FEATURES ELAC student attends United Nations conference in Paris. See page 4
Volume 73, Issue 13
ARTS
SPORTS
Star Montana takes viewers back in time with art exhibit.
Basketball advances to third round of playoffs.
See page 5
Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, march 2, 2016
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Convertible controversy
Professor exchanges grades for likes, follows, reviews BY JADE INGLADA Staff Writer Communication Studies adjunct professor R. Steven Johnson uses his students to promote his writing career in exchange for better grades. Johnson has offered students the opportunity for an extra credit book report since last year by having them purchase his self-published book, “Convertible Chocolate,” and write a review of it on Amazon. The book was released December 2013 and is based on Johnson’s personal experiences with love and relationships with various women throughout his life. It contains graphic descriptions of women’s body parts, foul and demeaning language, blatant details of his sexual encounters with women and metaphors that degrade women. In the chapter called “Calling Colleen,” Johnson wrote, “‘What’s happening, Colleen? Are you seeing someone else?’ Her body was positioned somewhere between a recent rape victim and a Catholic schoolgirl busted for looking at a nasty magazine.” Other passages from the book cannot be printed in Campus News R. Steven Johnson due to explicit content. Johnson asked in an email from last year that students read the whole book and write a three to five page book report that covers different themes from the book . The book report also had to demonstrated if communication was proven effective or not. Students also had to post their own independent reviews on Amazon “without mentioning anything about it relating to the class, the assignment or me (Johnson) as your teacher.” “Convertible Chocolate is one of the best books I've ever read, and it is really fascinating how the main character Shawn Johnson learns to overcome traumatic experiences throughout his entire life,” Jose Zagal said in his online review. “It is an effective book because many people can easily relate to Shawn's journey.” “At first, I was skeptical,” Sarahi Briseno said in her review. “Then, as I began to unravel Shawn's journey, I realized something more meaningful than the purpose of reading. “I felt connected to the story, in fact, it couldn't get any more real. This book will take you into a new dimension of understanding the complexities in love, realizing the purpose of existence. There is more to life than falling, there is Shawn's journey to remember how to get up,” Briseno said. Johnsom sells the book to his students for $15 in class and offers the option of purchasing it through Amazon for a hard copy or eBook. “Once your reviews are in, you can get up to 30 points, depending on the quality of the report,” Johnson said in the email. Johnson also offered students the chance to drop any low grades from a pop midterm not mentioned in the
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syllabus from being included in their final grades by promoting his social media accounts and helping him reach a certain number of likes and followers. The assignment’s goal as described in the emails was “to use your communication and persuasive skills to build numbers to Mr. J’s social media sites.” Students were provided links by Johnson to perform research to help with the promotion. If all three of his classes at the time participated and were able to reach the goals set for FaceBook, Twitter and Instagram by midnight on Thanksgiving, their midterm grades would be dropped. Failure to meet those numbers would keep the grades in place. Students who did well on the midterm would keep their grades. “You cannot use any language similar to: ‘I need you to like/subscribe to this page because I need to get my midterm erased,’” Johnson said in an email, as the assignment’s only rule. “Anything else promoting the book or using other parts of my profession to gain a like is perfectly allowed.” He brought up extra assignments through emails to his classes called Week-End Update (WEU). These assignments were not mentioned anywhere in the class syllabus. The textbook Johnson also wrote for his classes, “How to Survive Speech 101,” advertises “Convertible Chocolate” and the book’s related merchandise in the back, as well as t-shirts for students who passed the class can buy. Jim Ewert, general counsel for the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA), said what Johnson is doing can be defined as self-dealing or using his position as a professor for his benefit or personal gain. Each email to Johnson’s students also contained a disclosure message. “This email communication may contain confidential information which also may be legally privileged and is intended only for the use of the intended recipients identified above. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, you are hereby notified that any unauthorized review, use, dissemination, distribution, downloading, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient and have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us by reply email, delete the communication and destroy all copies.” The message included at the end of every email to his students is not legally binding. “It’s not something he can enforce,” Ewert said. “While California recognizes legal privilege, the state does not recognize any teacher-student privilege there may be.” Johnson also studied law while attending the University of Minnesota, where he earned his bachelor’s in communication studies. Communication Studies Department Chair Ryan Smith said Johnson has worked at East Los Angeles College for at least 10 years. “I’ve never received a complaint about Stevie (Johnson),” Smith said. “I’ve only been chair for a year, but I would be shocked if anybody has ever complained about him. There might have been in the past, but I would be highly surprised.” Smith was unaware of Johnson’s activities and had no comment on them. Administrators from Academic Affairs were unavailable for comment. Johnson did not return messages to his social media account.
Free HIV Testing The Health Center is offering free HIV test for ELAC students. The testing will take place at the free speech area on Tuesday from 10:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. No appointments are needed.
Accreditation team to visit campus BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer Representatives of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) will visit East Los Angeles College on Tuesday to make sure ELAC provides students with the services and resources it outlines in its self-evaluation summary. “It’s a peer review,” Faculty Accreditation Chair Barbara Dunsheath said, meaning the team consists of educators from different community colleges. The team will visit different departments, the library and might even sit in on classes. The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that institutions of higher education provide students with an education that meets acceptable levels of quality, according to the United States Department of Education. The visit on Tuesday is the final step in a six-year long process which started in 2010, when the school was fully accredited after receiving a warning in 2009. All nine of the colleges in the Los Angeles Community College
District are being evaluated within weeks of each other. It is the first time ACCJC is doing things this way. Community colleges are currently accredited by private educational associations like ACCJC. Associations must apply through the Department of Education and must be reviewed. ACCJC has been criticized by people such as Los Angeles College Faculty Guild President Joanne Waddell. Its critics are calling for a more effective accreditation process. A school that is not accredited might not provide students with a quality education. Student Learning Outcomes are one of the ways ACCJC ensures the colleges it accredits provide students with a quality education. The SLO process is meant to increase student success through the improvement of basic skills, general education and transfer programs. ELAC has been steadily improving its SLO process since 2009. Course Learning Outcomes are part of the SLO process, and 98.6 percent of full-time staff participated in a CLO assessment in spring of 2015.
ELAC memorializes counselor psychology, sociology or trying to become a social worker will be awarded $500 for spring and fall semesters,” Sherman said. The scholarship requires The East Los Angeles College that students have a 2.5 GPA. community is celebrating the They must also complete an legacy of counselor Lydia Associate of Arts degree, Rudametkin, who died on Jan.18, major in social work, psychology with a scholarship opportunity. or become eligible to transfer. The Ms. Lydia Rudametkin Applicants will also be required Memorial Scholarship is designed to express financial need to to help students finish school and who have struggled submit an essay about through domestic and their educational and Ladd said emotional abuse. career goals. Rudametkin was an Rudamekin was “The consensus advocate for students of the academic helpful and when she worked senate, counseling supportive in department and faculty at East Los Angeles College in a variety of raising awareness collaborated on this,” departments over the Sherman said, “that of services, course of her 37 yearis how it is being long career. support and the funded and I’m hoping Rudametkin worked prevention of it will become an a variety of jobs endowment.” abuse. including her position Rudametkin retired as the Director of the in the spring of 2015 ELAC Women's and on June 30 because Men’s Support Center. she was diagnosis with “Lydia mainly started the terminal cancer. first women’s support center,” Ladd said Rudametkin was Kinesiology Professor Marilyn helpful and supportive in raising Ladd said, who worked alongside awareness of services, support and Rudametkin as a part of the Sexual the prevention of abuse. Assault Awareness Violence “She contributed to a lot of Education Team committee. SAAVE team events,” Ladd said. ELAC Disabled Student “She had a plethora of information Programs and Services we needed to know about.” counselor Bonnie Sherman Sherman also explained that the says she hopes that the ELAC faculty and staff collectively recipients of the scholarship gathered close to $3,000 in will continue her legacy by donations since she death. helping others at ELAC because Students have until March 5 to of Rudametkin’s dedication to her submit their applications through students. the ELAC Foundation website “I’m hoping that students where scholarship applications for who are majoring in the spring semester are located.
BY MEGAN G. RAZZETTI Staff Writer
Women’s Swim/Dive
Library workshops
The women’s swim/dive team will have a met on Friday at 12:30 p.m. They will face Long Beach City College at Pasadena City College.
Students are offered library workshops throughout the semester at both campuses. Students are required to sign up in advance through library.elac. edu/enroll. The next workshop is today at 7 p.m.
Opinion Small fees for better health results 2
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 02, 2016
BY DIEGO OLIVARES Staff Writer Life during college can be a very stressful and chaotic time for students. According to livescience.com, the number of college students suffering from depression has grown over the past decade. Much of this can be directed towards the stressful demands of college and even life in general. Emotional demands like these could also lead to physical illness. It is during intense times that students need to find emotional aid and support. The Counselors and nurses at the Health Center want to aid students in coping with their emotional problems as well as mental and physical issues. According to the center’s staff, many of ELAC’s students are unaware of the Center itself. This includes students who have been attending for years. Students entering ELAC for the first time are understandably unaware about the Health Center’s resources. Back in the fall of 2015, the Health Center took part of an event to aid students dealing with stress and suicidal issues. The center stated that they provide aid for students who are dealing with extreme stress and anxiety. They also noted that students at ELAC don’t notice how helpful their services can be. During a conversation with friends who were ill, I mentioned
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ivan Cazares MANAGING EDITOR Marcus Camacho ONLINE EDITORS Stephanie Garibay Julianne Obregon Diego Olivares Bryce Ronquillo ART DIRECTOR Jade Inglada FRONT EDITOR Stephanie Guevara
OPINION EDITOR Christopher Jimenez NEWS EDITOR Rogelio Alvarez FEATURE EDITOR Diego Linares
to them about the health center and they were astonished with this information. Students must schedule an appointment to be seen by nurses or counselors. Appointments are arranged based on the availability of staff on duty. Services offered include mental health services, emotional and behavioral counseling, TB testing, and physical examinations.
Other services such as STD screenings and family planning are offered to those who qualify. This is based off being qualified by a state board and qualifications include student’s income and living information. The benefit of getting this t y p e o f s e r v i c e i s t h a t i t ’s inexpensive. Basic aid from the Health Center costs a student a health fee of $11
ARTS EDITOR Megan G. Razzetti
for a semester. If a student were to see a counselor outside of school, it would cost them $80 or more just for a one-hour session. It would be less expensive if they were to get counseling at the Health Center. Students need to take notice of the resources and services that have presented before them. The students of ELAC should
take note of the services available to them and shouldn’t ignore the aid that is being provided for them. Students wanting to know information about the Health Center can find it on ELAC’s website. The Student Health Center is located at G-8 building, room 111 on ELAC’s main campus. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
SPORTS EDITOR Daniel Gudino PHOTO EDITOR Eddie Garcia COPY EDITORS Kristen Garcia Elizabeth Toy CARTOONISTS Kristen Garcia, Alitzel Rodriguez STAFF WRITERS Gustavo Buenrostro, Johanna Calderon, Fernando Cervantes, Cesar Gutierrez, Bryan Hernandez, Daniela Jalteco, Christopher Jimenez, Javier Lopez, Patricia Medina, Gil Milanes, Jose Rojas, Julie Santiago
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Are you aware of the health services ELAC provides for the students?
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Diego Linares, Julie Santiago Mayra Ventura ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha
“I think it is really useful for low income students.”
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Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the proper ty of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 250 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. A n o ny m o u s l e t te r s w i l l n o t be printed. Writer s must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303.
“It’s comforting knowing it is there when I need it.”
ALICE SALAIS
East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910
“I’m only aware of it because of the health fee.”
The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, of fered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.
ELVIS CANO
“I think it’s good, because 11 dollars is not a lot, and many students don’t have much money.”
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
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Campus sheriffs react to possible burglary attempt
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPEECH TEAM
OUTSPOKEN—East Los Angeles College Speech and Debate Team from left to right: Manuel Haro, Layla Ramos, Eric Orozco,
BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer
Cheyenne Mendiola, Thomas Martinez, Justyne Gutierrez, Edward Francis Kunkle, Chloe Elizabeth Romero and Eric Clerke.
Speech team triumphs at tournament BY DAN GUDINO Staff Writer The award-winning East Los Angeles College speech team competed in debate and public speaking Feb. 14 and earned first place at the Tabor-Venitsky Invitational at Cerritos College. Last year, ELAC finished second in the Tabor-Venitsky tournament. This year, ELAC beat 19 schools and was crowned the Small Division Schools champ. The speech team’s goal is to move on to the California Community College Forensics Association State Championship and eventually qualify for a national title as a way to say thank you to the community. The speech team received support from faculty, family and friends who helped buy suits for speech team members who couldn’t afford to dress for the competition. Faculty members donated gift cards and old unused suits. One faculty member allowed their name to be mentioned at a suit store for the “hook up,” ELAC speech coach and
communication studies professor J. Edward Stevenson said. “We’re good because we have a community of faculty and staff members that care and we notice it by giving back with wins and believe it or not, we support our school too. We go to music recitals, athletic events, we go to shows at the theater because we recognize that the campus has to support each other,” Stevenson said. Stevenson said speaking in public can be physically debilitating, terrifying and an adrenalinepumping experience. “Each student brings their own fire, their own skill and experience to the team. I don’t think there is someone on this team we can do without. This is a six-hour-a-week course. That's just the time these guys spend with us. In addition to that students are expected to practice Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends as well. You’re looking at 20 hours a week of time dedicated,” Stevenson said. The 2015 California champions look to repeat this year with a
group of chosen members that have been recruited for winning. Like collegiate sports, the world of speech and debate has its competitive side off the stage. “We’re planning on taking that tournament and nothing less. This confidence though is only coming from our work ethic and we’re hoping that we show that work ethic when we go to the tournament,” said speech team member and ELAC student Edward Francis Kunkle. “There’s a lot of recruiting. We always represent and recommend high school students to come to our national award-winning school and get their education here at East L.A. It's like in sports, we visit the high schools. It’s competitive,” Stevenson said. When speaking in public, confidence is key. The confident Stevenson says this year’s team is a top-three team in California. A lot of credit is given to the new assistant coaches, called adjunct coaches, Alix Lopez and DeRod Taylor. “My old high school coach, Tony Ugalde, really helped me find my
voice and the coaches here at ELAC are helping me enhance everything that I’ve known and take it up to that next level,” Kunkle said. No one is allowed inside during the rehearsal of speeches. The door is locked to prevent interruptions. “We first train students to understand the perspectives of someone else. We don’t focus on delivery or quality of speech. We require students to understand the literature and research first, so then they can bring those two together in a performance,” Stevenson said. “People take the leap of faith. They join and sign up. The majority of our students have similar stories, where this is brand new to them and (they) don’t have immense speaking experience. Like Israel Beltran, who started in a Comm. 101 class, to now having offers to colleges for public speaking,” Stevenson said. Beltran was a part of the 2014 national championship team. Those interested in becoming a part of the award-winning speech team can join by signing up for Communication Studies 107.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies searched for an unidentified man on campus last Wednesday until 2 a.m. “He's evaded us twice,” Deputy Armando Connell said. The suspect evaded police once and a more extensive search was called when the suspect was spotted back on campus that same night. Deputies suspect the man’s intention was to burglarize one of the buildings. However, this was not confirmed. East Los Angeles College Campus News members were detained until deputies and a helicopter completed their search. Several Sheriff’s deputies were also spotted blocking the intersection on Floral and Collegian Ave. Connell commented on how difficult it is to apprehend someone without adequate surveillance. “They spent millions of dollars on these buildings and nothing on cameras,” Connell said. Deputies told Campus News they could not disclose whether an arrest was made. No alert was sent out through the school’s emergency response system and no notification was given through any of the school’s communication outlets. If anyone has information on suspicious activity, call the Sheriff’s office at (323) 265-8800.
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Elan speaks at UN conference BY STEPHANIE GARIBAY Staff Writer East Los Angeles College student, Rossmary Zayas was full of emotions when given the opportunity to travel to Paris in order to attend and speak at the 21st annual Conference of Parties, weeks after terrorists attacked the city. “My family was worried. I remember they kept telling me, ‘Don’t go, it’s too dangerous,’ but I was like, ‘No, this is something I want to do and I want to experience.’ I wasn’t going to let that stop me,� Zayas said. Zayas was given the chance to attend COP21 to represent Communities for a Better Environment, CBE, an environmental justice organization that she has been involved in since she was 14 years old. “Rossmery has been a really big part of our organization. She has really made sure that young people are represented in all of our campaigns,� youth coordinator for CBE Milton Nimatuj said. A couple weeks after submitting her application, Zayas received an email stating she had been accepted to participate in COP21. “I didn’t know what COP21 was when I signed up for it. I remember I had heard about it on the news and everyone kept telling me ‘Just sign up for it and you’ll learn about it as you go,’� Zayas said. When Zayas traveled to Paris in early December, Paris was still in a state of emergency since the terrorist attacks had only occurred a few weeks earlier in late November. “I remember I was so nervous. I was like ‘Are you sure I’m the right one to represent and talk about climate change?’� Zaya said. Zayas was first introduced to environmental justice by her older sisters who were also activists. When she became involved in
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSSMARY ZAYAS
FREE SPEECH—Rossmary Zayas was given exactly one minute to speak on national television about anything she wanted. She decided to use that minute to educate individuals around the world about environmental justice. CBE’s youth compartment in her high school, she started to learn a lot more about what environmental justice actually was. “ T h a t ’s w h e n I s t a r t e d to understand, ‘OK, so this is environmental and social justice, because being younger, you don’t know any of this, so when you’re able to connect the dots and learn
everything, it’s mind blowing,’� Zayas said. One of the first campaigns Zayas became involved in was the Exide Technologies Campaign. Exide Technologies was a battery recycling plant in Vernon, California, that was illegally storing and transporting hazardous waste. For more than 30 years, the
15-acre battery recycling plant was polluting the soil of more than 10,000 homes and harming the health of more than 100,000 people who lived near the plant. When Zayas traveled to Paris, she encountered Governor Brown in one of the conferences. This was the first time she had actually met Brown. Brown had made an opening
speech for an organization and talked about how environmentallyfriendly California is. “A lot of people were cheering him on and clapping for him and we were like, “No, there’s a lot of bad stuff going on. Has anyone heard of Exide Technologies?’ and people were clapping over us, so we wouldn’t be heard and calling
us rude and we were like, ‘What? What’s going on?’� Zayas said. For years, community activists, including Zayas and everyone at CBE, tried to get the plant to shut down, but no one would listen. They even went as far as going to Sacramento to meet with Brown, but kept getting rejected. “We would contact him and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this, let’s come up with a solution,’ but he would reject all of our meetings. It’s not like he didn’t have time, either. When the new Bicycle Casino opened up, he had time to attend that, plus they were giving him campaign money,� Zayas said. After years of trying to get the plant shut down, Governor Brown agreed and Exide Technologies was shut down. “Brown also proposed $176 million to clean everything up, but with the amount of damage this plant had caused, it’s not nearly enough,� said Zayas. Although it was a victory, there was still a lot more that had to be done. “They only tested houses within a two-mile radius of the plant, and with the money they proposed, they’re only cleaning up houses within a 1.6 mile radius. That’s like if I spilled Kool-aid on your white carpet and cover it up with napkins. It doesn’t completely solve the problem,� Zayas said. Zayas is currently majoring in communications and hopes to advocate for people in her community. She is currently a representative for CBE. “You know unfortunately we still deal with stuff like sexism and agism and for someone like Rossmery, a young woman of color, she has really been able to shine through that and able to demand what is needed. I think that’s extremely powerful,� Nimatuj said.
Where earning a bachelor’s degree meets
“I want to transfer today!�
CN/ROGELIO ALVAREZ
WATCH OUT—With his team down to three players, student Pablo Delgado prepares to launch the ball toward the opposing team in the dodgeball tournament hosted by the Kinesiology Club Thursday in the North Gym.
Kinesiology Club brings back playground fun BY FERNANDO CERVANTES Staff Writer The North Gym was filled with students running back-and-forth, yelling, and sliding to dodge in the dodgeball tournament held by the kinesiology club on Thursday. The sound of thudding followed each throw, either caused by a direct hit or from the narrow miss followed by shaking walls. None of the participants were holding back and not even the spectators were safe. Referees were also supervising each game to make sure no one cheated. Although no one got hurt, there were times when some students argued over who was out, showing their investment in the games. “It was exhilarating to blow off some steam and I plan to come back again if I have some time,� said student Raymond Hidalgo about his first time attending an event. The teams faced off against each other for 10 minutes and could have as many matches during that time. Some of the matches needed the time to finish while others would be able to squeeze in three or more
matches. The dodgeball tournament was organized by the kinesiology club and this marked the third time they organized one. The event is held during spring and fall semesters. “We’re the kinesiology club. It’s about having activities and keeping the body moving,� said Ryan Astengo, the President of the club, when asked about why they were having the event. The dodgeball tournament was the idea of Pablo Delgado, the vice president, who wanted to bring back the activity from when he was younger. “I thought of bringing back memories, ‘cause ever since high school, no one played (dodgeball) and I thought it would be cool in college,� Delgado said. There are no actual requirements to take part in the club’s events. Students who want to join can come as teams although it is not mandatory. Students who show up without a team will be assigned to one still missing members to make a full team. Knowing how to play the sport well is not required, either. The main idea is to attend and enjoy the event, while getting in some
physical activity. The tournament ended up having around six teams of seven people, with some students dropping in and out. Rules were set, such as no aiming for the face or below the belt to make sure that it was safe and fun for everyone involved. If a student broke the rule they would be given a warning and told to sit out if they broke it again. The kinesiology club was happy about how the tournament went. The only thing they wanted to improve was female attendance. “More girls in the club or participating would be nice. They might be intimidated of (sic) the guys who are trying to be super competitive,� said Kinesiology Club member Sunshine Rascon. The kinesiology club plans to hold more events in the future, although another dodgeball tournament is not planned until the fall semester. The next upcoming event will be a three-on-three basketball tournament on March 7. Students interested in other events can go to the kinesiology club meetings, which are held on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. in Room 121 of the C1 building.
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
In the
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SPOTLIGHT
Nutty jazz ensemble comes to ELAC BY MEGAN G. RAZZETTI AND PATRICIA MEDINA Staff Writer The Friday Jazz Series will return to East Los Angeles College this Friday with a performance by lounge band Nutty. The band is set to play songs by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, The Police and Aerosmith in ways that interpret them into a completely different genre. According to the band director and singer Joel Hile, who goes by Sonny Moon, it is a creative way to share the history of jazz. “We’re all about jazz history,” Moon said. “Every tune we play is an amalgam of familiar jazz classics and familiar rock classics—in all cases, the music we work with is the stuff we love and wish to pay homage to.” One of the songs the band has posted on their Soundcloud uses Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” and weaves it into The Moody Blues’ “Nights In White Satin,” a popular ‘60s rock ballad. Moon say that the band is all about celebrating their heroes, taking classic songs and making them new again. “It’s music we grew up with that has stood the test of time,” Moon said. The ensemble is made up of musicians who are teachers and mentors to music students, so they are easily able to play the songs easily, according to Moon. This allows Moon and Mike Werner, who goes by Guy Wonder, to put all of the focus and time on writing charts. “We spend quality time on arranging and rarely need to rehearse with the full band,” Moon said.“At the same time, the core of the band has been together for a while, which adds to the personality and chemistry and cohesiveness of the group’s sound and vibe.” The concert will be at the S2 building and general admission is $12. Tickets are $5 pre-sale and $6 regular for ELAC students with valid identification. There will be parking available for guests on the fourth floor of the parking structure next to the S2 building.
CN/IVAN CAZARES
PHOTOS OF THE PAST— “Tear Drops and Three Dots” features the photography and family
photos of artist Star Montana at the Vincent Price Art Museum.
Photo exhibit reflects on past lives BY JOHANNA CALDERON Staff Writer Star Montana visits her past with the photography installation “Tear Drops and Three Dots,” now on display in the Vincent Price Art Museum. Montana takes her work back to a time when iPhones didn’t exist, using traditional methods in photography and incorporating her personal family photos. Montana’s work is incredible in so many ways. In her display of photos, she brings the feelings of nostalgia of a time when people used disposable cameras because camera phones or smartphones didn’t exist.
Many of these pictures that Montana saved were intended to make people remember that time period. Montana was able to capture her moments of life from childhood to adulthood. It was wonderful that she saved those pictures that tell a story about her life, because sometimes those things get lost or destroyed. Through four pictures, Montana tells about how difficult it is to see someone that they love suffer through illness. In those pictures, people can see what Montana felt when her mom’s illness was worsening and she was helpless to stop it. The first picture of the series shows Montana visiting her mother
at the hospital and how much Montana wanted her mother to be okay. The second picture is of Montana crying over her mother’s health getting worse while she could do nothing about it. Following the second, the third photo shows family members carrying Montana’s mother’s casket. The fourth and final picture of the set is of her mother’s bed where the emotions of saying goodbye to the person who gave her life becomes even more real. Other photos in the exhibit are ones Montana took of typical daily things. She includes a lot of moments that some people don’t get to have or ever want to experience.
‘Embrace of the Serpent’ captures history in the film BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer
COURTESY OF BUFFALO FILMS
INTO THE JUNGLE— Director Ciro Guerra’s “Embrace of the Serpent” covers a span of 40 years of colonial history set in the Columbian Amazon
Director Ciro Guerra’s Academy Aw a r d - n o m i n a t e d f i l m e p i c “Embrace of the Serpent” is a stunning and deeply-felt film that spans 40 years of colonial history. Set in the Colombian Amazon at the turn of the century, “Embrace of the Serpent” centers on Karamakate, played by Nilbio Torres. Karamakate a shaman and one of the last surviving members of his tribe to survive the destructions of white invaders who ravaged the rain forests for rubber. When Manduca, a man from a different tribe, played by Yauenku Miguee, brings him Theo, a diseasestricken German scientist, played by Jan Bijvoet, Karamakate at first refuses to take them to the fabled yakruna flower that can heal him. When Theo offers to take Karamakate to the remainder of his tribe’s people, Karamakate agrees to help. Thus begins the treacherous
journey that takes the three men deep into the Amazon wilderness. A place where one-armed men plead for death, sacred ceremonies using psychedelic plants take place and indigenous children are ruled and beaten for speaking in their native “pagan language.” It is a place set deep in the recesses of the jungle where the nightmare of Western invasion is starkly and devastatingly revealed. Years later, a much older Karamakate, played by Antonio Bolivar Salvador, encounters an American explorer named Evans, played by Brionne Davis, and they go on a trip in search of the same yakruna plant that saved the life of another Western explorer. This is an expedition very much like the one 40 years prior, but much less harrowing. Its tone mourns the irreparable damage of the rainforest and the loss of their indigenous cultures and civilizations. These 40 year time-jumps between past and present often occur without cuts that underline
the residual and continued presence of a colonized past on an adversely affected postcolonial future. Though visceral and beautifully made, “Embrace of the Serpent” is not the kind of movie to watch for pleasure. Its pace crawls gruelingly through many points of the film and feels like it elaborates unnecessarily on minor things, which disrupts the otherwise hypnotic spell cast by the raw beauty and force of the forest. Guerra’s decision to shoot the movie in black and white is effective in the way it heightens the psychedelic experience and intensifies its impact as a whole, but its lack of color feels like it is robbed of the rich hues of the Amazon, but perhaps that was precisely the point. Despite the moments when the film felt like it should have ended, “Embrace of the Serpent” is an incredibly poignant view into not only the devastating consequences of colonial forces on people and their environments, but the value in preserving their histories.
Netflix reboot disappoints with forced comedy BY MEGAN G. RAZZETTI Staff Writer
Netflix’s “Fuller House” revives a favorite family-friendly 80’s sitcom with bad jokes and nostalgia. The Feb. 26. premiere of the highly anticipated spin-off of the ABC sitcom “Full House.” The Tanner family is back, only this time, the story revolves around DJ Tanner-Fuller, played by Candace Cameron Bure. Set 29 years after the original show, the show includes the return of original characters Stephanie Tanner, played by Jodie Sweetin and Kimmy Gibbler, played by Andrea Barber. DJ is a recently-widowed mother of three boys, ages 13, seven and a newborn, trying to make it on her own until her sister Stephanie and best friend Kimmy decide to move in with DJ to lend a helping hand. Each character has their own
personality except DJ who comes off as boring, no matter what instance. As she tries to get her life back to normal, she is pushed by Stephanie and Kimmy to get back out into the world. One way Kimmy and Stephanie try to get DJ out is by taking her out to a nightclub where numerous old-mom jokes are poorly delivered. During one of the nightclub scenes, DJ credits her dance skills to watching “Dancing with the Stars,” a show that Bure competed on. Along with bad jokes, the show tries too hard to make it a point that the cast is in present time. The overuse of references to smartphones, texts, selfies and Facebook kills the whole point of the original characters incorporating them in their lives today. The references are so deliberate that it becomes distracting at times. Perhaps the writing was intentionally made to be bad as a reflection of how cheesy the original
show was to begin with. The show spends so much time making the characters relevant to the present time, that the warm feelings the original brought to the television screen aren’t there. As hard as it is to get through the terrible jokes, one cannot look away. The show also features guest appearances by original characters Danny Tanner, played by Bob Saget, Jesse Katsopolis, played by John Stamos and Joey Gladstone, played by Dave Coulier. This original trio was the main focus of “Full House,” which revolved around them taking care of three little girls in a big house in San Francisco. Visibly missing is Michelle Tanner, played by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who is busy running her fashion empire in New York City. The cast does not hesitate to address that issue early on in the show. All 13 episodes of “Fuller House” are now streaming on Netflix.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK—Netflix’s “Fuller House” features the Tanner-Fuller family set 29 years after the original sitcom “Full House” ended.
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6
SPORTS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Men’s basketball Women’s basketball advances survives overtime BY DAN GUDINO Staff Writer
BY BRYCE RONQUILLO T h e p l a y o ff s s t a r t e d i n a high-scoring game for the East Los Angeles College women’s basketball team, as it knocked out Santa Ana College 101-94, on Feb. 26 at home. The Huskies advanced to the third round by scoring their most points in a game this season. They also allowed the most points in a game this season. “I can’t walk away with a smile. We need to work on some things. Our clock management toward the end of the game was poor and (there were) just too many fouls,” ELAC head coach Bruce Turner said. The Huskies were up 15 points with 44 seconds to go in the first quarter. Santa Ana stormed back because of turnovers and poor shooting. ELAC freshman guard Tiffani Martinez is known for her threepoint shooting. The all-conference first team player went one of 10 from three in the first half. Martinez is a difference-maker. Considering that each quarter is 10 minutes, she took only one minute of rest out of the 40 minutes of play. Martinez’s shooting improved in the third quarter when she made a three-pointer falling on her back as she got fouled by a Santa Ana defender. The three-pointer sparked a swing in momentum in favor of the Huskies as she finished with 16 points. “I was thinking too much in the first half, so coach in the locker room at the half told me stop thinking about it and just shoot the way I normally do. So I came out and got that better half,” Martinez said. Freshman center Anastasia Tsybaeva came off the bench and led the Huskies with a doubledouble.
Staff Writer
CN/DIEGO LINARES
ANOTHER ONE—Sophomore forward Jessica Sanchez attempts a jump shot in the South Gym against Santa Ana College on Feb. 26.
Tsybaeva’s 6-foot-6 frame caused problems for SAC. She finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and surpassed her season averages. “Coach and I worked one-on-one on some stuff yesterday (the day before the game) like the banker (a bank shot off the glass) so that definitely helped out. We worked on keeping the ball high and going for easy shots, ” Tsybaeva said. SAC came in with their all-state player, freshman forward Blaysen Varnadoe, who had a double-double and a game-high 25 points with her 10 rebounds. Varnadoe might have had a better game if not for her four fouls. Five
fouls would have disqualified her and she spent many minutes on the bench because of foul trouble. ELAC sophomore guard Yasmine Tweedy made sure to be aggressive when she drove to the basket. Three of the five starters for SAC had four fouls. One starter fouled out of the game. Tweedy forced many SAC players to foul her. She made 10 of 13 free throws and finished with 14 points. Coach Turner said he would not walk away with a smile because the end goal is a title. However, he did have good things to say about his team “I really like how our freshman
played tonight: Alissa Gomez, Ana (Tsybaeva), (and) Kamara Smith. Who ever gets to play us has a fight on their hands. It was not our best game, but we’ll take. It was a B-plus game. They played really hard,” Turner said. ELAC will play No. 14 Pasadena City College tonight at home at 5 p.m. PCC upset No. 3 Ventura College, 72-65. ELAC assistant coach Wilbert Knight said he hoped to play PCC because it is a rematch game that still stood out in the minds of players and coaches. PCC beat ELAC by 24 points on Feb. 12.
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Defensive execution and lategame free throws earned the men’s basketball team a second round playoff win against Cerritos College on Feb. 27 in overtime by the score of 68-63. An East Los Angeles College v. Cerritos matchup never fails to entertain. However, the last game between the two teams on Jan. 20, was a high scoring game that ended 93-87, an ELAC victory in overtime as well. This time around, it was a game where both teams focused on intense defense. “Anybody who’s here at this point can play good defense. Cerritos did a good job defensively and so did we. It was a physical game. We didn’t do what we needed to do on offense to be more successful, but our defense is what I was very proud of,” head coach John Mosley said. “Cerritos did a good job defensively and so did we. It was a physical game. We didn’t do what we needed to do on offense to be more successful, but our defense is what I was very proud of.” ELAC shot 31 percent from the floor and 22 percent from the three-point line, but did not let its offensive struggles phase them. “It was frustrating, but we knew we would have a tough time scoring. We just wanted to rebound and defend. That ended up pulling out the win for us,” sophomore guard Iziahiah Sweeny said. “In the first half we weren’t really distributing the ball. In the second half we got rid of that and we started moving the ball around and that’s why the outcome was we won the game,” sophomore forward Richard Bivens said. Sweeny and Bivens were ELAC’s
leading scorers with 12 points apiece ELAC was impressive on defensive and held Cerritos freshman guard Luis Medearis to only four points. Meadearis in the last match up against the Huskies scored 25 points. With the score tied 56-56 the Cerritos defense forced Sweeny into a tough shot with three seconds left and the rebound was batted out as time expired forcing OT. In overtime, ELAC gained an early five point lead with the score 62-57, the Falcons were forced to call a timeout. After cutting the Huskies’ lead to three, the Falcons had a chance to tie the game at the one minute mark, with a wide open corner three-point shot by sophomore guard Khalid Washington that was just off. “This game was won because we got stops when we needed too, made free throws when we needed too, and got rebounds when we needed to,” Mosley said. Bivens controlled the boards, four of his nine rebounds came in overtime. “Our motto is to play defense and rebound. The offense will come later,” Bivens said. In the CCCAA Socal Regional playoffs, the road for ELAC does not get any easier. Today the Huskies will face off against a fourth seed Mount San Jacinto College (26-5) at home, at 7 p.m. MSJC is coming off a 64-59 win against Cypress. “I know we have a tough playoff bracket, but we’ve been grinding all season long. I believe our chances are high to make it to State (the state championship game) if we keep playing our game,” Sweeny said. For the complete story of both articles, visit elaccampusnews.com.