Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Volume 75, Issue 13
www.elaccampusnews.com
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
SIS system returns after failure ANDREW AYALA Staff Writer
After its first year in use, the Student Information System has malfunctioned twice, affecting students and staff. The SIS is essential to a college student/educators’ year because that is where you are allowed to add/drop classes, view/pay fees, check grades, order your transcripts, and see the status of financial aid. It is easily accessed through the East Los Angeles College website. The system is back up and running and has been working fine. It had a minor slip last Saturday as it went down again but there isn’t much that can be done. Since the SIS is a district system, and not a local system, there is only so much that can be done such as “manual
overrides,” said Vice President of Student Services Julie Benavides. Recently, a change in the system was made as the school began to use a more modern and less confusing website that makes navigation easier and allows a student find whatever they are looking for. This change was made in Fall 2017 as information on how to work the new system was posted both around the school and on the website. According to a few students, the system would bug out when they first began using it, but eventually everything began to run smoothly. The beginning of this Spring semester was an unexpected cause for concern to many. No one was aware that the system would shut down or not function properly since it’s been so reliable. Many students were complaining
about not being able to access going to happen again or for the website, which meant how long these resources will they couldn’t change up their be unavailable.” schedules, add or drop classes, “We have to be as proactive or even pay their fees, which as possible.The SIS is a huge meant big problems. system and we don’t have local Christian Bustamante, a control. We do the best we full-time student can in creating here at EL AC preventive “When the said a bit of his measures for the t h o u g ht s a n d system is down students. concern on the for the students, Besides SIS, the issue. “It’s unfair,” must it’s down for all students Bustamante said. take advantage of us so we try o f t h e o t h e r “Here we are hoping to come and help as best programs and we can.” to school with services offered e ve r y t h i ng i n here on campus. LINDA RAFOLS order and under We used to do Welcome Center control, but now things locally. there is a problem This is a district with the system. system and they have been I can’t pay the fees for this working on it for five years. semester yet, I can’t switch This is the first official year of out one of my other classes launch. Overall it was a very due to a time issue. It kind frustrating experience for not of sucks. And the worst part only students but staff as well. is you never know if this is Even though we don’t
control the system, we can take charge of how we approach these issues when they arise,” Benavides said. There are many behind the scenes interventions that go on that the students don’t notice, Benavides mentioned. One example is the “IT meetings every two weeks,” says Benavides, in which they work on failures or issues that any piece of technology may be having. At the E1 building there is an office where many firsttime or returning student can go to the Welcome Center for assistance in navigating through ELAC. “The welcome center has been here for almost two years. We have incorporated a SIS workshop which is a way to walk through the system with assistance and guidance. When the SIS was down students were coming in here
with panic and we tried to assist them in any way we can,” Linda Rafols, head of the Welcome Center said. A few of the ways Rafols said the Welcome Center helped the students who take advantage of it during the system failure was calming the students down as best they could in there. Whether it was offering the students water, goodies, or even stress balls, the Welcome Center was and is willing to do whatever it takes to help out students in a time of need. They were also able to call back those who visit often to let them know that the system was back up. “We encouraged students to speak to professors and ask for add slips. When the system is down for the students, it’s down for all of us, so we try and help as best we can,” Rafols said.
G8 building construction on schedule for Spring ALLISON BEATTY Staff Writer
The construction of the G8 Physics and Earth Science building is on schedule and expected to be completed by the end of the Spring semester. “It was a little noisy during the summer, kind of an inconvenience,”said Cristal Gomez, who attended East Los Angeles College in the summer. By the beginning of June they will begin furnishing the classrooms and moving everything in. The building is set to focus on classes centered around Anthropology, Geology and Geography. Currently, the footpath around the building and the accessible path of travel for handicapped students is being paved . It’s planned that in the center of the path there will be a wide open area filled with decomposed granite; sand, dirt and pressed rock. There will also be the typical desert plants adorning our campus growing in it. “It was very efficient, [it] left space for future construction,” Director of College Facilities Abel Rodriguez said. Originally, there were in-
News Briefs
tended to be two seperate buildings side by side. However, to facilitate construction, it was changed to a single twostory building. The extra space leaves potential for another building in the future and doesn’t limit the available land construction workers have to work with. Currently, there is nothing planned, but it does leave a welcome area of open space in what’s quickly becoming a crowded campus.
“There will be more activities such as the ones here on the main campus.” ABEL RODRIGUEZ
Director of College Facilities
In an online post from Dec. 6th, 2017, by Stephanie Guevara, construction of the new ELAC South Gate campus center is set to begin in either March or May. It will be located across the street from the current campus, at what was formerly a facility of the Firestone Tire Company.
ELAC has been planning on replacing the South Gate campus since 2003, because the current leased building puts the facility as a disadvantage, as it doesn’t receive additional funding from the school. The facility was originally planned to be modified into a brand new educational facility, but due to it failing many environmental tests, it’s been decided that it will be demolished and a new building will be constructed. There are no published plans for the building as of yet, except that it will be multistoried and twice as big as the current South Gate campus, spanning 18.5 acres. More courses and activities at the South Gate campus are planned than what is currently offered, such as a science center, career and technology center, a student lounge and a Kinesiology Department. “There will be more activities such as the ones here (on the main campus),” Rodriguez said. It’s important to note that during construction of the new facility, the shuttle and other campus services will still be running.
Safer sex is sexy The Student Health Center is sponsoring Safer Sex is Sexy today in front of the cafeteria. Students can get free HIV tests at the AIDS Healthcare Alliance van outside the library.
CN/CRISTAL GOMEZ
GIVING BACK—President Amanda Wong (left), Diana Mora and Jose Paulo de Paz explain
Circle K, a club brought back to ELAC this semester at Club Rush.
Clubs rush to introduce themselves VICKY NGUYEN Staff Writer
The Spring 2018 Club Rush began Tuesday in the E3-Quad, where student organizations wishing to wel c ome ne w me mb e rs promoted themselves to students. A scavenger hunt game encouraged students to meet with many clubs by allowing them to redeem signatures collected from different booths in exchange for small prizes, such as candy and keychains. Popcorn and music by a DJ were also provided at the event. “It’s a fun event that will help clubs get more members,” ASU Volunteer Aaron Wong
said. Wong helped with the eventually start a cosmetology décor of the event and was program. Captain of the cheerleading advertising the scavenger squad, Stephanie Cruz was hunt. “[Club rush] helps promote at a booth, promoting tryclubs that people might enjoy, outs. According to Cruz, but they don’t know about. this has been their first club This is the best time to get rush they attended in several informed about clubs,” Wong years, because they were not chartered. “It’s helping us to said. The Beauty Club, a new get members for our team and club intended for make-up get funding,” Cruz said. ASU President Monique enthusiasts, also made their first club rush debut. The He r n a n d e z e n c o u r a g e s President of Beauty Club, students to come out to club Berenice Gonzales, explains rush and become involved on she co-founded the club with campus. “I want it to create Vice President Rachel Galvan, more student involvement because there is currently and want us to take advantage no cosmetology program at of the beautiful campus. We should take advantage of what ELAC. Gonzales hopes to use we have,” Hernandez said. the club as a springboard to CLUB RUSH Continued on page 3
The Cupid Dance
Woke Womxn’s Conference
ASU is hosting a dance for Valentine’s Day tomorrow beginning at 5 p.m. at F5-201.
The purpose of the conference is to empower womxn from the Los Angeles Area. Thursday, March 8 at F5-201 from 9 a.m - 5 p.m.