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yLIFE
Halloweentown takes over Riverside City College
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ySPORTS
RCC women’s water polo glides into the new season
yOPINIONS
Editorial: Transgender lives won’t be erased
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viewpoints An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.
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VIEWPOINTSONLINE.ORG
VOL. XCIX, NO. 5
NOVEMBER 1, 2018
Road barriers topic of debate
Administration chooses to move forward on vote for installation of permanent blockades SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW NEWS EDITOR
The aftermath of a medical emergency has been riddled with its fair share of progress and ongoing confusion. After initially denying that Student Health Services had turned Viewpoints editor-inchief Dominique Redfearn away after RCC student Nick Peralta collapsed in the Viewpoints newsroom, Renee Martin Thornton, director of Student Health Services, and FeRita Carter, vice president of Student Services, admitted that one of their staff members had spoken to Redfearn and that the situation had not been handled correctly. A similar situation occurred when the campus police department claimed that police officers were waiting at the scene a minute before emergency services arrived at the scene. However, Chief Robert Gunzel later admitted that the sequence of events had been incorrectly reported and that police officers were at the scene a minute after emergency services arrived. The biggest debate among college officials has been over the road barriers that block off certain entrances of the campus. The road barriers that blocked off the entrances to Mine Okubo Avenue and Terracina Drive were cause for concern when Peralta collapsed in the Viewpoints newsroom Oct. 9 and his advisers and classmates worried that paramedics would not be able to reach him. Though Viewpoints student Imari Rede was able to move the barriers, which weighed approximately 195 pounds each, there was concern about what would’ve happened if the road barriers had been bolted to the road. The permanent installation of the road barriers is part of the plan to make the area around the A.G. Paul Quadrangle into a walking mall, an area of campus reserved for pedestrian-only use.
ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS
Chip West, vice president of business services, presented the Facilities Master Plan to the Board of Trustees on Oct. 30. The plan includes the permanent installation of the road barriers on campus.
We did not even vote to approve a walking mall or barricades. -- Rhonda Taube, Faculty Association president
The District Safety and Security Committee discussed the decision making that went into the placement of the temporary barricades at their regular meeting Oct. 19. Rhonda Taube, president of the district’s Faculty Association, said she was concerned that the barricades represented an obstacle to emergency services and she inquired about the process that was used to support the decision to place the barricades.
The information was unavailable at the meeting so they committed to send a request for information about placement of the barricades to Chip West, vice president of business services, along with a recommendation to remove the barricades until the information requested was available. “The DSSC recommends the removal of the temporary barricades until stakeholders can be assured the obstacles to
first responders does not pose an unreasonable risk of delayed treatment or harm to students, faculty and staff,” Michael Simmons, the college’s risk management director, said in an email to West on Oct. 19. The road barricades were replaced with plastic cones Oct. 22. Simmons said that the police department would work to identify a plan of action for removal of the barricades during future emergencies. However, in another email to West, Taube pointed out that the Facilities Master Plan is not considered approved and should not have been implemented until voted on and approved by the Executive Cabinet and the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees. Taube also stated that her concern about the need for the barricades and whether or not the
plan for a walking mall justified the need for them. “There is a fundamental distinction between closing the central area of campus to traffic and installing permanent bollards that could possibly slow first emergency response time,” Taube said. “Permanent bollards is something that would need to be brought to, discussed and approved by the District Safety and Security Committee.” As a member of said committee, Taube said she knew this had not been the case. Taube continued on to state that she was surprised to hear West say that both the Faculty Association and California School Employees Association approved of this last spring. After all, Gustavo Segura, the president of CSEA, said it never came to them. Taube said that the Faculty Association also did not vote to approve this. West has yet to respond to that complaint. According to Taube, the Faculty Association are in favor of the concept of the walking mall. Taube referenced an email to West she sent July 18 where she stated that the FA don’t generally endorse or vote to approve anything that isn’t directly related to their contract, negotiations or budget, so they did not make a motion to endorse this proposal. The one real concern that was repeated several times by faculty and echoed by the FA was if it went through the proper process and was reviewed by the Parking Committee. “We discussed the walking mall and had it in our minutes but at no point was the concept of barricades brought to the Association’s attention and as such, we never voted to approve it,” Taube said. “We did not ever vote to approve a walking mall or barricades.” The matter was discussed at the Oct. 30 Board of Trustees meeting, the incident with Peralta was not mentioned. The Board moved the plan forward for final approval for the next meeting Nov. 13.
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November 1, 2018
Propositions on the ballot SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW
Riverside City College students can get a free flu shot Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. across from the Martin Luther King Jr. Learning Center and in front of the Charles A. Kane Student Services Building.
California voters will be voting on 11 propositions Nov. 6, ranging from rent control and the transportation tax and even getting rid of daylight saving.
Employment Workshop
Proposition 1
Proposition 2
Using Mental Health Dollars For Low-Income Housing: Proposition 2 would free up $2 billion in bonds to pay to build housing that includes mental health services for chronically homeless people. The original funds are part of the Mental Health Services Act, approved by voters in 2004 to provide mental health services to Californians. Legislators tried to appropriate this money two years ago, but that law has been tied up in courts ever since.
Proposition 3
Authorizing Bonds for Safe Drinking Water and Water Infrastructure: With Proposition 3 voters will decide whether to authorize $8.87 billion in state bonds for water infrastructure. The majority of the revenue would go to safe drinkingwater projects and watershed and fishery improvements, with money also going to habitat protection, dam repairs and other programs. The proposition also gives priority to disadvantaged communities, and would require some projects to come up with matching funds from non-state sources.
Proposition 4
Authorizing Bonds for Children’s Hospitals: Proposition 4 would approve $1.5 billion of bonds to build, expand, renovate and equip qualifying children’s hospitals. The majority of funds would go to private nonprofit hospitals that provide services to children who qualify for certain government programs. This includes children with special needs who qualify for the California Children’s Services program. The rest of the funds would be allocated to the University of California’s acute care children’s clinics, and public and private nonprofit hospitals that serve qualified children.
NEWS BRIEFS Free flu shots
NEWS EDITOR
Affordable Housing And Home-Purchase Assistance For Veterans: If passed, Proposition 1 would authorize the sale of $4 billion in bonds to finance existing housing programs, as well as infrastructure work and grants to match a local housing trust fund dollar-to-dollar. One-quarter of this $4 billion would help veterans purchase farms, homes and mobile homes.
News
IMAGE COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
California voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on 11 propositions on the ballot Nov. 6.
Proposition 5
Granting Property Tax Break to Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons: Proposition 5 would amend Proposition 13 (passed in 1978) to allow homebuyers who are age 55 or older or are severely disabled to transfer their property tax adjustments from their prior home to their new home, no matter the new home’s value or location, or the buyer’s number of moves. Proposition 13 mandated that properties be taxed no more than 1 percent of their 19751976 value and limited annual increases in taxable value to the current inflation rate, or 2 percent, depending on which was less. However, when a property owner sold their property or transferred it to new owners, it was reassessed at 1 percent of its full cash value and the limit on its tax increases was reset. Proposition 5, if passed, would allow homebuyers in certain categories to maintain their Proposition 13 tax adjustments when they move or transfer their property to new owners. Proposition 13 was amended twice to allow homeowners to transfer their tax adjustments to a home of the same value and in the same county and again to allow them to transfer them to a home in a different county.
Proposition 6
Repealing the Gas Tax: Lawmakers’ increase to the gas tax has been contentious since the moment it passed last year. Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman was recalled in June in part over his “yes” vote on the tax. Proposition 6 would allow voters to repeal the gas tax increase that currently generates revenue to pay for improvements to local roads, state highways and public transportation. Proposition 6 would also require that the Legislature submit any future tax or fee on gas or diesel fuel, or on those driving a vehicle on public highways, to voters. Gov. Jerry Brown came out hard against the measure when it qualified for the ballot, calling
it “flawed and dangerous” in a tweet.
Proposition 7
Revisiting Daylight Saving: California lawmakers have flirted with ditching seasonal time changes for years. Proposition 7 itself would not make permanent or abolish daylight saving time. The measure repeals a 1949 voter-approved proposition that established Daylight Saving Time in California. This would leave it up to the Legislature to decide how the state’s time should be set. The Legislature could then establish yearround Daylight Saving Time in California with a two-thirds vote and Congressional approval. The driving force behind the measure, San Jose Democratic Assemblymember Kansen Chu, has been fighting to end springforward/fall-back time changes for the past few years with no success — until his bill ended up on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk earlier this year. Brown signed it, and now, it’s up to the voters to decide whether or not the Legislature gets the chance to end seasonal time changes.
Proposition 8
Limiting Dialysis Clinic Revenue: If passed, Proposition 8 would put a cap how much outpatient kidney dialysis clinics may charge patients, and would impose penalties for excessive bills. The measure would also prohibit clinics from discriminating against patients based on their method of payment. In a push for accountability, clinics would also be required to report annually to the state costs, revenue and charges
Proposition 10
Allowing Local Authorities to Enact Rent Control: A measure seeking to give local authorities more freedom to enact rent control policies will be on the November ballot. Proposition 10 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and its ban on certain types of rent control, including protections for tenants of single-family homes, condos and apartments built after 1995.
Proposition 11
Requiring Ambulance Employees To Be On-Call During Breaks: If passed, Proposition 11 would require ambulance workers at for-profit medicalresponse companies to be on-call during meal and rest breaks, meaning that they would need to be reachable by mobile device in case of emergency. Workers would be required to be paid at their regular rate during these breaks and interrupted breaks would not be counted toward the breaks a worker is required to receive per shift. The measure also requires companies to provide additional specialized training to ambulance workers and to offer mental health services to employees. Companies would be required to either offer 10 paid mental health services per year or to offer medical insurance that covers long-term mental health care, if the company provides health insurance.
Proposition 12
Increasing Requirements for Farm Animal Confinement: Proposition 12 bans the sale of meat derived from animals and their food products that are confined within certain areas. By 2021, the measure would also require that all eggs sold in California be from hens raised according to the United Egg Producers’ 2017 cage free guidelines. California passed a similar measure in 2008, Proposition 2, which banned the sale of certain animal products if the animals were confined in spaces that left them unable to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. Proposition 12 would take this one step further by laying out specific square footage requirements.
Proposition 9
Proposition 9 was removed from the ballot after being blocked by the California Supreme Court in July. The initial proposal stated that, if the proposition passed, would split the state into three separate states.
Former California State University career counselor Jamie Beck will present a career workshop Nov. 5 from 1-5 p.m. at the Riverside Public Library Assembly Room. Riverside City College and the Riverside Public Library partner to present the Career Vision Workshop. The workshop aims to help anyone ranging from recent graduates, mid-career professionals and those who have been laid off. The event is free and open to the public.
Campus Closure The campus will be closed Nov. 12 in observance of Veteran’s Day and Nov. 22-25 in observance of Thanksgiving.
Umoja Conference The Riverside Community College District is set to host the annual Umoja XIV Conference at the Riverside Convention Center from Nov. 9-10. The conference, which aims to bring together faculty, students and staff, will feature 39 workshops and a college fair that will include fouryear colleges and universities from California and 18 of America’s most sought-after historically Black universities. Attendees will be exposed to African traditions including drumming, beading, spoken word and other festivities. Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac will address the audience.
Drop Deadline Registration The last day to drop a class with a “W” is Nov. 16. Registration dates for both the fall and spring semester will be posted to MyPortal and/or WebAdvisor on Nov. 5 after 6 p.m. Students will be able to register for both winter and spring semesters at the same time.
LIFE Halloweentown fun returns
November 1, 2018
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“It’s so hard to leave - until you leave. Then it’s the easiest thing in the world.”
- John Green
BENJAMIN DE LEON ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR
The Associated Students of Riverside City College continued their tradition of Halloweentown, which took over the quad in Riverside City College on Oct. 26. Halloweentown caters to the youth of Riverside by having a safe, public event with fun activities that allows parents to have a good time with their families. “We heard about the event from a flyer in my son’s child development class on campus. We love it,” parent Magdalena Zepeda-SeLegue said. “I loved that the event is on Friday, we don’t have to worry about getting home too late and we all get to be here together as a family.” This year, there were many activities for the children to choose from such as a costume contest for different age groups, trick or treating booths hosted by the various clubs at RCC, planetarium shows and a scary maze for the older kids. At 6 p.m. the public was free to roam through the corridors of the quad where each club had decorated their booth with various themes such as Twilight Zone and Disney movies. RCC’s Gender and Sexuality Awareness Club used “Monsters Inc.” as their inspiration and utilized their very own “Scream O’ Meter” which recorded
screams from the kids. T h i s y e a r w a s R C C ’s Engineering Club’s first time volunteering for the event and they wanted to promote themselves within the community. In addition to handing out candy, RCC’s clubs and organizations also promoted their groups in different ways. Biological Sciences Club collaborated with Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Club and used games such as “Guess What’s In the Box” and “Keep Your Eye On the Ball.” “These games help kids improve their observation skills and help them think of the (game) as a science experiment,” parent Corina Annette Gonzalez said. Later into the night, guests were encouraged to view the show at the Robert T. Dixon Planetarium and to a chilling adventure in the scary maze set up near the Cesar E. Chavez building. “People should check out their future shows,” Maureen Barley, planetarium coordinator, said. “We’re giving a preview of it throughout the night by using our telescope to view Saturn.” “I’m a former worker at Universal Studios, so I really had the resources to make this year’s maze more scary and intricate,” Nathaniel Dominguez, Special Events Coordinator at RCC, said. “Last year, the maze was located in the basement which was a bit more difficult to navigate for the students.”
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
Parents, children and event-goers look on at one club’s decorated room, complete with a huge T-rex. Each club was encouraged to decorate rooms in the quadrangle for event participants. This year, Dominguez utilized the RCC’s softball team for volunteers of the maze explaining how it helped with team building exercises. “The event was a huge success this year, we had a
wonderful turn out like usual,” Deborah Hall, Student Activities Coordinator said. Halloweentown is a great annual activity for community engagement, an opportunity to receive Collegiate Points for club
Action fantasy role-playing game review SETH BARLOW STAFF REPORTER
From Nippon Ichi Software Japan and NIS Software America comes a new action adventure role-playing game, “Disgaea 1 Complete.” “Disgaea 1 Complete” tells the twisted story of Laharl, the son of the former Netherland Overlord, as he rises to become the next Overlord. Although the story is entertaining and fun, the highlight of this game is the game play. This game is a st rateg y role playing game with some overwhelming game mechanics but despite this, “Complete” offers an excellent strategy experience for hardcore fans of the genre. One of this game’s highlights is the atmosphere that is set in place by the art and the music, both of which go hand-in-hand to deliver players a great gaming experience. The characters were illustrated as to best fit their
personality, for example the character Flonne was drawn wearing light colors and simple clothing to represent her kind, innocent personality. The actual game play is a little more difficult to describe than the tone. Seeing as how many of the mechanics and tools are available at the beginning of the game could intimidate new players as many of the game’s various systems can be seen as overwhelming at first. Despite the confusion, it does get easier to understand the main aspects of the game after the first few levels. Although the game plays well, the biggest issue I found was the in-game cursor that can be seen on screen during battles. Due to the game’s angled display, the cursor controls on both the joystick and the d-pad feel slightly off. While the complexity of the game was easy to figure out with time, the issue with the cursor felt present throughout the entire play through. A good thing to keep in mind
is that this is a game that will take at least forty hours to finish the story and an upwards of 100 hours for completionists. Not only do players have to individually select each character to act, they execute certain skills, such as attacking and defending,
only once per round. De spit e complex bat tle systems and difficult maneuverability, “Complete” is a rich game play experience that offers hours of strategic play time. Whether that is your type of
and a fun way to win some prizes during Halloween. Any clubs interested in participating in next year ’s Halloweentown, can contact student activities coordinator, Megan Bottoms.
game or not, “Complete” offers enough content for all types players to have an amazing experience. “Disgaea 1 Complete” is available to play right now for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
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November 1, 2018
Life
Adults color for mental health Local librarian saw a need for an adult space that facilitates clarity of thought ADRIANA LOPEZ STAFF REPORTER
Mental health has been a central topic on the Riverside City College campus in recent years, part of that discussion being the importance of having a healthy outlet. While there are programs on campus that focus on the mental health of students, outside of RCC there are strides being made to ensure that adults have a way to express themselves. Gloria Brison, librarian, saw a need for adults to have a quiet space that allows the opportunity to create, and organized Adult Coloring. Brison has worked at the SPC Jesus S. Duran Eastside Library for five years and took her passion for coloring to create an event that can benefit others. “I like coloring and I do it sometimes on a break and when I get home at night. It relaxes me, so we started Adult Coloring,” Brison said. Adult Coloring is as easy going as it sounds. A small table is set up with a tub of crayons, color pencils and markers. Across the table are coloring pages and plain paper for guests to freely color on. Brison was largely inspired to organize Adult Coloring because she believes it can improve one’s state of mind. “Coloring can de-escalate the mind, so you stop thinking about
CHELSEA BUCHANAN | VIEWPOINTS
Librarian, Gloria Brison sits in the main room of the SPC Jesus S. Duran Library, with her markers and paper, ready to host the adult event. all the stuff that’s going on and just focus on what you’re doing in that moment,” she said. Brison has seen the effects of the atmosphere she sets up in the library in the peacefulness of those that participate. “We have a gentleman that comes in and he just draws lines and that’s how he relaxes,” she said.
With Adult Coloring being open to the public, it is a notalent-necessary event. “There’s no rules. You can do whatever you want and what you feel,” she said. Brison encourages people to attend the event not only for the coloring, but to explore what more the library has to offer, “we have books, we have movies, we
have all kinds of things. Grab a calendar when you’re here, we have many programs that are open to the public,” Brison said. While the event started at the Eastside Library, other libraries in the Riverside county also host Adult Coloring. Brison also encourages people to look into what programs other libraries in Riverside have to
offer. “Each branch comes up with different activities and each branch is responsible to put it on the community calendar. So we can submit any of our activities on the community calendar,” she said. To find more information on Adult Coloring and other events in Riverside go to riversideca. gov/calendar.
Family owned Indian cuisine, so close to home Masala Mischief in Downtown Riverside offers authentic and fusion cuisine for enthusiasts IMARI REDE STAFF REPORTER
Representation is important. It makes people feel welcomed and secure in their own identities. Fo o d i s a b i g p a r t of representation, especially for people who find themselves as minorities in the melting pot that is the United States. Ma sala M isch ief of fer s unique Indian f lavors from Kolkata, India. Most Indian food consumed at Indian restaurants in Riverside are centered on Punjabi favorites. Dipti and Shamanno Chakrabortty along with their daughter, Surjatapa Chakrabortty own Masala Mischief, an Indian street food restaurant located in the Riverside Food Lab. T he mission behind the restaurant is to showcase flavors f rom Kol k at a , whe re t hey immigrated from just eleven years ago. “We are a coastal city so we eat more fish,” said Surjatapa Chakrabortty. Fish is not always part of an Indian restaurant’s menu in our area, but because of Kolkata’s
location, the Chak rabor t t y family serves fish fingers that are marinated in spices and herbs and then fried. The family wants people to understand that India has a range of flavors and seasonings. There is no single flavor that can represent a whole country. “We use a considerably more amount of seasoning (than other restaurants),” said Surjatapa. Each of their dishes has about 13 different seasonings used to create the flavors that Masala Mischief offers. The flavor of the sauces are what really sets this establishment apart from other Indian restaurants. “There is more than just red orange and yellow sauces to our foods,” Surjatapa said. T he Kol kat a st yle food ranges from chicken and lamb dishes to amazingly spiced curry, chutney and rice that allows the Chakrabortty family to walk their customers down a busy India street through the taste buds on their tongues. “If you go to the part of India I’m from and you walk the streets, this is the type of food you find,” she said. California and the U.S. in
ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS
One of the most popular fusion foods at Masala Mischief are the chicken tikka masala fries; a bold, flavorful dish with chicken, spices and french fries, topped off with textured crunchy crisps. general are very diverse places where cultures fuse. Recent trends sur rounding cultural fusion leaves tradition behind to create popular dishes that cross lines between authenticity and culture. The single dish that Masala Mischief offers as somewhat of
a fusion is their popular chicken tikka masala fries. Almost no one would deny a potato based meal lathered in flavorful sauce, juicy chicken and Indian spiced crisps. “I believe authenticity stands on its own,” Dipti Chakraborty said “to be able to reach people
regardless of how much fusion there is.” Masala Mischief is located at the Riverside Food Lab at 3605 Market St. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. during weekdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends.
SPORTS Tigers ready for tough waters November 1, 2018
“I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel.”
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- Mia Hamm
Women’s water polo prepare for the playoffs NICK PERALTA
SPORTS REPORTER
A n o t h e r y e a r, a n o t h e r successful season comes to a close for the Riverside City College women’s water polo team. After capping off their season with a 19-6 victory over conference rival school Saddleback College on Oct. 24, the Tigers now look ahead to the Orange Empire Conference Championships. Finishing with a 16-6 record in the 2018 season, RCC placed first in the OEC standings with a undefeated 5-0 record inside the conference. “Being undefeated in our conference it forces us to play harder,” sophomore defender Nikkol Webber said. “Especially because we know that they’re coming after us.” Head coach Doug Finfrock has found a multitude of success since taking the head coach mantle back in 2012. Finfrock initially joined the RCC staff back in 2002 as an assistant coach. In his time with RCC, the women’s water polo team has garnered a large volume of awards, the most impressive of which is seven total state titles, once under Finfrock as the head coach. “I think that Doug is a really good coach,” goalkeeper Hannah McCarly said. “He’s easily one of my favorite coaches that I’ve played for. Not only does he understand the game really well, but he has real experience and is real compassionate and it drives us to really want to play hard, not only for our team but for him as well.” This season, RCC garnered impressive statistics across the board such as 233 goals scored
across 22 games. The defense has also impressed with 213 total steals nearly rounding out to about 10 per game, as well as 229 saves, which is third most in the state. “I think (our success) starts with our goalkeeping,” Finfrock said. “We have Hannah McCarley in the cage, she’s a solid AllAmerican from last season. Without a doubt I think that she’s the best goalkeeper in the state of California. Nikkol Webber is another sophomore returning that has a good wealth of experience and she has been solid for us this year. We have Hannah Peercy who came down from Utah. She has a lot of ability and is coming into her own at this point. Also Madison Button who I think has a promising future with us next season.” Even in the few defeats that the Tigers faced, they never lost by more than four points in any of those games. Meanwhile, RCC managed to garner 11 total wins of their overall 16 games where they outscored their opponents by five or more points. Sophomore center Kate Fox has been a huge driving force for the offense this season as she leads the team in total goals scored with 56. Defenders Webber and Peercy follow just behind Fox on goals with 36 and 32 goals scored respectively. Fox was also the recipient for RCC Student-Athlete Advisory Council Student-Athlete of the Month award for September of 2018. “I have really stepped up my center game and have been getting more shots off that I wasn’t getting last year,” Fox said. “My ability to stay in set has grown substantially. Those two things together have really helped me.”
CHELSEA BUCHANAN | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside City College women’s water polo freshman defense player Hannah Peercy raises a pass to her teammates in preperation for next seasons playoffs, after a victorious season this year. The team has overall been receptive to Finfrock’s style of coaching, who is no stranger as of late to the success that the women’s water polo team has garnered in recent years. “Coach Finfrock is an awesome coach,” Peercy said. “He definitely knows what he is talking about. He’s very straight forward with us. He’s great about helping us figure out what’s going wrong and is great about getting
us to understand the plays.” With the playoffs now next on the radar, RCC will look to perform accordingly at the OEC Championships. A successful campaign would see the Tigers advance to the Southern California championships which takes place from Nov. 8-10 at the Cerritos College campus. After that? The California Community College Athletic Association State championships.
“We’ve proven that we can get there,” Finfrock said. “Out of the many years that I have coached here we’ve won a championship in 13 of those years, so we know what it takes to get there. I don’t think we’ve set too lofty a goal. We’d love to have a conference championship, I’d love to have a regional championship, those are all great things, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the state championship.”
NICK PERALTA
College last season. Throughout his upbringing, Bojorquez attended an all deaf school in Arizona. It was there that he would discover his life’s passion. “I started playing (football) in elementary school in the fifth grade, “Bojorquez said. “And I have been playing ever since. About 16 years now.” Though he currently plays as a defensive linebacker presently for the Tigers, Bojorquez learned nearly every aspect of the game coming up, something he believes most definitely prepared him for the future. “At the deaf school, I played all positions whether it was offense, defense, special teams. In public school, I started to play a defensive end and linebacker, and at the college I played
before coming to RCC, I played defensive end.” Bojorquez continues on, now with a program that he believes is beneficial for him. At least to the degree where he feels like he is going to be given the chance to prove himself. Initially, Bojorquez moved to California to attend Bakersfield College where he found difficulty integrating with the program there. Multiple issues arose from initial integration to interpreters that proved difficult to work with. “I used to go to Bakersfield College and I saw how the interpreters weren’t showing up,” Bojorquez said. “It is important for me to have good communication and it was difficult to be successful there.
Deaf linebacker hungry to prove he is an equal SPORTS REPORTER
MIA MAGANA | VIEWPOINTS
RCC’s defensive linebacker Agustin Bojorquez talks about his experience being hearing impaired and playing football.
Imagine the difficulties that come with playing the sport you love at the college level. Whether it be baseball, basketball, golf or football. It is a strenuous task for any individual. Especially if you possess any form of impairment. Especially if that impairment is the full loss of your hearing. That is exactly what Riverside City College defensive linebacker, Agustin Bojorquez, has successfully overcome thus far to make it to where he is now. Bojorquez, who was born with full loss of hearing in both of his ears, is currently obliging his freshman season after transferring from Bakersfield
See DEFENSE on page 6
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November 1, 2018
Sports
Jamaal Houston, we have lift off
RCC overcomes challenging start to win at home MIA MAGAÑA SPORTS EDITOR
The Riverside City College Tigers continue their winning ways after a well-earned victory over the Southwestern College Jaguars on Oct. 27 that improved their winning streak to six, and their record to 7-1. Quarterback Stone Smartt and wide receiver Jamaal Houston were key components to the Tigers success. The game began with an impressive defensive display from Southwestern College, who succeeded in keeping RCC from scoring in the first quarter, making them the first team to do so this season. “At the first quarter, we were getting beat at the punch on the offensive line,” head coach Tom Craft said. “Stone was getting a lot of pressure we were trying to throw the ball and they are a very good defensive team, but particularly their front did a really nice job and so we made some adjustments and our second quarter was good.” Despite the initial struggle in the first quarter, RCC would turn it on from second quarter moving forward en route to a dominating victory against the Jaguars, finishing with a 36-6 win. Although the Tigers were denied any offensive points in the opening quarter, the defense still rallied to garner two points off a safety after team kicker John
Garibay pinned Southwestern at their own three yard line. The Tigers would succeed in shutting out the Jaguars in this quarter, leaving the score 2-0 before the second frame of the game. “The toughest quarter is always the first quarter because we are getting out there and we are trying to get the feel of what the other team is like,” sophomore defensive lineman Nick Figueroa said. “At practice we try to emulate what the other team is doing but it’s not quite always going to be the same until we get the matchup. Getting in that first quarter, getting the tone set and putting zero points on the board that is good for us.” Minutes into the second quarter, the Tigers offense would come alive as starting quarterback Stone Smartt would complete a 56 yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Jamal Houston at 12:20 of the second quarter. A successful point after kick would boost the Tigers to a 9-0 score. RCC would capitalize on the momentum with a second straight touchdown pass throw from Stone Smartt to Houston for a 33-yard touchdown improving the lead to 16-0. For the rest of the quarter, RCC would score twice more, this time with Smartt and linebacker Vic Viramontes both rushing into the end zone with separate touchdowns, improving the score to 30-0 at the half. “I would say my (offensive)
ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS
Tigers sophomore wide receiver Jamaal Houston logs his best game of the season with 162 yards and two touhdowns in the latest game against Southwestern College. line and defense, everyone as a whole, as we click that’s when we make our most greatest strides,” Smartt said. “If one side is not clicking then the other side has to pick it up, it goes hand in hand.” Leading into the second half, with the game already well in hand, RCC would take their feet of the gas. The Tigers would allow for one touchdown score from Southwestern while piling on two more of their own before
the game would close. Smartt would finish with 269 yards and two touchdowns along with 15 yards rushing and one touchdown. Houston had a stellar performance, garnering 162 yards receiving and two touchdowns. “Our work ethic, week in and week out we come to play and that’s a big key with coach Craft,” Smartt said. “We can’t sleep on anyone. We have to be prepared
each week and it’s our mentality, I would say, that gets us to it” With football season coming to a close and two games remaining, RCC is closing in on a solid season’s end as they are currently ranked third in the state and will take on Orange Coast College in a divisional away game Nov. 3. The season will conclude with the Tigers taking on Saddleback College at home Nov. 10.
Agustin Bojorquez intends on proving himself DEFENSE from page 5
The coach there told me that I need an interpreter that is like a player so that they know the system. I would have a different interpreter everyday so I wasn’t getting any chances really (to play). One of my best friends told me that I should transfer to RCC. So I transferred here because there is a bigger deaf program here, there’s plenty of great interpreters here where I can have interpreters stay with me. RCC is a lot better for me.” Despite the overall improvement that RCC offers,
SPORTS BRIEFS
Bojorquez still finds some difficulty due to his impairment. Regardless, Bojorquez is eager to show that he is just as capable as any other player on his team. “Growing up at a deaf school, it was a lot easier because all my teammates are deaf as well so I felt more comradery,” Bojorquez said. “Going to school here it is different. My experience is just different. It’s very challenging always having to go through an interpreter and having no connection with the team yet. But what I feel like is the most hardest to deal with is the coaches don’t yet have confidence in me or trust
in me yet. And that has been the biggest challenge, showing them that I am just as good as a hearing player or at least their equal. That has been my biggest challenge. Trying to build a relationship with the coach and having them trust me. Communication is most important to me.” Bojorquez has been given little time on the field this season, having only registered three tackles in less than 24 plays and while that likely comes from his inexperience, Bojorquez will not be discouraged from earning his chance to prove himself. “It’s never over. Just never
give up. I just have to show what I can do and do my best. In the hearing world, I want to show that I can do the same thing as that all the other players with hearing can. I’m never giving up. Whatever your dreams are, don’t give up. Do what you can to attain your dreams.” While to some, Bojorquez may be too hindered by his inexperience and impairment, the defensive linebacker intends on showing everyone that he is capable of more than anyone realizes. He maintains this with the drive and hope that he can go farther than anyone in his
position has ever gone. “My goal is to just become successful. To transfer to a university. If anything, at least to a Division II league. To earn a chance. Really my goal is to show the deaf community that we can do whatever we want. We can become actors, doctors, anything. We are the same as the hearing. Just the same, we are all equal. There’s been deaf players before but they didn’t play a lot and they didn’t get a lot of attention. So my goal is to be successful as a football player. To someday go to the NFL? That would be the biggest surprise to everyone.”
Women’s volleyball
Men’s cross country
Men’s water polo
Women’s cross country
The women’s volleyball team, who currently sits at 148, is next scheduled to face divisional rivals, the Saddleback College Gaucho’s on Nov. 1. The Tigers sit ranked fourth in the Orange Empire Conference with a 6-5 record inside the divisional standings. Three more games will follow before the seasons end Nov. 14 in their final game against Santiago Canyon College at home.
The men’s cross country team took a momentous victory after winning gold at the Orange Empire Conference championships. This marks the eighth time in the last 11 years that the Tigers had claimed the OEC Cross Country title. Star runner Enrique Villa performed exceptionally and earned the OEC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year award for the second consecutive year..
The men’s team is looking for a win in their season’s closing game against the Orange Coast College Pirates on Nov. 1 to finalize their season, where they currently sit 9-15. RCC most recently won against the Saddleback College Gaucho’s in a closely contested game that saw the Tigers edge them out, 13-9. RCC will then compete in the OEC championships Nov. 2 in Fullerton.
The women’s cross country team took second place at the Orange Empire Conference Championships on Oct. 26. Freshman Meagan Silves of Orange Coast College was crowned the 2018 OEC Women’s Cross Country Champion after finishing in first with an overall mark of 19:07.4. The Tigers next compete at the Southern California Championships on Nov. 2. at Cerritos Regional Park.
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November 1, 2018 Tell
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History teaches principles The controversial debate regarding ethnic studies courses in California countinues on
DIEGO LOMELI OPINIONS EDITOR
It goes without saying that ethnic Studies courses’ reputation has been and still is accompanied by controversy. The legislation AB 2772 was designed to incorporate ethnic studies courses into the California education system as a high school graduation requirement. The bill was proposed in February and was later rejected in September. As of press time, ethnic studies courses are not yet a graduation requirement within our education system. It was suggested by Gov. Jerry Brown in his Sept. 30 veto statement,
that high school students are already overburdened with an unreasonable amount of schoolwork, adding that yet another requirement would simply be unreasonable. “The governor's debate, is that high school students are already overburdened with requirements, so why impose another one? But then the question becomes, why wouldn’t you require them to learn about their cultural history? They’re required to learn US history, and this is a compliment to that,” Franklin Pérez, an ethnic etudies doctorate student at UC Riverside said. Having taken a Chicano studies class my senior year of high school, I can recall that the majority of the content taught throughout the course revolved around cultural history and analytical reading, both of which, are essential aspects of education that are already taught in our schools. Having this understanding, I agree with Pérez’s argument, although there is more value in teaching cultural history than we purport there to be. Providing students with an immensely diverse catalog of cultures to learn about has been proven to influence the rising attendance and academic
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON MOORE
performance statistics among high school students of color, and although such curricula proves itself effective, various individuals still express their concerns for the potential self segregating and victimized attitudes it could inflict onto young students. Regardless of the criticism these courses have received, there’s a great and urgent relevant
philosophy that the Ethnic Studies curriculum leaves its students with. It became evident to me upon observing an Ethnic Studies class myself, and while being able to talk with a few students currently enrolled in the class. It’s a simple, but effective philosophy: the betterment of oneself leads to the betterment of your community.
Ethnic studies courses, above all, aim to empower students in a productive and pragmatic manner. The graphic nature of Chicano history has an effect on a student’s perception and interpretation of the traditional eurocentric history they’ve been taught in the past. Such content influences an inquisitive attitude among students; the kinds of attitudes often adopted by critical thinkers and innovators. What’s more important than teaching the history itself, is teaching the history for the epiphanic effects it has on students. Gustavo Flores, a chicano studies and English teacher at Norte Vista High School, argues that cultural history should be taught at the elementary and middle school levels in a way that creates a foundation for the cultural history classes that students will eventually take in high school. “I think it’s perfect to tell the truth of what actually happened in the lower grades,” Flores said. “I think it has students question why their stories aren’t told.” An early introduction to such a concept creates a foundation for students that provides them with the motivation they need to learn and help as much as they can.
UC Irvine incident questions #metoo movement
CLARISSA CORRAL STAFF REPORTER
UC Irvine professor Francisco J. Ayala evolutionary geneticist and molecular biologist, has resigned and been banished entirely from the university. Four acts of sexual misconduct in the workplace were formally filed against him by Chair Kathleen Treseder, professor Jessica Pratt, assistant dean Benedicte Shipley, and graduate student Michelle Herrera. All of these women came into contact with Ayala as members of the UCI Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department. Despite his reputation as one of the world’s most renowned biologists and considerable donations of $11.5 million to the school, he was treated with
severity and held to the highest level of accountability. This show of intolerance for sexual harassment toward women, especially with Ayala being so prestigious and having made considerable donations to UCI, is a powerful message to both men and women. More importantly, it shows that there is no excuse for sexual harassment and that committing sexual harassment is not acceptable by any person regardless of their power, position or background. As for the harassment itself, Ayala routinely called Shipley beautiful every day and greeted her with a hug while rubbing his hands down her sides and kiss on the cheek in which he considered friendly, and she considered uncomfortable and sexual harassment. This behavior went on for years but Shipley said she feared jeopardizing her job. Ayala caused Treseder such discomfort that she would not assign him female teaching assistants and have a male colleague accompany her at events where Ayala would also be in attendance. Of the 10 women who said Ayala gave them compliments or greeted him with kisses, only two said it made them feel uncomfortable, according
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON MOORE
to UCI’s findings. There were several other women who witnessed Ayala’s actions and called them inappropriate but did not make a formal complaint. After Shipley filed a complaint of sexual harassment and considering all of the women’s concerns and complaints, UCI began an investigation last fall that continued for six months. The investigation ended with the conclusion that Ayala did in fact
demonstrate sexual misconduct towards Tresseder, Pratt and Shipley. Ayala has since resigned and the school has removed any and all traces of his ever being a faculty member. The question being proposed now is, has the #MeToo movement going too far? The answer is no, the #MeToo movement is not going too far. Although there were
only four women who formally complained, after the surveyance of other female faculty it is clear by many of their responses that there is a basis to their claims as well as other possible unreported acts of sexual harassment. What the #MeToo movement needs to continue to emphasize, is not only for women to speak up about past experiences of sexual misconduct, but to encourage them to speak up at the time of the incident. “You should report the harassment immediately. A written complaint, if it is done soon after the incident, is a victim’s best piece of evidence,” said Kristin Rizzo, a labor and employment law attorney. Women must not be afraid to speak. No shame should be accepted by women for a man’s sexual misconduct against them. The shame in these instances belongs to the abuser and the abuser only. Women that have fallen victim to these acts must not let their abuser inflict another iniquity against them, shame, for what has been done to them by not reporting them. The action taken against Ayala’s acts of sexual misconduct at UCI proves that the #MeToo movement as a whole is gaining momentum and strength.
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November 1, 2018
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Policy pushes punishment
Editorial
U.S. government policy aims to strip transgender individuals of their civil rights
ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON MOORE
The U.S. government is reportedly considering policy changes that would attempt to definitionally “erase” transgender and non-binary people from federal civil rights law. In practice, this could make it nearly impossible for many transgender individuals to get a driver’s license or passport, go to the doctor for basic medical care, get food stamps or rent an apartment. An attack on marginalized people from the administration behind family separation policies and Muslim travel bans is hardly a surprise. However, the world cannot pretend that this is the first time that the lives of transgender people have been used as a political pawn. Make no mistake about it, every word President Donald Trump and his administration have against transgender people is about power and it reflects a long history of hiding violent and exclusionary policy behind claims about “the natural order of things.” We, the Viewpoints Editorial Board, believe that the actions of the president and his administration are dangerous and will have a body count if the world doesn’t stand up and shout.
Transgender people belong to a community whose civil rights seem to depend on which party is in power, it is difficult to feel respected or safe. Under the Obama administration, after years of advocacy work, they were given a taste of equality. Overty anti-trans sentiment are hardly new and have come from the top down of the burgeoning gay rights movement, both inside and outside the LGBT movement. Even as we speak, the dangerous plans of the Trump administration have already began to fade from the headlines as if the lives of a long marginalized group of people aren’t being threatened. At stake now is the legal status of some 1.4 million American adults who define their gender as different from their biological sex at birth. While gay and lesbian Americans have seen broad acceptance in recent years, rights for transgender people are far more polarizing. If Trump’s administration carries out their heinous plans, it will further create a culture that makes courts feel more confident in ruling against transgender people and expand on an environment that allows violence against them. When asked by The Washington Post about his promise to protect LGBT people, Trump replied: “You know what I’m doing? I’m protecting everybody.”
Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.
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