El Paisano Newspaper Vol. 64 Issue 2

Wednesday March 9, 2022

Serving The Rio Hondo Community

Vol.64 Issue 2

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www.elpaisanoonline.com

Photographed by Fernando Ramos

El Paisano Sweeps JACC 2022 Ryan Leon

Digital Editor-In-Chief ryan.leon7365@my.riohondo.edu

T Photo(s) courtesy of aamartphoto.art / Aarón Martínez El Paisano students from Rio Hondo College (left to right) Fernando Ramos, Raymond Luna, Ryan Leon, Adviser Saakyan and Brayan Altamirano attending the annual state Journalism Association of Community Colleges at the Hyatt hotel in Long Beach Calif. On Friday March 4, 2022. The RHC team of four returned home with nine awards, out of 11 available on-the-spot competitions from JACC.

here are even more awards heading back to the newsroom at Rio Hondo College. El Paisano won nine contests out of 11 at the JACC (Journalism Association of Community Colleges) conference in Long Beach, Calif.! This year ACP (Associated College Press) teamed up with JACC to bring student journalists from Northern and Southern California together to network with each other.

Students in attendance were also able to learn from professionals in the journalism industry. The conference took place from March 3 to March 5 and was hosted by the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Long Beach, Calif.

At the conference, there were many workshops available, led by college professors and industry leaders who provided great information about different branches in journalism. Some examples include producing video, taking great photographs, documentary viewing and newspaper design.

These workshops gave students the opportunity to take valuable information home with them and apply it to their future work. Not only that, but they also prepared students for the on-the-spot contests provided

by JACC. The contests allow students to test their skills against each other with the amount of knowledge they have gained in journalism. Students who place are rewarded with certificates from the contest

B.A. Media / Brayan Altamirano

Photographed by Raymond Luna

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Illustration by Brayan Altamirano

Photographed by Raymond Luna

they participated in with their names and place number.

The types of contests available varied greatly. News Judgement/Layout, News Photo, Feature Photo, Sports Photo, Critical Review, Video and Editorial Cartoon were the big winners for El Paisano. El Paisano media took information learned from workshops, along with previously acquired knowledge, and applied it to every competition. This is well represented by the number of awards they went home with.

Ryan Leon competed in the Critical Review contest, winning third place in the process.

Brayan Altamirano placed third in Editorial Cartoon and second in Video. Fernando Ramos placed second in the News Photo competition but won big

for News Judgement/Layout taking home first place. Lastly, Raymond Luna stole the show, winning four awards alone!

Luna placed fourth in Sports Photo, third in News Judgement/Layout, second in Feature Photo and first in Editorial Cartoon. In total, nine out of 11 awards were won between the four student journalists.

After the big winner had time to celebrate, he was able to share his excitement.

“This weekend consisted of Red Bulls, pizza, hot Cheetos and great teammates! 4 awards later, it was worth it,” said Luna.

With another successful JACC trip under their belt, El Paisano media will continue to deliver even more news coverage to the Rio Hondo community.

Illustration by Raymond Luna

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Airbnb Opening Doors to Refugees in Need As Ukrainian citizens flee they find themselves displaced and in need of shelter Eva Rivera

News Editor

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eva.rivera2331@my.riohondo.edu

midst the turmoil between Russia and Ukraine; Airbnb.org, an independent 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, has given displaced refugees a place to stay. Starting Feb 28 Airbnb.org is offering free interim housing for up to 100,000 refugees that are leaving Ukraine.

Airbnb.org has temporary stays available for those affected by world disasters and emergency uprootings. The stay will be made possible by Airbnb, Inc., donations from the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, and by having hosts offer stays for free with the support of other nonprofit organizations.

Many are doing their part in providing aid by booking stays without the intent of actually staying in the Ukrainian listings allowing hosts to continue making money during this time of uncertainty.

From as low as $25 a night you can rent an entire one bedroom apartment in Kyiv, Ukraine in the Podil District allowing the host of the listing to have funds for any of their immediate needs. Airbnb is lifting

host fees and offering discounted stays in hopes of creating interest for others to provide a donation. When you open the Airbnb app on your phone you are welcomed with the message "Help house100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine," and a click to learn more button that gives you more information on the cause.

According to Airbnb.org it “...partners with nonprofits that check refugee guests for eligibility and assist them before, during and after their stays.”

The organization is also offering AirCover, which offers up to $1 million in liability insurance as well as $1 million in damage protection along with other tools to aid in hosting refugees.

Along with the rest of the world, Airbnb is doing what it can to help those in need in Ukraine, Co-founder and CEO of Airbnb Brian Chesky shared a series of tweets Feb.

“ Airbnb and Airbnb.org are working with our Hosts to house up to 100,000 28,

refugees fleeing from Ukraine, for free”his tweet thread consisted of six more tweets of what Airbnb is doing to help and how anyone else can provide aid. Many are doing their share in sending relief to Ukraine; Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have a gofundme called "Stand with Ukraine," where there goal is to raise 30 million dollarsin relief funds. As of March 6 the donation total is $16,682,900 from 43.6 thousand donations.

As we witness the war between Russia and Ukraine unfold it can be difficult to not feel helpless and empathize with both country’s citizens, if you are looking for a way to aid and support citizens and refugees you can go to Airbnb. com and rent listings to provide monetary aid that goes directly to its hosts or by donating to the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund.

Eva Rivera for El Paisano Media With the Airbnb app you can book listings in Ukraine so that those hosting can continue to make an income for themselves.

The Rio Hondo College Study Abroad Program in Taiwan Continues Jeffrey Barragan Opinion Editor

jeffrey.barraganramos6969@my.riohondo.edu

R

io Hondo College has been part of a student exchange program with Taiwan for the past five years.

In February, the College was recognized for its partnership with Taiwan by the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Los Angeles.

The exchange program was started in 2017 by Dr. Shin Liu. In a Youtube video posted that same year, on Dr. Liu’s account, she mentioned that the program started after “Dr. Liang” invited her “students to participate in a study abroad program in Taiwan.”

Students who participate in the exchange program with Taiwan have the opportunity to teach English in Taiwan. According to the most recent statement by Rio Hondo College, over 70 students have traveled to Taiwan to participate in the study abroad program so far.

In the same statement, Rio

Hondo College Superintendent and President Teresa Dreyfuss added, “‘We are incredibly proud to have fostered this relationship with the University of Taipei and New Taipei City… In doing so, our students have become global citizens for whom travel and cultural exploration have a positive, lasting effect.’”

The same day Rio Hondo College received the award on Feb 18, the College and TECO signed an agreement that the study abroad program would continue through the next academic year. In addition, the College also partnered with the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, Greater Los Angeles (GFCBW-GLA) in November 2021.

The current Rio Hondo College Superintendent and President Teresa Dreyfuss is from Taiwan. Dreyfuss has been with Rio Hondo College for almost four decades. She will continue her role as Superintendent and President of the College until June 2022.

Taiwan is located outside of mainland China, but there is conflict and confusion between whether Taiwan is part of China, or if it is an independent country.

In October 2021, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver aired a piece on Taiwan. In response to John Cena’s apology to China for calling Taiwan a country, Oliver commented “Every part of that is so weird. It’s weird John Cena apologized to China.

It’s weird he did it by calling Taiwan a country.”

Nonetheless, over the next year, the Rio Hondo College and Taiwan study abroad program will present an opportunity for students who are interested in teaching and learning about local cultures outside of Los Angeles County.

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LA Opera named a Latina as its Next Resident Conductor Beatriz A. Martinez Reporter

Beatriz.martinez0021@my.riohondo.edu

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ina Gonzalez-Granados has been recognized nationally and internationally and will now be the resident conductor of Los Angeles Opera for the 22-23 season. Gonzalez was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. From a very young age, she began to study music professionally in her hometown, Cali. Her first debut as a conductor was in 2008 with the Youth Orchestra of Bellas Artes in Cali.

She holds a Master’s Degree in Conducting with Charles Peltz, a Graduate Diploma in Choral Conducting from New England Conservatory with Erica Washburn, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University.

Gonzalez is a person who supports inclusion and has never left her roots and her Latino community behind. She founded and is currently the director of an orchestra called Unitas Ensemble. Unitas was founded in 2014 to spread the beauty of Latin music and respect for folk music. Unitas is a musical ensemble that directs and performs works

by Latin composers through musical concerts. Unitas

Graphic by Beatriz A. Martinez for El Paisano Media

Lina Gonzalez Granados has become an artist recognized worldwide for her ability to create "lightning changes in tempo, meter, and effect". With her career, she wants to convey the message that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

has also offered a variety of concerts for those marginalized communities so that all people can enjoy musical artistic experiences and has had the privilege of performing

and presenting world musical premieres.

The 34-year-old melomaniac, along with her dedication and love for music, has been recognized with

important awards in the classical music industry such as the Fourth Chicago Symphony Orchestra Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition, the 2021

Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the third prize, and ECHO Special Award of La Maestra Competition, and the 2020 and 2021 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award. Her musical experience is extensive and she has led the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, as well as performed with the New York Philharmonic and Rochester Philharmonic, Spanish National Orchestra, Barcelona Symphony, Nürnberger Symphoniker.

Gonzalez says that music is a means to express everything that cannot be expressed in words and she never doubted that music was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Her goal with this great opportunity that she has at Los Angeles Opera is to get closer to the entire Latin community and that in the same way, the community gets closer and interested in classical music.

Some of her future presentations include her debut at the Dallas Opera – The Barber of Seville from March 19 to 27, the New York Philharmonic – Young People's Concert: One Planet on May 14, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife – XVII PROGRAMA: Con el patrocinio de la Fundación Jesús Serra on June 03.

Understanding the New Digital Game Wordle Madeline Torres A&E Editor

madeline.torres3722@my.riohondo.edu

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ho knew figuring out a five-letter word can bring the whole world together? Wordle the new online game that was released in October has gained so much popularity from millions of people.

Created by Josh Wardle, and now recently owned by The New York Times Company, Wordle has more than 2.7 million players and the numbers only keep increasing.

The game started with about 90 players on Nov. 1st and in January it already had over 300,000 players.

"It going viral doesn't feel great to be honest. I feel a sense of responsibility for the players," Wardle said to The Guardian. "I feel I really owe it to them to keep things running and make sure everything's working correctly."

Wardle was overwhelmed with the rapid growth and thought it would be best to keep the digital game as it is instead of making it into a

mobile game.

"Making Wordle I specifically rejected a bunch of the things you're supposed to do for a mobile game," Wardle told NPR. "where the rejection of some of those things has actually attracted people to the game because it feels quite innocent and it just wants you to have fun with it."

The game itself is pretty easy to follow. There is a new word every day and players have to figure out the five-letter word. Players will have six chances to guess the word.

How to know if they are close to figuring out the word is if they guess a word and a letter has either a green or yellow background that means those letters are in the word. If a letter has a yellow background that means that the letter is in the word but not in the right spot. If the letter has a green background that means that that's the correct letter placement. Letters that are not in the word will have a dark gray background.

Simple right? The reason why everyone goes crazy

over this game is that you’ll never know what kind of word you're going to get. There's no topic or certain subject that will help you get a hint. You have to figure out what it is on your own and another thing to add to the frustration is the word can either be the easiest word ever or the hardest word that you’ve probably never even heard of.

If you’re up for a challenge there is also a hard mode that only uses the green or yellow letters in subsequent guesses.

However, many users have a lot of tips and tricks that help them figure out the five-letter word. Depending on the player, the first-word guess will either have vowels in the word or use as many common consonants. Many players found those methods to be very easy at figuring out the word a lot quicker. Once you guess or find out the word you’re able to share your score with others on social media.

It’s a fun brain-wracking game that everyone should play!

Screenshot Capture by Madeline Torres for El Paisano Media

The newest digital game, Wordle, brings people around the word digitally comparing and sharing their guesses and tips. The game is free to play and easy to follow along. This challenging game with for sure make your brain over heat.

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Leftover Rocket Impacts Moon at 5,800MPH Jonathon Carmona

Science and Tech Editor

jonathon.carmona9046@my.riohondo.edu

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s of March 4 at 4:25a.m., a leftover piece of a space rocket has been predicted to have made an impact on our Moon’s surface.

The 3-ton piece of rocket was traveling at 5,800 mph upon impact. Scientists predicted the “space junk” would leave a crater on the lunar far side. Our grounded telescopes were not able to see the event as the far side is out of our view.

The satellites closest to the point of impact, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India’s Chandrayaan-2, are also not in position to witness the event. NASA has promised to find the resulting crater but the process could take weeks or even months.

They predict the crater left behind will be about 33 ft. to 66 ft. (10 - 20 meters) across. The impact will also cause moon dust to kick up and fly across hundreds of miles of the Moon’s

surface. The crater should be located near the naturally-formed Hertzsprung Crater.

This collision is the first known unintentional lunar collision caused by something human’s left behind.

Astronomer and data scientist Bill Gray at first calculated that the space junk was part of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. While SpaceX was ready to accept all blame, newer discoveries were made. Later findings put the blame on China’s Long March 3C rocket, the piece being part of the rocket’s upper stage.

China has since denied these claims, stating the upper stage had re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up.

Gray has doubled-down on his calculations and is sure that the piece is from China’s rocket.

Bill Gray runs the Pluto Project program that tracks faraway space objects. There is no official agency that tracks leftover space junk. The benefits from this type of work are limited and often not seen as

Graphic by Jonathon Carmona for El Paisano Media

When a 3 ton piece of rocket crashes into our moon, a question arises. Should researchers and scientists focus on cleaning up space junk? An answer may come once satellites are in position to find out the consequences of the lastest impact.

worth the time. This means the job falls onto volunteers who watch and track the skies in their free time. Volunteers such as 63-year old Peter Birtwhistle who had spotted the rocket heading towards lunar collision. He first spotted a tiny dot of light moving across the sky using his telescope at home in Newbury, England. He then captured and sent pictures to Bill Gray who then began to assess the situation.

No one will ever really know whose rocket it was, tracking space debris has not

been an important element that scientists focus on. Space junk is hardware sent from Earth into space that didn’t have enough fuel to return back. Some space junk is closer to Earth, almost right above the planet, but some are deeper into space and too far from Earth’s atmosphere. The European Space Agency says there are about 36,500 pieces of space junk out there that are at least 10 cm in size.

There is hope that space debris tracking will start to become a priority as humans

increase their space traveling activity. There is no telling when a piece of a rocket will compromise a satellite. Space junk can be unpredictable as the gravitational pull changes the farther or closer the junk is to Earth and even our Moon.

Our Moon also has no atmosphere, thus no real defense against any incoming damage.

Although it is not a real problem at the moment, if we ever want to travel beyond our limits, one of the steps will be how to avoid all the junk in our way.

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What is Lilial?

Why was it in Olaplex?

Yasmine Poot Reporter

yasmine.poot1059@my.riohondo.edu

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s of March 1, 2022 the ingredient butylphenyl methylpropional also known as lilial has been banned from use in multiple products due to its link with infertility.

This ingredient can be seen in the ingredient list of Olaplex No.3 a known hair mask used to repair or help maintain dyed hair. This product has been used in many professional hair salons and was the product to have in your restroom since 2020. Although lilial is not an active ingredient needed, and is just a fragrance that was used in the hair mask by Olaplex No. 3 it still managed to spark a fear of the product on social media platforms. The Olaplex company has since removed the ingredient from the hair mask worldwide.

The FDA has not banned the use of Lilial in any products produced and dispersed in the United States, although research has shown that the use of Lilial in products can lead to infertility in animal studies that have been done.

What is Lilial?

Lilial is one of the many fragrances used in many products we use at home. This chemical compound is known as butylphenyl methylpropional as I have said before the fragrance is used in cosmetic products and non cosmetic items. The chemical compound has been linked to infertility. This chemical compound has also been known to be an allergen in multiple products. It has led to the substance to be banned

in all products in the European Union. This ban began in 2020 but was finally effective in 2022.

The research for the chemical compound can be found on the research piece. Which was done back in 2019. https:// ec.europa.eu/health/system/ files/2021-08/sccs_o_213_0.pdf How to find Products without harmful ingredients One of the many helpful websites that exist to help find clean products is an app called EWG. This app can rank any product from EWG certified which means it is a clean product to one to ten. Ten being the worst ranking a product can receive. This has been a personal lifesaver when looking for products to use from my skincare to my hair. The website and app are very easy to use and helpful to find any products that are clean. Celebrities such as Kourtney Kardashion have said she uses the website to check the products she uses.

Social Media I understand the scare that comes when someone on the internet begins to say throw out your products. Social media was the first place I found out about Lilial and how harmful it could be. However, it is very important to do research on the company and the ingredients ourselves. Such as how much of the chemical compound is being used in the product and if it was important for the product to work. As for Olaplex No. 3 very little was used and was not needed for the product to work.

Olaplex No. 3 will continue to work without the use of Lilial as it was just a fragrance used.

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Riddle Me a Really Good Batman Movie

Graphic by Brandon Ramirez for El Paisano Media "The Batman" movies box office earnings throughout the years.

John Edeson Sayoc Photo Editor

john.sayoc2436@my.riohondo.edu

T

he movie, “The Batman,” is based on the superhero, Batman, which is a superhero part of DC Comics.

It isn’t like Marvel movies, so

Ryan Leon Digital Editor-in-Chief

don’t expect this movie to be a comedy or to have an end-credit scene. The official genre of this movie according to IMDB is action, crime, and drama.

A Short Summary Trouble arises in Gotham as a new villain that goes by The Riddler (played by Paul Dano)

goes around the whole town killing officials and police officers and exposing any wrongdoings linked to them. This leaves Batman (played by Robert Pattinson), Lt. James Gordon (played by Jeffrey Wright), and Catwoman (played by Zoë Kravitz) to stop The Riddler and find a way to save the town.

The Review All things considered, this movie is really good, and I know it is very early in the year but this movie could easily be the best movie I’ve watched this year or certainly in the discussion. This is for a variety of reasons which range from acting and cinematography. To start off the acting was spectacular.

Robert Pattinson did an amazing job playing his role as Batman. He truly captures the essence of Batman from the way he talks and moves as he is very calculated and is very smart. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing for Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. This Bruce Wayne was a mystery to everyone which I feel is the total opposite to what he is to my perception at least. Bruce Wayne is supposed to be this big guy in town that helps the community not only as Batman but Bruce as well.

Despite this, another good thing about this movie is Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

She did a fantastic job playing her role and her character was very interesting. Another good thing about this movie was the villain and how he was portrayed.

The Riddler’s costume was the perfect shade of dark green and very menacing, and then you take it off you get a normal-looking person. Batman’s costume and Catwoman’s costume are nice as well but don’t compare to The Riddler’s.

I thought the batmobile in this movie was really cool as it was nice and simple, but to be honest I wish it looked more like the one used in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” or “Batman: The Animated Series.” But that might be a personal preference because I really like those models of the batmobile.

Other than acting and costumes, the visuals and audio were really good. There were just some scenes that were absolutely breathtaking and it had the music that perfectly fit certain scenes. Overall I would give this movie a 4.8/5 and would definitely watch this movie again.

My Request I recommend any person who is reading this article by any chance, to watch this movie at the movie theaters for the best possible experience and to watch this movie with an open mind.

Horizon Forbidden West Review

ryan.leon7365@my.riohondo.edu

C

oming off the heels of the successful “Horizon Zero Dawn” for PlayStation 4 and PC, developer Guerrilla Games’ newest installment, “Horizon Forbidden West” for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, continues that success in tremendous fashion. With five years of development behind them, Guerrilla Games has taken advantage of every day spent working on their newest title, and it shows. Zero Dawn was one of the best-looking games on the last generation of hardware. The sequel, Forbidden West, has matched that technical achievement and then some.

When seeing the game’s opening for the first time, the level of detail on display is immediately noticeable. Albeit after a quick recap of the events that transpired in Zero Dawn with older visuals. “Horizon Forbidden West” is without a doubt one of the best-looking games on PS5. Everything from the stitching on characters’ clothes to grains of sand flying across the screen, as well as improved facial animations, the visuals in this game never disappoint. Aloy, the series protagonist, grimaces realistically when sprinting, using weapons,

Screenshots by Ryan Leon for El Paisano Media The mysterious red blight spreads across a beautiful part of Horizon's world. This new issue is threatening the land by killing wildlife, destroying crops and making humans sick. and taking damage. Characters players will meet throughout the world are just as detailed as Aloy. When conversing in hot areas, sweat can be seen forming all over their faces. This impressive detail can be seen on Aloy’s face and arms during regular gameplay as well.

In “Horizon Zero Dawn,”

conversations with characters weren’t the game’s strong point.

Facial animations looked robotic and were plagued with heavy lip sync issues. That is no longer the case for “Horizon Forbidden West” on PS5. Faces look dramatically more lifelike, and every word that comes out of a character’s mouth matches their

lip movements. It’s almost unsettling how realistic the game looks. That alone is a testament to the time and effort the developers put into this title.

The world of “Horizon Forbidden West” consistently wows with its incredible visuals. Not only that, but the open world is massive, with no loading times

from each area to the next.

Each biome was created with so much beauty that it becomes its own distraction. Never mind doing actual activities, staring at the screen in awe is another activity players can add to the checklist. ༡

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While there are tons of things to see and do, nothing compares to the game’s main attraction: hunting and taking down various types of machines.

Imagine discovering 20 plus different machines in “Horizon Zero Dawn.” Now, double that to 40 plus, and experience the absolute thrill of fighting these awe-inspiring creations that “Horizon Forbidden West” has to offer.

No matter how many things there are to do in the world of Horizon, the huge cast of machine enemies are the stars of the show. Each machine type comes with its own set of moves and abilities. With the return of Aloy’s trustee focus however, figuring out a machine’s strengths and weaknesses is easier than ever, and that is crucial in order to know how to best it.

This leads to the topic of the excellent combat in “Horizon Forbidden West.” While still fun, the combat in Zero Dawn was lacking in the melee department. Shooting arrows from Aloy’s bow and launching bombs from her slingshot was always satisfying. Swinging her

9 spear at enemies though, not so much. Players were limited to two types of melee attacks in Zero Dawn: a light attack and a heavy attack. This has been expanded upon greatly in Forbidden West. With the presence of a much bigger skill tree separated into six different branches, combat is now a lot more visceral.

Aloy’s spear attacks can now be chained into combos that give her the upper hand in battle against human and machine enemies alike. A new ability, resonator blast, allows Aloy to charge her spear up with energy that, when fully charged, can be transferred to enemies with a heavy attack. Once applied to an enemy, that energy can then be shot with an arrow, resulting in an explosion that deals massive damage. These new combat techniques, along with the vast arsenal of weaponry at Aloy’s disposal, make for one of the best combat experiences available in gaming.

The game is not without its faults, however. Climbing has been somewhat improved from Zero Dawn’s, but it still feels awkward at times. With a quick press of the R3 button, Aloy’s focus will scan the environment for points of interest. This scan

also highlights climbable areas in the world. Although this feature helps make climbing feel more fluid, Aloy will be stuck in place on a certain spot sometimes, even though there are other climbable points right next to the one currently being held. This can become annoying when trying to scale a wall quickly.

Despite how beautiful the game looks, there are some

graphical hiccups unfortunately.

In certain cutscenes, things in the background look blurry and a little grainy. Understandably, this may have been on purpose to keep a focus on the incredibly detailed character models.

Still, it would have been nice to see those same details applied to the entire display. Although present, these shortcomings are not detrimental to the game, and are only minor inconve-

niences in an otherwise flawless experience.

With a fantastic story, excellent writing, amazing characters, incredible graphics and exciting combat, everything comes together in a way that makes “Horizon Forbidden West” nothing short of a masterpiece that should be experienced by every PlayStation owner.

Screenshots by Ryan Leon for El Paisano Media Protagonist Aloy glides over a vast landscape with her trusty shield wing; preparing to face the threats waiting in the valley below. The shield wing is a new traversal tool that allows Aloy to drop from great heights safely.

The Truth Behind the Nike Cortez

The Cortez’s became a trademark for Cholos, just like black plaid shorts and a plain white t-shirt. If a person wore Nike Cortez’s, it was assumed that they were gang-affiliated.

Many schools often didn’t like students to wear Nike Cortez’s because it was linked to gangs, so they would often send students back home. In some places in Los Angeles, it was even dangerous to wear Nike Cortez’s.

Growing up in a neighborhood where Cholos roamed the streets, I remember making the connections to the different styles of clothes that many Cholos used to wear, like Nike Cortez’s, 501 Levi’s jeans, and black and white apparel.

The Nike Cortez has been such an influential or even

integral part of Chicano and Cholo culture in the US, but we shouldn’t adopt it or recognize it as that. Because, even the people who named the shoe disrespected indigenous Mesoamericans, but especially Aztecs.

And ironically, it was Mexican-American Chicanos and Cholos who wore and rocked Nike Cortez’s. Not only is it cultural appropriation, it's cultural disrespect to the same people wearing the shoes. For Nike to name a shoe after Hernán Cortés while knowing the history of the massacre is unacceptable and it doesn't deserve to have success. It's upsetting to learn that the shoes that are symbolic to Mexican-American culture can have such a cruel and revolting figure behind it.

Photo by Lorenzo Arce for El Paisano Media The Nike Cortez’s that Mexican-Americans wore in the 1980s, that also was a fashion statement for the Cholo culture, was named after Hernán Cortés who conquered the Aztec empire.

Leslie Tovar Reporter

leslie.tovar2034@my.riohondo.edu

I

n 1968, Blue Ribbon Sports, which later became Nike, wanted to create a shoe for the upcoming Olympic Games being held in Mexico.

Bill Bowerman, who was one of the co-founders of Blue Ribbon Sports, wanted to make a tribute shoe to Mesoamericans who populated Mexico by calling their shoe The Aztec.

There was only one issue, the name was already branded

by Adidas who had a shoe called Azteca Gold.

Co-founders Phil Knight and Bowerman had a conversation where they both discussed the shoe. In an NPR article, the “Knights documents” are mentioned in which Knight and Bowerman state “‘Who was that guy who kicked the sh*t out of the Aztecs?’ he asked. ‘Cortez,’ I said. He grunted. ‘Okay. Let's call it the Cortez.’”

Hernán Cortés conquered Mexico overthrowing the Aztec empire, not only did he kill many indigenous people but he almost wiped them out of existence. Cortés battled his way into converting many of the ingenious people to Christianity and massacred many cities even

leaving some no choice but to help Cortés.

Originally the Nike Cortez’s shoe debuted in 1972 with Cortés’ last name spelled differently. The shoe name has no accent on the letter “e” and replaced the letter “s” with a “z,” changing the name from Cortés to Cortez.

The Nike Cortez ironically became a part of Chicano, Mexican-American culture in the 1980s. The Cortez’s were a very affordable shoe for low-income families and the working class, but it is around that same time that it was also being adapted into the Mexican-American Cholo culture.

Photo by Lorenzo Arce for El Paisano Media The iconic Nike Cortez shoe came to represent Mexican-Americans, the working class, low-income families, and the Chicano/ Cholo subcultures in the 1980s.

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Dark Saturday in the Corregidora

Photo Courtesy of Gilberto Gallo

All of Mexico is mourning the lives of the fans that lost their lives in the game between Queretaro and Atlas. Even club rivals, like the man wearing a Chivas de Guadalajara Jersey while holding on to their rivals jersey Atlas de Guadalajara.

Fernando R amos Reporter

Fernando.ramos9660@my.riohondo.edu

O

n Saturday March 5th, one of the most tragic events in Mexican sports history occurred. In what was supposed to be a standard match week 9 game between current league champs Atlas De Guadalajara against Queretaro turned out to be a bloodbath for the visitors. Querataro hosted Atlas in this match week in the Estadio Corregidora.

Around the 60th minute of the game, a fight broke out in the stands between the home fans of Queretaro and the visiting fans of Atlas. A few of the fans from Queretaro managed to get into the side where the hundreds of Atlas fans were.

They began to hit anyone wearing the red and black colors of Atlas with poles, chairs, etc…

Kids, women, the eldery, everyone was a target for those fans of Queretaro.

In pure desperation, the Atlas fans stormed the field in order to get away from the fight as much as they could.

The game was immediately canceled, as soon as they broke into the field. Players and staff ran into the locker rooms to keep themselves safe. Kids were taking off their Atlas jer-

seys to stay safe, the men were using their bodies to create a human shield on whoever needed it but they could not stand a chance. Thousands of fans with the blue and black colors of Queretaro went loose on anyone that got in their way.

This is not the first time that a situation like this has occurred. In 2017 a fight broke out between the fans of Tigres UANL and Club Veracruz. A fight that left dozens of people critically injured, and which sparked the end of Club Veracruz as an establishment all together.

At the time of writing, the governor of Queretaro, Mauricio Kuri, has announced that there is no official confirmation of any deaths. However, Kuri has mentioned that there are over 20 people that are still alive and receiving medical attention at the Queretaro hospital, 3 that are in critical conditions, and many more that have not been officially documented as of now.

The friends and family of those unfortunate fans of Atlas however, have confirmed that their family and friends have been killed at the hands of the fans of Queretaro.

All of Mexico has been waiting for a response from Mikel Arriola, the president of the

Liga BBVA MX. Here’s what Mikel Arriola had to say, “ We will be meeting with the Disciplinary commission and the Federation of Mexican Soccer, as well as reporters and referees, in order to determine a conclusion, and ask that the investigation will have severe consequences for those involved in the unprecedented acts of violence that do not belong in our soccer” Arriola has also announced that the rest of the games that were scheduled for match week 9 has been canceled. Arriola will also be improving the communications between stadium officials and state officials so that if situations like these were ever to occur again, then they would try to put an end to it as soon as possible. Arriola has also banned the ultras of Queretaro, fans will not be able to visit any away games, the Estadio Corregidora has been suspended until further notice, as well as possible talks of dismantling Club Queretaro all together.

The Liga MX has confirmed that Club Queretaro will no longer be allowed to have any fans in any stadium until the end of the season, however this suspension is expected to extend to at least 2 years without any fans for Queretaro.

Analyst Andre Marin expressed his disappointment

on Marca Claro. He has claimed that the federation of soccer in Mexico does not know how to handle situations like these.

Marin has also proposed that there needs to be drastic changes done immediately.

Marin stated, “ If we have to dismantle Queretaro, then be gone; If we have to eliminate ultras in Mexican soccer, then be gone; If we have to stop selling alcohol in stadiums, then be gone, we’re waiting for drastic changes!” Andre Marin has also said that never in his life will he ever take his family or friends to another soccer game in Mexico.

Club Atlas has come out with an official statement, which read, “ We want the Liga Mx and the Federation of Mexican Soccer to find those who are responsible and punish them with the most severe consequences possible”.

Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, more commonly known as “Chelis” has called the ultras of Queretatro as “rattas”. “Chelis” has shared his experiences of visiting the Estadio Corregidora and he explained that the club and their fans have always been violent. Chelis, like many others have asked for the complete dismantling of the club, as he believes that this would increase the safety of the entire league if they are out of it.

Chelis spoke on ESPN Deportes on the situation where he expressed his disappointment on the entire situation. He expressed how all the little kids who went with their fathers to go watch their team for the very first time have now been ruined by these ultras. Those kids will never be able to go and enjoy another soccer game ever, “Chelis” stated.

Mikel Arriola has now flown to Queretaro to meet with the victims that are currently receiving medical attention.

He explained that he will keep everyone up to date on the victims and their health status.

Journalists are beginning to refer to this tragic event as “the darkest Saturday in Mexican sports history”.

Lastly, there has been a word that due to the events that have occurred this past Saturday, Fifa are now analyzing Mexico's credibility to host the World Cup in 2026.

No official statement has been released as of time of writing.

However, a word from Fifa will soon be released regarding the situation and their decision with the Mexican Federation of sports.

11

Wednesday March 9, 2022

Softball Fountain of Youth Noah Segovia Reporter

noah.segovia5186@my.riohondo.edu

T

he advantage of having an all freshman team has its highs and lows for any program but, as of right now this year’s softball program is trying to keep pace with the rest of the South Coast Conference. These ladies understood that each game was going to be a challenge at the start of the season and they were making the most of it so far with an overall record of 9-5 , conference record of 3-5, home record of 3-3, an away record of 6-2, and a current two game losing streak. Furthermore, with eight conference games played so far the softball program is currently in sixth place and four games back of Mt. Sac. for the top spot in the SCC standings. Nevertheless, here are the three out of eight conference victories for the roadrunners: February 15th vs. El Camino with a score of 6-2 vs. LA Harbor with a blowout score of 12-6 and February 25 vs. East LA with a score of 6-2.

Rio Hondo Softball's most recent conference games were away games vs. Cerritos on Tuesday, March 1 as they were defeated 8-3 with only three runs scored and five hits through seven innings. Thereafter, they played on Thursday, March 3 vs. Long Beach as they were defeated once again with a score of 5-1 with only one run

Noah Segovia for El Paisano Media

#16 Nadine Marquez leading off of 1st base to go to 2nd base

scored through seven innings, while the Vikings took over the majority of the game. Their entire roster is full of first year players that are young,thriving and playing average softball right now along with a great team morale on and off the field. Freshman Phenom #4 Infielder Heaven Wolf (on this team being able to prove themselves that being all freshman is going to help them now and in the future and how this team needs to be taken more serious-

ly despite being freshman.)

“Even though we are freshmen I feel like we come from a diverse background, so putting us all together is making us a good team. Also, I absolutely think other teams should take us seriously from the gecko.”

One player to keep in mind right now and in the future, is freshman phenom Infielder #4 Heaven Wolf . She has been on fire, rolling through the competition at the start of the season so far with team leading

stats in batting average with a .576, slugging percentage with a .595%, 5 doubles, tied with #3 Catcher/Infielder Alexis Rivera for 10 runs batted in, and tied with a few players with 14 games started/played. As well as, other freshmen teammates like Outfielder #8 Kaylie Cervantes, #10 Infielder Juliet Verdugo, #1 Outfielder Leilani Martinez, #3 Catcher/Infielder Alexis Rivera, #16 Infielder Nadine Marquez, #2 Utility Player Alexis Mayorga, #6 Infielder

Rio Hondo Womens Basketball Vs Cerritos M athew Medina

Online Sports Editor

mathew.medina@my.riohondo.edu

T

he Roadrunners lost to Cerritos College Tuesday night in the first round of the Southern California Regional Playoffs 54-47. This was the third meeting between these two squads this season after splitting the first two games.

Miscues and missed opportunities hurt the Roadrunners all night long, only scoring 15 points in the first half alone.

Defense was the name of the game as both teams combined for only 15 points in the first quarter. Cerritos ran away with the lead in the second quarter, putting up 16 to end the half.

The third quarter saw Cerritos extend their ten point lead

Mathew Medina for El Paisano Media #2 for Rio Hondo Jiselle Cabrera was named in the all SCC North Division 1st Team, All-Conferance

to a 14 point gap. Things turned around in the fourth quarter after Rio Hondo started to rally late in the final minutes.

A 20-point deficit slowly started to decrease and the momentum started to shift to the Roadrunners’ favor. Clutch three-pointers and much needed rebounds by Jennyfer

Morales and Rosalie Avalos kept the game close.

The great effort was not enough for Rio Hondo and Cerritos came out on the road with a victory. Errors and miscues hurt Rio Hondo big time which set the tone for the rest of the night.

The Roadrunners had

trouble with ball security by allowing 22 turnovers in the first half.

Head Coach Rene Herra gave his thoughts postgame saying, “I think we played probably one of the worst games we’ve played all season,” Herra said. “ We just did a poor job taking care of the ball.”

Ashley Bravo, and #5 Outfielder Mariah Benitez have a .300 to .400 batting average, multiple RBI’s, Hits, Runs Scored,Doubles, Triples, continuous games started/played, a over .300 to .500 Slugging Percentage, and a .800 to .1,000 Fielding Percentage. At the same time, even though the majority of the players are doing well at the beginning of the season, their supporters are taking notice.

The parents of #3 Catcher/ Infielder Alexis Rivera (on the team’s performance with 14 games under their belt) “We are doing very well despite losing our last game on March 1, you have to understand we are going to have those games but, overall the team is jelling good this season.

In addition, the way they work as a team shows that they are a tight squad.”

If anyone would like to see the Women’s Softball Team in action depending on the COVID -19 restrictions, well you are in luck this season as they take the field on the road in Walnut CA. against their freeway rival the first place of the SCC Mt. Sac to even the season series on Tuesday, March 8 at 3pm.

Furthermore, or wait for the next conference home game on Thursday, March 17 against LA Harbor at 3pm.

On the other side of the court, Cerritos College will travel to Irvine on Thursday to take on the #2 seed Irvine Valley College.

As for the Roadrunners, they will end their season with a final record of 11-16 and a first round loss in the postseason.

“Overall, I’m just happy that we actually completed a season and making the playoffs is a big plus for this team,” Herra said. “We have a lot of freshmen coming back next season and there are high expectations for these girls next year.”

A total of nine freshmen are expected to come back for the 2022-2023 basketball season.

Coach Herra and his team are ready to get back to work this November and hope for a better outcome next season.

El Paisano Newspaper Staff Jasmine Soria Editor-In-Chief

Eva Rivera News Editor

Jonathon Carmona Sci & Tech Editor

Molly McCormick Sports Editor

Jeffrey Barragan Opinion Co-Editor

Kathyrn Nunez Lifestyles Editor

Madeline Torres A & E Editor Lorenzo Arce Copy Editor Ryan Leon Digital Editor-In-Chief

John Edeson Sayoc Photo Editor

Matthew Medina Digital Sports Editor

Bryan Altamirano Broadcast Director

Yasmine Poot Podcast Director

Raymond Luna Social Media

Beatriz Martinez Fernando Ramos Leslie Tovar Noah Segovia Carlos Jimenez Brandon Ramirez Angel Nevarez Reporters

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