Spring 2014, Issue 17

Thoreau takes center stage Page 5

Volume 71, Issue 17

Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

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Finding a ELAC students participate in bone marrow drive MAEGAN ORTIZ Staff Writer Hundreds of East Los Angeles College community members lined up last Thursday outside the E-7 Technology Center to try to help save 2-year-old Sofia Flores’s life.

The bone marrow drive hoped to find a match for Sofia, who was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia that affects only one percent of leukemia patients.

A bone marrow transplant is her only hope of survival.

SOFIA FLORES, 2

match

Dozens of volunteers, including members of Sofia’s family, dressed in bright orange t-shirts reading “Team Sofia,” collected samples and handed out informational flyers.

“We’ve done a couple of drives and we haven’t found a donor, but we’re hopeful and in high spirits,” Luis Flores, Sofia’s cousin, said.

Generally, family members are the best match for a bone marrow transplant, but Sofia rejected her father Ignacio’s marrow earlier this month.

The renewed campaign to find a bone marrow donor for Sofia started

this month, but previous searches were held last fall.

Sarah Arroyo from Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches (A3M), a recruitment center for Be the Match that manages the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world, said that there have been about 20 drives for Sofia to date.

“It’s a lot easier than people think to join the registry and to donate,” Arroyo said.

MARROW Continued on page 3

ELAC looks to be top contributor to blood drive JOSE CASAREZ Staff Writer

COURTESY RYAN SMITH

FOR THE WIN—East Los Angeles College’s Speech Team show off the multiple awards they won at the state competition in Concord,

Calif.

ELAC’s speech team continues win streak SERGIO BERRUETA Staff Writer ELAC’s Speech Team is vying to continue their winning streak at the state championship in Concord, Calif. in order to achieve national success in Denver, Colo.

At the state championship, the team managed to sweep up a new ELAC Speech Team record of 11 awards, including the Raul Herrera garnering prestigious Pentathlon Award.

“Simply put, this win is epic,” Speech Team coach Ryan Smith said.

Smith has been hard at work getting the team to reach this far for the past five years.

News Briefs

“Each year, the team gets better and better and all the hard work came together at the 2014 State Tournament. This is a major milestone,” Smith said.

The key members of the team who won included Sarah Nabb, who garnered the Prose Silver, Program Oral Interpretation Gold and Duo Interpretation Silver alongside duo partner Herrera.

Alberto Mireles earned the Dramatic Interp Silver with Nickolas Montero earning Dramatic Interp Bronze.

Gordon Ip earned Poetry Bronze and the team earned Second Limited Entry Division in the team sweep awards.

Herrera garnered the most awards with Prose Gold, Program Interp

Silver and Poetry Silver.

“Every moment is a struggle in an activity as competitive as forensics.

Every performance must be perfect to compete at this level,” Smith said. “From start to finish, every team member played a major role in this win.”

Herrera is the first ELAC student to ever win the Pentathlon Award.

The Pentathlon award is awarded to those who earn the highest number of points in multiple individual interpretation events.

“Being one of the first to win (from ELAC) is an amazing feeling,” Herrera said. “I was completely shocked and ovewhelmed. It was a beautiful moment in my life.”

The team has gained the support of Department Chair Michael

Graduation petition deadline

The last day to petition for graduation and be listed in the graduation program is this Friday.

ELAC students who are ready to graduate should visit the couseling office for more information.

Kasnetsis for playing a major role in getting the team to where they need to be on a national level.

“The administrative support both of these individuals have shown the team is greatly appreciated,” Smith said.

The team is going on to compete in the national competition in the first and second week of April with Coach J. Edward Stevenson leading a small portion of the team into the competition.

“The team does not have a second to lose,” Smith said. “We are already focused on Nationals. The future looks bright, but there’s always room for improvement and we are doing everything within our power to make every performance as good as it possibly be.”

Covered California enrollment at ELAC

Out of 251 participating schools in the National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge, East Los Angeles College was number seven.

ELAC has already hosted two successful blood drives this year.

A third one will be held in the auditorium on April 15 and 16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The most recent drive was mostly for the school staff. However some students were allowed to participate.

The third blood drive will be a part of the National Cesar E. Chavez Blood Drive Challenge.

Elans donated 400 pints of blood for the 2013 challenge and ASU president Eduardo Vargas hopes that number will double this year.

Vargas received an award in behalf of the school for its participation from a representative of the American Red Cross.

Vargas, who is in charge of organizing the blood drive, said he was aiming for first place this year and mentioned figures as high as 1,000 pints. One pint of blood can save as many as three people.

“Donating blood is important,”

ELAC will be holding an enrollment event for Covered California today in E1-140 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The March 31 deadline to register for Covered Califorina is quickly approaching.

Vargas said. He explains how donating blood saves lives and that someone with type O blood can help a lot of people. To receive blood, a person must be compatible with the donor’s blood type.

People with type O blood are considered a universal donor, meaning he or she can give blood to any blood type.

However, a person with type O blood can only receive blood from someone with their own blood type.

Those with type A blood can donate to those with the same blood type or a person with type AB blood.

Those with type B blood can donate to someone with the same blood type and to a person with type AB blood.

Those with type AB blood can receive blood from anyone, but they can only donate to a person with the same blood type.

Whether or not someone’s blood is compatible with a receiver can also depended on other factors.

Factors like whether or not an antigen aside from the A and B antigens is present in the blood.

BLOOD Continued on page 3

ELAC Campus News will not be printing

ELAC Campus News will not be printing for two weeks . There will be no school next Monday to celebrate Cesar Chavez’s birthday and spring break in two weeks.

The next issue will be published on April 16.

2

Opinion

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

TEMPTATIONS

EDITOR IN CHIEF Danny Vasquez MANAGING EDITOR Liliana Marquez

ELAC aims for smoke-free campus

ONLINE EDITOR Megan G. Razzetti ONLINE SPORTS EDITOR Tadzio Garcia

ERIK LUNA Staff Writer

ART DIRECTOR Lindsey Maeda

Trying to get people to quit smoking cigarettes is hard to do.

So, why bring this up? Last Thursday, East Los Angeles College, along with its Respiratory Therapy program, teamed up with Tobacco-Free Kids to promote “No Smoking,” in an annual event called “Kick Butts Day.” My last cigarette was on January 1, 2013. I decided to quit strictly for myself and no one else.

Sure, my parents, my brothers and friends would tell me I should quit, but as 2013 drew closer, I decided to quit.

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish in writing, but there is a strong emphasis on “I.” This was a good way to spread the word about the harmful effects of smoking, and how children fall victim to smoking.

The statistics alone were depressing. Yet, with these events, something is always missing. What about the people who gave up smoking?

Once you quit, it’s a never-ending battle. Whenever you see people smoking, that familiar urge comes creeping into your mind. “One cigarette won’t kill you,” you think to yourself.

What about students who go through the hectic college life, always resorting back to that nail-coffin, which makes you go coughing, cigarette?

Many universities and colleges have adopted a smoke-free campus rule. This would be fine, if we had people to enforce the rule.

Currently, smoking is only allowed at ELAC in two designated smoking areas. One is located in front of the lunch truck, because you can’t have lunch without that pungent aroma of burning tobacco, and by the Husky Statue.

So, why is it that I see so many students walking around smoking their favorite brand cigarettes? Why are school officials or the Sheriff’s not saying anything?

It’s easy. They are too busy or they don’t care. Whatever the reason may be, students continue to ignore the rules and smoke freely where ever they please.

I would always break this rule, so of course I expect others to do so as well. My reason for breaking the rule was simple. The designated smoking areas are too far away.

The solution is simple as well. Create more designated smoking areas, so the smokers are happy and those who don’t want to be near someone smoking, i.e., a former smoker, can avoid those areas and resist temptations.

The work that Tobacco-Free Kids and ELAC are doing is great and they should continue to do whatever they can to get people to stop smoking, especially children, but they obviously won’t be able to get everyone to quit smoking.

Making ELAC a smoke-free campus, which has been brought up in the past by faculty, is unrealistic because if people aren’t punished for smoking where they are not supposed to right now, then why will they be punished later on?

Creating new and easily accessible designated smoking areas for students and faculty is a quick and easy way to make sure everybody is happy.

Quitting smoking can be hard, but if you take it upon yourself to remove the temptations then it will be that much easier.

FRONT EDITOR Jesus Figueroa OPINION EDITOR Jazmin Tellez NEWS EDITOR Sergio Berrueta FEATURE EDITOR Desiree Lopez ARTS EDITOR Jade Inglada SPORTS EDITORS Carlos Alvarez Marcus Camacho PHOTO EDITOR Cynthia Laguna COPY EDITORS Tadzio Garcia Erik Luna Augustine Ugalde

CARTOONISTS Kien Ha Bryan Pedroza Anthony Tran STAFF WRITERS Terry Bui, Cesar Carbajal, Jose Cazares, Edgar Cuevas, Brenda Diaz, Douglas Gonzalez, Damien Guzman, William Hernandez, Diego Linares, Luis Marquez, Manny Miguel, Diego Olivares, Maegan Ortiz, Laura Parral, Bonnie Regalado, Amanda Rodarte, Luis Vasquez, Brian Villalba, Russell Zazueta

FAST FACTS •Currently, smoking is only allowed at ELAC in two designated smoking

areas.

•President Marvin Martinez and the Work Environment Commitee met to plan a smoking ban on campus on Oct. 1.

•About 1,000 college campuses in the United States ban smoking.

GMO in food destroys public health WILLIAM HERNANDEZ Staff Writer Remember that old saying: You are what you eat?

With the new and unhealthy types of food concoctions created through genetic modification, it may be time students start rethinking that old cliche.

Thanks to ever-changing biological technology, it is now possible to take the genes of a tomato, and insert those genes into a zucchini (and vice versa) presumably to create a heartier zucchini that sells faster and turns a bigger profit.

Growers are seemingly more invested in the almighty dollar than producing nutritious goods for their consumer’s quality of life.

Naturopathic doctor and men’s health instructor Anthony M. Antonacci considers GMOs to be the product of a profit-driven system that is more concerned with money and capital-gains than consumer health.

“Many more of my patients are showing up with colon cancer and I can only attribute it to their poor diets,” Antonacci said.

“They’re eating a lot of soy, corn,

canola and that’s all genetically modified because they put the pesticide directly into the seed when it’s planted so it’s Roundup ready.”

Roundup is a agricultural pesticide used by farmers to conserve fuel and improve crop stustainability.

The side effects and long-term health risks caused by GMOs are detrimental.

They can also alter students moods which can then interrupt their sense of concentration when studying.

Many mass-food distributors such as Monsanto, use genetic engineering for the sake of making more money by expanding the pace of production along with its size.

The downside to this is that the crop is genetically-modified with pesticides and Monsanto’s own herbicide Roundup.

This can attribute to a high risks of tumors, according to a study performed on rats by Dr. GillesEric Seralini of University of Caen in France.

For example, in 1995, Monsanto genetically engineered a potato crop to fuel its production line and distribute it to their consumers like McDonalds.

According to online news-site Mother Jones, McDonalds actually

told their fries supply to stop producing GE corn oil because of possible health hazards.

This is the same food-shark that was using (meat scraps mixed with ammonium hydroxide), “Pink Slime” to make their Big Macs.

Out of the 64 developed countries, the United States is the only one that doesn’t label food made with GMOs.

Capitalism is what this country was founded on, but Alexander Hamilton was not this cold-hearted.

In the 2012 election, California voters rejected Proposition 37 which would have made it mandatory for companies to label the products made with GMOs. Prop. 37 was defeated by large corporations such as Monsanto, Pepsi Company, and General Mills

www.ELACCampusNews.com

that donated more than $45.6 million toward the “No on 37” campaign.

This is not your typical ballot initiative. It was a classic David versus Goliath feud with the public being the small underdog that came up just short.

One way to identify GM products is reading the ingredients section of food labels.

If there happens to be a whole bunch of chemical names that seem odd, chances are that it’s a GMO. But research is critical. With our smartphones it’s very simple to look up “potassium benzoate” found in diet coke.

The unfortunate truth of produce sold at markets is that unless its been certified organic, there’s a high chance of the apple being a GM apple.

Though the food cost is pricier at Whole Foods than it would be at Ralphs, it’s certified to be quality and you know what you’re getting.

“There was a Coenzyme Q10 supplement from Trader Joes someone brought in that said it had soy. I guarantee that’s been genetically modified... I wouldn’t touch that product,” Antonacci said.

GMOs are slowly eating away at the consumer wallet, and next its biting into the public life span.

PODCAST TEAM Jesus Figueroa, Diego Linares, Desiree Lopez, Manny Miguel, Megan G. Razzetti ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT Stefanie Arocha DISTRIBUTION Manny Miguel Augustine Ugalde ADVISERS Jean Stapleton Sylvia Rico-Sanchez 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 250 words or less. Campus News reserves the right to edit letters for grammatical errors or libelous content.

Anonymous letter s 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.

East Los Angeles College Campus News 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez E7-303 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8819, Ads (323) 265-8821 Fax (323) 415-4910 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.

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News 3

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

ELAC’s Chemistry, Biology Club garner awards DESIREE LOPEZ Staff Writer

CN/MANNY MIGUEL

CELEBRATING EMPOWERMENT— First Women’s Olympic Basketball Coach Billie Moore teaches students what it takes for anyone to succeed on and off the court.

Olympic coach celebrates women’s month at ELAC MANNY MIGUEL Staff Writer First U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Coach, Billie Moore spoke March 18 in the second of three events held at E9 103 East Los Angeles College that celebrates women’s history month.

Moore talked about the significance of the accomplishments she and her team had in the 1976 Olympics held in Moscow. She also gave encouraging words to young adults to stride to become the best one can become on and off the field.

Moore added that since Title IX was implemented, which banned discrimination based on sex in education and federally funded programs, women have made strides in sports. She also added that women in sports have come a long way from where they were at 40 years ago.

She said that for example the

WNBA are at a higher level of playing since it first started in 1997.

The game is more competitive, the athletes are bigger, faster, and stronger.

Moore hopes that one day WNBA athletes are able to make livable income.

She remembers when women’s only choice to keep pursuing basketball was to play professionally overseas.

Moore went on to say that the biggest strides women in sports have made have been at the “grassroots.”

Moore coached the 1976 Women’s Olympic Basketball team that went on to earn a Silver Medal. They lost to the Soviet Union in the medal round, which at the time was the best team in the world for more than a decade.

The way atheletes are trained, the way they are educated and the way they are thought that they are able to play sports, get an education and

have a family at the same time has changed.

Women are also thought that they are able to make something of themselves, something that was not thought about in the before, where they were thought to be second to men.

Ten players from the 1976 Olympic team went on to be inducted in the Hall of Fame.

Moore’s message to her athletes and anyone who strives to make something of themselves is to strive for perfection, to be more than good.

Moore explained how in order to make the Olympics they had to win a qualifying tournament in which the top two, plus the host, would enter the Olympics.

In that tournament, no one gave them a chance. No one believed that they would place anything better than eighth from 14 teams. They placed second.

Moore went on to become the first

women’s basketball coach to win the national championship with two different schools, California State University, Fullerton and University of California, Los Angeles.

Moore was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame that same year.

She said that people should not feel that they do not have a role.

“When you’re part of a team there’s no status quo. You either move them forward or back, but you are a difference maker,” Moore said.

Moore explained that, in order to become a leader, one needs to find a gift, develop that gift and share that gift.

Moore ended the event by saying that everyone has four things that they have control of everyday of their lives.

They are one’s attitude, how hard one works, how one treat others, and how one treat themselves.

Blood: Elans donate in national drive challenge Continued from page 1 This third antigen is called the Rh factor.

Rh factor determines whether the blood is negative or positive.

A person’s ethnicity can be another factor.

The success of the blood drive will depend entirely on the number of students that participate.

Vargas said he encourages professors to mention the blood drive during class.

There are only a couple of weeks left to get the word out. Spring break is coming up and the blood drive will be held after classes start again.

A staff of approximately 20 trained people will help donors through the process.

Donors will spend 15 minutes giving blood and the entire process should take approximately 45 minutes.

Snacks and orange juice will be provided for donors.

They will be allowed some time to rest after they give blood.

On April 15, In-N-Out will be giving out meals to ASU members, while supplies last.

Donors must be healthy and weigh at least 110 pounds. People with tattoos are allowed to donate if the tattoo was applied in a state regulated facility or they must wait at least 12 months otherwise.

There are other reasons why some people may not be allowed to donate.

Those reasons include medical conditions that may affect the receiver.

Marrow: Students come together to find donor lasts for about a week, to a week and a half. In both procedures, The initial screening process took the cells come back to your body in four to six weeks so your body less than 10 minutes per person.

Individuals first filled out a can replenish itself and it doesn’t general health form, followed cause any permanent damage,” by a consent form saying if they Arroyo said.

While the urgent need to save are chosen they will donate their Sofia’s life was the primary reason marrow. for the drive, some participants saw Then the inside of both cheeks the bigger picture. were swabbed 10 seconds with “There could be a chance that I four long cotton swabs to match the could help in a small way and make DNA. a difference President of and if I’m not ELAC’s Feminist compatible Majority Club with her I Tiffany Guo who hosted the It is a comitment. Once you c o u l d b e drive, reminded register with Be the Match, compatible people that the you stay in the system until w i t h o t h e r kids,” ELAC simplicity of the your 61st bithday...but student Paula initial process s h o u l d n o t b e untimately you are saving A p a r i c i o said. a life. misconstrued. “ We d o “It is a want to find Tiffany Guo commitment. a donor for Feminist Majority Club Once you register Sofia but we with Be the President are helping Match, you stay out other in the system until people who need a match,” Flores your 61st birthday...but ultimately said. you are saving a life” Guo said.

While family members said Sofia If someone is a match, they are is in good spirits and always smiling, contacted to see if they want to her situation is dire. donate bone marrow.

Two weekends ago, Sofia was The most common way to donate admitted into the intensive care unit. is Peripheral Blood Stem Cell ELAC kinesiology professor Donation, which is similiar to a Marilyn Ladd initiated the drive blood transfusion.

One out of four donors will be after seeing a report about Sofia on given an anesthetic while a needle the local news.

Ladd thought ELAC was the takes liquid from the pelvis bone. perfect place to hold a bone marrow “The soreness after this procedure drive for Sofia.

Continued from page 1

“

The little girl is half Hispanic, half caucasian and the school population is diverse.

“I wanted to get something started here to find a match for this young baby, this little angel. It all snowballed from there,” Ladd said.

Within the first hour of the drive, more than 50 samples had been collected.

“The community has been good. We’re really grateful,” Luis Flores said.

Some were not surprised by the positive reaction.

“I know this community. I expected a good response,” Ladd said.

The response was so good that the drive was extended from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The entire football team delayed practice to participate.

Information about the drive was plastered throughout the campus and Sofia’s image greeted people on the the campus marquis on Cesar Chavez Avenue.

For those who could not attend last week’s drive but would like to see if they are a match or want more information, go online to www. a3mhope.org or join.bethematch. org/teamsofia and find the link to register online. A3M will send you a postage paid kit to submit your donation.

Sofia has about two months to find her donor.

Sofia’s uncle Jose Monroe Flores said that, while the entire experience has been hard for the family, seeing the community turn out has given them extra strength and hope for Sofia’s cause. www.ELACCampusNews.com

East Los Angeles College Priory of Biology and Chemistry club wins “Outstanding” and “Green Chemistry” Awards at the American Chemical Society National Awards Competition last Sunday at Dallas, Texas.

The POBC club won two out of the four awards given at the ACS National Awards Competition.

The POBC club competed against schools such as Pepperdine University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“I am pretty proud that POBC made it on the list, I felt pretty nervous even if I had competed previous years,” Club Vice President Millie Szeto said.

The POBC club introduced a filtrating system to students at Brightwood Elementary School by building a homemade filter made up of gravel and sand, which earned them the “Green Chemistry” award.

The club won the “Outstanding” award by working on projects that teaches students basic fundamentals of chemistry such as, safety laboratory procedures and the scientific method at elementary schools.

POBC is currently working with high schools and teaching them about organic chemistry through smell, a concept created when one of the speakers for the club, Dr. Rios from University of California, San Diego.

“The fact that a small club could win such prestigious awards is very flattering. Everyone in the club helps out, but the brainchild of the club is Dr. Rivera,” Szeto said.

Club president Julianna Jimenez was unable to attend the award ceremony. Vice President Szeto accepted the awards. The clubs advisers are Dr. Armando Rivera and Dr. Kirk Olsen.

Consisting of 15 members, which include President Jimenez, Vice President Szeto and Edwin Hernandez and Secretary Marco Lopez, Treasurer Daniel Vega, and delegates Erin Gerardo, Xingyu Lu, and Hever Castellanos.

The club sends in an end of the year report, which includes photos and documentation about what the club did throughout the year to the ACS National Awards.

One that included bringing awareness during their community outreach on how to incorporate a green environment by recycling and filtering.

POBC is currently working with Eastmont Community Center, a center for underprivileged children, bringing knowledge to a younger crowd in the same way they did for Brightwood Elementary the previous year.

The club calls this event “The Chemistry Magic Show,” creating fun experiments for the attendees.

“Chemistry is one of the fields that demands long hours of study and commitment. These students have shown they can balance academic with extracurricular activities,” Co-adviser Dr. Rivera said. “I’m most proud because the awards were given mostly for service that our students provide to the community, and giving back is always important and essence to succeed in a science career.”

The POBS club meets every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 12:15-1 p.m. in room H8-117.

4

Feature

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Elan pledges her love at the Grammy’s Megan razzetti Staff Writer

Millions watched as 34 couples took their vows at the Grammy’s last January, One of those couples included Patricia Garcia and her partner Christine Ruiz.

When East Los Angeles College student Garcia tied the knot with her wife at the Grammy’s, she never expected the kind of impact it would have in her life.

Popular hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, performed their hit ‘Same Love’ accompanied by Mary Lambert, Queen Latifah and Madonna.

Patricia, a Montebello native majoring in Sociology and Women’s Studies, describes the chain of events leading up to the special moment as completely weird.

“In the weeks leading up to the Grammy’s, we were not allowed to tell anyone about the wedding because we signed a confidentiality agreement,” Patricia said.

The couples lined the aisle, exchanging vows during a live wedding ceremony officiated by Latifah.

In same sex marriage, couples tend to keep their own last names, but in the case of Patricia and Christine, they opted to to share Christine’s last name Ruiz.

In 2012,the battle against Proposition 8, which was created to ban same-sex marriages in the state of California, was raging.

In June of 2012, Patricia was diagnosed with Thymoma, a rare form of cancer.

“I was devastated. The whole family was in the room when the results came in,”Christine said, “Everyone cried except for her (Patricia), who stayed strong and asked what the next steps would be.

I had no choice but to be strong.”

with Patricia’s makeup the day of the event.

The reality of the actual event did not really sink in until the exact moment they were about to walk out during the performance.

"Throughout the day, nobody really realized the impact that this might have," Paricia said, "We spent the day bonding with the other couple. It didn’t hit us until we were actually about to walk out."

She also was amazed to see the diversity of couples that were involved with the event.

They ranged f r o m g a y, straight, elderly and interracial.

All eyes were on all the couples as they exchanged vows.

Despite everything that was surrounding the couple, Patricia felt as if Christine and she were the only ones there.

"As we exchanged vows, it felt like everyone was shut out, that it was only Christine and I," said Patricia.

Christine said the whole experience helped bring positive energy in their lives as they began a new year.

The media followed the excitement of the event.

Patricia and Christine’s quick interview on Access Hollywood helped connect Patricia with a patient who also was going through the cancer she had to battle.

"A woman contacted me after she heard my story on Access Hollywood," Patricia said, "She has a husband with the same cancer I had."

Patricia explained the kind of treatment she had gone through and even visited them.

"I didn't know how much of an impact this would make," said Patricia.

Patricia’s sister in law and best friend has always been active in spreading awareness.

P a t r i c i a ’s activism does not only include the on going fight for the civil rights of the LGBT community but also for the rights of undocumented people.

"She always puts others first," Vartan said. .

Patricia has participated in many protests including one that involved her fasting for the Dream Act, bill designed to help undocumented students receive residency for a certain amount of time in the United States.

Patricia’s activism has also spread to her wife who credits Patricia for teaching her about other people and the way they live.

“She taught me to be active and to be an ally to other,” Christine said.

After 6 months of being in remission, Patricia has made plans to transfer from ELAC. She has already been accepted to Mills College in Northern California. However, she is still awaiting news from Mount Holyoke College.

"I want to ultimately go to law school," Patricia said.

Patricia said through her experience, she hopes that people will become more tolerant of each other.

Patricia Garcia

courtesy of Patrica Garcia

True love — Patricia Garcia, left, and her wife Christine Ruiz share a moment before exchanging vows at the 56th annual Grammy’s.

The couple then decided to have an intimate commitment ceremony.

They celebrated their love for each other among 50 of their closest friends and family.

When same sex marriage became legalized in the state of California in 2013, Patricia and Christine were still not legally married.

“One of my best friends casts TV shows and was looking for people to get married at the Grammy’s,” said Stacey Ruiz, Christine’s sister, “I thought of my sister who wasn’t legally married yet.”

Patricia could not keep the secret from everyone. She turned to her closest friend for help preparing

for the big day.

"Patricia came to me asking for my help," said Jasmine Varten, Patricia’s closest friend. “She had no idea what she would be wearing."

Vartan then enlisted the help of her husband to sketch out and create a wedding dress suitable for the Grammy’s and helped

A smarter phone deserves a smarter plan.

CN/manny miguel

Power learning – San Gabriel High School track and field coach Adriann Crespo, left, shows Emily Marquez the shot put power stance.

Athlete rises above discrimination Manny Miguel Staff Writer

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Despite many struggles as an openly gay athlete, Adriann Crespo, 19, finds the strength to better herself.

A graduate of Schurr High School, Crespo had a strong start to her career in track and field at East Los Angeles College.

Before joining track and field, Crespo used to play soccer in an outside league during her high school years.

Crespo says that to her playing soccer meant a lot, to her.

The daily discrimination she faced from both her teammates and coaches led her to leave the game behind.

“I would come back from practices with bruises everywhere, and black eyes.” Crespo said.

Crespo played as a goalie for her team. During practices her teammates would lunge at her cleats first.

“My own teammates would lunge at me with their cleats first and my coaches would just let it happen,” Crespo said.

Crespo soon left soccer altogether, regardless for the love she had for the game.

“After a while there was no point to continue to play hard if none of my teammates would have my

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back,” Crespo said.

When she joined track and field she said that she felt taken care of by her teammates and coaches.

She says that people here at ELAC are more open minded and do not care about what personal preference are.

Crespo hopes to have a stronger sophomore year, and get to the state championship. She wants to beat her own marks before she transfers from ELAC. Crespo advanced to Southern California out of the South Conference finals as a freshman this past season.

She hopes to transfer to Humboldt State University or a division one school program. She is also determined to earn a master’s in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology and Biology.

Crespo said she wants to some day become a physical therapist for a professional team.

Crespo has been coaching high school track and field for the past two years.

She first started last year at Schurr High School as an volunteer assistant coach. She was then offered a coaching position at San Gabriel High School.

Crespo said that at Schurr High School she would be bullied by one athlete that she happened to compete with before becoming her coach. That individual would

make up stories about Crespo that weren’t true.

She plans to continue coaching track and field as a hobby.

Her biggest influence is her father, who, after serving in the military for 32 years, is now retired.

She would one day want to join either the Navy and/or military, and eventually volunteer with helping Veterans.

Crespo has had a rocky relationship after coming out to her mother in eighth-grade. She currently does not live with her mother, but hopes to better the relationship.

Crespo said that even in elementary she would be bullied.

Growing up, boys would make fun of her because she was a tom boy. Even though she changed schools, she would still get the same treatment from her fellow classmates.

“Sports help me push myself m e n t a l l y a n d p h y s i c a l l y, ” Crespo said.

Crespo said since coming out she learned to not depend on others.

We need to learn to be able to push ourselves in order to reach our full potential, she said.

Through all the countless struggles Crespo has faced, she still pushes herself to be better.

After a great start to her track and field career, she is poised for a better season next year.

Arts 5

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

In the

Spotlight Getty Center welcomes Elans to college night marcus camacho Staff Writer The Getty Center will host the College Night event on April 7 in the museum courtyard.

College Night is an event where college students get together and learn about the exhibitions that are at the museum.

“The event is for enjoying time with friends to socialize and enjoy yourself. At this event you meet and learn about different people’s backgrounds and heritage,” said Salvador Alamo, Getty Center visitor services associate.

The event will feature live music from a DJ, a performance by the band Rivoah and a set from the event’s headliner, Mystery Skull. There will also be meet-the-curator sessions.

Students will enjoy special presentations and tours.

There will be music, food, and other activities especially for college students to enjoy and connect as intellectuals.

College Night will celebrate the event by showing the guests exhibitions. The Getty Center will feature displays such as “A Royal Passion: Queen Victoria” and Photography and Jackson Pollock’s “Mural.”

Students will get exclusive access to Pollock’s work that features the storied mural and behind-the-scenes exploration of the conservation process.

Attendees can connect with Queen Victoria through photographs and artifacts, discovering both her royal life and the concurrent development of photography.

The other exhibitions that will be on display are “Hiroshi Sugimoto: Past Tense,” “Hatched! Creating Form with Line” and “In Focus: Ansel Adams.”

The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles.

The event is free and from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Guests are recommended to make reservations, but they are not required. If interested in attending, make reservations by going to www.getty.edu/collegenight and click the button under the registration.

For more information contact The Getty Center at (310) 440-7330.

CN/jesus figueroa

sailing—Henry David Thoreau, played by Evan Garcia, takes Ellen, played by Kathleen Nunez, on a boat ride in East Los Angeles College’s production of “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” which premiered last Friday at the Black Box Theatre.

Stage production makes lasting impression russell zazueta Staff Writer

After the cast performed an enchanting pre-show in the hallway, throngs of Elans entered the Black Box Theatre for “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail.”

Director Kelly Hogan executed a wonderful interpretation of the original 1970 two-act play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The play takes place in 1846 Concord, Mass., when people were reluctant to question religion and politics for fear of being charged with blasphemy and treason.

Evan Garcia’s portrayal of Henry David Thoreau had the audience riveted to their seats throughout the performance.

Garcia’s passionate acting and emotional stage antics had the audience wrapped around his finger.

He generated countless moments of humor and unforgettable, heartfelt moments of somberness that caused eyes to water.

Garcia brilliantly performed gut-wrenching scenes of Thoreau’s never-ending battle with righteous indignation and loneliness.

The audience received a taste of the prejudice towards freethinkers in those days. To the left of the stage, two dingy bunks, minus a set of bars, represented a jail cell.

On the opposite side, a desk belonging to Ralph Waldo Emerson, played by Samuel Solorio, shared the stage for a scene inside his home.

Perhaps the most important element that brought the show to life was the monitor screen looming behind the stage that illuminated different environmental backdrops to prompt scene change.

In one of the most gripping and diabolical moments of the show, the backdrop changed red and supported an image of what looked

like a burned down town. It was joined by a faint blanket of red stage lighting to simulate a nightmarish dream Thoreau was experiencing.

There were many scenes plotted for the audience to wonder what life would be like if transcendentalism was incorporated into their daily lives.

Deacon Ball, played by Miguel Carachure, did an excellent job of portraying an uptight, pretentious snob that everybody in the audience wanted to smack for being patronizing and pompous to Thoreau.

B a l l ’s f e a r o f T h o r e a u ’s unorthodox nature prohibited him from understanding Thoreau’s wit.

As a result, he thwarted Thoreau any chance he had in the name of his religion and political beliefs.

Ellen, performed by Kathleen Nunez, played an older sibling of one of Thoreau’s students.

She was sent by her father, who antagonized Thoreau to pull her brother out from his classroom

before Thoreau’s teachings could corrupt him further.

Hogan made a stylistic choice to stray from continuing scenes in chronological order.

Instead, the sequence of events leading up to the day of Thoreau’s imprisonment were scrambled with flashbacks of Thoreau’s earlier life and divided by jail scenes in the future.

A slew of vests, bow ties and elegant dresses came together center stage into a clothesline formation to bow for an audience that rumbled the theater with a frantic salvo.

“The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail” is a remarkable play for any Elans fascinated by individualist anarchism and nonviolent resistance.

Ticket are $15 at the door, $10 general and $7 with an ASU discount available in P2-101.

They can also be purchased online at www.elac.edu under Upcoming Events.

Showings will continue through March 30.

More to be desired from ‘Divergent’ laura parral Staff Writer

Neil Burger’s “Divergent” brings the struggle to break free from the binds of a post-apocalyptic society into an action packed feature.

This film could easily become a favorite saga with all the suspenseful decisions and actions the characters make in order to change their society.

Veronica Roth, author of the book, created a world where society is separated into five categories: Abnegation the selfless, Amity for peace, Candor the honest, Dauntless the brave and Erudite the intelligent.

However, there is another group of people that are not included, for the government fears they cannot control them. They are called Divergent.

Divergent people are not accepted in the system and if a person is discovered of being Divergent, they are killed.

Beatrice “Tris” Prior, played by Shailene Woodley, discovered that she was Divergent and in order to survive, she has to keep her secret to herself.

During her journey she learns that things are not what they appear to be.

She learns that Jeanine Matthews, played by Kate Winslet, leader of the Erudite, wants to overthrow the Abnegation from power.

Tobias “Four” Eaton, played by Theo James, helps Tris find her true self and helps her control her Divergent mind in order to save her life.

Together they fight for justice and an end to the separation between societies.

Woodley did an amazing job with bringing the character of Tris to life.

As for the villain, Winslet proved to be the perfect choice as the cold, calculating antagonist.

James created the mysterious, strong and gentle Four, and did an amazing job portraying this character.

However, Four is only 18 years

old in the novel, and James does not physically reflect the character.

Despite the success the film has garnered, there are a few disappointments that may cause the audience to lose interest.

B u rg e r c a p t u r e d m o s t o f Veronica’s images in the book.

However, there are some scenes that lose their significance.

There are too many saga movies, and in order for them to succeed they must have something unique.

“Divergent” shares similarities with “The Hunger Games” as a dystopian series. It must have something different that will make people want to watch.

Overall, it was a great movie that kept the audience hooked and wanting more with the unfinished ending.

There is more to be expected from this trilogy, and there are already plans to release sequels within the next two years.

“Divergent” was released last Friday and is rated PG-13 for some sexuality and violence. Its running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Courtesy of summit entertainment

fight—Tris, played by Shailene Woodley, starts her training with the help of Four, played by Theo James, in the film “Divergent.”

Courtesy of def jam recordings

YG shows promise with new album damien guzman Staff Writer

YG’s major label debut album “My Krazy Life” combines today’s gangster rap with sounds from the club and party scene.

“My Krazy Life” includes 14 tracks.

YG burst into the club scene for his hit single, “Toot it and Boot it” released in 2010.

After he found fame in the club industry, he’s been focusing on making club hits, while keeping his Compton gangster-style roots close.

DJ Mustard, a popular producer in the music industry, worked and is featured on “My Krazy Life.”

His style of rapping is not known for being lyrical, but some feature artists on his album add the lyricism needed for a good album mixed with party hits.

Featured artists in “My Krazy Life” include Los Angeles rappers such as: Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock.

Other popular rappers featured in the album are Drake, Young

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Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan.

“Really Be” featuring Lamar, tops all songs on this album.

The beat is calm and low key, having a southern rap sound.

Slow beats on this track give both rappers a clearer sound vocally.

Lyrically, YG seems to put more effort into his words for this song putting the club sound to the side.

Lamar finishes the song with his creative straightforward style.

“Really Be” is also known as “Smokin’ N Drinkin’” and they rap about that throughout the song making it the CD’s stoner anthem.

The famous song “My N***A” represents the objective of this CD, mentioning parties, friends, drugs and living in the dangerous streets of Compton, Calif.

This track makes it a must buy for all party people having a raw gangster sound with a heavy beat, while the lyrics make you bob your head and dance.

The track simply makes you want to get ready and hit the clubs.

Jeezy brings the best verse in this song with his unique raspy voice that flows well with the loud beat.

Another party starter is “Who do you Love” featuring Drake. Both

YG and Drake deliver smooth flows in the track.

The chorus in this song is explicit, catchy and fits perfectly for clubs.

The song “I Just Wanna Party” introduces the gangster rap songs on the album. It features Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock.

A piano melody in the background, along with heavy drum claps and bass make it the ultimate thug song of the album.

The chorus to the song is meant to add a party theme to it to balance out the heavily violent lyrics.

YG’s new album is an essential buy for those into the party scene.

Most songs on this album will get people ready for a night of fun with friends.

Overall all the lyrical rappers that are featured save the album, since YG himself is not as talented with song writing.

Party people will love the album, but those who look for a more underground rap style will have a problem listening to the whole playlist.

“My Krazy Life” is 46 minutes long. It was released last Tuesday and is available on iTunes.

6

Sports

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014

Basketball player looks for better opportunity Carlos Alvarez Staff Writer Men’s basketball starting forward Zachary “Zach” Hinton’s high-octane play has him thinking of leaving California and heading to Florida.

“I haven’t made up my mind, but I know I’ll be playing hard somewhere. I have some family in Florida, but I’m looking at other schools,” Zach said.

With scholarship offers from Biola University and Jacksonville University in Florida, his goal is to continue to play at a four-year university.

“I have been in Los Angeles my whole life, but I am going to go where I can continue to play.

I can’t deny that leaving this area won’t be a big change in my life, but change is good,” Zach said.

When it comes to change, all Zach has to do is look at his mother Katrania Hinton who made a difficult choice when he was young.

“I came to Los Angeles from Alabama to provide a better life and is something that has made us both strong,” Katrania said.

Katrania and Zach’s father separated when he was six years old, but his stepfather Frank Jacobs has been the male figure in his life.

Even though he still talks to his biological father who lives in Alabama, Zach said that the one man who has been there for him is Jacobs.

Zach said that he was too young to really be effected by his parents divorce.

While playing for LA Benjamin Franklin High School, Zach knew that playing basketball professionally was not just a dream.

“I always looked up to Kobe (Bryant) and LeBron (James), but my senior year in high school, I knew I could play in the next level. I have a long way to go, but I won’t stop working,” Zach said.

The hard work on the court had scouts from four-year universities following his play at Franklin, but his grades were not up to school requirements.

“I had to make sure he graduated from high school. He had options, but he was too focused in his basketball,” Katrania said.

Zach did not dwell on his choices and was ready to continue his dream of playing basketball at Glendale Community College.

A coach from Glendale scouted him during his senior year and Zach said that he felt that it was the best choice for him to continue to pursue his dream.

A last minute recruiting effort by then newly hired East Los Angeles College basketball Head Coach John Mosley changed all those plans.

“Coach Mosley came knocking at my door to speak with me about Zach playing at ELAC. I thank him to this day for that.

Zach went where he needed to go,” Katrania said.

After he talked to Coach Mosley Zach knew that ELAC was the right choice for him.

“Mosley talked about building a basketball powerhouse at ELAC. I knew I had to be a part of something special,” Zach said.

After being hired, Mosley’s

players at the college level, as team, averaging 13.4 points and he played limited minutes during 9.5 rebounds a game while being his freshman year. the vocal leader in a young team.

“At Franklin he was the star of “He has come a long way. the team. Coming to ELAC and Basketball is secondary to playing with other talented players education, but I have to admit made him a better player and his play on the court is opening student,” Katrania said. some eyes,” Katrania said.

His play on the court was After leading ELAC to it’s limited, but his work off the court first conference title in 42 improved from his time in high years, Zach said that he has school. grown to understand that there After just completing the is life after basketball, but that required credits to graduate from basketball has given him the Franklin, he made ELAC’s Dean’s options to continue his education. list honor roll his freshman year.

“I’m truly blessed and I thank “He is a very intelligent man, God for everything that has who comes happened to to class and me, but I’m just getting participates in started,” Zach all activities.

He is a very intelligent man, said.

I had him for Katrania my health class who comes to class and and he was participates in all activities. said that she great,” Athletic I had him for my health class is excited for Zach and very Director Al and he was great.

Al Cone proud of him Cone said.

His quiet Athletic Director because he has matured and demeanor, has become a but hard work comes from his mother and responsible man.

“Words can’t explain how stepfather Jacobs who have always emphasized getting a higher proud Frank and I are. He has grown during his time in ELAC education.

With the support of his and wherever he decides to go parents and the coaching staff’s to school we will support him,” confidence in him, his play on Katrania said.

Mosley said that the one the court reached a new level thing they will miss about during his sophomore year.

“We talked to him after their departing starting forward his freshman year and told is his heart and determination.

“Zach earned the label of being him some things we wanted him to a high-motor player. He was work on,” Mosley said.

His play improved drastically. always working hard in practice Hinton and Aaron Cheatum carried and during the games. He never took a play off. I wish I can coach this team all year.”

Zach was named to the All South someone like him every season,” Coast Conference North Division Mosley said.

“

CN/tadzio garcia

DRIVING THE LANE— ELAC’s Zachary “Zach” Hinton drives the lane against Los Angeles Southwest College in a 73-47 victory on Jan. 31 recruiting objective was to recruit some of the top local talent on the basketball court.

“I had to get players that knew the area. Zach was a local product. I knew that in my first year I had to recruit players that

wanted to build a powerhouse program, that wanted to put ELAC on the map. Zach was that player,” Mosley said.

After choosing to come to ELAC, Zach faced the reality of playing with other elite

ELAC baseball continues dominant play in South Coast Conference Carlos alvarez Staff Writer

CN/LILIANA MARQUEZ

FACING THE FUTURE—Irene Young, member of the ELAC swim and dive team, during yesterday’s practice at the ELAC Swim Stadium. Young hits the pool twice a day to improve her performance.

Swimmer finds sanctuary in the pool Enrolling at ELAC was an easy decision for Young, especially after she heard the women’s swim Since diving into a pool at age program was on the rise in 2012.

“Coach Erik (Matheson) came to 10, Monterey Park native and East Los Angeles College swim and Mark Keppel practices at Barnes dive team member Irene Young Park Pool and asked if I would like to be a part of the team,” found her feel for the water.

“My mom was always a lap Young said.

As one of the captains in the swimmer, so when I was around 10 years old she started bringing me to team, her leadership is an important the Barnes Park Pool (in Monterey role.

“She leads by example and her Park),” Young said.

In the Chaffey Invitational at work ethic is stellar. She’s always the first one here Riverside and the last one to City College, leave,” Matheson Y o u n g said. recorded her Young’s passion best time One aspect of sports that swimming ever in the stood out to is how amazing for when w o m e n ’ s our bodies are. Spor ts grew 5 0 - y a r d really defines our ability to she joined the women’s water backstroke run, jump,swim and throw. polo last season. finishing Irene Young “I’m highly 3 1 . 8 4 Swim and dive co-captain s e l f - m o t i v a t e d seconds off of and I believe that her personal everyone should record.

Young also competed in the be too. I work hard when I’m first 400 freestyle relay event supposed to, but I know how to that shattered the ELAC record- have fun with it at the same time.” breaking four-minute mark at Young said.

For Young, being part of the ELAC, in 3:59.66, according to ELAC Head Coach Erik Matheson. first water polo team was a great Young attended Mark Keppel experience. The ELAC water polo High School where she helped the team returned after playing their team win back-to-back CIF-SS last season in 1999.

“We did pretty well against our Championships in Division’s Two competitors. We beat Pasadena and Three.

William Hernandez Staff Writer

“

City College at the conference tournament which placed us in eighth place. We nearly beat Rio Hondo, which would have put us in fifth place,” Young said Young is already looking ahead to next month’s South Coast Conference Championships at Mt. San Antonio College, hosted by Rio Hondo College, where she’ll compete in two backstroke events, and a 100 Individual Medley event.

“I’ve never really been an ‘IMer’ because my breaststroke isn’t as fast as the other three strokes, but I’m making it a goal to finish in the top eight,” Young said.

Event finalists are the top-eight finishers in each event.

Though Young still has another year left of eligibility, she will bypass her sophomore season.

Instead she has her sights pinned on Occidental College where she hopes to enroll for the fall semester.

Young is a kinesiology major and said that physiology has always interested her.

“One aspect of sports that stood out to me is how amazing our bodies are. Sports really defines our ability to run, jump, swim and throw,” Young said.

Along with training twice a day and going to class, Young works as a lifeguard at the Rosemead Aquatics Center.

The experience of at ELAC has allowed Young to mature and grow.

The baseball team clinched a three game series against El Camino College Compton Center, two games to one, on Saturday with a 7-1 victory at the MLB Youth Academy baseball field.

With the victory, the state’s No. 7-ranked Huskies clinched their third consecutive series win in South Coast Conference play.

ELAC took their first loss in SCC play in the first game of the series 2-0, last Tuesday and defeated Compton, 9-1 on Thursday.

“We know everyone is coming after us, because we are the best right now. We are just going to bring our ‘A’ game against Cerritos,” ELAC starting pitcher Jose Amezquita said.

ELAC, 16-6 and 8-1 in SCC play, was led by Amezquita (3-1), who pitched eight dominant innings, allowing one run and only six hits while striking out three.

“Amezquita was great all game keeping hitters off balance and working both side of the plate,” ELAC Assistant Coach Phillip Valdez said.

After surrendering a leadoff single to the first batter Amezquita faced, Compton shortstop Larry Barraza, he retired the next 15 batters.

“I had good rhythm throughout the game. My defense had my back out there today,” Amezquita said.

With Amezquita in full control, the ELAC offense took advantage of some sloppy Compton defense.

ELAC scored four runs in the first inning on two errors by Compton first baseman Martin Teague and added one run in the second to lead 5-0.

The offensive spark came from ELAC leadoff hitter shortstop Kevin Rodriguez who had two hits, scored two runs and walked twice.

“K-rod (Rodriguez) was doing everything for us today, defensively and offensively,” Amezquita said.

ELAC third baseman Michael Aguilar and first baseman

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CN/Liliana marquez

FIRING FOR THE OUT—ELAC’s starting pitcher Shawn Kennedy dominates in 9-1 victory against El Camino College Compton Center last week at Husky Park.

Jonathan Larson each drove in two runs. Aguilar collected three hits while Larson added two.

Compton starting pitcher Jesse Betancourt settled down after the first two innings, holding ELAC scoreless for the remainder of his outing.

Betancourt pitched seven innings, allowing five runs (two earned) while striking out three.

“Good teams capitalize on other teams mistake. We (ELAC) took advantage. Not our best game offensively, but we got the win,” Valdez said.

The lone run for Compton

came in the eighth inning when left fielder Christopher Costa led off with a double and scored on a groundout by third baseman Joshua Porras making the score 5-1.

ELAC added two more runs in the ninth to give closer Daniel Moriel a six run cushion.

Moriel didn’t need any more insurance runs as he was dominant in his one inning of work, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

“Strong pitching and solid defense is the key for us. We will just approach each game the same way,” Amezquita said.