Playoff bound See BASEBALL on page 4
JEROME WONG | VIEWPOINTS
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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VOL. XCIX, NO. 12
APRIL 25, 2019
Farm workers speak out ERIK GALICIA
STAFF REPORTER
YESENIA HUBY | VIEWPOINTS
An event staff member reads a story that was part of the “Send Silence Packing” exhibit in downtown Riverside on April 22.
Riverside brings awareness Active Minds brings “Send Silence Packing” exhibit downtown KENIA MARRUFO STAFF REPORTER
Many people don’t listen to the early signs of suicide. Many don’t care to speak about it. The truth is some don’t care until it’s too late. Active Minds, a non-profit organization that supports mental health awareness displayed their annual “Send Silent Packing” exhibit differently this year by displaying it at the Main Street Pedestrian Mall in downtown Riverside on April 22. Over 1,200 backpacks were lined up to create an accessible layout for the attendees to have a view of each attached personal story of college students from around the nation who have became victims of suicide. “Everyone at some point has been affected by suicide whether its a best friend, teacher, mother or a father,” Courtney Burk, tour coordinator of Active Minds said. “I think for the community to see how prevalent it is it really gets the conversation going.” The installment is often seen at college campuses nationwide but this time Active Minds partnered with the Riverside University Health SystemBehavioral Health-Prevention
and Early Intervention to give the community of Riverside a chance to attend. Guest speaker Kevin Briggs, a retired highway patrol officer and business owner of the crisis management program Pivotal Points, spoke about how suicide took a toll not only in his personal life, but also in what he saw in his profession. Throughout his 23 years of being a highway patrol officer, he had around four to six cases a month regarding someone who attempted suicide. “ We a r e l o s i n g 4 0 , 0 0 0 people a year in traffic accident fatalities. We are losing over 47,000 people of year to suicide. We are losing more folks to suicide than traffic accidents. We are losing a lot of people to suicide when we don’t have to if we learn to better communicate,”
Briggs said. Briggs encourages current and future officers to take as many classes as possible to help them understand how to better prevent further incidents. As suicide continues to be the second leading cause of death for ages 15-25, programs like the Teen Suicide Prevention targets the younger generation to break down the silent stigma of suicide by visiting middle schools and high schools daily. “The goal of our program is to make sure that no one falls in between the cracks or goes unnoticed and that we are just trying to teach our young people about how to engage in these critical conversations and feel empowered to do it and feel prepared to do it in the right way,” Rebecca Antillon, program coordinator of Teen
We are losing a lot of people to suicide when we don’t have to if we learn to better communicate. -- Kevin Briggs, retired highway patrol officer and owner of Pivitoal Points, a crisis management program
Suicide Prevention, said. Many other programs attended the event like Operation SafeHouse, Veterans Service, SafeTalk and Family Advocate for those who wanted to seek help in mental health. Francisco Juerta, a senior advocate for the program Family Advocate, hopes more families can start the conversation regarding mental illness instead of hiding their feelings behind closed doors. “We educate the families so they can see the signs of any kind of symptoms that relate to any mental illness, we offer support groups and other resources for families,” Juerta said. The exhibit helped many attendees gain more knowledge about suicide and symptoms of mental illness but for others it was a healing process by bringing them closure from their loved ones who died. “In the last year that I lost my son, I learned so much that I feel like (if) I would’ve known what I know today, I may have been able to see the signs. If I can save one family from my pain then that’s what I want to do” Riverside resident Terry Gaines said. “Don’t be afraid to talk about it ... Educate yourself a little bit more.”
“When I was a teenager I was being sexually harassed,” said Hermila “Mily” TreviñoSauceda, executive director and co-founder of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. “At the beginning, you don’t know what’s going on. You think, ‘Why is he touching me?’” Treviño-Sauceda spoke at The Power of Campesinas Seminar on April 16 at UC Riverside. She discussed the injustices that female farmers face on a regular basis and how organizations like the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas combat sexual harassment, deplorable living conditions and often hazardous working conditions at labor camps. A c c o r d i n g t o Tr e v i ñ o Sauceda, 90% of female farm workers interviewed during a 1980s California study said that sexual harassment was a major workplace problem. She said that many of these women refrain from coming forward because they are not aware of their legal rights and because of the fear of being humiliated or fired. “You feel alone,” TreviñoSauceda said. “ I was an organizer, I was good at talking to people but that issue that was pervasive to me, I could not talk about. Then I started blaming myself.” Founded in 2011, the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas is an alliance of several independent organizations that fight for the rights of migrant farm workers across the U.S. and represent over 700,000 women. They aim to improve the lives of women in the fields by organizing labor and developing leadership at the grassroots level.
See LABOR on page 2
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April 25, 2019
Student makes history
Riverside City College student Linda Butler sworn in as commander KARINA GUTIERREZ
The Associated Students of Riverside City College is hosting a free fashion show for students to attend April 26 in the Bradshaw Student Dining Room from 5-6 p.m. Students will present their unique fashion for attendees to enjoy and all are encouraged to attend. ‘Living The Change’ documentary screening
KARINA GUTIERREZ | VIEWPOINTS
Mario Quintana (left) and Linda Butler raise their hands as they take oath at the Chapter 28 Disabled American Veterans house on University Avenue in Riverside on April 18. in me that I’m going to be OK,” Butler said. Butler also hopes to use her experience in community organizations to bring more RCC student veterans into the chapter. Her goals are well received and supported by RCC faculty such as Santos Martinez, a coordinator at the Veterans Resource Center and Garth Schultz, a student financial services counselor. “I think it’s really cool that she is the first female commander,”
Martinez said. According to Martinez, Butler has done a lot for the community and she will prevail with her new position in the chapter. With more than 44,000 veterans expected to enroll in a California community college, according to the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Schultz said that RCC is paving the way with its increasing amount of available veterans services compared to its sister colleges
in the Riverside Community College District. “There’s a lot of need there so this is great to have this cross combination between RCC and the Disabled American Veterans,” Schultz said. “It’s important to have these runs in place.” For more information on services available to veterans, the RCC Veterans Center is located in the Dr. Charles A. Kane Building on the first floor in Room 104.
Activist supports female labor workers FARM from page 1
Treviño-Sauceda said that many of these women grow accustomed to their situation, but the alliance works to empower these women by encouraging them to raise their voices and take action. “When I was young I thought everyone in our community lived in the same environment and this is just how it was,” TreviñoSauceda said. “Once I started organizing I wondered why they wouldn’t complain about the work conditions. They were afraid of getting fired and many were undocumented and would be threatened with immigration.” “We stand in solidarity with farm worker women so that they will no longer suffer in silence,” Treviño-Sauceda said. She gave examples of the experiences farm workers deal with. Besides the sexual assault of women in the labor camps, there were accounts of exploitation and physical suffering in the fields. “Imagine watching a pregnant woman working in pesticidesprayed fields,” Treviño-Sauceda said. “Then she’s taken to the ER to give birth. The baby is born, but the mother dies.” Treviño-Sauceda said it is not uncommon for farm workers to lose their pregnancies. She recounted her own experience working in fields that had been sprayed and how the company did nothing about it.
NEWS BRIEFS ASRCC Fashion Show
STAFF REPORTER
Riverside City College student Linda Butler sat with her peers in a small house on University Avenue waiting to be sworn in as the first African American female Commander of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 28 on April 18. The DAV is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting veterans and their families to obtain services provided by the government and representing the interests of disabled veterans. As the president of the Veterans Association, Butler understands the interests of disabled veterans from her participation in the club she has been able to bring organizations to RCC like like the Food Pantry and Team Red, White & Blue. As commander, Butler’s goal is to keep veterans connected within the community, as well as with each other and most importantly making sure the chapter is runs smoothly. “My plan is to bring the younger men who served and most importantly the female veterans who also served into our chapter,” Butler said. Her rise as commander came as a surprise since Butler did not volunteer for the position. “I guess they have confidence
News
DIANA CABRAL | VIEWPOINTS
Hermila “Mily” Treviño-Sauceda, executive director and cofounder of the Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, speaks about the explotation of female farmworkers at UC Riverside on April 16. “We’d get sick for a week,” Treviño-Sauceda said. “Some of us would be throwing up but we had to go to work because you’d get fired if you missed one day. My own mother ended up losing a baby.” Some of the organizations in the Alianza work on pushing legislation like the Farm Bill but Treviño-Sauceda said that they are also working to correct the injustices still allowed in many states by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a law that mandates fair pay for workers in all industries except agriculture. “Some farm workers have to pay to get a job,” TreviñoSauceda said. “That’s illegal, but they don’t know that.” A c c o r d i n g t o Tr e v i ñ o Sauceda current farm workers have to work over 10 hours a day or 60 hours a week for overtime
pay in California, but the Alianza is pushing for a federal mandate on overtime pay for them. The activist said fostering farm worker women’s leadership at the grassroots level has shown success in achieving justice for migrant women that have been abused in the fields. “We have created a farm worker women’s movement and became agents of change,” Treviño-Sauceda said. “We organize press conferences and bring the media to our communities … when needed to talk about our issues.” Some members of the Alianza on the East Coast organize locally to provide food to families that are victims of hurricanes. TreviñoSauceda said this outreach extends help to undocumented families who are usually the last to receive aid, if any at all.
“It was very powerful how she spoke about sexual harassment in a culture where it’s so taboo to speak about it,” said Aylin Salcido, a UC Riverside spanish literature student in attendance. “I got very angry because I’ve been in those instances where you can’t talk about certain things.” Another UC Riverside spanish literature student, Petra Rodriguez, attended the seminar because she grew up in the Coachella Valley and has family that works on the farms. “It was great to learn about the empowerment of women in the fields since society tends to see them more as cheap labor than as actual people,” Rodriguez said. The Alianza is always looking for interns and Treviño-Sauceda encouraged students to contact the organization for information on how they can get involved. “If it weren’t for the other women I’ve worked with, none of what we’ve done would’ve happened,” Treviño-Sauceda said. “These women, without all the opportunities we have, are very smart, very talented. Women that earn no more than $13,000 a year are organizing and putting their resources together.” “A lot of our community still feels that men are the head of the household,” Treviño-Sauceda said. “That’s fine. We need to respect that. But women are the center of the family. Women organize the family.”
The Associated Students of Riverside City College is screening a documentary “Living The Change” on April 26 in Digital Library room 121 from 5-9 p.m. This film discusses the climate crisis and creative everyday techniques that individuals can utilize at a local level to help in doing their part to aid this crisis. RCC Career Closet opens Riverside City College’s Career Closet officially opened April 22. The Career Closet offers gently worn formal and professional wear to any student. Students may choose one outfit per semester, free of charge. The RCC Career Closet is located in Portable 5 between the old life science and physical science buildings near the Cafeteria. It is open Mondays from 12 to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays 4- 5:30 p.m. for the remainder of the semester. Spring Student Leadership Summit Hosted by Lamarr Womble, Founder of Passion for Leadership, the Spring Student Leadership Summit will take place April 24, from 11:30-1 p.m in the Hall of Fame, located in the Bradshaw Building. The Spring Student Leadership Summit seeks to develop and prepare students both personally and professionally with focus on leadership and future goals. Pizza and beverages will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Combined summer and fall registration B e g i n n i n g i n M a y, Riverside City College students will be able to register for both summer and fall terms at the same time. Exact dates and times for registration will be assigned and made available for students to view on MyPortal and WebAdvisor starting April 29.
SPORTS
April 25, 2019
“You can’t put a limit to anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.”
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- Michael Phelps
Swim teams win gold and silver
ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS
A swimmer competes at the Golden West Invitational at Saddelback College on April 20. Riverside City College Tigers finished first with 348 points ahead of Golden West College. JAIR RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER
The Riverside City College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed in the Orange Empire Conference Championship at Saddleback College from April 18-20. The men’s team won the meet with 957 points. This was the first time in 20 years that the men’s team has won the OEC Championship since placing second at the 2014 championship.
The women’s team finished second in the OEC Championship with 729 points, just behind Orange Coast College who won the meet with 816 points. They began the season by winning their first six competitions. Head coach Jason Northcott was named the conference’s C o a c h o f t h e Ye a r a t t h e conclusion of the meet. Northcott is in his sixth year as head coach for the men’s swimming and diving program as well as the water polo team. The Tigers cap off a perfect
season, winning all seven of the meets they have competed in and swept all three conference meets. Leading the way were freshman duo Erick Fathoni and Zack Thelwell with a team high of 60 points each. They won all three events that they competed in. Fathoni set a new OEC record in the men’s 200 freestyle with a time of 1:38.51 and also won the 100 freestyle and the 200 individual medley. Thelwell won the 50 meter freestyle and the 100 and 200 meter backstroke.
They were both named CoSwimmers of the Meet due to their outstanding performances at the championship. Javier Bernal had two first place finishes in the 400 individual medley and 200 butterfly and placed second in the 200 individual medley. The sophomore scored 57 points for his team. For the women’s team, freshman Hannah Beth Cain won the women’s 200 backstroke and had a team high 50 points. She finished in the top five in the
Pirates duo of Miri Inoue and Nicole Knickerbocker. In the second and third matchups, Heather Graf and Yasmin Johnson took on the Pirates, Shayee Sherif and Camryn Mason, who won their set 8-6. In the singles competition, the Pirates increased their lead in back-to-back matchups to put the Pirates ahead on the scoreboard 4-1. Riverside came short in tying the match 6-6, but a costly double faults turned the score to 7-5 in favor of the Pirates. Sherif and Mason won the set 8-6. The Tigers prevailed in the third overall doubles matchup, 8-5, which gave the Pirates a
lead of 2-1. The Tigers would win in the sixth singles match to make the score 4-2. In the fifth bout, Johnson pulled off a 6-4 win in the singles competition. The Pirates would end the game to win 5-2, advancing them to the California Community College Athletic Association State Finals. The Tigers conclude the 2019 season with an overall record of 17-3, which is an improvement of last year’s record of 11-8. “The team did what was expected,” head coach Nikki Bonzoumet said. “They knew that they deserved to be here and they performed incredibly. It’s on to the next season.”
Emilia Lopez returning a ball from her opponent Orange Coast at Riverside City College.
Tigers win second in regionals ASHLEY GOMEZ STAFF REPORTER
The Riverside City College women’s tennis team lost against Orange Coast College in the Southern California Regional Finals. The Orange Coast Pirates outscored the Tigers, 5-2, in Costa Mesa on April 20. This was the third time that these two teams played each other, with the Pirates winning the first two matches. The Pirates scored the opening point of the match in doubles, with the Tigers duo of of Maxelle Bernie and Torrey Mateljan losing 8-0 against the
three events she was in. A strong performance by freshman Amelia Bennett helped the Tigers achieve their second place finish, she placed second in the 500 freestyle and in the 200 butterfly races. Up next for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving team’s is their last meet of the season for the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships on May 2 and will conclude May 4 at a venue that has yet to be determined.
ZANE MUDRON | VIEWPOINTS
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April 25, 2019
Sports
Tigers look to conclude 2019 baseball season on top MIA MAGANA
MANAGING EDITOR
Riverside City College’s baseball team is currently competing in their final series of the 2019 season and look earn the top spot in the Orange Empire Conference. The Tigers have accumulated a 28-9 record in the 2019 season. They will compete in a three game series against Cypress College before they place into the Southern California Regionals which begins April 30. If the Tigers win out the next two games against Cypress College, they will win out the Orange Empire Conference. “We have a saying that goes along here, ‘zero egos.’ There’s no egos, and no agendas,” head coach Rudy Arguelles said. “There’s just one objective and that is how can we utilize our resources and get our players better so that we can open up opportunities.” Sophomores Matthew Happ and Ulises Caballero leads the team both morally and
Angel Mendoza runs to first base after a successful at bat against Palomar College on Feb 23 at Samuel E. Evans sports complex.
YESENIA HUBY | VIEWPOINTS
statistically. Happ places in the top three on the team for 23 RBIs overall in the season, while Caballero leads the team overall in hits per game. “From a defensive standpoint, we’re not in the position we’re in right now without Matt,” coach Arguelles said. “As far as growth, development and progress being made from day one to where we’re at right now, Caballero has probably progressed to the top 10 of all the guys I’ve seen in all 20 years of my tenure here. Still a long ways to go, but again another individual with potential. He’s going to hit. When it is all said and done he’s going to be a really good hitter. Where he goes, we go.” The Tigers next play on April 25 against Cypress in a home game. “We’ve been consistent with the routine plays and we’ll take anything beyond routine as icing on the cake,” Arguellas said. “If we can fulfill those two components and be consistent as we fully anticipate we will be, we got a chance to make a really deep run in the postseason and we like our odds.”
YESENIA HUBY | VIEWPOINTS
Angel Mendoza sets up to receive a pitch from pitcher Brandon Ross on Feb. 23 against Palomar College at Samuel E. Evans Sports Complex.
SPORTS BRIEFS
ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS
Riverside City college pitcher Brandon Ross warms up to play against Palomar College on Feb 23 at Samuel E. Evans Sports Complex.
Golf
Men’s track and field
Women’s track and field
Women’s volleyball
Riverside City College’s golf team is ranked sixth in the Orange Empire Conference after scoring only 411 points in their latest outing in the Industry Hills Gollf Conference tournament. The team stands at 7-33 overall and now prepares for the OEC championship qualifiers at Royal Vista Community College on April 29.
Riverside City College men’s track team took home their 13th consecutive victory at the Orange Empire Conference preliminaries on April 19, earning 130 points. This advances RCC into the OEC tournament finals. The Tigers will next compete in the OEC championship game on April 26 in Marysville, California at Yuba College.
The Riverside City College women’s track team took home their 13th straight dual victory at the Orange Empire Conference preliminaries on April 19. The team earned a total of 102.5 points. This advances RCC to the OEC championship game on April 26 in Marysville where they will look to capture their third straight conference title.
The Riverside City College beach volleyball team currently holds a three-game losing streak, most recently falling to Saddleback College on April 19th in an away game. RCC will next face off in pairs for the Orange Empire Conference Pairs PlayIn tournament at Irvine Valley College on April 24th against Cypress College.
LIFE
April 25, 2019
“You can’t cross the sea by merely standing and staring at the water.”
Celebrating with reason
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Rabindranath Tagore
Riverside’s annual tamale festival gives people reason to party CLARISSA CORRAL STAFF REPORTER
In celebration of the Inland Empire’s Hispanic heritage, Downtown Riverside was the host for the seventh annual Riverside Tamale Festival at White Park on April 13. T h e R i v e r s i d e Ta m a l e Festival was filled with lots of food vendors, a beer garden, entertainment, music and of course plenty of tamales. T h e R i v e r s i d e Ta m a l e Festival was created in efforts to provide a fun and family oriented learning experience in which the story of Lorenzo Trujillo and the other 10 original families from Abiquiu, New Mexico. They traveled to the old Spanish Trail in 1842 and put down roots in this area so they could be shared and celebrated. Upon arrival at the Tamale Festival there is loud and festive music played by a live band on the Market Street stage that can be heard from three blocks away played by The Smooth Sounds of Santana. The mixture of wonderful aromas of fresh tamales, kettle corn, tacos and other delicious foods filled the air. Just as you would expect from a festival such as this, bright and colorful spanish decor and outerwear painted the park from front to back. While walking from vendor to vendor, there is a variety of delicious tamales and fresh agua frescas being sold and a range of Folklorico dancers from toddlers to grown adults adorning the festival with their detailed and beautifully designed dresses. These Folklorico dancers either had performed or would perform at some time during the festival. Some of the dancers there were from the Berumen Dance Company, Leyenda Dance Company, Ballet Folklórico de Riverside and the Ballet Folklorico Xochitl de John North High School. All dancers performed traditional Folklorico dancing in celebration of Hispanic culture, some of which derived from a specific part of Mexico. Other entertainment included Lucha Libre, where Lucha wrestlers fought in a theatrical manner in a wrestling ring set up on Market Street. Wrestlers Raunchy Rigo and Richie Slade interacted with nearby audience members and displayed their muscles before fighting in a comedic and family friendly way that served for great spectics and laughter. Located in the Kids Zone was the Chancla Toss contest.
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LIFE BRIEFS Women Making History Project The Riverside Woman’s Club will be hosting events to celebrate women who dedicate themselves to bettering their families, communities and the world. Using plays and presentations, the goal is to entertain and praise all women. The celebrations will take place from April 26-28 and May 3-5. Tickets are available at the Eventbrite website.
Plant identification workshop
PATRICK TINDALL | VIEWPOINTS
Top: Jalisco style dancers from Berumen Company in Moreno Valley, California performing on the main stage on April 13 at Riverside Tamale Festival.
Left: Tamales steaming in a slow cooker from Escondido Tamales, flavors include chicken, beef, pork, chorizo, veggie, vegan and sweet tamales like strawberry and pineapple at the Riverside Tamale Festival on April 13. Bottom: (from left) Raunchy Rico and Richie Slade from Empire Wrestling Federation Pro Wrestling School giving a pro wrestling performance for spectators. Participants got to toss a chancla through a corn hole three times for free while under a count. Participants who threw one or more chanclas through the cornhole won a prize. Not to be forgotten, is the competitions for the best festival tamale and best homemade tamale. Both awards are people’s choice awards, being that the VIP Tamale Experience attendees each got to taste each of the entries and vote for the tamales that were their favorites. All those who attended the event got to enjoy the delicious food, the beautiful folklorico dancing and Spanish music. The Riverside Tamale Festival not only serves a wonderful celebration showcasing Hispanic Heritage but also financially aid in support of the continuation and rebuilding of its cultural landmarks of its ancestors. Guests are encouraged to attent the years to come.
PATRICK TINDALL | VIEWPOINTS
Join the California Native Plant Society to learn how to identify numerous plants that are native to Riverside. Taking place at the Riverside- Corona Resource Conservation District, the event will be hosted by Gabi McLean who has ben a horticulturist for over 30 years. The event is free and will take place April 27.
‘May the 4th’ celebration “Star Wars” enthusiasts can come out to the Riverside Municipal Auditorium to celebrate the culture of a galaxy far, far away. Riverside Live and Live Nation will host the event that will offer DJs, live music, photo ops and much more. Whether you’re a droid, Jedi or a Wookiee all are welcome. The event takes place May 4 starting at 5 p.m. Tickets are available on Live Nation.
The Wings of Freedom Tour
PATRICK TINDALL | VIEWPOINTS
The Wings of Freedom Tour comes to Riverside to offer guests an up close and personal look at the bomber and fighter aircraft that flew during WWII. The aircraft will be up for attendees to view at the Riverside Municipal Airport from April 29 to May 2 from 12-5 p.m. Tickets are available on the Collins Foundation website.
6 April 25, 2019
Life
A new matriarch takes the crown
Billie Eilish hones in on exploiting listener’s fears and will make them dance while doing it ADRIANA LOPEZ STAFF REPORTER
Music enthusiasts have been starved for something that feels new and a 17 year old anti-pop star might just be what was needed. Billie Eilish came onto the music scene in 2016 with the release of her single “Ocean Eyes.” At the age of 14 she caught the world’s attention with her somber and melodic voice delivering a tale of impassioned infatuation. In 2017 she came back with her EP “dont smile at me,” which she co-wrote with her brother Finneas O’ Connell. The EP was storytelling at its finest, from self hatred, to obsessive love, to robbing and murdering friends, the duo had their audience hungry for an album. In March 2019, the siblings delivered with “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” Written and recorded in O’Connell’s bedroom, the album drifts between heavy bass beats to gloomy piano melodies. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 and secured Eilish as the youngest artist to reach No. 1 since 2009, a title previously held by Demi Lovato. As the world comes to know her name, the question of “how?” is being asked. Eilish isn’t a “got her start on Disney” artist. She isn’t being sold by men in the music industry that often sexualize young female artists by putting them in heels and makeup. Instead, Eilish often looks more or less the same. She dresses in T-shirts and shorts that are at least 10 sizes too large for her and, at most, appears to wear mascara. So if it’s not her image, it is the content Eilish and O’Connell are releasing that is garnishing attention. With the mixture of dance beats and
FAIR USE | DARK ROOM/INTERSCOPE
Billie Eilish’s first major label LP “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after its release. overprotective mother, the who isn’t dying by mistake in sad strumming, the album has jealous girlfriend and makes Silver Lake.” In recent years something for everyone. a joke out of sleeping with a Xanny (aka Xanax) has become While the music is attention partner’s father. The lyrics are a popular drug to reference in grabbing, the lyrical content gritty and make a joke out of hip hop, and after the death of in the album is a conversation “worst nightmares” that root in hip hop artist Lil Peep following all on its own. The title of the jealousy, all the while delivering a drug overdose, the drug has album is begging for the answer a beat that audiences can dance also been part of discussions to a question as old as humans’ to. in mainstream media. Eilish existence: what happens when With “xanny,” the discussion croons of her disgusts towards we die? of fears gets heavier. “Don’t the drinking and pill popping Each track off the album give me a xanny now or ever ... culture that has taken over the plays off fears that everyone I can’t afford to love someone lives of her peers, but underneath will experience in their lifetime. that disgusts lies a fear In “bad guy” for their lives. Eilish Eilish pokes fun is growing up in this at the often overly culture and wants to see protected lives of Eilish isn’t a ‘got her start on Disney’ her friends survive it. men. “I’m that bad artist. She isn’t being sold by men in Midway through type/make your the music industry that often sexualize the album, Eilish bares mama sad type/make young female artists by putting them in her heart with “wish your girlfriend mad heels and makeup. you were gay,” “when tight/might seduce the party’s over” and your dad type/I’m “8.” Eilish goes from the bad guy.” Eilish wishing a boy would is poking fun at the
tell her he’s gay to spare her feelings to desperately asking for the companionship of someone that won’t offer her attention. She’s singing of rejection and heartache, possibly the most universally known fears amongst people. In “bury a friend” Eilish becomes fear itself by becoming the monster under your bed. “What do you want from me?/ Why don’t you run from me?/ What are you wondering?/What do you know?” Everything about the song is creepy, from Billie’s breathy singing to the sound bites of a dentist drill. It’s provocative, just as Eilish and O’Connell intended. “ilomilo” proves to be a high point in the album. Inspired by the puzzle game of the same name, the ballad speaks on the fear of losing a loved one. “Where did you go? I should know, but it’s cold/And I don’t wanna be lonely.” “ilomilo” has a classic ’90s adventure game soundtrack, adding to the sense of frantically searching for someone. It’s creative, unique, and profoundly Billie. The third to last track, “listen before i go,” delivers a message of when fear wins. It’s a suicide note to friends and an apology for losing the battle. “If you need me, wanna see me better hurry/‘cause I’m leaving soon.” The song is slow and melodic, it doesn’t have layers of sound bites or dance beats, it is one of the most sincere moments on the album. Eilish and O’Connell have gathered attention around the world by finding a way to relate to everyone, and still managing to be different. The sound is unlike anything else that is in mainstream media, and is being celebrated. Hopefully the success of “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” encourages artists to branch out of the norm of music.
Motley Crüe: putting ‘The Dirt’ in dirtbags
Netflix’s loose adaptation of the band’s autobiography seems tone deaf in the “#MeToo” SAYEDA GHAZANFAR STAFF REPORTER
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll trope but this is ridiculous. “ T h e D i r t ,” s i m pl y puts misogyny and bad boy debauchery back on the map with the worst timing. T he mov ie, w it h i n put from each member of the ‘80s heav y met al ba nd , Mötley Crüe, portrays their tumultuous relationship with drugs, alcohol and each other while at the height of their fame as rock stars of the Sunset Strip. The movie is based on the 2001 Mötley Crüe memoir, “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band”
and is directed by Jeff Tremaine (“Jackass,” “Bad Grandpa”). The story is narrated by bassist Nikki Sixx, (Douglas Booth), drummer Tommy Lee (Machine Gun Kelly), singer Vince Neil (Daniel Webber) and guitarist Mick Mars (Iwan Rheon). The band is boisterous about their crazy antics, especially with women. Scores of naked women are seen in their hotel rooms, their green rooms and their homes and are not regarded as much. In fact the opening scene shows Lee performing oral sex on a female in public. They also snort lines of cocaine off women’s backsides, call them dogs and punch them on tour
buses and have the audacity to pass it off as “boys will be boys” debauchery. What era are we in again? T he movie st ar ts by chronicling Sixx’s troublesome childhood with his mother and the revolving door of abusive stepdads. He gets his mother arrested after cutting himself and goes to live on the streets of LA where he meets Lee and Mars. Lee introduces him to Neil at a backyard show and tells the other members, “I don’t even care if he can sing or not, look what he’s doing to those girls.” Thus, Mötley Crüe is formed. The movie has so many misogynistic moments, it’s hard to cover them all. While Kelly’s portrayal of
Lee is playful and innocent, the movie fails to mention that he had an abusive streak and served prison time for beating his former wife Pamela Anderson, who the movie completely fails to mention. The only thing that alludes to Lee being abusive to women was the scene where he punches a former fiance on their tour bus but only after she stabs him with a fountain pen and calls his mother a derogatory name, as if to justify the outburst of violence. Truth is, the music industry has always treated female fans like garbage. The very term “groupie” is offensive to women who love music and this movie capitalizes on that by implying
that every single female would sleep with any member of Mötley Crüe. Their A&R man Tom Zutaut (Pete Davidson) said, “Don’t ever leave your girlfriend alone with Mötley Crüe, ever.” T he most disappoi nti ng thing about “The Dirt” is that they didn’t reconcile or seem to be remorseful about their treatment of women, they were only remorseful about their alcohol and drug abuse. If you’re a fan of the band, maybe you’ll like the movie. The performances by the actors are not bad, but we can agree that ultimately the band won notoriety because of their behavior not their talent and that is reflective throughout the entire movie.
Views Campus Conversations “Do you believe that the current high school curriculum effectively prepares students for community college courses?”
“No. When you’re in high school the teachers just pass you because they get paid on the salary. And if you don’t pass, they don’t get paid. College you actually have to work and know the material to pass. In high school, you don’t. You can kinda breeze through high school, but you can’t do that in college.” -Michelle Clark
“Well it didn’t prepare me for community college algebra. I’ll be honest, I was quite stunned when I came here after high school. So I think we need to get our high schools into shape with their teaching and possibly make the community colleges have a simpler math curriculum for those coming in.” - Alison Oliver
April 25, 2019 Tell
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us what you think, in a letter to the editor, in an email or use #RCCnow.
Immigration issues worsen New acting head secretary of Homeland Security spells a grim future
JONATHAN RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER
Kirstjen Nielsen was the former poster-child for family separation and her replacement will be worse. Which is truly saying something. McA l neena n has been one of the main enforcers for “zero tolerance” of immigrants crossing the border for enforcing and defending it. He has also supported the president’s border wall and testified before Congress stating that there is a crisis at the border, according to CNN. The newly appointed acting secretary is in a position to be potentially more unsympathetic and more vindictive than Nielsen, potentially painting a worse future for those who still and will suffer. Nielse n h a d more of a resistance to hard immigration measures being pushed by Trump and his aides that McAlneenan does not have. Nielsen has lied to Congress
with undaunted denial about the deterration of asylum seekers by threatening to seperate them from their children. According to The Guardian, on April 10 Nielsen officially resigned from her position as the secretary for Homeland Security after releasing a resignation letter April 7. Nielsen has been involved i n t he i m moral se pa rat ion of immigrant children from their parents coming from our southern border and vehemently defends the orders carried out by the Trump administration. With her position she has wrongfully and continually assured the public that children are being cared for. However, her assurance was nothing more than a repugnant lie about the lives of innocent children. According to official reports by Homeland Security, two children died in government custody in 2018. Felipe Gomez Alonzo, an 8-year old boy died Dec. 24 and was suffering a fever and vomiting. A 7-year old girl named Jakelin Caal died less than two days after being apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
ILLUSTRATION BY CANSTOCKPHOTO
A person that holds a high position in federal border security should be fierce to those who commit wrong, but have enough empathy for those who
are genuinely innocent. Instead, Nielsen focused on viewing immigrants as law breaking cattle rather than human beings seeking a better quality of life. According to Time Magazine, Nielsen was assertive in pursuing the goals of President Donald Trump in every way except for one: Trump’s demand to completely close off the ports of entry along the southern border. This specific clash between
Nielson and Trump ended with him calling for her resignation. Temporarily replacing her with com m issioner of Customs and Border Protection, Kevin McAlneenan. This apathetic behavior carried out by the Trump administration car ries no obvious respect towards basic human lives and with McAlneenan at the helm of immigration, it may spell even harsher conditions if that is even
a month. The man takes each woman, sometimes in groups, on various extravagant dates and trips to entice them with a world of romance. Considering the number of women, drama, and the amount of time spent, by the end of the experience, the final contestants have hardly gotten to know the man they’re set to now wed. T he show capit alizes on intense emotions and the exceptional locations of the competition. It’s easy to find romance outside of daily life on fun dates and luxurious getaways but only real-life experiences solidify bonds strong enough to last a marriage. The show gains its popularity by using manipulative techniques to prey on our biological need for reproduction and the way society expects us to interact with each other. "It appears from our study t h at dop a m i ne a c t s a s a n interface between stress, pain and emotions, or between physical and emotional events, and that it's activated with both positive and negative stimuli," senior author Jon-Kar Zubieta, M.D., Ph.D. and professor of psychiatry said.
Subconsciously, we enjoy living vicariously through the men and women on these shows rather it’s exciting in a good or bad way. Along with pulling at our chemical hear t st rings, the producers have unnecessary handling in the direction of the show. Reporter Amy Kauffman wrote a tell all novel, “Bachelor Nation”, to expose some hidden tricks to keep people hooked on the show. She explains how the producers kept track of the women’s menstrual cycles to make sure they triggered the most emotional responses. Ex producers mention how the show is all about intense emotions and they do everything they can to evoke that, including bribery. Kauffman mentions in her book how producer Scott Jeffress “kept a wad of crisp $100 bills in his pocket” to give to crew members who evoked the best on-screen drama. This is hardly the extent of measures to ensure the narrative the show’s creators intend to portray. Another frightening tactic to persuade the viewers is what they call Franken-biting, editing sound bites to change context and alter scenarios. This makes
viewers believe certain events are leading to a climax when in fact it’s all part of a rouse to keep people watching the show. Clearly dating should not be a competition for one person’s affection. Of the 23 seasons of the show only 14 proposals were had and of those, only 4 couples remain together today. Only about 15 % of Americans 18-29 are actively looking for love although the appeal to watch for us may be low, the age range of the contestants is close about 20-30. "It makes me think about the kind of guys that could be out there and the kind of partner I want to have one day" Kauffman said. Adding to the phenomenon that although we are sound to the falsehood of the scenarios on screen, we still fantasize the possibilities of our own romantic lives. Shows like The Bachelor only help to solidify the wrong ideals of romance and finding love for our generation. It’s best to look at the relationships close to us for inspiration considering they are more accurate with how real relationships develop in real time with real people.
conceivable.
Dating show capitalizes on emotions
“High schools teach us to learn the information for the test, put it on the test, and forget it. We don’t have a system in high schools where we are incentivising learning at all. I don’t remember anything from high school and so many of my friends don’t either. I think we should more incentivise students to want to learn, rather than just want to remember certain answers for tests.” - Ethyn Cranford
“No, I don’t really think it does. I have a few classes and there are kids that didn’t even learn MLA format and things like that. And those are essential in college. If you did not learn that in high school, you are not really prepared.” -Lindsey Hughes
Interviews and photos by Jonathan Ramirez
DARRISHA DANIELS STAFF REPORTER
Dat i ng shows l i ke T he Bachelor that apply a formula to love ingrains in us the idea that there is one person out there that perfectly matches our idea of a spouse and that they’re attainable. Sparks fly, there’s a kiss or other, and from then on, it’s marital bliss. Relationships should build on more than a short romance and often takes years to see if a marriage is the next step. On the hit show, The Bachelor, 30 contestants compete for a chance at love with one eligible bachelor over the course of about
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April 25, 2019
Views
Graduation delayed by math
Editorial
Graduation requirements corrupted by math courses
PHOTO COURTESY OF CANSTOCKPHOTO
“Math and English is for Everyone.” Signs around campus show that there is no longer a need for remedial math and English courses because studies show that passing college level courses is attainable. However, is it fair to hold back, say, an English major from graduating because they can’t pass a higher level math course? How would math improve a student’s desire to be an English professor? We, the Viewpoints Editorial Board, believe that math requirements for non-math majors needs to be revised with the student’s success and future in mind. Of course, everyone needs to learn basic numerical skills. Decimals, ratios, percentages and other fiscally related subject stays with a person for most of their lives regardless of their profession. According to Riverside City College’s Student Success Scorecard, 75.8% of students were deemed “unprepared for college” since their placement test scores set them at a remedial level in mathematics. This goes to show that there are students of all majors
and different backgrounds who have to start from the ground level. This isn’t surprising considering that the percentage of students who started out in a remedial math course and went on to complete a college level math course within a six year time period has not exceeded beyond its 24-30% trend. Community colleges like ours are filled with students who are usually balancing more than the average college student. Working and other demanding situations in their lives have an effect on their access to success in education. There are a number of reasons why so many students struggle with mathematics courses, from the simple lack of understanding numbers to the more complex issues of having a learning disability. No matter the cause, it can become discouraging when this weakness hinders a student’s ability to earn their bachelor’s degree. Some schools, like Pierce College and College
of the Canyons, have experimented with programs such as the Carnegie Foundation’s Statway and those developed by the California Acceleration Project. Courses in statistics and data analysis designed for non-math and science majors as a way to reach college-level quantitative reasoning without getting stuck in non-credit remedial courses or completing a traditional intermediate algebra course. Supporters of this approach have noted that students find the material more engaging — and more immediately useful in following political polls, analyzing sports data or understanding research methodology. The California State University system took a step further in 2018 by removing the intermediate algebra requirement from non-math and science majors before transferring to one of its campuses. This is incredibly important to the success and future of many students across California and the United States as a whole.
Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.
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