By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| Within the media, we have seen talks about the homeless population being a problem in Los Angeles and San Bernardino County. This usually comes in forms of language, because the homeless are referred to as a problem or as a number rather than a person. I admit I have been guilty of this in the past of seeing someone homeless and disregarding them without acknowledging that these are real people. These people have names, families and come from different places. The media on the other hand generally portrays the homeless as a burden to society and puts the blame on them for being the problem rather than focusing on them as individuals. It is … [Read more...] about Media portrayal of homelessness
Villanueva
Jane Elliot and the state of racism
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| Hundreds were in attendance May 2 to watch Jane Elliot, creator of the famous blue eyes/brown eyes experiment, speak about the current state of racism in our country. The event took place inside the SMSU Event Center and was the third annual event at CSUSB featuring Elliot. The event was a huge success with approximately 700 people attending, of which an estimated 500 being students and faculty, and 200 were community members. The event was headed by the Institute for Child Development and Family Relations (ICDFR) by professors Mark D. Agars and Kelly Campbell, director and associate director of ICDFR. The ICDFR tries to have Elliot come to … [Read more...] about Jane Elliot and the state of racism
Invisible Dropouts
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| High school graduation rates are on the rise in San Bernardino, but are still below state average. San Bernardino has suffered from low high school graduation rates for years, but has been on a gradual incline since 2010. However, the topic of grade school dropouts has been overlooked in favor of college dropouts, which has received much more media attention. According to the California Department of Education, the graduation rates for San Bernardino County schools in 2015-2016 was 82.6 percent. The dropout rate was 10.4 percent, which correlates to 3,408 students. For San Bernardino, this is a good sign, considering the rate was as high as … [Read more...] about Invisible Dropouts
California Gun Laws
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| People are split on the issue of gun control in California after the recent shooting at North Park elementary. The recent school shooting in which a teacher and an 8-year-old child lost their lives is just another incident in which gun violence has affected the community. The perpetrator, Cedric Charles Anderson, used a high caliber revolver and had a history of domestic abuse, weapons arrest, and drug possession, according to police reports. According to state law, any person who has had a prior misdemeanor charge receives a 10-year ban from purchasing a gun and a lifetime ban for convicted felons. California is one of the more strict states … [Read more...] about California Gun Laws
Rabbi Fuss: “Word Tzedakah Means Justice”
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| Rabbi Shmuel Fuss of the Riverside's Habbad Jewish Center was interviewed live in Coyote Radio before the Passover Holiday. For his work with the community, Rabbi Fuss received the Champion of Justice award from Riverside County. Q: Rabbi, can you tell us about your recent award? It was a very special moment. I was very humbled to accept this champion of justice award, justice in the Jewish tradition is huge. It's really important to give back to society. We often hear the word charity. In Judaism, the word for charity is called tzedakah. It means justice and righteousness. If we have an opportunity to give, we should give. Getting this award … [Read more...] about Rabbi Fuss: “Word Tzedakah Means Justice”
Building awareness in the city
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| A year after the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the city continues to work with the community to build awareness and ensure public safety. On Dec. 2, San Bernardino and CSUSB is partnering together to host an event called “Honor. Reflect. Rebuild,” in the Coussoulis Arena at 6 p.m., which would mark the one year anniversary of the tragic mass shooting. The terrorist attack that took the lives of 14 people while severely injuring 22 others, happened at the Inland Regional Center off of South Waterman Avenue last December. The attack was one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. soil. “Honor. Reflect. Rebuild” isn’t only an event to … [Read more...] about Building awareness in the city
Approaching the finish line
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| As Barack Obama's presidency winds down, Americans' take a look back at his time in office over the past eight years. Obama made history by becoming the first African-American ever to be elected president of the U.S., which came with a lot of pressure. Obama currently has a approval rating of 57 percent, the highest in four years, according to the most recent poll from Gallup. His list of accomplishments have included bringing the country out of a bad recession by signing the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 which led to economic growth for the country. In 2011, he ordered a special force team to raid a secret … [Read more...] about Approaching the finish line
Briefs
Nov 4 "Couple arrested for shooting at a family on Halloween." After a family bumped into their Chevrolet Equinox, a man allegedly shot a single round from a handgun into the family’s car narrowly missing the victims by inches on Oct. 31, according to The Sun. Surveillance videotape was able to identify the vehicle and trace to two suspects. Deputies arrested the couple Friday morning in their San Bernardino home. Nov 7 "Woman arrested for her ceviche" A California mother was arrested for selling homemade ceviche through a community page on Facebook. Mariza Ruelas, from Stockton, could face a year in jail and possible fines, according to the LA Times. She … [Read more...] about Briefs
Mary’s Village lacks city support
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| Mary's Village (MV),"homeless shelter for over 100 men in San Bernardino" was set to be built in the third ward of the city and lacks support from city council members to hold a public hearing for construction. Unfortunately, as a result a homeless shelter for over 100 men failed to gain city approval. The project was approved in July when members voted 4-2 in favor of the project, but afterwards a few members flipped their stance and started to oppose the shelter. Members who disapprove feel the project doesn't provide a solid enough plan that would permit people from other cities from using the shelter. "We are seeing an influx of homeless … [Read more...] about Mary’s Village lacks city support
Uber and Lyft new law for criminal background checks
By Saeed Villanueva |Staff Writer| New California law will force all Uber and Lyft drivers to undergo criminal background checks. On September 28 California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill into law that will require all Uber and Lyft drivers or any other transportation network company, to do complete background checks on drivers according to the LA Times. As of today the law only requires background checks to cover the past seven years for any driver. According to the LA Times, the law will prohibit people who are registered sex offenders, have any violent felonies and anybody who has had a DUI within the past seven years. Stories of sexual assaults, harassment, … [Read more...] about Uber and Lyft new law for criminal background checks