Viewpoints Issue #14 May 28, 2015 by RCC Viewpoints

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VOL. XCIV, NO. 14

WHAT’S INSIDE

yNEWS

MAY 28, 2015

RCC reacts to drought

MSA hosts lecture on Islamic State

ySPORTS GRAPHICS COURTESY OF UNITED STATES DROUGHT MONITOR

DROUGHT PROGRESS: Within a four year timespan, California’s drought status has gone from “abnormally dry” to being in a state of “exceptional drought.” BROOKE CARY &JACOB FILEK

7 Winning streak snaps for track ' RANKING: Men- 5th, Women- 3rd

yA&E

@RCCviewpoints

The severity of the West Coast Drought has caused California to become a center for low-flush urinals, high-efficiency sprinkler nozzles and “water-wise” turf replacement. Even air-cooled ice machines which “use less water and energy than conventional ice machines, and make ice more quickly and efficiently,” are advocated by Greenriverside.com, in their

sprinklers, spraying down tennis courts by request only, rather than monthly and daily/continuous checks for water leaks, according to a report given by Zwart at a Management Leadership Association conference this Spring. Riverside itself has been in a state of drought for “a little over two years”, said Kaibrick Manns, a water treatment operator for Cucamonga Water Valley District. The fact was confirmed by the U.S. Drought Monitor which showed Riverside in February 2012, as considered only “abnormally dry.” By 2013, the drought in Riverside had worsened to extreme and this year Riverside has been included in a list of counties suffering exceptional drought. However, real change is happening in Riverside as it increases efforts to conserve. “We have short term, medium term and long term plans brewing now to address the drought we’re in,” said Riverside’s Mayor Rusty Bailey. Rebate programs are available for individuals and businesses willing to make adjustments by replacing “water-hogging” equipment with efficient and drought-friendly technology. “We can all do something and it all adds up. Whether you’re an older business or a new business, small or large, there’s a menu of things you can do,” said Bailey. The Mayor used Bourns, Inc. as an example of a business

article on “Water Use Efficiency Incentives.” Riverside City College’s water usage is an estimated 85,000 units, according to Riverside Public Utilities, and the number is on the decline, says Scott Zwart, RCC’s Director of Facilities Maintenance and Operations. One unit of water is equal to about 748.5 gallons of water. The United States Drought Monitor reported May 21 that exceptional drought regions have expanded from roughly 9 percent to 47 percent of California since

January of last year. Drought tiers worsen from Abnormally Dry, Moderate, Severe and Extreme to Exceptional. Most of the state, 93 percent, is now suffering from a severe drought or worse and 67 percent of the state is considered to be in an extreme drought. RCC’s response to the drought has included replacing toilet flush valves from 3.5 gallon valves to 1.5 gallon valves, reduced watering of grass from six to four days per week, reduced watering on the banks from five days per week to two days per week, installing drip systems instead of See

Ryan Rudolph, who is the Associated Student of Riverside City College Vice President, stated that being involved in student government allowed for him to work several times with Bush. “My working relationship with him has always involved working with student government,” said Rudolph, who is also the newly appointed RCCD student trustee. “With student government, Dr. Bush would be the one we would go to if we needed answers or had an issue that needs to be worked on.” Rudolph stated a number of situations in which Bush went out of his way and would invest the time to hear out students. “He is the Vice President of Student Services and his main goal is to take care of student’s needs and interests,” Rudolph said. “He was always willing

to participate with us, at events such as coffee night and answering our questions.” He will r e p l a c e i n t e r i m president Whitney Ya m a m u r a VALERIE OSIER | VIEWPOINTS at CRC, who had filled in ALL EARS FOR STUDENTS: Edward Bush (left) for Deborah hears student concerns at the ASRCC Senate T r a v i s , Open Forum held April 7. following her retirement in River College,” said Los Rios December 2014. Board President Dustin Johnson The Los Rios District Board in the press release. issued a press release following “His commitment to student the board meeting that made his success, diversity and access appointment official. will make him an excellent “We’re excited about the addition to the college and the passion and drive that Dr. Bush Los Rios Colleges leadership will be bringing to Cosumnes team.”

DROUGHT on Page 2

Bush accepts college president position JAMES H. WILLIAMS @JHWreporter

10 Summer Twins headline festival 'PHOTOS: Gallery on viewpointsonline.org

INDEX

NEWS VIEWS SPORTS A&E FEATURES

2 4 7 10 13

Riverside City College’s Vice President of Student Services, Edward Bush, confirmed that he will be the new president of Cosumnes River College. With his term beginning July 1, it will end his 17-year stint with the Riverside Community College District, where he also served as a faculty member and administrator. “It has been 17 years ... I got here when I was 25-years old,” Bush said. “This city has been a huge part of my life. I have been out here ever since I attended UC Riverside.” Bush stated that there has not been an interim named as of yet for his position following his departure.

May 28, 2015

News

Muslim Student Association hosts talk on ISIS A lecture on the Islamic State and the Muslim religion occurred May 14 from 12 - 2 p.m. at the Riverside City College campus. The talk was held in the Administration building, Room 122 by Executive Director of the Council for American-Islam Relations, Hussam Alyoush. During the talk, Alyoush addressed the history, causes for the rise of Islamic State and the current status of Islamic State in the world. “ISIS has tried to recruit people from all over the world … some say 2,500 people from Europe,” Alyoush said. “In the US, they have tried again and again, but according to US

intelligence agencies, no more than 20-25 people are estimated to have joined ISIS.” The talk ended with discussion of measures to be taken to help prevent continued spread of the IS and a Q-and-A session. Alyoush highlighted how being active politically is important to changing how governments contribute to issues in the Middle East. “It’s not a Muslim issue; it’s not a Christian issue; it’s not a Jewish issue it’s a human issue.” Alyoush said. “Imagine if we go to Mark (Takano) now and say, ‘Hey Mark; I’m a Christian, I’m a White, I’m a Black, I’m a Muslim, I’m a Jew, I’m an Atheist; and all of us think that it’s important to have peace in the middle east.”

manager at WMWD. “It’s definitely a concern and that’s why we’re complying with the governor’s request to cut back,” said Wiffle. “We have to, the supply might not be there. No water is coming from northern california, we can’t pump from the ground, and if the state is not going to send you any more, well …” Turf replacement thus far has been huge with Western Municipal Water District. “There’s been about 1,000

residents,” Wiffle said, and “a couple million square feet” of turf has been replaced with drought resistant, climate appropriate plants, paid for by WMWD alone. WMWD has also planted a drought-resistant demonstration garden, which is open to public viewing for residents to get ideas for “water-wise,” aestheticallypleasing gardening. WMWD’s demonstration garden is located on 450 E. Alessandro Blvd., Riverside, CA.

BROOKE CARY @CaryBrooke

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD: Karam Bshai speaks about his Egyptian upbringing to human rights activist, Hussam Ayloush (not pictured), during Ayloush’s lecture on the Islamic State.

Riverside reduces water usage due to drought DROUGHT from Page 1

that is making “water-wise” changes to help conserve water in the city of Riverside. Bourns Inc. is an American private, global electronics corporation that develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of electronic components. “I think it’s hundreds of thousands of square feet of turf that they are turning into a drought-tolerant, water-wise garden. Canyon Crest town

center is doing the same thing,” the Mayor said. Though Riverside’s Public Utilities is still accepting applications for the water-wise landscape rebate program, “program funding for the current fiscal year is nearly gone,” according to GreenRiverside. com. The program will receive new funding with the beginning of the new fiscal year on July 1, and residents are still encouraged to apply for rebates and help

eliminate water-waste. Western Municipal Water District has said that the drought has not affected water prices at all, but that doesn’t mean the drought has no impact on customers. “The drought has not affected us at all on prices. Now that doesn’t mean it’s not going to affect our customers because we’ve been mandated to cut back by 32%, so our customers are being asked to cut back 32%,” says Rob Wiffle, program

Crime Log Date

Crime

Time

Location

Status

May 11

Indecent exposure

6:38 p.m.

Digital Library

May 12

Hit and run property damage

7:50 p.m.

Lot A

May 13

Outside warrant/misdemeanor

2:46 p.m.

Lot D

CAA

May 13

Hit and run property damage

12:00 p.m.

Wheelock Stadium

May 13

Hit and run property damage

8:30 a.m.

Lot F

May 13

Burglary/obtain credit other's ID: Theft of access card/acct info/ theft by use of access card/ receive stolen property

11:40 a.m.

College PO (Riv)

May 13

Petty theft: Building/ vehicle

7:30 p.m.

Math/ Science Bldg

May 14

Grand theft from person ($950+)

2:00 p.m.

RCCD District Office

May 15

Disorderly conduct: soliciting lewd act

3:12 p.m.

Tech B

CAA

May 18

Petty theft: Building/ vehicle

5:10 p.m.

College PO (Riv)

May 19

Possession weapon at school

12:35 p.m.

Mine Okubo Drive

CAA

May 19

Burglary

1:25 p.m.

Disability Resources

May 21

Possession weapon at school: Possess marijuana 28.5g or more/ trespassing

11:03 a.m.

College House

May 21

Petty theft: Building/ vehicle

11:30 a.m.

College PO (Riv)

May 21

Outside warrant/misdemeanor

8:13 p.m.

Pilates Studio

May 22

Vandalism $400 or more

5:00 p.m.

Coil School of Arts

Status Key: I - No ongoing investigation C - Cited and released CAA - Cleared by adult arrest IO - Information only P- Ongoing investigation R - Released

News

One plan, 23,165 problems

RCCD faces lawsuit, tries to bring district up to code

May 28, 2015

N ews B riefs Remember to use

#RCCnow on Twitter and Facebook!

Workshop to teach study skills The RCC Counseling Department will be holding a workshop titled “College Study Skills,” on June 2 from 12:50-1:50 p.m. The workshop will provide students with an opportunity to develop successful study skills and learn new ways to manage their time. It will be held in the Quadrangle Room 122.

Careers in Mental Health

VALERIE OSIER | VIEWPOINTS

A LOOK AROUND: Calvin Belcher, project manager of RCCD, shows Viewpoints reporters how

architects located and identified over 23,000 barriers to equal accessibility according to ADA law. STEVEN SMITH @steven11bit

A lawsuit looms over the head of the Riverside Community College District as it tries to deal with the 23,165 points of noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act identified in its transition plan in 2010. The transition plan document is required under the American’s with Disabilities Act to identify any barriers and provide a plan and timeframe for their removal. The last plan was created by RCCD in 2010 identifying 23,165 barriers to be corrected in a 5 year timeframe at an estimated cost of $39,594,553. This was in contrast to the previous transition plan created in 1997 which only cited approximately 200 barriers. As a part the creation of the 2010 plan, RCCD performed a survey with the help of contracting group Psomas and subcontractor BOA Architecture, and compiled a database of all the accessibility barriers found throughout all district facilities. “We went through every building, every room, every walkway and we identified everything that wasn’t within the ADA codes,” Calvin Belcher, project manager for RCCD, said. Barriers were prioritized based upon standards set by the Department of Justice, and designs for “Phase I” were drawn up to address 4,704 of the highest priority barriers with particular attention set on access to restrooms. In September 2010, the Board of Trustees approved the plans for Phase I and allocated $6.4 million to the project. After the 4,704 items being addressed by Phase I, a total 10,711 other barriers

were being addressed by other construction projects while the remaining 7,750 barriers awaited further funding. Phase I was completed in 2014. “Now the plan was, now that we have (the transition plan), that if we had more funding, we’d go back for Phase II,” Belcher said. In 2009 RCCD held a public forum seeking public input on the transition plan; a requirement under ADA law. According to a Viewpoints news article, Salvador Gomez Jr., a disabled employee of the college, was present at the forum. “I have seen a lot of changes,” Gomez said, being quoted in the article. “We have gone pretty far but we still need changes.” In January 2013, Gomez filed a complaint against the District at the Riverside Superior Court requesting injunctive relief for disability discrimination under the American’s with Disabilities Act. “(RCCD) has an obligation, but has failed to, remove these physical barriers to ensure that each of its programs, services and activities are readily accessible to and usable by person with mobility disabilities,” the complaint stated. According to court records, Gomez was paralyzed from the waist down because of a motorcycle accident in 1985. Despite being restricted to a wheelchair, Gomez worked as a community service officer at RCC until his employment ended in 2011. RCCD denied all initial charges and asserted that it remained compliant with the Americans with Disabilities, citing the ADA transition plan as a core document in its defense. As a part of the litigation,

two expert architects, one representing each side of the case, compiled their own analysis of ADA deficiencies at Riverside City College. The resulting litigation reports exceeded 200 pages, with approximately 533 items, including items on buildings constructed after 2010. “ F r o m a l a y p e r s o n ’s perspective, it becomes daunting to get a file that is literally an inch-and-a-half thick that says: you should look through this and see what needs to get done,” Simmons said. In response to the litigation the District created a Facilities ADA Correction Team, headed by Simmons. The team consists of 19 people in key positions to respond to issues around ADA. They are currently working on a project charter that would address the remaining issues in the 2010 transition plan and litigation reports, according to Simmons. The parties in the lawsuit are working on informal negotiations with many of the original items in the litigation report already being rectified. The next court appearance is scheduled for June 25. The District denied a to provide an electronic copy of the transition plan when Viewpoints submitted a public records request in April. The response cited a “pending litigation” exception under the California public records act. Much information about the lawsuit and negotiations will remain under wraps until the case is fully adjudicated. “The District anticipates resolution of the Gomez case at some point in the 2015 calendar year,” the response stated. At that point the records will become fully disclosed.

The Riverside County Department of Mental Health (RCDMH) gave a presentation for students interested in public mental health careers May 19 at 12 p.m. RCDMH intern, Jessica De La Rosa and workforce development specialist, Natalie Schmitz, provided information and answered questions. According to De La Rosa, RCDMH addresses a wide variety of mental health issues, and is looking to increase diversity amongst their employees in order to increase relatability. De La Rosa said she would like to see more focus on therapy and and less focus on prescription drugs, “Some mental health disorders do need medication in order to function … we’ve become such a medicated environment, everytime you’re sick you grab some type of medicine,” De La Rosa said. During the presentation employment development specialist, Tiffany Keeler, stepped in to promote her company, Recovery Opportunity Center, which specializes in Peer Employment Training for those looking to enter the field without a degree. Information on careers in Riverside County Mental Health, can be found at www.RC-HR.com, and for information regarding the Recovery Opportunity Center, visit www. recoveryopportunity.com.

RCCD hires new administrator Peggy Cartwright has been hired as the associate vice chancellor of Strategic Communications & Institutional Advancement for Riverside Community College District. She has previously worked for Chaffey College as the Director of Marketing & Public Relations and is a graduate and former instructor of Riverside City College. Cartwright will replace, Jim Parsons who retired in December 2014. Peggy holds a master’s degree in Communication Arts from Cal State Fullerton. She will oversee web and administrative services, foundation and external communications and marketing for RCCD. “I’m looking forward to the opportunities in my new role at RCCD and building on the strong foundation of excellence in place,” Cartwright said in a statement on RCCD’s website. “I’m also excited to be able to give back to the college where I began my education and the community in which I was raised.”

Mental health expo at RCC RCC will close out the celebration of Mental Health Awareness month with the “Balanced Life - Balance Mind Expo,” on May 30 in the Digital Library from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free food, entertainment, presentations, music, and a raffle will be provided.

Corrections and Clarifications On page 3 of the May 14 issue, Mahnoor Rahman’s name was misspelled in the article titled, “Model United nations wins for the second year in a row.” Also, RCC’s Model United Nations team has won the Outstanding Delegation Award for three years in a row.

V iews The homeless you can’t see

May 28, 2015

Tell

us what you think, in a letter to the editor, in an email, or use #RCCnow.

The population of homeless may need our money, but first, they need our recognition

KENNEDY BLEVINS @RCCviewpoints

The word homeless may bring the image of a man standing by the freeway exit with a cup and a cardboard sign, but what about the mother scraping together change, to get her son to school, or to feed her daughter every night? “Change the face of homelessness,” said Lynette Bernardy, RCC student, mother of two, and recently homeless. Similarly to Bernardy and her two children, many homeless, are the people we can’t see. They may work with us, or go to school with us, but they don’t have a place to call home at night. “In January 2014, a total of 578,424 people were homeless on a given night. Those in residential programs totalled

to 69 percent, and the rest were found in unsheltered locations,” reported the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to Congress in October 2014. The main causes of homelessness for persons in families are lack of affordable housing, poverty, and unemployment according to a 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors study. This was the case for Bernardy and her two children. Kicked out of their home in the fall of 2014, the Bernardy family began living in a hotel, which was all Lynette Bernardy could afford at the time without a job. Bernardy had tried getting into shelters but was told her 16 year old son was not welcome. Contrary to stereotypes of the homeless population, the National Alliance to End Homelessness reports only 15 percent of homeless people fall into the category of chronic homelessness. Chronic homelessness is defined as longterm or repeated homelessness, often coupled with a disability. These are the homeless who may be heavily stigmatized as mentally unstable or drug addicts. The number of homeless families however, is reported to be 37 percent of the total

homeless population by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Bernardy was fortunate enough to be taken in by her niece, just before her family was going to be put out of their hotel on Christmas day. Many other families are not so lucky. Before casting off the homeless population as deserving of their circumstance, let’s do more to find a solution. Let all push for a change, fair wages,

affordable housing, availability of resources, and most of all support. Bernardy admits that when she wanted to give up, a strong support system helped her get through. “I knew if I didn’t show up, Rebecca would worry,” said Bernardy. Rebecca Faircloth is the EOPS and Care Specialist at RCC. Faircloth assist in helping disadvantaged students and single parents. Faircloth provided not only resources for homeless

families and single parents, but mental and emotional support, which helped Bernardy through until she could get back on her feet. Simply changing your mindset toward the homeless community could help decrease homelessness by gaining support for the movement. After all, the ones who suffer most are the ones right in front of us that we can’t see.

KENNEDY BLEVINS | VIEWPOINTS

HOMELESS NO MORE: Recently homeless, RCC student Lynette Bernardy begins to walk back to her neice’s house, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Students find alternatives to high textbook costs

VICTOR GALLEGOS @RCCviewpoints

Death, taxes and college textbooks. If there is anything certain in college, it is that the price for purchasing new textbooks is an ever-growing concern for most students. Each semester, Riverside City College sells thousands of new textbooks to its students, and it ca n get expensive, especially if a class requires more than one textbook. W ith the average pr ice of a new college textbooks approaching $100, students sometimes f ind themselves paying more for books than their college fees. T his is not exactly cost efficient.

Take for example a full-time student at RCC. A full-time student taking four classes may require a minimum of four textbooks. According to the National Association of College stores, the average price of a new textbook is $79, up a whopping $21 since 2007. That would amount to roughly $316 if purchased new, based on the criteria. Meanwhile, 12 units at $46 per unit would cost the student $552 in fees. Luckily, students are slowly taking advantage of alternative options to purchasing new textbooks. Students are able to check out textbooks free of charge at the college library for a two hour period. Although very cost efficient, a disadvantage is that the student cannot take the textbook outside of the library. Any student that does their homework at home or over the weekend will still require a textbook. A second option would be to share books with a classmate, if permitted by the professor. But many times textbooks are required for class participation. If permitted by a professor, students may also purchase an older version of the required textbook. Two more student friendly

options are available. Renting or buying used textbooks, either from the RCC bookstore or online. Accordi ng to Den ise Nakakihara, the Barnes and Noble Col lege Book sel le r Regional Manager, 8,638 used textbooks were purchased or rented at the RCC bookstore in the Fall 2014 semester. 226 e-books were purchased as well. The purchase or rental of the used textbooks accounted to over 20.2 percent savings overall in comparison to a new textbook, or $315,385 in one semester alone. T he t rend continued in the winter session as well as currently in Spring 2015. Students rented or purchased 10,102 used textbooks between the winter and spring semesters, with a total of 287 e-book purchases. That amounted to $385,940 worth of savings. In comparison 18,972 books were purchased new, according to Denise Nakakihara. That leaves a significant amount of money students could be saving by renting or buying used. O ne st u de nt’s c onc e r n is the rising tuition cost for universities, not textbook prices. “I think that textbook pricing

is a smaller fish to fry and the schools that charge a lot for tuition are the ones that need questioning,” said RCC Student Alec Calvillo. Others though, see things a bit differently. “It’s (new textbook prices) ridiculous compared to the used book prices. I would much rather buy or rent used than purchase new,” said another RCC student. Another RCC student shared the same sentiment and offered another alternative. “It’s not news that textbooks are overpriced at the campus bookstore,” said Lucy Felix. “You’re much better off buying them online from Amazon or Chegg.” Purchasing or renting from

third parties would also be a viable way for students to save money. For example, an Anthropology 1 class textbook to rent at the RCC bookstore would cost a student $90. If the student decided to rent it via textbookrentals.com, an online textbook rental site, the lowest 125 day rental price would be $26.77, free shipping included. That’s an added saving of $63.23, and a total of 86.74 percent savings off the $202 new purchase price tag. With so many options at their fingertips, gone are the days that students are forced to purchase new textbooks at full price. Used is the new “new.” Who knew?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | VICTOR GALLEGOS

Views

May 28, 2015

Editorial

Recycling is easier with bins

When a student takes a walk around Riverside City College, one may look up to admire the aged eloquence of our campus: The light peeking through the greenery swaying above our heads, the clock tower of the Quadrangle that watches over the northern side of the campus, the oasis like intersection that welcomes students to the Bookstore and Cafeteria. These special places on campus are healing to the souls of our tired and hardworking students until you see a Brisk Iced Tea bottle rolling past your feet. Or you walk down to the Lovekin buildings and find a trashcan filled to the brim with soda cans, mixed in with some tennis ball containers. Where do all of these plastic containers go? Are they conveniently placed in a recycling receptacle on campus? Or are they sent away into a great trash abyss along with the candy wrappers and trays that hold our chicken and fries? The latter is a little more likely than the former. RCC’s lovely campus has fallen into the habit of not properly recycling bottles and cans, resulting in some much needed clean up in our facilities today. Financially, we are missing out on a great opportunity to be efficient with and complement RCC’s budget, however, it would seem the opportunity has been overlooked. We’re talking about forming a recycling program. Doing so makes a difference in the district’s general income, and could ultimately establish a center on

campus that can potentially thrive and recycle much more than just aluminum cans and plastic bottles. One California community college in particular has already set the bar. Orange Coast College maintains and operates its own recycling center, which in turn nets them, on average, an additional $100,000 per year. This facility would not only open up jobs for students who seek employment, but will give others a designated location to take in their collected recyclables. In 2013, the RCC Recycle Committee teamed up with Burrtec, a waste management company, to implement a program that would develop better recycling habits through a series of phases. These phases consist of placing recycling bins around the cafeteria and select locations around campus. Phase I would start with a few simple recycling cans in the cafeteria, while Phase II would expand on the distribution of these bins, giving more recycling availability to students. Tonya Huff, associate professor of life sciences, wrote in an email that these phases would allow “the majority of the waste produced on campus” to be recycled. The goal of this program was to get away from strictly using the grey trash bins you see around. As of now, Phase II hasn’t been sustained. The reasoning behind needing phases to distribute recycling bins around campus is unclear, as it seems like it should be a simple thing to implement after minor funding is provided.

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

Since then, there have been recycling bins distributed throughout campus, with most of them residing in the cafeteria area, where they are needed most. There have been no additional phases added to the process as of late. Promotion of the effort has altered from time to time, such as this year’s "Bag It" event hosted by the Student Sustainability Club. Burrtec provides numerous programs and waste reduction efforts such as Earth 911, CalRecycle and California Department of Conservation that specialize in either education about environmental health and economic vitality, or giving resources to improve our quality of life through creating and maintaining strong and reliable partnerships with recycling programs. RCC teaming up with them for another go-around could increase support of a renewed program, Educating students about recycling is key. Past district-wide strategies ensured that clubs and programs on campus promote awareness of these improvements to encourage environmentally responsible citizens to recycle and do their part to contribute to the efforts. Though past efforts to renew this program did not sustain as it originally intended to, we should not abandon the thought of what perks may come with being cognizant of what happens to our recyclable goods. Going green is an idea that should never be thrown away, especially in the wrong bin.

Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.

LETTERS

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TO THE

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May 28, 2015

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SPORTS Track snaps its winning streak May 28, 2015

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing the things people say we cannot do.”

- Walter

bagehot

Riverside City College track and field ends six year state championship winning streak

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

HUDDLE UP: Riverside City College men’s track and field coach Jim McCarron talks to his team after competing against Division 1 competition on March 7. LAURA TAPIA & ALEXIS NAUCLER @RCCviewpoints

Riverside City College men’s and women’s track and field team concluded its season at the CCCAA State Championships on May 15 and 16 held at the College of San Mateo. The men’s team ended its three year state championship winning streak by coming in fifth. Although the team didn’t have the another championship finish Men’s coach Jim McCarron looks forward to next season. “The streak of six state championships in seven years was a fantastic feat by all involved, and keeping it going is a goal we have each year, McCarron said. “The reality is that we got beat this year by teams that were better than us. We will learn from this season, which was a very good one, and rebuild for

next year.” They placed behind Modesto Junior College, American River College, College of the Sequoias, and Mount San Antonio College who won the title with 101 points. San Antonio College finished just one point ahead of College of the Sequoias. On the women’s team finished third with 65 points, coming behind Mount San Antonio College who had 67 points and Cerritos College who had 68 points. The competition was decided in the 4×400-meter relay, where the women placed third in 3:53.45 and the men in sixth at 3:16.72. Sophomore Crystal Tejeda was the anchor for the teams 4×400-meter relay. She caught up to Cerritos and finished third, unfortunatley it was not enough to help her team secure the title. Sophomore Kayla Wilson came close to first in the women’s 200-meter dash finishing second

in 24.59 seconds, which was only 1.19 seconds behind first place Deajah Stevens of College of the Sequoias. Tejeda also came in second in the 800-meter run behind Sarah Brandt of Butte College by 1.6 seconds, who finished in 2:12.07. “Those young ladies are awesome. They really stepped up and performed well for the lady Tigers, they have bright futures in this sport and in life,” McCarron said of the women’s individual performances. “Crystal will be back because she is a freshman. We never know how many student-athletes will return for next season because so much can happen from one season to the next,” McCarron said when asked how many athletes were going to return. Previously the Riverside City College Track and Field men’s team finished in second place at the Southern California Championships, While the

women’s team finished in first place, according to Finishedresults.com The men’s team finished with 114.83 points coming in right behind Mt. San Antonio College, while the women’s team finished with 123.5 points and came in ahead of Cerritos College.

The Tigers had several athletes winning individual titles such as Maria Morales in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:12.99 who came in about a second ahead of her teammate Crystal Tejeda. Other individual title winners were Michelle Campa in the Discus throw with a mark of 42.51 meters and Frank Clarke in the men’s shot put with a mark of 16.04 meters. The women look for their first title since 1994, according to Jim McCarron, the men’s track and field coach. In Orange Empire Conference finals the men’s team won its ninth consecutive title. -- Jim McCarron Both the men and women teams scored over 300 points in the event. Track and field exit interviews The team qualified 32 are what come next for the team athletes to the upcoming State While most recruits and returners Championships, 18 athletes from enroll in out of season track and the men’s team and 14 athletes field events classes. from the women’s team.

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“Winning is tough. It takes a lot of dedication and trust”

Getting to know track and field’s Quinton Bell

Q&A

VICTOR GALLEGOS @RCCviewpoints

Riverside City College freshman Quinton Bell is ranked 3rd for the 200-meter dash, and 12th for the 100-meter dash in conference. In the most recent Orange Empire Conference Championship, Bell placed first in both his 100 and 200-meter dash.

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

RUN: Quinton Bell smiles after track practice on May 11

Q: You also play football. How does Track and Field help you improve for the football season?

A: Track really helps with my speed on the football field track speed training is the best speed training that any athlete can get. In my opinion no football coach can make you as fast as a great track coach can. Q: You suffered a severe injury during a motocross competition in your early teens, and it seemed to change your direction in the athletic world. If not for that accident, what is the likelihood that you would be in motocross as opposed to Track and Field? A: I would say yes. Before

that injury that is the only sport that I wanted to do but after the injury the sport was never the same for me so I stopped racing and started playing regular sports and no longer the extreme sport. Q: What do you have planned after RCC? A: After RCC I plan on attending a four-year university on a full track scholarship. I have not decided which university I will be attending yet.

Visit us at viewpointsonline.org

May 28, 2015

Sports

Quinton Bell

MV[[P’s of

Track & Field

Freshman Quinton Bell had an outstanding season for the Riverside City College track and field team. He placed first in the 200 meter run at the Ben Brown Invitational, running it in a season personal best 21.14 seconds. He also finished first in the 100 meter run at the UCI Spring Invitational.

Male Athlete of the Season

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

Austin Sodders Baseball

Sophmore Austin Sodders was a key component to the baseball season in all of his appreances on the mound Sodders went 7-1 he had 2.03 earned run average and a remarkable 58 strikeouts. On April 7 he had 10 strike outs against Saddleback College. Sodders had two complete games and two eight-shutout innings. ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

Adrien Deloffre

Mathieu Willockx Tennis

Mathieu was a revelation this season for the Riverside City College team. Arriving from Belgium to RCC as a first time freshman, Willockx established himself as a perennial top two player. He capped off a stellar first season by being the only male on the team to advance to the round of 32 at the Ojai Valley Tournament.

LAURA TAPIA @LMTreporter

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

Chad Hambright Golf

Chad Hambright concluded his sophomore season with a second place finish, shooting 3-under a par of 144 after two rounds at the CCCAA State Golf Championships. Hambright shot a tournament-low of 64 in the second round of the event. He also won the Orange Empire Conference individual championship after shooting 2-under a par of 70 in the OEC Championship Finals.

Adrien Deloffre was unexpected addition to the Riverside City College swim and dive team; however, that did not stop him from breaking various college records in his first season. Deloffre is a freshman for the RCC men’s squad, and is originally from France stating his team called him ‘Frenchie’. Deloffre originally came to America to pursue education and his swimming career and started off swimming when he was only six months. He started the season off strong by breaking RCC school history records early in the season. Adrien Deloffre set a new college record at the RCC Invitational on April 3 coming

in at a time of 2 minutes, 7.77 seconds in the 200 breaststroke. John Smith previously held the record with a time of 2:08.14. “When I saw my time I was just happy because I know that I broke the record, and I’m not in shape, I’m not tapered,” Deloffre said. The Tigers took the meet winning first with a score of 136. The Tigers only defeat this season has been to two time defending state champions Golden West College and are 5-1 in Orange Empire Conference Dual Meets. Mens coach Jason Northcott stated Deloffre is most like Jason Lezak the Olympic swimmer who upset Michael Phelps. Deloffre hopes to pursure a degree in international business after he finishes his swimming career.

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

Men’s Coach of the Season

COURTESY OF CHAD HAMBRIGHT

Jelani Mitchell Basketball

Sophomore Jelani Mitchell started playing basketball for the Tigers in 2013. This season, Mitchell has achieved an average of 11.7 points per game and has been named to the All-Orange Empire Conference team. Mitchell will be transferring to California State University East Bay in the fall.

STEVEN SMITH | VIEWPOINTS

Jim McCarron JAMES H. WILLIAMS @JHWreporter

STEVEN SMITH | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College’s track and field coach Jim McCarron has been leading the men’s team at RCC since 2006.

Since then, McCarron coached the men's track team to a third place finish at the 2015 CCCAA State Championships on May 15 and 16, where the men scored 65 points. Under MCcarron, the men's track and field team also won its

ninth consecutive Orange Empire Conference Championship on April 24 at Golden West College, where the men scored 380 and the women 313.5 The team has also won the state championship in six of the last eight years.

Sports

May 28, 2015

Kayla Wilson

the Season

Track & Field

Kayla Wilson finished second in the 200 meter dash at the CCCAA State Track and Field Championships for Riverside City College with a time of 24.59 seconds. Wilson also took third in the 100 meter dash with a time of 11:78 to conclude her freshman year. Her efforts in other events at the state meet contributed to the RCC women’s track and field team taking third place at the state meet.

Female Athlete of the Season

COURTESY OF RCC TRACK & FIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

Jordan Emanuele Softball

Tori Mitchell ALEXIS NAUCLER @alexisnaucler

Tori Mitchell, Riverside City College’s women’s basketball center forward, has been shooting hoops since she was about six or seven. Mitchell was introduced to the sport by her parents and grew up around it her whole life. “My dad grew up around the sport so I followed after him and it’s basically a family sport,” Mitchell said. Before attending RCC, Mitchell attended Florida A&M University in the Fall of 2013 where she played center. When asked if she preferred RCC or Florida A&M, she chose RCC, saying being home really benefited her. “When I transferred in from Florida I really didn’t really play a lot so my goal was to get

in shape, do what I need to do and able to become successful,” Mitchell said. At the beginning of this season, Mitchell’s goal was to “stay afloat” and had never planned on breaking records, winning awards or being looked at by Cheryl Miller. Although Mitchell isn’t attending Langston University, Miller mentioned she will stay in contact with her and continue to follow her in her basketball career. “I definitely wanted to average a double-double, which I accomplished,” Mitchell said. “I wasn’t expecting breaking records or anything like that, it just came with the territory.” During the Tigers’ match against Cuesta College on Feb 25, Mitchell broke head coach Alicia Berber’s defensive rebounding record of 242, set in her 1995-96 season, by a mere two points. In

STEVEN SMITH | VIEWPOINTS

this game alone, Mitchell scored 15 rebounds. Over the season, Mitchell scored 2.3 blocks per game, totaling to 69. “It just kind of happened and I hadn’t looked at that all year… no one’s ever come close to my rebounding,” Berber said. Mitchell received several awards at the team’s banquet including Co-MVP, with Tierra Fuqua, first team All-State and first team All-Conference. Mitchell, along with Fuqua, attended the Championship Banquet on March 13 where they were honored for their All-State and Tamera Herring, then played in the Sophomore Showcase on March 14. Looking towards the future, Mitchell hopes to follow in her uncle’s footsteps and play overseas. She has been accepted to Southern Utah University and will study Kinesiology.

Women’s Coach of the Season

Freshman Jordan Emanuele had significant season with the Riverside City College Tigers softball team. She achieved an incredible .386 batting average . Her on base percentage was .395 and her slugging percentafge was .417. In a game against Southwestern College she went 3-4. She tripled in the second innning, in the top of the sixth she singled to left field. In the top of the seventh inning she doubled to left field. Emanuele had 18 runs batted in and scored 24 in the season.

COURTESY OF LEONE PHOTOGRAPHY

Acacia Dettman Tennis

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

Acacia Dettman was instrumental in helping the Riverside City College Tigers achieve an incredible 16 match win streak as well as winning the Orange Empire Conference Championship. Consistently playing at the No.1 or No. 2 spot in singles, Acacia showcased her talent all season, as she compiled an impressive 18-4 personal match record. She reached the round of 16 at the Ojai Valley Tournament, losing to eventual champion Mayra Jovic. She finishes the season ranked No. 12 overall by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for junior colleges.

Emily Dunkerson Swim & Dive

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

Nikki Bonzoumet ALEXIS NAUCLER @alexisnaucler

Riverside City College’s women's tennis coach Nikki Bonzoumet has been coaching the Tigers for 17 years.

Before her time at RCC, Bonzoumet worked at a country club and was an assistant coach at Cal State San Bernardino. Bonzoumet led the Tigers all season to finish off with an outstanding record of 17-3 and first place in conference.

On top of her hard work with the women, Bonzoumet had to take on the task of serving as the interim mens head coach while Jim Elton was out with a head injury. Bonzoumet is constantly recruiting for next season.

Freshmen Emily Dunkerson was a standout among her peers and among Orange Empire Conference. She won the women’s 1-meter and 3-meter diving event during the Orange Empire Conference Championships. She also won the award for diver of the year. “It felt great and I was shocked I won the awars, because this is my first year diving and other divers have been doing it for a while,” Dunkerson said. She also won first place in the women’s 1-meter diving event during State Championships.

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

A&E

May 28, 2015

“No Matter Where You’re From, Your Dreams Are Valid.”

- Lupita Nyong’o

Downtown Riverside parties Saturation Fest ends at Back to the Grind, hosts local Southern California bands MUSIC REVIEW TREVA FLORES @RCCviewpoints

In a world of technology with easy access to famous musicians such as Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift it can be pretty hard to become noticed. The Inland Empire showed off its talent on May 24 at Back to the Grind in honor of Saturation Fest, an event that’s been going on since 2001. The three day do-it-yourself festival was held on May 22 to May 24, bringing local acts, big and small to the stage. All ages gathered around at the legendary coffee shop, some talking to friends and listening to the many bands that perform. “Everyone’s so different that we’re the same, you can be yourself,” said Poly High School student Jadeyn Unger. The event proved the Grind’s famous saying, “Back to the Grind is a place to come together, leaving all labels outside.” The crowd was very uplifting as they cheered for their favorite artists and clapped along to musicians they didn’t know as well; the overall feeling was one of community. A variety of musicians belched out lyrics while crowds of people swayed and danced to their tunes. Many different genres were represented at the festival from jazz to punk. It was impossible not to fall in love with at least one of the

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

SUNDAY FUNDAY: Riverside’s Summer Twins headline the final day of Saturation Fest. A packed out welcomed bands from all over Southren Califormia over the three day festival in downtown Riverside. bands. UCR graduate Enrico Vamora has been attending Saturation Fest for at least five years. “It’s a good in your face sample of art, music, and creativity,” Vamora said. “It creates the feeling like you know people from the Inland Empire.” As the day turned into night

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT: Eva Mikhailovna is all smiles in between songs with her band Eva and the Vagabonds.

the Grind became more and more packed with people. At times it felt a little hectic as the crowd bounced back and forth between the basement and the café area, but it was worth it to hear the amazing talent from local bands such as Miss Chief and Summer Twins. Many of the artists themselves rushed over from work such as the lead singer from Beach Bums, Jonathan Horsley. There were even band members who work at the Grind like Alan Olney, guitarist for Sam Marsey. The highlight of the night seemed to be the local Riverside band Summer Twins. The local band has created a mass following around town as well as abroad. There was not an open space in sight as everyone gathered around. Some people stood on tables and chairs, while others tried their luck standing on the balcony. They even had to tell the crowd to make a walkway so the Grind staff could continue to serve up their delicious food and drinks. The band performed their signature dream pop melodies inspired by ’50s and ’60s. They played beautifully as the crowd sang along with them. It was a moment of unity for

“

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

ROCKING OUT: Townes (Mojave Desert) bring underground indie rock to diverse Saturation Fest.

“It’s a good in your face sample of art, music and creativity”

--Enrico Vamora

the coffee shop and showcased how talented the community is. Although Saturation Fest can be intimidating with large crowds and hot basement floors it wasn’t anything unbearable. “This year wasn’t as overwhelmed by events,” Vamora said. “Other years there’s a lot more going on to the point where you don’t know where to go.”

The festival was a great way to put new artists out in the public eye and it is one of Riverside’s go-to events for the future. “A lot of good people and vibes,” is how Unger, Poly High student, describes the last night of Saturation Fest. It’s a mutual feeling, for everyone in the crowd seemed to be having fun listening to great music. The Inland Empire community is what made Saturation Fest a success. Overall it was just a bunch of good friends getting together to deliver fun and inspire the spirit of do-it-yourself to the good people of Riverside.

A&E

May 28, 2015

Advanced theater class project gets personal THEATER REVIEW LESLIE ESPINOZA @RCCviewpoints

Theater Director Jodi Julian’s advanced musical theater class held a free play at the RCC campus. The play showcased a collection of self-written student cabarets titled, “Letters to My Five-Year-Old Self.” This was the first year that Julian believed the students in her advanced musical theater class were mature enough to be able to write about themselves and share it with an audience. The set was made to look as if it were an abandoned home with a dingy staircase, graffiti on the walls and a window sealed shut by wooden frames. As each act changed there were some props that were changed around for each performer as well. The stage was always adorned with something new for each act. Brandon Wright opened up the cabaret singing about how he wanted to build cars with jet wings, when he went through his chef phase and wanting to be Pocahontas for a while as well. At one point during his act Wright even shared his private journal with the audience Wright was exceptional and entertaining throughout his act. His act later transitioned into some tougher parts in his life which tugged on the audience’s heartstrings. He talked about how much he misses his grandma and how she told him to not be afraid to chase his dreams. Some sniffles were definitely heard in the audience as he finished his amazing act. Each and every act was amazing in itself and it was incredible to see how every student’s act and stories were so diverse. There were funny parts in each set, like Koda Montoya’s performance where he wore a boa and tap danced all while

singing that he was born to entertain. The theater filled with laughter from just about every single person in the audience. Not to mention, DarRand Hall’s act as well he had the crowd laughing as he pokes fun of himself as he was younger. He also encourages himself to not change the way he is all while singing with an amazing voice. There were also parts where one couldn’t help but feel that knot in your throat while watching the students perform. Charles Jenkins spoke about the absence of his parents in his home and how he went from foster home to foster home with his siblings. To being separated by his siblings at one point which was very heart-wrenching to hear. A box of tissues should have been provided along with the fliers at the entrance, because plenty of sniffling was heard throughout the audience. Closing the program was Nicholas Alexander; as soon as he walked out he commanded the stage with his voice and presence. He spoke about how dishonest he used to be and how music was his escape. Music has helped him become the person he wanted to be. He even played the piano at a certain point while singing his own song which was a great way to end his performance. However, going on stage wasn’t easy for Alexander a few years back. “He wouldn’t go on (stage) his first year and now he’s writing his own stuff.” Julian said. This might be the exact reason Alexander was awarded Student of Distinction at the end of the event. Only one student is chosen per year and Julian believed they chose the strongest performer this year. As his professor announced the Student of Distinction at the end of the event, Alexander couldn’t help but get emotional when he found out he was chosen. “It was a complete shock...

I didn’t even know I was considered for it. I’m just so excited and happy and honored to be Student of Distinction, It’s awesome,” Alexander said. “It shows me how much I have grown over the years here at RCC and makes me appreciate the program here...It’s awesome to have your work appreciated and noticed.” Every single student was extremely brave for being able to go on stage to talk and sing about their personal life to a room full

of complete strangers. “There were several rewrites because you’re focusing on a subject that is so personal...it makes it so hard to get it all out,” said performer Elisa Thomas. Not only did each student teach the audience something about themselves, but they learned things about themselves as well. “I learned that I came so far and now I can help people,” said performer Cliff Dwayne. Every performer did an

amazing job sharing their stories with the audience. It was like they were granting the audience permission into the deepest most vulnerable parts of their lives. It made me feel like I knew that person up on stage and that’s how one should feel after seeing so many heartfelt performances. Leaving this performance I couldn’t help but have one question in my mind. What would I say to my five year old self?

Entertainment Calendar

May 28

May 29

May 30

May 31

Flash: Sharon Lockhart California Museum of Photography 5 p.m.

Film Screening:Winter Sleep UCR ARTSblock 7 p.m.

Student Music Concert Hope Community Church 1 p.m.

Family Movie: Despicable Me 2 La Sierra Library 2 p.m.

William Pope.L Museum of Contemporary Art 11 a.m.

Celebrate Dance Landis PAC 7 p.m.

Ciara Riverside Municipal Auditorium 8 p.m.

Film Screening: Saving Mes Aynak UCR ARTSblock 7:30 p.m.

The Script Fox Theater Oakland 7:30 p.m.

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution Skirball Cultural Center 12 p.m.

June 3

June 4

June 5

June 6

Jim Drain: Seems/Sems Various Small Fires 10 a.m.

A W O L N A T I O N House of Blues: San Diego 7 p.m.

Cherry Festival Stewart Park, Beaumont 5 p.m.

Film Screening: Because I Was a Painter UCR ARTSblock 7 p.m.

Unwritten Law House of Blues: San Diego 6 p.m.

Ryan O’Connell The Last Bookstore 7 p.m.

Seshollowaterboyz House of Blues: Los Angeles 8 p.m.

USA Water Polo vs Serbia Riverside Aquatics Complex 7:30 p.m.

Les Misérables Fox Performing Arts Center 8 p.m.

June 2

June 1

Los Angeles Ballet: Directors’ Choice Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m.

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Features Teacher recollects his journey May 28, 2015

An in-depth look at what made RCC professor Oliver Thompson the person he is today AJA SANDERS

@RCCviewpoints

There is a book that he keeps on his desk, "Fire on Mount Zion - My Life and History as a Black Woman in America" written by Mabel B. Little, the same woman who raised him in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She wasn’t his mother, nor his sister but his great aunt who in 1961 caught him trying to sneak back into the house after a party he attended the night before. The then 19-year-old thought he made it in the world after graduating from high school the year before. But the tables turned when Little told him that no matter how old he got, if he lived under her roof, he lived by her rules. Little and two other women raised Oliver M. Thompson, Ph.D., who is a Administration of Justice professor at Riverside City College. “I never knew my mother. I never knew my father. I was raised by my great grandmother, grandmother and this lady,” Thompson said as he referred to the book. “That’s my great aunt.” Her photo was on the front cover. “I was planning on being a Baptist minister, and after a year of coming back home (from college), that didn’t pan out because of family issues,” Thompson said. “‘I thought I was 19, now I’m grown’. But the rules still applied.” In his home he had two options: work or go to college. He joined the U.S. Air Force with no hesitation. “Looking back, I was out of my mind,” he said. “I was completely out of my mind. But, I was not afraid to step out there and do it.” Thompson attributes his courage and eagerness to his high school experience. It prepared him not only for college, but for life. “They prepared us to go out and be a successful American in society,” he said. “In spite of your skin color, in spite of the fact that you still had ‘white’ and ‘colored’ water fountains and you were still expected to sit at the back of the bus.” As a young man, it never occurred to him that he would later earn his doctorate in public administration, especially after he decided to join the military after his freshman year of college. When a man named William Broadhurst offered to pay for the remainder of his undergraduate education, Thompson turned it down because he wanted to find his own way. He later realized that

AJA SANDERS | VIEWPOINTS

SUCCESS: RCC professor Oliver Thompson recalls how past experiences shaped who he is today. education would be his route. He have to do to maintain and to be became a part-time instructor in upwardly mobile.” 1968 and was offered a full-time He said that he wanted to be position in 1998 after he retired the kind of sheriff who said yes, from law enforcement. when it was time to say yes, and After a five year career in no when the time called for no. the Air Force and returning to He didn’t want to be an officer school, he lived in Riverside and who abused his authority. was looking for employment Thompson reminisced on opportunities. what it was like to transition He found the Riverside to the Inglewood Police Sheriff's Department. Department. “I was not looking for law enforcement,” Thompson said. “The reason why I was a -- Oliver M.Thompson police officer was because I needed a job. And at that time, He worked in the department here in Riverside, the only thing as a resident of Riverside and said you had was working at Kaiser that all of his neighbors knew in the foundry or you worked in who he was. the fields.” If they needed something, Thompson admitted that he they could knock on his door had friends in Los Angeles who and ask. looked down on him for joining He was appointed Chief of law enforcement. Police in the department in 1992, “They understood that I almost a year after Rodney King needed a job and that this was a was beaten by four policemen in well-paying job, but they didn’t South Central Los Angeles on understand what I was going to the cross streets Florence and

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Normandie. It was the same year that angry men and women of Los Angeles broke out in riots in fury of the video that was taped of King’s beating. Thompson said that he never felt like he was put in the path of danger, nor did he feel like he had to make decisions that he didn’t want to. “We had a job to do. We had to protect the community the best we could,” he said. “At the time, LAPD didn’t do their job three blocks . from police headquarters on Florence and Normandie.” Thompson and the department made efforts to make things right in the community again. He said the problem America has today with community policing is that “we haven’t learned anything in the last 23 years.” “There are indicators of poverty, and unemployment, and lack of education, and lack of opportunities and a person really

“I was completely out of my mind. But, I was not afraid to step out there and do it ”

seeing that there is hope,” he said. “I have run into young people who were surprised when they turned 18, when they turned 21, when they turned 25. They never thought they would live that long and there are still those young people that are there today.” Thompson compared the riots in Los Angeles in 1992 to the riots in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 and in Baltimore, Maryland earlier this year. “When you have that level of hopelessness, there is no ownership,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to them. You see, when there is no ownership then they can burn a building down because it doesn’t belong to them.” According to Thompson, having a sense of ownership starts with the parent implementing those principles into their children at an early age. Thompson said that it "takes a man to teach a man how to be a man" and that he still wishes that his father was in his life today. “Those three ladies did an excellent job, but I’m wounded today, even now, not knowing who my father was,” he said. “Or being able to ask him questions, like ‘Hey dad, what would you do in a situation like this?’” Thompson raised four children and still makes himself available to give them advice whenever he can. He wants to make sure that they don't experience the same void that he experienced growing up. When he looked over his life and thought about all that he had to overcome, he said that he would not go back and change anything. He never had his biological parents in his life. He was one of only four African-Americans in the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, and he became chief of police in Inglewood during a time when some lost hope in law enforcement. “I would not give anything for my journey,” he said. “Because that made me a man, that made me accountable, that made me responsible.” Yet, he still does not consider himself successful. Instead, he considers himself a man who took advantage of the opportunities that were given to him. “Momma always said,” Thompson pointed to the book, “‘don’t start something that you can’t finish,’” he laughed. He wants all Riverside students to do the same: go after what they want and push after what they believe in. He said that he wants young people to be aware. Aware that there is hope in times of doubt, aware of their Constitutional right to make a change and aware that everyone’s voice should and can be heard.

May 28, 2015

Features

Riverside sets aside stigma

The Riverside County Department of Mental Health hosts fair at Fairmount Park

JOHN VILLANUEVA | VIEWPOINTS

A LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH: Organizations share info, resources and free items with attendees at the Mental Health Fair in Riverside on May 21. JOSIAH PATTERSON @RCCviewpoints

In light of Mental Health Month, the Riverside County Department of Mental Health hosted a mental health fair on May 21 at Fairmount Park in Riverside. The fair was free and open to the public and consisted of nearly 95 vendors from all over Riverside County, which included information booths, health screenings, children’s activities, free food, music and entertainment. The annual fair is intended to celebrate California’s mental health movement, “Each Mind Matters.” Proposition 63, also known as the Mental Health Services Act, which passed on the November 2, 2004 California ballot, is a 1 percent tax on incomes over $1 million that goes to MHSA funds which are distributed to counties. Putting on the fair is one of the ways Riverside County spends these funds, Riverside County Senior Peer Support for Communications Angi Abbott said. “May is Mental Health Month nationwide, and Riverside County has done a proclamation stating that we are going to celebrate this and bring awareness,” Abbot said. “Awareness for mental health, awareness to reduce stigma.” Reducing stigma for those with mental illness is important to Abbott, who has a diagnosis herself.

“I’m hired because I have recovered from that diagnosis, and what I get to do is I get to be the hope for those that are coming in that are still really sick,” Abbott said. “I was homeless 10 years ago, so they get to see someone like me who’s in a position working for a county entity in recovery.” Organizations were eager to share therapy, information and resources as attendees passed their booths. One of them was Pets Aiding in Recovery, an animal therapy group. Among the volunteers was Joyce Banks with her miniature horse, JJ. “I’ve been doing therapy with miniature horses for 30 years,” Banks said. “I actually have two of them. This is my second one. So he’s been doing it for about 18 months. He’s 3 years old. My other one is 4 years old, and he’s been doing it three years.” Banks provides animal therapy through a national organization called Pet Partners. She is self-funded and explains that pet therapy can be a costly endeavor. But to her, the benefits of warming peoples’ hearts greatly outweigh the costs. “Being able to make people happy makes you happy, and it’s priceless,” Banks said. Another feature at the fair was an information booth provided by the Teen Suicide Awareness and Prevention program. Besides spreading awareness

at events like the fair, the program works with over 50 schools in Riverside County to train groups such as Assicuated Student Body to take the lead on campuses and aid with suicide prevention. “They’re like the go-to people after that,” said Jessica Cuevas, health education assistant for the County of Riverside Department of Public Health. “Throughout the year, we have them do awareness campaigns on campus to kind of reduce the stigma so students ask for help, so they’re not scared or whatever. That’s what we do. That’s how we raise awareness, through the students.” Additionally, the program gives presentations to parents and training to teachers to show them how to properly handle a minor with suicidal thoughts. The program is starting to reach out to elementary-aged children, particularly in fourth and fifth grade, as children this young are also committing suicide. “It’s not a high rate like high school because, as we all know, the older you get, the more problems you have, and that’s how the rates go up,” said Connie Marmolejo, health services assistant for the County of Riverside Department of Public Health. “But (suicide amoungst elementary aged children) are starting to (rise) because of bullying. That’s the main issue, bullying.” The program offers a solution on how to handle bullying.

“You don’t have to talk to a bully or put yourself in that situation, but go talk to the teacher,” Cuevas said. Like many other booths at the event, the TSAP program offered information cards, fliers and free items. One in four adults has a mental health challenge, Abbott said.

“Chances are you know somebody. It’s just that simple,” Abbott said. She hopes to help crush the stereotypes hinged upon people with mental illness. “If we don’t define people by their illness, and we define them by their name ... That’s the way we reduce stigma is by getting rid of the labels and introducing

JOHN VILLANUEVA | VIEWPOINTS

KINDHEARTED: Joyce Banks (left) provides animal therapy with

her miniature horse, JJ, at the Mental Health Fair.

Features

May 28, 2015

Hill leaves his mark at RCC

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

ARGIE HILL: Riverside City College Supreme Court Chief Justice, Argie Hill, speaks at open forum introducing the presidential candidates for the new school year. JEIANNE BANIQUED @RCCviewpoints

Argie Hill, Riverside City College Model United Nations Head Delegate and Associated Students of Riverside City College Supreme Court Chief Justice, leaves his mark as a student leader in his last semester before transferring. At the National Model United Nations New York Conference on March 29-April 2, Hill was voted by members of his team to be honored with the Outstanding Delegate award. In previous years, he had received the award at the 2013 NMUN-South Korea Conference and 2014 Rome Conference, making New York’s NMUN victory his third consecutive year being recognized for his cooperation and follow-through in the policy and character of his assigned member state.

“Winning this award at New York was different because the skill level of everyone there is much higher. I’m honored that so many people thought my performance was outstanding,” Hill said. While at these conferences, Hill puts himself in the mindset of a professional diplomat. “I have an objective to accomplish,” he said. “I have to think five steps ahead for the four days of conference and every skill I learned that semester comes into full force,” Hill said. When working in groups Hill firmly believes in the phrase, “There’s no ‘I’ in team.” As a leader he hopes to teach and inspire those who feel they can’t reach their goals alone to reach their potential. When given the position of head delegate, he hopes to inspire students to do their absolute best, thinking that they

deserve nothing less from their experience in MUN. By keeping a communal vibe to his work group, he was able to implement new strategies at the conference. “Sure, I was their leader but everyone had a say in what went into the position paper and I really admired that,” said Hill. “Our group was able to work in a relaxed manner and that’s the best you can hope for: everyone getting along.” MUN has had an immense impact on Hill’s education due to the research required to understand topics. The topics chosen for MUN are real world issues that range from human and drug trafficking to climate change. Members are expected to be proficient in understanding their topics, having to find articles that are of quality. As a result, Hill finds that he has become a much better

researcher and has been given the ability to be informed about how students are affected throughout the world because of MUN. Other than being RCC’s MUN head delegate, Hill is also Supreme Court Chief Justice of ASRCC. Appointed for the position during the winter intersession 2015, he and his fellow student government officials are working on ASRCC Elections and a Constitutional Referendum, adding more marginalized groups to their non-discriminatory policy and trying to make their constitution more user friendly. As his role as chief justice, Hill hopes to not only help students find their way in politics but also to explain why it is so important to do so. Working alongside Hill in both MUN and ASRCC Supreme Court is Adam Molina. “Argie is a head strong student who tries to be the best in

whatever position he cares about. As the MUN head delegate, he really does follow our motto ‘committed to excellence,’” said Molina. Apart from the two leadership positions he’s in now with MUN and ASRCC, Hill is also a member of Student Coalition. Student Coalition seeks to raise political awareness of issues that affect people through guest speakers and movie showings. Hill has always been intrigued with politics at the local level. By MUN giving him the skills to be a leader, applying those skill through ASRCC, being a member of Student Coalition, and working in the Youth Advisory Council for Congressman Mark Takano in the past, really helped him channel his interest. With his extensive list of extracurricular activities under his belt, he plans to take a semester off before he transfers to UC Berkeley in spring 2016.

The California water drought plan

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May 28, 2015

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Sodders continues family baseball legacy at RCC EDITH NORIEGA @Noriega_Edith

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RELEASE: Riverside City College starting pitcher Austin Sodders pitches against Saddleback College. Sodders’ struck out a season high 10 batters in the 8-5 loss against the Gauchos.

Left handed pitcher Austin Sodders, the youngest and the last to carry on the name has since lived up to the potential of his name since joining the Riverside City College baseball team. His father, Michael Wayne Sodders member of the Arizona State University Hall of Fame was a star third baseman in the 1981 national championship team. After his team won the 1981 College World Series he was selected as Baseball America Player of the Year and selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the 1981 amateur draft with the 11th overall pick. His older brother, Michael Sodders was a preseason AllAmerican in 2010 for New Mexico State. Lead the Western Athletic Conference with a .422 batting average on a injured knee and drafted in the 31st round by the Los Angeles Angels in 2010. And then there was the youngest of the Sodders. During his high school career at Canyon Springs he went 7-2 with a 0.96 earned run average holding batters with his fastball and curveball to a .134 average. He led the Cougars with a .447 average, .484 on-base percentage and a .624 slugging percentage. The real test was about to come. During his first year on the Tigers team he played a high

of 18 games with a 3-1 pitching record and a .250 batting average. Although he didn’t have as much pitching opportunities during his first year on the team he flourish as an offensive player. This season however was a whole different ballpark where he showed the true meaning of the Sodders’ name. During the season opener Sodders shocked us, pitching a complete game only allowing one run in the ninth inning and five hits. Things only went up from there after that. He went on to win the next six games in a row tossing his second complete game of the season March 5 allowing one run and seven hits. “There’s always a different feel to each game you have to make in-game adjustments a lot of the time,” Sodders said. “Usually before starts I do some breathing patterns and visualize that’s usually my pregame routine.” He then managed to pitch two eight-shutout innings March 21 allowing just three hits and March 27 scattering 10 hits on two runs. “I’m just focused on the here and now, instead of being distracted with other things,” Sodders said. So what’s next for the young Sodders? The sophomore currently has some universities in mind to transfer University of California Riverside, San Diego State and Cal Poly Pomona.

Former RCC math instructor utilizes YouTube in class two hours. It's what Ives would describe as “edutainment.” @Noriega_Edith One of the things he does to help his students is tie it to pop culture. Former Riverside City In one of his lectures he College math instructor Frank talked about graphing the tangent Ives put a unique spin in teaching and cotangent and stated “it mathematics that involved comes from the bottom now it's integrating YouTube, a highly here.” popular video sharing website Some might know it as into his classes and student lives. Drake’s song “Started from the Ives, who taught at RCC for bottom now we here.” In the most recent video posted he made a parody on the hit show House of Cards and called it “House of Cardiods,” where you learn how to graph polar curves. One thing he does not do in the 512 videos he has uploaded is putting advertisement. “I believe in a quality education for anybody willing IMAGE COURTESY OF: FRANK IVES to spend the time MATH: Former Riverside City College math instructor Frank Ives created many of it takes to learn,” his videos in his home. His most popular video is “Finding the domain and range.” EDITH NORIEGA

six years created his YouTube channel known as MathByFives in 2010 as a way to help keep students engaged. “On the student evaluations forms one of the lowest marks that everybody got is keeping students engaged,” Ives said. “So I started working more on ways to keep students engaged. This isn’t your ordinary class where you sit in a lecture class for

IMAGE COURTESY OF: FRANK IVES

YOUTUBE: The signature flower and YouTube channel named MathByFives is seen in the opening sequence of his video. Ives said. After his videos began growing popularity he started integrating it in his students course work where they would watch a video and do the problems after. “So in class I see what they are struggling on so then I know where to focus on in the videos,” Ives said. One of his most popular videos on his channel is finding the domain and range racking up a quarter of a million views. Another thing he tried doing is creating his own finishing move like some would remember in the popular video game Mortal Kombat.

He created his signature Box and Flower move one day in a Trigonometry class after noticing the positive encouragement at the end of the problem on the online course management system. “It kind of just happened because it's a polar rose so I kept doing that,” Ives said. Ives currently has more than 15,000 subscribers over 2 million views in 196 different countries. He currently has a goal of making 1,000 videos but is sure to make more than 1,000 in the months to come. Ives explained he gets approached once a month for business opportunities but deletes them.