NEWS
FEATURES
ARTS
Conference held to point out the importance of fatherhood
Five international students attend ELAC to play soccer
Students display talents at recital
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Volume 73, Issue 6
Club invites students to participate in health fair BY JACQUELYN V. GONZALEZ Staff Writer The Kinesiology Club will host a health fair Oct. 27 that will focus on suicide. This event is being held in response to the two deaths that occurred on campus over the past few weeks. According to Vice President of the Kinesiology Club Ryan Astengo, the fair will feature speakers from the Health Center and the Veterans Center along with East Los Angeles College clubs such as ELAC Students for Political Awareness, National Alliance on Mental Illness and The Association of Future Firefighters. Resources and information regarding mental health programs offered both on and off campus will also be available at the information table. “The purpose of this fair is to bring a sense of unity to not only students, but to the entire Husky family,” Astengo said. Astengo, along with others in ELAC’s health department, believe that students are not made aware of the mental health resources they have available on campus. “Both our Men’s and Women’s Centers, as well as our Health Center need more exposure. Our counseling and psychology departments need to be put out there,” Astengo said. The Kinesiology Club’s goal is to make certain that the community and students are aware that there’s always somewhere they can go, no matter what their situation is. There are suicide prevention crisis lines available to people in various aspects of life. For example, among these crisis lines is The Trevor Project which is available to LGBTQ Youth and can be contacted 24/7 at (866) 4887386. Other suicide prevention crisis lines are the Veteran’s Crisis Line, which is available to U.S Vets and can be reached at 1-800-273-8255 and the Trans Lifeline which is available to transgender people nationwide and can be reached at 877-565-8860. Though this fair is hosted by the Kinesiology Club, Astengo would like to remind students that this is not an event targeting kinesiology students. The fair will be held in the Men’s Gym (C1) between noon and 2 p.m. All Elans as well as ELAC clubs are invited and encouraged to participate in the fair and Kinesiology Club meetings that are held Tuesdays at noon, in the same location, Astengo said. Those interested in participating can contact the Kinesiology Department at elackinclub@ gmail.
News Briefs
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Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, October 21 , 2015
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genuine about others, always wanted everyone to be happy .... She had such charisma. Everywhere she would go, she would make someone smile.” “She was always really
-Daisy Garcia
Prospective student dies at 18 on campus
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BY MEGAN G. RAZZETTI Staff Writer
elly Virginia Murray, was found at East Los Angeles College’s Parking Structure 4 Oct. 11 at 4 a.m. Although Murray, who lived near campus, was not a current student at ELAC, she planned on majoring in psychology and was registered for the 2016 spring semester. Murray was known to her best friend of 10 years, ELAC student Daisy Garcia, as a person who was full of laughter, love and encouragement. “She was always really genuine about others, always wanted everyone to be happy,” Garcia said. “She had such charisma. Everywhere she would go she would make someone smile.” Her personality embodied that of an old soul from another time and she was interested in old lifestyles, fashion and music. She usually dressed in unique vintage style clothes while maintaining an afro hair style to complete her signature look, Garcia said. “Her style, she (Murray) would tell me, is like an old lady and hippy style,” Garcia said. “She loved dressing vintage and loved the hippy style with bright colors and flowers.” Murray was known to find her outfits at thrift stores and even knew how to sew. Along with vintage fashion, Murray enjoyed drawing and also did some modeling for a time. Murray and Garcia met each other in 2006 when they were in catechism class at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. NELLY VIRGINIA “Nelly was in third grade and I was in fourth and she really wanted to be my friend,” Garcia said. “Our older sisters were friends, so they introduced us and ever since me and Nelly created an irreplaceable friendship.” It was also during this time that the girls gave each other nicknames. Garcia was named “Flower” and Murray “Rapper” because of her hairstyle. Garcia also shared the girls’ first high school dance together when Garcia asked Murray to her high school homecoming dance. “It was the first dance we both went to and I was the first person to ever take her to a dance,” Garcia said. “We had a perfect night.” At this time there are no set funeral plans, but a donation site has been set up at gofundme.com/r76e5vmk to help Murray’s family cover expenses. Born March 18, 1997, Murray is survived by her parents Ken and Ena and three older sisters: Elizabeth, Donnette and Ena Marie.
Community resource fair S.A.A.V.E. is having a community resource fair today from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the D3 walkway for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For more information call (323) 265-8654.
MURRAY
Sexual health A group discussion about sexual health provided by ELAC is going to be in the S2 Recital Hall today from 5-7 p.m. For more information contact Ryan Hernandez at LCTAELAC@gmail.com.
Funds raised to support Syrian refugees BY ELIZABETH TOY Staff Writer The English as a Second Language (ESL) Club and English Department hosted a fundraiser for Syrian refugees Saturday at the Belvedere Park picnic area. The event had more than 150 guests to enjoy food, games and raffles in order to raise awareness for Syrian refugees of the ongoing civil war and made more than $4,000. Assistant professor and ESL adviser, Khetam Dahi is from Syria and took a significant role in organizing the fundraiser. “I wanted to do a fundraiser but I was kind of afraid,” Dahi said. Initially apprehensive, Dahi said, “I feel like a lot of people don’t have the money to give and I didn’t want to overburden them. Also, being the only Syrian, I felt I would be begging.” Both Dahi and her husband, Ayham, have family members who are still in Syria. “Some of them made it and some of them, we don’t know,” said Ayham. “My immediate family, so far, (is) staying (there), but they are looking for a way out because they know there’s no future. It’s not safe and the situation is getting worse by the day.” Despite her initial doubts, Dahi was surprised to find donations for the Syrian refugees in her inbox the next morning. The response was so positive that she had already collected $1,400 even before the fundraising event. “Our fundraiser was also an effort to inform our students about this dreadful crisis. We wanted our students to be caring world citizens, and to enlighten them to the plight of the Syrian people. The fact that we raised over $4,000 at the fundraiser is living proof of how caring and compassionate our ELAC community is,” English Department Chairperson James Kenny said. Attendees competed in potato sack races, volleyball and badminton games before participating in the raffle. Among them were ELAC faculty, professors, ESL Club members and students. “Miss Dahi mentioned in the classroom about what happened in the news about a lot of people dying every single day because they are trying to escape from Syria,” Vice President of the ESL Club and student Joanuen Llamas said. Maxim Atalla and Benny Guardado of Los Domingos Mexican Restaurant generously catered the event, donating tacos, chips, salsa, rice and beans for lunch. All proceeds from the fundraiser will be given to the World Food Program, a U.N. Organization that will deliver food to those affected by the conflict. To make a donation online to help the Syrian Refugees, go to wfp.org.
Halloween Parade
The Child Development Center is planning to have a Halloween Parade Oct. 29. Departments interested in participating need to contact Deborah Glickman by Friday at glickmd@elac.edu.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
Revisions needed for gun laws CAMPUS
VOICE
Does the Government need to do a better job of controlling who owns guns, or the amount/types of guns people can own? “Both. If our police officers have guns, people are going to have guns. It’s an endless cycle of gun abuse.” are done using illegally acquired firearms. The issue is that there is a Staff Writer lot of crime in the U.S. and a lot of A large number of people support individuals with mental disorders. stricter gun-control and stricter laws Popular culture puts emphasis do need to be implemented, but they on success based on materialistic must emphasize screenings that acquisitions. This puts strain on include mental health evaluations young adults. Those who aren’t successful before a person can purchase a gun. The subject is being politicized, are prone to developing mental receiving a lot of media attention disorders such as depression and are and isn’t going away anytime more likely to lash out against those soon. Supporters of the Second around them. Veterans who suffer Amendment need to recognize from post traumatic stress syndrome are also prone to that violent crimes violence. Veterans are an issue that should have better should be addressed. The majority of access to medical They should work with gun-control mass shootings and psychological care. advocates to come were with New laws should up with reasonable legally acquired focus on keeping laws. guns away from Regulating who firearms, criminals and can and cannot however, the people with mental purchase a gun is disorders, but difficult. Medical majority of current laws need to professionals would crimes are be enforced before have to be trained to done using any progress is provide evaluations and it could make illegally acquired made. Laws should also be stricter on it easy for some to gun retailers and discriminate against manufacturers. minority groups. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, During the primary Democratic and Republican debates candidates Firearms and Explosives found that weighed in on the subject. Hilary over 62,000 firearms were missing Clinton said Senator Bernie Sanders from licensees’ inventories without isn’t hard enough on gun control. sales records, between 2008 and He supports background checks and 2010. It was found that approximately health evaluations. Republican Jeb Bush supports instant background 16,000 firearms went missing from manufactures’ inventories between checks. Republicans such as Donald 2009 and the middle of 2011. Approximately 40 percent of Trump accuse Democrats of wanting firearms in the U.S. are bought to ban all guns. That isn’t true and wouldn’t solve through unlicensed sellers who are violent crime. The country needs not required to conduct background to address deeply rooted social checks. Fewer guns in a country doesn’t issues like depression and violent mean less homicides. Switzerland behavior. The majority of mass shootings has more guns per person than the were with legally acquired firearms, United Kingdom and less homicides however, the majority of crimes per year.
BY IVAN CAZARES
The U.K. has some of the strictest gun control laws in the world. Mexico is ranked 42 in guns per person and number one in homicides. The United States is ranked number one in guns per person according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes. It is ranked number four in homicides. The laws of other countries won’t work in the U.S. but they can provide a good example. Both the U.K. and Australia require gun owners to be evaluated every year to renew their gun license. This could help keep guns away from people with violent tendencies. Drug and alcohol abuse are taken into consideration when someone is evaluated in both countries. Guns are a viable option for home defense. A shotgun can shoot lethal and non-lethal rounds. A handgun owned by a responsible citizen can help him or her defend a home from a violent invasion. A rifle is a viable home defense option and can be used for hunting. A handgun can be easily concealed and a skilled sniper can hit a target at over 300 yards using a rifle. Both are dangerous in the hands of the wrong person. Self defense is not considered a viable reason to own a firearm in the U.K. or Australia. A person must use a weapon for hunting or be part of a police force to own in gun in both countries. California strictly regulates the sale of what it calls assault weapons and limits what kind of magazines can be sold, manufactured or imported into the state. A magazine that can carry more than 11 rounds is considered a high capacity magazine in California. Using already established laws as guidelines for new national gun laws in the U.S. is the best way to come to a consensus on the matter of gun control.
MELANIE DRANA
Staff Writer Sexual education is fundamental for women. Being knowledgeable in the subject can reduce chances of an unplanned pregnancy and increase overall health. Wo m e n a r e o f t e n l e f t i n the dark when it comes to sexual education and some women are not taught the dangers of unprotected sex. East Los Angeles College has a health center in G8 room 111. It provides some services such as family planning, a program which provides birth control, but it has limited resources. At times they don’t even have condoms to give students. It is time to find outside sources for information and services. AltaMed is the perfect place to go to for health care services such as birth control methods. Ana Montoya, a Coordinator for Women’s Health at AltaMed, agrees that being educated on sex is important.
Unwanted pregnancies are “There is birth control pills which one of the problems that arise are 99 percent effective,” Montoya from not being taught about said sex. Birth control pills are a form Unwanted pregnancies create of contraceptive in which the barriers in a woman takes a pill woman’s path to a once a day around higher education. the same time in The best part is After an order to reduce her that all of these u n w a n t e d chances of getting pregnancy, if the services are free of pregnant . couple decides to If consistently charge at AltaMed taking keep the child, “it a pill at the b e c o m e s m u c h and can be provided same time each day harder to go to is too much work, for anyone under school,” Montoya there are other age without their said. methods. M o n t o y a parents’ permission. There is the said that she Nexplanon has had cases method, in which a in which young tiny tube is inserted women are into the upper arm. impregnated and The small tube as a result have to releases hormones stop attending school. Luckily, there into the body that reduce the chance are services available for women of pregnancy. This form of birth and men when it comes to practicing control is effective for three years. safe sex. “If a woman changes their AltaMed offers a variety of mind, they can have it removed,” methods that decrease the risk Montoya said. The procedure takes of pregnancy. about ten minutes.
MANAGING EDITOR Jade Inglada ONLINE EDITORS Diego Olivares Megan G. Razzetti ART DIRECTORS Jade Inglada Danny Vasquez FRONT EDITOR Julianne Obregon NEWS EDITORS Rogelio Alvarez Stephanie Guevara Julianne Obregon OPINION EDITOR Bryce Ronquillo FEATURES EDITOR Stephanie Guevara
ARTS EDITOR Ivan Cazares SPORTS EDITORS Rogelio Alvarez Daniel Gudino
“Both. If someone has a history, they shouldn’t have a gun. Also, someone shouldn’t have too many guns.”
PHOTO EDITORS Nina Chin Cassandra Isidoro COPY EDITORS Ivan Cazares Jade Inglada Joshua Inglada Elizabeth Toy CARTOONIST Kristen Garcia
JORGE AVILA
“To be honest, I think they are doing a good job with guns. I don’t feel like a lot of people are being hurt.” JOHATHAN VILLAREAL
STAFF WRITERS Guadalupe Barriga, Delia Diaz, Kristen Garcia, Stephanie Garibay, Jacquelyn Gonzalez, Cesar Gutierrez, Cuauhtemoc Hernandez, Diego Linares, Javier Lopez, Diego Olivares STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Nina Chin, Samantha Diaz, Joshua Inglada, M. Cassandra Isidoro, Julianne Obregon ADVERTISING Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Ivan Cazares ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez
“Who owns guns, because the guns don’t do the killings. The people do. ” RAQUEL MENDEZ
Little education on dangers of unprotected sex BY JAVIER LOPEZ
EDITOR IN CHIEF Marcus Camacho
There are also injections available, which have to be taken every three months. All of these methods are 99 percent effective. The best part is that all of these services are free of charge at AltaMed and can be provided for anyone under age without their parents’ permission. Men can also be a part of reducing a woman’s chance o f p r e g n a n c y. T h e r e a r e contraceptives offered for men. AltaMed offers free condoms for men, which are 98 percent effective when they are used properly. They also protect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases. These services can benefit any student at ELAC who needs contraceptives, but cannot afford to pay for them. In case of a pregnancy, students can also go to AltaMed for help, free of charge. Students are often afraid or embarrassed to ask for these services. There are some who do not even know that these
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services are available to them. At AltaMed they make sure that they are always inclusive and kind so that no one feels threatened. “I make them feel comfortable and give them my support,” Montoya said. AltaMed also keeps everything about their patients confidential. All of these resources are available to the public. Montoya said that the services that are provided by AltaMed are free for everyone “as long as you are at risk of getting pregnant.” AltaMed also has advisers on certain days to teach anyone who wants to learn about sex. The days vary depending on the location of the facility. To find your local AltaMed, you can go to AltaMed.com There are an abundant amount of services that are readily available, which help make sex safer. All it takes is becoming educated on the matter and AltaMed is just one of the places to go to learn.
Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the proper ty 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. A n o ny m o u s l e t te r s w i l l n o t be printed. Writer s 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, of fered 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
News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
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‘Con Los Padres’ demonstrates gratitude to fathers BY STEPHANIE GARIBAY Staff Writer
East Los Angeles College along with the Tree of Wellness and the Boys and Girls Club held a Fatherhood and Family Conference on Saturday to acknowledge the hard work of fathers and fatherfigures. The conference welcomed back a program called Con Los Padres. CLP was a 16-week-course that taught teen fathers how to become better dads and the importance of being involved in their child’s life. The program originally started in 1995, but due to lack of funding, it couldn’t continue with its initial goal. “When September 11 happened in 2001, we lost a lot of our funding because a lot of that money was going to national security. Which is understandable, but you have to take care of your people too,” former CLP coordinator Bobby Lee Verdugo said. Although the program was at a halt from 2001 until now, the mentors still went out to help the community, not only focusing on teen fathers but teen mothers and pregnancy prevention. “We would go to hospitals and work with the dads there and while we would do that a lot of the nurses would tell us‘,Well can you work with the moms as well,’ so we did,” Verdugo said. Keynote speakers included Verdugo, Ricardo Lopez, who was one of the mentors for CLP, and Jerry Tello, a nationally recognized expert on fatherhood and family strengthening and one of the founders of CLP. “A lot of the young dads I worked with at the time would ask me',how are you going to help me? You're not a dad' and I thought yeah that’s
CN/JULIANNE OBREGON
LOOKING BACK—Co-founder of Con Los Padres Jerry Tello gets emotional when discussing his father who died when he
was 13 at the Fatherhood and Family Conference on Sat. at the S2 Recital Hall. Tello shares that it wasn’t until his father died that he realized how much he appreciated him. true, so I said to them 'I will lead by example,' and it worked. I built great relationships with them," Lopez said. Lopez, Tello and Verdugo are now working in conjunction with ELAC to help bring back the courses for young fathers and have some of the classes held at ELAC. Since a lot of programs were offered to help teen mothers, Verdugo, Lopez and Tello wanted to shift the focus and shine light
on the fathers who wanted to be involved in their child’s life. “It’s important for little girls to have their mom to teach them how to be a woman, but it’s also important for boys to have their father to teach them how to be a man,” Verdugo said. In the 16-week course, the young fathers would gather around in a circle and would share their stories and what they wanted to get out of the course.
“Some of the dads would be too shy to say their story. But one day a father named Angel joined the program and shared his story. He said‘,my name is Angel, I’m 16-years-old and I have a 4-year old daughter. I became a father at the age of 12. Since I can’t provide for my daughter financially, I have been cut off from her life completely and I’ve only been able to hold her twice in her life. I just need help, I want to be back in her life.’ After
Angel said his story all the dads felt more comfortable to share theirs,” Verdugo said. The program helped Angel try to gain custody of his daughter back, but every plan failed since Angel was not able to provide child support. Since the program was only 16 weeks long, Angel lost contact with the mentors and it was never known whether he gained any rights to his daughter. “The last I heard he was trying
to get in contact with me, so I hope that means he gained some type of custody,” Verdugo said. When Lopez started mentoring the young dads, he was not yet a father himself, but in teaching them he learned valuable lessons. “It’s funny how the tables turned and when I became a father 10 years later. I would call them and say ‘,My son is crying, what do I do?',” Lopez said. Although Tello was not a teen dad, he lost his father at the age of 13 and understood the importance of a father figure in a child’s life. “I learned so much of how to be a man from my dad,” Tello said. Tello’s father raised his children with tough love, which in turn taught Tello to use an opposite approach and teach young fathers that love and respect is something vital in treating their children. “I never understood the lessons my dad taught me until he passed away. In working with the young dads in a way, it brought back mine,” Tello said. Tello showed a video of the program in 1995, and the young fathers involved. One of the fathers shown in the video was Richard Pacheco. Pacheco spoke about how important it was for him to be involved in his son's life and the stereotypes that came with being a single dad. "I remember taking my son to the mall one day and he was in a stroller. We walked into the store and one of the employees said to me',Oh, how cute, you're babysitting your son, and I said I'm sorry to break your stereotype, but I actually have full custody of my son. His mother is not involved in his life.’ It frustrated me," Pacheco said. "I think without the program everything would have been a lot more difficult for me. The program helped me out a lot," Pacheco said.
Child Development Center announces vacancy for children programs BY DELIA DIAZ Staff Writer The Child Development Center has immediate openings for their Pre Kindergarten, Transitional/ Kindergarten Day Program at East Los Angeles College for the 20152016 school year. The program is open to students enrolled at any of the schools in the Los Angeles Community College District, faculty and staff and the community. The convenience of having an early learning program on campus is ideal for any student with young children. Children will be taught basic learning skills in the safe hands of excellent teachers and professional staff. The program also provides
nutritional meals and snacks for the children. The convenience of this makes it easier for any student with a busy schedule to find time to prepare daily meals. The program requires that anyone interested in enrolling their child in the program fill out an application available at the Child Development Center. This application, once turned in completely filled out, will then be processed to determine if the child is eligible to be a part of the day program. There is priority enrollment for children of protective services, students of the Los Angeles Community College District, faculty and staff, then the community. The program requires the child to be between the ages of three and five during the 2015-2016 school year
and must be 3-years-old by Sept 1 of this year. The child must not be enrolled in another program during the day program hours. Its also recommended that the child is fully toilet-trained by time of enrollment. Documents required to enroll include verification of total household income, utility bill for proof of physical address, child’s birth certificate and parent’s official class print-out during the semester the child will be enrolled in the day program. Students must be enrolled in ELAC courses to be able to participant in the program. The program is also available for families with the CalWORKS program. Financial Assistance is available for students that are eligible.
The fee rates are one to two dollars per hour for students and three to five dollars for non-students. During the fall 2015, winter 2016 and spring 2016 semesters, the day program sessions open to three to five-year old children begin at 7:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and 7:45 a.m.-noon on Fridays. Morning sessions are open to four to five-year-old children are from 7:45 a.m.-noon Mondays through Fridays. Afternoon sessions are from 7:45 a.m.- 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information about the program, contact the Child Development Center, open from 7:45 a.m.-4 p.m. at (323) 2658788 Monday through Friday. The department is located in the A-1 building.
Child Development Center Fall 2015 - Spring 2016
Day program sessions Monday - Thursday: 7:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday: 7:45 a.m.-noon Children three to five-years-old. Morning program sessions Monday - Friday: 7:45 a.m.-noon Children four to five-years-old. Afternoon program sessions Monday - Friday: 7:45 a.m.- 4 p.m. Children four to five-years-old.
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CN/JOSHUA INGLADA
SHAKE AND QUAKE—Students underneath their desks receive instructions from an aide during the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill in Patricia Combes-Brighton’s architecture 161 class in E7-117 on Thursday, Oct. 15
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Feature
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
ELAC welcomes South American talent BY GUADALUPE BARRIGA Staff Writer The East Los Angeles men’s soccer team acquired five international students from Brazil, Colombia and Argentina for the 2015 season. The five players are Federico Mundo, Lucas Mota Silveira, Alvaro Torres, Iago Alves and Jordan Elias. They received the help of Exchange Company and Campsa to continue their education in the U.S. These companies gave them the opportunity to obtain a student visa for four years, which gives them the right to stay in the U.S. as long as they go to school. The players’ dream to study in Los Angeles started at home. They played in different local soccer tournaments in their neighborhoods where Exchange Company and Campsa selected them. Through these companies, they met Coach Eddie Flores and Ricardo Raygoza. All five players left their families and country behind to pursue their dream of living in Los Angeles. When they arrived to they moved to an apartment where each one was a stranger to the another. Although they didn’t know each other, they have since become close friends, roommates and teammates over time. Mundo, 26, is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He decided to take the scholarship Campsa gave him to study in East Los Angeles College to continue his education. Although soccer is a big part of his life and has given him the opportunity to study in L .A. Mundo hopes to reach his goal of becoming an actor. “I was happy and excited to move to Los Angeles because I want to play soccer and be an actor,” Mundo said. Mundo is currently taking English as a second language to improve in English, along with theater classes. As a future goal, Mundo wants to transfer to a theater school and obtain his U.S. residency.
Silveria is 18 years old and was born in Bahia, Brazil. He came to Los Angeles right after he graduated from high school leaving behind his parents and little brother. Silveira plays as a midfielder in the soccer team. Silveria feels proud to be part of ELAC’s soccer team and lucky to have the opportunity to pursue his dreams. He felt happy when he was told he was selected by Exchange Company. “I’ve always wanted to live in Los Angeles. It has been my dream,” Silveria said. Since Portuguese is his first language, he finds it difficult to communicate with others. His teammates, however, have given him great support in his goal to be fluent in English. Silveria gets his inspiration in soccer from professional Brazilian soccer players Neymar Da Silva and Philippe Coutinho. Silveria’s lifetime goal is to become a professional soccer player, but before becoming professional, he would like to play in Division I soccer. Torres found his passion for soccer in Colombia. Torres, 18, was born in Cali, Colombia. Although he had the opportunity to play in Las Vegas, Torres decided to continue his dream in Los Angeles. Torres has traveled to different states such as Ohio and New York to play soccer. However , he prefered to stay in L.A. and play at ELAC. At a young age, Torres realized his hometown wasn’t going to give him the opportunity to demonstrate his skills. “In Colombia you are not able to play soccer and study at the same time. You either go to school or become a professional soccer player,” Torres said. Torres finds himself lucky to be able to play soccer and study. He’s happy to be part of ELAC’s soccer team and will continue to work hard to play in a professional team like Barcelona. Alves, 21, born in Bahia, Brazil, was also chosen by Exchange Company. In Brazil, Alves was studying for engineering and business, but
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
FIVE AMIGOS—ELAC’s South American soccer players Jordan Elias (left), Federico Mundo, Alvaro Torres, Lucas Mota Silveria and Iago Alves at the Weingart Stadium after the soccer team’s 1-1 draw with El Camino Compton College.
left everything behind to come to the U.S. Alves didn’t want to lose the opportunity to play for ELAC’s soccer team or study in L.A. He has found more freedom in L.A. than in Brazil. “Here, I can go out and express myself,” Alves said. Unlike his teammates, he prefers to go back to Brazil and work in business. As for now, he is training and wants to take the team to finals and be the best college soccer team. Elias, 22, was born in Parana, Argentina. Elias has a great passion for soccer, too, which brought him to the U.S. He plays defender in the team and has given the team the wins in the past games. Elias received his bachelor’s degree in journalism in Argentina. He is considering furthering his education and returning to Argentina, but he is unsure because many things can happen within the two years he will be here. All five players live together,
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Staff Writer
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Saturday, October 17, 2015 Pasadena Convention Center - Hall A & B Open to the General Public 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Register on-site - A valid college ID and a current resume are required for admission.
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JOGO BONITO—Brazilian international Lucas Mota Silveria controls the ball with his chest during the soccer team’s practice at the Weingart Stadium.
Her goal is not only to increase the enrollments, but to get students to attend four-year universities. Flores wants students Joanna Flores, a political science to be motivated and have the support professor and an active member in that they deserve to excel in the the City of Commerce, is running future. One way she believes will help for a seat on the Montebello students attend college is to get School Board. Flores has a history of helping more parent involvement. “We her students. Before becoming need more collaborative effort with a professor, she was a former parents,” Flores said. P arents can be a pos itive admissions and financial aid r o l e m o d e l i n t h e i r c h i l d ’s counselor. She graduated from the l i v e s . F l o r e s w a n t s t o U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n develop parent leadership California with a B.A in a c a d e m i c s t o a d v a n c e Political Science and Spanish children’s and parents’ education. Another step she would take Literature. is to provide Flores also more training received her for teachers. master ’s degree Flores wants in Public Policy to have the and Social Work. necessary tools To reach out to and support to her community, n u r t u r e F l o r e s success in the developed classroom. the program Students SEAgoes2college. need the The purpose of best tools the program is to for higher motivate Southeast education. Los Angeles The students’ County residents test scores to pursue a higher h a v e education. been low With many Joanna Flores over the approaches to getting students to reach past years. “We need to go back h i g h e r l e a r n i n g , s h e w a n t s and look at each grade level t o b e t h e e d u c a t o r f o r curriculum and provide additional the school board to help increase support for teachers,” Flores said. She also wants to strengthen educational experiences. T h e M o n t e b e l l o S c h o o l and enhance special education District wants to increasing services. Some important factors in the college enrollment and Flores order to reach this goal are the to contribute to their goal. T h e s c h o o l d i s t r i c t w a n t s referral process and timeline to evaluate students with special more students to attend college. “ M o n t e b e l l o h a s a needs. Flores would also like to budget 94 percent graduation rate and 30 percent college more efficiently for the school. She has always been an enrollment,” Flores said.
BY ALIYAH ALLEN
CAREER & GRADUATE FAIR
Want to experience the entire 27th HENAAC STEM Career Conference from October 15 -17, 2015? Discounts are available for college students residing in LA County. Please visit the GMiS website for more information or contact Roberto Ornelas at (323) 262-0997 or email to rornelas@greatmindsinstem.org.
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
ELAC professor runs for school board
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH
Pasadena Convention Center 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
which hasn’t been easy, but they have managed to get along and be responsible. Coach Raygoza describes the players as great kids. “They have a good vision in what they want to do,” Raygoza said. He works with them every day at school and is in charge of taking care of them in and outside the field. Raygoza knows all five will pursue their dreams and will adapt to L.A.’s lifestyle. Raygoza describes Mundo as the funny kid that brings the smiles to the team. Elias is a strong man who fights for everything and shows it in the field. Torres is a talented young kid that has adapted faster to the team. Silveria and Alves are the quietest of the group and had a harder time adapting. They have struggled because of the language barrier, but both are working hard to be in the team. “I thought it was a blessing to have something different this year,” Raygoza said.
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active member in the City of Commerce and would like to see c h a n g e s m a d e i n the school district. During the campaign, Flores has been able to connect with her community in a positive way. “I have been an active member in the community and running a campaign has been an exciting process,” Flores said. She has been able to form bonds with different people in the community during her campaign. " The process has been a learning experience," said Flores. Flores also has a strong support team of people whom she helped in the past. Flores wants to give a voice and college opportunities to students. “This has been a humbling process to get to know the parents and students in a more personal way,” Flores said. "Flores created the Seagoes2college program and she was willing to do it without a title and without a paycheck. That is an example of why she should be elected,” Denise Robles said. Robles has known Flores since she served under Robles as a community service commissioner. “She will impact thousands of students by being on the board,” Robles said. Not many people will use their own time to support others. "Flores is a very humble professional woman," Robles said. The election will take place on Nov. 3. Four candidates will be on the ballot for the election. “I will either find out that day who won or it can take up to three weeks,” Flores said. Flores hopes that she won’t have to wait that long for the results. Every hour on the election day ratings will be shown.
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
In the
SPOTLIGHT
Arts
5
Elans perform classical pieces BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA Staff Writer
CN/JACQUELYN GONZALEZ
BREAKING FOURTH WALL— Henrietta Iscariot, played by Priscilla Buelna, breaks fourth wall and expresses her sorrow to the audience.
Judas gets judged BY JACQUELYN GONZALEZ Staff Writer “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” premiered on Friday in the Black Box theatre, bringing forth a roller coaster of emotions from audience members and causing them to re-evaluate their own faith and morals. Wr i t t e n b y p r o f e s s i o n a l playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by East Los Angeles College’s Rodney Lloyd Scott, the play focuses on the character of Judas and what his intentions might have been when he betrayed Christ after his three-year journey by his side. Unable to defend his case, a comatose Judas, played by Mario Valdez, has his mother Henrietta, played by Priscilla Buelna, along with his lawyer Fabiana Aziza Cunningham, played by Marissa L. Ruiz, at his defense. Cunningham, an Irish-Gypsy New-Yorker now residing in Purgatory, is a prideful woman with a broken past who doubts the existence of God. On the opposing end is attorney Yusef El-Fayoumy, played by Joe Robert Mejia. Yusef is at the defense of God and the Kingdom of Heaven and Earth. E l - F a y o u m y, a n E g y p t i a n claiming to know a thing or two about being a lawyer, is an overthe-top flirtatious man who tries to use his charm to manipulate the testimonies of the witnesses.
He temporarily resides in Hell due to the Americanization of the afterlife and a delay in his paper process. The set, completely designed by Theater Arts Department students depicts Purgatory, run by Judge Littlefield, played by Rhys Gillett. After Cunningham’s continual insistence, going as far as to get a writ signed by God, an irritated Judge Littlefield finally agrees to open Judas’ case. The first witness called to the stand truly tugs at the hearts of the audience. A grieving and sorrowful Henrietta Iscariot reflects back to her son’s childhood and the moment she was most proud to be his mother. She insists that her son was not naturally a selfish person, but the many witnesses following strive to prove otherwise. The play evokes various emotions such as empathy, humor, compassion, hope and even shock. Because the setting is in a court room, the audience’s minds, morals and values are challenged. Aside from Henrietta, viewers listen to the testimonies of a diversity of people. The wisdom of Mother Teresa, a Roman-Catholic missionary played by Cristina Carillo-Doño, is challenged by Cunningham. This scene seemed to shock most audience members, because she is considered to be one of the holiest of women by the Catholic community. Evan Garcia does an outstanding
job of playing both Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, and Pontius Pilate, the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judea. While boastful Freud and hottempered Pilate are both against the idea of Judas’ innocence, their personalities and accents differ drastically from one another. Satan’s charming and deceitful nature is also captured perfectly by professional actor Durant Fowler. Throughout the performance, the fourth wall is broken by characters such as St. Monica, played by Barrie Brown, and Gloria, an angel from heaven played by Raeya Young. Both of these characters give the audience insight on ideas that they may otherwise not have considered. Also breaking the fourth wall is Jesus of Nazareth, played by Jesus Betancourt. This scene, possibly the most powerful of all, shows a very strong interaction between Christ and Judas. The scene provokes a rollercoaster of emotions that could only be understood while watching the show, live. Tickets for future performances as well as show times and dates are available on the ELAC website under “Upcoming Events.” The general admission ticket price is $10. A $2 discount is available to ASU students and can be redeemed in room P2-101B. Tickets may also be purchased at the door for $12.
The music recital at the East Los Angeles College revealed students extraordinary musical talent and placed them in the spotlight. This is the first music recital of the fall semester. Students performed several famous musical pieces composed by famous composer such as Mozart. Daniel Lopez preformed “Sonatina Op. 36 no. 3 Spiritoso” by Muzio Clem. According to Lopez, he started to play the piano the age of 18 and has been playing the piano for two years and a half. This was Lopez’s second recital. Lopez performed in this first recital during the previous spring semester. Lopez wants to become a music teacher and hopes to make his own music. Students from ELAC’s choir class also sang opera pieces in Italian. Bahiron Morales sang a famous opera piece composed by Georg Friedrich Handel, “Ombra Mai Fu.” Mihyun Chun accompanied Morales on the piano. Morales comes from a musical family, that inspired him to sing. He says that he started to sing in a church choir as a kid. Morales also says that he used to be part of of an orchestra band in which he played the tuba. He hopes to be a performer and sing in front of many people. Yunting Xie closed the recital with an astonishing piano performance. Xie played “Ballade no.1 in G minor” by Frederic Chopin. Xie’s performance left the audience in awe. The pieces involved many crescendos and diminuendos that intensified the atmosphere of the recital, but also left the audience wanting more. At the end of the performance, the audience gave Xie a standing ovation. Alexander Tu and Michael Coopera performed a piano and violin duet. They performed “Sonatina Op. 100 Allegro Risoluto in G” by Antonin Dvorak. The majority of pieces that the students performed were classical. Students were able to show off their musical abilities and were able to overcome some stage fright. There will be three more recitals for fall semester. The next recital is on Nov. 4.
CN/STEPHANIE GARIBAY
TALENTED DUO—Mihyun Chun on the piano and Bahiron A. Morales performing “Ombra Mai Fu” by Georg Friedrich Handel in Italian, Handel’s native tongue.
Mother, son struggle to escape captivity BY CASSANDRA ISIDORO Staff Writer “Room” is a spectacular drama that tells a story of kidnapping in a breathtaking way. The film, directed by Lenny Abrahamson is based on a novel by Emma Donoghue, introduces real characters and a surprising narrative of a thrilling escape and the aftermath that follows. The movie opens with a scene in a small room with, a bed, a tub and a window skylight, which confines a five-year old boy named Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay. For seven years, Jack’s mother, Ma, played by Brie Larson, evolves emotionally as she struggles to survive. Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with love and by playing games, watching TV and telling him magical stories. In “Room,” Jack and Ma are both confined to a narrow space while a man comes at night to threaten Ma. When they escape, the obstacles faced by Ma and Jack show the devastating long-term effects of violence. The film gives the audience beautiful and fearless scenes to watch the characters develop.
COURTESY OF ELEMENT PICTURES
TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE—Ma, left played by Brie Larson, shares memories of high school years before the kidnapping with Jack, played by Jacob Tremblay. Jack is a naive, innocent boy who always asks questions. His role in the room versus the outside world confuses him.
He narrates his views of the outside world, making a comparison with his life in the room. His curiosity is awe-inspiring.
Ma starts falling apart after they escape their kidnapper, while Jack smoothly transitions into the real world.
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Both characters are multi dimensional. They display strength, hope and effectively portray the effects of
kidnapping on victims. In the film, the news media is challenged to discover the sensational tale of Ma, which unveils striking events of invasion of privacy. “Room” leaves the audience with an intimate understanding of the trauma kidnapping victims endure. Even though Jack appears to be going through the most difficult times of his life, he makes the audience laugh, acting with charm even when performing the most mundane of actions, such as coming down a stairway. This scene of Jack kept the audience captivated and left them wanting more of his amazing display as an innocent child. The film is portrayed cinematically through brilliant use of music that engages the audience. Tr e m b l a y a n d L a r s o n ’s performances make the character sympathetic The lighting and compositional elements of the movie make it an astonishing film to watch. “Room” is a must watch film. It won the 2015 People’s Choice Award. “Room” is now playing in select theaters. It opens nationwide on Nov. 6. It is rated R for disturbing images and violence.
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SPORTS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
Football loses ground in conference play BY DIEGO LINARES Staff Writer
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
MAKING THE RIGHT PASS—Freshman midfielder No.22 Martin Oregal iniates a link-up play with midfielder No.10 Javier Gutierrez and defender No. 4 Francsico Gomez, while Tartar right wing midfielder, Osmar Flores, looks on.
Men’s soccer forces a draw BY STEPHANIE GUEVARA Staff Writer In a game where both teams fought fiercely, the men’s soccer team ended the game with a 1-1 draw against El Camino College Compton Center at Weingart Stadium on Oct. 16. Freshman goalkeeper Brian Paredes suffered a concussion that will leave him on a seven-day rest. Paredes collided with ECC winger Obed Romero. “I get headaches here and there but I feel better now. I’m cleared to play hopefully on Tuesday,” said Paredes. The six yellow cards that were given reflect the intense atmosphere of the game. Four Husky players received a yellow card. It was until the second half where ELAC turned the game around in its favor. ELAC freshman forward Martin
Oregal scored the equalizing goal off sophomore ECC goalkeeper a corner kick. Freshman midfielder Roberto Garcia to slightly touch Hugo Flores provided the assist. the ball out for a corner kick. ECC freshman ELAC and ECC’s forward Francisco performance amused Ramirez opened both head coaches. “I didn’t think the score on the According to ECC Compton was Head Coach Jose 21st minute of the Garcia, ELAC is game to spice up that good of always a difficult team the atmosphere. a team. To be to face at Weingart Right after Compton scored, honest, I thought s t a d i u m b e c a u s e always count on ELAC started to we controlled the they the support of their attack more and game.” audience. complicated the goalkeeper in “It was tough. It is various attempts. always hard to beat As both teams them in their field, EDDIE FLORES fought for a but what I like about ELAC Men’s Head Coach v i c t o r y, E L A C them the most is that freshman forward they bring a lot of crowds,which makes Valentin Mercado complicated the game for ECC the game more alive and that is a big defense, Mercado recorded six shots plus for them,” said Garcia. Flores was surprised with on goal. One of Mercado’s shot forced Compton’s performance and
believes that the goal they scored was due to one minimal error that ELAC made. “I didn’t think Compton was that good of a team. To be honest, I thought we controlled the game. We controlled 90 percent of the game and they were lucky. We had one minimal error and they turned it around,” said Flores. ELAC players believe that within each game, they have increased their attempts at goal. According to Oregal, the team still has to create more opportunities of goal. “We are getting the shots; we just have to put them in. Before we wouldn’t shoot as much, but we now shoot at least 20 times,” said Oregal. ELAC is now 2-2-3 in the season with seven games remaining. Men’s soccer team plays away at Los Angeles Harbor College (3-9-2) on Friday at 6 p.m. in a Southern Coast Conference game.
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East Los Angeles College football lost its third game in a row when facing Southwestern College this past Saturday, 35-21. The Huskies hosted Southwestern, a fellow Mountain Division contender, in Weingart Stadium for their first game back from a twogame road-trip. The Huskies were able to match an opening touchdown by the opposition, but underwent a scoring drought that lasted over eight minutes into the second quarter in which Southwestern scored three touchdowns. The starting quarterbacks for both teams were sidelined in the second quarter, but Southwestern had already done enough damage. ELAC freshman quarterback Brian Marty was pulled after the first play in the second quarter due to consecutive possessions in which he turned the ball over to Southwestern, the last being a pick-six. After a missed field goal by Southwestern sophomore kicker Omar Hernandez, a short pass by Marty intended for ELAC sophomore wideout Iheanyi Obinna was intercepted by sophomore cornerback Dominic Morgan. The defensive back then made quick work of the short field to take it for six. Southwestern freshman quarterback Joe Hudson left the game later, injuring his collarbone on an option play where he kept the ball. According to ELAC Defensive Coordinator Rob Hartenfels, halftime adjustments were made by the coaching staff after Southwestern sophomore quarterback Cody Springsguth entered the game. "That kid that came in, (Springsguth)'s their fourth string guy. That guy can run," Coach Hartenfels said. "We wanted to
make sure we didn't blitz him and let him get away. We had someone spying him." ELAC came into the game with an athlete who had the second most receptions within the Mountain Division in Obinna, but Southwestern made an effort to stop him. "We certainly knew who (Obinna) was. He sticks out like a sore thumb," Southwestern Head Coach Edward Carberry said. According to Coach Carberry, the plan was to have two-way player Malik Kimbrough mirror Obinna wherever he went. Obinna had five receptions, but was held in check as far as yardage on Saturday, gaining 58 compared to the 108.8 he's been averaging this season. With ELAC attempting to contain a dual-threat quarterback, Southwestern still managed to pick up 19 first downs. " We w e r e r e a l l y c l o s e defensively,” ELAC Head Coach Eric Marty said. "We were just a fourth-down stop away a couple times from getting the ball back down seven and having momentum in the third quarter." ELAC once again amassed more than 100 rushing yards when facing a conference opponent in the loss to Southwestern. Freshman running backs Tyrevia Sanchez and Shaquille Shelton contributed 74 rushing yards on a night in which the team totaled 113 on 28 touches. The duo went on to rack up 118 yards from scrimmage, with Sanchez alone accounting for 88. "I thought we ran the ball effectively," said coach Marty. "I think our backs did a good job of making people play in space." ELAC will be back home this Saturday when they host Mountain Division leaders College of the Desert at 6 p.m. COD is currently on a three-game win-streak in conference play.