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VOL. XCIX, NO. 14
Student tests positive for TB SAMANTHA BARTHOLOMEW NEWS EDITOR
A Riverside City College student has reportedly tested positive for tuberculosis, according to the Riverside County Department of Public Health. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that can only be spread by several hours of close contact a day with someone who has it, health officials say. It can be fatal if not treated properly. Patients are usually treated for several months with antibiotics. However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. People who are infected, but do not become sick, have what is called latent TB infection. People who have latent TB infection do not have any symptoms and cannot spread TB to others, but some people with latent TB infection can go on to get active TB disease. The health department sent an email to all Riverside Community College District faculty about the issue May 14, informing the
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Over 200 students and faculty have been exposed to TB. Free testing is provided by local health clinics. general procedure is to look at faculty that the college is aware the student’s class schedule and that a student has tested positive notify all individuals that might for active tuberculosis. have had close contact with the Public health officials are infected student. in the process of assessing and Once notified, potentially notifying students, faculty and exposed students were told staff who have been possibly to get tested. Testing has exposed. primarily been done through the Health and college officials Riverside County Public Health met May 15 to discuss the plan Department. However, the initial of action on informing potentially email states that RCC’s Student exposed students and faculty. Health Services will also be According to Jose Arballo, available. public information officer, the
Irving Hendrick, interim RCC president, was unavailable for comment. Students were notified the morning of May 15 with the same email sent to faculty the previous day. A joint press release issued by health and school officials May 16 stated that more than 200 students and faculty may have been exposed to the illness. The college sent letters to notify potentially exposed students May 17, while staff members who may have been exposed have already received notification from the college. However, the press release was never issued to students. Affected students are being advised to be tested at a local community health clinic at no cost. However, those who have not received notification are not considered to be at risk for exposure and TB testing is not recommended. “While the risk of infection is low, it’s important that those who are notified take the time to get tested,” Kaiser said in the press release. “If you do test positive, we can treat you promptly.”
RCC spreads sexual assault awareness MARISSA MORENO ASSISTANT EDITOR
When it comes to sex, any form of response that is not explicitly stated as “yes,” means no. Students addressed consent during the Sexual Assault Prevention Workshop that was held in the Charles A. Kane Building at Riverside City College on May 16. The workshop focused on the services provided through the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, how rape trauma affects the brain and the dangers of victim blaming and rape culture. “For some people it can be difficult to talk about because they feel like a part of them has been taken away,” RCC student Allan Beschorner said. “Even if it doesn’t affect you, it’s still something more people need to know about.” Those present at the workshop wanted to learn about the resources available and how to provide emotional support for survivors. “The most important thing you can do is just being a listening ear,” Alexa Thomason, institution advocate and educator at Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, said. “(Survivors) don’t
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expect anything except that you believe them.” California Penal Code 243.4 defines sexual assault as any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Additionally, California Penal Code 261 defines rape as nonconsensual intercourse and intercourse means any penetration no matter how slight. “Sexual assault is the most underreported crime in America,” Thomason said. “More than 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault and what I hear is ‘I’m not going to report it because I don’t want to ruin their future,’ or, ‘It was probably my fault because I was drinking anyway,’ and I try to explain to them that rape culture has made them think this way.” A common misconception of sexual assault is that it is generally perpetrated by strangers. In reality 59 percent of perpetrators of sexual assault crimes are acquaintances of the victim, 37 percent of them are family members and only 7 percent are strangers, according to the Rape Abuse & Incest National Network. “We have to change the way we look at sexual assault,
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“Power and control: that is what motivates sexual assault.” -- Alexa Thomason
change the way we’re looking at rape,” Thomason said. “Power and control: that is what sexual assault is motivated by.” Thomason urged the audience to let their friends and family know that survivors can seek help at any hospital and they will eventually be redirected to a crisis center in their area. RARCC has an advocate program meant to assist survivors of sexual assault transition from crisis to recovery. “We will sit down with the survivor and we’ll let them know what the (forensic) process will look like,” Thomason said. “We will try to make it the least painful as we can.” The advocates also accompany survivors to their court sessions and provide support for a victim’s family members. Thomason also discussed that survivors of sexual assault have different emotional responses.
VICTOR DURAN | VIEWPOINTS
Alexa Thomason tells students about resources available to sexual assault survivors.
Some victims will be very calm and collected, while others will be hysterical, she stated. Survivors that do no seek help may develop post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives, Thomason added. “Don’t just assume ‘Oh, I’m okay, I’ll get through it.’ Go the extra mile to make sure you’re really taking care of yourself,” she said. “I learned a few things,” RCC student Waldina Lopes said. “I didn’t know about the statistics, or that sexual assault can be by someone the victim knows. It’s really weird. And the fact that consent during sex if the person doesn’t say yes, it still means no.”
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