PHOTO FOCUS LACC WEATHER FORECAST WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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SATURDAY
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SUNDAY
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“BLUE TEARS”
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Collegian See Page 6
Los Angeles
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 Volume 175 Number 6
NEWS BRIEFS
LOS ANGELES MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE WILL HIT $15 AN HOUR BY 2O2O Labor groups and allies were experience a significant victory in their fight to raise the minimum wage. The effect of the increase will be substantial in Los Angeles where half the labor force earns less than $15 per hour. Under the plan approved Tuesday, the minimum wage will rise over five years. THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS MAKES ITS LARGEST GIFT EVER TO LACC The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is pledging $2 million to Los Angeles City Colleges cinema and television department. The journalists organization gives out millions in grants annually. This grant was the largest they have given to date. The funds will be paid out over a period of years and will be used for scholarships, to upgrade the studio, post production and theatre facilities, which will be renamed the HFPA Center for Cinema and Television at LACC. ‘CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF’ TICKETS ON SALE The Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof,” will be performed in the Camino Theatre on Wednesday, May 20, at 7:15 p.m., Thursday, May 21, at 7:15 p.m., Friday, May 22, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 23, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Written by American playwright Tennessee Williams, “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof,” explores recurring motifs such as greed, superficiality, sexual desire, repression and death. Professor Al Rossi who stars in a lead role, is also the director. General admission is $14 and $10 for students, veterans and seniors. For ticket information, call 323-953-4000, ext. 2990. STUDENTS PREPARE FOR GRADUATION DAY LACC will conduct the 2015 Commencement Ceremony on Tuesday, June 9, at The Greek Theatre at 5 p.m. Two graduation rehearsal dates have been set for candidates to attend on Thursday, May 28, at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, June 3, at 11 p.m. Graduation candidates are invited to bring guests. To see the complete graduation list, visit http://bit.ly/1L2PNsi GUARDIAN SCHOLARS FOSTER KNOWLEDGE OF FOSTER YOUTH LACC’s Guardian Scholars Program is hosting an information and resource fair on Wednesday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Quad. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about becoming a foster parent, and the educational options available to foster youth. Compiled by Carlos Martinez
INDEX Opinion and Editorial ............................. 2 News ..................................3 Campus Life ...................... 4-5 Arts & Entertainment ......... 6 Photo Focus ....................... 8-9 Sports ................................. 10
The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929
Students Sleep
on Streets Homeless students are the unknown LACC statistic
Brightly colored tents line the sidewalk of North New Hampshire Boulevard on the east side of Los Angeles City College’s Student Union Building. Among the tent residents are students who currently attend LACC. Photo by Ande Richards By Jake Camarena She sleeps in a tent, among a row of them on North New Hampshire Boulevard just outside of the Student Union Building. Vickie says that a few nights ago, she smashed a man’s wrist with a wrench, after he slit the fabric on the side of her tent with a knife. While she was sleeping, the man tried to steal something from her tent. Vickie is an LACC student and her name is on three waiting lists to receive rent assistance from Section 8 housing, according to Vickie. She represents the unknown. How many Los Angeles City College students are homeless? At LACC, the amount of enrolled homeless students is unknown. The administration could not deliver any statistical data regarding the homeless student population.
Institutional Effectiveness, asked that their discussion with the Collegian be “off the record.” They did, however, convey condolences and an assurance that homeless students are just as important as students with a home. There are students who infer that their peers are living in poverty and that the administration should be better assisting them. Dawn Burns, president of the Anthropology Club teamed up with the Black Student Union, who initiated the LACC Homeless Student Awareness Project, to do something about the issue. “We are trying to get funding to provide care packages to the homeless,” Burns said. “We want and general supplies. The project is going to receive $200 in funds from ASG [Associated Student Government]. I still haven’t heard anything about receiving support from the foundation so I will address it
again.” The initiative has gained a has allocated resources and funds to assist the matter. According to ASG President David Allsop, any student with unmet needs can approach the “We represent all students,” Allsop said. “We are here to help and assist in any way we can. Today, we just approved an additional $200 for the [HSAP], for a total of $400. We found out that from the foundation so we decided to further assist the cause.” Shay, an LACC Psychology major who prefers to be addressed only as Shay, is a 3.5 grade point average student, according to Shay. She too, is the symbol of the LACC homeless student population. Outside the Administration Building Shay waits for her 12-year-old daughter to get out of school. She must tell her some
somber news. In nine days they must vacate their space at the homeless shelter, and they will be back on the street. “As of nine days from now I will be back on the street,” Shay said. “It’s kind of hard dealing with that, having my daughter go to school, me going to school, trying to maintain my grades, the homeless situation is kind of very hard right now.” Shay says she has worked for the majority of her life. She was making $46.00 an hour as an executive assistant when the economy crashed in 2008. After she lost her job, her marriage began to fail. Her apartment became too expensive and she had to start getting rid of things until she had nothing left, according to Shay. See page 3
Radio Gets its Groove Back Online By Ande Richards The romance with radio started in the 1920s and coincidentally so did the institution of Los Angeles City College, which marked its debut in this location in 1929. LACC provided not only basic education, but also the extra offervate university. Esteemed radio announcer Pete Arbogast, of USC and Dodger fame, started his career at LACC. “I learned everything technical here,” Arbogast said. “I learned how to do stuff. It’s so different now than it was then, because we were literally playing vinyl records on turntables. It’s like the dark ages, but if you can think of it in terms of learning, just learning how to do everything right.”
California Seeks Solutions to Water Drought By Tomas Rodriguez Gov. Jerry Brown delivered a statewide order to cut 25 percent of water use. It was no April Fools’ joke, but rather a harsh reality that requires new technologies and engineering methods to solve the problem. California’s population is high, but what happens when the government forces citizens to cut back on water usage? Last January, Gov. Brown declared the drought a state of emergency. “We can’t make it rain, but we can be much better prepared for the terrible consequences that California’s drought now threatens … I’ve declared this emergency and I’m calling all Californians to conserve water in every way possible,” Brown said in a statement. Along with declaring a state of emergency, Brown also proposed methods to alleviate the drought in cooperation with state and local governments. Government can do as much as possible to help with the drought, but residents of California are the ones who will really make a difference. See page 4
State Chancellor ‘Bullish’ on College Outlook By Tomas Rodriguez Dr. Brice W. Harris, the Chancellor for the California Community College Chancellor’s College on May 14, 2015, and toured the campus. Administrators hosted a “Chancellor’s Circle” luncheon to talk about California’s community colleges progress and challenges. LACC President Reneé D. Martinez led the campus tour, which highlighted the Communications Building and the newly renovated Clausen Hall. Student musicians performed during the visit, and the chancellor learned about the recent generous donation from The Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the LACC Cinema and Television department. College presidents, district chancellors, statewide leadership representatives, academic senate representatives and corporate See page 3
For example, in the area of broadcast communications LACC has had a history of campus-run radio, in one form or another, at one station or another. In the 1930s, 40s and 50s, there are notices in old Collegian newspapers about radio show productions showcasing classical music, dramatic productions, lectures and sports broadcasts featuring LACC football and basketball. These would air on local station KECA–FM. It has been a rocky road for cub two-year college with its own transmitter and call letters. Initial efforts came with a grant from radio station KHJ, which presented a 1,000-watt FM transmitter worth approximately $5,000 to the broadcasting department. The transmitter was formally accepted by the board of education in April 1962.
From left: Reporters Megan Maltby, Cheyenne Finch, Tomas Rodriguez and Kevin King tackle another episode of their radio show, “The Locker Room”. The show airs on live365.com, search lacollegianradio Photo by Frank Vidrio
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