Volume 76, Issue 15 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, March 6, 2019 Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
POSTSEASON PLAY—Citlaly Davalos looks for an opportunity on the court and Mercedes Ortiz, Jennifer Pool, Zemeris Wallace and Taliyah
CN/DIEGO LINARES • PHOTO COLLAGE: STEVEN ADAMO
Jones celebrate the 55-52 win over Cypress College in the South Gym on Saturday
Women’s basketball moves to the next round of playoffs BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer
Women’s basketball will move on to the third round of the Southern California Regional playoffs after a comeback against Cypress College 55-52 at home on Saturday. East Los Angeles College was down by 14 points in the third quarter, and had its worst performance in a single quarter with only five points scored. ELAC came back to score 23 points in the fourth quarter and limited Cypress to six points to win its 26 match of the regular season and playoffs. Head coach Bruce Turner said that during the halftime he spoke
to his team and told them that they were going to win the game. Turner said he didn’t know how they were going to win or who was going to win it for them, but that their season wasn’t going to end that night. Freshman guard Adriana Gonzalez came off the bench and scored six points and got four rebounds. Freshman forward Jadis Watson scored three points in the fourth quarter and got two rebounds. Watson finished with 13 rebounds ,and Gonzalez finished with seven. The Huskies started to run into the paint and score layups, but were still down by nine points. Cypress couldn’t contain the constant full-court press from the
“He (Turner) just kept saying that the game is not over. We just have to keep trying. Time isn’t an issue, and we just had to play basketball like we always do.” JENNIFER POOL
ELAC Sophmore gaurd
Huskies in the fourth quarter and it resulted in six turnovers where ELAC capitalized. “ (Our) defense full court pressing was one thing that really kept us in the game,” Jennifer Pool, sophomore guard, said. Freshman guard Citlaly Davalos and sophomore guard Jaelynn
Curley made the gymnasium erupt by scoring back-to-back three point shots to cut deficit to one point. The Huskies made six three point shots out of 30 attempts, and four of them came in the fourth quarter. “We were forcing the threes, short arming, rushing threes instead of mixing it up. Taking what the
defense was giving us. But our pressure defense was the key in the fourth (quarter),” Turner said. ELAC was able to turn to its bench. The Huskies outscored Cypress bench 23-13. Both benches finished with 20 rebounds. The Huskies scored well below their season average of 77.4 points per game from behind the three point line and field goals made, with 20 percent from the three point line and 29.2 percent made in field goals. While their season average was 42 percent in field goals and 34.5 percent from behind the three point line. Turner said that despite not having the best night in shooting,
his team never gave up and fought hard until the game ended. Cypress and ELAC were both even throughout the first two quarters and the Huskies went into halftime down by five points. ELAC came into the third quarter and made two field goals and one free throw. The Huskies attempted five three point shots, but didn’t make any. While Cypress made seven out of 16 field goal attempts. “He (Turner) just kept saying that the game is not over. We just have to keep trying. Time isn’t an issue, and we just had to play basketball like we always do,” Pool said. The Huskies look to reach the SoCal Regional final as they host Pasadena City College on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Husky Pantry opens its doors to ELAC students BY CHER ANTIDO Staff Writer The Associated Student Union (ASU) opened the Husky Pantry on Feb. 28 to address food insecurity among East Los Angeles College students. “Food insecurity” is a term used for those unable to have access to nutritional foods due to low income. The Husky Pantry is available to all students. There are no income qualifications that need to be met, nor do students need to be ASU members. To be eligible, students only have to be enrolled in at least one class at ELAC. They can provide a valid student I.D. as proof. Food insecurity is a growing concern in the district. The purpose of the pantry is to help students who are unable to afford nutritional food. “We’re just here trying to help students get through the day,” ASU Vice President of Advocacy, Anthony Dominguez said. “How are we supposed to expect students
to succeed in school when they’re hungry? You need energy for your brain to work.” Students can visit the pantry up to four times a week, once a day. They can take up to three items per visit. Options of food include juice boxes, cup noodles, canned food, bottled water, oatmeal, protein bars and more.
“You need energy for your brain to work.” ANTHONY DOMINGUEZ
ASU Vice President of Advocacy
ASU is looking to partner with the Student Health Center to increase food options, so students can have more variety. They are also hoping to expand their options to include perishable foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and sandwiches. “When we partner up with the Health Center, maybe we can
increase that amount to two per day,” Dominguez said regarding the number of visits to the pantry students are allowed per day. ASU board members obtain the food for the pantry themselves, using funds set aside by the school. Dominguez said they drive to Costco themselves to purchase the food. ELAC student Alfonso Nuno said the pantry is something he’s interested in. “More people should know about it. Some students don’t work… I will take some oatmeal anytime during school,” he said. Expansion is one of the priorities for the Husky Pantry, aside from raising students’ awareness of it. ASU is hoping to extend the pantry to ELAC South Gate campus and are working with the South Gate ASU Vice President, Alexis Diaz, to make it a reality. ASU is located at F5-212. It’s open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The pantry will be open all semester, including finals week. ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
News Briefs
University Transfer Fair
The University Transfer Fair will be today in the E3 Quad from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
South Gate Club Rush
ELAC’s South Gate campus will hold it’s club rush today and tomorrow from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. inside the front entrance.
AA-T/AS-T Priority Submission
For those transferring after this semester, universities require students to verify their AA-T/AS-T by submitting a graduation petition to the Counseling Department in E1-127 by March 15. The priority deadline is March 8.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
Preparing better than cramming for midterms BY GISELLE ARROYO Staff Writer Midterms are just around the corner and students should begin preparing for them now. Now is the time to start thinking ahead and figure out how to tackle them. This way students don’t stress out about exams the night before. This allows students to focus on how they want to spend spring break. According to ThoughtCo., studying at least a week early can help reduce stress because students give themselves enough time to absorb the information instead of just cramming it the night before. Students should prepare to study for midterms early so that way they know the criteria for the exam ahead of time. Students should go back and read the syllabus. The syllabus has information on what the midterm will be based on. If students are not sure ask the instructor what specific sections will be requested for the midterm. This way the exam questions will seem easier, and the questions will come with less of a shock.
Show up to class fully focused and ready to learn. Attending class helps students not miss viable information that might show up in the exam. In class students can take the time to ask questions about the materials. Taking notes on the lecture will help students gain a greater understanding on whatever subject is being gone over. Students should go home and review. Students should schedule time to study to avoid being overwhelmed. Review past assignments, quizzes, notes, and anything that could help on the exam. Students can also gather up together to study. Sometimes other students may have information that was not picked up the first time notes were taken. If students are lucky enough to receive a study guide, they should make flash cards and highlight all the information needed. Doing so will help for more complete comprehension of the subject. Sometimes instructors will let students know what the most efficient way to study is for their midterms. However, students
EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Ayala MANAGING EDITOR Steven Adamo ONLINE EDITORS Kevin Camargo Adam Robles Alex Handy FRONT EDITORS Miguel Barragan Melody Ortiz
CN/MELODY ORTIZ
should not rely on this. Each student should do what works best in the given situation, because each person processes information differently. Students should make sure to have plenty of rest and have a good
hearty meal. Students should always be conscious of their health. Rest and a balanced breakfast is important when doing something taxing so early in the morning. This can make a huge difference because the body won’t feel so weak and
eyes won’t be dozing off. Most professors note the dates of their upcoming midterms. Either announcing them to students or placing them on their syllabus. This gives ample time for students to make preparations.
Academics demand student commitment BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer The infinite ocean of procrastination is what many college students are drowning in. You know you’re a college student when you do more hours of homework a day than sleep at night. As people grow older, they tend to gain access to more things that will allow them to pass the time a lot faster and easier. People drown themselves in piles of books, games, memes or even the latest shows on Netflix in the attempt to enjoy their freetime. However, it’s best to learn efficient ways to not let your hobbies takeover the time that you need for your assignments. It, unfortunately, happens to too many people, but isn’t impossible to fix. There comes a point in everyone’s life when individuals need to take a moment to micromanage these hobbies. If someone feels like they’re
CN/IVANA AMARAL
drowning in an ocean of hobbies, take a moment to manage the time spent on them. A very effective way to cut down
on procrastination is to cut off all ties with the outside world for the amount of time that is necessary to get homework done.
This means to let friends and family know it’s time to get on that school-work grind. This method is extremely
effective because by doing this, you’ll only be closing the window of opportunity to get distracted by others. It’s good to keep in mind that taking personal time for oneself is not always procrastination. Having access to hobbies or pastimes isn’t bad at all though. Life is often trying. Taking finals, passing classes, managing time and money, it’s all very stressful. Some people don’t handle the stress as well as others, so it’s nice to get lost in fantasy land for a while, albeit within limits. It’s great to have friends who want to talk all the time, but when it comes to the pile of work students may have, they must remember what needs to be done first. It’s easy to forget that friends will be available to talk to later. In contrast the homework assignment a student gets may only have a few hours or even minutes left to complete. Not accomplishing homework assignments can cause major problems scholastically.
Night students need participation option BY MARIA MARROQUIN MONROY Staff Writer More classes, clubs and events should be added to East Los Angeles College main campus for evening students. Many students would like to join a club or attend an event on campus, but they find themselves unable to do so because most student life activities are designed for full-time students or students who can attend school during the day. Out of the 60 or more clubs ELAC offers, only seven of those have hours convenient for night students. Research shows that students who have been a part of clubs, internships or something related to academic success have higher chances of being accepted when transferring to a university. According to The Education Corner website, students who participate in extracurricular activities and, maintain a higher G PA , s h o w t h e y h a v e t h e commitment necessary to be admitted into universities with low-admission rates, such as Yale or Harvard. Participating in these extracurricular activities not only shows how much a student is willing to be involved in academic life, but it also helps students build connections and network with one another. Websites such as my.cappex. com and niche.com are designed to help students with research to find, compare and understand the application and financial process of choosing a university. www.ELACCampusNews.com
The Cappex website provides students using their site with different PDF downloads in which different questions are presented. Some of these questions vary and these questionnaires are mostly looking to have the student sell the best version of themselves. Essentially, the site shows students the different qualifications universities are trying to find and which student will stand out from the rest.
“I don’t like coming to school at night, but it is the only time I have available. So if there was a club that I found interesting enough to join I would.”
MARIA HERNANDEZ
ELAC Night Student
According to these websites one significant way to get accepted is by being more involved in school life prior to transferring. This makes it hard for evening students at ELAC to be more involved since most clubs and
events end well before they even arrive on campus. How can they achieve the goals of participation when they are limited to begin with? If professors were to dedicate at least one of their lectures to incorporate a club meeting to get their students involved in a club maybe they would be more motivated to join or create their own club with hours favorable to them. Megan Taylor, a student at ELAC said she would consider joining a club at night if it involved her child in some way. “I would be on board if there was a group where you can bring your kid and the parents could discuss the same topic while also spending time with their kids,” said Taylor. She said that a club like this would probably connect well with the Child Development Department. It is understandable that many students attending school at night are either working during the day and/or taking care of their children. ELAC could create clubs or events that incorporate family life and academic life together. It is something worth considering to increase student participation and secure higher transferring rates. “I don’t like coming to school at night, but it is the only time I have available. So if there was a club that I found interesting enough to join, I would. But the ones I’ve seen that I like are during noon or something like that so I don’t join,” said ELAC student Maria Hernandez. In order to ensure student success, first we have to consider all of the students attending the college, not focus solely on the group of students seen during the day.
ELAC
Clubs for Night Students Abroad Club Travel, ACTS Meeting: Mondays at 5:30 p.m. Location: F7-307
Administration of Justice South Gate Chapter: Meeting: Wednesday 5:20 p.m. Location: SGEC 114 Main Campus Chapter: Meeting: Wednesday 6:30 - 6:50 p.m. Location: F9-112
ELAC Environmental Outreach Club Meeting: Thursdays 5:05 p.m. Location: G8-121
ELAC South Gate C.H.I.L.D. Club Meeting: Every other Wednesday 7 p.m. Location: SGEC 105
Latinas Completion and Transfer Club Meeting: Wednesdays 6 p.m. Location: D7 Transfer Center
Rhythm Club Meeting: Tuesdays 6:50 - 10 p.m. Location: S2-121 Band Room
Students Against Substance Abuse, S.A.S.A Meeting: 6:30 - 7 p.m. Location: F7-224
OPINION EDITORS Juan Calvillo Giselle Arroyo NEWS EDITORS Melisa Valenzuela Maria Marroquin Monroy FEATURES EDITOR Luis Castilla ARTS EDITORS Cher Antido Julie Santiago SPORTS EDITORS Sonny Tapia Mariana Montoya CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral COPY EDITORS Gustavo Buenrostro Diego Linares Stephanie Guevara Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Steven CardonaAarreola, Vincent Austin, Erick Villarreal, Vicky Nguyen, Trissean McDonald, Alejandro Ambriz, Johanna Calderon, Samantha Iniguez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Steven Adamo Gustavo Buenrostro Giselle Palomera 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. Anonymous letters will 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 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.
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
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Speakers shed light on Black History BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer Black History Month at East Los Angeles College ended last week with two talks focusing on clearing up eurocentric takes on black history, and possibly the creation of a Black Student Union on campus. Melina Abdullah, chair of PanAfrican studies at California State University, Los Angeles and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter’s Los Angeles chapter-spoke to ELAC students Wednesday about black and brown unity throughout history. The event was organized by ELAC Students for Political Awareness. During the discussion, Abdullah asked for seven volunteers, (the amount needed for a club to be chartered by the school), to create the BSU. “50 years ago, [Black Studies] was founded on a struggle of community,, and students and faculty working together to disrupt an oppressive educational system,” Abdullah said. According to Abdullah, going to college isn’t about memorizing names and dates, but about engaging with each other and creating work that is useful to our communities. Part of that work includes educating communities about their true history and combatting inaccuracies in textbooks. One example provided by Abdullah was the Combahee River raid, a Union Army military operation in which Harriet Tubman helped over 700 people to freedom. She spoke of Harriet Tubman, saying that the number in many
textbooks say 300 people were freed, but should be close to a thousand or more. For Tubman, being free herself w a s n ’t e n o u g h — “ s h e w a s “‘claiming the humanity of our people,’” Abdullah said. “How can I be free if my brother or sister is enslaved?” Abdullah said that if there’s only one take-away from the discussion, it’s to cease using the term “slave” to describe a black person. “My ancestors were not slaves, they were enslaved people,” she said. Following the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 and the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877, Abdullah said that the amount of murders against black people increased because they “posed an economic threat to white capitalism.” Abdullah said that Ida B. Wells, an investigative journalist, joined the anti-lynching movement when a friend and part owner of the People’s Grocery, Thomas Moss, was murdered along with two other workers by a white mob. Abdullah talked about the violence against Wells including the burning of her newspaper, her home and attempted assassinations. She said there was a wide-range of ideas in the civil rights movement, from Martin Luther King Jr.’s non-violence stance, to people like Wells and Robert F. Williams, who advocated for black self-defense through ownership of arms. After the murder of an unarmed black man named Matthew Johnson, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The two men were community college students when they founded the movement, Abdullah said.
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
Quoting A. Philip Randolph, retired ELAC professor of Political Science and African-American studies, Dr. Anthony Samad said “If you are comfortable with my oppression, then you are my oppressor.” During his discussion on Thursday, Samad talked about the 500-year shared history between
black people and Latino people that predates European. Samad said that Mexican and Asian communities both are impacted by “colorism,” or discrimination against another person based on the shade of their skin color. The darker skin color, Samad said, is because slavery was in New Spain two centuries before
it was in British-America. Both Samad and Abdullah talked about how the celebration of black history is often focused on a few key people like Martin Luther King Jr., but Abdullah said that these larger-than-life figures are also human beings capable of making mistakes. “You can be fully human, you can be an imperfect person,
and really transform the world,” Abdullah said. “It’s important that you understand that change has always come through regular-ass people.” Ultimately, transforming things is the goal, Abdullah said. “Our vision of success means all of us have all of what we need and most of what we want.”
Senate opposes California State University’s enrollment limits BY MIGUEL BARRAGAN Staff Writer The academic senate unanimously voted no on the proposed plan by California State University of Los Angeles to declare their campus impacted on Monday’s meeting. This plan would raise the admission standards for freshmen
and transfer students. It would raise the minimum cumulative GPA in transferable courses for transfer students. The minimum GPA, however, has not been disclosed. This plan was proposed in order to mitigate the increase in enrollment at CSULA. Administrators of CSULA said the reasoning behind their goal is reducing enrollment because head
count has increased 27 percent since 2012 and enrollment growth funding has only increased 2 percent. The impaction plan has been met with resistance from faculty, students, staff and community members. Kenneth Chaiprasert, a professor of political science, and second vice president of the senate executive committee, said, “What the senate
would really like Cal State LA to do is to think about this more before making transfer harder.” Chaiprasert said that Cal State LA should hold a brief moratorium to talk with the community. Steve Wardinski, a professor of history, and member of the senate executive committee, said that East Los Angeles College and other community colleges should offer Bachelor’s degrees.
Because many transfer students won’t be able to get into a bachelor’s degree program, if they can’t get into CSULA. “We want to propose offering B.A’s at community colleges to the statewide academic Senate. If the CSU’s are making it harder for you to get a B.A., why can’t community colleges offer B.A’s?” Chaiprasert said. He said that the idea is to offer
programs that create bachelor’s for students that need it and make it affordable. “We have the capability to do it,” he added. Wardinski also said that the senate executive committee should contact San Diego’s Community College system to learn about the effects of impaction because they’ve had impaction for longer.
Free college tour applications deadline approaching Increase in depression and BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The UndocuHuskies club was started last semester and since then has done everything possible to help undocumented students on the ELAC campus. The UndocuHuskies club has 15 slots available for a free college tour and retreat for May 10-12 and the deadline to apply is March 15. All the information on the application process can be found with the club vice president Judith Arguello at the Dream Resource Center on campus. The East Los Angeles College club is taking a tour of the University of California Riverside friday May 10th and spending the weekend at Big Bear Lake. Originally slated for a total of 15 slots, an additional 15 were added after the original spots were quickly filled. The entire event is free mostly due to the help received by the Associated Student Union and fundraising making up the rest of the money. This year the club has started off strong by announcing their first college tour of UCR as well as their first retreat. Jose Pelaez, club president, said the trip was a coordination that was first started via social media. The UndocuHuskies vice president and social media person, Arguello, made the connection that allowed for Pelaez to talk with UCR’s Undocumented Student Program coordinator Wendy Guzman. Guzman put together a campus tour of UCR that includes tours spots like the engineering building as well as the recreational building. Pelaez was happy to highlight
the clubs first tour and retreat The focus for the first part of the after their fall semester being a bit weekend is specifically to show problematic. undocumented students and their Having trouble getting the word allies the options they have for out for the club at the beginning higher learning, but Pelaez said that made most of the fall semester was only the first step. hard for all the members of the After Friday’s tour, the weekend UndocuHuskies. would bring the “Last year club’s first retreat was tough in Big Bear. for us,” said The club and “I get to visit a college Pelaez. “This its advisor want i s t h e c h e r r y campus I haven’t visited to help students for the cake.” yet or know much about understand how Announcing the they can reach and make it a future U CR trip via their scholastic social media and goals. option to apply.” getting such a To accomplish positive reaction this, club was big for the advisor Reyna club. Hernandez will ANA OREGEL D o i n g be going over ELAC Student something like some of the a campus trip ways and means is big. He said undocumented that actually going would allow and students in general can apply undocumented students the chance for and receive financial aid. to see the options they have in terms Pelaez said the weekend would of colleges. also include time for the members Ana Oregel, a student going of the club to really get to know each on the trip, hasn’t attended many other. He hopes to create a feeling of college tours or trips. community within the club. The chance to check out a school Pelaez wants the members to that could be a viable option for her know that the club is there to play was exciting. a supportive role in their lives. “I get to visit a college campus I With the event coming, the haven’t visited yet or know much club is planning on doing some about and make it a future option fundraising for their upcoming trip. to apply.” said Oregel. The UndocuHuskies will be doing a “During the time we are at UCR raffle that includes Dodgers tickets, I want to know how the college life Disneyland tickets, and three twois like there, whether they offer my packs of AMC theater tickets. major, civil engineering, and what The cost of raffle tickets is $10 activities or projects they have that and can be purchased up until deal with that major. Also I want to March 22 on their instagram, with see how diverse UCR is,” he added. the raffle taking place on March 25. Pelaez added that there was one For more information students student who has UCR already on can visit the DRC and speak with their short list, and that having the Arguello, check their instagram @ student actually see the campus undocuhuskies or email the club at was great. undocuhuskies@gmail.com.
anxiety linked to social media BY STEVEN CARDONA Staff Writer
The Psi Beta Club presented research that suggests increased use of multiple social media platforms is independently associated with both depression (hypothesis 1) and anxiety (hypothesis 2). The presentation was held last Thursday and its main focus was on the use of social media and the link to mental health issues. Layali Hamideh, president of the club, Karen Montes, vice president, and Daniella Valdez, historian, talked about specific points regarding these effects. Valdez talked about research and statistics concerning the measurements of depression and anxiety linked to the amount of social media usage. One of the studies she talked about was multitasking and how it can cause individuals to have an impaired cognitive process. Another study she talked about was one conducted at the University of Pittsburgh where over seventeen hundred adults from the ages of 19-32 were participants. This was a notion Valdez stressed because of the growing number of social media platforms. They showed Ted Talk on YouTube by Bailey Parnell. The Ted Talk focused on the topic of depression and anxiety linked to social media usage. The video brought up the idea of the “highlight reel,” which shows the high points of people’s lives on social media.
The “economy of attention” was also brought up. This is all the shares, likes, and comments people get on their social media posts. Students shared their experiences with the fear of missing out or FOMO for short. This happens a lot when people see their friends doing fun and amazing things on their highlight reel. The video posed an argument that all the feedback people get on their posts validates their feelings about what they are posting based on how much likes and comments they get. What made people laugh and look around the room was the idea of the phantom vibration symptom, which is the vibrating feeling someone gets as if they just got a notification, but there is nothing there. The video ended with the notion that social media isn’t going anywhere, so it is important to “practice safe social.” After the video they passed around handouts of The Cognitive Model, which is a type of behavioral therapy that is supposed to help individuals identify their thoughts and reactions to situations. A question was asked to the students - should the use of social media have some type of educational system? Most students agreed that there should be a social media education class similar to the idea of sex education. One of the students, Melody Celis, said “It’s important for parents to check what their kids are seeing on social media.” Bryant Horowitz, a psychology professor at East Los Angeles
College added that his seven year old son only sees what Horowitz posts about him on social media. He said that his son gets very limited interaction with social media. Montes talked about the positive aspects of using social media. She brought up the fact that it brings people together and develops awareness. She said communities are built and brought together on social media, and it is a positive experience when families who are hundreds of miles away can communicate online through these social media sites. Hamideh brought up negative impacts of social media has on individuals. One point was the standards of beauty and how unrealistic it is for people to expect themselves to look like others they see online. Another point Hamideh made was that violence is becoming normalized because of the amount of content always surfacing for individuals exploring social media sites. The presenters shared their experience of doing a one week cleanse of social media. The results were that at first it gave them anxiety, but after a few days they got used to the absence of their social media sites. “I didn’t wake up and check my phone,” Valdez said because that’s the first thing she was used to doing every morning. The session ended with the everyone making predictions about the direction of social media and how future generations will be affected by it. www.ELACCampusNews.com
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Features
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
Former Elan creates inspired portraits BY MELISA VALENZUELA Staff Writer Guillermo Haro’s love of creating art has helped him through hard times and has given him the freedom to artistically express himself. Haro is 20 years old and was born, raised and still resides in East Los Angeles. As a child, he was first inspired to draw after watching some of his favorite cartoons. “What got me into drawing as a kid was waking up each morning and watching Mickey Mouse, Spongebob, Batman and so on,” said Haro. He credits his older brother, who is also an artist, with inspiring him too. “When he would finish, I would grab his drawing and trace it over and try to get all the details,” Haro said. Haro’s brother and mother have been his biggest supporters since then. “My mother would always keep me company and would ask me what I was drawing. Whenever I was part of an event, she’d be there no matter what,” Haro said. In 2017, he faced one of his
toughest moments, when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Haro said he was devastated, but was able to cope using art. It was during this time that he created his piece entitled “Nothing Was the Same,” which he dedicated to his mother. The piece was meant to show his mother that she was not alone in her battle. It also gave Haro a way to express the emotions and negativity he was dealing with at the time. Times of struggle are not his only sources of inspiration. “I listen to a lot of music. It inspires me to keep pushing forward and helps me get ideas for my drawings,” said Haro. He has drawn portraits of rappers such as 2Pac and Lil Peep. He said he sees glimpses of himself in these rappers and can relate to their lyrics and their journey to the top. Another thing Haro has in common with these rappers is talent. “When he starts to paint or draw, whether it’s with a pen, pencil or paint brush, and he plays some music... Man he’s in his groove. It’s like watching your favorite artist up on stage singing,” said Joshua Aguilar, Haro’s brother. Haro prides
COURTESY OF GUILLERMO HARO
2PAC—Guillermo Haro finds inspiration in his favorite rappers.
himself on being a “self-taught” artist, but has taken art courses before and wants to continue. During his time at East Los Angeles College, Haro took some art classes including an introduction to animation class and a painting class. He said that taking these helped him become more confident as an artist. “It helped me come out of my shell and show others what I am capable of doing,” Haro said. He attended ELAC from 2017 to 2018, but is currently taking a break from school. He plans to return soon to complete an associate degree in studio art but in the meantime he would like to help his mother and build his art portfolio by taking commissions. “At the moment I am creating as much art as I can to build up my portfolio,” Haro said. As far as his future, Haro is interested in becoming a tattoo artist who specializes in portraits. He said he looks forward to creating art on a person and loves the idea that his art will be meaningful to someone. To see more of Haro’s artwork, visit his Instagram @gharosart.
COURTESY OF GUILLERMO HARO
COURTESY OF GUILLERMO HARO
LIL PEEP—Guillermo Haro relates to lyrics in the music he listens to.
NOTHING WAS THE SAME—Guillermo Haro drew this self-portrait, titled “Nothing Was the Same“ after he found out his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Facebook group helps ELAC library technician understands student needs Huskies resolve issues BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer East Los Angeles College library technician Jose Mungaray has spent years in the classroom and library helping students at both the main and satellite campus. For close to a decade and a half, Mongaray has spent his days working at the South Gate campus as both a library technician and as a professor of Chicano studies. His road was a bit winding, but it has lead to a position he cares deeply for, as well as respect from his students and coworkers. Mungaray was born in Douglas, Arizona. His family moved to Mexico after his birth for three years, and then returned to the United States in 1969. The family took up residence in Southern California and settled in Maywood. He went to school in Maywood, then Downey, even having a stint at ELAC before getting his master’s in Chicano Studies at California State University Los Angeles. During his youth, he worked at
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the Maywood library. “I worked in the library even when I wasn’t supposed to. I started working there when I was 15. You’re supposed to be 16 for the county, but I had a really good mentor who allowed me to work a few months before that,” said Mungaray. He then moved to the Huntington Park library, and met Evelyn Escatiola, at the time a library manager. Escatiola is now the Dean of Academic Affairs at the South Gate campus. When a fellow worker told him of an opportunity, he took a job working at West Los Angeles College. This led to him getting a job as a library technician which he used when he applied at Los Angeles Harbor College to work there. Finally, Mungaray said he made his way back to ELAC in early the 2000s. Mungaray said he worked at the main campus library for a time, before any renovations had been made. Mungaray said that working at ELAC was a bit stressful because the main campus was understaffed. He then moved to the South Gate campus and a lot of the stress was lifted. “It’s been easy because I’ve enjoyed working here, the people I work with, the environment, the students, the whole academic setting. Once I got my degree, I started teaching in 2005. It kind of made it more, not comfortable. I do enjoy being here,” said Mungaray. He got his master’s degree during the time he worked at the ELAC library. Two specific things pushed him into going to Chicano studies while at CSULA. The first was reading “Bless Me Ultima” a coming of age novel by Rudolfo Anaya during a Chicano studies course. The second was an incident where he was refused service at a local Maywood restaurant when he was
in his early 20s. Mongaray said that at the time Maywood was still a very Anglo area and that during his youth he was shielded from much of the discrimination going on. These two events really spurred him forward into Chicano studies. Getting his master ’s degree allowed him to start teaching, first at Los Angeles Mission College in the fall of 2005. Mungaray said that as soon as he got his degree, he had very little time to get used to being a teacher. Once he did his first semester there, he transferred over to ELAC, where he was still working as a library technician and started teach classes. He was fully at ELAC, where he had started his college experience, something his two children Luis and Gabriela Mungaray have, and currently carry on today. While Mungaray worked at the South Gate campus library, he began to notice that neither the space allocated for the library nor the resources there were sufficient to meet the needs of the students. Current chairperson of the Library Faculty, Unjoo Lee, said that Mungaray was always thinking about the students at the South Gate campus. “ I n 2 0 0 5 , M r. M u n g a r a y relocated his assignment to the South Gate Educational Center. He has been a solo library technician who assists students with directions and general library information, explaining library policy and procedures, locating, retrieving, charging, renewing, and receiving library materials, and library equipment,” said Lee. She said that Mungaray not only helps the students academically, but that his notice of lacking resources and planning also helped make the library what it is today. “Actually, it took a long time. It took almost 10 years,” said
Mungaray about the improvements to the library in the South Gate campus. Before the campus became accredited, the main problems were cramped space, few hours and the lack of resources. Mungaray said that when accreditation was in sight, a lot started to change. During the 2015 school session, Mungaray said that the library made the move from the smaller room 124 to the current spot in room 215. This increased the size of the library, hours were added and more resources were given to the students. Mungaray works daily alongside other librarians to help the students use the library resources. Natasha Alvarez, outreach and instructional librarian, said that working alongside Mungaray, she has seen that from him, it’s all about getting support. “He is very in tune with the academic needs and support needs of the students. He knows everyone on campus,” said Alvarez. “Mr. Mungaray has been a hidden gem at East Los Angeles College South Gate Educational Center Library. Not only because of his veteran experiences, but also because his dedication to provide students access to the academic resources,” said Chairperson Lee. Mungaray pointed out that these resources were important. The South Gate campus is planning a big move to a new building within the next couple of years. Mungaray said he wants students to understand that the library is a serious place where students can come and learn, not a place for goofing off. Mungaray said that succeeding in this world and preparing for what was coming was key. “If you want learn how to succeed, talk to me,” Mungaray said.
She said she browses the group daily and makes posts herself Staff Writer about once a month asking various When Jasine Cumplido was questions. One of her previous questions was looking for a job as a student on East Los Angeles College campus, she about water bottle refilling stations could have spent hours researching on campus. The group was created in 2012 online. Instead, Cumplido drafted a when Facebook admin Sergio question and posted it on Facebook. Ramos, a former criminal justice “Does anyone know of any student at ELAC, had difficulty departments on campus that hire finding affordable textbooks for his student workers without work courses. And while you can find many study?? I need a job and I just found out I don’t qualify for work study similar groups on Facebook today, because I’m receiving [sic] a Cal only “Elac book sale” has such an active and large community. During Grant,” Cumplido’s post reads. the beginning of each Within 20 session, the page is minutes after the most active. It had Cumplido posted Many Elans, such an average of almost her original as Cumplido, 50 posts and 1,700 question, she began prefer to rely on comments a day during to get answers. “Elac book sale,” the week leading up to “Writing center,” a facebook group Spring semester and one student said. first two weeks during “Bilingual?? with over 7,500 the semester. If you are try active members Most of the posts outreach,” another and 11,000 total are about financial aid said. members... concerns. Many Elans, The page is so such as Cumplido, popular that page prefer to rely on “Elac book sale,” a Facebook group moderators had to start banning with over 7,500 active members and posts unrelated to ELAC. Ramos sees the community as 11,000 total members, when they have questions about their financial a way for students to easily find aid, want to sell or buy textbooks, solutions among themselves, when or need to vent about frustrating it may be too difficult or intimidating to go through official channels. situations. “Campus has to work with While the group is called “Elac Book Sale,” the group is a resource enough students,” Ramos said. for a variety of things in addition to “How is administration or financial simply buying and selling textbooks. aid offices going to have the time On the group’s discussion page, for all those students?” The group is simply a place announcements for club activities, upcoming events, questions about for students to connect with one classes and even warnings to another. “I definitely think it’s a way for students about potential threats can people to come together, with this be found. Cumplido, a sociology major, common thing that we all have, is planning to go to a sociology and it’s being a student here on this meet this week after seeing an campus,” Cumplido said. “It’s really nice to have somewhere annoucement about it posted on we can all just help each other out.” the page.
BY VICKY NGUYEN
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
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Feminists call for women writers on Wikpedia BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer The Vincent Price Art Museum will host the annual Art+Feminism “edit-a-thon,” a Wikipedia training session to improve the image of women on Wikipedia, on Saturday. This event will focus on editing Wikipedia pages of Latin women and non-binary artists. No editing experience is necessary and people are encouraged to bring their laptops or tablets to join in. Art+Feminism is a worldwide campaign that aims to inform the public about gender identities and end the misrepresentation of non-binary people online by filling in the gaps of knowledge in Wikipedia articles. Art+Feminism’s website says this is one way women are silenced. It also says that less than ten percent of Wikipedia editors are women. Their workshop’s goal is to change that statistic. The training session will teach beginners editing skills like, fact-checking, uploading images, adding citations, checking grammar and editing articles so that they are easier to read. According to Art+Feminism’s website, “These events gather people together to learn how to edit on Wikipedia. New editors then use the skills they’ve learned to contribute to existing articles that are in serious need of contribution.”
Art+Feminism’s main focus is editing Wikipedia pages, because Wikipedia is the fifth most popular website in the world, according to Alexa, an online traffic company. Since March 2014, the campaign has organized over 500 events around the world. They have edited the Wikipedia pages of artists Tina Charlie, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Ana Mendieta, Augusta Savage, and Frances Stark. These “edit-a-thons” can be organized anywhere by accessing Art+Feminism’s online application form. Art+Feminism dispatches Wikipedians, people who have sufficient experience using the website, to teach beginners how to edit. Their website also contains a starter kit with the materials necessary to begin an Art+Feminism training session. The kit is free and holds Creative Commons licensing, meaning it is accessible with no permission needed. This event is one of many Art+Feminism training sessions being hosted by museums throughout Southern California this month. The training session will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday at VPAM. For more information on other Art+Feminism workshops in Southern California, visit their website at artandfeminism.org. ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
Exhibit reveals '90s party life among Latinos BY MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer
COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS
STARFORCE TEAM—Korath (left), Att-Lass, Danvers, Bron-Char, and Minn-Erva form a special operations group with the Kree forces.
Marvel releases another amazing superhero movie BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Captain Marvel” is filled with exciting action, comedy and an amazing cast, but it’s the moments of self discovery that make it worthwhile. The entirety of the plot is about discovery — discovering who the villains really are, why Brie Larson’s character is called Vers and Carol Danvers and even figuring out why Samuel L. Jackson’s character Nick Fury isn’t wearing an eye patch. This makes the movie engaging from the moment the Marvel intro fades out. The story starts off on the alien planet called Hala, home to a group of alien warrior heroes called the Kree. These people are powerful fighters who are in the middle of a war against another alien race, the Skrulls. In the comic books the Skrulls and Kree have been around for a long time and are constantly ending up in wars that span the cosmos. In the movie, it’s apparent that the Skrulls are more of a terrorist group that caused great pain to the Kree. The audience gets introduced to Larson’s character and the inner turmoil she is going through. Not knowing her past caused her to not understand what her future may hold. The crux of the movie becomes trying to discover a way through this turmoil. The story then takes Vers/Danvers to Earth where much of the movie takes place. Her arriving and meeting Fury leads to more information coming to light about what she is really meant to do. Disney and Marvel Studios
pulled out all the stops in casting this movie. The film is full of big names like Jude Law as Yon-Rogg; Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva; and the hilarious yet also intimidating Ben Mendelsohn as Talos. Law is an interesting choice given how the role evolves through the movie, starting out first as a mentor then an equal to Vers/Danvers. It’s Mendelsohn as Talos, however, that really stands out. His ability to mix dread and comedy is uncanny and makes the character especially memorable. The heart of the story lies with Larson and Jackson’s pairing. Most of the movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have had brief glimpses of Jackson playing Fury, but “Captain Marvel” fleshes out the character more than any other Marvel movie. Jackson has mastered his character and it really shows. Fury is not the head boss in this movie, so the audience gets to see a scrappier and more spy-like version of the character. Pairing Jackson and Larson works wonders. Their role reversal is fun to watch as Larson plays off Jackson’s usual tough guy persona as more of a joke than anything else. Larson is a great fit for the titular role of Vars/Danvers/Captain Marvel. She has the chops to make intense scenes believable and switch to warmth or comedy on the fly. Her acting here is quite well done with the physicality and humor being on point. One scene has her roaring back at an adversary and almost seems like an ad lib reaction. She also gets more than one chance to be a bit more sincere with Jackson’s Fury. It leads to moments that are unexpected but welcomed.
Unfortunately the script’s use of one liners, which happens in all Marvel movies, shows that despite these lines getting laughs, it’s a bit played out. Luckily, Larson and Jackson are engaging and charismatic enough on screen to make these instances somewhat fun. Marvel Studios have become experts in the special effects and computer generated imaging market, and “Captain Marvel” doesn’t disappoint. The effects of space battles, the look of desolate alien worlds and the shear power effects of the main character shows just how amazing and essential computers have become to Hollywood. Yet the most surprising note in this movie is its music. Early to late '90s music blares in every other scene. This is only further enhanced by the costume design that transports the audience right back to the flannel-wearing decade. Bands like No Doubt and Nirvana can be heard playing throughout the movie. “Captain Marvel” is an intense and fulfilling movie that invokes a lot of heart from its main characters. The story is empowering to any and all who are trying to figure out what they are truly meant for in their lives. Vers/Danvers moment after her final battle cements the takeaway of the movie. “Captain Marvel” might be called a great female superhero movie, but in actuality it’s just an amazing superhero movie. It’s a movie that asks the audience to go on a journey and discover fantastic new things. “Captain Marvel” is Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language and opens Friday.
Artist Guadalupe Rosales lead a walkthrough with art critic Andy Campbell on her exhibit “Echoes of a Collective Memory” on Saturday at the Vincent Price Art Museum. The exhibit shows the party life of the '90s Latino youth. The walkthrough, which was more of a Q&A, was a way to celebrate the closing of the exhibit. Rosales encouraged visitors to not only ask questions, but share personal stories and statements. Many personal stories were from visitors who heard stories from older relatives and had not had any visual references until Rosales’s exhibit. Many statements were of thanks to the artist for collecting authentic items. For example, lip liner was a big trend in the '90s.
Instead of displaying any lip liner, Rosales went to search for a specific liner that was commonly used during those times.
“It’s a very important show that makes visible so many issues that pertain to the experiences of brown youth in Los Angeles.” RAFA ESPARZA Artist
The exhibit includes slideshows of pictures and videos of young latinos/as, club music, party flyers and a shrine devoted to her cousin, Ever Sanchez. Sanchez died of gang violence in
1996 during a party. Rosales initially started to gather personal things of Sanchez’s which led to gathering things related to '90s parties and eventually into things that related to the lives of the latino youth community in that decade. “It’s a very important show that makes visible so many issues that pertain to the experiences of brown youth in Los Angeles,” said artist Rafa Esparza. Rosales said she would be in New York this week for lecture visits at schools including Yale University. She is in the process of getting together another exhibit in New York along with dancer Mariana Valencia. She hopes to make it a more active version of her previous exhibits. “Echos of a Collective Memory” is on display at VPAM until March 23.
Designer sheds light on freelancing in entertainment BY MARIANA MONTOYA Staff Writer A freelancing in entertainment workshop was given on Monday by professor and scenic designer Francois-Pierre Couture. Students were exposed to advice, as well as different examples and scenarios of what can happen while pursuing a career in costume design or acting. “I think this was really important for us students to know and understand what to expect when you are going for any of these careers,” said Maria Fernandez, a sophomore student at East Los Angeles College. Couture made emphasis on students learning how to organize their time accurately and the importance of having good network. “The key to surviving in this business is by learning to juggle your schedule,” said Couture. He repeated to students the importance of always having their calendar up to date and learning how to communicate their needs
to the directors. He explained that it’s important to have strong communication with the director so there are no misunderstandings in any areas such as the sets or even the monetary aspects of the production.
“The key to surviving in this business is by learning to juggle your schedule.”
FRANCOIS-PIERRE COUTURE Scenic Designer
Along with that, Couture encouraged students to make sure to have everything written out in emails or in contracts, as a form of keeping record for themselves and for the directors. He highlighted the value of
always looking for ways to broaden their experiences. Students should be willing to work on smaller projects first before going onto bigger ones. Throughout the presentation, he made sure to remind students the importance of having a presence on stage, as well as in future engagements to be memorable for directors. “The one thing I would say is the way you are going to work is through your contacts,” said Couture. “It’s through the people you know and how you work with those people.” Couture advised that the best way for students to broaden their network is to transfer to different schools and get involved in different projects. He also showed students different examples of agreements and contracts he used in the past. “I really enjoyed this workshop. It really opened my eyes about what the business is truly like,” said Fernandez. www.ELACCampusNews.com
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Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019
Maki leads shut out
Failure to perform under pressure BY JOSE CABRERA Staff Writer Missed opportunities for Huskies ended their chances of advancing to the next round and lost the game 63-60. The second round of the California Community College Athletic Association playoff took place on Saturday between Santa Monica College and East Los Angeles College. Santa Monica College began the game by grabbing an early five point lead within the first minute. That was the wake up call for the Huskies to get things moving. The Huskies responded by tightening up their defense and scored fourteen points. The Huskies went into the half leading 32-28. “We’ve got battle hard and provide a strong defense,” said Husky forward Malik Muhammad. Santa Monica College went on a scoring streak during the second half that brought them back into the game. Santa Monica College would outshoot the Huskies in three pointers by converting 36 percent of them. Santa Monica College would even outbound the Huskies 40 to 31. As the minutes were winding down, they got the engine rolling and went on a 20-9 run to begin the second half giving them a 48-41 lead with ten minutes left.
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BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer
The Huskies were quick to call a timeout to get things in order. The Huskies went on a 20-8 run giving them 60-58 lead with a little over a minute left in the half. Santa Monica College’s Mekhi Kimble quickly put an end to the Huskies momentum by shooting a three point shot that gave Santa Monica College a 61-60 lead with a minute left to play in the half. A crucial moment was presented for the Huskies because their playoff hopes were on the line.
“We had a great season and we fell short. Now we look forward to next season” JOHN MOSLEY Head coach
Time was winding down and the Huskies defense was able to get Santa Monica College to turn over the ball giving the Huskies a chance to tie the game. Husky guard Deshaun Highler missed the game tying three pointer, forcing the Huskies to foul. Santa Monica was able to make their free throw shots and it gave them a 63-60 lead with 6.8 seconds left in the game. The Huskies had the opportunity to score, but struggled to bring the ball in bounds.
CN/DIEGO LINARES
POINTS IN THE PAINT— Babacar Thiombane rises for a layup during an ELAC loss at home in the South Gym on Saturday. The Huskies called a timeout which saved them from a turnover. The Huskies made one last inbound pass and shot a three point shot to tie, but couldn’t capitalize. SMC grabbed the rebound ending the playoff run for the Huskies with the final score of 63-60.
“We had a great season and we fell short. Now we look forward to next season,” said coach John Mosley. Huskies finished the season with 25-4 record and making it into the second of the playoffs.
East Los Angeles College baseball shut out Los Angeles Harbor College at home on Thursday 3-0. The Huskies were able to end its four-game losing streak with a solid pitching performance from sophomore right hander Troy Maki. The bench of Los Angeles Harbor College was showing much more energy than the East Los Angeles College bench to start the game. Maki showed off his pitching talents at the start of the game and never looked back. He recorded two strikeouts while buckling the first opposing batter on the third pitch. Later in the top of the first inning he was able to pick off the runner at first with a quick release. “He has been performing at a real high level. He has been taking us deep into games, while keeping his pitch count down, getting strikeouts when needed and keeping his walks to a bare minimum,” said head coach James Hines. ELAC started the game slow on offense by hitting fly balls and getting caught in a double plays to end the inning. Andrew Garcia of Los Angeles Harbor College recorded the first hit of the game with a base hit into the right gap. Garcia was caught stealing on the next pitch and Maki struck out freshman Christian Gonzalez to end the top of the third. The Huskies first hit of the game came in the fourth inning by outfielder Ruben Hernandez with a single to right field. Steven Villagran followed suit with a double of his own into the left center gap to put runners on third and second base. Infielder, Andy Rodriguez, hit a run batted in to center, scoring the runner from third. Los Angeles Harbor College threatened to tie the game up with
a hit by the lead off batter Kawika Hubbell. The rotation of off speed pitches by Maki quickly shut down the opposing team’s hopes with a quick strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Huskies were back in scoring position with runners on first and second. Outfielder Erick Espinoza drove home a run to make the score 2-0, keeping runners in scoring position. Robert Banuelos had an RBI to contribute making the score 3-0 with a base hit to left, concluding the sixth inning. ELAC managed to have a onetwo- three inning due to great pitching and infielding by Rodriguez. During the middle of the seventh inning, Los Angeles Harbor College made a pitching change. Sophomore Ryan Robinson was subbed out for fellow sophomore Jacob Criss. During his set of batters, a bat was thrown down the first base line after Hernandez lost his grip and Brandon Hernandez made an outstanding play to dodge the tag when stealing second. Los Angeles Harbor College continued the game in dramatic fashion by putting a runner on third to come up empty in the top of the eighth. They later showed some life in their final at bat to fall short. The game ended with a hard hit line drive to second sealing the victory for Maki and the team in front of its home crowd. Maki ended the game with a strong performance and a total of nine strike outs, two walks one hit batter and only three hits in his nine inning game. The team also kept its errors to a minimum by only recording one in the entire game to prove its stability on defense. The next game for the Huskies will be held at Cerritos College Friday at 2 p.m.