Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
viewpoints An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.
R
I
V
E
R
S
I
D
E
C
I
T
C
O
L
L
E
G
Football players sign on the dotted line
Kiki rings you up page 5
page 10
Lunar Festivals welcomes new year pages 6 & 7
Vol. XCIII, No. 8
Y
E
INSIDE
NEWS................. 2 FEATURES........ 4 OPINIONS.......... 8 SPORTS.............10
Viewpointsonline.org | FEBRUARY 18,2013
Students sprint for scholarships page 2
LUIS SOLIS/INTERRIM PHOTO EDITOR
RACING TO THE FINISH :
Riverside college students race to the finish line during Riverside’s version of the CBS show, “The Amazing Race.“
Viewpoints
2 | February 18, 2014
Serving students since 1922
N EWS BRIEF S Follow us @rccviewpoints
Search: Riverside City College Viewpoints
‘The Three Amigos’ win Amazing Race
News
WebAdvisor glitch pushes pay deadline Because of technical issues with the WebAdvisor site Feb. 9, Riverside City College, Moreno Valley College, and Norco College postponed the pay deadline for classes to 5 p.m. Feb. 11. Students experiencing issues with links and access then have an extra day to pay for classes to avoid being dropped. Complaints about access to WebAdvisor continued through Feb. 10. RCC canceled the second deadline for non payment.
Anderson runs for board of trustees Attorney and college instructor Juliann Anderson announced her candidacy for Riverside Community College District board of trustees Dec. 16. Anderson’s campaign announced she has received endorsements from the Riverside City College Faculty Association, Mark Takano and State Assembly member Jose Medina. Anderson has worked as a deputy city attorney for Los Angeles, and as an instructor at UC Riverside. She graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
Free parking comes to graceful end The parking grace period for spring semester in Riverside Community College District will be from Feb. 18 -28. People parked in white spaces without permits will be cited beginning March 3. Staff with an expired staff parking permit visible will be permitted to park in staff designated parking spots painted in yellow until March 3. All students and staff are required to display a parking permit to park on campus for the spring semester.
New deadlines loom for spring semester With the start of a new year and new semester come new dates and deadlines that are important for students to be aware of. The following is a list of upcoming dates students will need to know. Winter semester ends Feb. 13. Grades for winter semester are due 5 calendar days after the last class meeting. Feb. 14-17 is a holiday weekend, and March 31 is a holiday. Admission application deadline passed Feb. 3. Students may add classes until the night before the class meets, and waitlisting deadlines are two days before the class meets. Add codes are required to add a student on the first day of class. March 7 is the last day to add a class in person. The last day to drop classes with a Withdrawal on WebAdvisor is March 9. The last day to drop with a Withdrawal in person is May 16. April 1 is the last day to submit a degree application. April 14-20 is spring break.
LUIS SOLIS / INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
BREAKDOWN:Dawson Young explains rules to participants in the Amazing College Race for scholarships Feb 9. VALERIE OSIER INTERIM FEATURES EDITOR It’s no secret that college students need money. Books, tuition and living expenses tend to create holes in their pockets, which is one of the reasons the College Council of Riverside held its third annual “A m a z i ng C ol lege R a c e,” where teams compete to win scholarship money. Based on the popular television show “The Amazing R a c e ,” s t u d e nt s f r o m t h e four colleges in RiversideRiverside Cit y College, La Sierra University, Cal Baptist University and UC Riverside competed in teams of three in a downtown-based scavenger hunt. The Riverside Downtown Partnership and the College Council of Riverside organized the race. “ T he goal wou ld be t o help students connect with the downtown area and be more familiar with it and also to help students collaborate with each other from the different campuses so that we can really realize the full potential of our 60,000 students in Riverside,” said Dawson Young, a senior at Cal Baptist University and President of the council. A total of 54 teams competed with $4,200 in scholarships being offered to six teams.
C RIME Date
Crime
Te a m s of t h r e e h a d t o solve clues that led to different locations in downtown Riverside. Each clue has a different point value and bonus points are offered if the students do the activities at the locations. The team with the most points wins. The winning team, “The Three Amigos,” were crosscou nt r y r u n ne r s f rom UC Riverside, Carlos Lopez Jr., Cesar Solis and Edgar Cobian. “The number one thing is running the whole time,” said Lopez. “I think it’s a good way for them to promote people to come to downtown.” “It’s a great experience, too, for all the colleges to come together at once,” added Solis. “There’s no other time this really happens.” “It’s great to engage the youth from the four higher education campuses and connect them to
the downtown corridor,” said Assistant to the Mayor, Josephine Erickson. “Not only for them to realize the gems of restaurants and businesses and activities there is to do, but also to network with one another.” One of the goals of this event was to give students a lifetime connection to Riverside. “We want to celebrate we’re a college town,” said Mayor Bailey. “The second thing is we want students to connect with Riverside in a fun way today. We value the students here. We want (students) to think about Riverside in terms of employment, in terms of starting (their) own business here and in terms of raising (their) own families here someday. That’s my hope and that’s why we’re doing this.” For more content go to viewpointsponline.org
LUIS SOLIS / Interim PHOTO EDITOR
VICTORY:One of the 54 college teams crosses the finish line at city hall.
LO G
Time
Location
Status
Jan. 6
Petty theft: building, vehicle etc.
4:35 p.m.
Business Education
Inactive
Jan. 8
Burglary
11:21 a.m.
Science and Technology
Inactive
Jan. 8
Petty theft: building vehicle etc.
12:06 p.m.
Ben Clark Team Center
Inactive
Jan. 10
Fictitious check or bill
11:18 a.m.
Bookstore
Inactive
Jan. 14
Fictitious check or bill
11:00 a.m.
Bradshaw Building
Inactive
Jan. 14
Revoked or suspended license
3:02 p.m.
Lot D
Cleared by Adult Arrest
Jan. 15
Grand theft of money labor or property
11:13 a.m.
Lot P
Pending
Jan. 15
Petty theft: building, vehicle etc.
1:54 p.m.
Chavez Building
Inactive
Jan. 15
Burglary
3:28 p.m.
Student Government (ASRCC)
Pending
Jan. 16
Hit and run, property damage only
12:51 p.m.
Lot A
Inactive
Jan. 17
Vandalism or defacement of property
6:14 p.m.
Humanities
Jan. 22
Petty theft: building vehicle etc.
11:29 a.m.
Wheelock Gym room 219
information only
Jan. 30
Theft of vehicle part
7:02 a.m.
Parking Lot E
Pending
Feb. 2
Revoked suspended license
6:15 a.m.
Central Avenue and School Circle
Cleared by adult Arrest
Viewpoints
News
Health care plan restores
JOSA LAMONT INTERIM NEWS EDITOR
Faculty has been experiencing lapses or shortcomings in its original health care plans over the last two years. I n 2 01 2 , t h e b e n e f i t committee hired a new third party health care provider to off iciate contracts from the existing 1985 health plan. Becau se of er ror s i n translation from the original language to the new provider’s, facult y are exper iencing unintended benefit losses. “I think we had some hiccups with the starting of the plan … and I think (administrators are) responsive to it,” said Bill Bogle Jr, a member of the benefit committee and RCCD controller. The benefit committee is made up of district faculty and members from the California Teachers Association. It has been working with the third party representative from Keenan & Associates to bring the health plan up to standards set by the 1985 plan, and new standards from the Affordable Care Act. The health plan has changed third party health care providers four times since 1985, the last being to Keenan & Associates, grandfathering contract plans each change. Following the appointment of Keenan & Associates, claims that would have been covered
under the 1985 plan were not being covered with the new care provider. Additionally, there were unsigned contracts from 2009 and 2011 that were not addressed with the CTA when they were written up. Ac c o r d i n g t o D e b o r a h Yorba, a Keenan representative, the changes made to the grandfathered plan were due to language changes in the health care industry over the years since the original composition. As language changed in the health care industry, the older plan became outdated and some benefits were unintentionally lost. The losses are being addressed directly between Yorba and the committee to maintain coverage. The benef its com mit tee reviewed roughly 75-80 percent of the list of issues that arose, according to Bogle. Af ter the com mit tee approves the lang uage and benefits of the coverage, and all ACA requirements are met, the new contracts will be written and placed before Cy nthia A zar i, I nter im Chancellor. The contracts will later will be reviewed by the board and put to vote for approval. Claims filed in 2013 under the altered plan’s contracts will be readdressed under the grandfathered coverage standard
so the plan integrity is maintained for people who may have made claims before ACA standards increased coverage Jan. 1. T h e ACA r e q u i r e m e n t has added benef its such as birth control with no co pay, i mprove me nt s i n wome n’s healt h cove r age a nd ch ild immunizations. Additionally, the $1 million lifetime cap was removed, preexisting conditions no longer mean coverage can be limited and dependents can be covered until age 26. The vision plan has also been added to the health care plan for faculty and is going to begin coverage sometime in February or March. While it has some administrative costs, it will be billed to employees. The vision plan experienced hurtles earlier this year but having been voted on and approved by the benefits committee, it will now proceed to be instated. “(The health plan) didn’t lose any benefits, it’s gained a few benefits,” said Bogle. The benef its com mit tee also instated a more formal catastrophic insurance plan in June that allows employees to donate their sick time and vacation time to a pool. Employees who contribute time can draw sick or vacation time from the pool in the event of an emergency or illness.
Board hires headhunter to fill chancellor position
JOSA LAMONT INTERIM NEWS EDITOR
Cy nthia Azar i has been serving Riverside Community College District as Interim Chancellor since June, but steps to permanently fill the position began on Sept. 17 when the board of directors selected College CEO’s, a hiring agency out of Riverside that expects to fill the position by May with a start date in July. Nominations and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Adver tisi ng began Dec. 19 and application Screening began Jan. 15 in accordance with the previously established job specifications and requirements. “Advertisements have been run in key journals and electronic job-sites both regionally and nationally,” said Nathan Miller in an update release Jan. 6. A committee meeting to select applicants to interview is scheduled Feb. 14. “ T he boa rd of t r u st e e s expects to invite a pool of final candidates to Riverside for face-to-face interviews that will be held during the latter part of March/early April,’’ wrote Miller. “We anticipate that each candidate will visit Riverside
February 18, 2014 | 3
Serving students since 1922
ILLUSTRATION BY Luis Solis
NEWS Follow us @rccviewpoints
BRIEF S Search: Riverside City College Viewpoints
Riverside Celebrates Tuskegee Airmen A celebration of the role The Tuskegee Airmen played is scheduled for free in honor of the civil rights effort in military history. UC Riverside hosts “The Tuskegee Airmen: Mutiny at Freeman Field” on Feb. 22 from 2-5 p.m. The key note speaker and a panel of original Tuskegee Airmen will convey their experiences during the protest and its impact on civil rights.
Dickens Festival turns back time The 21st annual Dickens Festival brings Main Street to life Feb. 21-23. Pickwick’s Pub Night kicks off festivities at 6 p.m. in the Life Arts Center. Between University Avenue and 10th Street Vendors, performers and a Queen Victoria will host story telling, games, songs and fashion shows Feb. 22. Add it ionally, a Jack t he R ipper t r ial is scheduled at the courthouse. For more i nfor mation and a schedule of events, visit www.dickensfest.com or call (951)781-3168.
Military music to fill Landis PAC Landis Performing Arts Center hosts a free concert from Travis Air Force Base of Northern California Feb. 20 from 7-9 p.m. The concert features a broad range of music styles including patriotic favorites. Fo r m o r e i n fo r m a t io n v i s it w w w.l a n d i s p a c.c o m o r call 951-222-8100.
Congressman opens MUN conference Congressman Mark Takano gave the opening comments to the Model United Nations conference Feb. 8. The conference was held in the Riverside City College cafeteria and began at 8 a.m. and the scheduled end was at 4:30 p.m. MUN simulates general assembly committee and the Security Council. According to rcc.edu, “The General Assembly will cover agriculture development and food security, while the security council covers peace consolidation in West Africa.” At MUN conferences each team represents a foreign country or non-government organization and covers a wide range of topics from human rights or economic issues to technological or intellectual property rights. RCC’s MUN team has competed in New York, Korea and Europe. For more information about the RCC Model United Nations program, visit https://www.facebook.com/riversidecitycollege.model. united.nations.
Captain kick-Off to Pink on Parade For the upcoming Pink on Parade breast cancer awareness walk May 17, the Salted Pig is hosting a team captain’s informational kick off. Anyone interested in being a team captain for the walk is invited to attend to get more information on the event. Attending holds no obligation to captain a team, and the event is strictly informational. Pink on Parade will raise money for Pink Ribbon Place, which offers women counseling, support groups, breast prosthesis and wig banks. Community College District over a period of several days, during which time they will participate in interviews, small meetings and larger for ums with the board of trustees and the colleges.” All of the expectations of the position were discussed and approved with College CEO’s and the board or directors in their preliminary meetings. The new chancellor will display strategic organizational planning skills, leadership and governance skills, community
support and student learning understanding. T he chancellor position demands building, strengthening and improving relationships between colleges in the district as well as building up colleges in the district. Budgetar y leadership and f inancial ear nings are also expected in addition to completing construction projects. I m p r ov i n g c o m m u n i t y organization and maintaining transparency to the community is also part of the position.
Battle of the Badges Blood Drive The American Red Cross and the Riverside Police Department Mag station will host a blood drive Feb. 18 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All participants will receive a “battle of the badges” t-shirt and Mimi’s Café certificate.
LIKE VIEWPOINTS ON FACEBOOK: SEARCH “RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE VIEWPOINTS” SUBSCRIBE TO VIEWPOINTS ON YOUTUBE: VIEWPOINTSOFRCC AND RCCATHLETICS
Viewpoints
FEATUR S Serving students since 1922
4 | February 18, 2014
N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y Nonprofit
One Course Per Month
LUIS SOLIS / INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
®
Online & On Campus
TRANSFER
TO FINISH YOUR DEGREE
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: RCC Marching Tigers pull through another field practice.
Marching Tigers blow away Europe
DAVID ROMAN AD. MANAGER
Here’s why National University is a leading choice for California community college students who want to finish their bachelor’s degree: • • • •
Features
Credits easily transfer Transfer anytime Special transfer scholarships Military friendly
FIND OUT MORE:
WWW.NU.EDU/TRANSFER 800.NAT.UNIV 18 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA ©2013 National University 13206
While most college bands take a break between semesters, Riverside City College’s own Marching Tigers took a trip overseas. The 10-day trip paid for by the students themselves took the 123-performer band to England and Spain to perform at various parades and shows. With students having to individually shell out $4,000 for the trip, around half the Marching Tigers had difficulties gathering the funds, so they accepted Riverside and Redlands high school band students into the Tigers for this special occasion. The trip began in London. Students got to march in the world famous New Year’s Day Parade and even appeared on the internationally popular British Broadcasting Corporation morning show, “Breakfast.” This year the London New Year’s Day Parade attracted 8,500 other performers and was on a cold day of intense wind and rain. However that did not stop any of the brave Tigers from marching on. “I d i d n’t c are t h at my saxophone was getting ruined,” s a i d Me l R a n g e l , a n a l t o saxophone player who has been with the Marching Tigers for over a year. “I enjoyed the rain and seeing people enjoy us being there.” But the rain in London turned out to be only a drizzle compared to the harsh gales of Toldeo, Spain, which battered the marchers with winds reaching 37 mph and gusts
in the 60 mph range. The winds were so strong even the Mayor of Toldeo could not make it out to the performance. Proving that the Marching Tigers are the toughest breed of performers there are, they managed to pull out a great performance despite the weather conditions. The next day, Madrid proved to be a much easier performance in the “Cabalgata de Reyes Magos” or “Cavalcade of Magi”, an annual parade of kings coaches celebrating the three kings who
more than 2 million parade goers and were broadcast live on the Spanish public broadcaster for the whole country to see. This is not the first time the Marching Tigers have traveled abroad to perform. They are also known as “Hollywood’s Band” and have played the London New Year’s Parade in 2005 and 2011, however this is the first time they have decided to extend their trip and make a European tour out of it. The band has been all over Europe in the past and has
LUIS SOLIS / INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
WE GOT PEP: Members of the pep band cheer on RCC’s basketball team.
were believed to have made the pilgrimage to visit the infant Jesus Christ, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. There, the Marching Tigers performed to an audience of
traveled to countries as far east as Japan and Australia. “I love the different cultures,” said Ashley Korengold, a first year clarinet player, “I think we all wish we can go back again.”
Viewpoints
Homeless protest over acquittal
Features
Serving students since 1922
JOSA LAMONT
transient who found Thomas to be polite and had slept with him in local shelters, said the protests were “a great opportunity for people to express how they feel” and claimed around 200 people showed up. Around 6 p.m. riot police and five squad cars broke up the gathering when protesters started blocking buses. Despite the brutal beating of Thomas between N. Harbor Boulevard and S. Pomona Avenue on Com monwealth Avenue in Fullerton and the ensuing protests, transients interviewed say they still feel safe. Transients exaggerated the depth of the relationship they had with the victim, and handed out literature on shelter information at the site of his memorial. Though they spurn the media bombardment of Thomas’ family, many had information to bring forward and are disappointed not to have been able to speak in the trial. Mayfield said Thomas was always polite, though he’d only spoken with him a few times. Levine said Thomas only got angry with him on one occasion when he told him he didn’t have a cigarette, though they had only spent time together a few times. “(Thomas) was a piece of (expletive)”said Elisalda. “That dude was an a** hole.”
so when the officers who beat him to death, Manuel Ramos and Jay Cininelli, were acquitted of all charges protests erupted at the T he people t hat sha red memorial of his death. shelters with Kelly Thomas “He was 120 lbs. wet,” said are finding camaraderie in the Edward Elisalda, a bouncer aftermath of his death. at a local bar that had stopped In the knitted community Thomas from checking cars for of Fullerton transients, Kelly unlocked doors. “They could’ve Thomas was known throughout. stopped him in one hit, but they Though not many people decided to beat his a** for half knew him closely, many people an hour.” had positive impressions of him, P e o p l e gathered around T h o m a s ’ memorial to help clean up after the anarchist group “All Coppers Are Bastards” spray-painted s o m e of t h e su r rou nd i ngs and vandalized the area. Overall protests were p e a c ef u l a c c ord i ng t o Zeek Levine, a transient who had shared a drink with T homas on many JOSA LAMONT / INTERIM NEWS EDITOR occasions. PROTEST: Edward Elisada, a bodyguard who knew James Thomas, advocates for police surveillance. Mayfield, a INTERIM NEWS EDITOR
February 18, 2014 | 5
JOSA LAMONT / INTERIM NEWS EDITOR
GOOD SAMARITANS: Locals clean the Thomas memorial in aftermath of vandalism on Commonwealth Ave. in Fullerton. Though many indigent have stories of alleged harassment, most stories involve submission by the citizen, and caution on the part of police that ends without arrests. People in solidarity with police feel the situation has more complexities than people may understand. “ I h ave t h is se n se a nd need of power, cause I never probably had it before,” said Oliver Thompson, former Chief of Police at Englewood and Instructor at Riverside City College. “So you give me, at the end of this training you give me the badge, you give me the gun, you give me all the implements of my office. Don’t come down on
me at the end with Kelly Thomas and say I’ve done something wrong.” According to Thompson, who predicted the acquittal, the acceptance of police brutality comes from a social morality, and stems from what people as a group, are willing to accept. “All (the situation) needs is to have people willing to stand up to the bullies. Ramos was a bully, Cincinelli was a bully... those guys are bullies but the thing of it is: if there’s a fight going on do I want a wuss or do I want a bully? I want a bully.” In the case of Cincinelli and Ramos, society has spoken in the language of the system through the decisive action on the case.
RCC Spotlight VALERIE OSIER
INTERIM FEATURES ED. She’s t he f r ie nd ly fa ce students see while getting a quick snack in the Riverside City College bookstore. Her short, sometimes spiky blonde hair makes her easily recognizable. She’s not only the head cashier at the bookstore, but she is also a student at RCC. Kiki Cox Rosenberger began working at RCC in fall of 2004. When she first started at RCC, students would call the bookstore and order their books over the phone. Rosenberger decided to take a computer class in the summer of 2007. The last computer class she took was in the 80s. She continued on to take business classes and earn an Associates of Science in business with a concentration in accounting. “A f t e r I c omplet e d (a b u s i n e s s d e g r e e) , I s t i l l liked going to school,” said Rosenberger. “There was a class I had been looking at, seeing the books and all that for the whole time I had been here. It
Kiki Rosenberger was a Humanities class … since I no longer had to take classes I needed, I took that humanities class: Humanities 18-‘Death.’ So now I’m just taking classes that look interesting.” Rosenberger star ted her college career after high school at Indiana University. After two semesters, she left college to join her family stationed in Pakistan. “I’ll tell ya, at 18 I had no idea what I was doing,” Rosenberger said. “I think the community college system is the best thing ever created. It gets you used to college requirements- what they expect of you, yet the classes aren’t real big … It’s really great, not to mention much less expensive.” Rosenberger was born June 1950 in Spokane, Wash. to Airforce parents. When her father shipped off to war, her mother left Kiki as an infant with a long-term baby sitter and never came back. Her father was unable to care for a baby by himself, but
by happenstance, her father’s commanding officer and his wife were looking to adopt. They paid for her birth parents’ divorce and Kiki’s birth-father was able to sign the adoption papers to give her to them. “Being adopted was actually the best thing that could ever have happened to me,” Rosenberger said. Being an “Airforce Brat,” Rosenberger has traveled all over the world. She has toured Europe and has walked the steps of the Parthenon in Greece. While with her family in Pakistan, she trained as a dental assistant. She left Pakistan right before the political coups in the late 60s that led to riots. “But I was in Virginia, r ight outside of D.C. when D.C. went up in flames in ’68,” Rosenberger said. “I was living in San Bernardino during the Watts Riots. And I was in the San Fernando Valley during the Rodney King riots… I’ve been around for a few riots.”
LUIS SOLIS/ INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
RING UP: Kiki Rosenberger assists students during “rush,” the busiest time of the year for the bookstore. Upon return to the US, she earned an Associates of Science in Dental Assisting at Chaffey College and was in the first group of certified dental assistants in California.
Currently, Rosenberger and her husband have been married for 35 years. They enjoy showing their 1956 Chevy Station wagon at car shows and going on weekend cruises.
6 | February 18, 2014
Viewpoints
February 18, 2014 | 7
Serving students since 1922
Lunar festival livens downtown
101
LUIS SOLIS
PHOTO EDITOR
INTRODUCTION TO AFFORDABLE COMMUTING
Downtown Riverside was transform into a cultural experience known as the Asian Lunar New Year Festival on Jan. 25. The Lunar New Year is based on the Lunisolar Chinese calendar in many Asian cultures dates are indicated by both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. It begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. Chinese New Year is the longest and important festival celebrated. This was the fourth year that the Asian Pacific Culture Association (APCA) hosted the festival in Downtown Riverside. The APCA’s goal was to educate attendees on the tremendous contributions to the history of Riverside and the region by Asian Americans. The festival featured traditional Asian music that was play throughout the whole festival along with other performances such as the taiko drums, traditional dances and martial arts display such as karate and sumo wrestling. The Lunar Festival gave the attendees a chance to experience authentic Asian market goods and traditional food like Takoyaki, a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and Octopus. The lunar celebration concluded with a firework display. The reason behind the fireworks is to scare away any evil spirits and welcome the Lunar Year filled with luck and prosperity.
Students, today’s lesson is in comfort, convenience and value. When you ride Metrolink, you’ll enjoy having time to connect with friends via social media, easy parking, even some extra quiet time to study, all while saving some serious cash. Visit our website to learn more, and get ready to move to the head of the class.
metrolinktrains.com/student *except Weekend Day Pass
Crossword 1. What high school other than Riverside’s did the RCC marching band recruit from? 2. What is the name of the Lifetime’ dance show? 3. Russian President? 4. Name of the paper you are reading? 5. In what city was Kelly Thomas beaten? 6. Which team won the Amazing Race? 7. Where does Kiki work on campus? Email a picture of the correct and completed crossword with your signature on the paper and email a photo of it to Viewpoints@rcc.edu to claim your prize. The first email recieved will get a response with where to claim your gift. The answers are hidden in the stories within this issue.
Top Left: Taiko Project performs during the Lunar Festival with traditional drumming. Right: Takoyaki being prepare and sold during the festival. Bottom left: Mr. Zhong known as the Chinese face changer performs his magic show.
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
8 | February 18, 2014
OpinionS
VIEWPOINTS
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Travis West 951- 222-8494 viewpoints@rcc.edu MANAGING EDITOR James Williams viewpoints.managing@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER David Roman viewpoints.advertising@gmail.com JOURNALISM SPECIALIST Matt Schoenmann matthew.schoenmann@rcc.edu FACULTY ADVISERS Allan Lovelace Jim Burns INTERIM NEWS EDITOR Josa Lamont viewpoints.news@gmail.com INTERIM OPINIONS EDITOR Marissa Bostick viewpoints.opinions@gmail.com INTERIM FEATURES EDITOR Valarie Osier viewpoints.features@gmail.com INTERIM SPORTS EDITOR James Williams viewpoints.sports@gmail.com INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR Luis Solis viewpoints.photo@gmail.com
Textbook greed
INTERIM ONLINE EDITOR Michael Walter viewpoints.online@gmail.com INTERIM ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Alyssa Aldrete viewpoints.arts&entertainment@gmail.com
Welcome back fellow classmates. Welcome back to the ongoing construction, an overcrowded campus and overpriced textbooks. The most annoying of these is textbooks. After we are lucky enough find parking, navigate the construction on campus and find a seat in class … on the floor, we sit, hoping and praying that the syllabus has those three precious words, “textbooks not required.” “The average cost for books and supplies for the 20132014 school year was $1,207 at public colleges and $1,253 at private colleges,” according to collegedata.com. Before we go on, supplies include pens, pencils, file folders and notebooks. Most of these things we find while walking out the door, meaning the cost is between free and $20 if you decide to splurge for that fancy pen. RCC students and other college students will start to budget their money around texts books in order to purchase them since they are still waiting on financial aid and their next work check. While we arrive at our next class, the instructor starts to explain the required textbooks. As the instructor speaks, we are left wondering if having the instructors name on the textbook is a good or bad thing … either way we know our pockets are about to get a lot lighter … or maybe not. In an August 2011 article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group conducted a survey that showed that 7 in 10 college
STAFF Patricia Meija
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 words or less. Deliver letters to the Viewpoints office in the room behind the Assessment Building. Viewpoints reserves the right to edit letters for space and to reject libelous or obscene letters. Letters to the editor and columns represent the opinions of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Viewpoints staff, Viewpoints faculty advisers, student government, faculty, administration nor the Board of Trustees.
MEMBER:
California Newspaper Publishers Association
Journalism Association of Community Colleges
Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.
viewpoints R
I
V
E
R
S
I
D
E
C
I
T
Vol. XCIII, No. 8
Y
C
O
L
L
E
G
E
February 18, 2014
REACH US: Associated Collegiate Press
students did not buy textbooks at least once because they thought the price was too high. The survey was taken by 1,905 undergraduates on 13 different campuses ranging from public universities to community colleges. The survey went on to say that 78 percent of the students who did not buy the textbooks expected to perform worse without it. We are not dumb. We know the book is essential to our success, but publishing new editions of books every school year is a dirty trick that leaves the students with no choice but to fork over what little money we already have. Why are these prices so outrageous? Publishers can charge whatever they want and almost never let the professor know the cost of the book. Why are the colleges allowing this to happen? Who is speaking for us? It seems like no one is looking out for the ones who make this entire thing run … the students. With the digital age creeping up, could it be that publishers see the light dimming? Either way, we try our best to provide ourselves with cheaper options for purchasing textbooks. According to rcc.edu the mission statement for the college is to “provide affordable education.” Last time we checked, having affordable textbooks is a huge part of our education.
PHONE: (951) 222-8488 E-MAIL: viewpoints@rcc.edu Editor in Chief PHONE: (951) 222-8495
PRINTING SCHEDULE
Copy deadline: Photo deadline: Ad deadline: Next issue:
March March March March
5 5 10 13
Viewpoints is a public forum, First Amendment newspaper. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. © 2014 by the Viewpoints staff, Riverside City College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA. 92506-0528. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief.
Viewpoints
Misconception of Beauty Opinions
MARISSA BOSTICK
INTERIM OPINIONS ED. From costly procedures to the next fad diet women everywhere think they need to alter themselves to get ahead in life.
February 18, 2014 | 9
Serving students since 1922
Is it survival of the fittest in some acute sense that pushes women to change themselves? In their minds, is it their personal truth that only the beautiful prevail? When did long straight flowing locks become the only acceptable form of beauty? In Hollywood and many parts of America many other women of color are expected to share this quality. Perhaps modeling agencies and their plethora of exotic beauties that strut down catwalks had some influence on the standard of beauty.
To comment on these articles or send a letter to the editor, Visit viewpointsonline.org or email Viewpoints@rcc.edu
While some women are satisfied with a simple aburn to blond dye job, others go under the knife to get a perfectly cinched waist. On one hand, you cannot really blame women in the entertainment business for making sure everything on them is perfect. In Hollywood, a young stick figure blond is more likely to further her career than a curvy middle-age woman for a role even without it being about ethnicities. Robust women in Hollywood are usually not in serious roles and are even more rarely leading actresses. They tend to play the funny or quirky fat sidekick that overcomes all odds as part of a sideplot. Eventually Hollywood forces her onto to use some highly sought after trainer and diet just so she’ll be taken seriously.
amount of meat on their bones starve themselves just to see a gap between their thighs that isn’t a natural muscle formation. What happened since the 1970s that told women they could not be free to express themselves in its purest form? African-American men and women alike used to proudly wear magnificent Afros. Now the Afro is labeled unkempt or exotic depending on the venue. “Natural” to Black women can mean doing their hair without much alteration, especially chemical: braids, pressing or anything considered protective.
Dancers or pint-sized robots
Just like Hollywood women, young girls model themselves after what has become the standard of beauty instead of learning to love what they already have. Young girls with a decent
Sochi Winter Olympics become a mockery
TRAVIS WEST
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: Urine colored water, toilets with no dividers and German rainbows. Russian president, Vladimir Putin have made the Winter Olympics more about how far behind Russia is in the human culture race than any sporting event. Athletes expressed their concern about traveling to Sochi because of possible terror attack by insurgents who were behind an attack in Volgograd, Russia December 29 2013, but most (if not all) of the athletes were not deterred. Since the attack, threats have been directed toward the Olympic games and Russia has taken the threats quite seriously. The threats resulted in a mass amount of security. The amount of guards has been estimated between 40,000-70,000, raising the tensions for tourists and athletes alike.
Some even began to question when they should be told not to come. Despite all the threats, even that has taken a back seat to what the attendees of the games have been really complaining about. If only they had known what their living conditions would be like beforehand, then maybe they would’ve changed their mind then. First off, it starts with the infrastructure for the Sochi Games. Russia has spent more money than any other Olympics ever, topping out at 51 billion dollars. Most of which has been reported to be kickbacks to Putin’s buddies that he hired to construct a lot of the Olympic Village. Any person in their right mind would believe that spending this much money would result in a well-built Olympic Village. Athletes showed up from all over the world only to find out that they must have been the victim of a mean hoax. Personally, I would pay to watch the reaction of athletes as they walk into the bathroom of their room only to find two toilets, side by side with no stall in between. Athletes tweeted photos of themselves sitting on the toilets with their roommates, showing just how close together the toilets are. This led to more photos and
claims. The next was the water. There is a now infamous photos circulating that shows the deep yellow water that has been provided as “tap” water. Of course, they have been told to not ingest this water. If you haven’t seen the water, it looks like apple juice. It’s that deep of a color. The amount and type of controversy behind these games has been appalling, but thankfully we had Germany to lighten the mood. Putin has been criticized over the treatment of homosexuals in Russia. Since then, he has come out and said that any homosexual would be welcomed in Sochi. It’s hard to believe for a country who openly dislikes homosexual behavior. In what seemed like a shot at Putin, the Germans arrived at the opening ceremony in head to toe rainbow outfits. Much to the delight of the crowd, the Germans were greeted with a loud roar. With the games underway, everything seems to be piling on for the Russians. Allegations of secret cameras and the deterioration of simple room fixtures keep surfacing. Needless to say, Russia is that host that doesn’t clean up before having company. Not only did they not clean up, but they left out all their dirty laundry for the world to see.
Black women practically kill themselves to have perfect hair. Some do it just to fit in with their lighter skinned counterparts. Others do it because natural until recently, has been widely frowned upon. Black women you are automatically expected to have a weave in your hair and Ebonics flowing from your lips. Where did the natural woman go, is she afraid to be herself due to ridicule and ignorance? For the sake of young women everywhere I pray she comes back soon.
MARISSA BOSTICK
INTERIM OPINIONS ED. Dancing is not just about hitting your counts; it is about living and breathing the music. To dance is to express yourself or tell a story like no one else can. Lifetime’s Dance Moms shows the weekly coming and goings of about nine budding dancers. Each girl is pitted against each other in pursuit to bring glory to the Abby Lee Dance Company. There is nothing wrong with a little competition but if all they do is practice, what happens to their childhoods? Abby Lee Miller’s company does not create dancers with passion; it creates dancers that hunt after gold trophies and blue ribbons. These girls are not nurtured into being works of moving art, but rather robots systematically doing counts. Abby Lee verbally abuses the young impressionable girls if the smallest move is not to her liking. Their personal feelings just do not appear to matter at all to Abby. That is just not right. People make mistakes all the time and are forgiven. However, whenever they make mistakes the dancers are chastised and degraded. Though Abby Lee is mostly to blame for what is sure to be a psychotic based breakdown later on in life, you cannot forget about the mothers. The dance moms whom the show is named after also push their girls to their limits. Instead of pushing their daughters just enough to light a
fire under them they’re pushed to be the definition of perfect. Abby’s toughness will create strong professional dancers, but at what cost? The Abby Lee Miller Dance Company does have one constructive thing in place, a pyramid to show whom the top dancer is. The pyramid, however, is mainly used as another tool to tear the girls down. As Abby goes through the pyramid she raises the dancers self-esteem and then brings it right back down only to thrust them right into rehearsal. God forbid the dance company faces what seems to be their nemesis, The Candy Apple Dance Company. Abby turns into more of a monster then usual with the girls taking on this assault. How the girls are treated is simply barbaric. It’s mind boggling how any of this isn’t considered child abuse. Perhaps due to dance moms being a reality show people consider these events a reality of society. Even Kelly Hyland of Dance Moms admits Abby sucks the life out of her own child. Abby isn’t all to blame though, if Kelly can admit Abby is a succubus then why does she continue to let the verbal abuse ensue? Yes, Abby is a bully, but these women are adults that need to stop letting the show go to their heads. Trying to find a villain in this show is like looking for the worst of the worst: you may find a winner, but they’re all bad. Very rarely does this show have feel good moments and when it does it never makes up for the overall toxicity. When the girls win, are they genuinely happy? Or are they happy because they met expectations? Dancers are things of beauty and grace, so why do the girls of Dance Moms seem so much like automatons?
Viewpoints
10 | February 18, 2014
Serving students since 1922
SportS
Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.
- Satchel Paige
Tigers sign letters of intent
LUIS SOLIS / INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
THE FUTURE: Members of the 2013 Riverside City College football team signed their letters of intent to universities during a RCC signing ceremony on Feb. 6. JAMES H. WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR
A total of 17 players have signed their letters of intent to extend their student-athletic careers at Division-I universities on Feb. 6. Among the signees, Dominique Robertson of Redlands East Valley signed his letter of intent to play football at Texas Tech University. Fellow REV football player, Edmund Faimalo, signed his letter to continue his career at Utah State.
Robertson was a member of the RCC football program for the past two seasons. Tigers quarterback Skyler Howard leads the class from the 2013 season that left as mid-year transfers. Howard is c ur rent ly at West Virginia University and participating in off season activities as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. B ot h Ma x Hol m e s an d Derrick Austin left at the end of the Fall semester to attend Central Methodist on a football scholarship.
2014 RCC Football Signees Skylar Howard*
West Virginia
Michael Lasker*
Syracuse
John Taylor*
Utah State
Bryce Smith*
Sacred Heart
Tyler Keist*
Dixie State
Max Holmes*
Central Methodist
Derrick Austin*
Central Methodist
Dominique Robertson
Texas Tech
Devon Blackmon
BYU
Kenny Torrence
Idaho
Cole Juraez
New Mexico
Edmund Faimalo
Utah State
Raymond Ford
Washington State
Thomas Brown
Memphis
Desmond Carter
Alabama-Birmingham
Anthony Knight
Montana State
Darique Taylor
Azusa Pacific
Scan the QR code to view more photos and videos from the signee’s ceremony
http://bit.ly/RCCsigns Download QR code app in your app store
* = Mid-year Transfers
Coaching staff makes news JAMES H. WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR
LUIS SOLIS / INTERIM PHOTO EDITOR
SIGNED: Tigers’ Edmund Faimalo signs his letter of intent to
play football at Utah State on Feb. 6 in RCC’s Hall Fame Room.
Tom Craft signs a new twoyear extension to remain the head football coach at Riverside City College, which became official at the Jan. 21 board of trustees’ meeting. Craft was in the final month of his previous two-year extension when he signed the new deal. “I intend to be here as long as I stay healthy,” Craft said. “I feel really good.” Craft’s new deal is worth
$114,221 over the next two years. The final day of the deal is Jan. 26, 2016. “I really enjoy the situation here,” Craft added. “We have a great area to recruit from and we are predominantly local. We want to keep that tone.” The announcement of Craft’s extension came three days after Texas Tech University announced the hire of Darrin Chiaverini, a s t h e n e w s p e c i a l te ams coordinator. The hire makes him the first full-time special teams coordinator to be hired at the
university since 2009. Chiaverini was the recruiting coordinator at RCC for the last four seasons under Craft. Since 2011, RCC had sent a total of 42 football players to Division-1 programs. Among the 42 players, Will Smith, SaDale Foster, and Bruce Jones have attended Texas Tech after time at RCC. Craft and Chiaverini led the Tigers to a 40-5 record and three conference championships. James Kuk will take over Chiaverini’s duties.
Viewpoints
Sports
February 18, 2014 | 11
Serving students since 1922
DDOGS Restaurant 3557 University Ave.
Downtown Riverside’s Largest Family Friendly Sports Restaurant • 13 Television Screens! • Build your own Hotdogs, Burgers & more! • 41 rotating micro & craft draft beers! Follow & like us on Students Recive 15% Discount
(Food Only)
coldest beer in town 951-686-2176 • Ddogsburgersbeers.com For more content check out www.ViewpointsOnline.org
Tigers nearing seasons end JAMES H. WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR
Jelani Mitchell and the Riverside City College Tigers fell short in their second meeting of the season with the Fullerton Hornets, 79-68, on Feb. 7. Mitchell was led the team in scoring with 19 points. He also had six rebounds in the loss. Robert James contributed to
the Tigers with 14 points and three rebounds. Dakota Allinson and Joel Brokebrough scored 15 points apiece for the Hornets. The Tigers are currently on a three game losing streak in Orange Empire Conference play. The team’s losing streak follows a three game winning streak. The Tigers fell short in a home
loss against the Santa Ana Dons, 63-51, on Feb. 5. Anthony Rounds led the Tigers with 10 points and eight rebounds against the Dons. The Tigers will travel to play Irvine Valley Lasers on Feb. 19 for their final road game of the season. The Tigers will close out the regular season against Orange Coast College in the Wheelock Gymnasium on Feb. 21.
Bruno went 2-for-3 with one run batted in which gave with Tigers the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Bruno and Paul Martinez scored unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after a Rams’ error. Tigers’ Kyle Callahan went 1-for-4 against the Rams. Callahan
contributed with a run batted in during the bottom of the seventh. Callahan’s doubled to left center to bring in Michael Deceglie for the final score of the game. The Tigers next home game will be against Cuesta College on Feb. 20. The game will begin at 3 p.m.
Bruno leads RCC in victory JAMES H. WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR
Nick Bruno and the RCC Tigers defeated the Fresno City College Rams, 5-1, on Feb. 11. The win snapped the Tigers’ two game losing streak and moves them over .500 with a 4-3 overall record.
RCC shuts out the Jaguars JAMES H. WILLIAMS MANAGING EDITOR
The RCC Tigers extend their winning streak to three games after defeating the Southwestern
Jaguars at home, 8-0, in fiveinnings due to the eight run mercy rule on Feb. 8. Kaylie Garcia hit a home run during the bottom of the fourth inning while batting in Desiree
Broussard, who had two doubles of her own. Breanna Valles also had two scored runs for the Tigers. RCC (3-1) will play at Antelope Valley on Feb. 14.
12 | February 18, 2014
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
Opinions
Campus Conversations How much money did you spend on books?
Interviews by: Travis West
Photos by: Luis Solis
“I bought five books for around $270. Yes, books are too expensive. Other options are great but the prices should be lowered.” -Astin French “I bought two books for about $230...Yeah, they are too expensive” -Tyler Brown
“Around $440 for four classes. They are all new and for computer classes.” -Jamie Cloutier
“I spent $200...Dang, thats really sad. Used books are good if they are not damaged or broken. It sucks when you expect a book to be good condition and it’s not.” -Jasmine Mikulak