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SMILE, UNCLE SAM SAYS CHEESE!
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Los Angeles
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Volume 172 Number 6
Living in an age in which the world is a stage.
The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929
NEWS BRIEFS
Former Math Professor Featured in L.A. Weekly
Forensics Team Accepting New Members
Classes Still Open for Summer Session More than 100 classes remain open for enrollment for the summer session. Registration for new students began May 8. Registration for high school students begins tomorrow, May 22.
Trying to Stay On Top in the Urban Jungle of Los Angeles The Sun Porch Gallery, a fiction narrative by LACC cinema major, P.Y. Wilkes, tells the story of the Sun Porch Hotel and the people who survive there. The book is available at peterzero25@yahoo.com, www. lulu.com, and Eso Won Books.
Auditions Open for 'Studio Hour' Students who have a passion for dancing are invited to audition for "Studio Hour" in the Women’s Gym Room 202 on May 23 at 6 p.m. and in Room 204 on May 28 at 4:30 p.m. Studio Hour will feature the works by LACC dance students on May 30.
Artists' Star Quality Showcased at Talent Show Comedians, musicians, dancers and singers performed in a talent show organized by the Associated Student Government and the LACC Programming Board. To view a video of the show, scan the QR code or follow the link below. youtu.be/ Z1VvLm_nGnE Subscribe to CollegianWired Compiled by Jessica Brecker, Rocio Flores Huaringa, Krystle Mitchell and Rashid Pineda
INDEX
Opinion and Editorial .......... 2-3 Campus Life ...................... 4-5 News .................................... 6 Scholarships ......................... 7 Sports ................................... 8 Features .......................... 9-10
Math Club Divides the Competition
For the fifth time since 2004, LACC students multiplied victory in math by bringing home a prestigious award from the American Mathematical Association of TwoYear Colleges.
Cristina Garcia was featured in L.A. Weekly’s People issue for her work fighting corruption in Bell and for currently serving in the California State Assembly. Garcia stopped teaching Math at LACC when she took office in Fall 2012.
Auditions are being held in the Communications Building Room 185 on May 29 for a position on the Forensics Team. Candidates will prepare two minutes of their best oral performance from any medium. Auditions will run from noon to 3 p.m.
PAGE 4
By Felicia Allen
End of an Era: City College’s 1930s Old Library
Bill Knudson /COLLEGIAN
Comes Tumbling Down
By Jessica Brecker Demolition finally began last week on the old MLK Library, a building whose majestic columns have been a fixture in the quad since it was built in 1936. Originally set to start in midMarch, the delay spared students
and faculty a semester of bulldozers and pounding. In addition to the building coming down, the scope of work includes the demolition of concrete, asphalt, irrigation system, lighting, benches, sod, shrubs, trees, root barriers, and more. A new Student Services Cen-
ter with brick similar to Da Vinci Hall, and a glass curtain wall that will let in lots of light, will go up in the old building’s place. According to the Los Angeles Community College November 2012 Building Program Monthly Progress Report, there will be “construction of a new three-story
Student Services Building on the footprint of the old MLK Library that will house administrative offices for the campus Admissions & Records, Assessments & Orientation, Business Office, Cub Card, Financial Aid, Student Assistance, and Transfer and Counseling functions.”
Foundation Awards Thousands in Scholarships and Grants
See Math Winners Page 6
Leaving a Legacy: Cherokee Williams died of cancer on March 8, 2014. Those who worked with her, remember her talent as a jazz saxophonist and scatter. Her daughter used money collected for William’s funeral to form a scholarship in her memory.
By Sean Kozma More than 200 students received scholarships and grants from the Los Angeles City College Foundation during a ceremony at the Camino Theatre on May 15. Established in 1968, the LACC Foundation exists to develop philanthropic support to help LACC students succeed. "It’s awesome,” said Jonathan Gibson, an LACC student who just completed his associate degree in paralegal studies and was awarded multiple scholarships at the ceremony. “At times, you have a tendency to get your head down. This lets you know that somebody besides you is paying attention to really encourage you, to go just a little bit further.” Gipson says he plans to transfer to either Cal State Northridge or Cal State L.A. and use his scholarship funds to pay off student loans. The Foundation, in conjunction with the Walt Disney Company, also awarded scholarships to several veterans attending LACC. First-time applicant, computer science major John Warren was among the recipients. "There were a lot of hurdles,” Warren said. “You had to fill out a lot of essays, get your picture taken, get copies of your transcripts and all that. But it was all worth it." Many of the recipients say they plan to transfer to four-year institutions. For some, like Charles Campbell, film and television major, the money will allow them to buy some new supplies. He says he is transferring to Central Michigan Univer-
Five-time winners of the most prestigious math award in the nation from the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, LACC’s Math Club dissolved the competition to come up with another first place win for the team recently. Math or engineering majors sometimes comb through the hallways of Franklin Hall, perusing the award cases and viewing all the plaques and certificates that the City College Math Club has received over the years. Directly across from classes, a professor affixed a handwritten results flyer to the math offices doors. Printers were down and anxious math students were gathering in anticipation. Professor Ronald Kendis pointed out the professor who helped guide the team to victory, Anatoliy Nikolaychuk. “Come see my student, he is the number two in the nation,” Nikolaychuk said of Vu Minh, who beat out the competition this year with
Lost but not Forgotten: Williams’ Legacy Lives on in Scholarship By Clinton Cameron
Bill Knudson /Collegian John Warren, computer science major, receives the Marvin Hoffman CSIT Scholarship from Debbie Thaw Valera, executive vice president of the National Notary Association. Warren was also awarded the Walt Disney Company Veterans Award and the LACCF Veterans Scholarship.
sity to pursue his master’s degree in film, and that he will be buying a new MacBook Pro with his scholarship money. "It’s very exciting," Campbell said. "I also earned a scholarship in Michigan to get my master’s in film. I’ll be leaving in a few weeks." While for others, the scholarships they earned will cover the costs of moving closer to the universities, like physics major, Melike Dewey, who says she is transferring to UC Davis. "I’ve already been accepted," she
said. "Now I can buy a ticket to Davis and cover moving costs." Not to be outdone, psychology major Chris King has some big plans for his scholarship. "I’m getting married in June," King said. "So, it’s probably going to go towards that." This year, the Foundation handed out more than $565,000 in scholarships, book awards, emergency loans, stipends and grants. The Foundation also provides funds to help faculty and programs at the school.
Three songs before the end of a Studio Jazz Band concert, Music Director Barbra Laronga took the stage to announce that tenor saxophonists Owen Flannagan had been selected as the recipient of the Cherokee Williams scholarship. This all came as a surprise to Flannagan, who says he knew nothing of the award. However, for Flannagan, it is not just about the award money, it is about honoring a fellow classmate who recently died. “I plan to use the money towards things for my saxophone,” Flannagan said, “By that I mean reeds, maybe a mouth piece or something along those lines. I think Cherokee would appreciate that.” For three out of the four semesters that he has been enrolled in the jazz band, Flannagan says he sat one seat to the left of Williams, who died of cancer earlier this year. He says her influence on him went beyond saxophone playing, and that she encouraged him to start scatting. “I would say that my playing has definitely been improved, because of her influence,” Flannagan said. “Playing with people who are that passionate is always a learning experience. My scatting still pales in comparison to Cherokee, but I try to
channel her when I do scat.” Her Scatting partner for jazz band concerts was Maria Osler, and together, they put their own signature on Duke Ellington’s American jazz classic “It Don’t Mean A Thing If it Ain’t Got That Swing.” “Working with Cherokee was so much fun,” Olsen said. “I worked with her up close and personal for the first time last semester when we had a scat off. Her humor and smile was always welcoming. She had to share the mic and trade scats. We would laugh because our timings were always off but we had fun so that's all that matters.” It was after attending the last jazz concert of the semester that Williams’ daughter; Lynea Wynese Williams decided to donate the money Laronga had raised for the funeral to a scholarship fund. Beverly Milner shared the stage with Williams on several occasions, and says she remembers how badly she felt when she had to go on without her. “I had to play alto all by myself, and I was mortified,” Milner said. “I do miss her. I will come back in the fall of 2014; it won’t be the same without her. She was a kind person and loved music. “I'm thankful to have met someone like her and will never forget her smile.”