VIEWPOINTS VOL.104, NO.6

RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE

Bobcats claw away Tigers’ winning streak

Saddleback College ends RCC baseball’s 11-game win

LANDON HALVAS SPORTS REPORTER

Riverside City College couldn’t hold onto a lead, as Saddleback pulled away in extra innings with two runs in the 11th to make it 6-4 on March 24, handing the Tigers their first loss since Feb. 20, as well as their first conference loss of the year.

The Tigers looked hot after breaking through in the fifth inning. Sophomore third baseman Grant Gray knocked in an RBI single to tie the game up, before Freshman Designated Hitter Aiden Erlandsen gave Riverside the lead with a two-run triple into the right-center gap to put the Tigers up 3-1.

“I knew I had to get the barrel out in front,” Erlandsen said. “Hit it hard, and it will go where it goes. They threw a lot of fastballs, so I knew to sit on that.”

The excitement, however, was short-lived. Bobcats immediately fired back, reaching on an error, before the Bobcat catcher Andrew Bertolette launched a two-run home run over the right field wall to make it a 3-3 ball game.

“There’s signs of some of the guys starting to see the ball better, and put together better at-bats,”

Head Coach Rudy Argulles said. “We just gotta do a better job of executing with guys on base.”

Both teams struggled offensively over the next couple of innings, and the game remained tied inning after inning. Riverside

had chances, but was continually unable to produce runs. The Tiger pitching, however, shone, holding Saddleback scoreless.

The Tigers briefly regained a lead in the eighth inning when Erlandsen once again came through, doubling down the right field line to bring Gray home and give the Tigers a 4-3 lead.

Riverside almost escaped the game with the win when the Bobcats’ Sophomore infielder Jacob Hudson tripled to center once again, tying the game, and forcing extra innings.

After a scoreless 10th, Saddleback broke through in the 11th, when Jack Borges doubled down the line, allowing Jacob Hudson to come up big again and score him with a RBI-Double of his own, giving Saddleback the lead. Hudson later scored himself on an error on the Riverside defense, extending their lead.

The Tigers weren’t able to come up with any runs in the bottom half of the inning, sealing the 6-4 loss.

“It’s a little heartbreaking to see that lead gone,” the Sophomore starting pitcher Jake Valenzuela said. Valenzuela threw five innings of one-run ball, “But you know, it just gets us ready to take the next two and win the series.”

The Tigers are on the road for their second of three games against Saddleback, on March 26, with the first pitch at 2 p.m.

Cheer program wins national championship

BRIANA FRANCO

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

The Riverside City College cheer team became the 2026 USA Collegiate Champions after winning first place in the Two-Year College Advanced Show Cheer Division to earn the national title.

The competition was hosted by the United Spirit Association from Feb. 21-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Across the

weekend, over 1,000 athletes representing community colleges and four-year universities competed head-to-head throughout over 15 different divisions.

Starting on Saturday, teams competed throughout preliminary rounds to qualify for the final championship rounds on Sunday.

In the Two-Year All-Girls Advanced Show division, there were only two teams, RCC and The College of the Sequoias.

The Tigers beat the Giants in the

preliminary round with a score of 91.7.

Going into the finals, the Tigers were coming in with a win already over their opponents. At the end of the competition, the Tigers scored a 91.7 again, over the Giants’ score of 89.3.

“They demonstrated not only elite athletic ability, but also heart, resilience, and a deep sense of Tiger pride,” Director of Athletics Jennifer Spalding said in a press release. “Competing against primarily four-year institutions and finishing at the top of their

divisions speaks volumes about the strength of our program and the dedication of our student-athletes.”

This win marks the second RCC cheer collegiate championship title across the whole program since the Tigers won a title at the 2023 National See CHEER on page 12

AARON FRIESEN NEWS REPORTER

Riverside City College collects an optional “student services fee” every semester during registration. But who gets this money and who decides what to do with it? The answers are found in the governing documents for the Associated Students of Riverside City College.

Every spring, nine ASRCC members form the Budget Committee to split the Student Services Fee Fund between student government, clubs, organizations and athletic teams for the next fiscal year, according to ASRCC’s Constitution and Finance Policy.

“All that money is meant for them to be able to do fun things here on campus,” Inter-Club Council Chief of Staff Lilly Phillips said as she sat alongside ICC Director Sierra Moreno.

But it’s not something everyone knows about.

ASRCC Adviser Megan Bottoms shared with club representatives at the March 9 ICC meeting how to get a piece of the student fee pie this year.

When Bottoms asked the club representatives during her presentation how many had a

PHOTOS BY MAC WILSON | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College right hand pitcher, Jake Valenzuela, throws a pitch against Saddleback College on March 24.

Riverside City College utility, Grant Gray, makes a run for home base during game against Saddleback College March 24.

March 26, 2026

Editor: Chelsea Sugimura & Marissa Lievanos| Viewpoints@rcc.edu

Will RCC ever get approved for a BSN program?

and other four-year universities.

As the state continues to approve bachelor’s degree programs at several Community Colleges, Riverside City College’s nursing program has not had the same success.

Three California Community Colleges received approval to offer bachelor’s degrees, each one for different majors this past month: physical therapy assistant at San Diego Mesa College, cyberdefense at Moorpark College and transborder environmental design degree at Southwestern College.

The RCC nursing program has attempted to receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing multiple times. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed the bill each time it came before him.

According to Edsource, the state law allows community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees in careers that have a labor market need, as long as they don’t duplicate what is already offered at California State Universities

Voter ID moves to ballots

LOUIS TOZSER NEWS REPORTER

Republican leaders announced they reached the Voter Identification Initiative threshold for approval on March 3 and will place it on the Midterm ballots.

After more than five months of collecting signatures throughout the state of California, State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) and State Senator Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach), as well as the organization “Reform California,” have obtained the necessary 800,000 signatures needed in order for the Voter Identification Initiative, also known as Voter ID, to be put on the ballot this upcoming November.

DeMaio and Strickland, alongside Representative Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and Assemblywoman Leticia Castillo (R-Home Gardens), held a rally on March 3 outside of the Riverside County Registrar of Voters in Moreno Valley.

At the rally, DeMaio announced that the initiative had obtained more than 1.3 million signatures for the initiative to be put on the ballot, with 130,000 signatures from Riverside County alone.

The current state law requires that when registering to vote, individuals must state that they are United States citizens, provide information to verify their identity, such as their birthdate, driver’s license or Social Security number, not serving a state or

Amy Vermillion, department chair of RCC’s Associate Degree Nursing (RN) program, told Viewpoints in September last year that there are only four classes that differentiate nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from nurses with an Associate Degree in Nursing.

Offering the BSN at the community college level will not only be cheaper for students but also get nurses out into the workforce quicker, Vermillion added.

RCC nursing’s main argument was that the BSN at the community college level will fix the nursing shortage in the Inland Empire, so the labor market is needed. But it’s up for argument what is considered “duplication.”

Newsom’s reason for vetoing Assembly Bill 1400 (AB 1400) from becoming law was that there are programs already in place with California State University at San Bernardino and California State University at Fullerton, where RCC students get priority acceptance.

According to the standards to gain approval, the question is, are the sister programs considered “duplicates” because they are outside of Riverside County.

Tammy Vant Hul, dean of RCC’s nursing program, will continue to support a bachelor’s degree program.

“We will continue to support legislation that would allow us to offer the BSN here but respect our relationships with our Cal State partners,” Vant Hul said. Viewpoints’ efforts to reach the California Community Colleges communications department for a comment were unsuccessful.

March 23.

Students take to the sky

Riverside City College has partnered with the city of Riverside to launch the Learning Institute for Flight Training (LIFT) program in an effort to prepare students for careers in aviation, aerospace and aeronautics.

The Riverside City Council met on Jan. 29 to sign a memorandum of understanding that solidifies the regional partnership and its commitment to strengthening the Inland Empire’s flight industry.

The initiative comes as the aeronautics industry faces workforce shortages nationwide. LIFT aims to create a pipeline for students in aviation and aerospace programs that directly connects them to the industry.

The partnership includes RCC, Riverside Unified School District, Alvord Unified School District, University of California, Riverside, California Baptist University and the city itself.

Spearheaded by Riverside Councilmember Steven Robillard, the program’s goal is to provide students access to advanced training programs and strategically push students into the aviation workforce.

“We want to make sure our education system has a clear pathway for students,” Robillard said. “There is a huge demand coming for aerospace jobs of all kinds.”

For students interested in aerospace and aviation careers, the LIFT program is designed to provide the skills currently in demand by industry leaders. While Riverside City Council has fully committed to the future of Riverside’s aviation, LIFT is still in early development.

Robillard said aviation is a broad field that includes engineers, technicians, pilots, and all sorts of roles that could fit under an aerospace job. Monthly meetings with education partners at City Hall are currently being called “phase zero.”

“Once we get through phase

NEWS BRIEFS

2026 Commencement Speaker Application

Check your student email under ‘Commencement’ for an ‘Apply to be the Riverside City College’s Commencement Speaker!’ There are links included in the email to apply. If you are eligible, the draft application deadline is March 27.

Spring 2026 Graduation Deadline

The deadline to participate in this Spring Graduation is April 1. Check your Outlook student email for the deadline information. The application is on MyPortal under the Academics-Graduation Overview section. Check with your Counseling Dept. or counselor at 951-222-8440 or email counseling-riverside@ rcc.edu. The Commencement Ceremony will be held on June 12.

Transfer Fair

A student transfer fair will be held in the A.G. Paul Quadrangle on April 8, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Various four year universities will have campus representatives available to help students with their transfer application.

RCCD and UCR Housing Applications Open

RCCD partnered with UCR to offer fully-furnished campus housing. However, there is a limited number of beds. The time frame to apply is from now through April 18, when a Zoom meeting is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. for students to receive help and ask questions. Email the Residential Scholars team at reshousing@rccd.edu.

Spring Break

zero, the city will be working with the industry partners to identify what their needs are, so that the schools can then go out and create their programming based on realworld needs that the employers are looking for,” Robillard said.

Developments regarding aviation have also been taking shape within RCC’s campus.

Abdullah Al Masnur, a student at RCC, is the founder and president of the college’s aerospace club.

Despite RCC currently not offering an aviation or aerospace program, Al Masnur continues to develop a plan for the club fueled by a passion for aeronautics. Al Masnur expressed how essential the field is to the future and said it was part of the motivation behind creating the aerospace club.

“I firmly believe our future is completely based on what’s above and beyond,” said Al Masnur. “We need more aerospace engineers

Classes will not be in session from April 13 through April 19.

Feb. 12, 2026 Issue: Volume 104, Issue 5

The article “Calling it quits” on page 2 incorrectly listed the Chancellor’s time at Riverside City College as “2018-2027.” The correct time period is 2018-2026.

All of these dates are subject to change.

If you have local news or upcoming events that you would like featured on the Viewpoints briefs, send information to our email: viewpoints@rcc.edu.

COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE CITY COLLEGE Riverside City College nursing students practice bedside care.

MAXWELL PORTER | VIEWPOINTS

California Baptist University aviation student and instructor conduct a pre-flight check before take off on

MAXWELL PORTER LIFE REPORTER

BRIANA FRANCO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

only three raised their hands, even though 37 clubs received a total of $203,096 from the budget committee last spring.

Phillips said sometimes there is a communication problem across clubs, where previous presidents don’t always inform next year’s officers of their budgets.

When new club representatives see how much they have and should use in the budget, “it’s always a shock for at least a good half of the room,” said Phillips.

Moreno has made information about club budgets a part of the official ICC meeting agendas to help bridge this communication gap.

The lack of communication is “not just a club thing, it’s an ‘us’ thing too,” said Moreno.

Emma Wuysang is an RCC computer science major and former ASRCC senator. Since becoming a leader in multiple clubs, Wuysang has helped them get funds.

At first, Wuysang discovered that clubs starting in the fall were depending on previous presidents to go through the budget request process during the committee hearings the previous semester.

“We didn’t have as much as we thought we had,” Wuysang said of her first club.

Bottoms said every eligible student organization which turns in the budget request forms by 4 p.m. on April 29 can be scheduled for a 15-minute time slot on May 11 to 13 to present and pitch their requests to the budget committee.

Board of Trustees

criticize federal offical’s comments

MARISSA LIEVANOS NEWS EDITOR

Several members of the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees, during a recent meeting, said they were frustrated with comments made by a federal official during a recent trip to Washington D.C.

“I was just disgusted,” Board President Jose Alcala said. “It was just appalling but again it never ceases to amaze.”

Board members traveled to the nation’s capital early February to attend the American Community College Trustees National Legislative Summit. At the event, the board members said U.S. Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent spoke to the audience about new accountability measures attached to federal financial aid grants and gave information about interagency agreements.

However, Trustee Bill Hedrick alluded that some of the undersecretary’s remarks were lacking professionalism. Trustee Keri Then added that Kent made comments targeting California and Minnesota for their “ghost student” problem,

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Riverside holds emergency protests after attacks on Iran

SUSANA

ESCOBEDO LIFE REPORTER

Nearly 40 protesters gathered at the Cesar Chavez Memorial in downtown Riverside on March 2 in response to the ongoing USIsraeli attacks on Iran.

The attacks began on Feb. 28 at about 9:27 a.m., local time in the capital, Tehran. Places targeted were centers like Arag Square, the Ministry of Intelligence and the Tehran Revolutionary Court.

This military campaign, titled “Epic Fury,” is described by the White House as an attempt to “eliminate the imminent nuclear threat posed by the Iranian regime, destroy its ballistic missile arsenal, degrade its proxy terror networks and cripple its naval forces.”

As a result of this organized operation, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed.

The topic of war was present within many organizations. The ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition, along with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), put out an emergency protest call.

Riverside protesters listened to multiple speakers discuss the extent of U.S. government involvement in these conflicts.

Some held signs asking to “Stop the war on Iran,” while

others raised concerns on their signs like “Money for war but can’t feed the poor.”

Iranian-American Bijan Khodadadi, Inland Empire activist and member of PSL, spoke about the personal impact this situation has had on him and his family.

He referenced the 12-day war that took place from June 13-24, 2025, in relation to the recent events.

“It was absolutely devastating. I’m worried about both Iranians and Americans...Working class Americans that take the brunt of the reality of war,” Khodadadi said. This demonstration hopes to pressure the government to prioritize domestic welfare over military spending.

Juan Mereles, organizer representing PSL, urged for mobilization. “(We) as regular working Americans have nothing to benefit from this war,” Mereles said. “It will only benefit rich billionaires and oil execs while sending working-class Americans to go kill and be killed abroad.”

Amid concerns over government funding of the targeting of Iran’s missile infrastructure, military sites, and leadership, Riverside protesters also highlighted what they described as “an emerging era of information-age warfare.”

“Technology is neutral. Whoever is in power decides

how it will be used,” said Amber Longo, a Riverside City College student and member of the Inland Empire Democratic Socialists of America.

Longo continued discussing the privacy issues raised by the US Department of Defense, the largest contributor to Palantir Technologies, a publicly traded software company that develops data analytics and artificial intelligence platforms for military and intelligence use. Palantir has been criticized in the past for its involvement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that have targeted

undocumented immigrants.

Some focused on shedding light on concerns, while others focused more on possible solutions.

Vietnam Veteran Ed Ortiz urged young voters to use their voice. “It’s very important that you vote in these midterm elections,” he said. Ortiz has been out of the military for 50 years and stated that he was concerned about his grandkids, so he takes time to attend every protest to advocate for their future.

The ANSWER coalition continued its efforts on March 7, calling for protests in every city in the U.S.

The search for the next Riverside City College president is underway

MARISSA PEREZ MANAGING EDITOR

The Riverside Community College District has begun the search for the next president to take the helm at Riverside City College

The district is seeking a new leader after the RCCD Board of Trustees voted to terminate the former RCC President Claire Oliveros on June 17, 2023.

The district is committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive and transparent national search that will attract a strong and diverse pool of candidates from throughout California and the nation,” RCCD

Chancellor Wolde-Ab Isaac shared in a Feb. 20 email announcing the start of the search.

The first step in the hiring process is to develop a presidential profile by inviting members of the college community to share their input about the qualities, characteristics and qualifications they would like the next president to have, the email said. Members were invited to a public forum on Feb. 24-25 to share these thoughts.

According to an email sent by the Riverside Community College District Human Resources department, there are a total of 18

members in the presidential search committee. The email said that the committee’s job is to review confidential applications, interview semifinalist candidates and select final candidates who will be interviewing with the chancellor.

The hiring process is set to last a couple of months, starting in April by reviewing applications and lasting through the last week of May, when candidates will be welcomed to the RCC campus to participate in a public forum.

“It’s a full day for the finalists to

come visit the college, to meet with leadership and to do a public forum and meet with the chancellor for the final interview,” said Norco College President Monica Green, who chairs the presidential search committee. The search committee has also brought on Brad Ebersole, who is representing the Association for Community College Trustees. Ebersole said the association helps colleges around the United States with presidential and executive searches.

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BRYLLE DESEO| VIEWPOINTS Protesters gather around outside The State restaurant on Main Street in downtown Riverside on March 2.

BRYLLE DESEO| VIEWPOINTS

A participant at the downtown Riverside emergency protest listening to speakers on March 2.

March 26, 2026

Director of the Riverside Arts Council Rachael Dzikonski (left) stands

Dance Performance category Riverside

Mayor’s Ball rocks out Riverside in spring

ROMAN DAVISON PHOTOGRAPY REPORTER

The City of Riverside hosts its annual Mayor’s Ball for the Arts at the Box Theatre on March 21. This event is a way for local artists to be recognized, with live and silent auctions held alongside food catering services.

Riverside City Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson emphasised the importance of acknowledging the impact of the arts. Dawson also said the art showcased was selected by the community through a nomination period.

“Arts are the thing that bring(s) us together as a community. It allows us to celebrate each other’s culture too, in really interesting and cool ways,” says Mayor Dawson.

Awards were given out in bronze, silver, and gold to the following categories: Public Artwork, Art Based Event, Musical Performances, Dance Performances, Literary Arts, and Art Facilities.

Some notable gold winners were the Dual Language Immersion Mural done by Zachary Lewis and Riverside Arts Magnet in the Public Artwork category; The Limonadas Dance Company performance at Mucho Gusto fest in the Dance Performances category; and Division 9 Gallery in the Art Facility category. Another notable nominee was the 60 Miles East exhibit, which won silver in the Art Based Event category.

While the ceremony was underway, Executive Director of the Riverside Arts Council,

Your rights, your voice:

In response to the attacks on immigrants by federal agents, the Riverside City College La Casa Engagement Center and Undocu Allies clubs held a Know Your Rights workshop with attorney Russell M. Jauregui on March 19 in the Charles A. Kane Building, Room 140.

Both documented and undocumented individuals were given the opportunity to ask questions and become better informed on issues related to immigration.

Jauregui is part of the San Bernardino Community Service Center and specializes in deportation defense. He first spoke at the “Know Your Rights” workshop held on Feb.

Rachael Dzikonski, revealed that Riverside had recently received the cultural district designation from the State of California.

“Being here tonight is important because it’s spotlighting the artists that work so hard in the community,” said Dzikonski.

“They’re what drive our economy and the spirit of the arts and also what got us this cultural district designation. So being here and being the executive director of the Riverside Arts Council, it’s an honor and I love it.”

The live auctions had several types of events at different prices. Notable bids included a welding experience with Mayor Dawson for $200; a helicopter ride with the Riverside City Police Department for $400, a ride-along in the Riverside City

Fire Department truck for $1,000; a three-night stay in New Orleans for $1,799; and a six-night stay in Ireland for $2,999.

There was also a raffle to determine the winner of a table’s worth of liquor, where contestants picked up “Queens liquor locker cards” to participate, each costing $50.

With the theme of the night being Rock of the Ages, some attendees got a chance to dress up as their favorite rock icons. Lip-sync performances were done during intermissions of the award ceremony by performer Azara, who was dressed as Tina Turner singing “The Best,” and performer

Inside ‘Know Your Rights’ educational workshop

11, 2025. This information is even more relevant amid growing concerns about the immigrant community. It was noted that legal rights are not being upheld by arresting officers whose priority has become to arrest first and investigate later. “Things have gotten worse than last year,” he said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has previously been criticized for racially targeting individuals and using excessive force when performing arrests.

Immigration advocacy group American Immigration Council commented on these incidents, stating “The deaths in ICE detention and the fatal public shootings in January point to a frightening pattern of lawlessness

April 2 -April 5

‘Legally Blonde’ The Musical RCC Fine and Performing Arts will tell the story of Elle Woods and her journey through Harvard Law School.

and indifference to human life.

While concerns about enforcement practices continue nationwide, Jauregui focused on what individuals can do to protect themselves during encounters with immigration authorities. He

warned that these issues reflect broader systemic problems within

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Editor: Victor Ledbetter

Lunchtime jazz comes back to Riverside

Riverside City College music students came out to perform for the lunchtime jazz event.

It was located at the Social Justice & Civil Liberties Center in Riverside on March 19. Tracy Fisher, director of the Social Justice and Civil Liberties Center, said she was excited about having the lunchtime jazz event with RCC for the fourth consecutive year during this spring semester.

According to Fisher, one of the great things about lunchtime jazz is students will have greater visibility of their music, and the public hears them. They’ve also been able to do other projects beyond the center, because they have that kind of exposure, she said.

In collaboration with the Department of Music at RCC, Fisher and instructor Charlie Richard of the Music Department, had a conversation about having a program that is open to the community, and is able to feature some of the student talent.

Fisher feels this program gives students the opportunity to be able to go out and perform to the community. Fisher said “it’s a great way to really feature the student talent at RCC.”

This event is leaving an impact on the community, where they can experience the student talent of RCC, and the students are able to share their work and put themselves out there, she added.

The student performers were Dominick Dixon, Angelo Bisquera, Atticus Daignault, Fernando Montes, Robbie Turpin and Jesus Gonzalez. Each student showcased their musicality to the community, having performed solos and being able to show their love for music when they play.

Bisquera, who enjoyed the tenor saxophone, enjoyed coming out and performing at this event, getting the opportunity to share his craft with the community along with other music students.

“We spend a lot of time rehearsing and practicing our instruments, and honing our craft. That is where the real thought is,”

April 15

2026 Transition Summit

The Transition Summit at RCC(Wood Street Area) will assist students transitioning schools to achieve academic goals.

April 18

Tamale Festival Riverside’s 13th Annual Tamale Festival in downtown Riverside will feature local chefs and cuisine at White Park from 11 am to 7 pm.

April 25

‘Black Veil Brides’ Performance

The “Black Veil Brides”will be performing from the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on April 25 at 5:30 pm.

ROMAN DAVISON | VIEWPOINTS

with Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and the respective awardees of the

Ballet (bronze), SALT Dance Studios (silver) and The Limonadas Dance Company (gold) at the Mayor’s Ball for the Arts at the Box Theatre on March 21.

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LUPITA RIVERA CID | VIEWPOINTS

An event attendee took digital notes during the “Know Your Rights” workshop hosted by Riverside City College’s La Casa Latino Engagement Center on March 19.

VIOLET DAWSON LIFE REPORTER

SUSUANA ESCOBEDO LIFE REPORTER

Season four changes show trajectory of ‘Bridgerton’

CHELSEA SUGIMURA NEWS EDITOR

“Dearest gentle reader, we have been apart for far too long,” Julie Andrews, voice of Lady Whistledown, said in the fourth season’s opening scene of the Netflix series “Bridgerton.”

The new release came two years after a boring season three. While it was able to pick up some momentum with a cliffhanger ending, it still felt like a let down in some ways.

The show is inspired by the novels written by Julia Quinn and follows the Bridgerton family in the early 19th century Regency era, primarily during their marriage seasons. A large part of the “Bridgerton” universe is a gossip columnist known as Lady Whistledown who is revealed as Penelope Featherington, played by Nicola Coughlan.

Viewers have known her identity since the jaw-dropping reveal at the end of the first season. However, the show’s biggest failure was the entirety of season three, in which Penelope marries Colin Bridgerton and later unveils her secret identity to everyone in the “ton.”

Season four picks up here with members of the “ton,” including Queen Charlotte herself, now attempting to persuade Penelope to write in their favor. This took away most of the drama that came from her double life and led to her wanting to retire the persona.

The intended star of this season was Benedict Bridgerton and his love story with Sophie Baek, a maid born out of wed-lock. Their forbidden love began at a masquerade ball where Benedict met Sophie as “the lady in silver,”

unaware of her true identity and role in society.

Benedict quickly falls in love and begins his search for the lady in silver using his rough sketches of what she may look like under the mask. The two meet again when Sophie is in her maid uniform, eventually fall in love and Benedict offers her a position to work in the Bridgerton residence.

It was entertaining and aggravating to wait for him to realize he had fallen in love with two versions of the same woman. The couple consistently went back and forth because of the complications of Sophie’s family history that mirrors the classic Cinderella fairytale.

Her late mother was a maid and the mistress of her late father, the Earl of Penwood, meaning she does still come from nobility. After Sophie’s father died, she was left with her step mother and sisters, who made her believe she was left nothing in the will.

The couple do eventually review Sophie’s late father’s will and find a way to be together, even after Benedict made the mistake of asking her to be his mistress early in the season. Despite their unique union, the story still doesn’t live up to the greatness of season two with Anthony Bridgerton, the oldest sibling, and his love match Kate Sharma.

In my opinion, nothing in this show can top Jonathan Bailey’s performance as Anthony. The yearning, the enemies to lovers theme and the complicated love triangle with two sisters is simply unbeatable for me. The real crime in season four is the lack of screentime for one of the most favored Bridgerton couples.

Anthony wasn’t the only

Bridgerton with little to no screentime. The eldest sister, Daphne, was missing completely. I’m unsure if it was because of contract or time conflicts with the actors themselves, but the side stories and characters that came in place of their absence were all underwhelming.

Francesca Bridgerton’s husband, Lord Kilmartin, died without us even getting to know him fully. It would’ve been impactful to see more of them together, even if

it was meant to be a filler story in the season.

Francesca is supposed to end up with her late husband’s cousin in the books, who has been changed to a woman, Michaela Stirling, in the show. Their chemistry together is exciting to anticipate but I wouldn’t have seen it as clearly if I didn’t

‘1348 ex Voto’ is a boring and buggy mess of a video game

VICTOR LEDBETTER JR. LIFE EDITOR

Imagine playing a video game with performance issues so terrible that said game shuts down your console. That is what I had to go through with “1348 ex Voto”, and the performance woes aren’t the only problem with this title.

On the surface, “ex Voto” looked like a promising independent game. It took place in ancient Italy, featured heavy combat, and told a fairly simple story about a young knight saving her girlfriend. It was a safe bet to assume that ex Voto would be decent enough to look forward to.

Alas, this game is riddled with issues that quickly tarnish its shine.

Starting with the game’s incredibly drab story, it’s actually hard to find anything to say about the overall narrative, as it lacks a massive amount of punch. There is nothing in the way of dynamism. The story stays in one spot, and probably would’ve had a predictable ending if the game hadn’t crashed on me.

The gameplay is incredibly tedious when it doesn’t have to be. You collect items throughout the levels you play and put them

“The Cathedral”

towards upgrades in combat. To be fair, longsword-based combat had a somewhat solid foundation at first, but it felt sluggish after the first few battles. Slow, methodical combat can be satisfying and interesting if it can evolve over time, but the combat’s limited animation and variety make it aggravating at best.

I already touched on th e performance earlier, but I would also note that the game is still glitchy with consistent frame rate issues. The game seems to run at 30 frames per second. While that isn’t a huge dealbreaker for me personally, the noticeable dips in frame rate were annoying,

as it would take away from the immersion and mess up timing in crucial situations.

This was especially noticeable in combat scenarios.

There were also various glitches that genuinely shocked me. For instance, I was locked into the first boss fight in the game. There was supposed to be a cut to combat after the first phase of the battle. Instead, my character clipped into the ground. How does that even happen?

The graphics and art direction are the only aspects of “ex Voto” that are barely passable. I felt the developers were a little too ambitious and tried to make

‘Boyfriend

on Demand’ redefines romance

ANNIE LEE MULTIMEDIA

Boyfriend on Demand is a Korean romantic comedy series released on Netflix on March 6. Ji-soo from the K-pop group BLACKPINK and actor Seo Inguk star in the show as Seo Mi-rae and Park Gyeong-nam.

The drama series consists of 10 episodes that blend romance and fantasy, featuring a virtual reality dating service that lets individuals live out their fantasies with their ideal boyfriends.

The service aims to create the “perfect boyfriend” for every woman who dreams of having one. The platform analyzes what their customer’s personal preferences are for a romantic partner.

In the beginning, Mi-rae used the online dating service to take a break from her stressful work as a webtoon producer and to get over the complicated feelings she had after her painful breakup.

Once she started indulging in these types of dates, she began to fantasize about love.

Throughout the series, the dating system created numerous romantic partners that suited Mirae’s preferences. The virtual boyfriends responded perfectly to what she emotionally craves in a partner, which develops her ideal illusion of love.

However, her boundary between her fantasy life and reality begins to blur when she develops feelings for her coworker, Park Gyeong-nam. Mi-rae’s feelings for Gyeong-nam are what eventually start her return to the real world.

this game look like a modern PlayStation game without knowing why those titles look as great as they do. If they scaled down and leaned more into the art direction, Voto would have looked at least a little bit better.

Some of the environments looked a bit off and the cutscenes felt thrown together. The art is alright, but it is a bit generic. There wasn’t a piece that drew me into the world of Italy, which is sad when I know there are plenty of places to draw inspiration from when putting worlds together.

It’s a damn shame. “1348 ex Voto” could have been a safe game to bet on, but the game is so unremarkable beyond its gamebreaking bugs. A bland story with frustrating combat, along with bad performance, art direction and graphics.

I do like it when smaller studios take huge swings, but you cannot miss. There is very little room for error due to a smaller budget.

There are intricate details that go into making any type of art, and people will notice the blemishes, especially nowadays. This game is a hot mess, not just a blemish and the devs need to look inwards to have their next project at least passible.

What makes him stand out from the men the dating service has generated for Mi-rae, is that his actions are unpredictable; at times, they misunderstand each other, challenge each other and behave emotionally rather than following the digital program’s instructions.

As Mi-rae experiences various virtual dating encounters, she learns more about what she truly wants in life and in relationships. The technology helps her realize that avoiding real connections will not lead to personal growth and that she needs to understand herself, which is an important step before making meaningful relationships. Her decision to end the subscription symbolizes the end of her dependence on the virtual world, which previously allowed her to be happy without becoming emotionally vulnerable.

While Mi-rae recognizes that she can no longer control how the relationship plays out, she is still willing to take that risk with Gyeong-nam, a character in the show, to be in a real relationship with him.

The drama can be meaningful

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Promotional photo for Netflix’s season four of “Bridgerton”.

COURTESY OF SEDLEO

an art piece from the “1348 ex Voto” art book.

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Art explodes in downtown Riverside during March

Downtown Riverside becomes an open pop culture art gallery

The Riverside Artswalk returned this month with a popculture twist that highlighted many franchises, like handcrafted plushies of characters from “Pokémon” to semi-realistic portraits of characters from Studio Ghibli films.

Since 2002, the Artswalk in downtown Riverside has been a staple in the community, allowing local artists to sell their art. The Artswalk later developed into a monthly event for the public and takes place on University and Mission Inn avenues.

The monthly event creates a space for the city’s creative community to gather and an outlet to help local businesses sell their work. Common artwork being sold by vendors was pop cultureoriented work.

Elle Garcia specialized in crocheted goods. She dove deep into how she started creating her pieces.

“I started doing Valentine’s Day roses at first, then I started doing more and more characters that I was into,” Garcia said. “So I started doing more pop culturerelated stuff.” Garcia’s goal is to start selling her crochet goods at bigger events. Her booth was filled with characters from “Pokémon.”

Other artists specialized in

figured they may be a good way to make some nice portraits.”

The event allowed its target demographic to share their creative interest and novelty hobbies. The event was filled with photographers.

Meanwhile, cosplayers of characters from “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” walked amongst even the niche furry community that dresses up like futuristic animals. The next Artwalk is scheduled for April 2.

creating miniature caricature portraits. Rei Duffy, one of the few caricature artists at the event, ran an interactive booth with a tokenstyle system. Customers were able to insert a coin to start their very own mini portrait.

“I’m actually a caricature artist outside of here, at Legoland,” Duffy said. “I just thought I would do it outside and it would be fun.”

Allan Sison, a traditional painter present at the Artswalk, shared that he’s gained inspiration from other artists that are involved with the event.

‘Living the Dream’ a glimpse into Debbie Korbel’s mind

The opening night reception for the ‘Living the Dream’ art exhibition in the Quad Art Gallery had a display of various sculptures on March 5.

Debbie Korbel was invited to the Riverside City College campus to display her artwork in the gallery. Each of her sculptures consisted of many different mixedmedia materials. Korbel’s use of mixed media is her creative language of expression, offering different perspectives for the viewer to consider.

that’s tied to our visiting artists that we have for this semester. Because of that, I had already seen the work that was gonna be in that show,” he said.

One thing Kohl found interesting about the show was the scale of the work. His example of this was the sculptures “The Call” and “Smalltalk” that were at the gallery.

“Being there in person with it, the sense of scaling comes into play, feeling like you’re actually standing next to a horse versus a sculpture of a horse.”

Sison had a live show of him painting a new art piece. He also displayed art pieces that were inspired from the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli. Prominent characters within his work were from films like “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Princess Mononoke.”

“To get a lot of engagement, you kind of have to reach into that pop culture interest and demographics,” Sison said. “I love doing portraits and Studio Ghibli is a very beautiful series… and I

“I’ve been hanging out with a lot of my friends here at Artswalk, who have their own booth,” Sison said. “Over time, as I hung out with them, I’ve been feeling more inspired to eventually start my own booth.”

Artists featured at the Cheech talk about cultural roots

Irene Sanchez, James Coates, Bonnie Gutierrez, or “blu,” Alondra X and Yadira Dockstader answered questions on their experiences living in the Inland Empire as people of color, citing troubles like inequalities, environmental advocacy, cultural heritage and more topics in the hour-long panel. Dockstader, an artist and researcher, noted the healthcare inequalities against African and Mexican American citizens while dealing with her challenges against disabilities and illness.

“The gaslighting, the endless search for answers. Within that, I

guess I was trying to navigate that life of challenge,” said Dockstader. These kinds of challenges helped with finding her voice, as Dockstader was “trying to find a mode to make for [herself].” She continued, “I’ve grown and have developed work from sign painting, window painting, anything I can do, like teaching. Everything I’ve done has been kind of an interest in helping different communities that I feel like are not as represented.”

Native artist X discussed the themes of migration in her art and how natives and the traditional uses become a part of reconnection. X

claims she explored these concepts by stepping away from the broader scale of the idea.

“One of the ways that I wanted to explore my own spirituality and myself returning to the land is figuring out, what is in the land?”

X said. “Obviously, what’s in the land is going to inform who you are as a person.”

She explained that certain colors, plants, and extensive research helped her grasp her cultural roots, saying, “I just felt like it helped me get to where I want to be. And even though Spanish is a colonial language, it still allowed me to explore the background of it in a way that I would never be able to explore in English.”

Sanchez spoke on her motivation for creating an art piece inspired by a poem she wrote titled “Life in the Empire,” and emphasized unity between African and Mexican Americans.

“The other motivation, aside from doing something I haven’t done by trying to be a part of this, was also to connect my students to folks in the community,” Sanchez said.

Lara joined in on the conversation and focused on the need to be unafraid to make controversial art. Lara said he isn’t just an artist but an “artivist,” being

both an artist and activist.

“Being an artist has multiple functions, but one function is bringing or addressing a social problem, social injustices, topics or people that have been marginalized,” said Lara. “Things that continue to be overlooked, topics that are very difficult to talk about.”

Lara added that artists and viewers should always ask questions about the environment around them. He said the questions don’t have to be “large scale, like a protest movement.”

“It can also be very micro, having conversations with family members, with your friends. That’s also how these dialogs happen,” he said.

Being an artist has multiple functions, but one function is bringing or addressing a social problem...”

Korbel’s artwork relates to the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” and she embodies this message when she constructs her sculptures from many different materials she finds.

“It’s interesting to use something in a new way,” Korbel said. “They might only assume that it’s a piece of trash or junk, so they can see it in a new way.”

Her use of color, different materials, and sculpture concepts is all created in a way that can create an illusion for the viewer, according to Korbel.

Her sculpture piece called

“Forsaken” is a combination of Christ and Frankenstein’s monster. Korbel’s reasoning for the piece is to create a scene when two people in history are forsaken by their creators. She felt that her art piece would resonate with audiences by combining the two figures.

Another sculpture that uses color symbolism is the sculpture “Night Dreaming.” The piece is made with cardboard and has a heavy use of blue in it. According

to Korbel, the cool-toned blue is associated with certain emotions such as sadness, calmness and seriousness.

“By using the blue and the midnight blue, I wanted it to be evocative of something you might see in your dreams at night,” Korbel said. “If you notice the deer, there is this kind of nighttime sky landscape that’s integrated into the piece.”

The pink flowers in the deer’s

antlers add softness and delicacy to the piece, complementing the blue sculpture, making the message more effective.

Art instructors Deborah Karotick and Brian Kohl attended the gallery to observe Korbel’s work.

Kohl had said he was familiar with her art.

“A lot of planning goes into those shows and this specific show with Debbie Korbel was a show

Karotick loved the whole idea of them being tied together through a whimsical kind of energy. She said, “Each one of them has a story that whisks you away,” she said.

“I love the idea of something that could have had a whirlwind spin around and kind of become some kind of magical assemblage.”

“Korbel’s themes are really strong and her pieces are so well put together that you can really believe it,” Karotick states.

To view the exhibit and learn more about the gallery, visit the Quadrangle, Room 140, on the RCC campus.

“It’s interesting to use something in a new way. They might only assume that it’s a piece of trash or junk, so they can see it in a new way.

-Debbie Korbel

Elle Garcia sells her crochet goods at the Riverside Artswalk on March 5.

FIDEL PEREZ | VIEWPOINTS

BRYLLE DESEO

VIOLET EULABELLE LIFE REPORTER

VICTOR

Art piece titled “Metamorphosis,” a statue made in 2016 of resin, wood, moose antlers, copper, wire, glass and vinyl.

BRYLLE DESEO | VIEWPOINTS

BRYLLE DESEO | VIEWPOINTS

Artist Allan Sison, “live” painting a new art piece at the Riverside Artswalk on March 5.

EVILYN FORD| VIEWPOINTS

Students and faculty enjoy the work of Debbie Korbel during the opening reception of her exhibit on March 5.

Students looking at “Indian Summer,” a sculpture made in 2025.

EVILYN FORD| VIEWPOINTS

AIDEN MEDINA | VIEWPOINTS

Irene Sanchez, Ph.D., speaking at the artist talk for the “Black and Brown in the Inland Empire and Beyond” exhibit March 5.

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OPINIONS

March 26, 2026 Editor: Jessica

Are we numb to war?

REPORTER

This generation has become the most plugged-in, constantly itching to check our phones.

We’ve come to depend on our phones for entertainment, but this has developed into us relying on our devices for news.

Of course this keeps informed,but in a way also makes the information being given to us not be 100% reliable. There are many people who interpret headlines or brief posts they scroll by and rather than reading the depth of the story, they react before fully grasping an understanding of the situation.

Apps like TikTok and Instagram update us on the political tension and global crises that are rising drastically, appearing between our

entertainment videos. Now our entertainment has been thrown into this mix of heavy news and flimsy, enjoyable content.

When the videos we see online are shared onto the same feed, covering major worldwide events, it begins to feel like every other scrollable video we pass.

To the extent to which these events are fed to us seem to leave little time for reflection or empathy. Rather than dwelling on the weight of what is occurring, we immediately are the next video.

Most modern history coverage has the topic of war as something that’s been experienced through second-hand reporting with radio broadcasts, newsreel films or newspapers. Then, the exposure was less often, and the information being reported wasn’t as quick-paced as it is now.

It is not that the division does not exist but instead that it is no longer significant and rather been replaced by an unending and ever present flood

of personal narratives being plastered on the media. War is experienced as it is happening with a mix of angles all at once, the distinction between witnessing and consuming is one that is called into question.

Now we’re shown real-time videos taken on the front lines of wars in Ukraine or Iran, and are being plastered on every app within minutes. Before the news can verify everything going on, we find it on social media first. The recent happenings in the Middle East are in real time, being shown on television and through the media; it’s clear that this is impacting families and future generations.

All the chaos of government crackdowns, protests, and these overwhelming conflicts are being spread through social media without any time to process.

Transfer athletes might want to look next door

Riverside is on its way to becoming a new sports powerhouse

The city is developing a new sports and entertainment complex, California Baptist University men’s and women’s basketball qualifying for March Madness, and La Sierra University men’s soccer making history by winning the 2025 Great Southwest Athletic Conference regular season.

Specifically, CBU women’s basketball team will face the University of California at Los Angeles in the first round of March Madness. This is huge news because this team has moved up divisions, which will open doors for Riverside athletes to reach professional leagues.

That’s just a few of the major accomplishments from the sports communities in Riverside.

With this positive trend, Riverside City College athletes might want to stay in Riverside, where the world of sports is thriving in their own backyard

Many athletes usually transfer to areas and universities with strong, accomplished programs in their sports, as Deporess Schletty did, a RCC football player from

Campus Conversations

What are your plans for spring break?

Landon

“Plans for when we go to Laguna Beach, probably get some food at the beach restaurants, go shopping at the Beach City, then just chill out and have a good time.”

Dylan Villegas, Biology

“I have a lot of plans. Sleep, study, work, sleep, study, work, repeat. Mainly Zoology and theater arts, so I’m gonna be working on those a lot.”

the class of 2022 who transferred to Ohio State University. Ohio State has one of the top five NCAA Division 1 football programs known for its elite championships, status and developing National Football League draft players.

However, according to Riverside’s press release, since the new sports and entertainment complex will feature a 5,000plus seat stadium for soccer, football, and other field sports, two full-size multi-sport fields, and a 130,000-square-foot sports complex for other court games, there will be space for these athletes to continue to train their skills in the city with the same coaches and communities that have been supporting them.

Riverside universities will be able to scout RCC transfers because they will use the same facilities as the sports complex. This means networking and being familiar with the same training, which will be an advantage for these athletes.

Many RCC athletes probably already know the coaches at surrounding universities, and now their opportunities to grow have just become larger.

This complex will take many years to finish, but future RCC athletes might want to consider staying in Riverside when they transfer and continue to develop as athletes in a city that is growing to support them.

“I’m going on a spring retreat with my club here, Christian club.”

Sanchez| Viewpoints@rcc.edu

ALINA GOMEZ OPINIONS

BRIANA FRANCO MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Beau Heise, Kinesiology

Interviews and photos by: Kyndall Halseth and Evilyn Ford

Hernandez, Criminal Justice

COURTESY OF THE DENVER GAZETTE

Group of people receiving important news reports while scrolling.

Visual mockup of Riverside’s future sports and entertainment complex.

COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE

We need to avoid parasocial relationships

JESSICA SANCHEZ OPINIONS EDITOR

Internet culture has been shaped by people supporting their favorite influencers and celebrities. They consume their content, support their businesses and sometimes defend them in controversy.

Sure it’s normal to have a favorite public figure. However, the fan to figure relationship gets twisted when fans start to believe they truly know and are somehow connected to the people they are fans of. This is called a parasocial relationship.

According to the article “Parasocial Relationships” by Psychology Today, parasocial relationships are defined as “onesided relationships in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy or familiarity with someone they don’t know, most often celebrities or media personalities.” People believe that they have a special bond with the people they are watching.

To some degree, who can blame them? A lot of creators refer to their fans as family, tell them they love them and show intimate or personal moments of their lives in their content. To a person who is very online, with limited real-life social interaction this can feel like creators are extending an olive branch and creating a safe space for them.

These relationships serve as some form of unrequited love. You feel like you love and care about this person or people but in actuality that love starts and stops in your brain.

An example of parasocial relationships in fandoms is a middle-aged woman named Simone whose social media handle is Clubchalamet. She went viral for obsessive posts regarding the actor Timothee Chalamet. At first people thought it was a joke, but as time went on it was clear that she was deep into a parasocial relationship.

The media fed into it with the Wall Street Journal publishing a profile on her, award ceremonies saving seats for her at their tables when Chalamet is present and various news outlets making a joke of it.

Some of her most famous tweets include updates on his location and when he arrives, negative commentary on his long term relationship with Kylie Jenner and his looks. By platforming people like this, it is actively encouraging and supporting people with parasocial relationships and normalizing it. Not only is this dangerous for online culture but also the celebrities that are being stalked.

Parasocial relationships create toxic online and real life spaces for those involved. It’s important to take a step back and remember you do not know these people and they do not owe you anything.

Go outside, talk to your friends and enjoy your favorite internet personalities from a healthy distance.

“looksmaxxing”

Clavicular, ‘Looksmaxxing’ and the ‘sassy man-demic’

Social media’s new subsection of incel and red-pill culture

CITLALLI MARTINEZ OPINIONS REPORTER

Vanity has always been a part of the human condition, the 2020s has brought us into new unprecedented heights of self centeredness and superficiality.

Apps like Instagram, Tinder and Tiktok are altering our brains. Tricking us into seeking the same dopamine hit of likes over and over, it’s hard not to feel like a lab rat.

It’s not a crazy issue for a levelheaded, secure person usually, but the effect that red-pillers in the manosphere have specifically on young men is concerning.

What will become of a society where the men are solely interested in how they appear to the outside world?

This new culture we’re living in has brought about something called looksmaxxing. According to the article, “How looksmaxxing self-improvement apps are marketing misogyny to young men” looksmaxxing is defined as, “an extreme physical optimisation of a person’s appearance, usually within a numerical rating system

known as the PSL-scale.”

It is popular in incel (involuntary celibate) spaces and chatrooms where these types of men value superficiality above all else, making looks and monetary gain their whole personality.

Looksmaxxing is taking your looks to the maximum level. The lingo came from videogame-speak, when you’re “maxing out on something,” you’re at the highest level you could possibly be at.

The latest symptom of this cultural virus that I like to call the “sassy-mandemic” is none other than Clavicular.

If you don’t know who Clavicular is, consider yourself lucky. Braden Peters, or ‘Clavicular’ is a 20-year-old social media streamer who gained mainstream popularity for running over someone who was allegedly stalking and harassing him with his cyber-truck, while on stream.

In my opinion, owning a cyber truck already tells me all I need to know about a person, but Clavicular himself gives us enough to work with all on his own.

He’s maintained relevance by being one of the top spokespeople for looksmaxxing and “mogging,” outshining someone at something, in this sense looks-wise.

He takes it to new extremes by using drugs like methamphetamine an d performance enhancers, bonesmashing, which is hitting himself in the face and head with a hammer repeatedly with the hopes of creating a sharper bone structure, and streaming it for all young insecure impressiona ble boys to see online.

Not trying to instill real confidence, but rather sending a message of sheer insanity that could put kids in danger.

Not only does he encourage the children who watch his streams to do what he does, he also gives fat dissolver injections himself, to guests. Peters is not licensed to give injections nor is he a medical professional.

One of his most recent quotes is from an interview he did with comedian and podcaster Adam Friedland on his talk show, “The Adam Friedland Show.”

“If you’re going to take out

hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of loans, might as well invest it into surgery, rather than going to school. You can actually do that. You’ll mog so you’ll be able to, sort-of get out of it,” he said. Believe it or not this is one of his most tame comments.

Whether Peters is just saying and doing things for shock value and views, or if he actually believes in the things he’s saying and doing, it’s still dangerous to society. This is a real problem that I’ve personally seen take form in grown men.

This type of thinking and messaging takes insecure boys and makes them cattle, or sheep that put things like vanity and profit above all else. Or a type of man who won’t stand up to a fascist government, but will perpetuate it.

They are too busy worrying about what they see in the mirror and if they’ll ‘mog,’ distracting them from the real problems that surround us as a community.

Having the new generations focus be on individualistic superficial pursuits, is a disservice to all of us in the long run.

COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

Clavicular regularly uploads

content to his social media platforms, promoting vanity.

E ditorial

Holding those in power accountable

New York Times writers Manny Fernandez and Sarah Hurtes wrote a scathing article on United Farmworkers Union cofounder and civil rights icon Cesar Chavez on March 18. The article interviewed at least 60 people in the UFW, who described several accounts of sexual harassment that Chavez inflicted upon women and children.

Within the following hours after the article was published, buildings, signs and statues that honored Chavez were removed around the country.

The city of Riverside plans to host community forums to hear from residents, and how they feel about the status of the Cesar Chavez Community Center on University Avenue and the Chavez statue downtown.

It’s important to remember however, he was only the face of the movement. He does not represent the purpose of the UFW and farmworkers’ rights. It reportedly took her 60 years to reveal her truth.

Many people have questioned why it took so long for victims like Dolores Huerta, 95, who co-founded the UFW with Chavez, to expose the truth about him.

It’s been decades since his passing and some might question the timing of Huerta’s disturbing allegations. However, it’s never too late to report rape and sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse is an uncomfortable topic, but the conversation around it is inevitable. Women and girls experience higher rates of sexual violence compared to men. According

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the RAINN, a national sexual assault hotline reported that one in six women have either experienced attempted or completed rape in the U.S.

The tragedy of this story is that society is used to men in power who abuse women, which makes it difficult for their female victims to stand up and come out with the truth. Huerta’s courage to speak out now shows why it’s important to share their stories no matter how long ago they occurred.

We absolutely honor and believe the victims affected by this tragedy. But most importantly, we understand the conflicting emotions a victim could have, and we should allow them the time to come out and unveil the truth.

Men in power should be held accountable, and women should never feel the need to hide their stories of abuse because of backlash. Men should want to be leaders, not for the sake of power, but for the love of their communities and the work they believe in.

When leaders with great aspirations and whom people trust, are later found responsible for heinous acts, it can lead to consequences.

For example, the serious allegations lodged against Chavez could heavily dampen the impact of the advancements he championed for farmworkers across America. It could lead to a decrease in public support of Mexican-American activism and an increase in racism against people of color.

That being said, why can’t we separate the movements from the leaders? Chavez

belongs to a growing class of men in leadership positions who abused their influence to take advantage of people.

President Donald Trump, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Kanye West, Jeffrey Epstein and many more fall into this category.

As residents of California, we should remember the positive contributions Chavez made on behalf of farmworkers, while recognizing the trauma he had caused behind the scenes, and how his name, image and likeness now causes confusion, distress and sadness.

We believe the allegations against Chavez should make people of color more wary of the actions of their leaders, and those they look up to. There are many men who have contributed greatly to society, but that doesn’t exempt them from fair and deserved criticism.

If abuse situations by powerful men keep happening, such as those inflicted by Chavez on his victims, we will continue to highlight those stories of abuse when exposed in hopes of learning from the truth. We condemn this behavior. It is deeply concerning that cases such as these are as common as they are.

We thank Huerta for continuing to be an example of a powerful female voice in a male-dominated union for more than six decades. Most of us in the Viewpoints newsroom are women and we look to her for inspiration and hope to make it easier for women of all demographics and professions to thrive in their endeavors.

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Madness in Riverside tournament

CBU reaches the NCAA tournament

ETHAN AGUILERA

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

California Baptist University is putting Riverside City College on the national stage with both its men’s and women’s basketball teams in the National Collegiate Association Association Tournament. Both teams earned their spots by winning their conference tournaments, a path that underscores the program’s rapid rise.

The women’s team finished 2311 overall and 15-3 in conference, winning the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

This marks the second NCAA tournament appearance for the women’s program. They returned for a rematch against No. 1 seed UCLA on March 21, where they fell with a score of 43-96.

“We just went for it, and that’s not an easy thing to do on the road in the NCAA tournament,” Lancers coach Jarrod Olson said. “In the 20 minutes, we showed we can belong.”

The men’s team finished 25-9 overall and 13-5 in conference, claiming the WAC championship after a dramatic win over Utah Valley University. Senior guard Dominique Daniels Jr. led the team with 23 points.

Cal Baptist men’s basketball will make its first NCAA tournament appearance in program history, after transitioning from Division II in 2018 and becoming postseason-eligible in 2022-23.

The men, a No. 13 seed, faced off against the No. 4 seed Kansas on March 21. After being down 26 with six minutes left in the second half, the Lancers bounced back with an 18-2 run, making it a sixpoint game with one minute left in the game.

They got the ball back, but Daniels bricked a mid-range jumper with 22 seconds left to take the air out of the rally, with the game ending 68-60.

“I told the guys in the locker room, my tears are tears of gratitude,” head coach Rick Croy said. “Tonight was just a true, incredible representation of what these guys are all about.”

Guard Dominique Daniels Jr. led the way with 25 points, including two 3-pointers in the closing minutes that brought the crowd at Viejas Arena to life as the Lancers went on an 18-2 run.

“When I stepped on the court yesterday, and it said ‘March Madness,’ it was like a dream come

Riverside City College golfer, Elijah Gonzales, places his ball on a marker during match on March 23.

Riverside City College’s golf team finishes third in the fourth OEC Tournament

what he told his team going into this tournament.

Riverside City College hosted the fourth Orange Empire conference tournament on March 23rd at the Victoria Club golf course.

The Tigers tied for 3rd place with Orange Coast College, with a total team score of 290. That is two over par for the day.

Taking first place was College of the Desert, finishing 13 under as a team with a total team score of 275. Taking second was Victor Valley College, going seven under as a team with a total score of 281.

The Tigers’ placement on the podium was all they needed to be sent to state this year.

“Just got to get into those top three positions, it gets us into state,” said assistant coach Eric Perry when asked about

This was also the first time this season that a shotgun start was used. This is essentially when every group starts simultaneously on different holes on the course.

This did not seem to affect Elijah Gonzales of RCC, as he scored a 70 through 18. He was the best performer for the Tigers while scoring a personal best in a tournament.

Gonzales started the day slowly, bogeying his first two holes on holes six and seven. Then bogeying again on hole 11. Through his first 5 holes, he was three over par.

The momentum shifted on his sixth hole (hole 12) with a birdie on a par 3. After that, Gonzales never bogeyed for the rest of the day.

“Taking my time really,

swinging slower just having a lot more fun,” Gonzales said about what adjustments he made after his rough start.

Rigo Navarro and Jack Wasserman were the next best performers. Both of them scored one over par for a total score of 73 through 18. Right behind them was Blake Richert with a two-over 74.

Through his first five holes, Navarro was four over par. Then, just like Gonzales, the momentum shifted on hole 11, where he birdied as well. Navarro then went on to birdie again on the next hole.

“Kind of was into my head mentally (to start), making stupid mistakes,” Navarro said about the changes he made during his round, “And then after I seen Coach, we kind of talked about just bringing it back together, finishing the

round good, and then it ended up working out.”

The Tigers play again on March 30, with Victor Valley College hosting. The location and time of this match are yet to be announced.

Women’s Track & Field

RCC competed at the Redlands invite on March 20. Runner Kaycia Carridice placed first in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.91 seconds. Sara Britten places second in the javelin throw with a mark of 37.87 meters.

Men’s Swimming & Diving

RCC placed first in their last three meets. In the OEC Meet #2, Jared Ladinez won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 56.54 seconds. Zachery McDonald was the only diver to get a score above 200 points, winning the contest with a score of 271.28 points.

Women’s Swimming & Diving

RCC took first place in the Orange Empire Conference meet #2 with a score of 619 points. Isadora Taylor took first place in the 1650-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 20:05.80. Kate Simmons won the 1-meter diving board with a score of 188.33 points.

Women’s Beach Volleyball

RCC is currently on a 3-game losing streak. Their last game against Irvine Valley saw them lose 3-2. RCC currently has a record of 2-15. RCC March Sports Round-Up

PHOTOS BY MAC WILSON | VIEWPOINTS

Riverside City College golfer, Jack Wasserman, completes his swing during match on March 23.

WOMEN’S SPORTS SPOTLIGHT

Tennis dominates Fullerton College

ETHAN AGUILERA ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Riverside City College women’s tennis improved to 2-0 against Fullerton College this season with an 8-1 victory at home on March 24.

Doubles play started with Victoria Herrera and Brianna Nikas, who finished first with an 8-1 win. Sisters Angelina Capraro and Julianna Capraro followed with an 8-3 victory, and Fullerton defaulted the third doubles match due to unavailable players, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead.

“There was a moment where we lost focus, and I believe that’s what led us to drop some games,” Angelina said. “Once we got that focus back, we were able to close it out.”

Singles play was just as dominant as doubles. Angelina opened with a (6-2, 6-0) victory before Nikas followed with a (60, 6-3) win, giving the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

The win marked Nikas’ second straight victory, improving her record to 12-4. Angelina improved to 10-4 and extended her win streak to two matches. Victoria Herrera (6-1, 6-1) and Julianna Capraro (6-3, 6-2) followed with wins, extending the Tigers’ lead to 7-0.

“We played really well, it was warmer today, I think it had a bit of an impact,” Julianna said. “They

Spalding becomes first female athletic director

had some good shots, but in the end, we pulled through.”

After Fullerton forfeited another set due to unavailable players, the Tigers won 8-1, extending their win streak to 3 and improving to 12-2 overall.

“The heat was getting to them today, but they pulled through,” head coach Nikki Bonzoumet said. “They’ve been stepping it up lately. I’m really proud of them, they’re doing great.”

The Tigers host Orange Coast on Thursday in their final regularseason home match.

The contest will also serve as Sophomore Day, where the program will recognize its secondyear players for their contributions and dedication.

Sophomores Julianna Capraro, Caroline Cocker, and Brianna Nikas will play their final regular-season home match

Norco leads the way for flag football

LENNON ALVAREZ SPORTS EDITOR

In just its second season, the Norco College women’s flag football program is already making history and turning heads across the Inland Empire.

Led by head coach Ruben Aguilar, the program has quickly grown from a small, experimental team into a competitive force, highlighted by a 5-2 record and wins over four-year universities.

“This means everything to me,” Aguilar said. “Women’s flag football at the collegiate level is my baby.”

Norco played its inaugural season in 2025, becoming the first Inland Empire college to field a women’s flag football team.

Now, the program is building on that foundation with rising expectations and increasing recognition.

Aguilar, who describes himself as a “girl dad,” said his motivation goes beyond wins and losses.

“Any opportunity I can provide for young women — scholarship-

wise, educationally — I’m going to do that,” he said. “Education comes first. Without it, you’re not going to continue to play.”

The program’s origin was as unconventional as its rapid rise. What began as a flag football class during the COVID-19 pandemic eventually evolved into a fullfledged team largely driven by student interest.

“It started with a conversation with a student who wanted to compete,” Aguilar said. “Then two weeks later, I got an email asking if we wanted to join [California Community College Athletic Association]. I said yes right away.”

In its early days, the team relied heavily on recruitment from the general student body — sometimes even convincing students with little to no football experience to join.

“To be fully transparent, we begged a lot of them to play,”

for the Tigers.

“I’m blessed because they are really good kids,” Bonzoumet said.

“Not only on the court, but they’re really good in the classroom.”

CHEER from page 1

Cheerleaders Association College Nationals.

The Tigers also took home two second-place wins in the Fight Song Division and one from their small co-ed team in the Junior College Two-Year Intermediate Division.

The Fight Song Division consisted of 16 colleges made up of mostly four-year universities and only two, two-year colleges. And the Tigers were able to snag a second-place win with a score

The small co-ed team won first place with a score of 90 over second place, Fresno City College, in the preliminary round, but fell short in the finals with a difference of 3.4 points when the Rams came back to compete.

“Yayyy us!” a RCC cheerleader who competed in the Two-Year All-Girls Advanced Show division, commented under an Instagram post from the RCC spirit teams account.

The Tigers took home the title in all three divisions in which they competed.

Riverside City College has selected Jennifer Spalding as the new Dean of Instruction, Kinesiology/ Athletic Director, becoming the first woman to hold the title.

Spalding returned to where her collegiate career began, playing water polo at RCC from 1999 to 2001. She earned All-American honors as a goalie and led the Tigers to back-toback state championship appearances.

“I had a great experience at RCC, and it made me realize that I wanted to be a college coach and then eventually transition into administration,” Spalding said.

After her time with the Tigers, Spalding continued her playing career at UC Irvine before turning to coaching.

She spent five seasons as the head women’s water polo coach at Chaffey, compiling a 77-46 overall record and a 32-10 conference mark. She guided the team to the 2014 South Coast Conference championship before moving on to Citrus College.

In her first season with Citrus in 2016, she led the team to a 2311 record, ending a decade-long postseason drought. Three years later, her 2019 squad set a program record with 28 victories.

Spalding concluded her coaching career following the 2024 season as the program’s all-time winningest coach. She finished with 141 wins and the highest winning percentage in program history. She was named Western State Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2019.

Spalding also said that, in her new role as Dean of Kinesiology, she understands that many people may not fully know what kinesiology is or how broad the field can be. She added that one of her goals is to help educate others about kinesiology and highlight the many different areas it encompasses, from physical education and coaching to health, wellness, and human performance.

“There are so many things that can be done under kinesiology, and people don’t realize it,” Spalding said. “I want to educate people so they know how diverse kinesiology is.

She also noted that studentathletes must maintain a GPA above 3.0 to be recognized on the scholar

COURTESY OF RCC CHEER COACH RACHELLE FAWCETT

Riverside City College’s Victoria Herrera (front) and Brianna Nikas (back) set up to return a serve by opponents from Fullerton College on March 24.

PHOTOS BY LUPITA RIVERA CID | VIEWPOINTS

Angelina Capraro returns a serve from Fullerton College opponents during a doubles match at Riverside City College on March 24.

Riverside looks to extend its win streak to four when it faces Orange Coast College on March 26 before heading into the Orange Empire Conference Tournament.

The Riverside City College small co-ed 2-year intermediate second place winners on Feb. 22.

of 90.

ETHAN AGUILERA ASST. SPORTS EDITOR