RamPage, April 24, 2019, Vol. 46, No. 3

VICTOR VALLEY COLLEGE

RAMPAGE April 24, 2019| Volume 46| No. 3

“People don’t actually read newspapers. They step into them every morning like a hot bath.” - Marshall McLuhan

Jordan Peele’s Us Demands To Be Seen

New VVC Football Stadium and Conference Center By: Edward Freer Reporter

Victor Valley College (VVC) Board of Trustees met on March 12thr regarding a new stadium and conference center on the campus. According to Charity Lindsey of VVC Marketing and Public Relations Department, during the meeting, Steve Garcia, the Director of Facilities Construction and Contracts at VVC, laid out the plans for the new project. According to Lindsey, the stadium will hold 5,000 people with 3,500 seats on the home side of the field

By: Jacob David Wilson Reporter

and 1,500 on the visitors. After speaking to those close to the project, the type of playing surface is still unknown. In addition to the football field and seating, there will be a synthetic track around the field. Replacing the 50-yearold dirt track that the student body now uses.

On top of the hill, near the

Photos courtesy of vvc.edu

library, overlooking the football field will be a conference center that will hold 500 to 600 people. The conference center be used for VVC functions but it will have the capability of holding other community events that can generate Continued on page 2…

Anthropology: The Study of Humans By: Alex Malan Reporter

There are many majors to choose from when a student gets to college. Some of the more common majors include Biology, Criminal Justice, Communications, Marketing, and Business Administration.

Among all the other majors to choose from, there stands one that is generally less noticed by students entering college: Anthropology. In an interview with the Chair of the Anthropology Department at VVC, Richard Cerreto, information was given about what Anthro-

News pg. 2

pology is, what the classes are like for the subject, and some of his background on how he

became an Anthropology professor.

Continued on page 3...

Photo courtesy of: Victor Valley College Dept. of Anthropology-Facebook

Features pg. 6

Entertainment pg. 10

Us marks horror/comedy icon Jordan Peele’s return to the genre that changed the world's perception of who he was and what he was capable of, forever. Get Out debuted on February 24, 2017, introducing the populace to a daring new visionary in the world of horror cinema in the form of writer/director Jordan Peele.

Many had previously experienced several of Peele’s talents on his popular Comedy Central television series, Key & Peele, as well as several other comedy-focused projects. Few had any idea what was in store for them when Peele's brainchild came out.

Get Out managed to gross over 56 times its budget and went on to earn four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay to Jordan Peele. This incredible success led to huge expectations for whatever project Jordan Peele chose to do next.

Now, two years later, his next cinematic endeavor has taken to theaters in the form of Us. Continued on page 10…

Sports pg. 16

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April 24, 2019

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Spring Break or Smar t Break?

By: Mike - O Bonam Reporter Based on a survey of 50 Victor Valley College (VVC) athletes, 45 attested that they participate in underage drinking. That is 90 percent; a high rate.

Drinking often leads to making bad decisions, such as attempting to drive or endangering yourself. The reason why the legal age to drink is 21, is because the brain isn't done developing yet. So yes, it may seem like a lot of fun, but at what mental/physical cost will it be? According to Cancer.net, drinking also affects the organs and can cause head and neck cancers. Studies reveal that consuming 3.5 or more drinks a day, doubles the chances of getting those cancers.

Having fun doesn't always have to involve drinking, because it can almost always do Stadium, from page 1 added income for the college.

The estimated cost of the project is 20 million, and could start as soon as three years.

A quality stadium is important to the students. Cameran Spratley, a computer science major and outside linebacker for VVC, feels that not having a field to call their own puts them at a disadvantage.

Spratley says “When you come from not having any-

more damage than good. More than 11,000 people were killed from drunk driving in the United States in 2017. Which equals to one person dying from an accident involving drinking and driving every 45 minutes. Every year, nearly 1.5 million people are arrested and charged for driving under the influence.

Drinking while underage is never worth it. Many people thing like a field and stuff like that...makes you not want to play on that field.” He added, “Other schools who have the nice stadium and facilities that do bring in more players because obviously, they have better facilities." Spratley goes on to say a new stadium will allow coaches to get more film at practice and during games because they will be higher up.

Spratley stated that when he was in high school, he played on a dirt field and the team

Photo courtesy of belushis.com

are harming their futures by drinking and driving or even trying get a laugh by swimming or doing something equally dangerous. Understand college is an opportunity and to lose all that for a good time isn't worth it. Being arrested for underage drinking or being pulled over for drinking and driving goes on your permanent criminal record. was not that good, however, the moment they got a new facility, the team started winning. This encouraged more people come to the games, and more support started coming in. Spratley feels the stadium is important for future players, student body, and the surrounding community because “some-times you just need something for people to hop on the boat" in order to get energized.

Football players are not the only ones who feel the new facilities will be a welcome addition to the campus. Jasmine Jaramillo, a communication major at VVC said, “If there was a stadium here on

Spring break is just around the corner and then it’s party central. Many college students’ first plans are to go out and party with friends, getting drunk in the process. In the first week of spring break, more than 115 underage college students were arrested.

Last year, in Texas alone, 1,018 people died in DUI accidents - 40 of them were under aged. There were 62 more underage drinkers involved in car accidents all in Texas.

In California, drinking and driving, can lead to 96 hours in jail, a fine of $390-$1,000 for the first offence, and a license suspended for at least 6 months.

Before picking up another bottle or taking a shot ask, yourself: “Is it worth everything you stand to lose? Or is it better to put it down, walk away, and enjoy your spring break sober?”

campus I would definitely go and bring family and friends.”

Jaramillo also said that the thought of having pep rallies with a band and cheerleaders and seeing the entire college getting excited about a home football game would add to her college experience.

Jaramillo admits that she is from a “football fanatic family” and that might have something to do with it her excitement after hearing about the new stadium project.

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April 24, 2019

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Skating For Mental Health Awareness

By Dalia Soltero Reporter The High Desert Equality (HDE) organization teamed up with the Pretty Girl Passion Society (PGPS) to inform more people about mental health on March 30 at the Holiday Skating Center in Victorville. The chairman of HDE Christine Blakeley, also known as Pepper, stated, “The only way to work with the problem is to not be afraid of it. People are afraid of things they do not understand but the only way we can understand is to face the problem head on.”

Prior to the event, 130 tickets were sold. Participants roller skated to a variety of music and excitedly held out their tickets as the announcer called out the winning numbers for the raffles to win one of three gift cards; one for Dick’s Sporting Goods, one for Kohls, and a $100 gift card to Stater Brothers.

Children, 17 and under, participated in trivia games about the organization. Pamphletson living with mental Anthropology from page 1 Cerreto has taught the subject of Anthropology for 31 years.

He says , “Anthropology is the study of all things human. It’s the study of language, social systems, behavior, society, the biology of humans, and the study of their past.” Cerreto said one of the more intriguing aspects of the subject is the prehistoric things about it, saying he likes “the stuff that we have to piece together, almost like a jigsaw puzzle.” He described the feeling as being compared to the likeness of detectives, trying to “re-trace what people did in the past.”

There are many career paths with an Anthropology degree. Cerreto said “The

illness, bullying, grief and more were available.

Having access to information about mental health was important to participant Annette Higinio, who attended with her family. She was seeking more information for her four sons she adopted to make sure they had resources. Along with finding information for her family, Higinio was able to share her experience about her 28-year-old godson, who after a horrific car accident, had some issues with his memory reverting back to the age of 21.

“The doctors said that he would not walk again or talk and that he was practically brain dead.” According to Higinio, her godson has gotten better after his family took him off the sedatives. She continued, “He opened his eyes and he was writing messages to us on paper... he does pretty good he walks and talks now.” The director of the event, Shea Toastes, is planning on meeting with Higinio’s godson sometime soon.

This event shared the truth behind mental health and is

Photographer: Esmeralda Constantino

sky’s the limit as far as jobs, if you have an anthropological background.” The careers he stated include: being a liaison officer, an interpreter, a codecracker, a medical doctor, a forensics worker, a museum worker, you can work for an environmental impact firm, and you can work with businesses to help with the international relations of people in corporations so that they can “understand how other people from different countries in corporations will act and react” to things that we as a culture might not be aware of.

Cerreto continued to mention the importance of cultural work in Anthropology, saying that Cultural Anthropologists will help other cultures by “making sure that they are safe

and sound, and that they’re not being bamboozled by any corporation.”

Cerreto said “Anthropology is sort of a well-hidden discipline.” He said that it could be partially due to the fact that it’s a subject that K12 students don’t have a chance to learn about, until they get to college. Cerreto also said that the best way for the department to branch out and try to introduce more people to the subject is by doing presentations at different K-12 schools. Telling them about what Anthropology is and why it may interest them can increase the number of students who go on to major in the subject. He mentioned that there has been a club for the department in the past, but it’s on a

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also trying to give people the courage to be themselves and to not be defined by their mental health. “Having a mental disability does not define us, it is only a part of us.” Shea said.

The group's goal was to inform people and to provide a safe space where kids can have a good time with their family and have support. Having access to this information is important whether it’s for a concerned parent, someone personally struggling with mental illness, or even a college student who may be experiencing some hardships and may not know how to approach it.

“When I was 21 years old I was diagnosed with bipolar,” Shea shared in an interview.

She also mentioned her own personal struggles and how some people believed she could not achieve certain goals or would lose respect for her after learning about this fact about her. “I went to college, I work, and I spent a long time to prove that I can do those things. I know it can be done.”

Shea was inspired by her past and wanted to make a difference by reaching more people through doing fun activities in a safe space. hiatus right now. The hiatus is mostly due to the fact that it’s hard to keep people around to fulfill the minimum requirement of four officers to keep the club going. He is open to the club coming back if they are able to have enough officers and members to join.

Anthropology is a major that many students could possibly be interested in. Cerreto mentioned that he has students every semester telling him that they are switching their major to Anthropology because of the classes they took with him.

If a student is struggling to find a major or no longer interested in their current one, they can register for an Anthropology class for a semester and see if it may interest them as much as many of the other students!

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The Fair is Coming to Town By: Alexandra Kirollos Reporter

The annual San Bernardino County Fair is coming to the High Desert May 25 - June 2, 2019. Entertainment will in-

Derby, and Pro Open Bull Riding will take place May 25 -27. Concerts from Skidrow, P.O.D, Truckload Music Festival featuring Jerrod Niemann, Chase Bryant, and Brown & Grey, and the Pop 2000 Tour

Photo courtesy of San Bernardino County Fair Facebook

clude monster trucks, destruction derby, stage shows, comedians, clowns, jugglers, and live bands there will be plenty of live entertainment from a variety of artists.

There will also be carnival games, rides, animals, exhibits, fair food and vendors selling home-made and other goods. The classics like funnel cakes, corn dogs, cheese curds, turkey legs, cotton candy, kettle corn, ice cream and much more.

Grandstand Entertainment shows are Monster Truck Mayhem, Desert Rage Demo

hosted by Lance Bass from May 30-June 2.

The livestock and animal showcase will include exhibition of cattle, goats, sheep, and small animals The Future Farmers of America and the 4H youth are the heart of the San Bernardino Fair and the Jr. Livestock Auction.

Adult admission is $8, carnival wristbands are $25 to $35, and the fair super pack are $30 to $40. The fair is located at 14800 “7th” Street, Victorville, CA, 92395. Save the date, and plan a trip to the upcoming county fair!

News

April 24, 2019

ers. The Mall sees 6 million shoppers per year, not many when compared to other well known malls like Ontario Mills or Glendale Galleria. It doesn’t mean that the Victor Valley Mall has less crime rate, but can help picture how many people attend and be more cautious when visiting.

A survey taken at Victor Valley College, asked students “How safe do you feel when shopping at the Victor Valley Mall?” some of the responses were shocking. Patricia Mendez said, “I go to the mall often but I feel unsafe when I see people running with bags towards the exit because I can tell they robbed a store and I see that a lot.” Burglary crimes are frequently taken at the mall because its a vulnerable place especially in the holiday seasons. Amanda Walker mentioned, “I feel safe I haven’t encountered anything bad when I go” Walker visits the mall 2-3 times a month and hasn’t had any problem, for other shoppers like Mendez, who frequently visits finds it can be unsafe. Erik Hernandez another former student say’s, “I feel safe but I think it’s the people who have been making it have a bad reputation.” Hernandez has been living in the High Desert his whole life and states, “The mall used to be very calm not much problems like now” The mall may not be so calm now because Vic-

torville’s population rate has increased over the years and so has the number of shoppers.

To get some insight, the same survey question was asked of employees at the Victor Valley Mall. Marisol Chavez mentioned how unsafe she feels, “It's not a safe mall to me one time a guy threatened me I felt like I had to watch over my shoulder every time walking out of work since I would closes all the time.” Since the threat, Chavez has not been as safe anymore. Mall employee, Eduardo Lopez said, “ It’s not safe I’m always witnessing robberies the other day this guy stole in front of my face and looked at me with a strong stare as he left and as a employee we can’t do anything to the customer.”

Cynthia Quintero, a former employee at the food court said, “It's not safe especially for kids I seen a fight going on in the middle of the food court where someone was stabbed and everyone ran towards the exits.”

The crime at the mall is unacceptable, it hasn’t been taken lightly and security has been increased inside and outside. The mall does have police and security walking the mall making sure shoppers and employees are safe. The Macy’s store has their own security to. The Victor Valley Mall has reinforced their security, but it’s critical to be aware of the surrounding and staying alert.

Victor Valley Mall Public Safety

By Karen Flores Reporter The Victor Valley Mall in Victorville, Ca is the only one in the High Desert. It has improved throughout the years with more trendy stores like

Shoe Palace and Hollister.

Factors like safety and precautions are critical when shopping at any mall. It’s impossible to have a crime-free mall, but being aware of the surroundings is important to help protect yourself and oth-

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Photo courtesy by highdesertdaily.com

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April 24, 2019

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Earth Day: Protecting Endangered Species

By Ruben Velazquez Reporter Earth Day, a worldwide celebration of environmental and animal activism, is on April 22 Earth Day will be celebrating its 49th anniversary. The movement that started in 1970 by founder Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin Senator, is nearing 50 years. College students across the nation have been fighting for environmental protection since 1970. Earth Day was started to help fight back against rising pollution in the United States to help preserve the planet for future generations. With the help of college students across the nation, Earth Day has brought environmental protection to everyone’s minds.

In recent years, the agenda of Earth Day has began to focus on important timely issues. Earth Day in 2018 focused on the theme, “End Plastic Pollution!” In order to raise more awareness on the effects of plastic on the environment; especially the impact plastic waste has on the ocean and its creatures;, 2018’s Earth Day pushed for

April is S.A.A.M By: Ashley Flores Reporter For many people, April is a happy month because of the different holidays like April Fool’s Day and Easter. For others, April is also known as a month to honor and recognize those who have been abused and assaulted sexually.

Sexual Assault Awareness

less plastic products and more reusable products. The theme for 2019 will be focused on,

mental neglect and industrialization. According to the Earth Day Network, “The unprecedented global destruction and rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations are directly linked to causes driven by human activity… The impacts are far reaching.”

The Earth Day Network urges people to join the campaign to help slow the extinction rates of many plants and animals.

Through educational lecPicture courtesy of moviemindgreen.com tures and promotion of environmental policies, “Protect Our Species” accord- Earth Day inspires people to ing to the Earth Day Network. spread their knowledge and The Earth Day Network coor- love for Earth. The Earth Day dinates global environmental Network has started their prepactivism year-round. This arations for their largest April 22 will focus on protect- worldwide activism movement ing those creatures that are in in 2020. People all over the danger or will become endan- world can sign up though their gered, due to human environ- website to help spread enviMonth (SAAM) is a worldwide campaign to educate the public and communities on how to prevent sexual assault from happening while also bringing awareness.

The theme for SAAM 2019 is “I Ask.” This theme was created to encourage and normalize individuals to always ask for consent, for any situation and to not pressure or question the individual about their response.

SAAM has helped millions worldwide and reminded survivors that they aren’t alone.

Social activists have been around since before the 1970s

fighting for women’s rights in not only the workforce but also fighting for their rights against assault and abuse.

These strong advocates have done many different events

ronmental awareness.

Earth Day will carry the same teachings and activism this year while focusing on “Protect Our Species” to help preserve life and beauty on earth for generations to come.

While Earth Day has become a world-wide movement, citizens of the High Desert have also picked up the torch.

The city of Victorville has a Community Clean-up event twice a year since 2007. The Community Clean-up focuses on cleaning and preserving Victorville in order to maintain a clean city and protect its natural desert environment.

Over the past 12 years, the Victorville community has picked up a total of 176 tons of litter, according to the City of Victorville. This year’s April Community Clean-up day took place on the 13th followed by another event in October. The event is free to attend and rewards volunteers with free t-shirts and restaurant discounts. The City of Victorville is always looking for more volunteers to join their efforts to preserve the High Desert. Community members can sign up directly on Victovilleca.gov to register for any future Community Clean-up days.

Courtesy of womanscentrojfax.org

like marches in the month of April to create awareness. In 2000 SAAM was established Continued

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Victor Valley College Features

Get To Know Your 760 By: Brian Woods Reporter

Finding downtime in between balancing academic,

Photo courtesy of Flickr.com

work and personal life can prove difficult at times. Many students find themselves uninspired by or unaware of what recreational activities surround them. Various local hot spots, points of interest, and hidden destinations await those who may not know they exist.

Some off the grid study spots can provide a more comfortable atmosphere when Starbucks feels just too loud.

Bo th The Grind Coffee House and Tonyan Coffee Roasters in Apple Valley offer intimate, inviting and productive settings - while also serving artisan roasts, blends and drinks. The City of Hesperia Library allows students to search through literary archives and resources, then destress with a walk through their Civic Plaza Park and fountains. Organic Fusion Teahouse & Cafe in Apple Valley also creates a quiet and ulterior place to study and mingle.

“I study at least 1 to 2 hours a day… sometimes I go to a library or park, just to get out of the house,” avid Communications Center user Leyah

Brown said. “Students could meet up with other students and start to actually collaborate and help one another,” she concluded.

There are many recreational outlets for various different past times . The High Desert Center for the Arts in downtown Victorville puts on plays, performances and events, that encourage the community to get involved in live arts. Geekdom Comics and Gaming in Spring Valley Lake not only sells comics and collectibles, but hosts various tournaments and popular role playing game events as well. The Cocoon Art Gallery in Apple Valley fosters a safe space for artists and enthusiasts to appreciate local talent and network accordingly.

For a spontaneous day trip, the High Desert has many local attractions and favorites to visit. Both the Hesperia Zoo and Phelan’s Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary give visitors a close-up encounter with rehabilitated and endan-

gered wildlife. The Cal-Earth Homes project in Hesperia is an interactive look into the future of sustainable adobe architecture. Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande is home of the desert’s most Instagram-worthy recycling effort. Antelope Valley’s Poppy Reserve in Lancaster exploded this year with a “super bloom” of poppies following California’s rainy winter.

Desert Zen Center Chua Thien An in Lucerne Valley welcomes guests to explore their temples, classes and zen gardens.

For a more active, outdoors experience, the desert outskirts hold many hidden gems. Hesperia Falls Dam and Trail runs adjacent to Pacific Crest Trail, taking hikers on a multiple -mile long path to scenic cliffs, rivers and falls. Further into the San Bernardino mountains, Deep Creek Hot Springs in Apple Valley remains the best kept secret for swimming, camping, unplugging and unwinding. Horseman’s Center Park in Apple Valley offers free outdoor rock climbing and bouldering. In Crestline, local hotspots such as Heart Rock and Lake Gregory provide an escape from regular daily routines.

When trekking the great outdoors, remember to stay on

trails, leave no trace and always respect the land.

For shopping and consumer needs, Victorville’s Galleria, Dead Celeb’s Vintage Clothing Store, and the Pink Sativa Boutique all inspire unique fashion statements.

Santa Fe Trading Company in Hesperia also sells a wide variety of home decor, furniture and vintage collectibles.

Plenty of popular eateries invite guests to explore their menus and eat ‘outside the box’. Apollo Restaurant is home of famously large and unconventional custom burgers. Adelita’s in Victorville and Lucerne Valley serves sizeable, authentic Mexican cuisine, and Tokyo Sushi brings the quality and craft of traditional Japanese sushi to downtown Victorville.

Various nightlife and gatherings come to life on weekend nights. The Social in Apple Valley and D’vine Wine Bar in Victorville, create a place for mixer events and responsible drinking. Order pints and embrace the Celtic culture at Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, attend a drag queen revue at Ricky’s Nightclub, or team up with friends for a night of Neon Bowling at Victorville Bowl.

The High Desert seems bare in nature, but once explored, is full of life, adventure, variety and history. Get to know the different past times around and make the best of downtime.

New Apple Features By: Jacqueline Hernandez Reporter

Apple held a special event on March 25th, 2019 in Cupertino, CA at the Steve Jobs Theater. The event was about the new features included in iOS that are coming out this year. The speakers included actor Jennifer Aniston, and

computer hardware technicians, Jennifer Bailey and more. Each speaker had their own segment about the new features coming out in 2019.

Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, revealed the new iOS features. Roger Rosner and Wyatt Mitchell introContinued on page 7...

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April 24, 2019 Page 7

Features

Hope Walks at VVC By: Rebecca Medina Reporter The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a non-profit organization, arranges walks across the country to raise suicide awareness. Victor Valley College (VVC) is next on the list to host an Out of the Darkness campus walk. The goal of the event is to raise $5,000 for suicide awareness and prevention.

Multiple clubs on campus and local mental health centers will participate and hand out information about what the community offers for citizens.

The entire event started as a simple idea of bringing a sense of hope to the VVC campus.

Ali Brown is a VVC student majoring n Psychology and will graduate this spring.

Brown has participated and volunteered at other Out of the Darkness walks and loves the program’s strong messages of hope. She has recently become inspired to bring this walk to VVC. Watching family, friends, and coworkers struggle with suicide has propelled her to become active in the community and raise aware-

ness. Brown has struggled with mental health issues and remembers how she kept it to herself for so long, “Looking back, I see how incredibly dangerous and scary that was.” Brown has continuously been reaching out to faculty and students to help her bring this event to life. “Most professors welcome the information and want to help promote the event.

Some are putting together teams and getting out there with their students,” Brown comments. The toughest aspect of planning this event has been time. However, Brown has been relying on a small committee of students, the Associated Student Body (ASB), and Ready Rams to help make everything run smoothly.

The event is the first annual, non-competitive walk to raise suicide awareness within the High Desert community.

Apple, from page 6 duced the first of the features which were Apple News+.

The feature allows everyone to have their own personalized news subscriptions of what they like to read. The subscription is available with the newest update of iOS 12.2 and macOS 10.14.4. The price for the subscription is $9.99 a month for the US with a first free month trial.

Jennifer Bailey, introduced what is the most talked about

by Apple users. Apple Card a credit card created by Apple, the card can be accessed by the Apple Wallet app. The

Picture Courtesy: Apple

credit card will be available in a titanium card and will have no card number or CVV code to ensure security. When using the titanium card during every

Picture courtesy of AFSP

The money raised will go to suicide research, education, advocacy and survivor programs. It will take place Saturday, May 11 on the VVC campus next to the Student Activities Center (SAC), building 44, from 8am-12pm. Anyone can participate whether it be walking and/or donating.

Brown insists that students don’t have to donate to participate and are welcome to just purchase there will be a 1% daily cash back. The feature is going to be released in the summer of 2019.

VVC Student, Nick Jackson, a Business Major is very interested in the feature of the Credit Card. Jackson said, “I don’t really care too much about the other features, I’d use the Credit Card from Apple more than any other bank.”

The popularity of the credit card is already gaining positive feedback.

Ann Thai, was the speaker who introduced, Apple Arcade

attend the walk.

Walkers will go down Bear Valley Road and Jacaranda then walk back to the quad area next to the SAC. During the event, participants can wear different colored beads to show their support and see various VVC clubs performing. They can also stroll down the Resource Fair and see what support their community offers them.

Brown believes students should try their best to make it and says, “This topic is something that affects everyone, but college students are deep in the trenches when it comes to navigating relationships, personal struggles, and outside stressors.”

Hopeful participants can register online at https://afsp.org/vvc or at 8am on the day of the event. For further information, please contact Ali Brown at alibrown7696@gmail.com or follow the event’s Instagram account @walk4hope.vvc.

Brown concludes, “My hope is that it will empower students to stand together and openly support each other when things are uncomfortable. It will rally students, faculty, staff, and community members to remove the stigma of mental health issues and suicide.” a gaming subscription. The built-in arcade will have 100+ indie game titles. This will include Konami, SEGA, Blowfish Studios and more.

The games will be available to play offline with no ads or extra fees. New games added on a regular basis. The release for the feature will be available in the fall of 2019.

The final feature to be introduced was Apple TV +, which are exclusive movies and TV channel features only available to Apple TV users.

This will include 150+ unlimited streaming apps like Hulu Continued on page 11…

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Victor Valley College Features

Get to Know Your Fellow Rams By: Akane Sanchez Reporter

Samantha Statsny, who prefers to be called Sam, is a student in her second year at VVC. Majoring in Child Development, Sam says that she “really enjoys working with kids”. She hopes that once she finishes her associate’s degree as well

By Cristian Estrada Reporter

Annmarie Mendoza is a 23

By: Ruben Velazquez Reporter

Lulabelle Boughman is a Victor Valley College student majoring in math and science.

Boughman is a strong spirited student with a desire to help people. She is studying at VVC to transfer to the University of California, River-

as bachelor’s at a 4 year university, she can land a teaching job. Her main goal is to “[help] the next generation grow and learn,” and it’s something she finds exciting and inspiring.

Sam is excited to be nearly done with college and to move into the next chapter of her life, hopefully filled with children and their little dreams. year old student at Victor Valley College. She graduated from South El Monte High School in 2014 and started attending VVC the fall of 2018. Her major is Biology and is hoping to transfer into UC Davis because they have a good program for physicians.

Some of her hobbies are to crochet and read.

Mendoza chose Biology as her major she said “I wanted to head into the medical field and felt I would be the most helpful in that area.”

side School of Medicine.

Boughman aspires to become a doctor, she explains, “I want to do Doctors Without Borders and missionary work because I like to help people.”

She knows the path to become a doctor will be hard and VVC is the first stepping stone in her path to become a doctor and her desire to work in cancer research.

By: Edward Freer Reporter

Alyssa Rodriguez is a 25 years old student at Victor Valley College. Rodriguez was born and raised in the High Desert and has been attending VVC for the past two years.

Although enjoying all aspects of education, Rodriguez has chosen to get her Bachelors in Science in Nursing.

She said that she decided to get her degree in nursing because her “mother is a nurse, and seeing the satisfaction she feels every day by helping people in her job inspired my own interest in the By: Alexandra Kirollos Reporter

Chad Gemme is a first year student at Victor Valley College He is an automotive major.

He chose this major because he loves cars and has always been fascinated by them and automotive technology.

Gemme is interested in learning about how they operate. “After graduatBy: Demetra Miller Reporter Sheila Skillern is a Psychology major and wants to give others a listening ear and be able to make a positive impact on their lives.

Sheila shared that she is a recovered drug addict of many years. She had to battle to get to where she is today, by the grace of her believing in her Lord and Savior. Being a substance counselor will give Sheila the opportunity to give back what she was given which is why Sheila has been

field.” She goes on to say “I knew from a young age with my mom as an inspiration, nursing was something I wanted to do with my life.

School and everyday life experience basically confirmed my passion and strive to make a difference in the world we live in today.” She also says “we need humility and better patient care, and wants to be one of those few that seek out to make a difference.” ing from VVC, I might want to attend university depending on where life takes me,” Gemme says. He hopes to get hired at a dealership fixing cars on the side and plans to give older cars some love by restoring them. His goal is to bring back happy memories when other people see classic cars on the road. sobrer for 20 years. Sheila’s mission is to save lives.

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Features

Get to Know Your Fellow Rams By: Jacob Wilson Reporter

Esabella Jane Meier is a 19 year-old Liberal Arts student who is graduating this semester with a focus in Arts and Humanities. She originally was going to VVC as a Fine Arts major, but ended up taking enough extra classes to qualify for Liberal Arts. When asked why she chose the major, Esabella said, “I chose it because music was the only thing that really made sense to me in school By: Dania Kaoud Reporter

Taylor Alexandra Salazar is a student attending Victor Valley College. She has been a

growing up so I became passionate about it.” She also went on to say that the Humanities portion of her major is primarily sign language in order to help and understand those who are in the deaf community.

She is hoping to extend that knowledge to her interest in music and do more to appeal to those who are deaf, saying, “Even though they can’t hear it, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the vibrations.” student at VVC since her senior year in 2015. She began studying psychology, however , the more she studied the mind the more intrigued she became with criminal aspect.

One year before her graduation date she added on criminal justice as a second major.

Once she became immersed in the criminal justice courses she became more and more interested in the justice system. Taylor stated “I was able to see where psychology could be applied in a more efficient way than it currently is.” Her goal is to become a criminal profiler.

By Karen Flores Reporter

Crystal Lopez a student at Victor Valley College is currently finishing her general ed and pursuing a career as an orthodontist. She will be transferring to the University of Riverside.

Lopez states, “I have a passion for nice smiles I want to help people change something about themselves that

they don’t like.” Lopez used to have braces and was immensely consistent with her appointments. Lopez took delight in watching her progress she says, “It was a long journey I loved watching how my smile became better each time. I hope to bring that feeling to others someday.” Lopez self-esteem

By: Mike O Bonam Reporter

Gabriel Truhill is a Victor Valley College student. He is looking forward to majoring in business. He chose business and believes that he could do more with that type of degree.

He enjoys numbers and finding new ways to make money.

He knows there are more opportunities in business.

He also said “who have not seen the wolf of wall street I wouldn't mind making that my life.”

By: Ariagna Perez Monreal Reporter

Kassandra Mayorga, age 23, is a sophomore at VVC. Mayorga is a social work major and has been interested in that field since high school. She states “What made me choose this is helping others specially children. My concentration is going to be child welfare.

I’ve worked at a school where I’ve seen how a social worker

By: Frank Staggs Reporter

Naircy Lechuga is a 21 year old theatre major at VVC. She says, “I chose it (theater) because I love being able to bring stories and characters written on paper to life, as well as even creating my own projects and seeing

He feels as if he changed his major he would go on and study welding. He wouldn't mind welding cause he enjoys doing it now, and also make an honest living. He said “ No matter what I major in even if I become a chef I wanna be able to provide for my future wife and kids.”

has helped a student so that pushed me to know I can help, but I’ve also seen how a social worker hasn’t done their job with a kid and that pushed me even more to hopefully be a good social worker in the future to help them all.”

Her passion for helping others is what drove her to her career choice. them come to life!” She has a drive and passion for the art of storytelling and wants to pursue it in her life. Having artists like Naircy give the world unforgettable stories and movie and performances by actors that move us and influence the world in a lot more ways than it seems.

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Victor Valley College Entertainment

US, from page 1

Jordan Peele has put together an impressive creative team both in front of and behind the camera, to help him bring his vision of Us to life.

Peele’s cast consists of several big name actors of recent years, including Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke of Black Panther fame taking the reins as the film’s adult leads.

In supporting roles, Elizabeth Moss of The Handmaid’s Tale and Tim Heidecker of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! are featured in a handful of scenes as polar opposites of the characters Nyong’o and Duke play. The more experienced actors are complemented by performances from much younger newcomers to the world of acting, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, and Madison Curry. The team behind the camera features several of Peele’s past collaborators with Get Out producer Jason Blum, composer Michael Abels, and casting director Terri Taylor returning to their respective roles on this project alongside Key & Peele editor Nicholas Monsour. The most renowned new addition to the creative team is cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, best known for his work on It Follows, Split, and most recently, Glass. Such a diverse and talented group coming together for this project, it is only natural to expect nothing short of excellence of the final product.

Writer/Director, Jordan Peele, finds himself once again creating a horror-thriller with an emphasis on social commentary with Us . Peele has chosen a heavier focus on the horror aspects of the film as opposed to the more commentary centric Get Out. Us does more than enough to establish itself as a film that stands on its own, unburdened by the pressure of its predecessor.

Jordan Peele uses Us to explore new ideas in new ways

not yet seen before.

Us is the story of what starts out as a seemingly normal vacation for Adelaide (Nyong’o) and Gabe (Duke) and their two children, Zora (Joseph) and Jason (Alex) to Santa Cruz. After a problematic beach date with the family of Kitty (Moss) and Josh, (Heidecker) a family of doppelgangers appears and begins to terrorize Adelaide, Gabe, and their children. The film also has a concurrent plot set in 1986 that follows childhood Adelaide (Curry) which further fleshes out the events that are occuring in the present and serves as a basis for much of Adelaide’s character development throughout the film. To say any further about the plot would give away one of the main draws of the film which is how everything unfolds and

April 24, 2019 Page 10

reveals itself. This is a film built around its twists and turns and the way the characters are forced to develop as a result of the situation they find themselves in.

Peele’s writing proves to be smart and witty, though not without fault. Peele plays it too safe with his approach to the story in places, relying too much on genre convention. In spite of this minor issue, the final product is still a haunting piece of cinema that features some of the best moments to come from any horror movie this decade. Peele proves his strength as a director by creating an atmosphere of constant tension, even in the most quiet moments of the film. Peele also maintains a levity to the characters and their interactions in order to keep the film from ever becoming too dark.

Photo courtesy IMDB

Through this lighter touch with his characters, Peele creates people who are easy to care about and root for. This excellent care for the characters comes to a head in the final act of the film through a rousing finale and shocking final twist that has to be seen in order to be believed.

Much of the credit for just how invested the audience becomes in the film has to be given to Lupita Nyong’o and her absolutely awe-inspiring dual performance as Adelaide and her doppelganger. Not only does Nyong’o create a character who is believable and sympathetic in her performance as Adelaide but also one that is the embodiment of strength and composure which is often sorely lacking from many of Hollywood’s depictions of women in film. Her second performance as her own doppelganger is by contrast both terrifying and tragic.

Nyong’o’s villain is defined by an unexpected depth and power that comes without any cost to her menace. Nyong’o’s performance is easily one of the best lead actress performances in horror cinema histor y. If there is any one reason to see this film, it is for Lupita Nyong’o.

Us is a film of both horror and power. It is a film that packs a punch with the terror and tension it displays on screen as well as with the prestige and passion of all those involved with its creation. Us also conveys a powerful message about modern society that shouldn’t be spoiled here, bu t rather must be experienced and interpreted by witnessing it. The film is not without fault and could have certainly taken a couple more risks with its handling of the story and certain characters. Even then, Us is a piece of cinema that is truly worth far more than the sum of its parts and shouldn’t be defined by its faults , but rather adored for its immense achievements. 9.5/10.

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April 24, 2019 Page 11

Local Theatre Awakens Community

By: Mikayla Martinez Reporter High Desert theatre company, Creative Arts Theatre, has officially wrapped-up their two weekend production of “Spring Awakening.” The show follows the lives of several teenagers, and touches on many of the struggles that come with adolescence—even those solemn talked about.

The musical itself made its Broadway debut in December of 2006, and left Broadway in January of 2009. Ten years later, the show has made its way into Victorville’s own community theatre, to grace the stage of the High Desert Center for the Arts for the first two weekends of April.

The cast and crew are comprised of primarily High Desert natives, but participants extend as far out as the Orange County area. Each and every cast member has expressed an extreme gratitude for the show and what it has done for them—from emotional development, to the start of a family they never knew they would have. This heart-wrenching yet educational show tells the stories of adolescents in Germany, and their individual battles

with questioning the statusquo, failing grades, unplanned pregnancies, sexual abuse, and even suicide. While the show is not meant for the faint of heart, it does an incredible job of staging the real-life situations that go unrecognized by the general public for the sake of keeping subject matter light. When asked about the emotional impact on the cast, Lance Odom responded honestly, “Each one of us has had a moment where we were crying—and not as the character.”

In the musical, the audience follows the stories of Melchior and Wendla—played

by Frank Cope and Kelsey Puryear—two teenagers caught up in the lust of hormonal changes and questions about the world around them.

The two end up caught in a moment of unprotected sex, resulting in naïve Wendla’s unplanned pregnancy, and soon to be fatal abortion.

Moritz Stiefel, another main character played by Drake Chavez, is best described as the, “sad, soulful, sleepyhead,” of the show. Moritz’s character is in a constant tug-of-war between his schooling and his overwhelming thoughts and “dreams” that are awakening

his sexuality. Eventu- Photo courtesy of @drakeul.a on Instagram ally, Moritz fails an exam due to his lack of sleep ple, “It’s about bringing a and impeding thoughts, which show to life that will help othsends him into a shame spiral er people—not every show is that results in his suicide. In as powerful as this one. The another portion of the story, a writing, the lyrics, everything young girl named Martha, in [the show] is a very poignplayed by Angelica Lurene, is ant story that needs to be told. being physically abused and And so it’s nice to be able to sexually preyed on by her own tell it to such a wide audifather. Martha’s older sister, ence.”

While “Spring AwakenIlse, portrayed by Melissa ing” has finalized its High Glisson, has run away from Desert run, High Desert Centhe abuse and appears occasionally throughout the show ter for the Arts has several as a reminder of what is un- more shows that will be available for watching pleasure folding behind the scenes.

During the third night of throughout the year. These shows include shows, a Q&A was held by upcoming Young Frankenstein, Sister Director Robert K. Blomker II, Act, Aida, Drop Dead, Things and each cast member had very endearing and eye- My Mother Taught Me, and A opening things to say regard- Christmas Story: The Musical. ing the musical and its impact.

“You find connections in yourself, some that you didn’t Apple, from page 7 realize were there;” says Frank Cope of his character Melchi- Or Amazon Prime. The price or, “every night of the show, I for the subscription of TV+ see things in [Melchior] that I will be available fall of 2019. wouldn’t have seen in myself Many VVC students are without him.” excited about the features.

Puryear, the actress re- This will be something that sponsible for bringing Wendla everyone who owns an Apple to life in “Spring Awakening,” product will definitely have explains the necessity of thea- because of how popular it will tre in the lives of regular peo- be.

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April 24, 2019 Page 12

“Tar tuffe-ified” By: Ishmael Solomon Reporter Only the Victor Valley College (VVC) Theatre Arts Department could provide this unique and entertaining experience in their play Tartuffe. A visibly devoted and charismatic cast tells the comedic story of a wealthy family who is in the company of a pious man who may not be as pure as he claims to be. A series of seemingly unfortunate events ensues from their deceitful relationship. Intriguing the audience as soon as the play starts, the entire cast provides palpable chemistry to the performance in a very well directed story, executed by director Tracy Davis-Butros.

Alongside talented performers, the setting of a three dimensional stage with seating on all four sides provides not only a different experience for each section of viewers, but also gives the viewers the feeling of a bystander watching the story unfold in front of them.

A strict, but clever rhyme scheme throughout the play, makes for a humorous take on the historic language of the 17th century.

The play was originally a French comedy by playwright Moliere in 1664, with a second more popular version created in 1669. Tartuffe was later translated into English by American Poet Richard Wilbur and this is the version used SAAM, from page 4 when activists decided to wear a teal ribbon to represent the victims of a sexual assault. In the mid-2000s the SAAM movement became harder on prevention of sexual abuse in workplaces. However, there is still a lot of work to be done, according to the National Sexual Violence Research Center

by the VVC Theatre Arts Department. The play is divided into five acts that all flow fairly seamlessly together, providing essential elements to the plot and showcasing the development of each character. The roles of the main characters are fairly clear throughout the story, but the supporting character play an equally important role moving the story forward and entertaining the audience.

Early on in the play some characters become the focus of the stage and blur the lines between main and supporting cast. Creating an atmosphere of the viewer focusing on who is important in the moment and not just in the overall narrative. This done by characters Madame Pernelle, the mother of the wealthy protagonist Orgon, who grips the gaze of the audience early on and is not seen again until nearly the final scene. Other characters such as Dorine and Damis, both play meaningful roles alongside main characters Orgon and Tartuffe, create an an incredible experience and leave no scene lackluster.

Part of the experience of the play is that the humor is accompanied by serious undertones that transcend the period in which it was written.

Tartuffe is a man of false faith and uses his status to manipulate those around them to benefit himself. This idea of a person abusing their power and manipulating others also

resonates with modern Photo courtesy of : highdesertgazette.com apt insight into the importance problems of people in power of the play, “If any type of art doing very similar acts and is able to make a commentary hiding them behind false and provide a message in a looks. This idea also resonated way that the audience can rewith actors in the play itself. ceive it without it being too Tartuffe himself, actor Alex much to handle, I think comeMalan when asked what he dy is the perfect genre for believes is important for the that.” audience to take away from Tartuffe is a comedic play this play said, “Don’t be with a timeless narrative that fooled by trickster’s arts.” A can reach viewers hundreds of direct quote from a monologue years after its been written and at the conclusion of the play. fill the theatre with laughs an Actor Jacob Wilson, who entertaining production. played Damis, added a very

website (NSVRC) “Eight percent of rapes occur while the victim is at work”.

Some people may think that the term “Sexual Assault” is only about rape, but an act of assault can happen when someone touches another person without their consent or forcing themselves on another person, male or female, in a sexual way. Which is why the

theme of this years SAAM, “I Ask.”, is so important to follow.

This year of 2019 where this topic is not as quiet as it once was, especially with big movements like the #METOO movement. The #METOO encouraged people who were sexually abused to share and talk about their experiences and stories to help motivate

others who have experienced the same and remind them that they have a right to speak up and fight for their rights.

While also reminding that it is never the fault of a victim.

There are many different ways to get involved and help bring awareness to this topic. People can go on social media and use Continued on page 13...

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Entertainment

April 24, 2019 Page 13

A Great Night of Music By: Cristian Estrada Reporter

The Victor Valley Colleges Music Program has an Ensemble Showcase a couple times a semester. These concerts feature Jazz, sometimes with rock as a combo, and Guitar. Admission is free to the public for great nights of music over four days, April 4th through the 7th. Pictures and videos are welcomed at the event without flash. This showcase is conducted by Craig Pridmore and Rich Sumner. This years Spring Ensemble Showcase on April 4th featured a Guitar Ensemble, a Jazz Rock Combo, and a Studio Jazz Band.

The Guitar Ensemble was showcased first. Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados was created around the late 1880s as a piano cover, but at this event it was featured as a Guitar cover. It features an Intro and 8 different movements.

The cover was an amazing listen and around 20 minutes.

It was directed by Rich Sumner with performers Mario Fuentes, Avery Mills, Charlie Brown, Gabriel Dingle, and Bob Pendergrass.

The Jazz Rock combo featured four different covers.

They covered “Bluesette” by Toots Thielmans/Norman Gimbel, “I’ll Remember April” by Pat Johnston/Don Raye/Gene DePaul, “My Funny Valentine” Richard Rogers/ Lorenz Hart, and “The Chicken” by the late great Jaco Pastorius. The music was leaned more towards Jazz which was SAAM. from page 12… the hashtag “#SA AM” and contact about local events or on April 24 participate in the #DenimDay, where individuals wear denim to represent

Nowlin. The Trumpet players were Brain Forbes, Daniel Garcia, Richard Sojka, Chuck Stewart, and Derrick Ball.

Rhythm players were Joe Inzunza (Piano), Jay Miner (Drums), Bob Pendergrass (Guitar), Rafael Estrada (Bass), and Genie Espinoza (Vibes).

Victor Valley College’s Music Program puts on a great

great. This group was directed

by Rich Sumner. The performers were Jonathan Souza (Piano), Jonathan Arvayo (Drums), Jennifer Whiteman (Trumput), Mario Fuentes (Guitar), and Matthew Owenby (Bass). After the four performances there was a 15

Sammy Nestico, “Tweet Fatigue” by Gordon Goodwin, “Respect” by Otis Redding, and “(Meet) The Flintstones” arrangement by Dave Barduhn. Soloist Ebon Bracy stole the show with her amazing voice receiving constant ovations from the crowd. She cov-

minute intermission for the stage could be prepared for the Studio Jazz Band. The Studio Jazz Band performed 6 covers, two of which were tributes to the late Aretha Franklin. The songs covered were “Afternoon in Paris” by John Lewis, “A Natural Woman” arr. by Paul Murtha, “Basie Straight Ahead” by

ered “A Natural Woman” and “Respect”.

The Studio Jazz Band was directed by Craig Pridmore.

Performers on the Saxophone were Emily Dzajkich, Shane Sherrodd, Tod Shacklett, Stephanie Pridmore, and Joshua Miner. Trombone players were Patty Thayer, Cliff Lyons, Steven Willis, and Matt

show. Donations to Victor Valley Colleges music program can be made with cash, check, or online through the VVC foundation. The upcoming concerts are scheduled for early June. The concert dates are Jazz Night June 5, Bands Night June 6, and Orchestra/ Choir June 8 and 9.

those who have been sexually assaulted and abused.

Students at VVC can get involved and support #DenimDay on April 24th, 2019. Located in the Students Activity Center from 10:00

AM- 12:00 PM. The SAAM movement is expected to grow and reach further to more audiences to bring awareness and hopefully one day we will no longer live in a world where the horrible

acts of sexual abuse never happen again.

For anyone who may need NATIONAL SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE 1 800656-4673 open 24 hours everyday.

Photo by: Cristian Estrada

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Victor Valley College Entertainment

April 24, 2019 Page 14

Madea’s Family Funeral By: Socorro Pinedo Reporter

Tyler Perry is at it again, Madea (Tyler Perry) made her way back to another one of her boujee family’s home gatherings. Madea takes her hilariously dysfunctional family that can not ride in a car without catching the attention of what she calls “the po-po, the popo!”

This is the last Madea appearance after 10 live action features. The only thing sadder than the cheating relative Anthony (Derek Morgan) dying, is the end of the big boob guntoting, halllellujer shouting grandma series.

The film is about the funeral of a family member Anthony who died on his wedding anniversary. His death caused by his lascivious ways and the help of a little blue pill. “Who we are turns up after we die.” says Madea. Like others in Madea’s extended family, a shady and inadequate past is in order and is no exception for several of he members in the grieving party. Madea, an elder of this family full of secrets, lies, betrayals and the constant insults and harassment of uncle Joe’ (Tyler Perry) is asked to be the funeral director, “Wake!,Wake!, why do you call it a wake, the guy is dead!” says uncle Joe. Madea delivers a well rounded service in her own unique “OG” style, with the gospel church choir and a giant dose of her charming mannerisms. She gives comfort and support with her famous Bible quotes.

Madea is the only one capable of helping out the family’s needs while in their hour of mourning. Bringing this family together when cheating, blackmail, and lies are simultaneously being exposed. She always has well intended mes-

sages thanks to her wit, experience and former thug life. A life she left behind when she was saved by the Lord, but still left her with keen abilities to fix any situation: like running from the police, which of course she coaxes her nephew to do the same. Feelings of guilt, deceit, anger, blackmail, grief, suspicion run rampant throughout the plot but good ole Aunt Bam’s (Cassi Davis) and Madea’s sniffing skills, soon pin point and figure out who and where the secrets lie.

The film is funny and unpredictable, Uncle Heathrow (Tyler Perry) just does not have filters, but his amputee status does not stop him from trying to pick up chicks. Uncle Joe’s filters seem like they are less and less efficient, he is still rude, crude, and disrespectful. He receives various

Photo courtesy of IMDb.om

surprises in this film by the hand of his loving sister who he insists is a man.

Mrs. Hattie’s (Patrice Lovely) relentless pursuit of the perfect man is only put on hold for the juicy gossip of how Anthony passed away in a

hotel accompanied by someone, not his wife! Full of laughs and old people cussing and knocking their teeth out, and a truly unexpected surprise in the end.

Funny moments in the film include uncle Joe’s lasciviousness, Bam’s incontinent bladder, Hattie’s hottiness, Madea’s matter-of-fact uncommon sense, and a plot that untangles to the acceptance and forgiveness to human error, understanding, giving second chances and hard lessons learned. “Family is all you got” says Madea, after all is said and done, uncle Anthony in the grave and the widow in the groove as aunt Vianne (Jen Harper) has a secret of her own and a new life she can’t wait to start.

Tyler Perry’s last Madea movie and last appearance, are sure to make the audience laugh and feel connected to the humanity in the characters portrayed. Full of unexpected wit, double sided humor and sarcasm, typical of the dysfunctionality of the family.

Madea does go home after the funeral, maybe to retire, then again maybe the thug life and her Smith and Wesson that have kept her going until now, will make her unhinged enough to come back.

Photo courtesy of YouTube.com

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Entertainment

April 24, 2019 Page 15

Coachella’s Easter Sunday Service By: Angel Barajas Reporter Kanye West provides a great performance at Coachella on Easter Sunday morning with his choir in a session he is calling Sunday Service. Kanye has been building up this performance at Coachella by dropping videos of the him playing beats live with the choir singing his most memorable, and gospel songs.

Kanye has had issues with the AfricanAmerican community as well as the hip-hop community for his comments last year about slavery, and his support for President Donald Trump. His is on course for his road to redemption.

On Easter Sunday, Kanye West brought out fellow rappers Kid Cudi, Chance the rapper, Ty Dolla $ign and others, to perform gospel versions of his most famous tracks. West has recently been under scrutiny in the hip-hop community for his political stance and his support for Donald Trump.

West has also had a fall out with the African-American community for his comments on TMZ which he stated, “Slavery sounded like a choice.” He has since taken a hiatus from making appearances publicly or doing interviews. On January 13, Kanye

began to post videos on Twitter of a himself and a choir from a church in Calabasas recreating some of his most famous tracks in a gospel style. On January 20th, Kanye debuted a new song called “We’ll find a way” for the

Rapper DMX led the Sunday Service with a prayer on March 17th after being recently released from prison. On the 24th of March Sunday Service was shut down by police after several individuals complained about the noise, although no

Through the months as more Sunday Services hit the internet, Kanye is straying away from media attention and returning to the roots of his music that formulate from soul music and preaching lyrics.

Kanye is yet again re-

second Sunday Service. On February 10, he celebrated the 15 anniversary of album ‘College Dropout’ and played gospel versions of songs from his album for that Sunday Service. February 24, West went viral with this Sunday Service by chopping up a sample by Fred Hammond, while the choir was in the background.

This was made into a Meme because of Kanye’s stance and his glowing red hair.

On March 5, 2019 Kanye moved the Service to the headquarters of Adidas in Portland.

new music was heard, this Service provided the biggest appearances from Tyler, the Creator, Katy Perry, and Orlando Bloom.

On March 31, Kanye announced that Sunday Service will be performing at Coachella on Easter Sunday. April 7 concluded the final Sunday Service before the Coachella appearance. On this Service, West took this time to pay his respects and give tribute to Entrepreneur and musician Nipsey Hussle who was shot on March 31.

Photo courtesy of TMZcom

inventing himself through the music and he is changing his demeanor from an egocentric narcissist, to a religious man seeking redemption within himself through the grace of God.

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Sports

April 24, 2019 Page 16

Ram’s Toughest Conference Yet By: Akane Sanchez Reporter

On March 28, Rams baseball suffers another loss during a home game against Barstow.

Nearing the end of their playing season with current total games at 27, Rams have 10 wins and 17 losses as of March 31.

The game started off with Rams player #21, Juan Castañeda, stealing a base and landing VVC a run. The victory was short-lived. In the next inning, Barstow scored an inpark home run.

The Ram’s base stealing gave the Barstow-supporting crowd a lot of aggravation. A spectator in the stands was shouting at the Ram’s players - specifically, Castañeda as he was the star of base stealing resulting in scoring that afternoon. When asked how he was so confident about going for it and being unfazed about the crowd’s reactions, Castañeda says that he relies on his

team’s training. “It’s what we practice. We are always practicing, and practice makes perfect.”

Not only did the Rams steal quite a few bases this game, they also had several walks as well to the frustration of the Barstow supporting crowd.

Castañeda says that his teammates mostly relied on the pitcher to determine whether or not to walk. They just let “the pitcher pitch. Let him come to [them],” to decide if

Photo courtesy of Akane Sanchez

they are going to swing or get to walk to the base.

Castañeda feels as if his team members just got a bit lazy towards the middle-end portion of the game. He thinks they need to “stay on the gas pedal” and just finish strong.

Coach Irvin Bounds feels as if the game was just very competitive all around, and does not blame the loss on his team’s performance. Both

VVC Lady Rams Not Done Yet By: Dania Kaoud Reporter

The Victor Valley College (VVC) Lady Rams Softball team has improved tremendously over the years. “This sport isn’t about win or lose.

It’s about playing with your heart and if you can’t do that then you shouldn’t be out on the field. Our goal is to be the best we can and to never give up, especially on each other.”

Stated Jashelle Wardrop, a student at is a member of the softball team.

Wardrop is a sophomore and left fielder for the Rams softball team. She played her last game, Wednesday, March 27 away. She went to catch a

pop fly and a pothole caught her and she sprained her ankle.

She was heartbroken, but her teammates, Dee, Brittney, Tawn, Adeline and her sister Rae, have been helping her through while she continues to cheer her team.

It’s been a rough season for the Lady Rams, but they aren’t done yet. The team has a lot to work on, but they always try their hardest. They are a hard working group of girls. Wardrop continues to say “playing softball is always fun because you get to work with different individuals and you build this bond on the field that’s different when you get off the field. We’re a bunch of girls so of course

there will be some ups and downs but when we’re on the field all of that is set aside and we’re a team and that’s all that matters. If we don’t produce that teamwork when in a game then there isn’t any unity and if there isn’t any unity then there’s no way in hell we’re winning. I’ve played on multiple teams in multiple sports and I think hands down it’s like that in every single one.”

That’s how they bounce back from any mistakes they make. This team is aware that they make mistakes, but they never let that stop them. They go over their mistakes as a team and make sure they never make the same one again.

The team has not won a lot

teams were at each other’s necks nearly the whole game, until Barstow pulled ahead at the end.

Although the Rams did not win the game, Coach Bounds is positive they can finish their season strong. He says, “this conference is ranked really high, so it’s tough. It’s definitely tougher than next years,”. Attributing the fact that the team is not winning many of its games to the difficulty of conference, Coach Bounds says all the teams are really aiming to knock each other out. Making it out on top will be like Mission Impossible according to him, because VVC has never made it to playoffs before.

With confidence and work with their Coach, Irvin Bounds, and all of the team members, the Rams feel that they can pull together to win their last few games and head off into playoffs in May for of games this season. “We play really hard but there’s still something missing” stated Wardrop. She believes that once they figure out what exactly it is, they will be a solid team for the win. They come so close to winning and then a bad inning sets them back a bit and that’s what’s causing them to not win as much as they should be. They have loads of potential, but don’t really know how to show it yet.

They’re surely getting there though, together as a family.

They have been practicing with the head coach Richard Thomas. Everyday, if they weren’t in class, they were out on the field. This softball season is coming to an end but, the Women’s softball team will not stop until they win a game.

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April 24, 2019 Page 17

Victor Valley College Sports

The Stanley Cup By: Frank Staggs Reporter

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs began on April 10th, 2019 and consists of sixteen teams that qualify for the playoffs. They then all compete in an elimination bracket style tournament where each team from two separate divisions then compete in a best of three out of seven round series to determine who will advance to the next round.

Round 1 will come to an end by April 25th at the latest and the winners of those rounds will determine who competes in round 2 to then compete for the Conference Finals and the winner of those rounds will then move on the the Stanley Cup Finals and those two teams will compete for the Stanley Cup.

The sixteen teams competing against each other for the playoffs are the Blue Jackets v. Lightning, Bruins v. Maple Leaves, Capitals v. Hurricanes, Islanders v. Penguins, Predators v. Stars, Jets v.

Blues, Flames v. Avalanche and the Sharks v. Golden Knights.

As of April 17th of 2019, not every team has been able to finish their fourth game, a lot of winners have not yet been determined with the exception of the Islanders and the Blue Jets who flawlessly won the first four rounds of their games. The rest of the teams competing consist of a 2 -1 lead, and the fourth game won’t be the last game for those teams. This will call for a necessary fifth round at least and possibly a sixth and seventh one depending on how

each team plays for the remainder of the games.

The Stanley Cup playoffs are being shown on five different television channels where all the games are being broadcasted simultaneously, the channels are NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA and the NHL Network. These channels have the games available to watch and it is dependent on the service provider and the country in which a person resides, on which channel it’ll be available for viewing. United States citizens must view the playoffs on NBC Sports as they acquired the rights for the United States with a current 10-year, $2 billion contract despite Hockey not being as popular in America as many other sports in the United States are.

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are just getting started

Photo courtesy of Sportingnews.com

and if past years are any indication of when the winner of the Stanley Cup will be determined, should end sometime in July of 2019. Sixteen teams started the playoffs and currently it’s down to fourteen teams as twelve teams are still currently competing against each other and the other two teams won their first four games.

While it’s not a very popular sport in America, there are still millions of Americans who tune in to watch as well as millions more around the world as this is the biggest event in the hockey sports world, especially in Canada where it is the most popular sport in their country.

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Important Dates and Deadlines Spring 2019 Campus Tours 4/24 - Bellevue University 4/ 25 - CSU 4/30 - Grand Canyon University 5/3 - UC Riverside Tour 5/10 - CSU San Bernardino Tour For additional information on Campus tours, contact the Transfer/Career Center at (760) 245-4271 ext 2139.

April 24, 2019 Page 18 RAMPAGE STAFF Reporters: Angel Barajas, Mike-O Bonam, Cristian Estrada, Ashley Flores, Karen Flores, Edward Freer, Jacqueline Hernandez, Dania Kaoud, Alexandra Kirollos, Alexander Malan, Mikayla Mar tinez, Rebecca, Medina, Demetra Miller, Jessica Penn, Ariagna Perez Monreal, Socorro Pinedo, Akane Sanchez, Ishmael Solomon, Dalia Soltero, Frank Staggs, Ruben Velazquez, Jacob Wilson, Brian Woods Cartoonist: Guest Wor k Welcome Advisor/Instructor: Deanna Hays Administration/Faculty: Robert Sewell, Printing: Victor Valley College Campus Print Shop

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