Volume 78, Issue 7 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Guest artist uses art activism for immigration movements become less and less involved in his arts. “I dropped out of high school, Staff Writer came out as queer, and started to Nicolas Gonzales Medina talked live on my own at the age of 16-17,” about his art and activism with Medina said. Medina’s only escape from his East Los Angeles Colleges dream resource center during an event on personal life was to stay involved in his community. It felt right Thursday. Medina known as Nico the in his heart to stay active with Artivist, partnered with the ELAC undocumented people. “Being involved got me a job DRC to bring awareness to the ongoing fight of the undocumented at the University of Illinois and I was able to help a student win the community. “Printmaking as Protest” poster deportation battle,” Medina said. Medina learned about the includes Medina’s story of being an activist and later adapting his oppression undocumented people face from firstlove for creating hand experince. art to advocate for Medina’s undocumented “We need more queer, m o t h e r w h o people like him. “I never really women, undocumented suffered from lung cancer and considered myself died in 2008 and people of color as an artist. My p a r e n t s n e v e r artists making art about s h o w e d h i m the injustice understood the undcoumened the issues their own arts and how it people face in can support me communities face .” the medical financially,” said field. Medina. “Public At the age of 15, hospitals Medina assisted NICOLAS GONZALES treatment of his teacher on a Art/Activist undocumented mural. This mural people also sparked an interest made me in his background realize how and people that are undocumented. Medina said, “It was the only much I needed to fight for my mural I got paid for due to my community,” Medina said. The “2010 Immigrant Youth status.” This worried Medina as he Justice League: Coming Out” wondered how his love for art could was one of Medina’s first acts of activism. help him succeed financially. “We were told to never share Closer to the end of his high school years, Medina started to our status because we might get
BY NATALIA ANGELES
COURTESY OF NICHOLAS GONZALES
DEFEND DACA—One of Nicholas Gonzales immigration related art pieces. More can be found on his website.
deported, but this was our time to come out,” Medina said. Many alongside Medina showed their passion for this issue and projected their voices without fear. This was not the first or last act of civil disobedience Medina took part in. On March 10, 2012 Medina joined the “Walking for the American Dream” event that went from San Francisco to Washington D.C. This walk was another way of showing that undocumented people were no longer going to hide in the shadows. In the process Medina and other participants found out more information about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and what could be done to work with politicians in these areas. Throughout various acts of civil disobedience, Medina recognized how his love for art can send out a message concering the undocumented fight. “‘Sin papeles y Sin Medio’ art piece I did, motivated me to do more with my artwork,” Medina said. The more Medina created, the more people around the community supported the fight against oppression. “We need more queer, women, undocumented, and people of color artists making art about the issues their own communites face,” Medina said. His art helps people understanding the struggle of undocumented people. To view Medina’s artwork visit, https:// nicolasgonzalezmedina.square.site.
Vincent Price Museum encourages students to join museum industry BY TERESA ACOSTA Staff Writer The Vincent Price Art Museum hosted a meeting with Michelle Powers on Thursday, sharing a stepby-step guide to develop a museum related career action plan. Powers, a talent consultant, presented a multi-step plan for understanding and getting started in the museum industry. She detailed all of the different types of institutions that can fall under the umbrella of the museum industry. Libraries, universities and hybrid museums can be avenues for getting into the field. Some of the top positions in the industry include, director, curator and educator. She said some of the lesser known, yet highly valued roles, include the departments of development, marketing and event coordinating. She said these underrepresented roles come with less competition, but are still prized opportunities. Powers included salary examples for each of the top positions. She said the information was extremely valuable to someone starting out in their career. It is an uncommon practice for museums to share this information. An applicant can look at their current situation, work and volunteer experiences and use that to find a career that matches those experiences. She said translating skills acquired from all of these avenues and using them to directly fit an open position worked as well. Powers specifically went through the transferable skills obtained through a retail job. She said customer service jobs are of great value to those looking to work in events coordinating. “All of my retail jobs I have had over the years have absolutely made me a better fundraiser, “Powers said. Research, networking and
News Briefs
mentorships are elements that help create a thorough action plan. Research was recommended to narrow down interests. Applicants should look ahead by checking out current job boards at the top 50 museums to see what are the common openings. Networking was encouraged during all stages of the action plan and as well as after securing a career. Asking peers about your strengths and weaknesses helps highlight competencies when working on a resume. It also helps on the deficiencies. Mentorships can be great resources for guidance and direction. Getting real-world examples of successes and lessons learned from these mentors can be an advantage. She said self-reflection was very important. Answering questions like, “What exactly do I want from my museum career?” Create a plan. It becomes about strategizing on how to get to that point and what to do once there. There is also a look at what growth looks like from that point on. Powers was careful not to use a checklist format so as not to discourage starting or continuing to grow in any one area. She stressed that there is no one way or path to completing an action plan. Attendees were asked what the first step in a career action plan would look like. ELAC student, Abigail Ceja said, “My first step will be research. I am going to do more research on the different types of jobs, well known and not. Then I will join the certificate program they have at my school. I will also look into areas I haven’t checked before to see what type of museums they have.” The tools and advice that Powers shared were clear, concise and could benefit anyone looking to begin a career in any profession.
Domestic Violence Awareness
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
A LOVE SUPREME—During the Q&A session, California State University, Los Angeles professor Beville Constantine talks about how his professors Melvin Donalson motivated him to become a professor at Cal State LA himself. Constantine said that having more individuals of color on hiring committees would be a step in the right direction.
Town hall covers racial equity, social justice BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer A town hall discussion hosted by East Los Angeles College on Friday focused on racial equity and social justice with guest speakers Dr. Cornel West and Rick Najera. Increasing access to higher education, specifically among men of color, was one of the topics of discussion. West, professor, philosopher, author and activist said that confidence and a belief in self is important. West said a belief in self is obtained through access to the arts and arts education. “The arts need to be incorporated because it’s a way in which people gain confidence; then say yes, with this kind of confidence I can become a doctor, a lawyer,” West said.
The SAAVE team will present a workshop on sexual wisdom and wellness today from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8197837244.
“The arts also teach people compassion,” said Rick Najera, a comedian, actor, writer, director and producer. “This is also about women,” Najera said, when the wage gap in employment among Latinas specifically was brought up. “When a Latina is bringing money back to home, that Latina is often in charge of child care, they’re looking after grandparents. They have a lot more on their plate and we don’t have corporations culturally understanding that.” Najera said that because of the focus on remote-learning during the pandemic, it allows for his family to work while being together as a family. Both West and Najera agreed that increased Black and Brown representation among staff and faculty is important. West said
Transfer Student Experience
Dr. Thomas A. Parham, the first Black president of California State University Dominguez Hills was a good example, “When [the students] see Parham, they see this is an exemplar of a tradition, an extension of a community, but is rooted in a deep belief in self.” West said mass incarceration was devastating among Black and Brown youth. “How do you get those precious brothers and sisters making the transition into community college so they have the kind of support that’s required?” West asked. West said that bringing pressure to the establishment is necessary to create fundamental change in the educational system. “Not just promote diversity, but to understand that diversity is a form of quality,” West said. “It makes a fundamental
ELAC success coaches are hosting a workshop to share transfer experiences and college tips for first generation students on Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Register at tinyurl.com/FirstGenLACP.
contribution in the way in which we frame certain questions. You can be very smart and educated, but have a very narrow lens, and you still therefore end up learning but ignorant. [Education] is the broadening of the lens.” West highlighted the importance of having visionary leadership in our education systems. He used the German philosopher Arthur S c h o p e n h a u e r ’s d i s t i n c t i o n between talent and genius as an example, which states that talent hits a “bullseye” no one else can hit, genius hits a “bullseye” no one else can see. “The genius of Black brothers, the genius of Brown brothers,” West said, “is that oftentimes we’ve been left out and rendered invisible for so long, that when we are included, we see bullseyes that the talented have not seen.”
In-Person ELAC Theater Performance The ELAC theater deparment will perform it’s first in-person production since COVID-19. “It Can Change In An Instant,” will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m at the Proscenium Theater. Ticket info at www.elactheater.org.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021
Biden scraps free community college proposal
MANAGING EDITOR Erica Cortes
BY RAYMOND NAVA
FRONT EDITOR Annette Quijada
EDITOR IN CHIEF Daniella Molina Zasha Hayes
Staff Writer Americans will not be getting free community college thanks to Joe Biden and Progressive Democrats in Congress. Last Tuesday, CNN reporter Manu Raju reported that President Joe Biden told progressive democrats that he was dropping his proposal for free community college from his Build Back Better reconciliation bill. This was confirmed by Progressive caucus leader Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who said that the free community college proposal was not a priority, despite them touting the proposal for months. This move is infuriating for many reasons, and both Joe Biden and the Progressive House Caucus deserve blame. At his joint address to Congress earlier this year, Biden said he would deliver free community college and later said his build back better bill would include it. Progressives for the past few months have also been touting the bill as having free community college. All of this happened despite the lack of support from key democrats. This can almost be taken as false promises or even a bait and switch. Progressives not fighting to keep free community college in the reconciliation bill is also incredibly disappointing. Progressives last month threatened to vote down a bipartisan infrastructure bill unless the reconciliation bill they were pursuing was passed first. This effectively gave them leverage to ensure conservative Democrats didn’t kill or water down the reconciliation bill once the bipartisan infrastructure bill was passed. For them not to push back against the removal of the free community college proposal shows they aren’t interested in using the leverage they have At a televised town hall hosted by CNN last Thursday, Biden revealed that he dropped his free community college proposal because of opposition to it from Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, two conservative Democrats from West Virginia and Arizona, respectively. Manchin and Sinema were heavily invested in crafting the bipartisan infrastructure bill. They technically have no power since progressives in the House of Representatives could sink it if they wanted to. But instead, Biden has chosen to give them all the leverage and agree to cut policies he proposed, such as free community college, and isn’t doing anything to push back against them. The progressive caucus has the chance to use their leverage but has completely blown it. In addition to free community college being dropped, other portions of the reconciliation bill have been dropped or severely downsized. The whole point of threatening to vote down the bipartisan bill was that progressives would have leverage against conservative Democrats not to whittle the reconciliation bill down. But yet, that is precisely what’s going on. Free community college was the most prominent policy that had the easiest chance of becoming law, not to mention the most straightforward win for Democrats, and still, they throw it all away. With no free community college plan in the reconciliation bill, it’s almost unlikely it ever happens until another few years. This will go down as a significant loss for Biden and the progressive caucus, and voters will not forget this.
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OPINION/SPORTS EDITORS Teresa Acosta Cynthia Solis FEATURE EDITOR Gabriela Gutierrez NEWS EDITORS Alma Lizarraga Jonathan Bermudez ARTS EDITORS Breanna Fierro Ivana Amaral SPORTS EDITOR Miguel Dominguez CN/ ERICA CORTES
Stuck boats don’t threaten holiday spirit BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer The congestion at the Port of Los Angeles is already making people nervous about how it will affect the holiday season. Hundreds of cargo ships are stuck waiting, and their cargo isn’t being loaded off fast enough. This highlights a problem, not only in the supply chain but also in society’s current mindset. We as a people are addicted to consumerism. The Port of Los Angeles is the biggest in the country and one of the biggest in the world. The bottleneck was caused by increased demand for imported goods. The port was overwhelmed and
could not unload cargo fast enough. The lack of workers throughout the supply chain also contributed to the delay. Now, the impact of the congestion is rippling around the globe. This constant need to buy things is not sustainable with our current import system, as proven by the bottleneck at the Port of Los Angeles. The commercial aspects of the holidays are not helping ease the congestion either. Every year, the human population grows, and new people need new things. The current supply chain is not sustainable and will only worsen over time. The Biden administration is currently trying to relieve the
congestion by working the port 24/7. Many retail companies are also working around the clock to move their cargo out of the port; however, this is only a temporary fix. Fixing the problem at its source requires a fundamental change within the way we look at consumerism. Instead of buying every single thing we want, we should practice buying only the things we need. I like buying things. Everyone likes receiving gifts. If we continue this excessive buying, we’ll see port bottlenecks every year. Putting aside all logistical complications, it is the mindset of people that is to blame. This will be the first holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic
began that people can gather without any restrictions, considering they are fully vaccinated. What matters most should be seeing loved ones without fear of inadvertently killing them, not presents. If there’s one thing I learned from 2000, the all-time classic “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” it’s that gizmos and gadgets aren’t what make the holidays special. Once when I was a little boy, just before Christmas, our car was broken into, and a trunkful of toys was stolen. My brothers and sisters didn’t get any toys that year, and we turned out fine, so it wouldn’t hurt kids today to go a year without toys. If we all buy a little less, we won’t clog the port every year.
Banning, challenging books threatens society BY CYNTHIA SOLIS Staff Writer Since the early 18th century, challenging and banning books has occurred, and the tortuous process should be stopped immediately. Challenging a book and banning a book have very different results. When an institution chooses to challenge a book, it is attempting to remove or restrict materials based on objections a person or group may have, meaning trying to remove material from the curriculum or library, and attempting to limit access to the material. When a book is banned, it refers to the complete removal of those materials. Books are usually challenged because the institution feels the urge to try to protect others, usually children, from complex ideas or information. Depending on the institution, their form of censorship may be subtle, or they may be blatant and overt. However, regardless of why they do it, challenging and banning books is arguably the worst thing that a group of people can do to society. One of the main reasons challenging and banning books is a horrible idea is that books are a great way to allow the reader to understand different life experiences. This encourages the reader to be empathetic. Not only that, but many frequently challenged books help people get a better idea of the world and their place in it. Books act as a gateway to other worlds through written words— some books challenge the perception of everything while others can inspire a whole generation. When an institution bans books, it blocks off a whole world of thought that wouldn’t be provoked under other circumstances.
ONLINE EDITORS Grace Rodriguez Raymond Nava COPY EDITORS Juan Calvillo Luis Castilla Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Leonardo Cervantes Ricardo Martir PHOTOGRAPHERS Paul Medina Natalia Angeles ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Brenda De La Cruz CARTOONIST Max Miranda 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
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Books are typically banned because of their content. Some topics that are often questioned include sex, language, violence and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters. This stance is ridiculous, considering many young people are sexually active, curse in their daily lives and identify as LGBTQ+. The stories shared in books often express contemporary themes, making them very relevant to today’s society. By banning books, these institutions are saying that the authentic experiences youth face today aren’t important. Seeing books get banned because they talk about race, gender, or
identity does not allow young adults to read stories that have characters who share similar experiences. This forces youth to believe that their experiences are somehow shameful and unrelatable. This is very harmful because it denies them relief and makes them feel as if nobody else is facing the same issues. People who challenge books don’t seem to consider the positive impact these books often have. For example, the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” was banned because of the author’s use of racial slurs and their negative effects on students. It featured a “white savior” character and had a skewed perception of the Black experience.
Even though it features weighty topics, it remains a reflection of racial tensions and the criminal justice system in today’s political climate. Regardless if a book is fiction or nonfiction, books inspire readers to think in new ways. If a book is forcing its readers to have serious discussions about particular topics, that means the author did the job. As a result, it is imperative to allow people of all ages, specifically young adults, to enjoy reading all books because if society deprives them of these conversations, it will be harmful and could lead to ignorance.
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.
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 27, 2021
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‘Cowboy Bebop’ retains watchability BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer “Cowboy Bebop” is an anime that mixes spaghetti westerns, sci-fi, noir and martial arts into a 26 episode masterpiece, featuring a stellar soundtrack and perfect voice-over work. Released more than two decades ago, creator Hajime Yatate cobbled together a lush story filled to the brim with characters that break stereotypes. His stories thread the eye of a needle perfectly and his take on a future filled with equal parts action and diverse locales is fun to see. “Cowboy Bebop” follows the exploits of the crew of the spaceship, The Bebop. The founding members of this bounty hunting team are actors Spike Spiegel and Jet Black. Along the show’s run of episodes, they encounter the remaining two members of the crew. Spiegel and Black seem to have some training in hand-to-hand combat and use it to capture the bounties they go after throughout the show. This review will focus on the voice over actors for the dubbed version of the anime. The English voice talent was perfectly cast. Steve Blum voices the main character Spiegel. Blum captures the nonchalant, playful, but confident, Spiegel with his work. Spiegel is a bounty hunter that has a bit of a haunted past involving a woman and ex-friend. Beau Billingslea voices Black, the caretaker and the teams’ all around authority figure. Bullingslea’s deep voice radiates concern for his team while still providing the much needed voice
of reason for the group. Black is focused on keeping his team together, but also has a shrouded past. Rounding out the stellar cast are Wendee Lee as Faye Valentine and Melissa Fahn as Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivruski IV, or Ed for short. Lee is right on the money portraying Valentine’s brashness and confidence. Her range is what makes the acting great as she also manages to blend in the vulnerability and loneliness that Valentine experiences throughout the show. Fahn takes Ed’s child-like character and makes the character funny while also introspective when she needs it to be. Yatate’s world is something to behold. While the crew of the Bebop travel from destination to destination, the
space, land and interiors all looked lived in. It may seem odd to read that an anime show is described as lived in, but “Cowboy Bebop” is a lived in universe. The characters seem to know their place aboard the Bebop, and whether stepping off to have a space battle or chasing down a bounty in a crowded street, the art in this show is beautiful. The areas the team interact with range from a futuristic casino, a version of Tijuana, to the vast sands of deserts. Each new piece of stage looks great from the amount of detail and colors used in their creation. Luckily the greatness of this late ‘90s show doesn’t end with good voice acting and great visuals. The soundtrack, from sweeping jazz-type numbers to exciting
orchestral battle music, is great. The audio effects are also very well done, from gunfire and explosions to the moments of silence expertly put in between dialogue. The only drawback is that viewers will be humming “Cowboy Bebop’s” main theme every time they think of the anime. The show’s theme, named “TANK!,” was composed by Yoko Kanno. It is played by the band The Seatbelts. “Cowboy Bebop” is a show that must be seen to truly be appreciated. It has exciting martial art battles, frantic gun fights and such an interesting set of characters. “Cowboy Bebop” is streaming on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon now and is rated TV-14. The Netflix-only live-action version of “Cowboy Bebop” releases Nov. 19.
Staff Writer The cinematography of the Sci-fi/ Adventure “Dune” is stunning, and matches beautifully to the story and characters of the film. Every detail from the costumes to the score felt carefully and deliberately chosen. It is mesmerizing from start to finish. The images of the film work just as hard to tell the story as the actors do. No one actor stands out, they each just work equally well to compliment each other. Honor is the theme and driving force behind the actions of most of the characters. It also propels the story forward many times. The main setting for the story is the desert planet Arrakis. Dunes cover the planet with fortresses built on top throughout.
RAIN OF TERROR—”Raincoat Killer” Yoo Young-chul is featured in new documentary.
Killer’s horrifying crimes recounted in docuseries BY BRENDA DE LA CRUZ Staff Writer
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
SPACE COWBOY—From left to right, iconic Bebop crew Spike Spiegal (left), Jet, Edward and
Faye Valentine.
‘Dune’ finally releases hitting the mark BY TERESA ACOSTA
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Giant underground worms that are attracted to rhythmic vibrations terrorize this sand covered planet. They consume everything and anyone that makes these vibrations. The sand consists of a highly valued resource called “spice.” The inhabitants of this planet, known as The Fremen, fiercely protect the commodity against pilfering, making it a very dangerous place to visit. These inhabitants created suits they wear to protect them against the harsh elements of Arrakis. They also discovered a way to live just below the surface, with the ability to strike at any moment. There are mining operations in place to acquire the “spice” needed for space travel. The story centers on the protagonist Paul Atreides, played by Timothy Chamalet. Reoccurring premonitions and a destiny he is being called to plague him. He journeys with his family and their faction to Arrakis to take over
COURTESY OF HBO MAX
SPICY MOVIE—Much anticipated movie “Dune” hits theaters and streaming service starring Zendaya (left) and Chalamet. mining operations. It is during this relocation that the drama and suspense unfold. This was part one, so there is a lot of story to cover and the two hour and thirty-five minute running time uses every second to do this. The film’s composer, Hans Zimmer, proves his brilliance with a score that ebbs and flows with all
of the tension as well as the subtle intimate moments. The music is a key element that pulls the viewer into the story. Everything comes together to tell this story. The film ends with a cliffhanger and those who have not read the book that the film is based on will have to anxiously await part two.
“The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea” tells the story of a serial killer, but leaves much to be desired. The new docuseries on Netflix follows detectives in Seoul, South Korea who are starting to notice wealthy individuals being brutally murdered, but with no suspect in sight. The direction the docuseries attempts to follow appears to be giving history on the country and its unfortunate moments. Perhaps this is done to try and explain away the motives or reason behind the murders by taking a look into environmental stressors. For a majority of the series, police recount their experiences and feelings they felt during the investigation. Although it is interesting seeing the images, or at the very least having gory scenes described thoroughly, the entire police department is portrayed as incompetent. As the episodes continue, the story is more centered around the psychological profilers and not many interesting facts are given surrounding the actual suspect.
This feels like filler to prolong the series. The footage and material used to fill the three episodes in this docuseries could have easily been combined and made into a single episode documentary. The series is in Korean, but nicely dubbed into English for viewers. However, the ending of this series is disappointing and feels poorly planned and executed. The actual real-life crime case is very intriguing for a crime junkie, but the story could have been told better. Overall, this is something one may want to hold off on as it is not as interesting as other crime investigations can be. There is no feeling of suspense or curiosity that usually has the viewer anxious for more. Instead, this docu-series leaves one wondering if anything more interesting will be shown, or at least told in a non-boring manner. Viewers are better off researching the crime on their own or reading a book on it instead of wasting their time on this. It’s a shame because Netflix usually releases interesting docuseries in the true-crime genre. Each episode runs a little under one hour and can be streamed on Netflix.
There is no feeling of suspense or curiousity that usually has the viewer anxious for more.
Vampire thriller hits Netflix just in time for Halloween BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer Netflix’s “Night Teeth” is a thrilling vampire film that focuses on betrayal. The director of the film, Adam Randall, also directed “I See You.” The film contains a cast with more familiar actors like Benny (Jorge Lendeborg Jr), Blaire (Debby Ryan), Zoe (Lucy Fry) and Jay (Raúl Castillo). “Don’t let humans know we exist. Don’t feed on the unwilling, and never ever enter Boyle Heights without permission,” Blaire said. The opening scene leaves the audience on the edge of their seats when a car begins to trail Jay and Maria (Ash Santos) up the streets. In a matter of seconds, Jay enters a warehouse and finds multiple
bodies hanging upside-down. This is when he hears his car window being smashed. His car is destroyed and Maria is missing, leaving the audience with a sense of thrill for what’s to come next. Jay finally deemed Benny responsible enough to chauffeur around town. Benny is a college student that finally gets the chance to chauffeur around town. Benny picks up two energetic women similar in age and reacts nervously around them. He is naturally goofy, but made a promise to his step brother that he would act professional this night. Blaire and Zoe are brazen and ask him odd questions to try and make him loosen up. The twist of the film comes when Benny walks in on Blaire and Zoe killing two men and sucking on their blood.
While the final stand-off is predictable, it has a few moments that the audience will appreciate.
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
STAKE OUT—”Nights Teeth” gives viewers an enjoyable thriller starring Jorge Lendeborg (left) as Benny Perez. With this revelation, they blackmail Benny in order to get closer to Jay. The premise that vampires and humans have a truce is a unique idea.
However, Victor (Alfie Allen) was one of the vampire bosses that decides to go rogue and ignite conflict with other vampire bosses and humans on their own territory. The vampire genre has a cult
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following that delivers many classic films as well as cliche films. Night Teeth falls somewhere in the middle. The film fails to acknowledge two of the more well known actresses,
Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeny. They are treated as background characters. While the final stand-off is predictable, it has a few moments the audience will appreciate. Benny being in the middle of a vampire and human war is an interesting element in the film. There are a few twists and turns throughout the film, especially a few actions from Benny, but nothing is unexpected. The soundtrack was one of the best aspects of the film. Terrel Morris “got the love” is one of the stand out tracks. It contains a lot of suspenseful and eerie beats as well as electronic music that goes well with the theme. Benny is an up-andcoming music composer, so throughout the film he often plays his own songs. Wi t h H a l l o w e e n s e a s o n approaching this is a must-see film, as it contains the typical spooky and thrilling feel of Halloween. It contains blood and gore and enough action scenes that will keep an audience thrilled. Rated TV-14, the film runs one hour and 47 minutes and is available to watch on Netflix
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021
LGBTQ+ partners with Latino Equality BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer
COURTESY OF LGBT+ CENTER
COURTESY OF LEA
LGBTQ+ student safety and support at East Los Angeles College is the focus of the LGBTQ+ Center along with its partner, the Latino Equality Alliance. Corena Lynn Wood, student services assistant at ELAC’s One Zone and the LGBTQ+ Center, said the center and LEA partnered after she attended some of the events the organization put together. Both groups try to get resources to the marginalized groups that need them. Currently, the LGBTQ+ Center provides case management for LGBTQ+ students. Wood said the center provides follow-up service to its community at ELAC. This service includes workshops, LGBTQ+ literature and a safe space on campus. The center had a soft opening last year. Wood said when the pandemic caused everything to go online, she decided the center would go live online. Additional resources the center provides are located on its website and include links to scholarships, transgender birth certificates and homeless support. Students can get help by completing an interest form, found here https://tinyurl.com/dxzjpj8n, and then sending it to Wood, who will get in contact with them. The LGBTQ+ Center is just one of the branches of the One Zone. Wood said the center is provided with resources by the Student Services Department.
“It was the dream of retired Vice President of Student Services, Julie Benavides to have a safe space for LGBTQ+ students. She envisioned multiple units, called Zones working on collective impact for what is traditionally considered marginalized communities,” Wood said. She said the LEA helps the center with additional workshops and networking events. Jasine Cumplido, community o rg a n i z e r a t L E A , s a i d t h e organization started working with ELAC in September having a table outside Student Services giving students information about resources the group offers. LEA has worked alongside the LGBTQ+ Center and the One Zone since then to make sure that students are informed of the opportunities available from the organization. Victor Marroquin, coordinator at LEA, said the organization focused on creating spaces where people can connect and be free to be themselves. He said ELAC students that were part of the events for the One Zone, seemed to want the spirit of community at the college. Being able to offer the space in the LGBTQ+ Center is extremely useful. The LEA also has a space for this at Mi Centro in Boyle Heights One of the many resources they have is what they call the Queer Youth Club that is hosted at Mi Centro. Cumplido said meetings would be set up so that younger members would be able to hang out with people their own age and adult members would be able to interact
and talk openly with other adults. The LEA also provides the LGBTQ+ community with other services that are available due to their connection with Los Angeles LGBT Center. “At the very minimum we (LEA) just provide resources and our selection of resources is very broad. We do everything from HIV testing, legal services to you know youth outreach and COVID-19 education,” Cumplido said. Other services the LEA provides are a pride pantry that gives out fresh produce and groceries every Friday. Cumplido said the organization provides workshops that focus on gender and sexuality. The workshops are open to everyone. The group also works with students to get access to the Elevate Youth Grant. This grant is funded by monies generated by Prop 64 which legalized adult non-medical use of marijuana. The idea is that the grant is used to help low-income and marginalized people including those in the LGBTQ+ community from ages 12 to 26. Marroquin said the language in their ability to provide the grant is to lower the amount of people getting suspended or lower the drug possession numbers in the area by 5%. He said LEA is working with the surrounding communities to help in this effort. His focus was on the community of ELAC and trying to create an understanding of what exactly justice and healing from substance abuse means in communities. LEA’s approach will not be a “don’t do drugs” approach, but more
of an educational and empowerment approach to substances. Cumplido is a former ELAC student who graduated with her Associate of Arts from the college. She said being a former Elan, she wanted to make the concerted effort to give back to the community and the college. “Ultimately we just want to build student leaders at ELAC. As a former alum, I understand how much talent and skill and just potential there is at ELAC. “I can’t think of any place better to empower youth and to use our resources (in) the very community that helped me get started,” Cumplido said. Interest forms for the LGBTQ+ Center can be found here: https:// tinyurl.com/dxzjpj8n. Wood can be reached for appointments through email at woodcl@elac.edu. The LGBTQ+ Center has no more scheduled events for this semester, but the center will be active on social media. The LGBTQ+ Center is on Instagram at @ eastlosangelescollegelgbtq. LEA’s Queer Youth Club meets every other Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Mi Centro LGBTQ Community Center at 553 S. Clarence Street Los Angeles, CA 90033. For more information about LEA visit them online at www. latinoequalityalliance.org/, on Instagram @somoslea or call them at (323) 286-7224.
Perfect lives unravel in ‘The Pessimists’ BY CYNTHIA SOLIS Staff Writer “The Pessimists” by Bethany Ball is a satirical piece of literature that exposes seemingly perfect Connecticut suburbanites as their seemingly perfect lives begin to unravel. The novel depicts Petra School, which is a private “temple of education.” Although a very elite school, the Headmistress Agnes appears to be a loving and caring individual; she quickly reveals that she is more of a dictator than a headmistress. This is seen in the increasingly jarring school bulletins she sends to the families, and there was even a bulletin where she links dairy to dyslexia. H e r t y r a n n y d o e s n ’t s t o p there— she warns parents against vaccinations, bans any mention of Jewish holidays, and even goes so far as to try to control parents and children in their personal lives.
“The Pessimists” begins on New Year’s Eve, 2013, where Ball depicts three couples whose children either attend Petra School or are trying to attend. The first couple the reader is introduced to is Virginia and Tripp, who unfortunately keep many secrets from each other. For example, Virginia has cancer, and Tripp doesn’t know about her diagnosis. Knowing their family is financially strapped, Tripp is continuously pouring money into a secret survivalist arsenal in their basement. The next couple is Rachel, an old friend of Virginia, and her husband Gunter, who moved to Connecticut from Manhattan. Gunter is a Swedish architect who blatantly dismisses Petra School and all of America’s customs. Rachel is desperate to fit in at Petra School, allowing Agnes’ antisemitism even though she is Jewish. Unfortunately, one of the
significant problems this couple has is Gunter’s inability to remain loyal to his wife, and this is seen when Agnes begins to “woo” Gunter. The last couple that the novel follows is Margo and her husband, Richard. Margo is a stay-at-home mother of three sons. She, unfortunately, continues to suffer from the death of her infant daughter, even though it happened many years prior. Her fear of talking about it is undoubtedly seen in how much of a compulsive cleaner she is. Interestingly, Margo’s sons attend public school. Even though they and Richard object every step of the way, Margo forces their kids to go to Petra School, no doubt because Margo is a fanatic follower of Agnes’ evening meditation sessions. Although a devoted father, Richard is highly overworked, a pothead and an online porn addict. Their children are not exempt from the misery their parents all seem to share.
Her parents’ secrets burden Tripp and Virginia’s daughter, and Rachel’s son becomes a social outcast at Petra.
Knowing their family is financially strapped, Tripp is continuously pouring money into a secret survialist arsenal in their basement. Lastly, Richard and Margo’s sons are forced to watch their parent’s mental health deteriorate and are helpless against it. This novel is genuinely addicting; once readers are drawn into the stories, Ball can delve into a large rhetorical section where she portrays various points of view— suburban men, women, and their children. All of them are considerably miserable in their lives.
Huskies lose fourth football game of season BY MIGUEL DOMINGUEZ Staff Writer
The Huskies lost their fourth footbball game of the season to Long Beach City College, 24-6. This is their second loss in a row, and they are now 3-4 on the season. The rushing game led the Vikings to the Huskies territory. A 30-yard play-action pass to a wide-open receiver, Zack Leets, gave the Vikings the lead early in the first quarter, 7-0. The Huskies looked to answer back with their first possession. The running game worked for the Huskies early in the drive, but a fumble by quarterback Rudy Garcia was recovered by the Vikings. From this point on, the Vikings were dominant offensively. Like in the first drive, the running helped the second possession of the quarter. The Vikings quarterback, Derrach West, scored the second touchdown of the quarter on a fake give to the www.ELACCampusNews.com
running back for a four-yard rushing touchdown. The Vikings led 14-0. The Vikings scored on the first play of the second quarter as they were in the red zone by the end of the first quarter. Another play-action pass from quarterback West found wide receiver TJ Easter open and scored the 10-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings led 21-0 with 13 minutes left in the half. The Huskies had an opportunity to score their first points of the game in the second quarter, but kicker Cristian Reyes missed the field goal. The Vikings still led 24-0. Both teams struggled to get anything for most of the quarter. Toward the last minutes of the second quarter, the Vikings would score a touchdown, but were called back for a holding penalty. The first play after the penalty, q u a r t e r b a c k We s t t h r e w a n interception that was picked by Emajea Porter from the Huskies. The Huskies looked to score before the end of the half after the interception.
Quarterback Trashawn McMillan entered the game and got the offense going in the second quarter. McMillan certainly changed the offense, being able to run the ball in a few plays and gain 63 yards for the offense with under two minutes to go in the half. At this point, the Huskies were at the Vikings’ 33-yard line. McMillan then passed the ball to running back Pedro Amousou for a 19-yard gain and got them to the Vikings 14-yard line. The Huskies had no timeouts left. The receiver was not able to go out of bounds to stop the clock, and the quarter ended. The Vikings led the half 21-0. The Huskies had the ball at the start of the second half. On the first offensive play for the Huskies, quarterback Trashawn McMillan was sacked and fumbled the ball. The Vikings recovered the ball at the Huskies 29-yard line. The Huskies forced the Vikings to kick a 22-yard field goal by kicker Ryder Padilla. The Vikings extended their lead
24-0. The Huskies were forced to punt the ball on the second possession of the game as they still looked to score points in the game. The Huskies held off the Vikings for the remainder of the third quarter. On the final drive of the third quarter, the Huskies gained some yards to get them to the Vikings three-yard line. The third quarter would end with the Vikings still leading 24-0. On the first play of the fourth quarter the Huskies scored their first points of the game with quarterback McMillan scoring a three-yard rushing touchdown. The Huskies attempted a twopoint conversion but another bad snap by the center only gave the Huskies six points. The Huskies trailed 24-6. The Huskies still had plenty of time left in the fourth quarter to make a comeback with 14 minutes to go. After five plays of the Vikings first possession of the quarter, the Huskies sacked and forced a fumble.
Quarterback Derreck West fumbled the ball and the Huskies recovered the ball with 12 minutes left in the quarter. The offense could not take advantage of the turnover and penalties forced the Huskies to punt. From this point both teams would not score any points in the quarter. The game would end 24-6. The Huskies had no answer in the first half, both on offense and defense. The Vikings took over the first half with its run and passing game. The Vikings scored the first two touchdowns in seven minutes of their possession and in the first quarter. There were times where the Huskies had some help from the penalties given to the Vikings. But the Vikings were able to complete first downs even with the loss of yards from penalties. The Vikings also completed first down on third down plays. The Vikings completed nine third down plays out of the 16 attempts. The Huskies defense showed
improvement in the second half of the game allowing only a field goal in the third quarter. The Huskies offense also improved in the late second with quarterback McMillan being a huge factor in the run game and scoring the only touchdown of the game. McMillan also led the game with 85 rushing yards. The Huskies will try to upset their next opponent, College of the Canyons, who are 7-0 on the season. The game will be played this Saturday at East Los Angeles College and will start at 6 p.m.
Huskies Football Remaning Schedule
ELAC
vs.
ELAC
vs.
November 6 at 6p.m.
Ventura
November 13 at 6p.m.