G C C E lV a q u e r o G CC_ElVaq
www.elvaq.com
e l .va q u e r o . g c c e lva q . g c c Wednesday, October 2, 2019 Glendale Community College Student Newspaper
Volume 114 | Issue 2
Student ID Fees: A Matter of Ethics? ANALYSIS GCC quietly changes the process for ID cards after potentially not being in compliance with state regulations
Anahit Sydney & Gabriel Ponce Staff Illustrators
By Eian Gil Staff Writer If you’ve noticed a change in getting your student ID this year, it might be that you weren’t asked to shell out $10 for it this time. As of July 1, 2019, Glendale College will no longer charge for student IDs. In fact, the school should not have been charging for them in the first place. The issue of our school possibly breaking state regulation was first brought forward by a local Burbank blogger, who runs the site semichorus.wordpress.com, in late August. The blogger’s reporting eventually got picked up by the Los Angeles Times last month, leading to our college’s admission of fault and the subsequent policy change. College students are known for their ability to stretch a dollar thanks to the growing cost of pursuing higher education. Unfortunately, for students who were here before this semester, those $10 you’ve spent on an ID in the past were essentially stolen. The California Community College Chancellor’s Office has been tasked with creating guidelines for community colleges around our state for years, and if you take a look at the
updated student fee handbook, it becomes apparent that GCC has been charging students unrightfully for years. In section 4.4 of the handbook, it’s stated that: “ … student ID cards do not fall under the definition of ‘instructional materials’ and thus, charging a fee for a student ID card cannot be justified.” Along with this standard for college policy, there is also a devastatingly clear warning to schools, urging that districts should “ensure that all of their materials describing optional student ID card fees clearly describe the optional nature of the fees.” The latest student fee handbook quoted above was released in 2012, meaning GCC should have been aware of the guidelines set and was negligent in their commitment to their students. With an estimated 3,000 new students registering every semester, GCC has been questionably farming its student’s cash for years now. Although most students only acquire their ID once in their time at GCC, those new students seriously contributed to the profits made from ID sales. According to Drew Sugars, the Dean of Communications and Relations at GCC, roughly $65,000 was collected each year the ID fee was in place. With this figure, it’s reasonable to estimate that from the
time of publication of the student fee’s handbook in 2012 to the official policy change around the end of August this year, GCC collected around $390,000 from ID sales alone. Keep in mind that these ID cards only cost around a dollar to make, El Vaquero found, especially in such huge quantities to account for the thousands of students. When approached by the Los Angeles Times for confirmation, Sugars portrayed the situation as a simple oversight in the article, mentioning how glad he was it was brought to staff’s attention. Despite the claim of ignorance, it could easily be argued that the school was aware of this policy since it was set, and has been avoiding accusations of wrong-doing through the language used to explain the process of obtaining an ID. Before changes were made to the website, the ID section of the college’s student page stated that: “All students are asked to purchase an ID card.” The subtle difference in posing the statement as students having an option could be what has kept this issue from blowing up as it has the past few months, since it can technically be interpreted as adhering to state regulation. Obviously most students see themselves as not
having the option to choose between free or paid IDs, especially when they’re in line to take their photo right beside waiting cashboxes. When asked for comment by El Vaquero, Sugars acknowledged the confusing language on the website and provided additional information on the issue. According to Sugars, GCC actually planned to stop charging for student IDs a few months ago, in an effort to help students save money as part of “The GCC Promise.” He also explained that the Times story was what prompted a review of school services, and the eventual policy change, stating that: “The LA Times story prompted the decision to immediately stop assessing the fee prior to the Student Fees and Tuition Governance Committee approval.” [“Student ID Fees” continued on page 2]
In This Issue News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Editorial/Opinion. . . . 5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Entertainment . . . . 7-8
2
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Eian Gil can be reached at eianmgil@gmail.com.
NEWS
www.elvaq.com
Yang Delivers Address to Hundreds in L.A.
[“Student ID Fees,” continued from Page 1] This of course begs the question: if GCC had the power to stop the collecting of funds immediately all along, why was it only implemented after receiving attention from the public eye, and how many other reviews has this issue conveniently been ignored in? Glendale College has promised to refund a small portion of the money it got from its ID sales, but only for IDs purchased since Jan. 1, 2019. With such a low cost of production, the money that was sourced from students over the years has been almost entirely profit. It is important to emphasize that funding for GCC is hardly the sole responsibility of students, especially since 75% of GCC’s funding comes directly from the state, according to the school’s website. In fact, the sale of IDs is barely a drop in the bucket in terms of funding. With so much of funding being covered without the students help, besides tuition, it’s fair to see why students shouldn’t be “asked” or in this case misled, into giving their money away. The position GCC is in is an extremely uncomfortable one, especially since getting a student ID is heavily encouraged by faculty and staff, and is basically required in order to take advantage of campus resources, most notably checking out library books. If you’re part of the majority of students who have purchased identification in the past and are just learning about this issue, it might be because GCC doesn’t want you to know about it. Since its official policy change, GCC has done little to notify its students of its errors aside from a change to the ID section of its website where information for refunds was posted. No courtesy emails since the policy change have been sent, no form of an apology, and no clarification given to El Vaquero staff when asked if the school would notify its students. Students who fit the bill for ID refunds should be expecting credit on their school account, or a check in the mail soon … hopefully.
By A. Heimer Staff Writer LA’s enthusiastic Yang Gang, sporting their blue Make America Think Harder MATH hats, turned out by the hundreds for Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s Humanity First campaign rally Monday night at MacArthur Park. The predominantly young crowd greeted Yang with a tremendous roar after the pre-show warmups by Marget Cho, Brian Yang and MC Jin. Yang, successful entrepreneur-turned presidential hopeful, delivered a well-practiced 30 minute version of his greatest-hits talking points sprinkled Jenilee Borek Staff Photographer with a liberal use of the f-bomb, PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS: Andrew Yang, American 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, entreprebecause, hey, this is LA. Stressneur, lawyer, and philanthropist, spoke in MacArthur Park on Monday, Sept. 30. ing a humanistic approach as an antidote to the problems we face as a nation today, he offered Luther King and Elon Musk as government in which each citi- one and that he is better at the some radical solutions. And, as others who supported a similar zen is a share-holder and pro- internet that Trump is. posed to update the GDP, which Yang then said that the rehe pointed out, “I looked at the idea. Yang spoke of the impend- he claimed is based on incorrect cent changes in the order of numbers, Los Angeles-that’s ing loss of jobs created by what measurements, and to make an states in the next primary place right, I did the fucking math.” One of Yang’s ideas is to cre- he called the “Fourth Industrial annual shareholders report at California fifth, after Iowa, New ate a “Freedom Dividend” of Revolution” and said that “we a State of the Union speech in Hampshire, Nevada and South $1,000 a month for each Ameri- need to rewrite the rules of the which he would display how the Carolina, which could potencan over 18 years of age, which twenty-first century economy nation and its share-holders are tially affect the entire election, he would fund by taxing billion- so they work for us”, and that a doing on a powerpoint, at which and that our job as Californians dollar businesses like Amazon freedom dividend would create the crowd spontaneously re- was to make sure that we make which pay little to no taxes. He a “trickle-up economy” which prised an earlier chant from the the most of it. warmup act’s failed presentation He closed by saying, “This is claimed this idea is not original would benefit everyone. of “Powerpoint, powerpoint…” He outlined his vision of a revolution of humanity, this is and cited Thomas Paine, Martin The boisterous crowd got a revolution of reason…I can’t even more excited when Yang wait to get to DC, I can’t wait to said, “Donald Trump is not the see the look on their faces when problem, he is a symptom” and President Yang shows up. We’re began to chant, “Yang beats going to let the country know, Trump, Yang beats Trump”, at it’s not left, it’s not right, it’s which point Yang said,“If this forward!” next election is a game of rock, More information about Anpaper, scissors, and Donald drew Yang’s presidential camTrump is the scissors, I am the paign is available at: Yang2020. fucking rock.” com He also pointed out that the opposite of Trump is an Asian A. Heimer can be reached at man who loves math. He said aheimer570@student.glendale.edu. that he is the only candidate that Trump has not tweeted about View more photos from because Trump’s worst fear is staff photographer Jenilee Borek Jenilee Borek Staff Photographer someone like Yang who comes at: bit.ly/JenileeSlideshow out of nowhere who can beat CAPTIVATING THE CROWD:“We’re gonna let the country know it’s not left, it’s not right, it’s forward,” Yang said on Monday. him. Yang said he is that some-
STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS Alin Pasokhian Afroditi Kontos SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGERS Eduardo Carreño Anahit Sydney MANAGING EDITOR Michael Dumansky ASSOCIATE EDITOR Yesenia Thomson ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Elone Safaryan
STAFF WRITERS Dahlia Alrayes Genesis Barboza Jenilee Borek Natalie Casey Anthony Gharib Eian Gil A. Heimer Jay Marshall Akane “Annie” Otsuka Tatiana Pak Gabriel Ponce Gurgen Sahakyan Anahit Sydney STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jenilee Borek PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Tatiana Pak SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATORS Eduardo Carreño Anahit Sydney
FACULTY ADVISER Rory Cohen rcohen@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 ext. 5214
Letters to the Editors El Vaquero accepts story ideas in news, features, profiles, sports and entertainment from the public. Send an idea or article to the editor at elvaquero@glendale.edu or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 3211.
Letters may be reproduced in full or in part and represent only the point of view of the writer, not the opinion of El Vaquero or Glendale Community College and its district.
Member of the Journalism Asssociation of Community Colleges
All letters must include the full name, address and phone number of the writer. You will be contacted before publication. El Vaquero is a First Amendment publication.
EL VAQUERO 1500 N. Verdugo Road Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 240-1000, ext. 5349 First copy free Additional copies $.25
Member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association
www.elvaq.com
El Vaquero Looks at the Best Deals in Women’s Magazine
Tatiana Pak Illustration
By Annie Ostuka Staff Writer El Vaquero looked for the best deals in subscriptions to women’s fashion magazines. These niche magazines are already making a lot of money with the bulk of advertisements in their pages, so they are able to offer their magazines for exceptionally cheaper prices. These magazine conglomerates are hoping that you will re-subscribe at a higher rate. Though, it is ultimately your choice whether to renew or not. Ultimately, you may just decide it is worth it to keep subscribing. Here is what we found on the current best deals on the market. Get fancy and stylish with Vogue. Vogue is offering six issues for $6, with this subscription offering a free stylish tote bag for a limited time only. You will be receiving Vogue at home without having to go to the bookstore or grocery store to buy one at the advertised price on the cover. Additionally, you will also get Vogue’s original designed tote and instant access to its digital edition, which is available on a tablet of smartphone device. Any new print subscriptions will begin to arrive in four to six weeks. If you selected digital access as part of your subscription, you can access it immediately. You will get these incredible options with saving almost $36 from the general subscription rate compared to when you get a Vogue in store. If you love Vogue, you better consider updating to their 12 issues for $12, which also comes with a free tote. Vogue is a women’s magazine that has impressive covers, an elevated language, and a general mood which delivers a lot of fashion tips. It also has articles about life, style, relationships, and even political and policy stories. Visit the website to subscribe and get the limited tote now before it runs out. For more information, go to: bit.ly/VogueSub Stay “in style” with a magazine for the fashion-forward. InStyle is one of the best magazines that are read by teenage girls and women, along with the fashionsavvy crowd. InStyle mainly focuses on fashion and celebrity news, and it is more easygoing
compared to Vogue. InStyle’s annual subscription is for $19.50 is pretty common and popular. If you’re a fan of magazines, though, bundle and save. InStyle offers a deal with another magazine, SHAPE. For only four more dollars a year, you can get both magazines delivered to you with a secret gift from InStyle. The gift is a secret. However, in previous years it has been items like nail polish (fullsized!). The gift has not been revealed anywhere on the web but a comment left on the website by subscriber suggests it’ll keep you up with fashion. Either way, you will be saving a lot of money if you choose to go with an InStyle subscription as opposed to buying it off newsstands. For more information, go to : bit.ly/InStyleSubscrip Among these pretty nice choices, the best “bang for your buck” deal comes from Cosmopolitan magazine. If you subscribe, the issues are one dollar a month, or 90 cents for each issue if you choose two years subscription. Cosmopolitan is not as sophisticated as InStyle, nor as fashion-forward as Vogue. It’s about street style and they are not afraid to get a bit raunchy. Cosmo feautures women who wear what they want and talk about their sex lives. The magazine also conveys beauty, cosmetics, fashion tips. For more information, go to : bit.ly/CosmoSubscip After discovering these great deals, I decided to subscribe to Vogue. I chose Vogue because even though it did not offer the best deal that lets you save the most, the magazine subscription came with a cute tote as a gift to new subscribers and I wanted it! In addition, I like being able to access their digital edition anytime, anywhere. As a magazine lover, I prefer print magazines for my collection but also enjoy accessing them online, especially while traveling because I do not feel like carrying them around everywhere I go. It feels extremely nice not having to keep an eye on the calendar and still get the magazines on time.
Annie Otsuka can be reached at aotsuka136@student.glendale.edu.
NEWS Wednesday, October 2, 2019 3
International Students Get Guidance Through Club By Tatiana Pak Staff Writer One of the greatest things a college can offer besides quality education is the opportunity to join student clubs. These clubs are the foundation of friendships, provide a platform for meetings to plan activities, and ultimately create a sense of community within the school. Glendale College has clubs for virtually every student. The International Students program isn’t any different. The International Student Association (ISA) happens to be the biggest club at GCC, considering that from the moment of enrollment, every international student automatically becomes a member of the ISA. Currently, there are around 425 international students attending GCC. For years, the ISA has welcomed new members, offering fun activities such as hiking, bowling, or enjoying a day at Universal Studios. There are field trips on the calendar as well, where students take a weekend to explore different places like the Grand Canyon, Big Bear, or even San Francisco. There are many responsibilities to follow when carrying an F1-Student visa in the U.S. Some limitations and obligations apply to international students that if not followed, could potentially affect their status in the country. Besides having to worry about the immigration laws, being far from home means many students will eventually face cultural shock and language barrier issues. For many, this can be extremely hard to deal with. With that in mind, the ISA, along with the International Student Office (ISO), host on-campus activities as well, like serving free lunches in the beginning and end of the year, so that students are able to enjoy a small break for their hard work at school. The ISA also
Courtesy Photo
ISA GOALS: The Internation Student Association is the biggest club on campus.
holds general meetings to keep students updated, and receive suggestions and feedback from all club members. There is also the annual celebration of the International Education Week by the U.S. Department of State – this year on the week of Nov. 18 – where all students on campus are more than welcome to participate and experience different cultures. It’s a major opportunity for international students to speak up, and “to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences,” according to the Department of State’s official website. During last year’s International Education Week, with the help of ASGCC, the ISA also counted on students volunteering to help with a food fair that took place at Plaza Vaquero. During the same week, several panelists shared the benefits of international education, aiming to grow students’ knowledge when it comes to adjusting to life abroad. Being part of a big club often comes with sharing big responsibilities, and the cabinet members of the ISA work hard to make the best out of every semester. Cabi-
net members are international students, who also go through the process of adapting to the American norms while helping other international students along the way. “As an international student from Pakistan, raised in Saudi Arabia, I strongly believe in family type relationships,” said Syed Bukhari, the president of the club. He cited “respect” and “responsibility” as important attributes. “I want to see the ISA as a family working together to bring out the best to the international student body,” Bukhari explained. At times, it can be difficult to put aside all cultural differences, and to be able to create ideas that will benefit hundreds of students at once, but with communication and a positive attitude, members have been progressing with the club through meetings and social media. In the concept of unity, current and new international students will keep on bringing higher hopes to the program, as Bukhari made sure to highlight that by “working alongside, we do better.”
Tatiana Pak can be reached at tatiipak@gmail.com.
GCC Wraps Up It’s Annual Pack-a-Backpack Drive By Natalie Casey Staff Writer GCC’s Multicultural & Community Engagement Center (MCEC) just finished it’s ninth annual “Pack-a-Backpack” drive for homeless children. GCC partnered with the School on Wheels organization. The drive started on July 17 and ran until Sept. 30. The fundraiser collected everything school supply-related, from laptops to erasers. New backpacks will be stuffed with brand new school supplies and the items will be given to homeless children for the 2019-2020 school year. The School on Wheels organization is responsible for distribution to students. Nane Kakosian started the GCC chapter with Hoover Zariani, manager of MCEC. Zariani wanted the group to develop something that could be done each year in honor of the National Day of Service and Remembrance, which is Sept. 11.
Kakosian opened up about this process with in an El Vaquero interview. “We all shared ideas and decided to help the most vulnerable, our children, and that was how Pack-a-Backpack was started.” Homeless children are one of the most vulnerable and silent groups in our country. One in every 20 children in California do not have a home. They sleep in motels, cars, or on the street. This type of displacement has been proven to take a toll on every aspect of one’s life, especially someone who is so young. Homeless children are nine times more likely to repeat a grade, and four times more likely to drop out of school, according to School on Wheels. While the “Pack-a-Backpack” drive is geared towards homeless children in grades K through 12, here at GCC the college has some programs to help students in need. On campus, GCC offers the Food For Thought Pantry,
which is open to any currently enrolled GCC student. The pantry is serving students MondayThursday. Sign-ups must done the morning you’d like to receive groceries. Students can sign upon the third floor of the Sierra Vista building at the Job Placement center. Pantry hours can be found on the GCC website or through this redirect link: bit.ly/FoodPantryGCC Also on the website, the college provides information about other local food pantries, free legal services for low-income people, and how to apply for general relief or food stamps. If you’d like to donate to the School on Wheels organization, visit their website at: schoolonwheels.org The organization seeks to help homeless students with tutoring, scholarships, and more. Natalie Casey can be reached at ncasey379@student.glendale.edu.
4
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
FEATURES
www.elvaq.com
A Winery in L.A.? Yes, it’s an actual thing By Gabriel Ponce Staff Writer To many winemakers, the time of harvest is the busiest of the year. This is the time when the maker goes out and sorts different grapes for the wines they are going to make for the year. Here in Los Angeles, winemaker Jasper Dickson has started his harvest and is executing the whole process in his small winery. That’s right – in Los Angeles. If I told you that winemaking was a thing here, you would probably think I was crazy. But, in fact, Los Angeles was the key start to winemaking in California. Some might say that places like Orange County were the beginning, but in reality, farmers started settling on that side of the city because of the lack of space to put their own vineyards in Los Angeles. Crazy to say that here in the Montrose area 10 minutes from GCC you can still find a small vineyard called Stone Barn Vineyard. Many claim wine country is Northern California. Places like Paso Robles or Santa Barbara, which is more central in the state, are key places to winemaking (which they are these days). Yet, as Angeleno Wine Co. presents, Wine Country used to be in Southern California and this is what Dickson is trying to bring back. It has been more than a hundred years since L.A. had its own winery. This summer, Dickson, and his business partner, Amy Luftig, celebrated their grand opening. Hosting a party that welcomed about 600 visitors from all over the city, they poured four wines that were made from grapes grown here in Los Angeles County. “After working for so many years in the wine industry, the passion grew on me,” Dickson stated. “You meet so many great winemakers with small wineries that
Tricks and Treats for this October By Natalie Casey Staff Writer Spooky season is upon us, which means so are midterms at Glendale Community College. We all need a getaway after stressing over tests and projects. Whether you want to get out of Los Angeles for a day, out of Glendale for a night, or escape in a TV show from the comfort of your living room, we’ve got October ideas for you. My favorite place for a quick escape is Disneyland. For $20 a month, an annual pass gets you access to Disneyland and California Adventure on select days. October is the best time to be at the theme park. The whole park is decorated for the Halloween season, and the summer tourists have headed home. The park offers specialty themed foods and treats that are available at the booths and restaurants. Disneyland is also known for their warm delicious churros. This year, they have introduced a Maleficent-inspired churro, just in time for the sequel out on Halloween day. It’s covered with chocolate cookie crumbles and sugar. Sticking with their villain theme, they also have a Cruella de Vil brownie, and Oogie Boogie rice crispy treat.
Gabriel Ponce Staff Photographer
ANGELENO WINE CO.: Jaspar Dickson, who is in his 30’s, launched a wine business in Los Angeles County.
all chase the same dream of providing the best product for the people.” When asked what his vision was for the next couple of years he answered: “I’m trying to grow a brand for Angeleno Wine Co. Maybe expand our spot here and eventually sell the product out of state.” Angeleno Wine Co. hosts tastings throughout the weekend. As of right now, they’re only open to the public during the weekends as they spend most of the week making wine or hosting private events. “You can always find us on our InstaDisneyland is the perfect distraction, if the delicious food doesn’t consume you, the atmosphere will. They make sure of it, by pumping specific smells into the air like buttery popcorn or the smell of saltwater on The Pirates of the Caribbean ride. They also use forced perspective on the architecture of the buildings within Disney, making them seem larger than they really are. It really is a magical place, and they work hard to earn that title. If magic and sweets aren’t your thing, and you’re looking for more horror this Halloween season, check out the films being shown at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The cemetery is the resting place for Hollywood actors belonging to the golden era, such as Judy Garland and Rudolph Valentino. Films are screened on ‘the lawn’. Tickets run for 18$ online, and seating is general admission. People usually bring charcuterie boards with bottles of wine, but they allow any types of food and drink in. Be sure to bring blankets and lawn chairs for optimal comfort. October’s space screenings include “The Sixth Sense” (Oct. 19), and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”(Oct. 27). This is the original film in a franchise that would establish itself as mandatory viewing for horror fans. The film is loosely based on the murders committed by Ed Gein in the 1950s. Are you brave enough to watch this in a cemetery? If not, “American Horror Story,” a horror-drama anthology series, just started its ninth season. Instead of spending the night in a cemetery, this can be enjoyed from the
gram which is where we post most of our information like pop-ups we do,” Dickson said. “Also, we encourage everyone to come here to Angeleno Wine Company. Our winery is your winery.”
Gabriel Ponce can be reached at poncegabriel23@yahoo.com
comfort of your own home. “AHS 1984” is focusing this season’s theme on iconic slasher films. With the first episode including nods to “Friday the 13th” (1980), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997) and “Halloween” (1978). So expect a campy feel to the show, but if anyone can pull off campy it’s Ryan Murphy. The show runs Wednesday nights at 10pm on FX.
Visit bit.ly/AngelenoWineCo to learn more or scan the QR code.
FX Courtesy Photo
Take advantage of everything Los Angeles has to offer and get into the Halloween spirit. Midterms can be rough and we all need a way to disconnect for a night. Good luck!
Natalie Casey can be reached at ncasey379@student.glendale.edu.
www.elvaq.com
OPINION
Justin Trudeau Should Be Forgiven Photos and a video surfaced of Candian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wearing blackface in the early 1990s and 2001
Delusion23 Contributing Photographer
ADVOCATING FOR MISSING WOMEN: Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, giving a speech on missing and murdered indigenous women in front of parliament in Ottawa, Oct. 4 2016.
By Anthony Gharib Staff Writer Politicians around the world are pressured when running for a position in office: to be as educated as possible about the issues concerning their nation. Knowledge of foreign affairs. Leadership qualities. Effective communication skills. Whether a Liberal or Conservative, it is imperative to not only be a decent person but someone interested in making their country a better place. However, another key component that has risen over the course of the past year is an unconventional one. An old photo of yourself covered in blackface. The respected prime minister of Canada received an immense amount of backlash and spoke to reporters to formally apologize for the actions conducted many years ago. In the case of Ralph Northham, the governor of Virginia was pressured to resign immediately after the release of the photos. In the case of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
his character is now under public scrutiny. The backlash is necessary. Trudeau should be embarrassed by his use of blackface on multiple occasions but a country should not look to impeach a Prime Minister who has proven to be perfect for their people. Trudeau has the reputation of being something far from a racist. According to Jean-Marc Léger, chief executive of Léger, a leading polling company in Montreal, Trudeau has “carefully constructed an image of what Canadians aspire to: hope, openness to the world and the youth.” Accusing Trudeau of being racist would be an inaccurate accusation, especially since his cabinet includes four Sikhs and a Somali-born immigration minister. The blackface incident truly questions the authenticity of Trudeau’s character. The use of blackface dates back to the late 19th century, most notably during minstrel shows where white actors would polish their faces in order to depict African-Americans. Clearly this was extremely hurtful and disrespectful as actors often made it obvious that
they sought to lampoon and to offend people of color during these shows. White audiences were uninterested in seeing black actors do anything but look foolish on stage while performing. The difference between actors blackfacing and Trudeau using blackface is that it was necessary for his costume, and in no way was meant to depict any disrespect or harm toward people of color, whom Trudeau has an exceptional relationship with. The action is clearly inexcusable but it is clear that no harm was intended, and therefore an apology should be accepted. During his tenure, Trudeau has stood up to the vitriol of President Donald Trump, supported women’s and indigenous people’s rights, and welcomed immigrants from all over the world. Should we really judge his character based on an incident that took place almost 20 years ago? Let’s forgive Trudeau and do not allow this to ruin his character. Anthony Gharib can be reached at agharib949@student.glendale.edu.
On Nov. 12, the Supreme Court will start oral hearings for the survival of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. While the fate of 800,000 people is in limbo, many others will begin a campaign in support of DACA. California has the highest number of DACA individuals, and because of this, Eloy Ortiz Oakley, the Chancellor of all California Community Colleges, has issued the week of Oct. 14 through 18 as the Undocumented Week of Action. During this week, community colleges have different events to educate their campuses on the obstacles
that undocumented students face. With the help of the AB 540 committee and the Dream Resource Center, this year’s Week of Action will consist of a DACA panel where GCC alumni who were recipients and are now professionals working in different fields will come tell their stories. We will also be having a spoken word event where current students can come and share their struggles. There will also be workshops to help students fill out the California Dream Act and Know Your Rights workshop to teach the community their rights and what to do in case of an ICE encounter. The student club V.O.I.C.E.S is also mobilizing to help in every way possible. We will be
5
Trump Administration Bans Flavored e-Cigarettes
As teenage vaping continues to increase, politicians react with legislation By Anthony Gharib Staff Writer Imagine waking up on a work or school day. What are some of the first things you do when you wake up? Brush your teeth? Check your phone? Drink some water? What about taking a hit out of your favorite flavored e-cigarette? Over the course of the last month, there has been immense pressure mounting on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the popularity of vaping among teenagers. This tension resulted in the Trump administration deciding to launch a prohibition of all flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods from the market, including popular flavors like menthol and mint, which manufacturers have argued to exclude. The course taken by the FDA is one that should be copied throughout Congress. Vaping has been and still is an extremely dangerous, yet accessible for teens interested. However, this is the first action taken by higher authority to halt any further vaping, but is there more that we can do? E-cigarettes have been advertised for years as the “cure to stop yourself from smoking,” but, in many cases it has been more difficult to quit while vaping than not. A study done by the New England Journal of Medicine, in which they assigned 900 people who actively wanted to quit smoking with either e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement products, found that among those who were assigned vaping, 18% had stopped smoking and over 80%
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
DACA Events Around Campus Should Be Supported
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
participating in a banner drop alongside 50 campuses around California that are part of the California Dream Network (CDN). Together with the help of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, or CHIRLA, a non-profit organization leading the charge for this campaign, our members will design and create a banner that will symbolize the beginning of the campaign to save DACA. V.O.I.C.E.S will also be having their semi-annual burrito sale where all proceeds go to scholarships for their AB 540 members. Be on the lookout for more information. Irvin Rendon V.O.I.C.E.S. president
had continued to smoke. How about instead of promoting e-cigarettes as a treatment to stop smoking, we ban them completely? The access to vapes and Juuls have become almost as easy as finding a Trump tweet in the early a.m. Ironically, it’s this presidential administration that may actually move to go through with the ban. They are available everywhere and anywhere in some parts of the country, at your local supermarket and the corner 7-11, at the liquor store or even the ever so prevalent smoke shops that are as common nowadays as mass shootings across the US. The most sickening aspect of the readily available e-cigarettes is the notion that more and more of these “smoke shops” are beginning to stock up these items in order to sell to fiending teenagers, some of whom have not hit full puberty yet. But why focus on the sale of flavored ecigarettes? Why not all vaping devices? This past summer, The New York Times reported close to 500 “vaping-related respiratory illnesses,” and added that there are “possible links to six deaths,” with teenage use continuing to increase at an extraordinary rate. Agency officials hoped making flavored products less accessible would reduce teenage use, but they were easily proven wrong. According to Alex M.
The Epoch Times
Azar II, the health and human services secretary of the United States, “five million minors, mostly in their high school years, reported that they had used e-cigarettes recently.” Also, about one-quarter of the nation’s high school students reported vaping within the last 30 days in this year’s annual survey, up from 20% last year. The question of banning e-cigarettes lies not only in the safety of our citizens, but the future of our children. The question of banning all e-cigarettes is one the country should look to answer. In a government where we struggle to put together legislation and act upon mass shootings, the least we can do is move towards banning vapes. If we can’t act against guns and its availability in this country, especially with school shooters, the least we can do is get rid of ecigarettes entirely before it is too late. Vapes or AR-15s? Pick your poison. Anthony Gharib can be reached at agharib949@student.glendale.edu.
POLITICAL CARTOONS
Illustrator: Anahit Sydney Art Concept: Gabriel Ponce & Eduardo Carreño
6
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
SPORTS
Jenilee Borek Staff Photographer
BIG HOPES: Torres Ingraham talks about his goals for the future, which may include going to the Olympics and representing his country, the Bahamas.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
Bahamian native Torres Ingraham will go far and wide in order to make it to the Division I level
By Jenilee Borek & Michael Dumansky Staff Writers Football is almost considered a religion for many Americans. It’s a sport that is ingrained in our culture, and many American children soak up every ounce they can as they work towards their dream of making it to the division one level. Most of us are willing to sacrifice for our dreams, but how far would you go to bring those same opportunities to others? Torres Ingraham,
nicknamed “Bahamas,” has gone the distance from the place he calls home and has embarked on a mission that is bigger than just his own dreams of “making it.” Ingraham was born in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, and spent the first fifteen years of his life there. The first sport that he learned to play and excelled at was basketball. He grew up rooting for Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, and in 2014 at the age of 15 he was honored to represent his country by playing on
www.elvaq.com
the under 15 national team. It was at this point in his life that he moved to Alabama where his aunt was a professor at Troy University. “I wanted to make the jump to move to America to get involved with high school basketball in order to get a Division I scholarship,” Ingraham said. His original goal was to one day play in the NBA. “Football is like a religion there,” Ingraham said about Alabama. “I decided I wanted to play football for the simple fact that I was very undersized, even for basketball, so I thought that football would be a way for me to gain some size to my frame in order for me to dominate on the basketball court even more than I was already even at 15 years old.” Even though he didn’t know the rules of the game and had only followed football some while living in the Bahamas, he laced up his cleats and never looked back. His high school football experience led him to being offered a scholarship to play football at a Division III college in Michigan. After some time there, he realized that it was not the right place for him and he decided to transfer to Independence Community College in Kansas. Independence was the school that was documented in the first two seasons of the Netflix docuseries, “Last Chance U.” Despite the football program being featured in the Netflix series, Ingraham didn’t feel that he was getting the opportunities that he needed to push him to the next level, so he decided to go to Fort Scott Community College. During his semester at Fort Scott Ingraham’s name was brought up in an incident, and he was asked to leave the football program. He had nowhere to go, no family anywhere close by, and he slept in his car while trying to figure out his next step. Thinking outside the box, Ingraham decided to put his story on Twitter to help him find a new school that he could call home. With the help of some retweets, he was contacted by a student who he now calls a teammate. One of Ingraham’s teammates, Milton Aguila, followed him and said, “‘Yo we could definitely use you over here at Glendale. I’m gonna give you coach Rome’s number.’” Coach Rome told him that they wanted him on the football team, but he also informed Ingraham that he would have to find and pay for his own housing. By trading in the Forex market Ingraham was financially able to make the move to California and he has paid for all of his school and living costs. “I always
said to myself I’ll go broke trying to make my dreams become a reality,” Ingraham said. As he started to adjust to a new city and a new school, life threw him another curveball. After spending two weeks at GCC, Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas causing devastating destruction. When he described how difficult it was to get in touch with his parents who still live there he said, “When it first hit, I didn’t hear from them for like two days.” Once he heard that they were okay he was relieved. Ingraham’s pride for being Bahamian and the anguish his country was going through drove him to wear his Bahamas sash around his shoulder pads for the team’s first game instead of just carrying it with him on his bag. He spoke to the defense before the game and told them, “Find your why today because the Bahamas is my why.” Ingraham hopes to one day play in Division I football but his Bahamian pride is what drives him. His overall goal is to make it to the Division I level. He knows that there aren’t many athletes playing in Division I who are Bahamian, and he wants young athletes from the Bahamas to have another opportunity that could help their futures. He is following the path that could make his dreams come true, but he is also trying to impact future generations in the Bahamas. His journey to play big time college football isn’t stopping in Glendale. He has bigger and better plans for himself. His journey, his story. The only question remains is how far would you go to make your dreams come true?
To learn more, scan the QR code or watch a special report at: http://bit.ly/InterviewTorres
Jenilee Borek can be reached at jborek028@student.glendale.edu. Michael Dumansky can be reached at mduamns011@student.glendale.edu.
GCC Men’s Soccer Shines By Alex Leon Sport Information Director From the first whistle to the last, it was the home team GCC Vaqueros that had the greater will to win at Sartoris Field in a 2-0 victory over visiting Santa Barbara Tuesday, Sept. 17. Glendale played with great intensity and it showed up and down the field and from sideline to sideline as they fought for every possession and secured its first win over the visitors in the longest time or at least longer than anyone could remember on the sidelines. “We showed up to play tonight and got on the same page as what needs to be done to play to our potential,’’ said GCC Head Coach Laura Matsumoto. “I’m encouraged that we can play this well and maybe even better if we play as a team and fight like we did tonight.’’ An unassisted goal by sophomore Andrew Senane gave GCC a 1-0 lead at the 16:16 mark of time left in the first half and it was left to the Glendale defense to deny
the visitors not only field position but also limited shots on goal as goalie Alfredo “Tito” Tejada, making a diving stop in the photo above, turned away the only two shots on the nets all night. His defensive backfield did the rest as they denied the visitors time and time again in what could have been their best performance of the season. Freshman Alan Trujillo topped off the scoring with a late goal at the 68:21 mark in the second half on a sharp pass from Wilmer Bonilla to make it 2-0 and then he sprinted directly into the arms of his excited teammates on the sideline to celebrate the long overdue victory. Glendale completed a solid week of play last Friday Sept. 20 with a 1-0 win at East L.A. to improve to 4-4 this season. Tejada pitched his second shutout of the week turning away 10 shots by the Huskies and Senane scored the only goal of the game, his second of the week. Alex Leon can be reached at aleon@glendale.edu.
Alex Leon Courtersy Photo
INTENSE PLAYS: GCC was victorious on Sept. 17, scoring 2-0 over Santa Barbara.
www.elvaq.com SPORTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
7
Analysis: GCC Sports Issue Recap Here’s your monthly recap of all current sports on campus By Elone Safaryan Associate Sports Editor
Men’s Football So far, the men’s football team has been off to a shaky start. Their first game against Antelope Valley ended in a score of 27-21. The Vaqs then went on to lose to Pasadena City and Moorpark by scores of 35-7 followed by 34-7. Their current points scored a game sits at an 11.7, while their points allowed sits at a solid 32. Having lost three games straight, the team hopes to turn things around quickly. Men’s Soccer Sitting at an overall record of 2-3-1, the men’s soccer team has been mediocre, to say the least. They started the month off with two losses to Cypress and El Camino, followed by
a win against Imperial Valley. The team continued with a loss to Norco, a win against Santa Barbara and a tie with East Los Angeles. The month of September so far has been quite shaky for the team. The Vaqs have scored just six goals in their last six games while allowing four. The offense better improve if they want to be better. Men’s Cross Country The men’s cross-country team has had a very decent season so far. On Sept. 7, the team traveled to the Fresno Invitational where they finished in fifth place with a score of 156 points. The top finisher of the team was Marvin Guardado, who finished eleventh and with a time of 21:18.7. At the Southern California Preview, the men had to compete without three of their sophomore runners. They finished in eighth place, collecting 253 points. Their top runner was none
other than Marvin Guardado finishing at thirty-third place with a time of 22:25.6. Their last stop would be at the Coyote Invite where they finished sixth. Top runner this time was Kevin Keller who finished thirteenth place with a time of 24:54.7. Women’s Cross Country Unlike their male counterparts, the women’s crosscountry team has been very successful. On Sept. 7, the women took first place with a total of 26 points at Saturday’s Fresno Invitational. Top runner Phoebe Forsyth would win the race while accumulating a ten-second PR and a time of 19:10.3. The next stop would be the Southern California Preview where once again the Lady Vaqs dominated, taking first place yet again amassing 38 points. There they would also get a feel of the other schools they would be competing within the Southern California
Championship Race taking place in November. Top runner this time would be Yajaira Calderon, taking fourth place and finishing with a time of 19:32.6. The last stop of the month would be the Coyote Invite where they took third place collecting 86 points. The team was once again led by Phoebe Forsyth with a time of 18:08.9 who finished fifth in the race. Women’s Soccer Things are looking a little more positive for women’s soccer. Holding a record of three wins and two losses, the team hopes to maintain a win percentage above .500. The team was scored 14 goals in those games while allowing only nine. Having a 2.8 average of goals a game, the offense has been abundant for the Lady Vaqs. However, they still have 15 games remaining, with 13 of those games being within the
conference. If they want to get into the playoffs, the Lady Vaqs better keep up the offense. Women’s Volleyball Having three wins and three losses this month isn’t bad for the team, but it’s nothing to brag about either. Their record for this month consists of three wins and three losses, just an even win percentage of .500. In August, they lost all three games making their overall record 3-6. The Lady Vaqs managed to accumulate 8.93 kills per set, 9.07 assists per set, 1.03 blocks per set and attain a .113 hitting percentage. The women’s volleyball season has been lackluster and are looking to improve in their next two games which happen to be within the conference.
Elone Safryan can be reached at esafary181@student.glendale.edu.
Post Malone Shows He’s Here to Stay In his third studio album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” the 24-year-old proves his unconventional nature
By Gurgen Sahakyan Staff Writer Post Malone is not an average musician in today’s industry. With his face tattoos and lyrics influenced by his rockstar lifestyle, he is labeled a rapper. However, his music goes much deeper than his image. Post Malone, within the past two years, has become one of, if not the biggest musician in the United States. In his third studio album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” the 24-yearold proves his unconventional nature. The album, influenced by the musical genres of hip hop, pop, R&B, rock, and country, has managed to land at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, all while producing the largest first-week streams of any album released thus far in 2019. The 18-song project begins with its title track, “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” sets the spirit of the album as a whole. In this body of work, Post discusses the toxic depression that comes with the Hollywood lifestyle. He talks about how relationships can be staged and filled with unimportant encounters, and with a lack of privacy for the famous. “It seems like dying young is an honor, but who’d be at my funeral? I wonder,” Post sings, as he mentions the fact that drug use for the younger generation of
artists and consumers has been praised. In fact, it has become a major cause in the deaths of young artists like Mac Miller and Lil Peep. He questions relationships, and if those around him are genuine enough to show up to his funeral, as mentioned above. He wraps up the song with a message that his home, Hollywood, is falling apart. Perhaps the most anticipated song of the album, “Take What You Want,” features rapper Travis Scott and rockstar Ozzy Osbourne. With different worlds of hip hop and rock colliding, the song instantly went viral and hit top numbers across platforms. Osbourne beautifully delivers a dramatic rock-like start to the song, which then transitions into Post’s verse, in which he sings, “All I ever asked is for the truth / you showed your tongue and it was forked in two / your venom was lethal, I almost believed you.” Here, he uses the representation of a snake to compare to his former girlfriend, whose lies had a negative effect on him mentally. As the song continues, the artists point out key factors of failing relationships, until Travis Scott shifts the attention into a different approach to relationships. This Houston artist raps about the lifestyle of enjoying himself with many women around. The song comes to an end with an
The Come Up Show Creative Commons
THE EVERGREEN MUSICIAN: In this 2017 photo, Post Malone sings at The Come Up Show. The artist has proven that he can evolve as a musician, Gurgen Sahakyan writes in his review.
emotional electric guitar segment performed by Andrew Watt. Post Malone continues on the album with very high quality, emotional and melodic songs, such as his mega-hits, “Sunflower” and “Goodbyes,” featuring Atlanta rapper Young Thug. The album is finished off with his hit single, “Wow,” which was released in late December of 2018. “Wow” gives a different message than the rest of the project. With lines like, “You was talkin’ sh-t in the beginning, back when I was feelin’ more forgiving,” and
“Hunnid bands in my pocket it’s on me,” the New York artist speaks about the hate and negativity he faced at the beginning of his career. Despite all the hate, he has become a top-selling, wealthy artist. It seems that Post decided to finish his emotional project by reflecting how despite its negatives, Hollywood has birthed his career and changed his life for the better. With the groundbreaking accomplishments this album has achieved, Post Malone has gotten
one step closer to the history books. With his debut album “Stoney,” breaking Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” record for most weeks spent in the top 10 of the hip-hop/R&B albums chart with 77 weeks, to breaking the Beatles’ record for most simultaneous top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with 9, it is evident that Post Malone is an evergreen musician. Especially if he continues to produce such high-quality albums like his first three. Gurgen Sahakyan can be reached at gurgensahakyan07@gmail.com.
8
www.elvaq.com ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Louis Vuitton X
Iconic brand gets a pop up museum on Rodeo Drive By Kylie Shannon Contributing Writer Louis Vuitton has just unveiled an interactive and immersive experience called Louis Vuitton X, which takes the audience through a 160-year history of the iconic brand. The exhibit includes the original “Capucines bags reinterpreted by six leading contemporary artists,” according to the brand. The pop up museum features two floors at the iconic 468 North Rodeo Drive building in Beverly Hills. There are over 180 items from “Louis Vuitton’s archives and scenography to trace the House’s pioneering journey,” according to the company. Items on display include vintage art deco perfume bottles, fabulous window displays, and reworked bags by designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Rei Kawakubo, Cindy Sherman and Frank Gehry.
Original collaborations and commissions by artists include Yayoi Kusama, Richard Prince and Zaha Hadid. Admission is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through Nov. 10. For information on gallery hours, visit: bit.ly/VuittonExhibit
To view our video coverage, scan the QR code or go to: bit.ly/LouisVuittonElVaq Kylie Shannon Staff Photographer Kylie Shannon can be reached at kshanno124@student.glendale.edu.
FASHION HISTORY: A pop up museum at 468 North Rodeo Drive features 160 years of Louis Vuitton’s history and will remain open until Nov. 10.
S t i l l F l y i n g T h e i r Fr e a k F l a g H i g h Octogenarians they may be, but these musicians still reek of cool By A. Heimer Staff Writer The love and respect Don Preston and Bunk Gardner share for each other is obvious. Original band members of Frank Zappa’s legendary Mothers of Invention from the 1960s, they have been performing together in various groups for 65 years and at the Grandmothers of Invention concerts at eastside club Zebulon Sept. 18, their banter between each song was half the show. Before they performed Zappa’s classic 60s anthem, “Suzy Creamcheese,” a song they recorded in
1965, Bunk had to be repeatedly reminded by Don of his vocal part: “Suzy Creamcheese, oh, baby, oh mama”. During another classic bit, a duet adaptation of comedian George Carlin’s brilliant monologue, “I’m a Modern Man,” Don forgot his lines and had to be gently prompted by Bunk, which caused some improvisation. At another point Don asked the audience, “How many people here know that Stravinsky and Schoenberg hated each other and carried on a nasty correspondence?” which provoked a timeout discussion among the band members. These veteran avant-garde musicians are tremendously healthy, active and energetic at an age when many people are drooling in a wheelchair. Keyboard-
ist and synthesizer pioneer Don Preston, 87, and tenor saxophonist Bunk Gardner, 86, made a rare local appearance playing the music of Frank Zappa and originals by Don Preston. Don’s dazzling keyboard wizardry has obviously not been diminished by age, nor has Bunk Gardner’s incredible sound and amazing technique on the sax. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention were an iconic band from the 1960s which combined wicked humor, an unusually high level of musicianship and arguably some of Zappa’s best tunes in their breakout album “Freak out,” followed by the albums “Absolutely Free,” ” Uncle Meat,” “We’re only in it for the money” and the cult hit tour movie “200 motels.” Recently returned from Eu-
STILL ROCKING: Bunk Gardner and Don Preston perform live in the Quasimodo, Berlin in this Oct. 5, 2018.
rope, The Grandmothers kicked off their LA show snazzily decked out in blue glitter Italian-reverb jackets as they performed one of Zappa’s doo-wop songs from the back-to-the-fifties “Ruben and the Jets” period before blasting off into their unique sonic universe, which combines stunning virtuosity, uncompromising atonal improvisation and their offbeat perspectives as survivors of the 60s rock scene, sometimes reminiscent of comedians Cheech and Chong. Maniacally hard-driving grooves with bizarre, whackedout arrhythmic melodies played with an impeccable precision by keyboard and sax were the springboard for Bunk Gardner’s blistering sax solos, which at times seemed to evoke Albert Ayler or Pharoah Sanders. Instead of his usual bank of
synthesizers, Don Preston made do with an electronic keyboard, a micro-Moog synth, and a few electronic gadgets. Preston, who has recorded with many top artists including the Residents and John Lennon as well as the Moog synth tracks for the film “Apocalypse Now,” was in his usual superb form and even sang several numbers. The quartet was filled out by Rich Garcia on drums and Anders Swanson on contrabass. These lifelong compañeros have such an immense repertoire they often play mixes and medleys which give an aural glimpse of their long history together, including their performances as the Don and Bunk Show. Their closing medley included a Martin Mull blues, which Don sang: “I woke up this afternoon and saw both cars were gone, I woke up this afternoon, and saw both cars were gone. I got so disgusted, I threw my drink across the lawn.” Even to people who find their different and challenging music difficult to listen to, their artistic integrity is undeniable and nothing short of inspirational. Where many musicians, in a career as long and dedicated as theirs, might have drifted into playing more lucrative types of music, Don and Bunk have stuck together, playing the cutting-edge music they believe in despite the financial hardships. That they continue to perform such physically demanding, and socially questionable music with so much joy, vitality, and musicianship in their late eighties is a testament to their commitment to and love of the music and each other. It also seems to be keeping them in amazingly good health.
Stefan Müller Creative Commons
A. Heimer can be reached at aheimer570@student.glendale.edu.