VOL. XCVII, NO. 10
VIEWPOINTSONLINE.ORG
MARCH 23, 2017
Viewpoints is an Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.
Students elect new student trustee SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW @RCCviewpoints
Students came out from all over the district to place their votes for a new Riverside Community College District student trustee March 8-9. Among the candidates were Adrian Aros, Deven Fafard and Luis Velazco Miranda. The position was awarded to Miranda, who earned 206 votes districtwide. “My ideology is that student success is higher when a student cares for his or her own education and experiences,” Miranda said. “We must also help students feel that they are welcome and that they belong.” Miranda has held many student leadership positions throughout his academic career at Norco City College. Those positions include serving as senator and vice president for club organizations, as well as being the founder of the Norco Dreamers and Leaders, a club at Norco. “These programs shaped me into who I have become and showed me what it is to care about others’ success,” Miranda said. He said he believes that his previous positions will serve him in his new role by allowing him to communicate with students, understand their needs and advocate for them. As student trustee, Miranda will represent students during all RCCD Board of Trustees meetings, participate in discussion of issues and receive all materials presented to members of the Board. “Anything that I can do to in order to help others is an opportunity I’m willing to take,” Miranda said. “Being the student trustee is my way of making an impact. That is why I am here.”
STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS
Jill Stein, a former presidential candidate for the Green Party, speaks at Riverside City College on March 15, Stein discussed the grassroots movement.
Stein speaks at RCC Former presidential candidate Jill Stein visited RCC to address students on current political issues REHITHA NALLA @RCCviewpoints
A mass of students from Riverside City College and members the Riverside community gathered March 15 on the steps of the Martin Luther King Jr. building to hear Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate for 2012 and 2016, speak. “Free Your Mind, Think Jill Stein” and “No Human is Illegal” were just a few of the slogans written on signs held up by the audience. The crowd cheered as she made her appearance. “This is what democracy looks like,” she said. “You are what democracy looks like!” “What I don’t want to hear are platitudes of problems we already have,” John Wilder, a Riverside resident said when asked what they were expecting to hear.
“I want to hear solutions,” he said. Charlene Mejia, an RCC student said, “I think it’s time that we shift to a third party instead of having to choose between the two dominant parties that are constantly shoved at us.” Stein directed her attention to students by stating now is the time to “bail out the younger generation.” “There is no excuse not to make public education free,” she added. Her speech at RCC was a construction of the Green Party’s platform of policies as well as a delivery on her attitudes toward certain politicians and the political system. She voiced her opinion on the President Donald Trump and the travel ban. “If you want to make the American public secure, we’ve got news for you Donald Trump,” she said. “It’s not by spending half our discretionary dollars on fighting this war on terrorism, it’s by fighting a war against poverty, against poor
education, against poor health care! That’s what we need to secure.” After a series of Q&A, Stein responded to people’s opinions that a vote for a third party presidential candidate in the 2016 election was essentially siphoning support that could have gone to Hillary Clinton. “The facts don’t agree with that,” Stein said. “That’s basically a smear campaign and a character assassination campaign. The system is very frightened that we are developing steam ... but let’s get the facts out there, Greens for the most part vote for Green. They don’t vote for Democrats, so having a Green candidate would not have translated to more votes for Clinton. “Those who are accusing me of being a spoiler are doing the same thing that the Totalitarians are doing in saying that they
See STEIN on Page 2
RCCD Board of Trustees adopts resolution at meeting JOSE MARQUEZ-CUEVAS @RCCviewpoints
The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees met March 7 to introduce and approve the Support and Protection of Culture and Care resolution. The resolution is a revised extension of the Support of Student Access and Protection resolution approved Feb. 21.
“The Board and its three colleges should wholeheartedly advocate at every level of government possible to protect the students, faculty and staff’s values,” the resolution states. “Through these efforts, RCCD pledges that all three campuses will remain safe places for the college community.” With the inclusion of the LGBTQ community and religious minorities, the resolution attests that they will not tolerate
anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and antiLGBTQ actions. Instead, it entails that it will vow to protect members of the college community from a hostile environment. Many community members who attended this meeting felt it was necessary to revise the original draft for more inclusiveness and to strengthen the Board’s commitment to uphold district policies. Dariush Haghighat, a Riverside City College political science professor and
president of the RCC Faculty Association, said he wanted to see more action. “My frustration right now with our Chancellor is he keeps putting (out) emotional statements,” Haghighat said. “He says culture of care, culture of care... okay you’ve already said that you care for DACA students, religious minorities, the LGBTQ community. Now I want to hear what steps you are going to take to protect (students).”