VOLUME 77, ISSUE 5 | WWW.ELACCAMPUSNEWS.COM | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 | SINGLE COPY FREE - ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
ELAC opens first job center on campus
America’s Job Center of California offers students opportunities and career paths BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer The first ob center on campus is available for students and the community as a collaborative effort between ast os ngeles College and os ngeles County. hen students walk through those doors, it’s not ust to help with preparing them, but to plant the seeds of possibility. or students to say can do this,’ istrict Chancellor rancisco odriguez said. The center is called merica’s ob Center of California. ndra offman, president of the oard of Trustees, said the center is uni ue because its sole purpose is to help provide employment and training opportunities for C students. eo edina, associate professor at C and host of the event, said the center is going to help prepare local talent for careers in the st century. The CC has multiple programs for students facing various circumstances in life. There is a program called the Countywide outh ridges rogram that provides internship opportunities which can one day lead to employment. The programs are meant to provide training for students and the county has committed to helping with the placement. ob centers like this work. am a living testimony to that, edina said. The center has three levels of services. The first is work
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CUT THE RIBBON—Luna Perez, an ELAC student, cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of the America’s Job Center of California. Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor, and Raul Rodriguez, ELAC interim president were also present. based learning, where they have supportive services like transportation assistance. t also has paid work e periences and personal enrichment training. The second level is academic and career development which
includes the services provided by the first level as well as workshops, career planning, paid and unpaid work e perience as well as other additional services like mentoring and counseling services. The third level is advanced
career services and can build on the other two levels or stand alone. This level provides additional training as well as transitional obs. ach level has outcomes that determine work readiness, post secondary education,
advanced training and permanent unsubsidized employment. ice resident of orkforce ducation rmida rnelas said that the CC has its own dedicated faculty and staff. he said there are plans to have
an CC in the outh ate campus as well. he said that before, they would look at students at different moments of their college life. ith the CC, they will now look at students’ college lives as a whole, providing support where they need it. edina introduced una erez, a first year college student, who spoke about her success story. erez said that in , she went to the e ican nited tates border with her younger brother. border agent separated her from her brother and sent them to the freezer, a detention center for teenagers. he said all she could think about while she was there was her brother. he came to the nited tates and started high school. he said she had a lot of help from the ob center. n ecember of , she was reunited with her mother, who was already in the . ., and eventually reunited with her brother as well. he began attending C this semester and is taking workshops where she will eventually be placed on the engineering path. hope that my story inspires others with similar situations, erez said. The ions ride ung u, a dance school that specializes in martial arts and lion dance performed at the beginning of the event. uring and after the opening of the CC, a workforce resource fair was available to students to get information on any of the workforce related classes.
SAAVE, Women’s Center march against domestic violence BY RUSSEL NAVARRETTE Staff Writer The familiar sound of defiant chants filled the air on campus on ct. . ey hey, ho ho, the patriarchy has got to go, chanted the ast os ngeles College omen’s Center and the e ual ssault wareness iolence ducation team during the nd annual u eres de az omestic wareness march.
emonstrators gathered at the luminar cademy near the corner of ednik venue and Cesar Chavez venue. eople carried signs denouncing domestic violence and were given a pink sheet of paper that had the chants they were going to use like, The people united will never be defeated l pueblo unido, amas sera vencido The crowd marched, chanted and cheered down Cesar Chavez venue to ast os ngeles
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WOMEN UNITED—Members of the ELAC Sexual Assult Awareness Violence Education team march alongside members of the community through East Los Angeles on Oct. 3.
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COME TOGETHER—Sam Garcia leads the chants as members of the community and SAAVE SIGNS OF CHANGE—Protesters carried signs and chanted march around ELAC to bring awareness to domestic violence on Oct. 3.
News Briefs
SAAVE Film Screening
“Sin by Silence” will be shown on Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in the S2 Recital Hall.
against domestic violence on the ELAC main campus Oct. 3.
Domestic Violence Course
SAAVE will host a course on domestic violence and intimate partner violence on Thursday from 6-7 p.m. in F7-226.
College where they would end the march with a vigil to honor survivors and those who did not survive domestic violence. ne of the supporters heard of the march through acebook and participated to honor his loved ones. The march also brought two women together who recognized each other from prison. The two were bystanders at first, but ended up participating in the discourse. ndrea wens, team co chair and professor in the kinesiology department at C, stated, e have so many students and people on campus that have e perienced domestic violence. ur role is to spread as much awareness as possible. ther members from the C that were in the march and vigil uth ivera, ebeca elendez, rlene Torres, and founder of the team in arilyn aad. arbara appus began the vigil with a moment of silence and an opening speech, very person is entitled to a piece of mind, a life free of violence. e are here to support you. peak up. There were also live performances of dance, music and people sharing their own personal e periences with domestic abuse. C provides services for survivors of domestic abuse and se ual assault in the building on the third oor. They provide services such as crisis support, housing, parenting classes and other services. pcoming events for domestic violence awareness month include events on Thursday ct. th, oving with Consent conversation about safer se and prevention at from to p.m. and Tuesday ct. nd, Cycle of omestic iolence and lly Tips at from to p.m.
Library Workshop
The ELAC library will host a workshop to practice creating proper MLA citations on Oct. 14 in F3-101.
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
Bill causes students’ math anxiety BY CHER ANTIDO Staff Writer Math is one of the hardest subjects to grasp and bears the reputation of being the most hated, which is why Assembly Bill 705 shouldn’t have been implemented. Many students rush through math even when they don’t fully understand it because they simply want to get it over it. This method, however, should not be encouraged by schools. AB 705 does just this, recquiring students to complete transfer-level coursework in math and English in one year. It gives them a chance to pass these courses without fully understanding it, a formula for laziness and failure to comprehend the basics they need to succeed in the world. Prior to AB 705, college students had to take an assessment test to see what courses they should be placed in regardless of what they took in high school. Depending on how well they did on these tests, they could be placed on a level lower than what’s written on their transcripts. The bill, however, gets rid of this requirement. Most students would be discouraged to learn that they need to take Algebra again, but they need to realize that college courses differ greatly from high school. It’s easier to pass a course in high school by merely doing the work and memorizing, but the higher the level, the harder it gets. Students will have a difficult time passing those higher courses without understanding the basics first. East Los Angeles College Math Department Chairperson Joe Kazimir said students have complained they couldn’t understand Intermediate Algebra because they have not mastered the basics taught in prior courses. “Our Chancellor made a terrible mistake by eliminating all courses below M125 (Intermediate Algebra). When students are forced to take
a higher level of math than they are ready for, this causes stress and anxiety for those students,” Kazimir said. The number of years of mathematics students take in high school should not be an indicator that they are ready for higher-level courses. When students are provided the path to skip through a course they need, they will take it. It’s the teachers’ job to tell them it’s not the right way to learn. Skipping the basics will just make it harder for them in the long run. Grace Flemming, academic adviser and writer for ThoughtCo., wrote an article on why students find math difficult. She wrote that many think a C grade is good enough and move on to the next level without fully understanding the subject. “The outcome of any shaky foundation is that there will be a serious limitation when it comes to building and real potential for complete failure at some point,” Flemming wrote. Jo Boaler, math professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education, said that “speed pressure, timed testing and blind memorization pose high hurdles in the pursuit of math.” She said that math anxiety and fear of the topic are the main reasons why students drop out of math. Students shouldn’t be forced to be fast, they should be told that it’s okay to take their time. The problem is that many students see these subjects as something they have to overcome rather something they can enjoy. Labeling it as “work” adds negativity and stress to the brain, which makes it more difficult to do. Many students learn differently than others; some are slower than the rest. These students shouldn’t be pressured to learn quicker than their brains can manage. “The purpose of ELAC is to educate our students no matter how long it takes,” Kazimir said.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Melody Ortiz MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ayala ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo
SoCal gets ready for Halloween BY KELLY VASQUEZ Staff Writer
I t ’s o ff i c i a l l y t h e s p o o k y Halloween season and there are a variety of seasonal offerings in Southern California that people should take advantage of. Whether it’s looking for a small local pumpkin patch, getting scared for the night at Universal Horror Nights, or have some villain fun at Disney California Adventure, there is something for everyone to do this Fall. Over at Universal Studios, Horror Nights is back. Horror Nights is an extremely popular event that has been attracting crowds for years. The event consists of different-themed scare mazes, live entertainment and food. This year ’s mazes include Stranger Things, Ghostbusters, Jordan Peele’s Us, and more. People familiar with the show “Stranger Things” will love the maze themed after it. It is carefully filled with nods and references to the show that viewers will recognize instantly. Ghostbusters is also an extremely fun maze that features the famous Stay Puft Marshmallow and other silly ghosts. On the more scary side is the Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Jordan Peele’s Us maze. Killer Klowns features scary clowns on the hunt to kill. The colors are electrifying inside, filled with neon and bright lights. The Us maze is filled with doppelgangers ready to kill as people try to escape the maze. It’s fun, but can be terrifying. There are many mazes that are truly scary, while others are more lighthearted, which offers a nice variety for people who may not like being scared as much.
Universal is also well known for having scare zones located throughout the park, outside of the mazes. These are fun and feature scare actors following people through their walk in the park. Universal is great at putting this event together and is quite a fun experience. Further down south, Disneyland has also transformed for the Halloween season. In the past, Disneyland has done Mickey’s Halloween Party, but this year things have changed.
Whether it’s looking for a small local pumpkin patch, ...or have some villain fun at Disney California Adventure, there is something for everyone to do this Fall. They’re now introducing the brand new Oogie Boogie Bash, which takes place at California Adventure. Disney has really upped their game with this event, which is much more fun and interactive than their previous ones. The Oogie Boogie Bash has several different treat trails filled with candy for trick-ortreating. At the end of the trails, they have a variety of different villain characters that people can interact with. Meeting characters at Disneyland always results in huge lines, which can be tiring. Having them at the end of the treat trails helps elimate those lines. Disneyland also invested
in turning the Redwood Creek Trail into a Villains Grove, which is a beautiful sight to see. The l i g h t i n g , s o u n d e ff e c t s a n d projections are extremely well done. Lastly, they introduced a brand new World of Color show called Villainous. The show follows a little girl deciding what to be for Halloween. This show isn’t necessarily their best and is skippable, but overall, Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure is well thought out and fun for the whole family. On the more local scale, the City of Commerce introduced their first pumpkin patch in recent history. Located on Telegraph Road near the Citadel Outlets, this pumpkin patch is guaranteed to give goers a good time. Not only is it filled with pumpkins but also carnival games, food trucks and rides. There’s even a petting zoo filled with adorable animals such as pigs, goats and alpacas. The Commerce Pumpkin Patch is open to the public all month long. Their hours are Monday through Friday from noon to 10 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is only $2 per person and free for children under two. All proceeds are also going to the City of Hope National Medical Center to aid in cancer research. This pumpkin patch is filled with fun activities to enjoy with loved ones and is a great way to also give back to the community. The holidays are all about spending time with people we love. There’s always something to do in Southern California during the Halloween season.
Students should prioritize traveling over new iPhone BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer College students should do what they can to travel and get to know the world. It might seem impossible at times with bills and debt piling up, but traveling can be one of the most indispensable experiences of a person’s life. While one can spend a life span exploring a city like Los Angeles and never see every nook and cranny, it’s but a speck in the world. Students, especially younger ones, should jump at opportunities to explore outside of their comfort zone. Politics aside, the world economy has made traveling more affordable than ever. While there are those who can’t afford anything but the bare necessities, those who are privileged enough to contemplate buying the latest smartphone every year owe it to themselves to consider spending their money on something other than a slightly shinier slab of aluminum and plastic. To put things in perspective, the new iPhone 11 pro can cost up to $1,999, while a four day trip to Tokyo to celebrate my birthday cost $1,330, round trip
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tickets and room included. Unless one’s smartphone is severely damaged, or was bought over 4 years ago, it’s unlikely that it lacks processing power or features to complete day-to-day tasks like web browsing, checking emails, navigating, calling and texting. A smartphone is just one example of a luxury that can be given up for the privilege of visiting a city some have only read or heard about. The memory of the experience will last a lot longer than whatever new device one can think of.
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While a trip to Tokyo is an extreme example and relatively expensive, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. There are also plenty of more affordable and, or closer destinations worth considering. A trip to San Francisco or Las Vegas, while expensive in their own right, would be logistically easier to organize. These are popular destinations for LA residents, but there are plenty of lesser known experiences to be had like the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area in Nevada.
If San Francisco is more appealing, one could consider crossing the Golden Gate to tailgate with Raiders fans before the team ditches the bay for Vegas themselves. Whether it be to support a LA team in an away game or visit the hometown of their favorite team, sports fans have the most excuses to travel and should take advantage of them. Skip out on buying a couple home games and attend an away game. A 2017 study by the blog site
Credit.com using data from credit bureau Experian suggests that the average American dies with an average of $61,554 of debt. Students should take advantage of the opportunities to travel before the great equalizer known as debt ties them down. There are a lot of East Los Angeles College students who don’t spoil themselves with luxuries like the latest iPhone, but rather spend their money and efforts supporting causes and giving back to the community. These students deserve and could benefit the most from traveling, but might consider traveling a frivolous expense. In a lot of ways it is. However, they should consider visiting the headquarters of an allied organization in a sister city or attending a seminar or workshop at a sister college. The most beneficial part of traveling is the experience gained, and that’s something that can’t be replicated through a screen, word of mouth or ink on a page. Whether the ideal vacation is eating rice balls in front of a 78-foot-tall robot, hiking the Andes or eating a hotdog in enemy territory, students should take that vacation.
ONLINE EDITOR Adam Robles FRONT EDITORS Luis Castilla Sonny Tapia
OPINION EDITOR Cher Antido NEWS EDITOR Juan Calvillo FEATURE EDITOR Maria Marroquin Monroy ARTS EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro SPORTS EDITORS Michael Dominguez CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral COPY EDITORS Ivan Cazares Stephanie Guevara STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Vicky Nguyen, Mariana Montoya, Melisa Valenzuela, Miguel Dominguez, Russell Navarette, Jonathan Bermudez, Johanna Rodriguez, Christopher De Leon, Julie Santiago, Simon Cabral, Alejandro Ambiz, Kelly Vasquez, Daniel Ceja ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Gustavo Buenrostro 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 250 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. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS
OPINIONS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
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Student drivers lack parking etiquette BY MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer Parking lots are chaotic as it is, but East Los Angeles College students can make parking less of a stress by practicing common courtesy and common sense. It seems people still understand the unwritten “first-come” rule: whoever gets to a parking spot first has dibs. Everything else, however, seems to be hard to grasp. Unfortunately, the parking structures on campus do not have stop signs within them. This means it is up to drivers to be extra cautious. Cars come around corners at 20-25 mph in an eight mph zone. This can be especially dangerous during peak hours when students are rushing to go home or racing to grab a spot. Speeding isn't the only problem drivers are causing. Many are not making wide left turns or tight rights, leaving little room for cars going the opposite way. Let’s move on to the actual parking. Something we learned in elementary school is to stay inside the lines. Whether a car is over the separation line or even on top of it, it can still cause an inconvenience for others looking to park. As ELAC student Tiffany De Jesus said, “There are lines on the
floor for a reason.” Leaving less room for the car to the left can cause that car to leave less room for the next, and so on. That goes double for those bulky trucks that some drivers think are a great idea to squeeze into a tightlypacked structure.
After parking, students usually do one of two things: head to class or wait in their cars. Although there is nothing wrong with passing the time in the comfort of one’s own vehicle, it’s irritating when occupants keep their lights on. Some drivers who are in search
of a spot will block an aisle because they assume someone with their lights on is about to leave a spot. The drivers will wait there for a while and when they realize the other car isn't leaving, they will move on and possibly miss out on other spots they could've had. This
happens with multiple cars because one person decided to leave their lights of false hope on. Another inconsiderate issue is when those who wait in their cars blast music with the windows down. Some students who work or go to school full-time only have a
couple minutes to rest up in their cars before or between classes. This can be interrupted by those who opt for the loud speaker rather than earphones. Students who are waiting to get picked up or dropped off should look to the designated drop-off area in front of the college. The parking structures are one of the worst places to play taxi. Drivers will turn their hazards on as they wait for their passengers, causing others to go around them and risk oncoming traffic, especially in the blind-spot areas like sharp corners going up the ramps. Those who leave or walk to their cars need to be sensible about their safety and considerate of drivers. This means pedestrians shouldn’t be walking in the middle of the lanes. They should hug the sides and especially not stop to have a conversation. Lastly, students need to remind themselves that they are in college and are considered grown adults. Yet, here at ELAC, we have a few “mature” adults filling fast food paper bags to the brim with all the trash they can, setting it outside their car and driving away. College is stressful enough. When students start their day off in the parking chaos, the stress can start before class does.
‘Breaking Bad’ continues legacy with well-deserved film BY ADAM ROBLES Staff Writer The new movie “El Camino” serves as a sequel to the “Breaking Bad” television series. It’s set to release on Netflix on Friday and will also be shown in a few theaters. The “Breaking Bad” series is one of those few television shows that people can watch and be absolutely devastated once it’s over. It’s a show about a teacher who begins to cook and sell meth as a way to provide for his family after finding out he has lung cancer. With a creator and producer like Vince Gilligan, as well as its amazing cast of extremely talented actors and writers, its fanbase always wants more content. A show like this definitely deserves a movie, because it ended at the height of its popularity. This show is a story of changes that can be viewed as either positive, negative or both. Drastic changes can be seen in characters’ physical appearances and subtle changes can be spotted in the smaller details of the show. It’s one of the few shows where each character feels alive. It doesn’t feel like these characters were placed for the sole purpose to move the plot in a certain direction. Their decisions seem rational for the character development they've gone through.
As the series progresses, the family begins to fall apart. The viewer can see that the family meals go from being home-cooked, with everyone there, to being nonexistent. Based on how interactive and lively these family meals appear to be, the viewer can see where the story is and how damaged the family has become from Walt’s business. “Breaking Bad” is a series that holds multiple messages throughout the story and has a way of communicating to the viewer without using dialogue. A lot of objects and places are used for more than just what their surface purpose is. Walt’s swimming pool is used to get lots of messages across to the audience without having to go into a deep backstory or a flashback where characters use words to communicate conflict. The swimming pool is used to show things like regret, obsession, suffering and pain. Built-in swimming pools usually represent a family’s wealth and are a place for relaxation and fun family barbeques, but in this show it doesn't fulfill that purpose at all. Throughout the series there are both sides to the story that can be considered, and it’s fun for the viewer to decide which side they can agree with. An example of this would be Walt’s character adventure of descending or ascending. He goes from being a chemistry teacher in
high school to being the top dog of the meth business. He justifies his actions as trying to provide for his family. It’s a sort of combative process against the bills he has to pay for his cancer treatment. It can be argued that this process ruined his whole life, but he was unfulfilled since the very beginning. He wasn’t happy with where he was, but by becoming a man of power, he was able to make use of the little time he had left and leave his family without any debt. These are just a few examples of the messages that are communicated through cinematic shots. Throughout the whole series there are seeds for climactic moments that are planted and usually pay off later in the episode or during a big confrontation that changes the course of each season. A show like this is fun to go back to just so the viewer can look at these smaller details and realize that this show has lots of room for extended analysis. The way the show wraps up seems nearly perfect so it technically did not need a sequel of any kind, but concluding it with a movie is smarter than dragging it on for another season. The two-hour film serves as the epilogue to conclude the arc of Aaron Paul’s character, Jesse Pinkman. After all the pain and suffering he endured throughout the series, this seems like the best thing to do.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB
SEE NO EVIL—A disheveled Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, stares frantically through a doorway in the trailer for Netflix’s “El Camino.”
NFL new rules cause more problems, injuries BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer
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The National Football League’s new rules have caused more problems and injuries than they have fixed. In recent years the NFL has talked about making some new changes to the rulebook. This season the referees have made it their priority to protect the quarterback and prevent helmet to helmet contact of any nature. Last season in the National Football Conference Championship game the New Orleans Saints played the Los Angeles Rams for a chance at the Super Bowl. This is considered to be the game that shifted the NFL’s front office to make a change. More specifically the play that caused it was the nocall heard around the world when Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman obliterated the defenseless New Orleans Saints wide receiver ,Tommylee Lewis. The NFL added a new review option for offensive and defensive pass interference plays whether a
flag was thrown or not. In the Thursday night game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers two third quarter defensive pass interference non-calls were seen and both were not overturned. In an interview with the San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, he said he did not expect consistency with the new rule in place. He feels that a pass interference penalty is an extremely subjective call. This type of call is subjective because if the referee had a bad day he will make the call with no contact. Retired NFL referee Terry McAulay said that he believes that the call is subjective as well. The players have been hindered to a certain play style that is more cautious than anything. They are worrying more about not getting a penalty rather than making a play. Many fans of the NFL have noticed that the league has gotten softer. Everything is more about finesse and not grit. More and more players are realizing how sensitive
the league has become and they are not liking it. Los Angeles Rams linebacker Clay Matthews had a first-hand experience with the roughing the passer sensitivity in the game. He had tackled a quarterback after the ball was released according to the referee and received a roughing the passer call giving the opposing team an automatic first down. Matthews argued the play but the referee did not care to listen. The play was reviewed by their front office of the NFL and they determined that the call was too sensitive. It seems as though the NFL heads can all see the issues with the new laws being proposed but fail to do anything about them. Players will continue to argue these rules alongside their coaches and trainers.The NFL said that the review rule for pass interference is under a one-year trial. This rule has to be revised along with some of the other new rules but all the players and fans want to do is enjoy football again. www.ELACCampusNews.com
News Sewing rebellion uses recycled materials 4
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
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SEWING UP A STORM— adal e e a fo ses on sewin and nishin her ro e t d rin
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BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer Students gathered Thursday for the Sewing Rebellion at East Los Angeles College, a new bi-weekly event aimed at students who are interested in sewing or are willing to learn. The workshop is headed by Dolores Carlos, associate professor of English at ELAC and will continue to meet on the first and third Thursdays at ELAC. t the first event, students like Guadalupe Vega from the Puente Club learned how to load the thread
into the sewing machine and various tips to help make sewing easier. Students are encouraged to bring items they’re working on, or to bring clean, 100% cotton clothes that can be repurposed into other items. Making new items out of older ones, or “up-cycling” as it’s often called, is a big part of the group. Carlos found inspiration from the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, when a three-year-old child named Alan Kurdi’s body was found washed up on a Turkish shore. Carlos and a group would meet every month to sew warm hats and other items for the refugees, sending several boxes, though some took
many months up to a year to ship. The Sewing Rebellion at ELAC was also made possible by Kathleen Smith, a retired LA County public health nurse. Smith provided and refurbished many of the machines
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used at the event, mostly the Singer Model 99. These machines were built in the 1950s and are all in great condition. One even contained a hand-crank instead of the usual foot pedal.
“I’m hoping students will come to appreciate the idea of recycling, repurposing, making items that are ecologically more sound..” DOLORES CARLOS
sso iate En lish rofessor
st one of the ro e ts that
“We’re trying to save these machines because they have a lot of life left in them and they’re simple to use. And then use that as a community-building tool,” Smith said. “Part of public health is trying to improve the social connections between people. We call that ‘ building social capital.’” The Sewing Rebellion was started by Carole Frances Lung also known as Frau Fiber in 2006. The motto of the group is “stop shopping, start sewing.” The motto is meant to emphasize the mending and reuse of old garments instead of throwing them
out and purchasing new ones. “I’m hoping students will come to appreciate the idea of recycling, repurposing and making items that are ecologically more sound” Carlos said. “There’s never been so many displaced people in the world in human history. When we think of that, it’s overwhelming, but instead of feeling sad, helpless, angry, we can put that energy toward helping a few.” The Sewing Rebellion meetings will continue on the first and third Thursdays of every month. For more information, contact Dolores Carlos at carlosmd@ elac.edu.
Club highlights LGBTQ+ civil rights struggles BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Staff Writer
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CHATTING ABOUT THE FUTURE— ssistant rofessor o elio ar ia tal s to st dents and en o ra es them to ex lore their areers in oliti al s ien e.
Fair reveals political science careers paths BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Staff Writer The second annual political science fair at East Los Angeles College provided a guide for students interested in political science as a possible career path Thursday. It consisted of panelists and ELAC staff from the political science discipline who provided information on career pathways, degrees, major plans and personal experiences. The panel consisted of Daisy Mateo, attorney and Diversity Inclusion Specialist and Theodros Gashaw, membership director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. Mateo talked about professionalism in the legal world as a latina lawyer. “It’s important to remember who you are,” said Mateo. Gashaw talked about his time in a fellowship program and how he found what he wanted to do. “I completely fell into union organizing. It wasn’t completely my plan. It just happened and then I realized, ‘ all right, I actually like this work,’” said Gashaw. After the panel ended, students got the chance to ask the panelists questions. One student asked how they knew
what they wanted to do and what route to take once they graduated. Mateo said she had an idea of
“I completely fell into union organizing. It wasn’t completely my plan, it just happened and then I realized, all right I actually like this work.” THEODROS GASHAW
em ershi ire tor FACCC
what she wanted despite having lawyers in her family. “I had an internship at Univision at their legal department through some non-profit (organization),” said Mateo. he said it was her first e posure to Latino attorneys in the legal world. Gashaw said that he too did
not know what he was going to do. “I was involved in a lot of student activities and I should’ve been paying attention to what I was going to do once I graduated,” said Gashaw. Professor Kelly Velasquez of the Political Science Department introduced the last segment of the career fair. Panelists, along with ELAC staff, went around the groups of students and were able to ask questions and receive advice on a more personal level. Students received pamphlets highlighting potential political science careers, the general pathway for an Associate in Arts in political science for transfer degree and contact information for the Career and Job Services Center. “It’s a great event to get everyone together to really understand the courses that they’re going to need to take, to see some of the possible careers out there, and to actually hear from professionals that the students can relate to,” Nancy Escobar, Career and Job Services Center worker, said. The political science discipline is located in F7-307. For more information regarding career pathways, students can visit Career & Job Services in E1-176 at the main campus and room 124 at the South Gate campus.
Gender and Sexualities Alliance Club provided a presentation highlighting some of the most significant events in the T civil rights movement. The spokesperson, professor and public interest lawyer David ell went over the history of the movement back to its first documented organization. While the Stonewall riots are widely considered to be the beginning of the T movement in the United States, ell said that the ociety for uman ights in was actually the first documented gay rights organization. “As history starts to uncover, we learn more about who we are. Every year I do this, I find new information, ell said. fter the ociety for uman Rights, organizations such as the Mattachine Society and Daughters of ilitis were created and hosted private social functions due to fear of police raids and threats of violence. They established safe spaces and advocated to decriminalize homosexuality. n , llinois became the first state to pass such an act by repealing their sodomy laws. It would not be until 1969, the year of the Stonewall riots, that T civil rights really took off. For Jacob Rubio, president of the
Gender and Sexualities Alliance, the Stonewall riots were the main catalyst for the movement and the one he heard about growing up. “It’s the one that provided a huge media presence and directed the people’s attention to this. It was just saying that we’re not going to go away, we want our rights, and we
“As history starts to uncover, we learn more about who we are. Every year I do this I find new information.” DAVID BELL
rofessor and
li
nterest lawyer
want to be treated as equals.” The Los Angeles Advocate, an T newsletter, was renamed The Advocate in 1969 by the activist group Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE). In the years that followed, more openly gay political candidates were elected to office, one of the key people being arvey ilk. After being inaugurated as San Francisco city supervisor, he was murdered along with Mayor George Moscone. ilbert aker was inspired by
arvey ilk and stitched together the first rainbow ag in . ince then, T rights have passed through Supreme Court cases such as People v. 49, West 12 tenants Corp. and Lawrence v. Texas, which further helped the movement gain notoriety. Through pop culture, the T movement has also taken strides forward for equality. ell cites llen egeneres as an influence when she came out in 1997. Not all of the attention that the movement garnered was positive. side from the violence T faced, several government bodies have moved to ban transgenders from military enrollment. There have been attempts to create a statutory ban on same-sex marriage. Up until 1973, when the American Psychiatric Association removed it, homosexuality was labeled as a mental disorder. ell describes the progression of the movement as “two steps forward, one step back.” oth ell and ubio agree that the T movement has come a long way since its inception, but it still has a way to go in terms of securing the same rights that heterosexuals have. GSA meets on Tuesdays at 12: 10 p.m. and ,as their motto states, is committed to hosting a safe environment with positive dialogue about prevalent T issues and events.
CN/ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ
HATE CRIME INFO— a id ell tal s a o t the hate rime enhan ment a t that went into effe t in
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www.ELACCampusNews.com
FEATURE
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
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Club helps ease transition to student life for Veterans BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The Veterans Club is helping student veterans adjust to returning home from service by recreating the camaraderie of service through like-minded members and campus events. Acting president Daniel Mundaca and acting Vice President Samuel Lobos said one of the club’s goals is connecting student veterans with the rest of the campus. Lobos said making the club more accessible to all student population is important to creating this connection. He said that networking with other veterans and everyday students is important. The goal is to get Elans to understand the club and its members.
The club plans on being open and honest about what being a veteran and having served entails. It will be informational not only to members that are veterans, but to those who aren’t. “People always know a veteran. Y ou know like: ‘ Oh hey I got a friend who recently joined.’ Y ou know what I mean? Or ‘ Hey, I know a guy who’s out already. He’s struggling with this. How can I help him? ’” Mundaca said. Mundaca said the club will be open to talking about the realities that come with serving in the armed forces. This leads to another of the clubs goals, which is helping club members who have issues with readjusting to civilian life. From 2008 to 2016 there were more than 6000 veteran suicides each year according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Suicide Data Report of people who understand the situation. 2018. “A real common thing is suicide The club is dedicated to educating with veterans, right? A lot of the public on these veterans commit numbers so that they suicide once they’re may think about it out,” Mundaca said. The purpose of when interacting He wants potential veterans. these club events club members to Mundaca said know that the club is fostering a often it seems will be a safe space to like only veterans spirit reminiscent talk and help student really know how to veterans understand of the one interact and talk with that they aren’t alone veterans. soldiers have in in their struggles. This is what leads Mundaca said their barracks. to people often that having veterans wondering how to understand that check in on people help with suicidal that have served in thoughts and anger SAMUEL LOBOS their own lives. issues is available Vice President The club will be a would be key to the place where topics club. like contemplating Lobos said that suicide and the problems veterans talking about these mental issues are facing can be addressed by is important to them and that these
common problems have solutions. “What we want to do is at least be able to talk about it. And then point them in the right direction, as far as getting professional help and services,” said Lobos. Mundaca said the Veterans esource Center is the first place they would turn people to when it comes to initial help. Lobos said club adviser Jessica Peak, VRC coordinator and counselor, has contacts for various resources veterans can use. Lobos said the club also plans on getting together every couple of weeks to play pick up games of basketball or soccer. He said the purpose of these club events is fostering a spirit reminiscent of the one soldiers have in their barracks. “It’s like ‘ Hey man, what are you doing? ’ ‘ Oh, Nothing I’m bored.’ ‘ Like ‘ Hey, you want to cook out?
Or, hey you want to go hiking? ’” Lobos said. But the idea always is that there is something going on to keep club members social. Mundaca said the camaraderie the club creates will help club members who aren’t veterans connect with those that are. This is why the club is open to anyone. Student veterans and civilian students are both encouraged to join. Mundaca said the hope is to create friendships and networking opportunities for club members for the future. The club’s first meeting will be next Wednesday at noon. Meeting will be held in the VRC in building D7-A. For more information call Veterans Resource Center at (323) 415-5052.
Vision Club encouranges students to discuss hard topics BY MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer The Vision Club has been active since 2009 and it continues to inspire students to be critical thinkers by discussing a wide range of topics. Ryan Ludwig has been adviser of the club since 2009. It’s called the Vision Club because it helps people create their vision for the future and it heps bring together people who value and appreciate it
Ludwig said. Stella Nunez, a member of the club, was interested in their vision because “It covers topics like religion and politics,” she said. The Vision Club can discusses topics ranging from religion, politics, health, the universe and how to prepare for a job interview. Jacob Escobedo, a new member, went to the club rush and out of all the clubs there, the Vision club caught his attention. “It’s an open club. Y ou have
the freedom of space to kind of talk about whatever you want” Escobedo said. “Y ou get a lot of viewpoints from the games” he said. Every week the club tries to have an interactive component so students can interact with each other. These activities can range from skits to games for the students. Students are given objects and a time limit to do the skits. For example, students can be given a water bottle, a stapler and
tape as objects and with a time limit of two minutes to create a skit. “It takes creativity, teamwork, and confidence to pull this off,” Ludwig said. The purpose of this activity is for students to develop leadership, teamwork and confidence speaking. Jose Medina is club president and it’s his first time being in any club. “Our main goals (are) to at least have them leave with something new every week and to have a leadership role,” Medina said . Medina and Ludwig encourage one student each week to do a current event to present to the club
and share their thoughts about the topic. “Last week we had someone bring in the topic of gun control, which is a heavy topic, and it took 45 minutes discussing that” Medina said. Ludwig is also an adviser for the Statistics Club and Psychology Club. He explained how in Vision Club, any topic can be discussed like politics and biology, whereas in psychology club members can talk about politics but the psychological aspects are the main focus of it. In the future, the club will be exploring the viewpoints of the candidates for the upcoming
elections of 2020 and inform students how the electoral college works. “We try not to have these biasses that says Ok, ‘ We’re not going to cover this person or cover that person.’ We’re going to give any viable candidate kind of equal weight so students can be informed, and they can make their own decisions,” Ludwig said. “I’m open to the students’ ideas.I want them to feel they are part of this club and for them to own this club,” Ludwig said. The club meets on Fridays from 12: 30 p.m.-2: 30 p.m. in F7- 220.
Sociology Club helps students find sense of belonging BY MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer The Sociology Club is a welcoming club and a club that gives back to East Los Angeles College and its community. Francisco Ruedas is club president of the East Los Angeles College Sociology Club and the main goal of the club “is to give back to society and make society a better place” Ruedas said. During the last spring semester, the Sociology Club had a clothing drive donation. “The goal (of the clothing drive) was to create a safe space for students or anybody who was in need of clothes,” Ruedas said. He has plans for the club to clean up the campus at least twice a month during the semester. “That’s our long-term goal, to have these events,” Ruedas said. He wants future club presidents to continue these goals. The club is planning to have guest speakers during its meetings to discuss gender, sexuality, race, mental health and other topics. The club plans to have field trips for conferences and museums. “People’s purpose in society is that they want to belong and I feel
like the Sociology Club is giving people that place,” Ruedas said. When Ruedas joined the Sociology Club he felt welcomed and felt like he belonged in the club.
“People’s purpose in society is that they want to belong and I feel like the Sociology Club is giving people that place.” FRANCISCO RUEDAS Club President
He hopes students who are interested in joining feel the same way he did. “Everybody is welcomed and as long as you have the common interest in wanting to give back to the community,” Ruedas said. Desiree Aguilera is secretary of the club and is in her third semester as a member of the Sociology Club. Aguilera noticed that “The club is
a support system.” When Aguilera joined the club, she had members of the club show her around campus. Aguilera’s goal is for students in the Sociology Club to inform students of the club and encourage them to join. M a r i n a A g u i a r, a c u r r e n t member of the club, has noticed her confidence around people has improved since joining the club. “We’re all pretty close and it helped out (with my) shyness,” said Aguiar. “I isolated myself. I went to class, the cafeteria and my dorm room. That’s it” said Y olanda Trujillo, the newest member of the club. She was attending school at Camarillo and decided to come back home after she felt isolated. While attending ELAC, “I had to put myself out of my comfort zone and decided to join the Sociology Club,” Trujillo said. She was motivated to join the club after attending the club’s meeting with ASU and was engaged on the goals that the Sociology Club was going to bring to the community and the campus. “Come check us out,” Ruedas told students who are interested in joining the Sociology Club. The club meets on Thursdays from 12: 15 p.m. to 1: 30 p.m. in F7 207.
COURTESY OF SOCIOLOGY CLUB
SOCIALIZING WITH SOCIOLOGY—Sociology club members Desiree Aguilera (bottom left),
Yolanda Trujillo, Alejandra Gonzalez and club president Francisco Ruedas (top right) passed out infomation at ELAC’s recent Club Rush, along with their adviser Irwing Renato Jimenez (bottom right). www.ELACCampusNews.com
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2018
‘Joker’ displays great filmmaking, fantastic performances BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer oker is a film that delivers on multiple levels with its graphic violence, unnerving tone and fantastic performances. oker is about a man named rthur leck, played by oa uin hoeni , who is trying his best to stay above water. vents in his life cause him to spiral into the depths of his tormented mind and allow an alternative persona to be unleashed on society. The film’s focus is rthur and the director Todd hillips does everything he can to show that he is the center of this film. The cinematography is the stand out here. n most scenes of the film, rthur is in the center frame. ither he is already in the center or he moves to the center. nd if he is not in the center, the camera focuses on him and blurs everything around him. This allows the audience to feel like they are inside rthur’s mind. good e ample of this is when rthur is on a train and a couple of guys start to tease him because he starts to laugh uncontrollably. s they come closer to him, the camera blurs out the background and the only clear person in the frame is rthur. t is sometimes very difficult to tell whether what is going on is actually happening or a
delusion of rthur’s. There are no signs to let the audience know that what they are seeing is something in rthur’s head. The film only reveals what’s a delusion and what isn’t after the fact. The music is also key and contributes to the film’s uneasy ambiance. There are moments when the audience feels like rthur will snap at any moment and the sounds of violins playing throughout key scenes intensifies those feelings. There are other music choices that have a stark contrast to what is going on, but it still somehow works. Those differences in tone make it feel a bit more sinister. hoeni ’s performance is absolutely an cademy award level performance. The music intensifies the tension, but hoeni creates it. There is a scene where his boss is yelling at him. hoeni ust smiles. The boss’s voice is drowned out and the camera zooms in on hoeni ’s face, still smiling, but his eyes show the audience the anger and bitterness he holds. hoeni is a master of his craft and it shows as he is able to convey those emotions. ther standouts include obert e iro who plays urray ranklin, a host for a late night talk show in otham City. t’s interesting to see e
iro in this film because Ta i river is an obvious inspiration of this film. ut instead of e iro playing the outcast, he is the one who condemns the actions of rthur. The scene between e iro and hoeni is one of the highlights of the film. oker also plays with the atman and oker mythology in une pected ways and while it may make some fans of the comics angry, it works all the same. othing in this film is done without reason. aking the oker character sympathetic is great, but the film doesn’t idealize it. The only one who does idealize the actions of oker is oker. owever, this film may not be for everyone. There are moments where it slows down. ven though it still feels tense, some may take these moments in the film as ust boring character stuff. The film is also very dark. t doesn’t hold back with its violence. t not grotes ue, but it is graphic, earning its rating. Those who are used to seeing arvel films and e pect things to be tied up with a neat little bow will surely not en oy this film. oker is a must watch film COURTESY OF IMDB and it would not be surprising if COMFORTABLY MAD— Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, dancing down the stairs as it was nominated for a couple of he fully embraces his own crazy view of the world. cademy wards.
Campus News Horror Retrospective:
Romero paves the path for modern zombie films BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer
COURTESY OF IMDB
STANDING TALL—Tall girl Jodi (Ava Michelle) discovers she has more in common than just height while playing the piano with Stig (Luke Eisner), the new foreign exchange student.
‘Tall Girl’ is typical romance teen film BY KELLY VASQUEZ Staff Writer
Netflix just rolled out their newest teen romance last month called Tall irl.” The film isn’t necessarily bad, but it is definitely problematic. The movie is entertaining without a doubt, but viewers are left feeling like, id I really just watch that ” as the credits are rolling. Netflix is well known for its recent teen romance films including To ll the oys I’ve Loved efore,” the issing ooth,” and the erfect ate.” ome are a hit with audiences, while some fall flat. The film is directed by N ingha tewart and stars a n c e M o m s ’ s t a r, v a Michelle as odi, the tall girl The film also features abrina arpenter as odi’s older, shorter and more beautiful sister, Luke isner as tig, www.ELACCampusNews.com
the new hot and tall foreign exchange student, and riffin luck as the try-hard best friend that is head over heels for odi. Tall irl” generated bu on social media when the film debuted its trailer. Many were uick to call out the plot and how silly it is. The film follows a tall white teenage girl named odi who is shown to be bullied constantly for her height.
Many were quick to call out the plot and how silly it is. The film follows a tall white teenage girl named Jodi, who is shown to be bullied constantly for her height. In fact, the film opens with her flirting with a boy, who uickly retreat once he reali es how tall she is.
hen describing herself, she even says, ou think your life is hard I’m a high school junior wearing si e Nikes. Men’s si e Nikes. eat that.” This line in particular didn’t resonate with viewers. In a society where teenagers are faced with life-threatening issues, such as school shootings and hate crimes, this line ends up sounding extremely privileged, especially coming from a tall, thin, beautiful white woman. The type of women that society sees as the standard in the model industry. Tall irl is full of lines like these and worse, cheesy stereotypes. e have the black female best friend, the mean popular girl and the new hot foreign exchange student. The film lacks originality and follows the typical formula for a teen movie.
Netflix had the chance to make more out of this film. Instead the film followed a cliche formula. odi has no personality in the film. verything she does and says is somehow linked to her height. The film revolves around love and for some reason instead of odi learning to love her height on her own, seeks validation from boys. lthough the film can be entertaining at times, audiences might be left annoyed with odi and the rest of the characters. It would ve made more of an impact if the film actually s t a r r e d m a rg i n a l i e d a n d oppressed teenagers that viewers can relate to. verall, Tall irl” isn t a great piece of film. It does make for some good laughs though. The film is now streaming on Netflix and is rated - .
ombies, as we know them, would not e ist without eorge omero’s classic ight of the iving ead. The film had a small budget of , , forcing omero to make more from less. The entire film takes place in a single house, forcing the cast to be resourceful and creative with whatever materials they can get their hands on to protect themselves from the invading horde of the undead. s the cast e plores the house, characters are introduced and wrinkles are added to the plot. fi ed camera also creates the illusion of being in a tight, enclosed space, making viewers feel claustrophobic. lthough omero was not the first to make a zombie film, the first being ’s hite ombie, he did popularized many characteristics zombies are known for today like eating human flesh, transmitting disease through bites and death by destruction of the head. side from creating the modern zombie, omero also inspired countless franchises with his film. The popular zombie survival horror video game series esident vil is a primary e ample of omero’s influence as it utilizes a single zombie infested environment and fi ed camera angles.
nother notable franchise which has taken inspiration from omero is The alking ead. omero, however, did not like the show because he felt that gore should not be the main focus. ight of the iving ead also features a black man playing the lead, making him the first black actor to play the lead in a horror film. en, played by uane ones, is a resourceful, responsible and intelligent man who takes charge as leader of the group. hen en is on the brink of being rescued at the end of the film, omero subverts audience e pectations by killing him off. This is one of the first times the trope of killing off the hero before they are rescued is used. The film ends with the grisly scene of en being carried to a pyre where his body is burned. ight of the iving ead was released near the end of the civil rights movement. The film is a metaphor for the black community enduring the unending hate of white mericans in the form of zombies and its ending serves as a reminder that the battle is not yet over. ight of the iving ead remains the backbone of all zombie media. Though it has not aged as well as other films of the era due to its low budget, watching the film is a right of passage for all fans of the horror genre.