Collegian grInd on the grIdIron
LACC WEATHER FORECAST WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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SUNDAY
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NEWS BRIEFS
SEE PAGE 8
Los Angeles
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 Volume 178 Number 3
The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929
CompileD By heCtor lopeZ anD rosa CorDero
Home Depot to Hire Applicants have the opportunity to apply for jobs at 10 different Home Depot locations during a one-day hiring event. There are hundreds of positions available. Interested students can apply online prior to the event at careers.homedepot.com and bring right-to-work documents to the interview. Students are advised to dress professionally. Interviews begin at 8 a.m. on March 31 until 5 p.m. in the South L.A. WorkSource Center, at 3965 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90037. For more information contact Business Marketing Coordinator Arthur Guerrero at aguerrero@ letc.com or (323)730-7900 ext., 246.
Award-Winning Alumnus, MacArthur Fellow to Speak in Clausen Hall Artist Kerry James Marshall whose work has been displayed at MoCA and numerous galleries will be meeting students at Los Angeles City College. The meeting is possible because of the Visual and Media Arts Department and will be held in the Clausen Hall Recital on March 29 from 12 to 1 p.m.
Keep Tabs on Your Financial Aid Status Financial aid information will be available through a new LACCD Student Portal beginning April 3. The new system will help students check the status of their financial aid. To login visit https:// mycollege.laccd.edu
Things Add Up With Free Math Workshop Increase your math placement test score by attending a free math department workshop. There are several workshops beginning Friday April 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Franklin Hall, Room 106. For more information, email professor Kian Kaviani at kaviank@lacitycollege.edu or call (323) 953-4000, ext. 2811.
Dive into Late Start Swimming, Running Classes Late start classes for the 2017 spring semester will be available starting April 10. The class will alternate between running and swimming during the week with Professor McKinley. Kinesiology 307, section 2036 will be meeting Monday through Thursday at 7:40 a.m. until 9 a.m.
Peace, Unity & Change Exhibit Opens
By trissean mCDonalD anD BeatriCe anoh
Photo by ClInton CaMEron/CollEgIan
Marshal May produced this untitled pastel on paper art piece in an art class at the Lancaster Jail in 2016. The painting has cubist and fauvist overtones. Marshall May is an artist and returning citizen who participates in the “Make it to Break it” program. His paintings will be featured in the upcoming Freedom Festival in September 2017.
returning citiZenS Shine through Art
By Clinton Cameron
T
welve newly-enrolled students at Los Angeles City College contributed to the diversity of the campus this spring through their status as “returning citizens,” people who have previously been incarcerated. They attend classes as participants of a program called “Break it to Make it,” which is a federally funded partnership between the Strindberg Laboratory, City College and the Los Angeles Mission. Eleven male participants and one female participant are studying at LACC this spring after spending time behind bars. Program organizers say education serves as a tool to help returnees transition into society as productive citizens. Two out of every five inmates lack a high school diploma or its equivalent, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. There are 10,000 ex-prisoners released weekly in America from state and federal institutions, according to the United States Department of Justice website. Sixty-one percent of inmates in California return to jail within three years of their release according to California’s Depart-
Photo IllustratIon by bEatrICE alCala
ment of Corrections 2014 Rehabilitation Recidivism Rate Report. Michael Bierman, president of Strindberg Laboratory started a program for inmates five years ago. It included performing arts
classes offered to inmates by the non-profit. Participants produced several plays and traveled to Los Angeles Mission to perform for its residents. Theater 262 is an off-site course
that offers two units through City College exclusively to incarcerated individuals who qualify. SEE ‘BREAK IT TO MAKE IT’ PAGE 6
Hate Speech Scrawled on Elevator doors By anDe riCharDs
INDEX 2-3 4 5 6 7 8
It is common for some college students to spend excessive amounts of money on instant gratification during spring break. However, there are inexpensive local activities that can be fun and will not require more than a tank of gas. It could be time to consider a picnic at a beach with some college friends and a game of ultimate Frisbee, or a fun time at Knott’s Berry Farm with tickets starting at $44, if purchased online. LACC human services major Jeannette Alexander is keeping her eye on the bottom line and staying in town for spring break. “I am going to clean the house and catch the train to the beach, since the Expo line goes straight to the beach just a block away,” Alexander said. “The transportation is cheaper.” Geology major and “future philanthropist” Rosaura Quinones will spend time, not money during the break as she volunteers at Children’s Hospital. “The non-profit organization with whom I work is called “community coalition” on 8181 Vermont Avenue and 81st in Los Angeles,” Quinones said. “I help high school youth who are being accepted to college to fill out applications for the financial aid process and any assistance they need to start university on the right foot.” Many students who attend L.A. City College live in the area. A familiarity with Southern California might cause them to think negatively about spring break on local turf. However, more than a few City College students and professors are heading out of town for the first week in April. SEE SPRING BREAK PAGE 6
The Public Health Foundation Enterprises will be displaying youth’s artwork that promotes peace and equality. There will be food and raffles open to youth as well as performances and live music. The exhibit will open on Fri. March 31 from 5 to 8 p.m. at CARECEN. The address is 2845 W ST. Los Angeles, CA 90005.
Opinion & Editorial Campus Life Arts & Entertainment News Scholarships Sports
Spring Breakers Save Cash, Gas
Photo by anDE rICharDs/CollEgIan
Professor Joyce Allen reported hate speech scrawled on the walls and door of the elevator located at the base of the bridge that connects the Life Science Building and Chemistry Buildings on Monday, March 21. This incident comes on the heels of three fires that were set intentionally outside the Life Sciences Building and on the first floor. A suspect in the fire incidents has been identified.
Handwriting with racial and other slurs on the metal walls and door of the elevator adjacent to the Chemistry and Life Sciences Buildings met anyone entering campus from Willow Brook Avenue on Monday, March 21. The writing included words like nig$%r, black bitches and “mutalate.” It also referred to caskets. Life sciences professor Joyce Allen, who rides the elevator to her classroom on the second floor of the Life Sciences Building reported the incident to campus security at approximately 10:45 a.m. on Monday. “I reported this because I got on the elevator and noticed immediate writings,” Allen said. “So I had to look very closely because the elevator is a little dark so then when it opened up I immediately see un-
fortunately the word nig*#*r. It seems very rambling, like a person who is demented and very sick.” Campus security responded to the call and investigated the scene. officer Doo was one of the first to arrive. “It’s pretty rare,” he said of the offensive language. Shortly after an inspection by Deputy James McKain and Senior office Assistant Josef M. Nikoloff, a custodian arrived at the scene to remove the offensive handwriting. Professor Allen told the Collegian that in recent weeks someone set three fires in front of and inside the Life Sciences Building. Senior office Assistant, Josef M. Nikoloff sent an email alert on March 8 to inform the City College SEE ELEVATOR PAGE 6
AcAdemic SenAte declAreS cAmpuS SAfe leArning environment By sorina sZakaCs Members of the Los Angeles City College Academic Senate stated in a letter on March 2 that L.A. City College is a safe place for students to learn. The four-paragraph letter addressed to all students and faculty supports the idea of LACC as a safe haven. The Collegian received two versions of the letter: one signed and one unsigned The Collegian received a signed copy of the letter on March 10 via email, from Dan Wanner, president of the L.A. City College Academic Senate. The letter states that the college supports the “rights and freedoms of all students regardless of ethnicity, religious preference, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, economic status, and political standing.” The academic senate letter also mentions toward the end of the statement that the Los Angeles City College Sheriff ’s office “is not to detain students based solely on immigration status.” To access and read the Resolution: Los Angeles City College as a Safe learning Environment, visit: http://bit.ly/2no6R46.