ELAC Campus News Spring 2023 Issue 22

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Luis Valdez inspires theater students to overcome racial discrimination

Luis Valdez and Jorge Huerta spotlighted the significance of Chicano theater experiences and its importance to past and budding Latino artists.

Mediated by East Los Angeles College theater faculty member Cristina Frias, the celebration of Luis Valdez’ “Theater of the Sphere: The Vibrant Being” is part of the Town Hall Series which covered racial equity and social justice.

The event was held on Thursday, in the S2 recital hall. The event was focused on giving ELAC students information on how Chicano theater works and the dedication to be successful in the theater industry.

Alongside Valdez, Jorge Huerta a theater scholar and the chancellor’s associate’s endowed chair at the University of San Diego was invited.

Valdez said he had a humble youth growing up. His love for theater emerged when he attended a school in Stratford, California. There he learned how to make Papier-mâché, which ignited his passion for puppets and commenced to organize theater plays later down the line.

Jorge Huerta’s inspiration is Valdez’ creation, El Teatro Campesino, which was created in 1965 and is a Chicano theater company in California.

The purpose of El Teatro Campesino is to create popular art with 21st century tools to present a more accurate depiction of human history. It focuses on encouraging young women and men of the new generation to take control of their own destiny.

“In 1968, as a high school drama teacher, I saw El Teatro Campesino and it inspired me. I would not be here if it wasn’t for him (Valdez) and the collaboration we have done. He has changed the world, we have changed the world,” Huerta said.

Valdez explains how the Mayans and the Aztecs viewed life and where he got the inspiration to start up El Teatro Campesino.

“We haven’t been in front of the camera but we have been there behind the scenes, creating equal opportunity for all the students that face racial differences,” Valdez said. Huerta specializes in Chicano and Latin American theater. Based on the inspiration from El Teatro Campesino, he decided to start El Teatro de la Esperanza.

In 1989 he also founded Teatro

Máscara Mágica. The mission for Teatro Máscara Mágica is to promote multicultural theater going experiences, to provide professional experiences and opportunities to underrepresented communities.

“We have paved the way for the future generations to have resources in the arts. Students will feel supported with what me and Luis have done. We haven’t been

needed

out there but we have been working from the other side to have good resources for the future of the arts,” Huerta said.

The panel did a question and answer segment at the end of the event. A student asked the panel how they could express their intention to go into the arts.

“How do I tell my parents that I want to do arts in a Latino

household?

“Parents don’t see that as a stable career. They think it’s a waste of time,” Kevin Delgado, ELAC student said.

“At the end, you should be doing it for yourself is what matters the most. Your parents already paved their future and now it’s time to do it for yourself, no one else” said Valdez.

Student makes social pages for Latina creators

Samantha Manrique, the founder of @theamigahoodsociety, started the social media page to create a supportive community for first-time Latina creators.

From Manrique’s experience, making friends can be difficult for college students. She wanted to build a community that could help with that.

Manrique is a 21-year-old

Mexican American attending her second year at East Los Angeles College. She is working on her associate’s degree in business and plans to transfer to get a bachelor’s in marketing.

Aside from the business club, Manrique is a full-time student, works two jobs, has two internshipsand now has @ theamigahoodsociety.

At ELAC, she served as the Business Club Vice President of Public Relations for the 2022 school year. With the upcoming elections on May 4 for the upcoming school year, she contemplated not running for re-election because of her busy schedule.

She ultimately decided to run again, and in 2023-2024 she will serve as president of the Business Club.

“During the election, the same thing happened. I just had an itch,” Manrique said.

Manrique had the same itch when she launched @ theamigahoodsociety.

“I was thinking about launching it for way too long, but I think it was the fact that because I’m a first[generation college student], it was very discouraging,” Manrique said.

She woke up one morning and had an itch. She thought, “You know what? I’m just gonna do it,” and posted it on a whim.

Manrique has had internships with social media companies and

had an idea of how to start a business.

She hired a graphic designer and started working on logos. She said she has a logo that represents Latinas.

She didn’t expect it would get this far. The account has been up on Instagram and TikTok for two and a half months and has almost a thousand followers.

She has a team of 12 to 13 Latina women who work with her. As a first-time founder, she is learning from them as much as they are there to support her.

After @theamigahoodsociety launched, Manrique got the opportunity to host a workshop with Cal State LA.

Yessenia Romero, a student at Cal State LA who Manrique went to high school with, overheard a couple of girls talking about @ theamigahoodsociety. She realized it was Manrique once she looked it up.

Romero reached out and explained that there is a large percentage of Latinas at Cal State LA. The idea was to hold an event where they could specifically talk about what Manrique was creating.

“It was a surreal moment, as a community college student, even being able to talk to Cal State LA.

I feel like there’s a stigma when it comes to community college students, and it felt really inspiring.

Yes, I’m in community college, but the sky is still the limit,” Manrique said.

Around 42 women joined the Zoom meeting where the workshop was held.

“They came with questions.

I was really surprised. I was so surprised,” Manrique said.

Some of the women that attended are interested in getting into the social media space but feel discouraged and don’t know how to go about it.

The goal of @ theamigahoodsociety is to post fun,

relatable content and create a space for Latinas to speak on topics that aren’t seen on social media. She wants first-time creators to be able to go onto her page and get advice on anything from what resources are available to how to get brand deals. She also wants to feature different perspectives because when people think Latina, their go-to is to think they’re Mexican. Afro-Latinas experiences, like Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, are important.

“People think Latina and don’t picture all the other colors that are involved with Latinas,” Manrique said.

The social media page will officially launch July 15, but Manrique and her team have posted some content. She wanted to give her audience a chance to get to know the team before she officially launched.

Some of their plans are to meet in person and have content days where they go to different locations and help each other film and take pictures for their social media.

They will support each other and create a community to build friendships and network.

The biggest advice she took and pushed forward to others is to apply for internships and jobs even if they feel unqualified.

That was her case when she applied to a Meta internship. She took the risk and applied, knowing there was a chance she might not get it.

“Honestly, if it had not been for Meta, I would not be doing what I’m doing right now. It opened up so many doors for me,” Marique said.

Those who looked at her resume saw that, at the time, she was 20 and interned for Facebook.

She’s learned along the way that everyone will have an opinion on what people create. Instead, she said she reflects on the hundreds of positive comments rather than let one negative comment affect her.

Manrique always knew she wanted to start her own business.

“Little me always wanted to own something,” Manrique said.

When she was 11, Manrique would sell whatever clothes she didn’t use to her neighbors and sit there and negotiate with them.

When Manrique was a sophomore in high school, her parents divorced. It dragged her down, and she took a gap year after high school.

Seeing her single mom struggle

and work two jobs motivated Manrique to do something.

Her gap year coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic starting.

During the pandemic, she learned how to do nails. For a brief time, she had a small business doing nails.

“I always hated the idea of working for someone else. I love the idea of working for me and doing something that I love and helping others at the same time,”

Manrique said.

The creation of @ theamigahoodsociety allowed her to do what she’s always wanted. While the idea seemed sudden, she didn’t regret taking the risk.

Manrique took another risk when she applied for an internship at Snapchat.

After three rounds of interviews, she made it to the last round.

Manrique should know by May 19 if she got the internship.

Volume 78, Issue 22 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, may 10, 2023 | sIngle copy free - addItIonal copIes 50 cents News Briefs Break a leg “The African Company presents Richard III” by Carlyle Brown and directed by Rodney Lloyd Scott. The show opens Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale online and in-person in the P2 office. Tickets are $10 pre-sale and $12 at the door. Kindness Rocks The STAND program will hold a student art event at the South Gate Center Wednesday. The event will be from noon to 2 p.m. in Student Lounge Room 118. Correction Professor Jesus Martinez leads all East Los Angeles College bands not just symphonic as previously stated. Email bbbchuy@gmail.com should be bbbchuy@earthlink.net
CN/LUIS DIAZ ON STAGE PASSION—Jorge Huerta and Luis Valdez explain the four elements and the feelings that are to include in a play. Samantha Manrique

End excessive charges for graduates

Colleges need to make graduation package prices more affordable to all students. Graduation is a milestone in life that you cherish every second of.

You work hard to get your degree and you get to celebrate this achievement with your friends, family and loved ones.

However, that might not be the case for some students who are graduating at the end of this spring semester.

Graduation is less than a month away and the price to purchase the cap, gown, hood and tassel package is $50 plus tax.

Some students may not be able to afford this package and won’t be able to walk at graduation.

Imagine not being able to walk on stage and receive your degree because you couldn’t afford to pay for a cap and gown.

Not only would the students be irate about it, but imagine how their parents would feel.

If this is the reason their student can’t walk on stage, the parents should definitely have a talk with the school about the prices.

The most obvious answer would be to lower the prices. Most schools have the tendency to sell items for an unfair price.

Metro needs to make stations safe

If the city does not address its rampant unhoused population, substance abuse crisis, and improve access to mental health services, public transportation will never be safe.

There have been 21 deaths in Los Angeles Metro buses and trains during the first three months of this year. The same number of deaths were reported for all of 2022.

According to Metro, there has been a 24% rise in violent crimes including assault, murder, rape and robbery since 2021.

Metro reported that the majority of deaths are drug related, possibly due to the high increase of fentanyl use since 2016.

ridership.

The music is used as a way to prevent people from spending too much time at the stations.

The music is fine for a couple of minutes, but becomes a nuisance after some time. Some online commentators have called this tactic inhumane and that it does not address the root cause of problems the Metro lines are facing.

L.A. Metro has also added more security cameras and lighting for an extra security measure.

Metro is also increasing their cleaning procedures on trains that includes power washing, wiping down high-touch points, reducing graffiti, vandalism and loiterism.

There has been a near 25% increase in crime and a near 100% increase in drug reports. The Gold Line, which is the train closest to East Los Angeles College, reported 192 crimes in 2022.

Metro received 1,385 incident reports on narcotics use, possession or sales through the Metro Transit Watch App.

There has been a near 25% increase in crime and a near 100% increase in drug reports.

The Gold Line, which is the train closest to East Los Angeles College, reported 192 crimes in 2022.

A considerable amount of the estimated 70,000 unhoused people in the Los Angeles area are substance users. Many of them seek shelter on the bus and rail system.

This prompted Metro to introduce a pilot program at the Westlake/MacArthur station where Metro Ambassadors, who are unarmed security guards, can call the police if they are unable to take control of a situation.

Classical music is also being blasted at the Westlake/ MacArthur Park stop to drive down crime and increase

Metro hopes the extra cleaning procedures will help increase the feeling of safety for riders.

On May 2, officers shot a man at the East Hollywood station after allegedly assaulting a woman.

The suspect fled the scene and then stabbed a man before police were able to arrive.

According to an October 2022 customer experience survey, 75% of Metro riders are from lowincome households.

Metro’s GoPass is a program that makes fares more affordable and is available to all students in the Los Angeles Community College District. Metro reportedly reached 10 million riders with its GoPass.

A great amount of students rely on public transit and the city owes it to them to create a safe environment.

It seems like it is difficult to feel safe on a Metro bus or in one of the stations. No one wants to have an encounter with a person who is mentally unstable or high on drugs and ends in violence.

For many students, using public transit is their only option. With the current negative attention Metro has been receiving, hopefully they continue to take the appropriate steps to address the issues.

What they need to learn is that not every student is financially stable. While students may have a job and go to school, they still have to pay for things that are bigger than buying a graduation package.

If hundreds of students speak up about it, then the school might consider lowering the prices. It would make the school look bad and would be talked about for years on end.

The college should do what’s right for the students. Students should not miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Graduating is an achievement that may have not been reached by anyone in their family and they get to be the first ones to do it.

Whether this changes or not, students should want their voice to be heard so that maybe there will be a change in the future.

Students should graduate and not be left in the dark because they don’t have the money to pay for the items.

Even if they can’t afford the package, the college should at least give you the option to rent out the package for the day. That would make this whole situation a whole lot easier than paying $50 plus tax for a package that you’re only going to wear once.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Soleil Cardenas

MANAGING EDITOR Teresa Acosta

FRONT EDITORS

Max Miranda

OPINION EDITOR

Beatriz Garay

NEWS EDITOR Marissa Valles

FEATURE EDITOR

Luis Diaz

ARTS EDITOR S. Hennessy Machado-Hidalgo

SPORTS EDITORS

Oscar Martines

COPY EDITORS

Juan Calvillo

Brenda De La Cruz

S. Hennessy Machado-Hidalgo

STAFF WRITER

Leonardo Cervantes

Janet Guereca

Nicholas Jimenez

Jonathan Bermudez

Kimberly Chinchilla

Yaneira Rodriguez

Steven Adamo

SOCIAL MEDIA

Adonia Burciaga

CARTOONIST

Angelina Viramontes

ONLINE EDITOR

Annette Quijada

ADVERTISING

Stephanie De La Torre

ADVISER Jean Stapleton

Streaming service writers yearn for better pay

Writers should get an increase in pay because of the mass production of TV shows and movies that are premiering on streaming services.

Writers Guild of America is on strike after their contract expired and streaming service writer’s request for an increase in wages was denied.

A total of 95% of the streaming service writers have gone on strike. Because of the strike many productions of movies and TV shows have been halted.

Saturday Night Live was put on hold on May 6 after writers for NBC went on strike.

This is the fourth time that WGA has had to strike. What the studios are doing to the writers, having them work once a week, makes it difficult for ideas to flow in such a short period of time.

The first strike in 1960 was caused by the writers wanting a portion of the profits when a movie was shown on TV.

Another writers’ strike happened on Nov. 7, 2007 because

the writers felt underpaid and were unable to reach an agreement during their negotiations.

The 2007 strike also had many shows either cancel their next showings or put the show on a standstill.

SNL began showing reruns on Nov. 10, 2007 and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno began showing reruns on Nov. 5, 2007.

Now, the writers feel they should get paid more because of only being able to work on streaming services once a week.

Another reason for the strike is that the writers go into a writing room for such a short amount of time during the day to create a script for an upcoming show or movie.

The writers feel it’s unfair because it doesn’t allow them to become showrunners.

Any young writer trying to work on a big time show or movie is being rushed to finish a script.

They are not allowed to get the ins and outs of the industry. Also, the young writers aren’t allowed to know what it’s like to bust sets or do any editing during this time.

Because of this, the producers are pushing to make sure that the writers are being taught along the

way while working on a show or movie.

Actors and people in the entertainment industry came out and supported the writers during the strike. Jay Leno joined one of the strikes outside of Disney Studios. He gave out donuts to the writers on the picket line.

Pete Davidson also handed out food to the writers that were protesting in New York. Ben Schwartz was protesting with the writers last Thursday.

Due to the strike many studios are thinking of having artificial intelligence create scripts for future movies and shows.

This idea is not a good one because the writers may feel like the studios are trying to remove humans from the writing rooms and replacing them with AI instead. If any studios do this the backlash from the writers could be fierce.

There could possibly be clauses that will be in place when a contract is finally agreed on.

For now, new shows and movies may be released that were finished months before the strike. It could be a while before viewers experience a lack of new shows.

Campus News encourages letters to the editor relating to campus issues. Letters must be typed and double spaced. Submitted material becomes the property of Campus News and cannot be returned. Letters should be limited to 300 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Writers must sign submissions and print their names and a phone number where they can be reached. Letters should be addressed to the editor of Campus News. Submissions can be made at the mailroom in building E1 or the Journalism department office in the Technology Center in E7-303.

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The East Los Angeles College Campus News is published as a learning experience, offered under the East Los Angeles College Journalism program. The editorial and advertising materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The opinions expressed are exclusively those of the writer. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, East Los Angeles College, or any officer or employee thereof.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2023 OpiniOn 2 www.ELACCampusNews.com EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS
CN/ SOLEIL CARDENAS INFOGRAPHIC BY TERESA ACOSTA

Active shooter drill held by LACCD, LA County sheriffs

Students, professors, and faculty attended the active shooter training hosted by the Los Angeles Community College District and Los Angeles County Sheriffs on May 4.

The Safety and Emergency Services Manager for LACCD, Adam Suarin, and Deputy Michael Sampson from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department led the FEMA-based two-hour training. The training focused on giving those that attended information they could use in an active shooter situation.

If students are in the middle of an unpredictable attack, the best thing to do is get out.

They should cover themselves with something that can stop a bullet and conceal themselves out of sight from the shooter. Afterward, they should look for emergency exits or windows.

If reaching an exit is impossible, look for a room or confined area that can be locked down and secured.

Part of the interactive training included four audience members chosen at random to barricade the door.

Those chosen didn’t know each other but still had to work together.

Barricading the door can buy time and safety until law enforcement arrives.

As a last resort, students must be prepared to defend themselves

by doing anything to disrupt the shooter’s ability to see, breathe or control their gun.

Forms of defense include using an improvised weapon or fighting back.

The circumstances are different in every active shooter situation.

Students, professors, and faculty must be aware of their surroundings and study the people and environment around them.

Having situational awareness can make a big difference in the outcome of an active shooter event.

Paying attention to what people look like and being able to describe them in detail is important.

When law enforcement arrives on the scene, their job is to take down the shooter.

They need the most accurate description to have a better chance of taking them down.

“Say what you see,” said Deputy Sampson.

“You guys need to help us with the description, and we’ll be able to help you,” he continued.

Law enforcement will be in a heightened state of readiness and awareness.

Students should keep their hands visible and follow any commands given.

Changes don’t happen overnight.

People are driven to active shooter behavior. They’ve made the decision that they have nothing to lose.

Most of the time, the attack cycle of an active shooter starts when the

shooter is young.

“Somebody has done them wrong as a kid, and it stays with them to the point where they feel like they’ve been wronged in the past.

“They feel like they haven’t been listened to. They’ve been ridiculed at some point in their life,” Saurin said.

In the attack cycle, there is a stage where new behaviors are exhibited.

The behaviors include becoming withdrawn, not focusing on anything happening and pulling themselves away.

By scanning all the data available daily, the changes in someone’s behavior can become noticeable, and reporting these behaviors can save lives.

For those on campus who notice something might be off with

someone they know, they can contact the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT).

BIT is available to anyone in the district.

BIT is composed of faculty, staff, administration, and sheriffs.

It is used in the campus community to inform them of any concerns regarding a student inside or outside the classroom.

When a BIT referral is submitted, it gets sent to the BIT team’s emails. They take a look and see what the issue is.

From there, the best course of action is determined.

The BIT team is not a crisis intervention team.

If there is a crisis on campus, students are asked to call the sheriff’s station at (323) 265-8800.

Advice on coping with stress offered at virtual workshop

The Latina Completion and Transfer Academy at East Los Angeles College held a workshop on May 5 where they offered suggestions and advice on how to cope with stress.

Karime Cardenas explained what stress is and how it affects the body and mind.

As a result of having too much stress and not knowing how to deal with it, people can start to have anxiety, depression or possibly a reduction in day-to-day productivity.

Cardenas, who was the host of the workshop, gave suggestions and advice on how to cope with stress.

Some suggestions she recommended were getting some sleep, finding activities that create joy, building strength and doing physical activities.

Cardenas suggested something as simple as going for walks to help reduce the stress someone might be going through. It can also help clear the mind.

Talking to someone also helps with stress.

When people can talk through what they might be feeling emotionally, mentally or physically it helps get those feelings and thoughts out of the way.

She made it clear that people need to learn what works for them when feeling really stressed.

Attendees discussed what they do to cope with stress and added advice they had for others.

Cardenas said she likes to draw as a way to cope with stress.

She bought some coloring books and realized it helps her with relieving stress.

the situation can help mentally prepare and refresh when needing to go back and face the situation with a solution.

Contreras also said gardening is a way to cope with stress.

When gardening while feeling stressed and frustrated, beating up the dirt can help take the negative energy out and get a wonderful garden in the end.

She said if this is a continuous method for some to cope with stress, they can end up having a nice garden as well.

Another suggestion for coping with stress Contreras said was journaling. When someone isn’t able to talk out their thoughts or feelings, writing it down helps.

CN/STEVEN ADAMO

ARTS AND CRAFTS—Students and faculty shop at the Ceramics class sale of which many of the items were everyday objects such as bowls, plates, mugs, and vases.

Ceramics students host first sale in over three years

Ceramic work created by students went on sale yesterday during the first ceramics sale since 2019.

The sale continues today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. until 8.p.m. at the F5 foyer.

Since there hasn’t been a ceramics sale since the campus shut down in March of 2020, many of the students work on sale was created over the past three years.

Most of the items available to purchase are practical household items like bowls, plates, mugs and vases, but there were a few ceramic art pieces available as well—all available for a reasonable price.

Ceramics professor Christopher Turk said that many of the items at the sale cost about one-third less than it would cost at a retail chain.

“A lot of the smaller equipment, and certainly a lot of the materials

we’ve amassed over the years, is the result of these sales,” Turk said.

Because of the small class sizes over the past few semesters, Turk said that it’s almost like an entirely new program.

The creations are essentially an accumulation of three semesters’ worth of progress from that first semester back.

“A lot of the more sophisticated work you would have seen four years ago, you’re not seeing it now because these guys are all still pretty new to this,” Turk said.

The kilns on campus that are used by the department are capable of handling large ceramic pieces, but Turk said that many of the items were on the small-side because a lot of beginner ceramics students tend to start small.

Turk said that many of the advanced students enrolled in ceramics courses prior to 2020 didn’t return once the campus reopened.

This came despite ceramics being one of the first departments to have in-person classes on campus again according to Turk.

Regardless, he said that the new students have been finding their way and are working their way up to creating larger and more intricate pieces.

Students receive 80% of the sales, with 20% going back to the Ceramics Department’s ASU fund.

The department receives 100% of the proceeds on any items sold that are marked with “ELAC.”

Sylvia Quinteros said that she’s been involved with these sales for as long as she’s been involved with the ceramics classes, off and on for over 20 years.

Quinteros said she has a pottery wheel at home, though the motor needs to be repaired.

For more information about the sale, contact turkcj@elac.edu.

Some activities that can make people happy include coloring in adult coloring books, reading and meditating when possible and doing some breathing exercises.

Cardenas said that it’s important for people to get rest and sleep. When a person is able to rest and sleep it’s almost like a refresh, a restart for the body and mind.

When there’s too much of a demand being required from the mind and body, it can take a toll.

As for physical activities,

It gives her a break from the overwhelming feelings and it gives her mind a break from all the school work and the many demands of school.

Mary Contreras, one of the attendees, who is also part of the LCTA club, suggested self-care.

It’s important to take care of yourself whenever possible.

She said something as small as getting a pedicure can help cope with stress as it can be a distraction.

Another way of self-care is removing the cause of the stress.

Sometimes taking a break from

She said a nice thing about journaling one’s thoughts is being able to go back and read what was the cause of the stress. This can help with learning what was happening in the moment.

LCTA is a program at ELAC with a focus on helping students that have 30 plus units before they reach graduation and/or transfer.

They continuously hold workshops for students.

They have moved to E7-210 for anyone who is interested in knowing what this club is about and what they have to offer to the students of ELAC.

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS 3 News www.ELACCampusNews.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2023
CN/JANET GUERECA SAFETY FIRST—Audience members work together to barricade the door as participants in an active shooter drill. Doors that have been barricaded act as a way to buy time and ensure safety in the event of a real emergency. Deputy Sampson played the role of an active shooter in this drill.
SCREENSHOT FROM WORKSHOP

Women’s wrestling takes third at CCCAA tournament

The women’s wrestling team placed third at the California Community College Athletic Association on Saturday.

The small team of seven won every match, in both the individual and dual tournaments.

This is the first time the women’s wrestling team competed at the CCCAA tournament.

The team had nine pinfalls and one decision.

Wrestler Miya Galvan pinned Santa Ana College’s Kristen Ravelo which allowed the team to secure third place.

Head coach Miguel Soto said, “The team did a great job this season, and I can’t wait to see where they end up next season.”

Soto also said, “I am excited to see what their GPA is going to look like at the end of the semester.”

Soto is known for caring about the wrestler’s success outside the wrestling room.

He makes sure the wrestlers are enrolled in 12 units and passing their courses.

Soto implemented grade checks for wrestlers and requires them to be on track to transfer in the future.

He recruited several wrestlers that placed in state and national competitions in high school.

Soto shared that coach Angel Solis, the team assistant, has been a great help this season.

Solis has been coaching high school women’s wrestling for a few years.

Solis has coached women wrestlers to place in state and national competitions and the high school level.

Soto knew Solis’ coaching experience would be a big help at the college level.

Soto coaches both the women’s and men’s wrestling teams.

He said that team captain

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN—

Delilah Felix-Lopez revels in the moment as she stands on the first place podium over her competition.

Delilah Rhiannon Felix-Lopez had a great work ethic this season and was undefeated in the CCCAA tournament.

Soto also said competitor Isabella Calle is a state champion that was also undefeated in the CCCAA tournament.

In preparation for the tournament, the wrestlers did runs, some weightlifting and spent time in the wrestling room.

In the wrestling room they spent about two hours learning different techniques and strategies.

Felix-Lopez said, “I feel we did so well for a small team, compared to other teams who had more girls.”

Felix-Lopez said the coaches were very kind and willing to answer any of their questions throughout the season.

The team was able to bond because they already knew each other from the summer sessions.

Solis said the biggest hurdle during the tournament was not having enough competitors.

Both coaches said that the team was very dedicated throughout the entire season, so placing third at the CCCAA tournament was a bittersweet moment for them.

The coaching staff did a lot of recruiting this year; the women’s wrestling team plans to have at least 25 wrestlers next season.

SportS 4 www.ELACCampusNews.com EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2023
CN/ADONIA BURCIAGA CN/ADONIA BURCIAGA LOCK IT IN—Delilah Felix-Lopez (121lb) attempts to lock her opponent in a submission after taking her down to earn some extra points.
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