

that involves supporting and getting
the word out about Breast Cancer
Awareness day, and other times it
involves setting up a Movie night
like the one which will take place
on November 19th in the Knight
Campus Student Union, where the
movie Clue will be showing.

How can you join in and
become a part of Student Government on your campus? Thats easy,
just join a club. Thats right sim-

Failed

Student Fees

(continued from cover)

(continued from cover)

These students enjoying the first

freedom theyve ever experienced
could easily wind up ruining future
attempts to complete their education.

Since failed classes are
held against your record and never
wiped clean no matter how long
ago they were, a student returning
after 10 years would still be affected by failed grades form when
they were young. By the time a
student has gained perspective and
developed responsible attitudes
towards college it would be too
late, because without the WP/WF
system they would have been irreparably harmed by past mistakes.

Not only does the WP/WF
system help irresponsible students
but it also serves to protect the interests of students who have no
choice. Not only must the current
grading system stay in place but it
is our job as students to make its
importance known. We cant allow the administration to make
such an important decision without
student input. We have to stand
up for our rights and our grades.
Tell your classmates, tell your
teachers, make your voice heard!.

Newport campus only received 8%

as they had aproximately 1,600 students all three years. The Knight
Campus has the largest number of
students and the most clubs, around
28, although it changes with clubs
being added throughout the year.
The problem with the student activity fee fund is that sometimes
it is not used correctly, in the way
that it is designated in The Student
Handbook. Lunches were bought
for the employees of Transfer Day
with the money as well as monitors
for Enrollment Services and laptops
for the Deans. The unfortunate part,
as Gracik says, is that club funding
had to be cut anywhere from 30 to
50%. This is definitely an issue of
fiscal irresponsibility, but also of
the fact that students need more
clarification and awareness about
what is really going on because
although this is a two year school
and turnaround is quick, if enough
people demand change then we will
have to be heard.

ply joining a club will allow you to

gain a voice in your campus Student Government. Not interested
in joining a club, but still want to
get involved? Another option is
to become a Senator-At-Large. Instead of representing the interests
of a student club you could work
to represent the interests of all the
students who share in your major.
Both instructions and applications
for Senator-At-Large positions are
available on the CCRI website.
So, get up and get involved in your
school, contact Student Government and make your voice heard.
After all it isnt everyday you have
such a great opportunity to make an
impact on the world around you.

EDITORIAL STAFF
Naomi Stewart
Editor-in-Chief
Alex Wallace
Managing Editor
Harold Cooper
Lead Layout/Design
Webmaster
Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor
Erica Schuman
Social Media Manager
Warren Smith
Business Manager

Staff Writers
Erin Atwood
Rob Gagnon
Kristy Livesey
Jessamy Le Beau
Rob Oatley
Courtney Germain
Steve Forleo

Faculty Advisor

Official Member
Journalism Association of
Community Colleges - Since 2010

Official Member
College Media
Association
Since 2011

Official Member
Student Press Law Center
Since 2010

The opinions and views expressed in The Unfiltered Lens student newspaper are solely those of their writers and are in no way, shape, or form, the opinions or views of CCRI and/or of its affiliates. The Unfiltered Lens 2014

Op-Ed

The Unfiltered Lens

Dont vote stupid

(Dont vote, stupid)

By Robert Gagnon
Staff Writer

Election Day 2014 has
come and gone but that does not
mean that you cant be prepared for
the next elections. All of the races
were very close which means almost half our state is probably upset with the results, but I feel that
a good way to deal with your feelings, whatever they may be, is to
get on board with the candidates
who have won and hope for the
best. In order to prepare for the next
elections, the first thing that you are
going to want to do is make sure
that you educate yourself as a voter.

If you are unsure as to
whether or not you are an uneducated voter, here are som signs: if you
discriminate against a certain candidate because of their race, age, or
gender, you are an uneducated voter.
If you dont like a certain candidate
but dont know the reasons why, you
are an uneducated voter. If you are
not certain what a candidates views
on various issues are, then you are
an uneducated voter. Voting is an
extraordinary privilege but like
many privileges that we have there
are too many people who abuse it.
The easiest way to abuse this privilege is to not educate yourself on
the issues. If you are an uneducated

Take a break
from snap
chatting,
tweeting, and
internet porn

voter and you go to the polls to vote

its the equivalent of texting while
driving, theyre both dangerous
and can affect many peoples lives.

Young voters are constantly
targeted by politicians and adults
trying to sway them to one side or
another. Their reasoning being that
many young people have little to no
knowledge and/or experience about
politics, and they are correct. Im
disgusted when i see young voters
voice their political opinions on social networks but have no facts or

reasoning to support their thoughts.

A new trend has risen which needs
to be stopped immediately, is voters
posting photos of their ballots online. There is a reason why voting is
done anonymously. Posting photos
of whom and what you voted for
is irresponsible and disrespectful;
you do not deserve to be voting.

Now I understand that I am
just pointing out the problem and
have not offered a solution. This is
because there already is a solution
and it should be self-evident. Stu-

dents should be taught more about

current event issues at school to
prepare them for when they do vote.

As for young voters, take
a break from snap chatting, tweeting, and internet porn and educate
yourself on current events and issues not only in our state but also
nationwide. You can be proud
when you surprise someone with
your newly gained political knowledge. Stay in the loop, remember
that it is so important to make sure
that you do not believe everything
that you hear or read on T.V. and
the internet. So please do yourself and your fellow Americans
a favor, VOTE RESPONSIBLY!

Latvia just got a little more Fabulous

By Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

I proudly announce
Im gay... Good luck
all of you...
Edgars Rinkvis
(@edgarsrinkevics)
November 6, 2014

In an honest and brave moment of self-respect and personal
pride, or is it gay pride, Latvian
Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkvis
came out of the closet on twitter. While its not clear just what
made this particular Thursday such
a good day for him to come out, I

think he deserves a shout out for doing so. As one of the few European
countries still holding strong to a
ban on same sex marriage, this pronouncement is proving to be a powerful rallying point for Latvias gay
rights movement. Latvia not only

has a ban on same sex marriage but

it also has specific bans on teaching
that same sex couples are equal to
opposite gender pairings, and with
talk of an anti-gay propaganda bill
in the future, having a member of
the government stand up proudly

Edward Kdonian/Lens
and tweet his sexuality from the
rooftops is more important than
ever. We know from our own country how hard it is to come out while
in a political office. So I say, good
luck to you too, Edgars!

The Unfiltered Lens

IN the Nation

Suspended for snacking

Student punished for healthy snack demonstration

point in society where we are jumping at shadows and we need to rethink our actions. How long before
students are only allowed to use
crayons in school because pencils
and pens are too sharp? How long
before shoes have to have Velcro
straps so children arent accused of
having a garrote made of shoelaces? Enough is enough, its time to
think reasonably and remove these
zero tolerance policies that dont
take circumstance into account.

By Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

In Ohio a student attempting
to give a demonstration on healthy
snacking was suspended after trying
to cut an apple into slices. Davon
Shaw, a student in Bedford, Ohio
was giving a speech before his class
on nutritious snacking. He brought
in some apples and dried cranberries as examples for his class only to
be stopped short when he attempted
to cut up the apple. The moment
he picked up the knife his teacher
stopped him and took it from him.
He politely gave it to her, not putting up any fuss. Later in the day
he was approached and suspended
for five days for having a weapon
at school. His mother is quoted in
a CNN article saying I can take off
my belt and use that as a weapon.

Edward Kdonian/Lens
Pens and pencils can be used as a
weapon. You cant take a person
with no intentions to harm and put
them as a criminal because thats

what you normally do.

The fact is that there is a
clear difference between a tool and
a weapon. We have gotten to a

Students detained for filming police

Journalists harassed for shooting video of police station

By Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

Two student reporters from

Lindenwood University TV in Missouri, were detained by officers after filming video of the local police
station for a story about recent thefts
of musicians equipment outside of
local venues. The students say that
they were apprehended and intimidated by as many as 15 police officers for an hour, even though they
had made sure to receive permission before the filming even started.

The Universitys president
James Evans, and university attorney Eric Stuhler sent a letter addressed to the Chief of Police Sam
Dotson containing an accounting
of the students harassment as well
as their reasoning why the officers
were out of line. Within the letter
is also a request that the officers of

ficially apologize to the students for fellow student reporter got into her
their behavior.
car to leave they were blocked by a
police SUV.
thought that maybe I was blockWadleigh and her I
ing the way for them to get through
they got out of their car and
partner were asked to until
came up to my windows, Wadleigh states. So they told us to put
step out of the car and our electronics on the dashboard
and turn off the car and they asked
to identify themselves me to hand over my keys.

Wadleigh and her partner

According to the letter the were asked to step out of the car and
students had been hoping to inter- to identify themselves, before being
view Dotson for their story only to surrounded by officers at the back
find that he did not regularly work of the car and having their belongfrom that location. When they ings searched for almost an hour.
found he wasnt there they decided After rooting through their belongto film B-roll of police vehicles ings, detaining them in the station
while standing on the public side- and watching all of the footage they
walk. When Isis Wadleigh and her had recorded they were finally told

that they could keep it and were free

to go.

Jay Stanley of the American
Civil Liberties Union states in 2011
that, filming or photographing the
police with or without permission
is a given right to anyone, not just
the press. Taking photographs and
video of things that are plainly visible in public spaces is a constitutional right and that includes the
outside of federal buildings, as well
as transportation facilities, and police and other government officials
carrying out their duties, he wrote.

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Reviews

The Unfiltered Lens

Brewed Awakenings, grounds for a good day

By Rob Gagnon
Staff Writer
and
Edward Kdonian
Copy Editor

Growing up in Johnston
there was a coffee shop on Atwood
Ave that fellow students would
cut class to hang out in, oops I
mean would wait till after class to
hang out in. That coffee shop was
Brewed Awakenings. It has been
a great Rhode Island based coffee shop since opening in 1996.
Brewed Awakenings has served
some of the best coffee in the state
for almost twenty years, but they
serve more than just great coffee.
With a menu that includes a vast assortment of baked goods and signature sandwiches for both breakfast
and lunch, you have plenty of items
to choose from. With two locations
on Atwood Ave in Johnston, one in
South Kingstown, and another on
Pontiac Ave in Cranston their coffee is quickly taking over the state.
Im sure that many of you have seen
the highest coffee cup in the state
towering over their Cranston loca-

Pictured left to right: Chelsea Maldonado and Mellissa Cooper

tion at over a hundred feet in the air.
While each location has its own
charm, the newest location on Bald
Hill Rd in Warwick, has out done
them all, and in my opinion made
Brewed Awakenings the best coffee
house to go to in the state.
The new location on Bald
Hill Rd is amazing the moment you
walk through their beautiful heat-

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ed patio outside and through the

doors. You will immediately find a
warm ambiance that no other coffee shop has, as well as a friendly
and efficient staff. You may feel a
bit overwhelmed once you look at
their menu and notice that its hard
to choose between the delicious
sounding coffees and the wide variety of pastries and sandwiches. The
menu is reasonably priced and the
ice coffee is very literally, on tap!
The spacious interior is about 8,000
square feet with plenty of places to
sit among the comfortable couches and large tables, and they have
plenty of electrical ports for your
laptops and cell phones.
Recently The Unfiltered
Lens visited the new Brewed and
we all agreed that it was an excellent decision. We all enjoyed our
coffee and pastries, we were very
relaxed and comfortable, and we
were graciously greeted by the
owner Dave who is nice, friendly,
and very confident with his business, as he should be. He informed
us about the many ideas that they
have planned for in the future such
as having Brewed After Dark which
will include transforming the inside
of the store into a comedy club or
dance club after their normal store
hours. They are also working on
getting a liquor license for those
who like a little extra in their coffee, and a dinner menu. There are
also plans for having live music and
they are currently planning to raffle
off a Land Rover. They would also
like to close in the outside patio so
that it can be enjoyed in the winter
as well. The store has still not had
a grand opening but during its soft
opening they have had 800-1200
customers daily. Brewed Awakenings is always looking for help and

Edward Kdonian/ Lens

encourage students to apply for part
time work. So if you are friendly,
motivated, and hardworking then I
suggest you go into one of their five
locations and apply for a position to
work for this wonderful company.
So if you havent been to the new
Brewed Awakenings on Bald Hill
Rd yet then I definitely suggest that
you do and make sure that you visit
their other locations and remember,

Coffee is
the lifeblood
that fuels the
dreams of
champions
Mike Ditka

Advice

The Unfiltered Lens

have your answer. The fact is, if
your boyfriend would have a problem with your actions then you are
probably out of line in continuing
them. You most likely feel guilty
because you know that what you
are doing is wrong.

7

Recently I have been dealing with the loss of my father, and
have become depressed. I find
myself having trouble getting out
of bed in the morning, and have
begun skipping classes. What can
I do to get myself out of this funk?
Signed Depressed about Dad

Between classes and work
I have been on the verge of an
anxiety attack, what are some fast
and simple ways to de-stress?
Signed Stressed in School

Hey Stressed, dealing with
the pressure of taking classes and
working a job can be exhausting especially if you have kids, but there
are a few simple things you can do
to calm down and relieve the pressure. If you dont have time to take
up a hobby to relive your stress try
5 minute meditation. Just sit down
in a quiet area put on your favorite
song or some nature sounds and
close your eyes. Focus on your
breathing and relax for a few minutes and you will be amazed. Just
taking 5 minutes out of your day to
breath has been scientifically proven to relieve stress and help you
take on the rest of your day.

I recently started dieting and need some easy to pack
snacks to bring with me to class
so I am not tempted to visit the
vending machines. What do you
recommend?
Signed Hunger in the Halls

Hey there Hunger, there are
tons of tasty and low calorie snack
ideas that take little to no time to
prepare and are really tasty. Peanut butter is only about 200 calories
for 2 tablespoons and when spread
on celery it can stretch into a very
filling snack, especially if you add
some dried cranberries or raisins.
In a similar vein an apple and some
Nutella is absolutely delicious and
takes no prep time at all.

I have always had very
large breasts and I have always
been worried that it may increase
my chances of breast cancer. Do I
have anything to worry about?
Signed Big Breasted and Scared

Well Big you have nothing to worry about in that respect.
Having larger breasts does not in
any way increase your chances of
getting cancer. It should be noted
however that being overweight
does. So if your weight is the main
factor in your breast size you will
have a higher chance of cancer than
someone slimmer. Large breasts
can also make it harder to feel out
breast lumps when doing a self-exam, so make sure you have yearly
appointments with your doctor for
check ups.

I have been hearing recently that using Q-tips in your
ears is bad, what is that all about?
Signed Waxy Ears

Well Waxy the fact is that
cotton swabs are meant to be used
in the outer ear only. I know it
sounds crazy since most of us have
been using them for years but it's
true. Pushing a cotton swab too far
into your ear can not only push the
wax further in and create a clogged
feeling but it can actually damage
your eardrum and affect hearing. In
fact a little bit of wax is actually a
good thing, it helps to protect your
ear canal. There is after all a reason
your body constantly makes more
after you try so hard to scoop it out.

I have recently found myself sending dirty e-mails to an
ex-boyfriend who lives across the
country. I haven't seen him in a
long time and have no plans to
follow through in anyway, but I
find sending the emails exciting.
Would you consider what is basically cyber sex to be cheating?
Signed Guilt-ridden Girlfriend

Well Guilt, I think the easiest way to answer this is with a
question of my own. Do you think
that your boyfriend would feel hurt
or betrayed if he were to read your
emails? If you think he would have
a problem with it then I think you

My husband has recently
come home from work late on a
fairly consistent basis. I fear that
he may be having an affair. What
should I do?
Signed Luna

Dear Luna, the best way to
go in this situation is honest and
open communication. You might
start by asking your husband why
he comes home from work so late
is he working on a big project? If
you dont get an adequate response,
ask him directly if he is having an
affair. If he denies it but your intuition tells you he is lying, then you
really have some thinking to do.
At one extreme, you could hire a
P.I. (Private Investigator) to follow
your husband. At the other extreme,
you could leave your husband if the
lateness and other suspicious behaviors continue.

We here at the Lens are sorry to hear about your father, and we
understand that loss can really take
the wind out of you. It is never easy
getting over a loved one. The best
advice we can give you is to talk to
your friends and loved ones about
your father and what he meant to
you. If you find this hard, then remember that therapy is always a
solid option. Try not to spend too
much time alone and dwelling on
something that cant be changed.
Hobbies are also a great way to
keep your mind off of how terrible
you feel and get you moving forward again. We wish you the best,
good luck.

Need advice?

Just send an e-mail to

ask.unfilteredlens
@gmail.com

All questions are answered

anonymously

TheUnfilteredLens.com

Eyes on ISIS as US sends more troops

By Jess Le Beau
Staff Writer

In 2011, President
Barack Obama withdrew
military forces from Iraq.
This past summer, he began
sending non-combat troops
back to the region for the
first time since 2011 in response to the Islamic State
(ISIS) militants advancing
throughout Iraq.

Now, in an unexpected announcement three
days before Veteran's Day,
President Obama has announced that the United
States will be sending 1,500
additional troops to Iraq.
The US already had 1,400
advisers in Iraq, and with
this new announcement, the
US will have a total of 2,900
troops to arm and train Iraqi
and Kurdish forces against
ISIS.

The White House
is also requesting the now
Republican controlled Congress for $5.6 billion dollars to fight ISIS. Defense
Secretary Chuck Hagel is
urging Congress to approve
the new military spending
as soon as possible. The
troops will be sent to the
Anbar Province in Western
Iraq, which borders Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Within the $5.6 billion, $1.6
billion will be spent to fund
and secure Iraqi and Kurdish forces to fight a counter

into Iraq

offensive against ISIS.

This new movement
of troops into Iraq came
from a request by the Iraqi
Prime Minister Haidar alAbadi. While the U.S. has
already funded billions of
dollars into Iraq's military
to fight ISIS, the Iraqi military partially folded when
faced with the mission at
hand. Pentagon spokesman,
Rear Admiral John Kirby,
said in response to the U.S.
military training, the Iraqi
military had stiffened their

spines, and were more prepared to fight ISIS. According the BBC, A US-led
coalition has launched more
than 400 air strikes on the
group [ISIS] in Iraq since
August, and more than 300
across the border in Syria..
These air strikes will continue, because the troops
being moved in to Iraq are
for training Iraqi soldiers
only, and not intended for
combat. The White House
has insisted that the U.S.
will not be sending combat

White House is
also
requesting
the now Republican controlledCongress for $5.6
billion dollars to
fight ISIS

troops to Iraq, but has yet to

rule out expanding the war
to Syria in attempts to extinguish an Al-Qaeda affiliated
radical group, al-Nusra.

History buffs may
be having feelings of dj
vu, thinking back to the
Vietnam war in which the
U.S. sent military advisers
to the region to train the
Vietnamese military against
communism. The United
States' involvement in Vietnam escalated within only a
few years, and would

continue to be involved in
Vietnam for over nineteen
years. Then United States
has had active military presence in the Middle East,
particularly Iraq, since the
Gulf War, which lasted from
August 2, 1990 to January
17,1991. So far, estimated
total casualties including
civilians and soldiers in
the region from U.S. Military conflict in Iraq are, according to numbers from
iraqbodycount.org, the LA
Times, and The Gaurdian a
total of 220,202 (including
Kuwait, Afghani, Pakistani,
and Somalian civilian deaths
from the Gulf War and War
on Terror). ISIS, also previously called ISIL, began in
October 2006. Their leader
is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, of
whom little is known. The
group has between 20,000
and 35,000 members, and
are known for mass killings and kidnappings, and
public executions. They are
located mainly in Syria and
Iraq, and have forced over
1.2 million Iraqis from their
homes.

A thank you to our student veterans

By Warren Smith
Business Manager

On Monday November 10, 2014 CCRIs
Flanagan campus dedicated
a plaque to remember fallen
soldiers in operations since
September 11 2001. The
ceremony Included speeches stating the importance of
remembrance and the importance of the student veterans organization here at
CCRI. Lets be mindful of
our fellow student veterans
and students currently serving in the armed services.

Things in the military are different than out
in the civilian world. Veter-

ans need compassion to get

used to a world that is not
so orderly. In the military,
day to day activities are
spelled out, and every second planned. Many Vets can
find the transition back to
civilian life difficult. Memories from the battlefield
can leave scars for some.
Student
Veterans
joined the fight because they
believe in what this country
stands for. They serve for
our loved ones, our neighbors, and our communities.
Both Students and Faculty
need to come together to

support our veteran colleagues. Help them make

the transition easier; show
them the respect they deserve. They dedicated their
lives and hearts to serve
our communities and nation. They show us courage
and commitment. It cant
be an easy decision to join
the military and put your
life on the line. No matter
what political opinions you
subscribe to, WE as a community have to show our
support.
Thank you for your service.

Warren Smith/Lens