Volume 78, Issue 12 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, December 9, 2020 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Down to five finalists for ELAC’s new president BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer The five finalists being considered for the position of East Los Angeles College president introduced themselves to the ELAC community via Zoom on Friday and shared their thoughts on how they would handle the transition to in person classes when the time comes. Cynthia Azari, Ph.D., has worked in public education for more than 30 years. She led Oxnard College, Fresno City College and Butler County Community College in Butler, Philadelphia as president. She’s also had other leadership roles including that of Vice C h a n c e l l o r f o r Wo r k f o r c e Development and Education Services at State Center Community College District in Fresno. “For most of my career, almost 30 years, I’ve worked in community colleges because I understand the value of community college,” Azari said. “I know what a difference we make in the lives of people every day. We give people a second chance, we give people with limited resources the opportunity to pursue a college education and we provide valuable support services that our students need in order to be successful.” Azari said she was impressed by ELAC’s commitment to its mission statement which emphasizes student success. She said her experience as president of other colleges qualifies her to lead ELAC, and that her upbringing lets her relate to its students on a personal level. Azari and her parents were migrant

Dr. Juan Avalos farm workers in Central California where she spent her childhood, and she’s a first generation college graduate. Azari said she would seek to work closely with city officials to ensure safety guidelines are followed when the time to transition to in person classes comes. “We will want to work closely with city officials so that our students can have access to a vaccine when that’s available, we’ll have to continue to provide testing.” Robert Frost, Ph.D., focuses on college-community partnerships. He’s worked in California, Oregon and Midwestern states as a tenured community college and university professor, dean, vice president of both academic and student services as well as college president. Frost has served on national and international nonprofit education boards to improve social and educational equity for community college students.

Dr. Cynthia Azari He led intercultural programs for four years in South America and Mexico as a Spanish and Humanities professor. “I see ELAC as having great potential as both a national and international leader with the programs started by Marvin Martinez and other past presidents,” Frost said. “ELAC is poised to lead at a national level in arts in education, but also in how we transform our ideas about equity into practical activities that promote student success.” Frost said he hopes to be able to improve and expand on ELAC’s relationship with the community it serves, which he says is already strong. He also said he shares similar personnel experiences with a large number of ELAC students who have to work to pay for their education.

Dr. Robert Frost “I threw papers as a boy, and I even worked in a steel refinery much like Shultz here on the Eastside to pay for my education, so I understand what community college students go through,” Frost said. He said he would not only take into consideration the opinions of medical experts when the time comes to transition to in person classes, but also consult with the college community about the best approach for the transition. Alberto Roman, PH.D is ELAC’s current etirm president and has 19 years of experience in the publicschool system as a classified employee, faculty member and administrator. He’s also worked as director of human resources and an assistant superintendent. Roman is a first-generation

Dr. Alberto J. Román college graduate who immigrated to the U.S. at a young age. “I think my personal experience as a student, as an educator and administrator gives a unique perspective that will promote collaborative work,” Roman said. He said ELAC has stepped up during the pandemic to ensure its students continue to thrive despite the challenges and hopes to continue leading the college as its next president. Juan Avalos, Ph.D., currently works as Vice President of Student Services at Saddleback College and has 27 years of cumulative experience. He also serves on the board of directors of the California Community College Athletics Association. Avalos is a

Dr. Christopher Villa South Los Angeles native and was raised in a low-income, immigrant family household where he said he “learned about the importance of education, hard work, pursuing your dreams and being of service to the community.” Christopher Villa, Ph.D., is a native of East Los Angeles. He served as campus president at Portland Community College-Rock Creek where he focused on creating partnerships with community representatives from business, community-based organizations, k-12 schools and universities. For more information please visit http://elaccampusnews.com.

Campus raises concerns after police cut ties BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer

COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES TIMES

Chicano Moratorium, Salazar highlight LA civil rights fight BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer Over the weekend, the California Chicano News Media Association held the Zoom event “#2020Salazar” that focused on the life and legacy of Chicano Activist and Journalist Ruben Salazar. When the civil rights movement is mentioned, most people think of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and Rosa Parks. However, they were not the only people of color fighting for their rights. During the ‘60s, many Chicanos were protesting against police brutality, poor treatment in schools (sometimes being disciplined for simply speaking Spanish), and much more. Eventually, on Aug.29, 1970, a new protest took place with Chicanos on the front line against the Vietnam War after numbers in deaths among brown folks

News Briefs

revealed Chicanos were dying at two times the rate of other ethnicities. This protest became known as the Chicano Moratorium, and what was meant to be a peaceful event, left many injured and a dedicated journalist dead. During the moratorium, Sheriff’s were called and began dispersing the crowds with batons and force. As the crowds ran off, attempting to escape any violence from law enforcement, Salazar was there to cover the event for the L.A. Times. Witnesses from the event have recalled seeing Salazar resting inside the Silver Dollar Bar once the protest became violent. Salazar was killed after a teargas projectile was shot into the bar by a deputy who was going after a crowd who went into the bar. The tear-gas projectile hit Salazar in the head and he is said to have died instantly. The #2020Salazar event not only spoke about the late journalist but also about the Chicano Moratorium project the L.A. Times published

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in August for its 50th anniversary. Editors, writers and designers all discussed how they came up with ideas on the layouts and the direction they decided to go in in creating the piece. Many of the panelists described meeting many people who had never heard of the Chicano Moratorium while in school. In fact, many who wish to learn this side of history must do so by enrolling in Chicano Studies courses offered at community colleges or universities. Designers also went over how art was chosen, as well as how one can self-print their own posters from the many art pieces displayed in the project. To view the Chicano Moratorium project, go to https://www.latimes. com/projects/chicano-moratorium/. Other panelists who were invited to the Zoom event were Cecilia Vega, senior White House correspondent for ABC News, and recently named "Latina Journalist of the Year" by CCNMA, Jennifer Medina with the New York Times,

Parent and Community Engagement Unit and Family and Community Engagement Services will host a webinar to learn how to start early to ensure acceptance and obtain two free tuition years. It is on Dec.11 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information visit ELAC FACES’ instagram page.

Both women spoke about their experiences as Latinas working the 2020 presidential campaign. Vega went over how it felt being mocked by President Trump during a press conference in 2018, as well as why she felt she needed to be out there as a voice for Latinos. Medina discussed how much she learned regarding how diverse Latino voters could be, including how many Latino groups are in favor of Trump despite how many are not. Overall, the event focused on empowering the Latino community and reminding folks of how far we have come, but also how much more work is needed. The event culminated with the Ruben Salazar Awards, which awards journalists who contribute to a better understanding of Latinos through their journalism work. Categories include print, digital, and TV/Radio. Former Editor In Chief for Campus News, Dorany Pineda, was a finalist.

Reminder for Graduation

Recent break-ins and vandalism at East Los Angeles College leave many worried about campus safety now that the Los Angeles Community College District and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will be cutting ties. On Nov. 13, it was announced that the long-standing contract between LACCD and LASD would come to an end on Dec. 31. According to the press release by LACCD, a new temporary safety and security service contract for all nine college campuses is being sought, however, many are wondering when that will take place and through who. “At some point in time soon, there will need to be a new contract, short-term, for District public safety needs that the Board will have to approve. Something will need to happen between now and Dec. 31,” said William H. Boyer, Director of Communications & External Relations for LACCD. The recent break-ins were first reported by Vice President of Administrative Services, Myeshia Armstrong. Campus News reached out to her for comment on the vandalism but no response. Although the suspect was caught and arrested, what will happen once there is no police presence on campus? Another major inquiry surrounds the cadets who help patrol the college campuses. Cadets are students with hopes of one day joining law enforcement. The cadets work part-time as student workers on campuses. Their duties include safety services, escort services, law enforcement police desk operations, public relations,

Fall graduation petition deadline is on Dec. 11. In order to file a Fall 2020 graduation petition, make an appointment with an academic counselor. Appointments are open every Friday at 8 a.m.

Holidays with Vets

parking enforcement, and much more. A big concern is that cadets will no longer be able to continue with this role once LASD is no longer in contract with LACCD. Tension between the public and law enforcement has been higher recently after a massive wave of protests occurred across the country. The protests demanded change over police brutality against minorities, specifically AfricanAmerican men. The death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd on May 25 of this year sparked a huge uproar. Floyd, an African-American man, died at the hands of a white police officer. Protests led to many Americans asking for police to be defunded. It's unknown how much of a factor these events played on the inability for both LACCD and LASD to come to an agreement on a new contract. Interim President Dr. Alberto Roman said employees and students, beginning in January, a new temporary security company will take over once LASD is no longer working with LACCD. A Request For Proposal will be the manner in which LACCD will seek a new contract for security on all nine campuses. R F P ’s a l l o w m u l t i p l e companies to place bids for the contract, leaving the LACCD to decide which route they wish to take. This means even LASD can put in their own bid for the same contract that is coming to an end soon. As far as campus cadets, Roman said cadets are employees of the LACCD and there is no interest in getting rid of their services. “Our number one priority is the security of our employees, our students, and securing our buildings,” Roman said.

East Los Angeles College Veterans Resource Center is inviting students to Holidays with the VRC on December 18 at 5 p.m. Christmas sweater contest, games, and prizes open to all current and former military connected Huskies. Zoom ID: 962 0602 9648

Opinion House of Reps bill decriminalizes cannibis 2

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020

BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer

The House of Representatives passed a bill decriminalizing cannabis as a schedule 1 drug Friday, separating it from drugs like heroin. Although it’s an important step, it is only the first of many steps. In a report released by the Tax Foundation in June, it found that within the previous 30 days, 10.5 percent of adult Americans used Cannabis products, with 70% using nearly daily. If you’re not smoking it, there’s a good chance you know somebody who is. Even our abuelitas know that it’s okay to use as their arthritis cream. Which is why those who have completed their prison sentence for cannabis-related charges should have those charges expunged from their records, one of the items addressed in the House bill. Even though 68% of the

United States thinks it should be legalized, the Senate is expected to stall the bill in typical style. Marijuana Business Daily estimates that the legal cannabis industry is worth between $11 billion and $13.7 billion, with California alone expected to make $350 million per month on the taxes alone. People are buying it, using it and profiting off of it while many people can’t get jobs because they were caught with a joint or maybe sold some to a friend. Decriminalizing cannabis and removing its schedule 1 status will stop a lot of problems from continuing and help prevent further complications of old problems working exactly as they were designed to. It would allow scientists to conduct broader research, allow businesses to use banks rather than cash— leaving them less susceptible to robbery. “Federal drug classification” sounds like a boring subject, but like other mundane phrases

found in our laws, it has a serious impact on the daily lives of so many people, including some students at ELAC. Groups at ELAC like the Students Against Substance Abuse share many resources available on campus to those who have cannabis-related charges against them. Programs that extend education on ELAC to the prison populations and bridge the gap. With more tax revenue coming to the state, it’s important that those whose lives were impacted the most by Marijuana prohibition should be the first to receive the benefits. With the billions of new tax revenue coming to the state, it is important that we use that money to fund all the things that we’re always told is too expensive. Like the booming brewery industry, the cannabis industry can teach a lot of new skills to those who are seeking to better their lives and situations.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Juan Cavillo MANAGING EDITOR Luis Castilla FRONT EDITOR Erica Cortes OPINION EDITOR Daniella Molina NEWS EDITOR Jonathan Bermudez FEATURE EDITOR Melvin Bui CN/DANIELLA MOLINA

Minors to be allowed rights of consent despite anti-vaxxer guardians BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer

During times of a major pandemic where immunization is key, minors should have a role in declaring whether or not to take a vaccine. Last year, councilwoman Mary Cheh introduced a bill to Washington D.C. called the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2019 in response to a measles outbreak. The bill would allow children as young as 11 to be able to give legal consent to receive a vaccination that their parents opted out of because of religion or other reasons. Medical providers would be the ones making the judgement on whether or not the minor is mature enough to make the decision. Minors are considered capable if they understand the need for medical care and the risks that come

with treatment. Also, minors will not just be given random vaccines, they’ll be presented with vaccines that are recommended for their age group, like the measles vaccine. Parents who continue to opt out of vaccinating their children are not only putting in danger their children, but as well as the population of people they encounter on a day-to-day basis. Anti-vaxxers mostly consist of conservatives and many of them are the ones pressuring governments for their children to go back to school. But with a COVID-19 vaccine closely approaching, most of these parents have already expressed their rejection of it. If their children don’t get it, then they should not be allowed to go back to school. A l arge inf luence in t he denial of vaccines comes from misinformation anti-vaxxers have

spread using social media. A Facebook post by a user named Rae Grayham went viral in a video which claimed a project engineer, who made a microchip that will soon be implemented along with the COVID-19 vaccine and warns us not to take it. Pe ople forget how e asi ly influenced others are by social media and this ends up with them making serious decisions off of a Facebook post. It’s unfortunate that those with children refuse to take the time to look at scientific facts in order to make the best choices for their young ones. If parents trust their child enough to leave them home alone at the age of 11, then they should be trusted to make an important decision regarding their health. Governments shouldn’t have

to interfere in how one chooses to raise children, but when someone knowingly puts others at risk, interference needs to be made. Having people walking around with the ability to infect others should have consequences. Council woman Cheh said, “A child needs to be protected against the dangers of things like measles, other diseases that cause death, and the community needs to be protected so that diseases that were once thought to be eliminated are not coming back.” COVID-19 serves a huge lesson that we have a responsibility to slow down disease transmission for the well being of ourselves and others. All 50 states should give minors the option to make their own decisions about the vaccines they take.

Staff Writer

COVID-19 had temporarily interruped studies for student at ELAC, but the athletes who play Spring Season sports may not have the benefit of just being briefly interrupted. Due to COVID-19, all fall sports have been rescheduled to start in January 2021, and spring sports will begin in February 2021. However, with no permission to enter the ELACs gym it seems that not only will Fall sports be rescheduled and possibly canceled, but so will spring sports. Because of the pandemic no decision has been made official, to continue with the rescheduled seasons for sports. This rescheduling is the current contingency plan provided by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA). Spring sports include basketball, soccer, track-andfield, softball, and more. For ELAC, the unofficial athletic plan is to split spring season sports. Instead of one whole spring season, there will be spring I and spring 2 sports. Spring I will start earlier than spring 2 sports. Once the Athletic department at ELAC makes an official decision on whether sports will be continued, athletes will have the choice to continue playing their sport. If not they can optout because of the possible risks that could be detrimental to the athletes’ health. On the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) website rules and regulations have been posted for the continuation of sports. It is stated that sports can continue with practice and competition when athletes and coaches understand that there is a possibility of getting COVID-19. Fail-safes and precautions must be put in place to prevent this possibility. The safety precautions include wearing a mask while both practicing and competing, staying six feet away from other athletes, having daily health check-ups, and more. Again, even with all of these www.ELACCampusNews.com

precautions, there is still a chance of getting COVID-19 which would result in not being able to play at all. A vaccine for COVID-19 is supposed to be available in January. Even so, it may not be ready by that time which is when athletic competition has been rescheduled. With the certainty that the vaccine will be available at that time, they will be given to people who fall under the spectrum of high-risk people and locations Those who have COVID-19 and places where cases are high. Los Angeles is, unfortunately, one of the places that have quite a large population and as a result of that high numbers in COVID-19 cases. Athletes at ELAC are not on the list of people who will get the vaccine first. For now, the only way the school district can prevent athletes from getting covid and also compete in sports is to follow the rules set in place by the CDC and NCAA. For the most part, CDC rules have allowed sports to be continued. but it is the school district that ultimately decides whether athletes can compete or not. Yet, highschools have already chosen to continue both academic and athletic programs on campus, and they are doing it safely. If highschool campuses can do this, colleges should be able to do the same. Once the district has made an official announcement about the continuation of sports, the next step would be a schoolby-school decision to opt-out of certain sports. Some schools have already decided not to host any sports, such as Rio Hondo College. “It’s devastating for the students to trust the coaches who have recruited them, and that East LA College will open the door for them. The students may be committed to ELAC now, but if they cannot compete it’s a disservice to them as athletes and they will leave. With most of the coaches on campus, this seems to be the case.” John Mosley, head coach of the men’s basketball team said.

Many freshman athletes who have been recruited by ELAC coaches have not had the chance to practice with their teammates at a college level. More importantly, they have not met their coaches and teammates face-to-face. They have only met via Zoom. While coaches do host Zoom meetings with their athletes, there is a chance that the only thing that can be done through Zoom is conditioning. Most athletes don’t have the resources to practice by themselves while in quarantine. Campuses who do decide to opt-out of sports might not have the resources to continue sports. ELAC’s campus has been a location for covid testing. This would assist in getting athletes back onto the court or onto the field. As a community college, this would be the push needed to help sports continue on the campus. “ The opportunity to even try to be safe and the opportunity to compete has not been given to us. We need our doors to be open so the kids can have the opportunity to get a scholarship.” Mosley said. If student-athletes are not given the chance to compete and get scouted by universities, they will most likely leave their campus to play at another. This would lower enrollment at ELAC even more so, as students have already left ELAC because of the pandemic. To combat this, colleges may allow athletes another year of eligibility to compete in their sport, so that athletes can have a chance at being scouted by a four-year university. “This is a situation of livelihood. It’s the livelihood of student-athletes who we have to be mindful of. The students are here because they’re trying to turn their athletic prowess into academic success. They’re trading their athletic abilities for a chance at a quality education.” Cerwin Haynes the director of ELAC athletic website said. There has been no official decision from ELAC to opt-out of spring sports.If the district does not make a decision quickly there won’t be enough athletes who stay to compete.

SPORTS EDITOR Melvin Bui COPY EDITORS Melody Ortiz Ivan Cazares Diego Linares STAFF WRITERS Sonny Tapia Raymond Nava Leonardo Cervantes Annette Quijada Stephanie Sical PHOTOGRAPHER Diego Linares Julie Santiago ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo

CN/ZASHA HAYES

Elac could lose athletes BY ZASHA HAYES

ARTS EDITOR Cassidy Reyna

CARTOONISTS Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina ADVERTISING Stefanie De la Torre ADVISER Jean Stapleton

BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer

Juan Calvillo, the ELAC “Campus News” editor-in-chief, requested that I write the first (of which we hope) is an ongoing newspaper column--inviting “Campus News” alumni to share their experiences. The column’s aim is to bring a face to a very lively process that is making this newspaper. Hearing the rhetoric during the 2016 election (and how it was reported) inspired me to take the J-101 class. The falsehoods posted on the inter net, in our own media— unchecked and spreading rapidly through social media, were much different than the usual political back-and-forths. A n a s p e ct of J-101 t h at I sur prisingly enjoyed was the assignment to go around campus and look for a feature story. There are over 1,500 professors at ELAC and a lot more students, all with unique stories that should fill a magazine. However free people are about sharing personal information on Twitter, I quickly realized that is not the case in journalism. People hesitate when it means being put on the official record. The importance of the official record is that you can verify that an event happened and that it happened in this way at this time. When there is no verifiable record, truth becomes meaningless. It’s easy to edit a story 20 years later on the internet, but it’s a lot harder to track down hundreds and thousands of newspapers and edit them by hand. While studying journalism at ELAC, I expected to learn about the fact-checking and ap style, but I didn’t expect to be constantly unexpected. Ever y new ar ticle assigned

shines a spotlight on an entirely different subject. One week you’re learning the history of the beautiful murals on campus, the next you’re slowly becoming an expert on ELAC’s drainage system. Being a journalist, it seems, is a constant state of learning, listening and trying to understand. W h ile EIC for “Ca mpu s News,” I was put out of my comfort zone many times and am thankful for it. The truth isn’t always easy to take. A lot of times, it stings pretty bad, but I’m guessing that’s what learning something important is supposed to feel like. The highlight of the newspaper business is the newsroom during deadlines. After a year of being isolated from our loved-ones, teamwork feels extra special. There’s a lot of falsehoods being spread and it’s up to truthtellers to set the record straight. It’s sometimes boring and tedious, but being one of the pillars of democracy isn’t supposed to be fun and easy. The next group of journalists that just finished their first pup edition got to experience the newsroom in a completely different way than I. All virtually opposed to a shared room on campus. When the E7 building flooded in 2018, we had to temporarily move our entire newsroom to a different department. It seems that no matter what obstacles occurred, the news has to get out -- even the news on campus at ELAC. If you would like to look through the evolution of ELAC over the past 75 years, please visit www.elaccampusnews.com/ archive.

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

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020

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Five movies to watch this holiday season BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer There are so many Christmas and Christmas-adjacent movies to watch during the holiday season, but the following five films are great to watch during this winter break. The holidays may be tough on some, but good entertainment tends to elevate viewers’ moods. These movies all have a good holiday message and are threaded together with a Christmas theme. The fifth movie on this list is “Home Alone” starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Culkin plays Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old kid who is accidentally left behind by his entire family during Christmas. The movie manages to meld laugh-out-loud comedy with a sweet message about family and togetherness. Pesci and Stern, who play two Christmas robbers, are hilarious in the movie and take physical comedy to the next level. Wr i t t e n b y t h e l e g e n d a r y John Huges, “Home Alone” is an insightful movie that reminds people that despite the family drama during the holidays, there is really no one else most would want to spend this time with. “Home Alone” is available to stream now on Disney+ and is rated PG.

Coming in fourth is the Tim Allen Christmas classic “Santa Clause.” Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that Clause is not the traditional way to spell the icon Christmas character’s name. Allen plays Scott Calvin, a divorced father who wants his young son to continue believing in Santa Claus for as long as he can. An incident causes Calvin to have to take over the mantle of Santa Claus. From there it becomes a movie that strives to remind the audience how believing in Christmas and all the good that comes with it is a tradition that should continue for as long as possible. “Santa Clause” is available to stream now on Disney+ and is rated PG. “Klaus” is the 2019 movie that won the 2020 Academy award for Best Animated Film. It’s also an amazing holiday movie that focuses on the myth of the titular Klaus. J.K. Simmons stars as Klaus, Jason Schwartzman as Jesper and Rashida Jones as Alva. The movie focuses on a town made up of two warring families. Jesper is sent to the town to revive its local post office and through a series of silly events meets the titular Klaus. “Klaus” becomes a buddy movie from there, with both Klaus and Jesper coming to terms with who each of them truly are. Writer Sergio

Pablos infuses comedy into his message of finding a purpose and a family that makes the film a treat to watch. With action set pieces that are fun and vibrant to see and an amazing message, “Klaus” is available to stream now on Netflix and is rated PG. 2004’s “The Polar Express” is another animated Christmas movie that hits all the right notes. The movie stars Tom Hanks in multiple roles and uses both fun and inventive musical numbers to keep

the story going. The story is about a young boy who is whisked away on a magical Christmas adventure aboard a train, The Polar Express. Hanks plays the conductor on the train and sings many of the songs on the soundtrack. Writer and director Robert Zemeckis crafted an emotional movie with songs like “Hot Chocolate,” “The Polar Express” and even one by Steven Tyler, “Rockin’ on Top of the World.”

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

Through adventures on and off the train, the young boy learns that Christmas is a time of spectacular moments that make the holidays worth every moment. “The Polar Express” is available free on AMC’s streaming service if you have a cable provider and on iTunes for purchase. The film is rated G. The final film on this list is one that many might not have heard of before. Starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen, from “Indiana Jones,”

Bobcat Goldthwait and Carol Kane, from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schdmit,” “Scrooged” is a retelling of “A Christmas Carol.” 1988’s “Scrooged” is directed by Richard Donner and is a fun, scary and inspiring Christmas film. Murray plays Frank Cross, an amalgam of every bad habit and perspective from the ‘80s. Cross fires Goldthwait's character, and bosses around Alfre Woodard’s character Grace Cooley. It’s the visit of three Christmas ghosts that finally makes Cross realize the horrendous person he has become. Murray is pure comedic gold talking trash to each of the three Christmas ghosts. It’s the son of Woodard’s character, Grace, that really steals the spotlight. Proving to Cross that it’s about the spirit of doing good that overcomes everything. With the pitch-perfect final line of “God bless us everyone” and the beautiful rendition of “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” by Annie Lennox and Al Green, “Scrooged” is a reminder that goodness and love conquers all. “Scrooged” is available to rent or buy from Amazon Prime and iTunes, and is rated PG-13.

‘Selena: The Series’ leaves some fans unsatisfied BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer The new Netflix hit “Selena: The Series” brings viewers a new look at what the entire Quintanilla family endures as the young star rises to fame. It’s filled with sweet family moments, as well as stressful ones. The series is produced by Selena’s older sister Suzette Quintanilla. The audience is told the story of the Mexican-American singer and how her family and she climbed obstacles in order to make it to the top. The series sets a consistent tone of family warmth, mixed with funny moments sprinkled with some serious scenes involving parental authority and what that does to the family. “Selena,” the film, was released in 1997 and starred Jennifer Lopez. Viewers may immediately compare the series to the movie. While the film may have been fun to watch, it only showed fans a quick look into the life of the late singer. This series dives deeper into the life of the singer, focusing heavily on the early years of her career. The series focuses on family relationships, which may leave the viewer disliking some characters, while completely connecting with others. Viewers are made to see that

success does not happen overnight, this is proved by the ongoing hard work the family puts in with every episode. The audience get a glimpse of the levels Abraham Quintanilla, played by Ricardo Chavira, is willing to go to in order to ensure success in the music business for his three children.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The 1997 film also does not show how pressured A.B. Quintanilla, played by Gabriel Chavarria, was to create stand-out beats for the band to continue their success. The series allows each character to shine in order to give the audience an authentic look into their lives. Selena is played by Christian Serratos, who is known for her role as Rosita in AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”

It is evident Serratos does not look entirely like the late singer. Viewers have made their dislike for her very clear through social media comments. Some viewers made comments regarding Serratos not being the right weight to play the Tejana singer and how far off Netflix was with casting. It is well known that the late singer was curvy compared to Serratos’ smaller frame. However, despite the physical difference, Serratos is able to emulate the singer ’s facial expressions and energy around her loved ones in every scene. For serious fans it can be hit-ormiss. Fans may enjoy the series because they get a dose of the intimate moments the family experienced. On the other hand, many die-hard Selena fans may be upset because they may have imagined the lead actress completely different from who was in fact casted to play her. Ultimately, there will never be a 100 percent consensus when it comes to such a loved, wellreceived and respected artist. There are a total of nine episodes in the first part of the series, with each episode running approximately 32 to 40 minutes in length. The series is rated PG and can be streamed on Netflix. Fans of the show are eager for part two, but there is no release date.

Cline’s ‘Ready Player Two’ book launches fans back into OASIS BY ERICA CORTES Staff Writer Ernest Cline continues a parallel plot in his new sequel from “Ready Player One” in “Ready Player Two.” The first novel is about a boy named Wade Watts who jumps into the Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation (OASIS), a virtual reality universe for the public. He wins the Easter egg hunt contest of the late founder of the OASIS, James Halliday, left behind before his passing. Watts, also known as Parzival in the OASIS, wins alongside his crew mates Samantha, Aceh and Shoto. They gain ownership of Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS), the company that runs the OASIS. This new novel, begins by continuing where the first book ended. Watts settled in the new office as one of the four new owners of GSS. He jumps into the OASIS and into a private room where only he can access it, because he won

Halliday’s contest. He discovers an egg that gives him a clue of a location in the “real world” in the GSS building archives. He goes to the location to find a device that Halliday has stored away, giving it control to whomever won, which in this case is Parzival. The control is when this device will be ready for the rest of the world to see. The device itself was an advanced technology, even for the readers. It is something that many today are almost reaching or aiming as a goal in terms of virtual reality technology. The device, OASIS Neural Invitation (ONI), is a headset that controls all the way to the spinal cord and scans the brain giving access to all five senses when entering the OASIS. Parzival and the rest of the owners of GSS decided to show the world. After a couple of years, the owners discover that there is another Easter Egg hunt contest that pops up out of nowhere. Parzival and the others make

it a public relations display to sell more of the ONI, but only they know it's a contest they did not create. So the search begins for this new Easter egg hunt, finding out how to win and who started it in the first place. The novel has new references of old-school movie trivia such as “Brianstorm” and “Revenge of the Ninja”. However, it has about the same plot as the first one, where they rush and beat the race to find the easter egg hunts before anyone else. It gives the reader, like the first novel, friendship, romance and a whole lot of older popular tastes. If the reader enjoyed the first novel,”Ready Player One,” it will be another great novel to read to figure out with the narrator, Parzival, how to solve every clue in every puzzle. However, if the reader is full with the first novel, reades need to get ready for a whole other round of pop culture facts and knowledge of counter solving.

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SEEING DOUBLES—Album artwork for Yungblud’s new album “Weird!” released on Friday.

New pop-punk album puts Yungblud on the map BY CASSIDY REYNA Staff Writer Yu n g b l u d ’s s e c o n d a l b u m “Weird!” is an experiment of sound that just went right. Dominic Harrison, also known as Yungblud, has had a mix of alternative rock, pop-punk and rap in his music. In his first album “21st Century Liability,” he expresses his anger and how he feels about society. Harrison goes deeper into his feelings, making “Weird!” more alternative and pop-punk-focused lyric and sound-wise than the rap focus in his first album. Harrison uses the album to express to his fanbase about staying true to themselves. It’s an ongoing theme throughout the album, along with touching on sensitive topics. All of the tracks sound like they would be very fun to hear live. Harrison has said he looks forward to playing them, when conditions permit. However, staying true to to one’s self is the main theme. The album has 12 tracks in a 39-minute time frame. It starts off with the song “Teresa.” The song begins slow and melodic then turns upbeat quickly. It talks about a fan and her boyfriend who died. Harrison writes from the perspective of her late boyfriend watching over her. He also wrote it to represent himself and his fanbase looking out for each other. The second track “Cotton Candy” is a song about sex. Harrison said that sex and sexuality are supposed to be freeing and that through it, people can find out true potentials. The sound is reminiscent of the band The 1975 and the style they

took in their last album “Notes on a Conditional Form.” It seems that this was his attempt at Matty Healy’s writing style and sound, and it’s safe to say he nailed it. “Strawberry Lipstick” starts off strong and is the first single off of the album. Harrison wrote the song about a toxic relationship where one of the partners is manipulative and abusive, but claiming to be in love. Following after, “Mars” is one of the more serious tracks on the album. While maintaining the alternative rock sound, the song depicts a girl struggling with acceptance. However, Harrison said that this song is about a transgender girl he met during the Vans Warped Tour. The girl’s family didn’t want to accept her, until she was able to bring them to one of his shows and they finally understood. The next track brings the listener back a more upbeat sound with the song “superdeadfriends.” The song talks about drugs and how Harrison has lost friends to drugs. He’s not telling people to not do them, but do them responsibly. “Love song” brings the listener back to a more mellow sound. The song talks about how he used to perceive love as violent and negative. This was up until he met his ex-girlfriend Halsey and with her, he was able to see how love should really be. Halfway through the album, the listener dives back into an upbeat sound with strong and touching lyrics. “God Save Me but Don’t Drown Me Out,” talks about remaining true to one’s personality despite any insecurities. “Ice Cream Man” is one of the

more fun tracks that Harrison wrote for the album. This is a song that just talks about him being British and that no matter what stereotypes, he remains himself. Going onto the title track “Weird!” the song is about a confusing and weird time in a person’s life. Harrison thought that listeners could relate to this song because of how weird life is now due to COVID19. Not only that but the song is also reminecent of The 1975’s song “Give Yourself a Try.” “Charity” is another song that talks about staying true to a person’s personality, going on with the theme of remaining true to one’s self no matter what others say. The penultimate song of the album, “It’s Quiet in Beverly Hills” is the only real acoustic song on the album. Harrison said the song is for the fans, saying how even though at one time the light of Beverly Hills got to him, he still loves his fans. The album ends with the song “The Freak Show.” He said that he wanted this to be his own “Bohemian Rhapsody” or “Jesus of Suburbia,” where he has different tone changes and keeps the track fun. However, staying true to the theme of sending a message in the song to his fans. He ends the song with the lyrics “Times will change and you might break/But we’ll go on, we’ll go on, I believe it/ We’ll go on, we’ll go on, I believe it.” “Weird!” is an album that came out so much better than anticipated. The album puts Yungblud on the map and into the pop-punk alternative scene, showing fans and many other listeners what to expect in coming years.

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2020

Adversities inspire professor to share life story BY MELVIN BUI Staff Writer From pain to page, English Professor Obed Silva revisits traumatic memories in a book meant explore humanity. “The Death of My Father: The Pope,” the book will be published and available in stores in August. “It’s crazy how we’re having a talk about a book that hasn’t even come out yet... I’m glad it didn’t come out this year, since we’re all in quarantine,” Silva said. The East Los Angeles College Puente Club revolves around mentorship. Its work with the community and educators to learn more about prominent social issues and proactive work. The club chose “Homie Obed” to speak because of his inspiring life story. Silva spoke about what inspired him to write the book and student mentorship. Silva was the keynote speaker, while English Professor Carlos Centeno was in charge of the discussion. The event was an hour and a half long and had 50 participants, “Puentesitas” from El Camino College, LA Pierce College, Santa Ana College and Cypress College. The audience congratulated him for the almost-published work before talking about his book. Silva said professors should not be the only option for mentorships. He suggested students reach out to people that they admire and see if they oblige. When Centeno asked about what students should do to pursue their writing career, Silva said if students are serious about becoming writers it will call them. “Everyone says that they have a book in their head that can get published, but what they really need to do is start writing and then worry about the publication last,” Silva said. L.A. Times Columnist Hector

Tobar gave a speech on his book, “The Tattoo Soldier: A Novel” at California State University of Los Angeles while Silva was a student and they became acquainted. Tobar gave his number to Silva to ask questions since he was infatuated with the book. Silva’s green card was taken away because of his extensive criminal record due to gangbanging. Silva risked deportation. However Tobar suggested he let him write a story about him for the LA Times to get support from people of the community. Tobar wrote “Taking Advantage of a Second Chance” in Sept. 9, 2011 and it gained immense support from community members. Silva won his case and the government agreed to drop the deportation proceedings. Silva sent Tobar the 50 pages that he wrote about attending his father’s funeral. Tobar liked

“It’s crazy how we’re having a talk about a book that hasn’t even come out yet... I’m glad it didn’t come out this year, since we’re all in quarantine.” OBED SILVA

English Professor

what he read and told him to keep writing. When he sent Tobar another 50 pages, Silva asked, “So you do think this can be a book?” Tobar said, why do you think I have been asking you to write more? Tobar was an acquaintance who became a friend and mentor. This sent Silva a jolt of inspiration, thus beginning the

10-year process of writing his book. The book was started in 2009 and finished in 2019. There were periods of time where he didn’t work on the book at all for months, but would randomly come back when he felt inspired. “I wouldn’t have taken 10 years to write, if I wasn’t grading all of my students’ work. Damn, I could have been finished in like 10 months,” Silva said. Tobar was in tears when Silva sent him the finished book. Tobar said that he would call PMG Publishing, and start from there but couldn’t make any promises. Silva did not have a backup plan in case the book didn’t make publishing and was just writing on a whim. The book revolves around the two days of his father’s funeral: the wake and the burial. Silva writes about the overwhelming emotions he felt flying to the funeral and seeing his father in his deathbed. The plot takes place in Chihuahua, Mexico in 2009, but Silva storyboards throughout the book with flashbacks. The day after a rowdy night, Silva yelled “pinche papa” to a mural of the pope while in the car with his father and siblings. Then there was a brief moment of sudden tension and stillness. His father said in a stern voice, “I am your papa, [then turned toward his siblings] and said I am your papa also, and then grinned to himself. El papa means pope in Spanish and papa is also another way to say father. Silva started to call his dad “El pope” after that day. This was the inspiration for the title of the book. For more information on future ELAC Puente Club events are posted @Elacpuenteclub on Instagram.

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Traveling prices drop amid pandemic Foreign become affordable but dangerous BY STEPHANIE SICAL Staff Writer With surging COVID-19 cases in America, it’s been the year of road trips for those fortunate enough to travel. The pandemic created difficult times for many, financially and health-wise there’s no question it has been a struggle. However for many other Americans this has been a reset year since they were able to accomplish some goals which includes saving money. This year has been for the most part about isolation, work and studying. However, traveling somehow has a nice sound to it and would be a great alternative for the rest of the year or plan for the deserved vacations that many dream. Since it has been a very unpredictable year, all trips allow changes, so there’s no worry of potentially wasted money. However, if you do choose to end up opting for traveling, it may come with some challenges and advise to do an intense and precious research regarding the traveling restrictions and depending your destination of choice plan accordingly. Despite COVID-19 continuing to claim lives, other countries around the world have begun to reopen. According to usa.gov/ americans-abroad Coronavirus International Travel Advisories, as of Aug. 6 the State Department is no longer advising US citizens to avoid all international travel because of COVID-19. For now, travel may look different in a number of ways. People can expect to explore a world of face masks, physical distancing, and still enjoy the beauty of nature and a relaxing stay at a 5-star hotel for a lower price at their own risk of facing challenges to any international travel at this time that may include mandatory quarantines, travel restrictions and closed borders. Foreign governments may implement restrictions with little notice, even in destinations that were previously low risk. If you choose to travel internationally, www.ELACCampusNews.com

your trip may be severely disrupted and it may be difficult to arrange travel back to the United States. These are the returning policies to the United States from the following countries: US Citizens returning from Brazil and legal permanent residents are allowed to return from Brazil. Any U.S. citizen returning to the United States who has been in China in the previous 14 days may be required to have

14 days of quarantine. In Europe it’s versatile but recommended to visit the Embassy webpages on COVID19 for information on conditions in each country or jurisdiction. Many embassies have further information on travel restrictions, quarantine policies and other general suspensions. On cruise ships In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, many countries have implemented

strict screening procedures that deny port entry rights to ships and prevent passengers from disembarking. Many college students despite this information with hunger of wanderlust may find this helpful and most importantly affordable. Graduations are coming up and what’s a better graduation gift than a trip to any of the foreign destinations listed? It’s safe to say that traveling may be cheaper but more complicated than it ever was before.

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