Viewpoints Vol. 99 Issue 8 February 15, 2021

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“When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something, you have to do something.”

- John Lewis

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An Associated Collegiate Press two-time national Pacemaker award-winning newspaper, serving as the voice of the students since 1922.

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VOL. 99, NO.8 FEBRUARY 15, 2021

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February 15, 2021

News

NEWS BRIEFS Important Dates The last day to drop a course with a refund is Feb. 27.

The last day to add most courses is Feb. 28.

The last day to drop a course without a “W” is March 7. The last day to drop a course with a “W” is May 14.

Emergency Pandemic Student Funding CARES Act and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund applications are now open to students and close Feb. 19 at 11:59 p.m.

To access the application, visit the Financial Aid section of the WebAdvisor student menu.

The application can also be accessed in the Financial Aid section of MyPortal.

Financial Aid Workshop The Riverside City College Office of Student Financial Services is hosting the Super Saturday Cash for College Application Assistance Virtual Workshop on Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Students will receive help completing their 2021-2022 FAFSA or California Dream Act application.

Help will be available for Spanish-speaking students.

COVID-19 Testing Free COVID-19 testing is being offered at RCC on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The testing site is located in the parking lot adjacent to the Kane Student Services & Administration Building. To make an appointment, visit curative.com/sites.

Vaccinations COVID-19 vaccinations have begun in Riverside County.

They are being administered in a tiered approach and are not yet available to the general public, although those ages 65 and older are included at the top of the list.

To v i e w a v a i l a b l e appointments, visit www. rivcoph.org/COVID-19Vaccine.

If you know of events or important issues you would like to bring up to us, email the information to viewpoints. news@gmail.com.

To receive newsletter twice a month featuring stories chosen by our editors straight in your inbox, visit our website viewpointsonline. org and type your email address into the subscription pop-up window.

ILLUSTRATION BY LEO CABRAL

Through email correspondence, Wolde-Ab Isaac, Riverside Community College District chancellor, said the spring and summer terms will continue to be mostly online. Some courses will be offered in the hybrid format and essential labs and courses will be taught on campus.

Campus reopening still unclear LEO CABRAL MANAGING EDITOR

As COVID-19 cases have surged and fallen in the last year, and as the virus mutates, the state has experienced shutdowns, soft re-openings and indefinitely delayed in-person events.

Since California returned to its Blueprint for a Safer Economy system of re-opening Jan. 25, the Riverside Community College District’s Safe Return Task Force and students across the state have had something to look forward to.

The Safe Return to Campus plan is based on California’s color-coded, tiered blueprint and on guidelines for higher education from the California

Department of Public Health.

Riverside County is in the purple, or “widespread,” tier.

“RCCD’s work groups of the Safe Return Task Force are currently revising the RCCD Safe Return Plan,” Wolde-Ab Isaac, district chancellor, said in an email. “It will be shared midmonth with the full task force and when approved, the updates will be made on the district’s website.”

Ever since COVID-19 caused campuses and most other inperson institutions to shut down, one thing has been on many students’ minds: When will inperson instruction resume again?

Disappointingly for many, the answer is not a concrete one.

“The (COVID-19) situation is still fluctuating, which makes predicting the status of our

plans difficult,” Isaac said. “One of our chief concerns is that the continuity of instruction is maintained. Whether online, hybrid or face-to-face, our faculty and staff are committed to providing a quality education to all of our students.”

While there is an active plan to get people back to campus, many administrators caution that things will not be exactly as they used to be.

Stefany Moctezuma, vice president of the Associated Students of Riverside City College, recalled RCC President Gregory Anderson expressing this sentiment during a recent ASRCC meeting.

“I believe that many of us keep thinking that this is going to disappear and everything’s

going to go back to normal,” Moctezuma said. “And, sadly, it’s not going to be like that. So we’re not sure how it’s going to happen. We know that it is going to happen, but we don’t know when and we don’t know exactly how.”

Isaac said the spring and summer terms are going to be run “mostly online with some hybrid and face-to-face instruction in essential labs and courses.” The district anticipates that with the COVID-19 vaccinations rolling out, the county will be in a less restrictive tier in the state’s blueprint, so more classes may eventually take place on campus.

For more information and updates on the Safe Return to Campus visit www.rccd.edu/ return.

Student registration decreases continue ERIK GALICIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After several months of navigating distance education, Michael Ortega decided to drop his courses at Riverside City College.

Ortega, 44, a formerly incarcerated student, struggled with the sudden lack of faceto-face interaction. He said he needed one-on-one time with his instructors and the ability to walk into the Writing and Reading Center for in-person help.

Campus life inspired him.

“Being on campus provides a

sense of purpose,” Ortega said. “It provides a sense of pride in being a college student.”

But during the fall 2020 semester, the lack of interaction, working multiple jobs, navigating COVID-19 and his struggles with the sudden increase in technology required to complete courses, led Ortega to say it was time for a break. He was not alone.

According to Eloy Ortiz Oakley, California Community Colleges chancellor, students across the state continue to opt out of re-enrolling, following a trend seen throughout the pandemic.

The Riverside Community College District experienced a

13% enrollment decrease during the fall 2020 semester after experiencing strong enrollment during the preceding summer term.

The winter 2021 term resulted in strong enrollment numbers for the district, even exceeding its enrollment target at Norco College. Moreno Valley College and RCC achieved 80.4% and 98.6% of their targets, respectively.

“That was substantially better than what we experienced for either the fall and what we’re currently looking at for the spring,” said Jeannie Kim, interim vice chancellor of Educational

Services and Strategic Planning.

As of Feb. 1, enrollment in the district was 16.4% below where it was two weeks before the spring 2020 semester. It was also 24.9% below its target enrollment for spring 2021.

RCC invested in a marketing campaign following last semester’s enrollment decline that includes texting students, sending postcards to targeted neighborhoods and social media promotion.

“We have been working hard to encourage students to come back if they have stopped

See ENROLLMENT on page 3

February 15, 2021

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District enrollment struggles continue

ENROLLMENT from page 2

PHOTO COURTESY OF LISA NELSON

Students of Norco College’s Prison Education Community graduate with associate’s degrees at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco on Jan. 31, 2020. Norco College faculty are trying to build steam for an educational pathway for formerly incarcerated students.

New educational pathway pending Faculty aim to empower formerly incarcerated students CHEETARA PIRY INTERIM NEWS EDITOR

Only a mile from its campus, Norco College serves approximately 300 incarcerated students at the California Rehabilitation Center, a mediumsecurity prison, offering several associate’s degree programs.

The problem, however, is that these students are usually released on parole before completion.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation incentivizes inmates to take responsibility for rehabilitation with credit-earning opportunities for sustained good behavior, as well as in-prison programs and activities participation.

Jessica Cobb, director of the Prison Education Community of Norco College, leads the partnership with the correctional facility. She said students inside are really thinking about their long term future and believe obtaining an education would put them on a path away from recidivism.

She stressed that there is a lack of resources at Community Colleges to initiate those who are released on parole before attaining their degrees because, when on parole, the responsibilities set forward, such as housing and job permanence, can make it difficult to prioritize returning to education.

“We don’t really have any resources or support to offer them,” Cobb said. “For incarcerated students, it is imperative they have peers and support that will help them navigate everything that’s new about being on campus in a non-incarcerated setting.”

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that education is a fundamental human right for everyone. Still, it is being withheld from a significant portion of the more than 600,000 people who exit the incarceration system

every year.

In the 2011 Brown v. Plata case, a three-judge panel ordered the population decrease of California’s prisons after determining that overcrowding was the primary cause of the inmates’ inadequate mental health care.

Proposition 57 passed shortly after, allowing parole consideration for nonviolent felons and authorizing sentence credits for rehabilitation on good behavior and education.

But at this time, there is no established program that offers a smooth pathway from Community College work on the inside to Community College enrollment on the outside.

“It would be wonderful to be able to have continuity in the services that we provide the students,” she said.

The solution came up as a concept proposal introduced to the Norco College Academic Senate called the Formerly Incarcerated Pathway to Higher Education, which aims to provide the resources necessary in order for formerly incarcerated students to succeed in higher education.

But according to Lisa Nelson, an English instructor who runs the Norco College Social Justice Initiative, the proposal was perceived by many as an already existing program, which is not the case.

The goal of the pending program is to help increase access and the success of disproportionately impacted students, particularly people of color and students over the age of 25, to further reduce

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recidivism.

Nelson highlighted the program’s need for being properly resourced and institutionalized in order to effectively assist this demographic of students.

Monica Green, Norco College president, and her administration are working with Nelson to establish the resources necessary to build this reentry pathway vision into a fully realized program.

Wi t h i n t h e R i v e r s i d e Community College District, only Norco College has the networks and partnerships inside the CRC needed to create a launching pad for serving incarcerated students. However, Nelson said it is imperative to broadcast this initiative throughout the district.

“It needs to be on all three campuses because these students, among all students, are the ones who have the least choice about where they’re living,” Nelson said.

“We need to be able to serve them, whichever of our colleges they live near or can best get to.”

The average college student might still have a stronger support system, whereas most formerly incarcerated students may be older and must prioritize housing and employment before considering education.

At this time, there are some clubs that focus on outreach for formerly incarcerated students. But being student-run, they are limited in providing proper supportive resources for these systematically impacted individuals.

Tr a n s i t i o n i n g M i n d s a t Riverside City College is one of those clubs.

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I think that’s the beauty of programs like this.

It allows people like me to show my skill set, but also leverage those relationships and network.

- Shaun LeFlore

Rosana Gomez, Transitioning Minds president, said these individuals need special attention, not because they deserve more than other students, but because they face obstacles that other students do not. Gomez said any program tailored to formerly incarcerated students should have a formerly incarcerated person or system impacted individual at the forefront.

“It’s an uncomfortable feeling to go to somebody that might not understand where you’re coming from, having to explain that they’re on probation,” Gomez said. “These individuals come out with certain traumas that not just any regular individual might be able to understand.”

Shaun LeFlore, 39, president of Norco College’s Liberated Scholars Club, shared a transformative moment in his life.

He said he was wrongly convicted of a crime and realized the system can disadvantage individuals like him when trying to attain higher education.

LeFlore advocates for creating a strong support system that helps students who feel isolated navigate their way back into a pathway toward higher education. Those who are already out of prison often feel isolated and returning to Community College can be overwhelming, he added. “ U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h o s e frustrations can often lead to depression, substance abuse, bad choices, risk-taking and incarceration,” LeFlore said.

He believes the pending program would be able to change the perception of incarcerated individuals, not just at Community Colleges, but in the entire community.

“I think that’s the beauty of programs like this,” LeFlore said.

“It allows people like me to show my skill set, but also leverage those relationships and network.”

attending, as well as reaching out to our students who attended fall or winter who have not yet registered for spring,” Kyla O’Connor, RCC dean of Enrollment Services, said via email. “We have a variety of staff throughout the college calling students who are not enrolled.

Billboards have recently gone up around our surrounding area as part of our new marketing campaign.”

According to Kim, the campaign has worked. RCC has seen more enrollment success than the district’s two other colleges, achieving 86.1% of its spring enrollment target as of Feb. 9.

“Norco College and MVC don’t have the same level of monetary resources because they are smaller colleges,” Kim said.

“We are trying to utilize district resources and provide support through our Office of Strategic Communication, and utilizing additional marketing strategies to do the same kind of campaign that RCC was able to launch.”

G o v. G a v i n N e w s o m ’s proposed budget includes an investment in re-enrollment strategies that may be available to Community Colleges sometime this spring. Kim said plans for the use of those funds are being drafted by the district and its three colleges.

The plans will play out in terms of ensuring students take the maximum number of credits they can afford and can handle in order to complete their degrees in a timely manner. Funds will also go toward continued tutoring and mental health support, as well as additional technological support and book purchase aid, she said.

Although she recognized the difficulties of the times, Kim urged students who are considering dropping out to stay the course.

“It is empirically and dataproven that having a degree absolutely improves economic stability,” she said. “While this time can be incredibly challenging on all fronts, we strongly encourage the students to continue with their education because it will have an absolute monetary and psychological impact for themselves and future generations.”

As federal resources continue to be made available, emergency funds will be provided to students through an application similar to the one used for CARES Act money last year, she added.

Nervous but optimistic, Ortega has decided to return to college for the spring 2021 semester, aiming to continue toward a sociology degree.

“I really hope that I can succeed with online courses,” he said. “I can’t wait for the day to be back on campus.”

February 15, 2021

News

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PHOTO COURTESY OF RCCD

The Riverside Community College District Police Department is led by Chief Shauna Gates. She presented the department’s changes to the Board of Trustees on Feb. 2.

District police makes changes Chief works to increase training, enact modern strategies

JENNIPHER VASQUEZ STAFF REPORTER

The Riverside Community College District Police Department is implementing “21st century policing strategies,” aiming for a proactive approach to providing safety to the district’s three campuses.

The 21st century policing strategies concept was brought about by former President Barack Obama’s task force to improve the interaction and relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

RCCDPD Chief Shauna Gates emphasized the importance of the department creating,

maintaining and improving relationships within each college campus to improve the reliability between students, faculty and campus visitors in order to engage and interact in a more positive way.

“We want to make sure they know that we are actually here for them and that we provide other services besides reacting to a potential criminal issue,” Gates said.

Gates said she wants to further advance methods in training, regarding how often their officers are trained and that they receive the appropriate training.

The RCCDPD has connected with the district’s Ben Clark Training Center, coordinated

through Moreno Valley College, to take part in the instructor pool for upcoming trainings of implicit bias and procedural justice.

“There’s a small portion that is taught through the police academy for new hires and cadets, but the idea is that we prepare to teach that on a regular basis before it even becomes a complete requirement,” Gates said. “We are all making sure that all the chiefs and the sheriff in the county are taking steps to incorporate this in the training.”

In addition to the changes being made regarding interaction training within their department, Gates said they have made an enormous effort to revitalize and implement these strategies

into their Field Training Officer Program, which officers from other local agencies and those that are new out of the police academy are required to complete.

She added that the department and the county want to improve trainings of implicit bias, procedural justice, racial profiling and de-escalation.

“We talk about perishable skills training that our officers are required to go through every two years,” Gates said. “Our mindset in the county and my mindset here within the district is that these are perishable skills, so let’s continue to increase that training.”

The department is looking forward to implementing its own

de-escalation training courses that are Peace Officers Standards and Training certified, similar to the concept of implicit bias training.

Gates also highlighted how the resolution brought to the County Board of Supervisors by the Allied Riverside County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff in July of 2020 contained several amended procedures that have been enacted or are in progress within county agencies, including the RCCDPD. “It is integrated already in our use of force policy,” she said.

“All of our officers, including here, understand that that’s part

See POLICE on page 6

ASRCC launches into 21st century with app

Student government aims for increased communication DANIEL HERNANDEZ INTERIM ONLINE EDITOR

Make some space on your cell phone’s storage because a new way to engage with Riverside City College’s student government is under construction.

The Associated Students of Riverside City College’s executive cabinet voted in favor of creating an app after they experienced difficulties updating their page on the new RCC website.

ASRCC aims to enhance engagement and communication with students through the app.

“A lot of the stuff from ASRCC is not (on the RCC website) yet,” Stefany Moctezuma, ASRCC vice president, said. “And we are still trying to figure out how we can add more stuff to it.”

ASRCC is planning for the app to look like a “mini-version” of their page on the RCC website,

but with the ability to update the app with information more frequently.

Student government conducted an Instagram survey asking students if they would use an app to receive information about ASRCC or if they preferred to continue using the website. A majority of the comment section expressed interest.

One student, who was asked whether or not she would download the app, was supportive of the increase in transparency the app would provide.

“I would totally use an app like that because communication from the school is very important and adds transparency,” Elannie Gutierrez, an RCC student said.

“Especially because right now they use their school websites and Instagram to share information, which gets lost very easily because of the layout.”

However, some students seemed to be skeptical.

“I usually download apps that give helpful reminders for deadlines and events happening,” Cindy Flores, another RCC student, said. “If it’s just an app about student organization information, then I probably most likely won’t (download it).”

No official release date has been set by ASRCC, but the organizers are hopeful that the app will be ready soon.

“Hopefully by the beginning of the spring, that’s going to be our goal,” Moctezuma said. “We still have to work out some details on the contract and the invoice.”

A meeting will be held near the end of February between student government and the app developer to finalize the details of the contract and the invoice.

ASRCC has previously worked with the developer on creating discount cards for students. The developer has experience working on similar apps for other college campuses.

ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

ASRCC hopes to increase student engagement with the app.

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Febuary 15, 2021

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Campus police commit to outreach POLICE from page 5 of the policy and procedures of the department. They should always consider de-escalation tactics when they’re having an interaction with someone.”

She said that along with deescalation, ARCCOPS addressed the carotid restraint within their departments by creating a document signed by all officers within their agencies in which they removed this tactic from their policies and procedures before it became mandated by the state.

Gates says she was actively committed to meeting with student governments at all three campuses prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to discuss public safety and what is expected of the RCCDPD, especially in terms of police reform.

She also mentioned there were pla ns bei ng put i nto place regarding active shooter trainings for those who wanted to participate.

“We’ve had to put some th i ngs on hold because of (COVID-19), but we’re going to continue these meetings with student governments and Umoja and encourage people to ask us to join these meetings so we can provide whatever information we can and give our perspective on what their questions are,” Gates said.

The chief also said RCC’s Umoja Project reached out to the department after the George Floyd incident because they felt it was important for their students to have some sort of engagement with law enforcement.

“We had an open, honest conversation about several things, one of those topics being police interaction with community and citizens, and it wasn’t confined to interactions here at the college,” Gates said.

“We want to keep that interaction open. We check in with the advisors for each of the groups if we’re needed for another meeting, and it should be all of our officers involved in these conversations so they can hear how our community is trying to relate to us.”

Gates said she wants all students to be aware that they can reach out to the department if anything is needed or if they have questions about anything, and emphasized that the RCCDPD is committed to engaging with students first and foremost.

“My main goal is to get all of our officers, including non-sworn personnel, involved in outreach and meetings with our students, faculty and staff,” she said. “We are all about community service and engaging with our students.

Enforcing the law is not our primary function. Providing a safe environment is our primary function.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY

The COVID-19 vaccine is being administered in Riverside County in a tiered system that includes first responders, medical workers and those aged 65 and older at the top of the list. Government officials have said all groups may be eligible for vaccination by April.

Riverside hosts first vaccine clinic

Campus Instructors share experience getting JACOB QUEZADA ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR

The City of Riverside provided 460 first dosages of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with Curative on Jan. 30.

Amongst those eligible for the first round of vaccines at the Riverside Convention Center were Norco College instructors Alexis Grey and Rick Mansikka.

Grey and Mansikka, a married couple who teach Anthropology and English respectively, expressed their vaccination experience as being quick and easy.

“We happened to hit a sweet

window,” Grey said. “The healthcare workers were very kind and they explained the entire process. My husband’s vaccine took place 15 minutes before mine did because of the thaw process, but once the next vials got to room temperature, I received mine.”

The key motivating factor Grey expressed for being inoculated was the “ultimate goal of getting students back to class.”

“It’s set up like little stations,” Mansikka said. “They sat her at one of the stations and they stood me in front of one of the workers. Another station was ready so they called me over immediately, asked the screening questions, and the vaccine was

administered.”

Grey said networking made it possible for her and Mansikka to receive their first dose.

“The school did not notify us specifically about the Convention Center,” she said. “This one was a network of college professors who all knew when different stuff was happening and we were Facebook messaging each other trying to figure out when we could get vaccinated.”

In a follow up interview Feb. 4, Grey and Mansikka said they were overall “healthy and fine” and have no concern on the availability of the second Moderna dose.

According to a press release from the City of Riverside, the

last of the Moderna vaccine was administered by the end of the third day, bringing the total to 1,480 inoculations.

T h e o ff i c i a l s t a t e m e n t also said that the subsequent vaccinations at the Convention Center would be that of the Pfizer vaccine.

“Appointments to receive the Pfizer were made available Tuesday afternoon and were quickly snapped up,” the statement read. “The second shot can be scheduled through the same website as appointments open closer to each person’s respective 21st or 28th day.”

For more information on eligibility and appointments, visit vaccine.riversideca.gov.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

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Maya Angelou

LIFE

February 15, 2021

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ANGEL PEÑA I VIEWPOINTS

Riverside’s old public library located on Mission Inn Avenue is set to be used as the venue for the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry in the fall.

Cheech Marin looks forward to museum

Largest collection of Chicano art coming to Riverside ALYSSA ALDRETE

INTERIM LIFE EDITOR

For many, Cheech Marin’s name is synonymous with his comedic partner Tommy Chong and the boom of stoner comedy back in the 1970s.

Soon, however, Riverside residents may hear this name and have something entirely different come to mind — the world’s largest collection of Chicano art, right in our own backyard.

Marin, 74-year-old actor and comedian, has been in talks with the city of Riverside for years to find the permanent home for his 700-piece art collection.

Several donations to the project have been made since its initial proposal, including contributions from the state of California and Altura Credit Union.

The Riverside City Council voted 4-0 Jan. 19 to go ahead with the renovations of the building on Mission Inn Avenue that formerly housed the city’s main library and convert it into the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture and Industry.

The city hopes for the center, referred to as “The Cheech” by Marin, to open some time this fall.

In a promotional video on the

website for “The Cheech,” Marin expresses his excitement to make the Inland Empire the central destination for Chicano art.

Marin studied art from the early age of 11, and over the years developed a keen eye for what he described as “exceptional talent” and “unique vision.”

As he grew older and happened upon the works of many Chicano artists, he realized that at the time, the fine art world did not see these artists like he did.

“They’re not really being let into the museum world because they don’t recognize them as fine art, they think it’s pop folk art,” Marin said in a phone interview Feb. 3. “The more I investigated, the more I found out how unique that voice was and how far it had spread, and how long it had gone on for. If I lived 10 lifetimes, I will never be able to catch up with the whole thing.”

Marin, who has now amassed the world’s largest single collection of Chicano art, said conversations with other collectors led him to begin thinking about what he might do with this collection at the end of his life.

“I was very lucky that this prime opportunity came to me,” he said.

He was not sure what to make of the offer when it was first presented to him. After clarification that the building was being offered to house his art collection, he jumped at the idea.

Marin believes the final push for this idea came after his showing of select pieces at the Riverside Art Museum in January 2020, which was one of the most attended showcases of art the museum had seen to date.

“Cheech Marin’s exhibit was so well-received in its initial run that a question we would routinely get from visitors months after it was done being shown was where they could see

“

You’ll have fun at this museum because I’m going to f ill it with the most incredible paintings you’ve ever seen.

- Cheech Marin

his collection in the museum,” Antonella Guadarrama, a worker for the Riverside Art Museum’s event services, said. “It really demonstrated what kind of an impact having a Chicano art museum would make for the community in bringing us all together through art. It’s a beautiful idea to be associated with.”

Even in its early stages, the museum’s website features a floor plan that includes multiple levels of the center, containing space for many activities aside from the permanent exhibit.

One particular level is for the planned usage of an educational class space.

Being in downtown Riverside, “The Cheech” will be centralized to the surrounding local colleges and universities in the Inland Empire. Marin affirmed that plans for partnerships with the art programs of local colleges are already under discussion.

“In each university, whether it’s the University of Riverside or Cal State San Bernardino, or any other museum we’re working with, they’re unique in what they can bring to this process,” he said. “Cal State San Bernardino has incredibly beautiful workspaces and studios, and a hot room and painting

studios. Riverside, they’re very academic in pursuit of the history of the whole thing. Everybody’s going to be contributing in the way that they are most adept at.”

The City Council’s decision to move forward with the museum carries with it a 25-year operation contract, in which the city is set to pay more than a totaled $900,000 of the first year’s operation costs.

During an open discussion for public comment, several comments were made both in favor of the project and against it due to the possible worries over the city’s financial responsibility.

Despite this voiced skepticism, Marin joins many of the community leaders that spoke in favor of the project.

He expressed optimism in bringing more art and more programs surrounding the collection, to the City of Riverside, reinforcing that “the only way we go on and survive is from the support of the community, and that’s what we’re counting on.”

“I want to do this because I want these programs to happen at ‘The Cheech,’” Marin said. “You’ll have fun at this museum because I’m going to fill it with the most incredible paintings you’ve ever seen.”

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February 15, 2021

Life

COURTESY OF RALPH PH | FLICKR

The Foo Fighters performs at the O2 Arena in London, United Kingdom on Sept. 19, 2017. The band’s latest album, “Medicine at Midnight,” was released Feb. 5 following a pandemic-related delay. Along with dropping their 10th studio album, the Foo Fighters have been nominated for the 2021 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Foo Fighters deliver after pandemic delay

Dave Grohl and company return with first album in over three years STEPHANIE ARENAS STAFF REPORTER

Foo Fighters have made yet another comeback with their new album “Medicine at Midnight.”

The album was set to release in 2020. However, due to the events of COVID-19, the release date was pushed back.

Si nger Dave G roh l ha d finally had enough and decided to release the album as his fans may need it now more than ever.

When the first single “Shame Shame” was released back in November, many of their fans were left disappointed with the song.

“Sha me Sha me” felt a s though it was cut short, a song that could have the potential to do more but never seemed to come around.

Luckily, the album as a whole is nothing like what “Shame Shame” brought to the table.

While the single alone is slow, repetitive and absolutely boring, the rest of the album is quite the opposite.

The album begins with the groovy, yet thrashing sound that

is “Making a Fire,” inspired by the likes of David Bowie.

“We felt like that was the perfect place to start,” Grohl said in an interview with BBC Radio. “The groove in that song, it’s almost like a DJ sort of breakbeat. We had touched on something we hadn’t necessarily done before.”

Later down the tracklist, “Waiting on a War” was the third single released by the band, which was inspired by a nightmare Grohl had when he was younger.

W hile the song itself is sentimental and meaningful, the lyrics are nothing special and quite repetitive.

It seems as though half the song is simply Grohl repeating the line “is there more than this than that” over and over again.

The real highlight of the album is definitely the band’s second single “No Son of Mine.”

With its loud guitars, clashing drums and catchy lyrics, the song provides a strong perspective of how much energy the band still has left.

Li s t e n i ng t o t h i s s o ng personally reminded me of the

likes of “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead, another energizing and groovy hit.

While the album in its whole is an easy and fun listen, it is still quite a predictable piece.

It sounds like any other normal Foo Fighters record. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but IT feels as though the potential for something new was wasted.

O ve r a l l , “ M e d i c i n e a t Midnight” seems to be on the average side with its typical loud rock music and generic lyrics.

It is a catchy listen, but not a memorable one.

Fo o F i g h t e r s h a d t h e opportunity to expand their horizons even more, but decided to play it safe on this record in order to keep their fans happy.

The band has since been nominated for the 2021 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Tina Turner and Iron Maiden.

The award is well-deserved by a band that has been around for nearly three decades. Foo Fighters have proven once again that there is more left to come from them.

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February 15, 2021

SPORTS

“My motto was always to keep swinging.

Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.”

- Hank Aaron

RCC hires new athletic director ERIK GALICIA

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A former professional athlete, attorney and assistant director with the NCAA has been selected to lead Riverside City College’s Athletics Department.

Payton Williams is a Riverside native. He was born at Parkview Community Hospital and attended Emerson Elementary School before becoming Fresno State University’s first academic all-American football player as an adult.

Williams would go on to play for the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Canadian Football League’s Calgary Stampeders between 2000 and 2002.

After a stint as an attorney in the Bakersfield area, Williams decided to pursue his calling as an advocate for student-athletes.

He called the opportunity to return to his hometown wonderful.

“It’s a destination position for me to have a chance to come back home,” Williams said. “Being able to impact student-athletes who grew up like me and want to have an opportunity to do more and have that experience as a college student-athlete, I want to make that experience as great as I can.”

Before serving as the director of Compliance and Academic Support at Azusa Pacific University, Williams served as the assistant director of Academic and Membership Affairs for

PHOTO COURTESY OF RCC ATHLETICS

Payton Williams replaces former athletic director Jim Wooldridge and former acting athletic director Kaladon Stewart. Williams is a Riverside native who went on to play for multiple professional football teams. the NCAA’s national office.

There, he helped Community College student-athletes transfer to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Williams also worked with the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Academic Success Program to

help limited resource institutions improve their academic performance.

“I was always drawn to student-athlete opportunity, whether that comes from waivers to have the opportunity to play or opportunities to improve academically,” he said. “The

main goal is not just to celebrate on the podium as a champion, but to celebrate on the podium as a graduate.”

The new athletic director will now take on the task of navigating RCC Athletics through the COVID-19 pandemic and the return of sports to the college.

The California Community College Athletic Association has set a Feb. 26 “opt-in” or “optout” deadline for participation in the Spring II athletic season.

According to Nicho DellaValle, director of Sports Information, the college is on track to meet that deadline. The decision will ultimately come from the upper administration and is under review.

Wi l l i a m s n o t e d t h a t stakeholders from across the Riverside Community College District are working together to compile all the information necessary to make a decision.

“Obviously, we want to come back and compete,” he said.

“But we must do that in the most safe manner that we can. If we’re unable to do that, then we just have to wait and be patient until we can because the safety of our student-athletes is most important.”

Other than navigating the pandemic safely, Williams’ goal for RCC Athletics is to be a premier Community College athletics department, succeeding not only on the court or in the field, but also in the classroom.

“We want to make sure that we’re not only partying at the podium, but that we’re partying on the graduation stage as well,” he said. “Riverside is a special place. I love being here. Our staff and coaches love being here.

We love winning here. We want to continue being a part of the community around us also.”

Jesus Coronel contributed to this story.

Athlete, coach talk pandemic training DANIELA RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER

This March marks one year since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campuses, and the hiatus has especially impacted athletes.

Riverside City College athletic programs have experienced a lot of challenges through the last year.

Student-athletes have not been able to practice on campus with their coaches and teammates since last spring. Many living outside of Riverside have had to train themselves.

Francisco Canales, a junior from Arizona, plays as a long snapper and linebacker for RCC’s football team.Over the past year, he has been training by himself, practicing drills, cardio and keeping the right mindset.

“I feel I’ve gotten in better shape physically, but as far as the actual sport on the field, I’ve had to decline,” Canales said.

He shared that practicing with his teammates in full gear made

a difference in his performance.

“You can simulate the game, but if you aren’t playing in the actual scenario, it’s not the same,” he said.

Canales was told team practice would resume Jan. 3, but it has since been cancelled due to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order that was issued last month.

Despite some pandemicrelated downfalls, Canales continues to keep a great mindset about the path he is walking.

Although his game plan has taken a detour, he hopes for a better future and believes that there is no point in giving up.

Before the pandemic, Canales planned to transfer to Arizona State University as a walk-on by his junior year. The pandemic changed those plans as the amount of walk-on spots declined.

The NCAA has assured that college athletes’ playing years missed due to the pandemic will not be used against them.

So Canales, even as a junior, will have three extra years ahead

of him.

Although so much is out of his control, he said the pandemic has made him even more grateful and allowed him to realize nothing is guaranteed.

But students are not the only ones hoping for a season.

Coaches are planning for a return to competition this year as well.

Nanyo Segura, the hurdles coach for the RCC track and field team, said he is looking forward to a successful in-person season, rather than continued Zoom meetings.

“The season looks promising since we have been doing our best to train the student-athletes from Zoom,” he said.

Coaches provided the athletes with workout plans virtually.

Segura said he knows the athletes are in shape and ready to go back to real training.

Segura said, on behalf of the track team’s coaching staff, that he is excited to meet all the athletes in person once again.

“All the coaching staff is anxious to get back and get the show on the road,” he said.

ANGEL PEÑA | VIEWPOINTS

RCC defensive lineman Alex Navarro-Silva blows past the offensive line to apply pressure on the quarterback during the CCCAA championship on Dec. 14, 2019. The Tigers have not played a game since, but are hopeful for a return of competition this spring.

February 15, 2021

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Editorial

Deputies must be held accountable “I can’t breathe.”

Eric Garner in New York City, George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hector Arreola in Columbus, Georgia, Muhammad Abdul Muhaymin Jr. in Phoenix, Arizona, Rodney Brown in Cleveland, Ohio. Up to 70 people have said those words before dying in police custody, according to The New York Times.

And now, Ernie “Teddy” Serrano in our own backyard.

This narrative hit home in December and we are experiencing the same tired story. Three words that always seem to accompany the seemingly avoidable death of people of color.

Serrano, 33, spent his last moments being tased and pummeled with batons in a Rubidoux Stater Bros. on Dec. 15.

His face gushed blood over a checkout counter conveyor belt before a spit shield was placed around his head for the sake of Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies’ safety.

“I can’t breathe,” he told the deputies. “Please let me go. Please.”

Deputies acknowledged he stopped breathing five minutes, 51 seconds later.

Maria Lowrie first watched her son tackled and beaten by deputies on a widely circulated cell phone video of the incident captured by a shopper. She then watched her son die when Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco released some of the footage of the incident Dec. 21. She watched Serrano die again when Bianco released more footage.

Lowrie cannot escape it. But she has watched law enforcement escape the phrase “I can’t breathe” time and time again. Police cannot be allowed to dodge responsibility for their ineptitude any longer.

The claims yet to be substantiated in this case are many. In the newly released footage, a security guard is heard telling deputies Serrano attempted to grab his firearm, but the store’s surveillance footage shows no clear evidence for that claim.

The footage shows no indication Serrano ever attempted to strike anyone.

Still, a man who struggled with meth addiction was tased up to three times before he was restrained on his stomach, with two deputies applying pressure on his back. They contacted Serrano the night before his death, observed him to be under the influence, Bianco said at a press conference.

“Is he high on meth again,” a deputy is heard asking in the released body camera footage.

After dishing out a brutal beating, they simply told him to relax. The incident is further evidence

ERIK GALICIA | VIEWPOINTS

Sandra Serrano, Ernie Serrano’s aunt, marches south on Market Street toward the District Attorney’s Office building in downtown Riverside on Dec. 27. The Serrano family has asked critics of their lost loved one the simple question: What if this was your son? that law enforcement is simply not qualified to respond to obvious mental health crises.

But ineptitude is no excuse. There should be none for those who are tasked with protecting and serving.

Until the day when law enforcement is no longer left to blunder situations that require mental health professionals, police must be held accountable for all avoidable in-custody loss of life.

District Attorney Michael Hestrin’s office is deciding if the deputies will be charged, while Bianco’s department is deciding if the deputies’ conduct abided by the department’s policies.

Investigations are naturally lengthy. But in the meantime, the Serrano family waits in the dark, uncertain if those who were elected to uphold the county’s justice system — one who echoed the symbolic platitude of kneeling with Black Lives Matter protesters and another who took the

podium at a local Blue Lives Matter rally — will make due on their obligations to their constituents.

The Serrano family deserves accountability.

They have called for a meeting with Hestrin, but continue to wait. Their attorney Humberto Guizar has sought the names of the deputies involved, all of whom continue to roam the streets, but continues to wait.

Guizar said Hestrin contacted him in writing and said his office will not be quick to judge.

But Serrano was judged. And regardless of his addiction, which is considered by Riverside County’s Facebook “law and order” pundits to be an absolvement of all other parties involved, his death was avoidable.It occured on deputies’ watch, and if not Bianco, Hestrin must hold them accountable.

Now is the time for Riverside County to prove that Bianco kneeling with protesters was more than just a quick appeasement tactic.

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

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