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Economic analyst lectures
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VOL. XCVI, NO. 10
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MARCH 24, 2016
Culinary Arts get new home HECTOR M. ZERMENO @Zector_news
Riverside Community College District celebrated Riverside City College’s 100th anniversary along with Moreno Valley College’s and Norco College’s 25th anniversary. The three district colleges came together to celebrate 100 years of history at the district’s Centennial Plaza located at the corner of University Avenue and Market Street in Downtown Riverside. The celebration began at 5 p.m. on March 13. “We’re on a marquee corner,” said Chancellor Michael Burke about the location of the plaza. “It will, I think, bring attention to this downtown area in a way that hasn’t really been thought of as an art entertainment center.” Representatives from each college and various college programs flooded the event to showcase what RCCD has to offer. Exhibitions the college programs put together filled the board room in the lower level of the district offices building. The programs displayed artifacts and
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Centennial Plaza opened on March 13 and will be new home of the Culinary Arts Academy opened. documents from the past and the present. Typewriters, nursing mannequins and the original grade roster from 1916 were among some of the displayed items. Attendees were welcomed to walk the premises to view the amenities in the Culinary Arts Academy and the Coil School for the Arts. The celebration moved to the
courtyard at 6 p.m. to dedicate a plaque for the plaza. Chancellor Burke and Virginia Blumenthal, the president of the Board of Trustees, gave a short speech before the unveiling of the plaque. “We truly appreciate the city’s assistance,” Blumenthal said about the help RCC received from Riverside City Hall. “Glad you’re our neighbor,”
Riverside to have the investment of RCCD and institutions of higher learning,” Mayor Bailey said. “There’s so much synergy with arts and innovation in Riverside.” A ribbon cutting ceremony took place inside the concert hall. This ribbon cutting marked the grand opening of the Henry W. Coil, Sr. & Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts. The Board of Trustees and RCC President took to the stage to welcome the Coil Family and thank them for their contribution that helped build the School for the Arts. As the Coil Family entered the stage the audience gave a standing ovation. Henry W. Coil, Jr., with the help of Blumenthal, took the ceremonial scissors and cut the ribbon to inaugurate the school. RCC Choir followed with a performance of “This Marriage” by Eric Whitacre and “Daniel, Servant of the Lord” arranged by Stacey V. Gibbs. “I think with this facility now we’re going to be growing like
Riverside Mayor William “Rusty” Bailey shouted in response to Blumenthal. RCC President Wolde-Ab Isaac and the Board of Trustees unveiled the commemorative plaque. Mayor Bailey said he is proud to have Centennial Plaza located across City Hall. “It truly is a dream becoming See CULINARY on Page 2 reality here in Downtown
Board of Trustees discusses new student policy Students will now have to agree to a code of conduct to attend classes at RCCD campuses DIEGO DEE GARCIA @Dee_Noir
Students will now have to agree to the Student Code of Conduct Policy every semester before being able to register for classes. The Student Code of Conduct Policy encourages students who attend any college in the Riverside Community College District to engage in critical judgement while they go along with their planned studies. “We decided to put this in front before students sign up for classes to remind them that there is a student code of conduct and that the main points have been highlighted on the form,”
said Sandra Mayo, president of Moreno Valley College. The Student Code of Conduct provides students with rights and responsibilities which include but are not limited to: challenging a prerequisite for a course, filing a complaint for unlawful discrimination and developing an Educational Plan with a counselor. Along with allotted rights, students are provided a list of responsibilities. Some of the responsibilities are: declaring an educational goal by the time 15 semester units are completed and attending class and maintaining progress toward a goal. A student must also conduct themselves in a professional manner. Students must refrain
from stealing or attempting to steal district or private property, causing or attempting to cause bodily harm to a student or District employee, being under the influence, plagiarism, willfully or persistent smoking in any area where prohibited and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. If any student breaks the code of conduct policy they will be subject to disciplinary proceedings and their actions may result in removal, suspension or expulsion from any of the three colleges in the RCCD parameters. Every student must accept the Student Code of Conduct Policy, just as they accept an agreement when registering a smartphone or
setting up a social media account. Riverside City College President Wolde-Ab Isaac and Virginia Blumenthal, president of the Board of Trustees, have been invited to Washington D.C. by Secretary of Education John B. King on March 24. Isaac and Blumenthal plan to share their strategy for improving the outcomes and completion rates for Pell Grant students and communities that are educationally and economically challenged. RCCD Student Trustee Ryan Rudolph made a statement while giving a Student Report on March 15 at a Board of Trustees meeting. “On March 14, was the beginning of the campaign for
my position as Student Trustee,” Rudolph said. Its really exciting to see a lot more students get involved and run for my position. Because student engagement, especially on the board is very important.” Peggy Cartwright, associate vice chancellor of Strategic Communications and Institutional Advancement also gave a statement to the Board ob March 15 in regards to the Centennial Plaza celebration which took place March 13. “I heard people as they walked out the door saying how spectacular the hall was, how amazing the rooftop view was,” Cartwright said. “I heard a number of people say ‘we watched the building go up’.”
2 March 24, 2016
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The Amazing College Race Downtown Riverside will be hosting The Amazing College Race April 10 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at City Hall. The event will consist of a scavenger hunt across all Downtown Riverside and the top three teams who cross the finish line with the most points will earn scholarships.
Riverside Arts Walk The Riverside Arts walk will take place April 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Downtown Riverside along Mission Inn Avenue and University Avenue. The arts walk will consist of different artists from the surrounding communities and feature live musical performances.
Commencement speaker Competition Alpha Gamma Sigma will be hosting a speaker competition April 5 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in room 409 of the Digital Library and Learning Resource Center. The winner will be awarded a spot to give a five minute speech at the Centennial Graduation Ceremony.
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Counsel offered at student mixer
News
CHRIS VALDEZ
@RCCviewpoints
A total of 45 students attended the career and technical education mixer held March 16 at Riverside City College in front of Technology building A, according to Meriel AndersonMcDade, RCC’s employment placement coordinator. Career and job placement, counseling, financial aid and health services were all able to answer student questions. Many CTE students work during the day and are unable to schedule appointments with student services when the offices are open. Students such as Randy Kimm, Sally Weaver and Justin Smith. However, CTE students got the information they need from student services during the mixer. “I wasn’t even able to apply for financial aid this time, or to see if I even qualified because I wasn’t able to get in (the financial aid office),” Smith said. “Now that I got a face to face with them, that made it a little easier.” Though he has already paid for this semester, Smith will be taking advantage of the information he gained at this mixer and will be applying for financial aid next semester. “We wanted to bring all of the wonderful opportunities that student services has down to the CTE students, during a time when those who are working are here on campus,” said Educational Adviser Alise Clouser. Student services is generally open until 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with the exception of health services which closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Most students that showed up to the CTE mixer had no idea that admissions and records, job placement, counseling and financial aid are open Tuesdays until 6 p.m. “Currently, right now students services is open late night on Tuesdays, so we’re open until
GIOVANNI CARDENAS | VIEWPOINTS
General counselor and Career Center coordinator Monique Green and Riverside City College students Janise Scott and Jonathan McCrary pose for a photo at the Student Mixer located at lower campus in front of Techonolgy Building A on March 16. 6 p.m.,” said Monique Greene, career center coordinator and general counselor. “I just think that a lot of students are not aware of that 6 p.m. open time.” “It’s definitely a lot better than being in the dark,” said Robert Marquez, an air conditioning and refrigeration student. Marquez didn’t feel like he had the information to move on from RCC. After speaking with Greene he said he now feels he has the information he needed. The students that came to the event received information that student services is open late on Tuesdays. However, CTE students such as Weaver are still unable to make use of the services because there is only one day that student services is open late. “More than one day a week,”
Weaver said. “I have a Monday, Wednesday class and it's not economical for me to try and get here.” Weaver lives over an hour away from RCC, and works during the time student services is open late. Of the 45 students that attended, five scheduled appointments at the counseling booth during the mixer for 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. “We have five students that got an appointment to get their (student educational) plan that said they couldn’t before,” Anderson-McDade said. “It may be small, but that’s how success starts.” CTE and student services is planning to throw another mixer in May.
RCCD begins new chapter CULINARY from Page 1 crazy,” said John Byun, associate professor of the music program. “We have a strong program now but this will make it stronger.” Byun praised RCC Choir for taking first place in folk division and second place in mixed division in 2015 at an international competition in Spittal an der Drau, Austria and for being invited to an international music festival in Krasnoyarsk, Russia this June.
The attendees retired to the rooftop garden where refreshments were made available by the students at the Culinary Academy. The students prepared bite-sized pastries, hors d’oeuvres and a cake decorated for the centennial celebration. The celebration concluded with a firework display as Chancellor Burke made a toast celebrating the centennial and silver anniversaries of the colleges. “I thank each of you who remain committed to our colleges and our students,” Burke said.
“So let’s toast to a new chapter in RRCD history as we dedicate Centennial Plaza.” “Lives will be changed and our community will be enriched through the educational programs offered in these buildings,” he continued. The crowd gasped and cheered as the splendor of fireworks illuminated the sky above the plaza. Classes at the Coil School for the Arts are scheduled to begin in the fall semester. The Culinary Academy is expected to move to the plaza in April.
News
Riverside economy growing
March 24, 2016
3
Crime Briefs Feb. 24 Student arrested for outstanding warrant
y
Male student arrested for an outstanding warrant and issued a citation for driving with a suspended licence at 1:12 p.m. at the Samuel Evans sports complex.
Feb. 29 Vandalism inside Tech B restrooms y
Vandalism was reported at 11:53 p.m. inside the restrooms of Technology building B. There are no suspects at this time.
March 3 Vehicle stolen from parking structure y
A vehicle was stolen at 3:30 p.m. The vehicle an Acura Integra was taken from the parking structure. There are no suspects at this time. STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Chief analyst for Economics and Politics Inc. John Husing, talks Riverside’s economy March 8.
TAVEN STRICKERT @RCCViewpoints
Chief analyst for Economics and Politics Inc. John Husing, spoke at Riverside Community College on March 8 at 12:50 p.m. about the economic realities of the Inland Empire. He also shared his thoughts on how the situation can be improved while still addressing the major environmental opposition. Dino Buenviaje, RCC faculty member and lecture attendee shared his views on the topic of Husing’s speech. “I’m looking forward to hearing what he has to say about the state and future of our area,” Buenviaje said. “He seems well informed and I think it's important for students to learn about the situation of the area where they live.” Husing discussed the state of our national, state and county economy. He addressed the factors that greatly affect the economy of the Inland Empire such as the cost of petroleum. “Prices are down to the levels of 2003,” Husing said. “Which is really good for an area like ours which is poor so if we can lower the cost of something this major which is not just for gasoline,but also in almost anything we can think of.” To illustrate the value of the dollar, Husing used the example of his favorite wine called Montrachet. “The value of the dollar has soared in the last two years by 28 percent...The Montrachet two years ago would cost $4000... Now that bottle is $2,878,” he said. “Our mood as consumers or our consumer confidence impacts the economy. On a scale of a 100, our consumer confidence at the onset of the Great Recession was about 21,” Husing said. “Now it is over a hundred
showing that we are very optimistic about the state of the economy,” he said. As consumers, everyone plays their part in the economy and if one feels doesn’t have confidence in their purchasing ability then they will not buy products which in turn hurts the business owner and finally the employee and consumer will suffer due to the cycle, according to Husing. As the economy has grown and jobs have been added many students are concerned about the quality of the jobs added which Husing addresses “In the Inland Empire the percentage of jobs added that were high paying were about 2.1 percent,” Husing said. “You are supposed to change this by going to college...to create a labor force that can attract those high paying jobs.” “Blue collar jobs…make up about 39.4 percent of the new jobs created,” he continued. This is the leading argument Husing made for logistics and warehouse jobs being created in the IE. “The key to the economy is the level of education of the adult population,” Husing said. According to Husing 45.7 percent of Riverside county has a high school education or less, which he said contributes to his support of such work which is tailored to the skills of the region. Husing spoke about environmental factors of such factories and warehouses, “The State’s environmental policies are essentially stopping the growth of manufacturing and logistics” fields that, as Husing had stated, were essential to the IE’s economy. Logistics in particular is “key” to the IE’s future as Husing put it which creates a problem of more trucks on the road and more pollution. In 2007 the state government changed the law on the types of engines trucks used
which has brought California from 120 days over the Federal standard to 5.3. “Of course it would be ideal for that number to be zero, but we have improved dramatically,” said Husing. Husing has been a leading proponent of the new World Logistics Center in Moreno Valley. Asher Jones, RCC student and member of the Sierra Club and other environmental and activist groups, attended the lecture to protest the building of new warehouses and factories that lead to more pollution as well as the connection of big oil to local legislation. “The center would be detrimental to the environment and will not bring the jobs that it predicts,” Jones said.“The pollution does not just affect the area, the water runoff from rain spreads it to the surrounding areas like Santa Ana.” Jones and other activists in the area worry that the pollution created by warehouses like the Skechers building is a good indicator of the damage that the Logistics center may do. “Fifteen people die a day due to pollution related causes in the Inland Empire,” according to Jones and the numbers gathered by the Sierra Club a prominent environmental group. Husing had some answers to these concerns, though they may not fully satisfy the worries of members of the Sierra Club. “Environmental perfection should not be the goal when the downside coming is the increased poverty,” said Husing. “There is a greater willingness of the people here to put up with logistics centers and manufacturing as an aid to economic growth.” The World Logistics Center is an ongoing project for the Inland Empire, but it still faces opposition from those who worry about the environment and the quality and permanence of the jobs being created.
March 9 Hit and run in parking structure y
A hit and run involving two cars occurred inside the parking structure at 8 a.m. No injuries were reported and there are no suspects at this time.
March 9 Golf cart battery stolen from Bradshaw building
y
A golf cart battery was stolen from a storage container just outside of the Bradshaw building at 2:30 p.m. There are no suspects at this time.
March 15 Adult male arrested on outstanding warrant
y
An adult male was arrested from the parking structure at 4:50 a.m. for an outstanding warrant.
March 17 Adult male arrested for outstanding warrant
y
An adult male non student was arrested outside of the culinary arts building at 5:30 a.m. for an outstanding warrant.
March 18 RCC receives fake check y
The college bank received a fake check at 9:34 a.m. This check was then sent to the Secret Service. There are no suspects at this time.
March 19 Adult male arrested for driving on suspended license y
An adult male non student was arrested at 7:36 p.m. in Lot Y for driving with a suspended license. There were no further charges.
March 19 Adult male and female cited for indecent exposure
y
An adult male and adult female, both non students were cited for indecent exposure (for public sex acts) at 8:39 p.m. near the culinary arts building. There were no further charges.
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March 24, 2016 - Steve
5
Tigers elevate for top finishes “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,”
prefontaine
The men and women track and field teams unveil their talent in front of division 1 schools DYLAN KING
@RCCviewpoints
The Riverside City College track and field team took part in the UCI Spring Break Invitational on March 18-19 to compete with several teams, including host UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium. The RCC women’s team finished fifth overall in the event with 127 points, while the men finished second overall with 241 points. Mt. SAC won the invitational with 274 points. The invitational provided the Tigers a platform to showcase their abilities against Division I teams such as Pepperdine and Utah State. It was also an opportunity for the athletes to contribute commentary on how the season has revealed the realities of being a studentathlete. Freshman Joshua Silva gave a gritty and determined performance, finishing second in the 1500-meter run with a time of 3 minutes, 54.41 seconds. Considered one of the best runners in the Orange Coast Conference, Silva has impressed teammates and coaches alike. Coach Jim McCarron has the attention of his athletes and appreciates Silva’s approach to perfecting his craft as a runner and student. “Josh has been phenomenal in class and in track,” McCarron said. “He’s overcome adversity, and he’s a young man who works his butt off and cares. He wants the best for himself and the program and he’s an absolute pleasure to coach. He’s only going to get better and he has a chance to be state champ this year.”
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside City College sophomore Anthony John Soriano, attempts a record high jump of 6-foot-10, Soriano finished first in the high jump, triple jump and long jump at the non-conference quadrangular meet held at the Arthur N. Wheelock Stadium on March 5. Freshman Anthony John Soriano placed second in the long jump with a distance of 7.13 meters and placed third in the high jump with a mark of 1.95 meters. “Usually, I have someone to chase and go after,” Soriano said of his competition. “They just push me more to be the best. I’m not number one yet, but I know for a fact that I can get there.” McCarron has been pleasantly surprised by Soriano’s abilities and he envisions a bright future for this athletically gifted young man. “I think the guy that stands out the most (this season) is
Anthony Soriano,” McCarron said. “He’s (ranked) No. 2 in both the high and long jumps in the state and is No. 5 in the triple jump. He’s been the biggest surprise out of everyone.” “I set out goals and marks at the beginning of the year,” Soriano said. “I put in the work and I broke all the marks that I wanted to achieve. Honestly, I think I can get as far as I want to go. It’s a good feeling but I want to say that I am the best so I can move on to bigger and better things.” Other top finishers were James Jones who threw a distance of 16.45 meters for his victory in
the shot put, with Kyle Jenkins taking second with a distance of 15.25 meters. The men’s 4x400 meter relay team (Albert Suara, Keeon Johnson, Kristopher Handy, Deondre Brooks) also took second in its event with 3:16. While the RCC men were making their presence felt by competing at a high level, the women sent a message to competitors that they were a force to be reckoned with as well. Sophomore Kayla Wilson, who placed second in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.1, is convinced her team is poised to make a serious run in the second
Golfers mentally tough, go unnoticed
TAUSIFUR OSMANI @RCCviewpoints
Within the toil of a fivehour match, the athletic ability of a golfer can sometimes go unappreciated. To an unacquainted spectator, golf may seem monotonous and slow paced. However, a person who understands the nuances of golf will know about the pressure that golfers experience.
Golf is one of the few unique sports where athleticism, technique and composure must all function in unison in order to produce a good score. Of these three elements the role of a player’s mentality and ability to maintain composure in the face of pressure is by far the most vital facet in a golfer’s arsenal. Steve Sigloch, who’s been the Riverside City College golf head coach for eight years, attests to the importance of being mentally strong by implementing the cerebral aspect of the game as a hallmark to his coaching philosophy. Sigloch stressed that he scouts players that are grinders and individuals that stay optimistic through troublesome games. “In golf, you’re gonna have some bad holes, some bogeys, some double bogeys, but I like
to see how the guys react to adversity,” he said. Sigloch’s principles have paid off during his reign as coach considering the fact that the team has been to the state championship three times in the last eight years as well as helping the Tigers achieve their first state championship in 2014 after a 23-year drought spanning from 1991. A prime product of Sigloch’s coaching philosophy is evident in the play of sophomore Paul Bradvica, who is the only returning player. As the veteran member on the team, Bradvica knows about the toll a season takes on the body and mind. He understands that all the top players in the world possess good mindsets which is why he developed a relaxed attitude toward the game to worry
less about making mistakes in order to stay in rhythm. “A lot of the time when you’re in pressure situations you’re afraid of messing up and that’s the whole reason you mess up,” Bradvica said. Teammate Jordan Sams e n c o m p a s s e s a v e t e r a n ’s mentality despite this year being his first season. Sams is not the typical freshman considering the fact that he is the oldest player on the team. Throughout his golfing years, Sams indicated that he was able to mold a more refined mental game over time. “I feel being a little bit older than a lot of the competitors out here, I can handle my emotions better and take it inwards rather than show it outwards,” Sams said.
half of the season. “Looking at the team, we’ve done well so far,” Wilson said. “Our team looks pretty strong. I feel like we’re going to be hard to manage when it comes to (the) state (championships).” Damien Smith, coach of the women’s team, shares Wilson’s sentiment in regards to future team success, but feels the team’s level of confidence could use a boost. “(They’re) a very talented group,” Smith said. “They’re doing very well and they’re dropping (times) every week but when I watch them they (seem to) lack a little bit of confidence right now.” Smith believes that hard work and encouragement are remedies for any signs of complacency. “I don’t know why, they’re one of the best teams in the state. We talk about confidence (all the time). We always say, ‘respect your competition, but don’t fear them,’ that’s one of our mottos,” Smith said. Whatever the women’s team may lack in confidence, they make up for with seamless team chemistry, according to Wilson. She along with her teammates ( S h a r i d a n S h a r p e , Ti a r a h McDaniel, Aaliyah Goshen) took first place in the 4x100 relay with a time of 49.04. Sharpe also won the women’s 100-meter dash in 12.54, the only freshman on the women’s team to win an event at the invitational. Sophomore Crystal Tejada earned a top three finish in the women’s 1500-meter run in 4:55.90.
A LOOK AHEAD Track and Field FRI FRI SAT TUE 3/25 4/15 3/26 4/5-4/9 Orange San Diego @ Cerritos Fullerton Coast and State College 10 a.m. 8 a.m. 8 a.m. Saddleback 1 p.m.
Golf WED MON WED WED 3/20 4/4 4/6 4/13 @Santa @Victoria @Canyon @Oak Ana Golf Club Crest Creek Golf Couse 8 a.m. Club Course 9 a.m. 12 p.m. 12 p.m.
Swimming FRI FRI THUR THUR 3/25 4/1 4/14-4/16 4/21-4/23 @Fullerton Riverside @ El @Fullerton College Aquatic Camino College 1 p.m. Complex TBA TBA 11 a.m.
& A E Potter fans join in on magic 6 March 24, 2016
“We need fantasy to suvive because reality is too difficult.”
- Lady Gaga
Harry Potter fans rejoice with opening of Wizarding World in Universal Studios Hollywood
and films to life with impeccable detail and precision,” said Universal Studios Hollywood in a press release. Acting as a gateway to a world fans have followed since 1997, the park succeeds at staying true to the source material and making it a true hands-on experience like the use of interactive wands that allow spellcasters to act out gestures
and say spells in order to make magic, like levitating objects, happen at multiple locations. Universal has said that the park “will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films.” The park consists of two separate, but equally entertaining areas, which bring the visions that readers have only imagined and moviegoers have wished to touch
and be a part of to life. The first being Hogsmeade, a small magical town filled with, but not limited to Zonko’s, a joke and trick emporium, Honeydukes, a sweets store, and Ollivander’s, a wand shop that gives visitors the option to let the wand choose the wizard. The second is Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry, which is home to two rides: Harry
Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff. The Forbidden Journey brings its riders on a wild 3-D broomstick adventure while Flight of the Hippogriff is a family-friendly roller coaster that is based off an encounter with a magical beast that is half-eagle and half-horse. Many other attractions, like pubs, food carts and shops, await all who enter this magical land. For Rowling’s fans, this theme park is just the start to some of the new additions that are coming to the world of Harry Potter. Acting as a continuation to the original series, a stage play titled “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” will premiere in London this July while a printed version of the play’s script will be released shortly after. A new film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which is based off a textbook students use at Hogwarts, will be released Dec. 16 and serves as a prologue to the original story. If the new additions to the wizarding community are even half as good as the new theme park, Potterheads will surely be in for a treat this entire year.
once, which we’ve never done.” Murphy also mentioned that both ideas contain elements of children and that all of the cast in attendance at the panel “that wants to come back can come back.” Although Gaga, who played The Countess, was not in attendance, she was the focus of many questions throughout the night. “She’s a little bit otherworldly,” said Paulson about Gaga while comparing her to former cast member Jessica Lange. “(Gaga) was one of the more emotionally available actresses ... She was just right there just in that way that Jessica is. If you’re feeling something, she’s often feeling the exact same thing.” “She wanted to be an actor all her life and that’s what she studied for originally,” said Murphy. “She really was a student through the entire process.” He said Gaga would ask for the footage of the scenes including her that they chose not to use so she could see what she might have done wrong in comparison to the scenes that they did use to see what they determined to be better. Staying on the subject of acting, Paulson said that playing conjoined twins, Bette and Dot, during season four served as preparation for the hardships that she faced this season in going
back and forth between playing two characters on two separate shows. Along with playing Hypodermic Sally on “Hotel” this season, Paulson took on the role of prosecutor Marcia Clark in the FX series “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.” “It was a good warm up (playing Bette and Dot),” said Paulson, “but it was absolutely enough to make me think I was losing my mind.” The panel wasn’t all serious discussion. O’Hare walked onstage in high heels as a fun tribute to his character, Liz Taylor, and sung a tune later in the panel. The cast shared memories about their experiences filming throughout the panel such as the pool party Gaga had thrown for the cast that featured a blood colored pool and an erotic cake for Bassett’s birthday. As the panel came to a close, a microphone was passed around to fans in the theater to allow them to ask questions to the cast and crew. Many of those who received the microphone would thank the cast for being in attendance at the panel and gave them praise for being as talented as they are before they would ask their questions. One fan even credited the show as being her “rock” for many years.
A number of fan questions were directed to Paulson and Wittrock, who both even recieved gifts from young fans after they asked their questions. Paulson received what appeared to be fan letters and Wittrock recieved
a flower crown from another fan that he immediately placed on his head. Although no date has been set for the return of “American Horror Story,” it is expected to be back in the fall.
EVENT REVIEW DAMIAN GIAMPIETRO @supdamiang
Wizards and witches of all ages can now come together to experience the realistic, jaw dropping Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. Even muggles, which are non-magical folk in the novels and movie series, gathered to pay witness to a world that J.K. Rowling’s readers have only dreamed about. The Harry Potter themed area will officially open April 7. Hollywood is now the third location for a Wizarding World attraction created by Universal Studios, following the Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan. From crooked chimneys and cobblestone roads to singing toads and delicious, frothy butterbeer, Universal aims to make the park an atmospheric taste of nostalgia for a land no one has truly been to. “Visitors will be swept into a fully immersive themed land that brings the Harry Potter fiction
IMAGE COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
A concept rendering of Hogsmeade Village set to open in Universal Studios Hollywood.
‘American Horror Story’ closes Paleyfest 2016 DOMINIQUE REDFEARN
@DomRedfearn
Fans dressed head to toe in black clothing, leopard print coats, and dark makeup filled the Dolby Theater on March 20 for the closing night of Paleyfest to honor “American Horror Story: Hotel.” Moderated by Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly, the panel featured cast members Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Denis O’Hare, Angela Bassett, Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson, Matt Bomer and Finn Wittrock along with executive producer Tim Minear and creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Before the panel, not much was known about the upcoming season other than Bassett and Lady Gaga confirming that they will return without any indication of when or to what extent their characters will be involved. In previous years, Murphy has used Paleyfest as an opportunity to reveal details on the upcoming season such as its theme or by introducing new cast members, but to many fans’ disappointment, not much was revealed about what will happen in the new season. The only thing Murphy revealed about the theme for season six is that it is still in development and that they have “been working on two ideas at
DOMINIQUE REDFEARN | VIEWPOINTS
From left, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates and Denis O’Hare discuss “American Horror Story: Hotel” during Paleyfest at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 20, 2016.
DOMINIQUE REDFEARN | VIEWPOINTS
Finn Wittrock accepts a gift from a fan during Paleyfest at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California on March 20, 2016.
March 24, 2016
A&E
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‘Allegiant’ fans underwhelmed MOVIE REVIEW
ALYSSA RUIZ
@RCCViewpoints
Cheesy graphics, a futuristic environment, another new villain and yet another cliffhangerending is what to expect when seeing “The Divergent Series: Allegiant.” As the film begins, the doors of the wall are closed, which also closes the hopes that Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort), Christina (Zoë Kravitz) and Peter (Miles Teller) had of crossing over the wall to freedom. After a fight for freedom to get over the wall, it was apparent freedom wasn’t what they had expected it to be. The outside world consisted of dirty water,
rustic dirt and vast emptiness. Did they just cross over to Mars? Once greeted and taken by The Bureau it was clear they had been transported into a world unrecognizable to them. Very unlike the other films in the movie franchise, it was hard to grasp the connections between all three films. One main weakness the franchise has is the lack of answering questions that arise throughout the series in a timely manner. It has taken three films to finally reveal the reasoning behind the experiment of the city of Chicago. Something that must be commended are the strong female characters portrayed, including main character Tris Prior. It was clear Tris’ hair wasn’t the only thing that grew in this movie; her desire and willpower did too.
She proved once again how much of a strong and independent female lead she is by going against people in power and standing up for what she believes in. Although her beliefs were tested in this film, she was able to see the truth behind David (Jeff Daniels), leader of the Bureau of Genetic Welfare, and do what was necessary to make the changes that must be done for the better of Chicago. After the booming success of the first film “Divergent,” expectations for the rest of the series rose. Back in 2014 when the film premiered, it racked in $4.9 million on its Thursday night preview premiere. The following year when the greatly anticipated second movie “Insurgent” premiered, sales dropped slightly to $4.1 million.
background without audiences ever noticing how trapped in the story they actually are. The movie begins in a silent and engaging whirlwind of Michelle (Winstead) packing a duffel bag in a hurry, making sure to grab an expensive bottle of alcohol that the camera lingers on. Now rushing through the farmlands of Louisiana, Michelle gets into a car accident, knocking her unconscious and unresponsive. Michelle wakes up in a room that has disturbing similarities to a prison cell with an IV in one arm and the other handcuffed to the wall. Howard (Goodman), a creepy and looming man, greets Michelle soon after she wakes up
and informs her that the outside is not safe due to an undetermined attack and toxic air. Michelle then quickly discovers Emmett (Gallagher), a man who’s as afraid as she is but for reasons that pertain to what he witnessed on the surface. T h e m o v i e ’s c h a r a c t e r development is superb though subtle and never seems to be heavy handed which helps to present whole characters who seemingly existed before their pre-cellar lives. Emmett becomes a prime example of this when he divulges the heart-wrenching story that he never went to the college he was accepted to, but is thankful that he never went because if he did, he never would have been alive in the bunker.
The cinematography is sleek, beneficially claustrophobic and fluid but minimalistic in the way that nothing seems to be flashy or showing off just for the fun of it. It also helps make the audience feel trapped in the basement too. While the rest of the cast is unquestionable, John Goodman’s performance is bone chilling and uncomfortably realistic throughout the movie, causing the classic moviegoer dilemma of wanting to look away, but not being able to. The director, Dan Trachtenberg, immediately steps away from the predictability that is usually seen in thriller movies by blending clever reveal-andreward tactics with the film’s multifaceted characters.
The movie might share a s i m i l a r n a m e t o 2 0 0 8 ’s found footage monster film “Cloverfield,” but it does not share the same blood. Instead, “10 Cloverfield Lane” flows in the same vein as David Robert Mitchell’s “It Follows,” an original thriller that does not follow the form of its predecessors and instead delivers a hardy story that will still have viewers chewing on it the following morning. A crisp and authentic nail biter that will make writers and directors reconsider their ideas and approaches before placing bets, “10 Cloverfield Lane” shows all of its cards and still wins the hand.
named Jake Epping (Franco) who is attempting to figure out the truth of who assassinated former President John F. Kennedy, as well as prevent the assassination from happening in the first place. The only catch is that every time Epping travels to the past it starts over in the same place and every time he tries to change something the past “pushes back” in catastrophic and terrifying ways. Along the way Epping makes a living as a high school teacher and develops a crush on his fellow faculty member, Sadie Dunhill (Sarah Gadon). He struggles to balance romance and spying on Lee Harvey Oswald (Daniel
Webber), who Epping suspects to be the person who assassinated Kennedy, while simultaneously keeping his true identity a secret throughout the show. So far the most enjoyable aspect of the series is Franco. A sentence I never before thought I could write after his failed attempts at being comedic in movies such as “This is the End” or “The Interview.” Franco takes on a new, more serious role where he cares about the people around him and develops into a likable character that wants to change things for the greater good of the community around him. The writing of the show is
phenomenal for an adaptation. In many instances of books being translated to screen there are important yet minor details that become lost in the process. This could leave viewers who are familiar with a story feeling disappointed, while viewers who are unfamiliar with a story lose a piece of the bigger picture. Although, I have never read “11/22/63” the show has left me on the edge of my seat since episode one. There’s no surprise as King’s novels usually become iconic films such as “Carrie,” “The Shining” and “Cujo.” This series is no different due to an exceptional story that explores the past and possibilities
about what really happened the day Kennedy was assassinated. The combination of Franco’s talent and a well-written script is what makes this show unlike any other. “11.22.63” contains suspense, action and romance that aren’t too overwhelming or competing for attention, but compliment each other as the story progresses, striking a perfect balance between conflict and development. This is the best role Franco has portrayed since “Freaks and Geeks” and makes “11.22.63” a must see show for 2016.
three years from now. The dates are never permanent though as Disney has a history of pushing back movies such as “Star Wars Episode VIII” that was pushed back almost seven months. The return will bring back Harrison Ford to play the role of Jones as well as Steven Spielberg, who directed all four movies.
Shia Labeaouf has not been confirmed. “Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019,” said Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Alan Horn, in a statement on The Walt Disney Co. website.
I am curious to see how they will approach the special effects in this movie because the previous installment,“Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” got a lot of criticism for its heavy use of CGI. The last movie was also criticized for the final scene which included aliens. It was a little farfetched, and the aliens
looked like the most cliche aliens that anyone could think of. Hopefully the new movie is a chance for Spielberg to redeem himself from the average “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Now that the movies are Disney owned, maybe they have the potential to produce something magical.
IMAGE COURTESY OF MURRAY CLOSE
From left, Christina (Zöe Kravitz), Tris (Shailene Woodley), Caleb (Ansel Elgort), Four (Theo James), Peter (Miles Teller) and Tori (Maggie Q) in “The Divergent Series: Allegiant.”
To read the full article, visit us at Viewpointsonline.org
Thriller ‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ raises the stakes MOVIE REVIEW
DAMIAN GIAMPIETRO @supdamiang
Being afraid of what is on the outside of the doomsday cellar should be the least of your worries. The suspenseful thriller “10 Cloverfield Lane,” released M a r c h 11 , t o o k v i e w e r s by surprise with its pleasing characterization, minimalistic approach, small cast and cramped quarters. Starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher Jr. and an unexpected voice appearance by Bradley Cooper, the film flaunts its acting strengths in the forefront but tightly weaves the plot in the
‘11.22.63’ shows fans time travel and turmoil
TV REVIEW
TREVA FLORES @trevafl0wers
Imagine if going back in time was as easy as walking through your closet door. “11.22.63” does just that and more offering exciting new concepts of time travel than even “Back to the Future” could. The show, starring James Franco, began airing Feb. 15 on Hulu as an eight part event series. A new episode airs each Monday and the series is currently six episodes in. Based on the 2011 Stephen King novel “11/22/63” the show revolves around a time traveler
‘Indiana Jones’ to return to the big screen in 2019 ALEC CALVILLO @RCCViewpoints
The greatest movie announcement since “Star Wars Episode VII” was made March 15 by Disney to bring back the adventurous “Indiana Jones.” The date set for the return is July 19, 2019, which is roughly
Views
March 24, 2016
9
Sea the truth of overfishing Tell
us what you think, in a letter to the editor, in an email, or use #RCCnow.
Seafood trend could lead to the potential collapse of marine life
to resort to outlandish measures to pay for their health care like something out of a TV show. Cancer is expensive to treat. If anything, the cheap aspect of assisted suicide should be a plus. Not only are terminally ill patients provided with an option to alleviate their suffering, but now they don’t have to waste their money on preventing the inevitable. Compassion Choices shared a teary video of Brittany Maynard advocating for her right to “die with dignity,” a video that is accredited with being the driving force for the legalization of the act in California. I n orde r to avoid t he long, drawn out process of a deteriorating brain, Maynard moved to Oregon, one of the five states in which assisted suicide was legal. She first had to establish residency in Portland, obtain an Oregon driver’s license, change her voter registration among other hurdles just to make the decision possible.
If the End of Life Option Act been legal in California, Maynard wouldn’t have had to move away from her family and tear her husband away from his job simply to speed up the inevitable. It seems to be a reoccurring trend for people to voice their objections against the decisions others make about themselves: marriage, drugs, abortion. The list goes on. The question being asked always seems to be: is it morally acceptable for people to be assisted in ending their own lives? This is the wrong question to be asking. The morality of the situation is not the most important aspect. That’s like banning someone from eating ju n k fo o d b e c au s e you’r e concerned about their health. In theory, the consideration for their well-being is sweet, but forcing them to do or not do something is completely out of line. The fact of the matter is that
assisted suicide is not about your moral compass. It’s about the terminally ill cancer patient who takes 26 pills a day just to deal with the constant pain of his condition. That’s the case for Matt Fairchild, a 46 year old man fighting advanced melanoma as reported by CNN. The question we should be asking is: who has access to this medical option? It’s not like anyone can go to their family doctor and ask for euthanization. There are some qualifications necessary for such a serious decision. The bill is called Aid-InDying for a reason; it’s for people with a terminal illness. Is it right to force someone to endure months of pain and futile anticipation because you consider suicide a form of murder? After all, you’re not the one losing all your hair or throwing up after every chemotherapy treatment, doped up on countless drugs as your body slowly kills itself.
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popular concept. It is often preached against, labeled as immoral, unnatural and just plain wrong. The negative connotation and implication that accompanies the word suicide has cemented it as something no one should ever want to commit. Califor nians Against Assisted Suicide offers multiple articles on why this bill should not be passed. The website’s list of reasons begins with how many times the proposed act has been denied. It then mentioned how assisted suicide will always be the cheapest option. They also note how patients may be pressured into that option due to the affordability. Why was the cheapness of assisted suicide listed as a reason to be against it? Health care, these days, is all about affordability, and when it comes to something like cancer, cheap is not an option. Living in the richest country in the world means that nobody should have
a billion seafood meals according to a report released by environmental group Oceana. T he mo s t d e s t r u c t ive f ish i ng met ho d is b ot t om trawling, in which an enormous net with heavy weights attached to the bottom is dragged across the sea floor. Bottom trawling is u n sele ct ive; it capt u res
Bottom t r awl i ng a l s o s e ve r el y damages sea floor ecosystems, de st roy i ng t he environment that fish need to live and flourish. The seabed is either uprooted or downright destroyed. When the bottom sediment is resuspended, the entire chemistry of the water changes. The removed sediment is carried
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population r i si ng a nd at the rate we t a ke seafood out of the ocean, Nicola Beaumont of the Ply mouth Ma r i ne Laboratory predicts that ocean life currently fished for food are predicted t o collapse by the year 2048 and coral reefs are projected to be lost by 2050. This has been led by unsustainable fishing, ways of catching wild fish that are not sustainable in the long term. Unsustainable fishing generally occurs in two ways, overfishing and threatening the environment fish need in order to thrive. Eve r y d ay i n t he U. S. commercial fisherman throw
throughout different parts of the ocean. Surprisingly enough, bottom trawling is legal, and is one of the easiest ways to fish. Fisherman simply need to steer the boat and allow the gigantic net, sometimes as big as 50 meters to do the work for them. With little to no effort and a big payoff, it’s no wonder why this method of fishing is preferred. Is it too l a t e? What can we do when the predicted end of ocean life is less than 50 years away? If 20 sites, four percent of the world’s oceans are designated as conservative zones, where no fishing is allowed, it would protect 108 species, 84 percent of the world’s marine mammals. The simplest thing to do without so much as lifting a finger is to buy Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood. Up to 90 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, and only half of that is wildcaught. Illegal fishing makes up 15-20 percent of the worlds total catch. Ask your supermarket and local restaurants to purchase s e a fo o d f r o m s u s t a i n a ble fisheries. Thankfully it’s not too late to save our oceans, but keeping the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality will only add to the damage.
ION AT TR
Out of sight, out of mind– that’s the common phrase many of us know today. Way, way out of sight for most people is the big blue ocean, home to our aquatic friends and for many of us, our meal entrées. To Southern Californians, the ocean is only a summer playlist drive away, but even we seem to forget that the number of our sea friends is not infinite. With the ever-growing trend of sushi, Cajun seafood and fish taco Tuesdays, it’s no wonder why the need for seafood is increasing. The average person consumes 37 pounds of seafood a year, four times as much then they did in 1950. In fact, 400 million people in Africa and Southeast Asia alone rely on fish as their main source of food, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Southern California is one of the most influential areas, where most of the residents are open-
ever y thing in its path and is responsible for half of all discarded f ish and mar i ne life worldwide. Of all sea life caught 40 percent is discarded as waste, and it is estimated that 38.5 million tons is discarded annually.
US
@RCCviewpoints
out about two billion pounds of bycatch, unwanted fish and other marine creatures. Many of the bycatch is edible seafood, and the amount is equivalent to half
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NICOLE TAMBUNAN
minded and forward thinking. Because of this, we need to set an example for the rest of the country to follow in our footsteps in the fight for our gilled and grilled friends. We’ve seen what humans have done to the animals on land. I magi ne a vast, deep, empt y ocean, eerily similar to the begi n ni ng of an apocalyptic movie. It’s not just the beginning to a movie, it’s a possible reality. With human
End of Life Act provides solace for terminally ill
JAKOB WOOD
@RCCviewpoints
Assisted suicide has finally been legalized in California and to many terminally ill patients, this comes as a major relief for both their conscience and their body. The End of Life Option Act was approved by Gov. Jerry Brown in October of last year, but the bill will not come into effect until June 9, according to Life Site News. Suicide and the act of aiding one in the process, is not a
10 March 24, 2016
Views
Warehouses build I.E.’s future Selling ourselves short by letting corporate greed dictate our cities of t h e I n l a n d Empire is
exponentially g rowing and secondly that this is largely due to the great increase in warehouses in the area. Husin presented data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and argued that logistics is the fastest growing industr y in Southern California. However, when I looked into the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ I ndu st r y Employ me nt a nd Outlook projections to 2022, warehousing and transportation was only projected to have 328 more jobs in 2022 than it did in 2012. He also cited the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank real estate research analysts claiming that real estate prices in the
I.E. attract a steady stream of people from L.A. and the Orange County but that Riverside and the surrounding eastern areas of the I.E. stay consistently below the average real estate prices than those closer to the coastal areas. This he argues is what has attracted much of the logistics growth to the inland area, like the many warehouses and the planned Fisker auto plant in Moreno Valley. Cheap land and plenty available human capital (aka labor) has made the area an untapped goldmine. The city, which boasts nearly as much land as the city of Riverside and a population of 201,175 which is two-thirds that of Riverside’s 316,619. The city which was incorporated in the 1980s has experienced many periods of rapid growth, being named the sixth fastest growing city in the country of 2006, experiencing a 7.28 percent population growth increase. When looking at Moreno Valley’s land one can see more of their economic potential with 51 square miles of land, comparable to Riverside’s 81 square miles (some of which actually bleed into what people in the area traditionally consider Moreno Valley) and since over half of Moreno Valley’s land is unused developers have set their sights on the young city. The treatment of the trade-
off for people actually living in the city of Moreno Valley is concerning. The city has a lot of undeveloped land and concer ns have raised about t he e nv i ron me nt , t he cost of i n f r a st r uct u re, a nd t he opportunity cost of the city’s land which some argue hold more value and could potentially bring better opportunities to the city than the warehouse can. With Husin responding to environ mental concer ns by saying that “environmental perfection should not the goal when the downside is increasing pover ty…” it is obvious he does not see Moreno Valley’s environmental health as a top priority but to sacrifice the health of the citizens for the sake of more blue collar jobs then it’s obvious what he’s more concerned with. Developers argue that the household income of a two-head household, or a household with two full-time workers would rise to the mid-$40 thousands and would greatly increase the median household income for the area, if we continue to allow warehouses to develop the area. This at tit ude shows a c a l lo u s n e s s t ow a r d t h e impoverished of the area in that many households are not headed by two full-time workers and that the city of Moreno Valley or even Riverside for that matter don’t have skilled enough workers for the higher paying jobs offered at
these warehouses. They will simply be taking up the blue-collar jobs which are not even being exclusively offered to the city’s citizens. Husing proved this himself by presenting data that the area doesn’t retain very many adults with college degrees. And that almost half the adults in the area only have a high school education or less. Granted some people in Moreno Valley are grateful for their warehouse jobs, as Housin asserted certain companies like Amazon pay higher than average wages and offer workers free college after working for em after a certain amount of time. And while I think Amazon is doing great things for the area, not all warehouses are created equal. The Amazon Fulfillment Center is only one in a city which has dozens of warehouses. T he sit uation is only aggravated further when one looks into the Moreno Valley City Council’s shady dealings with land developer Ido Benzeevi who has been the biggest proponent for the building of logistics warehouses in the area, most of which have been chronicled in the Press Enterprise over the years. This kind of manipulation of Moreno Valley residents is alar ming and dishear tening because the acceptance of these advancements will only worsen inequality within the area.
“I’m completely for changing the smoking age from 18 to 21. I think it’ll help a lot of teens who don’t know what smoking is.” -Harrison Hen
“No, we shouldn’t do it. You can join the military, you can do all of that stuff, you should be able to do whatever you want if you want to..” -Stephen Ocampo
“I’m in nursing school so I don’t
-Mackenize Pinck
“I agree with it because it gives (teeneagers) a bigger chance to know that smoking is bad and to actually think about it before they buy it when they’re 18 and dumb.” -Angelina Romero
“I believe that raising the smoking age to 21 is ridiculous. If you can send our youth off to the military at the age of 18, smoking should be available to everybody.” -Caleb Walton
“I don’t think anyone should smoke, it’s pretty much death. But I also do think they should be 21, if the age to drink is 21 then it should be for smoking also.” -Elizabeth Adan
“With smoking, if you are 18 you’re technically an adult so you should be able to smoke, if it doesn’t affect other people in the way that you can’t rent a car until you’re 25 because there’s potential harm statisticswise. You’re more at risk, versus smoking there’s no risk you’re putting anyone else into.” -Cheryll Uy
“I do think it’s a smart idea to raise the age. But if that’s the age to be drinking, something that’s damaging to your body, then it’s also smart to not be allowed to smoke until you’re 21 when you have that choice because it’s also harming your body.” -Stephen Ocampo
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON
DAVID ROMAN
@RCCviewpoints
Economic development in the Inland Empire has been a hot button issue lately with a renewed inf lux of people into the area and housing prices in the metropolitan areas steadily rising. Joh n Husi n, a resea rch economist who focuses on Southern California gave an i nfor mat ive speech Ma rch 8, analyzing the economic landscape of the Inland Empire. Husin argued that the Inland Empire is one of the fastest growing areas in the state if not the country. Its proximity to a massive urban hub like Los Angeles and to the pacific ports, along with the vast number of available labor and undeveloped land has in a sense, caused the Inland Empire to become a developmental economist’s research dream. Husin mainly made two points in his speech, first that the economic development rate
Campus Conversations
Campus Question: Do you think What is your opinion on the smoking age being raised to 21? Campus Views is an open forum for Riverside City College students to voice their own opinions, views and ideas. Interviews by Nicole Tambuman
Photos courtesy of Stacy Soriano & Henry Jaime
think anyone should smoke, but I don’t think the smoking age should be raised. But don’t smoke!”
Views
March 24, 2016
11
Smoking age to rise to 21
Editorial
Why Gov. Jerry Brown should sign the smoking bills Smoking in California isn’t seen as a huge problem, in fact, except for Utah the state has one of the lowest smoking rates in the country. However, best just isn’t good enough for the Golden State. California representatives voted March 10 to send a series of measures to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, one of which included raising the age to buy and use tobacco products and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21. The landmark series of bills also included legislature that would treat and regulate vaping the same as tobacco use under law, along with allowing for higher taxes to be imposed on the habit than the currently established 87 cent vice tax. We are in full support of the California legislative body’s decision to take action and make a stand against big tobacco companies and protect the health of its citizens and we wholeheartedly urge Brown to sign through the series of laws that would greatly decrease smoking within the state. If Brown signs the bill, California would become the second state, after Hawaii along with over 100 cities across the nation, to raise its smoking age. Opponents of the bill argue that the bill is an encroachment on their civil rights, or that it undermines our country’s set age of legality of 18. Some may believe that if you can give consent at 16 in most states and are allowed to go off to war and die for your country at 18 then you should be able to decide for yourself whether or not to smoke. But these sentiments are flawed because of amendments those in the military are exempt from the new restrictions. The whole reasoning for raising the age is because smoking poses a serious health issue in our state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on average smoking is experiencing a downward trend with 20.9 percent of adults smoking cigarettes in 2005 and only 16.8 percent in 2014. However, there is still massive concern over the millions of Americans who continue to smoke. In a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services titled “The Health Consequences of Smoking -- 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General” it is estimated that more than 16 million Americans live with some form of smokingrelated disease and that one of every five deaths every year is due to preventable disease caused by
smoking. It’s true things aren’t nearly as bad as they used to be, if ILLUSTRATION you were to compare BY MADISON attitudes toward smoking MOORE in Los Angeles in the 1980s to those of today you would definitely hear a lot more disapproval now. But it isn’t enough. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found in its 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that over 90 percent of current tobacco smokers began smoking before the age of 19 and that 55.2 million people in the United States over the age of 12 were tobacco smokers with 1.2 million people aged 12-17 identifying as continuing cigarette smokers. This health issue hits close to home here at Riverside City College where school officials have been facing an up-hill battle trying to enforce the campus’ 2009 smoking ban, placing anti-smoking banners and signs around campus and having campus police escort smokers off campus. When looking at the demographics of the college
one sees that the largest group of students are aged 20-24 with 40 percent and the second largest unsurprisingly are students under the age of 20 coming in at 31 percent of the college’s population. People assume there’s no point to raising the age because cigarettes, like alcohol, will still find a way to trickle down into the hands of those want it bad enough, but, with these measures, there will be a greater age between those under 18 and those old enough to purchase the products. There are also concerns regarding enforcement of the law, which some people say will only cause a lot of trouble and confusion across the state, however cities across the country have faced little trouble with the transition. Concert venues will simply begin treating cigarettes as alcohol using a typical 21 and over wristband to identify those old enough to partake. Most college campuses already have cigarettes banned, our own Riverside Community College District Police Sgt. Robert Kleveno says he doesn’t expect a change in how he will treat smokers, simply escorting them off campus. If someone is found to be smoking underage on campus then they will treated the same as they are now, the smoker will be escorted to the Dean of Student Services for a reprimand. According to a study from the Institute of Medicine, it was stated that if the smoking age was raised, “tobacco use would drop by 12 percent by the time today’s teens reached adulthood. In addition, there would be 223,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer.” Vaping itself has taken hold of the campus with people seen everyday casually taking a puff in the staircase in the parking structure, biking across campus or just hanging out in the Quad. The habit isn’t seen as dangerous as traditional tobacco smoking but there are still a lot of the risks associated with vaping because of the nicotine present in the chemicals which still cause addiction among users. And despite there not being nearly enough research done on its effects some studies suggest lungs and immune systems may be negatively affected by prolonged usage. We believe that too many people are letting themselves fall victim to these unhealthy habits and support the state Senate’s refusal to be anything less than exceptional. Smoking is a public health issue and an environmental issue not a personal issue.
Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.
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