SPRING 2020 - THE TRITON REVIEW PG.

EdCC is out,
Edmonds College is in
By Sierra Buckley
Editor-In-Chief

A controversial decision took place during the Apr. 13 meeting of the Board of Trustees: they approved the motion to change
the college’s name from Edmonds Community College to Edmonds College.

"In the coming weeks, you’ll notice changes to the college website and social media,” wrote President Amit Singh in an email
to staff. “Over the coming months, we’ll be updating some of our large signs on and near campus, and making a few other
changes.”

The change has come partially due to the college offering more than just associate's degrees. Singh stated in a campus-wide
email that the college is “offering more industry-driven certificates, degrees, and Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degrees
to give our graduates an edge in high-demand, high-wage fields.”

The name change became a hot button issue when news of it being a possibility first broke last December. In February,
President Singh emailed staff and faculty, inviting them to request a face-to-face meeting with him to discuss their thoughts
surrounding the idea of the change. This sparked a long email thread of staff members voicing their opinions to each other.

Simone Tanke, a service-learning programmer and student, was somewhat welcoming of the change in name.

“As a student and student staff, but more so as a student, the items that need to be most considered is the stigma of a
student’s resume for future employment,” responded Tanke in the email thread. “This choice needs to be based on logic and
fact, not emotion and sentiment,” Tanke went on to say, explaining that she would support keeping the name if the college
was going to fight the stigma around community colleges, but if not “we need to consider highly of removing it.”

Others were less than enthusiastic, or staunchly opposed the idea.

“I just wonder if right now is the best time,” said faculty member Karen Fenner, citing that this would be an expensive
undertaking for a college trying to conserve money in the midst of several major projects. Fenner also points out that within
the last few years the college changed most of its signage and its logo, and that it would be costly to do it once again.
“Making all these changes ONCE AGAIN, spending tens of thousands more dollars, doesn't seem to be the best use of our
finances.”

Some, like instructor Leslie Berntson, disagreed with the decision for different reasons, believing that taking ‘community’ out
of the name would take the community out of the college as a whole.

“I think Community should stay. We are a community of our own, and we are a welcoming one,” wrote Berntson. “There is a
sense of belonging as a community, and it grows and thrives and spreads.”

President Singh acknowledged the concerns around the impact it would have on the community in his announcement,
assuring that it would change the college for the better.

“We are committed to serving our community, and that will remain central to our mission,” President Singh wrote. “We’re still
Tritons! Our college look, colors, tone, and brand will stay the same; however, our college and athletics logos will be getting a
makeover.”
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 2

Athletics programs are preparing for Phase-3

By Olivia Gregorich
Staff Writer

The closures due to COVID-19 have forced Edmonds College athletic programs to get creative when preparing for the 2020-21 school
year.

“We kinda had to change the way we do things to still benefit our program,” said volleyball Head Coach Tony Miranda. “We’ve seen
them on Zoom conferences and meetings, and we’ve given them assignments of things to work on at home.”

According to Miranda, it has been difficult to find something beneficial during these hard times, but the team Zoom meetings have
turned into one of the good things to come from this pandemic.

They have team meetings online on Monday’s, every other week. This has allowed for both team members and coaches to stay
connected, as well as get to know new players.

“We know every single one of those incoming freshmen pretty well now,” said Miranda. “That uncomfortable first week of practice
where you know nobody in the gym and you’re still trying to figure each other out, that is kinda behind us.”

Along with planning for the upcoming fall volleyball season, Miranda is currently organizing a volleyball camp for Advanced level
players from Jul 29-31, and a Youth and All Skills camp from Aug 3-5. The first camp will be for highschool athletes, and the second
camp is for athletes in the grades 4-8.

The Edmonds College volleyball camp will be offering lots of different opportunities to a wide range of athletes. There are many players
that use the camps to get ready for the upcoming highschool season, or just to improve their skills.

“For the ninth and tenth graders in camp they are kinda just there to get better, and to be coached by college coaches,” said Miranda.

This camp is also a good way for potential recruits to meet the Edmonds College volleyball team and coaches. According to Miranda,
there will be about six invited recruits at the camp.

Along with the people who have registered, the Edmonds College volleyball team will be at the camp. “They’ll all be in some way shape
or form being part of the camp” said Miranda.

In order for the summer volleyball camp to happen, Snohomish county has to be in Phase 3 by the end of July. At this time it is still
unknown whether this will happen, however, Miranda remains hopeful.

“We’ve been taking registrations for both camps, under the assumption that we’ll be in Phase 3, and we’ll actually be able to have the
camp,” said Miranda.

Edmonds volleyball team is going to make sure that the camp is run safely following all CDC and Washington state guidelines, in order
to protect the health of students and participants.

“We have to follow every rule that’s out there.” said Miranda.

But Volleyball is not the only team to have to make changes. The head coach for the men’s soccer team, Ozzy Erkut, says that the
men’s soccer team has also had to make some changes to their program to stay in contact with each other. They have also had team
Zoom meetings, which have included the incoming freshmen. In order for the men’s soccer team to stay active during this pandemic,
they have been doing weekly workout videos, along with video analysis assignments.

Just like Edmonds College’s volleyball team and the volleyball camp, the men’s soccer team is awaiting information from NWAC to
know what the upcoming fall season holds.

“Once that decision is finalized, we will make the adjustments,” said Erkut. “We hope all conditions will be improved and we will have a
season.”
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 3

The Triton Review is an Editor-In-Chief - Sierra Buckley

independently-written and revedic@email.edcc.edu
produce newspaper for Section Editors:
Edmonds College and the A&E - Sierra Buckley
surrounding community. News - Quinn Bickerstaff
Writers: Opinion - Bailie Elwell
Sierra Buckley, Kyra Dougall, Sports -Ben Eyman
Olivia Gregorich, Daniel Staff Advisor - Rob Harrill
Pejovic, Sarah Wechsler rob.harrill@email.edcc.edu

Student athletes remain hopeful despite cancelled seasons

By Sarah Wechsler
Staff Writer

Oliver Laufman was ready to win. The Edmonds College pitcher had worked hard for a chance to show his throwing prowess and help the
baseball team win, that is, until the coronavirus pandemic shut it all down.

"I had a good start to my season, and I didn't want to see that end so soon," Laufman said. "I initially felt disappointed and upset."

That reaction was shared across the athletic community, according to Spencer Stark, the college's athletics director. Laufman said that he
and his teammates struggled at first to accept what had happened, as they “felt confused initially, about what would happen next with all of
us, if summer ball would still happen, stuff like that.”

We all seem to have gone through a period of remorse for the goals we had set for ourselves, the projects and events that we looked forward
to. The sports community here at Edmonds is no different.

Laufman recalled his goals: “I was mostly looking forward to competing every weekend and showing everyone my strengths as a pitcher. I
was looking forward to getting seen by D1 coaches, and ultimately helping my team win by being dominant on the mound.” The biggest
grievance of the teammates are the bonds created between them during their time together, as many are not planning to return in the next
year.

Despite the mourning of potential personal successes, the decision to put the good of the community above all is necessary. Public safety is,
of course, top priority.

“Since the end of our season, I’ve accepted that it was the best call and that the health of everyone is more important,” Laufman explained.
“With such a contagious disease going around the state and country, who knows how many of us could have gotten sick if we kept having big
events like sporting events.”

During these uncertain times, it’s important to do what can be done to try to make the most out of it, however one may choose to do that. For
Laufman, that means “focusing on school a lot and making sure I’m doing well in all of my classes,” along with working out in preparation for
the eventual return of baseball next year.

We may have sacrificed our personal goals and our social interactions, but if Laufman can be hopeful for his future, everyone should be too.
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 4

Locals are finding creative ways to celebrate graduates

By Kyra Dougall
Staff Writer

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, simple trips to the grocery store have become a tedious task. Two months after Governor Jay Inslee
made restrictions on gatherings, the lines to the register often still go all the way to the back of the store. In contrast to this, Country Farms,
a small local store on Highway 99 is a less chaotic place to get food. Walking into Country Farms is a breath of fresh air because the front
of the store is wide open and the produce makes a rainbow of color that catches your attention.

It has a well established customer base from all walks of life. Some of the customers have been coming for decades and some are driving
on Highway 99 when they notice it and decide to come in. This small store is where many locals are shopping for their essential fresh
goods. It is important to support local businesses especially now, during this very uncertain time in our economy. Cynthia, the previous
owner of Country Farms, has concerns regarding the virus. “[It’s] scary, because we don’t have corporate support and if one person gets
sick we have to close.”

Country Farms is a family owned and was created in 1946, so they’re approaching 75 years of business. It started as a single produce truck
that has been expanded to six that travel up and down the West Coast. There have been three previous generations of the Waters family
who have looked after Country Farms. They now have four locations that spread from Edmonds to Everrett and all the way to Lake Stevens
and Burlington further North from the college campus. In the fall they sell big orange pumpkins and gourds and in the winter they sell
Christmas trees.

The most recent owner, Aaron, has been working at Country Farms since he was 14 and his mom, Cynthia, has been working there for 21
years. Due to the virus they opened their business three and half weeks late. When asked if she was worried about the opening during the
virus Cynthia said “Definitely,” and mentioned her 86 year old mother’s respiratory problems and her concern with having asthma herself.
Because it is a family business those who work there have to consider their family and the business as one.

Long-time customers of Country Farms eagerly await for their opening, which typically takes place at the beginning of April. The produce
that is grown locally is sold at Country Farms as it comes into season. Currently, they are selling asparagus, apples and rainier cherries
from Washington. Cynthia mentioned some uncertainty with how the businesses Country Farms works with are dealing with the virus. She
is aware of the interconnection between businesses and recalls that they “used to have restaurant owners that bought wholesale that I
haven’t seen [this year].” She also expressed concern about who would take farmers’ place if they got sick or quit because of COVID-19.

Cynthia and her employee of the last 23 years, Tim, spoke about how Country Farms had been vandalized. In fact, it has happened twice in
one week. Food was stolen and the glass on one of their refrigerators was shattered, allowing them to steal dairy products as well. Crime in
the neighborhood has been common, as several people have reported having their cars broken into as well.

Though work seems a bit unstable at the moment, there are advantages to this kind of business. As an open market, they are able to give
people the space to spread out and socially distance themselves. When first opening, they decided to close every other register to keep the
customers spread out. Employees have been wearing gloves and masks when handling the food and interacting with customers.
Employees also sanitize the shopping carts and baskets to prevent the spread of germs from one customer to the next.

Tim noticed Country Farms has been seeing their regulars less frequently. This is not a surprise, as the majority of their regulars tend to be
seniors who are at a higher risk of COVID-19. They come once a week or less rather than stopping in a few times a week, as they usually
would. When they do, they avoid busy times and come in early in the mornings or later in the evenings. Nonetheless, new customers have
been finding their way to Country Farms. Business otherwise is better than usual because people are looking for places that are open, and
Country Farms still is.

With a smile on her face Cynthia says that to her Country Farms means “Happiness, happiness. Getting to see customers and seniors that
made it through the winter season is like a flower blooming.”

Fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy are the essential items many will venture out of their houses once a week for, but some customers have
been taking the food growing into their own hands.

“One thing that we have done is sell lots and lots of vegetable starts,” emphasizes Cynthia.

Tim adds, “and lots of potting soil!”

This is a unique way to adapt to the virus because you could have home grown food by the time the stay at home order is finished. It’s also
a great way to spend your time while stuck at your house. Not to mention that all the different options of fruits and vegetables make cooking
feel exciting. What new colors and flavors are there that you have never tried before? Despite the challenges we are all facing during this
pandemic, there are opportunities for new beginnings; even if it’s a food you’ve never tried, a new tomato plant, or flowers for your garden.
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 5

Students facing financial hardships can receive aid through grants and programs

By Olivia Gregorich
Staff Writer
In the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, students attending Edmonds College need more support than ever. Many have
recently found themselves unemployed, struggling to afford tuition, housing and even food all at once. Not having a stable living
situation is a scary place to be in.

Thankfully, a variety of programs at Edmonds College are offering support.

“Edmonds College is in the lead when it comes to serving our students,” according to Jorge de la Torre, the Dean for Student
Success/Student Engagement. “When it comes to other community colleges in the state, I really think we’ve always been at the
forefront of that, and we really take pride in that.”

In Jan 2020, Edmonds College was awarded a Supporting Students Experiencing Homeless grant and a Student Emergency
Assistance Grant. The purpose of these grants is to assist students, especially with the recent pandemic, but the requirements and
assistance are slightly different.

The SSEH grant gives students access to essentials, and allows them to receive laundry vouchers, gift cards, and showers at the
Seaview Gym. According to Jason Dunbar, the Campus and Community Resource Navigator, who works for the college through a
partnership with the Jean-Kim Foundation, there are two categories for the homeless students: homeless and unable to get shelter,
and students who have aged out of foster care.

For the SEAG grant the criteria is simple: if you are a currently enrolled student taking classes, and requiring assistance with essential
needs, you may qualify. For students that are interested, the application process is fully online through the Edmonds College website.
According to Kama Lemay, a CARE coordinator at Edmonds College, after students submit their online application they will be
contacted for a brief phone interview with a CARE coordinator, and get help determining possible resources for them.

Edmonds College has also been given 1.44 million dollars from the Federal CARES Act, which assists students with struggles relating
to COVID-19.

Christina Castorena, the Vice President of Student Services, said “As of May 13, 2020, 488 students have been awarded CARES Act
emergency grants, for a total disbursed of $486,000.” Castoena also says that the CARES Act will continue to provide assistance to
students throughout spring quarter, and the upcoming summer and fall quarter.

Before COVID-19, Dunbar would attend community meals, along with visiting libraries, parks, and even street corners to connect with
the homeless population. These interactions allowed Dunbar to build relationships with them. Dunbar works to build relationships with
people, and help them determine what they want to do. “I’m really strong in community services, and being able to refer people to
different things, and how to navigate social services,” said Dunbar.

One of the programs offered at Edmonds College for a while is the food pantry. Before COVID-19, the food pantry was located upstairs
in the Brier building, but recently it has been moved to the Seaview Gym. This made for easier social distancing by not having lots of
students inside a building, and gave access to the locker rooms and showers in the Seaview Gym.

The food pantry has been moved to the aerobics room in the Seaview Gym, where students are let in one at a time to fill their bags with
food. De la Torre also shared that the number of students utilizing the food pantry has dramatically changed. The usual amount was
between 100-150, and there is now about 30-35 a week.

“We think it is important to keep it going for the 30 that need it,” said de la Torre. “Hopefully word will get out. We have students that
are accessing showers too, so we think it has been worth the time and effort for sure.”

All the services for students are following the federal and state social distancing guidelines. According to de la Torre, students are
allowed in one at a time, and have to stand six-feet away from the people working, which is indicated by a line on the floor. The same
protocol is used for the shower hours. Students are allowed to use the Seaview Gym showers one at a time, along with going into the
locker rooms one at a time.

“We clean before, we clean after, we clean during. Everyone is wearing gloves, everyone has to do the social distancing. We are very
cautious that everyone is following state and federal guidelines and being safe,” said de la Torre.

De la Torre also wanted to make sure the staff and faculty helping out at the food pantry gets acknowledgement. “Special shoutout to Paul
Cody. He’s the student who is working the pantry three days a week,” said de la Torre, while also voicing an appreciation for Jason Dunbar
and Stewart Sinning, the program manager for the Center of Student Engagement and Leadership.
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 6

CSEL teams up with local senior housing community

By Olivia Gregorich
Staff Writer

Edmonds College’s Service Learning program has partnered with Shepherd’s Garden,

a local low-income housing community for seniors 62 or older.

According to Christine Thomas, the administrator at Shepherd’s Garden, the housing community currently has 48 residents.

“[COVID-19] affected our social interactions with the residents. We usually have bingo and other kinds of social events at
least weekly, and we’ve had to cancel all that” said Thomas.

According to Steward Sinning, the program manager for the Center of Student Engagement, the partnership was originally
requested from the Edmonds College President Dr. Singh. He set up the initial meeting with himself, Sinning and Thomas.

“From there, Dr. Singh left it up to Christine and myself to see what we could do to come up with a project,” said Sinning. “We
only had the one entry this quarter, but given all that’s happened, it’s definitely a challenge to have the same level of student
engagement, especially when you’re trying to form a new partnership with a community partner.”

According to Sinning, the one student’s project consisted of reading some classic stories that related to past and present
mythology. After reading the stories, the student planned to upload weekly videos to Youtube about the stories.

The Shepherd’s Garden service learning project is a great opportunity for students to get involved with a local community in a
creative way. Students can tailor their project based on their own interests or studies. In this case, the participating student
was fulfilling service learning for her anthropology class.

“The sharing of history and cultural myths with today’s children and seniors relates to her class of study in cultural
anthropology and linguistics” said Sinning.

The topic of the project and length of the service learning hours is very dependent on the student’s reasoning for doing this
project, and the type of project they are doing.

According to Sinning, projects can be as simple as streaming a song or game over a webcam for the seniors at Shepherd’s
Garden. However, he wants the project to generate some valuable outcomes, learning experiences, and opportunities for
reflections.

Thomas also gives some suggestions for projects. She says students can volunteer to help seniors at Shepherd’s Garden
with technical problems from phones and computers, or volunteering for art or music programs.

“We’re open to just about anything that people want to volunteer for,” said Thomas.

The process to submit a project is very simple. On the Edmonds College website, there is a form for students that are
interested in the Shepherd’s Garden project to fill out. Sinning says the form has students give a brief outline of their project,
along with a plan and schedule. There are also a few required reflection activities.

For students that are interested, the Shepherd’s Garden service learning project will be offered throughout the summer
quarter.

“We’re excited and we want to grow. We’re not going to give up just because we had low participation this quarter,” said
Sinning.
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 7

College counselors adapt to remain available to students

By Kyra Dougall
Staff Writer

Mental health is more important than ever during this time, which is why Edmonds College counselors have been hard at work to
continue offering their services to students.

“I just want people to know that anytime they’re feeling that, you know, that unease, or that dread, or that exhaustion, or what have you,
that it’s valid. That it’s significant even if someone has it worse than you do,” said Rose Earl, a counselor from Edmonds College.

When dealing with stress over adapting to life in a pandemic, it is important to have friends or family to reach out to because they
probably are feeling similarly. Earl noticed, “This is something that everybody is going through. This is globally impacting us and there
is so much uncertainty about it.” For students who may be interested in receiving help with coping with the stress of the virus, school
counseling is still open, but it is over the phone or video call to ensure that students and staff are practicing social distancing.
Apparently, there is plenty of available space for new clients.

When Elliot Huemann, an Edmonds College counselor, was asked about his main concerns for students at Edmonds College he
confidently replied, “Initially, physical safety is prioritized. Secondary is mental health.” Social distancing can be difficult because
socializing is such an important part of most people’s daily routine. The issue of mental and physical health tend to contradict each
other in this situation, as Earl pointed out when she said, “I think one of the key things is a paradox. If you are someone that has lost
someone to COVID or has somebody in the hospital then you have a direct connection to the pain and the grief that everybody is
talking about. However a lot of us, especially because we’ve done a good job of the social distancing, are not experiencing direct
contact with COVID. So, the paradox is, I’m at home. I’m actually doing fine and I’m not sick.”

Sick or not, each of us are affected by the virus. Staying at home can be a burden in itself in a different way than the virus. This is a
time to support each other, such as reaching out over the internet, understanding the spectrum of stories that arise from this issue, and
recognizing that not all people are in the same situation as yourself.

Huemann put it well when he said, “Situations like this highlight problems of equity. Noticing how not all students have the same
means. Some rely on the campus as a hub for a lot of things. It’s a safe space.”

So, the Edmonds College counselors have made a new safe space online. They have redesigned their website for the school to be
more accessible. When you look they have important information at the top of the page. It lists: “Counseling Services”, “Schedule an
Appointment”, and “Resources” which makes their website easy to navigate. Below that, they link their YouTube page.

Their YouTube channel started as a result of education being moved online. Huemann is a common friendly face you’ll find in the
videos they’ve posted. He talks about the importance of “coming up with ways for the community to access different mental health
resources and one of the ways is by recording these videos.” He talks about regularly doing mindfulness meditation and has posted
many videos where he guides viewers through the exercise. Some of his focuses have been on 'Loving Kindness,' 'Giving ourselves
Kindness,' and 'Being a Friend to Yourself.'

These are important ideas to keep in mind when friends and resources can feel far away and inaccessible. Resources like the ones the
Counseling Center offers are so important, Earl mentions, “Especially with students, we are asking them to completely shift their way of
being students. And it’s not always favorable to them. Online is not always favorable to people. I’ve got clients who ergonomically can’t
function because they don’t have a good table and chair in their home. . . I’ve been on the phone during sessions with clients while
they’re looking for Starbucks that maybe has wifi where they can park in their parking lot.”

The pandemic impacts all students and people’s lives in an array of ways that aren’t the same but we are all dealing with the same
problem together. This is hard to remember when you don’t get to see people outside who you live with and are sharing issues with.
This is where the paradox of health and mental health comes into play.

Earl mentioned, “One thing I hear a lot is ‘I don’t know why I’m complaining I’m actually doing fine. I know a there’s other people who
have it worse than I do.’” But all issues are valid because the change from the pandemic affects all of our lives and, in turn, our mental
health. We are all walking into the dark together because the future is so uncertain.

Information and resources found on the internet is necessary when people do not have access to the in-person interactions
they usually would. So, finding that place where you feel safe is essential and it is probably on your phone or laptop. Don’t be
scared to try new ways of socializing because everyone is discovering that they depend on these new forms of connection
with you. Huemann advised, “Find places where you get to be yourself. Our lives kinda got put in a blender. We have to be
kind to ourselves and acknowledge this is a hard time.”
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 8

Local athlete proves himself- again

By Daniel Pejovic
Staff Writer
Local football star and Snohomish County Native Jacob Eason was taken in round four of the 2020 National Football League Draft,
selected 122 overall to the Indianapolis Colts

From Lake Stevens to Athens and the University of Georgia, moving onto University of Washington, and now landing in Indianapolis. A
highly talented quarterback who many got to see locally is now officially a National Football Leaguer But it wasn't always smooth
sailing for the new Colts Quarterback.

Eason took the country by storm in high school as a five-star recruit. Eason ended his time in High school with over 9800 passing
yards, 102 touchdown passes, only 18 interceptions, and a 68% completion percentage.

As a top five recruit in the country, Eason had eyes on him from everywhere.

“Best quarterback to come out of the Wesco conference in the past decade by far,” says former Jackson High School lineman Elijah
Crooker. Jackson and Lake Stevens are two Wesco schools that duel each other quite often “I once saw him throw a 60-yard
touchdown rolling out of the pocket off his back foot,” said Crooker, in utter awe of Eason

In his senior season, after guiding the Lake Stevens Vikings all the way to the state semi-finals, Eason had a big decision to make.
Eason was one of the best high school quarterbacks in the nation and had offers from top college football programs like Florida,
Alabama and Georgia.

Jacob Eason ended up enrolling at the University of Georgia and from the beginning, there were high standards for the young QB.

Things for Eason did not go quite as planned, however.

Eason had a solid freshman season, playing in 13 games and throwing for 16 touchdowns. Eason was headed into his sophomore
season, his is a crucial year for college quarterbacks. Players typically make a jump after familiarizing themselves with offensive
schemes and their environment altogether.

In the first game of his sophomore season, Eason injured his knee after a late out-of-bounds hit. The season looked to be a bust for
Eason and Georgia, but to add salt to the wound Eason lost his starting job to freshman Jake Fromm.“Things happen in life,” said
Eason after his injury. “You just have to accept them, move on and learn from the situation.” After losing the starting quarterback
position, even after his recovery, Eason decided to leave Georgia and transfer following the 2017 season.

Then, on Jan 9, 2018, The Seattle Times reported that Eason would be transferring to the University of Washington. He would be
returning home. Because of how the NCAA football transfer eligibility rules work, Eason would have to sit out the 2018 season. after
sitting on the sidelines for the whole season, Jacob Eason would win the starting quarterback job for the 2019 season. All he had to do
now was prove to the country that he is the quarterback that everyone thought he was.

In his first start for the Huskies in 2019, he completed 27 of 36 passes and threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns as Washington
demolished Eastern Washington. He went on to throw for 3,132 yards and had 23 touchdowns to go with 8 interceptions. Eason was
proving to the country that he still had gas in the tank. Eason finished the season with the Huskies and on Dec 26, 2019, Jacob Eason
decided to forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft.

While most experts didn't have Eason on the exact same level as LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, or Alabama quarterback Tua
Tagovailoa. Eason still had value to a handful of teams. Standing at 6'6 with plus arm power and throwing accuracy that he possesses,
Eason fits the classic NFL prototype in regards to the quarterback position.

At the end of the day, Jacob Eason was the sixth quarterback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft. After a serious injury altered the course of
Eason’s college career, Eason fought one last season at UW to prove to the country that he is NFL-material and not just a high school
superstar. The Indianapolis Colts saw the potential in Eason, and he now has the opportunity to be great and make Snohomish County
proud again.
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 9

Service learning went virtual this quarter

By Olivia Gregorich
Staff Writer

With the pressure of COVID-19, the majority of Edmonds College was forced to be remote for Spring Quarter. Unfortunately, this
includes service learning; a program designed to combine community service with teachable moments to enrich the curriculum through
hands-on learning experiences.

Service learning has been a vital part of the curriculum of many departments at EC for many years, especially the anthropology
department. Supporting and improving the community is valuable to many on campus, so what do you do when social distancing is a
must?

“We basically had to pivot really quick and try to come up with some projects,” said Stewart Sinning, the Center for Service-Learning
Program Coordinator. “[Virtual Service Learning] allows for flexibility, it allows for social distancing and it provides some opportunities
for our distance learners who never come to campus anyway.”

For Edmonds College, service learning is more than just doing community service, it is about learning and engaging with diverse
groups of people. One of the virtual projects that help students learn about and engage with diverse groups of people is the Becoming
A-Wear: Multicultural Awareness Program. This is a multicultural service project sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Diversity and
Inclusion, and overseen by the Edmonds College Service-Learning Programmer, Simone Tanke.

“I didn’t even realize how many different cultures I identify with, personally, until I built the project,” said Tanke. Tanke describes the
group as exploring different terms such as intersectionality, diversity, ethnicity, equity and many more. This project is also about
students learning about their own multicultural awareness.

The Becoming Aware project was not originally supposed to me a virtual service learning project. The on-campus Becoming A-Wear
project lets students create art about the culture they identify with, and share with others their feelings about the terminology being
defined. “We did this one time on campus, and then I had to change our on-campus experience into this virtual experience,” said
Tanke.

“This is one small change that may impact someone's life,” said Tanke. She thinks it is important for students to be able to express
themselves in a safe environment and share their truth.

Tanke created a Becoming A-Wear presentation on the Edmonds College website, under the Virtual Service Learning tab. This
presentation gives definitions to words such as intersectionality, inclusion, diversity, and explores the differences between words such
as race and ethnicity. Before beginning the project, students are required to fill-out a pre-instruction survey, which contains questions
about their current knowledge of the topics covered in Becoming A-Wear. The same type of survey will be required at the end of the
program, and contains reflection questions about the program.

Along with the post-instruction survey, at the end of the program students are required to submit a final assignment. Students are able
to submit written projects, such as poems, essays and songs, along with art projects such as painting, drawing, graphics and physical
art. Students are also able to make a video about their individuality or submit a spoken piece.

This project is scheduled for four hours, but Tanke is willing to be flexible. “This is something very personal and individual, so if
someone came to me and said ‘it took me 8 hours to do this,’ I wouldn’t question it.”

The Becoming A-Wear project is just one example of the virtual service learning opportunities being offered by Edmonds College.
Some of the virtual service learning is offered through online programs, such as VolunteerMatch, Zooniverse Research and Catch-a-
Fire on the Edmonds College website.

These online programs allow students to find virtual volunteer opportunities abou topics that they find interesting. Zooniverse Research
is a program about science research, and VolunteerMatch is a program that can connect students to service learning opportunities,
some of which are specifically related to COVID-19. There are many to choose from, and according to the VolunteerMatch website
there are over 622,000 volunteers needed. For COVID-19 related services alone, there are over 226,000 volunteers needed.

According to Sinning, these online resources gave the Center for Service Learning more time to create meaningful projects that have a
positive impact on the Edmonds College community.

continued on pg. 10
SPRING 2020, THE TRITON REVIEW PG. 10

[cont.]
By Olivia Gregorich
Staff Writer
Another project being offered is the Spreading Awareness on Consent and Bystander Awareness. This is a virtual service learning project
that allows students to use their artistic and outreach skills. Students are able to use their writing skills to create stories and poems,
videography skills to create videos, or students interested in art can upload a picture of a painting or digital art. This project is scheduled for
five hours of service learning. It is happening now, and will continue throughout Spring Quarter. For students that are interested, contact the
program coordinator, Amanda Greene.

Edmonds College has also begun a partnership with Shepards Garden, a local senior community only two blocks away from the college.
Shepards Garden houses seniors who are quarantining at home, and missing social interactions such as entertainment and conversations.

“We are looking for students to come up with products to interact with some of these residents,” said Sinning. “That really is bringing our
community together.”

According to Sinning, the seniors at Shepherds Garden would appreciate things such as students organizing a bingo, or doing poetry and
story reading. “It could be just talking with them one-on-one and sharing culture,” said Sinning.

With all of these new resources for service learning, virtual service learning will become a way for students to fully take advantage of the
programs Edmonds College offers. Due to the positive outcome of this program, the Center for Service Learning plans to keep offering virtual
service learning opportunities, even after in-person classes resume.

“I think we provide quite a bit of resources, and for distance learners and those who have hectic schedules, this is the way to get the most out
of what you pay,” said Sinning.

The members of the service learning program have been hard at work partnering with other programs within the college, such as the
Violence Prevention program and the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, in order to make distance learning as meaningful as possible..
These partnerships allow the college to design service learning projects that reflect the values of Edmonds College, and encourage students
to get the most out of their college experience.

Locals are finding creative ways to celebrate graduates

By Sarah Wechsler
Staff Writer
High school seniors have lost many of the rights of passage that traditionally come with completing their years of public education, and
unfortunately, such events like prom and graduation cannot be made up.

In the midst of this, Facebook groups called ‘Adopt a Senior’ have become immensely popular, and have adapted into local sectors.

On the Edmonds School District “Adopt A Senior” Facebook page, parents and guardians can post a photo and some general information
about their seniors, and community members can choose to ‘adopt’ said senior by spoiling them with gifts to honor their graduation.

Larry and Denise Wechsler, parents of three children that have been students in the Edmonds School District saw this as a great opportunity
to give back to the community.

“We have our own senior at home, but we wanted to adopt a senior in the community that we didn’t know to give back to someone who might
not have the means to be spoiled,” they said, noting that “graduating from high school is a big deal, and while it hasn’t been the senior year
that they expected, these young adults deserve to be celebrated.”

Samantha, a senior graduating from Lynnwood High school received a gift basket as a surprise from her adoptees who had been talking with
her mom through Facebook. Her adoptees had messaged Samatha’s mom over a few days to coordinate the surprise.

When the day arrived, Samantha’s mom woke her up to tell her that there were people there to see her. Confused but curious, Samantha
opened the door to a basket of gifts, complete with balloons and a card.

“I was so surprised! They were so kind and made my week!” said Samantha. Her adoptees had been given a list of things Samantha liked so
they could make sure Samantha's gifts were personalized. “I’m in the middle of decorating my room and the pink succulent goes perfectly!”

As stated by the Wechslers, “we’re all in this together. Giving back to the community is very important right now.”