2015 los angeles collegian volume 175 number 3

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Collegian Los angeles

Wednesday, october 21, 2015 Volume 175 Number 3

neWs briefs

The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929

NO MEANS NO: LESSONS FROM ‘DRUNK GIRL’ PAGE 5

COmPiled By COmPiled By JAsmine CrumBy And sOrinA szAkACs

students tAke cold showers in A $26 million building Due to a broken water heater, students in the Kinesiology department are forced to take cold showers. The building’s hot water supplier is still waiting on a part to repair the water heater. A sign in the Kinesiology Building says, “the part is hard to come by, but it’s on its way.”

PhOtO By Curtis sABir/COllegiAn

cinemA, tv students to be honored Students are invited to attend the 2015 Certificate Awards Ceremony for the spring semester, on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 8 p.m. in the Theatre Building, Room 176. This is a chance for certificate students to be honored and recognized for their accomplishments. Admission to the event is free.

full-time students find Access to eXtrA money Cinema/TV students who are currently enrolled full time (12 units), have completed a minimum of 15 units (5 classes) in Cinema/TV with a GPA of 2.5, and have financial need, can apply to receive funds for cameras and computers. The applications can be picked up at the LACC Foundation Office on the third floor of the Student Union Building. The due date for applications is Oct. 23, at 4 p.m.

hide your brAins, cubs!

Witches, psychics and zombies take over the Quad for the Halloween Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 4-7 p.m. Students who want to know their future may get a reading from the psychic on site. Organizers promise food, games, prizes and a lot of fun. There is a warning for students who are adventurous enough to go in the maze: Hide your brains!

microsoft offers discounted softwAre to college students Microsoft offers the latest version of Microsoft Office for $39.99 for community college students, faculty and staff. LACC has teamed up with CollegeBuys. org to also offer a discount on Macs and PCs.

internships for mediA students Cultivators United, Alpha Pup Records and the Bellfyre Club offer students with experience in film and videography the opportunity to build their portfolios and gain experience in the industry. Anyone interested in free gifts, cash assignments and free project promotion, can apply for the videography internship. Contact LACC alumnus William Reid Thedford IV at (424) 382-6114 for more details.

IndeX opinion News Arts & Entertainment Hispanic Heritage

2,3 4 5 6

Many women say they appreciate the access to free healthcare, birth control and health screenings that Planned PArenthood grants them.

Planned Parenthood: Locals Speak about Current Turmoil illustrAtiOn By JOse tOBAr/COllegiAn

enrollmenT for in-sTaTe resiDenTs sTaGnanT aT homeToWn universiTies non-resident student Admission triples At the university of cAliforniA And cAl stAte university systems, while cAliforniA high school And community college students open deniAl letters.

By tAylOr COrBin Before it can begin to offset the high non-resident enrollment rate and admit more California residents, the UC school system must negotiate with Gov. Jerry Brown over budget increases, according to UC President Janet Napolitano.

Within the last five years, the UC and CSU school systems in-state enrollment has declined by one-fifth, while out-of-state enrollment is rising, according to the Sacramento based Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

UC President Janet Napolitano says she has a plan to reverse the trend and enroll more California residents. Napolitano says a larger, March proposed budget, will help increase in-state student enrollment, although the matter must still be negotiated with Gov. Brown.

“The University of California kept the enrollment of California residents flat for 2015-16 because of a lack of funding,” Napolitano said. “The budget will experience a four percent annual base budget increase in each of the four upcoming fiscal years.”

While local resident enrollment rates idle, for the last five years, UC enrollment rates for non-resident students increased by 84 percent, according to the University of California Office of the President (UCOP), which is the worldwide headquarters of the UC system. That is triple the previous non-resident enrollment rate.

California resident admission rates at UC Berkeley according to UCOP, have declined by 1.6 percent, while the out-of-state enrollment increased by 22.4 percent, and the international rate rose by 21.5 percent.

The trends at UC Davis are similar.

According to UCOP, in-state enroll-

ment rose by 2.5 percent. Non-resident enrollment grew by 52.3 percent.

International students surged in the enrollment rate, with a 78.3 percent increase.

UCLA has the largest in-state enrollment upturn. Local students increased by 10.3 percent. Similar to UC Berkeley, UCLA’s out-of-state grew 27.2 percent. International student enrollment swelled at UCLA as well, with a 78.3 percent increase.

More than 40 percent of fall admits to UCLA are from outside California, according to paloaltoonline.com. The Collegian attempted to contact UCLA Chancellor Gene Block on numerous occasions. He did not respond.

Napolitano says that student service fees and other costs are scheduled to climb for all non-resident students.

SEE uc, ucla Page 4

Handshake Away from Peace it’s to sHoW tHem tHat tHey are able to eXpress tHemselves tHroUgH varioUs Forms oF edUcation, dance, mUsic, tHeatre, and arts ratHer tHan resorting to eXtreme violence.”

A

By mAe BrAdley

symbolic handshake could give the Associated Student Government an opportunity to speak with President Obama about their proposed solutions for extreme violence.

P2P (Peer to Peer) - Challenging Extremism is a biannual national campaign created by the Department of State that engages young minds via education seeks to address the violence fueled by radical ideology.

The State Department will select one profound idea from 23 different universities worldwide and send the winning group of students to the White House. There, on June 13, 2016 a dinner will take place with the State Department and other national representatives, including a formal presentation of their concept the following day.

Deputy Chief Mike Downing is the commanding officer of the counterterrorism and special operations bureau and was in charge of selecting competitors in Los Angeles County. He chose LACC as the only two year college to compete with other universities, local competitors being UCLA and USC. “To solicit and try to ask young minds to help us develop strategies to help us counter this very dysfunctional ideology that’s the strength of the country is the people,” he stated.

Last June, the three finalists were the Curtin University in Perth, Australia who developed a mobile application called “52Jumaa” that sends daily positive challenges and affirmations from the Qur’an, Mount Royal University in SEE hand shake Page 4

By mOlly derAs If the United States Senate votes to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood (PP), the patrons of the organization’s Vermont Avenue location may have to go elsewhere.

There is a PP located right across the street from the campus, on Vermont Avenue. According to the Washington Post, activists allegedly exposed PP with undercover videos that claim to show the organization in the act of a federal violation. Allegedly, PP illegally profited from fetal tissue donations.

Two women, who stood outside the Vermont Avenue PP, had different views on the organization. Grecia, who only gave her first name, accompanied by her sister, who prefers to remain anonymous, says she is a regular PP patient.

“I don’t have any medical insurance and Planned Parenthood is amazing because I can get free birth control pills that help me be sexually active and not have to worry about having [a child],” Grecia said.

However, Grecia’s sister did not agree with Grecia. She says that the organization is not the only place where women can seek free care.

Small clinics also provide birth control and screenings for women who want it, according to Grecia’s sister.

“This organization just helps irresponsible people get rid of innocent lives, helping them not take responsibility for their childish actions,” Grecia’s sister said.

Los Angeles City Students also spoke about the allegations and the organization. Marilyn Ramirez, an LACC criminal justice major says she thinks there is an underlying agenda.

“I think they’re full of it and it’s actually an attack on women’s health,” Ramirez said. “So when they say they want to defund it, I basically hear that women don’t have the right to free beneficial health services.”

Clearly a supporter of the organization, Ramirez also says that PP does more than perform abortions.

SEE Parenthood Page 4

Homeless Students Could Soon Move to Safer Havens By sOrinA szAkACs Students could soon give up sleeping in tents and move into shelters or transitional housing after a Los Angeles City Council “State of Emergency” motion addressing homelessness.

The Los Angeles City Council introduced a motion committing $100 million to combat homelessness and help move people off the streets on Sept. 22, 2015. Councilmen Mike Bonin, Jose Huizar and Paul Krekorian worked on a motion that uses city funds to move people off the streets and into housing, shelters and supportive services.

Bonin says that the Homelessness Committee and Mayor Garcetti’s team will work closely with the County to make sure their efforts and actions are in sync in developing a plan to spend the money.

“The range options include building permanent supportive housing, creation of a program to provide vouchers for rapid rehousing or interim housing,” Bonin said. “[We also] intend financing of an expanded system of emergency or specialized shelters and safe parking”, Bonin, the man behind the State of Emergency Motion, said.

Los Angeles City College (LACC) has an unknown number of homeless students.

LACC’s area, part of District 13, is covered with sidewalk sleeping camps. Across the street from the College, several tents are lined up on each side of the street, on a narrow sidewalk.

The tents are tied to the parking meters and the safety fence from the school’s construction site.

Every morning at 5:30 a.m., sirens

wake up everyone in these tents. The sirens are a signal to get up and start packing and be ready to relocate from the area by 8 a.m.

“Last semester we were in front of the Braille Institute and they would start the sprinklers on us every hour for 10 minutes just to make sure we leave,” said Vicky, a former LACC student. “I am coming back to school next semester, I still know my student I.D.” She is not the only homeless person who once was a student or still is enrolled in classes at LACC. For people like Vicky, the Resource Center comes in the picture. The Center is located in the Student Union Building on the second floor.

Homeless students can fill out an application and receive clothes, shoes or canned food, depending on what their needs might be.

“We have clothes and shoes for babies, women and men. Anyone in need, not only homeless students, can come over, fill out a liability form and get the stuff they need, for free,” said Jenné Henry the senator over the Resource Center. “We had a ‘Sip & See’ event and 47 students came, not all homeless, and helped themselves with clothes and shoes while enjoying music, cheese and crackers.”

Henry plans to organize another ‘Sip & See’ event to bring more awareness to the support any student facing financial need can get through the Resource Center.

The Resource Center is not the only place on campus where homeless students can find some kind of relief.

SEE homeless students Page 4

2

opinion & editorial

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Hispanic Heritage or Hispanic Hegemony?

Editorial

By Ande Richards

Illustration by jose Tobar/Collegian

Hate Does Not Kill Free Speech

U

C Regents discussed the idea of changing the rules for freedom of speech on UC campuses to protect students after a string of racially motivated events.

Under no circumstance should a student’s right of free speech be limited, especially at a publically funded school.

One of the acts of hate that occurred was at UC Davis in January 2015 and it was the defacing of a Jewish fraternity house with swastikas.

This is clearly a hate crime, but this must not be used as the reason to limit the rights of other students.

Students who engage in hate crimes are abusing their free speech rights, and it is a shame their actions could cause the UC Regents to erode the free speech rights of all students.

Racism is ubiquitous. Of course

it can be found on campuses.

It is up to the students, and the students alone to decide to exercise their right by expressing or doing hateful things toward another person, ethnicity, or religious group.

The UC Regent’s solution is a prejudice thought because it is basically saying that all students will say hateful comments toward each other.

They are forgetting that speech is not racist, but the people who use it with ill intentions are the problem.

That is something that cannot be controlled.

It is wrong to put constraints on our freedom of speech and in this matter two wrongs do not make a right.

School is a place where students come to learn and prepare themselves for a life after finishing their academic journey. This is a place where students learn about themselves, others, and get to taste a bit of the real world for the first time.

If free speech were limited in universities and colleges, what would happen when students reach the real world, where speech isn’t limited?

Schools serve as an ideal setting where students can share their thoughts and their views without fear of repercussions and for that to work there has to be mutual respect for all the students and their views.

Hate crimes will always exist, and that is a sad fact that we all have to live with for the rest of our lives, not just when we spend time on campus.

There is no justification for students to lose their rights because of negative or unpopular statements made by others.

Since the schools feel the need to implement a change in free speech for the safety of students, schools must make it mandatory for all students to take a class on speech, and not just on how to speak publically.

It seems that students need help understanding the concept of free speech. The schools should have a greater emphasis on teaching its students on knowing the differences between strongly opinionated speech and clear hate speech.

There should be emphasis on how to say things in a respectful manner. This way a school can have proof that they are educating students on their right of speech, a concept many students don’t fully understand.

A class won’t completely stop a hate crime or hate words, but it is a step in the right direction.

When the UC Regents came up with their initial proposal it created backlash, and not just from students.

Now the Regents decided to go back to the drawing board and come up with a better solution to protect students.

The solution is a simple one: don’t change anything.

Time to Erase Murderers from the Media

By Tomas Rodriguez Another tragic shooting occurred in the U.S., this time at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, where victims were singled out based on their religion.

In an effort to demote these kinds of ac t iv it ies, the media should not display the suspects’ identification, face or criminal background.

Despite the tragedy that unsurprisingly involved guns, this nation is gradually becoming tolerant of these crimes because there is not a definite solution to the gun problem.

Federal law enforcement can try to do the best it can by imposing tougher security in schools and public places, but in regards to stricter gun laws, liberals and conservatives have been debating about it for quite a while.

Whatever motivations are behind these shootings, the criminals do not deserve any type of recognition.

The more people throughout the nation recognize them, the more chance others will want to have their 15 minutes of fame by con-

ducting such horrific acts of nature.

President Barack Obama spoke about the heartbreaking shooting in a press conference in the White House, and made it very clear that this nation is becoming used to such tragic events.

“Somehow this has become routine, the reporting is routine, my response here at the podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it [is routine],” Obama said. “We’ve become numb to this.”

Obama has a point: the United States has been home to a numerous amount of mass deaths due lack of gun control.

Yet mass shooting after mass shooting there has been little or no

change to impose stricter gun laws throughout the nation.

The American Government has a responsibility, and so does the press.

Even if we are centuries away from a proper gun reform, the press has to do its best to disregard the criminals who conduct these horrific acts of violence.

Many Americans turn on the television to get the news, and most of the time people see the faces of the murderers alongside their family. If explicit content get censored on the air, why can’t the press censor the faces of murderers as well?

It is tradition for the press to show criminals and their faces on air, but to some, it can be a motive to get their way into fame.

Learn Social Media, Stay Ahead of the Tech Curve

By Kenneth Jara In my opinion, it is very important to have social media pages for any school of any level.

The world has changed, and that change also comes the way that everyone receives the news.

The Collegian’s Social Media pages have returned, and with the return of the social media pages also comes the return of up to date news for every student at Los Angeles City College.

The world has gone from the days that we would pay a dime for a newspaper to now a simple subscription on Facebook and you can find out what is going on around your city.

Social media is very important to have for schools because of several reasons, one of the reasons is because students are able to get up to date news going on around the cam-

pus, without having to wait for the next issue of the school newspaper to be printed.

If there is an event during the week on campus, students can find out more information about the event through the school’s social media page.

The use of social media also promotes the campus to the internet world. Now that the social media accounts at Los Angeles City College have returned, in my opinion, this is a great opportunity to promote the school to the general public.

Social media is rapidly becoming the way that people communicate nowadays, and there should also be a class on how to use social media, as well as its benefits.

The use of social media also benefits students through helping build connections with several different companies, which is very important for college students.  It should be a requirement that whenever a student enters college to build social media websites so that students can start building connections even before graduation, which will help in landing a job.

Should we re-name Hispanic Heritage month to Hispanic Hegemony month?

Hegemony indicates a predominance, or control of one group over another in either the political, economic, military, or socio-cultural realms.

Hispanic means of Spain and heritage, according to Merriam Webster, means possessed as a natural situation or birth. That being said does the influence of the colonizer, Spain, have more significance than that of the colonized natives – the indigenous people of the Americas? Or the enslaved Africans brought over to work in the fields?

Recognition and celebration of the many cultures that create the vast mix of people who call the United States home is a tribute to our country. However, something about Hispanic attributed to this celebration doesn’t quite encompass all that it should.

Surely the Aztecs, Incans, Mayans, Arawaks and Tainos to name a few can lay claim to intelligence, beauty, athletic prowess and cultural significance. Similarly, so should the African tribes who were entrenched throughout Central and South America.

As a nation, we create specific celebrations to distinguish those who may not get their due in history books. We acknowledge segments of the population who are marginalized, or who because of prejudice may have masked their cultural identities to fit into the mainstream.

The Johnson administration instituted Hispanic Heritage month in 1966. Since then it has been proclaimed by each president and became a legally recognized, monthlong, event 20 years later during the

Reagan administration.

Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declared their sovereignty in 1821 from Spain. Interesting enough, the dates chosen to celebrate Hispanic Heritage were intentionally selected to coincide with the independence days of those five Central American countries.

When I look at people of Hispanic descent, including my Cuban family, Mexican neighbors, and Peruvian friends, I see the ancestries of indigenous people from the Caribbean, Central and South America converging with the African bloodlines from the early explorers - there were African explorers before there were slaves - and those brought here for hundreds of years during the slave trade. These vestiges are apparent in their multi-hued skin tones.

And, if I’m going to call out everyone who is part of the mix then I have to mention the Chinese, Middle-eastern and Jewish people who migrated to the Americas and also mixed with the Spanish.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage, and all the ethnic and cultural groups this term encompasses, including the luminaries and regular folk, we say thank you for your positive and lasting contributions to our society.

Thank you local hero, Pastor Richard Estrada, for fighting the good fight for immigrants.

Thank you Justice Sonia Sotomayor for reigning supreme.

Thank you actor and political activist Martin Sheen for shining your light on injustice.

Thank you baseball superstar Roberto Clemente for breaking records, breaking down color lines, and giving back to your community.

Thank you Rita Moreno for dancing and singing your way into our hearts, being one of only 10 people to win an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.)

And finally, thank you Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera for reminding us in your poem “to gather in a flourishing way.”

We celebrate you, all of you!

Parking Blunders At LACC

By Hector Lopez One of the most frustrating things that occur at Los Angeles City College is the quest to find a parking spot.

Students have to worry about finding a parking spot in one of the two parking structures or a spot on the street.

On the parking structure Lot 3, next to LACC, I once parked 15 minutes before my morning class at 9 a.m. When I arrived there were a fair amount of spots open, so I was quickly able to find a spot.

As I was getting ready to leave my car, there were instantaneously 20 cars entering the structure in a rush to find a spot.

I realized that students come late and are expecting to find a parking spot as soon as they get to school.

It seems like one minute can make a difference in finding the structure empty or it getting filled.

There might be traffic or some students might wake up late and are in a rush to get to school. Both have happened to me.

When it does happen, I already expect the time it will take me to find a spot.

One time when I was late, there

were 10 cars circulating the entire structure waiting for someone to leave.

This dilemma can create chaos and anxiety amongst the students that are trying to get to class.

Sometimes there is an open parking spot, but both cars on each side have done a horrible job of parking.

This makes it hard for a student to park their car without damaging their own car or the other cars; so bad parking jobs waste a usable spot.

When students park in the structures, they should be considerate of others that are going to park next to them.

If the student does a horrible job at parking, they risk their car getting damaged, which is a horrible thing.

Students must try to get to school on time so they can secure a spot and get to class on time, so they don’t have drive around for 20 minutes in the structure looking for a spot.

When a student is late, however, they have to accept the fact and look for other places to park, whether it is in the other structure or in the street.

The other solution is to use another means of transportation such as bus, train, bike or walking to get to campus.

These are better alternatives that can work as efficiently as a car and without the headache of worrying about where to park or getting a parking ticket.

Have an Opinion? A Story Idea?

Write a Letter to the Editor Contact: losangeles.collegian@gmail.com 323.953.4000 ext. 2831 Letters may be edited for brevity.

opinion & editorial

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 21, 2015

3

Collegian Media Arts Department, Chemistry 207 Los angeles city college 855 n. Vermont ave.

Los angeles, ca 90029

Editor-in-Chief Jason Piskopus Tomas Rodriguez

cOmpiLed By carlos martinez and ambar Quintanilla phOTOs By curtis sabir

do YoU thinK the GoVernMent ShoULd ContinUe FUndinG PLanned Parenthood?

WhY or WhY not?

ausTin cisneROs undecided

Ray BOOne political science major

sayRa meJicanO nursing major

“Too many people make generalizations of what [others] may need, but Planned Parenthood specializes on the individual [for medical attention] ... that everyone is entitled to ... Planned Parenthood best supports that.”

“Yes, I do think they should fund Planned Parenthood.

It will help with the situation of teen pregnancy and everyone should have a choice. So, yes, I think they should fund it.”

“Based on the moral education I received in my country, I don’t agree with the position the government is taking on supporting abortion.

Planned Parenthood should get funded, but I’m against the abortion.”

A Leap of Faith: Take Risks, Overcome Fear By edWaRd VasQuez

iLLusTRaTiOn By TOmas ROdRiguez/cOLLegian

PuBliC sCHOOls underMine CreatiVitY By sTephanie aLLespach The act of creation disciplines the mind. Nevertheless, California's primary and secondary public schools continue to undermine the creative abilities of their students. It's important to me, as an artist and arts educator, that schoolchildren are taught key skills for success.

Popular opinion regards creativity as an inborn talent whose purpose is to entertain. Championed by mainstream media, this narrow view weakens student potential and threatens the strength of our economy.

Arising from an anti-European sentiment, the United States has a long history of not supporting the arts. Many Americans still associate art with frivolous elitism. This antielitist attitude is misguided and risks "cutting off the nose to spite the face."

Companies know organizational effectiveness depends on the creativity of its staff. They realize the critical

components necessary for success are: expertise, creative thinking skills and motivation – especially personal motivation that makes work enjoyable.

What does it mean to be creative?

Many ancient cultures, including Greece, China and India lacked the concept of creativity, understanding art and science as forms of discovery. To discover is to learn and think like an artist. Originality develops through the practice of pursuing uncertainty, ambitious play and managing failure; where ideas dominate and crossdisciplinary research is passionately embraced.

Innovative educators believe our current method of education is outdated. Public schools are based on a 19th century model, built on a manufacturing framework, a machine-like approach of linear progression and conformity that prepares students to mimic standardized production.

Because studies show student creativity on the decline, the opposite is needed: a system that rewards individuality over conformity and expansive thinking over set answers.

Creativity creates capital. Leading global economies have moved to creative industries. Known as the "supercreative core," they include a wide

range of occupations from science, engineering, education and computer programing to art, design and media.

Included are professions in business and finance, healthcare and the legal sector.

Cutting edge companies recognize that creativity is a skill required at all stages of production. They know that creative thinking, at any level of an organization, will directly or indirectly contribute to innovation.

If creativity creates capital, why is arts eduction not required for California school accreditation?

As the largest economy in the United States, California spends less than 25 cents per student in the arts. Compare that to Washington D.C., dishing out $23.98 per capita.

Educators often speak about the importance of inspiring curiosity for "life long learning,” a distressing task when school budgets are financially starved and students are expected to learn in a formulaic way. The Wallace Foundation has shown that a wellcrafted arts program can develop one’s capacity to think creatively and make connections.

It is evident that an arts education is essential for 21st century learning no matter what career path students take.

School, Work: Tougher Than They Seem By cinTia chaVez Balancing a fulltime job and being a fulltime student is one of the most stressful challenges I have encountered. Getting home from a full shift to read and finish homework is like getting home from your job to encounter more work.

I personally love being busy all the time, but I admit it can be overwhelming. Not only is it hard, but it also takes up time and leaves no room for any type of social life.

A major issue is how expensive school can be and how unfair financial aid often seems. They give the

money to the ones that don’t work while students who do work don’t qualify for financial aid because we have jobs.

Financial aid personnel assume that because I have a fulltime job I can afford school and don’t need any help.

I know many students who get their financial aid money and go right away to spend it on really dumb things that are not even school related. However, students like me are waiting for our next paycheck to be able to buy a textbook or pay for tuition.

Some of my friends do not receive help because of their parent’s income.

To me, this is unfair. Because my par-

ents make a certain amount of money doesn’t mean they give me any to pay for my tuition. Some of us do not even live with our parents.

I really think there should be more programs that help hardworking students to help pay for their education.

Unfortunately, not all of us have the privilege of being able to dedicate our lives entirely to school, or have the luxury of having our parents support us. Some of us have responsibilities, like bills to pay, yet somehow we still have the desire to get an education. I think those are the types of students who deserve all the help they can obtain.

Too many people hide themselves behind too many things. I myself am one of them, but not for long.

One of the things that I have been working extremely hard on is being transparent. Being real. Being me.

But like many others, I still give in to fear. Fear of rejection, failure, judgment and pressure. Because of these fears, we miss out on too much and experience too little.

Most likely in this moment, there are feelings unexpressed, – a majority of them romantic I’d bet – talents that are hidden and voices unheard. This should not happen.

To combat these fears, I’ve come up with a mantra: Be based, be humble, be genuine.

Now there is a lot to unpack in this maxim, but simply put it means to not care what people think, to put others before you and to take risks.

One of the coolest things I’ve done in my 22 years of living is also one of the most embarrassing. It all began in the summer of 2013 when one of my pastors shared the story of how he met his wife in a sermon.

“I walked right up to her and said, ‘Hi my name is Casey and I’m going to marry you’. She laughed and

laughed and laughed.” he said.

So me being me, I thought, “that’s a cool way to meet your wife, if in the end the girl actually does become your wife. I’m going to use it on Laney”.

Laney was this girl who was going to the same film school I attended.

Although I never had any classes with her, every time we crossed paths, from my interpretations I thought she was giving me “the eye” (cue romantic jazz tune).

For those who don’t know, when I say “the eye” I am talking about that look you give to someone when you are checking them out.

These poorly interpreted glances all started when I noticed she was looking at a cool Jesus shirt I was wearing. From that moment on I thought about a million scenarios of how I would approach her. Nothing seemed good enough until I learned two things: one she was also a Christian, and two the story of how Pastor Casey met his wife.

Of course, my timbers still shivered every time I ran this scenario in my head, but I figured I would either get a beautiful, cool wife or a hopefully inspiring funny story out of it.

Something I knew for sure was that I did not want to go throughout my life thinking, “what if?” No one should. I was tired of not telling a girl how I felt because I was not Justin Bieber or an Abercrombie & Fitch model. So I did it.

And let me tell you, in that moment I felt so alive and free.

Front Page/News Jake Camarena Opinion/Editorial Hector Lopez Arts & Entertainment Byron Umana Bermudez Campus Life Mae Bradley Sports Tayler Corbin Reporters Sheila Thorne Carlos Martinez Sorina Szakacs Emmanuella Durogene Photo Editor Curtis Sabir Photographers Jorge Ponce Andre Medina Illustrators Jose Tobar Graphic Designers Richard Martinez Jimmy Martinez Beatrice Alcala Digital Content Kenneth Jara Multimedia Producers Dave Martin Frank Vidrio Advertising Staff Clinton Cameron Adviser Rhonda Guess

COMMuniCatiOn Breaks dOWn

By JOceLyn ViLLanueVa One thing I never thought would be a problem is that communication between school counselors and students can sometimes be tricky.

This is because there are two types of people: those who want the best for you and those who do not care.

This semester alone I have had c onv e r s a tions with a few different counselors and they have all provided different feedback.

When you have different people telling you different things you start to wonder whether or not you can trust what anyone says.

If you do not trust them who do you trust?

I understand that we all have those days where our minds wander at work,

sometimes we are not the most focused, it happens. I am not here to judge or offend anyone. What I will say is that it is beginning to be a habit for me to go to the same place more than once just to get a proper answer.

Just last month, I went into said office to turn in a form and was told that I did not need to keep a copy for myself.

What do you know? I ended up at square one because I did not have my own copy to verify anything because the copy the office had was never uploaded into the system. Major oops.

Similar things have happened in other offices where my reasons for going need to be dealt with, just as anyone else’s.

The situations are not always critical and there is no reason to get upset.

I have seen situations where people do get upset after being told they have to come back and I agree, it can be tedious.

For a person like me, having to do the process over and over again is not fun.

I’d much rather be at the coffee shop across the street getting my double mocha frappe than to be standing in the same line I was in a few days earlier.

SCan Qr COde

to KeeP UP With oUr LateSt MULtiMedia StorieS or visit collegianwired.tumblr.com

deadline schedule neXT issue: October 28, 2015 editorial deadline: October 23, 2015 For all submissions including letters to the editor and publicity releases send materials to the collegian offices located in Room 207 of the chemistry Building, or email: losangeles.collegian@gmail.com.

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The college newspaper is published as a learning experience, offered under the college journalism instructional program.

The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First amendment to the united states constitution. accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los angeles community college district, Los angeles city college, or any officer or employee thereof. collegian © 2015. no material may be reprinted without the express written permission of the collegian.

4 Students Combat ‘Homeless Crisis’

news

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 21, 2015

homeless From Page 1

The Black Student Union and the Anthropology Club worked together on a homeless student awareness project last spring semester, putting together 250 care packages with toiletries and school supplies for LACC’s homeless students.

The Veterans Resource Center within the Veterans Affairs Office is another resource for homeless veterans who are enrolled in classes at LACC. While trying to raise awareness and help solving all veteran related issues, the Veterans Resource Center also focuses on homelessness. They try to find affordable housing or jobs among any school related services, for these in need.

Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, the same district LACC is part of, sayss that the commitment of $100 million will go a long way toward helping homeless people in his district.

“I’m glad to see the city’s whole legislative body working with the mayor’s office in recognizing it’s an emergency,” O’Farrell said. “We are in a crisis.

It’s a good first step in the right direction.”

O’Farrell supports using the funding on housing, but is opposing creating storage spaces for homeless people to store their belongings.

“If we are going to put money toward anything that’s a structure, it needs to be a housing unit, not just a structure for their stuff,” O’Farrell said.

Photo by Curtis Sabir/Collegian

A tent dots the sidewalk on N. New Hampshire Avenue, just south of the Los Angeles City College Campus on Sept. 13, 2015. The Resource Center at Los Angeles City College offers people in need access to basic necessities such as clothing and canned goods.

Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA), after a vote from the Council on Sept. 22, will open the Emergency Winter Shelter Program in November instead of December.

The council suggested that with upcoming weather season, LAHSA should keep the shelters opened at all times during rainy periods this winter.

“With El Nino coming, we voted today to tell LAHSA that we should open the emergency winter shelter

early,” Bonin said. “Keep the shelters open 24-7 when it is raining, and extend the program to the end of the weather season.”

“We all understand the urgency that this situation requires, and what is at stake,” Garcetti said in a L.A. City office press release. “[...] If we can lift up those in need, and pick up those left behind, then we can live up to the best of our ideals.”

The City Council’s action is a critical

down payment on the Mayor’s comprehensive homelessness plan, which is being developed jointly by City, County, Home for Good and other partners.

In addition to one-time funding of $100 million, the Mayor is calling for an annual $100 million investment that would fund permanent housing for the homeless, and establish an institutional foundation to tackle homelessness for years to come.

uc, ucla From Page 1

Californians Losing Seats at UC, CSU to Non-Resident Students Napolitano declined to explain increased costs for out-of-state students.

“A (current $972) UC Student Service Fee will increase annually by 5 percent ($48), starting in 201516,” Napolitano said. “I am currently waiting on approval from the Regents at our May 21 meeting to increase non-resident supplemental tuition by up to eight percent annually.”

For undergraduate studies, both school systems have reached record tuition costs, $406 per unit at a UC and $372 at a CSU. Statistics from UCOP reveal that international and out-of-state students pay, on average, about $23,000 more for tuition than in-state students.

Tuition will continue to rise after 2017 despite any funding, according to Napolitano. She says, tuition increases will respond to inflation.

“There will be no tuition increases for the next two years, but beginning in 2017-18, tuition will gradually increase, pegged to the rate of inflation,” Napolitano said.

Admission into the UC and CSU systems has grown increasingly difficult, according to some California residents. Local students say the universities should grant them pri-

ority, and currently they do not.

Lizzy Welch was a communications major at Los Angeles City College before being offered a scholarship from Loyola University in New Orleans. However, she also applied to UCLA, UCSB and UCSD. Her GPA of a 3.5, and her resume of experience was not enough.

“I was denied by all of the schools I applied to, even with a resume of experience and strong grades,” Welch said. “I applied to Loyola University in New Orleans, and they were extremely impressed with my progress as a student, and they offered me a scholarship for $7,000, and I accepted it.”

According to paloaltoonline.com, past UC President Mark Yudof says that the UC system provides $46.3 billion in economic activity. The report also says that Yudof claims that the UC system is the “economic engine” for California.

LACC student Auberto Kalombo says he noticed that more and more of his classmates who applied to local UC and CSU colleges were denied. He says he knows some students who exceeded the universities GPA requirement for admissions and were still denied.

“More and more students locally

are being denied with strong GPAs to our local universities, and the numbers show non residents getting more opportunity,” Kalombo said. “It’s not fair for our tax money to provide greater opportunity for others who pay nothing for our universities.”

West Los Angeles College student Cedric Margo says that California is seizing the opportunity to reduce the debt by satisfying non-resident demands for the UC system.

Margo is the son of a UCLA alumnus and fears that the UC system ignores the best interests of its residents. He says this fear has forced him to look at schools outside of California, even though his heart remains at home.

“It’s not right that we all give our priority enrollment spots away to others just so they can get more money to solve a problem that this state created,” Margo said. “ (…)

It angers me to see the tax money that I’ve paid and that all Californians pay give enrollment to those who haven’t paid anything for our opportunity. The UCs are breaking their promise to provide Californians with priority. They’re continuing to take from us without giving anything back.”

As a result of higher tuition fees for local residents, some seek strong schools in other states, which are still competitive in their desired major.

UCSB offers a major with an emphasis on public relations at a costs of $34,435 a year, according to the university’s website. Baylor University in Texas, offers public relations as a major, and according to the university’s website out-of-state tuition is $36,360 a year.

“The evidence is clear as day, and Yudof even said himself that the UCs can charge non-residents more money,” Margo said. “They’re basically saying non-resident enrollments are increasing because they are more profitable, without actually saying it.”

Gov. Brown and the UC system administration continue to negotiate tuition fees. With proposed funding plans in place for California state colleges, some California students hope that the universities begin to increase enrollment for the state’s local residents.

“It’s kind of like a father who has a family that is struggling financially, and he is giving charity to others, instead of helping his own,” Margo said.

Artists Conjure ‘Train of Thought’

By Carlos Martinez and Mae Bradley Progress can be achieved by anyone when they focus on a specific concept. That is the theme explored in “A Train of Thought” exhibit showing at the Da Vinci Gallery this month.

Stacey Wexler, curator of Da Vinci Gallery, hand-picked each piece from artists with the Tierra Del Sol foundation. They are a nongovernmental organization which aims to assist young people in overcoming various mental and physical challenges resulting from developmental disabilities.

Wexler quotes Laurence J. Peter, a world-renowned Canadian educator, on her mission statement and she credits him as the source of inspiration for the show.

“Real, constructive mental power lies in the creative thought that shapes your destiny, and your hour-by-hour mental conduct produces power for change in your life,” Wexler credits Peter as saying, “The nobility of your life as well as your happiness depends upon the direction in which that train of

hand shake From Page 1

thought is going.”

The exhibit features more than 15 pieces created by “differently-abled individuals.” Even though they are often labelled as mentally handicapped, these individuals have successful careers as artists, thanks to the Tierra Del Sol foundation.

Mariah Jones is the exhibit coordinator and one of the people in charge of bringing the exhibit to Los Angeles City College.

“We are very glad to be at LACC,” Jones said. “This exhibit comprises the work of so many wonderful people that as you can see have a talent that needs to be witnessed.”

Jones also described her students as skillful people with special abilities rather than disabilities.

“These artists have brought their creativity into each of their pieces,” she said.

During the opening reception, Jones talked about how over the years she has worked for this organization. She has noticed significant changes in the community.

“We have hundreds of students that come from troubled backgrounds,” Jones said. “I have seen

so many people take a positive change in their lives, it is inspiring to see this change.”

Aaron James is one of the students displaying his works in the exhibit. He says he is proud, a feeling that he describes as something he will never forget.

“It took me a lot of time to finish this art [piece],” James said. “I liked working with markers and tracing the lines into the whole picture. I’m so proud of seeing my work here.”

Many City College students attended the opening reception on Oct. 5. The art itself provoked impressions of high craftsmanship and natural talent.

Alfredo Alvarado is one of the many students that attended the exhibit’s opening ceremony. Alvarado says he was surprised when he saw the high level of precision in the work.

“When I walked in here, I was amazed at the quality of the work … for example, there is one drawing that has a smooth and somber feel to it,” he said. “ It made me reflect on how hard these artists have worked on each piece.”

Each of the artists involved in

this exhibit spent approximately six hours every day working on their pieces. The result is art imbued with a highly individualized style.

Wexler says she was drawn to these pieces as a collection, due to their honest stream of creative thought.

“After volunteering with an organization that helped individuals with special abilities,” she said. “I became aware of the stigma associated with mental illness.”

Wexler told attendees that a great amount of time and effort went into bringing the show to the Da Vinci Gallery.

She says she wants to demonstrate the extraordinary capability of individuals’ society has labelled as “handicapped.”

“This exhibition is a work of love,” Wexler said, “I selected this show, because it illuminates these individuals’ unending focus and dedication to their artwork.”

“A Train of Thought” will run until Oct. 28, 2015 at the Da Vinci Gallery. All pieces are available for sale and the proceeds will go to the Tierra Del Sol foundation.

Photo by Curtis Sabir/Collegian

Deputy Chief Michael Downing is the Commanding Officer of the Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau (CTSOB), who reports directly to Assistant Chief Michel R. Moore, Office of Special Operations.

ASG Goes Viral: Handshake Edition Calgary, Alberta, Canada who built programs called “We Are Not Them (WANT) Movement” to spark people to people discussions about Islam, and Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri who established a program called “One95” to collaborate cross-culture and encourage solidarity against extremism.

As their contest submission, ASG created the BET Shake Challenge (BSC). Jonathan Elias, head of the programming board at LACC says ASG wanted a universally understood symbol that communicates the message of collaboration. A majority of ASG members agreed on a 10step handshake to brand a physical movement that encompasses the sentiments of the campaign, according to Elias. That handshake then is posted on social media in order to spread awareness, and others are encouraged to make their own 10-step shake.

Elias says ASG is working hard to make the BSC go viral. ASG hopes to create a social media network that reaches youth citywide by using hashtags like #BETeducation and #BETmakeyourown. He is excited about the impact that BET is having on younger generations.

“It’s to show them that they are able to express themselves through various forms of education, dance,

music, theatre, and arts rather than resorting to extreme violence,” he said.

Juliana Medina, the faculty liaison for The BET Shake Challenge, says she sees the growing force behind the “Shake.” She says her biggest goal is to the White House.

“We want to share the awareness of extremism,” Medina said. “We’ve seen a lot of positive energy coming through this, a lot of students who want to participate and are aware of this extremism.

Sidney Trangelo, an attendee of Friday’s informational meeting about terrorism and a witness to a BET Shake Challenge, says the world is in a turmoil, and he is excited about the BSC because it can help to unify students.

“I feel like this could be very persuasive in bringing peace to the world,” Trangelo said.

The official submission will be a multilingual video and an interactive web site. Deadline for the submission will be on Dec. 11, with winners announced on Dec 18. Participants in the “Shake” movement will receive a 100 dollar stipend, a co-op class you get to take, lunch, and a polo shirt.

For more information on how to join the movement, go to thebetshakechallenge.com, or contact Jonathan Elias at jonathan. elias@laverne.edu.

parenthood From Page 1

Locals Demand Continued Funding for Planned Parenthood She says they offer youth programs that educate teens about safe sex and adolescent pregnancy prevention. As a young teen, she says her mother would take her to classes that PP offered.

“I remember taking a prevention of adolescent pregnancy class with my mother when I was younger, and it has fully helped me with my decision making,” Ramirez said.

Male students also had comments on the organization. Jose Hernandez, an LACC psychology major says women’s health is important, and that it would not be right if the government were to interfere with PP’s federal funding.

“I think it’s unfair to defund it, mainly because of the large demographic in the U.S. that uses it,” Hernandez said. “The sexual education they provide to the public is important. It can really save lives.”

LACC Business student Wesley Robles, says women are the assumed gender of impact when people mention PP. Robles says that women are

not the only ones who would be affected by the defunding of the organization.

“What many people fail to realize is that Planned Parenthood not only helps women but helps men with certain services as well,” Robles said.

“I think it would be unfortunate to see an organization that helps, especially young adults get certain health services be defunded by accusations that haven’t even been proven to be correct.”

Some claim the organization is purely fraud and only provides abortion services. While others defend the organization and say that women should be entitled to health services that come to little or no cost at all.

To find out more information about the organization and their services, visit their office located right across the street from the campus on Vermont Avenue Monday-Friday, 8-5 p.m., walk-ins are welcomed.

Their website is www.plannedparenthood.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 21, 2015

NO BREAKS FOR DAWN Music major Terena Williams, better known by her stage name “Terena Dawn,” comes to the City halls with a mission.

A California native, Dawn maneuvers the music world with ease.

She is a one-woman army with artistry in singing, songwriting, producing and engineering.

Dawn displays not only her talent but her skills in business as the founder and president of the Music Producer’s Collective.

Dawn rises to the public eye as she sits down with the Collegian for a chat about her inspirations, accomplishments and goals.

BY DERAIL HAMPTON

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCIO FLORES HUARINGA

Henry Aceves Madrid and Melissa Perl sing, “Yes! Let’s have Sex!” during a performance of “Drunk Girl” on Oct. 11, 2015. They play explores themes of sexual abuse and recovery.

Sex, Rape, Consent: ‘Drunk Girl’ Tells All

E

BY BYRON UMANA BERMUDEZ

ver heard the story of the young woman who goes out for a night of fun?

She goes to a bar, but then makes the mistake of drinking an unattended beverage? Clueless to her blunder, she heads to the dance floor, but in a matter of seconds her night turns into a nightmare.

This is but one scenario brought to life by playwright Josefina Lopez – of “Real Women Have Curves” fame.

Lopez teamed up with fellow writers Rocio Diaz and Libette Garcia to create an assortment of raw, emotional and powerful stories of rape and sexual assault in “Drunk Girl.”

The play stars a deftly versatile cast of nine men and women who among them portray more than 83 roles.

Audiences are guaranteed to laugh and cry as each and every scene takes them on a rollercoaster of emotions, full of sudden stops and turns, deep dives and steep climbs.

“I was given the task of creating an entertaining show about rape,” Lopez told said. “I wanted to just convey the rage … You can do 10 shows about this and it still not be enough.”

Garcia authored the titular monologue “Drunk Girl,” in which she explores her journey to overcome alcohol dependency. It is an awe-inspiring scene in which the main character celebrates her birthday at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting as she recounts her struggle to find the happiness she once felt as a child.

“Josephina had the idea of having this wonderful play that deals with abuse, physical abuse as well as the story behind someone who maybe an alcoholic,” Garcia said. “Because Josephina had not experienced that [firsthand,] she invited me to participate as a playwright … Though my tears writing down my personal experience, it’s not easy.”

Audience members were invited to stay and participate in a panel discussion featuring the writers and actors in “Drunk Girl” as well as representatives from organizations like the Survivor’s Network of Those Abused by Priest (SNAP), AA and the East Los Angeles Women’s Center following a matinee performance on Oct. 11, 2015.

Panelists discussed physical abuse and shared their own stories of survival and community outreach.

“It’s the silence and the shame that’s the toxicity,” said Esther Hatfield Miller, a SNAP regional director. “I look at wounded souls and oozing souls and I see the unborn opportunities sitting inside. We can’t birth that, we can’t bring something delicious out into the world to transform and help other people’s lives, because we got all this crap sitting inside of us, swirling inside us …

What we do know is that abuse happens in isolation; the healing happens in community.”

“

I WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF CREATING AN ENTERTAINING SHOW ABOUT RAPE. I WANTED TO JUST CONVEY THE RAGE …

YOU CAN DO 10 SHOWS ABOUT THIS AND IT STILL NOT BE ENOUGH.” -Josefina Lopez, Playwright

Alex Alfaro was one of the actors sitting in on the panel. For “Unlucky Man,” he delivered one of the most heart-wrenching monologues of the night. The scene centers on “John,” a man who was put in jail following rape allegations.Throughout the monologue, Alfaro’s character expresses his frustration and confusion at being accused of rape, saying his partner never told him to stop.

The scene comes to an emotional climax when “John” tells the audience he knows he did not rape his partner, because he was raped by his cellmate, and therefore knows what a rape victim experiences.

“When I read it I was like, what?

Challenge Accepted!” Alfaro said.

“It’s tough … I think one of the hardest things for me to come and accept was the conditioning of my male privilege, growing up in this society, in a first-generation Latino home where the ideology of what is to be a man was very specific … one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to do the show was because of the subject matter. I love doing work that not only challenges me, but also the audience to think outside the box.”

Lopez knows this only too well.

While the play aims to heal, it also educates. She encourages adults to bring young people to the play to encourage open discussions of sexuality and consent.

“We invite young people, my 12-year-old son saw it,” Lopez said.

“I thought he should know … Now at 12 years old he is ready to have this conversation. He really enjoyed the show. I’m glad I had that conversation with him, because everybody is afraid to talk about sex.”

“Drunk Girl,” ran until Oct. 18, 2015 at the Casa 0101 theatre in Boyle Heights, however Lopez said she wants to bring the play to high school and college audiences wherever possible. For more information on the play and future production, visit www.casa0101.org.

MELTING POT SCAN QR CODE FOR ACCESS TO AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LIBETTE GARCIA

or visit www. soundcloud.com/collegianwired

Collegian: Tell me, who is Terena Dawn?

Terena Dawn: I compose. I arrange. I write lyrics – my favorite part – and then I produce. I mainly work in Pro Tools.

I just like to create art, collaborate with others and make money doing it.

Collegian: What was your first instrument?

Terena Dawn: My first instrument was the guitar but, I’m better at the piano. It’s funny because I grew up [riding dirt bikes].

Collegian: You have many titles.

Are you trying to be a jack-of-alltrades?

Terena Dawn: I’d like to be a jackof-all-trades, in general, just so I can easily work with people in the industry. Whether I’m going into a studio or into a writing session … It’s more of a way to make money until I can sustain a creative life.

I offer services like business plan development and audio engineering.

I’m also working with the label Ampersand.

Collegian: Tell me more about your involvement with Ampersand.

Terena Dawn: Nate Nathanson is the head. I’m working with [him and his wife]. [They are] writing a business plan, getting the verbiage arranged, their mission statement.

Collegian: You seem to offer a lot of services. Are you actually a per-

5

Artist Spotlight

PHOTO BY DERAIL HAMPTON/COLLEGIAN

Music major Terena Williams AKA “Terena Dawn” takes a break from piano rehearsal in Clausen Hall on Oct. 12, 2015. Dawn has her sights set on releasing a self-produced, self-titled album in December. former yourself?

Terena Dawn: I perform my songs. I kind of sing. I wouldn’t say I’m a ‘singer,’ if someone were to ask me. I’m a producer/songwriter. I do try to perform my songs.

I think it is important as a musician, whether you want to be on stage or not, to know it all and try it out and see what works live.

I do go back and forth sometimes, ‘Oh, maybe I should be more of an artist.’ I think ultimately the songwriter-producer thing is what I want to do.

I would love to release an album of works that’s mine and maybe do like a small local tour and make money off of my music. Ultimately, I want to post in the studio.

Collegian: Because that’s where the real money is?

Terena Dawn: Yeah that’s where the money is!

Collegian: Any upcoming performances?

Terena Dawn: I’m graduating from the Applied Program so I will be [in the upcoming] concert on Dec. 9. Now, I am the founder and president of the Music Producers Collective.

LACC has a great music program but, it’s more geared towards classical performers and not so much commercial. I use the word “producer” because producer has a wide umbrella of things underneath it.

It includes music business, songwriting, composing and audio engi-

neering. Last year we had a successful concert which included a FKA Twigs cover, which included vocals I manipulated and my friend Derek on guitar.

Collegian: Who are some of your influences?

Terena Dawn: I love The Weeknd since “XO,” his first mixtape, because of the duality and darkness of his sounds. I love the production, it’s different, yet musical and evokes emotion. I’m a happy person, but I love the emotion!

Skylar Grey, not only her music but her career. She grew up in a string quartet with her parents, she’s worked with so many names. She is a phenomenal singer-songwriter and producer.

Definitely a model for where I want to be. I mean I just love orchestral sound of Evanescence, FKA Twigs, some Lana [Del Rey] stuff, just the whole underground vibe.

Collegian: What is your end goal?

Terena Dawn: To be an awesome songwriter who gets placements. I can write film scores, compose, write a lead sheet for music, or even go into the studio to make a beat.

I have an eclectic taste; I want to work with eclectic artists.

Dawn’s self-produced, self-titled album will be out in December. For more on her work, follow her on social media by searching “Terena Dawn” or visit her website, www.terenadawn. com.

One Director Watches Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

BY CLINTON CAMERON As the director of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” theatre department instructor Louie Piday has found no time to favor one character more than any other. She avoided using the term “minor” in reference to supporting characters like “Candy Starr,” and during rehearsal she says she directed each character as if she were involved in playing them herself.

“A director plays every part and when you’re directing the ‘Chief Bromden,’ you’re directing the ‘Chief Bromden’ as if you’re playing ‘Bromden’ and when you’re directing ‘Billy Bibbit,’ you’re directing ‘Billy Bibbit’ as if you’re living [his life],” Piday said.

“You don’t focus on any one character even if you’ve played it for a hundred years.”

Piday recalled the premier 1960’s Broadway Company production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” closing after a short unsuccessful run.

It starred Kirk Douglass as “R.P. McMurphy.” A few years later, Piday accepted her first professional supporting role on the East Coast when she debuted in the revival. The New York version had a much more successful run for four years during the ’70s. That led to an interest in producing it for the big screen.

In that production Piday played ‘Candy Starr,’ a supporting character that fed off of “McMurphy”’s sexually boisterous and disobedient behavior.

“It was almost [an] all male cast,”

Piday said. “And into this [almost] entire male environment, an unexpected breath of fresh air is a female character who is not starched in white wearing [a] nurse’s uniform.”

If “Starr” represented an outlet for sexual repression, the nurses on staff represented the polar opposite.

“Nurse Rachet” exemplified this most as the head nurse. Piday was fortunate enough to explore that role in addition to “Starr” in a road version of the play.

“I also played ‘Nurse Rachet’ in the Boston production,” Piday said.

“Even though I was a very, very young nurse Rachet, I played that part for a short time in the road company which opened simultaneously. By the second year I was playing ‘Candy.’ I got to cover that role. I had just as much interest in ‘Rachet’ as I do in ‘Candy.’”

She also shared an interest in the design of the set with set designer Tesshi Nakagawa. Two weeks before the play opens, Nakagawa worked tirelessly on the design. There are no rehearsals with the set until closer to show time. Nakagawa explained his role as an integrated element of the production and not separate from the lights, costumes or the acting. This week, he worked closely with the director just as the actors have.

“I’ve got this great concept for the set and at the same time, I’ve got a bit challenge of how to create this ‘deepness’ (image) in limited space on stage,” Nakagawa said.

As part of the Theatre Academy, City Playhouse teams theatre alum-

ni and faculty or outside guests with academy students. This has given young performers opportunities to share the stage with seasoned professionals. For this City Playhouse production, alumni Mark Vail accepted the role of “McMurphy.” His love for the stage trumped his experience in front of the camera in both television and film.

“I’m from the stage. That’s just homecoming for me,” Vail said.

“When you get to the stage I feel like each character is richer. There’s more to sink your teeth into.”

When he prepared for the role, his focus was primarily on the book more so than the movie, an approach he and Piday see eye to eye on. During his preparation he admitted to avoiding the Nicholas portrayal of “McMurphy” from the 1975 movie that made the character so famous.

“I first saw the movie, saw the play, then read the book, which is chronologically backwards,” Vail said. “I want to find my truth with this character. I want to portray what ‘R.P. McMurphy’ represents in the book.”

Piday and Vail acknowledged the work as a whole as important piece of Americana. They say the play will bring back what to the big screen version of the play.

“In the book, the ‘Chief ’ is the narrator.” Vail said. “Already, that tells you how the book is different from the movie. It would be wise to see the play.

It’s an excellent piece of American literature.”

6

hispanic heritage

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Hispanic heritage month Photo by Tomas Rodriguez/Collegian

facts • The Hispanic population in the United States is projected to reach 128.8 million by 2060. Therefore, the Hispanic community will constitute 31 percent of the nation’s population by that date.

• In 2010, nearly 54 million Hispanics were living in the U.S., with this number the U.S. has the second highest population of Hispanic peoples, right behind Mexico with 120 million.

• Approximately 1.2 million Hispanics 18 and older are veterans of the U.S. armed forces.

• In 2010 the number of Hispanic peoples living in California increased to 14 million, up from 10 million in 2000.

Rogelio Chavez considers LACC his home. He has been teaching at the campus for five years and enjoys working alongside his first professor from CSUN, Carlos Guerrero.

Professor Driven by Push To Education As a child, one LACC professor remembers the sacrifice his parents made to further his education. It started in primary school and continued in secondary school, and it eventually took him all the way to a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

Tomas Rodriguez

R

ogelio Garcia is a first generation Mexican-American, but he prefers the term “Chicano.” His parents were both from Mexico, but he still maintains a great pride for his heritage, and it is a driving force in his life.

Garcia teaches political science at Los Angeles Community College.

Just like another professor, Jaime Soto, he comes from a community college background, but the two have more in common than just an educational success. They said their parents were big motivators for their educational success.

“My parents definitely encouraged all of us to pursue higher education.

For them that was the number one priority,” Garcia said. “My parents had limited college education so they couldn’t help in so many ways, but they made it very clear that education is important.”

Despite having support from his

parents, the real challenge was making it as far as college, something their family was not too familiar with.

As a first generation of Mexican-Americans, their goal was simple. If you achieve success in education then you must continue to do the same for the following year.

“College was an idea, but it really wasn’t a goal,” Garcia said. “It was always ‘do good in school’ and what that usually meant was do good in the grade you are in right now. Do good in the first grade. Do good in the second grade, third and fourth grade. And if you’re done, do good in middle school then do good in high school.”

College was an abstract notion, because nobody in his family had ever gone to college. Some first generation students can find it challenging. “[College] was always this thing that we saw in the movies and television,” Garcia said. “It was a place for white people.”

The idea for college to be a goal

was present, but it wasn’t a reality until his older brother became the first in the family to reach college.

After that it was more than a goal. It became part of the daily agenda to fully prosper and realize the American dream.

However, Garcia is one of many Hispanics who have succeeded through hard work and dedication.

He got his bachelor’s and master’s degree at CSUN. “[CSUN] was the birthplace of Chicano studies so I had the privilege of taking classes with civil rights leaders,” Garcia said. “You read them in history books, but these people are actually teaching it in the class.

We had Rodolfo Acuña, who wrote the book of Chicano history, people who were actually in the struggle.”

Garcia learned from the best. The perceptions he had from living figures teaching face to face inspired him.

Nevertheless, to Garcia, having a full-time Chicano instructor at LACC, was more than just a coincidence. People didn’t just ask for Chi-

We do not always see eye to eye. [Hispanics] are so diverse. We are conservatives and liberals.” —Jaime Soto

Photo by Dave Martin/Collegian

Reneé D. Martinez is the first Hispanic president for LACC. Martinez previously spent 12 years as Vice President of Workforce Education and Economic Development at East Los Angeles College and has been an executive board member for the last six years at Beverly Hospital in Montebello.

Heritage Drives President to Succeed

By Ambar Quintanilla and Jason Piskopus Reneé D. Martinez is more than experienced when it comes to hard work and dedication. As a recipient of multiple prestigious awards, such as the Mexican-American Alumni Award and the National Headstart Latino Leadership, recognition is the fruit of Martinez’s labor. This fruit has led her to the president’s office at Los Angeles City College.

Raised in a large Mexican-American family, she learned the importance of work ethic, education and cultural pride. Steeped with tradition her childhood home was not just a place to rest her head at night. It is also where she learned the traditional Mexican customs, from making fresh tortillas with her grandmother to decorating for the annual Day of the Dead celebration.

“All the things I learned growing up, enriched my creativity,” Martinez said. “Being Hispanic has enriched my life and empowered me to become a President.”

Martinez says her heritage has not hindered her professional achievements and goals. She says every person must have a secure foundation, especially those who struggle to reach their dreams and lack aspirations because they see themselves as minorities. Martinez is LACC’s first female Hispanic president.

“Find people who have the same vision and those are the people you want to cultivate in your life,” Martinez said. “Those are the people that are going to help you.”

Martinez is proud to be Hispanic. She says it means that she comes from a wealth of historical and wonderful experiences that have influenced society until this day, and that in Southern California, Hispanic culture can be found everywhere. For example, many of the city’s churches were built with traditional Hispanic architecture.

Martinez’s family relied on each other for support and motivation, teaching her that friends and family are essential to achieving your goals. Martinez says, when money was tight and resources were short their family worked together and learned from their mistakes along the way.

“When I was young, I did not see myself in this role, no,” Martinez said. “But, people in my life encouraged me.”

cano Studies classes, it became part of the course offerings thanks to the daily struggles and perseverance of Chicano leaders.

“That didn’t just happen because people out of the ordinary decide to give them a discipline,” Garcia said.

“No, that happened out of struggle and sacrifice. People died and went to jail so that future generations could enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else.”

It is a constant reminder that encourages Garcia to do what he does.

At CSUN he met current LACC Chicano Studies professor, Carlos Guerrero. They both teach alongside each other and it’s a reminder of where Garcia started.

His message is clear to first-generation students. In order to succeed, you have to at least try.

“You have to find your way,” Garcia said. “After that it gets easier, you realize that wasn’t hard at all. But once you do it, you can share that with other people and encourage them. It makes all the difference and we take that for granted.”

Photo by Tomas Rodriguez/Collegian

Professor Jaime Soto teaches a history course on the social history of the United States. Despite working as a Council Member for the City of San Fernando, Soto teaches at LACC and credits the community college system for helping him succeed through higher education.

Community College Helped Professor Prosper in Life iar with. He attended Valley College. construction worker and in 1969 he My dad was Even though he is a professor now, opened a restaurant business.”

Soto admits that he still learns as an “Panchitos” was the name of their a bracero, instructor.

Mexican restaurant; they served all he came here with “I have to credit the community types of Mexican cuisine. His father college, Soto said. “I evolved as a did not become a millionaire, but he nothing,” —Jaime Soto student” and even though I teach, I flourished working in the valley.

By Tomas Rodriguez

Professor Jaime Soto has Mexican bloodlines, but takes pride in being an American.

He thanks the California Community College system for the progress he made in education that allowed him later to become a City Councilmember for the City of San Fernando.

Soto teaches History at Los Angeles City College, a system he is famil-

still learn more every day.”

Being a first-generation American, Soto acknowledges the challenges and triumphs of the American dream. He grew up working in the restaurant business with his father who worked hard to get his family ahead.

“My dad was a bracero, he came here with nothing,” Soto said. “He was a farm picker by Mission Hills for a long time. “He lived the American dream, he worked as a baker,

The entire family pitched in to help “Panchitos” prosper. Everyone contributed and Soto and his five siblings made it through college.

Soto’s parents were a big influence on him growing up. If his parents dedicated their lives to him and his siblings, then he was ready to excel in education.

Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales, a Chicano boxer, activist and poet from Denver, Colorado, also inspired Soto.

Gonzales was a crucial part of the Chicano cause and its advancement in America.

“Corky Gonzales was so important to Chicanos,” Soto said. “He forged alliances with the Black Panther Party and he wrote ‘I am Joaquin.’”

The poem is about the many social injustices faced by Chicanos in the U.S., which united them in the fight for equality.

Gonzales did not only work with Chicanos, but his relationship with the Black Panthers proved that alliances between black and brown power were fighting for the same causes.

As a councilman for the City of San Fernando, Soto today believes that he fights for the people within the community. He says he stays away from private interest groups because he wants the best for his people.

In the United States, there have been many Hispanics who have helped make it easier for the succeeding generations. The difference they made decades ago, are reason why so many Latinos are thriving in this country. Soto believes every Latino is crucial to the Hispanic movement.

“We do not always see eye to eye.

[Hispanics] are so diverse. We are conservatives and liberals,” Soto said. “We are a community. We are a torch. We hand it off to each other to so we can maximize our potential.”