Volume 78, Issue 17 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
ELAC alum inducted into CCCAA Hall of Fame first Dodger game in 1964 with his grandmother. Staff Writer While he was only with ELAC for one school year, he helped the Huskies advance to the East Los Angeles College Southern California Regional alumni and former Major League Finals, where they ultimately fell Baseball player Darrell Brown to Cerritos College by one run. will be inducted into the 2022 During his time at ELAC, California Community College Brown, who played centerfield Athletic Association (CCCAA) and occasionally short-stop, had Hall of Fame (HOF) on April 6. a batting average of .411 which During his time at ELAC was the first in the school’s Brown was baseball history. noticed by He also stole a b a s e b a l l “We had a good team, approximately scout, giving bases and though. It wasn’t only 40 him countless won Metro opportunities me. Because I was Conference that helped Player of the a first- round pick, him pursue a Year. I was getting all the professional Brown recalls career in the publicity. But everybody playing against sport. al State played well, everyone C Brown, 66, Fullerton and transferred to contributed. That’s how this being the ELAC from moment his life we won” Los Angeles changed as the DARRELL BROWN V a l l e y scout that was College and there to watch continued the Fullerton to play ball baseball team in 1975 as a but instead Huskie. noticed Brown. In order to continue being He was eight for eight that eligible to play he was required game and credits ELAC for this to take 19 units, all while opportunity. working nights. “The scout called me that night “It lets you know what you can and he named about five people do when you’re young. When from Fullerton. He said he was they get older they find out there to see them play, but that they’re cheating themselves,” I seemed like the best player on Brown said of students and the field to him.” Brown said athletes today who don’t put in about being scouted for the the work. Felton Wilson Houston Astros. His spark for the game began He chose to continue playing as a child playing fast pitch with college ball. his buddies and attending his Despite being drafted, and
BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ
CN/KAREN TSE, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
COURTESY OF DARRELL BROWN
THROWBACK TO 1975—Darell Brown during his time as a Huskie and Brown today. making headlines, Brown made sure to credit his team for all their success. “We had a good team, though. It wasn’t only me. Because I was a first-round pick, I was getting all the publicity. But everybody played well, everyone contributed. That’s how we won,” said Brown.
He expressed excitement over being inducted into the CCCAA HOF, where he will be honored on April 6th at the CCCAA convention. It was the idea of Lonnie Teper, Kinesiology professor at ELAC and former Campus News’ sports editor and Sports
Information Director. He says Teper initiated, and he was just thankful due to it being in the one year he was at ELAC. Brown was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as a third-round pick in 1977 and eventually made his MLB debut on April 11th, 1981. He played for the
Detroit Tigers, the Oakland Athletics, and the Minnesota Twins, winning the 1983 Outstanding Rookie award. Brown went on to coach high school students and scouting. He now resides in Oregon with his daughter.
Reclaim Our Schools LA advocates for better education BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer Reclaim Our Schools LA, is a Los Angeles movement of parents, educators, students, and community members working to improve access and advance opportunities in public education for all students. So that students thrive in the classroom, in their communities, and beyond. The organization has a clear vision on how to better schools. They want to have better food at schools, to hire more psychologists and to minimize class sizes across all grade levels. One of the initiatives the organization has taken is organizing against fully defunding the LA school police. In Los Angeles Unified School District, Black youth make up 8% of the student population, but make up 25% of school-based arrests, citations and diversions. 73% of Black and Latino students believe that school police officers escalate situations. 67% of Black and latin students describe school police officers as overly aggressive. Students feel that some school officers walk around school looking to intimidate students,. They’re like school bullies. “We want to defund school police and reinvest more money to support black students by creating BSAP, the Black student achievement plan,” Kyla Payne, a speaker at the meeting said. The BSAP provides support in curriculum and instruction, community partnerships and personal support. Elosia Galindo, a mother of a
News Briefs
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
TUNNEL VISON—Melody Gonzalez introduced herself, sharing the vision of the future of Los Angeles schools. 5th grader spoke about the difficulties of having large classes and how it not only affected her child but the rest of the students as well as the teacher. Large classes make learning difficult as it becomes increas-
Mentor Month Online Event
ingly harder for teachers to focus on one or a few students that are struggling. “That isn’t fair to the teachers or the students to be dealing with that many kids at once,” Galindo said.
On-Campus Theatre Workshop with Corky Dominguez will be on Friday March 25 at 1:00 p.m. Learn about the concepts, creations, and techniques for devised solo, performance artwork. Go to ELACtheater.org for more info.
LAUSD is the second-largest school district in the nation. “We would tell the principal we want to raise funds so we can have a science lab and they would tell us no because of district rules.
Enrollment/Registration Days
They wouldn’t let us fund resources and they wouldn’t provide the resources. Instead they were cutting resources more and more each day,” Galindo said. The rise of mental health awareness over the last few years
On March 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Monterey Park Campus, Student can enroll in short term classes which they will be able to complete in 8 weeks.
has been great, but some schools still do not offer the proper support to help students deal with personal issues they might be going through. ROSLA wants more psychologists hired to help students as well as more counselors, PSA (Pupil Services and Attendance), and PSW(Psychiatric Social Work Services). Another initiative they want is to increase healthy food options for students and families that address food insecurity, nutrition, culture and sustainable food sources. Healthier food that includes fruits and vegetables for students. They also support housing initiatives like converting vacant LAUSD property into housing for low-income families. Provide targeted academic support for unhoused students, foster care students, working students and parenting students. ROSLA wants to reduce caseloads for special ED teachers, health and human services staff and other student support staff. More teachers and staff should be hired in order to better support students and so teachers or staff aren’t overloaded. “We have to lift up all of the issues and common concerns that educators, students, parents and community members are having so that we can come together. We have to fight for these demands every single step of the way. We do that by uniting together. Start building the proposals that are going to take us to the future,” Cecily MyartCruz, the United Teachers Los Angeles President said.
Aristophanes’ The Birds
Tickets for ELAC Theater Arts Department’s first production of semester. Tickets are available for purchase now at: https://elactheaterarts.ticketleap.com/birds/.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022
Emergency of State Far From Over BY JESUS HERNANDEZ Staff Writer
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New wage increase, same wage problem BY TERESA ACOSTA Staff Writer The minimum wage increase of $1.04 is not substantial enough for college students. While it may be the correct move to increase minimum wage, the amount of the increase cannot compete with the current pace of inflation. The current inflation rate is 7.5%, and it continues to rise. The increase of minimum wage from $15 to $16.04, is set to take place on July 1, 2022. The Inspector of Public Works and Director of the Bureau of Contract Administration John L. Reamer Jr. said the pay adjustments aim to keep pace with inflationary increases. $1.04 may temporarily decrease the gap between the current wage and inflation. However, inflation is an ever-increasing variable and minimum wage only increases periodically. By the end of the year, inflation will outpace the minimum wage increase. When minimum w age is increased, it can put a strain and financial burden on small
businesses who may be working with a smaller profit margin. Businesses of all sizes may choose to pass the cost increase on to the consumer by raising prices. This price increase can make certain basic needs less affordable. According to Dr. M. Allen Coson, the Vice Chair and Professor of Economics here at East Los Angeles College, the increase is not enough for the current financial climate. Especially taking into account that supply issues have not returned to their pre-pandemic functioning. “One option is to peg the minimum wage to the cost of living adjustments (COLA), but that too can put more pressure on employers, i.e. small businesses to pass the costs to consumers. However, this would ensure that college students can actually have a livable wage and be able to have a decent life,” Coson said. There are a multitude of programs available through ELAC to help students with basic needs. Bus passes, free groceries, certain medical care needs and laptop and hotspot loans are some
of the assistances available. There is more to life than basic needs. The goal isn’t to sustain a basic needs life, it’s to live a full and enriched one. College can be a stepping stone for those wanting to move beyond the poverty line and not live paycheck to pay-check, but you have to get through it first. Worrying about making enough money to support yourself through college is mentally straining. Having minimum wage aligned with cost of living or inflation is an important issue for students facing financial challenges. It can be the difference between being able to finish college and having to quit to be able to work more to support themselves. If a student can finish college and earn a degree, they will be much more likely to find work that isn’t based on minimum wage. Without a college degree, the road to a higher paying job could be longer and more difficult to achieve thus reducing their lifetime-earning potential. Raise the minimum wage and raise the possibility of increasing a student’s quality of life for the rest of their life.
The State of Emergency should not be lifted here in California just yet. Right versus left showdown in Sacramento. Leaders in California’s capital, specifically. Republican state lawmakers tried to end Governor Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 state of emergency on Tuesday. The move was blocked by the democratic controlled California legislature. If the division across the country wasn’t already enough in the political world, here, we the people and our political leaders are divided again on an important factor in the California response to Covid. The State of Emergency bill Newsom signed in March of 2020 helped the state further prepare communities and health care systems in case Covid spread more broadley—which it did. The bill also helped to protect consumers from price gouging on supplies that were selling out when panic buying increased. The bill allowed out-of-state health care workers to come assist at health care facilities, and approved testing centers for Covid to test anyone and everyone that needed to be tested. What the state of emergency order allows Newsom to do now in March 2022 is to continue to help with the state pandemic response by ensuring that California has enough capacity in hospitals that can handle case load surges. Testing and vaccination centers are also included. The GOP has accused the governor of abusing his executive powers and argued on Tuesday that the order was not necessary anymore. They also try arguing by using examples of schools being shut down and businesses and all these testing requirements in the state. The GOP is saying California had all this for two years and it’s not necessary anymore because
the state is in a better place than it was two years ago. The democrats were told by the hospital association if the state of emergency order ends, medical facilities would lose thousands of healthcare workers who were allowed to come in outside of California. Ann Patterson, the governor’s affairs secretary, said in February that rescinding the state of emergency would “cripple” California’s response to the pandemic. With the emergency order and with most of the executive orders that were under the state of emergency order, Newsom terminated 17 of them in February and another 18 will be terminated at the end of March. The pandemic is not over. The state is in a better position now but in the near future it can get back to being bad again with a caseload of surges. I believe Newsom knows this. Now is it a bad look that we were still under a state of emergency and other states have completely lifted their executive orders? Sure, it looks bad but from the beginning of the pandemic California was first to shut down and put out a stay at home order. I believe we will probably be last to lift the state of the emergency order. For me personally it has felt for a while that “pre covid vibes” is back. What I mean by that is that people are out, people are having a good time, people are traveling and enjoying everything California has to offer. I understand it’s deeper than that as politics are a whole other level and things go on behind the door. Maybe this state of emergency could be hurting some businesses and the right sees that and that’s where the division comes in. But right now we all need to understand that Covid is not over and we will see what happens here in California going forward with the state of emergency order.
Law to reduce unjust arrests
MANGING EDITORS Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina ONLINE EDITOR Raymond Nava FRONT EDITORS Adonia Burciaga
OPINION EDITORS Luis Diaz Eduardo Sanchez NEWS EDITOR Breanna Fierro FEATURE EDITOR Alma Lizarraga ARTS EDITOR Gabriela Guitierrez SPORTS EDITORS Nick Tercero SOCIAL MEDIA Teresa Acosta COPY EDITORS Luis Castilla Juan Calvillo CARTOONIST Max Miranda STAFF WRITERS Jonathan Bermudez Leonardo Cervantes Jesus Hernandez Beatriz Garay Miguel Dominguez ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre ADVISER Jean Stapleton
BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer Governor Newsom should sign SB357 into law. Passing SB357 would repeal provisions of existing loitering laws that relate to loitering with the intent to commit prostitution. Other changes include allowing people who were convicted of a violation to petition the court to dismiss their sentence and potentially seal the conviction. The current law regarding loitering has led to discriminatory arrests by police. Because the law says it is a crime to loiter with the intent to commit prostitution, this has allowed the police to use broad reasons as cause for arrest. These reasons can include being in an area where prostitution has been committed before, the way the individual is dressed and simply speaking to other pedestrians. Nothing concrete is needed for police to make an arrest. Equality California, a nonprofit LGBT organization, reported on how people have been targeted by police due to the law. Being against prostitution in public is an understandable position to have, but the original law makes no logical sense. Prostitution is already illegal. All the law did was pile on more charges than necessary. The original law reads like it was written solely to give more leeway to police, giving them the justification to accuse people of commiting prostitution without any actual proof. While this is a step in the right direction, SB357 doesn’t address the bigger issue regarding prostitution. Prostitution has long been an act that is wrongfully criminalizaed. If the intent of the original
EDITORS iN CHIEF Annette Quijada Brenda De La Cruz
Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the proper ty of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 250 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letter s 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
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law was to reduce the amount of public prostitution, it wasn’t the right move and created more harm. The real answer to this issue is to legalize prostitution. If prostitution is legalized, sex workers would be able to freely and safely conduct their business in a way that doesn’t involve them strolling through the streets.
Most sex workers would be able to do their work online and at their place of residence, instead of having to walk the streets looking for clients. There is no legitimate reason for prostitution to be illegal and there was never a reason in the first place. Two consenting adults engaging in sex where money is exchanged does not harm anyone
and should be none , of the government’s concern. If prostitution was legalized, taxed and regulated like any other industry, it would make more people safe. Legal prostitution could even help solve some issues with sex trafficking. Legal prostitution could reduce demand for illegal sex work as clients now have a safer and legal option.
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SB357 isn’t the answer that we need to solve the real issue, but it’s a step forward. Police should not be able to arrest people just on mere suspicion and the bill would fix this. Governor Newsom should sign SB357 into law but the legislature should do the right thing in the future and fully legalize prostitution, so this never has to be an issue again.
The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS
News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022
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CalFresh helps ELAC students buy groceries BY BEATRIZ GARAY Staff Writer
Women/Gender Studies Committee discusses feminism sitgma BY ADONIA BURCIAGA Staff Writer The Women Gender Studies Committee held a student-led panel to discuss the importance of people understanding the real meaning of gender studies, stigmas in feminism, gender fluidity and queerness. The students who spoke on the panel are East Los Angeles College Alumni, who are attending the University of California, Los Angeles and Hunter College in New York City. Students were encouraged to provide the definition of what gender means to them. Carlos Avilez, current UCLA student said, “The thing that I like about gender is that it’s interdisciplinary.” Avilez said he chose to major in gender studies because of how accepting the department at UCLA is. He said he has the opportunity to learn more about what he identifies as. The panelist also shared how their non-traditional journey led them to transfer in their respective colleges. The panelists said whether gender studies should be taught to younger children. The statement really woke up the attendees. The idea that queerness should be normalized was put fourth as a way to help people understand
gender. One attendee of the gender studies panel shared with the panelists that it would be nice if queerness is normalized. The panel pointed out that most parents wait until the right time for their children to be taught sexual education. They said parents should wait for the right time to teach their kids so that it is easier to understand gender studies. Society has yet to learn more about what gender and queerness mean. Terms like “gay” and “queer” on gaming platforms like PlayStation and Xbox are banned because they are deemed to be offensive. This shows that society and companies have a misunderstanding of these terms. Nadia Martinez former ELAC student and transfer student at Hunter College in New York City is majoring in gender studies. She said, “Queerness is a malleable term where you can fit where you’d want to, but is a sense of identity, a marginalized community. The term could be used to be uplifting and degrading.” Gender Studies departments on campuses like UCLA are fairly new. The idea is they can tackle sexist ideologies and demonstrate how gender studies can be inclusive. Gender fluidity was also discussed in the panel. Gender fluidity is when someone considers
CalFresh hosts monthly virtual workshops for East Los Angeles College students to understand, apply and receive information on qualifying for the program. With the hardships happening in California, food costs are rising. CalFresh is available to help qualifying students buy their groceries. Students sometimes are on their own and can’t make ends meet. This is where CalFresh can help assist them and not have them stress about how they are going to buy their next meal. CalFresh is available at all times and to all qualifying students. They are a nutrition assistance program that is part of the Food Bank. Their goal is to provide groceries to the people who need it the most. They issue an EBT card, which is like a debit card, that is accepted in most grocery stores. They can even be used at the big chain warehouses like Costco and Sam’s Club. They try to be as accessible as they can, and work with the students regardless of their situation. So far, there have been 20 students who have applied to CalFresh for the food assistance program in the spring semester of 2022.
CalFresh helps provide students with the security of receiving good and healthy groceries. There is a list of requirements that need to be met in order to qualify for the program. Students need to be enrolled in at least 6 units and be employed at least 20 hours a week. Students can be taking care of a child that is 12 or younger, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. There also is an age limit to qualify. For those 22 and younger and who are living with a family that provides groceries and meals, the program can qualify the family as one household. A student under 22 who is living with family or a roommate but doesn’t share anything can still qualify for this program. Due to COVID-19 CalFresh isn’t requiring very much when it comes to qualifying. They have narrowed down to having an I.D./ driver’s license, proof of income, and/or proof of units, and living expenses. They understand COVID-19 has made it difficult to have the bare minimum. After reading through the list of requirements, its easy to start the application process. CalFresh does process applications through the county. Doing so might cause applications additional time to get a response back.
Students can apply online at www.getcalfresh.org or reach out to CalFresh hosts Karen Perez or Maira Sandoval via email, phone, or text. They are available to help throughout the whole process and with any information or documents that are needed to apply. Students may find it easier to get help from Perez and Sandoval than trying to apply online and it may be faster. Students also have the option of contacting Jessica Olivas, who is the Health Center coordinator at ELAC. She can be found on campus at the Student Health Center, F5-302. She can also be contacted through email, or phone. Olivas can help complete the prescreen application, which is linked to the QR code found on flyers available on campus in front of the F-5 building. Students can also use the QR code provided below. She can also provide support if needed and any information necessary. CalFresh is a resource offered to ELAC students and is encouraged to be applied for. Having help with groceries is one less thing to worry about while handling schoolwork. The panelist said this is prominent, especially when there isn’t much income coming in or just simply having a hard time making ends meet.
themselves to be feminine one day and masculine the next day. Professor Kelly Velasquez mentions gender-fluid artists like, Madonna and Angelina Jolie to better showcase what gender fluidity means. Madonna is known for ignoring gender norms and embracing publicly that gender can be fluid. Madonna’s gender fluidity had influenced Avilez to embrace his sexuality more and be ok with not fitting the stereotype of a man or woman. Artists like Madonna influenced others to believe that it’s okay not to identify as the “natural” gender. The panelists said ELAC students should take advantage of the transfer resources available to them when going to four-year schools. The panel recommended that if students were interested in Gender Studies that they should apply to UCLA. The panelists said there is still so much to learn about gender studies. Students can contribute to the knowledge that is being shared by participating in research once they transfer out of community college. Resources like the Transfer Center, UCLA’s Center for Community College partnership and the honors program are available to students who are interested in transferring.
Town Hall focused on improving ELAC resources BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer Noe Dominguez and Heribérto Gutierrez Jr led the Resource Recap workshop on March 19, discussing some of the most important resources, programs and services that East Los Angeles College has to offer. Most students at ELAC will probably know about some of these programs. First year students should utilize these services in order to familiarize themselves with the campus and everything it has to offer. Gutierrez and Dominguez are success coaches with the FYE
(First-Year Experience) program. One resource to incoming students is the Associated Student Union. ASU is the official student government at ELAC. It is made up of executive officers and senators that represent students at the college district and even state level. All ELAC students are encouraged to join ASU. The fee is only seven-dollars during spring and during the summer and the fall, the fee falls to three dollars. “Students pay their fee at the fiscal office and on the back of their ID students will receive a sticker saying you paid. One of the benefits of this is it provides students up to 30 free printings. Students might
also receive ASU items or clothes, a flash drive, scantrons and green books. Students also have access to book rentals,” Domniguez said. The shuttle bus is an important resource that students should use. The shuttle bus brings students from the South Gate campus to ELAC. This is a great way to save money on gas. ELAC tutoring provides the reading and writing center, learning center, math lab, STEM/MESA center and the NetTutor. NetTutor is a tutoring service that students can use online. The Student Health Center provides mental health help, food resources, relaxation and stress rooms. The Health Center is a great place
for students to unwind and relax for a few minutes after a stressful day. There are also domestic violence and sexual assault support centers. “Admissions and Records is where students go to petition for a grade if they feel it isn’t correct,” Gutierrez said. The First-Year Experience (FYE) program assists students with any questions they might have. The program can potentially lead students to the specific department they need. Second and third-year students can still get help from the FYE program if needed. “The One Zone is like a giant umbrella that oversees a few smaller departments,” Gutierrez said. The One Zone provides The
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Dream Resource Center which helps undocumented students. Rising Scholars is for emancipated youth. They will be able to provide students with exclusive resources for them. The Umoja program is a new program that caters specifically to the African American population at ELAC. The assessment center verifies what level of math and English courses students should take. “Students no longer take formal assessments. Now it’s a questionnaire,” Gutierrez said. America Job Center of California (AJCC) and CalWorks are both ways students can get jobs quickly. “If you want to get a quick career because you’re in dire financial
stress and you don’t have the time to dedicate to formal schooling. The AJCC would be a great choice for students as they offer a lot of certificates. CalWorks is the same but it’s state-run,” Dominguez said. Academic programs that STEM provides are MESA, SERVES (Success, Engagement, and Retention of Veterans in Engineering and Science), STEM Cohort and STEM Core which aid students in chosen STEM majors. The FYE program can help out any student with any question or misunderstanding they might have. FYE can point students in the right direction.
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NEWS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, March 23, 2022
ELAC Art Department holds Iranian animation festival BY JUAN CAVILLO Staff Writer Iranian animators’ projects are the highlight of East Los Angeles College’s 7th Annual Animation Film Festival Iranian Animation Day, on Saturday. The ELAC Art Department in conjunction with Cinema Without Borders and Cinema Without Borders Foundation will host the event in the S1 building on the ELAC campus from 12:30 p.m. to 4. The founder of Cinema Without Borders, Bijan Tehrani said when it comes to the Iranian projects shown, there were limitations and financial problems that emerged throughout production. He said despite these issues it’s the quality of the final projects that shine through. Tehrani said the films shown should help students see that good animation comes from quality storytelling and hard work put into the project. He said that’s what creates quality animation and film. Michael Libonati, animation professor in the Art Department, said working in animation takes both technical and art skills. He said these skills can be refined by students in the Art Department, but when it comes to good filmmaking, it was about what was being told on screen. He said the films shown in the festival have the distinction of being good at doing just that. “The most important aspect of the films seen in the festival is the ability of the artists to tell a story. Story is key to the work and informs
the animation,” Libonati said. Much like Tehrani, Libonati said students should come away being able to embrace unique storytelling. He said stories and folktales told in a perspective that is totally different from the one students have here in the United States show students different styles of creativity. The festival will screen multiple short animation films from the past two decades and feature two established animators and their works. In the spotlight section of the afternoon, a screening of animator Bahram Azimi’s film “The Sixth String” will play. This is followed by a tribute to a legend for Ali Akbar Sadeghi. Tehrani said Sadeghi used an art style for his movie “Flower Storm” called Persian miniature. This style is used across many different countries and has been used for many centuries. Tehrani said as the style crossed into each different country it inspired their own “miniature” style. Tehrani said this art style is brought to life in Sadeghi’s animation and was one of the reasons he was chosen for the tribute. Many of the films that Azimi works on are done alone. Tehrani said everything from modeling, designs and storyboards are done Azimi. He said as interest in Azimi’s work increased, Azimi had to start looking for help. Tehrani said in contrast to Sadeghi’s art-painting style of animation, Azimi focused on 3D digital animation. Azimi’s film, “The Sixth String,” tells the story of an older musician
who creates new music by adding a sixth string to the string instrument called a setar. “It becomes like a revolution, first. A lot of People are against him but they start to admire him for his work. His name was Darvish Khan, a very famous musician from Iran. And this (“The Sixth String”) is based on his life and his work,” Tehrani said. The festival will feature animation short films that include: • “Hajar’S Wedding” (2008) by Mahin Javaherian • “The Tree” (2014) by Sare Shafipour • “When I was a Child” (2014) by Maryam Kashkoolinia • “The Switchman” (2016) by Mehdi Khoramian • “The Fox” (2017) by Sadegh Javadi • “Am I a Wolf?” (2019) by Amir Houshang Moein • “Malakout” (2019) by Farnoush Abedi • “Gone” (2019) by Samaneh Asadi • “The White Whale” (2020) by Amir Mehran Tehrani said every animated film is about time investment and creation of the elements of the story and characters. He said the films that will screen show what can be created through hard work and art from a single person. This again reinforces the idea of how much can be done when thought is put into a project. “The whole idea that we put this series together for international animation day was to show to our students how much they can work to make very exceptional and good animation,” Tehrani said.
COURTESY OF ELAC’S 7TH ANNUAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL
FLOWER STORM—A still from Ali Akbar Sadeghi’s film “Flower Storm.” The art style used is called Persian miniature. Bijan Tehrani said the style inspiired similar styles and took years to spread from one country to the next. Sadeghi’s film is an animated versiom of this type of art style. Libonati said when students work on projects at ELAC, they are working to create a portfolio of works. Ta k i n g i n s p i r a t i o n f r o m international works can inspire students to make amazing new pieces of animation. Tehrani said it’s what employers look for from animators. Students can take advantage of the festival and use it to continue their learning.
Dolores Huerta urges latinos to vote BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer Social activist Dolores Huerta reminded people how crucial voting is when it comes to issues like racism, sexism and social inequity. During a Zoom meeting last week for a Town Hall series Racial Equity and Social Justice event with East Los Angeles College, Huerta spoke about what being a social activist really means. Huerta’s most resonating message was that people need to vote. “Why is this so important? Because we know that, (especially the Latino population) we are now such a major population that we can influence elections. All of these things that we need for our community, we are the ones that can make that happen,” Huerta said. Huerta was introduced by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors first district member Hilda Solis who recognized Huerta as a selfless person who is always willing to sacrifice for others. She also recognized many of Huerta’s achievements. “In 2002 she received the Puffin Nation Prize of $100,000 for creative citizenship, which she then used to establish the Dolores Huerta Foundation. [...] With that
she has helped to propel many Latinos and Latinas into important positions of power,” Solis said. Huerta put pressure on the need for a broader and more inclusive educational curriculum. She said the addition of Chicano studies in colleges has been historical, but other necessary studies are still excluded. This includes African-American studies, gender studies (which includes learning more about the LGBTQ+ community), labor studies and civics studies are all necessary in every single school. Huerta emphasized the importance of civics studies because she believes this can teach young people to be more engaged in the electoral process. Being a Latina woman, and now of older age, Huerta is aware of discriminations against her and women like her. She said men of color are also victims of deep-rooted discrimination and that it is an ongoing issue that requires change. “When we have a racial slur or we have a sexist comment made about us, those hurts, they stay with us. It’s not like when you hurt your arm or leg, that [the] hurt goes away. Those hurts stay with us. So we have to learn how to deal with them, how to forgive people, how to not
let that get in our way and not let it stop us,” Huerta said. Huerta said that with the technology of today, people can mobilize faster. She said there are many more organizations today than in the ‘60s. The ability for people to mobilize faster was evident with the MeToo and the Black Lives Matter movements. “As always, the solutions to the problem[s] are to reach out to the people [who] have the problem and then invite them to give us their ideas on how to solve the problem. I don’t know if [it’s] possible, but if we can get a lot of community outreach, meeting with families out there, asking them ‘what is it you need?’ so that we can get education back on track. Education, of course, is going to be the savior of our country right now,” Huerta said. Huerta emphasized this message to a member of the audience, Roy Payan, who said he filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District for failing to accommodate him as a person with a disability. “What you are doing is, actually, you are representing other people who have disabilities. Unfortunately, that is a group that kind of gets ignored in our society. My answer is always organize,
organize, organize. Reach out to other people [who] have disabilities that can really join your cause and [so] that your voices can become louder,” Huerta said. Huerta said that undocumented people and those who can not vote are not exempt from having an influence when it comes to voting. They can organize and mobilize with others, and educate themselves on the voting process. They can share that knowledge with others and call others to action. Huerta said voting is the only way we can save our democracy. “We can march and march and march and protest, but unless we put it into a Law then it’s not going to happen. A lot of young people think that they don’t want to vote. They [say] ‘if I don’t vote, then I’m fighting against the establishment.’What we have to say to them is ‘you have to be the establishment.’ The only way that you can do that is by voting,” Huerta said. The event was introduced by ELAC President Alberto J. Roman and facilitated by ELAC’s Theater Arts Department Instructor Cristina Frias. The event of almost 300 people, was sponsored by Women and Gender Studies and had two ASL interpreters.
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JUSTICE FOR ALL—Dolores Huerta advises young people to vote and become active in social issues during a virtual event. www.ELACCampusNews.com
Alberto Gonzalez, a secondyear ELAC student in the Art Department, said the festival gives students a chance to really experience and learn from the animation presented. Gonzalez is working at the event on Saturday. He said ELAC teaches students the science behind animation. Gonzalez said he hopes to learn what goes on behind the animation
and learn how other animators’ stories and histories make what they animate into unique pieces of art. For more information visit: https://www.cinemawithoutborders. com/iranian-animation-day-elac/. To reserve tickets for the event email: rsvpanim@gmail.com. The 7th Annual International Film Festival, Iranian Animation Day begins at 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Business school offers transfer admissions to employed ELAC students Majuelo also covered the credit transfer requirements in English Staff Writer composition, math, social science, etc. To enter the program, students P e p p e r d i n e U n i v e r s i t y ’s don’t need an associate’s degree Graziadio Business School was or be a business major as long as invited by East Los Angeles College they have the 60 transferable units professor Frank Aguirre to help completed and the required GPA. students complete their business Students are required to have two degrees while still being employed. years of employment. Hannah Majuelo and Jose Lozano The work experience could be in introduced the Bachelor’s of Science any field such as retail, fast food, in Management Program. hospitality, and health care. Graziadio Business School offers Students’ classes are chosen at the transfer admission guarantee the Graziadio Business School, but for students who have two years of can be enrolled part-time if they paid work experience, a minimum are having issues rearranging their cumulative GPA of 2.8, and 60 schedule around school. transferable M a j u e l o units. emphasized that Pepperdine being enrolled Graziadio Business U n i v e r s i t y ’s part-time would School offers the main campus prolong their is located in Graduation but transfer admission Malibu and the students do have second campus guarantee for students two to seven is located in West to complete who have two years of years Los Angeles the Bachelor’s and houses paid work experience, of Science in the Graziadio anagement a minimum cumulative M Business School. Program. The program Graziadio GPA of 2.8 and 60 is offered B u s i n e s s transferable units. fully online or School also on-campus. offers one-week Students can global business complete the program in two years. interactive courses where students The classes are offered on can study in Asia, Europe, Latin evenings and weekends which is America and other locations. easy for working professionals to Each country has a specific work around their schedule. subject matter. Majuelo said, “Students are not The global interactive courses tied to finishing the program in are available to BSM, MBA and two years since they are working MS students. Majuelo said, “I went professionally, which can be to Paris, France for the marketing prolonged.” class. The marketing class was for The first year of the MBA luxury brand management, we met program can be waived and students executives from Louis Vuitton. We can jump into the second year of were exposed to their operations, the program if they perform well and we got to meet and network in their Bachelors of Science in with professionals who work in the Management Program. management industry.” Students would be able to have Students are welcome to make two degrees in a little less than an appointment with Majuelo and three years. Lozano to prepare them for the Students would also be able to application, general questions and waive the tuition for the first year advising their student education of the Bachelor’s program. plan.
BY ADONIA BURCIAGA
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022
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Theater Arts Department returns with live play BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer After enduring two years without live plays, the Theater Arts Department proves it has not lost its aptitude for putting on exceptional performances with Aristophanes' “The Birds.” “The Birds,” which is currently running, is witty and hilarious. With pop-culture references being thrown from every direction, audiences are kept on their toes trying to keep up with every punchline. The costume design is top-notch as always. The titular birds are all either elaborate puppets or performers in full bird costumes, each with its own unique color palettes to tell them apart. There are many scenes in which all the birds are on stage, creating a rainbow of birds. “The Birds” explores many themes that may go over people’s heads if they don’t know what to look for. The play follows a Los Angeles couple named Jennifer and Lawrence, played by Arely Chavarin and Christopher Fu respectively. The pair attempt to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city as well as the fabricated personalities that inhabit it. Finding refuge in the land of the birds, Jennifer and Lawrence soon establish a city, Cloud Cuckoo Land. Here, they live among the birds as part of the flock. Peeling back the layers, audiences will find that “The Birds” is an allegory for land-theft, gentrification and the hubris of man. The play sparks questions of whether or not people are justified in their attempt to better the lives of others and what that can mean to the parties involved. The bird chorus leader, a purple bird played by Abel Kimiko Rock, is the most suspicious of the couple. Most of the birds are always chirping and squawking but the chorus leader, Kimiko Rock, the most vocal of the birds, tells stories of birds who were wronged by humans. Despite practicing the play with masks up until their dress rehearsal, the cast’s faces are all very expressive.
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POWER TO THE BIRDS—The birds express their distrust for Jennifer
and Lawrence.
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BIRD QUEEN—Queen Latifah, played by Cori Franco, summons the birds. Along the couple’s venture, they encounter a rogue’s gallery of characters, each symbolizing an aspect of the lives they are trying to escape. Among them are Queen Latifah, played by Cori Franco; James Cameron, played by Kaz
Kasnetsis’ Deadpool, played by Lorenzo Bacalso; and Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory,” played by Tony Jimenez. It is bewildering seeing so many unique characters on stage, but that is also what makes “The Birds”
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BIRDS OF A FEATHER—The birds come together at the climax of the play.
so different. The Theater Arts Department closes “The Birds” with an acknowledgement that East Los Angeles College is on native ancestral land, a sentiment that is appreciated considering the nature of the play.
“The Birds” is still running in the P2 Black Box Theater with showtimes at 8 p.m. tomorrow, Friday and Saturday and a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets cost $8 for ASU members, $10 for general admission and $12
at the door and are sold at www. elactheater.org. Visitors are required to to complete a self-check survey at https://bit.ly/elacselfcheck. Face masks are required.
First generation museum professional shares work-life balance lessons BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer During a virtual meetup Thursday, Independent Curator and Program Specialist Jennelyn Tumalad shared lessons learned as a first generation Black, Indigenous, and People of Color museum professional. The virtual event was hosted by East Los Angeles College’s Museum Studies Certificate Program at the Vincent Price Art Museum. When wondering at which point success is reached, Tumalad described a “colonized mindset” that she had to break out of in order to thrive. At the time, she thought that success in the field was determined by moving to New York City and working at the Museum of Modern Art or The Met. “So that’s what I did,” Tumalad said. “Success to me, in my earlier career, really was tied to title. To institution. To things that were characteristics or values that were associated to my work life and my work identity,” Tumalad said. Balancing work and personal life is something that Tumalad says is important. She describes the impulse to say “yes” to everything as being a good worker and teamplayer, something she attributes to her being a first-generation immigrant. Tumalad admits that she’s still learning to actively say “no” to certain projects. “As a woman, particularly a woman of color, you’re socialized to say ‘yes’ to everything and just support, be quiet and not take space,” Tumalad said. “I’ve been actively trying to say no and to prioritize breaks.” Tumalad struggled to afford a four-year college, working other jobs to pay for her education. At the time, she was offered to be a contractor. She was not offered an
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FIRST GEN—VPAM interim education program coordinator Natalie Sanchez welcomes independent curator and program specialist Jennelyn Tumalad to the latest virtual meetup to discuss lessons learned as a first generation BIPOC museum professional. actual position with benefits, often being told that she wouldn’t like working at the institution. “There really is an extra pressure in which you are feeling pressured to achieve that American dream, to prove that your sacrifices and your family’s sacrifices are worth it,” Tumalad said. The legacies of museums, Tumalad said, are rooted in Colonialism that continues today by often featuring work by BIPOC artists. All the while, BIPOC are rarely hired as staff. If they are hired, Tumalad said, they’re often tokenized or featured for optics. Though many of the systemic barriers seem impossible to change, Tumalad said, it’s important not to get discouraged because the unique aspects of the work make the field worth improving. She said it’s best to be strategic, when given the
opportunity, and to think of yourself as your “own org” by making sure your future jobs align with your own personal values. Tumalad said that do-it-yourself work is important to include on resumes, and in her experience, some of her biggest successes. Focusing on passion-projects, Tumalad said, is a good way to create new opportunities for yourself — just be mindful of the “red flags.” High staff turnover and no salary amount posted are a couple of the “red flags” Tumalad said to look out for when applying or taking on a new collaboration. The next Museum Studies Certificate Program meetup takes place virtually on April 21 and will be a conversation about community museums. To register, visit bit.ly/ museummeetup6 www.ELACCampusNews.com
Sports Huskies softball win back-to-back home 6
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2022
BY LUIS DIAZ Staff Writer The Huskies softball team won against Pasadena City 3-1. This is the second win for the Huskies, coming off a 15-1 win against Santa Monica. The Huskies defense really stepped up and was a key factor to winning the game. Overall the team came together and were doing incredible plays leaving Pasadena scoreless until the 6th inning. In the first inning both teams were scoreless. Each team really came out during the inning to demonstrate what they were capable of doing. The Huskies weren’t letting Pasadena City score points during this inning.
A out resulted in a heated arguement between Pasadena Head Coach Monica Tantlinger and the umpire.
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RUN IN—Nathalie Cordova runs into home to give the Huskies the lead. The Huskies’ pitcher Lauren Tate was striking out Pasadena City players quickly. On offense, The Huskies were warming up for what was to come in later innings. A lot of good swings to the right side resulted in single bases and the hitters were cooking something. There was a potential
to score early for the Huskies. The Huskies kept dominating in the second inning, still keeping the intensity on defense. Pasadena City struggled to get a hit to get a player to the plate. Lauren Tate, the pitcher for the Huskies was pitching a great inning. She did not allow any hits and struck out Pasadena’s players quickly.
The offense kept taking advantage of every pitch thrown at them, resulting in hits to the left and right fields. Everything changed in the third inning. Huskies Outfielder Nathalie Cordova sent it to left field, resulting in a 1-0. The Huskies got the momentum going in their favor and right
after that score, the Huskies got another hit extending their lead to 2-0. This came as a complete shock for Pasadena City. They continued to struggle to get a hit and were searching for an answer for this Husky team. In the fourth inning, the Husky defense would not ease off the pedal, even though they had a
decent lead. The Huskies had two quick outs and frustration was seen on Pasadena’s head coach. The Pasadena team wasn’t answering with hits or able to slow down the Huskies’offense. Lauren Tate had 3 balls and 2 strikes after 4 innings. Huskies Head Coach Blanco had a group talk and the team
then got the strikeout for third out. Huskies were up next on offense. In the fifth inning, Pasadena started getting hits which resulted in singles and doubles but no score. In a play for Pasadena, the batter hit to the middle center and the Huskies got her out on first base. A out resulted in a heated argument between Pasadena Head Coach Monica Tantlinger and the umpire. It was over a call that she thought was wrong. In the sixth inning, Pasadena finally scored a run and Pasadena still had hope to take the lead or tie. Pasadena had two players on base. Lauren Tate, pitcher for the Huskies, for the first time this game let two players from the other team get to bases. Coach Blanco had a talk with her based on her performance. She continued to struggle that inning. Luckily the offense came in clutch to extend the lead to 3-1. Finishing out the game in the 7th inning, the defense for the Huskies came on to the field wanting a 3 and out, and they got exactly that. The Huskies extend Pasdena’s record to 5-17, handing them their third straight loss. The Huskies get their second win coming off a four game losing streak. It was a huge win for them against Pasadena. The Huskies record is now 8-12.
Huskies softball wins with huge comeback BY LUIS DIAZ Staff Writer
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ELAC baseball loses on a walk-off home run BY NICK TERCERO Staff Writer The Huskies baseball team lost against Pasadena City College, with final score 2-1. This is the Huskies seventh loss on the road in the season. This is the second loss in the last nine games for the Huskies. There were many errors throughout the game from both teams. Luckily the errors made by the Huskies didn’t result in any runs scored for Pasadena. It was a slow start to the game for both teams. Throughout the first five innings it was a scoreless game. Top of the sixth inning came on, with Jason Vela at third base. Infielder Ruben Hernandez hit a ground ball to left field, Pasadena third baseman Toshiki Kuriya struggled to get a hold of the baseball, resulting in an error. Jason Vela scored the first run of the game The Huskies had a 1-0 lead. Pasadena wasted no time in responding to East Los Angeles. Bottom of the sixth with runners at first and third, Pasadena second www.ELACCampusNews.com
baseman Andrew Scanell hit a sacrifice fly across center field to score outfielder Kenny Kim and tie the game for Pasadena at 1-1. This earned Scanell an RBI. The seventh inning was scoreless for both teams, but there was no shortage of action. Top of the 7th Eduardo Sanchez was up to bat. He hit a ground ball to right field and Pasadena’s first baseman attempted to catch the ball sliding and reaching for it. He wasn't successful, which led Eduardo being safe at first. While infielder Richard Ponce was at bat, Eduardo tried to steal first base for second base, but was caught trying to go back to first. The Umpire rulds him out after the slide. Richard Ponce was able to hit a double after. The Huskies weren’t able to capitalize on the double by Ponce, finishing the inning with no runs. Bottom of the 7th inning, ELAC substituted starting pitcher Francisco Dominguez for pitcher David Morales. Dominguez finished the game with one earned run, one base on ball, two strikeouts and gave up
five hits, only allowing one run in six innings. Top of the eighth inning, Pasadena City College substituted pitcher Coleman Mitchell for Nicolas Day and Catcher Brennan Beckley for Matt Rice. Coleman kept East Los Angeles scoreless in the eighth, recording zero hits and zero runs. It was a quick eighth inning for ELACs outfield. David Morales walked Kenny Kim after not being able to strike him out. Kim reached first. Pasadena’s Jake Trabbie was up to bat next. He hit a ground ball to right field. First baseman Jayden Solorio scooped the ball up and completed a double play to shortstop Richard Ponce. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, David Morales struck out Jakob Guardado after a wild swing getting a third out. Morales didn’t allow any hits in the eighth inning. In the ninth and final inning of the game, ELAC was not able to get a hit or run. Jayden Solorio was first to bat. He
hit a ground ball to second base that led to an out at first base. Antonio Gomez then hit a lined out to center field and Juan Guardado hit a lined out to right field. What followed were three outs against the Huskies. Bottom of the 9th inning, David Morales struck out Andrew Scanell for the first out. Then Pasadena’s Toshiki Kuriya hit a ground ball to second base which lead to the second out. With three outs David Morales needed one more strike to strike out Matt Rice and send the game to extra innings. Morales was unable to strike out Rice. He hit a walk-off home run to win the game for Pasadena City College 2-1. The Huskies finished the game with seven hits, six batters left on base and one run. This loss puts East Los Angeles College at 12 wins and 11 losses in the season and 8 wins and 4 losses in their conference, with a .667 win percentage. The Huskies will host Compton Tomorrow. Game starts at 2:30 p.m.
A comeback for the Huskies softball team. The Huskies kept fighting to the end against Ventura, who was coming off a six-game winning streak. The Huskies fought and never lost hope. The team as a whole needed to play almost without errors to take the win, and they did. Ventura was dominant until the third inning. In the first inning, the Huskies’ defense was struggling to get outs, Ventura scored twice. The score was 2-0. On offense, the Huskies were fighting back and scored to make it 2-1. The game was tight in the first inning, both teams trying to see each other's potential. The second inning started off rough for The Huskies. On defense, they struggled to get outs and Lauren Tate, the pitcher for the Huskies, had the most hits from her pitches in that inning, with 5 runs, making it 6-1 for Ventura. Not much happened on offense for the Huskies. They were trying everything to score points on the board but the momentum was on Ventura’s side. The third inning was the moment the Huskies started dominating the rest of the game. The defense for the Huskies received one major change to stop Ventura from getting more runs. Lauren Tate was relieved from pitching and was replaced by Chasity Martinez, who quickly showed Ventura that it wasn’t going to be easy for them. A quick three and out for Ventura and the Huskies gained their confidence on offense. The Huskies scored four times and it was an incredible momentum swing gained from the Huskies, leaving Ventura in awe. The third was the best inning from the Huskies. The women were fired up and ready for the next inning. In the fourth inning, the Huskies finally were able to tie the game. The defense was able to keep Ventura from scoring. With Chasity Martinez on the mound, the pitcher was giving
Ventura a tough time to hit any ball coming their way. The Huskies on offense kept the same intensity and momentum. The team kept hitting balls but nothing resulted in a point. The tide had turned on Ventura and the Huskies were coming hard and fast. The fifth inning started with Ventura still not finding a way to score and continued to struggle and were getting singles but resulted in outs. The defense put their feet deep in the ground and were doing everything possible to not let Ventura gain the lead. The Huskies offense was nothing but special. They scored again making the score 7-6. The Huskies didn’t just stop there. They scored twice in this inning giving them more space to breathe. The Huskies were up 8-6 heading into the sixth inning. During the sixth inning, the score was still the same and nothing changed for the Huskies. Defense was key in this inning because Ventura came out fighting hard but didn’t get the results they were looking for and the head coach for Ventura was furious as if they had lost hope in being able to take the victory. The Huskies were able to take advantage of their state and just hold their ground and secure the win. Both teams had zero points and it was a battle defensively for the two teams heading into the last inning. In the seventh inning, the Huskies on defense lost a player for making a fantastic play that resulted in an out for Ventura. Lily Stell, the infielder out of Burbank High threw herself to catch a ball when she landed on her arm with her whole weight on top. She remained in the game until it ended but the injury seemed pretty bad. Ventura was still alive in this game when a home run from Isabel Gallegos kept the team alive making it 8-7. The Huskies came on offense and just took it slow and secured the victory making it their third win in a row going strong to face Fullerton at 4 p.m.