Viewpoints Issue #9 March 12, 2015

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

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MARCH 12, 2015

RCCD stuck in ADA battles Correcting ADA noncompliance costs the District millions of dollars STEVEN SMITH @Steven11bit

4 ATHENA speakers ‘throw like a girl’

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9 RCC art gallery draws attention '

PHOTOS: Gallery on viewpointsonline.org

“ADA is an 800-pound gorilla,” Michael Simmons, director for risk management for Riverside Community College District, said wondering who the ADA compliance officer was going to be at the Facilities ADA Corrections Team meeting March 10. ADA concerns have plagued RCCD for years and have cost the district millions of dollars since 2009.

FA C T i s a n a d v i s o r y committee created by Chancellor Michael Burke in response to pending litigation. The lawsuit was filed in the Riverside Superior Court against RCCD in 2013 for ADA noncompliance.

Many details of the litigation are still not being discussed publicly, being exempt from the Ralph M. Brown Act and California Public Records Act. However, they become public record once the case closes.

The FACT team is being led

by Simmons and was created to assist in removing the barriers presented to students and help maintain ADA compliance throughout the RCCD facilities.

The litigation produced a document containing 194 pages of ADA deficiencies at the Riverside

JOHN VILLANUEVA | VIEWPOINTS

PUSHIN’ IT: William Gonzolez struggles up one of the many hills of RCC’s campus. According to Gonzalez,

he has to take the routes with hills because the elevators on campus are consistently out of order.

City College campus alone according to Charlie Zacharias, RCC student representative on the FACT team.

“It was the result of not one, but two industry expert architects: One for the plaintiff’s side and one for the defense side,” Simmons said. “(They) basically get together and start to compare notes ... we are still in the process of dealing with that.”

From the current litigation reports, 578 items needed improvement according to Scott Zwart, director of facilities, maintenance and operations.

“Have you got any ADA experts?” Simmons asked during the meeting.

“Nope,” Zwart replied.

New handicap parking spaces, updating elevators and a renovation of the Landis Theater

CRYSTAL OLMEDO VALERIE OSIER @RCCviewpoints

15 Track competes against universities RANKING: ' Men-1st, Women-2nd

NEWS FEATURES A&E OPINIONS SPORTS

See ADA on Page 4

Student Success Score doesn’t measure up

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are all on the list of improvements that FACT is putting together to bring the Riverside campus up to ADA code.

Another issue brought up during the FACT meeting was the lack of a recognized ADA compliance officer.

“By law we have to have one, but we don’t,” Ruth Adams,

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A Student Success Scorecard presentation during the March 3 Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees meeting revealed that RCCD had lower achievement rates when compared to the state of California overall for the years of 2003-2008.

A power point presentation was given March 3 at 6:00 p.m.

by David Torres, RCCD dean of Institutional Research and Strategic planning in the Ralph H. Bradshaw building at Riverside City College.

The data presented showed that the hispanic population, the largest student population in RCCD, was among the lower scoring ethnic subgroups for many measures. Other minorities scored lower as well.

ANGEL SANDOVAL | VIEWPOINTS

A LOOK BEHIND: David Torres brings up the Student Success of RCC

to the Board of Trustees. Chancellor Burke makes his comments.

“One of the really nice things about this report, is that the state makes available to all the state and institutional researchers all the raw data saying: here are all the students we used to make this measure, now using your data with what courses they took, you can kind of see what paths

did students take that were more successful,” Torres said in his presentation.

The presentation displayed how RCCD students measured up against statewide degree/ transfer completions, career and technical education completions, 30 units momentum points,

persistence momentum points, remedial English, math and ESL momentum points. Momentum points, according to Torres are points that are indicative of future success.

“It’s really kind of an interesting thing with a finding like in 2007-08, that Riverside and Norco had these high rates and Moreno Valley had low rates,” Torres said. “You want to look at: well what was going on in Moreno Valley? Was it some kind of structural thing happening? What made that number come out that way? You wouldn’t see that just reporting at the District level.”

During the meeting, RCCD chancellor Michael Burke, RCCD Board president Virginia Blumenthal and trustee members Nathan Miller and Mary Figueroa all made comments regarding performance based funding. The general consensus among them

See SCORE on Page 4

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2 | March 12, 2015

Serving students since 1922

Riverside officiates Black History for the first time BROOKE CARY

@RCCviewpoints

A milestone was reached in Riverside African American History on Feb. 24, when the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People received an official city proclamation celebrating Black History Month at the Riverside City Council meeting.

Woodie Rucker-Hughes, p r e s i d e n t o f t h e N A A C P, comments “It had never been done before. Nobody could believe it had never been done before.”

In fact, State archives revealed that no city in California had ever given a city proclamation of Black History Month before, separate from the President’s proclamation.

Riverside’s proclamation is the first of it’s kind in California, revealed Regina Patton-Stell, Vice President for NAACP. “We wanted them to declare the month of February as a month for all people—black, white, brown—to set aside time to learn about the contributions African Americans have played in the making of America,” President Hughes said.

The NAACP, Riverside Unified School District, and students at RCC joined in the celebration of National African American History Month, raising awareness of African American heroes and working to achieve new academic goals for African Americans.

According to president Hughes, Riverside city councilman Andy Melendrez announced an Ad-Hoc Committee will be formed so that citizens and legislators can be made aware of events celebrating African American History throughout the year.

One event will be the 2015 Freedom Fund Awards Celebration coming up on May 13, hosted by NAACP at the Riverside Convention Center.

On this evening, the NAACP will formally honor selected persons who have made a significant contribution to Riverside’s African American community.

Keynote speaker for this event will be Riverside’s own Mayor, Rusty Bailey.

The Riverside Unified School District will also collaborate with the NAACP this year on events that celebrate US-African American history, Hughes said.

Additionally, the NAACP celebrated it’s 106th anniversary on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Feb 12. NAACP also supported an African American History parade in downtown Riverside, themed “Knowledge is the Key to Success.” David Hansen, the superintendent for Riverside Unified School District as well as RCC’s own Chancellor Burke were present for the event.

However, Riverside City organizations aren’t the only ones taking initiative on the progress of Black History Month. Students are becoming more and more involved in the appreciation of African American History.

Students of RCC involved in

BROOKE CARY | VIEWPOINTS

HISTORY MADE: Natasha Ferguson (left), Executive Commitee Member of NAACP, and Regina Patton-Stell

(right) , Vice President of NAACP Riverside, pose with the Proclamation of the 106th anniversary. the “Ujima Project”, hung historic posters of African American leaders around the campus of RCC to enlighten students and give recognition to those leaders who had been “overlooked,” explained Cory Justice, president of the Ujima Project. Ujima volunteers also provided a questionnaire for students to study and complete about special events and milestones reached in African American History.

“Ujima,” Justice said, “first and foremost is—it’s Swahili, for ‘collective work and responsibility’, and what we do is, it’s based on African Americans who are not doing so well in academic studies, and we just try to help them—build their grade point average.”

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Ujima Project focus on helping African American students particularly to succeed in their classes and teach them about their past to inspire their future.

Napoleon Eubanks, copresident of Ujima, spoke about the inspiration Black History has been to him in pursuing his own career.

“Leaders that I felt have helped change, and made things easier for me…by me coming to school and learning about them, it’s my way of paying tribute to them,” Eubanks said. “Because they fought, and shed blood for me to be able to go to school and to have a knowledge and become educated so that I can help other people… Education is more important than anything,” Non-african american

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students of RCC also participate in the celebration of National Black History month, showing it’s reaching impact on people of all ethnicities.

“More than anything it’s not about being tied to one specific race, it’s about remembering where we come from…certain leaders of the Civil Rights Movement—there’s an effect on all of us,” Ray Orozco, president of ASRCC explained. “Great people stand on the shoulders of other great people gone before them, so it’s about building on that … (Black History Month) made the community closer overall, realizing that we all have our own history…and when we share the aspects of our history with one another we all can progress together.”

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Status Key: I - No ongoing investigation C - Cleared by arrest CCA - Cited by Adult Arrest IO - Information only P- Ongoing Investigation

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March 12, 2015 | 3

Serving students since 1922

Instructor brings awareness to walkout day

N EWS BRIEF S Remember to use

#RCCnow

on Twitter and Facebook!

Dispensaries to hit the ballot A ballot measure will be held June 2 that can overturn Riverside’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries due to the city council member’s vote Feb. 24.

A lawsuit was filed against the Riverside County’s Registrar of Voters by the City of Riverside who wanted to block the measure from the ballot but was tossed by a judge last December. Not only would the Riverside Medical Marijuana Restriction and Limitation Act allow dispensaries in commercial and industrial zones but would permit, tax and regulate a small number of dispensaries.

Support for students available A student support group will be running for seven weeks starting March 11.

Available Wednesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. a “Strengthening Social Connections” group will focus on trouble controlling anxiety, social stress, excessive shyness and avoiding public places/ situations.

Thursdays from 1-2:30 p.m. will be a “Stress Busters” group which will discuss: negative effects of stress on the body, recognizing and ideates stressors and “de-stress” and relaxation techniques.

JACOB FILEK | VIEWPOINTS

AWARENESS: RCC part-time instructor Jacquelyn Bang (center) informs students Angela Williams (left) and Synnora MacLeod (right) about Adjunct Walkout/Awareness Day.

Astronomy shows light the sky

America. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 1969 18.5 percent of college professors were part-time, compared to 75.5 percent in 2011.

On average a tenured professor earns $70,000 to $140,000 annually, compared to an adjunct professor who makes between $20,000 to $25,000, which is at the federal poverty level according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to that, adjunct professors work approximately the same amount of hours as full-time professors, with no office, and oftentimes work at multiple campuses. Most adjunct professors also have the same qualifications as their tenured counterparts, such as Masters degrees or Phds, which leaves them with tremendous student debts.

A d j u n c t Wa l k o u t a n d

Riverside City College will be holding its spring 2015 shows March 20, April 24 and May 15 and 29th in the planetarium. ‘Finding Your Way in the Sky’ will be the name of the first show where an introduction to the patterns and history of the constellations and learn to navigate the sky.

During the second show ‘Galaxies’ the size of the universe and the earths relativity to it will be measured. “The Suns Family” show will debut close photographs taken by the voyager spacecraft of the different moons and planetary rings. On the fourth and final show “The Summer Sky” you’ll be able to see constellations and subtle gems of the summer sky. Admission will be $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and $2.50 for children under 12.

JACOB FILEK

@RCCviewpoints

National Adjunct Walkout and Awareness Day, a day for adjunct professors to stand together for equal treatment took place Feb. 25th.

Most people may not know what an adjunct professor is, but chances are that many students may have had one already. An adjunct professor is a part-time professor that works semester to semester with no guarantee of continued employment, lower pay, no paid time off (including sick days), and no benefits. Originally these professors were hired on to fill the gaps in schedules or as guest lecturers from fields not covered by the college, but they are becoming commonplace at colleges and universities across

Awareness Day is not widely known, because adjunct professors are not legally allowed to strike, as stated in their employment contracts.

Despite the risk, Jacquelyn Bang, an adjunct English instructor at Riverside City College decided to raise awareness by running a booth, handing out flyers and answering general questions on Adjunct Walkout and Awareness Day, even though she herself did not have a class to walk out on that day. According to Bang, there are two major obstacles to the walkout, “the first obstacle is that everyone operates like they'll be the one to beat the system and end up with a full-time position, which the math doesn't support, and the second, people who have this little job security are not surprisingly wary of risking what has been patched together.”

An adjunct professor may

not be from one semester to the next, limiting the opportunity for students to be able to take the same professor again, or be able to get a letter of recommendation from that professor.

Even though these issues are directly affecting adjunct professors, it is the students that end up suffering the consequences.

The Huffington Post stated institutions with large numbers of adjunct professors have

significantly lower graduation rates. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, RCC’s overall graduation rates are approximately 25 percent.

Students that want to help can write a letter to the dean or president of the school, post about it on twitter or facebook, or participate in the next National Adjunct Walkout-Awareness Day next year.

FCC ruling ignites Net Neutrality Debate ARIEL SCHILLER @RCCViewpoints

support, stating they plan to appeal the historic vote.

Lacey Brown, a current RCC student, was skeptical of the FCC’s decision stating, “I use the Internet everyday and I don’t like the idea of the government controlling it, to me it seems like they’re abusing their power.”

Students can educate themselves on net neutrality and decide if the FCC is trying to control the internet or if they are protecting its freedom.

With the Internet being more accessible than ever, the FCC has created laws and amended acts, which have lead us to net neutrality.

The Communications Act of 1934, which covered telephones and radio, and was later amended

in 1996 and was the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in 62 years.

The 1996 act leads to Open Internet Order, established in 2010, to protect Internet openness.

MIRIAM RUIZ | VIEWPOINTS

The Federal Communications Commission has passed Title II of the Communications Act, commonly referred to as net neutrality, with a 3-2 vote.

U n d e r Ti t l e I I o f t h e Communications Act the FCC will regulate the Internet as a utility.

Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers should allow access to all content regardless of the source, without favoring or blocking particular products or websites Ajit Pai, one of the two Republican-appointed commissioners at the FCC,

strongly opposed net neutrality in the op-ed article, “Internet Freedom Works,” which was published in Politico.

He argued that strictly regulating the Internet is the opposite of protecting its freedom.

Democrats claim that by advocating for net neutrality they are protecting free-internet from the Internet service providers’ ability to control the market.

R e p . M a r k Ta k a n o , D-Riverside, supports net neutrality and urges college students to closely follow the ongoing battle over the free Internet on battleforthenet.com.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler released a statement, with 21 Republicans signing their

Unfortunately, students won’t know the major effects of net neutrality, outlined in a 332-page plan, until the FCC releases it to the public.

Viewpoints

4 | March 12, 2015

Serving students since 1922

Lecture: ‘Throw like a girl’

News

Respected Riverside women speak at Riverside City College honoring strong women TYLER REESE

@Reeses__Puff

The statement ‘throw like a girl’ has been tossed around like a plastic bag in the wind yet we don’t always know the impact it creates.

The ATHENA Lecture, held March 5 in the Digital Library and Learning Resource Center’s Auditorium at Riverside City College, focused on female equality.

AT H E NA I nt e r n at ion al is a nonprof it organization that was founded in 1982 by Martha Maywood-Mertz. The organization seeks to support, develop a nd honor women leaders such as scheduled guest speakers Virginia Blumenthal, Cindy Roth and Debbi HuffmanGuthrie.

Blumenthal was elected to Riverside Community College District board of trustees in 2006

and is serving as its president.

Not only is she an alumna of RCC, she is also president of Blumenthal Law Offices.

Roth is president and CEO of the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, which is the largest business organization that serves the interests of businesses in the Riverside region, representing over 1,300 member companies.

Huffman-Guthrie is a lifelong Riverside resident and longtime Riverside professional and civic leader, and Senior Vice President of the Raincross Hospitality Corporation. She oversees the operations of its subsidiary organizations such as the Riverside Convention Center, Riverside Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Riverside Sports Commission.

Terry Welker, the library/ learning resources administrative manager who opened the event also served as the moderator of the lecture. Followed shortly

after by a welcome from Virginia McKee-Leone dean of instruction for RCC’s Math, Science and Kinesiology departments and the introduction of the speaker was done by Susan Mills interim, vice president of academic affairs at RCC. During the beginning of the lecture Guthrie played a video on the projector system. The video was a Super Bowl commercial, which played during this year’s 49th Super Bowl.

“It was really interesting with the commercial and its nice having such strong woman in our community,” said Diana Hernandez, an RCC Student.

The audience gave a round of applause after the video ended followed by the speakers asking when did using the phrase ‘like a girl’ become an insult. “You should not be ashamed of being a girl,” said Guthrie. Women of Athena believe in the power women have within to persevere

and demonst rate thei r f ull potential, according to Guthrie.

Blu me nt hal broug ht up how both her and Guthrie were synchronized swimmers in high school and how their parents were able to manage their jobs and time to make various swim meets. Guthrie then talked about how her and Blumenthal balance out their schedule to make time between their jobs and seeing their children as well.

Blumenthal and Guthrie then shared Cindy Roth’s background and upbringing, as she was unable to attend the event following a recent death in her family, according to Blumenthal.

Wolde-Ab Isaac, interimpresident of RCC then got up from the audience and gave a commemorating speech of the success both Blumenthal a nd G ut h r ie have broug ht to the community, RCC and RCCD. After his comment he gave both Blumenthal and

Guthrie a bouquet of f lowers and an individually wrapped gift to each of them and thanked them for their time, efforts and commended them for all they have done. As Isaac was about to leave the stage he said, “From this lecture I have learned two things, to fight like a woman and get it right.”

Shor tly af ter Isa ac lef t the stage Guth r ie took the microphone and stated that it was time to announce the 2015 AT H ENA awa rd recipient.

A n ne Mayer executive director for Riverside County’s Transportation Commission was the recipient of the ATHENA award. With that being said moderator Welker took the stage once more and thanked everyone for coming out and ushered everyone into the foyer for a reception-taking place after the program.

Viewpoints takes home Best of Show at conference STEPHANIE LLAMAS @RCCviewpoints

As the Associated Collegiate Press Conference started the air was stifling with anticipation as whether to Viewpoint's hard work and dedication paid off with awards and honorable mentions.

The convention brought plenty of motivation to young students striving to better themselves in their journalism careers.

Viewpoints students, participated in workshops and a series of mail-in competitions at the the Associated Collegiate Press Convention hosted at Sheraton Universal Studios Hollywood.

While at the convention, Viewpoints was awarded fourth place in the Best of Show contest among other two-year newspapers.

“It had been a really intense issue, Crystal and I were working on ‘Police miss deadline’ to the last minute, it was really stressful

but it was a good kind of stress,” Valerie Osier, managing editor of Viewpoints, said. “We learned a lot doing that story. Crystal wrote it and put in all the hard work, but we all kind of learned through it.”

James Williams, editor in chief of Viewpoints expressed his gratitude and excitement to have been invited, “It was a great honor to be amongst a diverse group of college students journalists from different states and a different country,” said Williams.

Being given the opportunity to be in the presence of wellknown keynote speakers such as Rory Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Academy Award-nominated independent filmmaker, Brian Stelter, senior correspondent for CNN and Jack Ohman, editorial cartoonist for the Sacramento Bee, allowed future journalism students to step into their lives and view journalism through a different outlook in their careers. The

Minorities among the lower scoring groups SCORE from Page1 was that it was not the ideal way to decide how to fund schools.

Board of Trustee members agreed that something needs to be done to address the low achievements rates.

“We need to not be fearful to drill down onto this data… to help us figure out the next steps”, said trustee member Mary Figueroa.

The meeting adjourned with the BOT and members of administration present at the meeting stating that the data requires further analysis, including making the information available to RCCD students and each campus’ respective student governments.

“We have others defining our success. We need to define success for ourselves so that we can defend our success,” WoldeAb Isaac remarked.

speakers presented innovative ideas to influence the lasting success of Viewpoints..

Olmedo, learned patience and furthered her drive from her experience at the convention, allowing her to refocus what is of high importance to her in

journalism. Crystal Olmedo, Viewpoints news editor, sought to apply the material she learned at the ACP convention to bring a new edge to the Viewpoints News section.

“Sometimes it’s a long path in journalism. You’re not going

to get instant results it is a lot of hard work, and takes a lot of patience and focus. It showed me to keep that drive but not be too hard on myself because it may take years to get where I want to be,” Olmedo said.

District embroiled in litigation ADA from Page 1 RCCD general counsel, said.

Simmons countered mentioning that the responsibility lies with Diversity and Human Resources.

ADA compliance is not a new topic to RCCD, with issues popping up since at least 2009.

In 2008, amendments were made to the American’s with Disabilities Act and signed into law by President George W. Bush in an effort to reduce discrimination against physically and mentally disabled persons within the United States. It thereby introduced stringent requirements on business owners and public entities to provide public accommodations for disabled persons. It also left civil lawsuit as the only means of enforcement.

On February 24, 2009, the Board of Trustees for RCCD approved a $481,780 contract with the engineering firm Psomas to conduct accessibility surveys and prepare an ADA transition plan to bring the District facilities up to compliance with the ADA, California Building Code and the Division of State Architect compliance. The Board approved another $75,000 to the Psomas contract, bringing the total up to

$556,780 on January 26, 2010.

Through the surveys, Psomas identified 23,165 ADA deficiencies. Of that number, 10,711 were being addressed by other projects. Phase I of the plan was set to address another 4,704 deficiencies, while 7,750 deficiencies remained for future projects.

Psomas proposed to the Board a $39,594,553 5-year construction plan to bring the district up to compliance and on September 21, 2010 the Board approved $6.3 million dollars using District Measure C unrestricted local funding for the use of Phase I of the project.

On July 23, 2010 further revisions and stricter regulations were made to the ADA text that went into effect on March 15, 2011. The new regulations applied to any new constructions made after that date.

“The [ADA] transition plan was only a snapshot,” Sherry Stone, emergency planning and preparedness coordinator, said during the FACT meeting.

This statement was echoed by Simmons stating that identifying barriers for disabled persons should be an ongoing process.

On April 15, 2014, a notice of completion was filed for Phase I of the ADA transition plan mostly according to its original design,

despite the revisions that had been made to the law.

The Sept. 16, 2014 board committee minutes stated that $500,000 from a Physical Plant and Instructional Support grant was set aside for “ADA litigation remediation”.

FACT is now fighting time to get their list of improvements approved by the Division of State Architect by the end of the fiscal year at the end of July. At that point, access to money from a one-time grant disappears, according to Stone. After the list of work is approved by the DSA, the District can begin the process for bidding for contractors.

The scope of FACT also goes outside of the litigation addressing Braille signage concerns at Moreno Valley College, a project that could cost the district in the range of six figures according to Norm Godin, vice president of Business Services at Moreno Valley College.

ADA compliance is an ongoing issue according to Simmons and FACT will be taking up further projects in the future.

“We want to make sure we’re available to all students ... and learn from nuances and decisions from past projects,” Stone said.

“I’m not a fan of repeating past mistakes.”

Viewpoints

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March 12, 2015 | 5

Serving students since 1922

Clubs rush for new members AJA SANDERS

@RCCviewpoints

Hopeful club members filled the campus quad at Riverside City College for the Spring 2015 Club Rush event as they passed out goodies and flyers with encouraging words. Clubs aspire to make collaborative efforts and raise awareness among the college’s student body.

There are several clubs on the college campus that dedicates their free time to community service and advocacy work.

Among many of the clubs represented at Club Rush, Student Sustainability Collective shared its mission, “advocate and promote sustainability for the Riverside City College student body.” During the event, the club also promoted the concept, “living within our limits.”

One of the club’s immediate goals is to collaborate with both the Norco and Moreno Valley campuses on a project that raises awareness about using more natural resources.

Although Moreno Valley does

Justice said one of his goals this semester is to make a more collaborative effort with the other clubs on the college campus. He specifically pointed out The Puente Project.

According to Justice, The Puente Project’s focal point is the Latin American student body.

“If we can be more collaborative …

AJA SANDERS | VIEWPOINTS work together and do more CLUBS: Ujima Club president tells students about their club things as clubs, I have a club that focuses on the offers many resources for Africanthink that would environment, Norco College American students, it welcomes be great,” Justice said. “ … does not. This is something that students from all backgrounds to then we can learn about their Student Sustainability wants to join. Cory Justice, Ujima Club background, and they can learn change.

President, is eager to inform Ujima is a multicultural students of African-American club that focuses on academic History and the contribution it advancement at RCC. While it made to American History.

about our background and we can appreciate each other a lot more.”

Muslim Student Association (MSA) also shared its passion in making collaborative efforts for RCC students. Its club president, Husnain Sarwar, welcomes all students to learn about Islam.

Sarwar’s mission for this semester is to raise awareness and to clarify some of the misconceptions of the Islamic faith.

“If you want to learn about rocket science, who do you go to?

You go to a physicist or a rocket scientist. Just like that, if you want to learn about Islam, you go to a Muslim who practices the religion,” said Sarwar.

Later this semester, the club will have an event that will give students the opportunity to learn more about Islam. MSA will announce the time and date for this event.

More information about these clubs and more can be found at bit.ly/ASRCCclubs

Find out what’s going on around school and on campus

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Tipping a hat to Dr. Seuss The Dales Senior Center organizes community event celebrating the young at heart

KATARINA AYOUB | VIEWPOINTS

FOREVER YOUNG: The Dales Senior Center staff, volunteers and senior citizens enjoy their luncheon at the “Hats Off to Dr. Seuss” event in Riverside March 2.

CIARA GUTIERREZ AND KATARINA AYOUB @RCCviewpoints

Creating a lifelong path may be hard to do, but with given support of a loved one, suddenly everything makes sense, such as tying your shoes.

This is exactly w hat recreation service coordinator Kristen Reid did for herself.

Unsure of what specific direction Reid would go after she graduated from high school, she took the advice of her father and joined him in the field of public serrvice.

“My dad does this,” Reid said. “He’s done it his entire life.

He recommended it. I tried it. I got hooked.”

He opened her eyes to what became a definitive choice in her career.

Helping seniors transition through life and have a comfortable place to be, as they get older has always been something she admires.

After receiving her degree in Recreation and Leisure Service, Reid has dedicated herself to her profession for 14 years now.

“How many get to say they like what they do?” Reid said. “I

love going to work.”

The Dales Senior Center, hosts many events. On March 2, the “Hat’s Off to Dr. Seuss” event was specifically in honor of the authors birthday.

Senior Citizens of Riverside

“

staff, as well as lunch and a movie, all centered around the author. “ Wo n d e r f u l , i t i s s o wonderful,” Lucy Tello, yearlong committed senior member said.

“They are always having such

teens to seniors. The center also allows those who are older to teach classes.

“The volunteers worked for so long,” Reid said. “They all have skills to help keep sharp and utilize those skills. It gives them an opportunity to give back.”

The center provides an opportunity for the senior citizens to share their unique talents such as pottery, photography and jewelry making.

“We’ll have socials, dinner dances and our -- ‘Oh, The Places You’ll Go’ luncheons are monthly,” Reid said. “Getting them to Dr. Suess mingle, keeping them active and social, it’s really nice to see them having fun.”

Different events are wonderful events.” being prepared every month Reid is regularly preparing along with luncheons for $3 and different events including dinners for $10. optional classes for the seniors “People in their nineties come at The Dales Senior Center to out and dance throughout the experience new activities. whole time,” said staff member Wi t h t h e h e l p o f t h e i r Kathy Spalding. incredible staff and volunteers Spalding has volunteered at to make this possible, senior the center for four years. “They’re citizens are able to share their amazing,” Spalding said. unique skills with other seniors.

The Dales Senior Center “We rely highly on our works hard to create a venue volunteers,” Reid said. where members can feel at home.

Volunteers can range from On the third Friday of April,

“You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

prepared their hats for the “Hats Off to Dr. Seuss” luncheon.

Seniors who wanted to participate were asked to either pay a $3 fee or donate an old children’s book.

All donations will be given to Time For Tots and local afterschool programs in need.

“We wanted to try something different,” Reid said. “Something social just to have fun, act like a kid again.”

Seniors were given a classic Dr. Seuss reading provided by

the next major event will be a “Black and White Affair,” where guests prepare themselves for a thrilling evening of music, food and dancing.

“Our dinner dances are at night so we get to wear our Winter Wonder Land holiday gowns, tuxedos and ball gowns,” Reid said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

KATARINA AYOUB | VIEWPOINTS

HATS ON: Recreation service coordinator Kristen Reid poses next to Dr. Seuss.

Viewpoints

8 | March 12, 2015

Features

Serving students since 1922

Spotlight: The Burke of all trades Riverside Community College District Chancellor Michael Burke reflects on his life

MICHAEL ISBERTO | VIEWPOINTS

THE VISION: Riverside Community College District Chancellor, Michael L. Burke explains his plans for the future Riverside City College’s campus and its students.

JOSIAH PATTERSON @josiahslade

In his college days, Dr. Michael L. Burke worked in the shrimping industry on the Texas coast where he made $1.25 an hour.

Today he is the chancellor of the Riverside Community College District.

Burke describes his teenage years by using an example of the character Bubba Blue from the movie “Forest Gump” who comes from a shrimping family and knows every way to cook shrimp.

He also uses the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company as an example of the kind of work he did.

“If you saw ‘Forest Gump’ and know of Bubba Gump, that was kind of my childhood,” Burke said. “It paid for my college. It wasn’t great work, but it was honest work.”

Burke’s job in the shrimping industry was just one of the many jobs that put him through college.

“I had a lot of really collegekid type jobs,” Burke said. “I was a waiter, a bad waiter. One of my favorite jobs was where I cleaned

MICHAEL ISBERTO | VIEWPOINTS

TAE BUDDIES: Chancellor Michael L. Burke (far right) poses with his Taekwondo group.

swimming pools.”

Burke, a native Texan, grew up in poverty.

He was a first generation college student.

“My parents had high school educations,” Burke said. “They had jobs, but I grew up poor. I really didn’t know I was poor because everyone in my school was poor, so I really wasn’t aware of my circumstances until I went away to college.”

Although Burke’s parents never went to college, they expected him to go.

This was not an issue for Burke since he never considered not going to college.

“My parents weren’t really able to provide a lot of direction or guidance.” Burke said. “They didn’t understand what college was, but it was something I was going to go to.”

Burke holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of Houston.

Additionally, he holds a doctorate degree in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin.

Burke began his career as an English and ESL instructor at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, Texas, and has worked in community colleges for over 25 years in Texas, Idaho, Wisconsin and California.

He worked as an administrator for the Dallas County Community College District, and as president of North Idaho College, San Jose City College and Milwaukee Area Technical College before becoming the chancellor of RCCD. “I have fun at work, as weird

LUIS SOLIS | VIEVWPOINTS

MEET AND GREET: Riverside Community College District Chancellor, Michael L. Burke meets with an

attendee at the end of the Board of Trustee meeting in the Hall of Fame room March 3. as that sounds,” Burke said. “I think it’s important to find things on the job that you enjoy doing ... I find myself drawn to the fine arts in general, so I always take opportunities to give myself mental time outs. When there is an art show or gallery show at one of our campuses, I’ll go and feed my head, so to speak.”

Burke enjoys practicing taekwondo in his free time.

“I tell people I have a black belt in taekwondo, and I literally do,” Burke said. “I’ve always enjoyed martial arts. I think it’s a unique way to kind of focus yourself mentally.”

Naturally, Burke has a heart for impoverished areas, and this passion played a part in what led him to Riverside.

“There are a lot of people

living in poverty here, and if there is a consistent theme through my career, it has been an issue around providing a quality education for people living in poverty,” Burke said. “I see it as the only systemic way of addressing issues of poverty in our country. I seek out areas like this.”

Burke was not aware of financial aid at the beginning of his college career, and he aspires that students become more aware of the scholarships and financial aid that is available to them.

“I am always kind of stunned at the way students are not always fully aware of the financial support that is available to them,” Burke said.

Although 54 percent of students in the district have Board of Governor’s fee waivers, there

are many scholarships that are available to students but are never given out.

“Those scholarships are sitting on the shelves and students don’t apply for them,” Burke said.

His outlined goals for 20142016 include: creating a climate of stewardship, creating a climate for participatory decisionmaking, creating a culture of intentionality and creating a culture of care.

Burke relishes his position as chancellor.

“I enjoy what I do,” Burke said.

From shrimp handling to student and faculty overseeing, B u r k e ’s r o l e i n s o c i e t y has changed, and he is not complaining about it.

Viewpoints

March 12, 2015 | 9

Serving students since 1922

Arts & Entertainment

LUIS SOLIS / VIEWPOINTS

FRAME ART: The Godfrey Daniels School of Charm art exhibit opens receptions March 5 at Riverside City College in the Quad Gallery. Attendees have many different arts to look at from four different artists Claudia Bucher, Maryrose Crook, Georganne Deen and Jacobine van der Meer.

RCC art gallery gets surreal Since opening its doors in 2008 with the newly remodeled Quadrangle, the Quad Art Gallery has hosted numerous exhibits that have been both thought provoking and visually pleasing.

To say the current exhibit on display at the Quad Gallery fits into this category is a drastic understatement.

The exhibit, The Godfrey Daniels School of Charm, features the work of four artists from different walks of life.

Claudia Bucher is a sculptor from the Los Angeles area.

Maryrose Crook is a painter from New Zealand.

Jacobine van der Meer is a painter and sculptor originally hailing from the Netherlands.

And lastly, but certainly not least, is the curator of the exhibit Georganne Deen who lives and works in Yucca Valley, Calif.

“I thought it came out amazingly well.” Deen said. “I

am very critical, in fact harsh but it came out really well and I couldn’t exactly tell you why but they all just rose to the occasion.”

Riverside City College student, Santos Pereyra, described some of his favorite pieces of the exhibit and called many of them “perfect”.

Pereyra went on to describe one particular canvas painting named “I’ve been Looking for the Way Back” by Maryrose Crook as “Uplifting, Spiritual, and Embracing”.

When asked about what he thought of the exhibit overall he was quick to say “Amazing, I love it”.

There are several mediums used in the exhibit ranging from oil paint on canvas to wooden sculptures but they all have one thing in common; they will get your attention and make you think.

An example of this is a piece

by Claudia Bucher,“Terrmotilla,” a remarkable ten foot tall wooden sculpture with a mask that feels like it’s crawling into the room from a nearby window.

mar 13

mar 14

Student Services Building Ground Breaking Riverside City College 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Silent Film: “Ramona” Starring Dolores Del Rio Mission Inn Music Room 12 p.m.

Summer Twins Miss Chief Back to the Grind 7 p.m.

Bleachers The Observatory 7:30 p.m.

EDWARD BLODGETT @EdBlodgett_News

Deen also talked about her inspiration of a painting she did called “If I Wanted Forgiveness, I’d Ask.”.

“Sometimes something just comes through you like your mind is relaxed and you’re not trying to force a decision… once you know, you are not in control of it. If I’m

lucky and I’m open it’ll just come through me,” Deen said.

The Godfrey Daniels School of Charm art exhibit is currently on display in the Quad Gallery located in room 140 of the A.G. Paul Quadrangle and will run through April 10.

The buzz surrounding the

exhibit is already immense and if the response at the reception is any indicator, this will be one exhibit to remember for a very long time.

Visit us at viewpointsonline.org to view more images of the exhibition

LUIS SOLIS / VIEWPOINTS

EXHIBITS: Riverside City College Interim President Wolde-Ab Issac views the many art work of the Godfrey

Daniels School of Charm exhibit in the quad gallery at RCC.

CALENDAR mar 15

Family Movie: The Maze Runner La Sierra Library 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

IFR NightTalk MissionTobacco Lounge 8 p.m.

mar 16

mar 17

Hair Cut-A-Thon Riverside City College Cosmetology School 9 a.m. -2:30 p.m.

Adriana Salazar: Perpetuity Sweeney Art Gallery 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

LACMA Ahmanson Building Surrealism Tour 1 p.m.

Karaoke Night VIP Nightclub 9 p.m. - 12 a.m.

mar 18

mar 19

mar 20

mar 21

mar 22

Posing Japan: Photographs by Kusakabe Kimbei Calif. Museum of Photography 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Crafty Happy Hour The Salted Pig, Riverside 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Yelawolf with Crazy Town House of Blues: San Diego 7 p.m.

Tijuana Panthers Wounded Lion The Echo 5:30 p.m.

Family Movie: Big Hero 6 La Sierra Library 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

A Zocalo Public Square/James Irvine Foundation Event Riverside Art Musuem 6:30 p.m. - 8: 30 p.m.

Gil Arreola: Solo Exhibit Gallery of Progressive Art 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

“Stray Dogs” Screening Barbara & Art Culver Center Mission 7 p.m.

A Benefit forTIOH Tenacious D Sasquatch The Regent Theater, DTLA 8 p.m.

of Montreal Yip Deceiver The Regent Theater, DTLA 8 p.m.

Viewpoints

Serving students since 1922

10 | March 12, 2015

FX cult series going gaga

A&E

‘American Horror Story’ season five will add international pop star Lady Gaga to its cast

IMAGE COURTESY OF: TWITTER

IMAGE COURTESY OF: YOUTUBE

LADY IN BLACK: Lady Gaga describes in seconds the theme of the next

season of FX’s “American Horror Story.”

DAESHAUN THOMAS @RCCViewpoints

Pop music mogul Lady Gaga announced via Twitter that she will be starring in the FX horror anthology “American Horror Story” on Feb. 25. Social media was set ablaze by the unforeseen announcement.

Though Gaga has previously held small roles in films such as “Machete Kills” and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill for,” and has certainly touted her capacity to play a layered character on screen, she has never made a full foray into the acting scene. Even longtime fans were taken aback by the “Bad Romance” singer’s bold switch in career path (again).

The official tweet reads: “Make your reservation now. #GagaAHSHotel.”

Accompanied by the tweet is a twenty two second black and white video in which Gaga, dressed in a minimalistic (at least by Gaga’s standards) black number, murmurs the words “American Horror Story: Season 5.” She removes a velcroed headpiece from the outfit and then utters the last tiny (but widely coveted) bit of information about her appearance on the upcoming installment of the series: the theme.

“Hotel.” she whispers and raises her arm paws up style.

She sports a look reminiscent of Debbie Harry circa her 1970s Blondie years.

Then come the credits which read “GAGA. AMERICAN HORROR STORY HOTEL. OCTOBER.” in classic Willow typeface, accompanied by the series’ chilling trademark theme music in the background.

As unexpected as it is, it definitely is not the first time that the artist shocked and awed a community of listeners, or onlookers for that matter. One

need only look back to the meat dress or the plexiglass egg of runways past. The singer has made waves by taking bold and unexpected career choices during the span of her career, which really only spans seven years.

One of the most unexpected reinventions came in the form of her temporary departure from pop. She made a genre switch to jazz in an attempt to introduce younger generations to its classic and quintessential sound; a sound she’s always had an ear for. Sharp vocals and a simple melody. She appreciates music at a basic level, even before all the glitter and drama.

Gaga released the collaborative album “Cheek to Cheek” alongside jazz icon Tony Bennett in September 2014, which garnered generally positive reviews from critics. Of course no one exactly predicted the switch up, but it was just one in a list of many. It will also certainly not be the last.

In most recent memory the singer blew everyone away with the strength of her pipes in a rendition of “The Sound of Music” at the Oscars late February. The

audience went wild upon the conclusion of the tribute to Julie Andrews. Everyone was again reminded to never underestimate her talent and zeal, which had been questioned by critics and dedicated fans alike ever since the mediocre to lukewarm reception to “Artpop,” her third studio album.

Though much is still unknown about the future of “American Horror Story” in its entirety, it is known that Jessica Lange may not be returning to aid the series as lead actress as she has the last four seasons.

And that the series will undergo “an unusually large reinvention” according to John Landgraf, the CEO of the FX networks, relative to the reinvention that the program already undergoes every season as an anthology.

One thing's for certain though, come October, we’ll see an eccentric world star that is widely liked and discussed take her first top-billed role as an actress in a show that is also very widely liked and discussed. It’s shaping up to be a wickedly good time for little monsters.

T.V. shows avoid the axe with the help of streaming DOMINIQUE REDFEARN @RCCViewpoints

“Community” is finally back on the small screen. No, not on it's usual network of NBC but on a smaller screen, our computers.

Due to low ratings the sitcom was cancelled in May 2014.

After initially struggling to find another platform to pick it up, it was renewed in the eleventh hour by Yahoo Screen for its sixth season. Yahoo Screen is ”Community's” ability to be picked up by an internet streaming site is potentially groundbreaking for other shows that were cancelled too soon.

Many critically acclaimed shows have been cancelled due to low viewership despite the following that it may have. ABC's “Pushing Daisies” (2007-2009), “Selfie” (2014), and the CW's “Veronica Mars” (2004-2007) have all had campaigns started by fans in attempts to bring back their favorite shows.

“Mars” had a Kickstarter campaign in 2013 that raised more than double the amount of funds that they aimed for to make a new movie, “Pushing Daisies” attempted to release comic books that picked up where the show left off before the publishing

company was shut down, and more recently fans of “Selfie” have tweeted the hashtag #SaveSelfie to various streaming platforms and TV executives on Twitter in attempts to bring it back.

“Selfie,” a romantic comedy staring sci-fi favorites Karen Gillan and John Cho, was predicted for cancellation before it even started.

After just seven episodes, the show was pulled from the network initially leaving the last six episodes to be unaired before streaming website Hulu elected to stream them.

“Linear TV executives tend to cancel shows because they have low ratings or don't fit into the key audience demographic for advertisers," said Netflix spokesman Cliff Edwards to thestreet.com.

"But because we (Netflix) don't sell shows against ads, we can see that such shows have a good fan base and amortize their costs over a viewer base of 57 million members.”

MIRIUM RUIZ | VIEWPOINTS

Shows with low ratings but have cult followings can follow the footsteps of shows like “Community” and “Arrested Development” to be picked up by websites like Hulu and Netflix after their cancellation to further continue the shows.

The success of streaming has even led to platforms like Netflix to revive shows such as Arrested Development and air new shows to much critical acclaim like “Orange is the New Black” and “House of Cards” as well as “Transparent” on streaming competitor A m a z o n . Te l e v i s i o n networks are even launching apps where you can access their shows on demand through tablets and phones.

Streaming shows online is becoming the more convenient option for many people who can not watch the show live.

Even viewers in other countries who can not watch the show until a later date and in some cases not at all, also utilize streaming websites such as Hulu where you can watch most shows the day after they air with a paid subscription.

This kind of viewership however does not count for Nielsen ratings - an outdated system that shows viewership and consumption of advertisements played during those shows that affect television executive's decisions on the outcomes of their programs.

There are numerous flaws in how Nielsen tracks the ratings of television shows.

One of them being the lack of counting internet streaming into their demographics which ultimately can lead to the cancelation of a show.

In time, online streaming could become the primary source of viewing and eventually be what consumers prefer because of convenience.

Cancelling shows that originate on Netflix or Hulu may not be as easy as cancelling a show on television due to the fact that these shows are accessible to more viewers than traditional television and overall ratings can be higher and more accurate.

Viewpoints

A&E

Serving students since 1922

March 12, 2015 | 11

Superficial questions are out ‘What are you wearing?’ makes its final appearance on the Academy Awards’ red carpet

during the Oscars.

Even Reese Witherspoon took to social media to talk about this campaign as well as posting an Instagram picture with the hashtag #AskHerMore on it followed by the caption.

“It’s meant to inspire reporters to ask creative questions on the red carpet. I love the Oscars AND fashion like many of you…

IMAGE COURTESY OF: YOUTUBE But I’d also love BETTER QUESTIONS: Actress Scarlett Johansson answered questions about her to answer some current musical project, her band The Singles, and the typical questions of wardrobe of these Qs…. were finally dissmissed.

And hear your suggestions?!” about it.

LESLIE ESPINOZA Many took part in the During this year’s Oscars, The @RCCViewpoints Representation Project, which is a #AskHerMore trend that not only campaign that helps communities did the hashtag trend on Twitter Every time an actress walks overcome gender stereotypes, but it trended on Facebook as down the red carpet the most took to Twitter with the hashtag well, which created more than 25 common question asked is, “Who #AskHerMore. million impressions in a single are you wearing?”

This hashtag was created in an night.

Many of the questions asked effort to try and change the way Reporters were aware of this are often beauty related. Reporters women are being interviewed at trend because the questions they seem to ignore the fact that these award shows. were asking women on the red women are also very talented This hashtag allowed Twitter carpet were more intellectual and actresses/singers and they have users to tweet the questions they had more thought rather than the more to offer than just their looks. thought women should be asked simple “who are you wearing?”

Women in the entertainment on the red carpet instead of only Riverside City College industry started to take notice as focusing on their appearance. students shared their thoughts on well and decided to do something This hashtag was very successful this campaign. The responses were

very alike. “Asking those types of questions demeans a woman’s intelligence.” Madalyn Mendez said. “Even though a small aspect wants to know who made the dress, you don’t solely watch the Oscars to see who wore what. It’s to see if my favorite actress won an award because of her role in a film.”

John Terrill, another RCC student described how he would feel if he was asked the questions these women are regularly asked at award shows.“It would be professionally insulting to his career. Especially at the Oscars, where they should be recognized for their work not their clothes.”

Terrill said.

Both of these students seemed to agree that this campaign is a

positive change for women and the way they should be interviewed.

These women have worked hard to be in the profession they are in. It’s unfair for them to answer questions based on their looks.

I’m glad these women are taking action and are demanding to be treated the same as their male colleagues because their craft matters to them.

Gender quality is now and if you want to help overcome the stereotypes visit the therepresentationproject.org to learn and spread the knowledge.

Tell us what you think @RCCViewpoints

IMAGE COURTESY OF: YOUTUBE

FLASH MOB: Reese Witherspoon poses for the dozens of photographers on the red carpet.

ALEJANDRA GARCIA @allegrezza_

A night meant for motion pictures was also a night for great speeches. Oscar winners took a moment to speak about social issues. The winners spoke about the Civil Rights Movements, immigration, to the awareness of Lou Gehrig’s disease (also known as ALS.) The issues affected some of the winners directly while others who immersed themselves in a role understood the hardships of losing control of one’s body.

John Legend and Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known as Common, won an Academy Award for best original song. Their track “Glory,” which was featured in the film “Selma,” evoked the struggle for equality for people of color.

The performance of their song left awe-inspiring impression, but as both Legend and Common took the stage again to accept their award their speech was far more inspiring that it left a handful of actors in tears.

“This bridge was once a landmark for a divided nation.”

Common said. “The spirit of this bridge transcends race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and social status…this bridge was built on hope, welded with compassion, and elevated by love for all human

beings.”

The bridge Common was referring to was the one that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched on in Selma, Alabama in 1964.

Legend thanked the Academy and contributed to Common’s message.

“Nina Simone said ‘It’s an artist’s duty to reflect the times in which we live.’ ” Legend said.

“We wrote this song for a film based on events that were 50 years ago, but we say that Selma is now because the struggle for justice is right now.”

The struggle is real for most Americans facing discrimination for their skin color or their cultural background. Immigrants are also fighting for their rights to stay in a country that promotes the American dream.

Mexican director, Alejandro González Iñárritu won three Academy Awards for the film “Birdman” and addressed the issue on immigration and corruption in his speech as he took a jab at the Mexican government and its President Enrique Peña Nieto.

“I want to dedicate this award to my fellow Mexicans,” Iñárritu said. “The ones who live in Mexico, I pray that we can find and build a government that we deserve and the ones that live in this country, who are part of the latest generation of immigrants…I

just pray that they get treated with the same dignity and respect of the ones that came before and built this incredible immigrant nation.

Thank you very much.”

Since the night of the Oscars social media went on fire in Mexico and around the world using a hashtag “El Gobierno Que Merecemos,” meaning a government that we deserve.

Actress Patricia Arquette also left a trail of controversy the following weeks since the Oscars.

The speech she gave for winning best supporting actress was supposed to be inspiring for women, as she spoke of equal pay and gender equality.

A r q u e t t e ’s s p e e c h l a t e r went sour as she expressed her beliefs in a press conference after the ceremony. Her words only justified a certain group of women as she excluded women of color, transgender and gay women.

The Oscar winner later received negative criticism on social media. Arquette tried to undo her mistake on Twitter but the damage was done.

ALS and Alzheimer disease were also topics that were talked about during the Academy Awards.

Eddie Redmayne, best actor winner, portrayed scientist Stephen Hawking. During his speech, Redmayne expressed his concern

MIRIUM RUIZ | VIEWPOINTS

Speeches that change a night for motion pictures­

about the illness that Hawking and many others are battling with.

Another actor who portrayed a character with an illness was Julianne Moore; she won the category for best actress and also displayed concern in finding a cure for rare illnesses. In the film, “Still Alice,” Moore plays the character of a linguistics professor that learns that she inherited Alzheimer’s

disease from her father.

Aside from Arquette’s mishap and Neil Patrick Harris lengthy musicals, this year’s Academy Award speeches won the night.

Motion pictures interpret the realities of life, whether it’s in the past, present or future. The social issues many deal with were represented, and no one is alone with the struggle they daily face.

Viewpoints

Serving students since 1922

12 | March 12, 2015

A&E

Lucky Greek brings the bacon

MICHAEL ISBERTO | VIEWPOINTS

BEST BURGER IN TOWN: The Lucky Greek in Riverside offers more than just great Greek food, including

the guacomole bacon burger special which comes with french fries and a medium drink.

TREVA FLORES @RCCviewpoints

It’s lunchtime and the cafeteria is packed with students, you wait in line for at least 20 minutes to pay $5 for a few chicken strips and fries, but that doesn’t even include a drink!

Tired of wasting time and money? Go to The Lucky Greek, it’s only a mile away from Riverside City College on the corner of Magnolia and Merrill Avenue.

The restaurant itself is decorated with pictures of Greece along the menu’s wall and has a

diner environment with booths lining the two sides of the seating area. Although their theme is Greek style, their food is far from it.

The Lucky Greek offers a variety of cuisines from Greek, Mexican and American. For those $5 you spent on overcooked

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waiting a little longer.

They are open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and are great for a lunch break between classes.

MIRIAM RUIZ | VIEWPOINTS

chicken strips in the cafeteria you can purchase the same exact meal with a drink and receive higher quality food at The Lucky Greek.

What exactly makes their food so tantalizing? One possible option could be their thick, fresh-cut fries cooked to a crispy perfection with a side of creamy ranch.

Although their ranch is 50 cents extra it’s worth every penny.

This is by far the greatest ranch I have ever tasted, rich with flavor and the perfect dipping sauce for fries.

Another favorite of mine is their chili cheese dog, which had the perfect chili to hot dog ratio, every bite was full of flavor that satisfied my hunger.

Not to mention, their portion sizes are very generous. It only takes one chili cheese dog to fill me up and a few of those crisp cut fries.

One thing this restaurant could work on is their customer service.

The waitresses aren’t always friendly and nice, but it can be overlooked due to their amazing variety.

Some items on the menu are pricier than others, but the portions are very large and are great for splitting with a lunch date.

The Lucky Greek is not your typical fast food restaurant, each meal looks and tastes home cooked, which is why it’s worth

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Viewpoints

OpinionS

March 12, 2015 | 13

Serving students since 1922

STAFF

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF James H. Williams 951-222-8495 viewpoints@rcc.edu

Who’s in charge here?

MANAGING EDITOR Valerie Osier viewpoints.managing@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Valerie Osier viewpoints.advertising@gmail.com JOURNALISM SPECIALIST Matt Schoenmann matthew.schoenmann@rcc.edu FACULTY ADVISERS Allan Lovelace Jim Burns

NEWS EDITOR Crystal Olmedo viewpoints.news@gmail.com OPINIONS EDITOR Lawrence Manns viewpoints.opinions@gmail.com FEATURES EDITOR Michael Isberto John Villanueva viewpoints.features@gmail.com SPORTS EDITOR Edith Noriega viewpoints.sports@gmail.com ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Alejandra Garcia Marissa Bostick viewpoints.artsentertainment@gmail.com PHOTO EDITOR Luis Solis viewpoints.photo@gmail.com

Reporters Susan Parker Miriam Ruiz Tyler Reese Austin McVey Steven Smith Brooke Cary Aja Sanders Stephanie Llamas Ariel Schiller Jacob Filek Alexis Naucler Alex Ortiz Dylan King Laura Tapia Josiah Patterson

Katarina Ayoub Ciara Gutierrez Danyel Whyte Kennedy Blevins Omar Alvarado Angel Sandoval Tu’Quay Washington Victor Duran Tyler Beltran Jeianne Baniqued Daeshaun Thomas Dominque Redfearn Leslie Espinoza Edward Blodgett Treva Flores

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 words or less.

Deliver letters to the Viewpoints office in the room behind the Assessment Building. Viewpoints reserves the right to edit letters for space and to reject libelous or obscene letters.

Letters to the editor and columns represent the opinions of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Viewpoints staff, Viewpoints faculty advisers, student government, faculty, administration nor the Board of Trustees.

MEMBER:

California Newspaper Publishers Association

Journalism Association of Community Colleges

The statement “all government is local government” is especially true for the governing bodies of institutions of higher learning.

Riverside City College is no different.

Our administration is responsible for ensuring an environment where students can come and learn in an environment that allows them the best chance for them to succeed.

The administration can only be as strong as its weakest point, however, ours seems to be filled with many weak points, in the form of many positions being filled with interim administrators and in some cases, not being filled at all.

Those that enter office do not have a long tenure, and projects started by one may be altered, stopped, or be left without leadership. In addition, the instructors and staff don’t have a good idea of just who they answer to. This kind of disarray in every level of the administration can have far reaching and serious effects on the students, even to the point of impeding their progress toward a degree.

Amid all the chaos and changes at RCC, we need a central point of strong leadership, stability and vision.

This series of recent issues can be traced back to former Chancellor Gregory Gray in 2013. After pursuing a job to lead schools in Connecticut, a large gap in the administration was left, causing ripple effects throughout the entire administration. Starting from the bottom, a steady shuffling occurred over time, as people came and went, positions opening up and subsequently being filled.

Though this effort to achieve balance was successful in filling the highest position of chancellor, it has left a string of vacancies in every level of administrations. It has also left many filled with an interim position, including that of RCC’s president and one of the vice chancellor positions.

While those in these positions are doing their jobs, it is not a job that is set in stone for them. A superior could find a more permanent replacement and replace the person holding the interim position. This may cause someone holding a temporary position to absolve themselves of any long term investment in their department.faculty.

This shuffle may also lead to some loyalty issues among the administrative staff and the college instructors and other staff may lose faith in those governing them and make their own decisions about what is to take place in their departments. This could also cause tension within the

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administration itself, when conflicts of ideas and courses of action are compounded by the fact that they may lack information about a newly obtained office, or will either be moved to another position or removed altogether.

This fluidity in the administration is also not providing for vacancy positions that need to be filled. At this moment, we are missing a vice chancellor, a director of human resources, and a director of workforce development, among others.

This June, athletic director Derrick Johnson’s contract will not be renewed, a recommendation by the Board of Trustees, and there is no word as to who will take his place.

This administration is responsible for everything that goes on in the Riverside City College District. At RCC, these responsibilities range from managing the new construction projects, parking, campus safety, admissions, managing money, keeping the professors supplied with the latest technology and more. When the leadership is unstable, it affects the student body directly.

One example of this is the greenhouse that was to be built on top of the Math and Science building. Since biology is a general education course for students, the greenhouse’s purpose is to enhance the understanding of the course material.

The biology department has been left in the dark about current development of the greenhouse, and at this point, it seems the project is at a standstill. This, coupled with the concerns the other departments have about the capability of the Math and Science building to host such a construct, leaves the biology students without a greenhouse that is needed for them to conduct research in.

It is the law that set procedures for filling in the gaps has to be followed, and that a certain amount of time must pass before some positions are filled, so that those who are interested in filling the gap may do so. This is most highlighted by the current RCC president search, which has made some progress since its start. Everything involved with this search, from the advertising, to the interviewing, to the final assessments, is a very long process.

While there are some procedures that need to be followed, the lack of leadership is still a very pressing issue.

Someone has to be recognized as a point of authority, and that point needs to take responsibility for this confusion until the process for stabilizing the administration is complete.

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Opinions

Serving students since 1922

14 | March 12, 2015

Fight to the death! ... for parking The search for parking turns Riverside City College parking lots into bloody battlefields

KENNEDY BLEVINS @RCCviewpoints

Each semester, the race to achievement turns the roads surrounding Riverside City College into more of an ancient Spartan battlefield than a parking lot full of hopeful students.

While the new semester marks new goals and opportunities for many RCC students, searching for limited parking makes the first week of classes more stressful than exciting.

Like any ancient hero, students are faced with a choice between good and evil, and as the clock counts down, desperation sets in. Students go to great lengths to ensure their future, in which a coveted parking space may mean success or failure.

In my short four semesters at

RCC, I’ve seen parking go from bad to worse as students honk, yell, dash and dart in an effort to make it to class on time.

Now it’s time to ask, how far will students go to secure a space and how can we get back to a more communal environment, in which students respect each other’s goals and efforts?

The standard advice from RCC staff is that students arrive up to an hour before they have class, to allow time for finding a parking spot. However, with construction of the new Student Services Building, this semester has seen fewer parking spots in the face of a growing number of students.

During the first week of class, I arrived two hours prior to my class, only to find a large number of spots had already been taken by 8 a.m. With this limited availability, it’s understandable how parking spots become precious treasures.

“In my years of being at all the campuses, collectively I’ve seen everything from people fist fighting over a parking space, I’ve seen people crash vehicles trying to fit into the same space, vehicles parked up on sidewalks, large cars try to

LUIS SOLIS | VIEWPOINTS

GLADIATORS: Two students try to find parking at Riverside City College during rush hour. fit in spaces that I wouldn’t even know how someone would get in or out of them,” Sergeant Robert Kleveno, head of the RCCD police department said.

He’s not the only one, any RCC student can see the struggle against time and availability, and the various looks of grief versus relief on the faces those students able to find a spot, and those left searching. I’ve personally faced the threat of accidents as I go against other students for a space.

Both myself and fellow RCC students I’ve spoken with admit to seeing or participating in nearly stalking other students

for their parking spots, giving students rides to their cars in order to find a spot, camping out for spots and even parking illegally.

It’s clear that something needs to be done to return RCC to a more communal environment.

Kleveno suggests early arrival, alternative transportation, and most of all: patience. I couldn’t agree more.

The earlier you arrive the more time you have available for leisurely searching, even if it means leaving and coming back which I’ve found success with in the past.

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Be polite when asking for and giving up your spot, which will make the overall environment friendlier.

Lastly, be open to alternative forms of transportation, whether it’s walking, biking, busing which is free with your student ID card - or carpooling, because the future of RCC anticipates more students and less spots.

The problem isn’t going away, it’s time for students to take the first step in easing parking tensions and creating a more wholesome environment for everyone on campus.

Viewpoints

S PORT S Serving students since 1922

Tigers keep heads up

March 12, 2015 | 15 “Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they always won when they had done their best” - John Wooden

Loss provides experience

Women’s basketball finish season in second round of CCCAA playoffs ALEXIS NAUCLER @alexisnaucler

In the second round of the CCCAA Southern California playoffs, Riverside City College w o m e n ’s b a s k e t b a l l t e a m unfortunately came out with a 7656 loss against undefeated Mount San Antonio College Feb. 28.

“I think they fought really hard from beginning to end,” RCC coach Alicia Berber said.

“Mount SAC obviously is a good team ... still undefeated in the final four.”

Guard Tristyn Gates led the Tigers with the first two points acquired by free throws and totaled 15 points while sophomore Tori Mitchell had 13 rebounds, adding to her defensive rebounding record of 255.

This was sophomore Tierra Fuqua’s first game back after being out with a concussion since Feb. 12. She contributed with 35 minutes of play and five rebounds.

“Before the game I talked to my team,” Fuqua said. “Whether we walked in there and we won or lost as long as we played hard.

We played the number one team in the nation, so for us to lose only by 20 was good.”

P r e v i o u s l y, t h e Ti g e r s conquered the Cuesta College Cougars 71-61 in their first round of CCCAA Southern California playoffs.

Cuesta entered the game at 23-7 following off a loss at home against Moorpark.

Sophomore Tori Mitchell b r o k e B e r b e r ’s d e f e n s i v e

VICTOR GALLEGOS @RCCViewpoints

VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS

REACH FOR THE SKY: Riverside City College Ashley Davis (right), Tristyn Gates (middle) and Brittany

Williams (far left) defend their basket against Cuesta Feb. 25 at the Wheelock Gym. rebounding record of 242, set in her 1995-96 season. Mitchell had a total of 15 rebounds in the match against Cuesta.

“It’s even more of an honor to have my own players break them,” Berber said. “It just kind of happened and I hadn’t looked at that all year … no one’s ever come close to my rebounding.”

This was Berber ’s 14th season and has taken all but two of her teams to the Southern California Regionals. In 2005 she

took her team to the Commission of Athletics’ Elite Eight and in 2006 the Tigers made it to the Final Four.

RCC finished their season with a record of 18-12, coming out strong when compared to it’s 7-19 season last year.

This season’s notable players include three all-conference players point guard Fuqua who scored 453 points and 181 rebounds, center/forward Mitchell with 465 points and

375 rebounds and guard Tamera Herring with 339 points and 137 rebounds.

Herring, Fuqua, and Mitchell will take part in the Sophomore Showcase on March 14, followed by a championship banquet March 15, where Mitchell and Fuqua will be recognized for their All-State honor.

Coach Berber has already started recruiting for the next season and will have the team’s schedule by mid-March.

Track & Field beats NCAA competition LAURA TAPIA

@LMTReporter

In a three-way invitational at the Wheelock Stadium March 7, the Riverside City College Track and Field team ran against UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton, making history, as this was RCC’s

first meet against UCR. According to Riverside’s head coach Jim McCarron; RCC is the only community college in the nation to meet with Division 1 competition.

“I’ve been trying nine years to get them to have a track meet with us,” McCarron said.

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

READY, SET, GO! : RCC’s Lamar Sparks begins his 400m run in three-

way invitational with Division I schools March 7.

Echoing McCarron was UCR’s track and field coach Irv Ray, stating “It’s been a long time coming to come over here and compete, we’re glad we did it was a great meet.”

UCR and Cal State Fullerton were armed with some of RCC’s former players competing against the Tigers.

There are over 100 students from the Tigers’ track and field program to go on to four-year universities with full or partial scholarships.

Freshmen Quinton Bell won first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.49 seconds, but fell short .02 seconds in his 100-meter dash.

Bell is one of the top five runners in the nation, coming close to former RCC runner Just’n Thymes, who is currently at USC. “It feels really good to know I’m up there with all the sophomore guys,” Bell said.

Olivia Kana received first place in the women’s shot put with a distance of 16.59 meters.

Freshmen Kayla Wilson finished in second place in the 100-meter dash in 11.89 seconds and the 200-meter dash in 24.98 seconds.

“I wasn’t really nervous about the competition, I was more focused on what I had to do,” Wilson said.

R i v e r s i d e ’s m e n s q u a d finished in first place with 89 points beating CSU Fullerton by 35 points and UCR by 40 points.

Although the women’s team was ahead halfway through the meet they ended up scoring 61 points, falling behind UCR by seven and a half points.

As mentioned on RCC’s athletic website, RCC will travel to CSUF March 13-14 to compete in the Ben Brown Invitational and also to OCC to compete in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) multi-event Championships.

Tough losses in professional sports sometimes have a lasting negative effect amongst the players and team. For RCC men’s tennis team, losing to Irvine Valley College, last year’s state finalist, was actually a positive learning experience.

“The team is doing great!”

RCC assistant coach Carlos Vazquez said. “ No team likes to lose. Yet we know our level and their level.”

No example was more evident than watching Edward Rimen, No. 6 singles, battle his opponent relentlessly, even as the result of the match and total matches seemed a foregone conclusion during the third set.

RCC had lost five of their six matches, and Rimen was down 5-0 with match point looming.

Instead of caving in and succumbing to the feeling of hopelessness, Rimen valiantly fought back into the set by winning two straight games before conceding the match, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, to Max Rumeau of IVC. It in instances like these that prove it is not necessarily the result that builds character, but the response to it. Vazquez expressed similar sentiment when discussing the loss.

“All teams sooner or later lose. Yet it’s not how you fall, but how we as a team get up and face our next challenge,” Vazquez said.

It’s as if coach Vazquez knew his team would bounce back, as the Tigers finished 2-1 on their recent road trip, defeating Fullerton, 9-0, and Orange Coast College, 5-4, while narrowly losing to Saddleback, 6-3.

Now, the Tigers must build off the momentum as they return home for one match against El Camino before resuming play on the road at Cypress, followed by their rematch against Irvine Valley set for March 19 at 2 p.m.

It will be another chance to test themselves against one of the state’s premier teams, a match that will exhibit just how far the team has progressed from the loss in February.

“We must keep training insane or otherwise we will remain the same,” Vazquez said.

Judging by their grit, determination and willingness to learn, the sky is the limit for the Tigers.

Viewpoints

16 | March 12, 2015

Serving students since 1922

RCC Tigers hungry to win

Sports

The Tigers’ baseball team make contact winning 10 of the last 11 games played at home

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

BATTER UP: RCC’s outfielder Roosevelt Bates takes a swinging strike against Santa Ana College March 3. The Tigers score two insurance runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

EDITH NORIEGA & DYLAN KING @RCCViewpoints

The Riverside City College Tigers’ baseball team ended their 10 game home winning streak March 7 against Cypress College.

The Chargers offense clutched with three runs a piece in the first two innings taking the win 8-3 over the Tigers.

RCC was not able to connect both offensively only scoring runs in the fourth, sixth and eight inning and defensively with starting pitcher Tyler Tungate allowing a run-scoring single in the first inning and a two-run double in the second inning.

The Tigers were fortunate to pull out a 6-3 victory following a two-game losing streak over the Santa Ana Dons March 3.

The Dons scored three runs at the top of the eighth inning to erase a four run deficit.

Starting pitcher Angel

Delgado pitched solidly through seven innings, until the Don’s Collin Winn and Julio Garcia got things started in the eighth with back to back doubles, which brought Winn home.

Followed by Dillon Fetty scoring on a wild pitch and an Alex Mascare RBI grounder to shortstop, bringing in Cameron Bara.

“We gave him the opportunity, he was throwing such a good game, but got behind a couple hitters with some close calls,” said RCC assistant coach Rolando Garza. “We had to give him the opportunity to kind of work and extend out, so hopefully for the next outing. It’s always a pitch at a time, and maybe next time he’ll work through that eighth inning.”

The Tigers’ left fielder David Schuknect secured two runs with a single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning, allowing his team mates Brody Weiss and Tommy Pincin to score

during the most critical point of the game.

RCC capitalized on Santa Ana’s confusion, as they made five pitching changes during the game, making their efforts a grind defensively, while allowing the Tigers to dominate the hit chart.

One of the impact players of the game for the Tigers was DH Garrett Dean, who had four hits, including a single to center field for an RBI in the sixth inning.

“It’s all about pregame preparation, getting focused, and staying involved in the game,” Dean said. “It’s kind of hard being a DH, trying to stay focused sometimes, but you just gotta stay focused.”

This marked the Tigers’ first Orange Empire Conference win of the season against Santa Ana. RCC looks to rejuvenate after the team’s tough loss against the Chargers. The Tigers travel to Golden West College in a conference game March 12.

Orange Empire Conference Standings Conference

Overall

Cypress

3-2

13-4

Fullerton

3-2

13-5

Irvine Valley

3-2

11-7

Orange Coast

3-2

12-8

Riverside

2-3

14-4

Saddleback

2-3

12-5

Santa Ana

2-3

11-6-1

Golden West

2-3

10-8

Baseball season breakdown EDITH NORIEGA @Noriega_Edith

With the baseball diamond dragged and watered down, freshly cut grass and bases in place, the RCC baseball team has come back with a vengeance this season and is playing some of the best baseball seen in well over 10 years.

As the Tigers’ head coach Dennis Rodgers, who has been a coach on campus for over two decades, is coaching one of the few successful community college baseball programs in the state, winning four California

State Championships over the course of nine years, highlighted by three consecutive titles (20002002), the organization has sure had their share of good baseball.

RCC had no trouble starting this season with a bang winning the first 10 consecutive games of the season against non-division schools.

Although they played nonleague teams this shows great potential for the Tigers, it can tell a lot what the team needs to work on still.

RCC’s offense has been putting stellar numbers with an OBP of .380, slugging percentage

of .402 and a batting average of .299.

If the Tigers keep up the consistency of good pitching early in the game and insurance runs late in the game they are sure to repeat last season where the team ended 13-8 in the Orange Empire Conference and advanced to the regional playoffs.

The Tigers’ are sure to go even farther this season.

ALEXIS NAUCLER | VIEWPOINTS

TEAM: Riverside City College baseball team jog to left field after a 6-3 win.