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Feb. 1, 2016
Gas leak closes down food court
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C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S
Issue 211.05
Nico Triunfante
Copy Editor
El Pollo Loco in the University cafeteria experienced a gas leak on Monday night, Jan. 25th. Campus police quickly escorted students outside of the cafeteria as soon as the news broke out from the kitchen workers. “As we got to the food court, a female worker was propping open the door with a trashcan. She turned out to be the last El Pollo Loco employee still inside to leave,” said Robert Black, Communications graduate student. “We even joked about something weird going on, then a campus security guard came in and announced that we needed to evacuate the building.” However, students can rest assure that the gas leak did not harm any workers or other students within the vicinity. “It was just one of our burners that happened to break,” said Yesenia Pena, El Pollo Loco Shift Leader. “So we called the emergency facilities and they fixed it right away.” In order to ensure that the gas leak didn’t affect any of their products, El Pollo Loco immediately closed their registers. “As soon as that happened we closed and didn’t open until the next day,” Pena said. There were no reports of other students, workers, or restaurants being affected by the gas leak.
INSIDE: LA ONDA:
AUTOS DEL 2016 CON UN TOQUE
TECNOLÓGICO MUY AVANZADO
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| Photo courtesy yaf.org
Conservative group under fire for controversial speaker Ben Shapiro Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
On Jan. 21st, Cal State LA’s Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter published a post on their Facebook page announcing that Ben Shapiro, a conservative speaker and editorin-chief of The Daily Wire, would arrive on campus on Feb. 25th to speak at the group’s event ‘When Diversity Becomes a Problem’ in the University-
Student Union Theatre. Since its announcement, intense social media debate has cropped up between members of both Cal State LA and outside affiliations. ‘When Diversity Becomes a Problem’ is one of the many stops in Shapiro’s national college tour for YAF. It claims to be a “nationwide tour invading campus ‘safe spaces’,” according to The Daily Wire.
Mind Matters opens arms for students Taylor Preza
Production Manager The Mind Matters Initiative at Cal State LA recently widened its doors to emotionally comfort more students on campus. The Initiative is meant to spark conversation about a subject that many may find uncomfortable.
CAMPUS CONSIDERS A POLICY ON THE BAN OF HOVERBOARDS PG 2
With the focus of integrating inner well being into the framework of University life as a means of supporting student success, the college’s First Lady Debbie Covino, inspired this Initiative. The combination of her personal experiences and her current work as a hypnotherapist encouraged First Lady Covino to launch the Mind Matters Initiative on campus. “I overcame an anxiety disorder
This tour follows Shapiro’s highly controversial appearances at the University of Missouri and Otay Ranch High School, the latter resulted in an administrator of Otay Ranch High School actually stopping the event mid-speech “because he (Shapiro) informed the students that Americans who were permanently poor had made poor decisions rather than suffered victimization by the American system,” according to The Daily Wire. The belief among
some members of Cal State LA is that this campus is one of many being targeted for its strong diversity values.
with the help of professionals and by working on my inner well-being,” First Lady Covino said. “I know first hand how important it is for us to take care of ourselves on the inside.”
“The staff of psychological counselors has been doubled, and more space has been created to serve students,” First Lady Covino said.
The Initiative stresses for those on campus to not only show emotional support, but also physically surround those who may need the extra comfort. More resources have been added to the campus to supplement the psychological counseling available at the Student Health Center.
“This is part of a wide campaign around the country by right wing reactionary groups that are targeting diverse campuses such as ours,” said Dr. Robert Weide, a sociology professor at Cal State
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In addition to the services at the Student Health Center, a room in the University-Student Union called the Reflection Room is now dedicated exclusively for student relaxation. It is also the home of Group Meditations on a regular basis. Other events hosted by Mind Matters include the recent
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FIRST MEXICANAMERICAN U.S. POET LAUREATE PAYS A VISIT
ARREST MADE OF ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPER
STUDENT PREPARE FOR QUARTER TO SEMESTER CHANGE
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University Times
Campus administrators
consider a ban on hoverboards Hoverboard trend explodes out of proportion. Oscar Alanis Contributor
Following several reports of crashing and exploding hoverboards, the self-balancing device is becoming a huge safety issue. Not only have they caused many restrictions and new laws addressing the issue, but also the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating hoverboards as a result of numerous reports of the device exploding. As of Jan. 1st, the new California law requires that all hoverboard users must be 16 years or
older to ride the mobile device, wear a helmet and can only be used on streets where the speed limit is 35 mph or lower. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will enforce this new law. Anyone who decides to break this new law, or rides the board under the influence may be subject to a fine of $250. California is not the only one putting restrictions on hoverboards. Metrolink trains have banned hoverboards and any other self-balancing device as a whole. They are not even permitted on the train. The policy went into effect on Jan. 4th after growing concerns from passengers. Most importantly, the twowheeled scooter is being banned at universities and colleges all over the country. More than
Feb. 1, 2016 30 schools have prohibited the boards from being on campus including the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, Cal State LA and the rest of the Cal State University (CSU) system have yet to ban them. However, that may not be the case for too long at Cal State LA. “The university is currently drafting a policy regarding hoverboards,” said Robert Lopez, Executive Director for Communication and Public Affairs. “The University Housing System has a policy that prohibits the use of motorized vehicles in the residential housing area. This would include hoverboards.” The possible ban is yet to be official on campus, but some students are already furious and irritated with the upcoming policy. “The policy that is being drafted is a result of the growing use of hoverboards and safety issues that have arisen with their increased use,” Lopez said. Cody Parks, 24, sophomore TVF major is upset with the potential ban on the device. Parks recently purchased a hoverboard, and planned on using it to school
Photo Courtesy | fastcompany.net
when he received it. “They should be treated like skateboards. I don’t think the school has a policy on skateboards,” Parks said. “I think we are living in a sensitive time, so they are overreacting to maybe two handfuls of incidents.” They might be useful to get from one side of campus to the other, but students like Priscilla Dinh, 18, freshman nursing major thinks hoverboards are ridiculous and is happy to hear that Cal State LA is taking action against the latest trend.
What every student needs to know about the shame of sexuality. Marcela Valdivia Contributor
Cal State LA Psychology professor, Dr. Heidi Riggio spoke about the shame of sexuality in honor of Sex Ed Week on Tuesday, Jan. 26th. She encouraged students to think about sex as something completely natural, where people should feel comfortable in expressing their thoughts and having an open conversation with someone about the topic. Riggio focused her talk on religion and its highly placed negative connotation on the outcomes of sexuality. Men and women from certain cultures are stoned to death for having sexual intercourse. In order to prevent people from having sex, people have been placed under physical torture. Even the Bible contains verses that clearly state the importance of purity or how women should completely cover themselves in public. Women in different cultures who are raped are blamed for the incident because they are accused of dressing provocatively and are irresponsible individuals. In or-
Even today Republican presidential candidates talk about these issues and undermine females. Donald Trump oppressed Fox News Channel broadcaster Megyn Kelly about her body after she asked him a tough question in one of the Republican National convention debates. Trump thought it was appropriate to criticize a female’s body and make them feel inferior. Jeb Bush, a Republican Party nominee for the presidential election, had recently talked about how sex is a reckless act and people should be ashamed. He wants to highly ridicule this behavior and oppress people who have sex. The subject of sex continues to be denounced because books about sex are banned and schools promote the idea that sex education should not be taught. In reality all these factors provide people with information and teaches individuals about their body. When asked by the University Times if sexual beliefs would change over time, Professor Riggio stated, “perspectives on sex-
uality will certainly change over time, as technological and medical advances help us recognize the positive effects of sexuality and control spread of disease, unwanted pregnancies, and so on.” There is scientific evidence that having sex with a respectful and positive approach is beneficial as there is greater relationship satisfaction, self-esteem, and psychological and physical wellness. Professor Riggio explains to University Times that she is extremely hopeful that people will question the supernatural, untestable bases and negative aspects of religion, including sexist ideology and negative, even violent views about sexuality. “Consider how such norms, including repressive, oppressive, sexist, violent, and shaming messages about sexuality that come from religion, might affect their own sexual feelings, behaviors, and sexual health,” Riggio said. Previous events that started Sex Ed Week was the presentation from Independent Visions of the Cross Cultural Centers with a documentary called (A)Sexual directed by Angela Tucker that highlighted people who experience no sexual attraction in a mainstream society obsessed with sex. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) also put together a panel where students talked about the complication they may encounter along the road in a
It is easy to see why the self-balancing device is a concern for students and why many cannot wait for a policy to be put into place. Cal State LA students will have to wait. According to Lopez, at this point, there is no set date of when the policy will go into effect.
“Riding a hoverboard is just
Dr. Heidi Riggio stimulates discussion on sex education der to appeal an incident of rape, women have to yell loud enough to be heard or, in some countries, have four witnesses recount the ordeal. Nevertheless, women eventually had to marry the rapist and give birth to their child. This later led to more women having derogatory names over men because men had less restricted sexual freedom.
an accident waiting to happen. I mean come on now, this is just the lazy way out of walking on campus,” Dinh said. “Overall, these things may look cool, but on campus this is unnecessary and very dangerous.”
polyamorous relationship. To conclude Sex Ed Week, there was a talk by Planned Parenthood that offered a workshop for queer-focused sex education. Throughout the course of Sex Ed Week, students were able to hear from various people the importance of promoting a positive sexual health. For more on upcoming events from CSI be sure to pick up a winter 2016 calendar at your local University-Student Union.
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Continued from cover LA. “Our campus is largely people of color, we serve marginalized communities across South L.A., East L.A., and San Gabriel, and we won the fight last year over having an ethnic studies course as a graduation requirement, a fight which some are still angry about.” This anger between two very different attitudes is quickly pointed out by the YAF page, which states that “based on Shapiro’s record of igniting the fury of leftist activists at every school he visits, it is fair to expect that this lecture tour will include a variety of explosive confrontations with campus liberals.” Concern over the context of this event—which speaks out against trigger warnings, microaggressions, Black Lives Matter, safe spaces, and #concernedstudents1950 among other topics— has indeed led to intense discussion among Facebook users on the event’s page, drawing commenters from across the United States. A Facebook opposition page titled “POWER TO THE PEOPLE! Anti-racist Counter Demonstration” has even been set up to oppose YAF’s event and the funding for it, which was partly provided by Associated Students, Inc. (ASI). The counter-event page’s host, Jose Trinidad Castañeda III, voiced his concerns over the deeper meaning of such an event occurring at Cal State LA. “The points YAF are trying to get at go deeper than the Facebook comments section. They use certain arguments to make the case that the Left is attacking freedom of speech and intellectual inquiry,” Castañeda wrote. “They’ve latched onto this idea that we are all victims, and we have created a culture of victimhood. This situation is symbolic and representative of political tensions igniting across the U.S.”
Editores: Martha J. Orellana Jessica Magaña Gerente de publicidad: Martha J. Orellana
Multiple Facebook users, both Cal State LA students and faculty, have lent support to this view, saying that Shapiro’s viewpoint makes light of the hardship faced by People of Color (POC) and that it threatens the safety of Cal State LA’s extremely diverse campus community.
Consejero de la Facultad:
“Cal State LA is one of the most diverse campuses
Para La Onda: Jefa de Redacción:
Graciela López
Pablo Baler
in this country,” Cal State LA student Jaime Guzmán wrote. “It is considered a Hispanic-serving institution and this event is being held? Let’s not forget that this campus is on the outskirts of East Los Angeles, quite literally between East L.A. and El Sereno, both communities known for the Chicano Civil Rights Movement!” YAF has responded to this with articles against “CSULA leftists”—stating that protestors are “spoiled children” trying to destroy free speech—and against Dr. Weide. Multiple ultraconservative news sources have banded together to accuse Dr. Weide of threatening students through the Facebook event page. This occurred after a Facebook supporter of the event, who was not a student, posted the profile picture of a Cal State LA student and attempted to intimidate and mock him. Dr. Weide responded with the intention of defending this student against the Facebook users who were not actually members of the Cal State LA community. A band of conservative newspapers—including Shapiro’s The Daily Wire, Ethics Alarms, and The Blaze—soon published articles accusing the professor of physically threatening Cal State LA students, a gross misconception which has resulted in phoned in and emailed death threats from some of the same people who’ve lashed out at the events protesters on the Facebook page. A crime report on these threats has been filed with the campus police. A man named Doyle Simons, who wrote “a bit of advice, watch your back from now on, emailed one such threat to Dr. Weide, “You never know when someone is gonna take that shot. It may be a bar or parking lot or even between classes! Oh what great fun. I’m white and looking forward to seeing you.” Mark Kahanding, Finance major at Cal State LA and the chair of Cal State LA’s YAF chapter, also responded to make the argument that this event was not inherently racist. “You do realize an Asian made this event right?” Kadanding asked Facebook protesters. “There are only 6 members. Only one of my members is white. Another is Asian and the other four are Hispanic. None of us give a c**p [sic] because conservatism binds us together, unlike you liberals who separate by race.” Kahanding stated that this event should not be silenced because a college’s job is to learn about and
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debate opposing viewpoints. Cal State LA student Dylan Gunartne agreed with this view. “As a student here at Cal State LA, I believe that we shouldn’t be silencing Shapiro’s viewpoint,” Gunartne said. “We should be encouraging other students to engage in this discussion—a discussion that has become a hot button issue in campuses across the country. If we can’t do that here in college, what’s the point of higher learning?” Many students and faculty, however, have announced that this event is not so much an open debate as it is an attack. “If someone wants to discuss politics, that’s great, but this is an attack on our campus,” Dr. Weide said. “There are conservative faculty here, including my colleague Dr. Bradley Campbell who even wrote about microaggression, but he was having a dialogue, not launching an attack against our community. This is much different.” Cal State LA’s student government within ASI appears to have followed through with supporting this event, at least financially. The ASI finance committee approved YAF for a maximum of $560 and, after meeting to review a possible violation of policy in its funding at a finance committee meeting last Friday, they have finalized their decision to fund this event. “As far as ASI is concerned, this club provided all the needed documentation outlined in our policies and the event is registered. ASI had already approved funding to the event on January 15th with the total amount of $560,” Antonio Canzona, the ASI Vice President for Finance and Chair of the Finance Committee wrote. As the nation faces the same essential in controversial speakers such as Donald Trump, the core of the debate has descended to the college community: how far do the rights of free speech extend? Can colleges block or defund the political beliefs of their students or should they allow political speech, even if it preaches disregard for whole groups of people? The weeks leading up to the event will set the precedent for what can be said and who has the right to be heard.
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Feb. 1, 2016
ASI drives a sock collection effort for homeless EPIC holds sock donation through Feb. 11. Ricky Rodas Intern
The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) hosted Winter Warm Up, a sock donation drive, right outside of Salazar Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 27th. Partnering with the Cal State LA Educational Participation in Communities (EPIC) program, the event was held to collect socks brought in by students and donate them to the homeless. Sean Weerasinghe, Chair of the Cabinet of College Representatives, was there to oversee and assist with the event. Weerasing-
he conceived the idea for the sock donation drive, with desires to host an event that would benefit the community of L.A. and get students to pitch in. “I wanted the students to get involved and give something back, not only to the campus but to the community,” Weerasinghe said. Getting students excited and passionate about serving those less fortunate is important for Weerasinghe, as he understands what it is like to not have the most basic of necessities. He is aware of how the smallest of gestures can impact a person’s life. “I used to be homeless, so I know what it’s like to be in need of things,” Weerasinghe said. “One of those people who was on the street may come in and they may be the next leader here on campus, maybe the next leader
Photo by Priscilla Fajardo
in our communities…you never know. So, it’s just uplifting for those around us.” According to Weerasinghe, socks are the least donated items
among all the objects collected by homeless shelters. L.A. Mission, an agency partnered with EPIC, will distribute the socks collected from Winter Warm Up.
There are donation boxes located on the 2nd floor of the University-Student Union and at the lower floor of the Career Center. Winter Warm up will be collecting socks until Feb. 11th.
University Times
Feb. 1, 2016 Continued from cover Therapy Dog Program. The event, held on Jan. 21st at the Main Walkway was an event hosted by the organization Love On 4 Paws and the Mind Matters Initiative that brought therapy dogs to the campus. This newly launched program allows students to spend a few minutes with a pet during stressed times on campus, near midterm and final exam periods. According to First Lady Covino, studies have shown that contact with animals brings about happiness and relaxation. Many students like Jazmin Mier can vouch just for that. “I feel like people really do need this. They need something, someone to make them feel more comfortable and dogs are always that thing to go to and the fact that they’re doing this is really cool,” said Mier, 18, a freshman Dance major. The Initiative primarily focuses on the campus. Campus leadership—the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, and the Senate Chair—have been certified through student mental health training. They can serve as contact points for students who need more information or who are seeking help. However, those at the top of the chain are not the only ones
who are capable of making a difference. With student involvement, the collaboration has increased the number of members in the Student Health Advisory Committee, (SHAC). It has gone from about 20 members to 60 as of Jan. 28th. These dedicated students act as ambassadors of well being on campus. They can answer questions about stress-related problems their peers may be facing, or direct them to the appropriate services. The next event hosted by Mind Matters will be on Feb. 11th at 3:30 P.M. where Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez, will visit the University and talk about his book, The Soloist. The event is meant to spark conversation about how a person is more than his or her mental illness. Although emotional health may be naked to the eye, it still plays an important role in First Lady Covino’s eyes. “We are aware that we need to care about our diet, exercise, and sleep habits, but most of us are not aware that hygiene for inner well-being is just as important, if not more so,” First Lady Covino stated. For more information on the Mind Matters Initiative and upcoming events, visit www.calstatela.edu/mindmatters.
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First Mexican-American U.S. Poet Laureate speaks at Cal State LA U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera presents the Jean Burden Poetry Reading. Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
Cal State LA opened its ballroom last Thursday night, Jan. 28th to the prestigious Jean Burden Poetry Reading, which has been held annually since its establishment in 1986, hosting a range of major figures in poetry. This year’s event provided a particularly special opportunity to the Cal State LA community by hosting the first ever MexicanAmerican U.S. Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera, a born and raised Californian who has published 28 books of poetry, young adult fiction, and children’s collections. Herrera began his term in Sept. 2015, after serving as Poet Laureate of California
since 2012. “Juan Herrera has dedicated his life to telling stories that reveal who we are as a nation,” said President Covino as he introduced Herrera to the audience. “A ritual, cultural landscape comes into view through his stories, turning us into travelers with Herrera at the wheel. Through his poetry we see, we feel, we hear, we experience, and that experience resonates.” Something changes in the atmosphere of the room when Herrera begins to speak. His voice constantly shifts with his message, cool jazz in one moment and yelling out the names of chilies the next; his words float over the audience in waves and his hands twist in the air, casting a spell that takes the crowd on a journey through his poems. One moment they are a bomb coming down on Darfur, singing in a voice sad and low as an object that must destroy, but does not want to. The next moment they are two scared girls on their
way to a detention center after trying to escape from a country that was both nothing and everything to them, and in the next moment the entire audience-from children to college students to administrators--are repeating the poetry recipe for world unity salsa. While Herrera spoke with a confidence and a passion that brought the audience to life, he told the story of a time when this was not his comfortable state of being. “I think about the 60s, my generation, I think about what pulled me into being a writer. I think about what yanked me out of silence,” Herrera said. “I was 12 years old and I couldn’t stand lying anymore; I couldn’t stand trembling and sweating when the teacher started looking at me. So I joined a class that I didn’t want to take, one that would take me out of the back row, put me in the front row, pin me down and force
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Continued from page 5 me to speak out. The class was choir.” Herrera, with his still trembling voice, arrived at UCLA in a time that was defined by social justice movements and great speakers. He yearned for that ability to just get up and speak. “I used to get up at the free speech area and shout out my poems because I was so afraid, my voice would tremble,” Herrera said. “But I discovered later that a trembling voice is a good voice because it is natural. It’s you. It’s me. It’s okay.” Today, as the first MexicanAmerican U.S. Poet Laureate and a strong speaker, Herrera shows a sense of identity that is so different from the boy who was scared of putting himself out there. His poems, a beautiful mixture of Spanish and English that flow smoothly in and out of each other, transcend the boundaries of one single race or culture while still maintaining a relationship with the past and continuing struggle of his people, which place these boundaries in the first place. This complicated mixture of identities comes from his recognition of his ancestors’ struggle, of all the work and all the suffering that they went through to bring him to his life today. “You know, I’ve realized that my family, they were pioneers,” Herrera said. “I used to think of them in all these difficult ways that we think of our families, because we know how much they have suffered. We begin to think that they were victims; we begin to think of them painfully, we begin to carry this pain. I carry that pain, that’s for sure.” As Herrera’s vantage point began to change from victim to pioneer, he realized that he’d
been looking at them from the wrong angle, missing the new trails that they’d opened for themselves and for him. “They came from Mexico, from the poorest barrio, and somehow they crossed these hundreds of miles,” Herrera said. “They worked the floors and the dishes, and they planted corn in the blistering sun, they were opening a new road. I hear people say, ‘they want to take our jobs from us’, we say, if you qualify for that job, go ahead and take it. But you gotta know how to use those knives, and you gotta know how to cut those vines. You gotta know how to burn under that sun, and you gotta know how to drink those pesticides. You gotta know how to bust your back and you gotta know how to get in line for that tiny check at the local store. And then you gotta know how to get back in and start all over again.” Inspired by the pioneer spirit of his family and meditative on the global joys and tragedies that he observes in his poems, Herrera’s message simplifies to that of outspoken and authentic love, on using one’s privilege to spread resources rather than climb on alone. This became apparent as he told the audience that the meaning of his career was to tell the world that they had a beautiful voice, to bring those voices together as a national and global community. “You all worked so hard to get to this point, and your parents worked so hard to get to this point,” Herrera said. “We have so many resources as writers and thinkers, and not everyone has these resources. So then the question is what are [you] going to do with these abilities and these resources, and most of all with your beautiful voice?”
Photos by Hannah Jacobsen
7 One arrests made in attempted kidnapping on campus University Times
Feb. 1, 2016
CSUN police and LAPD help in arrest of suspect in the attempted kidnapping. Pablo De La Hoya Web Editor
An attempted kidnapping occurred on campus Friday, Jan. 22nd, involving a visiting 13 year old girl. The victim does not attend either Cal State LA or the two high schools on campus. The suspect, Saul Moran, 19, attempted to entice the minor to leave with him. According to Chief of Police Rick Wall, “The suspect grabbed the victim, but she was able to get away.” She escaped without any injuries and left campus with her party.
The victim then later contacted the authorities and Cal State LA University Police began their investigation. In a press release, Public Safety stated that around 10 P.M., they received a tip that Moran was in an apartment in the Valley. LAPD officers then set up surveillance on the apartment until University Police arrived at the scene. Both Cal State Northridge (CSUN) and Cal State LA police officers responded to arrest Moran. According to Chief Wall, Moran was not charged by the district attorney’s office, but an ongoing investigation is being conducted by the city attorney’s office. Moran was then booked at the Los Angeles County Jail for attempted kidnapping and several misdemeanors.
Photo Courtesy | viconsortium.com
The Oscars: From Praise to Controversy Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith speak out on allwhite Oscars nominations. Leyah Galindo Contributor
After the nominations for the Oscars were announced Thursday, Jan. 14th, several people, including celebrities like Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith, voiced their dislike of all-white actors being nominated for films. Straight Outta Compton was the lone diverse film nominated for an Oscar for original screenplay. All other categories contain Caucasian actors and actresses. Celebrities are now planning to boycott the awards ceremony because of the lack of diversity amongst the nominations. Some go as far as to say that racism plays a big part in the Oscar’s nomination process. Pinkett-Smith said in a video posted on Facebook, “Begging for acknowledgement, or even asking, diminishes dignity and diminishes power. And we are a dignified people and we are powerful. Let’s let the academy do them, with all grace and love. And let’s do us differently.” Lee also voiced his opinion in an Instagram post stating, “The real battle over racism in Hollywood is not with the Academy Awards but in the executive offices of the Hollywood studios and T.V. and cable networks, where gatekeepers decide which projects
Photo Courtesy | blogs.disney.com
get made and which don’t.” Pinkett-Smith and Lee are not the only celebrities upset over this controversy. Actor David Oyelowo, who portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, stated at the King Legacy Awards on Monday, Jan. 18th that “for 20 opportunities to celebrate actors of color, actresses of color, to be missed last year is one thing, for that to happen again this year is unforgivable.” Actor Idris Elba, however, placed the blame of the lack of diversity on British Parliament. He stated that “the problem is the gap between the dream and the reality to champion diversity is to champion the American dream. That’s the guarantee I want here in Britain. Where’s the British dream?”
Celebrities were not the only ones who have an opinion about this controversy. TVF professor Jeff Fust from Cal State LA had a lot to say about the all-white nominations. “If you look throughout history, many great artists, not just African-Americans, have been snubbed in receiving acclaim for their work,” Fust said. “For instance, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd sold hundreds of millions of records yet never won a Grammy. I think it’s a legitimate concern and I support the African-American community in their efforts to bring light to this issue, but artists should also take caution in that filmmaking ultimately isn’t about winning awards.” As a Black professor in the TVF department, Tony Cox voiced his
opinion on the possible boycott. “I think it’s a no-win situation for blacks in Hollywood. If they boycott, they hurt Chris Rock, Reggie Hudlin (producer of the Oscars), and Cheryl Boone Isaacs (resident of the Academy), all of which are black,” Cox said. “If they don’t boycott, they send a tacit message that the status quo is regrettable but acceptable. My solution is to make academy award votes public, that will change the results in a hurry.” Black TVF Professor Josef Sawyer also agreed with the idea of a boycott for the Oscars. “They are tone deaf to all movies that are out there. If it’s not gonna be fair, I don’t wanna participate in watching,” Sawyer said. “I watch movies, from August through football season, which are most likely to have Oscar
consideration. And seeing really great movies not nominated isn’t fair or explainable when lesser movies are lauded. It doesn’t seem to me that the Oscar committee is being honest whether they know it or not. So I’m just not gonna watch it this year.” In response to the outrage, the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences revised its rules for voting for the Oscars. Voting privileges will now only be available to members of the Academy who have worked for them in the past 10 years. Additionally, the Academy promises to double their number of women and minorities members by 2020. The Oscars are set to go live Sunday, Feb. 28th on ABC.
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Feb. 1, 2016
INTERNACIONAL
El VII Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española se realizará en marzo
INFORMATIVA LOCAL Menos personas usan el transporte público El sur de California pierde un 10% de pasajeros Por Graciela López El Transporte Metropolitano del Condado de Los Ángeles perdió un 10% de pasajeros del 2006 al 2015. Esta cifra sigue creciendo rápidamente. Los expertos en el tema sugieren que los precios bajos de gasolina y las tarifas de transporte altas influyen en la disminución de usuarios. Otras formas de transporte, como el ciclismo y Uber, también reemplazan el tren y autobús. Sin embargo, se espera que el número de pasajeros aumente en los próximos años. El transporte
Tren público con ruta a Los Ángeles. Fotografía | Crédito: www.turismoeeuu.com
público será conveniente cuando los residentes de la región se vean afectados por el creciente tráfico. El estudio también explica que las leyes actuales no toman en cuenta los problemas que ocasiona el aumento de conductores. Con más autos en las calles, la congestión vial produce más gases de efecto invernadero, o sea más contaminación. El uso de transporte público ayuda a evitar esta contaminación. Esa es otra razón por la que se recomienda usar el autobús o tren.
EVENTOS
Decenas de académicos asistirán al evento para celebrar la literatura Por Cecilia Lara El VII Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española se llevará a cabo del 11 al 19 de marzo en Puerto Rico. Alejandro García Padilla, gobernador del estado, asegura que Puerto Rico es “un ejemplo diáfano de cómo el español y el inglés conviven y se retroalimentan para crear una sociedad bilingüe”. Los organizadores del congreso son el Instituto Cervantes, la Real Academia Española de la Lengua, la Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española y el Gobierno de Puerto Rico. Sus maestros y alumnos tendrán un papel protagónico en el esperado evento. Señalan que el español es la lengua materna
de 470 millones de personas y se espera que en sólo 15 años lo sea de 530 millones, por lo que es necesario que la lengua española continúe practicándose. El 16 de abril se cumplen 400 años de la muerte de Miguel de Cervantes y William Shakespeare, dos grandes genios de la literatura en sus respectivas lenguas. El lenguaje utilizado por estos escritores será uno de los temas del congreso presentado por Padilla. Otros presentadores serán José Manuel Sánchez Ron, vicedirector de la Real Academia Española; Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, secretario general del Instituto Cervantes y José Luis Vega, director de la Academia Puertorriqueña de la Lengua Española. Rodríguez-Ponga, señaló que “este año, la gran cita de la lengua española tiene un valor especial por el aniversario de la muerte de Cervantes y Shakespeare y se reflexionará sobre la lengua y la cultura”. Además, se analizará el papel de la lengua en la ciencia, en los medios de comunicación, así como la literatura en español e inglés.
En el congreso se reunirán los representantes de las 22 academias de la lengua española además de delegados de otros países. Entre estos se encuentran Brasil, Corea del Sur, Francia y el Reino Unido. Los expertos y académicos discutirán la influencia del español en la creatividad, el arte y la ciencia. También habrá invitados especiales como el mexicano Mario Molina, premio Nobel de Química en 1995 y Jean-Marie Le Clézio, Nobel de Literatura en el 2008, quien hará una ponencia sobre la creatividad. Otro tema relevante en el congreso será la poesía del nicaragüense Rubén Darío y el centenario de su muerte mediante conferencias y otras actividades. Además, la RAE presentará una gran antología del poeta en su edición conmemorativa de cada congreso. El homenaje se extenderá a los poetas Pedro Salinas, Juan Ramón Jiménez y Luis Palés Matos.
COLUMNA DE OPINIÓN
Profesores y alumnos en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje
La película Gabo, la magia de lo real ha trascendido fronteras. Ésta trata de la vida y obras del escritor Gabriel García Márquez. El legado que el escritor dejó en la literatura latinoamericana despierta el interés del público por conocer más sobre él. Con sus creaciones, García Márquez contribuyó en diversos campos como en la literatura, en el cine como guionista y el periodismo. El filme se presentará en Cal State LA:
Profesor de universidad impartiendo clase. Fotografía | Crédito: www.ceu.es
Una responsabilidad compartida Por Claudia Landeros La dinámica que hay en los salones de clase hoy en día se ha visto modificada por todos los cambios ideológicos y tecnológicos que han afectado diferentes aspectos del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje.
El capítulo de Gamma Psi de Sigma Delta Pi les invita a participar en la primera venta de comida para recaudar fondos. Día: martes 2 de febrero Hora: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Lugar: En el corredor del edificio King Hall
Uno de los grandes retos de todo profesor, es guiar a sus alumnos para que descubran sus fortalezas y debilidades por sí solos. Su función principal es proporcionar los medios necesarios para que los estudiantes tengan acceso a la información que les permitirá desarrollarse en sus carreras
profesionales. El éxito académico de los estudiantes depende del esfuerzo compartido entre el profesor y el alumno. El maestro es responsable de conocer los diferentes métodos de enseñanza que pueden ayudar a cada estudiante en su aprendizaje. Los alumnos, por su parte, deben de conocer el poder de su propio proceso formativo. Para que los estudiantes aprendan independiente y significativamente, deben de ser conscientes de qué métodos les ayudan en su aprendizaje. Los resultados obtenidos en los exámenes, son parte importante del rendimiento académico y muestran lo que ambas partes están haciendo en el aula. Una
nota alta no garantiza el éxito profesional. Sin embargo, ésta es una muestra de que los alumnos están aprendiendo y de que los profesores están cumpliendo con su objetivo. Por el contrario, una nota baja puede ser señal de que una de estas partes está fallando. Muchos estudiantes tienen como meta profesional ser maestros. Para esto es importante poner atención a varios factores que les ayudarán a tener éxito en el campo educativo. Algunos de estos factores son la comunicación entre profesor y alumno, la identificación de las áreas en las que se está fallando como la planeación, el análisis, la comprensión y la memorización. Esencialmente, se debe conocer el estilo de aprendizaje que tiene cada uno.
Contáctanos en nuestras nuevas cuentas de redes sociales : La Onda Cal State LA
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Feb. 1, 2016
University Times
The common wealth for student health Quick, confidential ways for HIV testing. Ani Nalbandian Staff Reporter
Stanford University’s Sexual Health Peer Resource Center estimates that “one in four college students have a sexually transmitted disease.” Before you run to the nearest hospital, know that as a student of Cal State LA, you have other options. Last year alone the Student Health Center successfully tested over 2,900 students on campus. With easy access and a relatively close location, the center has many services to assist students when they may have a problem
Photo by Matthew Gonzalez
they don’t understand. With confidential STD, STI, and HIV testing, the Health Center provides a cost effective
alternative to students with low incomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 54 percent of UC students reported using a
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condom during intercourse and only 3.2 percent reported use during oral sex. That’s very close to home and a lot of opportunity to transmit disease.
to 40 minutes. Students can call the CDC National AIDS Hotline at 800-342-AIDS in order to find non-CSULA testing sites near them.
In order to receive confidential HIV testing, you must visit the Health Center and pay a nominal fee of $16. If you are enrolled in Family PACT, that fee is waived and you can receive your HIV/STD/STI testing for free. However the center does not provide rapid HIV testing, and results can take up to seven days to arrive.
The Health Center also provides treatment and counseling for those tested positive for HIV or other Sexually Transmitted Infections. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) helps those students affected by providing perspective with oneon-one counseling.
There is rapid testing through Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Mobile HIV Testing Unit, which visits campus twice a quarter, but operates on a first come-first served basis. The tests are free and results are back within twenty minutes, although the wait time to get tested can be up
The Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) at Cal State LA is a student group dedicated to providing information about health and wellness for students through their “Health Huts”. They provide their scheduled events through their Facebook page. Once a week, you can find them around campus educating students on HIV/STD/STI testing.
How to prepare for the quarter to semester shift Fall semester system is right around the corner.
approves of the change. “As a biology major, I feel like the extra weeks would help,” Martinez said. “Labs won’t feel rushed, it’ll be awesome.”
Zeanna Imperial Contributor
The semester calendar will allow students more time to review course material, to infiltrate the summer job market during the same period as those who attend other universities, and allow students to join over 90% of American colleges who utilize the semester system.
As the semester conversion quickly approaches, graduating seniors are scurrying to add necessary classes in order to obtain their degree without being stuck enrolling in the upcoming fall semester. The unavailability of required classes for seniors who graduate in June is frustrating. “I was looking forward to being able to get out of here so I wouldn’t have to enroll in
Photo Courtesy | calstatela.edu
semester classes,” said Jason Layden, senior TVF major, “and since a lot of the time the schedules aren’t put up in advance, I’m not
even sure what classes I should be taking this quarter, that aren’t going to be offered next quarter.”
Students have expressed their disagreement with the semester conversion. However, Biology major Jonathon Martinez
The change will go into effect this year during the fall semester. The usual ten weeks of instruction will become 15 weeks of educational instruction per term. The fall, winter, spring, and summer quarters will be replaced with fall and spring semesters, which will include a ten week summer session. For those who are unsure if the semester conversion will affect you, here is the information you need to plan ahead: -Meet with your advisor to obtain an Individualized Advisement Plan (IAP) -Enroll in a minimum of 15 units per quarter -Ask your department head what classes are being offered for the following quarter For more information about the quarter to semester conversion, visit: http://www.calstatela.edu/ semesterconversion or contact ADM 301 at 323-343-5054.
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University Times
Feb. 1, 2016
Students explore club and organizations on campus from Involvement Fair Winter Involvement Fair sparks student unity.
provided information about getting involved. Joel Zuniga, 18, a freshman, undecided on his major, felt that he took one step closer on honing into his major choice.
Claudia Reyes
“I didn’t know that a commuter campus like this one had so much student involvement opportunities going on,” Zuniga said. “Being an undecided major is stressful, and the fact that there are clubs like the Sociology Club or the Civil Engineering Honor Society helps give me options for what I may possibly want to do.”
Contributor
The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) hosted the annual Winter Involvement Fair at Cal State LA on Wednesday, Jan. 27. The fair included a barrage of student organizations who
Students got to explore the resources that were right below their noses. Julianne Dapper, 21, junior Chemistry major and a transfer student from Northern California, felt that the fair helped with her transition to Southern California. “I think this is a great fair for all of us to get to know our school a bit better as well as our fellow students,” Dapper said. “I personally didn’t know we had all of these resources for us. Being a transfer student and all, I can definitely benefit from this by possibly making new friends
by joining a club like Hermanas Unidas or even a sorority.” From academics to cultural interests, fraternities to sororities, Cal State LA students had numerous organization and club choices. Students who were once in their freshman days believed that this fair is a phenomenal platform for student involvement. This was the second time that Keasha Luna, 22, a senior Business Economics major has participated in the fair. “The Winter Involvement Fair is important to our campus
because it helps welcome students and gives them an opportunity to network with current student organization members,” said Luna. “Furthermore, not only do Cal State LA students get more informed about the organizations found on campus, but also helps create a sense of school pride by encouraging students to get involved.” If you missed the winter involvement fair and wish to know more information visit calstatelausu.org, which includes a summary list of all clubs and organizations on campus.
Photo Courtesy | calstatelausu.org
The Fit Expo in Los Angeles struts its muscle
was one of the 60,000 attendees that were eager to see the 21 free competitions and events that the exposition had in store. “I am so excited to get into the expo,” said Sosa, sophomore Kinesiology major. “I have been waiting for this for a couple months now and I just hope I get to see some of my role models. One day you will see me on the stage.” Many attendees included top fitness experts, health gurus, and famous YouTube fitness personalities with tips on the latest trends in diet, exercise and nutrition.
powder, pre workout, and apparel, the convention provided a unique opportunity to sample, sell, meet and network with fitness and health lovers extending nationwide.
One fitness celebrity in particular, Lou Ferrigno, attended the event and is a well-respected former bodybuilder who made an appearance alongside his daughter Shanna Ferrigno at the Fit Expo. The father and daughter duo work together promoting a lifestyle program called Ferrigno Fit, and are the only fatherdaughter fitness program in the industry.
One Cal State LA student who attended, Eddie Sosa, Cal State LA student and fitness lover,
A recent Cal State LA alum, Anthony Gonzalez, could not believe his eyes when he saw Lou
Photo Courtesy | partyearth.com
Cal State students exercise fitness experience of a lifetime.
The 13th Annual Fit Expo came to Los Angeles on Saturday, Jan. 23th. The two-day event, took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center with two blocks worth of fitness enthusiasts waiting to enter.
Marina Andalon
With over 600 booths offering samples of their best protein
Contributor
Ferrigno, otherwise known as the original Incredible Hulk and Mr. Universe. “Ferrigno is the main reason I am here and I am just waiting to shake the hand of the original Hulk,” Gonzalez said. Demonstrations of new popular fitness trends included kickboxing, dancing, and slacking. Additionally, this was the first year the Expo added a 5k run to the program. First time visitor, Monica Aguilar was overwhelmed with the inclusive participation of the attendees. “I have never seen so many fit people in one place and all of us running together really feels like a community,” said Aguilar, junior Criminal Justice major. “It is definitely a motivation to get fit and healthy.” For students who missed out on the fitness experience, The Fit Expo has a couple stops in Chicago and San Jose, and will be back in So Cal at the Anaheim Convention Center, August 27th & 28th. Mark your calendars.
Feb. 1, 2016
University Times
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Photo Courtesy | dragoart.com
Guns N’ Roses reuniting and playing at Coachella Fans express what they think about the band playing at Coachella. Lorena Ramirez Contributor
Guns N’ Roses are reuniting to play at Coachella in Indio, Calif. on April 15-17 and April 22-24. The lineup will include vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, and bassist Duff McKagan. Since the Guns N’ Roses reunion announcement,
fans have been talking about it all over social media. While some fans are excited about Guns N’ Roses reuniting and playing at Coachella, others are not simply because they don’t know which specific members are set to appear. Moises Cervantes, Computer Science major, has liked the rock band since he was a kid.
members of the band will play, Cervantes claims that he is still willing to see them at Coachella. “It would be better to have more of the band members present in the concert, but then again the main people are obviously Axl and Slash,” Cervantes said. “So I’m sure the concert will still have that Guns N’ Roses experience.”
“I think it’s good that Guns N’ Roses are playing at Coachella,” Cervantes said. “It gives people more of a chance to see the band.”
Fans like Lesly Velazquez, a sorority member at Alpha Sigma Tau, believed that it’s the perfect platform to bridge the gap between generations.
Although not all of the original
“I think it’s awesome that
they are making a comeback,” Velazquez said. “I think them playing at Coachella is being used to sell more tickets to Guns N’ Roses fans that are younger and older.” However, this year’s music festival price ranges anywhere between $300 and $800. “I wouldn’t pay to go see them at Coachella only because I feel that if I’m going to see them I would only want to pay to see just them,” Velazquez said. “Going to Coachella would just be really crowded and overpriced. There is going to be so many people there
and I’m not ready to deal with so many people all day, when I only want to see Guns N’ Roses.” Allan Reyes weighs heavily on the idea that the true essence of rock n’ roll is not laid on an expensive stage like Coachella. “If you were serious about playing just set your gear up and jam at venues and to crowds you know would love to see you, not some festival in which tickets are $300 and once sold out being resold for $500,” Reyes said. “That’s an insult to many bands that grew up waiting for a reunion to happen.”
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University Times
Feb. 1, 2016
EVENT CALENDAR MONDAY 1 st
U-Care: Downtown Women's Center Trip Sign-Ups Available 9:00 a.m. Cross Cultural Centers, 2nd Floor, U-SU Introduction to Test-Taking Presentation 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. JFK Memorial Library, First Floor, Palmer Wing, Room 1039 Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Monkey 12:00 p.m. U-SU Plaza, U-SU
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
TUESDAY 2nd U-Lead: Emotional Intelligence 3:15 p.m. Pasadena Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
WEDNESDAY 3rd Farmers Market 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Main walkway
Our Voices Matter 3:15 p.m. Los Angeles Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
#GetHeartChecked Free Heart Health Screening for Women 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Main Campus Walkway
Healthy Romantic Relationships 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Top Floor, Station #4
Anxiety Management 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Top Floor, Station #4
FRIDAY 5th
THURSDAY 4th Emotional Wellness 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Top Floor, Station #4
Introduction to Note-Taking Presentation 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. JFK Memorial Library, First Floor, Palmer Wing, Room 1039
Mardi Gras - Back to New Orleans 6:00 p.m. All of the U-SU
Calstatelaut facebook.com/CsulaUT
Calstatelaut
Pain Point Schicht 12-5 p.m. Luckman Gallery Exhibit: Remembering Yuri Kochiyama Through Grassroots Art Until Feb. 12, 2016 - 9:00 a.m. Cross Cultural Centers, 2nd Floor, U-SU