Volume 78, Issue 18 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

EOPS inspires students to be kind to themselves BY CYNTHIA SOLIS Staff Writer East Los Angeles College Extended Opportunity Programs and Services program held a multitude of events in celebration of Women’s History Month; as a way to conclude the month, they held the “Inspiring Women” workshop. The workshop began with ELAC’s President Alberto Roman congratulating the panelists for the remarkable contributions that they have made at ELAC, helping to carry the college forward. Roman said all the panelists are incredibly inspiring— capturing the essence of empowering women in our community. He said he was very humbled by the opportunity to attend and believes that it is essential to celebrate and recognize the panelists (and all women) for paving the way for future generations of hardworking women. The workshop’s purpose was to show how to become a great leader and be successful. Many students submitted questions before the meeting and they all had the general theme of how a person can be successful when the odds are stacked against them, whether it’s because women, are trying to enter a male-dominated career or don’t feel like some things

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EMPOWER ALL—EOPS seminar encouraged many students to take part in self-care and being true to themselves during times of high stress and adversity. can be accomplished. Something that stood out in all of the panelists responses is how important it is not to change oneself. Sending the message that women should remember that they are capable individuals who are more than qualified for whatever they set

their mind to, Dr. Angelica Suarez, P.h.D, one of the panelists, talked about how important it is to be authentic because it is a lot easier to be oneself than to have to hide their personality. The panelists also talked about the importance of remembering

the value of learning to grow and develop as a leader. People often question themselves and put themselves down when it comes to messy situations. Panelist Teresa Moreno discussed how she uses whatever hardship she endures, and sees them as “growth opportunities.”

Activist speaks on her journey fighting for education BY PAUL MEDINA Staff Writer

Civil rights and education activist Sylvia Mendez returned to ELAC on March 30 continuing to enlighten students as the latest speaker of the ELAC Racial Equity & Social Justice Town Hall series, since her last visit in 2014. The theme of the workshop was “Fighting for Racial Equity and Social Justice.” Mendez is best known as being the lead plaintiff in a landmark legal case known as Mendez v. Westminster. The seminar was sponsored by ELAC President’s Office and the Women/Gender Studies program. M e n d e z t h a n k e d E L A C ’s audience for inviting her to share her story. “We have come a long way from Brown v. Board of Education. My dream is finally coming true, Mendez v. Westminster is being recognized for its historical impact it had on all of us. My goal is for it to be taught in all the schools,” Mendez said. Mendez said “Today an estimated 60 million Latinos live in the United States and about 43 million still speak Spanish. Although, Latinos are the largest ethnic minority at about 18%, anti-Latino discrimination is so common. Latinos still experience discrimination and it’s far from over.” In 1947, when racial segregation was lawful in schools nationwide, eight-year-old Mendez, and her parents Gonzalo and Felicitas Mendez, of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent, alongside five other Mexican families, sued the Westminster School District in Orange County, California. The lawsuit alleged that the district practiced unfair educational opportunities for Hispanic students and violated the equal protection clause found under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

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After Gonzalo Mendez found out that several cities built separate schools to educate non-white children, he hired a civil rights attorney named David Marcus to file a lawsuit to desegregate Westminster district schools, according to a United States Hispanic Leadership Award documentary on Sylvia Mendez. Dr. Alberto Román praised Mendez on how her battle for school desegregation changed the course of history. Furthermore Román praised Mendez’s case for being the catalyst for change in inspiring Brown vs. Board of Education which ended segregation in public education. Mendez’s parents argued in court that being a student at Hoover Elementary was unconstitutional. The Westminster school district policies at the time were that Hispanics attended the so-called ‘Mexican Schools,’ which were poorer schools located in the predominantly Mexican neighborhoods, according to an article by Dave Roos on History. com

Meanwhile, White children attended the beautiful 17th Street Elementary School. The U.S. Ninth Circuit court of appeals would eventually rule in a landmark decision in favor of Mendez and the five families. The case would be appealed, but by then Mendez had the backing of organizations such as the NAACP, LULAC, JACL, and WJC, which assisted in upholding the ruling, according to a United States Hispanic Leadership Award documentary on Sylvia Mendez. ELAC Chicano Studies Professor Nadine Bermudez said to the audience, “The case changed my life and, whether you know it or not, it also changed your life.” “I’ve spent almost 20 years studying the Mendez case. My family was involved in the Mendez case. We come from Westminster. If I were to sum up the case in a few words, it would be an idea of identity and love,” Bermudez said. Public schools were eventually desegregated in California. The case would serve as a catalyst and strong inspiration for the U.S.

Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education which struck down racial segregation in public schools nationwide. The Brown case ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional and overruled portions of the controversial 1896 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine in the United States. Román said that the Mendez case “Shed light on the many social, economic, political and racial injustices that Mexican American families faced during those times.” In her later years, Mendez would go on to attend Orange Coast College, becoming a registered nurse for 33 years before retiring. Mendez has been enshrined with many accolades including the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Barack Obama in 2011, the renaming of a Berkeley public elementary school in her honor, a commemorative U.S. Postal Service Stamp and a planned 2-mile-long freedom trail and monument in Westminster.

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BACK IN 2014—Sylvia Mendez last visit to ELAC was on March 2, 2014, also discussing her activism in her fight for education and segregation along with a few others.

Stronger Together Mental & Financial Wellness Elac Student Health Center will host

workshops to help students with financial and mental health struggles. Workshops will take place on today at 4 p.m. and next Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Town Hall for ELAC Students

All the panelists also stressed the importance of having a great support system. For some, support is something hard to come by, but whether it is a friend, teacher or parent, support makes the journey to a goal a lot easier.

Panelist Angeles Abraham talked about how she has many mentors that pushed her when she didn’t have the motivation to work hard anymore, because of them she is now a dean and EOPS director at West Los Angeles College. She has also taken the value of having a mentor in the way she helps students. Abraham believes that because she has a welcoming spirit, it allows her to create close relationships with students. She said that when she sees her students walking across the stage, it inspires her “because [she] knows what they overcame and what difference [she] made in their life.” When trying to accomplish anything, an average amount of stress is typical, panelist Julie Benavides said. It’s important to take care of oneself by practicing self-care. In the beginning, she questioned its effectiveness, but now she swears by it. Practicing your breathing, self-reflecting, or simply having someone to talk to will significantly impact how a person can move on from challenges more robust than before. A source Benavides recommends is https://projecthotmess.com/ self-care-habits-of-successfulwomen/ which highlights many habits successful women should implement into their daily lives.

ELAC town hall speaks on passion in activism BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer Patrisse Khan-Cullors told East Los Angeles College students who aspire to be activists on March 19 that they need to find the issues that impact them the most, because that is what will keep them motivated and committed to their work. Cullors is a cofounder of the Black Lives Matters movement, an educator and an author whose books have made it to The New York Times best sellers list. Her latest book “When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir” is a direct response to conservative media and those skeptical of the movement. After they were labeled as terrorists when some protestors clashed with police and instances of looting took place following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. Cullors said labeling movements like Black Lives Matters is a strategy white supremists use to change the public narrative. She said the strategy was used against the Black Panther movement as a way to criminalize activism in the minds of the general public. “The work that BLM is doing is trying to undo 400 years of harm violence and trauma caused by white supremacy,” Cullors said. “That is actually psychologically and physiologically very hard to do, because one thing that’s important to know if you’ve studied psychology, physiology or biology is that human beings, even if it’s not good for us, if we’ve been doing it over and over again we’ll lean toward the thing doing us harm, because it’s what we’re use to.”

ELAC President Dr. Alberto J. Román Students can attend ask questions regarding COVID-19, Wi-Fi hot spots, financial aid and other questions regarding support for students. To register go to http://bit.ly/townhall042321

In January thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. capitol in what Cullors said was a clear act of terroism, but she said despite that being blatantly obvious using the term comes with negative repercussions for people of color and their movements, because it results is more anti terroirm law enforcement that ends up targeting people of color. “Making an institution like the U.S. change is not easy. You’ll get resistance from your own people, because it feels like their foundation is being ripped from underneath them, and it is, but we can establish new foundations. It just takes time,” Cullors said. She told aspiring activists that they can’t be discouraged by the colossal obstacle of institutionalized racism, because the work must be done.She said supporting causes through social media helps, but that they need to get involved and be ready to face challenges if they really want to affect change. While she said BLM is fighting hundreds of years of trauma, Cullors said it’s important for people to understand that the movement isn’t only motivated by pain. “You can only use anger as your anchor for so long. It’s not sustainable. It destroys individuals and it destroys matters. BLM is motivated by black resilience, black joy and love.” Culllors was invited to speak to ELAC students as a collaboration between One Book One College and Gender Studies program. The college will continue to host similar seminars and workshops to help educate staff and students on activism throughout the year.

How to Avoid the Sophomore Slump

The first year experience center will host a seminar today from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. regarding how to stay motivated during the second year of college. Register at https:// tinyurl.com/avoid-soph-slump

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Opinion

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, March 14, 2021

Esports and gaming need more women representation BY JUAN CAVILLO Staff Writer Female gamers interested in video games should be encouraged and their talents fostered as much as male gamers when it comes to esports and gaming. Women in gaming, much like women in many other professions, are given a hard time with things ranging from sexism to outright harassment. This not only needs to stop but, efforts need to be made to be more inclusive of all sexes in all forms of gaming. One example of this in gaming and esports was reported on Associated Press in March focusing on the disparity between men and women getting esports scholarships across various colleges. The article explained that their survey into colleges was a smaller sampling that had challenges. Despite that caveat, the evidence is still damning. Within one simple article two very interesting and sad truths are made clear. First women make up only a small sliver of collegiate players. Men take about 90% of the spots on teams that were surveyed. Second women are not given enough incentive, through scholarships, to want to become members of any collegiate teams to begin with. When it comes to how these scholarships are divided up, 88.5% of scholarships go to men. Looking at these two separately is important because from one perspective, one influences the other. On the first point the obvious question to answer is why aren’t there more women in esports, and fortunately the answer has been documented all over social and traditional media. Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and many other social media outlets have videos and text filled stories of the blatant toxicity and hate that is leveled to female gamers. Men and boys, often the culprits of these rants, go off criticizing and taunting female gamers by using slurs, hate speech and outdated mentality. Barbara Dunsheath, chair of the women/gender studies program at East Los Angeles College, said society as a whole has an

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unconscious bias when it comes to gender. She said toy stores are a great example of companies making toys that are meant for just boys and those meant for just girls. “They don’t label [toys] boys and girls. But the type of toys that are manufactured and marketed and sold and distributed and therefore tend to be played with are very, very different. From the beginning day that those little babies are brought home, they are either put in a pink blanket or blue blanket. So that’s society imposing its ideas onto these babies and children,” Dunsheath said. This unconscious bias has seeped into esports and gaming in general. AP’s article talks about the male-dominated and more traditional games that are involved in esports, such as “League of Legends” and “Call of Duty.” These games are marketed to males almost exclusively. “Call of Duty” pushes the male ego entirely front and center, using “kills” and “domination” as ways of marketing the product. When a gamer gets outplayed by anyone they tend to get angry. This leads to toxic reactions, but these reactions are so much more toxic when it comes to female gamers. This is why more women are

needed in gaming. Johnny Phung, online multimedia specialist at Los Angeles Mission College and adviser for the college’s esports team, said the type of rhetoric that women get online is truly toxic. “It’s very toxic for girls when they play, especially when they play with random people. They just get a lot of trash talking to them. So it’s very disappointing and concerning for any person,” Phung said. Ego is another thing that breeds toxicity. Phung said the ego on some male players becomes an issue when they are not even able to see how badly they played, almost to the point of not accepting constructive criticism. He said women online and on streams had different ways of doing things. “A lot of them are really understanding and saying, ‘Okay I need to work on this,’ and they do. And I like to see that,” Phung said. He said that a lot of female gamers are also self deprecating saying they are not really good at games. Phung said he consistently backs those players with positive reinforcement. He said given the same play time women can be just as amazing as any other player. This positive reinforcement is key to building up female players and making them essential building

blocks of not only future competitive teams, but just gamers that have the will to keep playing. Doing away with the negative comments is one way to make female players feel more accepted into the gaming community. The second point concerns the idea that colleges have yet to think of a proper way to inspire women to join collegiate esports teams. Normally scholarships would help female students take the chance of going out for a team. But the scholarship situation being is dismal. Dunsheath said colleges need to be careful with scholarships and sports. From the Department of Labor’s website, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Dunsheath said if any school were to say that one gender would get more than another it would become a legally actionable instance. She said scholarships for esports would need to be made based on criteria that is not contingent on gender.

The AP article said some schools don’t have their esports programs as part of their sports departments. The article also pointed out that there is no current governing body that presides over esports at a collegiate level. Phung said there is a need for more organized play in the collegiate sense. He said the California Community College Athletic Association is creating a solution that he believes will not only create a better atmosphere to play in and one that would encourage better collegiate interactions. The CCCAA is the group that governs community college sports in California. “There’s a committee that’s trying to formalize legislation to make esports an actual sport. And they want to either get it up and running or become an actual sport in Fall of 2022. Or they are going to try and submit the legislation…in Fall 2022. So that’s on the horizon. So that’s a step towards having an organization to manage esports,” Phung said. This solution, like the National Collegiate Athletic Association for college level sports, could be enough to create trust with prospective female esports athletes. Phung said with the creation of this governing body comes money and backing to start esports teams and that it would build up confidence for females to take a chance and play. Phung said he would like to see three types of leagues set up. The three leagues would be all male, all female and mixed league. This is what needs to be done to increase the faith female gamers, esports enthusiasts and esports players have in the gaming community. Athena40.org said female gamers make up 45% of total gamers. On their website Athena40 is a “platform for parallel activities that promote women’s voices and participation in decision-making positions worldwide.” Knowing that such a huge percent of overall gamers are female, it would be silly for colleges, development and publishing companies and the other 55% of gamers not to try and prop up women in the gaming space. As a gamer, it is understood that the reason for playing video games is to have fun and lose yourself in a new adventure. The next adventure could be as simple as being accepting and understanding.

Biden gun restriction laws move forward BY LEONARDO CERVANTEZ Staff Writer President Joe Biden’s Covid relief plan was overshadowed by yet another mass shooting. In March there were two mass shootings that made headlines. On March 16, Robert Aaron Long was the alleged shooter at three separate Atlanta spas, killing 8 people. On March 22, the alleged shooter Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa was arrested after killing 10 people. Mass shootings in America have sadly become a common occurrence. On March 23, Biden

originally thought he would be talking about his Covid relief plan but some unfortunate events changed that. The reality is that it is impossible to eliminate gun deaths entirely, but stricter gun laws will ensure there are fewer casualties. To acquire an automatic weapon, buyers must go to great lengths in order to qualify. Having a clean record would be necessary and asking buyers for basic info like where they work and live would also be necessary. Buyers must go into great depths of background checks on the guns they’re trying to purchase, and if done correctly, are bound to reduce mass shootings. “In an average year, gun violence

in America kills nearly 40,000 people, injures more than twice as many, and costs our nation $280 billion,” said everytownresearch. On April 8, President Biden announced executive orders on gun control. “We should ban assault weapons with high-capacity magazines in this country,” he said. One of Biden’s immediate plans of action is reigning in ghost guns. Ghost guns are guns that are homemade which come in a premade kit and the civilian just needs to finish building it. “These ghost guns do not have a serial number and that means they can’t be traced,” Biden said.

If anybody commits a crime with a ghost gun they are less likely to be caught. In order to buy the ghost gun kit, buyers do not need to pass a background check. “I want to see these kits treated as firearms. Under the gun control act, it’s going to require the sellers and manufacturers to make the key parts with serial numbers and run background checks on the buyers when they walk in to buy the kit,” Biden said. Biden also wants to treat pistols modified with stabilizing braces with the seriousness they deserve. A pistol with a stabilizing brace is essentially more accurate than a rifle, which is what the alleged

shooter in Boulder, Colorado appeared to have done. Biden wants to make it easier for states to adopt extreme risk protection order laws, also called red flag laws. “These laws allow a family member or police to petition a court in their jurisdiction and say I want them to temporarily remove from the following people any firearms they may possess because they are a danger whether to themselves or others,” Biden said. These increment changes can go a long way if they are properly executed. Hundreds of lives a year can be saved with these new proposed actions.

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Reopening theme parks will reduce stress during pandemic BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer Theme parks are getting ready to reopen, which may be good for society as a whole. Since the pandemic hit the world, many businesses were hit hard leaving many hanging by a thread to survive. As most know, when COVID-19 became a global crisis many people were either laid off or had to adapt to working from home. Others continued to work in person if they were considered “essential workers.” Many hospitals became overwhelmed www.ELACCampusNews.com

with patients during surges of cases of Covid, which saw many hospital employees working overtime with little time off. Other essential work included jobs at grocery stores, banks, transportation and child care. What doesn’t count as essential during a global pandemic? Theme parks. Many theme parks have been closed for well over a year now. Despite having tons of money, they most likely lost out on a lot of it coming in through customers roaming their property simply having a blast. Then there are the employees who lost their jobs because of Covid who were affected by the income loss. Reopening theme parks may

seem scary to some because the U.S. is still very much dealing with this virus, but vaccines have been distributed recently and continue to be distributed. Reopening will also give many people their much needed employment back, along with benefits some may have lost and childcare that may have been needed. Another benefit to reopening theme parks is the increase of money going into the economy, not only through the theme park’s profits but by providing their employees with an income who will then turn around and spend it on needs and wants, thus adding to our economy. One major change that also came

along with Covid was the decline in many people’s mental health once they found out they could not spend time with friends or loved ones or even make a living. The pandemic shattered dreams such as saving up to move out,and the chance to attend college through organized sports in order to make it to the university to make it big in the world. Some began battling depression, while other progress regressed due to isolation and social distancing. Reopening theme parks can give many the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family they may not have seen in a year. It can also slowly bring them out of their depression, and now, possibly, a

new bout of anxiety. Running around at opened theme parks will also give people a workout and add to their physical activity that most possibly missed out on while many businesses, and at one point even trails, were closed to the public. While it is understandable that many may fear the idea of businesses such as theme parks reopening while a pandemic continues to test us as a society, the world should not remain in fear forever. It’ll be fun and much needed to ride a rollercoaster and scream out all your stressors and worries and then wash it down with a delicious treat at your favorite theme park.

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 ARTS EDITORS Grace Rodriguez Gabriela Gutierrez COPY EDITORS Luis Castillas Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Raymond Nava Leonardo Cervantes Anette Lesure SOCIAL MEDIA Daniella Molina Breanna Fierro PHOTOGRAPHER Diego Linares GRAPHICS Andrea Cerna CARTOONIST Ivana Amaral ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre 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. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.

News

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021

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DRC hosts scholarship workshop for ELAC students to always proofread the essay before submitting. Lozano also went over the importance of a letter of recommendation. It was highly advised to get a letter from a credible source. Employers, counselors, coaches, or mentors are perfect to ask. DRC staff also reminded students to keep in mind that letters of recommendations are huge favors

BY DANIELLA MOLINA Staff Writer The East Los Angeles College Dream Resource Center held its spring 2021 virtual scholarship workshop aimed at bringing awareness to scholarships available to ELAC students regardless of immigration status. The workshop was led by staff from ELAC Dream Resource Center. Staff members read over slideshow presentations of key details and tips about the application process. DRC encourages students to fill out more than one application. As long as a student meets the requirements of a scholarship being offered, all students are encouraged to apply. DRC staff members advised students to reach out to their counselors, advisers and mentors for information on potential scholarships. Most scholarships require a certain GPA score, specific major requirement, an essay and a letter of recommendation. “An essay can make or break an application. This is a time to shine and your time to give the reader a snapshot of who you are. Who is your audience?” DRC staff member Marcella Lozano said. ELAC students can look up open scholarships at elacfoundation.com/ apply-for-scholarships/. Students may also apply to scholarships outside of ELAC. There are hundreds of scholarships available at FAFSA.org and on the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment website. Students were also encouraged to research and reflect on their educational decisions before applying for scholarships. The slideshow asked students to reflect their major and why they chose it. Questions students need

“Don’t put I need the money, in your essay. We all need the money, that is not what is going to make you stand out.” MARCELLA LOZANO

DRC staff member

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to think about are how did their interest in that field develop? and, when did the student know they wanted to major in that field. These are some of the key questions students should know about themselves before writing out an essay. “Take into consideration the word count,” Lozano said.

Some scholarship essays also require a minimum word count, being 500 to 1000 words. It is important to include details of major choice, lifestyle and any struggles that may have occurred along the educational journey. “Don’t put I need the money, in your essay. We all need the money, that is not what is going to make you

stand out.” Lozano said. Lozano said for students to write about how the scholarship money could ease the burden of worry. Students should explain how the money could help to pay for books, supplies and equipment for classes. Students should also include how with the assistance of funds, they (the student) will be able to work

less hours and spend more time studying for classes. Applicants who meet those word counts criteria outshine the ones who do not. Not meeting the word count can have the reader assume that a student is not truly dedicated to the commitment process. Also, students need to remember

to ask of. Some requests may not be able to be done due to unseen circumstances. It is best to have several resources to ask just in case the first source is not able to provide a letter. Another tip from staff was to not to ask the same person to write several letters of recommendation. Just because they wrote one letter, does not mean they are obligated to write several. Reach out to other sources to help expand the possibilities of getting good recommendations letters. Lastly, students were told to be honest through the entire process of the application. Being dishonest can lead to disqualification and raise red flags to any future scholarship application they may apply for. For information on available scholarships and workshop dates ELAC students may contact the Dream Resource center via live chat at /laccd.craniumcafe.com/group/ dream-resource-center-elac.

Amoeba music re-opens at new location BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer Hundreds of music fans lined up for hours the first weekend of April to shop at Amoeba Music’s new location after it had to close its Hollywood location in 2020 due to Covid-19. The record store chain announced it would be relocating its flagship store in 2020 a few blocks away from 6400 Sunset Blvd to the new location at 6200 Hollywood, but it had to close its doors ahead of schedule and they stayed closed for over a year. “We were happy to be able to find a spot in the same neighborhood that has been so welcoming. With Los Angeles being so expansive, being in Hollywood provides a spot that is central for visitors from all over the city, and a busy destination with so much going on for out-of-town travelers

as well,” Kara Lane, an Amoeba Music representative said. The store is operating on a temporary schedule from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and like all businesses has adopted Covid-19 safety protocols. Amoeba Hollywood has been a Los Angeles icon since it opened in 2001, selling records, movies, comics and other physical media. It’s been a venue to a variety of prolific artists like Hip-Hop group Dilated Peoples in 2004 as well as dozens of local artists throughout the years, but because of the pandemic fans will have to wait a while longer before they could enjoy live music at Amoeba Music. “We do not have an exact date for hosting events (both live performances and artist signings). We will wait until the city and medical experts deem it safe to gather inside in groups again – and will err on the side of caution to make sure we are ready,” Lane said.

CN/DIEGO LINARES

AMOEBA MUSIC IS BACK—Crowd of music fans fill Amoeba Music’s during their re-opening at their new location on Hollywood Blvd.

Panel allows stories of immigrants to be told BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s Women and Gender Studies Program sponsored a panel discussion based on “A Migrants Story,” by Reyna Grande. The purpose of the panel was to create a safe space for presenters to tell their migration story as well as share their struggles with identity and culture. Panelists included ELAC sociology professor Renato Jimenez, author Alia Gabres, ELAC student Katya Alvarado and Iliana Perez, director of research and entrepreneurship with Immigrants Rising. This panel was inspired by award winning author Reyna Grande. In Grandes’ book, “A Distance Between Us,” she talks about her life before and after she migrated from Mexico to the United States

as an undocumented child. Professor Jimenez arrived in the Each panelist described their U.S. in 1985 from Guatemala also arrival to a different country and with the help of a “coyote.” while their Alvarado families goals talked about how were identical, difficult it was for each story her during her first “It wasn’t until I was different. year at ELAC. G a b r e s encountered the Dream She had zero migrated from Resource Center when information about Saudi Arabia higher education I finally felt known and and due to being to Australia. Perez migrated a first generation seen.” with her student, she was family from navigating the Mexico to the system on her own. Central Valley“It wasn’t until I California in encountered the KATYA ALVARDO 1995. Dream Resource student Alvarado, Center when I although only finally felt known being 4 years and seen.They old, remembered her and her helped me with my onboarding mothers journey to the U.S with the process. “ help of a “coyote,” referred to in the “The Dream Resource Center U.S as an “immigrant smuggler.” honestly brought me so many

opportunities in higher education and community college.” Alvarado is currently a student ambassador at the DRC and has been able to speak at different task force meetings. She said being able to help the undocumented community is huge to her. Panelists were asked how they were able to transmit and preserve their own culture and identity while going through the process of migration. They all admitted to have struggled with trying to preserve their own culture while also trying to assimilate into a new one. Gabres said the stories her family told her growing up helped her stay in tune. On the other hand Jimenez said he never fully felt Guatemalan or fully American. But now as an adult he believes his identity is flourishing. One of the ways he keeps up with his culture is using his mother as a major source and having her write

down her food recipes for instance. Words and phrases like “illegal aliens,” “wetbacks,“ and “criminals” words used in North America. impact undocumented people and their identity. Jimenez said, “When we look at the narratives and discourses that have been thrown out there to criminalize and demonize particular groups of people, I think it’s problematic if that continues.” Jimenez has been a victim of name calling specifically being called “mojado” or “wetback.” He believes it important to reappropriate terminology as a form of empowerment. In his process of empowering himself he now has tattooed “mojado” on his arm. He said, “I definitely think it’s important that we question, that we challenge those narratives, and we challenge those labels as much as we can make sure that we have a better perception surrounding these

concepts.” Gabres also mentions the normalization of the immigrant experience and recommends for people to sit back and reflect on the concept of migration. “There’s a lot of really beautiful things that can come out of (migration) and there’s also a lot of trauma and challenge.” A few resources that were recommended for others to look into were the books, “Haboba’s House,” by Alia Gabres as well as “In Times of Terror, Wage Beauty” by Mark Gonzalez. Helpful websites to explore included www.immigrantsrising. org and UndocuHustle.org. For undocumented students at ELAC the Dream Resource Center continues to provide support at (213)3942897.

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News

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, April 14, 2021

Suicide awareness workshop explains signs to look for BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer

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East Los Angeles College alumn, Vanessa Bermudez shared a presentation titled “Suicide Prevention, Know the SIGNS!” on March 30. Here, she outlined warning signs and variables that make an individual more prone to resort to suicide and suicidal ideation. Bermudez is a Behavioral Health Therapist and ELAC Liaison. She has been doing clinical work since 2018 and graduated a year ago with her Master’s Degree in Social Work. As a first-generation college student, Bermudez understands the struggles of navigating higher education and so she believes in making it her responsibility to ensure students are well connected. She shared the many resources covered by the students health center fee, including STI Testing, Laboratory Services, Vaccines and Contraceptive Supplies. All of the services are provided by Via Care and appointments are easily arranged by telephone at (323) 268-9191 or through the Healow app. Additional resources in the form of support groups through Instagram include the Men’s Healing Group, the Women’s Support Group, the 12-Step Support Group and the LGBTQ+ Support Group. The resources provided by the

health center and the listed support groups can aid students with any mental health related questions. Bermudez began with a trigger warning and quickly jumped into defining suicide, as the act of taking one’s life. She talked about the fact that suicide is still a taboo subject and that changing this and openly discussing the subject can help bring awareness and ultimately protect those at risk of suicide. The presentation discusses the various myths that accompany the topic and sets out to bust them. It is wrongly assumed that most people who die by suicide don’t make future plans. However Bermudez said, “the suicidal mind is characterized by ambivalence.” Hence, why it should never be assumed someone is okay just because they make plans for the future. Furthermore, another assumption made about suicide is that a person who talks about it will not follow through, yet the graphics she presented state that “8 out of 10 people who commit suicide have spoken about their intent before killing themselves.” Bermudez said there are many health conditions that put people at greater risk of suicide including but not limited to: depression, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and traumatic brain injury. Another set of risk factors present

themselves as environmental. For example, people who have more access to firearms and drugs; people who face prolonged stress; people who go through stressful life events or people who are exposed to other suicides are at a greater risk of suicide themselves. She said that video games can actually be a source that can normalize or expose individuals to violence and suicide as well. The final risk factor discussed was historical. This category includes previous suicide attempts, family history of suicide, childhood abuse, childhood neglect or childhood trauma. The biggest sign to look out for is a change in behavior following a painful event. An example Bermudez gave of this was a patient she had who never groomed herself, but one day came in with her hair and makeup done. She noticed some of the signs, and after some deliberation managed to help her open up. The following three lists depict warning signs of suicide sorted into three categories: verbal, behavioral and mood— courtesy of Vanessa Bermudez’s presentation. Verbal warning signs of suicide include talking about suicide (whether it be in the form of humor or not), feelings of hopelessness, having no reason to live, being a burden to others (most prominent in older individuals), feeling trapped , and unbearable pain

Behavioral warning signs of suicide include increased drug abuse, online searches of methods of suicide, withdrawing from activities, isolating from family and friends, sleeping too much or too little, visiting or calling people to say goodbye, giving away prized possessions, aggression, and fatigue Mood warning signs include depression, anxiety, loss of interest, irritability, humiliation/shame, agitation/anger, and relief/sudden improvement. If you know someone that might be exhibiting some of these signs following a painful event, the best thing to do is to reach out and be straight forward. Ask them if they are considering suicide. Bermudez said to those wanting to help that awkwardness is temporary, but a life lost is permanent. She says that while we do not want to play therapist, listening and providing a space to share can mean a world of a difference. Expressing concerns and worries can help individuals realize they are not alone. Most importantly, talk to a trusted adult about your concerns and point the individual to resources that can help. The student health center is open Monday- Friday 8am- 5pm. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 or Text HOME to 741741.

Actress Judith Moreland details her acting career BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer Native Angeleno Judith Moreland shared her story with East Los Angeles College and talked about what has made her acting and teaching careers possible. I n t e r v i e w e d b y E L A C ’s art instructors, and Moreland’s previous college pupils, Rodney Scott and Vanessa Pellegrini made “A Conversation With Judith Moreland” possible. Being a black woman, Moreland identifies as a minority and can resonate with many ELAC students who are seeking a similar career path. Moreland said she initially began her college education pursuing a career as a doctor because her father is a doctor. She wanted to continue in his footsteps and went on to receive her BA in Biology from Stanford University, but said that acting has always been her true passion. She studied at the American Conservatory Theater and received her MFA. Moreland said she has never given up, thus her biggest piece of advice is “don’t give up.”

“We are being seen. It is a great time to be an actor of color because as you can see, the majority culture is interested in our stories and they see that our stories translate. For so long they thought white people would not want to relate to our stories and it turns out that is not true. A good story is a good story and people are interested in all cultures. ”

JUDITH MORELAND

Actress and director

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She said she has always loved acting and was often in school plays when she was younger. Moreland said having the conversation with her parents about wanting to become an actor instead of being a doctor was a tough one, but they understood when she told them that she was going to continue her education. Moreland said she recognizes her challenges as a black woman who is over 30 years old in the film industry, but regardless she always tries to find a way around those challenges. She said she is most proud of sticking with her career despite all the odds that stood against her. However, Moreland acknowledged the current times and said, “We are being seen. It is a great time to be an actor of color because as you can see, the majority culture is interested in our stories and they see that our stories translate. “For so long they thought white people would not want to relate to our stories or hear our stories and it turns out that is not true. A good story is a good story and people are interested in all cultures.” At one point, Moreland reversed the roles and asked Scott what it was like for him, as a Black man, to walk into class and see a Black woman as his professor. Scott said, “I was the only Black male, so I was excited to see someone Black.” Scott said he remembered taking the bus to school and would get to class tired, but having Moreland tell him he cannot fall asleep in her class meant a lot because it showed him that she cared about him as a student. Scott said one of the most significant things he learned as an actor under Moreland’s wing was how to use his voice as his instrument. Moreland said it was a lifechanging experience for her as well because being a Valley girl, she had no idea she had a dialect and that she could use it to improve her acting skills. Scott pointed out that Moreland taught her class using a book called “Shakespeare Without Fear” by Joseph Olivieri which was vital to his learning experience. Moreland said the reason she used Shakespeare as a teaching tool was because “He was that good.” She said Shakespeare’s “genius was that he put it all on the page.”

Scott attributed much of his teachings to Moreland and said she is his mentor. Moreland said her mentors were two Black women who were her professors during her undergrad years. One of her mentors was Sandra Richards who taught her when she was at Stanford University. “All I can say is she saw me,” Moreland said. Her other mentor was Ana Deavere Smith who, in addition to being a professor at Stanford University, was an ACT alum.

Smith gave her one of her first teaching jobs right after she graduated from ACT. Moreland said she felt seen by Smith, too. Pellegrini also took a moment to thank Moreland for being her mentor and teaching her everything she has taught her. Pellegrini said that a significant moment for her was when most of her classmates were able to get jobs in their fields, but she did not have the same luck. Regardless, Moreland told Pellegrini to look at her options

and take a different approach. Pellegrini said that if it had not been for Moreland’s advice and care, she would not be where she is today. As her last piece of advice Moreland said, “Everybody does not have to like you but find the person who gets you, and that’s where you go. Listen to them. If they get you and if they see you, then that’s all the affirmation you need.” Moreland currently has three different plays she is working on. She recently directed a Zoom play

called “Smart People,” which was created in May 2014 by playwright Lydia Diamond. She is also in pre-production on “An Octoroon,” a live play written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. The play is expected to be shown at the Fountain Theater on an outdoor stage this upcoming Juneteenth. Lastly, Moreland recently helped produce a two-person Zoom play called, “This Bitter Earth” written by Harrison David Rivers.

CN/PAUL MEDINA

VACCINE ROLLOUT—Individuals wait their turn for the COVID vaccine; Staff from Northeast Community Clinics (NECC) prepares the vaccine at ELAC.

ELAC campus distributes COVID vaccines BY PAUL MEDINA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College is currently the host site to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Last May, ELAC began a partnership with LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis to become a COVID-19 swab test site. The purpose was to provide access to COVID testing to a marginalized community of color. Since then, it has become a dual vaccine and testing site. Such partnership was created through the LA County Department of Public Health and California Department

of Public Health. ELAC President Alberto Roman praised the vaccination site at ELAC. “Events like these are critical, they are timely and important to ensure that members of the community get vaccinated,” Roman said. The site is located at the P3 parking structure, which is accessible off Avenida Cesar Chavez. Contrary to some misinformation, the vaccine testing site is open to others even if they are not ELAC students, and vaccines are not administered every day. The site holds partnerships with various organizations, among

them Center for Family Health & Education (CFHE), Northeast Community Clinics (NECC) and Via Care, each which administer different versions of the vaccine. The site began operation on March 17 and occasionally hosts appointments to anyone who meets the criteria. Per California guidelines, currently anyone over age of 16 is available to take the vaccine. At the March 1 distribution, Daniel Sanchez of Anaheim said he drove all the way to Monterey Park to take the vaccine and said, “The process went smooth as I expected. Not too fast, not too slow. It was

good.” The vaccination site is ideal as it is a walk-up site and easy accessible off the street by public transportation. It is American with Disability Acts accessible, provides plenty of free parking, and bilingual staff in various languages are also available. Roman went on to say, “It is important for us to partner with Northeast Community Clinics who has a history of serving underserved communities of color.” The vaccine is free and is open to everyone regardless of lack of insurance or factors such as immigration status.

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021

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‘Invincible’ captivates viewers with intense plot BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Invincible,” is Robert Kirkman’s savage yet smart take on superheroes. It is amazingly fun and story-driven.The series lands on Amazon Prime Video with the intricate plot and graphic violence mirroring the comic book it is based on. Kirkman, along with co-creator Ryan Ottley, created “Invincible” and published the comic through Image Comics from 2003 until the series ended in 2018. Amazon has released the first three episodes of the animated show's first season and it is awesome. The story for “Invincible” starts out quite simple. The shows protagonist is Mark Grayson the son of Nolan— the world's most powerful superhero Omni-Man— and Debbie Grayson. Grayson is half-human and half-alien. His father Nolan is from the planet Viltrum. The origin of Nolan’s people is similar to DC Comics’ Kryptonians. But while Kryptonians gain abilities from a yellow sun, Viltrumites unlock their powers in their early years. The story goes on to show the trials and tribulations that life throws at a teenager when they gain super powers. He quite quickly settles on the name Invincible. “Invincible” has enough subplots in the first three episodes to carry on until the end of the season. Each of these smaller plots show either the darkside of being a part of the superhero community or the

moments where character growth is bound to happen on an emotional level. While the premise may sound cookie-cutter, it is the layer upon layer that is piled on the show in just the first episode that gives “Invincible” its edge. Grayson is voiced by Steven Yeun from “The Walking Dead,” another show of Kirkman’s creations. Yeun has a stellar turn as Grayson, he makes sure to infuse his voice acting with both, teenage angst and silliness. In the first half of the season, Grayson goes through not only the pains that make up young adulthood like dating, bullies and fitting in, but the character also gets to deal with what it means to have super powers. As Yeun’s character grows from a teen to superpowered Invincible, his acting shows just how emotional superheroes can be. Nolan, voiced sublimely by veteran actor J.K. Simmons, tries to teach his son that there are things people like them have to do and things they want to do. This is the show’s “with great power, comes great responsibility” speech. Simmons is the perfect actor to voice the role of Nolan. His voice goes from harsh to understanding in the middle of a sentence. Simmons knows just how to emphasize certain words allowing him to be both understanding and threatening all at once. The real stand-out on the show so far is Walter Goggins as Cecil Stedman. Goggins, from “Justified,” “Vice Principals” and “The Unicorn,” shows exactly why

he can be in almost any genre and remain memorable. Stedman is an older man who is the head of a worldwide organization that helps and fights alongside superheroes. The Marvel cinematic universe has the cool spy in Nick Fury, while the DC extended universe has the hardas-nails Amanda Waller helping heroes. The “Invisible” universe has Stedman who is grizzled, cranky but ultimately thoughtful and understanding as their superhero connection. Goggins voices the character in that exact way, yelling at underlings one second then being compassionate to a fallen hero’s partner the next. The rest of the cast on “Invincible” is spectacular as well. Debbie Grayson is voiced by the stellar Sandra Oh. Oh is perfect for the mother who won’t take any guff from a house full of superpowered people. Gillian Jacobs plays Eve, a friend and teammate of Grayson and Invincible. Finally, there is Zachary Quinto who voices Robot. Quinto’s take on Robot is similar to the inflections he used for Spock in the “Star Trek” movies, but just robotic enough to be eerie. It’s this eeriness that makes the character both interesting and unnerving. The first three episodes show Grayson learning how to be Invincible, his heroic alter-ego. The episodes are well balanced with both positive moments and darker-themed ones. Some of the more captivating scenes come during the first times Grayson flies around as Invincible. The music and movement on screen fills the

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FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT—Invincible, Mark Grayson, battles with the Flaxan General during the alien’s invasion of Earth. audience with the feeling of flight. The freedom it must bring to simply move through the air with ease is made real by the fun, light and energetic music. The animation also does a more than adequate job showing what an actual fight might feel like. The combination of the animation style and music also makes the fight scenes on screen more visceral than what audiences might be used to. While Marvel loves adding in SFX to make a splash in their battles and DC goes more down the somewhat

realistic view, “Invincible” takes the cake. The animation, music, and sound effects during fight scenes is incredible. Each punch, kick, and explosion shocks the system. There is a sense of brutality in the battles that is not often seen on-screen, unless of course if the audience is watching a war film. There are blood and broken things a plenty in “Invincible.” A m a z o n P r i m e ’s o r i g i n a l animated show is a winner in every way. Superb music, animation, voice acting and story pacing make

the show a must watch for fans of comic-related media. It is violent and dark, but it is infused with the morals and kindness of the characters that makes it so interesting and just plain fun to take in. “Invincible” is rated TV-MA for severe violence and gore, severe frightening and intense scenes and moderate profanity. It is now streaming its first three episodes on Amazon Prime. A new episode premieres every Friday for an eight-episode first season.

Cheesy killer jeans kill movie ‘Slaxx’ ‘Law & Order’ fans get closure BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer If you’re in the mood for a cheesy, somewhat funny film and inspiring message, look no further, because “Slaxx” is it. The film centers around a pair of form-fitting jeans that turn out to be, wait for it, killer jeans. Not killer as in trendy, but killer as in murderous. That’s right. The pair of jeans is somehow possessed or powered by something the employees at Canadian Cotton Clothiers (CCC) don’t understand. The pair of jeans appears to have some sort of vendetta it is after and obtains this by killing those near it as much as possible. However, it can be calmed enough to “talk” to it through the sound of Bollywood music. The film does make an attempt at sending out a heartfelt message to the public about GMOs and the dangers of using them, as well as child labor and basically just being a good human being. The Canadian film is directed by Elza Kephart and the cast includes Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani and Kenny Wong among the top-billed. While the poster board itself can give off a ‘90s look and feel, the movie is a bit corny and annoying as it progresses. It feels like a joke but a joke the writer may not know

is occurring. It has comedic scenes but hardly anything worth talking about. The acting is not terrible and while the actors have the potential to shine elsewhere, they absolutely do not shine in this film. Overall, this film is one that

many would probably not mind missing out on. Only watch this if another pandemic starts and there is literally nothing else to watch. “Slaxx” can be streamed on either Amazon or Shudder and runs 77 minutes.

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BY RAYMOND NAVA Staff Writer The “Law & Order Special Victims Unit” and “Organized Crime” crossover gives longtime fans a reunion that was 10 years in the making. It also gives them a new chapter in Dick Wolf's Law & Order franchise. In the SVU episode, “Return of the Prodigal Son,” Christopher Meloni returns as Elliot Stabler for the first time in 10 years since leaving the show. He is reunited with his former partner Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay. The episode is followed by the premiere episode of the new show "Organized Crime," in which Meloni also stars in. The SVU episode has Elliot suffering a devastating loss while reuniting with his former colleagues. The reunion isn't all happy. Setting aside and with the urgent situation already in the episode, the reunion between Benson and Stabler shows tension between the two characters. It's revealed that the two haven't spoken in ten years following Stabler's abrupt departure. This makes sense as Benson would still hold some sort of resentment towrads him. It's clear that their relationship will need time to heal and the “Organized Crime” part of the crossover, shows this to be the case as well.

The episode of “Organized Crime” was a good start to the new series. The episode follows up on Stabler's investigation into who is responsible for his devastating loss. It also sets up what looks to be a season-long plot line rather than a story of the week format found in previous iterations— though it's possible this may not be the case. The series doesn't use the traditional time and location cards that have been a staple of the franchise, since seasons 6-8 of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” The show's pacing doesn't feel like previous shows either. It feels more like “Chicago PD” and the “FBI” franchise, which were also created by Dick Wolf. While this could divert some fans from the franchise, it makes sense. The show’s material, which deals with organized crime, is more intense than other types of crime handled in the other shows in the franchise, and so the same pacing would not suit the previous format. While the event was overall wellexecuted, there were a few things that were disappointing. There were also some things in “Organized Crime” that did not really work. Unlike previous shows in the Law & Order franchise, some of the actors for the main criminals in “Organized Crime” are credited as part of the main cast. While this has happened in other shows, it's very

weird for this to be the case in Law & Order. This also seems to further the idea that the series is following an overarching storyline. This helps explain the next issue. The event was advertised as a two-part crossover and while it technically was, it felt like a pretty light crossover. Of the five main cast members in “Organized Crime,” only 3 play cops. Meloni was the only character from OC to appear on the SVU episode while Mariska Hargitay was the only character to appear on the OC episode. While this might be enough to call it a two-part crossover, some may find the small number of characters crossing over disappointing. However given that the crossover also served as the first episode of OC, this makes sense. The episode was able to act on its own in setting up the series, and too many crossover characters could cloud it. The crossover finally gives some closure to Meloni’s character's abrupt exit from SVU. “Organized Crime” shows a lot of potential and it will be exciting to see what direction it goes throughout the season. The event is solid and any former viewer of SVU should definitely check it out.

Horror film‘The Unholy’ warns against blind trust BY GRACE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer Director and writer Evan Spilotopulous’ film “The Unholy” was the right amount of intense but most noteworthy, was its ability to maintain the mystery element. While the release date was overshadowed by the much -anticipated “Godzilla v Kong,” the film is still a hit among horror movie enthusiasts. The film reiterates the message, “beware of false prophets.” It blends religion and horror well. It can definitely be put up against some of the greatest horror movies for originality. While the concept of blending religion and horror is not new, Spilotopulous manages to showcase the power of faith in a non-preachy manner. However, the biggest hang-up with the film is the fact that viewers go into the film with much anticipation. By the end of the film the question of what is going to happen is answered, but the question of why remains. The purpose of the film is one that is questionable overall. But for what the film is, the mystery element makes it interesting enough to want

to watch in the first place. The opening scene, meant to foreshadow the plot that is unraveled later in the movie, shows what appears to be a ‘crucifiction’ of a woman. The scene is a perfectly dramatic precursor for viewers to be introduced to the mystery that is to come. A quick change in mood leads viewers to meet Gerry Fenn, the main character played by Jeffree Dean Morgan who is best known for his work on AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Gerry Fenn is a struggling journalist desperate for a story. Fenn has a character arc that is more prominent than any other character in the film. In the beginning, viewers are introduced to a Gerry that has serious baggage and was recently exposed for fabricating stories at his previous job. Although Fenn comes off as a famed-crazed journalist, his growth throughout the film emphasizes his redemption arc. The cast is well chosen. Monsignor Delgarde, played by Diogo Morgado is stellar in his role as the investigator of miracles on behalf of the church. His character acts as an in-film critic discussing realistic scenarios the film could

have taken, leaving no stone unturned. This really grounds the film well and helps with plot holes. Dr. Natalie Gates, played by Katie Aselton, is a minor character at first, but becomes essential to the plot later in the film. While she plays the character well, the film could have been well off without her character. Still her acting leaves viewers wanting to see more of the doctor after each scene. Alice, played by Cricket Brown, is the most essential character of the film. She is the catalyst of the mystery. Cricket Brown shines in this role. Her facial expressions and overall aloofness are well-played. Father Hagan, played by William Sadler is Alice’s uncle and caretaker. The role suits Sadler well. He manages to be a likable character with traits that are not always honorable. Most notable of this character is not the execution of the acting, instead it is Spilotopulous’ use of the character to showcase his wordsmithing abilities. The line, “There’s nothing Satan loves more than to disturb our faith” is just one example where viewers cannot help but hang on to every word. The film stood out from others because it was not afraid to kill off

some of the most likable characters. This gave viewers a sense of an unresolved ending just before the actual resolution making its twists that much more powerful. The film’s message, “Beware of

false prophets.” is interesting. How much of this message applies to our world today is subjective, but the movie as whole is still worth the watch. It is not for the faint of heart as there are plenty of jump-scares.

“The Unholy” sold out a few showtimes in different cities and completely sold out in Downey and Norwalk this Friday.

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ASHES TO ASHES—The entity Mary is exposed and burned to the ground. www.ELACCampusNews.com

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Features

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021

Attorney offers DACA students legal advice BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Frances Davila is helping undocumented students as an immigration attorney at both East Los Angeles Colleges’ Dream Resource Center and Rio Hondo College. She attended the New York University School of Law and spent her time in college building solidarity within the latinx communities on campus. In New York she worked with students, faculty and staff on immigration issues. She said she moved back to Los Angeles to work with the latinx community where she was raised. This is how she found work at the Central American Resource Center. Davila said connecting with the educational system and working with students was one of the reasons for her move back home. “I feel like working in educational settings is a very fresh and critical lens into how you advocate within the community,” Davila said. Her work with students in New York would come in handy as made her way to helping community college students for CARECEN. She was given the chance to work with ELAC’s DRC and Rio Hondo college. She said the attention ELAC has given both immigrant and identity issues as a community college is impressive. Davila said she feels lucky being born in the United States

and understands the fears undocumented students have of losing family members to immigration problems. She said fear of the legal system and immigration can lead to a mistrust of the system as a whole for people. The DRC helps undocumented students in a variety of ways. Student ambassador Justine Miranda said that despite working only a month at the DRC she can see the good the department does and how the department creates a place for student support. Miranda said what she sees is how impactful women are in the DRC. Much of the staff are women, with their Dean and Faculty advisor both being women. Miranda said she has not worked with CARECEN or Davila but that there is leadership they provide for the DRC. Previously the DRC legal aide was also from CARECEN and was also a woman. Davila said there was a list of things that she and CARECEN can help ELAC students with. Students can get help with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewals and first time applications. Students can also get information concerning immigration statuses for their parents or family members. Davila said she can also help students on their way to getting a “Green Card.” The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service website defines what a “Green Card”

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IMMIGRANT ACTIVIST— Attorney Frances Davila assists ELAC student immigrants with their legal needs.

is in the following way. “Having a Green Card (officially known as a Permanent Resident Card (PDF, 6.77 MB) allows you to live and work permanently in the United States. The steps you must

take to apply for a Green Card will vary depending on your individual situation.” Davila said there are certain things that are a bit more involved that they can help students with. She said one

Civil rights activist continues advocacy for better rights Dolores Huerta has dedicated her life for change BY PAUL MEDINA Staff Writer At 91 years old Dolores Huerta continues to fight for those who are taken advantage of. Huerta who is a labor and civil rights activist is best known for dedicating her life to improve the conditions of migrant workers throughout the United States. Alongside labor leader Cesar E. Chavez, Huerta co-founded the National Farm Workers Association which went on to merge with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and then became the United Farm Workers of America. The UFW is a labor union of farm workers best known for leading many strikes in Central California including the Delano Grape Strike which demanded better wages and working conditions for migrant workers. Huerta was born on April 10, 1930, in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico to MexicanAmerican parents. Her father was a

union activist and was later elected it was the first of its kind in the to the New Mexico Legislature. nation which allowed farm workers After her parents divorced her to collectively bargain with therir mother relocated the family to employers, according to the state of Stockton California, according California legislative information to the Dolores website. H u e r t a Throughout Foundation her life, Huerta website. continued with Huerta who is a labor H u e r t a activism. and civil rights activist would go on to S h e graduate from co-founded is best known for Stockton High a UFW radio dedicating her life to School and San station and Joaquin Delta improve the conditions c o n t i n u e s College where with her of migrant workers she earned advocacy for a teaching better working throughout the United credential. conditions for States. H u e r t a farm workers began her a n d o n activism with immigration the Stockton policy reform, Community Service Organization according to her profile on where she first met Chavez, who Britannica. later helped run the UFW. The Dolores Huerta Foundation A decade later Huerta was was founded in 2002. influential in passing California’s According to its website the Agricultural Labor Relations Act, foundation serves the purpose “to

inspire and organize communities to build volunteer organizations empowered to pursue social justice. DHF organizes at the grassroots level developing natural leaders with hands-on training through collective action.” Huerta would go on to receive many honors for her lifetime commitment to service. Some honors and accolades include being inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack in 2011. In 2021 Governor Gavin Newsom signed a proclamation designating her birthday April 10, Dolores Huerta Day. In 2019 the Los Angeles City Council renamed and dedicated a Boyle Heights intersection in her honor. The Los Angeles Community College District in 2007 established the Dolores Huerta Labor Institute which works with faculty to educate LACCD students on labor history.

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TRAILBLAZER HUERTA—Dolores Huerta during a rally in Coachella, CA in 1969. www.ELACCampusNews.com

example, which CARECEN has current administration, there is a seen more of recently, is filling out hope that many of the racist and applications for Special Juvenile unfair practices that occurred during the previous administration will Immigrant Status. “If you’re under 21 and you’re not change. She said undocumented married and you’ve been abused, people should stay hopeful, but that abandoned or neglected by one or time is still needed for many of the both parents, or one of them has old laws and procedures to change. Davila said that despite the new passed away, there’s a way you can laws helping a lot of other people obtain legal status here in the US,” are being left by the wayside. She Davila said. She said the complicated thing said that undocumented people with this type of situation is that it that have been lost in the criminal system and the ever goes through present connection probate court between that first. Davila said she feels system and Then the lucky being born in immigration are information from that the United States and things that have yet been addressed. helps with the understands the fears Davila said the application for last of years a visa. undocumented students had couple been tough, but CARECEN have of losing family that the immigrant has been working with members to immigration c o m m u n i t i e s had seen things the ELAC DRC problems. like this before for sometime, and continued and before the on passing their pandemic it experiences onward. was more face-to-face. She said the strength of latinx, Since the pandemic things have changed. Davila said since black, and asian communities and the beginning of the pandemic the resiliency of the families that things have been online for student make up these communities remains constant in the face of challenges. meetings with lawyers. “Passing on that generational She said this model will more than likely be retained, with the knowledge is crucial at this time. addition of walk-in meetings, when So that we don’t repeat mistakes,” things return to in person education. Davila said. Davila said there is current a sigh of relief for undocumented people in general. With President Joseph R. Biden’s

Program offers free educational plan BY ZASHA HAYES Staff Writer The College Promise Program has been helping students for years and COVID-19 hasn’t changed that. This program assists students on their path to graduation and is usually how students are able to stay on the right track during their college career. The pandemic has left many students unmotivated in their academic studies, so the College Promise Program helps those students stay motivated, and push them to be successful in their college career. This is apparent in the program’s motto, “Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Connected!” The program features a team of success coaches and peer navigators who call attention to the success of mainly first years and the continuation into their second year. Each student is given a chance to apply to this program if they are eligible. Before COVID-19 the program would send staff to local high schools in order to recruit students into the program. Now, due to social distancing and the lack of on-campus courses, the Promise Program offers webinars on Friday and Saturday evenings. An ongoing open zoom meeting is also used to help freshmen with any questions about college and their academics. The program has introduced online support workshops that were not available on campus previously. These workshops focus on the mental health of ELAC students and the topics vary from arts and crafts to showing pets over zoom to others who choose to join the workshops. These improve the mental fatigue and social-emotional struggles students might face and gives them the chance to connect to others without worrying about academics, or other responsibilities that might be weighing on a student’s mind. The responsibilities can vary from a student watching a sibling to a student who has been forced to look for jobs because of COVID19. The workshops also give staff a chance to interact with students who may or may not need help. Because of the lack of on-campus learning, students and staff are no longer seeing each other in person.

However the Promise Program’s workshop gives the staff a reason to speak with students or other staff members as if they would on campus. R o s a l b a Vi l l a l o b o s , t h e coordinator for the College Promise Program, relays how COVID-19 has affected the students negatively and wants to help the students who have been. Each workshop is made to improve the students, be it with academics, or their mental health during the pandemic. “I’m really about finding, not the positive in every situation, but keeping the hope alive,” Villalobos said. Students are encouraged to join because of the incentives the program offers. Some beneficial incentives are laptops for students who need them, be it because of the lack of one or poor internet connection. Students also receive a $50 stipend starting in Fall semester and continues for the semesters after, and an important benefit is the Los Angeles College Promise Works (LACP Works). This allows students to have access to internships and jobs that are remote, and are a big help for undocumented students. LACP Works gives students the chance to gain experience in the field they are looking to make a career in during college. Because COVID-19 has taken a toll on students’ mental health, students who reach out for help can get it. The College Promise Program connects students to the Student Health Office and follows protocols to keep students safe. The College Promise Program focuses on the success of students during their stay at ELAC. The program hires students to help assist other students, who have already gone through the steps of graduating college. The main requirements for students who choose to apply to the program are as follows. The student must be California residents. They also have to be eligible for FAFSA and must maintain a 2.0 GPA, this includes having all units needed per semester. This does not apply to those in DSPS. The College Promise Program will continue assisting students during the pandemic. It strives for students’ wellbeing and safety, and it will be a constant reminder that students can reach out for help.