Community

Dream Resource Center Goes Extra Mile

DRC staff members show empathy and positive energy that creates a welcome environment for DACA and undocumented students.

BY JUAN MENDOZA

The Dream Resource Center provides a variety of services that beneft students from all walks of life and nationalities. Created a few years ago at the state level, the DRC was designed to alleviate some of the difculties and hurdles undocumented students face in their continued studies at the college level.

Tis year the DRC announced that 20 transfer students are going to four-year universities. State laws permit that every student in the state of California, regardless of their legal status, who wants to pursue a higher education can attend a public fouryear college in the two state university systems, the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems.

Te dream center provides intentional support and resources to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects eligible undocumented youth who came to the United States as children, from deportation. California Assembly Bill 540 allows non-resident students to pay in-state tuition fees for all California public colleges and universities, including Temporary Protected Status (TPS), U visa holders and all undocumented students at L.A. City College. Te center conducts virtual and in-person meetings, from academic counseling, immigration services, fnancial aid workshops, mental health support groups and encourages students to apply for the services ofered to them. In many cases if the student does not qualify for the state or federal program, Carolina Yernazian, counselor/coordinator of the DRC, and her staf will fnd scholarships and other forms of fnancial help that may ease some of the cost.

“Te program is becoming bigger, students are hearing more about our services,” Yernazian said. “Right now is a lot of recruitment from high school seniors, a lot of student appointments. We’re so busy.” DRC creates their own workshops based on students’ needs. “Undocu Welcome Orientation” is an important and fundamental workshop that welcomes and informs new students about the services and resources available. Yernazian says the DRC makes a point to celebrate students who are graduating and transferring to a four-year university. “Tey need our support in the transition to the next level and we need to congratulate them for getting accepted. Tey have worked so hard,” she said.

Survivors Workshops

Te center has another great project in the works to motivate students to continue their studies. DCR created a workshop for survivors of violence. Its frst meeting was on April 21, 2022. “We fnd out that many of our undoc-

PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN CHAVEZ

Painted graffiti adorns the Mexican Border wall located about two miles away from San Ysidro, Calif., on April 1, 2022. The writing is a symbol of the harsh relationship with immigrants who attempt to cross into the United States without documentation.

umented community (are) survivors of violence, they either have been a victim of a crime or domestic violence,” Yernazian said. “So this workshop will help them understand their rights and options and fnd some relief.” Yernazian is working on a workshop for LGBTQ students to empower them with the knowledge of their rights, especially in times where there is a great amount of discussion. Some states are passing laws that criminalize being transgender. Te workshop will be held on May 26.

Powering Partnerships

To broaden its range of services, the DRC partners with non-proft community organizations that also work directly with immigrant populations. Te Central American Resource Center (CARECEN), Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Immigrants Rising and United We Dream are four organizations the DRC is working with that ofer free legal advice. Elliot, who did not want to disclose his full name, uses the services provided by the DRC.

“I’m very grateful to LACC’s DRC for the DACA workshops they organized for us,” Elliot said. “It was through one of these workshops that I came into contact with CARECEN.”

Trough CARECEN, Elliot was able to renew his DACA status without incurring any legal fees. Yernazian and the Dream Resource Center staf maintain weekly communication via live chat, email or Instagram: https://laccd.craniumcafe. com, lacc-dream@laccd.edu, www. instagram.com/lacc_drc. Te DRC ofce is located in the Student Services Building, second foor, Windows 19 and 21. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Tur., 9 a.m.2 p.m., Fridays.

PHOTO COURTESY UNSPLASH

Programs Offer Relief as Food Prices Rise

BY DULCE GALVEZ

Harry’s Food Truck sells bacon burgers on sourdough bread or sesame seed bun, grilled cheese sandwiches, or toasted tuna avocado sandwiches with bacon inside, and students can order a bag of Doritos or hot Cheetos on the side, with a can of soda or water. But it comes at a price—a higher price as everyone feels the efects of infation.

Students reach for the fruit cups at Harry’s, especially when the weather is hot. He says fruit cups are one of his most expensive items. Students now pay $5.00 for a fruit cup.

“I am only a driver guy,” Harry said. “So I don’t know how much it costs for the bread, how much it costs for the meat. I don’t have the prices for exactly how much it costs for the other stuf.”

Inside the Cub Bookstore, infation is rising for students who must purchase textbooks. College Bookstore buyer Joeven Diche says that as the price of gas rises, so will the cost of books. However, he says so far, the book prices have remained the same.

“I think it will probably go up by fall semester or more,” Diche said. “Right now, a lot of the students have EOPS vouchers, so you know ... it’s not afecting them as long as they have the vouchers ... but of course the more the books go up, the less they can buy with the vouchers.”

Students make quick stops at the vending machines near the Administration Building, Da Vinci Hall, the Sci-Tech Building and near the old Peet’s Cofee location for snacks and drinks between classes.

A large bag of Doritos will set you back $1.50 and a Snickers bar costs $1.50.

Te LACC Foundation found a way to assist students with healthy meals as prices rise. Tey formed a yearlong partnership with Everytable, a food program that ofers healthy and nutritious food for businesses across the country and the Cub Bookstore.

Daren Lynne, director of special projects and academic support says the foundation team came up with a way to provide funding, so that students from various programs or who applied from CityCares Network could receive food support.

Tey receive an E-grocery gif card for $50 a week or a credit in the Cubstore.

“And also ASG is going to buy 500 additional meals per month and distribute in other locations with the same Everytable partnership,” she said.

Lynne says the foundation is spending more than a million dollars to assist students with meals. And Everytable is also helping the LACC soccer team with pre-game and postgame meals.

“Te athletic department asked if we could support the students with food on practice days and then on game days,” Lynne said. “We provided one meal and water and a healthy snack on days they were practicing and away games. We provided two meals so that they had one to eat on the way and one to eat on the way home since the college doesn’t really have the budget to feed athletic teams like other colleges do.”

Everytable normally produces meals that cost $12 to $13, according to Lynne, but they are providing meals to LACC at half the price.

Te partnership with Everytable started in February.

“As long we are able to raise funds, because all this is done with grants, we will continue,” Lynne said.

Everytable’s mission across the community is to pay it forward, the mission is to make food accessible to everyone, everywhere.

“We are on a mission to change the food system by making nutritious food afordable in all communities,” said store manager Dorcia White Blake. “Everytable frst franchise store opened by USC at 23rd and Union”.

Imperial Family of Chosen Partners with City College

COMPILED BY STAFF

A small group gathered in the Quad for a ceremony to mark the occasion of a scholarship donation to Los Angeles City College on April 26, 2022.

Te Korean Program Director Mickey Hong presided over the event.

A representative from Te Imperial Family of Chosen presented a $100,000 endowment check to L.A. City College for the Korean language program. Hayoung Choi, the education consul for the consulate general of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles spoke afer the check was awarded. Te ceremony in the Camino Teater Portico lasted for a half hour.

In addition to the check, the college received a statue of King Sejong, who was the inventor of the Korean alphabet and founded the Korean Empire in July of 1392.

Te endowment will be used by the Korean program for scholarships and to promote Korean language education and culture on campus and in the community.

“Te money will be spent to promote the Korean program,” said L.A. City College President Mary Gallagher. “Te money will be spent on scholarships as well as ... promoting to the Korean program with events and sharing cultural exchanges with the students.” Giant banners announce the partnership at the Vermont entrance of the campus. Red, black and yellow banners of King Sejong, the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, went up on April 25. Te Joseon dynasty lasted for fve centuries, according to the New World Encyclopedia.

Te LACC Korean Program is currently one of the largest in the U.S. Te department states that all the courses are accessible to anyone who wishes to learn the Korean language and culture.

SORINA SZAKACS AND KAYLA MEEKS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY.

District Officials Meet to Curb Low Enrollment

BY LOUIS WHITE

Historic low student enrollment across the nine-college Los Angeles Community College District brought Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez, college presidents and administrators to a remote town hall meeting to talk solutions.

Te pathway to higher enrollment was the subject of an hour and a halflong discussion Via Zoom on May 2, 2022.

Participants discussed ways to bring students back to district campuses and how best to support their eforts. Tey discussed helping housing insecure students and those without transportation. Te district has purchased 50,000 Metro passes already for students in need. Te Chancellor also says that un-housed students can get support for free housing. Increased academic support makes resources in place easier to fnd. Chancellor Rodriguez thanked faculty for supporting zero-cost or low-cost text and ebooks within their syllabi. Ten came the numbers.

Enrollment in the nine-college system is at a 25-year low.

“Te numbers are sobering but not insurmountable,” said Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez.

Before the dismal enrollment numbers presented by Associate Vice Chancellor Maury Pearl, onscreen graphs displayed the sharp decline in enrollment of full-time equivalent students (FTES). Regarding the (FTES) numbers presented on the charts. “It is a shockingly low number and a very steep decline from where we were just a few years ago,” Vice Chancellor Pearl said. He went on to say it is actually about a 31% decline with a loss of over 33,000 (FTES) a historical low.

Te slate continued with positive eforts to rebrand all nine college websites. Without each college losing its unique branding but all websites standardizing its navigation. An emphasis on content gathering and content mapping. Te new developments are under testing at the phase II stage.

Dr. Alberto Ramon spoke about the recruitment of middle and high school students and recruiting high school students for ‘dual enrollment’ for summer and fall. He also mentioned in-person campus presence at middle schools and high schools with dual enrollment strike teams. Also increased are in-person dual enrollment workshops speaking to students about the importance of taking college courses while still in high school.

Another part of active recruiting is working with parents providing them with dual enrollment workshops too, in eforts of better parent student decision making. In hopes to build and grow a college going culture.