Volume 78, Issue 17 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, March 24, 2021 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

ELAC opens vaccination site in campus parking lot on available supply of vaccine,” Senior Public Information Officer for the CDPH Sami Gallegos said. No additional dates have been announced for the ELAC vaccination site. “It is only for those three dates as far as I know. They did not mention any additional vaccination dates,” Jimenez said. Currently, those in Phase 1A and Phase 1B of CDPH’s vaccine eligibility guidelines are eligible to receive the COVID19 vaccine. Phase 1A includes people working in healthcare and those who require long-term care. Phase 1B includes food and agricultural workers, educators and childcare workers, emergency service workers, people 65 and older and people 16 and older who are at high risk for mortality. The hardest-hit communities are in focus as the state pushes vaccine availability and accessibility. According to the CDPH

BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer A temporary drive-thu COVID-19 vaccination site opened at East Los Angeles College Wednesday. The site is located on the first floor of the P3 parking structure. “These vaccination sites are just like the many others throughout the state where eligible residents can make appointments to get their COVID vaccine,” Public Information Officer Kevin Jimenez said. Students received an email last Tuesday informing them about the opening site and links for a.m. and p.m. appointments for the three days the site will be active. The Califonia Department of Health, which also runs the COVID-19 testing site that has been active at ELAC since April, will also manager this site. The COVID-19 vaccine is free to everyone.

“The state allocates vaccines to counties and local health jurisdictions which then allocate to providers like ELAC, based on available supply of vaccine.” SAMI GALLEGOS

CDPH Public Information Officer

The site received a limited number of doses. “The state allocates vaccines to counties and local health jurisdictions which then allocate to providers like ELAC, based

website, as of Wednesday, 3,234,989 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in L.A. County with about half of those being second doses. This number is updated weekly. With a population of about 10 million, L.A. County has vaccinated roughly one fifth of its citizens. C O V I D - 1 9 p o s i t i v i t y, hospitalizations and deaths are all in a decline according to data on the L.A. County Public Health website. L.A. County entered the red tier of CA’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” last week, allowing for restaurants to maintain an indoor capacity of 25%, K-12 schools to reopen with restrictions, movie theaters, museums and zoos to reopen at 25% capacity and gyms to open at 10% capacity. L.A. County may move into the orange tier in early April if numbers continue to fall.

CN/DANIELLA MOLINA

ELAC Campus News excels in journalism convention BY CASSIDY REYNA Staff Writer

East Los Angeles College Campus News staff won multiple awards for its performance at this year's Spring National College Media Convention. This year the convention was in collaboration between the Associated Collegiate Press and Journalism Association of Community Colleges. ELAC Campus News was registered as JACC and won four contests. Editor-In-Chief Erica Cortes won fourth place in News layout. Social Media manager Daniella Molina won fourth for her on-the-spot editorial cartoon. Opinion editor and Cartoonist Zasha Hayes won fourth for her editorial cartoon. ELAC Campus News received general excellence in the print edition of the newspaper. Cortes said that winning these awards made her feel proud of the staff and herself as a journalism student. “As far as general excellence, I’m really proud of our team who worked on it [the newspaper] last

semester. I’m very excited to bring that title to our new staff so that they can be inspired and continue that hard work that each member does,” Cortes said. “Each and everyone one of my staff members are doing such a good job of keeping up and having high standards for their work,” Cortes said.

“Campus News is probably one of the best things that has happened to me. The staff is like a second family to me.” ZASHA HAYES

Opinion editor and Cartoonist

With the pandemic and working virtually with staff and high levels of stress from being EIC, Cortes can sometimes lose sight of her goals. Winning fourth place reminded her of her goals.

“Getting fourth place in news layout is a personal achievement of mine because I tend to forget the reason why I’m doing what I'm doing. It’s inspiring for myself, reminding me that Journalism is what I want to do. Designing and layout is one of my favorite parts of being on Campus News,” Cortes said. “Although as editor-in-chief, I don't have much access to do that anymore, knowing I got fourth and placed lets me know that I'm still doing what I love to do,” Cortes said. Zasha Hayes was shocked when winning fourth in the editorial cartoon. “I'd barely looked at the Slack (an app used for communication among teams) and saw a few people tagging me and saying congratulations and I was like, for what? I was scrubbing the carpet when I found out I'd placed, so it was pure surprise and confusion,” Hayes said. Like many students, being on Campus News has impacted Hayes in her path at ELAC while realizing she has another family. “Campus News is probably one of the best things that has happened to me. The staff is like a second family to me. I know I don't speak a lot or put myself out there

CN/DANIELLA MOLINA

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT—Daniella Molina’s winning cartoon based on

Linsey Davis’ keynote.

News Briefs

Annual Leadership Conference 2021

but, I don't know what I'd be doing if I hadn't taken the required Journalism 101 course,” Hayes said. Daniella Molina was relieved and proud to place in the contest. “I wanted to make sure I was able to capture the perfect way to portray the information from Linsey Davis [keynote speaker]. The theme of the keynote was ‘The journey today of women in Journalism.’ I came up with a women superhero taking action,” Molina said.

Associated Student Union will host a leadership conference called “Leading The Husky Pack” on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register, go to https://laccd.zoom. us/j/93751477666

CN/ZASHA HAYES

DISCRIMINATION STILL EXISTS—Zasha Hayes’s winning cartoon displaying discrimination in America.

“As I remembered Linsey Davis saying "Let's put some action" [behind our intentions.] I was hopeful, but nervous when the awards ceremony started. The overwhelming thought came over me that I would not be able to bring anything back for our team. I am glad we placed in several contests, since there were many entries of each contest,” Molina said. 29 colleges were registered as JACC attendees and 230 students as JACC, totalling to around 7 students from each college participating under JACC. Attendees were able to take part in different workshops that were of

interest. Many workshops based around dealing with COVID and still having to work, and workshops to help with the content of writing. Throughout the three-day convention, there were three keynote speakers. Those who spoke were Linsey Davis from “ABC News Prime Live'' and “World News Tonight” on Sundays. Davis discussed her journey in journalism and how women have to “take action” in their careers on Thursday. Major Garrett the Chief Washington correspondent from CBS News, also spoke about the

Calfresh Workshops for students The ELAC CalFresh team from the LA Food Bank will host multiple workshops to help students with funds for groceries. The workshops will on April 12 11a.m.-12p.m., May 10 2p.m.-3p.m. and June 14 11a.m.-12p.m. https://tinyurl.com/ELAC-calfresh

change of Journalism and politics on Friday. Ashley Parker is a White House reporter from the Washington Post. Parker’s keynote was an informal conversation with the students who attended, she focused on the students and answered any questions they had on Saturday. The three-day convention was informational and benefited all those who attended as many were able to share their experiences and learn new techniques in writing, designing and drawing.

ELAC Health Center meditation sessions

ELAC Health Center will host “Don’t Hesitate, Let’s Meditate” every Wednesday at 4:45-5:15 p.m. Register at: https://linktr.ee/elacshc

News

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

Popular AMC theater re-opens to slow start BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer AMC movie theaters in Los Angeles opened Friday and they seem to be taking a slow start. After the pandemic hit in March, movie theaters across California were burdened by an unexpected bump. They were demanded to close their doors to patrons for a time not specified. There seemed to be no end in sight, especially for Los Angeles theaters. In the beginning of 2021, rumors of AMC Theatres going bankrupt spread. According to CBS News, AMC Entertainment dodged that bullet due to a “$917M cash infusion from investors.” This allowed for the reopening on Friday. AMC Atlantic Times Square 14 used to be a hub for ELAC students and residents of East Los Angeles. The once booming theater, surrounded by people at busy eateries and shops, is now suffering slow times. At its reopening, it appears to be close to vacant. But with two employees standing at the box office, two at concessions and one host, management appears hopeful that they will make a comeback very soon. Doors opened early, and the first showing was “Raya and the Last Dragon” at 3pm. “The Marksman” was the first and only movie to sell out this Friday. AMC Entertainment is taking their re-opening with caution. Limited seating is available and

the theater is set to run at only 20% capacity for the time being. The AMC website says, “Masks are required unless you are actively enjoying food and drinks.” Ticket prices seem to have stayed intact for the most part. An adult ticket purchased online goes for about $16. AMC also provides a new feature called “Private Movie Rentals” where you can rent out an entire theater room to watch a movie with up to 20 people. Private rental prices range from $100 to $250 depending on the movie you choose. The movies offered as of Friday include a mix of classic movies and new releases. Following are some of the movies included in that list: “Forrest Gump” (1994), “HOP,” “Indiana Jones” and the “Last Crusade” (1989), “Scream “(1996), “Tenet,” “The Croods: A New Age,” “The Little Things,” “Tom & Jerry” and “Wonder Woman 1984.” Many titles are being awaited by movie fanatics with much anticipation. The new “Spiderman” movie was postponed and is now set to be released at a much later date in December. However, “Godzilla Vs. Kong” has been posted on the AMC website with showtimes starting March 31. According to HBO Max, “Mortal Kombat” is also set to be released in theaters on April 16 followed by “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” on June 4. But as of today showtimes for both of these movies have not been posted by AMC.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Erica Cortes MANAGING EDITOR Juan Cavillo 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/GRACE RODRIGUEZ

SLOW SCENES AT THE MOVIES— Business starts off slow at AMC Alantic Times Square 14 on Friday, the first day of their re-opening AMC Stubs (free) memberships are still offered and rewards and points of previous Stubs members’ are still honored at any location. Movie theater employees from other chains hope the reopening of AMC will set the path for their theaters to initiate their own reopening.

ELAC student Yitzak Madrigal is employed by Regal Cinemas. He has been with them since the premier of “The Black Panther” three years ago. Madrigal said he believes employee hours will be cut if Regal reopens because theaters will be expected to run at only half capacity.

He said Regal Cinemas employees were sent a survey to find out who will be returning to work due to the fact that it has been over a year since Regal Cinemas closed its doors. Although he is doubtful they will return, he is also hopeful and he plans to be there if they do.

Comeback Committee gives insight on the future of in-person classes BY JUAN CAVILLO Staff Writer Plans for a return to in-person classes are being assessed for safety protocols and include unique plans for each different class coming back in the fall. The Comeback Committee held an insight meeting Thursday focusing on in-person protocols and how classes can work with changes that would come with in-person classes. Repreentatives from programs that were deemed “hard to convert” at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic gave the committee chair Marcel Morales tips for departments on how to adapt to in-person classes. Kendra Madrid, dean of business and finance in the career and technical education department, said it was important to first look over which classes from each department were asking to return. “Start with the class first...Then identify how close is the distance and where the class is going to take place. What are your needs? And then develop your need for PPE based on that instead of a one size fits all,” Madrid said. Morales said that there are engagement plans that the district has put out for the return to in-person classes. He said that there are also local, state and national guidelines for schools that are returning. He said the role of the Comeback Committee is to facilitate the process of in-person returns. “We have each of the individual departments and divisions responsible for their own plans to come back safely,” Morales said. Madrid said all deans should be having conversations with their faculty about noting which courses were coming back. Madrid said departments like Allied Health and Nursing ended up using personal protective equipment, PPE, and were limited in students. Each of the courses that returned had specific requirements as pertained to PPE gear and the district has invested in many of the areas involved with PPE and sanitization. Morales said each department has different regulations when it comes to in-person classes. He said no two classes were alike when it came to regulations. Madrid said there would be a need for departments to take into consideration their classes’ timing and it could affect their scheduling. The reason for the class staggering directly relates to the time it would take campus facilities to go to a www.ELACCampusNews.com

COPY EDITORS Luis Castillas Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Raymond Nava Leonardo Cervantes Anette Lesure SOCIAL MEDIA Daniella Molina Breanna Fierro PHOTOGRAPHER Diego Linares

recently used room and disinfect and sanitize it for the next class. “There has to be coordination between the on-campus class schedule and the sanitization plan,” Madrid said. Jose Villareal, director of college facilities, said it takes on average between 15 to 20 minutes for a full sanitization of a classroom using the district approved solution. He said each classroom would need to be sanitized between class sessions.

GRAPHICS Andrea Cerna CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre

“What about students who really need that in-person (class) because they’re really limited in terms of their resources at home.. in terms of being able to participate online. Should these students..be able to get a first crack at it ?”

ADVISER Jean Stapleton 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.

JEFFEREY HERNANDEZ

Academic Senate President

Morales said staggered classes was one potential solution departments could use when creating plans for the fall semester. He said students that did return would be informed if a class was meant to fall under this type of scheduling. Academic Senate President Jeffery Hernandez said when it came to scheduling, there might be some questions. He said one option would be to have a class use two section numbers. One number for the hybrid of online and in-person. One class would simply be for online students. He said the question becomes a question of equity. “What about students who really need that in-person (class) because they’re really limited in terms of their resources at home...in terms of being able to participate online. Should these students...be able to get a first crack at it,” Hernandez said. He said a solution would be setting certain cohorts at the front for registering. A student cohort is group created, for example Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), that gets special support. Hernandez said the only issue might be the complexity of addressing all concerns. He said he

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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

would be concerned if in the end, the solution was made a one-size-fits-all type of solution. He said a solution would involve student equity and that the school would be interested in finding that type of solution. “I think there is a will on part of the administration. I think the

question is how can this be done,” Hernandez said. He said a formal discussion would need to be conducted with students about returning to classes. Morales said students were going to be actively involved in the return to in-person classes. He said the Associated Student Union

CN/DANIELLA MOLINA

would have representation on the Comeback Committee. “I’ve already spoken to the ASU president about this. They’re going to have four seats at the table and two seats as alternates. I’ve already reached out to the dean of ASU, so their perspective will be valuable and necessary,” Morales said.

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, MARCH 24, 2021

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Smith exposes corrupt college admissions scandal BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer Chris Smith's "Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal" was an eye-opening documentary because of the amount of corruption it exposed. William Rick Singer was an ambitious and independent college counselor that promised young adults entry into any college. The catch was you would have to pay a large amount of money to get accepted. Singer had connections with some of the top colleges in the world like Harvard, Georgetown, USC, Boston College and many others. If a young adult's parents had enough money for Singer's backdoor deal, they would be guaranteed acceptance to the college of their choosing. Singer was the mastermind behind this scam and collected tens of millions of dollars. Singer didn't suddenly become

a slimy person because the opportunity presented itself; he was always like that. Before he became famous for his back-door deals, he was scamming kids. His scams did not stop there; while working as a college counselor, he would constantly lie about students' qualifications and even changed their race from white to Latino or African American so they could qualify for affirmative action. Singer even offered students his services for a one-time fee to get accepted into a certain college. Singer was on other counselors' and consultants' radars for his false promises and shady behavior. They knew something was up but could never prove him guilty of anything. Singer was a former basketball coach and was known to be a hot head. After he got fired he chose the counselor role. Singer was a naturalborn salesman. He made false promises he couldn't keep while getting young adults' hopes up.

SLICK RICK—Mathew Modine in his role as Rick Singer. He wasn't the most charismatic person, but he had a way with words and he knew how to sell himself. Since he was a former coach, he knew the athletics side of college. He often told lies about his

resume so he could seem more impressive.Singer offered a ‘back door’ approach, unlike a ‘front door’ approach where students get into college on their own. A ‘back door’ as Singer likes to refer

‘Covid Diaries NYC’ highlights class struggles BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer HBO MAX’s new documentary, “Covid Diaries NYC,” brings to life the hardships that many middle to lower class families faced when the COVID-19 pandemic first started. Covid-19 impacted people all over the world in 2020. While many took the time to glorify being able to easily stay at home, catch up on television, have small parties, etc. Others were suffering and questioning their ability to stay afloat every day. The 40-minute film follows five young filmmakers and their families in New York 3 months into the pandemic. They each document the personal impact COVID-19 had on them mentally and economically. “The Only Way to Live in Manhattan” short film, follows Marcial Pilataxi who lives and works with his grandmother at an apartment complex where she is a superintendent. During the short film Pilataxi expresses how much he just wants to be able to be outside of the apartment, but constantly fears getting his grandmother sick. “My Covid Breakdown” shows 18 year-old Aracelie Colón who suffers from mental illness and tries to cope with the depression that came with being home 24/7, as well as her dad being an essential worker. “When My Dad Got Covid” by Camille Dianand captures the worry that came when her father, an essential subway mechanic, contracted the virus. Shane Fleming’s heartbreaking, “No Escape From New York,” shows how entire families were in pain when both of his parents lost their jobs and incomes. While, Arlet Guallapa films how selfish people can be in her father’s

line of work as they hop on the crowded buses with no masks. Her mom works two back-toback jobs to keep money on the table in her short film “Frontline Family.”

One of the biggest takeaways from the film, and something many people will be able to empathize with, is how many people were willing to risk their lives to be an essential worker in order to keep a roof over their families’ heads.

One of the biggest takeaways from the film, and something many will be able to empathize with, is how many people were willing to risk their lives to be an essential worker in order to keep a roof over their families’ heads. “In the Frontline Family” short film, Arlet asks her father, “How do you feel about working during the pandemic?” He responds, “If I don’t pay my rent we (will be) in the streets, I don’t care that my life is in danger at least I have a job.” The most moving part of this documentary is that viewers will be able to connect widely to the

DIARIES OF COVID VICTIMS—The faces of COVID-19 victims who suffered class struggles.

struggles that are displayed. In many ways these young people are exposing how cruel society is to the middle to lower classes when it comes to receiving help. “Covid Diaries NYC” is not only

an emotional film, but also a film that teaches those with privilege to not be tone deaf, wear a mask and maybe take their own trash out because there’s others constantly risking their lives to do it for them.

to, involved making a donation. Harvard's ‘back door’ asked for $45 million while Stanford’s was $50 million. This really highlights the different Americas people live in. One student can have near-perfect

grades but get rejected to Stanford because a student's rich parents decided they wanted to donate to the water polo team. These sort of ‘wink-wink’ deals happened all the time, the horseback riding program or the fencing program would often get large donations. The film showcased how privileged students make their way through life while less fortunate students have to work twice as hard. The film highlighted Rick Singer as the most evil person but in reality, it was the colleges. Sure Singer was a slimy salesman that made millions off of rich parents but the schools still accepted the payments. They pretended like they did not know what was going on but they were fully aware of what was happening. In some instances, some programs would receive random donations and coaches would be clueless as to why but athletic directors or head athletic directors knew all along. A total of 50 people were indicted in this case and the mastermind behind it was Rick Singer.

Sarah Penner brings murder-mystery to life BY CYNTHIA SOLIS Staff Writer “The Lost Apothecary” is a mustread historical fiction that transports a story from the present to the past. Sarah Penner’s debut novel is number 11 on the hardcover fiction list according to The New York Times. It is a no-brainer. Her novel is famous because it covers themes of mystery, murder, trust and betrayal. When writing “The Lost Apothecary,” Penner alludes to her riverbank adventure, which took place in the summer of 2019. While she was in the water in central London, she found various pottery shards and a little piece of a clay pipe, which she took home to St. Petersburg, Florida. The storyline begins in presentday London, where an aspiring historian decides to take a break from her dreams. Caroline Parcewell, joins an expedition that takes her to the Thames river banks after her husband of 10 years cheats and confesses his infidelity. While she is there, she discovers a little blue vial that holds a poison-dispensing apothecary and leads her to a 12-year-old girl who once made a deadly mistake, opening up a 200-year-old mystery. The apothecary can be traced back to 1791, when Nella Clevinger owned and operateed a shop. Behind the wall of her shop, she had a storage room containing herbs, bugs and other remedies that were meant to provide women in need with a deadly option. During the era in which it was written, women had no alternative when they had an abusive husband, father, brother, or employers and were forced to stay with them. As a result, Clevinger would sell them these apothecaries to right a wrong, but she had specific rules- lines drawn into the sand she believed she would never cross.

Eliza Fanning is a 12-year-old maid who visits Nella on behalf of her mistress. Her mistress gives her specific instructions of what to look for and who it was for, and although Eliza is young, she is not ignorant of what Nella’s vials contain. When Caroline discovers the vial, it appears to have a mark on it. Caroline deduces it was an address, so she decides to visit the British Library. It is at this point where her dream of becoming a historian is rekindled. This novel is all-consuming from the beginning. Although some may find Nella’s actions somewhat offputting, Penner offers the reader Nella’s backstory and why she gained control of the apothecary shop, which was once her mother’s one-stop-shop for healing. Although the novel covers the theme of murder, it doesn’t delve into the psychosis of serial killers like many novels typically do. “The Lost Apothecary” forces the reader to create an affinity for Nella, Eliza, and Caroline. The readers will find themselves encouraging the characters to find a way around the problems. Something noteworthy about the novel is that “The Lost Apothecary” does start off to a relatively slow start. Still, it is only because Penner attempts to build tension between the reader and go deep into the woman’s psyche. The mystery element in the novel is shown as the characters dig into various problems, Penner disrupts their foundation and shifts their expectations, leaving readers hoping that the three main characters don’t fall deeper into a ditch that is unbeknownst to them. All of this being said, Nella says, “You cannot be betrayed by someone you don’t trust.” However, the reader can undoubtedly trust “The Lost Apothecary” to keep you turning the pages of a story that refuses to let up until the last sentence in the whole 320 pages.

‘Snyder’s Justice League’ captures dark elements BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Warner Bros. recently released “Zach Snyder's Justice League” which is an exciting romp through the DC Comics universe, and a different movie than 2017’s “Justice League.” What the film does best is show the hit movie Warner Bros. could have released three years ago. It also gives audiences a glimpse into the world building director Snyder had in mind when it came to the pantheon of DC Comics heroes and villains. While “Zach Synder’s Justice League'' follows a similar story as the original movie, the film is a great example of the old adage: “it’s the journey, not the destination.” Synder’s director's cut diverges from the original almost instantly. The movie retains all of its stars with Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and Henry Cavill as Superman. The big plus this time around is the attention the other three heroes get during the film's four hour run time. This time around the movie shows

more background for Ezra Miller’s The Flash, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, and Jason Mamoa’s Aquaman. While the original gave some back story on The Flash, both Aquaman and Cyborg were left by the wayside. Telling a much fuller story for these new heroes gives the audience a better understanding of why the characters are in the movie, and it also allows for a deeper connection to the film. Above all the actors in the film it’s Miller who truly shines. In the original “Justice League” his character was given a moment or two shine as not only comedic relief. This time around Miller retains the comedic moments but audiences get a deeper dive into the emotional turmoil he faces. The final outcome of the movie makes his moments with his father seem all that more emotional. It also makes the elation of their final scene so much more deserving than in the original. “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” not only gives more story for its heroes, but it also dives into more of its villains goals. In showing more of the villains the movie also shows the possibilities

that would have opened for DC Comics and it’s movies. The trailers show not only the main villain Steppenwolf, voiced by Ciaran Hinds, they also show the more unknown Darkseid, voiced by Ray Porter. Snyder’s movie gives the main villain a backstory and more to do rather than simply trying to destroy the world. The movie shows that villains in big popcorn movies can have some added depth and can actually serve a greater purpose to the movie as a whole. The visuals are spot on in the movie. The trailers show much of the distinct changes some of the heroes get during the movie and it’s interesting to watch the dynamic effects that occur in most of the big battle sequences. The look of Steppenwolf, the daemons and even Darkseid are very interesting. The only detraction from this is the armor they give Steppenwolf and the changes Cyborg has in some of the characters' flight scenes. A review would be empty without addressing the question of whether this version or the original is the

better movie. Suffice it to say that Snyder’s cut of “Justice League” is a much darker, thought-out version of the movie audiences saw in 2017. The biggest difference this movie brings to the table is its interest in delving more into the stories of each new character and providing a different take on DC Comics first foray into superhero team ups. Comparing the two films is like comparing apples and oranges or comedies and dramas. It doesn’t make sense to do so. “Zach Snyder’s Justice League” is a different film than what fans were treated to in 2017’s version. Some may point out that if this version of the film had come out in 2017 the landscape for big-budgethero-flicks would be different. In the end it’s about the audiences having stellar movies to watch, especially during today's tough times. “Zach Snyder’s Justice League'' has a running time of 242 mins. The film is now available to stream on HBO MAX and is rated R for violence and some language.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVANCE!—The ‘Justice League’ in action.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

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Features

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, March 24, 2021

Uncertainty looms for in-person instruction return tier,” meaning the positivity rate for COVID-19 is over 8%. Different departments have been given crumbs of information about A select number of classes whether they will be going back will be set to return to East Los into regularly scheduled in-person Angeles College for the Fall 2021. classes. According to Theater Arts Dr. Marcellino Morales, head of ELAC’s Comeback Committee, is Department Chair, Lisa H. Stone, among other faculty are currently the department made a request for working on bringing back essential a limited return for two classes but have not been given permission classes. to return to However as in-person of today it is not instruction. certain which c l a s s e s w i l l “The college is charging S h e r r i e L . avey of the come back. One ahead and working to D Psychology thing is certain, follow and interpret Department psychology eports that classes have required governmental rthey have been been confirmed guidelines for advised to to remain online schedule all of for Fall 2021. reopening.” their courses While the online. Academic MARCELLINO MORALES At this Senate has Head of Comeback Committee moment, it is not yet made difficult to have an official any concrete statement, COVID-19 trends are pointing evidence of which classes will be towards online classes for most returning to campus in the Fall. The last formal public address majors. The biggest contributing factor regarding the pandemic was made keeping people indoors and online on November 17, on ELAC’s is the fact that Los Angeles County official website. In the announcement to students, remained in the “widespread purple

BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

CN/PAUL MEDINA

CAMPUS AWAITS—Uncertainty awaits for in-person instruction at ELAC campus as students await to come back

ELAC directly quoted both the LA County Public Health Department and the LA Times and implied that since COVID-19 cases were steadily on the rise, the school

schedule would remain exclusively online.Since November 2020, not much has changed in Los Angeles. According to an article posted by ABC 7 on March 8, numbers slowly

Labor laws reviewed for awareness BY BREANNA FIERRO Staff Writer The State Labor Commissioner’s office reviewed California’s COVID-19 labor laws to provide students information on workers’ rights. State Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower joined a call to address important information students should know about California and COVID-19 related labor laws. Garcia-Brower attended ELAC before transferring to UC Riverside where she completed her schooling. She was appointed labor commissioner July 29, 2019. The Commissioner’s Office had additionally begun participating in organizing two massive outreach programs since the pandemic. The Labor Commissioner Office’s main priority through this pandemic is said to meet the needs of the public. Since the start of the pandemic, it has transformed its entire operation into remote operations, identified expedited claim processes for retaliation claims, individual wage claims and COVID-19 related claims. The Labor Commissioner ’s Office developed a process; if claims are identified as urgent, they are placed at the top of the list as priority, while their help line currently holds a zero-minute wait time. Thus people are receiving their information much sooner. “The law can be complex and you have a lot of small businesses who can’t afford an attorney, who don’t have access to a human resources department and the Labor Commissioner’s Office is a resource for them to let them understand what their obligation is,” said GarciaBrower. That it is important that the student population is familiar with California labor laws, GarciaBrower said, “Student populations should know that it’s important to be familiar with wage rates, what the minimum wage is, when overtime gets triggered, when double-time gets triggered, if one works seven consecutive days, it’s supposed to be paid at a higher rate on the seventh day; overtime for the first day and double time after that.” She said there are retaliation laws that are put into place so that the laws reviewed are the workers’ rights and workers have the legal right to exercise those without being retaliated or in fear of being retaliated against. Garcia-Brower said it is important to understand rights and to develop habits to protect them, like having a personal journal to document. One of the biggest complaints known within California is wage theft.ww It has continued to prevail and the pandemic hasn’t changed that truth. “Wage theft is more costly than

COURTESY OF WOMEN.CA.GOV

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS—California labor commissioner and

ELAC alumni Lilia Garcia-Brower enforces the state’s labor laws.

all other burglaries combined in also respond to domestic violence California. Specifically, in Los issues, trafficking issues to issues Angeles County, based on a 2012 of abuse. study, it was found that LA County Garcia-Brower said trauma workers are robbed 26 million victims, people fighting for parental dollars a week,” said Garcia- custody, trafficking and rape victims Brower. are least likely to She wants engage in another students to legal dispute to understand that recover wages. workers will They will California law protects not expect them instead disregard all workers, so it is to know their the situation and rights, making hop over to the important to know if student workers next job, they are an employer is lying or in survival mode. particularly vulnerable to taking advantage of you. S h e s a i d t h e getting those commissioner’s rights violated, office is building so it’s important up a relationship to know their with the agency rights and how to train their staff to manage that members so the relationship with your employer. team becomes familiar, so as people One program launched is the come, they are a resource to be “Workplace Rights Ambassador’s considered. Project” (WRAP) which reaches Part of the objective is to build out to organizations who are first- a relationship with the East LA line responders to trauma victims. Women’s Center, educating people They are partnered with the East about the complex needs of the Los Angeles Women’s Center who communities in East LA and South

LA while the Women’s Center is educating themselves about the Labor Commissioner’s Office and workplace protections, said GarciaBrower. She said she encourages everyone to take the time out to understand these rights regardless of immigration status. California law protects all workers, so it is important for employees to know if an employer is lying or taking advantage of them. The Labor Commissioner ’s Office also participates in two huge outreach programs: one targets trauma victims and the other is a Spanish language outreach program. She said there are over 70 professionals involved in outreach efforts, including Public Information Officer for California Department of Industrial Relations Paola Laverde, working weekends and weeknights with the Spanish language outreach program. “The most vulnerable workers, the working poor, tend to need us but they tend to be the ones who don’t know us. I want to build relationships, pathways and communities to those who don’t have a current network to the Labor Commissioner’s Office,” said Garcia-Brower. The second outreach program is called the Business Engagement Program, training 20,000 employers in the past seven months, complying with COVID-19 related obligations and training in basic obligations. The Labor Commissioner ’s Office is reaching toward working with small business employers or any employer who is willing to participate with them on this project and it has been successful so far, said Garcia-Brower. “The Labor Commissioner’s Office should be a household name. Every single worker should know about us. The California labor code is like a contract but for the non-union worker, because the California labor code applies to all workers,” said Garcia-Brower.

went down leading Los Angeles to be in the red tier. Morales is tackling this topic head-on. “The college is charging ahead and working to follow and

interpret required governmental guidelines for reopening. As well as provide innovative recommendations for ELAC moving forward and back to our campuses after the pandemic as safely as possible,” Morales said. Hopes remain high among staff and students who are eager to return to their regularly scheduled programs. Students are eager to know when their school leaders are to make official public statements pertaining to the start of in-person classes for everyone, while news spreads here and there. As of March 22, close to 20% of the US population has been given the first dose of the vaccine. However, only about 9.1% of Californians have been administered the vaccine. Perhaps the ‘slow but steady’ distribution of the vaccine will help create a sense of security for leaders to allow all ELAC students back on campus in the near future. Given that all teachers were already made eligible to get the vaccine as of March 2, the foundation seems to be in place to return to in-person classes very soon. Making an official public statement on this matter remains at the top of school leaders’ lists.

Obtaining COVID-19 vaccine a whirlwind experience after that to get seen. Both of Sandoval’s parents received their second dose at the beginning of this month. Receiving the COVID-19 Due to the trial and error endeavor vaccination becomes trickier as Sandoval said to stay with loved students help loved ones physically ones and help them through the and emotionally with COVID-19 process of setting up appointments regulations. online, especially if one is not too Due to the pandemic and familiar with technology. allocation of who can get the Prior to receiving the dosage, it vaccine, facility limitations make wasn’t of concern whether it be it hard for ELAC students and the from Pfizer or Moderna, Sandoval’s community to keep track. parents were comfortable with ELAC students are faced with both vaccine choices, eventually a dilemma when helping family receiving Pfizer. members schedule vaccination “It was between Pfizer and appointments online and when Moderna but when I had set the attempting to obtain control of date for the appointment, it had parent well-being. automatically informed us what The Pfizer Moderna as well as vaccination they would be getting,” the Johnson and Johnson COVID- Sandoval said. 19 vaccines, are questioned when Ultimately both parents were determining the best available satisfied with the treatment because dosage for loved ones and opinion they just wanted to receive the on what would be the best accessible vaccination and refused to be option. picky about ELAC student it, especially Natalie Sandoval since there are also had an others who are Due to the pandemic experience when picky about it, assisting both and allocation of who Sandoval said. of her parents Whether it can get the vaccine, when receiving be Pfizer or the COVID-19 facility limitations the Moderna vaccine. make it hard for ELAC vt ha ec c i sn ea tairocnh, I t w a s challenging for for a solution students and the Sandoval in in keeping the beginning community to keep track families safe is of February to of the utmost attempt to set-up importance. appointments. The dilemma Anytime she students face set out for a date at the end of either supporting or contributing filling out the parent’s information, to their family members is both a the date wouldn’t be secured fast stressful and confusing time. enough before someone else With support the stressful process guaranteed the date. of helping loved ones would be It was an unfortunate cycle, easier for those especially in lowtaking two weeks to secure income neighborhoods to receive a date and took two weeks the vaccine.

BY BREANNA FIERRO Staff Writer

CN/ERICA CORTES