Vol. 101 Issue 3, Sept. 29, 2022

VIEWPOINTS

Warehouse proposal threatens longtime landowners

Upcoming Bloomington project development meeting reveals communication

hindrances between county officials and their residents

JENNIPHER VASQUEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bloomington neighbors, city officials and hopeful developers packed the San Bernardino County Government Center Chambers and an overflow room as the groups debated plans to potentially demolish homes and Zimmerman Elementary School in unincorporated Bloomington. However, language barriers are proving to be an obstacle.

Community mourns DTR icon

CHEETARA PIRY MANAGING EDITOR

A safe space lost a champion.

A jam-packed group of more than 200 dressed like they were either at Studio 54 or their Sunday best gathered to celebrate the life of the longtime owner of the Menagerie, an LGBTQIA2+ bar in downtown Riverside on Sept. 24.

David St. Pierre, owner of the spot, died at 59 on Sept. 6 after battling cancer.

“The word menagerie describes exactly what the bar is, an eclectic group of many different things,” Phillip (Cassi) Bailey, 56, longtime friend and St. Pierre’s oldest bartender said. “It’s inclusive and welcoming to everybody and anybody.”

The memorial took place

behind the bar living up to its namesake hosting a motley crew.

The community rallied together to make the celebration of St. Pierre’s life possible. A neighboring Mexican restaurant, El Patron, catered the event while family and longtime colleagues and employees helped to set up the tent, stage and tables.

“It just shows how many talented people and how many people (in general) cared about David,” Bailey said.

The Menagerie’s 24-year bartender hosted the memorial, sharing memories of St. Pierre’s character. He remembered him as one who never complained, always strived to have good entertainment and cared deeply for people. The duo was creating a show that would premiere in December at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, and up until the very end St. Pierre was working.

“The last few months were really bad,” Bailey remembered, “I asked him ‘are you sure you’re up for this?’ and he said ‘don’t treat me like a sick man, I have to do this, because I have to keep my mind busy.”

The duo were responsible for the conception of hosting drag shows, shaping to be one of the main features of the Menagerie.

Over two decades ago, Bailey and St. Pierre partnered in creating a drag show called “All That Glitters” eventually evolving into a show called “Snatched” hosted by David Petruschin (Raven), 43.

The bar became home to several drag performers, since it was one of the only “safe spaces” in the Inland Empire for drag entertainers and ally to the LGBTQIA2+ community.

“He turned it into a space that people wanted to come to,” Bailey shared. “It was definitely a place

a lot of the entertainers that went on to do some incredible things got their start.”

Many performers did move on to gain great success, including Petruschin who applied to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race’ second season.

At the time, Petruschin was a fledgling drag queen that couldn’t afford all the expenses of competing on the show. However, Pierre took it upon himself to help with the costs so that the young, up and coming performer could represent Riverside.

“I said here’s a little money, buy what you need and go,” St. Pierre said in a May 2019 interview with Hey Riverside. “I want you to make us proud.”

Petruschin went on to place second in RuPaul’s drag race that season, landing a job as the show’s

The San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved the proposal, funded and produced by Howard Industrial Partners, to construct an industrial business warehouse on over 200 acres of land by a vote of 3-0 with one abstention.

The vote came after a full day of presentations, a Q&A session and public comments by several Bloomington land owners, who both opposed and supported the plan.

Some felt the deck was stacked against the opposition.

A Bloomington resident, who stated her opposition, was the first public voice who needed an interpreter to translate her statement to the audience.

After her comments, many protesting the warehouse project noticed that her statements were not being translated in full.

As the Spanish speaking resident slowly spoke to the Planning Commission in order to allow the

President Vurdien sits down with

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

blame inmate deaths

Employees and long time patrons of The Menagerie remember David St. Pierre on Sept. 24 with flowers and photo tribute.

News Briefs

Help applying for external scholarships

This workshop Sept. 30 from 2-3 p.m. is designed to help students apply for scholarships, complete essays and recommend for scholarship opportunities.

Zoom link: shorturl.at/ MVY13

Keynote Speaker: Dolores Huerta

Huerta, an American civil rights activist and cofounder of the National Farmworkers Association, will speak at the Landis Performing Arts Center on Oct. 4 from 12:20-1:20 p.m.

Campus Crime Report

Trespassing property

Date: 9/2/2022

Location: RCC (not specified) Booked

Hit & run traffic collision Date: 9/6/2022

Location: RCC (not specified)

Possession of dirk or dagger Date: 9/12/2022

Location: Olivewood Ave. Booked

Trespassing, unlawful use of utility services, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of controlled substance (meth), parole hold, theft of credit card information Date: 9/12/2022

Location: Math and Science Building at RCC Booked

Felony arrest warrant Date: 9/12/2022

Location: Olivewood Ave. Booked

Stolen vehicle Date: 9/17/2022

Location: RCC (not specified)

Vandalism Date: 9/17/2022

Location: Center for Social Justice

If you feel you or others’ safety is at risk, please contact the RCCD Police Department at 951-222-8171 for nonemergency calls, and in case of emergency, call 9-1-1.

To stay up to date on upcoming campus events, visit the Viewpoints calendar listed at viewpointsonline.org

If you have events happening on campus that you want featured on the calendar, send information about the event to viewpoints.news@gmail.com

Translation struggles plague meeting

designated interpreter from the County to translate, many in the audience immediately voiced that they noticed her statement was being translated inaccurately and incomplete.

“She steps up there and she starts botching the translation completely, giving the bare minimum,” said Andrea Viduarre, Senior Policy Analyst for the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice (PCEJ).

“After that, I think, now everyone is stepping in and translating for them on the spot.”

Vidaurre recalled when a resident said, in Spanish, that the plan would “destroy” the community, the County employee translated the word as “modify.”

The translator visibly struggled to keep up with the commenting resident and left out fragments of her statement.

Viduarre was among those who volunteered on the spot to translate for audience members asking for an interpreter.

“We had actually requested the interpretation yesterday,” she said. “We thought we were going to have full translation (where) people get headsets. We got here and they said ‘we are only going to have someone translate Spanish speakers to English.’”

That was when members of PCEJ took matters into their own hands.

This was done following the first few public comments, according to PCEJ representatives, to allow everyone’s comments to be interpreted accurately and fully.

Viduarre and others paced around the room interpreting into a

headset with their own translating equipment.

Alicia Aguayo, PCEJ communications manager, shared her concern for the community members that were sharing their stories but not being understood by the audience.

“It’s often a barrier that people experience, especially in Bloomington,” she said. “A lot of the documents are never translated in Spanish and these are communities where the majority of the people there speak Spanish.”

The “request to speak” forms, “glossary of planning terms” intended to clarify phrases throughout the presentation, and the meeting agenda copies that

were passed out to attendees were not available in Spanish.

County Special Populations Committee Chair Jonathan Weldy was approached by some attendees expressing the same concerns as Viduarre and

Aguayo during a break in public commentary.

“Put it in writing,” Weldy responded. “It’s not something I can take care of for you right now.”

This story is developing. STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Pride, pearls and St. Pierre, the end of an era

OBIT from page 1

makeup artist and later receiving a Primetime Emmy Award.

Although the overall tone of the passing of their dear friend was solemn, everyone was smiling from ear to ear to have convened in honor of the Riverside icon.

Pop music blasted from the speakers and almost everybody had a drink in their hand. Many were holding back tears, however the overall tone of the crowd was that of jubilation.

Michelle Davila, 56, RCCD employee, said the amount of people who came to honor St. Pierre is an “ode to his legacy.”

“He was an amazing man,” Davilla said. “He gave his heart to the community.”

St. Pierre served on several community boards and committees, including the chief’s advisory board, the Riverside arts council and became a co-founder of the Western Inland Empire Coalition Against Hate.

“David truly believed that it was not important who you love or how you love just that you love,” Bailey shared.

Throughout the entirety of

the memorial, people of all types came together to commemorate the legacy of a man they called their “fearless” leader that stood by them in order to appreciate the gem of Riverside.

You could not deny that there was nothing but love in all of the people who came attende. As they gathered around hugging one another, taking pictures on their phones and dancing in commemoration of their friend the truth of his legacy was fulfilled.

St. Pierre’s celebration of life was nothing short of “fabulous,” as many described his life to be. His loved ones highly personalized the service and shared memories, stories and laughter.

Rainbow faux feathered leis and pearl necklaces were passed around tributed to Miss Pearl, St. Pierre’s beloved dog.

A seat inside the Menagerie at the edge of the bar was specifically reserved for St. Pierre and his dog.

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking any and all donations to be placed under the restauranteur’s name to The Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center in Riverside where he adopted his beloved dog, Miss Pearl.

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS ABOVE The Menagerie in downtown Riverside closed for the owner’s memorial.

LEFT A bartender at The Menagerie serves a cocktail to an attendee at David St Pierre’s memorial service in downtown Riverside on Sept. 24.

JENNIPHER VASQUEZ | VIEWPOINTS

TOP A Bloomington resident addressed the San Bernardino Planning Commission on Sept. 22 during the public commentary portion of the meeting. The commissioners later voted to pass the industrial warehouse proposal that many spoke in opposition against.

BOTTOM Members of the People’s Collective for Environmental Justice and others in opposition of the industrial warehouse proposal, by Howard Industrial Partners, gathered outside while the commissioners listened to public commentary.

RCC volleyball losing streak continues

LUIS TREJO STAFF REPORTER

The Riverside City College women’s volleyball team was outmatched by Orange Coast College, losing the match 3-0 and extending its losing streak to four games.

The Tigers struggled to put points on the board as the Pirates refused to let the ball go over the net, holding RCC to just 29 points through the first two sets.

“Our communication was great,” Mya Castro, sophomore who plays left back, said. “We missed a lot of our servicing passes. That’s something we need to work on.”

On both offense and defense, the Pirates were too much for the Tigers, outscoring them 50-29 through the first two sets.

“We need to work on our blocking,” Castro said. “No more confusion, there’s a lot of confusion on the court.”

The Tigers were able to shift the momentum late in the third set by closing the gap and keeping the game close, with teammates on and off the court motivating and pushing them to keep going. However, it wasn’t enough as Orange Coast closed the door on them winning the set 25-23.

“We need to work hard and keep pushing through, even when we are tired,” freshmen outside hitter Jada Cottom said. “We need to play like we’re undefeated, and have nothing to lose.”

Early in the game offense and defense were struggling to work as a team which often led to making mistakes and giving up points. This hurt them as the game progressed.

“We want to be consistent with passing,” second-year head coach Clara Lowden said. “Our players get better every game, eventually the wins will start coming in.”

The Tigers will look to end their losing streak against Cypress College on Sept. 30.

Editor: Hayden Kulick

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Jessica Lepe receives the serve and sets up the Tigers’ attack.

TOP Mya Castro gets under the ball and passes it back into play.

RIGHT Lanah Bergen receives the serve and passes to set up for the Tigers’ attack.

Audrey Elias, LEFT, and Katie Moore, leap high to defend the net against the Pirates’ attack.

RCC hurdles competition, ranked

DALILA ROMERO STAFF REPORTER

The Riverside City College football team continued its string of blow out victories with a 58-21 victory over Golden West College.

The Tigers dominated out the gate. It only took 4 minutes 17 seconds to score their first touchdown of the game. This electric offense combined with a stifling defense, led to a 27-point advantage going into halftime.

RCC continued its offensive assault on the Rustlers while the defense did its part, turning Golden West over three times.

“It’s just me doing my craft and playing to the best of my ability,” RCC defensive back Damarco Moorer said. “Actions speak louder than words.”

This match was more than just a game for quarterback Jake Retzlaff as Golden West was his former college. He showed his old team what they were missing as he threw for more passing yards than the Rustlers totaled offensively Saturday afternoon.

“There were a lot of emotions going into the week and even more walking into the stadium,” he said. “I thrive off emotions, so that definitely helped my play on the field.”

The passing attack wasn’t the only threat for RCC. Running back Bryce Strong led the game in rushing with an efficient six carries for 64 yards.

“I stayed ready throughout the week,” he said. “When the opportunity presented itself I was able to be me and do what I do best.”

Golden West was ranked third in the state entering the game Saturday.

“They’re a great team and we have to play our best ball just to beat them,” sophomore wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff said. “Luckily we had a great game for ourselves and they are a great team.”

Retzlaff has been dominant through the first four games of this season, averaging more than 100 receiving yards and almost two touchdowns per game.

“That’s the biggest deal with us, we are always competing with ourselves,” he said. “We don’t take a day off. We are always working.”

The Tigers will look to maintain their momentum when they play College of the Canyons on Oct. 1.

Juwan Tucker breaks free with the ball, and runs all the way for a touchdown.

Reggie Retzlaff leaps over Kentrelle Omar to avoid the tackle and gets the first down. Retzlaff would cap of the drive with a 25 yard receiveing touchdown from his brother Jake

Favre further tarnishes legacy

ranked first in state Hall of Fame quarterback allegedly steals state welfare welfare funds

HAYDEN KUKLICK SPORTS EDITOR

While he wears Wrangler jeans and Copper Fit, he can’t find a way to wear any prides.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has been recently accused of fraud for using $5 million of the state of Mississippi’s welfare fund in order to build a volleyball facility.

According to NBC, while the former All-Pro quarterback has yet to be indicted of anything, he is a piece to a much bigger puzzle that includes $70 million being taken away from the state’s fund for needy families and given to him, a professional wrestler, a horse farm and a volleyball complex.

“Mississippi is both the blackest state and the poorest state,” senior writer for ESPN David Dennis Jr. said. “There has not been safe water to drink in Jackson, Mississippi for months.”

The state of Mississippi also gets $87 million dollars in welfare money every year, yet it rejects 90% per NBC.

“Two percent of people get approved for the welfare fund in the state,” Dennis said. “Yet they have given $5 million to Brett Favre.”

The three-time MVP was also paid a combined $1.2 million in 2017 and 2018 for speeches that he did not give. That money was from the same welfare fund that is supposed to be used on poor and needy families in the state of Mississippi. He eventually paid away those debts for the speeches, however he still owes the state $228,000 in interest.

The one time Super Bowl champion’s lawyer has declined all interviews relating to the subject, claiming that Favre has “done nothing wrong and never understood he was paid with money intended to help poor children,” per NBC.

This isn’t Favre’s first run in with the law either. Back in 2011 Christina Scavo and Shannon O’Toole, former massage therapists for the New York Jets, filed a lawsuit against Favre for inappropriate and unsolicited text messages. On multiple occasions, he messaged various women in the Jets organization about meeting up and asking for sexual favors.

Jenn Sterger, a former sideline reporter for the Jets, also experienced similar behavior from the quarterback when he was finishing his career as a player. She received inappropriate text messages and voicemails from the NFL legend.

The man has faced few consequences for his seemingly many indiscretions, outside of one $50,000 fine for failure to cooperate with a league investigation.

Let’s compare that to the punishments of some players of color.

Wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, Calvin Ridley, was suspended indefinitely for placing a $12,000 bet on his own team to win a game.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Josh Gordon, was suspended from December of 2014 to November of 2017 for violation of the leagues drug policy.

Pro bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott, was suspended for a domestic violence accusation that ended up being a false claim.

Dating back 30 years ago, Super Bowl champion Dexter Manley was given a lifetime suspension for an addiction to crack cocaine.

And Colin Kaepernick lost his career to kneeling during the National Anthem.

Brett Favre has violated the NFL’s policies many times, yet he continues to be barely penalized. If he were a person of color, he would’ve been kicked out of the Hall of Fame.

Reggie Retzlaff runs for his sixth touchdown reception for the season.

Jake Retzlaff.

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

OPINIONS

Editor: Maria Odenbaugh

Sheriff Bianco strikes again

Inmates die, ‘peace officers’ abuse necessary funds

The RPD constantly fails to inform loved ones on how the inmates died even though it is protocol. Some deaths were never even acknowledged until later discovered by the families or the public.

The working class invariably falls victim to unacceptable mismanagement masked as “accidents” by those who are supposed to “protect and serve” them.

There are thousands of cases of excessive use of force from numerous precincts across the country. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the number of federal prisoners who have died in custody is increasing incrementally each year.

ZACH REYNOSA STAFF REPORTER

Neglect, distrust and misuse of power is actively killing our working class.

Twelve people died in custody at the Riverside County jail this year.

A press conference was held by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to address the situation after being confronted for downplaying the alarming occurrences of deaths.

Bianco alleged five of the convicts were killed from fentanyl overdoses, two by suicide, three by medical complications with two deaths still pending.

This is a constant problem for the Riverside Police Department. However, this year exceptionally stands out as an anomaly.

“We did nothing wrong,” Bianco said.

The unapologetic brutality and injustice of the sheriff’s department as well as the police force destroys an individual’s trust for an establishment supposedly meant to keep communities safe.

To find something good to say about the police is like finding a strand of hay in a pile of needles. Frankly, they don’t deserve the praise they receive at all. Countless times do we see the police defend themselves and only themselves.

Bianco has a track record that is consistent with that belief. He has openly threatened to arrest public officials including Ward 2 Riverside City Council member Clarissa Cervantes.

In this specific instance, Cervantes was the victim of an alleged smear campaign in support of abortion access. Bianco made it clear that she was “lucky” to not have been arrested.

If the local sheriff actually cared for his community, why can’t he explain the $77 million of taxpayer

money that was used to pay for police misconduct settlements and lawsuits?

This means that our dollars are being used to pay for the careless “mistakes” of the haphazard actions of these “entrusted” forces.

Perhaps Bianco is being used as a figurehead to take the blame for ruthless misconduct. In other words, he is someone that we can point the finger at and say “hey this man is the source of your fears and woes” so that the true monsters can live in peace. That being your everyday “peace officer.”

Police officers constantly harass and displace the homeless by making their way of survival illegal through loitering laws that prevent them from finding shelter.

Police are also known to disproportionately target people

of color by placing them in jail for false or petty crimes, making it impossible to participate in the electoral process after being released. This sets us back from making necessary progress, because it encourages the silencing of the working class and their ideals.

The disproportionate distribution of taxpayer money has been the key motivator for this behavior.

RPD received a gross amount of money to buy equipment you’d only find in a war-torn battlefield for the sake of militarization of the police.

Neglecting investments toward the Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD) which funds programs that would improve the standard of living and prevent people from turning to a

life of crime in order to survive.

The CEDD received the lowest amount of funding out of any other department, while the sheriff’s department got a whopping $73 million.

Clearly, the city has prioritized the RPD who have proven time and time again of their agenda, showing the police defend themselves and only themselves.

This deep-rooted systemic problem cannot be changed through individual participation. It requires a collective force to use any means necessary in order to get the message across.

The police must be investigated, defunded and reorganized to further prevent any more loss of life and civil liberties of the working class. Only then might we live in true peace.

Sleepy Joe awakens, seizes student loans

impacts of the pandemic. The three-step plan will make student loan repayment an achievable goal and protect future students from ever increasing education costs.

The initiative sounds promising to borrowers because the end goal is to help them save for the future and make college affordable, but how will they do it?

MARIA ODENBAUGH

OPINIONS EDITOR

President Joe Biden announced a student loan relief plan for middle-class borrowers Aug. 24, taking steps toward one of his more high-profile, big-shot campaign promises. Constituents are still asking the question, will he follow through on it?

The plan aims to provide breathing room for families who have undoubtedly felt the weight of student loans on their shoulders.

Biden and the Department of Education plan to provide debt relief to address the financial

They plan on providing $20,000 debt cancellation to Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 cancellation to non-Pell Grant recipients. However, this only applies to Pell Grant recipients whose individual income falls under $125,000, double the amount for married couples. High-income borrowers will not benefit from this.

The Department of Education intends to make student loans easily accessible by decreasing monthly payments through low-income driven payment plans based on the percentage of discretionary income, the total money remaining after paying necessary expenses.

They have also proposed

cutting the monthly payments in half for undergraduate loans, raising the amount of income that is considered non-discretionary, forgiving loans after 10 years of payments and covering the unpaid interest rates of borrowers.

Earning a degree in America should be a cost-free gateway to achieving this goal but student loans and constantly increasing tuition costs keep working class Americans from doing so.

Getting an education has gotten

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

too expensive.

Is a college degree necessary or sufficient for success?

Through these reforms students could potentially embark on a life full of opportunities instead of a life full of debts.

How is it possible that in one of the richest countries in the world, has over 48 million Americans who carry $1.75 trillion dollars of student debt when they are just trying to progress their lives?

United States Secretary of

Education Miguel Cardona, stated perfectly that the government promised to restore trust in a system that should be “creating opportunity and not a debt trap.”

“Today, we’re delivering targeted relief that will help ensure borrowers are not placed in a worse position financially because of the pandemic,” Cardona said.

Although this plan is reachable, those opposing debt cancellation argue that the U.S. economy is strong and most debts are paid off. However, according to U.S. Student Loan Hero, 48 million Americans owe nearly $1.75 trillion in student debts.

As Biden and The Department of Education show their support to the students and borrowers of the nation, they give hope and promise that the idea of being able to save and eventually be debt free is in the future.

Americans should have the opportunity to live debt free and this plan is a step in the right direction.

A college student researches options on student loan repayment.

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Robert Presley Detention Center has seen at least 13 inmates die in the last four and a half months with no real explanation from Sheriff Chad Bianco.

E ditorial

Latino cultures underrepresented

Mexican heritage steals spotlight, smaller countries left out

The celebration of diversity misses the mark when various countries are excluded, especially when its one-sided schema bleeds into our children’s education.

The sad truth is, several prominent cultures in our country are constantly left in the dark, misrepresented and often ignored entirely.

It seems that misrepresentation, lack of recognition and stereotypes are an ongoing theme in the great land of liberty.

We can recognize the historical and political biases of teaching students about certain heritages that have made a great impact in the colonization of America, but as history continues to write itself, we must also keep up with the times.

Throughout the year we are able to celebrate multiculturalism with festivals and look into the past history of each. It’s also important to celebrate culture historically and accurately, not the short and sweet route.

Local bars in the downtown Riverside area are decorating their businesses with Mexican themed red, white and green balloons, “Hispanic heritage month” posters to bring in crowds and tequila promotions.

Schools are no different in the sense that everything taught is centered around Mexican history and hardly ever does the curriculum cover Central or South American

countries.

In pursuance of unifying a multiracial populace and preserving the history of our nation, we choose to observe and honor the unique vastness of these different ways of life to foster respect and open mindedness for one another.

The reason this is essential to education is because we want to make progress in a world that has dealt with so many racial issues, as seen throughout all of history.

Why dilute the significance of certain heritages?

This insinuates one is more important than another.

One too many times do we see cultures getting grouped under an umbrella that diminishes the cross-culturalism of people and their very real differences but it also takes away the opportunity to come together in similarities.

What is known widely as Hispanic Heritage month brings controversy within our own newsroom because the terms “Latinos, Latinx, and Latine,” and “Hispanic,” all encompass many of our cultures, not just one or the other.

As we celebrate these differences and similarities, we are able to be united and fully experience the “American dream.”

America has evolved as a nation, we are celebrating more cultures each year and broadening our perspectives to fully experience and educate future generations of the influential significance that every single person should be represented, respected and remembered.

Yet, many cultures are still an afterthought, but that should not be the case.

If heritage and history months are supposed to celebrate diversity and peoples, everyone should be included. Communities big and small should share equal spotlight. Educating people on various communities, cultures and histories without prejudice is the point of these heritage months.

More times than not, information is lost or twisted due to misinformation or uneducation. Cultures from Asia and the Pacific Islands are mixed by many governments who refuse to educate people and distinguish each culture and communities’ identities. Latino cultures are unequally represented in mass media and public education, instead clumped into one giant “mold,” of commonalities between them besides highlighting their unique identities. This huge list of cultural identity issues is not only an issue in America but the world at large.

TO THE EDITOR

PRINTING SCHEDULE

STAFF LIST

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jennipher Vasquez viewpointseic@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Cheetara Piry viewpoints.managing@gmail.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER viewpoints.advertising@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR Cheetara Piry viewpoints.news@gmail.com

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS

Laura Bautista, Jair Ramirez

LIFE EDITOR

Angie Escalante viewpoints.artsentertainment@ gmail.com

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITORS

Julia Goldman, Alondra Montes

OPINIONS EDITOR

Maria Odenbaugh viewpoints.opinions@gmail.com

ASSISTANT OPINIONS

EDITOR

Darlene Dukelow-Burton

SPORTS EDITOR

Hayden Kulick viewpoints.sports@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITOR Stephen Day viewpoints.photo@gmail.com

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR John Michael Guerrero multimedia.viewpoints@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER John Michael Guerrero viewpoints.socialmedia@gmail.com

REPORTERS:

Carlos Ayala

Arianna Cervantes

Jesus Coronel

Jazmyn Hope De Jesus Peter Gibbs

Vianney Morales

Leroy Orozco

Hannah Padilla-Estrella

Liv Pearson Carlos Perez Zach Reynosa Dalila Romero

William L.G. Stephens Lindsey Tovar

Luis Trejo

Alyssa Velasquez

JOURNALISM SPECIALIST

Matt Schoenmann

matthew.schoenmann@rcc.edu

FACULTY ADVISERS

Angela Burrell Matt Schoenmann

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.

Copy deadline: October 5

Photo deadline: October 5

Ad deadline: October 5

Next issue: October 13

Viewpoints is a public forum, First Amendment newspaper. Student editors have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval.

© 2022 by the Viewpoints staff, Riverside City College, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside, CA. 92506-0528. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the Viewpoints editor-in-chief.

REACH US: NEWSROOM PHONE: (951)-222-8488 EMAIL: viewpointseic@gmail.com

MEMBER:

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

JOHN MICHAEL GUERRERO | VIEWPOINTS

Classic cars cruise through Riverside campus

Interim president aids in transition of power

Advocate for higher education fills hole left by dismissal of Anderson

JAIR RAMIREZ ASSIST. NEWS EDITOR

Rajen Vurdien was appointed in late July to serve as the interim president of Riverside City College while the search continues to permanently fill the vacancy left by the dismissal of Gregory Anderson.

Vurdien was born and raised in Mauritius, a small African island east of Madagascar.

“Without an education I wouldn’t be here today,” Vurdien said.

He believed that education was his way out of poverty.

After earning a full scholarship financed by the French government to attend college in France, Vurdien returned to Mauritius to teach English and French on the island.

“I’ve always believed in education,” Vurdien said. “I always tell people to get a

good education and to use that education to improve not only yourself, but also to improve your community, your city, your country.”

Vurdien wanted to continue his education and in 1985 he came to the United States to attend Temple University where he earned a doctorate in psychological studies and education.

He is no stranger to the community college system. He previously served as president for Pasadena City, Saddleback and Fullerton Colleges.

Vurdien’s tenure as interim president ends in early October and there will be a new interim president. He said a new president should be announced before Feb. 1.

Vurdien said he was impressed by the college’s infrastructure.

“It’s very fulfilling to be here and to see the kind of work that is being done at Riverside City College. I’m glad I came here.”

He believes working in education keeps you youthful, healthy and gives you a better outlook of the world and how it’s changing through the eyes of the student.

His favorite part about working in education is seeing the joy in students faces when they leave class.

“Make sure that you prepare yourself, you study hard, you set goals put the It doesn’t matter in what discipline but figure out how that discipline is going to improve your future. How you can use that discipline to help your community,”

Vurdien is married and a proud father of two successful daughters. One daughter is an engineer at Google and the other works for a company who films commercials for Lexus and Toyota.

Vurdien enjoys traveling and is visiting India right after his tenure here in early October.

PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

STEPHEN DAY | VIEWPOINTS

Rajen Vurdien works in his office on the second floor of the Kane Building.

He is also planning on taking a 15 day pilgrimage starting in Portugal and ending in Spain on the Camino de Santiago Compostela.

“You have to be highly motivated, you have to have a goal, and you have to keep improving yourself.”

Students were treated to a Lowrider Car Show, celebrating lowrider culture in America as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month at Riverside City College on Sept 22. This is the third annual Lowrider Car Show presented by ASRCC.