Collegian LOS ANGELES
Wednesday, September 30, 2020 Volume 185 Number 1
ELECTIONS
PANDEMICRESISTANCE
Pg. 5
INTRAMURALSPORTS Pg. 8
The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929
EDUCATION
L.A. County, District Finalize Plans for Campus Drop Boxes
SEE “ELECTIONS” PAGE 6
Era of B.C.: Benjamin Crump Civil Rights ‘Drum Major’ Fights for Reform BY ANGELA JOHNSON Benjamin Crump saw his uncle beaten by police when he was a boy about six or seven years old. They pulled him over for speeding, allegedly. At that tender age, young Ben could figure out his uncle was a target because he was college-educated and drove a nice car. “They were making an example that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you go, you will always be a second-class citizen,” Crump told The Washington Post. There is no doubt that Crump was traumatized by what he witnessed. It was a harbinger of the many police brutality cases Crump would accept throughout his legal career. He stepped into the national spotlight in 2012 as the outspoken proxy for slain teenager Trayvon Martin and legal counsel to his grieving parents. That was eight years ago when Crump stood beside Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin to demand justice after their 17-year-old son. Trayvon was fatally shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Crump won a civil judgment in the case, but Zimmerman was acquitted.
COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIP OPENS NEW DOORS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY COURSES
SEE “VIRTUAL REALITY” PAGE 6
SEE “BLM ACTIVISTS” PAGE 6
Instructors Partner with VR and AR Software Giant to Reshape Curriculum.
EON Reality and L.A. City College have formed a partnership worth $3 million to bring virtual and augmented reality classes to students in a move that could make the campus a leader in VR education in North America. Schools struggle to implement online education to keep students safe and healthy in response to the pandemic. As a result, virtual reality and augmented reality technology and software will play a more important role in online education. Nursing students will be the first to plunge into a pilot program of VR courses this fall at City College. This new VR strategy could supplement or replace physical classrooms and lab hours. An esports laboratory and learning center will also be established. The partnership was forged with the Irvine, CA-based tech firm, which develops augmented reality software, to supplement classroom instruction this year. EON
BY BRIAN PEREZ
Reality works with Boeing, Microsoft, Lexus, Cornell University and has been growing at a rapid pace during the pandemic. The $72 billion augmented reality market is trying to make its way into colleges all over the world. Students can learn with innovative scientists to pave the way into uncharted territories. As part of the $3 million program, two faculty members will collaborate with the visual arts program to immerse students in the multi-billion dollar virtual reality industry. LACC President Mary Gallagher says she plans on making the software available to more faculty and students over time, including people with disabilities. She says she would require approval before expanding the program into the 135,000-student Los Angeles Community College District.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH
BY DIEGO CHAVEZ-CADENA
RESIDENTS, BLM ACTIVISTS GATHER TO CONDEMN KILLINGS Tiara Lucas commutes everyday from her Westmont neighborhood of South Los Angeles to Los Angeles International Airport where she inspects passengers for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. Life on her block is anything but peaceful -- 109th Street in one of the most violent cities of L.A. County -- but the street she lives on became the focus of a national uproar when a man was shot to death by police on Aug. 31. “Myself and others are just tired of this happening, not just here in L.A., but throughout the country,” Lucas said. For weeks, Black Lives Matter protesters from across L.A. County gathered at 109th Street to mark the death of Dijon Kizzee in the Westmont area of South L.A. Kizzee was a 29-year-old African American who was shot 19 times by L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies after he was stopped on his bicycle and ran from them. The protestors shouted at a police barricade on Sept. 12 in Westmont. Hundreds of L.A. County residents expressed outrage at sheriff’s deputies for antagonizing and shooting their neighbors. Westmont ranked 24 out of 209 L.A. County neighborhoods for the most violent crime in L.A.
BY ANGELIA COYNE Ballot drop boxes could soon appear on campuses across the Los Angeles Community College District. Students and East Hollywood residents could drop ballots off at LACC in October if all goes according to plan. Voters could avoid long lines, a trip to the post office and searching for poll locations by visiting the campus drop boxes. LACCD Director of Communications & External Relations William Boyer said in an email the district collaborated with the Los Angeles County Registrar of voters to help students cast their
K-POP
CALIFORNIA WILD FIRES
Angelenos Choke on Changing Climate from Wildfires, Heat PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS
Filthy Air Blankets L.A. County and its 10 Million Residents. At Times, L.A. Offered the Least Healthy Air on Earth.
SEE “CRUMP” PAGE 6
BY JONATHAN MONTES
INDEX Opinion & Editorial
2-3
Arts & Entertainment
4,5
News 6 Features 7 Sports 8
Air in Los Angeles is unhealthy, but recent high temperatures exacerbated by climate change and wildfire season makes the problem worse. The current Air Quality Index in L.A. is 169, which means the quality is unhealthy. The Air Quality Management District measures the air such as: ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, the Air Now reports. The U.S. air quality index gives scores of 0-50 as healthy. AQMD’s data over the last month shows L.A. contains high levels of unhealthy air pollution. AirNow.gov offers current online public
news for air quality in the U.S. Air Now health officials recommend people with heart and lung diseases, older adults, children and teens take the following steps to reduce exposure. “Avoid strenuous outdoor activities, keep outdoor activities short, consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them,” the Air Now website states. Following these steps should help people with health issues avoid dangerous pollution, the website states. Airnow.gov offers a list of ways to avoid unhealthy air. “Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard, shorten the amount of
time you are active outdoors and be active outdoors when air quality is better,” the Air Now website states. The website says their recommendations can help people avoid the health risks of air pollution. A new study says Americans in communities with higher smog levels are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19. Scientists at T.H Chan School of Public Health say not only do people have to worry about the unhealthy air quality in L.A., but also worry about the coronavirus as well. The Los Angeles Times reported American Lung Association President Harold Wimmer warns about poor air quality and
the pandemic. “We cannot afford to delay cleanup of dangerous air pollution,” Wimmer said to the Times. “In fact, it is more important than ever.” He says here that leaders must act before it is too late. Health experts recommend people who live in high pollution areas apply social distancing and follow air quality warnings. AQMD recommends Californians maintain social distancing, especially if they live in high-polluted areas.
SEE “FIRES” PAGE 6
2
OPINION & EDITORIAL
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
Los Angeles City College Visual & Media Arts Department 855 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029 323.953.4000 ext. 2832 losangeles.collegian@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
No, the 2020 Election is Not Like the 2016 Election BY ALEXANDER ROBINSON The year 2016 was a pretty rough one. And I don’t think most people would argue that it was not. Twenty-twenty has somehow managed to be 10 times as stressful as four years ago. However, in terms of the election, we are not in the same position now that we were in then. Unlike the 2016 election, we now have a clear idea of what a Trump presidency would bring us. This is the stuff of nightmares. When Donald Trump was elected
as the 45th President of the United States I broke down in disbelief. I called my younger brother in tears. I was scared of what the future would be for us and other people in my generation. Despite wanting to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, I knew deep down that he was going to be a fullblown tidal wave of disaster for this country. Even I would have never imagined what a terrible job Trump would do as President. The thought of him winning a second term is scarier than any horror
movie I have seen in these past four years. During Trump’s four years as president he has proven time and time again that he is completely inept as a leader and does not care what happens to anyone beside himself. The way he has handled the pandemic and race tensions in 2020 is a testament to his failed leadership. Also unlike 2016, this election is about more than who will simply be President. Do we want the America that is a cultural melting pot and land of opportunity? Or
do we want the America that will follow down the path of a fascist dictatorship? Both the presence of federal police in Portland, Oregon, and Trump’s refusal to say whether or not he will accept the election results are a little preview of what a fascist dictator in America looks like. It is the kind of fascism that previous generations have fought against during World War II. It is completely backwards that we have a President who is willing to dismantle the Constitution of the
Problems With Virtual Learning Arise, Students Deserve a Break BY JONATHAN MONTES
Stuck With the Man in the Mirror A Student Transforms from a Victim to a Survivor.
That morning, I stared at my reflection for what seemed like hours, unable to recognize myself. I felt 90 years old. I still looked nine years old. I was nine. A family member raped me the night before, and I was never the same. I remember my fourth-grade teacher telling me to remember her when I was famous. She saw me when I felt safe at school. I never grew up to be the next pop star everyone expected. I believe the reason may be that I was born into an environment devoid of consistent love and care. I entered my adult life unaware of the damage the abuse had caused. Luckily for me, my personality comes with a big mouth and a brewing volcano inside. I believe in equality and justice. When I real-
United States and feel good about it. If we look at his declining poll numbers and from that assume Trump will lose by a landslide, we will have repeated the same mistakes we made in 2016. America had no idea what a Trump presidency would bring us back then, four years ago. But now we do know. This election is the opportunity to take action, to be proactive and show the world, and future generations, that we believe in Democracy, not tyranny.
Editor-in-Chief JAMES DUFFY V Graphics Layout Editor BEATRICE ALCALA
Opinions & Editorial Editor ANGELA JOHNSON Sports Editor NELSON CRUZ Broadcast, Social Media Producer THANDI CHIMURENGA DIEGO CHAVEZ CADENA BEATRICE ALCALA Copy Editors THANDI CHIMURENGA, EDWARD LOCKE, HOLLIANN HARTMAN Photo Editors BEATRICE ALCALA GINA CHOE
COLUMN
BY HOLLIANN HARTMAN
Collegian
ized I was a rape victim at age 15, I plotted my move to California. At 18, I moved to Los Angeles. I wanted to use my story to motivate other victims. I did not care about my career, so long as I had a voice for survivors. I also put 3,000 miles between “he” and I. I began to tell my story, which led me to motivational speaking; often finding survivors asking ‘when?’ — ‘when will it stop hurting,’ ‘when will it stop affecting our behavior?’ I always start by explaining everyone is different. In my case, I had to accept the abuse and the neglect. None of it was my fault, but I had to accept it. “So, am I just a victim forever?” No. You are a survivor the moment you make that decision -when you accept that person in the mirror -- past and present included.
Children who grow up with a fight-or-flight mentality enter adulthood with this same pressure. The isolation this creates continues into adulthood. I know I struggle with loneliness, but the abuse inadvertently bestowed wisdom, compassion and empathy for other survivors. I finally found a solution. I was able to proudly speak out about sexual abuse to anyone who would listen. Childhood friends reached out on Facebook to tell me that simply by sharing my story, I had given them the courage to stand up to their own abusers. Learn to love the gift the experience of being a victim has given you. This is where the power lives: To make a difference and become a survivor. And just like a phoenix rising from its ashes, you too, will find your identity as a survivor and rise from this trauma.
School officials swept students off campus and forced them to move to remote learning in Spring 2020. It was a shock to many students and professors. It was discouraging, too. While college students adapt to online classes, the switch might not be so easy for some learners. Nobody knows when this pandemic will end, or when students will return to campus. Some students like virtual learning and others think it is inferior to in-person instruction. With online learning, students’ responsibility has not changed. Even though school is closed, students still have a responsibility to pass their classes with a good grade. To succeed right now students should maintain contact with their instructors. This will help ensure that all assignments and classwork are current. Another helpful practice would be to become familiar with the syllabus and your professor’s expectations. Many students don’t like the online learning method. That is why some students decided to drop out until school reopens for in-person instruction. Our public health crisis puts pressure on students to chose whether to continue their education or not. Colleges should give students a
choice to either continue their studies virtually during the pandemic, or drop out of school without academic or financial penalties. The college also needs to suspend repayment of federal student loans for dropouts. If you fall below part-time student status or leave school, the loan payments will come due before you know it. Many student loans offer a six-month grace period before a payment is due. Perkins Loans have a nine-month grace period, according to Debt.org. Colleges should come up with a plan to extend the repayment for a year or two. The Los Angeles Community District should take the lead on this issue. Some students are on track with their academic plans, but there are some who are struggling to complete the coursework that leads to a degree. The college should come up with an idea to prevent any further drop outs. The extended “W” is not enough to prevent students from dropping out. The District should accommodate students with additional resources that can motivate them to continue with their studies. Providing greater access to counseling for students would be great. Students would be able to consult with a counselor and get help with academic or fininacial help during this time of crisis. Many students seriously considering the future of their education. But, what matters is that the District helps these students in any way possible regardless of whether they continuing to go to school or not.
Photographers LOUIS WHITE GINA CHOE Illustrators CASSANDRA MUÑOZ STEPHANIE KO Reporters CHRIS AHN, ANGELA JOHNSON, DIEGO CHAVEZ CADENA, CASHIA KIRKSEY, OSCAR CABRERA, WHITNEY GIBSON, HOLLIANN HARTMAN, ALEXANDER ROBINSON, NAOMI YURA, MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ, WILLIAM TORRES, JONATHAN MONTES, ANGELIA COYNE Web Editor-in-Chief DIEGO CHAVEZ CADENA Faculty Adviser RHONDA GUESS
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Online Learning Is Better for Commuters Virtual classroom eliminates long commute to and from school. BY OLIVER CABRERA With COVID-19 cases surging in the U.S., most educational institutions from elementary school to the university level have switched to online learning. Los Angeles City College is one of those institutions that opted to transition all classes to online learning for 2020 Fall semester and the foreseeable future. When I found out that classes would be taught entirely online, I was excited. I was excited to be learning at home. My excitement for staying at home didn’t come from my disdain for school. It came from my disdain for the city’s public transportation system: Metro. Like many students at LACC, I commute to school
by bus. I have a love-hate relationship with public transport, and I’m pretty sure it developed from my daily commutes to and from school. On one hand, the Metro offers a cheap way to get to anywhere in Los Angeles and its surrounding cities. If you want to go somewhere, the trains and buses have you covered. On the other hand, the buses and trains are always very crowded, and this lack of room can make a daily commute exhausting. My route to go to school consists of taking one bus and two trains. The commute starts in the morning, specifically at 5:00 a.m. I take mostly morning classes and waking up predawn will ensure I get to class on time. My commute usually takes about an hour to get to school. The bus I take is the Metro Line 102 Route. Riding this bus is infuriating for one particular reason. The Metro Line 102 arrives at odd
times. While most Metro buses arrive within 10 or 15 minutes of each other, you will definitely have to wait a half hour, or even a full hour for the next 102 bus to come. If you miss the first bus of the commuter trek, tough luck. I have to arrive at the stop by 6:40 a.m., as any later will result in me being tardy to class. After I get off the 102 bus, I take the Expo Line train east to Downtown 7th and Metro station and transfer to the Red Line train to North Hollywood. The Expo Line isn’t that bad. It’s only a 15-minute ride to my stop, and there aren’t many people aboard during that time of morning. From where I catch the Red Line train, it is only about a 10-minute ride to get to LACC. Don’t let that short little trip fool you, though. The Red Line train is the stuff of nightmares. At any hour of the day or night, you can expect to see an entire train cart packed to the brim with commut-
ers. To say the Red Line is always crowded is like saying the sky is blue: everyone knows this. At every stop, a crowd of people are waiting to get on board. It looks like something out of a horror movie. People come in droves, and you can expect to be breathing down some fellow commuter’s neck, or vice-versa. The Red Line’s popularity comes from the fact that it takes you through popular areas, like Hollywood and Universal City. These are hot tourist traps, so people flood the trains. Rush Hour is every hour onboard the Red Line. After surviving what feels like an eternity, you’ve arrived at Los Angeles City College. After a full schedule of classes, I repeat this process all over again. There are many alternative routes I can take to get to the Red Line, which is the most important part of my commute. Each alternative route is even worse than the last. One alternative to the 102 Line is the Metro Route 53. The 53 bus is arguably the most crowded line in Los Angeles. That bus attracts a lot of people because it goes through
Downtown Los Angeles. Every stop brings in more and more people. Bus operators turning people away at the door is not uncommon. If you manage to get a seat, you’ve hit the jackpot. Good luck getting of the bus at your stop, though. The second alternative consists of taking the Blue Line to the Red Line Station. You know how I said the Red Line is the stuff of nightmares? I lied. The Blue Line is even more crowded than the Red Line, and stepping foot inside the train is at times, impossible. People manage to squeeze into every nook and cranny of the train. If I don’t find a way to squeeze onto this train, I’m late. With online learning, I bypass all of that business I can make my own schedule and wake up whenever I want to. I don’t need to wake up early in order to catch a bus anymore, and I don’t have to worry if I’ll be able to get a spot on the train. Having my classes readily accessible online has allowed me to be in control. By opening my laptop, I’ve arrived at my school in a matter of seconds. What was once a hassle is now hassle-free.
OPINION & EDITORIAL
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
3
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
World’s Best Country Fights Losing Battle
INK STYLE
AVISUALREPRESENTATIONOFTHEWORLDASWEKNOWIT
BY NAOMI YURA
Stimulus Money Tips Status Quo BY MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ Ugly truths have emerged for working class Americans, forced out of work by the pandemic and then vilified for receiving benefits promised by the government. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the inherent weakness of the American economic system. The $600 unemployment extension under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act single-handedly changed the economic equation overnight. Many people earned more staying home than they did in the jobs they lost. The stimulus money changed the spirit of the Americans who received it. As we keep close count of deaths and infection rates, we must also count lives changed. While many of us still fantasize
about returning to our previous lives, just as many are looking at a future where that is no longer possible or even desired. A major flashpoint of conversation at the dinner table of America during the pandemic concerning the CARES Act has questioned the generosity of $600. The misdirection of this frustration cannot be understated. An overwhelming amount of onus is put on the workers earning extra income, not the employers who across the board are not paying a livable wage. The big question: why go back to a job that pays less when one can stay at home and make more money? Valid question, but a better way to frame it is why should workers go back for less than a living wage? This is where the desire lies. Not in being paid to stay home. We already know human productivity correlates to human happiness. It is now the quality of life that is being measured carefully in a post-COVID era. When the top economic minds in our country were considering the unemploy-
ment amount for the American people to pump into the CARES ACT, the number that was arrived at was $600. Turns out, $600 on top of regular unemployment benefits was a true living wage. So, a better question the American people should be asking themselves is internal and should focus on why they cannot earn more than those on unemployment? Once an inherent contradiction in our economic system is seen, it cannot be unseen. There will now be a segment of the population who has had plenty of time to think about their previous lives. The lack of stability, the abundance of stress, the dispassionate jobs we gave so much of our time and effort to, let go from overnight. The only takeaway: No job will ever be the same after experiencing what a living wage actually looks like. Obviously, none of this can fit neatly into a clear storyline. But the $600 unemployment extension has taken on such a huge significance in the national conversation and has economic consequences that are still unforeseen.
The $600 unemployment extension, for myself, played out as a deal. If I were to be relieved from my job and do my part in “flattening the curve,” my government would make sure I was compensated. While for millions of people, it was a temporary reprieve from going into full bankruptcy or home foreclosure. My experiences with unemployment have left me in the best position possible to tackle what this “new normal” is going to be. The $600 unemployment extension was a lifeline in a turbulent sea that was surely going to drown me. The privilege I have at being able to absolve myself of debt, and put money back into our struggling economy, felt like being able to share a piece of the American pie. The concept of free time, once elusive, now used to explore my place in the postCOVID world; time to invest in people that I care for. Through unemployment, I received a leg up from my country that I was resigned to never receive, and that has put me in a position to pay it forward.
Do Black Lives Still Matter? BY WHITNEY GIBSON On May 25, George Floyd was murdered by police on video, and the world erupted in protest. Although this was not the first recording of its kind, it was the spark that reignited a conversation that is generations old. In the midst of a global pandemic, our attention glued firmly to our cell phones, the world stood up and demanded change. And for once, it seemed those demands might be met. Corporations were quick to align themselves with the movement, but online call-outs quickly followed. Black
employees wanted to know how a company could be on the right side of history, if it is not even on the right side of its staff. The question is why did it take a national outcry for these issues to be addressed? For many black people, this initial outpouring of support from the very people who had harmed us was confusing and felt deeply disingenuous. Still, even during the fallout, change was happening. In Los Angeles, we took to the streets, the phones and Zoom meetings to air our frustrations and rage. And it looked like it was working. The LAPD budget was slashed by $150 million, and schools around the nation began canceling their contracts with police. It appeared revolution was finally upon us. Now, over three months since
the uprising began, as I watch the news or scroll through social media, it seems like we have gone back to business as usual. So-called allies have quietly removed their black squares of solidarity and have returned to their usual content on Instagram. Multi-billion-dollar businesses that have made promises and donations alike continue to peddle their goods using the same old capitalistic formulas: cheap labor and wild profit over the safety and prosperity of their laborers. U.S. billionaires have made nearly $600 billion during the pandemic while Black people continue to die at an alarming, disproportionate rate. Donations and offerings of corporate commitment to “do better” have done little to slow this trend. The facts are enough to make a person want to cry, scream, pull the covers over
their head. I implore you, however, to remember that sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement lasted months. The Montgomery bus boycotts went on for over a year. The Anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa took 80 years. I’m not advocating for patience as that wore away long ago. Ending the atrocity that is white supremacy is hundreds of years overdue. Instead, I ask you to summon your perseverance. Let us remember those who lived their whole lives without a wink of the freedom we have now. It is our duty to rest, recharge and then get back up and fight for the freedoms they deserved but never received. Just as we are living our ancestors’ wildest dreams, the work we do now will illuminate the path of future generations. We have a duty to get this right.
As an Indonesian, I have lived my whole life in a country that is considered poor and developing. I was always led to believe that the USA is the haven of good possibilities. When the pandemic first started, I remember feeling a huge relief that I was nowhere near where COVID-19 could reach me. But I was very wrong. It looks like the superiority complex of the West played a big role in the country’s downfall. Somehow, the land of opportunity where dreams come true has turned into a chaotic mess in a few short months. I have always been an admirer of how outspoken and opinionated people are around here. As Asian-Americans, we were always taught to listen and just accept the situation. I have never seen a group of people in my entire life turn extremely hostile just because they are asked to follow a solitary simple rule: wear a mask. I have never seen this many adults seem to genuinely believe hocus-pocus conspiracy theories and refuse to accept the value or effectiveness of vaccines. I have seen so many children die in Indonesia whose families could not for not being able to afford a vaccine or one not being available. I have seen families who would do anything for the opportunity to get a vaccine for a child or loved-one. The USA is one of the most populated countries in the world. So, of course, the numbers of virus cases are higher. While that is true, Indonesia is also one of the top 5 most populated countries in the world. The number of cases there is nowhere near a million. Fair to say, we are not doing that well there, either. We don’t have the most advanced technologies. Still, our number of dead now is about around 10,300. Meanwhile, in the United States, the number of cases is more than seven million. I find that ridiculous. My biggest bewilderment is how the virus is being used as a political tool and weapon even though it is supposed to have nothing to do with politics. Propaganda about the virus has caused chaos among international students and other VISA holders. I remember when South Korea led in the number of COVID-19 cases around the world. They were able to contain it within a few weeks because the government was fast to react. My friends who were quarantining there told me how they received free hotel, free food, water and free healthcare. Currently they have just 61 new cases, and more than 23,500 cumulative I believe we, as human beings, should prioritize the health and safety of others and not compromise our own humanity for pointless, temporary entertainment. The only way to overcome this pandemic is to unite and wear a mask.
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Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
SHOW MUSTGO ONLINE FREETICKETS AVAILABLE TOATTEND THREENEW L.A.THEATER ACADEMY PRODUCTIONS THISFALL. BY JUAN MENDOZA With a new coming-of-age drama, the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy playwrights are reinventing their craft under the direction and energy of department chair Anthony Maggio. The show must go on, even if audiences cannot attend a performance. The fall season will play live, broadcast on Zoom webinars, free of charge to the public. The Camino Theater will host three plays this fall with a new audio-visual theatrical experience that plays out in the heart of LACC. Professor Maggio says a new era is dawning in live theater. “The long tradition of theater is no longer valid,” Maggio said. “The-
ROCKIN’GRRRL
Raging songs to play when you’re mad at the world.
R&B BY VALENTINA YANEZ
, pop and reggaeton are just a few of the many music genres I listen to, but I still thought something was missing in my life. I realized I needed something faster and “in your face” to deal with my teenage-rock, specifically punk, motivates me to do the things I love and not care what anyone thinks. In a strange way, music reassures me everything is going to be OK — that I am not alone in what I am feeling. In my musical travels, I noticed woman-fronted bands never receive enough recognition for their contributions to punk and rock n’ roll. So, here is a playlist of some of my favorite songs to highlight the work of these talented musicians. I hope you enjoy listening to this as much as I do. The playlist is available on Spotify by searching ‘Rock n’ Grrrl.’ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5 kPXSIjfEgb7uo9SGyUUpp?si=m-scIEhtSqipf5S9fUMyFw rock n’ grrrl, a playlist by bluerosezine on Spotify A playlist for when you’re feeling mad at the world open.spotify.com Here are a few of the song titles and bands that will help you rock away whatever is on your mind: 1. Wall Watcher Sunflower Bean 2. Kool Thing Sonic Youth 3. Heather Doubtfire The Paranoyds 4. Is It Day Or Night? The Runaways 5. X Offender Blondie
ater is defined as meeting in person, live. After COVID-19 people are reinventing themselves and it is not an easy transition.” Live performances including Ultra Music Festival, Coachella. The Getty museum is closed and will not reopen until 2021. “The world is in a transition-defined period, music concerts, sports events, festivals, are denied,” Maggio said. He says he is concerned about how Theater Academy students will handle the changes. Maggio says they are doing their best to stay in school. “Students are sad and worried,” Maggio said. “Everything is virtual training. The good part is that students maintained good and tight relationships as a group ... For many students, college is a refuge, a private space they cannot find at home.” While the Theater Academy and the college plan for winter and spring semesters without students, the Camino Theater will remain closed. Los Angeles County Health Department and City of Los Angeles health officials do not permit large gatherings. The L.A. Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl all canceled their 20202021 season. Other sports venues like Dodger Stadium and Staples Center are closed to the public. The teams are playing, but fans may not attend games. Free tickets to three upcoming plays are available to the public -- a virtual, socially-distanced experience. Theatergoers can follow the shows from a mobile phone, computer or tablet. The shows will be available on YouTube after the date of the performance. The Theater Academy season presents upbeat and motivational stories, at a time when the power of human connection has never been so vital.
UPCOMINGSHOWSFOR FALL2020SEASON “ Virtual Greenroom,” takes the audience inside an interactive Zoom greenroom. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, a prestigious theater arts program, also known as the LACC Theatre Academy, is forced to take all its classes and productions online. Leslie Ferreira directs. The Theater Academy invites the attendee to be a fly-on-thewall and eavesdrop on a group of young, funny and talented actors. Performances: Oct. 1 and 2 at 7 p.m., and Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass,” takes the audience through a Hollywood TV and film studio. Young Alice sees her dreams slip down the rabbit hole as she encounters the cruelty of the entertainment industry. Performances: Nov. 5 and 6 at 7 p.m., and Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. “Quarantine,” showcases four short screenplays written by LACC cinema students about life under lockdown. Joe Peracchio directs the production. Performances: Dec. 3 and 4 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. For information and updates for the productions, please visit the Theater Academy website at https://lacitycollege.edu/ Departments/Theater-ArtsTheatre-Academy/CurrentSeason or (323) 953-4000 Ext. 2990.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
5
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
K-POPEMERGESASGLOBALMUSICALPHENOM K-Pop Dominates Worldwide Charts and Zoomer Hearts.
B BY WILLIAM B. TORRES AND GINA CHOE
eatles, Animals, Yard Birds and Stones rolled across the Atlantic in 1964. Another invasion is happening in America and around the world. This time, the invasion comes in the form of young, sharp, fashionable artists, and singers from South Korea, known as Korean Pop. Their moves are seamless. Their manner is cutsie, yet refined. What was once considered popular only in Korean communities, hit the international market in the last four years, ‘Vox. com reported. Most K-pop songs are sung in Korean, but that doesn’t stop anyone in the world from streaming the music. Christopher Yang, an 11th grade student at North Hollywood High School, loves listening to K-pop. “I believe that K-pop has become a global phenomenon because it has sparked interest in people since it is a new language,” Yang said. “Very similar to anime, K-pop has caught the attention of many people from around the world with its catchy lyrics and beats.” K-pop’s biggest boy band, BTS, made the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 Chart on American Billboard on Sep. 6, with their hit song, “Dynamite.” After four weeks on the Hot 100 Chart, the song ranks No. 2 on the Billboard. Jera Jeong is in her third year at Santa Monica Community College. Jeong grew up listening to K-pop and is a Big BTS fan. “A popular K-pop boy group, BTS often gets compared to One Direction and the Beatles,” Jeong said. “People are mostly amazed at their ability to dance and sing at the same time.” BTS, which stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, is a seven-member boy band that debuted in 2013 and has taken the music world with their fancy footwork. Their 2018 album, ‘Love Yourself: Tear,’ which is sung in Korean, became the first primarily foreign-language No.1. Album in America in over 12 years according to “Talenttecap.com.” BLACKPINK is a South Korean female quartet formed by YG Entertainment in 2016. While it was already a hit in Asia and other parts of the world, BLACKPINK is gaining momentum in the United States after their performance at Coachella last year in 2019. The girl group finally crossed over to the American mainstream at the end of August, with their first English single, “Ice Cream” featuring Selena Gomez. “Ice Cream” landed No. 8 on the Billboard Global 200 in its first week of release. The following week, it went up to No. 6, the Korean Herald reported. BLACKPINK’s fans, known as Blinks, streamed “Ice Cream” on Spotify over 50 Million times in its first week it was released, according to Clevernews.com Andrew Chang is in his third year at Cal State Northridge, majoring in early childhood
I believe that K-pop has become a global phenomenon because it has sparked interest in people since it is a new language,” -Yang said. development. Andrew has been a Blink since 2018. “BLACKPINK has the best of both worlds, they’re very attractive and very talented,” Chang said. “BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA!” With BLACKPINK’s first full-length studio album, “The Album,” released on Oct. 2 with 44 million subscribers on their official YouTube Channel, surpassed Eminem as the fourth most subscribed on YouTube according to International Business Times. Blackpink is primed to become the next Spice Girls. Semi Yoon is in her third year at UCLA, where she majors in psychobiology. She is a huge fan of both BTS and Blackpink. “Their songs are really catchy, plus they’re super gorgeous,” Yoon said. “Who wouldn’t want to look like them.” K-Pop truly became a global phenomenon thanks to its distinctive blend of melodies, slick choreography, production values, and attractive performers. Band members spend years in grueling studio systems where they learn to sing and dance in synchronized perfection. BTS and Blackpink, and other Korean pop stars spend the first years as a group in an isolated boot camp. Every K-pop artist who signs to a big music label in South Korea has to become a trainee. Group hopefuls who become trainees study singing, dance, acting and English classes seven days a week until the label company feels comfortable releasing their artist to the world, Time.com reported. Some find the treatment of K-pop artists abusive and harsh. Still, founder and co-CEO of Big Hit Entertainment Bang Si-hyuk, the mastermind behind BTS phenomenon, supports his artists attending bootcamp. “In reality, devoting a long time to honing and training musicrelated skills is a tactic used in many professional art worlds,” Si-hyuk said to Time Magazine. “Ballerinas spend a long time in isolation focused only on ballet, but you don’t hear people say ballet lacks soul or isn’t art. I think it’s a matter of perspective.” While the process of polishing a K-Pop artist is questionable, K-pop results speak for themselves. Nationwide, nearly two out of three, 63% of people between 13 and 49, have heard of the term “K-pop” while Gen Z teens, 1317, and Millennials, adults 18-36,
Their songs are really catchy, plus they’re super gorgeous,” -Yoon said. make up the majority who listen to K-pop, Doug Hyde reported on Westwoodone.com on May 29, 2019. Sara Hu is a UC Riverside alumna with a B.A. in computer science. Hu is a K-pop fan who says fans were born in the digital era. “A larger player in helping K-pop’s fan base grow has been the emergence of social media as it makes it easier and faster to connect with other people globally, as well as the huge surge in social media usage by the masses,” Hu said. K-pop fans are also playing a part in today’s U.S. Presidential run. On June 20, President Donald Trump’s rally had a lower number of attendees than he anticipated because K-Pop fans reserved most of the tickets but didn’t attend the rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, CNN reported. Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised K-pop fans on Twitter for the low turnout at Trump’s Rally. “KPop allies, we see and appreciate your contributions in the fight for justice too,” OcasioCortez wrote on Twitter. The congresswoman said the real takeaway of K-pop fans’ impact was not the power of K-pop, but a younger generation’s ability to make a difference in politics while listening to bubbly, Korean music. “Shout out to Zoomers,” Ocasio-Cortez said, “Y’all make me so proud.”
PHOTOS BY GINA CHOE Top Photo: K-pop lover examines merchandise at Choice Music L.A. on Sept. 26 in Koreatown. Bottom Photo: A customer holds a photo of K-pop supergroup BLACKPINK in Choice Music L.A. on Sept. 26 in Koreatown.
6
NEWS
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
POLICE WIRE
FROM “CRUMP” PAGE 1
COMPILED BY JAMES DUFFY V Aug. 11, 2020, time unknown: Vandalism in Lot 3 Aug. 12, 2020, time unknown: Burglary in M & O Aug. 14, 2020, time unknown: 200 Stolen Vehicle at Main Entrance Aug. 18, 2020, time unknown: Vandalism in Bookstore Loading Dock, Sept. 14, 2020, time unknown: Burglary in Room 208 Sept. 22, 2020, time unknown: Person Found Dead in Majestic Theater L.A. County Sheriff ’s Deputy Victor Tiscareno says in an email no foul play suspected in man’s death.” The person found dead was outside of the fenced area, along the south side of the campus property, close to the sidewalk on Melrose Ave,” Tiscareno said. “ The person appeared to have been a transient.”
ILLUSTRATION BY CASSANDRA MUNOZ
Benjamin Crump made a name for himself winning “no-win” cases in medical malpractice and personal injury. The big payouts have fueled the civil rights work for which Crump is now becoming nationally known. The Omega Psi Phi fraternity life-member was incensed by the verdict “It’s infuriating. It sends a message … that when this person is not convicted and imprisoned that it’s O.K.,” Crump told the Washington Post. “It does not stop people from doing it again. It’s open season, always-justified legalized genocide of black Americans.” Since 2012, year after year, Crump has raised his voice on behalf of the voiceless, on behalf of the brutalized and murdered by law enforcement officers. Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in the summer of 2014. Witnesses said Brown was holding his hands up in surrender when he was shot. The video of the killing went viral and galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests erupted in Ferguson and all over the country demanding justice. Even though the ex-police officer was cleared of wrongdoing, Crump
was not deterred. The recipient of the NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Award (who Crump idolizes) kept pressing until the U.S. Justice Department initiated an investigation. The result was a consent agreement requiring Ferguson to make significant changes addressing racial bias in its police department and municipal courts. For the initiated, the list of names reads like the roll call of fallen soldiers: Tamir Rice was shot by police while playing with a toy gun in 2014; Sandra Bland who was arrested during a traffic stop in Waller County, TX, was found hanged in a jail cell in 2015; Terence Crutcher was killed by a Tulsa, OK, police officer in 2016; Trayford Pellerin was shot 10 times by Lafayette, LA, police outside a Shell gas station (2020); George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds (2020); Breonna Taylor was killed by Louisville Metro Police officers
who opened fire on her while she slept in her bed (2020); and Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times in front of his three children by a Kenosha, WI, police officer (2020). The aforementioned all unarmed African-American men and women for whom Crump has passionately pursued justice. Each case demonstrates how the justice system treats Black people versus whites. “It’s never easy trying to say when a person of color is killed by a white person that you can just expect the justice system to run its course,” Crump told Insider.com. “Now you have to give it a tug … or the moral arc of the universe won’t bend [toward] justice unless we bend it.” Crump is regarded as new blood in the centuries-old fight for social justice and civil rights in the United States. Rev. Al Sharpton has called him “the next Johnny Cochran” and “Black America’s attorney
general.” “I have attempted to build a legal justice center … predicated on helping people who historically have been denied justice,” Crump once told the Florida State University (FSU) Law Review, which is his alma mater. Crump is heir to the legacy of his personal hero, the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The legal victory of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 opened the door of opportunity for Crump. He attended fourth grade at an integrated school in Lumberton, NC, where he was born in 1969. Forty years after the Brown win, Crump graduated from FSU College of Law. “I try to think what would Justice Marshall be doing if he was doing work now,” Crump said in an Insider.com interview. “Justice Marshall always looked for the cases that did not just impact an individual, but will have a larger impact on society itself.”
FROM “FIRES” PAGE 1
Experts: Smoke Levels May Become Very Unhealthy Bradley Whitaker is a senior public information specialist from South Coast AQMD. In an email to the Collegian, he stated air pollution can intensify anywhere in California. “The air quality is currently un-
healthy in portions of the South Coast Air Basin,” Whitaker said. “Levels may reach very unhealthy or higher in areas of direct smoke impacts, particularly near the Bobcat Fire and El Dorado Fire. Impacts in areas further away from the
fire will be highly variable throughout the day, affecting different parts of the region at different times.” Whitaker mentioned the decrease in emissions of nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compound and carbon monoxide for the past 20 years.
“South Coast AQMD has made tremendous strides in cleaning the air for nearly half a century,” Whitaker said. “While meeting upcoming clean air deadlines are challenging, we expect to see continued downward trends in emissions.”
FROM “VIRTUAL REALITY” PAGE 1
EON REALITY LAUNCHES VR APP FOR DIGITAL LESSON PLANS “I hope we can build out a center on campus that’s an actual augmented virtual reality center,” Gallagher said. “And we would be creating a lot of content that would go worldwide. And yes we would get a licensing agreement ... And faculty at that point would be paid for the content that they build.” EON Reality is attempting to bridge the gap between educators and new technology with the goal of improving distance learning, Gallagher told the Collegian. Administrators will use virtual reality as one of many distance-learning tools to put educators and students in the same room with digital representations of themselves. Teachers may ‘teleport’ with students during lessons.
The latest amendments to the LACC Faculty Handbook address distance learning. Distance learning is a model of interaction that uses technology to supplement classroom instruction, the handbook says. Last year, EON Reality launched an augmented virtual reality teaching application to design content for digital lesson plans. The app allows anyone without coding knowledge to use this learning technique. Gallagher says she expects the program to help students and faculty use interactive virtual reality lessons in online classrooms and when students return to campus. A 2020 study by Xiaochun Jiang the Wannan Medical College in
Wuhu, China, found virtual reality may improve learning outcomes. “There is still a long way to go to make it widely accepted by medical education,” Jiang said. “That includes the development and innovation of software and hardware, and the strengthening of the great relationship with clinical practice.” The study finds the most significant challenges for medical students who study anatomy to be the understanding of how different body systems fit together in 3D. The study suggests virtual reality can solve the problem. “We have a first-hand opportunity to continue innovating and setting the tone through the Los Angeles education ecosystem,” Gallagher said.
EON Reality has also partnered with Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, which received $748,218 to develop a water, wastewater, agriculture technology and conservation curriculum in July, 2017. The project employed a Leap Motion controller and specially adapted Oculus Rift headsets as additional tools to help master the experience. Psychology professor David Sedghi says there’s a symbiotic relationship between technology and the learning process in education. “I mean, can you imagine what we would do in a pandemic without zoom conferences? … This technology has been like a lifesaver,” Sedghi said. “It would be a disservice to the students not having this kind of technology.”
FROM “MAIL VOTING” PAGE 1
Find the Nearest Polling Place ballots. “There will be vote mailboxes at each college where people will be able to drop off their vote by mail ballots in a safe and secure manner,” Boyer said. He says the district is “finalizing this agreement” with the L.A. County Registrar as the election approaches. “Each of the nine colleges in the district will have drop boxes placed by the Student Union,” said L.A. City College President Mary Gallagher. The drop boxes provide a way to avoid poll closures and postal delays. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law that allows counties to offer fewer in-person polling places because of the pandemic, according to KSBY-TV. Boyer also says LACC will once again serve as a multi-day vote center for the General Election on Nov. 3. “The next big effort will be the
deadline reminder to make sure students and the public are registered to vote,” Boyer said. Once voters complete their ballot, they can take it to LACC or other campuses and place it in the drop box. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 19. Iraq veteran William Thompson is a longtime East Hollywood resident. “It’s a great feeling to be able to vote,” Thompson said. “I feel empowered, and I’m only 12 minutes from the campus.” The county registrar’s website says polling locations will be listed 30 to 40 days before election day. To find the nearest polling place, visit the California Secretary of State’s website, https://www.sos. ca.gov/elections/polling-place/. For more information on how to register and vote please visit the Los Angeles County Registrar, https://RegisterToVote.ca.gov.
FROM “BLM ACTIVISTS” PAGE 1
Protesters React to ‘Injustice’ Times ranking. Nine people were killed in this town with a population of about 33,000 in 2020. Lucas was one of the 109th Street neighbors who supported the protests in front of her house. “I’m just not satisfied with L. A. County Sheriff[s] at all,” Lucas said. “I remember last year, I was sitting in a car outside my house with the window rolled down, when a deputy reached inside and unlocked it without explanation.” Dante Jackson, a teenager who also lives on 109th Street, said he can’t stand the Sheriffs’ use of tear gas against protesters on his block. “I have had cops shine lights into my bathroom, which annoys me, along with the smell of fumes coming inside my house,”Jackson said. “And it makes me feel like I’m about to choke to death” South L.A. resident Shaunta Whiting was one of the protesters shouting at a Sherrifs’ barricade. She said she felt Kizee’s death
marked a turning point between the police and her community. “I came out here to support BLM and seeing non-Black protestors makes me happy to see us all coming together,” Whiting said. “And some even come from outside of South Central to come protest, because we in the community are scared of the police.” Ricardo Miranda marched on a sidewalk near the gathering. “I came all the way from Pasadena to be out here for those who cannot, like the elderly and those on probation because they’re not allowed to be here,” Miranda said. Everyone interviewed said they didn’t know what they should do next. Tiara Lucas who is a federal law enforcement officer herself in the TSA said she wants justice for the loss of innocent people who caused no harm. “When you see injustice, it strikes you to move,” Lucas said. “And we need to make our voices heard.”
FEATURES
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
7
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
FOODIE’SWORSTNIGHTMARECOMESTRUE COVID-19StripsaFoodLover’sSenseof Taste.
I
BY CHRISTOPHER AHN lost my sense of taste five weeks after testing positive for Covid-19. A foodie’s worst nightmare became a reality. I waited for a negative result, so I could enjoy outdoor dining with my friends. I listed everything I craved and used Yelp to figure out what I should eat. Korean barbecue was at the top of the list.
I missed the sweet marinade of traditional bulgogi that consisted of soy sauce, sugar, onion and garlic. I desired the rich texture of golden brown pork belly and the chewy bite of beef brisket. I tested negative for Covid-19 after five weeks, and I gathered my friends to celebrate. Korean barbeque had to be the first outdoor dine-in meal. I was craving it for a month. My friends and I went to
Moodaepo in Koreatown. The average wait time was about two hours, but it seemed worth it. Everyone else waited to be seated. My friends and I were in the car planning what to order and how many pounds of beef we should consume. My mouth salivated as we talked about beef brisket and pork belly. I couldn’t wait to indulge in oily and chewy meat. I wanted to wrap my meat in red lettuce, add
a dash of sesame oil, add a raw garlic and a raw jalapeno. I pictured myself eating to regain all the weight I lost during my Covid-19 quarantine. When my phone rang, our table was ready. We ordered the most expensive set on the menu which included short ribs, and premium ribeye. We sat down and enjoyed the outdoor scenery. The sound of meat cooking and grills filled the
canopy. The rustic stove top was powered by a small propane tank, and the Christmas lights reminded me of eating barbecue in Korea. The lights turned on when it got dark, and it seemed like Christmas came early in July. The festive light set the holiday mood — 2020 seemed normal at that point. People were enjoying a meal with their friends and family. My expectations were higher than before. The ambiance was right and my stomach prepared for what was coming. My party consisted of three people, but we ordered like there were eight of us. As soon as the meat hit the grill, I was ready. I could only hear the meat sizzle as my friends updated me about their lives. I grabbed the main course as soon as it was ready and wrapped it with red lettuce. I added raw garlic and jalapenos and drizzled it with sesame oil. My mouth and stomach were ready. As soon as I took a bite, I could feel the fat, garlic and oil in my mouth, but I tasted nothing. My body was COVID-19 free, but my symptoms lingered. I took another bite, but the results were the same. Covid-19 entered my body after a day of errands. I shopped for groceries. I washed my clothes at a laundromat, and I visited the gym to see if it was safe to join. What seemed like a regular day had more in store. I suffered a major headache later that day. I lost my sense
of taste and smell two days later. I knew I was positive for Covid-19, but where and how confused me. I back-tracked my whole day and convinced myself I was safe and prepared to go out. Until, I realized I took off my mask for a minute to scratch my nose in the car. I self-quarantined for five weeks. My parents left food in front of my room. The food was not exciting because I had no appetite nor sense of taste. My stomach only craved food outside my house. I expected if I ate what I wanted, I could regain my taste. I counted the days until my sense of smell would come back. My taste buds remain dissatisfied. No matter what I order or cook, I only sense texture. Now, I feel blind when I cook. I hesitate to add salt to my food because I fear the food will be salty. I used to be able to solve this issue with a simple taste test, but now I cannot. I have to rely on the food’s texture to determine if it is spoiled. Two months after testing positive for COVID-19, my taste is slowing coming back. Exploring new food does not excite me anymore. I can barely taste the salt on my hamburger or the tomato in my spaghetti. Each time, the experience is disappointing. I used to enjoy going out with friends and eating food. Food is a social activity. I cannot wait for my sense of taste to return. Covid-19 took away my simple privileges of tasting and smelling. Still, I am glad it stopped there.
PANDEMICCAUSESEPIDEMICOFDEPRESSION
C
BY CASHIA KIRKSEY oronavirus touched the family of former Mission College student Terry Daniels. Doctors diagnosed her mother, Angela, with coronavirus in late April. Less than three weeks later, Angela succumbed to the virus. Daniels’ life would never be the same after losing her mother. Depression is something she never experienced before. “After my mom died everything just went downhill,” Daniels said. “Now I have to be the one to take care of my family and keep everything together. I try to stay strong for my little brother and my kids. But some days I can’t even get out of bed.” The pandemic affects people all over the world in different ways. About 200,000 Americans have died from the virus, according to the World Health Organization. COVID-19 does more than just spread infection. It also brings sorrow, and in some ways, an epidemic of depression. Symptoms of depression can change your mood, sleeping pattern or daily routine. Many things can trigger depression, the death of a loved one, financial hardships, or forced changes in social life can cause a spiral into mental health issues especially during a crisis like a pandemic. Jamie Ducharme, of TIME, gave her insight on the increase of depression during the pandemic in an article titled, “Depression Has Skyrocketed During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Study says,” published on Sept 4. “Logically, people [are] more likely to suffer symptoms of depression during the pandemic if they [experience stress due to the coronavirus], including losing a job, the death of a loved one or financial distress,” Ducharme
wrote. Experiencing a pandemic was stressful enough for Daniels and her family, but the loss of her mother caused an onset of depression that Daniels describes as, “unbearable.” The pandemic claimed the lives of thousands of people, leaving family members, friends, and loved ones to carry the burdens and grief from the loss. The number of adults suffering from depression has increased more than double in numbers since the lockdown began. Science and Medicine Editor, Karen Kaplan of the Los Angeles Times wrote an article titled, “Signs of depression have tripled in the U.S. since COVID-19 pandemic got underway,” published in September. “The prevalence of sleep troubles, lethargy, feelings of hopelessness and other depression symptoms in adults across the country has more than tripled since the pandemic began, according to a new study,” Kaplan wrote. Boston University investigators and colleagues conducted a survey in order to assess the country’s mental state. About 1,500 people participated in the mental health assessment organized by the University of Chicago. Not only have the number of depression cases increased during this lockdown, but the depressional symptoms that people experience, have intensified. Kaplan went on to write, “It’s not just that more people have signs of depression, but that their symptoms have become serious.” Businesses shut down, leaving people without jobs and steady incomes. Not only do people suffer from the deaths of their loved ones caused by the coronavirus, people experience financial hardships
because of the pandemic’s effect on the economy. The burden of experiencing a financial hardship can be life altering. Southwest Airlines employee Sherry Davis recently took a leave of absence and a pay cut from her customer service agent position at LAX. “LAX is a very busy airport and I couldn’t risk getting sick and taking it back to my kids,” Davis said. “I have two small kids at home and most of the schools and daycares closed, so I had no choice but to take a leave of absence. I was sad to leave my job and my coworkers, but I felt like I had no choice.” Her children attend school in Los Angeles, and they are not old enough to be home alone. “The pay cut is nothing compared to the guilt I would have felt if I would’ve got my kids sick,” she said. Davis says she is no stranger to depression. However, she shared that she had always been able to manage and control the emotions and mood swings that were caused by her depression prior to the pandemic. Davis has decisions to make: Go to work and risk contracting and spreading the virus or take a leave of absence and suffer through a pay cut. These are just some of the everyday decisions that she has been forced to make while trying to survive the coronavirus pandemic. Excessive worry over financial hardships, the deaths of loved ones, and forced changes in social life during this pandemic has caused a great increase of depression for people trying to cope and survive. “It’s hard not to stress about money when your bills are due and you just don’t have it, but I’m trying to stay positive,” Davis said.
CHECK US ONLINE
COLLEGIAN.LACC.LIFE ISSUU.COM/LOS ANGELES COLLEGIAN
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SPORTS
Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, September 30, 2020
PANDEMIC RESISTANCE
Intramurals
Lost inOnlineShuffle
NBABouncesBack Inside Orlando‘Bubble’
Basketball, volleyball andsoccer intramuralsspedalonginthespringsemester, but thepandemiccalleda‘timeout.’ Sportsmaybeonholdfor another year.
C BY NELSON CRUZ
ollege semesters can feel long and tiring for some students who feel the need to take a break. Perform an activity can get their minds off grades for a while. A few things to help students de-stress may be to play video games, watch TV or just take time to interact on social media. Los Angeles City College student Kimberlie Flores says to de-stressing is important, especially now. “Many people may have been cooped up in their homes throughout this pandemic,” Flores said. “Some may feel they have to go out and do something productive with their bodies. It’ll be good for their mental and physical health.” Intramural sports were ways students could loosen up and unwind during the semester at LACC. People get together and play the intramurals for free Intramural sports were meant to start during the fall semester, but the novel coronavirus had other plans. Basketball and soccer are two
BY NELSON CRUZ
of the sports suspended. Without sports, the North and South Kinesiology Buildings sit lonely and idol, like the rest of campus. Some students weigh in on what they have experienced without sports. LACC student Carlo Mendoza says the lack of sports is affecting other students. “I mean when I used to play after class, I felt great,” Mendoza said. “Right now, I feel it would be good for a lot of people just to relax.” LACC student Joseph McPherson explains the loss of sports has changed his semester, so far. “Intramural basketball was a good way for me not to stress on books and classes,” McPherson said. “It gave me a way out of things I had to do. Looks like some of us need it now more than ever with these tough times.” He offers the reasons why he liked the program so much. McPherson played point guard in the fall and spring of 2019-2020. “It was a great way to get my workouts in and play the game that I love, basketball,” he said. “The best part was that it was super convenient for me and my teammates.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM
SAFESPORTS:KEEPSANE,ACTIVEANDSOCIALLYDISTANTWITHTHESEPASTIMES
F
BY THANDISIZWE CHIMURENGA
resh air, the great outdoors and exercise all play a part in good health, even amid the coronavirus pandemic. A quick look at the LACC website shows no activities or events at any of the nine campuses this fall. Even with no sports, no one should become an armchair athlete or sacrifice one’s health by foregoing exercise. Still, while playing sports during the pandemic, maintain a social distance. COVID-19 survivors report long-term damage to various organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the Mayo Clinic and Science Magazine. These organizations agree avoiding the virus is better than recovering from it. Sometimes a ‘cure is worse than the disease,’ so make sure to avoid infection while playing with others. Social distancing is the key to protecting oneself from the coronavirus. The CDC says to keep gatherings to 10 people or less and maintain at least six feet of space to cut down on its transmission. While the practice of social distancing may secure our physical vitality, it may take a toll on our emotional and mental health. People are social by nature, even during quarantine, so follow the college’s recommendation for socializing. “There will be no gatherings of more than two (2) people and those people are expected to exercise social distancing of at least six (6) feet apart,” the LACC website says. However, faculty and staff advisories dated to August do not address the question of sports. Consider these convenient activities to unwind after a long day indoors. Remember to wear a mask and enjoy:
Ping Pong Baseball/Softball Avoid the dugout stuff. Dodge the collective celebrating and beatingup/defending-teammates’ part of the great American pastime. Tennis Try not to jump over the net to shake an opponent’s hand. Professions use the new etiquette of tapping rackets. Archery Local archery clubs offer a socially distant, yet exciting upper-body workout. Travel may be required.
The closest archer’s range to LACC is Rancho Park Archery Range in Cheviot Hills.
Skiing Cross country and regular Skateboarding
Badminton
Snowboarding
Bowling
Hiking
Surfing Wear a mask before and after entering the water, not while in it.
Motocross
Running Cross country and regular Cross the road or lane when another runner passes nearby.
Gaming/Esports
Bicycling/Cycling
Don’t forget to keep hand sanitizer available, wash hands afterwards, and most importantly, enjoy.
Professional sports leagues and the athletes who play for them have experienced change over the past few months, just like many other people. The NBA started shutting down all practices and games on March 11. The pandemic forced the league’s hand. Then, just as the season seemed destined to end in the foreseeable future, talks of a “playoff bubble” surfaced. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke to Sports Illustrated reporter Mike Mannix in the middle of August. Silver spoke about his thoughts at the start of the process. “’It has ebbed and flowed,” Silver said to Sports Illustrated. “I mean, there have been moments of great optimism, and there have been moments of despair.” He also says he thought testing for coronavirus was going to become an issue. “Testing. How those protocols would work in terms of daily testing,” he said. “Whether we were comfortable that sufficient tests were available, that we were not taking those tests away from the surrounding community, that we could turn those tests around on a rapid-enough basis to make it workable in the community.” Silver selected 22 teams to come along for the project. Sixteen teams were playoff teams already, but the other six teams were still trying to make it to the playoffs. After the teams played three exhibition games, they were ready to play the eight remaining seeding games. These games were completely different for teams because of the closed gyms they were playing — at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World. The NBA made it possible for fans to continue to watch the sport they love. Whether fans enjoy watching basketball under new circumstances is unclear. Longtime NBA fan Alfredo Morales chimes in on how he feels watching basketball in today’s world. “It is completely different watching the sport,” he said. “Certain camera angles have popped up. The courts look nice and glossy. The NBA is trying to focus on only the court and the basketball being played and I like it.” As the NBA season dribbled away, they league bounced back with a new way to play and watch the game. The NBA not only succeeded in bringing basketball back to the TV, but they kept the operation Covid-19 free. ESPN reported not a single positive Covid-19 test in the NBA bubble. ESPN senior NBA writer Baxter Holmes says everyone in the bubble signs onto an app called NBA Myhealth. From there, players fill out a questionnaire to learn if an individual has symptoms like headache, sore throat, breathing issues or body aches. “Individuals are required to gauge their temperature with a Kinsa Smart Thermometer, and their blood oxygen levels with a Masimo MightySat pulse oximeter, with both devices transmitting the results into the app,” Holmes said. The NBA has gone to every measure to make sure the campus is safe for everyone, from referees to players. NBA Courtside Administrator Brian Sherriffe described the NBA bubble. “I was there for 9 weeks, the first 9 weeks,” Sherriffe said. “I didn’t know what a bubble was. When I showed up there on July 12th, I was a little confused like a lot of other people.” Sherriffe gave an inside look of life inside the quarantined NBA grounds. “First thing we had to do was go through a week quarantine a hard quarantine,” Sherriffe said. He compared the experience to a high-end, low-risk prison. “We had a nice room, but we couldn’t leave the rooms,” Sherriffe said. “I got there Sunday. Monday took a long time. Tuesday took a long time. Everyday felt like a month.” Sherriffe compared his time in the military to his first week in the bubble. “Our meals were delivered to us, three times a day,” Sherriffe said. “We’d get a meal at 9 a.m., noon, and around 6 p.m. Due to the situation everything was boxed. I remember when I was in the military, we’d all eat the same thing at the same time. It kind of flashed me back to my military days.” The NBA had a careful plan to protect players and other personnel. Sherriffe and others inside the bubble had to undergo seven days in quarantine. “When I got out of those seven days, it was probably the most memorable day of the nine weeks there,” he said. “When I went from the quarantine to the actual bubble.” Sherriffe says about a thousand people live and work in the bubble. The number of people decreased as playoffs started and teams got eliminated. Sherriffe also compares the experience to junior high school. “It was the feeling that you’re in something new.” he said. You’re excited about it and ready to go.” Sherriffe told the Collegian the bubble’s rules are designed to bring basketball back in a safe manner. “This operation was really the medical folks at the NBA,” he said. “They really took the lead on everything we did. They made the rules.” Sherriffe says the doctors required everyone except coaches, referees and players to wear masks.” “We felt very safe,” Sherriffe told the Collegian. The bubble experiment is not over, but Sherriffe said the experience left a positive first impression on some fans and NBA personnel.