Viewpoints issue No. 3 October 6, 2016 by RCC Viewpoints

Football team defeats Cerritos

RCC football remains undefeated with fifth win this season. See page 5

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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OCTOBER 6, 2016

Vice president steps down

Nathan Miller stepped down as vice president due to backlash for controversial tweets DIEGO D. GARCIA @Dee_Noir

Riverside Community College District Board of Trustee member Nathan A. Miller resignation from his position as vice president was made public Sept. 26. Miller was elected to the Board in 2012 and currently remains the representativetrustee for Area 1, which consists of Eastvale, Norco and Corona. RCCD Academic Senate President Mark Sellick presented a vote of no confidence to the Board on Sept. 20 in which he expressed his dismay with Miller in regards to his tweets made about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The tweets contained a meme that showed a hangman standing at a gallows, with text at the bottom that reads “I’m Ready for Hillary.” President Virginia Blumenthal formed a Board of Trustees Ethics Advisory Committee that night to investigate the claims made against Miller. RCCD Secretary Tracy Vackar and Trustee Mary Figueroa were assigned on Sept. 20, to oversee that task force. This committee could only motion to censure or strip Miller from the title of vice president.

STACY SORIANO | VIEWPOINTS

Nathan Miller announced that he stepped down as vice president of the Board of Trustees on Sept. 26. Dariush Haghighat, president of the to Miller’s retweets as “sexist and violent,” Faculty Association says that Miller has in rhetoric. been playing “Russian roulette,” with the Miller’s resignation as vice president vice president position and did not heed was announced to Figueroa and Vackar his past advice and mentoring. He refers before any action could be taken but Vackar

and Figueroa concluded that Miller was in direct violation of Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Accreditation Standard IV.C. 11. The standard states that an accredited individual must refrain from displaying a political partisan when assuming a position on an educational board. According to Vackar, the law restricts an individual or group of individuals from removing a member of their board from their elected representative position. Vackar and Figueroa later moved to issue a governance committee to review and consider updating Board Policy 2715 in conjunction with ACCJC IV.11. Vackar said that RCCD’S Code of Ethics is outdated. “It was so loose that it was difficult to corral. The only opportunity it gave us was to censure,” she said. Haghighat says that he commends the Board — primarily Vackar and Figueroa — for going “beyond the call of duty,” while investigating Miller’s code of conduct. Haghighat also said that Miller’s resignation was not sincere and that he, along with the Faculty Association will not be satisfied until Miller steps down from the Board entirely. “We will not be satisfied until he resigns from the board all together. His resignation is a step forward,” Haghighat said.

Retreat held by ASRCCD may violate Brown Act CRYSTAL OLMEDO & LAURA M. TAPIA @RCCViewpoints

An open meetings act violation may have occurred when protesters and press were denied access to an Aug. 16 Associated Students of Riverside Community College District retreat. ASRCCD met to receive training on disaster preparedness, sexual harassment and assault awareness and emotional IQ in room 140 of the Charles A. Kane Building at Riverside City College. Lawyers from the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the First Amendment Coalition stated via email that the groups were in violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act. “As a general matter, any time the majority of the members of such an association, such as a student government

board, convene in a particular place, they must abide by the Brown Act’s various requirements,” Lelia Knox of the FAC said. “Including the requirement that such meetings must be open to the public. “It would seem a retreat would be a ‘meeting’ to which the agenda, notice and public attendance and comment requirements of the Brown Act would apply,” she continued. “Particularly if the board is hearing information on topics that come within its subject matter jurisdiction.” RCC student Natalie Lopez shared her thoughts on the subject matter of the retreat. “I would have found it beneficial,” Lopez said. “Most students don’t know how to handle a situation like that. So it would be helpful to know so you could help others in a situation like that.” Nikki Moore, legal counsel for the CNPA echoed what Knox said and added

that the act provides the notice procedure that should be followed when there is a meeting. Although an agenda was not posted prior to the meeting. Knox did note that the act sets forth certain types of gatherings that are not considered meetings. Those gatherings include: the attendance of a majority of the members at a conference that is otherwise open to the public, or at a public meeting organized by someone else, or at any open meeting of another agency, or at a purely social or ceremonial occasion as long as at such occasion the members do not discuss agency business. “But a retreat is not per se within one of these exemptions, particularly where the retreat was organized specifically for the members of a particular legislative body,” she said. “The retreat is a purposeful effort to provide the board with the opportunity

to hear and consider information related to matters that come before it, such gathering would seem to fall directly in the definition of ‘meeting.” Under the direction by the administration the retreat was to remain invite only, according to student activities coordinator, Deborah Hall. Hall declined to comment when asked again Sept. 7 about the direction given by administration. “It was not a legislative meeting,” she said. “That ASRCCD retreat was for invited guests only.” RCC President Wolde-Ab Isaac said on Sept. 7 that he gave no specific direction to not allow student media to attend the event, but said he told them to allow invited parties only. “No one asked me about Viewpoints,” Isaac said. “The only thing was they were

See BROWN ACT on Page 2

October 6, 2016

News

RCCD partners with BankMobile

RCC students and financial aid recipient Octavio Garcia has not heard of or received information on BankMobile. “I haven’t got that green envelope,” Octavio said. This is not the case with all students as active user Jennelle Gonzalez states her knowledge of BankMobile. “That’s where you put your funds for your FAFSA and it’s with the school,” she said. Students have three options, they can choose to receive their money by paper check, direct deposit into their personal account or open a BankMobile Vibe account. T h e B a n k M o b i l e Vi b e account option gives students a bank account where the financial aid money is deposited into as well as a MasterCard. All students are allowed the option of opening an account

regardless of previous faults with other banks. “People make mistakes. Especially young people,” Amy Doung,Campus Education Specialist, said. “We make tons of mistakes and we’re just learning. We’re just trying to understand banking and how finance works and I think that’s the mission of our company.” Along with the account there are no monthly, over draft, stop payment or return deposit item fees for students. Students with the BankMobile Vibe account can find ATMs, known as Allpoint ATMs, throughout campus and locally. To find an Allpoint ATM, download the Allpoint Global Surcharge-Fee ATM app (on ios, android, whatever its on, make sure thats the correct name of the app too). A PIN and ATM fee is not charged however there is a $10 fee to replace a card. The BankMoblie account is a one time setup. Once an account is created it can be used during the time someone is a student within the RCCD. Students can go back and change their refund preference anytime they wish. “This company is a lot better than Higher One because this company is a bank so it cut out the middleman,” said Duong. “Higher One used to be this company and then they had a bank partner and then is was this relationship with the school.” “Now we’re just the bank. There’s no Higher One, there’s no that end anymore. We’re just direct with the school and that’s why we can provide services at a lower cost,” she said. “Higher One had to charge all those fees and stuff because they needed to make money too to support their business but we don’t need them.”

training retreat, you selected the people who are your speakers to come and speak.’ Nobody twisted their arms to select them … ‘You invited these people. You don’t invite people and disrespect them,’ this isn’t the culture of RCC. “Was it wise to invite those specific speakers?” he continued. “‘It’s your decision not mine.’” Knox pointed out that the Brown Act requires that the body must first attempt to restore order by removing only those individuals responsible for the disruption before excluding all members of the public. According to Knox, if that fails, then the public may be excluded. However, the act provides members of the press who are not involved in the disturbance must be permitted to remain. Neither the protesters nor student media were permitted to begin with “which does not

follow procedure set forth by the Brown Act,” Knox said in an email to Viewpoints. RCC student Nick Viste said he understood why they would want to restrict the meeting to certain people for fear it may get out of hand and that they may have had their reasons to keeping it at invite only. “You can kind of argue both sides,” he said. “But at the same time if it is something that is important to the public, that’s important to all the students, then that should be open to all the students.” Nigel Item, ASRCC president said that he would look into the policies and correct any mistakes made. “If we find that we were in the wrong, I don’t mind stating that we were in the wrong,” Item said. “And I will look to how we can fix that issue and make sure that in the future it won’t be done again.”

ySept. 15

Theft in Technology Building A Air conditioning tools were stolen from the college in the Tech. A building. There are no suspects at this time. ySept. 20

Vehicle stolen According to Sgt. Kleveno of the Riverside Community College District Police an early model Honda belonging to a student was stolen from Lot E. There are no suspects at this time. ySept. 24

Hit and run A traffic collision occurred near Magnolia Avenue and Ramona Drive at 5:25 p.m. There driver of the car on scene received minor injuries. ySept. 29

Burglary in Lot H A vehicle was broken into near RCC’s cosmetology building. According to Sgt. Kleveno the crime occurred between 7:45 - 10:15 a.m. Personal property was stolen from the vehicle.

News Briefs Transfer fair coming to RCC Riverside City College's Transfer Fair is scheduled for Oct. 17. The Transfer Fair will take place in the Quad Courtyard from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Representatives from four year institutions and private universities will be available to answer students questions. Students who have further questions can call Riverside City College Transfer Center at (951) 222-8072 or (951) 222-8446.

RCC to hold earthquake drill Great California Shake Out is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 10:20 a.m. All classrooms and office locations will be required to evacuate & follow mandatory procedures. RAVE system will be activated.

Transfer application deadline Transfer applications for Cal State began Oct. 1. UC applications begin Nov. 1. The transfer deadlines for Cal State and UC end Nov. 30. Assistance for students with their CSU and UC Transfer Admission Applications is available Oct. 6. This workshop takes place in the Kane building room 205 from 12:50-1:50 p.m.

Corrections Johnathan Van Neil is misspelled on pg. 2 of issue 2. Sept. 22. Sammie is misspelled on pg. 3 of issue 2. Sept. 22. There is a misattributed quote on pg. 2 of the Al Parker memorial In the Sept. 22 issue, a Tigers’ football game is wrongly dated. It should 10/1.

IMAGE COURTESY OF AMY DOUNG

NAHID PONCIANO @Nahid__16

Riverside Community College District has switched Financial Aid partners from Higher One to BankMobile, a division of Customers Bank, due to the Department of Education’s new Title IV disbursement regulations. Once these new regulations were established, the company purchased Higher One as they no longer wished to continue their business. Students receiving financial aid should have also received a green envelope with information about BankMobile in the mail before the start of the new school year. As BankMobile is new to RCCD, misunderstandings may occur.

Brown Act ignored at RCC

BROWN ACT from page 1 expecting some kind of demonstration. People from outside coming to (make) a scene, and I said this is a retreat. “Maybe they misunderstood the directive I gave them,” Isaac added. A small group of people stood outside the room holding signs protesting District Compliance Officer Lorraine Jones who was presenting the sexual harassment and assault awareness portion of the training. One of the protesters and current UC Berkeley student Aarefah Mosavi, has a pending lawsuit against Jones for allegedly mishandling a rape claim at Mt. SAC. Isaac explained his reasoning for recommending that protestors not be admitted to the meeting. “I said ‘this an organized retreat for yourselves,’” he said. “I said ‘I’m fine with it, it’s a

Features The man behind the mower 4 October 6, 2016

Groundsperson Miguel Arias dedicates over 20 years to making a difference on campus MARY VALTERRIA @RCCviewpoints

Being a grounds person is usually connected with unglamorous thoughts of cleaning up after others and working unsavory hours. Riverside City College Groundsperson Miguel Arias, however, says that his profession actually provides a foundation for school campuses and he is proud to deliver such a vital service. “I’m very proud of the way the campus looks and I’m very proud to be part of the grounds keeping team,” said Arias, who has dedicated over 20 years to working at Riverside City College. “First thing in the morning we pick up and empty the trash and we use the blower to clean the general area,” said Arias. Throughout the day, he takes on a number of tasks, including trimming the bushes and cutting the grass. “The students deserve a nice, beautiful environment to learn in,” said Arias. “I hope (they) are as proud of their campus as I am.” RCC student Maria Jimenez said she is indeed proud of her school grounds and has seen Arias around campus. “Every time I see him he is making sure that the (campus) is well-kept,” said Jimenez. Jimenez is taking her very first college course at RCC this semester and has also worked for over 20 years as a housekeeper at a local hospital. She said she knows the pride that comes with the labor, and can see that Arias has a lot to be proud of. “I respect him,” said Jimenez. “He works so hard.”

CHRIS EDSON | VIEWPOINTS

Groundsperson Miguel Arias looks upon the Riverside City College grounds during his lunch break Arias, who is 62, grew up in Mexico and immigrated at the age of 22. He then started working as a field picker in Northern California. “I worked with the Cesar Chavez union,” said Arias. “It opened my eyes to what was fair and what was not fair.” Arias’ ties to the union leader and labor organizer only amplified the honor he felt during the Cesar Chavez event that took place at RCC earlier this year. Arias, who is married with children and grandchildren, felt so privileged to be part of the event that he even included his family in the festivities. Arias’ granddaughters, sang during the event that celebrated

Chavez’s accomplishments. Julisa Veron, who will be 12 in the coming weeks, said she and her sister, Juliana Evita Veron, both hope to achieve their own accomplishments and plan to attend RCC before transferring to a university. Arias has had an influence on his granddaughters and encourages them to work hard and pursue higher education. “My grandfather always tells (us) that if we want a better job than (the one he has) that we have to work hard and stay in school,” said Julisa Veron. Arias said that he felt rewarded by his family’s participation in the celebration and felt privileged to be a part of the committee for

the event. Arias has contributed in the preparation for most campus events including graduation every June. “It’s a proud moment for the families of (the graduates),” he said. “We work so hard to make the grounds look good for the special day, so it’s a proud moment for me too,” he added. According to Arias, graduation is also the only time of year that extra help is given to the grounds keeping team, despite being short five staff members. Arias said he remembers a time that RCC had a full team that cared for the grounds. “There were flowers blooming

everywhere,” said Arias. “It was beautiful.” Arias explained that when he started at RCC the processes for grounds keeping were different because there was a different type of management. “Each groundsperson was responsible for their own area and we all took pride in making sure that our areas were the best they could be,” said Arias, as he recalled his early days at RCC. Arias said that even though the grounds keeping team could use a little more help, the team strives to keep the campus in good shape. Arias admits, however, that there are areas that need improvement. “There aren’t as many flowers on campus anymore,” said Arias. “The roses that we do still have aren’t trimmed as often.” Despite the challenges of being short staffed, Arias said he loves coming to campus every day and spending his time making the grounds look good. Even though he loves RCC and is proud of the work that he does, Arias said he plans to retire in a few years. “Once I retire I’ll join the union again,” said Arias proudly. Arias recognizes that the conditions in the fields, specifically up in Delano California, have improved over the years but says that “Delano still needs help,” and that the women in the fields “deal with so many issues.” Jimenez said she appreciates Arias’ plans to retire and join the union, but that the campus “won’t be the same” without him “He’s been a crucial part of our learning experience,” said Jimenez. “He’s created a legacy in his time here.”

La Casa like a second home for RCC students

Services provided at Riverside City College offer resources and help lower dropout rates BERTHA LEVARIO @RCCviewpoints

As the doors to La Casa open, so does a world of opportunity. La Casa is a program at Riverside City College that offers resources geared toward equity gap students. It was created with the purpose of lowering dropout rates of foster students and Latino students. “I really enjoy it,” said Alize Rodriguez, an RCC student at the La Casa program. “I feel like if I wasn’t in this program I wouldn’t know what to do because I just graduated from high school.” The program helps student like Rodriguez because they provide direct support. “We provide ... tutoring, backpacks, food vouchers, gas cards (and) printing,” said Ben Vargas, educational advisor for La Casa program.

Students at La Casa engage with each other and the staff on a daily basis and is considered a second home for many students. “It was more than I expected,”said Rodriguez. The La Casa program started accepting students in the spring of 2016. It is the first of its kind and is only offered at RCC. La Casa has welcomed 250 students into the program and have assisted in student transfers. “We have helped students succeed through math courses,” said Vargas. “We have (also) helped students get out of academic probation.” According to Isabel Alanis, a La Casa counselor, the program is still in its pilot phase. “I would like to implement a peer mentoring program, a La Casa club and a Chicano book club,” said Alanis. Alanis said that students are

impacted most when they work hard despite the struggles and challenges that they face. Vargas shared the same sentiments. “I love it when (students) tell me that they come in here and they feel like they’re comfortable,” said Vargas. “I enjoy waking up and coming to open up the center for our students.” There have been a number of instances where students were in need of a helping hand. Vargas described a situation that occurred before La Casa was implemented where he tried to help a student receive their financial aid early. The student was trying to avoid becoming homeless but unfortunately, Vargas was unable to reach the student in time. “It’s those stories where you go a little over what you’re normally expected to do for a

DIEGO GARCIA | VIEWPOINTS

La Casa student Alizae Rodriguez prepares for her essay with help from Riverside City College english tutor James Rodriguez student,” said Vargas. “It was empowering to hear, ‘You’re like, the first person that actually has helped with this.’ Even though I didn’t get to him on time that is the student I’m willing to help,” said Vargas. La Casa is off to a great start and is working diligently

to ground itself at RCC. The program is looking forward to expanding and plans on making El Dia De Los Muertos their signature event in the near future. La Casa is located under the Digital Library in room 112 and is open Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m.

SPORTS

October 6, 2016

“It’s not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters,”

- Paul “bear” Bryant

GEOVANNY GUZMAN | VIEWPOINTS

The Riverside City College Tigers’ wide receiver Dominique Maiden catches a 28-yard pass from quarterback Collyn Anderson. The Tigers defeated the Falcons’ 31-16 on Oct. 1 at Wheelock Stadium.

Tigers ruffle Falcons’ feathers Riverside City College football remain at No. 1 NICK ESCALERA @NicEskiEscalera

Through five games the Riverside City College Tigers are like a hit TV series with the same cast of players, plot, and recurring theme. The No.1 state ranked Tigers put it together to stay undefeated at 5-0 with their 31-16 victory over the Cerritos College Falcons on Oct. 1. In the first four games Riverside has scored a measly three total first quarter points coming into the week. That slow trend would continue against the Falcons, but the Tigers tremendous defense kept the game scoreless highlighted by a huge interception from linebacker Nick Underwood in the red zone. “That’s how we practice and play, always fast and physical, swarming to the ball. It was just right place right time and I happened to make the play on the ball,” Underwood said. It wasn’t until just under

six minutes were left in the first catch, he can run, great blocker on quarter that quarterback Collyn protections, and he’s our punter Anderson was able to find wide now. He is just a real heady guy,” receiver Adrian Hughes for the coach Tom Craft said. 20-yard touchdown for the first Riverside early in the second score of the game at 7-0. quarter started their drive right The Tigers defense would around mid field, but the top 10 once again have the offenses’ state ranked Falcons defense held back when defensive back the Tigers to a 28-yard field goal Brandon Brooks would intercept by kicker John Hilfer. a Falcons pass just 3 plays into “That’s a good defense the series setting them up in great (Cerritos), top defense in the field position. national division. We did a good “The impact the defense has job against them outside the on this team is phenomenal, holding penalties that just kind we go over of stalled us situations a bit,” Craft like that said. everyday in After a practice,” strange punt Anderson return by said. t h e Ti g e r s Running that lead to back Seth a Falcons Acda has -- Collyn Anderson s a f e t y a n d been a key a defensive RCC quarterback stop, the ball contributor to the Tigers was back in success and Riverside’s he would continue that with a possession and so began the 1-yard run for the touchdown penalties. extending the lead to 14-0 over Penalties have daunted the the Falcons. Tigers throughout the season Acda had another huge game averaging 14.6 penalties per rushing for 112-yards on 22 game putting them in the top 5 carries while also having two for most in the state and 142.2 receptions for 15-yards totalling yards per game at 3rd. out to 127 all purpose yards. The Tigers saw five penalties “(Acda) does so much, he can called against them in their final

“

“The impact the defense has on this team is phenomenal,”

drive of the first half preventing them from extending the lead and putting it in the hands of their high powered defense to hold off the Falcons up 17-2 heading into the half. Riverside would start the second half with the ball and continued where the first half ended with a second straight drive being slowed down because of penalties giving the ball right back to the Falcons. “The bye comes at a great time right now where we can not have a game to worry about and we can focus where our hand placement is and not hang on to the jersey when guys change directions,” Craft said. Riverside’s defense once again put the team on their back shutting down the Cerritos offense and putting themselves in great field position. The Tigers’ offense this time around capitalized on it thanks to El Toro Allen’s only touchdown of the game for 19-yards putting their lead at 24-2. For about a few minutes to end the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter the defense showed a little sign of letting off the gas pedal allowing back to back Falcons touchdown receptions going for 29-yards by wide receiver Matt Rosales and 61-yards from WR Stacy

Chukwumezie cutting the Tigers lead to 24-16. “We felt like our defense played well tonight, (Cerritos) have struggled offensively not scoring a lot of points, so we expected to hold them down. We knew we might get beat once or twice with substitutes but overall we could contain them,” Craft said. Contain them they did as the Tigers defense held the Falcons top rusher Kishawn Holmes to just 58-yards on the ground and quarterback Nick Mitchell to 206 passing yards picking him off twice. Collyn Anderson ended the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown reception to WR Dominique Maiden, giving Anderson his second of the game and the Tigers the 31-16 victory. Anderson finished with 241-yards passing completing 18 of 30 pass attempts and also rushed for 15. The Riverside Tigers will now go into a bye week as they prepare for their first division matchup as they travel to Chaffey College to take on the Panthers at Grigsby Field Oct. 15.

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Police brutality out of control

Years of mistreatment by those sworn to protect them exhausts the patience of minorities

DYLAN KING

@RCCviewpoints

As a Black man addressing t he subject of u nprovoked violence inflicted by police, I feel obligated to say that many people of color have grown weary of the treatment of those sworn to serve and protect us. It started with the shooting of Tyre King on Sept. 14 in Colu mbus, OH. Accordi ng to witness statements, officer Bryan Mason shot King after ordering him to stop. Terence Crutcher, 40, was shot two days later in Tulsa, OK by officer Betty Shelby after finding his vehicle in the middle of the road. The footage from the shooting shows Crutcher raising his hands in the air while walking toward his SUV before being shot by Shelby. He later died at a local hospital. Keith Scott, 43, was shot and killed Sept. 20 in Charlotte, NC, by officer Brentley Vinson after being approached by cops while rolling a marijuana cigarette in his SUV. When Scott failed to follow orders to lay flat on the

ground, he was fatally shot. A l i s t of e x pl a n a t io n s concerning the brutal executions of King, Crutcher a n d S c ot t i n t h e same week fail to crystallize or justify the use of excessive force reasonably to most A f r ica n-A mer ica ns, t hou g h no one h a s managed to f ind a solut ion to t h is malignant crisis. To make matters worse, having cameras installed in the dashboards of police vehicles has done little to change the perception of accountability, especially when senseless murders are committed by officers themselves. Having a person’s rights violated by law enforcement without recourse has strengthened police resolve to uphold a binding racial bias that threatens to destroy the very fabric our country claims to stand for. How these situations are rectified will ultimately determine the direction of innercity community relations with their local departments in the future. Opponents will refer to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and his refusal to stand for the national anthem as polarizing and selfish, making sweeping indictments about his character and motive without realizing the point behind his protest. “The list goes on and on. At

what point do we do something about it? At what point do we take a stand and as a people say this isn’t right?” Kaepernick said about his views

Not even half through the debate, you can truly start to see how Trump was completely u nprepared Clinton was thoroughly calm and collected for the most part. Trump’s exclamations and garbled lies were absolutely painful to watch that almost made you feel bad for him. His constant abrupt remarks were completely immature with him repeating the word “wrong” to everything Clinton had to say that he disagreed with when it was not his turn to talk. On the topic of climate change was his most talked about lie that had to do with his denial about his tweet which stated “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive.” And in real time, whoever was in charge of his Twitter was also trying to delete that tweet. Although, Trump did great within the first 15 minutes of the debate with him pressing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which would be an agreement that has been signed by Canada,

U.S.A, and Mexico to establish a trilateral trade bloc in North America that she advocated during her husband’s presidency which ultimately ended in plenty of unfortunate failures including the wage suppression in America, U.S. jobs that were lost, Mexican farmers being put out of business and more. On top of that, he also pressed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on her which is a trade deal that is suppose to promote jobs and growth in the United States while simultaneously doing the same across the AsiaPacific region. Although it has been agreed but not ratified yet, it would raise concerns with lack of transparency due to secret negotiations without participation f rom t he publ ic a nd more importantly, the establishing of a new international court that would allow corporations to sue said governments within the region. All of this remains relevant due to the fact that Clinton deems it as the “gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, and fair trade.” When in fact, it’s wrong. Fur ther more, Tr ump did

Kaepernick, he probably has no respect for me; that’s his choice,” “My choice is that I like this country, I respect our flag, and I don’t see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on.” H e continued his diatribe a b o u t nationalism, exclud i ng those who support the p r o t e s t s against police brutality. “ I t h i n k i t ’s a

on police brutality.“(The police) have a badge, yes. But you are supposed to be protecting us, not murdering us. That’s what the issue is, and we need to change that.” Mike Ditka, a former player and coach for the NFL, had harsh words for Kaepernick’s conduct. In an interview with KRLDFM, a Dallas radio station, on Sept. 23. “I have no respect for Colin

problem, anybody w h o disrespects this country and the flag,” he told KRLD-FM. “If they don’t like the country, if they don’t like the flag, get the hell out.” To not “see” the problems that exist presently could define a person as oblivious, absence of empathy, and spoiled due to an insulated lifestyle that creates a sense of entitlement. Perhaps if officers were not so quick to lethally subdue unarmed civilians, they would find that minorities look to avoid the same

elements of crime as well. Furthermore, how far can a person go to show ar med authorities that they do not pose an immediate threat? Charles Kinsey, a caretaker for the mentally disabled who also happens to be a Black man, was shot by police with an assault rif le in Miami even after he obeyed orders to lay down and keep his hands in the air July 18. A 23 year old autistic man was under the care of Kinsey at the time, playing with a white toy truck as Kinsey tried to get the mentally disabled man to comply with police orders. “He throws his hands up in the air and says, ‘Don’t shoot me.’ They say lie on the ground, so he does,” Kinsey’s attorney Hilton Napoleon said during an interview with the Miami Herald July 20. “He’s on his back with his hands in the air trying to convince the other guy to lie down. It doesn’t make any sense.” Admission of guilt has reached an uncomfortable stalemate for officers accused of unwarranted and extreme behavior, with paid administrative leave becoming salt poured into an open wound for victims and their families. I understand what it means to feel powerless, to know that cops could take me to jail or kill me without consequence based on a lie, even if facts prove otherwise. The deaths of King, Crutcher and Scott prove this theory to be true, unfortunately.

The debate that made Trump look even worse

JONATHAN RAMIREZ @juiceinmycup

80 million viewers tuned in to watch the first presidential debate, more than half of which watched Donald Trump utterly destroy himself. As a person who doesn’t support either of the candidates on stage at Hofstra University, I was expecting Trump to easily take the win. It didn’t take long to see that Trump easily been defeated. Although, he didn’t lose to his opponent, he lost to himself through self-sabotage. While Hillary Clinton was never impressive no matter how much she had prepared, Trump brought down his own campaign in a variety of ways.

ILLUSTRATION BY DIEGO GARCIA

make an excellent point about how if you look on Clinton’s page you can read about how to destroy ISIS when in reality she’s the one who kept them alive to prosper and grow. He goes on to say that when ISIS was in its infancy, she did nothing at all to stop them and he’s not wrong and it’s essentially true. Clinton’s policies have created a power vacuum in the Middle East that allowed ISIS to exploit and continue to grow and thrive

to what they are now. In conclusion, I would like to end with saying that although Trump has obviously not prepared well, he did make excellent points that people have looked over. And throughout the whole ninety-five unbearable minutes, I think Lester Holt did a great job with moderating and asking questions that kept the debate mildly entertaining and let them go back and forth on interesting talking points.

Views

October 6, 2016

Puff puff pass proposition 64

Editorial

The potential advantages of legalizing recreational marijuana for nonmedical use Potheads, stoners and hippies are some of the various names given to marijuana users whether they use it for medical reasons or not. Coming Nov. 8, Proposition 64, if passed would allow residents of California who 21 and older to legally consume marijuana for nonmedical use. We believe Proposition 64 has the ability to create tax revenue and help decrease the amount of people incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. It is also possible that other states would revise their own laws which could eventually help overturn today’s current federal law, Controlled Substances Act 21 U.S.C. § 811. Proposition 64 also includes the creation of a system to regulate non medical marijuana businesses meaning the proposition would impose taxes and modify current penalties which are related to marijuana related crimes. The tax placed on marijuana would be spent specifically towards programs for the youth, the environment and for law enforcement according to the proposal. This is definitely a positive since it could reach from the millions to over $1 billion in state revenue. Not only would California add to its tax revenue for positive spending but it would also help decline the number of marijuana offenders in our state prisons and county jails which (would lower the population because they are non violent offenders, helps with overcrowding, etc). This initiative means more than being able to purchase marijuana anytime, it is also about repairing the aftermath of the lengthy ‘War on Drugs’ which was driven by marijuana. With this measure, individuals serving time for illegal activities such as growing or selling marijuana would be eligible for a lower prison or jail sentence.

Is California ready to end the pot prohibition? In Nov. of 2012 residents of Washington and Colorado approved the first two laws legalizing marijuana production, distribution and sales. Since the law passed in Washington it has generated over $80 million in taxes while the state has saved money by not arresting or prosecuting marijuana offenses. The passage o f

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBBIE SHORTS

Washington’s I-502 has helped decline violent crime rates in the state, a definite positive for California’s future. Currently the Drug Enforcement Administration has marijuana listed as a Schedule I drug, which states marijuana has no medical use and that it has the capacity to create severe abuse. Also, under the federal law it is illegal to possess or use marijuana even for medical use despite the passing of California’s (right?) Proposition 215, which passed in 1996, that makes the drug legal for medical purposes. It is about time that the DEA and Food and Drug Administration began to research the benefits of legal marijuana and process legalization, it could clarify whether or not it should be classified with Schedule I drugs like heroin and LSD. We believe that Proposition 64 would benefit the majority of the population in California, whether they consume it or not. We believe this is not solely about people being able to smoke their weed or make money, it is about fixing the failure that the ‘War on Drugs’ was and is. The U.S. alone has a larger prison population than countries like China, whose population is four times greater than the U.S. Lynne Lyman, the California State Director for the Drug Policy Alliance, spoke about the propositions possible effects during a Q&A with Reason TV. “This marijuana legalization initiative goes further than any initiative in the world,” she said. Lyman is correct, legalizing marijuana for nonmedical use in California could reverse the negative outcome of past laws like the one the Richard Nixon administration created in 1971 known as the ‘War on Drugs.’ The DEA along with the FDA fully approved the first research study on smoking marijuana in the U.S. on April 21 but was according to a press release by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. The study will use marijuana to treat symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in U.S. veterans. The DEA, FDA and Institutional Review Boards approved the study and it was set to start this past summer, according to M.A.P.S., a non-profit research and educational organization. Proposition 64 would benefit the negative outcomes of the ‘War on Drugs’ and have a chance to overturn the current federal law along with seeing a breakthrough in the medical world.

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&E A Guitarist tunes the room 8 October 6, 2016

“To become a fan of something, to open and change, is a move of deliberate optimism, curiosity, and enthusiasm.”

- Carrie Brownstein

Yogurt Buzz: The power of living a healthy lifestyle

ALEC CALVILLO @RCCviewpoints

Guitar and music fans gathered on Sept. 29 at Riverside City College’s Henry W. Coil, Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts Concert Hall to witness Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Scott Tennant perform. The lights dimmed and people applauded as Tennant entered the stage wearing all black as he held his Philip Woodfield nylon string guitar. Tennant began his concert with a piece from one of his favorite composers Joaquin Rodrigo called “Tiento Antiguo.” The song was soft and mellow, but had some edge to it when he played the top strings. The song wasn’t played fast, yet it was hypnotising and beautiful. The sound bounced off the walls at Riverside City College’s new auditorium as he didn’t need a microphone to speak or play. It was mind blowing how much emotion could come from a song being played by one person with a six string guitar. It was obvious why Tennant was invited to perform at Riverside City College. It wasn’t only because of his great achievements and credentials. When he isn’t performing he’s teaching. Tennant is a professor at the USC Thornton School of Music, which he also attended in 1980s. He had many teachers growing up but one of his more memorable classical guitar teachers was Pepe Romero. He grew up in a family that was familiar with classical music. He started his journey at the age of six, and decided to play classical guitar when he was 11. “I was six years old and my mom made me practice 15 minutes a day. It was really painful,” Tennant said. The painful learning curve in

MARK RUSSELL @RCCviewpoints

ALEC CALVILLO | VIEWPOINTS

Classical guitarist Scott Tennant deep into playing, “Tiento Antiguo” during his classical guitar concert in the Henry W. Coil, Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts Concert Hall on Sept 29. Tennant’s early years payed off little by little, but the key was his love for guitar. “After you see some progress you want to play, but it takes a while to see the progress. You have to be patient,” Tennant said. S u c c e s s i s n ’t a c h i e v e d overnight, and Tennant proved his ability with his last piece of the night. “Forrozal” by Marco Pereira, a Brazilian piece, was the most exciting of that evening. The beginning of the song was the best as Tennant was playing arpeggios up and down the neck. It gave me goosebumps. Tennant showed off to the audience with this catchy piece. His fingers resembled a spider spinning its web as he was plucking strings in a fast pace. Tennant said that he was trying to learn how to play the song by ear but couldn’t quite get it down before a student showed him the song on YouTube. He watched the video more

than 200 times until he learned it. He also said that “Forrozal” is originally played with a viola caipira, which is a ten stringed instrument that is most commonly used in Brazil. Everyone had their own favorite piece and for RCC student Eleazar Llerenas, it was one of the earlier pieces performed by Tennant, “Campanas del Alba” by Eduardo Sainz de la Maza. “It was very mysterious and dark, almost transcending pieces,” said Llerenas. “It has a tremolo sustaining a note for almost eternity, and it had a bassline going over it. It sounded like an orchestra playing it.” Llerenas was also happy with Tennant’s performance which he described it as laid back and casual. “It was very open to you. You connect with the music easily, there was no boundary with Scott’s attitude toward the music,” said Llerenas. Tennant also played five

pieces from the French Baroque period. These pieces harkened back to the renaissance time period and were very complex. He even transcribed one those French pieces himself called “Les Barricades Mysterieuses” that can also be viewed on YouTube. It utilizes triple time, which means the music sways back and forth. It wasn’t the most exciting pieces he played that night, but was still one of the most impressive pieces he played. The end of the concert concluded with a well deserved standing ovation by the audience.

Health and fitness for many college students needs to be made a huge concern. The issue of dieting and exercise on campus continues to be an obstacle for at least 70 percent of the student population, while the other 30 percent of students on campus live within reach of a desired fitness orientation. Socially, dieting and exercise across the U.S. occupies onethird (36.5 percent) of American adults that are considered obese. The Physical Activity Guideline for active adults recommends 30 minutes of physical aerobic activity daily in order to comply with daily recommended physical fitness standards. Doing more physical activity will lead to even greater health benefits and help defeat the many contributors of obesity. Ideally combining a proper balanced nutrition with a quality fitness program can construct a positive attitude toward proactively living a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating habits are a key factor for a healthy weight management. Living a healthy lifestyle takes on the duty of tracking your calorie intake, planning meals, and finding healthy recipes that promote nutritional value. 4 Tips to support living a healthy lifestyle • •

For more content like this visit us at viewpointsonline.org

• •

Aim for a healthy weight. Utilize the food pyramid guide your food choices. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, cholesterol and moderate in total fat. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

MADISON MOORE | VIEWPOINTS