Volume 79, Issue 1 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
First ASU meeting reviews multiple budgets BY GABRIELA GUTIERREZ Staff Writer Students at East Los Angeles College will continue to receive assistance from the Associated Student Union food pantry as discussed, amongst other topics, in the first ASU meeting of the semester. The ASU food pantry will receive $5,000 in additional funding, pending the approval of the Budgetary Associate Committee, to continue to provide students with snacks and beverages. Students with special dietary needs or who prefer healthier options are taken into consideration.
“We do try our best to accommodate all wants and needs, but unfortunately we can’t meet them all.” CN/ ERICA CORTES
Overall, options are limited. ASU vice president of advocacy, Steven Gallegos said, “We do try our best to accommodate all wants and needs, but unfortunately we can’t meet them all.” ASU vice president of South Gate Evelyn Romero, “Yes, we try to
STEVEN GALLEGOS
ASU Vice President
accommodate, but also, when we are looking into what items we are able to purchase, a lot of the items are sold out.” The board also approved calculator rentals for the semester. Last semester students were able to rent books and calculators with
Webinar provides tools for balancing work, school, life BY TERESA ACOSTA Staff Writer Los Angeles Unified School District’s leaders presented a webinar last Wednesday with useful information for college students and families about balancing work, school and life. Great Outcomes is an initiative, in partnership with local colleges with resources to help students in LAUSD obtain a high school diploma and successful college placement. East Los Angeles College’s president Dr. Alberto Roman was included as one of the presenters. The tips covered were strategies for balancing the different areas of life, navigating the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and resources for families. LAUSD school board president Monica Garcia, representing Great Outcomes, expressed gratitude for the program’s community of employees for the hard work they do to provide opportunity for students to succeed along the pathway to college. Garcia also invited students to ask questions, saying that all of the presenters were there to help support them. “Our schools and colleges are here to support you and we will continue to do so during this difficult pandemic. You know our highest priority is your academic success, and will continue to be. We will continue to be with you every step of the way, to get you to overcome any barriers that come
News Briefs
with this unprecedented pandemic and these times,” said Dr. Roman. Creating a schedule was the foundational step given by Rosalba Villalobos, the College Promise Coordinator at ELAC, that will help students organize their time between work and studying. Being able to visualize your tasks on a calendar can help you see how much time each task will actually take to complete. A schedule can be used to create boundaries between the different areas of your life. Make sure to include any personal tasks, such as laundry, or family time on your schedule to block the time out and give those their own space. Setting time aside for each area and not allowing any crossover between them so that the student can be singly focused and present. California State University, Los Angeles Pathways programs manager, Ariana Gonzalez, shared the advice that she changes her clothes from professional attire for work to relaxed clothing for studying, as a way to tangibly adjust her mindset for each. Constructing a support system of friends and family and communicating with them your goals and needs so that they can provide you with the necessary resources. One of the suggested avenues for finding people to include in your support system is networking at the school you attend to be able to interact with like-minded people who can understand what you are experiencing. This includes getting to know your professors and attending the office hours they have available to make use of the guidance they can provide.
Spring 2022 Club Rush
The importance of completing a financial aid application through FAFSA was highlighted as a way for students to learn about the aid they may be eligible to use to pay for college. Applying for student worker positions was encouraged, noting the benefits and flexibility of working on campus. The supervisors are more aware of your commitments to school and have the ability to accommodate your study and class schedules compared to a traditional workplace. With a holistic approach in mind, remembering to spend time on physical and mental well-being was discussed. Healthy eating habits, quality sleep and physical activity were the general topics. Meal prepping and making healthy food choices were ways given to help save time, money and stay healthy. There are food pantry resources available on campus for those experiencing food-insecurity. Setting aside time to relax and recover is one way to rejuvenate your body and mind in between stressful days. Finding out what interests you and studying in a field that you enjoy can make the journey more enjoyable and might increase the chance of success. Remembering the reasons why you are seeking higher education and revisiting these reasons often, may also help keep you on track. For more information about what was discussed in this presentation you can contact Campus Outreach at outreach@elac.edu.
East Los Angeles College ASU will hold Club Rush on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ELAC campus and on March 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Gate campus.
ASU, but due to textbook rental complications ASU has omitted textbook rentals and kept calculator rentals. Previously, calculator rentals were $20 with ASU. The plan is to lower the cost this semester to either match other calculator rental prices, such as the math lab’s prices, or to
rent them for even less. Exact price is pending. Two clubs were also officially chartered, the Psi Beta Honors Club and the Veterans Club. The Psi Beta Honors Club is for students who have an interest in psychology and who wish to improve their
psychology literacy. The Veterans Club is for veteran and non-veteran students from ELAC who wish to improve their educational and personal wellbeing through the establishment of camaraderie among its members. The board also discussed Club Rush for the Spring and approved the event with a $7,000 budget, pending BAC approval. “Funds will be used to purchase items needed for the Spring 2022 Club Rush. Purchases include decorations, giveaways and food vendors,” Alondra Pacheco said. The $7,000 budget is for both the ELAC campus and the South Gate campus. Club Rush is expected to happen on March 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ELAC campus and on March 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Gate campus. Students with proof of ASU memberships are eligible for giveaways and food, while supplies last. Funding for graduation was also approved and will have a budget of $7,725, pending BAC approval. ASU has also played a role in the creation of the ELAC Shared Governance Handbook, which entails how roles in leadership function at ELAC. The handbook is currently still under revision and not yet out to the public. ASU’s next meeting will be held on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
Original Black Lives Matter organizer speaks at town hall BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer The first Black History Month event of 2022 began with Dr. Melina Abdullah, a recognized expert on race, gender, class and social movements. She was among the original group of organizers that created the Black Lives Matter movement and is the current Los Angeles chapter leader. Alberto J. Roman, announced this spring they will be launching a taskforce that will engage in meaningful conversations and develop recommendations and actionable plans to increase resources and support for African American students. The meeting discussed important historical figures in Black history like Joanne Robinson and Frederick Douglass and their impact on the communities as well as transformation.
Yaa Asantewaa was the first figure highlighted in the meeting. Asentewaa was an African freedom fighter who fought off colonialism in West Africa. She empowered women to be warriors just like men. They were fighting against injustice and she asked the men of her village to fight off men who were attempting to make them slaves. “If you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight. We will fight till the last of us falls in the battlefields,” Asentewaa said. Ida B. Wells-Barnett was born to enslaved parents and was told she should seek a career in journalism and to not tie herself to the struggle of the people of her time. She was told to seek a comfortable place in oppression. She had been lured into that and thought maybe she could find a home in the church but was
CN: LEONARDO CERVANTES
TOWN HALL MEETING— Dr. Melina Abdullah was among the
original group of organizers that created the Black Lives Matter movement and is the current Los Angeles chapter leader.
Recources Recap
East Los Angeles College’s First Year Experience will conduct a workshop to recap all the resources ELAC has to offer on Feb.18 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Students can register at tinyurl.com/FYEResourceRecap.
reminded that black people have linked fate and are all bound up together. Wells’ friend Thomas Moss and his friends started a groceries store called The People’s Grocery. The store was seen as a threat to white capitalism so her friend Moss and two business patterns were lynched. This is when Wells realized that there is no such thing as a comfortable place in oppression. She started an independent black newspaper company called The Free Speech and Headlight and she went around the entire nation talking about lynching. She detailed how black people were killed by white mobs because they posed a threat to their economic status. Wells wrote two books, The Red Record and Southern Horrors in which she detailed these lynchings. She had to flee from her town and go to Chicago and find refuge but she said we have to fight back. “One had better die fighting against injustice than to die like a dog or a rat in a trap,” Wells said. Joanne Robinson was a professor at Alabama state university and was one of the people that set off the Montgomery bus boycott. On the same night Rosa Parks was arrested, she called local Black mothers and educators at her office. Overnight she and her friends copied thousands of flyers and posted them all across bus stops to get their message across. Black people walked to work for nearly a year to protest segregation and public transportation and in public spaces. Huey P. Newton, the co-founder of the black panther party for selfdefense and Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist fighter were among other historical figures highlighted. All of these figures’ stories are still being talked about today for their substantial impact on the world. They all fought for freedom and justice and transformed the world.
Get FRESH with CalFresh
East Los Angeles College’s Student health center will host a virtual workshop on March 16. Students can learn what they need and how to apply for CalFresh benefits. Students can register at bit.ly/calfreshlacsp22 to attend.
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OPINION
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Banning books violates First Amendment rights BY BREANNA FIERRO Staff Writer
Since the first book ban in the 1600s, a gateway was created for new strict rules and conventional values in hopes of creating a new American society was established. The concept of challenging a book then banning it is just shy from the denial of readers’ First Amendment rights. Banning materials with a disapproving word, idea or opinion in the book is a violation of a minor’s First Amendment rights. Banned books have a reputation of being known to subject young readers to topics that may promote unrealistic dialog, sexual identity, assualt, and prejudice. To some readers this may pose a threat to learning content that is realistic and relevant, but that is what makes the information beneficial. According to the American Library Association, when a book is challenged, this is an attempt to get rid of or restrict materials, based upon the disapproval of a person or group. The complete banning of a book is to approve the complete removal of all book materials. Challenging and banning a book because it is critical or controversial will only lead to society becoming more narrow-minded. Creating a population of readers that sees the world in only a specific point of view can be both damaging and dangerous to future generations. In 2017, Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed debut novel “The Kite Runner” was voted the fourth most challenged book according to the American Library Association. Due to it containing Islamophobia and sexual violence. It was argued that the novel would inspire terrorism and promote Islam. What it fails to mention is how it shows the influences of society on these different book characters and their decisions. It disregards exploring the cultural significance of kite fighting, why it was banned, and the theme of forgiveness when the main character spends most of his life trying to forgive himself for not helping his friend while he was
CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Annette Quijada Brenda De La Cruz MANAGING EDITORS Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina FRONT EDITORS Erica Cortes Adonia Burciaga OPINION EDITORS Luis Diaz Eduardo Sanchez NEWS EDITOR Breanna Fierro FEATURE EDITOR Alma Lizarraga ARTS EDITOR Gabriela Gutierrez SPORTS EDITORS Ricardo Martir Nick Tercero ONLINE EDITOR Raymond Nava CN/MAX MIRANDA
being assaulted. The novel “Happy Birthday Jesus” by Ronald L. Ruiz is neither challenged nor banned by the American Library Association, as it introduces readers to molestation, graphic sexual assault, religious affiliation and political bias. The novel is full of chaos from the intense family unity felt by the young character in his relationship with religious grandmother and his dysfunctional upbringing. Racial issues, confusion of sexuality and damaging lifestyles, are also
captured in this novel that is rendered appropriate content for the aimed age level. A surprising number of books on the banned list consist of talking animals that not only know how to talk, but walk and reason like human beings. “Animal Farm” by George Orwell was rejected by publishers multiple times before it ever hit the shelves. It was accused by critics as communist propaganda since it was written during the UK’s wartime alliance with the Soviet Union.
According to the American Library Association, the book was challenged in 1963 due to the objection of the novel’s words “masses will revolt.” In the book Orwell depicts a “utopian” society that promotes principles of “animalism” that promises equality and equity, but eventually falls under the desire of power. Led by the pigs, the animals in the story, particularly Napoleon, wanted more power. This starts the idea of revolution but eventually leads the pigs to desire more power
and less equality. This desire is closely related to the corruption among politics we see today. The stories shared in these books often express contemporary themes that relate to events society faces today. These books are challenging to create a world that allows children to grasp a better idea of the world they live in, their place in it and that they are not alone nor shamed for believing differently.
Ending mask mandate risks Covid-19 spreading BY EDUARDO SANCHEZ Staff Writer In order to not repeat history, it is best to wait to lift the mandatory mask mandate happening this week. With California possibly removing the mandate as early as today, each city is safe to decide when to lift mandates in their district. The last time Los Angeles loosened its mask mandate, it did not take long for it to be reinstated. With the Super Bowl happening last weekend, the timing is not right for LA to lift the city’s mandate just yet. The lifted mandate will allow only those who are fully vaccinated to decide whether they want to continue using masks or not. And as of now, the city is set to only lift the mandate when COVID-19 related hospital cases fall below 2,500 every day for a week. The Los Angeles Times has reported that only 69% of Los Angeles residents are fully vaccinated and only one in three have gotten a booster shot. Even if the mandate is lifted, masks will still be required in nursing homes as well as while on public transportation. It’s reasonable for those that are fully vaccinated to be allowed to walk around without a mask now that they are fully protected against the virus. They got their shot and should be able to take off their masks. They should still wear masks where appropriate especially if it will still be required in specific places. It sounds rational to allow them to do so yet the timing is just still not right. The Super Bowl is an event that created huge gatherings of people, not only in person at the event itself, but in people’s homes where they often meet up to watch the game together. To lift the restrictions after a huge social event is irresponsible. www.ELACCampusNews.com
With people coming together, cases are surely to increase. And if those who catch the virus afterwards do not use a mask covering while they are unaware of being positive, they can spread the disease much faster. Masks have helped decrease the chances of getting COVID-
19. Cloth masks have lowered the chances to 56% while surgical masks have given a 66% chance of avoiding the virus. KN95 masks have proven the most effective, giving an 83% lowered probability for testing positive, according to a study by the California Department
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of Public Health. Wearing masks has truly helped the city to decrease the positive case numbers and the future of the pandemic is still up in air. The last time it was believed the pandemic was coming to an end, the COVID-19 Omicron variant was
found. The variant proved to be a more contagious variant and cases skyrocketed. If anything, people and health officials must learn from the past and be a bit more cautious. “March seems too soon to me to take away masks. I think we need to see more time to understand what’s going to happen,” Sarah Doernberg, an associate professor of infectious diseases at UC San Francisco, said. The Los Angeles Times has said that only 32% of children between the ages of five to 11 having obtained at least one vaccine dose. If masks are removed then cases will increase within schools, especially in elementary schools when not even 50% of students have been given a single dose. The increased cases will cause students who test positive to be sent home, thus causing them to miss out on their lectures. As more cases begin to show up, more students will be falling behind. Students staying home can also cause a problem for parents who will have to quarantine and miss out on work. Parents will need to care for their COVID-19 positive child while they are home as well. With the recommended time to recover being ten days, that is a week and a half amount of school a child will miss and a week’s paycheck the parent will be unable to get back. It is best to wait to lift the mandate, until more children have received their vaccinations now that it is available for those as young as five years old. To ensure cases don’t skyrocket after people are social, it is also best to wait a few weeks until after the Super Bowl. After the first false sign that things were going back to normal, we can learn and be ready for any future variants by being patient and keeping the mask mandate just a bit longer.
COPY EDITORS Juan Calvillo Luis Castilla STAFF WRITER Jonathan Bermudez Leonardo Cervantes Jesus Hernandez Miguel Dominguez ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo SOCIAL MEDIA Teresa Acosta CARTOONIST Max Miranda ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre ADVISER Jean Stapleton
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
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True-crime series reopens old murder cases BY ADONIA BURCIAGA Staff Writer Netflix’s new season of “Catching Killers” is worth the watch. It is very different from any other truecrime series out there. The new season covers serial killers in Kansas, Missouri, Phoenix, Arizona, and Toronto, Canada. The cases covered in “Catching Killers” are based on true events. One of the most hair-raising episodes covers the serial killer known as BTK or “rax.” The BTK killer, whose real name is Dennis Rader, murdered multiple innocent people over the ‘70s and ‘80s. Rader was a very horrible serial killer who would sent letters to detectives describing the crimes that he committed on his victims. Rader disappeared for a time and the authorities thought he died or ended up in prison. Rader resurfaces in the early 2000s which causes detectives to start looking for him. Police gain better technology in the 2000s which allow detectives to trace DNA samples collected as evidence from a murder that was committed in the ‘70s. Detectives also create a tip line for the public to share any leads on who they think BTK is. The tension rises when the detectives notice a tip that stands out to them. They go to the suspect's house to find ropes and books that match things that BTK had used on his victims in the ‘70s. The result is shocking when detectives try matching his sample with the evidence they found from the victims' homes. The results come back negative. Rader left a letter at a local news station. He used the letter as a means to contact detectives. He said he’d leave packages at a Home Deppot and in multiple other places. The series shows how Rader gives police more leads. Rader continues to stay in contact with detectives to help them figure out who BTK is. “Catching Killers” also focuses
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MIND GAMES—Detective Dana Gouge opens a letter from the murderer known as BTK. The letter proves the serial killer has resurfaced after 30 years and is about to plan another murder. on a strange serial killer in Canada who leads detectives to discover that cannibalism exists. The episode definitely isn't for people who are squeamish as they describe the disturbing acts that a serial killer shares on a website.
The episode of the Canadian serial killer is broken into two parts. The first episode describes how the detectives try to convict the cannibal of murders that never happened. The cannibal is only convicted of distributing child pornography
after detectives search his computer and find incriminating evidence. In the second part of the episode, the detectives are able to find another suspect that potentially could be involved in the disappearances of multiple men.
A serial killer in Phoenix, Arizona kills his victims in what seems like random shootings until detectives begin to piece the shootings together. The search for suspects takes them a while, but later the killer is convicted for his crimes.
“Catching Killers” new season is definitely worth watching. The new season has four episodes and each episode is about 34 minutes. The TV show is rated for mature audiences only.
German film showcases new take on horror friend in the movie and is also a great character. Lena has Finn’s Staff Writer back throughout the entire movie. It is great to see the chemistry they have on-screen. Schimmelpfennig is Intense, dark, and chilling “The a character viewers will have no Privilege,” a German horror film on problem rooting for. Netflix, is a must-watch film. He is smart, sticks to his guns and The film starts fast with really wants to expose the bad people in quick action and shows how dark the movie. the movie’s themes will be. Lena is easy to cheer for in this Director Felix Fuchssteiner does film. Van Acken creates this great a great job making this horror film. character effortlessly. Her acting It is filled with darkness and has a is so good twist. that it will The film is have viewers good. It also wanting to has corny jump in her moments which The film is well written shoes and help are not such her friend out and directed, and it a bad thing to too. add to a movie keeps viewers on their The rest of depending the cast is great feet as they figure out on personal as well and the preference. what the next move is. movie itself has “ T h e a great story. It This film will make Privilege” makes you feel takes place viewers wonder what nervous and in Germany it is intense where high can actually happen in throughout the school kids the real world. movie. take a pill that “ T h e makes them Privilege” is experience a one of many weird and dark horror films to phenomenon. come out on This leads rich Netflix or the elites to clash with the high school many other streaming services and kids in order for them to keep their theaters in 2022. dark secret under wraps. After watching some of the horror The film is well written and films that have released already this directed, and it keeps viewers on year, “The Privilege” is one of the their feet fas they figure out what best ones so far. the next move is. The movie ends on a cliff hanger The film is chilling, dark and will and will have viewers expecting a make viewers wonder what can sequel in the near future. actually happen in the real world. The trailer doesn’t do the The actors in the film are Max Schimmelpfennig, who plays Finn movie justice and viewers should Bergmann, and Lea Van Acken, who remember to never judge a movie by its trailer. plays Lena. On a scale of one to 10, with The main character, Finn, is 10 being amazing, this film gets a a schoolboy dealing with literal seven. demons. He believes in what he If you haven't seen this movie, sees no matter what other people watch it. You won’t regret it. tell him.
BY JESUS HERNANDEZ
Lena is Schimmelpfennig's best
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Amazon’s ‘Reacher’ hits, misses with fans ‘Reacher’ excels in most catagories, falls off toward end BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Amazon Studios “Reacher’’ is intriguing, action-heavy and fun, but doesn’t deliver an ending worthy of its main character. While this review focuses on the Amazon television series, there will be slight comparisons to the books from where the story for the series comes from. The eight-episode first season of “Reacher,” season two of “Reacher” has already been greenlit, uses the story of the first novel in the Jack Reacher books series titled “Killing Floor.” The books are written by Lee Child, while the television series was developed by Nick Santora. Following the threads of the book “Killing Floor,” the television series delves into both Reacher’s connection to his family and an interesting scheme involving money and corruption. The main story takes off with the death of a federal agent and subsequent case that is left hanging. Reacher comes into town looking for some live jazz music and is quickly embroiled in finding out what is going on in the supposed sleepy town of Margrave. Fights with local police, a crooked big business tycoon and a budding romance put Reacher ’s main characters through the wringer. Luckily, action set pieces like a warehouse gun fight and some interesting story contrivances make the episodes clip at an entertaining pace.
Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, is everything fans of the books thought was wrong with the movie version played by Tom Cruise. Reacher is described as a large man and Ritchson fits the bill perfectly. Watching Ritchson, whose other credits include playing Hawk in the HBOMAX series “Titans” among others, manhandle bad guys is part of the fun of this series. Ritchson is a capable actor, but is great at playing the smug, confident type of character. There are moments in the show where the veneer of assuredness slowly fades on Reacher and Ritchson shows the change subtly. Those moments are his best acting pieces in the show. At first glance they seem lackluster, but as the series progresses and more of the characters’ backstory is revealed, the scenes make perfect sense. The show asks for the suspension STANDOFF—Jack Reacher and officer Roscoe Conklin, played of disbelief early on when it comes family of a person of interest in their ogoing case. to the abilities of Reacher. The character may seem like Captain thousand white hot suns is beyond America, but it’s shown early empathize and care for people. Chief detective Oscar Finlay, cool. and often that Reacher dispenses Goodwin is more than capable played by justice with M a l c o l m of playing both a tough cop and lethal precision, is an a caring friend or introspective emphasis on While the action and Goodwin, uptight, by the conflicted husband. It’s a bit sad lethal. The rest of the fights are interesting, book cop trying that Fitzgerald was not given more ensemble includes it’s the end of the series to keep his town to work with for the series. Her from becoming a character is said to be a tough cop, a confident local that is lackluster. and, in more than one scene, she warzone. cop and the chief Goodwin is the dispatches foes with killer instinct, detective of the standout of the but in the end, the damsel in distress town. Local cop good guys in the cliche pops up with her in the Roscoe Conklin, series. His ability starring role. played by Willa Fitzgerald, has a While the action and fights are no-nonsense-attitude that couples to act straightlaced on the surface interestingly with her ability to and have the simmering anger of a interesting, it’s the end of the series
Ali Wong proves her greatness in new comedy special BY JUAN CALVILLO Staff Writer Ali Wong continues her hot streak of funny and engaging Netflix stand-up specials with her newest show “Ali Wong: Don Wong.” Wong’s special starts off with guns blazing and zips along at her signature methodical pace that doesn’t stop until the house lights go out. Wong breaks down the differences between married and single life. She focuses a good part of her special going over how things have changed for her since becoming famous and the disparity for the sexes when it comes to fame. Wong shoots from the hip when it comes to her comparisons. While the observations she makes aren’t anything new, it’s the way she cobbles together her explanations that is hilarious and entertaining. They also skew from a more feminist perspective. Wong makes sure to not only explain her position, but she manages to bury opposing views by exposing the ridiculousness of these opposing views. During her special, she very dryly explains to the audience that the
reason she says the things she says, the way she says them is deliberate. It’s all part of the joke, but it also allows for a bit of reflection on and of herself. She said her reason to say the things she does is to make sure that the audience knows who she really is deep down. The humor for much of Wong’s set stems from her saying exactly what most people are thinking about things like marriage, kids, men, women and of course, everything sexual. Her view on kids is not new in the slightest, but it’s her ability to infuse her specific take that makes her views so much more interesting. Wong also jokes about her sexual exploits in most of her specials and the tradition continues in “Ali Wong: Don Wong.” She even makes an observation about how differently men and women are judged when it comes to cheating. Wong is so straight-forward when it comes to dissecting the judgments people make that it can be jarring for first-time-viewers. This is where Wong shines the most. Her acerbic take is refreshing and leaves little to the imagination. Comedy is very hard to critique.
Every person has a different sense of humor and Wong’s style makes her performances pointed and raunchy. The greatest comedians find ways to joke about everything and still make their jokes funny for everyone. The master of this will always be George Carlin. His sharp tongue and intellectual mind made him hard to emulate. It’s fun to watch Wong show why she can be mentioned alongside someone like Carlin. Wong is one of the very best comedians today. She allows herself to be straight and uses her rationale to make the truth funnier than it should be. While there is debate among comedy fans about whether women are funny, it’s a silly discussion to have. Both men and women can be funny. Wong is proof positive comedy does not see gender, race or creed. “Ali Wong: Don Wong” is rated TV-MA and is streaming on Netflix now. A forewarning to viewers who may find frank talk about relationships, how sex directly relates to the sexes and some funny takes on children should be careful while watching. Wong’s jokes will make viewers laugh, and that’s good comedy.
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ADJUST AND EMPHASIZE—Ali Wong, slightly amused by her own joke, adjusts her glasses to add a metaphorical period to her sentence. Wong’s show was recorded on stage at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in New Jersey. www.ELACCampusNews.com
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by Alan Ritchson and Willa Fitzgerald respectively, protect the
that is lackluster, mainly due to the boring and stale villains that are put up against Reacher and company. The most interesting of them is Mayor Grover Teale, played by veteran actor Bruce McGill. Thankfully McGill’s acting prowess allows him to play up the villainous mayor angle well. The unfortunate part is that none of the other bad guys really make an impact. While characters like KJ, played by Chris Webster, are creepy, there is no real standout among the antagonists. This is why the ending leaves much to be desired.
There is a resolution, but if the bad guys don’t mean anything to the viewer, what’s the point. “Reacher” is streaming now on Amazon Prime and is an Amazon Studios production. The show has great action, an intriguing mystery and a couple of fun twists. The ending is the weakest link in this new series. “Reacher” is rated TV-MA for nudity, violence, gore, profanity, drugs, alcohol, and smoking use and frightening and intense scenes.