Campus News Spring 2021 Issue 3

Volume 78, Issue 15 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, March 10, 2021| Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Virtual club rush prospers during pandemic

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, clubs make do with remote communication, activity

BY JUAN CALVILLO

C L U B

Staff Writer COVID-19 has not stopped East Los Angeles College clubs from recruiting members, but it has forced them to adapt to remote club life and interactions.

ELAC’s Associated Student Union, in conjunction with 24 chartered ELAC clubs, held the Spring Club Rush on Thursday.

While Club Rush on campus used to be about fun giveaways and student participation, the move online, has changed the process quite a bit.

Professor Jesus Martinez, Rhythm Club adviser, said the shift online came with a steep learning curve.

He said when the school administration informed faculty last year that everything was shifting online, it was concerning.

“I mean, I’ve been teaching for over 35 years, and 21 at ELAC. I never taught online,” Martinez said.

He said before the pandemic, the club would meet either before or after the school band rehearsal.

With in-person instruction no longer possible, Martinez said the greatest obstacle came with trying to sync performances in both the band and the student club with their music parts.

Martinez said at first they tried a variety of software to both record the visual and audio experiences of the group playing music. He said he used the Dolby On app, but that it wasn’t working the way he thought it would.

Martinez said connecting with students and keeping them engaged was also a challenge. Oliver Llamas, the club’s president, said clearing up any problems that might pop up has been the most challenging part of being the club’s president.

“I can’t really have that one-on-

INFO INFO INFO

CLUBS, CLUBS, CLUBS!—The Associated Student Union provided the above information detailing Chartered Clubs and their

contact information.

one communication. Having that is something that I need, because that’s how I learn,” Llamas said.

Martinez said the club is using Facebook Messenger, the Band app and Houseparty app as communication tools.

Using these applications has allowed for the group to stay in touch.

The Band app was created and is used by bands, cheer squads and school sports teams among others.

Martinez said he can readily get access and talk with other members of the club using Houseparty and that he relied on students to keep

him updated on the technology that could be used during this time.

Martinez said past members of are still communicating using these applications.

This allows current members of the club to chat with them and find alternative ways to have their music played together.

Although some clubs are making trek online, others have decided too much of what their clubs are about is in the physical world.

Professor Wayne Posner, adviser to the Administration of Justice Club, said what the clubs would normally be able to offer students is

limited due to the pandemic.

He said that currently the club is seeking a charter with the Inter-Club Council and ASU. Posner said the last time the club was active was March of 2020. He said due to COVID-19, all of their events and trips had been canceled.

The club has in the past been very active on and off campus, and a debate of whether chartering the club or not was brought up.

He said the club's activities, which range from Thanksgiving Day food drives and blood drives to trips to the Coroner’s office, would be hard to replicate for the club in

a virtual setting.

“We’re very active doing things, and since doing things isn’t allowed right now, it will come back. I’m hoping by the fall, we will be back on campus and we can start the club up and some of these locations will open up for the field trips,” Posner said.

Polly Ren, ASU board secretary, said other clubs felt hesitant in chartering for the Spring 2021 semester much like the Administration of Justice Club.

She said not being on campus, things like fundraisers and trips were out of reach for these clubs.

“There was a huge decline in club chartering. Usually we have 70 or 80 clubs, but this year we only have like 24. So there’s definitely been a decrease in participation because everything is uncertain, and it’s hard for clubs to get people involved,” Ren said.

Frank Lozano, ICC adviser, said that clubs have asked for alternative ways to collect money through digital fundraising.

He said the district does not allow for that type of method to be used due to the necessity of having a personal bank account connected to any method. Lozano said the school had figured out a solution.

“ELAC administration and the fiscal office (have) since signed up with PayPal and clubs will shortly be able to use this feature when collecting funds,” Lozano said.

Ren said that ASU and the ICC were both working toward helping ELAC clubs continue to interact and have fun online during the pandemic.

She said one way they hope will help is the creation of an ICC and International Student Advancement Program newsletter that students will get a chance to check out very soon.

This first newsletter will focus on the Chinese Lunar New Year. Ren said it’s been a trying time not being alongside friends, classmates and professors, but that ASU was trying to bring students together.

“Even though we aren't in-person, ASU wants to foster an interconnected and engaged student body, and we hope to enrich the lives of all students through meaningful conferences and fun events,” Ren said.

Student activities spark hope in campus programs

BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Student Activities Office hopes to gain more participation from students on campus by joining more activities outside of the classroom.

Housed within the Student Activities is the Associated Student Union and the Inter Club Council. This student services division's primary focus is on providing engaging and social activities.

Student Activities Office assistant, Carlos Guerrero, believes these programs help students build skills they wouldn’t necessarily be able to build inside of a classroom.

“The Student Activities Office aims to promote a positive college experience by providing programs rooted in diversity, education, leadership and social interaction,” said Guerrero.

Services that are provided from these groups revolve around connecting clubs and their advisers, chartering clubs, creating and promoting campus events, commencement information, as well as providing resources outside of ELAC. “While we are not able to

News Briefs

socialize on campus, student life outside of the classroom will continue with a series of activities, such as workshops and social events via zoom,” said Guerrero.

With these trying times, the Student Activities Office is keeping most of its events on zoom for the time being.

Students can apply to be a Los Angeles Community College District student representative and join the board of trustees.

Applications are due by Monday.

General elections are also taking place. Students can run for a position on the ASU Executive Board for the Fall 2021 to Spring 2022 year. Applications are available on the ELAC website.

The deadline is March 30.

ASU is also currently hosting a Food Pantry for those who experience food-insecurity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to qualify, students must be enrolled at ELAC for the Spring 2021 semester and must self identify as someone who is struggling with food insecurity.

Applications can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ ELACfoodinsecurity.“A lot of the events that ASU or ICC have, we (The Student Activities Office) generally help them put

those events on. If there’s an event that you have an idea for that you would like to see, you can always come to us and we can help you turn it into something, in these times probably a Zoom event,” Guerrero said.

Students can also submit a Club Charter application to receive needed funds for new clubs they would like to start as well for current active clubs.

“When the application is done, clubs will receive seed funds of $750,” ASU Executive Vice President, Rosa Mendoza said.

Funds provided can be used to properly form the club itself as well as buy equipment or go on trips. The fund application will run until May 24.

For any questions about participating in clubs, student government, and events outside of the classroom, contact the Student Activities Office at (323) 265-8742 or email at studentact@elac.edu.

Events taking place this semester include the Husky L e a d e r s h i p A c a d e m y, a workshop dedicated to teaching students leadership skills taking place on March 10.

The Student Activities office is also welcoming all kinds of events that students would like to hold.

Depression, Stress & Anxiety workshop

ELAC Student Health Center will host a Depression, Stress & Anxiety workshop Friday at 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. https:// tinyurl.com/MentalHealth-Mar12

MENTAL RECOURSES—STAND is a mental wellness program for students that will supplement our current mental health services.

ELAC health center holds wellness workshops

BY ERICA CORTES Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Health Center teamed up with Via Care to create a presentation on the importance of having respect and boundaries in relationships.

On Tuesday Vanessa Venegas, a behavior therapist and a Via Care’s ambassador to the Health Center, discussed the aspects of what it takes to have a healthy relationship.

Communication and setting boundaries were the main categories Venegas said about establishing a good relationship. She said, “Each method of communication requires

‘Last Chance U’ Watch Party

the same consideration of trust, respect, and kindness.”

Ve n e g a s e x p l a i n e d i n h e r presentation the do’s and don'ts when it comes to constructing any type of relationship, whether it be romantic, friends or family.

Vengas said that even in using emojis in text messages, choosing what to use might be a good idea to have in the mind.

As ELAC is in its third semester of online-only courses, a healthy relationship can affect students from learning.

“I see a lot of students have difficulty within the studying inside their houses. So there might be a need to set boundaries to form

ELAC Associated Student Union will host a watch party for “Last Chance U: Basketball” Friday at 6 p.m. To attend go to https://bit.ly/ELAC031221

the respect and conflict resolution, especially because we are not used to sharing the space for multiple hours,” Venegas said.

Vengas supplied websites for resources to help students’ need to take a step back and get help getting out of a relationship, help build their relationship better and/or just needing to vent.

She said, “Sometimes you just need to walk away from the situation and using these tools can help.”

Online Resources to get help are the http://www.loveisrespect.org/, http://www.breakthecycle.org/, http://www.rainn.org/ and http:// www.ncadv.org/.

Introduction to Arts, Media and Design

ELAC’s Career and Academic Pathways will host an intro to Arts, Media and Design community webinar Saturday at 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To RSVP go to https://bit.ly/ AMD031321

2

Opinion

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2021

Asynchronous classes alter student experiences

BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer Due to the COVID-19, classes at East Los Angeles College went fully remote on March of 2020. However, classes would take on two forms.

Some classes are synchronous, which are online classes where most of the time feature lectures done through zoom, and some are asynchronous, which feature no zoom lectures or face to face interactions. This can be a disadvantage for students who have difficulty with certain learning styles.

The primary disadvantage with asynchronous classes is that there is no set lecture meeting for the class. This means that students will, depending on the professor, be left to follow posted assignments and materials, in essence, self-teaching.

This is a problem for students who feel they need some sort of direction when it comes to learning, and face to face lectures provide them with somewhat of a set of directions when it comes to the material they are learning.

The effects can vary depending upon the class.

Some asynchronous classes can pose more challenges than others. For a history class, understanding the lesson may not be as challenging because history can be more of retention of the material, rather than in the case of a math class, where it’s a retention of the understanding of the process.

Math classes in particular can pose great difficulty. Some students may have a hard time with math classes to begin with, and having them in essence teach themselves the lesson does not help. This can also extend to statistics and chemistry classes.

Asynchronous classes can also cause delays on when students

EDITOR IN CHIEF Erica Cortes MANAGING EDITOR Juan Calvillo ONLINE EDITORS Tatianna Velazquez Cynthia Solis FRONT EDITOR Cassidy Reyna OPINION EDITORS Brenda De La Cruz Zasha Hayes NEWS EDITORS Annette Quijada Jonathan Bermudez FEATURE EDITORS Paul Medina Alma Lizarraga

CN/ANDREA CERNA

choose to take their classes.

Some asynchronous classes that are needed for a degree would have to be put off until either there is a synchronous class or when ELAC opens back up and in person classes resume. This can happen if a specific class has only one offering and it’s asynchronous.

One of the biggest benefits of having a synchronous class during the pandemic is that face to face lectures gives students the chance to ask questions within that time.

Because asynchronous classes don’t have set meetings, if a student has a question about the

lesson, they may have to email A small benefit from having the professor synchronous and wait for a classes with lectures is that response, which However, having it helps students could eat up asynchronous time. with note This is not taking. Without classes only adds lectures, as big of a new challenges to students may problem with synchronous students and is not ht iamvee jao tht ianr dg classes but the best way online down notes on again, with some classes material, classes should be the only having an as they may be conducted. offering of being unsure of how asynchronous, much to write down and what this could complicate many students’ plans may or may not be important.

With face to face lectures, it’s for their class layouts.

a bit easier to write down notes as it can be inferred that what the professor is presenting is likely to be crucial information for whatever class it is.

The pandemic has forced ELAC to adjust the ways students learn in order to keep them safe.

Switching to fully online classes is the best way to continue with classes and should be kept until the pandemic subsides.

However, having asynchronous classes only adds new challenges to students and is not the best way online classes should be conducted.

California reopening schools is a big mistake Even if the staff were able to get a hold of all of the COVID Staff Writer vaccination needed, they might not feel comfortable or safe for an LAUSD’s aim to reopen schools immediate return. Teachers might for in-person learning to kids in feel like they are at risk inside a Kindergarten is admirable but it is classroom. still too soon.

School staff members will have On March 4, California lawmakers to be extra cautious if they are to approved a $6.6 billion plan aimed resume in-class meetings. They will at pressuring school districts to have to be safe in public in order to return to the classroom before not cause harm to students. Staff the school year ends. Opening members must be mindful that they school for in-person learning is will be in charge of students’ safety not the wisest move to make at in a global pandemic. this time. Children in LAUSD is an elementary are still overpopulated considered incapable school district, It would be a of understanding the so changes and severity of the situation. rushed attempt at compromises must Many of these kids in be made to be as safe pre-K and Kindergarten allowing students as possible. One way can not understand what back in school they can compensate it means to be cautious for schools opening from stopping the spread for the rest of the early is hiring more of a virus.Young kids in semester as only teachers and having elementary cannot be more classrooms two and a half available. expected to wear a face mask throughout the In other states months remain. school day, all while around the United having to respond to States, some schools the teachers’ questions. that have opened A lot of adults complain usually leave two about the difficulty of desks in between the breathing with a face students they are sitting with. That mask. It cannot be expected that way although a students safety is a child should wear one all day not guaranteed but the necessary without having difficulty breathing. precautions are taken to ensure Parents might be uneasy sending safety. their children to school with so It would be a rushed attempt at much uncertainty about the virus, allowing students back in school vaccination and symptoms. A for the rest of this semester as only disaster can easily happen if a staff two and a half months remain. The member were to have COVID-19 initial target date of April 9 seems and spread it in the classroom to to be overly ambitious and not a child. possible, So at minimum schools Kids love being playful, and would reopen by mid-April or early during lunch, they will most likely May. all interact in the playground and Instead of rushing and giving that can lead to trouble. This can lead school staff 25,000 doses to reopen to children potentially spreading the schools, they should take their time virus to their loved ones at home. to be ready by the fall semester.

And if for some reason kids playing That way not only can LAUSD during recess is prohibited, there is Elementary schools be open again, no reason for in-person classes to but possibly middle and high be taking place. schools as well.

It has been roughly a year since It is better to wait this current in-person classes were canceled and semester out and during Summer instead remote learning via Zoom have a few in-person classes became the norm. A lot of teachers available. That way staff members might not be ready to transition back and students can be prepared for the to in-person teaching. fall semester.

BY LEONARDO CERVANTES

www.ELACCampusNews.com

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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.

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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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4

Features

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021

LACCD newest trustee declares objective

BY PAUL MEDINA Staff Writer The LACCD’s Board of Trustees newest member Nichelle M. Henderson’s main objective as trustee is increasing equity and diversity.

To accomplish the goals, she ran in her platform, which can be found in her campaign website, which lists putting students first, increasing funding, greater accountability in spending, improving outreach to underserved populations such as AAPI, LGBTQ, prior incarcerated and foster youth.

Henderson said she is very excited, “to be given the opportunity

by LA.. County voters to be a trustee on this board.”

One of Henderson’s major goals in her first year on the board of trustees is to, “try and find ways to make education a pathway to citizenship. You spend all this time to going to school to better your life and then if you are undocumented, you can’t work,” which seems as a waste, Henderson said.

Henderson currently works at Cal State University Los Angeles for a teacher credential program called CalStateTEACH. Previously, Henderson was a middle school math teacher with the Compton Unified School District.

“Running for this office, I saw a lot of the need for diversity

and equity, specifically for black dropped off from high school or and brown people, nontraditional college and needed to catch up, students” Henderson said. or had aspiration of attending a H e n d e r s o n v a l u e s n o n - specific four year university, but traditional students. She drew didn’t have the money at the time, inspiration from her father who then a community college was graduated from LA Trade Tech a viable choice,” to transfer as a College in his 30s. He was able to junior, Henderson said. complete a work force preparation Henderson, is a married mother program apprenticeship, then work of four and comes from a family with L.A. county where he retired. dedicated to public service.

Henderson She is married has set goals for to Dr. Mark E. higher retention Henderson who and graduation is a Southwest of underserved “The LACCD’s Board of C o l l e g e students, greater graduate who d i v e r s i t y i n Trustees newest member currently is an hiring.

Nichelle M. Henderson’s administrator She is also at Los Angeles main objective as looking at the Pierce College expansion of and also serves Trustee is simple, students services as Vice Mayor increasing equity and of Gardena. for mental health, vocational Henderson diversity.” programs and said it important courses for to increase high school and promote dual-enrolled L A C C D students. programs, enhancing and promoting When Henderson is not in the programs. school activities, she can be found Many programs Henderson volunteering, being active with her would like to promote are for union and in county politics. populations with high drop-out H e n d e r s o n f e e l s t h a t a rates such as black and brown community college education is students. Henderson praises college imperative for people’s success. promise and student enrichment She views a community college programs such as Puente and Umoja as a place where “you would have which provide mentorship and life

PHOTO COURTESY OF WOMENCOUNT.ORG

HERE TO SERVE—The LACCD’s newest member Nichelle M. Henderson, pictured above vows to put students first, increase funding for programs and increase diversity and equity enrichment and support services that students need.

Henderson says she always welcomes students input on

important matters and looks forward to meeting students and working with them Henderson said she urges reaching

out board members directly for concerns students have, as they are more likely to have concerns heard.

CEO helps underserved communities

BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer After watching many families struggle to resolve conflicts within their home, Anallely “Ana” Orozco sought a solution to help, by creating her own non-profit organization.

Orozco is the CEO and founder of Purpose and Zeal (PAZ). She named her organization PAZ because she believes everything should be done with purpose or intention, and she also believes zeal, or happiness, comes from resolution.

PAZ allows her to provide families with skill sets to help them grow and better communicate with one another in order to help improve their relationships. Orozco currently works at a non-profit conflict resolution center.

She decided to venture out and create her own services for families who are underserved and of the Latin community.

Many of the families Orozco helps are those with cultural differences such as immigrants and their children.

Orozco was born in Mexico where she lived until the age of three. Her mother had already migrated to the United States of America, and eventually Orozco followed. Orozco worked as an immigration paralegal where she used her skills to help families through conflict resolution and mediation, which helps prevent court dates for families.

Orozco attests to conflict resolution being helpful based on her own experiences with her mother.

She describes having a rough relationship with her mother in

the early years, but with her skill set, she was able to improve their relationship.

One thing she believes is a root of conflict within many Latino families is social constructs imposed on said folks, such as how we are supposed to communicate or behave with one another.

An example of this is how parents simply expect children to listen to commands without questioning. She believes that with conflict resolution families can let go of resentment and heal.

Orozco does not provide therapy, stressing her services are simply a set of skills to help people grow.

The skills she teaches families help create a new lens that helps to address conflict and change patterns created through society’s constructs.

Orozco created PAZ all out of pocket and does not ask for funding.

Her clients come from old-fashioned

word-of-mouth and community.

Her fluency in Spanish allows her to reach many Latino families.

She also works with the LGBTQ population.

Orozco holds an Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate in Conflict Resolution from the University of Southern California’s School of Law, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in the Law and Society Program from California State University of Los Angeles.

She holds additional training certificates from the California Conference for Equality and Justice and Loyola Law School.

She then discovered the business incubator program at East Los Angeles College Foundation, whose mission is to help startup and growth-phase minority, women, veteran, formerly incarcerated, and LGBTQ owned businesses in the

East Los Angeles area.

Participating in this program helped Orozco narrow her purpose and dream of helping the Latin community, as she said.

“Ms. Orozco was highly committed to the program (excellent attendance and participation) while managing a full-time job and continuing her education. And like many who have gone through the ELAC Incubator, Ana’s business idea was inspired by the needs of her community,” Dr. Armond Aghakhanian Executive Director of ELAC Foundation said.

“She has created a new business entity as a Sole Entrepreneur ad is currently interviewing potential clients to test (for free) how best to structure her services and build her business. We could not be prouder of her and know that she will succeed,” Aghakhanian, said.

She is looking for Latin families

who are willing to participate in the free pilot program for PAZ. The pilot program consists of learning skills in conflict resolution and having Orozco follow up with families on progress. “Mediation does not fix problems, it gives us tools to address those problems,” Orozco said.

As for advice to other women looking to become CEOs themselves, Orozco says, “Don’t let your fear hold you back from your potential.

There is no failing because failing teaches you from your mistakes. If you didn’t learn anything, that’s failing.” For PAZ services contact (323) 348-7284 by text or phone call.

DACA updates guidebook making process more expensive The renewal fee can be challenging and expensive. The process is much easier with help.

Both your consulate and the Coalition for Humane Immigration T h e D e f e r r e d A c t i o n f o r Rights Los Angeles are resources Childhood Arrivals renewal process that can offer assistance with the can be challenging and expensive $495 fee.

Due to limited resources, for DACA recipients but, it doesn’t have to be. There is an abundance Coalition for Humane Immigrant of resources for DACA recipients Rights (CHIRLA) only offers sponsorship to 40 people per week. in California.

This means asking The renewal for financial process should assistance from happen a the consulate first month before a work permit “They will take income is wise.

They will expires due to and student status into take income and the amount of time it takes consideration so ELAC s t u d e n t s t a t u s into consideration to gather the students are more status so ELAC information are more and money likely to receive full students likely to receive required to sponsorship.” full sponsorship. renew. Printing Keep in mind out the renewal that the consulate application might be closing can save time, early due to money and help other resources better serve the COVID-19.

After printing out the application, process.

If any document is one month find the folder that contains the or less from expiration this means entire initial process. This will help that the renewal process is urgent. with filling out new forms. Notice Renewals should not be put off, the forms are almost identical.

Using the old application, no matter how lengthy the process most of the information will be may seem.

It is best to ask for the appropriate easily transferred onto the new time needed to renew. If documents documents.

When filling out the application, do expire, it can lead to getting fired or being placed on a temporary l e a v e b l a n k b o x e s w h e r e information is unknown and feel leave from work.

BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

www.ELACCampusNews.com

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

HERE TO STAY—The infographic explains a breakdown of the DACA process and steps required to completing it.

confident with the process because the application must always be taken to a lawyer to help with any questions that may come up.

Free legal aid is one of the most important resources when it comes to renewing. One should not pay

for someone else to fill out an application. The resources in this document all have legal aid and will look over a DACA application for free.

The following are documents that must be attached to the renewal

application.

Documents to include are as follows: a copy of previous application, a copy of previous letter received with work permit, a copy of current work permit (front and back).

A copy of social security card (front and back), a copy of California Driver’s License/ID or, a copy of Consular ID Card or copy of passport, as well as any other supplemental information needed to update your case are also needed.

The final step to submitting renewals is to run the entire application by an immigration lawyer and to create a cover letter depicting every document included in the application (in list format).

Include your name and USCIS# found on your WORK PERMIT as the letter header.

Make and keep a folder with a copy of every document. This will make your next renewal easier.

Enclose all documents in an envelope with the cover letter on top of the packet. Have the rest of the files follow the order of the cover letter. Do not forget the money order.

Do not attempt to pay with a credit or debit card as there is always the possibility for the payment not to process correctly or on time, resulting in a denial letter.

Mail out the packet. See USCIS website to confirm address and be sure to include your return address.

Find the corresponding address at the following link: (https://www. uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/directfiling-addresses-for-form-i-821dconsideration-of-deferred-actionfor-childhood-arrivals)

4

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021

Wanda Vision finale leaves fans speculating

BY CASSIDY REYNA Staff Writer The series finale of “WandaVision” is a heartbreaking gateway into the future of The Marvel Cinematic Universe. The final two episodes keep viewers wondering what will happen next.

In the penultimate episode, Wanda had to relive some of the most traumatic moments of her life, from her parents dying to volunteering for Hydra, becoming an Avenger and losing everything she holds dear in her life.

Wanda is face-to-face with the antagonist of the show, who is trying to figure out how Wanda has these powers.

At this point, the show is no longer following its previous sitcom style. It finally brings the Marvel film style that viewers know and love.

Going through her past, it’s revealed that she did not try to create this “life” out of any ill-will.

Wanda wanted to be able to have her happy ending.

After losing Vision, Wanda went to Westview where she and Vision were supposed to settle down. That is when she breaks down and creates “the hex” around Westview along with creating a version of Vision to have

THE SCARLET WITCH—Wanda Maximoff played by Elizabeth Olsen is revealed as the Scarlet Witch for the first time in Marvel cinematic history. She explores the extent of her powers in final episode of “WandaVision.” her happily ever after.

At the end of the second episode, for the first time in Marvel cinematic history, the antagonist reveals and names Wanda as “The Scarlet Witch.”

Once this episode was released, many fans were crazed and

continued with their theories for the impending final episode.

Many fans suspected that characters from X-Men films would appear. However that was not the case.

The finale continues with the fight between Wanda and the antagonist.

The antagonist gets Wanda to use her powers more in defense of her family, which then allows her to truly become “The Scarlet Witch.”

Many fans can feel as though the last episode was rushed in its 40 minute timeframe. However, it makes sense with the Marvel films

that are soon to come.

Obviously, it is never a Marvel production without end and post credit scenes.

Needless to say, the scene excited many viewers and immediately fans were theorizing once again.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany

do such an outstanding job in their performances as Wanda and Vision.

Although they are not a real life couple, the chemistry on scene is beautiful.

Many fans are sad that “WandaVision” is a one season show but, it is better off that way for future Marvel films and shows.

Since “WandaVision” will connect to “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” it is the best option that Wandavision be a single season.

Although the last episode is heartbreaking, it doesn’t give a conclusive feeling, leaving fans satisfied but wanting more.

It is possible that fans may be correct in their theories, but only time will tell as more films come out.

Although Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, has yet to confirm or hint at any theories that fans have made.

“WandaVision” is an outstanding show that flows beautifully into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Many fans are excited to see what’s next with the impending “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and possibly in the newly named “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

Chang-Rae Lee masters addictive storytelling

BY CYNTHIA SOLIS Staff Writer

My Year Abroad, by Chang-Rae Lee is a genuinely mesmerizing book, an exceptionally provocative story about a young American boy who embarks on an unusual adventure across Asia.

The novel opens with the protagonist, Tiller Bardmon, a 20-year-old college dropout from New Jersey, who just got back from an adventure overseas, recounting his experiences in explicit detail.

The 500 page novel tells about the time Tiller went to Asia.

Asia is a place many of Lee's previous protagonists explore in his other books, Native Speaker (1995)

and On Such a Full Sea (2014), left for the United States.

Tiller is "twelve and one-half percent Asian," which is one-eighth.

The novel discusses the prospect that America has a "growing minority of basic almost white boys."

It is revealed that his lover, Val, an enigmatic older woman (she is in her thirties) and her son, Victor Jr, and Tiller all live in a small town he refers to as Stagno.

They met in the Hong Kong International Airport's food court, where they talked about everything as they waited for their flight back to New Jersey.

Val is a presumed widow and in witness protection after alerting the FBI to her husband's illegal business activities. As a result, the couple is forced to keep a low-profile.

Stagno is the home base of the

novel, which the story returns to while Tiller's past is revealed to the reader. Tiller grew up as the only child in a small, fictional college town, essentially describing Princeton's college town, where author Lee, lived and taught for many years.

When Tiller was a young boy, his mom abandoned him and his family, which he has struggled to accept. The novel makes this exceptionally clear, as it circles back to the unresolved issue often.

His dad, Clark, is checked-out, also suffering from the mother's departure. He does show rather sincere love for Tiller.

After going abroad to what his dad thought was a standard semester abroad in a Western European city, Tiller was back home. Clark would have been right if Tiller

didn't meet Pong Lou the summer before his departure. Pong Lou is an entrepreneur- working at a big pharma company and owning a frozen yogurt chain.

He ended up giving Tiller a business card after being extremely impressed by their post-golf-round drinking session.

The novel also mentions a ton of food; it is incredibly foodobsessed. Pong and Tiller eat like trenchermen, packing away feast after feast as if they were Lorelai and Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls.

During one of the author's narrative tangents, Victor Jr. is a very talented chef, making teasmoked squab and kimchi juicepickled oyster shooters.

Not only that, but while they are in witness protection, they open a pop-up restaurant out of their home.

Resurrection of ‘The King of NY’ music eventually sounded.

Most often compared to R&B, Wallace’s music was more versatile than he imagined. He had Jamaican roots, a Jazz mentor and his mother’s love for country music- all factors that may have contributed to his unique sound.

BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer Director Emmett Malloy explores a new, heart-warming angle of the complicated life of rapper Christopher Wallace, AKA the Notorious B.I.G., in his film “Biggie: I Got A Story to Tell.”

Taking place in the heart of Brooklyn in the ‘80s, the film shows the many pressures Wallace faced when it came to making a name for himself as a youth.

The film gets up-close and personal, showing clips of random moments in Wallace’s life. It humanizes him in a way no other documentary has.

The film introduces Christopher Wallace as a person, not as a rapper.

Wallace is shown to be a shy, insecure, young adult who was a sponge, learning everything about music.

It’s easy to write this film off as a recap of everything fans have learned about Wallace. But, straight out the gate, it begins with a video recording from 1995, the peak of Wallace’s music career, just two years before his death.

This video automatically makes the audience question what more can be learned about Wallace, but the documentary finds more to explore than most would think.

The film promises rare footage and it delivers. From exclusive interviews with friends and family of Wallace, to rare videos from the day of his death’s announcement.

Each moment creates a bigger picture of who Wallace was.

These memories are captured perfectly and stitched together seamlessly.

P. Diddy, the rapper and producer who discovered Wallace and helped jump-start his career, talked about the day he first came across a www.ELACCampusNews.com

LEGACY REMASTERED—The album cover for “Ready

to Die” was slightly edited to mimick a t-shirt featured in the film “Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell” in an attempt to reiterate Wallace’s intended message for his album.

‘Biggie’ tape. He commends him and says, “he was the greatest rapper of all time.” P Diddy is asked about the day he received news Wallace was shot and killed, to which he responds, “I never knew that you could feel so sad, feel so hurt, feel so empty, feel like everybody wanted to give up and then when we came over that bridge in Brooklyn nobody was crying, everybody was celebrating.

Their memories of Biggie were like the joy, the dancing, of seeing somebody that came from their neighborhood make it. And it just gave us a lift. This story doesn’t have to have a tragic ending.”

Malloy shows footage of the funeral and quickly juxtaposes it with a sea of fans not crying, but celebrating.

He spends time interviewing both Wallace’s mother and grandmother.

His mother shares memories of their yearly trips to Trelawny, Jamaica,

his mother’s home country.

Fans are shown how protective his mother, Voletta Wallace was over him, especially being a single mother. A clip from the interview shows his mother criticizing Christopher’s music, deeming it “vulgar and filled with profanity.”

However, while not liking his music, she respected him enough to let him do his own thing.

The film focuses on the importance of Wallace’s “Ready to Die'' album. It explains that the album was a statement piece, a “do-or-die” statement on behalf of Wallace.

While the album explores suicide and mental health, Wallace explains that he did not want to die, but more so “he was tired of not living.”

Without any real intention, Wallace was exposed to different music genres. The film makes the connection between these influences in his life with how his

“While the album explores suicide and mental health, Wallace explains that he did not want to die, but more so he “was tired of not living.”

Toward the end of the film, the mystery surrounding his murder, is briefly addressed, but not in excess. Malloy makes a good call keeping this part short, as many other documentaries have already addressed the “East Coast, West Coast beef,” that Wallace felt was too divisive.

The film even implies Wallace’s attempts to end this rivalry may have caused his death. The purpose of the film instead, is to celebrate his life and legacy in a unique and dynamic manner.

“Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell” is trending on Netflix at #3 as of Wednesday. The film is emotional and inspirational. It remains centered on Biggie’s life, with a fresh perspective, making it a mustwatch for rap and hip-hop fans.

People always pour in and out of the restaurant, raving about Victor's food, posting photographs of their feasts on social media.

By looking at his past novels, you can noticeably tell that the narrators have frequently been aged, suiting him in print since he is known to be an old soul. This is one of the novel's drawbacks since Tiller rarely sounds like a typical 20-year-old.

While some may argue that it makes sense since he has been through a few traumas and that ages an individual, Tiller makes some hard observations, like "We're beasts of our burdens, which never lighten."

That being said, there are very many funny moments throughout the novel.

One example is when it is finally revealed what happened to Tiller in

his semester abroad, which he refers to in the first chapter.

This speaks to the kind of writing Lee uses- very humorous.

Lee is the kind of author that would include his personal life in his writing.

Seeing that Lee is a professor, one may conclude he has seen students lose focus during one of his lectures because every page you read of My Year Abroad pulls your attention and holds it.

It proves that writers had perfected the addictive storytelling long before TV did.

Not only that, but Lee also dedicated his book to his teachers.

Also, the relationship Tiller and Pong share are very teacher-like.

‘Tom and Jerry’ come back to life

BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer A fresh new start in modern-day New York City, brings Tom and Jerry back for more adventures in “Tom and Jerry the Movie” which is nostalgia at its best.

The film released on HBO Max on Feb. 26 reawakens an 81-yearold classic childhood cartoon.

Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse find themselves traveling to NYC to follow their dreams. Tom brings his charm and his piano in hopes of becoming a pianist, while Jerry brings a tiny backpack and big hopes to find a place to call home.

As they both arrive in NYC, Tom takes the opportunity to set-up a spot in a park and begins to play his piano for cash tips from passersby.

The catch is, he pretends to be blind.

As a crowd begins to form, Jerry spots Tom and realizes he’s making money and wants in on the success.

Most people who know Tom and Jerry surely know what happens next. A fight breaks out and Tom accidentally bumps into Kayla Forester, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, while she’s riding her bike to make a delivery forcing her to lose her job.

Kayla is a young girl with no sense of direction in life who constantly ends up entangled in Tom and Jerry’s messy battles.

Desperate and with no job Kayla lies her way into a new position at a high-end hotel where she works under the hotel manager, Terrence, played by Michael Pena.

Their mission as hotel staff is to accomodate two famous influencers Preeta, played Pallavi Sharda and Ben, played by Collin Jost. The famous couple is planning to celebrate their wedding at the hotel, but with Tom and Jerry around,

something is bound to go wrong.

The film takes the audience on a trip down memory lane, but also adds a twist to the cartoon many know and love by making Tom and Jerry do the unimaginable. They have to work together.

It also places Tom, Jerry and several other characters from the original cartoon in the real-world.

The upside to this film is that we see Tom and Jerry in a more modern setting. The downside is that the movie is titled “Tom and Jerry: the Movie,” but Tom and Jerry are not always the center of attention as typically seen in the original cartoon show.

Kayla, Terrence and other real actors seem to steal the spotlight that was meant for Tom and Jerry.

In an interview with Collider, director Tom Story said he and his team had “a lot of fun bringing [the] characters back to life.” However, placing Tom and Jerry in the real world may take away from the impact that the original show had on its audience.

The last time Tom and Jerry made a public appearance before “Tom and Jerry the Movie” was in the last episode of “The Tom and Jerry Show,” which was on Feb. 21.

One of Story’s goals was to animate Tom and Jerry as most fans remember them. The traditional aspects of Tom and Jerrys characters remain consistent with past creator’s versions. Regardless, Story is a creative professional and adds a few of his own finishing touches which add to the modernity of the film.

Story even makes a reference to a popular DC film which film fanatics are sure to enjoy.

The children’s film is not as many Tom and Jerry fans remember, but it serves to continue the legacy that the original creators William Hanna and Joseph Brbara left behind.