THE
BREEZE VOLUME 27, ISSUE 6
LA Protests Pres-elect Thousands of demonstrators marched through DTLA, hundreds arrested including one of our own
Weed Talk Pot was legalized but like, what does that mean for us right now man?
IE Greatest Hits A selection of the best local indie bands throughout San Bernardino and Riverside County
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November/December 2016
Letter from the Editor: All things must come to an end. It’s the last issue of the semester, and my final one as Editor-in-Chief, as well as my last semester attending Chaffey. This semester has put me through more than one kind of crucible. I’ve been stranded in the desert, arrested and up a creek on deadline. To be honest, if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I didn’t mention in my article (pg. 4) that I was actually among those caught in the city’s catch-and-release routine. In my effort to capture the demonstration, and to hopefully see some police-on-protester action, I wound up getting more than I bargained for. I got a firsthand lesson in civil disobedience and the power authority has to totally disregard people’s rights, pretty much whenever they feel like it. To many people watching the marches, riots, and sign-holding parties on television, the sight of a pesky protester in zip ties probably looks like justice. Why shouldn’t they get arrested for blocking the streets, creating a disturbance, and tagging cars and public property? Don’t all of those things sound really illegal? I can only faithfully report on what I witnessed myself or heard from reliable sources, but most of the people who were bound with zip-ties were first-time offenders, not a menacing bunch of renegades. The majority of the citations were for trespassing or causing a disturbance. So the TV news narrative may show some violent protesters in the streets throwing molotov cocktails, followed by teary-eyed protesters in custody, and post hoc ergo propter hoc, those rabble-rousers got what they deserved right? Maybe, but maybe some of them were at the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe people don’t really care if justice is being served, so long as it’s not inconveniencing them or anyone they know. It’s something worth considering, whether or not you agree with the protests. I leave Chaffey not just with an associate degree, but more
When you don’t realize you’re being photographed. Photos by Dechanne Lane experienced and (somewhat) more mature. I look forward to furthering my education at San Francisco State University, and hopefully learning what this whole “being an adult” thing is all about. Anyways, here’s me in custody, courtesy of the Internet. Enjoy! Roberto Hernandez @DeadEndRob
Needs more jpeg. Photo screencapped from Loudlabs.
Editor-In-Chief Roberto Hernandez
Sports Editor Edward Gutierrez
Staff Writers and Photographers Students of Journalism 30 & 31
Managing Editor Kyle Smith
Opinion Editor Chris Salazar
General Manager Roberto Hernandez
Online Editor-In-Chief Daniel Steele
Baseline Editors Joshua Arnao Juan “Charlie” Vargas
Lab Techs Daniel Steele DeChanne Lane Emmanuel Vargas
Features Editor Michelle Caldera News Editor Jullian Aiden Bravo A&E Editor Juan “Charlie” Vargas
Audio/Visual Editors Hanajun Chung Emmanuel Vargas
Faculty Adviser Michelle Dowd Journalism Coordinator Neil Watkins
The Breeze is published up to eight times a semester by the journalism students at Chaffey Community College, 5885 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737. Telephone: 652-6934/6936. Opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff and should not be interpreted as the position of the Chaffey College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof. Letters and guest columns for or against any position are welcome. Letters should be kept as brief as possible and are subject to non-substantive editing according to guidelines established by the Associated Press. The Chaffey Breeze is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
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Table of Contents
Demonstrators hold a sign at an anti-trump protest in downtown Los Angeles. Friday, November 11
United They Stand
4
Alarmed
8
Legal Green Area
10
Must-Read Story Picks
12
Marvel Magic
14
Inland Empire Sounds
16
Top Shelf
18
Post-Truth
19
Obama Out
20
Panthers’ New Rivals
22
Letter to the Editor: I have been an English professor here since 2003. I am Vice President of the Faculty Senate and faculty advisor to the Dreamers Club. I am an immigrant, citizen, resident of Ontario, property-tax payer, and voter in this district. I write this letter in support of our students. Donald Trump is president-elect. It is almost impossible to write that sentence; my fingers pause over the keyboard. I feel sick. His campaign unleashed a flood of hatred, and his yet-to-be-determined policies could radically affect all of our students but most notably undocumented students or students whose family members are undocumented. This semester there are over 1100 AB 540 students (those who can pay in-state fees even if they are undocumented), and they need our support. I ask the students, staff, faculty, and administrators of Chaffey College to stand in solidarity with our students. If you or your fellow students face discrimination and are targeted because of your race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, or economic status, we need to stand with you. I ask the whole campus community to provide its unconditional support for you, your families, and the surrounding community. As academics, educators, and public servants, we need to resist the regressive path laid out by Trump, his supporters, and his party. Sincerely, Neil Watkins
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United They Stand Story and Photos by Roberto Hernandez
Los Angeles is not a Trump-friendly city by any means, or as its denizens would put it: “Fuck Donald Trump�
The Breeze
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LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11 rand Central Park was where the protesters made their last stand. The demonstration started at Pershing Square and soon took over much of Downtown Los Angeles, with the full force of the LAPD not far behind. At its largest, the pack was nearly 3000 strong. By the time the march reached City Hall, which directly overlooks the park, their ranks had begun to thin. They defiantly stood their ground as police ordered them to disperse before migrating across the street to stage their final sit-in. The few that remained had become easy targets, and they were corralled towards the center of the park by a blockade of police officers armed with batons. They formed a perimeter and slowly closed in on the demonstrators, so they could be
G
extracted from the herd and arrested one by one. In total 195 people were arrested, including 8 juveniles. This was just the third night of spontaneous protests in response to Donald Trump’s election night victory. It was easily one of the biggest political upsets in American history, and LA residents were not alone in what turned out to be a nationwide reaction. The first night of protests was featured on almost every news station, highlighting the hundreds of demonstrators that marched on the 101 freeway, halting traffic while the police seemingly did nothing. 28 people were arrested that night. These events would soon be trumped as more and more protests took over major cities. A demonstration in Portland,
The Breeze
Oregon was classified as a riot after “anarchists” began throwing objects at police, setting off fireworks and damaging cars and local businesses. Police fired nonlethal munitions into the crowd and made 26 arrests. By Friday evening, the LAPD had already made almost 200 arrests, and were poised to collect a few hundred more by the end of the night. The very younglooking crowd of outraged millennials took to the streets confidently, chanting “peaceful protest” as more and more police vans arrived. Many didn’t realize they were going to be arrested until it was too late, when they found out some cried, some called their mothers, while others sat in solidarity, awaiting the inevitable. They certainly didn’t look or act like violent anarchists.
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While most gathered civilly, the mob did leave a trail of graffiti and vandalism along its path. It may have been hard for those stuck in traffic to empathize with the dissenters when they were impeding their daily commute. But that didn’t stop stranded motorists from honking their horns in rhythmic approval, to enthusiastic jeers and high-fives from the crowd. Some people were blaring YG’s song FDT from their stereos, which never failed to get approving nods or full-volume singalongs to the track’s chorus, which repeatedly features the lyrics “Fuck Donald Trump.” It was the unofficial anthem for the night, setting the mood and creating atmosphere, like the motif to a movie score. As the crowd passed by L.A. Live’s myriad bars and other watering holes, inebriated patrons could be seen joining the flock. “Get out of the bars and into the street,” one protester said, her hands cupped by her
mouth to project her voice. This was clearly not a city that took kindly to trump, which is putting it lightly. With some 800,00+ undocumented immigrants living in LA county alone, nearly the entire city was turned off by his racist anti-Mexican and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The meager 23 points he received in LA County on election day supports that. The next morning, almost 10,000 people congregated in MacArthur Park to stage what was easily the city’s largest anti-Trump demonstration so far. Although it is difficult to put exact figures on a throng of spontaneous supporters, even for law enforcement and the event’s organizers, as people come and go at will. Trying to quantify a crowd that massive is not unlike trying to characterize the entire protest in one word. The anonymous gaggle of discontented participants was as diverse
as the city itself. There were vandals, but there were also law-abiding citizens, exercising their 1st amendment rights. Some held signs, some joined spontaneously, some were drunk. If this election taught the nation one thing, its that the desire to stereotype and reach quick conclusions is our ultimate folly. A large, unpredictable, largely unorganized mob of people is the perfect analogy for America as a whole. It’s easy to dismiss the demonstration, especially when there is very little hope for America skirting a president Trump. The “success” of a protest is rarely defined by its efficacy in enacting immediate change. Real progress is slow and unaccommodating, not conveniently prepackaged and easy to swallow like contemporary partisan politics.
Protesters and law enforcement were mostly civil, with some thanking the police for keeping them safe, although one protester was arrested for attacking an officer.
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Over 3000 protesters marched from Downtown Los Angeles, reaching Westlake before returning to City Hall.
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ALARMED MICHELLE CALDERA / @MISHPUNCH1208
Long, dreary days of work and school can build up an appetite for sleep. As we dwell in our subliminal slumber for hours at a time, we then begin to ease into the different stages of sleep. Suddenly, we are awakened by time. Alarming sounds forcefully wake us from our sleep, making us reach for the nearest “snooze” or “stop” button. Unknowingly, we have constricted the blood vessels in our bodies and have increased our heart rates, leaving us vulnerable to retaining high blood pressure and risk of heart attacks in the future. In 2004, the National Institute of Industrial Health in Japan conducted a series of tests that included seven subjects, all of which were between the ages of 65 and 80. The study titled, “Self-Awakening Prevents Acute Rise in Blood Pressure and Heart Rate at the Time of Awakening in Elderly People” provided attempts to self-awaken and forcefully awaken subjects from their sleep. Doctors Kosuke Kaida, Keiko Ogawa, Mitsuo Hayashi and Tadao Hori conducted the experiments and had to consider the many factorable conditions such as room temperature, illumination and overall health conditions of the subjects. According to the researchers, “Self-awakening, waking up at a designated time decided before sleeping, could prevent failure in the blood circulation vessel system such as heart attack, acute increases in heart rate or blood pressure upon waking. Previous research showed that anticipatory changes occurred in heart rate prior to awakening from a short nap by means of self-awakening for young participants.”
During the study, all subjects were placed in rooms where a 45-minute nap was to be engaged and were instructed to self-awaken from their sleep. The following week, the same protocols had taken place, except this time, subjects were forcefully awakened through the doctors projected voice over a microphone. The study proved that “from the present experiments and analysis, self-awakening can prevent the acute increases in blood pressure and heart rate in the elderly. It may also reduce the risk of coronary heart attack that might occur after sudden awakening from an afternoon nap”. To reduce the harmful effects of forceful awakening through traditional alarm systems, technology such as the new IOS 10 update offers an innovative way to control the amount of sleep desired through its Bedtime app. By controlling the amount of hours of sleep on the desired days of the week, customers can easily manage their sleep in a more efficient way. The alarm system is quite different as music is gradually played to awaken the individual without being too alarming compared to traditional alarm systems. Other apps, such as the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock, are also available to smart phone users. By analyzing sleep patterns, the app works to design the perfect amount of sleep needed and wakes you during your lightest sleep phase. Technology for healthy sleep has been designed to assist in maintaining good sleep patterns and to reduce the risk of attaining irregularity in heart configuration and high blood pressure. As students, we should be just as concerned for our health as we are about getting through our day.
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% ! # % ! & % ! " # # $ " % No application, special pass or sticker required, just a current valid ID. Offer good for the 2015-16 school year. Details at Omnitrans.org.
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FEATURE
LEGAL
GREEN
AREA
CHRIS SALAZAR / @CHRISECLECTIC23
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, California voted in favor of Proposition 64, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Home to the world’s sixth largest economy, California set the precedent in 1996 as the first state to legalize medical cannabis, and now follows Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Washington D.C. as the sixth jurisdiction to legalize its recreational use. After the bill passed, the entire U.S. West Coast became a legitimate reefer refuge. And while the initiative to legalize the smokeable herb aims to make the golden state green in more ways than one, there are several things to keep in mind. Marijuana Remains Federally Illegal
Cannot Use in Public
Unfortunately, cannabis retains its label as a Schedule 1 drug. In this regard, it is on par with Heroin and LSD. Carrying the substance across state lines is prohibited. And you face fines or imprisonment for possession on federal land, a federal building or at an airport.
Smoking in public is prohibited and punishable by a fine. If you commit several offenses, you may receive jail time, in addition to an increased fine. Of course, driving while high or on school grounds could result in serious punishment.
Currently Unavailable for Purchase
You Can Still Be Fired
If you are 21 or older, you are allowed to buy and carry 28.5 grams (about an ounce) of marijuana flower. However, marijuana extract is limited to 8 grams. The law also permits you to cultivate up to six plants in your home. If you want to purchase cannabis legally right now, utilize the medical marijuana system already in place. Or, simply opt to cultivate the plant yourself.
While recreational cannabis is now legal, the new measure remains agnostic regarding termination after testing positive for marijuana. In other words, your employer can still require a drug test and exercise their discretion without legal ramifications.
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Marijuana-Related Convictions Can Be Appealed In 2010, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposed Proposition 19 to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. But, as a consolation, he signed a bill that reduced the possession of an ounce or less of cannabis from a misdemeanor to an infraction. In effect, California has seen a drastic reduction in the number of misdemeanors and felonies related to marijuana use and distribution. The new bill, however, eliminates criminal penalties for adults personally using weed. That measure went into effect immediately. Lynne Lyman, the director for California’s Drug Policy Alliance and one of the members who co-authored the initiative, said that “Anybody who’s currently in jail or prison or on parole or probation for a marijuana related offense will be able to petition to have their sentence reduced.” Of course, that process could take several months. Some felonies can be reduced to misd meanors. Some misdemeanors may be expunged from your record, but it depends on the details of the case and what the new bill has to say regarding punishment for the crime. If you believe this applies to you, contact your local public defender’s office to begin the process to appeal your previous conviction. If you carry more than the allowable amount of marijuana or marijuana extract, you’ll be fined. If you are growing or selling cannabis without the proper licensing, you may be fined or jailed. And it is still a felony to sell to minors or to attempt home butane extraction.
FEATURE Shops officially open in 2018
Additional Revenue
While the regulatory infrastructure itself may take more than a year to actualize, regulatory agencies must begin issuing licenses no later than January 2018. The initiative requires licensing for the growing, selling and manufacturing of marijuana related products. The Bureau of Marijuana Control, a subsidiary of the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Food and Agriculture are several of the government agencies charged with the issuance of licenses.Interestingly, business will need to acquire local licensing before the state will issue their license. However, it remains to be seen whether the localities will approve local licensing.
Considering California’s burgeoning medical cannabis infrastructure, the tax revenue is estimated to reach around $1 billion annually. That figure was established before Proposition 64 was officially on the ballot by the California Department of Finance. They also estimate California could save $100 million in criminal justice costs. Expect to pay around 24 percent of the base price. There will be a 15 percent excise tax, in addition to California’s 7.5 percent sales tax, as well as any additional taxes levied by cities and counties.
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MUST-READ FEATURE STORIES
PIXABAY.COM
Below are six, must-read feature stories recommended by our senior staff editors. From a scuba diver’s heartbreaking tale to a magic behind David Blaine, each story will captivate, engage and inform readers. - JULIAN AIDEN BRAVO Jullian Aiden Bravo (News Editor)
Charlie Vargas (A&E Editor)
Daniel Steele (Online Editor)
It’s been nearly six years since the 2011 earthquake erupted off the pacific coast of Japan, causing a tsunami that claimed the lives of thousands in Japan—including Yasuo Takamatsu’s wife. In the emotionally touching New York Times story, “’I Have No Choice But To Keep Looking,’” writer Jennifer Percy shares the heartbreaking story of Takamatsu and the endless search for his wife’s body in the sea. Takamatsu began searching soon after the incident and continues to search to this day. The use of detail and history truly immerses the reader in a story of love, despair and hope.
Hands down one of the best feature stories I’ve read is, “New Koch” by Jane Meyer. I have to say what drew me in was the style present in the introduction. It starts out in the present then jumps backwards for some background on the Koch brothers. The piece does a great job in describing the role of the two in politics and what direction the two are headed. The story is a rollercoaster of accomplishments and grievances but it does its job in building empathy for the subject. If you’ve ever been curious about one of the biggest contributors of big money in politics I would definitely recommend this piece.
In “Losing ground, fighters and morale – is it all over for Isis?” Martin Chulov covers the dwindling state of the caliphate and terrorist group over recent months. With the inevitable loss of Mosul -- a key ISIS stronghold -- still in progress, ISIS has lost much control of land in Syria and Iraq. But the story raises an important point on the future of the jihadists. They may be losing ground, but their influence and reign of terror are far from dead. They will do what terrorist groups have always done when their existence is threatened: hide, and wait for opportunity.
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FEATURES
DAVIDBLAINE.COM Kyle Smith (Managing Editor)
De’Channe Lane (Copy Editor)
Hanajun Chung (A.V. Editor)
“The Nine Lives of David Blaine” by Rolling Stone’s David Browne explains the insanity of the magician and endurance performer in preparation of his new television special, David Blaine: Beyond Magic. From using his stomach as an aquarium to performing what he calls simple magic tricks, Blaine amazes celebrities like Drake, Stephen Curry, and David Beckham. The article shows Blaine’s perspective and why he doesn’t recommend catching a bullet in their mouth to anybody. For those interested, definitely check out Rolling Stones for the exclusive profile as well as a video highlighting the infamous bullet catch.
GQ’s 2016 feature story titled, “The Tamir Rice Story: How to Make a Police shooting Disappear,” by writer Sean Flynn is by far one of my favorite feature stories. There is so much emotion and the detail in the article that sets the scene and follows the 2014 shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by Cleveland police. We often hear about injustices and forget them over time, but this feature story challenges us to remember and to question the events surrounding the case.
“The Walking Dead” had a great character in the form of Steven Yuen’s “Glenn.” For many Asian-Americans, Yuen’s casting is a welcomed addition to an ensemble genre show. On most occasions they’d simply white-wash the role or worse: cast a white actor as an Asian character. Thanks to the recent controversy behind Dreamworks’s live-action “Ghost in the Shell” adaptation, Kevin Wong over at pop-culture obsessed Complex.com have compiled a long, painful and incredibly comprehensive history of white actors doing just that! Check out “The Very Long, Messed-Up History of White Actors Playing Asian Characters.”
Michelle Caldera (Feature Editor) In the feature article titled, “As Students Protest, Cal State Trustees Seek More State Funding to Avoid Tuition Increase,” writer Rosanna Xia tells the story of CSU protestors who united outside the downtown offices of Chancellor Timothy P. White on Nov. 15, 2016 where a possible budget proposal to increase tuition rates is to be considered after January 2017. “The Walking Debt” is what many protestors proclaimed to be, a metaphor for what future circumstances withholds. Protestors dressed liked zombies with bloody red makeup around their eyes and mouths, and setup tombstones with CSU school names engraved at the top. They claim that through spikes in tuition cost, many students will be forced to stop attending school or even stay longer as prices will increase to an additional 5 percent in tuition costs.
DREAMWORKS STUDIO The Breeze
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A&E / REVIEWS
MARVEL MAGIC HANAJUN CHUNG / @HANAJUN
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A&E / REVIEWS
MARVEL STUDIOS Borrowing what worked wonders for the first “Iron Man” film, Marvel’s live-action adaptation of “Doctor Strange” takes a much welcomed detour from the recent, slightly serialized releases. It’s a trip worth taking as it ranks as the most visually impressive Marvel film. Director Scott Derrickson pulled off what many comic fans thought impossible in bringing the surreal, imagi-native and highly interpretive artwork from the panels to live-action. With Benedict Cumberbatch to boot. The creative team scores heavily on casting. While it would’ve been great to avoid the white-washing of one major character, you couldn’t ask for better than Tilda Swinton. She’s ethereal and other-worldly in all the right ways, drawing us with Strange in this mystical journey. Benedict Wong and Chiwatel Ejiafor are both upgrades from the respected source material. The former’s character from the source material would make Edward Said go DC Comics. The downside here comes from the underutiliza-tion of Rachel McAdams and Mads Mickkelsen. Both actors have fun moments, but McAdams ultimately comes off as a basic love-interest while Mikkelsen feels quite tame. They all operate in a Nepal-set temple that rarely calls that much attention to itself compared to the visu-al light-show that’s happening throughout. In fact, Derrickson and his crew found a way to make the sets themselves operate along with the action. Since the character is known to go back and forth between
different dimensions and/or planes of existence, the film-makers manage to combine all kinds of post-modern art (from Escher to Pink Floyd) in constucting the many different worlds featured in this film. When most of these Marvel film’s usually feature people punching or shooting each other (a lot), it’s re-freshing to see “Doctor Strange” taking a more creative route with the set pieces. There’s still punching and shooting, but most of these big action sequences are rendered unique, original and diverse. They seriously one-up the level of creativity with each big moment that followed, culiminating in one of the most mind-bending set piece that uses time in several ways we’ve never seen before. Put it simply, “Doctor Strange” is the one Marvel film that’ll show you something so imaginative that it fittingly sets itself apart from most other films in their cinematic universe. Tony Stark and Stephen Strange as characters are quite similar, operating from material that was written in close proximity by the same hand. Cumberbatch’s Strange is an arrogant figure who finds a purpose greater than himself, tested much like everyone else that make up that universe, and it’s great to see charac-ter play an important element in the plot and storytell-ing. But what makes this particular ride stand out is that it’s refreshingly one of both body and mind. Grade: A-
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CHARLIE VARGAS / @CHARLIEVARGAS19
The Inland Empire is about 4,850 mi² and consists of handful of large cities such as San Bernardino, Riverside, Rialto, Fontana, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. These cities all differ in a variety of ways, including entertainment. For the underground communities, music is their soundtrack—a small portion of surrounding artist thriving in the Inland Empire.
There are some pretty great hole-inthe-wall places for music in Riverside, California and this is especially true if you find yourself wandering downtown. One place in particular which seems to be a haven for the local underground indie music scene is the “Back to the Grind” coffee shop. This spot was where I first found Miss Chief The band combines different elements of surf and garage rock with trippy melodies. But it’s the combination of their lead singer’s voice that truly makes it stand out. It’s hypnotic. It almost sounds like it’s straight out of the traditional pop sounds of the 1940s, but stretched and paced with a faster rhythm. Her harmonies are matched with the melodies of the guitar and bass riffs, while the drums follow with a simple but complimentary beat.
Beach Bums, is a band located in Los Angeles but frequently visits the Inland Empire. The band is a fusion of surf and psychedelic rock with a dark and heavy punk feel to it. It increases the depth of the guitar sound, but also adding a sort of spooky vibe. The drums also keep a jazzy beat, overall making an interesting listen. When Beach Bums play their other songs like “Dirty,” you can hear some punk rock influence. However, then you have songs like “Spider Eyes” that mash up the energy of punk with a surf style guitar riff. In the current Burger Records sound, the surf rock influence is overused, making bands sound very similar. The differentiating factor with Beach Bums is their playful sound and although the influences of popular sounds are present, it doesn’t define them.
I wrote an article about D.F.Y.H. previously: the band overall is a genre bender and generally plays what they feel like. They’ll start off with some ska and then move into some slower indie rock and then get into something like power violence. The audience always starts off a little bit confused but typically ends up getting really into the set. What’s also noticeable are the different responses that different areas generate. In Moreno Valley and Fontana, D.F.Y.H.’s crowd reacts stronger to their punk and ska, but other locations like Ontario or Los Angeles, the indie sound draws bigger and diverse crowds. Their fluidity as a band allows them to shift not only between different shows but also between audiences, where there is always something for everyone.
Courtesy of Miss Chief’s Facebook
Beach Bums play for a crowd in Riverside Calif. Aug. 28. Photo by Charlie Vargas
D.F.Y.H play for a crowd in Riverside Calif. Aug. 28. Photo by Charlie Vargas
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The Red Pears play for a crowded backyard in Rialto Cailf. Sept. 16 Photo by Charlie Vargas
From EL Monte, California, come the remnants of third generation Latin-wave Ska fused with Hardcore/Metal/Sludge come 23 Skunks. Los Angeles along with Long Beach, continue to have some of the biggest Latin-wave Ska in California. They are mainly bands that fall into the Skacore scene, a mix of Ska and Hardcore Punk which typically attracts a much heavier and louder crowd than traditional Ska. Their approach to a unique skacore sound is different from what the usual sound plays out. It incorporates more of a dominant hardcore sound versus traditional fusions of ska and hardcore. There sound is an extreme twist on the underground, third generation ska, allowing them truly stick out in that particular scene.
23 Skunks play in a backyard in Riverside California Aug. 26. Photo by Charlie Vargas
Astronaut Samurais a neighboring band from Moreno Valley. They don’t usually come around this side of the Inland Empire but when they’re around, they’re worth checking out. Musically, they would fall under the category of garage rock, but some songs are easily influenced by doo-wop style chord progressions, as well as some intricate guitar solos. This is a big part of their sound, but they aren’t shy to tinker with skate punk here and there. The vocalist in the band adds some of that roughness, but he is also able blend his style enough to fit a modernish doo-wop that overlays in some tracks. One might expect the contrast to be off putting, but it works so well.
Astronaut Samurais play in Back to the Grind Coffee shop’s basement in Riverside Calif. Oct. 1st. Photo by Charlie Vargas The Breeze
The Red Pears from El Monte spend a good amount of time playing in the Inland Empire. I was a little surprised to hear that a band so different also came from El Monte. After following The Red Pears for about a year or so, I have seen their fan base grow which is evident with the crowd (just look at all that dirt in the air in the picture) and that has been consistent in every show they play. If you’re going to see The Red Pears at any backyard show, be prepared to get dirty. Their sound is uppity, made up of a combination of alternative guitar riffs with a bouncy bass and drum beat. However, when you listen to their faster-paced songs one can hear the El Monte heaviness, and when their sound mellows out, it also becomes its own emotional catharsis. Their music reminds me of The Strokes early albums like “Is This It” mostly because of their singer’s vocal style, resembling Julian Casablancas but despite the similar sounds their music can stand alone.
Kiki Diago, also hailing from the Inland Empire, is one you don’t want to miss. The band’s earlier sound was mainly centered around a garage and surf. However, their dominating sound is currently a fusion of psychedelic and Latin groove-rock, which is heard in the drums consistently. The vocals switch from English to Spanish throughout and the chord progressions and are typically extended with an added effect of reverb and special distortions. Their sound actually has some resemblance to Chicano Batman but I am willing to say they’re a little groovier. They also incorporate keyboard into their music, adding a synth and ambient vibe to their psychedelic sound, almost like dream-pop but with a trippier feel.
Kiki Diago plays at Back to the Grind Riverside Calif. Oct. 15 for their EP release. Photo by Charlie Vargas
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COLUMN / FEATURE
TOP SHELF: STAFF SUGGESTIONS I want to thank all those involved in making this column possible. Columns here aren’t as easy or as regular as one would think, it’s quite the commitment. Things only get more challenging when the column is based on the opinions and statements of others. Therefore, I want to thank all the students, faculty and staff that have participated in the “Top Shelf ” series.
HARRY POTTER: GOBLET OF FIRE
While I highly recommend the entire “Harry Potter” series, if it must boil down to one, I’d have to go with the fourth. “The Goblet of Fire” is extremely well-written and intricate. We are able to witness Harry becoming vulnerable and without hope. Hogwarts had always been his place of refuge, yet in this book he was an outcast in both the muggle and magical realms. I’ve always loved the “Harry Potter” books for the values they taught, and here we learn of rising above adversity.
De’Channe Lane / Columnist HOW TO BE AN EXISTENTIALIST
SIDDHARTHA
SHANTARAM
While I don’t have many favorites per se, I’ve devoured existentialist text as of late and “How to Be an Existentialist” offers a great primer on the philosophy of authenticity. As individuals, we inherit the ab-surd conditions we’re born into. And while we can’t control the complex ebb and flow of con-temporary events, we can man-ufacture meaning. Our duty is to create a narrative guided not by the values imposed on us, but rather, by the values we genuinely adopt and cultivate. Pick it up.
For young adults still searching for tomorrow, no other book gets a stronger endorsement than Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha” The eponymous character has a goal that almost takes a lifetime to achieve. As college students navigate the years that would eventually shape their future and career, “Siddhartha” is a reminder that the journey is just as important than the end goal. Its story where achieving true happiness and inner peace, doesn’t happen overnight. Time is ultimate educator. Hanajun Chung / A.V. Editor
“Shantaram” is a massive novel about Lin, an Australian fugitive who fled from a maximum security prison to Mumbai, India. It’s a story about everything: fleeing one’s past, guilt, crime, love and survival within the dangerous and bustling Indian city. It’s a long read, but the scale of the adventure and the fascinating characters create one of the most memorable books I’ve ever read. For those with wanderlust who love a mix of danger and drama, I couldn’t recommend “Shantaram” enough. Dan Steele / Online Editor
Chris Salazar / Opinion Editor
The Breeze
ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT
Stephen King’s book is a hybrid that’s half memoir, half writing manual. It’s an interesting departure from his fiction work, it's much more personal. It’s that intimacy that first inspired me to be a writer in middle school and I've never looked back since. I recommend this book to anyone with the same aspirations, b u t if you just happen to be a Stephen King fan, it’s still worth the pickup. Thanks to this book, I will probably never use an adverb again, at least not intentionally. Roberto Hernandez / Editor-In-Chief
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OPINION
POST TRUTH
November/December 2016
THE CULMINATION OF INCOHERENCE CHRIS SALAZAR / @CHRISECLECTIC23
As the dust settles on the election, and the contours of America’s future crystallize, we must work to scrutinize the task at hand: to diagnose and remedy the bifurcated nature of a post-truth political landscape, which threatens both the tenets of democracy, and the blossoming of the human condition. Perspective is the issue. Subjectivity is the fundamental barrier on trial. After the Telecommunications Act of 1996, journalism has had to adapt to the conglomeration of the industry and the dizzying frenzy of a 24-hour news cycle where short, partial sound bites impregnate the ideas and opinions of a self-segregated populace. Technology is partly to blame. Seemingly paradoxically, the innovations of the twentieth century gave rise to the computer and the internet, and ushered in an epoch characterized by truth-permeation, as information was widely and readily available. Instead, the information age allowed lies to proliferate in what techies have dubbed “digital wildfires.” Unfortunately, the digital platforms, typified by rapid information exchange, create a “disinformation cascade” that overwhelms even the most prudent fact-checkers— every falsehood corrected is subdued by a relentless deluge of deceit. So, unreality becomes irrepressible; the map is continuously mistaken for the territory. Thanks to companies like Facebook and Google, the world is, to a large degree, algorithmic. That is, your previous search history determines what links you’re most likely to visit. So every new link has within it the seed of confirmation bias. And so social media, the dominant news source, becomes what Peter Pomeranstev, a Soviet-born British author and journalist, coined as, “echo chambers of similar-minded people, feeding us only the things that make us feel better, whether they are true or not.” But the proverbial rabbit hole runs much deeper. The specter of the Protestant reformation and its influence on capitalism, the Enlightenment and the analytical motive to wrest the world from divine jurisdiction, along with globalization and its resultant uncertainty have culminated to lead us here. According to Pomeranstev, in the contemporary adoption of Nietzsche’s suggestion that narrative and interpretation supplant fact, it is a condition borne of a philosophic genealogy, beginning with the Cartesian maxim “I think, therefore I am,” which transported the center of knowledge into the human mind, where both Schopenhauer’s World as Will and Representation and the emancipatory function of postmodern thought are derivative. The influential postmodernist thinker,
Jacques Derrida, wrote that “There is no outside-text.” He thought our beliefs and ideas about the world are less a product of our originality, than a set of inferences from the authoritative patterns imposed on us. So, postmodernists aimed to liberate people from the repressive fiction that dominated their lives. To Derrida, the repressive fiction was the faulty and wholesale allegiance to one set of ideas over another. For example, to always favor reason over passion, or to believe that capitalism is either splendid or sinful, is to subscribe to a binary perspective that robs us of our humanity and our ability to appreciate complexity. To be confused and uncertain about the interrelated nature of any particular ideology and its opposite is not a sign of weakness, but rather, a sign of maturity. But the insistence that something is either wrong or right in the absolute sense provides security. While globalization creates a stark sense of disorientation and insecurity. And so, in an attempt to return to a more secure past, the nostalgic masses pursue restorative paths (or representatives) eschewing allegedly antiquated institutions of authority—academics, politicians, the media—because, in a globalized economy, the local and domestic conditions affect nonnative boundaries and individuals the world over. Here, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, is particularly prescient: he recognized that disenfranchisement or the lack of political influence generates hostility. He wrote that men “cause revolutions when they are not allowed to share honors, and if they are unjustly or insolently treated.” He further elaborated that, “angry men attack out of revenge, not out of ambition.” Democrats made promises to blue-collar workers for decades which failed to actualize. The populist, nativist and nationalist President-elect Donald Trump read the writing on the wall and utilized the festering hostility of a demographic supposedly left out to dry. To his supporters, their unyielding allegiance to the failings of their political affiliations and capitalism nurtured a corrective nostalgia. But Rousseau’s state of nature, as it were, is a relic of the past we cannot restore, even as the populist, nativist or nationalist asserts otherwise, prodding that restorative sentiment toward simplicity. Disheartening as it may be, the fact is the globalized state of affairs evades simple solutions. Genuine bewilderment is not a sign of weakness; it is the condition of being human. Hubris—not humility in the face of complexity—is the deficiency to guard against. Living in a post-truth era beckons the lesser angels of our nature: to indulge in anger and validate the delight of spouting malarkey.
The Breeze
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November/December, 2016
DE’CHANNE LANE
Eight years later, America bids farewell to one of the finest Presidents to ever hold office. The Breeze
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November/December 2016
OPINION
“There is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is a Unied States of America.” Barack Obama proclaimed to 9.1 million viewers on July 27, 2004, at the Democratic National Convention, “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is a United States of America.” His voice resonated within the hearts of many Americans, who may have been wondering who he was and where he came from. This was our first glimpse at a man who would soon shake up America. Hendrick Hertzberg, political commentator for The New Yorker and former speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter, said that if Obama wrote that speech, he should be president. Four years later those words proved prophetic. Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States. The world seemed to tremble in elation while many Americans were left conflicted. Many looked forward to the progressive direction of our country, while others refused to assimilate. The first family awoke every day in a house built by men, both free and enslaved, of the same color. History was made. Our president was black. And the White House would never be the same. Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ had become our reality: men would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Unfortunately, the story didn’t end here. Instead, the first black president shed a light on racism, as it reared its ugly head. No matter Obama’s accomplishments, there was a racial divide within our country and many could not get past the color of his skin. “We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us and still strive for justice. Clear-eyed we can understand that there will be war and still strive for peace,” Obama said as he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. During his time in office, Obama passed the Affordable Health Care Act, which granted millions of Amer-
icans access to health insurance they otherwise couldn’t obtain and ruled same-sex marriage as constitutional. Still, race had been something President Obama could not overcome. Under his presidency, the controversial ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement coalesced. Many preferred the slogan ‘All Lives Matter.’ But that distracted us from the corrosive issues within the Black community. Unarmed Black men were being killed at five times the rate of their white counterparts. Police officers were simply being placed on paid leave or transferred to other agencies,without so much as an admission of misconduct. It was as if White America assumed the community was ungrateful. Of course Black lives mattered, their President was proof. The problem with that notion is that America has a proven track record of overlooking uncomfortable issues and admitting problems. Instead, we focus on trivial issues, such as kneeling during the pledge of allegiance because we don’t want to admit the gross injustices within our society. Everything that has transpired within these past eight years led to our current predicament. The parts of America that were forgotten are now demanding our attention, letting us know that they matter too. They will bring to light the dysfunction within our great country and choose our leader. Because we failed them. Twelve years ago a no-name politician from Illinois spoke of hope. He said, “We teach little league in the blue states and yes we have some gay friends in the red states.” Barack Obama preached for unity, understanding and progression. With the nation currently up in arms, even those that do not agree with Obama’s policies will experience a sense of nostalgia in the coming months. With his approval ratings steadily climbing as his presidential clock runs out, we are reminded of one thing. You never really know what you have until it’s gone –Obama out.
The Breeze
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November/December 2016
Wide Reciever Daniel Garcia lined up against Palomar College at Grigsby Field. Oct.1, 2016. Photo by Kyle Smith
After 18 years in the Foothill Conference,
PANTHERS ADJUST TO
NEW COMPETITION The Breeze
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November/December 2016
Donavan Taylor scores a slam dunk against Mt. SAC. Feb. 27, 2016 Photo by Roberto Hernandez
Ball carrier Tyrone Gasaway following his blocker as the Panthers move the ball down field. Oct. 1 2016 Photo by Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith @_kyol
F
ollowing winning seasons by every Chaffey team participating in the Foothill Conference during the Fall semester, the Panthers moved athletic competitiveness to the South Coast Athletic Conference this spring. “Rio Hondo and Chaffey had wanted to leave for a few years, but there was no way they could because the conference had only six schools,” the commissioner of the South Coast Conference, Rich Kollen said. Kollen explained that as a by rule, no athletic conference in California can have less than six participating schools. This rule had the hands of the Foothill Conference tied and while no schools petitioned to add, it eventually led to disbandment and the current state of the conference — nonexistent. “There’s mixed emotions about leaving the conference,” athletic director and head basketball coach Jeff Klein said. “but we’re not necessarily leaving. It was dissolved. There is no more conference.” The schools that made up the Foothill Conference have split into already existing conferences. Rio Hondo and Chaffey both made the move to the South Coast Confer-
ence while San Bernardino Valley College and College of the Desert moved to the Pacific Coast Conference. “Those are the schools recruiting the same kids,” Kollen said. Chaffey’s migration puts them in the same conference as Mt. San Antonio College — a rivalry which already exists and is likely to grow in significance. “We will compete at their level if not above that level, but in many of our sports it might take some time to adjust.” Klein said. “I think it’s a natural rivalry whether we’re in the conference or out of it.” The competition is tougher now for Chaffey, facing schools like Long Beach and Mt. SAC, but it puts everybody is in a better position. Klein welcomes change and the South Coast welcomes Chaffey. “I think they’re happy in the west and we’re happy to have them,” Kollen said.
Head coach fo the basketball team, Jeff Klein in the Sports Center. Feb. 27, 2016 Photo by Roberto Hernandez ThTh e eBreeze Breeze
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November/December 2016
WANT TO WRITE FOR
THE BREEZE?
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