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Gaurdians of the Galaxy review
Victor Villaseñor speaks at RCC
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Swimmer breaks records
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viewpoints An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.
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VOL. XCVII, NO. 13
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MAY 11, 2017
Activist talks body image
ILLUSTRATION BY NIKEN HERTANTO
KIMBERLY MARTINEZ @RCCviewpoints
She said she was taught to hate herself. Gloria Lucas, a body positivity activist and founder of Nalgona Body Positivity Pride, gave a presentation on historical trauma and its connections to the present-day self as a person of color dealing with eating disorders. Lucas began her presentation with group participation rules and an introduction into eating disorders and dieting obsession. “Unfortunately we live in a such a diet driven culture that signs of eating disorders are applauded,” Lucas said. “If you scratch
deep these are underlying issues that could lead to lifelong consequences.” Lucas centered her discussion by sharing her own story of being a young brown woman with an eating disorder. “By the time I was 10 I already had a binge eating disorder and by the time I was 17 I had bulimia,” Lucas said. “When I first started my eating disorder I didn’t do it as a means to lose weight. For me it was a way of punishing myself, to hurt myself. Within time before I knew it, it took over my life.” After reading a book by Becky Thompson, Lucas started Nalgona Body Positivity Pride. Her outreach program and personal company reaches out to young people of
color. “The word ‘Nalgona’ is a Spanish that somewhat translates to ‘big booty’,” Lucas said. “One of the very few books out there that talk about eating disorders and women of color. It’s called ‘A Hunger So Wide and So Deep; A Multiracial View of Eating Problems.’ In it she talks about slavery and how slavery still impacts the Black Community today,” said Lucas. “Reading it I started to think I’m not black, but what has 500 years of colonialism done to my body?” “My high school was mostly white,” said Feminists Unite member, Cedrina Mcmillian. “Being the only black student in the advanced math class, which I swear I
was the only one-- I was scared to be good, it made me suffer.” Gloria Lucas’s presentation resonated with the majority of student of color in attendance. “I thought the lecture was very eye opening,” said Devyn Gipson, a Riverside City College sociology major. “I thought it was not only interesting, but informative as well. It broadened my idea of eating disorders and how these factors come from our past.” “I wish more people would have shown up to the event,” Charleen Mejia, Feminists Unite’s club president said. “This is information that black and brown people need to know.”
ASRCC student elections announced SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW @RCCviewpoints
Students elected a new president and vice president of Associated Students of Riverside City College, as well as the District’s student trustee for the 2017-2018 school year May 2-3. Maritzza Jeronimo and Clara Velarde won the positions of ASRCC president and vice president with 293 votes. Their opponents, Bryan Barrera and Simranjeet Singh had 221 votes. Jeronimo has been involved with ASRCC since her first semester at RCC
in Fall 2015, as well as being an active member of organizations such as the Puente Club, the Latina Leadership Network and InterClub Council. “These opportunities have given me the experience to successfully chair meetings and sit through various subcommittees,” Jeronimo said. Velarde, a former ASRCC senator, said she has strived to use her leadership positions, past and present, to voice the concerns and hopes for students that she
See ASRCC on Page 2
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Maritzza Jeronimo and Clara Velarde will both lead ASRCC as the newly elected president and vice president.
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May 11, 2017
News
RCCD initiates student safety
Riverside City College District police takes precautions in protecting students from crime JOSE MARQUEZCUEVAS @RCCviewpoints
The Riverside Community College District police department has begun implementing measures to defend the colleges against the threat of active shooters. As part of the Safety and Security Initiatives, the district promoted two sworn officers to senior positions at the Moreno Valley and Norco campuses. The District also approved and 12 community service aids from substitutes to permanent parttime officers. Among other highlighted upcoming initiatives is the proposal of equipment upgrades that would include ballistic vests, helmets and shields. This initiative sparked some concern. Riverside City College student Joey Mendoza shared some of his concerns in regards to the possible militarization of campus police. “As a student and as a person of color who has seen the climate in this country around civil action and also people of color and their interactions with the police, I’m very concerned still about what are the regulations around this equipment,”Mendoza shared during a Board of Trustees meeting. Mendoza also wanted a more clear direction of when these equipment upgrades will be used.
JESSICA VELOZ | VIEWPOINTS
RCCD Police Chief Robert Gunzel explains miscommunication surrounding RCCD police and budget for equipment March 21. “I’m concerned about the safety of everyone on campus. And so I want as a student, as a community member, to be able to point to something and say ‘Don’t worry. We have this, but it will only be used in this incident and anything other than (a threat of an active shooting) will be a violation of code.’” Moreover, RCCD Faculty Association President Dariush Haghighat expressed his concern following that district stakeholders were not involved in the decision making process. “We should have reviewed
CAMPUS CR IMES
all the facts, all the documents, all available data and then after render a collective decision,” Haghighat said. Making the decision around public safety has not included all who deserve to be notified by these changes. “Representatives of faculty, staff (and) students were absent in the decision making process,” Haghighat said. He stated that his main criticism goes out to the Chancellor’s Office since as the chief executive officer, it is the job of the Chancellor to
Student trustee plans for future ASRCC from Page 1
Stolen Vehicle April 27 A student’s 1997 Saturn vehicle was stolen from Lot E at 8:30 a.m. by an unidentified suspect. Petty Theft April 29 Speedo swimsuits were stolen by an unidentified suspect at the Cutter Pool. Petty Theft April 29 A student’s purse and wallet were stolen from Lot G at 12:50 p.m. by an unidentified suspect. Violation April 29 An individual was arrested in the Quad at 8:24 p.m. for trespassing and a violation of probation. Stolen Vehicle May 1 A student’s 1995 Honda Accord was stolen by an unidentified suspect from the Evans Sports Complex at 7:50 a.m. Hit and Run Property Damage May 1 An unidentified suspect stole a student’s 20017 Lexis from Lot G. Recovered Stolen Vehicle May 1 A non student’s 1997 Nissan was dropped off by an unidentified suspect in the Evans Sports Complex.
manage all communication with the Board, faculty, staff and importantly to deliver important information to the students. RCC student Joey Mendoza deliberated more discussion with Chief Gunzel. He shared some of his thoughts about the current communication between the district and the students. “This (discussion) is an issue of communication. It turns out that they only bought four ballistic shields: one for each campus in the district and then one backup,” Mendoza said. He continued with a
comment in reference to the word “ballistic,” “When you hear ballistic vests, you think ‘something that holds bullets and guns.’ Actually, the only reason they put ballistic was because it has to do with the nature of gunfire being exchanged. In reality, (the district police) call it a plate holder. And all it is, is they bought stronger bullet proof vests.” Much of the funding will come from grants, according to RCCD Police Chief Robert Gunzel. “Equipment is not all college budget. There’s other grants and things like that,” said Chief Gunzel. With the one time cost of purchasing upgraded and improved police radios, the RCCD campus police are now able to communicate with the sheriff and the police department from outside agencies. Following the discussion at the Board meeting, Chief Gunzel has been proactive in student forums and has been open to discussing with students and staff about their concerns. Chief Gunzel has insisted that any students with concerns should feel free to contact him. “Students need to engage themselves in social issues,” Dariush said. “(They need) to become more vocal and active in part of their civic duty.” An update of the Safety and Security Initiatives will follow at a later issue.
believes go unheard. “As a member of the Latinx and LGBT community, I feel the need to raise awareness of the issues that surround students on campus.” Jeronimo and Velarde led their campaign with the slogan “For the students, with the students!” “ To g e t h e r w e w a n t t o detect the issues at RCC and find solutions for these issues,” Velarde said. The issues Jeronimo and Velarde plan on tackling during
the terms include student union and engagement, awareness of resources available to students, student sustainability, mental health awareness and taking on student homelessness. “We would like to create a space for our students where they feel comfortable and that encourages them to be more involved,” Velarde said. At the start of the Fall 2017 semester, Moreno Valley College’s Jeanette Hazelwood will take on the role of student trustee after gaining 164 votes. Hazelwood said she hopes to use her background in nursing to
fight for students that have gone ignored. “I have a passion for students and people in general,” Hazelwood said. “I feel that some students have concerns and unresolved issues that maybe go unheard because they are afraid to speak out.” Hazelwood said she plans to create an open communication between the Associated Students Organizations so as to be the best possible advocate for students. “It will be my honor and privilege to serve, listen and advocate for my fellow classmates at RCCD,” Hazelwood said. PAOLA PALACIOS | VIEWPOINTS
Associated Students of R i v e r s i d e City College candidates (from left) Simranjeet Singh was running for vice president and Bryan Barrera was running for president for the 2017-2018 term.
News
May 11, 2017
News Briefs Summer schedules available
The new 2017 summer schedules are now posted on the Riverside City College website.
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Author Victor Villaseñor encourages genius
Dance Team auditions begin
Riverside City College Rally Cats Dance Team Auditions will be held May 12 at 6 p.m.
EOPS now accepting applications
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is still accepting applications for 2017. The services offered by them are priority registration, book vouchers, one-on-one tutoring, academic counseling, regalia for graduating students, and transfer information and assistance.
Promise Program accepting applications
The eligibility requirements include: be a California Resident, AB 540/Dream Act Eligible, identify Riverside City College as home campus, submitted a FAFSA or Dream application for 2017-2018, have a comprehensive Student Education Plan (SEP), commit to being a full time student, have a 2.5 cumulative GPA, be eligible to enroll in English 1A or higher and College Level Math by fall 2017. The benefits of the promise include: Priority Registration on 15 units each semester based on an approved Student Education Plan, support services, financial assistance, cultural and educational assistance. Deadlines to apply is May 24, 2017
Student Honor Art Exhibition opens
The Student Honor Art Exhibition will be open May 2-25. Gallery hours 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
MyPortal is now active
The Riverside Community College District has launched a new student portal. MyPortal gives students a one-stop location to access college services, such as registration, grade reports, financial aid status, access to online instruction and college emails as well as an avenue to communicate with instructors. You will need your student email to log in.
WebAdvisor log in changes
Students no longer needs your initials to log in. Just use your student ID number.
Jazz Festival returns to RCC
“Riverside City College’s Jazz Ensemble won the Reno Jazz Festival competition the last weekend in April, and Down Beat magazine selected the College’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo group as the nation’s best among community colleges.” RCC will be hosting its annual Jazz Festival May 12-13. Free to the public.
Pilates open house
Pilates open house will be held May 12 at 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. at the Eleanor Crabtree Pilates Studio on Saunders Street - Riverside lower campus (next to Huntley Gym, across from the tennis courts)
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Latino author Victor Villaseñor demonstrates a greeting to Norte Vista student Mayra Lopez (left) and Riverside City College student Fredy Sedano (right) May 4. IMARI REDE @RCCviewpoints
The crowd was inspired as they were lead in a chant by Latino author, Victor Villaseñor, “ I am a genius! I am fantastic! I kick ass! I can make a difference in my world and the larger world!” Vi l l a s e ñ o r s p o k e a t Riverside City College’s Landis Auditorium on May 4. After his speech about harmony, genius, and his own lived experience. “I feel inspired,” former RCC student, Fredy Sedano said. “I read ‘Rain of Gold’ and it helped me define myself. Honestly I don’t think I’m a genius but I am very glad he (Villaseñor) came to our school.” Victor Villaseñor shared personal stories that can be found in his books. On his first day of school, as a small child, he knew no English but at the time there was rules against speaking Spanish. “We couldn’t even speak Spanish on the playground… my friend told that supervisor something real nice,” Villaseñor said. “Then she (the supervisor)
grabbed him (his friend) by the hair and slapped him back and forth until he was bleeding, all for speaking Spanish,” This had such an effect on him that he knew he had to
My brother’s dog”. “I lost my fear of authority… I decided to kill my teacher,” Villaseñor said after being publicly ridiculed about receiving those good grades. He did not actually kill his teacher but he decided to stop giving him the power to W ithin a week I control his genius. “People take advantage lear ned English, of you if they know you are and within a week I lear ned to fearful,” Villaseñor said. “ Fear is what causes all of the hate myself for horrible things in this world.” being Mexican,” “Find your sixth -Victor Villaseñor sense. Your sixth sense is balance!” Victor Villaseñor is now a renowned author that encourages his audience to change. find balance in who they are and “Within a week I learned what they do. English,” Villaseñor said. “And “I’m a terrible writer, but I within a week I learned to hate am a damn good rewriter. It took myself for being Mexican.” me forty times rewriting “Rain He later became violent and of Gold”. If you want to write, started getting bad grades, which stop talking about it and actually lead him to think that education write!” Villaseñor said to aspiring wasn’t for him. writers. It wasn’t until 7th grade that “I came to get more insight,” Villaseñor was introduced to his a Puente student, Alejandro Lara own genius. He got his first three said. I’ve never had an experience A’s from a substitute teacher after like this. But I feel like I can writing an essay called “The relate to the book, and him even smartest human being I ever met: more now.”
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Alpha Gamma Sigma is awarded
The California Community College Scholastic Honor Society awarded Lindsay Banks and Zixuan Christina Yang scholarships for their excellence in academics and community service.
Career Fair scheduled
Riverside City College is hosting a Job & Career Fair May 19 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Quadrangle. This event is free to students and community members. Copies of resumes will be helpful in making connections at this event.
Corrections The column “Proposed budget plan further degrades women” on page 6 of the April 6 issue inaccurately stated Planned Parenthood was defunded. President Donald Trump signed an executive order defunding the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Bestselling author Victor Villaseñor speaks to a crowd of students and attendees about his life and latest book in the Landis Performing Arts Center at Riverside City College May 4.
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LIFE RCC students choreograph show May 11, 2017
“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion,”
Dance program gets ready to celebrate dance MISTY SEVERI @MistySeveri
Some people enjoy jazz dance, others enjoy hip hop, modern, tap or ballet. Dance has a variety of styles and most people find a style that appeals to them even just as an audience member. Ballet and modern dancer Ariel Green-Hill is one of nine student choreographers in Riverside City College’s student showcase titled Celebrate Dance. Green-Hill draws inspiration for her art from the events and separation that are occurring in our nation today. “As we all know from the news, there’s a lot going on and people seem to want to be divided, everyone has their opinion and we’re separated,” Green-Hill said. “This piece is refreshing for me to do … I am able to have my dancers come together and share the stage.” Her piece in the showcase is
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside City College dancers rehearse May 9 for their upcoming event , celebrate dance 2017, in the Landis Performing Arts Center. contemporary in style with a lot of modern day and recognizable movements. “It’s not what people expect, but I think it’s more calm and mellow than other pieces,” Green-Hill said. Dance instructor, Sofia Carreras is the director of the student showcase, and chooses one student she wants to work
with to become the student director. “The student director works with the choreographers to choose dancers from an audition of about 50-60 people from the community,” Carreras began. “It’s a process … It is all peer to peer, and there’s a lot of problem solving on your feet.” Carreras is proud of the RCC
dance department, and humbled at the success and growth her dancers have achieved. “The outcome we get from our students is absolutely incredible,” Carreras said. “To see dancers with no formal training come through here, then see the final product … it’s evident by looking at a student concert, the quality of a department.”
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- Martha Graham
Celebrate Dance’s student director Aisha Shauntel Bardge is also a student choreographer and dancer in the showcase, her piece titled “Nothing but Results” is a mix of different styles that came together with the help of her dancers. “I came in with one idea then the dancers started moving and I got another idea … We just threw a bunch of stuff together” Bardge said of her creative process. “Like when you’re hungry and you make soup … you throw things in the pot and you’re like ‘this is good, what’s the recipe’ then you don’t know because you just threw it all in the pot. That’s pretty much what this piece is.” This show is Bardge’s first time being a student director and she is excited for the audience to see what the students have come up with. “Everybody has their own voice and it’s really presented in the show,” said Bardge. “I think it’s going to be a really good show.” The showcase will be held in the Landis Performing Arts Center at RCC May 18-20 at 7 p.m. tickets will be $10 for students and $15 for General admission. For more information on tickets, call the box office at (951) 222-8100.
Ujima more than a club and a project that helps KARINA MENDOZA @RCCViewpoints
The Ujima Project is a learning community and a student club designed to enhance the experience of students through advising, instruction, tutoring, mentoring and community building. Not only does Ujima promote leadership and service. They are also involved in student engagement, participation and academic success with a perspective in the African culture. English professor Miguel Reid, has been the adviser for both the club and the project. He clarifies the difference between the club and the Ujima Project. “The club is student run, where students try to involve themselves in activities to do things that are community related,” Reid said. “While the project is more academic. It is there to help students with their educational goals, providing counseling tips and trips to colleges.” The project is needed to help combat the low success rates of African American students in college. “The focus is to make sure that the low success rates within the students are addressed,” Reid said. “We’re trying to make sure they feel at home here on campus and that they know that they can be successful if they get the resources and support that they need.” The project is not only targeted toward African American students. It accept’s applications throughout the entire school year. Anyone can submit an application that meets the requirements to join the project. The requirements to be a part of the project are to maintain a 2.0 GPA, achieve a certain amount of community service hours and meet with counselors. As for the club, new members are always welcomed. RCC student Enahjah Finister explains how being a part
of the club and the project has helped influence her. “It’s helped me in a lot of ways,” Finister said. “It helped better my time management, because my first year here I didn’t have a good time management skills.” Another Ujima project and club member Maile Wilkey loves that she found a big support group on campus. “You have a support system,” Wilkey said. “You have people who you can constantly talk to, ask questions and people who want you to learn.” Wilkey enjoys the activities that she has been able to participate in because of the project. The Project was able to go on a Historically Black Colleges and Universities tour in New Orleans. “It was really an amazing trip,” She said. “Imagine you join a project and two weeks later you’re in New Orleans.” Ujima has been able to bring students together to complete their studies and has also created a family with the members that are a part of the club and the project.
JESSICA VELOZ | VIEWPOINTS
Ujima club members gather together to discuss club activities.
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May 11, 2017
Life
GUARDIANS OF THEGALAXY
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Life
May 11, 2017
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fighting an alien species called, ‘The Sovereign’ and running for their lives when suddenly a @MistySeveri ship rescues them. On the ship is a man named Ego (Kurt Russell) who claims to be Quill’s If there was any doubt that Disney owned biological father. After returning to Ego’s Marvel before, there’s none now. With Marvel’s planet, it’s discovered that he is in fact Quill’s latest movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. II father; however, his intentions now that the two hitting the theaters, the movie’s underlying are reunited are not honorable. theme is classic Disney. The movie to me was a massive success, ‘Sometimes the thing you’ve been looking from the soundtrack to the chemistry on screen for your entire life, is right there next to you,’ between all the cast members. Kurt Russell’s was the theme of this movie. Whether it was portrayal of Ego was fantastic. I also would Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) searching for his have never thought that Rocket was voiced by father, or the realization that they are a family Bradley Cooper, or that Chris Sullivan played that they chose, it was clearly a movie created the new lesser villain Taserface, had it not been in the ending credits. by Disney. However, to me personally, Baby Groot Though I can’t say that I’m complaining. The movie stars Chris Pratt as Peter was the best part of the entire movie. From his “StarLord” Quill, the hero of the story and Zoe dancing through the opening credits of the film, Saldana as Gamora his love interest. Bradley to saving the day at the last second, Baby Groot Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Dave surely melted the hearts of viewers. If you’re looking for a movie that’s good Bautista make up the remainder of the main for the family or with friends, I would highly cast. In the film, Quill and the Guardians are recommend this film. MISTY SEVERI
SPORTS
May 11, 2017
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you”
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- Derek Jeter
Swimmer breaks swim records
ANDREW BRADY | VIEWPOINTS
Sophomore Emily Martin (pictured above) currently holds the school and conference record with a time of 2 minutes, 27.3 seconds in the 200 breaststroke. CAMERON WINSTON @RCCviewpoints
A stellar swimmer and water polo player is two things Emily Martin proves to be when she is in the water. An athlete that has competed since she was five years old, Martin has enjoyed a competitive and successful journey in the pool. A state and conference champion, as well as a record setter are only some of the things that occupy her resume this year in both sports. The women’s water polo team has had a great deal of success in six of the last seven seasons, and was finally able to capture the prized championship this season. She is a dominant 6-foot-1 athlete which helps give her an edge at the 2-meter position against her opponents. In a display of her dynamic swimming ability, Martin recently contributed in helping her team stop a long successful Orange Coast College winning streak of 10 straight Orange Empire Conference Championships. She competed in both the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke, while setting a school and conference record in the 200. Her record
time was 2 minutes, 27.3 seconds, beating her opponent by seven seconds, and beating Tori Cree’s record that was set in 2015 with a time of 2:29.76. “Last year I did butterfly and free,” Martin said “And this year was my first time doing breaststroke, so that’s why it
was so weird to me that I broke a record. I just thought, Wow! I’m good at breaststroke? I get nervous before races, and I just go out and try to have fun, and not try to think about it so much. If I think about it, beating my time, I just get more nervous every time I think about it. It’s just like it
doesn’t matter what I do, so I just hope I kind of do good.” This will be her last season donning the orange and black colors for the Tigers, but Martin looks to continue her water polo career at UC Santa Barbara where she has been offered a scholarship.
ANDREW BRADY | VIEWPOINTS
Emily Martin will compete for the University of California, Santa Barbara in the upcoming season.
She looks back at some of her favorite moments and what she loves about being at RCC, and talks about winning both a state championship for water polo and winning the conference championship as some of her favorite memories of the season. The people and friendships she has made at RCC is also another thing she loves and will miss. “It’s fun to see how far you’ve come, and how you’re improving along as well as your team,” Martin said. “Seeing how your friends are doing, and racing each other, and pushing each other to improve.” Confidence is one of the biggest aspects that coach Doug FinFrock and his coaching staff preachs to the team that Martin has lived by and will carry on her next journey to Santa Barbara. “When I went throughout high school I got kind of slower, and I thought that same thing was going to happen here,” says Martin. “Like my first year I was going to be at my peak, and after that was going to go downhill.” That did not happen at all, it just so happened she got even better. “I never want to quit this sport. I just want to continue to get better.”
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May 11, 2017
Sports
Former Tigers sign to the NFL NICHOLAS PERALTA @RCCviewpoints
Three former Riverside City College football players are going to the NFL. Despite all athletes going undrafted in the National Football League’s most recent draft, alumni Isaac Whitney, Skyler Howard and Ryan Navarro were picked up by pro teams following the draft and will look to compete in the 2017 NFL season. Wide receiver Isaac Whitney graduated in 2014 and went on to play football for USC. Whitney did not see much action for the Trojans during his short stint despite being a highly touted prospect due to his time at RCC. Injuries and an impressive depth chart kept Whitney’s playing time down. He amassed eight catches and two touchdowns in 18 games with USC. Whitney’s low number of stats kept him off the draft boards this year. However, Whitney has since signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent, announcing the news himself on Twitter before the Conquest Chronicles got the official confirmation from the Raiders on March 28. Whitney had an incredible showing at this year’s USC pro day. Pro day in college football is essentially a working practice day that quantifies a player’s overall athletic ability. Excelling
University Player Statistics Skyler Howard (WVU) • 7,302 passing yards • 57 percent completion rate • 60 touchdowns • 24 interceptions Isaac Whitney (USC) • 2 rushing touchdowns • 2 receiving touchdowns • 144 receiving yards
LUIS SOLIS | VIEWPOINTS
Isaac Whitney completed four touchdowns, 809 receiving yard, and 49 completions in his 2014 season at Riverside City College at most of the pro day activities, Isaac turned heads, catching the attention of the Raiders who are coached by USC alum Jack Del Rio. Also signing with the Oakland Raiders is former RCC long snapper Ryan Navarro. Navarro spent two years at RCC before transferring to Oregon State prior to the 2015 season. As an OSU Beaver, Navarro played in all 24 games during his junior and senior season. Navarro was hardly the stereotypical long snapper though, as he was often seen flying downfield in an effort to make tackles on the opposing team’s punt returner. He managed to record six tackles over his two
Sports Round-up
Women’s Tennis Women’s Tennis had a strong showing in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) championship from April 27-30 in Ojai. In single’s competition Hana Papaco and Ellia Rosado both fell in the second round. Rosado also competed in doubles competition alongside Samantha Moreto in defeating El Camino College in the first round, 6-0, 6-0. They also went on to beat American River College, 6-3, 7-6. 12-10, before losing to Santa Monica College, 7-5, 7-5. Men’s Golf RCC’s men’s golf won the Orange Empire Conference championships. It was shut out en route to victory as Riverside shot collective team scores of 362 in the morning (par 72), and 371 in the afternoon (par 74) to win. RCC sophomore Everett Najera shot a 4-under-par 68 in the morning round and a 2-under-par 72 in the afternoon to earn
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Seahawks. seasons in Oregon State. Should “He’s a mad bomber, man,” Navarro make the final team Seahawks coach Pete Carroll roster, he’ll be playing near his said in an hometown interview of Murrieta, with ESPN. California, “He threw a a n d alonside ton of deep enigmatic balls. He goes downtown. k i c k e r A r e a l Marquette --Pete Carroll resourceful K i n g . Probably Seattle Seahawks coach k i d , a c t i v e on the field. the most M o v e s prolific around well, signing but man he came from can bomb it. He hooked up a West Virginia University after bunch this past season. It’s all former RCC Quarterback Skyler over the highlights.” Howard signed with the Seattle
gold medal honors. His adjusted total of 639 strokes across nine rounds accounted for a conference-leading average of 71 to earn OEC Player of the Year honors. Robby Melton, who shot a total 145, and Nick Bridge, who shot a total 150, also join Everett Najara in earning All-OEC honors. Men’s Tennis Men’s Tennis fell short in CCCAA championships. As the Ojai Regional/ State Championships were held from April 27-April 30, the doubles duo of Grady Harrell and Thierry Van Os, after receiving an opening-round bye, won three matches against Chabot College, Solano Community College and Palomar College. Harrell and Van Os lost in the finals, 6-1, 6-1, to Irvine Valley College, taking second place honors. Doubles team James Andra and Trent Harris would defeat Fresno City College before falling to Irvine Valley, 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
“He’s a mad bomber,”
During his time at RCC, Howard passed for over 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns. This impressive seasonal showing saw him move to West Virginia University to compete as a Mountaineer. At WVU, Howard threw 52 touchdowns and 24 interceptions the past two seasons for the Mountaineers. He completed 61.1percent of his passes and averaged 8.2 yards per attempt last season. Howard also ran for 16 touchdowns Like all undrafted free agents, former RCC Tigers Whitney, Howard and Navarro have a long, difficult road ahead of them if they are going to make the final roster in the NFL.
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Views Tiger Talks “Does the potential of student loan debt influence your future college and/or career plans? How? Why?”
“Yes and no. It depends on the school. If I go to a UC, of course it will affect me more. If I got to a Cal state, which is where I plan to, it will not hit me as much. Of course I plan to work but I will probably still need to take a loan out even if it's a small loan unfortunately.” -Gina Lara
“It does not. It probably should. I plan to transfer and I will be paying half and my parents will be paying for the other half.” -Kasai Jefferson
“Yeah, because debt isn’t something good to be in. I try to find other options to continue studying for my bachelors.” -Aleja Garcia
“It does affect me because I don’t know, too much debt can halt careers. You’ll worry too much about paying it back.” -Mario Ledesma
Interviews by Virginia Valencia
Photos by Andrew Brady Tiger Talks is an open forum for Riverside City College students to voice their own opinions, views, and ideas
May 11, 2017 Tell
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us what you think, in a letter to the editor, in an email, or use #RCCnow.
Dear Berkeley: free speech matters
Despite one’s beliefs, different views ought to be represented
JONATHAN VAN NIEL @RCCviewpoints
This column contains an obscenity. The University of California, Berkeley—the campus that fa mou sly bi r t he d t he f re e speech movement of the 1960s— was once the epicenter of the marketplace of ideas. Now, it has sadly devolved into a center for violent confrontations. Berkeley has experienced a number of violent clashes between far-left and far-right protesters in recent months. Masked anti-fascist agitators, com monly k nown as Black Bloc, broke windows and set fires at the campus Feb. 1 in protest to an appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos, a former senior editor at Breitbart News. Yi a n no p ou lo s h a s b e e n a prominent voice of the so-called “alt-right” movement, and has expressed views considered racist, misogynistic and antiIslamic in his tenure as a political commentator. On March 5 and April 15, pro -Tr u mp and anti-Tr u mp groups skirmished in nearby
Berkeley parks. Amid fears that the event would mirror previous conflicts a nd wou ld fail to prov ide proper security for attendees, Berkeley postponed conservative provocateur Ann Coulter's April 27 speech. Coulter was invited by Berkeley College Republicans to discuss current immigration issues regarding undocumented citizens. While Berkeley off icials have reasonable grounds for their decision, the stif ling of one's freedom of speech is never favorable, and for the sake of our democracy, such censorship must be avoided. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has even f lown to Coulter's defense. “I don’t like this,” Sanders said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “Obviously Ann Coulter’s outrageous—to my mind, off the wall. But you know, people have a right to give their two cents-worth, give a speech, without fear of violence and intimidation.” It seems liberals a nd progressives are undergoing an ideological identity crisis: One portion believes hateful and bigoted speech ought to be countered as aggressively a s p o s si ble , w h i le ot h e r s believe any move to censor— regardless of how repugnant an individual's views may be—is counterproductive and dangerous to our democratic process. Sanders is seemingly in
ILLUSTRATION BY B’ELANNA WALKER
agreement with those in the latter camp. “To me, it’s a sign of intellectual weakness,” Sanders said. “If you can’t ask Ann Coulter … questions that expose the weakness of her arguments, if all you can do is boo, or shut her down, or prevent her from coming, what does that tell the world?” To answer Sander's rhetorical quest ion, the censor i ng of individuals like Coulter only trivializes the first amendment, and signals to the rest of the world that democracy is not valued. Liberal comedian and free speech advocate Bill Maher also condemned Berkeley's decision. “Berkeley used to be the cradle of free speech. Now it’s just the cradle for f------ babies,” Maher said on his HBO television show “Real Time.” “I feel like
this is the liberals' version of book burning, and it has got to stop.” Yo u m a y b e l i e v e t h a t Coulter's speech is offensive. I certainly do. I believe she and those that share her regressive ideology represent all that is morally reprehensible. But I am still behooved to defend their freedom of expression, even when what is being expressed is detestable. Ideas must be explicitly communicated and vigorously debated. When met with hateful and bigoted speech, we must re sp e ct f u l ly cou nt e r t hei r views intellectually rather than resorting to threats of violence or censorship. If we do not stand for the liberty of our opposition today, then surely our liberties will be on the chopping block tomorrow.
DC unmasks the true face of Gotham
KEVIN KNOX @KevinNotKevin
Who created Batman? If you were to look at the credits in the old comics or in the movies, you’d tell me it was Bob Kane. But you’d be wrong. Until recently Kane, Batman’s original artist, was the only person DC Comics named as Batman’s creator. Yet despite owning the “Batman” name, Kane contributed remarkably less to the Bat man my thos compared to his partner Bill Finger, the writer of most early
Batman stories. It was Finger who came up with the idea for Batman’s iconic costume and many of Batman’s suppor ting cast and classic villains were of his design. However, it was not until Autumn of 2015 that DC began giving Finger the credit he is due and released a statement saying, “DC Enter tainment and the family of Bill Finger are pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement that recognizes Mr. Finger’s significant contributions to the Batman family of characters.” In Kane’s 1989 autobiography, he recalled that when he brought his initial idea for “The BatMan” to Finger, the character had only a small domino mask. Finger suggested they “make him look more like a bat and put a hood on him, and take the eyeballs out and just put slits for eyes to make him look more mysterious.”
Kane’s original version also was clad in a red union suit, with black wings and trunks, but Finger thought it would better if the suit were dark grey. I ndeed, Kane’s hor r ible design for “The Bat-Man” was almost completely scrapped as Finger constructed the iconic design we all know today. But Finger’s contributions go beyond Batman’s costume. He wrote the script for the first Batman story in “Detective Comics #27,” as well as the majority of early Batman stories. Ad d it ion a l ly, Ji m Steranko’s “Steranko History of Comics” notes that it was Finger who named Batman’s hometown“Gotham City” and came up with Batman’s alter ego, “Bruce Wayne.” Indeed, it would take much more space than I have available to list all the contributions Finger made to the world of Batman. In his biography of Finger,
Marc Tyler Nobleman explained “(Kane) showed Bat-Man to (editor) Vin (Sullivan) – without Bill. Vin promptly wanted to run Bat-Man, and Bob negotiated a deal – without including Bill.” In Kane’s autobiography, he attempted to explain why Finger never received proper credit. “In those days it was like, one artist and he had his name over (the comic strip) – the policy of DC … was, if you can't write it, obtain other writers, but their names would never appear on the comic book in the finished version,” Kane recalled in his autobiography. “So Bill never asked me for (the byline) and I never volunteered – I guess my ego at that time.” For t u nately, DC is now crediting Finger for creating Batman as well as Kane, but it is still a travesty that the man who contributed almost nothing aside from doing most of the artwork received all the glory.
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May 11, 2017
Views
College students seek state support California college students hope state officials follow San Francisco’s free tuition lead
Editorial
Californian students struggle just as much as those in New York and San Francisco … where is our relief? History was made Feb. 7 when San Francisco announced starting next school year city colleges for all California residents living in San Francisco will be implementing free college tuition. This bold move was made possible by Mayor Edwin M. Lee, Supervisor Jane Kim and City College Acting Chancellor Susan Lamb who have now helped to bring about a phenomenal new change in the education system. Not long after this groundbreaking plan was put into effect, out east New York state admiringly followed suit implementing a similar initiative to their universities and community colleges. This sensational deal would mean that State University of New York and City University of New York colleges for families with an annual incomes up to $125,000 would be able to attend college for free, according to CNBC. If California chose to do something similar, taxpayers would finally be contributing toward something marvelously invaluable, as opposed to the large number of seemingly useless conditions our taxes get spent on. California’s population rivals that of many countries, so too does its taxation of citizens. If California was to implement tuition free school, even with the standards and clauses implemented to both New York state and the city of San Francisco, the pros far outweigh the cons. Statistically it can improve employment in higher educational fields, growth in student enrollments and the state’s graduation rate especially from lower income students. Like all great things that are presently desired in this country, there are multiple catches with this plan that detractors have addressed or highlighted. The plan itself is not actually “free” nor would it apply to every Californian student. According to Lee, the city has agreed to pay out $5.4 million in order to “foot the bill,” while also taking in taxation to help further fund the city’s losses. This is a fantastic new alternative plan that would help see in an increase in not only enrollment but in productivity from lower-income students. When you truly look at these standards set for
ILLUSTRATION BY B’ELANNA WALKER
the chance at completely eliminating tuition from your education bill, the price is worth it. The biggest problem detractors have emphasized is taxation. If free tuition was administered in California, all citizens would pay taxes to aid in the overall funding, but California is the most populated state in the United States of America, so it wouldn’t take a lot to make this dream a reality. Would citizens of this great state really have a problem with their taxes going toward something as worthwhile as the opportunity for themselves or family members to go college tuition free? In Europe, where the majority of countries tax their citizens more so than here in the USA, tuition is free based on the funding provided from said taxes. Furthermore, most European countries now currently have a higher college graduation rate than the U.S. as America ranks 19th out of 28 countries in a 2014 study by Business Insider. Education has clearly fallen as a priority in this country as of late and the continual struggle that
students face in paying tuition has been a large deterrent for would-be students as well. Many citizens refute the idea of attending college out of high school presently for lack of funds needed to pay tuition to attend most universities, four years and even community colleges. According to the National Center of Education statistics, only 14 percent of the population goes to college, while most countries with free tuition range anywhere from 22 to 29 percent proving that free tuition would bring about more student enrollment, and would most likely show a positive change in our graduation rate, which again has been steadily falling further and further behind most other countries. Tuition free schooling is not only a desperately needed commodity but a right that every American should get to share. After all, a better educated population could result in smarter decision-making at every level of our society.
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