Viewpoints Issue 5 October 31 by RCC Viewpoints

viewpoints

“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

VOL. 97, NO. 5 OCTOBER 31,

2019

An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.

WHAT’S INSIDE EDITORIAL

5 Violent video games vs. violent actions

Support Sisterz, including Katy Azevedo, leading off the combat walk at Norco College on Oct. 19.

CLARISSA CORRAL | VIEWPOINTS

Norco fights breast cancer

SPORTS

Nonprofit group collaborates with college to raise awareness of disease CLARISSA CORRAL STAFF REPORTER

7 Riverside football rises against Grossmont

LIFE

16 Halloween town comes to RCC

how it has affected their lives and the tremendous support events like Combat Cancer Walk bring to so many women and families. Keynote speaker and Support Sister Katy Azevedo, first diagnosed with Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 2004, addressed the rallying crowd. She talked about how hard her journey has been, especially having been further diagnosed with lobular cancer in one of her breasts in 2011. Wearing camo to represent her combat with cancer, Azevedo thanked not only those in attendance for the cancer walk, but her fellow Support Sisterz for their support and prayers. “I have already lived longer than my life expectancy. Thank you for all your prayers. It is because of all the prayers I receive that I am still here,” Azevedo said. Azevedo was followed up by fellow Support Sister, Layla Riley, who also thanked those in attendance for their support and good morale as she spoke about the importance of a woman battling breast cancer to have this kind of support. “You are all Sisterz. Even the men. We are all Sisterz here,”

Riley said as she rallied up the crowd before leading them in a prayer. “Anyone who is battling with breast cancer or are here supporting family and friends while they battle- we are all Sisterz here!” Not to go unnoticed was Vader ’s 501st Legion. Recognizable characters from the Star Wars series were in attendance to show their support for the cause. Characters such as stormtroopers and Dark Sith could be seen walking about. Children and adolescents alike were excited to see some of their favorite characters at the Combat Cancer walk. Vader ’s 501st Legion’s appearance lightened the mood of an already cheerful and emphatic crowd as they participated in the quick jazzercise session as a warm up for everyone who would be joining in the 5k walk. Perhaps the most popular member of the 501st Legion was the hot pink Stormtrooper. All the Sisterz in attendance who passed the finish line were given Combat Cancer Walk dog tags as memorabilia for showing their support for their fellow Sisterz and breast cancer survivors.

Guided Pathways to revolutionize RCC

INDEX NEWS VIEWS EDITORIAL SPORTS LIFE

Katy Azevedo was given special honors for her participation in the 4th Annual Combat Cancer Walk hosted at Norco College, as she actively battles cancer herself. Norco College campus was painted pink for the day with hues, from pale to hot pink as about a thousand participants and supporters wore all the pink clothing and accessories in support local cancer survivors. The Support Sisterz are a nonprofit organization embodied of breast cancer survivors who serve as a support group for each other and for the local community of people that are affected by breast cancer. San Bernardino and Riverside counties have had some of the highest breast cancer rates among California counties, according to the California Department of Public Health’s cancer registry. “Reasons could include that women, especially those who are poor and of color, get late or no preventive screenings,” reports the Press Enterprise. “Or they don’t have access to good nutrition, health care or

information. By the time they are diagnosed, they could be in the late disease stages, which could affect survival and recovery.” In 2016 the Combat Cancer Walk was born to help raise money so that the Support Sisterz could raise both awareness and money for those in the community who are battling breast cancer and or gynecological cancers and are in need of financial assistance. The Support Sisterz are a resource special to local survivors, as they cater specifically to those living in Corona, Norco, and Eastvale. Over the years the Support Sisterz have helped those battling with breast cancer by paying for: treatments and services not covered by insurance, copays and prescription fees, rent and utilities, as well as prosthetic bras, groceries, and even wigs. The event had many vendors set up throughout with food, activities for children as well as some that shared awareness for other important topics such as autism. Before beginning the actual 5k walk, there was an opening ceremony where some Support Sisterz/survivors spoke to the audience, sharing their personal struggles with breast cancer and

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ERIK GALICIA STAFF REPORTER

The way we think about a Riverside City College education is under reconstruction. This semester is RCC’s first in the official institutionwide implementation of the Guided Pathways framework,

an intricately designed system for mapping the educational paths of community college students. “The Guided Pathways framework is a nationwide approach to getting rid of the cafeteria-style model for students,” said RCC counselor Monique Greene. “What we realized is that students were swirling. They were taking as

many courses as they could with no clear defined direction.” The Riverside Community College District’s data indicates that it has taken RCC students an average of four to six years to earn an associate degree or transfer to a university. The research also shows that students were not completing the expected 30 units within one year, nor were first-year

students completing their mathematics and English requirements. “Come to find out, we need to support our students better,” Greene said. “What can we do to help them get in and get out and get them to their career of choice? What types of support are needed during that time?”

See GUIDED on Page 2

October 31, 2019

NEWS BRIEFS LGBTQ+ and Ally Social Riverside City College’s LGBTQ+ community and allies are invited to meet up for a social at the Riverside Food Lab on Nov. 1 from 3-6 p.m.

Marine Corp Veteran Riverside City College’s Student Veterans Association will be hosting a “No Limits” event with Oz Sanchez on Nov. 5 in the Ralph H. Bradshaw building’s Hall of Fame. Sanchez is a threetime paralympian, sixtime paralympian medalist Marine Corp veteran. This event is free and open to the public. President’s Dinner Riverside City College will hold its annual President’s dinner at the Riverside Convention on Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased on the Riverside Community College District’s website. ICPC Programming Competition Riverside City College will host the 20th annual SoCal International Computer Programing Contest in the Ralph H. Bradshaw building Nov. 9 at 8 a.m. Salute to Veterans Parade Staging Riverside City College’s Student Veterans Association will put on a Salute to Veterans Parade on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Parking Lot E. This event is free and open to the public. Veterans Day Riverside City College will be closed Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. To s t a y u p - t o date on upcoming events on campus, visit the Viewpoints calendar listed at viewpointsonline.org. If you have event happening on campus that you want to be featured on the calender, send information about the event to viewpoints. news@gmail.com.

News

Guided Pathways to revamp GUIDED from Page 1 RCC and Norco College were two of 20 California community colleges chosen to participate in the California Guided Pathways Project, which stretched from 2017 to this past September. Teams from the chosen colleges attended biyearly institutes where they received guidance on the creation and implementation of “clear pathways to high-quality credentials and ... management strategies needed to accomplish this goal.” The structure of Guided Pathways is made up of four pillars, beginning with clarifying the path. “In clarifying the path, you start looking at the end point … and then build the map backwards,” said district Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac. Isaac explained the district’s creation of nine “academic clusters,” some of which are STEM, health-related sciences and advanced technical trades, in order to simplify the pathway selection process for students. “The second pillar is to onboard students into these pathways,” Isaac said. “We wanted technology assisted onboarding into well-mapped out academic clusters. An onboarding should be very simple.” The chancellor likened E d u N a v, R C C ’ s o n l i n e registration system, to a GPS that “maps out the default path” for students depending on what academic cluster they enter. He explained that, like a GPS, EduNav can reroute students who have strayed from their paths so they can continue toward their educational destinations in a timely manner. “The third pillar is you have to make sure that students stay on the path,” Isaac said. “So they don’t drop out. So they don’t feel isolated.” RCC has placed a heavy focus on the creation of engagement centers and student success teams meant to help prevent the feeling of not belonging to the campus community and to provide assistance to students on a more personal level. There are five engagement centers throughout the RCC campus that cover the nine academic clusters. According to Isaac, the engagement centers will provide

“a structured but less formal way of learning outside the classroom” that creates a “sense of belongingness.” Although the reconstruction of education at RCC has been going on behind the scenes for a number of years, Isaac admitted that students have come and gone without ever knowing

Isaac said. “And we see a great deal of inequities.” According to the chancellor, it has been observed that Asian and Caucasian students are more successful than Hispanic and African-American students. One of the goals of Guided Pathways is to identify the root causes of these inequities

We have students from all walks of life, from different ethnicities and nationalities. And we see a great deal of inequities. -- Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac

of the support available to them. The administration is now trying to find ways to make students aware of the changes and new available resources. “We don’t have a very elaborate orientation to show them all the services and where they can be found,” Isaac said. “So through these engagement centers, we are providing ... services so that students experience this support inescapably. They cannot say they never knew it. If you are a chemistry student, you will never say, ‘Oh I didn’t know they had a lab,’ because it’s a requirement that you’ll be going to a lab.” The fourth pillar of Guided Pathways is to ensure that students are learning, which requires a complete re-examination of the way teaching and learning occurs in the college district. “We have students from all walks of life, from different ethnicities and nationalities,”

and bridge that success gap by creating a “bigger cultural competency and sensitivity in our faculty.” “When you look at our teachers, they are predominantly from one group,” Isaac said. “And they will teach the way they’ve always been taught how to teach. But now we have to start creating an awareness that our students come from different walks of life and our teachers must understand that our students’ needs differ.” Mark Sellick, the district Academic Senate president, explained that Guided Pathways is aiding the institution in its duty to combat the economic disadvantages that many students face. “A huge part of Guided Pathways here is to help people get out of the cycle of poverty and create conditions for a more just social order,” Sellick said. “In order to pursue those ends, you must understand the problems. We are dealing with

a large LatinX and AfricanAmerican population. How does the history of systemic racism affect them? What is being done about it? What should be done?” Sellick, who teaches political science at RCC, also explained the new framework’s focus on building students’ competence in their particular disciplines. “If someone is taking political science as a focus, we have to ask ourselves, ‘What are we giving them? What are they leaving with?” he said. “If we want students to be able to work on campaigns or run for office, we need to equip them for that. Do they need to be skilled writers? Critical thinkers? Skilled negotiators? Can they take on the identification of a person from a different culture? “That’s a different way of thinking of political science because it’s not just political science skills.” Chancellor Isaac suggested the need to improve teaching from simply lecturing facts to students into a participatory teaching and learning process that includes project-based teaching and the introduction of apprenticeships and internships. He expressed confidence that the grouping of over 20,000 RCC students into the designated academic clusters will allow the institution to efficiently track and support these students as necessary. This caseload model assigns each counselor about 500 students, but also provides two educational advisers to help each counselor as well as 10 tutors per discipline. “If we use people efficiently, we can do it,” Isaac said. According to the chancellor, the district has already seen its graduation rate start to rise and also expects a 100% transfer rate increase in the next five years. He explained that the former assessment-placement system was “psychologically devastating” to students and that this semester’s implementation of a state bill that allows students to bypass remediation is aiding students to accomplish their career and transfer goals. “Even if students were A students in high school but they failed our assessment, we took them through remediation,” Isaac said. “This is what we call the deficit-minded approach. Now, we don’t look at our students as coming to us with deficits. We look at them as coming to us with assets.”

News

October 31, 2019

Drag show canceled, breaks tradition CLARISSA CORRAL STAFF REPORTER

Riverside City College students missed out on what would have been a dramatic and fun display with the cancellation of this semester’s bi-annual drag show, organized by the Sexuality and Gender Acceptance Club. Formally known as the Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club, SAGA was unable to put together a drag show this semester, which was scheduled to happen Oct. 24. This is the first time in the history of the SAGA/GSA club that the drag show has been cancelled, breaking the event’s six year tradition. “It honestly has me disappointed, never did I think that we’d have to cancel our ongoing tradition this semester. All of us are really upset and stressed,” SAGA president Gabriela Mena said. SAGA is currently the only LGBTQ+ focused club on RCC campus, making their events and voice especially important for the representation of RCC’s LGBTQ+ students and allies. “The cancellation of this event could be pretty upsetting since some (students) aren’t even old enough to go to a club to see the (drag) queens perform. And that is because when our drag shows happen we often get approached by those who are not ready to be out and feel safe and comfortable and inspired … in front of people doing what they love or being who they were meant to be,” Mena said. “So I’m sure for some, if not all, will hit home. ” S A G A’ s d r a g s h o w cancellation was a result of insufficient funds, organization and not being recognized by the Associated Students of Riverside

STOCK PHOTO | VIEWPOINTS

Sexuality and Gender Acceptance Club, also known as SAGA, will not hold its semester drag show for the first time in six years. City College as an official club nearing the date the drag show was supposed to occur. “ASRCC didn’t see us as an official club at the time and were unable to do our Drag Show until they said we were, “ said Mena. “But by the time we were, it was too late and the queens and such were all booked with other shows and we didn’t have enough to pay for the queens with the budget.” Currently all fees have been paid by SAGA and they are supported by two advisers, Amanda Brown, associate professor of mathematics who has been anchoring the club for many years now and Robert Hyers, assistant professor in English. They are now officially recognized as a club again and will be able to move forward. ASRCC does not collaborate

with SAGA in throwing the drag show for students but have supported and promoted the event as well as RCC’s LGBTQ+ community and Pride related events in past semesters. “We just help celebrate Pride. We enjoy Pride. We encourage people to attend and enjoy the drag show that SAGA puts on. We always want to promote and support it,” ASRCC President Angel Contreras said. Although there was preparation on SAGA’s part to make the drag show happen, fees remained unpaid and ultimately interfered with the clubs ability to follow through with their plans. “It honestly could (have) been prevented if all fees were paid on time. But one member was having issues in paying their fees so it couldn’t be

helped,” Mena said. “When you’re a struggling college student trying to get by and with work sometimes you don’t always get money on time.” Contreras reassures the drag show will return in spring 2020. “(Students) should know that there is another (drag show) in Spring. That’s the one that really counts,” Contreras said. “The Spring drag show will go on close to Pride month. That’s where we go all out, that’s the one that really counts.” Perhaps most disappointed are the actual drag performers themselves, who look forward to the representation and exposure the show gives both the LGBTQ+ community as well as drag culture itself. “The experience of performing in the drag show is both daunting and fun,”

RCC student Damian Ewing said. Ewing has been a regular drag show performer in past semesters. “I think (cancelling) will definitely affect the visibility of the LGBT community on campus ... this is one of the times that we get to entertain the student body and be visible,” Ewing said. “When we don’t have the show we don’t get to do that and that’s very disappointing.” Mena said that SAGA intends to make up for this cancellation and any disappointment caused by it by making next semesters drag show bigger and better than those in the past. “We will definitely be making a comeback next semester, our tradition will not stop nor end,” Mena said. “Look out for us till then.”

UJIMA leads tours at Historically Black colleges JEROME WONG STAFF REPORTER

Riverside City College took 27 students on the 5th annual Historically Black College and Universities tour to Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania from Oct. 8-12. The students visited Howard University, Lincoln U n i v e r s i t y, B o w i e S t a t e University, Hampton University and Norfolk State University over the course of five days sponsored by the RCC Student Equity program which deals with the inequalities that RCC students face. Many students that attended the field trip are in the UJIMA club. K r i s t i Wo o d s , d e a n o f instruction, alongside of RCC counseling faculty member Micheal Love chaperoned

UJIMA students. UJIMA is a program that offers learning communities and a club that offers opportunities and support for ECC students to achieve their academic goals similar to the purpose of HBCUs. “I expected to see students and faculty like me but the experience surpassed my expectations because just as current (HBCU) students said HBCUs open doors for us. For example Norfolk waived the application and essay requirement and the other campuses were so welcoming and you can tell they were willing to do anything on their end to ensure we are able to reach that next level in our educational journey,” UJIMA vice president Roryana Bowman said. Students from different

ethnicities are in UJIMA so the club isn’t exclusively for Black people. This is also represented at the HBCUs where folks from all walks of life are there. According to the National Center For Education Statistics, “ in 2017, non-Black students made up 24% of enrollment at HBCUs, compared with 15% in 1976.” “I just really wanted to see the environment of the school up close and see what there is to offer traveling to the east coast. You could see yourselves there more when you’re physically there apart from other schools,” RCC student Garnett Smith III said. “I just visited UC Merced this past weekend and it was empty because it was the weekend, dry, and in the middle of nowhere. I felt more welcome at the other HBCUs because they were more welcoming

which was nice.” “This is a fantastic opportunity for our exceptional equity students to be able to explore the possibility of attending an HBCU. BUCUs produce a significant number of the African American college graduates and students who attend professional graduate programs and who subsequently enter the professions such as business, education, law, medicine, engineering and dentistry,” Woods wrote in a letter to staff.

JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS

October 31, 2019

Views

It is the duty of the newspaper to comfort the inflicted and inflict the comfortable. - E. K. HORNBECK

Juvenile sentences unfair Adolescents serving jail time without parole should be considered unconstitutional

SILDA MARTINEZ STAFF REPORTER

It is shockingly easy for an adolescent to be manipulated, due to the fact that their brain has not yet fully developed. “Research on adolescent brain development confirms the common sense understanding that children are different from adults in ways that are critical to identifying age appropriate criminal sentences,” according to an article by The Sentencing Project. So how is it still fair for juveniles to be sentenced to life without parole when they have not even fully developed their adult brain? It’s simply not. Lee Boyd Malvo was a 17 year old who was convicted for helping John Allen Muhammed murder 10 people during the DC sniper shooting. He was sentenced to life without parole by a Virginia judge. “Malvo, who was allegedly brainwashed by Muhammad, now profoundly regrets his

IMAGE COURTESY OF CANSTOCK

act ions and seeks a new sentence under Montgomery,” accord i ng to a n a r t icle by Slate. In 2018, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Malvo did have a right to resentencing to determine rather his crimes reflected permanent incorrigiblity. “Ju ve n i le s a r e n o t a s criminally culpable as adults and have a greater capacity to change, so required judges to consider as mitigating factors youth and its attendant characteristics, such as impulsivity, failure to appreciate risks or consequences and susceptibility to familial or peer pressure,” according to an article by Governing. I n t h e U. S . t h e r e a r e approximately 2,310 juveniles s e nt e n c e d t o l i fe w it hou t parole. Juveniles as young

as 13 are sentenced to life in prison without any opportunity for release. “For 59% of youth sentenced to life w it hout pa role, t he charge was their first offense,” according to an article by Shared Justice. By sentencing juveniles to such harsh punishments on their first offense, the criminal justice system is not allowing any i n herent dif ferences between a youth and an adult. In 2012 the Court barred mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles in all cases. “Every case turned on the developing awareness that young people are ‘constitutionally different’ from adults — less in control of their emotions and more able to change over time — and should be punished

differently,” according to an article by The New York Times. Two court rulings, Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs cases, lead to the decision that juveniles could not be sentenced under any circumstances to life without parole for non homicide offenses. Even when convicted of murder, the cour t said a juvinile’s age must be considered into account along with other relevent cicumstancess. The constitution prohibits mandator y juvenile without parole sentences as it violates the eighth amendment, especially when the sentence is determined before crimes reflect permanent incorrigibility, according to Slate. This forbids all juvenile w i t h o u t p a r ol e s e n t e n c e s unless prosecutors have proved permanent incorrigibility.

This does not go to say that juveniles do not deserve punishment for their crimes. Of course they do, but due to the stage of life they are in, they should not get a second chance taken away. The adolescent can use the time they serve as time for rehabilitation, to reflect back on the consequences of their crimes. During their rehabilitation time they still have that hope of being granted parole and being able to show their change and regret toward the crime they committed. Being sentenced without parole should be reserved solely for those u ncom mon cases where the juvenile offender truly exhibits such irretrievable depravity that rehabilitation is impossible.

“I don’t t h i n k it’s t hat i mpor t a nt. I mea n cli mate change is important, but not in the context of the next election. There are other issues that need to be brought to the forefront like student debt. That’s a pretty big issue concerning us students. I am not sure if immigration even tops that, but climate change is important, but not as important as other issues.” -Brent Oculam

“I am a neutral and I like to look at the facts of everything. But it’s really hard to honestly figure who is telling the truth versus who is blowing smoke about climate change. I agree that yes the planet is getting warmer. We are burning too many fossil fuels, but I wouldn’t believe that 100 years of using a car has screwed up the planet to the point of no return.” -Andrew Mandonca

“It’s really important to me. Every time the ice keeps melting, the sea levels just keep rising. Which also causes the polar bears to lose their habitat. It’s pretty sad because they are losing their homes and their lives. It should be talked about more because it’s definitely going to be something that affects us as well.” -Joel Lopez

“Yes, I think that everyone should know about it. If more people knew about it then they would be aware of the consequences.” -Natalie Jimenez

“Honestly, I believe it needs to be talked about more. Climate change is a real thing and I don’t think people take it seriously” -Shelby Webb

“I would say that climate change seems like a card that every politician wants to use in order to get more votes. I don’t think it’s being taken as seriously as it should be.” -Aaron Fernandez

“In regards to future generations, I feel like we owe it to them. Just like the past generations owed it to us to do something about the climate. As an individual, I am only able to express my voice, but I feel like a lot more people can do it.” -Leif Millennium

“I just feel like this issue of climate change is more than this election. It’s more of an issue that we should all be thinking about it now.” -Ixsel Caudillo

Campus Conversations

How important is the topic of climate change to you in regards to the upcoming 2020 election?

Interviews and photos by Jonathan Ramirez

Campus Conversations is an open forum for Riverside City College students to voice their own opinions, views and ideas.

Views

October 31, 2019

Violent video games blamed

Editorial

Politicians are quick to point a finger after mass shootings

IMAGE COURTESY OF CANSTOCK

In a country where multiple mass shootings can occur within a 24-hour period, many parents and politicians have pointed a collective finger at video games. It is easy to blame violent and gory video games for an uprise in domestic acts of terror. However, this blame game acts as a temporary distraction from the bigger picture. The political climate has been flooded with headlines of mass shootings across the country and video games have become synonymous with these stories. More specifically violent video games much like the “Grand Theft Auto” and “Call of Duty” franchises. Reports like this can be traced back to the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 where politicians and experts blamed the shooters actions on the game “Doom.” However later studies show no correlation between video games and mass shootings. Even recently, since Trump stated that video games were to blame for the El

Paso shooting, several news sources backed by research claim that there is no link between video game violence and mass shootings. Many forms of media like video games, music, comic books and television shows have been scrutinized for depicting imagery that goes against America’s Puritan values. In focusing on the things that are a threat to American values, we lose track of what is actually impacting the youth. Other countries have access to violent video games and other media but the U.S. far surpasses others in violent gun deaths. Hate and xenophobia, easy access to firearms, and poor access to comprehensive education and psychological health services are a few things that cultivate the volatile environment in the U.S. Compared to simulated violence, physical violence is much more likely to cause adolescents and young adults to act out aggressively. Abuse and neglect can

manifest outwardly, in some cases, as behavioral issues or mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. If politicians were actually worried about violence in kids they would focus on making mental and behavioral health services more accessible, especially to people of color and youth experiencing poverty and hardship. Federal justice officials have allowed young white men to shirk responsibility for their actions by villainizing violent media while young people of color struggle against racial disparities in the educational and justice systems. Video games do not make young people violent, and the presence of some exceptions does not make it a strong enough argument for a nuanced issue that does not have a simple solution. The focus needs to be moved to restructuring how we handle the challenges that face the younger generation. Challenges like White supremacy, institutional racism, mental health stigma, gun control laws, the school to prison pipeline and many more.

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

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Angel Peña (951) 222-8488 viewpoints@rcc.edu MANAGING EDITOR Diana Cabral viewpoints.managing@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Samantha Bartholomew viewpoints.advertising@gmail.com JOURNALISM SPECIALIST Matt Schoenmann matthew.schoenmann@rcc.edu FACULTY ADVISERS Allan Lovelace Matt Schoenmann

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ILLUSTRATOR Melissa Mills

REPORTERS Clarissa Corral Jennifer Estrada Erik Galicia Monserrat Garcia Daniel Hernandez Yesenia Huby

Jonathan Ramirez Mia Magaña Silda Martinez Melissa Mills Zane Mudron Jair Ramirez

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“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” - Mike Singletary

Quarterback

SPORTS

October 31, 2019

tandem dominates STEPHEN PELTZ & DANIEL HERNANDEZ STAFF REPORTERS

Riverside City College started week six slow and sloppy, but turned around to defeat Grossmont College in dominant fashion 55-12. The first quarter was highlighted by penalties and turnovers by the Tigers. The first turnover came from Mike Irwin, the sophomore quarterback, who fumbled the ball resulting in a first and 10 for Grossmont. The second fumble came during wide receiver Isaiah Leeth’s only rushing play of the game resulting in another Grossmont first down. Things started to click for the Tigers on the final drive of the first quarter. Quarterback Mike Irwin connected with wide receiver Dylan Laurent for a 65yard touchdown showing that Grossmont’s defense had to step up if it wanted to stop RCC’s high powered offense. The second half was promising for the Tigers as their future with quarterback Jacob Barlage grew stronger. Instead of relying on his arm to make deep passes, they had Barlage make short precise passes and had him hand the ball off more than he has this season. He was able to command the offense and lead them to long, time-consuming drives into Grossmont’s endzone. With the Tigers using a two quarterback system, each quarterback has their own strengths and weaknesses. However, each quarterback is getting almost equal playing time and this scheme has been successful for the Tigers. Quarterbacks Mike Irwin and Jacob Barlage played phenomenally during this game. Irwin was 21-31 throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns while Barlage was 16-26 throwing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. The defense was also slow to get started as they did not show up until the second quarter. When the Tigers defense finally came together, they dominated the Griffins offense. Grossmont was forced to punt on almost every possession they had, which both re-energized RCC’s defense after their sloppy start and caused the Griffins to make more offensive mistakes as time went on. Among the defensive players, linebackers Kue Olotoa and Manu Ta’a, defensive end Randall Turner and cornerback Shawn Dourseau led the defense against Grossmont. Combined, the quartette had two sacks, one interception and 12 tackles.

ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

October 31, 2019

Spo

The Riverside City College Tigers dominated on all fronts beating Saturday Oct. 26. RCC moves on to 7-0 on the season and tied fo

orts

9 Special teams shine in 56-12 blowout

October 31, 2019

JAIR RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER

ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

Golden West 56-13 on or first in the state.

Special teams played a huge roll in RCC’s victor y ret u r n i ng t wo pu nt s for touchdowns. A special night fo r s p e c ia l t e a m s a nd t he d efe n s e a s R ive r sid e Cit y College trounced Golden West College 56-13 on Oct. 26 at Wheelock Stadium to remain undefeated. ”T hey made some big plays for us,” said Riverside Cit y College football head coach Tom Craft. Freshman defensive back Shawn Dorseau scored the f irst of his t wo touchdowns on a 86-yard punt ret u r n a nd f re sh m a n w ide receiver Rolandiss Whitener Jr. returned another punt 87 yards for a touchdown. The special teams unit also blocked an ext ra point and gave RCC great field position throughout the game with big k ick ret u r ns a nd excellent coverage team defense pinning GWC deep on their side of the field. “I think coverage wise and return wise we did a good job,” said Craft. RCC started shakey with three turnovers in the first six minutes of the game, but their defe n se held Golde n We st College to only six first half points and took a 28-6 lead into halftime. The defense had a strong third quarter shutting out GWC as Dorseau capped off his big night with a pick six. “Overall they struck well, t hey swa r med ,” said Craf t about the defense. Most of RCC’s offense came through the g rou nd with 177 yards rushing. Sophomore running back Jamon McGlory ran for 71 ya rd s on n i ne at tempt s and scored two touchdowns, sophomore quarterback M i ke I r w i n sc r a mble d for 43 y a r d s a n d r a n o n e i n . I r w i n completed 11 out of 22 passes for 124 yards and threw one touchdown and two interceptions as he took most of the teams snaps. Irwin and freshman Jacob Barlage were splitting quarterback duties all season, but Barlege saw limited act ion agai nst GWC. Wit h this victory RCC is 2-0 in the Orange Empire Conference and 7-0 overall. “It’s not where we want to be yet, when we figure it out we can be pretty good,” said Craft on RCC’s season.

October 31, 2019

Sports

DIANA CABRAL | VIEWPOINTS

Members of the Riverside City College’s women’s volleyball team make their signature hand shake during a huddle during a time out against Cypress College.

Tigers fall to Cypress College Riverside City College w o m e n ’s v o l l e y b a l l t e a m made fierce plays on Friday Oct. 25 against the Cypress College Chargers. The Tigers showed promise as they played well together, but ultimately lost. The team’s spirits were still high as they played throughout the game. Only winning two games out of their last four has caused the Tigers to have an even record nearing the end of their season. In conference matchups they are 4-6

with only six games remaining on the season they are trying to keep t h e i r p l a y o ff h o p e s a l i v e with wins in the coming weeks. The toughest opponents they will face are Orange Coast College, Fullerton College, and Irvine Valley College. The tigers have not won a game against these teams this season. Three of the last five games of the season will be at home for the Tigers. With a home court advantage RCC has the upper hand.

Sports

OCTOBER 31, 2019

November S

TH Halloween

Cross Country Men Men’s Water Polo & Womens OEC Riverside at Pomona-Pitzer Championship Colleges @ 2 p.m. Irvine Park at 10 a.m. Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Landis Performing Arts vs Pasadena City “We Center 7 p.m. Play Hard Tournament” at Men’s Basketball Ventura College @ 3 p.m. Riverside vs. Palomar Women’s Baskeball College @ Ventura College RCC @ Backersfield Crossover Tournamnet at College Backersfield 12 p.m. Crossover at 7 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball Football

7 Men’s Water Polo

Volleyball Riverside at Irvine Valley OEC @ 6 p.m.

Riverside vs OEC Championships @ Golden West @ TBA

Ventura vs Riverside @ 6 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

Men’s & Women’s Cross Country Championship

Men’s Basketball

vs Southern California Championship @ Mission Bay Park 10 a.m.

Football

Riverside @ Fullerton OEC @ 6 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Water Polo

Men’s & Women’s Waterpolo

OEC Championship at Golden West College TBA

Riverside vs OEC Champions @ Golden West TBA

Womens Basketball

Women’s Basketball

Riverside “ Earn Our Stripes” Tournament TBA

RCC at Southwestern College @ 7 p.m.

Volleyball

Men’s Basketball

Saddleback vs RCC at 6 p.m.

RCC “Earn Our Stripes” Tournament @ TBA

Riverside at San Bernardino Valley 1 p.m. RCC vs Orange Coast College @ 6 p.m.

Riverside “Earn Our Stripes” Tournamnet TBA

Men’s Basketball

Volleyball

Riverside @ Long Beach College 6 p.m.

Santiago Canyon at RCC @ 6 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Waterpolo

Voleyball Riverside @ Orange Coast College OEC at 6 p.m.

Men’s & Women’s Water Polo CCCAA So-Cal Championships @ RCC TBA

Men’s & Women’s Water Polo CCCAA So-Cal Championship @ Riverside City College TBA

CCCAA Southern California Championships at RCC TBA

Football RCC vs Saddleback College at Mission Viejo High School @ 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Women’s RCC @ Palomar TournaBasketball ment at TBA

Women’s Basketball

Women’s Volleyball Men’s Basketball

RCC at Palomar College Tournament TBA

Victor Valley College at RCC @ 6 p.m.

RCC at LA Valley College @ 5:30 p.m.

RCC @ Palomar Tournament TBA

Men’s & Women’s Waterpolo

Men’s & Women’s Cross Country

RCC vs CCCAA State Championships TBA

CCCAA RCC vs State Championship @ 10 a.m. at Woodward park.

Men’s & Women’s Waterpolo RCC vs CCCAA State Champions@ Golden West College TBA

Men’s Basketball RCC at LA Valley College @ 5:30 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball

26 Women’s Volleyball RCC at CCCAA Southern Regionals - Round One TBA

All dates and times are subject to change

Thanksgiving

RCC at CCCAA Play-In Round @ Higher Seed TBA

Women’s Volleyball RCC at CCCAA Southern Regionals - Round Two @ Higher Seed TBA

12 October 31, 2019

LIFE

“I’m grateful to all the non-risk-takers” -

Sturgill SimpSon

COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

‘Sound and Fury’ album review

Country star digs deep and makes a dystopian rock album that is influenced by his past ANGEL PEÑA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

C o u n t r y r e b e l S t u rg i l l Simpson takes an unexpected turn in his 4th album release. “Sound and Fury” is an album that fans did not know they needed. When artists decide to reimagine their sound it usually ends in a complete disaster. However with Sturgill S i m p s o n ’s a l b u m “ S o u n d and Fury” it is the complete opposite. Instead of revamping his sound and having it flop on the charts, Simpson followed his instinct and cultivated a sound that transcends decades and

speaks volumes about his ability to make music. Simpson and company start out the album with a moody instrumental in “Ronin” that bleeds seamlessly into track two “Remember to breathe.” With guitar riffs and sounds inspired by ZZ Top and Black Sabbath, Sturgill brings together his early music influences to create a punchy bass driven track in “Sing Along” that really gets the album going creating a form of boogie rock that really gets the listener moving. Intertwined with grungy vocals and upbeat bass lines of the album lies a track with an intro that seems to be straight out of Metallicas playbook.

With an intro that comes in at two minutes and eight seconds “Make art not friends” takes you through a slow melodic build up that leads you straight to Sturgills calming yet rugged voice talking about how life goes on and that he’s better off alone making music instead of friends. Fast forward to track nine, “Mercury in retrograde,” is an upbeat callout to journalists and media who try to be friendly to get interviews but not being genuine. “Mercury must be in retrograde again but at least it’s not just hangin’ around, pretendin’ to be my friend,” sings Simpson. After winning a grammy

for best country music album in 2017, he did not have prove himself in that genre anymore. Simpsons took his early music influences along with the influences of his band members and created something that is genuine to not only himself but everyone who worked on the album. Paired with the albums release, Simpson got together with Japanese director Jumpei Mizusaki to create a Netflix animated dystopian film with “Sound and Fury” as the films soundtrack. The perfect pair gives the listener a moody animated visual to go along with the already deep and complex emotions of the album.

Track List 1

Ronin

Remember to Breathe

Sing Along

A Good Look

Make Art Not Friends

6 Best Clockmaker on Mars 7

All Said and Done

Last Man Standing

Mercury in Retrograde

Fastest Horse in Town

October 31, 2019

Life

November S

TH Halloween Day

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4 Meatless Monday Outreach 1a.m. to 1 p.m. Bookstore Promenade

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

6 Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Veterans Day Campus closed

18 Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spring Awakening 7-9 p.m. Landis Performing Arts Center

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

U.S. Census Information 8-11:30 a.m.

ASRCC Tiger Pride Fatemeh Burnes 12-2 p.m. Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Steps Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. STEM Active Learing Seminar 5-8pm Charles A. Kane Building 140

Blizzard Employee David Loung 1-3 p.m. Digital Library Auditorium

International Education Speaker Digital Library Auditorium

Taste of Nations 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quadrangle

Movie Night The Biggest Little 6-8 p.m. Community Garden

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Meatless Monday Vendors 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Quadrangle

Movie Night The Biggest Little 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quadrangle ASRCC Sponsered Voter Registration Bookstore Promendade

Day of Thanks 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Quadrangle

Thanksgiving College Closed

Thanksgiving bag day 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ralph H. Bradshaw Hall of Fame

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quad Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All dates and times subject to change

Big Orange Classic 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wheelock Stadium

9 Praise Pride and Perfection 6:30-8:30 p.m. Digital Library Auditorium

Fatemeh Burnes Solo Exhibition Quadrangle Art Gallery 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

October 31, 2019

Life

JONATHAN RAMIREZ | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College students participate in the annual pumpkin carving contest on the Aguilar Patio. First place winner Victor Agbelusi (middle photo) carves his award-winning pumpkin Oct. 24.

Annual pumpkin carving faceoff T he a n nu a l R ive r sid e Cit y College P u mpk i n C a r v i ng Ba sh ho s t e d by ASRCC wa s a g r aveya rd smash. All the clubs that participated include: Above and Beyond, Alpha Gamma Sigma, Animal Alliance, Art Club, Astronomy Club, K Culture Club, Law Society Club, Overf low, St udents Orchestrating Change Club, Table Top Enthusiast, Ujima, and Universal Gaming Club. This spooky event took place at the Aguilar patio next to the cafeteria. Since the moment that the students heard the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;goâ&#x20AC;? they instantly began to show their creative prowess on behalf of their club.

Some st udents brought extra items to add to their own pumpkins to look like cha r a cter s f rom A l ice i n Wonderland like Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter to unique characters of their own. Students had over an hour to complete their carvings b efo r e t h e ju d ge s wou ld a n nou nce t he w i n ner s of this years Pumpkin Carving Bash which were Ujima in first place, Overf low Club in second place, and Art Club in third place. The second and third place winners walked away with skull trophies while the f irst place winner walked away with bags of candy and a gold skull trophy.

Life

October 31, 2019

DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College dean of student services is inerviewed in his office on Oct. 17. He speaks on his goals and accomplishments as dean.

New dean on the block

Thomas A. Cruz-Soto Jr. sparking change at RCC DANIEL HERNANDEZ STAFF REPORTER

It has been almost a year since the new dean of Student Services has arrived at RCC and he has already made some positive changes to the campus. L a s t N o v e m b e r, R C C found a new hire, Thomas A. Cruz-Soto Jr. to fill the position of dean of Student Services. “He has done an amazing job at learning how the system works.” said Mary Renteria, a student services faculty member. “He is constantly working on different projects for the school.” One of these projects that he has aided in creating is the Career Closet. It is a new service at RCC where the community can donate their old professional attire and casual wear so that students who are in need of attire for

interviews or presentations can come and receive clothes free of charge. “What we found was that there was a great need for students that were either transitioning into a career or having a life event… but the cost of these things may not be in everyone’s means,” Dean Cruz-Soto said. “So the Career Closet offers an opportunity for folks to feel and look their best while they are pursuing milestones in their lives.” The new dean also expressed that he would like to begin exploring projects that provide support to RCC’s student veterans, homeless students and formerly incarcerated students. “One of the things I’d like to see is really expanding the awareness of our veterans on our campus,” Cruz-Soto said, “and how do we honor them and support them more.” Collaboration is key when

it comes to creating new services for the students here at RCC. Cruz-Soto hopes to create opportunities where students can speak with him about the campus and their needs. “I want to be a part of student engagement inside and outside of the classroom,”Cruz-Soto said. “I want to know when students are doing extremely well and when they are not doing well.” Cruz-Soto said he understands that many students go through struggles, whether it is a personal or academic struggle, and how he aims to help those students who are in need. He spoke about the reason for coming to RCC was because he felt that he could relate best with the lives of the students here at the campus. This is because Cruz-Soto grew up in New Jersey with a family of 11.

“My great grandmother took care of everybody,” said Cruz-Soto, “and she did it with a $10,000 income and some food stamps.” It was through this hardship that Cruz-Soto pursued entering higher education. Cruz-Soto has an Ed.D in Executive Leadership in Higher Education Management and a Masters Degree in Higher Education Administration from Rowan University. He was also the dean of Campus Life, the dean of Multicultural Affairs, and the director of ALANA Cultural Center for Colgate University before moving to California to fill the position of Cal Poly Pomona’s Associate Vice President and Dean of Students for the Division of Student Affairs in 2017. He expressed that his experience growing up can be vital to changing RCC and helping create new services to

further enhance and improve the learning conditions for many of the students here. “As I was picking a school, the things that I was looking for was can I really help the students here” Cruz-Soto said. “But then also do the students reflect my values of who I was coming up.” He is no stranger to impacting the lives of students within college campus. At Colgate University he received multiple Torch Medals, an award given by alumni to faculty members who really impacted them at their time at Colgate University. When asked about what message he wants to convey to the students at RCC, he said to never give up. “If you have drive, you can escape almost any situation,” Cruz-Soto said, “If somebody extends a hand to help, take advantage of that opportunity.”

Life

October 31, 2019

ANGEL PEÑA AND DIANA CABRAL | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College’s clubs show their Halloween spirit with RCC’s annual Halloween Town on Friday Oct. 25. The Quad was decked out with decorations from each club where club members pass out Halloween candy to all of the children in attendance.

Halloween comes to RCC Every year clubs on campus assist in celebrating Halloween with the local comunity. Parents and their children were invited to participate at Riverside C i t y C o l l e g e ’s a n n u a l Halloween Town event. The event took place in the Quadrangle on Friday Oct. 25 from 5 - 8 p.m. and is directed toward children ages 11 and under. Several of the college’s clubs helped decorate the event as well as host their own themed booths. Many activities were available for the children in attendance, including arts and crafts, a costume contest and a maze. While many clubs p a s s e d o u t c a n d y, t h e Photography Club had a photo booth set up with a full green screen for

people to pose alongside various Halloween themed caricatures. Throughout the Halloween themed event there were dancers, jacko’-lanterns and inflatable props. The lawn was also adorned with small gravestones. There was also a Day of the Dead booth set up by the Puente Club with accompanying decorations and an ofrenda. This complemented the high percentage of Latinx members of the community on campus and was very popular. Many parents and families in Riverside flock to Halloween Town every year to take their children to a safe and fun alternative to trick-or-treating in unknown neighborhoods in the evening.