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“Silence Equals Death” event highlights LGBTQ and POC issues
Former Elans prepare for European tour
Bill Nye’s new Netflix show hits the spot
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Volume 75, Issue 21
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Wednesday, May 3, 2017
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Audit finds unreported funds in UC system BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY IVAN CAZARES AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN ADAMO
Thousands gather for May Day March BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer Thousands of marchers used the annual May Day March as a platform to protest President Donald Trump’s administration on May 1. Demonstrators gathered at MacArthur Park at 11 a.m. and marched about two miles to City Hall in support of workers’ issues, issues of discrimination and immigration issues. Groups chanted, “We don’t want a fascist U.S.A.” Another group chanted in Spanish: “The people united will never be divided.” One group dragged a piñata of Trump through the streets of downtown. Another piñata of the President was paraded around with a sign that read, “All hail the idiot king.”
Drummer's struck their instruments during the two mile march. Musical performances before and after the march included Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello performing “This Land Is Your Land” to a crowd that sang along. Community leaders and elected officials like Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed to demonstrators their support for their causes. “We are the resistance. We’re persistent. Los Angeles is the heart of this movement,” Garcetti said. Garcetti has openly spoken out against the President’s immigration policies ever since Trump took office. He said Los Angeles draws strength from its diversity, and that the city’s immigrant communities are crucial to its economy.
California Senator Kevin De Leon took the stage to inform demonstrators that Congress decided against funding Trump’s suggested Mexico border wall. “Today we are sending a strong and direct message. We are against politics that target immigrants and the most marginalized. We are all immigrants. We all deserve dignity and respect,” Leon said in Spanish. Many called for unity among minority groups. “There is no such thing as a single issue struggle. I rise up because I have community,” Zack Mohamed from the Los Angeles Black Worker Center said. Minority groups present included members of the African American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, Muslim, Asian and Latin American communities. Mohamed, an African American who self-identified as a queer
Muslim, said seeing diversity among demonstrators was inspiring. He encouraged demonstrators to support each other's causes. “When we unite, we have power,” Martha Segura from the Center For Biological Diversity said. Other speakers included members from the Clergy United For Economic Justice. The group has members of several religious groups and supports workers’ movements. One of the main topics of discussion was immigrant rights. Groups advocated for the rights of immigrants from all over the world.
For more on this story, visit elaccampusnews.com
A state audit report released April 25 revealed hidden funds and excessive administrative salaries in the University of California system amid tuition hikes. According to the California State Auditor’s Office report, the University of California administration failed to make known to the public and the Board of Regents that it had $175 million in budget reserve funds. The Office of the President has denied hiding those funds, but has yet to provide evidence to refute the accusations. The audit also found that administrative staff of the Office of the President received salaries that were much higher than state employees who did the same work. Auditors discovered, for example, that the senior vice president of government relations received $130,000 more than each of the top three highest-paid state workers in similar jobs. The Office of the President defended those salaries, stating that employment in the higher education world demanded higher salaries. Although the state audit established that to be true, it was only for certain executive positions and not for administrative staff. In a letter written to Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature by state auditor Elaine Howle, she wrote: “Our report concludes that the Office of the President has amassed substantial reserve funds, used misleading budgeting practices, provided its employees with generous salaries and atypical benefits, and failed to satisfactorily justify its spending on system-wide initiatives.” Howle also wrote that the president’s office purposely
interfered with the audit process when the auditors contacted individual campuses “about the quality and cost of the services and programs the Office of the President provides to them.” Campus survey statements that were critical of the office were changed to be more positive, as were the quality ratings. Auditors suggested to the Board of Regents that they contract an independent third party to help them implement and monitor a corrective three-year plan. The design would focus on accountability and transparency within the Office of the President. In January, the UC presented a proposal to increase tuition by 2.5 percent after a six-year pause. Leaders in the UC system, along with the California State University institutions, told the Los Angeles Times in November that they “were pressed to find more money to preserve the vaunted.” Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom responded to the auditor’s finds and the UC’s tuition increase, saying that “it is outrageous and unjust to force tuition hikes on students while the UC hides secret funds.” Newsom called for a reconsideration and reversal of the tuition hikes by the Board of Regents. President of the UC Student Association Ralph Washington Jr. hopes that the reserve money found goes to helping the student population. He proposed lowering tuition or helping homeless or starving students. Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty, Jose Medina and Al Muratsuchi held a joint hearing yesterday to review the audit finds. The hearing was titled “The University of California Office of the President: It Failed to Disclose Tens of Millions in Surplus Funds, and Its Budget Practices are Misleading.”
Sexual assault survivors share survival stories at Take Back the Night BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer “What didn’t kill me made me stronger,” a survivor of sexual assault said during East Los Angeles College’s Take Back The Night event on April 27 at G3 Foyer. “What we are seeing is that talking about (the trauma) is the beginning of the healing process,” Sexual Assault Awareness Violence Education team director Sonia Rivera said. The survivors’ emotions were visible when they spoke. Some broke down in tears but received moral support from
News Briefs
fellow survivors and continued to share their stories. ELAC’s Sexual Assault Awareness Education Team and the East Los Angeles Women's Center have hosted the event for more than 10 years to advocate against sexual assault and domestic violence. Survivors are also given an opportunity to share their stories. The first Take Back The Night march was held in Pennsylvania in 1975 after microbiologist Susan Alexander Speeth was stabbed to death blocks away from her home. The murder of the young microbiologist rallied citizens to advocate for women’s safety when walking home at night.
The term “Take Back The Night” has been used worldwide to protest violence against women ever since. After several survivors of sexual assault shared their stories in the G3 Foyer, attendees marched around the campus holding lit candles while chanting, “Women have the right to walk alone at night. Yes means yes and no means no, sexual assault has to go.” Most of the survivors who shared their stories mentioned that the person who abused them was someone they trusted like a family member, a friend of the family or their intimate partner at the time. The most common form of sexual assault is rape.
Job and internship far East Los Angeles College will host a Job and Internship Fair on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in E3/E7 Main Quad. The first 30 participants with a student ID will get a free giveaway. Students are encouraged to bring their resumes.
About 20 million out of the approximately 112 million women in the United States have been raped, based on statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring,Apprehending, Registering and Tracking’ website. The most common forms of rape are date rape and rape by a family member or friend of the family. Based on reports by the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 69 percent of rapes reported to law enforcement happen in the residence of the victims.
CN/STEPHANIE GUEVARA
NO MORE—Melissa Sawyer (left), member of the Non-Traditional Student Union Club, holds a banner as she assembles For more on this story, visit students for a march outside the G3 Foyer on Thursday. elaccampusnews.com.
Choral concert
Resistance theory
The ELAC Music Department will present the Spring Choral Concert on Monday at 8 p.m. in the S2 Recital Hall. The show is free and donations will be accepted.
Dr. Delgado Bernal, an education and ethnic studies professor at the University of Utah and UCLA, will explore questions of resistance on Tuesday from 12:10 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the G3 Auditorium Foyer.
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Opinion
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Free speech zones give voice to students BY FELIPE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer Free speech zones are an important resource that all campuses should acknowledge and keep open to everyone. Free speech areas allow students to have a voice on campus and bring great benefits to community college students. Restricting these areas is a violation of the first amendment and affect everybody that is involved on campus. Recently, Pierce college student Kevin Shaw gained attention after his college campus security threatened to remove him from campus after he handed out copies of the United States Constitution. Shaw was doing this in the designated free speech area that was made for students. After the incident, Shaw went to court and is currently in the process of filing a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Community College District. Everyone should be guaranteed the basic right of free speech and it is especially important for students to come forward when their right is being stripped from them. As stated in the constitution, freedom of speech is granted to every citizen here in America. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Although it is very important that these spaces are kept free and open to students, there should be some boundaries as to what people are allowed to do and what kind of things should be brought to campus.
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
A good example of this topic is the recent protests at the University of California Berkeley which really demonstrated the potential violence that can result over people's free speech. Campuses need to recognize
that free speech zones can create issues amongst students if they are not properly monitored. One good start at resolving this issue should be monitor what is happening in these spaces and make sure students are not harassing or being harassed by others. Creating a sign with rules at the area or even establishing a website with proper information can prevent these things from happening. These rules can establish a proper order that will thrive with both students and staff. Freedom of speech is one of the best rights we all have as citizens here in America. This right is something not too many people take the time to truly acknowledge because around the world there are countries that can literally kill you just for what you say. Freedom of speech is what in fact makes our country different, what makes our government unique and our people hopeful. Students freedom of speech is also what keeps us hopeful, keeps our progression moving and our liberty. Speech Zones should not be taboo, they should be practiced in all colleges and universities. Completely banning free speech zones is unconstitutional, these areas are very important to community colleges and help students create great relationships that can potentially help even after graduating.
Modern film audiences lack etiquette BY FRANCISCO PORTILLO Staff Writer Movie theater crowds have devolved into such an obnoxious crowd of narcissistic people, whose entitled actions and impulsiveness can really ruin the movie going experience. A large percentage of the people who go out to theaters to watch movies are genuinely excited to see the movie and will respect the unwritten rules of being in the crowd. However, a small percentage of moviegoers lack common sense and apparently never learned how to behave while out in public. As a hard core movie lover, movie theaters are one of my favorite places to be. While I enjoy watching movies at home, nothing can replicate the experience of seeing the movie in a theater. 2017 is going to be a year packed with highly anticipated films such as the long-awaited sequel to the “Guardians of the Galaxy,” or “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” With so many Hollywood blockbusters coming out this year, the movie theater is going to be a very busy place. The early releases in the year such as Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” or Universal Pictures’ “Get Out,” have already done big business. With larger crowds in movie theaters, it leaves more of a possibility for audience members to act like complete savages who lack common sense or politeness. With the prices for movie tickets becoming so expensive, audience members have begun to feel more entitled to their own personal experiences. Throughout the movie, people will carry on full conversations with each other or use their cell phones, distracting the other audience members in the room. In a dark movie theater, the bright illumination of people’s phones becomes very hard to
ignore as the crowd’s excitement builds. Some people are recording clips of the movies for their social media audiences or forget to put their phones on silent. It has become ridiculous how some people just can’t be without their precious phones for more than an hour. It’s as if they need their phones for oxygen. Cell phones aren’t the only nuisance in a movie theater. The people who comment on every scene or try to show off their knowledge to their friends are far worse. It can become quite annoying to miss important information because of the distractions of those who are talking. Please be considerate to others and be quiet. Perhaps it is the rising popularity of streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu that conditioned audience members to be this way. In this new age of entertainment, the population has become so segmented that some people are no longer considerate to the experiences of others. Reporting these individuals to the staff members in the theater is far worse than taking care of the issue yourself. If an employee comes into the theater, of course the distractions will cease. It isn't until they leave the theater that they resume. Unfortunately, movie theaters don’t have the luxury to have an employee in all of the auditoriums at all times. Regardless, people need to stop being so self-centered and learn how to behave in dark, quiet places. The attitudes of some of the parents in the crowd are rubbing off on their offspring, creating another generation of inconsiderate people. If you’re going to a movie stay quiet, put your phones away and enjoy the experience for two hours.
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News
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
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Transfer fair prepares students’ educational path complimentary breakfast and welcomed by keynote speaker, Staff Writer Pedro Navarro. He encouraged students to persevere, stay focused and network T h e T r a n s f e r C e n t e r in community college. This is hosted“Transfer Student Success college and students should begin Conference and University Fair” to enjoy the college experience on Saturday to prepare students for now. Students attended different a higher education path. Each program had speakers to workshops during two sessions in help guide all Elans in attendance in different classrooms. Also part of the transfer fair, the direction of a higher education program suited for their personal a concurrent university fair was held in the cafeteria throughout needs, goals and wants. The First to Transfer Workshop the sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. As ELAC students entered the was presented by Chely Gonzalez. In her presentation, she discussed event they were given a survey to fill out and to help guide them her theory of in the direction of “The Hidden a school they are Curriculum,” interested in. which first “First generation Session A held generation students in students must adapt to ten different open the United learn the three capital workshops that took place at the same S t a t e s skills in, ‘The Hidden time of each other struggle with to Elans in the E3 Curriculum’: social in college. F i r s t capital, cultural capital building. The workshops generation consisted of: and college skills.” students may Next Steps for have family UC Transfer, PRESENTER members Chelby Gonzalez CSU Transfer who don’t Preparation, Apply know about To A P r i v a t e college, University, UCLA transfer requirements or the Intersegmental Center for Community College G e n e r a l E d u c a t i o n Tr a n s f e r program info, UC Berkeley TAP, Students with Dependents Transfer Curriculum. “First generation students must Experience, Get Free Money for adapt to and learn the three capital College, Undocu-Centers and skills in, ‘The Hidden Curriculum’: Resources, First to Transfer, and Social Capital, Cultural Capital and Majors & Career: Planning for Success. College Skills,” said Gonzalez. The second session B offered Gonzalez said students should find an organization to network, eight workshops, where the make friends and build relationships workshops happened within the with that will encourage their same time as each other. The workshops offered were: college and transfer experience. “It is important to make friends,” TAG To A UC, Next Steps for Fall she said, “as hard as that may be.” 2017 CSU Applicants, Transfer Gonzalez also finds importance 101 for STEM, Pathway to become in being positive and resilient. a Teacher, Transfer Pipeline for She says to not be a deficit thinker Nursing Students, Undocumented nor allow deficit comments to Transfer Students Experience, LGBTQ Transfer Experience, and discourage transfer goals. She presented a quote from ELAC Transfer Programs. Both Navarro and Gonzalez were New York City mayor Michael transfer students from ELAC to Bloomberg said in 2011. “...because some families come UCLA, who can relate to current from different cultures where students in the ELAC community. They have overcome the struggle education is not prioritized, t h i s c o u n t r y c a n s u ff e r t h e and want to keep motivating students to transfer and to make consequences.” Students were greeted with transfer dreams into reality.
BY CHRISTINA RODRIGUEZ
CN/JORGE ALDACO
SPEAKING UP—Dr. Jose M Aguilar- Hernandez speaks to an attentive crowd on April 27 in the G3 Inglls auditorium. AguilarHernandez shows an image of blankets set in front of the D.C. monument.
LGBT mistreatment sparks discussion BY JORGE ALDACO Staff Writer Dr. Jose M. Aguilar-Hernandez spoke about the mistreatment of LGBT POC and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in “Silence Equals Death” at the E3 Ingalls Hall on Thursday. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Coalition to Unleash Power, an organization established in March 1987, dealt with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus crisis and its political opponents for treatment of ill patients and for research and education on the epidemic. “…the government took about five years before they took action. Even then, small bits of money went into the actual treatment and research of HIV/AIDS,” said Aguilar-Hernandez. Aguilar-Hernandez said that under the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush Sr. administrations, very little funding went into HIV/AIDS research and prevention. Alongside the little political support, many of the religious scrutinized the LGBT community. “I was livid to hear that Clinton’s remark during the 2016 election about the Reagan administration and how ‘swiftly’ they reacted to
the AIDS epidemic,”said AguilarHernandez. “(Queer People of Color) leave a positive impact on history and in social movements. QPOC fight injustices and even save lives” Aguilar-Hernandez said. Two individuals, Ray Navarro and James Cortez, had gone to great lengths to show their dislike of policies. Navarro showed his distaste by walking around as Jesus Christ and filmed as Mass was being held. James Cortez went to the District of Columbia monument and with the help of the families of the victims, laid out hundreds of blankets to represent those who had died due to AIDS. The first push for reform came from two major movements started up during the ‘60s- the Black Panthers and a Puerto Rican group from Chicago, the Young Lords, helped with later movements. However within these communities, sexism and homophobia existed within the groups. “Had I been in their groups, I would have been marginalized” said Aguilar-Hernandez. He pointed out, however, that within these groups that a mixing of LGBT and racial movement can still exist and work together for a
common goal. He said how homophobia was being dealt with in different areas. Even to some extent, the Black Panther movement involved a branch of the progression of gay rights. Within the movement, Jean Genet and Angela Davis became the main advocates of the Black Panther movement for LGBT rights. Aguilar-Hernandez continues with a major point in the rights of LGBT people of color, the Stonewall riot on June 28, 1969. The riots were spearheaded by members of the LGBT community, Sylvia Rivera and Marsha Johnson. The riot was also featured in a movie called “Stonewall,” though it received a massive backlash for its whitewashing. Many stories are being retold were unfortunately, replacing people of color with white people, said by AguilarHernandez. The QPOC social movements has done the most they can with a historical recovery project, hoping to revive stories and experiences, says Aguilar-Hernandez. Joe Maga Jr., student ambassador of Adelante, sat in the front of the room, asked about whether trans people are the next chapter. “Trans rights started off in the
‘60s. However a state of ‘transerasing’ was occurring around that time. It is concerning, but recovery of the history is happening.The chapter of today is not finished. If anything, it is halfway done” said Aguilar-Hernandez. Aguilar-Hernandez opened up about an old friend of his, Dr. Horacio Roque Ramirez. Ramirez came from El Salvador to Los Angeles and became an undergrad at Cal State University, Los Angeles. He extensively interviewed people in regards to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He also wrote their stories of the affected. Aguilar-Hernandez said he aspires to be like Ramirez for his contribution to the history of LGBT people of color. “From an FYE perspective, we promote awareness, acceptance and being open-minded. The students should have knowledge and understand other communities.” says Dr. Vanessa Ochoa. “Our goal is to take it somewhere else so that the conversation continues ‘outside the ivory tower’ and we take what we learned to our communities.” Aguilar-Hernandez previously spoken at ELAC on February 28. The Adelante FYE organization on campus is a safe spot for LGBT undocumented students says Ochoa.
Ice cream social to help students BY ROSLIN OJEDA Staff Writer The Dream Resource Center will be hosting an ice cream social in an effort to continue reaching out to undocumented students. The event will take place May 10 from noon to 1:30 in E3-470. Brian Henderson, who is helping coordinate the event, said the ice cream social is a celebration of all they have accomplished so far as well as a place for students to drop by and talk to allies on campus. Henderson said he feels it is important to built those relationships on campus. “There are many faculty and staff members on campus who are allies to our undocumented students. We want them to get to know who those people are, so if they ever have a question, or want to talk to somebody, they can know who they can go to,” said Henderson. “It’s really about connection. When students realize they are not alone, I think it can be very powerful.” Previous workshops have been held to help empower students and have been successful in doing said Henderson. The ice cream social will be the first one of its kind being held. Jessica De Jesus, a student worker at the resource center said the workshops have really helped her find the help available that not every undocumented student may
be aware of. De Jesus says that she had gone to a workshop last year and felt good talking to other people she could relate to and feel safe. She said that she credits the center, as well as Reyna Hernandez, for helping her find various financial aid resources that she did not know she could apply to. Before that, she paid for all her classes out of pocket, and due to costs, was restricted to only being a part time student. De Jesus now devotes her time at the center to helping organize events and informing other students of the financial and emotional support they can receive. “Once you built a relationship with people, they’re going to be comfortable in saying, ‘Hey this is what I’m going through.’ Once you begin to tell your story, you realize everybody has something in common, ” said De Jesus. De Jesus hopes these events, like ice cream social, will help students realize there is a lot of help out there if only they are brave enough to speak up. She hopes all students continue to fight for a higher education in order to be able to return one day and give back to the community. Students who plan on attending are encouraged to RSVP. The last day to do so is May 9. For more information call (323) 415-5483 or email elacdreamresourcecenter@gmail. com
CN/IVAN CAZARRES
RECRUITING—Inglewood Police Department Dean Ajdukovic tells students about career opportunities and the hiring of his department on April 25.
Students explore options in law enforcement career day BY JORDAN ELIAS Staff Writer
The Administration of Justice Department hosted a career day where East Los Angeles College’s students found out how to get into the field of law enforcement on April 25. “I like the event because every year more students come to get more information about these careers,” Vivian Guerrero, who helped organize the event, said. “This is a good opportunities to them to know the requirements to study it.” The police departments came
from all over the California and presented employment opportunities that have competitive salaries and benefits, special assignments, promotional opportunities and other hiring incentives. “The event is pretty good. I’m looking for information because I don’t know what I want to study”, Jesus Zendejas, ELAC student said. “This is awesome (the event), there are many different departments to look into for study. I don’t know which one is the best because all of them are
great. I like the Secret Service but I want to stay local, like Alhambra Police Department”, ELAC student Daniel Villegas said. Federal Bureau of Investigation was present and are seeking special agents in intelligence experience, computer science, accounting/ finance, law, law enforcement or other investigative experience. Also, whoever applies for the position of FBI special agent, they must possess a four-year college degree, plus three years of professional work experience.
They also look for those who can be available for assignment anywhere in the FBI’s jurisdiction; be between the ages of 23 and 36; and be in excellent physical condition with the ability to pass a rigorous physical fitness test. Those who want to be part of the FBI must be a United States citizen and consent to a complete background investigation, drug test and polygraph as a prerequisite for employment. Only those candidates determined to be best qualified will be contacted to proceed in the selection process.
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Feature
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Black Mambas prepare for overseas tour BY DIEGO LINARES Staff Writer Southeast Los Angeles band Black Mambas are set to take the stage for their third European tour starting this Friday after first starting out by performing in backyards and underage in local venues. The band members say the ability to play overseas has come after gaining experience in the scene and being diligent with their craft. “It’s cool. It’s great, but it’s a lot of hard work. Exposure, that’s something you hear a lot, ‘Yeah, play my show for exposure.’ No, it’s business. You want to take me serious, I’m going to be serious,” said Michael Price, vocalist for the Black Mambas. The four-piece band was formed when Bell Gardens natives and former East Los Angeles College students Price and drummer Leroy Martinez strayed from a strictly punk band to play rock ‘n’ roll in 2009. Soon after, the band would start playing backyard gigs, the first being at Martinez’s house. Price said things got so wild that limbs were broken when someone dove off the roof during the show. “That was the first and last show we had at my house,” said Martinez as he chuckled. Since then, the Black Mambas spent more than four years on Wild Records, releasing a self-titled full length album as well as a 45 revolutions per minute pressing of the single “Baby, I’ll Give it to You,” in 2013. In 2012, “LA Weekly” writer Chris Ziegler commented on the band in an article describing the five best shows for a weekend in December. “The Black Mambas – along with The Neumans and The Hurricanes – are L.A. label Wild Records’ newest signees. But instead of building on the label’s Sun Records-style
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
sound of ‘56, the Mambas stagger into 1976 with gutter glam songs and dawn-of-punk velocity and attitude,” said Ziegler. With their music being described by Wild Records as hi-octane rock ‘n’ roll that has been influenced by the first wave of punk. The Black Mambas have played shows
in New York, Mexico, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Switzerland as well as getting radio play in the U.S. and Japan. Guitarist and event organizer Otniel Antezana has booked and played on the same bill in L.A. as the Black Mambas.
He said he met the members of the Southeast L.A. band in a backyard show, and thought they were a straight up rock ‘n’ roll band with none of the bells and whistles. “They (the Black Mambas) had been playing all over with a lot of cool bands I grew up listening to,” said Antezana. “They’re influenced
by really good rock ‘n’ roll, good punk, good music, and they have their own style going. They put it down 100 percent every time they play.” One position in the band that has been in flux for years has been the bass player. Since the beginning of the band,
six members have come and gone. The most recent addition to the band, Sean Clark, is an English bassist who is filling in for the upcoming European tour. Clark said through a mutual friend who was on Wild Records in the European market, he was able to meet and become friends with the Black Mambas, but nothing worked out until he and his wife moved to L.A. “We all know each other. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, it just happens that way, but the scene’s so small that we all kind of know each other even if it’s across overseas,” said Price. The Black Mambas have been working with Johnny Witmer, guitarist and vocalist for the band The Stitches, on an album that is scheduled to be released this upcoming summer by Disconnected Records. Drummer Leroy Martinez said he would describe the new album as more edgy and punk rock than the work the Black Mambas recorded during their time with Wild Records, which predominantly produces rockabilly. “By then (the 2016 European tour), we had already established the songs. So we already knew what we wanted them to sound like. It was just about getting the right mixes done, and making sure it was finished and mastered by the right people when we got here (the U.S.),” said Price. For the 2017 European tour, the band will play in Germany for the first time, among stops in countries they’ve played in before. The tour is scheduled for shows starting this Friday in Spain until their last stop in the United Kingdom on May 20. For more information on the tour and upcoming album follow Black Mambas on Instagram, like their page on Facebook as well as listen to the band’s music on the streaming platform Soundcloud.
Women’s basketball player signs with Kansas State University, but she didn’t have the grades to attend. Staff Writer She soon realized she’d have to attend community college first. A former ELAC coach spotted When Anastasia Tsybaeva’s was Tsybaeva and noticed her height in seventh grade, she stood at five ,six fet six inches, in the stands feet ten inches. during a friend’s basketball game Despite having never played, and approached her. her physical education teacher They exchanged contact convinced her to join the basketball information, but when the coach club. tried to reach her days later, he was She was the only girl among 40 unable to. boys. “It’s funny because my phone was “After two days I quit because off so they couldn’t even contact me. everybody was making fun of me,” So apparently (the coaches) went Tsybaeva said. “They’re like ‘How looking are you so tall for me in and you can’t Burbank play?’” for like It wasn’t two days,” until her “Ana has a wonderful Ts y b a e v a freshman year personality, is engaging recalled. of high school to talk to, and is a Tsybaeva that Tsybaeva w a s later began to play person who will do well invited to basketball because she works p r a c t i c e seriously. hard, is driven and w i t h Since then, ELAC’S Tsybaeva has loves life.” w o m e n ’s not only learned basketball how to play team and basketball, but loved it. has excelled in N o w it. a t 1 9 BRUCE TURNER A years old, Women’s basketball head coach communications Tsybaeva is major at East the tallest Los Angeles player in C o l l e g e , ELAC’s Tsybaeva has women’s basketball team. received offers to play with many “I love the intensity, the energy universities across the country, (of basketball). When you play from the University of Southern on the court everything that’s on California and California State my mind at that time goes away; University Long Beach, to Grand whether I’m fighting with my mom Canyon University and the or something goes wrong with University of Missouri, among school, that’s the only time I could others. really just focus on the sport I love,” She recently accepted a full Tsybaeva said. scholarship to play with Kansas ELAC women’s basketball head State University. coach Bruce Turner, who has known During her senior year of high Tsybaeva for three years, said she’s school, Tsybaeva’s hard work and improved tremendously since her dedication on the court landed her freshman year at ELAC. a scholarship to Loyola Marymount “She was pretty timid in the
BY DORANY PINEDA
beginning, but with individual coaching has become a force and has developed a really competitive drive,” Turner said. Born in the town of Volvograd, Russia, Tsybaeva’s early life was anything but easy. At a young age, she and her family moved to the poverty-stricken outskirts of Moscow so her mother could find work. “In Moscow, you either lived in the middle of the city, that’s if you’re really rich, or if you’re poor you usually lived on the outside, what you would call the outskirts,” she said. “There’s really no middle class.” Tsybaeva lived with her mother and stepfather in a small onebedroom apartment. “It’s cold in Moscow, so most of the time we would literally have to put the food on the balcony, and we couldn’t afford a refrigerator,” Tsybaeva said. When they moved to the United States in 2008, Tsybaeva’s mother and stepfather spoke and understood very little English. “Out of the nine years we’ve been here, probably seven of them I’ve had to do everything. I had to translate stuff for them. If the bank was on the phone I had to talk to them and explain stuff to them. I had to help them with the bills, insurance, taxes,” Tsybaeva said. It took up a lot of her time, Tsybaeva said, and she often had to miss basketball practices. Her mother’s constant need for her resulted in many fights between them. But the basketball court has served as a sanctuary for Tsybaeva, a place where she can “zone out the negative,” play the sport she loves and daydream about being a broadcaster for ESPN. Turner believes Tsybaeva will go far in life. “Ana has a wonderful personality, is engaging to talk to, and is a person who will do well because she works hard, is driven and loves life,” Turner said.
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PIVOT—Anastasia Tsybaeva works in the post against the opposition in a home win against
Rio Hondo College on February 8. Tsybaeva finished her sophomore season averaging 7.3 points, six rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.
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Arts
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Bill Nye delivers fun science BY FRANCISCO PORTILLO
Upcoming and current: ELAC Art events
Staff Writer
Bill Nye’s new show, “Bill Nye Saves the World,” is an entertaining and enlightening look at how science can be used to save the world. Fans of Nye will love the new show because of how much it emulates the feel of his previous show, “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” which stopped being produced in 1998. It has a new talk show format. In its scheduled 30 minutes, Nye discusses many of the world’s trending topics such as genetically modified foods, artificial intelligence and global warming. Nye enlists the help of correspondents, who go out into the field for quick, educational feature stories on the episode’s topic. Like his previous show, Nye manages to keep science amusing, grabbing the audience’s attention. At the start of each episode, Nye conducts a scientific experiment to educate viewers about the episode’s topic. In the first episode, he displays the effects of global warming by heating a flask with a red liquid. As the flask gets hotter, the liquid begins to expand. The gradual expansion of the liquid is used to emulate the water in the ocean. In the following segment, rapper, designer and correspondent Karlie Kloss discuss some of Designer’s favorite things like chocolate, fish, coffee and pandas which are at risk of extinction due to the Earth’s rising temperature. This effective segment is funny but also manages to put these devastating facts into perspective. The most informative segment of the show is a panel discussion about
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ELAC Choral Concert
The East Los Angeles College Chorus will perform in the S2 Recital Hall on May 8 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The admission fee is not listed yet.
String Class Recitals
Students from the Applied Music Program will perform in the S2 Recital Hall on May 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
WEIRD SCIENCE—Chef Alton Brown on the left and Bill Nye meniacally joke about their
recreation of the primordial soup using elements found in the Earth’s early oceans. The soup gave birth to Earth’s earliest lifeforms.
the topic at hand. The panel consist of experts in their fields and manage to provide multiple perspectives on the topic. During the episode about genetically modified foods, the panel consisted of Monsanto CTO Robb Fraley, fifth-generation farmer Julie Kennedy and Dr. Fred Gould, professor of Agriculture at North Carolina State University. After the audience boos Fraley, the panelists engage in a conversation about the pros and cons of genetically modified crops. Nye injects comedy into the
dialogue to keep it from being a bland informative show. Nye’s charm keeps the show engaging throughout. Throughout the episodes, Nye emphasizes the power of science and its role in saving our beautiful, blue planet Earth. “Bill Nye Saves the World” couldn’t have come at a better time. With only a limited 13-episode run, the end of the season will leave fans wanting more science. Each episode features guest stars who people normally wouldn’t relate to science or Nye.
The song starts quite somber and builds into a wave of echos oozing the Wall of Sound production of the late ‘60s. On “Get Not High, Get Not Low,” Feist drifts into a more live sound, inviting those listening to come closer, mixing modern folk music with the classic western genre. Intimacy is spread throughout the entire album on a more personal effort from Feist.. “Lost Dreams” speaks of the hopelessness felt in previous relationships. She recalls the end of her last relationship with the line, “Even on that day, I dreamed. I’m a dreamer.”She screams out the final lines with both relief and pain. It comes off as two songs played simultaneously. The somberness and raw release of Feist’s breathy vocals is carried over in “I’m Not Running Away,” “The Wind” and “Baby Be Simple.”
A duo of songs decide to play with listeners’ ears in “Any Party” and “A Man Is Not His Song.” The former is Feist singing of how she is willing to leave any party for her lover against a rich class of loud, electric chords, acoustic strings and chaotic symbols. Feist sings “Because no party is so sweet as a party of two” to contrast the loud environment of her current location. This is amplified when a choir of drunken partygoers sing the chorus: “I would leave any party for you.” The song dips into the reality of Feist heading out the door underneath the loudness of chatter. This acts as a transition with Feist walking down the road as crickets chirp and a car blares out the title track in the distance. “A Man Is Not His Song” continues the trend with a chorus, seemingly from the previous track,
The appearances of these celebrities add to the fun of the show as each guest provides a different perspective on the science that is being discussed or presented through experimentation. Some of the show’s guests include physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, famous disc jockey Steve Aoki and comedic actor Zack Braff. Their appearances add to the comedy of the show as they each bring their own fun to the table. All 13 episodes of “Bill Nye Saves the World” can be streamed on Netflix.
Decolonial Atlas
The Vincent Price Art Mueseum is currently hosting an art gallery with an emphasis on contemporary art and colonial history. The gallery will be on display until July 22. The VPAM is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 4 p.m. Its open Thurdays from noon to 7 p.m. Admission is free.
Feist returns to music scene with intimate rock album BY SERGIO BERRUETA Staff Writer Feist returns after a six-year absence with “Pleasure,” an album about heartbreak, disillusionment and broken dreams. This follow-up to 2011’s “Metals,” ventures into these concepts with unrefined sounds, somber acoustics and bombastic echoes. The album begins with the title track “Pleasure. ” It hits with a blend of melodic rock and electric-laden grime, sounding like a cassette tape recording giving a unrefined sound. It builds to an end that climaxes into the acoustic sound that will carry for a majority of the album. Feist dips into her comfort zone with the track “I Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” which feels like a throwback to the title track of her second album “Let It Die.”
following her to sing the final minute of the song. This song returns to the somber sound at the beginning with hints of her days in the band Broken Social Scene coming through. It breaks the somber, romantic
The Circle director fails to deliver on film’s potential BY YECENIA ALCARAZ Staff Writer Despite having two highly recognizable actors, “The Circle” fails to convey what could have been an important message to viewers. The film is based on a book by Dave Eggers who took an Orwellian twenty-first century approach. Emma Watson plays the main character Mae Holland, who is hired at a well known and highly influential technology and social media company called the Circle. Mae gets the job through her good friend Annie, played by Karen Gillian, who is part of a group of decision makers at the Circle. Gillian does an exceptional job at playing this character, who in the beginning seems to play an essential role.
From one second to the next, Gillian’s role goes from strong to hardly relevant. The producers switch her role to a person who is barely functional. Even though this may not be the best role Watson has played, she does a great job at showcasing a character with open-minded behavior. Watson is known for taking on powerful female roles. This film however, does not represent her strong feministic views. At first, Mae seems submissive and ordinary. At the same time, Mae’s obedient behavior is obvious to the audience and comes with a reason: She feels grateful and lucky to have been given a job at the Circle. Tom Hanks is introduced to the audience as Bailey, the leader of the Circle. Although Hanks is known
for his amazing acting skills, this film does not demonstrate his distinct artistry. In this film, Hanks plays a downsized, traditional supporting role. When Mae attends her first party at the Circle, she meets Ty Gospodinov, played by John Boyega. Scenes with Boyega are short and dry. Most of Boyega’s scenes did not have lines, and he used more facial expressions to help bring hype and emotion to several scenes. Mercer, who is a close friend to Mae and her parents, is played by Ellar Coltrane. Just like most characters in this film, he also plays a weak and colorless role. The producers hint at a possible love connection between Mae and
Mercer, but it does not transpire into something romantic. Instead, it develops and plateaus on an ordinary friendship. The director did not try hard enough to develop a connection between Mercer and the audience. His scenes were significant parts of the film, yet did not have genuine emotion. With potential to produce an important message, the film lacks dimension and struggles to get the point across. Needless to say, this film is not worth making a trip to your local theater. It’s better to wait for the film’s DVD release than to watch it in theaters. With a length time of 110 minutes, “The Circle” is rated PG-13 for sexual content , brief, strong language and some drug use.
tone with a sample from the song “High Road” of the metal band Mastodon to end the track. The other single released, “Century,” goes back to the first track’s sound with Feist’s voice being distorted in tandem
with the abrasiveness of the music surrounding her. British musician Jarvis Cocker makes an appearance with spoken word, comparing the length of a century in numbers to the “endless dark nights of the soul, those nights that never end.” Feist sings of finding someone to light the way, despite the opportunity already out of sight. It adds a glimmer of optimism and levity to an already heavy album. “Pleasure” is well worth the sixyear wait because it crafts a tribute to Feist’s own struggles within that span of time. With moments of abrasiveness and personable songs, the album is a journey through her 40 years of life, allowing itself to be intimate and to let the audience know they are welcome to hear it. “Pleasure” is available to stream on Spotify and Google Play Music.
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SPORTS
EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017
Baseballs strenuous season comes to end we need. It's going to have to be a different mindset, with guys making Staff Writer each other accountable. We need to be tougher mentally next season,” ELAC head coach James Hines said. Hines said he felt this season was going to be much better than last, After a long disappointing season, but finished with two less wins than baseball concluded their 2017 year last year as he will be entering his with a loss at home 4-2 to Cerritos 20th season as head coach. College last Thursday. “I need to get better as well. All season long, East Los Angeles There’s no finger pointing. I have College’s sophomore designated to look back and see the finer points hitter Kyle Francis worked hard. and make sure I look at myself In the final game he launched a and fix anything to make this team towering homer run to the deepest better. Everyone, including me is part of center field in the fourth evaluated,” Hines said. inning, tying the game at one. ELAC sophomore pitcher Alex “I knew what (the Cerritos Carrillo, nicknamed “Ace,” was the pitcher) was doing. He kept leaving starter for game one of the season. pitches over the plate. Previous He also started in game No. 40 as inning, he was leaving pitches for he put on a Husky uniform for the others. So, with me, he left two over last time, in his eighth loss. Carrillo the middle, and I got a good had two swing and connected well “It’s going to have to wins in 13 with it,” Francis said of his equalizing long ball. be a different mindset, starts. “ I Francis, from Redmond, with guys making each d i d n ’ t Washington, will wait and other accountable. We have the see where he plays next. best start, need to be tougher There are no current offers. However, there is mentally next season.” but then I was interest from numerous f i n d ing schools. m y “I had fun this season. We JAMES HINES position. didn’t do well, but I liked Baseball Head Coach I left the culture here. Everyone pitches up got along, a much different and they experience from my last. (Cerritos) got them,” Carrillo said “Being able to come back (from about his final game with ELAC. elbow surgery) and pitch this season During innings three and four, and get a start two days ago was he dealt five strikeouts in six at bat. such a highlight,” Francis said. Carrillo was charged for all four He finished with a team-high runs and allowed five of Cerritos’s four home runs, was second in teamsix hits, striking out a season-high runs batted in with 24 and third in 10. batting average at .311. In the eighth inning with a 2-1 ELAC ends with a 16-24 record, ELAC lead, Carrillo struggled missing the playoffs for a third with accuracy, as his ball control straight year, and being last in South diminished. Coast Conference. This allowed a two-run, lead “We do have some core guys that changing double, followed by an are going to come back and compete insurance RBI single. for us next year. After relinquishing the lead, “We’ll have them do exactly what
BY DAN GUDINO
CN/DIEGO LINARES
READY TO COME HOME—Pitcher and outfielder Ryan Orozco stretches his lead toward home plate in a 6-5 win at Cerritos College on April 25.
Hines pulled Carrillo out and he made his last walk to the dugout. He had claps and high-fives from his teammates and a small group of cheering ELAC fans. “I don’t know what’s next for me, but there is an offer from (University of) Saint Mary’s (in Leavenworth, Kansas), and all I could do now is continue to work on my pitching. Just keep doing what I’m doing and keep it up,” Carrillo said. Prior to the game, sophomores were acknowledged for their efforts as 11 players move on to the next level. “I know what a good (coaching) staff it is and how hard they work. It’s hard to grasp, but I know it’s been disappointing to them, and of course, to the players on the team” said athletic director Al Cone. Cone coached Hines, as a pitcher at ELAC from ‘92 and ‘93. Baseball news from around Southern California: No. 1 state ranked El Camino College was swept in a three-game series and upset by No. 16 Long Beach City College, forcing a share of the South Coast Conference title between the teams. El Camino finished on a fivegame losing streak as it ended its own school record, 25-game win streak. Long-time Ventura College head coach Don Adams, coached and won his final game of his 22-year career, last Friday against Santa Barbara City College. Adams played, taught and coached as an assistant at Ventura prior to becoming a head coach with nearly 600 wins. Playoffs start Friday with the Southern California Regional bracket. Followed by Super Regional Playoffs, then a Sectional Bracket, culminating in the State Championship at Fresno City College, May 27-29.
H U S K I E S
Swim and Dive Swimming and Diving will compete tomorrow through Saturday in the 70th Annual California Community College Swimming and Diving State Championships. The event will be held all day in the East Los Angeles College Aquatic Center. This will be the sixth consecutive year that ELAC hosts the state championship. Swim and dive will compete in their final event of their season this weekend.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Badminton
Badminton will compete in the South Coast Conference Individual matches this Friday at 9 a.m. at Manhattan Beach Badminton Club. ELAC are currently 6-3 overall and in the Conference, with the only defeats coming from rival Pasadena City College who are currently undefeated with an 11-0 record. The last time ELAC competed in an individual championship, sophomore Jean Buenaflor was eliminated in the first round last season at the SCC Individual Champioships.
Huskies fall short of qualifying for playoffs BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer Softball ended its season on the right foot, despite not qualifying for the playoffs . East Los Angeles College won their last three games of the season and placed third in the South Coast Conference-North. Sophomores Alexis Lazaro, Griselda Vasquez, Andrea Rocha and Maddie Roberts played their last season for ELAC softball. ELAC’s roster had a total of 14 freshmen that competed this season and hopefully will be returning next season. “I’m really excited. When you can have 14 freshman play so well. All of my outfield are freshman and about four of our infielders are freshman, so when you can bring seven out of your nine starters back as freshman, you can do some damage because they’re only going to get better mentally and physically so I’m excited,” said head coach Erika Blanco. ELAC went through a eight-
game losing streak this season that dashed their chances of being in contention to qualify for the playoffs. Blanco said that injuries were a factor in that losing streak where the Huskies had to play without some of their key players. “ We had our starting pitcher that was out for a week, our catcher was out for about four day. So there were things that happened in those eight games that don’t show on paper that we didn’t have,” said Blanco. The Huskies had four pitchers this season. Vasquez, the only sophomore pitcher, freshmen Samantha Alvarado, Mercedes Serratos and Aaliyah Martinez. Vasquez and Alvarado are the pitchers with the most appearences this season (34). Vasquez had the most innings pitched with 131.1 and an earned run average of 5.06. In the 34 games that Vasquez played she got nine wins and 12 losses as a pitcher. Alvarado pitched 103.1 innings and had an ERA of 4.20. In the 34 games that Alvarado
played, she got nine wins and seven losses as a pitcher. Serratos and Martinez had a combined total of 10 appearances and 13 innings pitched. “The season overall was a good experience as a freshman and the team was so much fun to be around. We could have done better because we have a lot of great talent in the team, but next year will be our year,” said Martinez. Freshmen infielders Angelica Gonzalez, Monne’t Manning and Alvarado are the only players to play all 40 games this season. Gonzalez, Manning and Alvarado all ended their season with 27 RBI’s each, the only player who had more RBI’s is Vasquez with 28. Rocha ended her softball career at ELAC with the best batting average on the team .441, with 45 hits, 19 runs and 13 RBI’s. Last year, the Huskies ended their season in the SCC before it got split into north and south conferences, with a record of 9-12 in the SCC and an overall record of 17-21 in 38 games.
CN/DIEGO LINARES
FIST BUMP—Assistant coach Melissa Angel, left, celebrates with outfielder Alexis Lazaro as the athlete makes it to third base in a 4-1 win over Rio Hondo on April 25.
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