VOLUME 77, ISSUE 8 | WWW.ELACCAMPUSNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019 | SINGLE COPY FREE - ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
Electronic census will not question citizenship BY MELISA VALENZUELA Staff Writer
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
The 2020 Census will no longer include a citizenship question and, for the first time in history, will allow residents to respond online. On April 1, the United States Census Bureau will conduct the decennial census. Its purpose is to count every resident living in the country as mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The website, 2020Census.gov, said that beginning in mid-March residents will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire by phone, by mail or, for the first time, online. Giovany Hernandez, Regional Census Campaign Manager for Los Angeles County and a member of the National Association of Latino Democratic Officials which has been a leader in the census world for over 40 years, said the questionnaire will contain nine questions and will not include a citizenship question. “As of June 27, the Supreme Court made the official halt decision to the citizenship question and it will no longer appear on the questionnaire,” Hernandez said. “It (keeping the citizenship question) was a last-minute addition that the (Trump) administration tried to force. It would’ve hurt the second largest population in the country, which is the Latino community.” The question instills fear in immigrant communities and makes them less likely to participate in the census. The census helps guide planning for the future of communities by determining how billions of dollars are allocated annually.
The funds are used to support fire and emergency services and other social programs like MediCal and Social Security. If under-resourced communities don’t participate, they don’t receive the funds that they need for education, healthcare, transportation and housing. “California receives $115 billion every year based on the data from the census. This includes money for programs like Food Stamps, WIC and Title 1 funding for schools in low-income areas,” Hernandez said. The decision to allow online responses was meant to make the census accessible to everyone and follows the latest web accessibility guidelines. However, technology is accessible to only a certain part of the population. There are still people who are not as up-to-date when it comes to technology, especially older Americans. Even though replies by telephone and mail are still accepted, Hernandez said it could be a great opportunity for young people to get involved by sharing their knowledge of technology with those who aren’t so savvy. “Young people can be the bridge to the digital divide,” Hernandez said. “They can ensure relatives are participating and become ‘Census Captains’ for their families.” Special accommodations can be made for blind and disabled residents, including braille and large print guides or an in-person meeting with an official 2020 Census taker. The most important thing the results do is provide a basis for reapportioning congressional seats. Since 1790, population
figures from the census have been used to make sure that the government represents the people by determining how many seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives. This process is called apportionment. As the country’s population grows, the apportionment process will guarantee equal representation for everyone. Preparations for the 2020 Census are already underway. On Aug. 4, the bureau began conducting address canvassing. They hired people from local communities to confirm the locations of houses, apartments, shelters and other places where people can live. Canvassing helps ensure a complete and accurate address list for the census. Although address canvassing ended Oct. 18, there are still many opportunities for employment. This is another way for young people to get involved. Part-time and full-time positions are available, which are perfect for students.It’s a way to earn extra money while helping to make sure that the community gets counted. To qualify, the applicant must be at least 18 years old, have a valid social security number, be a U.S. citizen, have a valid email address, complete an application, be registered with the Selective Service System, pass a censusperformed criminal background check, commit to completing training and be available to work flexible hours. Most jobs also require access to a vehicle and a valid driver’s license and access to a computer. Applications are available online at USAJobs.com.
District representatives collecting input on new ELAC president BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer
The East Los Angeles College community can communicate what they want from the college’s next president with Los Angeles Community College District representatives on Monday. The discourse will take place during a town hall meeting in multipurpose room 201 in the Campus Center from noon to 2 p.m. Francisco C. Rodriguez, Los Angeles Community College District chancellor, will host the free event, which is open to the public. It is an opportunity for the community to share their opinions and learn about the selection process. Campus wide free parking will be provided. A selection committee will be formed and vote on who will take on the position, which will be highly coveted among community college administrators said Jeffery Hernandez, member of the ELAC Senate Executive Committee during an interview earlier in the semester. “The next president will have
to continue our forward-thinking approach to enrollment. Something that all community colleges are struggling with is enrollment,” Hernandez said. “It’s going to take a visionary leader in guided pathways, and one who’s collaborative with faculty and staff (to fill the position).” Hernandez said there is a demand for more online courses as well as short term classes from both incoming high school students and returning students looking to “get things done.” “Before (Former ELAC President) Marvin (Martinez), it seemed like the number of transfers always stayed the same. It almost didn’t matter how many students we had,” Hernandez said. “Now, year after year we’re sending thousands of students into universities and future careers. That’s amazing and something I’ll always be grateful for and find important as a community member,” Hernandez said. He said the next president will have to be an innovative individual that can continue the progress made by previous presidents in enrollment and transfer rates. The new president will become the leader of a growing college on its 75th anniversary with more than 40,000 students.
ELAC to tackle water scarcity BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer The theme for Friday’s Global Awareness in the 21st Century conference will focus on the issue of water scarcity. The event will feature a keynote speaker and multiple workshops in a wide-range of subjects as well as free breakfast and lunch. The keynote speaker for the event is George McGraw, founder of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit DigDeep. McGraw, who served as a consultant for the United Nations
Development Program, first took an interest in water poverty in Afghanistan. Infant and women mortality rates rose when half of their community water sanitation projects were failing. He has given TEDx talks on the subject and is currently working with the Navajo Nation in the United States. The volunteer-organizers want to bring awareness of local and global environmental issues, as well as inspiring students to get involved in the solutions to these big problems.
EARTH-CON Continued on page 3
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New bill causes students to drop out AB 705 mandates transfer math courses to be finished in the same year BY JONATHAN BERMUDEZ Staff Writer Students of East Los Angeles College are dropping out of math classes due to Assembly Bill 705, which takes away remedial classes for transfer classes. With this new bill, students are forced to take transfer math classes and pass them all within the same year. This new bill is putting a lot of stress on students and the math department is trying to fix that. Chair of the Math Department Joseph Kazimir said, “No good, bad bill.” He said that since the bill has been in effect, he has been getting visits from students asking for help. He said a lot of students can’t pass the classes and need the prerequisites. He said a lot of the math teachers are having trouble with this bill because they don’t know how to help students. Because of this bill, a lot of math professors are disconnected from their students and don’t know how to properly teach them when a lot of students need a refresher on math. Kazimir said last school year,
2000 students had no classes to go to because they were all enrolled in prerequisite courses when the bill was in the early stages before it went into full effect. He said that Math 125 was too hard for students so they dropped out. He believes that Francisco C. Rodriguez, chancellor for the Los Angeles Community College District, misinterpreted the law because some schools still have their prerequisites, but also have the bill applied to them. “I believe that the law is ruining the community colleges in this district,” Kazimir said. “Our rights were violated by the Chancellor.I’m filing a grievance on behalf of the Math Department to have those remedial classes restated.” A grievance is a complaint about something that is unjust. Faculty file grievances to the teachers union when they have a complaint. There is a three-step process when filing a grievance. Other colleges in the district are also filing a grievance because they feel the bill is unjust. Most colleges are still on the first step of filing a grievance, but Pierce College has already secured
a hearing with an arbitrator. An email sent out by the community college district shows how many students have successfully passed the transfer classes after the bill was implemented. They show that in regular math classes, the number of unsuccessful students was even with the number of successful students but was still considered too high. Another section showed that there were more unsuccessful students than successful students who were enrolled in BSTEM. These classes are for science majors and business majors. “There is nothing to catch a student if they fall,” math professor and Chair of District Math Counsel Daniel Judge said. This means if a student takes one of the AB 705 classes and fails, they don’t have any class to go to for support, so they are going to have to stay in the class and fail over and over again. Kazimir and Judge believe that this bill affects all students and not just first-year students. They both hope that with the new data they will be able to change the bill so that students won’t have a stressful time at school.
News Briefs One Book,One College
Read-ins for “When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” will be held today at 12:30 p.m. in room 101 in the library.
Architecture lecture series
The fall 2019 lecture series will begin Friday with a free lecture by James Rojas on Latino urbanism at 7:30 p.m. at VPAM.
Thank you
ELAC Campus News would like to thank News Publishers Press for being flexible and working with the team during the flodding of the E7 building the past two weeks.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
Life-long reading brings life-long benefits BY JULIE SANTIAGO Staff Writer
Halloween becomes stressful on weekdays Petition asks for change to Saturday BY MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer Halloween should be on the last Saturday of October, just like how Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday of November. This year, Halloween will be on a Thursday and nobody will want to show up to school or work the next day. If Halloween gets changed to Saturdays, parents can have a full day to prepare for it and school parades could be changed to Fridays. Halloween on a weekday can be exhausting for parents who work. If Halloween were to land on a Tuesday, for example, parents would have to start their day dressing up their children for the school parade. They would then get ready for work, then come home and go trick-or-treating with their kids. Parents would also need to get dinner ready, which adds more to their exhausting day. Some teenagers won’t go out trick-or-treating knowing they have homework that needs to be completed for the next day or to prepare for a test. Some teenagers might have a curfew on weekdays and only get maybe two to three hours of trickor-treating or partying. Usually when Halloween lands on
a weekday, adults who go to parties tend to celebrate it on a Saturday before Halloween and not on the actual day. With Halloween on a Saturday, anyone can dress up and go out, whether it’s trick-or-treating or going to a costume party. “I feel like it’s bad because a lot of people who want to go trick or treating, they have school the next day and they probably want to stay longer but they have to end early because of the next day,” East Los Angeles College student Destiny Tsui said. If Halloween cannot be changed to a Saturday, then people should have Halloween and the next day off, if it lands on a weekday. This is so everyone can enjoy the holiday. Having Halloween on a Saturday makes more sense. Those who work on Friday would want to rest that night for Halloween. Anybody who needs to do last minute shopping, can spend half of the Saturday getting ready for the night. Some might need to paint their body or put on makeup, and this can take some time. For example, if a guy wants to dress up as the Hulk, he is going to need to paint most of his body green. He might also need to paint in some muscles, if he is not muscular already or if he needs to
add a few more packs to his abs. Many of them may have the day off on Saturday, especially students, so it makes sense having Halloween on a Saturday. After the night is over, everyone can relax and eat their candy the next day. Join the Saturday Celebration is a petition posted on change.org where people can sign to try and change Halloween to the last weekend of the month. So far the petition has over 150,000 people who signed up. The goal is 200,000. Danielle Paris, one of the signers from Michigan, left a comment on the website saying, “It makes more sense to have it always on a Saturday so that we don’t have to worry about getting the kids home and in bed early for school the next day. Also, for most people, they wouldn’t have to worry about working that day or the day following.” Another supporter, Nicole Engel, says, “Many families struggle to get off work to celebrate this fun and important holiday.” Mira Moore also commented, “Yes, let’s move it over the weekend so the kids can stay out longer than 7 p.m. and they don’t have to wake up very cranky the next day.” So those who are interested in changing Halloween to be celebrated on a Saturday should sign the petition for next year.
Students should read books for pleasure more often. Life-long reading for pleasure has health benefits as well as other personal advantages. Growing up, many of us were encouraged to read books, but as we’ve gotten older, it might have been pushed aside for more pertinent and important things. Without sounding like a nerd, however, reading a book can help reduce stress, boost intelligence, teach you to be more empathetic and even change your brain. For years, scientists have known reading can boost vocabulary and improve speech, but they are beginning to find that the benefits don’t just end there. According to the British Cohort Study, a study conducted in England, Scotland and Wales in 1970, children who read more for pleasure received higher test scores in vocabulary, spelling and even math. The study observed children in the same age, with similar social backgrounds and who had similar test results from ages five to 10. It showed that those children that kept reading for pleasure tested higher at age 16 than those who didn’t. A more recent study conducted in 2014 observed twins with the same genes and home environments. The results were similar to the British Cohort Study. The twin with stronger reading skills earlier in life tested better than the other. This information should be
hopeful because it means, to some extent, that intelligence is something people can work at and not just something they are born with. Implementing good habits can also be beneficial to your growth as a person. Reading can also help reduce stress. When you read you have to focus on the words in front of you. Being engulfed in a good book can make you feel like you’ve left the real world behind. It can feel like you’ve stepped into another dimension where only you and what you are reading matter. This feeling is called flow. Reading also allows you to step into the mind of an author and understand what information they are presenting and/or where they are coming from. Your own beliefs may even be challenged. This can help you expand your knowledge on a subject, be more empathetic and even change your brain. “We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically,” said Neuroscientist Gregory Berns, lead author of a 2013 study and the director of Emory University’s Center for Neuropolicy. Researchers found that reading a novel may cause changes in restingstate connectivity of the brain that still occur even days later after a person has stopped reading a book. Researchers believe that reading may train the mind and boost neural function through a process that’s similar to muscle memory. Students should take a few minutes out of the day to read everyday.
MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ayala ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ONLINE EDITOR Adam Robles FRONT EDITORS Luis Castilla Sonny Tapia
OPINION EDITOR Cher Antido NEWS EDITOR Juan Calvillo FEATURE EDITOR Maria Marroquin Monroy ARTS EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro SPORTS EDITORS Michael Dominguez CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral COPY EDITORS Ivan Cazares Stephanie Guevara STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Vicky Nguyen, Mariana Montoya, Melisa Valenzuela, Miguel Dominguez, Russell Navarette, Jonathan Bermudez, Johanna Rodriguez, Christopher De Leon, Julie Santiago, Simon Cabral, Alejandro Ambriz, Kelly Vasquez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Gustavo Buenrostro Julie Santiago
CN/MELODY ORTIZ
Films misinform about mental disorders BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer With the release of “Joker,” it’s a good time to remember that people with mental disorders and illnesses are not dangerous, and the stigma that they are is a bad thought process. “Joker” is about a character who starts to descend into madness as he realizes the world is not the greatest to people like him. The film shows Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, to have a few mental disorders. Narcissistic personality disorder is one that the film names. Arthur clearly has a type of psychosis, but the film never explains which one it is. He does show the symptoms of a psychosis like delusions of grandeur and hallucinations. to name a few. The character in the comics and movies is dangerous and is shown to be violent. This gives the impression that everyone who has mental disorders are like that, but that is far from the truth. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health, those with mental disorders and illnesses are more likely to be the victims of violent actions than be the cause of them. Arthur in “Joker” is actually shown to be more clear-headed and sure of what he is doing than those who have been diagnosed with mental disorders. He clearly knows that what he is doing is bad and chooses to still do so. In the film, he says that he is
EDITOR IN CHIEF Melody Ortiz
ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 300 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. A no nymo us lette r s wi ll not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910
CN/IVANA AMARAL
tired of pretending that he doesn’t think it’s okay. He knows and just doesn’t care. People who are tried for murder and use the insanity plea usually don’t know the difference. An article called “The Insanity Defense,” written by Charles Montaldo, defines what the legal definition of insanity is. “Although definitions of legal insanity differ from state to state, generally a person is considered insane and is not responsible for criminal conduct if, at the time of the offense, as a result of a severe mental disease or defect, he was unable to appreciate the nature and
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quality or the wrongfulness of his/ her acts,” it says. Arthur clearly knows what he’s doing when he commits the murders in the film, yet the film treats him like an insane person, which he may have not been entirely. It’s bad when films like these come out, because it further pushes the narrative that people with these disorders are going to be violent. The public will have negative thoughts about these people because of films like this that don’t take the care of distinguishing what someone who has mental disorders are and someone who just has a negative
view of the world. Films have often been bad at representing people with mental health problems and misinform their audience. A lot of the time, it’s to service the plot because the truth is much more mundane than what writers would like it to be. The lack of care that writers put in writing scripts with mental illnesses is what further pushes the stereotypes of people with mental illness. Bryant Horowitz, an assistant professor at East Los Angeles College with a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience, said that films like
“Joker’’ tend to get the mental illness wrong because it doesn’t work for the plot. “Films get mental illness wrong because it doesn’t work for the narrative. They don’t have an obligation to be accurate. They have an obligation to entertaining,” Horowitz said. When watching films like this, it’s always safe to assume that the film is probably getting it wrong. It’s good to look up these illnesses and disorders if someone is curious to be better informed because there are still a lot of people that don’t know the reality of mental health.
The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS
NEWS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018
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Seminar teaches self-defense, confidence BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer
Jiu-jitsu instructors taught a self-defense seminar Tuesday in response to an assault reported over the summer. Brian Ha, associated student union president, along with other members of ASU met with Myeshia Armstrong, vice president of administrative services, to talk about having a self-defense seminar. Armstrong said a self-defense event was done for the faculty and staff at ELAC. And that ASU was especially excited to have one done for the campus. Armstrong said that Nghi Nghiem, associate vice president of administrative services, and ASU took the reigns to setup the seminar. Nghiem said the session on Tuesday was the first of a series that would be offered on campus to students, faculty and staff. “The college administration’s utmost priority is the saftey and security of our students, staff and faculty. These self-defense sessions offerings are additional tools our college constituents may engage in to further protect themselves,” Nghiem said. Nghiem said that the process of keeping everyone on campus safe was an ongoing one. “We hold a week-long safety session every Fall and Spring semesters to provide the campus with safety information, sessions and emergency drills,” Nghiem said. Future session dates will be updated via the campus safety training webpage. Nghiem said that RAZA Brazilian jiu-jitsu was chosen to conduct this first session. Brothers Miguel and Roberto Rios and Anita Santos, instructors at RAZA Brazillian jiu-jitsu, showed step-by-step instructions to control unwanted situations all the while
CN/JUAN CALVILLO
CHANGING THE FLOW OF A SITUATION—Miguel Rios escapes his attacker, his brother Roberto Rios. The move used is the upper-body clench. The move shown moves from blocking a punch, into locking the assailant and finally pushing the attacker away from the victim. keeping the instruction fun and inclusive for East Los Angeles College students. Miguel Rios said jiu-jitsu worked by melding the right and left sides of the mind into one cohesive unit. Roberto Rios said that the idea for learning self-defense and specifically jiu-jitsu was to learn how to take a scenario and simply “go with the flow.” “This is a martial art,” Rios said. He emphasized that it was still an art and that when learning it they tried to make it fun. Miguel Rios said that at the core, jiu-jitsu was meant to make situations more advantageous for the person being attacked. “Whatever the situation, we are going to find a way to be creative
and solve the problem,” Rios said. He said that he learned jiu-jitsu because he wanted to be able to defend himself when he was younger. Miguel Rios said that because of his short stature and small frame, he had never really been able to connect with other forms of martial arts, which he saw the larger fighter always winning. Jiu-jitsu allows an adaptability that the instructors said was key when it came to getting out of bad situations no matter the size of a person’s adversary. Students in attendance talked about why they wanted to learn some form of self defense. Isai Paredes said taking the seminar would be beneficial to him because he was looking to go into law
enforcement. Taylor Palomares and Valerie Beltran both mentioned that with women being targets it was a good idea to know how to look after oneself. The instructors showed the students the basic step for capoeira, an African-Brazilian mixture of dancing and fighting. Miguel Rios started with the basic step, the Ginga. This move consisted of an open gait with the front foot flat and the back foot on the toes. Rios said this allows for less energy to be spent by the person. The back foot then makes the transition to being parallel to the front, while the front foot takes the place of back foot in the same
on-the-toes position. The arms stay in unison with the foot placement. Whichever foot is brought to the front, the corresponding arm is moved up and across the head in a protective position. The instructors then mixed in a forward kick to the movement. The kick was given by the same leg being moved forward during the Ginga. This was followed by the addition of a side bending cartwheel motion, including more covering of the body and head with the arm to block possible attacks. Miguel Rios said that the key was to first learn a rhythm for movement. He said learning rhythm allowed people to see attackers rhythms and
find a way to disrupt them. Miguel Rios said that when a person feels threatened they should always build a boundary between them and the assailant. He showed that simple outstretched arms and saying “stop” was ideal. Rios then moved on to protection from a common strike assailants use called the haymaker. Using the same palm forward and outstretched arms from building a boundary, he performed the move called the upper-body clench. This move is meant to be done as the assailant is in the beginning stages of the strike. The arms are bent almost in a praying mantis style, and the person steps into the coming strike using their center thus maximizing their inertia. This same motion also combines flared elbows when in close to stop further movement. From this position Rios showed the students how staying in motion was important. He showed that by stepping around the assailant while still holding their arm from the initial clench move. Then simply pushing forward on the attacker and clearing them from being in close. From there he said that it was time to either run away or yell for help. One of the things that Rios said was important to remember was that learning martial arts or defense was to get help get rid of insecurities people may have. He said that sometimes people feel that simply running or even yelling for assistance is not masculine. Rios said that was furthest from the truth. RAZA Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors teach community classes Saturdays at ELAC. Erica De Leon from ELAC Community Services said that RAZA’s class was open to kids and adults. For more information on classes in community services visit K5-102 Tuesday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Water scarcity highlight of Global Awareness Conference program which encourages residents
Applications for the SoCal
and other landscapes that use less water. Norma Vega, Spanish Professor in the Modern Languages Department, said that in San Pedro, roughly 20 grants were given to residents to install a rain garden. “It is so that the water does not have to go through the streets and pick up all the oil and take it to the ocean. Because a rain garden is an indentation in the ground on the Earth, the water goes all the way down to the water table instead,” Vega said.
available during the breakfast, but they can also be downloaded at, https://socalwatersmart.com/en/ residential/. “It’s just these little policies in this throwaway society we live in… let’s bring back that collective memory, to see how these immigrant generations, what they can teach us,” Vega said. “They can teach us a lot… collaboration is going to be needed, the solutions are going to have to be local,” Vega said. Though there are workshops
EARTH-CON Cont. from page 1 to replace their lawns with plants Water $mart program will be According to M. Allen Coson, Vice Chair of Economics at ELAC and one of the event’s organizers, clean up efforts can be organized at a variety of local destinations. These include Whittier Narrows, the San Gabriel River or getting involved with organizations like the Friends of the LA River. “We want students to be more active,” Coson said. One way in which students and the community can get involved is through the SoCal Water $mart
that focus on some local issues like the California Aqueduct and flooding in Baldwin Hills, a lot of workshops will have a global focus including water access in Indonesia and scarcity of freshwater in South America, Africa and Asia. Professor Irwin Jimenez will also be giving a talk entitled “Water Injustice: Economic and Racial Disparities in the U.S.” Other talks include a new database in the ELAC library for researching green issues like water pollution, privatization, the Safe Drinking Water Act and more. Panels during the conference
“Let’s bring back that collective memory, to see how these immigrant generations, what they can teach us.”
M. ALLEN COSON
Vice Chair of Economics
will also include the effects of micro-plastic in our oceans, which drinking water is best for you and others. The conference was organized by the East Los Angeles College Modern Languages Department and the Economics Student Association. Registration and breakfast, provided by ELAC MESA, will begin at 8:30 a.m. in F5-201. The workshops will be in the classrooms on the third floor of the E3 building. ASU will provide boxed lunches at 12:15 p.m. while supplies last.
Law Day advises, informs students about legal resources BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Law Day provided a variety of different legal resources that are available to the public. Representatives from several law associations and schools attended the event Thursday. Guests at the event included Cynthia Gonzalez of the Deputy District Attorney’s Office, Eric Kim of the Associate General Counsel of Los Angeles Community College District and Martha Carillo of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Other legal guests included Fernando Nunez of the Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, and Dennise Meija of the National Latina Women Association. Mejia spoke about their upbringing and the hardships they had to overcome in order to become successful in their field. Carillo spoke about how education is a great investment for students who want to broaden their opportunities for success. A couple of representatives from many law industry organizations attended as well. These ranged from Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Community Legal Aid of Southern California, National Latina Business Women Association and Christian Legal Aid of Los Angeles. Other groups also at the event were Los Angeles County Bar Association, SmartLaw, Federal
CN/LUIS CASTILLA
NO LAWYER JOKES HERE—Cynthia Gonzalez, Fernando Nunez, Eric Kim, Martha Carillo and Dennise Mejia talk about the trials and tribulations of the law profession during the panel. Bureau of Investigation, South Central Family Health Center and Levitt & Quinn Family Law Firm. Other organizations like Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Los Angeles Mayor ’s Office, Los Angeles Police Department, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County Department of Business and Consumer Affairs and Deputy
District Attorney’s Office are also law industry partners with ELAC. SmartLaw is an organization that helps people find legal information and qualified lawyers. The SmartLaw Referral Service is certified by both the American Bar Association and California State Bar. The service also has safeguards to protect clients from unqualified
unscrupulous attorneys by prescreening practicing attorneys and ensuring they have met the high standards of their practice in the area of law they are in. Dennise Meija, a representative of the National Latina Business Women Association, said the organization promotes, develops and supports the rapid growth of Latina entrepreneurs, executives
and corporate professionals in Los Angeles and other surrounding communities. “Identify your strengths and passions. That will motivate you to strive for success,” Meija said. Los Angeles County Consumer and Business Affairs serves consumers, businesses and communities by creating a fair and vibrant marketplace for consumers
and businesses by educating consumers about their rights and responsibilities, mediating disputes and investigating consumer fraud complaints. The department also assists small business owners and enforces L.A.County’s minimum wage ordinance. Bet Tzedek Legal Services is one of the top legal agencies in the county, providing both direct services and impact litigation assistance to Los Angeles’ most vulnerable populations. The Self-Help Conservatorship Clinic assists self-represented litigants with the process of filing and securing probate conservatorship over aging or developmentally disabled adults incapable of providing for their own care. Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office offers two different internships. Students who have completed their first year of law school are eligible to volunteer as law clerks during the following summer and during the following school year. Also, individuals who participate in a Masters of Law program may volunteer as clerks.
Contributors: Christopher Caldera Melvin Bui Esmeralda Sanchez Katie Atencio
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Opinions 2 College students should not neglect physical activity 4
BY CHER ANTIDO Staff Writer Exercise and fitness are often forgotten when students start college, but they shouldn’t neglect it. Fitness is more than just losing weight, it’s about mantaining a healthy body that stimulates the mind. Even for busy college students on a low budget, there are plenty of ways to include physical activity in their routine. Unlike in high school, many college students aren’t obligated to exercise as part of their daily routine. This is especially true because students are often too busy with academics and career plans to even think about it. A 2014 study by Northwestern University showed that over 60 percent of college students don’t get sufficient physical activity, which is moderate movement about 30 minutes a day for five days a week. Many students don’t realize how important it is to take care of their bodies during college. It’s one of the most important highlights of their lives, where they can start a path to their futures.
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
Many students, however, put all their focus on academics and not enough on their well-beings. Research by Michigan State University in 2017 found that college students who get sufficient exercise have higher GPAs. A study by Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions also showed positive effects for students who exercise. “Our study found that five-minute bouts of walking every hour had a positive impact on mood, fatigue and hunger at the end of the day,” Jennifer Turgiss, member of Johnson & Johnson, said during an interview with ThoughtCo. Having a healthy diet is more than just eating the right types of food; it’s also ensuring that one’s body is getting enough exercise. East Los Angeles College student Jay Arcilla finds time to exercise even with two jobs and school. “I felt better after exercising. Not because I’m losing weight, it’s more about like I want to feel good about myself… I feel like everyone can make time for everything. If you don’t have the mindset of doing it, what’s the point of starting it?” he said. Students often say they just can’t find time for the gym or they don’t want to spend the extra money on a membership, but there are other
ways to exercise with little time and low budget. Students can take advantage of the stairs on campus. Elevators are all over ELAC and certainly make things easier, but it doesn’t take much more time to go up the stairs rather than take an elevator. Students have to wait for the elevator to reach their floor, and sometimes it doesn’t go up to their designated destination right away. Saying the stairs take too much time is simply an excuse to not be
active. Some may argue that stairs take too much energy if their classes are on the third floor or higher. A trick to walking up the stairs is keeping their backs straight and walking with a smooth pace. Students don’t have to run up the stairs to get their hearts pumping. The ELAC parking lots get full early in the day, and many students drive around just to find a spot closer to the exit. Instead of waiting around and wasting time doing so, they can park
at a higher level where there’s plenty of space and walk more. Students can also make use of ELAC’s track. It’s open for them when there aren’t any events. If needed, they can also read for a class or study from their notes while walking around. For those who have the money to pay for a gym membership, there’s a 24-hour gym at The Atlantic Times Square, less than a 10 minute drive from ELAC.
Of course, sleep is also important, so it’s not recommended to sacrifice sleep for exercising. Even when jogging on a treadmill, students can open their textbooks and read while doing so. Students can also invest in dumbbells and yoga mats for a home workout. If one of their assignments includes watching a video or listening to a podcast, they can do simple exercises while getting work done. It doesn’t have to be a vigorous workout. Sit-ups and stretching exercises will be more helpful than just sitting in front of a screen. This also works if they’re watching movies at home or listening to music. Even taking their dog out for a walk counts. If students feel that they become too tired after school or after work to exercise. Students can do a quick run in the mornings to pump up their days and have time for friends and relaxation during the night. Many students associate exercise with going to the gym and find themselves less motivated. But there are plenty of other ways to add some physical activity to their routine; students just have to look for it.
New bill threatens animal abusers with fines, prison BY MARIANA MONTOYA Staff Writer Animals, just like humans, should have the right to live, to be loved and cared for, not abused or tortured. The people for Ethical Treatment of Animals community, along with other animal protection non-profit organizations, have called for the creation and passing of a law that will protect animals from going through torture and abuse.
As a result, the House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of passing the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture bill. This bill was presented by two Florida congressmen, Democrat Ted Deutch and Republican Vern Buchanan. It makes animal cruelty a federal crime within state federal lines. This is also an extension to a law that passed in 2010 by former president Barack Obama called Animal Crush Video Prohibition act.
Some of the types of abuse that can be up for prosecution include animal crushing, impaling, burning, suffocating and any other bodily injuries. Violators can be fined up to $5,000 and may face up to seven years in prison. Congress is taking severe but justified actions upon individuals who violate this law because they believe that if people mistreat animals, they could do the same to humans.
Through the passing of this bill, many individuals have rejoiced, especially organizations that protest against cruel and unfair animal treatment. “I think this is a step in the right direction. We are definitely getting somewhere,” East Los Angeles College student Marlene Gonzalez said. Many are also confident that this can be the start of a movement for more laws to come into play to protect animals, “I am sure that this
On campus Wi-Fi connection needs to be more consistent BY RUSSELL NAVARRETE Staff Writer The Wi-Fi at East Los Angeles College is not bad, but it does need an upgrade because the signal goes up and down constantly. Some parts of the school have a strong signal, like the E-7 building while others such as the library’s second floor have a really weak signal. Oddly enough the cafeteria has decent signal as well. At first the Wi-Fi seems fine, but once students start walking around campus it either gets disconnected or logs them out completely. Some students say the Wi-Fi goes out on them even when they are not moving around. “The Wi-Fi that is available to students is acceptable, but it doesn’t always work and that’s the frustrating part,” ELAC student Eric Esquera said. They check their phones to see if there is a problem, but after several tries they concluded the school’s Wi-Fi is in fact the problem. Other students do not use the school’s Wi-Fi because the data from their phones’ provider is a lot faster.
In comparison to Wi-Fi at home, it does not seem that much different. However, if students have a timed take home quiz or test and they have a laptop on campus, it is not recommended to use the school’s Wi-Fi because it might get disconnected and affect their progress. Instructors experience the same connection problems as students, even though they log into the faculty network.
At first the Wi-Fi seems fine, but once students start walking around campus it either gets disconnected or logs them out completely. The most dependable source for internet are the computers at the library that are connected directly to the network lines. Unless there is time to kill before your next class and you want to watch videos or listen to music. Maybe that is why the school has had it this way; no one is really
relying on the wifi at school. This is still not a good excuse to have slow or weak signal at the library. The first floor has decent signal but the upper floor’s signal is useless. Although the desktop computers are on the bottom floor, students use the second floor to study too. Another part of school where the network can be difficult to access is the performance arts courtyard. It can take a long time for your phone to connect to the Wi-Fi, possibly due to a weak signal. There are always students in that area either waiting for class, reviewing/studying for their next class or even socializing. It could be beneficial for students if the school had better quality Wi-Fi that could help extend their time for studying and complete assignments at the location they prefer to get those tasks done. For some students it can be harder to concentrate at home where it is easier to get distracted. Some students have a big gap between classes and the only way to pass the time is to mess around on their phone or finish homework. Little gestures like these can go a long way with students and instructors.
CN/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME
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is the first of many different laws that will specifically target different types of animal cruelty, like the ones they go through in circuses and in places like Sea World,” ELAC student Gerardo Lopez said. According to an article in the Washington Post, “The bipartisan act, introduced by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), builds on a 2010 law that targets videos depicting animal cruelty, spurred by disgust over a gruesome genre of ‘crush’ videos
often showing small critters stomped under a woman’s shoe.” Even though the bill is still waiting to be approved by the Senate, it’s already receiving a lot of positive feedback. “I am personally vegan because I am completely against animal cruelty, like animals cannot defend themselves and I am glad the government is finally doing something to protect the rights of our non-human babies” ELAC student Laura Gonzalez said.
Arts 5 Theater student explores new avenues at ELAC
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
Lighting technician speaks on experience in Hong Kong riots BY VICKY NGUYEN Staff Writer
“The first time I met her, I immediately liked her. She was just this nice little ball of nervous energy with a giant smile on her face.” ZOE MARDINI
ELAC theater student
She tiptoes around political conversations with her mother, who dislikes the chaos the protesters have brought to Hong Kong. “I don’t want to start any arguments or anything,” Yue said. Standing five feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, she is overlooked despite the strength of her convictions. Yue said she doesn’t have many friends at ELAC. Sometimes, she feels lonely. “You’re a newbie here. You kind of wander around, and you don’t get people’s inner jokes,” Yue said. However, she said that she’s independent and carefree. “I feel more independent
compared to others, and it’s also great that I don’t have to depend on others. You don’t have to force yourself to fit in.” After living in New York, Yue came to ELAC, because she wanted to explore different paths before jumping into university. Yue felt pressure to study a practical set of job skills that could translate into the real world, but she said she was never interested in business or management the way her mother hoped she would be. “I never got into practical stuff,” Yue said. Instead, Yue enjoyed theater. At eleven years old, she played the lead in a play about the legendary warrior Hua Mulan. “Mulan is a great play. The costumes were magical,” Yue said. When she came to the U.S. at 15, she was excited to participate in theater again, as there were no drama programs in her school when she started secondary education in Hong Kong. After coming to ELAC, Yue began taking lighting courses. When she first saw how people could program and design lighting for the stage, something clicked. “Oh, that’s cool!” Yue said. “I feel like there’s a high chance I can go to good schools for lighting and it’s involves theater.” It was the perfect melding of her love of theater with her search for a practical career. Most recently, Yue was in ELAC’s production of “Dracula” as both an orderly and, with her small stature, a boy child. Zoe Mardini is a fellow theater student who impressed with Yue
on stage. “The first time I met her, I immediately liked her. She was just this nice little ball of nervous energy with a giant smile on her face,” Mardini said. “Gigi always gets the best notes, because apparently everything she does, my director (Kelly Hogan) loves.” While enjoying her time at ELAC, Yue’s thoughts continue to stay steadily on the events in Hong Kong. She attends rallies for Hong Kong in Los Angeles and tries her best to spread information on social media. “We’re fighting for what we used to have, and we don’t want to lose it,” Yue said. “Hong Kong is fighting a revolution. Thank you for the concern from the world. I hope people will support the protesters, because we fight for things we deserve.”
CN/VICKY NGUYEN
Gigi Yue was afraid to breathe. She was hit by tear gas fired by Hong Kong police into a crowd of pro-democracy protesters, and all she could do was try to avoid inhaling the white smoke, which creates a burning sensation in the eyes and lungs. “You just hear people. They’re shouting ‘Move! Move! Go away!’ and then smoke starts to come, and then you know you got to run, because it’s coming at you,” Yue said. “I covered my nose and mouth to try and help, but it didn’t really do anything. At that time, we didn’t have much gear. We were just wearing the normal face masks.” This was in August. As far as Yue knew, the actions from the police were not in retaliation to any violent behavior. “In August, things were quite peaceful. We were normally just shouting slogans,” Yue said. Now, as Hong Kong enters its 21st straight week of protests, Gigi Yue, whose full name is Yue Yat Gi, continues to support her Hong Kongese comrades from afar while she studies tech and theater at East Los Angeles College. But it’s not easy to dealing with the uncertainty and frustration of not knowing how her hometown is doing from so far away. “If I know some of my friends are going (to protest), I check in with them, make sure they’re all right. I’ve heard about people getting
caught and suffering. I just hope that no one gets hurt,” Yue said. “I sometimes feel like I can’t do much.” Yue worries that her pro Hong Kong views might offend her Chinese friends, so she blocks them from seeing her Instagram stories when it has political content.
Horror Retrospective:
‘Halloween’ introduces audiences to masked serial killers Carpenter’s “Halloween” also contributed to the rise of slasher Staff Writer films in later years. Carpenter uses wide shots where characters are on one side John Carpenter’s 1978 thriller of the screen, leaving a lot of “Halloween” is the quintessential negative space on the opposite slasher film and introduced side of the shot, creating an audiences to the classic masked imbalance in the frame. killer that has been immortalized This negative space gives as a staple of the horror genre. Myers just enough room to hide A mask can hide the emotions in the shadows, making it feel and intentions of a person, but it as though he is hiding around can also reveal their true self. Not much is known about a person every corner. When Myers does appear through their face alone. in frame, he is never in focus, The mask a person chooses to adding animosity to his dark wear, however, says more about presence. Myers only appears the kind of person they are on on screen for brief moments the inside. accompanied by M i c h a e l sinister musical Myers, the cues, eliciting an masked killer of “Halloween” The negative space impending sense of doom in the played by gives Myers just audience. Nick Castle, “Halloween” enough room to is described a l so spawned in-film as having hide in the shadows, t h e iconic “a blank, pale making it feel as “ H alloween emotionless face Theme,” the eerie and the blackest though he is hiding tune that plays eyes, the Devil’s around every corner. anytime Myers is eyes” when he nearby. was just six The theme years old after incites fear in the murdering his viewer because older sister. of its rare 5/4 time signature and His mask is pale and emotionless minor tuning. with black eyes, just like his face, Odd time signatures throw off because there is nothing he needs listeners and minor keys convey to hide. negative emotions more fluidly. Myers has no humanity. He is These two factors come together an instrument for evil and knows to create the unnatural melody. only violence and murder. The legacy of “Halloween” is “Halloween” popularized echoed in all following slasher the trope of the masked killer, films. Carpenter gave Myers an which inspired other successful identity. He was a killer though franchises like “Scream,” “Friday and though, remorseless and the 13th” and countless others. unforgiving. Myers possesses many attributes
BY LUIS CASTILLA
COURTESY OF OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT INC
ATTACK FORMATION—During the early hours of “The Outer Worlds,” players will venture from a small colony into the wilderness of Terra 2. Alien species and marauders dot the beautiful landscape of the planet.
Beautiful visuals, great gameplay stand out in ‘Outer Worlds’ BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “ T h e O u t e r Wo r l d s ” i s a compelling video game that weaves action and adventure with classic role playing aspects, and wraps it all up with beautiful visuals and intuitive gameplay. Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. took what they learned creating the classic “Fallout: New Vegas” title and put a unique twist on it. What came out of that is a game that is a love letter to fans of role-playing games, space and westerns. The story in “The Outer Worlds” starts off simple enough. Phineas Welles, a scientist that is being pursued by a large corporation, saves the player from a hibernation pods aboard a transport ship. Welles tasks the player with helping him save the rest of the characters aboard the ship by finding the correct compounds to wake them up. The story slowly begins to evolve into an Orwellian nightmare of corporate-owned towns and people who cannot get out from under the corporation’s thumb. At its core though, the game is about choice. Players need to make choices that are tough and not always good or bad. www.ELACCampusNews.com
Most choices lead to, at first Doing one thing or saying glance, ambiguous outcomes. another during missions or However, as the game plays out, conversations can affect the the repercussions become more player’s standing with the diverse apparent. factions within the game. Obsidian did fantastic work The core gameplay mechanics making the decisions very much o f “ T h e O u t e r Wo r l d s ” a r e gray. There is hardly ever a good reminiscent of the first-person or bad decision. exploration and shooting style Choices affect that other RPGs characters that tend to have. are met in-game. While “The D u r i n g O u t e r Wo r l d s ” The core gameplay doesn’t play as a n o r m a l mechanics of “The fast as most firstsession, players reputation with person shooters, Outer Worlds” different groups like the “Call are reminiscent can be changed of Duty” or from positive to “Borderlands” of the first-person negative. franchises, exploration and An example the shooting is shooting style that can be deciding responsive and to work with a other RPGs tend to there are plenty different group of tense firefights have. over their to be had. competition. The game uses One group tried and true will look more mechanics, like favorably on the sneaking and player while the offended group brawling to round out the combat. will see the player as antagonistic Since the game is an RPG, and instances like this don’t Obsidian went back to some of simply end with the story. the more core ideas for character These choices are tied not building. only to the main story but to Using a point system to the multitude of side quests increase certain skills of a players and tasks that are given to the character. These skills include player throughout the many hours weapon handling, science related of gameplay. traits and even leadership.
Players begin to level up their characters and gain access to significant perks that help them along their journey. These include added weight limits to what they can carry, to faster movement and the ability to sell items back to vendors at higher prices. Another core feature is that of companions. There are six companions that the player can find and employ. It’s also possible to not recruit anyone for a player’s team, but each ally has unique missions, dialogue and gameplay “buffs” that enhance the player’s traits and skills. “The Outer Worlds” is also quite a beautiful game to play. Its visuals are stunning and character and enemy designs are interesting and unique. The color of each planet’s sky differs and the plant life is inventive and fun. The game is an entertaining romp into sci-fi, space exploration and hard decision-making. Obsidian has created a game that is easy to pick up but intensely hard to put away. “The Outer Worlds” is out now and is playable on Playstation 4, XBox One and PC. The game will have players constantly telling themselves at the end of each session, “See you, space cowboy.”
of a serial killer as he patiently stalks his victims from a distance before killing them. The way Myers kills his victims shows his creativity and meticulous planning, like when he arranges his victims’ bodies for Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, to find. Later slasher films would also make use of creative kills, making them a mainstay in the genre. The cinematography in
6
SPORTS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2019
Inconsistencies cause Husky draw Offensive lapse effects men’s soccer team’s momentum BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA Staff Writer
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
SEEING DOUBLE—East Los Angeles College sophomore forward Joward Abraham initiates an offensive play in the left wing as El Camino defenders try to stop him during Friday’s 2-2 draw at Weingart stadium.
An offensive lapse in key moments of the game resulted in a Husky 2-2 tie against El Camino College on Friday at Weingart Stadium. East Los Angeles College struggled in the first half and couldn’t gain possession of the ball. The Huskies committed unnecessary fouls, which resulted in a penalty in favor of El Camino. El Camino went up 1-0 in minute 30. Toward the end of the first half, the Huskies were able to gain a bit of ball possession. A more aggressive and attacking Husky team came out in the second half. Within minutes of the second half, ELAC shot twice on goal. “At the half we decided to attack a little more and put more numbers at the top so they (El Camino) can feel the pressure,” Ramon Rivas, assistant coach, said. In an error from El Camino, goalkeeper Luis Garibay, where he was able to pass the ball correctly to his full back, Husky forward Paulo
Macedo- Nakashigue, took the ball away and scored the first goal of the game. “I saw my teammate and he was pressuring the keeper. I thought ‘I’m going to pressure too, because maybe he’ll pass the ball to the full back. I think I was lucky,” MacedoNakashigue said. After the first goal, the Huskies were able to find open spaces to shoot from long distances, which startled El Camino. “ELAC is not indicative of what their record is. They’re a strong team. I saw them play a few weeks ago and they’re a strong team to play against. They just don’t have the type of record to show that,” Mike Jacobson, El Camino head coach, said. Minutes after the first goal, Husky sophomore forward Joward Abraham, took a long distance shot on goal, but barely missed the net. In the first half, ELAC struggled to find open spaces to begin attacking plays. However, in minute 64, Macedo and sophomore midfielder Adriel Dominguez were able to connect through and open space in the left-
wing, which resulted in the second goal. Dominguez passed the ball to Abraham, who was wide open, and scored the second goal from the left-wing. “We started a little slow and we let a goal in early. I think we kept our heads high and just continue to press and attack,” Abraham said. The two goals gave the momentum where they would’ve scored more goals, but they stopped pressuring. The Huskies intensity decreased and El Camino began attacking once again. In minute 81, El Camino freshman defender scored their second goal, which caught the Husky defense off guard. According to Husky players, ELAC was unable to maintain the lead because they (El Camino) reciprocated their tactic. “The last five (and) 10 minutes of the game we got fatigued and they were just piling on pressure. We absorbed a bit of pressure from their throw ins, set pieces and corner kick, and balls kind of bounced around and found themselves in the net,” Abraham said.
Women’s soccer team aims at playoff hopes after tie BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer With a goal from sophomore forward Perla Navarro in the first half, the Huskies drew 1-1 at Los Angeles Harbor College on Friday. East Los Angeles College sophomore forwards Crystal Gonzalez and Navarro connected one minute before halftime to score the Huskies’ only goal. Gonzalez received the ball from the midfield and did a give-and-go with Navarro that gave her a oneon-one with Harbor’s goalkeeper. The goalkeeper blocked the first shot, but she wasn’t able to hold onto the ball. It allowed Navarro to get the rebound and easily score to tie the game. With Friday’s tie, the Huskies have been unbeaten in the last three games with one win and two draws. Overall, ELAC has two wins, seven losses and four draws. The Huskies’ next game will be another South Coast Conference game as ELAC visits Pasadena City College on Friday at 4 p.m. Harbor had chance after chance to close the game out with seven shots in the first half and three shots in the second half, but was blocked by ELAC freshman goalkeeper Anahi De Leon. De Leon was beaten in minute 38 after Harbor was awarded a freekick. The ball was crossed in and it hit the post, but De Leon wasn’t able to win it in the air and Harbor midfielder Alexa Gallardo headed the ball in to take the lead. Harbor continued to attack after scoring the first goal. Harbor defender Yarellie Galindo took a shot from outside the box that De Leon saved to keep the game at 1-0. A minute later, De Leon blocked a one-on-one from Harbor attacker Jessica Ruth Martin. De Leon
finished with five saves. Harbor women’s soccer head coach Art Caballero said, “We played a good game. We controlled the tempo and most of the possession. “That is our style and we like to keep possession. We try to control the game by always attacking and moving the ball.” Harbor dominated most of the second half with possession of the ball and shots taken, but 15 minutes into the second half ELAC started to put more pressure on Harbor and forced them to fall back on defense. “The team was very organized and played with great effort and focus. We didn’t get frustrated, we kept our composure as ELAC defended our relentless attack. “It is something we try to work on every game,” said Caballero.
“That is our style and we like to keep possession, We try to control the game by always attacking and moving the ball.” ART CABALLERO
LA HARBOR HEAD COACH
“Sometimes soccer is that way. You can control and dominate the game, but sometimes the ball does not want to go in the net. “Great effort by the ELAC defense and the goalkeeper for keeping us just to one goal. We had several chances to score, but (we) couldn’t find the back of the net,” said Caballero.
CN/NOE ORTEGA
FULL CONTROL—East Los Angeles College sophomore forward Crystal Gonzalez gets control of the ball before taking on Los Angeles Harbor midfielder Elizabeth Medrano (12) on Friday’s away tie 1-1 at the LA Harbor College soccer stadium.
OPINION ELAC students, community should support local talent BY ANDREW AYALA Staff Writer Sports stadiums are known for being some of the most memorable, loudest and most energetic settings which is why that love and passion for a pastime should start at the junior college level. After attending my first East Los Angeles College football game, I realized that there weren’t as many people as I thought there would be. A small crowd with a lot of heart were on the sidelines doing their part in cheering the Huskies on. At the end of the day, these teams are playing for more than themselves. They are playing for those people who sacrifice their time to watch the games and support the team. www.ELACCampusNews.com
Home-field advantage is one term that explains why the away team should feel intimidated when going to another team’s house. There are plenty of outside factors that affect how loud and noisy the stadium, court or field gets, but it all starts with the crowd. Usually people feed off of the energy around them, so hearing praise during these good moments can really help shift the momentum and up the morale of the team. “Easier tasks, you do better when you have the crowd behind you. If the task is harder, it’s actually the opposite effect,” said Bryant Horowitz, assistant professor of psychology at ELAC. “In your own stadium, having the crowd cheering at the right times for you can actually improve your performance, give your more
confidence and if you are in a stadium where they are cheering while you are trying to concentrate, that makes it a lot harder.” There are plenty of games throughout the week that students can watch if they have nothing to do between classes or are looking to kill time. For example, water polo has games every Wednesday and football has games every Saturday. These are only a few of the many sports that students can watch and unwind with on their leisure time. Elans should take advantage that these games and experiences are free to students, and provide a good way to get away from the stresses and burdens that come with a semester. People gather outside of school to watch some of their favorite teams play, so why not sacrifice one night
and go watch a friend perform? It can even allow students to connect and see potential professionals before they take those next big steps. “It’s important for students to have support because it makes you feel less effective when you look up and the stands are empty,” said Horowitz. “When you have that crowd at your back not only does it give you momentum, but it shows that people are there that have your back.” There are many players in the NCAA who started their journey at a JUCO program. It would only be fair to prepare those who are planning to transfer to D1 universities for the sea of crowds and hybrid noises, which can get as high as 117 decibels. This is equivalent to the sound of
someone sandblasting or a loud rock concert. Many former students from ELAC went on to become success stories such as Jose Botello, a former LA Galaxy player, and even three former Oakland Raiders. Clarence Davis was one of the three who went on to win a Superbowl in `77. Sylvia Mosqueda is a former female ELAC runner who set community college national records that have lasted over 20 years. A study named “Noise Exposure in Sports: Studying How Noise Affects Fans, Players, and Personnel in Stadiums” by Duke University in 2015 says “Sound does not just negatively affect players, however, it can also be the catalyst for increased performance… This positive association with a successful shot and the cheers of the home crowd
leads to players feeding off of this energy, thus leading them to perform with more confidence and tenacity.” For students who are frugal and don’t have as much money as others, they can come, enjoy a free game and use that money for whatever they want, instead of paying for an entrance fee somewhere else. To many extremists, sports are almost like a religion which must be practiced throughout the week. People even manage to set aside holy days in which all responsibilities go out the window once that clock starts and the game begins. ELAC students don’t have to go to that extreme, but I’m sure all of the teams and athletics department would appreciate the student body if they supported the Huskies as much as they can.