Volume 78, Issue 20 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
LACCD board allocates $1.5 million for pilot program LOGOS COURTESY OF EACH PARTNER PROGRAM
BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer The Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees approved a $1.5 million pilot program, allocated from district funds, to house over 100 students who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The idea and proposal was brought up last year as part of Senate Bill 330. The bill prohibits local jurisdictions from enacting
new laws which can reduce the legal limit on new housing or delay housing by means of administrative barriers. SB 330 also allows LACCD to partner with non-profits or private programs to meet the needs of the pilot program. Currently, the LACCD has partnered with five local businesses: • Jovenes, Inc (who help those ages 18-25 in Southeast LA County) • Los Angeles Room and Board (who focus on keeping
community college students enrolled and on the path to graduate while housed) • Optimist Youth Homes and Family Services (who help homeless youth and young families, provide mental health services, etc) • Seed House Project (helps homeless youth with housing, education, employment opportunity, and mentorship) • The Shower of Hope (provides unhoused individuals with meals,
showers, clothing, hygiene items, and case management to help with housing) The pilot will run for an entire year and aims to help students who were affected by multiple factors, such as high rents, cost-of-living and the recent pandemic that made resources even scarcer than they were already. Not only will these students receive housing, but they will also be provided with wrap-around services to help them through a strengths-based approach by
providing basic needs. Additional services will include food, WiFi, mental health, tutoring, academic and financial counseling, and employment assistance. Being able to provide its students with housing during an ongoing pandemic is crucial in ensuring these students have the tools to help them graduate. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) conducts annual homeless counts in an effort to determine what services are needed. However, due
to COVID-19 a count has not been conducted since 2020. According to LAHSA, the homeless population in Los Angeles County increased by 12.7% from 2019 to 2020. This year’s count has taken place but the results are not expected to be disclosed until over the summer. Campus News reached out to LACCD Board of Trustees President Gabriel Buelna for additional details on how the pilot will be conducted, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Town Hall provides update on student housing BY JONATHAN BERMUDEZ Staff Writer East Los Angeles College President Alberto J. Roman and Chair of Social Science Marcel Morales, co-hosted a Town Hall and discussing student housing and updates on campus facilities. Roman said how proud he is for what the ELAC staff has accomplished. He said the food vouchers, hot spots and housing they have provided are helping students in need. Roman said there is a need to focus more on housing needs. He said there are public updates for facilities on campus that have been there since the ‘70s. Morales said there are certain things he wants to accomplish. Morales said the meeting is an open dialogue so that the students of ELAC could participate. School administrators want to find out what the student community wants, thinks and what concerns they have. He said members of the district are ‘the district big shots.’ They are the ones that have been helping ELAC with housing and facilities on campus. The Los Angeles Community College District members are: Rueben Smith, Peggy Quijida De franke, Ian Erdhart and Edwin Van Ginkel. Morales also introduced his own team: Miguel Duenas, Sonia Lopez, and Jessica Olivas. “I got to give a special shoutout to Jessica who is on the frontlines of this issue, working on this every single day and who helped with this presentation a great deal, and when students have housing issues she’s the person that we come to,” Morales said. Vice Chancellor of LACCD, Reuben Smith presented what his team has been doing, including housing.
Smith said there was going to be a presentation that Director of Bonds for LACCD, Ian Erhardt was going to share. The presentation will show the conditions assessment, which is how they consider new facilities and to possibly create a master plan. Erhardt said that when in discussion for a new bond he noticed that some of their needs were not met with the first three bonds that they created with ELAC. Their data is based on percentages of the condition of buildings across the district. These percentages are how they come up with the facility commission assessment. They also look at the Facility Commission Index (FCI) which is a study that is done by the state. Their studies happen in threeyear increments but due to the pandemic they were able to create records for 2019. ELAC sits at 25%, but Erhardt believes it will go down after they demolish bungalows and once nursing moves to the new building. The old nursing building, will be demolished. The FCI is based on whether or not the flooring in buildings from the ‘70s have been updated. He wants to get that percentage below 10. He said when they were evaluating the bonds they were trying to look at what wasn’t picked up. “A lot of infrastructure work needs to be done to all of our campuses,” Erhardt said. He said that even though we have ‘new pretty buildings’ he noticed the pipelines feeding those buildings aren’t quite adequate enough.
GRAPHIC BY ZASHA HAYES
News Briefs
VPAM opening reception
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CENTER THEATRE GROUP
Virtual-career fair focuses on the arts BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer Students and professional artists came together for the Going Pro Career Fair on Saturday having multiple-unfiltered discussions about all-things arts related. All discussions began with the introduction of both moderators and panelists in the form of a visual description of themselves, their outfits and the physical areas they were in. They also said the name of the land they were occupying in order to honor the stolen lands of the indigenous peoples and Native American tribes that resided in the United States of America before. The fair consisted of three primary live discussions between artists and audiences along with 20-minutelive sessions for students who wished to have more personalized advice. The live discussions were: •You’ve Graduated: Now What? Navigating Your Creative Career. •Master of All: Becoming an Intentional Multi-Hyphenate. •I Quit: What We Can Learn from the Great Resignation. Although all discussions touched on slightly different topics, they all resonated with one another on the importance of technology in the world of theater. “Right now, we’ve seen the theater have a huge shift in the way that we present our work. The digital space became a platform. It became an alternative venue for us,” Sammy Lopez said. During the “You’ve Graduated” discussion, speakers Socks Whitmore and Armando Huipe said what their personal experiences were like navigating through the world of theater arts during and after graduating from college. Whitmore said burnout was a huge problem throughout college and that time-management and self-care became a priority postgraduation. “I was doing all of these things
The Vincent Price Art Museum will host an opening reception for Sonic: Terrains in Latinx Art, April 30, 6-8 p.m. Free admission. There will be a DJ and cash bar.
all the time. I don’t regret that, but especially because I graduated right at the start of the pandemic. That set me up for massive burnout. So one of the things that became a massive pivot for me, immediately postgraduation, was how to manage my time,” Whitmore said. Whitmore said there were no personal regrets during and after college career-wise.
“Art is one of the few jobs, right now in this world, that humans were truly meant to be doing.” SOCKS WHITMORE Artist
“Even when I do projects that don’t come to fruition, that are not the most pleasant collaborative experience, that I’m not happy with the end product, I don’t feel like there’s a lot of things where I’d [say] ‘I wish I never did that’ because I feel like [I learned from those things],” Whitmore said. Huipe said that he sees the future of theater arts being forced to address the issue of climate change. “I think that the field will have to reckon with the climate crisis. I think that is headed our way,” Huipe said. Whitmore and Huipe had advice for members of the audience. “Art is one of the few jobs, right now in this world, that humans were truly meant to be doing. Credit scores weren’t part of the plan, that got made up somewhere along the lines. But art has always been a part of who we are. So if you’ve decided that that’s what you want to do with your life, that’s an incredibly worthwhile purpose. Don’t doubt for a second
Free speech Q & A
that it means something,” Whitmore said. Huipe said the industry is underresourced and undervalued. Due to this it is a difficult path, but that reminding one-self of the beauty in art during tough times is important. The “Master of All” discussion went into depth about the experiences of multi-hyphenates. Panelists Pia Shah and Howard Ho both said there are pros and cons of being multi-hyphenates. Shah said she had to learn to acknowledge her worth in the world of arts and theater as an actress with considerably less experience than others who have more in their repertoire. She said as an actress, she was asked to write a play and she felt she didn’t have the experience for it but went for it anyway. “Just because I haven’t submitted to festival after festival for playwriting and I’ve been focused on other types of expression, doesn’t mean that a play that I write can’t be great. It might be one time. It doesn’t have to be like ‘and now I’m a playwright and I’m going to be writing plays for the rest of my life,” Shah said. Both Shah and Ho said they used the strategies that have helped them across the board for all of the careers they do. Shah said finding new multihyphenates is essential to her learning because no two paths are the same. “Keep a notebook or a Google doc of all these ideas. Eventually you’re gonna have a ton of stuff and [say] ‘This is an entire play. All these ideas now, I can put them into a play. I can put them into a book. I can write a poem and make a collection of poems,’” Ho said. Ho said that as a multi-hyphenate it can be tough for others to understand that he can do more than one thing. He said it can also be tough to say no to certain projects that don’t necessarily align with what he’s doing sometimes. “It’s not about you, you can do
The Social Sciences faculty will host an in-person discussion about the current state of freedom of speech in America tomorrow at 12:10 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. located in building G7 room 102.
Literary Journal of ELAC
everything, but other people only want to pigeon-hole you. So you kind of have to train them, in a way, to see you in that multi-hyphenate glory. Sometimes that means saying no,” Ho said. For the final discussion, speakers Garlia Cornelia Jones and Sam Morreale said the act of quitting had affected their lives during those times. “I think that saying ‘I quit’ was certainly a great resignation moment for that small thing. It was saying ‘You know what? This isn’t for me anymore. I’ll be okay. That extra three/four hundred bucks a month, I’ll find it somewhere else or I won’t do this or my kids won’t have that, but my self-respect will stay intact,’” Jones said. Morreale said many artists are underpaid and undervalued. He said reality has affected him as an artist himself. He also sees the lack of fair pay as a propellor for the great resignation. The great resignation has had 48 million people quit their jobs, for a variety of reasons. “When you donate to institutions you can say how you want those funds to be used. Even as a single donor. Even if it’s 25 bucks that you are offering to an institution, you are allowed to say ‘I want this to go to x, y, and z,’” Morreale said.
Sports Page 6
Celebrate National Poetry Month during the open mic event tomorrow, noon-2 p.m. in the S-2 courtyard.
OPINION Biden undoes Trump’s climate law, rightfully restores community voices 2
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
embrace renewable energies that are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat, and avoid creating energy by the burning of fossil fuels,” youmatter.world said.
BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer The Biden administration will restore regulations that require local communities to have input on climate impacts before federal agencies. This includes approving highways, pipelines and other projects. Former President Donald Trump changed these laws in April 2020 in order to speed up approval for major projects such as highways and pipelines. Biden’s administration undid the former president’s mistake of removing this law. The new rule will take effect in May, and all further projects will required evaluation on climate impacts. The less harmful the projects are, the better the world will be and the quicker they will be approved. With the new law, agencies aren’t required to reject projects that might worsen climate change, but they will have to examine and report the impacts. This can potentially help communities pressure harmful projects into being delayed or adjusted. The more public outcry, the less likely they are to build dangerous projects. This law will help bring more roadblocks for hazardous environmental projects as it will require agencies to cross more barriers for approval on their harmful projects. When new highways and pipelines get built, they require a
WEDNESDAY, APRIl 27, 2022
This can potentially help communities pressure harmful projects into being delayed or adjusted.
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lot of manpower, which means new jobs. However, these new jobs don’t outweigh the negative impacts such projects have as they can worsen the climate. This is a good start to improve on climate change and shift the focus on how to better and protect the climate. One of the ways it can help communities is by better improving air quality. Air pollution has been one of the major talking points and is a main reason for climate change. It
seems to be getting worse and will become a bigger public threat as time goes on. “Research estimates that 4.2 million deaths annually can be attributed to outdoor air pollution,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Bad air quality affects everybody, especially young people and can have long-term consequences. For people with ongoing health problems like asthma, living in a badly polluted community can make
their condition worse. Climate change is impacting the world negatively but, it can be helped by focusing on building only the necessary pipelines and big projects. It’s no secret that temperatures keep rising due to greenhouse gasses. Water vapor, methane, ozone, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide are some greenhouse gasses. “To fight climate change, we must first reduce our greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions. The first step is to
Being stricter with building gas pipelines is great as pipelines always come with a risk of exploding. If a pipeline were to explode, it could lead to massive fires and large areas of explosion. The gas released would also lead to more climate change and air pollution. While creating highways and buildings can lead to ways of earning money, they also reduce locations where trees can be planted. Trees provide food and oxygen and help combat climate change. With stricter environmental laws perhaps more areas in neighborhoods can stay green. With local communities having more input on what is built in their area, their voices can decide what is actually wanted and needed.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Annette Quijada Brenda De La Cruz MANAGING EDITOR Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina FRONT EDITOR Teresa Acosta OPINION EDITORS Luis Diaz Eduardo Sanchez NEWS EDITORS Breanna Fierro FEATURE EDITORS Alma Lizarraga ARTS EDITORS Gabriela Guitierrez SPORTS EDITOR Nick Tercero COPY EDITORS Juan Calvillo Luis Castilla ONLINE EDITORS Raymond Nava CARTOONIST Max Miranda STAFF WRITERS Jonathan Bermudez Leonardo Cervantes Jesus Hernandez Beatriz Garay Miguel Dominguez Adonia Burciaga Ricardo Martir ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre ADVISERS Jean Stapleton
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Florida judge makes mistake lifting mask mandate BY BEATRIZ GARAY Staff Writer
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www.ELACCampusNews.com
Travelers are demanding the Transportation Security Administration end its mask mandate while inside airplanes. It is yet again another instance of reckless actions of those who think they know what’s best for others without considering the facts that show it could do the opposite. A Pandora’s box effect has opened with the TSA receding its mask mandate policy. It brings to question whether both U.S. and international travelers can do prepandemic things without having to worry about the dangers of the ongoing pandemic. Since its sudden rise at the start of the new decade, COVID-19 has severely impacted airline businesses by limiting the number of passengers, requiring them to frequently update regulations and enforcing strict guidelines to ensure all measures are taken to keep passengers safe. Wearing a mask has become a major guideline for this industry. Viral videos on social media and news outlets have shown how some passengers can get violent or even make a deviation because they don’t want to wear a mask. It has been difficult having to wear a mask at all times, but it’s for the safety of one’s self and to keep those around safe. Following these directives has brought positive outcomes to how people are able to deal with the growing problem of the pandemic. One example of why it’s wrong to recede mask ruling is that it has
somewhat reduced the number of people catching COVID-19. Leonard Marcus, a medical director from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health says that wearing masks “can lower the risk by roughly 50 percent.” Wearing masks has kept immunocompromised people safe. With that knowledge, there is an accountability for everyone to the dangers of the virus. Keeping accountability of those who do follow these directives and socially distancing has enabled airline companies to rise up again slowly from where they were before the impact of COVID-19. It also sets an example that the United States is trying to make up for its mistakes at the beginning of the pandemic so that it will not be looked down upon by other countries’ successes in handling COVID-19. There has been moderate success in the number of decreasing cases and hospitalizations across the U.S. and other nations, but that was due to careful and calculated actions to ensure that each step was made carefully. If we were to drop the mandate without planning ahead and with ruminative instructions, the U.S. might revert to where it was during the first year of the pandemic. This can be evident in Florida’s decision to do so as one of its court judges decided to backtrack the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s directive on the mask mandate for airlines and other forms of transportations. The lifting of the mandate is due to the calculative actions of those who think decisions of people’s health should be made
on their own rather than from a health institution. The CDC has made some mistakes in handling the pandemic as new information regarding the virus surfaces with time. This caused them to lose credability when the public have their own beliefs and opinions regarding the errors. Politicians then have used the CDC’s mistakes to benefit their agendas. As a result of Florida’s success, it would give other so-called “red states” the necessary backbone to stand up against other medical and federal institutions that want to maintain COVID-19 rulings and end mandates without considering the repercussions. If the U.S. is unable to stop these kinds of actions from continuing, then those with low health are at greater risk and will push our healthcare system to the brink of total collapse. It is completely careless and downright moronic for the federal judiciary system to do something like this without consulting scientists and healthcare officials to carefully plan how they can reduce the mask mandate without fully abandoning it. If we continue to make rash decisions without plans, then more people will die because of carelessness. It is up to those in power to make the necessary actions to keep everyone safe if the U.S. is to overcome and put an end to the pandemic. Even though everyone has their own opinions on mask mandates, science has shown that they work. One can only hope they reconsider having lifted the mandate before cases rise again.
Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 300 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022
Workshop offers tools for victims BY ALMA LIZARRAGA Staff Writer E L A C ’s S o c i o l o g y C l u b held a workshop discussing the lesser known negative effects of heteronormative dating. The club held its meeting on Zoom Monday. The meeting opened discussions about the common negative effects that come with having to conform to heterosexuality in a mostly heterosexual world. Knowing more about relationships is an important part of having a relationship.One of the details of a relationshipis understanding “scripts” within them. The discussion focused on heteronormative dating, which favors men. They hosts outlined common problems in communication and expectations. The workshop discussed the pressures of heteronormativity, and how the masculine roles often brought on toxic communication. Wo m e n e x p r e s s e d f e e l i n g unsatisfied with many of the
expectations in their relationships. This includes feeling that their partners do not hear enough of what they say or that they have trouble expressing their needs. The overall idea said men forgot to take into account what women are not receiving, both emotionally and physically. Due to current standards men feel it is enough to be the more satisfied party. The workshop discussed how in the past expectations about sex have had stigma attached to it. Women were seen as having to pleasure their husband as part of their wifely duties. A t t e n d e e s expressed how little heteronormativity was discussed in the past, as it was the norm. There is a feeling of relief these discussions are now happening. The marriages of their parents and grandparents also affect people due to the heteronormativity of those unions. Many felt that because of their age, either being too young or too old, they weren’t allowed to talk about how a relationship wasn’t pleasing them enough. Men expressed knowing they
have a certain privilege, and were open to hearing how heternomative relationships were affecting their partners. They admitted to not having grown up with this information, but have since acknowledged the distinction in the genders. Now that people are having
discussions, the issues with heteronormativity are coming out. The common knowledge of heteronormative dating could also disrupt more fluid sexuality. This would mean relationship structures with more gender fluid people in them. Genderqueer or genderfluid
people have grown up with heternormative relationship ideals thrust upon them since birth. The lack of education on genderfluidity has stunted their sexuality. Traditional gender roles are also on the out. Women are now allowed to dress and act more masculine and
men can be more feminine. This subverts the expectations placed on women. Normally they are expected to act more submissive. Now with gender being discussed and explored, there’s less and less need for heteronormativity.
Tons of genderqueer or genderfluid people have grown up with heternormative ideals thrust upon them since birth.
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Library offers resources to students BY ADONIA BURCIAGA Staff Writer
COLLEGE STUDENT SURVIVORS—Gabby Orezec reviews the sexual assualt statistics that both male and female students face during their college career in America.
SAAVE educates on campus sexual violence BY ALMA LIZARRAGA Staff Writer The Sexual Assualt Awareness Violence Education Team (SAAVE) hosted a workshop about the sexual violence college students face last Wednesday. The workshop coincides with sexual assualt awareness month, which is every April. The workshop explored sexual violence on campus and the culture that influences much of sexual assault. The workshop gave out a lot of information and numbers on primary victims, and what’s more apparent to happen in assaults. Gabby Orozco, from ELAC’s Women’s Center said statistically sexual assualt on campus directly affects approximately 13% of students. College women raise their chances of being assaulted just by simply attending school. “Women are primarily the main individuals that are assaulted.
“We want to acknowledge that not only women are assaulted, but nonconforming, transgender, genderqueer and men as well,” Orozco said. T h e percentage of t r a n s g e n d e r, genderqueer or noncomforming facing sexual violence is higher than men. These individuals have a 23% chance of being assaulted. S A A V E said that most assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. It was discussed that while attending college one in five women will be assaulted, one in 13 men will be assaulted. Out of those attacks, eight out of 10 survivors will know their abuser personally. The workshop said approximately 95% of incidents go unreported.In
the U.S. one individual is assaulted every 24 hours. The workshop talked about college culture and how it’s contributed to the current climate of sexual assault on campus. This included fraternities, which have a reputation for not holding their members accountable for assaults. The workshop said fraternity men are three times more likely to rape than normal. Gang rapes are common. The workshop said fraternity men can be seen as more privileged than other college men. This is due to them being able to afford a fraternity in the first place. The workshop explained the negative influences that have slowed education on sexual assault.
The workshop said that while attending college one in five women will be assaulted, one in 13 men will be assaulted.
SAAVE said the lack of consent in the media makes it easier for abusers to justify their actions. Hookup culture and social media can glorify assault and doesn’t always accurately represent consent. The workshop said those victims childhood trauma or toxic beliefs are at times slow to recognize their own assault. The hosts said there are resources for victims.There is also a need for sexual assualt counselors to be on campus. Survivors tend to feel ashamed of their assault due to the stigma around it despite no fault of their own. SAAVE said there should be more focus on healing for past and present victims, and resources need to be available on campus. These resources would include support groups, crisis intervention, counseling and linkage to long term services. C o n t a c t E L A C ’s Wo m e n ’s Center 24/7 for Rape and Battery Hotline at 1(800)585-6231.
During the Business Club’s “Speaker Series” last Thursday, Rita Suarez, Instruction Librarian, said students should research a company before applying to any of their jobs. Suarez said student can use library resources to research careers and companies to help understand what the job or company is before they work for them. There are many things that students can find out about a company using the databases. These include basic contact, l o c a t i o n information, annual or quarterly revenue, A s s e t s , G r o w t h trends, Stock exchange abbreviations, S W O T analysis, number of employees, and portfolio information (for investors) and LinkedIn information. “Searching up a company before your interview is very important because you could find out how inclusive a company is. Companies always prefer that they are researched before someone is interviewed” Suarez said. “SWOT analysis is Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. SWOT is what helps a company be more successful,” Suarez said. “Students could also do a career research such as Job titles and descriptions, Salary range, required credentials, similar jobs, expected growth or recession, work environment and trends,” Suarez said. Suarez said the ELAC library’s Business Administration
Research Guide was available. Students could use websites like Glassdoor and databases like Gale and EBSCO. “Another reason it’s important to research a job or company is you may find that they recommend that you have different skills or certifications before applying. “Working on those kinds of skills or certification could increase the hourly rate of the position,” Suarez said. Occupational lookout is another resource where students can take a look at the highest-paying jobs, newest jobs and jobs in different fields. Students can also contact ELAC’s Career and Job Services which is located in E 1 - 1 7 6 . Students can visit the Career and Job Services website to chat with a c o u n s e l o r, a c c e s s templates for resumes and cover letters. Students can schedule a mock interview and explore c a r e e r options using the following link https:// www.elac.edu/Student-Services/ Career-and-Job-Services The library is now open for students. Suarez said that even though some students are not taking in-person classes they can get assistance from a librarian 24/7 on their website. “Students can get assistance from a librarian to learn how to use different databases, how to use the ACE log in, and how to access scholarly articles, publications and articles,” Suarez said. Students can access the Business Administration Research Guide through the ELAC library or using this link https://researchguides. elac.edu/businessadmin/careers
Occupational lookout is another resource where students can take a look at the highestpaying jobs, most new jobs and jobs in different fields.
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Features
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022
Earth Science Department shares course benefits enough trees to replace the ones taken. Due to COVID-19, the class has not been in-person and so no updates have been made since. T h e G e o g r a p h y, G e o l o g y Last semester, more trees were and Anthropology departments added. celebrated Earth Day by hosting Seeley hopes to create another an open house to share the benefits similar assignment in her upcoming students can get Geography/GIS from taking their course to find the courses. The geology courses new results. There are open The course, classes for the in the fall will discuss returning in the fall semester and more of the natural fall semester, can be used as will study the disasters and even alternatives for Earth and teach difficult courses dents how go into how students stot ucreate like chemistry maps and physics. using GIS. can help protect F o r a n Seeley said assignment in themselves from them. learning to map her geography and use GIS has class, Professor helped several Tiffany Seeley students get jobs has students map the trees that as it is a skill not known by many. were removed from campus due to Mapping with GIS databases is construction. not limited to geography but can be Using a Geographic Information used in every profession. System (GIS) database, they found Business and marketing are two that 360 trees were affected. examples of companies using GIS Seeley said the college had to map their locations and plan promised “if they took away the where new locations would be most trees, they would add more.” successful. Once the mapping was complete, Public services and cities use it it was discovered there were not to help keep records and even some
BY EDUARDO SANCHEZ Staff Writer
mobile map applications rely on GIS to function. Unlike in geography, geology not only studies the Earth but focuses on its natural disasters. From volcanoes and earthquakes to meteors and human intervention and how these have impacted the planet. Randall Adsit, the geology professor, said the planet is at a point where if the global warming continues the current trend, the planet will be able to recover from global warming. Adsit said scientists are unsure where the turning point for the planet is when it comes to global warming. One potential indicator is the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet. The melting of the ice sheet will create a clycical effect where the melting will create a melting of ice. “That will raise sea levels by a foot or so. It doesn’t sound like much but that means your favorite beach is gone. That means that the port sea level rose, the dock is too low, and you have millions of dollars of infrastructures that are now worthless,” Adsit said. This is especially low-level countries where an extra foot of sea level at high tide would flood parts of the country.
The geology course will discuss more natural disasters and even go into how students can help protect themselves from them. For students needing to complete lab and general course requirements, anthropology courses prove to be more accessible instead of more difficult ones like chemistry and physics. Anthropology deals with the study of humans. It dives into past human evolution and studies how they evolved. Other areas of Archeology and paleontology studies, with each anthropology course being different. “(Anthropology) opens the same door as sociology and even psychology. It sets you up for being able to do social science and research regardless of whether you become a teacher or a social worker or a lawyer or a doctor,” Professor Julie Bernard said. Taking anthropology courses can help students cross off requisites such as life science and social science. All of the courses are eligible as electives and are University of California and California State University transferable.
COURTESY OF TIFFANY SEELEY
GROUND LEVEL—Before (top) and after shot of the trees removed from campus, taken using a GIS device.
Former homeless student shares story BY LUIS DIAZ Staff Writer
COURTESY OF EVA ZEPEDA
CHEER SQUAD—Marching band (back) and the cheer team supports the mens’ and women’s basketball team.
Cheer team says cheer is a sport BY JESSE HERNANDEZ Staff Writer The life of a cheerleader is more serious than you think. Valerie Lugo, a cheerleader at ELAC, said cheerleading isn’t considered “sport enough” to be added to the ELAC athletic department. Valerie Lugo said she wouldn’t know why cheer isn’t considered a sport in the ELAC athletic department. She said a sport is described as an activity involving physical exertion and skill. Cheer has both of these aspects. Greg Whiteley directed the football focused docuseries “Last Chance U’’ on Netflix. Whiteley is now the documentarian of the six-part documentary series “Cheer” on Netflix. He said he marvels at the tenacity of these athletes. “They’re the toughest athletes I’ve ever filmed,” Whiteley said in a Wrap interview. “It’s not even close. And that’s no slight to football players.” According to The National Collegiate Athletic Association and U.S. federal title IX, cheerleading is not officially recognized as a sport. Head Coach Eva Zepeda, of the ELAC cheerleading team, has been coaching at ELAC since 2005. Overall Zepeda has 25 years of experience. Zepeda said the LACCD does not consider cheer a sport because to be considered a sport you need to compete as a team. www.ELACCampusNews.com
Zepeda said in 2005 they were considered part of the athletic department and as athletes in LACCD couple of years later in 2008 cheerleading was one of the departments that got hit hard and the budget was taken away. Zepeda said cheerleading needs a new budget to help them move forward. ELAC is one out of the nine LACCD schools that have cheerleading. Zepeda said the athletic department including cheerleading in the budget would be the next step in helping cheerleaders. Previously, cheerleaders had to pay out of pocket or do fundraisers to get the funds to afford uniforms. This year the athletic department was able to help them to get 20 uniforms out to the cheerleaders. Zepeda said it is a slow process, but there is direction now. She said cheerleading is getting much more support now than ever before. The cheer squad is also getting scheduled for school events all through the year. Lugo said cheerleaders participate in stunting, tumbling and flips. Cheerleading checks off most requirements making it a sport. Cheerleaders are athletic, teams repeatedly lift, throw and catch flying teammates well. Many of them nurse injuries from their practices. Concussions, ankle injuries and swollen twisted limbs often occur in cheer. Cheerleading, like most sports, carries risk for grave injuries. According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury
Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill the number of female cheerleaders with direct catastrophic injuries were second only to football players based on data taken annually from 1982 to 2018. Cheerleading has had a higher rate of injury over time than 23 of the 24 sports recognized by the NCAA. Natalie Guice Adams, author of “Cheerleading An American Icon,” and the director of the University of Alabama’s Liberal Arts School, who was featured in the Netflix series “Cheer,” in an interview with TIME. “The courts have continuously ruled that it cannot be counted as a sport under Title IX.” Lugo said she believes Cheer should be considered a sport in the ELAC athletic department. She said they practice just as much as any sports team would for games. They are committed and dedicated to bringing school spirit year round, participating not only in sports events but also in fundraisers, in community outreach and school functions. Lugo said cheerleading doesn’t have an off-season. “As cheerleaders, they are more than dedicated and committed to bringing ELAC pride on-and-off campus,” Lugo said. Cheerleaders are known to get the crowd pumped up, to cheer on their team and to keep that same energy all throughout the game regardless what the outcome may be . Campus News has reached out to the athletic director and is waiting for comment.
ELAC student Fernando Gomez is fighting for stable housing for students in the LACCD. Gomez became homeless about a year ago when his mother passed away. He lost his job and apartment shortly afterwards. He is trying to get more support systems that would help students in the same situation. “Honestly, what ELAC lacks is a housing coordinator,” said Gomez. “When I was searching for a place to stay, all I got was a list of places to call and that’s it,” said Gomez. Gomez had it tough. He ate at school and slept at the El Monte Station. He was scared someone might steal his textbook or laptop. Now, Gomez is on a mission to be able to create more support systems and resources that can help students not be alone. “I have a friend that is a DACA student, and I found out that her parents got deported and it’s shocking you know. To find out things happen like that to people you know, because then the question arises how many more students are
out there dealing with issues like mine,” said Gomez. “L.A. is out of control when it comes to h o u s i n g . Yo u can’t live here in L.A. by just having one job,” said Gomez. Gomez wants to work with nonprofits and be able to help students have guidance through difficult times. “The Career Center at ELAC is the only resource that is able to provide students with help in finding a job and building a resume but I feel there is room for more,”Gomez said. “By being able to bring more resources to ELAC and LACCD, I feel students will be able to have guidance and a support system that I didn’t have, grades can start declining and you aren’t all there mentally,” said Gomez. “Resources should be offered in the community and at ELAC
because it keeps us much tighter as a community, rather than sending you off to Hollywood or far away places,” Gomez said. COVID-19 had a huge impact on students, leaving them with questions of what to do next, especially those that were affected by job lay-offs or one of their parents passing away. “Beside the resource that I want to fight and bring to ELAC, money is also something that is a key factor, without money the world doesn’t move, and it’s sad but true,” Gomez said. Gomez is now stable once again and can focus on his education. “This goes to show that getting an education is the only way to go,” Gomez said. Gomez will speak at the California Department of Rehabilation District meeting. He will focus on increasing awareness to the homeless situation.
Gomez is now stable once again and can focus on his education.
COURTESY OF FERNANDO GOMEZ
FULL HOUSE—Fernando Gomez is now an advocate for homelessness after facing it himself.
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022
5
Barack Obama urges people to fight climate change BY TERESA ACOSTA Staff Writer Former president Barack Obama narrates the new documentary series from Netflix, “Our Great National Parks,” which celebrates the National Parks all over the world. It shows and explains the various ways even the most remote places in the world have an effect on humans and their survival on this planet. The series collectively sends the message that now is the time for everyone to do more to help stop the disastrous effects of pollution and global warming. It stresses how closely connected humans are to all of the natural habitats on the planet, through some of the most advanced camera equipment available. The episodes run about 50 minutes long. Each episode features one or more different locations such as Tsavo, Kenya, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, United States of America and Gunung Leuser, Indonesia. The behaviors of the creatures within each space and the way they use the land around them to facilitate life for other species within the same space is a well told, beautifully pictured story. Very little human activity is shown and when it is shown, it is only when they cohabitate an area or when their man-made structures interfere with the natural landscapes. The scenes are on-screen for about 10 seconds before shifting to a different angle or perspective.
CCOURTESY OF IMDB
SAVE THE WORLD—”Our Great National Parks” showcases beautiful scenes in nature and simultaneously urges people to take action in the fight against climate change.
This technique holds the viewers attention well and pulls them in for a more immersive experience. The music in the scenes is very minimal and the sounds of nature are mostly the soundtrack for each episode. The usual creature activities are
shown from predators to prey, their feeding patterns, mating rituals, migration patterns and all of the ways this affects everything around them. There is plenty of never-beforeseen footage of animals previously hard to capture because they move
in darkness or because they are so small cameras are only now able to focus on the tiniest of details. Low-light recording and macro lenses show nocturnal rhinoceros at a watering hole and tiny droplets on the wings on monarch butterflies. Underwater cameras attached to
whales show a feeding frenzy of sardines. There is a mesmerizing time lapse of the stars in an area that has the world’s least amount of light pollution. Obama asks those watching to do whatever they can to help preserve all that is shown for the sake of this
generation and generations to come. “Vote like the planet depends on it,” Obama said. He says that ecotourism can benefit all in the fight against climate change and help retain the value of National Parks.
New cookbook offers simple recipes with easy clean-up help ensure success. Each recipe is prefaced with a Staff Writer few sentences from Simmons about what the recipe means to her and The new cookbook “The One- what makes it special. After attempting a few of her Bowl Baker” from Stephanie specifically suggested recipes, Simmons, the founder of Blue Bowl Recipes, promises easy, unfussy such as the Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies and classic recipes with a twist. The goal of the book seems to Snickerdoodle Blondies, they were be dirtying the least amount of simple, quick and clean-up was dishes and making the recipes done before the desserts were ready. The thumbprint as approachable and cookies came out delicious as possible. almost exactly as Simmons learned her baking skills With the amount pictured and baked from her mother of cookbooks on beautifully. They tasted and grandmother delicious, like a warm and wrote the book the market, it can PB&J. The ratio of to share what she be overwhelming cookie to jelly was learned from them perfect. The blondies and her love of food. trying to pick required more steps, On her blog, Blue Bowl Recipes, one among many. but the extra work was Simmons tries to This book really well worth it. Blondies are a nonbuild confidence and stands out for chocolate version of know-how in others, brownies. and her book tries to anyone looking They still had that do the same. for a place to warm gooey center The recipes are everyone looks for in organized into start. a traditional brownie, multiple sections: just without the cookies, brownies, chocolate. cakes and pies, With the amount of cobblers, brunch bites, savory bakes and finishing cookbooks on the market, it can be touches. Pictures are included with overwhelming trying to pick one every recipe and are a great gauge among many. This book really stands out for to compare the end result to. Simmons explains that her anyone looking for a place to start. It is a great first-time baking approach to the cookbook is to provide recipes that a baker at any book for those wanting to start making sweets at home without level of experience can follow. She goes through the baking the complicated instructions and basics and shares tips and tricks to clean-up.
BY TERESA ACOSTA
COURTESY OF IMDB
TIL DEATH DO THEY PART—Rupert Friend as James Whitehouse in “Anatomy of a Scandal” with his on-screen wife Sophie Whitehouse, played by Sienna Miller, as they arrive to court for the first time since the allegations against Mr. Whitehouse arose. Mrs. Whitehouse said she would stand by her husband’s side throughout his trial.
Netflix reveals dark side of human nature with scandalous new series BY ADONIA BURCIAGA Staff Writer In Netflix’s new series “Anatomy of a Scandal” an elite political couple’s marriage is ruined due to an affair. The former minister’s reputation begins to crumble after a shockingly unexpected turn of events that will have viewers surprised. The former minister, James Whitehouse, is shown as a caring man who would do anything for anyone. At one point, he is shown talking with an older woman and promises to help her with an issue with a crosswalk. During the conversation with the woman, he receives bad news. His
face drops visibly and he rushes intimacy, but he was afraid to tell home. Rupert Friend who plays his wife and was willing to resign Mr. Whitehouse, does an excellent his relationship with his mistress job of portraying to prioritize his emotions of family. As the regret and series continues, remorse all while the tension The show is very sharing how he between the provocative because has his affair Whitehouses with a coworker. arises due to it shows how people When the the unfolding sometimes think they allegations. scandal gets out to the press, Mr. The director can easily get away Whitehouse tries does an excellent with crimes, especially job portraying to prove that he is an innocent moments misogynistic politicians. those and good man by of tension with standing beside loud music and his wife and dark effects. children. Noami Scott A s t h e s h o w b e g i n s , M r. who plays Olivia Lytton, the woman Whitehouse begins to realize Mr. Whitehouse has an affair with, that the affair was more than just does an excellent performance at
showing her emotions after Mr. Whitehouse ends the affair. The series is directed by S.J. Clarkson who directed the shows “Orange Is the New Black” and “Bates Motel” both of which have compelling performances. The show is very provocative because it shows how people sometimes think they can easily get away with crimes, especially misogynistic politicians. The title shows how a scandal can continue to unfold to older crimes that someone hasn’t been tried for. “Anatomy of a Scandal” is number three out of the top ten TV shows on Netflix. Each episode is about 50 minutes long and is rated for mature audiences only.
www.ELACCampusNews.com
6
Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022
Losing streak continues for Huskies BY MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer
CN/TERESA ACOSTA
NEXT BATTER UP—Husky starting pitcher Francisco Dominguez throws pitch to Long Beach batter.
The East Los Angeles College baseball team lost to Long Beach College 5-4. This is their third loss in a row and they have only won one game in the last 10 games they have played. Francisco Dominguez started on the mound and pitched through seven innings for the Huskies. Dominguez allowed eight hits, three walks, and allowed five earned runs. Two of the five runs came off solo home runs. Long Beach pitcher Reed Passmore gave up six hits, two walks, and allowed four earned runs through five innings. There was a delay in the bottom of the 1st after hitter Ruben Hernandez hit a foul ball towards the lights above the Huskies dugout. Luckily, the shattered glass ended up a few feet away from the Huskies dugout, no one was hurt. The players, coaches, and umpires helped to clear out the shattered glass on the field. The delay took about 40 minutes before the umpires decided to continue the game. Long Beach left fielder Bryan Sanders put Long Beach on the board first after going deep to left field off the Husky pitcher. Long Beach led 1-0 in the second inning. At the top of the fifth inning, Justin Santoyo walked, and Ryan Guerero doubled to left, putting runners on second and third with no outs in the inning. Alex Seguine singled to right field and drove in Santoyo and moved Guerero to third. Long Beach led 2-0 with no outs. The next batter, Matthew Pinal grounded out to second, but drove in the runner from third. Long Beach extended its lead 3-0 with a runner on second and one out. In the same inning with two outs, Raul Garcia singled to center field and drove in the runner from second, making it 4-0. In the bottom of the fifth, the Huskies had runners on first and second from back-to-back singles. With one out, Antonio Gomez singled to left field and drove in the runner from third making it 4-1 Long Beach. D. Viera scored the second run for the Huskies on a passed ball from
Tough loss for Huskies Softball at home BY NICK TERCERO Staff Writer
The Huskies softball team wasn’t able to come out of the game with a win after losing 4-1 on Monday night against Mount San Antonio College. This is the 21st loss of the season and the 13th loss at home for the Huskies. It was a rough night at the office for the Huskies, only being able to score a run the entire game. Mt. San Antonio’s defense was able to shut down any game plan East Los Angeles had for them. Mt. San Antonio pitchers Grace Pieson and Serena Navarrete combined for a total of five strikeouts. Meanwhile East Los Angeles pitchers Serena Lopez and Lauren Tate combined for only one strikeout. Mt. San Antonio came out locked and ready in the first inning, scoring two runs to open up the game. Asia Chacon was walked to begin the inning, she followed it up by stealing second base. Ariana Coronado followed with an RBI, scoring Chacon for the first lead of the game. Alyssa Gonzalez also recorded an RBI, scoring Coronado giving Mt. San Antonio a 2-0 lead. Mt. San Antonio started the game on fire finishing the first inning with two hits and two runs. The same can’t be said for East Los Angeles who had a slow start. The first inning for ELAC was a forgettable one, they were walked www.ELACCampusNews.com
twice, but weren’t able to capitalize on those walks, staying scoreless after one inning. The Huskies’ defense and offense were clicking in the third inning. Their defense was able to stop Mt. San Antonio from scoring in the inning. Daejah Madera reached first on an error by Mt. San Antonio’s second baseman. Irene Huizar followed with a single down center field advancing Madera to second and leaving Huizar safe at first. Nathalie Cordova then hit a sacrifice fly, allowing Madera to advance to third and Huizar to second base. With one out, Irene Dorado hit a single to center field, making it enough for Madera to score the first run for the Huskies. Mt. San Antonio was unable to get the out at home, but the catcher was able to get the out at third base. The Huskies finished the inning with one run. The score was now 2-1. The Huskies offense showed up in the bottom of the third with a fire lit inside of them, but that same fire wouldn’t be lit too long. After the third inning, the Huskies wouldn’t score for the rest of the game. ELAC was not able to slow down Mt. San Antonio and they added two more runs in the fifth and seventh inning. The final score was 4-1. Mt. San Antonio beat the Huskies for the third time this season, completing the sweep. Monday’s loss puts the Huskies at 16-21 overall record with a win percentage of 0.432. The Huskies hit the road to face Long Beach today at 3 p.m.
catcher Tito Haycox. Huskies still trailed 4-2.Bottom of the sixth with one out, Husky hitter Michael Easter singled to right field and the next batter Juan Guardado doubled to center putting runners on second and third. Husky hitter Luis Rojas singled to left and drove in Easter to make it 4-3 Long Beach. Long Beach pitcher Passmore was taken out of the game after hitting Daniel Vierra and putting runners on first and second with one out. Mitchell Knight took over on the mound for Long Beach. In the same inning, Jarred Robles flew out and drove in Guardado from third to tie the game 4-4. The next inning, lead off hitter Guerero gave Long Beach the lead homering to left field making it 5-4 in the seventh inning. Husky starting pitcher Dominguez was taken out in the eighth inning after giving up a single to the leadoff hitter Evan Vasquez. Joseph Campos took over for the Huskies. Campos kept the inning scoreless and pitched a 1,2,3 inning in the ninth. Bottom of the ninth, Long beach first baseman Matthew Pinal took over to close the game. Husky leadoff hitter D.Vierra struck out for the first out of the inning. Next batter, J. Robles hit a hard grounder to shortstop which the ball hit off the shortstop leg and went to left field. Robles advanced to second on the play. Jason Vela pinch hit for Gomez and struck out for the second out. The next batter, J. Villagran had a full count on the pitcher and got the walk to keep the inning alive and advanced the tying run to second. Next batter, Isiah Lopez Del Haro singled to right and the third base coach had the runner stop at third with two outs that could have possibly tied the game. The bases were loaded with two outs, and it came to Hernandez to tie the game or give the huskies the win. Instead, Hernandez struck out swinging with the bases loaded and that ended the game. Long Beach won 5-4. The Huskies will play their final game of the season on Thursday against College of the Desert. Game starts at 2:30 p.m. at home.
CN/GABRIELA GUTIERREZ
HUSKY WIN—Huskies’short-stop Arlyne Ruiz outs Roadrunner Heaven Wolf and brings the game to an end. Huskies take the
lead 5-2
Huskies keep softball playoff hopes alive BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer The East Los Angeles College softball team’s shot at making it to the playoffs was on thin ice, but they are still in the running after winning against Rio Hondo on Friday 5-2. The Huskies hopes lie in winning their next few games. The Huskies scored the first run of the game during the bottom of the first inning. Dani Varela singled to right field bringing Nathalie Cordova to home base. During the bottom of the second inning, with Priscilla Hernandez on first base, Ariana
Cobian grounded out to the first baseman. However, an error by the Roadrunners allowed the Huskies to score again, making it 2-0. Things got intense during the fourth inning when the Roadrunners scored their first run of the game. Thanks to a run batted in by Roadrunner’s third baseman Nadine Marquez, making it 2-1. The victory lasted less than half an inning, when the Huskies’ Irene Huizar and Cordova scored back-to-back runs after Irene Dorado went up to bat. Dorado reached first base on an error by Rio Hondo’s shortstop Heaven Wolf almost caught the ball,
but dropped it and propelled the Huskies forward 4-1. The game remained static until the bottom of the fifth inning when Varela scored the Huskie’s final run of the game with an RBI single to left center by Cobian, making it 5-1 During the top of the sixth inning, the odds were stacking up against the Huskies with all bases loaded by Rio Hondo. Head coach Erika Blanco pulled out Lopez and let relieving pitcher Lauren Tate finish off the game. Tate threw a wild pitch that allowed Arianna Amezcua, who was on third base, to advance home for the last run of the game, bringing the score 5-2.
Tate redeemed herself by striking out Alexis Rivera for the second out of the top of the sixth. The Huskies outed Rio Hondo to finish off the seventh inning, bringing the game to a close. Before their win against Rio Hondo, the Huskies were in 18th place in the California Community College Athletic Association for the South Coast Conference. They are now in 17th place, giving them a chance to turn their odds around and make it to the playoffs. Aside from their game on Monday against Mt. San Antonio, they have two more games left in the regular season.