Viewpoints 10/8/2011

October 6, 2011

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

Riverside, CA | www.viewpointsonline.org

Vol. xxxVIVI, No. 3

Riverside City College

Who needs the NBA?

RCC basketball showcases its new talent at midnight madness event For a

sports story

see Page 20

jacob wilson / asst. PHOTO EDITOR

Flying Tiger: Stephan Shepherd flies toward the basket as a part of RCC basketball’s midnight madness slam dunk contest.

The Pink Runway Show pages 10-11

Football’s big win streak pages 14-15

‘Gears of War 3’ review pg. 13

2 | October 6, 2011

Viewpoints

Serving students since 1922

News

Looking for two RCC students Ivy Gordon was driving her white Mercedes Benz on Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. when she was involved in a car accident near the 14th Street off ramp of the state Route 91 East.

She hit the center divider and her car was on fire when two Riverside City College students who were stranded by the side of the freeway because they ran out of gas helped her out of her car.

Gordon would like to know who these individuals are to thank them and to ask if they have any other information on the accident.

If you have any information please call Gordon at 706-238-1262 or e-mail her at 2helpfulguys@gmail.com.

Party with other RCC football fans Riverside Community College District will hold tailgate parties before every home game this football season.

The third home game is Oct. 22 against Golden West College at 6 p.m. The tailgate party starts at 4 p.m.

The fourth tailgate party is on Oct. 29 against Santa Ana College.

The party starts at 4 p.m. at the practice field behind the parking structure.

Students are welcome to enjoy the party, food and have fun with fans before the coin toss.

Riverside ‘steps out’ against diabetes Riverside City College is joining the fight against diabetes in “Walk with U.S.” on Oct. 15 at White Park located on Market Street and 9th Street in downtown Riverside. The event is coordinated by The American Diabetes Association and Step Out: Walk To Stop Diabetes.

For registration information go to http://stepout.diabetes.org and click on register. To register with RCC’s team contact team captain Sandy Baker, dean of nursing.

Build up interview skills The Transfer Readiness & Awareness Club will offer an interview skills workshop for those who wish to stand out in job interviews.

Communication studies instructor Star Romero will present a workshop in Quad 120 on interview tips on Oct. 6 from 12:45-1:45 p.m. and mock interviews on Oct. 20 from 12:45-1:45 p.m.

Tony award winning musical at RCC The RCC Theater department presents “Spring Awakening” at the Landis Performing Arts Center on Oct. 20, 21, and 22 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 22 and 23 at 2 p.m.

The mature musical follows the exploits of a group of teenagers in the late 19th century as they navigate the trials of growing up, including child abuse, rape, abortion and homosexuality.

Tickets are $9.50 ahead of time or $15 at the door and can be purchased at landispac.com or at the Landis Performing Arts Center box office.

Get ready for the big one Riverside City College will once again participate in The Great ShakeOut on Oct. 20 at 10:20 a.m.

This annual earthquake drill calls for faculty and students to conduct a duck, cover and hold on exercise for two minutes.

That same day, RCC’s Campus CERT (Community Action Response Team) will hold a demonstration of its emergency response skills in the Quad from 12:501:50 p.m.

Talented animator to speak at RCC The RCC Art department welcomes guest presenter Maya Erdelyi on Oct. 18 from 4-5 p.m. in the Digital Library Auditorium.

Erdelyi is known for her use of cutout/stop-motion animation and has had her work shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and The Hammer Museum.

Admission is free, however space is limited so RSVP at will.kim@rcc.edu.

Jarred Jackson / staff photographer

Different outlook: One of the many changes to the Bradshaw Cafeteria is a new lounge area where students can relax between classes.

New additions to the campus cafeteria phillip hutchison asst. news editor To many students returning to Riverside City College after the summer escape, the cafeteria may have seemed a little bit different.

The room was overhauled during the summer semester to better accommodate the student body, as well as many more subtle changes, that have evidently made quite the difference in the eyes of the students here.

Among the many changes in the dining room, the first to be pointed out by students was the new microwaves in the cooking area.

Last year, there were only two smaller microwaves and according to students and faculty alike, one of them was almost always broken, leaving only a single microwave oven for students and faculty.

Cheryl Ruzak, director of food services, said that she was extremely pleased with the new look and feel of the cafeteria.

“The students seem to be staying longer, networking and studying more in the cafeteria than last fall,” she said. “This is a definite plus for campus business, as the students are more likely to spend their time and money on campus if the facilities are more appealing to them than going to get something at the local Jack in the Box or some other such fast food establishment.”

In addition to the physical changes of the dining area, the menu itself has also been reworked.

At the request of the students themselves, newer, healthier menu items have been created and are available on request at the

counter or elsewhere in the cafeteria.

This will also contribute to the prolonged business of the on campus student body, allowing for a wider selection of goods, for any kind of student with any kind of diet.

Another new change being implemented by the cafeteria in partnership with the Associated Students of Riverside City College is the promotion of new mug and voucher programs.

These are two separate programs that are being instituted to help students as well as the cafeteria.

The voucher program will be a way to help students who have classes all day and don’t have the time or money to necessarily stop at the cafeteria for refueling.

Joey Reynoso, vice president of the ASRCC, said that there were a number of requirements for the program, but the only ones confirmed were the existence of a 2.0 GPA, as well as a written statement of why students would benefit from the program.

The second new agenda laid out from this partnership is the introduction of exclusive RCC mugs that will be available to any and all students.

The mug will cost $5 to purchase, and the funds will go straight to a trust fund for the college itself.

The mug will grant anyone who has one refills on coffee and soda for only a dollar, thereby providing a cheaper and greener alternative over the usual paper cups many students are used to.

As a place used by so many of the students and even some of the faculty, one can only hope these changes continue to sustain and improve the cafeteria.

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News

October 6, 2011 | 3

B.O.G. fee waiver set to change

Danny heflin asst. news editor

The Community College League of California has recommended that qualifications of the Board of Governors fee waiver mirror the requirements of the Pell Grant.

With falling budgets throughout the nation and California in particular, all departments are taking cuts.

With increasing enrollment, fewer classes, less funding and a lower number of students receiving degrees, certificates or transferring to four year institutions the Community College League of California has proposed a plan called “2020 Vision Student Success.”

The plan has many aspects to increase degree receivership by over 1 million by 2020. One of these plans includes changes to who can receive the wavier and for how long.

Currently there are three parts to qualify for the fee waiver. First under waiver A, students can apply and have automatic eligibility if on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, or another county assistance program.

Also dependents of deceased or disabled veterans, a recipient or the dependent of a recipient of the Medal of Honor, dependent of a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, or the dependent of a law

enforcement officer killed in the line of duty, are eligible.

Waiver B is qualified by income levels 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

Or with waiver C to a student that after other state and federal programs still has a need.

At this time there is no time frame one can be on this program, no GPA or progress requirements.

Vision 2020 wants to change this by making Board of Governors waivers A, B, C all mirror Pell Grant Guidelines.

The guidelines at the Riverside Community College District are that the student maintain a 2.0 GPA on all attempted classes, must complete 67 percent of all courses attempted and must complete before acquiring 90 units.

“By establishing similar satisfactory academic progress requirements for students seeking t h e B . O . G . w a i v e r, c o u r s e retention may increase and timeto-completion may decrease,” the 2020 Vision Report of the Commission states.

The report summarizes a desire to keep California schools affordable and these guidelines will insure that students finish their course of studies in a timely manner and open up classes to new students to increase the number of Californians receiving degrees.

“A Community College League report by Scott Lay showed that over half of African-Americans

receiving B.O.G. fee waiver are below 2.0 GPA,” said RCCD Student Trustee Nick Bygon Bygon said that it would put African-American students at a disadvantage to change the fee waiver to a performance based program.

“Students might decide ‘I need to study to bring my GPA up,’” said RCC President Cynthia Azari. “The district is down 8,000 students from two years ago; that is 8000 less students we can service.”

Some students are in agreement but not about the timing.

“Well I personally think that the B.O.G waiver should have no time limit but I do think that it should be based on GPA instead of letting it be whatever,” said RCC student Melanie Hirth. “I think there should be no time limit because some students may need it for more than three years because of the low income.”

Although some of the recommendations of this report have been instituted, the state legislature as not enacted this recommendation at this time.

The RCC Financial Aid department did say the proposed increase in per unit fees would be covered per current guide lines by the B.O.G. fee waiver.

“So if you want to be in college you need to work hard and bring your GPA up,” Azari said. “We also need to provide support services.”

Former RCC instructor pleads guilty to felonies Karissa rivera Staff Writer Ross Godfrey Clark, a former Riverside City College graphics instructor pled guilty to six of the several felonies that were uncovered in 2009.

Clark is being sentenced on Oct. 19 at 8 a.m. at the Riverside Superior Court, according to case reports.

On April 18, 2010, RCC Applied Media and Printing instructors Clark and Terry Lee Keiser were arrested and charged for committing several felonies in connection to the college.

Both colleagues were able to get up to $500,000 in school contracts.

“Clark had approval authority for the purchases made here,” Riverside Community College District Police Chief Jim Miyashiro said. “He would purchase equipment and services from his side business.”

Apple Government and Educational Systems, also known as AGES was the business that RCC funds for the Applied Technology department were being spent by Clark.

According to The PressEnterprise, AGES is the business which Clark owned.

The college funds used to

purchase the computers from Clark’s business were believed to be benefiting him, though he denied.

To avoid actions such as these, a conflict of interest is signed every year which Clark broke and is now being charged for.

In 2002 before they started the 2009 investigation, Clark decided to use the identity of a deceased partner in the business who used to run the company.

Miyashiro said that later in the year the RCC audit department held an audit, when someone conducting the audit noticed the address that they were sending the checks to for the computers was to the same address that Clark lived at.

Finally in 2009 college police did an investigation on the scheme.

Search and arrest warrants were set out once the investigators had enough evidence that showed there was criminal activity.

Clark and his colleague were arrested, bailed out, and put on administrative leave until further investigation, according to The Press-Enterprise.

“Any type of fraud like this, especially internal fraud, it’s a long drawn out progress,” Miyashiro said. “It took about six months to

investigate and about another three months for the district attorney to go through all the volumes of material.”

Clark was charged with 106 counts that included conflict of interest, theft of public funds, embezzlement, and forgery, according to Miyashiro.

At the first court hearing, Clark plead not guilty to all 106 felonies, according to case reports, then on Sept. 20 Clark finally pled guilty to six of the more serious felonies.

“When you go through the court system the courts kind of focus on reducing them and just getting down to the more serious one,” Miyashiro said. “He pled guilty to six of the felonies, which are some of the bigger felonies that we were looking for.”

Under the plea agreement, Clark could face a maximum of four years in state prison, The Press-Enterprise reported.

Some students heard about this incident last year, while others were shocked to hear this kind of news.

“Its’ expensive for students to come to school, now professors are stealing from public funds, that’s taking away from students,” RCC student Alejandro Garcia said.

“It’s a good thing they were able to catch these guys.”

B.O.G. waiver requirements • Waiver A: Currently receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income or other county assistance program. Dependent of deceased or disabled veteran, recipient or dependent of recipient of Medal of Honor, dependent of 9/11 victim or law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty.

• Waiver B: Income levels 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

• Waiver C: Student that still has need after other state and federal programs.

Viewpoints

A good rush for RCC clubs Serving students since 1922

4 | October 6, 2011

Victor Mora Staff Writer

For students at Riverside City College there is an alternative method for making friends and networking with each other without ever sending a friend request.

This method is carried out by joining a club or organization on campus.

RCC offers a plethora of opportunities for students to not only meet new people but to also be involved on campus and in the community through club membership.

A diverse assortment of clubs participated in Club Rush on Sept.

20-22.

The subject matter of the clubs present ranged from awareness of mental health, to gender and sexuality, sustainable living, karate, and educational advancement.

One club that promotes awareness about mental illness and disorders through student workshops designed to help open an enlightened dialogue on campus is Active Minds, which meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:50-1:50 p.m. in Quad 116.

“Active Minds is the only organization that utilizes the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses,” said Active Minds President Doug Figueroa. “We want to make sure that students are aware that it’s okay to talk about mental health, because the more people talk about mental health illnesses and disorders the less that they feel alone when they’re suffering through those pains.”

With the bullying of gay youth resulting in suicide making headlines throughout the country, the Gender and Sexualities Awareness Club seeks to provide a safe and supportive environment for all RCC students regardless of sexual orientation through holding discussions, allied workshops, student allied training and tours to museums and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

“We promote equality and awareness to all students. We primarily focus on lesbian, gays,

allison perez / asst. photo editor

Hidden Dragon: The Karate Club demonstrated several martial arts techniques for prospective members as a part of its club rush presentation. transgendered, everybody really,” said the club’s Vice President Manuel Gray. “One of our goals is to bring a resource center here for the community where students can go to feel comfortable and feel safe.”

“Our club basically promotes and brings awareness here and to the community,” Gray said.

Gender and Sexualities Awareness meets Thursdays at 12:50-1:50 p.m. in Quad 121 and 4-5 p.m. in the Quad courtyard.

If a student is interested in learning ways to lower their carbon footprint then the Sustainability club is for them.

The club promotes sustainable living, a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s use of the earth’s natural resources and meets every Thursday in Quad 127 from 12:50-1:50 p.m.

Campus wide advocacy for green initiatives, hiking and camping trips, bicycle and public transportation awareness and the

creation of a community garden on campus are some of the ways that the Sustainability Club will be involved.

Other clubs that were also present were the Karate Club, Christians on Campus, Inspired 4 Change, Transfer Readiness & Awareness Club and Student California Teachers Association.

Many students found the information that these clubs provided very helpful.

“I visited the SCTA because I’m interested in teaching,” said RCC student Mark Farrell.

Students are also more than welcome to start their own club.

They can do this by having a full-time faculty member sponsor the club or organization and attend meetings, provide a list of nothing less than seven prospective club members and a written club constitution.

Further details for the process can be acquired in the RCC Student Activities office.

jasmeet singh / photo editor

Window shopping: Clubs ranging from Transfer Readiness & Awareness to Christians on Campus lined the walkway in front of the MLK High Tech Center with booths for club rush.

News

Viewpoints

October 6, 2011 | 5

Serving students since 1922

News

Prop 1481 doesn’t make the ballot araceli diaz Staff Writer With Sept. 30 long gone, the hope of Proposition 1481 making it in the general election has diminished.

According to Proposition 1 4 8 1 ’s o f f i c i a l w e b s i t e rescueeducationcalifornia.org, the proposition will place a 15 percent extraction fee on crude oil that is extracted from California.

If it passes it will generate $3 billion for California education.

Approximately $1.5 billion will be specifically designated for California community colleges in hope of lowering fees and restoring any classes that may have been cut.

In order for the proposition to make it on the ballot for the fall election petitioners had to gather 504,760 valid signatures of registered voters in California

by Sept. 30.

Associated Students of Riverside City College President Jonathan Flike, ASRCC Vice President Joey Reynoso and Senator Richard Gallon were key players in getting the word out about Proposition 1481.

However, this proved to be a quite a difficult task.

“Our campus did vote to officially endorse it about three weeks ago. We did collect some

signatures; unfortunately even with the amount of signatures we collected it’s still not half a million,” Reynoso said.

There were also issues of people being apathetic to the cause.

“I don’t think the people pushing it paid enough attention to it. A lot of people agreed with the idea but not enough people actually signed the petition,” Reynoso said. “A lot of people gained information about it, but no one really said, ‘hey let’s do something about it.’ People want to talk about it, but they don’t want to actively participate in anything.”

There also appeared to be confusion about what the petition actually stood for among RCC students.

“The situation with picketers and other petitioners on campus really disenchants people from actually wanting to give actual signatures to ASRCC students,” Reynoso said. “Most people think that we are trying to create a third party or save the whales in the Bahamas or something like that.

They can’t distinguish us from the others.”

Senator Gallon said that Proposition 1481 will not make it to the fall ballot.

“We don’t have an exact number, but from all the ballots that they have collected so far, and

the amount that are out, we are way below what we really need,” Gallon said.

Although the proposition did not make it to this upcoming election, ASRCC remains optimistic about the proposition hopefully making it on the next ballot.

“I know from talking to Peter Matthews, who is the author of this Prop 1481, that after the deadline, we are going to hit the ground running to make sure it’s on the spring ballot.” Gallon said.

All three parties felt that this Proposition was a long time coming and possibly should have been thought of sooner.

“I think it’s because the oil companies have had politicians in their pockets for a very long time,” Flike said. “It wasn’t until we started talking about removing the oil subsidies from the federal government that these kinds of initiatives started to take precedents in politics.”

Reynoso said that the proposition wasn’t a necessity until recent years.

“For the longest time California was number one in education throughout the nation and as we slowly start to slip off that slope of excellence we really looked at the ground and thought, ‘hey we can take oil out here, and charge it.” Reynosa said.

“Until the economy really tanked no one really thought about it because education was basically being properly funded,” Gallon said.

“There weren’t tax hikes for fees in community colleges until that happened. They figured oil companies make the most money in California without any kind of subsidy to their communities and it was a good way of penalizing the oil company and being able to bring in money for community colleges,” Gallon said.

For now though ASRCC seems determined to assist in helping Propostion 1481 make it on the next ballot. Regardless, if this means sticking to a 15 percent extraction fee for the time being.

“Fifteen percent is a small amount. Alaska’s oil extraction fee is 25 percent and Texas’ is 12.5 percent so we are kind of in that middle,” Gallon said.

Flike said that the priority should be on just getting the initiative passed.

“I think it is important just to get the foundation established right now,” Flike said. “Fifteen percent isn’t 25 percent, but if we can get this initiative passed then it sets the groundwork for future generations to either raise it or lower it accordingly to what they feel is appropriate.”

ASRCC simply wants to inform

students that this initiative can prove to be beneficial to many.

“I think it’s going to help education across the board. K- 12, community colleges, University of California and California State Universities. Cal States’ are being cut another 16 percent and unless something is done about bringing in money it’s most likely going to be cut every year,” Gallon said. “So having this extra money would basically solve education’s funding problem for the next five years or so.”

ASRCC is asking fellow students to assist them in getting this proposition on the ballot in the next election season.

“Continue educating other students on it,” Reynoso said.

“Make sure that everyone knows about this. I know high school teachers who didn’t even know about this proposition. And they were just like ‘oh wow that sounds pretty good.’ It takes more than just agreeing with it. I think that is a major misconception most people have.”

Reynoso said that he wishes they could have taken a more active approach to the petition like other colleges.

“Students at Cypress College cared about this enough to go out into the streets with picket signs and yell at cars,” he said. “Where are our students?”

Construction workers can park in lot B with permits Nita Gandhi News Editor It has been observed that construction workers working on the Nursing and Science Complex are parking in lot B, but they are allowed to park there.

During the spring semester, a Riverside City College professor observed construction workers parking in the lot and not having parking permits. There was a fence blocking part of the lot and the workers were supposed to park inside the enclosure.

On Sept. 23 Viewpoints observed construction workers parking their cars and trucks in the lot in front of the new nursing

building early in the morning between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. It was also observed that many of the workers displayed a parking permit and some did not.

Riverside Community College District Police Chief Jim Miyashiro said now that the construction of the nursing building is completed, the contracted construction workers finishing the building are allowed to park in the lot on the condition that they buy a parking permit.

“They had to park in what is called a lay down area, and that was the fenced area,” Miyashiro said. “Once the fence comes down under their current contract they have to pay for parking like everyone else.”

Some students do not agree that the construction workers should park in student and staff lots like lot B. “I really don’t think that’s a good idea that they are parking here because there’s so many students who cannot find parking,” said RCC student Julie Monroi.

“They are not students (. . .) I have a difficult time finding parking so when I find parking here I’m like ‘Oh God it’s a good day.’”

Miyashiro does not know when the construction will be finished.

There have been a few delays with both the nursing and the Wheelock gym construction.

“It’s a step process,” Miyashiro said. “Anytime you have major

construction there are always delays.”

Every student, faculty and staff must display a permit on the left bottom corner of their windshield.

The construction workers must do the same.

“They are actually buying semester permits,” Miyashiro said.

“So if they don’t have a day pass or a semester permit, and someone sees that then let us know and we will go out there and take it up.”

“I’m OK with it,” said RCC student Gregory Parnell. “Just like everybody else, we had to pay for a permit as students, so if they are going to park in the same lot as us than it would only be fair.”

There have been rumors that

RCC is to build additional parking.

Sergeant Jack Kohlmeier of the RCCD police said that there have been long-term talks after the construction projects are finished to possible build another parking structure.

Riverside City College students can purchase a parking permit by logging into their WebAdviser account and clicking on “purchase parking permits.”

The parking permit for the fall semester costs $20.

Viewpoints

opinions Serving students since 1922

6 | October 6, 2011

Viewpoints Staff

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Javier Cabrera (951) 222-8495 viewpoints@rcc.edu eic@viewpointsonline.org MANAGING EDITOR Dora Yrigoyen 951-222-8488 managingeditor@viewpointsonline.org ADVERTISING Leah Frost 951-222-8488 ads@viewpointsonline.org FACULTY ADVISERS Allan Lovelace Dan Evans NEWS EDITOR Nita Gandhi news@viewpointsonline.org

SPORTS EDITOR Jisel Wilson sports@viewpointsonline.org

PHOTO EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR Jasmeet Singh Destiny Rivera photo@viewpointsonline.org features@viewpointsonline.org

Kathryn Shepherd / Staff Photographer

Through a haze: Riverside County’s air pollution is once again worst in the country.

Breathe deep

OPINIONS EDITOR INSCAPE EDITOR Joanna Cosper Yasmeen Salama opinions@viewpointsonline.org inscape@viewpointsonline.org MULTIMEDIA EDITOR James Martinez admin@viewpointsonline.org

Riverside and San Bernardino Counties air pollution is worst in the nation

STAFF Francisco Acosta Irais Anguiano Chad Arias Marlenne Barajas Katan Collins Kelley Collins Ana Contreras Araceli Diaz Darnae Dukes Matthew Dziak Jan Vincent Estrella Sam Finch Dominique Franklin Brianna Groves Disney Hall Danny Heflin Phillip Hutchinson Russell Hebert Jarred-Joseph Jackson Wendy Johnson Lizbeth Landeros Lupita Lemus Kali Leon Dyanna Llamas Stephany Maldonado Ahmad Mansoor Fred McCarthy

Christina Melgoza John Mendoza Brooke Meyers Victor Mora Anastasia Morris Daniel Ortiz Daniel Pena Alexis Reina Daniel Rhay Karissa Rivera Alex Rivera-Ortiz Rafael Rodriguez Laith Salama Kathryn Shepherd Dylan Slusser Dominique Smith Andrew Stefan Josh Vogel Charles Wagner Bliss Waithe Sonja Will Glen Willett Jacob Willson Ian Wilmarth Ryan Woodard Matthew Woods Jorge Zatarain

TV and movies often depict the Earth headed for a terrible future where the environement has collapsed and become unliveable.

For Riverside and San Bernardino County residents that future may not be too far fetched.

According to the American Lung Association, 48 percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of smog pollution.

Of the large metropolitan areas throughout America, or those with populations of over 1 million people, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties suffered from the worst degree of smog pollution in 2010 making them the worst in the United States.

“Too many people, on too many days in Riverside County, are breathing air that is too dirty,” said Colleen Callahan, a Los Angeles-based program manager for the American Lung Association.

Riverside-San Bernardino had 41 more days with exceptionally terrible air than its neighbor, Los Angeles, the metropolitan area ranking second place.

To put it into perspective, California on a whole was by far the smoggiest state in the U.S. as the list not only included two of the state’s largest districts, but the San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles area as well, and that is just disappointing.

The ridiculous thing about air pollution is it’s not a problem that no one knows the solution to.

Everyone knows how to fix the problem. Unfortunately, the solutions are too expensive or inconvenient. But at a certain point, don’t the effects of the damage outweigh the discomfort of walking or using public transportation instead of driving?

While carpooling has become more popular in recent years, it might be time to take a more aggressive approach to solve the problem.

Though many laws have been passed to protect the

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environment, enforcing them seems to be a constant disappointment.

If a big corporation can break environmental laws and make billions, but is only fined a few hundred thousand dollars, that doesn’t help anyone.

There is still much work that needs to be done, despite the policies passed on the state and federal level that have vastly improved the air quality in the past decade.

However, millions of Americans continue to breathe unhealthy air, as evident from the figures listed above.

Worst of all, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties top that list.

The American Lung Association flunked Riverside County on air pollution standards in its annual State of the Air report by giving it an F, the lowest possible grade an area can achieve.

Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District, said figures cited in the association’s report serve as a valid reflection of air quality in both the state and the country.

“The Lung Association report just confirms the very serious public health threat we do face from air pollution,” he said. “Riverside County has some of the worst air quality in the nation.”

Studies from the American Lung Association show that on days with high concentrations of pollution in the air, both adults and children suffer from asthma attacks, respiratory difficulties, and a reduction in lung function. Increased exposure to poor air quality can also worsen any pre-existing respiratory illnesses and even result in premature death.

Poor air quality has always been treated as one of the trade offs for living in Southern California, like earthquakes, wildfires and mudslides. However, when a problem continues to cause numerous health concerns and harms its population, how long will it take that population to take charge and solve a fixable problem?

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Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. © 2011 by the Viewpoints staff, Riverside City College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA. 92506-0528. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the Viewpoints Editor-in-Chief.

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Opinions

October 6, 2011 | 7

Serving students since 1922

The extinction of the postal service

Dominique Smith Staff Writer Herodotus, the Greek historian, coined the phrase, “neither heat, nor rain, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from swift completion of their appointed rounds,” as a reflection of his admiration for the Persian Mounted postal carriers in 500 B.C. This has since become the national slogan for postal workers all over the United States since 1896, but the history of the United States Postal Service doesn’t start there.

It goes back years earlier, to Benjamin Franklin.

Once upon a time before the U.S. became the place it is today, Franklin worked as the General Postmaster for the Royal Empire.

However, because of his support for the colonies’ independence, he was dismissed.

This turned out to be a good thing, not only because the colonies gained their independence, but they eventually appointed him as postmaster for the new American postal unit.

The postal service is a legacy of freedom and Franklin could have never predicted his idea of a

nation-wide post office would pave the way for technology, or that technology would kill what we’ve come to know as an American custom.

On Dec. 3, over 3,000 post offices will close and 120,000 employees will be laid off as a result.

This may be a shock to many Americans, but to the current Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, this was something that was bound to happen.

“Americans don’t need any more catalogs,” he said.

It’s sad to say that somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the need to communicate with one another through mail.

With the rising trend of social networking and e-mail, the ink well is drying up.

With the United States Postal Service owing $5.5 million to the U.S. government, the numbers don’t lie.

The post office is losing more money just by staying open.

With instant communication becoming such a trend and people being able to video chat, how soon will we be taking down phone poles and ousting land lines, for instance, just because everyone uses a cell phone?

Today’s generations will never realize that before the instant gratification of social networking websites and e-mail, people waited at their mail boxes to receive letters, birthday cards, checks, and even letters from their loved ones during times of war.

Dylan Slusser / Editor’s Assistant

A Dying Service: In light of the news surrounding its recent attempts to stay alive, the United States Postal Service finds itself without the necessary means to survive.

Some even depended on mail for the news.

Even though the post office is closing down, it’s important to not let the struggles and accomplishments of the U.S. Postal Service die in vain.

For the last 236 years, they have advanced the art of sending mail.

However, in this day and age, our grandmothers might have to learn how to send e-cookies in order to send messages to their

loved ones.

Not even Herodotus could have predicted a state-wide deficit happening in the 21st century, let alone the existence of a digital age.

Then again, no one back then could have imagined America existing or developing in the way it has over the last century.

We’ve adopted an “out with the old, in with the new” mindset within our culture and unfortunately, we all should have known the post office would be the next program

on the chopping block.

In 1886, Franklin opened the first American post office and he opened it on faith at a time in which America had not yet gained their independence. His first post office will be one of the many that are scheduled to close on Dec. 3.

There is one bright side to this news of the impending closure of the post office, which is that bills and junk mail will no longer invade our mail boxes. At least we can rejoice about that.

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8 | October 6, 2011

Sheen laughs through humiliation

Dominique Franklin Staff Writer Charlie Sheen’s winning return to the spotlight was delivered by his own roast hosted on Comedy Central on Sept. 19. The show brought in jokes, laughs, and a record breaking 6.4 million viewers. The telecast was the second most watched in the network’s history.

Talk about returning with a bang.

The former star of “Two and a Half Men” fell out of grace when he was fired from the show in March. Warner Bros. has since detailed many reasons as to why Sheen was dismissed from the show.

Among the list was his excessive drug use and negative responses toward rehabilitating himself. CBS and Warner Bros. then decided to suspend the production of the show months before Sheen’s dismissal in order for him to attend rehab.

Unfortunately, instead of doing so, Sheen decided to stay in his home and speak outlandishly about the show and his bosses, including

the show’s creator/executive producer, Chuck Lorre.

Fast forward to the present where viewers begin to witness the return of the former star. Though it was not the most elegant of ways, Sheen still found his way back to the screen.

After negotiating for months, Comedy Central hosted a full episode featuring comedians such as Seth MacFarlane and other notable stars like William Shatner and Jon Lovitz, all of whom roasted Sheen for the behavior he displayed earlier this year.

Many fans wondered how Sheen could sit there and listen to comedians joke about his life.

Some of the jokes dealt with his drug use, while others took shots at his family life.

At times, the jokes were gruesome enough to offend the audience, such as remarks made about Sheen’s future death. Yet Sheen himself remained cool and collected. He even found humor in some of the jokes and laughed along as well.

However, the roast of Charlie Sheen did not happen without a bit of controversy.

This episode coincidentally ran along the same time as the season premiere of Sheen’s former job, “Two and a Half Men,” starring Ashton Kutcher as his replacement.

The roast couldn’t compete in the amount of viewers “Two and a Half Men” had generated: a staggering 28.7 million. Yet, the roast still benefited from running simultaneously with CBS’s

Opinions

Source: Comedy Central comedy sitcom.

Of course, there were fans out there that felt bad for Sheen, but it’s important to keep in mind that he literally signed up for his spot on Comedy Central.

Though he expressed humility by allowing his name to be tarnished, he benefited greatly from doing so.

Not only did he get paid to be a part of this special, he received a huge amount of exposure as a result.

After the two shows aired, the ongoing dispute between Sheen and his former bosses began to come to a close as each

party went into discussions for a settlement. This could have very well been due to the fact that both parties had relatively successful nights and neither needed a court case to continue attracting media coverage.

The disgraced actor was smart for allowing the roast to happen.

With media attention drifting away and interest being lost in the court cases, it was only a matter of time before the name Charlie Sheen disappeared from the average Hollywood audience and media altogether.

By allowing himself to be made fun of and laughed at, he

has made it back in the lime light.

With renewed media interest and the possibility of attracting viewer attention, it’s likely that Sheen may even return to a new sitcom.

While 6.4 million people sat and laughed at their television screens and jokes poured from comedians of different eras on the stage, Sheen sat back and laughed.

Although he was laughing at some of the jokes being made, it’s also possible that he just couldn’t contain his own joy of having played the system, and making much more from it than any others did by being roasted.

Netflix split angers loyal customers, stockholders

Bliss Waithe AssT. Opinions Editor What company do you know can successfully take down a leading competitor, split their own business, and raise their fees 60 percent? Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, Inc., did just that.

Within these past few months, Netflix has been making quite a few appearances in the news, more often for overwhelmingly negative reasons than positive ones.

In July, Netflix announced on their website that they were increasing their prices by 60 percent. A few weeks later, they revealed the split between its services, therefore resulting in the separation of their DVD-by-mail and Instant Watch bundle.

Netflix began to feel the wrath of its price hike. The number of subscribers they lost as a result of this decision was apparently a lot less than they originally anticipated. The company now expects to have 24 million domestic subscribers at the end of the third quarter, below its earlier expectation of 25 million and the

24.6 million customers it had at the end of its second quarter.

Several companies, including Amazon and Blockbuster, pose a potential threat to Netflix with the recent announcement of their own instant streaming offers. Combined with the negativity surrounding their decision to increase their prices seemingly overnight and the failure to negotiate with Starz on the renewal of the contract to stream their film, Netflix stock shares reflect these letdowns by dropping accordingly from nearly $300 a share to just over $115.

Starz controls the rights to movies from Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures and won’t allow Netflix to stream their film and television programs unless Netflix agrees to pay their licensing fee.

The most infamous event in Netflix’s lineup of mishaps, however, would be the decision they made on Sept. 18 to introduce Qwikster.

Hastings posted a blog on his company’s website entitled, “An Explanation and Some Reflections,” in which he expresses concern for unsatisfied customers, as well as addressing his desire to keep his company running successfully while constantly improving its services. He also reiterated the justification for his fee increase and announced his decision to partner with Qwikster

by giving it the operation of Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service.

The streaming service, however, will maintain the existing brand name, Netflix.

Is Hastings taking a bold step by deciding to separate the DVD and video streaming services of Netflix or is he making a wise business decision that will help to increase revenue and further improve the qualities of his company?

“You’ve got to give him credit for moving fast in the direction where he thinks the greatest opportunity lies. Who knows how investors will react in the morning?” Eric Schonfeld, an editor for TechCrunch, said in response to the event. “But it is the right move.”

Now, if you are a paying customer, then you are probably displeased with these service changes. That is, of course, unless you are part of a small group of subscribers that uses only one form of the services they offer, like Instant Watch.

Take a look at this situation from the company’s standpoint.

Although the initial purpose of Netflix was to allow people the opportunity to rent movies without late fees, its goal is to make money, just like every other business. This is especially true for businesses that face extermination from the increasingly competitive feedback they receive from bigger

corporations.

Most companies that are great at something, like AOL dial-up or Borders bookstores, do not become great at new things people want . . . because they are afraid to hurt their initial business.

“Eventually these companies realize their error of not focusing enough on the new thing, and then the company fights desperately and hopelessly to recover,” Hastings said on his website in response to the negativity surrounding his decision. “Companies rarely die from moving too fast, and they frequently die from moving too slowly.”

Can you really blame him for

Image courtesy of: Netflix wanting to be a successful business owner?

Hastings has let people know from the very beginning what he wanted from his business. Back in 2005, Hastings said on his website, “We constantly invest in and improve our technology . . . our focus is getting to five million, 10 million, 20 million subscribers and becoming a company like HBO that transforms the entertainment industry.”

With that being said, as much as one can hate Netflix for wanting to succeed and rise above their competitors by changing their game, it seems as if it’s all for the best.

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October 6, 2011 | 9

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Fullerton cops are not above the law Chad Arias Staff Writer

A menacing figure holds his large fists in the air, as he slips on gloves in front of the victim. “You see these fists? They are getting ready to…you up.”

It doesn’t take a film buff to know that the description given sounds like a scene straight out of “The Godfather.” One would never expect to hear that this “menacing figure” was a cop, tormenting and threatening the very existence of a homeless man by the name of Kelly Thomas.

On July 5, the Fullerton Police Department received a call that a homeless man was looking into car windows and pulling on their door handles.

Officers Manny Ramos and Joe Wolfe were the first to arrive on the scene where they confronted and detained Thomas.

Thomas was not placed under arrest nor was he even patted down, thus leading one to conclude that the officers did not see Thomas as a threat.

According to the press release given by the Orange County District Attorney, Tony Rackauckas, the

following event then took place: Ramos ordered Thomas to “put his legs straight out and place his hands on his knees.”

H o w e v e r, T h o m a s w a s previously diagnosed with schizophrenia and other cognitive thinking issues, so the order given was not properly carried out.

“After several minutes of increasingly aggressive instructions, Ramos is accused of escalating the contact to a physical altercation,” Rackauckas said in the press release.

Thomas, upon hearing these threats to his life, got up from the curb and began to step away. All hell broke loose soon after.

Ramos grabbed his baton, tackled Thomas, and continually punched him in the ribs. Officer Jay Cicinelli eventually arrived on the scene, joining Ramos and Wolfe in the beatdown, proceeding to taser Thomas four times.

In the moments that followed, Cicinelli used the front end of his taser eight times to smash in the face of Thomas and knee him in the head twice. Four other officers arrived during this time in the beating and voluntarily assisted in Thomas’ detainment.

In total, the ordeal lasted approximately ten minutes, leaving Thomas motionless and in handcuffs.

“Thomas’ injuries included brain injuries, facial fractures, rib fractures, and extensive bruising and abrasions,” the press release

said. He was pronounced dead from head trauma at the UC Irvine Medical Center on July 10.

Policemen are given the right to use reasonable force while making an arrest or detainment. However, the term “reasonable force” is left up to the discernment of the policemen during the altercation.

Policemen are only human, therefore making them susceptible to errors in their judgment.

Naturally, mistakes are made every day, but when those mistakes cost a man his life, retribution must be sought.

The government grants policemen power, but only under the premise that they know when and how much of it to use.

In this case, Ramos and Cicinelli beat a helpless, homeless, and schizophrenic man innocent of any actual wrongdoing to death.

Does it really take six police officers to subdue a homeless man?

With that said, is it even moral to taser him four times while smashing his face into the curb so many times that he accumulates brain trauma resulting in his death?

The actions made by both Ramos and Cicinelli can be classified as unreasonable, excessively forceful, and downright heartless.

Thomas reportedly cried out during the beating, “I’m sorry!

Dad! Help me!” but to no avail.

The feeding frenzy of sharks smelled blood in the water.

Calwatch

Council Meeting: Ron Thomas speaks on behalf of his

son’s death to a city council meeting in Fullerton.

It took about a month for the crime, according to officials.

Ramos and Cicinelli, however, the death of Kelly Thomas to circulate throughout the media, have been charged with secondgarnering much local attention in degree murder. the process.

In the two months before these His persistent father, Ron men were charged, they spent Thomas, is one of the main reasons that time on administrative leave these actions were even brought as well and continued to receive to light. their pay from Orange County tax Police are infamous for payers. covering up their ill-natured actions Policemen should not get away and burying anyone who dares to with abusing their power to such speak out against them. In the early a degree that would result in an 1990s, the acquittal of officers in innocent man’s death. Our police the beating of Rodney King led to force are in place to protect the riots that spread throughout Los peace, not to cause the mayhem Angeles. themselves.

The officers present during A harsh sentence should be the Kelly Thomas incident have given to Ramos and Cicinelli, and since been put on administrative it should be harsh enough to show leave and will continue to receive all police officers that they may be full pay and benefits while the city able to enforce the law, but they are completes its own investigation of not above it.

The unlawful execution of the innocent Troy Davis

Marlenne Barajas Staff Writer In spite of the efforts and various campaigns in protest of the event, Troy Anthony Davis became the 29th inmate to be executed by lethal injection in the state of Georgia since 1973, when the state re-established the death penalty.

On Sept. 21, Troy Davis took his last breath. His controversial death was the result of a fatal dose imposed by the state of Georgia as a punishment for the shooting of Mark MacPhail, a 27-year-old offduty police officer, in 1989.

Officer MacPhail had been working nights as a security guard when he arbitrated a fight in the parking lot of a Burger King and received several lethal gunshot wounds to the heart and head.

By Aug. 31, 1991, Davis was sentenced to the death penalty.

Despite the lack of evidence regarding a murder weapon or any other physical proof, such as blood or DNA, that would have linked Davis to the murder, the state immorally prosecuted and possibly

condemned an innocent life.

The prosecution provided the jury with only nine testimonies from key witnesses that supposedly tied Davis to the crime.

Seven of the nine witnesses later recanted their testimonies and said the police disputed most of them.

Sylvester Coles, one of the two witnesses that didn’t withdraw his testimony, was the leading alternative suspect for the defense.

New evidence established Coles as the marksman and nine individuals have since signed affidavits incriminating Coles.

Other uncertainties and significant doubts began to surface after flawed evidence and vital recantations of the witnesses were revealed, however they accomplished no effect on the case whatsoever regarding his sentence.

Many of the witnesses have claimed that they were pressured by detectives and police officers to change their stories in order to identify Davis as the murderer in this situation.

These recantations caused many jurors to question their verdicts. Nevertheless, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles denied his third and last request for clemency.

Not only was he deprived the right for clemency, but Davis was also rejected by Georgia prison officials to take a polygraph test.

With no concrete evidence, the execution of Davis has been one of the highest profile death penalty and racially charged cases in the country.

“I am utterly shocked and disappointed at the failure of our justice system at all levels to correct a miscarriage of justice,” said Troy Davis attorney Brian Kammer, in response to the event.

Georgia’s parole board was publicly castigated by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and several other prominent African American leaders, all of which claim that the board’s verdict was emblematic of a U.S. criminal justice system laden with racial inequality.

A report dated 1990 from the U.S. General Accounting Office found “a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty.”

“We simply cannot say we live in a country that offers equal justice to all Americans when racial disparities plague the system by which our society imposes the ultimate punishment,” Senator Russ Feingold said in support of our civil rights.

Since when has it ever been morally acceptable to take one person’s life just to justify the loss of another?

More or less, capital punishment is ineffective and inhumane. It doesn’t deter crime and it’s unable

to prevent the accidental execution of innocent people.

The death penalty, regardless of the nature of the crime, still is the ultimate abnegation of our human rights and violates our right to live, something of which is indicated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In other words, capital punishment is just a primitive method for a state to kill their prisoners.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 255 African Americans have been executed for killing Caucasians in the past three decades whereas only 17 Caucasians have received the same punishment for murdering African Americans.

Georgia was also ranked seventh in the nation for the total number of executions it has committed.

Studies prove that over half of the U.S. public prefers life without parole over the death penalty. Over time, public support for the death penalty has receded.

This accessibility to legally kill an inmate should be abolished in the United States, just as 137 other countries, like Chile and Argentina to name a few, have managed to eliminate it completely.

The death of Troy Davis has captured worldwide attention from public figures, such as Pope Benedict XVI, the European Union, and former president

Jimmy Carter, who has said that he will utilize the Troy Davis case to fight the policy’s flaws in response to this incident.

After hundreds of thousands of people signed over a million petitions on Davis’ behalf since his indictment, civil activists and protesters gathered for one last attempt to hold back the death of Davis. However, the Supreme Court denied the last-minute stay of his execution.

“All I can ask is that you look deeper into this case so that you really can finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight,” Davis said just moments before he was executed.

“I am innocent. The incident that happened that night is not my fault.”

Davis continued to voice his innocence even as the lethal poison took effect and coursed through his body, paralyzing his lungs and eventually stopping his heart.

The execution of was Davis was ultimately a game played by the State of Georgia to demonstrate how far they can extend their limitless power to play God and decide who lives and who doesn’t.

G en er ally, th e fact that the prosecution was based on inconsistencies and faulty testimonies, the murder of Troy Anthony Davis has been one of the more infamous tragedies in American history.

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10 |October 6, 2011

Serving students since 1922

The Pink Runway Fashion Show

Celebrating life in style ana contreras Staff Writer

allison perez / Asst. Photo Editor

classy and healthy: Dora Alviter is all smiles as she

struts down the catwalk at the 2011 Pink Runway to promote breast cancer awareness.

Jasmeet Singh / Photo Editor

Pink swan: Carrie Lee Riggins, “Black Swan”

choreographer performing live at the Pink Runway Fashion show.

Jasmeet Singh / Photo Editor

Fierce recovery: Kentrelle Gayles, breast cancer

survivor and Pink Runway model helps bring awareness in style.

dora yrigoyen managing editor

With gift bags handed out, hors d’œuvre’s served, guest’s seated and the music cued, the show began.

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Pink Runway Fashion show, hosted by the Loma Linda University, Department of Plastic Surgery; an event that not only celebrates women’s beauty and fashion but the survival of breast cancer patients.

In an effort to raise awareness and honor patients, the Department of Plastic Surgery strutted its way down to the Riverside Convention Center on Sept. 25 and showcased its very own breast reconstruction patients as models on the runway.

“We’re just very happy to be a part of something so wonderful, and we like that everybody would come and participate,” Loma Linda Representative, Vinny Ortega said. “We want to make it more known so we can have a bigger event next year to show them more support.”

Before the show guests had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Susan G. Komen and Mentor; a company that provides products used in breast reconstructive surgery.

Then the moment guests were waiting for came. The fashion show started, featuring videos made by the models telling their stories of survival, as well as live performances from Tina Sugandh and Carrie Lee Riggins.

The models walked, danced and laughed down the runway in outfits provided by Macy’s in San Bernardino.

Model Dora Alviter, who found out she had breast cancer six years ago and four years later was attacked by the disease even harder than before, said she is grateful to the Department of Plastic Surgery for putting on the show for her and her fellow models.

“The people who created this for us are just amazing because it makes us feel that it’s worth it to keep fighting for life,” Alviter said.

Fellow Pink runway model, Vicki Desouza said she is very fortunate for mammograms and their ability to detect cancer early.

Desouza was first diagnosed with breast cancer on her left breast when she was 36 years old. She had radiation on her left breast only to later find out that the cancer had spread to her right.

“For me this was all good because it changes your outlook on life,” Desouza said. “It forces you to look at things differently.”

The Chairman of the Department of Plastic Surgery, Subhas Gupta, encouraged everyone at the event to help spread the word of breast reconstructive surgery and bring awareness of breast cancer to the community.

“The most important thing we’re trying to support is breast cancer awareness,” Gupta said. “Reconstruction is available and it’s something that makes women return to their sense of wholeness.”

In the 1990’s, a bill was passed that made it mandatory that all patients who have had breast cancer and have undergone a mastectomy or partial mastectomy be covered for reconstructive surgery, so Gupta encourages women to ask their doctors about opportunities for breast reconstruction.

October 6, 2011 | 11

12 | October 6, 2011

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‘Gears 3’ a sawed-off good time Laith Salama Staff Writer “Gears of War” was one of the first games to hit the Xbox 360.

Amongst the next generation consoles, the Playstation 3, the Wii and the Xbox 360, “Gears of War” was arguably the first big hit.

The franchise introduced a unique style of third-person game play the world hadn’t yet seen, including a weapon system that entailed a now iconic chainsaw bayonet.

But “Gears of War” was not perfect.

It was, all things considered, an experiment to test out a new style of game play.

While it proved to be successful and one of the most fun games ever made, it had a lot of flaws in the details.

Finally, after much anticipation, “Gears of War 3” has come to us with its arms open wide.

This game takes what was started years ago and perfected it.

In the game, the future is quite bleak. The human race is dying out.

The main character Marcus and the rest of mankind have been abandoned by the coalition of governments and have all become “stranded,” left to fight off the hordes of Locusts, the frightening, alien creatures that invaded in the first installment, on their own.

However, now the Locusts are in a similar situation.

Games Press

Pull out the bigger guns: “Gears of War 2” operated on the grounds of ‘if it moves,

shoot it.’ But its much anticipated sequel requires a bit more strategy and maneuvering to avoid a horrific death against the Locust hordes.

In addition, all the characters several new game modes just to The Lambents have also decided to invade the earth-like from the first two games have been add to the overwhelming amount planet Sera and have taken over brought into this one and have of options available.

Horde 2.0, for instance, is a most of the world, leaving mankind more depth and feel more human little bit different from the old and the Locusts to fight in a three- than before.

The characters come into play one. way war.

Players can now earn money The progression of the story in the four-player co-op introduced centers on Marcus finding his in this game where first-player is for their kills, and with this hardfather, which shouldn’t be a spoiler Marcus and the next three players earned cash you can buy weapons, shuffle through as Dom, Cole, fences and turrets, adding a level since it was in the game trailer. of strategy that was also lacking in The story is a little more realistic Baird, Jace, Anya and Sam. As great as the game play in the first two games. than the last two installments, Otherwise, the game has the and has less ridiculous theatrics, “Gears of War 2” was, Epic, the an occurrence that seems to be creators of the franchise, actually same objective as the last one: plaguing more and more games managed to greatly improve it in kill wave upon wave of ruthless the third installment.

Locusts and now Lambent scum these days.

It’s easier to move in and out too.

That was not a complaint about It’s still as addicting as ever. either game, but it was a definite of cover, there is a plethora of new weapons to choose from and And if this wasn’t enough, improvement for the third one.

“Beast” is a new game mode where the tables have turned and players get to be part of the Locust horde as they take on 12 waves of fortified humans.

This includes the annoying exploding Tickers and the beastly Berserkers that scare the pants off of players.

Well, now players can be the ones scaring the humans.

Finally we get to the multiplayer, and believe it or not, it actually works.

That’s all that really matters in online gaming.

But even farther than dedicated servers, they have improved the overall balance of the game.

The new weapons make it possible to strategize instead of just getting blown away by a shotgun-abusing hacker.

Players will grow to hate the term “sawed-off” after dying from it more times than they care to count.

This is just one of the many ways to die in this game and it still feels as horrible as ever, so expect to be angry for the duration of the game.

But that’s one of the things that just shows how “Gears of War 3” has perfected “Gears of War 2” in every way, shape and form.

Fans couldn’t have asked for anything better than what Epic has given them.

Everything is perfect and the franchise can now kick back and take a well deserved vacation.

Vi ew p o i n t s E n t e r t a i n m e n t C a l e n d a r Oct. 7

Oct. 8

Oct. 9

MOVIES EVENTS EVENTS “Reel Steel” Halloween Horror The Big Squeeze 3rd “The Ides of March” Nights at Annual Orange County EVENTS Universal Studios on Accordion Festival at Forever Plaid at select nights through Orange County The Fox Performing Arts Oct. 21 Marketplace in Costa Mesa Center in Riverside at 8 Knott’s Scary Farm on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. p.m. select nights from 4th Annual Feria de Los The Arcade Fire at Shrine 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. through Moles at Placita Olvera in Auditorium & Expo Center Oct. 31 MOVIES Los Angeles from 10 a.m.

700 W. 32nd St. LosMOVIES Ange“Fame” “Fame” to 7 p.m. les at 8 p.m.

Oct. 12

Oct. 13

Oct. 14

at 7:30 p.m.

Downtown LA Art Walk Fall Festival at the Medallion in Los Angeles at 1 p.m.

Led Zeppelin Experience at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles at 7 p.m.

“Surrogates” “Surrogates” “Pandorum” “Pandorum” “All Shook Up” at “All Shook Up” at EVENTS EVENTS MOVIES Landis PAC Landis PAC Quinto Sol at University of CASA Anual Art Auction “Footloose” Alejandra Guzman at Alejandra Guzman at California Riverside Fine Arts at City of Riverside from “The Thing” Pechanga Pechanga at 8:30 p.m.

6 - 9:30 p.m.

“The Big Year” at Mercury atNorm Aistha’s Kiss Rock Norm Live McDonald Daniela the McDonald at EVENTS Irvine Improv Irvine Improv Original Music Greek Theater in Los Angeles Jason Bonham’s at Lake Alice Saloon and Eatery in Riverside at 9 p.m.

Oct. 10

Oct. 11

EVENTS Benise: The Spanish Guitar at the City National Grove in Anaheim at 7:30 p.m.

KROQ Presents Pepper with Special Guests The Expendables and Ballyhoo at the House of Blues in Anaheim at 6:30 p.m.

VIDEO GAMES “Forza Motorsport 4” for Xbox 360 “Ace Combat Assault Horizon” for Xbox 360 “Dead Rising 2: Off the Record” for Xbox 360 EVENTS Bullet for My Valentine at the City National Grove in Anaheim at 7:30 p.m.

EVENTS Brian Ferry at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m.

Riverside County Philharmonic at the Fox Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.

4th Annual Oktoberfest at Verdugo Bar in Los Angeles at 1 p.m.

EVENTS Milos Karadaglic, Classical Guitar at University of Riverside Fine Arts from 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Foster The People, Cults, Reptar at 7:00 p.m.

The Fox Theatre in Los Angeles

Oct. 15

Oct. 16

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14 | October 6, 2011

A match for the ages at Riverside

Riverside City College football defeated the two-time national champion Mt. SAC, 29-26 Matthew Dziak Asst. Sports Editor The Riverside City College football team, ranked No. 6 in the nation, ended its heavyweight match against Mount San Antonio College, ranked No. 2 in the nation, with a 29-26 upset victory at the Wheelock Stadium on Sept.

24.

The Tigers took to the field poised and full of pent up energy in pre-game warm-ups, ready to unleash on the favored Mounties.

The Tigers had a slow start with a three-and-out on the opening drive and the defense surrendered a lucky bounce off of the cross bar on a field goal attempt, giving the Mounties an early 3-0 lead.

The inability to score in the first quarter, gave concern to RCC fans of a disappointing home loss.

Mt. San Antonio College, who is the two-time defending national champion, entered the game with a 26-game win streak and seemed confident and determined to extend their streak.

On the Tigers second drive, Dalton Livingston was intercepted

by Richard Thorpe and returned the ball to the RCC’s three yard line.

Following the play the Mounties were able to run in for a touchdown to lead 9-0.

Riverside’s offense continued to struggle when it was stopped on a fourth-and-one run attempt from the Tigers’ own 39- yard line, which led to another Mounties field goal.

In the second quarter the Tigers managed to find a way back into the game.

The team capped off an impressive 12 play, 83-yard touchdown drive, which was finished when Livingston connected on an 18-yard pass over the top of Mt. SAC’s secondary, finding Sadale Foster in the back of the end zone.

Livingston finished the game with 16 completions on 36 attempts for 248-yards and two touchdowns.

With the touchdown, RCC cut the Panthers’ lead to 12-7, which stood through halftime.

Coming out of halftime, the Tigers offense operated with a balance of spread offense and quick passes, while still punishing the defense with a physical run game which led to Jamil Austin’s one-yard touchdown run that gave the Tigers their first lead at 14-12.

“Our plan was to use open spread sets and utilize the passing game alongside with the heavy package to run the football effectively when it was not earlier in the game,” said coach Tom Craft. “When you do that they cannot zero-in on one aspect.”

Foster said RCC was matching

Jacob Willson / Asst. Photo Editor

Dive in: EJ Schexnayder, Riverside City College’s running back, dives head-first into the end zone to put RCC up 29-19 in the fourth quarter against Mt. SAC on Sept. 24 at Wheelock Stadium.

Mt. SAC’s intensity in the first half but the team was not executing on its offensive side.

“We knew in the second half they were going to try to pound us, so we wanted to try and mix it up and keep them guessing,” Foster said. “We finally hit them over the top for the touchdown.”

Just as the Tigers seemed to gain momentum, the Mounties scored on a 60-yard touchdown from Alonzo Agwuenu, who caught a quick slant pass and beat the defense and sprinted for a touchdown giving the Mounties a 19-14 lead.

“We have not been in this situation before, but I think that this group that has won 10 games last year had a lot at stake and they knew it,” Craft said.

The marching band tuned up the fight song and the “jungle” section of the Tigers’ fans erupted after Livingston connected with Foster for a 90-yard touchdown that gave RCC a 22-19 lead and swung the momentum back to the home team’s favor in the fourth quarter.

Despite the bad performance Livinston had in the first quarter, Foster said he didn’t let his quarterback hang his head.

“I have confidence in him,” Foster said. “I told him I know his abilities and I know his arm strength.” “(Livinston) can’t let that get to him because it’s a mind thing when you’re playing quarterback,” he said. “He could have easily got down on himself but we had a strong supporting cast from the linemen who told him ‘we’re going to get this win’ and we were right there behind him.”

“We went on his back and he carried us,” Foster said.

Foster, who now has seven touchdown receptions in the first three games, has been the Tigers best weapon when in need of a big play.

He finished with four receptions for 137-yards and two touchdowns in another clutch performance.

On the ensuing Mounties drive, defensive back Bruce Jones intercepted Cameron Deen’s pass and returned the ball back to the Mounties eight-yard line, giving the RCC’s offense excellent field position.

E.J. Schexnayder, who had 60-yards on 16 carries, scored on a five-yard touchdown run giving the Tigers the lead at 29-19.

Jones was not done yet because

as he jumped a quick slant route, he intercepted Deen’s pass again.

He finished with six pass break-ups and was the one to create the plays that proved to be a game changer for the Riverside defense.

With 3:36 left to play, the Mounties answered quickly with a nine play drive that ended with a 74-yard touchdown after Deen found his running back Matthew Botello on a 32-yard pass taking only 2:17 off the clock.

Trailing 29-26, the Mounties attempted an onside kick, but failed to recover and the Tigers were able to line up in the victory formation, taking a knee to run out the clock and solidify the win.

“We had a couple of shots that we converted and they were

the difference in the game,” Craft said.

The win not only was important for the season but it was important for RCC to win the game for its coach.

“It feels great for my coach as him being a former Mt. SAC guy,” Foster said. “He’s more proud of us than anything.”

“We knew throughout the week that he wanted it but we needed to want it more than him,” he said. “Tonight I feel like we wanted it more.”

RCC knew the game vs. Mt. SAC was huge but it was only one of many games they need to face.

“It actually feels great but there are bigger games to come but it feels great,” Foster said to sum up the heavyweight game.

Jacob Willson / Asst. Photo Editor

Hold on tight: Riverside’s defensive lineman Jovan Hampton attempts to bring down Mt. SAC’s running back Christian Bobo during the heavyweight game on Sept. 24.

Viewpoints

Sports

October 6, 2011 | 15

Serving students since 1922

RCC slaughters Chaffey for the win The Riverside City College football team defeats Chaffey College, 68-14, improving to 4-0 Matthew Dziak Asst. Sports Editor Coming off one of the biggest wins in school history against twotime defending national champion Mt. San Antonio College, the No. 4- ranked Riverside City College football team picked up where it left off, thrashing the No. 15ranked Chaffey Panthers 68-14 at Wheelock Stadium.

Although the Tiger offense racked up 383 total net yards, it was the defense that impressed most by forcing six turnovers, and held the Panthers to only 52 rushing yards.

Sadale Foster, who had seven touchdowns in the first three games, was held scoreless but was able to return the opening kick 50yards to the Panther’s 43 yard line.

Unfortunately, the offense was not able to complete its first three pass attempts and was forced to punt.

Former J.W. North High School quarterback Jamar Calhoun was harassed all night by the Tigers’ front seven and was replaced

by Daniel Laugen in the third quarter. Combined the two Panther quarterbacks were sacked four times for a total loss of 34 yards.

Th e Tig ers ’ h ad f ou r interceptions, the first of which was

by Markus Smith on the Panthers’ opening drive, and was returned 22-yards for a touchdown.

Quarterback Dalton Livingston was efficient in only one half of play, completing 14 of 21 passes for 149-yards and a 43-yard touchdown pass connecting with Damian Robinson, who scored on both a receiving and rushing touchdowns.

As the teams headed to the locker rooms at halftime, the game was already a blowout, as the Wheelock Stadium scoreboard

Jacob Willson / Asst. photo Editor

Hard hits: Riverside City College’s linebacker Paul Senn leads the charger to take down Chaffey’s quarterback during the game on Oct. 1. The Tigers defeated Chaffey College 68-14 and improved its record to 4-0. read 47-0 in favor of the home team.

Led by E.J. Schexnayder, who had 51 rushing yards and two touchdowns and LaRon Jackson who added 54-yards, the Tigers’ offensive line overpowered the Panthers’ defensive front,

controlling the line of the scrimmage, as the running backs gaining 222-yards on the ground.

In the third quarter, defensive back Mickey Payne came on a cornerback blitz, recovering a Panther fumble and returned it 46-yards for a touchdown giving

the Tigers a 54-0 lead.

The Panthers were able to score on a Laugen 77-yard pass to Del Wilson against the second team defense cutting the Tigers lead to 61-14.

Mychael Legere capped off the Tigers eight play 67-yard drive

with a one yard touchdown run behind a wall of blockers, giving RCC its final score of the night.

The Tigers will look to extend their 12 game win streak as they travel to Glendora to face off against the 2-2 Citrus College, on Oct. 8, at 1 p.m.

RCC men’s soccer off to a strong start Javier Cabrera Editor in chief The Riverside City College men’s soccer team is off to a positive start following its 2-1 win over Santa Ana College on Oct. 4.

The team won the match off a late penalty by Angel Mora after Riverside’s Jose Cosajay was tripped inside the goalkeeper box.

“It is always great to beat a team as Santa Ana,” coach Francisco Melgarejo said. “I knew that if the players would continue to work hard, the good result would come because I have a great group of talented players.”

Coach Melgarejo said the team is performing a lot better during the season because the main question heading into the season was if the team was going to be able to finish plays and score late in matches. “ We w e r e s o m e w h a t

inconsistent during the preseason games,” he said. “Right now I’m working on trying to keep the good consistency that the team showed the first there conference games.”

“Of course, we are taking one game at a time.”

With the win the Tigers have seven points in the Orange Empire Conference and sets themselves up to complete for first place in the conference for the remainder of the season.

Prior to the win over Santa Ana, RCC tied Irvine Valley College, 1-1, on Sept. 27 and defeated Orange Coast College, 2-1, on Sept. 30.

The Tigers now head off on the road for three matches starting with Golden West College on Oct. 7 at 3 p.m.

The other road matches are against Fullerton College on Oct. 11 and Cypress College .

Riverside returns home against Santiago Canyon College Oct. 18 at Norco College at 3 p.m.

Jacob Willson / Asst. Photo Editor

Deep Drop: Riverside City College’s running back EJ Schexnayder falls face first into the end zone during the team’s 68-14 victory over Chaffey College on Oct. 1.

Watch videos of the Riverside City College athletic teams created by the Viewpoints staff by going to http://riverside.trivalley.com/ and clicking on the icon that says “Tiger TV.”

Viewpoints

Serving students since 1922

16 | October 6, 2011

Sports

RCC’s first conference match falls Glen Willett Staff Writer

Football Season Record 4-0 Conference: 0-0 Next game: Oct. 8 vs. Citrus College 1 p.m.

Volleyball

Men’s Soccer

Women’s Soccer Men’s Water Polo Women’s Water Polo

Season Record Season Record 7-4 2-2-1 Conference: Conference: 2-2 0-1 Next game: Next game: Oct. 5 vs. Orange Coast Oct. 4 vs. Santa Ana College 5 p.m.

College 3 p.m.

Season Record 2-2-1 Conference: 2-4 Next game: Oct. 7. v.s Irvine College 3 p.m.

Season Record 2-11 Conference: 3-0 Next game: Oct. 7-8 Riverside Tournament

Season Record 13-0 Conference: 3-0 Next game: Oct. 12. at Cypress College 3 p.m.

Football

Oct. 18

Vs. Santiago Canyon 3 p.m.

Sept. 10 RCC 53 San Barnardino Valley 6 Sept. 17 RCC 73 Victorville 7

Oct. 21

At Irvine Valley 3 p.m.

Oct. 25

At Costa Mesa 3 p.m.

Oct. 12

At Cypress 3 p.m.

Oct. 28

At Santa Ana 3 p.m.

Oct. 14

Riverside Mini Tournament TBA

Nov. 1

Vs. Golden West 3 p.m.

Oct. 19

At Huntington Beach 3 p.m.

Nov. 4

Vs. Fulleton 3 p.m.

Oct. 21

At Long Beach TBA

Nov. 8

Vs. Cypress 3 p.m.

Oct. 26

Vs. Orange Coast 3 p.m.

Nov. 11

At Orange 3 p.m.

Sept. 24 RCC 29 Mt. San Antonio 26 Oct. 1 RCC 68 Chaffey 14 Oct. 8

At Glendora 1 p.m.

Oct. 15

At Costa Mesa 6 p.m.

Oct. 22

Vs. Golden West 6 p.m.

Oct. 29

Vs. Santa Ana 6 p.m.

Nov. 5

Vs. Palm Desert 6 p.m.

Nov. 12

Vs. Southwestern 6 p.m.

the Norco campus.

Women’s Soccer Aug. 29

RCC 1 Cochise 1.

Sept. 2

RCC 1 Santa Monica 0

RCC 3 Glendale 0

Sept. 7

RCC 0 Moorpark 2

RCC 3 Victoriville 2

Sept. 9

RCC 1 Mt. San Jacinto 0

Sept. 9

RCC 3 Walnut 0

Sept. 13

RCC 1 Fullerton 2

Sept. 14

RCC 0 Grossmont 3

Sept. 16

RCC 2 Victor Valley 2

Sept. 16

RCC 0 San Diego Mesa 3

Sept. 20

RCC 3 Golden West 1

RCC 3 Cerritos 0

Sept. 23

RCC 0 Saddleback 2

RCC 0 Palomar 3

Sept. 27

RCC 2 Santa Ana 1

RCC 3 Victor Valley 0

Sept. 30

RCC 1 Santiago Canyon 3

Sept. 23

RCC 3 Southwestern 0

Oct. 4

RCC 0 Cypress 4

Sept. 27

RCC 3 San Bernardino Valley 2 Oct. 7

Vs. Irvine Valley 3 p.m.

Sept. 30

RCC 1 Golden West 3

Oct. 11

Vs. Orange Coast 3 p.m.

Oct. 5

Vs. Orange Coast 6 p.m.

Oct. 14

At Fullerton 3 p.m.

Oct. 7

At Fullerton 6 p.m.

Oct. 21

Vs. Golden West 3 p.m.

Oct. 12

Vs. Saddleback 6 p.m.

Oct. 25

At Mission Viejo 6 p.m.

Oct. 14

At Cypress 7 p.m.

Oct. 28

Vs. Santa Ana 3 p.m.

Oct. 19

Vs. Irvine Valley 6 p.m.

Nov. 1

Vs. Santiago Canyon 1 p.m.

Oct. 21

Vs. Santa Ana 6 p.m.

Nov. 4

Vs. Cypress 1 p.m.

Oct. 28

At Costa Mesa 7 p.m.

Nov. 8

At Irvine 3 p.m.

Nov. 2

Vs. Fullerton 6 p.m.

Nov. 11

At Costa Mesa 3 p.m.

Nov. 4

At Mission Viejo 6 p.m.

* All home matches are played at

Nov. 9

Vs. Cypress 6 p.m.

the Norco campus.

Nov. 11

At Irvine 6 p.m.

Sept. 17

Men’s Soccer Aug. 26

RCC 3 San Diego 1

Aug. 30

RCC 1 Chula Vista 2

Sept. 6

RCC 0 Whittier 1

Sept. 9

RCC 0 Palomar 0

Sept. 13

RCC 3 El Cajon 3

Sept. 20

RCC 0 Chaffey 4

Sept. 27

RCC 1 Irvine Valley 1

Sept. 30

RCC 2 Orange Coast 1

Oct. 4

RCC 9 Long Beach 4

* All home matches are played at

Volleyball Sept. 2

RCC 6 Golden West 4

Oct. 1

Women’s Water Polo Sept. 8-10

RCC 20 Sacramento 6

Sept. 14

RCC 19 Saddleback 5

Sept. 16

RCC 19 Sierra 2 RCC 12 Ventura 5

Sept. 17

RCC 10 Cerritos 1 RCC 12 San Diego Mesa 3

Sept. 21

RCC 19 Santa Ana 0

Sept. 28

RCC 9 Fullerton 5

Sept. 30

RCC 14 Foothill 3 RCC 18 Cuesta 5

Men’s Water Polo Sept. 14

RCC 20 Mission Viejo 9

Sept. 16

RCC 13 American River 12 RCC 14 Cuesta 18

Sept. 17

RCC 11 Diablo Valley 21 RCC 5 Los Angeles Valley 14

Sept. 21

RCC 20 Santa Ana 5

Sept. 28

RCC 20 Fullerton 6

Sept. 30

RCC 9 Fresno Pacific 13

In its first conference game of the season the Riverside City College women’s volleyball team was tripped up by the Rustlers of Golden West College on Sept. 20, 3-1, in front of a standing room only crowd inside of Huntley Gym at the RCC campus.

The loss snapped a three game losing streak for RCC and drops their overall record on the young season to 7-5.

The Tigers seemed to get an early lift from a rousing rendition of the national anthem by Riverside sophomore outside hitter Nikki Bradbury, which seemed to delight just about everybody in attendance.

In the first set however Riverside fell flat, watching a number of set balls go completely untouched before hitting the ground. Golden West jumped out to and early lead and never looked back, winning by a score of 25-16.

The second game proved to be the most entertaining of the night as Riverside roared back behind the strong net play of Bradbury and sophomore outside hitter Robyn Miller and took a 18-12 lead, forcing a Golden West time out.

The Rustlers would not be put down easily however as they would come all the way back to tie RCC at 24-24 before the Tigers were finally able to win the final two points and take the second game.

The next two games were completely controlled by the Golden West side as, much like in the first game, they were able to jump out to big leads early and then just wear down the Tigers.

Golden West won both games in near identical fashion by scores of 25-16 and 25-17 respectively, improving their overall record to 6-3 on the season.

Coming into conference play the Tigers had beaten their previous three opponents, two at home, by a combined 9-2 and had competed in more games than any other team in the Orange Empire Conference.

The Tigers have been led around the net by Miller as well as athletic sophomore outside hitter Rosetta Becerra, whose aggressive strikes on the ball have made her a crowd favorite to watch.

Christine Luna has been a rock for the Tigers defensively; coming into conference play she was ranked second among conference all players in digs with 123 and added nine more against Golden West.

The road doesn’t get any easier for RCC as its next two opponents, Orange Coast College and Fullerton College, have only two losses between them and have been the class of the Orange Empire Conference so far this season.

RCC 7 Concordia University 17 Oct. 7-8

Riverside Tournament TBA

Oct. 14

Riverside Mini Tournament TBA

Oct. 19

At Huntington Beach 4 p.m.

Oct. 21

At Huntington Beach TBA

Oct. 26

Vs. Orange Coast 4 p.m

Cross Country Sept. 10

RCC Women’s 224 Men’s 168

Sept. 17

RCC Women’s 364 Men’s 416

Sept. 23

RCC Women’s 177

Sept. 30

RCC Women’s 264 Men’s 152

Oct. 14

At Rancho Cucamonga 10 a.m.

Oct. 28

At Santa Barbara 10 a.m.

Nov. 4

At Moreno Valley 10 a.m.

Nov. 19

At Rancho Cucamonga 10 a.m.

At Fresno 10 a.m. *Men’s and Women’s cross country have the same schedule

MATTHEW WOODS / Staff Photographer

ALL EYES WATCHING: Christine Luna and Robyn Miller prepare to return a serve.

Viewpoints

October 6, 2011 | 17

Serving students since 1922

One standout to make a difference

with strange looks and reactions that reinforced the sense of being different. Then, at age 13, she Transgender Americans are embraced the sense of difference people who feel their gender and decided to be true to what and their sex were not in-sync at she felt. birth.

From that point on, she began Like everyone else, they are dressing, acting and thinking in people who simply want to earn a ways to match her gender. Though living, care for their families and the sense of prejudice continued, keep the lights on in their homes. Javier strove to do her best.

Some are students with “When one part of your life high hopes for their futures like is down, you have to compensate Domaine Javier who was the with another,” Javier said. incumbent homecoming queen.

“Being bullied, ridiculed and “I plan to run again this year. mocked on the streets when I was This time, if I win, it would be younger, pushed me to the limits. meaningful for me because now With the support of my mom, of I’m more connected to myself,” course, and my family, to excel in she said. my studies and my academics.”

The process of becoming more Graduating as valedictorian connected to herself has not been of her class Javier continued easy. “For me, transgender is a her studies at RCC, with a little person born in the wrong body,” adventure along the way.

Javier said.

In Jan 2010, Javier was “Like me, I think of myself as contacted by a producer of female, but I MTV’s popular was born in the television show wrong body. “ Tr u e L i f e ” Physically with an offer incorrect.” to appear on S h e an upcoming realized early episode. in life that she The show’s was different, creators visited though she Javier on a had not yet regular basis heard the term and followed the transgender. events of her “Actually, -- Domaine Javier life.

I wasn’t After more exposed to than a year of the word until I was in my early production, the episode aired on teens,” Javier explained.

April 9th, 2011.

“Like when I was younger, I “The day it aired, I had about thought of myself as a woman, I two hundred, three hundred friend enjoyed the company of women, I requests on Facebook,” Javier dressed up and all that, but I hadn’t said with a smile. really heard of the word. I thought Concerned for her privacy, Javier I was just, you know, weird, so to created a fan page to afford these speak, or different.” new-found friends and admirers The process of self-perception the ability to contact her for advice started internally but was soon and other tidbits of information. validated by others.

“I try to reply as much as I Javier found herself confronted can, even if it’s midnight and Samuel finch Staff Writer

“

“When one part of your life is down, you have to compensate with another”

cHRIStopher Dietrich / Staff Photographer

In class: Nursing student, Domaine Javier, plans to further her education at Cal State Fullerton when she graduates from Riverside City College.

I’m all sleepy,” she said. “I try to accommodate them, because you know, it’s hard being different, especially if you don’t have the support system the way I did.”

Along with her mother, Javier has been supported by her siblings and cousins, and now, after growing up without him, her father.

“It makes me feel so honored that I am able to raise awareness and touch these people’s lives, which is my main reason for doing the show,” she said of the reactions. Not all outcomes of the television exposure have been as positive, however.

Javier was set to transfer to Cal Baptist University for the 2011 academic year to study nursing.

She was registered for classes and ready to go with performing arts scholarships when an unexpected turn of events occurred.

“They asked for gender, and I asked myself, what’s my gender?”

Javier said of the CBU application.

“Okay, I’m female, of course I’m female.”

The university did not agree and subsequently expelled Javier on the grounds of fraud and concealing her identity.

“I didn’t lie, I didn’t commit any fraud or concealing of identitywhat you see is what you get.”

The hopes of a student were dashed by the use of the term “gender” where sex may have been better suited.

“After a week or so, I went back on their application and it now says sex. I must have done something right!”

Still, she would not be stopped by this setback.

“You know what they say, when one door closes, another one opens. With me, not only one door opened, but a lot of doors, and windows, opened too,” she said with a laugh. “A lot of

opportunities were presented to me.”

These opportunities have included invitations to major talk shows, which Javier declined.

“Right now my focus is my career.”

Javier plans to study nursing in either the expanded RCC program or at Cal State Fullerton.

No matter how different one may think Javier is, her hopes and dreams are the same as most college students.

“I’m just like any other person out there. Everyone wants to fit in, and so do I. But sometimes, in the long run, you come to a realization that probably, just maybe, I wasn’t born to fit in, but I was born to stand out and make a difference and to make a change.”

Students like Javier are making it easier for others facing the same struggles feel comfortable with being themselves.

Viewpoints

Serving students since 1922

18 | October 6, 2011

Features

A single mother prepares for birth Kelly Collins Staff Writer Finding the time and finances to go to college is a struggle for any student, but more so for those supporting themselves and their child, alone.

The Department of Education recently reported that 13 percent of students currently enrolled in college are single parents.

Frances Salazar is 20 years old and expecting the birth of her first son early Nov. She made the decision to return to school in June.

While her son’s father would like to help support their child, there are difficulties.

They are not currently together because they live too far apart. He is unemployed and desperately seeking work.

Salazar is also unemployed as well.

The unemployment rate in California was 12.1 percent in Aug. Salazar’s condition makes it even more difficult to find work.

Salazar had a stable job at K-mart for some time. When she requested to be re-hired, she was denied, simply because she was pregnant.

At the moment she is on welfare and receives financial aid for school, but this has not necessarily made her life easier.

She said she wanted to study to become a veterinary technician, but it was not a decision welfare would agree to support.

In order to receive the benefits for her child, she is studying to become a registered nurse.

“It’s not what I want, but maybe in the future I can go back to school and study to be a vet technician,” she said.

Government financial aid granted Salazar $540 for her tuition fees for the fall and spring semester, hardly enough to cover the 14.5 units she is registered for plus the cost of textbooks.

If Salazar wishes to take winter classes, she will be on her own to pay her tuition fees.

Well into the fall semester, Salazar has yet to receive the money from financial aid and has not been told when she should expect it.

She still lacks a textbook for an important class.

“I’m still going without an English textbook because I don’t have the $55 to pay for it,” she said.

Riverside City College has helped provide some resources to allow her to continue her education, even after her baby arrives.

She qualified for the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services.

EOPS can provide qualified students academic counseling, priority registration, textbook vouchers, and tutorial services.

RCC also has an on-campus day care center available to students, staff, and the entire community.

Located in the Early Childhood Education Child Development Center, students can receive day

care for their child for a fairly low flat rate.

One resource Salazar benefits from is transportation to college and back home.

While she is unable to afford registration and insurance for a vehicle, she takes advantage of the Riverside Transit Agency and rides the bus for free by using her RCC ID card.

This benefit not only helps her get to class, but also to doctor appointments.

Despite the assistance Salazar receives at the college, life is still hard outside the campus.

“I’m on campus a lot, it’s my only escape,” she said.

Salazar lives in a crowded space with her mother, brother and another family.

It is a stressful situation she is not eager to bring her child into.

“I’m trying to be calm about it all, because I don’t want the baby to come out distressed,” she said.

Allison Perez / Asst. Photo Editor

RCC’s resources: The Extended Opportunity Programs and Services at Riverside City College allows students with children to use the day care.

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October 6, 2011 | 19

Serving students since 1922

Features

Students increase professional skills josh vogel Staff Writer Model United Nations is the only program in the college club community that can offer the opportunity to travel all over the world.

It is a prestigious club that produces some of the college’s brightest students from around the world. One of the most interesting facts about Model United Nations is that traveling the world isn’t even the best part of the club.

The club is an opportunity to not only study international affairs, but for members to put their studies into action.

“RCC MUN is like taking on a four unit class and the extra hours you have to put in are pretty demanding” said Officer Charity Croomes. “You could go from knowing nothing about international affairs to loving international affairs and the experience Model United Nations offers.”

Ward Schinke, associate professor, political science major, and specialist in Latin American Studies, is the director of the Model United Nations program.

He can always be found working with his club members All the hard work is put into action when the group takes part in a “mock” league of nations with over five thousand delegates from around the world.

“It’s hard to describe a conference; the best way is to just experience it first hand,” said

Riverside City College Model united nations / Special to Viewpoints

Payoff: The Riverside City College Model United Nations club helps students build professional characteristics.

Tomas Ocampo, the club officer. “(Emotions are) overwhelming as you are standing next to other delegates who have been preparing just as hard as you.”

The conference plays host to several colleges, some as prestigious as Harvard, Yale, and Berkley. Schinke makes it clear that prestige is not a factor at a conference.

“The real goal is to improve you as a person,” Schinke said.

“Other schools recognize that we produce strong delegates that other schools want to work with.”

Although they do have the bragging rights, It is also important to note that Model United Nations is not only about the awards, it’s about the experience and self growth. It builds them as a person and opens the opportunity to meet with many people from around the world.

“If you follow everything

Model United Nations sets for you, and work for it, you will see awards in your future,” Ocampo said.

Model United Nations is funded by the student government, general funds, and private donations made by those who know the experience the club brings.

Some argue that it is more than just a club, but in fact “a cheat sheet” “It’s a back door to a great

job or the insight to a really great school,” Croomes said. “It creates a certain type of person that people like to work with, a person that people tend to gravitate towards.”

“The feeling of accomplishment you get from working with students from around the world and coming to conclusions is a great confidence builder,” Schinke said. “This kind of confidence sticks with them for the rest of their lives.”

The history behind the Arthur G. Paul Quadrangle Charles wagner Asst. features editor

The A. G. Paul Quadrangle at Riverside City College has been the heart of the campus since 1924.

The “Quad” is named after Arthur G. Paul, who designed the structure, while G. Stanley Wilson, a local Riverside architect, is responsible for the construction.

In addition to the Quadrangle, Wi l s o n d e s i g n e d m o s t o f Riverside’s schools as well as many other impressive buildings around Southern California.

Wilson’s style was influenced by the 17th and 18th century Spanish and Italian architecture.

The Board of Education accepted Wilson’s plans for the construction of high school and college buildings on Feb. 12, 1923, which allowed the school to begin purchasing lots directly south of Terracina Drive.

At the time of construction, barely $100,000 was available for the work, and the estimated cost of the project was about $700,000.

After resolving funding issues, they began to construct the Quad on Sept. 26, 1923.

By July 17, 1924 the minutes of the Board of Education reported that the junior college buildings were officially accepted.

With this accomplishment, Riverside earned the distinction of having established the first two public junior college buildings in

California.

Improvements to the Quad continued, and was expanded in 1928. In 1932 the construction was halted until after the conclusion of World War II. The Quad completion project began in 1949 and continued into Jan. of 1951 with the dedication of the south west addition.

Students and professors are still raving about the Quad today.

Kelly Douglass, associate professor of English at RCC, says the Quadrangle has a lot to offer students.

“The best thing about the Quad is the original design,” she said.

“That central space in the middle is such a perfect place for students to gather.”

Student Trustee Nick Bygon reflected on the Quad.

“As an institution, structures like the Quad create an environment that really promotes academic engagement.”

Another student, Tabatha Samsoe, also shared her opinion, “It’s one of my favorite places to study because of the calm environment.”

Armando Castro, RCC’s instructional media technician, said the Quad has a lot of rich history behind it.

“I think students should appreciate the Quad,” he said.

“Students should know that they are literally walking in the footsteps of those that came before them.”

Digital library archives / special to viewpoints

A blast from the past: Throughout the years Riverside City College students passed their time hanging out inside the Quadrangle.

Allison Perez / Asst. Photo Editor

The present time: Riverside City College students roam the quadrangle as they sit back and intake the surroundings and landscape the structure has become today.

Viewpoints

20 | October 6, 2011

Serving students since 1922

Sports

RCC men’s basketball excites fans Javier Cabrera Editor in Chief The midnight madness struck Riverside City College Oct. 1 at Huntly Gym following the RCC football game vs. Chaffey College.

Coach John Smith displayed the 2011-12 RCC men’s basketball team by sending the team through various tasks including a slam

jacob wilson / asst. Photo editor

super dunk: Raymond Nelson delighted fans with

his dramatic dunks at the Riverside City College men’s basketball’s midnight madness.

dunk contest, three-point shooting contest and a scrimmage against each other.

The event was also was a way to hype up the upcoming season as the team sold raffle tickets for $10 as one lucky winner received an iPad. “We have a lot of new faces but the team is already starting to come together as a unit,” said Smith.

“We have a lot of new talent and were excited for this upcoming season,” he said. “Expectations are high.”

The Tigers will be preparing for the upcoming season but the team will be participating in different tournaments.

Riverside play its first home game against Cal Baptist University in January.

jacob wilson / asst. Photo editor

black vs. orange: The Riverside City College men’s basketball team had a scrimmage game to show fans what they can expect for the upcoming season.