Dance recital pumps up the crowd See page 5
Volume 70, Issue 18
Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
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Electrician recovering from explosion Amanda Mayberry Staff Writer
and play their home games had a major effect on the recruitment of players. This was a challenge for Hines and his staff. “We were put in a bad situation, but we did not dwell or whine. We made the best out of it,” Hines said. Hines and his staff faced the challenge of recruiting players without a baseball facility while opposing coaches used that as a recruiting tool.
On-campus electrician Jeff Daclan, recovering from a small explosion in the H8 building, was discharged from Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center on Monday. The explosion caused a power outage in H8 and G8 buildings, evacuated classrooms and left one man injured on April 10. The G8 building reopened for students and teachers Monday. Electricity was restored to the G8 building last week on April 16, but classes return to the building on Monday. The H8 building was reopened Tuesday. The school closed the two buildings after Daclan shorted out the electricity, setting himself on fire in H8 during a class. Daclan went to the H8 building to fix some broken ovens in one of the chemistry classrooms. While attempting to fix the ovens, he experienced an arc-flash, which is a small explosion that set him on fire. The main breaker which Daclan was attempting to fix was located in a small electrical closet in H8.
Baseball Continued on page 4
Daclan Continued on page 4
Home sweet home Huskies set foot on renovated baseball field
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Carlos Alvarez Staff Writer After 32 consecutive road games this season, the baseball team finally played at home on the newly renovated Husky Park, defeating Los Angeles Harbor College 6-4 last Saturday. Head Coach James Hines said,”The baseball field is not fully completed but is in good playing condition. The field is now labeled as significantly completed. We are glad to have a field to call home.
“It’s hard to play a home game our field from a gardener,” Hines when most of the crowd is cheering said. for your opponent.” Hines and Athletic Director “What was to be Al Cone a one-year project approached “It’s hard to play a turned to five years former ELAC of construction, President home game when with many missed Ernest Moreno, most of the crowd deadlines and who confirmed is cheering for your that the field miscommunication w i t h was going to opponent” administration. be used for James Hines “There was a parking space. Head Coach need for parking, With the but we found out we were losing increase of students and the
construction of two parking structures, the necessity for parking space became a priority for administration. “People from the facilities department and other administration did not communicate with us,” Hines said. Hines said he knew of the situation the school faced, he was surprised because he was not notified about it. The lack of a baseball field and facility along with the uncertainty of where the team would practice
South Gate Center plans to relocate pending environmental report JC Casarez Staff Writer
A growing number of students at East Los Angeles College’s South Gate campus has cause ELAC faculty to consider more options to accommodate more classes. The current plan is to transition the campus from its current location on Firestone Boulevard to the property located across the street that occupies the area between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue. The latest development has been the completion of the environmental impact testing which is required to assure there are no hazards before any construction can begin. For years, the South Gate Campus has been pushed to the limits of its capacity. The next step in the process is for the environmental impact report, which includes the results of the testing. That report will be available in May and will be presented at the August meeting
News Briefs
for the Los Angeles Community College District. With the latest designs and environmental results complete, the decision must be made by the LACCD board of trustees. The initial designs of the architectural firm of Terry A. Hayes Associates Inc. first included a layout of 134,000 square feet which has since been reduced to about 100,000 square feet. Other changes that have taken place since the initial plans is that the district has now been working with the City of South Gate to address the issues of lighting and street construction that would be required for safety. This could include future plans to widen Firestone Boulevard to facilitate traffic. At the forefront of all this process is Al Rios, who is the Dean of the South Gate campus. “Well, they wanted close to $20 million worth of improvements for the streets, expanding, the lights because of the flow of traffic and we said we thought the amount was in excess of what we were prepared
Milestone deadline
CN/JC Casarez
Attributing potential — The former offices of THE HON Company located at 2413
Firestone Boulevard, serve as the potential site of South Gate Educational center pending a decision at the August Los Angeles Community College District meeting.
to give them,” Rios said. According to Rios, ELAC was prepared to give the city of South Gate $6 million for expenses, but the city wanted more. He went on to say that this could be the result of the city which has worked with the Los Angeles Unified School
The deadline for submissions to East Los Angeles College’s literary magazine the Milestone is next Wednesday. Bring three copies of the piece of work to the English Department at K7-107 to be considered for the publication.
District in the construction of recent schools in South Gate, getting used to asking for a certain figure. “They’ve had to build a lot of schools around here and they (South Gate) didn’t get everything they wanted. The residents are now
High school seniors to explore ELAC campus
High school student are participating in college events to help prepare the transition to college on Friday at 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
complaining about traffic and now they’re trying to take it out on us,” Rios said. These type of actions are what prompted the district to get involved since they have the experience in dealing with city governments when needed. “The
district has spearheaded this and they have more experience,” Rios said. After speaking with some city council members, Rios feels confident that the city will give the district a reasonable figure to work with and fully support the college’s plans to move forward in the project for expansion. Results pending, this would create more open classes to all students who attend the South Gate campus. Under the current setting, the South Gate campus offers 17 classrooms and would increase to 32 classrooms with the future move. On April 12, the city of South Gate was given the master plan drawings to review. The next step of the process is in the hands of the district if they agree to the plans and find no issues in the environmental impact report which will be under review at the August meeting. “If the board says okay go ahead and construct this, then we move along and get the bids out for a construction company,” Rios said.
ELAC choir presents free night of music
East Los Angeles College Choir, St. Bede the Venerable choir and St. Bede Chamber Orchestra will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Magnificat” for free May 11 at the S2 Recital Hall at ELAC’s Performing Arts Complex.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
Student shouldn’t wait for things to happen Erik Machuca Staff Writer
Summertime is perfect for a job Summer Gomez Staff Writer As we all know, summertime is approaching. Although there are many activities to do during the summer that do not require money, I think that this is a great opportunity for students to work. Since the majority of students are out of school and the rest are only in school for less than 20 percent of the day, plenty of time is left for you to get a summer job. Not only will a summer job help you gain experience and knowledge in certain fields, but it will also allow you to save money during the summer time. It is also nice to have some spending money for those random, fun-packed summer days with friends. A job is also great way in making new acquaintances. Besides, what kind of summer would it be if you can’t go out with your friends because mom or dad refuse to give you money? I think everyone should have a job because it is fun and rewarding to make your own income. Searching for a job is not as difficult as it may seem, especially during the summer. Many places hire during the summer since many students are out of school or have shorter schedules, which means more customers.
When searching for a job, you must have confidence. Nicely and formally ask if the place is hiring, and if so, then ask for an application. Do not be afraid. If the people at the business notice that you do not have confidence, do you think they would want you to work for them? Plus, what’s the worst that can happen to you if you are turned down? Absolutely nothing. Go crazy and apply everywhere. You are more likely to get an interview. From my past experience with applying for jobs, one in three
places will surely call back for an interview. So if I apply to nine places, that is three interviews. The trickiest part is to actually handle the interview process. My past summer jobs have helped me to build up my resume, gain more experience and make new friends, all while making myself some extra bucks. Having a job can be stressful as a full-time student, but I think that every student should take advantage in finding one during the time that we have off. Good luck on your hunt.
Summer Gomez’s interview tips: •
Always be the wellmannered version of yourself.
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Try not to be so nervous.
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Be prepared to talk about yourself.
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Take a sufficient amount of time to answer each question, but not too
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First impressions are critical. Women should not wear heavy makeup and men should not wear too much cologne.
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Have a resume handy. There are many great websites to help you create your resume, such as resume-builder. myperfectresume.com. Come 15 to 20 minutes early. Practice in a mirror or in front of friends prior to being interviewed. Smile. Always remember, a smile goes a long way.
While scrolling through any social media news feed you will see a number of depressing posts about how miserable peoples’ daily lives are. Things never go as planned and we ask ourselves “Why me?” It has long been culturally accepted that good things come to those who wait. Friends and family tell you to stay positive and one day your dreams will come true. The expression that good things happen to those who wait was born as an inspiration for patience, but is way too often used as an excuse for procrastination. Anyone can dream, but if you want to make those dreams a reality, then don’t wait until tomorrow. Great things come to those who take action today. The problem is society emphasizes the final result over the hard work and dedication of the journey it takes to get there But the greatest leaders, athletes, and artists did not take shortcuts. For example, Michael Jordan was cut by his high-school basketball team as a sophomore. Jordan said he cried that day. He learned from the experience and dedicated the rest of his life to his passion because he “didn’t want to have that feeling ever again.” No one becomes great at something overnight. Commitment is a lifelong process. Every day we are blinded by commercials, advertisements and social expectations that are built upon the idea of instant gratification and the “quick fix.” Pills to lose weight fast, sites to find love and cars to gain immediate status are some of the convenient fixes directed our way. And when these fixes don’t lead
to the desired outcome as quickly as expected we give up because it is acceptable. We accept that it must be the wrong time to achieve our goal. We accept that we are not ready to succeed. And so we wait and wait and wait. Good things do not happen for those who wait. If you are not happy with your grades, then attempt new study habits or seek help. If you are frustrated with your job, do not believe it is your only option and find something you really love to do. If you don’t have your ideal relationship, then put yourself out there and meet that person. If you are dissatisfied with your physical condition, then commit to a workout regimen. If you are not happy with your thoughts, you can change that as well. The key component here is “you.” No one else is responsible for your happiness. To blame others for your current situation, no matter how bad it may seem, will get you nowhere. Most things in life are out of your control, but your actions are not one of them. It is you and only you that can make great things happen. Be responsible for your successes and learn from your mistakes. Accept that there are no quick fixes to life’s roadblocks. Embrace taking action and you will never again be waiting for good things to happen. This is not to say that by taking action things will come easy, but things will come. President Robert F. Kennedy once said, “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were and ask why not.” You are worthy and capable of reaching your goals. Now go out and get them.
Time management is key as summer approaches Edward Singleton Staff Writer It’s that time of the year again, students are near the end of the semester and they’re beginning to feel the pressure of accumulated school work. As summer vacations are approaching, it is easy to get distracted and leave school work for the last minute. The cure to summertime lag boils down to two parts: learning how to manage time and learning how to do things that you don’t want to. This may seem like an obvious answer, but understanding the concept of time management and obligation are perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of student life. Do you spend hours reading and re-reading boring posts on Facebook hoping that someone will write something interesting for once? Are you on your cellphone scrolling through Instagram pictures of your friends’ half eaten anchovy
sandwich instead of paying attention in class? We are all guilty of misusing social media, including professors, but social media discipline can greatly increase your school work productivity by increasing the amount of time you spend on school work. Some phones such as the iphone can help you decrease the time you spend on social media cites. One thing you can do is pull out your cellphone, press and hold the app button. Once the apps are doing the Apple jiggle, send that app to oblivion. You’ll still be in the bad habit of pulling out your phone in hopes of killing time, but you’ll see the empty space where your beloved app once was and remember, “Oh yeah, time management and obligation.” You don’t want to fill your empty time slot with something like sleep or television. Those options are just as bad, if not worse, than social media black holes. Instead, go to the Helen Miller
April is known as Sexual Assault Awareness month and East Los Angeles College is offering various activities throughout the month to inform students on how they can avoid sexual assault. The activities include self-defense demonstrations, sexual assault awareness film screenings and discussion to the fourth annual “Take Back the Night” event. “Take Back the Night” encourages victims to break the silence and provides an environment where they don’t have to fear judgement by others over what they have been through. Students should take advantage
of these activities by attending these events which can be very beneficial because if at any moment a person is in danger, they can save their own life just by remembering what they learned. Sexual assault can happen anywhere at any time even on a college campus and it should always be reported. Students should take precautions because although most may feel secure being on campus, crimes are still likely to happen. Both men and women can be victims of rape or assault. According to Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) 80 percent of victims are under the age of 30. RAINN’s statistics show that 54 percent of rapes or sexual assaults
are not reported to the police and only about three percent of rapists serve jail time. RAINN suggests that most cases are not reported due to the victim claiming that their rape was a “personal matter” while some victims believe that the police are biased. According to ABC’s local news website, last Thursday a woman filed a complaint against Occidental College. The complaint said that officials mishandled reports of rape or sexual abuse. According to ABC, the woman said, “Two months ago I was raped. I reported it to the police and also to the administration at the college expecting support and compassion.
MANAGING EDITOR Lindsey Maeda ONLINE EDITOR Erik Luna FRONT EDITOR Danny Vasquez OPINION EDITOR Cristina Galvan NEWS EDITOR Liliana Marquez Brian Villalba* FEATURE EDITOR Alejandra Carrillo
ARTS EDITOR Jesus Figueroa Lourdes Espinoza* SPORTS EDITOR Tadzio Garcia Carlos Alvarez* PHOTO EDITOR Gregory Reyes COPY EDITOR Sergio Berruetta Ehecatl Negrete CARTOONIST Kien Ha Bryan Pedroza STAFF WRITERS Carlos Alvarez, Oliver Blanco, JC Casarez, Jane Fernandez, Summer Gomez, William Hernandez, Diego Linares, Erik Machuca, Yesenia Martinez, Amanda Mayberry, Bryant Mejia, Pete Moye’, Gabrielle Osei STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Oliver Blanco, Mannie Miguel Joseph Recinos PODCAST Edward Singleton SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Dulce Carrillo Anthony Merjanoff ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Augustine Ugalde
Bailey Library and attend a workshop or study in peace. East Los Angeles College offers a wide variety of student services ranging from Smart Google Searching from library workshops, to information on how to get a job. Starbucks is also a popular place for students to study, but remember to bring earphones to drown out the conversations of others since it can get noisy. Relationships are another summertime snare that prevent students from maximizing their academic success. You’re in love, we get it, but spending hours with someone who only wants to have fun doesn’t provide you the solid study time you need to get some serious work done. Once again, head to the library or somewhere quiet where you can both plug-in on individual computers or tablets just to do that paper. Summertime lag doesn’t have to interfere with your academic goals. Follow the steps and remember, just do it.
ADVISER Jean Stapleton *Denotes Online Editors Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property 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. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers 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.
Students benefit from Sexual Assault Awareness month Alejandra Carrillo Staff Writer
EDITOR IN CHIEF Megan Perry
I received neither.” The woman and the five other students who have also been victims created the Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition and their attorney wants a federal investigation. This story shows that if a person becomes a victim of sexual abuse, assault or rape, they should report it and keep fighting until justice is served. It is not only important to report the crime to get justice, but it also helps prevent it from happening to another person. A small percentage of rapists serve prison time, which means they can go back on the streets and attack another innocent person. If a person has seen a friend, family member and even stranger
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being attacked or assaulted, it should be reported as soon as possible. The fastest help would be to call 911 as soon as the attack happens. Some victims prefer to keep it to themselves. Womenshealth.gov offers tips on what to do if one has been attacked. According to womenshealth.org, after an attack the victim should not wash, comb, or clean any body part touched, as well as not changing clothes or touching anything at the scene of the assault. For more information, victims can seek help in person, on the internet and through the phone. National Sexual Assault Hotline, (800)656HOPE, provides information for local shelters, counseling services and legal assistance.
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, offered 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. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS
Features
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
Students dedicated to breaking barriers ERIK MACHUCA Staff Writer
Courtesy of Jeffrey rigby
WELCOME—Professor Jeffrey Rigby accompanied with the Hagen group from New Guinea in Assaro Valley from the South Pacific region during his trip in 2004.
Professor’s travels motivate students DULCE CARRILLO Staff Writer
Real world experience and eye opening stories is what anthropology professor Jeffrey Rigby encounters in his teachings. Rigby has been working at East Los Angeles College as an anthropology professor for 10 years, but at other community colleges around the Los Angeles area since 1989. Rigby graduated from Santa Monica High School and has a Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles that focuses on California Native Americans. Rigby, at the age of 11, was taken to his first trip to Africa. His mother, who was an educator and studied health conditions in Third World countries, took Rigby to a six-month safari trip from Egypt to South Africa in a British army Bedford truck. He remembers sitting on top of the truck and watching tribes with unusual weapons. “I remember seeing the Bushmen and how they were still using bows
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and arrows. I thought it was so once continue to become blown primitive, but it was also interesting away from his stories and learning for me,” Rigby said. new stuff about Rigby grew themselves and a passion with culture. “Professor Rigby discovering and “Rigby is a learning different down to earth, has motivated me passionate and cultures around the seven continents. to continue taking r e a s o n a b l e “Most of the things person. His real in my collection I world experiences classes with him either inherited were are eye openers because he offers a n d w h a t h e given as gifts, found or bought myself. knows about something not a While other kids my anthropology… age were out buying lot of persons can is just amazing,” stereos and records, Rosemary Flores, I was out acquiring anthropology offer, first hand various elements major and ELAC experiences” of culture. Many of student, said. them before I was W i t h Genoveva 16,” Rigby said. excitement, Esrtrella In 1997, he took Flores continues Rigby’s student his students to their “Rigby’s classes first 15 day trip to are appreciable Egypt which they came across Cairo and he knows what he is teaching. and Abu Symbel located in south I loved learning about religion and Egypt and Ancient Nubia. witchcraft in his class.” Most of Rigby’s students who Working at multiple schools, have taken his class more than Rigby’s past students continue
taking his classes. “I still take his classes even though I don’t need to take them,” Daisy Bustamante, Chicano studies major said. “He’s approachable. Everything in the syllabus is done,” she continued. Genoveva Estrella, a previous student of his has stopped taking his classes due to a busy work schedule and can only take evening classes. She says she is thankful for what Rigby’s teachings has brought into her life. “Professor Rigby has motivated me to continue taking classes with him because he offers something not lot of persons can offer, first hand experiences,” Estrella said. “I admired him when he mentioned to class that he could have made more money working as a consultant because the knowledge he has about baskets and other archaeological artifacts. But he said he chose to teach because he wanted to fight ignorance. To me, that is a very noble attitude,” she continued. He is now working on a trip for his students to go to Japan in 2014.
Now in its second semester at East Los Angeles College, the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Club (ALPFA) is looking to break barriers for minorities in the business field. ALPFA is the largest Latino association for business professionals and students with more than 100 chapters nationwide and more than 20,000 members. Committed to enhancing networking opportunities, access to scholarships and building leadership and career skills for Latinos, the non-profit organization is now in its 41st year. President of ELAC’s ALPFA Club Denise Martinez, said that in today’s corporate arena it is not only how much you know, but more importantly who you know. Martinez said many minorities are at a disadvantage from the lack of connections and contacts in their respective fields. “We’re an organization that focuses on not only Latinos, but any minority in the business field. We want to break barriers and open it for minorities,” Martinez said. Partnered with The Walt Disney Company and large accounting firms such as Mass Mutual, KPMG, PwC and Deloitte, ALPFA provides the opportunity to build relationships with professionals and students from across the country. Martinez, a business administration major, said it is not necessary to be a business, accounting or finance major to join the ALPFA Club. “I recommend this organization for anyone who is interested in growing as a professional, growing as leader and making a difference in the community,” Martinez said. Tr a d i t i o n a l l y a f o u r- y e a r
university association, Martinez said she takes a lot of pride in representing the only ALPFA community college chapter in California. Prior to its existence at ELAC, Martinez said she did a lot of networking with the organization to bring ALPFA to ELAC and give its students an opportunity to show their ability. “Sometimes different circumstances in life take you to a community college, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t capable. There is a lot of potential at community colleges,” Martinez said. ELAC’s ALPFA Club currently has more than 100 registered members and 20-25 active members on campus. Third year student and accounting major Grethel Fuentes has been a member of ALPFA ELAC since it opened last fall. “We’re hoping that ALPFA will grow in the future to more community colleges. We like the idea of exposing students to networking and having access to internships early in their college career,” Martinez said. The organization holds student conferences twice a year. The club is currently fundraising for a trip to the annual ALPFA convention in Washington, D.C. in August. ELAC students will have the opportunity to participate in real-life accounting cases and to compete and network with students from four-year universities. “The goal is to take as many ELAC students as we can. ALPFA ELAC will be recognized at a national level at the convention and we will be in the know,” Martinez said. Students can register to be a member by signing up through ALPFA.org. The ALPFA Club meets every Tuesday 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in F7-111.
KELA strives for TV station WILLIAM HERNANDEZ Staff Writer Students who are enrolled in Broadcasting 15 are able to take part in East Los Angeles College’s own radio station KELA and go behind the microphone to record their own 30-minute radio shows. With KELA radio up and running, the next goal will be to get a 24-hour television station called KELA TV. “My long term goal is to get a large grant to be able to acquire up to date studio and camera equipment necessary for serious filming,” Boradcasting instructor Jason Beaton said. F o r n o w, K E L A T V c a n b e s e e n v i a Yo u t u b e a t “ELACBROADCASTING.” After each show is produced and edited, it airs at a set time everyday. KELA streams around the clock online at www.elac.edu/kela or on the mobile application TUNE-IN. The students enrolled are guided by Beaton, also known as “Mr.B.” He is a broadcasting veteran who has worked for several Los Angeles radio stations as a disc jockey and anchor for over 25 years. Among the people Beaton has worked for are Huggy Boy, Art
Laboe and Mucho Morales in oldies radio. There is a special connection with ELAC and Beaton. “East LA was one of our prime listening areas and many of my students’ parents listened to what I was playing before they were even born,” Beaton said. KELA has been on the air for the past few years under Beaton’s guidance and direction, recording in a professional type studio on the fourth floor of the E7 Technology Building. “It’s all about the voices of KELA, the students. They work very hard at this coming in as early as 6 a.m. to record their show, then it takes another hour to edit, but they enjoy doing the work,” Beaton said. Program director of KELA Aldo Medina has produced for KELA the past 4 semesters enrolling in the class based off of his friends encouragement. “My friends told me I should try it out because of my voice that I would sound good, so I was looking for schools that offered broadcasting classes. ELAC was one of them and since I’ve been here, I haven’t looked back,” Medina said. Every show is recorded using the advanced multi track sound editing program called Cool Edit Pro. With it, each show can have its
own unique sweepers and liners to sound as good as possible. Each student has a wide choice of music genres to play, whether it is oldies, classic rock and hiphop. Students have the privilege to play their personal music as long as improper content is edited and approved by the Federal Communications Commission. Along with Medina, who has taken the Broadcasting 15 class several times, many of Beaton’s students return semester after semester even after transferring. They enjoy the class and recording for KELA. Benjamin Menjivar is another returning student. His current programed show “Hancholo & Beasty Ben” is one of the longer running shows playing a collection of classic rock's best hits. “When I first started, I just did it for the experience, but as the semesters go by, I have learned to better my shows. What keeps me coming back is the music. A lot of people are into the new modern rock, but for me classic rock is where it all started,” Menjivar said. Being apart of KELA is as simple as enrolling next semester in the Broadcasting 15 class, however, space will be limited.
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RECITAL—Professor Kelley Hogan goes over the script “In Extremis: The Story of Abelard and Heloise” with her leading actors, (left) Sameul Solorio playing Abelard and Cristina “Crispy” Carrillo-Dono playing Heloise, yesterday at the Proscenium Theatre in building P2.
Shakespeare inspires theater arts professor then to Los Angeles to expand her knowledge of theater. She performed in a few plays in Theatre Arts professor at East Los both cities, but felt like she wanted Angeles College Kelley Hogan was to pursue her career in the UK. inspired to pursue acting because Hogan moved back to London she grew up watching plays with where she did more acting and her father. worked as a tour guide. At the age of 23, Hogan moved When it came to Shakespeare’s to London to London tour, attend the London Hogan loved Academy of Music taking tourists “When it came and Dramatic Art to to walk along to Shakespeare’s get her professional the banks acting certificate. London tour, Hogan of the River “It was a given Thames and loved taking tourists often recited at an early age that I loved performing Shakespeare to walk along the and entertaining,” for the tourists. banks...” said Hogan. “I did ballet when “Shakespeare I was a little girl, is my guy. I find so I would always him so relevant have recitals where in everything I I have to perform. I was definitely a do, all day long,” said Hogan. “He theater girl,” she continued. fills you up with creativity,” she After she attended LAMDA, continued. Hogan went back home in Hogan then went and did radio Scottsdale, Arizona to do some dramas, where she sat behind a acting to get her Equity Card. microphone and performed only The Equity Card is proof of with dialogue and sound effects. membership in the Actors’ Equity She performed in “Murder Association, which is a union to After Midnight,” where she had protect the rights of stage actors and roles of being an American serial stage managers in the United States. killer, police or a victim. She Hogan moved to New York City also performed in “The Ghosts WENDY LAM Contributing Writer
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CN/WILLIAM HERNANDEZ
PRODUCTION—Instructor Jason Beaton,left, along with students Amanda Roderate,
Bianca Uribe, Oscar Lopez, Nelson Davila, Tyler Boresoff, Ben Menjivar and Aldo Medina of Broadcasting 15 prepare for sound and camera recording.
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of London,” where she told ghost stories live. “I really enjoyed radio dramas, but I was always playing the American,” said Hogan. “I went to theater school to learn how to do Shakespeare, but I never got a chance to do Shakespeare in London,” said Hogan. “It was my dream.” Hogan moved back to Los Angeles where she figured doing theater was not going to make her much money. She decided to become a theater professor and taught at a few schools and colleges. Hogan eventually became an adjunct at ELAC in 1995, and started a summer Shakespeare workshop in 1996. “It’s incredible to watch students immersed in Shakespeare,” said Hogan. “It’s like another foreign language in the beginning, but by the end of the course, they totally understand it,” Hogan continued. “I do think it is about turning out students who grew up in a not so beautiful area who have an appreciation for beauty,” said Hogan. “Theater and Shakespeare gives you this beauty that you may not have in your life. It lifts you in a world that doesn’t exist,” she added.
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
‘Take Back the Night’ speakers share experiences with crowd Brian Villalba Staff Writer Survivors of sexual, physical and emotional abuse shared pain, courage and solidarity at East Los Angeles College’s fourth a n n u a l Ta k e B ack the Night. With dozens of students in attendance in the ELAC G8 foyer, survivors shared stories of abuse and survival. Speakers moved those listening to tears of empathy. A speaker said that being able to speak about the abuse is a part of the healing process. Another said that society always tells women not to get raped, but men need to be told not to rape. East Los Angeles Women’s Center facilitated the event. Program Director Sonia Rivera of the women’s center spoke for a few minutes about the women’s center and the services offered there and on campus at ELAC. Rivera encouraged speakers to come up and share, offer words of encouragement and compassion for those who did come up. Both men and women spoke about issues ranging from child abuse and rape to
restraint and compassion. T h e E L A C Vi o l e n c e I n t e r v e n t i o n Te a m coordinated the event. Sonia Lopez, Dean of Student Services and Tiffany Rice, Ph. D. Associate Professor of Psychology are the faculty leadership. “I thought (TBTN) was an amazing event this year, as it is every year,” said Rice. For this year ’s event about half of the speakers were men, and for Rice, this was important. “It was wonderful to have so many male speakers in addition to our female speakers. Their honesty and the risks they took to share their stories was admirable. “Through their voices,
they can heal and their stories are empowering others to heal as well,” Rice said. After the survivor speak out, the group of students, faculty and supporters carried glow sticks instead of candles to comply with fire codes. They walked on campus as a group before meeting up back at the foyer for a group photo. Take Back the Night is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
It is one of the many events planned at ELAC, which include activities such as self-defense demonstration and sexual assault awareness training for student athletes. The center’s motto and the resources and programs provided by it show that “The Women’s Center is a place where your silence is heard.” The Women’s Center is open 24 hours a day seven days a week. They have a rape and battering hotline and an AIDS hotline, 800-5856231 and 800-400-7432, respectively. The programs and services provided at the
Women’s Center include mental health and t h e r a p e u t i c p a re n t i n g services, domestic violence services and sexual assault, rape and battering services. In 2012, the Women’s Center received more than 3000 hotline calls and more than 900 women and their 2000 children received counseling support.
Daclan: ELAC electrician recovers after explosion Continued from page 1
Daclan suffered from thirddegree burns on his neck and left hand, which “was bad enough for a surgery,” according to general foreman Allison Mah. He received a skin graft on April 15 after the first evaluation. Chemistry professor Vanessa Valverde was in her office at the time of the accident. “The whole building shook. I didn’t know what was going on. I thought it was an earthquake,” Valverde said. According to Valverde, Daclan was disoriented and already attempting to extinguish the fire. Valverde said Daclan somehow found his way into her office, where one of her students whose
name she withheld shielded her from the fire and was able to help to extinguish the fire. Lead electrician Leroy Cadman said he talked with Daclan and that he was in good spirits. “He said the doctors checked his eyes and his eyes are fine. Lucky for him, he was wearing goggles,” Cadman said. According to Cadman, the whole incident could have been avoided had a previous electrical job been done correctly. When the G7 and H7 buildings were demolished, the power to all the G and H buildings had to be turned off and rerouted back to the G8 and H8 buildings. When the electricity was routed, the electrical contractors took a shortcut instead of doing the job correctly according to Vice
President and Director of College Facilities Tom Furukawa. The contractors remain unnamed for reasons of litigation, according to Furukawa. “Cutting corners with electricity is the worse thing you can do. They bypassed the main breakers and connected to the buss bar, which is not what you’re supposed to do,” Cadman said. As a result, Daclan had no idea what he was in for and when he went to the teachers lounge to turn off the breaker, he experienced the arc-flash which set him on fire. The electrical contractor who did the job is now under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Megan Perry and Erik Luna also contributed to this story.
Baseball: Renovated Husky Park re-opens doors Continued from page 1
“We lost some good players to other teams because of our situation with the field,” Hines said. Though recruitment was a challenge, the players who became members of the baseball program saw a positive effect.
“I had faith in coach Hines. I knew (that by) coming here and learning from him, I would be successful with or without a field,” starting pitcher Elias Novelo said. “We recruited players who were mature beyond their years,” Hines said. The No. 14-ranked Huskies (SoCal poll), who are riding a fivegame win streak, are on the verge
MAY 5
Important dates to remember
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Drop Deadline Last day to drop classes with a “W”
MAY 28 - JUNE 3 Final examinations
of advancing to the playoffs for the third time in the five years. “Coach Hines and his staff have been great throughout this long process. They have been able to recruit and put a winning team out on the field each year,” Cone said. With the Huskies playoff fate in limbo, the completion of the field was perfect timing for a playoff push.
MAY 26 Last day of full term class instruction.
JUNE 3 End of the 2013 Spring semester
MAY 27 Holiday (College closed) Memorial Day
JUNE 4 Commencement Ceremony
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
In the
S potlig h t : Artists invited to submit work
ELAC student dancers exhibit style Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer
Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer East Los Angeles College students who have taken an art course at ELAC in the last school year are invited to submit artwork for the “2013 Juried Student Art Show.” Artwork is to be submitted in person with an application form filled out for each piece of artwork at the VPAM on any of the three dates available, Wednesday May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday May 9 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday May 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. No early or late submissions will be accepted. Being enrolled or having been enrolled in an art class at ELAC from June 2012 to present is a requisite. Artwork completed between the 2012 to 2013 academic year can be entered. Any medium is accepted from 2-D artwork 5 feet x 7 feet maximum size or 3-D artwork 5 feet x 5 feet x 5 feet. Judges include Fran Siegel, California State University Long Beach, Art Department professor of Drawing and Painting, and Lorraine Molina, Director of BANK, a contemporary art gallery in downtown Los Angeles. Opening reception of the exhibit at the Vincent Price Art Museum will be May 23.
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Flowing—Majestically flowing across the stage during the “Waltz for Perry” performance
the ballet students show their grace on Thursday at the S2 Recital Hall.
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Aloha—The first Hula choreographed by Annie Yee, “Haole Hula,” brought a mellow island tone to the “Dance Discipline Spring Showcase” in the S2 Recital Hall on Thursday.
It has been a year since his recent rock side project “WZRD” and now Kid Cudi makes his long-anticipated return to his hip-hop origins with “Indicud.” Kid Cudi’s third studio album “Indicud” comes after “Man on the Moon: The End of the Day” and “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.” With his recent split from Kanye West’s record label, G.O.O.D. Music, “Indicud” represents a career rebirth for the 29 year old Cleveland rapper. It is the first album fully written and produced by Kid Cudi himself. “Indicud” opens up with an almost terminator-like machine based instrumental entitled “The Resurrection of Scott Mescudi.” This sets up the eerie vibe for the entire album as his darkest album to date. “King Wizard,” “Burn Baby Burn” and “Lord of the Sad and Lonely” bring his feelings on heavy drug accusations and his emotional state to the surface. “Just What I Am,” stands out from the rest with its upbeat rhythms and robotic choruses. King Chip’s chill presence on the first verse adds to the overall positive vibe of the track as Chip and Cudi’s styles complement each other well. More than any song on the album it brings back his classic feel-good sound found in his earlier MOTM hits, “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Day n Nite.” “Solo Dolo Pt. II” is the sequel
to his original lonely “Solo Dolo” anthem on MOTM. This time the anthem takes a more aggressive approach towards his “haters” with the help of Kendrick Lamar on the second verse. Kid Cudi’s best lyrical display comes towards the end of the album on the song “Cold Blooded.” This track shows Kid Cudi’s growth with wordplay and more complex rhyme schemes then he normally is known for. He vents on being overlooked as a lyrical artist at G.O.O.D. Music and only recognized for his hooks. The irony being that it is the only song on the album where he puts so much focus into the lyrics as opposed to the rest of the tracks where the emphasis is on instrumentals and hooks. The album features hip-hop artists Kendrick Lamar, Too $hort, RZA, A$AP Rocky and fellow Cleveland rapper King Chip and also includes vocals by Michael Bolton, Haim, and Father John Misty. While it is good to see the artist separate himself from past producers and go in his own direction, the album contains 18 tracks in which later beats get a bit repetitive. Being his first time producing his own beats, this is to be expected and should improve as he gains more experience. “Indicud” will be popular with Kid Cudi’s fans who appreciated his earlier work, but for new listeners it may take a bit before they become his fans. The album was released on April 16 under Wicked Awesome Records and Universal Republic Records.
Courtesy of gowherehiphop.com
A sold out crowd was in attendance for East Los Angeles College’s “Dance Discipline Spring Showcase” in the S2 Recital Hall Thursday evening. The music got the audience into each performance and brought enthusiasm to audience members through the varying styles of dance. The dance showcased a variety of styles of dance throughout the 11 performances of the evening. The most soothing performance was that of the Hawaiian hula entitled “Haole Hula” choreographed by Annie Yee. Twenty seven Dance Specialties Hula Students performed the calming hula dance which filled the stage. It was the first Hula performed by ELAC which Yee choreographed. The audience cheered as “Fall Out,” a hip-hop dance battle performance, ended. The performance was choreographed by Kristen Chew Reutimann and performed by 23 of the Hip Hop Dance students. “Fall Out” had groups of dancers battling against each other performing move after move in unison. Some dancers battled fiercely on stage as the crowd cheered on and others would join in coming from off stage. The dancers were energetic as they moved across the floor using the entire stage. The flow of the dance steps had some of the dancers go from dancing upright to moving down and doing some moves
parallel to the floor. With a mix of Latin-American flair, with three performances danced to Spanish music, dancers entertained the audience complementing each others moves. The first performance, “El Gallito” comes from the region of Sinaloa, Mexico and “No te Rajes Tijuana/Calabaceados,” both choreographed by Cindy Padilla as well, from the region of Baja, CA/ Calabaceados. The crowd had a blast watching the lively performers dancing in pairs or trios at a time taking center stage. The crowd erupted in applause after every performance. “Waltz for Perry,” performed ELAC Ballet students and choreographed by Kristin Chew Reutimann, brought a classic aspect to the nights performance. It contained a very elegant style of dance moves that were slower than most performed that night. A belly dance entitled “Farasha Awakens,” performed by ELAC Belly Dance students and choreographed by Kristina Karmiryan, charmed the audience with smooth moves. The nine performers all danced in a row on stage to grab the audience’s attention. The dancers sat on the floor as one-by-one the dancers jumped up to do individual belly dances before returning to their spot on the floor. The many different styles gave audiences a small tase of all ELAC dance department has to offer. The crowd once again erupted with applause and cheers as all the performers took the stage for their groups for their final bow.
Fall Out Boy falls short of rock ’n’ roll
‘Incudi’ brings Kid Cudi to producer role Erik Machuca Staff Writer
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Sergio Berrueta Staff Writer
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Playing the role—Lead actress Lorena Ruiz practices her lines with supporting actor Henry Ruiz in practice on Saturday in preparation for opening night, 8 p.m. April 26.
First-time ELAC director debuts in new theater Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer After 12 and a half years of teaching at East Los Angeles College, James Johnson will direct his first play, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” at ELAC premiering Friday in the upstairs theater P2-205. His first play will be directed in the P2 205 Upstairs Theatre on Friday at 8 pm. A few months ago, Johnson was granted access to the upstairs theatre to perform the play. “This will be the first time the ELAC Theatre Department will perform in the Upstairs Theatre.” said Johnson. The ELAC theatre students helped move in equipment to the upstairs theater, but Johnson has been working to set up and conduct the lighting and audio for opening night. The play’s small cast consists of six actors main character Jean, played by Lorena Ruiz, Gordon, played by Henry Ruiz, Gordon’s mistress, played by Natalie Wong, Gordon’s wife Hermia, played by Sue Montoya, Gordon’s older brother Dwight, played by Anthony Li, and Gordon’s mother, played
by Jordan Don. Jean is a lonely wallflower that is introverted. She sits alone at a cafe across from a man whose cell phone keeps ringing. Her world is changed as she answers a stranger’s cell phone that keeps ringing from across a cafe. As she goes over to the table, she discovers the man is dead. As Jean goes through the dead man’s cell phone, she creates a personality for this dead stranger that sends her on a brief adventure. Having fantasy conversations with the dead man throughout the story ends up changing her pointof-view of the world. The play was written by Sarah Ruhl, an award-winning writer, in 2007. Due to funding issues, the play is being produced with no budget. Lead actress Lorena Ruiz is a theater major in her first year at ELAC. She will be playing the main character Jean. “I always liked the rush of being on stage,” Ruiz said,“ its always been a very comforting and therapeutic form of letting out my energy and my letting out my emotions.”
Oliver Blanco also contributed to this story.
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Fall Out Boy returns to “Save Rock and Roll” with a bombastic album that fails to bring rock and roll to the forefront, but delivers a modern pop record with few memorable spots. The opening tracks, “The Pheonix” and “My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark,” bring on a charging parade of venomous lyrics as Patrick Stump’s vocals echoing with power to deliver a tour de force. Sadly, the next tracks follow suit by making a repetitive introduction filled with the cliches of the modern pop scene. “The Mighty Fall” comes close to giving a change with choirs and synth pop beats, but is shot dead in the water when rapper Big Sean steps in for a guest spot. However, the album does reach a new height in the second half. The track “Miss Missing You” has an ’80s pop inspired tone that sets
the course for the pop feel to come. “Young Volcanoes” delivers an acoustic blend with exotic drum beats highlighting the glory of being young and free. “Rat a Tat” comes on with full force with punk rhythms and the surprising appearance of guest brash vocals by Courtney Love amplifying with Stump questioning “Are you ready for another bad poem?” The album closes with one of the brightest spots of the record, the title track “Save Rock and Roll.” Elton John appears on the melodramatic, yet gorgeous, tune with his masterful voice against Fall Out Boy delivering a true rock ballad that the album deserves with the bombast of the beginning of the record combined with the pop stylings that came near the finish. Fall Out Boy may not have done a successful mission as the saviors of rock, but manage to make a modern pop record that is flawed. While later tracks gave a nice change of direction and styles, the opening tracks fail to be anything worth clamoring over. “Save Rock and Roll” was released April 12.
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SPORTS
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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
Badminton birdies ruffle feathers Danny Vasquez Staff Writer
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just add water—Ashley Jauregui cools down after winning an eighth place medal in the mile at the SCC finals last Saturday.
Swim and dive team ends with top times William Hernandez Staff Writer
The 2013 season ended on a high note for the women’s swim and dive team who brought home several medals at the South Coast Conference finals last weekend. Medalists include Alexandra Gonzalez, who placed ninth in the 50-meter backstroke, and Ashley Jauregui, who finished eighth in the 1650-meter freestyle. Denise Burrola medaled in the 50-yard butterfly (eighth place) and the 100 fly (sixth place). Yazandra Martinez is the first diver to win a medal for ELAC in more than a 12 years ELAC achieved their season goals as everyone on the team swam at least one personal record in the SCC finals or prelims “Jauregui’s goal was to break 21
minutes. Her work paid off and she earned a medal out of it,” ELAC Head Coach Erik Matheson. Christina Burrola followed Jauregui in the mile race finishing four seconds behind her at to land ninth place. Martha Rivas advanced to the consolation finals of each of her three reaces. She competed for two years on the team and will be transferring to California State University, Northridge. “Being on the team for two years made me happy though it was hard and tiring. It gets harder as a swimmer as time goes by,” Rivas said. The Huskies finished in seventh place overall in SCC finals with 249 total points. Hostess Chaffey took the championship with 618 points.
Pasadena City College was en route to its fifth straight South Coast Conference championship when a Huskies 11-10 upset rally created a probable tie for title last Friday in the women’s gym. East Los Angeles College needs to beat El Camino College today at 3 p.m. to tie for their third SCC title in the seven years. If the Huskies tie for the title, ELAC would have accomplished what no other team in the SCC could do for almost four years, beat Pasadena twice in one season. After losing to Pasadena in 17 consecutive matches since 2009, the Huskies have a two-game win streak against the Lancers. The Huskies broke Pasadena’s 41-match win streak with a shocking 13-8 win on April 10. “I am proud of our girls. They worked hard all season,” Head Coach Qui Nguy said. The match was close from start to finish. Both teams knew the winner would be a champion. It came down to the wire with the doubles matches. ELAC’s No. 3 doubles team of Chuyan Lao and Siqiong Pei beat PCC’s No. 3, Alejandra Palacios and Serena Yan, 23-21, 19-21, 21-19. PCC’s No.1 doubles team beat ELAC’s No. 1 doubles team. The last game of the match pitted ELAC’s No. 2 doubles, Shirley Su and Suki Kwan vs. Pasadena’s No.
2 doubles, Shaghig Avedisian and Alyssa Boyt. After a close 21-17 ELAC win in game one, the Huskies closed the door on PCC with a 21-11 smashing The celebration began. “We finally did win the title. We stayed focus and accomplished our goal. “We also made improvement since the beginning of the season. We even practiced on our own even until midnight sometimes. Today’s win was a team effort,” Team Leader, Cherry Lai said. Nguy said they were determined in their goals enough to practice on their own. “They worked on strategies to win the title. Working late at night was one of them,” Nguy said. Assistant Coach Lena Zeng, also coaching a ninth season for the Huskies, said the Husky rally began with a singles win. The rally began with Pei. “I didn’t know the team scores throughout the match until the last two minutes. I was instead focusing on giving it my all, win or lose. “In my last singles game I felt good and smashed my way to a 21-18, 21-6 win,” Pei said. Zeng said this win and two other singles matches was the key point in rallying to victory. A stunned Pasadena coach said “I thought we played pretty well. Most of the kids played well. They (ELAC) just beat us today,” Head Coach said Bill Sanchez said. “I think they (ELAC) got better every time we played them this year,” Sanchez said.
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making a racket—Suki Kwan smacks the birdie across the net in a 12-21, 21-19, 21-19 win over Alyssa Boyt of Pasadena City College in the Huskies 11-10 upset win over the Lancers, in the women’s gym last Friday. “Suki’s single’s win was key in the victory,” Assistant Coach Lena Zeng said.
Track and field team rises to compete after Cal State L.A. bomb scare The 2013 softball team ended their season with an 8-0 win over El Camino College Compton Center a t h o m e y e s t e r d a y. The Huskies lost, 8-2, to No. 10-ranked (the Southern California poll) Santa Ana College on Monday also at home.
Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer
“It was nice to end the season on a win. I knew that if the team played together they would come through with the victory. Thanks to our sophomores who gave two years of the life to the program,” Head Coach Erika Blanco said. The Huskies took fifth place in the South Coast Conference.
Swimming through the sounds of silence Chriss Ramos Contributpr Being a deaf student athlete at East Los Angeles College has not stopped Kimberly Fierros from competing on the swim and dive team. Fierros, 20, graduated from Downey High School and began swimming and competing in club swim teams since the age of eight and has not stopped since. “I feel impressed and I feel pride towards swimming because I’m deaf,” Fierros said. Born a healthy baby, at around 11 months Fierros lost her hearing. “I got really sick and I had a fever.
sick, I
My ear started deteriorating because of an infection,” Fierros said. Fierros attended a deaf mainstream school where she learned to sign and helped her with her oral speech. The school consisted of both deaf and non-deaf students, although some classes were only for deaf students. After high school in 2011, Fierros set out for college and enrolled at East Los Angeles College, where she is currently completing her associate’s degree in Social Work. “I was taking a swim class with Track and Field Head Coach Louis Ramirez. He motivated me to join the swim team,” Fierros said. She joined the team in the summer of 2012. Swimming on a college team has been a different experience for Fierros. “When I was young, my parents would help me. When it came down to college I was pretty much by myself. I wanted to do my best,” Fierros said. “In the beginning it was lousy,” Fierros said. Her teammates didn’t know how to sign and all she knew was signing. They soon began with basic signing like numbers for the team to understand the basic visuals of signing. Fierros is provided with an interpreter during class time, swim practice, and swim meets. She has also taught her teammates a few signing words. “I’ve had to do some adjusting. I’ve never written on the whiteboard
KIMBERLY FIERROS
for warm ups, now I write on the whiteboard,” said Erik Matheson head coach of the ELAC Swim and Dive team. Being a part of the ELAC team includes two practice sessions including a morning practice for an hour and a half and being in the pool ready to go by 5:45 a.m. In the afternoons practice lasts three hours. “My big thing is for them to set goals and achieve them. “She’s not an exception to that, but she does have an extra hurdle,” Matheson said. Fierros competes in the freestyle, backstroke and butterfly events as well as relay teams. Her favorite event being the butterfly. “I feel I am skilled at that and I can do something for my team,” she said. In the future, Fierros hopes to transfer into a four-year university and compete in the Special Olympics. Fierros ended the season with personal records in all three events she competed in at the South Coast Conference finals. She knocked off 16 seconds in the 500-meter freestyle, which is huge accomplishment, She also swam two seconds off her previous best time in the 50-meter backstroke and one second in the 100 back. “Swimming to personal records in the last meet was amazing for all of us. I am especially proud of Kimberly. “I am also proud of all of the girls. We all grew together this season and look what we did. Our fastest times in our last meet, for some of ever,” teammate Felicia Ballesteros said.
The East Los Angeles College track and field meet last Friday was cancelled because of a Thursday bomb threat at California State University, Los Angeles. An anonymous caller called the El Monte police Thursday morning before 11 a.m. and said a bomb would go off at Cal State L.A. in two hours. The campus was evacuated safely on Thursday at about 12:15 p.m. The Los Angeles Police Department called off the bomb search at 2:30 p.m. The Cal State L.A. website then read, “For precautionary measures, the Cal State L.A. Twilight Open and the women’s tennis match have been cancelled.” Two Cal State L.A. students, Andres De La Cruz and Kris Chacon were members of the 2012 ELAC Cross Country state finalist team. Chacon is a member of the current Husky track and field team being eligible because he is a full-time student at both ELAC and Cal State L.A. “Who cares about the meet when something like this happens? The most important thing is that everybody was safe,” Gonzalo Ceja, track and field athlete said. East Los Angeles College coaches rescheduled the Huskies to compete in the Long Beach State Beach Invitational, held last Friday at Cerritos College. The Beach Invitational consisted mostly of four-year university competition from throughout the U.S. and teams as far away as Mexico. “The team (ELAC) had to turn off our emotions of that horrible experience for students at Cal State L.A., two of which are our own, and get back to business as usual,” Ceja said. At the Beach Invitational, “Avanti Armendariz continued to shine running the 400-meter hurdles for the first time. He ran a season best for ELAC,” Head Coach Louis Ramirez said. Armendariz edged Gavin Couvrey-Jacobs of Cal State Fullerton for 36th place. “He also led the 4 x 100 meter relay team of Antonio Oropeza, Nelson Lucha and Aaron Jasso, to their best time of the season,” Ramirez said. Armendariz competes in eight events, two of which are the long and triple jumps, he is favored to advance to the postseason based on his individual state rankings. Ceja has the best times for
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the Huskies in four events, the 1,500-meter run, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the 5,000-meter run and the 10,000-meter run. He is ranked No. 15 statewide in both the steeplechase and the 10,000 run. This is the first year Ceja has competed in track and field. Lucha edged Heli Abarca Pastrana of Mexico’s National Athletic Association to win his heat in the 110-meter hurdles by .09 of a second. Lucha has the fastest 110 hurdles time of the season for the Huskies. “Salvador Acsencio-Aguirre and Andrew Torres ran personal best records in the steeplechase. They continue to improve,” Ramirez said. Nine Huskies competed in the steeplechase at the SCC prelims, including Omar Alvarenga whose just ran a personal best, at Mt. San Antonio College, yesterday. Results were not available before the Campus News deadline for this issue. “We are doing our jobs because we trained to peak at the end of the season. We entered the SCC prelims with confidence,” Alvarengo said. Adding a sixth event to his resume at the Beach Invitational, Oropeza ran his first 400 dash
impressivelyy. He edged James Isip of Pasadena C i t y College in an upset by 5.53 seconds. B o t h runners were the only community college athletes competing in the race. They raced against each other at the SCC prelims. On the women’s side, AllAmerican Megan Magdaleno ran a personal best in the 800-meter run, which was good enough to edge
Emily McVay of Cal State Fullerton. Magdaleno outran community college competition, except for highly touted among community college runners Kailadnni Chavez of Pasadena City College. Yadira Abarca competed in the 100-meter hurdles in a field that included only four-year university competition and ran to a lifetime best. Vanessa Moore edged Kaci Storm of Iowa State University in the long jump. Moore is expected to advance to the postseason out of the SCC finals, which will be on Friday at Mt. SAC, based on her No. 5 SCC ranking. Jessica Herrera and Adrian Crespo were the only community college competitors in the hammer throw. Herrera hurled the hammer farther than Jylie Brill from Grand Canyon University of Phoenix for a 47th place finish. Brill edged Crespo for 48th place. Although ELAC did not have any women’s steeplechase entrants at the Beach Invitational, two Huskies are favored to also advance to the postseason out of the SCC finals. Olivia Reyes, who has the No. 4 fastest time in the state and Rosa Arellano, who needs a strong race to advance. She is ranked No. 7 in the SCC. “I don’t mind the seven plus laps and love to compete in the steeplechase. I focus on each section of the race as it happens - running on the flat surface, the jumps, the water hurdle and strategizing to reserve enough energy to sprint at near the finish line,” Arellano said. “The men’s team will compete well in the SCC finals. “We are motivated and believe in ourselves. We will put our minds to it and push the extra limit,” Ryan Angel 400 dash runner said.
AARON JASSO