Campus News Fall 2020 Issue 8

Volume 78, Issue 8 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, November 4, 2020 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Election anxiety looms as political tension grows

BY SONNY TAPIA Staff Writer Taking a step back from talking to someone with opposing views is a smart decision during the election in the United States.

The East Los Angeles College Emergency Preparedness team said on Thursday that the elections have brought a high level of anxiety to society especially in lower income areas.

Senior Department Secretary of Nursing Monica Lopez said there is a medical disorder for election anxiety called Election Stress Disorder.

This disorder does not discriminate between who is affected and impacts people on both sides of the political spectrum.

A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, it suggests that 70% of Americans feel that the elections add stress to their lives.

“We are all invested in this election, and sometimes when we are invested in something that can add more stress to our lives,” Lopez said.

During this political climate as a whole, people need to continue to

go to work and take care of their families Lopez said.

Election anxiety brings worry and confusion, because there is an overflow of information from the candidates and news sources.

Staying away from destructive coping mechanisms such as declining self-care, drinking or substance abuse can help.

Elections become personal because it impacts people personally, so taking a step back can give an individual the right head-space Lopez said.

“A lot of the conversations we have with others about our political views may not be to change their mind. It is to be heard and not dismissed,” Lopez said.

There are grey areas to the term “right is right and wrong is wrong.”

There are compromises that are made and not in the best benefit of everyone.

“Unfortunately there are grey areas to everything. There are ideological things that someone might agree with from one candidate, but you might not agree with the bigger picture,” Emergency Preparedness Team Member Ernest Burnett said.

Being conscious of a situation is important, Lopez said. Due

to COVID-19 and the elections care of your personal life is the most happening at the same time, important thing to do. some people have become more Making time to be happy is defensive. crucial to fill some part of their day Something that is in control of the with everything going on. This can people is the choice to support one go hand in hand with surrounding side or another. yourself with positivity.

The anxiety “Surround comes from not yourself with knowing what positivity “We’re all invested will happen in because if the future and someone walks in this election, and for the most in a room and part people are sometimes when we are they are in a angry because of invested in something bad mood you what is currently can feel it. Stay that can add more happening, away from that Lopez said. by adding people stress to our lives.”

Hopelessness that are relatively is also a part of more happy than the anxiety from upset and angry,” MONICA LOPEZ the elections and Lopez said.

Senior Department Secretary of Nursing a way to cope Burnett said with this is by that an oasis for reconnecting some people with family right now can be members and letting them know Netflix because after you finish a the feelings at hand. show the streaming company shows The mindfulness of knowing the viewer recommendations on when someone is overwhelmed similar shows or movies. means allowing them to relax and Lopez said that other coping take care of themself. mechanisms for election anxiety is Losing relations with someone to avoid overly opinionated people due to different political views is and picking specific times to view common during this time. Taking the news.

Avoiding overly opinionated people can reduce stress levels, because if there are not people around you that only talk about politics then you can have a gap of time to have a mental break.

Mental breaks can give a sigh of relief to someone that has been only hearing about the bad in the world right now Lopez said.

Picking specific times to view the news can also be helpful during election time. If someone is particularly stressed about what is happening it would not be in their best interest to view the news right before bed.

Instead the person can schedule a specific time that they may call the news hour, to find out what is happening in the world.

This gives time for the person to unwind throughout the day instead of trying to sleep on it. It was also recommended that the time should not be in the morning because it may be difficult to go through the day.

Some grounding exercises that were displayed during the presentation. The body, five senses, self-soothe, observe, breathe and distract were explained by Lopez.

The body exercises that can be used are laying on the ground,

Last minute voting at East Los Angeles College

Popular instructor dies

BY MELVIN BUI Staff Writer

CN/JUAN CALVILLO

CN/JEREMY ARIAS

CALM BEFORE THE STORM—East Los Angeles College had a polling place in the S2 building on campus. There was plenty of free parking and people to assist anyone with voting procedures.

LAST DAY TO VOTE—Voters at the ELAC polling stations cast their ballots as the evening draws to a close. Short lines allowed voters to cast their ballots with ease.

LA community colleges open up wifi hotspots

BY JONATHAN BERMUDEZ Staff Writer All Los Angeles Community College campus may now provide WiFi hotspots at their parking spaces.

The LACCD has received the green light from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to provide WiFi hotspots on campus parking lots.

Interim President Albert J. Roman plans to work with the district to figure out what parking structure to use for the hotspots.

“For East Los Angeles College we’re looking at parking lot four,” Roman said. He is also looking to get hotspots at the South Gate campus because he recognizes that there is a large population of students who would benefit from the hotspots.

“I would ideally like to open it up for all students, not only for those that have cars, but we have to make sure we are able to do that and get it cleared by the LA County Department of Public Health,”

News Briefs

Roman said. only solution. Roman acknowledges Romans’s idea is to set up that there is a digital divide among canopies with tables and chairs students and wants to help all with appropriate social distancing students. to allow walk-ins as well. However, “We know there is a bandwidth he is unsure if the issue, so if county would we have too allow that. people “I would ideally like many He recognizes tapping into that it would be to open it up for all t h e n e t w o r k hard for some it could students. Not only students to get significantly to campus, so for those that have slow it down plans to give out to a point cars, but we have to where it’s not hotspots to take home. going to be make sure we are “We’re working very effective,” able to do that and Roman said. with the college foundation to be He wants get it cleared by the able to provide the students to LA County Health some funding come first when so that we can Department of Public opening up the actually purchase hotspots but if Health.” hotspots for there is enough coverage for students based ALBERT J. ROMAN the community upon need and Interim President then it will actually loan open to the those out for the remainder of the community. year,” Roman said.

Roman plans to make it the He knows that opening up sign-in system for the internet as it hotspots in parking lots is not the used to be on campus so it is easier

Dream Act workshop

ELAC’s Financial Wellness Center is helping students fill out Dream Act applications on Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. Zoom link: https://laccd.zoom.us/j/93721218250

for students. He also said there would be no time limit for students to use the hotspots. There would be a time limit as to the hours that area would be opened.

He wants to open up regular hours with some additional time in the evening because he knows there are students that take late classes.

“My priority would be to open it as many hours as possible because we know working adults, working students that may not be able to come during the day, and they have evening classes where they’re going to need the WiFi,” Roman said.

The idea of the parking lots was something that came to mind when he noticed that students were struggling with internet access.

Roman waited for a while to get the green light from the district and the county and sought other ways to provide services to students.

The school provided a $300 voucher to students through the Cares Act for students to purchase a Chromebook or internet.

Roman knows that it wasn’t enough and realizes that the internet could be costly and wanted to open up the hotspots sooner.

Post-election discussion for immigrants

pressing your toes into the ground and squeezing playdough to reduce the built up aggression.

Wearing your favorite sweatshirt, use of essential oils and making tea are examples for grounding with the five senses.

Self-soothing exercises can help with relaxation like taking a bath or shower, finding a grounding object or relaxation object and lighting a candle.

Observing allows a person to live in the now Lopez said. Describing an object in detail, color, texture, shadow, light and shapes are all things to do for observations.

A breathing technique to use is called the 4-7-8 technique. A person will count starting at one and will inhale to four, hold it in to seven and exhale slowly to eight.

Distractions add a sense of relaxation by giving the mind a break from the elections. A person can pick a color and find all the objects in the room that are that color, a person can count by sevens or twos or threes and a person could say the date or spell it out.

Staying grounded is key to relaxing and staying conscious during the primary elections Lopez said.

Professor George Demetri Tangalos was a man of many talents and mysteries. Tangalos died on Oct. 1 after he was admitted to the hospital twice.

During the second emergency visit, he remained unresponsive until passing.

Tangalos worked as a part-time instructor at ELAC’s South Gate campus. However, he started off teaching on the main campus up until the last 10 years. He started teaching toward the late 1990s and was with ELAC for more than two decades.

His teaching expertise was in numerical analysis, but he decided to teach math. Tangalos had a PhD in Mathematics and a Masters degree in Physics.

ELAC South Gate Dean Al Rios said Tangalos was an inspiring, dedicated educator and one of the most popular instructors at the South Gate campus.

“Tangalos had an affinity with students.He made it easier for students to understand. We had to open up more math classes because students kept requesting him as an instructor,” Rios said.

ELAC Math Secretary Maria Naranjo said Tangalos taught with enthusiasm, and she used to hear him from down the hallway when

ELAC’s Dream Resource Center is having a discussion about election results with the immigrant community on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Register at: http://bit.ly/UndocTownhall

the Math Department was still in the E5-Building.

Naranjo said his classes were always full and always had students asking her what class he was going to teach.

“Many of our instructors remember Mr. Tangalos as being dedicated to his students, always making time for them either before or after his classes. He also had a great passion for Math and he had a great energy when teaching,” Naranjo said.

Tangalos was the president of a non-profit organization, the Youngest Artist Awards.

It was the oldest Hollywood award show for children. The YAA honors and celebrates children performers. It also gives scholarships to young artists who are financially unstable.

Tangalos became familiarize with the group in the 1980s because of his daughter, since she was a child performer.

IMDb said in a biography that Tangalos knew how to play a number of instruments. He played the violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, flute and trumpet.

The cause of death was not disclosed. Rios said when more information is gathered about his death, there will be an event to properly honor Tangalos.

Tangalos is survived by his daughter, Danuta Tangalos.

COURTESY OF LA TIMES

Graduation petition deadline

ELAC’s Counseling Department is urging students who have completed all of their required courses to petition to graduate. Petition deadline is Dec. 11. For more information, make an appointment and speak with a counsler.

Opinion Problematic issues among mail-in ballots 2

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2020

BY ANNETTE QUIJADA Staff Writer Mail-in voting has always been an effective way of voting, but in this political climate it’s become problematic and comes with more issues today than in previous years.

The 2020 presidential election is expected to have the highest number of mail-in ballots due to the pandemic.

Voting by mail is supposed to be a stress-free and safe way for Americans to participate in the democratic process in their country, but instead they’re being forced to overthink and worry about the negatives that emerged this year with voting.

The biggest issue with mail-in ballots is an increase in voter suppression targeting mail-in ballots. Besides the president’s antics, there’s also been a range of issues when it comes to the ballotdrop-off boxes.

For one, it was reported by National Public Radio (NPR.org) and other news outlets that the California Republican Party placed about 50 unauthorized ballot boxes in California with signs labeling the boxes “official.”

Since then, these boxes have been removed. There’s no doubt the cruelty behind the intent to trick voters, especially in a state that is known to vote blue.

There’s also been mysterious fires being ignited in ballot drop off boxes. One of these incidents took place on Oct. 20, in Baldwin Park and it’s taking place all over the country.

President Donald Trump has gone out of his way to bash mail ballots.

He has tweeted, “There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that mail-in-ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent.” He also called the election rigged due to mail-ins.

His proclamations scream voter suppression. Trump is igniting fear toward voters by claiming that their votes will be invalid. Most would think that the president would be focused on his citizens being able to vote without running the risk of contracting a deadly virus.

Trump has also gone out of his way to say that votes counted after election night are not to be considered part of the election. In response, voters have rushed to get their ballots and send them right back. However, a lot of citizens have claimed to not have received their ballots in the mail, this will cause plenty of provisional votes.

These situations have brought immense stress to voters who fear their ballot won’t get counted on time because of its late arrival.

This has plenty to do with the president’s attack on the United States Postal Service. Trump’s steps into defunding the post office is another one of his tools to create voter suppression.

He also appointed Louis Dejoy as the postmaster general who ordered the post office to slow down mail and cut overtime. Dejoy also ordered the sorting machines to be stripped of their parts for “maintenance,” but later stated that they couldn’t be reassembled.

It’s caused delays with mail being backtracked for weeks now and

since then there’s been federal judges in different states who’ve ordered the U.S. postal service to take priority in delivering ballots on time.

In Baldwin Park, there were about 100 ballots that were damaged. The LA Times reported that firefighters did their best and ended up cutting the box with a power saw. The worst part is, how does one notify those

voters when their ballots are turned to ashes. It’s quite infuriating what a negative influence politicians have on citizens to convince them to willingly participate in a form of voter suppression.

From the start of the election, politicians needed to take the steps into helping things go smoothly while the country is facing a pandemic.

The House of Representatives had tried passing bills for election security, but the Senate refused to pass them. Politicians are too consumed on who’s going to win the presidential election, instead of ensuring that citizens are safe and successful in voting, whether it’s at the polls, at ballot box locations or through mail.

MANAGING EDITOR Luis Castilla FRONT EDITOR Melvin Bui OPINION EDITOR Daniella Molina NEWS EDITOR Jonathan Bermudez FEATURE EDITOR Erica Cortez ARTS EDITOR Cassidy Reyna SPORTS EDITOR Melvin Bui Jonathan Bermudez COPY EDITORS Melody Ortiz Ivan Cazares STAFF WRITERS Sonny Tapia Raymond Nava Leonardo Cervantes Annette Quijada Stephanie Sical Brenda De La Cruz CN/DANIELLA MOLINA

Brutal holiday season ahead for some Racist proclamation

BY JULIE SANTIAGO

BY JUAN CAVILLO

Staff Writer

Staff Writer While a portion of society is wrapping presents, preparing turkeys and singing Christmas carols in November, there are people who know that the holidays suck.

Overspending money, fighting with family and friends and, of course, feeling the holiday blues are just a few of the reasons it might be that holiday gatherings are being limited in scope due to COVID-19.

Holidays are usually seen as a time of togetherness and a time to create happy memories. Yet, for the most part, the holidays are generally a time of spending more than a person’s budget allows. The happiest time of the year is mixed with the time of the year most businesses climb out of the “red” and eventually break even and make profits.

Black Friday sales and Christmas sales bring in big cash for department stores and online retailers. This year may be different with COVID-19 having made a small mess of the economy over the last eight or nine months, but the idea of holiday shopping will remain the same.

Business Professor Frank Aguirre said spending money is not the only way to show appreciation for family and friends. He teaches a personal finance class at East Los Angeles College and he said that holiday shopping is an emotional time, but that it should be tempered with some common-sense spending.

“Spending money on any special occasion such as the holidays or for a vacation should be based on a personal budget. Spending more than you can afford or increasing your debt will make for a tough start to the new year,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said not just the financial missteps that can be trying, the stress that comes with financial burdens is high and can be just one of the many causes of what is called seasonal affective disorder.

Kaiser Permanente’s website said SAD is a form of depression that results from a variety of factors.

The seasonal changes in sunlight and the more acute feelings of www.ELACCampusNews.com

CN/ZASHA HAYES

consciousness from problems, disappointments or unmet goals all contribute to SAD. SAD can be tough to manage, especially when so many people are feeling happy and delighted to be celebrating the holidays. This feeling of depression makes being in the holiday spirit harder on people experiencing SAD. This seasonal type of depression is almost like a snowball some might play with during the holidays, well not so much in ELAC’s neck of the woods, but bear with the comparison.

The feeling of depression due to problems, financial or otherwise, and disappointments can build little by little. Like adding another layer to a snowball, but eventually the amount is too much and ends up crashing down. This is just another reason the holidays, with unrealistic happy tidings and familial gathers can be down right horrid.

The final point is more from personal experience than actual research. Families tend to let things fester. Issues with parents, siblings and friends are sometimes not dealt with as they arise.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Juan Cavillo

This resentment or anger tends to build up and is usually unleashed in times of stress. Christmas and Thanksgiving tend to be times when people are a little bit easier to irritate and anger because of all the other stress that has built up of the year.

Family arguments can be harsh and hurtful. Financially, the holidays can set up individuals for economic hardships for the coming new year.

Feelings of depression from a variety of sources can make festive days down right unbearable.

There are ways to cope with the bad situations that can arise during the holidays. Financially, Aguirre said that it might be in the best interest to keep to the adage of It’s the thought that counts.”

When it comes to stress it might be good to make sure you take the time to plan your days out to limit stress. If certain family members tend to fight, it might be best not to spend so much time with them, and instead spend time with the family that is a positive force.

Can the holidays be great times?

Of course. Can the holidays be brutal for some people? Definitely.

To an uneducated American, with little to no knowledge of Día de Los Muertos celebrations, President Donald Trump’s proclamation recognizing Nov. 1st as “National Day of Remembrance for Americans Killed by Illegal Aliens” appeared empathetic and a just move.

To Mexican Americans, and some Central Americans, this was disrespectful and equivalent to a slap in the face. All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1 and continued on Nov. 2nd with Día de Los Muertos, are very important holidays predominately celebrated

by Catholic Mexicans.

On these deeply spiritual days, families will spend the whole day at a loved ones grave, decorating, listening to live music, celebrating, remembering their dead family members and ancestors. It’s a celebration that predates the colonization of the Americas.

Trump purposely chose this already occupied holiday as a flex of his authority and an opportunity to advance his war against immigration. By overwriting this day with his proclamation released on Halloween, the message, heard just days before the 2020 election, echoed the same racist and xenophobic tones from Trump’s first campaign in 2016 when he called Mexicans “rapists and bad people.”

This proclamation was a last plea before the election to reassure his supporters that he is the best candidate for law and order.

“On this National Day of Remembrance, we pause to honor the memory of every American life so egregiously taken from us by criminal illegal aliens,” Trump said in his proclamation.

Not only is Trump’s proclamation laced with insensitive ulterior motives, it also contains the phrase “Illegal Aliens” which is an overtly offensive and incorrect term. No person can be illegal. The accepted and correct term used today is Undocumented Immigrants.

As to be expected, outrage poured

out on social media as Trump’s proclamation was seen as blatant xenophobia by the immigrnat communities.

East Los Angeles College student, Luis A. Beade, said via ELAC Campus News Instagram, he believed Trump was “Pandering to a specific crowd before an election in order to secure the most votes in a short amount of time at the expense of Mexican/Hispanic culture.”

“He needs to change Thanksgiving to the remembrance of Native Americans murdered by the illegal white people,” wrote another Instagram user on a popular Mexican page.

In the past Trump has stood firmly by traditional Thanksgiving, even calling the renaming of the holiday a war on Thanksgiving.

Honoring Native Americans killed

by European immigrants is really not a part of his plan.

“Two and a Half Men” actor, Jon Cryer, also joined in via Twitter.

“Immigrants both documented and undocumented commit crime at a LOWER rate than citizens.

Are we gonna have a national day of remembrance for the vastly larger group of Americans killed by Americans” Cryer said.

There are studies that support the claim Cryer made. A study conducted by the libertarian Cato Institute, a public policy research organization, analyzed Texas data taken in 2015 to compare crimes committed by undocumented, legal immigrants and native-born residents in the country.

The statistics documented 815,689 native-born Americans, 37,776 undocumented immigrants and 20,323 legal immigrants who were arrested. With these figures in mind, they wrote, “The arrest rate for illegal immigrants was 40 percent below that of native-born Americans.”

The threat of American lives taken by undocumented immigrants suggested in Trump’s procalmation is overblown. A better idea for a holiday would be a day of remembrance for those who died because of COVID-19.

PHOTOGRAPHER Diego Linares Julie Santiago ART DIRECTOR Steven Adamo CARTOONISTS Zasha Hayes Daniella Molina ADVERTISING Stefanie De La Torre ADVISER Jean Stapleton

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Arts 3 ELAC theater holds Zoom meeting with Luis Alfaro

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020

BY LUIS CASTILLA Staff Writer Like a chat between old buddies, esteemed playwright Luis Alfaro and notable actresses spoke to the East Los Angeles College Department of Theater Arts on their collaborations and what it means to be Chicano today.

Alfaro is a MacArthur Genius award-winning Chicano playwright.

Alfaro is fresh from just releasing his book, “The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: Electricidad; Oedipus El Rey; Mojada,” a collection of his Greek trilogy which mirrors Greek tales with the lives of Chicano/a and Latino/a communities.

Joining Alfaro were actresses Zilah Mendoza, Sabina Zuniga Verela, Monica Sanchez and ELAC professor Cristina Frias, all of whom have worked with Alfaro and have a string of accomplishments under their respective belts. “There’s an ancient thread between all of us,” Alfaro said.

While all speakers said they identify as Chicano or Chicana, they each said it was a term that they did not immediately understand. It was a term they had to learn to identify with. “Our identities evolve and change over time as we grow into

“I really saw them unlock their understanding of what Greeks are within our Chicano reality.”

Theater major Raquel Robles Marcelino, who attended the event, said she learned the importance of making connections with people in the industry early.

“It reminded me that right now is when we as students are starting to form connections with people that will most likely continue working in this industry,” Marcelino said.

“It’s important to keep that in mind because we might call or be called to work on a project for these people we are studying with today.”

Because all the speakers have known each other for years, everyone spoke freely and comfortably about their careers in theater and performing arts.

Frias began the discussion by showing everyone a program of ‘Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Pinata Woman and Other Superhero Girls, Like Me,’ which she and Alfaro worked on more than 20 years ago.

“Time flew by so quickly, I felt like we were at a dinner party just talking,” Marcelino said.

“The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro: Electricidad; Oedipus El Rey; Mojada” is available on Amazon and other book stores.

them,” Frias said.

Alfaro said he began his Greek trilogy after he joined a workshop at Borderlands Theater in Tucson AZ. There, he met a 13-year-old girl who murdered her mother because she had put a hit on her father who was a drug dealer. That night, he went to see a play at the Arizona Theater Company. Afterwards, he stopped by the gift shop which was having a sale on Greek plays. “I had never read the Greeks, you know, because I’m an LAUSD graduate,” Alfaro said.

“The first play I read was ‘Electra,’ the story of a young girl who murdered her mother to avenger her father’s death,” Alfaro said, opening his eyes to the parallels between the tales and modern life.

Varela said that when she was teaching at a middle school in Albuquerque, N.M., she once invited 300 of her students to a performance of “Electricidad.”

“They saw themselves. They saw people who were talking like them,” Varela said.

Frias said that she teaches the Greeks as an introduction and exposes her students to Alfaro’s work after that. “As soon as I have the opportunity to introduce them to your (Alfaro’s) adaptation, everything changed,” Frias said.

LUIS ALFARO

Lisa Jewell’s novel thrills readers

BY ERICA CORTES Staff Writer As the spooky season is ending, a reader may want to invest in one last thrill, reading Lisa Jewell’s new thriller “Invisible Girl.”

The novel will encourage readers to hide under the covers, not wanting to read anymore, from how mysterious the plot can be.

This novel is more than one genre.

It is a suspenseful thrill ride, mystery crime and drama all at once.

While reading, the reader might find the novel as an “R” rated version of “Scooby-doo.”

The true identity of everyone is unmasked in the end.

The story takes place in the modern-day area of Hampstead, England.

It is mainly during the winter season as the main crime day happens on Valentine’s day.

In the neighborhood, there are three stories that all interact with one another.

The first two characters that

are introduced are Cate and Roan, a married couple with their two children, Georgia and Josh.

They are renting a place to renovate their home. Cate gives the impression of being a paranoid person, despite her being a physiatrist.

The novel will encourage readers to hide under the covers, not wanting to read anymore from how mysterious the plot can be.

The couple Cate and Roan, already have a bumpy marriage from Cate accusing Roan of cheating on her.

Cate goes to extremes to find evidence of Roan cheating, but never finds any and is caught looking around.

Saffyre Maddox is a 17-yearold girl in secondary school who has been seeing Cate for therapy.

Saffyre goes missing on Valentine’s day.

Cate accuses her creepy neighbor Owen, a middleaged teacher who was a fired for sexual allegations, of the disappearance of Saffyre.

Every character has a secret.

The beauty of it in the end is it’s not the obvious secret.

Jewell makes her characters in a manner that captivates the reader.

Jewell’s unique writing of jumping third person for a character and first-person pointof-view for another character gives it a depth of being in the story and reading it as only an audience.

The only downside of this novel is portions of the plot are somewhat tangled. However, all strings meet up at long last.

This story gives the stereotypical thriller story of not being able to put the book turn and having it in one thought about what to read next.

New Amazon show is paranormal fun

BY DANIELLA MOLINA Staff Writer

A new Amazon series, “Truth Seekers,” is packed with lighthearted comedy and paranormal activity.

The writers put the right amount of funny and genuinely creepy to make an intriguing eight-episode series.

Writers Nat Saunders and James Serafinowicz, along with British actors comedians Nick Frost and Simon Pegg came up with the Amazon comedy, released last month.

The main character Gus Robertson is played by Frost. Gus is a wireless service repairman slash amateur paranormal investigator. Gus’s boss (Simon Pegg) at Smyle, appoints him to train the newbie of the company.

Gus, who is adamant about staying solo on jobs, reluctantly takes on the duty and drags the young newbie, Elton, along on service calls along the British countryside.

Their journey from house to house quickly becomes servicing haunted house after haunted house.

Elton not only assists Gus on his Wi-Fi service calls, but also becomes the unofficial cameraman for Gus’ YouTube channel called “Truth Seekers,” where Gus documents his paranormal activity experiences.

Despite not ever capturing a single ghost in all the videos he has posted so far.

In one of his videos, he claims that a door slammed shut. However, it took over nine hours of film to see the door finally shut.

The episodes of the series are all of good quality production and acting and feel more like short movies.

The ”Truth Seeker” channel is mostly dry with no evidence of any paranormal activity, until Elton showed up on Gus’ journey. The quirky friendship between Gus and Elton starts off rough in the first episode.

However, they grow on each other easily, and the sarcastic comments between them become somewhat of the norm.

It becomes more clear that Gus would like Elton around him more when Gus not so politely suggests instead of dropping Elton off at home after work as usual. Instead they could both go edit some ghost hunting footage.

However, Elton is not naive

nor interested in spending any more time then he has to with Gus. Gus mostly spends his off time editing his videos and tries to keep to himself as much as possible, but his pesky father Richard, makes it almost impossible for Gus to be completely alone.

Ignoring Gus’s request, Richard quietly wanders into the study room and rummages around Gus’ work, which leads to unexpected visitors and occurrences for them all.

The episodes of the series are all of good quality production and acting and feel more like short movies.

There are several flashbacks, senses and video graphics of ghosts, monsters and spirits. All in all, very creepy characters, but nothing near gory, bloody or violent. Each episode moves at a decent pace to keep the viewer’s attention and does not veer off too much into the past.

The storyline is easy to follow and is peppered with subliminal clues from the ghost that tie into the next episode. Each week of work introduces a new monster or ghost from the past that needs to be put to rest by Gus and Elton.

The ghostbusting duo definitely has its works cut out for it in both the Wi-Fi world and spiritual world.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

DEADLY STARE—Richard Vronski and the rest of his unit are escorting a high profiled criminal from one prison to another.

Netflix action film tears through ‘Rogue City’

BY LEONARDO CERVANTES Staff Writer

Netflix’s “Rogue City,” also known as “Bronx,” is an actionpacked police thriller full of betrayal and violence. The police are put in difficult situations and to survive, they must question their morality.

Oliver Marchal is the film’s director and, interestingly enough, was previously a policeman.

The plot of the movie is a special police force fighting off gangs in order to keep peace, but among the police are corrupt cops working with the gangs.

The film is gritty and contains a lot of brutality. The film opens with six police officers escorting a highprofiled gang member out of prison.

He is being transported from Battume penitentiary to another, more secure prison, where he is likely to die.

Richard Vronski (Lannick Gautry) is the protagonist in the film and he leads an anti-gang squad that fights against drug trafficking and organized crime.

The audience is quickly shown his compassionate side. While escorting a high-profiled criminal to jail, he grants him his wish of visiting his dying wife in the hospital. She is suffering from terminal cancer.

Vronski had no reason to do it, but he grants his wish anyway.

Otherwise the criminal would have

never seen his wife again.

Ange Leonetti (Jean Reno) is introduced as the new police chief as he previously was a well-respected cop and a man of integrity.

Many of the cops are crooked and working with gangs and sharing intel with them in order for protection, money and drugs.

Vronski, along with others in the anti-gang squad, are led to believe they have a double agent in their department, but cannot figure out who it is.

Vronski is left with a tough decision. Either he can continue the gang war against the Bastiani family or he can make a compromise.

He decides he no longer wants the war to continue, so in exchange for peace, Vronski is handed a notebook that contains every corrupt cop along with guns and drug information.

Vronski already suspected which cops might be dirty but is surprised by the main culprit who aided gangs.

Even higher ranking officers above Vronski are passing along information to gangs.

A major shootout occurrs at a bar that left a dozen civilians killed and coincidentally a gang member is shot and injured.

Vronski was able to track down one of the lead suspects at a church because his fingerprints are found at the crime scene.

The church was considered a sacred ground so the suspect did not comply with Vronski and this made Vronski turn hostile.

This scene causes a lot of commotion and everyone in church turns their heads at Vronski.

The film does not live up to its full potential.

A lot of characters are introduced.

However, only a few like Vronski and Willy Kapellian (Stanislas Merhar) receive a proper backstory.

The rampage all around the city leads to massive amounts of innocent lives lost.

The film goes over the top to be edgy and show violence. The film shows innocent civilians caught in the crossfire of gangs and the police.

Many of the characters that are killed off are not properly introduced, so the audience has no real attachment to them.

Vronski’s anti-gang unit is a welltrained group organized to hunt down dangerous gangs.

Yet, none of the members are given the proper screen time and backstory except for Merhar who has problems with his wife and is emotional.

He is one of the few cops besides Vronski that gets to speak.

The audience is never given a reason for why Zach Damato (David Belle) and Max Beaumont (Kaaris) are so loyal to Vronski. They just follow his orders and hardly even speak.

The film is intended for mature audiences and even then, the amount of violence can turn some people off.

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Features

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, November 4, 4,2020 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2020

Third time a charm for L.A. Dodgers

BY CASSIDY REYNA Staff Writer The Los Angeles Dodgers have always had a special place in the hearts of Angelenos.

The Dodgers made the city proud by winning the World Series after 32 years. Over the last four years, Dodger fans have been heartbroken and frustrated with the outcomes from the playoffs and World Series games.

Now, the Dodgers came back and redeemed themselves.

Los Angeles Dodger fans are very passionate and have stood by the team all these years. In East Los Angeles the pride for the Dodgers is strong.

Many Los Angeles locals have been by the Dodgers’ side all these years and are proud of their “boys in blue.”

Jean Carlos Ruiz is a student at East Los Angeles College and has always been inspired by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“The Dodgers have always been here for us, they're like real-life superheroes.

The boys in blue as they're also known, always give back to their community with donations, fundraisers, sponsoring our local park fields and much more.

The Dodgers make us citizens proud each and every day with their hard work and representing Los Angeles wherever they go,” said Ruiz.

Ruiz also said that when he was younger he hoped he could represent Los Angeles just like the Dodgers. He hoped to be lucky enough to be a part of the Dodger(s) organization one day.

Claudia Palos is also a student at East Los Angeles College, she is a mother of two and keeps the Dodger pride within the family.

“Watching the Dodgers w i n t h e Wo r l d Series was a

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dream come true. As a kid Dodgers aspired to be a baseball player and were everything, I remember playing possibly play for the Dodgers. baseball with my cousins and However, due to a medical condition pretending to be specific players was never able to play. such as Fernando Valenzuela, Orel He continued to live vicariously Hershiser, and Mike Piazza. When I through his family members who was 6 the Dodgers had won the World played for fun and through the Dodgers Series as well, but I don’t remember and their games. it” said Palos.

The Los Angeles Dodgers mean a When Palos recently saw the lot to Vargas and in ways brought her Dodgers win the World Series it gave family together. her a sense of hope.

Monica Salinas, the CAPA guidance With the chaos of this year, seeing counselor at James Abram Garfield the Dodgers win High School, did with her children not give up on the gave her peace of Dodgers. Salinas said mind that despite “The Dodgers have how she understands the negativity of the saying this year that always been here for “We bleed blue” things would be as it came down to us, they’re like real- waiting okay.

32 years to Stephanie see the Dodgers win life superheroes. ” Va r g a s i s the World Series. the assistant “As a young child, art director my family and I lived and assistant two blocks from the JEAN CARLOS RUIZ CampUs director stadium, in what Student at East Los Angeles College at After-School was once called the All-Stars, Los Chavez Ravine.

Angeles. Vargas “Listening to the has been a Dodger fan for as long as roars of the crowd when Fernando she could remember.

Valenzuela pitched is a memory I will Living in East Los Angeles all her never forget. life she has been surrounded by love “He made the Hispanic community for the Dodgers, especially through feel proud to be Dodger fans and her father. brought the city together in the name “The Los Angeles Dodgers have of baseball,” said Salinas. made a huge impact in our family that Salinas also talked about how she felt as we won, lost and now won again, as though it was finally the Dodgers’ it’s unbelievable to think that after so time to shine in the World Series. many years, this day has come again.

Not only that but is prideful in the “The Dodgers aren't just a team to team and city. us. It isn’t about the gear, it’s about the Cedrick Wallace is one of the deans countless hours spent watching games at James Abram Garfield High School on the edge of our seats, the priceless and was in awe to see how connected family gatherings and the countless the city of Los Angeles was when it Dodger dogs, peanuts and crackers came to how connected the jacks. The song ‘Take Me Out to citizens came to be when the Ballgame’ is forever embedded the Dodgers won in my head as it reminds me of how the World important family is,” said Vargas.

Vargas remembers how her father

Series.

Wallace also believes that the passing of Kobe Bryant had a major impact on the performance of all teams in the sports community and the impact it caused in the sports community, which powered each team to do it for Bryant’s legacy.

“The championship run by both the Lakers and the Dodgers were obviously, in part, inspired by the late Kobe as both teams brought that mamba mentality to the forefront and used it to reach the finish line.

“Immediately following the Lakers championship win that old feeling of togetherness and happiness that we all felt in the early 2000s was evident. With the Dodgers winning after enduring all they have, as a fan, I was overwhelmed with a long coming sense of relief.

“A relief that if we remain hopeful in unity we can eventually win the fight together,” said Wallace. Wallace also said he was devastated after the passing of Bryant.

However, seeing how both the Dodgers and the Lakers made Los Angeles proud, Wallace was nothing but joyful.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have played a huge part in the lives of Los Angeles citizens. The journey to the recent victory has been a roller coaster ride of emotions.

Agreeing to disagree with the politics of MLB and finding different ways to view the sport be it on television or on our phone screens, Los Angeles has and always will be proud of their “Boys in Blue” and will forever show that well-known Dodger pride.