Fall 2013, Issue 9 by Editor in Chief Campus News

79th annual East Los Angeles Classic excites crowd

Volume 71, Issue 9

Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

www.elaccampusnews.com

Don’t panic.

Learning facilities to install emergency system Danny Vasquez and Jesus Figueroa

Staff Writers

The Writing Center and Math Lab will take extra precautions and have a new emergency system installed to help communicate with the sheriffs station in event of a threat. Recent events, such as active shooters, have alerted student workers to the inadequacy of school security. Writing Center Director Gisela Herrera proposed an idea for effective communication due to an incident reported two months ago. Math Lab student worker Stephanie Saldivar was working when an unidentified man came in to the Math Lab causing a disturbance – yelling profanity, constantly checking his pockets and aggressively approaching

News News Briefs Briefs

students and workers. Saldivar said student workers called school security but were unable to say much because the unidentified man was right in front of them. “I was scared. I was pregnant and I thought I was going to have my baby during that time. I was so scared that he was going to kill me,” Saldivar said. The unidentified man kept on yelling and demanding to use the school phone. “He was just trying to stick his hands in here (on the desk),” Saldivar said. After being denied use of the phone, he headed outside and continued to bother students. “They (school security) took a long time to get here. If that man had a gun or something, all of us would have been dead. “It was maybe 10 minutes. It was a long time,”Saldivar said. Herrera said there needs to be a way to communicate with

Feminist Majority Club to host clothes, canned food drive ELAC’s Feminist Majority club will hold a donation drive for clothes and cannnd foods on Nov. 12 in front E7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They will also sell food and give out free cookies for those who donate.

school security without having to pick up the phone in front of the person causing the problem. ELAC’s Information System Manager Gonzalo Mendoza said the school is taking precautions to assure they can communicate with school security more effectively. “I think we need to be prepared. I think we should all have a meeting. People need to take it seriously because you don’t mess with crazy people. You never know what they have,” Saldivar said, “Now we all carry our pepper spray.” The incident caused student workers and staff to seriously consider options to keep the campus safe. Plant Facilities and the IT department are working together to adequately solve the problem. The new emergency system is in the works and will be active soon.

See Page

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Elan takes home first-ever South Coast Conference gold medal Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer Freshman Laura Aceves became the first-ever East Los Angeles College South Coast Conference cross country champion, winning the title by nearly a minute last week in Long Beach. She was favored to win the race because she beat all SCC competition this season. “Running has been a priority in my life for several years. This win is the beginning of my goal as a competitive runner, which began when I came to ELAC,” Aceves said. C r o s s Country Head Coach Louis LAURA R a m i r e z recruited Aceves while she was unknowingly training on an ELAC training course. “When he talked about getting an education at a college and running for a team, I knew it would be an easy decision. I always wanted to be part of a

Wire Choir to take stage for November’s First Friday Jazz series

team and getting an education was a priority. I am a student first however,” Aceves said. Running on a team is everything she anticipated and more. “We help each other out and this motivates me and is new to me. While you want to run your best time, you also have in the back of your mind that we are also part of something bigger, running for cross country at East Los A n g e l e s College,” Aceves said. She moved to Los Angeles with her family from Guadalajara, Mexico. “My parents wanted a better life for us,” Aceves said. Her major is kinesiology. “Being a ACEVES student is difficult for me but I like the challenge,” Aceves said. She was not too fond of running as a child but grew to like it more when she attended high school.

CHAMPION Continued on page 4

CN/Danny Vasquez

RED ALERT The Monterey Park Sheriff’s and East Los Angeles College cadets huddle near the Sheriff Station to discuss a possible threat on campus on Wednesday. Campus security was on high alert for several hours, while the investigation was on going.

The Wire Choir, jazz guitar ensemble, will kick-off the November’s First Friday series in the S2 Recital Hall on Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. General admission is $12 and $ 6 for students.

Campus Closed

The campus will be closed on Monday in celebration of Veterans Day. Classes will continue on Tuesday.

Opinion

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

Sheriffs deny Campus News information EDITORIAL

Campus News received an anonymous tip last Wednesday, about a terrorist-like threat made by a current student against the school. This student was obviously distraught, angry and posed a definite threat to the students, staff, faculty and administration on campus. What his issues with the school were may never be known except by a small number of people whose job it is to investigate these types of incidents. Campus News reporters took note of the increased police presence on campus and proceeded to investigate the threat and got nowhere. At every turn, they were shut-out of the picture and were unable to get any information about the threat. This is very disturbing. After making several calls to school officials, some of which knew nothing of the situation, the question at hand became, “why is this threat being taken lightly?” Why are school officials being kept in the dark about a potentially dangerous situation? At the sheriff ’s office at the southwest end of Weingart Stadium, several squad cars were seen coming

EDITORS IN CHIEF Erik Luna Lindsey Maeda MANAGING EDITOR Liliana Marquez ONLINE EDITOR Freddy Monares ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR Brian Villalba FRONT EDITOR Danny Vasquez

and going and more police officers were on campus than during the May 16 incident that befell ELAC and Santa Monica College. There was obviously something going on, so why the secrecy? More importantly, why was the school not locked down? This is particularly perplexing in light of the fact that the school recently went through a lockdown drill in preparation for this type of situation. ELAC students, faculty, staff and administration were vulnerable

and at risk, and many of them were walking through campus going about their day– unaware of the danger that existed. One student reporter, went to the sheriff’s office and saw several officers going over a plan of action while reviewing a map of the school, indicating a present danger. In today’s gun-happy world, no threat of this nature should ever be taken lightly. The campus sheriff’s department knew exactly who this person was, bringing up the possibility that they

may have known he was not to be taken seriously. If that was the case, why the cadet presence at the front of the school and at the entrance to the P3 parking structure? If the idea was to keep a vigil on the school in case this deranged person were to show up on campus, why was there a police presence at these locations only? The entrances at the north end of the school to the Pinner driveway, the English classroom area and Plant Facilities were all wide-open for

anyone to meander in. These images did not exude confidence for the safety of the campus no matter how many police cruisers were circling the school. It is easy to sit back and criticize the tough decisions school officials are faced with on a daily basis, but this one made no sense. ELAC students, staff, faculty and administration were not given as much as a text alert of the situation to warn people of the danger at hand. This is unacceptable.

ELAC sheriffs respond lethargically to emergency Erik Luna Staff Writer East Los Angeles College has taken many precautions to ensure the safety of everyone on campus; hiring 10 new cadets, installing security cameras and a new emergency response plan to handle on-campus threats, yet is this enough? Two months ago a man walked into the math lab and began threatening student workers. Even though sheriff deputies arrived at the scene to apprehend the individual, some faculty and students say authorities took too long. Student worker Stephanie Saldivar was working the desk at the math lab when the incident happened. According to her, it took multiple calls to get the sheriffs to arrive at the scene. “I was scared – terrified. He kept reaching for something in his pocket and cussing up a storm,” Saldivar, who is seven months pregnant, said. “I almost had my child – I was so scared.” This issue was brought to the attention of Deputy Alberto Romero

during the first Work Environment Committee meeting of October. Faculty members voiced their concerns about the delay in response and Romero was there to answer any questions they had. The sheriffs’ on campus need to improve communication within their own station, as well as with administrators, faculty and staff members, who would then relay the information to students. The addition of the new emergency response plan is a good start, but other measures need to be taken to assure the safety of everyone on campus. The location of the sheriff ’s station is part of the problem. The station is located on the outskirts of Weingart Stadium – right by the Husky Statue. The location isolates the rest of the school. Even though the sheriffs, as well as the cadets, patrol the campus - it’s not enough. It’s understandable why the location was chosen, the easy street access that Avalanche Way provides, but is it the best choice? According to the WEC’s agenda, there are talks of moving the sheriff’s station to the bookstore location – once the new building, which will accommodate the bookstore, is

finished. This would provide a greater scope of protection. The former handicap parking lot could be used for squad cars and electric carts. The sheriffs would also have a better path to other parts of the campus. Going up the hill by the women’s gym, they can get to the math lab, using Floral Drive, within five minutes – as opposed to the 10 minutes they needed two months ago. Along with the incident at the math lab, two other incidents were reported within two weeks; one at the Theatre Department and the other inside Weingart Stadium - not to mention the threat that was called in last week. Sheriff’s would have no problem responding to either call in a reasonable time from the bookstore location - Floral Drive and the back entrance to the stadium could be used to respond to the calls. With the addition of the new cadets, sections of the campus could be divided and assigned to them. A faculty or staff member, student worker or a student shouldn’t have to wonder where the sheriffs are when they call them during an emergency – especially when someone who walks fairly fast could beat them to the call.

Staff Writer Credit cards are a big responsibility that most college students are not prepared to take on. It requires management skills and financial stability which most do not have. Credit allows people/students to borrow money and pay later with an interest fee. People could benefit from them; however, some will only end up with huge debt they might not be able to pay off. As soon as students are 18 years old, many banks send offers to open a credit accounts with them. They are then tempted by the misleading messages banks promise and sign up to receive their first credit card. Because they believe they will be able to pay off the credit and control their usage, they sign up to receive credit from other places. However, many are not able to resist the temptation of the money they have available in credit and continue to over-use it, building up huge debt.

There are many reasons to why the students should not have credit cards. The most common is that they are not financially stable. Because they are attending college, they must use the little money for necessary things such as transportation, food, class material and so on. Since they have already spent their money, they are not able to pay the credit cards on time and are then charged a late fee. Another reason why students

are not able to maintain a positive be used in an emergency. Good credit is needed because not credit account is because they do not manage payments dates as all of us have enough money to pay for something that cost a lot in cash. they should. If used properly, credit cards Students must be able to pay on time in order for banks not to could be very beneficial however, they could also carry negative impose their interest fee. With multiple payments due, it is effects. Credit scores depend on how long sometimes difficult to track them all, by not managing them accordingly, the holder has had their accounts active, how many accounts are could lead to a negative account. Good credit is important, it could opened, if the accounts are used help buy the first car, or buy a house properly, if accounts are declared in when we grow older. They can also bankruptcy or placed in collection www.ELACCampusNews.com

NEWS EDITOR Jesus Figueroa FEATURE EDITOR Tadzio Garcia

ARTS EDITOR Sergio Berrueta SPORTS EDITOR Diego Linares PHOTO EDITOR Manny Miguel COPY EDITOR Augustine Ugalde CARTOONISTS Bryan Pedroza Anthony Tran STAFF Carlos Alvarez, Alejandra Carrillo, Dulce Carrillo, JC Casarez, William Hernandez, Yesenia Martinez, Diego Olivares, Laura Parral, Ruben Perez, Ricardo Pimienta, David Rios, Evelyn Sanchez PHOTOGRAPHERS Tadzio Garcia, Danny Vasquez, Jesus Figueroa ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Augustine Ugalde ADVISERS Sylvia Rico-Sanchez Jean Stapleton

Students should manage credit cards better Laura Parral

OPINION EDITOR Luis Vasquez

and late payments. Having bad credit could be bring a person endless headaches. As soon as the due date is missed the bank will charge a late fee. If the account holder continues to miss their payments, the bank will send notices and make agonizing calls. Once that occurs and they are not able to help find a solution, they will send the account holder to a collection. Some methods used by collectors will try to get their money are by withdrawing from bank accounts students may have or by implementing wage garnishment he or she is working in. Having a credit card comes with a lot of responsibilities which must be managed accordingly or it could lead to big consequences. For students who have credit cards there are some ways that bad credit could be avoided. Paying on time by marking the due dates on a calendar and controlling the usage of the cards by not buying useless stuff could help maintain a positive credit account. For students who do not have credit cards it is recommendable to wait until they are able to pay without difficulties.

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 250 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letter s will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303. East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof. PRINTING BY NEWS PUBLISHERS PRESS

Sports

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

Runners set records, advance to postseason Athlete wins first cross country individual title for ELAC Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer The women’s cross counrty team received an at-large bid to the SoCal finals and joins the men’s team in the postseason for the first time since 2005. Laura Aceves won first place in the women’s race. The Huskies should advance to the state final in two weeks. “We compete in the toughest conference in the state,” Coach Louis Ramirez said. SCC rivals Mt. San Antonio, Los Angeles Trade-Technical, and Cerritos Colleges are ranked in the top-six statewide.

The Huskies advanced to the SoCal Championships at Central Park this Friday at 11 a.m Sylvia Mosqueda last won a women’s cross country individual title for the Huskies, in 1986. The Huskies were not yet in the SCC. Aceves won the women’s race by 52 seconds over Evelyn De La Luz of Los Angeles Trade Tech. “I tried to keep up with her, but she was too fast,” runner-up De La Luz said. East Los Angeles College ran short because of injuries. Half of the team recently came off injuries to compete in Long Beach. Ruby Padilla had problems during the race with her previous injury.

“I finished what I started. It was painful but I did it because I was thinking about our team so this would not be the last race of our season,” Padilla said. Padilla and teammate Amy Herrera ran in a pack the entire race. “She was in obvious pain and I couldn’t let my teammate down so we pushed each other,” Padilla said. Annai Jimenez and Sandy Bautista also ran in a pack for the Huskies. With the crowd screaming, the two Husky packs crossed the finish line ahead of four runners from host Long Beach to the dissapointment of the crowd. Bautista edged Padilla who edged

Herrera by 0.01 of a second. Herrera beat Tiffany Pulido of Long Beach by 0.09 of a second. Brianna Lewis edged Destinie Hernandez of Long Beach by four seconds, also adding to ELAC’s upset of Long Beach. Aceves extended her distance from the leading pack with each mile although Nichelle Jackson of Mt. San Antonio College led the first half mile. “I thought I would catch her at the beginning of the second mile, but she came out too fast. I had a strategy to win the race,” Aceves said.

See page 1 for Laura Aceves’s feature story.

Husky carries team to first postseason bid since 2006 Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer Gonzalo Ceja placed sixth and led the Huskies to the postseason for the first time in four years at the South Coast Conference finals in Long Beach last Friday. “We are happy, but we are not satisfied. We will be satisfied when we make state,” Ceja said. Ceja was the first Husky named to the SCC Men’s Top-14 since 2006. Oscar Ogwaro won the individual SCC men’s title in 2006. He also won the state title and SoCal that year. “My goal was to place top 10, but also beat the runners from (LA)

Trade Tech (College),” Ceja said. Ceja and his teammates overheard a LATTC coach taunt ELAC while giving his team a pep talk next to the ELAC team just prior to the men’s four mile race. “I don’t want you guys to be at ELAC’s distance, that’s too far back,” a Trade Tech coach said. Ceja was gliding to a sixth placing finish when he had to sprint unexpectedly. “I saw (Carlos Uriel’s) shadow creeping up with about 50 meters left so I kicked in my sprint. I was not going to lose to him after that speech,” Ceja said. Ceja finished five seconds faster than Uriel. “I told a friend of mine on the

Trade Tech team to go tell his coach I beat his entire team,” Ceja said. The Trade Tech team didn’t run at Ceja’s or teammate Kris Chacon’s pace, ELAC’s top two runners. LATTC however had enough gas to edge ELAC for fourth place. Fifth place however, was good enough for ELAC to continue their season. The Huskies will compete at the SoCal Championships at Central Park, this Friday at noon in Santa Clarita. The Husky faithful included ELAC student Salvador Ascencio who rode his bike from Montebello to Long Beach. “I did it to support the team at the SCC finals. They believed they would make SoCal and they did,”

Ascencio said. Requilme-Colin ran a personal best mile in training last week peaking at the right time of the season. “I kept my speed up at the SCC finals because I focused on a plan and did not push myself, which doesn’t help me run faster,” Requilme-Colin said. Also finishing for the Huskies were Andrew Torres and Rene Flores. “We didn’t do well at SoCal Preview and ran the season injured. Everyone wrote off this team, but we did not,” Coach Ramirez said. “The team ran a smart race. They could move on to state if they do the same at SoCal.”

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SCREAMING BATTLE—Jose Requilme-Colin, left, outsprints Jorge Ayala of Cerritos College at the finish line during the South Coast Conference cross country finals last Friday in Long Beach.

Women’s soccer surrender five goals in home game loss Sergio Berrueta Staff Writer

CN/Jesus Figueroa

Saving grace—East Los Angeles College women’s soccer team forward Gladis Reyes scores a last-second goal against No. 1 ranked Cerritos College but fell 5-1 yesterday at Weingart Stadium.

East Los Angeles College lost against No. 1-ranked Cerritos College 5-1 at Weingart Stadium yesterday. The Huskies dealt with the tough defense and offense of Cerritos and made a goal in the final minute of the contest. ELAC’s next match will be an easier game as they play an El Camino College Compton Center team which has the worst record in the South Coast Conference this Friday at 3 p.m. Husky goalkeeper Briana Aguila was busy with the Cerritos offense, which scored five goals off her.

“The first goal brought us down because it was early in the game,” Aguila said, “We wanted to keep it at a tie or a shutout, but that didn’t happen.” Cerritos’s offense kept the Huskies’ defense on their toes with a formation that caught the team off guard. “We struggled a little bit being on the same league with Cerritos,” Coach Tessa Trogila said, “We focused on being a bit quicker to compete, but that did not translate on the field.” ELAC forward Gladis Reyes did not give up, despite the score, and went on to score ELAC’s only goal in the final minute of the match.

“It brought me up. We are playing one of the best teams in the conference,” Reyes said, “We hustled and hustled and even though we tried, we got it in the last minute. That’s all that matters.” The Huskies struggled against Cerritos with communication problems within the team. “We weren’t communicating enough to keep going and in the end, we have each other’s back,” Reyes said. The Huskies have three games left in the season, but Coach Trogila says they must stay the course. “There is nothing left to change. They knew what they have to do to keep going.”

Football The Huskies football team got shut out in a loss to Chaffey College, which came out with solid quarterback play and won the turnover battle last Saturday. Chaffey, who sits atop the Mountain Conference with the same record as Southwestern College, came away with three interceptions and a fumble recovery as they won 41-0 against ELAC. Chaffey quarterback Dimitri Morales picked apart the Husky defensive backs as he completed 19 of 23 passes for 245 yards and threw four touchdowns to four different receivers. ELAC hosts Compton, who sits at the bottom of the conference, in their homecoming game this Friday at 6 p.m. The tailgating party begins at 4 p.m.

Volleyball

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ANTICIPATION—Christina Burrola, left, waits for an opening before scoring a goal during training while teammate Irene Young tries to block a shot in the ELAC pool last Monday.

Water Polo loses three before season’s end Tadzio Garcia Staff Writer

The ELAC women’s volleyball team lost 3-2 as Cerritos College last Friday. Stephanie Landry scored 15 of the Huskies 50 points against a Cerritos team that now sports a 5-4 conference record. The Huskies host LA Harbor College in the women’s gym, which sits at the bottom of the SCC standings with a 2-11 overall record, today at 6 p.m.

Men’s Soccer The men’s soccer team suffered its sixth defeat in South Coast Conference play as it lost 4-0 to Cerritos yesterday on the road. After a dissapointing season, the Huskies have no chance of advancing to the playoffs. The Huskies haven’t won since last month’s conference openening victory over Long Beach City College at Weingart Stadium. From the 11 games played so far in SCC, ELAC has only won one, tied three, and lost six, giving them a total of six points in the conference. With only three games left in SCC play, and nine points on the line, the Huskies will host Compton this Friday at 6 p.m.

The women’s water polo team lost three matches last week and play in the most important match in 14 years tomorrow. After a 13-year absence from competition, the team has a chance to extend their regular season at the South Coast Conference Championships at Rio Hondo College. East Los Angeles College, 2-14 overall, 1-5 in SCC play and Pasadena City College (0-12, 1-7), the eight and ninth seeds in the conference, meet in a wild card match at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow. The winner is guaranteed three more games in the SCC finals; the

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loser ends their season. The favored Huskies beat Pasadena, 10-9, earlier in the season. “We are excited and ready for them,” Irene Young said. East Los Angeles College lost 13-2 in SCC play at Long Beach City College (11-15, 6-2) last Wednesday. The Huskies lost to Ventura College (15-8-1) by the same score last weekend in the Pasadena Tournament. ELAC also lost to Santa Monica College (3-11) 10-3 in the Pasadena Tournament. Christina Burrola scored two goals off of assists by Kimberly Fierros and Irene Young in the Santa Monica match. Vingfei Zhang also added a goal off of an assist by Burrola. “Christina (Burrola) played

well, stepped up and took charge of the team last week. Veronica Orantes (another team standout) was out injured,” Head Coach Eric Matheson said. The Huskies put up a good fight at Rio Hondo College on Wednesday, Oct. 23 for two quarters but it wasn’t enough in an 11-4 loss. “We came out strong in the first half and felt we could win but did not,” Irene Young said. Young scored two goals for East Los Angeles College, one off of an assist from Orantes. Christina Burrola also scored two goals. ELAC won an 18-15 overtime thriller against Los Angeles Trade Tech College, Oct. 18 in the Citrus Tournament. “It was an exciting game. We poured it on in overtime after ending regulation 14-all,” Young said.

Feature

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

Classic ends in rout William Hernandez Staff Writer

There’s nothing like it, the East LA Classic, Garfield High School vs. Roosevelt High School, which draws 20,000 annually at Weingart Stadium. The lights shine brighter, the music plays louder and the stage is elevated to a certain degree, with fans and alumni from both schools packing the East Los Angeles College stadium. It’s the largest high school football rivalry on the west coast according to ESPN and the oldest in Los Angeles dating, back to 1926. The 79th annual Classic football game, the pre and postgame and halftime festivities brought out the spirit and essence of East Los Angeles. Both sides serenaded in Spanish during the game. Both teams prayed together after the game. “We do this to show we are from the same community,” a Roosevelt official said. Adding to the excitment of the game, the Eastern League title was at stake, aside playing for bragging rights. Garfield entered the game in first place 5-3 overall and 4-0 in league and Roosevelt (7-1, 3-1) was tied for second place with South East High School. Garfield won the showdown 22-6 in large part to their defense coverage of Roosevelt’s quarterback David Arriaga. Garfield iced the win on a 49-yard interception touchdown run by defensive lineman Eri Velazquez in the fourth quarter. Roosevelt averaged 31.4 points per game prior to the Classic. On offense, Garfield relied

CN/TADZio GARCIA

ON THE LOOSE—Jacquan Shaw, left, finds a hole through the Roosevelt defense and carries the football for a first down to the screams of almost 10,000 Garfield fans. heavily on the legs of star running back Ty’Jon Delancy who did not disappoint. Delancy rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Delancy was enthusiastic about the win and his team’s chances of going deep in CIF. “The win feels great, we were playing for a playoff (berth). We will be back here in December (City Finals),” Delancy said. He never lost to Roosevelt in his high school career. “I’m 4-0 against Roosevelt,” Delancy said. Delancy’s speed has propelled Garfield all season. His totals to date include 1,317 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

Garfield’s Delancy walked into the end zone to start the second half. Roosevelt answered with Arriaga scoring a one-yard touchdown run. “Working hard everyday we tried to get them (Garfield) to realize that it’s for the fans and our community,” Garfield’s offensive coordinator Patrick Vargas said. “I think that gave them an extra boost.” With the win, Garfield remains atop the standings in league play, extended their winning streak against Roosevelt to four games and will likely enter the playoffs as Eastern League champions. Roosevelt ends its regular season at Jordan High School this Friday.

Champion: Aceves brings home conference crown Continued from page 1

She attended high school at Bachillerato General at the University of Guadalajara. Aceves works as a waitress, is a full-time student and trains five days a week with the team. She runs on her own almost every day of the week. “When I knew running would be a big part of my future, it changed my perspective on life. I gave up smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol,” Aceves said. “She had foundation when I began coaching her and talent. Initially I wanted her to be comfortable so we began working in the weight room, which was more sports specific,” Aceves’s former running coach and current boyfriend Jose Gonzalez said. After working together as coach and student, they began dating. Both agreed Gonzalez was a serious coach. “Separating being a coach while in a relationship was difficult for us at first. I needed to be tough. It was hard, but we got through it,” Gonzalez said. “When she started ELAC I told her I couldn’t coach her anymore. She needed to follow the instructions of her coaches.” The change to a new coach was an easy one for Aceves . “She listens and improves each week. I only have to give her instructions once and she follows through,” Ramirez said. “The best part of running for me is that it feels natural. I feel alive. When I run I block out everything in life. I am at peace with myself. Now that I compete, I add strategy to each race,” Aceves said. Aceves leaves her personal life at home when running and she leaves her running on the training course when she is in class. “When I eat lunch at the truck I focus on eating with my friends, my teammates. We don’t talk about running-mostly the food we are

eating. My favorite food is torta ahogada. It is a salty Mexican bread with beans, pork, onions and very hot sauce,” Aceves said. Her teammate compared Aceves to her favorite dish, “Salty no, she is sugary and sweet to everyone. Hot yes, she has a six-pack,” teammate Lupe Yanez said. When Aceves trains with the ELAC men and women’s teams in competition trials, she beats everyone except for the men’s top three runners. “She is faster than the rest of both teams, but she still runs together with us in training to help pace and push us. She’s that kind of person, caring for all of us,” teammate Ruby Padilla said. “When we’re running in pain, we will her chant ‘Come on let’s go,’” Omar Alvarenga said. “And she will add that pain is temporary and glory is forever,” Yanez said. “Off the track, we do homework together, especially math, a difficult subject for both of us. We can spend

a lot of time on a math problem and not figure it out. She takes her studies seriously and shows excitement after getting a good grade on a math test,” Yanez said. Both teams screamed their excitement when Aceves received her first-place medal at the SCC Championships. The previous ELAC individual women’s cross-country champion was Sylvia Mosqueda, who won the SCC crown, SoCal and state in 1986. “The SCC win felt good. It wasn’t enough for me to just want to win or think I could win, the only way I was going to help the team and myself was to come up with a plan. You have to run smart when you’re competing. ” Aceves said. “Just as important to me, I wanted the (women’s) team to qualify for SoCal.” Aceves led the women’s team to an at-large berth in the postseason, the SoCal Championships. She has a chance to repeat Mosqueda’s oneyear three-peat.

CN/TADZIO GARCIA

NEARING THE END—Laura Aceves sprints at the finish line at win first place at the SCC finals.

Volleyball player brings balance to team When Mauries was given the role to practice,” Mauries said. of team captain in high school, she Mauries said that the only good said she felt a sense of leadership thing that came out of being benched and confidence and watching her team was East Los Angeles College that made her seeing the volleyball player Eriazmin Mauries want to be a errors that has been involved in sports all her r e s p o n s i b l e were made life. She incorporates what she p e r s o n a n d and coming learns in the court in her daily life. student. F r e s h up with a “One of the best things that solution to volleyball has taught me is to o u t o f h i g h play better never give up. It could be the very s c h o o l , s h e next game. last point that makes the game,” was recruited by ELAC She also Mauries said. said that she Following in her parents and older v o l l e y b a l l is aware that brother’s footsteps, the 18-year- coach, Elliot she still has old born and raised in Lynwood, Walker. “The first a lot more began playing soccer before time he practice and playing volleyball. a long way “Sports are a very big thing in my (Walker) saw to go before family. We are very competitive and me practice, she plays we don’t like to lose,” Mauries said. he told me he professionally Even though her family is a saw a spark in and she will soccer family, she said they were me and knew work hard happy she is taking on another sport. that it would “I knew I always wanted her work for the team he Eriazmin Mauries toward that goal. “If volleyball does to be in a sport. It didn’t matter was putting together,” not work out for me, I also love the what sport and ever since she Mauries said. Walker said that Mauries’ energy idea of teaching kids. I go to my old was little she would tell me ‘Dad sign me up for a sport,’” and fun-loving spirit brings a needed high school and help the coach there her father Alfredo Mauries said. balance that will further help the teach kids. He was also my coach when I went there,” Mauries said. This is Mauries’s first year team. “There is excellent talent in She said that teaching and playing volleyball at ELAC. She t h e c o m m u n i t y watching kids play volleyball began playing this that needs further reminds her of what she is not sport during her freshmen year at “There is excellent development and supposed to do on the court and she Eriazmin (Mauries learns new skills she could apply the San Gabriel talent in the is just one of those during her games. Academy. community that prime examples. Mauries’s high school coach “I had no idea “Because of her Derek Duran was one of her what the rules needs further talent, attitude, biggest inspirations to continue were or how to development a n d e x c e l l e n t playing volleyball. play, but I made and Eriazmin work ethic, the “As a player she was one of the the varsity team on possibilities are leaders. She was the rock of the my very first try(Mauries) is just open,” Walker team. She went to state finals her out and since then one of those prime wide said. sophomore year so she has the I love volleyball,” examples.” A few weeks ago, potential and I’d love to see her Mauries said. Mauries injured play in an upper division team,” Due to her stature Elliot Walker her ankle with a Duran said. of 5 feet 9.5 inches Volleyball team head third-degree sprain Mauries said she would love to coach tall, she was given t h a t m a d e h e r play professional volleyball but the position of miss two games. no matter what, she will never middle/blocker“Missing a game sucks. quit playing. She’s waiting for an hitter, which she still plays today. I’ve never been on the sideline opportunity to get recruited and play After making the team, Mauries learned that never giving watching my own team. I would in the next level, “like division one up is the key ingredient to life. cry at times because I was not able or two,” she said. Alejandra Carrillo Staff Writer

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Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

In the S potl i gh t : VPAM hosts discussion with exhibiting artist Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer Artist Shizu Saldamando will discuss “When You Sleep: A Survey of Shizu Saldamando” on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. at the Vincent Price Art Museum. Saldamando will be available to sign the accompanying catalogue created specifically for this exhibit. The catalogue was crowd-funded through USA Projects with support from more than 100 of Shizu’s family, friends and supporters. VPAM director Karen Rapp, along with other staff of the VPAM, helped in making both the exhibit and book a reality. As an introduction, Rapp will explain the reason behind having Saldamando exhibit her first solo museum exhibit. Writer Raquel Gutiérrez, who has also been a subject of Saldamando’s art, wrote an essay entitled “What is revealed when you sleep,” to better explain the purpose of the exhibit.

COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

PREPARATION—Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, left, teams up with his brother Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, to battle against Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston, and the dark elves after a long devastating battle in their home of Asgard.

‘Thor: The Dark World’ hammers through with action, laughs Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer Space and time can not contain the war that rages between realms in “Thor: The Dark World.” The action is spread out throughout the film, but the story that’s told falls short of making it a fantastic sequel. Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, gets imprisoned after the events of The Avengers as Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, travels the nine realms of the universe. In his travels, he settles the wars that have plague each realm. Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins, commends Thor for his action and pushes him to become king. Thor on the other hand is concerned with keeping an eye on Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, who becomes infected

with dark energy, which the dark elf leader Malekith, played by Christopher Eccleston, needs to plunge the world into darkness. The dark elves are the inhabitants of a realm that had been considered extinct, but Malekith put the remaining dark elves in hibernation for thousands of years until the convergence, the alignment of all nine realms. With the dark energy and the convergence within reach, Thor must put everything on the line to save the universe. The battles continue to increase in difficulty for Thor as he teams up with Loki to battle Malekith and try and save the world. The ending comes with great conflict. It’s satisfying and hard fought and leaves room for a sequel. There are two additional scenes, one at about the middle of the credits and one at the end of the credits. Despite the premise, the story

COURTESY OF ARCADEFIRE.COM

The tragedy Behind the Music—The album cover for Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor” features a statue of mythological character Orpheus, the master musician, and the love he tried to save, Eurydice.

Arcade Fire ignites funk-inspired rock on ‘Reflektor’ Ruben Perez Staff Writer Indie alt-rock group Arcade Fire return to the music scene after a three-year absence with a shimmering new funk, rock sound on the 2-Disc album “Reflektor.” The sextet released their breakthrough album “The Suburbs” back in 2010. The album featured hit singles “Ready to Start,” “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” and “We Used to Wait.” The first disc of “Reflektor” is a frenzied mix of discoteque pop, including lead single “Reflektor.” a funk, rock-infused track that clocks in at a little over seven minutes. The track features guest vocals by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, who co-produced the two-disc set. One of the most memorable tracks on the first disc is “We Exist.” The track features a “Billie Jean”-esque beat that’ll make listeners tap their feet. “Normal Person” takes us back to the rock roots that made Arcade Fire well-known. “You Already Know” takes some bass guitar scales and

builds a shimmering rock song on top of them. Closing off the first half of the two-disc set is “Joan of Arc,” a synth-punk inspired track that pays homage to the historical heroine. The second half opens with “Here Comes The Night Time II,” a quaint haunting track that helps transition into “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice).” The track is anything but awful. There’s a cool relaxing beat and a bit of a Beatles feel to it. Think of it as an homage to the Fab Four’s “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The tracks on both discs showcase the vulnerability of lead singer Win Butler’s vocals, especially on “Afterlife.” The track features Butler dealing with fights, shouting and trying to work it out with his lover. The lyrics make the track sound like a ballad, but it isn’t. There’s a glimmering feel-good beat to it, making listeners feel that he will make things work out in the end. One track that will stand out from the rest not because it’s awful, but because of it’s name, “Porno,” featured on the second half of the album, clocks in at a little over six minutes.

The mid-tempo track tells the story of two lovers trying to understand each other through sex. If the listener listens closely, Butler also sings about how in society women being objectified in society as “sex slaves.” He even calls men “little boys” when they don’t get what they want. The title in itself makes “Porno” interesting, but when paying close attention to the lyrics, it makes it amazing. Despite featuring great tracks, “Reflektor” showcases Greek mythology. One of the featured myths is the story of Orpheus, the master musician whose human flaws kept him from saving his love Eurydice, who is featured in the album artwork. They’re both featured in song titles. “Reflektor” may only be Arcade Fire’s third album, but it’s their best album to date. They took a risk with a new sound and it worked. There are a couple of tracks that play out for a bit too long, but it’s okay because that’s how the album is meant to be. “Reflektor” is now available on iTunes and at local record stores. www.ELACCampusNews.com

does not match up with the action, as the battle scenes are the biggest attraction. Hopkins gives a magnificent performance as the king of the Gods, Odin. His demeanor throughout is passionate and emotional with prestige. The annoyance of Hiddleston as Loki is entertaining and a nice contrast to the overly serious portrayal of Thor by Hemsworth. The contrast between the two makes their interactions enjoyable and funny. “The two characters define each other, and need each other. All acting is about what happens in the space between people,” Hiddleston said. Hiddleston gives a likable arrogance to Loki that helps the audience connect with his character. Hemsworth is fitting to the reprisal of Thor, but seems uptight and stiff.

The story continues to be thrilling, but does contain some brief instances where it tends to slow down. The film contains comedy, which lightens the mood between the actions scenes. “I saw it last week and was really surprised at the amount of humor, because I’m such a miserable bastard. I was completely excluded from any of the joy. My character was completely grounded in vengeance,” Eccleston said. Eccleston plays a vicious villain that feels he is able to take on the Gods of Asgard. “Neither of them ever attempted to take over the universe, just yet,” Hemsworth said. “Thor: The Dark World” is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content. “Thor: The Dark World” opens in theatres Friday.

Special Dia de Los Muertos brings an

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2013

upbeat celebration

Jesus Figueroa Staff Writer Aztec dancers brought cultural dances intended as prayers to the Gods to the Performing and Fine Arts Complex courtyard for the Dia de Los Muertos Festival yesterday. Xipe Totec, Ixtli Yolotl, Domingo Siete, Conjunto Hueyapan and Quetzal brought their talents to the courtyard for the entire community to see. The event brought a colorful traditional dance to ELAC. Accompanying the performances were several vendors who sold food, drinks, shirts and other apparel. The celebrations for Dia De Los Muertos were held throughout East L.A. including the 40th annual Dia De Los Muertos at Self Help Graphics in Boyle Heights and the 8th annual Dia De Los Muertos at Mariachi Plaza.

Dancing dead—Ashley Hernandez dances in full skeleton wardrobe and face paint around the performing arts courtyard with Xipe Tote.

CN/Danny Vasquez

CN/MannY Miguel

SWeet—Sugar skull candies were sold at the 40th annual Dia De Los Muertos celebration at Self Help Graphics in Boyle Heights.

CN/Danny Vasquez CN/ManNY Miguel

feeling the music—Xipe Totec dancer Mayra Martinez twirls in circles while dancing a traditional

Aztec dance in the Performing and Fine Arts Complex courtyard for the Dia de los Muertos Festival

Rock on—Bassist Ruby Rosas of the Bongoloidz played last Saturday at the 8th annual Dia de yesterday.

los Muertos at Mariachi Plaza.