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Volume 77, Issue 3 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, September 25, 2019 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

New voting system for 2020 BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The Los Angeles County Clerk’s office has completely overhauled the voting system in the county and will implement the changes for the 2020 presidential election. These changes are part of efforts to increase voter turnout and were announced last Tuesday at a meeting held by the Clerk’s office, the Women’s studies department and the East Los Ángeles college students for political awareness and advocacy, ELAC Students for Political Awareness and Advocacy, ESPAA club. Changes include longer voting periods for certain polling areas and consolidated elections. Voters will also be able to make use of the Voter Solution for All People, a newly developed electronic ballot system. Creating and implementing the VSAP has taken some time. “The process of VSAP implementation has been in the works for the past 10 years,” said Christine Lee, project coordinator for the election division. Starting with the 2020 elections the ballots for voting in person will be changing to the VSAP, an electronic ballot system which will include an electronic sample ballot as well. Voters will be able to downloadan application to use the electronic ballot system. Part of this system are new voting devices tentatively being called Ballot Marking Devices or BMD. The majority of the voting process will take place there. This does not do away with paper ballots, it simply makes the voting system more streamlined and easier. The BMD will simply read a generated

quick response code, QR code, from a voters device and this will generate a voters ballot. There will no longer be a need to give voters information or the ballot that has been cast to anyone, it will simply be fed into the machine after voting is done. The Clerk’s office hopes that by making it digital it will do away with many of the concerns that come from mistakes done during the voting process. The Clerk’s office has taken steps to secure the BMD against hacking attempts. Hacking of election ballots has been a controversial issue in the past, and these new machines were taken to Devcon in Las Vegas, where programmers took a stab at getting into the system, but told the Clerk’s office that it was unhackable. One of the biggest changes comes in the form of the expanded vote by mail ballot. It will be much more detailed and in a larger format for first time voters and seniors. The vote by mail ballot can still be sent through the mail but will also be allowed to be deposited at voting centers, or it can be surrendered at a center in exchange for a paper ballot. Voting centers are undergoing changes as well. Across LA County there have been up to 5000 voting centers in past elections. The number of these has been cut down to 1000 combining two or three districts into each of the remaining centers. With this decrease the amount of time that votes can be cast has been increased. Some voting centers will be open from three to eleven days during the election period. In past elections, voter turnout has been abysmal. Lee said turnout has been

BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer

COURTESY OF LA COUNTY

E-VOTE—New voting machine designed by Palo Alto based company IDEO. as low as 10 percent. With these changes the county looks forward to an increase in turnout. Elections in the 2020 cycle will also look different. There will no longer be seperate state and federal elections. The elections will be combined, again for a more streamlined experience for voters. The original timetable for elections were, June for primaries and November for the general election. The dates for the primaries has been changed to March 3, while the general elections remain november 3. The order for the new ballots will be voting for city, county, state and federal elections. Lee urged students that have not registered to register and explained

that people only need to reregister if they meet any of the following: a name change, an address change, or a political party change. She also talked about the upcoming 2020 Census. Lee said, “LA county is one of the hardest, or it is the hardest county to count in the entire nation.” She said that the multiple languages, 90 across the state, is just one of the reasons for the difficulty and misinformation that sometimes comes with the census. Lee said that from the 883 billion federal funds the government had to give to states, California received 115 billion for schools, health care, housing and many other programs. Lee wanted to confirm that the

citizenship question that was struck down earlier by the Supreme Court will not be a part of the Census questionnaire. And that the main way to turn in the Census will be online. An identification number would be sent by the Census Bureau and people would use this to log in and fill out the census. Census Action Kiosks, which are tablets that allow people to enter their codes and answer the entire census. This is for those who may not have internet access. More information for the VSAP process can be found at http://vsap. lavote.net and for people who have not registered to vote, that can be done through https://registertovote. ca.gov/.

Club rush week invades ELAC have nothing to do with what I am studying, they seem really Staff Writer interesting. I might check them out this week,” said Montenegro. Many clubs gave information Clubs got the opportunity to about what they offer students as present themselves to students and far as providing references for provide insight on how they operate students to be able to excel in the during this semester’s Club Rush. field of study. East Los Angeles College students For example, the Speech club were provided with club schedules helps students obtain confidence in which include future events that public speaking by providing them they can participate in. an outlet to be able to do just that. Most clubs are organized with “Being in the speech club has been the primary goal of a really good way providing students for me to express with networking myself, if someone “I think we as opportunities which is looking to gain can help them meet students should confidence within professionals in the I would really take advantage of public field of study. recommend it,’ said Other clubs events like these ELAC student Maria emphasise bringing Montes. because maybe awareness to issues Other students from across the c a m e with the something like world. mindset of finding this can really This all helps something that create an atmosphere would help them get enhance our of opportunity in comfortable with experience while themselves. which students can find individuals with “I came looking for we are here.” like-minded goals, a club that can help or perhaps a new me gain confidence and challenging in myself to be able confidence booster to just network” within these clubs. said ELAC student LISSANDRO MONTENEGRO “I think we as Jessica Campos. ELAC Student students should take On the other advantage of events hand other students like these because came looking to maybe something find information on like this can really enhance our a potential club they might be experience while we are here,” interested but did not find that. said ELAC student Lissandra “I think the clubs should be more Montenegro. organized and actually hand out This is also a chance for clubs to be information on their club because able to increase their memberships. I do not think I really got any Some of the clubs that had a table information on the clubs I was were the MESA club, Speech club interested (in). There were many and Philosophy club amongst many students that were not even asking others that will be there during the about the club, they were just rest of the week. socializing with their friends,” “So far I am really eyeing going said ELAC student Brisanelly into the Philosophy club or the Zambrano. History club, even though they

BY MARIANA MONTOYA

CN/IVAN CAZARES

GAME ON—Gamers gather in a tent to play “Ultimate Smash Bros.” at the LA Street Festival.

LA Street Festival brings triple threat BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Sports fans watched fast-paced three-on-three basketball while esports fans watched Super Smash Brothers Ultimate players compete on Friday and Saturday at the Los Angeles Street Festival. The event was created in partnership between the LA Times and the International Basketball Federation, FIBA. It is a callback to the original name the association started with, and its role is to govern international competition in basketball. The LA Street Festival had a variety of booths, half-court areas for play and even a section for an esports tournament. The LA Times joined with FIBA in showcasing the three-on-three basketball game at the festival to introduce the newest Olympic sport to the masses. Myra Marayag, vice president of partnerships at the LA Times, said that the sport has been officially included into the lineup of sports that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would present. She said that the LA Times wanted to help highlight the sport by co-hosting the FIBA World Tour Los Angeles Masters event.

News Briefs

Marayag said that the event is the only one being held in the United States. The majority of the world-wide event was being held in 11 other locations. The three-onthree sport is different than normal basketball, with the game being played on a half-court and each team consisting of four players. Three players are active while one is on the bench. The game is played to either the regulation 10-minute mark or until one team amasses 21 points. Being added to the Olympics in 2017 as an official sport has made it highly competitive. Players accumulate points specifically for their countries during games that are used for qualification for Olympic teams. The game for the LA Masters ended with the American Princeton threeon-three team clenching victory and becoming the first World Tour Los Angeles Masters winners. Basketball and three-on-three are both sports that require technique and practice, but they are as different as night and day. The same can be said about traditional sports and what has become the current sensation of esports. The festival had an entire section that was dedicated to esports. Esports Arena, a company

Leadership Pop-up

Trump impeachment inquiry announced

that is dedicated to creating arenas that can house and promote esports events, held a Super Smash Brothers Ultimate tournament during the festival. This event had some of the best players from across the country competing for a cash prize of up to 5,000 dollars. F r a n k K e l l e y, d i r e c t o r o f operations, said that Esports Arena has 8 locations as of now and plan to create close to 50 soon. These are stand-alone arenas, two of which are already in operation in California, and in-store areas that they have created through their association with Wal-Mart. Kelley said the reason these work is because of gamers’ mindsets. “[It’s] about playing games with each other,” said Kelley. He said that when gamers get together, playing becomes about the mutual love of gaming, a sentiment that traditional and esports players seem to embody. The festival had areas for attendees to polish their basketball skills throughout the grounds. Warm-ups and drills were done for those that wanted to participate in quick games. The LA Kings and the LA Galaxy were even on-hand to round out the sports themed weekend.

ASU will host a seminar on leadership for underrepresented students of color in FS -219 on Oct. 1 from noon to 3 p.m. All students are welcome.

EOPS 50th Anniversary

EOPS is celebrating its 50th anniversary today with free raspados from noon to 3 p.m. in E1-227.

Correction

The word “impeachment” has been thrown around since President Donald Trump was elected, but there were n o o ff i c i a l p r o c e e d i n g s until U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry y e s t e r d a y. T h i s i s n ’t a guarantee that the president will be impeached, but rather the start of an investigation into a conversation between Trump and the president of the Ukraine. Article 2, section 4 of the U.S. Constitution says impeachment is a political process in which any U.S. officer “shall be removed from Office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Pelosi’s announcement came in the wake of mounting pressure by house Democrats and Trump’s admission to having spoken with Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, about corruption allegations aimed at former Vice President Joe Biden. “(The conversation) was mostly about corruption, all the corruption that’s going on (in the Ukraine,) and that we don’t want our people like (former) vice president Biden and his son, (contributing) to the corruption in the Ukraine,” Trump said. The allegations against Joe and Hunter Biden date back to the former vice president’s term in the White House. Biden began visits to the Ukraine in 2014 following the ousting of former Ukranian president Viktor Yanukovych. His son took a position on the board of Ukraine’s largest gas provider soon after. Questions of a possible conflict of interest were raised publicly given that the younger Biden was reportedly making thousands while his father worked closely with the government. President Trump announced on Tuesday that he authorized the release of the transcript of the conversation with Zelensky following Pelosi’s announcement. “The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution, especially when the President says Article II says I could do whatever I want,” Pelosi said. “This week the president has admitted to asking the president of the Ukraine to take action that would benefit him politically. The actions of the Trump presidency revealed dishonorable facts of the President’s betrayal of his oath of office, betrayal of our national security and betrayal of the integrity of our elections.

New art exhibit opens at VPAM

Page 4

In Issue 1, in the article “Rodriguez chosen as interim president,” Jeffrey Hernandez’s name was mispelled.

Opinion

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

School supplies weaponized for school shootings BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer Last Tuesday Sandy Hook Promise uploaded a Youtube video as a public service announcement to people who have been too scared or unwilling to take note of recent school shootings. It’s completely justified and filled with a message that needs to be seen no matter how upsetting it may be. The video’s disclaimer says that it “contains graphic content related to school shootings that may be upsetting to some viewers. If you feel that this subject matter may be too difficult for you, you may choose not to watch this video.” The video is just over a minute long and starts off with each student introducing their new school accessory. As each of them talk about it, cars too expensive. the viewer can see chaos in the With federal control over background implying that there’s an emissions standards, the active shooter on campus. administration hopes more people It shows that rather than being will replace their old cars with new excited for their new school ones. accessory, the students see it as more These cars would be free from of an object to help them survive a California’s strict emissions school shooting. standards. Although some people have Yes, these new cars may be complained that it’s too hard to cheaper, but they will also be worse watch, it’s necessary. It’s a reminder for the environment. The EPA that, unfortunately, students, said the administration’s plan was teachers, staff and parents have to “detrimental to safety, rather than live in constant fear that their school beneficial.” may be next. The Trump administration is The message is that school is willing to deform the Earth in no longer just a place to learn. It’s order to stimulate the car industry. now a target for people who are Meanwhile, protesters from all mentally ill. across the globe took to the streets There are no deaths shown in the Friday asking governments to fight video so it can’t be harder to watch against climate change. than other fi lms or advertisements We are not destroying the planet, shown on TV. we are destroying each other. This video, from what can be Legendary comedian George Carlin seen, isn’t just for money. It’s purely once said, “The planet isn’t going for pointing out the disgusting anywhere. We are.” truth that society is faced with At least once Earth is nowadays— the fact that students uninhabitable, rich will move 7608 East LAthe col:Layout 1 3/10/09 4:12 PM Page 1 are living in constant fear. to Mars.

Earth gets closer to uninhabitable conditions BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer The Trump administration’s plan to revoke California’s control over fuel emissions is a disgusting capitalist-fueled reminder that there is no “Planet B.” Last week, the Trump administration announced during president Trump’s visit to Los Angeles that California would lose its power to set its own emissions standards. An article by the Los Angeles Times says, “The voluntary pact between the California Air Resources Board and automakers covers about a third of the new cars and SUVs sold in the U.S. “Under the agreement, the four automakers (Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW) agreed to produce cars that must reach a minimum of about 50 mpg by 2026.” It is essential that California be allowed to keep its emissions standards. The Golden State has

long been plagued by drought and wildﬁres so frequently they feel like weather. This state is in constant threat of unnatural disasters that could easily be avoided with pollution control. Californians experience ﬁrst-hand the effects of climate change, so if we want to reduce those effects by contributing a bit more, there is no reason to revoke California’s emissions control. After the Clean Air Act of 1968, which aimed to control national air pollution, California was able to set its own emissions standards, which are tighter than those of the Environmental Protection Agency. Other states also adopted California’s emissions standards. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, vehicles are the largest contributors of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the United States. Elaine Chao, United States Secretary of Transportation, said in a news conference that the administration was revoking California’s control over emissions standards because they make new

It portrays school as a potential warzone. As the number of mass school shootings increase, students have to live on the edge with the possibility that they may be the next victim. Society has seemingly turned a blind eye to the shootings that have been occurring often, so a video like this is an effective way to instill fear and create empathy in people who have locked themselves into their own little bubble. It’s truly sad that this may go on for a few more years. It causes parents to consider homeschooling their kids rather than putting them in public school. According to a poll taken last year by U.S.News, “The 34 percent of parents who said they fear for their children’s safety at school is a sharp jump from 12 percent just five years ago.” The government needs to step in and do what they can to fix this. Setting up police stations next to or near schools can be beneficial. This tactic can make people think twice about stepping on school grounds armed. It won’t be logical to set up ridiculous metal detectors at the entrances of schools since that would drastically increase the time it takes for students to get into class. It’s also very costly and wouldn’t help the case. Schools can continue to be a gun-free zone, but advertising or implying that there are armed guards could lower the possibility of school shootings. Creating an illusion that there will be a resistance will add an extra layer of safety to schools. This approach, along with decreasing the radius of police stations from school zones, can be much more effective than throwing away so many tax dollars on metal detectors and paying trained armed security to stand around campus all day.

Netflix to bring ‘Seinfeld’ to new audience in 2021 Staff Writer As an avid “Seinfeld” enthusiast, I could see no better replacement for “Friends” and “The Office” than the show about nothing over on Netflix. After having just celebrated its 30th anniversary, new and returning “Seinfeld” fans will soon have a new platform to watch the hit comedy series. The show about nothing is moving to Netflix in 2021 after a five-year deal that reportedly cost the streaming service over half a billion dollars for worldwide streaming rights. Buying the rights to “Seinfeld” was a power move on Netflix’s part. It has already lost the streaming rights to “Friends” and “The Office” and will remove both shows from its lineup next year. That leaves a big hole only Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer, the main cast of “Seinfeld,” could fill. The ‘90s sitcom is famous for its quick comedic delivery, weird nicknames for minor characters and bizarre storylines. It’s unique in its style of comedy and will immerse viewers in the cast’s shenanigans. “Seinfeld” was so popular when it originally aired, that the series finale was broadcast over Times Square in 1998. With Netflix’s acquisition of “Seinfeld,” the sitcom will find its home in the hearts of a new, younger audience. www.ELACCampusNews.com

There are not too many timely references younger audiences would not understand. The comedy revolves mostly around the four main characters and their misadventures in New York City. “Seinfeld” is currently streaming on Hulu. Hulu has a beginner’s guide for “Seinfeld” newcomers and categorizes episodes by topic, making it a more inviting environment for new fans. “Seinfeld,” however, is the type of show where viewers can be dropped into any one of the 180 episodes and not miss a beat. It’s a show about nothing so there are no overall storylines or relationships to keep up with. “Seinfeld” will beneﬁt from the larger audience Netﬂix has at its disposal. Netflix has over 139 million subscribers worldwide while Hulu has only 28 million worldwide subscribers. Netflix’s ad-free streaming subscription is also $3 cheaper than Hulu. In a time when current TV shows have become more about social commentary than entertainment, “Seinfeld” is a breath of fresh air, offering nothing but pure comedy. Today, “Seinfeld” has become a bit of a niche program. With it gaining a larger audience and becoming more accessible, more fans will be able to enjoy the antics of Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer and, of course, that funky bass intro.

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

ELAC recruits former Ragin’ Cajun

Wesley Blazek helps lead the Huskies to a 2-1 record this season JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer

Wesley Blazek has not allowed his popularity and success on the gridiron to change his southern manners and humility. The easiest example is that after scoring four touchdowns in a recent game, he still refers to people as “sir” or “ma’m’” and remains reserved when talking about his achievements. He said that his personality comes from being raised with southern hospitality and manners. Blazek lived in his hometown of Lafaette until his eventual move to California. He took stock of his background and decided that being a football player was something that he wanted to consider as a future path. “Colleges start to talk to you and you begin to realize and think about what may be possible,” said Blazek. His decision had him joining up with the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. Blazek chose the University of Louisiana football at Lafayette team for two reasons. Joining the Cajuns allowed him to keep playing football need a higher level. It allowed him to stay close to his family and his hometown. While playing at Lafayette, he refined what he had learned about football and was appreciative of all the knowledge that was passed down

CN/NOE ORTEGA

CHECKDOWN—Wesley Blazek (18) reads the defense before he makes a play call against

Compton College on Saturday at Weingart Stadium. to him by the coaching staff. After one year there, he decided a change was in order. “It was just a matter of being able to get on the field sooner. I felt, at that point in time, that this was the best decision to restart in a different atmosphere,” said Blazek. He was looking for a new beginning. He started looking at schools on the west coast and got in touch

with Coach Bobby Godinez. Blazek said that the program Godinez had structured clinched it for him. Godinez said that Blazek contacted him with interest in the junior college system. He said that what struck him was what Blazek looked for in a football program. “Everything that he said really fit our mold. So it was really just

completions and two touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Wesley Blazek started the game for ELAC and threw three touchdown passes in the game.

In the second quarter sophomore running back, Jamaal Evans set up the Huskies on the Compton four yard line after rushing for 49 yards down the field. Blazek completed a pass to freshman wide receiver Justin Watkins for another touchdown. On the next drive for ELAC Blazek completed another pass for 14 yards to sophomore wide receiver Demonte Pressley. Blazek finished the game 13-20 for completions, 240 yards and three touchdown passes. Compton managed to score one time in the game during the second quarter. Freshman quarterback Jesse Brew III completed a pass to freshman wide receiver Arsiah McCorker for a 14-yard gain and a score. The ELAC defense held Brew III to 8 completions, 74 yards and one touchdown On defense the Huskies tallied up three sacks in the game and had four quarterback hurries. Two forced fumbles came from sophomore defensive linemen Ben Key and freshman defensive linemen John Tuitupou who also

getting to know each other and seeing what our separate goals were. And they aligned perfectly,” said Godinez. Godinez said that his presence, confidence and positive outlook are what he has brought to the Huskies since his arrival. “Sometimes at this level you lose that positive demeanor. He definitely has that every single day that he is here,” said Godinez.

Blazed said the idea of confidence is one that echoed when he spoke of what he has learned playing football over the years. He said that a coach once told him that he had to be a lion on the field. Most would misinterpret that as being savage, but what Blazek learned was that it meant having pride. Blazek said that when it came to being a quarterback, numerous things had to be considered when taking that position. He said that there were a few traits that he thought were key. Blazek said confidence was paramount. H o w e v e r, h e s a i d t h a t overconfidence wasn’t helpful, confidence was there to inspire and energize his teammates. He also talked about how communication had to be clear when it came to team building. He said that just being able to work with different types of people was important for his position. He needed to understand and learn about his teammates so he knew who to encourage and who to talk to when needed. Blazek said he was a fan of all different types of athletics and participated in many of them. “Because I used to wrestle and play beach volleyball. I mean, just anything. I just love all sports in general,” said Blazek. It was about the time he started playing sports at Teurlings Catholic

High School in Lafayette, where he was quarterback every year except his junior year. Blazek is the oldest of two children born to Nicole and Michael Blazek. His younger sister Julia is at the University of Louisiana-Monroe and plays beach volleyball. He said that he played defensive end for his team in his junior year and that taking a different position allowed him to play the sport in a more fun way. Blazek said It was the physicality and in-the-moment movements that made it something fun for Blazek. But his senior year saw him return to quarterback and had him get more serious about sports. Despite all he has accomplish since his childhood on and off the field, Blazek remains a down-toearth 19 year old. Blazek hopes to finish off the season and get ready for the next step of his life. He was coy about where exactly that would take him though. Blazek said “I’m eligible to transfer this December,” but that he doesnt mind to staying two years. Still playing elsewhere would not be something he would dismiss. “Honestly, all my options are open. And I don’t want to be beating around the bush, but it’s true. “Any team that’s willing to give me an opportunity and take that shot on me, I’d be really, really grateful for,” said Blazek.

Football dominates Compton College BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer Football beat Compton College on Saturday 60-7 by running up the score with nine touchdowns in the game in front of its home crowd. The Huskies scored 27 unanswered points in the second half through the air and on the ground. Freshman quarterback Rudy Garcia lead a drive down the field by completing a 9 yard pass play to sophomore running back Pierre Robinson. Robinson rushed for a 12-yard gain placing ELAC on the Compton 37 yard line. Garcia rushed for 21 yards and a touchdown in his first appearance of the game. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, Garcia threw a strike to freshman wide receiver Jaden James for another score on the board. The final touchdown of the game for ELAC came from sophomore running back Darrion Turner with a 12-yard gain into the endzone. Garcia finished the game with 66 yards going 6-6 in passing

Opinion

“The idea is to always be better than the last week and I feel that we did that.” ROBERT GODINEZ

ELAC Head Coach

The first score of the game for the Huskies came when freshman running back Maury Rams bullied his way into the endzone. Rams scored later in the game on another five yard rushing attempt for his second score of the game. Blazek was able to find his sophomore wide receiver Bryan Jones in open field and scored on a 91-yard touchdown to extend the lead in the first quarter.

CN/NOE ORTEGA

GANG TACKLE— Sophomore wide-receiver Cedric Hood (19) tackles a Compton College opponent on Saturday at Weingart Staduim.

recovered the fumble during the game. Sophomore linebacker Malaetasi Sofa is leading the team with two and a half sacks with freshman

linebacker Javante Van Buren leading in tackles per game with six and a half. “The idea is to always be better than the last week and I feel that

we did that,” head coach Robert Godinez said.ELAC will play its next game this Saturday at home against Mount San Antonio College at 6 p.m.

College players should not be able to get paid while playing college sports BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer College athletes should not be able to receive compensation for going to college and making a name for themselves in the eyes of scouts. The California bill SB 206 also known as the Fair Pay to Play Act, allows college athletes to receive endorsement deals and profit from anything with their name or likenesses attached.

The bill will also allow athletes to hire and activate an agent during their college years. There will be problems to consider while this new bill works its way into California athletics. The first issue is that the National Collegiate Athletic Association does not agree with the bill and has made several threats to bar all 58 NCAA California athletic programs from making the playoffs or maybe even playing a season. This would take schools like the

University of Southern California, University of California Davis, University of California Los Angeles and Stanford University out of contention to even think of winning a championship. The NCAA has called the bill “unconstitutional” and “outright unfair” in recent interviews. Another issue with the new bill is how will the money be divided among the players? In the National Football League names like Drew Brees, Dak

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

www.ELACCampusNews.com

Prescott, Derek Carr and Jared Goff come to mind when we think of quarterbacks in the league. Brees signed his contract for another two years with the New Orleans Saints organization at 50 million dollars for two years. While the Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan just signed a deal for five years at $150 million becoming the first $30 million a season player. Ryan and the Falcons defense famously gave up a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots in 2016. The Falcons have yet to make another Super Bowl run, while Drew Brees has a Super Bowl championship under his belt and it is the only championship in New Orleans Saints’ history. This may come up in NCAA athletics as well because of the mixture of athletes. Some are going into their third season with their respected university with three playoff appearances with one Bowl Championship Series win and a Rose Bowl game victory. Will this athlete be paid more than a five star recruit out of high school heading into his or her freshman year? This would not seem fair especially since a freshmen recruit would perform at the same caliber as the third year athlete. If there is not balance with the payment then the locker room will become a warzone. Recently

in the NFL, many of the players have spoken out about the pay they believe they earned. In June of 2018 Los Angeles Rams defensive end Arron Donald skipped the mandatory minicamp because he was still in negotiations with the front office.

There would be no reason to bring the intensity if they are getting paid over $100,000 per year. The passion would be gone. Donald is the reigning defensive player of the year two times in a row and is only the third athlete to receive the award back-to-back years. The Rams front office finalized a deal in August for a seven year contract worth $141 million. Without the backlash from Donald refusing to enter minicamp and mandatory practices he may have never become one of the highest paid players in NFL history. Players have shifted around like chess pieces in the past few months from wide receiver Antonio Brown quitting the NFL, wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. going

to the browns with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney moving from the Houston Texans to the Seattle Seahawks in a blink of an eye. During the NCAA tournament, March Madness, many of the players have similar styles and intensity. There would be no reason to bring the intensity if they are getting paid over $100,000 per year. The passion for the game would be gone. The college atmosphere is meant to break players out of their shell and be recognized by overlooking scouts. Players without pay have an incentive to make it professionally in their sport. Adding the incentive of cash to a college athlete’s world is going to also bring financial irresponsibility. Many of the athletes in these universities are within the ages of 18-21. The idea of a 19-year-old cocky athlete with no financial background or previous work experience makes the thought of blowing the money much more realistic. Some of the mindless purchases could be a car that is too fast for their good, sneakers that they do not need, impulsive options like a Louis Vuitton side bag or belt and of course the vegetation of choice by most of California, marijuana. All of these issues will soon come to the light as the bill settles into the rulebook of the NCAA.

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019

Theater arts professor, students work on ‘Dracula’ sets BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer After Nick Dear ’s “Frankenstein” closed earlier this month in Pasadena, East Los Angeles College Theater Arts professor François-Pierre Couture begins working with students on “Dracula,” opening next month. “We looked at different abstract images of forests and textures,” Couture said about his inspiration for his set design. For the initial sketches of the monster, the team used an art technique called “Chiaroscuro,” which uses bold contrast of light and shadow. Shifting from professional plays to teaching students set and lighting design is nothing new for Couture, who has designed well over 100 plays and teaches full-time at ELAC and other schools. Though “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” are both darker plays, Couture doesn’t like to stick to one style and enjoys the challenge of telling the best possible story through his sets. “I like to use the theatrical space as a metaphorical space,” Couture said. “Everybody understands we’re watching an artifice, so might as well take advantage of it… to have fun with the imaginary world on stage.” Couture has spent the last 10 years at ELAC supervising theater students like lighting designer Stephen Azua. Azua begins every new play by reading the script and talking to the

director about the design. From there, he researches images to find the style he’s looking for-- then he meets with the other designers to compare designs before the rehearsal. “From there, I’ll start to create some fun angles that are interesting to not only us, but actually helps to tell the story,” Azua said. Set designer Eleanor Montecino also spends a considerable amount of time researching many aspects of a film and its story in order to create the perfect set. “Finding inspirational images… researching the person who wrote the play so I can see where they’re

“Everybody understands we’re watching an artifice, so might as well take advantage of it... to have fun with the imaginary world on stage.” FRANCOIS- PIERRE COUTURE Theater Arts professor

coming from, researching the time period, the story itself,” Montecino said. “Just getting images and history of everything and bringing it all together and coming up with a theme, and from there, developing an actual physical set.” As the department continues to work on their next production, “Dracula,” both Azua and Montecino meet with the others on the team to discuss all the different duties.

Couture said the ELAC Theater Department has more meetings than an average professional production, which he credits to the learning environment. “We set a lot of markers so that people can be in the same room together and share all the ideas together,” Couture said. Montecino said that the frequent meetings are helpful because it allows all the people involved to make any necessary adjustments early on in the process. “For me, it’s an awesome way to explore and put my creativity into something,” Montecino said. “To see the way I think and see come out physically. The way I see color and the way I interpret a story to create a set… coming from a little model to a real-life thing-- it’s tangible now, it’s really exciting.” For Azua, the biggest reward is opening night when he can walk away from the project once it’s completed. “The entire process, it’s fun and I enjoy it, but there’s a stress point up until the moment you step away from the console and you can be like ‘this is what it is,’” Azua said. In 2017, Azua was awarded second place for his lighting design at the annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington D.C. for the Shakespeare play “Measure For Measure.” “All the departments, whether it’s costumes, props-- we really try to break it down into tiny steps and have them learn. In the professional world, it’s the same work, but we condense it and it has to happen fast,” Couture said.

COURTESY OF FRANCOIS-PIERRE COUTURE

COMES TO LIFE—François-Pierre Couture’s set design for “Cold Mountain” at the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara. Background textures were created using projections.

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

SCALED DOWN—Small-scale model of set for “Cold Mountain” made by François-Pierre Couture. The mound of dirt was created using a mix of a rubber mulch base and granulated cork instead of using real dirt which dries out and creates a lot of dust on stage.

Punk band shows maturity in new album BY ANDREW AYALA Staff Writer

CN/GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO

OPEN THE MIND—The crowd of people looking into the doors that Ruiz describes as portals

to her mind in the art exhibit “Full of Tears.”

Eerie exhibit expresses internal struggles BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer

space incorporating sound and color. In a surrealist line of inquiry, Ruiz posits on the persistence of memory, automatism, and the selfconscious,” according to the VPAM website. Ruiz said that the doors are portals to her emotions and show what goes through her brain.

When entering the exhibit, “Full of Tears” there is a sense of eeriness with the room being dimly lit and ambient sounds playing all around the art in the Vincent Price Art Museum’s new exhibit. The exhibit is Gabriela Ruiz first solo museum exhibition with opening reception on Saturday. Some of the sounds that play are one note hum and it would be interrupted by drums or screams. Other times it would play fragments of music. The art that is on display is of a window with images flashing on it. Another is a sculpture of a red heavyset, distorted figure. While another is of three red doors with images flashing through them too. They are random with some images of Ruiz showing up. Gabriela Ruiz Ruiz said that she was excited to have her first solo exhibition, but was also nervous. “It’s an insight to my brain. “For this exhibition, Ruiz It is meant to express multiple creates a digital self-portrait feelings like paranoia and amidst an immersive gallery anxiety,” Ruiz said. She said

that it’s also meant to be a little silly. She said that’s why there are bright colors so it’s not taken too seriously. “Ruiz is a self-taught artist whose practice blends diverse forms of creative expression, including sculpture, video, and social media platforms to self-fashioned costuming for performances and apparel design,” according to the VPAM Website. Ruiz said that the way her exhibit came about was because the director of VPAM, Pilar Rivas Thompkins saw some of her work in Mexico City. Ruiz also has a fashion line. “Ruiz’s fashion line was founded in 2014 and includes gender-neutral designs inspired by BDSM culture and mixes kink, queer and Mexican iconographies,” according to the VPAM press release. Ruiz has the nickname “Leather Papi.” Ruiz said that she came to East Los Angeles College and took an art class for a semester. T h e e x h i b i t ’s o p e n i n g reception was on Saturday and will through February 15.

Blink-182 make its way back into the music scene with the release of its eighth official (ninth according to singer/bassist Mark Hoppus) album titled “Nine.” Blink-182 has gone through a few line up changes and breaks throughout the years, but this album includes Mark Hoppus on Bass, Travis Barker on drums and the newest addition to the trio, Matt Skiba on guitar. Skiba replaced former guitarist Tom DeLonge in 2015 but still manages to get the job done throughout the album with high-pitched vocals and catchy choruses. Skiba succeeds in evolving and growing with the band by matching their energy and style throughout the album. “Nine” gives off the sound and quality of a properly matured rock band opposed to a band that comes together only to perform past albums or material for monetary gain. This album was created when all band members still have love for the art that is music. Fans of their old albums can hear their maturity through lyrics that deal with heartbreak, heart-ache, depression and love opposed to “All the Small Things” or “The Girl at the Rock Show,” which are lyrics from earlier releases. Although, the songs aren’t of the same classic pop-punkesque that listeners are used to, it is still an album that can be played all the way through without skipping a track. The music is still pop-punk, but with a distinct hip-hop influence in some songs which comes in the form of drum beats or Skiba and Hoppus rapping over a Barker drum beat. Many of the songs are focused around Barker ’s drum beats opposed to the guitar melodies. The shortest songs on the album are arguably the best. “Generational Divide” hits listeners right away with intense guitar and drum sounds that resemble their old punk style. Skiba singing with what sounds like his lips pressed to the mic match the drums and

guitar with raw-sounding vocals. “Ransom” is a track that starts off with a slow and smooth beat with Hoppus’s angelic vocals and Barkers insane drum skills. When the chorus begins, listeners get a vibe similar to “Generational Divide,” which sounds like what a mosh-pit should feel like, intense jumping and non-stop headbanging. Right off the bat listeners are hit with “The First Time” which is a decent paced song where we get a taste of what Skiba can do with his voice. His high-pitch is always on point with the mashing sounds of drum and guitar. The fact that his voice is similar but not the same as Delonge’s makes it work. The first half of the album sends messages of frustration, depression and other world events but still manages to throw in bits of advice and ways to cope with these issues. Albums like this can be powerful because they express emotions and problems that people have in their everyday lives. These songs give the ‘90s punk sounds that millenials may have loved and grew up with. “Run Away” stands out because this is the most obvious hybrid of hip-hop and pop-punk in the album. The song sounds like an ode to another band named Linkin Park except with the raps of Hoppus

and Skiba as opposed to the sound of a well-established rap legend like Jay-Z. The second half of the album has a lot of the heart-break and love songs. “Pin the Grenade” is a song where Hoppus and Skiba go back-and-forth explaining issues with a significant other and how they want out. The catchy guitar strums and drum beats along with powerful lyrics make this one of the most memorable. “Hungover You” has a Maroon 5 sound influence but in proper punk Blink-182 style. “Remember To Forget Me” is a perfect way to end such an emotional album. This is a song that shows the people who once sang ridiculous and raunchy lyrics have now decided to grow-up and show just how much they have perfected their craft while facing the obstacles of life. “Nine” is a refreshing album that shows no matter the day and age, Blink-182 can make contemporary songs with a modern and classic influence. Although the lyrics and sounds aren’t exactly the same, new listeners can get a taste of what Blink-182 is as a whole with this album. “Nine” was released on Friday and is available on all streaming platforms.

COURTESY OF CRIMSON.COM