VOLUME 75, ISSUE 23
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
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Adelante raises funds with beats BY KEVIN GONZALEZ Staff Writer The Hip-Hop Summit culminated a three-part series of events that raised funds to establish a first year experience scholarship for East Los Angeles College students on Saturday. Adelante First Year Experience program held the event at the G3 auditorium. The first two events consisted of the Woke Womxn’s Conference and Pride week. The Hip-Hop summit was designed to bring awareness to the benefits that Hip-Hop can have on communities. Vanessa Ochoa, the associate dean of student services at the Adelante FYE center, was one of the organizers of the event. Ochoa said that one of the goals for the hip-hop summit was to expose the community to the power of hip hop. “Hip-Hop can change your life. It’s changed my life, which is why I wanted to bring that experience to the ELAC community,” said Ochoa. “I expect people to gain insight on how hip hop can help elevate them the next level.” The event consisted of more than a dozen performers and speakers that brought all of the elements of hip-hop into one place. Hip-Hop and its influence to the fashion world were represented by BORNXRAISED clothing brand founded by SPANTO. The connection between art and hip- hop were represented by muralist, tattoo and graffiti artist
PHOTOS BY KEVIN GONZALEZ • PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
CHUBS. The element of turntables were represented by figures like DJ Eliza May and World Famous Beat Junkies Dj Icy-ice. Dr. David Stovall from the University of Chicago spoke about the positive effects that hip-hop has on the youth of the community and about the gentrification that plagues the community. Local talent REVERIE and many others figures in the hip-hop community were also present. The host of the event was Tyson Amir, author of Black Boy Poems. Before the event started, Amir spoke about the need for more events like these in which the community can come together to learn about the benefits and true identity of hip-hop.
Amir said he wants the students effect that real hip-hop can have to realize that the mainstream hip- on a community, the current state hop played on the radio is corporate of hip-hop and the difference hip-hop that doesn’t truly represent between real hip-hop and what hip-hop was originally about. Corporate hip-hop. Amir spoke about the start of “I’m excited about hip-hop and how people having an “Hip-Hop can African Americans opportunity to a change your life. created a culture to deep engagement It’s changed my with the culture express and survive and the history of life, which is why I the settings they hip-hop, especially wanted to bring that were living in. In order to give the political and experience to the revolutionary power the audience an ELAC community.” of it so that it can example of what he meant, Amir serve the people VANESSA OCHOA Associate dean of instead of corporate compared hip-hop Student Services to the Brazilian interest,” said Amir. The first speakers martial arts form consisted of author known as capoeira. Amir followed by Stovall. Both “The slaves had to find a way to of these speakers spoke about the disguise a martial arts to protect
themselves. They made it look like a dance so when the slave officer or overseer came around, they would think the slaves were just dancing, but in reality they were learning how to kick and defend themselves,” said Amir. Amir also shared some of his political rhymes or “bars,” as he called them, and explained the reasons behind them. Stovall talked about how gentrification is affecting the communities and how minorities must work together to fight back. “The ancestors taught us that if you fight, you will win, but you have to fight or else nothing is going to change,” said Stovall. Stovall said the culture of hip-hop came from the need in young people to create and express themselves.
He also said Los Angeles is going through something similar with a lot of art and recreational programs being cut from the school districts, leaving young people without a space to create. “Here in Los Angeles they’re trying to do the same thing by taking away your art programs, moving people out and taking away quality education. Now the question is ‘what will young people do to create because you are fighting for a space to create in a world that’s trying to do something to you?’” said Stovall. The Hip-Hop summit also consisted of a panel in which most of the hip-hop elements like art, fashion, music and politics were present. The Panel consisted of BORNXRAISED clothing brand founder SPANTO, Graffiti and Tattoo artist CHUBS, Dr. Stovall, and musical artist Melione. The panelists spoke about what inspired them to pursue their art form as a career and about the struggles that they had to overcome. During the summit there were raffles, a silent auction, a live painting by CHUBS and a fashion show by ELAC alumna, Bethany Naranjo. Toward the end of the summit, there were performances by artists like MELIONE, KING VVIBE, X THE UV, and ELAC scholars and alumni, SHNEAKY, FREQ and ZZAY. The main event was REVERIE, who culminated the summit with a live performance. The Hip- Hop summit had a small turn-out of students during the whole event. The majority of attendees consisted of Adelante club members and the artist’s entourage. Throughout the summit, a recurring message was that the community must work together to make the best out of what they have. That was shown when the small audience came together to support the performers. Artists, performers, students and faculty all gathered at the front of the stage to make the artist feel like they were performing in front of a huge audience. “I don’t care if it’s only 20 people in here, were going to turn this place up like it’s a full auditorium,” said X THE UV one of the performers.
Speech team destroys competition BY PAMELA ESTRADA Staff Writer Speech team is one of few community colleges teams to attain four, 1st place, national titles in four consecutive years as of last month. On April the team took part in the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Daytona Beach Florida. This event put ELAC on top when the speech team brought home the 1st place gold for the “Wheeler Division Individual Events.” “This was an important win for us, and for the school, because we want everyone we compete with to know that East Los Angeles College is a school of excellence,” said ELAC Forensics Director, David Hale. In addition to the Phi Rho Pi National tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida, they also competed at the National Forensics Association National Tournament in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, which
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also marked the first year the team competed at two national level tournaments. The speech team won six gold medals, two silver, and ten bronze. The team took down fifty-five participating schools from across the nation. They also conquered above 800 individual entries. What marks these accomplishments as amazing is that they kept their top rank while competing at a higher division this year. “It’s never about the win. It’s about the team bond that gets us to where we are,” said Maya Origel a competitor with the team. “Never underestimate us.” said Staci Orozco a newcomer who just started with the team. This year’s honors mirror those of the teams first year. When they competed at the National Forensics Association National Tournament, they gained fourth place in the President II Division and 17 overall, out of 64 schools in which
61 of them were universities. ELAC was the highest-ranking from any school in California. The outranked schools were Cal State University Los Angeles, California State University Long Beach, California State University Fullerton, California State University-Chico, University of the Pacific, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and San Jose State University, making it the top community college. Hale said the team is made up of 60 on and off students who take part. The travel team is made up of 13 students as reported by Origel. The speech section of the team is coached by adjunct faculty members Alixandria Lopez, DeRod Taylor, Jedi Curva, Trisha Brodak-Silva and student tutor Paxton Attridge. The debate section of the team is coached by professor Myhanh Anderson. The team has also gained local victories within California. The speech team competed at the
Financial Aid Transfer Workshop Cal State L.A. and UCLA staff will take part in Tomorrow’s informative workshop on the process to carry over Financial Aid when transferring. Taking place at the library in room 103 at noon.
MAKING HISTORY— The speech team at Phi Rho Pi national Tournament in Daytona Beach Florida. California Community Colleges Forensic Association State Tournament in Sacramento. At this even there were more than 25 schools participating. They also
had over 350 and fifty individual entries. ELAC speech team walked away with a total of one bronze, four silver, and three gold medals. The speech Team has embedded
Board of Trustees to Fill Vacant Position Applications will be accepted through 4:30 p.m. on May 31 to fill the vacant position on the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees.
itself in history. “This win has further cemented our reputation across the nation as the speech team to beat,” said Hale.
Chavez Ravine The Theater Arts will present Chavez Ravine, written by Culture Clash, through the month of May at the P2 Proscenium Theater.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Scantrons don’t measure student capabilities BY PAMELA ESTRADA Staff Writer With finals at months end, East Los Angeles College should follow the, ‘no Scantron policy,’ implemented by the Mathematics Department. Every semester, Dr. Nancy Melucci begins her Statistics 1 course by walking in, setting down her materials and turning to the white board to write her name for all to see. All while she says that unlike any other class, she will not use scantrons for any of her tests through the Statistics 1 course at Los Angeles Harbor College, a sister school to ELAC. Melucci says that scantrons take away from thinking and working hard at the task at hand. She said she does not know why scantron are even permitted. As she speaks, snarls and grunts fill the room from corner to corner. Whether a professor gives an explanation or not, mathematics professors at ELAC are not permitted to use Scantrons. The head of the Mathematics Department Joseph Kazimir said “There is a no Scantron policy in the math department. We agree with her policy.”
Kazimir said that the exception to the rule is one pre-algebra course. “A scantron does not allow for the professor to see where the student needs help and what the student already understands,” Kazimir said.
This pass or fail grading, leaves no room for partial credit which would otherwise show the students thought process. For example, take a problem on a test worth five or 10 points that asks students the average number of points per game earned in a league. Team A: 14 points and 9 games, Team B: 16 points and 8 games, Team C: 14 points and 9 games, and Team D: 16 points and 8 games. Working out the problem, the professor can see if the math is accurate. If all the steps are there, then the student understands. The professor has done her/his part to teach the student. If the student shows part of the steps wrong, the professor can give
partial credit for the work that was done correctly. This, in addition, will allow the student to take the exam to a tutoring center to get help for the section they did not understand. “I cannot express how much I’ve learned,” said David Martinez, a first-year ELAC student. Martinez has mostly used the scantron in psychology and said that it is too easy and he prefers to be challenged. This pass or fail grading leaves no room for partial credit, which would otherwise show the student’s thought process. Having to bubble in an answer can simply mean that maybe the student had a lucky guess. Short answers and essays allow for explanation of a student’s understanding. To connect what has been learned and give meaning, in the student’s own words, may provide a better insight of what has been retained through the semester. There are six different types of fill-in-the-bubble scantrons sold at the Student Center. They allow for the students to use the elimination process, or the selection of C as the best guess, which gives no sign of how the student got there. Let us raise the academic bar.
PUP EDITOR IN CHIEF Steven Adamo EDITOR iN CHIEF Gustavo Buenrostro ONLINE EDITORS Alejandro Ambriz Erick Villarreal ART DIRECTOR Matthew Johnson FRONT EDITORS Pamela Estrada Anthony Villenas
OPINION EDITORS Alex Avila Juan Calvillo
Travel allows for deeper experiences BY ROBERTO DIAZ Staff Writer
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Online dating lacks commitment BY KALEEN LUU Staff Writer The Internet has made it easy to meet new people, but it’s come at a cost. Online dating is ruining our dating scene. Thousands of people are able to network with just a quick download of an app, or easy online sign up. There are a plethora of dating sites to choose from. From the tried and true Match.com to the simplified app Tinder. It’s no wonder that in this age, so many people don’t think twice about ‘ghosting’ someone. The act of suddenly disappearing on someone you’ve been talking to, ghosting, has become far too common in the dating scene. According to Fortune.com, over 80 percent of millenials have been victims of ghosting. Everything seems to be going good. You’re having fun, and then one
day you wake up and realize your message failed to send. They’ve blocked your number. The person you were talking to has vanished from your social media and you’re left hanging. Online dating is toxic because it makes it too easy to play with people’s emotions. People don’t even realize how their actions are affecting the other person because, well, if you block them with a click, then they’re gone. People don’t consider the consequences in this era because maybe it happened to them too. They justify it. It’s skewed our perspectives. Online dating opens you up to so many different people. It’s kind of overwhelming. So many choices. The Internet has made it into a game. How many people can you connect with? Online dating is ruining the dating scene because people get caught up in playing the game and being in a cycle of flirting and meeting a
handful of people. Don’t worry about trying to commit to anyone here. They’re probably talking to five other people, too. “Keep your options open,” people say. It’s what Askmen.com calls the Swiping Syndrome. Swiping Syndrome is making snap judgments about people based off the half second you spend glancing at their profile. With apps like Tinder, people swipe right on the profiles they like, and left for the ones they want to pass on. Prospective partners are reduced to a pile of people that we’re kind of interested in, but maybe don’t want to commit to because, ‘What if someone better comes along?’ It’s okay to make a choice. Stop waiting and playing games to see if it’s possible to meet someone better. It’s important to remember one thing: these are people too.
College students continuously give up once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to travel, they don’t want to leave the setting they’re comfortable with. Throughout college campuses there are signs posted revealing the information needed to study abroad. Students have a variety of reasons why they would study abroad, but different situations prevevnt them. Such as financial circumstances, and students being fearful of leaving their comfort zones; the opportunity would seem very unlikely. Well, there are many ways to go about these obstacles in order to be able to take advantage of this life -changing opportunity. Author Santiago VaqueraVasquez, said that his sister, who only had one leg, “would work nonstop for periods of time, all in order to save up money for the cause of being able to take a couple months off to travel wherever she would like, backpacking.” Vasquez’s sister made sacrifices to be able to get to her goal. These study abroad programs are targeted for college students, and adjustments can, more often than not, be made. This should be utilized, whether it involves setting up a payment plan with the program or for getting a scholarship to get a discount on the trip. If one is able to come up with the
money however, it would be worth doing earlier in a college career or even right after high school. This is because later, students do not know if they will have other responsibilities outside of school that will make the trip fairly more expensive or just difficult to schedule around. If money isn’t the problem and students just don’t want to leave family and friends, then that is how they know that they need to take this trip. The opportunity to study abroad at a younger age allows students to easily make friends while abroad. Students’ friends from home might be able to join the program if they are also interested, making the experience a whole lot better. It is important to be able to get out of one’s comfort zone and feel confident to be able to perform. It is hard to do because, for many, it will be their first time living away from home. It isn’t just living at school. There will be an ocean separating students from their comfort. This can be overwhelming, but the benefits that come from this sacrifice will influence the person that students will become in the future. Some of the main benefits of studying abroad include: gaining real world experience, taking a challenge, learning about different cultures and languages, meeting people around the world, preparing for future jobs and a plethora of different foods to explore.
Hand-drawn animation more creative than 3D BY ALEX AVILA Staff Writer 2D animation in film has become a rare occurrence in the western film industry. Less big-budget 2D animated movies are being produced compared to 3D animated features. once the technology came, studios didn’t hesitate to move onto new 3D animation. Disney who purchased Pixar to be their 3D animation studio has followed Pixars footprints and now focus on 3D animated movies themselves. In the 1990s, Disney films were more successful than ever, coming out with hit after hit. So why after a big stream of success did Disney also jump onto 3D animation? Disney was having success with their ’90s 2D animated films but they were very expensive to make with movies such as “Tarzan” and “Mulan” Costing well over 90 million to produce. The films brought back more money compared to the production
cost, bringing in over $400 million each. Disney wanted the same success for half the cost. Animated films that cost half of what a typical Disney movie would are “The Rugrats Movie” and Pixar's “Toy Story” had a budget less than $40 million dollars but brought the same success. The success of “The Rugrats” movie started a trend of movies based on cartoons from Disney and Nickelodeon. This blinds consumers on what was even a full-feature animated disney movie, making the industry feel over-saturated. In the early 2000s, Disney films began to struggle because of this. “Treasure Planet” was received critically but was a box office failure. Since 2003, Disney switched their focus to 3D animation. Disney has only produced two hand drawn films: 2009’s “Princess and the Frog” and 2010’s “Winnie the Pooh.” Both received great reviews, but failed. According to Edwin Catmull, president of Pixar and Disney
Animation Studio, both movies being released alongside “Avatar” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” respectively being the reason they failed in the box office. This gave Disney the idea people don’t want to see hand drawn animation anymore, which is completely false. 2D animation produced outside of the United States has also achieved great success. Japan’s animation has been getting more and more popular worldwide with the releases of classic masterpieces like 1988’s “Akira” and 1995’s “Ghost in the Shell”, both known for masterful life-like animation and being creative pieces of art. Both films grossed billions worldwide. The continued success of Japanese hand drawn films like 2016’s “Your Name”, which achieved seven awards and over $300 million worldwide, shows that 2D animation is still something people would like to see. It’s not the audience that doesn’t want to see these movies but rather
NEWS EDITORS Anthony Aguilar Kevin Gonzalez FEATURE EDITORS Kaleen Lulu Gabriel Noriega Miguel Dominguez Francisco Romo ARTS EDITORS Luis Castilla Miranda Morales PHOTO EDITOR Manuel Rojas CARTOONIST Jose Conriquew STAFF WRITER Raquel Diaz STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Guadalupe Gonzalez Bosco Wu ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Stephanie Guevara ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez
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the studios themselves that, would rather make money instead of interesting films. Famous Japanese animator and director Hayao Miyazaki said “I think 2-D animation disappeared
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from Disney because they made so many uninteresting films. They became very conservative in the way they created them. It's too bad. I thought 2-D and 3-D could coexist happily.”
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, MAY 16, 2018
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California Master Plan in need of update BY PAMELA ESTRADA Staff Writer Representatives of the higher education system were in Sacramento, reviewing the California Master Plan established in 1960 to further the success of students in higher education. The fourth hearing was held by Assemblymembers Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto), Jose Medina (D-Riverside), and Dr. Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) on May 8th. It was presented that a need for diversity within faculty was a priority, along with the investment to build better incentive packages to attract qualified professors. According to Berman, Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education in California, the student success relies heavily on students ability to relate to the faculty. The student body is much more diverse than it was 58 years ago when the plan was first established. It is time
transfer students. the faculty catches up. The success that the California In agreement with Berman, Master Plan created 58 years ago assemblymember Jose Medina, giving all students a place to go Chair of the Assembly Higher or establish themselves after high Education Committee said, school is affected “College faculty by the changing and staff play a numbers, cultures tremendous role in a and economy within The student body student success.” the area. Having previously is much more The 58-yearheard testimonies diverse than it old plan is now from students, attempting to include was 58 years financial aid faculty, the faculty and staff and custodial staff, ago when the to further its success it is clear that as a plan was first within the UC, CSU, whole community, and Community established. from the students to Colleges. the custodial staff, East Los Angeles the work set before College President them will have to Marvin Martinez be done together to said the California achieve success. This brought forth the questions Master Plan is, “long overdue” regarding funding, understaffing for a review and update due to the changing times and peoples and reliance on temporary faculty. Within the voices of finance, the since it was first established in the students made clear that they were 60s. Martinez mentioned that just concerned about paths created for recently an organization called The
Campaign for College Opportunity made an appearance at ELAC for the program Left Out. ELAC’s diversity within the classrooms brought this program for its research and awareness campaign on just that, diversity. Pointing out that diversity within colleges is being reviewed outside the Sacramento conference and the changing California Master Plan, Martinez urges the review of the changing data that shows just how much the 58 years has brought to colleges across the state. To start off alone, ELAC holds a diverse student body and Martinez pushes to bring diversity within the classrooms. The outcome in whichever way the representatives choose to go will require as much of a commitment as it originally did. The original plan is said to have been “an enormous commitment and the basis for the Master plan” according to UC Institution Research and Academic Planning.
1960 TIME—UC Chancellor Kerr, the Father of the California Master Plan for Higher Education, on TIME cover.
Health and Wellness fair sheds light on nursing programs BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Staff Writer The Health and Wellness fair presented by the ELAC Student Health Center last Thursday provided students with information that is presumptively known, but is commonly incorrect. Among the booths were the Veterans Resource Center, Alta Med Health Services and students from ELAC’s Nurse Program. Their booth was based on hypertension
(also known as high blood pressure). Hypertension is a condition in which the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high. Using the 2017 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults, 45.6 percent of U.S. adults have hypertension. One of the students, Amy Chilingaryan says that it is very common among AfricanAmericans from ages 45-50 but can happen at any age due
HYPERTENSION— One of the displays created by the ELAC nurse program showing ways to avoid high blood pressure.
Psychology Club demonstrates importance of higher education BY ROBERTO DIAZ Staff Writer Students and families flooded into East LosAngeles College’s multi-purpose room on Thursday to attend the 5th Annual Psychology Club Open House. Upon arrival, guests were given welcome gifts and an event program. Food was provided as well as various information presented by student service booths. When the club had its first open house five years ago, it was held in the club’s department building, which wasnt big enough for all attendees. Club members were thrilled about the turn, as well as Psychology Chair Sherrie Davey, was thrilled about and the program’s growth. “Tonight’s objective is not just for the Psychology Club. We host this event to invite families and to advocate to them how important higher education
is for their children and even for them,” Davey said. During the event, children enjoyed several coloring areas.College information for high school students and for
“We host this event to invite families and to advocate to them how important higher education is for their children...” SHERRIE DAVEY
Psychology Chair
people wanting to go back was available. Help centers for those experiencng addiction, depression or mental and physical abuse was also offered. Presentations began with faculty member Dr. Randy Ludwig who kept the night alive and the program running. Ludwig introduced his
colleagues from the Psychology Department, who put together the event. Student clubs and service representatives introduced their clubs and shared what they offer. After the introductions, Ludwig showed the audience how ELAC’s Psychology Club helps change lives. Eddie Alvo, 54, from Los Angeles shared that he was an addict for 20 years before going back to school at 45. Alvo did not know what to major in until he attended a Psychology Club Meeting. He learned al lot about himself. Alvo transfered to Antioch University where he earned his bachelor’s degree, and became the first person in his family to earn a masters degree. Alvo currently works as an adviser and counselor in Pasadena, CA, for the Gooden Center in Pasadena, a rehab home for alcoholics and drug addicts. www.ELACCampusNews.com
to lifestyle. “It is known as a silent killer because it has no obvious symptoms to indicate that something’s wrong.” This is why it is very important to have blood pressure checked. “A lot of the times checking your blood pressure is free.” Chilingaryan, six months into her nursing program, believes it to be very competitive. She is studying to be a nurse practitioner. Currently the wait time to start the nursing program is between 2-3 years. “The program is diverse, but there are more males than
females right now.” The intensive nursing program is less book work and more hands on, and students spend hours at hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County.” Students even provide nursing care for children and adults under the supervision of clinical nurseinstructors. Another student, April Alaverdyan, credits the professors of the nursing program for making the 2-year long study bearable. “They go out of their way to explain things to you in a manner that you’ll understand.”
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Features
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Elan provides healthy alternatives to the community BY KALEEN LUU Staff Writer Health conscious patrons at the Root of Life Juicery in Huntington Park can be rest assured the food they buy there has no unnecessary added sugars. Nutritional Science major Maria Pacheco is co-owner alongside her business partner, Robert Valdez. Together, they strive to offer healthier, natural alternatives to the community that are locally sourced and affordable. “I wanted to get a staple of our culture. Juicing is a big part of being Latino. I grew up with that. I knew I wanted to be have a healthier alternative, without all the extra sugar,” Pacheco said. Despite its name, Root of Life Juicery offers more than just pressed juice. The plant-based establishment offers an array of selections from customizable açaí bowls, to a fresh new take on Pad Thai. “I realized that every time I wanted to eat something healthy, there were no options here. We grew up on burritos and tacos,” Pacheco said, “If I wanted something else, I would have to go to Pasadena.” The store opened its doors last March, but its inception began with a humble dream that sprouted at their local farmers market in 2013. “I was getting into holistic medicine, natural ingredients and I wanted to share our creation,” Pacheco said. Root of Life now offers a multitude of different juices, but they began with one simple creation. “We started with small cups of our juice at a booth,” Pacheco
CN/KALEEN LUU
KALE, YEAH— The Green Thunder is paired alongside a
BERRY GOOD— Co-owner Maria Pacheco smiles as she picks out ingredients for a
colorful açaí bowl at Root of Life Juicery in Huntington Park.
healthy smoothie at Root of Life Juicery in Huntington Park.
said, “The first one we came up is so rooted in the community. with is our Green “This is our Thunder, which baby. We’re a was Robert’s team. People told “It’s so rewarding to me to open shop idea. A lot of people gave us see people enjoy our elsewhere, but I great feedback, product. They get to said no. There’s so we kept a real need for us know what’s inside, going.” here,” Pacheco Once the seed said. and for me, that’s was planted, the Upon entry, amazing.” idea of opening visitors are the Root of Life immediately ROBERT VALDEZ Juicery seemed greeted with a CO-OWNER natural to the cheery welcome. duo, who said Art, donated that the name by people from comes from the fact that the store the community, decorate the walls.
In the corner of the shop, a shelf is filled with a variety of textbooks. “We want this to be a place where people can sit down and relax,” Pacheco said, “We have the bookcase for people who want to donate their books for others, and we welcome anyone to take a book if they need it.” The couple said they hope for the store to be a haven for people in the area looking for a different but healthy choice. They embrace new patrons with open arms. The wide array of options can be overwhelming to a new customer, but Valdez said he is proud
Honors program to help students transition BY GUADALUPE GONZALEZ Staff Writer The honors program has been developed to provide highly motivated students an encouraging learning environment. It consists of a series of courses specifically designed to prepare students for the transition to a fouryear university or college. The program at East Los Angeles College is recognized by UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, UC Santa Cruz, Whitman College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Mills College, Loyola Marymount University, and Occidental College. The program offers priority consideration for admission when transferring to honors affiliated universities and colleges. They also offer certificate awards upon completion of five honors courses with a 3.0 GPA, unique scholarship opportunities and UCLA library card privileges. Campus visitations and tickets to various events in Southern
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California are also included. Class sizes are smaller in comparison to normal class sizes, containing between 25 to 30 students. The courses offered in the honors program are: Anthropology, Art History, Astronomy, Biology,
“The honors program offers priority consideration when transferring to honors affiliated universities and colleges.” Chicano Studies, Earth Science, English, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Theatre Arts. Students are given a year to either choose to complete the full honors program of five courses, or sample
a limited number of courses. The requirements for completing this program is enrollment to six or more units per semester and completion of five honors courses, with a 3.0 GPA average or higher. The program is open to both fulltime and part-time students who are taking a minimum of six units. Eligible ELAC students can register for the honors program, even if they aren’t planning to go to a UC or private University. The eligibility requirements for those entering as a freshman is a 3.0 GPA in high school and English 101 placement. Continuing students must have a completion of 12 transferable college units with a 3.0 GPA and completion of English 101. Students are urged to take this opportunity offered on campus to sharpen their academic skills. They can discover innovative ways to analyze, evaluate subject matter and to participate in research conferences, field trips and cultural events.
to explain the menu. “I like to ask people what benefits they hope to get, and we go from there,” Valdez said, “It’s so rewarding to see people enjoy our product. They get to know what’s inside. For me, just hearing that they like it, that’s amazing.” The two attribute the continued success of their operation to the people who have followed them since their beginning. It’s their support that keeps Root of Life Juicery from wilting, and Pacheco said they owe it to new customers that keep their business flourishing.
“When I’m having a long day, I remind myself of why I started: my vision and dream for the future. I want to make a difference in my community,” Pacheco said. Their passion and drive is what nurtured Root of Life Juicery, and allows it to continue to bloom. “There’s been so much red tape for a small business like us, and it was discouraging. It took us months to get all the permits before we could open, but I was determined,” Pacheco said, “We finally opened on a Sunday.” Root of Life Juicery is located at 2925 E. Florence Ave. in Huntington Park, CA 90255.
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018
Future Husky quarterback prepares for new challenges BY GUADALUPE GONZALEZ Staff Writer Incoming Husky and Montebello High School quarterback Gabriel Tapia played his last high school football game on Friday against Schurr High School in Montebello. After ending his high school football career with a win,Tapia will be join the Huskies this upcoming 2018-2019 football season.“Gabriel is going to bring great leadership, a lot of great work ethic to the school, and is someone to lead by example,”Montebello High School quarterback coach Peter Gonzalez said. Gabriel Tapia said he is excited for the upcoming season
and hopes to help the Huskies be 2018-2019 Conference Champions. “The Huskies already have a great program I feel like I would fit perfect for that program, I love how their offense is , I love the style so I feel like I would be a great fit for them,” Tapia said With a total of 29 touchdown passes, passing touchdowns, 18 rushing touchdowns, and 124.5 yard average per game, Gabriel Tapia ended his high school career being named Offensive Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player for Montebello, and San Gabriel Valley All- Area quarterback. He was selected to participate in the North vs. South Hall of Fame Game after recovering from a career
threatening injury during the Oilers first-round California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section playoff game against Pasadena Poly. Tapia suffered a torn Medial Collateral Ligament injury to his right knee during the first quarter after getting tackled by a Pasadena Poly defender. He thought he would never be able to step foot on a football field again. His therapy process took five months, “ they were the worst months of my life because it was just so painful trying to strengthen my knee but thank God I did it and it was all worth it.” Tapia said. Tapia started his comeback with a seven yard run in the first quarter, “ I was debating if I should wear my
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brace or not, I decided not to wear it and it felt pretty good.” Gabriel Tapia said after his 20-14 overtime win against the North. Tapia says that next year the Huskies should expect someone who is hard working, dedicated and willing to break their neck for the team. “Playing college football has always been a dream of mine. Doesn't matter at what level, I have always wanted to play college football and eventually advance to the next level,” Tapia said. Tapia hopes that when his Huskies days come to an end he is fortunate to be recruited by the University Of California Los Angeles and be a future Bruin.
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CN/ MIRANDA MORALES
BACK IN ACTION— Montebello High School Senior quarterback Gabriel Tapia returns to field after recovering from serious injury.
ElAC’s REDIO leads the fight against student hunger BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The East Los Angeles College Foundation recently created the Resource Economic Development and Innovation Office ( REDIO ) to solve the long-term issues of hunger, housing, transportation and clothing among students. The Associated Student Union is working with the school to solve similar problems. The issues that affect community college students
have been written about before. A Los Angeles Times article from June 29 reported that one in five students were homeless. The survey by the Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees also found that close to two thirds experienced hunger on campus after a survey was done by the LACCD board of trustees, the conclusion was that one in five students was homeless. Further information also stated that close to two thirds experienced “ food insecurity.”
An ASU survey found that 70 percent of students experienced hunger on campus. And despite the statisitics of one in five being homeless, “Here in East L.A. it’s likely higher than other areas because our community is even more urban. I think it’s closer to two out of five possibly are homeless,” REDIO dean Paul De La Cerda said. While ASU is preparing to do its part in helping student needs, the ELAC Foundation through REDIO has its own answer in the form of the
Transforming Lives “Annual Giving” Campaign . It plans on tackling four specific needs of students: hunger, housing, transportation and clothing. The TLC program started in November and is focused on raising money through donations from ELAC employees and the community. De La Cerda said that 100 percent of the donations by ELAC employees through payroll deductions will go directly to helping students. “We are proud of that commitment,” De La Cerda said.
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#SheDoes helps homeless women BY KALEEN LUU Staff Writer The #SheDoes movement is led by Mel Tillekeratne, a man who is dreaming of a future where all the homeless women are off the streets. “I was at work, and saw that the Women’s March was happening a few blocks from Skid Row… but there was little mention of all the homeless women who were there,” Tillekeratne explained, “I saw all the energy at the march, and I wondered to myself, ‘How could we capture that energy, and use it to help these women?” Tillekeratne is someone who never missed a day, always looking for a way to make a change. “We need to help. There women deserve it. They’ve been exposed; some have experienced sexual assault or assault. I’ve seen the momentum that they had at the march. We can do this!” Tillekeratne said. Since its inception this past January, the #SheDoes movement has already inspired some changes in the city.
On April 26, Mayor Eric Garcetti pledged to commit to have six shelters for homeless women by the end of the year. “We’ve seen too many: from elderly women, women with children, and transgender women, we want to be open. We want to have these options to save lives.” In a video posted on the She
“The Women’s March was happening a few blocks from Skid Row, but there was little mention of all the homeless women who were there.” MEL TILLEKERATNE
#SheDoes Movement
Does website (shedoesmovement. org), Garcetti shared his hopes for the future of housing in the city, and the changes he wishes will happen after taking the first step. “For all of you, for making sure that our broken hearts heal and our
big hearts help, I have one favor. Please come! Please come and say, ‘Yes, we want this!” Garcetti said. East Los Angeles College sophomore Cathy Guay, an advocate for the #SheDoes crusade, hopes more students will take notice and be a part of the action. Louder voices need to seize the stage, and Guay believes #SheDoes is the perfect place to begin. “This is the movement that finally got us noticed by the LA Council members and Mayor Garcetti,” said Guay, “The biggest change I hope to see are new shelters opening. There are so many people that need us. I want to see help for all the women who are being assaulted on a daily basis.” The vision with #SheDoes is just coming together. With support from the mayor, the organization doesn’t plan to stop there. They want to push until the homeless find the housing and protection they need. “We asked people, ‘Does she deserve to be safe, does she deserve shelter?’ and they said, she does!” Tillekeratne exclaimed. www.ELACCampusNews.com
The ELAC Foundation has helped students through its scholarship programs over the years. But when it came to emergency situations, De La Cerda said the ELAC Foundation was helping students before the L.A. Times article was published. De La Cerda said that ASU’s survey and the L.A. Times article galvanized the ELAC Foundation’s intent to do something more substantial. “The Foundation’s main purpose is to serve and support you, the student. You’re our
client. You are why we are here. We exist because of you,” De La Cerda said. To accomplish this, De La Cerda said the TLC project was meant to create a long-term solution to the problems facing ELAC students. De La Cerda said the ELAC Foundation uses a top investment firm that diversifies its investments and that the money raised is allocated into a “nest egg,” or an endowment. For the full version, go to www.elaccampusnews.com
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018
Music Department students perform classics BY ALEX AVILA Staff Writer Students performed classical tunes from legendary composers last Wednesday, May 9 at the S2 Recital Hall. The Music Department presented student guitar players, violinists and singers accompanied by Dr. Melissa Sky-Eagle on the piano. Each student took a bow to the crowd as an introduction and outro to their performance. While on stage, the room was filled with music, and once the great performances were brought to an end, the performers would bow to the clapping crowd. They’d wave a hand, presenting their accompanist, Sky-Eagle, as well. The recital began with a selection of guitar melodies. Eric Qing Xie and Jonathan Patterson performed “Autumn Leaves” by Joseph Kosma. Alexander Botello played “Etude No.3” by Matteo Carcassi on guitar
and finally, “Sextuplets” by ELAC’s very own Evan Hirschelman. After the collection of guitar solo performances, Daniela Herrera presented her violin performance of “Bourree” by Johann Sebastian Bach. Accompanist Dr. Melissa SkyEagle played along with students with powerful voices singing classical songs in different styles. Te n o r s i n g e r M a r c o S o l i s sang “Standchen” from “Schwanengesang” by Franz Schubert Ema Aldana sang in soprano for “Where’er You Walk” from “Semele” by George Frideric Handel, followed by Monique Mauries, a mezzo-soprano, singing “Mein Liebster Singt” by Hugo Wolf Claire Marquez, a soprano, sang “Moonfall” by Rupert Holmes, and baritone singer Eugene Lopez performed both “Der Mond” by Felix Mendelssohn and “Wie Rafft Ich Mich Auf” by Johannes Brahms. The mixture of singers and Sky-
Eagle’s performance on the piano was powerful and memorable. Once the lineup of singers was through, Sky-Eagle propped open the grand piano to prepare the next student for their performance. The final performance was by Shan Jiang on the piano. She performed the intense “Prelude No.21 in B-flat” by Bach. Each performer brought beautiful melodies and lyrics to life with their skills. In the final ten minutes of the recital, the Chamber Chorale took the stage with Dr. Anthony Lupica conducting and Mimi Chun as the accompanist. They performed religious songs like “La Vergine degli Angeli” by Giuseppe Verdi, “How Lovely Are the Messengers” by Mendelssohn, “He, Watching Over Israel “ and “A Gaelic Blessing” by John Rutter. The next student recital event will be held on Monday, May 21 at noon. The Student Piano Recital will be directed by Dr. Lucy Nargizyan and is free.
EBONY AND IVORY—Shan Jiang performs “Prelude No. 21 in B-flat”
CN/ALEX AVILA
by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Arctic Monkeys: New album different but essence remains BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer The Arctic Monkeys are back after five years with their new album “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” and it’s quite a mesmerizing experience. Alex Turner, frontman and principal songwriter, has taken the reigns almost entirely on this album. Ditching their guitars for synthesizers and vibraphones, there is a very noticeable shift away from rock ‘n’ roll and into a more grandiose form of music. This is the Arctic Monkeys’ long awaited sixth studio album and it has some fans asking “Where’s the guitar? What happened to the
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drums? The Arctic Monkeys have changed up their sound for each of their albums, but this is by far the biggest musical change they’ve ever made. In case it wasn’t obvious from the name, this is a concept album about opening a hotel on the moon.
The 11-track album is much less guitar heavy than thei previous albums and more of a piano-driven lounge session in space. The drums aren’t as fast-paced or as flashy as they used to be. The bass lines are melodic and the guitars have been almost entirely dissappeared. Favoring farfisas, organs and vibraphones, it’s clear the only direction their music could take was straight up to the moon. The opening track, “Star Treatment,” starts off with the lyrics “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes,” a humble reminder of their roots, as The Strokes were their idols growing up. This track, like many others on this album, sounds deceptively lo-fi, but is actually quite polished. There is a clear David Bowie
inspiration but way Turner sings on some of the tracks gives it a hip-hop feel. It sounds like he’s channeling his inner Frank Sinatra on the tracks “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip” and “Batphone.” There are still a couple of tunes in there for those who prefer the Arctic Monkeys’ old sound. “Four Out of Five” would fit seamlessly into their previous album “AM,” with its heavy guitar riffs and booming bassline. “She Looks Like Fun” has a nice balance of bombastic choruses and mellow verses. “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” isn’t as rock ‘n’ roll as their previous albums. In a BBC Radio 1 interview, Turner said, “The guitar, it sort of lost its ability to give me ideas.” Turner wrote all 11 songs at his home in Los Angeles, but was
afraid that his bandmates would be underwhelmed by them. The other band members have given Turner full control for this album. Jamie Cook, the band’s guitar player, listened to Turner’s demos for the album, he was on board, telling Rolling Stone “I was blown away by the direction Alex had gone in. It took a few listens to even begin to, like… It was just, like, ‘Shit. What do we do with this?’” Drummer, Matt Helders, had to adapt to Turner’s new direction however, saying “Every time we’ve made a record before, I’ve always wanted to do something completely original, like a drum beat no one’s ever thought of. This time I settled down a bit, realized it’s not about me, it’s about playing for the songs.” All in all, this might be one of the
most divisive albums of the year. It doesn’t sound much like the Arctic Monkeys, but rather an Alex Turner solo album. Turner himself has said that he was never interested in making “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” a solo album. With this new direction being as far from their old sound as the moon is to us, however, one could only wonder if this might be the last Arctic Monkeys album. The band have never been shy about trying something new. They are a band that can’t stay in one place for too long and that’s exactly what you want from a band. The reason this wasn’t a solo album is because Alex Turner needs the Arctic Monkeys as much as they need him.
‘Solo’ explores origin of classic character BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is the fantastical origin story that most fans didn’t know they needed. It combines the thrills and battles of summer box-office blockbusters with subtle nods to the lore that it came from. Alden Ehrenreich plays a young Han Solo. Ehrenreich captured the character that Harrison Ford perfected all those years ago. The subtle, roughish grin is exactly what would be expected of a younger, less experienced Solo. His timing is spot on during the movies lighter moments. At his side is Joonas Suotamo playing Chewbacca. Despite not having a speaking part, except for a funny sequence between Solo and Chewbacca where it’s made apparent Solo really does understand the Wookie, his physical acting and movements bring this younger Chewbacca to life. Finally, the physicality is in this movie shows why there is credence
in the fear some characters have of Wookies. Rounding out the main cast are Woody Harrelson, playing a more conniving version of what will one day be Han Solo. Emilia Clarke, plays Qi’ra, a friend of Solo from his youth that he wants to help who is Solo’s driving force in the film. The real stand out is Donald G l o v e r, w h o p l a y s L a n d o Calrissian. Glover really fleshes out the Calrissian character with nuances and slight nods to Billy Dee Williams’ original portrayal. He effortlessly makes it cool to wear a scarf and cape through the confidence Glover imbues in his character. The central theme of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is trust. It becomes evident from the moment the movie begins that Solo has total trust in the person he is and the one he wants to become. This is explored continuously as Solo meets up with the characters that will affect the outcome of what he is destined to be. Starting from the moment Solo and Qi’ra are introduced, it is
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apparent that these two characters have each others’ back. Bringing them into a situation where there are no winners but from which each comes through. During the first meeting between Chewbacca and Solo, trust is the only thing that can save them. That same trust is what makes the pairing so interesting and fun to watch on screen. The only draw back is the lack luster villain that is introduced in the movie. Dryden Vos, played by Paul Bettany, is a just an everyday evil villain. The problem with that is the character will never live up to the sith lords or vicious elite storm troopers of the past and present main-line movies. Bettany, who can also be seen in “Avengers: Infinity War,” did the best with what was given as a character. If there’s one thing that can unequivocally be said about “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” it is that the movie is gorgeous to watch. Sequences, both planet side and in the outer reaches of space, are awe inspiring. In the past some of the space battles or set pieces were bland fighter-versus-fighter segments. This movie boasts an impressive space sequence that was awash in color and intense moments. Set pieces like these will, hopefully, be duplicated or at least seen as a set standard when it comes to future films in the Star Wars universe. At the movie’s core it is Han Solo’s story. It shows through a series of fun, amusing, and sometimes saddening moments why Han Solo is the way he is in the Star Wars universe. It expertly tells the first act of the story of two mismatched people and how they became connected and a part of a galaxy far, far away.
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CHATCHING US SLIPPIN’—Rapper Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) dances chaotically with school children in his new music video for “This Is America“
Gambino’s new music video reflects a blind America BY JOSE E. CONRIQUE Staff Writer Childish Gambino, also known as Donald Glover released the powerful and graphic music video “This is America,” which places black culture and social issues together. Glover has gone from being a writer, actor, a stand-up comedian, to a rapper R&B singer and Emmy winner. He stepped it up at the right time. The music video is chaotic and shows the social fear of black men. Childish Gambino distracts the viewer by distorting his facial expressions. The Music video opens with him executing a man by shooting him
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in back of the head and posing as the infamous Jim Crow. He then goes on to hand the gun to another person and showing the guns in America.
The music video is chaotic and shows fear of black men. Childish Gambino distracts the viewer by distorting his facial expressions. Further ahead, a choir sings, when suddenly, Gambino is given an assault rifle and slaughters the choir.
The choir attack represents the 2015 Charleston Church attack. The dancing continues, as America seems to do after similar attacks; brush it off and move on while everything around is this chaotic image. In the video, bystanders are shown on their phones, recording along with riots, fights and more messages. The music video ends with Childish Gambino running away from a crowd of people to what appears to be the Sunken Place, a mental prison for black people from the movie “Get Out.” Later, Childish Gambino was on SNL being introduced by Daniel Kaluuya, from “Get Out,” for his new song “This is America.”