Campus News Spring 2017 Issue 14

FEATURES

ARTS

SPORTS

Lunar New Year celebrated with Lion Dance

Theatre Arts design students win big

Women’s basketball makes it to sweet 16

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Volume 74, Issue 14

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Wednesday, march 1, 2017

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Dreamers ally with Telemundo network

BY FRANCISCO PORTILLO Staff Writer The Dream Resource Center partnered with the television network Telemundo for a news special titled “Conoce tus Derechos (Know Your Rights)” on Friday.

The purpose of the news special was to inform citizens on what to do and not do if United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents come knocking on their doors.

Telemundo built a set in front of campus to interview representatives of the resource center.

According to Jesika De Jesus, who works in the resource center, given the political situation that we're currently in, the Dream Resource center is a great resource that is available to students who have questions or concerns about the new policies that have been put into place by President Trump's cabinet.

“I remember having two students ask me ‘Should I go back to my country?’ because they are

afraid, and I have to tell them ‘No, continue with your education.’ A lot of students don't know about the resources that can benefit them.

What I've noticed is that students, a lot of students, are also afraid to ask for help,” De Jesus said.

Dream Act students, according to De Jesus, live in constant fear of separation from their parents and of the loss of their educational goals.

Not all students are aware that Trump has decided to leave Dream Act students alone, and that the center is one of the outlets available to students on campus.

The Dream Resource Center, an outlet for students who need assistance with issues regarding immigration, was once hard to find on campus. The initial location was inside the EOP&S office but relocated this semester to E1-1.

De Jesus said the move brings in more students and offers more privacy than the previous location, which was essentially a room.

Started by Vice President of student services Julie Benavidez, the center is coordinated by

Reyna Hernandez.

The purpose is to offer a place of sanctuary to Dream Act and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer students who feel there is no help available on campus.

Hernandez, who was also an undocumented student, understands Dreamers’ fears of losing their families after seeing her neighbor be taken by government agents.

LGBTQ and undocumented students are the primary users of the Dream Resource Center, and the center hires these same students to create a welcoming, relatable environment for them.

“I don't think (students) see us as workers. When you're an undocumented student, for some reason, you never feel comfortable talking about being undocumented.

They come in and see that (the workers) are also undocumented, so they feel like they can open up to us more. We’re more than just workers to them; we are family,” Judith Arguello, who works in the resource center, said.

One of the many services the

center provides is assistance with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals paperwork.

DACA students are undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as minors; the immigration policy grants them two years of legal protection from deportation.

The center has partnered with attorneys from Loyola to give students free legal aid, which would otherwise cost about a thousand dollars.

Other student services the center offers are free workshops, monetary assistance for book purchases, job placement, paid internships and referrals to other outlets that can provide further assistance.

The center isn’t solely for Dream Act students, but is also for students who feel marginalized and are in need of help.

Any students who feel as if they are in need of counseling or guidance can refer to the Dream Resource Center located in E1-1.

Johanna Calderon contributed to the story.

DACA students revive applications with legal aid

BY NOE ORTEGA Staff Writer The Welcome and Support Resource Center invited students to receive Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal assistance from the Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic on Thursday Feb. 16.

DACA is an American immigration policy that the Obama administration started in 2012.

It allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of

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deferred action from deportation.

It also makes them eligible for a work permit.

The resource center offers help to undocumented students, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer veterans, and members of the Disabled Student Program and Services.

Students like Oscar Cruz, who was brought to the United States at the age of three to have a better life, now worries about his future because of the remarks President Trump made about deporting all undocumented immigrants.

“It’s scary to see this kind of

A Night Out with Jazz

president was elected to lead the United States of America.

However, I should feel privileged to be here in California, which is a state that’s very pro-immigrant and is doing something for their undocumented students to create a safe haven for them,” Cruz said.

Cruz works as a staff member in the Welcome and Support Resource Center.

In the fall of 2015, 10,967 undocumented students were enrolled in the Los Angeles Community College District. Of those, 6,465 were credit students and 4,502 were non-credit students.

The First Friday Jazz Series this will feature the Jazztown Buffet quartet in the S2 Performing Arts Center on Friday. The show starts at 8 p.m.

General admission tickets can be purchased online or at the door for $12. Students pay $6 at the door.

Credit students are students who take credit courses and receive a letter grade at the end of each semester for college units.

Non-credit students take non-credit classes through the Continuing Education Division.

This is about 7.1% of all enrolled students.

East Los Angeles College had the highest number of credited undocumented students in Fall 2015 with 1,843.

Undocumented students are overwhelmingly Hispanic, with more than 80% of credit and noncredit students.

South Gate to host workshop

The South Gate Educational Center is hosting a “How to find books and e-books” workshop on Thursday in room 123. Students can sign up at: library.elac.edu/enroll.

Undocumented students had slightly higher successful course completion rates (67.8%) compared to all LACCD students (65.9%).

DACA has helped students like Cesar Hernandez who was brought to this country when he was three months old.

“It’s definitely helped me. I wouldn’t be able to afford college without it. Without DACA, I would have to pay tuition. I wouldn’t get the board of governors’ grant and I wouldn’t have access to this education,” Hernandez said.

While Cruz is worried for his

future, Hernandez believes that President Trump will do the right thing about DACA and not remove it.

“I’m not too worried because he knows that educated immigrants are here to help,” Hernandez said.

Like Cruz, student service worker Elizandro Umana works at the Welcome and Support Resource Center to help undocumented students. He believes that Dreamers are important but that there are bigger problems than DACA possibly being taken from students.

DACA Continued on page 3

Deadline Approaches

The 2017-2018 deadline to submit a FAFSA or Dream Act application is Thursday. To apply for FAFSA online visit: fafsa.ed.gov. For the Dream Act application, visit: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/.

Opinion Life as an undocumented student 2

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

BY ROGELIO ALVAREZ Staff Writer Never take voting for granted because many undocumented students like myself feel powerless against anti-immigration laws because we cannot vote.

East Los Angeles College students, faculty and staff affected by the current anti-immigration laws should stand together in solidarity and oppose xenophobia.

ELAC is a sanctuary campus and students can feel at ease knowing they can attend their classes without worrying about an immigration raid.

No one should deal with this problem alone when it affects millions of undocumented people living the United States.

President Donald Trump plans to add 5000 Border Patrol agents and 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to carry out deportations.

Early in his presidency,Trump signed an executive order banning refugees seeking resettlement in the United States for 120 days and prohibiting any Syrian refugees from entering indefinitely. It also bans citizens from Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and Libya.

It’s difficult not to feel helpless when you and your family are at risk of being separated every day. Undocumented people are ineligible to vote and it’s hard to voice our concerns without the fear of being detained.

Thanks to former president Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA),

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I was able to get a work permit which made it easier for me to find a job and not worry about being deported.

Even though Trump showed sympathy for DACA recipients in a recent press conference, I am not content because many of my family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues are at risk of being deported.

Daniel Ramirez, an undocumented immigrant, was protected from deportation thanks to DACA, but was detained by ICE

officers.

I once again felt helpless and feared being detained even though I have DACA. After Trump won the election, many students, faculty and staff gathered in front of the Ernest H. Moreno E3 building in solidarity to voice their disapproval of Trump’s presidency.

As a first-generation immigrant and the first person in my family to attend college, it was heartwarming to see many Elans showing their support for immigrants.

Students, faculty and staff advocating for immigrants should continue to do so. They are the voice for millions who of undocumented students who’s voices are unheard.

Immigration sympathizers play an important role in politics because they are eligible to vote for laws that directly affect undocumented students.

The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles is an organization that offers workshops informing people of their rights in case they get

detained. Upcoming workshop dates can be found on chirla.org.

ELAC opened a new campus program called the Dream Resource Center. The Dream Resource Center offers free legal assistance with the DACA application. Any undocumented student, not just DACA, are encouraged to go to the Dream Resource Center with any questions or concerns.

The ELAC Student Resource Center is located E1-176. For more information call (323) 780-6800.

Undocumented students face new threat

BY FELIPE RODRIGUEZ Staff Writer East Los Angeles College is one of many sanctuary schools that encourage undocumented students to pursue their dreams and even though the current administration is starting to deport illegal immigrants, students should be granted full permission to stay here.

With immigration raids and new policies constantly gaining more and more attention in the news, students that are undocumented find it harder each day to continue working toward their dreams.

The recent arrest of an undocumented student named Daniel Ramirez brought awareness to the new immigration policies that have been put in place under President Donald Trump administration and how unfair they can be against.

Ramirez is one of many young individuals that are currently under protection by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival and his arrest has sparked a big scare among many DACA students.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival act is a policy that was brought under former President Barack Obama administration that allows undocumented children to work and study here in the United States for two years.

These new immigration policies that have been all over the news the past couple of weeks are creating an uncertain future for many undocumented students.

Many undocumented students nationwide fear that DACA will no longer be able to protect them.

DACA students are recommended to lie low due to the high immigration search raids that have been happening all around California.

This scare has created a scary time for many undocumented students and are potentially cutting some dreams short.

DACA requires all applicants to undergo a background check and guarantees them that they will be protected if they are ever threatened with deportation. On top of that, DACA students are closely monitered and are punishable with deportation if they break laws.

This act brought great benefits to undocumented students living here illegally and it continues to allow hundreds of thousands of these individuals the right to work and

pursue their dreams in this country.

DACA is possibly one of the greatest bills this country can offer to young immigrants.

This bill encourages young undocumented individuals to pursue their dreams and it improves our nation with hardworking people that will benefit the future.

However, all of this seems to be coming to an end with this new administration that took office earlier this year.

With Immigration being a big theme in his campaign, President Donald Trump passed an executive ordr back in January that enforced immigration patrol and created a lot of tension around the nation.

These new policies placed under the Trump administration have slowly begun to target these individuals and are attempting to remove them from the country.

These policies expose the hatred the current administration has against the immigrants that are currently in the country.

Many of these dreamers fear that DACA will no longer be able to protect them and that is just unfair.

Ta k i n g a n u n d o c u m e n t e d individuals right to live here while they work towards their future is cruel.

Not all students pursuing their dreams are criminals and they are not enemies of the country.

Undocumented students are no different than anyone else born here here trying to make something out of their education.

Young undocumented individuals are here for the great education system this country has to offer.

These students would not even dare to jeopardize the opportunity they have in the country.

Undocumented students that are here protected under DACA are hard working. Many of themse students are here putting their greatest effort in creating a bright future for themselves.

This new immigration policy has created an unnecessary scare for many of these students and is outdated.

To find out more about this matter and how to keep in touch with current events you can visit the ACLU website. There will also be a workshop on March 2nd that will help guide students in the renewal process for current DACA students.

It will take place in the financial aid office E1-135 starting at noon to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm.

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

STEM to receive $6 million grant

BY ROGELIO ALVAREZ Staff Writer The East Los Angeles College Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program will implement new additions to their programs after receiving a $6 million grant.

The STEM program was awarded the Jardin de Stem grant from the United States Department of Education in October.

The grant will allocate $1.2 million per year for five years and will help fund peer mentorships, supplemental instruction for STEM-related subjects, reading apprenticeship, a summer math academy, an aquaponics lab and expand research opportunities for students.

“If we offer supplemental instruction to students in the class, they will succeed better... we also found that a lot of students have issues understanding and reading a STEM textbook,” MESA/STEM Director Dr. Armando Rivera said.

The reading apprenticeship program will assist STEM students with understanding their textbook by having faculty implement a reading component into their curriculum.

“We will train our faculty on how to help out our students understand their science textbook,” Rivera said.

The ELAC STEM Program will also see improvements to its tutoring services and summer math academy.

“The goal is to make it different from the academy we’ve had in the past. We’re going to make it shorter and a bit more math

intensive. …. We want to expedite the foundational skills in Math,” ELAC STEM Counselor Marina Rueda said.

According to Dr. Rivera, students that are paired up in mentorships are more likely to succeed in their classes.

Current STEM students will be paired with a peer mentor from a STEM discipline.

It will be either STEM students who are already advanced and ready to transfer paired with beginning students, or we might pair them with students who have already transferred,” Rueda said.

Another addition to the STEM Program is a coding academy where students will have the opportunity to learn and interact with computer coding.

With money from the grant, the

ELAC STEM Program plans to create an aquaponics lab for STEM faculty from different disciplines to utilize.

An aquaponic lab is a process that raises aquatic life using the feces from fish to provide nutrients and to cultivate plants grown in water.

“Students will be able to see realworld application of what they’re learning in the classroom,” Rueda said.

“We want to increase the number of ELAC students that successfully complete their degree here and also transfer to any four-year universities,” Rivera said.

Applications to join the STEM Program are available at the beginning of each semester. For more information call (323) 7806730, or visit the ELAC MESA/ STEM offices in E7-210B.

3

DACA: Workshops aid the undocumented Continued from page 1 “This is not a Republican thing; this is not a Trump thing; this is a long-standing issue in this country.

“This is what some people call respectability politics.

“Everybody puts the Dreamers up there but there’s a lot of other people that deserve that right, too,” said Umana.

Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic attorney Alejandro Barajas has helped ELAC students since last year

with their DACA and with general consultations.

“We provide a number of different services and we also go out into the community like schools, churches and any place that really needs us.

“We have been holding these DACA workshops at schools and help students with their DACA or general consultations, but because DACA is kind of limited right now, we have to discuss what’s going to happen to DACA,” Barajas said.

Forum on climate change turns awkward

BY CHRISTIAN HORTA Staff Writer

A tense moment occurred during the question and answer session at a conference held on Thursday evening explaining the science behind global warming.

Presenter Jeffrey Bennett, an astronomer and author, opened the floor to questions at the end of his presentation, and an attendee stood up in front of the audience to argue that some of his facts were incorrect.

When Bennett politely told the attendee that he was going to move on to other questions following the disagreement, the attendee yelled “You’re wrong!”

Nervous, quiet giggles fell over the room.

The event, Global Warming Demystified, was sponsored by the Department of Anthropology, Geography and Geology.

Professor Steve Koletty introduced Bennett, who has worked for the California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and NASA. Bennett also wrote a book called “Global Warming Primer,” which

explains the science behind global warming in detail.

Earlier in the presentation, he indicated that global warming has been a hot topic between climatologists and politicians, but it’s primarily a debate over the details.

He also presented scientific models and data to demonstrate that global warming is a reality.

The argument he made focused on how fast it will happen and how severe it will be.

Bennett says that the changes in our Earth’s climate have been gradual, however these changes are taking a turn for the worst at an exponential rate.

We may see sea levels rise by as much as a foot by the end of the century.

In addition, carbon dioxide levels are 40% higher today than in the past 800,000 years.

According to Bennett, one major factor that has to do with climate change is the greenhouse effect, which is what keeps our planet warm.

Carbon dioxide and methane are important greenhouse gases because they trap radiation emitted

by Earth and contribute to the heating of the atmosphere.

CN/JORGE ALDACO

EDUCATION WITH A SMIRK— Dr. Jeffery Bennett shows the audience a political cartoon that

argues global warming is a hoax at Global Warming Demystified, a workshop presented by the Anthropology, Geography and Geology Department.

Bennett said that without these gases, our planet would be too cold to live on.

He continued on by saying that

Workshop emphasizes importance of Chicano-movement walkouts

BY JORGE ALDACO Staff Writer Dr. Jose M. AguilarHernandez presented a workshop titled Youth Power: Student Activism in Los Angeles.

The workshop was presented Tuesday in the

Multipurpose Room in F5.

Aguilar-Hernandez is a professor at Cal Poly Pomona teaching in the Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department.

He spoke about the recent student walkouts and protest of recent events and past elections in US politics.

He also talked about the past few decades when the Chicano and

CN/JORGE ALDACO

ONCE MORE WITH FEELING—Dr. Jose M. Aguilar-

Hernandez displays photos from Chicano student walkouts during the late 1960s.

LGBTQ movements began to aligned themselves with other groups for a common goal.

Aguilar-Hernandez is the youngest of his family and was the only one to finish high school.

He saw the issues that plagued his family and community.

He also shared that his mother was deported while she was pregnant with him.

Aguilar-Hernandez also points out that LGBTQ and Chicano groups mixing together is more prevalent in the community, a personal milestone for him because he is gay and Chicano.

Aguilar-Hernandez covered the history of student activism of the 1930s, and explained how it had expanded as the decades progressed.

Some of his information included student protests that occurred in multiple parts of the world, such as Latin America, the Congo and Vietnam.

He also mentioned the importance of how multiple ethnic groups performing sitins and hunger-strikes help strengthen and further their agendas.

Aguilar-Hernandez will return for another forum April 27.

the increase of carbon dioxide is due to the burning of fossil fuels, which contain high percentages of carbon and include coal, petroleum

and natural gas.

Bennett gave evidence to indicate that global warming is ongoing because of the change in

regional climate.

Effects include an increase in storms, flooding, droughts, and wildfires in different parts of the world.

This happens because energy from the atmosphere is what drives weather.

Bennett also mentioned that the melting of sea ice is causing rising sea levels because ice coverage has shrunk dramatically.

This could mean an approximate 20-foot rise in sea levels by the end of the century, putting some parts of the United States underwater.

The consequences also affect our resources.

The process of ocean acidification is when carbon dioxide in the ocean turns into acid.

This kills coral reefs and affects ocean fisheries and fish stocks.

More than a billion people rely on the ocean for food supply.

According to Bennett, a possible solution to all this is not as difficult as it seems, and that scientifically the solution is obvious.

He said stopping the burning of fossil fuels is a start.

“We already have the technology needed today to stop burning fossil fuels, such as solar and nuclear energy.“

Los Angeles city grant to fund drone pilot program

BY ANASTASIA LANDEROS Staff Writer In partnership with the Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) and the Workforce Development Board (WDB), East Los Angeles College received a $300,000 grant to develop and implement a drone and robotics program.

The Commercial Drone/ Robotics Training Program will offer students the opportunity to learn programming languages and obtain the credentials needed to work within the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry.

UVA refers to aircraft without a human pilot onboard, and is either remote controlled by a pilot or selfpiloted using onboard computers that are programmed to fly the drone.

The curriculum for the program will be developed by ELAC Engineering and Technology Department faculty and staff in conjunction with the Tesla Foundation, a not-for-profit think tank dedicated to workforce development and technology education.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

ELAC’s robotics program will act as the foundation of the curriculum.

Participating students will learn UAV theory and computer languages like C++, Adrinos and Python.

The Engineering and Technology Department chairperson Jose C. Ramirez said that ELAC was chosen to create the program because of its existing courses in engineering and technology.

“ELAC has more engineering classes, so we are the ideal. We have a robotics class. We have an Adrinos class. We have a robotics team.”

The pilot program currently consists of individuals seeking job opportunities through the WDB. School program developers plan to expand the program into a permanent staple of the ELAC course catalogue once the program establishes its final curriculum.

The S cience, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program director Dr. Armando Rivera said that because the UAV industry is an emerging field, ELAC wants to be the first to educate its workers, who will have the opportunity to branch out into different areas within its scope.

“That’s, I think, the beauty of (the

industry). It’s not going to box you into one thing.”

Rivera went on to say that students that participate in the program can go into areas like drone programming, safety, mechanics and management.

Touching on the application of the skills learned through the program, Rivera said that graduating students will be able to take their knowledge and apply it to industries outside of UAV such as entertainment, safety and sports, referring to the use of drones during the recent Super Bowl halftime show.

According to Ramirez, the EWDD will be seeking employers to place students that graduate from the program into positions that match their course of study.

Of the partnership between the Tesla Foundation, Rivera said it’s mutually beneficial, as “they have the vision and we have the students.”

Spring participants are currently enrolled in math courses needed to participate in the program and will begin core classes during the Summer session.

Additional reporting by Ivan Cazares.

4

Feature

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017

Coalition aims for open dialogue

BY MARIA ISABEL CUBILLO AND JOSE GUILLEN Staff Writers The Coalition of Social Action, a new group, invited students, staff and faculty to address their anxieties caused by president Donald Trump’s administration.

The coalition aims to organize socially conscious events.

The coalition plans to have panels, lectures, documentary viewings, forums, teach-ins and more pertaining to issues of the East Los Angeles College community.

The first meeting was held on Feb. 9 in the Helen Miller Library’s student conference room.

Students, staff and administration members voted on the goals and purpose of the coalition.

Some of the issues that the coalition discussed include racism, sexism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, media literacy, police brutality, mass incarceration, immigration, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer rights, climate change and denial of science, among others.

The gathering was organized by professor of anthropology Julie Bernard, who had the support of other department members in attendance. Bernard had previously proposed to start this group in a Senate meeting in December.

“We want everyone on campus to know we are here for you, whether you’re a student, faculty, staff or administrator. We are all in this together,.and coming together is a bond we can all share to be a community,” Bernard said.

Attendees expressed their concerns about the aim of the

coalition.

One of the participants was quick to clarify that they did not want another committee that got together to have open disagreement about social injustices, but rather to bring openness to the lines of communication on campus.

“It’s great to see professors here that advocate for students, try really hard to help and aren’t just here for their paychecks,” Ariel Vargas, student.

Several participants emphasized that one of the aims of the coalition is to have everyone come together to find solutions and to set up support systems for all during these turbulent times.

Dolores Delgado, University of California, Los Angeles and ELAC professor of Chicano Studies, proposed to create a rapid response guide that would include all the campus resources to help students who are struggling. “ We k n o w ( o u r a c t i o n s ) will have political impact. We also want to acknowledge the pain and concern the students, faculty, staff and our surrounding communities feel. Everyone needs to be heard, to be able to express themselves and to be honored in order to touch the humanity within all of us,” Sociology Professor Rin Kahla said.

One of the reasons for the group coming together is the fear and anxiety felt by many under the Trump Administration.

Kamy Khashayar, professor of engineering and technology, expressed how Trump’s executive order banning people from seven

Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. impacted his family.

His niece and nephew were in Iran during a school break when the travel ban was enacted, he said, and added they are afraid to return to the States and continue their studies.

A federal judge in Seattle halted President Trump’s travel ban on

Feb. 3 by placing a restraining order.

Khashayar was pleased to hear the ruling.

“It has helped, but I remember when I came to America in 1976 and how I felt about the America I love and I’m proud to be a part of, and how different it has become now.”

Geography Professor Stephen

Koletty said changes in the community will always be there, but that community members should not feel defeated.

The next meeting will be held on March 7 from 12:15 pm to 1:30 pm. in building E7 room 410.

For more information about ELAC’s Coalition for Social Action, join: https://www.facebook.com/

groups/2079445718948842/.

The Facebook group is closed, it is searchable, but public can not view the posts of the members.

Students who want to receive information via the email list should email Professor Bernard at bernarjl@elac.edu.

Honor society looks to future

BY GUSTAVO BUENROSTRO Staff Writer Phi Theta Kappa, or PTK, is an honors society at East Los Angeles College that recognizes students for their hard work and aims to help them grow.

Any student can join and become a member.

Their mission statement is, “In our 100 year history, our mission has remained the same, recognizing scholars and preparing them for successful futures.”

They are part of the CaliforniaNevada Region of Phi Theta Kappa.

There are 1,300 chapters around the world.

The prerequisites to join the ELAC branch of PTK is having a cumulative 3.5 GPA, enrolled in East Los Angeles College, completion of 12 transferable units and a one time membership fee of $65.

This club is different from other honor societies or clubs on campus.

PTK has a worldwide reach of about 1.4 million members while other ELAC honors societies have about 300.

“PTK offers students a chance to see other academically successful students across the country, raising the expectations of each individual student's expectation of themselves.

There are also many leadership opportunities that are beyond the local communities for students who enjoy a national and global perspective,” said PTK advisor Wooi Ong. The club at school wants to raise money so they go to an annual PTK convention called Catalyst 2017, where members from all around the world meet

up and listen to speakers. Some of the speakers include CEO and president of PTK Dr. Lynn TincherLadner and PTK international president Andrew Porter.

The club is planning events throughout the semester so they can go to Catalyst 2017 in Tennessee from April 6th - 8th.

They will also be holding workshops to help with scholarship applications, and everyone is welcome to attend. PTK will have announcements as to when these workshops will take place.

“Our goal is to help students pay for their education. We often center meetings around our students and benefiting their education and career.

We plan to host more workshops based around transferring, college applications, and so on,” said Vice President of PTK Shannon Wu. “Students can apply to multiple scholarships who have partnered with PTK to support the best in our country. These scholarships are available for each step of students' academic pursuits--from Community Colleges, to Bachelors to Graduate degrees.” said Ong. Ong said that he would like to help students. He has some ideas on working with middle schools and high schools around Monterey Park. He would like to offer tutoring for the students at those schools for a fee.

“I would like to have a place for them to go so they can keep out of trouble. If we charge a small fee, they will have to come because they are paying for it.” Ong said.

PTK is currently in the process of getting the project going and are not sure when it will be done.

The club would also like to use hydroponics to grow plants without the need for soil or minerals. Ong says he has tried hydroponics in his own home and was successful. The club is planning where to do it.

Due to the club’s president recently transferring they will be holding elections to fill the position of president as well as treasurer and commissioner.

If anyone is interested in joining, meetings will be held in building E3 room 411 at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Bonsai enthusiast to exhibit art

BY JOSE GUILLEN Staff Writer Ken Teh, a bonsai artist, prefers to be referred to as a bonsai enthusiast.

The art of bonsai is growing a variety of dwarfed ornamental trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays by selective pruning. Similar to other art forms, it follows design principles.

Teh’s involvement with bonsai began 30 years ago.

In addition to being a bonsai artist, adjunct professor in the Modern Language Department at East Los Angeles College, Teh is also an oriental brush painter.

He is certified and a long time member of the Golden State Bonsai Federation in California or GSBF, which promotes the art of bonsai.

The depth of Tehs’ experience is impressive.

Throughout his childhood, enjoying watching his father as a

hobbiest, might have been the spark, convention which gives “bonsai but it’s the hands-on experience that enthusiast” an opportunity to watch creates a path. bonsai masters at work.

GSBF currently maintains three He frequently does workshops bonsai collections. and demonstrations at public events.

One is in Northern Teh is dedicated California at the and hopes to inspire Bonsai Garden at others to shared his Lake Merritt, another enthusiasm for bonsai.

“I do not think in Southern California He began this at the Huntington there was any single endeavor early in Botanical Gardens his life, although in event that cemented the beginning it took and one located at the Shinzen Japanese some time due to his my enthusiasm Friendship Garden in constant moving. for bonsai ” Fresno.

Given his unusual Te h ’s w o r k i s beginnings and his interesting and well current and longregarded in the time involvement, KEN TEH bonsai community. Insert quoter’s title here d e v e l o p i n g a n He is often hired by American approach Bonsai clubs and in comparison to the organizations to teach the art of Japanese masters.

Bonsai. He is a frequent presenter “I do not think there was any at The Huntington Botanical single event that cemented my Gardens. Conventions like “Bonzai- enthusiasm for bonsai. I had a hobby a-Thon” and he is part of the annual that I enjoyed and wanted to learn

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more about it. But I move around a lot, it was difficult to practice until having a yard,” said Ken. The approach is different for everyone. While there are rules to follow, each tree is different. You must observe the design of the tree in order to see what there is. There are many factors to consider, but the tree is a living thing. The more involved you get with bonsai, the more you will discover.

“One thing will lead to another and it keeps going that way. You must connect to it and work with it to reach its full potential, which is changing constantly. It’s a good path to mediation,” said Teh. His work will be featured at The Huntington Botanical Gardens during March.

Visit http://www.gsbfconvention. org for further education or recreational purpose here.

For more information you can visit http://www.gsbfbonsai.org/ default.asp.

Arts

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

5

In the

SPOTLIGHT

Lion dance honors Lunar New Year

BY CHRISTOPHER REYNOSO Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELLY HOGAN

DESIGNERS—Design students who participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. (left) Victoria inez Rivera (costume design honorable mention), Joyce Lopez, Henry Tran, Andrea Tinoco (props design special recognition), Stephen Azua (lighting design region winner) Roberto Andrade and David Sanchez (costume design region winner).

Theater arts students flourish in competition

BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer Design students from the Theater Arts Department won big at the 49th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) that took place Feb. 14-19 at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona.

Stephen Azua and David Sanchez won first place against 68 other competitors in the Design and Technology categories of the Region 8 competitions. Azua won for his Lighting Design in East Los Angeles College’s production of William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” and David Sanchez took home first place for Costume Design for Stephen Adly Guirgis’ “Den of Thieves.”

The Region 8 competitors included community colleges and four-year universities from Hawaii, Arizona, Central and Southern California, Utah and Southern Nevada.

Among others acknowledged were Victoria Inez Rivera, who received an honorable mention for her costume design in “Measure for Measure.” Andrea Tinoco, recieved a special recognition award from the Society of Props Artisan Managers for her prop designs in Phuong Diep’s “My Life Was Saved by Dolphins;” Roberto Andrade was a finalist for the makeup and hair design competition for his work in Moliere’s “Tartuffe.”Stephane Lopez, who advanced to the stage management finals.

The design students were given five minutes to orally present their individual project boards to a fivejudge panel. Their boards consisted of photographs and text that featured their design process, design concept and the research conducted. Judges then interviewed students for five minutes on their designs.

“Our design kids, not only are they mentored really well, but they get an opportunity that I think the four-year students don’t usually get until they’re juniors

or seniors. So our freshmen get opportunities to design, and they’re really so creative. Their mentors really allow them a great deal of freedom to explore their creativity when they’re doing their design work,” ELAC’s Theater Arts artistic director Kelly Hogan said. “We’re really proud of them. I sat in on the design presentations and I was impressed with all of them. They were tremendous.”

Azua, a second-time competitor at KCACTF, said he was a bit nervous about the competition but felt well prepared. He and Sanchez will continue on to the national competitions in Washington D.C. later this year.

“I just told the story as I was supposed to and talked about the certain design elements, and I got a win,” Azua said. “I really didn’t believe it at first. It seemed so surreal... even though I won, I still don’t feel like I’ve won yet because my competition continues.”

Tinoco said it was an amazing moment when she heard her name

called. “I didn’t get first place, so when they didn’t call my name I was a little disappointed. But then they called my name for the SPAM award, and it was really, really cool.

I felt really proud of my work.”

ELAC was also one of 10 competing colleges invited to present a scene from their production of “Den of Thieves.”

Additionally, 19 of ELAC’s acting students competed with over 300 other actors at the event.

The five-day festival conference also included specialty theater workshops, an acting scholarship competition and invited productions, scenes, short plays and theater pieces from two- and four-year colleges.

Cirque du Soleil, the largest theatrical producer in the world, hosted workshops on projections, makeup, prop design, and acting.

The KCACTF National Festival will take place at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. from April 16 to April 22.

The International Student Advancement Program (ISAP) kicked off the Lunar New Year with a lion dance and other festivities on February 16 at the E3 quad.

The main event of the festival was the lion dance performed by the Shaolin Temple Martial Arts Academy.

In addition to the lion dance ISAP hosted other activities including Chinese yo-yo, a ring toss, a lucky draw, Chinese calligraphy and Chinese paper cutting.

All to celebrate the year of the rooster.

There was a large body of students lined up for the activities, the audience grew even larger when the lion dance began.

The rhythmic drumming caught people’s attention. The crowd size doubled in the first five mintues of the dance.

A lion dance is a traditional Asian dance performed during special events such as the Chinese New Year. Variations of the dance can be found all across Asian nations, including China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Vietnam.

Another type of dance performed at this event was the dragon dance.

“It’s to bring good fortune, good luck and there’s a lot of symbolism behind it. Every decoration on the lion has a significance,” said Emmett Yu, a dancer in the silver lion.

According to a dancer in the golden lion Sky Fung, the story of why they celebrate is a monster named Nian used to wreck havoc on a villege.

The villegers asked a lion for help but the creature refused.

They decided to create something similar to the lion making it out of paper mache and fabric. When Nian returned the villegers scared it off and it never came back.

Master Bruce Wen of he academy added that they chose the gold and silver lions for the dance to bring wealth and fortune in the New Year. The lion’s colors symbolize the precious metals they were named after.

“We wanted to express our Chinese culture and define the difference between Chinese culture and American culture [so] ELAC students could learn more about our traditional culture,” said Shouzheng Zhang, president of ISAP, whose American name is Carol.

ELAC currently hosts 700 international students, and the goal of ISAP is to provide assistance to those students transferring to universities.

Student showcase art at writing center

BY EDDIE GARCIA Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES

SHOCK VALUE—Chris Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, forcefully recalls traumatic childhood memories in his girlfriend’s family home. The girlfriend is portrayed by Allison Williams.

Horror comedy explores social commentary

BY DORANY PINEDA Staff Writer There is nothing standard about Jordan Peele’s brutally smart feature film debut “Get Out,” a comedyhorror satire about the AfricanAmerican experience within a white suburban neighborhood.

“Get Out” is a social commentary about white racism and the real-life anxieties of the black experience in this country, which, as the film reveals, can sometimes descend into nightmare.

The film opens with a scene of a young black man walking down an empty suburban sidewalk at night trying to figure out the directions to his destination.

A white car suddenly appears and begins to creep up next to him.

As fear and tension wash over him, he turns and starts walking the other way, only to be attacked by a masked figure and dragged into the car.

It’s a terrifying scene and one that recalls the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012.

This event casts the tone of the movie, which only gets more menacing as the story unfolds.

Echoing the likes of classics like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?,” “Stepford Wives” and “Rosemary’s Baby,” Peele masterfully weaves the genre fluctuations of horror, drama, humor, action and thriller elements in an incredibly fluid way.

He gashes the familiar racial stereotypes so pervasive in Hollywood and zooms in on them, forcing viewers to think about race and social privilege.

The film follows the story of Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), an African-American photographer, and Rose (Allison Williams), his white, adoring girlfriend who take a weekend trip to her parent’s country house to meet them for the first time.

Upon meeting Chris, the family is friendly and seem to be focused on making sure he feels comfortable,

but it only does the contrary.

Missy Armitage, played by Catherine Keener, and Dean Armitage, played by Bradley Whitford, play Rose’s charismatic yet eerie parents.

Their performances are fantastic and deeply unsettling, though not in an overt way (at least initially).

Freakier than Rose’s parents are their zombie-like maid and groundskeeper, Walter and Georgina (Marcus Henderson and Betty Gabriel), the only other black people around.

During a family party later on, Chris notices another black man.

At first relieved by the presence of another black person among a sea of white affluent elders, Chris soon discovers there is something freakishly off about him too.

During a weird exchange between the two, something triggers the black guest and he charges at Chris yelling, “Get out!”

As Chris navigates the party and meets more of the white guests, the casually racist microaggressions

directed at him pile up.

From an older lady without invitation touches Chris’ muscles and asks, “Is it true? Is it...better?” as she looks down at his crotch to a white man’s proud remark of his love for Tiger Woods, the bizarre encounters and events leaves Chris wondering if a serious threat looms near or if he’s just being paranoid.

The jump-scares and ominous score keep the audience in suspense from the start, but the story eventually takes a truly bloodcurdling turn.

“Get Out” is truly a one-of-akind, meaningful horror film that had the audience cheering and clapping during some of the film’s key moments.

It’s a movie that many people, including Peele himself, were shocked to see made and will inevitably find its place in the list of the best American horror films ever made.

The film is rated R for violence, bloody images and language including sexual references.

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East Los Angeles College students can now have some of their artwork on display in the Reading and Writing Center located on the second floor of the Ernest Moreno Arts and Humanities building, also known as the E-3 building.

Claudia Jimenez of the Writing Center and Marisa Marofske of the Art Department turned a promising idea into reality.

It’s a new project that gives more exposure to ELAC students with artistic talent and is also a great motivational tool for aspiring artists.

Students can receive help with their writing while admiring fellow students artwork.

“The long-term goal of this project is to have student’s artwork on display throughout the campus and also bring more awareness to the visual arts.” Jimenez said, “Some admirers of the art pieces even asked if they were for sale.”

That would give the artist a chance to make a little extra revenue.

Some art pieces were put on display at the beginning of this semester and the hope is that additional students will submit their works to be displayed after spring break.

Sveral flyers are posted all over the campus to promote it. The deadline to submit artwork is on March 17.

If you have any questions, call Marisa at (323) 265-8842, or send an email to morofsmj@elac.edu.

6

SPORTS

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Women’s basketball earns spot in Sweet 16

shooting. Sophomore guard Allissa Gomez led all Husky players, sinking 17 of 22 free throws.

Staff Writer Gomez made two shots the whole game, but made seven consecutive The talent off of the bench for free throws to close the game. women’s basketball carried the Assistant coach Sarai Trinidad, team in the win over Santa Ana walked off the court admitting it College 88-74 at home Saturday, was not the best performance of the advancing to the Sweet 16 of the season for ELAC.. playoffs.

Turner said it might have felt The bench of East Los Angeles scary for many as Santa Ana kept College proves the Huskies have itself in the game. He also said more depth than most teams, the team had come outscoring the together quickly to opponent’s bench play a run and gun in 21 of 29 games “You can see how style, very fast pace. throughout the Turner said the valuable Garcia season. team was resilient.

Sophomores, guard can be. The He said that there Katrina Reeves and points she scores, have been injuries center Gloria Ortiz, and players with her defense, had an excellent game personal problems, off the bench. Reeves really make a thus players had to scored 16 points and difference. We miss practice and Ortiz registered her eigth double-double could have used games.

ELAC will of the season, scoring her tonight .” continue its road to 10 points and 12 state and a victory rebounds.

BRUCE TURNER against Pasadena The Husky bench ELAC women’s basketball guarantees a trip to coach outscored Santa Ana’s Los Positas College, 32 to seven, while in Livermore, CA, missing its leading for a third straight s c o r e r, f r e s h m a n season. guard Monica Garcia Silva, who The California Community is averaging 11.2 points per game.

College Athletic Association State “You can see how valuable Championships run March 10-12.

Garcia can be. The points she The Huskies are now 27-2 this scores, her defense, really make season coming off their best regular a difference. We could have used season record (26-2) ever and her tonight,”said head coach Bruce considered the best overall record Turner. by any sport at ELAC. Garcia sat out the game because Garcia and the Huskies will meet she was suspended for her twoan aggressive Pasadena team on technical fouls last week against Saturday at home at 7 p.m., Pasadena City College.

Pasadena will be hungry to ELAC kept its distance in the avenge its two losses to ELAC this final period with precise free throw season, Feb. 1, 58-45 and Feb. 17, 78-49.

BY DAN GUDINO & MARIA ISABEL CUBILLO

CN/DIEGO LINARES

QUICK BASKET—Guard Allissa Gomez slows down in anticipation of a cutting teammate in transition last Saturday during East Los Angeles College’s 88-74 win over Santa Ana College at ELAC.

Men’s basketball escapes

BY DAN GUDINO Staff Writer

The round-two playoff win, 79-77, at Mount San Jacinto College puts men’s basketball into the sweet 16 of the state tournament and into the semifinal of Southern Califormia Playoff Regionals.

ELAC began the first half with an 18 point lead, but let Mt. San Jacinto comeback, causing them to fight their way for the win.

With a 77-77 tie and 11 seconds to go, ELAC head coach John Mosley called timeout and drew up a play for sophomore guard Sequan Walker, who missed a jump shot, but sophomore forward Zeno Lake was in the perfect position to put back Walker’s miss with a tip-in layup.

“I just wanted us to play harder because I know we could’ve kept our lead throught the game. I’m just glad we came out with the win and are moving closer to states,” said

sophomore guard Walker.

Lake’s layup left two seconds on the clock and allowed one last attempt for overtime, or a Mt. San Jacinto comeback win.

“I feel we won the game as a team, it wasnt’t an individual person who caused us to win.” said sophomore forward Lake.

Mt.San Jacinto sophomore guard Tre Nottingham was called upon to give his team a last shot but missed.

As the horn blew, a moment of confusion and anxiety fell through out the gym because a whistle was blown right at the horn.

The fans in attendance and both teams stood in place awaiting the huddled referees to come out with a decision.

Mt. San Jacinto fans thought Nottingham may have been fouled ,which could have led to him at the foul line.

But as fast as the refs gathered together, they seperated, signaling no foul and ran off the court, leaving Mt. San Jacinto fans shouting in displeasure, “ELAC escaped.”

“We were put in a tough spot

because of our own foul trouble. It threw us off because our game plan instantly changed. We were forced into a lineup change,” Mosley said.

ELAC’s lack of offense in the second half opened the door for a possible comeback, allowing Mt. San Jacinto to score 10 or more points.

“It was tough without (sophomore guard Chandler) Redix and (freshman guard) Frank Bertz in the game because (their) guards were great.

“It was hard trying to find the right matchup and it changed our rotation of players,” Mosley said.

The veteran leadership of sophomores gave the Huskies a comfortable lead through the first half.

Husky sophomores, Lake, Walker, forward Roderick Williams and forward Chima Wami carried ELAC, scoring 39 of the 51 first half points for the Huskies,

with road playoff win outscoring the 37 total points of Mt. San Jacinto.

“Mosely coached a hell of a game, we played to the best of our abilities, and the team came together which caused everybody to play at a higher level and trust our coaches.

We’re one step closer to the championship,” s a i d sophomore forward Williams.

The production of the first half

disappeared. Turnovers in costly moments allowed a three-pointer from Mt. San Jacinto to tie the game at 72-72, with under three minutes to go.

ELAC ignored the raucuos home crowd and went on to drain five consecutive free throws, closing the game with Lake’s tip in.

The 77-mile drive to Mt. San Jacinto marked the third time the Huskies faced them this season.

ELAC with a 2-1 advantage marked the fourth time in two season the teams have played each other.

Earlier in the season at the Cuesta College Tournament, Mosley made history by capturing his 100th career victory as ELAC’s head coach, against the same Mt. San Jacinto team, winning 87-85.

Mosley who is in his fifth season, has eclipsed 20 or more wins in each season and has an impressive 111-38 overall record in his five years at ELAC. ELAC will now face South Coast Conference Champions in the California Community College

Athletics Association at El CaminoCompton Center College.

Compton possesses the best offense in the state.

It is the highest scoring team and has scored the most points this season.

“They’ll play fast and press (on defense) the whole game, that’s why usually, both teams will score so much,” Mosley said.

Compton who is ranked No. 2 in Southern California , is considered the No. 5 team by MasseyRatings. com.

“Knowing that we are playing such a great team make us lock in and focus more. We have so much respect for their program and players. We wouldn’t have any other way and we’ll leave it all on the court,” ELAC Assistant Coach Darren French said.

All games will be played on Sat, Mar. 3 at 7 p.m.

California Community College Athletic Association State Champions start March 10-12 at Las positas College in Livermore, CA. Eight teams qualify, four from the north and four from the south.

H U S K I E S

Sports Updates BASEBALL Since starting the season 6-0, baseball has gone on a seven-game losing streak.

This is the second worse streak in the state only ahead of the eight straight by Northern California school Gavilan College.

Dating back to its back-to-back scoreless losses to Riverside City College Feb. 10 and 11 (9-0 and 5-0), ELAC has been outscored 47-16.

There was the heartbreak marathon game at home against San Diego City College that went 16 innings, where ELAC lost 7-5 last Thursday. The Huskies let go too many opportunities, leaving 22 players on base against San Diego.

Then two days later, another extra innings game at Santa Barbara College, they lost 5-4 in 10 innings, last Saturday.

The silver lining in this season’s disappointment is conference play starts tomorrow against Los Angeles Harbor College, which is not doing well this season with a 4-8-1 record.

ELAC freshman first baseman, Thomas Acuna leads the team in batting average, at .333, with a homerun and 10 runs batted in.

SOFTBALL Softball looks much improved from last year, with seven mercy rule victories out of its 10 victories this season.

The mercy rule is used when a team is up by 10 or more runs after five innings, the game is called in the fifth inning.

Four of the 10 victories were a shutout, with the pitching making a name for itself. Sophomore pitcher Griselda Vasquez leads all pitchers with five wins.

ELAC is only six victories from matching its 17 win total of last season where they finished with a (17-21) record.

Statistically, ELAC ranks in the top 10 in nine different categories, which includes the second most triples (9) in the state.

ELAC has a tournament championship victory this season at the Mount San Jacinto Tournament, where the Huskies outscored its four opponents by a total of 46-10 on Feb.10 and 11.

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