Vol. 101, Issue 14

Locker room lockout

IZAIAH CERRATOS STAFF REPORTER

The Riverside City College football team has been forced to abandon its stadium locker room for offseason training.

The Board of Trustees granted a $7.7 million dollar budget for the renovations of Wheelock Stadium’s football field, stands and track. Two separate projects were announced in the plan.

One project is designated to renovate the track and turf field. The other project is referred to as the “Wheelock Grandstand Seating Repair Project.”

The football team locker room was left out of the budget and is set to remain the same despite renovations to the majority of the stadium happening this summer. Funds to refurbish the stands on both sides of the stadium were included to improve the bleacher’s safety for staff and fans.

The college fields a competitive team each year but has not supplied it with proper resources.

“We’ve asked (the administration) for a place to meet and for classroom space,” head coach Tom Craft said. “They’ve searched and there is no availability.”

As construction continues to occupy the inside of Wheelock Stadium, many players have audibled to a different locker room or changed their daily routine when gearing up for the 2023 offseason training program.

Some have opted to come prepared and just drive into the parking lot ready to hit the field. Other players have switched to the locker room in the gymnasium.

“For right now it’s easier to change in the gym,” freshman Xavier Harvey said. “It’s right outside our practice field. (It’s) less of a walk for me and the guys.”

The renovations of the football track and field broke ground in early May and are set to be finished in time for the 2023 Fall semester. The idea of improving the facilities have been in talks

See LOCKERS on page 3

RCC’s road to redemption

Loss of veterans force newcomers to improve quickly

The Riverside City College football team was on pace to end the 2022 season 13-0, but the season ended on a sour note.

RCC lost 55-0 in the California Community College Athletic Association Football State Championship Game against the San Mateo College Bulldogs, ending the bid for a perfect year.

The loss was a surprise to most. The Tigers were accustomed to being the team to deliver the blow outs.

RCC is looking to return during the 2023 season and not just reach the State Championship again but win it too.

“The goal is to get back where we were last year,” wide receiver Norion Espadron said. “The only difference is to finish.”

The road to glory will be different than before because the Tigers will be entering the season without some of the starpower and veterans they had last year.

“We don’t have a lot of returning players that have a lot of experience. So we feel it’s very imperative. It’s like this every year,” RCC head coach Tom Craft said. “We lose a lot and kids go on and get scholarships. A new group comes in and that’s our focus.”

Quarterback Jake Retzlaff transferred over the offseason. He was a big piece for the Tigers, scoring most of the team’s touchdowns by using both his arm and legs.

The only freshman that was on the 2022 roster at the quarterback position was Alex Grado. He would have been next in line for this upcoming season, but instead he transferred to San Mateo over the offseason, creating what could be an unstable quarterback position.

On defense, Riverside will take the field without their interception leader DeMarco Moorer, who totaled nine interceptions in only 11 games played. Moorer transferred to the University of Hawaii.

“We had to spend a tremendous amount of time and focus our

attention to recruit larger numbers than we would normally have to because of our retention,” RCC defensive coordinator James Kuk said. “And our returning class being smaller than normal.”

With a lot of the RCC’s roster transferring to different schools, it has become critical to begin the training now in order to build chemistry and be prepared once the season arrives.

“We had about 30 players returning and about 30 players transferred in during the spring so what we are doing is evaluating what they can do,” Craft said. “And that influences what we are going to do based on their talent level.”

Although the Tigers’ first game is not until September, the team is beginning practice now to adapt with their new teammates and becoming familiar with plays to hopefully execute perfectly once the season arrives.

“We have seen some struggles so far but that’s what spring is for,” Espadron said. “Get out there early,

get the mess ups out of the way to be ready by season.”

Riverside City College has also gained itself a reputation in the athletic department after making it all the way to the CCCAA State Championship in back-to-back years.

“We must be able to play to the standards we have here,” Kuk said. “Find the right types of players that fit our culture to be able to play at a very high level. It’s a process from spring to summer to fall camp.”

These early team practices are preparing the new players to slowly develop and intertwine with those returning.

“The team is still being built day by day,” running back Bryce Strong said. “We are getting a lot of hungry guys who are ready to play everyday.”

Riverside City College’s football team will get back in action for its first game against the Long Beach City College Vikings on Sept. 10.

“Expect another year of winning from the Tigers.” Strong said.

DALILA ROMERO STAFF REPORTER

RCC’s football team listens to head coach Tom Craft after a victory on Oct. 22, 2022. The team looks to win the state championship next season.

PETER GIBBS | VIEWPOINTS

RCC Forums Recap

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has conducted over 750 Community College searches to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the process of finding a new president.

In early March of 2023 the national search for RCC’s next president commenced. By April 10 of 2023 ACCT delivered a diverse applicant fold. The college narrowed its search down to three leaders.

The first presidential public forum occurred on May 22 where candidate Rachel Solemsaas presented herself. Solemsaas is chancellor of Hawai’i Community College and activist for poverty solutions.

Her first priorities would be to take time to learn more about the campus and pay attention to things that are needed. She hopes to evolve and never stop learning.

“It is really a moment in my responsibility to continue the work that you’re doing, to continue to facilitate the unified district,” Solemsaas said. “To serve the community, to close the educational payment gap.”

The second presidential public forum was held May 23 where candidate FeRita Carter presented herself to the constituency.

Carter is the interim president of Riverside City College and worked as an instructor in several states. She is actively involved in fundraisers, athletics and student events. Her first priority in office would be to listen and take action.

“I definitely want to work together with the students and faculty to overcome the various challenges and issues that haven’t been brought to my attention and issues that have,” the interim president said.

The third and final presidential forum was held May 24 with Claire Oliveros as the final candidate. Oliveros has experience as a program coordinator and in executive leadership roles. She plans to prioritize meeting with the RCC community to listen, learn and enhance.

“I want to offer a compassionate place for learning and teaching, exercise competency and continue to be consistent and communicate our mission, vision and values as Tigers.”

The final candidate winner will be announced at a June board meeting.

CORRECTIONS:

In issue 9 we misspelled Joey Smith, Instructional arts specialist for the Fine and Performing Arts Department and Mollie Ong, an instructor for the RCC Art Department. In issue 13 we stated that a union protest held was a strike. The corrections have been made online.

City prioritizes commercial area, local business thrives Council votes to upgrade mall

JAZMYN DE JESUS ASST. LIFE EDITOR

The motion to approve the redevelopment of the Moreno Valley Mall was passed unanimously.

The City of Moreno Valley has been prioritizing the “Beautify MoVal” sentiment under the leadership of Mayor Ulises Cabrera, with the redevelopment of the Moreno Valley Mall and other shopping centers being on the agenda for the May 16 City Council meeting.

Mayor Cabrera emphasized that the redevelopment of the mall would mitigate the declining numbers of small businesses within the city.

“We all know how the economy is changing every day,” Cabrera said. “Unfortunately we see the results of that with vacancies in our

retail spaces.”

This motion directly relates to the Beautify MoVal sentiment that multiple attendees and public commentators were in support of, many of whom were donning “Beautify MoVal” hats and shirts in the audience.

“(The mall) needs to be more modernized to be a place people actually want to spend time in,” Moreno Valley resident Maria Juco said.

Others agreed when speaking publicly.

“When I go out with me and my daughters in this area where we live, there’s nothing for us,” said Chelsea Ritchie. “So thank you to the applicants and we hope you guys make the right choice.”

In the statements made by the applicants of the project, it was revealed that the idea to transform the mall has been in the works for

four years by IGP Business Group and architect Mark Levene.

The project will prioritize a walkable, multi use space that features brick and mortar businesses in support of the townspeople.

The company has also worked with RTA and has gotten support from them to add two more Riverside Transit bus stops in the mall area.

Public comments made by attendees criticized the revamp, feeling that the Edgemont region of the city is being neglected while the main areas of the city are improving at a constant rate.

Pete Bluchard, Moreno Valley resident, attended last week’s meeting which covered a planning commission to improve the Edgemont area.

“Everybody else has gotten it, but that town has not seen a dime. No city support,” he said.

Julio Flores spoke on behalf of himself and the Southwest Carpenters Union while in support of the redevelopment and advocated for ethical contractors to be assigned to such a significant project.

“The city should require developments to be built with contractors that will hire locally and pay prevailing wages.” Flores said.

The attendance for the public hearing was recognized as notably high, by the council as many clearly supported the improvements proposed.

“We’ve got to move the city forward the best we can,” Edgemont resident Donovan Saveek said. “I think so far we’re going in the right direction.”

Planning for both the shopping center and Edgemont will be continued. Both are expected to be multiple year developments.

Corporation farms new warehouse

Organic business driven out, hindered by pandemic

ELAINA KLEVEN ART DIRECTOR

The Amazon facility in Ontario is one of the largest in the world, and it’s one of many mega factories in the area.

Amy’s Farm is down the street from this 4.1 million square foot concrete jungle. One of the few sustainable farms left in Southern California.

“My mom started (Amy’s Farm) 35 years ago, and we’ve been here the whole time,” farm employee Haley Owen said. “My entire life has been this farm.”

This family-run business offers fresh produce grown with zero pesticides and tours of the farm to educate the public on what regenerative farming looks like.

“When the pandemic broke out, all of the warehouses started to move in, and we’ll have to close,” said Christian Owen, employee and relative of Randy Bekendam.

Bekendam, also known as

Farmer Randy, the manager of the farm, said the problems started during the pandemic in early 2020.

“There are always individuals on the world stage who are opportunists,” said Bekendam. “When a worldwide catastrophe like (COVID-19) happens, their first thought is not how can I use my resources and influence to help. It’s how can I use my resources and influence to benefit myself and exploit.”

Bekendam discussed the mass rise of consumerism and how numerous people get hooked on these services.

“I remember reading in Times Magazine (that Steve Jobs) could picture a world where (people) can’t function unless they have (an Apple product),” Bekendam said.

“Jeff Bezos realized he could piggyback on this technology and get people hooked on pushing buttons.”

The pandemic only made this worse, with the rise of online delivery services due to quarantine.

“The only way you can get it

delivered to your doorstep is once you push the buttons,” Bekendam said.

“It has to come from a warehouse, so it passes everything. All the momand-pop small entities are being put out of business by Amazon.”

“I just choose to live simply so I don’t need anything Amazon is selling,” he said. All I need is food,

shelter and clothes to live.”

The farm received its eviction letter about a year ago. By Aug. 31, Bekendam and his family that lives and works on the farm will be forced to move elsewhere.

According to Bekendam, Amy’s Farm has been bought out and will be turned into one of the factories in Ontario before the end of 2023.

Banners of fake shops being used to cover a portion of the Moreno Valley mall that has no stores. Renovations of the mall are part of the agenda.

HAYDEN KULICK | VIEWPOINTS

The Amazon fulfillment center in San Bernardino is one of many fulfillment centers in the Inland Empire on Oct. 9, 2020.

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

New creative outlet opens up Makerspace sets stage for CTE students and faculty

JOHN MICHAEL GUERRERO ONLINE MANAGER

The Makerspace in Salvatore G. Rotella Digital Library and Learning Resource Center is a new center that will offer various tools and materials to students interested in creating and exploring Career and Technical Education (CTE).

“(Students) can take advantage of the 3D printers, computers, sewing machines, Cricut machines for embossing and various fabrics. Items are still being added to my knowledge,” Administrative Assistant III to the Dean of CTE Chase Ballard said.

This center will hold a similar role to the Makerspace open at Moreno Valley College. Sabrina Sepulveta, CTE project specialist, said it will be a place for “community events and to express yourself.”

Funding will be provided through the Strong Workforce Grant given to the CTE Department.

“They are currently working on hiring for the positions of the staff who will oversee the space, help people properly handle items and will be trained to operate all the machinery,” Ballard said.

The job search to hire a classified personnel has been tough according to Shari Yates, dean of CTE.

She said they are the key piece missing to open the center as “They will help with the vision and mold of the Makerspace.”

The vision for the Makerspace came from Kristine DiMemmo, vice president of planning and development, and Ajené Wilcoxson, professor of business and entrepreneurship.

“What we are hoping (this

space fosters) is interdisciplinary goals where all the students connect with each of the different (CTE) fields,” Yates said. “In the end, (students) can come up with a product that they can build a business around.”

The Dean hopes students and faculty will take advantage of this campus resource, especially those in CTE.

This place will also help to bring younger people from the community to Riverside City College to explore what CTE has

to offer and help them ease into higher education.

Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) and fine and performing arts faculty have expressed interest in forming a partnership with the Makerspace in the future.

The space is projected to open this upcoming fall semester after five years of planning.

“We are really excited to see this open to students and faculty to participate in and utilize resources available,” Sepulveta said.

Renovation plans do not include base of operations

LOCKERS from page 1

for several months yet the football team locker room seemed to never be of concern.

However, the home side stands will not begin repairs until the field and track are finished. This will result in the home supporters being required to sit on the visitors side.

“(The college) will put additional seating on the visitors side and the end zones,” Craft said. “We won’t have seating on the home side anymore. The bleachers are not safe, they are condemned.”

With both the stands and locker room being unusable, the training staff for the team has been forced to move its headquarters into classrooms.

The locker room also gives the team and coaching staff a private area to watch film or discuss gameplans. That will not occur

while renovations occur.

“I have no place to meet with my players,” Craft said. “When I need to have a team meeting I have to have it on the field. I can’t have guys sitting down and watching tape.”

The Tigers maintain the same work ethic despite the change and look to keep their minds focused on training as the off-season continues to be in full effect.

“Once we are back to having a football field and all the work is done we should be back in the football team locker room,” freshman Phillip Bangura said.

Having a locker room that is on par with the field and track is optimal for training, performance and recovery for the football team. Unfortunately that won’t be the case in this wave of changes.

Stephen Day and Peter Gibbs contributed to this story.

The Makerspace is a resource center projected to open in the fall 2023 semester at the Salvatore G. Rotella Digital Library and Learning Resource Center. 3-D printers, sewing machines and laser printers will be available for use by students and faculty.

3-D printers are being tested by Career and Technical Education faculty for functionality May 22. Incoming specialized faculty will be trained on equipment found within the center prior to the grand opening.

The locker room under the bleachers of Wheelock Stadium show signs of water damage and building insecurity in the small area that 140 members of RCC’s football team are expected to use during practice and games.

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

PHOTOS BY JOHN MICHAEL GUERRERO | VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Angie Escalante life.viewpointsonline@gmail.com

Neko Cafe owner pushes through hardships Boba shop’s long-awaited opening

CHRIS

DIOSOMITO STAFF REPORTER

Opening a boba shop is not as easy as one would think. At least that is what Fiona Lyu, owner of the newly established Neko Cafe located on Magnolia Avenue came to realize.

After eight years of trying, Neko Cafe is now open and making fresh drinks daily for everyone who walks in.

There are many drink and food options to choose from. The cafe is open everyday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is offering 20% off until June 8 to celebrate its grand opening.

The cafe takes inspiration from Japan.

“Neko” means cat in Japanese and Lyu said her family are all cat lovers. The cat cafe spirit lives on through their decorative stickers on the stores walls and the logo found on the cups.

The owner, Fiona Lyu, immigrated to the United States in 2012 and worked at a boba shop in Northern California.

That experience made her want to open her own shop which led her to move to Southern California to pursue her dream.

In 2015 while enjoying Korean BBQ with a friend, Lyu saw that the unit across the way was available for rent and immediately submitted an application.

Lyu’s start-up story proves to be a rough one. She had to deal with two separate contractors, one of which took her money and never finished the project.

“I paid him around $100,000 and he disappeared. He left with about 30% of the work left,” Lyu said. “He didn’t answer my call.”

A few years later, the second contractor charged $44,000 to work on the unfinished project.

“He promised me to open in two months because the first contractor finished most of the work,” she said. “The second still took one and a half years to open.”

Lyu eventually took matters

into her own hands.

“I had no money to hire the second one so I went to work,” she said. “I saved the money from my salary, even borrowed some money from my parents. I restarted this project.”

The surrounding stores are all very friendly towards Lyu and her family. She noted that the Pho Star Bowl next door and Star Crab are also Asian owned, which has brought comfort to her as a Chinese

immigrant.

According to Lyu, the surrounding businesses looked out for her and did their best to help get her back on her feet. She shared that before the store was open, someone had broken the glass and the neighboring stores called to alert her about the incident.

“My neighbors are my customers too. I have a (regular) customer from the Star Crab,” she said. “He comes everyday to buy

his coffee from our store. I really appreciate him.”

The owner shared she carries the same drive to accomplish her dream with the same passion of when she first started. She works the register and makes drinks for customers herself but the shop is family-run.

In spite of its rough start up, Neko Cafe has been steadily growing.

“There was one day where I sold just one drink. The total sales that day was just $4.57. And yesterday I sold around 400,” Lyu said. “100 times (better).”

She is working on getting the store set up for takeout apps and connecting with customers.

Lyu originally feared that the delay in opening would steer away potential customers. The shop’s sign has been up for years without it being open until recently. She worried that not everyone will understand all that she went through to get the shop to where it is now.

All of the cafe’s teas are made fresh daily with real ingredients as opposed to syrups and artificial sweeteners. She even mashes the Taro fruit by hand rather than using powder.

Lyu said that customers can really tell the difference as seen through the increasing positive Yelp and Google reviews.

She reads every review and makes sure to personally thank the customers.

“They encourage me,” Lyu said. ‘They give me the confidence to keep making the store better.”

Neko Cafe owner Fiona Lyu stands behind the counter of the shop’s location off of Magnolia Avenue near the Galleria at Tyler mall in Riverside on May 23.

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Neko Cafe, off of Magnolia Avenue near the Galleria at Tyler mall in Riverside, sports a sparsely decorated interior with a small menu of snacks and drinks on May 23.

MUSE publishes community creativity

RCC’s Literary and Art Journal to have annual launch in June

JAZMYN DE JESUS

ASST. LIFE EDITOR

Riverside City College’s MUSE Literary and Arts Journal is a network for creative writers in our community.

RCC students professionally edit and publish the journal themselves each year.

While some may have only heard of it as a class or a place to submit creative works, those behind the journal feel their work is extremely important.

The 2023 Muse Literary and Arts Journal will be published on June 8. This will be an addition to nearly 30 years worth of journals that line the cabinets in the newly established MUSE space located in the Writing and Reading Center (WRC).

“This year is really great because we have this space, which we got literally just this semester,” exclaimed James Ducat, adviser of MUSE and instructor of the literary magazine course where the students learn to publish the book.

While the space that is provided is not yet finished and only recently got power for lights and electronics, it is an exciting prospect for MUSE to be more available for student participation.

What started off as a club in the ‘80s, the now student-led publication evolves each year under Ducat’s instruction.

“Ducat always mentions that this is our most diverse issue ever,” MUSE editor Sierra Williams said.

According to the editors, over

400 submissions were received. This has set a record for MUSE that has been growing over the years.

The process of going through each submission can be daunting for students, but the challenge has allowed them to grow as writers and professionals.

“The way we select, we pretty much do a blind cold-reading and decide if we like it or we don’t. Then we start to narrow it down,” said a senior editor, who prefers to go by Alphonso.

Their blind reading strategy and an influx of submissions resulted in

more RCC student authors and artists being featured than ever before.

MUSE’s editors said that being a part of this publication is truly a “pre-professional experience” that is important for writers at RCC to recognize and participate in if possible.

“A lot of people hear ‘literary journal’ and think it’s a silly thing, but we’re trying to reach out more to the community this time around,” Senior editor of MUSE Jennifer Florez said.

This year, Florez was able to attend a conference in Washington

hosted by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs to represent MUSE courtesy of the Associated Students of Riverside City College.

Writers and instructors from all over attend and connect with each other during the conference. The event made Florez take her participation in MUSE more seriously.

“Most of the people I met and spoke to were grad students,” she said. “I’d show them our book and they were kind of surprised at how well established we are for a

community college.”

Adreana Muñoz, a first-year student editor, feels that to have the opportunity to do pre-professional work on campus has been a great benefit for many writers and editors.

“You have to adapt as you go because you don’t know who will be in the class. This could also happen in a workplace, so it’s taught me a lot of useful skills,” Muñoz said.

Collaborating creatively, making decisions on what pieces get selected and how they will be revised and reaching out to submitters during the process are just some of the responsibilities these editors have.

Alphonso shares that butting heads is part of the process. All the editors agree that their motivation allows them to push through.

“As we power through each class, there’s another accomplishment. It’s fulfilling to now have a final product,” said Brett Bachman who has now participated in two MUSE journals.

On June 8, MUSE will be hosting a launch party in celebration of their book release on campus in Quad 127 and 128.

While MUSE continues to grow at RCC, more creative outreach and recognition for the artists who contribute to the journal each year will spread as well.

“We’re not just one spot on the map, but a bigger thing that can branch out into other people’s lives,” said Florez.

Instructor James Ducat and the editing team from MUSE hold copies of previous books MUSE has published in their new space in the Writing and Reading Center (WRC) located in the Martin Luther King Building at Riverside City College on May 24.

“

ocean waves caress the sun the moon glides across the sky like a lover’s tongue fishing for dreams in the moonskin river a smile like yours comes along once every 10,000 years

I bury my heart in the sand for safekeeping

-when the stars fall like lures by Carella Keil (Excerpt from the upcoming 2023 MUSE literary journal)

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Family-owned restaurant flourishes

El Patrón purchases second location in Murrieta

ANGIE ESCALANTE LIFE EDITOR

Mexican restaurant El Patrón, built in 1904 by the historical Union Pacific Railroad Depot, stands out not only because of its rich culture but because of the familial bond that runs throughout the place and its community.

With a lifetime of experience in the service industry, support from family and love for people, owner Shawna Rider bought El Patrón in 2019.

Rider strives to make the restaurant a place for her team to feel at home and loved, something she didn’t always experience in her line of work.

“I always said if I ever own a restaurant, I’m gonna make sure my employees are taken care of,” she said.

Rider’s ownership had just begun at El Patrón when the pandemic hit. Much to their benefit, two regular patrons had helped contract the restaurant under a program the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had launched.

Rider and six others cooked three meals a day, seven days a week straight out of the restaurant for about a hundred senior citizens during the pandemic.

The restaurant is family owned and oriented. Many of the staff are relatives of the owner or longtime friends.

“My team, I don’t call them my employees. They don’t call each other co-workers. We call each other family,” Rider said. “My staff calls me ‘Mama.’ We celebrate together, we cry together, we laugh together and we have fun together.”

A lot of her support came from her parents. Rider lost her mom last January and took some time off to grieve.

Though she physically distanced herself she was never truly alone. Rider shared that her team checked up on her constantly by messaging her and sending food and flowers.

“One of the things that my mom always told us is that if you don’t have a family, doesn’t matter if they’re blood or not, you really don’t have anything,” Rider said.

El Patrón grows every day. So much so that Rider purchased a second location in Murrieta where they will be joining the Chamber of Commerce.

Rider wants a place for everyone to enjoy. There will be a cantina that will stay open a little later than the family-friendly dining area.

They were able to secure the location through one of El Patrón’s regular patrons who is a realtor and the contractor is none other than Rider’s dad.

Rider shared that it’s a little bittersweet leaving the Riverside location and focusing most of her time in Murrieta. Part of what went into the location decision was to remain close enough to both of her families.

She assures that she is one call

away and cannot wait for the El Patrón family to grow.

“I think for (my staff), just know that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter how far away I am from that location,” she said. “If I’m working here, then I’m still going to be available for them anytime they need me.”

Melissa Hernandez, the current assistant manager who was with Rider when El Patrón was bought, will be in charge of the Riverside location.

Hernandez started her journey through the service industry only with the intention to provide for her kids.

As a single mom of two going through a divorce, she did not see this as a longtime career until 2018 when she went to work at the now closed Mission Tobacco Lounge in downtown Riverside. Rider was her general manager there and encouraged her to continue.

“I wanted to grow. I wanted to learn,” Hernandez said. “My bartending took a turn to where I wanted to make it into a career, something that I could be a part of.”

With Rider focusing on the Murrieta location and part of the staff transferring over, Hernandez looks forward to making the transition smooth. She wants to give back to the staff as much as possible to thank them for their hard work.

Christopher Ramirez, Rider’s adopted son and current general manager in Riverside, will be transferring over to run the Murrieta location.

Though Ramirez has known Rider for nearly 20 years, he began working

in El Patrón when Rider’s mom passed to help alleviate the stress.

For someone who lives in Temecula, managing the Riverside location has not been easy. Working 10-hour days with an hour-long commute back home has him spending a lot of time out of the house. He said he can’t wait to officially transfer over to Murrieta to better balance work and family.

Ramirez firmly believes the second location will thrive.

“The community and the city that we choose, whether it be Riverside or Murrieta, to open up a business we (have to) embrace them as much as they embrace

us,” Ramirez said. “I have plans to do school fundraisers, food drives and all types of stuff that will benefit the community and also get the El Patrón name out there as a positive.”

The owner and both managers in charge know what it’s like to be employees at a restaurant that didn’t look out for them. All three aim to make El Patrón a place to feel appreciated by customers and workers alike.

“A dishwasher is just as important as the head chef,” Ramirez said. “I have never managed in a way where I let my employees think I am better than

them. I don’t like that. That’s not how Shawna trained me and that’s not how I operate.”

The restaurant couldn’t have made it to where it’s at now without the love and support of people who repeatedly come back.

“One of the big things we have here at El Patrón is that we don’t have customers, we have guests,” Hernandez said. “We want everyone to feel they’re family when they walk in the building.”

“I’m a very blessed woman,” Rider said. “I come from a very strong Christian family and I believe God puts things in your path and in your life for a reason.”

El Patrón, in downtown Riverside, creates a party atmosphere for guests on Cinco De Mayo, a holiday traditionally only celebrated in the U.S on May 5.

PHOTO BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Five El Patrón team members at a hiring event in April. (STANDING) FROM LEFT Nicole Rush, Shawna Rider and Melissa Hernandez (SITTING) Juan Carlos Nuñez LEFT and Dee Dizzle Williams RIGHT

PHOTO COURTESY OF EL PATRÓN

Editor: Maria Odenbaugh opinions.viewpointsonline@gmail.com

Gun violence met with silence Citizens desensitized to mass shootings, California not safe

VIANNEY MORALES STAFF REPORTER

Californians are not immune from gun violence, no matter how much we try to dissassociate ourselves from conservative states like Texas.

Turning a blind eye to the gun violence that happens in Texas is not only selfish, it’s irresponsible to pretend we are immune from it.

I had always separated California from Texas in terms of safety from gun violence. That is until I discovered that Texas and California have seen the most mass shootings this year thus far.

Soon after the recent mass shooting in Allen, Texas, multiple graphic videos of the carnage quickly spread on social media.

One video in particular showed the bodies of the Cho family, a devastating scene that shocked me to my core. The video had spread before their identities were revealed to the public.

This sparked outrage. Many cited the lack of respect for the victims and their families. I understand this sentiment and I could only imagine how I’d feel if those were my loved ones being filmed.

How have we reached a point where we are so entirely desensitized to gun violence that numerous people think to film the bloodshed of a mass shooting?

A family of four started the day with an innocent trip to the outlet mall and only one of them would return home. I think about how safe I feel with my family when we go to the local outlet mall and it never

once dawned on me that something like this could very well happen.

Before seeing the graphic videos of the shooting’s aftermath, I hadn’t been able to truly fathom what a mass shooting looks like. After every mass shooting before, I’d just hear the numbers of casualties and see their faces after their identities are revealed. I would genuinely ache for the victims and their families, especially after watching

interviews with the families. However, I never truly understood the manner of death. Physically seeing the overwhelming amount of bloodshed forced me to put gun violence into perspective as someone who has never been personally affected by it.

We owe it to the victims of gun violence to actually understand the way they were murdered. A preventable tragedy that not only

Texas politicians refuse to take accountability for, but all American politicians. We are not immune to the ills of gun violence, no matter how disillusioned we have become that California is some sort of safe haven from such violent tragedy.

I remember after the Parkland shooting, I was always on edge at school. I would pray that if a shooting were to happen, I’d be at a certain class because it had easier

access to leave campus. My heart weighs heavily while I wonder if my future children will need to plan an escape route, too.

I am entirely exhausted from thoughts and prayers. I think of the families of gun violence victims and how hopeless they must feel that their loss means nothing to politicians. At least not enough for them to actually change something. Our government has made it painfully clear that a supposed right established over 200 years ago takes precedent over the livelihood of every American. That a person’s right to own a gun trumps everyone’s right to live and feel safe.

I shouldn’t panic every time I’m in a movie theater or a restaurant because someone could easily murder dozens of people in a matter of seconds. I shouldn’t have to consider my action plan if I’m ever put in a situation that unfortunately many Americans have found themselves in.

Even false alarms of shootings are terrorizing Americans. I’ve seen countless videos of customers forced into the backroom of a store due to reports of a shooter. I will always remember the same worry on their faces that they might not make it home.

Ensuring I have an escape plan at every public place isn’t the pursuit of life and liberty. Although I try to tell myself it won’t happen to me, it could and it might.

I am tired and disheartened by the inaction of our government. If murdered children and bloodied bodies on the sidewalk of a shopping mall aren’t enough to force politicians to reform gun laws, then nothing will.

SNAP program necessary for college students

California’s SNAP Program, CalFresh, has provided great help to college students throughout the past two years.

In January 2021, the government offered COVID-19 Public Health Emergency program. This allowed students that did not meet the requirements for CalFresh in the past to qualify.

According to the Department of Social Services, the temporary student rules of requirement for CalFresh will begin to end on June 10, 2023. Going back to the initial requirements before COVID-19 means many college students will no longer qualify for CalFresh or will need to provide additional information to continue with the benefits.

County officials say to “apply

now” before benefits tighten around the county. The CalFresh application states a qualifying student could get up to $281 a month to pay for groceries.

Support for college students is very important now that they are the future of our economy.

With the inflation that we are all experiencing, reducing the number of students that qualify for these benefits will hurt tremendously.

Some students work while obtaining an education. This aid will help them work less so they can finish their degree faster and obtain their desired job.

Groceries have gotten more and more expensive after the pandemic. Transportation, monthly rent and personal expenses will become insurmountable without this assistance.

Even though many students qualify for FAFSA, these benefits are only enough for tuition and books. This help is essential to students because many of them

can not count on their family’s financial support. Most families are also struggling to make ends meet.

Continuing to make these benefits accessible to college students will pay off in the near future. By helping college students with one less worry, which in this case is food, students would be able to focus on their education and obtain a higher paying job sooner than later.

After COVID-19 we were left with many uncertainties. The financial help that came from the government throughout that time is still needed. We continue to need that financial help.

Students deserve government programs that help them get through college years without so much stress. Basic student needs, such as tuition, books and living expenses have only gotten more expensive over time.

Instead of having more benefits at the end of their career, students are left with a huge debt to pay off.

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

A Springfield Armory XD .40 caliber handgun sits on a table while an extra magazine is loaded in Riverside Ca on May 24.

KATHYA SAGRERO STAFF REPORTER

Shoppers peruse the dairy department for their weekly groceries at Ralph’s in Riverside on April 5, 2020.

E ditorial

Viewpoints’ editorials represent the majority opinion of and are written by the Viewpoints’ student editorial board.

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SPORTS EDITOR Peter Gibbs sports.viewpointsonline@gmail.com

Parading, not patrolling

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco toured the southern border prior to the termination of Title 42 on May 11 and said that the situation is much worse than he imagined. Unfortunately, it’s still unclear what purpose the trip served aside from having his photo taken on a horse.

FOX 11 interviewed Bianco after the visit and jokingly asked if he “rode away” with greater concerns. He repeatedly responded by saying that the situation is a lot worse, but only cited a lack of resources for the approximately 500 people they encountered that day.

Rather than making a joke to find out what resulted from the Sheriff’s tour, it would have served a greater purpose to inform the public of the actual border situation.

FOX 11 and Bianco are guilty of using their platform to glamorize police work instead of seeking to relay information that matters.

It was left unanswered how this affects Riverside County, which should have been the reason for the visit considering his constituency..

As aspiring journalists, it is alarming to witness such shallow reporting on a deep issue.

He was pictured parading around an area where many immigrant children and their families lay in the dirt.

We didn’t need to see photos from the United States Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino’s Twitter account of photos of him and Bianco on horses at the El Centro Sector of the southern border.

It’s a shame to see authorities glamorizing immigration — a legitimate crisis — to their benefit.

Not only is it a shame but it’s misrepresentative of what the United States actually stands for and strays away from the truth.

The issue at hand is that there is a sudden surge of migrants at the border and our sheriff used it as an opportunity to play cowboy.

There was no actual regard for the children just feet away, standing around barefoot on the same soil he toured. Families that were stripped away from each other and forced to sit in the detention centers, wrapped in foil blankets after being detained aren’t his concern.

There was more concern on Bianco’s behalf for the agents at the border rather than the immigrants seeking asylum.

The border patrol agents are “very

frustrated and they are very short staffed,” according to Bianco. Why was it a priority for the Riverside County Sheriff to be guided around by the frustrated, short-staffed sector? He clearly wasn’t there to help.

We can only assume there are things of greater priority that need attention locally.

Issues that require his attention — lawsuits about wrongful deaths in county jails, fentanyl, disappearing meth — are left on the back burner.

The U.S.-Mexico border is the Border Patrol’s jurisdiction, not Riverside County’s. Wrongful death lawsuits filed in March against Bianco and the county prove that there is a need for improved policing in our county.

Bianco said he had been trying to arrange the tour for over a year. How does that benefit Riverside, the migrants attempting to cross or the short-staffed border patrol?

If this was in an attempt to put a spotlight on what is ensuing at the border, then it should have been just that.

The Viewpoints editorial staff can only anticipate electing a sheriff in the future who will demonstrate consideration for matters that may impact our county.

Bianco cares too much about his image and that of his colleagues.

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Jair Ramirez

PHOTO EDITOR Stephen Day photography.viewpointsonline@gmail.com

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JOURNALISM SPECIALIST

Letters to the editor should be kept to 250 words or less and include contact information. Email letters to viewpointseic@ gmail.com. Viewpoints reserves the right to edit letters for space and to reject libelous or obscene letters. Letters to the editor and columns represent the opinions of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Viewpoints staff, Viewpoints faculty advisers, student faculty, administration or the Board of Trustees. Dates below are subject to change.

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Sports Briefs Golf

Riverside City College’s golf team competed in the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships for the first time on May 15. It placed seventh.

Ryan Osorio led the team with a score of 145 over the two-day event.

Men’s track and field

The RCC men’s track and field team finished in third place at the CCCAA State Championships on May 20. Thrower Donal Aluesi took home the Athlete of the Year award.

Both Edward Ta’amilo and Christian Burroughs finished in the top three for the discus event.

Kyle Reden and Luke Gleason landed on the podium in the 800 meter race.

Women’s track and field

A season mired by miscues

and a conference record of 7-14, placing sixth in the Orange Empire Conference.

The Riverside City College’s softball team started its season with a win against Long Beach City College.

It looked like the team could upset higher ranked schools and have a decent year.

Then came five straight losses. Hope diminished. Unfortunately for the Tigers, this was a common occurrence during the long 40 game season.

Riverside finished the season with an overall record of 15-25

The Tigers would grind out a win and maybe start a small streak. But a multi-game losing streak followed.

Why was this?

A combination of a struggling offense and a large number of errors by the defense contributed to the disappointing season.

The offense couldn’t put up runs consistently. When it did, errors would ruin the team’s chances of winning. When comparing the Tigers offensive stats to their opponents, RCC was behind in every major category. More specifically hits, runs and RBIs. Defensively,

Riverside coughed up nearly double the amount of errors as its opponents did out of a total 347 attempts made by the defense. RCC’s games followed a pattern during the season.

When the Tigers would be in the lead of the game, the team would give up free runs because of the errors. There were never any shutdown innings. This added pressure to the entire RCC team. Added pressure to the offense to score runs, added pressure for the pitching staff to shut down batters and added pressure to the defense to make every single play that would come their way.

However, you must acknowledge

that it was not a normal season for the Tigers. There were many points during the season where games had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather or poor field conditions. That forced the team to play doubleheaders. Not to mention focusing on academics off the field.

The team didn’t get too harsh on itself for the mistakes made during the season. Instead it looked back on the mistakes to understand what needed to be worked on that would help the team move forward.

While RCC may not have high expectations for the 2024 season, there is a sense of hope that the team can improve and become a serious contender.

Discovering more diamonds in the rough

HAYDEN KULICK MANAGING EDITOR

Non-Division I college athletes don’t get the respect they deserve.

Every year, all of the four major American sports have drafts where they get to choose athletes from college (and in some cases high school) and turn them into professionals. In these drafts we rarely see anything other than top high school talent and Division I athletes be taken.

In the MLB First Year Player Draft we occasionally see Junior College athletes get taken and some amazing players have come from it.

Craig Kimbrell attended Wallace

State Community College and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves twice, once in 2007, which he declined, and then again in 2008. He has since become an eight time All Star and has solidified himself as one of the best relief pitchers to ever play the game of baseball.

One of the best first basemen of all time was also a junior college student when he got drafted.

Albert Pujols was drafted in round 13 of the 1999 draft out of Metropolitan Community College. After his debut with the Saint Louis Cardinals, Pujols hit the fourth most home runs by any major leaguer ever.

Baseball isn’t the only sport that these athletes succeed in.

Six time NBA champion Scottie Pippen attended the University of

Central Arkansas back when it was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

All-NBA Small forward Jimmy Butler attended Tyler Junior College before transferring to Marquette University.

Nick Symmonds is a two time Olympian in the 800-meter run that attended NCAA Division III Willamette University.

While Division I universities without a doubt produce more talent than all the smaller schools, that doesn’t mean that all these elite level athletes should go unnoticed.

Since the NBA put a stop to high schoolers getting drafted in 2007, a lot of the fans and media have been arguing that the league should allow it again. I too believe this, but that also begs a question. What is

stopping NBA teams from drafting junior college athletes?

Many would say it’s because of the lack of competition that they face, but that simply is not true. If anything, high school players face this issue.

High school games consist of almost zero players that touch a basketball after high school. In junior college, these athletes are competing against a full roster of players that are trying to earn a scholarship. People are no longer doing it for fun.

These athletes need more respect and the only way to make that happen is to fill the stands and get them more media coverage.

Without sufficient exposure, professional sports will miss out on a lot of talent.

The women’s track and field team finished ninth at the CCCAA State Championship on May 20.

Alejandra Rosales won the discus event and placed in the top five for both the shot put and hammer throw.

The 1600 meter relay team placed fifth at the state championship.

Corrections

In Issue 12, we misspelled the name of former RCC pitcher Jesse Chavez in our “IE in the MLB” article.

In Issue 13, we stated that Aj Sorensen finished the 500-yard freestyle in 1:00:03. Sorensen actually competed in the 50yard freestyle and finished with the same time as stated.

These corrections have been made at viewpointsonline.org.

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Editor: Peter Gibbs sports.viewpointsonline@gmail.com

An overhead view of the Riverside City College softball team losing to Santiago Canyon College on March 20. The Tigers lost the game 6-5.

MATHEW ACOSTA | VIEWPOINTS