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Utilizing the First Amendment since 1956 Volume 69 | Issue 5

www.TalonMarks.com

February 12, 2025

Cerritos College braces for ICE raids Natalie Gonzalez News Editor

Cerritos College hosted ¡Conozcan Sus Derechos! (know your rights) – an information workshop to help educate students and the community on their rights when it comes to immigration via Zoom on Jan. 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Dr. Jose Fierro, Cerritos College president, attended the Zoom meeting along with guest speakers from the Los Angeles County Office of Immigration Affairs and Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

The Zoom call was public but private for all those who joined, your face would not be shown during the call and were allowed to be an anonymous attendee.

500 people were present on the Zoom call and 200 plus were still present till the end of the Zoom call.

COURTESY OF CERRITOS COLLEGE

Graphic from the Know Your Rights workshop presented on Jan. 29, 2025.

The Immigration Affairs of Law Center presented what people who are undocumented should know about their rights as immigrants.

They started with ¿Cuáles son mis derechos constitucionales?

(What are my constitutional rights?) those rights are the right to be quiet, the right to not open the door without a signed warrant from a judge of the U.S., the right to speak to a lawyer and the right to not sign any documents

without the presence of a lawyer.

Cosas Importantes A Tener En Cuenta (Important things to keep in mind) always follow the laws of the U.S. the age of consent in the U.S. is 18 years old, one can get a driver’s license or identification

from the DMV, they must file their taxes every year, make sure their kids are in school and marijuana is not federally legal.

Documentos que debe de tener contigo (documents you should have with you) People should have their red card, California driver’s license, social security, employment authorization card and Department of Homeland Security U.S. citizenship and immigration services.

Si se encuentra con ICE en público o en su trabajo (if you run into ICE in public or at your work) a person does not need to answer any questions. ¡Si ICE toca la puerta de su casa o auto, no abras la puerta! (If ICE knocks on your door or car do not open the door!.)

The workshop also presented a Southern California bilingual rapid response legal resource hotline on the heels of Trump’s mass detention agenda.

Debate over upcoming general education changes Andrew Pilani Contributor

The Cerritos College Board of Trustees is set to approve changes to the college’s general education for its associate degrees that will add ethnic studies requirements – as well as additions from the Faculty Senate for American institutions, physical activities and self-development. These changes should take effect in the fall, 2025 semester.

The new ethnic studies requirements are being sent from the state and were already added to associate-for-transfer degree requirements, but weren’t originally applied to associate degrees themselves.

In the backdrop of these statemandated changes, the Faculty Senate’s local additions to the general education requirements have stirred a debate between them and their curriculum committee over how many units

Sports

students should have to take as part of their general education.

“Making the additional recommendations has an impact on Cerritos College students,” Steven La Vigne, the chairperson of the Faculty Senate curriculum committee and Student Accessibility Services counselor, argued.

La Vigne explained that the state-mandated minimum general education requirements only total 21 required units, but the proposed additions by the Faculty Senate and extra units will make it so students working on an associate degree have to complete 30 units.

These extra required units can take elective spots so students taking majors that require high units will have to take more than the 60-unit baseline needed for an associate degree.

“When we add more units to a local (associate degree), we could create potential barriers that affect full story on page 7

Cerritos earns seventh straight victory

Arts

ANDREW PILANI

Steven La Vigne, a counselor and the curriculum committee chairperson, speaking about the changes being made to the local AA and Cal-GETC in the teleconference center during an ASCC Senate meeting on Jan. 29, 2025.

students – every unit we add to the local (associate degree) affects high-unit majors,” La Vigne said.

He also noted how not a single academic counselor voted for the Faculty Senate’s additions.

The vote for the changes took place in the Faculty Senate meeting on Nov. 19, 2024.

Terrance Mullins, the Faculty Senate president and a political science professor, highlighted

that, until recently, the college had requirements for the classes that they recommended to be added, but the curriculum committee thought that it would help make space for general education classes if the extra requirements not mandated by the state were removed. “… ‘let’s make it easier on the workload for the students – let’s only require what is required.’ And

full story on page 4

‘SUITS LA’: Where Hollywood meets the courtroom

Opinion

there’s this idea of ‘Philosophically what do we want the degree to be worth when they leave,’” Mullins added.

He also mentioned that, given the content of what’s in ethnic studies, knowing American history or government is important to give the context of the courses.

See GE CHANGES on page 2

Immigrants make America great

full story on page 6

2 - NEWS

GE changes Continued from page 1

They made some steps to work out the high-unit major issues by creating an exemption for majors with 36 or more units – They only have to take American institutions as an extra required class instead of the whole set.

Importantly, he noted that of the roughly 20,000 students at Cerritos College, only about 500 are working on an associate degree. However, he also said that not everyone working on an associate degree is specifically on an associate plan.

Mullins also clarified that the Board of Trustees is legally obligated to abide by the Faculty Senate’s recommendations as a result of the 10+1 rules that state the Faculty Senate has authority over issues relating to academic and professional matters one through four.

Both Mullins and La Vigne highlighted history professor Walter Fernandez’s statement, delivered via economics professor Solomon Namala, was during the Faculty Senate meeting.

Fernandez’s statement stressed how important American history is for college students to learn as there is a lot of ignorance of the country’s political system and history.

These changes could affect the college’s funding, degree awarding and goals. La Vigne called on how the number of degrees the college awards affects the amount of funds it receives from the state.

He added that these changes could decrease the number of degrees the college awards as students could be less likely to be auto-awarded degrees when they apply for a degree as the different requirements might not line up.

This would also play into the college’s goal of graduating 50% of its students within 5 years as outlined in the Students First Framework.

“Yes it is true that it might disrupt the Students First Framework, but our first focus is the value of the degree…,” Mullins said.

La Vigne presented the changes to the Associated Students of Cerritos College during their Senate meeting on Jan. 22.

One of the senators asked La Vigne about who would be affected by the changes, specifically highlighting existing students. La Vigne said existing students would be grandfathered in and not be subject to the new requirements, but new students starting next semester will be affected.

Fatima Oregon, the ASCC vice president, said, “I think it’s important to consider a stance on it by thinking about the fact that this is gonna be affecting future students – even though it’s not affecting us (existing students) directly, we have an impact with our voice to say something about it.”

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

What it’s like to work on campus Felix Palencia Staff Writer

Cerritos College offers oncampus and off-campus job opportunities for students with positions currently available in the multi-purpose building in room 201.

Whether students look to gain work experience, develop their skills, or earn extra income, there are still openings for students.

If a student is interested in applying for these positions, the first step is to create an account on Jobspeaker where they can easily apply for jobs by using their student ID after registering.

In 2023, 77.7% of parttime students aged 16–24 were employed, although entry-level job opportunities can still be hard to find, on-campus jobs provide an excellent entry point for students to begin their employment journey.

Lizette Gonzalez, a student employment specialist in the Career Center, shared how she assists students in finding the right job opportunities.

“If they come in and say they need help finding or navigating the website they can come in and ask, we also offer virtual meetings and workshops to help make resumes, and sometimes job centers,” Gonzalez said.

There are some upcoming resume-building workshops, along with videos to help guide

students.

“It’s convenient because I already go to school here, so if I’m here for a class in the early morning, I can take a shift after that class and just kill two birds with one stone.” a receptionist on campus, Adriel Aguirre, shared about their on-campus work experience.

While on-campus jobs may seem like a great starting point for students, there’s a sentiment that these opportunities are often found through word-of-mouth or personal connections rather than clear, organized advertising.

“I do know a lot of tutors that have started through word of mouth or professors. I was reached out to by the previous MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program manager because they knew Yvette, our old supervisor, was looking for someone,” Aguirre said.

This insight points to an inherent challenge- while some students can find jobs through their networks, others may miss out due to the lack of visibility or formal advertising of available positions.

Alexander Hernandez, an embedded tutor for accounting Excel at Cerritos College explained how he was introduced to his current role as an accounting tutor.

“I was in my classroom, focused on my work and

FELIX PALENCIA

Adriel Aguirre working as a receptionist in the success center after one of their classes on Jan. 27, 2025.

studying, and toward the end of the semester, my professor asked if I’d like to be a tutor- I had never tutored before, but I thought, why not give it a try?”

His experience showed how professors can help students find opportunities that may not be widely advertised, but also that relying on personal connections could leave other students unaware of available positions.

Aguirre advised students who apply to these jobs as he stated, “One thing we tell people applying for jobs is to check in frequently, because our supervisor gets so many emails, and they might not get a response the first time.”

Aguirre continued, “The process takes time, and it’s important to show interest. For

me, it took about three months, so constantly checking in helps your name get remembered.”

“Make sure you know what you’re getting into. That’s the most important thing,” Hernandez discussed, about the responsibilities of the role.

Cerritos College continues to offer both on-campus and offcampus job opportunities, and students are encouraged to take full advantage of these resources to connect with available positions and enhance their professional experience.

Stop by the Career Center for job opportunities, help with resumes and mock interviews.

Interested in a job? Cerritos College will be hosting a job fair on April 3.

‘Bringing pets and people together’ Natalie Gonzalez News Editor

Cerritos College hosted its first dog therapy event of the spring semester with different dogs for different days on Jan. 15, with the turnout not have been great as only one student showed up.

“It’s usually a great turnout during the semester” employee of “Paws to Share” Carol Slaton, said.

These dog therapies are every Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Success Center which is located downstairs in the basement of the library.

Students and faculty are welcome to join dog therapy by booking a time slot to have a session or walk in for a session.

Dog therapy is provided to all the people at Cerritos College to help relieve their stress, anxiety, self-esteem, and help improve their energy and mood.

Slaton comes on Wednesdays with her two dogs Blizzard, a 14-year-old Tibetan terrier and Volcano, nine-year-old a havanese.

Blizzard and Volcano’s favorite things to do are eating snacks, getting scratched and following their mom Slaton around.

Blizzard and Volcano are brothers and have been doing dog therapy with their owner Slaton

NATALIE GONZALEZ

Therapy dog, Volcano laying down during the first dog therapy event of the spring semester at Cerritos College on January 15, 2025.

for seven and a half years with the company “Paws to Share.”

These are not the only dogs an attendee might encounter when they come in for dog therapy as another volunteer comes on Mondays with her two dogs Sachi, a French Bulldog and June Bug, a Boston Terrier.

“The students love it and there’s ones that come week after week because they know the dogs and that’s always fun and it’s fun to see new kids,” Slaton said.

The one student who attended this session was Jaz Reyes, an early childhood education major, who said ever since she’s been at Cerritos College she attends as many dog therapies as she can.

“It’s super fun, I come from a household that has allergies and it happens to be dogs but I’ve always loved petting dogs growing up,” Reyes said.

Blizzard and Volcano are actually hypoallergenic and have hair, not fur which makes them

allergy friendly so everyone can be included.

Reyes also shared her thoughts on her experiences with the event.

“It’s really cool getting to know the owner’s story because they’re [the dogs], like another member of the family, makes them really special.”

Cerritos College hosts dog therapy all semester.

The next dog therapy event will be held on Feb.17.

COMMUNITY - 3

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

Downey high schools unite for a big cause Jonathan Diaz Sports Editor

On Feb. 6, both Downey and Warren High School organized a walkout against the ICE raids that were happening all over the nation.

The protest was organized by the Instagram account “Rally_ the_youth” run by Warren High School seniors Daniel Arias and London Blanco while Downey High School senior Ulysses Ayala organized and led the protest for Downey.

Blanco stated she thought of the idea stating “I thought of it and I texted a couple friends they told about Daniel and he also agreed to organize a walkout.”

London later stated that they made the “Rally_the_youth” account and made a postorganizing. Arias said at first organizing a protest like this was a bit difficult with him.

“Well in the beginning it was kind of unorganized we didn’t really know what we were doing but it literally just started in social media,” said Arias.

Arias continued, “We got the word out by repost, stories, I mean social media is powerful when it comes down to spreading the word.”

Ayala wanted in on the action “I don’t want to sit around and be nobody – I want to help, I want to do my best,” he said.

“I walked out of my class and began chanting and figured out where to go and that’s when I heard about meeting up with

JONATHAN DIAZ

1,100 Downey and Warren high school students in front of Downey City Hall with the Mexican flag during the organized student walkout on Feb. 6, 2025.

Warren. I helped lead the line to come up here and meet up with Warren with these two [Daniel and London] and from there we walked out to city hall,” Ayala stated.

The Protest saw over 1,000 students from both schools meeting on the corner of Firestone Boulevard and Paramount Boulevard before marching down 3rd Street heading towards

Downey City Hall.

When asked about the turn out the protest Daniel said, “Well honestly I’m very proud of my fellow students, especially from Downey I’m happy that they came out and show support.”

Daniel also stated that he wasn’t expecting a big turnout with him as he said “We were not expecting this turnout, We had 338 signatures this morning [Feb.

6] and that’s all we were expecting we weren’t expecting that many people but once we spoke on the senior stage and why were doing it and they just followed.”

The students were chaperoned by many school officials such as school security and teachers with one teacher being history teacher Erin Hanohano she stated that she was proud of the students protesting.

“As a human being as a mother of two Hispanic daughters as a teacher to these kids I am so proud there has been zero issues, they all followed direction, they been very super peaceful, very respectful, and I believe in their cause and I believe their teachers and their parents support them and believe in their cause.”

Mayumi Market rings in Lunar New Year Duran Ventura Community Editor

On Feb. 2 Mayumi Market celebrated Lunar New Year at Common Space Brewery in Hawthorne for the first market of the year.

The market was with booths full of vendors with DJ Magie Hue mixing good beats on the turntable.

“I think it’s great to have the community come together to celebrate. I grew up celebrating with my family, so it’s great to celebrate here with friends and the community,” Hue said.

Katrina Lamas who runs Kachu Shave Ice discussed her business, “It’s Hawaiian-style shave ice. I make most of my own syrups and toppings, a coconut whip that’s really good that goes on top of all the shaved ice.”

The biggest line for food vendors was Cesar Moran and Sariah Ho One Hot Minute.

“We’re a plant-based PeruvianChinese fusion pop-up. We remix flavors from our childhood and combine them together, create new interesting dishes. we started

with our sandwich, our butifarra, but our Sichuan thick handful noodles, our best-seller,” Moran said.

Thao Nguyen who was another attendee, shared his thoughts on the Mayumi Market, “Very fun.

Love to see all the community coming together, different types of vendors, different types of food. Yeah, it’s really fun.”

Mayuni Fox the organization of Mayumi Market shared plans for the market this year, “Yeah, we’re actually going to be starting a residency at Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles So there’s a bottom floor.

So we’re going to be there. I think the third Saturday is with every month starting in March.”

In previous years people used to call it Chinese New Year, but now it has changed to Lunar New Year with Volunteer Jungmin Lee sharing her thoughts on it.

“I’m Korean, so we also celebrate Lunar New Year. I think it’s just a matter of preference for people. For me, Lunar New Year is more inclusive to all of the different countries and ethnicities that do celebrate Lunar New Year.”

DURAN VENUTRA

Organizer Mayumi Fox with volunteer Bei Heaid. on Feb. 2, 2025.

Esther Park who runs Grumpy Chocolatier talked about what her bestseller is. “It’s my bonbons are my best sellers its artisanal chocolate in small batches.”

This year is the snake it meaning is intelligence, resilience, and love.

Linh Nguyen who sells and runs BAC Vietnamese jewelry talked about her best-selling jewelry, “My best seller is a square ring shape. It’s what’s inspired by Banh Kyung, which is a traditional cake that we have during Lunar New Year. It represents the land. It

went back to 400 years ago. It was the origin of Vietnam.”

The state of New York has become the first state ever to close schools for Lunar New Year.

Fox also shared her opinion that the Lunar New Year should be a federal holiday, “Yeah, definitely. Just like Western New Year’s is a national holiday. That’d be cool if we have Lunar New Year closed.”

The first Lunar New Year celebrations in the United States were in the mid-1800s, brought by the first wave of Chinese

immigrants.

The first recorded celebration was in Belleville, New Jersey in 1871.

The city of San Francisco has one of the oldest and biggest Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown in the United States.

The year of the snake celebrations evernts will countie around Southern Califorina in tell in the end of February.

Mayumi Market has become one of the top event for people and vendors in Asian community.

4 - ARTS

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

Hollywood meets the courtroom Karina Soriano Staff Writer

“Suits LA” is the new spin-off, in a new city of the fan-favorite show “Suits” with new characters and new cases that tie in with current legal practice, specifically entertainment law.

The show premieres on Feb. 23. on NBC and Peacock.

The new series brings a former New York prosecutor, Ted Black, who is played by Stephen Amell, to Los Angeles to start Black Lane Law Firm, an entertainment law practice.

While the series will bring in these new characters it will also have a recurring guest in Harvey Specter, who is played by Gabriel Macht, and who was one of the main characters in the original show.

His return ties in with the new series and will remind

When an old friend is in need…it’s time to take care of things Gabriel Macht Actor

DAVID ASTORGA/NBC

Stephen Amell as Ted Black in Suits: LA, for the pilot episode which premieres Feb. 23, 2025.

the audience of the first series, throwing in some nostalgia.

Alongside with the new characters for everyone to enjoy.

However, Macht is the only confirmed cast member set to return.

He went on Instagram to tease the return of his character, putting on his suit and shoes.

The caption reading, “When

Balloonerism: heartfelt reflection of Mac Miller Karina Soriano Staff Writer

Balloonerism embodies his artistic growth with a playful spirit behind it and introspective messages that are often brought into his lyrics, it paves the way for themes such as love, loss, and discovery.

It is a cut of several genres hiphop, jazz and with a psychedelic tinge throughout.

Balloonerism has this lush instrumentation that lays down this very distinct sound.

Tracks like DJ’s Chord Organ feat. Sza, Rick’s Piano, and Friendly Hallucinations are examples of the ingenuity in this album.

The production quality is beyond noteworthy, with each track being crafted to highlight Miller’s lyrical prowess.

The layers of sound this album gives us from subtle background vocals to intricate instrumentals create a very rich auditory landscape.

Stephen Bruner who most might know as Thundercat, was very involved in the creation of this album.

His production on this album adds a live instrumentation that is edgy but has that at-home feel of traditional jazz and hints of funk.

This album has Thundercat’s influence throughout making it such a special listen.

Outside of just making

their friendship lingers, which for listeners adds a personal touch to this album.

Listeners encounter such a tapestry of sound that reflects Mac Miller’s artistic evolution.

The smooth transitions between tracks create a listening experience that invites fans to immerse themselves fully in his world.

Balloonerism provides an opportunity to showcase Miller’s talents while paying tribute to the music that inspired him.

Lyrically, the depth of this album runs deep in conceptions of the highs and lows that fly around Miller’s mind.

He allows the listener into this very raw sense of fragility to pour through as he dives into his mental health and provides us a glimpse into his mindset.

This resonates deeply with him touching on personal challenges and experiences.

As you listen he paints this vivid imagery in a world that often feels very chaotic.

Miller’s music offers solace and understanding which makes Balloonerism more than just an album.

It’s a journey through the highs and lows of life, a celebration of resilience, and a heartfelt tribute to the enduring spirit of such a talented artist whose contributions to this world will be greatly missed but never forgotten.

an old friend is in need…it’s time to take care of things and make those very ‘things’ right,” said Macht.

The practice of entertainment law is perfect since it’s set in LA. The audience can feel the tension and anticipation in the new teaser trailer that was released on Jan. 24.

The teaser trailer introduces

Black Lane Law Firm and its employees, both their work and personal lives.

It’s not just about their workrelated problems but also about individuals within a company and the relationships that develop, with strong character chemistry that’s obvious to viewers.

The trailer shows tension and romantic complications at Black

Lane Law, just as it did in the original series.

Keeping a work balance and a life balance seems to be a huge challenge in the show that a lot of the audience can relate to.

The new location in LA opens up new stories for the series, making fans excited for the return of the series according to the feedback that has been given so far on social media.

The show will tackle modern issues such as social media’s impact on public perception, Hollywood’s crazy challenge of representation and life in Hollywood which will definitely collide with guest stars in the series.

By combining the success of the first series with some legal issues that viewers might find familiar in the world of entertainment.

The producers are hoping to create a show that will be able to appeal to old and incoming viewers.

In the long run, “Suits LA” will not only be a legal drama but a reflection of modern life and its gray areas between right and wrong.

It can get a hold of both old and new followers and make it a must watch in the changing face of legal TV.

AMPED - 5

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

the

UNDER RATED

the best of what you have(n’t) heard

..

ing. c u d intro

The Weeknd Hurry Up Tomorrow Introducing the end of an era as we know it. The cycle all comes to an end with this being The Weeknd’s final album, circling back to his first release.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MELANIE SALGUERO

Artists going through some breakup, whether a friendship or a relationship, will be guaranteed to give us amazing music.

on

ge... r e v the Lola Young This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway Coming off a collaberation with Tyler, The Creator, Lola Young has captured the ear of many new listeners.

Heartbreak is inspiring Do you ever get the urge to sit and listen to the most heartwrenching music with your headphones on full blast?

If you said no then you’re probably just lying to yourself.

Music has such an incredible emotional influence over us that sometimes it can be hard to grasp its impact.

It’s everywhere we go and every aspect of our lives, from the people we meet to the experiences we have growing up.

It can trigger the release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter, leading to positive emotions like happiness and excitement, or evoke sadness and melancholy depending on the melody and lyrics.

The thing with heartbreaking music is that we tend to listen to it at any time or place in our lives.

You don’t sit in your room when you’re having the worst day of your life and play an upbeat song that you can dance to.

However, even if we are at our peak and the happiest we have ever been, we are still able to sit in a car and belt out the most gutwrenching lyrics we’ve ever heard.

There are so many artists who always seem to hit the right spots with the music they write in heartbreak.

We have witnessed so many artists build their careers on the

pain they have experienced and the way they can turn it into something beautiful for the world to connect to.

Taylor Swift has always been majorly known for writing “too many breakup songs.”

Bruno Mars has had some of his biggest songs come from the pits of heartbreak, which people still love and listen to.

We can see people online making jokes asking for someone to break the man’s heart, just to get another song or two out there.

As well as others such as SZA, Billie Eilish, Chappel Roan, Noah Kahan, The Weekend, etc.

There are so many on the list that it’s hard to name them all, but those are some very recent artists who capture heartbreak so beautifully.

However, breakup songs or albums can differ in the direction the music takes.

We have many to choose from ranging from angry breakup albums to loving breakup albums with a lot of heartfelt songs inside of them.

A recent album that has stood very prominently was Kansas Anymore by ROLE MODEL. The album was entirely built from his split with Emma Chamberlain, as the two were in a public relationship together.

The entire album is an ode to

the love they had for each other and it is almost like we can almost try to get an understanding of his perspective of not only their relationship and the breakup.

He wrote “Frances” titled after Emma Frances Chamberlain.

In the song he is trying to understand what went wrong and trying to put the pieces together.

He expresses the gratitude he holds, having that time with her.

“At the end of the day, I’m just happy, I could say she was mine.”

In the album, he expresses, the way that Chamberlain molded him the person that he is today and the person he became writing the album.

He ends the album off with the track, “Something, Somehow, Someday.”

In which he expresses a longing for a chance to be with her at the right time.

He holds the hope that they will eventually be something, despite of what has transpired between them, at some point in time.

It is a beautiful dedication.

Through him and many other artists, we are able to witness the way artists are able to take these painful experiences that everyone knows and understands the feeling of all too well and turn them into something amazingly unqiue.

LOCAL COLOR shows • concerts • exhibits • performances • etc.

•MUSIC• BLINK-182 @ HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM FEB.13

•EXHIBITS• KEEP YOUR WONDER MOVING @ SEAN KELLY GALLERY JAN. 18 - MARCH 8

TV GIRL @ THE BELLWETHER FEB. 13

ARE WE HERE YET? @ RUSHA & CO FEB. 8 - MARCH 15

TYLER, THE CREATOR @ CRYPTO.COM ARENA FEB. 14-21

ALEX ISRAEL: NOIR @ GAGOSIAN FEB. 6 - MARCH 22

•ART• CONTROL GALLERY @ LA BREA FEB. 15

•THEATER• HARRY POTTER @ PANTAGES THEATER FEB. 15- JUNE 22

Calling all Cerritos College artists, actors, musicians, photographers, performers, etc.

Do you have an upcoming exhibit?

Show? Concert? Album release party?

aMPeD

Get listed on:

You can contact is by e-mailing us at editor@talonmarks.com by calling us at (562) 860-2451 x2618 or by visiting us at Talon Marks Newsroom in the Fine Arts building FA245 (2nd floor)

Malcolm Todd Sweet Boy Malcom Todd gained quite the audience from his song, “Roommates,” he explores themes of love and the feelings of missing relationships and realizing it’s okay to let go sometimes.

...

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alm

Mareux Lovers From The Past Coming off the success of his hit single, “The Perfect Girl,” Mareux crafted this 2023 album featuring many more Romantic Darkwave hits.

ice... o h c ssic

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Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city After that halftime performance at the Super Bowl, how could you not want to tune in to some classic Kendrick.

Jeff Buckley Grace Jeff Buckley will always hit just those right spots when you’re in the mood for some emotional pining. Especially with “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.”

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The Substance starring Demi Moore This movie will grab ahold of your brain for the entire two hour run with its themes on beauty standards and the experiences women face.

The Devil Wears Prada starring Meryl Streep A classic choice, a 2000s film about the fashion industry. There really is no going wrong with Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep.

6 - OPINION

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

•Editorial•

Talon Marks is a First Amendment publication.

Editorials express the views of the Editorial Board.

Other opinions express the view of the author & are not to be considered opinions of the publication’s staff, the Editorial Board, the advisers, the Cerritos College Associated Students, the college administration or the Board of Trustees.

Production & printing of Talon Marks is funded by the Associated Students of Cerritos College (ASCC).

The Talon Marks Newsroom and journalism offices are located in the Fine Arts & Communications Building, Second Floor Room FA245.

Cerritos College is located at 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA 90650 Newsroom Telephone number: (562) 860-2451, ext. 2618 Talon Marks Advertising Telephone number: (562) 860-2451, ext. 2617 Vol. 69 © 2025 Talon Marks Spring 2025 Editors Editor in Chief Isaac Cordon News Editor Natalie Gonzalez Community Editor Duran Ventura Arts & Entertainment Editor Melanie Salguero Sports Editor Jonathan Diaz Staff Writers Claudia Arias Angie Campos Brenden Gonzales Ivan Llata Felix Palencia Karina Soriano Faculty Adviser Christian Brown Instructional Lab Tech I Alicia Edquist Cerritos College Talon Marks are collegiate and professional members of Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) California College Media Association (CCMA) California News Publishers Association (CNPA) College Media Association (CMA)

Immigrants make America great President Donald Trump is painting a narrative that all immigrants are bad people and has stated that they sell drugs and don’t follow the law.

Given the second term, President Trump promised action on the mass deportation of immigrants which is sending hateful messages to immigrants and U.S. citizens need to realize that immigrants are not bad people.

President Trump’s immigration policy is removing unlawful immigrants from the U.S. Many immigrants have no criminal records and pay their do and are still getting deported.

President Trump suspended the entry of all undocumented migrants to the border and border patrol agents are instructed to turn people away without granting them asylum hearings.

Immigration was able to arrive at the U.S. border and had the right to seek asylum.

President Trump has said he will issue an executive order instructing federal agencies to stop recognizing birthright citizenship.

He will order agencies to stop issuing Social Security cards and passports to the U.S.-born children of undocumented parents.

The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed citizenship to people born in the United States, without regard to parentage.

A federal judge issued a nationwide hold indefinitely blocking President Trump’s order to restrict birthright citizenship.

Judges have found President Trump’s policies unlawful.

If you can sit and argue that, “immigrants are what’s wrong with America,” then you should be able to back it up and give a damn good reason.

What makes the whole argument that all immigrants are bad so laughable, is what they are trying to use as evidence.

All they can scream out and repeat is that they don’t belong here and that they don’t do anything to benefit America.

However, according to migrationpolicy.org, “Immigrants boost overall economic growth by

EDITORAL CARTOON BY DERRICK TELIX

expanding the labor force and increasing consumer spending.”

However, it is doubtful these racist individuals are looking to have a fair debate on whether or not immigrants are all bad people.

The belief that they are evil people is so harmful than people care to realize, as we can see by the ideals that the current U.S. president is

putting out into the country.

We currently have families being ripped apart and simply leaving them with absolutely nothing.

It is shameful and disgusting to see that the people in power choose to do such hateful things to the most hard-working groups of people.

Immigrants are good people with good hearts

who just want to build better lives for themselves and their families.

It is truly horrifying to see these stereotypes placed upon them and tear families apart and ruin their lives.

There are no more hypotheticals.

All because the people in power choose to believe that all immigrants are bad people.

Nico Harrison needs to be fired right now Micheal Delgado Contributor

Nico Harrison deserves to be fired after trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks just made the biggest mistake, possibly in NBA history, more specifically Mavericks general manager, Nico Harrison.

On Feb. 1 the Mavericks shockingly traded away their superstar player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.

This trade shook the entire sports world, as it is being labeled as the biggest trade in NBA history.

After it was announced officially, many fans questioned how was this possible, and why would the Mavericks trade the face of their franchise.

Harrison says that he believes defense wins champions, and acquiring a player like Anthony Davis will give them a better chance to win a championship, now and three to four years down the line.

Dallas also started to have concerns about Luka’s conditioning and weight issues going forward in the future.

With all that being said, this trade still and will forever make

ERIK DROST/FLICKR

Luka Doncic during the Dallas Mavericks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game on May 9, 2021.

absolutely zero sense from the Mavericks perspective.

In no way, shape or form, should they have traded away a player who is only 25-years-old, in the prime of his career, and is guaranteed to make your team a title contender for the bare minimum next 8 years.

In seven years, Doncic has been named a five-time first-team All-NBA, a five-time All-Star, has averaged 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for his career so far and has also averaged 30 points a game in the playoffs.

He has led the Mavericks to two Western Conference appearances, and in the 2024

season, he led the team to an NBA finals despite being “overweight” and having “conditioning issues.”

Even the Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was baffled by the trade offer because nobody in their right mind would even think of trading a player like Doncic.

Anthony Davis is a great player, someone who could play at an elite level on both sides of the ball, but he is 32-years-old and has a history of being injuryprone.

To Davis credit, he has been a lot more durable in his last three seasons with the Lakers but if acquiring him means that a team has to get rid of a top-three player in the NBA, they should never do it.

Players like Doncic are generational, and there is a very high chance the Mavericks will never find a replacement for him.

Doncic was supposed to be a Maverick his whole career, win a championship for the city of Dallas but Harrison set back this franchise for a decade.

In the short term, one could argue that the Mavericks are a better team than the Lakers right now, and it wouldn’t be crazy to say that.

In the long run the Lakers have found the new face of the franchise for the next decade.

What fashion trend do you hate?

Compiled by: Angie Campos & Claudia Arias “It just depends on the person, honestly…I feel like everyone has their own look, but maybe jorts because I don’t like them on myself.”

Diana Siqueiros (She/Her) “Skinny jeans, super skinny jeans. Some people pull them off but me personally they’re really uncomfortable and super tight. Suffocating almost.”

Damian Cortez (He/Him) “Bubble skirts. I’m okay with short skirts but bubble skirts don’t really cover much.”

Aine Garnett (She/Her) “Duck nails. They give scooping vibes instead of cute delicate nails.”

Natalii Vaughn (She/Her)

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS are welcome. They may be submitted both onlin and in person. In all cases, letters must be signed with real names before they will be considered for publication, either online or in print. Campus related issues are given priority. Talon Marks attempts to publish every letter it receives except those judged to be an invasion of privacy, libelous, obscene, or plagarized. Letters may be edited due to space and clarity. You may deliver letters to Fine Arts & Communications Building - second floor - room FA245 Talon Marks newsroom or contact the editor by email at editor@talonmarks.com

SPORTS - 7

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025

Cerritos earns seventh straight victory Michael Delgado Contributor

The Cerritos College Falcons men’s basketball team took care of business at home against Los Angeles Southwest Cougars to give them their seventh straight win on Feb. 5.

The Cougars started this game with high energy on both sides of the ball by taking an early 12-5 lead.

Cerritos had many opportunities to score in the paint in the first couple of minutes but many missed second-chance points opportunities.

“They have some talented players and you gotta expect them to come out and play well, and they did, got a nice lead and we battled back by getting the ball inside.

Once we got a feel for the game, we started to rebound a little bit better, I thought we took control”, said Cerritos head coach Russ May. The Falcons were able to get back into this game quickly as they forced turnovers and stayed

MICHAEL DELGADO

Falcons forward Andrew Mata shooting a three point attempt with Cougars forward Chase McDuffie defending the shot during the Cerritos College vs. Los Angeles Southwest men's basketball game on Feb. 6, 2025.

aggressive on offense.

Cerritos ended the half going on a 32-18 run taking a 30-37 lead heading into the 2nd period.

The team was led by consistent play from the Falcons starting five with four players scoring five or more points.

For the Cougars despite

coming into this game as the underdogs, they were able to keep the game close in the first half.

The same can’t be said about the second half of the game, where the Falcons were able to take full control, earning the biggest lead of the game of 23 three points.

What helped the Falcons

take such a commanding lead was a dominant second-half performance from starting center, Spencer Ezewiro.

Ezewiro was able to score 18 points, along with five rebounds and a block.

The Cougars got great scoring performances from guards,

COMMENTARY

Hansen Clarke and Kenneth Tyree who put up a combined 53 of the team’s 88 total points, but it wasn’t enough as the team’s lack of bench depth puts them at a disadvantage.

The game ended with the Cougars showing a little fight with two minutes to go as they shrunk the lead down to seven but with no time left, the Falcons had the game in the bag.

The Falcons have been rolling, as they have won seven straight and nine of the last 10 games to keep a lead in the South Coast Conference.

“This team is very unselfish, we all bond as one, I think everybody is a unit and everybody plays as a unit, we are approaching these games one at a time, trying to be the best version of ourselves, get the job done and after it’s done move on to the next,” said Falcons guard Darron Henry.

Cerritos next game will be a good one on the road against Conference rival, The Compton Tatars, on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.

OPINION

Future unknown for Kyle Busch Is the NFL predetermined?

Brenden Gonzales

Ivan Llata

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

When the 2024 NASCAR season concluded, it did so without Kyle Busch winning a Cup Series race for the first time since 2004.

Busch, who has 231 NASCAR National Series victories, began his three-year tenure with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2023.

The pairing scored three victories and a 14th-place finish in the points standings.

Now Busch is set to enter the 2025 season with a 63-race winless streak and a year left on his contract with RCR. In his two seasons with the team Busch has been their star driver however, his attitude over the team’s struggles in 2024 was anything but pleasant.

After the NASCAR All-Star Race in May of 2024, Busch was involved in a fight with fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. When Stenhouse Jr. made a comment that alluded to further retaliation at the next race, Busch responded, “I suck just as bad as you.”

A month later in June 2024, Busch had reached one calendar year since his last Cup Series win.

During his media availability at Iowa Speedway, Busch was asked about the potential for him to return to one of his former teams Joe Gibbs Racing.

Busch answered “If I was welcomed I would go back. If Hendrick welcomed me back I would go back, but right now I’m at RCR…” RCR never commented on Busch’s remark.

With the recent controversial calls in NFL games, NFL fans have come to question if the NFL is predetermined. While the controversial calls make it seem that way the NFL is not predetermined but there is favoritism.

It seems the teams with the most popular athletes or the teams most favored to win the Super Bowl get favoritism and special treatment.

Teams like the Buffalo Bills with Josh Allen, the Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson and the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes, for the last couple of seasons.

It seems all the defender has to do is touch the quarterback and they get called for roughing the passer.

The teams with the worst record such as the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants don't receive this benefit.

Support for player safety is important, however it is also important to be consistent.

There are also inconsistent calls with pass interference.

The rules of the game are in favor of the offense too much, such as: pass interference in theory, the defensive back has as much right to the ball as the wide receiver.

There have been too many instances in the NFL where games were decided on a controversial pass interference call.

In the NFL, a pass interference penalty is a spot

BRENDEN GONZALES

Prior to the 2019 Auto Club 400 Kyle Busch's team push his car through inspection.

Busch would win his 200th race that day on March 17, 2019.

With the 2025 season approaching there has still been no word on whether or not Busch will have a contract with RCR after the season.

While RCR has not announced plans to replace Kyle Busch after 2025, the team does have several drivers contracted in the lower divisions of NASCAR, Jessie Love and Austin Hill.

At 39 years old Busch is one of the oldest Cup Series drivers still competing full-time and has talked very loosely about when he plans to retire.

In July of 2023 while on SiriusXM’s “Cars & Culture with Jason Stein” Busch laid out his ideal retirement situation, a plan revolving around his son Brexton Busch and his racing career.

Kyle Busch would retire from Cup racing when Brexton turned 15 years old and run a full season for his team Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR

Truck Series.

For the following two years, the father and son duo would split the Busch-owned truck until Brexton was 18 years old, then Kyle Busch would retire from racing to allow his son to run a full season in the Truck Series.

If Busch’s plans for retirement come to fruition he would retire from racing in 2033.

However, Busch sold Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) to Spire Motorsports at the end of the 2023 season and has not spoken publicly about his retirement since.

The exact details about the sale of KBM are not public however what is known is that Busch did not retain any ownership.

With no ownership in any team, Busch must sign a deal to ensure his future in any NASCAR division.

JERAMEY JANNENE

Two Arena Football League referees pointing at a penalty flag during a football game on March 21, 2008.

foul meaning the ball is placed where the foul happened putting the defense at an immediate disadvantage.

The NFL has to find a way to balance out the rules to make the game more fair for the defense like making pass interference ruled like college football.

In college football, pass interference is just a 15-yard penalty in general which is a better option for the NFL so that the rules aren't so much in favor of the offense that the game gets turned into flag football.

I understand deep routes and great catches bring the ratings up, however, fans also like to see great defensive plays such as interceptions and fumbles and fewer games determined by the referee's whistle.

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Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025