Volume 72, Issue 16
Single copy free - additional copies 50 cents
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
www.elaccampusnews.com
COURTESY OF MARIO VILLEGAS
Elans welcome women’s basketball legend president for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and president of the Staff Writer NBA’s Phoenix Suns. For her, success didn’t come Former University of California, Los Angeles women’s basketball easy. She explains that through standout Ann Meyers Drysdale her book “You Let Some Girl Beat shared her impact and success in You?” Her book is about hope and women’s basketball for Women’s facing adversity struggles. “People are going to tell you History Month. you can’t do anything, but if you Drysdale was the first woman have a dream, you can accomplish player drafted by the Women’s Professional Basketball League anything,” Drysdale said. “Don’t (WPBL) in 1978 to the New Jersey let what you can’t do interfere with Gems. Playing for the Gems, what you can.” Growing up in the 50s and 60s, Drysdale was the WPBL Co-MVP parents didn’t always support their for the 1979–1980 season. She also became the first and only daughters in sports, Drysdale’s woman to be considered for the parents supported their kids. Her parents National Basketball were very Association (NBA). supportive of In 1980, Drysdale their daughters made NBA history “People are going playing sports when she received a call to try out to tell you you can’t just as their sons with NBA’s Indiana do anything, but if did. D r y s d a l e ’s Pacers. you have a dream, father enjoyed She participated in three-day tryouts you can accomplish p l a y i n g basketball, which for the team, as the anything.” encouraged first woman for the Drysdale and NBA. ANN MEYERS DRYSDALE her siblings to Although she Keynote Speaker play. Her father did not make the played basketball final squad, she professionally in had the opportunity to be a sports commentator for the team where Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although her family was into few women were in sportscasting. Drysdale opened the way for sports, her parents never favored women in the basketball industry sports over education. Her family believed in staying where women were not easily busy. Whether it was with sports, accepted. She was also the first female chores or studies. Her parents believed in hard player to be part of the U.S. national work and dedication. team while still in high school and “For me, sports was a great outlet continued to be a standout player for my family,” Drysdales said. at the professional level. Most of her life, she played on “There was a lot of competition.” Coming from a family of six teams with all boys where people brothers and five sisters, Drysdale criticized her for her short hair and appreciates the competitiveness in athletic skills. “I was teased, but it actually the household because it helped made me a stronger person,” her to become a strong and eager person. Drysdale said. “With my family’s support and Coming from a large family, her parents could barely afford her criticism, they got me where I am today,” Drysdale said. education. In 1986, she married former Los According to Drysdale, she was Angeles Dodger Baseball Hall of lucky to come across a scholarship opportunity that made history and Fame pitcher Don Drysdale, where they became the first married paid for her dreams. Drysdale was the first woman to couple who were members of their ever earn a full athletic scholarship respective sports’ Halls of Fame. to a division one school, UCLA where she won a championship. DRYSDALE Continued on page 4 Drysdale currently serves as the
BY AMBER PARAMO
Campus cadets distracted on the job BY JESUS FIGUEROA Staff Writer East Los Angeles College’s campus cadets are supposed to help sheriffs, but fall short of doing their jobs because of their distractions. As student workers, should cadets be paid for doing their homework or having conversations with friends? As students pass info booths they can see cadets doing their homework, talking with fellow cadets, goofing off with students or having conversations with friends who sit down by the booth to talk sports or other topics. Communication Officer Alejandro Guzman said that cadets aren’t supposed to be held to the same standards as sheriff’s deputies are because they do not have the same experience. Cadets are student workers who are training to be in law enforcement. Cadets are in charge of simple tasks such as answering phones, dispatching cadets and deputies, opening locked classrooms and attending the information booths around campus. Sheriff deputy Alberto Romero said there are 24 cadets, at the moment, on campus with 13 more to be added by the end of the semester, although he also said there is more need for cadets at the beginning of the semester. “Their main roles are to help out students,” Romero said. “By transporting disabled students, opening doors, providing information for students and being our (the sheriff’s department) eyes and ears, like any other faculty or staff.”
News Briefs
With 24 cadets on staff, it is surprising to have seen the main information booth at the administration building left unattended for more than 15 minutes midday, during what is one of the heaviest student traffic times. “It might have been while shifts are being switched,” Romero said. Shift changes during heavy student traffic can potentially lead to longer response times to incidents. “The response times should be only a few minutes, two-to-three minutes,” Romero said. Some wait times for rooms to be opened can be as long as 30 minutes. Journalism professor Jean Stapleton waited for cadets to open the door to her office for more than an hour, but what was most alarming was that when the sheriff station was called, the cadet put her on hold before finding out what the problem was. “They didn’t even ask what the problem was before putting me on hold,” Stapleton said. Romero said that cadets are trained to answer the phones and dispatch personnel to handle any situation. If a cadet puts anyone on hold, it is because they are busy with an urgent situation. On one of the hottest days, Campus News ad manager Stefanie Arocha spent 45 minutes stuck in the stairwell of the E-7 Technology Building. “What upset me the most was that the cadet who took my call was taking the situation very lightly and kind of making fun of it,” Arocha said.
Milestone deadline
The deadline for Milestone magazine submissions is April 15. Student work can be submitted at milestone.submittable.com.
While she waited for the cadets to open the door, she went up and down the stairwell banging on the doors, trying to get anyone’s attention. She was finally let out by a student that heard her pounding on the door. “My concern is, what if it was an elderly person? Luckily, I have the sheriffs number, because I call them to open the door often, but elderly people could have had a serious problem,” Arocha said. Two semesters ago, a rough situation at the writing center occurred where attendants were unable to report due to phones being in plain view of the hostile person. It was made worse by the response time being more than 15 minutes. Due to the situation, a panic button was installed for any future problems. “It all has to do with budget. We would love to have panic buttons and cameras, but it all has to be worked into the budget,” Romero said. There are three main prerequisites that Romero said need to be met before applying to be a cadet — be 18 years old or older, have a driver’s license and be a full-time student. After the application process and background check, cadets go through a one week training. “Once hired we have an academy. It’s a one-week academy here on campus where we go over scenarios and we inform cadets of their roles,” Romero said. “I think we are one of the only campuses that are doing that. I think that our cadets are trained very well. We have very good cadets.”
Health Fair
A Health and Information Fair will be held April 15 between the S2 and P2 buildings at noon. For more information, call (323) 265-8896.
Next issue of Campus News
Due to upcoming holidays, the next issue of Campus News will be available on April 15. For updates, go to elaccampusnews.com.