Volume 75, Issue 20
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Wednesday, april 26, 2017
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CN/STEVEN ADAMO
Women in STEM tell stories of obstacles BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer A panel of women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields shared their experiences with sexism at the Celebrating Equity: Women in STEM panel on Thursday. Panelist Tama Hasson, Ph.D., who works with undergraduates in research, recalled a moment in college when a young man asked if she needed to see his notes. “Just because I am a girl doesn’t mean I’m not smarter than you are,” Hasson said. According to the Higher Education Research Institute at University of California, Los Angeles, fourth-grade boys and
girls report similar rates of interest in science. In college, however, only 17 percent of women prefer studies in a STEM field compared to 32 percent of men. Hasson and other women quit their University of California, San Diego faculty positions to work at UCLA after repeatedly being dismissed and talked over. “It was an exodus of the extra X chromosomes leaving the Y’s behind,” Hasson said. Most of the panel had a negative experience to share. “In Russia, there’s no such thing as equal opportunity,” Alena Ananyeva, Ph.D., and research specialist at Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in Pasadena, said.
When she was in graduate school, her professor introduced her to a visiting professor from Moscow. When her professor explained that she was working toward a doctorate in physics, the visiting professor smiled, then replied “that is great because I’m actually looking for a secretary.” “This professor, who works with students and is a big part of society, was OK to make this joke and nobody would judge him,” Ananyeva said. Melody Araya, Master of Science, works on software that helps scientists at LIGO collaborate securely from one part of the world to another. She described how she was treated differently in school
for being a woman. “When I brought up an idea, it was always questioned. But if the same idea was brought up by a man, it was ‘Oh, that’s a great idea,’” Araya said. Dawn Digrius, Ph.D., panelist and senior project manager for California State Polytechnic, Pomona shared one example of how she felt dismissed during class: “One professor in class said There are two types of archeologists: hairy chested and hairy chinned,’ and all of my female peers asked ‘Where do we fit?’” “One of the things we all experienced as women in the field is the fact that we have to work harder, we have to sweat more and
we had to endure better,” Digrius said. But according to Hasson, there are signs that it is getting better. “Every hire in the life sciences division since I’ve been at UCLA has been either a woman, a minority or a minority woman. Diversity is a huge part of what our campus is trying to do to make our faculty reflect our student body,” Hasson said. Ananyeva said she is treated like an equal member of her group at LIGO. “This is a huge contrast between the cultures of Russia and the United States,” Ananyeva said. At LIGO, Ananyeva and Araya collaborate with scientists worldwide to prove Einstein’s
General Theory of Relativity. On September 14, 2015, gravitational waves were detected for the first time using LIGO’s technology, which measures the ripples of space-time caused by black holes or supernovas. “I don’t want to see the examples that I’ve experienced, and some of the examples you’ve been hearing, to happen continuously. We want that to be something that happened in the past,” Digrius said. “We need you, because in order to change things at an institutional level, you all have to persist and push for these changes.” For more information on the ELAC STEM Program, contact Armando M. Rivera, Ph.D., dean of STEM at (323) 780-6730.
VPAM exhibits art on colonialism’s impact BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer "A Decolonial Atlas” is a striking and insightful exhibit at the Vincent Price Art Museum that brings up questions about colonialism by drawing context from Latin American history. The collaboration between Yreina D. Cervantez and the VPAM will highlight 40 years of the artist’s work and showcase the work of several other Latino and Latina artists until July 22. Many might recognize Cervantez’s mural, “La Ofrenda,” located under the First Avenue Bridge in Downtown Los Angeles. The mural was painted in 1989 and depicts the first female Mexican American union leader,
News Briefs
Dolores Huerta. “I think it’s important (to portray women of color in art) because there weren’t many positive portrayals of Chicanos and Chicanas when I was a young women, but particularly Chicanas. The images you did see were very stereotypical. You almost didn’t see any people of color at all in the media,” Cervantez said. Cervantez’s work is politically charged and is a prime example of the art that emerged from the Chicano art movement that started in the ‘60s. She has been involved in several feminist movements, social justice movements and currently teaches Chicano studies at the California State University, Northridge. “An artist like (Cervantez) is very important to our community,”
VPAM director Pilar Tompkins Rivas said. “A lot of the artists in this exhibit are looking at long periods of time and a deeply rooted colonial past in their work,” Rivas added. Rivas said the topic of colonialism is still relevant today. She elaborated by saying that resistance movements, like the Stand With Standing Rock movement, have their roots in America’s colonial past. Standing Rock received international media attention when a coalition of Native American tribes and supporters from around the world protested a project to build an oil pipeline on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
COLONIAL Continued on page 4
HIV/Hepatitis empowerment Project SAFE-LA will present a storytelling workshop to bring awareness to STDs, substance abuse and more. The workshop will take place Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in G1-301 AB. RSVP at: elacdreamresourcecenter@gmail.com.
CN/IVAN CAZARES
BOTANICA—Allison Diaz looks at “Botanica, Deer, House, Coyote, Conejo” at the Vincent Prince Art Museum. Artist Raul Baltazar blends imagery of alternative medicine shops called botanicas and contemporary culture.
Book discussion Writer Reyna Grande will discuss“The Distance Between Us,” a memoir of her life as an undocumented child in the US, today from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in G3 Foyer, and tomorrow in room 112 in South Gate from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Correction In last week’s “Workshop serves as awakening for athletes” article, it was wrongly reported that it was the sixth annual workshop. It was, in fact, the 16th year the workshop was held.
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017
Workshops on sexual assault inform students BY MEGAN G. RAZZETTI AND GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer Sex trafficking, undocumented survivors of sexual assault and sexual consent were all the topics of workshops the past week for Sexual Assault Awareness month. The Sex Trafficking workshop w a s h e l d l a s t Tu e s d a y. T h e workshop was presented by the East Los Angeles College Sexaul Assault Awareness Violence Education and East Los Angeles Women’s Center. “Sex traffickers can look so innocent,” said ELAWC Outreach Specialist Lisa Vargas. The use of social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook are just a few places where sex traffickers look for their victims. The use of social media is just onr of the many tactics sex traffickers use to lure victims into a life of slavery. Vargas says that social media is also used to groom underage pornography and other sex services. “There is a huge market for children,” said Vargas. “ There are men out there who are willing to pay more to have sex with a child than a woman.” Adults are more likely to buy and sell children because they can be groomed from a young age. “Growing up, you are able to do what you want with them and help them grow into this kind of service,” Claudia Arevalo, Hotline Coordinator of East Los Angeles Women’s Center, said. Victims of sex trafficking are made up of those living in poverty, addicted to drugs or runaways. Gang affiliation is also a factor, which includes selling women or prostitution within a gang or others for a profit. “Use a slave to catch a slave,” said Arevalo. This is a Sudanese phrase used by traffickers to influence others into joining. “In sex trafficking, victims are being forced to do things,often they are not getting the money or drugs that they were promised,” said Vargas. Some of the risks victims come
EDITOR IN CHIEF Megan G. Razzetti MANAGING EDITOR Stephanie Guevara ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo Anastasia Landeros FRONT EDITOR Dorany Pineda
OPINION EDITOR Felipe Rodriguez
across include but are not limited to: unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, HIV/AIDS, severe physical injury, malnutrition, abuse and trauma. The Legal Rights for Undocumented Survivors workshop was held from on We d n e s d a y. A n g e l a M c N a i r Turner, staff attorney at the Los Angeles Center for law and justice, and Amy Goldman, supervising attorney at neighborhood legal service of L.A. County. This workshop provided information on different types of immigration statuses, which are available to those who are suffering from domestic and mental abuse. The immigration statuses are U-Visa, a nonimmigrant visa that is meant for victims of crimes and abuse, the T-Visa, a visa for human trafficking victims, and the Violence Against Women Act, which investigates and prosecutes violent crime against women. According to Goldman, applicants have to work very closely with law enforcement and go through the court process. Whether the case is successful or not, it doesn’t affect the applicant that is applying. Once the case is closed, the next step is meeting
with an attorney to start the U-Visa petition but they need a police certification which states this person was helpful. “Without a certification from law enforcement there is no path to U-Visa,” said Goldman. The letter of approval or denial will take up to two years. However, applications are limited to 10,000 cases a year with a waiting list, which can take at least five years. “Our advice now in general is for those who are undocumented without status to not leave home with their identification that shows their country of origin,” said Goldman. T-Visa is the same as a U-Visa but works differently because it involves human trafficking and sexual assault. According to Turner, “There are a lot less of them to file.” Law enforcements needs to be involved in these case as well. The VAWA applies not only to women who are without immigration status but for men who are victims of sexual abuse. It can also apply to children. Victims need to provide legal documentations that they were married and provide police reports of abuse. “The best proof in
our cases if they have children together” Goldman said. If the man or woman gets a dissolution of marriage and believe they can’t qualified for the VAWA anymore, that is not the case. “You have to file within two years before the divorce is final” Turner said. The Healthy Consent and Sexual Assault workshop, which was held from on Thursday. To provide students with further information, Eileen Ie, sociology professor at East Los Angeles College put together the workshop and explained why getting the word out about sexual assault is crucial. Ie showed FBI statistics that said, one in every three women have been sexually assaulted in some way. Those statistics are based off on the cases that are reported to the police. Ie asked the audience to raise their hands if they knew someone who had been sexually assaulted in some way. Half of the audience raised their hands. “Now, out of those people who have their hands raised, keep your hand up if they reported it or went to the police,” Ie said. The
Conference provides pathways for students BY SERGIO BERRUETA Staff Writer The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco has teamed up with East Los Los Angeles College to assemble their first joint outreach conference on Friday. The conference, in conjunction with ELAC Economics Department, will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank in Downtown Los Angeles. The event will include a speech by a keynote speaker yet to be announced. “We hope that students will gain perspective on the different career paths in the field of economics,” economics professor Humberto Merino-Hernandez said. “In particular, we want to expose attendees to as many roles as possible including economic research, banking supervision/ regulation, and cash operations.” After the keynote speech,three one-hour sessions will focus on the inner workings of the Federal Reserve as well as personal wealth and career goals. Guests can attend a tour of cash operations to see how the federal currency is processed followed by a lecture on how to manage personal finance and credit scores. A job-readiness workshop will be devoted to résumé-= writing and interviewing from Human Resources within the Federal Reserve. It will also discuss how to network with a personal brand on social media avenues for future jobs and internships. A luncheon with a question and answer panel with bank officials and employees speaking about their current roles within the Reserve
CN/STEVEN ADAMO audience hands went down. People don’t feel comfortable going to the police when sexual abuse occurs. The main reason is how little can be done without hard evidence. In a court case, evidence must be shown to prove the charges being pressed against an individual, Ie says. When sexual assault occurs to an individual, the crucial thing to do is to take off all articles of clothing that were worn during and after the rape, put them in a bag and go to a nearby clinic or hospital. “They can perform a rape kit on the victim” Ie said. The rape kit collects any body fluids, such as semen, to test against the suspect and see if the DNA matches. Ie also explained how the victim usually knows the attacker. There are cases where the attacker was a stranger but incest rape is more common. Rape doesn’t occur to just women, according to Ie. Men are just as likely to be pursued and attacked. Most don’t come forward, feeling that they will bring shame to their families. Rene Ruada, Jocelyne Romo and Steven Garcia contributed to this story.
NEWS EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro FEATURE EDITORS Maria Isabel Cubillo Roslin Ojeda ARTS EDITOR Ivan Cazares SPORTS EDITORS Tiana Hunter Noe Ortega ONLINE EDITOR Dan Gudino COPY EDITORS Rogelio Alvarez Diego Linares Russell Zazueta CARTOONISTS Jose Guillen Steven Adamo STAFF WRITERS Jordan Elias Hector Gomez Jose Guillen Christian Horta Christina Rodriguez Francisco Portillo STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jorge Aldaco Christopher Reynoso ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Augustine Ugalde ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez
will also be provided. After the panel, guests will be able to network with the speakers as well with those in attendance. “We want those in attendance to acquire guidance from human resources professionals who review resumes and cover letters on a daily basis. By equipping students with best practices, we hope to make them competitive for internship openings within government and quasi-government agencies,” Merino-Hernandez said. Students majoring in economics can attend, but other students interested in economics can attend as well. “As a former ELAC Husky, I had the opportunity to intern for Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco during my sophomore year,” Merino-Hernandez said. “Although this was a great learning experience, I realized that the Federal Reserve System was not as diverse as I had expected.” Merino-Hernandez discovered that the economics field was not diverse, with few women and even fewer representations of minorities. He also realized most were not aware of different career path within the field of economics. Merino-Hernandez says that he wanted to help ELAC students with career opportunities in economics and after a few meetings with his former supervisor Andres Curtolo, they agreed on creating awareness for students. According to Hernandez, they want to equip students with “professional development tools” to help them get internships. The event will begin at 7:15 a.m. until 2 p.m. For more information, contact Merino-Hernandez at humbertomerino@live.com.
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Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017
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Softball ends eight-game losing streak BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer The Huskies ended its season 18-22 overall and 3-9 in the South Coast Conference-North. Yesterday East Los Angeles College defeated Chaffey College 6-5 in a back-and-forth game to break an eight-game losing streak last Thursday. In the bottom of the seventh inning, ELAC was tied 5-5 and had a player on first and second base when freshman right-fielder, Destiny Avena, slammed the ball towards center-field to bring home sophomore offensive player Griselda Vasquez to win the game for the Huskies. “I didn’t feel nervous at bat. For some reason I felt like I was at ease, because I felt that the batter before me got her job done and I felt like it was my turn to get my job done. I felt like the pressure was off when the person in front of you got their job done,” said Avena. ELAC is out of contention to make the playoffs even with Thursday's win. ELAC freshman backup catcher Ashley Castillo made a risky play in the bottom of the seventh inning with a bunt that Chaffey freshman relief pitcher Jocelyn Juarez could’ve easily thrown to home plate to win the game for them.
The Huskies took the lead early in the first inning after freshman shortstop Angelica Gonzalez hit a run batted in, where freshman first baseman Samantha Alvarado scored the first run of the game. The Huskies continued to be aggressive after Vasquez hit a ball deep into the center-field to bring home sophomore third baseman Andrea Rocha and make the score 2-0. In the top of the third, Chaffey began to go on the offensive with an RBI double from freshman third baseman Amberly Dietrich that brought home sophomore shortstop Cassie Seymour and sophomore center-fielder Samantha Warner to tie the game 2-2. Chaffey then took the lead with an RBI single from sophomore leftfielder Joelie Whitson that brought home Dietrich and took the lead 3-2. The last time ELAC played Chaffey, the Huskies had a 11-5 lead over Chaffey going into the seventh inning and ended up losing that game 12-11. The Huskies were down by one run, but they immediately responded in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single from freshman center-fielder Mone’t Manning that brought home Rocha to tie the game 3-3. ELAC then took the lead after sophomore designated player Maddie Roberts hit an RBI single so that Vasquez could regain the lead for the
Huskies 4-3. In the sixth inning Vasquez switched to designated player while Alvarado moved to pitcher. Vasquez allowed three runs and nine hits. Alvarado came into the game with a player on first and second base and allowed a walk that loaded the bases. In an attempt to prevent Chaffey from tying the game, Avena threw the ball all the way from right field to home plate where freshman catcher Sandra Vargas got the first out for the Huskies. Vargas had to leave the game after colliding with Chaffey freshman catcher Bryana Martinez. Chaffey tied the game after Alvarado allowed her third walk on since switching to pitcher. “Obviously anytime you win it feels great, but this is a journey. We bring in these freshman for a two year process, so I love the growth that they’re doing,” said ELAC head coach Erika Blanco. Blanco says she is excited for next season’s team due to the majority of this year’s team being freshman. In the top of the fifth inning, the Huskies lost the lead off an RBI single from Chaffey thirdbaseman Dietrich. Chaffey is the only opponent in the SCC-North that ELAC was able to defeat in a three-game series. ELAC defeated Rio Hondo College 4-1 at home yesterday to finish third in the SCC-North.
CN/DIEGO LINARES
FOLLOW THROUGH—Andrea Rocha looks to keep a rally going during a 4-1 win in the last game of the season yesterday.
Losing streak ends baseball’s playoff hopes BY DAN GUDINO Staff Writer
CN/DIEGO LINARES
EYE ON THE BALL—Matthew Sosa, middle, swings at a pitch in front of Cerritos College catcher Christopher Gomez yesterday ina 6-5 win.
Baseball was eliminated from playoff contention after it was swept in a three-game series by Pasadena City College, finishing at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Memorial Field on Saturday in a 5-0 loss. East Los Angeles College is now on a six-game losing streak and it marks the fourth time this season the Huskies have been swept in a series. “I come out here feeling good everyday. I don’t know what these guys (ELAC players) are thinking. We’re playing baseball and some guys are taking it for granted. There’s no sense of urgency.” ELAC head coach James Hines said. In the three-game series ELAC was bombarded with 25 runs, as the Huskies only scored three. In the final game ELAC failed to score and Pasadena was crowned South Coast Conference-North Champions, its first title in 45 years. ELAC’s sophomore right fielder, Kyle Francis, was the most productive player of the day,
H U S K I E S
Sports Updates Volleyball Last week ELAC sophmore Esther Duru committed to California State University, Dominguez Hills on an athletic scholarship. She will join the Toros volleyball team as a middle and opposite hitter. Duru led the South Coast conference as a statistical leader: no. 1 Hitter and Attack percentage, no. 1 Blocker, and no. 4 Service Aces. She also ranked as the no. 2 Blocker in the State and the no. 4 Hitter and Attack percentage leader. Other accolades: 2016 1st Team All Conference Player and Team Player of the Week (4x).
Swimming and Dive East Los Angeles College competed in the South Coast Conference Swimming Championships on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mount San Antonio College. ELAC placed third at the SCC Championships this weekend. Freshman Crystal Rubalcava won first place in the 200-yard butterlfy consolation finals on Saturday. Freshman Jessenia Barberena placed sixth in the 200-yard backstroke, while sophomore Irene Young placed fourth.
She will graduate in Spring 2017 with an AA degree in Sociology.
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going 3 for 3, hitting three singles and walked once. Freshman Ryan Orozco, in his second start of the season displayed a poor performance. Orozco was pegged with all five Pasadena runs, in six innings, walking two and striking out two. In the third inning Orozco conceded a home run blasted to left field, by PCC’s left fielder, Shane Ogata. It was Orozco’s second allowed homer of the year. Last Thursday in a 4-2 loss at home, ELAC held a 2-1 lead into the third inning, but PCC took back the lead for good, when PCC first baseman Jeremy Conant, lifted a two-run slam over the right field fence, taking a 3-2 lead. ELAC pitcher Alex Carrillo, who is considered the team’s ace, who has been far from terrific, has two wins this season and recorded his sixth loss of the season. Carrillo recorded the most innings he’s pitched all season long, going eight innings. Last Tuesday, in game one of the series, the season turned for the worse and was a sign the season would go without a playoff berth, with ELAC losing 16-1 at Robinson Memorial. It was ELAC’s worst loss of the
season and its worst in six seasons. This will mark the second straight season that ELAC will not make the playoffs. Utility man reshman Matthew Sosa finishes the season as the top hitter on the team, finished with the most team hits (54), most runs (30) and best batting average at .349. On the pitching side, sophomore Richard Escobedo had the most reliable arm this season. Escobedo had the most pitching appearances with 17 and allowed 15 runs, striking out 35 in 45 innings of work. He finished with the best earned run average among those who appeared in five or more games at 2.30. Escobedo according to three other players has the best opportunity to play at the next level of all players. The best overall player this year was sophomore outfielder Kyle Francis. Francis was the most versatile player on the team, playing in the outfield, pitched when called to, and strictly hit as a designated hitter in games and played some first base too. ELAC defeated Cerritos College 6-5 at Cerritos. The Huskies will play their final game of the season at home tomorrow at 6 p.m.
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017
Contemporary art narrates history COLONIAL Continued from page 1
Though the movement failed to stop the building of the pipeline, it inspired a surge of interest in the struggles of indigenous peoples. The exhibit displays a variety of vibrant paintings that draw inspiration from Meso American art. Rivas said the art selected c o m p l e m e n t s t h e V PA M ’s permanent collection, which includes several art pieces, sculptures and pottery produced by Meso American cultures. There is also an elaborate collage of decorated axes and other items that draw inspiration from botanicas. Botanicas are small shops that sell herbs and traditional remedies. They also sell charms, incense, candles and other items used in spiritual and religious rituals. Even with advancements in modern medicine, botanicas are still popular among Latin American communities and have a deeply rooted history.The first floor of the exhibit is dedicated to Cervantez’s work. The second floor focuses on videos that portray life across Latin America. Some videos visually narrate the destruction of cultures by colonialism and conquests
CN/JORGE ALDACO
UNSTABLE—Carmen Robles and Elena Flores converse at the Vincent Price Art Museum on April 22.
CN/IVAN CAZARES
WELCOMING—Yreina D. Cervantez (right) takes photos with guests on April 22 during the opening night of A Decolonial Atlas. The art exhibit showcases 40 years of the artist’s work and the work of several other Latino and Latina artists. through war. One in particular, by Guatemalan contemporary artist Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa, depicts a collision of different periods of architecture in Guatemala. The video uses music and performers in rudimentary costumes of buildings to create a brief but
impactful narrative of the country’s colonial history. The images and sounds are odd and thoughtprovoking. None of them use a traditional story telling structure. A Decolonial Atlas continues the museum’s tradition of hosting intriguing exhibits. Visiting
should be on everyone’s to-do list, especially East Los Angeles College students’. The VPAM is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. It’s open on Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. For more information, or to schedule a tour, call (323) 265-8841.
CN/JORGE ALDACO
ODD—VPAM visitors look at work by contemporary artist Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa on the second floor of the VPAM.
Applied music students show off talent, hard work at recital BY MARIA CUBILLO Staff Writer Attendees were transported to a 1930s opera, a party out of the “Great Gatsby” and a walk through the woods by the musical performances of students of the Applied Music Program. The recital featured Yunting Xie, an East Los Angeles College graduate who now attends the University of Southern California’s School of Music. She performed three pieces: Bach’s “Prelude, English Suite No. 2,” Haydn’s “Sonata in F, Hob. XXIII, Mvt. I” and Debussy's “Pagodes (from: Estampes).” Her piano interpretations were captivating, and the audience became lost in the music. The audience applauded and shouted bravo for Alfred Reganyan. Reganyan performed Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Prelude & Fugue in F sharp Major.” The melody felt like a playful walk in the woods with fragments of suspense.
CN/IVAN CAZARES
CLASSICAL—Simiao Xiao plays an interpretation of “Suite No. 2” by Johann Sebastian Bach on her viola. Tenor vocalist Eddie Gutierrez’s interpretation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Der Vogelfänger” transported the audience to a 1930s opera by combining an upbeat melody with gestures as he performed the song. "I did the hand gestures in order for the audience to understand what
I am trying to sing about," Gutierrez said. Hadassah Meneses, a former applied music program student, said she could see the progress of each student, and that all of the performances evoked emotions in her. "Each performer had a piece
CN/IVAN CAZARES
JAZZ—Arturo Gallardo performs “What’s New” by Bob Haggard on his tenor saxophone.
of their soul within their piece," Meneses said. When Monique Mauries performed Robert Schumann’s “Du bist wie eine Blume,” the audience was treated to an upbeat “Great Gatsby” themed party. Simiao Xiao’s interpretation of Bach's "Prelude from Suite No. 2"
strayed from its original composition to the delight of the audience. The piece was intended for a cello, which creates a more somber tone, but she performed it with a viola, changing its pitch and making it livelier. The audience then traveled to the French countryside when
Selene Fernandez performed Franz Schubert’s “Seligkeit.” The white dress and white headband of Fernandez projected the joyfulness of the music and vocals. Melinda Hovesepian and Juan Gamez’s interpretation of Samuel Barber’s “Pas de Deux” was somber with touches of hope. Vocalist Eugene Lopez sang Roger Quilter ’s “Come Away Death” in baritone. His interpretation of the lyrics were mellow and reflective. Michael Cooper’s interpretation of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Allegro con brio” was energetic performed the composition with sounds that transmitted a rush of emotions The audience was able to immerse themselves into the somberness of Arturo Gallardo’s interpretation of Bob Haggard’s “What’s New,” and the composition swiftly went into light hearted moments at times. The accompanying audio had minor glitches from a scratched CD, but his tenor voice made the technical difficulties easy to overlook.
‘Unforgettable’ cast fails to portray emotion, sense of realism BY GIL MILANES Contributing Writer “Unforgettable” is a femalecentered film focused on a love triangle that lacks true-to-life drama and fails to show genuine emotions. Rosario Dawson as Julia, Katherine Heigl as Tessa, and Geoff Stults as David star alongside Cheryl Ladd and Isabella Rice in this R rated Warner Brothers film. “Unforgettable” focuses on a year in the life of Julia, Tess and David. In that short period, the cast fails to properly portray what actually happens in a real-life divorce. Often, divorce creates tension between the persons involved. In the film, the main characters don’t show any of that emotion. Instead, Tessa and David act civilized as if there was no love ever between them, even though they have a seven-year-old daughter. The acting could have been better, especially in Stults’ portrayal as David. His character is mellow, even in scenes where he’s supposed to be tough. The film begins with the end of the story to capture the audience’s attention, and to make moviegoers wonder why Julia is
being interrogated with a face full of wounds. There are stereotypes throughout the film, particularly between the two main characters. Tessa has long blonde hair, dresses formal in light colors and drives what seems to be an expensive car. Julia, however, has darker skin, black curly hair, wears shorts and drives a small Ford. Julia seems to come from a working class background, and is portrayed as a weak woman. Tessa, on the other hand, comes from an upper-class background, is obsessed with perfection and is portrayed as a strong woman who handles conflict differently. During a confrontation between Julia and Tessa, Julia cries and wonders if she can keep up her relationship with David, while Tessa goes horseback riding to release her anger. Tessa’s mother, played by Cheryl Ladd, encoded the idea of perfection into her. Her obsession with perfection is so ridiculous, for example, she criticizes Tessa for not having her silverware well polished. Both Tessa and her mother act independent, but Tessa’s mother contradicts that by claiming to Tessa that she has done everything to help
her have David by her side. The female actors do a good job portraying their characters, though they could show more emotion. The story is, for the most part, predictable. It follows the typical Hollywood structure, where the bad character dies and the good characters have their happy ending. Even though the writer of “Unforgettable” is a woman, it doesn’t seem like either female characters were empowering or empowered by their story line. The film lacked focus in some details. Julia never visited Tessa’s home, but somehow Julia knows where Tessa lives, as well as her way around the house. Some camera angles are distorted. In some scenes, images looked blurry and seemed like it was not done intentionally. It seems like the camera was defective during filming and production opted to ignore the problem by not reshooting. “Unforgettable” could have been a better film if it was more relatable. The director fails to make sure the cast portrays emotion. The time lapse was too condensed and that could have been the reason why the cast couldn’t execute the acting properly.
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES
FAREWELL—Julia’s close friend, played by Whitney Cummings (left), surprises Julia, played by Rosario Dawson, with a cake at her job’s going away party.
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