November 4, 2010 An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving students since 1922. Vol. xxxVIv, No. 5
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California heads to the polls For a
News story see Page 3
Photo illustration by: Khai Le / Senior Staff Assistant
2| November 4, 2010
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
Proposition 23 under debate Caitlin Eliason Staff Writer
Scholarships help ease students’ burden
The online application process for Riverside Community College District scholarships has begun. Interested students need to go to the Financial Aid page on the Student Services link of rcc.edu and click on Scholarship Information. There are also informational pamphlets at the Student Financial Services offices at Riverside, Norco and Moreno Valley colleges. The deadline to apply is Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
Free flu shots
Riverside City College students can get a free flu shot at Student Health. Walk in and get vaccinated to protect yourself and others against the flu. Call Student Health and Psychological Services at 951-222-8151.
Assistance from the Transfer Center
The Transfer Center is offering help to anyone in need of assistance with university applications. Interested students must register to attend the workshops. The workshops for the California State University applications will end Nov. 24. The workshops for the University of California applications run Nov. 1 through Nov. 29. For more information, call the Transfer/Career Center at 951-222-8446.
Helping out for the holidays
Every year, The Salvation Army helps those in need to celebrate Thanksgiving. The organization is in need of volunteers, turkeys, stuffing, and the fixings to feed 700 people. Those who would like to volunteer or donate any of the needed items can call 951784-4490.
A helping hand
For students having trouble with their homework, there are people who can help. Tutorial Services offers help to anyone in need of it. The tutors are well-qualified and have received a B or higher in the subject they are tutoring. For questions or to sign up to receive a tutoring session call 951-222-8170.
Grace D. Solcum Nursing Scholarship
The Grace D. Solcum Nursing Scholarship is awarding Nursing I and II students who are trying to receive an associate degree in the Nursing or Registered Nursing programs at Riverside City College. Applicants must have a minimum 2.0 GPA and be their own sole means of support. The scholarship committee will consider the financial need. Students can apply at www.rcc.edu/studentfinancialservices. Deadline to apply is Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
Nancy Talbot Scholarship Award
The Nancy Talbot Scholarship is for women to enrich themselves through learning and to achieve a college education later in life. Applicants must be women residing in the U.S. or Canada, have earned a high school diploma or GED, attend the full 2011-2012 academic year and receive a degree by no later than May 2012. Apply by visiting www.talbots.com/scholarship. Deadline to apply is Jan. 3 at 11:59 p.m.
Visit the ‘Little Shop’
Performance Riverside presents “Little Shop of Horrors,” based on the film by Roger Corman. The production is directed and choreographed by Roger Castellano with music directed by Scott Smith, and produced by Rey O’Day, “Little Shop of Horrors” plays Nov. 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $27-$48 and are available online at performanceriverside.org. For more information call 951-222-8100.
RCC presidential candidates hold forums
The five Riverside City College presidential candidates will be visiting the campus from Nov. 1 to Nov. 16. The finalists will be meeting with Chancellor Gregory Gray, faculty, staff groups, and other district leaders. They will all hold open candidate forums in the Digital Library Auditorium. All forums are 2:30-3:30 p.m. Jill Boyle- Nov. 4 Cynthia Azari- Nov. 8 Sharon Blackman- Nov. 10 Anita Kaplan- Nov. 15
News
As California voters prepare for the November elections, the fight over Proposition 23 and global warming heats up. Back in 2006, California created Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), which required the Air Resources Board to monitor, report, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The November 2 ballot measure known as Proposition 23 seeks to suspend AB 32 until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent or less for one full year. So what does this proposition mean for California? Opposite sides have different concerns, and they come down to two main arguments; saving the economy versus saving the environment. Supporters of Prop. 23 believe it will have a positive fiscal impact on California’s economy, which they think is in a more dire state than the environment. They say the suspension of greenhouse gas regulatory activity will likely result in a modest net increase in overall economic activity, which in turn will significantly boost revenues on both state and local levels. The state’s current unemployment rate is at 12.4 percent, with 2.3 million Californians left unemployed. According to www.yeson23.com, Prop. 23 will save over a million jobs that would be otherwise destroyed by AB 32. In addition, suspending AB 32 will prevent energy tax increases and other energy costs. Supporters of Prop. 23, including a number of taxpayers and small business owners, say California cannot afford these costs. Many believe they do not actually reduce global warming. However, not all supporters of Prop. 23 see AB 32 as a hoax. Others who believe AB 32 is influential to the environment would be willing to pay the taxes, but only once the economy has improved. Opponents, on the other hand, say the proposition will do little to help the economy, and will actually prevent its future
growth. Spokesman for the “No on 23” campaign, Steve Maviglio, acknowledged that though some jobs may be lost, focusing on renewable energy will lead to more jobs in the future; looking ahead is more important than focusing on a quick fix. The opposition also argues that Prop. 23 will increase California’s dependence on oil, and will kill existing competition from wind and solar companies. These clean energy businesses provide half a million jobs, many of which will be lost if Prop. 23 passes and AB 32 is suspended. Economics aside, opponents of the proposition fear it will cause significant harm to the environment. It has become known as the “Dirty Energy Proposition,” because they believe clean energy and air standards will be lost. Opponents say this could contribute to more air pollution, which could in turn threaten the health and well-being of the public. For these reasons, organizations like California’s Professional Firefighters, AARP, and American Lung Association have come out against Prop. 23. Another controversy over the proposition has surfaced: one over the funding both sides have received. Texas oil companies, including Teroso Corporation and Valero Energy Corporation, have funded a large part of the campaign for Prop. 23. Wealthy individuals who operate oil refineries have contributed as well. Those against Prop. 23 accuse the oil companies of deceiving the public in order to increase California’s dependency on oil, and doubt whether they actually care about California’s jobs. Supporters, however, counter that the oil companies have facilities in California that provide thousands of jobs and pay millions in taxes. They continue to note that outside sources have also attempted to sway the vote against Prop. 23, but no one has complained. On November 2, the majority of California voters voted NO on Proposition 23, with 61 percent of the vote according to the LA Times.
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
November 4, 2010| 3
2010 midterm election recap News
Nita Gandhi News editor
kyle crouse Asst. news editor
Governor After a year-long political and media slug fest, California voters have finally had a chance to make their decisions for the 2010 election. Democrat Jerry Brown, who previously was the governor from 1975 to 1983, has been voted as the governor-elect of California. Despite the most expensive campaign in United States history, Republican candidate Meg Whitman’s bid for governor was unsuccessful. She conceded her defeat at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. In her concession speech, Whitman was humble but thankful. “Tonight has not turned out quite as we had hoped. We’ve come up a little short, but certainly not for lack of hard work, determination, and a clear vision for making our state better,” Whitman said. “It is time now for Californians to unite behind the common cause of turning around this state that we love,” she said. Jerry Brown gave his victory speech afterward, confident that he could turn the state’s misfortunes around. “I see a California once again leading in renewable energy and public education,” Brown said. Brown won with a voter count slightly over 4 million and 54 percent over Meg Whitman with a little more than 3 million votes and 41 percent. The statistics are provided by the LA Times.
Senate As the Democratic party maintains a majority of seats in the United States senate, Democrat Barbara Boxer continues to hold on to her position for a fourth term representing the state of California. In her victory speech, Boxer is willing to work with others no matter what their political views are for another term as senator. “Well I’ve been around a while, I’ve been in the minority, I’ve been in the majority, I’ve been in a small minority, big minority, so you just do what’s best for the people and as I’ve said in my statement tonight, everyone who’s willing to work to make life better for the American people whether they are an R or D or an Independent, I’m ready to work with them,” Boxer said. Republican candidate Carly Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 19992005. She conceded on the morning of Nov. 3 in a news conference. “This morning, the outcome is clear. I have spoken with Senator Boxer, congratulated her and wished her well,” Fiorina said. Boxer defeated Fiorina with 52 percent of the vote. Fiorina had 43 percent of the vote.
stephanie holland / Editor In Chief
A joyful noise: The packed banquet room reacts to the
speeches by candidates Jose Medina, Grey Frandsen and Bill Hedrick at a election night celebration in Riverside. The statistics are provided by the LA Times.
Congress Republican Ken Calvert maintains his position as the representative for District 44 in the United States house, representing Riverside and Orange counties. Calvert has served as the District 44 Congressman for the past 17 years, is a small business owner and a lifelong resident of Southern California. Calvert won with 57,259 voter count with 52.25 percent of the vote. Democrat Bill Hedrick has been a teacher for over 35 years and has served five terms as president on the Corona-Norco Board of Education. Hedrick almost beat Calvert this year with 12,964 voter count with 40.67 percent of the vote. The statistics are provided by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
Riverside City College Board of Trustees I n c u m b e n t s Vi r g i n i a Blumenthal and Janet Green will maintain their positions on the Riverside Community College Board of Trustees. Newcomer Samuel Davis won the third and final seat on the Board. Blumenthal is the current president of the Board and will remain a trustee for another four years. She is a lawyer in Riverside and a alumna of RCC. Green is the current vicepresident of the Board and she also will remain with the board for another four years. She is a former professor and administrator of San Bernardino Community College. Davis is a teacher and this is his first time serving on the RCCD Board of Trustees. Blumenthal had the majority of
the vote with 52,784 voter count and 21.34 percent. Green came in second with 37,496 voter count and 15.16 percent. Davis came in third with 33,017 voter count and 13.35 percent of the vote. The statistics are provided by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.
Propositions 19 – Legalize possession and sale of marijuana in California, not federal- No 20 – Redistricting of congressional districts - Yes 21 – State park vehicle license surcharge - No 22 – Prohibits state from borrowing or taking local funds, Constitutional Amendment - Yes 23 – Suspend implementation of air pollution control law (AB 32) - No 24 – Repeal legislation to lower business tax liability - No 25 – Change legislative vote to simple majority to pass budgetrelated legislation, Constitutional Amendment - Yes 26 – Require certain state and local fees to be approved by two-thirds vote, Constitutional Amendment - Yes 27 – Eliminate state redistricting commission, Constitutional Amendment – No
Measures K – RCTC transportation projects – Yes L – Voter approval of pension benefits – Yes M – Voter approval of public pensions – Yes
For more on the 2010 elections, including photos and videos, visit the Viewpoints website at www.viewpointsonline.
Viewpoints
4 | November 4, 2010
News
Serving students since 1922
How state funding cuts are affecting RCC Classes and programs continue to suffer as delayed budget affects students’ futures Takahiro kurosaki Staff Writer In the midst of a statewide fiscal crisis, Riverside Community College District has been making a hard effort to maintain its quality and serve its students. The extended delay of the state budget has caused the district to spend more time managing its cash flow. “There are negative consequences, and what’s troubling to me is it’s become a permanent part of our budget landscape going forward,� said Jim Buysse, Vice Chancellor of Administration & Finance. “And I don’t know when the state will be able to get out of that,� Buysse said. In August, the state announced the deferral of payments to public schools, because without a budget, the state cannot afford to make
payments to businesses that are contracted with the state, such as community colleges. Riverside City College has implemented several budget strategies to deal with the budget crisis. The school has reduced the number of sections for some classes, although the amount has been moderate compared to last year, when many class sections were cut out. Another strategy is an early retirement incentive, which enables RCC to hire a faculty or staff member at a lower rate of payment by encouraging the faculty and staff members who are nearing retirement and earn the highest salaries to retire and take advantage of the incentives. A hiring freeze, which limits hiring to only positions deemed necessary to the operation of the college, has also been implemented as a part of budget reduction
strategies. Buysse said that it was necessary to institute these strategies before the quality of education at RCC is reduced. In addition to the delay of the state budget, the state funding cuts have also affected some RCC programs and services available for students. Last year, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), which provides support services for students who have educational disadvantages, lost 39 percent of its state funding and consequently had to reduce the number of students able to take advantage of EOPS programs and services. Although the EOPS of RCC has historically provided its services to over 1,000 students, it has had to limit that to 400 students with the 2010-2011 school year. The reduction of the EOPS budget is likely to continue. I n t h e 2 0 1 0 - 2 0 11 s t a t e
RCC Board drafts sustainability proposal In 2002, the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees drafted a sustainability and environmental responsibility policy proposal. The policy was drafted but never adopted, and now a new sustainability and environmental responsibility policy is being drafted by the Board of Trustees. This new policy is No. 6870 and it states that the college recognizes its responsibility to exercise environmental stewardship and to economically manage the use of buildings, land and natural resources. Ryan Sendejas is Chair of the Environmental Committee and also a member of the Sustainability Club at Riverside City College. “We are representatives of the students on campus for environmental purpose,� Sendejas said. “It’s a goal to raise more awareness and get the school involved.� RCC currently does not have an environmental department. Sendejas and Daniel Francis, who is also a member of the Sustainability Club, have been going around campus and speaking to students about the sustainability and environmental responsibilities the school and students should try to exercise. They also collect signatures of students petitioning to agree to do their part in helping the school to be more environmentally conscious. “Basically this petition is support for this policy,� Sendejas said. There are six principles and guidelines of sustainable stewardship that the draft
identifies. The third principle is a plan to create all new facilities of the district, designed and constructed to meet LEED certification standards and, to the greatest extent practical, major renovations that are to be designed to also meet LEED standards. LEED is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. “It is an application process for putting together a building that is environmentally safe,� Francis said. “They each have different stamps depending on how green the building is,� Francis said. However, the Sustainability Club has also assisted in the development of a seventh principle. This new principle is to develop a comprehensive master design plan for each campus to coordinate the original six principle and guidelines, and also to create a list of ideas generated in response to the draft. Some ideas included on the list are energy production, recycling collection center, installation of new lights, and fitting of new thermostat controls in some classrooms. This retrofitting of thermostat is a system intended to keep reasonable temperatures in RCC classrooms. “Oh it’s freezing in my class when the air conditioner is on. And sometimes it’s on during cold days,� said student Cynthia Castro. Castro’s schedule consists of early morning classes, and she says that her classrooms can become so cold that she shivers at some points. Installation of new lights at
from lobbyists associated with the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. Advocating for all EOPS programs, they have lobbied in the pursuit of a sufficient budget to assist the EOPS students’ success, allowing them to continue supporting students with appropriate services and programs. Taking action to avoid a larger cut in the EOPS budget is considered to be significant among advocates of the programs. “Change is not made through complacency,� Alvarado said. “Everyone in the state needs to get out and vote. Inform yourself what is going on in the state by reading the paper and if you do not like something you need to speak up. Speaking up can be via e-mail, office visits or a letter to your local politicians,� Alvarado said. For more on the budget go to viewpointsonline.org.
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Environment and conservation become top priority Sandra Rodriguez Staff Writer
budget proposal, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed reducing the EOPS budget by $10 million in this academic year and using the funds normally set aside for Career Technical Education. EOPS is waiting to receive its allocation and see the exact amount of the budget it will receive. In order to alleviate some of the impact on the EOPS, RCCD has provided budgetary support to the program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;EOPS might not be at 100 percent. However, we would be even worse off if it was not for the RCCD support,â&#x20AC;? Cecilia Alvarado, director of EOPS, said. At a state level, EOPS and associated organizations are making efforts to withdraw future action, effectively stopping a further cutback in its budget. Educational Opportunity Program Student Association, a non-profit organization working with EOPS, has gained support
RCC means that the school would shift to more energy-efficient lighting systems, away from less conservative lighting that uses more electricity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buying those economical light bulbs cost more money for our school,â&#x20AC;? said student Gregory Henry. Many of the lights on campus are kept on during the night and all weekend. Francis also expressed that the land usage at RCC is not up to par. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Land usage has everything to do with overhead watering and lawns and pointless hedges, instead of having some type of fruiting hedge or native plants that take no water,â&#x20AC;? Francis said. Aside from the overall appearance of the school, there are welding and mechanical classes that collect excess metal. Sendejas said that he has not had the time to get around and question this conflict. The policy also states that the college will minimize negative environmental impacts of activities under the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control. Football games are one of these activities that could have a negative impact on the environment. Sendejas attends a lot of the games and at the end of every game he and a small group will pick up and recycle any recyclable items left behind. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After the football games we will have about 6 to 8, 55 gallon bins filled with bottles, cans, paper goods and cardboard,â&#x20AC;? Sendejas said. This job is usually left to a janitor however, because our budget cuts do not allow janitors to fully fulfill their job title.
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Viewpoints
opinions Serving students since 1922
Viewpoints Staff
November 4, 2010 | 5
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Holland (951) 222-8495 viewpoints@rcc.edu eic@viewpointsonline.org MANAGING EDITOR Javier Cabrera (951) 222-8488 managingeditor@viewpointsonline.org ADVERTISING MANAGER Vanessa Soto (951) 222-8488 ads@viewpointsonline.org FACULTY ADVISERS Allan Lovelace Dan Evans SENIOR STAFF ASSISTANT Khai Le admin@viewpointsonline.org NEWS EDITOR Nita Gandhi news@viewpointsonline.org
OPINIONS EDITOR Sonja Eide opinions@viewpointsonline.org
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Danielle Schmidt sports@viewpointsonline.org
INSCAPE EDITOR Juan Aguilar inscape@viewpointsonline.org
FEATURES EDITOR Shardai Perry features@viewpointsonline.org
bill branson / national cancer institute
carrying an extra weight: For many the struggle against weight is made even harder by the
PHOTO EDITOR Lauren Garcia photo@viewpointsonline.org
constant barrage of ridicule and humiliation they must face.
The weight of discrimination
STAFF Chad Arias Joel Avila Monique Berduo Christian Bowers Nicole Burdette Jesse Castro Kyle Crouse Meagan Cunningham Lily Dsouza Caitlin Eliason Michael Fawcett Talia Fong Dominique Franklin Leah Frost Sahara Garey Andrew Gonzalez Jason Ho Antonia Huerta Mecedes Jaudon Rebecca Kern
Takahiro Kurosaki Ryan Lynch Fred McCarthy Christina Melgoza John Mendoza D’Zhane Parker Garth Pullen Fatima Ramsey Sandra Rodriguez Denise Ruiz Gabriella Salas Sergio Santamaria Abrendal Smith Kathryn Snyder Katherine Starbuck Cloie Swain Steve Thomsen Johanna Vasquez Mailee Virgen-Aguilar Billy Yang
With the so-called obesity epidemic on the apparent rise and the obsession with weight on the forefront of Americans’ minds, it’s no wonder that discrimination runs rampant against those deemed too large by society. The latest example of the attack against obese people comes from Maura Kelly, a writer for Marie Claire, with an article titled “Should ‘Fatties’ Get A Room? (Even on TV?),” which has since been taken down from the site. In it, Kelly details her disgust with the TV show “Mike and Molly,” a comedy which revolves around two obese people who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group and begin dating, and how it evidently promotes obesity. Kelly goes on to make large (no pun intended) assumptions about the health of overweight individuals and chronicles her repulsion of the idea of seeing “two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other,” along with other equally appalling and hateful comments. Though Kelly did issue an apology and explained that she has battled anorexia and body issues, the fact that she was able to publish such an ignorant story in the first place is worth examining. Fat people are routinely discriminated against in modern society. Headless torsos of obese Americans pepper the news and new diets that promise immediate shedding of pounds appear out of nowhere everyday. Television shows like “The Biggest Loser” and “Thinervention with Jackie Warner” are shown in constant rotation, with the contestants routinely humiliated for letting themselves become overweight. Thinness is not a determinant of health, though it’s
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marketed as the ideal in the United States. This type of thinking is inherently damaging to individuals who don’t fit into the image of “perfection” and, let’s face facts, never will. Many misconceptions and stereotypes have arisen from size discrimination, and fat, a word used to describe adipose tissue, has become synonymous with traits like smelly, unattractive, lazy, gluttonous, and lacking of self control. Airlines now charge large people double for their tickets and so called healthy people are constantly telling overweight people to take charge of their lives and lose weight. Whether or not someone wants to lose weight is not up to Marie Osmond, Valerie Bertinelli and Jillian Michaels. It is up to each individual to make his or her own body choices. For those who struggle with weight issues, it is often a life-long battle filled with ups and downs. Kelly’s comments only serve to perpetuate the stereotype that obese people are somehow less important than anyone else. It’s not up to anyone to make assumptions about someone’s health by their appearance alone, and Kelly is promoting a culture of self-hate, discrimination, and the idea that it is OK to comment on other people’s bodies. Shaming people is not the way to help them make a change, and it’s not anyone else’s business to try to “help” someone else by taking issue with the way they look. Anyone who chooses not to watch “Mike and Molly” should do so because it’s a terrible show, not because the actors are overweight.
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Viewpoints
6 | November 4, 2010
Opinions
Serving students since 1922
Angle needs election time out cloie swain Staff writer If Jerry Brown told Meg Whitman during a debate to go back to her rightful place in the kitchen and make him a sandwich, a few things would happen in very quick succession. The first would be a mass lesson on how exactly to spell “chauvinist” as newspaper editors and political pundits all dropped dead from giddiness at the gift. The second would possibly be a small earthquake in highly populated areas of California where people would be stampeding to the ballots in order to cast their votes for Whitman out of pure spite for Brown’s words. Not only Republicans or Tea Partiers either, the disgust for sexism in politics could possibly trump the disgust for her obviously biased financial platform and send equality loving Californians of Democratic, Green, and other independent persuasions to elect her. To clear up the motive of this piece, neither of our major party candidates for California governor are being accused or otherwise connected to chauvinistic behavior. They are strictly being used for an example. Also because picturing that happening could make for some
Sharron angle campaign
petty remarks: Sharron Angle, the nominee who ran unsuccessfully for Nevada
senator in the 2010 Midterms, came under fire for telling her opponent to “man-up.” great “Saturday Night Live” skits, on par with the epicness that Sarah Palin provided in 2008. But that is neither here nor there. The idea that a male candidate for office telling a female opponent to go back and do something that has become a cultural anecdote (which actually isn’t that funny, by the way) employed by legions of “mini-chauvs” for a quick laugh with their dumb buddies is as offensive as is a female candidate telling a male opponent to “man up.” The fact that this even has to be said is kind of ridiculous, what with more attention paid to who got the better soundbite today as opposed to who has the better plan to put their constituents back
to work. Or finally getting around to that whole marriage equality thing. You know, the somewhat important issues America has on the docket lately. The whole debacle comes from Republican Nevada senate hopeful Sharron Angle and was addressed to Senate majority leader Harry Reid. She wanted Reid to acknowledge something about how it’s his fault for the economy, or social security, or the war. She then proceeded to tell him to “man up” about four more times, in case anyone had missed it the first time. Aside from the honestly lame phrase to cling to (Democrat or not, nobody can deny exactly how
great the “Yes We Can” slogan worked, and now all hopeful candidates are futilely leeching onto anything to generate the same effect), Angle looks like a kid on the playground calling out weak insults to try and get her name. Politics, perpetually a hotbed of immature “leaders,” has now actually sunk lower with its standards, and Angle is the poster child for it. Attacking someone’s manhood, or womanhood for equality’s sake, is essentially like calling them a butt-head. It’s juvenile, immature, and frankly astounding when it is uttered by someone vying to represent the general public. If the election were for a group
of sugar high elementary kids, Angle would have it in the bag, but since she is aiming for Nevada as opposed to the sandbox, she has to grow up. Instead of busting out with a fallacy of the day to get a leg up on the competition, our candidates need to understand that behaving like children is going to cost them. Since we have a real easy way of telling them how we feel by not voting for them, it should be a no-brainer at the polls. A voter movement is possible. We saw it in the congressional 2006 elections. We saw it even more so in the mass exodus of first time and rare demographic voters in 2008 for the presidential election. It can be done. And now it’s time to do it again. Withholding office from candidates who behave poorly will be the political equivalent of a time out for them. Without the constraints of the office they were unable to whine and kick sand their way into, they’ll have more time to comb over their campaign and see what worked and what didn’t. Hopefully they will see that their actions are irresponsible, and that simply being witty around a microphone is not enough to earn a position responsible for millions of people. By forcing our politicians to grow up and stop with the catty insults, we will hopefully mold a group of people who can speak eloquently about problems we face and how they will be the best to fix them, not just be the better one at spitting out insults.
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November 4, 2010 | 7
Serving students since 1922
Obama, the new Ryan Seacrest chad arias editor’s assistant The public should be greatly concerned with the amount of free time the president has. Obama possesses what many would call the most influential job in the world. Being the leader of the free world must be a draining endeavor. With all of this on his plate, how is he finding time to make television appearances? Last week, Obama announced that he had guest starred on the Discovery Channel’s hit show “MythBusters.” This will be his third TV show appearance in a matter of months. When Americans elect a president, they expect that he is busy in the White House making progress on the ideas that got him elected. To parade about from show to show is a colossal waste of tax payer time. The people are paying Obama to do his job. He does not get paid to be an active member of the media. The less we see him will mean he is busy at work. Obama seems to be reaching out to the youth hence being on MTV and now “MythBusters.” Both shows are directed at young
people and one can only guess what the motive is behind these appearances. The president realizes that the young people in this country are naive and believe everything they see on TV. If Obama says he’s working hard, then he must be doing it. That is a lie because if he was working hard then he wouldn’t have to say it every five seconds. Never before has America seen such a media hungry president. Obama is like a Hollywood celebrity in the way that he feels the need to be seen or else he is forgotten. This way of thinking should be left to the actors who make a living of getting their face on the big screen. Obama does not get paid for the amount of face time that he receives. He was elected to work, not to talk. The public realizes how hard Obama has to work and how much time is involved. When time spent creating new jobs is sacrificed for interviews then something is wrong. This is a breach of contract with the American people, who elected him because he spoke of reform and change. The only problem is that once he was elected he kept right on preaching and not acting. Obama is trying to do what Franklin Roosevelt did 80 years ago. Every week, Roosevelt held radio broadcasts to make the public feel that he cared about their
White house
celebrity president: Obama recently filmed an appearance on the Discovery channel show “MythBusters” in attempt to bring awareness to math and science. every need. With Obama’s health care reforms, and new taxes the American people feel that he has lost touch with them. In an effort to show the middle class he cares, Obama is using the “town hall” method. It worked for Roosevelt but that was 80 years ago. Obama and his party cannot expect to be re-elected just because they heard our cries. If a person hears a child drowning then shouldn’t they take action and
save them? Obama is all talk right now. He is an excellent presenter and with a teleprompter he can do no wrong. The point is that society is tired of these charades and we want action. Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize and for what? He won it for “talking” about peace and for “talking” about social change. Words and high hopes can’t be deposited in a bank account.
America needs jobs and new ideas that are obtainable. We need a president who can stay out of lime light and focus on the real issues that are required in his line of work. People living off unemployment, down to their last checks, are tired of seeing a president on every channel. The only comfort they can hope for is Obama being locked in a room with Congress and actually getting some new laws passed.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” remains in demilitarized zone
Leah frost Staff writer The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy has become a circus of political events. The legislation has been swinging back and forth like a trapeze act over the last two months, with minimal clear resolutions on where the ruling will ultimately land. In 1993, the policy was adopted as a law when the controversy of gay’s serving in the military became a hot topic. The premise of “don’t ask, don’t tell” allowed people to join the military without the question of sexual orientation making or breaking a military career. Simply put, the military could not ask about an individual’s sexual orientation and as long as said individual did not volunteer the information that they are indeed gay or a lesbian, then they could be a part of the military. The consequence of joining the military then openly serving as a homosexual can lead to a discharge from the military. The repercussions from being kicked
out of the military can range from loss of training, loss of benefits such as funds for college or financial instability and emotional trauma including damaged reputations. It can take the soldiers who have been given the boot years to reestablish stability and discover a future outside of serving in the armed forces. There has been a light shed on gay and lesbian rights over the last two years in the political arena. Gay and lesbian marriage took center stage with Proposition 8 and the moral and political debates that split voters to decide whether or not same sex marriage should be legalized. In the end, the fate of the proposition became a legal issue in the courts and was taken out of the voters hands. Light is now being cast on the sexual orientation of military men and women and whether or not it is unconstitutional to keep those who are openly gay out of the military. As seen with proposition 8, the lines of which government agencies and offices are involved what the outcome of the policy will be has become blurred with involvement from multiple parties seeking similar results in vastly different ways. The ultimate goal; to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.” In September, U.S. Federal Judge, Virginia Phillips in
Riverside, deemed the law “don’t ask, don’t tell” as a violation of first amendment rights and equal protection of the members in military service. Judge Phillips ruled the law unconstitutional. On Oct. 12, Judge Phillips ordered the immediate halt of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and the ban on openly gay troops. The order extended to the Pentagon who were immediately ordered to cease firing gays and lesbians from the military. The military was ordered to stop any and all investigations and discharges of gay soldiers. Judge Phillips has been accused of using this ruling to gain political presence, despite the accusations her actions and rulings regarding “don’t ask, don’t tell” essentially brought about a debate and plan of action that has been long overdue. President Obama promised as part of his commitment to the citizens of the United States that he would eliminate the policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” first during his campaign and then again in October of 2009. Although President Obama has made it clear that his intentions and support are aimed at the repeal of the policy, the Obama administration requested that Judge Phillips place an emergency stay on her decision regarding the policy and that they are prepared
to appeal the ruling. The results that Obama’s administration is aiming for is to take the policy to be once and for all repealed by Congress. The administration has to get the issue out of the courts hands and put it back into Congress, which is where the repeal first began earlier this year. The progression of civil rights and equality for gays and lesbians through the hands of congress has been a slow process compared to the short period that a federal judge was able to get the ball rolling on the ban of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” So why go backwards on a decision that has already been made and on actions that have already been ordered to the Pentagon and the military? It’s a question that still remains unanswered. Obama’s administration cannot guarantee that Congress will repeal the law, so if the policy gets kicked back to congress then the soldiers and new recruits that are openly gay get dealt a bad hand while Congress and the courts shuffle their stance on the policy. If the policy goes into limbo again, the courts become irrelevant in the decision and the legislature returns to Congress, then the orders made to the military to stop all dismissals and investigations on gay soldiers will become null and void. All the openly gay recruits who have decided to serve for
the United States will be turned away. The progress of change and the final decision of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is in the balance. The evolution of civil rights in the United States and the strides towards progression are coming to a slow steady halt with the constant banter back and forth of the gays and lesbians role in the military. Willing and capable men and women are being punished and turned away from their desire to protect and serve the United States all based on sexual orientation. If freedom and equality are to remain in tact in the United States, it is not wise to punish those willing to fight for the rights and safety based on an individuals choice of lifestyle. Sexual orientation does not act like a drug and effect the ability of the individual to serve with less capability as any other soldier does. One way or another “don’t ask, don’t tell” will remain to be a black cloud until it is decided once and for all that the law will bring about further regression of the past progress of civil rights. Until the government and courts land on the same page and repeal the legislation indefinitely the United State military will continue to put aside the first amendment and the freedoms that shape the United States.
8 | November 4, 2010
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November 4, 2010 | 9
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Weak storytelling in “Force Unleashed 2” Juan aguilar inscape editor
A game that was supposed to be the continuation of one of the greatest “Star Wars “ games ever made, fell just short of mediocre. Starkiller, who was the secret apprentice of Darth Vader, comes back again as the rebellious puppet of his evil master in “The Force Unleashed II.” After being stabbed and killed by Vader’s light saber in the first game, Starkiller is revived in the form of a clone, or so Darth Vader says. The “clone” of Starkiller was experiencing memories of his supposed predecessor and a loved one, Juno Eclipse, making him question everything about himself. Of course, the heartless Darth Vader made him repress those memories because he was created to destroy what the original Starkiller created, which was the Rebel Alliance. The poor clone couldn’t do it and being at Vader’s disposal, he better hope he breaks away because Vader is more than willing to kill him again. Perhaps the clone of Starkiller indeed, he stunned Darth Vader with his force lightning, blasted the wall open with a force push and jumped to freefall down the Kamino tower, giving way to the beginning of the clone’s short journey. Now, let’s begin by referring to the clone as Starkiller to avoid any further confusion. Starkiller seeks to discover the truths leading up to his existence as his memories provide him with vivid images of a past that might not be his own. Because this is the sequel, it’s only natural for the game developers to improve the movement and abilities of the main character. They did this, and they did it brilliantly. The movements of Starkiller were much more fluid and easier to control, making him the most versatile Jedi of the entire “Star Wars” franchise. And because one light saber wasn’t enough, two definitely did the trick. Giving Starkiller two light sabers to slice and dice through the squadron of stormtroopers couldn’t look any more awesome as he combines saber skills with force powers to obliterate anyone in his way. His arsenal of force powers are basically the same as the first game, but with the addition of Jedi Mind Trick which came in handy from time to time, and it made for some interesting and rather funny suicide attempts from the stormtroopers. One of the coolest perks of having the force, especially for this game, is having the ability to lift multiple objects and electrocute them with lightning to throw them at enemies for the ultimate crushing. This was much easier to use and control as opposed to the first game. The game developers also wanted to emphasize on the importance of each force power, as sets of enemies with high caliber abilities weren’t vulnerable to the same force power. As the game progresses, Starkiller encounters enemies that are more powerful than the average stormtrooper, allowing the player to use strategy and technique to get rid of them. For example, some enemies can only be made weak by being electrocuted and others can deflect any force power and are good for an intense light saber match up. The bigger enemies, such as the AT-ST and the AT-MP, required a little more time and concentration to defeat them because they could do some serious damage. Once a significant amount of damage has been done to those big robots, the player can choose to finish it off with a cinematic button-command mode, which show Starkiller doing some insanely acrobatic moves and using the robots’ own weapon against itself. There were times when Starkiller would be up against a horde of enemies. In that situation, the game developers provided options. The player could use Starkiller’s surroundings as destructive weapons, or use stormtroopers as lightning grenades to clear a group of other enemies, or even charge his force repulse to send a shocking wave that will disintegrate all surrounding enemies into dust. And to heighten the intensity, the player can choose to unleash the games new feature, Force Fury, which needless to say, is the most destructive and colossal way to wipe out a multitude of enemies. Unfortunately, perhaps before most people knew it, the game was over. After dealing with all that amazing game play and movie-like in-game cinematics that were nothing short of perfect, the story that accompanied the coolest and most beautiful looking game ever was far too weak. It felt like there was a lot missing, such as the progress of the Rebel Alliance or the dark relationship between Darth Vader and Starkiller.
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10 | November 4, 2010
Phun for the whole Phamily
steve thomsen staff writer
All puns and corny spelling aside, the “yum” factor is high at this hip new eat spot in downtown Riverside. Located right next to the Mission Inn, this walk-in eat shop has sit-down quality food at great prices with an amazing atmosphere and a full bar. What else could you ask for? A simple eatery can go a long way with added bonuses. Phood on Main sticks to its guns: soups and sandwiches. But it also does the little extras that make any local restaurant worth visiting. When customers pay for their meal with cash instead of credit (or worse yet, debit) they reward them by giving two small home made cookies. The menu setup is also very comprehensive. The meal choices consist of “Singles” (any one item), “Duos” (any two menu items), and “Trios” (any three items). Customers will be able to order like a pro in no time, especially with all the delicious menu items. The atmosphere and décor is classy, modern, and inviting. It’s the kind of place you can eat at after class or take that special person to when you’re tired of going to Chili’s every night. As mentioned, the restaurant claims to specialize in soups and salads and they deliver on both
phood on main
Keeping it simple: Phood On Main is satisfyingly simple cafe located in Downtown
Riverside near the MIssion Inn.
the good and the good for its customers. The caesar turkey wrap was properly dressed and wrapped in a tomato basil tortilla, which is both delicious and healthy. The soups were hearty and plentiful. And those free cookies sure are delicious. But what makes the restaurant brilliant is the customer’s ability to mix and match whichever they like. They can get a “Single” menu item for a cheap price, sure. But
if they wanted to know what a sandwich and soup taste like in tandem, they can go for the “Duo!” You get a half sandwich and bowl of soup. And if you’re really hungry, there’s the “Trio.” This could potentially land you a whole sandwich and a bowl of soup, but then again there’s always the possibility of mixing and matching this with any other menu item. There is only one glaring flaw with the restaurant, the price system.
While at a glance is ingenious, doesn’t add up. It’s actually cheaper by 5 cents to buy two “Singles” instead of one “Duo.” With the “Single” priced at $3.95 and the “Duo” priced at $7.95, you see that the math doesn’t add up in your favor. It’s not that much, but there should be an incentive to buy greater quantities of food. A good way would be actually saving money and the “Trio,” while the best value of the three, only saves you about ninety cents.
Deals are always the lure of fine dining, and there didn’t seem to be enough present here. With those small complaints aside Phood on Main is delicious, cheap and full of atmosphere and flavor. I like the local sandwich shops, the indie Phu dining rooms, and the small time eateries. Having said that, the first thing that caught my attention upon entering the foyer was the decor, which was absolutely perfect. Mahagony finishes on the walls, mirrors as high as the dining room, and a great view of University Street. The second thing that caught my attention was the fact that they had a full bar. It’s also close to the Riverside City College campus so next time you’re feeling hungry (and up for a short walk) you won’t find better local dining.
Phood on Main 3737 Main St. Suite 100 in Downtown Riverside. Lunch is served Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday-Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner is served Thursday-Saturday 5:30-9 p.m.
Vi ew p o i n t s E n t e r t a i n m e n t C a l e n d a r Nov. 05
Nov. 06
MOVIES “Megamind” “Due Date” “For Colored Girls” “Fair Game” EVENTS Cornel West at the Landis Performing Arts Center in Riverside at 1 p.m.
EVENTS Craig Ferguson at the Fox Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Tuskegee Airmen Celebration 2010: “We Came To Tuskegee” at the UC Riverside Fine Arts from 2-5 p.m. History’s Shadow MOVIES MOVIES at the UC Riverside Fine Arts “Fame” “Fame” from 12-5 p.m.
Nov. 10
Nov. 07
Nov. 08
Nov. 09
EVENTS Cupcake Camp Inland Empire at the Mission Inn Hotel in Downtown Riverside from 1-4 p.m. “Over the River and Through the Woods” at the Rialto Community Players in Rialto at 2 p.m.
EVENTS “Curious George: Let’s Get Curious” at the Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine “Bon Jovi: The Circle Tour” at AMC Tyler Galleria 16 Alan Disparte: InterNatural at the Riverside Art Museum
EVENTS Gamelan Cudamani at UC Riverside Fine Arts at 7 p.m. Brandon Flowers at the Fox Theater in Pomona at 8 p.m.
Nov. 12
“Surrogates” “Surrogates” “Pandorum” “Pandorum” “All Shook Up” at “All Shook Up” at EVENTS EVENTS MOVIES Landis PAC Landis PAC “Spring Awakening” Madlib at UC Riverside Fine “Morning Glory” Alejandra Guzman at Alejandra Guzman at at the UC Riverside Fine Arts Arts at 8:30 p.m. “Skyline” Pechanga Pechanga at 8 p.m. (through Nov. 20) “The Metropolitan Opera: “Unstoppable” Norm McDonald at The Romantics and Norm The McDonald at Boris Godunov” at AMC EVENTS Improv PsychedelicIrvine Furs Improv Tyler Galleria atIrvine 6:30 p.m. “Little Shop of Horrors” at San Manuel Indian Bingo “Peter Pan” at the Orange at the Landis and Casino 8 p.m. County Performing Arts CenPerforming Arts Center at Chayanne at the Honda ter in Costa Mesa (through 8 p.m. (through Nov. 21) Center in Anaheim Jan. 2)
Nov. 11
Nov. 13
Nov. 14
EVENTS EVENTS Ozomatli at the Fox “So You Think You Can Performing Arts Center in Dance” tour 2010 at the Downtown Riverside Citizens Business Bank Arena at 8 p.m. in Ontario “Man of La Mancha at Usher at the Honda Center in Wallace Theater at Cal Baptist Anaheim at 2 and 8 p.m “Caution: Men at Work: (through Nov. 20) Tap” at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts
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November 4, 2010 | 11
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Old school gaming at its best Inscape
garth pullen Staff Writer
If a character smokes, does that make him cool? Does the repeated use of the F-word up the awesome level? Do sexist and insensitive remarks increase the funny? “Vanquish”–Capcoms’ new sci-fi third person shooter–answers these questions with a resounding, “Hell yes!” This new explosive-ridden, super charged, “South Park” infused, metal fiasco has all the right parts and then some. The playable character is Sam Gideon. A researcher enlisted with DARPA; one of those acronyms that makes about as much sense as the voice acting in the game. Before I go any further, the review for this game must be prefaced with the knowledge that there is no multiplayer. Nor is there a cooperative mode of any kind. In the end, I appreciated the time the developers devoted to the campaign. The experience as a whole feels very fleshed out and realized; a quality that most games seem to lack in today’s market. Now that that’s over with, let’s take a deep breath, jump on the fun-train and head out to space where anything is possible and cigarettes make any intense firefight that much more exciting. The year: the future. The place: shiny metallic spaceships. The mission: Shoot until your little heart gives out. I may not be placing much emphasis on setting or exposition, but even the game itself has many moments where the developers demonstrate how little the scenery or underlying mechanisms mean to what’s going on on-screen. For review’s sake: Earth embarks on a journey to outerspace where countries split into colonies and expand into the evergrowing traverses of economic independence. The moment the game starts, San Francisco is annihilated with the direct intent to start a war for economic superiority. The genius behind all the destruction turns out to be the leader of a very powerful resistance effort; a resistance that had very
sega
trigger-happy: The shooting in “Vanquish” is epic in every sense of the word as each and every round counts for some serious damage. recently led a coup upon their homeland of Russia. Now the Reds (as the good guys call them) seek to engage New York unless certain terms are met. All of this is just ground work for great combat and slick gameplay. “Vanquish” delivers a level of responsiveness that I haven’t seen in a title since “Batman: Arkham Asylum.” With every click of the shoulder-pad and every squeeze of the trigger, I felt instant gratification. The camera and targeting controls are very reminiscent of “Gears of War,” and the results are astoundingly solid. “Vanquish” does a stellar job of changing up the environment and how it affects the game-play within that section. For example, when Sam finds himself on a speeding monorail of sorts, the tram next to him begins to hover above his head on a track that mirrors his, while upside down enemies wildly open fire. Another memorable sequence began in the middle of combat with a robot the size of an aircraft carrier. An action-button-event
triggered and Sam leaped into the air, grabbing hold of the colossus’ helmet. The game then prompted me to twirl the analog stick while Sam furiously attempted to twist the enemies head off. After several seconds of pantomiming on my part, the robots’ head snapped right off; reminding me of the first time I uncorked a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Fortunately, one of those scenarios ends well. “Vanquish” has left no stone unturned: beautiful art design, great audio presentation, funny dialogue, engaging trials, and a very cool protagonist. With so many freedoms being attacked and so much paranoia plaguing the media outlets as of late, it’s so nice to see a game being unabashedly insensitive. From Sam’s blatant 2-packa-day habit, to the rush of pure masculinity that permeates from every inch of his battle suit; the developers wanted to make a game for the hardcore purist, not the stuck up optimist. “Vanquish” absolutely blew me away in every sense of the word. Capcom found a winning formula that pops with exuberance,
Image courtesy of: Sega evokes brilliant style across the board, and only left me thinking
one thing: “Man, I could really use a cigarette.”
Viewpoints
12 | November 4, 2010
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Serving students since 1922
‘Paranormal Activity 2’ has no scare Javier Cabrera Managing editor Other than one scene near the end of the movie, I think “Paranormal Activity 2” was not as great as “Paranormal Activity,” but it is enjoyable for a good scare. I was hoping to be frightened and scared to go to bed like how the first “Paranormal Activity” movie did to me a year ago. Instead I was disappointed with “Paranormal Activity 2,” because it failed to give me a nice little spook. With a horrible ending, “Paranormal Activity 2” goes back two months from where “Paranormal Activity” begins and gives the answer to how the first movie comes to existents. I was excited to watch “Paranormal Activity 2” after being impressed and afraid from the first film. But this movie did not have the same effect that “Paranormal Activity” had on me and many others who were disturbed by the frights last year. The story begins when Katie’s (Katie Featherston,) sister, Kristi Rey (Sprague Grayden) arrives home with her husband Dan Rey (Brain Boland) and their newborn baby boy. The family is greeted at home by Kristi’s step-daughter, Ali Rey (Molly Ephraim) and house keeper, Martine (Vivis Cortez.) The opening set seems like it will be a happy ending story with a newborn baby, but like in reality,
Paramount Pictures
Sixth sense: Baby Hunter and the family dog stare at the bathroom door where they see someone who is not there. there is no such thing as a happy ending. When Katie makes frequent visits to the house, Kristi discusses the unexplained events that have been going on ever since she arrived home from the hospital. As the audience learned in the first movie, Katie said her sister and her would wake up to a shadow of a man standing at the edge of their bed. Kristi brought that memory up in the conversation and Katie deflected the subjuct to discuss that matter and advised Kristi that
it had nothing to do with it. The paranormal activity that occurs throughout the movie was predictable by the majority of the audience and since most knew what was about to come; no one was frighten or nervous because everyone knew the paranormal activity was fake. The loud sound effects in the IMAX Theater were the only reason why I jumped up from my seat a couple of times and pretending like my cell phone vibrated in my back pocket. I will give credit to Director
Kip Williams for coming up with the cleaver paranormal activity that occurs throughout the movie, but after watching “Paranormal Activity” a year ago; I did not find the second movie as great as the first one because it was too predictable. “Paranormal Activity 2” leads into “Paranormal Activity” near the ending and Micah (Micah Sloat) who dies at the end of the “Paranormal Activity,” makes several appearances with Katie. “Paranormal Activity 2” can be confusing for someone who did
not watch the first movie because this movie answers why the demon who haunts and later possesses Katie in “Paranormal Activity.” This movie also gives the audience the reason why this family is haunted by a demon when Ali Rey does some self research to find out why the demon is attacking her family. As like the first movie where it was cheap to produce, “Paranormal Activity 2” had a low production cost of $3 million, but the movie made $65 million in the first two weeks its been out.
Riverside City College puts on a Fun Musical Comedy Meagan cunningham asst. inscape editor On Oct. 28, the Riverside City College’s theatre department put on the musical comedy, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” In the past the production has sold out on the Off Broadway Series and has won two Tony Awards. The play is an exciting production with a wide cast, special effects, and funny jokes. The play is ultimately about winning the spelling bee; however, because the adolescents are from different backgrounds the play transforms into a comedy about morals. The diverse group of students ranges from a boy scout going though puberty, to a girl with homosexual parents. The characters all have unique ways of winning the spelling bee. One of the characters, William Barfee (Zach Hallet), spelled the word with his “magical foot,” while Logainne Schawrtzandgrubenierre (Haley Rubin) spells the word out on her arm. In the play, the characters personalites were exphasized with comedic jokes and interesting gimmicks. One of the most exciting scenes happened when Marcy Parks (Marilu Bustamante), an over achiever fluent in six languages got the word “camouflage.” Marcy asked God could he
Image courtesy of: Riverside City College Theater Department give her a harder word, and from a thick cloud of smoke into a spotlight he appears. After her conversation with God, Marcy realized that she doesn’t want the pressure of winning the competition and disqualifies herself.
A wild card that made the performance special was a surprise strobe light effect. As a running joke, William “Barf-fee” was called to the microphone to take his turn, but on this turn he said very slowly “It’s Bar-Fay.”
The combination of a strobe light and the casts’ ability to move in slow motion emphasized the joke and added an element of surprise. Another highlight of the show was Chip Tolentino (Miguel Castellano), a boy scout going
through the excitement of puberty. During Chips’ comedic solo about the hormones raging through his body, he threw candy into the audience which really got the crowd excited. RCC’s theatre department director, Jodi Julian kept the excitement and tradition of the musical. In the beginning people were selected from lobby activities and then briefly included in the play. When one volunteer was asked to spell “Mexican,” the other spellers busted into a musical outrage because they were all given harder words; which was very entertaining. The music was also a great addition to the show. The musical play featured a live orchestra which made the play extremely enjoyable. Mitch Mahoney (Loren Smith), a convict serving his time from his probation at the spelling bee gave the song “Pandemonium” energy and excitement with his strong vocals. Through RCC’s Theatre Department, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” was a great production. The cast was diverse and energetic. The music was entertaining and the special effects kept the audience intrigued. Overall the diverse cast, funny jokes and special effects made it a great night to attend RCC’s version of the famous musical.
Viewpoints
November 4, 2010 | 13
Serving students since 1922
Stem students prove efficiency shardai perry features editor What do you get when you put together a hundred straws, five feet of masking tape and a two hour time limit? If you were to ask Charity Trojanowski, Stem Club Advisor, you would get a model road bridge. On Oct. 23, in the Stem Center, in honor of the USA Science and engineering festival, the bridge building competition was held. Students had to design and construct a model road bridge exclusively from soda straws and masking tape. The bridge has to be as light as possible while being able to support a load, represented by M&M’s added one at a time to a cup placed on the bridge. The maximum load was determined by a collapse in the bridge or sag of three inches. “I found the idea on the internet, and I had some of the mentors give it a test try to make sure it was reasonable,” Trojanowski said. The science and engineering festival was developed in hopes of re-invigorating the interest of the nation’s youth in science, technology, engineering and math. “When I heard about the idea I jumped right on bored taking charge of everything, said Trojanowski. This is our way of promoting the brand new engineering classes here.” Tw e n t y - e i g h t s t u d e n t s participated in the competition and were divided into eight groups of four. Each group would be judged
tom varga / Special to Viewpoints
demonstration: Charity Trojanowski, judge, tests the student’s bridges by testing how much they can withhold. on the efficiency of the bridge, the efficiency is the ratio of the number of M&M’s the bridge holds to the number of straws used to build it. “We hope to win just to win, the prize is not very motivational it’s more so about the challenge and the title,” said Jeff Munoz from team “M&M.” The group that won received vouchers for a free Stem textbook courtesy of the Stem Center. “This is what some of us are going to be doing for the rest for
our lives, so why wouldn’t we want the practice,” said Jacob Engberson from the winning team, Da Bridge. Trojanowski wanted the project to be as realist as possible. “In life, you’re given timelines and projects to work on with minimal material,” said Jom Thaipejr. You’ve got to work with what you’ve got and try and make the best of it”. As well as Trojanowski, mentors, and the Stem Center staff, and even teachers joined to support
write the lyrics to their songs. They have been playing together since December of 2009. “Well it started with Sean interviewing me for his previous electronica project that he was working on, he was looking for female vocalists,” Ceja said. Shattered Melody has managed to create an interesting mix, they call their “sound”. “ We ’ r e w o r k i n g t o w a r d acoustic punk and folk punk,” Mahoney said . “We started off with slower music, but after that we decided to take a faster path. Our music just works better with a faster beat,” Ceja said. Mahoney said “I don’t honestly know what we sound like. Imagine punk rock on an acoustic guitar with a chick singing. It’s just fast chords and lyrics about substance abuse and depression.” Both artists come from different
musical backgrounds. “I’m self taught. I learned guitar the punk rock way. I just played guitar until it sounded good. I have no formal training,” Mahoney said. Compared to Ceja who has played the piano since the age of 10 as well as performing with several different choirs over the years. Shattered Melody has played at The Wire in Upland, The Big Time in Fontana, Back to the Grind in Riverside, and The Grove Theater in Upland. “We play where ever we can. I work, so we have to work around my schedule a little bit,” Ceja said. As far as their recent win as best punk band goes, Ceja said “We opened up the show.” “I was really nervous. It was a lot of fun. We got to hang out with a lot of acts from different genres we don’t normally hang around,”
the student competition. “The unknown always sparks creativity. These students walked in here with no idea what they were going to be doing, but they were ready,” said Engineering Professor Lehr. Lehr strongly encouraged all of his students to participate in the competition. “Bridge building is apart of our standards, we learn it in class, so this is a good hands on opportunity for the students,” Lehr said. Lehr is a big supporter on
bringing students back to the Stem world. “We need more engineering graduate, we do a lot of the sending and receiving ya know, we’ve got great ideas, we just need great people to make them happen,” Lehr said. Team “Da Bridge” won, holding the best efficiency. “Simplicity is always the best,” Engberson said. “I’m confident I’m doing the right thing now,” said Dakota Stokely from team “Da Bridge.”
Student wins best punk band at street music awards
nicole burdette Staff Writer
Brian S. On-air Personality of “Street Official” TV & radio, seen and heard on 1050 KCAA AM, hosted the second Annual “Street Official” Music Awards. The awards took place at The Grove Theatre in Upland on Oct. 8. With more than 400 people who attended, the event about two and a half hours. The show was a “celebration of everything that is music” in the Inland Empire. Riveside Community College student Olivia Ceja, the vocalist in the band Shattered Melody took home the trophy for “Best Punk Band” of the year. Olivia Ceja joined by friend, Sean Mahoney makes up the band Shattered Melody. Sean plays the guitar, and Olivia sings, while both of them
Mahoney said. There were four bands including Shattered Melody that were competing for the title of Best Punk Band. “It was a giant theater- a lot of people came that wouldn’t normally listen to us. It was a little nerve racking opening the show but we had a lot of fun with it,” Ceja said. Shattered Melody also has a few other goals in mind. “ I w a n t t o t o u r, ” s a i d Mahoney. “I’m open to whatever happens. I have no expectations other than that we just keep going and keep playing music,” Ceja said. The group expressed interest in playing at RCC. “I’d like to play at RCC I just don’t know how to do it,” Mahoney said. Heather McClure, a RCC student and fan of Shattered Melody explained what she thought
was unique about the band. “They’re really honest people. There’s no band drama,” she said. The next show that Shattered Melody is playing will be Nov. 6 at Back to the Grind Coffee House located in Downtown Riverside. “It’s a free show, with a few different bands playing,” Mahoney said. They also have a CD for sale with live recordings from the last year. “We’re going to the studio in a month or two. So there may also be a new demo in the works over the next few months,” Mahoney said. Shattered Melody’s music can be found at www.myspace.com/ shatteredmelody. They can also be reached via Facebook at www.facebook. com/officialshatteredmelody or via email at shatteredmelody@ live.com
14 | November 4, 2010
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
November 4, 2010 | 15
Sports
Sports Briefs RCC football stays on top
Men’s Soccer
Football Season Record Overall: 7-1 Conference: 3-0 Next game: 11/6 Vs. Desert 6 p.m.
Season Record Overall: 6-4-7 Conference: 4-3-4 Next game: 11/5 At Cypress 3 p.m.
Football Sept. 4
Bye week
Women’s Soccer Season Record Overall: 7-2-8 Conference: 6-2-5 Next game: 11/5 Vs. Fullerton 3 p.m.
Oct. 2
RCC 32 Chaffey 26
Oct. 9
RCC 28 Citrus 14
Oct. 16
RCC 45 Orange Coast 20
Oct. 23
RCC 28 Golden West 20
Oct. 30
RCC 37 Santa Ana 35
Nov. 6
Vs. Desert 6 p.m.
Nov. 13
At Southwestern 6 p.m.
Season Record Overall: 16-4 Conference: 5-3 Next game: 11/5 Vs. Cypress 7 p.m.
Oct. 5
RCC 3 Fullerton 2
Oct. 8
RCC 1 Orange Coast 2
Oct. 12 Sept. 11 RCC 64 San Bernardino Valley 28 Oct. 15 Sept. 18 RCC 16 Victor Valley 7 Oct. 19 Sept. 25 RCC 10 Mt. San Antonio 36
Volleyball
RCC 0 Saddleback 2
Oct. 29
RCC 4 Santa Ana 0
Nov. 2
RCC 4 Cypress 0
Nov. 5
Vs. Fullerton 3 p.m.
Nov. 9
At Orange Coast 3 p.m.
Nov. 12
Vs. Irvine Valley 3 p.m.
Ave. Riverside
Women’s Water Polo RCC 19 Chaffey Tournament 5
Sept. 29
RCC 13 Orange Coast 4
Norco College.
Oct. 1
RCC 22 Cuesta Tournament 2
Volleyball
Oct. 9
RCC 11 Northwood 7
Oct. 13
RCC 16 Saddleback 1
Oct. 15
RCC 12 Golden West Tournament 5
Oct. 20
RCC 15 Fullerton 5
Oct. 22
RCC 19 Long Beach Tournament 8
Oct. 27
RCC 11 Golden West 5
Nov. 4
Orange Empire Conference
Aug. 27
RCC 3 Pasadena 1
Sept. 7
RCC 3 Citrus 2
Sept. 3
RCC 3 Chula Vista 0
Sept. 10
RCC 2 Palomar 3
Sept. 10
RCC 3 Mt. San Antonio 1
Sept. 14
RCC 0 Chaffey 0
Sept. 17
RCC 3 San Diego Mesa 0
Sept. 17
RCC 16 Imperial Valley 0
Sept. 22
RCC 3 San Bernardino Valley 0
Sept. 28
RCC 5 Orange Coast 1
Oct. 1
RCC 3 Santa Ana 0
Oct. 1
RCC 0 Irvine Valley 3
Oct. 6
RCC 2 Saddleback 3
Oct. 5
RCC 1 Santa Ana 1
Oct. 8
RCC 1 Golden West 3
Oct. 8
RCC 2 Fullerton 1
Oct. 13
RCC 2 Cypress 3
Oct. 12
RCC 5 Cypress 2
Oct. 15
RCC 10 Orange Coast 18
Oct. 15
RCC 1 Santiago Canyon 1
Oct. 20
RCC 3 Irvine Valley 1
Oct. 19
RCC Golden West
Oct. 22
RCC 3 Fullerton 2
Oct. 22
RCC 14 Orange Coast 13
Oct. 27
RCC 3 Santa Ana 0
Oct. 26
RCC Irvine Valley 3 p.m.
Nov. 3
Vs. Golden West 7 p.m.
Oct. 29
RCC 0 Santa Ana 4
Nov. 5
Vs. Cypress 7 p.m.
Nov. 2
RCC 5 Fullerton 4
Nov. 10
At Orange Coast 7 p.m.
Nov. 5
At Cypress 3 p.m.
Nov. 12
Vs. Irvine Valley 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
Chavez Center on 2060 University
RCC 13 Fresno 3
RCC 2 San Diego 3
Norco College.
Sippy Woodhead Pool at the Cesar
Sept. 17
Sept. 3
* All home games are played at
* Home games will be played at
RCC 14 American River 9
At Southwestern 5 p.m.
Vs. Golden West 1 p.m.
Vs. Golden West 3 p.m.
Sept. 11
Aug. 25
Nov. 12
Oct. 27
Sept. 10
* All home games are played at
Nov. 17
Season Record Overall: 25-0 Conference: 5-0 Next Game: 11/4 OEC Conference at Cypress
RCC Santiago Canyon
RCC 1 Rio Honda 3
At Santiago Canyon 3 p.m.
Season Record Overall: 16-10 Conference: 3-2 Next game:
RCC 4 Golden West 1
Aug. 30
Nov. 9
Women’s Water Polo
RCC 0 Irvine Valley 1
Oct. 22
Men’s Soccer
Men’s Water Polo
At Fullerton 6 p.m.
Men’s Water Polo Sept. 10
RCC 12 Golden West 7
Sept. 15
RCC 23 Santa Ana 7
Aug. 27
RCC 0 Miramar 5
Sept. 17
12 Cuesta Tournament 13
Sept. 1
RCC 0 San Diego Mesa 1
Sept. 24
RCC 10 Cal Baptist Tournament 8
Sept. 3
RCC 1 Moorpark 3
Sept. 29
RCC 12 Orange Coast 4
Sept. 7
RCC 4 Mt. San Antonio 1
Oct. 8
RCC 19 Chaffey 9
Sept. 14
RCC 4 Golden West 1
Oct. 13
RCC 19 Saddleback 8
Sept. 17
RCC 0 Santiago Canyon 1
Oct. 15
RCC 10 Cal Baptist 18
Sept. 21
RCC 2 Saddleback 0
Oct. 20
At Fullerton 3 p.m.
Sept. 28
RCC 0 Santa Ana 0
Oct. 22
At Golden West Tournament TBA
Oct. 1
RCC 3 Cypress 3
Championship at Cypress College Nov. 6
Vs. Cypress 3 p.m. * Home games will be played at Sippy Woodhead Pool at the Cesar Chavez Center on 2060 University Ave. Riverside
Cross Country Sept. 10
Fresno CC Invitational at Fresno Woodward Park 10 a.m.
Sept. 24
At Golden West Invite at Huntington Beach Central Park 10 a.m.
Oct. 2
At Cal Baptist University 10 a.m.
Oct. 9
At Southern California preview at San Diego Mission Bay Park 10 a.m.
Oct. 29
At Orange Empire Conference at Mission Viejo Oso Creek Park 10 a.m.
Nov. 6
At Southern California Finals at San Diego Mission Bay Park 10 a.m.
Nov. 20
At CCCAA State Championships at Fresno Woodward Park 10 a.m.
Riverside City College defeated Santa Ana College 3735, on Oct. 30 as the Tigers improved their overall record to 7-1 and conference record to 3-0. Riverside won on a field goal with three seconds remaining in regulation. Marco Barrera connected with a 39-yard field goal for the RCC Tigers and handed Santa Ana its first conference loss of the season. The game was critical for both teams because both teams were tied for the Central East Conference and were undefeated in conference. The win sets Riverside up to possibly win the conference and have a chance to play in another bowl. The last time the team played in a bowl was in 2005 at El Camino College. Riverside’s quarterback, Dalton Livingston continues his marvelous season as he threw for 463-yards and completed 33 of 47 passes in the victory against Santa Ana. He set a school record with 33 passes as he connected for four touchdowns, falling short of the school’s record of five. Riverside has two games remaining in the schedule as they host College of the Desert on Nov. 6 and conclude the regular season at Southwestern College on Nov. 13.
A perfect regular season The Riverside City College women’s water polo team has definitely gained some extra fans this season with their unbelievable winning steak. The most recent tournament for the ladies was held in Long Beach on Oct. 22. They swept the tournament beating teams like Cerritos, Fullerton, Chaffey and American River. In the end, the Tigers won all six of the games played, concluding their season undefeated with a 25-0 record. The Tigers completed this season as undefeated, California Community College Champions. This accomplishment has only happened twice under the coaching of David Almquist. On their way to the championships, the women have to defeat any team that gets in their way, including Golden West, Fullerton and Cypress. The Tigers have a first-round bye before taking on the winner of the Orange Coast, Saddleback match, which is taking place at 1 p.m. on Nov. 5.
RCC soccer hangs on for playoffs
Riverside City College’s soccer teams have certainly had their share of ups and downs this season. The women’s soccer team celebrated a victory and stopped its losing streak when they played against Santa Ana Oct. 29, placing the Tigers at a 5-2-5 standing in the Orange Empire Conference. The team’s two previous games against Saddleback and Santiago Canyon were hard losses. On the other hand, the women played hard, and defeated Santa Ana, earning their second shutout of the season. The men’s soccer team, however, is not having the same amount of luck. In the past three games against Santa Ana, Golden West and Irvine Valley, all were losses. The team currently holds a 3-3-4 standing in the Orange Empire Conference. The Tigers suffered a huge loss when shutout during their game in Santa Ana, earning the home team their first shutout victory of the season.
RCC volleyball aims for postseason After starting the season off 8-0, the Riverside City College volleyball team has cooled off with a 8-4 record following with a 16-4 record thus far this season. The Tigers played their first conference game against Santa Ana. The win for the RCC Tigers, who moved into the top ten of the California Community College Women’s Volleyball Coaches Association bi-weekly poll at No. 8 in the state, improved RCC’s overall record to 16-4, 5-3 in Orange Empire Conference play. After earning a shutout victory in their conference game, the women did not continue a winning streak. However, after three consecutive losses in the conference, the Tigers knocked out four wins to add to their record of 5-3. With only six games left in the conference, the team has high hopes of continuing its success and placing higher than their third place win in 2009. The Tigers upcoming games will be up against Golden West, Cypress and Irvine Valley. The most anticipated game should be against Cypress, who is currently in first place in the Orange Empire Conference.
Viewpoints
Serving students since 1922
16 | November 4, 2010
Inscape
New game keeps fans rocking Image courtesy of: MTV Games
stephanie holland editor in chief Anytime someone yells out that they want more Whitesnake and Night Ranger in their lives, they must be playing “Rock Band 3.” The thir d ou tin g in the extremely popular “Rock Band” video game franchise was released on Oct. 26 with a new batch of classic rock songs and a keyboard controller. For the unfamiliar, the game involves playing new and classic rock songs on either vocals, guitar, bass, drums and now keyboard. It is basically an advanced version of karaoke. However, the fun comes from trying to play the songs on the various difficulty levels. For example, even on easy, “Freebird” is one of the hardest songs on the entire game, so when it’s finally played at a high percentage, it’s the same feeling of accomplishment as passing a difficult level on a first person shooter. This latest outing features a lot of classic ‘80s songs including, “The Power of Love,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and the aforementioned “Here I Go Again” and “Sister Christian.”
Adding a keyboard opened up a whole new world of music for the game’s developers. While the keyboard isn’t especially difficult to master, it is more sensitive than the other instruments, so the slightest wrong move will ruin a good streak of notes. It comes with a strap so it can be played “keytar” style or serious rockers can purchase the stand. Frankly, any table or ottoman works just fine. The keyboard can also be used to play guitar or bass on songs without a keyboard part. The other new aspect to “Rock Band 3” is the pro level which is a level up from expert and uses real notes to teach players how to actually play the guitar, bass, drums or keyboard. For example, the keyboard on pro level does teach gamers how to play basic notes and scales, but it’s doubtful anyone will become a piano virtuoso from repeatedly playing Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting.” The pro drum kit features added cymbals and the pro guitar has actual strings along with extra rows of the usual multi-colored buttons. Like previous incarnations,
Image courtesy of: MTV Games
MTV Games
“Ebony and Ivory”: A wireless keyboard controller is the latest addition to “Rock Band 3.” This new element has created a new level of gameplay. there are a few songs that aren’t “Good Vibrations” and “Bohemian very difficult and are on the game Rhapsody.” just for the fun of playing them. Unlike role playing games or Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” first person shooters, these games isn’t very hard to master, but the aren’t really expected to drastically song is so fun and catchy that it improve every time out. can’t be missed. “Rock Band” is all about the This is also true of the INXS hit “Need You Tonight.” Game developers MTV Games are also constantly adding downloadable songs to their website, so “Lost” fans can rock out to Drive Shaft’s “You All Everybody.” It was also recently announced that rock legends Bon Jovi will release their new “Greatest Hits” album two weeks early as downloadable content on the game. “Rock Band 3” also features the three part harmony that first appeared on “The Beatles: Rock Band.” It gives players the chance to sing lead vocals or harmony and makes it easier for bands to perform multi-vocal songs like
music, so as long as the producers keep adding popular songs that are fun to play they will always be a hit. However, the game will never be complete until it features A-ha’s “Take On Me.”
“Rock Band 3” Playlist
• • • • • • • • • •
“Misery Business”-Paramore “Get Free”-The Vines “The Look”-Roxette “Oh My God”-Ida Maria “Rehab”-Amy Winehouse “The Power of Love”-Huey Lewis and the News “Here I Go Again”-Whitesnake “Bohemian Rhapsody”-Queen “Freebird”-Lynyrd Skynyrd “Get Up, Stand Up”-Bob Marley