Over the past decade, the fentanyl epidemic has emerged as a critical public health crisis in the United States. According to USAFacts.org, overdoses from the drug have claimed over 330,000 lives since 2012, devastating communities large and small in the process. In Northern California, the powerful synthetic opioid’s impact has been acutely felt in Placer and Nevada counties. Despite their similarities, the county neighbors have adopted markedly different approaches to combat the life-or-death crisis.
Seeds of Addiction, Roots of Recovery
“When you’re using, it’s kind of a lonely thing,” Holly began, her words trailing off into a mix of memories. On a breezy, sunlit day in March 2024, Holly sat outside the Sierra College Rocklin campus library on the veranda for an interview with members of this year’s California Humanities Emerging Journalists team.
No Quick Fix for Sierra’s Parking Problems
When a new semester of college begins students everywhere deal with a familiar problem: a lack of parking. When the Fall 2023 semester began at Sierra College’s Rocklin campus, students were faced with the same problem, but this time with a twist. Large swaths of student parking were off-limits due to construction.
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Sierra Grads Get Support with Transfer Trouble
After hundreds of lectures, awkward Zoom interactions, and more than a few 11:59 pm submission scrambles, many community college students will find themselves ready to transfer to a four-year college. Whether it’s to a UC, CSU, or another university, transferring is a necessary step for community college graduates who seek a bachelor’s degree.
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