Volume 77, Issue 18 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, May 6, 2020 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
CN/IVAN CAZARES
CN/IVAN CAZARES
ESSENTIAL WORKERS—Protestors in front of Los Angeles City Hall demand the reopening of the economy on May 1. The demonstrators TREAD LIGHTLY—A pro trump demonstrator claims stay at home orders cause more damage than good. He identified by his stage and mounting pressure to reopen lead California Governor Gavin Newsom to ease shelter at home orders. name Mario Presents which he uses to promote conservative ideologies as a gay individual.
Demonstrators urge for end to stay at home
LACCD continues online learning for summer session BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer
California will join other states in easing stay at home orders in the coming days following state-wide protests. As early as Friday many retailers will be able to offer on-site pick-up services. On May 1 hundreds of protestors gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall demanding the reopening of the economy. President Donald Trump told the press he wanted the economy to reopen on May 1. However, several states extended stay at home orders with some changes to restrictions. California’s Safer at Home Order never had a definitive end date,
but Gavin Newsom, California governor, has since told the press that he is “days, not weeks” from easing some restrictions on some business and people’s daily lives. In the Los Angeles Community College District all classes will remain remote through summer and potentially fall. The district has also made it mandatory for faculty and staff providing in person services to wear face masks to help minimize the risk of spreading the virus. “Millions of Californians answered the call to stay home and thanks to them, we are in a position to begin moving into our next stage of modifying our stay at home order,” Newsom said in a
Important Announncements • All summer and fall classes will be held remotely. • The deadline for dropping classes is Sunday. Students can receive an EW until May 30 and may challenge for one after that. • Students can now purchase Regalia Packages from the online ELAC Bookstore for $55. Regalia Packages contain cap, gown, tassel and hood. Graduation will be online.
• LACCD Student Trustee elections open on Monday. Voting instructions will be emailed to students via their student email.
press release. “But make no mistake – this virus isn’t gone. It’s still dangerous and poses a significant public health risk. As we move into the next stage of reopening, we will do so with updated guidance to help qualifying businesses make modifications needed to lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure to customers and workers.” Newson calls this period the second stage of reopening. It affects some retail, manufacturing, and logistics businesses which will be able to reopen with some modification to their business practices to prevent transmission of the virus. Demonstrators berated Newsom
in Los Angeles May 1 for the measures he’s employed to combat the spread of Covid-19. They were met by counterprotestors, but largely outnumbered them, and police eventually escorted the majority away following verbal confrontations and counterprotestors’ attempt to block Spring street. Matt Thomas, a demonstrator who wants the economy to reopen feels the risks to the country’s economy outweigh the risks to public health. “It doesn’t matter what you believe in politically. All of us here want the same thing. We want to be able to provide food and safety for our families, and we need to be able
to work,” Thomas said. Thomas’ sentiment is echoed among many of the presidents’ supporters and through the president himself despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying outbreaks could continue to surface through 2021. “Everyone has a role to play in helping to protect our family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors who are most at risk,” Nancy Messonnier, a CDC top official said in a press release in March. There will be some regional variation on how fast the economy will reopen with the state plan allowing counties to proceed quicker through stage two if they
can provide proof that they meet the state’s criteria. Counties will have to prove they have a low presence of Covid-19, meet testing and contact tracing criteria, and prove their health care system can handle a sudden upsurge in cases.
Quarantine vendors
Campus News wins big at competition BY SAMANTHA INIGUEZ Staff Writer
East Los Angeles College Campus News journalists won awards for their work in the previous semester. Due to COVID-19, the 65th Journalism Association of Community Colleges convention was canceled and announced the winners on their website. JACC President, Cecilia Deck, said that because the publications were entered in 2019 judging occured the same time as other years. She said there is talk of the upcoming fall convention being semi virtual depending on the state of the pandemic at that time. Copy editor Gustavo Buenrostro won first place for inside page layout. He said he was shocked to have won first place because he had never won anything on his own at past conferences. “None of the entries were from this semester so working from home on the paper didn’t affect us at that point. However, last semester, the water leak on the fourth floor did cause us to move to the English Department for a couple of weeks.” “It was hard because we were limited on what we could do yet we were still able to put out issues,” Buenrostro said. Buenrostro said he didn’t plan on attending JACC this year because he has gone multiple times and didn’t think he would win, but he’s glad he didn’t have to face the regret of receiving texts from his friends he had won the year he decided not to attend. Steven Adamo won third place for a graphic design illustration. He said the illustration was for a news article about ELAC’s women’s wrestling by former staff writer, Kevin Camargo. “Campus News staff did not have
a photo to accompany the front page story, so I drew two huskies wrestling.” “This is the second time I’ve won third place for illustration at JACC. I’m hoping to place third again next year to make it three thirds in a row,” Adamo said. Adamo and Buenrostro were awarded an honorable mention for a photo illustration they collaborated on during the fall semester. Adamo, who was art director at the time, said Buenrostro suggested an idea he had for the arts page that he later put together in Photoshop. “It wasn’t the type of graphic I’m used to making, which put me out of my comfort zone, but I welcome that in a learning environment. I am happy that we at ELAC Campus News won general excellence again for the second year in a row. I’m grateful and proud to work in our newsroom,” Adamo said. Campus News Editor in Chief, Luis Castilla, won second place for column writing. “Winning second place was nice because it’s the highest I ever placed. I won the award for a column I wrote in October where I did a retrospective on classic horror movies,” Castilla said. Castilla said he was looking forward to attending the conference this year as an editor because he heard that editors have a special meeting, but because of the COVID-19 closures he wasn’t able to experience it. “I really wanted to lead the troops into battle,” Castilla said. The Campus News staff was also awarded a general excellence award for both print and online editions published for the Fall semester. Melody Ortiz, editor in chief for Campus News fall 2019, said she was proud that the staff won both general excellence awards. She said that taking over the role of editor in chief for the semester after Campus News earned a general excellence award for the first time
in a while, she felt the pressure to push the staff to continue producing the best paper they could. Ortiz said, “The biggest challenge I had during my semester as EIC was when our building flooded and we could not use our newsroom or the computers.” “It definitely taught me how to be resourceful and step up my leadership skills. It even helped us prepare for situations like the one we’re in now, where teamwork and communication play huge roles.” Both Ortiz and Castilla were also awarded $100 scholarships. Campus News advisers, Jean Stapleton and Sylvia Rico-Sanchez said they were very proud of the news staff for winning both general excellence awards. Stapleton said the general excellence award is awarded to newspapers that reach a certain evaluation score. She said she’s proud that Campus News won both print and online awards at the Southern California Conferences. Although the paper did win a general excellence award last year, this is the first time they win both at the state conference. “I think having to cancel the conference was disappointing for the students because they were looking forward to competing in the on-the-spot contests. I am certain they would have won several awards. They always do so well in the on-the-spot competitions,” said Rico-Sanchez. Both professors said they are proud of the Campus News staff pushing forward no matter the obstacles they have to face. ”I’m really proud of them. They have really been doing a great job and they continue doing a great job even during the pandemic,” Stapleton said. For more information on the conference and the full list of w i n n e r s , v i s i t h t t p : / / w w w. onlinejacc.org.
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News Briefs Student Health Center Live Yoga
The Student Health Center will host live yoga sessions Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and May 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register at: https://linktr. ee/elacshc
ELAC Career and Job Services Workshops Strategies for job search workshops will be held May 12 from noon to 1 p.m. and May 21 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Register at: career.elac.edu
Dream Resource Center Online gathering Students from all over the LACCD can connect May 12 from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/DRCcommunity
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Opinion
E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
People must stay away from crowded beaches BY MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer
In order to defeat Covid-19 so that we as people can create new summer memories, we should continue to stay home. The beach is a place where we can go and enjoy the ocean breeze and create summer memories with one another, but now is not the time to do that. While some are following the stay-at-home order given by government officials in the state of California, some people disagree with the ruling. They continue to attend the beach with mass crowds and although they say that they are six feet apart from each other, that still puts people in danger. It was reported by the Mercury news that Calforina had its highest death rates on Friday with 98 deaths. That is the most recorded since April 22 when there were a total of
118 deaths. Mercury news stated that there has been a 3.8 increase of new cases being reported bringing the total to 52,152 in the state. While the death rate has small declines, we still have not defeated Covid-19. When Governor Gavin Newsome put the ban on all beaches, it was to protect the people of California. This was not for people to protest all over Orange County and Huntington Beach. They are really being selfish and it’s going to ruin the process that the people of California and frontline workers have put in to flatten the curve. According to Mercury news, there has been over 66,746 deaths across the United States with more to come in this month of May. Doctors can’t see their families due to the effort they are puting into helping people back to good health but, people think the beach is going help throw those problems away.
It’s only going to make it worse and cause even more of a extended lockdown dates to our favorite restaurants, malls, parks and other public outings. If you need to go the beach, go for exercise, do your workout and go home. Don’t lie around and crack beers with friends right now is not the time. The beach is going nowhere. It’s still going be there when the time is right. For now, stay home, find a hobby read a book or watch a movie. Call a friend to see how they are doing during these hard times. For the people who break the stay-at-home rule and go to the beach, think about the others around that might be affected. Be smart at what you think might be good for you. These decisions might cause hurt and danger to the ones you really care about in your own family.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Luis Castilla MANAGING EDITOR Melody Ortiz FRONT EDITOR Juan Calvillo OPINION EDITORS Erica Cortes NEWS EDITORS Melvin Bui FEATURE EDITORS Jonathan Bermudez
C/N BY ZASHA HAYES
Muliti-stage-plan to reopening California BY VANESSA RAMOS Staff Writer
Los Angeles County may not be ready to lift COVID-19 restriction orders to reopen the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined a multi-phase planned that will need to happen to even consider to open California on May 15. The fear of lifting coronavirus protocols too early is said to possibly cause additional outbreaks. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion on Tuesday to set action plans to work with local businesses, retail businesses, labor partners, schools and community leaders. Public Health Department Director Barbara Ferrer said, “There are no plans to extend the current order, but as the deadline approaches, officials will reevaluate what is best for the county.” Six things are noted by Newsom to ease stay-at-home rules. These rules are to expand and continue testing to identify and isolate patients, maintain attentiveness to protect seniors and high risk people.
This is to be able to meet future for essential workers, work on surges in hospitals with a "myriad modifying the physical setting and of protective gear." workflow in hospitals and other We need to continue to collaborate settings. with academia on therapies and Stage 1 also includes to building treatments, redraw regulations to a safety net for essential workforce. ensure continued physical distancing This involes to make Personal at private Protective businesses and Equipment schools. (PPE) more “There are no plans We also need widely available to develop new o r s t a ff a n d to extend the current fincorporateing enforcement order but as the mechanisms to individual allow the state e h a v i o r deadline approaches, bchanges to pull back and in order reinstate stay-at- officials will reevaluate to prepare safety home orders. guidelines for an what is best for the There will expanded force be four stages of front-line country” designed to workers. slowly reopen The transition BARBARA FERRER California while to Stage 2 will Public Health Department Director preventing new occur through outbreaks. a statewide Stage 1 consists adaptation to of continuing to the stay-a-home build out testing and contact-tracing order. capabilities and hospital surge Stage 2 is designated for lowercapacity. risk workplaces to reopen, its goal T h i s i s i n o r d e r t o m a k e is to create opportunities for lowerworkplaces as safe as possible risk sectors to make adaptations.
In this phase, modified school programs and child care centers will reopen as well as the following sectors and spaces for retailers with curbside pickup, for example. Manufacturing and offices (when teleworking is not possible) will reopen with additional public spaces. Adaptations for reopened schools and child-care facilities could mean summer programs and an earlier start to the next academic year. It can start as early as July or August to prevent learning loss that has risen over the past couple of weeks. For stage 1 to stage 2 to happen, the government will need to enact policies that allow people to stay home when they’re sick. These polices will be providing guidance on how to reduce coronavirus risk. Businesses will need to provide wage replacement so workers can stay home when sick. They also need to implement adaptations to lower-risk workplaces to allow employees to continue to work from home when possible. For individual actions using
safety precautions, such as physical distancing and wearing masks can assist and support for people who are at high risk. Opportunity for regional variations during stage 2, counties may choose to relax stricter local orders at their own pace. Following stage 2, once a statewide COVID-19 surveillance system is made possible through testing, further regional variations could be supported. Stage 3 is for higher-risk workplaces. Its goal is to reopen these environments with adaptations and limits on the size of gatherings. The following workplaces include: Personal care (hair and nail salons, gyms), entertainment venues (movie theaters, sports without live audiences) and in-person religious services (churches, weddings). Stage 4 is the last stage for the stay-at-home order to end, its goal is to reopen the highest-risk workplaces. Once treatment for COVID-19 has developed, concerts, convention centers and live sports events with live audiences will reopen.
Stay-at-home is better than movie theater BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, movie fans could flock to a theater to watch new movies, but now these venues need to change or risk extinction. AMC Theaters, one of the big movie theater chains, and Universal Pictures are in the middle of a fight over how exactly movie releases will work after the last couple of weeks of self-isolation. COVID-19 changed the way many businesses do day-to-day work. Movies theaters, a small confined space where large groups of people gathered, have been hit as hard as most other businesses. Their reliance on foot traffic and large gatherings made them prime
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spots for the spread of COVID-19, and so theater chains across the country closed their doors. Enterprising movie studios offered their slate of new movies via multiple online retailers using premium video on demand. This includes movies like the superhero film “Bloodshot” and the more recent family film “Trolls World Tour.” Most films being released this way had limited release windows in theaters before going PVOD. “Trolls World Tour” is an exception and one that theater owners are pointing to when it comes to release windows. “Trolls World Tour” is the sequel to Universal and Dreamworks’ 2016 “Trolls” and as of its release on April 8 had made about $100 million dollars.
This is not more than $150 million “Trolls” made, but the studio has recouped about the same revenue on each of the films, mostly due to not having to market the movie as would be needed. This is just the first movie that will be taking this route. Warner Bros “Scoob,” the animated Scooby-Doo movie, will be released digitally May 15. Movie theater owners have seen this and have declared war on Hollywood. The National Association of Theater Owners have said that COVID-19 is not an excuse for studios to take these extraordinary measures. Universal has said that it still plans on releasing its movies in theaters as well as online. Movie theaters have shown new
movies for decades now, but it was only a matter of time before studios began to think outside the box. Netflix is a prime example. The streaming service has multiple movies that are produced and shown on its platform, most of which have big names. The release of the Chris Hemsworth headed “Extraction” was a big win for Netflix, as was “Marriage Story” that was headlined by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. These movies show that streaming services can attract big name actors and also put out quality films. It is not far fetched to see that traditional Hollywood movie studios have decided to follow suit. Multiple television studios now have their own streaming service and the movie studios are sure to follow suit at some point. It’s really simple why studios may go down this route. Movie theaters are just not sensible anymore. Instead of evolving with the times, theaters have stayed very much stuck in a time warp. Yes, they have the latest moviegoing technology, yummy snacks and subscription services that should make them modern. Except it doesn’t. Theater chains like Cinemark have fancier rooms and comfier chairs. AMC Theaters have slowly integrated higher quality snacks and wines, but none of this is the same as having a glass of five-dollar wine with homemade nachos, or a couple of tacos. That right there is where theaters cannot compete with streaming services and premium movie offerings. Why spend close to $100 dollars
to watch a movie with a group of five, when for the same amount you could rent these PVOD movies, most retail for $20 dollars for a weekend and invite your friends and family over? In the current climate, inviting people over is ill-advised, but that’s not the only thing PVOD has over traditional theaters. There are purists who will say that watching at home is not the same as in a theater but it was simple to make the move from waiting every Friday for a new episode of a show to come on, to now binge watching entire seasons in one weekend. It’s about convenience. Why should I pay close to $15 dollars, not to mention another $10 dollars for food, to watch a movie at a set time when I can watch it online at home? Even more obvious, it’s the lack of those horrible movie goers that text, chat, chew loudly or bring their babies into theaters that no longer need to occupy a movie goer's thoughts. Can, or in some cases should, movie theaters survive the changing dynamic COVID-19 has created for the entertainment industry is a question for a more connected insider. Theaters have had plenty of chances to make movie going experiences great for movie fans. Unfortunately, most theater chains have done too little too late. PVOD may not be the final nail in the coffin of the movie industry, but then again Netflix was never supposed to put Blockbuster out of business. If Blockbuster does not ring a bell, then maybe PVOD is the beginning of the end of theaters.
ARTS EDITORS Johanna Perez Gabriela Gutierrez SPORTS EDITOR Michael Dominguez COPY EDITORS Gustavo Buenrostro STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega Miguel Dominguez Russell Navarrette Raymond Nava Sonny Tapia Alejandro Ambriz Samantha Iniguez Mayra Perayra Jeremy Arias Maria Marroquin Monroy Vanessa Ramos Johanna Calderon Hector Gomez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Gustavo Buenrostro Ivan Cazares ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez
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Features
E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
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Ice cream truck owner strives to maintain business on March 9. Lopez said it was their first Staff Writer day back driving around in As shelter at-home orders two weeks. “Since me and my husband change the lifestyles of others, used to work at another place, many street vendors are still this would have been our risking their health from second job. So right now, that exposure to COVID-19 to they laid us off, this is our make a living. only way to bring Covid-19 in money,” Lopez has changed said. drastically the S h e h a d past few weeks, “This is our second h o p e d t h e making the city unemployment less crowded option, but many process has not b e c a u s e people do not been as fast as she people have have that second had hope, so this committed to is her only source stay at home option and now of income at the to prevent the it’s harder for moment. spread of this “It is going people during this virus. to take a long However, economy.” p r o cess, so there are many even though we people that are wouldn’t want to still willing to come out, it is our risk themselves only choice right to this exposure now to bring food to make an MARGARITA LOPEZ to the table to our ice-cream truck owner income. kids,” Lopez said. Street Lopez had vendors are i n herited the still roaming business from her around in the Los Angeles family. It had been passed area. These people are risking down from generations to themselves, despite being generations. warned to stay indoors, in Lopez has been now order to keep making profit. involved in this business for Margarita Lopez and her about 16 years. husband drove their ice cream Quarantine has prevented truck around neighborhoods her from doing her usual BY ERICA CORTES
CN/ ERICA CORTES
A SWEET TREAT FOR THE HEAT— Sam Ramirez, a Pico Rivera resident is buying ice cream on a hot day from Margarita Lopez’s ice
cream truck on March 9.
business routine. “The thing that has changed is that we have to tell our customers to take six feet apart from the other customers,” said Lopez. “We bought Lysol spray and Clorox wipes and we change our gloves after every
interaction with customers,” said Lopez. Others like her business, need to get permission in order to be able to drive around during this time. “We have to double make sure that the truck is cleaner. There is a person every day
from the public health that is always checking the trucks. So if you’re not good with the cleaning part, you cannot go out and sell,” said Lopez. The silver lining in all this is that there isn’t much competition around. However, Lopez
sympathizes for people who can’t make income past their unemployment. “This is our second option, but many people do not have that second option and now it is harder for the people during this economy,” Lopez said.
Nurse, ELAC student worries for family during pandemic BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer
Personal protective equipment in some Los Angeles County hospitals is scarce, forcing some essential workers to use and maintain one N-95 mask for the past month. Certified Nurse Attendant and student at East Los Angeles College, Stacy Rangel is one of many healthcare workers who have had to face COVID-19 head on. Rangel, 26, works in the telemetry unit at PIH Good Samaritan Hospital in downtown Los Angeles where she helps care for patients coming out of intensive care. She has been working there for a year and has worked as a health-care worker for five years overall. Rangel said working as a CNA oftentimes consists of caring for bedridden patients. This requires her to change beds and “make sure that patients are cleaned up and not soiled anymore.”This is necessary for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19
as well. Being an essential worker at a hospital means that Rangel’s working hours have increased. Rangel said she used to work three days per week, but is now being scheduled up to four days a week doing 12-hour shifts. S o m e t i m e s R a n g e l ’s workdays are scheduled backto-back. As a result, Rangel said it has been difficult balancing work and school. “I had to email a couple of my teachers and tell them ‘hey, you know, sometimes I do work four days out of the week, 12-hour shifts, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to turn in stuff on time,’” said Rangel. She lives with her parents and her younger sister and is currently the only one working in her household. “My dad is scared because I am going there three to four times a week. As a Hispanic man, you’re supposed to show this machismo.You’re supposed to be the man of the house, so he’s upset,” said Rangel. “This is where I get teary-
eyed because checked as as a Hispanic soon as they man, you arrive to don’t want work. “My dad is scared your daughter “If we get because I am going three sick to be the one and there p r o v i d i n g to four times a week. As are less and for you, a Hispanic man, you’re less doctors, you should less and less supposed to show be the one nurses, less providing and less this machismo. You’re for your or any supposed to be the man CNAs, d a u g h t e r, ” healthcare of the house, so he’s said Rangel. professionals On a for that upset.” daily basis, matter, who Rangel cares is going to for anywhere take care of STACY RANGEL from 12 to your family nurse attendant and student 15 patients members because when they CNAs do not b e c o m e have a set sick?” said ratio of patients to workers. Rangel. Registered nurses typically Rangel said that she and her care for a maximum of five fellow CNAs have had to re-use patients at a time, but due to medical gowns when entering COVID-19, RN’s now care for patient rooms. The hospital one to three patients at a time. gowns, which were previously The ratio for CNAs has made of plastic, are now made remained the same. Rangel said of washable material. that she is monitored regularly They have also had to wear for any COVID-19 symptoms. the same N-95 masks for up to The temperatures of all 12 hours at a time in order to healthcare workers are also make the best use of supplies.
“I get one mask and that’s my baby,” Rangel said. “We don’t have any sanitary wipes or Clorox wipes, so pretty much we went down to old-school spray bottles, bleach and water,” said Rangel. She emphasized on the importance of protective personal equipment for healthcare workers. “The big issue with COVID-19 patients is that they cough a lot, so if we don’t have the right protection then a patient could be coughing on me,” said Rangel “Our eyes have mucus that absorbs all this bacteria, same thing with the nose, we might inhale it, and through our mouths the same way. Pretty much anything that has an opening to our body, we can take it and we get sick from it,” said Rangel. These conditions motivated Rangel to use to her online classes and social media platforms to urge her classmates and her followers on social media, to help donate supplies to the hospital. She said that although hospitals don’t typically accept
supply donations, “right now it’s a big deal.” Rangel said although millions have filed for unemployment and are having a hard time paying rent, any donations help. Rangel said that people can donate supplies by driving to the front of the hospital and letting the security guard know that they have supplies. The security guard will then call for a nurse to pick- up the supplies so that those who donate do not have to leave their vehicle and everyone can maintain a safe distance. The hospital’s website, “goodsam.org,” also allows for donations to be scheduled by entering basic personal information. The website lists materials that can be donated, which consists of the following items: isolation gowns, procedural masks, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, hospitalgrade and household-grade disinfectant, bleach, medical gloves and monetary donations. The website said that only new or unused products can be donated.
ELAC students stuggle with school and work BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer
The Coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the way people live their lives. Not only in their personal lives, but their education and work lives as well. Some students at East Los Angeles College feel the impact of the changes the district and state have made in the wake of the pandemic. One student, Selena Ortiz, works as an activity assistant at the Broadway Health Center for the elderly. Ortiz said the pandemic has caused some changes to
happen at the facility. “Since the rise of the pandemic, my department in the medical field has come to a halt as the number one focus now is social distancing,” Ortiz said. “For seniors who do want to keep going about their same schedule are advised to stay at least six feet from others,” said Ortiz Ortiz said that her department is now cautious as to how many hands come in contact with their equipment. She said that the more able-bodied residents have been understanding of the recommendations that they stay indoors.
She said she has informed distancing,” Ortiz said. them of the Katherine suggested times Padilla, a student that they leave at ELAC and “I dont want to a n a s s i s t a n t and that they can lose a semester m a n a g e r f o r feel free to leave the room. a D o m i n o ’s of knowledge Ortiz said Pizza chain has so I do what the transition to been working I have to do online classes has more hours and been smooth. even if it means days than usual “ P e r s o n a l l y, bending my back because of the my school has pandemic due backwards to turned to online to her job being do so.” resources, classified as which has been essential. as smooth as “I’m feeding KATHERINE PADILLA Dominos assistant manager a process as the whole everyone is trying Alhambra city to make it. Work because some has been focusing on social people aren’t able to go out
and get food or some aren’t lucky to have the opportunity to find food at the grocery store,” said Padilla. She said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard. “I really haven’t seen my friends or lived a life of a young 22-year-old. I’m feeling more depressed,” Padilla said. “Not so long ago I had just escaped from my depression,” said Padilla. She also said that with classes going online, she has been teaching herself the material and feels like she’s lost a semester. “I don’t want to lose a
semester of knowledge so I do what I have to do even if it means bending my back backwards to do so,” said Padilla. While Padilla said she understands that her job is essential, she feels like she’s putting herself at risk by not quarantining “There are people that could possibly have it or people that simply just don’t wash their hands come into my job and I encounter them all day everyday,” Padilla said. “I have family that I come home to and I don’t want to be getting them sick. It really paranoises me.” www.ELACCampusNews.com
Arts Drake experiments with sounds in new album 4
E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer
Drake released his album, “Dark Lane Demo Tapes,” giving his listeners a reason to like mixtapeDrake more than regular Drake. He gives a raw feel to this album by having hard bass songs along with drums and solid rapping. Making this album was meant to be a new sound, but it still gives off the Drake vibe. The playlist features demos, leaks and loose songs that never made an album or were made just for fun. By doing this, Drake is releasing the tension over being hyperfocused on a studio album meant to have exciting and poppy tracks, which is expected with his album releasing this summer. Drake is still at his best when he is dropping loose songs at 2 a.m. on SoundCloud. The album has multiple producers, old and new, includes an anticipated song “Pain 1993.” Dating back to January 2019, Drake also had different producers in a secluded house in Los Angeles, including German producer Elyas. Elyas was asked to help on a project through Drake’s practice system and he sent over beats and compositions with one of them then becoming the song, “Losses.” On April 3, the Canadian based rapper debuted “Toosie Slide” as a single on music streaming platforms worldwide. This began an internet firestorm of viral Tik-Toks posted by users
everywhere. Families and friends gave their best renditions of Drake’s dance moves being described in the song, starting with “It go right foot up, left foot slide.” As time went on, one of the most famous athletes in the world, LeBron James, and his family, posted their first video on Tik-Tok of them performing the dance. The song features a mellow and laid-back flow to relax the listener and allow them to have fun with it. Drake continues in the song after the hook by rapping about how he can dance like Michael Jackson with a black leather glove and no sequins. The song talks about having a good time and dancing the night away with a date, partner or anyone they want. Making the listener want to dance is the key to the beat of the song. Drake has kept with his normal nature in rap with fast-paced beats and his toned-down moments, where he sings more than raps. The tone is aggressive at times, but in a good way. It secures anyone that hears it to feel empowered and stronger with themself. The song “D4L” gives a hype quality to the album with a fast paced beat and the features in the song coming from Future and Young Thug. The beat brings a great sound with the versatile rappers in the song keeping listeners engaged and bobbing their head. Drums are a key addition to the song leaving listeners repeating the words over and over, “What’s
COURTESY OF REPUBLIC RECORDS hannenin’.” Drake has had some songs in the past that left his audience rapping for hours after the song played. From the lyrics, “I got fake people showin’ fake love to me” in the song “Fake Love” on his 2017 album, “More Life” to “Marvin’s Room,” on the 2011 classic “Take Care,” Drake has constantly left audiences wanting more.
Although some would argue this album was a gasping attempt at keeping his place in rap, this was a well executed album, especially with, “Demons,” featuring Fivio Foreign and Sosa Geek. This song offers a moment for self empowerment and the feeling of inner strength. Drake gives a power statement throughout the song giving listeners
a reason to feel confident. Making people feel a connection with their friends by rapping about balling out in the Drew League and going to London for a Louis Vuitton bag. Drake is also flashing his popularity and relationship with National Basketball Association stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Skipping a track on this album is not recommended with all of the extra views into Drake’s style of rap and other artists. Just like his past albums, running them all day was always the case because they were good enough to be played all the way through. Drake’s next studio album will release Summer 2020.
‘House of Flowers’ returns with a bang for third season BY MARIANA MONTOYA Staff Writer
COURTESY OF IS IT ART?
The Haunts bring fun to quarantine blues BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer
Amidst the chaos that is the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles three-piece, The Haunts, are proving to be the hidden gem of garage rock with their new single, “New Mexico.” The Haunts are vocalist Max Collier, drummer Allanna Swadlow and guitarist Aaron Brotman While the band has previously made “New Mexico” a staple of their live shows, the track was finally released digitally on Friday due to its popularity. Described as a “summer bummer” by the band, “New Mexico” is bouncy, danceable and full of energy, making it the perfect track for getting rid of the quarantine blues. The opening guitar riff is not unlike an early Strokes riff with its simple, yet fun and catchy melody. Channeling the early days www.ELACCampusNews.com
Described as a “summer bummer“ by the band, “New Mexico is bouncy, dancable and full of energy, making it the perfect track for getting rid of the quarantine blues. of garage rock, the band’s stipped-back sound makes for raw, straight-to-the-point instrumentation. In an interview with Reckless Magazine, the band said, “New Mexico was a tad bit more experimental in the studio due to the increased dancy and pop elements of the song. In terms of evolving, this song helped us to expand and grow in connection with different sounds. We are still very dedicated to our garage
surf indie sound.” “New Mexico,” while fun and poppy, is juxtaposed by its lyrics, telling the depressing story of a man with too many troubles on his mind, all while making no reference to the state at all. Not diverging too much from the rest of their discography, which only contains four other tracks, the band is able to get an extraordinary amount of power out of just a guitar and a drum set. Max Collier, the band’s vocalist, brings his rich voice to the climax of “New Mexico” when he sings the chorus, “Hold me close or let me go,” making the track’s final verse that much more powerful. In support of their new single, and to connect with fans while under quarantine, the band offered anyone who pre-saved “New Mexico” on Spotify free pins, stickers and a handwritten letter. “New Mexico” is available on all major streaming services.
A blast from the past and many mysteries ready to be uncovered, marked the beginning of the end for the de la Mora family. “The House of Flower,” Spanishlanguage Netflix original, released its third season that promised to break the rules and close the season with excitement. Season three starts with a softspoken Paulina de la Mora (Cecilia Suarez) constantly being harassed by her cellmates and her rival Jenny Quetzal (Mariana Treviño), her father’s former romantic interest and cult leader. Throughout the beginning episodes it is undeniable that Jenny has already accumulated a following in the prison and constantly reminds Paulina of the unfavorable position she is currently in. The suspense in the prison continues to arise as “la chiva,” the family’s former nurse, is introduced. She is seeking revenge on Paulina and her family. Upon hearing that Paulina is serving time in the same prison as
her she feels it might be the perfect time to kill her. To make matters worse, Maria Jose (Paco de Leonn), Paulinas’s transgender wife and family lawyer, is unable to help with the legal process. The rest of the family is dealing with Elena de la Mora (Aislin Derbez)
The side-by-side comparison of Victoria gives an insight of how outdated social norms and appearances in a society really are. being in a coma. During her coma the family discovers that she is pregnant, so her brother Julian de la Mora (Dario Yazbek bernal) and partner Diego (Juan Pablo Medina) go on a mini quest to find who the father is. The family also deals with the return of their grandmother Victoria (Isela Vega), after years of absence, to
regain control of the family’s house of flowers. Her outdated opinions about regaining control of the rest of the family sets everyone in discomfort. During this season viewers are introduced to a young Virginia de la Mora (Isabel Burr), set in the 1970’s, who heavily differs with a conservative Virginia (Veronica Castro) who they were originally introduced to in season one. She constantly clashes with her strict mother Victoria (Rebecca Jones) about wanting to see her sick father, wanting to go out, getting up late and the disapproval of her choice of friends. The side by side comparison of Victoria gives an insight of how outdated social norms and good appearances in a society really are. During this season viewers also discover the root of important friendships that followed Virginia through her lifetime Through the flashbacks viewers experience the various adventures Virginia and her best friend went through and the struggles they encounter as they are coming to age.They learn and become awakened together.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX CAR OF FUN—Diego(Juan Medina) Paco (Maria Jose) Patricio(Christian Chavez) Virginia (Isabel Burr) Salomon(Javier Jattin) driving to the beach in Netflix’s “The House of Flowers.”