Issuu

Volume 77, Issue 2 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, September 18, 2019 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Mental illness and mass shootings not linked Psi Beta Club explores brain chemistry in mass shootings Staff Writer A correlation between mental illness and mass shootings exists, but the Psi Beta Club made it clear that it isn’t always the direct cause. “Correlation does not imply causation. Just because two things happen at the same time, does not mean that those two things are related or one caused the other,” Bryant Horowitz, co-adviser of the Psi Beta Club said. This was their first meeting of the semester and Horowitz said they wanted to discuss current events to keep things interesting and engaging for members. C l u b o ff i c e r s p r e s e n t e d a powerpoint in which they all voiced their opinions and gave factual evidence to back themselves up. Statistics and pie charts of gun violence, suicide and mental illness were shown to give the audience numbers and an actual timeline of the events discussed. They said that 96% of violence would still occur even if the U.S. eliminated the risk of violence related to major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia since it is caused by other factors.

A recent video where president Donald Trump blames video entertainment was shown. Nods were seen throughout the crowd as a recent video of Trump was shown where he can be heard pointing the finger for the shootings to all forms of entertainment and mentioning the death penalty. In the video, trump says “Mental illness and hatred pull the trigger, not the gun.” This statement was a main point that the club addressed. A study titled Longitudinal Effects of Video Games on Aggression in Japan and the United States says, “There is some evidence from television research that a focus on the pain and suffering of the victims of violence may reduce its harmful impact, whereas glamorizing the violent actions of attractive perpetrators may increase the harmful impact.” “Society relies on the media so much, but the media has the freedom to amplify certain issues that I feel people that go through these traumatic events want something to blame,” said Karen Montes, President of the Psi Beta Club. “It’s easy for them to point their finger at whatever the media is saying. People let their emotions get to them too easily. They need to do their own

research and inform themselves.” Throughout the presentation, the officers encouraged people to go out of their way to get their news and for them to do deeper research when it comes to certain topics and sources. “In this era of fake news, one of the things that we really need is for our students all over campus to know what is real and what’s being said because they are being told to say so, or influenced by their bosses (and emotions),” Horowitz said Mentions of Japan having a higher amount of video game consumption allowed for club officers pointing their fingers to certain gun laws the U.S. has passed. A study made in June by Isabel M. Perera and Dominic A. Sisti shows that it is hard to correlate mass shootings and mental illness. “Just because somebody is angry, they think that there is some sort of mental illness and they shoot a bunch of people or it’s a racial epithet or something like that and they put the two together. Then they say ‘one must have caused the other,’” Horowitz said. “And then if we give somebody the label of mentally ill, what we’re doing is causing more stigmatization in society because you get a label. That label sticks with you.”

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

BY ANDREW AYALA

NetTutor arrives at ELAC with in-person tutoring during regular campus hours throughout the year, because we want our Free help is a click away for students to succeed and to have the new and returning students in the best higher education experience we Los Angeles Community College can provide.” Little is known about the NetTutor District through the NetTutor online service so far. Pauletta Daw, director tutoring service. of the Distance Learning Committee Tutoring is available for English, Math, English as a Second Language, for East Los Angeles College, Statistics and First Year Experience just found out about the online tutoring service last classes. Twenty-four week, according hour live tutoring is to Amanda Ryanonly available for The Distance Math and English “This is a great Romo. Learning Committee at specific times c o m m u nicates service that depending on the with and advises subject. Paper and the district is the college on its essay reviews are decision making providing for offered as well. online Students can free to all of our regarding learning issues. a c c e s s N e t Tu t o r “The District students.” by logging into picked it without t h e D i s t r i c t ’s letting any of us online portal and know,” said Ryanclicking the “Online Romo, who is the Tutoring” link. As director of ELAC’s long as students ANDRA HOFFMAN Learning Center. LACCD Board of Trustees go through their The Learning Center President LACCD portal, there o ff e r s i n - p e r s o n is no cost and no tutoring in a variety additional account of subjects such as chemistry, registration. The link will direct them to a website where they can accounting, sociology and more. self-enroll and select a subject from It also houses a computer lab with all the latest software. “I don’t the menu. “This is a great service that the know why people would do online District is providing free to all of tutoring. Person-to-person is a lot our students,” LACCD Board of better,” said Ryan-Romo. Students seem to agree. “I haven’t Trustees President Andra Hoffman tried online tutoring before,” said said in a news release. “The best part about NetTutor is that it’s accessible Amanda Fonseca, ELAC student 24/7. Oftentimes, our students and frequent user of the math study or do homework late at night, tutoring center. “I think that it would so NetTutor is available on their confuse me more. I need to have schedule when they need a little someone actually explain it to me help. Of course, we’ll also continue in person. That’s how I learn best.”

Football Win

BY MELISA VALENZUELA Staff Writer

COURTESY OF MARC BERMAN’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE

PARKING THE BILL—Berman and students promote Safe Lot Legislation for homeless

students.

Assembly Bill 302 postponed until 2020 BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer California Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo ALTO) has decided to postpone a proposed law that would require community colleges to permit students facing homelessness to use parking lots located on campuses to sleep in their cars. The decision to postpone AB 302 is in response to changes made to the bill by the Senate Appropriations Committee in August. The fate of the proposed law introduced by Berman and coauthored by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzales will be decided Sept 2020. Berman’s primary grievance is an amendment which would exempt colleges located within 250 feet of an elementary school. In the bill’s original draft, only colleges that provide alternative services that help homeless students with housing such as hotel vouchers could be exempt from the program. “The amendment to exempt community colleges located within 250 feet of an elementary school

is detrimental to our efforts to encourage these homeless students to seek help,” Berman wrote in a press release Sept. 3rd. “Homeless students are not pedophiles that need to be kept away from children. They are men and women – many of them barely adults themselves – who are trying to improve their lives by obtaining a better education. They should be celebrated, not stigmatized. I am also unaware of any elementary school students attending school between 9 p.m. and 7am, which is when Safe Lots programs typically operate.” East Los Angeles College is within 250 feet of Robert Hill Lane Elementary School and Brightwood Elementary School leaving its participation in Safe Lots program up to its administration if the bill is made into law. ELAC provides some services that help the homeless, but doesn’t offer any direct housing aid to them. The Associated Student Union and various departments organize food pantries and clothing drives for students in need regardless of housing status. It also abides by AB 1995 which

was signed into law by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2016. The law mandates that community colleges allow homeless students access to their shower facilities. “We have an idea (of who’s homeless,) but because of privacy we don’t ask. If they are a student then they have the right to use the facilities. If we have questions we could ask for an ID or class schedule, but we don’t ask if they are homeless,” Erika Blanco, chair of the Kinesiology Department said. “For students not in the Kinesiology Department we have (the showers) open from 12 to 2 p.m., but if a student comes at 7 p.m. we don’t turn them away. But again, we ask for an ID to use our facilities. The school definitely does what it can to support.” Blanco said the shower facilities are in the North Gym, which are the ones students not in sports or in the Kinesiology Department can use are open until 8 p.m. The current version of the bill has the colleges providing this resource from July 2021 to 2023 if ratified.

Page 2

News Briefs MESA Research Symposium

ELAC STEM summer research interns will showcase poster presentations on Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m. in F5-201.

ELAC Club Rush

There will be a club fair from Sept. 23-26 from 10 a.m. to 3. p.m. in the E3 Quad.

New Law Certificate International Law and Public Policy Certificate of Achievement is available now.

Sports

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Football wins after first game fumble BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College quarterbacks combined for six touchdown passes and 407 passing yards in the Huskies away win against Orange Coast College on Saturday 45-17. ELAC sophomore quarterback Wesley Blazek started the game for the Huskies. He put up 252 passing yards completing 60.6% of his passes down field. Blazek threw his longest touchdown pass of the game in the first quarter for 25 yards to freshman wide receiver Justin Watkins. Later in the game ,Watkins caught another touchdown pass from ELAC freshman quarterback Rudy Garcia, who entered the game at the start of the fourth quarter. Blazek had two more touchdown passes before the end of the first half of the game. “The quarterbacks did a good job of letting the game come to them and ultimately added to their efficiency,” ELAC head coach Robert Godinez said. On defense, the Huskies forced five consecutive punts from Orange Coast sophomore punter Hunter Elsenpeter who ended the game with 376 yards.in punting yards.“Nothing has changed on defense. We’ve had two really good performances in a row,”

EDITOR IN CHIEF Melody Ortiz MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ayala ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ONLINE EDITOR Adam Robles FRONT EDITORS CN/MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ

HE’S FLYING— Freshmen defensive back Shamar Whestone (13) lays a big hit on Cerritos Sophmore defensive back Tre’vion Ballard. against Cerritos College on Sep 7 at Weingart Staduim. Godinez said. Orange Coast did not reach the redzone until the teams were ﬁve minutes into the second quarter. Sophomore starting quarterback Adam Carr started the scoring drive on the ELAC 21-yard line after ELAC sophomore kicker Juan Rangel punted the ball only 20 yards. Carr completed two passes for a total of 20 yards and then ran

the ball in for a touchdown after being denied two plays prior. ELAC gave up 177 yards by accumulating 19 penalties in the game. “Penalties are a part of the game at this level. It’s never good to have so many, but I wouldn’t say our team has a discipline problem,” Godinez said. For the Huskies sophomore

linebacker Malaetasi Sofa recorded the only sack on the day for ELAC, while Orange Coast freshman defensive linemen Grant Conaway and Melvin Bowden shared the stat. Although the quarterbacks showed more efﬁciency, there were bright spots in the game overall. “There were many bright spots for our team, so it is hard to

pinpoint a single player,”Godinez said. “We are coming together as a group and we have a bright future. ELAC comes home Saturday night at 6p.m. in hopes to win two in row against Comption College.

Luis Castilla Sonny Tapia

OPINION EDITOR Cher Antido NEWS EDITOR Juan Calvillo FEATURE EDITOR Maria Marroquin Monroy ARTS EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro SPORTS EDITORS Daniel Ceja Mike Dominguez CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral COPY EDITORS Ivan Cazares Stephanie Guevara

Women’s Water Polo team will play on Sep.18 at M.T San Antonio at 3p.m.

Women’s Volleyball will play on Sep.18 at 5p.m. at M.T San Jacinto

Men’s and Womens CrossCountry vs Central Park at 9:30 A.M. at Huntingtion Beach Sep 20

Wrestling vs M.t Sac Duals Sep.20 at 10a.m.

Men’s Soccer vs Glendale at 6p.m. Sep 20

Football Sep 21 at 6p.m. vs Compton College

Staff Writer

Men’s soccer recorded its third consecutive loss of the season after a difficult 2-1 away game to undefeated Cypress College on Friday. The Huskies were able to get on the scoreboard, after not being able to score for the past two games, against ,Cypress but fell short with an unanswered goal in the second half. Cypress has had a perfect record at the moment with five games played and five games won. East Los Angeles College played its third away game yesterday against Southwestern College are now on a four game losing streak.and lost 4-2. The Huskies look to improve its record as they return home on Friday when they receive Glendale College at 6 p.m. Both teams were even throughout the game. Cypress had 15 shots and eight of them were on target, while ELAC had 14 shots and seven of them were on target. ELAC freshman goalkeeper Kremm Youseff played 90 minutes and saved six shots on goal, including a goal line save off of a corner kick. In the second half, Cypress had a corner kick that was crossed in by freshman midfielder Jake You that went over ELAC’s defence. freshman midfielder Alfonso Montano opened to head the ball in the bottom left corner and score www.ELACCampusNews.com

the winning goal. The Huskies were able to get on the scoreboard for the first time since their last win against Orange Coast College. Sophomore midfielder Fabrizo Macia controlled the ball with his chest in the midfield and the Cypress midfield gave him the time and space to control it. Macia took the opportunity to take the shot and fired the ball 30 yards out to tie the game. Cypress struck first just 15 minutes into the game. Cypress freshman midfielder Sahand Amirjalali completely stunned ELAC’s defense with a through ball that went past the defenders and midfielders which left sophomore forward Lorenzo La Violette to score. “If we play this way, we’re go to be Ok and we get to conference. We just need to convert these games into wins. The score says one thing, but putting the score aside, we played how I think we should play compared to the other games we played,” said head coach Eddie Flores. An unusual play came with 12 minutes left in the game. ELAC sophomore forward Paulo Macedo-Nakashigue went in for the ball and ended up making a tackle that the referee marked as a foul and gave him a yellow card, Macedo-Nakashigue was confused because the referee had only given him a yellow card but was telling him to leave the game, which he could only do if he got a red card or was being subbed off. “The referee told me that I hit the other guy, but I didn’t. But he

told me to go out or I will give you a red card. I didn’t understand why. I was confused,” said Macedo-Nakashigue. According to the California Community College Athletic Association, BYLAW rule 4,ﬁfa Playing Rules, every game in the season, including the postseason, is played under Federation

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Men’s soccer loses fourth in a row BY NOE ORTEGA

STAFF WRITERS Noe Ortega, Vicky Nguyen, Mariana Montoya, Melisa Valenzuela, Miguel Dominguez, Russell Navarette, Jonathan Bermudez, Johanna Rodriguez, Christopher De Leon, Julie Santiago, Simon Cabral, Alejandro Ambiz, Kelly Vasquez

Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) laws. That means that the referee could have given him a red card or stayed with his decision to just give him a yellow, but he isn’t allowed to tell a player to leave the ﬁeld or else he’ll give him a straight red card.

“We have to improve some things, but I think we played a good game today. “We keep working and that’s important for us because we have a good team.That’s everything we have to do. We were unlucky, but we played a good game,” said Macedo-Nakashigue.

Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 250 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department ofﬁce in the Technology Center in E7-303. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any ofﬁcer or employee thereof. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS

CN/NOE ORTEGA

LIVE BALL— East Los Angeles College midﬁelder Adriel Dominguez (9) wins posession of the ball from Cypress College midﬁelder Luis Mora (4) on Friday’s game at Cypress College.

News

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Ruben Arenas named permanent Vice President of academic affairs BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer

Ruben Arenas was named the new Vice President of academic affairs of liberal arts and sciences over the summer. Arenas was the interim VP of Academic Affairs for Liberal Arts since 2017. Although he had the position, he still had to apply for the job. The announcement came from the interim president of East Los Angeles College, Raul Rodriguez. Rodriguez sent out an email to faculty and staff officially announcing Arenas as the permanent VP. Arenas said that his job as Chief Instructional Officer is to indirectly supervise about 70 percent of the faculty. He also looks after programs that help students and said he feels responsible for the quality and outcomes of the programs he oversees. He has the responsibility to finalize the evaluation of instructors and recommends hires to the president, who has final say on whether someone gets hired. Arenas started working at ELAC in 2008, when he was 24 years old. He worked as an instructor for the math department.

CN/GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO

NEW VP CHOSEN—Ruben Arenas was previously the interim Vice President of academic affairs.

Workshop to provide empowerment tools BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The Dream Resource Center is holding free self-empowerment workshops next Tuesday and Wednesday for all students. Carlos Guerrero, students services assistant at the DRC, said that the workshop is a simple reminder to students that they have a lot of selfpower already and that by tapping into it, their scholastic career can go much smoother. The workshop will be about an hour in length, but the hour will be packed with content for the students to absorb and talk about. Guerrero said that events are designed with not only sharing tool sets for empowerment, but that they will rely on the differing student perspectives to remind students that they have power already. Vanessa Lopez, adjunct instructor special assignment at the DRC, said that the students on campus have unique perspectives and have experienced things from their own cultures that other students can learn

from. She said that this resiliency is sometimes forgotten by the very students that have lived it. “It’s always good to have that reminder right? Because they do have it within them,” said Lopez. She also wanted students to understand that despite the DRC focusing on undocumented and LBGTQ students, all students are invited to the workshops. The workshop focuses on showing students that creating goals is key to college life. Lopez said that it was important for students to take the time and really create goals to challenges they may see coming and to have that mindset of solution focused strategies. The workshops are designed to be engaging and interactive. Lopez said that the workshop will give a chance for these students to interact and learn focused strategies to setting goals through sharing past experiences. Guerrero said that going to college is like starting a career. Some students can be in the college system anywhere from two to eight

years. He said that the idea of this workshop is to help students leverage past experiences. Experiences that show the resilience and perseverance they have and to acknowledge that they have self-efficacy. Guerrero said that one of the main things educators want to do is remind students that they already are equipped with skills “It’s one of those things that you’ve really got to know. Not just solely rely on others, but be able to depend on yourself as well,” said Guerrero. The workshops at both campuses will take place from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. with free pizza for attendees. At the main campus, the event will take place Tuesday at F5-209. At the South Gate campus, the event will be held on Wednesday in room 113. For more information on the event contact the DRC by phone at 323-415-4583 or visit them in E1-142.

Arenas said that he looks back at being a professor with nostalgia. In his six to seven years as a professor, he said that he was still heavily involved with programs to help students out. “I overhauled the computer science program here. I redid the curriculum on the computer science courses offered through the math department and that was very cool. That gave me an opportunity to try out new stuff,” Arenas said. He said that his students made a “support group” because the computer class was hard. “There was a (supplemental instructor) for the class, every Saturday and sometimes Sunday, students from each class would invite him to eat, but really we just wanted help with the projects and we would compensate him with food,” Claudia Hernandez, a former student of Arenas. He recently found out that one of the days he was out sick, his students stayed in the classroom used class time to study more. After he graduated from the University of California San Diego, he took a position as an adjunct professor at San Diego Mesa College. He said he took it as a way

to make money. What he really colleges for undergrad, including wanted to do was be a professor the University of Chicago, which at a university to do research, but Arenas said looked like Hogwarts because he liked teaching he stuck from the “Harry Potter” franchise, around doing that. and Stanford University. As a professor, Arenas said that However, he ultimately choose he had more of to go to Harvey a direct impact Mudd College on students and because he didn’t he could see want to be too far “I go around the the outcome of from his family. campus sometimes those students Arenas has if he kept up a small family and find out about with them, with two younger which he said students. I think it’s very b r o t h e r s a l o n g feels gratifying. important that we don’t with his parents. However, He said that he lose perspective.” as part of the was fortunate administration enough that his he said he parents were able d o e s n ’ t to provide for him RUBEN ARENAS necessarily and his brothers. Vice President academic affairs of get that same Although he liberal arts and sciuences feeling, but learned that his feels that he parents would has a greater have to work more impact as VP. to make ends meet, he said he never “I still talk to students. I go felt that financial pressure. He said around the campus sometimes and that his family believes in saving find out about students. I think it’s for the future. very important that we don’t lose Arenas said that when he can, perspective. It’s easy to lose it if you he travels with his parents and are not engaging with the students,” adopted son, having been to places Arenas said. like Japan, Taiwan and all over the Arenas was accepted into multiple United States.

Communist group encourages revolt BY JOHNATHAN BERMUDEZ Staff Writer Members of the Revolution Communist Party came to East Los Angeles College to recruit students for a communist revolution to overthrow the government. Rafael Kardis, a party member, got people to sign up for their revolution club that is in the process of becoming a club on campus. Rafael said the purpose of the club is to overthrow the “fasict” government and replace it with New Communism. Founding memberand chairman since 1979 Bob Avakian, created the party’s ideology based on the communist state. Kardis said that Avakain took his ideas of a new communist party from history such as, Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union, China’s current communist government and Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. Kardis also said that a new elected leader would not change America, but a whole new government would. He said that the current form of government isn’t a democracy, but a fascist government. He also said that capitalism is the cause of all the problems in America. He blames capitalism for police

brutality, environmental issues and for creating President Donald Trump. He said that capitalism creates a competitive market that does not support its workers or customers. One member had a megaphone and was letting students share their opinion about government and problems of society. One student spoke in support of President Trump and said he is not willing to sacrifice his life for change, which drew applause from some of the students in the crowd, and boos from others. More students came up to share their opinions, most agreeing with the Revolutionary Communist Party. Some of the students were confused. “We’re here because capitalism is destroying our planet, and now there is a white supermacist in the White House,” Kardis said. “We need a revolution, and a lot more. Resistance and students have always played a key role in every movement for revolution or social change. That’s why we are here to talk to students and to organize them.” “I don’t believe that a communist revolution is a viable solution,” Robert John Arias, professor of

history at East Los Angeles College, said. Arias believes that a revolution is necessary for citizens to question their government, but he doesn’t think a communist revolution is necessary. “The system is based on a violent overthrow of the middle class or the bourgeois,” Arias explained. “The idea of a communist government won’t work because a lot of American citizens value their property and the idea of communist government takes away property,” Arias said. “It’s kind of a ridiculous idea. They cannot overthrow the military and they assume they have a lot of supporters.” He believes that the better solution for change is a social democracy. It equally distributes money to all classes while allowing the citizens to move forward in class. He believes this revolution has already failed because of the middle class and the value that most American citizens place on their property. He said this system that the revolution is supporting won’t satisfy the need to move up in class that all Americans have. He said “Equal distribution is a nice dream but it never works.”

Club aspires to save the planet BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer The Church of God supported ASEZ Club is actively starting a chapter of this world-wide earthprotecting club at East Los Angeles College campus. ASEZ stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z,” according to Wilson Leung, an assistant member of the club. The club has a firm foothold in over 175 different countries and now has set its sights on the west coast of the United States. Leung said that ASEZ’s mission is to help protect college and local communities through volunteer activities. The club accomplishes this by being active in the local communities where their chapters are located. These clean ups are usually done with multiple members and allows members to get out there and help out their community. “It’s a very dirty job, but actually we get a great sense of pride because we get to help out a community very quickly,” said Leung. Currently the club is looking for an adviser for its ELAC chapter to finish the enrollment procedures with the Associated Student Union. The procedures for chartering a club at ELAC are simple enough. Members of ASU Vincent Maldonado, student services aide and Taylor Palomares broke down

the steps to getting chartered. They said that initial club members must be members of ASU, current students with less than 80 units and there has to be at least five active participants. From them finding an advisor, filling out the proper paperwork and finally attending the orientation, secures the chance for ASU to charter the club. Luis Ventura, current club president, said it has been hard finding an advisor among the professors, but hopes taking the time to understand what the club is all about might persuade them into joining. This would bring the club charter one step closer to finality. Leung said that since the club is a world wide force, they also provide humanitarian aid and volunteers abroad when the need arises. The club will be focused on doing this outreach in a way the club deems sustainable. “To be sustainable is to be united. And to work together for this common goal and then together, that’s the way we can save the world,” said Leung. Another example of the clubs global thinking came from a trip Ventura took. Ventura talked about the chance he had to visit the United Nations in New York, through the club. This happened during the U.N.’s international day of tolerance in

2018, and the group Ventura went with gave a speech during the event. “We went there, gave a speech about how we pretty much needed to take care of each other,” said Ventura. Even though the club is new on campus, Leung and Ventura have made an effort to let people know about it. During the recent visit Governor Gavin Newsom made to the campus, the pair managed to get some face time with him. Lueng said that they spoke about the impact the club had on the East Coast and how they hoped Newsom would join in the ASEZ clubs’ movement on the West Coast. Leung wanted to make it clear that despite being affiliated with the Church of God, this club would have its priorities straight. “This ASEZ club is more focused on humanitarian aid, environmental clean up, disaster relief. We are associated with the Church of God, but the main focus of this club is to provide support and community involvement,” Leung said. Leung said that members have their spiritual beliefs, but that the club was all about providing support and service through good deeds. He also added that the club would not discriminate when it came to members who wanted to join. For more information students can call (626) 297-8442 or email asezelac@ gmail.com. www.ELACCampusNews.com

OpiniOns

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Parents should encourage vaccination for their children BY MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer Children in California should continue to get their vaccinations to stay safe from preventable diseases. D o c t o r s t h a t s i g n o ff o n kids to attend schools without proper vaccinations should face consequences and be stripped of their medical licenses. They should not be in hospitals because they are breaking the oath to follow the correct medical practices and help others when a medical problem is needed. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California signed a bill into law to reprimand medical professionals that falsify medical records for parents who refuse to vaccinate their children before enrolling them in school. This bill is very helpful because it keeps children safe from preventable diseases that are infectious and can be deadly. Just last year there were outbreaks

of measles in Disneyland. The Centers for Diseases Control of Prevention revealed that there have been 1,241 individual cases of measles this year in 31 states. Measles should be avoidable and gone. There are parents that do not believe in shots and now their kids are not immune to these viruses, which they can pass to others if infected and cause an outbreak. Medical research is conducted to prevent any type of common sickness and help people with their medical needs. Some people are against vaccinations because they believe there is a correlation between autism and shots. Although there has been no proven connection between them, some believe the vaccine for measles-mumps-rubella is a direct cause of autism. The chances of developing disabilities are unknown so that shouldn’t stop someone from getting their shots to stay healthy and avoid the spreading of illnesses.

Another example is the whooping cough that was big in the 1940s and had not been around since the 1950s. According to the CDC, however, there were 163 cases in Georgia in 2018. They reported 102 cases in August. There is no reason why a common cold that was killing children in the 40s should be making a comeback. Medical fields are advanced enough to prevent it from ever returning again. Parents who are anti-vaccinations are being really selfish for not allowing their children to be vaccinated and are being inconsiderate of others around them. Other children should not be getting sick just because a fellow classmate did not get the proper shots. The new vaccination bill is a great way to prevent disease outbreak and keep people healthy. This should get other states to do the same and follow the same practices to avoid mass illnesses.

Colleges should promote resources for homeless students BY JOHANNA RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer Homelessness and college completion have a strong correlation with one another since it is more difficult for students to finish college without accessible resources. If information is not easily accessible, homeless students do not have the proper tools to help increase graduation rates and decrease drop-outs. Resources vary across campuses, but politicians have taken initiative and passing bills that help homeless students throughout all community college campuses. These bills help with challenges homeless students face every day. Assembly Bill 1995, which passed in 2016, granted community college homeless students access to shower facilities. Erika Blanco, Chairperson of East Los Angeles College’s Kinesiology Department, said their showers are open to students all day. “We have a designation time from 12 to 2 during the week, but we don’t turn (any students) away,” Blanco said. The most recent bill introduced is Assembly Bill 302. The bill “would require a

community college campus that has parking facilities on campus to grant overnight access to those facilities... to any homeless student...for the purpose of sleeping in the student’s vehicle overnight.” This means homeless students that are living in cars would be able to park on school grounds and this relieves students from searching for a safe place to stay during the night.

The Assembly Bills do come with requirements; students must be in good standing with their community college, have enrolled in courses and paid enrollment fees. Publicizing resources for community college homeless students is an important step to help decrease the number of students that face the obstacle of homelessness. There are many reasons for

the #RealCollege survey, an assessment of college students basic needs security, which suggests that 19 percent of California community college students were affected by homelessness in 2018. Six percent of those self-identified as homeless, while thirteen percent have experienced housing insecurity. East Los Angeles College was among the community colleges that participated in the survey. Living costs and tuition fees are major factors in why many students are experiencing homlessnes. Both expenses have increased in recent years and most community colleges in California do not offer on-campus housing for students. The cost of tuition can be waived through financial aid or pell grants, however these aids do not help with housing. College campuses should inform CN/IVANA AMARAL students of housing that is suitable homelessness to occur. The leading for homeless students and the causes are lack of sufficient income, resources should be as accessible as lack of affordable housing and the international students’ optional housing, within the community family conflict. college website. The Hope Center for College, 7608 East LA col:Layout 1 3/10/09 4:12 PM Page 1 Advocating resources for students Community and Justice conducted

is a great way to help students who have questions on the topic but do not know where to ask for help. According to an article by ACCTNow, a website reporting on issues that affect community colleges, “Advertising is necessary to make students aware of available support and also helps to normalize services and reduce stigma.” Flyers should be distributed throughout campuses each semester in order to reach students who have recently become homeless and have not sought help. Further ways to help homeless students are by contacting college administrators on the lack of resources that are provided for homeless students. Letters or calls to state legislators can also help start new bills for homeless resources and pass bills such as AB 302. Although it is a hard issue to confront, the social stigma on homeless students must be broken so that resources are made public and more homeless students are able to seek help and succeed in higher education.

Students misbehave as a cry for help Staff Writer When students become disruptive in classrooms, simply suspending them would be a short but ineffective long-term solution to their behavior. Last Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 419, which prevents Califonia schools from suspending elementary and middle school students for “willful defiance.” There are often deeper issues that coincide with a student’s drive to talk back to a teacher. The reason behind a student acting out in class could be a cry for help. In the article “When the teacher is the bully” from greatschools.org, it was stated that “When it comes to protecting kids from bully teachers, sadly kids are in a vulnerable position — and ill-equipped to fight the battle on their own.” Most students aren’t informed on how to defend themselves against being bullied by their teacher. They may act out in class or purposely develop a new pattern of disruptive behaviors in hopes that someone of higher power could pick up on that. In a room where a single person is in charge and claims to know best, there can be conflict and tension built up. This is especially true because teachers are often dead set on their beliefs and are unwilling to consider otherwise. A stubborn teacher and an adolescent who questions everything www.ELACCampusNews.com

in the same room is almost always a formula for disaster. Most people adopt a fight-orflight response to having their beliefs questioned because it makes them uncomfrotable. Being surrounded by ideas that conflict with their own makes them question their own beliefs.

“Ending willful defiance suspensions will keep kids in school where they belong and where teachers and counselors can help them thrive.” NANCY SKINNER

California Senator

Teachers will often single out students that they personally don’t like. It’s not right, but that’s also how humans are. The new bill is great news because it means that a student’s education is no longer in the hands of a single teacher. If they are thrown out of the class for whatever reason, they’d still be in school instead of being sent home, which could decrease their

motivation to learn. A law like this could definitely be abused in the case where a student knows they might not be penalised as harsh as they would’ve before, but that’s where case by case analysis must come into play. In the article “California to extend ban on pushing students out of school for disruptive behavior” from EdSource, Senator Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, said, “Ending willful defiance suspensions will keep kids in school where they belong and where teachers and counselors can help them thrive.” It’s meant to be used as a tool to help students and to try find real solutions. Counselors should talk to their students more and understand why they behave the way they do. Suspending them for a couple of days would only be sweeping the problem under the rug. Students can confide in counselors more effectively than their parents as they specialize in the field with a degree to work with children. There’s also the possibility that parents tend to believe their child is pure and would never act the way they do at school, thus being unable to enforce discipline. There are also chidren who’s parents have little to no involvement in their lives. Those kids will see suspension as a vacation rather than a punishment if their own home lacks the proper discipline that will teach them good behavior from wrong. It’s more beneficial for children when adults try to understand their behavior rather than have them face immediate punishment.

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OpiniOns 2

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

Vaping becomes dangerous passtime again BY CHER ANTIDO Staff Writer While vaping is indeed a health hazard, the problem lies not in the product itself, but its user. The Trump administration reported last Wednesday that they plan to ban flavored vape products in concern of the increasing vaping among teenagers. Teenagers shouldn’t treat it as a passtime. Vaping is the inhaling and exhaling of vapor produced by an electronic cigarette, which can come in the form of a pen or advanced vaporizers known as MODS. It’s powered by a battery, which heats up the e-liquid poured into the cartridge. These juices can contain nicotine up to 36mg. Most cigarettes contain about 12mg per stick and can range up to 24mg. The World Health Organization reported in 2017 that there are seven million deaths per year worldwide due to tobacco smoking, making it the leading cause of preventable death. Deaths caused by vaping, meanwhile, is seven. This doesn’t mean that vaping is good, but makes it lesser of two evils. Herbert A. Gilbert was credited to be the first to invent e-cigarettes in the 1960s, but wasn’t commercialized. The first successful e-cigarette to be recognized was invented by Hon Lik from China in 2003. In both cases, e-cigarettes were created to steer away from cigarettes and cease its use. Nowadays, its main purpose

has been lost and is being used by teenagers for leisure purposes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the 2014 National Youth Tobacco Survey among middle school and high school students in the U.S. It revealed that 66% claim to vape for the flavoring and 13.2% claim for the nicotine. The variety of flavors that come with vape juices is one of the biggest reasons users enjoy it.

Vaping doesn’t make social interaction more interesting. It’s merely something that negatively impacts the body and mind.

While the purpose of e-cigarettes is to quit smoking, most teenagers use it without even having taken a single puff of a cigarette stick. This is due to how vaping has been popularized among teens and being referred to as “cool.” It doesn’t help that MODS produce an abundant amount of smoke, which makes it easier to do smoke tricks. It’s like showing off that they can drink more alcohol than others. Not healthy and the consequences it has is definitely not cool.

A study by the New England Journal of Medicine, conducted early in the year, revealed that e-cigarettes doubles the chances of smokers to quit smoking. Among those in the study, 80% still use e-cigarettes even after a year. While vaping is less risky than smoking traditional cigarettes, it doesn’t mean it comes without risks. Like smoking, vaping is hard to quit. Nicotine is a toxic and highly addictive substance. It causes an increase in adrenaline and heart rate, increasing the chances of a heart attack. It can also affect the brain and slows its development. To top it off, it can impact concentration and mood, making it harder for learning. Because nicotine is addictive, stopping makes it extremely difficult. People would get withdrawals involving physical and mental symptoms. The lack of it for the first few days can result in headaches, insomnia and constant fidgeting. Even as people get past that, some can fall into depression and anxiety. This not only affects the user, but also the people around them. The best way to prevent these consequences is to not start in the first place. If the deed is already done, however, teenagers and young adults can start on their path to quit vaping. Start off by setting a quit day that’s not too far away. Putting it off for too long can change one’s mind and decide against it entirely.

Technology replaces human interaction BY ANDREW AYALA Staff Writer

This is vital when it comes down to starting a potential relationship or friendship. Jimenez said the fact that people can do what they would have to do at a bar or in a social location from the leisure of their house also adds to the problem. It is so accessible that people can get lost in the swipes and ultimately forget the reason they downloaded the app, which was probably to find love. Looking at someone in a perfectly angled photo in perfect lighting can also be an issue that dating apps bring. Someone can look one way in their profile photo and different in person, which causes issues.

Dating apps should not be misconstrued as real dating since people who use them are simply swiping and interpreting people by their profile photos and 50 word bio. There is nothing wrong with people turning to technology to try and find love or lust, but dating apps do not even come close to going out to a bar or asking someone on a date in real-life. Sure people are interacting in one way or another, but they are missing that human interaction. The body language, which is what we can’t get from a screen. “Most of our communication is non-verbal. This is something scientifically researched. You can tell how a person feels before they even say a word,” said Irwing Jimenez, an Assistant Professor of Sociology. “Body language is definitely important in the cadence of how you speak to someone in that environment is completely different.” I personally have tried dating apps and didn’t find success. Instead I found There is nothing myself in a funk, wrong with using miserably swiping these apps, but left and right at people I really had people should This is known as no interest in at all. catfishing and MTV get out of their When I would even has a show comfort zones match with someone about it, which and not rely on the conversations shows how bigger were plain and a device to math issues can arise such seemed like a waste as depression and them with Mr. or of time and energy. suicidal thoughts. Ms. right. I found more These apps are success going out presented to us and to parties or events promoted, but it is with friends and having face-to-face rare when a marriage or true love interactions. comes from it. About 30% of Tinder I have friends who find what they users are married and one in three are looking for and continue the divorces start as online affairs, cycle with multiple partners, which according to studies and statistics is something I didn’t want to be a from McKinley Irvin Family Law. part of. There is no shame in doing This goes to show just how many so, but some people are looking for people are looking for a quick a genuine connection. hook-up or just plain lust. When people go to bars or on a It also proves the shift in culture date, they are at least able to see a we have had as Americans and bit of what the person is like and get proves that we are turning to a feel for them. technology for everything at this A person’s first impression is the point. It would be quite interesting one that usually influences how they to have to tell your kids you met are treated and viewed. your spouse on a dating app. The www.ELACCampusNews.com

idea of love at first sight and other chivalrous ways are being killed by mobile devices. There is nothing wrong with using these apps for whatever need people may have, but people should get out of their comfort zones and not rely on a device to match them with Mr. or Ms. right. “The advent of dating apps and things of that sort have just become sort of a commercialized way of love and affection,” said Jimenez. “I don’t think we have the same sort of reverence or respect for relationships now. They seem sort of disposable to us because we swipe left and swipe right.”

They should prepare by knowing their triggers and the challenges they have to face. Some people have different triggers that makes them want to vape. It’s important to avoid those situations so they won’t cave into temptations. They should make their intention known to those around them. If their friends also vape, they can let them know they’re trying to quit and avoid vaping in front of them. It’s crucial to have people who will support their decision to quit, so they won’t feel like they battling alone. Most vape MODS come with a puff count on their screens. People can limit their daily puff count and slowly lower it every week. If the nicotine is on a higher level, they can lower that as well until they reach 0 mg. For those reliant on nicotine, cutting it off entirely right away might not work. The most important thing is to take that step forward even if it’s slow. Imagine a vape-free lifestyle and focus on that. Vaping can limit lifestyles, disrupt learning and development. People should remember that it’s not a hobby, but a smoking cessation tool for those having difficulty quitting. Vaping doesn’t make social interaction more interesting. It’s merely something that negatively impacts the body and mind. Teens can do so much more and they shouldn’t waste money and time on something that sets them up for health deterioration.

Dating apps: the courtship of our generation BY JULIE SANTIAGO Staff Writer Some people like to look down on online dating because they fear the unknown or what others might think of them, but online dating is simply just another way to meet people. Online dating isn’t going away anytime soon. If anything it will most likely, according to some experts, become the future of dating. Some people like to look back on dating generations ago, with romantic ideas of better values and higher morals, and while there

might be some truth to this idea, they are not willing to try other ways of dating, like dating apps. Some people are not open to new experiences that they might actually come to find are fun because they are closed-minded or afraid. Dating can be fun and in return teach you about yourself and help you grow as a person. There are valid reasons for being afraid because creeps are everywhere, but like everything else if you are safe, you minimize the chances of unfortunate things from happening to you. Dating is constantly changing. Modern dating, as we know, has

only been around for a hundred years or so. The idea that class d i d n ’t m a t t e r so long as you loved someone is relatively new. Romance didn’t exist. For as long as humans have been around, arranged marriages for social status and money were normal. Your feelings didn’t matter. If you were a woman hundreds of years ago your father could marry you off in exchange for money and goats for the family farm and there was nothing you could do about it. If you were unfortunate enough to be unhappily married, you stayed miserable for life. How much better are we now than before we got this freedom to choose someone? According to American Psychological Association, about 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States divorce. It’s been more than a hundred years after arranged marriages in

the U.S. and we’re still not making the best choices. Today, you can find a date and possible partner one of five ways. First, you can just wait and hope you stumble upon somebody by chance. Somehow the stars align in your favor like a Disney movie on your way to work or class and you meet someone. Second, you could have your friends introduce you to someone they know that they might think you like. However, friends are not dating coaches. They might get it wrong and you might resent them for it. Third, you could also go to more social gatherings, like bars and clubs, but you risk meeting someone you have nothing in common with. You also probably don’t make the best choices when you drink. You could also meet someone through common interests, like a hobby, class or shared group activity. This is the better option of the previous listed but it still leaves you with limited options. Or you can give the internet a shot. Online dating and dating apps use locationtracking and algorithms that help you narrow down your options. They can match you based on answered questions. They allow you to filter for everything you can think of like age, gender, sexual orientation, attractiveness, hobbies, backgrounds, availability, personality traits and characteristics. There are even dating sites that attract oddly specific crowds like clown dating for clowns, mullet passions for people with mullets, Ugly Schmucks for those with low self esteem and Diaper Mates for those with different kinks. They are less popular and you can imagine why. Nonetheless, there are a lot of options out there. Each dating app has its appeal. Match.com and eHarmony are for the more serious older users looking to commit. Tinder matches are based on location and mostly on your attractiveness. OkCupid appeals to young people who are looking for a middle ground. They are more light hearted then Match.com, but not as carefree as tinder or even grindr. Online dating is just another way for meeting people and it isn’t going away.

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019

‘Borderlands 3’ returns with great action-paced gameplay BY ANDREW AYALA Staff Writer Seven years later and developers at Gearbox software still manage to release an action-packed adventure-filled game with the release of their loot-driven first-person shooter “Borderlands 3.” For those who are new to the game, the “Borderlands” series is based on groups of vault hunters who try and find vaults that are said to have vast amounts of money and technology. In this game, all the different groups of bandits have set their differences aside and formed one giant gang called the Children of the Vault. It is up to the new set of vault hunters to stop this group and help an ex vault hunter named Lilith obtain a map to an unopened vault. Players spawn on a planet called Pandora, which those who have played previous games will recognize, and are thrown right into the action. This time around players choose between four characters named Amara, Moze, Zane and FL4K who each have their own skill trees to choose from. Players can either play solo or in groups of up to four. Each character has three different skill sets which affect their progression and traits. Moze, for example, has a robot she enters to pilot and is

automatically equipped with rockets and a minigun. However, players have the option to follow other skill trees that will allow them to add a flamethrower or even claws to her arsenal. This was something completely new

since in previous games players only had one skill tree to complete. It not only adds a new flavor to the game, but adds diversity to the characters and the way they are controlled. They also allow players to switch between the way their weapons fire, which can come in handy depending on the situation. The settings in the game are shaded to perfection. Characters still have the iconic comicbook style look they’ve had in previous games. Different locations have

every corner of the map to find exclusive boxes which hold rare weapons that can be used or sold. Although there isn’t much to a first-person shooter, the writers manage to tell such a great story that players

different background music and they all match the pace of the game perfectly. For example, when an intense fight with robots occurs, players may hear some heavybass house music behind all of the explosions and chaos. The gun fights are nothing but wave-after-wave non-stop

animated blood gushing, leg-breaking action where those who enjoy first-person shooters will love. There is also a setting where players can censor all of the gore, but still get the same story and actions. Since this game is very lootdriven, players are encouraged to go the extra mile and check

get lost in the story and gain the immersive experience that video games are meant to give. There isn’t much down-time in the game unless the player is at Sanctuary III, which is the home base where players can upgrade their weapon slots, buy or sell items from their inventory and even gamble their in-game currency to try and win exclusive weapons and skins at Moxxxi’s. While other games have relied on loot-boxes that gamers purchase with money for their financial success, this is a game

that takes it back to the basics and only offers downloadable content to buy. The voice acting is done wonderfully as every voice matches their character and the narration is humorous at every chance. There seems to be the perfect balance of drama and comedy throughout the whole game. Those who have played the previous games will recognize certain characters throughout the story. The game does a great job at explaining who everyone is and welcoming even those who know nothing about “Borderlands” lore. The developers at Gearbox software managed to make a modern “Borderlands” game for all to enjoy. They executed their story in proper fashion, which allowed them to use a previous recipe, but add in new spices and ingredients to make it refreshing. This is the type of game that will appeal to the casual gamer who enjoys a good grind since there are over 30 hours of gameplay. “Borderlands 3” was released on Friday and is rated “M” for mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes and strong language.

“Chulas Fronteras” restored and shown at select theaters BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer

COURTESY OF IMDB

WHERE TO GO—Jillian Bell as Brittany contemplates her life choices and where her life goes next.

‘Brittany’ sprints to a fun time BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Tons of heart and a snarky main character make “Brittany Runs A Marathon” an impressive and emotionally fun movie to take in. This movie, based on a true story, is a love letter to anyone who has ever felt self-conscious or inadequate. It focuses on the ups and downs of finding self respect and love in all its forms. The movie’s story follows Brittany and her journey from being a party girl to a wellrounded person. The struggles Brittany faces start with losing weight and culminate in her taking the challenge of running the New York City marathon. And the story is much like a marathon where Brittanys character changes along the way. Her past, as well as her future, is molded by her self image. This idea of self-image, mentally breaking from old habits and breaking away from people who are toxic speaks to the evolution of Brittany’s life. Jillian Bell plays the title character of the movie, Brittany. At the onset of the film, Brittany is shown with low self-esteem www.ELACCampusNews.com

which translates into her getting in unhealthy, emotionally and hurtful cycles. The movie flows from there into a story of change and figuring out what responsibilities people owe to themselves. Bell is amazingly funny and has shown this in past films like “Office Christmas Party” and “22 Jump Street.” Her timing is perfect and everything she says is either laced with humor or totally honesty. Her knack for taking a quip and making it funnier than the actual joke is off the charts. I t ’s t h e m o m e n t s o f t r u e character growth where Bell shines. Self-doubt creeps into the character of Brittany and it’s some of the most interesting parts to watch. Bell is not only adept at making the change from comedy to drama, she makes every moment seamless and fun to watch her work. The other two stand outs are Michaela Watkins and Utkarsh Ambudkar. Both play important roles opposite Bell. Watkins plays Catherine the typical happy neighbor that lives across the hall from Bell’s Brittany. At first Watkins character comes off as that annoying goodie two shoes type, but as the plot progresses the character becomes

more three dimensional. Again the movie focuses on the characters true view of themselves showing that not everyone has it all together. Ambudkar plays Jern, Brittany’s coworker. After getting to know one another their relationship organically changes. Ambudkar is perfect in the role of a man child who hasn’t quite figured his life out. Through his characters relationship with Brittany, there is a deeper understanding of the roles intimacy and acceptance. Each of their roles manage to expand on Brittany’s changing emotional and mental states. Both characters are big influences in Brittany's story of change and both Watkins and Ambudkar are great opposite Bell. “Brittany Runs A Marathon” is an emotional tale that will inspire just as much as it will cause audiences to laugh out loud. The trailer sums up the movies central focus by saying, “(Brittany) You changing your life was never about your weight. It was about taking responsibility for yourself.” The movie is out now and has a run time of one hour and 44 minutes. It is rated R for language through out, sexuality and some drug material.

The beautifully restored 1976 film “Chulas Fronteras” screened twice this week at select theaters in Southern California. Though the focus of the film is Tejano musicians on the TexasMexican border, the music is complemented with beautiful footage of everyday life in these border towns. Filmmakers Les Blank and Chris Strachwitz seamlessly blend the footage of the area with music, photographs and live performances. The images of everyday people help illustrate the stories being shared in the song lyrics, often about the Mexican-American experience in Texas. One of the most poignant moments in the film was during the song “Rinches de Texas” by Dueto Reynosa. The song discusses the violence caused during the 1966 Rio Grande City Melon Strike in Starr County. Cesar Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association helped organize the strike demanding contracts, more pay, access to bathrooms, water breaks and better working conditions. Texas radio DJ Willie Lopez, who wrote the song, is also briefly featured in the film. His long-

running radio show, also titled “Chulas Fronteras,” played only regional Mexican music like conjunto music. In an interview with the Brownsville Herald in 1996, Lopez said "this accordion music is authentic and part of our region.” Chulas Fronteras does a great job at showcasing all the musicians. Some of the most entertaining performances was “Mi Texana” and “México Americano” by Los Pingüinos del Norte. In “México Americano,” the lyrics describe the pride he feels for both countries. “Mexican by ancestry, American by destiny, I am of the golden race. I am MexicanAmerican. I know the English language and speak Spanish, too. I am of the noble race. I am MexicanAmerican. Two countries are my home. With honor I’ll defend them.” One of the best performances is “Un Mojado Sin Licensia” by Flaco Jimenez, who is like the Chuck Berry of the accordion. The film always digs deeper and gets to the heart of the people involved with this music. People like Salomé Gutierrez, songwriter and owner of the Del Bravo Record Shop in San Antonio, who helped artists like Jimenez early in his career. Before Gutierrez’ death in 2016, he was credited with writing over 1,000 songs and recording half of them.

One of the scenes to get a big reaction from the audience was during a performance of “Volver, Volver” by Los Allegras de Terán. The band was performing the song in front of a few men on horseback. At first they were in the distance, but soon the horses got so close that the accordion player Eugenio Abrego pushed the horse away, mid-performance, without missing a beat. The screening also contained a 30 minute bonus film featuring more artists including Leo Garza, Andres Berlanga, Ricardo Mejia and Conjunto Tamaulipas. The music is mixed in with poetry read by Maria Antonia Contreras. Some highlights from this short film include a live performance by Chavela Ortiz and Brown Express for the song “Besos y Copas.” D u r i n g t h i s p a r t , O r t i z ’s impressive accordion skills are on full display. When the film jumps to “Las Nubes” by Little Joe y La Familia, the film focuses next on the intricate Chicano mural art - featuring artists Daniel Falcez, Rogelio Cárdenas and Brocha de Hayward. The film is currently screening until the end of the year at theaters across the country and is also available on DVD and Blueray from the filmmakers’ website www. lesblank.com.

COURTESY OF HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

THREE AMIGOS—This scene was the that got a big reaction from the audience members. The band is called Los Allegras de Terán.