Spring 2017 Issue 2

8

2017

FCC Kicks off Black History Month

Spring 2017

RAMPAGE

February

ISSUE

02

Greene takes over as ASG President

BY ETHAN MCNEELY

Reporter emcneely@therampageonline.com

The Associated Student Government at Fresno City College has a new leader.

Aaron Greene, former vice president of the organization, became the new leader when former president, Kou Xiong, resigned at the ASG meeting on Jan. 24 to further his career.

Xiong resigned so he could start work as a teacher’s aide at Webster Elementary in the Fresno Unified School District. He has no plans to return to the ASG and intends to create a career with Fresno Unified.

“Originally [Xiong] had scheduled it so that he would work at Webster in the mornings and be able to come to Fresno City College after and do his duties as president,” Greene said. “Unfortunately, Webster Elementary asked him to work hours that would conflict with being able to serve the student body.”

Kou Xiong has been hoping to become a teacher’s aide, so when the opportunity to further his career was given to him, the choice was clear. He had to step down as ASG president.

According to the constitution of the ASG, Greene was appointed president. Xiong said, “I fully believe that Greene can do the job.”

The vacuum Green left will now be filled by Brandon McLaughlin. As the new legislative vice president, Black History Month celebrations kick off at FCC on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, with speeches and singing in the OAB Auditorium. Walter Brooks (top right), speaks about the accomplishments of various African American figures and City Singers (bottom right) end the event with songs. Nancy Gray (Bottom left), serves up her black-eyed peas recipe during “Heart Healthy Home Cooking: African-American Style” in OAB 251 on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017. Photos/Ram Reyes

Pacific Cafe out, Ram Pantry in

BY ASHLEIGH PANOO AND EDWARD SMITH editors@therampageonline.com

The end of the spring semester will mean the end of the Pacific Cafe but a new opportunity for the Ram Pantry as well as expanded food options for students at Fresno City College.

When the contract for the Pacific Cafe expires, the Student Services department hopes to utilize the vacated space to accommodate storage and distribution needs for the Ram Pantry.

At the January meeting of the State Center Community College District board of trustees, the academic senate presented a resolution they passed before the trustees for a request for additional space and funding for the food

program offered by the school.

At that time, however, ideas concerning that effort were already underway.

“We’ve given notice to the cafe vendor [Pacific Cafe],” President Carole Goldsmith said. “We’re going to be looking at that space with the idea that we want the Ram Pantry there.”

The college had been looking for a space for a while, according to Goldsmith.

“I can’t take a classroom offline, and I can’t take an office offline,” Goldsmith said. “We are busting at the seams.”

Ideally, the new space would offer storage for dry goods, refrigeration for perishables and space for hygiene goods, as well as service for students, five days a week.

The first problem will be getting through the process.

“The next step is bringing our district folks to walk the site and doing some brainstorming,” Goldsmith said. “Then there’ll be a design piece, and there’s probably about 14 steps between those steps.”

Regulations regarding building modifications get tricky, especially when food is involved.

Only after a district-sponsored committee assesses the site can designs be drawn up and submitted to the California Department of Architectural Design.

“That’s going to take several months to do,” according to Goldsmith. “It won’t happen in the summer. We’ll be lucky if we get anything going in the fall.”

SEE RAM PANTRY, PAGE 2

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SEE ASG, PAGE 2

‘mulan’ chosen to perform at theater festival Back Page

SHOULD RESISTING ARREST BE A HATE CRIME? Page 9

Men and Women’s Basketball WIN AGAINST WEST HILLS Page 10 / 11

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RAM PANTRY FROM PAGE 1

Beyond the Ram Pantry, the school administration has been exploring the idea of bringing in food trucks to offer nutrition to students when food options are unavailable.

“We don’t have food choices in the evening,” Goldsmith said. “If we could have local food vendors in the evening, we can do some work with seating behind the bookstore.”

Anita Handy, the manager at Taher, fears what competition might do to Taher, the current contractor for on FCC campus.

“If we even break even, we’re happy,” Handy said. “If they’re going to bring in a taco truck, why are we going to be here?”

After minimum wage went up in January, prices followed, according to Handy, and that made making money difficult for Taher.

The food service employs 14 workers on campus, including developmentally disabled adults from the Transition to Independent Living and Education program.

Taher pledged to support the Ram Pantry and how it is addressing food needs for students.

“I had an opportunity to talk to the vice president of Taher about our food security needs and what we could do,” Goldsmith said.

“They’ve offered their informal support in terms of offering low cost options.”

Handy said she has not yet received any notice about adjusting costs for hungry students.

The college began offering food to students in January, 2016 through the Ram Pantry in an effort to address food security issues with students.

Ram Pantry began in a closet, much like a similar program at Fresno State, according to Sean Henderson, interim dean of student services.

“We’ve been working on bringing food to campus for a while.

We launched it without a permanent location or budget,” Henderson said. “We were really counting on the good faith of the folks that work here to support it.”

The Ram Pantry typically serves

about 300 students a week, and last year, it provided support to 7,000 students altogether.

Much of the food comes as donations from various sources, including staff and faculty offering money from their paychecks.

“We are currently receiving just under 70 payroll deductions a month,” Henderson said. “It ranges from $5 to $25 a month.”

The majority of food comes from the Open Hands Pantry, which supplies the food for only a $75 delivery charge. Other foundations such as Poverello House and Cornerstone Pantry also contribute to feeding students on campus, Henderson said.

Several clubs on campus also hold canned food drives which end up on the plates of students.

“We know that many of our young people received a free or reduced breakfast or lunch, coming from Fresno Unified School District,” Goldsmith said. “It is ludicrous to think that just because you turn 18, your issues with food security go away.”

Black History to be celebrated through song

BY ASHLEIGH PANOO

Editor-in-Chief apanoo@therampageonline.com

As part of the Black History Month activities, the Fresno City Singers and Fresno State Choirs will perform together on Feb. 10 in the OAB Auditorium.

The show will be free to the public and begins at 7:30 p.m.

“Walk in Peace: A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King and Black History Month” will feature readings from the works of Martin

Luther King Jr. and other notable historical figures.

The performance will be unique in that it mixes readings along with spiritual and gospel music.

It will open with an all-female sequence, featuring women from all three choirs, said FCC choral instructor, Julie Dana.

Fresno State Director of Choral Activities Cari Earnhardt, a newcomer to Fresno, came up with the idea to mix her concert choir and chamber singers in with the City

RAMPAGE Staff Editorial Board Reporters Editor in Chief Ashleigh Panoo News/Copy Editor Edward Smith Sports Editor Michael Mendez Opinion Editor Frank Lopez Asst. Layout/Photo Editor Ram Reyes Broadcast Editor Larry Valenzuela Layout Editor Lukas Newcomb

Elias Cardenas Armando Carreno Christopher Del Castillo Samantha Domingo Corina Duran Julease Graham Javier Hernandez Eric Jaramishian Adrianna Johnson Makinna Malady Ethan McNeely Melody Olivas Terada Phengphong Jorge Rodriguez Marco Rosas Desire Stevenson Cheyenne Tex Lindsey Thornton Noah Villaverde

Rampage Adviser/Instructor Dympna Ugwu-Oju

Contact Us: Tip Line: 559.442.8262

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Letters to the Editor to: editorial@therampageonline.com

Singers, Dana said.

“She kind of put the script together,” said Dana. “She wanted to do something to honor Black History Month.” Each choir will also have a chance to perform on their own during the evening.

The performance is especially sweet for Dana, because some of the Fresno State singers are former students of hers.

“I know some of her students,” Dana said. “And they know me.”

ONLINE WATCH the opening ceremony for Black History Month at FCC. WATCH Two love stories from couples who met on campus

NEWS

Dr. Drew Comes to Town

BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ

Reporter jrodriguez@therampageonline.com

New York Times best-selling author, radio and TV personality Dr. Drew Pinsky is coming to the Fresno City College OAB auditorium on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

The Fresno City College Speaker’s Forum is presenting “Facing Addiction and Substance Abuse” with guest speaker Pinsky, best known for VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab” and his famous radio show “Loveline.”

Pinsky is a board-certified physician in both internal medicine and addiction medicine, with years of experience dealing with addiction and substance abuse. The forum will focus on the problem of substance abuse in society. Pinsky’s books will also be available to purchase at the event.

ASG

FROM PAGE 1 McLaughlin is second-in-command.

McLaughlin has been with ASG at FCC since fall 2015, but his interest in student government goes back further.

“During high school, I took a special law program and I was a really quiet student,” he said. “[It] got me really enthusiastic, so I got really into student government.”

McLaughlin was appointed a senator the first week he came to the ASG, he said. As a campuswide safety senator, McLaughlin worked with the district’s police chief on how to make the campus safer.

After a few months, McLaughlin was elected as the head for the senators, and he also sat on the student grievance committee, which handles student complaints.

When a job interfered with McLaughlin’s ASG duties in 2016, he stepped down, but he still came in to volunteer around the office.

“I was here in the office to run the front desk for them,” he said.

Now as legislative vice president, McLaughlin handles internal relations with senators and helps the committees to best represent students.

McLaughlin says he is up to the task, “I feel more qualified because I’ve worked [here before].”

Ashleigh Panoo contributed to this story.

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Any correction needed for an article should be brought to the attention of the staff of The Rampage. The Rampage is committed to accuracy and should be made aware of any mistake in an article that appears in this paper.

Views expressed in the opinion pages are those of the individiual writer and not of the newspaper. The Rampage is produced by students of the Journalism 11 A, B, C, D class.

NEWS

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RAMPAGE 2.8.2017 A student walks past a SCCCD police car on patrol during the evening hours at Fresno City College on Monday, Feb. 6, 2017 Photo/Ram Reyes

CAMPUS AFTER HOURS: DO STUDENTS FEEL SAFE?

BY SAMANTHA DOMINGO

Reporter sdomingo@therampageonline.com

Just how safe is the Fresno City College campus at night?

Some students may feel more comfortable than others, but this may simply be because of natural fears of what could be lurking in the dark.

The new chief of the State Center Community College District police department, Jose Flores, said the campus is safe, and that his department does not receive many calls for services that involve violence on campus. Since the start of the spring semester, the most common report is related to parking violations.

According to the 2016 SCCCD Annual Security Report, a total of 31 crimes involving robbery, burglary and aggravated assault were reported on the Fresno City College campus in 2015. This is an improvement from 2014’s 37 reports and 60 reports in 2013.

“The concern or anxiety one feels because of the fear of crime can be greater than the actual amount of crimes happening,” Chief Flores said. “The criminality on campus

fluctuates a lot like student activity.”

Since the population of people on campus at night is significantly smaller than in the day time, many of students’ concerns could stem from feelings of being alone.

“It’s a lot scarier at night just because there are fewer people and darker corners,” Drew Louden, a nursing major at FCC, said. “I just don’t feel too safe at night in general.”

Louden said her concerns are heightened because she has heard stories about women who were mugged or attacked at night.

“Hearing stories like that makes being on campus at night a little more frightening,” she said. “I park off campus, and it’s a long walk.”

Unbeknownst to most students, the police department offers an escort service. The service provides a member of the police department to walk or transport students and staff to locations on campus or to a car in the parking lot. With a single

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Reports of aggravated assualt in 2016

Scholarship Workshop Offers Help Ahead of Deadline

BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ

Reporter jrodriguez@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College scholarship office is urging students to submit their scholarship applications for the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semester before the March 2 deadline.

In an effort to aid the process, the scholarship office, located in

call, students can safely get to where they need to be.

“It’s best to pair up with someone else if it’s late at night; that way your exposure to any threat is minimized,” Chief Flores advised. “Additionally, one of my first initiatives as Chief is for officers to be out of their vehicles, and instead walking or cycling through the campus.”

This would ensure that the police force is seen as a deterrent to criminals, and result in faster response times and greater coverage on campus.

However, some students say they find that the campus at night offers a more relaxing ambiance and aren’t afraid of the dark.

“I’ve never felt unsafe on campus, even at night,” said Luis Arreguin, a criminology major at FCC. “However, I would like to see more security patrolling the campus because it would make me feel safer knowing that there’s always someone around who could help if I did need it.”

Justin Solis, a computer science

the Library Media Center, is offering workshops in Room LI-207 to provide more information and help students with their applications as well as help with meeting the deadline, creating an online account and acquiring two recommendations.

Admission to the workshops will be on a first-come first-served basis.

Josephine Llanos, FCC schol-

arship specialist, said that each scholarship donor is unique in what they look for in applicants, and that certain scholarships are awarded in multiples so more than one applicant can receive the same scholarship.

More than 250 different scholarships are available to Fresno City College students, including the Dean’s Medallion Scholarship which awards $500 annually to an associate degree candidate. Also, the Leon S. Peters Honors Program scholarships award $1,000 to the top 30 honor students who have completed 12 units of transfer courses with six units or more in the honors program.

FCC offers numerous scholarships for athletics, math, nursing,

major, also argued in favor of taking night classes. “The campus feels emptier at night compared to the daytime, but it’s nice,” Solis said. “I take night classes because they’re convenient and allow me to keep my hours at work by fitting with my schedule.”

SCCCD police has plans to hire at least 18 additional officers within the upcoming year. According to Flores, the SCCCD police are now contracted with Fresno Police Department and Madera County Sheriff’s office to assure that there is a reasonable number of officers on campus.

Flores also recommends for students to sign up for the First2Know service. Through this service, registered students are alerted via text message in case of a campus emergency. Students are able to sign up for First2Know through their WebAdvisor account.

Efforts to make the campus a safer place is the job of both the community and professionals. SCCCD police can be reached at 5911 from any campus phone, or 559-244-5911 from any non-campus phone.

religious affiliation, community service and others. Applications are available online at fresnocitycollege.edu/scholarships. Awards range from $100 to $2,000, depending on the scholarship you choose to apply for.

Llanos, who runs the workshops, and Melody Kruse from the writing center, provide all the basics on how to write a successful essay, an essential for a successful application.

Llanos said that some scholarships are merit based and others are need based. Workshops will be held on Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.; Feb. 13 at 9 a.m., and Feb. 16 at noon. Dates and locations are subject to change.

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2.8.2017

NEWS

ASG OFFERS FOOD, HYGIENE PRODUCTS FOR STUDENTS

BY ETHAN MCNEELY

Reporter emcneely@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College Associated Student Government has begun offering food options for students, apart from the Ram Pantry.

The ASG provides cups of soup, drinks, snacks and hygiene packs, as well as free use of their new microwave.

The goal of giving away food, drink and hygiene products is to provide students with nutrition throughout the day. In the student lounge there is a table set up with deodorant available for students, as well as gum and drinks under the table.

“We have received several donations from faculty and are hoping to receive more donations over the

next couple of months,” said ASG President Aaron Greene.

Though not a part of the Ram Pantry, the food service for needy students has coordinated with the ASG to provide assorted goods for students throughout the week.

“We set aside a little bit of the non-perishable stuff they can have in their office that students can have access to Monday through Friday,” Interim Dean of Student Services Sean Henderson said.

The distinction between the two programs came about after an attempt by the ASG to further the availability of the Ram Pantry on a week long basis.

“They sent me some paperwork yesterday [Feb. 1], and my only concern was they were trying to use the Ram Pantry name, and they are not

affiliated,” Henderson said.

The use of the Ram Pantry name led to some confusion between the two organizations about the lines of affiliation and cooperation.

“Aaron Greene met directly with representatives from the Ram Pantry to work out the situation,” Brandon McLaughlin, legislative vice president said. “They don’t want us to use their logo.”

Greene added that the ASG had to remove fliers that had the Ram Pantry symbol on it. “Now, it’s only ASG’s symbols on there.”

Along with food, ASG also offers hygienic products Some of the hygiene products were donated by Troop 989, a local Girl Scout chapter which is led by an FCC faculty member. The donation consisted of 140 packs of hygiene

products, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and body wash.

“It’s awesome,” Greene said. “It makes you feel really good when people come up and have a cup of coffee with you or just talk.”

Greene said the ASG is working on other ways to help FCC students.

One project is a lockdown bicycle coral to provide a safer on-campus experience and to encourage more students to ride their bikes to school.

“We want to become more involved with our student body,” Greene said. “We’re here to represent you; we need to hear what is going on with the students.”

Larry Valenzuela and Edward Smith contributed to this story.

Panel Focuses on Health Issues for African Americans

BY JORGE RODRIGUEZ

Reporter jrodriguez@therampageonline.com

A panel on health in the OAB Room 251 on Tuesday focused on the physical and mental health of the African American community.

Consisting of Arrie Smith, a clinical psychologist and counselor at FCC, Melissa Knight, a professor of

women’s studies at Fresno State, Dr. Jeanette Moore from the Central Valley Black Nurses Association and Erica Alexander, the MCH program director for the March of Dimes, the panel discussed issues and took questions from students.

Smith said that health forums “are very important for them [students] to get information they otherwise wouldn’t get.”

The panelists discussed the

physical and mental health problems that African Americans deal with everyday, and also about the truths and misconceptions that some African Americans have about health.

An informative video highlighted sexual consent, and how it’s not considered consensual if one of the individuals is unable to speak or when the advances are unwanted.

Other issues raised by the panel include how diabetes affects African

Black History Month Opens with Ceremony

BY CORINA DURAN

Reporter cduran@therampageonline.com

Fresno City College honored the start of Black History Month with ceremonies, speeches and music in the Old Administration Building on Feb. 1.

The ceremony began with a prayer followed by a welcome speech by the Carole Goldsmith, FCC president and Arrie Smith, president of the African-American Faculty and Staff Association and FCC counselor.

Walter Brooks, former FCC counselor, was the keynote speaker for the event. Brooks spoke about his years at FCC and the significance of the month.

“Black history month is a remembrance of history and going back and searching where we came from and how we got here,” Brooks said. “Letting those lessons of history be lessons for the future.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Kamilah Harshaw performed the Black National Anthem.

The ceremony ended with a performance by the Fresno City College Choir and a closing prayer.

“The ceremony was impressive; the choir was amazing and it

felt good being surrounded by people like you,” Jyaire Umoja, a theater arts major, said. “It’s not just about being black; it’s about history.”

Ria Williams, the secretary of the African-American Faculty and Staff Association, said that events are scheduled throughout the month, and she hopes they impact FCC students.

“We were hoping for a few more today, but we have a whole month of activities,” Williams said. “We are trying to reach people that do not know what we are having.”

Smith said she hopes students understand the meaning of Black History Month and are more aware of their history and where they came from.

“With knowledge comes power,” Smith said. “And when we say black history, we are talking about American history.”

The opening ceremony was the first of many events that will be going on around campus during the month of February.

Americans, sexual health, women’s health and hygiene and how unhealthy diets can affect one’s overall health.

The topics of sexual health raised interest from participants.

“I learned a lot of new things that I hadn’t heard about,” Alfonsol Roberson, a student, said. “It was interesting and a fun experience.”

Black History Month CAlendar Date

Room

Time

Pathways to Healthcare Health Fair

Fountain Area

10:00a-2:00p

2/10

Walk in Peace: Featuring the FCC City Singers

OAB Auditorium

7:30p

2/13

Inside African-American Family Dynamics

OAB 251

10:30a-12p

2/14

HBCU Caravan & Recruitment

Cafeteria

11:00a-2:00p

2/15

Lively Soul Concert & Fish Fry

Free Speech

11:30a-1:00p

2/16

African-American History Month Writer’s Workshop

OAB 251

12:00p-1:30p

2/21

Black Women Organized for Political Action

OAB 251

10:00a-11:30a

Sweet Tomatos (Shaw Ave)

5:00p-7:00p

2/8

2/24

2/25

Event

Sweet Tomatoes BHM Wrap-Up Dinner GOSPELFEST

OAB Auditorium

5:00p-7:00p

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

NEWS

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Students Find More than Education at FCC

BY JULEASE GRAHAM

Reporter jgraham@therampageonline.com

Students attending Fresno City College to pursue education often find the love they never knew they needed.

James and Felicia Graham had no idea that FCC would be the beginning of their story. They met a few months into their first semester when they were 17-years-old in 1989.

James was a criminology major and hoped to one day have a career in law enforcement or education.

“We met at the cafeteria, I walked in, we caught eyes, and it was over from there,” James said.

“I knew that this was the woman I was going to marry. I think, as a guy, you have a mental picture of the woman you want to marry; when I saw her, I knew; I just knew.”

At the time, Felicia was unsure of what to major in. She was just attending college to complete her general education.

“When I first saw him [James], I thought he was cute, but just not my type,” Felicia said. “It took a while for me; he had to win me over.”

Hours after catching eyes in the cafeteria, they had their first date.

“He came over to my friend’s apartment to hangout; we made tacos. It was far from a traditional date,” Felicia said. “After that, we started seeing each other off and on; it got serious about two years later. I knew he was the one.”

They got married and started a family.

“It will be 24 years this February,” James said.

James has been working for Fresno County for 19 years, and Felicia is a stay-at-home mom.

They have three children and one grandson.

“We did not accomplish all that we set out to accomplish when we first started at Fresno City College, but this is better than any plan we had back then,” Felicia said.

Twenty-five years later, the FCC love bug bit again.

David Alvarez was the President of FCC’s Native American Indigenous Student’s Association when Marisa joined the club in 2014.

When they first saw each other, nothing sparked. They were just members of the same club until their paths cross outside of school.

“I was actually in student government with her cousin,” David said. “We were all hanging out one day, and I mentioned I wanted to go to the lake, and she said she wanted to go to the beach, so we went.”

“I had just met her and five hours later, we were at the beach

together,” David said.

“After that first date, we spent every other day together,” Marisa said. “About two weeks later, we made it official.”

Marisa and David have been married for a year and a half, and she is currently pregnant with their fourth child. They both still attend FCC and are Sociology and American Indian studies majors.

Most students have no plans of starting a new relationship their first semester at FCC, but that did not stop Jose Romo from approaching Monique Jauriqui one day while she was sitting in her classroom waiting for her web construction class to start.

They had seen each other around school, but were both too shy until a mutual friend helped.

“I would always see him around the graphics department, but I was always too afraid to talk to him,” Jauriqui said. “One day, I decided to ask a mutual friend about Jose, and that mutual friend ended up texting him and telling him that I thought he was cute.”

“

I knew that this was the woman I was going to marry. I think, as a guy, you have a mental picture of the woman you want to marry; when I saw her, I knew; I just knew.”

James and Felicia Graham in front of the cafeteria on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 where they first met at Fresno City College. Photo/Melody Olivas

-James Graham On meeting his wife When Romo first saw her, he was intrigued by her beauty. She seemed like his type.

“There’s not just one thing that I’m attracted to about her; I’m attracted to everything about her,” Romo said. “It’s all the little things that make her the person that she is, from her beautiful hazel eyes to her loving heart. I’m attracted to it all.”

After their first date, Jauriqui knew Romo was the one for her.

“I was so nervous before he arrived at my house to pick me up for our first date but once he got there, I sort of calmed down,” Jauriqui said. “We went to the movies and watched ‘Annabelle’. After that we sat in front of my house just talking about anything and everything. I knew right then and there that he was the one. He was so perfect for me.”

Melody and David Alvarez hold hands atop a bench bearing an eponymous namesake on Wednesday, Feb. 1 2017.

Photo/Melody Olivas

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Fresno State Professor Transforms Criticism into Art

BY CHEYENNE TEX

Repoter ctex@therampageonline.com

The art exhibition “A Smiley Fit” in the Art Space Gallery may act as a refuge for students looking to escape the gray of the campus concrete.

In this exhibit, artist Joshua Dildine uses colorful abstract painting to deface photographs of his family members.

The defacement explores the language between painting and photography as well as the idea of taking power from an image.

Images, according to Dildine, have great power to emotionally move someone.

Yet, the viewer gives the image power by placing significance on the photograph or relating it to something significant.

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Student Elsa Solano ponders the meaning of Joshua Dildine’s art piece, “Vocal Arm Iron,” in the FCC Art Space Gallery on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Photo/Cheyenne Tex

“This [exhibition] is an exploration of denying power to photographs by defacing my family,” Dildine said Before this realization of power, Dildine received critiques on his earlier work that said it was too impersonal, as most abstract art does, he said.

So, Dildine painted over his face as a sarcastic response.

Around this time, Dildine also moved to Fresno where there was a prevalence of family.

Family combined with the sarcastic response was ultimately the catalyst for the exploration of the language between medias and the act of denying an image power.

As a result, Dildine began painting over his family members, such as, his mother, and that’s when he realized the power of an image.

He explained that someone probably wouldn’t want to poke their mother’s eyes out of a photograph

or there would at least be some sort of hesitation.

“There are connections with an image that I noticed through the hesitation. We are giving power to inanimate objects, to a photo,” Dildine said.

Dildine said that he still cares about and loves his family despite the defacement but, “it’s more personal” and “it’s about denying power.”

Nonetheless, Dildine says that the photographs are what inspire the abstract painting.

With painting, he creates depth of field, shadows, highlights and a light source which can be found in a photograph.

Many of the photographs are stripped of their original composition and are turned upside down, which is another way to deny an image power, Dildine said.

At the reception in the gallery

during ArtHop on Feb. 2, students had the opportunity to ask Dildine questions and look at the exhibit.

“I was confused with everything at first,” Elsa Solano, communications major, said in response to one art piece. “It seems like the artist took something ordinary like a room and made it into this whirl.

Since it’s flipped, it’s like another dimension that we don’t see.”

Dildine said students should “experience the painting and relate to them or create and find what they can through the interaction and language between painting and photography.”

He said the combination of abstract painting and photography was “a window into a visceral world.”

The exhibit will be displayed until Feb. 23. Admission is free.

Students share Fashion Ideas for Rainy Days

BY CHEYENNE TEX

Reporter ctex@therampageonline.com

Rain drop, drop top, it’s raining and it won’t stop, stop.

Due to the colder and rainier winter months, some FCC students have been dressing to keep warm and others to keep their feet dry.

For some, however, staying warm doesn’t stop them from being fashionable.

“I have a tendency to wear whatever in any weather, even if it is really cold,” Mollie Gade, photography major, said. “Sometimes, I’ll just wear a T-shirt and a heavy jacket.”

Many students can be seen wearing anoraks, jean jackets or windbreakers for outerwear. Others wear thermals or hoodies.

“It [his hoodie] keeps me warm, and I’m bald, so I can cover my head,” Jesse Lopez, sociology major, said. “I feel good. I feel safe.

It keeps my head warm, and I can put it on while I wear my glasses so people leave me alone. It’s comfortable.”

There are several winter trends that are stylish and convenient ways to battle the weather.

North Face windbreakers and boots like Dr. Martens or

Timberlands are often worn at this time of the year. Knee-high boots have seemingly become very popular.

Gwen Martinez, marketing major, said she loves that styles come back, “certain trends like windbreakers, Docs [Dr. Martens], and Timbs [Timberlands].”

Many students are more conscious of their shoe wear because of the rain.

“The netting on my tennis shoes isn’t really fit for the rain,” Alison Perez, nursing major, said.

“Sometimes I will switch off to boots.”

On the contrary, Lopez said he would wear his converse even when it’s raining.

Not only has the winter weather influenced trends and shoe wear, it has influenced the way students prepare for their day.

“I layer more because it gets warmer during the day, but in the morning, it’s freezing,” Gade said.

“I also prepare differently with my hair and makeup. If I’m wearing fake eyelashes, then I’ll bring the glue. It’s the same thing with powder, or I’ll use setting spray.”

Some have become quite creative in the way they layer their clothes.

“In the morning, it gets cold

to the point where you don’t even want to get out of bed,” Raul Villar, political science major, said. “I like to wear jackets, so I can easily take it off.”

“I’ll wear more long sleeves or short sleeve shirts with jackets,” Crystal Navarro, psychology major, said. “Turtlenecks are also a common thing for me to wear. It’s how I’ve been surviving.”

Along with layering, students wear their favorite winter colors like black, burgundy, and green and clothing pieces which included Timberlands and leather jackets. Clothes are reflecting style, survival or comfort.

“People are just layered up and covered up for the winter,” Maria Duran, civil engineering major, said.

“We’re just dressed to survive. You never know.

Some people wear shorts during the winter because they like the feeling of the cold on their skin.”

FCC Student Maria Duran keeps warm in her anorak jacket on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017.

Photo/Cheyenne Tex

ENTERTAINMENT

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

Recognition for Black Hollywood Growing

BY NOAH VILLAVERDE

Reporter nvillaverde@therampageonline.com

Black History Month has quite a bit to celebrate this year, including a significant recognition at the 89th Academy Awards on Feb. 26 due to the diverse nominees.

This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated three films told from the African American perspective in the Best Picture race.

“Fences,” “Hidden Figures” and “Moonlight” are competing for multiple categories this year.

“Fences,” based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by August Wilson, is expected to succeed at the ceremony this year, with Viola Davis as Best Supporting Actress and Denzel Washington as Best Lead Actor.

“Hidden Figures” has Octavia Spencer nominated for her role as

Dorothy Vaughan in the Best Supporting Actress category. Spencer won in the same category for “The Help” in 2012.

“Moonlight” is also one of the major frontrunners this awards season, and not only boasts of two supporting actor nominations in Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris, but also has the distinction of Barry Jenkins being the first black artist nominated for producing, directing and writing categories.

The timeliness of this array of African American films in the awards season this year is much needed, after the #OscarsSoWhite controversy in which the Academy failed to nominate actors and actresses of color in 2015 and 2016.

In January 2016, AMPAS took action to increase diversity within the Academy, intending to double the amount of women and diverse

members by 2020. “These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition,” said Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

All four of the major acting categories feature actors and actresses of color - marking this the first time in Academy history that this has happened.

But is this new push to diversify the Academy membership the right call?

The roster of Oscar nominations this year would argue that adding more women and people of color within the industry to vote definitely helped these films receive recognition on Hollywood’s biggest night. But the #OscarsSoWhite backlash should not exclusively be a call against the Academy, but rather

7

Hollywood as a whole.

In 2016, a USC study found that only a third of speaking roles were for females despite representing half of the U.S. population. Nonwhite groups represented only 28.3 percent of speaking roles, although they are roughly 40 percent of the U.S. population.

The addition of more non-white actors and actresses in the film industry needs to be continued beyond recognition at the Academy Awards. “Moonlight,” for instance, was written and directed by a black filmmaker, with the collaboration of a black playwright.

“Is it just going to be a trend to talk about inclusion?” said Viola Davis while backstage at this year’s Screen Actor’s Guild Awards. “We have to understand that we’re all part of the narrative. All of the stories deserve to be told.”

Renowned String Quartet Performs At FCC tic and chilling tunes.

As the last note Reporter faded into silence, tphengphong@therampageonline.com the quartet received a The auditorium in the Old roaring applause and Administration Building was standing ovation, leadimmersed in the sounds of ing the band to play a enchanting classical string charming waltz tune music executed by Bay Area as an encore and once group The Telegraph Quartet again being met with on Feb. 2 with music lovers, approving applause. young and old, filling the After the concert seats. transitioned to the reThe ensemble was formed ception in room 251, in 2013, consisting of viothe audience moved linists Eric Chin and Joseph to appraise the four Maile, violist Pei-Ling Lin and musicians and mingle cellist Jeremiah Shaw. with other music lovIn 2014, months after their ers. Fresno native Eric formation, the group won the Chin when he spoke Grand Prize for the internato The Rampage, said tional Fischoff Chamber Music he was more nervous Competition and in 2016 the to perform in Fresno group won the first prize at because it is his homethe musically coveted Natown, but he hoped umburg Competition, one of to “make it exciting the oldest in the nation and for young people to known for launching the caThe Telegraph Quartet, consisting of Eric Chin, Jeremiah Shaw, Pei-Ling Lin and Joseph Maile, perform in the Old Administration wanna play also” and reers of other groups like the Building on Feb. 2, 2016. The quartet is from the Bay Area. Photo/Larry Valenzuela is “on a mission to Emerson and Brentano string prove that [classical music] You could see by the audience’s by these musicians and switching quartets. not [boring].” response, people were enthusiastheir original setlist order into the Having a musical group who And it seemed he and his parttic.” order they actually performed. have won such prestigious awards ners succeeded.

And thanks to the efforts of FCC They started the concert with is a privilege that Fresno City ColAaron Taylor, a 19-year-old stuMusic Faculty Larry Honda and the Anton Webern’s “Five Movements lege was able to provide for not dent at FCC, said the concert exdonations of the Fresno City Colfor String Quartet, Op. 5,” a song only their students and staff but ceeded his expectations especially lege Friends of the Arts, the whole filled with unprecedented tones for the community as well. because he wanted to “experience experience of free of charge. and techniques. Instruments were To watch a group who not only The goal of the recital was to striked with bows to create unique something new.” formed in their late 20s, which is Music student 21-year-old Jesse “expose our students to them beats as other performers would considered late in classical music, Altamirano said he wanted to [The Telegraph] and certainly to create harmonies that are uncombut also were able to win awards “take advantage of these amazmake it affordable,” Honda said mon in traditional compositions. that much older groups have not ing opportunities that FCC has to by “bringing the highest caliber of The song was an intense and achieved was inspiring. offer,” and that the concert lived music of this kind for the educastrong beginning for the show.

The group played with vigor, up to his expectations, “and then tional purposes of our students Their second song, Leon Kirchpassion and a determination that some.” and the whole community.” ner’s “String Quartet No. 1” conenchanted listeners. With every The concert was able to bring The audience was filled with tinued to showcase the group’s glide of the bow across the violins, together all the diversity in Fresdiversity. People from different talents. The song is a fusion of plucking of strings of the viola or no and create a night of musical backgrounds filled the auditorinew and old, incorporating many the deep bass of the cello, hearts inspiration, which is exactly what um, from students and faculties, aspects like “quick-paced moveand minds followed the rhythm the group aspires to do with their to members of the community, all ment” and “da capo repeat,” a created with these instruments musical careers.

Their passion, repetition of notes throughout the and the musicians operating them. with varying ages and ethnicities, determination and talent were eviall brought together by the opsong.

Every pause was met with the dent throughout the performance. portunity to hear music from the After a brief intermission, the silence of an audience in awe, Violist Pei-Ling Lin said as a gifted four. group finished their set with Franz realizing that the four artists on goal they want to “open people’s Violinist Joseph Maile said that Schubert’s “Death and the Maidstage were the real deal. Audience minds” not just about music but he and the group were motivated en.” The song was composed of member Paul Dyer, a retired hosabout “discussing things, listening to “dust off some works that have battling melodies to depict the pital and healthcare worker and to new things, making connecbeen on the shelf and introduce battle between Death and a young father of a musician, said, “It was tions with other people and to be them to people and share them.” maiden he is trying to seduce to far better than all expectations. daring.”

Motivating them to chose songs the afterlife with blends of romanBY TERADA PHENPHONG

8

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

Who should pay for a Valentine’s Day date?

BY SAMANTHA DOMINGO PHOTOS BY JULEASE GRAHAM

Marisa Perez

Psychology “I don’t think it matters.

I don’t think there should be a set gender that should pay for something.”

OPINION

Trump is Against Everything I Stand For, but My Parents Love Him Anyway

BY SAMANTHA DOMINGO

Reporter sdomingo@therampageonline.com

I get along with my parents in almost every aspect of life, except politics.

When it comes to politics, it’s better for me to shut my mouth and go back into the closet, figuratively speaking. Perhaps their reasoning is religious, cultural or just a result of growing up in a different time, but I can never seem to reach a point of mutual understanding with them.

The morning following the 2016 presidential election, I had awoken to my father goading me, saying that a Trump presidency was inevitable. He insisted that Trump would indeed “Make America Great Again.”

Regarding my distaste for Trump, my mother scolds me constantly, telling me that whether I like it or not, he’s the president, and that I must respect and support him.

As a person of color, as a woman and mostly as a member of the LGBTQ community, I am appalled that my own family would support President Trump and his ideals.

Many people argue that holding the title of “Leader of the Free World” demands obligatory respect.

Yet where was the respect for former President Obama, with so many people constantly hurling racial slurs at him throughout his eight years of presidency? Where was the respect for our former presidents Bush and Clinton, when constant jokes and criticisms aimed at them flooded my upbringing?

Despite all of that, it is expected for me to have unconditional respect for President Trump.

Donald Trump and much of his administration have been open on their stance regarding the LGBTQ community. Under the Trump administration, some of the progress made during the Obama administration, such as the Marriage Equality Act and anti-discrimination laws, face the possibility of being

repealed.

Within the first few weeks of his presidency, Trump has already shown himself to be quite problematic. Based on Trump’s current executive orders, such as the travel ban and the approval of the Dakota Access pipeline, a Trump presidency could possibly lead to other serious obstacles for various communities in the US, including the LGBTQ community.

My family knows well what Donald Trump stands for, so I find it upsetting that they choose to support him regardless. Our conflicting views have resulted in a metaphorical wall built between us, with neither side wanting to cross.

Following Trump’s inauguration, they have simply tried to refrain from talking about politics to avoid further dispute.

I refuse to blindly respect a man like Donald Trump, president or not. Although this issue may cause dispute among my family, I cannot stay silent.

The New Civil Rights Movement

BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD editors@therampageonline.com

Casey Spell Kinesiology

“The guy, it’s tradition. The guy should pay for every date.”

It is sad that history must repeat itself.

The U.S. is in the midst of social and political turmoil, and it seems that many of the societal scares that we are now facing have been festering for the past decade.

Since former president Barack Obama’s election in 2008, flames of racial hatred have been fanned, and it is blatant, ugly, and most horrifying of all, gaining normalization once again.

“For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back,” Obama said in his farewell address to the nation. “But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening

of our founding creed to embrace all, and not just some.”

These times seem reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s; there is fear of communist China, Russians meddling in U.S. elections, open-faced sexism, rampant police brutality, fear of nuclear war, and the Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis have been poking their heads out again.

Fortunately there are people, just as there were back then, who are not satisfied with the setbacks and are willing to fight for the changes society needs. That’s the hope -more people are uniting and making their voices heard, and it is apparent that we are in the throes of a new civil rights movement.

Millions of women across the U.S. stood together to tell Trump and the world that women’s rights are

Devyn Castro

Criminology “If it is your first date with that person the guy should pay, but if you’re in a committed relationship it shouldn’t matter who pays.”

John Zapien Undeclared

“Usually the guy would pay, but I believe it could be either, depending on the relationship.”

“Oh, so you just assumed I was paying for this?”

human rights. Millions more protested Trump’s presidency across the globe to show solidarity against shifts in power and descent into authoritarianism.

Barely three weeks into his presidency, Trump has already signed executive orders to build a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border, commence deportations of undocumented immigrants and block foreign aid or federal funding for international nongovernmental organizations that provide or “promote” abortions.

But the public is challenging Trump at every turn. People all across the nation are standing up and protesting. Lawyers volunteered their services at airports to help travelers affected by Trump’s Muslim ban, and they fought to protect civil liberties.

A report released by the Justice Department in January described how law enforcement officials across the nation used excessive force with African-Americans and Latinos. It was a practice that was rarely challenged.

There is no doubt that a 13-month long investigation would not have occurred were it not for the “Black Lives Matter” movement and the attention they have brought to police brutality against people of color.

Anyone who truly believes in equal human rights for all people must resist the forces that be and the division they are creating.

“The comfortable, entrenched, the privileged cannot continue to tremble at the prospect of change to the status quo...” Martin Luther King Jr. said in his speech, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community”. “This is a multiracial nation where all groups are dependent on each other.”

OPINION

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

Pitbulls Need Love Too

BY LINDSEY THORNTON

Reporter lthornton@therampageonline.com

Fresno Bully Rescue (FBR) is a non-profit, volunteer based, no-kill animal shelter located in Fresno.

This local animal shelter is dedicat-

Pro

BY MARCO ROSAS

Reporter mrosas@therampageonline.com

HB 953, a new law in Louisiana designed to protect police officers and citizens from discrimination, can protect police officers as well as help build bridges between police and people of color.

In 2016, many died needlessly, including five active duty cops in one day during the infamous Dallas shooting.

This new law has the potential to prevent more unfortunate tragedies. The Blue Lives Matter argument has been condemned by many who claim it undermines societal prejudices that minorities face. This new law, however, would not exclude minorities from hate crime protection but rather includes police officers.

It is important in an age when phrases such as, “Fry them (police) like bacon” and “No justice, no peace,” are shouted freely at supposed progressive rallies, that citizens need to understand that police officers need protection too.

ed to finding homes and rehabilitating local American Pit Bulls and Bull Terrier dog breeds.

In California, Fresno Bully Rescue is one of the only breed-specific, nokill shelters, and it is located right here in our community. FBR reaches out to our local community in ef-

forts to find these dogs new forever homes and make sure their experience in a shelter is as comfortable and homey as they can make it.

Volunteering anywhere is rewarding, but seeing the reactions and attitudes of these animals makes it more than worthwhile to volunteer

The U.S. is more divided than it has ever been, given the controversial administration, but allowing bigotry of any kind will only create more turmoil and chaos. A law like this could help humanize police officers and create stronger bonds between citizens and those who are meant to protect them, ultimately resulting in a more powerful community.

The United States was built on the foundation of protecting people from prejudice ever since the first protestants came across seeking refuge from the Catholic Church.

If people decide that it is acceptable to discriminate against one group based on their occupation, it is no better than judging all Muslims or immigrants for the actions of a few. This law isn’t about ignoring discrimination against minorities, it’s about showing police officers the respect everyone, including people of color, deserve. People have the opportunity now to take the moral high ground and show that they will not be jaded or influenced by other discriminatory policies. I’m not suggesting we forget the mistakes of the past, but legislation like this could mean a brighter future for all.

Creating community starts with understanding your neighbor’s problems, and if the country is going to survive the next four years, people are going to have to learn to understand each other’s problems.

This bill may not be popular with people who feel that police already have too many privileges and that the “Black Lives Matter” movement is still not being heard, but drawing lines in the sand and making police or minority groups socially acceptable targets will not improve anyone’s welfare.

The “Black Lives Matter” movement has somewhat fallen into obscurity because many felt attacked by the movement’s divisive undertones. But the same way it is important to stand with those who put their lives on the line for us, it is important to stand with those who want their voices heard in the face of adversity, like minorities and other oppressed groups.

Maybe lumping together police and minorities in a bill like this could make each side see how the other lives. Tolerance is a trait everyone can strive for, and legislation that targets intolerance should not divide communities but rather bring them together.

Is Resisting Arrest a Hate Crime?

Con

BY TERADA PHENGPHONG

Reporter tphengphong@therampageonline.com

The state of Louisiana is flirting with the idea of “Blue Lives Matter” bills, some of which have already become state law. An example would be the HB 953 bill which puts police, firefighters and emergency medics under hate crime protection.

The bill was first proposed in April 2016, and then passed and became effective in August 2016.

It has now come into national light after the police chief of St. Martinville, Louisiana, made some troubling comments about the law.

The FBI defines hate crime as a “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual

orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.” Note that this definition does not include career choice or job as a protected class.

And for good reason. Protection against hate crimes is meant to support those being discriminated against for things that are inherently a part of them and cannot be changed. People cannot change their backgrounds, their ancestors or their biology. What makes protected classes different is what makes them targets.

First responders, especially police officers, know the dangers that come in their job description, and while it is still tragic every time an officer of the law dies in the line of duty, it is essential to recognize that their profession was a decision they made, unlike those of us born a minority or LGBTQ. A supporting factor for the bill was the idea that animosity and disrespect towards officers of the law

has risen and escalated. The law was created to ensure the safety of the police but 2015, the year before the creation of this law, was one of the safest years for men and women in this field.

Compared to the 51 officers who passed away in 2014, only 41 officers had passed away due to “feloniously” acts. A remarkable feat since only twice has there been a lower rate, 1961 had 37 deaths while 2013 holds the record for a low 27.

Police officers are one of the most decorated and honorable occupations in America. They have protections. Resisting arrest is already an offense and can include the assault and battery of an officer to a charge. If these two charges already enhances the sentencing of an initial crime, what’s the point of making it into a hate crime? It trivializes actual hate crime.

9

at FBR. There is a large range of jobs that need to be done by volunteers and the small staff in effort to make sure they achieve their goal of keeping their dog’s happy and most importantly, healthy. Jobs range from cleaning kennels and the work space, to giving dogs much needed baths, as well as playing individually with a dog in their play yard and giving the dogs walks.

All of these many activities are essential for Fresno Bully Rescue to reach their goal of keeping their dog’s happy. But volunteering is so much more than just the work. The most important part is the bond you share with your designated shelter dog to make sure they’re happy. No one wants to adopt a dog with an unpleasant attitude, but with human interaction and love it could make all the difference. A majority of these dogs are rescued from bad environments, rehabilitated, and then given the chance to find a permanent home and a new family.

Throughout my experience, Fresno Bully Rescue showed that they do exactly that. Through my three months of volunteer work at the facility, about eight dogs were able to find families to become a part of.

Staff at FBR take many steps during the adoption process to make sure these dogs do not end up back in the wrong hands. They also take necessary precautions such as interviews with the family, home meetings to assure the dog has everything they will need, and even offer potential adopted parents the chance to bring their current dog to the facility to introduce the two animals properly. It makes volunteering that much rewarding when you see all the work that has been put in is, in every sense, worth it.

Volunteering at this facility gives a person a sense of purpose and responsibility. These dogs have been stray, abused, and even abandoned by cruel people who have no compassion for the innocent animals that are abused or neglected. Dogs that may have been “naughty” before, due to their previous environment, have a noticeable change in mood and mannerisms after given a little tender love and care. This wouldn’t be possible without the staff and volunteers that are able to put the dog’s best interest first.

If someone wants to get involved, there are more ways to help these animals than just volunteer work.

One could donate money, dog food, dog toys, leashes, collars, and blankets.

Fresno Bully Rescue also holds numerous local fundraisers, whose proceeds go back into the shelter.

These small acts of kindness make all the difference in these dog’s life.

Getting the chance to work with these precious dogs really make a person realize how cruel the world can be, but with a little compassion, how beautiful it is at the same time.

10

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

Rams Make Strong cOmeback against West Hills

Guard Ian Miller drives the ball forward against West Hills Colinga at FCC on Feb 1, 2017. Rams won 100-74.

Photo/Armando Carreno

BY JULEASE GRAHAM

Reporter jgraham@therampageonline.com

After a hard loss to Merced College on Jan. 28, the Fresno City College men’s basketball team made a strong comeback at their home game on Feb. 1.

The Rams took on West Hills Coalinga college and won 100-74.

The last time the two teams faced off, it was a one point game; FCC took the victory in the last 3 seconds, making the final score 77-76.

It was clear in the beginning that the Rams came to win. The team came into the game with high intensity and a strong aggressive defense. Throughout the first half, West Hill struggled to break the Rams’ defensive traps. The Rams’ defense had left no room for West Hills to make many shots, and the on-the-ball pressure was unbreakable.

Most of West Hills moves came from their strongest player, sopho-

more center Steve Coulauges, who remained FCC’s biggest obstacle under the basket.

The Rams’ ball and player movement created nonstop opportunities for successful plays on offense.

Freshman guard Tyus Millhollin had five 3-pointers in the first half and 34 overall points. Millhollin and sophomore Cole Morgan were key contributors to the game’s success.

“We wanted to come out strong because we knew this team has the potential to get hot,” Millhollin said. “I was bitter from how I played the last time we met, and nothing motivates me more than a W in that column.”

Towards the end of the first half, the game tempo slowed but quickly picked in the last seven minutes, ending the first half at 47-23.

Aggressive moves were made by both teams going into the second half, and the Rams showed

no signs of losing energy. FCC Freshman guard Eric Pierce and Freshman Ian Miller continued the rhythm from the previous half.

“Tonight’s challenge was physicality, trying to get stronger as the game came at us at a pretty good pace,” Pierce said.

“We have a great team; we go hard and try to bring it every night.”

With 17 fouls and 14 minutes left in the second half, the Rams finished out the game strong and smart. The Falcons made a slow climb up the scoreboard by shooting penalty shots.

Overall, Rams played a strong, consistent game. The Falcons had a hard time matching their opponents level of intensity and aggression but came into the second half with a better understanding of the pace of the game.

Both teams scored 51 points in the final half of game, putting the final score at 100-74.

FCC’s men were determined to get back onto the winning track, and it showed in this game.

It was clear to assistant coach Thomas Ammon that this game was a response to Saturday’s tough loss.

“The men were determined to come back and prove that the loss was just a hiccup. They were definitely motivated to get back on track,” Ammon said.

He said the Rams need consistency on the defensive end.

“That is why we lost on Saturday, and I think that is why we jumped a 26-point lead today,” Ammon said. “We can’t have both ends of the spectrum; we have to come every day and turn it up on defense.”

Final Score

100-74

Women’s Tennis Team prepares for New Season

BY DESIRE STEVENSON

Reporter dstevenson@therampageonline.com

Spring 2017 Women’s Tennis season is finally here, and Chantel Wiggins, head coach of the team, is striving for yet another winning season.

The Lady Rams have been the Conference Champions seven times and won the Big 8 South Conference in 2016. Wiggins said that the team’s schedule this season is competitive, with the team playing matches against Division I and II junior college teams all over the state.

Although mother nature may get in the way of some spring sports, the team seems ready to work through any obstacle.

“The weather has definitely affected our practices,” Wiggins said. “The players enjoy the rain because of how hard our coaching staff pushes them when it’s dry. It gives their bodies time to recover.”

Showing agility and flexibility

out on the court comes along with a lot of practice and conditioning.

“The team has been training hard on the courts, with match specific drills and training hard off court with tons of plyometric training and running,” Wiggins said.

Kristen Clore, a junior on the team, said the team has been preparing for the upcoming season by “practicing everyday, and doing conditioning so we can be in the best shape.”

Clore said she wants her team to go out have fun and win. “Our team is like a family because we are all so close, and we are always encouraging one another.”

Wiggins said she encourages her team to take things one match at at time, but to keep their eyes on the prize.

“I don’t feel like we have any obstacles. We create our own destiny and how we show up to play,” Wiggins said. “Every match will determine how deep we go into playoffs this year.”

Wiggins says she continues to

keep the team mentally prepared to play at their highest abilities.”

“I let my players know that our goal is always first to win conference, then we take playoffs one match at a time,” she said. “In past years, we have upset some good teams and have been upset, so I know both sides.”

It won’t take long to find out what this team is made of as they open up the season.

“Fresno City College students need to come out to support us,” Clore said. “We need you guys.”

The women’s tennis schedule can be found on the FCC website and is only a click away.

“I would love to get more students out to watch our team play.

Many don’t know much about tennis but it can be just as exciting as any other sport,” Wiggins said. “We have a history at FCC of winning championships. Come be a part of that by showing your FCC athletic pride.”

SPORTS

ZACH SAVAGE: NEW STUDENT, WILD TALENT

Zach Savage, forward. Photo/Armando Carreno

BY NOAH VILLAVERDE

Repoter nvillaverde@therampageonline.com

Having the opportunity to play in a college basketball team is an honor in and of itself, but serving team leader is a remarkable milestone.

Fresno City College freshman Zach Savage has the distinct privilege to say that he has the responsibility of holding his own as the team’s starting forward.

Savage, 19, is a film major making the rounds with his success on the courts. Even before he came to FCC, he has played basketball since he was six-years-old.

Having played in recreational teams at the YMCA, Savage continued basketball at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, where he also served as captain.

Balancing academic priorities along with leading the team at FCC is no easy task, but Savage claims that his experience has been rewarding to him both as a student and athlete.

“Following the advice of the coaches has taken me and my fellow teammates place,” Savage said.

“We go hard every day at practices that push us both physically and mentally.”

Savage added that he is particularly close with his teammates - two of which he lives with. “We work with each other 24/7.”

The FCC men’s basketball coaches also sing Savage’s praises.

“He’s still a freshman, so he’s still has a lot to learn as far as leading a team,” said assistant coach Sultan Toles-Bey. “But he’s taking great steps. He’s a great rebounder.”

Savage states that he and his team intend to win the Central Valley Conference, and hopefully the State Championships.

As for whether or not he plans to continue playing basketball after his time with FCC is over, Savage is motivated.

“Hopefully, I can earn some scholarships out of here afterwards and just continue playing basketball after college is over.”

SPORTS

11

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

Women advance to Second Place in CVC in win over West Hills

BY JULEASE GRAHAM

Reporter jgraham@therampageonline.com

The Fresno City College women’s basketball team moves to second in the Central Valley Conference after winning its second straight game.

The Rams beat the Golden Eagle of West Hills College, Lemoore, 73-34 on Feb. 1, bringing their season’s record to 20-3.

Both teams lacked tempo and intensity at the start of the game.

The Eagle’s lack of defensive pressure left room for the Rams to hesitate on offensive plays, and the Rams struggled to figure out their opponent’s defensive strategy.

Towards the end of the second quarter, FCC began to work harder on defense, holding West Hills at 15 points going into the second half, making the halftime score 34-15.

The Rams came into the second half a better team and scored 25 points in the third quarter. Their Stamina picked up and overall ball movement improved as the guard, Sophomore Heaven Holmes, settled into the game’s rhythm.

“We needed to find our rhythm, we needed to see how they were

going to play their offense,” Holmes said. “We were challenged the most inside with our post player. Our biggest obstacle as a team was not rebounding and boxing out; they out rebounded us.”

Throughout the game, West Hills continued to challenge the Rams inside and under the basket.

FCC continued to struggle with driving and rebounding.

Sophomore guard, Taylor Martin, and sophomore forward, Julia Locastro, continued to work the middle on offense, resulting in 30 combined points.

“West Hills definitely challenged us the most on the glass.

They have athletic post who can rebound and block shots,” said Martin. “Our team’s strength is definitely our ability to out-hustle and control the tempo of the game through our full-court press.”

The Rams’ strong defensive press was a huge factor in their 39-point lead, but hesitation on offensive plays contributed to this game’s low shooting average of 40.3 percent.

“It’s just confidence that we lack; we work on threes a lot, but it’s just knowing that we can actually make that three,” said freshman guard Mikayla Mabie. “Our coach always tells us to shoot, but

Foward Julia Locastro in the post against West hills Lemoore at FCC on Feb 1, 2017. Rams won 73-34.

Photo/Armando Carreno

it’s just that mindset.”

In the final quarter, the Rams did not lose momentum. Head coach Brian Tessler said endurance is his team’s best strength and that it was this that allowed them to outplay West Hills for the remainder of the game, wrapping up the second half with 39 points.

“Our strengths, because we are

RAMS SUFFER third LOSS IN A ROW

Efrain Del Rio pitching six innings with six strike outs against Los Medanos at Ratcliffe Stadium Baseball field on Feb. 3, 2017. Photo/Larry Valenzuela

BY MICHAEL MENDEZ

Sports Editor mmendez@therampageonline.com

The Rams struggled to find their stride as the Fresno City College Baseball team suffered its third straight loss, 2-0 to Los Medanos College, on Feb. 3.

The Rams fell to fifth place in the Central Valley Conference with a 1-3 record. Although it is early into the season, the Rams have yet to win a game at home.

The game started off in a pitching battle that saw Rams’ starting pitcher Efrain Del Rio against

LMC’s Llewelyn Slone. Both pitchers showed off their pitching, and the game went scoreless for the first five innings.

Elfrian Del Rio shut down The Mustangs’ batters in the early going of the match, pitching 75 pitches for six strikeouts in five scoreless innings.

A small mistake doomed the Rams in the top of the sixth inning when the Rams’ defense failed to make a ground out on a punt to start the inning. This set the Mustangs up to go on a series of hits, advancing the runner to third base, where they would strike with

an RBI single to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Del Rio was benched shortly after the end of the inning.

“They capitalized on our mistakes, not being able to get an easy out on that punt; they were able to put a runner in score position,” Del Rio said. “It wasn’t the best feeling going into the dugout at the end of the inning, giving up that run and later getting told that my time on the mound was done.”

Despite being down one run, the Rams were not going to go down without a fight in the seventh inning. With two outs against them, the Rams were able to get a series

down to nine with our injuries, is probably our stamina. I think they go hard; that’s our best strength,” Tessler said. “We played hard, and we did what we needed to do.”

There are four games remaining in the season. The next and final home game will be against Reedley college on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. of singles loading the bases with the potential of tying the game and taking the lead. Rams’ Sophomore catcher Kyle Adkins wasn’t able to secure a hit to score a run off a fly ball at end the inning, killing the team’s chance of tying the game.

“We were not able to get the hits that we needed to take the lead in the sixth, and so far, that has been our problem this season.

It showed tonight,” Adkins said.

“We have to be sharper on the bat and be able to get hits. We need to be more consistent when we do it, and I think we will be OK.” The Mustangs tightened their grip on the lead in the eighth inning by scoring their second run of the game, making the score 2-0.

The second score would destroy any chance of a Rams comeback, as the Mustangs made two threeand-outs to close out the game.

Despite the loss, Rams’ assistant coach Eric Solberg said his team still has the potential to go on a long run for the season’s ahead.

“It’s early in the season, so we know we are going to struggle in some areas,” Solberg said. “Now we know it’s at offense, and that is something we need to work on.”

He said that baseball is a momentum building game, but that he is optimistic.

“When you go on a slump, you struggle, but when you hit well you are hard to stop,” Solberg said. “I believe this is a very talented team that can go a great run for the season ahead.”

12

RAMPAGE 2.8.2017

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Mulan’ Goes to Arizona

BY ERIC JARAMISHIAN

Reporter ejaramishian@therampageonline.com

The theater department at Fresno City College is packing their bags and hitting the road this February for the Kennedy Center American Theater Festival in Mesa, Arizona.

They will be performing the play “Mulan and the Battle on Black Mountain” at Mesa Community College.

FCC’s “Mulan” is one of five plays chosen from hundreds of entries.

The play is written by FCC theater instructor, Charles Erven and is directed by Debra Erven, another longtime theater instructor.

Based off an old Chinese poem, the story is about a courageous girl named Hua Mulan. Who, disguised as a man, goes to fight for the Chinese army, in place of her father.

She fights in the battle of black mountain for 10 years. After the battle, her identity is revealed, and she

is put on trial for treason. Through flashback sequences, Hua Mulan tries to prove her innocence to the emperor.

The theater department staged the play during the spring semester of 2016 and entered it in a contest for a possible performance at the KCATF. In December, they found out that they were one of five plays invited to perform.

The cast and crew immediately started up rehearsal for “Mulan” again in preparation for the festival.

They will be performing two shows for “Mulan” in Arizona. Both are on Feb. 16, one matinee at 2 p.m., then another performance at 6:30 p.m.

The KCATF has festivals on regional and national levels. If the play wins on the regional level, the cast and crew will go on to the national KCATF festival and have an opportunity to show their play to people and schools throughout the United States, and have a chance to win awards and scholarships.

This is not the first time the FCC

theater department has performed a play outside of the state or at this festival. Ten years ago, the department performed “Kenyan Sweet” also written by Charles Erven, in Cedar City, Utah.

Sabrina Lopez, second year actress, whose work includes “Detroit” and “Farragut North”, will be traveling to Arizona to perform “Mulan” as one of the lead roles.

She said she loves performing for FCC and is excited to perform “Mulan” once again. “I love this show. It is a surreal experience, and everyone in the cast is doing something completely different from any other play we have performed,” Lopez said.

Christopher Mayorga, the stage manager for “Teazers”, is new to the FCC Theater Department and will also be going to Arizona to perform this play.

“I’m excited to perform for people who have never seen this play before,” Mayorga said. “Practicing this play has been a lot of work,

Thuy Duong, Sabrina Lopez, Adam Zakaria, Raul Vasquez(top from left to right) and K.P. Phagnasay (bottom left all being directed by Charles Erven (bottom right), rehearse “Mulan and the Battle on Black Mountain,” on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017. Photo/Larry Valenzuela

both physically and emotionally.”

Both actors hope to win the award to go to the nationals.

Debra Erven has worked with a number of people, like Jimmi Hao, dance instructor and John Cho, the fight choreographer, to make this play come alive on stage.

“We wanted to cast as many ethnicities as we can for this production,” said Erven. “As a department, we try to reflect what our student body is and what they want to see on stage.”

The FCC Theater Department will be performing the production at FCC before traveling to Arizona. These benefit performances will help raise funds to travel to the festival. Two shows will be held, one on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m and another on Feb. 11 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 each.

“We hope you come support our students and come to this show,” said Erven. “They have deserved the chance to experience this opportunity.”