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PAGE 4 Men’s Basketball loss to Mt. San Antonio college 102-74 on Wednesday, February 21st.
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Vol. 68 Issue 1
February 29, 2024
RIO HONDO LOWER QUAD BEAUTIFICATION
Omar Lopez @oflix_03
R
io Hondo Community College continues to make noise while in the process of making beautification renovations to its lower quad on campus. As students walk by the blocked off area many wonder what all the noise is for and what changes are going to be made to their campus. After many weeks of speculation Rio Hondo has officially provided an answer in the form of its Vice President of finance and business Stephen M. Kibui. When asked what changes can be expected Kibui had multiple things to say regarding the new material being used, its environmental properties and benefits, and overall new design. The turf being used has been chemical free certified from the state agency
Omar Lopez
Renovation underway at Rio Hondo College in the lower quad during school hours
providing a safer environment. Another bonus of said material was for it to be long lasting. The environmental benefits were mainly wildlife focused preventing any
BLACK SCHOLARS PROGRAM: EMPOWERING STUDENTS TO EXCEL SAMANTHA MARIN @sammarin4
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he Black Scholars Program at Rio Hondo College is a support service available that is specialized for black students to make their academic journey more successful. “The main focus of the program is to serve our black scholars here at Rio Hondo College. Our goal is to help our students achieve their academic goals”, said Azalia Gonzalez, a Student Services Assistant for the Educational
Samantha Marin
Justice Programs at Rio Hondo. The Black Scholars Program offers many resources for Black students such as individualized counseling and interventions. The program also offers free school supplies and students are able to stop by for free food and snacks. The program also provides students with things such as meal vouchers and book vouchers to help support student aid. “It’s based on availability
wildlife being harmed while students roam the campus allowing for both parties being safe and protected. For the design of the new space Rio Hondo would but if students come by, they participate, they show that they’re interested in being part of the program and they’re asking for those resources, then we will try our best to make those available to them”, said Gonzalez. The Black Scholars Program is also focused on creating a community for students in the program. They host community events to give students a chance to get to know others in the program as well as to gain better relations with the staff. The program is hoping to open a new center for Black Scholars this summer and it will be located in LR-130. “I think having somewhere to go, somewhere to be, a place to study, a place to ask questions, ask for resources is always a plus,” said Gonzalez. “We want them to find a place where they can feel supported in their journey through academia”. The program, as well as other educational justice programs, goal is to make students feel more welcomed in their community so that they would want to go to different events and find somewhere they want to be. If you are interested in joining the Black Scholars Program, you can contact them using the email blackscholars@ riohondo.edu. If you would like to visit and learn more about the program, they are currently located in the Dreamers Resource Center in LR-105.
like to show off some school spirit in the way of its school logo which will be presented the day that all construction and renovation is complete. With all these upgrades
being made to the lower quad we got a rough estimate of how much this project is costing the school. The estimate is around $182,000 with the majority of the cost going towards the manual labor while the rest is in material, pretty high price. A good spend considering the changes that will surely be appreciated by the students and faculty who constantly roam on campus. For Kibui himself, he is excited about the renovation mainly due to the beauty that will come once the project is complete. Thinking of the school as a whole when it comes to school wide events that require using a clean environment. “Despite the challenges with finances we want to make our campus more appealing for the students,” Stephen M. Kibui, Vice President of finance and business, said.
VISION PRO A SIGHT INTO THE FUTURE
ENRIQUE RIVAS @erijour74
A
pple’s newest spatial computer product called the Vision Pro has become the most talked about technology product today. With the Apple Vision pro, you can either play games, watch movies, or FaceTime using your eyes, hand,and voice. Apple released the Vision Pro on February 2, 2024 in all U.S. stores and online starting at around minimum $3,499 for a 25 gigabyte Apple Vision Pro. With Apple having a spatial computer competition rivaling with Oculus Rift, it seems to have mixed reviews with Apple Vision Pro. I asked Rio Hondo College students what they think of Apple Vision Pro. “I like it, I like the concept of it. It’s a pretty big price tag on it. If I could, I would totally get it just because I use a lot of Apple products”, said Isaiah Raui, Rio Hondo College student. The mixed reviews I had seen of positive reviews of the concept behind it. You can actually see your surroundings so you don’t crash on your furniture. Negative of Apple Vision Pro reviews of the headset either being uncomfortable, motion sickness or too expensive. “I don’t like the
battery pack , it’s not wireless. You have to carry a bag, that’s the only thing I don’t like about it”, Raui said. I figured that Apple Vision Pro will have tons of motion sickness from playing games, Helen Li, Rio Hondo College, CalWorks staff says, “I have played virtual reality before, I’m not good at navigating new things”. Videos on the news or social media of people wearing the Apple Vision Pro in public at a bus stop, where it makes it seem that person looks ridiculous or kind of thinking that this is what everyone is going to wear now. “ Wearing it in public is kind of crazy, I think it should only be indoors”, said Sarah Ramiez, Rio Hondo College student. My only thoughts of the Apple Vision Pro is that it is a nice concept, I like the features of using your senses to navigate the spatial computer. “I don’t think it will fit well in society where it is an Apple product so of course everyone wants to get it, you see people wearing AirPods”, Ramirez said. To me, I wouldn’t get it, it’s not for me. However, you can book a demo of the Apple Vision Pro online by using an Apple ID account and book one to the nearest Apple store near you.