Volume 78, Issue 18 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, April 13, 2022 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
PHOTO PROVIDED BY EVELYN MARTINEZ
CN/ANNETTE QUIJADA
Honor Student Cynthia Solis
Honor Student Evelyn Martinez
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOCELYN HERNANDEZ
Honor Student Jocelyn Hernandez
Honor students participate in academic research council BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College students, Evelyn Martinez, Jocelyn Hernandez and Cynthia Solis applied to the 21st Annual Honors Transfer Council of California Research Conference and they all got in. HTCC allows California Community College honor students to participate in academic research and encourages them to present their work at research conferences. Martinez, Hernandez and Solis first began their research as an assignment based on Chicanos in contemporary society. Each student did seperate research on different subjects. Martinez’s research presentation, “Undocumented Shouldn’t Mean Uneducated: Breaking Barriers by Improving Resource Centers,” focuses on the improvements of
Los Angeles Community College Districts Dream Resource Centers. Martinez is an undocumented student who from personal experience, has found that community college DRCs could use improvements. “One of the main findings I had was that the center needs more advocating and students need more knowledge of the services,” Martinez said. Martinez used a survey that was sent to representatives of each of the DRCs in the nine LACCD colleges. “Based on the information I received…there are budget issues and not enough money being invested into the centers, as well as the lack of staff,” Martinez said. Hernandez’s presentation, “From ELAC to UCLA: Testimonios (Testimonies) From Latina Transfer Students,” investigates the transfer pipeline for ELAC students that seek to transfer or have transferred
to the University of California Los Angeles. She specifically looks at Latina community college transfer students. “My central argument is that the community college system is the primary point of entry to a university and obtaining a degree for Latinos. Yet not enough are transferring,” Hernandez said. Hernandez said she was only able to find statistical data on the amount of Latinas who transfer to four-year universities , she was not able to find the reason. “I collected my data through testimonials. I interviewed Latina students who attend ELAC to add context to the statistics and found that there’s a disconnect. A lot of Latina transfers don’t believe they can transfer to institutions like UCLA. These Latina students don’t think that transfer is possible, their main goal is getting their AA
degree and therefore don’t look into transfering,” Hernandez said. She said the community college system is worth adjusting to meet the needs of transfering students. She said her own experience and lack of support in terms of transferring influenced her work. Hernandez currently works as a tutor at ELAC. Her job allows her to meet students at a personal level and meet their personal goals. She said a lot of the students she works with want to transfer, but they have a lack of confidence. Solis’s research presentation is titled, “Moving Away from Machismo: Bad Bunny Skillfully Battles Toxic Masculinity in Society through his Music.” Her research argues that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known as performer Bad Bunny is currently the only Reggaeton artist to fight toxic masculinity. She focuses on Reggaeton music and the continuous
pattern artists have used targeting women. “Bad Bunny encourages women to take a stand, telling the male population to stop being machistas. As a Latina I grew up listening to Reggaeton and being a feminist I noticed the constant targetting of women,” Solis said. Solis said Bad Bunny is taking steps against toxic masculinity in the way he dresses as well as with his song, “Yo Perreo Sola.” Martinez and Hernandez both had the same mentor. Nadine Bermudez is a professor in the Chicano Studies Department. Both agree Bermudez had a big part in giving them the confidence they needed to submit their work for the conference. Solis’s mentor is Nadia Swerdlow. Solis said Swerdlow helped her edit and compose her presentation. Her guidance allowed for Solis to ready her research for presentation. Out of over 700 Honor students
enrolled only Hernandez, Martinez and Solis had the confidence and time to apply to the conference. “Hopefully this year or next, other ELAC honor students have the courage to submit their own works. I’m excited to let other ELAC students know it’s possible and we can take up space, Hernandez said. “As a transfer student it’s nice to know that I will leave ELAC and my name will still be somewhere,” Martinez said. Solis said, “I would tell students that they’re a lot more capable. Don’t be scared to submit their [ELAC students] paper especially on interesting topics with little background information to pave new ways for future generations.” The conference is hosted by University of California, Irvine and occurs annually in the spring. All three honorees are waiting for their university transfer acceptances.
News Briefs
Political Science professors tackle voting rights
MESA
BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer Ken Chaiprasert spoke on voting rights and voter suppression. Chaiprasert went over important voter suppression cases like Crawford V. Marion County and the impact they had on the community. Through coded language states have been able to get away with voter suppression when it comes to low-income and minority communities. Voter suppression is the political act where politicians are create laws that undermine our democracy and our right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a pivotal piece of legislation that finally made the federal government live up to the promise made in the 15th amendment. “After the civil war, this country passed the 15th amendment to give everybody the right to be able to vote in democracy regardless of their race but Washington D.C. never lived up to that promise or tried to enforce it until 1965 with the VRA,” Chaiprasert said. This act was the pivotal moment when congress and the U.S. president did something about it. “Voter fraud is an excuse to disenfranchise people of color the right to vote,” Chaiprasert said. In 2008, Crawford V. Marion County, due to Crawford the state of Indiana decided to have voter ID laws in order to vote. Even if citizens were able to vote they were now required to show current, valid and unexpired photo ID. The Supreme Court ruled that getting a valid ID is not a big enough burden and supported the states decision because this was Indiana’s way of fighting voter fraud. Matt Barreto and his political science colleagues Stephen Nuno and Gabriel Sanchez made an overall study of what the new ID law did to people in Indiana. Based on the statistical analysis they argued against the Supreme Court by showing real data that people of color, people that are
poor and democrats are negatively affected by these voter ID laws. In 2013, Shelby County v. Eric Holder was a Supreme Court case in which they argued that there is no more voter disparity in terms of race to justify having preclearance anymore. The impact of Shelby County v. Holder led to a decline in voter turnout among minority populations. The case also led to a decline in voter turnout in Democratic primary elections and an increase in voter roll purges. There were also decreases in members of Congress who support civil rights and an increase in Republican support for more restrictive voting laws. “As of 2022, there are over 250 bills with voting restrictions being offered around the country compared to 75 bills a year ago,” Brennan Center, a non profit organization, said. “There are at least 51 million, roughly 25% of votingage Americans, that are not registered and cannot vote. A disproportionate share are people of color,” Political Science Professor Kelly Velasquez said. As of the 2010 census data, about 37% of eligible Blacks and 48% of eligible Hispanics are not registered to vote. “By not being able to register people to vote they are preventing a large number of people from entering the voting population,” Velasquez said. Gerrymandering is a longstanding tradition in which district lines are drawn to give a political advantage to a party. One of the consequences of gerrymandering can be seen in North Carolina. In 2010, there were 2.7 million Democratic and almost 2 million Republican voters. In 2020 there were only 2.5 million Democratic voters and 2.1 million Republican voters. “In a Democracy voters choose their leaders but through the use of gerrymandering, these so-called leaders choose their voters,” Professor Rogelio Garcia said.
The Seminar “Selecting a STEM Transfer School” is on Thursday at 4 p.m. using the Zoom ID: 982 4055 3646
LGBTQ+ Center
QUESTION AND ANSWERING— From left Jocelyn Duarte, Roberto Román, Ricardo Zuniga, Carlos Antonio H. Vaqerano tune into concerns of the Latin/Hispanic community by providing constructive feedback.
Professor Felipe Agredano, and Ramon Arturo Perez, writer for the Selena Netflix Series, are hosting a hybrid event on April 19 at 7 p.m. on campus in Room E3-517 and online at Zoom ID: 989 518 2262
Town Hall meeting prepares for ninth Summit of the Americas BY BREANNA FIERRO Staff Writer East Los Angeles College Town Hall meeting was in conversation with Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Ricardo Zuniga and the scattered communities of Los Angeles in preparation for the Summit of the Americas on March 29. The United States State Department is engaging various Latin American communities to hear their first-hand ideas in a more equitable future for the region. Understanding dynamic climatedriven risks in the Americas is fundamental when informing the communities about the potential risks and/or positive outcomes. Climate change is already affecting the region in different ways. South America faces socioeconomic vulnerabilities due to dramatic climate change. These changes include but not limited to, physical changes like landslides and coastlines experiencing rising sea-levels, food scarcity, water shortages, the rapid spread of epidemics, specifically vector borne diseases and gang violence. Zuniga’s main goal at the meeting was to listen to Latin
communities, what they think is important and what the government should be doing to work with other governments in the regions of the Americas. Focusing on improving the use of the data collected in the census to better help migrants in the United States. This would, in turn, also allow for an extension of this help in the countires where both census data is shared and where migrants come from. With ELAC being home to the largest student body of Central American students, the main goal is to build an unbiased and sustainable future for our hemisphere. Zuniga said Los Angeles has a long history of immigration and that like every other community it was under pressure. “Recognizing the particular events of the pandemic, communities everywhere are in severe strain,” said Zuniga. He believes that listening to other communities, especially those in dire condition post COVID, is important. Working with other governments in the region of the Americas to improve our census by enforcing these requests is at the heart of what he is trying to accomplish. Los Angeles is at the highest recorded numbers of immigration in the United States. This level of immigration and movement has
affected both the United States and Venezuela. President Joe Biden has a vision for the Southern Americas, through the Summit of Americas. It is the highest priority to have sustainable and equitable development in throughout the Americas. This would mean it would reach both people with resources and those who have been denied resources. The Americas have been facing not only lack of resources due to climate change, but a total displacement of any resources they get. Migrants in South America still face challenges. One of the main concerns among the communities of Los Angeles is how the United States State department will cooperate to curb migration and collaborate to create opportunities for migrants while respecting international asylum laws. The focus of the administration, at the outset, is not to stop migration. Zuniga said migration is a natural pattern that has existed across human history especially the americas and the united states. What countries, even those like the United States, can manage is the severe irregularity of people who are traveling into the country currently. Zuniga said there are around 5,000
to 7,000 people per day arriving at the Southwest border, which is only counting those entering the United States Zuniga said. However, when understanding and attempting to make resources sustainable, the United States department also needs to address the why there is a lack of resources. “How is it going to affect communities as they essentially try to do what they can to overcome the challenge of climate change,” Zuniga said. To hear and understand the community is what is of utmost importance to the United States State Department right now. Zuniga said it is possible for the community to impact U.S policy. This would mean that communities would have to speak on the regions they feel strongly about when it comes to migration. Creating a lasting impact would mean that focusing on any region would improve the use of networking, organizations, family connection, talking to the U.S. Department and also reaching out to congressional representatives. The ninth Summit of Americas will be from June 6 to 10 in Los Angeles. Los Angeles is also the home to one of the larget Hispanic and Latino Communities in the United States.
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NEWS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
ELAC highlights advocacy for Women’s History Month BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer Activists Loretta Ross and Deja Foxx fight for women’s rights one intergenerational conversation at a time, mainly advocating for control over their own bodies and the lack of representation women have within politics. The event, “The Future of Reproductive Rights: An Intergenerational Conversation,” by guest speakers Ross and Foxx, was made available by East Los Angeles College virtually last week. Event host, political science and women and gender studies instructor Natalia Montero said Texas bill SB8 was one of the most recent attacks on women’s abortion rights. SB8 allows any citizen to sue anyone who has had an abortion, or anyone who performs an abortion after cardiac activity has been detected in a fetus. Cardiac activity is typically detectable after six weeks, but Montero said some women do not find out they are pregnant until after six weeks. “Many of us, including me, usually don’t realize we are pregnant until after six weeks. I didn’t realize I was pregnant until eight weeks,” Montero said. In regards to SB8, Ross, 68, said, “They don’t care. I’m from Texas. I had my pregnancy in Texas, so it is particularly painful [for] me to see my home state continuing
to exhibit such naked hostility to women [and] to immigrants. It is all-around the pursuit of a form of white-male Christianity that serves nobody except the people who have those identity markers.” Ross said it is important to be up-to-date with what is happening in the courts and in the legislature. She said that as a Black woman, she knows she represents other vulnerable and marginalized women and it is essential to fight the lawmakers who continue to tell women what to do with their bodies. “We have to have a simultaneous strategy of centering the most vulnerable people in our land and doing whatever is necessary to make sure that women and other pregnant people do not die,” Ross said. Foxx, 21, spoke on behalf of younger generations and said social media could be a strong tool for the youth. “One thing I’ll say is, if you are someone who is proficient in creating content, create content around the things that are happening in your personal life, or happening in the news, or happening in the courts,” Foxx said. Foxx said those youth who wish to create change can lobby their congress people, go to town halls, make videos, or simply share what they know with their friends and family. She said they can also keep a lookout for organized events. “One of the ways I got involved was really just paying attention
to the flyers and Facebook events happening around me,” Foxx said. Ross, who became pregnant at 14 as a result of incest, knows injustice all too well. She chose to raise her child rather than have an abortion. Because of this, she was forced to co-parent with her perpetrator. Having a child at such a young age, along with having strongwilled parents who taught her to fight for her rights, served as Ross’s propeller into a life of activism. Ross is currently a professor at
Smith College in Northampton, Mass., is the founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Education, is an award-winning nationally-recognized speaker on race and is the author of “Calling in the Calling Out Culture.” Foxx began walking down the path of activism in her teens. She said she felt her sexeducation class in her hometown in Arizona, was outdated, and had last been updated in the ‘80s. “I was a teenager who received bad sex-ed in Arizona and
advocated for change alongside my peers. As a teenager who received birth control through Title-10 funding in Arizona, [I] lobbied my senators and congressional people to keep that access.” Since then, Foxx has worked with Vice President Kamala Harris as the influencer and surrogate strategist, is the founder of “GenZ Girl Gang,” is a content creator and has become one of Planned Parenthood’s newest faces.
MANAGING EDITORS Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina ONLINE EDITOR Raymond Nava FRONT EDITORS Teresa Acosta OPINION EDITORS Luis Diaz Eduardo Sanchez NEWS EDITOR Breanna Fierro FEATURE EDITOR Alma Lizarraga ARTS EDITOR Gabriela Gutierrez
SHARING STORIES OF INJUSTICE—Speaking on behalf of younger generations, are Deja Foxx (top left), Loretta Ross (top right), and Natalia Montero.
‘Husky Connect’ informs ELAC students about hiring events DANIELLA MOLINA Staff Writer
INTERNSHIPS MATTER—Angela Gomez, shares her internship experience and informs students of both green and red flags to look out for.
ELAC holds virtual workshop for students seeking internships BY LEONARDO CERVANTEZ Staff Writer Angela Gomez held a virtual workshop on the importance of internships and some of the ways to not get taken advantage of. Internships are important for a student’s resume and are a great way to gain experience, especially in subjects students are majoring in. Internships are a great avenue among students that are undecided on their future and for those that easily change their mind. Most of the time, experiences at an internship can validate their major and help them realize it’s something they love to do and continue pursuing it. Internships can also help validate that their may need to choose another major because long-term, they see that it won’t be something they will enjoy doing for the rest of their life. It’s a good way to get a feel for what students are looking for and whether or not they will actually enjoy it or not. “An Internship is a professional learning experience that offers meaningful, practical work related to a student’s field of study or career interest,” Gomez said.
Internships can help students develop and achieve learning goals. Students also learn hard skills and qualifications they will end up needing at future jobs. “Sometimes students can get taken advantage of at internships so it’s important for internships to provide a clear job description for your work experience,” Gomez said. “You should always get paid for an internship, an unpaid internship is never worth it,” Gomez said. A red flag at an internship is the students who lack one-onone mentorship or meetings with superiors. If students are not meeting with a mentor weekly or bi-weekly, they are not getting the mentorship and professional development that should be received. “An internship is kind of like a trial run for students and employers so they can see what you bring to the team, and so you can see if the position is right for you,” Gomez said. An internship gives a student the opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills. Internships are important since they provide an opportunity to fill experience gaps and gain new professional skills.
CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Annette Quijada Brenda De La Cruz
If students don’t have any job experience, an internship is a great way to start because they are made for people who don’t yet have experience in the field. Internships are a supervised structured learning experience in a professional setting. Putting that on a resume shows that person gained valuable work experience in their chosen field of study. “Internships integrate what you’ve learned in the classroom into the real world professional environment,” Gomez said. They also introduce students to workplace situations not typically found in classroom experiences. To find an internship, students must submit their resume and application and schedule and attend an interview. If students are accepted to their internship, they will typically receive a formal offer letter with internship details. Indeed.com provides listings of internships and jobs in a particular location. The ELAC career & Job Services center is an on-campus resource that provides one-one-one resume building assistance and internship database.
Student Employment Services at East Los Angeles College assists with connecting students with potential employers. SES is another channel of resources available to all students and members of the ELAC community that are seeking guidance and information for employment. SES has monthly workshops such as the “Huskie Connect’’ where students can attend meet-and-greets with companies and businesses who are hiring. The hiring events are held via Zoom or in person, when COVID restrictions allow. In March, the Huskie ConnectSocial and Behavioral Sciences linked up with the 360 Behavioral Health organization. Navigation peers from ELAC’s student employment services and Behavioral Specialist from 360 Behavioral Health were in attendance to assist with questions and to provide information about their current open positions. 360 Behavioral Health was established in 2018 and provides care to individuals impacted by autism and other developmental disabilities that interfere with daily living. Their services include Adaptive & Functional living, which addresses specific needs of individuals with disabilities to help adapt and perform living skills effectively in their natural environments. In-home and clinical setting treatment options are also available. A center based, behavioral health treatment uses scientifically based techniques that help therapists and caretakers understand the changing behavior of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental challenges or delays. The March 22, hiring event had two sessions, one hour each of meet and greet time. Behavior technicians went over details of open positions, such as Behavior Interventionist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Clinical Supervisor, and positions in administration.
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360 Staff member Dafne Perdomo, spoke on recommendations about the hiring process and employee benefits that included, competitive compensation, flexible scheduling of part-and full-time positions, medical and dental benefits, mileage reimbursement, and a 401k program. One of highlights covered in the session was the additional benefits of clinical skills training and professional development training at no cost to the new hire. “A wonderful thing that we do is we cover the BCBA certification exam cost” said behavioral technician Claudia Flores. The Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam costs $300 per attempt. In which case, 360 Behavior Health will cover the cost of the exam up to three attempts. A new hire could be certified within 90-100 days (about 3 and a half mo\nths) once training begins. There are a wide range of opportunities for new hires. Depending on the need, treatment and assistance can be in the client’s home, in a designated center, or a school-based setting. Additional services are Analysis Behavioral Therapy, Evaluation & Diagnostics, Infant Development & Early Intervention, Mental Health Services, Parent Training, Speech Therapy, Telehealth Services and Traditional In-Home Respite. “ We h a v e e m p l o y e e s t h a t are CNA’s, students, and other professionals. And this works. They work for us part time,” said Flores. Referring to the flexibility of hours. Part-time positions are about 15-20 hours per week. There are also schedules for individuals available on weekday afternoons between 2-8 pm. Entry level positions pay rate is $17 - $19 per hour depending on education and experience. Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Anyone interested in applying can reach out to the office of Student Service at studentemployment@ elac.edu and refer to the 360 Behavioral Health job opportunities.
SPORTS EDITORS Miguel Dominguez Nick Tercero SOCIAL MEDIA Teresa Acosta COPY EDITORS Luis Castilla Juan Calvillo CARTOONIST Max Miranda STAFF WRITERS Jonathan Bermudez Leonardo Cervantez Beatriz Garay Adonia Burciaga ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVISERS Jean Stapleton
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Features/Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2022
Student continues education despite tragedy
die soon due to the damage done by her own body. Because of her mother’s ailment, The new “normal” for community Ballesteros was forced to take on college students is that many don’t the role her mother previously held leave campus with a degree within as the house’s caretaker, as well as the suggested two years. continuing to care for her mother Lilyanna Ballesteros proves that. with help from her older sister Rosa Bellasteros, 24, was set to graduate who is an ELAC alumna. in 2019 but continues to take classes “In the beginning, it was pretty due to a life-changing event. rough. The peace that I would get is After a car accident in May of when I would come home because 2019, Ballesteros’ mother suffered my sister and I would alternate so a stroke. my mom wouldn’t spend nights at A short time before the stroke, the hospital by herself. There would there were multiple family deaths always be someone there, so when that weighed heavily on Ballesteros’ I would go home, I would get a and her mother’s shoulders. breather. I would disconnect for a After one of those deaths, bit, and then next I said ‘Let’s get Ballesteros’ mother was diagnosed back into it,’” said Ballesteros. with high blood pressure. Because of the event, Ballesteros Continuing problems became is a returnee to ELAC. stress-inducing as Bellasteros’ She began enrolling in late-start mother was a full-time student classes in April and is now focused at ELAC and studied Child on graduating. Development to become a student She continues to take online aid for children classes to go with special into pre-med needs. to become These deaths a medical and the stress examiner, and that came she continues as a result to take care of contributed her mother. to the stroke Her mother Ballestoros’ also continues m o t h e r to take steps to experienced. recovery. “That day, I She does was finishing warmups to a photo final. gain strength My sister was back in her picking me and left side as my cousin up she continues from Fullerton. on the path in It wasn’t a becoming a serious car LILYANNA BALLESTEROS speech therapist. accident, but Ballesteros is more of a fenderonly one of thousands of students bender on the freeway. My parents at ELAC who were forced to take a picked us up and towed the car hiatus or stop going to school. back home. Like Ballesteros, there are an “We were all sitting down making large number of students who the insurance claim when my mom no longer take only two years to started experiencing the stroke graduate and transfer from the symptoms-the face drooping, the campus. word slurring, the weakness on one As of 2019, there were 31,156 side of the body. As soon as we saw undergraduate students. that, I called 911 and my dad started Due to certain circumstances packing her [Ballesteros’ mothers’] including the pandemic, personal stuff. At the hospital is when they family problems and bumps in the [the doctors] told us she had ganglia road, that number has dropped and bleed- a hemorrhagic stroke where continues to do so in 2021 and 2022. there was bleeding in the brain,” Collegefactual.com says that said Ballesteros. many of ELAC’s students get their After arriving at the hospital and Bachelor’s degree in six or more receiving her mother’s diagnosis, years. they were told she was expected to
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BY ZASHA HAYES Staff Writer
Music professor plays at Walt Disney Hall BY EDUARDO SANCHEZ Staff Writer A music professor at East Los Angeles College, Dr. Lucy Nargizyan, managed to find a balance in her passions in teaching and performing on stage. Having had a dream to play music, she performed all over the world and won several awards. Now, she is able to dedicate time to perform at famous venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and keep her career as a professor. From a young age Nargizyan showed an interest in music. At the age of five, she asked her parents for piano lessons as she would try to practice on her own. These lessons were something she wanted so greatly that her parents never had to push her to attend them. Born to a father who was a scientist, her parents saw her music lessons as purely educational. They never expected her to want to pursue it as a career. She always wanted to be in music, but her parents feared that the path of a musician was not easy. They had set expectations for her to grow up to become a doctor. During high school, Nargizyan spoke with them about her intentions regarding music and they eventually decided to support her passion. When she moved to the United
States from Russia with a music degree, people discouraged her from continuing with her dream. They would advise her to do something else other than music. Not only was she discouraged by others, but she came to the United States not knowing English. “I didn’t move to this country to change what I love and not to follow my dreams —which was to be in music. So I just thought, I’m just gonna try and do my best to make it in music,” she said. She enrolled in community college and was able to learn the English language. Her parents had then fallen into poor health and Nargizyan had to work to support them, all while still attending lectures. She decided to continue music and took out loans and scholarships to further her education. She managed to complete her degrees at the University of Southern California and graduated with a masters degree in music and doctorate in piano performance. “Education is the best investment you can get yourself,” she says. Without her degrees, she would be unable to pursue her other passion, teaching. Nargizyan also loved teaching from an early age. To her, it is a way of giving that can’t be given solely through performances. Helping students by not only teaching music, but in life is something very important to her. She understands the importance of mentors and hopes to inspire students by being one to them.
CN/EDUARDO SANCHEZ
PIANISSIMO—ELAC professor Lucy Nargizyan playing piano at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, March 22.
It was because of mentors such as her piano instructor who was like a grandmother to her, that she feels she was able to believe in herself. Nargizyan has managed to balance teaching and performing. Before the pandemic, she would have eight to 10 performances a year. Performing is important to her as it helps push her to grow. She finds that it has helped her teach better due to constantly working on herself. O n M a r c h 2 2 , N a rg i z y a n performed alongside members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic group, Mark Kashper, Tianyun Jia, Leticia Oak Strong and Barry Gold at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It was her fourth time being invited as a guest musician for the chamber concert series, but it was her first time being part of a quartet. After two years of only being able to perform through Zoom, she was grateful and happy to be back on stage with a live audience. The group performed Robert Schumann’s “Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44.” Despite loving this famous chamber music piece, she didn’t have a chance to perform it until now. The piece by Schumann was dedicated to his wife Ciara, who was a pianist. “This piece has moments of joy and even celebration and then moments of deep sorrow and sadness. it’s really a funeral march,” she said. According to Nargizyan, the final moment of the piece is full
of hope and is full of love which is something that is very needed during these pandemic times. “I was just so immersed in the music and with collaborating with those musicians so I kinda forgot about all the pressure. It didn’t matter anymore. Once you start doing music, you’re completely involved in it,” she said There was a lot of work that had to be done for the performance. The piece had to be learned and analyzed. There were four rehearsals in the span of a month as well as a dress rehearsal on stage before the actual performance. The group had to decide on an interpretation of the piece and figure out the dynamics and all of the nuances in their instruments to ensure they sounded as one. She advises students who would like to perform on stage to apply to ELAC’s Applied Music Program. It not only prepares music majors for transfers programs and schools but offers workshops where students are given the opportunity to practice on stage. She believes the best way to learn is by doing. Other than twice a week recital hall performances, she says there is also one-on-one assistance by the staff. Nargizyan currently has a band named the Elixir Piano Trio which includes her husband Samvel Chilingarian on violin and friend Fang Fang Xu on cello. The group has two upcoming performances in June.
Swim meet ends with personal wins for Huskies Huskies beat Pasadena City College BY JESSE HERNANDEZ Staff Writer CN/BRENDA DE LA CRUZ
BATTER UP—Huskies number #23 Isaiah Lopez Del Haro steps up to swing.
Husky baseball team loses against Mt. San Antonio Mounties BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer The Huskies baseball team was swept by Mt. San Antonio Mounties after losing their sixth consecutive game on Saturday. The final score was 8-6. The Huskies started off trailing by one run in the second inning, but quickly tied it with a double by infielder Juan Guardado, bringing in designated hitter Michael Easter, making it 1-1. The Mounties went on to score again in both the third and fourth innings, making the score 4-1. The Huskies managed to recover some runs by tying up the game with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. The crowd of supporters for the Huskies became bothered during the www.ELACCampusNews.com
top of the seventh when the umpires appeared to make a bad call on a centerfield catch by the Huskies. This held up the game for a few minutes. While the umpires debated on whether or not the catch would count, the restless crowd began yelling at the umpires, as did the Mt. San Antonio players and coaches, to make up their minds. When the catch was reversed, Huskie supporters grew angry and began arguing with the umpires. This reversed call allowed the Mounties three additional runs, making the score 7-4. Before this, Huskies starting pitcher Francisco Dominguez was on fire, striking out batters and battling it out with dominant pitches. The energy was soon sucked out
of the team and a pitching change was made bringing in right-hand pitcher Joseph Campos. During the eighth inning, the Huskies were able to score two runs, bringing their deficit down to just one run, 7-6. Unfortunately, this would not be enough and the final score would be 8-6. Despite this loss, the Huskies baseball team continues to battle in the South Coast Conference where it stands at third place. Pasadena City College and Mt. San Antonio share first place. The Huskies’ next game is tomorrow at noon against College of the Canyons. It will be held at Elks Field in Santa Maria as part of the AHC Spring Tournament.
The women’s swim team had their three-team dual meet against Cerritos College and Pasadena City College held at their very own pool on April 1. The swim meet went well for ELAC, which beat Pasadena. Huskies continue to improve with some beating their own personal records on some of their events. One of the biggest events in the meet was the women’s 1000-yard freestyle, where swimmer Jas Hernandez had a personal time of 13:26. Her old time was 13:34. The women’s 200-yard freestyle Husky Yuridia Vivas had a time of 3:09.75. She had never swam this event and had a time on record. T h e w o m e n ’s 1 0 0 - y a r d backstroke Rebecca Miramontes beat her personal record in this event with a time of 1:30.06. Her old time was 1:37.94. That is a huge seven seconds drop off. The 100-yard breaststroke had three Huskies that swam this event with one of them getting her personal record on file. Maggie Gutierrez got a time of 1:31.23 with her old time being a
1:35.07, a four-second drop off. The women’s 50-yard freestyle is a fan favorite event. It’s fast and a very intense event. The Huskies had three swimmers in this event as well, with one never having a time on this swim before and one getting a personal record. Swimmer Maggie Gutierrez, who didn’t have a time on record until y e s t e r d a y, s e t a solid time of 30.32. Swimmer Renee Chung set a personal record of 38.62 with her old time being 39.74. The women’s 200 yard medley relay had two Husky relay teams in the event both relay teams now having a time on record before swimming this event. The first team with the swimmers of Rebecca Miramontes, Virginia Zia, Jas Hernandez and Nathalie Martinez finished with a time of 2:23.37
The second team of Huskies with the swimmers of Alejandra RamosCastro, Ruby Gaeta, Yuridia Vivas and Renee Chung finished with the time of 3:13.28. A f t e r swimming this event for the first time, these two teams can improve the time going forward. Head coach Diana Romero said she is proud to see them swim hard every day and at the meets. For coach R o m e r o , i t ’s the first time in three years the team is back and she loves the everyday grind to be there for the athletes and make sure they’re trying every time they hit the pool deck and into the water.
Swim meet went well for ELAC, which beat Pasadena. The Huskies continue to improve, with some beating their own personal records.
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2022
Summer holds new internship opportunities for students BY ADONIA BURCIAGA Staff Writer Three major museum-related internships will be open to East Los Angeles College students this coming summer and ELAC librarian Natasha Alvarez can help create impactful resumes. Alvarez, ELAC’s Outreach and Instruction Librarian, shared that the Vincent Price Art Museum and the ELAC Library created this workshop to make sure that there are no barriers to gaining skills that could help students excel professionally. The paid internships that Alvarez focused on are full-time. The Washington D.C. Internship program is open to all ELAC students. The internship has a few prerequisites for applying students. Students should be able to enroll in an ELAC Art course, be able to work in the United States and travel domestically. Students will have to attend a week-long orientation, attend professional development events and participate in a final public orientation. T h e B r o a d ’s D i v e r s i t y Apprenticeship Program, has the following requirements. • Be 18 years or older. • Be able to work in the United States.
• Be vaccinated against COVID19. • Have a background check done. • Complete an interview. • Complete basic skills tests.
The Washington D.C. Internship program is open to all ELAC students... Students should be able to enroll in an ELAC Art course, be able to work in the United States and travel domestically. The DAP is a nine-month program of being taught how to pack, handle and install artwork and artifacts. The Los Angeles Public Library Diversity and Inclusion Apprenticeship requirements are to be an incoming high school senior or college freshman, sophomore or
junior. Additionally students must be18 years of age by June 6, live in Los Angeles County and submit an online application. DAIA is a summer-long mentoring program to introduce students to different aspects of library life in administration and user services. The Library of Congress Junior Fellows Programs requirements are to be enrolled in or recently enrolled, as college or graduate students. Students must be 18 years old by May 23 and must be United States Citizens. Students can submit an online application. The Library of Congress is a 10-week virtual program where students will work at the Library of Congress to explore catalogs and collections. Alvarez said there are three different kinds of resumes: a chronological resume, a functional resume and a combination resume. Alvarez said that resumes should be tailored to every job someone applies to. They should be concise, share paid work experience, unpaid work experience and community service. Alvarez also shared cover letter samples and recommended that students schedule a virtual meeting with an ELAC Career Counselor for further assistance with a resume and cover letter.
CN/ANNETTE QUIJADA
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES—The Vincent Price Art Museum and East Los Angeles College shared new, museum-related, internship opportunities for students.
Theater Department alumni share their career-related experiences BY LUIS DIAZ Staff Writer
CN/COURTESY OF IMDB
MOON KNIGHTS SPIRIT—Steven Grant, played by Oscar Isaac, is possessed by Moon Knight and finds himself in a dangerous predicament.
Marvel’s “Moon Knight” makes it to Disney+ identity and his inability to have a consistent sleep schedule. Staff Writer Displaying mental and sleep disorders Steven Grant, coming to Marvel's “Moon Knight” released last month is the latest Marvel series terms with his identity, looks to be on the streaming service Disney+. a driving point in the shows plot. He portrays an average everyday “Moon Knight” is a six episode individual, making it an interesting short series that is set to bring Moon Knight to the screen. New episodes choice for the action he faces will be released every Wednesday while being possessed by the spirit of Moon Knight, a spirit of a until May 4th. Although Disney+ has added superhuman force. Throughout the mature-rated content to its streaming first episode very few questions are service, “Moon Knight” is not answered. With Moon Knight being known suggested for children. The show a relatively new hero, the series depicts more gore in the first episode compared to other previously starts by immediately starting in a town where r e l e a s e d Arthur Harrow, Disney+ Marvel a cult leader, series. crushes a glass “ M o o n Knight” is rated He portrays an average cup then puts the shredded pieces TV-14 instead everyday individual, of glass onto his of TV-MA or R rating many making it an interesting sandals which he then takes a stroll fans were hoping choice for the action in before the for according to he faces while being opening credits various threads cut, leaving and IMDb. possessed by Moon audiences However, Knight, a spirit of hooked from the there are still start hopes for the superhuman force. What is known show to display a is Harrow, who is darker and more played by Ethan grim side. Other Hawke, is after Disney+ series a scarab that for have changed their show’s ratings some reason is in the possession as the shows progressed. Nonetheless the series is going of Grant. When they first encounter in a different direction as it’s the first Marvel show to come out in each other we see how Steven is phase four of the cinematic universe possessed by a mysterious force. without mentioning the avengers or He goes unconscious and when the any of the outcomes after Marvel’s danger seems to be over he reclaims consciousness. “Endgame.” In the trailer, Grant is engulfed Whether the show takes place before or after Thanos' snap is yet into the body of Moon Knight. This might possibly explain why to be known. Steven Grant is played by Oscar he is able to occasionally hear the Isaac. The character is a gift shop voice of possibly Marc Sceptor who employee is the main character in appears in Steven’s lucid dreams or at times where Steven is presented the story. He is seen struggling with his with very dangerous situations.
BY RICARDO MARTIR
www.ELACCampusNews.com
The Theater Department held an Alumni Panel event where former theater students shared their career paths and tips and tools to help new students transition from college to the workforce. The virtual panel, held on March 28, was hosted by Francois-Pierre Couture, the scenic, lighting and projection designer at East Los Angeles College. Alumni Manee, Stephaine, Cesar and Angeline said what their career paths were and how they got to where they are right now. Manee said he was interested in becoming a makeup artist but, when he tried to, he found that it really wasn’t for him. He said he became fascinated with creativity and how “you are allowed to explore all the worlds in theater, you can mess up, it's a learning experience.”
Manee’s tips and advice for grew up drawing. Cesar said that incoming freshman and students the person that inspired him to get who want to get into theater was into theater was Jim Carrey. Cesar inspirational and straightforward. developed a theater program at his “Prioritize your passion,” said high school. When Cesar started Manee. at ELAC, he took animation and Stephanie’s path was totally theater but, “Felt more complete different. Her after taking a job is working theater class” at the Los Cesar said. Angeles Opera. A lot of The virtual panel She attended students tend to provided opportunities h a v e p r e s s u r e ELAC with happiness and for newer students to while in college p o s i t i v i t y, whether you are get some real advice h a v i n g first generation or experience in and inspiration in the returning students. theater during “If you need to business of theater. her high school take time off it’s years really fine. No pressure,” helped her Cesar said. confidence. Students having During her career path at ELAC, doubt about what they want to do she discovered that “theater is so should “take different classes to see collaborative, it makes you do your what you want to do” Cesar said. job better,” Stephanie said. Angeline mentioned that it’s Cesar wanted to be an artist. He important to “build a portfolio” and
that “it’s a learning experience.” Her journey was rough, with many twists and turns. She faced it and it all led her to where she is right now. Angeline became an actor in high school and studied at ELAC for 11 years and studied acting for three years. The virtual panel provided opportunities for newer students to get some real advice and inspiration in the business of theater. The tools and tips that can help new students transition from a university to the workforce. Having these alumns talking about their journey can really help students see that the process is tough and that nothing is easy. “Fake it ‘til you make it,” said Manee. “Being the only Latino artist in the family, family will find ways to support you. If they don’t, find friends that will,” said Cesar.
Tony Hawk shares pro-skating life like never before BY TERESA ACOSTA Staff Writer The new documentary from HBO details the struggles Tony Hawk has endured both personally and professionally to become the most recognizable name in skateboarding. “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off” is overflowing with video footage and photography that spans from Hawk’s childhood to the beginning of his passion for skateboarding, to his current quest to continue sharing his talent with the world. In this film, Hawk shares both what motivates him and what faults he has. He talks about how isolating and unwelcoming the close-knit community of skateboarding was when he first started to break in. Through interviews of him, his fellow skaters, his siblings and close friends a full picture is given of what drives him to keep getting up over and over after every slam. He opens up about why he is the way that he is, in a reflective and honest way. The huge amount of footage from his early life in skate competitions, his traveling the country and world, and his family life is impressive. The eighties and nineties portion of his life was a very well documented time and it seemed like almost every story and anecdote given had a video clip or photograph
CN/COURTESY OF HBO
FREE BIRD—Tony Hawk flying above a mega ramp performing a 900. This two-and-a-half rotation skate trick is one of over 100 tricks invented by Hawk. to go with it. His success is portrayed as the perfect storm. Every aspect that he chose to focus on plays out like a chapter in his story of success. It starts with the thrill of success and then its eventual downturn. Hawk was able to prove his ingenuity and style by winning competition after competition, year after year. When it was time to move on, he helped create traveling shows
that brought the extreme sport to the masses. Later, he was approached by a video-game company that developed a lot of highly successful games that have been very lucrative for him. Hawk has many other projects he works on. His charity work has helped give the youth of the world access to skateboarding by creating over 600 skateparks. Skateboarding is described as
cyclical and has left many behind,. The highs are high and the lows are low. The sport was a singular-focus for Hawk. It was all he could think of when he first started and for years after, despite the success it has brought him, it has also brought him pain and destruction. Hawk has an obsession with skateboarding that may never let him go.