Viewpoints Vol. 99 Issue 14

viewpoints R

“To live an ethical life is to be held accountable for history.”

-Cathy Park Hong

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VOL. 99, NO. 14 MAY 27,

2021

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

VISIT OUR WEBSITE VIEWPOINTSONLINE.ORG

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @RCCVIEWPOINTS

Convicted sex offender runs unopposed Shades of 2013 in student government presidential election

BY ERIK GALICIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For the second time in eight years, a convicted sex offender ran unopposed for the Associated Students of Riverside City College presidency.

Albert Jaramillo, 45, was charged in 2011 and convicted in 2014 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

His past was exposed to

unknowing ASRCC members during a recent Inter-Club Council meeting when a student expressed concern in the Zoom chat. Jaramillo said he addressed the student’s comments with other council members after the meeting.

ASRCC held a live forum allowing students to question election candidates May 12.

According to sources, no one questioned Jaramillo about his

conviction during the meeting.

“This is public knowledge,” he said. “I’m not going to say, ‘Hey, my name’s Albert, I’m on the Megan’s Law.’ If you confront me, I will address it.”

Some students called for Jaramillo to address it during a second live forum.

According to an anonymous source, Student Activities coordinator Deborah Hall was approached about such a forum

but said the proposal must go through RCC administrators and the Riverside Community College District Human Resources Department.

Hall said via email that a written response to Jaramillo’s situation is in progress but did not agree to an immediate interview May 13.

Jaramillo said he would be willing to address the matter during a live forum with the

student body, but would not go into detail about his conviction.

Tristin Morales, Jaramillo’s running mate, said he was aware of the conviction before they decided to run for office.

“It was not my place to really say anything to the students since it is his personal life,” he said.

Morales said he is not judging Jaramillo for his past and bases

See ASRCC on page 4

ASRCC holds second candidate forum

BY DANIEL HERNANDEZ MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

The Associated Students of Riverside City College hosted a virtual town hall that gave students an opportunity to question the candidates running in a special election.

The ASRCC Supreme Court decided to hold a special election after the initial election May 1213 failed to gather the minimum 100 votes required by ASRCC’s bylaws. The court’s decision included hosting a public forum that took place over Zoom and Instagram Live May 24.

Presidential candidate Albert Jaramillo spoke about the experience he carries both from his time in the military and as Inter-Club Council director.

He also elaborated on the goals he wishes to achieve during his tenure as ASRCC president.

“One of the major things I want to do next year if I’m elected is collaboration within RCC,” Jaramillo said. “We are all students that go to the same school. Let’s interact a little bit more.”

Tristin Morales, the vice presidential candidate, followed u p J a r a m i l l o ’s s e n t i m e n t ,

See FORUM on page 4

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DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS

The Associated Students of Riverside City College is comprised of elected student-officials that represent the student body.

Students voice concerns at meeting

BY CHEETARA PIRY NEWS EDITOR

Several students expressed their discomfort toward Riverside City College’s student government after its presidential candidate’s sex offense conviction came to light.

Students voiced their concerns during the open forum section of an Inter-Club Council meeting May 17 about the position the candidate may hold.

Stefany Moctezuma, ASRCC vice president, addressed the students on behalf of candidate Albert Jaramillo.

Caresse Boulter, a former

ASRCC member, said they asked Jaramillo to step down during a recent private meeting.

But Moctezuma argued that sexual assault survivors cannot ask Jaramillo to stop his candidacy and student government could not ask him to step down “just because they are uncomfortable.”

“I’m sorry, but that trauma is always going to be there,” she said. “You cannot just move people out of your way because you went through this. Other people do not stop just because you guys are uncomfortable.”

Nico Hughes, a Model United Nations member, said students’

intention is not to make Jaramillo disappear.

“It’s just they don’t feel comfortable with him at that high level position,” he said.

Although they are concerned with Jaramillo holding office, Hughes noted that students have voiced to him their full support of rehabilitation for formerly incarcerated people and Transitioning Minds, the campus club that supports students who have served time.

A n n a b e l l e Ta m a n o , a concerned student, said a regular student’s inital reaction to ASRCC candidates is not to check the National Sex Offender Registry

NEWS

LIFE

New student union works toward AAPI representation at RCC

More than meets the eye at Upland’s Vintage Vault antique store

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or Megan’s Law website.

She stated the student government’s reluctance to disclose this information beforehand is “irresponsible and displays a lack of transparency.”

Moctezuma responded that it is neither ASRCC’s nor the college’s responsibility to background check every student who attends the college.

“You guys can basically Google whoever you want — professors, advisors or students,” Moctezuma said. “It doesn’t mean that we need to share all of this information with all of you

See ICC on page 4

INDEX NEWS LIFE VIEWS EDITORIAL SPORTS

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May 27, 2021

News

NEWS BRIEFS Spring And Summer The spring 2021 semester ends June 11.

The summer 2021 term will run from June 21 through July 29.

Registration for the summer term will remain open through June 21. Classes will remain online until the start of the fall 2021 semester.

Fall Semester The fall 2021 semester begins Aug. 23.

Registration begins June 7.

For more important dates and deadlines, visit: https:// www.rcc.edu/academics/ dates-and-deadlines.html.

Summer Math Institute Riverside City College is hosting an online summer math institute that will offer the MAT-36 and MAT-136 trigonometry classes, and M AT- 1 2 a n d M AT- 11 2 statistics classes.

Students who participate in the institute are eligible to receive a loaned laptop with a hotspot, a Summer Math Institute Scholarship of up to $1,000 and free tuition.

Participating first-time freshmen are guaranteed enrollment in RCC’s Promise Program. Students will also be eligible to apply for the CARES Act HEERF Student Aid Grant if enrolled in the institute.

For more information visit: https://www.rccd.edu/ summer-institute/Pages/index. aspx.

Commencement Ceremony T h e c o l l e g e ’s 2 0 2 1 Commencement Ceremony will be held virtually June 11.

An optional drive-thru celebration will also be held June 3.

Graduates will be able to drive through the Parking Structure and briefly step out of their vehicles to receive their diploma cover and have their photo taken with a college official.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Correction In our last issue, we ran a story about Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton winning the Spanish Grand Prix.

That story was incorrectly edited to state that Lewis made history in 2016 by becoming the youngest ever to win a Grand Prix at 18 years old.

M a x Ve r s t a p p e n w a s actually the youngest ever to win a Grand Prix at 18 years old.

DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS

The Riverside Community College District plans to open its three campuses in full capacity this upcoming fall.

Administrators lay out fall back-up plans

Chancellor’s forum details next semester’s instruction, support services

BY DANIELA RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER

A Riverside Community College District town hall May 19 covered Plan B for campus reopenings as it relates to instruction and academic support.

Safe return principles based on current COVID-19 trends, including the decrease in cases and increase in vaccinations, will apply immediately come fall if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines permit.

RCCD’s Plan A, announced in March, would offer instruction as it was pre-pandemic: 80% oncampus and 20% online.

Sanitizing stations and cleaning supplies will be available on campus.

Extra curricular activities, events and sports will return with Plan A. The Board of Trustees passed a resolution May 18 that directed the district to work with the colleges and take necessary actions to prepare for a full return to in-person instruction and operations in the fall.

But Carlos Lopez, Moreno Valley College vice president of Academic Affairs, said the district is looking at the situation realistically.

“We may not have zero restrictions when we come back in the fall,” he said. “We may have distancing requirements that remain in place. As a result of that, all the colleges are in the process of creating backup schedules.”

Back-up plans will be in full effect if Plan A is not permitted

by CDC guidance.

According to Lopez, 6-foot social distancing requirements may not allow full capacity in classrooms.

Observations indicate that capacity is likely to be at less than 50% in Plan B. In the backup plan, 40-50% of course sections will have an on-campus component.

The district is exploring streaming technology for hybrid classes.

Lopez said courses difficult to teach online, such as lab sciences, performance arts, and some career and technical education classes, will continue as scheduled during the spring and summer terms.

Courses may shift, though.

“They may shift to a fully online format or may shift to a hybrid format,” Lopez said.“Some classrooms may change. We might move those hybrid or fully on-campus classes to other classrooms, because they might have a larger capacity, so that we could serve more students.”

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In some cases, courses may have to be split into two or three class sections in order to maintain enrollment.

“If a student is enrolled in a class, we don’t want to turn a student away,” Lopez said.

“We will find a way to offer that class.”

Samuel Lee, Norco College vice president of Academic Affairs, said library and computer lab resources will continue in limited in-person and online mode in the backup plan.

Safety signage and plexibarriers will be placed in campus facilities, and entering and exiting buildings will be facilitated by personnel in Plan B. Large events will be moved online and a virtual front desk will be implemented. An app may be provided for student self-checkout.

Reservations for study rooms will continue. Students will also have access to printing commons.

Kristine DiMemmo,

We want to make sure we’re planning for additional resources that support not only the remote learning that we’re finding is very successful, but also supports the on-site learning that we want to provide our students.

”

-Kristine DiMemmo

Riverside City College interim vice president of Planning and Development, said overtime hours for classified and student workers will be provided in order to ensure students receive as much support as possible.

There will be expansion in remote collaboration using Zoom, Cranium Café, Canvas and more.

“Our goal as a backup plan is to make sure we continue to serve our students in that online environment,” DiMemmo said. “We want to make sure we’re planning for additional resources that support not only the remote learning that we’re finding is very successful, but also supports the on-site learning that we want to provide our students.”

Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac said the best strategy to get back on campus safely is for everyone to get vaccinated.

Once the Food and Drug Administration grants full registration to the available COVID-19 vaccines, Isaac said the intent of the district will be to make vaccines mandatory.

“Safety remains the most important consideration for us,” Isaac said. “Safety is not negotiable.”

Vaccines will continue to be provided to all staff and students on all three of the district’s campuses.

The decision about whether or not Plan B will be implemented for the fall semester will be decided by mid-summer this year.

News

May 27, 2021

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IMAGE COURTESY OF THE RCC APSU

The RCC Asian Pacific Student Union is a new club that plans to increase representation on campus for Asian and Pacific Islander students.

RCC Asian Pacific Student Union forms Lack of representation in college leads to new advocacy club

BY ARSAL ASIF ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

After finding the Riverside Community College District did not offer Asian representation in its race and ethnic relations courses, a group of students took it upon themselves to attempt to get the curriculum amended.

The Asian Pacific Student Union (APSU) was formed in light of the recent rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. The club’s goal is to bring Asian representation to Riverside City College.

“RCC Asians haven’t been a priority lately, so the club was formed to make them a priority,” said Nico Hughes, one of the club’s founding members.

Hughes said it was not uncommon for professors to disregard AAPI-focused issues brought up by Asian students.

Although he felt it may not have been intentional, Hughes said some would argue that, because

the focus was on Black Lives Matter, it was not the right time to deal with Asian issues.

“And of course BLM is very important,” he said. “But ... you can support BLM (and) also still be inclusive of these other issues.

You don’t necessarily have to pit them against each other that type of way.”

In his effort to amend the course, Hughes said he encountered faculty who were not interested in bringing change for AAPI students because AAPI issues were not relevant to those faculty members.

“Society already tends to treat AAPI discrimination with indifference,” Hughes said. “When you see faculty expressing that same indifference, not only does it set a precedent for AAPI students in their classes that discrimination against them doesn’t matter, it also normalizes the sentiment for any other students they teach, which will continue the cycle of us being left out of the conversations we

deserve to be part of.”

RCC is home to organizations and committees that address racism against Latinx and Black people. But Hughes said Asian students were being left out of conversations about communities that experience racism.

Stop AAPI Hate reported a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the past year. According to the report, the number of hate incidents reported to the organization’s center increased from 3,795 to 6,603 during March of 2021.

Ve r b a l h a r a s s m e n t a n d shunning made up 65.2% and 18.1% of the reported incidents, respectively. Physical assault was the third largest category of reported incidents, making up 12.6% of the total.

The Model Minority Myth, which presents Asians as being privileged and generally as successful as White Americans, further added to the idea that anti-

Asian discrimination does not matter, Hughes said.

Because Hughes felt that the Asian community’s voice was not being heard by faculty, APSU began creating a space where AAPI students could voice their frustrations. The club aims to create a bridge between advisors, faculty and students, and to build a positive learning environment for AAPI students.

APSU has acquired enough members to be processed as an official club and expects to be approved soon. But with limited staff availability, the process has been slow.

The Associated Students of RCC recently worked to amend the student constitution so that there would be a lower minimum member count for clubs in response to COVID-19 reducing club attendance.

The club has not yet received any rounds of funding due to being established close to the Spring

Banquet and the first club budget meeting already having passed.

Having started in the middle of the semester, members could not have been present during Club Rush, which meant the club missed out on opportunities to increase attendance.

APSU plans to host workshops on racism, raising voices, pluralism and more. The upcoming Diversity Night will intend to spread awareness of the diversity of Asian culture.

They will have a video compilation running where APSU is asking students for submissions to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.

The union is working with Umoja and the Arts Department for future projects, which include an AAPI-focused art exhibition featuring Riverside artists for the next AAPI Heritage Month.

“We’ve had a little bit of limited reach,” Hughes said. “But for what it is, we have a really dedicated group.”

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May 27, 2021

ASRCC prospects answer candidacy questions FORUM from page 1 describing how he would work to increase the amount of interaction ASRCC has with the student body by teaming up with faculty to host more town halls.

Morales continued to touch on the topic of increasing communication throughout the first half of the forum.

“Communicating with students ... is a really good thing within being vice president,” Morales said. “We are doing stuff behind the scenes interacting with students.

Communication is the major thing for the vice president.”

Matthew Brashier, ASRCC senator candidate, expressed that he would like to see senators step up and play a more involved role within the college.

“More events, interacting with students, asking what their concerns are,” he said about what he plans to do. “That way we can better represent the student voice.”

The candidates addressed what they would do to tackle the lack of student participation. All three agreed that the pandemic made it more difficult to get the word out and that many students either miss or don’t read the emails being sent out.

They specified how returning to on-campus instruction would allow them to once again use the tactics they used before the pandemic to attract more student interaction.

“Hopefully, being back on campus, we will be out in front of the students,” Jaramillo said. “We have a lot of events in front of the (A.G. Paul Quadrangle) … and are able to spread the word.”

The candidates also addressed student safety in regard to COVID-19 while returning to on-campus instruction. Jaramillo brought up that the Riverside Community College District created a 37-page document that outlines its plan to safely return to campus and that it would be his job as president to communicate that information with students.

Brashier agreed and added that many faculty members also don’t feel comfortable returning to in-person instruction, but that they would continue to follow the guidelines set in place by the district.

“Some faculty will be doing their classes online… for the students that do not feel comfortable returning this fall,” Brashier said. “ But the district has a plan in place so that’s what we’re sticking by.”

To vote, visit surveymokey. com/r/ASRCC2021 by 11:59 p.m. May 27.

News

Controversy shrouds student election ASRCC from page 1 his view of his running mate on the person he has become during his time with ASRCC. A similar situation played out in 2013, when a Viewpoints staff member found a flyer on campus that exposed then ASRCC President Doug Figueroa as a convicted sex offender.

Figueroa was convicted of kidnapping a child under the age of 14 “with intent to commit lewd or lascivious acts.” RCC administrators were aware of Figueroa’s conviction as well.

Jaramillo said he served three months in county jail for his crime and was placed on probation for three years.

He then served two years in prison for a probation violation, which he said was related to him not informing his probation officer of where he lived.

The presidential candidate, who is still on parole, was released from prison in October of 2018

and began attending RCC during the winter 2019 term.

He quickly became the InterClub Council representative for the Transitioning Minds Club and has served as part of the Inter-Club Council for the past two years.

According to a source, there are minors in the Inter-Club Council with whom Jaramillo interacts.

Jaramillo said that although he understands safety concerns, he is not a threat.

RCCD Police Chief Shauna Gates said minors are sometimes present on campus due to RCC’s Gateway to College Program.

Offenders may sometimes be given clearance to be around minors if provisions allow, but that is decided by their parole officers, she added.

Jaramillo was allowed to be on campus during RCC’s Halloweentown in 2019, which attracts many children. Jaramillo said he provided a letter to RCCD police stating that he had permission from his parole officer

to be on campus.

Gates said she would look back in the department’s records for the letter and follow up. The RCCD Police chief also said the department’s obligation is to ensure Jaramillo is registered with campus police every time he registers for courses at RCC. Jaramillo said his parole officer has noticed all the positive things he is doing and has been easing restrictions on him for some time.

“With my charges come a ton of restrictions,” he said. “I have shown my parole officer that I am not a problem. I’m not a threat to society.”

Jaramillo added that he constantly discloses his activities to his parole officer, many of which require him to be around minors, and is given clearance to attend the events.

His assigned parole officer did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him.

Jaramillo also said he has undergone counseling as a parole

requirement and has been reduced to the lowest level of supervision.

“Everyone’s talking about safety, but no one’s talking about what I’m doing right,” he said.

Jaramillo was on the committee that provided emergency ASRCC stimulus checks to students during the fall semester.

He has earned the Veteran of the Year Award and serves on the Call to Action Task Force to combat anti-Black racism.

“But no one sees any of that stuff,” he said. “They see the charges and raise their walls and say, ‘He’s a threat.’”

If elected, Jaramillo said he will not step down from the presidency, as some students have called for him to do.

“No other student stepped up to be student body president,” he said. “You have a student who has a criminal past — who society wants him to never see the light of day — still stepping up and still volunteering to be student body president.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF RCC.EDU

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA COFFLAND

Albert Jaramillo, a convicted sex offender who has also become a highly awarded student, is running for the ASRCC presidency.

Shauna Kim is the current ASRCC president. She did not agree to an immediate interview after students spoke out about the controversy.

Meeting attendees call for transparency in student government ICC from page 1

guys. It is not transparency for us to tell you guys and gossip.”

No changes to ASRCC’s bylaws were made after former student body President Doug Figueroa was found to be a sex offender in 2013, RCC President Gregory Anderson said at an Academic Senate meeting May 17.

Tamano noted a Viewpoints Campus Conversations report indicated RCC students at the time felt the concealed sex crimes conviction of Figueroa was unfair. Those students argued that ASRCC members should make their constituents aware of these types of convictions that exist within their ranks.

“People on campus have expressed the fact that the person before didn’t put out that information (and) it was irresponsible,” Tamano said about the Figueroa situation.

Moctezuma disclosed in her response that other ASRCC leaders have taken office within the last few years who hold the same conviction status.

Shauna Kim, ASRCC president, did not provide a comment on the matter.

“To know that this happens on a yearly basis just goes to show that nothing is being done,” Boulter said. “I feel no trust.”

Boulter said the lack of transparency would cause distrust between the institution, ASRCC and the student body.

“We’re basically being given no chance and no voice because there’s just legally nothing that can be done,” they said. “I am so disappointed by how this is being handled and saddened to know that this has been happening and nothing is being done about it.”

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 81% of women and 43% of men reported experiencing some form

of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime. One in three female victims of completed or attempted rape experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17.

Boulter questioned what ASRCC would do to curb the harm to sexual assault survivors that could potentially arise from a Jaramillo presidency.

“Nobody has addressed the concern of what is to be done to preserve the well being of survivors who are students,” Boulter said.

Katie Caceres, another concerned student, echoed the concern over survivors and said women would ultimately not feel comfortable working alongside Jaramillo.

“The issue is not about (Jaramillo),” Caceres said. “The issue is the discomfort and the fear that they will feel.”

Moctezuma responded that Jaramillo is aware of students’

concerns and what his presidency may provoke to victims.

“However he’s also a student,” Moctezuma said. “He’s also a student that struggles. He’s also a human being.”

Caceres proposed that when a student runs for presidency or any higher up position, there should be a system set to address sexual abuse convictions.

Anderson said he wants to balance the interest of fairness for those who have gone through the legal system and the student body’s concern over a member of ASRCC who may hold a high level position with that type of offense.

“I’m talking about the balance of serving all of our students and trying to find ways to support faculty interests, and listening as carefully as I can, with as much empathy and humility as I can,” Anderson said.

Anderson said legal counsel will be continuously sought to ensure adherence to the law.

News

May 27, 2021

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PHOTO COURTESY OF ALICIA ZINN | PIXABAY

State Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Calif., is the author of the Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Desertification Act. The bill intends to revoke officers’ badges if they have a history of misconduct.

Proposal intends to hold cops accountable

Organizations join forces in support of police decertification act

BY ISABEL WHITSETT STAFF REPORTER

Families and activists impacted by police brutality throughout California support a bill that intends to revoke officers who have a history of misconduct of their badges.

The Kenneth Ross Jr. Police Decertification Act looks to increase accountability for law enforcement officers who commit serious misconduct and illegally violate a person’s civil rights.

This bill could also strengthen key civil rights laws in California, such as the Tom Bane Civil Rights Act, preventing abuse and other violations of rights by law enforcement.

Kenneth Ross Jr., 25, was shot and killed by Gardena police officer Michael Robbins in April 2018. Robbins was also previously involved in three other shootings.

State Sen. Steven Bradford, D-35, author of the bill, argued that now is the time to pass police reform. Bradford chose to name this bill after Ross because he was killed in Bradford’s district.

“California is able to revoke certifications or licensees of bad doctors, teachers and even barbers,” Bradford said. “But is unable to decertify police officers who have broken the law and violated the public’s trust.”

Toni G. Atkins, president pro-

tempore and co-author of the bill, stated it will “improve the safety of our communities.”

“Particularly communities of color who are disproportionately impacted by police misconduct,” Atkins said.

According to the Senate Committee on Public Safety hearing April 13, California is one of four states that have yet to implement decertification action.

Many organizations, coalitions, and alliances have come together as The Let Us Live Coalition in support of the bill.

The co-sponsors include: Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, California Families United 4 Justice, STOP Coalition, Youth Justice Coalition (YJC), ACLU of California, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, Policy Link, Anti-Police Terror Project, Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, UDW/AFSCME local 3930.

Leticia Barron, mother of six and Riverside County resident, lost her 27-year-old son Mauricio Barron Jr., who was fatally shot by former Irvine California Highway Patrol Officer Daniel Agee in October 2016. She is a member of the STOP Coalition, YJC, California Families United

“

4 Justice and has been lobbying for change for over two years.

Barron spoke on behalf of her son and other impacted families at both the Senate Public Safety and Judiciary Committee meetings for the proposed act, and at a hearing for a law titled Peace Officers: Deadly Force.

Deadly Force passed at the state level and Barron proceeds by lobbying in support of the decertification bill.

“I fight for justice and advocate on behalf of not only my family, but other impacted families too,” she said. “We are tired of the police force getting away with their harmful actions.”

Although bills have been passed to stop some misconduct of the police force, she continues to question the system.

“Why are we passing bills when police officers still aren’t being held accountable,” she asked. “They just move the cops from one place to another within departments.”

Barron believes the investigation process for law enforcement officers who kill, harass and abuse citizens is not where it needs to be.

“If this bill goes through, we can get some cops with a pattern

of misconduct decertified.” she said.

Sheila Bates, an organizer and member with Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, supports the bill but believes police reform is not enough.

“State sanctioned violence is a really prominent issue in our society and, unfortunately, not much is being done to fix that,” Bates said. “The root of police is absolutely problematic and the only answer for me is abolition of policing.”

She added that officers need to be held accountable for their actions and this bill would allow for that.

Emilio Zapien is the Media and Communications coordinator and organizer for the YJC and is a STOP Coalition volunteer.

For the past decade, Zapien dedicated himself to YJC to help families affected by police brutality and is passionate about sharing the truth of what these affected families have experienced.

“Seeing the pain and trauma these families endured broke my heart and really inspired me to do something about it,” he said.

He believes fixing the system has to start at the root of the

”

I fight for justice and advocate on behalf of not only my family, but other impacted families too. We are tired of the police force getting away with their harmful actions

- Leticia Barron

problem.

“We don’t believe in a few bad apples,” he said. “We believe the whole system is rotten and dirty to the core.”

During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for this bill April 27, police from all over the state, including the Riverside Sheriff’s Association, said they support decertification, but not the bill in its current form.

The Peace Officers’ Research Association of California (PORAC) is made up of many public safety officers who oppose the bill.

“We regret to inform you of our opposition,” PORAC said in a statement. “We fully support the license revocation of officers who demonstrate gross misconduct in law enforcement.

However, as written, (the bill) would override due process, establishing a nine-person panel to oversee the license revocation process that includes seven members of the public with no requirements for expertise power or prior experience in the practice of public safety or law enforcement.”

The Let Us Live Coalition argued the bill will provide strong due process protections for officers.

According to the coalition, it provides six levels of review before an officer can be decertified all at a heightened standard.

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News

May 27, 2021

PHOTO COURTESY OF RCCD POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Riverside Community College District Police Department, headed by Chief Shauna Gates, has been conducting outreach to students in an attempt to build trust.

Town hall covers modern policing

District police chief hosts discussion with students, instructors

BY JESSICA LOPEZ STAFF REPORTER

The Riverside Community College District Police Department held a town hall meeting May 12, which featured discussions between police chiefs, school administrators and student representatives.

The “21st Century Policing Town Hall” webinar focused on discussing the implementation of contemporary law enforcement practices in the wake of national events involving police brutality.

The practices themselves come from former President Barack Obama’s Presidential Task Force on policing in the 21st century.

The task force, established in 2015, identified six pillars of policing that address a

community’s needs: building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training, education and officer wellness and safety.

Sigrid Williams, a Norco College instructor and Administration of Justice adviser, spoke about the college’s newly created Racial Justice Task Force and the importance of building trust with law enforcement.

“Our group is working and meeting to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure that racism is not part of our school’s culture and (to) also include anti-racism statements in our school’s mission statements,” she said.

Wi l l i a m s , w h o i s a l s o

a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, emphasized the importance of discussions between law enforcement officials and their communities through different events, not just town halls.

“One of the things I did, along with my colleagues, was (write) a letter of support to our criminal justice students last spring, acknowledging our anger over the George Floyd incident,” she said.

The letter also acknowledged that a majority of law enforcement are good officers, Williams added.

Tamara Coleman, a Riverside City College student and UMOJA representative, explained how defunding does not mean abolishing the police.

Coleman stated the intent is to have police presence remain when needed but that services

from counselors should also be available depending on the nature of the situation.

“If someone is having a mental health issue, you have to step away from being a police officer — take the opportunity to see what’s really going on with the individual,” she said.

Melissa Matuszack, an RCC Administration of Justice instructor, expressed her concerns as someone who has experience working as a crisis counselor.

Matuszack argued that the police’s goal is not to provide counseling but instead interrupt a considerable issue and refer those involved to another service.

“Their crisis intervention is short-term,” she said about officers. “Even if you spend this money and have these officers

trying to do it, they are not mental health providers.”

Matuszack went on to say mental health services need to first be created in communities before any money is taken from police officer training. She explained how the lack of counselors and psychologists can also be attributed to the rising costs in tuition.

“It’s very expensive to go to school,” she said. “It’s a minimum of a master’s degree to get your license. The pay is not tracking with how much it costs to get that degree. So they’re choosing other fields.”

The panelists agreed on multiple issues regarding the lack of funding for mental health resources as well as promoting diversity and inclusion in law enforcement facilities.

Viewpoints editor-in-chief says goodbye, off to Mizzou

BY ERIK GALICIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Working for Viewpoints has been one of the highlights of my life.

I’ve always said my introduction to journalism happened by chance. I did not have much going on in life when I decided to register for the Introduction to Journalism course in the spring of 2019. Although I had never considered a career in journalism, it sounded kind of interesting.

Our now retired adviser Allan Lovelace would take students to our dusty little newsroom on the first day of class and encourage them to join our college’s nearly 100-year-old newspaper.

“I guess I’ll give it a shot,” I told myself.

I fell in love in a matter of weeks. Now I’m starting to believe it was fate.

I battled addiction since my teenage years and had only been clean for about one year when I joined Viewpoints. Although I practiced the principles of recovery and kept myself busy, I

was looking for a purpose.

My work with Viewpoints brought me the realization that journalism is what I am meant to do.

As a news reporter, news editor and editor-in-chief, I have had the privilege of covering major stories ranging from the death of Ernie Serrano in Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies’ custody to the COVID-19 developments that have affected all of us. I have had the honor of representing Viewpoints on the front lines of local social and political movements and performing for Riverside City College in various college journalism conventions.

Although all of the awards and shoutouts are greatly appreciated, my work has not been for the recognition. It has been done in the name of public service, which Lovelace, and instructors Matthew Schoenmann and Angela Burrell have taught me journalism is all about.

What we do, we do out of love for our community. I will carry that with me for the rest of my life.

Viewpoints is not the average class. It is a team. And what I

will miss most about it is my teammates.

I have never been prouder of any co-workers in my life than I have been of my Managing Editor Leo Cabral, Photo Editor Angel Peña, Multimedia Editor Daniel Hernandez and News Editor Cheetara Piry. They have been an extremely important part of my life during the last few years.

Like my instructors, I cannot thank them enough for their dedication to this newspaper.

Cabral will be taking over the steering wheel in a few days.

Having been managing editor for myself, and Peña during his tenure as captain of the ship, Cabral has proven themself ready to take Viewpoints to new heights. I am sure they will do awesome as editor-in-chief.

I will be heading to the University of Missouri this upcoming fall and, for the first time since my childhood, I feel like the sky’s the limit.

While I cannot say for sure where I will end up careerwise, I can say that I will always look back at Viewpoints and RCC with love, pride and gratitude.

ERIK GALICIA | VIEWPOINTS

Erik Galicia, Viewpoints editor-in-chief, covers a protest calling for justice for Ernie Serrano in downtown Riverside on Dec. 27.

8

May 27, 2021

LIFE

“Two things, generally, for me, is what life is about. And they’re not funny. Living in the moment, is one.

And number two is getting out of yourself and helping other people.”

- Bobby Lee

A hidden gem shines in Upland Antique store owner thrives with change, nurtures new entrepreneurs

BY KATIE SANCHEZ SPECIAL TO VIEWPOINTS

On the corner of Second Avenue and C Street in Upland sits an antique shop — ordinary in appearance and absolutely nothing else.

If you were to judge it prematurely, you’d probably believe it to be filled with your great grandma’s dining room and bedroom sets. You would be wrong.

Don’t let your eyes deceive you, for The Vintage Vault of Upland is much more than just an antique store. Fitting with its name, this shop safeguards some of the finest gems money can buy.

Carlos Velastegui, the vault’s owner, is one of the gems.

Growing up a troubled youth, Velastegui dropped out of high school at a young age. He joined his entrepreneurial father in one of his many businesses as a means of earning money.

“I was a troubled individual,” Velastegui said about his academics. “I didn’t know anything.”

At the age of 27, after being out of school for almost a decade, Velastegui decided to invest deeper into education. Once a problematic teen, he now has an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree under his belt.

With a new confidence about him and the desire to help people, Velastegui stumbled upon the Vintage Vault by way of his father.

“This was more his thing in the beginning as far as the “antique” aspect of it,” he said.

“I kind of went with it for a couple of years just because that’s what his direction was. It wasn’t working.”

KATIE SANCHEZ | SPECIAL TO VIEWPOINTS

A mural depicts a bald eagle with a mask held in its beak on the south side of The Vintage Vault in Upland. Carlos Velastegui, the shop’s owner, hoped that the mural would symbolize the perserverance of the American people through the COVID-19 pandemic and a look to brighter days ahead.

Skyrocketing home prices led to a decreased demand for furniture. Velastegui knew he had to make a change in order to save the business.

Going against his father’s early plans, he took the business in an alternate direction. He strayed away from antique furniture and set his sights on vendors with a vintage feel to their businesses.

S l o w l y b u t s u r e l y, t h e shop shifted from an ancient tomb of lost artifacts to a vault encapsulating remnants of the

past with a modernized twist.

The Vintage Vault carries an assortment of items ranging from fashion inspired by previous decades to restored collectables.

Velastegui went even further in his effort to revamp the business. After seeing the crowds brought in by the annual Lemon Festival, Velastegui was blessed with an idea.

“We would use the parking lot to have some vendors in there,” he said. “I had to actually beg people and give them real great deals. I had to give people spots

for free to show them that there were possibilities here.”

He started with a couple of vendors and was permitted by the City of Upland to host a vending fair one day per month.

As interest in the event grew, this evolved into two days per month with about 100 vendors.

Since then, The Vintage Vault of Upland has put on multiple events, such as monthly Art Walks, Dapper in Downtown and Vault-Con. Each event has its own creative elements, while still sticking to the initial idea of

a vending fair.

These events hold a special importance beyond simply providing entertainment to local families. Their impact on the vendors has been huge.

“I wasn’t always a good guy,” Velastegui said emotionally. “But with age and maturity, I’m able to give back and help.”

He takes great pride in knowing the Vault is not a parasitic business, benefiting off the backs of others, but instead holds a symbiotic relationship with its vendors.

“We’re like a big brother because we are taking them by the hand, showing them the ropes and providing an outlet that has actually helped both of us as businesses,” Velastegui said.

Even with all its successes, The Vintage Vault has experienced some hardships.

The closing of the business during the pandemic brought a lot of financial strain on the owner and his dependent vendors. Even after reopening, it was getting little to no customers.

Fortunately, after almost a year since its initial closure, The Vintage Vault has completely reopened and has received even more foot traffic than before the pandemic.

Velastegui had a mural painted on the southside of the Vault to encapsulate the struggles of 2020. The commemoration depicts a bald eagle carrying a surgical mask in its beak. He hoped it would communicate to locals the perseverance of the American people through the pandemic and symbolize the end of 2020.

Stepping out of the rubble, The Vintage Vault is looking forward to brighter days ahead.

Riverside’s new churro spot is satisfactory but pricey

BY STEPHANIE ARENAS STAFF REPORTER

Back in September, I wrote a review on a quaint little boba place called Kung Fu Tea and since then, I’ve always wondered if any new fun food locations would open up in the near future.

Well, a new restaurant opened right next door to Kung Fu Tea called The Loop.

The Loop sells a variety of handcrafted churros as well as soft serve ice cream and cute and colorful drinks perfect for an Instagram photoshoot.

I’ve never been much of a fan of sugary treats. Growing up, I always preferred the tang and spice. But a close friend really wanted to try this place out, so I decided to give it a shot.

I was blown away by the amount of people there when we arrived. The line looped around the entire store and amounted to an estimated wait time of roughly two hours.

Of course, my first thought was to leave.

However, after much dismay and the fact that my friend wanted to try The Loop out so badly, I decided to stick around and began conversing with the customer lined up in front of me..

“This is my third time coming this month,” said Maggie King, who lives about 30 minutes away from The Loop. “There’s no place like this where I live, so I think it’s worth the drive. My favorite thing to get right now is the Birthday Churro.”

Luckily, the line ran shorter than expected — it was our turn

to order about an hour in. The menu was insane, as there were so many things to choose from.

I was overwhelmed by the options.

I settled for the Strawberry Cheesecake Churro. We sat in my car after we got our food and began to dig in.

In all honesty, it wasn’t that bad. The ice cream tasted like any normal soft serve ice cream and the churro tasted like any old normal churro.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was satisfied with the flavor overall.

However, my main concern about this place are the prices: almost $6 for a single churro and more if you add toppings.

While The Loop is definitely delicious and creative in its own way, it just seems like a scam

DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS

The Loop is located at 3678 Central Ave. in Riverside. when you can get the same exact thing at a smaller business for a lower price.

It also just seems as though people really only go to take pictures for their Instagram feed.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I do believe that

a food location should be much more than that.

Overall The Loop was pretty satisfactory. I wasn’t disappointed or upset.

However, you definitely could find a much better churro location for a cheaper price.

May 27, 2021

Life

9

PHOTO COURTESY OF IGDB.COM

“Resident Evil 8: Village” protagonist Ethan Winters points a gun at the towering Lady Dimitrescu. The game is set three years after the events of “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.”

‘Resident Evil 8: Village’ brings the action Eighth installment in franchise a thrilling experience for fans

BY TYRESE BLUE STAFF REPORTER

Resident Evil has become one of the most talked about and trending games of the year by far, due to its new approach to the franchise.

Many fans were not pleased with the 2012 release of “Resident Evil 6” and some even claimed “the series lost its way.”

Due to its failure, Capcom had to rethink how it could redeem the Resident Evil franchise.

Fortunately, the release of “Resident Evil 7: Biohazard” five years later revealed a completely different approach: First person gameplay set almost entirely in a derelict estate in Louisiana.

“Biohazard” leads to the events in the franchise’s newest release, “Resident Evil: Village,” which takes place three years later.

The game is set somewhere in Eastern Europe, which can

be assumed to be Transylvania, Romania.

Protagonist Ethan Winters relocates to Eastern Europe with his wife Mia and infant daughter Rosemary while under the protection of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSSA), an international antiterriosm group sanctioned by the United Nations.

Mia is seemingly shot and killed while having dinner by BBSA member Chris Redfield’s squad.

Chris is also a returning character who appeared in the first installment of the franchise.

His squad takes Rosemary as Ethan gets thumped on the head and blacks out.

Ethan then wakes up in a destroyed truck and finds his way to a rundown village resembling the late 19th century — all the while in distress over not knowing his daughter’s whereabouts and believing his wife was killed.

He then discovers werewolflike creatures have overrun the village and the survivors he encounters eventually all die.

He is once again kidnapped and wakes up in Dimitrescu Castle, where he is surrounded by four mutant lords: Alicina Dimitrescu, Donna Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau, Karl Heisengerg and their cult leader Mother Miranda.

Ethan escapes and eventually finds out that they’re keeping his daughter captive in order to use her as the vessel to resurrect Lady Miranda’s late daughter Eva by using the substance known as the Mold.

Mold is a fungal superorganism that plays a huge role in the game’s plot. It causes humans and organisms that come in contact with it to mutate and gain abilities such as regeneration. It can also store DNA and the consciousness of people as well.

Miranda dismembers and crystallizes Rose’s body and each body part is given to the four lords.

She does this because she knows Rose has special abilities and is still alive despite being dismembered.

This is the reason she believes Rose is the perfect vessel for her daughter.

Therefore, the main objective of the game is to save Ethan’s daughter by collecting all of her body parts from the four lords by defeating them and putting her back together before Miranda performs the ceremony to resurrect her daughter Eva. “Village” is more actionfocused than its previous installment and is even comparable to “Resident Evil 4” — a telling comparison, as the fourth game is considered by many fans to be the franchise’s best.

The game’s horror elements,

creatures and plot seemingly resemble “Silent Hill,” another popular Japanese game franchise.

This is seen when playing in the haunted home of Lord Donna Beneviento, who controls creepy looking dolls.

If that is not alarming enough, Ethan encounters what is often described by fans as a “mutated giant baby fetus monster.”

Without having any use of weapons, it will inevitably swallow you whole if you don’t find a way to escape.

Many fans were horrified by this monster, including myself when I first came across it.

I wasn’t expecting something so creepy and it caught me off guard. I panicked.

If you’re searching for a thrilling game that will keep you on your toes and heart racing, this game will not disappoint.

“Resident Evil 8: Village” is a pleasure for both veteran and novice fans of the franchise alike.

St. Vincent gets personal about family struggles “Daddy’s Home” album gets into artist’s growing pains about father

BY STEPHANIE ARENAS STAFF REPORTER

St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, brought in a fresh new ’70s rock ‘n’ roll sound with her new album “Daddy’s Home,” released May 14.

Inspired by the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush, Clark decided to shine a new light on a heavy topic: her relationship with her father.

Clark’s father was arrested in 2010 for his involvement in a multi-million dollar white collar crime.

However, since his release in 2019, Clark has been very vocal about his incarceration.

“In some ways, the roles have

reversed – I feel like ‘Daddy’ half the time,” Clark said in an interview with The Guardian.

“He’s a person, and every person has a lot of facets, and a lot of s— they’ve done wrong, and good qualities. So it just is. That’s not very poetic, but it just is.”

Luckily, Clark has since discussed how great of a relationship she now has with her father. However, that doesn’t erase the pain she suffered throughout her childhood and teen years.

Fans of St. Vincent were initially concerned when the album was first announced, as Clark had never written an entire album about such a strong and touchy topic before.

Some were even dismayed by

the title of the album alone, as it includes the word “daddy,” an uncomfortable phrase for many.

Fans were overjoyed after the release of the album and some even claim this to be her best album yet, myself included.

The album opens up with “Pay Your Way in Pain,” a song that discusses the troubles of being a young adult who is just trying to get through the day.

Everyone has their own struggles, even Annie Clark herself. Clark was just a young musician when she lived in New York City.

The song depicts a young woman who is just trying to get by paycheck to paycheck.

This woman is looking for food that she can’t afford when

she finally decides to just head to a park and relax.

After being chased out of the park by mothers who think the woman looks trashy and immodest, the woman heads home only to find that her partner has changed the locks to their apartment.

St. Vincent has even made it known that this particular song is about “a world where we’re often asked to choose between surviving and dignity.”

The most emotional song of the album by far is the title track “Daddy’s Home.”

Clark writes, “you still got it in your government green suit / And I look down and out in my fine Italian shoes / And we’re tight as a Bible with the

pages stuck like glue / Yeah, you did some time, well, I did some time, too.”

Here, we get a pretty good understanding of how Clark’s father ’s incarceration truly affected her.

While her father was locked up, Clark did her own soul searching as she did not have that second parental figure around.

Despite its specific topic, this song seems like one that anyone with an absent parent can relate to.

Overall, “Daddy’s Home” is a well-made album that deserves the attention it’s getting.

Annie Clark has yet again struck gold with her new album and I’m looking forward to what she has in store for the future.

10

May 27, 2021

Life

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Michael Che, right, stands next to “Saturday Night Live” co-star Colin Jost, who is also a guest star in Che’s new show ‘That D--- Michael Che.’

‘SNL’ star showcases his reality in new show

Michael Che doesn’t shy away from poking fun at controversy SIGIFREDO MACIAS STAFF REPORTER

It’s understandable and intriguing to see a “Saturday Night Live” cast member create something that isn’t a part of “SNL.” “That D--- Micheal Che” is a new sketch comedy show on HBO Max created by and starring Micheal Che himself.

It’s a good sketch show that brings up many of the issues society is focusing on today — all from Che’s point of view.

The show’s sketches are controversial, but it’s not really a show that tells the audience what to think. Rather, it communicates the experiences of a Black person born in Queens, New York, and the experiences that others go through.

The program has featured guest stars such as Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man, Sam Jay, Colin Quin, and Billy Porter, as well as “SNL” cast members

“

This show finds ridiculous but hilarious ways to explain truths about our society. such as Cecily Strong, Heidi Gardner and, of course, Colin Jost.

The first episode tackles policing from the perspective of Che and others.

One part of the episode is about a mediocre policing video, the end result being a group of kids arguing with police and the officers shooting the kids’ basketball.

There’s a commercial parody on a Fitbit for Black Lives Matter protesters and their opposing demonstrators, and an X-Men cartoon parody poking fun at what people believe is and isn’t a threat.

All of this is going on while Che, playing himself, is stuck in an elevator with a White woman (Strong) who opposes police violence.

It’s uncomfortable for Che because the woman apologizes for “everything going on” because he’s part of a marginalized group.

Che then provides his perspective about protests and policing.

By the end of this episode, it’s kind of clear how the rest of the show will roll out.

Other episodes cover dating, healthcare, vaccine paranoia and Che’s take on why people think he had to “kill someone or do some weird s---” to get where

”

he is today.

“That D--- Michael Che” doesn’t seem to have a big problem with who it offends. It sometimes feels like “SNL” sketches that were too controversial to make the cut — but the skits are good.

This show finds ridiculous but hilarious ways to explain truths about our society.

In one episode, there are two characters who suspect the government is trying to get them every time something new comes and changes the world or their neighborhood.

It turns out those two characters have been saying the same thing since 1901, when they

believed pigeons were a source of communication and decided not to use them because of their own conspiratorial theories.

Their antics go as far back as 1807, when they had a mistrust of a way to free slaves.

The show has a weird way of explaining things, such as COVID-19 ignorers and deniers eventually just killing or infecting themselves and those around them.

At the same time, it presents many reasons why people should be suspicious of the government, such as the Tuskegee Experiment, a study about untreated syphilis that was purposefully practiced on many Black males without their consent.

While the show presents what Che believes is true, it gives people interesting perspectives on many topics that affect everyone today.

It’s not for everyone but it’s an interesting and really funny show.

12

May 27, 2021

Views

“It seems to me important for a country, for a nation to certainly know about its glorious achievements but also to know where its ideals failed, in order to keep that from happening again.”

- George Takei

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVEEDIBYA DEY | UNSPLASH

Hundreds of people in Chicago wave Palestinian flags and signs in protest, calling for the end of the Israel apartheid.

Palestine needs our support Israeli government must be held accountable for actions

BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ STAFF REPORTER

Sixty-six children are dead over the continued f ighting between Israel and Hamas.

While in the last few days, the two sides have come to agree on a cease fire, this conflict is one that unfortunately won’t end there.

T h rough the last few decades, the two sides have fought over each other’s right to sovereignty: Israel in their pursuit of a Jewish state that is safe and welcoming to all Jewish people, and Palestinians fight to protect a home that they have known for centuries.

But almost from the start of the conflict between Israel and

the people of Palestine, the power dynamics at play have been one-sided. And one can argue rightfully so, that the Jewish people needed support from military powerhouses like the United States in their pursuit of a safe place to live, since it was just a few decades ago that over 6 million Jewish people were persecuted and slaughtered in Germany during the Holocaust.

But the hu man r ig hts atrocities happening now should matter to all of us.

R ig ht now, Pa le st i n ia n children and families are being killed by Israeli warplanes and missiles at an alarmingly higher rate than the casualties suffered

by Israel.

And all for what? These crimes are being committed under the guise that Israel has a right to protect itself. Protect itself from who? Children?

Frankly, there is no debate to be had about Israel’s right to protect itself. It is a non sequitur when children are being murdered.

W hy is Israel doing all of this without any fear of repercussions? Because the United States government funds

and protects them. Our taxes are supporting the war machine that is allowing for all of this to happen.

This week it was announced that the Biden Administration had approved a sale of $735 million worth of weapons to Israel. Ou r silence on this issue has allowed the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the murder of countless people to go unchecked. That can no longer be and we must be more critical about their actions.

In fiscal year 2019, Israel received about $4.8 billion in military aid from the United States and about $8 billion in loan guarantees. Almost all of this money is for the military and “defense” of a government that already commands the 14th most powerful military in the world.

The historical atrocities suffered by the Jewish community are immeasurable.

But the murders at the hand of the Israeli government now need to be held to account.

Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organization, whose mission is to prevent and stop grave violations of human rights, has called out

all of the atrocities in Palestine and has been able to prove that Israel targeted families and their homes to achieve political advantages.

No one has ever held them accountable.

It is an unfortunate statement to say, but Israel seems to have no intention of stopping until everyone in Palestine is displaced or dead.

To the citizens of this world and people who want to be on the right and humane side of this issue: We must stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and advocate against the Israeli government’s actions.

These are war crimes against marginalized people and, if we stand idly by, we are complicit in our inaction. Here in California, here in Riverside, here at Riverside City College, we must care about the people of Palest i ne a nd st a nd for Palestinian liberation.

Children are being murdered and we are not doing anything about it. Listening to children’s stories currently living on the Gaza strip is enough to tear at one’s soul.

T h e m e d i a a n d I s r a el i

government want to paint Hamas as murderers and terrorists, and let’s be frank, they are.

But Hamas was started in 1987, during the first Palestinian upr isi ng agai nst the Israel occupation of the Gaza strip.

The actions of Israel over the years have created Hamas as a response to the occupation against the people of Palestine.

Israel is the embodiment of moder n-day colonialism.

While initially created as a solely Jewish state where Jewish people fled to be safe, by 1948 that state had become more and more violent and began to displace the Palestinian people, who had been there for centuries before them.

Israel has taken so much of what was originally Palestinian land. What is going on in the Gaza Strip is an apar theid.

Palestinians launch rockets into Israel while Israelis launch massive, catastrophic airstrikes into Palestinian territory.

To equate the two is simply a false equivalency.

The United States and this Congress can no longer blindly support Israel. The people of Palestine deserve justice and a safe place to live and thrive, too.

Views

Editorial

May 27, 2021

13

DANIEL HERNANDEZ | VIEWPOINTS

Student government disregards concerns for it by students.

The ASRCC mission statement says they “shall not discriminate against any person on the basis of age, ancestry, gender or gender identity, genetic information, national or social origin, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, differential political opinion, primary language, race or color, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”

Although there is no mention of sex offender status, ASRCC leadership is adamant about protecting Jaramillo’s “personal life” despite several students voicing that they feel they have a right to know.

Indeed, Jaramillo has a legal right to attend RCC and participate in student government. He has a right to rehabilitation and education, and rightfully so. No one is depriving him of these rights.

But we, the Viewpoints Editorial Board, believe students have the right to know if someone with sex crimes in their past is representing them.

The concerns of these students should not be met with disregard.

To the surprise of many, Moctezuma revealed that there have been several people with a similar sex offender status in ASRCC throughout the years.

When a person pursues a position of power, their constituents demand transparency, whether they be citizens of a nation or students at a higher learning institution.

The Associated Students of Riverside City College are the student government. They are supposed to work for their constituents like all government officials in a democracy. In this case, that is the student body.

Several students voiced their discomfort over Albert Jaramillo, a convicted sex offender, running for ASRCC president to Vice President Stefany Moctezuma during an Inter-Club Council meeting May 17.

Moctezuma dismissed students’ concerns about safety and met sexual assault survivors’ pleas for transparency with callousness.

She continued to say that she understood where students were coming from while telling them that their sexual trauma “will always be there,” so it is not a substantial argument to ask Jaramillo, or anyone with a similar conviction, to resign.

The vice president went as far as to equate the public’s desires for transparency about the possible incoming president’s past conviction to a gay person experiencing discrimination. She later walked her comment back after being called out

However, this kind of conviction is not something that can simply be written off as a troubled past. Nor can it be written off as a “mistake made” or something that results from socioeconomic circumstances.

It is a conviction that weighs heavy on many survivors of sexual violence, many of whom were children when they were assaulted. It weighs so heavy that some spend a lifetime recovering mentally, emotionally and even physically. Their ability to trust others is often broken.

Many have come forward about several powerful people in the years since the #MeToo movement.

President Joseph Biden, former President Donald Trump, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh and several more who have sexual assault allegations against them have had that information reported by the news.

The aforementioned men have denied all allegations and claim no sexual misconduct.

However, it is still public knowledge and the public deserves to know who they are voting for.

Though these people in power may have felt slandered by the allegations and the news media publishing them, their constituents have the right to know.

The RCC student body is no different.

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

LETTERS

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Erik Galicia (951) 222-8488 viewpoints@rcc.edu MANAGING EDITOR Leo Cabral viewpoints.managing@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER viewpoints.advertising@gmail.com

TO THE

NEWS EDITOR Cheetara Piry viewpoints.news@gmail.com

OPINIONS EDITOR Leo Cabral viewpoints.opinions@gmail.com

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Arsal Asif

LIFE EDITOR Alyssa Aldrete viewpoints.artsentertainment@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITOR viewpoints.sports@gmail.com PHOTO EDITOR Angel Peña viewpoints.photo@gmail.com ONLINE EDITOR viewpoints.online@gmail.com

JOURNALISM SPECIALIST Matt Schoenmann matthew.schoenmann@rcc.edu FACULTY ADVISERS Matt Schoenmann Angela Burrell

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR Jacob Quezada DESIGN EDITOR viewpoints.designer@gmail.com MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Daniel Hernandez multimedia.viewpoints@gmail.com SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Alondra Alarcon

Stephanie Arenas Jessica Lopez Timothy Lewis Isabel Whitsett Sigifredo Macias Jonathan Ramirez Paul Quick

REPORTERS

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Jesus Coronel Bianca Macias Daniela Ramirez Brian Calderon Kenway Collins Tim Nacey

M E M B E R: REACH US: NEWSROOM PHONE: (951) 222-8488 E-MAIL: viewpoints@rcc.edu

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EDITOR Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 words or less and include contact information. Letters should be emailed to viewpoints@rcc.edu. Viewpoints reserves the right to edit letters for space and to reject libelous or obscene letters. Letters to the editor and columns represent the opinions of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Viewpoints staff, Viewpoints faculty advisers, student government, faculty, administration nor the Board of Trustees.

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Viewpoints is a public forum, First Amendment newspaper. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. © 2021 by the Viewpoints staff, Riverside City College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA. 92506-0528.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief.

14

May 27, 2021

SPORTS

“I want to be a representative and be a role model for the Asian American community.”

- Jeremy Lin

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Max Verstappen, center, celebrates with the Red Bull team after taking the lead in the Constructors Championship over Mercedes in the Monaco Grand Prix on May 23.

Red Bull claims victory in Monaco Grand Prix

BY JESUS CORONEL STAFF REPORTER

The Monaco Grand Prix, the first street circuit of the year, made this year’s Formula One championship chase more intense.

The rivalry between Mercedes and Red Bull intensified as Mercedes began to increase its lead in the championship in both the Constructors and Drivers categories.

During qualifying, it would be Ferrari that surprised the field, with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc leading the way.

Leclerc, in his home country, would end up in pole position.

But the way he ended up there wasn’t pretty.

After setting his first lap, he would hit the barrier and end up losing his front wing. The session was soon red flagged and ended early.

But even with the glory of pole position obtained, disaster

would strike.

The damage to his car was significant enough on the next day that the gearbox wouldn’t function properly, ending his race before it started.

“It’s just very sad,” Leclerc said in an interview. “I also feel sad for the team because they’ve been checking everything. It’s a difficult one to take.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen would start the Monaco Grand Prix on May 23 on pole with Leclerc out. His teammate, Sergio Perez, who was under pressure by the team to have a good performance, started at eighth.

M e r c e d e s ’ Va l t t e r i Bottas started second, while championship leader Lewis Hamilton started at a surprising seventh.

Ferrari’s hopes rested on Carlos Sainz, who started third.

Verstappen fended off an early overtake attempt by Bottas on the first lap, closing a gap on

the very first turn of the circuit.

Mercedes was hoping to close the gap to the Red Bull drivers, but an unfortunate turn of events ruined them.

When Hamilton pitted on Lap 29, he was surprisingly overtaken by Perez, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel when he exited the pit lane.

More disaster struck when Bottas pitted to get his tires changed on Lap 31. The wheel gun had machined the nut onto the car’s axle, which caused the axle to be stuck and forced him to retire from the race due to being unable to change tires.

“I couldn’t believe what happened,” he said. “It is a big mistake by us as a team.”

That gave a big opening for Sainz, Perez and McLaren’s Lando Norris to finish in the podium.

Verstappen and Sainz quickly separated from the group behind to get a 10 second gap between

them and third.

Meanwhile, Norris and Perez were in a close battle for the podium as five to six seconds separated both of them for that third position.

The gap would slowly shorten as Norris struggled to keep his car running well. He reported to the team that it felt “undriveable.”

Perez would get as close as 0.8 seconds to Norris, but that was as close as he would get before Norris concentrated on keeping him out of the podium position.

Back in the front, Sainz was told by his crew to attack Verstappen on Lap 55, but he would come nowhere close to the Dutchman as he won the Monaco Grand Prix.

This win was huge for Red Bull and for Verstappen. The team now leads the Constructors Championship over Mercedes by one point with Verstappen’s victory and Perez’s fourth place finish.

It also gave Verstappen the lead in the Drivers Championship, making it the first time in his career that he led the championship race.

“It’s so special to win here,” he said. “The first time for me on the podium here. It was all about looking after the tires. I was pretty much in control.”

E v e n w i t h L e c l e r c ’s misfortune, Sainz propelled Ferrari back in the mix with a second place finish.

“It is a good result,” he said.

“If you told me before coming to Monaco I would finish second, I would take it.”

To watch Formula One races tune in to ESPN or subscribe to F1TV

Sports

May 27, 2021

15

SPORTS COLUMN

COURTESY OF PIXABAY

Olympic softball inspires aspiring female athletes

BY BIANCA MACIAS STAFF REPORTER

I remember the heartache I felt looking up at the television, tears rolling down my then 12-year-old face, when the umpire called the game on a gloomy Thursday in August 2008 after Team USA and Japan battled for the gold medal in Beijing.

The tears weren’t because Team USA lost. They came from knowing that this would be the last Olympic Women’s Softball Championship game until its reinstatement.

As a young, female aspiring athlete, watching women’s softball teams compete in the Olympics meant a lot. It sparked drive and inspiration not only within me, but also within other young female athletes worldwide.

My teammates and I proudly wore our red, white and blue T-shirts that read “Bound For Beijing” on the front and Team USA’s full roster on the back.

We wanted to be just like those women someday. They were our heroes.

But the International Olympic Committee took away any hopes and dreams there could have been for young female athletes to someday become Olympic softball players. They also cheated millions of the opportunity to experience spectating the thrill of Olympic softball after they voted the sport out of future competition in 2005.

The IOC decided this for a few reasons, including the small number of countries that could form competitive teams and

the number of sports allowed to participate in the Summer Olympics being capped at 28.

But above all else, it’s notable that the ruling was made on the grounds that Major League Baseball did not allow their players to participate, as the Olympic games would conflict with the regular MLB season.

Baseball and softball are currently associated at IOC meetings, so they were both excluded from the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. The sports were reinstated to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which has been pushed back to 2021 due to COVID-19.

T h a n k s t o J a p a n ’s appreciation for the pastime, international baseball and softball organizations are preparing for this Summer’s Olympics. However, the next time they will be included may not be until 2028 in Los Angeles, since Paris voted to exclude the sports as well.

T h e e x i l e o f w o m e n ’s softball is an attack that has not only failed multiple generations

of young women deserving of Olympic status, but has also failed women and women’s sports as a whole. According to statista.com there were 9.69 million women playing ball in 2018, indicating that the sport continues to grow.

But why can’t these players of the thriving game have current Olympic heroes? Why must they continue their careers without the goal of becoming an Olympic athlete? It is unfair.

Aside from these failures, the IOC also disappoints as they continue not to treat baseball and softball as separate entities in IOC meetings. The MLB will not take two weeks out of their season for players to compete at the Olympic level, but the exclusion of softball is not the MLB’s fault.

The IOC should still be able to vote women’s softball into the Olympics even if they choose to exclude baseball for their choice to prioritize the regular MLB schedule. Baseball has a large platform through the MLB network, but women’s softball

continues to get the short end of the stick.

While it offers world class competition, it misses out on the level and rewards that the Olympics have to offer.

Three-time gold medalist and American pitcher Lisa Fernandez criticized Jacques Rogge, who served as the IOC’s president at the time women’s softball was voted out.

“Rogge has basically conspired against the sports to get them removed,” Fernandez said in a 2005 Associated Press interview. “We had done our job as a sport worldwide to show we belong. I feel one person, the president of the IOC, a person from Europe, has taken it upon himself to ruin the lives of ... billions of women.”

Why Rogge, a Belgian man, would choose to conspire against women and the sport is unclear.

Women’s softball returning to the Olympics in 2020 is a step forward, but permanent reinstatement is the victory that women and the sport demand and deserve from the IOC.

Students who enroll in JOU-20 or JOU-52 must attend one mandatory orientation Aug. 23, 24, 25 or 26 in Digital Library 106