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Whiteboard engages students to write goals and concerns
Tigers emerge victorious against Olympians
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Editorial: Women’s trauma matters
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viewpoints An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.
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VOL. XCIX, NO. 3
OCTOBER 4, 2018
Police release Clery report The annual crime report was presented to the district’s Board of Trustees on Oct. 2 SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW NEWS EDITOR
The annual Clery report, released Oct.1 was presented to the district Board of Trustees on Oct. 2, revealed a decrease in reported burglaries and drug law violation referrals at Riverside’s main campus in 2017. The document counts reports of crimes reported to the Riverside Community College District Police Department or other college employees in 2017, even if the crimes were reported anonymously or determined to be unfounded. Institutions that receive federal financial aid are required to release annual reports in accordance with the Clery Act, passed by Congress in 1990. The format for the 20152017 Clery Act report has been revised to be more user-friendly and easier to read than previous submissions, while still being fully compliant with the law. The new format also allows the police department to highlight its service-oriented philosophy and positive interactions with the college community. The number of reported o n - c a m p u s b u rg l a r i e s h a s maintained a steady increase over the last three years with five in 2015, six in 2016 and seven in 2017. RCCPD said the change is “consistent with the kinds of fluctuations that have occurred in the past.” Drug law violation disciplinary referrals on campus jumped from six to 15 in 2017 but Sergeant Tom Shenton indicated that almost all of the parties in these cases were not affiliated with the college in anyway. The one armed robbery case that occurred in 2017 was a case of a faculty member who was threatened by a homeless individual with a plastic knife. Reports of rape have maintained non-existent on the report throughout the last three years.
Two cases of domestic violence were recorded by the department, a small increase compared to the previous two years, but Shenton said they were also carried out by non-students. Fondling cases increased from one in 2016 to three in 2017. Reports of dating violence have decreased from two in 2016 to zero in 2017. Liquor law violation referrals on the main campus increased from zero to two 2017. RCCPD records referrals when a campus security authority finds a student or employee in possession of an alcoholic beverage. Shenton attributed the low number to “the usual rise and fall of such referrals over time.” “RCCD continues to place the highest priority on the safety and security of our faculty, students, staff and visitors,” Shenton said to the Board of Trustees. “We encourage community members to report crime, and to download and use the Rave Guardian mobile app, which provides a quick, convenient and discreet way for faculty, students and staff to communicate directly with Riverside Police.” In all, the report did not indicate any significant changes compared with statistics collected in previous years. “This report and its low numbers are even more impressive when you consider that as many as 58,000 people can be on the campus at any one time,” Trustee Mary Figueroa said.
IMAGE COURTESY OF RCCD
The format for the 2015-2017 Clery Act Report has been revised to be more user-friendly and easier to read than previous submissions, while still being fully compliant with the law.
Emergency Numbers RCCD continues to place the highest priority on the safety and security of our faculty, students, staff and visitors. -- Sergeant Tom Shenton
Riverside City College (951) 222-8000 Norco College (951) 372-7000 Moreno Valley College (951) 571-6100
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News
October 4, 2018
College hosts annual concert Community comes out to raise awareness and benefit homeless individuals KENIA MARRUFO STAFF REPORTER
In an effort to help homeless members in the community, an annual concert was held at the Henry W. Coil and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts Concert Hall on Sept. 30. The concert admission was a $10 minimum donation. This year, the Concert for the Homeless partnered with the non-profit agency Path of Life Ministries to encourage the community to donate to those who seek a second chance to rebuild and restore their life. “ We w e r e h o n o r e d b y (Riverside City College’s) music department, who reached out to us that wanted to do a concert that benefited the services we provide,” Damian Farell, CEO of Path of Life, said. “We were very excited and I have been a fan of RCC’s music department for a long time, so there is a personal connection there as well.” The Path of Life Ministries has been serving the homeless community of Riverside since it was founded in 1998. “Path of Life housed 1,200 individuals last year, so to get those people off the street and end their homeless crisis is a big deal,” Desiree Quijano, Path of Life’s Director of Development, said. According to their mission statement, Path of Life Ministries believes music can initiate a connection within the community to be more involved with the crisis of homelessness. As guests took their seats, RCC’s Percussion Ensemble began to perform the original c l a s s i c C l a u d e D e b u s s y ’s “Danse” as the ceiling lights began to change colors as they performed. During the performance of “Shiny Stockings” the RCC Jazz Ensemble introduced musicians from their ensembles to perform solos. “Music just drives us,” RCC
MICHELLE LEON | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside City College’s Department of Music partnered with Path of Life to encourage members of the community to donate and bring awareness to the homeless community Sept. 30. saxophonist Kyle Harris-Archie said after the concert. The RCC Wind Ensemble performed “Armed Forces Salute” and “America the Beautiful” to honor veterans who were in the audience who stood up for applause from attendees and performers for their service. “The statistics say that a lot of the homeless are veterans, so we wanted to make sure that we dedicated something to them,” Kevin Mayse, director of the RCC Wind Ensemble, said. After the concert ended, many attendees said they felt moved and touched about the music and the message it brought to them. “I thought it was a wonderful tribute,” Andrea Thigpen, a concert attendee, said.
MICHELLE LEON | VIEWPOINTS
The annual homeless benefit concert was hosted at the Henry W. Coil and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts on Sept. 30.
LIFE
October 4, 2018
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“One that desires to excel should endeavor in those things that are in themselves most excellent.”
Monday nights are for local artists -
Epictetus
Artists gather at local coffee shop for Riverside Underground Performance Organization ADRIANA LOPEZ STAFF REPORTER
For those who need a safe space to express themselves, Riverside Underground Performace Organization, hosted at Back to the Grind, is one to consider. T h e c o ff e e s h o p h o s t s Riverside Underground Performance Organization every Monday night from 9-11 p.m. Sign-ups for performers begin at 8:30 p.m. and the event is open to performers from the community. “This event has been happening in town for about 24 years,” Mario Sandoval, host of the event said. “It started out in Aurea Vista right across the street back in 1994 and it was strictly poetry. Then Back to the Grind opened up and RUPO moved down here and little by little they helped clear up the basement to make it a nice environment for people to come and just do their poetry,” Sandoval said. From there, the event
CHELSEA BUCHANAN | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside musician, Cosmos Vides, performing an original song at Monday night RUPO on Sept. 24. expanded to include a more diverse set of performers. Performers range from spoken word poets, comedians, rappers, Latino folklore singers, DJs, motivational speakers, even an accordion player. Sandoval believes that RUPO has remained a success due to the
organic nature of the event. “We don’t do any promotion, we just do Instagram and Facebook live and we help each other out. If you’re an artist come on to the Facebook page, Instagram, just get yourself in there,” Sandoval said. Performers are expected to
abide by four rules: no fullfrontal nudity, no simulated masturbation with fruits or vegetables, no raw meat and no cover songs due to liability and copyright infringment. Sandoval also makes sure to be clear that the event is to remain free of hate.
“I’m not going to tolerate bigotry, homophobia or any type of sexism. You’re going to be open, you’re not going to threaten performers, especially,” Sandoval said. Crismel Verano is one of the performers who found a safe space at Back to the Grind. Verano, who came from the Philippines one month ago and now lives in Eastvale, found RUPO by searching for open mics around him. “It gave me the opportunity, the place is great,” Verano said. Verano believes the community also benefits from the event because it introduces members to “new music and great people.” Attendees of RUPO night show their appreciation by keeping the applause going throughout the event. “A lot of LGBT voices aren’t heard enough in our community,” Ravi Ramos, an attendee from Riverside, explains why they believe events like RUPO are important, “I’m glad this place offers a platform to do that.” Admission is $3 for performers as well as attendees.
Downtown shop offers community outreach
Riverside plant shop Piep, locally operated by the Rowley’s, is undoubtedly a hidden gem IMARI REDE
STAFF REPORTER
ELI GONZALEZ | VIEWPOINTS
Jen Menzes (left) helps a customer, Elle Carlos (right), inside of Piep’s downtown store.
Piep’s business model is to actively better its community by offering classes for artists, students and children. Piep is a plant store nestled in downtown Riverside on Orange St reet bet ween Un iver sit y Avenue and Mission Inn Avenue. Up on wal k i ng i nt o t he storefront one can see that artistic aesthetics is a part of what Piep offers to its community with its brightly colored walls, matching chairs, beautiful pots and hanging plants. The store is a family owned
business ran by Mackenna and Leland Rowley and the couple strives to contribute to the greater good of the community through their business. The store carries a mix of common plants and rare plants and the Rowley family is the only commercial grower of the pilea peperomioides in the area. Their plants can be shipped across the United States and often are as their selections are unique. “Pilea is one of our biggest sellers. You can snip the babies off and share them with your friends, so they are also called the friendship plant,” Leland Rowley said.
“When we first started the business it was because we loved plants but the more we do it it’s more about the community and being able to connect with them,” Rowley said. The store buys painted pots from local artists and sells them to help spread the art widely. Piep also extends its branches by working with local students from Riverside City College, California Baptist University and University of California Riverside. From business to marketing, photography, art and botany Piep also works to incorporate inter ns into their company
by highlighting the inter ns strengths. “We tr y to make it ver y useful for them, something they can also use on their resume,” Rowley said. The Piep family also reaches out to the community by having f ree or af ford able classes. The classes range from plant parenthood 101, repotting or their packed kid’s succulent classes. Leland is impressed that Piep’s classes have brought so much diversit y th rough the store’s door as they have been able to meet people of all walks of life and made amazing connections in their community.
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October 4, 2018
Life
‘The House with a Clock in Its Walls’ Based off the best-selling novel, the new film is sure to leave viewers terrified JORDAN MURILLO STAFF REPORTER
Master of terror, Eli Roth, directs his first PG-rated movie just in time for the Halloween season. “The House with a Clock in its Walls” is the story of a young orphan, Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) after a family tragedy forces him to move in with his uncle Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black) where the boy learns his uncle and his feisty neighbor Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) are powerful practitioners of magic. This leads to a search for a magical clock trapped within the walls of his house which has the power to bring about the end of the world. Throughout the movie Lewis learns new secrets, meets people he thought he would never meet and sees places he thought he would never see. It was a surprise to see Roth direct a PG-rated movie, compared to his earlier movie of this year, Death Wish, but it seems as if his edginess combined with the child-like whimsy of this movie creates a well-structured balance for the audience. It’s not surprising for a director such as Roth, who is known mostly for his rated R movies but a number of elements
COURTESY OF STORYTELLER DISTRIBUTION CO., LLC
From left, Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett), Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) and Jonathan Barnavelt (Jack Black) star in “The House With a Clock in its Walls.” with this movie bring a spooky, Yanessa Hernandez said. definitely brings the aesthetic of a better, big budget treatment. edgy and weird atmosphere. “I came in expecting this the old fashioned horror films of “The House with a Clock in Since the targeted audience movie to just be for my little that period. Its Walls” brings a special mix of was kids and families, others did sister but she was almost ready It feels as if it is given a spooky and whimsy while Black, not quite see it that way. to go home by the middle of it.” “Goosebumps” or a “Harry Blanchett and it’s cast create the “It was quite the opposite of The production design of the Potter” vibe, which brings back perfect chemistry formula for a a kid’s movie,” former student film takes place in the ’50s and ’90s young adult terror, but given new go-to Halloween classic.
Student white board drives interaction Located in the library, the whiteboard always has interesting questions to students BENJAMIN DE LEON ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
MICHELLE LEON | VIEWPOINTS
In the digital library’s entryway, a student adds her favorite show among many others. Week six brings challenges to students, but the whiteboard reminds students to enjoy the little things.
Whether you have gone to the library to print an assignment or to study, everyone has seen that whiteboard that displays a question for passing students to react to. Recently they had posed the question, “What is your favorite spot to hang out at on campus?” There were numerous responses like one that spiked conversation between students. One student wrote down “home!” and another placed a hyphen, agreeing. “It’s kinda fun seeing answers from everyone,” Riverside City College student, Christina Beckham said. The masterminds behind this
idea are librarians Daniel Sota and Shannon Hammock. “The questions cater to the time of the month or anything that students can relate most to, like ‘what is your favorite class this semester?’” librarian, Daniel Sota said. “It connects students to the library which is here for the student’s success.” On the other hand as the acquisition librarian, Hammock utilizes the whiteboard to know the students needs. For example, when posed the question of what books the library should have, Hammock made sure to buy almost 90% of them. Daniel Sota has been working at the RCC Digital Library for over a year now and has enjoyed watching students become more interactive with the whiteboard
over the semesters, despite having to cover up the occasional inappropriate response. There will be even more installations in the future. “(Eventually) there will be Dia de Los Muertos decorations and coloring sheets for students to enjoy and pass time with,” Sota said. Some students believe the whiteboard could also use improvements. “I would enjoy the whiteboard more if it focused on different issues rather than the school related topics.” student Jasmine Jimenez said. Perhaps changing to more hard-hitting questions may attract more students to getting more involved, mingling with their peers and making new friends.
Entertainment Briefs “Hidden Spaces, Secret Spaces: Conjurings of a Shaman”
Tombstone Cinema presents “The Goonies”
Riverside Art Walk
Riverside City College’s “Halloween Town”
Newsies - Performance Riverside
Santa Monica artist, John Greco’s intimate figures and fantastical landscapes explore the depths of human consciousness and emotion while evoking our deepest imagination. The exhibit runs from Sept. 25 to Nov. 30 in Quad room 140, with an opening reception Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Riverside Art Walk.
Tombstone Cinema presents a screening of “The Goonies” on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m at Evergreen Memorial Historic Cemetery. Attendees are encouraged to bring low back chairs or blankets to sit on. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite or at the gate for $15. Proceeds from the event benefit the cemetery.
Every first Thursday of the month is designated for Riverside’s own community of artists and art lovers. Various art galleries and museums in downtown Riverside are free and open to the public from 6-9 p.m. Artists from around the community also gather to sell their art at the event while some local eateries offer specials.
RCC’s annual Halloween Town comes back Oct. 28 from 5-9 p.m. The event offers activities, trick-or-treating and a costume contest. The costume contest is set to be held at 5 p.m. outside the Arthur G. Paul Quadrangle, games and trickor-treating will be inside from 6-9 p.m.
Based on the 1992 motion picture, Disney brings “Newsies” to life. Set in turn-of-the-century New York City, this Tony Awardwinning musical tells the story of when titans of publishing raise distribution prices at the newsboys’ expense. Tickets are available at performanceriverside. org
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SPORTS
October 4, 2018
“If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score.”
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- Vince Lombardi
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
Freshman wide receiver Tyler Kennedy makes a daring play on offense as he looks ahead of the gridiron for the next potential score at the 20-yard line.
RCC displays passing power
Tigers emerge victorious in their first home win ROBERT JOHNSON SPORTS WRITER
The Riverside City College Tigers clashed with San Diego Mesa Olympians on Saturday Sept. 29. The Tigers dominated this game from the very first snap with a final score of 49-21 in a game that would be the first victory earned at home. RCC now stands at 4-1 and the Olympians fall to a record of 3-2. The very first offensive play in the game resulted in a touchdown for the Tigers after running back Malik Walker ran 65 yards for the score. Walker did not get touched on the play, garnering momentum from the home crowd immediately. The Olympians would answer right back with a touchdown of their own on the following drive. F o r t h e Ti g e r s ’ s e c o n d possession of the game, quarterback Stone Smartt scrambled for a large chunk of yards and drew an additional 15 yards following a facemask penalty. On the Tigers’ last offensive possession of the first quarter, Smartt continued to pick apart the opposing defense using his speed and elusive talents to pick up yardage. Smartt would find receiver Tyrone Marshall in the
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
Sophomore Tyrone Marshall makes a critical touchdown giving RCC a 10 point lead in the first quarter against San Diego college. corner of the end zone for a another chance to continue to run passing touchdown. Marshall, up the scoreboard. soaring through the air, would Smartt continued to lead the make an incredible leaping catch charge on offense, throwing on the play to give the Tigers the a pair of touchdowns in the lead 17-7 at the end of the first second quarter. He would first quarter. find Melquise Stovall for a 6-yard To begin the second quarter, score, and would follow up with the Olympians had the ball a connection to wide receiver beginning their drive at the Jammal Houston for a 37 yard opposite 10 yard line. This gave touchdown, moving the score RCC a huge chance to strike, 30-7. This pass would stay the and take advantage of the poor longest receiving touchdown of field position. The defense would the night for the Tigers passing force a three and out possession game. receiving the ball back with Following the heightened
deficit, the Olympians looked determined to score, and that’s what they did, garnering a touchdown before the half, leaving the score 30-14. Coming into the second half, the Tigers continued to keep their foot on the gas and this time the running game had its time bloom after runningback Quincy Wimbish scored off of a 43 yard rush. RCC would end up getting another three points in the third thanks to kicker John Garibay ending the quarter with a 19 yard field goal, improving their score to 40-14. Smartt and company were still clicking however, throwing his fourth touchdown pass of the night to freshman receiver DeaQuantae Showers, making it his first touchdown of the season Before the night ended, the Tigers would capitalize off of an error made by San Diego, after the return man inadvertently gave up a safety drawing the final score to 49-21. It wasn’t only the offense that had a great night against the Olympians, the defense impressed as well. The Tigers defense shut down the running game for the Olympians, holding them to just 41 rushing yards off of 29 attempts throughout the game. Since the Olympians were forced to pass the ball, the Tigers handled the passing game well,
ending up with four sacks and two interceptions. Jose Ramirez lead the charge for the Tigers with 2.5 sacks, Daryl French and Nickolas Figueroa also got sacks combining for 1.5 sacks total. Along with both interceptions coming from safety Christian Swint and linebacker Ahjon White. The Tigers offense was rolling on all cylinders the whole game as Smartt led them with 352 total yards (257 passing yards and 95 rushing yards). Running backs Walker and Quincy Wimbish each got touchdowns and combined for a total of 146 rushing yards. “Preparation throughout the week led to the dominating performance,” Marshall said. “We practice hard and we play hard. Playing here is different feeling than playing somewhere else, we normally don’t lose here we go all out for our fans and make sure we get the job done.” Before this game the Tigers were ranked fourth overall in the Junior College Athletics Bureau and after this dominating performance the Tigers are letting everyone know that they are meant to be one of the top teams. Tigers take their bye over the next week as there will be no game Oct. 6, giving RCC the chance to rest before they face the Grossmont College Griffins at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 at Wheelock Stadium.
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October 4, 2018
Sports
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
Tigers take to training
Miranda Banuelos enters this 2018 season as a sophomore.
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
Sophomore Tian Daniels shoots a layup early in the game during a Ventura Tournament scrimmage game. Daniels accumulated 61 overall points across the 2017 basketball season as a freshman.
Both RCC basketball teams prepare for 2018 NICK PERALTA SPORTS WRITER
The California Community College Athletic Association basketball season is soon set to return Nov. 1st. For Riverside City College, the season will officially debut when the men’s team competes in the three-day long Ventura Tournament from Nov. 1-3. For the women’s team, their seasonal debut will take place at the Bakersfield Crossover tournament Nov. 2. Both teams had storied seasons in 2017 and both will look to come back in triumphant fashion. “Last year was a learning experience,” sophomore center Frankie McCoy said. “We had a tough run last year. I just want to bring the same energy. Bring in the knowledge from the guys
S P O R T s
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who taught us here last year and hand that down to the freshman.” The men’s team went a moderate 16-11 last year, enough to qualify for the 2017 Southern California Regional Playoffs. In the first round of the postseason, the Tigers defeated Cypress College, 78-62, to advance to the second round. There they faced Cerritos College in a thrilling showdown where the Falcons edged out the Tigers, 76-75, in triple overtime. Of the 27 total games played, the men’s team won seven games of 10 at home, while holding a more intermediate record in away games at 6-5. Andre Wilson also received some praise for ranking No. 15 in overall shooting percentage according to CCCAA. “This year we have a really tough schedule,” sophomore point guard Rico Tate said. “There isn’t just one team that we’re looking at. We’re coming Women’s volleyball The Riverside City College volleyball team recently garnered three straight wins over Golden West College, Santa Ana College and Cypress College. All teams rank within the Orange Empire Conference, giving RCC a boost in their divisional standings with a conference record of 3-1. The Tigers hold an overall record 9-4 and will next face off against Irvine Valley College at home Oct. 5.
after everybody. Whoever is on that list, we’re coming out to play.” The women’s team found success last year as well after going 20-10 last season and similarly reaching round two of the SCRP. They would lose to Mount San Antonio College, 8753, after successfully knocking off San Bernardino Valley College in the first round of the postseason. Multiple players would go on to win notable awards such as Dejah Wright and Kimari Hollis would win Orange Empire Conference All-Conference Awards while Joana Adams would take the CCCAA All-State award. Now looking ahead to the 2018, RCC recently competed at the per-seasonal Santa Ana College Showcase on Sept. 22, which saw the Tigers face off against a variety of opposition. Women’s water polo The women’s water polo team has been on a hot streak as of late, going 5-1 since Sept. 26 while also averaging double digit scores in all but one game. Sophomore center Kate Fox remains the top scorer on the team, having notched 40 total goals in 13 games. Now 9-4 overall, the Tigers find themselves ranked first in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) as they’re 2-0 within their division and next compete Oct. 10.
“Our strengths would be that we run the court pretty well,” Freshaman guard Dayna Dewitt said. “We have good chemistry. Better than at the start of our last season.” The scrimmage served to display the upcoming talent that would be exhibited throughout the upcoming season. “They worked hard and were challenged by some really good teams,” women’s basketball head coach Alicia Berber said. “They were able to beat L.A. Trade Tech and Allan Hancock. They were competitive with Pasadena and East L.A. College. We worked extremely hard and while it looked like we were going to get out-muscled by those teams, we weren’t because the girls really stepped up.” Berber, who is set to serve her 18th season as head coach, sees some challenges ahead as this season brings about a Men’s water polo The men’s water polo team continues to struggle after dropping to 5-7 and losing a hotly contested matchup in the second round of the Cal Baptist University (CBU) Lancer Joust Tournament against CBU, 15-4. Prior to this loss, RCC would take the first round against Mercyhurst University, 13-9. The Tigers next compete in the RCC Tournament which takes place here at the Wheelock Stadium Oct. 5.
predominantly new team as most of last year’s sophomores have moved on or graduated. “We’ll have to play some games before I see how unique they are,” Berber said. “They work hard. They’re a good unit. They are athletic. We have a lot of work ahead of us because we have a lot of freshmen coming in and we’re real guard heavy. However, I believe that they’ll work together and they’ll be a good unit.” With a new roster, a solid season to follow up on, and the eagerness to rise to the occasion, both teams are poised to return ready in fierce form. “The competition is a lot tougher this season,” sophomore Miranda Banuelos said. “I feel that we’re a lot better than we were last year and that we’re becoming stronger too. The biggest goal this season is winning state. Definitely.” Men’s cross country M e n’s c r o s s c o u n t r y represented well at the Orange Empire Conference Finals with multiple freshmen placing inside the top twenty. Freshman Tyler Graves finished in seventh place overall with a time of 21:38.57. Fellow freshman Mohammed Mohamed finished 18th with a time of 22:21.55. RCC will continue on after a short break when they return on Oct. 13 at the Highlander Invitational.
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October 4, 2018 Tell
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us what you think in a letter to the editor, in an email or use #RCCnow.
Stigmas on mental health
Expressing personal mental health issues should not be considered a sign of weakness
SAIDA MAALIN STAFF REPORTER
Its okay to not be okay. We are all battling something complex like every day anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder. T h e l a ck of e m ot io n a l understanding can oftentimes lead us into a dark abyss filled w it h s el f d ou bt , s a d n e s s , depression or other symptoms of an unhealthy cognitive imbalance. How we cope and react to these disturbances plays
a major part in our overall health. Be aware of your mental state. Are you finding yourself more sad than usual and unable to cope or grasp reality? Feeling stuck and hopeless? Is your anxiety paralyzing you with fear? Can you not function without abusing a substance of some sort? Expressing you r ment al health concerns is easier said than done. Some communities and cultures consider having such conversations a taboo. I grew up in a lower income community where I got to see a lot of individuals not get the help they needed because of the humiliation attached to being mentally ill. Mental health has had a negative stigma attached to it for what seems like since the beginning of time. Some families believed it was easier to just sweep the issue under the rug and not discuss it,
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON MOORE
while others went to the extremes of performing religious rituals that would supposedly heal the individual who was ill. The reality is, we are in different times and it is time we continue to strip the bad reputation mental health has had attached to it for so long. There will always be people
that do not support you, however that’s not a reason to not get the help you need. Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e U. S . Depa r t ment of Healt h a nd Human Services statistics and data gathered in 2017, one in five American adults experienced a mental health issue. That means there are more of us dealing with
Controversy in Kanye West’s ‘advocacy’
CLARISSA CORRAL STAFF REPORTER
K a n y e We s t h a s b e e n known through his career to be unapologetically egotistical, to some’s adoration, while also making controversial statements and decisions that mostly center around his favorite person., himself. “ We shou ld be able t o par ticipate in social media without having to show how many followers or likes we have. Just like how we can turn off the comments we should be able to turn off the display of followers. This has an intense negative impact on our self worth,” West said in a series of tweets Sept. 20. In one of his most recent Twitter rants, he made some very controversial claims in regards to self esteem and social media metrics. At first glance this call for reform may appear as West, perhaps for one of the few times ever, acting as an advocate for other people in regards to psychological and emotional health. This is highly unlikely to be the case.
He continues on in this issue claiming that people’s sense of self worth and lives are at stake. That people are defining themselves based on how many likes and followers they have and in some cases killing themselves over them. West proposes that all social media offer the option of its metrics being turned off. West even went as far as to discuss and share screenshots on Instagram of his conversations with Ben Schwerin, the Vice President of Partnerships at Snap, Inc. since 2015, and Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter. Both social media authorities appeared to take positively to West’s ideas. Schwerin called West’s ideas “really powerful and timely.” Dorsey, although also seeming to be in good spirits with West, focuses on a different impact that removing social media metrics would have. Instead Dorsey proposes that his hopes in the potential removal of followers and likes would be to “incentivize contribution to the global conversation and consciousness.” This is much different than specif ically suggesting that social media listing followers and likes is the cause of negative perception of one’s self worth, which Dorsey did not address in his response. Regardless of the measure of correlation between follower cou nts on Twit ter and low self esteem in today’s society, Schwerin is right. The presentation of this new idea by West is indeed “timely.”
West benefits and has become an expert at manipulating the media. Only now he has broadened his audience, moving beyond music to issues in society and politics.
West returned to Twitter and the public eye in April after a brief break. The tweets and statements made following his return do not exactly match the new and bizarre altruistic persona he is attempting to portray. Since and even somewhat before April, West has openly and emphatically expressed his love and admiration for President Donald Trump and like minds. He also had a stunt at TMZ headquarters. “ W he n you he a r a b out slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice,” West said. This impertinent claim struck a chord with many. “Frankly, I’m disappointed, I’m appalled, and brother, I am unbelievably hurt by the fact that you have morphed into something to me, that’s not real,” Van Lathan, TMZ reporter, said. Slavery was, is not and will never be a choice. However, the use of social media is a choice. A very real choice. Whether or not to be active participant on social media is most definitely a choice. And so by definition, keeping with the same perspective West took on slavery, it is also a choice
to define your self esteem and self worth based off of Twitter followers and likes. Although West has shed light on the important issue of the negative effects social media can have on us, his motive to do so is highly questionable. As king of controversy and self proclaimed “god,” West has built his career in conscientious efforts to go against societal norms with both his provocative nat u re and present ation of creative and offhanded music. It is for this reason why these recent developments are so “timely.” I t s o h a p p e n s We s t ’s upcoming album “Yandhi,” an allusion to Gandhi in which he will presumably again be channeling a guru like figure, was set to drop Sept 29. Although its release date was listed as Sept. 29, the same date West appeared on the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live,” the album was not released. It now has a new said release date of Nov 23. West did follow through with his SNL performance in which he was seen wearing a Make America Great Again hat. In addition to his controversially
these types of illnesses and less of us talking about it. There are better ways to c om mu n icat e a nd s up p or t anyone you may k now and even yourself. Remember to listen, avoid judgment, avoid using insensitive terms, have compassion, empathy and show support. Not eve r yone is h ip t o expressing thei r darkest ment al t u r moils and that’s understandable. Just know you are not alone. Riverside County offers a few outlets for the public to seek help, get information and support. In an emergency situation call 911. Help is available a nd accessible. When we talk about health let’s not just talk about physical health but whole health. Starting the conversation may be the hardest part, but it might turn out to be the best one you ever started.
loaded fashion choice, he gave an impromptu pro-Trump rant addressing his political stance and views. “It’s so many times that I talk to a white person about this, and they say, ‘How could you support Trump? He’s racist.’ Well if I was concerned about racism, I would have moved out of America a long time ago. We don’t just make our decisions off of racism. I’ma break it down to you right now: If someone inspires me and I connect with them, I don’t have to believe in all they policies.” West said. Tr u m p i s r e g a r d e d b y many as being blatantly racist and credited for creating an environment that is inviting to bigotry and racism alike. However, West makes strong claims that he can support Trump and not share all his beliefs and policies. If this is true, what is it about the president that West finds himself so attracted and connected to? Perhaps an ego almost the size of his own. What this all comes down to is West’s need to be the black sheep. West benefits and has become an expert at manipulating the media. Only now he has broadened his audience, moving beyond music to issues in society and politics. It i s d i f f ic u lt t o v ie w We s t ’s m o s t r e c e nt go a t humanitarianism as authentic. It is however very easy to see how he strategically brought forth this issue now to create a buzz around himself and the drop of his new album. Frankly, I am disappointed.
8
October 4, 2018
Views
Rape cannot be negligible When will society value a women’s severe trauma over her attacker’s future?
Editorial
America watched in varying degrees of emotional turmoil as the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for the allegations that have been made against President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Did Kavanaugh try to rape a 15-year-old girl when he was 17? Did he drag her into a bedroom, hold her down on a bed, grind on her, try to tear off her clothes and hold his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream? We don’t know and, honestly, the majority of the Republican party does not care. Chances are, they never did. A large contingent of Americans on social media are openly saying they don’t care if he’s guilty, coming up with a multitude of excuses on Kavanaugh’s behalf. “At seventeen, his brain was still developing, so his culpability is reduced.” “Hey, he was drunk when he did it. We all do stupid things when we’re drunk.” And most of all: “But it happened so long ago. There’s no indication he’s still like that. We’re really going to hold him responsible for something that happened so long ago?” We, the Viewpoints Editorial Board, believe that a woman’s trauma is more important than her male attacker’s future. There is no sober, cautious examination of the facts here from his supporters. All of these arguments rush to the conclusion that he did do exactly what Ford accuses him of doing. And they are okay with that. They’re willing to wave away the alleged violent attempted rape of a 15-year-old girls as inconsequential. Why? Part of the world wants to say that the GOP is so bristling with misogyny and the desperate need to appear masculine that they’re always willing to throw women under the bus when power is at stake. Look how readily they nominated, elected and continue to defend a confessed abuser who holds the highest office in the nation. More often than not, rapists receive slaps on the wrist and are allowed to get on with their lives, while their victims are often ostracized publicly. When a young man gets drunk and tries to rape a girl, there will always be someone to say he shouldn’t be punished too severely — shouldn’t lose his place on the team, shouldn’t be kicked out of school, certainly shouldn’t serve any jail time — because don’t you see, he has so much promise? This might damage his future. But what about her future? What about her? Who is thinking about the actual human girl in Christine Blasey Ford’s account, who allegedly wept and screamed and fought back, while those “promising” boys turned up the music and pushed her back onto the bed? The many who criticize the allegations as being “so long ago” will never acknowledge the nights Ford, or any person who has been sexually assaulted, has spent reliving that moment, over and over again. Stanford University’s Brock Turner was sentenced to six months, but only served three because he had “so much promise.” University of Colorado’s Austin Wilkerson raped an unconscious
IMAGE COURTESY OF MOBILUS IN MOBILI
girl after pretending to help her and was punished by having to sleep in jail, but went to school and work during the day. East Longmeadow High School’s David Becker got two years probation after raping two unconscious girls. Because those boys had such a bright future ahead of them. They’re just being boys! Society must start caring about the trail of traumatized girls they leave in their wake on the path to success.
Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.
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