Prisoners find ‘Kindred’ spirit Page 5
Volume 71, Issue 23
Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
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Bringing
May Revise gives money to education
Prestige
Ivan Cazares Staff Writer
Getty awards $150,000 to Vincent Price Art Museum Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer The Vincent Price Art Museum is the only community college museum to have received a total of $150,000 in grants from the Getty foundation to participate in the “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA.” The VPAM will use the grants for researching and planning an exploration of Latin American and Latino art. The grants are among $5 million worth of grants announced by the Getty. “The grants were very competitive. The applications were
due in September and we were notified in December,” VPAM Director Karen Rapp said. Two exhibits will open in 2017 at the VPAM in collaboration with the Getty and UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center. “Pacific Standard Time LA/ LA: Laura Aguilar Retrospective” will be researched and developed with a $50,000 grant. Aguilar, East Los Angeles College alumna, uses portraitures in documenting social groups who are typically marginalized in mainstream culture. Many of Aguilar’s photographic series are autobiographical,
exploring her bi-national Mexican American identity. The exhibition will trace the development of Aguilar’s work, from early themes to more recent self-portraits that explores the boundaries between the body and iconic landscapes in the American Southwest. It is also one of the few projects funded by the Getty’s “Pacific Standard Time: L.A/.L.A.” initiative dedicated to representing the career of a solo female artist.
VPAM Continued on page 5
Accreditation standards bring changes to school policies Maegan Ortiz Staff Writer East Los Angeles College will need to comply with new standards proposed by The Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). The ACCJC is a branch of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges dealing specifically with accreditation for community and junior colleges. The ACCJC sets standards of compliance which all schools must meet in order to be fully accredited. This ensures access to federal aid and grants. The new standards are still
News Briefs
going through a vetting process, but ELAC History Professor and Faculty Accreditation Chair Barbara Dunsheath expects them to pass unchanged in late June. “The proposed standards are actually minor variations of standards that have been in place since 2002. It’s not like the commission totally rewrote them,” Dunsheath said. The standards are in the area of student outcomes, academic quality, institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement of student learning and achievement. Accreditation is an opportunity for ELAC to reflect on what worked and what can be done to
No classes
improve the school. The process begins with an internal peer review process – a self-study that allows for reflection on where the college is in terms of compliance, and where it needs to go. ELAC has been working toward this since 2003, when a recommendation was made to accelerate the compliance process. “According to their (ACCJC) timeline we had 10 years. That 10year period is over and I believe that the commission will hold us accountable if we are not in compliance,” Dunsheath said. An accreditation team is scheduled to visit ELAC in 2016.
School will be closed on Monday in celebration of Memorial Day and Tuesday a non-instructional day.
The biggest issue, according to Dunsheath, is Learning Outcomes, which must be in place for 100 percent of classes and programs, written on all syllabi and regularly assessed. “We (ELAC) are not at 100 percent and there is a significant difference to cause concern,” Dunsheath said. She said that clear outcomes are part of good educational planning and should be part of an instructor’s class design. That way instructors know what the take-aways from their classes are and how to measure them. When a school is not in compliance with accreditation
Corrections
standards, progressive discipline is put into place. Usually the ACCJC starts with a warning to the school, probation, show cause and finally pulling accreditation. In June 2005 the ACCJC pulled Compton Community College’s accreditation, causing the school to be absorbed by the larger El Camino Community College District. Dunsheath feels that ELAC overall is in good shape despite not being fully in compliance. “Sometimes accreditation gets a bad name but they (the ACCJC) are just trying to get you to be a good school,” she said.
Cristina Berumen, Matthew Luna, John Muñoz, and Hugo Narvaez’s names were misspelled in the staff box last week.
A slowly recovering economy and a strong stock market have made it easier for the state to pay off some of its debt and direct more money back to education. Governor Brown released a revised version of his proposed budget for 2014-2015 last Wednesday. Brown announced an increase of $10,852,427 from last year’s budget. He proposed a total budget of $156,152,434 and set aside $12,877,279 for higher education. In a letter addressed to California Senate and the Assembly, Brown said, “With a decade of intractable deficits behind us, California is poised to take advantage of the recovering economy and the tens of thousands of jobs now being created each month.” The 2014‑15 budget continues California’s investment in schools by providing $10 billion this year to give students a better chance to succeed. The Senate must review the proposed budget and come to a decision by June 15 and the Governor needs to sign by June 30. Education and establishing a fiscally responsible budget are among Brown’s top priorities. Brown’s spending plan includes $1.6 million as emergency reserve. This is the first time the state will be able to deposit money in its emergency reserve since 2007. The East Los Angeles College Budget Committee is not sure how ELAC will benefit from the state’s May Revise, since it has not been approved. The budget committee considers a number of things to be a part of student success, including the number of students who graduate from ELAC. Increasing the number of students that graduate is the college’s top priority. Community colleges are of great value to the state of California and are the state’s most cost effective system of education. Some of Brown’s critics believe the price tag on his plan is too high. In an article on the latimes. com, George Skelton said that there is a degree of hypocrisy, contradiction and denial in Brown’s plan. He suggested the governor is focusing too much on Obamacare and is neglecting issues like public transportation. Another recession can potentially lead to a huge loss of revenue. Basic programs, including public education, have suffered budget cuts due to a budget that relies heavily on the stock market. Brown believes the state’s rainy day fund is the answer to this problem.
Last issue of the spring 2014 semester This week’s issue is the final issue of the spring 2014 semester. The next issue will be in fall 2014. For more news and the upcoming film “A Million Ways to die in the West” contest visit elaccampusnews.com.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
ELAC sports finds success in spring say so many good things about us at so many different meetings. Staff Writer Instead of hearing: ‘Why do we have athletics?’” Cone said It has been awhile since the The men’s basketball team East Los Angeles College Athletic accomplished something they Department has accomplished as haven’t won in 42 years. much all-around success as they They conquered the 2014 SCC have in 2014. title and hosted a home playoff game When the regular season concluded against Citrus College. for spring sports last month, ELAC Citrus defeated ELAC 86-81, had four teams competing in the Feb. 28 in a competitive double California Community College overtime thriller. Athletic Association playoffs. “It’s exciting to see the guys “From top to bottom its probably put the effort in and work hard been the most to accomplish successful their goals. The season we have goal is to make ever had since sure these guys I h a v e b e e n I knew starting in January m o v e o n a n d associated with that this was going to be a matriculate to this school and special year. They are very play at the next that goes back mature and athletically l e v e l , ” J o h n to 1989,” ELAC Mosley, ELAC one of the most talented men’s basketball Athletic Director teams I have ever had. Al Cone said. head coach, said. Four out of the “We take the Erika Blanco eight teams that Pete Carroll softball head coach philosophy and competed during the spring and say ‘win forever’ winter semester because if they (badminton, baseball, men’s continue to win in everything they basketball and softball) finished do, on and off the court, it will pay atop the South Coast Conference in off for them, being able to move their respective sports. on to the four year (university),” “I am so proud of what our Mosley said. student athletes have accomplished. On the diamond, ELAC’s baseball I always knew that we had good and softball teamsbroke-out onto the enough coaches, but when the kids scene with fast starts. become the main priority, this kind The baseball team recorded a of success will always happen,” 25-15 overall record and ended 15-6 Cone said. in the SCC. For the Husky sports teams, the Both teams finished the season first half of 2014 is the start of tied for first place in the SCC and something new. both teamsm lost first-round games It is apparent with all the ongoing in the CCCAA playoffs. construction and renovations, that “It’s never happened before where the bar has been raised for ELAC we had both teams win their league as a college. in the same year. The coaches did a With the recent athletic upswing, hell of a job, and the players bought there is no doubt that the Huskies into what they said,” Cone said. are a durable program that is here Away from the public eye, the to stay. softball team finished the regular “It feels so cool to hear people season 29-9 overall, behind the
William hernandez
EDITOR IN CHIEF Danny Vasquez MANAGING EDITOR Liliana Marquez ONLINE EDITOR Megan G. Razzetti ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR Jade Inglada
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ONLINE SPORTS EDITOR Tadzio Garcia ART DIRECTOR Lindsey Maeda FRONT EDITOR Jesus Figueroa OPINION EDITOR Jazmin Tellez NEWS EDITOR Sergio Berrueta FEATURE EDITOR Desiree Lopez ARTS EDITOR Megan G. Razzetti SPORTS EDITORS Carlos Alvarez Marcus Camacho
stellar pitching of California CCCAA Pitcher of the Year Alashanee Medina and the excellent coaching job done by SCC Coach of the Year Erika Blanco and her assistant coaching staff. “I knew starting in January that this was going to be a special year. They are very mature and athletically one of the most talented teams I have ever had,” Blanco said. For the past five years, the ELAC women’s badminton team has finished behind or tied with their archrival Pasadena City College. But in 2014, ELAC won the SCC title outright by winning all of their conference games (12-0).
At the CCCAA track and field championships, Laura Aceves of the ELAC women’s team finished first in both the steeplechase and the 10,000 - meter runs. ELAC almost made a cleansweep in both steeplechase events, but ELAC’s Gonzalo Ceja finished third in the men’s steeplechase, 9:33.06 minutes. “He was in the lead with a lapand-a-half to go,” ELAC track and field Head Coach Louis Ramirez said. The Huskies had a season to remember, but outside the lines, they are working hard at maintaining good academic standing, giving
back to the community and moving on to the next level of four-year universities. But rest assured, this will not be a one-hit wonder for the Husky sports teams. According to Cone, the Athletic Department has the proper system in place to maintain the success and recognition that the Huskies established in 2014. Two swim and dive team freshmen received nine All-American status awards. Alice Fei Zhang received seven awards and Wenning Shen two. Zhang won a silver medal at the state champiosnships held at ELAC.
Taxes aim to benefit students pass. It would only affect big oil companies that would be forced to Staff Writer pay higher taxes. With past and ongoing budget The California Education and cuts, colleges are in need of Resource Reinvestment Act Senate alternative funding. Having attended ELAC for the Bill 241 will benefit all college students in California. SB 241 will past three years, the budget cuts increase tax rates in oil companies have been apparent. Math and English classes are to fund higher education. The bill would require that every insanely crowded with students oil company that pulls resources desperate to add classes. The class options at ELAC have from Californian grounds or water would pay a 9.5 percent decreased, leaving students with no other alternatives other than to hope extraction tax. Education has been a much that maybe they will get classes they needed and neglected resource in need the following semester. Student services such as tutoring the state of California and SB 241 have decreased and minimized the might just be the solution. As a college student in the process available lab hours to students. Last winter the Academic Senate of transferring, it has been a long stated, “There is one counselor journey full of frustration. per every 2,200 Due to financial students. This issues, I am provides proof that forced to work in alternative sources the daytime and attend class in S t u d e n t s n e e d a for funding are proposition that will much needed. the evening. In order to It saddens me give us the needed t o s e e s u c h a classes and lower continue with our education, we must small selection rates for education. work together and of electives urge the legislation and courses for to take action. evening classes. Many students By California have chosen to neglecting its attend community students, they have made it more difficult for colleges because of financial issues. If rates increase, many students students to continue a sturdy pace will not be able to pursue a higher without obstacles. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e B o a r d education and it will ruin their of Equalization, the bill would dreams of earning a degree. If passed, SB 241 would become generate about $2 billion a year and would be split between CSUs, effective in 2015 and can save UCs, community colleges and the s t u d e n t s f r o m d r o p p i n g o u t California Department of Parks from school. I urge students to sign the online and Recreation. Thirty percent of the money petition at senate.ca.gov, rally or would go to higher education write a letter to the State Senate, and a n d s e v e n p e r c e n t t o p a r k s express the necessities we have as students and the importance of the and recreation. Students need a proposition that bill passing. If SB 241 passes, students can will give us the needed classes and have more opportunities in school. lower rates for education. The expansion of classes, will Chevron is spending approximately $14 million just to give students more variety and be given the ability to pursue fight SB 241. This is why this proposition must their education.
amanda rodarte
Education is key to success bonnie regalado Staff Writer Students should view their education as an important factor in their lives; no ifs, buts or maybes. Regardless of the circumstances, the grade a student receives by the end of the semester is due to the effort they put into it throughout the course. This semester I took a psychology course and throughout the semester, all my professor said was, “It’s your education, ladies and gentleman, not anyone else’s. Work hard for it.” Sometimes, as students, we tend to make up excuses as to why we couldn’t get that A. We either blame the professor or anyone or anything but ourselves as to why we didn’t do as well as planned. For years, professors get the typical excuses as to why students are not turning in assignments. “My cat ate my homework.” My family member is very ill.” Sadly, most of the excuses lack the truth. Emergencies happen, they are a part of life and professors can be understanding of situations that students go through.
Simply contact them and let them know what’s going on. There are no excuses to not turn in assignments. Students can email their professor and turn in an essay. Channel 5 released a story of a UCLA student who struggled financially to pay for his education. He explained how important his education was to him and picked up napkins and Windex. He cleans car windows outside of local grocery stores and saves the money to pay for his schooling. He encourages other students and sets a perfect example of how putting in the effort is an important factor into succeeding toward your education. When it comes to school and earning an education, it’s every person for themselves. Students work hard for it and make the best out of it. Procrastination is what affects most students. Students have the tendency to leave assignments until the last minute. Whether a student receives financial aid or pays out of their pocket, they should always give 100 percent. Going to school and earning an
education is not a joke. Getting good grades and expanding students minds to learn new things will enhance their abilities in the future. Students should prioritize and remind themselves the good outcome to dedicating their time to school. Every time I walk into a classroom, the majority of the students are on their phones. Most classes at ELAC are an hour and a half long. Is it hard for students to put their phones down for a short amount of time? A student’s time and attention should be dedicated to the lecture. This is all part of how much a person is willing to try for their education. All a student needs is time, patience and an effort to learn. Students should go the extra mile. There are no excuses to not get good grades. The minute a students enroll in a course, they are signing up for a responsibility that no one can fulfill but themselves. Students strive and remind themselves that education is key to a brighter future. It’s your education, show yourself how badly you want it.
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CARTOONISTS Kien Ha Bryan Pedroza Anthony Tran STAFF WRITERS Jose Cazares, Brenda Diaz, Damien Guzman, William Hernandez, Diego Linares, Luis Marquez, Manny Miguel, Diego Olivares, Maegan Ortiz, Laura Parral, Bonnie Regalado, Amanda Rodarte, PODCAST TEAM Jesus Figueroa, Diego Linares, Desiree Lopez, Manny Miguel, Megan G. Razzetti ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Manny Miguel Augustine Ugalde 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 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 letter s 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. 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 Email: elaccampusnews@gmail.com 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
News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
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Health fair brings new health options, alternatives to Elans damien guzman Staff Writer
Architecture students heads to Netherlands Erik luna Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Architecture Department will be the first community college program to be featured at the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, an exhibit bringing together the brightest minds in the field of architecture, this month at Rotterdam, Netherlands. The department is exhibiting the student project on the industrial city of Vernon, which due to the factories in the vicinity has high levels of toxicity making it uninhabitable to most people, and the study students participated in to try and make the city greener and livable. Architecture students Maria Mercado, Sarahi Baeza and Masae Senyoshi will go on the trip to Rotterdam, Netherlands on May 27. The Architecture Department got the chance to be featured in the exhibit thanks to the help of instructor Orhan Ayyuce, who got in contact with the people at the IABR. “(The) Rotterdam Biennale is one of the most coveted architecture biennales in the world and extremely selective,” Ayyuce said. “I have been working with its director George Brugmans for several years now trying to turn his attention to our city… at a very intelligent level.” With the theme of the biennale being urban change, Ayyuce and his students set out to see how Vernon, which has a working population of approximately 50,000 people and only 99 actual residents according to Ayyuce, can change with the help of an architectural and urban design platform.
As stated in iabr.nl/en, the 2014 exhibit “claims that we can only solve the world’s environmental problems if we solve the problems of the city.” According to Mercado and Baeza, there is the need of initial research to be conducted to gather further material for their projects on how to solve the problems of the city. Their research includes: the predominant race in the area, the average income of the residents and the type of industries located in the city. “The idea of designing housing in Vernon, a city that we are all very familiar with, made us feel very interested and committed on producing projects that would provide a better quality of life to the community,” Mercado said. As the IABR is an international exhibition, the projects will be published in catalogs and magazines worldwide. According to Baeza, the project took form with the collaboration of organizations and institutions such as Cal Poly Pomona University, LA Forum, US Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Vernon. Along with garnishing international attention from renowned architects, Ayyuce said that Ivy League institutions normally seek after these types of biennales. “It is an urban design biennale and as ELAC is sitting in the center of our nation’s most populated urban area, our students naturally have the most familiar sensibility of any architecture students in Southern California,” Ayucce said. Ayyuce said that if the ideas expressed in these projects can come to fruition, then they can be put to use in other areas that bare a resemblance to the city of Vernon, ultimately making the world a better place to live in.
Plenty of health setups filled ELAC’s Art Department courtyard in order to provide new options to Elans and those within the community. The health fair gave less fortunate people without health insurance a chance to check blood levels, body fat percentages and offered tips on staying healthy for free. “This event is to promote health and raise awareness and is connected to diabetes foundations,” Galen Cheng, nursing student, said. The most popular display for attendence was the NutriShop presentation. The manager from one of the shops showed crowds of nurses and others in attendance different protein shakes and fat burning juices. He passed out samples of every product he presented during the demonstration. “It’s free testing. This is to get some information on what’s going on in your body,” Andrew Fernandez, manager of the NutriShop, said. Another display at the fair dealing with juicing products that create great health benefits was Herbs of Mexico. This set-up dealt more with flax seeds, chia seeds and other natural herbs rather than protein and energy-based powders. Bystanders interests were kept with samples thanks to the fresh flavors given out at the Herbs of Mexico display. “Our main thing is in the hospital setting. We actually help keep people alive by helping them breathe that need to be on ventilators, people with asthma, and run tests on patients,” ELAC student Jennifer
Burke, Respiratory Department representative, said. The Respiratory Department focused its presentation on showing people good and bad lungs, caused mostly by smoking. Using pig lungs, they showed healthy lungs and some that were lungs badly damaged. They were being pumped by a machine to show how they work in the body. The bad lungs were black and contained a small tumor Demonstrators let people put gloves on and feel each of the lungs. Another section in the event was the body fat index. Nurses at this station used a machine to measure body fat. They input the height, age and weight to get results on a person’s body fat. After the percentages appeared on the machine’s screen, they showed charts that defined if the person was healthy or non-healthy. To attract a younger audience, a clown and a face-painting booth that younger kids were brought to entertain children. Other displays at the event included LA Fitness, East LA Pregnancy Center, St. Vincent Medical Center and Santa Rosa Health Care Center. Although there was more than a hundred people in attendence, instructors wanted a bigger turn out . They understood that it was the first time the event took place at ELAC and was promoted with short notice. “I think we would have had a better turn out if we would have had more time to promote it but it was the first year to,” Nursing Instructor Martha Garcia said. ELAC’s health fair achieved its mission with important information and adding fun to the event.
Long-time professor to retire after 22 years Liliana marquez Staff Writer After dedicating more than 20 years as an instructor for the East Los Angeles College Computer Applications and Office Technologies Department, Brenda K. Baity decided to retire at the end of the semester. “Teaching is my life. It’s what makes me happy, for the most part. It’s satisfying and it makes me feel like I’m giving back to the community and to the students,” Baity said. Baity was hired by former ELAC President Ernest H. Moreno in 1992 and has been teaching full-time since. The opportunity to apply for a teaching job at the CAOT Department came when a friend of hers got an invitation to apply for the job. Her friend decided not to apply, so Baity asked her if she could apply instead. “The rest is history and here I am since 1992,” Baity said. Baity, 67, said she decided to retire while she is still healthy and able to do things. She said she wants to have a bit of a simpler life in terms of responsibilities. “One of the beauties of teaching is that–after I take one semester off–that’s the state law that requires an instructor who retires to take a semester off–I can come back and teach hourly,” Baity said. She wants to do some volunteer work and also spend more time with her family, but she said that making that decision was difficult for her. “Even now I feel a little weird about it and wonder if I should have done this. Especially when everybody is so nice and (ELAC) is just a great place to work. I just love it. I think I made the right decision,” Baity said. Baity was planning to retire before, but her life took a 180 degree turn when her husband, Glenn Vice, an Economics and Real Estate instructor at Mt. San Antonio College, became ill. “I had planned to retire five years ago when I was 62 with my husband
Baity, a native from Salisbury, and just as we were making plans for retirement, he became ill and he North Carolina, graduated from ultimately passed away of cancer Pfeiffer University where she met Vice. after a few months,” Baity said. At the time, even though they At that point, she still wanted to retire, but was advised not to make were not married, she decided to a big change in her life. She decided come to California with him, so he to stay at ELAC and maintain a could attend graduate school at the University of Southern California. normal life. After she graduated from college “When I lost my husband five years ago, everybody just gathered in 1969, she went to school partaround. I had to stay at the hospital,” time to take graduate courses at Baity said. “Nobody ever said, ‘Get the University of North Carolina at back to work.’ It was just like, ‘Do Charlotte. Baity came to California in 1971 what you have to do’ everybody and got a job as has just been so an instructor, but great and so nice quit in 1974 to to me.” attend California Baity said State University, that the she is Los Angeles really close to where she got her the other six masters degree full-time CAOT in business Department education. faculty members. While at “ We w o r k CSULA, Baity really well was hired to together as a teach full-time team and one by the Office of the members Administration of the team Department to is leaving, so take the place of somebody new is a professor who coming on board Brenda K. Baity was going to be and it’s just going to in a sabbatical for be a big change for a year. everybody,” Baity said. She left CSULA in 1977 and For CAOT Department Chair Elaine Shibata, Baity has been went to California State University, a lovely, vivacious, friendly and Northridge where she taught for 16 years as a lecturer because she didn’t helpful person. Shibata said that the faculty at have a doctorate. Baity came to ELAC, and for the CAOT Department was sad when they heard the news of Baity her, it was the best thing she could have done. retiring. “I love the (ELAC) students. “She’s been very dedicated to the students, to the department and They are more appreciative of what to the college. She enjoys being we do for them and how you work involved with activities and she with them, how you help them and gives her whole self to whatever she that’s not what I felt at a university,” Baity said. does,” Shibata said. Although Baity retires from For 18 years, she was the faculty teaching full-time, she plans to chair for accreditation. “I had many responsibilities. come back and teach one or two Accreditation occurs on a six-year classes. “I am actually planning to return cycle, so after 18 years it was time for new blood, so to speak, and I next spring, so I am going to ease think I was just tired of it. It’s a lot out. I can’t just sever the tie. I love it too much,” Baity said. of responsibility,” Baity said.
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5/1/14 11:00 AM
Feature ELAC baseball player pitches for greatness 4
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2014
successful season with the Huskies, winning pitcher of the year has been Staff Writer his biggest accomplishment as an athlete. Every time starting pitcher of ELAC baseball Head Coach East Los Angeles College Roman James Hines said that Davalos had Davalos throws the ball to home a great season. plate, his wrist shows off a tattoo “He was very outstanding. He with the letters RDD, next to a tattoo did a great job for us. There are not of a Dallas Cowboys star. a lot of guys that roll through here Those letters are the initials of his and do that kind of job. He always late grandfather, Roman D. Davalos, maintained his composure when he who passed away almost four years was out on the mound,” Hines said. ago. The star represents Roman Teammate Daniel Moriel agreed Davalos and his grandfather’s with Hines on the importance that favorite football team. Davalos performance had on the “Every time Huskies win the I get a hat or SCC title, shared a glove, I put with Cerritos his initials on and Long Beach it. He went to As a pitcher, I love having the colleges. almost all my feeling that on the mound I “ H i s high school control the game, and that performance was games. When I can be the outcome of it. huge this year. I pitch, I think Wi t h o u t h i m , of him, and our pitching staff I know he is drops,” Moriel Roman Davalos said. at the game watching me,” Davalos, 20, Davalos said. finished his first Davalos, season with the starting pitcher of the East Los Huskies (second season playing Angeles College baseball team, college level). was named the 2014 South Coast Born in Bellflower and raised in Conference Pitcher of the Year. El Monte, Davalos played baseball He was automatically named to at Arroyo High School in El Monte the All-SCC First Team. for four years. Davalos received this big news on He also played football during April 29, before the play-in game his freshman and sophomore years, against College of the Canyons but after finishing his second year, which the Huskies won 6-5 to move he realized that if he wanted to be on to the first round of the Southern successful in baseball, he would Regional Playoffs. need to focus on it year-round. Davalos said that he dedicated During his high school this honor to his grandfather Roman. baseball career, Davalos earned The news didn’t completely numerous awards. shock Davalos because he knew He was named Pitcher of the Year he had a possible chance at being for the Arroyo Knights baseball named All-SCC first or second team during his freshman year. teams because of the season he had. As a high school junior, Davalos Cerritos College Head Coach made it to the All-Mission Valley and SCC Coach of the Year, Ken League Second Team and was Gaylord, said that Davalos was one also named Pitcher of the Year for of the best pitchers his team faced that team. this year. The highlight of his high school Davalos, who has played baseball career came during senior year when for almost 17 years, said that after a he received three honors.
liliana marquez
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CN/liliana marquez
game control—South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year Roman Davalos in action during a 6-5 victory against College of the Canyons on April 29 at Husky Park. He was named to the All-Mission Valley League First Team, the Knights’ Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year. Davalos planned to attend ELAC right after high school, but decided to go to Barstow Community College where he played his first year of college ball. “I called coach Hines, who also graduated from Arroyo. One night I had a game at Mt. SAC with my travel ball team,” Davalos said. “He showed up and asked me if I wanted to play for ELAC. I said yes because I like the way he coaches, and I know he can move you on.” For Davalos, adjusting to the new team wasn’t difficult because he already knew five teammates. “We grew up together. We’ve been playing baseball since we were around 12, so that helped me adapt,” Davalos said.
Two of those teammates are Shawn Kennedy, named to the All-SCC First Team and Daniel Moriel named to the All-SCC Second Team. “He (Davalos) did great this year. We both were first and second pitchers. Him pounding the zone allowed him to get pitcher of the year,” Kennedy said. Moriel said that Davalos’ strength is his desire for the game because he lives to compete. Moriel described Davalos’ style of play as quiet, but fierce. “He isn’t really vocal when he’s pitching, but you know when he is about to cut the other team up,” Moriel said. Kennedy said that Davalos is a great pitcher who throws strikes and gets people to ground out, which limits the runs given up to keep the team in the game.
For Davalos, playing baseball is something that comes natural to him. What he loves the most about baseball is being in control. “As a pitcher, I love having the feeling that on the mound I control the game, and that I can be the outcome of it,” Davalos said. He started playing baseball when he was about three years old. He played in Little League and also played travel ball. Davalos was 16-years-old when he participated in the Wood Bat Tournament in San Gabriel Valley with the Montebello Brewers. They made it to the championship game and that is something he will always remember. “One of our guys came up to bat and hit a grand slam to put us up by one,” Davalos said. “I wasn’t pitching at the time, so I went up to the coach and asked him
to put me in. I went in and struck out all three guys.” The Brewers won the tournament and Davalos received an unexpected gift from his coach. “At the end of the tournament they (the coaches) got a trophy. The coach actually gave it to me and said, ‘You pitched most of this tournament, so you deserve this,” I was shocked, but happy,” Davalos said. It was also during that week that Davalos’ grandfather passed away. “He actually passed away on my birthday. That tournament I played was during the last week that he was with us and I actually gave him that trophy,” Davalos said. Last summer, Davalos also had the chance to play with the LA Easton Elite Dodgers, a 19-and-over summer collegiate scout team, and said it was a great experience. “I actually went to the world series in New York City. We got to stay there for over two weeks and played against (teams from) Texas, Wyoming and Puerto Rico. It was great to see all the talent from all over the U.S.,” Davalos said. Now that the season is over for the Huskies, Davalos said that he had a good experience despite some problems faced during the season. “We didn’t have a bad start, but we had a bump in the road during the middle of the season,” Davalos said. He also said that for them to come together and pull off a victory to get into the playoffs was something good, and that it showed the kind of team they had. But he still has a lot to work on to improve his game. “Roman’s biggest strength is that he keeps his walks down, which limits the runs,” Kennedy said. “His weakness is that he leaves the ball up on some pitches which makes it easier to hit.” Davalos will attend a summer camp at the Reggie Smith Baseball Academy where he hopes to catch the attention of colleges and professional teams.
Elan motivates others to succeed desiree lopez Staff Writer
CN/megan g. razzetti
building upon success — Marysol Vidal (left) receives critique on her emergency relief shelter from ELAC architecture and design professor Alexis Navarro (center) and alumnus Adam Paul Martinez (right).
Professor becomes a staple for Elans diego linares Staff Writer Alexis Navarro has become a staple in the East Los Angeles College Department of Architecture through loyalty, passion and implementation of groundbreaking work. The product of immigrant parents, Navarro said he struggled to find himself and make choices about what to do with his life. “My working class background limited my vision, but slowly, I began to obtain a larger view of my potential,” said Navarro. “This was my biggest challenge, to see beyond the limited circumstances I was raised in at home and the environment I grew up in.” Navarro said that ELAC is where he found himself as a person, and now owes to the students as a professor. Chair of the Department of Architecture, Michael Hamner, firmly believes that recognition Navarro deserves some for his continuous work at ELAC. “Seven years ago, we had zero students at USC. Today, we have 17 active in the Architecture Program and graduated some 15 in the last
five years,” said Hamner. “In fact, the current number of students who have transferred from ELAC and are enrolled in accredited Architecture Programs, is over 50. That’s what Professor Navarro and the rest of us are extremely proud of.” Navarro, an Alhambra High School graduate, is credited with changing the course curriculum for design at ELAC from a vocational-style department, of one similar to first and second year university models. After graduating from ELAC in 1981, Navarro transferred to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona to receive his Bachelor of Architecture in 1984. Between receiving his bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly, Pomona and master’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles in 1997, Navarro practiced architecture for 12 years and taught at ELAC as a construction technology adjunct professor for eight years. In his 12 years in the field, Navarro was a project architect for The Museum of Tolerance and a team member for the Getty Center with acclaimed architect Richard Meier for six years. According to Hamner, the architectural academia in their
system was revolutionized upon Navarro’s return from UCLA. “It was like a lightswitch,” said Hamner. “Our architectural digital course offerings are three times the size of any university curriculum and arguably the largest of any of the community colleges.” In light of all the success, Navarro stays humble, giving credit to Hamner and the staff for their work in the department. “For us here, it’s our life – this is it – this is what we’re about,” said Navarro about the department. “That’s why this program is so successful, because it’s a reflection of us. So, we have an extreme amount of pride. It’s a lot of work, hell yeah, but it’s something we do 24/7.” Navarro added that the Department of Architecture at ELAC is going to work on continuing to bring famous architects for a series of lectures, like when internationally recognized architect Teddy Cruz came into ELAC Professor Orhan Ayyuce’s class last fall semester. A bigger studio is also in the architecture department’s sights and Navarro said architecture students need a more spacious dedicated work area, since the students in the practice are constantly at their desks working.
Making paper rockets go up into the air is just one of the ways East Los Angeles College student Albert Venegas motivates children to understand the sky's the limit. Venegas is the Engineering Club Vice President, and provides children and their parents fun and challenging activities every Saturday on campus. Events like “Noche de Ciencias” (Science Night) promote higher education, where parents and students can attend workshops and to different aspects of the engineering world. To create a fun and challenging experience for K-12 students, the Engineering Club teamed up with Caine’s Arcade. Caine’s Arcade was created by nine-year-old Caine Monroy, who while helping out in his father’s used auto part shop, had the bright idea to create an arcade made entirely out of cardboard boxes. Club member Tiffany Alvarez said, “He (Venegas) has a clear mindset as to what he wants for his future. He goes day by day with a positive mentality.” “Venegas always takes the time to encourage and motivate other students whether they are peers, high school student or even middle school students,” Alvarez said. Ve n e g a s , a m e c h a n i c a l engineering major, hopes to one day be part of the aerospace or automotive industry to work for companies such as Boeing or Northrop Grumman. “Albert is very motivated in becoming an engineer and a leader in his community. He likes to teach students the engineering process on his free time,” said club board member Rafael Romo. “Motivation comes day by day,. Every time I meet someone who has obtained their bachelor's degree, they are the motivation that I get. and seeing how they have overcome
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CN/megan g. razzetti
lift off — Albert Venegas, explains the fundamentals of aircraft to fellow Elan students.
challenges making it my end goal to achieve what they have achieved,” Venegas said. Being the third of seven children, and the only one attending ELAC, Venegas likes to motivate his younger siblings to strive to be the best. One of Venegas’ goals is to prepare his youngest brother Andy Lopez, 13, for college. Growing up in South Central Los Angeles and being of Mexican descent, Venegas has always had strong family support. “My father Juan and mother Ana have definitely been strong supporters in pushing me to get my degree,” Venegas said. “Since I was young, I was interested in engineering. I would take things apart that worked or were broken,” Venegas said. Venegas has obtained two scholarships. One from the Southern
California Gas Company and the Southern California Edison. He hopes he gets accepted at either California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or California State University, Long Beach, next year. Right now, Venegas has been accepted to the University of Southern California Summer Science Technology Engineering Mathematics Research Experience Program and will be attending this summer. One of the individuals who have encouraged Venegas to pursue engineering is his MESA adviser Brian Vasquez, “without him I would not continue going,” Venegas said. “He (Venegas), like many STEM students, has faced the challenge of being underprepared for the STEM coursework, but has continuously made improvements,” Vasquez said.
Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
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‘Kindred’ reveals story of human spirit marcus camacho Staff Writer JESUS FIGUEROA Staff Writer
Erik luna Staff Writer Being kindred spirits is more than being best friends, it’s about sharing a bond that goes beyond anything else – even death. Daniel Keleher’s play “Kindred,” wittily and emotionally illustrates the complexity of this theme through the eyes of two kindred spirits who just so happen to be prison inmates. The play, which opened last Friday at East Los Angeles College’s Proscenium Theatre, starts off as soon as the doors open with one of the inmates pacing in his cell as the audience finds their seats. After the lights dim down, four singers come out one-by-one and sing a song regarding to the play’s central theme of being imprisoned. As the music and singing comes to a halt, Joey (Clifton Smith), the inmate in the cell, gets a visitor from his good friend Alan (Christopher Solis). They speak about life and the hardships they have endured, as well as the troubles they have seen in the past. Joey reflects on his childhood and his confrontation with the neighborhood bully and Alan reads him provocative letters he received from two women on the outside. It’s through their conversation, and with the help of some herbal smoke, that this simple dialogue between friends turns into an intense plight for life in the midst of death. It can be hard at times to portray a deep and meaningful friendship on stage. Smith and Solis each achieve this with great depth throughout the play. Their back-and-forth dialogue, along with witty quips, gives an immediate vigor to the friendship between these two men. The play has an overly serious theme, the writing by Keleher gave it heart and comedy, while the direction of Rodney Lloyd Scott provided the play with a good flow. The singers at the beginning, as good as they were, didn’t add anything to the play as a whole. “Kindred,” runs for 90 minutes and will close this Sunday. Foul language is used in abundance during the show, so plan accordingly and tickets are $7 for Associated Student Union members and $15 at the door.
Imprisoned— Alan,left, played by Mario Valdez, and Joey,right,played by Clifton Smith, find a way to bond while locked up in a prison cell in “Kindred” performed in the Proscenium Theatre last Thursday night during the last dress rehearsal before opening night. CN/JESUS FIGUEROA
Visit elaccampusnews.com for a complete review of “Kindred.”
VPAM: Getty awards large grant Continued from page 1
“Pacific Standard Time LA/ LA: L.A. Collects L.A.” is the second exhibit to be on display at the VPAM in collaboration with the Getty. The exhibit will feature 1920s legendary Hollywood figures, including, Vincent Price, Edward G. Robinson, Kirk Douglas, Otto Preminger and Natalie Wood’s collected Latin American art, from Olmec jades to Rufino Tamayo paintings. The gallery begins with museum founder Vincent Price’s own collection, “L.A. Collects L.A.” They examine patterns of collecting and display, the reframing of Mesoamerican antiquities as art and the ways collecting was popularized through mass media. Period rooms in the exhibit will show the history of the art, including
possible reconstructions of Walter and Louise Arensberg’s foyer on Hillside Avenue, a corner of John Huston’s Puerto Vallarta home, and Bernard and Edith Lewin’s furniture store in Van Nuys. “Both of the shows will bring a lot of attention to this campus and to East LA.” Rapp said. “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA” aims to take a fresh look at vital and vibrant traditions in Latino and Latin America art. The majority of exhibitions will have an emphasis on modern and contemporary art. There will also be exhibitions about the ancient world and the pre-modern era. The exhibitions and publications will focus on the visual arts. “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA” programs will expand to include music, performances, literature and even cuisine. The Getty and planning partners LACMA, MOCA, Chicano Studies Research Center at UCLA, the Hammer Museum
and programming partners LA Philharmonic and The Music Center collaborate to create a multifaceted event of artistic, cultural, scholarly, diplomatic, civic, and festive that also will leave a lasting legacy of artistic scholarship. The grants given by the Getty will allow participating institutions the time and resources to conduct research and planning that will provide the crucial underpinning for the exhibitions, publications and related programs. Along with the institutions which will partner, The Getty will offer three exhibitions at the Getty Center. The three exhibits at the Getty will be: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas, A New Narrative: Constructed Photography from Latin America and Materiality and Postwar Latin American Art. This will be the first time that Latino art and Latin American art may be viewed in relation to one another on a large scale.
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Sports
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
Track and field wins two titles, stuns crowd Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer Rewrite the East Los Angeles College track and field record books. The Huskies won three medals, two gold and a bronze, at the state finals, May 16-17 at Mt. San Antonio College. For the second time in ELAC history, the women’s team won two medals at state finals in front of a vocal crowd. Three-time All-American and freshman Laura Aceves won the women’s 10,000-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase titles at the state meet. Sylvia Mosqueda won state titles in the 800-meter, 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter runs in 1986. Mosqueda’s record in the 5,000 run in that meet is still a national community college record. “I wanted to break the 10,000 state-meet record, but am happy with my results,” Aceves said. She has the third fastest time in the nation in the 10,000 run and the fourth fastest in the steeplechase. Aceves finished the season breaking three ELAC records in the steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000 runs. “Laura was the only long distance runner, women’s or men’s, that won two 2014 state titles, which goes to show you how difficult it is to win two gold medals in the (longer) races,” ELAC track and field Head Coach Louis Ramirez said. All-American Gonzalo Ceja took third place in the men’s steeplechase, the best individual men’s finish since 2008, when
CN/TADZIO GARCIA
SPRINT TO GOLD—Laura Aceves crosses the finish line off a 150-meter final sprint to win the steeplechase at the track and field state championship finals, May 17 in Walnut. 2012 Olympian Kenneth Medwood won the 400-meter hurdles for the Huskies. Daniel Rincon-Zaragoza also reached the 2014 winner’s podium in the men’s 5,000 run, placing eighth. Riverside City College won
the men’s team title for the third consecutive year. The ELAC men’s team took the No. 24 spot out of 60 statewide teams. ELAC tied for 13th place in the women’s team standings with College of the Sequoias. Mt. SAC won the women’s team title.
Aceves overcame adversity to win two state titles according to Ramirez. “Last Friday, she warmed up gingerly having lost two toenails two weeks earlier while winning a Southern California championship in the 10,000 (run),” Ramirez said.
marcus camacho
The coach has high regard for its returning setter Vanessa Guttierrez. “Gutierrez is probably going to carry the team to start off the season as the freshman get adjusted. Then the team has some good DS (defensive specialists) who are coming in to help the team with its game,” Walker said. Newcomers such as Edith Martinez of Montebello High School, sister of ELAC’s returning defensive specialist Jenifer Martinez. She is the defensive specialist. Breanna Trujillo a transfer from Montebello High School is an outside hitter. “So the team is going to be pretty balanced on the floor,” Walker said. “During the offseason we worked on our offense. Last year we had a strong defense and we had a weak offense,” Stephanie Landry outside hitter and returner said. According to Walker the reason why the team wasn’t strong as an offensive team was because it didn’t emphasize offense. “Our game is defense and is teaching how to transition out of defense this year because we have power attackers who are going to be coming in, about four or five,” Walker said. “The team is going to be a stronger offensive team because of its strong defense. The team’s strong defense is what is going to help them carry over into an offensive team. The women seem enthusiastic and ready to make a change for the better.”
CN/TADZIO GARCIA
Badminton repeats history Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer In 2008 and 2014, the badminton team won a South Coast Conference title and lost to San Diego City College in the SoCal finals. The Huskies swept the SCC finals, advancing three singles players and two doubles teams to the state playoffs in both seasons. History somehow finds a way of repeating itself. The team ended the 2014 season with an 18-win streak, winning its second-consecutive SCC title after sharing it last year with Pasadena City College. “Next year will be a rebuilding season. We lose our top players to graduation,” Qui Nguy, nine-year ELAC badminton head coach, said. The sophomores of last year’s team helped eclipsed Pasadena’s 41-consecutive SCC win streak. Pasadena took SCC titles 2009 to 2013, so this is the first time in six years that ELAC swept the Lancers. “Our success this season comes from hard work through the coaches training,” Khanh Dinh, ELAC’s No. 1 player said. According to Lena Zeng, assistant ELAC badminton coach, one of the most important things the coaches taught them was teamwork, a tool they will use in their lives. “We put education first. Like
last year, our sophomores move on to four-year universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern California,” Nguy said. ELAC will lose at least its top four to graduation, Dinh, Yuki Tai, Suki Kwan and Rose Chumeng Chen. “Everyone one on the team, worked together and put in their top effort all season for an exceptional year,” Nguy said. Dinh will attend California State University, Long Beach next fall. “I am excited about Long Beach and my (studies),” Dinh said. Dinh was a quarterfinalist in the state singles championships and won the SCC individual title. Tai and Kwan ended their ELAC badminton careers in the state consolation championships second round and quarterfinals, respectively. Both of ELAC’s doubles team of Dinh / Florencia Zhan Wong and Tai / Kwan advanced to the state consolation championships. En route to their undefeated regular season, ELAC won all matches against El Camino College and El Camino College Compton Center for the seventh consecutive year. Due to budget cuts several years ago, ELAC hasn’t played a nonconference match until this season. The Huskies beat Skyline College, 20-1, at home in the women’s gym.
medal finish. I gave it my all so I’m happy with at least winning All-American status,” Ceja said. Ryan Maize of Cuyamaca College took the men’s steeplechase title. Ceja won the steeplechase at the SoCal Championships May 10 beating Maize. Ceja ends the season with the ninth best time in the nation, Maize with the eighth. Rincon-Zaragoza didn’t know he was in position get eighth place make the winner’s podium in the 5,000 run. The ELAC contingent’s cheers echoed throughout the stadium after Rincon-Zaragoza broke away from a pack that was competing for eighth. “I felt sick and wanted to quit with a couple of laps left. I heard the crowd and my coaches were yelling something so I pushed to finish,” Rincon-Zaragoza said. He was shocked when he was told he won eighth place and jumped for joy. Adriann Crespo finished her season at SoCal in throwing events just missing out on state in the hammer and the discus. “It’s amazing that ELAC throwers can advance that far with the lack of proper facilities,” Crespo said. “We don’t have a throwing area and our access to a weight room was taken away. Although the coaches asked for access, nothing was done.” ELAC has recruited 15 throwers, all high school state top-50. An unidentified coach said Mt. SAC coaches were trying to steal one such athlete who has committed to ELAC.
Volleyball team aces offseason Staff Writer
HERE, BIRDIE BIRDIE—Khanh Dinh moves into defensive form to return the birdie in a win over an opponent on May 7.
“She decided to go for the state title, taking the lead at the onset. She was followed closely by Daisy Esparza of Fullerton College, ranked No. 2 in the state, until the fifth mile.” Aceves took off at mile five and began to lap runners while running alone the final 1.2 miles. She beat Esparza by more than a minute. “(She) was four seconds from lapping the third place winner, Karina Sanchez of Cerritos,” Ramirez said. In the steeplechase event it looked as if the 10,000 run had taken its toll on Aceves according to Ramirez. “She also had sore calves coupled with a two-inch blood blister on her big toe leaving her at a disadvantage,” Ramirez said. Eight top-10 ranked runners in the state competed fresh without having run the day before. “Aceves lost concentration with 200-meters left, stopping at the water barrier and unsure how to get over. She took a step back and jumped over the water hurdle, but landed in the deepest part of the water pit,” Ramirez said. While Aceves waded in three feet of water while moving to get out, Becky Hobby of Modesto Junior College took advantage and passed her. Aceves responded with a final 150-meter sprint to pass Hobby and win by more than 15 seconds to claim the steeplechase victory and her second state title. In the men’s steeplechase, “I was running to win and was disappointed with my bronze-
The East Los Angeles College women’s volleyball team should improve the upcoming season after a strong recruitment. ELAC has recruited 13 athletes, who have played club volleyball or high school volleyball on the average of at least two years. “We have some players that can play in multiple positions on the floor. So as far as recruiting for a community college, we’ve done a good job for next year,” ELAC Head Coach Elliot Walker said. One of ELAC’s star recruits is Mia Maddot from Martin Luther King High School of Riverside. She has experience in competitive volleyball, playing championship ball. King High School won the CIF title last year. “She’s going to be an outstanding middle and right side attacker. We have a couple of young ladies that are coming in as our outside hitters and setter that is going to be very good,” Walker said. ELAC has two setters transferring in, Serly Andrias of Glendale High School, who is coming in to quarterback the floor and Angela Carrasco, a transfer from Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies. The team in regards of setters is going to be pretty well balanced as far as young freshman.
CN/CARLOS ALVAREZ
HIGH FLYER—ELAC outside hitter Stephanie Landry works on her spike during practice last Tuesday. Walker incorporated badminton racquets into his practice plan. The racquets are a tool that he uses to help the athletes learn how to properly swing the arm when contacting the ball. “By using the racquet, the ladies will learn the proper body biomechanics of contacting and
terminating the ball during contact. Tools like the racket provide a visual tool and facilitates the student understanding of what is being asked of them,” Walker said. To read the entire story visit www.elaccampusnews.com
Men’s soccer looks to kick off season Liliana Marquez Staff Writer After two consecutive seasons without advancing to the playoffs, the men’s soccer team is preparing to challenge its South Coast Conference rivals with an anticipated stronger and renovated team. This year, Head Coach Eddie Flores and his coaching staff prepared themselves and recruited players from local high schools as well as schools from Pasadena and Harbor. They also recruited players from academy club teams. “We made a very serious effort in recruiting and we all made an effort to bring at least 10 guys each which
should be a total of 60 players,” Assistant Coach Melvin Rubio said. “That should give us a lot to pick from. The guys are excited with the team we are building and I think there’s a positive atmosphere so far.” Flores said that they also hope to add three Argentinian players to their roster. “Our goal is to add these guys, but they have to be students first and athletes later, so they have to be accepted to the International Students Program first. We had a Nigerian and Japanese players who came through that program, but we don’t control it,” Flores said. Both coaches said that if these players get accepted to the program and come to play for ELAC, they
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would bring a different culture and lifestyle to the team. If accepted, they are expected to arrive around July before soccer camp begins. “They have to be enrolled in school already, but a lot of this is out of our hands,” Flores said. The team will sport a full squad of 30 players. Rubio said that they would be able to play in any position. He also said that having a group of talented players would be an advantage for the Huskies. “For now we are really trying to put this team together. Once we put it together we will see how to connect the pieces,” Rubio said. One of the main goals for the Huskies is to get the results they
lacked last season where ELAC only won one match out of the 14 games disputed in South Coast Conference play. ELAC ended 3-13-5 overall last season, 1-8-5 in the SCC. The returning players agreed that the team had problems to capitalize last season, but they said that they have learned from their mistakes. “To be honest, we couldn’t finish (the plays). We were just too confident, but at the end of the day when the matches came, we were the complete opposite. We didn’t perform like we thought we would,” returning player Juan Gallegos said. To read the entire story visit www.elaccampusnews.com