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Wednesday, October 12, 2016
www.elaccampusnews.com
FASFA makes application changes giving them a wider time frame to verify tax information and to improve accuracy on the ammount the applicant recieves. The Free Application for Federal Starting next year FAFSA will Student Aid made new changes send out award letters earlier to to the application process for the applicants in the Los Angeles 2017-2018 school year, and early Community College District who submissions are now an option for apply early. students who apply. “We will go through a system Compared to previous years, transition, we students don’t won't have have to wait until access to the January to start “In the past, students new system the application February,” had to wait until they until process. said Fong. The new received their W2s and In the future, change allows the upgraded students, who then file taxes. Now they system can plan to attend can use prior year tax be beneficial college in 2017b e c a u s e information.” 2018, to apply for students can financial aid as have the LINDY FONG early as October opportunity in ELAC Financial Aid Director 1st. determining According to what college East Los Angeles offers better C’s financial aid director Lindy financial aid. Fong, FAFSA opted to change the Fong suggests that students date as an incentive for students to should be careful when filling out apply early. their application, especially this “In the past, students had to year, since their tax information wait until they received their W2s from 2015 will be used for two and then file taxes. Now they can consecutive years. use prior year tax information. “If the application information That should make it easier for the doesn’t match, the department of student to apply earlier,” said Fong. education will require additional FAFSA will not require documentation to validate applicants to submit their 2016 tax the changes, and even put the information, but instead is allowing application on hold,” said Fong. applicants to use their 2015 tax information. FASFA Continued on page 3 This will help the applicants by
BY GIL MILANES Staff Writer
Former instructor files complaint on Campus News BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer Former East Los Angeles College instructor Robert Steven Johnson filed a complaint of discrimination against Campus News staff members and advisers for articles published in March. Johnson was a speech instructor until the start of the Fall semester. The complaint states that Campus News discriminated against him based on race, color and retaliation. The articles, as reported by Campus News, focused on Johnson’s use of his position to make a profit in selling a self-published book. Johnson accused Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Guevara of seeking revenge for failing his class. However, she received a B in the class, as stated in her transcripts. While many professors offer their work as supplementary reading, Johnson took it a step further by making reading his book, “Convertible Chocolate,” an extracredit assignment, requiring students
to review the book on Amazon. He sold the book in class for $10 with the option of buying a hard copy or digital copy from Amazon. Johnson gave explicit instructions not to mention the class in the reviews. Johnson made no mention of the book in his syllabus. He gave students who scored a low grade on a surprise midterm not mentioned in the syllabus a chance to make up the grade by promoting his social media accounts and helping him reach a certain number of likes and followers. Johnson’s complaint also states that Campus News did not allow his students to publish the truth. However, Campus News invited a group of his students the chance to write a letter to the editor when they came into the newsroom. Campus News also published a letter to the editor written by an ELAN defending Johnson. The Student Press Law Center has emailed the Los Angeles Community College District Office For Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on behalf of Campus News to inform them that publishing an unfavorable article is not an act of discrimination.
Robert Steven Johnson
League of Women Voters informs Elans about propostions BY JAVIER LOPEZ Staff Writer The League of Women Voters Los Angeles (LWVLA) and the Associated Student Union (ASU) brought guest speakers last Monday to inform students on propositions that will be on the November voting ballot. The debate began with Kim McGill from the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) defending Prop. 57. She stated all of the benefits that it would bring to California’s communities. One of the problems mentioned was about the overcrowding of California’s prisons. McGill went on to talk about how passing Prop. 57 would help ease the problem. In opposition was Jeffrey Monical, a strategic communications professional working on behalf of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. Monical said that there is already enough progress being made. “We are down a lot in prison sentencing,” Monical said. He believes that California has already done a lot to reduce overcrowding in prisons as well as sending prisoners to county jails and having them serve out their sentence.
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“This proposition 57 will improve the parole process and protect the youth,” McGill said. The first portion of the proposition is meant to enhance the chances of prisoners in getting a parole hearing if they are arrested for nonviolent crimes. McGill also said Proposition 57 is not a get-out-of-jail-free-card. She said that the process of getting out on parole would still be very rigorous. The proposition would only increase some prisoners’ chances of applying for early release. The second portion of the prop would give judges the power to decide whether anyone under the age of 18 will be tried as an adult. Currently, district attorneys make that decision. McGill talked about how damaging it is to let a district attorney make such an important decision. “District attorneys have to make charges based on crimes only and have to make decisions so quickly, sometimes without even seeing the person being charged,” said Mcgill. “Judges can also take circumstances into account,”Mcgill said. The judge would have more time to look over the case carefully without making a decision. The decision would also be
CN/JAVIER LOPEZ
PRESENTING ALL SIDES— Jeffrey Monical, left, Mona Field and Kim McGill listen to Oraiu Amoni explain why Proposition 55 is good for California’s education system. based off of living conditions, their income level and the severity of the crime, giving them a much clearer picture as to how to charge the accused. Monical also brought about another proposition that has already been passed to solve the problem. “Proposition 47 said, okay, this list of convicted criminals, we’re
Student Recital The music department will host a student recital today at noon in the S2 Recital Hall. Admission is free.
going to change from a felony to a state demeanor,” Monical said. “Every generation has to decide how to decide how your policing will work,” For Proposition 55, the defender was Oraiu Amoni, the Political Director for United Teachers Los Angeles. “We are just trying to extend
a tax that has already been set in place for another 12 years,” said Amoni. He explained the benefits of passing the proposition. This would add more programs in public education, hiring more teachers and professors, as well as allowing community college students to transfer in a timely
Mujeres de Paz The Sexual Assault and Violence Education (SAAVE) Team will hold a march and vigil for Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Thursday at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Performing Arts Courtyard.
manner. Amoni also said that the only people who would pay these taxes are those who make more than $250,000 a year.
For the complete version of the story visit elaccampusnews.com.
Financial Aid Event
Information and resources on different ways of receiving financial aid will be presented at a Financial Aid Awareness event on Thursday from noon to 2 p.m. in the D3 walkway.