Viewpoints Issue #14: May 26, 2016 by RCC Viewpoints

yNEWS

Limited access for disabled

ySPORTS

Season comes to a close

yA&E

Student finds hot hobby

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

VOL. XCVI, NO. 14

VIEWPOINTSONLINE.ORG

MAY 26, 2016

Campaign trail hits Riverside

STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS

DOMINIQUE REDFEARN @DomRedfearn

STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS

TAVEN STRICKERT @RCCviewpoints

A line stretched several blocks around the Riverside Municipal Auditorium filled with Bernie Sanders supporters and undecided voters in efforts to have the chance to see the Democratic presidential hopeful speak May 24. The venue was packed to capacity with spectators curious to see what Sanders was really about. “I want to see what kind of man he is in person,” said George Vasquez, Riverside City College student. “He seems like an innovator for the people to me,” Others were sure of their decision of Sanders over fellow Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton. “Bernie is clear cut and honest, but Hillary flip-flops so much. I don’t know what she stands for,” RCC student Julian Janeway said. Rock music filled the venue before actor Kendrick Sampson took the stage to state his reasons for supporting Sanders. “I love his message,” said Sampson. “He’s always taking the position of humility, fighting for all of us from the ground level as an activist first. That’s what sets him apart from other politicians, is that he was an activist first.” Sampson then went on to list Sanders’ accomplishments such as his time walking with Martin Luther King Jr., fighting against segregation in schools, taking a stand for Palestinian people and his respect for the Black Lives Matter Movement. “I can’t wait to bring this revolutionary truth telling activist, who’s going to bring activism to the White House. We can’t blame it on the government if we don’t go out there to make our voices heard,” said Sampson. “Bernie Sanders is the presidential candidate that we have been waiting for.” Sampson finished his introduction by stating that Sanders’ hopes of equality and reform for issues like immigration and health care “are not radical things, these are human rights.” Sanders embraced Sampson as he appeared on stage and quickly started his nearly hour long speech with a story about his morning visiting a coffee shop. “A young man, as he poured the coffee ... almost with tears in his eyes (said) thank you for what you’re doing because I am buried in student debt,” Sanders said. He then went on to a broad range of topics like his recent visit to an Indian reservation, the people he has met that have spoken to him about how they are struggling with the current working wages, his hopes to demilitarize the police, and the need for immigration and health care reform. Sanders also discussed other issues like raising the amount of money that people receive from social security checks, the wage gap and how women should have the rights to control their own health care.

Hillary Clinton courted potential voters at UC Riverside on Tuesday night where she was met by a crowd of nearly 2,000 people that were in attendance to both support and protest Clinton’s message. Her supporters were diverse, but attracted a lower number of youth when compared to the Bernie Sanders rally which ended only two hours earlier. Supporters such as Riverside resident Patricia Korzec commented on this diversity. “I am not voting for her because she is a woman. I am voting because she is the most qualified,” Korzec said. “Look around you. There are men and women, people of every race and age. Hillary stands for all of us.” Clinton had many supporters on stage including Mark Macarro, Pechanga tribal chairman, State Senator Richard Ross, Susan Delaney an Riverside City College and UC Riverside graduate, Jason George, Grey’s Anatomy actor and Mary Steenburgen, actor and Clinton’s personal friend of 40 years. “Indian country is with Hillary Rodham Clinton,” Macarro shouted to a roar of applause. “Hillary Clinton, our next president, has spent her entire public life helping all of us,” Ross said. “I’m not voting for Hillary because she’s a women,” George said. “I didn’t vote for Barack Obama because he is black ... But it was a perk.” George addressed the issue with gun control, bringing it home to the San Bernardino shooting. Susan Delaney is a registered nurse of 34 years and union member of the United Nurses Association. With her was her 84 year old mother and 26 year old daughter, whom Clinton personally thanked for their dedication to bring healthcare to everyone. The crowd seemed to agree that Hillary had the most experience and was the most likely to defeat Trump. “In 30 years what has Bernie gotten done? Just look at Hillary’s record,” said RCC student Ezekiel Buchanan. “It was inspiring when the hecklers were booed out.” A crowd of Hillary protesters gathered outside of the building chanting “Hey ho, Hillary has got to go.” “Hillary stands for lies and corruption. She invades countries, orchestrates cover ups and changes her mind depending on the crowd,” said UCR student Natalie Martinez. Some of the Hillary supporters felt the protesters went too far. “My rights were violated. They shoved megaphones and signs in my face. I know they have a right to protest, but I have a right to hear Hillary’s message without being afraid,” Korzec said. Even some attendees that were protesting admitted that the actions of some were troubling.

To read the full article, visit us at ViewpointsOnline.org

2 May 26, 2016

Recycling counts

News

Final Farewell

RCC community weighs-in on recycling issues

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW BRADY

Recycle bins for paper and other materials are in classrooms around campus, but some students feel there are not enough. who is apart of the Student Sustainability Collective, a club on campus, had information that was contradictory to what other RCC students have had to say. In 2013, Riverside City “We have blue bins around College had entered phase one campus so that students will of a plan to increase recycling on know they can recycle and so campus, three years later it may that we can keep plastic out appear that it has not made a large of landfills and the ocean. The impact toward a greener campus. Student Sustainability Collective According to members of the also got a victory (May 25) as the RCC community, recycling is not senate of ASRCC just approved priority when it comes to keeping two hydration stations today a clean campus. However, the with a unanimous vote. We are Associated Students of Riverside continuing the work and it is not City College are just recycling, its a making progress myriad of issues that with the Students we are working.” Sustainability Jones explained Collective to make how hydrations even more of an stations will benefit impact here on the RCC community. campus. “ T o d a y ’ s Viewpoints senate meeting was published an article exclusively about the about the three-phase two hydration stations recycling plan three that were approved years ago titled, “New that will be added in recycling program addition to the one takes hold at RCC.” IMAGE COURTESY OF ANDREA STEWART hydration station However, in the past that will be in the three years some A plastic water bottle lay untouched in the Quad for new administration hours on April 25. students feel that building. This will they haven’t seen any encourage students difference in efforts to increase Maritsa Salazar, a to use reusable water bottles so recycling on the RCC campus. communications major, who that we won’t have BPAs which Regine Pura, a business major identifies as a humanitarian and a are extremely hard to break at RCC, stated in an interview vegetarian, refers to an article that down, seeping into the land or April 25, that the environment was discussed in her class about a contaminating ground water or is important and that we need study of the impact of recycling oceans.” to take great care because our on a university campus in Florida. Jones also went on to explain oceans are filling with trash and “It is unethical to make up that if the students want to see plastic is floating around. any reasons to not take recycling more done they need to come While stating this, not more seriously on any college forward and make their feelings than ten yards to her left lay an campus,” Salazar said. “On other known. empty water bottle on the grass. colleges across America they As far as reaching more areas Later that afternoon, take recycling very seriously; of campus that do not have communications major Lauren they go as far as doing scientific enough bins for trash that will Cook pointed out that the same studies to see how much adding go to both landfills and to be water bottle was lying on the additional recycling bins makes recycled, students can speak up to grass in the Quadrangle prior to a difference. I do not see it as make this happen by contacting her class, this was documented a choice of whether or not to either the RCC Director of at 2 p.m. recycle, it is necessary, because facilities Scott Zwart, ASRCC Just across the Quadrangle, we are living on limited resources or the Student Sustainability where this lone recyclable lay, and cannot just be wasting them Collective. is a brand new blue recycling like we are. However it needs The Student Sustainability bin of unknown origins. This to be done, I would like to see Collective is keeping up on what recycling bin appeared just after recycling taken more seriously on is being done around campus earth day and it is assumed, by our campus by both the students between facilities and ASRCC, these interviewed students, that and the administration.” as far as what has been improved a program on campus placed it Asher Jones, an RCC student since 2013. ANDREA STEWART FREELANCE

there to commemorate Earth Day. “It would be interesting to see how it would effect RCC monetarily to hire another janitor and to put a recycling bin in every classroom,” said George Platner. “Maybe if they expanded their department they could better sort out the materials and recycle those materials for a monetary return. We have to consider many students are throwing away paper, plastic and cans that our college doesn’t pay for, so it may add up to more of a return than they expect.”

After serving as an editor for more semesters than I can count, I say goodbye to a program I have poured my heart and soul into. With every semester I have been on staff I have attended a journalism conference and among the things I took away was to “leave a legacy.” Hopefully when the journalism program looks back at its history the work done by my staff and I, such as the double issue published on Nov. 19 that highlighted Riverside City College’s Centennial Celebration, will speak for itself and stand the test of time. During my time with Viewpoints, I had a number of experiences I may not of gotten at any other community college. I have talked with students, who are no different than myself, to the likes of Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I found it fitting that the final event I covered and coordinated for Viewpoints was the visit of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in Riverside as both made their final push toward the Democratic nominee with the hope of becoming the 45th President of the United States. As a student who transferred from Cerritos College to become Viewpoints' Editor-in-Chief, my growth during my community colleges days has molded me into much more than a journalist but as a person as well. The friendships I have formed here are some I plan to hold close for years to come. I am forever grateful for the support you all have given me. Among those include Alexis Naucler, Valerie Osier, Matt Schoenmann and Laura Tapia. And to my immediate family (my mother Joy, my father Clarence and my siblings, Jesse and Michelle) I say thank you. You have loved and supported me throughout my life and have been the driving force behind making my dream a reality.

James H. Williams Editor-in-Chief

N ews B riefs Transfer Recognition Ceremony A Transfer Recognition Ceremony is scheduled for May 27 to honor Riverside City College students eligible for transfer after the spring semester. The ceremony will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Bradshaw Building Cafeteria. Transfer honorees will receive an RCC Transfer Achievement Medal and a Certificate of Transfer at the reception. The deadline to apply was for the ceremony May 13. Requests for accommodations for persons with disabilities may be made by calling event coordinator Monica Delgadillo at 951222-8108 or the Office of Diversity, Equity and Compliance 951-222-8039. Requests that are received less than three days before the event will be honored whenever possible.

Commencement speaker chosen Wolde-Ab Isaac, president of Riverside City College, selected Mary Figueroa, Riverside Community College District trustee, to be the centennial commencement keynote speaker. Figueroa has served with RCCD’s Board of Trustees for 20 years. She is a Riverside native and a graduate of UC Riverside. Figueroa was the first member of her family to graduate college. “A little kid from the east side is giving a commencement speech to a college celebrating a hundred years,” Figueroa said. “That’s what totally amazed me.” Figueroa wants to give a message to the centennial graduating class. “Confidence,” she said. “The confidence to do whatever they want.

News

May 26, 2016

Lack of disabled access on campus ADRIAN OVIEDO FREELANCE

y May 11 Vehicle burglary

A white Toyota Corolla was burglarized at 5:15 p.m. at Lot N in front of the cosmetology Building. There are no suspects at this time

y May 12 Adult male arrested for drunk in public An adult male non-student was arrested at 12:39 p.m. on the charge of drunk in public in front of the Centennial Plaza Building at the corner of Market Street and University Avenue.

y May 18 Physical Altercation between two male students

Two adult male students w ere involved in a verbal altercation in the Ceramics Building, which then escalated to a physical altercation before Riverside Community College District Police arrived on scene at 9 a.m. Neither student was injured, or willing to press charges. However the incident was reported to the Dean of Student Services for review.

y May 18 Huntley Gym Vandalized Graffiti was reported outside Huntley Gym on the east side facing Olivewood Avenue. The vandalism was reported at 3:33 p.m. There are no suspects at this time.

y May 23 Mountain bike stolen from Math and Science Building A mountain bike was stolen from the Math and Science Building. The theft was reported May 23 at 8:15 p.m. There are no suspects at this time.

y May 24 Math and Science Building Vandalized A glass window on the west side of the Math and Science Building was broken with an unknown projectile. RCCD Police believe that the vandalism occurred overnight and was reported May 24 at 7:45 a.m. There are no suspects at this time.

Riverside City College is a beautiful campus, with a grass area for students to study or, relax. If you look closely around campus you, will notice there are a limited number automatic door buttons on campus. “Touch-type automatic door uses a wall mounted switch or panel that automatically opens the door. This type is one of the most common types of automatic door opener that is used in public places. The individual needs to press the switch or panel, which is normally installed on the wall near the door, to operate it,” according to Georgia Tech Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access. RCC disabled student Alejandra Orozco who uses a wheelchair shared her experience about getting around campus. “I think they are needed I have strength in my arms so, I can open doors,” Orozco said. “But, I think it would definitely benefit a lot of students.” A lack of automatic door buttons can make it difficult for students to enter a building or open doors on their own. “I remember this one time I was walking by, and a student was trying to open the door and he couldn’t. So I went over and helped him,” RCC student Quinn Jackson said. “I think the school should have the buttons and not limit students.” This will change in the future with the construction of the Dr. Charles A. Kane Student Services and Administration building which will have the automatic door buttons. According to Chris Carlson who is the chief of staff and facilities development

for the Riverside Community College District. Carlson explained why there is limted number of button were on campus. “The new Dr. Kane building will have the automatic door opening button,” she said. The building was unveiled on April 23. Although the new building will have the buttons many current buildings on campus do not; with the exception of one that is located in the Bradshaw Building ANDREW BRADY | VIEWPOINTS cafeteria. “ T h e y ’ r e n o t A student presses the automatic door required,”Carlson button to enter the men’s restroom in the said. “The campus Bradshaw building at RCC. is very accessible it building and if future buildings has sliding doors and elevators.” will have the buttons. The Disabled Student “As of right now the only new Resource Center now located in building scheduled to have the the O.W. Noble Administration button is the Dr. Kane building,” Building, has sliding doors that Carlson said. allow students to walk up to With RCC’s Centennial the door and the door opens. birthday coming up the Kane The Digital Library also has an building was built in honor of elevator in order for students to Charles A. Kane who is credited gain access to the facility. with pushing the college towards Carlson explained why older the success that is seen today. buildings such as, the Tech A The building we be the new building don’t have the buttons. home for the Disability Resource “For older buildings there Center as well as other student would need to be a renovation services such as financial aid, project due the fact that the counseling, health services and buildings are old,” Carlson said. more. According to Carlson, The mission of the new unless a renovation is done to student success building is to the building there will be no make the college experience automatic door buttons around smoother and easier not just for the Tech A building because it new students but, also current been around since the 1950s. students. Carlson talked about the Kane

Repeat offender vandalizes RCC campus buildings CHRIS VALDEZ

@RCCviewpoints

An unknown suspect has repeatedly written the letters EROS in bathrooms and elevators in Technology Building B and the Samuel C. Evans Sports Complex since March 1 according to Riverside Community College District Police Officer Chad Price. As of April 3, the suspect has defaced walls and other areas such as the Quad, Math and Science Building and the Bradshaw Building according to RCCD Police Sgt. Robert Kleveno. Riverside City College Custodial Manager Ralph Velasquez has seen a lot of this taggers work over the past six

months and estimated the cost of damages to be anywhere between $400 and $600 for paint remover, masks and gloves. “I see it on street signs, on tables and scratched on mirrors in the men’s bathrooms,” Velasquez said. The graffiti was cleaned so promptly that students that were interviewed by Viewpoints had not seen the vandalism. The tagger referred to as “EROS” has hit many areas of the campus from mirrors to walls and their latest was the Applied Digital Media Lab in Tech B. “It seems to be all over Tech B,” Patrick Scullin, RCC Applied Digital Media Professor said. “It’s in the elevators, it’s around the walls, we find it in the bathrooms. We also found it

on one of our keyboards in the computer lab.” Tech B has been at the center of the tagging incidents with six separate occurrences in and around the building over the past six months. “To me they don’t understand the value of things,” Scullin said. “They don’t seem to care how much damage they make. It disappoints me, especially if it’s one of our students, because I think they can find better ways to express their creativity then ruining someone else’s property.” RCCD Police are asking students and faculty to help catch the suspect. Those who witness anyone defacing Riverside City College property may call RCCD Police’s non-emergency line at (951) 222-8172.

COURTESY OF RCCD POLICE

The letters EROS are written on the door of an elevator on the Riverside City College campus.

Join Viewpoints Let your voice be heard and make a difference

To join Viewpoints you must attend ONE of the mandatory orientations that will be held in the Viewpoints Newsroom located on the opposite side of the Assessment Center. These meetings will be held on August 30-31 and September 1-2 at 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30-1:30 p.m.

SPORTS Baseball ends playoff series run May 26, 2016

“It’s better to look ahead and prepare, than to look back and regret,”

- Jackie Joyner-Kersee

The Tigers’ defeat Golden West in game two, but come up short handed in historic season DYLAN KING

@RCCviewpoints

The Riverside City College Tigers baseball team lost a hard fought playoff series against Golden West in the Southern California Regional semifinals May 15, effectively ending a surprising season. Though they came up short this year, the season could still be considered an overall success, especially after the Tigers took on the No. 1 ranked state team Saddleback and scored a shocking upset after eliminating them from the playoffs, capping the series with a resounding 14-4 win in game three. Gathering momentum from wins in six of the last nine regular season games, including winning two out of three against Irvine Valley and Orange Coast, the Tigers entered the playoffs with an aggressive attitude, looking to stake their claim as championship contenders. Led by sophomore shortstop Brody Weiss and pitcher Angel Delgado, RCC won 25 of of 43 regular season games, with a 9-12 record in Orange Empire Conference action. RCC started the season on a roll, going on a seven game winning streak and ending February with a 9-2 record, establishing themselves as immediate contenders. On field chemistry was at an all time high,

highlighted by a decisive 13-7 victory against Mt. San Jacinto on Feb. 27 that included four players scoring two or more runs in the same game. March was a different matter altogether. A 17-4 loss to No.1 Saddleback was the worst of the season, and started a five game losing streak that threatened to dash the team’s playoff hopes. During this time, changes in management philosophy were being made, and the head coach Dennis Rogers resigned from his position at RCC. Assistant coach Rudy Arguelles was promptly promoted to the head coaching position amid the uncertainty that lingered around the team, and he began making necessary changes to the lineups and strategies that no longer fit with his team concept. While the Tigers were on the road, the team’s clubhouse was burglarized, and valuable equipment was stolen. Times were getting tough, and the players rallied around each other for support through adverse situations. The players and staff did not use that situation as an excuse for a letdown, instead it galvanized unbridled determination to succeed at all costs, and they used the games as opportunities to cement their firm dedication to winning.

For the MVPs visit us at ViewpointsOnline.org

Track and field places second

ANDREW BRADY | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College catcher, Tommie Pincin playing against Mt. San Jacinto College on Feb.27

The Riverside City College track team ends season

fifth with a time of 11.96, while Kayla Wilson placed seventh with a time of 11.99. Wilson also received @pristinetompkin fifth place in the 200 meters with a time of 24.91. For the men, freshman Joshua Silva won the 1500 The Riverside City College men’s and women’s meter run with a time of 3:55.65. Silva said he felt confident about winning the track and field teams finished the season strong with second place finishes at the state championship meet 1,500 meters in the last stretch of the race. “I knew I had it at the 200 (mark),” he said. “I on May 20-21 at San Diego Mesa College. The women finished second behind Cerritos, 92- felt strong.” Freshman Michael Simpson finished second in 80, while the men finished second behind Mt. San the steeplechase with a time of 9:19.83. Antonio College, 148-99. Simpson said having a The women scored in 11 positive attitude and outlook out of 21 events, while the men when doing an event like the scored in 10 events. steeplechase. Destinee Widgins won the “What’s it take to be a good women’s triple jump at 12.18 steeplechaser,” he rhetorically meters. asked. “Mostly believe in “My whole mindset this yourself more than you probably season was to win state,” she said. -- Destinee Widgins, RCC ever should have.” Sophomore Crystal Tejada track and field athlete James Jones came in first place in the shot put, with a won the 800 meter run with a distance of 16.96 meters. While time of 2:10.59. Chad Ponciano placed second Tejada said she knew she had to give it all she in the decathlon with a total score of 6,360 points. had in order to win. Men’s head coach Jim McCarron was very “It’s what I’ve been wanting for so long,” she said. “This is my last meet here so I just had to go satisfied with how they performed at the state meet. “I thought that the guys overachieved this for it.” Brianna Jacklin finished second in the 10,000 season,” McCarron said. “I am very proud of our guys, coaches, staff and administration for all their meter and fourth in the 5,000. In the 100 meter run, Tiarah McDaniel placed hard work.” PRISTINE TOMPKIN

“

“My whole

mindset this season was to win state.”

STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College runner, Crystal Tejeda runs next to Orange Coast runner Janessa Reyes on March 25, Tejeda finished in first place with a time of 4:38.74

V iews Still no sign of Trump’s 1040s May 26, 2016

Tell

us what you think, in a letter to the editor, in an email, or use #RCCnow.

Donald refuses to release tax returns despite previous promises

“I’ve never smoked it, but I have friends that have and from what I’ve seen there’s so many people that get their medical cards even though they necessarily don’t need it so it’s kinda either way. Whether it’s legal or not people are still getting it. So, to me, it’s kinda neutral.”

“I don’t thin k it should be legalized because it’s almost like we’re erasing that moral line. Ever ybody knows that there are downsides to smoking marijuana.... Kids of tomorrow, what are we telling them? That because it’s not good today we’ll wait and erase the line.”

“I think it should stay only for medical purposes. I feel like there already are enough ways to get your medical card and get it. But if it was just legalized I feel like it would be misused more.”

- Sammantha Escamilla

- Yul Joseph

“I think marijuana should be legalized. They legalize cigarettes and alcohol which are bad for us, and I think medical mar ijuana there hasn’t been any overdoses from it and there has been alcohol poisoning and cancer from cigarettes.”

“You should be asking the question why should it be illegal? Hemp grows faster than trees. Hemp provides better product for paper and other eco-friendly goods. It’s doing amazing things, medically speaking. It’s not just a recreational tool.”

“No, I don’t think it should be legalized. I smoked marijuana for a long time but then I found God. It does cause a lot of problems in communities. It’s not good for a person’s mind. It is the gateway drug. It’s not good, you know, for our youth.”

N MOORE

From Watergate to Monica Lewinsky, nothing good ever comes from presidents hiding information from the public. So if Donald Trump is so intent on being the next politician to helm the Oval Office, why withhold his tax returns from the public? Slate Magazine reports that Trump’s fellow Republican candidates Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz released their tax returns months ago and have since been urging him to do the same. Because of his resistance to do so, some are beginning to speculate that the business giant has a couple dirty secrets buried in those tax forms. Mitt Romney, at least,

be more of a personal practice than a moral stance. He’s a businessman, not a financial adviser. Poverty doesn’t seem to be a major concern of his. This is exactly how he has made perceptions of wealth and fortune synonomous with the Trump name. Sure, he wants to make America great again, but for whom? Based on his personal practices, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy willing to distribute his wealth. There are other various incidents of tax evasion such as a jewelry scam and a discounted estate, Forbes reports. It’s hard to connect with a candidate who has enough wealth to run his own campaign yet avoids taxes like he’s living on welfare. Many people are considering that Trump may not make as much money as he’s previously boasted, that his tax returns could tarnish his “business giant” perception and prove it to just be a facade. In that case, the only thing he has to lose is his pride, which for him is probably worse than losing the race.

BY MADISO

@RCCviewpoints

there are no legal restrictions preventing him from releasing them. If he can’t stick to his word about a tax return then how can we trust him to tackle bigger issues like making America great again? Trump is known for and has admitted to paying as little as possible to the government says T h e Wa s h i n g t o n Post.He calls this practice the “ A m e r i c a n Wa y, ” which is extremely ironic considering he constantly calls out illegal immigrants for not paying taxes. He clearly doesn’t squander his money, which is good for the country if he were to become president. Maybe he could put a cap on our trillion-dollar debt. Maybe. On the other hand, his avoidance of taxes seems to

ION ILLUSTRAT

JAKOB WOOD

went as far to say on Facebook that nominees should be “disqualified” for refusing to release their tax returns says the Washington Post. The fact that Trump’s returns dating back to 2009 are still under audit only fuels the suspicion. That’s almost a decade’s worth of his financial records for someone whose whole platform is based on his buisness prowess. Being the “businessman” he is, the way he spends his money is extremely relevant to who he may be as a politician. And on top of that, he’s already proven to be full of empty promises. He said he would release his returns back in 2011, only after President Obama released his birth certificate. Obama’s records came, Trump’s remained hidden. In 2014 he claimed he would release them if he ran for office. Instead of following through, he added the condition of finding out the truth about Hillary’s emails, further prolonging the truth about his tax returns. His only excuse now is that he’s under audit, which in fact isn’t a legitimate reason because

Campus Conversations

Campus Question: Should Calif. legalize recreational use of marijuana in November? Campus Views is an open forum for Riverside City College students to voice their own opinions, views and ideas. Interviews by Jakob Wood and Joel Zepeda Photos by Joel Zepeda

“I think it should be legalized because I mean people are gonna do it either way and I mean it’s a good economic factor because there is a market and an industry for that.”

- Jeffrey Delgado

“ Wel l, if pe ople wa n na smoke they’re gonna smoke no matter what, whether it’s legal or not. In a professional sense, I’d say don’t legalize it ‘cause if you’re trying to be professional you shouldn’t be smoking drugs. Just let it be as it is.”

- Grant Vizzini

- Jacqueline Arredondo

- Antonio Armijo

- Katrina

Camacho

- Tramain Ortiz

May 26, 2016

Views

Paychecks lack specifics How a detailed expenditure list could change tax attitudes

DAVID ROMAN

@RCCviewpoints

No one likes paying taxes, except perhaps for the uberaltruistic. But short of casting off every vestige of monetary greed that comes standard with humanity, you probably get a little frustrated when you see the taxes on your paycheck. But why? Is it really that our taxes are so high? Well according to Poltifact they aren’t really; citing two separate studies. The first is one by KPMG, an international tax advisory corporation which ranks our highest tax rate (39.6 percent) as 33rd out of 116 countries ranked.

The second is f rom Tr a d i n g e c o n o m i c s which ran ks ou r highest rate 38th out of 155 surveyed nations. So clearly our individual income tax rate isn’t the highest, and probably ranks fairly low when compared to the other 40 (more or less) developed nations. M ayb e it’s not t h at our taxes are exorbitantly high, and maybe we aren’t especially greedy, even if we are American. Maybe it’s that we don’t really know exactly where and how our tax dollars are being spent? Referring specifically to the list of employee and employer taxes on every paycheck and stub. Here in the United States the majority of paychecks only show how much is paid as Federal Income Tax, Social Security and Medicare. Paychecks should be required by federal law to list exactly where these tax dollars go and how much we’re paying into what. The Federal Income Tax pays into as many things as defense

their rights granted to them by YouTube’s policies and guidelines to use original materials as well as U.S. copyright law have been violated. Despite that fact, the creators are flagging these videos and making copyright claims against the YouTuber’s reviews/criticism. Much of this misconduct comes from elements such as: Digital Millennium Copyright Act abuse, a misunderstanding of copyright/fair use law on the charging end of matters, a deficiency of YouTube employee presence, a lack of reprimand for claimants who make false claims and little to no defense for channels creating the content under siege. This misconduct is putting youtuberslivelihoods in jeopardy and stunting the growth of not only certain content creators but a massive online community. Fair use may be a foggy subject, especially when it comes to those traversing the misinformation breeding ground that is the internet. This seems to be why a majority of these cases unfold while other cases seem to be blatant abuse of a backwards and lazy system. As is stated in The American Society of Media Photographers’ well-known guide Professional Business Practices in Photography, “there is no hard rule in the Copyright Act as to what constitutes fair use - only some general guidelines.” To determine whether a use

spending, education, medical and scientific research and pretty much everything that isn’t Social Security and Medicare, which is about half of all government spending. The Social Security budget itself also breaks up into payments for retirement insurance, survivor insurance or

disability insurance. Imagine how different people’s views on taxes would be if they saw exactly how many of their dollars and cents went into welfare or public works projects li ke f reeways and libraries. Or how different their views on the military may be if they saw how much more of their dollars go into defense spending than say education. According to the Center fo r Bu d ge t a nd Pol ic y Priorities, defense made up 16 percent of our total 2015 government spending whereas education only got three. This plan of providing an itemized list of expenses that spares no detail has been s uc c e s sf u l ly i mple me nt e d before. Many social democracies in Europe find it very beneficial to the working and upper classes to see where their money goes into. Take France for example, where paychecks are as big as a full letter-sized page or larger and the social charges section goes on what seems like forever.

Its specif ics include how much each citizen and employer pays (to the penny) into health, retirement, work accident insurance, public social programs, state family policy programs, state specific social p rog r a m s , u ne mploy me nt , education, public housing, public training programs and public transport. This leads to people knowing exactly where they’re paying into which makes them less resentful over tax increases, so long as they agree with what’s getting funded. T his also makes people more willing to participate in elections and voting for budgets and spending cuts instead of standing idle and complaining about it later. If our gover n ment t r uly encourages transparency then this shouldn’t be much of a radical thought, especially if other countries have already caught on before us. Not h i ng bad ever came from more easily accessible knowledge and people really deserve to see how much of their hard earned money goes toward helping people, and how much of it does not.

is fair or not, each situation must be examined individually; this is why YouTube needs some sort of human regulation with these claims. Chapter one, section 107 of the Copyright Act gives a general def inition of “fair” use stating “the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not a n i n f r i nge me nt of copyright.” The DMCA was made law on October 28th, 1998; it was created to provide protection for both copyright holders and their granted rights as well as content hosting websites. If a website receives a DMCA demand for take down they are required to remove the content; this is where the problem seems to blossom from. The DMCA was installed in 1998 for an internet that existed in that very same year; since then the internet has rapidly evolved and become a playground only dreamed of at the time of the DMCA’s inception, the act itself has remained the same. YouTube operates on a system which attempts to prevent legal processes from being involved. As YouTuber Doug Walker (C h a n n e l Aw e s o m e : T h e

Nostalgia Critic) points out in his video entitled ‘Where’s The Fair Use?’, while an act fitting a similar mold to that of SOPA was not passed (which would have given absolute jurisdiction to U.S. law enforcement to impose copyright law without due process in reaction to online copyright infringement), similar exercises began to come into regular practice. YouTube’s copyright strike system works in a way which appeals to the accuserclaimant rather than holding a balance between being in favor of the claimant and the defense. If a YouTuber receives a copyright strike, their video has been removed from YouTube because the copyright claimant filed “a complete and valid legal request” for the videos removal, the video is taken down to meet DMCA standards. If a strike is made against a channel, the channel faces incredibly detrimental sanctions, i ncludi ng: monetization redistribution in which the one making the claim receives the money from the video they have made a claim against (if the strike turns out to be false the money is not turned back over to the proper content creator), complete monetization cancellation, video length maximum cut down to fifteen minutes, video removal and channel removal. In response to a claim, the channel can choose to do one of three things: complete copyright

school and wait half a year for the strike to then expire so long as they do not receive another (which can be incredibly difficult for channels whose primary content uses source material), request the person making the claim to redact their claim or submit the complicated and mostly useless counter notification (which has a 250 character limit). If a channel receives three strikes the account will be closed, all videos will be deleted, and the user will not be allowed to make a new account. These rules and laws were put in place to protect this content and its creators, but they’re being used to harass and bully content creators. I n t h i s e r a of i nt e r ne t expression we cannot afford to overlook these sorts of issues. Websites such as YouTube are created with the idea that they are a safe space for anybody to come and put their best foot forward in the digital age. However, there needs to be revisions to current laws regarding copyright and fair use otherwise these creators who provide such entertaining content may one day disappear because no one spoke out in regards to these issues. Matters such as this are going to drastically define what tomorrow’s world will look like which is why there needs to be strong advocation for the right direction, one in which fair use is a strong staple in copyright law.

ILLUSTRATION BY

MADISON MOORE

YouTube censorship leaves vloggers vexed

MARCUS COCOVA @RCCviewpoints

Today, on YouTube, many of the internet site’s superstars who often provide commentary and review on various mediums of entertainment (movies, fellow YouTuber’s videos, short films, music videos etc.) or even current events within the community are facing unjust obstacles. YouTubers such as I Hate Everything, H3H3 Productions, Boogie 2298, Channel Awesome (The Nostalgia Critic) as well as many other names both small and large in popularity are under heavy backlash from the original content creators and production studios who the YouTuber’s are discussing and using content of in their videos. While these YouTubers each have a rather unique relevance to this topic which distinguishes one from the other, they also have a relevance which ties them all together, this being that

May 26, 2016

Views

What consent should be

Editorial

How blurred lines and outdated laws lead to loopholes

As society grows and evolves, so do the ideologies and views of the people living within it. As a whole we learn to adapt to new ideas and ways of life which changes our way of thinking and allows us to be more progressive. In recent years, it seems like society is constantly changing and so are perceptions on social issues. Issues such as rape. The perceptions of what rape is are evolving and now include the notion of consent, or the “no means no” approach. But these fast changing ideologies and perceptions sometimes leave laws outdated and unable to protect victims the way they are supposed to, as it is the case with the rape laws in Oklahoma. These last couple of months have brought national attention to the Oklahoma rape laws and their many flaws. The unwanted attention came after The Court of Criminal Appeals of the State of Oklahoma upheld the ruling of a lower court to dismiss forcible sodomy charges on a 17-year- old boy. The boy was charged with forcible sodomy on a 16-year-old girl who was heavily intoxicated after a night out of drinking. The boy offered to take the girl home along with another passenger who testified the girl was slipping in and out of consciousness due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed. The other passenger was in the car only for a brief period of the ride. The girl was dropped off at her home and later taken to the hospital due to the state of intoxication she was in. The staff at the hospital performed a sexual assault examination on the girl. The examination resulted in the findings of the boy’s DNA on the back of her leg and around her mouth. With this evidence, charges were pressed against the boy for forcible sodomy and first degree rape. The first degree rape charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. The lower court dismissed the forcible sodomy charges because the force was not used to perform oral sex on the victim. The forcible sodomy laws in Oklahoma have five

criteria of which one must be met in order to commit the crime. One of the criteria states that the oral act must be “accomplished with any person by means of force, violence, or threats of force or violence…” in order to be considered forcible sodomy. The girl was unconscious and

ILLUSTRATION BY could not MADISON MOORE provoke the boy to use force to perform oral sex, therefore he could not be charged with forcible sodomy, according to the language of the law. The case was taken to the court of appeals but they too ruled that “forcible sodomy cannot occur where a victim is so intoxicated as to be completely unconscious at the time of the sexual act of oral copulation.” We believe the court’s decision, although unpopular, was accurate based on the language provided in the law. The courts are there to uphold laws as they are written, not to expand the meaning of the language. “We will not, in order to justify prosecution of a person for an offense, enlarge a statute beyond the fair meaning of its language,” the court decision read. But, what does this mean for victims of rape? Are all unconscious rape victims going to lose their case because of this ruling? Thankfully, the courts decided not to make this ruling a precedent, meaning that others cannot use it as a defense. Now, it is time for the Oklahoma legislature to act and resolve the problems with their rape laws to

avoid any more cases like this one to slip through. But Oklahoma is not the only state that needs to revise their rape laws. Every state should check their laws to make sure victims are protected accordingly. The laws should be more explicit in their language and all rape laws should include the concept of consent. Oklahoma’s major flaw in its forcible sodomy law is that it does not state that a person cannot give consent when the person is intoxicated by any substance. It only mentions that consent cannot be given when mental illness is involved. Another flaw is that forcible sodomy is differentiated from rape. The rape law does specify that a victim cannot consent when intoxicated. The legislature should redefine rape to include forcible sodomy. Much like the definition the FBI uses to define rape. Rape is “the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim,” said Attorney General Eric Holder in a U.S. Department of Justice news release back in 2012. This is a much better definition of what rape is that has a more encompassing language that allows it to protect more rape victims. States should model their rape laws after this definition to have a more uniform understanding of what rape is in courts across the country. No law will ever be perfect, but that should not stop legislatures from trying to make it as perfect as possible. Especially when it comes to rape laws. “Rape is a devastating crime and we can’t solve it unless we know the full extent of it,” said Vice President Joe Biden in the same news release. ‘If it ain’t broken don’t fix it’ is not the attitude we should have towards laws meant to protect.

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T:21”

You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent. There are thousands of teens in foster care who would love to be unconditionally supported by you. 1-888-200-4005 • adoptuskids.org

&E A Haim makes hometown return May 26, 2016

“We’re all stories in the end, just make it a good one.”

- The Eleventh Doctor, “Doctor

who”

Fresh off its gig opening for Taylor Swift, the rock trio headline tour and premiere new songs CONCERT REVIEW DOMINIQUE REDFEARN

@DomRedfearn

A sold-out crowd filled the Santa Ana Observatory on May 17 awaiting the chance to be the first to hear new music from rock band Haim. Their 11 song set however, consisted mostly of songs from the band’s 2013 debut album “Days Are Gone.” The Los Angeles based act consists of sisters Este (guitar, bass and vocals), Danielle (guitar and lead vocals) and Alana Haim (keyboard, percussion and vocals). The prolonged instrumentals to “If I Could Change Your Mind” built suspense to the moment the sisters took the stage. The band later surprised the crowd by playing a cover of “I Would Die 4 U” by one of their biggest musical influences, Prince. After seeing a multitude of musicians cover “Purple Rain” and only “Purple Rain” in the weeks following the pop icon’s death, Haim’s cover was a refreshing tribute. Danielle and Alana took to playing their guitars while Este sung most of the lyrics as purple lights flashed onstage. The sisters then joined at center stage for a synchronized guitar riff and dance toward the end of the song, clearly enjoying their time on the stage which was a reminder of why this band is so enjoyable in the first place. Audiences can feel as if they are joining in on a jam session or one of the band’s intimate living room rehearsals.

DOMINIQUE REDFEARN | VIEWPOINTS

From left: Alana, Danielle and Este Haim perform to a sold out crowd at the Santa Ana Observatory on May 17. The sometimes serious stigma surrounding the kind of rock show that they have the ability to put on vanishes the moment they walk onstage because of the positive and inclusive energy they emit. Their signature long hair whipped back and forth as the sisters continued to follow their usual stage routine. Este would connect with the crowd through her blunt and comedic banter in between songs, Alana pumped up the audience with her exaggerated drum strikes and Danielle captivated the crowd every strum of her guitar. Although the lack of newer music that was debuted was slightly disappointing, what they did perform was just enough to keep fans wanting more. Each of the new songs showed that Haim are staying close to their roots with their signature mixture of R&B and 1970s influenced soft rock.

Haim sneaked the first of two new songs, a slower tune entitled “Give Me Just A Little of Your Love,” into their set without introduction before diving into the emotional “Running If You Call My Name.” Typically sung by Danielle, youngest sister Alana stepped away from her instruments to perform a stripped down version of the latter. The crowd stayed until Alana stepped onto an elevated part of the stage to elicit harmonies from the crowd. They then changed gears and went on to perform what Este introduced as a song that people could dance to, the powerhouse breakup song “My Song 5.” “Nothing’s Wrong” was the second and final piece of new material of the night. The song wasn’t entirely kept under wraps as those who follow the band’s Twitter were able to see that the band tweeted a small set of lyrics

hours before the show started. They finished their set with “The Wire” and left the stage before returning to perform “Falling” as their encore. Similar to their last tour, they closed with a fun, four minute long drum routine. Instead of having it tie in with “Let Me Go,” a song that was neglected inclusion from this tour’s setlist, the routine stemmed from “Falling.” Haim was first cited to have started the process of working on their sophomore album in 2014. They have kept hush on the details of the album up until the release of a 15 second clip posted to the band’s Twitter in late March of this year. The clip featured the band practicing in the studio with quick snippets of riffs playing alongside voiceovers of the sisters stating that they just wanted to go back on tour to perform these songs. The trio have kept busy

between albums from their appearance on “Saturday Night Live” to being featured on soundtracks for movies like “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” and “Insurgent,” to becoming a fixture in Taylor Swift’s infamous “squad” of famous friends and subsequently getting a stint as one of the opening acts for Swift’s 1989 World Tour. Most notably, the band was nominated in the best new artist category for the 2015 Grammys. With their focus finally shifting to new music, Haim are set to perform at various festivals and smaller venues in the U.S. and internationally through August.

For more pictures and videos of the concert, visit ViewpointsOnline.org

‘Crimes of the Heart’ shares story of sisterhood

PLAY REVIEW

DAMIAN GIAMPIETRO @supdamiang

Three distant, completely opposite sisters come back together after the youngest shoots her abusive husband but that soon turns out to be the least of their issues. The dark comedy production, “Crimes of the Heart,” originally written by Beth Henley which garnered her the Pulitzer Prize in 1981, was directed by David Wayne Nelson and presented in the Singletary Hall. When the theater doors opened, the audience was washed over by the music of Patsy Cline for 30 minutes before the start of the first act, setting up a feeling

of doom and despair that was capitalized on during the play. Lenny (Veronique Poutre), the oldest sister, rushes into the kitchen, dressed in plain clothes that resembles a housemaid and attempts to light birthday candles on her table. Soon after, Chick (Synnova MacLeod), a first cousin to the McGrath sisters, barges into Lenny’s house while belittling her cousins and complaining about having to go and pick up Babe (Dorys Vazquez), the youngest McGrath sister. After singing a sad rendition of a birthday song to herself, Lenny receives a phone call about someone’s liver being saved but their spinal column being damaged before the middle sister, Meg (Haley Rubin), enters.

The sisters catch up and wait for Babe to arrive and when she does, they all immediately dive into the heinous crime Babe has committed as she claims that she shot her husband because “I just didn’t like his stinking looks!” “Crimes of the Heart” is more of a character study than a plot driven story, with emphasis placed on how the sisters will face their own personal hardships and get over the resentments that they hold against one another. The play was hilarious but could quickly become dark and tragic within an instant, capturing the real life complications most families tend to deal with. The actresses in this production were outstanding, embodying such heartfelt, twisted characters while also delivering

lighthearted comedic banter between one another. The actors, however, seemed to fall a little bit behind their female counterparts. Meg’s former boyfriend, Doc Porter (Blake Hawkins) and Babe’s lawyer, Barnette (Abraham Fuentes) are both interesting characters but the actors never seem to make them as tangible as they could have been and ultimately become afterthoughts to the production. The first and third acts were poignant and memorable while the second act lost some of its momentum as it seemed that the characters were rambling on and on about the same tired things, looking a little bored onstage themselves. Though entirely taking place

within the kitchen of a house somewhere in Mississippi, the set and costumes were designed gorgeously, really capturing the feel of a mid-20th century home. From an old wire telephone and glass Coke bottles to wornout pieces of luggage and aged nightgowns, the world that this family inhabits flows off the stage with ease. A story of redemption, forgiveness and sisterly love, “Crimes of the Heart” knows exactly when to make you laugh and when to make you cry. Unfortunately, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts.

May 26, 2016

RCC student plays with fire

A&E

Biochemistry major ignites a passion and builds a skill for the art of Polynesian fire spinning

ALEC CAVILLO | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College student Lorenzo Vasquez holds a fire staff as he practices one of his fire spinning routines in his backyard in Corona, Calif. the flames climb,” Vasquez said. There isn’t a certain way or routine that the fire dancers ALEC CALVILLO follow. It mostly consists of a @RCCViewpoints freestyle and following along to the tempo of the music that the DJ is playing. Riverside City College “Everyone should have their student Lorenzo Vasquez started own style, you do whatever his routine by tossing a pole with feels comfortable,” two giant flames on each side in Vasquez said. the air with assurance that he Now when was going to catch the hazardous Vasquez practices instrument. it involves a lot Vasquez is majoring in of research on biochemistry, but has passion Lorenzo Vasquez, RCC student other fire dancer’s for fire spinning. moves. He does It all started when Vasquez this so he can was vacationing in Hawaii and incorporate saw fire dancers performing at different moves a luau. flame is larger, but for him the into his routine. “(I) thought it was the craziest larger the flames the better. O n e o f Va s q u e z ’ s thing that they were playing with “You burn yourself all the favorite tricks is nicknamed fire,” Vasquez said. time (with a regular pole) but with “circumcision.” He starts off Years later a friend of Vasquez a fire knife you’re going to burn twirling the fire staff close to asked him if he wanted to join a yourself a lot more often because his neck and then brings it down fire dancing group called the underneath his leg and around while in a squat position. The reason for such a nickname is because the fire staff ends up close to his groin area. His father Lorenzo Vasquez Sr. was a little nervous when he first saw his son fire spin, but he saw how passionate his son was when he would see him practicing a lot. “Most parents don’t want their kids playing with fire, but you just gotta let them be,” Vasquez Sr. said. The first time Vasquez lit the fire staff was at one of his earlier rehearsals with the Polynesian Entertainment Group. ALEC CAVILLO | VIEWPOINTS “You’re just spinning all slow, afraid of it hitting you. It Lorenzo Vasquez holding a stance as he practices a fire spinning routine in Corona, Calif.

STUDENT PROFILE

Polynesian Entertainment Group that performs for audiences in the Inland Empire. He was excited and didn’t hesitate to say yes. “I always thought it was the coolest thing,” Vasquez said. “I didn’t think it was a possibility,” He started spinning when he was only 17 and now has two years of experience under his belt. Va s q u e z w o u l d practice spinning for two to three hours a day, first without fire, then with fire. -“I wanted to get good and fast, I didn’t just want to be mediocre,” Vasquez said. There are typically four dancers in a group, two male and two female, and a DJ. There are three tools that the fire dancers use to entertain the crowds. The first one is a fire staff that is a long pole with two wicks

on the side. A fire knife is the other and it requires more skill because the flame is bigger and the staff is heavier. The other is poi, which are two fireballs being swung on each hand. Vasquez’s favorite tool is the fire knife. It is a little more dangerous to use because the

“I didn’t just want to be mediocre.”

was pretty nerve-wracking, but you just want to get better from there on,” said Vasquez. The first performance was intense for Vasquez. He dropped the fire staff twice, but luckily four other fire dancers accompanied him so he wasn’t left solo. One of Vasquez’s close friends Chris Sotto is also a part of the Polynesian Entertainment Group and describes him as a great entertainer. “He has a lot of showmanship and connects with the crowd,” Sotto said. Vasquez usually performs at birthday parties and retirement homes and hopes to perform at weddings or other special events in the near future.

Art gallery review: The

Riverside City College art department showcases student’s work in the annual Student Honors Art Exhibit.

Album review: After two years of anticipation, pop punk band Modern Baseball releases junior EP.

Album review: Twin Peaks change their sound for their third album “Down in Heaven.”

Artist feature: Riverside

native and rising artist Elijah Perkins releases new mixtape and accompanying short film, “Nightfall.”