NEWS ELAC celebrates Cinco de Mayo with style
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Volume 73, Issue 21
FEATURES
ART
Speech team award for the second consecutive year
‘El Bracero’ blends love and history through mariachi music
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Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
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CN/JULIE SANTIAGO
CN/DIEGO LINARES
CN/JADE INGLADA
CN/JULIE SANTIAGO
CN/DIEGO LINARES
CN/ROGELIO ALVAREZ
CN/DIEGO LINARES
CN/IVAN CAZARES CN/ROGELIO ALVAREZ
FIGHTING FOR US—Secretary Hillary Clinton speaks to an energetic crowd about her policies on free
community college tuition if elected president last Thursday in the South Gym. Protesters stand on both sides of the exit as Clinton supports leave the South Gym.
Battle for East Los Angeles College
Clinton speaks to Elans BY IVAN CAZARES AND MEGAN G. RAZZETTI Staff Writers The South Gym’s floor was filled with Hillary Clinton supporters Thursday while an estimated 200 protesters gathered on Avenida Cesar Chavez. There were many people waiting in line who didn't make it into the rally. It was the Democratic Presidential Candidate’s 11th visit to the Los Angeles area since the start of her campaign. The former Secretary of State spoke to her supporters about the importance of education and what she referred to as “the fight for comprehensive immigration reform.” Clinton pushed her position on equal pay for women and paid family leave.
“We’re also going to follow California’s lead and make sure we have paid family leave for working families,” she said. “I will do everything I can to make the economy work for everybody, to help more people lift themselves out of poverty, lift themselves into the middle class and go as far as their hard work and talents will take them.” Members of the ELAC community came to see Clinton. “I’m so excited that she’s (Clinton) is on the campus where I’m teaching,” ELAC French professor Rebecca Ebin said. “I’ve been working here for 10 years and this is the biggest event on a national level that has happened during my time here.” Ebin explained her reasons for supporting Clinton are due to her thoughts on the importance of education.
“Of course I want free tuition at the community colleges,” Ebin said. “I feel Hilary shares those views.” Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti was among the speakers at the event. “This isn't about building walls, it's about building bridges,” Garcetti said. Garcetti and other speakers emphasized a united front against Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Clinton criticized Trump on his stance on immigration. She called him a “loose cannon” and someone who should not be in the Oval Office. “I don’t want a president that is obsessed with the size of his hands. I want a president that is obsessed with the size of our middles class,” Garcetti said.
HILLARY Continued on page 3
Protesters rally against Clinton BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer Hundreds of protesters rallied on Avenida Cesar Chavez on Thursday in opposition to Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton’s visit to East Los Angeles College. As attendees of Clinton’s speech left the men’s gym, protesters surrounded them on both sides. Several supporters of Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders shouted “ELAC is for Bernie.” The crowd of protesters was mixed, with youth making up the majority of the demographic. Union del Barrio of Los Angeles, MEXA of ELAC, the Los Angeles Brown Berets, Black Lives Matter and several other organizations mobilized at Belvedere Park around 3 p.m. and marched to ELAC where they met with other
Clinton protesters. Signs that read, “Liar Liar pants on fire! Sincerely, ELAC,” “Put her in jail: war criminal,” “Stop representing corporate interests and start representing the interests of of the people,” and “I lost my house. Hillary voted to bail out Wall Street and they paid her millions. Where’s my bail-out?” among many others, littered the horizon. ELAC students and protesters filled the streets chanting, “The students united will never be divided!,” “Hillary, fuera de East LA!,” “We’re not rich!,” and “We’re not illegal, we’re indigenous!” Former student, president of the student body and MEChA coach at ELAC, Sofia Quinonez, spoke passionately to protesters about her opposition of Clinton and her policies. “Hillary is not for the
environment. She supports the privatization of water. Without water, there is no life. “She killed Berta Caceres. She killed children in Libya. She has blood on her hands. Get out of East LA!” Quinonez shouted. Caceres was an Honduran indigenous leader and environmental activist who was murdered in her home earlier this year. In 2009, then the Secretary of State, Clinton was involved in the ousting of former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. At the time, Clinton openly criticized the ousting of Zelaya as a coup, but in the last several months has suggested that the raid into Zelaya’s home was conducted in accordance to orders from the country’s Supreme Court.
PROTEST Continued on page 3
Protesters interrupt ceremony to voice demands BY JOSE ROJAS Staff Writer Protesters interrupted the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Campus Student Center to make their demands for a resource center for AB540 and undocumented students heard on Thursday. Protesters gathered in front of Helen Miller Bailey Library in solidarity with undocumented who are demanding a resource center. They were moved by Los Angeles County Sheriff
News Briefs
Department to the Free Speech Area. The peaceful protest was organized by the Students for Equal Rights Club, a student club at East Los Angeles College committed to providing support and advocating for undocumented students. SER and other organizations like MECHA can be seen on campus collecting signatures in support of a resource center for undocumented students. SER is demanding an undocumented and AB540 student resource center that will help
empower them to achieve their educational goals, overcome legal and financial obstacles and achieve their long-term goals. According to SER, every year 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools, and only five to ten percent of these graduates go onto higher education. California is home to 38,000 of these students of which 34,000 enroll in community colleges. CN/IVAN CAZARES
RESOURCE CENTER Cont. on page 4 PROTESTA—Protestors including members of MECHA de ELAC and the Students for Equal Rights Club reorganize in front of the Free Speech Area after being moved by sheriffs.
LAPD hiring seminar and exam
Job and career fair
ASU elections results
Los Angeles Police Department will have a seminar and exam hiring at the South Gate Educational Center on Monday. The workshop starts at 11 a.m. and the exam at 12:15 pm. at room 107. For more information email officer Clark at 26195@lapd.lacity.org
East Los Angeles College will host a job and career fair on May 25 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the E3 quad. The fair is open to the community. Attendees are required to bring a resume and are recommended to come in professional attire.
Aurora Paredes, president, Brittany Ramirez, V.P., Jessica Ramirez, V.P. of Finances, Led Vera, treasurer, Areli Vargas, chief justice, Gilbert Vazquez, chief delegate and Monique Hernandez, secretary and Angel Gonzalez, Historian.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
Evil Trump against the United States BY DIEGO OLIVARES Staff Writer In light of Hillary Clinton's recent visit to East Los Angeles College, there something else that is far more concerning as of late. Yes, I’m of course, talking about the fact that billionaire/racist/mosthated scumbag in the world, Donald Trump is now the Republican presumptive nominee for President of the United States. And to be quite honest, I’m far more concerned about this than Clinton stopping by ELAC just to say hi. This is a guy who’s more in love with himself than America. When Trump announced that he was running for president last year, I personally thought it was a joke. I figured he’d be out in less than a month. I remember being driven home one night by co-workers shortly after he announced this. Many of them are Hispanic and they are deeply angry about his vicious comments about Mexicans. It actually pissed me off that Trump was even allowed to run for office, though the angerdidn’t end there. For nearly a year, Trump made racist and idiotic remarks about Muslims and other minorities. His political rallies would erupt in violence and insanity surely a clear sign of a twisted future ahead of us. Trump has even retweeted posts from a white supremacist on his Twitter account. Seriously, people? Are we allowing this guy the chance to run for president? The fact that he’s built up all this support and is now in this position is shocking, and to be honest, terrifying.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ivan Cazares MANAGING EDITOR Marcus Camacho ONLINE EDITOR IN CHIEF Julianne Obregon ONLINE EDITORS Stephanie Garibay, Diego Olivares Bryce Ronquillo ART DIRECTOR Jade Inglada FRONT EDITOR Stephanie Guevara
OPINION EDITOR Christopher Jimenez NEWS EDITOR Rogelio Alvarez
This is a man who pretty much has done everything to get people to hate him, shy of murdering, but one could never know. Yet, he has supporters who voted for him and built up this momentum. Seriously though, what the hell is going on here? Why are we allowing someone like Trump to get this far? I’m sorry, but just thinking about this makes me sick. I’m personally deeply angered by the people who’ve allowed Trump to get this far. This kind of thinking could put our country into serious jeopardy. To me, Trump getting into power is no different than Mussolini taking
over Italy and Hitler taking over Germany during the 1930s and 40s. It’s just a case of a power-hungry maniac coming into power of a country. A n d b a s e d a n T r u m p ’s background, he’ll most likely run the United States into the ground, possibly worse than Bush back in the 2000s. If anyone were to look up Trump’s business history, he has filed for bankruptcy four times. If this guy can’t even run a single business properly, what makes anyone think he could run the nation properly? One of the reasons he’s winning
is a combination of laziness and idiotic choices that’s growing in the American public and media. Those who vote for him are foolish for doing so and they should know better. If Trump were to win, and let’s pray to God that he doesn’t, they have nobody to blame but themselves if this country goes to hell under his command. For those who are being lazy, well it’s time to get up and do something about it. We the people have the power to prevent this and we should get up and take action. No one wants to wake up one morning to find out we’re in the middle of World War III thanks to
this nutjob. It wouldn’t surprise me if Trump were to respond to the countries declaring war on us by simply stating: “You’re fired.” The guy still probably thinks he’s on reality TV or something. Let’s just put it this way, Trump is a representation of the darker side of the American culture. Even many Republicans hate him, most likely because he’s giving them a bad name. The America that he’s promising us is one that could tear this country apart. This is the America that I and many others don’t want.
Tobacco use increased to an absurd 21 age BY CHRISTOPHER JIMENEZ Staff Writer Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to raise the age of buying tobacco to 21 on Wednesday. While the law does help to decrease bad health habits, it also has an impact on young adult smokers. California is the second state to raise the age of buying tobacco products, after Hawaii. This bill will take effect on June 9. As a 20-year-old student who has smoked cigarettes since the age of 16 and stopped now, stopping was a choice I made decrease financial and health issues. Many college students start smoking in their freshmen year and become addicted. I do not promote smoking. Addiction to tobacco is difficult to deal with and quit, but it is possible in many cases. California’s bill to raise the age to purchase and use tobacco at 21 is absurd. It is our choice to stop or keep on smoking. Most tobaccos users start smoking before the age of 21 and plenty of people try tobacco before the age of 18. Smoking tobacco and chewing tobacco is nothing new to this world. It has been going on for nearly 2000 years. It has also been growing in the Americas for 8000 years. Using
tobacco is choice many individuals have made. It is wrong to increase the age of buying any kind of tobacco. Around East Los Angeles College, there are students who smoke and vape, and there are some who look around the ages of 18-20. I was addicted to cigarettes since the age of 16, and I recently quit easily. My way of quitting an addiction this harmful to my health was to exercise, eat well, and focus more on what the money can be used for in the long run. Spending about $10 or more for two packs of cigarettes every other day would leave me broke for the rest of the month. That meant not going out with friends and enjoying myself because of my lack of money. This was a choice of mine. People can smoke all they want and live how they choose. There is a craze for people to vape. Vaping can be a solution to quitting cigarettes. There are cases in which people have gotten into vaping and showed zero addiction and evidence shows less harm comes from vaping. Now that the bill is passed and will go into effect, vaping will also be banned in schools, restaurants, movie theaters and other places where smoking cigarettes is also banned. People know that tobacco is unhealthy and there are plenty of
anti-tobacco ads and commercials. It also says so on the package of any tobacco products. The anti-smoking ads like thetruth. com show teens being peer pressured into smoking cigarettes. Thetruth.com try to drive into the trend such as “#finish it,” and many other hashtags. “#Finish it,” is a saying this organization says for this generation to stop smoking for good. Also, people who are under 21 will not be able to purchase tobacco, but also e-cigarettes, and vaping products. The use of e-cigarettes and vaping in many public places will be banned on June 9. This law will send an uproar throughout the state of California, because there are many young adult smokers. This law has given impetus to many anti-tobacco groups to gather signatures to increase the taxes of cigarettes from 87 cents per pack of cigarettes up to $2. Though many would disagree with me, a solution to this problem would be to let people decide for themselves. We are mature enough to stop this addiction in colleges, schools and homes. Individuals can seek help if they choose to, and that is their choice in life. We cannot force others to stop what they crave in everyday life.
CAMPUS
Former staff member’s feedback on opinion story Dear editor, After surfing the web and going to elaccampusnews.com, I read an opinion written by Bryce Ronquillo: Privacy laws protect our safety and at the end, he concludes by writing: Sacrificing privacy to save lives is worth it in the long run. I said, "Huh?" By denying the people privacy, we would be a lot safer? If that were true, why is the search parameters for terrorists in the U.S.? I thought that terrorist were foreigners? According to Internet Live Stats, an analytic group, there are more than 286 million internet users in the U.S. Imagine wiretapping those many people? Imagine monitoring all of them? Let's say that there are terrorists, how many of them are Asian or African (Muslims)? According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there are more right winged terrorists in the U.S. than Muslims, but the phobia of PoC outweighs the facts. Sacrificing privacy for freedom is not freedom at all but a way to censor thoughts and ideas under the guise of national security. As a reporter, what is stopping the government from censoring you? In all honesty, the real last bastion of free press is not CNN, The L.A. Times, the Post and so on, it's the college paper. Tell me what is stopping the government from censoring Campus News? The First Amendment? Tell that to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese American who were rounded up and sent to 10 concentration camps during WWII.The government has the resources to shut you down permanently. Yes, we need to protect ourselves from Muslim terrorists, if the phobia still exists. Google: George Bush Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and ISIS in Syria? Google: How Global Warming Helped Cause the Syrian War. The government needs to be transparent in what they do, not We the People. -T. Mamoru Hanami, Former Campus News Staff Writer
How do you feel about California increasing the age to buy tobacco to 21? “It’s good, because it gives them time to think if they want to do it.” ALEXANDER MARTIN DEL CAMPO
“This will save us from being too young to be smoking.”
SPORTS EDITOR Dan Gudino PHOTO EDITORS Eddie Garcia, Julie Santiago COPY EDITORS Kristen Garcia Elizabeth Toy CARTOONISTS Kristen Garcia STAFF WRITERS Gustavo Buenrostro, Johanna Calderon, Daniela Jalteco, Patricia Medina, Dorany Pineda, Gil Milanes, Jose Rojas, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Diego Linares, Julie Santiago Mayra S. Ventura
DISTRIBUTION Ivan Cazares ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez
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. 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 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.
IRONNE ARMENDARIZ
“People are still going to find a way to get cigarettes.”
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ELAC presents new buildings Cinco-de-Mayo style ELAC holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new buildings while students stage protests. BY STEPHANIE GARIBAY Staff Writer Although it was interrupted by protesters, East Los Angeles C o l l e g e ’s C i n c o d e M a y o celebration officially unveiled two new buildings, the renaming of one of the buildings and the new Campus Quad. “It’s always exciting to be back at East Los Angeles College, you never know what’s going to happen,” Ernest H. Moreno, member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District, said, referring to the protestors. Moreno, who was the former ELAC president, will now have the former Language Arts and Humanities, E3 Building named after him. Moreno was president of ELAC on January 1, 1994. He served as the president until his retirement in 2011. Shortly after, Moreno was elected to the Board of Trustees of the LACCD on March 5, 2013, after 42 years as a district employee. “I feel so honored, they named the biggest building in the district after
CN/EDDIE GARCIA
CELEBRATION DE MAYO—Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees President Scott Svonkin and former ELAC president Ernest H. Moreno, right center, cut the ribbon to celebrate the unveiling of the Campus Student Center, Campus Quad and Ernest H. Moreno (E3) Building. me. This poor kid from San Gabriel is now having a building named after him” Moreno said. The construction of the buildings, which Moreno helped design, was a 10-year process. “If me and you plan a building today, it doesn’t get built tomorrow. So student government and all the students who participated in planning all of this, envisioned this 10 years ago and they had a vision of what they wanted to have in the building,” Marvin Martinez, ELAC president, said.
“Many of the students who helped plan this came back today. It was a very special moment for them.” Apart from unveiling the biggest and only five-story community college building in the state, the celebration also revealed the new Campus Student Center, which houses the Associated Student Union offices, the new cafeteria, the Student Health Center, the offices for the faculty senate and the Transfer Center. “Prior to this facility, all of these offices were spread out across the
campus, so students had to walk to every corner of the campus in order to get these services.” “We are also unveiling the new campus quad. So when you combine the quad and the E3 building and everything else, now you have a campus life,” Martinez said. “Every campus must have that because that’s where students come together, that’s where they socialize, that’s where they connect. We’re really excited to have that because students from this community deserve it.”
ELAC is still in the process of demolishing all the old buildings to make room for the new ones. “The plan is to get rid of all the bungalows. We can’t do that yet because we need a place to put all the classes in,” Martinez said. Although the event was only supposed to be celebrating the new buildings, it took a political turn after protesters interrupted the event, blocking the stage and carrying banners that read, “Undocumented, unafraid and unapologetic.” “I don’t have a lot of concern with
students protesting because I used to protest when I was a student, but I do have a problem when they come and disrupt, but this is America, you have the right to do whatever you want to do,” Martinez said. Although the protest bothered some people, it did not bother Moreno. “I can assure you I’ve sat in my office many times through many protests for various reasons. It used to be protests about clean bathrooms and that includes the faculty protests too,” Moreno said.
Campus to prepare for simulated active shooter drill this Friday BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer East Los Angeles College will be hosting an active shooter drill May 13 from 7 a.m. to noon around the C2 bungalow area. The Sheriff’s Department will be in charge of the event, along with the Monterey Park Fire Department, California Highway Patrol and Emergency Medical Services. The drill will consist of two simulated active shooter situations in which two teams will neutralize each situation.
The drill will be staged on campus with volunteers playing the role of the “victims.” A helicopter will fly over the staged event and gunfire with blank bullets will be shot during the enactment. The school is simulating these situations so cadets-in-training can practice in case a similar situation occurs at the campus. If anything happens at ELAC, these people are more than likely to be the first responders to the situation. Students should be aware of this drill and not be alarmed when they hear gunshots fired or when they see
a helicopter flying over classrooms. will be an area for spectators to watch. Students Anyone in the should go about Monterey Park their day as usual and should The school is simulating community who would like to not leave the these situations so witness this drill classroom when cadets-in-training can is welcome. the exercise “My goal begins. practice in case a as the public They may similar situation occurs i n f o r m a t i o n also want to at the campus. reschedule any officer is to group meetings inform the that day as the students and enactment will faculty about be very loud and disruptive. There these kind of events. I want them
to know so that they will not be alarmed by the loud noises or the helicopter over a classroom.” public information officer Alejandro Guzman said. An active shooter is a person who possesses a firearm arm and brings it to a public place, like a school or a hospital. Not only is this drill intended to help the cadets who are training, but to also lower gun violence with prepared officers ready to handle a situation like this. This will not be the first time this kind of practice for law enforcement
has been held at ELAC. A few years ago, another active shooter drill was held on campus to help cadets get familiar with situations like those. However, this event is not held at ELAC every year. These drills take place all over the Los Angeles area and have been going on for over thirteen years. For more information about the Active Shooter Drill, contact Alejandro Guzman at (323) 2658944 or guzmana4@elac.edu or call the campus Sheriff’s Department at (323) 265-8800.
Protest: Anti-Clinton
protesters gather outside campus
now deemed by many as one of the worst foreign policy errors in Clinton’s hedging stance has American history. Clinton has since since earned her much criticism apologized for her pro-Iraq vote. James Duffy, protestor and from some Latinos. petitioner, was at ELAC on Thursday Many activists and world officials protesting Clinton’s appearance condemned the ousting as a military in LA. coup, a label that the Obama “(Clinton) is a fraud and the Administration did not officially use shill of corporate America. She because, under law, the U.S. would would make a bad then have had to cut president and her off aid to Honduras. position would Protester Carol “We’ve had mean another eight Paniagua held enough We need years of money-run a sign that read “#WhichHillary,” peace. Trillions of corporate-tocracy. S h e ’s s u b v e r t e d and “We have to dollars are spent p e o p l e ’s h o p e s , bring them to heel,” a reference to a speech on war and none and is aping Bernie Sanders. She’s mired that Clinton gave in on tuition.” in corruption and 1994, in which she fraud,” Duffy said. referred to AfricanAccording to the American youth as Washington Post, “super predators.” CAROL PANIAGUA Clinton has received One of Paniagua’s Protester $44.1 million total in biggest problem donations from Wall with Clinton is her Street, insurance policies on war. companies, banks, hedge funds “We’ve had enough. We need and other financial services funds, peace. Trillions of dollars are despite growing criticism on their spent on war and none on tuition,” practices. Paniagua said. Although a large population Clinton has received a lot of of the protesters that afternoon scrutiny in her run for presidency for were supporters of Bernie Sanders, persuading President Barack Obama several others emphasized that they to bomb Libya in 2011 during her were not endorsing any particular position as Secretary of State. candidate, but were there as “antiShe also voted in support of Hillary” protesters. the Iraq War in 2002, which is
PROTEST Cont. from page 1
CN/ROGELIO ALVAREZ
I’M WITH HER—Secretary Hillary Clinton announces to the audience that she would raise the minimum wage if elected
president during her visit to ELAC last Thursday in the South Gym.
Hillary: Secretary Clinton speaks at South Gym HILLARY Cont. from page 1 Garcetti and other speakers emphasized a united front against Trump. Clinton criticized Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump on his stance on immigration. She called him a “loose cannon” and someone who should not be in the Oval Office. “I don’t want a president that is obsessed with the size of his hands. I want a president that is obsessed with the size of our middles class,” Garcetti said. The hand comment is a reference to an exchange of crude comments between Trump
and Republican Marco Rubio about each other's reproductive organs. Garcetti also said Clinton was the candidate to elect to improve the country's education system and infrastructure. He said electing Clinton could help complete the eastside extension of the Metro Gold Line and could help provide Los Angeles Unified School District graduates with free community college. Los Angeles Valley College student, Yamilex Rustrian, 20, introduced Clinton before she took the stage. Rustrian shared her personal experiences growing up undocumented and fearful that
her family would be separated by deportation. She also stressed the importance of voting and how undocumented students can have their voices heard in the upcoming election. “I think it's the power of telling our stories. We’ve gone through so much struggle,” Rustrian said. “I was bullied when I was little, it took me a while to learn English, but you have to take that struggle, the struggle that we live through and share it and make other students that are able to vote see the privilege they have.” Some protesters attempted to disrupt Clinton’s speech. The Secret
Service and Montebello police intervened and escorted them out of the event. Attendees were greeted by protesters, organized by Union del Barrio, MEXA de ELAC and the Brown Berets. The rally suggested that Clinton has a portion of the Latino vote. However, some of her actions while serving as Secretary of State have earned her some criticism. Her stance on the ousting of former Honduran President Manuel Zelaya in particular has earned her criticism from some Latinos. Californians will vote in a partially closed primary on June 7.
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Feature
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
Speech team wins consecutive titles BY STEPHANIE GARIBAY Staff Writer For the second consecutive year, members of the East Los Angeles College speech team were awarded the national championship title in the 2016 Phi Rho Pi National Competitive Speaking Tournament for Community Colleges. Nearly 600 students from more than 60 colleges across the United States competed in the tournament. “I think what really helped us get through all of this was the fact that we are all really united. We’re like a family. With all the other schools, to me, it just felt like they’re not a family outside of speech,” Cheyenne Mendiola, speech team president, said. Altogether, the team won seven gold awards and four bronze awards at the tournament. “The tournament is kind of like a track and field event. We all have our own competitions and we get points depending on where we place, then all those points are collected and whichever school gets the highest points wins nationals,” Mendiola said. ELAC defeated 44 other teams in the Hindman Division, as well as 10 other teams in the Wheeler Division, which is one level above. Although they had won the championship title in 2015, the team did not go into the competition expecting to win again.
IMAGE COURTESY OF SPEECH TEAM
STAY GOLDEN—The East Los Angeles College Speech Team receive their awards at the Phi Rho Pi National Competitive Speaking Tournament for Community Colleges on April 9. “Every year is new. Even though we won last year, this is a completely different year. So, we had to work hard to earn this. We went in there with a mentality of ‘OK, we know what we can do, now let’s show them,’” Mendiola said.
Since the team participated in competitions all season long, when it came to nationals, they were familiar with the opposition. “We see the same people at all of the competitions we do. In total this season, we’ve done 14
competitions. In February, we had a competition every Sunday. These competitors know my routine just as well as I know my routine and vice versa,” Mendiola said. While at a competition in New York, the team ran into some
competitors that confronted them about stealing their trophies. “They called our name out loud, and I remember looking back, and there was a group of around 10 students and they were lined up looking at us and then they said,
‘So you guys think you’re just going to come here take our trophies and leave?’ and we were like, ‘Yeah, we want to explore the city tomorrow,’ and that’s exactly what happened,” Thomas Martinez, vice-president of the speech team said. Martinez and Mendiola credit experiences like these to bringing the team closer together, which is why the experience of being announced as the national champions hit a lot closer to home. “I remember thinking, ‘Is this real?’ In the competition there’s two divisions, there’s a smaller division for schools who are competing in less than 15 competitions, and there’s the other division for everybody in general. And we actually won first place in both,” Mendiola said. The team looks at advisers J. Edward Stevenson and Ryan Smith as the key to their success. “We call J and Ryan, Yin and Yang. It sounds corny, but Ryan’s the mad scientist and J is the big organizer. With Ryan’s fierce training and with J’s mental organization, both of those put together and all of that other stuff, no one else has a J and no one else has a Ryan,” Martinez said. For Mendiola and Martinez, this competition was an important one, since it will be their last year on the speech team. For more on this story go to elaccampusnews.com.
Student achieves goal to be editor-in-chief BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer
IMAGE COURTESY OF KARLA RENDON
GOALS—Student Karla Rendon holds up a newspaper in the newsroom of the University of La Verne publication Campus Times yesterday.
Everyone has goals when they are young. Karla Rendon made and accomplished her goal this past semester in her senior year to become editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper. Rendon is an East Los Angeles College student who also attends the University of La Verne, where she is the editor-in-chief of its newspaper, Campus Times. “I started as a staff writer, news editor, arts editor, feature editor and then my professor asked me to be chief,” Rendon says. Rendon said it was in her high school’s yearbook where she fell in love with journalism and wanted to write for Rolling Stone Magazine. Along with being editor-inchief, going to school and working at In-N-Out, she also interns at Lolipop Records. Rendon got a notice that they were hiring interns on Instagram and applied. She then went to talk to someone in person at Lolipop Records and was hired on-the-spot. “I got hired unconventionally. I went in, they asked a few questions, I answered them and then I was hired right there,” Rendon says. Rendon said that at Lolipop
Records, she can write about music and have fun. As a journalist, she has written many stories and taken many photos, but one of Rendon’s favorites is a photo she took of a fire. “I was driving to campus one evening around 4:30 p.m. and I see these flames. So, I decided to go for it, and saw that it was a fire in Pomona. I grabbed my camera from my trunk and went toward the flames. I called my friends in the newsroom and told them I was onsite,” Rendon says. She said is likes telling that story because she followed her journalistic instincts to get the picture. As of April 30, Rendon won the first place award for Mark of Excellence by the Society of Professional Journalists, who are part of the 11th region that covers California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. One of Rendon’s best friends, Kristina Bugante, says that Rendon is a very genuine person. “She definitely has what it takes to be a professional journalist. People find her very easy to talk to and Karla genuinely wants to know people’s story,” Bugante said. For more on this story go to elaccampusnews.com.
Resource Center: Undocumented Elans demand equal rights STUDENT CENTER Continued from page 1
Many of these students don’t achieve their goals of transferring to a four-year university or graduating from ELAC because of the lack of support they receive from the campus’ centers, they say. SER wants a resource center for undocumented students, where legal services, tutoring, motivational counseling, research opportunities on immigration issues, student retention programs, personal and professional development can be provided to them. “An undocumented resource center will provide undocumented students with the opportunity to have a centralized space that will provide them with the adequate
resources and information needed to navigate the educational system and to prepare them before transferring to a four-year institution.” SER member Yadira Hernandez said. Many students complain that ELAC’s goal is to help its students to succeed and to graduate and to transfer to a four-year university. However, some undocumented students feel that the faculty lacks knowledge about the issues that undocumented students face or are not well prepared to help the undocumented students to achieve their education goals. According to SER and other students, there are multiple cases and multiple stories where students go to financial aid or to the counseling office to seek help and they are sent to other centers where it has nothing to do with them.
“Unfortunately, the services we have on campus, such as financial aid and counseling still lack the particular knowledge and services needed for undocumented students regarding their immigration status and this makes it difficult for the staff to properly guide undocumented students,” said SER member Marina Cazarez. “One day, my friend went to the Transfer Center to get information about scholarship for AB540 students and what universities he can apply (to) as (an) AB540 student, and they sent him the Veteran Services office,”said student Manuel Cruz. SER believes it is also important to keep into account that new bills and legislations that affect and benefit undocumented students are updating constantly.
ELAC needs someone special and dedicated to this center who will be able to keep up with all the updated information available for undocumented students and will be responsible to share the knowledge and ensure the adequate implementation of these legislations on our campus, SER said. “Therefore, a resource center designed specifically for the unique needs of undocumented students regarding their immigration status is necessary to help them succeed in a community college because it will allow them to get familiar with the various resources available for them,” said Marina Cazares, member of SER. For more on this story go to elaccampusnews.com.
IMAGE COURTESY OF KARLA RENDON
AWARD WINNING—Rendon holds up her staff’s Mark of Excellence awards in the Campus Times newsroom.
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Arts
5 ‘Heartbeats’ brings energy to stage
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer
CN/JULIE SANTIAGO
A DAY IN THE LIFE—Actors play out a scene in which they depict a day in the life of braceros working in the fields in “El Bracero,” performed Thursday at the Ingalls Auditorium.
Bracero history shared through performance BY ROGELIO ALVAREZ Staff Writer “El Bracero,” written by Rosalinda Verde and directed and produced by Miguel Orozco, tells the emotional story of a migrant farm worker in the Bracero Program motivated to reunite with his lover through the artistry of mariachi music. The play was performed twice last Thursday at Ingalls Auditorium to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The production was based on the lives of braceros or manual laborers that worked under a series of laws and agreements formed between the United States and Mexico in 1942. “The bracero play was to give
voice to the farm workers and also to thank them because we don’t want them to be forgotten,” Orozco said. Mariachi Aguilas de Oxnard performed 14 mariachi ballads that tied in to the narrative of the story. The mariachi band performed behind a backdrop and their silhouettes were visible throughout the play. Each song was filled with emotion that increased the humanistic appeal of the characters. The majority of the story was narrated by Abuelo, played by Javier Gomez, whose pleasant voice contrasted with the harsh reality he faced as a bracero. Jonathan Lopez played Noe, a younger version of Abuelo, whose
strong acting won the sympathy of the audience members. Andres Orozco played the antagonist, “El Cepillo,” a racist Mexican-American. His excellent portrayal as the villain provoked many boos and whistles from the audience. Most of the cast members felt a strong connection to the play because some of their family members were braceros. “I didn’t know but my grandfather was a bracero and when I told him about this play, he almost cried,” Guillermo Hernandez Perez, who plays a bracero in the play, said. The play and the music was performed in Spanish. A screen above the stage displayed English
subtitles with a slideshow of the migrant farm workers in the Bracero Program. Associated Student Union members Gilbert Vasquez, Angel Gonzales and Adrian Caseras played bracero extras in the opening scene of the play. Along with other actors, the three ASU members honored their family members who were former braceros by stating their name and their hometown in Mexico. Ballet Folklórico Mestizo performed two dance numbers, each eye-pleasing and complementing the mariachi music. “They helped our country tremendously,” Orozco said. “Just like the immigrants right now.”
The highly energetic musical, “The Eastside Heartbeats: A New Rock ’n’ Roll Musical,” opened to a sold-out show on Cinco de Mayo at Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights. “The Eastside Heartbeats” is brought to life by the phenomenally talented cast of actors. The play tells the story of a singing and dancing quartet of young men from East Los Angeles, who dream of making it big in the music world. The leader of the group, Jimmy Ramirez, played by Kenneth Lopez, is not content with their regional success, and neither are the other members. What follows is a song and a record that catches the attention of one of the biggest and most influential bands in the world. Lopez’s portrayal of Jimmy really captured the audience’s attention, and his talent was met with a resounding applause that felt electric. Lopez’s ability to sing, dance and simultaneously act out all the elements of the musical with vitality is outstanding. Other notable performances are that of Gabriel Gonzales, who plays Jimmy’s father, for his great
singing voice and his fully-realized performance as an overbearing, critical father, and Diana Castrillon, who plays his mother and captivates the audience with her angelic voice and acting. “The Eastside Heartbeats” fully captures the era of the 1960s with an original compilation of rock ’n’ roll and the passionate sounds of Mexican-American musicians during that time. The gifted musicians who make up the live, on-stage band completely revitalized the music of that generation. The rock ’n’ roll musical, directed by Steve E. Feinberg, is inspired by the true story of the 1960s East Los Angeles Chicano rock band, Cannibal and the Headhunters. At the peak of their success, the Chicano musical group opened for The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl in 1965. To g e t h e r w i t h t h e l y r i c a l craftsmen and the the musicians, actors, directors and producers, “The Eastside Heartbeats” is a fun, emotional, stellar production that left my heart feeling full. “The Eastside Heartbeats” runs from May 6-29 at Casa 0101 in Boyle Heights.For tickets and additional information about the production,visit www.casa0101.org.
‘Captain America’ saga continues with action and adventure BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer “Captain America: Civil War,” or simply“Civil War,” continues the story of Captain America. The Winter Soldier and Steve Rogers are looking for his friend Bucky Barnes, as well as addressing the actions of the Avengers in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” “Civil War” deals with the impact the Avengers are having in the world since they formed the team. The Russo Brothers,directors of the film, wanted to show that even the Avengers cannot save everyone, so the question in the film that is brought up is whether the Avengers operate under too much freedom. Rogers, played by Chris Evans, believes that they need to be able to go into action anytime to save lives, while Tony Stark, who is played by Robert Downey Jr., believes that the heroes must be put in check and be
accountable for their actions. Stark wants the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords, which will have the Avengers check in with the world governments before they do anything. Although the Avengers are in the film, it is still about Captain America and what he thinks is right. The Russo Brothers do an excellent job at maintaining focus on the main story. The Avengers fight each other and the Russos give each of the 12 characters a reason to fight. Each hero is given enough screen time to give the characters motivation, which is very difficult to do with such a large-scale film. The film adds another layer to Stark’s character, dealing with emotions that the audience is just finding out about. Downey Jr. gave another fantastic performance as Stark’s Ironman and proves why he is the perfect actor to play the billionaire playboy.
Upcoming Events
• ELAC Department of Theater Arts presents “Six Characters in Search of an Author” by Luigi Pirandello. Evenings: May 20,21.27,28 8 p.m. Matinees: May 22,29 2 p.m $12 at the door General $10 ASU Discount $8 P2 Proscenium Theater
bringing him into the film. It feels as though the character is also trying to impress the movie-going audience since this is the third Spiderman appearance within a decade. As with all comic book films, there is action and “Civil War” does not disappoint. One of the best action scenes is the airport scene, which is a good fifteen to twenty minutes long. It showcases all the talents of each hero. The mixture of fun action and light humor make this scene stand out throughout the film. One of Marvel’s biggest problems in each film is that it does not have a compelling villain, but “Civil War” changes that. The villain is not someone you expect and the motivation behind the villain is one of the best, since Loki in the “Thor” films. If audiences want to see an amazing film with great action, solid plot and fantastic performances, “Civil War” is definitely one to watch.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES
FACE OFF—Captain America, left, played by Chris Evans,
faces off with Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr. in the action-packed “Captain America: Civil War” saga.
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• Repertoire Dance Concert May 13 & 14, 7 p.m. S2 Recital Hall General Admission $15 • Piano Recital with Students of Dr. Lucy Nargizyan Monday, May 16, Noon S2 Recital Hall Free Admission
Evans gave a great performance as well as Steve Rogers. The interesting thing about Rogers is that his ideals and morals never change in all three Captain America films. In the film, the world changes its ideals, which clash with Rogers. Evans plays this part of his character so well that you believe that the world can be what Rogers sees. While both Evans and Downey Jr. were amazing reprising their roles, two new stars stole the whole movie. Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland as Black Panther and Spiderman, respectively. Boseman plays T’Challa, a prince from the fictional country of Wakanda. The film spends much time with T’Challa, giving him a reason to join in and fight. He has no real allegiance to either Stark or Rogers. Boseman plays the part very well, showing rage and mercy. Holland plays Peter Parker and “Civil War” did a spectacular job
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6
SPORTS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
Hard fought spring season wraps up
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
BY DAN GUDINO Staff Writer
As finals approach for students, student-athletes finish their spring season with the ups and downs only sports can bring. East Los Angeles College, during the spring semester, has six different sports to cheer for. S o f t b a l l , b a s e b a l l , m e n ’s and women’s track and field, badminton and women’s swim and dive. The current on-going season of track and field, for both men and women, has brought success. Sophomore Cesar Santisteban continues to succeed, earning a qualified spot in the shot put and javelin throw in the SoCal Finals held in Antelope Valley College last Saturday and May 14. Santisteban was the lone champion for ELAC at the South Coast Conference Championship at Mount San Antonio College April 29. He won the shot put with a strong mark of 46 feet and 8 inches. He also placed second in the discus and the javelin throw. Overall, Santisteban stands in fifth place going into Saturday’s final day of competition at AVC. On the women’s side of track and field, sophomore steeplechase runner Viridiana Hernandez sits at No. 11 and qualified for the final day of competition. The steeplechase is a grueling 3,000 meter race around the track with obstacles, 28 barriers and seven water jumps. On the diamond with softball and baseball, we saw the good and the ugly. The year was determined by early season woes that cost both teams to resurge late in the season, only to be kept out of the playoffs. Baseball and softball saw a strong push in the last month of the season, but to no avail. Baseball only lost four games in the month of April. The 9-4 month of April was not enough. Two losses in two critical games
COURTESY OF DEAN LOFGREN
SPLASH—Sophomore Viridiana Hernandez.
COURTESY OF DEAN LOFGREN CN/ROGELIO ALVAREZ
TIMEOUT—Sophomore first baseman (34) Ashley Day discusses strategy with her teammates during a 4-3 win against El
Camino College at home on April 12. versus Pasadena City College and El Camino Compton CenterCollege were the deciding factor for baseball. Both games were close battles, one-run lost games that defined the season as oh-so-close. An overall 17-19 season for baseball marked the second straight season ELAC was held out of the playoffs. Softball shared a similar fate. The Huskies finished 17-21 and 9-12 in the South Coast Conference. Like the men, the month of April played tease to the softball team. With a chance to storm back into playoff contention, three losses in
April proved to be too many and cost ELAC a berth in the playoffs. Softball, like baseball, missed the playoffs for the second straight season and finished fourth in the SCC. In the pool, the Huskies had little success. The swim and dive team did have a strong swimmer, their star out of the Shandong Sports School in China,Yixue Wang. Throughout the season, Wang placed in the top 10 in many categories. In the first swim meet of the season at the SCC Relays at Rio Hondo College, Wang anchored the 200-meter Medley Relay and took second place in
February. In the following event at the Mt. SAC Invitational, she placed third in the 50-yard backstroke, making it seem like a run for state might be a possibility. The strong teams within the SCC and throughout SoCal made it tough for team victories. The eventual champions of California, Orange Coast College, made it look easy. The beach community school took 12 out of 20 swims in the state championships held here at ELAC. ELAC failed to place within the top 20 for the state finals. The badminton team might argue it had or is having the best
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season of all ELAC sports, but like all ELAC sports in the spring, the achilles heel was found, making it a little rough. The arch nemesis of Huskies, Pasadena City College, considered the number one team in the state and number one in the country, always found its way against ELAC. PCC swept ELAC during the regular season on all three occasions, which were the only losses of the season for the Huskies. ELAC finished 6-3 in the regular season, but finds itself in a doubles championship run with freshman duo Serena Lieu and
FINISH STRONG—
Sophomore Luz Badillo. Jean Mornelle Buenaflor. Buenaflor and Lieu are in the hunt for a double title starting this Friday at 2 p.m. The only problem might be that it’s held in hostile territory, at PCC. The feelgood sports story of the spring was a carry-over from winter and started back in fall. The women’s basketball team made East L.A. proud with its runner-up to state. Credit has to be given to the men who showed up in the spring and finished runner-up in SoCal. The fall sports season will see football, wrestling, women’s volleyball, cross country, soccer and water polo.
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