2020 Fall Los Angeles Collegian Issue1

Page 1

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


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