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Collegian ollegian Los Angeles

Wednesday, September 24, 2014 Volume 173 Number 1

Enrollment Drops to a New Low

CALLING ALL

The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929

CLIPPERS FANS!

By Byron uMana BerMuDez Enrollment by new students at City College has dropped approximately 5 percent from last year, according to Dan Walden, vice president of academic affairs. “The biggest challenge right now is the enrollment for fall,” said Walden after a College Council meeting on Sept. 8. “What we found when we ran the data, is that what was down was not in continuing or returning students. It was in the new students, those that had filed an application and wanted to come here … We are a little baffled by that, especially since other colleges around us are doing fine.” As of Sept. 12, there are 18,559 students enrolled at City College and the number of new students is reported to be 5,913 – 775 less than the previous year. L.A. Trade-Technical College, L.A. Southwest and West L.A. Community College are also seeing a drop in new enrollment. Associated Student Government President Victoria Boutros says she is disappointed with the drop in enrollment and attributes it to “unsightly” construction sites and negligent campus maintenance. “Not only is the construction disruptive in terms of noise and dust particles floating in the air, but the [air conditioning] problems that have occurred as a result have truly hindered student success,” Boutros said. “Throughout most of the summer, the Student Union Building, one of our most popular study spots on campus, was left without air conditioning.” Boutros also says that the college administration needs to improve its marketing strategy if addressing the drop in enrollment is a priority. “Other than that, I feel that LACC is lacking in terms of advertising, but I am hopeful that the administration will get the ball rolling soon,” Boutros said. For former Long Beach City College student, Kristen Dooley there are several reasons a prospective student might decide not to enroll in a community college. “In general, I feel that it’s hard to apply to any community college,” she said. “Not only are the systems constantly down on their website, counselors who work in the administration office [generally] act as if they have no time to help you. I feel that now people have to work and have no time to get education. A lot of campuses lately [are undergoing] construction which is inconvenient. What I hate the most is that usually the classes that are needed are full.” Since many people believe the economy has taken a turn for the best, some may actually consider putting their education on hold while they focus on having and maintaining their careers. According to Dean of Admissions William Marmolejo, the state of the economy might hold clues as to where the students are going. “When the economy is pretty good, it is an inverse relationship with enrollment,” Marmolejo said. “When there [aren’t] jobs out there, what do people do? They go to school to buy them some time, improve their skills, so when the economy gets better they can find jobs. The economy has improved.” Economics professor Julie Holzner says the data could corroborate that claim. “During the last recession, which is also referred to as the ‘Great ReSEE ENROLLMENT PAGE 4

INDEX

Arts & Entertainment Opinion News Campus Life Sports

2 3 4 5 6

Photo CourteSy oF DanieL MarLoS

Alligator Lizard Surfaces in Chem Basement Urinal expert says siblings of reptile may roam LaCC. By kenneth Jara

Photo By roCio FLoreS huarinGa/Collegian

President Barack Obama greets a cheering audience at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in downtown Los Angeles on July 23. Attendees waited for more than two hours in 91-degree weather for a chance to see the president up close. It was President Obama’s 19th visit to Southern California and first visit at a LACCD college since taking office in 2008.

oBama SUPPortS toolS oF tradE at tradE tECH Obama talks up WIOT, the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act during a speech over the summer at Trade Tech College. Students, faculty and supporters braved 91-degree temperatures to hear how businesses and community colleges will form partnerships to help fill existing jobs.

a

By CLinton CaMeron

ttendees reserved tickets online a day before President Barrack obama’s appearance at L.a. trade tech College. it was his 19th visit to Southern California and first appearance at a Los angeles Community College district campus since he took office in 2008. twenty-Four hours earlier, people lined up along the president’s motorcade path. those who waited on the corner of Fairfax avenue and third Street received a glimpse of obama on his way to a fundraiser. the next day, those who arrived early waited for more than two hours as the July temperature soared to 91 degrees. People in this line were able to see the president up close and personal. after passing through a quick but thorough security check, volunteers escorted ticket holders to the campus park behind mariposa Hall for trade tech’s most highly publicized event of the summer. Chancellor Francisco rodriguez made a passionate plea for the crowd to participate in a chant during his warm up speech for the president.

“When i say jobs, you say now,” the chancellor said. LaCCd is the largest district in California, and the largest workforce and training provider in the nation, according to rodriguez. He referred to L.a. trade tech as one of the district’s “nine jewels.” “there is no other system [on] the entire planet, like the two-year community [college] system,” rodriguez said. “We serve students from every walk of life.” He acknowledged his role in helping the president and his administration assist those who benefit most from community colleges. “together we’re going to make L.a. number one in public education,” rodriguez said. “L.a. is well positioned to be the place for the next generation of [educated] workers.” the chancellor ended his warm up speech for the commander in chief the way he started it, asking the audience to participate in a call-and-response for jobs and education. “When i say education, you say now,” he said. SEE OBAMA PAGE 4

Photography professor daniel marlos made an interesting discovery earlier this month when he encountered a baby San Bernardino alligator lizard. the lizard, elgaria multicarinata webbii, was trapped in a urinal in the basement of the Chemistry Building where the photography facilities are located. marlos said he was caught off guard at seeing the small lizard slithering in the urinal. “an adult alligator lizard will get at least a foot long,” marlos said. “[this one] was about three to four inches.” Following the discovery, marlos says he contacted the natural History museum to confirm the lizard’s species. Greg Pauly, a herpetologist with the natural History museum examined the lizard to find out where it came from. “this is the most widespread lizard species in the L.a. Basin, so it is not especially surprising that they would be found at LaCC,” Pauly said. “this is a very recent hatchling. So, there should be some adults and other juveniles nearby. Hopefully daniel will see some more and can contribute those observations as well.” Pauly also said students should not worry about their safety should they encounter an alligator lizard. He says because the lizard moves its long body side to side when they crawl, many believe it might be a snake at first sight, but although it may resemble a snake, it is not poisonous. all’s well that ends well as the alligator lizard may have found a new home thanks to marlos. “i transported the lizard to my house inside a 16-ounce, stainless steel film processing tank, marlos said. “i put it in the garden, my garden. the garden is a dangerous place, but i thought it stood a better chance there than in the urinal. Students who may happen upon any San Bernardino alligator lizards like the one found by professor marlos, or any other type of reptile or amphibian are encouraged to photograph the animal and submit the picture to the natural History museum for their Citizen Science Project, reptiles and amphibians of Southern California by emailing atrascals@ nhm.org.

9/11 incident No Joke for Jefferson hall Evacuees So far, the sheriffs have no suspects for the incident that disrupted classes in Jefferson hall. Someone applied pepper spray to the walls of a second floor restroom. it moved through vents and caused students to experience difficulty breathing and throat discomfort on the evening of Sept. 11 shortly before 9 p.m. By CLinton CaMeron Pepper spray was found on the walls of a Jefferson Hall restroom on Sept. 11 at 8:45 p.m. The incident was documented in the Los Angeles County campus sheriff ’s police log. Authorities would not say whether it was sprayed in the men’s or women’s restroom. Students left their classes with coughing spells and other ailments. Some complained of irritated throats as they evacuated the building. The sheriff ’s department was notified. No alarms sounded during the evacuation.

Deputy James McKain described the spray as non-lethal. “Technically speaking, it is sold over-the-counter, so it is not considered a banned substance,” McKain said. “If the suspects are caught, they will most likely be facing disciplinary action from the school for misconduct.” English professor Joe Ryan preceded his lecture that evening with a moment to recognize the 13th anniversary of the lives lost during the attacks on the World Trade Center. “I actually gave a moment of silence before class began,” Ryan said. “We just kind of silently thought

about what had happened 13 years ago.” An hour after class started, students began to cough. Mike Olivarez, a film major at LACC was attending in the class on the evening of the incident. “It was a normal class for a good while,” Olivarez said. “Then there would be a random cough, and then there would be two people coughing, then there were five people coughing. Before you know it, 12 people start coughing and they finally acknowledged there’s something going on in the air.” For professor Ryan, signs of trou-

ble were not obvious until the spray began to affect his students. “I was looking at them and I said, ‘Why are you coughing?’ I thought they were just trying to tell me it was break time, and they continued to do it, and I actually got annoyed,” Ryan said. “Then, a minute later it hit me and I started coughing.” Those who sat closest to the doors began coughing first, then it spread to the rest of the room according to Jill Guido, a student who attended the class. “The teacher was kind of thinking we were just having a little highjinx,” Guido said. “He didn’t notice that

there was problem at first. When he noticed that there was a problem, he said we needed to get out of the classroom right now. So, we immediately left.” As Ryan dismissed his class to the Quad area, he walked into the hallway and noticed department chair Bernadette Tchen helping to evacuate the building. He relocated his class to the Women’s Gym for the remainder of his lecture. At first, Ryan entertained the idea of a connection between the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the pepper spray incident. “We were concerned,” Ryan said. “But nobody panicked.” Sheriffs found no need to treat the incident as an act of terrorism. “It was over quickly,” McKain said. “If I were wanting to do something on 9/11, I wouldn’t wait until 9 o’clock at night.”

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Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, September 24, 2014

artS & entertainMent

Photo By JorGe PonCe/Collegian

Students had a chance to look into the artistic process of several of their professors at the Da Vinci Gallery’s Faculty Art Show opening on Sept. 10.

inStrUCtOrS eXHiBit,

Photo By JeSSiCa BreCker/Collegian

Pianist Cliff Retallick performs the musical accompaniment for “The Gaucho,” a black and white silent film from 1927 staring Douglas Fairbanks and Lupe Velez at a screening at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre last month. The screening was hosted by the Art Directors Guild Film Society and the American Cinematheque to showcase the production design in the film.

GOLDEN SILENCE, COOL PIANO STILL HIP IN HISTORIC HOLLYWOOD

I

By JeSSiCa BreCker

n a dark corner of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, pianist Cliff Retallick made music that crawled along the walls, hung from the ceiling and encompassed listeners in a cool cocoon of sound, as a group of film aficionados and set design students and experts turned their gaze to the screen. The Art Directors Guild Film Society and the American Cinematheque hosted a screening of 1927’s “The Gaucho” last month. The film stars Hollywood’s first action star, Douglas Fairbanks, but the program was designed to highlight the film’s production designer Carl Oscar Borg. A panel discussion moderated by production designer John Muto and featuring Douglas Fairbanks expert, John Tibbett and Patricia Ward Kelly, Gene Kelly’s widow, followed the film. “‘The Gaucho is unique among Fairbanks’ swashbuckler films in both tone and look,” Muto said. “It’s a darker fantasy, tragic yet somehow more rugged and realistic.” According to Muto, the massive mountain vistas and plains seen in the film were created in a studio back lot, and the elaborate white city in the South American Andes was just a set. Models were used to recreate the longest mountain range in the world. The results look just as good if not better than most CGI jobs today. The Egyptian Theatre was built in 1922 – the same year as the discovery of King Tut’s tomb – by real estate developer Charles E. Toberman for showman Syd Grauman. The developers wanted to create an experience that enhanced the viewing of silent films, and projecting the sound of the piano or organ was part of that. “Fairbanks tweaked this room with Syd Grauman for ‘Robin Hood,’” Retallick said. According to the American Cinematheque website, the original auditorium was designed to magnify the sound of an organ or piano. The elaborate sunburst and scarab on the ceiling was more than ornamentation and the ceiling had holes inside to push the sound into the auditorium. Retallick’s masterstrokes are the only sound in the theater, for “The Gaucho” is entirely silent. However, silent as the film may be, the action on screen is as wild as the tagline suggests. Lupe Velez played the “madcap mountain girl” with a fire-breathing mixture of sweetness and vulgarity. Velez was one of Hollywood’s first Mexican movie stars, and to this day remains one of its few. Fairbanks as “The Gaucho” exhib-

its a charisma unlike any action star today and part of this is due to an athleticism and grace seldom seen in Hollywood. Both actors exhibit a degree of finesse and control over their physicality that is unheard of in today’s world of “Dolby Stereo” and nonstop explosions. The action on screen was intense, yet Retallick does not fumble once. The effect is reminiscent of a classic scene in another silent film; Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.” in which the projectionist falls asleep, walks out of his body, and into the film world projected on screen. However, Retallick is not asleep, he is possessed. There is no sheet music on the piano, and it is too dark in the theater to read sheet music anyway. “I just sketched some themes out [ahead of time],” Retallick said. “You know, it’s a mystic experience.” Fairbanks may have been the star, but his then wife, Mary Pickford, shows up on screen first as “The Virgin Mary.” Pickford, AKA, “America’s Sweetheart,” specialized in playing waifish and innocent creatures, but hidden behind her small stature and blond ringlets was the toughest woman Hollywood has ever known. Pickford fought harder than any woman before her, and possibly since, for fair pay and creative control for all actors. It was Pickford who bought the studio in which “The Gaucho” was filmed. Together with Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W. Griffith she formed “United Artists” a company that still exists today. A portion of the 1919 studio still stands on the corner of Formosa Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, straddling the Hollywood and West Hollywood border. Gene Kelly is often remembered for movie musicals like “Singing in the Rain.” According to his widow, Kelly often said Fairbanks’ performance in “The Gaucho” inspired his own “physical gymnastics” in “The Pirate,” a film Kelly starred in in 1948. “Gene studied Fairbanks because he felt he embodied how the American male moved,” Patricia Kelly said. Patricia Kelly said both men had a knack for “masculine gymnastics.” She said her husband kept limber, at 70 years of age by playing tennis, and didn’t stop until his failing vision compromised his depth perception. “It’s about looking fit, but not about being gifted physically,” she said of today’s action stars. When the Collegian asked who she thought might be carrying the torch her husband took from Fairbanks, she seemed unsure. “Maybe Robert Downey Jr.,” she said. According to Tibbits, Fairbanks paid a

price for the risks he took, including fractured bones and hernias, which required surgery. He also pointed out that Fairbanks was pushing the envelope even more by taking on “The Gaucho,” which he said is a very dark film. But he also pointed out that Fairbanks could get away with a lot due to his immense charm. “If someone had said ‘let’s make a movie where Douglas Fairbanks denies God, contemplates suicide, beats up women, smokes all the time, gets drunk and basically has a philosophy of ‘to hell with it all let’s live for today’ I think people might have been a bit shocked,” Tibbits said. “It’s just that he does it all with such zest. I mean, to deny God with

THE GAUCHO IS UNIQUE AMONG FAIRBANK’S SWASHBUCKLER FILMS IN BOTH TONE AND LOOK. IT’S A DARKER FANTASY, TRAGIC YET SOMEHOW MORE RUGGED AND REALISTIC.” -John MUto gusto is a pretty good trick.” Retallick performs the first Saturday of every month at the Cinefamily Silent Movie Theatre. On Oct. 4, he will be providing accompaniment for the silent films “The Unknown” (1927) featuring Lon Chaney as an escaped killer pretending to be a sideshow freak, and “West of Zanzibar” (1928) starring Chaney and Lionel Barrymore, in a film about an insane African dictator seeking revenge on the trader who stole his wife. The Cinefamily schedule can be found at: http://www.cinefamily.org/ Patricia Ward Kelly will be performing “Gene Kelly: The Legacy” at the Laguna Playhouse on Sept. 29, and at the Moonlight Amphitheatre Oct. 4. For more information, visit: www.genekelly.org For more information on Cinemathque and Art Director’s Guild Film Society go to http://www.americancinemathque.com Professor Tibbitts’ book, “Douglas Fairbanks and the American Century” can be purchased from his website at: www. johnctibbetts.com

FaCULtY art draWS CroWdS to da VinCi GaLLerY By GLoria Lee

Sound, sight and smell enveloped those who attended the faculty art show at the Da Vinci art gallery on Sept. 10. Students and faculty had a chance to migle and talk about their work. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with many of the artists and learn about their techniques and philosophies, like photography professor Daniel Marlos and his project, “Years of Living Horologically.” “The addresses and address numbers correspond to the dates on which the photos were taken,” Marlos said. “I’m taking photos and addresses where I’m juxtaposing time and space.” It seems professors are also appreciative of the chance to get feedback from their students. “I enjoy what the students have

to say because they are usually surprised looking at my work compared to what I talk about in class,” said art history professor Raoul De La Sota. He had on display a mixed-media piece using paint, straw and brown strings to depict a pilgrimage dirt road in Spain. “Right now when you see a professor’s work you have an idea of what goals you want to set for yourself to be an artist and think about what you would like to create,” said Bianca Argueta, an art major. “Seeing another student’s work is like [a] competition, but seeing a professor’s work is enlightening to see it.” The art gallery showcases recent projects by individuals in the art department. The faculty art show will run through Thursday, Oct. 2. Gallery hours are posted outside Da Vinci Hall.

the FaCULtY art ShoW rUnS throUGh oCt. 2 at the da VinCi GaLLerY PROFESSOR SAM EISENSTEIN will read from his book “Strange Surreal Fiction” on Sept. 25 at 1:45 p.m. in JH 315. “LOOKIN’ BACK IN FRONT OF ME” art exhibit by Mark Steven Greenfield. Artist Talk on Sept. 28 at the California African American Museum. “OUR LADY OF 121ST STREET,” directed by Leslie Ferreira, opens on Oct. 9 and runs through Oct. 11 at the Caminito Theatre.

opinion & editorial

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Fight, Fight, Fight!

Editorial

Water is a Human Right! By Jessica Brecker

illustration by Jose tobar

really metro, not again

As MTA increases its fares, it is time for student and community leaders to band together and commit to working on a solution that will alleviate the public’s burden and not leave Metro in the red. richard Martinez Certainly the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s recent fare hike is nothing less than what any other business would do when faced with a deficit. L.A. riders’ share of Metro’s operating costs is reportedly 26 percent, and this most recent fare hike is an attempt by the agency to bring that portion up to 36 percent. Revenue generated through local sales taxes and state fuel taxes cover the rest of the agency’s operating budget. However, it is not the wealthy who utilize the agency’s services, and it would do Metro a lot of good to remember that. There have to be hundreds, if not thousands in Southern California who simply cannot afford the new fares regardless of how small the increase may seem. Many have had to rummage through change jars to come up with bus fare. One simply cannot ask a business

to lower prices on its products because they are not affordable, but Metro is partially funded by the state. As a publicly funded entity, its first concern should be how to better serve its customers. Increased fares may be manageable for the employed masses of Los Angeles, and maybe even beneficial to those that will use the new transfer rule, but students are hardly in need of incurring a new expense. Considering the fact that the California Employment Development Department reports that unemployment in Los Angeles remains at 9.9 percent, the MTA needs to rethink its strategy. This is doing nothing more than disenfranchising the city’s minority and poorest residents, which reportedly make up about 80 percent of Metro’s ridership. The Bus Riders Union has even called the fare hike a civil rights violation, but complaints and pro-

Dealing with Life, Staying in School By Lorenzo Quintana As students we spend countless hours studying, doing homework and coming to classes, and sometimes that wears a person down. Many decide to give up on their careers because of personal, f inancia l, or time management problems. It is apparent that students are succumbing to their problems now more than ever, and the recent enrollment numbers show it. It’s unfortunate that so many people are opting not to come to college. I am in the unfortunate position of having to leave school to attend to personal matters at home. I want to come to school, learn more and work toward having a successful career, and it saddens me to know that I cannot. As sad as it is, I know I’m not the only one going through this. There are countless other students

out there who are hoping for the ideal opportunity to come back to school. I have had to learn firsthand the difficulties of having to come to college and go to work and still try to find time for my personal life. Surely, this is a big reason why a lot of students decide to not come to school. In my case, I’m in a really difficult position to where I absolutely cannot stay in school. I have tried to think of other options or ways I could work things out and stay in school, but right now I have to make the best decision for me. I would hope that most other students would do the same, and think of any way possible to stay in school and continue to aim higher. Everybody’s situation is different, but all I hope for is that more students choose to stick it out and continue to follow their dreams. I would do anything to just stay in school and not worry about everything else in life. People who are fortunate enough to be able to come to school and be successful, have no reason to quit and should take advantage of the opportunities they have been given. Some people would do anything to just be in school.

Have an Opinion? A Story Idea? Write a Letter to the Editor

Contact: rmartinez.collegian@gmail.com 323.953.4000 ext. 2831 Letters may be edited for brevity.

tests will do little to stop MTA from implementing the fare increases – currently on hold – scheduled for 2017 and 2020. A definitive drop in ridership might, but that’s not likely to happen as the only reason anyone uses MTA’s services, is because there is no other choice. L.A.’s mayor, Eric Garcetti and Metro’s Board of Directors recognize that being able to get to school is key for student success. According to a motion released on May 22, “[students who] attend school regularly are more likely to graduate, and have lower rates of incarceration, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and chronic disease.” If the well-being of L.A. students is really something MTA cares about, it will implement a freeze on fare hikes for students, and consider ways to help impoverished riders. Local and state governments must also find a way to subsidize programs that affect the quality of life of their constituents.

Fare Hikes Shortchange Patrons By Dave Martin Whether we drive our own car, or take public transportation, people need to be able to get to their dest inat ions, and those of us who rely on the bus or train to get from place to place are going to pay more from now on. Metro had some very reasonable prices in the past. Well, those days are over. With prices going up to $1.75 for a one-way fare, and up to $25 and $100 for the weekly and monthly passes respectively, it is going to be a struggle to come up with the money for Metro fare. It is probably safe to assume that most students would prefer to spend that kind of money on books, or something else for class, and not on a bus pass. If I want to continue coming to LACC, then I have to cough up the money to be able to attend my classes. Let’s face it, anyone who goes to college should be entitled to a discounted bus pass. We are all making an effort to come here to learn, and trying to improve our lives. It is a sacrifice, but it is worth it. If Metro continues to raise their prices, many of us are going to be left out, with no way to get around.

I had never been to Detroit before, but I had heard the words “bad” and “crime” constantly associated with it. What I saw could easily be what Los Angeles looks like in the future. A future in which our most precious resource c o u l d be taken away before we are even finished taking it for granted. Water is the new oil. We might not be a ghost town yet, but like Detroit, our infrastructure is ageing. In the midst of one of the worst droughts California has ever faced, we are watching it crumble. The rupture of the 90-year-old water main on Sunset Boulevard in July sent a geyser some 30 feet into the air, leaving the street in ruins and flooding several historic UCLA buildings. According to the L.A. Times, 8 to 10 million gallons of water was lost in the three hours city officials said it took to shut the water off. Earlier this month a 66-yearold water-main in Encino also burst, damaging and flooding streets and backyards. Netroots Nation 2014 had a huge turnout this summer, and almost all of its 1,000 plus participants joined the fight to turn the water back on for nearly half of the city’s’ residents. I was there representing the LACC Collegian and The Newspaper Guild-CWA. A jolly old lady covered in buttons with slogans like “sluts vote” and “I went to jail with Rev. Barber” checked me in when I arrived. I was immediately handed a flyer by a random young activist who told me to join a march the next day. Since I had a camera around my neck, I was asked to please bring it along to help the protest get exposure. The very next day, I joined National Nurses United, The Robin Hood Tax, and over a thousand protestors, as they assembled outside the Cobo Convention Center for a march to Downtown Detroit’s Hart Plaza. The purpose of the march was to declare a public health emergency and to “demand a moratorium on the unprecedented water shutoffs in Detroit.” Citizens peered at us from the few buildings that were not boarded up, as we passed chanting “no water, no peace” and “fight, fight, fight, water is a human right.” Quite a few stood at windows and raised their fists with us. They were young. They were old. They were black. They were white. They were rich. They were poor. But they had two things in common: they were American, and they were all descending on

Hart Plaza in Downtown Detroit Michigan, fists held high, faces and voices defiant. A huge majority of them were elderly. Many walked with the help of canes or walkers. One old lady attached to an oxygen tank on wheels was picked up by a strapping young man pedaling a pedicab, a large tricycle with a bench attached, where she joined her friend. Dressed up in flamboyant mock “old lady” get-ups like psychedelic Susan B. Anthonys, they waved a sign that read “Raging Grannies.” Scannell, the driver of the pedicab, told me why he believed the city was doing this. “[It] seemed like the water board was trying to make a point, but was sadly mistaken by going after easy targets or ‘little people,’” Scannell said. We were blocking nearly all the streets of downtown Detroit. Commuters did not seem at all amused as they tried to get through and I wondered if we were breaking the law. Was I going to get arrested like the little old lady who checked me in? We were definitely creating a public nuisance! Detroit police ended up arresting nine demonstrators, including one in a wheelchair, according to National Nurses United.” However the protest drew enough numbers and enough journalists that it caused Mayor Mike Duggan to impose a monthlong moratorium on the shut-offs, and thousands had their water turned back on. Unfortunately the moratorium ended on Aug. 25. That is still an incredible win on our part. I like to think we relieved the suffering of many people. It is possible we also saved some lives. After the protest was over, I started to head back to the Cobo Center. As I crossed the street I over head a lady having a conversation on her cell phone. “I’m so proud of these young people,” she was saying, “They showed up!” Even though shocking images of seriously depleted reservoirs and parched river beds are all over the internet, it is easy to avoid reality when a cool drink of water is readily available at our taps and we can take as long a shower as we want. Just imagine if our water was shut off right now. This could be us. In fact, this could be the whole country. The one thing that touches me most of all is seeing people who are of advanced age, in some cases in wheel chairs even, exhibit an energy and drive to fight for a future they won’t be around to see. I mean, some of them, are 70, 80 years old and willing to go to jail for what is right! We should all be so brave. The least we can do for these raging grannies and grandpas is to fight alongside them! No water, no peace!

Understaffed Student Store Wastes Student Time By Gloria Lee Lines to enter the store in the Student Union are ridiculously long and will most likely continue to be a major nuisance for at least the next two weeks. We have fees to pay, classes to add or drop, and counselors to meet and standing around waiting in huge lines is a luxury we cannot afford. If the college administration were better prepared for the large influx of students, we would not be wasting so much valuable time. Hard pressed for time due to back-

to-back classes, I get my lunch from vending machines or the student store. I usually go to the store since most of the vending machines on campus do not accept credit cards, or bills larger than a dollar. Regardless of needing course supplies, students are discouraged to even enter the student store because of the long line to drop off their bags. They go in and have to navigate a crowded store in order to get what they need, only to see a jaw-dropping line that encircles the entire store. Afterwards, they are forced to wait in another long line to pick up their bags. In the future, the college administration should think about adding more staff at the beginning of the semester so that they are not shorthanded. A visit to the student store should not have to feel like standing in a line at an amusement park.

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Collegian Media Arts Department, Chemistry 207 Los Angeles City College 855 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029

Editor-in-Chief Richard Martinez Graphic-Layout Editor Beatrice Alcala Multimedia Producer Dave Martin Frank Vidrio Opinion/Editorial Tomas Rodriguez Sports Kevin King Graphic Designers Beatrice Alcala Illustrators Jose Tobar Jaleen Widlow Photo Editor Jorge Ponce Photographers Jessica Brecker Curtis Sabir Rocio Flores Reporters Byron Umana Bermudez Clinton Cameron Jessica Brecker Gloria Lee Tomas Rodriguez Lorenzo Quintana Krystle Mitchell Lynn James Kenneth Jara Cheyenne Finch Jake Camarena Kelly Chapman Kevin King Advertising Staff Clinton Cameron Adviser Rhonda Guess

Deadline Schedule NEXT ISSUE: October 8, 2014 Editorial deadline: October 1, 2014 For all submissions including letters to the editor and publicity releases send materials to Collegian office: Chemistry 207 losangeles.collegian@gmail.com For all insertion orders and advertising questions. Email: pr.collegian@gmail.com The college newspaper is published as a learning experience, offered under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by virtue of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the Los Angeles Community College District, Los Angeles City College, or any officer or employee thereof. Collegian © 2014. No material may be reprinted without the express written permission of the Collegian.

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neWS

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, September 24, 2014

nEWS BriEFS

OBAMA FROM PAGE 1

ENROLLMENT FROM PAGE 1

By CarLoS Martinez

Paid internShiPS aVaiLaBLe Internship workshops are being offered every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at AD 109 from 1-3 p.m. No sign-ups are required.

UniVerSitY rePS on CaMPUS Representatives from UC Berkeley will be on campus today from 9-11 a.m. in AD 109. Representatives from Mt. Saint Mary’s College will also be on campus from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Quad.

CiViL riGhtS aCtiViSt to SPeaK neXt Month U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan J. Cook will make an appearance at the El Camino Theatre on Oct. 20 from 2:303:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.

Career, JoB Center to hoSt WorKShoPS For JoB SeeKerS The Career and Job Development Center will host workshops aimed at helping students to refine their resumes, and cover letters. They will also practice interviewing skills. The next workshop is scheduled for Sept. 26, from 9-10 a.m. and the next cover letter workshop is scheduled for Oct. 3, from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Mock interviews will start on Oct. 9, from 1-2 p.m.

PoLiCe Wire CoMPiLeD By Cheyenne FinCh 9/3/14, 13:40 - Student slipped and fell in Jefferson Hall. Occurred 9/3/14. Disposition: Report Taken. 9/8/14, 15:00 – Property lost. Student reported his cell phone lost outside MLK benches. Occurred 9/10/14, Disposition: Report Taken. 9/10/14, Verbal argument. boyfriend versus girlfriend at Los Angeles City College. Occurred 9/10/14 Disposition: All parties contacted, no evidence of crime. Report taken. 9/10/14, 17:00 - Bicycle Theft. Student reported the theft of his bicycle from Franklin Hall bike racks. Occurred 9/3/14, 18:30 21:00 Disposition: Report taken. 9/11/14, 20:45 - Students reported an unknown substance causing students to cough. Substance was determined to be pepper spray in Jefferson Hall occurred 9/11/14 at 20:45. Report taken. 9/11/14, 16:13 - Disturbance in Student Union Bookstore occurred 9/11/14. Disposition: Suspect arrested for being drunk in public, vandalism and trespassing. Suspect was not a student. 9/15/14 - 15:03. Student reported the theft of his bicycle from Communication Building bike racks. Occurred: 9/15/14, 10:20 – 12 p.m. Disposition: Report taken. Investigation pending. 9/15/14, Campus incident, broken display reported at Theatre Academy Building. Report taken. 9/15/14, 12:50. Lost Property. Student reported his backpack lost from a Da Vinci Hall lunch table. Occurred 9/15/14. Disposition: Report taken. 9/16/14, 7:30, Campus Incident, Transient found sleeping behind Student Union was warned and advised. Occurred 9/16/14 – 7:30 a.m. Disposition: Report taken. 9/16/14, 21:00, Student suffered a seizure in Jefferson Hall. Paramedics responded and transported student to Hollywood Presbyterian Occurred 9/16/14 Disposition: Rescue call. Report taken.

PhotoS By JeSSiCa BreCker/Collegian

District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez, (left) fired up the audience at Los Angeles Trade Technical College last month, while they waited for President Barack Obama to take the stage. A rapt audience listened to Trade Tech’s President Larry Frank (right) speak about his school’s time-honored tradition of providing important training to a diverse student body, as they waited for President Obama at Trade Tech’s Steven’s Square.

CHanCEllor, tradE tECH PrESidEnt oPEn For oBama a recording of “Hail to the Chief ” played as loud, enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience welcomed the president to the podium. at least one attendee however, was not a fan. Soon after obama’s welcoming statement, this person took advantage of the first drop in sound by yelling at the president. at one point during his outburst, he referred to obama as the antichrist. Swift response from the Secret Service resulted in his immediate ejection. reaction from the audience overpowered any further attempt to disrupt the speech as boos and cheers merged into a singular chant of support. “obama! obama! obama!” the crowd shouted. in a diplomatic tone the president lost no footing as he responded to the critic. “i have to admit that i’ve actually met that guy before,” obama said “it’s true. [it was] a couple of years ago and he had the same line. He needs to update his material.” throughout the remainder of President obama’s speech, the outdoor audience remained supportive and enthusiastic. during the 22-minute address, the president spoke about the role community colleges and trade schools play in preparing people for jobs that already exist. “today i’m here to focus on one thing that we should be doing, which is training more americans to fill the jobs we’ve created,” obama said. “if your job’s been stamped ‘obsolete’ and shipped overseas, or displaced by new technology, your country should help train you to land an even better job in the future.” two days before his trade tech appearance, President obama signed the Workforce investment and opportunity act (Wiot), which will allocate funds to support partnerships between businesses and community colleges. this means federal funding will be prioritized for programs designed to help workers learn skills that employers demand in today’s market. in his speech, the president shared anecdotes from people reentering college, changing careers, or earning additional degrees or certificates. Some wrote

letters and a couple of people met with him personally at Canter’s restaurant earlier that day. Kadie Castro is one example. Castro is concerned because, despite her four-year degree, she continues to struggle to earn a decent living. “‘if earning an education doesn’t open doors for someone like me to rise above my socio-economic class, what does that say about our country? What does that say about our values?’” said obama reading from a letter she wrote to him. “‘one shouldn’t have to be rich or from a wealthy family in order to pay their bills.’” President obama assured the L.a. trade tech audience that he is listening to Castro’s story and to americans all across the nation. He also acknowledged those reentering college later in life. “Joanne Woadell is ready to begin work at age 60 after caring for her sick husband,” President obama said. “But, older workers like her need a little support.” Secretary of Labor, tom Perez recognized the role his office plays in support of people who seek employment or need to retool for new careers. He referred to job centers and community colleges as emergency rooms for job seekers. “Here’s what we do at the department of Labor. We’re kind of like the match.com for job seekers and employers everywhere,” Perez said. “that’s what we do. We match the needs of employers with the desires of job seekers, and community colleges are the secret sauce to that success right here in Los angeles and across the country.” Los angeles City College President, renée martinez attended the event. She expects obama’s endorsement of the Wiot act to help point City College students in the direction of gainful employment. “that’s a wonderful program [Wiot] for us because they [businesses] now will have to work with community colleges to provide us opportunities for our students to get internships and paid jobs in career technical programs,” martinez said. “at Los angeles City College, we have wonderful programs, so we need help to get our students to get in there, finish those cer-

tificates and degrees and go on and transfer, if that’s what they want to do, and for us to continue to work with business industry to provide them jobs.” associate professor, Yolanda touré teaches public relations at L.a. trade tech College. She coordinated volunteers to help with the event and is running for a seat on the LaCCd Board of trustees. “i think overall it will be a positive thing [Wiot],” touré said. “if we have a course that doesn’t lead to a degree, and that degree doesn’t lead to a job, we have to phase those courses out. So, there is a direct link between the workplace and the school place at this point and time, and we need that kind of relationship because working class families need jobs.” edward Santiago is a Financial aid worker at trade tech and is currently enrolled in dance classes at Los angeles City College. He says receiving aid is on the top of the list of concerns for undocumented students visiting the Financial aid office. He is hopeful that along with the Wiot act, the dream act will help undocumented students achieve the same dreams many americans aspire to reach. “it is only a California thing so far,” said Santiago referring to the dream act. “We’re looking to find more ways to help non-documented students.” in his speech, L.a. trade tech President Larry Frank recognized the president’s signing of the deferred act for Childhood arrivals (daCa) as a federal program supporting the dream act. Frank refers to a 2008 town hall meeting where obama originally made this promise. “He was asked by State Senator Gil Cedillo (now a councilmember), if he would support a Federal dream act,” Frank said. “Four years later, he did daCa, he kept his word.” even as he supports the dream act, obama’s record for deporting immigrants is the most excessive of any United States president. despite his awareness of the president’s record on deportation, Santiago remains as optimistic as obama. “it’s just tough,” Santiago said. “You can’t please everyone. at least to me, he’s kept all his promises.”

Transfer Day: recruiters Share Shortlist of admissions requirements for Hopefuls By Lynn JaMeS Transfer Day on Sept. 11 brought eager students who waited their turn to speak to representatives from California State University East Bay (CSUEB), UC Irvine, New York Film Academy, Pepperdine University and other four-year universities in hopes of getting the inside track on transfer requirements. CSUEB representative Marc Strong specializes in undergraduate recruitment and veterans outreach. “Transferring away from home can be exciting, but when school is several miles away, reality can set in about the distance and investments,” Strong said. Admissions representatives who attended the LACC event told the Collegian that transfer students are admitted from a pool that represents students as young as 17 or 18 years old. A percentage of more mature transfer candidates are working parents who have limited time for study according to one recruiter.

Maintaining good grades is important to recruiters who said successful applicants should have between a 2.8 and 3.0 minimum grade point average. “GPA isn’t all you need,” said Amy Ellenberger, an associate enrollment director at New York Film Academy’s L.A. division. “Another important part of the application process is the personal life experience essay. We like to hear about how life experience has made a person into who they are.” There were representatives from 44 universities at the event, according to Kamale E. Grey, the director of the Transfer Center. Students browsed the different booths and appeared to appreciate the event. “I just wished it lasted longer, because it was the same time as my classes, but one of my professors let me out early to attend, “ said Carolina Vargas an LACC student. “This event is great. It’s like getting the inside scoop on the schools.”

Enrollment Numbers Are Down cession’ there was a severe downturn in economic activity, and consequently unemployment dramatically increased,” Holzner said. “Before the recession, unemployment was as low as 4.5 percent and during the Great Recession in 2009 unemployment reached 10 percent ... Since the end of the recession in the second half of 2009 unemployment has been steadily decreasing and last month it reached a 6.1 percent low.” This means improved economic conditions may have a negative impact on college enrollment, since once it becomes easier to find jobs, the allure of getting an education might fade. “A lot of people are disenchanted by the college system,” said Aroon Engel, a personal banker at Bank of America. “Tuition has risen consistently year over year [and] people have less money to pay for college. A lot of people are turning to jobs that have nothing to do with a college education, for example actors, construction workers and entrepreneurs. None of these people must go to college to make a living.” However, Marmolejo says that if the inverse effect the economy has on college enrollment were completely accurate, then all colleges in the district would be reporting low enrollment numbers. In fact, four out of the nine schools in the district are reporting an increase in the number of new students enrolled. “Nevertheless, economic conditions are not the only variable affecting college enrollment,” Holzner

said. “Going forward, because of the improving economy, we would expect lower enrollment, but there might be other forces that may counter this trend.” One such variable that might stall the enrollment process for new students is the implementation of Senate Bill 1456, or Student Success Act of 2012. This law is set to change the way California colleges deal with new students. According to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, students receiving fee waivers will have to meet minimum academic and progress standards to remain eligible for assistance starting fall of 2016. The law also implements a new priority registration system in which students must first participate in orientation, complete their math and English assessments and develop an educational plan with a college counselor to receive priority enrollment status. So, what can LACC administrators do to stem the tide of students leaving City College? Boutros has vowed to help the administration by using the ASG to keep an open dialogue between high school programs and the college, and by reinforcing the importance of a college education to the surrounding communities. The administration will reportedly launch a marketing campaign in the community and on the local metro lines and buses.

Photo By JorGe PonCe/Collegian

A pipe fitting burst and shot over a construction fence, narrowly missing a student on Sept. 10 just before noon.

Water PiPe rUPtUreS, FLoodS WaLKWaY near da VinCi haLL By CarLoS Martinez

Students ducked for cover in the Quad near Da Vinci Hall when a water main break shot water and part of a pipe five to seven feet into air on Sept. 10, shortly before noon at the Holmes Hall construction site. Several students witnessed the water pipe break and water gushing at least five feet into the air. Collegian photographer Jorge Ponce was standing near the site at Da Vinci Hall when he says he heard a commotion. “I heard a pop-like noise and the pipe flew up in the air … I had never seen anything like that,” Ponce said. The pipe was ejected from the ex-

cavated ground at the Holmes Hall site and fell to the pavement. The airborne pipe landed near a female student who was standing nearby. “The girl screamed and ran away in shock,” Ponce said. According to a statement released by Harris & Associates, the firm that oversees construction on campus, workers were applying pressure to a six-inch hydraulic pipe during a procedure to replace its fittings. This pressure pushed off one of the fittings, causing it to land over the construction fence. After the pipe was ejected from the ground, a partial flood followed. Renovation work at Holmes Hall will continue through the fall.

SCan Qr COde to hear What reCrUiterS Want

or visit http://youtu.be/YQHirXgg-BI

CaMpUS liFe

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, September 24, 2014

SUMMer OF tHe

SUperMOOn

PhotoS By JeSSiCa BreCker/Collegian

The September “supermoon” as viewed from the rooftop observatory of City College’s Science and Technology Building. This sighting was the third of three consecutive supermoons this summer.

Star Sightings on Campus: angelenos look to the sky for a glimpse of the “super moon,” as it’s been dubbed by the media. By JeSSiCa BreCker Celestial objects like the stars and planets make headlines from time to time, but the most photogenic of all has captivated the media like no other. This was a very special year for our moon. The “supermoon,” as the media has dubbed it, made three spectacular appearances this summer on July 12, Aug. 10, and Sept. 9. The scientific term for this particular phenomenon is perigee-syzygy. “Supermoon is an exciting term,” said Tracy Hurt, a geography professor at LACC. “But it is also known as

perigee moon.” A perigee is when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit. According to NASA, the moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer than the other (apogee). A full moon at perigee is about 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than its farthest point, apogee. This is because the moon is the closest it will get to earth during its elliptical orbit. The moon orbits the earth every 28 days, but when the moon is full at the time it is closest to earth, it can appear dramatically larger, even though it is only a very

small percentage closer. The difference is so small, that it can only really be measured by laser rangefinders, such as NASA’s new LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) spacecraft. If a full moon occurs when the moon is further than 400,000 kilometers (ca. 248,548 miles) at apogee, it is considered to be a “Micro Moon.” This summer also marked the 45year anniversary of perhaps the most famous televised event in human history. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” astronaut Neil Armstrong said to fellow astro-

naut Buzz Aldrin, when he touched lunar sand on July 20, 1969. It was the very first time human beings had set foot on outer space soil. It stands to reason that it might be a good time to revisit when the moon is closer. “[The] flight time to the moon is about four days,” said astronomy professor Dean Arvidson, “You might save a half a day or a quarter of a day when it’s closer. You’re not saving a whole lot.” Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson seemed to shrug off the supermoon when he tweeted in August that, “July’s full moon is to August’s

“Super Moon” what a 16-inch pizza is to a 16.1-inch pizza. I’m just saying.” Perhaps America’s favorite astrophysicist is not impressed, but there is no denying the sight is worthy of capturing our imaginations. Part of the illusion of immense size comes from the fact that when the moon is near the horizon, it looks huge compared to trees, hills, buildings, and people. Thus, the best time to view the spectacle is right after sunset. The very subtle increase in size is exaggerated by this optical illusion. When the moon first comes up in the east, it takes on a very dramatic orange or gold color as well. “The moon, when it’s near the horizon, it can look bigger than when it’s higher in the sky,” Arvidson said. “But it’s not actually any bigger; if you were to measure it on the sky it wouldn’t be any bigger.” Also in play is another phenomenon called turbulence. “The moon, or any stars, when it’s rising or just setting, meaning lower in the atmosphere, nearer the horizon, the light gets to us by traveling through heavier air,” said physics major Jignesh Patel. “There’s a lot of dust and smog. And there is also a lot of turbulence in the air. Let’s say it’s a hotter day, then later in the evening the heat gets released by the soil, right? So there is some turbulence in the lower atmosphere. That is why we see a lot of the color, when you see the pinkish or orangish clouds.” Astrologer Richard Nolle is credited with coming up with the name “Supermoon,” according to astrology.com. Nolle says for a few days before, during and after the supermoon, “you may feel edgy, or find it difficult to focus.” The site also claims the “Super Moon” could cause natural disasters, such as tidal waves, earthquakes, and volcanoes, but scientists call them out on this fallacy. “It does not have much of an effect on tides,” Hurst said. “The supermoon is a full moon. When there is a full moon, or a new moon what occur are spring tides, which means

there is a greater tidal range at this time (the high tides are a bit higher, and the low tides are a bit lower) ... So, if there is a supermoon then there would be a slight increase in the already increased tidal range.” September’s moon is also known as the “Harvest Moon” because it is closest to the autumn equinox on Sept. 22. “Regarding [the] Harvest Moon, that refers to the last full moon before the autumnal equinox,” Hurst told the Collegian, “its light would provide light for farmers to harvest their crops in previous times.” Be it the bounty of a harvest or the blossoming of a romance, the Harvest Moon has seared itself into human mythology. Tonight the sun sets at 6:55 p.m. The first stars will be visible shortly after 7 p.m. In the far west horizon, the planet Venus will be visible, but not for long as it descends after the sun and should disappear by 8 p.m. Venus is part of the constellation, Virgo. As it gets darker, Mars will be the pink dot to the south and Saturn the white dot to the south west. The huge star directly overhead is Vega, part of the constellation Lyra. The pulsating star just to the south of that is Altair. It’s a new moon tonight and it will be invisible due to the fact that it is so close to the sun in the sky, that none of the sides facing earth are illuminated. The next full moon will be on Oct. 8. Great places to view these star sightings on campus are the Science and Technology Building’s rooftop observatory and the Student Union Building. Nearby Barnsdall Art Park, which is located at Hollywood Boulevard and Vermont and rests on a hill, gives a fine view of the hills of Silver Lake on the eastern horizon, and downtown Los Angeles to the southeast. The next Super Moon will be on Sept. 28, 2015.

College Council Plans to act on Pressing Student issues Vice President of Academic Affairs Dan Walden and the council hope to address campus construction, class offerings, school session lengths and enrollment strategies. By Jake CaMarena Campus construction, class availability, the length of school sessions, enrollment strategies, and even the length of the next summer session are among the many topics the LACC College Council discusses. The LACC College Council makes recommendations to the college president on behalf of the student body, which according to Vice President of Academic Affairs Dan Walden, “should drive our decisions and the things that we do.” The participating committees usually discuss a number of items, including budgets, faculty and student planning, strategic planning, student government, and K-12 partnerships. Many of the issues on the council’s agenda seem to resonate with students, as a number of them have expressed concern about campus construction and access. Disabled Student Assistance While for many, the construction sites on campus may be unsightly, they can pose a safety hazard for many disabled students. “Thank God for students, because you would be lost,” said Maliaka Mitchell, a vision impaired student majoring in elementary education. “You get used to one route and come back the next time around and things are different.” According to Mitchell, the Office of Special Services (OSS) is supposed to offer guides available to these students, but budget cuts forced the OSS to terminate those services. “[This leaves] us to fend for ourselves or ask a sheriff who could be called into an emergency at any time, which happened to me,” she said. “My sheriff friend had to [tend to] a fight and I was left alone with-

out knowing the path.” One OSS staff member told the Collegian that disabled students who have trouble navigating campus can undergo mobility training through the Department of Rehabilitation. Student workers and other students assist those that need help, when they can. “The construction is a major concern,” said an OSS staff member. “We are doing as much as we can. The major problem is that our staff is short three people and we do not have as many student workers. We have a skeleton staff.” For a time, the sheriffs did assist students, but broken carts have reportedly put a stop to those services. “We keep fixing them and they keep breaking,” a Sheriffs Office employee said. “With the carts, we were offering escort services for disabled students to class out of courtesy for the OSS office. Currently, when we can, we offer courtesy escort services on foot.” Adding an Overcrowded Class Although enrollment has fallen at LACC, general education classes like English, math and science remain in high demand. “I don’t feel like there is any room for me here,” said Eric Nicolau, a pre-nursing student. “I continuously show up to overpopulated classes. In one class … there were 45 people on the roster and 65 people showed up wanting to add.” Information Gap for Transfer Units and Financial Aid “There is a lack of information available for students,” said Art Colwart, a radiologic technology student. After Colwart completed the requirements for the Drug and Alcohol Studies Certificate, he continued

his education and began taking radiology classes. “If I had known that the school was trying to push me out after 90 units, I may have chosen a different path,” he said. Colwart receives financial aid and depends on aid money to get his books. “I don’t receive financial aid until about two weeks after school starts,” he said. “It’s hard, because I have homework and I don’t have access to the book, so I am playing catch up for a few weeks.” He is not the only one having a hard time finding what he needs. Nicolau says he has visited the counseling, admissions, and department chairs and still cannot find help with his problem. “There is not one person who can answer my transfer questions,” Nicolau said. Nicolau transferred from Eastern Michigan University. He fulfilled two years at the university completing most of his general studies classes there. When he came to LACC, he says he was sure that his general studies units from EMU would transfer to LACC with no issue. “I went to each department chair at LACC, in order to get a petition signed to transfer my general studies units,” Nicolau said. “Each department signed my petition agreeing that the classes were equal and transferable.” Nicolau took his petitions to the admissions office and says he was told that it was unclear how the petitions would affect his coursework. “It’s been a disaster,” he said. Provided each College Council Committee presents actionable recommendations, students at LACC may have a voice to represent them. College Council meetings are held the first Monday of every month.

5

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6

SportS

Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, September 24, 2014

interCOLLeGiate SpOrtS CanCeLed in 2009

midaS toUCH

Photo By roCio FLoreS huarinGa/Collegian

L.A. Clippers fans cheer and show off the free T-shirts they received for being among the first 2,500 people to arrive at a rally at the Staples Center last August.

StEVE BallmEr USHErS in nEW Era For CliPPErS By kevin kinG anD JeSSiCa BreCker

Photo By roCio FLoreS huarinGa/Collegian

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer could not contain his excitement as he greeted fans at the Clippers Fan Festival at the Staples Center last month. “I love,” he said as the audience replied “Clippers!”

Nothing Soft About Ballmer’s Hard-core L.A. Clippers By kevin kinG Forgive me for using the words “great” and “awesome” half a dozen times, but that is the only way I can describe the vibe at the Clippers Fan Festival at the Staples Center last month. The festival was as much a celebration of Steve B a l l m e r ’s purchase of the team, for the paltry sum of $2 billion - as it was an exorcism of the retrograde, tightwad, plantation-like regime of Donald Sterling. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson entrance in a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) match. Thousands of jubilant fans rose to their feet as Doc Rivers and several Los Angeles Clippers introduced the team’s new owner. It really is a new day for the Clippers as they leave behind the damage done by their previous owner, Donald Sterling. Sterling’s racist comments made public earlier this year affected the NBA - a league with a majority of black players - dramatically. At a team meeting earlier this summer, both players and coaches expressed their anger toward the comments and briefly considered boycotting game four of their play-off series against Oakland’s Golden State Warriors, before deciding against it. Instead, players protested Sterling’s remarks by wearing their shirts inside out in order “to obscure any team logo” during their

pre-game huddle. Even President Barack Obama called the recording “incredibly offensive racist statements.” Chumash Casino, the Clippers’ most visible sponsor during the four seasons prior, ended its relationship with the team, as did Car Max and Virgin America. Other sponsors and advertisers suspended their relationships with the Clippers while monitoring the situation. It all boiled down to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver placing a $2.5 million fine on Sterling and banning him from all Clippers facilities. Ballmer’s purchase of the team closed on Aug. 12 and a week later, we have this refreshing festival. So what lies ahead for the team? I see a bright horizon. Coach Rivers just received a three-year extension on his contract and the team reinstated ties with its sponsors. Players are more likely to come to the Clippers now that Sterling is gone, and it does not hurt that Ballmer has $24 billion to play with. Back at the festival, Ballmer navigated through the jubilant crowd high-fiving, fist pumping and yelling, “Let’s go!” while waving his Clippers hat. “I can’t hear you!” he told the audience. “Do we have any Clipper fans here?” Undeniably, Ballmer wears his enthusiasm on his sleeve. The atmosphere was surreal and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Unlike Sterling, who is a racist and recluse, Ballmer is a people person and willing to bring class to the Clippers name. Thanks to him, the Clippers are no longer the laughing stock of the NBA. “I couldn’t be more honored, excited, or fired up to be here,” Ballmer told fans.

The air simmered with anticipation and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as over 4,500 long-suffering Clippers fans lined up at the Staples Center. It was the dawn of a new era. The Los Angeles Clippers regular season record for the last 30 years (1984-present) was 915 wins and 1,497 losses; a winning percentage of 42 percent. With those woeful records comes along the bitterness of nine seventh place Pacific West division finishes and five sixth place Pacific West division finishes. Combine those horrendous seasons with a Los Angeles Clippers futile post-season record of only 23 wins and 32 losses, and now you know the definition of long-suffering. However, a recent winning streak is hinting at a bright future for the team. In the 2013-2014 season, the Clippers were favored to win the NBA championship, since they had the third best record in the NBA and had just won their second consecutive Pacific West division title. Then, the scandal hit. While Donald Sterling had been accused of racism before, his comments about Magic Johnson were the last straw for fans and the NBA. For the most part, Clippers fans were happy to see Sterling go, and many say they are optimistic to see how former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer performs as the team’s new owner. “I think he can bring change to the team. I don’t know how much experience he has, but I think he can make it,” said Natalie Tatalan, a recent high school graduate who plans to attend Wellesley College in Boston this fall. Tatalan says she has been a fan since she was a kid, because she came to the games with her parents when tickets were cheap. Indeed tickets were cheap four or five years ago, before superstars

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin joined the team. Gone are the days of the $30 tickets. Currently prices start at $40 for the “nose bleed” seats, and go upwards of $240. The Clippers watched their fan base grow last season, and although Ballmer has zero experience as a NBA owner, he has shown his dedication to them team by quitting his position on the technology conglomerate. “Given my confidence and the multitude of new commitments I am taking on now, I think it would be impractical for me to continue to serve on the board, and it is best for me to move off,” Ballmer said in a public statement. “The fall will be hectic between teaching a new class and the start of the NBA season, so my departure from the board is effective immediately.” Ballmer had spent 34 years on the board. He said he bleeds Microsoft and always will. With his ingenuity, know-how, warmth, and intense drive, he knows what it takes to win. Inside the Staples Center was an ocean of red and blue, with fans clad in their favorite player’s jerseys, holding their breath and hoping Ballmer was everything they could want in an owner. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was the first to speak. “I know all L.A. fans will join me in putting the past behind us, and looking forward to a new and winning era for the Clippers,” Garcetti said. “I congratulate Steve Ballmer and look forward to working with him and the Clippers to make a positive impact on our city.” Finally the players: Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, Matt Barnes, Jordan Farmar, Jared Dudley, Reggie Bullock, C.J. Wilcox, and coach Doc Rivers arrived on stage. “Sometimes you have to go through a little adversity to become better, to come out the other side and be stronger,” power forward

2 Walked in, 1 Walked Out By Cheyenne FinCh After Baltimore Raven’s running back, Ray Rice and his then-fiancée Janay Palmer walked into an elevator at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City only one of them was able to walk out. According to broadcast reports, the couple is shown on video walking into the elevator in the middle of an argument. Palmer is screaming obscenities at Rice, according to published reports, Rice then slaps Palmer, and she responds by spitting in his face. Rice then punches her in the face, knocking her unconscious. As she fell to the floor, the elevator doors finally opened and he picked her up

by the shoulders and dragged her out. The NFL responded by suspending Rice for two games. However, when the full video showing the couple’s fight was released, the public outcry over the punishment doled out by the NFL was enough to compel the organization to suspend Rice indefinitely. Some people just want their favorite running back on the field again; ready to play in the next season. Others believe Palmer deserves justice for the physical abuse she endured that day. She does not agree. Janay Palmer (now Janay Rice) has adamantly spoken out in defense of her husband. “No one knows the pain that the media [and] unwanted [opinions] from the public have caused my family,” Janay Rice told her followers on Instagram. “THIS IS OUR LIFE! What don’t you all get?” Domestic violence is wrong. Ray

Power Forward Blake Griffin Blake Griffin said. “And that is what just happened, for me and for my teammates.” One fan, Margaret Collier, a City College alumn with salt and pepper hair, was more than happy to catch up with the Collegian. “I’m retired, me and my husband, so I couldn’t wait to come down and see the Clippers.” Collier said. “I’m happy for the new owner, but I am especially happy for [the Clippers] and the fans.” Mckayla Kimball’s favorite players, Blake Griffin and Jamal Crawford were just yards away. A criminal justice major at the University of Las Vegas, Kimball was finding it hard to sit down. She had flown from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for the sole purpose of supporting her team and her favorite players. “I’m very happy, Donald Sterling overstayed his welcome,” Kimball said. “I’m glad change is coming. It’s going to be a good season for us.” When Ballmer came out the crowd went wild, but Ballmer showed them up, matching their energy 200 percent. Ballmer was screaming at the top of his lungs as he hit the stage. “Hard core! Hard core! Boom! Keep coming, Hard core!” Ballmer said. “I can’t be more honored, excited, Rice should not have put his hands on his fiancé, and she should not have spit at him. The ‘Ray Rice Situation’ has inspired the creation of the #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft

or fired up to be here,” he told the audience. “We’re looking forward. Everything is about looking forward from this day on. We made lemonade out of lemons and still won 57 games last year!” The word going around town is Ballmer has that Midas touch — everything turns to gold. For many fans, meeting the new owner of the Clippers is a milestone event. The Clippers have one definitive fan who has suffered longer and supported louder than any other. Darrell Bailey, better known as Clipper Darrell, is a self-defined “super fan” of the Los Angeles Clippers. A season ticket holder since the 2000–01 season, he dances, leads cheers, and taunts the opposing team at home games while clad in a half red, half blue suit of his own design. “Let’s go Clippers,” he yells at the top of his lungs, whether they are winning, or losing. If they are losing he says he stays to the bitter end of each game, long after jaded fans emptied their seats. “U-G-L-Y, you ain’t got no alibi, you ugly!” he chants at opposing players while they try to shoot free throws. Indeed, the Clippers are now a classy organization from the fans to the team. “Last year was a good year. We won great,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers told the crowd. “We look at last year as the first step of going where we want to go.” Those sentiments echoed throughout the crowd when Ballmer and the Clipper fans kept chanting “Larry, Larry, Larry, Larry”, in reference to the Larry O’Brien Trophy that goes to the NBA champions. Why not the Clippers? Ballmer’s got that “hard-core” Midas touch.

hashtags on Twitter, which people use to tag their reasons for staying and leaving abusive relationships. If you are facing domestic abuse, call the Los Angeles County Hotline at (800) 978-3600.

ten States WithHiGHeSt hightestrate rateOF of Women by Men By Men MUrdered WOMenMurdered WitH 10 StateS

iLLuStration By BeatriCe aLCaLa GraPhiCWW By BeatriCe aLCaLa

1.Alaska 2.57 per 100,000 - 2.South Carolina 2.06 per 100,000 -3.Oklahoma 2.03 per 100,000 - 4.Louisiana 1.92 per 100,000 -5. Mississippi 1.89 per 100,000 -6.Nevada 1.83 per 100,000 -7.Missouri 1.73 per 100,000 -8.Arizona 1.70 per 100,000 -9.Georgia 1.66 per 100,000 -10 Tennessee1.60 per 100,000 *Source Violence Policy Center