Campus News Spring 2020 Issue 17

Volume 77, Issue 17 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, April 29, 2020 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Accents impede math students’ comprehension BY JULIE SANTIAGO Staff Writer

Some East Los Angeles College students are having trouble understanding their math professors because of language barriers. In a survey conducted by East Los Angeles College Campus News on the Math Department, 200 students were asked if they had difficulty understanding a math professor due to language barriers. This survey was done prior to classes going online for the spring semester. More than half of students surveyed said they had some difficulty understanding their math professors due to the professor’s accent. Using a scale from one to five, with one being not at all difficult to understand and five being very difficult to understand, more than half of the students indicated some level of difficulty understanding professors. Most students fell into the range of three. The survey also asked students if they felt the professor’s accent affected their grade in any way and if the students had difficulty understanding English. Only 19 students said they had difficulty understanding English while 84 said they had difficulty understanding the professor ’s accent and that it did or might have affected their overall grade. Students anonymously mentioned math professor Michael Cho on the survey as someone that was hard to understand. The professor was informed about the survey results. Cho, who has taught math for about 13 years and is currently teaching at ELAC, Pasadena City College and Santa Monica College said there is no language barrier. He said he is not an English professor, he is a math professor and doesn’t think his accent is a problem. Cho said students are complaining,

not doing homework, not studying or trying and believes this is the reason they are failing. “Sorry to say they are just lazy,” Cho said. Cho said he goes over problems and asks for questions during class and encourages the use of the math lab. Cho also said that professors are passing students, from lower level math classes, that may not be entirely ready or qualified to pass. Students are constantly needing to play catch up in his class and many end up giving up. Sociology major Melissa Santana dropped Cho’s Statistics class at the beginning of Spring semester. Santana said she was disappointed when the professor she had initially enrolled with got switched last minute for Cho, but decided to give Cho a chance anyway. After sitting through Cho’s class Santana realized she had no other option but to drop it. “I could not understand him at all! His accent is very thick and his voice is super low--the A/C was louder than him,” Santana said. Santana said math was never her best subject in high school. Despite math not coming naturally to her, Santana said she would receive decent grades because she would put in extra effort. Santana was upset when she heard Cho said students are lazy. “It is really clear that he doesn’t care that people aren’t able to understand him. To fully understand the subject he is teaching, he needs to be a good communicator. This isn’t a learn-on-your-own course because if we were to teach ourselves we wouldn’t need him,” Santana said. Student workers at the Counseling Department, Leonardo Gonzalez and Catherine Fabian, said they get complaints from students every semester about the professors at the Math Department. “Every semester we get students

CN/JULIE SANTIAGO

DIFFICULT ACCENTS—37% of students surveyed found that accents are sometimes difficult to understand, which impacts school work. who tell us ‘I had enrolled with this professor but then I got this professor and I don’t know what the professor is saying. I don’t know if he’s saying four or seven, I don’t understand. I’m not going to be able to pass,’” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez struggles with how best to advise these students. Gonzalez said he doesn’t personally have issues with professors with accents but empathizes with students. “Some students just want to understand professors better because they are more auditory learners and

some are more visual learners. It just depends on the student. A lot of students in general are auditory and visual so that is a necessary skill to have in their learning process,” Gonzalez said. Professor of Mathematics for 19 years at ELAC, Anne Siswanto was also informed about the survey results. However, despite having an accent Siswanto was one of the few professors that received overall positive feedback on the survey conducted. She also has positive feedback

GRADING— Students surveyed were almost even on if a professors accent affected their grade during a course. on ratemyprofessor.com, a review site which allows college students to rate professors. Siswanto said she is not sure how other professors treat their students but credits her favorable student rating to making sure students know she cares and supports their effort. “If students trust that the objective of a professor is to help them succeed and that they are supported, they will be open to try harder in class,” Siswanto said. She understands that students have other responsibilities outside

school. She also makes sure they feel comfortable asking her any questions during class. “The ability to freely ask questions in class helps them understand me better so that my accent matters less,” Siswanto said. Chairperson of the Math Department, Joe Kazimir, said he did not have any data to comment.

Summer, Fall courses move to online instruction BY MARIANA MONTOYA Staff Writer

Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez announced Tuesday, that all summer and fall 2020 courses will move online. Rodriguez said that classes may reutrn, “for a limited number of ‘hard to convert’ courses/programs, if health and safety allow at any point in the semester.” He said that spring semester classes in allied health and sciences, and career education may be extended or modified. This would be done to satisfy course requirements. The East Los Angeles College

Academic Senate unanimously passed summer Kinesiology courses that were still undetermined during the Academic Senate meeting. These classes would go automatically through the DE Addendum blanket request. An email sent out by vice president Rueben Arenas said that classes that do not include labs, or classes that do not involve language learning moved directly to online scheduling. The ones that were not included in the list still had the opportunity to be able to get on the schedule as online courses, as long as they turned in a request, and included an explanation as to how they would move forward

with an online curriculum. One of the most notable kinds of courses discussed during the meeting was the transition of Kinesiology athletic courses. S p e c i f i c a l l y, t h e y f u r t h e r discussed the reasons why Kinesiology athletic courses were flagged, and how there was a lot of scheduling misunderstanding that needed clarification in order for them to be changed online. Representatives from the Kinesiology department explained that professors were capable of keeping students accountable through fitness applications, along with other methods such as weekly videos to keep them active.

Since the Academic Senate approved the methodologies for the Kinesiology courses, they would go under the DE Addendum blanket request (emergency temporary distance education), which would require another senate meeting, along with other submission requests. “The main task of the memo was that the Kinesiology classes would have to submit some sort of demonstration on how the class could be put online and should be addressed,” David Hale First Vice president of the Academic Senate said. In order to make the decision he needed “a rationale that can get

answers to the question.” During the meeting Senators made an emphasis that the situation for the Fall courses was still fluid. “Once the emergency is over then we would expect those courses to go back to the process in order to still have DE regular Addendum,” Jeffrey Hernandez, president of the Academic Senate said. The latest Public Academic Senate meeting answers questions that are critical for students as they look to proceed during the Summer and Fall term, clearly there are multiple decisions that are bound to change as the COVID-19 situation shifts.

ELAC parking lot outfitted as COVID-19 test site BY ALEJANDRO AMBRIZ Staff Writer

Residents of Los Angeles county experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 can get tested for free at the drive-up site at East Los Angeles College. The testing center, located in the parking lot on the west end of the campus, is part of a countywide effort to increase testing availability in East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. The center opened on April 8, becoming one of more than 30 locations residents can go to get safely tested for COVID-19. Residents who are experiencing symptoms can schedule an appointment at coronavirus.lacity. org/-testing or call 211. Testing is available 9 a.m. to5 p.m. seven days a week and tests are booked for the following day. The site is operated through a partnership with LA county, the Los Angeles Community College District, and the Edward Roybal Comprehensive Health Center in East Los Angeles. “The drive up sites provide individuals in East Los Angeles, Monterey Park, and the surrounding communities with a quick and safe way to get tested in order to

CN/MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ

COVID-19 TESTING—Medical professionals instruct drivers where they go next to get tested.

Testing site is located on the west side parking lot, and tests are by appointment only. slow the spread of the virus”,said county supervisor Hilda Solis in a COVID-19 update April 8. Currently, tests are prioritized for residents with COVID-19 symptoms who are at most risk. The LA county website defines this

as people with the virus’ symptoms who are 65 and older. Also anyone with symptoms and an underlying condition are included in this prioritization. Symptoms of COVID-19 include, but are not limited to fever, shortness

of breath and now loss of taste or smell. Residents who arrive at the testing site will be instructed on how to selfadminister the oral swab testing kit by healthcare staff, which include workers from the Royal Health

Center, the fire department and the lifeguard. Once people complete the test, they drop off the sample in blue bins. At this time, residents may only show up to the appointment by car and only people who have the appointment will be tested. The process is contactless in order to protect healthcare workers from possibly being exposed to COVID-19. Tests take between five and 10 minutes and waiting times vary. Robert Garcia, an ELAC student and resident of Monterey Park, went to get tested recently and said the process was straightforward. He found out about the testing site through an ELAC Facebook group. “They had me cough in my car and then asked me to swab the inside of my cheeks for like 30 seconds... ended up taking about half an hour in total,” Garcia said. The county website instructs people to not eat food prior to showing for an appointment as it can interfere with the results. Solis said the site is capable of treating 250 residents a day, with results being ready in two or three days. If the result is positive, residents will be contacted by phone and emailed if negative.

News Briefs ASU Spring Scholarship extended Scholarship applications have been extended until May 1. Application available online. For questions contact ASU at studentact@elac.edu.

Husky Bowl 2020 online The Associated Student Union will be conducting the Husky Bowl online May 15 from noon to 3 p.m. Only 20 clubs can reserve at: https://tinyurl. com/huskybowl2020

Student Trustee Elections

Elections for Student Trustee start May 11 at 8 a.m. and end May 15 at 11:59 p.m. More information will be emailed to students.

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Opinion

E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

Staying in shape while in quarantine BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer

Working out is difficult enough with squats, bench presses and deadlifts, but now the COVID-19 pandemic closed all gyms, making it harder. Avid gym goers were left wondering what to do once it was announced that all gyms would be shutting down operations. Although the gyms are closed, this does not mean people cannot stay in shape during quarantine. There are multiple outlets to teach active people around the world about how to stay in shape from home. Working out can be made easy by doing core body weight exercises such as push-ups, situps and squats. Some people feel that they are not getting the same pump they normally get at the gym when

doing these exercises. If these exercises get too easy, the exerciser can do more reps of each to feel a better burn. One topic discussed in an interview held by ESPN with former Baltimore Ravens linebacker, Ray Lewis, was working out at home. Lewis said that when he worked out as a young child preparing for football seasons, he would complete what he called “the deck work-out.” All anyone would need for this workout is a deck of cards and a floor. In order to start this workout, one would select three different exercises to perform and then flip the top card. The card number represents the amount of times to perform the chosen exercises for one set. They would continue this process until the completion of the entire deck. If they cannot complete the

full deck, they can start with half of the deck instead of all 52 cards. This workout will keep a person in shape and active through quarantine. Exercising without weights is not an issue. Watching YouTube videos of trainers or amateur athletes can help tremendously whether people have zero experience or 10 years of experience. Some fitness websites have been offering deals during quarantine. Openfit is one option to help keep muscle tone, continue growth and just stay in shape. Using the link https://shop. openfit.com/pages/education, students and faculty can create a free account to start a 60-day trial using the promotion code EDUCATOR2020. All users from East Los Angeles College must use their school student e-mail (.edu) in

order to acquire the free trial. Openfit offers a range of services like over 170 workouts of all types such as cardio, strength, yoga, barre, martial arts, abs/core and more. The website offers over 350 live interactive classes with trainers giving real-time feedback. If students or faculty are worried about eating habits, the website has personalized meal plans to target whatever muscle group they are interested in. Going online and doing research on other websites that offer at home work-out ideas is a great help for athletes and people looking to stay in shape. The American Heart Association recommends that people participate in two and a half hours of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. Keeping people’s minds in

shape is just as important as the physical muscle. Working out has been proven to release endorphins that help people with depression or anxiety especially during the COVID-19 quarantine. Suicide rates have spiked due to the impact of the virus whether it is financial stress, family trouble or online schooling. “We’ve taken over 1,500 calls already in March just specifically related to the coronavirus and I do believe that will continue to increase,” Lyn Morris, Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services said in an article written by Royce Dunmore from News One. Working out at home gives a person time to themselves and a break from all of the negatives in the media today. This is an outlet for anyone looking to be healthier and happier one way or another.

Staff Writer

Despite Governor Gavin Newsom's good intentions in wanting to reopen the economy, his current plan would not be good in the long run. Governor Newsom released his plan to reopen the California economy on Tuesday and said his framework for the dates for reopening the economy would be based on six different things. These are expanding testing and isolating patients, maintaining vigilance to protect seniors and other high risk individuals,. Being able to meet future surgens in hospitals with vast amounts of protective gear help to continue to collaborate with academia on treatments and therapies Redrawing current regulations to ensure continued physical social distancing at private schools and businesses will help develop new enforcement mechanisms to allow the state to pull back and reinstate stayat-home orders. Part of Newsom's plan involves reopening schools, parks and some businesses. The main issue with Governor Newsom's plan is that it involves opening these places up despite the fact that we not only don't have a vaccine but we don't even have treatments for the symptoms of COVID-19, and that is a serious problem. Newsom suggested that school officials should develop new protocols for how to deal with physical education and recess at school. It would be a bad idea to send children back to school since there are still chances school children can catch the virus. The virus doesn’t affect every individual the same way making consequences drastic since the virus currently cannot be at least treated. If treatments did exist then opening schools back up would be fine. If in the event someone contracted the virus, it could at least be treated, therefore the

severity of the risks would be very low. Some small businesses can reopen. For example, businesses that don't attract big numbers of people such as instrument stores. These businesses can open up with the extra precautions such as adopting social distancing and keeping with the advised face covering options. The difference between businesses like these and schools or other big businesses is that they don't attract or hold big groups of people such as schools or malls. Extra sanitary precautions would be easy to manage and the small size reduces the chances of someone getting infected. We have heard outlandish takes from people such as Indiana Representative Trey Hollingsworth who said "It is policymakers' decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these two evils." This is referring to the government stating lives are priority over the economy. "It is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these two evils and we intend to move forward that direction," Hollingsworth said. Hollingsworth says it's better that we save the economy at the expense of people dying. This suggestion is abhorrent. It's very understandable that Governor Newsom wants to get the California economy back on track as many people's incomes come from these businesses that are closed. But life has to always take priority over everything else. The current social distancing and stay at home orders are working well enough right now in a time where we have no way of treating the virus symptoms. Governor Newsom should hold off the ambitious parts of his plan, such as opening schools and parks, until treatments for the virus become available. An economy can't work for a person if that person is dead. Safety above all else.

Staff Writer

Grab-and-go meals are proof that there is just as much good in the world as there is evil. Places like Kipp Sol Academy, that have 15 distribution sites open, are providing free food services for families on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9A.M. to 11A.M. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, businesses, unless considered essential, and schools have closed. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, "The number of unemployed persons rose by 1.4 million to 7.1 million in March." Other local schools that www.ELACCampusNews.com

are providing grab-and-go meal services are Bella Vista Elementary, Bell Gardens Elementary, Garfield High School, and Lincoln High School. Despite the coronavirus' constant rise in case numbers and the decline of social greetings such as handshaking, people hold humane values like understanding, compassion and courage. The Los Angeles Unified School District is the Nation's second largest district. 80% of LAUSD's students are from low income families. Dora Campos, a Pico Rivera resident and mother of three said she goes to North Ranchito Elementary for her grab-and-go meals.

FRONT EDITOR Juan Calvillo OPINION EDITOR Jonathan Bermudez NEWS EDITOR Melvin Bui FEATURE EDITOR Juliette Villegas

SPORTS EDITOR Erica Cortes COPY EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega Miguel Dominguez Melisa Valenzuala Russell Navarrette Raymond Nava Sonny Tapia Alejandro Ambriz Samantha Iniguez Mayra Perayra Jeremy Arias Maria Marroquin Monroy Andrew Ayala Vanessa Ramos Johanna Calderon Hector Gomez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha

Mixed emotion on intmate’s early release BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, California has plans to release around 3,500 inmates from prison early as the virus spreads throughout the prison system. The move is an effort in order to reduce crowding. The move will affect prisoners who are serving sentences for non-violent crimes and who were already due to be released in 60 days. Non violent offenders should be released while violent ones shouldn't, even though it may produce moral questions. T h e L A Ti m e s r e p o r t s documents provided to them show that cell blocks where inmates were shown having flulike symptoms, which are similar to symptoms of the COVID-19, were put on lockdown. This worried family members of older age prisoners, who are more at risk to the symptoms of COVID-19. Crimes that make inmates ineligible for early release, as listed in an article by The Sacramento Bee, are inmates

convicted of domestic violence, a crime that requires them to register as a sex offender or any other violent crime. While it's understandable that violent offenders should not be released early, it can be viewed as defeating the main purpose of releasing any inmates early. It definitely raises the moral question of whether it's right to only release a select group of inmates and not others if the main goal is the health and safety of prisoners and reducing the spread of the virus. While non-violent criminals should remain behind bars even during the pandemic, there are some legitimate concerns about it. Prisons would still be packed with inmates who were convicted of violent crimes as well as prison staff such as guards and cooks, all who would still be put at risk. The Officer Down Memorial Page, a website that tracks deaths of law enforcement officers, confirmed one of the first line-of-duty deaths of a police officer as a direct result of COVID-19. Sheriff's deputy Terrell Young of the Riverside County

Sheriff's Department died after he contracted the virus from an inmate at the Byrd Detention Center. There is also the issue of wrongfully convicted individuals. An argument that is used against the death penalty is executing a wrongfully convicted prisonero st. Some of these wrongfully convicted prisoners might be in prison for violent crimes and are put at risk of the virus because they were ineligible for release due to their conviction. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of people into what were once unimaginable scenarios and positions. While violent prisoner deaths are heartbreaking, the risk to the public if these violent offenders are let out early is just too big. Non violent inmates should continue to be released as planned, which will help with crowding in the prisons. Guards and prison staff should work to take greater precautions than what are already put into place to protect themselves and remaining inmates.

Grab-and-go helps parents feed their kids BY RUSSELL NAVARRETTE

MANAGING EDITOR Melody Ortiz

ARTS EDITORS Johanna Perez Gabriela Gutierrez

Reopening is doltish BY RAYMOND NAVA

EDITOR IN CHIEF Luis Castilla

According to the United "They only ask you how many family members and they give States Department of Labor, 6.6 million new you goods unemployment and snacks, insurance claims e n o u g h for several “They only ask you how were reported. The grabd a y s , " C a m p o s many family members a n d - g o m e a l s relieve some of said. and they give you this stress because A l l depending on locations goods and snacks, application require enough for several information or people to not following wear masks, days. ” up on other gloves and requirements, to continue applicants can the six-foot DORA CAMPOS wait from two distance. A Pico Rivera resident weeks to several There is months or longer. an uncertain Donald Trump's future in this current pandemic, and that 2 trillion dollar stimulus bill was set to begin last week; uncertainty is income.

individuals will receive $1200, married couples will receive $2400 and $500 for each child. Some might need the majority of that money for rent and bills That's right, rent, utilities and other payments still have to be made, despite millions losing their jobs. The cost to feed a family is not cheap either. Free meals for children is helpful for any parent Affording Motherhood's website, states that a family of five's grocery budget can range from $626 to $822, depending on the children's age. The grab-and-go meals are free. In a time of economic and financial uncertainty, free is a good thing.

DISTRIBUTION Ivan Cazares Gustavo Buenrostro Andrew Ayala 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 300 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.

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News

E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, April 29, 2020

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Workshops on sexual assault awareness There can be instances in which negative consent can Staff Writer come into play and it should not. Refusing to acknowledge East Los Angeles College’s Sexual Assault Awareness “no,” assuming that wearing Violence Education (SAAVE) certain clothes, flirting or team hosted Sexual Assault kissing as an invitation for Awareness events courtesy of anything more and pressuring someone into sexual activity ELAC Support Center. D u e t o C O V I D - 1 9 , by using fear or intimidation adjustments had to be made are some examples of what in terms of where it would be can be described as negative held and how to meet, so the consent. Positive consent is events were hosted via Zoom communicating. When you video conferencing. Loving and Consent: A can change the type or degree Conversation about Safer of sexual activity with phrases Sex and HIV Prevention was like “Is this OK?” and/or an informative workshop explicitly agreeing to certain on when and how to know activities either by saying someone has granted consent “yes” or another affirmative to proceed with sexual activity. statement like “I’m open to The workshop was facilitated trying.” Avelino said that “sex is by Alejandra Aguilar-Avelino, East Los Angeles Women’s more than penetration.” She Center Lead Health Educator. asked attendees what their Consent and communication thoughts were on safe sex, are essential to the basis of one attendee answered “birth control and std testing.” safe sex.

BY JUAN CALVILLO

The workshop then shifted to the topic of Intimate Partner Violence. The ELAWC defines Intimate Partner Violence as violence conducted by a current or former partner. Wo m e n t h a t h a v e experienced IPV can be at a higher risk of contracting HIV. Aguilar-Avelino said that modern medication can prevent HIV from mutating into AIDS or being transmitted, however, there is no cure. HIV is a virus that is constantly mutating, which makes it harder to find a cure for it. One thing that helps prevent the transmission of HIV is something called U=U, where if you are HIV positive, but you have very low amounts of it, you will not be able to transfer it to someone who is HIV negative, said Avelino. Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a type of medication that can help those who are HIV negative reduce their chances of any exposure.

Women who have been victims of IPV can seek counseling. The ELAWC provides testing for people who believe they might have HIV. They also offer counseling for HIV carriers. These services are also available to men. Coping with Overwhelming Emotions, a worksop that was directed by Daniela Gonzales and Madelin Melara, two domestic violence and sexual assault therapists. The workshop aimed to inform attendees on ways to cope with their overwhelming feelings in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The seminar centered around our current pandemic and how it can affect how we may be feeling. Gonzalez and Melara discussed how emotions can change a person and their overall lifestyle. Being in quaratanine can cause many overwhelming emotions, the main one

being anxiety, from there it can cause feelings of dread, fear, nervousness, stress and feelings of unease. They gave instruction on how to meditate. Focusing on things that help keep your brain moving and at ease. They later went over the concept of grounding and what that means to a person. It’s a form of centering the mind, as it helps a person detach from emotional pain. There are three types of grounding; mental, physical and soothing. It helps the person focus on the environment and helps relax those strong emotions you carry and ease you back into reality. Mental starts with the mind by describing your environment and seeing and talking about the color and textures and the sounds. Physical grounding was explained as a sense of feeling what’s around you, instead of

the overwhelming feeling or the pain felt inside. Soothing, which is talking to yourself in a very calm way. It’s important to do this because we go through many things that affect our emotions everyday. We can do this by saying motivational statements and kind statements. The ELAWC has a 24-hour crisis hotline for anyone dealing with violence or abuse, their services are open to men as well. The crisis hotline can be reached at (800) 855-6231 CONTRIBUTORS: JESSE DE ANDA JEREMY ARIAS HASSAD ENCISO KIARA LARA TIMOTHY DE LEON CLAUDIA NAVAS CASSIDY REYNA KANDEE SOZA

Dream Resource Center Pet therapy via Zoom greets newest addition BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer

East Los Angeles College’s Dream Resource Center introduced the center’s newest addition, attorney Stephanie Barrera, and updated students with current immigration info on Thursday. The DRC has been looking to help the undocumented students with legal issues, like Deffered Action for Childhood Arrivals, and is currently working with the Central American Resource Center to provide students with legal help. CARECEN was founded in 1983 and works to help immigrants get legal status in the United States. Elizandro Umana, member of the DRC, said that previously students would be referred to and be helped by the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic, but the option to continue that partnership changed and the DRC has sent students off-site for additional legal help until recently. “Now with this new grant, directly with the state, and in partnership with CARECEN, now, not only are we able to just provide in house services, but now, once we get back, we’ll have Stephanie (Barrera) there throughout the week,” Umana said. Katya Alvarado, student

ambassador for the DRC, said that students had been coming in for quite some time asking for DACA renewals and paths to citizenship. She said that this was one of the reasons the DRC worked so hard to get resources, like Barrera, to be at ELAC. Being at ELAC allowed her to help not only students, but faculty and staff that had questions, said Barrera She said that CARECEN is currently working with community colleges across the state and that she is in charge of helping not only ELAC, but also Rio Hondo College and Los Angeles Trade Tech. Barrera said that if students were from colleges she did not cover they could contact her and she would be able to get them to the proper attorney. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the current administration has changed things when it comes to immigration, most recently with the Presidential Proclamation that stops immigration into the United States. Barrera said that this is more of a symbolic gesture to the president’s base and that many consulates have already closed, not allowing people to immigrate. She said currently that the ban is effective from April 23 to June 22. Barrera said that there might be some concern among students when it comes to the Supreme

Court’s decision on DACA. She said that the decision is more than likely going to come in June or July. Students who have DACA renewals within the next year should immediately make an appointment so that the filing process can begin. Her work with students through CARECEN takes care of all the costs for filing the applications. Barrera said that if the Supreme Court’s decision upholds DACA, the fees for applications will more than likely rise. She said the fees will go up an additional $275 dollars. Barrera said that she is available to help students with immigrations services now. She said that she can refer students to other resources if they have other legal issues, but that immigration is what she is focused on. “I’m focused primarily on the immigration aspect of it. And it’s not only DACA. I’ve had a lot of individuals come just to see if there’s any opportunity to adjust their status. I’ve had a couple of new visa applications coming my way. So things like that,” Barrera said. For more information students can visit the DRC social media page on instagram @elacdreamresourcecenter, email the DRC at dreamresourcecenter@elac.edu or call 323-415-5483

The East Los Angeles College Student Health Center’s pet therapy Zoom meeting is aimed to provide students a relaxation period from the COVID-19 class conversion. The Student Health Center will be offering students a lounge-type Zoom meeting to allow peers to talk and socialize with each other’s pets. “It’s a virtual lounge for every student to join and introduce their pets,” student worker Amber Ramirez said. Coordinator of the Student Health Center, Cecilia Cruz said that most students will get excited and take time out of their day to admire a pet that they see in the background during one of their classes online. Cruz wants students to come as they are and not be on a formal time frame like their regular schedules. “We will be together, but it’s not going to be a formal presentation, just something casual where students can come as they are. They don’t have to feel pressured to pay attention to content, but hopefully relax and have a few laughs,” Cruz said. Helping students is the main goal. Cruz’s own studies

and reading suggests pets are beneficial to the mental and emotional states of human beings. Everyone can socialize with their pets in view for a rest period during their classes’ hectic time frame. This idea was started because Cruz would notice

“The goal is for people to feel connected and a little bit relaxed.” CECILIA CRUZ

coordinator of Student Health Center

how people would liven up when they saw the presence of a pet through Zoom meetings with colleagues and other students. “Seeing pets allows students to have a bonding moment over that. We started talking about our pets and what we do with them now,” Ramirez said. Cruz said that even in formal meetings, when there is a pet involved, everyone will take that moment to admire that pet in some way. This event is for people to lift their spirits and have

something to look forward to instead of the regularly scheduled order of the day. “The goal is for people to feel connected and a little bit relaxed, to let people have some fun,” Cruz said. All animals are welcome at the meeting according to Cruz and Ramirez. “I have dogs and cats, but our boss Sonia has a tarantula and one or two bearded dragons. We’re hoping she stops by to show us,” Ramirez said. Students that do not have a pet are also welcome to join and enjoy the Zoom meeting, no matter the situation. Students also do not have to be worried about being on time, even though the meeting starts at noon, others that arrive late will still be granted access to the meeting. Cruz has sent statements and notifications to her colleagues to spread the awareness of this event in order to gather more students. “Interacting is beneficial and I feel that even though it is virtual, we can still receive the benefits of this event,” Cruz said. Cruz would love to see as many students as possible show up to the meeting because she feels it would help others interact in times of isolation.

Hegemonic masculinity from a socio-political point-of-view BY MELVIN BUI Staff Writer

The East Los Angeles College Sociology Club had a discussion on how hegemonic masculinity is related to popular culture and the media. The topic was approached from a socio-political perspective. The panel was led by sociology professor Renato Jimenez and political science professor Rogelio Garcia. All of the in-person events that were planned for the semester have been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Z o o m V i d e o Communications has allowed panels to continue, by bringing together people online from their homes to discuss controversial topics. “Some of the elements that are being discussed here may be triggering. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the discussion, please, go ahead and take a step back

and gather yourself and then rejoin the conversation if you deem it necessary,” said professor Jimenez. Professor Jimenez spoke about about sexual assault and sexual violence, while professor Garcia spoke about how hegemonic masculinity ties into current day politics and media. Sexual assault is the sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent from the victim. When people think of sexual assault, the first thing that comes to mind is something physcical. However, it can also be caused by psychological force or manipulation that coerces a victim into non-consensual sex. Jimenez said people choose not to report the sexual violence crimes to the police because they feel like they wont help and fear being retaliated against. “Donald Trump’s toxic masculinity is more fragrant than most politicians, his

rhetoric promotes violent and gender order theory in gender sexist values,” said professor studies. Garcia. Garcia said Trump Gender order theory is a normalizes and promotes system of ideological and behavior that is reckless and material practices that are detrimental to society. performed by individuals of a Hegemonic is a synonym society, through which power for dominant and masculinity relations between women and is the characteristics of men. men are made, remade as Hegemonic meaningful. masculinity is Hegemonic social practice masculinity is t h a t h e l p s “Donald Trump’s toxic reinforce male masculinity is more dominance fragrant than most and the subordination politicians, his rhetoric of common programs promotes w o m e n violent and sexist and men in society. values.” Jimenez said men do ROGELIO GARCIA stupid things politcal science professor to prove their m a s c u l i t y, respect is earned not interchangeable with the term given. “toxic masculinity.” It was a term that was Jimenez said the media pioneered by Australian helps spread toxic masculinity sociologist Raewyn Connell. by advertising unhealthy It was used as part of her behavior to children.

Jimenez said the idea of manhood is centered around dominance, aggression by categorizing a suppression of emotions to be emotional, is to be feminine and to be feminine is to be weak. “The dominant culture always resorts to violence, shaming and mockery when things don’t go their way,” said Garcia. Jimenez said it has been popularized in the media, women are used to entice people as a way to promote business, Burger King is well known for being misogynistic by making women take on stereotypical explicit roles in commercials. Jimenez said people of different cultures, ethnicities and social class experience masculinity differently, people that are less masculine were thought to be homosexual, traditional male gender roles discourage emotional expression. Rape culture is the experience men and women face from continued threats of

sexual violence, ranging from comments to rape itself. The Rape Assualt Incest National Network (RAINN) said that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a spike in sexual violence, as people are forced to stay home with their abusers. “In times of national hardship or war, women have been co-opted to complete male-dominated tasks, but always with the implicit understanding that it is a temporary condition” said professor Garcia. Garcia said having more women in the workforce has been one of the main reasons why there has been a flux in sexual assault cases. “ People who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities experience sexual violence, and may face different or additional challenges in accessing legal, medical, law enforcement or other resources than other population,” said Jimenez. www.ELACCampusNews.com

4

Opinion

E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, ARIL 29, 2020

‘The new normal’ is changing society forever BY MAYRA SORIA Staff Writer

Uncertainty sets in with the so-called new normal. How is the new normal, normal? With the COVID-19 pandemic, so much has changed. One thing that’s changed is the way people communicate. There has been an excessive amount of it. With social distancing being implemented everywhere, there are higher volumes of people at the grocery stores, banks and, well, that’s it, because where else can anyone possibly go, everything is closed! At the start of the Coronavirus outbreak, there was panic. People in southern California raided grocery stores and warehouse food stores to buy disinfecting wipes, Lysol disinfectant spray and toilet paper, but still families were

calm and many figured they would try to see the positive side of this and treat it as a staycation. The problem now is that it got old quick. Parents are home trying to keep a schedule as many articles advise readers to do and to stay positive or, in other words, sane, but it does not work for everyone. It becomes challenging to find the energy and patience to wake up, get semi-ready, feed the kids breakfast, clean the house, then eat again and get to homeschooling. It becomes so stressful that one begins feeling irritable and less patient toward family and children. For those mommies working from home and homeschooling at the same time with children under seven years old, I commend you. It is much easier said than

done, speaking from personal experience. I understand this pandemic is very real, but all this talk about what our new standard will be isn’t making it any better. If anything, there are more questions. The peak of this pandemic was said, by Governor Gavin Newsom, to have been over a week ago, but the number of deaths continues to climb. This week marked the third straight day Los Angeles County has seen a record number of deaths, according to the county. What does lifting the safer at home recommendation do, and what will our new normal become as employers and businesses try to straighten out how to reopen and continue screening customers? What about the elementary schools and students? How can a child even begin to social

distance in a classroom of 30 students. Homeschooling my kindergartener is not easy, but most importantly, he misses the environment. So how can I make this new normal healthy for him? Will parents with children who have underlying conditions not be returning to school until there is a vaccine? Will teachers over the age of 40 stay home or conduct classes via Zoom until there is a vaccine? How do you prepare your child for what is to come? Schools should implement a group counseling session for students to join and speak openly about their fears. This pandemic has opened many eyes and people do view the world differently. There are hashtags like #BeKind and #StaySafe. This

experience has made many people appreciate what they had. Masks will become a required fashion accessory from now until, maybe, forever.

Stubborn employers refuse at-home-work BY MARIA MARROQUIN MONROY

Annoying students disrupt online classes BY MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer

Many classes have students who enjoy talking with or talking over the professor, whether that be agreeing with them or adding what they believe to be a funny comment. With such a limited amount of class time, students should be more mindful of and considerate to classmates during class meetings. It’s one thing for multiple persons to be talking in a physical classroom, but another thing to crowd the audio space in an already static-filled Zoom meeting. Although it does make class more enjoyable to communicate with the professor in a playful way, it also slows down the progress of class,

especially during a time where most classes are already behind. Many students have issues with their home internet since it is being used by mostly everyone in their households. This makes it difficult sometimes to hear what the professor is saying because the audio cuts in and out. It is only made more difficult when multiple people are talking or when a student goes on about personal examples that lead to a conversation unrelated to the class subject. Although there is a hand-raising feature on Zoom, it is rarely used. A student will interrupt a professor to ask him or her questions instead of waiting to see if their question will be answered.

Not only does it slow down the class, but it is also a little rude. At the very least, students should wait for a pause instead of cutting in mid-sentence. This isn’t the only thing that can distract classmates. East Los Angeles College student Poala Rodriguez said she dislikes when people do not mute themselves during class. This was the most popular answer when Campus News’ Instagram story asked students what their pet peeves were during class. Other answers included showing off pets and kids, too many people talking at once and when professors or students are late to class. Usually, the last answer is nothing new and reasonable, however, both

students and professors should be a little more lenient with tardies. Many people experience technical difficulties such as Zoom links not working, slow internet or even personal difficulties, like caring for one’s family. Hopefully, all the kinks will eventually be worked out, but it most likely won’t be anytime soon. Keeping all these setbacks in mind, think about how much time students really have in class. Sometimes even professors are kicked off mid-meeting. Some of these things cannot be controlled. What can be controlled, however, are the interruptions made by others.

Universities giving students the boot BY SAMANTHA INIGUEZ Staff Writer

With College campuses closed for the rest of the semester due to COVID-19 transfer-students are not able to tour campuses. This unique situation brings forth another way students can evaluate transfer options. Although the pandemic does not allow transferring students to explore campuses and find what makes one college better suited for them than its counterparts, it allows students to see how their institution is treating its current students during this challenging time. Harvard University, which has been ranked number one by many sources including Forbes, Center for World University Rankings and Round University Ranking, was one of the first institutions to shut down and ask students not to return after spring break. Harvard student, Hakeem Olakunle Isa Angulu, Computer Science and Statistics Major, took to twitter to complain about how the institute was handling the situation. He tweeted, “Harvard just gave students five days to pack all of their things, move out, and go home. Many can’t go home because www.ELACCampusNews.com

There is a lot of uncertainty and many parents are waiting to hear what the next step is. What is the next step in beginning this new normal?

of costs and travel restrictions, and they’ve provided no guidance, and we’re expected to go to class for the rest of this week.” Harvard's twitter account replied to Angulu saying, “Hi Hakeem, we know this is a challenging time from everyone. The Griffin Financial Aid office is helping students individually to help them afford travel home. If you have questions, do not hesitate to call, email, or stop by in person.” This is not the first time Harvard has been criticized by one of its own students for not fulfilling the needs of disadvantaged students. Anthony Abraham Jack, Ph.D. Harvard University, 2016, who has since returned to Harvard as an assistant professor told inside higher ed, an online publication based on college and university topics, “To say, ‘Don’t come back after spring break,’ assumes that students leave in the first place, and that is fundamentally not true, because the reality is a significant number of students- disproportionately those from lower-income backgroundsremain in campus because they can't afford to leave, they don’t have anywhere to go or they know that home and harm are synonymous. On the last point, that last group includes those who have fraught relationships with their families for

reasons from political ideology to gender roles to sexual identity.” Another campus that gave short notice to students about evacuation is Stanford University. Most undergraduates who live on campus were informed the day before that they had to leave, but students were given a page filled with plenty of resources. The Associated Students of Stanford University listed a lot of resources students could take advantage of including: the ASSU Support Fund, COVID-19 Student Support Fund, Stanford First-Generation Low-Income Partnership (FLIP) Emergency Housing Support. DukeUniversity also gave students a short notice about having to move out for the semester. According to The News & Observer, “Duke officials are asking students to vacate campus housing as soon as possible and to leave their belongings in their dorms if they are not currently on campus, according to a letter from university officials.” Students who must be in campus housing for personal safety and health reasons are the only exception. According to the Duke website “Duke has launched the Duke Student Assistance Fund, with an initial commitment of $4 million

from the university. The fund will be used to assist undergraduate, graduate and professional students throughout the university to help alleviate the burden of unexpected expenses such as airline tickets for relocation, temporary housing, food, and technology for online learning.” In addition to funds, Duke is helping its students through this challenging time by supplying Food and Technology Resources. The Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSC) community pantry is supplying needy students with food. GPSC said on the Duke website "The GPSC is offering a limited grocery bag delivery program strictly reserved for Duke students facing immediate food need...Volunteers will be prepacking grocery bags based upon family size and dietary needs to be delivered to your front door.” Duke also shared with its students the North Carolina Department of Information Technology list of free and affordable high-speed internet services. Berkeley University of California is another one of the institutions that offered reimbursements to students almost immediately. For the full version of this story, visit elaccampusnews.com

“I'm trying to do my job while everyone else doesn't seem to care. I'm fortunate enough to work Staff Writer with a good upper management who understands the urgency of We are facing a global health getting everyone ready to work crisis and our hospitals are not remotely and away from each equipped to deal with the amount other,” said Mendoza. of cases of COVID-19 that Unfortunately, he said it is the continue to increase significantly outliers we need to keep our eye on a daily basis. on. Mendoza, like many others, On April 23, Los Angeles doesn’t have the option to stay mayor Eric Garcetti issued a home and it is thanks to people “Safer at Home” order, in order like him that the rest of us can to prevent our health system from perform our work duties. collapsing and to prevent the “At the end of the day we spread of the virus. (ITs) are the reason employees While this order could be are able to work from home. I do effective to decrease the cases in everything I can to maintain that L.A. county it does not guarantee infrastructure for them knowing that we’ll be safe altogether. well of the risks I'm taking,” Ordering some citizens to Mendoza said. stay home, but How long forcing others to will California continue working “Insurance is also be able to keep seems like a the current contradicting part of the essential measures and measure. workforce, but the continue to I continuously try to prevent remind my company made the the virus from mother to not go out so she can decision that it was best s p r e a d i n g ? be safe, but I am to have everyone work Not long if we look at Italy’s the one putting from home.” timeline. her in danger Within three because my MICHEL CONTRERAS weeks, Italy’s field of work is Former ELAC student healthcare considered part s y s t e m of an “essential collapsed and businesses” they had to choose who lived and stipulated in the mayor’s order. who died based on age. Some of the essential Employers who can contribute businesses include hospitals, to social distancing continue to police stations, grocery stores make us work on-site to keep and healthcare operations among their business afloat and continue others. productivity are not only putting While most fields included us in danger, but also hurting their in the order are understandably own companies. essential, back-office staff isn’t “Insurance is also part of the necessarily essential to work essential workforce, but the on-site. company (she works for) made As a medical claims examiner, the decision that it was best to I understand the importance of have everyone work from home,” keeping certain places open, said former ELAC student Michel but as a daughter and concerned Contreras. citizen I cannot understand my “I think that is the smartest boss’s decision to continue to thing to do. Quarantine all of make us come into the office us, but I am aware that my kind when we could easily work of job is not like everyone's remotely from home. job. There are jobs out there The frustration that comes that cannot be done with just a with knowing one can work from monitor,” she said. home to help reduce spreading In my friend’s case, her boss or infecting loved ones when understands the importance of going back home is taking a toll keeping everyone safe. In my on many people’s mental health. case, the words that came out of “I am still going to work. I my boss’s mouth were “I am a feel that my bosses are allowing firm believer of working on-site it because my clinic is inside because it limits distractions and a hospital and all hospital staff increases productivity.” are exempt from staying home,” As of now, productivity is said East Los Angeles College below the mark and whoever student, Irene Velasquez. meets productivity is only doing “It's been upsetting since so because they’re working one mostly everyone I know is to three hours of overtime. working from home. I'm capable No one is 100% focused on of doing my work from home. work because we are all worried Employers just aren't allowing about COVID-19 knocking on it,” she said. our door. Velasquez said she could When we are not wondering use the two hours she spends when they’re going to let us commuting to work to focus on work from home we are reading other things and spend more time the news about the new number with her partner who is now on a of cases and deaths around the two-week paid leave from work world. due the mayor's order. As of right now, we can all work Daniel Mendoza, an from home, but if one person on IT specialist who works for the floor has the virus and we a Managed Healthcare all catch it, employers can say Organization said he feels scared goodbye to their productivity. It is and depressed because although better to care for the employees’ he’s taking the proper measures health before worrying about to keep himself safe, other people productivity. on staff are not.

Features

E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

5

Adjunct helps students build future, MCs in body building world the time, bodybuilding was the only part of the contest. Now, there are eight to 10 categories in which athletes can compete. Teper said that looking back, he was foolish Few people live life to its to create the show with such strict fullest. East Los Angeles College’s guidelines. “Not only did you have to Lonnie Teper has lived enough for two people, finding fulfillment in his be a college student to compete, because I was a college teacher so I students and work. Teper is an adjunct professor liked that environment, but you had in the Kinesiology Department at to be a California college student. I ELAC and has been on campus was fortunate to get 27 competitors: since about 1995. He has also had 14 males and 13 females, with a a prolific career as a master of crowd of about 300. That’s how I ceremonies in the bodybuilding started,” Teper said. After four name changes to world, a writer for both newspapers and magazines and is an ELAC his competition, Teper decided on alum.Teper is anything but prideful. NPC West Coast Classic. In 2010, He talks about the series of his contest was given a national accomplishments in his life using qualifier. The competition was self deprecating humor to seemingly even held on campus at ELAC from 2013 diminish the to 2015. By amazing things 2017 the he has done.He is currently working “You see the success of competition at ELAC teaching these people (students) h a d 3 5 3 competitors three classes, but , that means more to a n d h a d is also working to the on putting on me than my success .” moved Fox Theater Lonnie Teper ’s in Riverside, National Physique California. Committee West A l l Coast Classic. LONNIE TEPER of this was The NPC is an done while amature physique holding down committee that started in 1982, and is a stepping a passionate job in journalism, stone to the International Federation writing for fitness magazines like of Bodybuilding and Fitness. Teper “Muscle and Fitness” and “Iron has worked on the NPC circuit Man Magazine” and working for newspapers like the Los Angeles since 1988. The NPC West Coast Classic Times. That wasn’t enough for exposition and competition is part Teper, who also was a professor of Teper’s busy schedule. His at colleges like Cal State Los schedule has always included time Angeles, Pasadena City College to teach, time to follow his passion and, of course, ELAC. Teper said that he first started in journalism and time to dedicate to the world of bodybuilding. Years into the world of journalism in his ago, his schedule had him working freshman year at ELAC when he as an MC at some of the biggest was looking for a few additional bodybuilding competitions in the credits. A friend mentioned a sports writing class and Teper world. Teper started promoting what decided to do it. From there he went would one day become the NPC West on to Cal State Northridge, but after Coast Classic, in 1999. He named his only one semester he moved over to first show, the California Collegiate Cal State Long Beach to be a part of Bodybuilding Championships. At their startup radio station. There he graduated with a

BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer

degree in Journalism, Radio and Television and was an editor on the college newspaper. He later earned his masters in Physical Education from Cal State LA. Teper said that over the years he was offered work at some of the biggest bodybuilding shows in the world and it all started when he decided to MC a show himself, because he didn’t really want to pay someone to do it. Teper has done MC work for

the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, National Championships and the USA Championships, to name a few, for between 20 to 25 years. Despite that type of resume, he would still turn down MC opportunities when they clashed with his teaching schedule. At his last NPC show, in 2019, he gave commentary on the webcast of an NPC show. There he was awarded the Steve Stone Heart of a Champion award. This fairly

new award, given out over the last 10 years, was created to honor the NPC vice chairman Steve Stone who died in 2008. “That was pretty thrilling. They’ve only given that out for 10 years, and they give it out once a year. And this covers everybody in the industry,” Teper said. Dave Liberman, a friend and competition creator, said that Teper truly deserved the award. He said that it was a chance to truly show

CN/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME

STRONG MAN—Adjunct kinesiology professor Lonnie Teper (left), standing next to a bodybuilder, MCs a bodybuilding competition.

Teper the affection and appreciation that the bodybuilding industry has. “It brought tears to my eyes, because I know what he puts into this sport. Sometimes it’s so busy, you don’t know how people really feel and, unfortunately, you realize how people feel when you go to somebody’s funeral...It’s nice to hear these things when you’re alive and well and when you put so much time into it (bodybuilding),” Liberman said. Teper said that his storied career has had so many ups and downs during it. He said that no matter what there were more ups than downs. He said that some of his greatest accomplishments were based on his students’ success in life. He said that over the years he was able to help students stop smoking and drinking and that doing something like that was special. “The greatest satisfaction is when someone comes back to me and says, ‘Teper because you said this, or showed me this or you did that...I changed this, got going in the right direction. I just wanted you to know I got my degree last month.’ You see the success of these people [students], that means more to me than my success,” Teper said. Despite the COVID19 pandemic raging across the Southland, Teper says that the NPC West Coast Classic is still a go. “If I’m told I can’t have the event on June 20, I will check into another date that may be available to move it to. I certainly do not want to cancel it if it all possible,” Teper said. Teper has been able to do more in his time than most would even dream of doing. For up-todate information on the event visit www.npcwestcoast.com or email Teper at tepernews@gmail.com. With all that he has done he said that he doesn’t even remember his age anymore. “Well let’s just say I was a waiter at the last supper,” Teper said.

Chicano author, activist overcomes gang life to help younger generations BY J. IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer

Before he even became a teenager, Luis J. Rodriguez was introduced to drugs and gang culture. He’d participated in drive-by shootings and used heroin before even starting high school. It’s not an uncommon story in Los Angeles’ lower income communities, but he overcame the adversities he faced in his youth and became the official Poet Laureate of Los Angeles from 2014-2016, a renowned novelist, journalist and activist. He’s also a husband, father and great-grandfather. Rodriguez spends most of his time helping others overcome similar adversities through his involvement in the various nonprofits he’s helped found and by visiting inmates in prison and juveniles in correctional facilities. “I like to say that I wasn’t scared out of gang life; I was cared out. There were those who recognized me as a creative person when they saw me draw or do graffiti. It only took one or two people to want to mentor me,” Rodriguez said. Information gathered by the Los Angeles Police Department suggests that more than half of the 16-year-olds that have ever been arrested for assault carried a handgun or belonged to a gang by the age of 12. The information also suggests that 80% of violent crimes are committed by youths 14 through 24 years old. Rodriguez sees the U.S. prison system as a perpetuator of gang culture and is a strong advocate for reform. He’s particularly worried about the large number of prisoners afflicted by mental illnesses and the conditions of the facilities in which they are treated. “The facilities are horrible and almost the majority of people suffering from mental illnesses in the country are incarcerated,” Rodriguez said. “I felt that visiting prisons, the mass incarceration system, was one of the best ways I could make a difference.” He visits

juvenile facilities and prisons to San Fernando Valley founded by facilitate educational workshops, Luis and Trini. poetry readings and healing circles. They serve on the board of the He was first drawn to activism non-profit and remain involved during a string of walkouts by b u t t h e y ’ v e p a s s e d o n t h e students in 1968 known as the responsibilities of the day to day Chicano Blowouts or East LA operations to a new generation of Walkouts. activists they’ve helped mentor. He continued his activism The organization offers free and through the social instability of the low-cost bilingual resources for ’70s and it was around this time that low income youths and exposes he met his wife Trini Rodriguez. them to the arts in the form of mural “We didn’t see each other that painting, dancing and music. way for a very Luis believes long time, the arts have but he was the power to someone I transform could talk to “I like to say that I wasn’t a p e r s o n ’ s when I was ife and scared out of the gang lcontinuously introduced to activism,” works to life; I was cared out. Trini said. I had expose new There were those who a very different generations background. I to the arts and recognized me as a grew up in the latino culture. creative person when San Fernando He hopes to Valley with a they saw me draw or do inspire younger very traditional generations graffiti.” M e x i c a n to embrace family. It was a their culture very integrated and define community their identities LUIS J. RODRIGUEZ AUTHOR, POET AND ACTAVIST so I was themselves. surrounded “ We u s e d by many to use the cultures.” She word Chicano became an because we educator after graduating from didn’t want the authorities to label Cal State Northridge and became us. We chose the label for ourselves. politically active as an educator. Now I find myself using Chicanx Luis didn’t pursue a degree, but or Latinix, because that’s what the he did pursue higher education younger generation identifies with,” through night classes at East Los Luis said. Angeles College and other schools. Luis said he never saw the word He earned a journalism certificate Chicano as exclusive to Mexican from Cal State Berkeley through Americans. He feels it represents a program no longer in existence. all people who decide to embrace “I met Luis at the opening of the identity. Tia Chucha’s. You could say he’s “It doesn’t matter what we call been like a mentor to me,” Michael ourselves.What matters is not Centeno, executive director of Tia letting those in power label us” Chucha’s Centro Cultural, said. Luis said. “I was inspired when I met Luis and Trini are working on a Luis and started learning about his podcast called the Hummingbird life. My passion is film. I started Cricket Hour on which they discuss volunteering and attending weekly literature, social issues, the arts and film night at Tia Chucha’s.” current events. The podcast is being Tia Chucha’s is a non-profit reformatted but 23 episodes are culture center and bookstore in the currently available on itunes.

COURTESY OF LUIS J. RODRIGUEZ

ROLE MODEL—Luis J. Rodriguez overcame the influence of gang culture on lower income

communities to become a scholor and mentor to younger generations. He was the official Poet Laureate of Los Angeles’ from 2014-2016 and has has co-founded several non-profits with the help of his wife Trini Rodriguez. www.ELACCampusNews.com

6 Arts ‘Tiger King’ explores Exotic’s eccentric life

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

BY MELVIN BUI Staff Writer

The story of one man’s battle saving the custody of his exotic cat park from animal rights activists and financial hardships through unsettling times is liberating to see. “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” is a Netflix original that was released on March 20. Prominent themes that are seen through out the show are true-crime, murder mystery and satire. The cast is made up of people that own big exotic cat sanctuaries and their workers. The show took five years for producers to film. The show is suspenseful and jawdropping. As new information is revealed, mixed emotions can be felt toward some cast members. It makes the viewers question their ethics and fidelity. It is hard to believe that there are more cage bred tigers in the U.S than anywhere else around the world. A great aspect of the show was that it had interviewed several big cat sanctuaries, allowing viewers to make their own judgement about proper care. The way producers primed the viewers into believing that it was alright for exotic cats to be bred for entertainment was unhealthy and irrational. Exotic cats need miles of space to roam around in order to be healthy, so breeding a cat to be cage raised is malicious. The dark reality of drug abuse and raising exotic cats for benefit is

revealed throughout the episodes. Big exotic cats are bred for exploitation, dark market sell and trade. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are seen throughout the show crucifying animal parks that mistreat and abuse animals. The show revolves around Joe Exotic, a zookeeper that is currently serving federal time at Grady County Jail. Exotic was sentenced 22 years in federal prison January 2020, after being charged with murder-for-fire, falsifying wild-life records and violating the endangered species act. Exotic was accused of hiring someone to murder the owner of a rival big cat sanctuary, Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue. They both house exotic cats, however, Baskin takes to the internet about the animal cruelty that takes place at Greater Wynewood Animal Park and causes a slew of financial hardships for Exotic. Exotic makes for good press because he was bold and not afraid to speak his mind, loved explosives, had two husbands at the same time and owned hundreds of big exotic cats. He had a mullet with a profound amount of piercings and was a natural entertainer with dreams of becoming famous. He had a daily show where he spoke about conspiracies that was broadcasted on the internet, however he did not own the show. People exercising their freedom of speech and finding loopholes through laws to benefit themselves

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

CATCHY KICKER—Names of person, or people, in the photo and details of the picture should be here. Remember the five Ws: Who is in the picture, what are they doing, why are they doing it, when did they do it and where did they do it at. is seen throughout the episodes. Baskin uses social media to team up with animal rights activists to crucify Exotic for his animal abuse and exploitation. However, Exotic uses his internet show to fire back at Baskin for her prejudice and hypocritical behavior. The feud between the two was prevalent decades before social media. The show has one season and is

made up of seven episodes that are about an hour long each. It is for mature audeinces that are interested in conspiracies and murder mysteries. It was interesting to see producers add a bonus episode after they received immense support from a successful debut. However, the show represented a few cast members inappropriately so they took to the press after it was released.

‘My Hero Academia’ delivers darkest season yet

COURTESY OF BONES ANIMATION STUDIOS

CATCHY KICKER—Heroes Lemillion and Deku race to find and save Eri from the Shrie hassaikai. some serious moments, but the

BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO first half of this season began with Staff Writer

Season 4 of “My Hero Academia” has some of the best animation and character moments the anime has ever had. “My Hero Academia” has always been a light-hearted anime with www.ELACCampusNews.com

a clash between two villain groups that set a tone for the rest of the season. The introduction of Overhaul, the leader of the yakuza group Shie Hassaikai, as a rival to the league of villains was done very well and it made audiences take him seriously

as a threat. As the season went on, Overhaul is revealed to be much more sadistic than originally shown. The whole plan for the heroes, like Izuka Midoriya and Mirio Togata, is not necessary to stop Overhaul, but to save a little girl named Eri from him. Most of this arc takes place in the Shie Hassaikai’s headquarters as the

heroes rush in to save Eri. Side characters like Red Riot and Suneater get some well-deserved character development with each having fantastic moments that can make anyone cheer. However, the best moments of this arc come from Togata, also known as Lemillion, and Midoriya, also known as Deku. Each has moments that define their characters in emotional scenes where they are protecting Eri. Some of the best animation of the season came from the episode “Infinite 100%” where the animation studio, Bones, outdid itself in the climactic fight of the arc. Once the Shi Hassaikai arc ends, a new one begins following the aftermath, but unlike the first half, this arc is much more light-hearted. The students at UA are all planning a school festival, but a villain by the name of Gentle Criminal wants to infiltrate the school during the festival. Gentle and his helper La Brava brin levity to the villain roles as they are not the run-of-the-mill villains that want to destroy or gain like Overhaul. They have a more subtle and tragic reason for being villains. While there aren’t as many fights in this second half of the season, the questions it poses for what it means to be someone who lives in hero society are very interesting. The voice acting this season has been phenomenal. It was taken to another level with Tarasuke Shingaki and Ricco Fajardo, who both voice Togata in japanese and english respectively as stand-outs. The music in “My Hero Academia” has always been great and this season is no exception. Each triumphant moment or moment where the heroes have to endure and push further is enhanced with the fantastic score by Yuki Hayashi This season is one of the best that the show has done and one of the best in anime. It would be a good time to get into the show as the fifth season of “My Hero Academia” was announced at the end of the last episode. No released date has been set, but if Bones can keep up the same amount of quality that they have been putting out, then it could be another great season.

American journalist Rick Kirkham, filmed and produced a reality TV show about the life of Joe Exotic with full rights in exchange for helping him with his internet show. Although the internet show was aired, the reality TV show didn’t due to the loss of footage. When Exotic realizes he doesn’t ow his name or show, things turn sour and relations start to dwindle

between the two. There has been talk about a Tiger King adaptation. Exotic wants Brad Pitt or David Spade to play him as a character. The reason Exotic wants Spade to play him is because he strongly resembles Joe Dirt. Kate McCinnon of Saturday Night Live is going to play Carole Baskin. The cast and release date has yet to be determined.

The Strokes reclaim place in modern music BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO sound to a more somber,

somewhat tired feel with more electronic instruments being used throughout the rest of the A laid-back tone with catchy album. choruses, The Strokes come Julian Casablancas shows back after seven years with “The some range in his voice in songs New Abnormal.” like “Selfless” and “Eternal The two singles that were Summer” where he goes into a released prior to the album’s falsetto voice. release, “At the Door” and “Bad It’s not unusual for him to go Decisions,” made it difficult to there, but since his voice type is tell what tone the new album more of a baritone, would have, with it’s nice hearing “At the Door” some of his range. having a more One of the One of the somber tone and reasons that “The resons that “The “Bad Decisions” New Abnormal” being more upbeat. New Abnormal” has a laid back feel Although with has a laid back to it is because some the third single’s of the songs have feel to it is release,“Brooklyn background noise or Bridge to Chorus,” because some of interjections from sounding similar to Casablancas at the “Bad Decisions,” it the songs have beginning of the made it a bit more background songs. conclusive as to At the end of noise or where the album “The Adults are was in terms of interjections... Talking,” the chatter tone. in the recording The album does booth is heard as the band is have some tonal difference preparing to start the next song, with the more lively songs which in fact helps the flow of being at the beginning and the the album. moodier songs being at the end, Another example of this it actually meshes well and flows is in “Ode to the Mets” where into it. There aren’t any jarring Casablancas is already singing tonal shifts and it feels like a and he tells Fabrizio Moretti to natural progression. start playing the drums and then The best way to describe it continues to sing. is old friends meeting up for According to Albert a party and hanging around, Hammond Jr., the guitarist laughing about old times and as for the band, they had started the party winds down, the mood sharing ideas with each other becomes mellow and somewhat and the producer Rick Rubin existential, but yet still nostalgic. before they actually started to There are a couple of songs record. It feels like they just in the album that sound a lot came in together and were just like The Strokes like in“Not the making music with no real Same Anymore” and “Brooklyn direction. And that can be seen Bridge to Chorus” that have as one of the album’s detriments. strong guitar over the chorus The album isn’t trying to of the songs as well as similar break in the fact that the Strokes chord progressions to their are back in full form. It feels previous song “Someday” from more like it’s a transition from the band’s first album “Is This not being a band to just coming It.” together and creating some Many of the songs on the music and seeing if it still works. album have an electronic sound And because of it, it doesn’t somewhere in the background have the “in your face” vibe like “Why Are Sundays So some people may have been Depressing” or even in the expecting. forefront like “At the Door.” This is a good album that has What is interesting is when it some great songs but it may not gets to “At the Door,” the album be what people wanted from shifts from that upbeat start it The Strokes after the seven year had with little to no electronic hiatus.

Staff Writer

Arts Art students suffering with loss of supplies E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020

BY SAMANTHA INIGUEZ Staff Writer

Students are struggling to adapt to classes moving online, including artists who do not have access to labs, stages, instruments and rehearsal rooms. Like the rest of the East Los Angeles College campus, the Art Department has closed for the remainder of the semester, forcing artists to work from home even though most students do not have the tools required to keep learning and strengthening their skills. Theater professor James Buglewicz, said one of the ways the pandemic has affected him is his upcoming Spring show, “Rhinoceros,” will not be performed live. Instead, it will be moving online to YouTube and Instagram. “It will be a collage/ deconstructed version filmed by the students and then edited into a whole ‘Deconstructed Rhino’ by me,” he said. Buglewicz’s Children’s T h e a t e r, m a d e u p o f volunteer student-actors who do traveling shows at schools, parks, and libraries,

is also going online. C u r r e n t l y, t h e y a r e working on a story-time reading script for Charlotte’s Web to be presented to an online audience in June. Buglewicz said, “The live audience and the proximity of human beings has long been heralded as the ‘magic’ of theater. Now, we can see if that magic can somehow be had in a virtual world...It is no longer a theoretical question. Can ‘live theater’ happen in a virtual world? We will see...” Jorge Rafael Aldaco, theater major, set to star in Rhinoceros said, “It’s sad because we live off of responses. Whether it is negative or positive, speaking in front of my phone or camera to do what Jim asks of us will not be the same, because we are speaking to an inanimate object, not a person.” The ELAC Theatre page on Instagram shared a post with students announcing that live performances of “Gloria,” “Rhinoceros” and “Refugee Hotel” will all be canceled. The Music Department is struggling because students rely heavily on private practice rooms lent out

to students to prepare for stress...despite all these auditions and recitals or challenges, we continue to simply strengthen their our piano classes online. playing. Students practice and make Professor progress I am L u c y happy that Nargizyan so many of “Whether it said that my students found a way some of her is negative or to adjust to students postive,speaking in this situation. had to buy front of my phone or I a m v e r y or borrow camera to do what proud of a keyboard to continue Jim asks us will not be them.” Not unlike their class the same, because we t h e Music online. are talking to an Department, Like the inanimate object photography Theater not a person. ” students have Department, JORGE RAFAEL ALDACO also been the Music Theater Major struggling Department due to the had live photography events that had to be canceled: student lab being closed. Without access to the recitals, master classes, guest artists’ lectures and photography lab, analog film cannot be developed recitals. Nargizyan said, “It is and students studying studio difficult, especially for our photography no longer have music majors to prepare access to the studio. Business major, Cora for entrance auditions at universities without Duran, has taken two recitals, live performances photography classes in the past and said that taking and face-to-face lessons. Many students lost their photography online has jobs during these tough been challenging. She said despite the times. It is challenging for our challenges, her professor students to focus on their has given the class clear practice and studies when instructions on how to light they are under so much their photos, including

examples on how to light different projects and offers feedback on what students could work on. “The school has been really organized. Last week, for example, I was able to go to school and get my things out of my locker. “They divided us in groups of 4-5 people, we had to wear gloves and a mask and respect the distance between one another.” The department has also been accommodating students that do not have the equipment necessary for their class and allowed them to check out tripods or cameras,” Duran said. Vincent Price Art Museum events have also been postponed and rescheduled due to COVID-19. Pilar Tompkins-Rivas, VPAM’s director said that events that were scheduled to happen prior to the campus being shut down have been suspended until campus is reopened. Events included the closing event for Yolanda, Gonzales: Sueno de Familia and the opening reception for Tamara Rosenblum: Paraiso. Tompkins-Rivas said two exhibits scheduled to open in the spring have

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been rescheduled for next year because the museum already has exhibitions set for fall 2020. She said the student show, New Voices, that is scheduled at the beginning of the Fall semester is still scheduled for the same time although the way it is displayed relies on whether there is a second wave of COVID-19. To m p k i n s s a i d t h e application will differ from years prior What is normally an in-person application and submission process will now become digital. As of now, the application is not available, but will soon be uploaded to the VPAM website. To ensure the word gets around the application and flyer will be sent to Art Department to help spread the message to students. Tompkins said, “This pandemic is really hitting artists hard, we want to display our exhibits, but we are following all instructions given to us by the college and state in order to do our part.”

Family-owned bakery embraces originality BY MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer

“Fresh” is one of the first words that comes to mind when considering bakeries. No one likes the taste of three-day-old refrigerated cake. At Brioche Pastries, a familyowned bakery, the cakes are moist, soft and delicious with no taste of refrigeration. Chocolate lovers have a hard choice of the German chocolate, raspberry dark chocolate and grandma’s chocolate cake. The vanilla strawberry cake may be one of the most common requests at bakeries, but Brioche is able to make its stand out. It’s white chocolate bottom gives it an extra flavor. Compared to tiramisus at places like Amy’s Pastries, Caked LA and

even Disneyland, however, Brioche was hands-down the most worth-it for the price, portion, taste and freshness. Other flavors include carrot, red velvet, white chocolate and coconut cream. Brioche also sells fruit tarts, cheesecakes, macaroons and some of the thickest cookies you’ll see locally. Of course, none of these delectibles would be complete without something warm to wash it down. The bakery also provides coffees, teas and hot chocolate. The shop is small but is still able to give off a comfortable vibe. The staff is friendly, helpful and seem dedicated to their love of baking. The only downside is that some days, there are a very limited number of choices while bakers are working

on more. However, this can easily be avoided by calling ahead to ask what they have available at the moment or when it is a better time to visit. This is definitely not a place to pick up a last-minute, full-sized cake. Speaking of full-sized cakes, the six inch cakes feed between four and six people and cost around $27. Custom cakes are a bit more pricey, but worth it. With the current state of things during the COVID-19 pandemic, customers should be urged to shop local, small businesses. Brioche Pastries is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It is located at 1916 W. Whittier Blvd in Montebello and the number is (323) 530-0088.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX THE STREETS—Netflix brings the story of Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon,two chicanos, to the silver screen with “LA Originals.”

Early LA, Mexcian culture told through brothers’ story BY RUSSELL NAVARRETTE Staff Writer

COURTESY OF BRIOCHE PASTRIES INSTAGRAM YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY—Raspberry chocolate cake, carrot cake and the grandma’s chocolate cake are some of the favorites at Brioche Pastries. The fruit tarts are also fresh-tasting and delicious.

Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon, tell their inspiring story of success, Chicano and Los Angeles culture, gangsters, tattoos and hiphop in the profound Netflix documentary “LA Originals.” Estevan Oriol, director of “LA Originals,” provides film, photos and interviews of how much influence he and himself had on hip-hop culture and artists, such as Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Eminem, Xzibit, Cypress Hill and more. Their success and road to fame began in the early ’90s. Mister Cartoon started off as a graphic designer for t-shirts and album art covers, and Oriol, a.k.a Steve-O, started off as a photographer and band manager. Mister Cartoon would also gain enormous recognition

amongst celebrities as one of the greatest tattoo artists, and Oriol as an all-time historic photographer. Authenticity and originality was a major part in their style that makes it so renowned. That authenticity comes from chicano culture, cholos and gangsters, women, cars, drugs and violence. P h o t o g r a p h y, t a t t o o s and drawing brought these concepts together to create this underworld cultural art, that is very appealing to the eye. Mister Cartoon combines different drawing styles that makes his style unique, and Oriol’s vision embraces street-life and realism. Artists that have either gotten tattoos by Mister Cartoon or a photo taken by Oriol were George Lopez, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Blink182. All recognize the duo as the

greatest at what they do. Oriol is also credited as the first to capture the iconic image of the finger sign LA. “LA Originals” is beautifully put together and is a dream work of art, fame, culture and success. An encouraging and influential film for young Latinos, struggling artists and outcasts who may believe the world has forgotten them. The documentary captures the generations from the ’80s to present. The world-famous duo has also partnered with companies such as Microsoft, Vans, Stussy, Rockstar Games and Harley Davidson, as well as collaborated on film marketing projects with Fox and Universal. M i s t e r C a r t o o n ’s a n d Oriol’s work will forever be part of history, music, film and Mexican culture.

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E AST L OS A NGELES C OLLEGE C AMPUS N EWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29. 2020