Spring 2017
RAMPAGE
March
ISSUE
05 High School Students Talk Media on Journalism Day 22
2017
BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ & CORINA DURAN Reporters jrodriguez@therampageonline.com cduran@therampageonline.com
Hundreds of students from high schools in Fresno, Madera, Tulare and Kings counties participated in Journalism Day, an event aimed at showcasing the journalism program at Fresno City College. The March 17 event took place in the Old Administration Building and featured about two dozen local media luminaries who presented workshops for the high school students. Three sessions of workshops lasting one hour each were offered. Each workshop was led by journalists and experts in their fields. “I am going for sociology, but I am also interested in photography, and being a photojournalist,” Saira Alcanta from Sunnyside High School said. The event began at 9 a.m. with Veronica Miracle, a news reporter at ABC30, acting as the emcee for the opening ceremonies. “This type of event helps you grow,” said Diana Giraldo, editor-in-chief of the Collegian, the newspaper at Fresno State. “You’re sitting there with people just like you, and then you’re talking with an expert in your field and that just feeds your passion.” Jim Boren, executive editor and vice president of the Fresno Bee gave the keynote speech on “Journalism in the 21st Century and Your Role in It.” Boren spoke about the evolution of journalism and how it fulfills an important function in a democracy. Other speakers in the opening session included Joe Wirt, director of affiliate relations for the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Wirt spoke about the current state of journalism and how even though the field had gone through some bad years, it’s still a great career to get into. Miracle introduced a video which showcased the many great journalists who started their careers in the Rampage, the student-run newspaper of Fresno City College. Workshops, which started at 10 a.m., included Multimedia, Radio, News Writing, Fake News and Journalism Ethics as well as a tour of the Rampage newsroom.
(FROM TOP LEFT, CLOCKWISE) ABC30 reporter Veronica Miracle, Fresno Bee photographer Silvia Flores and ABC30 reporters Graciela Moreno and Corin Hoggard conduct workshops during High School Journalism Day at Fresno City College on Friday, March 17, 2017. Mark Tabay/FCC Public Information Office via The Rampage
Immigrants Fear Trump’s Xenophobic STance BY SAMANTHA DOMINGO
A&E Editor sdomingo@therampageonline.com
A poem written against the Iranian government was all it took for Nooshin’s family to consider moving to the United States. Members of the government had broken into Nooshin’s father’s office, destroyed everything and shut it down completely. They feared for their lives, and their solace came only after Stanford University offered the family visas to come to the US. After leaving Iran, Nooshin’s family discovered that friends had been killed and others had been arrested, held in jail for prolonged periods of time.
Another immigrant, Maria Ruiz recalls moving to the US from Mexico with her family nearly 20 years ago. Cramped in a single bedroom apartment, Ruiz, her parents and her brother rent out their living quarters with two other families to make ends meet. Ruiz longs for her old home in Mexico, where the family had enough to live comfortably, but she knows that life in the U.S. has the potential to be even greater. Forced to adapt to the different culture and lifestyle, both Nooshin and Ruiz started their new lives in the U.S. from almost nothing. Now, under the Trump presidency, immigrant families like Nooshin’s and the Ruiz’s question if their endeavors
to fit into the country they now call home was worth the sacrifices. According to American Community Service (ACS) data the immigrant population in the U.S. stands at approximately 43.3 million, or 13.5 percent of the total U.S. population. Approximately 3.9 percent, nearly 11 million, of immigrants are undocumented. Of the 1.38 million foreign-born individuals who moved to the U.S. in 2015, India was the leading country of origin for recent immigrants, with 179,800, followed by 143,200 from China, 139,400 from Mexico, 47,500 from the Philippines and 46,800 from Canada. California is home to approximately 10 million immigrants. 51.2
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PACIFIC CAFE CUTS ITS HOURS With its contract up, workers quit to find other employment
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Which woman inspires you? IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S History MONTH, STUDENTS SHARE WHO INSPIRES THEM THE MOST
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
Neil Shubin Wows FCC with City Jazz Festival to bring Tales of Discovery performances and workshops BY ETHAN MCNEELY
Reporter emcneely@therampageonline.com
The two-day City Jazz Festival will run March 23 through March 24, and will feature jazz educator Antonio Hart in concert, announced festival founder and jazz ensemble director at Fresno City College, Mike Dana. This year’s festival will have two days of student jazz performances, clinics and workshops, and scholarships will be given away to FCC and the Berklee College of Music. The festival will run each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m and Hart will close Saturday with a concert in the FCC theater. Hart is on the music faculty at Queens College in New York and teaches music workshops around the world. The City Jazz Festival began in 1991, and has grown every year since its inception, said Dana. Over 850 student jazz groups have participated and $100,000 in scholarships have been awarded. Tickets for the two-day event are $15 for general admission and $10 for students. No children under 5 are allowed.
FILM, READING IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH In honor of Women’s History Month, “Killing Us Softly 4” will be shown on March 23 at 2 p.m. in SO 104. The movie showcases how media advertising damages women’s body image and self esteem. A reading celebrating women’s writing in the literary magazine, “The Language of the Brag” will take place on March 29. Refreshments will be served at the event, which runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in OAB 251.
An evolutionary biologist, paleontologist, and professor of anatomy at the University of Chicago, told Fresno City College students and staff about his discoveries and what they mean for the human race. Neil Shubin spoke in the Old Administration Building’s auditorium on March 15. In 2004, Shubin and his team of paleontologists discovered the fossil remains of a freshwater fish that contained clear evidence of evolution. Shubin and his team, with the help of the native Inuits near where the fossils were found, named this fish Tiktaalik. Shubin and his team have worked on this for many years, starting when Shubin was hired for his first professorship in Pennsylvania. He had then come across exposed rock along a Pennsylvania highway which had fossils dating back to 360 million years ago. The team also found teeth and jaw bones from fish and arm bones of tetrapods, four legged animals. Shubin said he deduced through this discovery that this rock face was a look into a time where there may have been limbed fish with limbs like tetrapods. Then, he set
Library Accepting Art Submissions The Fresno City College Library is calling all student artists for their 10th annual cARTalog contest. Submissions will be accepted until April 17 and catalog cards can be picked up in the library. There is no limit to how many cards can be entered. At least one word on the card must be visible and the artwork theme should reflect those words, according to the rules. Cards should be turned in at the reference desk with the name and student ID in the
RAMPAGE Staff Editorial Board Reporters Editor-in-Chief Ashleigh Panoo News/Copy Editor Edward Smith Sports Editor Michael Mendez Opinion Editor Frank Lopez Photo/Asst. Layout Editor Ram Reyes Arts & Entertainment Editor Samantha Domingo Broadcast Editor
Elias Cardenas Armando Carreno Christopher Del Castillo Corina Duran Julease Graham Javier Hernandez Eric Jaramishian Adrianna Johnson Makinna Malady Ethan McNeely Melody Olivas Terada Phengphong Jorge Rodriguez Marco Rosas Desire Stevenson Cheyenne Tex Lindsey Thornton Noah Villaverde
Larry Valenzuela Layout Editor Lukas Newcomb
Rampage Adviser/Instructor Dympna Ugwu-Oju dympna.ugwu-oju@fresnocitycollege.edu
out to find a place with similar characteristics to the site in Pennsylvania. He consulted a textbook and found the perfect location, the Fram Formation, a series of islands in the Arctic and then set out on his first expedition in 1999. This first expedition found, far out into what used to be an ocean, remains of deep sea fish. Consecutive expeditions got Shubin and his team closer to what they were looking for, and in 2004, they discovered the fossils of a flat headed, freshwater fish with a neck, expanded ribs, and fins with bones in them that correspond to arm bones found in humans. Shubin and his team asked the local Inuit counsel to help them come up with a name for the fish. When trying to explain what this fossil was, Shubin told them it was a fresh water fish and they said that it is a Tiktaalik, a “freshwater fish”. Shubin said it is through this discovery that evidence is added to the theory of evolution which shows that over millions of years, life has adapted and changed from what it once was to what it is today. “I hope that through the connection to fish and other animals,” Shubin said, “we can discover keys to our own bodies.”
Contact Us: Tip Line: 559.442.8262 Letters to the Editor to: editorial@therampageonline.com
back. Best in show will take $75; first place $50; second place $45; third place $40, fourth place $35 and fifth place $30. The deadline for entries is April 7 and voting is April 17 through 25 in the library. The winners will be announced during the Poetry Slam on April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact Laurel Doud at laurel.doud@ fresnocitycollege.edu.
ONLINE
WATCH high school students’ reaction to journalism day. READ ARC Fresno and Break the Barriers hold showing of “Beauty and the Beast” for students with disabilities.
NEWS
Special election being held BY LARRY VALENZUELA
Broadcast Editor lvalenzuela@therampageonline.com
The Associated Student Government will hold a special election from March 21 to 23 for the new student trustee to represent Fresno City College for the remainder of the Spring semester. Currently appointed student trustee Kaura Lopez will be running against opponent Danny Yang. Both candidates have extensive experience working on campus. Lopez, an English and education major, is the current student trustee along with being the president of Teachers of Tomorrow Club. Yang, a business major, is the president of LGBTQ Spectrum and is a senator in the ASG. She also works with Student Activities. A candidate forum took place on Monday in the student lounge where students were given the opportunity to ask the candidates questions on what they want to do and how they can help the campus. When asked what changes around campus do they see that need to be made, both candidates tackled two very separate issues. Yang took the position that smoking on campus has become a major issue that needs to be remedied by making Fresno City College into a non-smoking campus. “The main concern right now I have is smoking on campus,” Yand said. “I'm a smoker on campus and I'll admit that I have smoked outside the designated areas, but if we can implement a nonsmoking campus that’d be perfect,” he said. “A lot of community campuses are non smoking. If we can change into a nonsmoking campus that would help students to change their habit of smoking.” Lopez took the stance that a crucial issue was the lack of interpreters for deaf students on campus. “One of the many things that is important to me is helping the deaf and hard of hearing students,” Lopez said. ”I've been working with the special programs here and implementing them. Getting full time interpreters is needed when you have 30 deaf students and about 10 part time staff that actually show up. There's a problem when it comes to students not getting the benefits they need.” Student can vote by going to the main fountain area and giving their name and ID number to the representatives from student activities.
Corrections? Email media@therampageonline.com Any correction needed for an article should be brought to the attention of the staff of The Rampage. The Rampage is committed to accuracy and should be made aware of any mistake in an article that appears in this paper. Views expressed in the opinion pages are those of the individiual writer and not of the newspaper. The Rampage is produced by students of the Journalism 11 A, B, C, D class.
RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
NEWS
IMMIGRATION FROM PAGE 1
percent of these immigrants were born in Latin America, 38.6 percent in Asia and 6.4 percent in Europe. Immigrants make up 64 percent of California’s labor force of which 1.75 million are undocumented. Within the immigrant labor force, 15 percent work in the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services, 13 percent in manufacturing, 13 percent in professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management, 12 percent in construction and 11 percent work in agriculture according to the Migration Policy Institute. Most immigrants in California are documented residents, with 49 percent being naturalized U.S. citizens, and 26 percent having some other legal status including green cards and visas. This leaves approximately 25 percent of the immigrant population in California undocumented. On Jan. 27, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order blocking citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. The order caused protests nationwide and has been blocked by a federal appeals court. On March 6, 2017, Trump issued a revised travel ban, removing Iraq from the list of countries blocked and also exempting permanent residents and current visa holders. However, tension from Trump’s travel ban along with his disrespectful attitude toward immigrants in general has continued to upset the immigrant community in Fresno. “As an immigrant it makes you question, ‘is this what the American dream was about?’” said Nooshin, now a 20-year-old student at Fresno City College. “Coming here, getting all these racist comments and not being able to travel back. This country was made up of immigrants and now [Trump’s] trying to ban everyone from coming here.” Nooshin and her family immi-
grated to the U.S. from Iran when she was 10 years old, due to her father’s political troubles in their homeland. “I was always told that if you go to America, life is going to be so much better, that life in the U.S. is so much easier,” Nooshin said, “but I wouldn’t get treated this way in my home country.” More than 130 members of
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“I’ll see more things in the news about what he says and it’s scary. I know a lot of Mexicans and other South Americans that are scared of being deported.”
-Maria Ruiz
22% OF FRESNO’s RESIDENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS SOURCE: CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER
75.4% OF IMMIGRANTS IN FRESNO CAME FROM LATIN AMERICA
ASIA|19.0% EUROPE| 4.0%
N. AMERICA|.09% SOURCE: CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER
America’s foreign policy establishment have denounced the revised ban, claiming it is just as damaging to US foreign relations as the original order. FCC student Maria Ruiz also shared her experience in coming to a new country and how Trump’s presidency has impacted her. Ruiz came to the U.S. from Mexico with her family at age 14. “The way Trump talks about [Mexicans] isn’t a correct way,” said Ruiz, now 42 years old. “Now that he’s president and leading a big nation, he’s spreading these negative ideas.” Trump is known for his notorious comments about Latinos and proposition to build a wall along the US-Mexico border during his presidential campaign. “I didn’t think deeply about the situation regarding Trump’s position on immigrants at first,” said Ruiz. “I didn’t think he was going to win. Now because he’s the president, it’s more difficult; I’ll see more things in the news about what he says and it’s scary. I know a lot of Mexicans and other South Americans that are scared of being deported.” Up to 8 million people in the U.S. could be considered for deportation, according to research done by the Los Angeles Times. “I have family that don’t have their papers, they’re scared to even go out on the streets,” said Ruiz. “They’re scared that if they go out they’re not going to be able to come back. They have kids who were born here, so they are scared about how their life might be if they get sent back to Mexico and get separated from their kids.” In Fresno County, there are over 200,000 foreign born residents. Fifty-eight thousand of those are undocumented immigrants. Trump’s immigration law enforcements pose the risk of separating families and deeply hurting the community. “People don’t understand that being an immigrant is extremely hard,” said Nooshin. “You literally start life from zero. You’re just pushed into a new environment so you’re forced to adapt to it and get used to it.”
3 JOB FAIR OFFERS OPPORTUNITY BY DESIRE STEVENSON
Reporter dstevenson@therampageonline.com
The Career and Employment Center at Fresno City College held its Spring Job Fair. Thirty-four employers were present to interview students, accept resumes and hand out job applications. Some of the employers present included ABC30, California Teaching Fellows, H&R Block, Interim Health Care, Les Schwab Tire Centers and State Center Community College District. The fair provided resources to students looking for part time or full-time job opportunities. Some students felt the job expo was very beneficial. Alexandria Benn Freshmen, found the job fair to be helpful. “I enjoyed the experience; it was honestly helpful going forward looking for a job,” Benn said. Benn said she stepped into the job fair with a positive attitude. “I wanted to demonstrate my capabilities to not only the employers I was coming encounter with, but also to myself.” She received helpful tips on her career path from the fair. “I spoke to a representative from Head Start who caught my attention due to my career choice,” she said. “They gave me helpful tips going forward with my career in child development.” Students are encouraged to prepare ahead of time with enough resumes, dressing for success, and being ready to answer employer questions about their skills and qualifications. David Hoetker, business major was dressed for success and carried resumes to give to employers. Hoetker said, “ I made sure to wear a nice shirt and tie complementing my slacks and dress shoes.” Hoetker said he had a good experience at the job fair. “It was everything I was expecting,” he said. “I’ve attended four job fairs here at FCC, although I didn’t find many jobs suitable for me.”
Owner, Employees Mourn Closing of Pacific Cafe BY EDWARD SMITH
News/Copy Editor esmith@therampageonline.com
Much to the chagrin of its owners, Pacific Cafe has reduced its hours from 11 to 6 hours a day, limiting students choices for food on the Fresno City College campus after 3 p.m., when the college cafeteria closes. After the Rampage reported that Pacific Cafe did not renew its contract for next year, employees of the restaurant began looking for other jobs. “[The Rampage] announced that we are closing, and employees were afraid to lose their jobs, so they started looking for other jobs,” Tom Hagihara, owner of Pacific Cafe said. “I used to be open from 7a.m. to 6 o’clock, but I don’t have enough people, so I cut down from 7 [a.m.] to 2 [p.m.].” Before the news broke in February that the restaurant would close
down, Hagihara had 14 people on staff. Now, only seven people work there. Chemeng Thao has worked as a cook and cashier at the cafe for four years. He said he has a three-yearold and another baby due in August and does not know where he will work after the restaurant closes. “I didn’t know about it until the boss told us; it was a last minute notice,” Thao said. “I’ve been applying, but so far, it’s been no good.” The contract for Pacific Cafe was up for renewal in January, but district representatives told Hagihara that they plan to use the Pacific Cafe space for the Ram Pantry. “When I was ready to sign they never called me,” Hagihara said. “I wanted to stay.” Cheryl Sullivan, the vice president of Administrative Services, said that the college had been evaluating food options for all of the schools beneath the district’s umbrella.
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I used to be open from 7 to 6 o’clock, but I don’t have enough people so I cut down from 7 [a.m.] to 2 [p.m.].” -Tom Hagihara Owner of Pacific Cafe
Pacific Cafe opened in 1994 as a part of the Yoshino’s restaurant chain, and Hagihara was the restaurant’s manager. “My whole life, I worked for restaurants. I was manager for Yoshino’s, and I asked my boss to increase my salary,” Hagihara said. “He said I would have to increase his business before he could give me more money.” Hagihara then bought Pacific Cafe from the owner in 1999. Since then, Hagihara recognized that students want more than just sushi on campus and began serving everything from hamburgers to sandwiches to tempura. Hagihara has plans to open a Japanese take-out restaurant after the eatery closes. He wishes the best for the school. “I hope the Ram Pantry is successful,” Hagihara said. “I don’t want to waste this space.”
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
Panel outlines students’ rights BY CHEYENNE TEX
Reporter ctex@therampageonline.com
The Know Your Rights presentation provided students and others concerned about immigration policies with information from the Education and Leadership Foundation (ELF) on March 10. Audience members were informed about the educational services and immigration help that ELF offers. “Information is empowerment,” advisor of the Students without Borders club Perry Angle said. Angle said that information is especially important with the current state of the nation. ELF is just one organization of many that can help students and others on their path to citizenship. “It [the presentation] helped me to know I’m not the only Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student,” Georgina Santos, business major, said. Santos said even as a DACA student, people need to know their rights, such as having the right to stay silent if they encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Certain rights and tips like having the right to be silent, not signing anything unless consulting an attorney and not opening the door if authorities arrive at their house were emphasized during the presentation.
The most important thing for students to do is to know their rights, Immigration Services Outreach Coordinator Jose Martinez said. ELF can refer those seeking help with completing applications for citizenship to attorneys and other experts to prevent fraud. Martinez also said that immigration authorities can only take someone into custody if they have a cause to do so. Chief of SCCCD police, Jose Flores, says that ICE can come onto campus if they have the cause to do so, but he doesn’t see that happening. “I hate to see young people fearful of where they’re studying,” Flores said. “They’re not going to come get students that are studying.” However, Flores said that the campus police will collaborate with ICE if the suspect is wanted for a horrible crime. Furthermore, a spur of uncertainty about the state of students in the country illegally has been awakened with President Trump’s election. The Fresno City College campus has services like the Dream Center that can refer students to services like ELF to assist with any questions regarding immigration. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now,” Graciela Ramirez, lead counselor of the Dream Center said. I want to encourage undocumented students to seek help from the Dream Center, Ramirez said.
She said the Dream Center is a safe place for undocumented students from any country. Ramirez wants to students to know that the campus will not release any confidential information. Instructors and concerned citizens can help by fighting for more resources for undocumented students, Martinez said. Instructors can make calls to representatives and write letters of recommendation for students that are completing rigorous applications. First time applicants of DACA are encouraged to wait to apply due to the uncertainty of policies that might be implemented or taken away. Those that have DACA should continue to reapply when their current one expires. FCC president Carole Goldsmith was also present at the Know Your Rights presentation and answered a few questions regarding FCC becoming a sanctuary campus. “Higher education from community college to CSU to UC have all come out...about standing with our undocumented students,” she said. Goldsmith wants student to feel safe about not getting arrested, but also to feel safe so that they will not become a victim of a crime and will report a crime when they see one. For more information about the Dream Center, visit the office in the Student Services Building Room ST108 or call (559) 443-8570.
NEWS
JOURNALISM FROM PAGE 1
Students had the choice of signing up for up to three sessions, but some were disappointed to find out that the sessions they wanted to attend were already filled. Brandi Lozano, another Sunnyside High School Student, said, “I could not attend the photography workshop because it was full, but all the workshops were interesting as well.” The event wasn’t only for high school students; there were students from FCC and other local colleges. “My English teacher motivated me to
250 The number of high school students that attended journalism day come,” said Ashley Goldsmith, a Clovis Community College student. “I’ve been considering journalism so I talked to her about it; she recommended I attended the some workshops.” The event ended after lunch was served in the OAB east courtyard, where students and staff had pizza, cookies, and beverages. Giraldo also said she was very impressed by the young participants. “They were very inquisitive,” she said. “They were asking a lot of question about things I would had never thought about.”
Graffiti Clean-UP A Daily Occurence for Janitors BY CHEYNNE TEX
REPORTER ctex@therampageonline.com
Graffiti clean-up has become a part of the daily routine for the maintenance services department of State Center Community College District because of how frequently it occurs on the Fresno City College campus. Approximately 200 hours are dedicated to graffiti maintenance each semester, according to Leroy Bibb, director of maintenance and operations. Cleaning up graffiti has become just another daily duty for the custodial department. The building services and the operations department work together to remove graffiti from the FCC campus. “It is our goal to provide students, faculty and staff a clean and inviting environment,” Bibb said. “Graffiti is an eyesore that we feel has no place on our campuses.” Graffiti removal products, paint and glass replacements are just some of the costs incurred because of the frequency of graffiti. Replacing glass can cost $200 to $500 each time, Bibb said. Bathrooms are the biggest target for graffiti, Bibb said. Griselda Arroyo, an FCC student, reported to President Carole Goldsmith during an open forum on March 2 that she saw offensive political graffiti in a bathroom in the Social Science building. Goldsmith immediately notified interim manager, Carlos Puente, to
A remnant of graffiti on the FCC campus found on Friday, March 17, 2017 . Photo/Cheynne Tex
have the graffiti removed. “What is not OK and what is not acceptable,” Goldsmith said, “is people defacing our school and writing graffiti and hateful things on walls. It makes both men and women feel trespassed on.” Sidewalks around the campus, campus signs and buildings are other targets for graffiti vandalism, Bibb said. Despite all the time and resources put into graffiti maintenance, Jose Flores, chief of the SCCCD police, said there were very few reports of graffiti. He said it is not unusual because a lot of things aren’t reported.
“If we neglect our public spaces and let them deteriorate,” Flores said, “people don’t feel safe.” Flores said that district police will not put up with graffiti and will cover it up as soon as people report it. “It [graffiti] is very difficult to prevent,” Puente said. The maintenance departments and the campus police are working jointly to maintain a clean campus. “I’m not sure what the solution to this problem is,” Bibb said. “But I feel that we deter graffiti by removing it as soon as it appears.” Some students claimed to have never seen graffiti on campus.
Alex Pike, a registered nursing major said she is comforted that she has seen neither graffiti nor trash around campus. “It shows people take pride in the campus,” Pike said. “We take care of each other.” Meanwhile, other students report seeing graffiti in the restrooms. Vareak Than, an engineering major, said that he sees graffiti on campus every. Than hasn’t seen any graffiti that directly offended him because they get cleaned up quickly. Students, staff and faculty can help by reporting graffiti to the campus police at (559) 244-5911.
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
NEWS
(From left to right) William Coleman, president of FCC’s veterans club, with Granville Redmond, Aurora Coleman, and Stephen Burton explains to Jose Alvarado legislative aid to Assemblyman Rudy Salas how the veterans resource center helps out veteran students in community colleges on March 8, 2017 in Sacramento, Calif. Photo/Jorge Rodriguez
student Veterans look to sacramento for funding
Rampage Reporter and Veteran JORGE RODRIGUEZ travels to sacramento jrodriguez@therampageonline.com
Veterans from Fresno City College asked state legislators for increased funding so that all 113 community colleges in the state can expand or build a veterans resource center. As a veteran and student reporter for the Rampage, I was invited to go along on the trip to Sacramento on March 8 to join other veteran students from California community colleges in telling our stories about how we have benefitted from the veterans resource center or how the lack of one has impacted the learning process. The trip was organized by Nancy L. Montgomery from Irvine Valley College, Todd Steffan from Las Positas College, Daniel Avegalio from American River College, Patty D’Orange Martin from Pasadena College and Terence Nelson from Saddleback College. Currently, fewer than 60 community colleges in California have a veterans resource center (VRC), but most are not fully staffed, and many lack an adequate facility. Seven veterans represented FCC -- Granville Redmond, counselor, William Coleman, the veterans club president and his wife Aurora Coleman; Steve Burton, Adolfo Tellez, the ASG veterans senator, Matthew Crisp, the ASG special programs senator and this reporter. The group arrived at the capital around 9 a.m., registered with organizers and received a packet with information about which community colleges have or don’t have VRCs and tickets for boxed lunch. The packet also contained information on the legislators the group would be seeing that day and what districts they represent, as well as information about how the VRCs are funded. The group’s first appointment was with Assemblyman Rudy Salas of the 23rd district, but Salas was unavailable, so we met with his legislative aide, Jose Alvarado. Alvarado listened to each of our stories and assured us that he
would pass on all the information to Salas as soon as possible. After our first meeting, the group went on to lunch break, and during the break, the organizers had legislators come out and speak about the importance of speaking up to gather support for our cause. The first speaker, event organizer Nancy Montgomery, introduced the assembly member for the 44th district and Veterans Affairs
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Veterans feel empowered at these events; they can go back and say, ‘let’s get more funding for the services we need.” -Nancy Montgomery Event Organizer
Committee Chair, Jacqui Irwin, who welcomed the veterans to the capital. Next up was assemblyman for the 76th district and former Marine Colonel Rocky Chavez, who gave a rallying speech about fighting for veterans rights. After Chavez, state senator for the 29th district, Josh Newman spoke and was followed by Marc Levine, assemblyman for the 10th district who we also spoke to in the halls of the capital. The last legislator to speak was Sharon Quirk-Silva, assemblywoman for the 65th district. Quirk-Silva was the former chair of the Veterans Committee. Afterwards, everyone gathered at the steps of the east entrance of
the capitol to take a picture. With more than 250 veteran students, this was the largest crowd that gathered for this event. “It’s a real picture of why they [veterans] need this strong support system and services on campuses,” said Montgomery. “Veterans feel empowered at these events; they can go back and say, ‘let’s get more funding for the services we need’.” Following some down time, the veterans took a tour of the capital. The next appointment was with Frank Bigelow, assemblymember for District 5. He was not present because of illness, but the group met with his legislative aide Hannah Ackley who promised to pass the message to Bigelow, a strong supporter of veterans. After the meeting with Bigelow’s office, the group set out to meet our next appointment. We merge our group with the veterans group from Columbia College. Both teams met with Tom Berryhill, state senator for the 8th district, an area that includes both Columbia College and FCC. The group’s goal was to explain to Berryhill how both colleges, despite the difference in their sizes, have similar struggles funding the VRC. However, Assemblyman Berryhill was unavailable, and we were met by his legislative director, Matthew J. Gallagher, who said he would gladly listen to us and pass on the conversation to his boss. Once the meeting was done, the group went on to get on the van and got ready to head back to Fresno. The group felt that even though we didn’t get to meet or talk to any of the legislators we were supposed to meet, our point came across clearly and that the mission to ask for funding was a success. “The trip was very productive for us, even though it was the first year we attended,” said William Coleman, veterans club president. “I think we hit a homerun as far as getting our point across to the legislators.”
Entrepreneurship Club Uses Social Media to Hype Disrupt BY NOAH VILLAVERDE
Reporter nvillaverde@therampageonline.com
The Entrepreneurship Club at Fresno City College will host Disrupt, a business pitching competition on April 1. The entrepreneurship program received a grant to host the competition through the deputy sector navigator, which supports small business at community colleges. This time around, the program decided to adopt a different path in the promotion and participation for the event. Instead of the traditional route of having Disrupt held exclusively in person, it has expanded to receive entries online. This new portion of the event began on Feb. 28, when all competitors uploaded their videos. “We had 50 participants from both community colleges and high schools upload their videos on YouTube,” Amber Balakian, entrepreneurship instructor, said. Voting began on March 1 and is determined by how many likes a video gets on YouTube. The top five videos with the most votes, along with two wildcard entries from both community colleges and high schools, will move forward to pitch in person on April 1. The winner will receive $250. All 14 groups will advance to the state competition where they will compete for the chance to win $1,500. Expanding the competition to the online circuit has significantly increased awareness and participation for Disrupt as well as the Entrepreneurs Club. “The younger generation is now online,” Balakian said. “We drove everyone to our Instagram to receive our information. People would put out fliers, but we wanted to emphasize the social networking aspect to leverage participation and gain more visibility.” Disrupt has brought significant attention to the evolving program. Balakian has been receiving emails from people asking whether it was too late to participate because of the entries now available to view on YouTube. “At first, we were not sure about whether this new method would work,” Balakian said. “But in retrospect, it worked out pretty well.” Taking the non-traditional route and focusing more on social media access has significantly helped the event. “We have a lot more participation overall, especially with the high schools,” said Balakian. “It’s increased the involvement from all different segments including the faculty.”
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
ENTERTAINMENT
Ani-Me Con — A Delight for Pop Culture Fans BY MICHAEL MENDEZ
Sports Editor mmendez@therampageonline.com
The world of pop culture came to the Fresno Fairgrounds with the sixth annual Ani-Me Con on March 18 and 19. With the sights and sounds of concerts, vendors, maid cafe and cosplayers during the two day event, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The event featured 138 vendors from all over the Central Valley, selling an array of items from comics, sci-fi, movies and anime. Attendees had many options to choose from, such as action figures, comic book, replica swords and key chains. This was not just a vendor fair; the event featured other activities for attendees to engage in. The convention also had live performances from musicians and dance groups such as Lovely Rushers, DJ Royal T and Corps Dance Crew as well as special guest voice actor panels, cosplay contest and live action roleplay duel tournaments. Attendees are just as much a part of the event as the fea(Left) Wynsom Rose, dressed up as Zombina from the anime Monster Musume, poses for a photo with fan Khloe McBride. (Right) Shelby Weatherbee shows off his armor inspired tured guests when they come by the hit video game series Halo at Ani-Me Con at the Fresno Fairgrounds on March 18, 2017. Photos/Larry Valenzuela to the event dressed as their favorite characters, for they go to cater the event to everyone by “We try to have fun with our cuswant them to have fun taking high all out in their outfits bringing their adding more guests and vendors in tomers and give them the experiquality photos with a cosplayer,” characters to life down to the smallour events to keep things fresh.” ence by sitting down with them and Conway said. “Being able to feel est detail. No activity in the convention playing tabletop games and getting comfortable enough to take photos Event coordinator Rick Phoeung provided attendees a more unique to know them,” Asahi said. “The while getting in character in cosplay was overwhelmed by the turnout experience than the Kinu Cafe more comfortable we make our cus- is the best way for everyone to have as the event sold out after the first which offered customers the option tomers feel, the more fun they will fun.” two hours of the first day’s activiof having a maid or butler serve have and want to come back.” For new guests, first impressions ties. Phoeung said he tried to have them. Instead of simply serving cusConventions like Ani-Me Con are everything. Kirstyn Hobson, something for everyone, no matter tomers, however, the maid or butler provide the perfect place for particwho is a first time attendee, said she what shows, movies or pop culture would sit down at the guest’s table ipants to take pictures with their faenjoyed the event and looks forward memorabilia they are into. for a conversation or tabletop game. vorite fictional characters. They are to next year. “The event had always been a Butler Pedro Asahi said the Kinu able to use their cell phones to take “It had a lot of things that I am success, but this year has been our Cafe provides patrons an experience pictures, or be photographed by into, from comic books to all of the best one yet,” Phoeung said. “We try they don’t get from any other cafe. professionals at the Donovan Conhomemade stuff,” Hobson said. “All way Photography company’s booth. of the things that happened during Photos could be of themselves or the event is really making me look with cosplayer Jessie James Hollyforward to future events whenever wood. they have them.” “We meet a lot of people, and we
Guitar Summit Showcases High School talent BY ERIC JARAMISHIAN
Reporter ejaramishian@therampageonline.com
Guitar enthusiasts from area high schools will participate in an all-day guitar summit on the Fresno City College campus on March 31. Music instructor, Kevin Cooper, said the summit will consist of a high school exhibition, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which a variety of local high school students will have the opportunity to show their skills on the guitar. There will be a mix of solo and ensemble performances. This will be followed by a concert. “The Summit is geared towards high school and middle school guitar players to showcase their skills and, hopefully in the process, encourage them to attend Fresno City College,” Cooper said. “My goal for the Summit is to build a community of guitar players here at the college.” Last year, the Guitar Summit
welcomed over 140 performers during the exhibition. This year’s attendance is expected to surpass last year’s. The summit will also feature a performance by the AguaClara Flamenco Company, including a variety of guitarists, percussion players and singers alongside the flamenco dancers. This performance will start at 7:30 p.m., after the exhibition. After the concert, the best performances from the exhibition will be announced and awards will be given out, concluding the event. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and seniors. The event will be free to current FCC guitar students. “I hope to increase the value of our education,” Cooper said. “Putting on these events is a good way to do it.”
LitHop is back BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ
Reporter jrodriguez@therampageonline.com
The second annual LitHop is a day-long literary festival held all across Fresno’s Tower District and 151 writers from all literary genres are expected to participate in the event on April 29. Renowned author, poet and Fresno’s own, Gary Soto will headline the event in the Fresno City College OAB. Venues and times for the event are being finalized and will be posted on the official website and social media pages before the event. Last year’s LitHop brought thou-
sands into the Tower District to discover the writings of over 140 participants and this year it is expected to draw even bigger crowds and bring in more writers. The event is aimed to celebrate the importance of Fresno’s rich literary legacy, and to help support programs from the Fresno Arts Council. The 2017 LitHop planning committee consists of Selma Art Council member Christina L. Robles, Fresno City College Professor Juan Luis Guzman, who is also the director of this year’s event, director of the Fresno’s Women’s Reading Series Brenda Venecia and Clovis native writer Joseph Rios.
RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
ENTERTAINMENT
Students Show Off Tattoos BY ADRIANNA JOHNSON
Reporter ajohnson@therampageonline.com
Tattoos have made their way into traditions and rituals for many cultures, from people getting them to commemorate their love for each other to cliche tattoos, including flowers or a simple name. The annual revenue of the tattoo industry is $2.3 billion, according to The Week magazine. “I got scripture for my brother who died in a car accident when I was in 6th grade,” said Michael LoVett III, a student at Fresno City College. LoVett told the story about the death of his brother and how he got a tribute tattoo for him when he was only in 8th grade. However, one must be 18 years old to get a tattoo. LoVett said he has no regrets about the tattoo regardless of the young age he got it at. He adored his late brother. LoVett went to a tattoo shop for the scripture he has on his upper arm. Others receive house tattoos, which are tattoos that are done outside of shops. Roseanna Montoya’s tattoo was done outside of a shop by her boyfriend. Montoya had a large floral tattoo on her upper arm in tribute to her name and her mother. She also said that every time she looked down at it, she was reminded of her
boyfriend in a good way, giving new meaning to the tattoo. She was actually more comfortable having her tattoo done at home because it is more intimate, and she trusts her boyfriend’s judgment. Montoya also said she has grown to love a spur of the moment tattoo. She had gotten a tattoo on her back that she intended to match her best friend’s when they were both just 18. “I sat down in the chair to get tatted, and she looked at me and said she didn’t think she would get one after all,” Montoya said, adding that it is such a cliche tattoo, but she will always remember that day with her best friend. Every person who showed their tattoos said they undoubtedly had the urge to get more ink as soon as they could. LoVett had a healing tattoo on his chest that he completed in one session and Montoya wants her boyfriend to add on to her rose, giving her a full floral sleeve. Carolina Rodriguez will always carry her children’s baby faces with her on her arm. Just a year later, that arm now has a full sleeve consisting
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of flowers and mermaids. Rodriguez said she wanted portraits of her children when they were babies but could not resist adding more ink to her now full arm.
(Top) Michael LoVett III and (bottom) Roseanna Montoya show off their tattoos on Thursday, March 16, 2017. Photos/Marco Rosas
8 Which Women Inspire You? BY MARCO ROSAS
Reporter mrosas@therampageonline.com
Diana Martinez Nursing
“Ellen [DeGeneres], because of how generous she is, how humble and accepting she is of everyone; she has a really big heart.”
RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
#NDPL:
OPINION
Ongoing Movement for Native Americans
BY CHRISTOPHER DEL CASTILLO
Reporter cdelcastillo@therampageonline.com
The last time a group of Native Americans gathered in North America was in 1973 at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, some 200 members of Oglala Sioux Nation, led by members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), engaged in a standoff with the US government. The site is infamous for the 1890 massacre of 300 Sioux by the US 7th Cavalry and the massacre at Wounded Knee is known as one of America’s darkest tragedies. Since the summer of 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, along with hundreds of other Native American Nations, gathered for one cause known to the world as Dakota Access Pipeline or #NDPL. This is not the first time Native Americans and United States government have been at odds. According to The Washington Post, “after months of protests, both tribal officials and residents in the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, have asked those opposed to completion of the controversial 1,170-mile pipe-
line to leave. A few hundred activists remain, both on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation and on neighboring land.” The Dakota Access Pipeline route travels over four American states, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois. It has become a focal point of a fight against the pipelines routes. The pipeline is to be built by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners and designed to move as many as 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily from North Dakota. Since first contact between the early Europeans and Indigenous Native Americans, there has been history of war, hardship and broken treaties. Many Native Americans today have a shared history that goes beyond Standing Rock, Wounded Knee, and many other events that took place for nearly five centuries. Standing Rock is turning into a movement for all Native Americans. The events that took place at Standing Rock are echoing the events that happened centuries ago. Thousands of Native American are on the march to D.C., many of them
coming from all Native Americans Nations. Standing Rock is a new moment for Native American rights. It represents the ongoing struggle in history between the first peoples of the Americas and the United States government. Throughout America and the world, people everywhere are seeing the resistance of Native Americans far and wide. The Standing Rock movement has given hope to many Native Americans who feel that their voices are not being heard. It is now time to resist and fight for Native Americans rights. On March 11, five busloads of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe came to Washington, D.C. to stand with their tribal chairman, Dave Archambault II. Other American Indians and allies stood in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe according to Native News Online.Net. The Standing Rock is the civil rights movement of our time. It is our time to stand and fight like our ancestors before us. Water brings life and Standing Rock is a movement for all. Please stand with Standing Rock. Water is Life!
fashion SHouldn’t Dictate Feminism BY TERADA PHENGPHONG
Jordan Vanegas Biology
“(Sylvia Plath) had a lot of hurt in her life and she used her art and literature to express her feelings. I feel like that’s really important.”
Angelica Estrada Liberal Studies
“Selena Quintanilla. She was the first Latina woman to become famous because back then there were only male bands. She pushed to get to where she wanted.”
Kevin Mulherin
English/Creative Writing “Mrs. Shimamoto, my teacher from second to third grade. She was my inspiration for continuing education and wanting to be an educator myself.”
Reporter tphengphong@therampageonline.com
Merriam-Webster defines feminism as the “theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,” and the “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” A feminist is someone who advocates for women’s equality. And to be a feminist, you have to look like a feminist. But what does a feminist look like? Does it have anything to do with the way a woman dresses? Or whether exposing any part of her body erodes her feminist fervor. Should breasts be a part of a feminist’s fashion? Recently, women have criticized the likes of well-known celebrity feminism advocates such as Beyoncé and Emma Watson for dressing in a way that has been described as “going against feminist values.” Beyoncé is not only a talented singer, business woman and fashion icon, but an advocate of women’s empowerment. The fact that she uses her sexuality with her feminist ideals shouldn’t dissuade the cause but support it. A feminist doesn’t have to hide the fact that women have breasts, curves or a vagina or their choice to celebrate it. Women should be allowed to be sexy, brilliant and in leadership. Emma Watson, a pioneer for the #HeForShe
campaign and also a UN Women’s taken seriously. Goodwill Ambassador and actress is Others believe that women dressed being criticized for her topless Vanity in more exposing clothing or comFair cover. This is a prime example of pletely covered is to submit to men’s feminists contradicting themselves. wants and needs. Trying to oppress a woman through Whether a woman wants to wear a fashion is not feminism. hijab or a bikini, wear a pantsuit or a Fashion does not dictate who is or sundress, or wear pumps or sneakers isn’t a feminist. doesn’t matter, what matters is that Fashion should allow anyone to what she wears should be her choice. express their feelings, attitudes and There is no exclusivity or dress code personalities, which feminism fights to being a feminist. for women to be allowed to do. The only rule about feminism and So why do we care what kind of clothes is that you accept that it’s a fashion choices women, specifically woman’s choice to dress what she self-declared feminists in the media, wants. make? To quote Miss Watson’s response to Some outspoken feminists say the Vanity Fair cover backlash, “Femthose who condemn how Beyoncé and inism is about giving women choice. Watson have dressed have some valid Feminism is not a stick with which criticism. to beat other women with. It’s about Women should be allowed to be freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about powerful, to dress the way they like equality. I really don’t know what my and be just as authoritative t*ts have to do with it.” in this world as their male counterparts. You go out So, when young women watch the “Lemonade” dressed like visual album and come upon the music video of that?! “Hold Up” and see Mrs. Knowles-Carter in her Roberto Cavalli yellow off-the-shoulder dress destroying cars with her bat and her cleavage out, does that send a wrong message? Is feminism supposed to be about overpowering and violently reacting to men and dressing risqué? Of course the entirety of her visual album shows more depth than that. It shows the extent of black women’s pain, Beyoncé digging into her African roots, the complexity of being a woman and being in love. But does her showing off her body in a sensual way completely counteract every feminist lesson along the way? The answer should be no, it shouldn’t. But critics feel that they should dictate how real feminists should dress like. Some believe women must censor themselves in order to be Illustration/Frank Lopez
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
OPINION
Is the Media Liberal? Pro
BY EDWARD SMITH
News/Copy Editor esmith@therampageonline.com
Note: Some of the concepts described below may contain values commonly mistaken as conservative. It’s a general rule in quantum mechanics that when measuring objects, one can either measure the position of an object, or one can determine where the object is going, but never both. The same applies to news media. In trying to pinpoint where the media lies on the political spectrum, the observer loses sight of how the press progresses in relation to the rest of the country. Conservatives may see the news media as raging progressives while a staunch liberal may not see the media as liberal enough. Instead of trying to decide whether the media is liberal or not, the more important question is which direction the media is heading and who are they leaving behind. The study, “The American Journalist in the Digital Age,” conducted by two Indiana University professors used surveys conducted across four different decades, measuring how journalists identified themselves. The most recent survey noted that independents have grown the most consistently. At the same time, those identifying as Democrats outnumber those identifying as Republicans over four to one. It would stand to reason then that the media is undoubtedly liberal. However, there are forces at the top whom many people see as stifling progress. In Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman’s 1988 book, “Manufacturing Consent,” the authors identify big business as being in charge of media and designing a narrative to maintain the status quo so they can keep their stranglehold on the public. The image they paint is one of corporate giants keeping the journalist on the beat from critically reporting on issues. This image, however, does not hold up against what drives profits in the 21st century. Even though media conglomerates such as Disney, Viacom and Comcast do in fact run most media outlets, this doesn’t mean the news isn’t liberal. The premise of this argument relies on the notion that big business and modern liberalism cannot exist at the same time. In the case of the news media, maintaining the status quo in order to drive profits and keep the public buying
“
their goods stands in direct opposition to the nature of the press. News thrives in chaos. Readership for newspapers during the Obama years dwindled, but Trump became a catalyst for media consumption since he walked on the scene in 2015. The Hill’s Paulina Firozi reported on Feb. 26 that Dean Baquet, executive editor of the New York Times, in an interview on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” said that “Trump is the best thing to happen to the Times’ subscription strategy.” In an age of shrinking margins, political alignment simply does not prioritize against profits. Mainstream press have found their pariah in Donald Trump and business owners are all too happy to accommodate a journalist’s penchant to critically report on the current administration. Some of the best investigative work has been done in 2017. The press has examined every action Trump and Congressional Republicans have taken. Contrast this to the kind of journalism being done during the Obama years. A lawsuit from prominent journalists and writers against President claimed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 allowed the indefinite suspension, without trial, of journalists who could be considered a threat to public safety. Similarly, the NDAA of 2011 suspended the Posse Comitatus act, allowing for military detention of citizens who may be domestic terrorists. Obama’s immigration bans fell through the news. Most of these facts escaped front pages and primetimes alike. It seems time and time again that the media picks and chooses what stories get through and which fall by the wayside. It is this committal to conscience that has opened the way for so-called fake news. Once dedicated to preserving objectivity, the media prided itself as nonpartisan. However, once media changed priorities, they left half of the country behind. The New York Times’ own Public Editor Liz Spayd wrote in an editorial entitled, “Why Readers See The Times As Liberal,” that the perception the Times has made for itself is “poison.” Many journalists have forsaken the conservative end of the country and in doing so left conservatives grasping for media that would represent them and their beliefs, fostering a culture of conflicting news. Activism in journalism has dire consequences, spurring equal and opposite reactions from those abandoned by a liberal progression. There is a place for activism and punditry, but journalism should never be that place.
Conservatives may see the news media as raging progressives while a staunch liberal may not see the media as liberal enough."
Con
A frequently asked question is, “Is the news media too liberal?” However, to frame it that way can only lead us to one conclusion: the media is liberal. This would not allow for a meaningful discussion of liberalism, or what the role of the news media is in our society. To understand if the media is truly liberal, the political philosophies of liberalism and conservatism must be understood. Liberalism came out of the Enlightenment during the 18th century from political thinkers and philosophers such as John Locke, David Hume, and Adam Smith. Some of the basic tenets of what we now call classical liberalism include the individual liberty of the greater good, a civil society that is under control (peace), free markets in which the government cannot interfere with the economy, and that a limited government’s only goal should be to protect the life liberty and property of its people. Traditional conservatism has been the dominant political ideology over the span of human history and has come forms such as aristocracy, monarchy, military dictatorships, and theocracies. Traditional conservatives held the view that there was a natural social order that should not be disrupted; society is an organic whole; equality is not too important; elites have the right to rule but have responsibility to the welfare of others, the importance of customs and traditions, the need for a transcendent moral order, and the need for statist control over the economy. Though these different political labels take on the opposite meanings in the US, the media today can be seen as putting into practice both of these philosophies. An often cited survey of reporters, editors, and executives conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2004 found that 34 percent of the national press identified as liberal, as opposed to 7 percent conservatives, with most called themselves moderates. These types of studies and surveys are proclaimed as evidence of a liberal media. If a survey found that 51 percent of the workers at a General Motors manufacturing plant identified as liberal would that make the company liberal? What the workers at a certain company identify as doesn’t matter as much as what the owners, advertisers, and investors believe, and what views they want presented in the media. Major news outlets are owned by major conglomerate corporations and as an industry, they have a major goal: profits. These corporations are not faceless.
Source: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
BY FRANK LOPEZ
Opinion Editor flopez@therampageonline.com
They are run by people with certain views, and who have certain interests. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed by Bill Clinton, allowed for media cross-ownership and as of 2011, six corporations own 90 percent of all media companies; a very limited choice for a variety of ideas. That major corporations want less government interference and regulation on how many companies they can own and buy is a more conservative stance, and not too often mentioned during discussions of liberalism. Adam Smith’s view that governments should protect their people from corporate tyranny is often forgotten when economic “experts” cite his book “The Wealth of Nations” and the need for capitalism. If we truly had a liberal media, there would be more news coverage on working class people and stories supporting welfare. In his book, “Why Americans Hate Welfare”, Martin Gillens notes what he calls “the racialization of poverty” in news coverage. With original research conducted over many years, Gillens describes how the media has pushed poverty to be associated with lazy, undeserving, African-Americans. While most journalist tend to reject stereotypes about black people, Gillens argues, “in the everyday practice of their craft these same journalists portray poor blacks as more blameworthy than poor whites.” One can find the Business section, NASDAQ, and what is happening in the stock market in most newspapers, but there is no Labor section. It seems that the doings of the business elites are more important than working class people, the majority of Americans. When we do hear of labor issues it is when workers are causing trouble for the owners of business, such as going on strike. A systematic analysis of the media will show it to be more conservative than liberal, and that most of the accusations of a liberal media come from the right. While the media tends to be more liberal on issues such as abortion, and same-sex marriage, issues that won’t really affect the profits of elites, it is their conservative standpoints that are having bigger effects when it comes to democracy in the US, and across the world.
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
SPORTS
Student Services Offers Volleyball at Downtime BY MICHAEL MENDEZ
Sports Editor mmendez@therampageonline.com
Spikes, serves and match point are in store for any students looking for a little down time on Fridays. The Fresno City College student activities office offers students a way to take their mind from a stress-filled semester by partaking in volleyball. Student activities offers volleyball for every student on Friday’s from noon to 2 p.m. in the free speech area. The event has been around in since the 2016 fall semester, but wasn’t implemented weekly until this semester. This weekly event started an intramural program that matched up to coincide with the Ram Pantry from noon to 2pm every Friday. Student Activities chose this program as a way of promoting connections with people that wouldn’t otherwise interact, fun and a way to take their minds off the stress that came with the semester. Event coordinator Elizabeth Flores has been getting positive feedback from students who participate in these activities, with 15-20 students participating in the event every week. The event is growing now with two volleyball court set ups for students
Students set up to receive the ball while taking a break from classes during open volleyball games on Friday, March 10, 2017. Photo/Ram Reyes
to participate. “The feedback that we have been getting from our students has been better than we anticipated,” said Flores. “Students come early to help us setup and are getting the word out to other students, bringing more and more students to this event.”
With the success of the volleyball program, Elizabeth Flores is confident that it will continue past the spring semester. She said there is a possibility of implementing other sports into the program. “We are always looking for new ways to add to the program. We just
have to see which one is the right one to bring in and have the grants to cover them,” said Flores. “As long as we have the support from the college and the students aides have the support and funds to run these events we will continue for as long as we can.”
Men’s Golf Putts Their Way into Second Place at CVC Tournament BY MICHAEL MENDEZ
Sports Editor mmendez@therampageonline.com
The Fresno City College Men’s golf team moved up in the ranks, placing second in the fifth Central Valley Conference golf tournament of the season on March 13 at Fig Garden Golf Course.
“
Despite not coming in first, this match was good for us. We played on our home course and got to see how far we came from the start of the season till now.” -John Cook Golf Player
The Rams finished their tournament run with a combined team score of 381, just 18 strokes behind first place Reedley College, scoring 368. Before taking their first stroke on
the fairway, the Rams headed into the tournament with top finishes in conference and open invitation tournaments, while also having two tournament medal winning performances from Cody Avia and Daniel Cliff. The Rams have three returners from last season. Rams head coach Jenine Paniccia Klein saw this event as a sign that the team is moving in the right direction. Despite her squad not finishing first, Klein attested their performance to how having talented players can close the gaps in close matches. “We did well in this match. We had more depth on this team especially in the fifth and sixth spots. We were able to come in and score par, limiting the amount of strokes that we used to take,” said Klein. ”The one thing we need to work on is our short game; that is something that we need to improve if we are going to win matches heading forward,”. Golf is more of an individual sport than a team sport. Sophomore John Cook scored 77, one of the lowest scores in the tournament. Cook played his best match this season but knows there are parts in his game that need to be worked on, especially to overtake Reedley for the conference title. “I felt confident about my game,
Fresno City College’s Daniel Cliff practices his putt at the CVC Golf Tournament on Monday, March 13, 2017. Photo/Jorge Rodriguez
especially my driving accuracy, but I do have some kinks in my short game and that is what I need to fix,” said Cook. “Despite not coming in first, this match was good for us. We played
on our home course and got to see how far we came from the start of the season till now. We are trying to overtake Reedley and looking at this match moving forward, we are not far behind.”
SPORTS
11
RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
Badminton Team Serves up Second Win BY MICHAEL MENDEZ
Sports Editor mmendez@therampageonline.com
The Rams came out of the gate with rackets blazing for the Fresno City College badminton team, starting their state championship campaign in a 21-0 victory over Mission College in their March 21 season opener. The Rams shutout victory over Mission improved their record to 2-0, continuing the success from last season’s state championship. Mission fell in their season opener to a 0-1 record. The match started in singles competition with the Rams taking control of the match in the early going. Every member of the Rams’ roster won their singles matches, taking the first two games in a bestof-three series. Both teams showed their determination over the course of the match, with the Rams scoring strong, powerful strikes. Mission struggled to get anything going on their side of the net, due to them having an inexperienced
roster of mostly first year athletes. Rams’ head coach Carol Kadingo liked how her team performed during their match. “I feel we played really well in this match. We are on a mission to repeat last season’s success and we want to stay as competitive as we can and move forward from there,” said Kadingo. The match moved into doubles competition with the Rams repeating the same success that they had during their singles matches. The Rams’ roster would finish off their Mission opponents in two-game sweep victories. The victory would seal the victory for the Rams. First year athlete Arrika Levario was amazed about how well she performed during her four matches. Confidence and chemistry with her partner, Amy Vang lead to victory. “As a team, we did really well. We did what we needed to do. As for me, I did better than I expected, feeding of the energy from my partner,” said Levario. “I like the way I am playing so far this season and am looking forward for the rest of the season to see how far we can go.”
Championship Middleweight Fight Goes 12 Disputed Rounds BY MARCO ROSAS
Reporter mrosas@therampageonline.com
On Saturday March 18, undefeated Middleweight Champion Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin or “GGG” defeated number one contender Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs in a closely disputed boxing match. The fight was highly anticipated as Jacobs was undefeated in his last twelve contests and overcame cancer before returning to the sport of boxing. Many believed Jacobs had the perfect pedigree to defeat the current middleweight king. Golovkin has never been knocked down in his entire career and boasts an impressive 36 victories with 33 by way of knockout, no defeats. Still, it was believed that if anyone could spoil Golovkin’s undefeated streak, it would be Jacobs. Especially after Golovkin’s last fight against Kell Brook. Criticisms of Golovkin surfaced after the Brook fight, when Golovkin was seemingly exposed when Brook not only landed punches at will but also appeared to rock Golovkin, a feat previously only fathomed. Brook, unlike Jacobs, is not a true middleweight. Jacobs’ supporters believed if Jacobs could land the same punches Brook did on Golovkin, Jacobs’ power would be too much for Golovkin. As the opening round began that Saturday night at Madison Square Garden it was clear that Golovkin was not going to put that to the test. Golovkin appeared to have a more measured approach than usual and showed great respect for Jacobs’ ability to knock out opponents.
In the fourth round however, Golovkin showed his trademark power and knocked down Jacobs with a right hook. The knockdown was controversial only in that some believed Golovkin had only managed to push Jacobs over. But it was evident in a different angled replay and by Jacobs’ acceptance of the knockdown that was not the case. Still Jacobs was far from done, Jacobs repeatedly set up straight lefts and overhand rights that landed clean on Golovkin’s chin. Jacobs was elusive throughout the fight, switching from southpaw to orthodox in order to set up punches as well as slip them. Jacobs also seemed to outwork Golovkin, landing flurries of punches as well as several punches in the clinch. The fight was closely contested up until the final seconds with Jacobs and Golovkin both working to assert control and land bombs. However Golovkin just inched out the victory winning the unanimous decision by the slightest of margins. With Golovkin still the undefeated middleweight champion, a fight with boxing’s biggest star, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez seems more and more likely. But Alvarez must first get past Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on May 6 of this year. Roy Jones Jr. weighed in stating he would like to see a rematch between Golovkin and Jacobs. It is unclear as to which will happen first as of now, but both match ups are sure to bring more and more eyes to the sport of boxing to witness the epic contests.
Arrika Levario anticipates her opponent’s next move after returning the shuttle in her match against Mission College on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. Photo/Ram Reyes
Wrestling Coach Lauds Champion Lost in Accident BY ARMANDO CARRENO
Reporter acarreno@therampageonline.com
Former Fresno City College wrestling champion, Matt Hickman, 25, died from injuries resulting from a solo accident on Interstate 5 on March 5. Hickman was returning from the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championship in Bakersfield. Hickman was a highly-touted recruit from Adolfo Camarillo High School where he was a junior national All-American in Freestyle and Greco-Roman. Hickman also had offers from Division II and Division III schools before deciding to attend Fresno City College and wrestle in 2011. In the end, it was because of his long-standing relationship and loyalty to FCC coach Paul Keysaw that he came to FCC. Coach Keysaw had first coached Hickman since the player was in the fifth grade. “It was a real privilege for him to come to Fresno City College and wrestle,” Keysaw said. “It speaks to his loyalty; he was really loyal to me, and that’s really why he came to Fresno City College.” In addition to his loyalty, Hickman was kind and generous, according to his coach. Keysaw spoke of how Hickman stood up for the underprivileged, the disabled and the people who looked different or acted different. “He had a heart like no other and at the same time had a ferocious appetite to compete,” Keysaw said.
On the mat, Hickman was “relentless and fearless.” Relentless and fearless are fitting for the wrestler who stood at 5’6 and weighed 165 pounds. Hickman wasn’t the biggest guy on the mat, and Keysaw said almost every opponent Hickman wrestled was at least a whole head taller, so he had to devise
“
Kids like Matty don’t come along all the time; they’re few and far between.” -Paul Keysaw FCC Wrestling Coach
a strategy on how to win. “That’s why I say he was tough,” Keysaw said. “He was tough enough where I had the faith to move him up, and he won a state championship at 165 pounds.” Hickman left his mark not only on the wrestling mat, but with his coaches and his teammates and everyone he interacted with at FCC. His teammates said he affected a lot of people -- young and old. His friends and others in the wrestling community say they were drawn to him because he was a special kind of wrestler. “I’ve been coaching for a long time,” Keysaw said. “Kids like Matty don’t come along all the time; they’re few and far in-between.”
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RAMPAGE 3.22.2017
SPORTS
Reedley college ends FCC’s winning streak BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ
Reporter jrodriguez@therampageonline.com
Mayra Mendez winds up for a pitch against Reedley College on Tuesday, March 21, 2017. Photo/Cheyenne Tex
Looking for a win to keep their three-game winning streak alive and trying to keep their overall record above 500, Fresno City College softball faced conference rival Reedley College at home. FCC came into the game with momentum after wins against Taft and West Valley, who they beat twice in a double header. The game began with FCC pitcher Mayra Mendez coming out strong getting the first two outs fast with help from her defense. The third out, however, proved to be more elusive because Reedley College infielder Maddi Tuttle hit a solo homerun to right field. After that, Mendez was able to get the next batter out and get FCC on the field with only one run scored. FCC’s offense was quiet for the bottom of the first inning, going three and out and ending the inning with no hits. The second inning saw Mendez struggle to get batters out, allowing hits that eventually turned into runs. The struggle was not only in the pitching department, but also with offense. The top of the third inning was difficult for FCC. The pitching staff allowed a single followed by a homerun by Reedley College infielder Macy Dias, which brought in two more runs and ended Mendez’s day. FCC’s Anisha Navarro relieved Mendez at pitching and was able to get out of the inning without any more runs being scored. The FCC offense finally got going when infielder Sara Specht hit a single to left field. After that, pitcher Navarro got a sacrifice out to move Specht into scoring position. FCC’s offense was trying to come back but Reedley was not making it easy for them. FCC’s first two batters in the bottom of the fourth got out with infield fly-outs. The third batter for FCC, outfielder Madison Forester, was walked and the next batter opened up and allowed Forester to steal second base. With Forester in scoring position, it was up to Specht to come up with a hit and start a
rally for the Rams. Specht got a hit to third base, but was unable to reach first before being called out and ending the fourth inning. FCC had its hopes of a comeback diminished when in the top of the fifth inning, Reedley College scored 6 runs. At the top of the fifth inning, the third batter up was walked by Navarro, putting two on base and one in scoring position. That’s when Reedley College infielder Serenity Castro hit a single to center field that loaded the bases. Two outs later and it was looking like FCC might come out of the inning with minimal damage, but Reedley college had it’s next four batters all get hits that brought in runners making the total runs allowed for that inning by FCC to six. The disastrous inning ended with Reedley College’s last batter hitting a fly ball to center field that was caught by FCC’s Madison Forester. The bottom of the fifth inning was FCC’s last hope for a comeback, because the score was 11-0 and the game was in danger of being called on a mercy rule. FCC started strong with Navarro hitting a double and putting herself on scoring position, and then Caballero hitting a single to center field bringing in Navarro for the score. With a run scored, momentum was on FCC’s side and it was up to outfielder Hannah Gutierrez to get a hit. Gutierrez got a hit to center field that seem uncatchable, but was caught also catching Caballero on her way back to first base, making it a double play. The game finished in the bottom of the fifth with FCC losing with a score of 11-1. “We lacked heart on this game,” said Karen Zamora, the team captain. “When we play like we did on Saturday, when we were loud, that’s when we are unbeatable.” Coach Rhonda Williams said the team is taking things one game at a time. “In a 40 game season were going to have games like this one, where things aren’t just right, but the good teams figure out a way to come back.”