Volume 78, Issue 5 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, october 14, 2020 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Honored ELAC football coach dies BY ZASHA HAYES Staff Writer
Retired East Los Angeles College football coach Al Padilla was an exceptional man with a personality to match. The former ELAC coach died on Oct. 4 due to kidney problems. Padilla had been struggling with kidney problems for the past few years and spent the last days of his life in the hospital. He sadly died in his sleep at the age of 90. Padilla was a resident of Monterey Park when he started working at ELAC in 1970 at the age of 40. He was hired to be the head coach of the football team and retired in 1995 after 25 years of coaching. "He was one of my best coaches. He was my coach for the high school senior all-star game and at ELAC. He was always fair and in a good mood. He wasn't your typical coach," former football player and former Editor in Chief of ELAC Campus News Curtis Taylor said. Hrair Shekerjian, a long time friend of Padilla and former ELAC counselor and his family, described him as a friendly and outgoing person with anybody and because of that, people were drawn to him. Shekerjian said, “He was a very positive person. He liked hard work, and agreed with setting goals for oneself; he always thought that
COURTESY OF ELAC'S PRESIDENT OFFICE
CELEBRATING THE GREATS— Al Padilla smiles at an ELAC game that is in his honor, for his service as a coach and pillar of the community. athletics were good, but finishing your education was so much more important. Even so, he was well respected with both his high school team and college,” he said. Before ELAC, Padilla played football and baseball at Roosevelt
High School and eventually advanced to being a player at Los Angeles City College. After LACC, he transferred to Occidental College and gained the title of most inspirational player. Padilla became a member of Occidental College’s Football Hall
of Fame in 1972. Padilla graduated from Occidental with a bachelors in Physical Education and Kinesiology. Padilla began his coaching career at Black-Poxe Military School in 1953 and coached at Garfield High School preceding his career as a
college coach. He left the school "Most people think that it is the after winning the league in 1961 coach who is the key to the success with his high school players. of the team. But I can say from P a d i l l a b e l i e v e d t h a t t h e personal experience that a head community was everything. One of coach is only as good as the players the ways he showed this belief was he has in his squad and the ability when he co-founded the Booster of the coaching staff to teach these Club for the football team. players how to play. One person Parents were the main people cannot run the whole show," Padilla he encouraged to join, as a way said in an interview with Campus to interact with their children. News in 1975. However, Padilla welcomed anyone He stepped down from head who was willing to join the club coach in 1977 and gave the position with open arms. up, only to take on the position of A direct result assistant head of his leadership coach for the and coaching next few years. "But I can say that a skills were shown He was also head coach is only as the head coach when the ELAC’s football team won the ELAC good as the players he of the California baseball team Championship in has in his squad and the from 1982 to 1974. ability of the coaching 1984. Padilla was The Padilla staff to teach these soon after given family now the title of the of his players how to play.” consists 1974 California wife Dora, Community daughter Lisa AL PADILLA IN 1975 College Coach of Former Coach of ELAC football team and son Steve. the Year, and was Padilla's oldest named the coach son David died of the year in 1975. a year before him due to a stroke. During the football season of There will be no funeral service 1975, Padilla explained how a team due to the pandemic. works. The family will be having a He also revealed how much work private ceremony. not only he has to put in, but also However, they hope that after the those around him to keep a team pandemic passes they will be able united and together: much like a to host a memorial service. family.
Budget Cuts threaten student tutoring hours BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer
The Learning Center lost a grant that will start to affect staff by winter, which will result in fewer tutoring hours. It has already lost some CALWORKS tutors when migrating online. Math tutors were not cut, but now they are down eight tutors and have decided to reduce their hours. Some tutors graduated and their positions were not filled. It also gives students individualized attention that they don't get in classrooms. With a tutor, a student can slowly go step by step on any issue. It also helps keep students on track during vacation breaks. All of the East Los Angeles College learning labs are currently tutoring online due to the COVID-19 virus. It was a mandatory switch from on-campus tutoring to online for all tutoring services. All centers offer tutoring sessions and some centers are offering workshops, like writing strong topic sentences and APA format via Zoom. If any student is struggling in class and needs help, he or she can visit the ELAC tutoring website. Administrators are working within the budgets that they have to provide the best services available. Dean Gina Chelstrom said through AB705, ELAC has been given additional funds to support math and English this fall and spring, a total of $389,742. However, such funds are only guaranteed for one year. "The Learning Center will not be able to recieve an CareerTechnical Education (CTE) funding for accounting, business and law. This will affect tutoring
News Briefs
in those areas beginning winter make ends meet, so a budget session," she said. cut would hurt them financially. There are currently If 100 is cut, the Learning n o a d d i t i o n a l f u n d s t h a t Center could potentially cut administrators are aware of tutoring in chemistry, physics, at this time psychology and to further sociology. support the Cuts to the labs. Reading and So far there Writing Center have been no would not only “The program 100 cuts toward be detrimental Fund is the general for the English tutorings. “The centers epartment, fund for academics D have not been which has affected by and could be the most embedded tutors any budget affected, if there are for 60 classes, cuts in the but, it would any cuts.” Liberal Arts also affect and Sciences departments that Division,” assign written Chelstrom assignments; GINA CHELSTROM said. such as the social Dean of Learning Support Services There have sciences, history, been repeated p s y c h o l o g y, warnings to sociology or art be prepared history. for at least a 10% cut, due to the The Modern Languages current budget crisis. Department and the ESL Compared to last year, ELAC program would be affected if has been budgeted roughly the the language lab's budget was same amount of funds per lab reduced. through LAS. The entire Math Department “The program 100 Fund is the would be affected if the Math general fund for academics and Center's budget was reduced. could be the most affected if Whenever there is a general there are any cuts,” Chelstrom budget shortfall, student support said. services are highly vulnerable This would especially affect to cuts because student workers the Language Lab and the are the first ones who will be Learning Center. Cutting the laid off. support centers would have Vice President of Liberal Arts a significant negative impact and Sciences Ruben Arenas on ELAC students from all and Vice President of Student departments, so administrators Services Julie Benavides are trying to avoid it as much have been very hands-on and as possible. supportive during these difficult If there are any future cuts times since they both oversaw from and of the funding sources lab funding. it could potentially affect the Arenas, Benavides and the rest labs. of the directors are in a dilemma Budget cuts toward tutoring because they must make a tough will be detrimental to students decision on tutors. that are trying to succeed in their endeavors. Student workers depend on tutoring hours to
Drive-thru flu shot clinic
Flu shots are free regardless of health insurance or not. This event will take place in the parking structure P3 near Avenida Cesar Chavez on Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. However, pregnant women, children and high risk people are advised to stay away.
CN/ DANIELLA MOLINA
PRIDE IN SCHOOL— Members of the LBGTQIA+ speak about the new policy that is being passed by the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees.
New bill of rights redefines policies voted on and received a unanimous decision “yes” from all board Staff Writer members of the meeting," Kahla A virtual ceremonial signing said. of the LBGTQIA+ Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights will be occurred during the board meeting. implemented in the coming weeks The Los Angeles Community throughout the district. College Board of Trustees met to The LACCD and American discuss the new LBGTQIA+ bill of Federation of Teachers Local 1521 rights and commemorate educators Facility Guild members collaborated that passed away in recent weeks. to sign an agreement on Zoom. E L A C LACCD sociology Chancellor Professor Rin F r a n c i s o K a h l a w a s a "I haved lived my life as R o d r i q u e z guest speaker an out lesbian and as i n v i t e d on the topic. “I participants am a product somebody, as someone t o v i e w t h e of community who puts themself out virtually signed college. I started agreement there for other people w h i c h , w a s longer than, probably most displayed on a to come and feel of you. And I shared screen via supported.” have lived my zoom. life as an out “What this RIN KAHLA lesbian and as does is it ELAC Sociology professor somebody, as captures the someone who excellent work puts themself out there for other by our faculty colleges, our people to come and feel supported. district administration in reaching I am emotional because I never a tentative agreement for the thought I'd live to see this,” Kahla next three years as it relates to said. our bargaining agreement. Our "A long awaited accomplishment successor agreement with AFT for the district, faculty and students. 1521-A. We are very, very proud of with the new Bill of rights was this,” Rodriguez said.
BY DANIELLA MOLINA
Respiratory health: breathe easy
The Student Health Center is having a discussion on respiratory health on Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to noon. Link to participate https://bit.ly/EMPF2020
Election anxiety
These agreements define LACCD employee rights and student interest regulations in the Los Angeles Community College district. “I want to thank our partners who moved with us every step of the way to create this document that is our 15th bargaining agreement,” AFT President Joanne Waddell said. East Los Angeles College Interim President Alberto Roman thanked the negotiation team members of East Los Angeles College representatives. “It’s always been an honor and pleasure to work with our faculty. We have a very collaborative way of doing business. I actually think we had a really good outcome in this round of negotiations. Both for faculty as well as the district. But most importantly in the best interest of our students,” Roman said. LACCD President of the board Andrea Hoffman announced the names of fellow educators who died in the recent weeks. They had a moment of silence toward the end as a sign of respect to the deceased. Law Professor David Jordan from Mission College, Dr. Alma Salazar who served as the executive Vice President of UNITE LA and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The Student Health Center is teaching students how to cope with election anxiety on Oct. 19 from noon to 12:40 p.m. Link to participate https://bit.ly/EMPF2020
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
Abortion is not for a man BY MELVIN BUI Staff Writer
When Vice President Mike Pence was asked how he’d react if Roe Vs. Wade was overturned during the vice-presidential debate this past Wednesday. He avoided the question and said that he was “unapologetically pro-life.” If people really care about saving someone’s life, then they should support the pro-choice movement. Since it saves a person from a lifetime of troubles. People that don’t want children can torment and traumatize their babies making them grow up estranged. Not everyone has the time to have a child and put them up for adoption, so an abortion can save them from grief. Pence told Senator Kamala Harris to “stop playing politics with people’s lives” during the debate. This seems kind of ironic because his policies have incarcerated people and torn families apart. Abortions were illegal in the United States until the Roe v. Wade’s case took place in 1970 and was enacted in January of 1973. It was a historic case for women and gave them the right and privacy to have an abortion without any legal repercussions. B e f o r e R o e v. Wa d e , t h e Therapeutic Abortion Act helped revised abortion laws. It was introduced during the late 1960s and was enacted by three states: California, Colorado and North Carolina. The bill was introduced because state legislatures felt that only permitting abortions for life threatening situations was unconstitutional. Although it has been legal for almost half a century, there is still a strong opposition against abortion primarily because of religious beliefs. Making abortions illegal does not prevent people from aborting babies. People that are in dire
situations will find a way regardless, so making it illegal would not work and only make it more dangerous. The woman who has been nominated for Supreme Court Justice, Amy Coney Barrett is a conservative with strong religious views. The possibility of her overturning the historic Roe v. Wade is at large and leaves many Americans in peril. When Berate’s home state implemented bills that supported abortion, she sided with the opposing side. Men that support the pro-life movement are sexist and do not care about women’s rights. They are ignorant and want women to be submissive so that they can maintain the stigma against abortion. If men don’t want to have babies so bad, they could have vasectomies. There has been trigger-laws passed by conservative states that prevent people from having abortions. Trigger-laws are enacted by state legislatures to show their disapproval of the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution. Alabama signed the Human Life Act bill on May 15, 2019. It stated that women can not have an abortion under any circumstance, even when impregnated by rape or incest. Bills like this only benefit perpetrators and disregards victims of sexual assault. Other conservative states still oppose abortions, however, it is legal, but has more restrictions than other states. For instance, abortion is not allowed after a certain amount of weeks and can only happen at a hospital, not an abortion clinic. Pence’s nonchalant behavior shows how little he cares about abortions and how he wouldn’t mind making them illegal again. Men should not have a say in what women decide to do with their body. Men need to realize that if it’s not their body, it is none of their concern.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Juan Cavillo MANAGING EDITOR Luis Castilla FRONT EDITORS Melvin Bui Jonathan Bermudez CN/ZASHA HAYES
Prop 18 can supply democracy fresh voters BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer
Proposition 18 would allow 17-year-olds who turn 18 by election day to vote in the primary elections. Voters should vote yes as this would be good for democracy and give more people a choice. The politics of California also makes Prop 18 even more important. Allowing 17-year-olds to vote in the primaries would allow them to have a say in the election. Because of the political makeup and the electoral system in California, primaries can be tantamount to the general election. This is the case in races in districts that are safe for the party as well statewide. California’s electoral system is a top two primary. How this works is that all candidates, regardless of party, are listed on the ballot and voters can vote for whichever candidate they like. The two candidates who get the most votes, regardless of party and if one gets over 50% of the vote, move on to the general election. This can mean that the race for second place is even more important
than getting first, as the second place winner will head to the general. Races in the past show very close races for second, and perhaps if 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in the primaries, the outcome would have been different. In the 2018 election for California’s 48th congressional district, Democrat Harley Rouda won second place in the top two primary, defeating fellow democrat Hans Keirstead by 125 votes. Rouda went on to win the general election, defeating incumbent Republican Dana Rohrabacher by 8 points. The margin of victory in the general suggests that Keirstead also would have a good chance at winning, and if 17-year -olds were allowed to have voted in the primary, perhaps enough could have pushed Keirstead into second place over Rouda. This is an example of why 17-year-olds should be given the ability to shape the election they will officially be eligible to vote for. Otherwise they are stuck with the options they didn’t get to have a say in. Another contest where
17-year-olds would have great say in is the presidential primaries. California has a large amount of delegates in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. This can give candidates in the primaries many delegates. Since California has a heavy Democratic advantage, the primaries are where voters get to have their say in the presidential contest. This applies to both parties. There are some who oppose Prop 18, however. East Los Angeles College student Selena Ortiz said she opposes the proposition. She said she believes that “there should be no privilege in age, if they are not old enough there is no exception regardless if they ‘will be soon.’” She also said she wants people who were formerly incarcerated to get their voting rights restored instead of allowing 17-year-olds to vote. While some have their reasons for opposing Prop 18, in the end, voters should vote yes. Election day is on November 3, and mail-in ballots are already being sent out. Young people deserve to have their voice heard since they are also affected by politicians or ballot measures.
Americans need great debate for insight BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer
Presidential and Vice Presidential debates should continue because it gives the public more of an insight to how the candidates think. President Donald Trump announced over twitter that he had contracted the coronavirus. After the news of Trump getting COVID-19, Presidential Candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden received tests and the results came back negative. This caused the Commission on Presidential Debates to redefine how the debates should go forward, to avoid an outbreak at the debate. The CPD recommended that the debate be changed to a virtual meeting to avoid any contact with other people. Trump responded to these comments from the CPD by stating that he will not waste his time on a virtual debate in an interview with FOX. Biden and his team stated that they would be participating in the revamped version of the debate. This alone can show the public a little bit more about each candidate. Trump is refusing to adapt to the new circumstances and Biden is willing to adapt. Trump was hospitalized due to his diagnosis and factors contributing to the contraction of the virus. He is at a higher risk due to his age, 74, and his unhealthy eating habits. This also leaves Biden at risk because of his age as well, 77. There were two more presidential debates set for October 15 and 22. The debate set for October 15 was cancelled by the CPD on Friday. Regardless of the decision, by having these debates the public can listen to the ideas and attitudes of each candidate. “They provide the rare chance for supporters of one candidate to stick their heads out from their echochambers for once and actually hear words from the other candidate.” Political Science Professor Kenneth
Chaiprasert said. “That the fact that Trump refused to participate in the idea of a virtual debate, was disheartening because it would deprive the voters additional opportunities to view the candidates in a different light.” Chaiprasert said. In the first presidential debate Trump was asked if he would condemn white supremacists while speaking in the debate. He replied by saying that the Proud Boys should stand back and stand by. This shed light on his true ideas about equality in the United States. Biden spoke about the Affordable Care Act that Trump wants to take away from the U.S. According to Biden this would take health care away from millions of Americans. Biden wants to save the Affordable Care Act, while Trump wants to replace it with TrumpCare. Trump’s form of health care would cost more for low income communities. During this discussion in the
debate the moderator Chris Wallace, was trying to interject the argument between the candidates.This was a failed attempt because Trump continued to speak over Wallace to argue with Biden. Biden finally lost his composure and had to say “Would you shut up man?”This displayed two candidates that are unstable for the position of president. Trump rambles about nothing which was proven by a fact checking team at the New York Times and Biden cannot stay focused on a debate without responding with harsh words. The debates give an insight for the candidates themselves on what each other are thinking and doing in terms of processes. If the candidates hear each other’s ideas they may be able to replicate what they said or plan to do in their own way. If there is an idea that they like they can do the same thing by replicating it. Although, no
matter how disappointing the first presidential was it still gave insight to what the candidates have in mind. This gave a window for undecided voters to look through and hear the options out. They could have their opinions changed or maybe not at all. The debates also offer the candidates a chance to sway more voters to their side if they have an idea on how to initiate that process.“The debates provide candidates the opportunity to make an appeal to voters. Depending on their performance, they can gain momentum during the final stretch of their campaigns,” Political Science Professor Rogelio Garcia said. The debates act as free air time for the candidates. They get to have the screen for over an hour and get to talk about their plans or bash the other candidate. In the case of the first presidential debate it was more about interruption than talking points. The behavior of
CN/DANIELLA MOLINA
www.ELACCampusNews.com
each candidate can also be a major factor in voting. The way the first debate happened may have lost voters for either side based on childish reactions to one another’s sentences. “They provide everyone a glimpse of how candidates behave themselves while under the pressure of hard-hitting questions,” Chaiprasert said. The added bit of pressure from the questions being asked by the moderator can change the thought process of a candidate, especially if they know nothing about the question. Regardless if they know the question or not, they will answer to the best of their ability to stay away from harsh criticisms. The debates are a part of American tradition and should continue partially for that reason alone. The white supremacist groups that are said to be patriotic and all for the United States, should be upset about the cancellation of the second presidential debate. “I hope the president has a 180 degree, whiplash inducing sudden change and concludes the election according to our traditions,” Garcia said. The debates have been around since the debate in 1856 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln would follow Douglas on his campaign trail to give a speech after Douglas would. This is a tradition that should not be broken because of a president that refuses to change and adapt to the ways of the current times. It will deprive the public of something that could sway the election in a good or bad way depending on what side the voter is on. The debate with Trump will not be something worth noting due to his interruptions along with Biden’s, but it is still an outlook on what is debatably the right choice for the position.
OPINION EDITOR Daniella Molina NEWS EDITOR Jeremy Arias FEATURE EDITOR Erica Cortez ARTS EDITOR Cassidy Reyna SPORTS EDITOR Melvin Bui Jonathan Bermudez COPY EDITORS Melody Ortiz Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Sonny Tapia Raymond Nava Melisa Valenzuela Leonardo Cervantes Annette Quijada Stephanie Sical PHOTOGRAPHER Diego Linares ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha ADVISER Jean Stapleton
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
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Gender oppression continues hurting all BY STEPHANIE SICAL Staff Writer
Gender oppression continues to hurt people and to detail how it begins a gender oppression workshop was presented Tuesday. The workshop consisted of 21 females participating including Sonia Rivera, director of sexual assault services, and facilitator Claudia Arevalo. “The presentation was originally planned to be presented for [a] parent’s type of audience, but the youth was into it more,” Arevalo said . The presentation was designed to be a figurative tree composed by the
root, the trunk and the fruit. Arevalo started with the roots which represented ideologies that can be identified to cause gender oppression, and how they can be found in today’s society, one of which was language and the type of language being reinforced through music, lyrics and movies. The types of movies in which the roles women play solidify the ideology that women are submissive to men or that women are only supposed to look pretty or used as a sexual object. An example used in this first part of the meeting was the Cardi B song “WAP.” The song talks about female sexuality in a way not done before. The presenter pointed to the irony
that for years women had not only tolerated, but lived with rape culture songs, lyrics and movies, and now they are quickly judged and bashed by men and women. Arevalo described it as a “perfect cultural lens to look through right now. The reactions to ‘WAP’ really showed us how misogynistic and patriarchal a lot of people view our society still.” The trunk is the support part of the tree which keeps the structure of the tree together, meaning the institution that keeps the belief of gender oppression very much alive, like the institution of marriage for example. There are lighter sentences for rape of a spouse in the United States
essentially saying that a spouse has a right or access to their spouses body in other words undermining the rape act because it happened while being married, and there is that stigma or believe that the body belongs to their spouse. In some cases, married women have shared or have accused their husbands of sexual abuse and its not taken seriously because they are married, the root of the problem is the believe that because of marriage a woman is obligated to have sexual relationships with her husband whenever and or without her consent. The fruit is the result of how this hurts everyone. Arevalo did a photo presentation
County officials urge Yes on 16
of different ad campaigns showing the results of the roots of the problems with gender oppression. One ad for jeans depicted 5 males surrounding a female struggling on the ground, while one male model is pressing her against the floor while posing for the camera. That ultimately affects males and females because the males doing the raping end up in jail and the females dead, raped or both. This is caused by the feeling of the pressure of patriarchy and the ideologies that they are supposed to be strong, the head of the house and only providers. Men are trained at a young age to suppress their feelings and emotions.
Many depressed men who have struggled with the thought of suicide have shared that they feel like they weren’t living up to the expectation. Men have also struggled with the concept of feeling like a paycheck, because often in custody battles may end up losing for the most part against the mother and feel excluded from the parenting experience, which tends to led some to depression, drugs, bankruptcy, homelessness and suicide. Patriarchy,sexism and institutions that support these beliefs are not just hurting women, but also men. They might be hurting in different ways, but it all influences and builds up off each other.
Acceptance, equality during trying times discussed JEREMY ARIAS Staff Writer
CN: IVAN CAZARES
Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas urges voters to approve Proposition 16, which would reintroduce affirmative action in California during a press conference at East Los Angeles College, yesterday. Affirmative action is designed to ensure people of color and women are represented in in academic and professional fields, but isn't without its critics. California prohibited employers from considering race in their hiring process in 1996 with proposition 209, which was endorsed by former Califtornia Governorner, Pete Willson.
East Los Angeles College faculty and Associated Student Union discussed the importance of standing up for equality and each during the nations trying times. This panel focused on the National Chicano Moratorium’s fiftieth anniversary and inclusion politics as back drops for equality. The panel discussion was facilitated by ELAC Faculty member and award winning Executive Producer Felipe Agredano, who introduced and welcomed the guest speakers Conrado Terrazas, a Chicano Mexican-American and Abel Alvarado, a Chicano Gay Man. Terrazas introduced himself by sharing some of his memories and connections to East Los Angeles as well as the communities he was a part of. Terrazas shared that his parents were both activists and organizers who lived through and fought against tough immigration measures like Operation Wetback, a military style operation that was led by the United States to deport Mexican Immigrants (and some American citizens) back to Mexico. During the 60s, Terrazas worked with the United Farm Workers for about three years recruiting grocery stores and “mom and pop” shops to boycott certain foods like Delano Grapes as a protest for farmworkers’ rights. Terrazas also shared his experience forming the Harvey Milk Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club as a way to create a political unity for homosexual people. Terraza said that at the time, homosexual people didn’t have much representation or respect in society, so he made it their goal to elect an openly gay person to the City Council. Their campaign faced challenges as they competed with other vigilant Chicano groups fighting for representation in the City Council as well. They later succeeded in electing Jackie Goldberg, an openly lesbian woman, to the L.A. City Council. Guest speaker Abel Alvarado also spoke about the lack of representation as well as attention to the Gay Community. Alvarado said the 1967 uprisings as well as the Latino LGBT uprisings that received no attention from the media. Alvarado said that later on he felt recognized by TV personalities and characters like Will and Grace. “I felt like I didn’t have what
Will had,” Alvarado said. As of five years ago, Alvarado published a play “Arena: A House MUSIC- al,” inspired by the clubs and communities of gay and lesbian people in Los Angeles. Because they were discriminated against in other bars and clubs, they had to create a space of their own that wasn’t meant to be exclusive, but inclusive instead. Alvarado’s personal journey of seeking acceptance also echoed a similar story. “I had to be happy in who I was,” Alvarado said. “As a kid, I was always teased and called a girl and I had many girl friends, so they started calling me ‘girl’
“I started to believe that book [the Bible] was written by men, and men are homophobic.” ABEL ALVARADO
Chicano Gay Man
too.” Alvarado said that he accepted the stigma of being called a girl by his friends and stopped seeing it as being misgendered, and instead as being accepted by those he was closest to. After accepting it for himself, he began to call others, including men he was close to, ‘girl’ as a sign of respect and unity. Alvarado said that one of the challenges to gay men being accepted in society is the influence of the Bible. “I started believing that book was written by men, and men are homophobic,” Alvarado said. “I don’t believe the bible dictates my spirituality… whoever wrote that book got it wrong, and they let their homophobia seep into those pages.” The speakers said that these are important times to get involved and stand up for each other. www.ELACCampusNews.com
Arts 3 Art division brings light to immigration art EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2020
BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer
It is often thought that Mexicans migrate to the U.S. to “steal jobs.” However, they migrate for different reasons revolving around their living environment. Art Division, a non-profit organization hosted a Zoom lecture, “Art, Immigration, and Resistance,” where the speaker, Álvaro Huerta Ph.D, talked about the topic of immigration through art. This Zoom lecture featured Huerta who is a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly Pomona. Also participating in the lecture was Jose Z. Calderon, a professor emeritus of Sociology and Chicano/aLatino/a studies. Huerta began his lecture by addressing the “anti-Mexican” sentiment that has grown within the United States. Huerta talked about the “Yankee Invasion,” which was the invasion of Mexico City in 1847 that ended up having to lose half their territory to the U.S. Huerta went through a few other historical moments such as Mexican Reparation (1920s-1930s), Bracero Program
REPRESENTATION ART—Dr. Alvaro Huerta talked about this piece ”Untitled” by Salomón Huerta, his brother. (1942-1964), ending with Operation Wetback (1954) where over one million Mexicans were deported including many who were U.S citizens and residents. For Huerta it’s important to be reminded that there is still this continued suffering today, he said, “But for the Mexicans, it’s not just the past, it’s the present, and for the Central Americans... with ICE the horror continues, where families are being
Huerta believes that this narrative of “Us (the Mexicans) versus them (The Americans) needs to be thrown away. Huerta then switched his focus to migration. “I want to talk a little bit about what drives migration. Too often people argue that it’s just jobs, Mexicans come to steal people’s jobs, Americans jobs, so on and so forth, all these lies. But people immigrate because of different reasons. There’s violence, natural disasters…” Huetra said. Huerta’s family from his father’s side a family feud. The feud included violence and, due to that violence they had to move from their home in Michoacan to Tijuana. His story is an example of family’s goal that wasn’t to come and “steal jobs” but to escape from a dangerous environment. He ended his presentation with a few suggestions on what is to be done to create change and be part of the resistance. Huerta listed things such as: utilize privilege (citizenship, education) for good, protest against injustices (ICE raids, kids in cages), and speak out and take action against systemic racism. Most important, vote in defense of democracy and racial injustice.
separated.Where you see ICE invading and conducting raids at courts, in front of schools, and so on and so forth.” He believes it’s essential to be educated on the issues of immigration, especially now in light of President Donald Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric and policies. As Huerta goes on with his lecture, he utilizes the art of Salomón Huerta, his sibling, to humanize the immigrant
past and present by sharing the story of POC and his family’s migration. He elaborated on the idea of being “otherized.” “To be otherized, means that brown people, black people, Muslims, Asian and others are looked at as different,” said Huerta. This is what drives those with power to see these groups as less than them. He shared an art piece,
“Untitled” by Salomón Huerta from 1990, in this piece his brother created an image of a white European man alongside another image of a brown skinned man. Huerta quoted an older professor named Samuel Huttington who argued that the European-American was superior to the Mexican because one comes from Europe while the other comes from Mexico.
The plot overall is a stimulating she really wants throughout story, showing the audience not the story. to wait until you die or almost She has this great family at die to face unfinished business home that cares for her but also before leaving has her former this world. lover and The main remembering Once the reader character, the time they Edelstein, surpasses the various had together gives a unique back when Egyptian terms and perspective in they were life. studying. symbols around the She starts The best story, the reader can part about this off by having a near death see how this story is for protagonist is experience in her passion the beginning a reader who wants to for her work of the book, go back. The reader can and where she then later studies. realizes her answer the question of T h e life is short determination what if. and decides after such a she wants long time to to continue finish what her study of she once had Egyptology. started. She pausesd her studies in It shows it was her first love the first place when she found and a love that never ended. out that she needed to go back “’If you could go anywhere home to take care of her brother, when you blink your eyes,’ he as her mother had passed from asked, ‘where would you be?’ ovarian cancer. ‘Egypt.’ Edelstein also gave the The answer came as easily as confusing deposition of what my next heartbeat.” (Picoult,
Book of Two Ways) This story mainly takes place in Egypt. Imagining what it could be like to explore and learn the culture like Edelstein, during the time that she was studying, gives a new land to envision while reading this book. It comes in perfect time, when the world is still limited to traveling around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The one issue to this novel is of the lengthy information the author gives to readers about Egyptology. Picoult tries to shove a lot of information into the plot that could be mistaken for a textbook instead of a novel. Once the reader grasps the various Egyptian terms and symbols around the story, the reader can see how this story is for a reader who wants to go back. The reader can answer the question of what if. The protagonist of the story answers her inner question and attempts to go back to Egypt to finish her book about the tale of two ways.
EGYPTIAN SUN—Jodi Picoult’s new book cover representing
Picoult’s newest novel dipicts life, death, love BY ERICA CORTES Staff Writer
O n e o f N e w Yo r k ’ s bestselling authors Jodi Picoult explores a what-if scenario, something everyone can relate to takes us into a chance to answer it in her book “The Book of Two Ways.” This book is about Dawn Edelstein, a death doula, who finds herself back in Egypt after surviving a plane crash. Although Edelstein has a family, (a husband named Brian Edelstein and their 14-year-old daughter, Merit) she decides to not go back home to Boston but fly to another place from her past. When Dawn was facing death after the plane crashed, all she could think about was Wyatt Armstrong, a former colleague and lover in Egypt. The reader goes through a series of flashbacks to when they first meet and back to the present where she unfolds and discovers things about herself through this unexpected journey.
the sun blaring as it would in Egypt.
‘To the Lake’ stands out among apocalyptic shows in this show, feelings are mixed. The show is originally in Staff Writer Russian. Unfortunately, the English voice overs make it hard Netflix’s “To the Lake” is to take it seriously at times. another post apocalyptic series It also doesn’t help watching with a great deal of potential it in Russian with subtitles that could help it stand out from because often the words do not the rest. match what the actors actually At first glance, the series say. looks like any other zombie This comes to fruition when show. However, “To the Lake” watching the show in English introduces a virus that makes along with English subtitles. the infected Focusing on fatally ill. the plot, scenes The highly and acting can contagious Glukhikh captures the surely help any virus starts extreme emotions and horror/thriller with a cough, fan move past then loss of sulking-teen persona these faults. sight and, Despite the while still making the fact finally, death. that most U n l i k e audience sympathetic to o f t h e m a i n zombies, the characters are infected can Polina. The English voice stereotypes (the still speak and actress does pretty well n e u t r a l m a i n act somewhat character, the portraying her. h u m a n , angsty teen girl, t h o u g h the awkward sometimes teen boy, the b e c o m e nagging ex aggressive. wife, etc.), there are plenty of They also do not come back times where they surprise the from the dead and the brain is audience. not the only way to kill them. The best acting by far is seen T h e b i g g e s t d i ff e r e n c e from Viktoriya Glukhikh, who between this series and other plays Polina, a troubled teenager. infection-based ones is the fact Glukhikh captures the that the infected are rarely seen extreme emotions and sulkingand are not the main enemy. teen persona while still making The enemy is the virus itself the audience sympathetic to and those who cross lines in Polina. Glukhikh does pretty order to contain it. well portraying her. When it comes to the acting Misha, played by Eldar
BY MELODY ORTIZ
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
STEALTH KILL—Sergey (left Kirill Käro), Lyonya (Aleksandr Robak) and Irina (right Maryana Spivak) contemplate a difficult group decision in Netflix’s “To the Lake.” Kalimulin, is a teen boy who is very smart, but has trouble in social situations due to Asperger’s syndrome. The show highlights the strengths that come with this character, while describing to viewers what it really means to have Asperger’s. Sergey, played by Kirill Käro,
is the main character who keeps the audience undecided on whether or not he is likeable. Käro plays the character well, but it’s the complicated characters of Polina and Misha that steal the scenes. The rest of the cast is amazing and will make many viewers wish they spoke Russian to fully
appreciate the show. It’s hard to pick a favorite character, not because of how much they change throughout the episodes, but because of how much viewers find out about each of them. Hopefully, a second season is not too much to ask for, especially since the season
finale leaves viewers with a big cliffhanger. “To the Lake” was originally released last November in Russia as “Epidemiya.” Netflix picked up the movie and released it last Wednesday. Before watching the series, audiences should expect nudity, strong language, talk of depression and self-harm. www.ELACCampusNews.com