Campus News Fall 17 Issue 8

Volume 75, Issue 8

Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

www.elaccampusnews.com

CN/DORANY PINEDA

BLESSINGS—Emily the Copalera blesses the

altar of Annette “Cha Cha” Charles, who was known for her role as Charlene in the 1978 film “Grease.”

CN/DORANY PINEDA

CN/DORANY PINEDA

SHRINE—The altar of Mexican-American

guitarist, singer and farm labor activist Lalo Guerrero is adorned with a guitar, vinyls and accolades he was honored with while he

SELENA—An altar dedicated to Selena,

known as the Queen of Tejano music, is decorated with the things she enjoyed most during her short life.

CN/DORANY PINEDA

ANCESTRAL DANCE—Emily and Joaquin, mem-

bers for the Ajolote Circle of Aztec Dances, begin the Aztec Dance ceremony on Saturday in front of VPAM.

Chicano/as honored at Dia de los Muertos exhibit

BY JULIO SANCHEZ Staff Writer The opening reception of the 14th annual Dia De Los Muertos Altar Exhibit brought the community together to celebrate the lives of legendary Chicanos and Chicanas in Arts.

The altars and ofrendas (offerings to the deceased) in the exhibit were produced by students as part of a Chicano studies class.

Exhibit and event coordinator, and professor at the Chicana/o studies department, Angelita Rovero, created the altars along with her students.

“To create (the altars) and actually build altogether, took

about seven to eight weeks from the first day of school until yesterday,” said Rovero, “but (because) it’s a Saturday class, we only had like three hours a week.”

The exhibit had altars honoring the lives of nine famous Chicanas and Chicanos that have made an impact in the field of arts and in the community.

Each altar had photos and information on the life of the deceased, as well as items that have significant meaning to each of the remembered individuals.

The honored individuals in the exhibit are Annette Cardona, Anthony Quinn, Carlos Almaraz, Gilbert Lujan, Jose Montoya,

Lalo Guerrero, Lupe Ontiveros, Ritchie Valens and Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.

Student Jovanna Sanchez was involved in creating the altar for Anthony Quinn.

“Dia De Los Muertos was a normal tradition in my home,” said Sanchez. “I never thought that it would be something that I get to celebrate in school, let alone educate others while honoring great Chicanas and Chicanos of the art world. It’s too good.”

Not only did the event bring people from the community out to the exhibit, but also family members and friends of the deceased.

Ryan Quinn, son of Anthony Quinn, the first Mexican actor to win an Oscar in 1957, was at the exhibit.

He expressed how appreciative he was to see the efforts and dedication it took to making an altar in tribute to his father.

“Sometimes people try to honor people and it’s not always well done, but this (exhibit) is well done,” said Quinn. “The dolls of the characters that he portrayed in movies are really special because they’re a representation of him.

I really love that and all the photographs you can see, with just the expression of his face, it speaks about the way that he lived and the way that he loved.”

Ryan Quinn was not the only son of an honored father at the event. Naiche Lujan, son of Gilbert Lujan a famous Chicano painter, sculptor and muralist, also made an appearance at the reception.

“He [Gilbert Lujan] was such a car guy,” Lujan said. “He would sketch cars all day, so to have a car magazine in his altar is perfect. It’s such a beautiful labor of love to create an altar for somebody.”

Annette Cardona, also known as “Cha Cha” from the film “Grease” and “The best dancer at St. Bernadette’s” also had one of her family members attend the event.

Annette Cardona’s sister, Benita Oekawa, was very grateful and glad to see people come together to celebrate the work and life of each talented individual being remembered.

“This brings the community together to take pride in our culture and our identity,” said Oekawa. “It also honors the family and helps us process the loss.”

The exhibit will continue to run until Dec. 2 at the Vincent Price Art Museum at ELAC. The event is free and open to the public and is held on the third floor of East Los Angeles College’s Vincent Price Art Museum.

Disability Awareness Day provides information and activities

BY JULIO SANCHEZ Staff Writer From activities to prizes to a live wheelchair basketball game, East Los Angeles College’s Diversabilities Support Program and Services hosted Disability Awareness Day. The event took place in front of the college on the Disability Awareness Day on Wednesday.

The event provided students with resources and information on disabilities.

There was activities like raffles and a wheelchair basketball game.

The event also had different groups and organizations offering the public information on how to sign up and get involved with the program or how to receive information.

Also in attendance were programs like the Welcome and Support Resource Center, Associated Student Union, East Los Angeles Women’s Center and Student Health Center.

Disabled Student Programs and Services’ Adjunct Disability Specialist Jaqueline Gutierrez said that the program offers students with disabilities resources like computer lab equipment with

News Briefs

assistive technology, tutoring, counseling and assistance in note taking.

She also said that the program is trying to find a way for students with dyscalculia, a brain disorder making math severely difficult, to get a degree without having to take math classes.

“We’re looking into working with the math department to find some type of math substitution,” said Gutierrez. “(Disabled students) reach their fourth attempt and, unfortunately, that’s the only thing keeping them from getting a degree. Those are the students that we need to do something to help them.”

One of the programs present was ELAC’s Veterans Resource Center, which offers assistance and services to all veterans, service members and dependents regardless of discharge.

The VRC’s career guidance counseling assistant, Reuban Roque, said that the center offers veterans tutoring, assistance with mental health, and assistance for family members.

“We try to help veterans transfer from the military world to the civilian world,” Roque said.

The Student Health and Wellness

Center was there to inform attendees on the services that the center offers.

Student-worker Martin Sanchez said that the center offers students, blood pressure screening, STD counseling, 200 free flu shots and many other services this semester.

The event also featured a wheelchair basketball game with a team from Rancho Los Amigos hospital playing against a team of students from ELAC. One of the students who played in the basketball game was a freshman with disabilities and psychology student Francisco Campillo.

Campillo said that he was appreciative of the event because it shows people with disabilities that they are not alone.

And that there are many people who want to help those with disabilities prosper.

“I was one of the victims of depression,” Campillo said. “Most disabilities have a background. We have a background and we want to share what we are and show people who we are.”

“It’s not about winning or losing.

It’s about the community,” said Campillo.

California Dream Act Workshop The California Dream Act workshop will have financial aid professinals to assist students in the California Dream Act applications today from noon to 2 p.m. in the library in room 103.

CN/KEVIN GONZALEZ

PLAYING HOOPS—Activities in Disability Awareness Day include live wheelchair basketball and raffles. Information about DSP&S program was available in the booths.

Dia de los Muertos festival The 6th annual Dia de los Muertos festival will be held tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the front quad area.

Correction In issue 6, Jaci Cortez was misspelled in “LGBTQ students celebrate National Coming Out day.” In issue 7, Lyn Wood was misspelled in “Boom Festival gives students opportunity to sign up for classes.”

Opinion Dodgers mania: true fans or just posers?

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

BY FRANK PORTILLO Staff Writer With the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, a lot of bandwagon fans have come out of nowhere.

The sea of blue and white jerseys, shirts, hats and even car flags is impossible to escape and begs the question: “Where were all of these fans before the success of the Dodgers?”

The term fanatic is subjective.

The definition of what constitutes one as a sports fan varies from person to person and is tough to define.

Is one a fan simply because they belong in the same community as the team, or does it take more involvement from the people who call themselves fans?

According to Google, a fanatic is a person with an obsessive interest in and enthusiasm for something, especially an activity.

The definition that Google provides shows why many of the people wearing Dodgers gear should be considered fake fans.

The average fan should, at the very least, be able to identify the starting players and their respective positions on the team.

Being obsessively interested in something requires a degree of knowledge on the subject.

Not knowing the players involved

EDITOR IN CHIEF Dorany Pineda MANAGING EDITOR Stephanie Guevara ONLINE EDITORS Kevin Camargo Melody Ortiz ART DIRECTOR Julie Santiago FRONT EDITOR Gustavo Buenrostro

can be an embarrassing situation for people who call themselves fans.

How can one root for a team without being aware of who they're rooting for?

Some would argue that there are simply varying degrees of fandom.

Casual fans will tune in every now and then but don’t know any of the players involved.

Then there are fans who pride themselves on knowing the history of the team. These fans keep up with

all the news related to the team.

It is hard to keep up with the changes that occur season to season, especially as a full-time college student that also works full-time hours.

But why do people not show support for their teams despite their success? Perhaps they aren't true fans.

This bandwagon phenomena must all stem from the feeling of being a member of a community.

The feeling of belonging is powerful and it creates the sheep-herd mentality that drives bandwagon fans.

Wanting to fit in and be cool is what drives the sudden embrace of a sport franchise.

It has maintained a large fan base despite its 29-year championship drought, but is suddenly fashionable.

Take the Los Angeles Lakers as an example.

The team is going through a rebuilding phase and it's rare to see a Lakers jersey these days.

If they were contenders for the title, the degree of fandom would be different.

At the pinnacle of their success, bandwagon fans rejoiced in their sense of belonging, but are nowhere to be seen when times get tough.

S i n c e w h e n d i d a t e a m ’s championship become synonymous with rioting?

Any time a professional Los Angeles team wins a championship, bandwagon fans take to Whittier Boulevard in celebration to rock people’s cars back and forth as they drive down the street.

Half the people celebrating can’t even name half of the lineup.

The “fans” that make the evening news because of their shenanigans give actual fans a bad name.

Movies fall in quality at theaters

BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer

Don’t take our shuttle away!

BY MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer A learning institution should not take away disabled students’ education, and should be given the tools to succeed next to nondisabled students.

Taking away a program or tool that helps him or her get to class is not the answer.

This was the case with student Charles Guerra.

Guerrera is suing West Los Angeles College and the Los Angeles Community College District for removing a campus shuttle system he relied on.

An article by KPCC radio states that Guerra is a veteran and suffered a spinal injury.

He lost the use of his left leg because of a severed nerve and needed an operation to keep from being paralyzed.

There are many colleges that

have students with physical or learning disabilities.

Schools offer services to help students become successful in the classroom by offering longer time to test and or to take notes.

But transportation for students with physical disabilities should be an option when they apply for their college’s student disabilities program.

An option given to students with physical problems is allowing them to leave class a few minutes earlier in order to be on time to their next class.

The problem with that is, if the student chooses to leave the class early, he or she can miss important information from the professor, like something from a lesson plan or a test date.

Instead, there should be a shuttle that takes students to their next class as soon as their class ends.

There should be a way for those with a physical disability to contact

someone to notify them that their class just ended and are ready to go to the next class.

Schools should give all students the power and tools necessary to pass their classes and earn their degrees.

That’s why students like Guerra and others with physical issues should get transportation privileges.

This will allow them to make it to class on time and not worry about missing something important that may help on the next test or quiz, just because they have to leave class to beat student traffic.

On the other hand, the average, non-disabled student can run and cut in front of others and get to class in five minutes or less.

Ultimately, LACCD and West LA should do the right thing.

And the right thing is to provide students like Guerra a shuttle without problems so they can enjoy school and have one less thing to stress about.

Quality films are beginning to make an impact in Hollywood as studios take out screenings for films that flop.

This year has been disappointing for films. Box office numbers have been down and big blockbusters like “Wonder Woman” and “Spiderman:Homecoming” have kept the summer season from being a disaster.

But why is it that people aren’t going to the movies anymore?

One could argue that the reason is that ticket prices are too high.

While that is a factor, perhaps the real reason is because people want their money's worth.

Many films that have been released have not been hitting well with audiences.

One of the biggest flops of the summer was “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise.

The film made around $400 million worldwide and had a budget of $192 million. While this may seem like a lot of money, the studio expected it to make much more.

In fact, because of the failure of the film, the studio has delayed production on future films involving the classic movie monsters, according to a press release made

by Universal Studios.

But what went wrong with the film? The film concentrated so much on the set up to its “Dark Universe” that it forgot to focus on the story it was telling.

Many moviegoers agreed, as the score shows on the Rotten Tomatoes website where critics and the audience can review films:

Audiences gave it a 36 percent and an even lower score was given by critics with 16 percent.

These scores are indicative of what people want, which are quality films.

Because film prices are so high now, going to see a movie really has become an expensive outing.

People are going to websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic because they want to make sure the movie they are interested in watching is worth the price of admission. Movies like “The Avengers” and “Star Wars” are films audiences are going to see.

These kind of films make a ton of money at the box office.

Many studios can’t afford to make these kinds of films. If studios do, they do a bad job like the “The Mummy.”

Not only are big budget blockbusters a big risk, but many middle budget films suffer from it.

This past summer, however, a film called “Baby Driver” had good reviews and made a lot of money. It made over $200 million on a $34 million dollar budget.

That is huge for a low budget film. But it made that much money because of the quality of the film.

It made $21 million its opening weekend. After its initial release, it was re-released in theaters on Aug. 25 to more than 1,000 theaters.

If anything, this shows people are becoming smarter in the films they want to see.

Audiences are speaking with their money and they want more quality films.

For a longer version of this story, visit elaccampusnews.com.

Letter to the Editor:

Cartoon disrespects survivors

I am writing regarding a cartoon included in Volume 75, Issue 6 of ELAC Campus News, distributed on October 18.

First off, I love reading the Campus News and think you all do a great job covering a variety of important topics on and off campus.

When going through this specific issue, my attention was grabbed by the story on sex trafficking.

I was happy that the story was included, as I think sex trafficking is an important topic to expose, but I was really disturbed by the graphic that accompanied the story.

While I acknowledge that the illustrator, Jorge Vazquez, has the right to exercise his artistic freedom,

I felt as though the imagery belittled the compelling story that accompanied it, and I believe the editor of the newspaper should have exercised better judgment.

A visual of some data might have been more appropriate. There are a variety of other options that would have been less troubling.

The cartoon, a medium that lends itself to the depictions of cute animals or super heroes, depicts a naked woman blindfolded in a cage, with a man outside the cage holding money and looking in at her.

The story explains that sex trafficking, and human trafficking in general, do not necessarily meet the

stereotypes that are often thought of and depicted. But this cartoon depicts those exact stereotypes.

A naked, hairless, sightless and helpless woman caged by an overweight hairy man in a dungeon.

The story tells of a woman who was trafficked from the time she was 12 until she was 20 by her father, and nothing in this image speaks to the resilience or power of that story.

Nothing in this image honors the survivors of human trafficking and in my opinion, it actually further objectifies and disrespects them.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

Bianca Enedina Martinez Student Services

OPINIONS EDITOR Giselle Palomera NEWS EDITOR Frank Portillo FEATURES EDITOR Julio Sanchez ARTS EDITOR Steven Adamo SPORTS EDITORS Joe Dargan Michael Dominguez PHOTO EDITOR Eddie Garcia COPY EDITORS Russell Zazueta Anastasia Landeros CARTOONISTS Jorge Vazquez STAFF WRITER Noe Ortega STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jorge Aldaco Keving Gonzalez ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Stephanie Guevara Anastasia Landeros Dorany Pineda 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.

A n o ny m o u s l e t te r s w i l l n o t be printed. Writer s 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, of fered 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

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

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Retired professor Louie Sarracino dies at age 95

BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer

CN/NOE ORTEGA

OPEN ARMS—Guest speaker David Joseph talks about the “Welcome Home” training, which

focuses on veteran awareness at East Los Angeles College on Friday.

Training gives Elans insight into veteran struggles

BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer Guest speakers Marshall Thomas and David Joseph introduced a Welcome Home training program to educate faculty, staff and students about veteran issues on campus.

Both speakers presented videos consisting of house raids, soldiers coming home to their loved ones and soldiers in gun battles.

The event was hosted by the Veterans Resource Center to help people who haven’t served in the military gain an understanding of what veterans go through mentally, the culture of the military and how veterans can be helped.

“There is a massive difference between campuses that have (a VRC) and campuses that don’t when it comes to how well their veterans do on campus,” Joseph said.

Joseph believes that when there are services on campus for veterans like these, it makes them feel cared for.

Joseph, who served in the Israeli Army, invented the Welcome Home training program and is the director of a veteran’s center in Oakland, California.

Thomas, who served in the Marine Corps from 1986-1992, is now the director at California State University, Long Beach's Federal Services. He is also the creator of Vet Net Ally.

Vet Net Ally, according to Cal State Long Beach’s website, is an awareness program for faculty and staff to create a supportive atmosphere for veterans.

It also educates students at the

university about veterans and how to be an ally to them.

Thomas spoke about how California has the most veterans in the nation, which makes it the state with the most veterans enrolled in community colleges.

“If (veterans are) getting out of the services right now and know (they)

“There is a massive difference between campuses that have (a VRC) and campuses that don’t when it comes to how well their veterans do on campus.”

DAVID JOSEPH

Guest speaker

want to go to a Cal State University or a University of California next year, (veterans) may not meet the minimum qualifications (required),” Thomas said.

Thomas also said that community colleges such as ELAC are gateways toward four-year universities because of the fact that it doesn’t cost as much as a university, and because the majority of veterans aren’t ready to enter a four-year university when they come back from active duty.

Thomas went over the Government Issue Bill’s benefits

and limitations. The bill is an educational benefit that pays for veterans’ tuition and fees as long as they’re in-state residents.

The benefits are earned by members who served in Active Duty, Selected Reserve and National Guard Armed Forces and also for their families.

According to Thomas, veterans are stereotyped as ticking time bombs, killers, not being as intelligent as others and conservatives are among the stereotypes given to veterans according to Thomas.

According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 36.5 percent of male veterans have enrolled into a college while 28.1 percent were non-veterans and 44.3 percent of women veterans have enrolled in college while 31.7 percent are non-veteran women.

According to the statistics, women veterans are more likely to have a bachelor's degree or an advanced degree than men veterans and non-veterans.

Joseph also spoke about what veterans go through after serving in the military, and how post-traumatic stress disorder prevents them from living a normal life. PTSD is a disorder that is usually caused after experiencing a traumatic event.

According to Joseph, the common issues for veterans are moral injuries, which affects their conscience and leads them to emotional shame Joseph said the usual questions that go through veterans’ heads make them feel excluded. Questions like: “Why did I live while others died?” “Am I a murderer because I killed?” “How can I ever get close to someone again?”

Retired professor of speech and communications Louie Sarracino, who taught at East Los Angeles College for 53 years before retiring in 2002, died on Oct. 23 at the age of 95.

Sarracino is remembered by family and friends as having been friendly and fun, and loved by all his students.

“Louie was really personable and funny,” Tom Atha, a speech professor, said. “He had a lot of humor...he was just a fun person.”

Atha first met Sarracino when Atha started teaching at ELAC in 1991. Sarracino was his speech mentor, so they got to know each other very well.

Atha recalled a time when he and Sarracino took a walk during a lunch outing at a Greek restaurant in San Pedro. “(We) decided that we were going to take a walk because he was getting bored with waiting for the food. We took off walking and I had a hell of a time trying to keep up with him,” Atha said, “He was just racing.” Sarracino eventually became exhausted, Atha said, and that’s when they decided to walk back to the restaurant.

Atha said the way he spoke was just as energetic as his walk, which kept his students awake and engaged in the classroom.

Sarracino's unique style of teaching is something journalism professor Jean Stapleton vividly remembers too.

“We used to see his students going around campus. He would be leading the first one, and all of (the students) would have blindfolds

LOUIE SARRACINO on,” Stapleton said. “They would all be holding on to each other and walking around campus.”

During these blindfolded walks, Sarracino would have his students smell plants or pay attention to the sounds of the campus.

“He was trying to get (students) to use all their senses ... they just had so much fun because he did all these unusual, unconventional

things,” Stapleton, also remembers that Sarracino would constantly be chosen as the teacher of the year.

“He made being a speech student not the scary thing where you have to stand in front of the class, but a fun thing where you got to experience a whole lot of things and explain them to your classmates. He was a great teacher,” Stapleton said.

But before Sarracino came to be known as a favorite professor at ELAC, he attended Los Angeles City College and transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated at the age of 19.

Soon after, Sarracino was drafted into the Army during WWII. His wife Patricia said that Sarracino’s intelligence impressed a doctor so much, that via the doctor’s recommendation, he spent more than four years stationed in Texas working as a psychiatric social worker.

After being discharged, Sarracino earned his master’s degree and doctorate in speech from the University of Southern California while teaching at ELAC. His studies eventually led to two Fulbright Scholarships that took him to Iraq and the Netherlands.

In his spare time, Sarracino loved to camp and travel, Patricia said, and exercised and meditated every day. “Louie was a mentor to many ... he was very interested in helping people and learning.”

Sarracino is survived by his wife, five sons, three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.

Halloween brings out young trick-or-treaters

CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA

TREAT-OR-TRICK—Maximus Vargas, dressed as Yoda, looks at his loot with his mother

Jessyca while Mayra Contreras of Student Services places candy in his “Paw Patrol” bucket at the Child Development Center’s Annual Halloween Parade yesterday in front of campus.

CN/JOE DARGAN

SHOW AND SELL—Handmade ceramic pieces made by Janet Macias on full display for sale at the Fuerza y Solidaridad outside of the S2 building on Thursday with all proceeds going to hurricane relief.

Students raise money for hurricane relief

BY MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Students for Political Awareness club and the American Federation of Teachers held a fundraiser on Thursday night for student artists to sell their pieces.

The fundraiser was set up to raise money for Mexico, Puerto Rico and Dominica after they suffered hurricane disasters.

ELAC art students set up tables to sell their work at the

fundraiser. Some items for sale were photographs, handmade jewelry and handmade ceramic pieces.

All items were one-of-a-kind.

Artist Janet Macias, who previously said that she uses ceramics to express her political views, took the opportunity to sell some of her work for the cause, including mugs and bowls.

ESPA member Marco Lopez said President Trump’s lack of aid helped the club come up with the idea.

“I see a lot of people stepping up by organizing events and selling

things,” Lopez said. “We want to do that, too. We want to help support them.”

ESPA’s mission, stated on East Los Angeles College’s website, is to increase the voice of students in politics and to improve the community by “helping the impoverished, disenfranchised, and needy.”

ESPA and AFT sold pizza, pasta and drinks during the event.

The event had a DJ and band performances for music entertainment.

CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA

HALLOWEEN GLEE—Kyle Rocha (left), who is dressed as Olaf, and Nathan Rocha, who

is dressed as a police officer, trick-or-treat in front of the campus yesterday at the Child Development Center’s Annual Halloween Parade.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

Feature From Myanmar to Congress, student strives for change 4

BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer The indigenous Rohingya people of Myanmar are described by many to be the most persecuted people in the world. Maung Nu, 32, is one of them.

A political science student at East Los Angeles College, Nu was very lucky to have received his visa to study in the United States.

“After I finish, I want to help my people, my country,” Nu said.

Nu is a member of the Rohingya people from the state of Rakhine, Myanmar, formerly known as Arakan state.

The majority of the Rohingya are Muslim, and they have been fleeing the country for decades from relentless violence and persecution.

“Right now, there is a humanitarian crisis [in Myanmar],” Nu said.

“People are fleeing to Bangladesh because the Burmese government is burning houses.”

Nu said that the United Nations has estimated that over 200 villages and about half a million Rohingya

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

have fled to Bangladesh, most of roads were blocked, and he would get beaten up by Buddhist children. whom are women and children.

“We couldn’t complain to the Though that reality has fortunately police,” Nu not impacted said. “If we his family complained of eight, Nu to the police, said that his “My dream is that I they wouldn't childhood want to work for all take any was anything a c t i o n . We but easy. humanity ... We have couldn't fight “ M y to fight for injustice back. If we childhood everywhere, people are fought back was very to a Buddhist terrible,” Nu suffering everywhere.” of the same said. “When age––at the we went to time I was school, we between 9 and had to sit 12 years––all separate. the Buddhist There was people would the Buddhist MAUNG NU Political science student come to our side and the house and Rohingya they would Muslim side. burn down the We could not sit in the front [of the classroom]; house.”

Though Nu has dealt with that was only for Buddhists.”

But this only happened when Nu discrimination and violence his entire life in Myanmar simply for was able to make it to school.

There were times when he being a Rohingya Muslim, he has couldn't get there because the always been careful not to call

_____________________________________________________________________

all Buddhists bad, a detail that really struck ELAC student Golden Sheard.

“Someone asked Nu why Buddhists would be attacking Muslims in t h a t w a y, ” Sheard said, who helped organize a talk Nu gave about the current state of the Rohingya people a few weeks ago on campus. “He didn’t say that Buddhists are bad people, he said that the practices of these people in this specific area act this way. He didn't have a blanket belief of them. He said the problem is specific to a specific group [of Buddhists.]”

Sheard, who hasn’t known Nu for

very long, also helped organize a fundraiser to send Nu to the Capital of the United States.

Once there, Nu will testify against the Burmese government to Congress in hopes of inspiring action from them.

But when he’s not writing letters to Congress or planning a trip to Bangladesh to visit the Rohingya r e f u g e e camps, Nu enjoys playing soccer, and watching the news, romance movies or documentaries.

His proudest moment, he said, was when he got his student visa to study in the U.S. “That was the happiest day of my life,” Nu said. “I made the

impossible become possible.” From having no citizenship, no money, and no safe home in Burma to successfully attaining his VISA because he believed in himself is a feat that still brings a giant smile to Nu’s face.

That drive to do the seemingly impossible is a quality that Sheard also sees in Nu. “He found out everything that it would take for him to come study here,” Sheard said, a goal that even she recognized as difficult. “The Rohingya people don't do anything without getting permission from the Rakhine state. Everything from marriage to education is restricted to permission.” But Nu, she said, somehow found a way to make it to the U.S. and pursue education.

And it’s an opportunity that he isn’t taking for granted.

“My dream is that I want to work for all of humanity... We have to fight for injustice everywhere, people are suffering everywhere,” Nu said. “So that is my call, to work for human rights, to work for all people.”

Physics and Astronomy club explores depths of the universe

BY JOE DARGAN Staff Writer Some people look to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars.

To the East Los Angeles College Physics and Astronomy Club, founded in 2010, the sky is an infinite source of information, a vast, ever-expanding playground that reveals its treasures to those who are dedicated.

“During our club meetings we try to show our club members everything about physics like experiments, demonstrations, seminars and talks,”Braulio Gomez, the club’s president, said.

“Off campus, we like to do things related to astronomy [as well]. We do these things called star parties where we hook up a bunch of telescopes out in the open and just show them off to the public.”

Due to the idiosyncratic journeys of the known heavenly bodies, the universe is not just an aesthetically pleasing display of light.

It can also be used as an instrument of measurement.

It can give scientists a chronological breakdown of Earth’s celestial history, but can also be used to accurately predict future events by tracking the movements of space inhabitants like comets, asteroids, meteors, stars and planets to name a few.

“During these Star Parties, we’ve seen planets and binary stars,” Gomez said. “Those are

cool things. The biggest thing we have ever done was we went to the Mt. Wilson Observatory and rented their 60-inch telescope for the night.

“The things we saw were amazing, man. Star clusters, nebulas, we saw a bunch of things.”

According to Webster’s dictionary, a star cluster is a relatively compact group of stars forming a gravitating unit and containing either not more than a few hundred stars or tens of thousands of stars.

A nebula represents any of numerous clouds of gas or dust in interstellar space.

Inspired by an astronomy hobby he shared with a few friends, Gomez joined the club a year ago.

He said that the stars had always fascinated him since he was young and he had always wondered what was out there.

The club has a little over 30 members, meets every Thursday in B1-103, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and students do not have to be members to attend.

The meetings usually begin with a powerpoint presentation informing members of upcoming events like seminars, Star Parties and current star news.

Many of its members feel like the group is closer to a family than a school-sanctioned organization.

“I signed up for the Administration of Justice Club and I felt like it was too big and very easy to get lost.

[The ELAC Physics and Astronomy Club] is a tight-knit close group.

“You get a chance to get to know more people. It has a comfortable feeling,” Rodrigo Vega, a current club board member, said.

Vega attended the Mount Wilson viewing event and said that the trip not only galvanized the club’s attendees, but it gave him an opportunity to get a glimpse of a star that shares the name Vega.

As a result, he now prefers to be called by his last name full-time.

“When I walked in, the first thing I said was ‘I’ve been looking for a group like this my entire student life.’ It was nice to find a spot on campus that felt like home,” Group member Martha “Marty” Villanueva said.

The ELAC Physics and Astronomy Club has held joint star parties with other clubs like the Priory of Biology and Chemistry (POBC) Club and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Club.

At the behest of the Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) Club, they will soon be joining forces with additional Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) clubs for future happenings.

ELAC students interested in any upcoming events can join the ELAC Physics and Astronomy Club at Mt. Wilson’s 100th Anniversary celebration on November 4.

Because the stars come out at night, the event will be held from 2 p.m. until after 2 a.m.

CN/JOE DARGAN

THE WORLD IS YOURS—East Los Angeles College Physics and Astronomy Club President Braulio Gomez takes a moment to admire planet Earth in the Library two weeks ago.

CN/NOE ORTEGA

A MOMENT AT REST—Laura Aceves takes a break from training for the Olympics at the track in Weingart Stadium.

Former Husky trains to represent Mexico in 2020 Tokyo Olympics

BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer Passion and dedication is what drives former East Los Angeles College student Laura Aceves who plans on representing Mexico by competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

“I feel confident, it’s a lot of work and I know there are a lot of athletes out there trying their best to make it, so it’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Aceves said. “I believe that I can do it. I have the talent and skills to do it and it’s going to be hard work everyday.”

Aceves came to the United States from Mexico when she was 18 years old with no past experience of being a runner or any involvement with another sport.

Aceves says that running was just a hobby that she developed for staying in shape but then turned into a dream that she one day hopes to fulfill.

To make it to the Olympics, Aceves first has to hit a time of 2:38 in the LA Marathon so that she can qualify for the Olympic trials.

To qualify for the Olympics, she must then rank top three in the Olympic Trials.

Aceves trains seven days a week with basic training like long distance running, aerobics and, about two times a week, she includes speed workouts.

In December she will focus on doing speed workouts. Aceves attended ELAC from 2013-2015.

In her two years as a Husky, she went to the California Community College Cross Country Championship finals and was voted Women’s South Coast Conference Athlete of the Year for two years.

“I really enjoyed my teammates, this school and my coaches,” Aceves

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said. They were very supportive and that’s something that I really like.”

She also received two AllAmerican recognitions for placing first in 2013 and for placing third in 2014 at the California Community College Cross Country Championship.

At the SCC, before the conference was split into two, Aceves outran every other SCC competitor.

Aceves praised her former coach Louis Ramirez who recruited her from Baldwin Park Adult School in 2013.

“He’s an amazing person, an amazing coach and he believed in me from the first day that I met him,” Aceves said. “He always believed that I could do more and

that I was capable of winning the state championship and telling me that you can be the best.”

After Aceves’ time in ELAC, she transferred to California State University, San Bernardino on an athletic scholarship and graduated this year with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology.

When Aceves lived in Mexico, she use to attend school and work as a server at the age of 15 because she wanted to be more independent.

Aceves was 18 when her parents decided to move to the U.S. where she found a job as a server.

Six months later, she signed up for English as a Second Language class at Mount San Antonio Community College.

ELAC’S

NINJA

WARRIOR COMING APRIL 2018

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

5

Fans, stars converge at Los Angeles Comic Con FRANK PORTILLO Staff Writer

The seventh annual Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con featured a star-studded lineup of celebrities and creators this past weekend, with the biggest being Dwyane “the Rock” Johnson.

Some attendees wore costumes of their favorite popular culture characters, shopped at the multiple vendors, met with some of their favorite creators and attended panels that took place throughout the weekend.

The convention, which is a relatively new one, attracts stars from various television shows and films.

This year included a diverse lineup of panels which were headlined by the “Jumanji” panel on Saturday, which feature Johnson and closed out the show.

Johnson came out on stage to screams of “Rocky, Rocky!” from audience members, who were tightly packed together. Several fans held up World Wrestling Federation belts and others were dressed as Johnson once did, with a black turtleneck and a fanny pack.

A tribute to the late Adam West, by filmmaker Kevin Smith and actor Ralph Garman, was another focus of a panel. The two were joined

by Burt Ward, who played Robin alongside West, and Lee Meriwether, who played Catwoman in the 1966 “Batman” film.

The Black Eyed Peas, minus Fergie, also had a panel on Saturday dedicated to their new graphic novel “Masters of the Sun,” which is being distributed

by Marvel. The rap group’s panel was hosted by actor Orlando Jones and featured surprise guest rappers Redman, Flavor Flav and actress Rosario Dawson.

Band leader Will.I.Am announced a partnership with Oculus to bring the graphic novel to life in virtual reality. They also demonstrated the augmented reality capabilities of the graphic novel, which feature animation, sound effects and voice

PHOTOS BY JORGE ALDACO, PHOTO COLLAGE BY STEVEN ADAMO

actors as well as music when it’s read with a phone.

Other panels included a reunion of the original “Powerpuff Girls” cast, a reunion of the “Sabrina: The Teenage Witch” cast and a talk with Drew Carey, who was honored as the 2017

comedy legend.

Aside from the panels, attendees also got the opportunity to meet and conversate with some of their favorite creators in popular culture. Butch Hartman, creator of kid’s shows such as “The Fairly Oddparents”

and “Danny Phantom” attracted a large line of fans. Hartman offered to draw any of his iconic characters for $20, with the money being donated to charity.

Fans of Harman’s work, like attendee Robert Hien, were shocked at

the bargain. “Going to conventions like this, it’s very rare to see the creator (of a property) offer to draw his characters for so cheap. Usually, creators charge over $100 for something like this,” said Hien, who asked Hartman for a drawing of the “Fairly Oddparents’”

three main characters.

At the convention, Hot Topic released exclusive merchandise only obtainable at the convention.

Those interested in attending next year can visit www.stanleeslacomiccon.com.

Stranger Things 2 leaves fans guessing interesting new ones.

The character of Bob, played by “The Goonies” actor Sean Astin, “Stranger Things 2” both pleased brought mixed feelings. His nerdand shocked fans by expanding like humor and slight annoyance and darkening the world inside the had the potential to make him a series. good guy, bad guy, or textbook Creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, victim that gets swept under the rug.

AKA the Duffer Brothers, delivered Eleven’s (Millie Bobby Brown) a satisfactory second season with story expands and deepens to the much material worth discussing, point where fans even hope for a from racism to Post Traumatic Stress spin-off series. The introduction Disorder (PTSD). The season’s plot of the new characters opens more was supported with amazing special doors and questions for the series. effects and left viewers analyzing A few things that the season each episode. could have done without were the Though there were a few predictability and teasers. references to season one, the writers, The chemistry between Joyce luckily didn’t milk anything too and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) hard. The humor was as good as ever is obvious but seemed like the and the performance by such young writers want them to be an item actors was phenomenal. Neither that fans have to wait years for. The were too overdone or took away love triangle like the one between from any serious Nancy (Natalia scenes. “Stranger Dyer), Steve (Joe Things 2” had the Keery), and Jonathan perfect balance of (Charlie Heaton) each element. has been seen many The season times. Though focuses on Will Steve’s character Byers (Noah development was Schnapp), almost a surprise, other a year after he was factors and outcomes rescued from the were not.

Upside-Down.

Nothing was more In the show, he annoying than the is diagnosed with constant dangling of PTSD and his PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX certain hopes. The friends and family writers dragged out the obvious struggle to find the best way to and inevitable event just for no real deal with it. Will’s mother Joyce reason other than to tease viewers.

(Winona Ryder) struggles the most, Though the season finale left as she seems to have trauma issues viewers content, there are too as well. many questions left unanswered Each episode becomes more and problems to resolve to assume sinister. A few scenes even turn the characters won’t have more the show from science fiction to problems coming soon. paranormal horror.

With an 8.9/10 rating on the Some of the best things about this International Movie Database season are the fact that the show (IMDb) and a 96 percent on Rotten begins to focus more on secondary Tomatoes, the Netflix’s original characters and the new alliances formed by them. It gives most series already has a huge fan base of its characters big personality and will, no doubt, one day be a developments and introduces cult classic.

MELODY ORTIZ Staff Writer

CN/JOE DARGAN

TRADING FACES— Richard Vocal, a vendor at the Anarchist Book Fair, displaying his “subversive truth trading cards” set.

Despite protest, bookfair carries on JOE DARGAN Staff Writer

The Anarchist Book Fair went from a peaceful exhibition of free speech, to a chaotic, verbal clash between white vendors and black community activists in Leimert Park on Saturday.

The fair was a result of a collaboration between the Anarchist Bookfair Collective, an independent group of writers, publishers and activists promoting peace through dialogue and the Chaos network, a broadcasting and media company created by long time community member Ben Caldwell, geared towards giving inner-city youths alternative activities.

“This was to give cultural understanding on how different cultures think. These people are out-of-the-box writers of things like zines and political issues.There are also workshops for everybody, but attendees are mostly writers. ” Caldwell said. This was the first year the event was held in Leimert Park.

As vendors set up their tables and put their materials on display, disgruntled community members began to gather a short distance away.

“We look at people as human beings. We know everybody has

an ethnic background and cultural point of view but, primarily, they are human beings and deserve dignity and respect on that basis alone.”

Richard Vocal, a member of the collective who promoted unique items like subversive truth trading cards that donned the African American faces of people like Angela Davis and Fred Hammond, said.

Two hours into the event, the low-level rumbles of discord coming from the crowd of activists, including some who referred to themselves as Black Panthers, become a loud wave of screams impossible to ignore. They were saying things like, “We don’t want what yall selling” and “Stop taking advantage of the black community,” as one woman waved around an anti-white news publication.

As the angry roars intensified, a young black man and an older black woman with dreadlocks emerged from the crown of around 20 protesters. The two descended upon a vendor who couldn’t take it anymore and decided to pack up her things and go.

The small black woman took the lead as she confronted a woman named Burchett selling books (with the exception of Caldwell and Vocal, most vendors and organizers

chose not to give a last name) with a verbal barrage of anti-white sentiment.

She berated the woman, saying things like “Get out,” “Don’t just take from the community, give to the community” and “F’ them books. You should go and read about black people,” while the guy stood guard. The two were eventually convinced to step away and calm down by a woman from the group of protesters named Gyasi Imhotep. Though tempers flared, no one resorted to physical violence.

“There is a lot of homelessness here. There is a lot of hungry people here and we feed them everyday.

We feed them and clothe them and we don’t see anyone that’s Caucasian helping out. Then, when we see you come here vending and promoting, we’re like wait a minute. You’re taking from us, but you’re not putting back,” Imhotep, a community member of 14 years, said.

At the height of the commotion, a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter briefly circled the event, prompting the disbursement of the crowd. When the smoke cleared, the protesters were gone, but so were half of the vendors.

“I don’t think that a few big-mouth people represent a community,” said

Vocal on why he chose to stay and see the event through.

“You guys are doing something for the neighborhood. They have no right to come and tell somebody to leave off of the sidewalk,” Anthony Cotton, a black community member who agreed with Vocal, said.

After an hour of unrest, the fair regained normalcy. People began to visit vendor’s tables again and the workshops carried on without a hitch.

“I’m personally sad because I really wanted to engage the community and have a conversation that could lead to something better for the people. Myself, Caldwell and James Burks, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural affairs, had a meeting with some community members and politicians and let them know what was gonna go down. I had friends that told me ‘you need to engage in the community’ and I think we could have been stronger in terms of really reaching out and seeing what specific issues lie here. Yes, I can say I take the blame for what happened here,” Elias, an event organizer who didn’t want to give a last name, said.

Go to www.la.anarchistbookfair. com to learn more about the philosophy of the collective and any upcoming events.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

6

SPORTS

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

Huskies destroy West Los Angeles College on Alumni Night

BY JOE DARGAN Staff Writer

Along with the fun night of food and drinks, the Football team extended its winning streak to three.

ELAC defeated divisional rival West Los Angeles College 35-17 on Alumni Night in the final home game of the season.

Before the game began the Alumni Association hosted its inaugural pre-game watch party at the ELAC Garden to give previous East Los Angeles College attendees a unique game-viewing experience.

The ELAC Garden is a concourse overlooking the field, underneath the scoreboard, designed for entertaining guests.

For an entrance fee of $40, ELAC alumni were not only treated to an extraordinary view of the football field for the upcoming game against divisional rival, West Los Angeles College, but was also provided with unlimited food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages.

“The food is excellent. The seasoning is just right. I’m about to go and get seconds.” Phillip Valdovinos, a 2017 graduate said.

When the sounds of Javier Soles wasn’t playing through the speakers, guests were presented with multiple performers.

Sarah Silva, 14, sung “The National Anthem”, followed by Ellie Hernandez ,14, who song “America the Beautiful”.

At halftime, the girls sang a couple of pop classics and Jorge Arian, 15, covered “La Bamba” and other Latin classics.

“The ELAC Garden gives the school a more classy touch. It makes you feel proud to come back to your school and see that it’s progressing. Because I grew up in this neighborhood, I feel closer to my community college than the university that I attended,” Claudia Garcia, a 2015 graduate, said.

CN/MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ

GET OFF ME—Sophomore running back Nicholas Hudson carries a West Los Angeles defender along for the ride after the initial contact in Saturday’s win at Weingart Stadium.

Because of the recent Los Angeles Dodgers hysteria, the Alumni Association also provided a 100-inch projector screen for the purpose of live-streaming game four of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Houston Astros.

Throughout the night, attendance fluctuated as guests came and went.

“We wanted to kick off our first Alumni Association with a bang.

Because we just started a few months ago, we wanted to bring awareness to the Alumni Association and bring more team acknowledgement.”

Lynette Dolatre, event organizer and Alumni Association member said.

At the the start of the game both teams struggled to find a rhythm After a series of drives that ended

in punts for both sides. ELAC failed to move the chains on third down again. Electing to go for another punt, a bad snap sent the ball sailing over the kicker’s head.

The mishap gave West L.A. the ball 15 yards from the goal line.

Fortunately for the Huskies, two plays later, sophomore defensive back Trevon Bordrick intercepted a pass from West L.A. quarterback Rasheed Cox in the end zone to save ELAC from a touchdown.

With a minute and a half to go in the first quarter freshman quarterback Philip Tran threw an interception to West L.A cornerback Chris Agee who returned the ball 20 yards to ELAC’s 26-yard line. After a failed rush attempt by Cox that

BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA

Freshman midfielder Edy Martinez uses his hands to keep the defender at bay in Friday’s loss to Mount San Antonio College.

Staff Writer

CN/ANASTASIA LANDEROS

Team lacks consistency in key moments Staff Writer

A defensive lapse in the second half left men’s soccer short of a victory against Mount San Antonio College, resulting in a 3-0 lost on Friday.

East Los Angeles College began the game strong, beating Mt. Sac in quickness at moments in the wings.

Defensive errors however, distorted ELAC’s flow and Mt. Sac took advantage.

In minute 28 of the game, Mt.Sac sophomore midfielder Sam Ponting took the ball from the right wing to have a one-on-one encounter with ELAC sophomore goalkeeper Joshua Moreno, but gave a pass to freshman forward Jose Santoyo, who was alone, to score.

“It was a very competitive first half. ELAC did a very good job defensively. We were forced to get that goal. I don't know if they got tired, but that gave us more opportunities to score,” Mt.Sac head coach Juan Sanchez said.

Mt. Sac almost scored its second goal a fews minutes later from a

L.A., Tran went 7-8, passing on an 89-yard drive that resulted in a 20-yard rushing score for Kameron Johnson.

The score was 15-3 after a successful point-after try by freshman kicker Hector Gomez.

West L.A. took possession of the football with just over a minute left in the second quarter, but was unable to score before the half.

The Huskies’ defense stuck close to their assignments, not allowing any big plays.

ELAC began the second half with a 55-yard kickoff return by Toure Wallace, placing the team on West L.A.’s 22-yard line.

Four plays later, sophomore wide receiver Kenny Allen made a

Saturday nights, family affair

AT ARMS LENGTH—

BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA

included a fumble and recovery by West L.A., the first quarter ended 0-0.

Agee’s interception eventually paid off when West L.A. kicker John Riggs kicked a 35-yard field goal in the first two minutes of the second quarter, giving West L.A. the lead 3-0. On the Huskies’ next drive, running back Lavell Thompson ran the ball four times in seven plays, contributing 40 yards on the way to a 1-yard punch-in by MosleyLaughlin.

The rushing touchdown made the score 8-3 in favor of ELAC, after a dropped point-after snap was picked up by the holder and ran in for a two-point conversion.

After a failed drive for West

line-straddling catch in the back of the endzone on a pass from Tran, despite the ball being deflected in the air by a West L.A. defender.

“When I saw the ball go up in the air, my first thought was ‘touchdown’,” Allen said in regards to the tipped-ball catch.

After a made point-after kick by Gomez, the score was 22-3.

“Due to the bi-week, we played with a little rust to start the game.

We definitely didn’t play up to our standards. I’m just glad we got it together,” Tran said after the game.

While West L.A. continued to struggle throughout the period, ELAC kept its foot on the gas, scoring rushing touchdowns on its next two possessions.

Like the first, the Huskies’ defense held West L.A. scoreless in the third quarter.

The scoreboard read 35-3, with the Huskies in the lead.

After making two consecutive stops on defense to start the fourth quarter, West L.A.’s offense showed signs of life.

Cox connected with wide receiver Michael Evans for a 71-yard passing touchdown and connected with wide receiver Shannon Miller for a 10-yard touchdown pass on consecutive drives. That score was 35-17 after successful point-after kicks by Riggs.

With five minutes to go, Coach Bobby Godinez put freshman quarterback Paul Herrera in for Tran. Both teams went scoreless for the remainder of the game resulting in a final score of 35-17 in favor of ELAC. “This was a good game against a well-coached team, but we have to beat Pasadena [City College].

That’s another rivalry that may be bigger than West [L.A.]. We need to beat them to have any chance at a conference championship. We have to beat them and they have to beat us,” coach Godinez said after the game.

The Huskies will be in action on Saturday at division rival, Pasadena City College at 6 p.m.

defensive error by ELAC freshman midfielder Jose Abel Mancilla Tinoco. Mt.Sac freshman midfielder Kraig Bonanken recovered the ball and passed it to Ponting to score, but the attempt failed.

“It's those moment where you have a lapse, when the temple changes. But I thought we did good in the first half,” ELAC head coach Eddie Flores said.

The Huskies have lost games in the same fashion previously, which players consider to be unlucky.

“I guess that's just our luck. I feel like we’ve just been very unlucky.

We have the team to go very far and do well, but luck hasn't been on our side,” ELAC sophomore forward Edward Robles said.

In minute 52, Santoyo scored Mt.Sac’s second goal off of a deflection. Santoyo scored the third goal for a hat trick.

ELAC made some substitution that slightly woke up the offense.

ELAC sophomore winger Luis Alvarado was subbed in, creating more offensive opportunities for the Huskies.

In minute 72, in a corner kick by Robles, ELAC freshman midfielder Edy Martinez passed the ball to Alvarado to score, but Mt. Sac sophomore goalkeeper Edwyn Gutierrez blocked the shot.

“Not scoring in correct moments is still haunting us. I don't think we had a bad game. I think we had a good game,” ELAC assistant coach Ricardo Raygoza said.

Toward the end of the game, Mt. Sac had several shots on goal, some of which were blocked by Moreno, surprising a disorganized ELAC defense.

According to Raygoza and Robles, the game's final score doesn't reflect on the team’s performance throughout the game.

“The score doesn't do us justice on how we played. We did pretty good,” Robles said.

ELAC won Rio Hondo College 2-1 yesterday on an away game They now move to second place of the South Coast-North Conference.

The Huskies next game is on Friday at home against Pasedena City College at 2 p.m.

Every weekend since August, freshman quarterback Phillip Tran’s family hasn’t minded driving six hours from San Jose to Los Angeles to attend his football games.

“The traveling never crossed my mind. It’s a matter of being there no matter where my son is. I will give up anything to not miss any of his games,” Phillip’s father Nathan said.

The Tran family decided to devote every weekend of the football season to see Phillip play. Nathan and his family leave San Jose Friday nights and drive back Sunday mornings.

Phillip said it’s a special feeling to have his family in the stands during his games. As a kid, that wasn’t always case. His family couldn’t watch him play as often due to his father’s battle with cancer.

“I remember I was one of the kids who didn’t have their parents in the stands. For the little league games and the practices, my mom would take me, but sometime she had to take care of my dad. I matured in that time and football help me through it,” Phillip said.

Football became an important part of Phillip’s after it helped him overcome tough moments.

Phillip was 8 years old when his father began his battle with cancer.

He said football was an escape from the hardship he encounter in life at the time.

“I started to play football during the time my dad had cancer. It was kind of a way for me to let my emotions out while my dad was sick,” Phillip said.

Though Phillip used football as an emotional outlet then, eventually it developed into his passion.

“Football helped him overcome his fear of losing his dad. Now he doesn’t give up easily because football is his passion. His dad was there for him, even when he was sick, he was watching him play,” Phillip’s mother Haena said.

Nathan said that it’s more important to him that Phillip be a good person rather than a good football player.

“One reason why I adore him is because he’s an amazing person and he just happens to be a football player, which happens to be less important,” Nathan said.

Haena said that going through adversity in life made Phillip a stronger person and as a result, he knows how to cope with tough situations.

During a football game against Antelope Valley College, Phillip

had to leave the game because he dislocated his shoulder. However, he started the following game against San Diego Mesa College.

Haena said it doesn’t surprise her that Phillip was able to heal from the injury quickly because he is strong.

“When that happened I was thinking ‘Man, I came all the way out here [from San Jose] just for that to happen.’ I just knew I had to recover fast. I told the physical trainer I had to play the next game.

I recovered fast and I ended up playing the following week,” Phillip said.

Football head coach Bobby Godinez said Phillip’s recovery shows that he a strong player and person.

“He’s a tough and resilient player.

He’s going to do what he wants in his life because of the resilience that he has not just off the field, but in school. He’s going to be a success story regardless of how he does on the field,” Godinez said.

Nathan said it is never surprising to him to see his son comeback from any problem he faces.

“It’s doesn’t surprise me at all.

He’s an unselfish person. He puts the team before himself. There was no way he was going to be kept from playing the following week,” Nathan said.

CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA

ALL IN THE FAMILY—Freshman quarterback Phillip Tran enjoying Saturday night’s victory with his family at Weingart Stadium.

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