Volume 72, Issue 4
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NEWS
Men’s soccer misses chance to score first conference victory
Artists discussion panel takes trip through ELAC history
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Wednesday, October 8, 2014
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STAND UP Women’s center brings attention to domestic violence BY ivan cazares
Huskies cross finishline in sixth place BY tadzio garcia
Staff Writer The East Los Angeles Women’s Center promoted domestic violence awareness with special speakers and performances during “Mujeres de Paz - 17th Annual Candlelight March and Vigil.” Approximately 100 participants marched down Avenida Cesar Chavez on Thursday. They marched from Mednik Avenue, holding signs and chanting “No more violence!” At the front of the crowd were members of the ELAC football team who were encouraged to support the ELAWC by their coach. The march ended at the center of ELAC’s Performing and Fine Arts Complex. The ELAWC’s Executive Director Barbara Kappos started the vigil with a moment of silence for those affected by domestic violence. Kappos thanked those who participated and gave a special thanks to ELAC’s Feminist Majority Club for its participation. “Every nine seconds a woman is assaulted in the U.S.,” Kappos said. Athletic Director Al Cone was one of several ELAC faculty members to discuss this issue. “Three women a day lose their lives due to domestic violence,” Cone said. “Domestic violence isn’t a women’s issue, it’s a human rights issue.” “Domestic violence is the most underreported crime,” Cone said. He encouraged domestic violence victims to speak up and “break the silence.” Cone used the recent Ray Rice incident, in which the football player was caught on video knocking his wife out cold in an elevator. It’s an incident that’s hard to miss due to the extensive media coverage it’s receiving, and demonstrates that domestic violence knows no bounds. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or economic situation, Cone said. ELAC Vice President of Student Services Oscar Valeriano thanked the women’s center for its years of service. Detective Mossis Castillo of the Los Angeles Police Department also spoke and encouraged the crowd to expose violence. Musician Alejandra Leyva performed her song “Mujer Trabajadora (Hard Working Woman)” which is about the adversities women face. She followed through with her performance even though there were technical difficulties. Members of the community stood up to share their testimonies after her performance. Among the speakers were some teens struggling with domestic violence and a woman whose sister was murdered by her husband. East Side Spirit and Pride club adviser Dennis Sanchez talked about his niece Janay Estica who was recently murdered by her boyfriend. Flowers where distributed toward the end of the vigil and left at an altar. The Aztec performance group Xochipili ended the vigil by leading participants in “la danza de amistad” (friendship dance). Xochipili’s drummers played while participants held hands and went around in circles. ELAWC can trace its origins back to The East Los Angeles Rape and Battery Hotline, which was established Feb. 13, 1976. Victims of domestic violence can receive help from the ELAWC by calling (323) 526-5819. On Oct. 25 a march will be held in honor of Estica. Participants will meet at ELAC’s stadium at 9 a.m.
See photo essay on page 4
CN/julianne obregon
Staff Writer The cross-country teams competed without their top runners, mostly due to injuries, and settled for sixth place finishes at the Foothill Invitational Friday in San Bernardino. San Bernardino Valley College won the men’s team title while Cuyamaca College won the women’s championship. East Los Angeles College returns to action Friday at 3 p.m. at the Santa Barbara City College Invitational at Leadbetter Beach/ Shoreline Park. ELAC sophomore Cristian Flores placed sixth in San Bernardino in the men’s fourmile race and was named to his first ever men’s all-tournament top-10 team. Freshman Robert Freeman of Santiago College won the men’s race, with a time 48 seconds faster than Flores. The women’s team, which ran without defending individual state cross country champion sophomore Laura Aceves, placed sixth. “We gave Laura the day off to rest after training her so hard this week,” ELAC Head Coach Louis Ramirez said. Without Aceves, ELAC, the 13th-ranked women’s team in the state, could not avoid upsets from unranked Cuyamaca, Pasadena City, Santiago Canyon and Fullerton colleges in the 5-kilometer race.
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ELAC club fundraises to bring new scholarships BY marcus camacho Staff Writer The East Los Angeles College Students for Political Awareness club (ESPA) has a new scholarship that will benefit students. The Geeta Chowdhry Scholarship is named after a professor who died in January at the age of 56. The scholarship was named after Chowdhry because she was the adviser of Political Science Professor Natalina Monteiro. Chowdhry was a professor at Northern Arizona
News Briefs
University. The scholarship will have two winners determined by Monteiro. Each scholarship is worth $500 and covered by money the club earns through fundraisers. The scholarships are available to all students that are enrolled at ELAC. Monteiro will decide who wins the scholarship based on who contributed to ESPA the most. Monteiro will keep track of students who volunteer to help fundraise and attend meetings or any other events held by the club.
The Geeta Chowdhry Scholarship will be disbursed during the spring semester. This scholarship is meant for all students, not just political science majors. Students are also not required to be a political science major to join the club. The club’s purpose is to unite students and increase awareness regarding social and political matters throughout the campus. Its goal is to influence educational policies and give students the power to voice their opinion.
The club’s mission consists of improving ELAC and the community through civic engagement and promoting stable access to a higher education. “We hope that the scholarship will entice current members as well as bring in new faces that have never heard of the club,” ESPA Communication Director Christopher Cruz said. The idea of offering a scholarship to members was brought to the club’s attention by an ESPA member. The advisers are working to make the scholarship available annually
during the spring. There is no paperwork involved in order to enter the scholarship. The students who win have to be active members of the club. For a student to be considered “active,” they must be involved in one of the committees within the club. The winner of the first scholarship is the student who is most active, and club cabinet members will not qualify for this scholarship. It is possible that the winners of the scholarship may not be a cabinet member.
South Gate construction
First Friday Jazz Series
The South Gate campus will undergo construction beginning tomorrow at 10 p.m. for the next 25 days to bring the building up to code.
ELAC’s “First Friday Jazz Series” has been rescheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. The Isais Elpes Group will be performing at the S2 Recital Hall. Tickets are available at the ELAC Music Office S2 107M or call (323) 265-8894.
The second scholarship is based on the same requirements as the first scholarship, but any student with active participation is allowed for this, including the cabinet members. The club has existed at ELAC for a few years. The club was started by Monteiro and some of her students. ESPA members welcome anyone to join. The advisers make it clear to the members that they want students that hold political views from all sides of the political spectrum. The club meets every Thursday in the F-7 building in room 217.
Disability Awareness Month The Disabled Student Program and Services will be spreading awareness about different disabilities throughout October. This week brings attention to learning disabilities. Informational fliers will be posted around campus about each disability.