Volume 76, Issue 2
Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, September 19, 2018 PHOTO BY DIEGO LINARES PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
www.elaccampusnews.com
BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer Guadalupe Rosales opened her new exhibit, “Echoes of A Collective Memory,” at The Vincent Price Art Museum Saturday. The event extended beyond VPAM as NU MINIS, VW Clan and Lady Volks parked their cars in between S1 and S2. “Echoes of a Collective Memory” contains a collection of symbolic artifacts and photographs that represent what the ‘90s youth culture of Latino/a’s in the Los Angeles area was like. “Thinking about the past is important for nostalgia and reminiscing but also to reflect on it,” said Rosales. Rosales founded and operates two Instagram accounts: “Veteranas & Rucas,” a visual archive for the lives of Latina women in Southern California, and “Map Pointz,” an archive for the party crew scene. In this exhibit, she has brought her archives to life. Rosales has made a name and a career for herself by archiving the experiences of others like herself. “Remembering the past helps me understand the present and prepare for the future,” Rosales said. The exhibit is set in the ‘90s party scene. Rosales’ intention is to give visitors an immersive experience by putting them directly in a ‘90s warehouse party. Rosales sets the atmosphere with bass-heavy dance music and neon-colored lights that paint the room blue. Before entering the exhibit, there is an interactive payphone by the door that, when picked up, will play a real audio recording from the ‘90s that guides visitors to a party, which the exhibit represents. Rosales gives these instructions, “Pick up the phone and see where the next party is taking place at and wait for your friends to pick you up. Mostly ‘lapping it’ and with so much happening this weekend you’ll be hitting up multiple parties or cruise down the boulevard.” Rebeca Vega, curatorial assistant and registrar at VPAM, explained that in the ‘90s, young people shared directions to parties called “map points,” through voicemails
“Remembering the past helps me understand the present and prepare for the future.” GUADALUPE ROSALES Artist
on telephone numbers connected to pagers, referred to as “party lines.” These telephone numbers were found on flyers that circulated throughout Southern California in the ‘90s. A wall of these flyers can be found inside. Vega said that it was amazing these flyers are here today because they were meant to be used only once, for the purposes of informing people about what “party
line” to call, who was hosting the event and when it took place. Each flyer is unique and some flyers are just hand drawn maps to the party. The wall of flyers also has colorful abstract posters on it that, in the ‘90s, would line the walls of warehouse parties. When coupled with neon lights, these posters would create a visual experience that would add an extra layer to the vibe of the ‘90s party scene. One of the most personal works in the exhibit is the altar Rosales has dedicated to her cousin, Ever M. Sanchez, who died because of gang violence. Visitors are given a glimpse into the everyday lives of young Latina women with a collaged mural of photographs called “Latinas
Mapping the City.” The mural contains pictures of young women posing all around Southern California from 1994 to 1998. Rosales combines the party scene with the more personal backdrop of a teenage bedroom. She placed a beaded necklace with a pager attached to it, something a young woman would have in her bedroom. In the center of the exhibit are two “gogo boxes,” which Vega says were used for girls or couples to dance on. These “gogo boxes” are lined with party flyers but also have private items sitting upon them such as magazines, letters, a framed
photograph and materials a young woman would need to get ready to go out. She also put out a collection of party crew hats. These hats have the names of different party crews on them. Rosales made practical use of her art as well by placing mirrors and cruiser’s sunglasses on and around a projector playing a video compilation of actual warehouse parties like the one the artist is recreating. The video is over 4 minutes long and many people who attended the event experienced the ‘90s party
scene first-hand. “Sometimes, with 3-way calling, several friends would just talk a lot of crap to each other,” said Elizabeth Gonzales, an attendee of the exhibit who used “party lines” in the ‘90s. “It was a thing to do. We didn’t have social media or the internet, it was something to pass the time.” “Echoes of a Collective Memory” will be on display until Jan. 19. Admission is free and the exhibit is open to the public.
Health Center helps minimize student health issues Partnership with Strong Villages allows free vision screenings
Comfort zone for LGBTQ+ students provided on campus
BY ANDREW AYALA
BY ANASTASIA LANDEROS
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
The East Los Angeles College Student Health Center held a free vision screening and gave out eye glasses to students Thursday in F5209. The event was organized by the Student Health Center and a partner organization called Strong Villages. This organization holds vision screenings in multiple countries throughout the world. “We love ELAC. Everyone here is great and we even have volunteers from ELAC helping out as much as they can,” said Lynn Bealer Co-Founder of Strong Villages. The screening consists of four steps in which students both get their eyes checked and can get a pair of eyeglasses or lenses for free. “This is the fourth or fifth time time ELAC has offered this since May of 2018. If you can’t see how can you study? Students are already dealing with a number of challenges and we don’t want vision to be another one,” said
News Briefs
Cecilia Cruz, Student Health Center coordinator. The event tries to serve between 75 to 80 students and recommends them to get there as early as possible due to time restrictions and limited space. This time around, they had a total of 95 people who were able to sign up. The people giving the screenings are second-year optometry students and doctors from Western University. “This helps the students at this college and it is also good experience for our students as well. It also assists those who don’t have access to eye care, get some sort of eye care. It is not a full examination, but it is still something,” said Dr. Philip Kwok from Western University. “Since I’m paying the health fee, I might as well use the services that the school offers,” said ELAC student Paul Rodriguez. The next vision screening will be held sometime next month.
The Student Health Center will host the LGBTQ+ & Questioning Student Discussion Group once a month in F5-211 from noon to 1 p.m. The group, started by Student Health Center Coordinator Cecilia Cruz in spring 2017, aims to connect LGBTQ+ and questioning students with each other. “Although I am the facilitator, my goal is to encourage students to talk to each other rather than to me,” said Cruz. She said that she started the group because when she arrived on campus in December 2006, there were no LGBTQ+ community gathering events. “I wanted to create a space where LGBTQ+ students could come together regularly to create community, feel supported and talk about anything they want to talk about,” said Cruz. Although time is limited during the hour-long discussion, Cruz said she lets student know about on-and-
off campus resources as much as possible. “I believe that knowing that resources and support exist, and having a safe space to talk with peers, is important to our students’ well-being and sense of belonging, which ultimately contributes to their academic success and overall success in life,” Cruz said. The LGBTQ+ & Questioning student discussion group will meet for the first time this semester on Sept. 26. The group will also meet Oct. 30 and Nov. 28. Food will be provided to participants and no RSVP is required. “It can be a great feeling to look around a table or room and know that everyone, or most of the people there, are LGBTQ+ and can relate to what you’re going through in a personal way,” said Cruz. For more information on the LGBTQ+ & Questioning Student Discussion Group, contact Cruz at Cruzc3@elac.edu.
Free HIV Testing
Free HIV testing was held on Thursday Sept 13, between 1-5 p.m. at a van parked outside the library. Testing will continue on Wednesday September 26, between 11a.m.-3 p.m. at a van parked outside the library
CalFresh
Students who qualify for CalFresh will receive a debit card to buy groceries. Information and sign-ups are on Tuesday September 18, between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., at the F5 patio near Grab-n-Go and the Bookstore.
Correction:
Share thoughts about law enforcement
Movie Night at ELAC
In last week’s issue, the story “Wrestling team remembers former Elan,” said Joshua Newman died on August 25. He died on August 5 at the age of 25.
The Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission is holding a town hall meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. Topics include Immigration policy, bail reforms and more. RSVP at http://9-20-townhall.eventbrite.com
ELAC safezone presents a free screening of “Harvest of Empire: The untold story of Latinos living in the U.S.” at 6 p.m. on September 27 at the S1 Lecture Hall 112.