Volume 76, Issue 13 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Bill offers homeless students campus parking lot to sleep BY MELISA VALENZUELA Staff Writer Assembly Bill 302, or the Safe Lot Legislation, would allow homeless California community college students to sleep in their vehicles in campus parking facilities. The bill was introduced by assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) January. Its purpose is to provide a temporary solution to California’s current housing crisis which has left thousands of community college students homeless or in danger of becoming homeless. According to Berman, out of the quarter of a million community college students enrolled in the 2016-2017 academic year, one in four (about 50,000) experienced homelessness. Although the long- term solution would be building more affordable housing for low-income and homeless students, AB 302 is a step that could secure a safe place for students to sleep at night. This option would only be available to students who are
enrolled in coursework, have paid their enrollment fees and are in good standing with the college without having to enroll in additional classes. AB 302 stems from another bill, AB 1995, signed by former governor Jerry Brown in 2016.
“It could impact thousands to tens of thousands in California, so I think that is a price worth paying.” MARC BERMAN
California assemblymember
AB 1995 required community colleges to grant access to campus shower facilities to homeless students who met the same qualifications.
AB 1995 and other programs such as Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act, California College Promise, and federal Pell grants have been readily available to assist struggling students. The Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act and the California College Promise help cover enrollment and tuition fees, but those are not the biggest expenses students face. According to a report from Assembly Speaker’s Office of Research and Floor Analysis released last summer, housing takes up about 43 percent of a student’s budget. Pell grants can be used for nontuition costs but “cover less than a third of average non-tuition costs, leaving a sizable gap that these students must fill,” according to the same report. AB 302 has yet to pass, so the law is not certain. Some major issues such as funding have yet to be discussed. “It could impact thousands to tens of thousands in California, so I think that is a price worth paying,” Berman said. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
Applications open to students interested in trustee position
motions, receiving compensations for board meetings and of using the Staff Writer advisory vote, which doesn’t count Applications are available to in deciding if an item passes but is East Los Angeles College students logged in the official minutes. Student trustees must know and interested in being a student trustee for the Los Angeles Community learn the needs and interests of College District Board of Trustees. their community, college district, The role of student trustee district’s students and the board’s requires participating in all open responsibilities. An election will be held to board meetings. The general responsibilities are the same as determine who will be the student trustee of the district. publicly elected trustees. “I believe last year ELAC The responsibilities are to study the issues and ask questions in only had, maybe, four students apply and one preparation of officially run,” meetings, be a said Anthony team member “This past January, Dominguez, ASU of the board and the student trustee, V.P. of Advocacy, thoughtfully helps with participate in along with three other who the student discussions in candidates from trustee election. order to properly Michelle influence the district, went to Segura Padilla, decisions. According to Sacramento to lobby on Student Activities c c l e a g u e . o rg , regulations. and laws.” as as isdi s at ab on ut t, the Community why students College League ANTHONY DOMINGUEZ ASU V.P. of Advocacy should consider of California’s applying for the website, other role, “Mainly responsibilities could include attending conferences because they have the opportunity to enhance personal knowledge to represent not only their campus i n o r d e r t o m a k e e d u c a t e d but the entire district. There are a lot of decisions made that will impact contributions to the board, and help represent the college at community many, many students.” “This past January, the student events and at the state and national trustee, along with three other legislatures. The Education Code states that candidates from the district went to the requirement for being a student Sacramento to lobby on regulations trustee is being enrolled in a college and laws,” Dominguez said. The board normally meets on of the district for at least five Wednesday twice a month with the semester units. A student trustee has the following public session commencing at 2 p.m. rights: to attend every meeting of the followed by closed session. Applications are available at governing board except for closed sessions, to be seated with the board the main campus in F5-212 Mon.and participate in discussions, to Thurs. from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and on receive the same materials as others Friday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and at the in the board and to receive the same South Gate campus at the front desk mileage disbursement under the Mon.-Thurs. from 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. same policies as others in the board. and on Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Applications should be submitted The document “On Being a Student Trustee” on ccleague. to Student Activities, F5-212, at org says student trustees have the the main campus by 4:30 p.m. on privilege of making and seconding March 15.
BY MIGUEL BARRAGAN
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
CONSTRUCTION BLOCKADE—Blocked-off construction above the underground water tank in front of the E3 building.
Construction required after weather damages water tank BY ALEX HANDY Staff Writer
The frequent rain these past few weeks has taken a toll on the ELAC campus, especially the E3 building area. The storm brought problems to ELAC’s underground water tank. The repairs should take about three months to finish. North of E3, in the quad area, students coming from parking structure three will notice fencing around the front area of the building. Abel Rodriguez, director of College Facilities, said one of his employees noticed that the concrete
News Briefs
“buckled” in December. The floor sunk a bit, so immediately he thought it was the storm water tank. That turned out to be correct. The underground water tank compressed. Rodriguez said this problem won’t harm the building itself. He also said the foundation of the building is still sturdy, and the solution is replacing the water tank. The repairs won’t start immediately due to the weather. It will begin in the next few months. Construction workers didn’t want to have a “rain out,” which would have them work in mud and would be more difficult than the project needs to be.
“You can’t see if there is another person in front of you due to the angle we are walking because of this fencing.” ISAIAH MOLINA ELAC student
Some students have actually collided with other students.
Food assistance and medical coverage
CalFresh, WIC, Medi-cal reps will be outside F5 on February 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to help with information and to sign people up. Hot drinks and snacks will be provided to those who stop by for help.
Nothing serious has occurred, but it’s still an inconvenience. “You can’t see if there is another person in front of you due to the angle we are walking because of this fencing,” said Isaiah Molina, an ELAC student. Rebecca Martinez, a student at ELAC, has a class in the E3 building and collided with another student in the walk space. “It’s just too small,” Martinez said. Molina said it doesn’t really affect him getting to his classes on time, but he understands how it can be frustrating to the teachers and students that are coming from parking structure 3.
Final meta major card sorting event
Redesign ELAC will allow ELAC students, staff and faculty to help in the process of determining meta majors, a new system of classifying majors and certificates, on Thursday from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m. in F5-201 MPR.
ASU Resource Center’s Fest
ASU encourages students to learn about the resources on campus today from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the E3/E7 quad. There will be free snacks, games, music and a photo booth.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Valentine’s day expresses love to all BY GISELLE ARROYO Staff Writer Valentine’s Day can sometimes be a day of dread for people, but it should be celebrated as a day to express love and friendship. There are many reasons to be thankful for Valentine’s Day. For instance, be thankful for the presents. In other words, be thankful that there is actually a day dedicated for people to show you that they love you with presents. It’s always nice to get a little something like flowers, bears, and especially chocolates. According to the blog “Petal Talk,” done by 1-800flowers, it is estimated that every year over 36 million heart-shaped chocolates are sold throughout the country.
Chocolate is delicious, and it’s great to receive them just as any other gift. When it comes down to it, everyone likes getting gifts, even if it is shaped like a heart. Contrary to popular belief, this day is not just for couples but it is for everyone. Valentine’s Day is also a day that single people can appreciate. Who cares if people are single on Valentine’s Day? Being single allows people to just hang out with friends who might also be single and make a day of it. Grab your friends and see what Valentine’s day sales are out there. You can also just spend the time to treat yourself. This can simply be a day to focus on self-care. Taking time for yourself is just as important
because you need to love and care for yourself as you do for others. Just spend the day with the people you love, or just treat yourself. There is nothing wrong with wanting to spend this day by yourself, pampering and relaxing is a good way to spend it. For those who have pets, take the time to show them how much you appreciate them. After all, spending time with them is just as important as taking time with a loved one. People who have pets can take the time to show them how much they appreciate them. Spending time with them is just as important and satisfying as taking time with a loved one. Sometimes if you have a pet, spending time with them is even better. Be thankful you have a day to
show people or animals that you love them. The red and pinks hearts displayed everywhere are a constant reminder to show your appreciation for the people or animals you care about. According to “Petal Talk,” every year an estimated nine million people buy their pets a Valentine’s Day gift. Buying your pet a gift is not weird. It’s more common than you think. Overall, whether it be your friends, family or pets, giving feels just as good as receiving. However for most of us, Valentine’s Day can be pricey. Thankfully, there are huge discounts on chocolates, bears, and trinkets, the next day. Be thankful for the discounts. Oh, the glorious discounts. The day after Valentine’s Day can be the best day
in February if you can’t afford to buy gifts. An employee at CVS has mentioned that she notices the same thing happening every year. For 18 years she noticed that people would wait for the day after Valentine’s Day to buy gifts for their loved ones. It’s not an uncommon thing to do. It’s a great idea to take advantage of these discounts. Again, especially chocolates, because Valentine’s Day chocolates are the best chocolates. If you forgot to buy something for someone or maybe you just want to buy something for yourself, the best time to do it is then. At the risk of sounding cheesy, Valentines Day isn’t about what you do or how much money you spend. It is just about the love.
Representation matters at the 2019 Academy Awards BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer It’s the middle of award season and the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences released the list of its nominations for the Oscars. What has people talking is the nomination for 2018’s critical and commercial success “Black Panther” for Best Picture. It’s a comic book movie being acknowledged by the academy after years of fans wanting comic book films to be nominated. For years studios have been pushing for their most successful films to be nominated and finally this year they are. However, this is not why the nomination is important. This nomination, perhaps, shows a change in the academy’s slow move toward progression. This nomination is the first bigbudget film that features a full cast of African Americans,with Chadwick Boseman as the leading role. While “Black Panther” is not the first film to be nominated for Best Picture with an all black cast and lead, “Moonlight” being the
other film, it is the first movie to have earned a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. What this nomination shows the public is that the academy is responding to what audiences like.
Sites like Rotten Tomatoes show audiences’ and critics’ perspectives, and draw a consensus by making up a percentage. If the percentage is above 51 percent, it is certified fresh. “Black
Panther” has a 97 percent on RT. Perhaps one of the reasons this film was nominated was because it is one of the best examples of representation for a minority group. This is important because it
shows that things are progressing in society as a whole. People are willing to accept a black man as a superhero - as a role model. Hollywood has always reflected society, and now it is reflecting the inclusion society is striving for. This nomination is not good just for the African American population, but for all minorities. The nomination of a film that showcases society’s thirst for diverse films may allow other films the chance to get the recognition and the messages they are trying to send out for movie goers consumption. Just in the past few years awards have gone to Guillermo del Toro for Best Director and Jordan Peele for Best Original Screenplay. With “Black Panther” being nominated, it shows that things are progressing in society. In all likelihood “Black Panther” won’t get the win, as the film is mediocre. Nevertheless, it has a good message and it doesn’t detract from what it’s done. Hopefully with this film being nominated more films like this will be recognized too.
Tame Superbowl reflected in ratings plunge Staff Writer
www.ELACCampusNews.com
MANAGING EDITOR Steven Adamo ONLINE EDITORS Kevin Camargo Adam Robles Alex Handy FRONT EDITOR Miguel Barragan Melody Ortiz OPINION EDITORS Juan Calvillo Giselle Arroyo NEWS EDITORS Melisa Valenzuela Maria Marroquin Monroy FEATURE EDITORS Luis Castilla ARTS EDITORS Cher Antido Julie Santiago SPORTS EDITOR Sonny Tapia Mariana Montoya COPY EDITORS Gustavo Buenrostro Anastasia Landeros Diego Linares Stephanie Guevara Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Steven CardonaAarreola, Kelly Vasquez, Vincent Austin,Erick Villarreal, Vicky Nguyen, Trissean McDonald, Alejandro Ambriz, Johanna Rodriguez, Johanna Calderon, Samantha Iniguez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Steven Adamo Gustavo Buenrostro Anastasia Landeros 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.
BY SONNY TAPIA The National Football League had the lowest national ratings since 2008 at only 98.2 million viewers, while Californians were glued to the television. This year’s Super Bowl was one of the more disappointing in recent years due to multiple factors. Everyone can agree that there has been enough of the New England Patriots in the big game. Seeing the same team go to four out of the past five Super Bowls can be upsetting to most football fans. The city of New Orleans made it very clear how they felt about the no call in the National Football Conference Championship. The hit that Nickell RobeyColeman threw on Saint’s wide receiver Tommylee Lewis was a blatant pass interference or defenseless receiver call that the refs did not even think twice about. In an effort to boycott the big game, they managed to drop ratings from 53 million people to a meek 26.1 million people. St. Louis also decided to skip the game due to an unsettling city change for their beloved team a few years back. Watching their former team play on the biggest Sunday of the year, under a new city had to be hard to watch. The Los Angeles Rams only put up three points in the entire game making this Super Bowl the lowest scoring ever. Most of the game was nothing but short pass plays and eight consecutive punts by the Rams causing any excitement for the game to slowly disappear, making it seem
EDITOR IN CHIEF Andrew Ayala
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
like everything was so much slower. After the end of the first half it was likely people turned the television off and focused on other things. The halftime show was performed by Maroon 5 along with Big Boi and Travis Scott. The show was not nearly as entertaining as past halftime shows. Many football fans argued against having Maroon 5 play the halftime show when it was announced. Clearly all of those were correct in their assumptions. Although the nation’s ratings dropped significantly, California’s eyes were all on the Rams. California saw its highest ratings this year for a couple reasons.
The Rams returned to Los Angeles and gained a huge fan base combined with those that never stopped being vocal fans.
Although the nation’s ratings dropped significantly, California’s eyes were all on the Rams. California saw its highest ratings this year...
Rams fans are die hard and their passing to the Super Bowl only made them more engaged. Many had to be stuck to the game because they are also witnessing one of the fastest turnarounds ever. The Rams went 4-12 just 2 seasons ago and ended up in the Super Bowl. Along with that great success brought major publicity to an already booming city. “The Rams were something else this season. I was really excited to see them play in the Super Bowl,” said Joseph Orguno an ELAC Student. Some cities never get to see a Super Bowl in the first place, let
alone this fast. The football world watched Tom Brady get his sixth ring, a huge milestone for the Patriots quarterback. Yet the lowest number of people saw him conquer the sport. Maybe most of his fans got enough after the fifth ring. There is still no doubt that this game broke records. This years Super Bowl will go down in history as one with the least on-field drama and lowest viewership of all time. The NFL will be taking more measures before the next season arrives to ensure there is no drop in ratings again.
The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS
News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019
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WORKING TOGETHER—The Sexual Assault Awareness and Violence Education team talking about the
schedule for Sexual Assault Awareness month and planning events during yesterday’s meeting.
SAAVE workshops focus on promoting awareness BY MARIANA MONTOYA Staff Writer
The Sexual Assault Awareness and Violence Education team held its first meeting yesterday to set up an agenda for spring semester events. Take Back the Night was one of the events mentioned and will be held on April 25. This is a yearly event in which
students, faculty and community leaders come together to march, and hear testimonials from survivors. Among other events mentioned were workshops that will be offered throughout of April because it is Sexual Assault Awarness month. These workshops are dedicated to different types of assault, human trafficking awareness, health fairs and workshops promoting healthy relationships.
Marilyn Ladd, women’s health professor said East Los Angeles College campus is known and prides itself for hosting the most events during that month. The team was created to stop violence against women on college campuses. The program itself was originally known as Violence Intervention Team or VIT, and it was funded by the Department of Justice. It started as a consortium
New dean appointed to South Gate campus BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer
Dr. Michelle Cheang has been named the new dean of continuing education and workforce development at East Los Angeles Colleges South Gate campus. The Public Information Office said that the previous dean, Ming Huei-Lam, took over a vacant position in Academic Affairs at the ELAC main campus. Cheang was one of three candidates nominated by a selection committee, comprised of faculty and staff, and ELAC President Marvin Martinez made the final choice. Martinez cited Cheang’s time as a dean in Career Technical Education and her time working at Los Angeles Trade Tech as major reasons for being chosen for the position. “She came with a strong CTE background and experience. She definitely has the academic credentials, from the bachelors to the masters to the doctorate. So that’s always good,” Martinez said. Cheang said one of the things she really liked about taking the position was the chance to see everything that the campus has to offer, and being only one of two active deans on site at the South Gate campus allows her to do just that. She said that one of her duties is to expand what the school is doing to increase the number of students enrolled at South Gate campus. Cheang said that to help build the school community it is important to have the surrounding South Gate community know that the school is there to help them. Cheang is of Chinese/Mexican descent; raised in Calexico, Mexicali on the border of Baja California. Cheang started at UC San Diego, then moved to Cal State Northridge where she received her doctorate in Community College Leadership. She said that her passion became
working with local communities and for a time worked in the nonprofit sector before working in the community college system. Her background influenced her decision to work with students that are sometimes pushed to the side in the scholastic system. These students ranged from at risk students to dropouts.
Michelle Cheang Cheang said that coming from LA Trade Tech is an asset to doing her new job as dean at the South Gate Campus. Her work with multiple groups, departments and diverse staff gave her a perspective that put culture at the forefront. “For me, culture is important. Each institution is different. They all have their own quirks,” Cheang said. Her idea is to know not only the faculty and staff, but the students and the needs of her new home and community at South Gate. “What’s that saying? Culture trumps strategy,” Cheang said. As the new dean of CEWD one of her goals is to continue the work that her predecessor started. One of those tasks is to prepare for the move from the current building that is the South Gate Campus to a brand new building. She mentioned that the move will potentially double the size of the campus and allow for more students.
Staff is taking into consideration the move and thinking about what other programs can be added to the curriculum. They are taking ideas from a survey that was conducted at the South Gate Campus in which student body and faculty participated. The survey consisted of ideas they wanted to see implemented to improve the campus. “I’m not coming in creating something that doesn’t make sense. If the students don’t care for it, then what’s the point?” Cheang said. “We want to bring cool, innovative stuff that is going to be interesting to students so they can get good jobs.” One such program that seems to be forthcoming is part of the Administration of Justice program, the Fire Technology, which Cheang said will be at the campus in the Fall. Cheang stressed that the South Gate Campus is trying to make students feel like they are really at a college, and that the move will help facilitate that. She said the staff and faculty are trying to figure out how to convey that the South Gate campus can be a primary pick, not a secondary one. “How can we really have that South Gate pride? That South Gate pride of ‘we want to go to South Gate and that is our school’,” Cheang said of her and the rest of the staff’s thought process. She said that having permanent faculty on site and making all the services available that main campuses have would really hammer this idea home. Bringing a more diverse set of programs and also making the campus feel welcoming and primary are what Cheang has set to do. She said in doing this, she is getting all the support possible from the main campus team for her to achieve the desired effect. “I don’t let the hierarchy or the titles or the silos interrupt the work. For me it’s about what makes sense for the students. Right? If it makes sense for the students, we need to overcome any, either perceived or real, boundaries or obstacles,” Cheang said.
with the University of Southern California and all nine Los Angeles District Community Colleges on board. “All nine colleges would show up at USC and they would hand out buttons and Agendas just like what is happening here, and they would set up events like Take Back the Night, health fairs, and workshops that were open to the community,” Ladd said. Ladd founded the program at ELAC in 2004 with permission
from the student services dean at the time. Seven years after USC stepped down, and none of the nine colleges wanted to take it over. It was retaken by current professors Andrea Owens and Eileen Le. The name was changed to SAAVE in 2014 by the nine LACCD colleges. This time it did not count with the Department of Justice’s funding.
“One of the main purposes of the team is to promote awareness for the month of April which is sexual assault awareness month, and usually in October which is domestic abuse awareness month,” Owens said. SAAVE is open to the public and to anyone who would like to spread awareness, or simply support survivors. The meetings are held every other Tuesdays in the E9 building room 114 from 12:15- 1:30 pm.
Veteran’s Resource Center re-locates to upgraded facility BY STEVEN CARDONA Staff Writer ELAC’s Veterans Resource center is now located at D7A, a more spacious area than the previous location. Although the location is a few yards away from the old one at D7, the staff at the VRC feel that it is more welcoming to students. There are other resources for students in the D7 building, the transfer center among the few, which causes a lot of foot traffic through the building. The room that the VRC was located in was toward the back of the building, while the Veterans Counselor, Jessica Peak’s, office was in a separate room closer to the entrance. Mark Carreon, a VRC staff member, said the layout of the old location gave them a few problems.
Carreon has been working with the VRC for about two years and handles all the social media, marketing and promotional objectives. He said the change brings a more welcoming environment because the new space is larger and everything is more spread out. The new location is about a third bigger than before and there are multiple rooms available for more individualized assistance. “There is more room to give veterans the space they need to make the transition from military to civilian life much smoother,” said Carreon. He also mentioned that the flow of traffic coming in and out of the resource center is much more systematic because all of the resources they provide have their respective areas within the building allowing them to tend to veterans’ needs easier.
There is more time for one-onones with the Veterans Counselor. The VRC now offers veterans a wellness counselor to talk to by making an appointment. “If veterans need a therapist, then they can come here and talk to someone...” said Carreon. Carreon said that the biggest benefit the veterans get from the VRC is that it’s like a one-stop shop. From mental health to academic counseling, to helping navigate online sites that offer financial assistance, or helping veterans seek other resources and benefits they might be able to receive, they can go to the VRC and use these tools and resources. He said that the best way for veterans to get the best out of their organization is to engage in the events they put together and in the community of veterans they have helped foster on campus.
New proposals help students achieve higher education BY JOSE CABRERA Staff Writer The First Academic Senate meeting of the spring semester was held yesterday afternoon. Members discussed the accreditation steering committee bylaws draft that will help promote college culture dedicated to the improvement of school programs and focus on student learning. The ASC wants to verify that the programs East Los Angeles College implements are going to benefit the students. A new Guided Pathways Framework was also introduced which will help students achieve better outcomes and graduate faster. Members want to improve the Enhancing Learning and Achieving Completion program by implementing an equity-focused enhancement committed to student learning and advancing degrees, certificates, etc by providing
guidance and full support from staff. The pathway is also going to implement a template that benefits full and part time students. “The Academic Work team will be available to work with departments and try to build those issues of consistency,” said President of the Academic Senate Jeff Hernandez. “By improving this template, we have a starting point that we know can move confidently.” This template assures that students will obtain help to speed up the process of transferring or graduating. Things got intense as members discussed the time management of this year’s graduation program. Members addressed the time issue they are having when it comes to the ceremony. Plans were discussed to make the ceremony more convenient for the students, parents and staff. Members want to cut time from the district speaker because they believe it absorbs too much time from the ceremony. Kevin Booth, Respiratory Therapy Director said,
“ Limits for them [district speaker] might be in order. It’s about the student really.” Plans to change the date sparked a major discussion among the group when members suggested that the ceremony be moved on Tuesday because it works out best for everybody. Members argued Friday would best solution for parents that work during the week. Jeff Hernandez said that would be unfair for the students that still have class on the weekend and suggested that Tuesday is looking like the better option because there may be a higher rate of attendance. Members also suggested that ELAC should have a bigger stage with multiple exits to help speed up the process. The main priority of the discussion is give more time to the students. Controversy went on and on between members as the meeting came to a close. The discussion will be continue in the next Academic Senate meeting. www.ELACCampusNews.com
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FEATURES
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Scholarship to run on tequila Elac professor plans to fund scholarship with his tequila company BY TRISSEAN MCDONALD Staff Writer Academic pathways toward success get rather pricey. However, what if some of those expenses were paid for with tequila? Gerardo Madrigal, a statistics professor at East Los Angeles College, has a plan to create his very own tequila and use a percentage of the revenue to sponsor a scholarship for ELAC students. Tequila grant money sounds a bit far fetched. but, Madrigal has an agave farm in which he envisions creating the beverage. He even chooses to share his hard work’s profit with students who have stuggled to bring about success. Anahy Vilchis, a student majoring in biochemistry, thinks that the scholarship is a great resource for students. “It would give us more resources in order to prosper. A lot of us students start here with the intent of wanting to continue on. So that would be really good,” Vilchis said. Professor Madrigal said the design of the tequila bottle could take nearly six months for completion. Therefore, at the moment, it is unclear as to when the scholarship will be funded. A Linkedin article by Madrigal details the company’s plans as well as its history. The name of his brand is Tequila AMAN. Certified by the Agricert México, the tequila is 100 percent USDA organic Agave Azul. Tequila AMAN’s mission is to educate the public by displaying how the company “affirms” to the soil by dedicating their farming method to soil-carbon sequestration, which captures carbon dioxide in soil.
The name AMAN means “to research scientists to document affirm,” according to the Linkedin their progress with sequestering article “Tequila AMAN: The First carbon into their soil. “I’ve done my and Only Organic Tequila Dedicated homework. I don’t trust distilling to The United Nations Climate companies because they steal Action Sustainability Goal #13.” ideas,” Madrigal said. He continued Carbon sequestration is the saying, “In the time of scarcity, process of capturing and storing distilling companies are stealing atmospheric carbon ideas. I have to make my dioxide, according to own tequila.” the U.S. Geological “Tequila grant Some regenerative S u r v e y. I t i s a o rg a n i c a g r i c u l t u r e money sounds a m e t h o d s t h a t t h e method of reducing t h e a m o u n t o f bit far fetched, company practices are carbon dioxide in but Madrigal composting, ground the atmosphere with mulching and crop has an agave rotation. These methods the goal of reducing g l o b a l c l i m a t e farm in which he assist in restoring the change. and livelihood envisions creating health Madrigal said he of degraded soils for has been fascinated the beverage.” abundant harvests. with the idea of His father is battling creating his very own with cancer. However, tequila since the age “if it wasn’t for his of 10. “My family could never foundation, I wouldn’t be doing afford growing it. I told myself this,” Professor Madrigal said. I would own my own someday,” T h e s c h o l a r s h i p w o n ’t b e Professor Madrigal said. available for approximately three His father, who was a minimum years. Madrigal would rather have wage blue collar worker, would save it be sooner. “The bottle is still being money in order to take his family to created. My goal is within a year. Nayarit, México. It’s kind of out of my control at the When Madrigal’s father finally moment,” he said. managed to save enough money, The scholarship grants could he decided to take his family on the range from $100 or more. However, anticipated trip. Madrigal said that he can’confirm “When we landed in Guadalajara the time frame or even have an idea on the way to Ixtlán Del Rio, of the exact amount of money. Nayarit, [we passed] the “paisaje For students who are bilingual, agavero” (Spanish for agave however, Madrigal said that the landscape) -millions of hectares scholarship opportunity could filled with blue agave,” Madrigal possibly be raised. said. “I remember being fascinated Madrigal said, “I can’t really say with those plants. I’m not sure (if) until I have a financial idea.” Half it’s because I’m an earth sign and of the scholarship funds would love to invoke a deep connection come from the professor’s own [with] the earth.” pocket. The other half would be Tequila AMAN collaborates with governmentally funded. “Student
GRANDPAS LOT—Madrigal’s farm in Ixtlan Del Rio Nayarit has 20,000 plants, enough to produce 75,000 liters of tequila.
www.ELACCampusNews.com
loan debt continues to rise. The cost of going to college continues to climb, and more and more students dropout of college because of long work hours, “Why not help mitigate this issue? My products will be Fair Trade, a global movement to alleviate poverty in ways that are economical, socially and environmentally sustainable.” The professor understands that some staff, as well as students, will be disturbed by the fact that the scholarship comes from the profits of a tequila company. Maria Macias, a student majoring in communication, is ambivalent. She thinks that the scholarship is both a good and bad idea. “It’s a good idea because it’s helping another student continue to keep going to school. You know, they probably have financial problems. The fact that he’s trying to help another student, I think that speaks more than where it’s coming from,” Macias said. “I don’t think it’s bad that its from a tequila company. He’s using that money for good. It’s not all necessarily bad,” she said. Madrigal said, “I respect their beliefs. This is more than just another brand. It’s the culture, heritage, and people.” He said, “The product is not illegal and The brand will not only be tequila. I will be selling agave plants, organic agave syrup, and agave inulin. This brand is about the relationship with my farmers, agriculture, and preservation of our ecosystem.” “Hard work puts you where good luck can find you,” Madrigal said. For more information on the company should visit Professor Madrigal’s Instagram page @ Tequila_aman.
LA PARCELA DEL ABUELO—Farmers take a break after a hard day’s work of preparing the agave for tequila production in Ixtlan Del Rio Nayarit.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GERARDO MADRIGAL
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019
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Huskies can mush to Japan for the winter BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College students have an opportunity to visit Japan during an 11-day program in January led by English professor Nadia Swerdlow. The program will give participants the chance to learn about the Japanese culture while visiting historic landmarks, taking guided tours and participating in many other activities all over Japan. The program is set to begin on Jan. 2 and end on Jan. 12. The cost of the entire trip is $3,795, but those who sign up before Feb. 28 will receive a $250 discount. This price covers roundtrip airfare, hotel rooms, daily breakfast and select dinners, a full-
time tour director, daily activities, tours and entrances to attractions. Some of the highlights of the program include visiting Himeji Castle, a tour of Hiroshima, riding a cable car up Mount Komagatake and enjoying authentic Japanese food. The aim is to have participants immerse themselves in the Japanese culture and educate them on its environment, which blends urban cities with historic landmarks. To sign up, participants must be over 18 years old or college students. The trip will be paid for in 10 monthly payments of $397. Those who are over 30 years old will pay for their trip in 10 monthly payments of $433. The opportunity is being announced one year in advance so that participants have the chance to
save up money to pay for the trip. Swerdlow plans on having fundraisers to help pay for the
The aim is to have participants immerse themselves in the Japanese culture and educate them on its environment...
program. She has already purchased a hot dog machine and is planning to leave fundraising ideas to those who will be attending the program.
Swedlow says that if 25 people sign up for the program, everyone’s price will drop a couple hundred dollars. Swerdlow says she wants to have a group of program participants revive a dormant club so that their fundraising efforts can be aided by ASU. Swedlow is the daughter of immigrants and grew up in Gary, Indiana. As a child, she was able to travel to many different countries with her family. Swerdlow hopes that by offering people this opportunity, their world will broaden a lot more. “Getting to see the world made me realize that the life isn’t just Gary, Indiana,” said Swerdlow. Swerdlow will be holding meetings for those interested in the program every Tuesday this month in E3-155 at 12:15 p.m.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
VPAM hosts workshop for notable museum fellowship program BY MARIA MARROQUIN Staff Writer
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
ALITA IN ACTION—Alita remains fierce as she confronts one of her foes, Zapan.
Alita battles through Hollywood from Japan BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Alita: Battle Angel” is an intense ride filled with amazing fight sequences and an interesting, albeit sometimes confusing, science fiction story. Hollywood has a sordid past when it comes to manga, or Japanese comic, adaptations. However, director Robert Rodriguez and writer James Cameron’s attempt to bring the intense manga “Gunnm” the Japanese title originally given to the manga, to the big screen shows care for the characters and the genre as a whole. Rodriguez has shown himself capable of handling the transition from the comic page to the big screen with “Sin City,” and “Alita” benefits from his experience. “Alita: Battle Angel” is a delightful explosion of ComputerGenerated Imagery that is blended, almost without notice, with the real actors who are on screen. The main character, Alita, is played by Rosa Salazar. The first thing the audience will notice are the exaggerated eyes that Alita has, which are very characteristic of manga characters’ art style. Alita goes from a wide-eyed innocent to a capable fighter throughout the movie, and Salazar hits all the right notes in her characterization. Salazar knows how to effectively go from kind to warrior at the drop of a hat. Her talent is really apparent in a simple exchange Alita has with Hugo, played by Keean Johnson, in a bar for bounty hunters. Johnson, as Hugo, does well in playing the love interest who has a secret that he is trying to hide. Unfortunately, Hugo seems more like a one-note character compared to the more complex character of Alita. Mahershala Ali, who plays the main antagonist Vector, is seriously under utilized. His role is more of a go-between for Alita and the true villain,
whereas each other character has a moment that shows their importance. Vector is more of a cause rather than an effect to the storyline. It would have been interesting if more was given to the character to do other than bark orders here and there. Finally, rounding out the cast is Christoph Waltz as Dr. Dyson Ido. Ido is Alita’s father figure and the audience’s emotional tie to Alita. Throughout the movie, Salazar and Waltz’ interactions are some of the more emotional and, at times, comedic scenes of the movie. The story itself focuses on Alita’s need to find out more about herself, her past and why she is in the situation she’s in. The world created in the manga is a future version of earth that has been decimated by war. This war emphasizes heavily why everything on earth is either somewhat, or almost entirely, robotic. Despite having earth as the main setting, the war that transpires is home to some of the more interesting reveals about Alita and her importance to the main antagonists in the film. There are many moving parts to this story, from the disparities between classes, the unknown murder early on, to the importance of Alita’s existence. Sometimes, the multiple parts of the story seem to not have definitive answers or at best only partial ones. This is somewhat to be expected since it seems that the movie is just the beginning of a franchise. The fact that the “Alita” series has volumes of manga to draw inspiration for future stories, maybe why some answers are being held until future installments of the movie series. “Altia: Battle Angel” provides thrilling fight sequences, amazing and intricate CGI and a story that contains quite a number of left turns and unanswered questions. The movie manages to draw audiences deep into Alita’s world and leaves them wanting more. “Alita: Battle Angel” is rated PG-13 and releases on February 14.
The Vincent Price Art Museum hosted a workshop on Thursday to inform students about the application process for the Summer Academy and Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Hilary Walter, the coordinator of Curatorial Fellowships at LACMA and main spokesperson at the workshop said, “We really hope to attract students who are seriously considering to go to graduate school.” During the summer program, students will learn the technology behind the scenes of the museum, such as how to research and how to do the layout of an art show. After completing the summer academy, students can submit additional information. Out of 15 students, two participants will be selected and awarded the multi-year fellowship program.
Former East Los Angeles College student Saul Quintero was accepted to this program in 2014. From there, he went on to study abroad in London, Mexico and Chile. He said that the week he spent at LACMA gave him the confidence to study abroad. What started as curiosity and interest in art history opened other doors for him to experience different paths to take in the arts. “There is a lot of available opportunity. There are a lot of paid internships during the summer, and that’s a good way to get that experience,” Quintero said. Quintero said there are a lot of opportunities and scholarships, but students don’t apply. He urged event goers to use the resources available to them by going to the Student Center and taking advantage of the help it provides. The program is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It launched in 2013 in partnership with six institutions: The Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, The Museum of Fine
Arts Houston, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and LACMA. The Fellowship Program has a duration of one week for the summer and 15 students are chosen to participate for each partnered museum. During the program, they receive guidance, tours and one-on-one conversations with different mentors. At the end of the week, students will be able to do a presentation of their own to fellow students and staff. The program’s purpose is to expose students to different fields of study within a museum setting and the different paths that can be taken in the fine arts education, while also diversifying the field. Art history professor Wendi Brown, who helped host the event along with VPAM said, “I hope students develop an actual career within the arts, whether it’s a museum, an art gallery or a foundation. I hope for this program to become that platform, to begin that process of being trained and receiving professional training and exposure to professionals.”
THE MAIN CREW—Goofy, Sora, and Donald take a stance for battle.
She also said there is a huge lack of equality of who is being hired to work at these museums and these programs provide pathways for students coming from underrepresented backgrounds. According to research done by the Mellon Foundation, only 16 percent of the field is represented by historically underrepresented groups. After the summer program, students can apply for the two-year fellowship program. During this time, they will meet with their mentors on a regular basis and they will also participate in a yearly national convening, an annual gathering of all the students and alumni that have participated in the program since its foundation, at one of the partnering museums. Financial help for housing and travel is available. Students will receive a stipend of $6,000 during the summer program and $4,000 during the academic school year. For more information on requirements and qualifications, go to www.lacma.org/mellonfellowships. The deadline to apply is March 1.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
Sora makes a comeback BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer “Kingdom Hearts 3” was released to the public for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles last month, while the last main game “Kingdom Hearts 2” was released Dec. 22, 2005 for the PlayStation 2. Fans waited for more than 13 years for this mainline sequel. The game was developed by Square Enix, in partnership with Disney and Pixar Animations. The overall plot is convoluted with many storylines going on at once. Even fans that have played all the games in the series, including the spin-offs, may have some trouble following every detail. A basic overview of the story would be the battle between good and evil reaching its 11 hour. In this game, Square Enix has created its own cast of characters that either work with or fight against Disney characters from different eras.
The main character for the majority of the game is Sora. Sora is a character that has been there since the first game and is one of the many Keyblade wielders. A Keyblade wielder is anyone in the game who wields one of the many Keyblades and may be either a master, protector of light, or even a student.
Players who want to complete the game 100 percent are definitely in for a treat.
This is easily one of the hardest jobs to have because Keyblade wielders are expected to play their side of the war between light and darkness. Keyblades are only wielded by people with strong
hearts and ambitions. It’s the only weapon that can properly take down enemies known as The Heartless. For the majority of the game, Sora and his crew of Donald Duck and Goofy venture off to a variety of different Disney worlds that are based off of many classic Disney films. For instance, the players get to fight alongside Hercules in order to climb Mount Olympus and defeat the titans who are helping Hades cause mischief. In another world, players shrink down to toy size and get to meet some of the characters from “Toy Story.” While fighting at the players side, the characters from Disney/ Pixar lore become stronger and get tossed into shenanigans with players fighting other giant robot toys. This is an action role playing game, meaning that players go around in the shoes of a single character and beat up enemies, but there are many components of its combat.
One of the fun parts about the game’s combat is the ability to summon a variety of different things. In this game, you can summon anything from characters such as Stitch from Lilo and Stitch, to attractions that resemble the rides from Disneyland. These summons only add to the game because it puts on an interesting little show of random lights, or magical blasters to defeat your enemies. Alongside that, each character can cast their own magic that deals elemental damage like fire, water, ice, wind or electricity. This game’s story is 30-40 hours long for most people, but is a tear jerker from start to finish. Players who want to complete the game are definitely in for a treat. Even after you beat the game, you can still level up your character to level 99, revisit any Disney world, upgrade all your keyblades by collecting the right materials and find all of the lucky emblems in order to reveal a secret ending. www.ELACCampusNews.com
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Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019
ELAC sinks buckets at Trade Tech BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer Men’s basketball held on tight to its lead in the win 74-70 against Los Angeles Trade-Tech College on Wednesday. The Huskies reached 20 wins this season and are 5-0 in the South Coast Conference-North. The Huskies had 13 consecutive wins, but the streak was cut short on Friday after a 69-65 loss against conference rival, Chaffey College. East Los Angeles College is now 20-4 overall and 5-1 in the SCCNorth. ELAC are ranked fourth overall in the California Community College Athletic Association. ELAC and Trade-Tech both had a slow start, but the Huskies were able to take the lead in the first half. ELAC’s strongest player on the court was sophomore forward Solomon Hunt. Hunt played 25 minutes and finished the game with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Hunt finished with eight field goals made out of nine attempted. Trade-Tech had its moments in the first and second quarter, but ELAC was consistent in making sure the score was separated by at least 10 points. ELAC went 3-14 on three point attempts with sophomore guard Deshaun Highler going 1-6, sophomore guard Darius Henderson going 1-3 and sophomore forward Babacar Thiombane who scored one three pointer.
CN/ERICK GERARDO VILLARREAL
SPEED KILLS— East Los Angeles College player steals ball from LA Tech player seen on the ground in the beginning of the second half at the LA Trade Tech gymnasium, Wednesday.
“The game plan was to get in down low and not take a lot of jump shots. I think we did that down the stretch. I don’t think we shot very well from three, but we executed the game plan well. We went down the sideline and it worked out well for us,” said Highler. Highler finished the game with 13 points and three rebounds. ELAC’s bench outscored TradeTech’s bench 23-20. Freshman center Malik Muhammad finished with 12 points and freshman guard Levelle Ziegler finished with six assists and six points.
Trade-Tech’s bench points came from freshman guard Mark Chin, who scored 17 points. Toward the end of the first quarter, the game was stopped after sophomore guard Tyler Jelks got injured. After he jumped for a rebound, Jelks landed wrong and couldn’t finish the game. “We played solid, but we have to play better on defense. Overall we did good with closing out the game in the end,” said Ziegler. The Huskies were consistent on the boards with the 6 foot 8 inch
forwards Hunt, Thiombane, and the 6 foot 9 inch center Muhammad. They finished the game with a combined 23 rebounds,most of them coming from defense. Toward the end of the second half, Trade-Tech was able to cut the lead to two points, after being down by over 10 points. The Huskies went on a 13-4 point run to extend their lead to seven points. The Huskies next game will be in another SCC-North match against Pasadena City College today at 5 p.m. at home.
CN/ERICK GERARDO VILLARREAL
MUSCLE—East Los Angeles College men’s basketball
scores on LA Trade Tech in the second half Wednesday.
ELAC swings and misses BY AUSTIN VINCENT Staff Writer Simple mistakes caused softball to lose its first home game against Antelope Valley College 7-3. In the fifth inning, freshman pitcher Serena Lopez walked a player with one out. Freshman first baseman Pua Johnson dropped a fly ball and turned the game around allowing Antelope Valley to score and keep the lead in their possession. Sophomore Majisty Shomo came on to pitch with a runner on
first and third base. She gave up a hit that helped Antelope Valley score and allowed runners to advance to first and second base. The scare was 5-3. After the bases were loaded Shomo threw another four pitch that walked Antelope Valley to increase the score 6-3.Because of Antelope Valley’s lead she was subbed out for Lopez. “The plus side was our pitcher Serena Lopez pitched an outstanding game,” said head coach Erika Blanco.The huskies have played some of the top 10 teams in the conference which
made their record 0-3. Record is now 0-4 after the loss to Antelope Valley. Lopez pitched fly balls to get three quick outs. The defense was alert and active on the field. Erin Recillas and Jennifer Riveia hit doubles on ground balls.With players on second and third base, Johnson hit two runs batted in off of a deep ball to the outfield that was dropped by Antelope Valley’s right fielder. The Huskies went up to be first on the scoreboard 2-0. The team kept the game tight and close on the defensive side in the earlier innings. “One through four was a good game.“The team needs to improve on keeping the energy throughout the seven innings,” said Castro. Lopez started the bottom of the fourth inning. Husky sophomore shortstop Julie Granadeno was unable to get the out when she dove for a ground ball which tied the game 2-2. Later in the seventh inning, Antelope Valley stole bases, got more hits and score the last runs of the game. Elac has its next game tomorrow against Compton College at 3 p.m. Read the full story on Elaccampusnews.com.
The run that got away
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
SAFE— East Los Angeles College sophomore third baseman Andy Rodriguez fails to catch the ball, allowing Riverside City College freshman utility’ Jack drury to be safe. Rodriguez failed play allowed Riverside to score three runs on Saturday’s 7-6 loss at home. Yesterday the Huskies defeated Santa Barbara City college 1-0, extending their overall record 5-3. ELAC’s next game is on saturday at Southwestern college at noon.
Toni Harris more than a dreamer BY VICKY NGUYEN Staff Writer Simply known as Toni to friends, the 22-year-old free safety has since starred in a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid commercial that aired during the Super Bowl, granting her all kinds of attention by press and social media. When it comes to her dreams, Antoinette Harris won’t let anyone veer her off the trail she’s blazing. Despite demonstrating her asset to the football team when she first came to East Los Angeles College in 2017, the staff initially had reservations about how a female athlete would fit into the football program at ELAC. At the end of one practice in the summer, the coaches asked her to consider working with the team in another way. “With tears in her eyes, she www.ELACCampusNews.com
basically told us, ‘screw you,” assistant football coach Andrew Tree said. Although, he said it was “in the nicest way possible.” “[Her] refusal to be denied is kind of what stayed with me from that little moment,” Tree said. Despite the disagreement, Harris continued to show up at practices and do what was asked of her. The staff realized quickly they were wrong. Head coach Bobby Godinez made the decision to officially let her on the team and she became ELAC’s first female football player. They grabbed a helmet and shoulder pads, brought it to the practice field where Toni was. It was their way of assuring her that she belonged with them. Harris is no stranger to skepticism. She has been watching and playing football since she was four years old, but directed away from playing football many times throughout her life.
As a result, she participated in all kinds of activities and sports as alternatives. She has done competitive dancing, cheerleading, gymnastics, and women’s soccer. She also sings. “I kind of did it all,” Harris said. But despite excelling in many other activities, she didn’t let it steer her away from what she truly wants to pursue: football. “They said she was too small. They said she was too slow, too weak.... People have made a lot of assumptions about Toni,” the commercial narrates over a montage of Harris training, weightlifting, running, tackling and intercepting a football. “I’ve had coaches tell me that I’m not a college football player, and I’ve also had a coach tell me that I would never play at the next level, because I wasn’t the size of a regular football player. I wasn’t fast enough, [big] enough,” Harris
said. “That’s kind of where Toyota got the idea to do it, because that’s what people have said to me.” Upon seeing the commercial, Tree felt proud, but was also not surprised. “You have a little sense of pride just being around her, being her assistant coach, seeing how this thing has elevated and just have a life of its own,” said Tree. It’s funny because, to everybody else, it’s a big deal, but for me, it’s not even surprising at this point.” “There’s a lot of people who don’t want to follow their dreams, because they’re standing in fear,” Harris said. “But somebody has to tell them that you can’t let your fear steer you away from your dreams. You only live once so you better live your life as best you can.” Harris is the first woman to receive a full football scholarship. Her dream is to be the first woman to play for the NFL.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION