Spring 2016 Week 7 Issue 212.07

UT

NIVERSITY IMES

May 09, 2016

www.csulauniversitytimes.com

C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S

Know your ASI Presidential Candidates before you vote

Issue 212.07

Photo by Timmy Truong

Clinton attempts to attract Latino voters with ELAC visit Yzzy Gonzalez Copy Editor | Photo by Matthew Gonzales

Nico Triunfante Editor-In-Chief

With a line of formally dressed students, a podium, and a DJ, the University-Student Union (USU) Plaza was home to Meet the Candidates, an event meant for Cal State LA students to meet the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) board candidates for the upcoming semester on Wednesday, May 4.

The event lasted from 3:15 P.M. to 4:15 P.M., however, that hour was bombarded with students who were unaware of the event’s existence.

“It would be very effective if people were aware of it because I personally had no idea this was going on until I walked in this Continues on page 3

general direction,” said junior Erin MacDonald.

A booth was fixated along the stage, which held an infinite amount of shirts, water bottles, and towels. Students were given a paper with seven lines that required candidate signatures. This meant to entice students to meet at least 7 candidates.

“Our students are becoming more informed about who’s running for the elections and they can also get some swag to help

INSIDE: LA ONDA:

SE ESTIMA QUE OCURRA UN TEMBLOR EN LOS ÁNGELES EN POCO TIEMPO

PG 10

promote the elections as well,” said Michael Maksymowski, Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Considering the ASI debate did not attract high attendance, Meet the Candidates was an opportunity for each candidate to express their goals in more depth. The three presidential candidates of the ASI elections include Samuel Garza, Kayla Thomas, and Jose Trinidad Castaneda III. Samuel Garza’s vision is to

EXOTIC LUCKMAN EXHIBIT

PG 8

Former Secretary of State and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton stopped by East Los Angeles College (ELAC) on Thursday, May 5 with the goal of rallying voters for the upcoming California primary.

The holiday of Cinco De Mayo was not forgotten by Clinton as she kept her speech focused on Latino issues including immigration, equal pay for women, and quality education. Maintaining Deffered Action of Childhood Arrivals (DOCA) and raising the minimum wage to $15 across America were among Clinton’s specific plans.

The front runner of the Demo-

SURGE TESTIMONIALS HOSTED BY DREAMERS

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cratic Party also took time to criticize Republican nominee Donald Trump, calling him a “loose canon.”

Clinton stressed the importance of recognizing the people that are “working hard to make a living,” and how standards needed to be changed in order to “treat anyone with kindness, respect, and love.”

Competitor Bernie Sanders was not addressed, though protesters rallied outside of the event. The protesters called for the support of Sanders and demanded that Clinton drop out of the race.

Before Clinton took the stage, the crowd was hyped up by ELAC President Marvin Martinez; Congresswoman Judy Chu; Congressman Xavier Becerra; LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis; California Senate President pro Tem Kevin De Leon; and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

With the California primary approaching on June 7 and 475 delegates up for grabs, Clinton will be turning her attention to the Golden State throughout the month.

Anonymous conceals Black Lives Matter display in protest Ricky Rodas Contributor

Last week the Pan-African Studies Department changed their Black Lives Matter display located on the 3rd floor of King Hall. The display now features a water fountain with a blue backdrop and maps in the background, alluding to the current water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

The previous display featured a hoodie-clad figure representing a black male, and was covered in multiple gunshot wounds.

The display educated students about police brutality in the United States and its negative impact on the black community, also providing statistics on the issue to strengthen its message.

On April 20, an anonymous

| Photo by Joseph Delgado

individual put up posters on the Black Lives Matter display.

Through the posters, they spoke out against the display, writing in all caps, “This needs to come down! It is a perpetuation of black victimhood ideology. I am sick of it and offended.”

| Photo by Pablo De La Hoya

They continued their statement by providing statistics, which were not substantiated by any evidence.

more black Americans murdered other blacks in two years than were lynched from 1882 to 1968.”

“For every one black person killed by police, there are 300 or so killed by other blacks,” the student wrote. “FACT 1. Over 1,400

They ended their statement demanding that the display be dismantled, writing again in all

caps, “quit fighting a ghost and fight the real enemy which is ourselves. Tear it down!!!”

The University Times contacted the Pan African Studies Department, but they could not be reached for a comment.

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University Times

May 09, 2016

Cross Cultural Center chooses education over Cinco de Mayo parties

NEWS

Seven New Expo Line stations to downtown Santa Monica

| Photo by Hannah Jacobsen

Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter

Brenda Prieto, Program Coordinator for the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Resource Center, explains why she won’t plan a party on Cinco de Mayo.

As Cinco de Mayo rolls in, many Americans prepare for a day of fun and drinking with colorful sombreros and handfuls of margaritas and beer. However, Brenda Prieto has kicked off her first Cinco de Mayo as Program Coordinator of the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Resource Center with a passive exhibit rather than a Mexico-themed party.

“I am finishing my first year as the program coordinator, and in the past there’s been little parties for Cinco de Mayo,” Prieto said. “I wasn’t interested because this allows the idea that Cinco de Mayo was just another party day, and that’s a concept I don’t believe in. I know what Cinco de Mayo really stands for, and I want our students to know it.”

While many in the United States believe that Cinco de Mayo corresponds with Mexico’s independence day (which is actually in September), this day in May actually honors The Battle of Puebla.

In 1862, Mexicans were suffering under French occupation.

This was a result of Napoleon III deciding to establish an empire in Mexican territory, following his invasion of the area in 1861 when the Mexican government defaulted on its foreign debt to multiple European countries. However, the Mexican people would not submit to this rule easily, and the time was marked by battle after battle against the French forces.

On May 5, 1862, a small force of a few thousand men were sent to Puebla to defend the small town against six thousand French troops. They were able to fortify

and defend the town, resulting in the French retreating by early evening with fewer than one hundred Mexicans killed in the day long battle.

“The significance of Cinco de Mayo is that it represents Mexican resistance to foreign intervention, it is a moment where Mexico as a young nation rallied to defend itself. The Battle of Puebla helped the country coalesce around the idea of a unified Mexican identity,” Raul Ramos, Associate Professor of HIstory at the University of Houston, told NBC news.

While this victory did not lead to a triumph in the overall war, many celebrate it as a battle which was fundamental for motivating a resistance movement that was able to kick France out of the country for good six years later.

“Even though they lost the war and won that little battle, it shows their determination and the empowerment that the soldiers brought home with them,” Prieto said. “So, this year I decided to do a passive exhibit so students could learn about the history of this time. I have three posters up, just to get people to start thinking about this small victory.”

Though this battle was important to Mexico’s history, the Cinco de Mayo that many of us know is truly an American holiday. The day is minimally celebrated in Mexico, but the celebrations in Los Angeles dwarf any held in Mexico. This has led to accusations the Cinco de Mayo has been commercialized, replacing an important piece of Mexican history and culture with an excuse to drink all day while wearing colorful clothing. Through her exhibit, Prieto hopes that students will stop and think about what the day really means to the history of their families, and to the history of our neighboring nation.

“I want people to take this passive exhibit seriously,” Prieto said. “This isn’t about what’s right and what’s wrong in celebrating this day, it’s about what you should know. One thing that the United States often doesn’t show is Mexican and Mexican-American history.”

Sarely Perez Contributor

Excitement presides over opening of expo line.

Metro CEO Phil Washington officially announced the opening date for Expo Phase 2, the 6.6mile extension of the Expo light rail line.

“Passengers will be able to ride a train to Santa Monica for the first time in more than half a century starting on Friday May 20,” Metro officials announced.

In April 2012, Expo’s first phase began operations between downtown L.A. and Culver City.

Phase 2 adds seven new stations: Palms, Westwood/Rancho Park, Sepulveda, Bundy, 26th Street/ Bergamot, 17th St./Santa Monica College, and downtown Santa Monica. As well as that, nearly 5 miles of parallel Expo bike path will open at the same time.

Cal State LA, which is known for being a commuter school, has many students excited about this news. Alexis Calderon commutes from West LA benefits from Expo Line Phase 1, but is excited about the latest phase because of its control over Los Angeles traffic.

“I feel that during that time of the year traffic tends to get a lot more hectic because everyone is on break or coming from other places to vacation in L.A.,” Calderon said. “I live 30 minutes away from Santa Monica but I feel like it can take longer because of traffic. With these new stations it’s only going to take me about 15 minutes to get there and I don’t even have to drive, which is the best part of all.”

Although there are some final tweaks to adjust to the new stations, there are those who cannot wait and are trying to get on the testing trains to Santa Monica.

Santa Monica City Council offi-

cials changed their minds and decided to put large fences because of the many incidents that have been occurring.

Students like Joan Campos wished that the Expo Line Phase 2 would have opened sooner. Campos drives from Santa Monica and she, like many other students will be graduating this spring.

“I have to leave my house an hour and a half early or sometimes even earlier because I don’t know how bad traffic is going to get,” Campos said. “I would have saved a lot of money from gas and a lot of headaches because of the traffic I have to go through every single day. I hope other students who are going through what I went through in my four years use this train to their advantage.”

Although many people are deciding to take other methods of transportation, such as the Expo Line train, studies from the USC’s Metrans Transportation Center Continues on page 3

| Photo Courtesy buildexpo.org

have shown that traffic in the 10 Freeway have not decreased.

There are those students who just simply can’t wait for the opening of the Expo Line Phase 2.

“I am thrilled about the seven new stations. I love going to Santa Monica, especially over the summer,” Elizabeth Arguilez said. “My sister and I like going out a lot during that time of the year to get away from the heat at home.”

The MTA has not released an official schedule for the Expo Line Phase 2.

3 NEWS

University Times

May 09, 2016

UN IIMVEESR S I T Y T

Editor-in-Chief Nico Triunfante

Journalism 391 TA Robert Ellsworth Distributors Jasmine Salgado Linda Ardian

Managing Editor Marrian Zhou Production Manager Taylor Preza

Tentative Agreement Approved by CFA

Staff Reporters Ani Nalbandian Hannah Jacobsen

Web Editor Pablo De La Hoya

Contributors Marina Andalon Hector Aguilar Joseph Delgado Julian Garcia Anthony Karambelas Mimi Li Janice Peregrina Sarely Perez Jacqueline Quiroz

Copy Editor Gerardo Amezquita Ricky Rodas Joseph Delgado Yzzy Gonzalez Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson

Photographers Joseph Delgado Pablo De La Hoya Matthew Gonzalez Hannah Jacobsen Timmy Truong

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News Assistant Dona Vernet

All opinions and letters in the University Times represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the UT or the university.

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Update from Issue 212.05: Golden Eagle Film Festival to be held on May 21st, 2016.

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Gerardo Amezquita Copy Editor

63 percent of CFA vote on agreement.

The California Faculty Association (CFA) approved the new Tentative Agreement on May 3 that was compromised by the CFA and California State University (CSU) days before the 23-campus wide planned strike, a CFA email confirmed.

ASI

Continued from cover

unify the University by first establishing an attraction to the Pit located in the basement of the U-SU. Additionally, he recognizes the growing pains that the University suffers, including the quarter to semester conversion and the ASI funds being poorly allocated across organizations and events.

“I’m the only student who sits on the finance committee that didn’t vote for [the Ben Shapiro] event to happen,” Garza said. “Because what we have is a finance committee of students who were just so checked out that they seem to pass every finance request.”

Kayla Thomas’ goal is to build awareness across campus. She explained that one source of school spirit derives from athletics, where the University is suffering in attendance.

“If there’s an event with athletics that we’re going out there – if that means face painted, if that means making sure we’re going through class rooms saying ‘hey guys come to our event’ – then that’s what that means. We have

Through a week-long online voting process, results demonstrated 97 percent of faculty voted in approval of the Tentative Agreement, which includes an across the board 5 percent General Salary Increase (GSI) beginning June 30, a 2 percent GSI on July 1, and then a 3.5 percent GSI in July 2017.

In addition, there will be a 2.65 percent Service Salary Increase for eligible faculty and a 1.5 per-

to strategize to build awareness,” Thomas said. She hopes that, if elected, she can organize a cohesive voice between all University clubs and organizations.

“If time permits I would try to organize the leaders on campus, different leaders, different clubs, different orgs, and get their analysis on what our next plan of action is,” Thomas said in regards to an event similar to the arrival of Ben Shapiro. “I can’t do it alone, so I’m going to need the collective ideas and thoughts of leaders so that we organize and take the proper steps.”

As the President/Founder of the Association of Integrated Research and Education, Jose Trinidad Castaneda III explains that his first plan of action as ASI President would involve climate change.

“We’re living in a time where we have reached the 400 parts per million limits for carbon secretion in the atmosphere,” Castaneda said. “We are on a path of a 2 degree centigrade increase in global average temperature, and what we really need to start building and focusing now is how are we going to sustain ourselves for the next rest of the century especially when our generation comes

cent increase in the minimum promotion of tenured faculty.

The voting process took place April 22 to 29, where an estimated 63 percent of CFA members casted their ballots.

The ratification of the Tentative Agreement by the CFA will now go up to CSU Board of Trustees on May 24-25 for approval.

CFA Secretary Molly Talcott was reached for comment.

into power.”

Castaneda explains how his experience from other outlets can direct him to achieving climate change.

“ASI has the capacity to host many events and bring all the students and organizations to come together,” Castaneda said. “We haven’t seen that just yet, but if you recall on February 25 when Ben Shapiro came to campus, me as well as a few other students were on stage speaking to a crowd of 2000 or so students and addressing them directly. What we were doing were actually talking to the students in a much larger way than ASI has ever done because we were at the frontline of these issue in regards to diversity, race and social justice.”

Each candidate presented information for their qualifications as ASI President, but it comes down to Cal State LA students to vote for the individual who they believe will make a change for the better.

Students are able to vote from Monday, May 9 to Wednesday, May 11. An election announcement mixer will be held on Thursday, May 12 at 4:30 P.M. at the U-SU Plaza.

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University Times

May 09, 2016

NEWS

NodeXL accelerates social network advancements Marina Andalon

has become a virtual landscape.

Contributor

According to Smith, six crowd types, specifically to Twitter, are divided, unified, fragmented, clustered, and inward and outward hub and spoke structures. All these groups use different hash tags, and keywords making their network community distinguished.

Cal State LA network workshop dives into modern technology.

The Anthropology department hosted a workshop on social media network maps and reporting in the University-Student Union (U-SU) Theatre on Wednesday, May 4, featuring sociologist Marc Smith.

Smith specializes in the social organization of online communities and computer mediated interactions, who creates tools to generate and host open data related to social media.

As a part of the Social Media Research Foundation, Smith brings information to students and faculty about their Network Overview Discovery and Exploration for Excel (NodeXL) program. This project is

Photo Courtesy Hawksey.info

described as an extended version of Excel, which can collect, analyze and visualize complex social networks.

“NodeXL is instagram for graphs, and the main goal of this program is to get to the end point and to be able to tell a story with graphs,” Smith said.

The Force Awakens at the University Student Union

Photo by Joseph Delgado

Joseph Delgado Contributor

University celebrates May 4 with Star Wars screening.

“May the Force be with you” is a common saying among fans of the popular film series Star Wars, and May 4 is the official holiday for fans of the series with the slogan “May the Fourth be with you – Star Wars Day”.

Cal State LA celebrated May 4 with a full-fledged event for students and fans of the film series by offering a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as many other festivities at the Student Union Plaza that Wednesday evening.

“I know that students love Star Wars,” says Ana Laura, Senior Organizational Communications major. “I did it for the students because I know there’s a lot of students that really love Star Wars.”

Laura really enjoys all of the Star Wars films, The Force Awakens being her favorite of the series. She organized the event to commemorate the film series with many activities offered before the movie screening to attendees.

One of these activities was crafting finger puppets of famous Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Yoda, and Princess Leia. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) gave vouchers to The Lobos food truck for the first 50-65 people

and served popcorn for moviegoers to enjoy. Attendees were also allowed to come dressed as their favorite characters from the films and were able to participate in a costume contest.

“You need a pilot. I need a pilot,” said Ronald Alix, senior Accounting major.

Alix dressed as Finn because he’s a fan of Storm Troopers and really admires how Finn transitions into one of the members of the Resistance by acquiring Poe’s jacket.

Ronald also entered the costume contest wielding Luke Skywalker’s blue lightsaber to add the finishing touch on his Finn costume. He won one of the illuminating lightsabers as a prize for participants who placed in the top 3. Taking first place was a boy dressed as Kylo Ren that not only won an illuminating lightsaber but also Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-Ray. Before playing Episode VII on the big screen, CSI played a short fan film titled Star Wars: The Path of Freedom that was written, produced, and directed by David Shipko, an English Graduate student at Cal State LA. The fan film demonstrated striking visual effects, choreography, and story inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Once The Force Awakens started, the audience cheered throughout the film when significant characters or events appeared on screen. One of these moments was when Han Solo and Chewbacca enter the Millennium Falcon saying the famous line, “Chewy, we’re home.”

Students and faculty attended the workshop in hopes of learning and understanding the basics of this program and what others have accomplish with NodeXL. “I am glad I went, I am really excited to get my feet wet with this program and can’t wait to see what my data will look like virtually,” said Emma Juarez, junior majoring in Anthropology who attended the workshop. “Smith was great, he made learning about this fun and interactive.”

Crowds matter and are the core phenomena of social science. Studying this is all about collective action and people talking to others about certain issues and topics.

Now in this generation it is all about who you tweet, who you follow, and how many times you hit the like button. The crowd

“As a freshmen I am mainly working on my GE’s and heard about this workshop and figured I could learn something,” said freshman Justin Arroyo. “Smith made it interesting to piece together simple tweets and online conversation and make it into a virtual masterpiece. “ So why should more people use NodeXL? NodeXL allows you to enter a network, collect data and list it in Excel. Giving you advanced and accurate numbers and gives you insight about social media and what everyone is viewing and talking about.

Smith suggest getting your hands on this program, it will definitely help you in regards to business and tracking information and data.

“It is not too complicated, two hours into it you will get the hang of it and be able to see what kind of network is around you, virtually.”

5 NEWS

University Times

May 09, 2016

Newfound home for furry friends Hector Aguilar Julian Garcia

There were also a number of stressed out students who were able to get their minds off midterms by making new four legged friends. Tony Zamora, junior TVFM major, appreciated being able to interact with the animals.

Contributors

Ruff days of shelter animals come to close at Pet Adoption Fair.

Cal State LA held an open pet adoption by the main walkway near the gym and campus bookstore on Wednesday, May 4. The Educational Participation in the Communities (EPIC) and the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center (BPACC) brought upwards of 20 animals including; dogs, cats and rabbits.

BPACC volunteer Lor Fogle had a 5 month German Shepherd mix Cooper on a leash to show to potential parents.

“Adopting an animal like Cooper here really saves two animals,” said Fogle. “When someone adopts an animal they save one animal by bringing home with them and that opens up a space in our shelter to give an animal to be adopted.”

“I wasn’t really looking to adopt a pet or anything but it was nice to like, be able to play with the dogs and stuff,” Zamora said.

Photo by Hector Aguilar

Along with the BPACC, members from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) where on campus to help spread the word on animal adoption and care.

“As most people may know it’s kitty season,” said ASPCA member Tina Reddington. “Along with helping the Baldwin Park Center here, we are also looking for volunteers to be foster parents to kittens for 2 to 4 weeks until they are ready to be adopted.”

As with many large cities, Los Angeles has had a population

control problem with animals in recent years. Luckily, the number of animals being adopted have been trending upwards, while the number of those euthanized have been falling in recent years.

According to the Los Angeles Woof Stat Report, the number of animals being adopted has risen 3 percent, while the euthanasia rate has gone down by an encouraging 23 percent.

The adoption fair turned out to be a success, as 12 of the 16 animals brought were able to find homes. Animals like Chubs, the spunky brown/white beagle who

was eager to meet people in the puppy pit, were able to find new loving homes to go to.

Unfortunately, a few of the dogs brought were unable to find homes because of their unexpected aggressiveness towards each other. However, volunteers assured visitors that this was out of character for shelter dogs.

“It’s a stressful situation for them. Living in the shelter already puts a lot of stress on the animals and events like these add to it. That’s why you’ll sometimes get situations like these, but it’s very rare,” said a volunteer.

Although it’s great that most of the animals were able to find new homes, the main goal of the vent seemed to be able educate and inform attendees. They not only wanted to raise awareness of homeless animals but also how to be a responsible pet owner said Jenny Hicks, director of First Year Experience.

“We also wanted to raise awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering your pets.

Just to increase of our awareness of the animals of our community as a whole," said Hicks, who was helping out with the event.

If you’re interested in volunteering, donating, or adopting, you can find all information you need to get started at ASPCA.org.

6

University Times

May 09, 2016

NEWS

Cruz and Kasich drop out of presidential race Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter

Trump remains as lone Republican nominee.

After a major defeat in the Indiana Primary last Tuesday, Ted Cruz has announced the end of his presidential campaign.

“We left it all on the field, Indiana, we gave it everything we’ve got. But the voters chose another path,” Cruz said in his concession speech on Tuesday night.

Cruz’s campaign has strained in the past few weeks as Trump surpassed him again and again.

He attempted multiple avenues to bring his popularity back up, including announcing former candidate Carly Fiorina as his running mate and attempting to team up with fellow candidate John Kasich.

Even these desperate last-ditch moves had little effect, leaving his campaign doomed as Trump racked up the votes in Indiana.

Cruz was left to announce to his audience on Tuesday night that “voters chose another path.”

Cruz declined to say whether he would support Trump as the nominee, though he spent the last few days in his campaign speaking strongly against him.

“Lucifer may be the only person Donald Trump could beat in a general election,” he told CBS. Cruz’s announcement followed a tweeted demand by Trump’s campaign that “Lyin’ Ted” admit defeat. When Ohio governor John Kasich, a minor remaining contender in the campaign for the Republican presidential nominee, also dropped out of the race last Wednesday afternoon, Donald Trump was left with a clear path to nomination.

After the double dropout, Trump has informed multiple news networks that he will begin focusing on the general election.

He plans to unite the Republican party behind his campaign and select his Vice Presidential candidate.

“Now I’m going to be focused on Hillary and you’ll be dealing with me and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said to TIME after hearing that Kasich dropped out.

“I think we have a very strong case against Hillary. As far as the Republican Party coming together, it will, maybe not one hundred percent, but it’ll come together ninety-nine percent and the one percent I don’t want and it won’t have any impact.”

Though Bernie Sanders won the primary in Indiana and is now looking onward to a large base of support in California, the solidifying idea of a Trump presidency has spurred a Twitter war among voters who feel that they will face the choice between Clinton and Trump. This has led to the formation of “Never Trump” and “Never Clinton” camps, where the Republican party is fracturing over who to vote against rather than who to vote for.

Erick Erickson, a conservative blogger and leader of the #Never Trump movement, announced Wednesday that the group is considering a third party candidate to oppose both the Republican and

| Photo Courtesy Scott Olson, Getty Images

Democratic candidate in the presidential general election.

“Donald Trump cannot consolidate the Republican base and many Republicans cannot accept Hillary Clinton,” Erickson said.

“If the delegates ratify this madness in Cleveland, many of us will look elsewhere for a credible candidate to oppose both Trump and Clinton.”

Another group of both conservative and liberal voters have gone to social media to claim that this credible third candidate is Sanders, the remaining democratic candidate who many mainstream news networks have conveniently forgotten in the Trump vs. Clinton narrative. This Bernie possibility was written out by political commentator Robert Reich, who discussed what it would take on his facebook page last Tuesday.

“The role of independents and typical non-votes could be significant this year, given that the front runners in both parties are viewed unfavorably by more Americans than any front runners have ever been viewed at this point in presidential nominating contests. Trump is viewed unfavorably by 65 percent; Hillary Clinton is viewed unfavorably by 55 percent,” Reich wrote. “So if Bernie can pull off the almost impossible and win California and the other remaining primaries by large margins, he could well beat Trump and become the next president of the United States.”

With videos spreading of Republicans burning their voting cards and changing their political affiliation in defiance against Trump, American voters must wait at the edge of their seats to see how the remaining primaries may be changed by conservative dissenters and typical non-voters.

7 NEWS

University Times

May 09, 2016

Stepping out of the shadows to have voices heard Marcela Valdivia Contributor

SURGE presents testimonials of Dreamers in the United States.

SURGE (Students United to Reach Goals in Education) celebrated their ten year anniversary on Tuesday, May 3 with a presentation of Stepping Out of the Shadows: Dreamers Voices, where students and faculty had the opportunity to share their testimonials about their journey of struggles and achievements as dreamers in the United States.

Lizeth Avila, President of SURGE, mentioned that the purpose of this event was to “Encourage the participants to share their struggles with the current political climate on immigration” says Avila. “Whether as an ally to the movement, being a member of a mixed status family, or, most importantly, being directly affected by these policies as an undocumented student or community member.”

Luz Borjon, Coordinator of the Dreamers Resource Center, highlighted how SURGE was born in 2006 in struggle for social justice and has continued to fight for their goals. During this time, immigrants strongly began to advocate for their rights and communities in order to see more equality. Borjon admires all those students that graduated before the Dream Act passed and overcame countless challenges in search of a higher educational degree.

“I’m just really lucky to have this job and I am honored to support the work of SURGE,” said Borjon.

“Undocumented students, and allies who have been in this movement that have flipped the script in this country.”

Steve Teixeira, coordinator for the Veterans Center and advisor, explained the importance of service and struggle. SURGE members do the service of raising money from bake sales in order to pay for their college tuition, but they also experience the struggle of pressuring legislatures and raising awareness

to the president and vice president of universities. It is important to confront the struggles as an activist because only doing service will cause vulnerability. With the constant struggles SURGE has encountered they were able to raise money for the Dreamers Center on campus.

the United States. As a result, his other five siblings made their way to the United States one by one because it was extremely expensive.

However, Professor Covarrubias sees himself as an undocumented person because he lived in a neighborhood that the whole community referred to as “Little TJ.”

Jenny Erika, Advisement Center counselor, shared her story about coming to the United States for a better life with her parents when she was only two years old. Like any other kid she started attending school, but in 1994 there was a turning point in her educational career.

Proposition 187 emerged and denied any public service to any person who did not have any type of documentation. As a result, she did not go to school for two weeks because there was an immense fear from her parents that she could get deported because any teacher or staff member had to report students that did not have any documentation. However, copious walkouts started in schools and in Downtown Los Angeles protesting Proposition 187, and the law was eventually stopped.

Professor Covarrubias has been teaching at Cal State LA since 2007 and has seen a variety of movements start in communities over the course of years. He finds it interesting how people have engaged in these types of politics and mobilize others to campaign for their rights.

“We are definitely grateful for all of the current laws that are in place, but we are also hoping that we are able to turn that around and bring immigration reform for everyone because everyone who is here and a law abiding citizen deserves the right to enjoy everything that the American Dream has to offer,” Erika said.

Brenda Aguilar, Student Employment Coordinator for the Career Center, was born in Jalisco, Mexico and arrived to the United States with her parents at age six.

She grew up in Los Angeles not knowing she was undocumented until senior year of high school.

She applied to several universities and a month before graduated she received her Permanent Resident Card. Her dream of attending college came true and now she is a Cal State LA alumni. Aguilar graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Sociology and a Masters degree in Counseling in 2014.

Alejandro Covarrubias, Chicano Studies professor, comes from a mixed status family that migrated from Jalisco, Mexico in the seventies and was the only child born in

“This is about power, all of these movements are about recognition of our dignity and recognition of who we are,” Covarrubias said.

“My dream is one of anti-whiteness, anti-patriarchy, anti-heteronormativity, and anti-nativism and I appreciate those who started this movement in Cal State LA.” Jovanny Benitez, Historian for SURGE, was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and one day at the age of seven years old he woke up in Tijuana, Baja California with his family in search of more opportunities in the United States. He flew to California with a fake passport and social security without knowing how this action would affect his life.

When he was a senior in high school he applied for a film internship; however, he could not complete the page that asked for his social security. When it was time for someone to revise the application he lived in fear that he would get deported to Mexico for not having a social security. This was his firsthand experience about how difficult it was to be an undocumented person in the United States and one of the many challenges he would have to face throughout his educational career.

Israel Vargas, Campus Affairs for SURGE, is a proud undocumented student who decided to leave his family and migrate to the United States when he was fourteen years old. He walked for seven days and six nights to cross the border alone under horrible weather conditions.

Once he came to California he started high school and had to learn English and started working mul-

| Photo Courtesy SURGE Facebook

tiple jobs in order to support himself. While being in high school, he luckily had someone to guide him in applying for colleges in order to attend a four-year university.

“I have a dream to have a better future, work hard, especially to educate myself, and empower those around me to fight the corrupt system that those policy makers have created for us as barriers,” Vargas said.

Jose Ramon, a student from another college campus, came to the United States for a better life and escape the domestic violence in Jalisco, Mexico. He shared how in ninth grade a teacher told the class that there was no reason illegal immigrants should be in the United States because they cannot do anything with their lives here. The teacher continued saying that by the time an illegal immigrant graduated from high school they would have devoured up to a million dollars in taxpayers money. After hearing those harsh words, he did not want to do anything with his life and got bad grades. Nevertheless, he devoted himself to school in order to outweigh the odds. Ramon graduated despite the barriers and currently attends El Camino Community Colleges as a History major.

Jose Guevara, Peer Advisor for the Dreamers Resource Center, is from El Salvador and at the age of ten he came to the United States to live with his parents. He felt a lot anger towards his parents for bringing him to the United States where he thought he did not have any opportunities. However, when he was diagnosed with leukemia he was grateful to be in the United States because the country had extraordinary treatments for patients that allowed him to survive cancer three times. Deep down he knew he was in a better place because he escaped a country of crime and violence.

Jonathan Solorzano, CSULA alumni, was born in Long Beach and lived in fear of being separated from his undocumented parents.

Unfortunately in 2008, his dad was deported to Mexico and prior to that was in a detention center for five years. In result of the crucial separation, he was inspired to become part of the movement and contribute as an ally with SURGE. Luis Hernandez, member for SURGE, was born in Guerrero,

Mexico and when he was six years old his family migrated to the United States. His family moved to South Los Angeles, where he had to adapt to a new language, environment, and friends. When he applied for a job he had all the experience necessary, but did not get the hired because he did not have proper documentation. Nevertheless, this did not bring him down, but encouraged him to work harder and fight for change.

“All my life I have been a fighter and a lot of things have put me down, but the thing about me is that I always get up it doesn’t matter what it is because I have a lot of things to lose if I go down like my family, people, and community,” Hernandez said.

SURGE president, Lizeth Avila, is extremely proud of the outcome of the event as audience members commented on the intimacy and energy from the speakers that contributed to the success of this event.

“Audience members walked away with knowledge on how to get involved with this issue that affects us all, and more importantly, the knowledge that this is a real issue with real consequences that will continue to happen every day unless the U.S Government acts in favor of supporting all people in this country, regardless of their immigration status,” Avila said.

The president of SURGE and SURGE members will continue to fulfill their mission statement and construct an environment for Undocumented/AB-540/Dreamer students to reach their educational endeavors.

“We hope to reach out to the Cal State LA community who may find themselves in similar struggles, but feel like they do not have anybody to share this secret with,” Avila said. “We want them to understand that they are not alone, and that their legal status will not stop them from achieving their goals and dreams, not while SURGE at Cal State LA continues to provide support and resources to those in need.”

To become a member and more involved with SURGE join their meetings every Thursday from 3:15 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Dreamers Resource Center in the Student Affair 214.

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May 09, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS

Four clowns, one stage Anthony Karambelas Contributor

David Bridel tours Lunatics and Actors.

This was certainly the intent of the director, Jeremy Aluma, who wanted to explore what it means to be “authentic” as an actor. Noticing prominent film stars who took their roles very far – like Heath Ledger as the Joker – Aluma wanted to answer the questions, “How far is okay? When does it stop becoming acting and start becoming a psychosis?

When you live very truthfully are you still acting or are you tapping into a different part of your brain and becoming something?”

One fateful night in downtown Los Angeles, an unsuspecting live theater audience of eighty is about to meet their wit’s end.

Regardless of background, each member leaves the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles a changed person.

It’s show time. The lights dim and the cheerful chatter of the audience subsides; the spectators do not know it yet, but there is nothing they can do to prepare themselves for the hidden menace backstage. The actors are already at places...or shall we say, the Lunatics and the actors.

Written by David Bridel and put on by the nationally touring clown troupe Four Clowns, the play Lunatics and Actors is set in a 19th century Parisian clinic, where an unsettling field of scientific study is being pioneered. Based on the historical experiments of French neurologist, Duchenne de Boulogne, Lunatics offers a peek at one of Dr. Duchenne’s scientific demonstrations involving electrophysiology, in which he seeks to substantiate the chilling declaration, “I can make anyone feel anything.”

dience member Madison Dunn.

“I learned that you couldn’t force emotion out of people. That even though inspiration doesn’t come automatically, the beauty of it is that’s how we are and that’s how we’re made.”

The charismatic director Aluma noted that he’ll be heading to Chicago shortly to pursue an MFA, and will therefore have to discontinue his work with Four Clowns. | Photos by Anthony Karambelas

Dr. Duchenne (Jack Walker-Pearson) infuses emotion by means of electric shock into three of his unfeeling test subjects or lunatics, Bon-Bon (Tyler Bremer), Pepe (Andrew Eldredge), and Fifi (Alexis Jones).

Lunatics involve extensive audience participation, inviting members onstage at one point to be prospective test subjects. The play takes a turn when planted cast member, Kevin Klein (as

himself), is chosen to participate in Dr. Duchenne’s experiment as a seemingly unknowing test subject. By the end of the play, the previously lighthearted Kevin Klein becomes a psychotic lunatic himself, giving the play a dark and somewhat sinister aura.

While Lunatics thrills the audience, its underlying message goes much deeper. “[Lunatics] was very exciting, frightful, and yet deeply meaningful,” said au-

After the April 29 world premiere of the production, actor Alexis Jones and Tyler Bremer offered their perspective on the production.

Jones stated that she quit graduate school at Long Beach State to become a clown at The Clown School, because she felt it offered a rewarding type of “struggle.”

On her role in Lunatics, Jones commented how her character is “nervous and luckily, so am I. People always say, ‘the more you

act, it get’s easier.’ It doesn’t for me.”

For Jones, being in character is a lot about acting to her fullest “within the confines of [her] character.” Bremer also felt the same way, jesting how he works “with the frame of mind of a guy who’s been fried one too many times.”

About his artistic process, Bremer added that performing in Lunatics involved a lot of “stripping away.” Or in other words, simplifying his acting technique to adopt a more sluggish demeanor, which his role in the play demanded.

“It’s like a record-skipping. So if I heard a sound [my] attention would go there, and then lapse there,” Bremer said. “I look at Duchenne, I would lapse there, and then come back not knowing where I was.”

In the end, the main goal of Lunatics and Actors was to spur discussion about the emotional authenticity of an actor and what “authenticity” even means. The Four Clowns company certainly accomplished their mission.

“Yeah, I have my own opinions, but I’m more interested in what other people think about what is real and what is okay,” director Aluma said.

What is the line between acting and lunacy? Find out for yourself by going to www.fourclowns.org for tickets and further details.

The Long-Lasting Intimacy of Strangers

At the center is a three piece set from Ai Hasegawa consisting of a poster entitled Dilemma Chart that all attendees can take home, a sculpture entitled Dolphuman Placenta Cross Section Model, which shows a dolphin in a womb, and finally a 2-minute movie I wanna deliver a dolphin where the artist actually gives birth to a dolphin.

Julian Garcia Contributor

Luckman holds avantgarde exhibit until May 21.

The Luckman Fine Arts Complex has become home to some of the premium art exhibits since its opening in 1994. This commitment to bringing the some of the best art continued on March 26 with the opening of The Long-Lasting Intimacy of Strangers.

This group exhibit features several artists from around the world and from different backgrounds.

Some of the artists include Christina Agapakis, Mehraneh Atashi, Ai Hasegawa and more. Each artist explores the concept that “engages principles of co-evolution”.

| Photo Courtesy Luckman Theater

“Looking at nature and the social meanings we make around origins and inter-species interactions, the works in the exhibition bring out the fantastical dormant within the seemingly ordinary objects that surround us: stones, plants, animals and bacteria,” an

excerpt on the exhibit read.

“The artists in the exhibition probe our ideas around animacy, collaborating with monstrous rocks, extinct flowers, and alchemical microbes”.

several different pieces that are comprised of different styles of art. Christina Agapakis’ Lost Scent is comprised of scent, DNA in a wallpaper of vaginal flowers. Bruce Bickford’s Prometheus’s Garden is a 28 The Long-Lasting Inti- minute Claymation movie. macy of Strangers features

“I like this exhibit because none of them are safe,” said Marco Rios, Luckman Fine Art’s Exhibition programmer. “Art is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and the pieces that Candice Lin has chosen have made people feel uncomfortable and have mesmerized, like the piece by Bruce Bickford.”

The exhibit is a free event, and ends on May 21.

May 09, 2016

9 ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS University Times

Undocumented and human Dream turned out to be a flawed at best. Still, his mother cared more about being with her family than any financial problems they faced, and still appreciates living in America despite everything.

Janice Peregrina Contributor

Seth Ronquillo tells story of struggles of immigration in America.

Many of the other activist students shared stories about their personal experiences of discovering their undocumentation. Three of the students on the board all found out through the problems that came up from college and college-related applications.

Independent Visions, the long-running film event on campus, went for a change of pace last Thursday, May 5. The event was US – The American Dream From an Undocumented Immigrant Family, and instead of following the standard structure of showing a full-length film, the event was centered around a short eleven minute documentary, with the rest of the time dedicated to an in-depth Q&A session with a group of four young activists that fight for the rights of immigrant peoples.

Ivette Ocampo, Santa Monica College student and activist, had a different story.

The documentary, simply named “US,” told the story of Seth Ronquillo, one of the activists and an immigrant from the Philippines.

Ronquillo, his two brothers, and his mother and father left the Philippines for work reasons. The events that followed were personal, emotional, and gave a real life look into the struggles people go through to live in America.

ries, even when I was little,” Ronquillo said when asked about why he wanted to make the documentary. “I feel like a lot of the narrative that was being given out about the immigrant community was that of young undocumented students who are trying to succeed and be part of America.”

“I’ve always wanted to tell sto-

Key points of the documentary

| Photo Courtesy Tumblr

showcased the length of the process it takes to become an American citizen. Ronquillo’s mother turned in paperwork only to accrue more and more hidden fees attached. Eventually, the costs of lawyers and the time it took to try overwhelmed Ronquillo’s family. The cost of living in America was much higher than the cost of living in the Philippines, and the idea of the American

“I knew I was undocumented since I was little, because my parents always let me know, ‘no tienes papeles,’ meaning ‘you don’t have papers’ at a young age,” Ocampo said. “I think that was one of the main reasons why I matured quicker than I had too because I already knew I had a lot of responsibilities.”

Today’s political environment, especially with the upcoming election, has a deep connection to the concerns of undocumented immigrants. Kit Lee, a Korean Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student, talked about how coming into her activist organizing

work exposed her to the spectrum of people that see immigrants in a negative light.

“There always have been xenophobic racists and people in power, and nothing has changed,” Lee said.

“I think I’m maybe in that aloof state.”

Seth Ronquillo talked about a conversation he had with his mother regarding the possibility of a Trump presidency.

“Our parents sacrificed all of this only to witness what might be a Trump presidency. She gambled all of this only to get thorns in return. Yet my mom always tells me, in comparison to the Philippines, America is still such a great country. There’s still this hope. I feel that it’s so interesting that you can still say this about the U.S. in spite of the fact that’s it’s given you so much pain in return.”

The reasons why people leave their home countries for America vary extensively. While the opinions on what sort of policies should or should not be implemented for undocumented people differ among groups, the truth is that undocumented immigrants are still people, and changes should not be made lightly.

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May 09, 2016

INFORMATIVA LOCAL

Previenen a Los Ángeles de una catástrofe Un terremoto puede golpear al Sur de California en cualquier momento Por Jessica Magaña

NACIONAL

Los elefantes de Ringling Bro’s hacen una reverencia final después de 145 años No se usarán más animales en ese circo

Por Clare Frye Los elefantes asiáticos, famosos por su participación en el circo, aparecieron por última vez en el Ringling Bro’s y Barnum & Bailey Circus el domingo primero de mayo en Pennsylvania y Rhode Island. Esa fue su despedida de los escenarios.

Se retiraron antes de lo que originalmente estaba planeado por los empresarios, reflejando la creciente y positiva actitud de los estadounidenses sobre el uso de animales con fines de

entretenimiento. Hoy en día, por lo menos 17 países han prohibido actos de circo con animales salvajes, pero la práctica sigue siendo legal en gran parte de los Estados Unidos.

Ringling Bro’s está haciendo una diferencia, a pesar de que hay aproximadamente una docena de grupos de circo que todavía utilizan elefantes en nuestro país. El total de once elefantes de The Greatest Show on Earth comenzaron a viajar el lunes 2 de mayo al centro de conservación de elefantes de la empresa Ringling.

Es un terreno muy amplio, son 200 acres en la Florida central en dónde los elefantes, ahora podrán vivir en algo más parecido a su hábitat natural.

El pasado 13 y 15 de abril ocurrió un sismo amenazador en los países de Ecuador y Japón que han causado temor alrededor del mundo en especial en el área de los Ángeles. Expertos están conscientes de que se puede avecinar en cualquier momento un terremoto en la peligrosa falla de San Andrés que advierte a zonas del Sur de California.

Thomas Jordan, científico especializado en sismos, aconseja que las personas deberían prepararse para cualquier evento catastrófico que pueda suceder. Como jefe del Centro de Terremotos del Sur de California (SCEC por sus siglas en inglés), Jordan explicó en una conferencia de prensa realizada por el diario Los Angeles Times que “Los resortes del sistema de San Andrés están muy, muy

Ruptura en un camino a causa de un terremoto.

Fotografía | Crédito: old.nvinoticias.com

apretados. Y la falla de San Andrés, en particular, luce lista para la acción”.

Aunque las autoridades de Los Ángeles están fomentando sistemas antisismos en edificios, expertos de prevención del organismo humanitario están al pendiente de la falta de preparación de los habitantes en esta ciudad. Según el Departamento de Salud Publica de Condado de Los Ángeles, en una encuesta realizada el 2005 solo 6% de las personas se consideraban listas y preparadas para cualquier emergencia.

El experto en prevenciones, Guillermo Sánchez, menciona algunas de las prevenciones que debemos tomar en cuenta en caso

de emergencia. El recomienda que las victimas no corran en caso de que ocurra un sismo para evitar lastimarse con algún objeto. Se sugiere que lo primero es localizar un lugar seguro que pueda proteger la cabeza y las manos.

Sánchez también cree que es fundamental tener en el hogar un botiquín de primeros auxilios que tenga linternas, baterías, documentos importantes, números telefónicos, y sin duda comida en caso que emergencia.

Estar listos para cualquier peligro es muy importante es por eso que la comunidad ofrece información a través del portal listo.gov para las personas que se quieran alistar para un futuro terremoto u otros incidentes.

Protesta del 1 de mayo Se inicio en MacArthur Park como cada año Por Brenda Rodríguez

Elefantes de Ringling Bro’s.

Fotografía | Crédito: www.time.com

INTERNACIONAL

Llega el primer crucero de EU a Cuba por primera vez después de medio siglo Justo antes de las vacaciones de verano Por Beatriz Cortez El barco “Adonia”, aliado con la empresa Carnival, llamó la atención de varios curiosos ya que llegó a La Habana el pasado 2 de mayo del 2016. Esta línea de cruceros abrió la primera línea de viajes de cruceros entre Estados Unidos y Cuba en más de medio siglo.

La embarcación salió desde Miami con alrededor de 700 pasajeros. Para este verano ya tenemos la opción de visitar esta isla que es reconocida por sus aguas transparentes.

Anteriormente, los ciudadanos estadounidenses de origen cubano no podían subirse a la embarcación pero ya no

existen esas restricciones. Los viajes a Cuba se volvieron muy convenientes para gran parte de la población en Miami.

Este verano, se esperan varios visitantes en la isla cubana.

Carnival ha dicho que el crucero “Adonia” partirá cada dos semanas desde Miami y hará parada en varios destinos de

El primero de mayo, conocido también como May Day, se reunieron 19 diferentes organizaciones activistas, representes de la ciudad de Long Beach, para hacer una marcha desde MacArthur Park hasta el Convention Center de Long Beach. Por lo menos 150 personas asistieron.

Las organizaciones representaban diferentes intereses, todas en pro de los más necesitados. Las más sobresalientes, eras las instituciones que se velan por los derechos de los trabajadores y aquellas que se dedican a detener Cuba. El crucero promete dar una “bonita experiencia cultural”.

“Estamos contribuyendo a la historia”, dijo Arnold Donald, presidente de Carnival, en una rueda de prensa. Ya tenemos otra isla en el Caribe que podremos visitar.

Escena del 1 de mayo en Los Ángeles.

Fotografía | Crédito: Brenda Rodríguez

la deportación de inmigrantes indocumentados.

Varios miembros de las organizaciones locales, así como otras personas asistentes a la marcha, dieron su testimonio de cómo se han visto afectados por la deportación, por tiroteos en sus comunidades en dónde muchas veces ha participado la policía, el robo de salarios

La marcha siguió el curso planeado y llegó a su destino sin ningún problema. El Sargento Bradley Johnson dijo que los asistentes fueron muy respetuosos y todo concluyó pacíficamente.

INVITACIÓN La Onda hace una cordial invitación a todos los estudiantes de español que deseen publicar artículos, noticias, anuncios o cualquier otro escrito sobre temas relevantes para la comunidad estudiantil.

Nuestro objetivo es mantener informados a los alumnos de esta universidad y nuestra misión es conservar el

Famoso crucero Adonia.

Fotografía | Crédito: www.que.es

y en disputas laborales. Todos ellos compartieron la lucha que han enfrentado en diferentes situaciones.

legado de nuestra página periodística en español con la participación de ustedes.

Nota: tener trabajos publicados no sólo les ayudará a reforzar su español, sino también a construir un currículo más fuerte. Además, si están trabajando en su licenciatura, pueden agregar sus publicaciones al portafolio para que sea más convincente.

May 09, 2016

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Cal State LA Forensics Team broke records and set new standards Marrian Zhou

Managing Editor

Team effort brought home glory and honor.

As Spring quarter subtlety passes its middle point and students dive into another round of due assignments, the Communication Department has broken the silence and reigned in the hallways.

The 2015-16 Cal State LA Forensics Team has brought home many “firsts” and Honors from two national tournaments: the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) and the National Forensics Association (NFA). “This year the team broke several previous Cal State LA records at both tournaments,” said Dr. David Olsen, the chair of Communication Department.

They also received first place in the 2015-2016 school sweepstakes Presidents Division II at the NFA tournament. Each team member performs and their individual scores add up to be the total score for the team. The team with the highest score in the division wins.

The team consists of six members: Lane Schwager, Dorothy Garcia, Danielle Soibelman, Monica Roldan, Marilu Bustemante, and Alex Zhou. Every-

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May 09, 2016

| Photo Courtesy Cal State LA Communications Department Facebook

one earned at least one qualification at the tournaments. District One (California, Nevada, Hawaii) Student Representative and Team Secretary Danielle Soibelman had the most qualifications, with six events (category) going to nationals. He was also re-elected as the District One Representative and will be serving for a second term next year.

Team captain and senior Lane Schwager qualified with five events for nationals and was the top speaker in District One this year. She was the first student in Cal State LA history to make it into the NFA finals, the first from California to break into After Dinner Speaker (ADS) final rounds since 2012 – addressing a contemporary social issue through humor in her piece “The Walk of Shame.” She was also the first from Cal State LA to break a prose (earn qualification) at AFA since 2003.

Schwager earned the fourth place in the nation for her ADS and was awarded the All American Award at the AFA Tournament for her excellence in competition, community service, and academic achievement.

“Forensics helped me find my voice,” said Schwager. “Over the last two years I believe the team has made me more confident, more aware of world issues and outside perspectives, but it has also prepared me for the days everything doesn’t quite go your way, how to deal with the little speed bumps the world puts in front of you, how to get over them and how to do it gracefully.”

Senior Dorothy Garcia, the team’s historian, qualified with three events. She made it to quarterfinals in two of her events, in prose and poetry. She was the first in Cal State LA history to break either a prose or poetry at NFA.

People used to say that one-minute on stage takes ten years of practice backstage. It might be a bit of exaggeration, but the message is clear. Good performance sure takes a lot of hard work.

Head coach Professor Geoffrey Brodaksilva expressed that the students were a lot more focused this year and very hardworking. “The [team members] are ultra-dedicated. Besides just being full-time students, they put in 20 to 40 hours a week on meeting with their coaches to practice their events (performance) and researching and writing at home.

It’s a really involved process for someone.”

Professor Brodaksilva also emphasized that the most important thing in tournaments would be consistency. “Anyone could be amazing once, but that is not so much what was rewarded. You have to be consistently amazing for all the rounds you got qualified to compete in to win the championship. It’s all about consistency.”

Jackson Spencer, Speech and Debate coach and graduate Communication major, also expressed his favorite part of the season.

“Watching [the students’] performances in the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds, I felt so happy that these students had the opportunity to share their message and use their voice as a tool of empowerment,” said Spencer. “They deserved this success so much. And I look forward to taking our next nationals squad to NFA to defend our first place title!”

“Coaches work their entire careers to see this kind of success,” said Holland Smith, also a coach for the team and graduate student.

“When our senior walked up on stage to accept our first place in sweepstakes, Jackson and I sat there holding hands and crying.

The entire nation gave a standing ovation. It was a surreal experience that I will never forget.”

The department, college, and Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) have also supported our Forensics Team tremendously. Professor Brodaksilva said usually the department and college fund the team’s expenses, but this year the student government funded a lot of the team’s travelling.

“We had really active student leadership this year to negotiate the bureaucracy,” Brodaksilva said. “And that investment meant a lot in terms of more convenient accommodations and better flight times. It was really encouraging for the students to know that their institution and student government were supporting them. It made a big difference.”

Congratulations would be an understatement for the team’s accomplishment this year, and we are definitely looking forward to its growth and developments in the future.

If you would like to know more about the Cal State LA Forensics Team, you may visit the Communication Department or KH C3102A. You may also join in the team by taking COMM 277 or COMM 377 next year.

Student rally calls for ‘no cuts, no fees’ Mimi Li

Contributor

Students for Quality Education lead call to action around tuition and University issues.

Students gathered on the front steps of King Hall on Monday, May 2 to bring attention to several issues at Cal State LA and the Cal State University (CSU) system. It was led by the student organization, Students for Quality Education (SQE). They sought to “reclaim the CSU” from privatization and tied the event to May Day, stating that they are both students and workers.

They also celebrated the tentative salary agreement between the California Faculty Association (CFA) and CSU, which resulted from pressure from the CFA as they planned statewide campus strikes in April for a 5 percent salary increase. The agreement, if approved, will give CSU faculty a 10.5 percent raise over a period of three years.

The rally included SQE members from different CSU campuses, such as Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Fullerton, and Cal State Northridge. Several students from other CSUs highlighted issues on their own campuses to show that each campus is facing similar issues, such as parking. At Cal Poly Pomona, students have missed midterms due to the lack of parking spots available. Likewise, Cal State LA students find a shortage of parking spots, with some having to park off-campus even though they purchased a $100 parking permit.

All SQE chapters statewide have three main goals: to prevent further tuition increases, to roll back on existing fees, and to strengthen ethnic studies programs on each campus. However, they also advocate for free higher education for all. Daniel Osoy, a SQE member at Cal State LA, claims that the state of California has enough funds to pay for the tuition and parking costs of all CSU students.

Osoy criticized Cal State LA President William Covino’s sal-

ary, the stipend he receives for transportation, and the fact that he parks for free on campus. He cites that while 1 out of 4 students are suffering from food insecurity, President Covino “gets to live it up.” According to Transparent California, Covino’s salary is at $297,771.88.

“We don’t think it’s right that he’s making thousands of dollars, while most students here are working class students, students who have families and have to work one or two jobs,” says Osoy.

“We’re struggling to pay for our classes and books. We want more resources for students, more job opportunities on campus, and pay increases for students who are already working on campus because they’re just making minimum wage.”

Several Cal State LA faculty members were present at the rally. Molly Talcott, president of the Los Angeles CFA chapter and Cal State LA sociology professor, spoke in support of students and cites disrespect from Board of Trustees members at their meetings.

| Photo Courtesy SQE Facebook

“They usually just look on their cell phones when those on the faculty and the staff, and especially the students, speak,” says Talcott. “When Christian Torres was talking about the experiences of students, of education as a universal human right, of the importance of standing with the Black Lives Matter movement, of immigrant students, and undocuqueer students, [CSU] Chancellor Tim White was eating his lunch. I filmed it.”

Osoy raises a similar issue:

CSU presidents are appointed, not elected. “Students, faculty, and staff do not have a voice in how presidents get elected. We can talk about it but we don’t have the power to make that decision.”

He calls for more transparency and the involvement of students and faculty in the process.

After the rally, students marched towards Salazar Hall, chanting, “No cuts, no fees, education must be free!” The march ended at the Golden Eagle Statue in front of the bookstore.

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THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS EVENT CALENDAR WEDNESDAY 11 TUESDAY 10

MONDAY 9

U-Care-Self Help Graphics & Art Trip Sign Ups Available 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

U-SU Center for Student Involvement

U-Care-Self Help Graphics & Art Trip Sign Ups Available 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

U-SU Center for Student Involvement

Group Therapy at CAPS: Anxiety Management 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Student Health Center

U-Vote! Your University-Student Union, Your Voice 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

U-SU & U-SU Plaza

Wellness Workshop: Eat Healthy Be Active 3:15 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Student Health Center

Behind the Houseguest From Xinjiang: A Talk by Dr. Chorswang Ngin 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

U-SU Alhambra Room

THURSDAY 12th Eagle Con 1 p.m.

U-SU

th

th

th

I’ve Got a LinkedIn Profile-Now What?

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Career Development Center

U-SU Board of Directors Candidate Reveal 9 a.m.

18th Annual Distinguished Women Awards 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Golden Eagle Ballroom Group Therapy at CAPS: Healthy Romantic Relationships 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Student Health Center Introduction to Test-Taking Presentation 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

JFK Memorial Library

FRIDAY 13th Eagle Con 1 p.m.

U-SU

Job Search Strategies 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Career Development Center

Spring Madness 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Housing (Phase II, Basketball Courts, and Walkway)

Group Therapy at CAPS: Self-Esteem 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

The John Lion New Plays Festival 7:30 p.m.

Luckman Theatre Afro Latin Ensemble Concert with Special Guest, Iris Cepeda 7:30 p.m.

State Playhouse

NEWS

Rise in minimum wage raises eyebrows Jacqueline Quiroz Contributor

The pros and cons of a 15 dollar minimum wage.

A new California law may be on your ballot this November. Proposed by the SEIU-UHW, which represents about 80,000 people of the healthcare workers and 700,000 overall in California which suggests the minimum wage going up to $15 an hour for Californians by 2021.

For Californian’s this is potentially a good thing that is happening.

Getting a raise in an hourly income is what a lot of people have been waiting for.

But for others, like Vivian Mai, 21, Business Administration major, it’s not ideal.

“I don’t agree with this new law that they are trying to petition,” Mai said. “A higher minimum wage means living expenses will go up and people are going to rely more on the government with healthcare and other assistance. Those are our taxes.”

This bill has been fighting for those who are under the poverty line, and helping families make ends meat. Each year the wages increase by $1.00 until it reaches $15 hourly by 2021. According to member of the SEIU-UHW, Georgette Bradford who collected signatures on the bill feels strongly that, “Low-wage workers are not

Photo Courtesy|Washington Post

teenagers working after school. Almost half of them are parents and 1 in 10 are senior citizens. They are crossing guards, retail and warehouse workers, teaching assistants, cashiers, school janitors and security officers who get paid $10 to $11 dollars an hour. These extremely low wages keep people trapped in a cycle of poverty especially if they have families to raise. It is becoming harder and harder to survive in what is considered the richest state of our nation. Our initiative intends to change all of that.”

Unfortunately, in the United States the majority of people fit under the poverty line, 18- year- old Esmeralda Ruiz, TVFM

major agrees with the rise of wages.

“With this there may a possibility of breaking the cycle and a slight possibility of helping the poor. But there isn’t anything done by the rich that isn’t going to backfire,” Ruiz said. “I work retail, so it’ll be helpful to me, it’s all about spending your money wisely, people don’t need the newest Nikes or Jordan’s that hit the scene.”

The minimum wage debate has been going on for quite some time and California governor Jerry Brown signed off on the bill the beginning of April, but it still doesn’t seem to convince a majority of Cal State LA students. Stephanie Corcoran, 20, a

Finance and Economics major is one of them.

“If I’m paying off the elderly and people with government needs, this is one more thing to the list,” Corcoran said. “I don’t think the wealthy is helping; it’s a case of the poor helping the poor. I think this will bring more problems to the state but I’m voting against it.”

Agree or not, with elections around the corner, students and California workers will be able to cast their vote for the minimum wage bill on November 8, 2016.