Tired of Sequels? Here are a few movies to check out this summer
Josh Baumbach, Editor-in-Chief
May 8, 2013
When looking at the movie schedule, there are many movies followed with a “2” or a “3,” causing other movies without those numbers to be overlooked. These are the movies to take a chance on this summer. After Earth – May 31 – Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith star in this apocalyptic... Read More
The current experience
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
May 8, 2013
Editor-in-Chief Josh Baumbach recounts his four semesters at The Current When I decided to go back to school after working full-time for a few years, the first class I wanted to take was Introduction to Journalism, also known as JOUR 300. I had always loved writing about topics I cared about,... Read More
President Dr. Viar leaving ARC
Josh Baumbach, Editor-in-Chief
May 2, 2013
After eight years at American River College, ARC President Dr. David Viar has accepted the position of superintendent of the Glendale Community College District, effective July 1, 2013. During his tenure as president, Viar has overseen $150 million in renovations, and saw an average of 50,000... Read More
BioShock Infinite leaves gamers on Cloud 9
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
March 30, 2013
When gamers were first introduced to “BioShock” in 2007, they were greeted with an instant classic. A failed underwater utopia with dark hallways and creepy inhabitants, the atmosphere of BioShock’s city of Rapture was one of the reasons it was so successful. In “BioShock Infinite,”... Read More
Tomb Raider explores a new path
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
March 10, 2013
Lara Croft’s pain is our gain The “Tomb Raider” franchise has had a history of being an entertaining, yet shallow game series. Lara Croft was always the perfectly-pixelated, quippy, do-no-wrong protagonist. While this might have been acceptable for the PS1 era, the gaming community... Read More
Damn, it feels good to be a gamer
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
February 27, 2013
On Feb. 20th, gamers were eagerly anticipating what was dubbed “The Future of Playstation” event. They were expecting an announcement that would usher in the next generation of gaming, and Sony didn’t disappoint, in announcing the arrival of the Playstation 4. After explaining the... Read More
A good day to end the Die Hard series?
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
February 16, 2013
Fifth installment of franchise feels like typical action flick Throughout the last 15 years, the “Die Hard” franchise has maintained an upper-echelon ranking in the annals of action movie greatness. Unfortunately, this prestige may become a bit tarnished after viewing “A Good Day to Die... Read More
Oscar predictions: take two
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
February 13, 2013
Oscar season is here for the 85th time, and it brings the usual criticism with it. Around this time each year, many people ask why their favorite movie isn’t nominated, usually without seeing the actual nominees. Last year, I reviewed every nominee, and correctly predicted the winner... Read More
Dear Kings, please stay
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
February 13, 2013
I want the Kings to stay in Sacramento. This may be an unpopular statement for some people who had written them off as soon as they weren’t making the playoffs anymore. Yet these same “fans” were there right alongside me cheering the Kings on during the playoff years of the early... Read More
Most hated Facebook habits: version 2.0
Josh Baumbach, Editor-in-Chief
November 7, 2012
Social gamers, Instagram-ers and other annoying Facebook behaviors I previously wrote a list of the Facebook habits I hated most back in 2011. Since then, Facebook has added new features and forged new partnerships, unfortunately resulting in more annoyances. These are five more Facebook... Read More
‘Assassin’s Creed III’ highlights rich history with naval battles, but game problems sink its ship
Josh Baumbach, Editor in chief
November 1, 2012
Stunning. Beautiful. Well-researched. These are the words that best describe “Assassin’s Creed III.” Frustrating, repetitive, and even boring at times also best describe “ACIII,” unfortunately. The game is set in the mid-to-late 1700s, hopping around the east coast of the... Read More
Three obscure TV shows you should be watching
Josh Baumbach, Editor in chief
October 24, 2012
Copper – BBC America – Sunday, 7 p.m. – Set in the Five Points neighborhood in New York City, “Copper” portrays the gritty life of a cop named Kevin Corcoran in the 1860s, including rampant racism, sexism and prostitution. The beginning of the first episode shows that this is not... Read More
‘Sweeney Todd’ impresses with opening night despite flaws
Josh Baumbach, Editor-in-Chief
October 13, 2012
ARC Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” directed by Nancy Silva, is a sweeping musical adventure through a dreary 19th century London. Although suffering some setbacks, “Todd” is sure to leave the viewer satisfied. When putting on a production... Read More
In our heads-Sept. 19
Josh Baumbach, Editor in Chief
September 19, 2012
“Rise Of Nine” by Pittacus Lore – The third book of the “Lorien Legacies,” (or “I Am Number Four” series), was an exciting read fromfront to back. It follows a race of aliens stranded on Earth who are fighting another alien race that wants them extinct. But there are only... Read More
Six must-download games
Josh Baumbach, A&C Editor
May 3, 2012
Many college students have trouble paying for those $60 Blockbuster-release video games, but see no other alternative for a triple-A gaming experience. This is a misconception, as there are many excellent gaming experiences that aren’t even available in retail stores, but are easily attained... Read More
King’s season report card: Team shows promise
Josh Baumbach, Arts & Culture Editor
April 18, 2012
This has been a tumultuous season for the Sacramento Kings. Having the worst record in their division, inconsistent play, and struggles for a new arena have overshadowed what may be a future Oklahoma City Thunder-type team in the making. If the Kings were in school, here’s what... Read More
Summer movies: Superheroes set to run the show
Josh Baumbach, Arts & Culture Editor
April 18, 2012
The summer movie season usually begins the first week of May with a blockbuster release, which will be a Marvel Entertainment release for the fifth year in a row. It usually ends in mid-August as a new school year begins. What happens between May and August is an absolute bloodbath of movie... Read More
Doritos taco takes bite out of competition
Josh Baumbach, Sports Editor
March 21, 2012
Shortly after re-introducing breakfast and unveiling the slogan “Live Más” to their customers, Taco Bell unleashed the Doritos Locos Taco. The Locos Taco was first seen in a picture posted on the internet last year from a test store. Since then, speculation had been rampant about if or... Read More
Stuck in our heads
Josh Baumbach, Arts & Culture Editor
March 21, 2012
A&C editor Josh Baumbach picks “the five songs (he) can’t stop listening to” “D.D.” by The Weeknd – R&B singer The Weeknd has been creating a name for himself by releasing album-quality mixtapes. His most recent mixtape/album, “Echoes Of Silence,” features... Read More
‘First Meal’ offers morning option
Josh Baumbach, Arts and Culture Editor
March 7, 2012
Taco Bell has a bad reputation when it comes to food quality. But for a lot of college students, it is an affordable yet tasty option for a quick meal. After earnings last year were below expectations, Taco Bell decided to spice up their menu with new offerings. The first of these changes came... Read More
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ showcases racial tention of the 1930s
Josh Baumbach, Arts & Culture Editor
February 22, 2012
The year is 1935. America is in the middle of the Great Depression, and racial tensions are reaching a boiling point, especially in the South. A white lawyer is defending a black man for a crime he didn’t commit, yet everyone knows it’s a lost cause. There are threats of lynching. And yet,... Read More
And the winner is…?
Josh Baumbach, Arts & Culture Editor
February 8, 2012
Oscar season is upon us once more, and with it comes many questions. What are these movies? Why didn’t so-and-so get nominated? Why did they pick these over everything else? While I don’t understand the reasoning of the academy sometimes, I do appreciate good movies. So let this be a guide... Read More
Ways to handle the holidays
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
November 30, 2011
With the holiday season in full swing, you may have many feelings going into it. Stress, sadness, regret, maybe even anger (you’ll see anger a lot if you work in retail). But what about joy and excitement? Has the holiday season lost some of what made it a special time of year? Regardless... Read More
Video games’ bad reputation unmerrited
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
November 9, 2011
Video games are always a target for controversy, especially on the 24-hour news networks. When Fox News is short on “Obama bad, Mitt Romney good” stories, they bring in some hack who’s done a study claiming a negative effect of video games on our youth. Then they bring some guy, who always... Read More
‘Uncharted 3′ leaves players begging for more
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
November 9, 2011
Think of the best action movie you’ve ever seen. Then add the archaeological elements from Indiana Jones. Now immerse yourself as the main character and you have “Uncharted 3,” the best game of 2011. The “Uncharted” series has always had the best storyline in gaming, but the third... Read More
Fall TV Preview not as grim as expected
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
November 8, 2011
This fall TV lineup has been an eventful one, full of both disappointments and pleasant surprises. If you were unfortunate enough to think that “The Playboy Club” or “Charlie’s Angels” would be great shows, let me show you what you should be watching to help you recover from those... Read More
Top five worst Facebook habits
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
October 26, 2011
Millions of students share their thoughts, pictures, videos, and just about everything else on Facebook. However, with so many people on one site, many awful trends start to develop. I’ve managed to narrow it down to five, but trust me, it was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to... Read More
New Batman game trumps all of its predecessors
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
October 26, 2011
Batman has a spotty record when it comes to video games. None had managed to pull off a truly great experience for the Bat fans, until 2009’s “Batman: Arkham Asylum.” Playing as Batman, going through an asylum full of criminally-insane Batman villains and being taunted the entire game... Read More
More changes to Facebook are on the way
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
October 26, 2011
If you are just getting used to the previous Facebook changes, don’t get too comfortable. Facebook, with its more than 800 million active users, has been experiencing the most sweeping changes in the company’s history the past couple weeks. The social networking Web site, launched in 2004,... Read More
‘NBA 2K12’ is a step up from its predecessors
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
October 12, 2011
“NBA 2K11” was thought by many critics to be the best basketball game of all time. While this may have been true at the time, it now pales in comparison to “NBA 2K12.” “2K11” had a mode called “The Jordan Challenge,” where the player had to recreate some of Michael Jordan’s... Read More
‘Gears of War’ series saves the best for last
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
September 28, 2011
Marcus Fenix approaches the glowing Lambent apprehensively, revving his chainsaw. Right as he goes for the kill, a bigger enemy crushes the Lambent. It’s this explosive action and constant threat of the world ending that makes “Gears of War 3” a satisfying conclusion to the series. Most... Read More
Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter IV’ fails to impress
Josh Baumbach, Staff Writer
September 14, 2011
Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter” album series has garnered much critical and commercial success since part one released in 2004. Can “Tha Carter IV” live up to its predecessors? In short: no. While “Tha Carter IV” will undoubtedly sell like hotcakes, the lyrical content is mostly elementary.... Read More
