“When you are deciding on next steps, next jobs, next careers, further education, you should rather find purpose than a job or a career. Purpose crosses disciplines. Purpose is an essential element of you. It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history.” - Chadwick Boseman
LIFE
September 17, 2020
Inspirational actor dies of cancer
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Country remembers ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman JENNIFER TORRES STAFF REPORTER
The days of COVID-19 have been a roller coaster where every day we seem to lose another legend. Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played Black American icons ranging from Jackie Robinson to Marvel’s inspirational Black Panther, died Aug. 28 of colon cancer. He was 43. Boseman battled colon cancer since 2016 and died at home with his wife and family by his side, according to a statement posted on his twitter account that night. With his role as King T’Challa in the off the charts film “Black Panther,” he became a global icon and an inspiring symbol of Black power. Boseman brought the character to life, the Twitter statement said. “As Black Panther, he was also a superhero to many,” Martin Luther King III tweeted Aug. 28. “Despite his 4 year long battle with cancer, he kept fighting and he kept inspiring us. He will be missed.” Even the possible future president of the United States has joined in praising the late icon. “He inspired generations and showed them they can be anything they want — even super heroes” , Joe Biden tweeted Aug 28. Boseman is considered a great
PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Chadwick Boseman, star of the 2018 Marvel film “Black Panther,” died of colon cancer Aug. 28. Boseman was a vocal proponent of young people exercising their voting rights and creating positive change. role model by people of color in the community. Keyana Michaels, 21, a history major at San Bernardino Valley College, said her heart was shattered when she heard the news of Boseman’s death.
“He really was such a legend and inspiration to children and adults,” Michaels said. “He really brought his character to life and motivated others to be whatever they wanted to be.” Tyler Mayberry, 25, of Upland,
described Boseman as the inspiration needed by the African American community. “When Black Panther first came out that was really great news for all of us because we (had) never seen anything like this,”
Mayberry said. “It made me feel like the media was finally catering to me and my kind of people.” Mayberry said older people were intrigued and children had a superhero to look up to. “He was for the people and our culture,” Mayberry said. “He had the kids dressing up as him for halloween in 2018. It was something that really made me happy because representation is super important to children of color and he really did something for them.” Boseman was outspoken on the importance of young people showing up during elections. “All that 70 million group of young people who will come out and vote— I believe in you,” Boseman said during a public service announcement in November 2018. “ I think you can turn our nation around. You can make it live up to what it is supposed to do.” Boseman argued that the youth are not only the future, but the present as well and that they represent what the country should be. He encouraged young people to vote for whoever they want to and for what they believe in. “I believe the majority of you can see what’s actually happening and you want things to change,” Boseman said. “So I say all that to say, you know, thank you in advance for your input and the victory that is to come.”
RCC clubs seek ways to survive, flourish Student groups meet new challenges as pandemic pushes them online ALYSSA ALDRETE STAFF REPORTER
In the old days, the start of the fall semester at Riverside City College meant Terracina Drive would be lined with white canopies, colorful posters, and pop-up tables covered in flyers and sign-up sheets. Curious mingling freshmen and returning students would surround these tables, all with one question in common: “Which club should I join?” Club Rush is a days-long event during which members of several campus clubs set up information booths and sit for a few hours, eager to talk to anyone interested about what their club has to offer. Since the fall semester brings lots of first-time college students, it is an important time for these clubs, as it can impact them for the duration of the semester. Joining a club is an integral part of the college experience for many students. If college is where students come to further their education and declare a major, joining a campus club can offer the
opportunity of community within that major, or perhaps even just an interest. “I like to think of these clubs as a community within the community,” Kwokwai Siu, applied media and digital arts instructor and advisor to the Graphix Club, said in a Zoom meeting Sept. 7. “We have the larger community of RCC, then we have the departments, and then the clubs. They give the students a sense of regularity; something to expect.” But just like so many other activities and resources on campus, both Club Rush and the club meetings that follow, have been met with the challenge of how to move forward while staying physically apart. Pre-pandemic, most clubs met in classrooms on a weekly basis. Club members also hosted guest speakers, attended workshops and planned social events that engaged the public in their goals. Some of these events can be reimagined with a virtual alternative. But for others, clubs will have to get creative. “I think every club is going to
FILE PHOTO BY TYLER REESE | VIEWPOINTS
Students and canopies line Terracina Drive for Club Rush in March 2016. Club Rush may be gone for at least another year. have to scramble,” Tim Gutierrez, sociology instructor and advisor to the Animal Alliance and Sociology clubs, said during a Zoom meeting Sept. 7. “Without those opportunities and the ability to get together, I’m not exactly sure what their projects are going
to be. They are going to have to try and hustle to find things that work for their mission that are going to be feasible under these circumstances.” Gutierrez said that as far as recruitment goes, many clubs are getting proactive via any means
they have in order to ensure that the opportunity to join their club is heard about. The social media accounts for these clubs are being encouraged to stay active and advisors are taking some time at the beginning of Zoom class meetings to inform their students about their clubs. Members of the clubs are also being encouraged to ask permission from their other instructors to try to promote their club during a brief moment of Zoom airtime. However, for some clubs this is a make-or-break moment in time, being that each club needs to have a certain number of active members in order to be recognized by the college. “I would imagine a larger number than usual will lose their official status,” Gutierrez said. Despite the inevitable challenges, both Gutierrez and Siu expressed hope for the continuation of the sense of community that these clubs will bring. “When we’re together, we should be doing great,” Siu said. “When we’re apart, we should be doing even better.”
