Volume 76, Issue 21 | www.elaccampusnews.com | Wednesday, May 1, 2019 | Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
New weathermonitoring system installed on campus Aquaponics Garden nearing completion after upgrades BY STEVEN ADAMO Staff Writer ELAC’s new Aquaponics Garden and Science Learning Lab received a brand new weather-monitoring system last week. The garden and learning lab is part of a $6 million Jardin de STEM grant awarded to ELAC’s STEM Department two years ago. “Aquaponics gardening combines hydroponics and aquaculture where fish waste fertilizes plants and vegetables in an organically controlled system,” Lou Hughes, an internal evaluator for the STEM Department, said. “From a science standpoint, there’s a lot more you can do with it than with an ordinary garden.”
The aquaponics garden, according to Hughes, was inspired by the only other aquaponics garden in the area at the Roybal Foundation in East Los Angeles. The process of aquaponics is based on what the ancient Aztecs called “chinampas.” The STEM faculty, along with the assistance of the Roots of STEM student organization, will be in charge of operating and maintaining the garden and learning lab. The lab is a collaborative effort between multiple disciplines including engineering and geology. Phase-one of the project began Friday when Roots of STEM planted a variety of spring vegetables and over 2,000 seeds. Ammonium nitrate was also added to the fish pond, which will continue for 60 more days to ensure the water is safe enough to accept fish.
WEATHER Continued on page 3
CN/STEVEN ADAMO
WEATHER OR NOT— Mark Swicegood, left, and John Grimmer monitor data while Eddie Villanueva installs the new weathermonitoring system over an old ticket booth at the new STEM Aquaponics Garden and Science Learning Center.
Brothers bring awareness on global plastic pollution BY CHER ANTIDO Staff Writer
In celebration of Earth Month, brothers Hans and Nick Schippers brought awareness on Thursday to East Los Angeles College students on global plastic pollution and how it impacts the environment. They came from Oahu, Hawaii representing Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, a non-profit organization that organizes clean ups in their coastlines. They were in the middle of their West Coast Educational Tour from Seattle to San Diego, stopping by various schools to teach students the effects of plastic pollution and how they can stop it. “This is everybody’s problem,” Nick said. The brothers gave a presentation on how plastic is made and where it ends up after use.They talked about an article from Life Magazine in the 1960s where they advertise the use of plastic. The article encouraged the theme “throwaway lifestyle.” This lifestyle shows that people
could save about 4 hours of their day by using plastic, such as prepackaged goods and plastic utensils. “If you could save 4 hours, would you?” Nick asked the students. He said that plastic is cheap to manufacture. It’s cheap to purchase and pre-packaged food is quick to cook, saving people time. It’s convenient, but “this stuff starts to add up,” Hans said. Hans explained the way plastic start to accumulate in the ecosystem. He said it doesn’t go away; it photodegrades. “Every piece of plastic ever created is still on Earth somewhere,” he said. They showed students pictures of garbage landfills in underdeveloped countries like Indonesia that came from the U.S. and how they wash up on the beaches all over the world. Sea animals and birds are affected by this. They showed pictures on the insides of dead animals full of plastic that they mistook for food and pictures of animals getting tangled with leftover nets left by irresponsible fishermen. Plastic ends up in zooplanktons, sea plants that are responsible for the Earth’s oxygen. Most of the
oxygen is created by the ocean, and if the ocean is contaminated, so is the air people breathe. “It starts to become really harmful to our ecosystem,” Nick said.
“Individual action affected upon millions equals results...We challenge you to take personal control of your own life and see what you can cut out.” HANS SCHIPPER
Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii
They informed that the pollution people do all comes back to them. Animals accidentally eat the plastic, and the toxic chemicals in those stay in their system. Those animals essentially get eaten by humans, and no matter
how much it’s cooked and washed, humans end up eating those chemicals as well. The brothers also talked about their organization, the Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, and talked to students about how they can help reduce this pollution. They encouraged students to practice A.I.R.— avoid, intercept, and redesign. To help solve the pollution problem, students can avoid plastic and start using reusable items in their daily lives. Students can intercept the problem by participating in beach clean ups. They can redesign plastic by recycling and using it for other things such as art and homemade tools. “Individual action affected upon millions equal results,” Hans said. “We challenge you to take a personal control of your own life and see what you can cut out.” ELAC student Kelly Figueroa was impressed and was motivated to change. “The majority of information they provided was eye-opening. Especially when they explained the story of plastic,” Figueroa said.
She thought about ways the Husky Pantry, an ELAC food pantry, can reduce their use of plastic. “Now that I think about it we buy a lot of plastic. How can we kill two birds with one stone— address food insecurity but at the same time buy products that use less plastic?” Figueroa asked. It will be difficult, however, since the food in the ELAC pantry are all prepackaged in plastic containers. The two brothers advised her in buying food in bulk and putting food in reusable containers for students. “Try looking into areas and find food that aren’t prepackaged,” Hans Schipper told her. The brothers said it’s not about government or politics; it’s much more personal than that. “Plastic pollution is just about malama ‘aina, (which means) take care of the place that you come from and you call home. “At the end of the day, we all need this place to keep going. We all need the air that we breathe. We all need the clean beaches and clean streets to raise our children. That’s all it is,” Hans said.
Sociology Club hosts clothing donation drive Club encourages students to pick up and drop off donations
COSTUME DESIGNER WINS SCHOLARSHIP Page 4
News Briefs Graduation Deadline The last day to submit petition for Spring 2019 graduation is on Tuesday. Students must meet with a counselor to confirm their eligability and fill out a petition.
Hire a Husky BY KELLY VASQUEZ Staff Writer The Sociology Club wants to help bring confidence to students that can’t afford nice clothes. From now until the end of the semester, the Sociology Club is hosting a clothing donation drive to help students on campus who can’t afford clothing, no questions asked. Anyone is able to donate or pick up from this donation box located at the front desk in the Social Science Department building F7-307. “It basically came from the need that most of us were seeing on campus,” Faculty Advisor Irwing Jimenez said about the inspiration for the drive.
“Our campus population is undeserved. We wanted to start at the heart of the community. Especially since clothing makes you feel confident and better about yourself.” Jimenez is proud of the Sociology club for organizing the drive and taking care of the student population. He has already noticed how the drive has helped students. “So far we we have gotten great feedback. I noticed a few students grabbing things. Our goal in sociology is to be engaged with the community and I feel we are doing just that.” Myrna Palafox, a nurse at the ELAC Health Center believes this is a great thing to have on campus. “It’s a great benefit because we have a lot of students who are
“By taking care of yourself, you are opening up more job opportunities and even relationships.”
MYRNA PALAFOX
ELAC Heath Center Nurse
homeless or low income that do not have immediate access to these resources, and it’s nice to know they do. It’s important students start practicing good hygiene and self care now,” Palafox said. “ELAC is a stepping stone for people to enter their career. It’s important to start good hygiene and self care, because in reality you will be judged based on your appearance. By taking care of yourself, you are opening up more job opportunities and even relationships.” This isn’t the first time the Sociology club has organized something like this. Last year they put together care packages that were available for students all throughout campus. The feedback they received was
great, so they felt the need to help out our student body again. In addition to the clothing drive, the Sociology club wants to start a food pantry to help struggling students. They also aim to help outside of campus by going to homeless shelters and Skid Row to help the homeless in May. The Sociology Club hopes to expand and help the student body more in the future. Their biggest wish is to have more departments and clubs involved. “If we expand and include more people, then we can make a greater impact on the community and students,” Jimenez said. The more help they receive from the campus, the more they can help give back and help students in need.
S o u t h G a te ’ s H i r e a Husky job fair will be on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m in the parking lot.
Student Life Orientation
ELAC Student Activities will present Student Life Orientation today from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. in F5-209. There will be free food, giveaways, presentaions and more.