UT
NIVERSITY IMES
Feb. 22, 2016
www.csulauniversitytimes.com
C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S
Impasse over frozen ASI budget with Administration, weighs legality of tactic
Authorities search for suspect of hit and run of Cal State LA student
Kayla Hodge Contributor
Every Monday and Wednesday, junior TVF major Edward Fernandez walks through the halls of the King Hall buildings holding his nose, because he cannot figure out what is the smell coming from outside.
Gerardo Amezquita Editor-In-Chief
Authorities are searching for a suspect involved in a hit and run of Cal State LA honor roll student Isabel Gonzalez in Hacienda Heights in the late evening of Valentine’s Day.
Officers caution that the car could have significant damage done to the front of the car given the degree of Gonzalez injuries. Gonzalez suffered from a fractured skull, collapsed lung, lacerated kidney, broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a crushed pelvis and hips, reports ABC7. Currently she is under intensive care at the LAC+USC Medical Care and has undergone four surgeries. According to Gonzalez’s aunt Lucy Solis, Isabel suffered no brain damage. Walking out from a late shift with her boyfriend at a local Olive Garden restaurant, where he works as well, they were heading home when she was suddenly hit by an unknown driver crossing Gale and south of Riverwood Avenue in the right hand lane of the street. The driver immediately fled the scene. Her aunt says Gonzalez is an honor roll student at Cal State LA where she is studying to be a translator while on a scholarship. The University’s official comment, “On behalf of the entire Cal State LA community, we wish Isabel well as she recovers from this tragic incident,” said Nancy Wada-McKee, senior associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. According to NBC Los Angeles, Donna Gonzalez, Isabel’s mother, cries out, “She’s my baby. The youngest of four. She’s not an animal you just kill in the roadside and leave her for dead! She’s a human being.”
Photo By Matthew Gonzalez
Now it makes scents, trees responsible for campus odor
Photo Courtesy | GoFundMe.com
At 11 P.M., Sunday night 18-yearold Gonzalez was struck and dragged on Gale Avenue in Hacienda Heights by possibly a silver or gray four-door sedan or Honda with tinted windows, as reported by her boyfriend who was with her at the time of the incident. However, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers have yet to confirm the report.
Issue 211.08
Ani Nalbandian Staff Reporter
Associate Students, Inc. (ASI) is usually given their funding to operate around this time of year. Instead, Board members were shocked to find President Covino freezing $136,000 of their funding in an attempt to force an increase in their allocation amount to the Anna Bing Arnold Children’s Center. ASI gives the preschool on campus, the Anna Bing Arnold Children Center, a sum of $125,000 of their
INSIDE:
LA ONDA: HISTÓRICA VISITA DEL PAPA A MÉXICO
PG 6
| Photo by Matthew Gonzalez
funding every year. The administration wants the board to increase funding to $250,000. In order to expedite the agreement of ASI, the administration has frozen the Board’s funding for the past two years and has already put a stop to $106,000 of next year’s funding. ASI President Ejmin Hakobian cited an email he received from the administration rejecting their budget proposal due to it being “fiscally irresponsible.” It all started when ASI took out
$85,000 of their bank account all at once. It raised red flags with the administration and they took action by auditing the Board. In that process the administration found a school referendum passed in 1996 stating an increase in ASI’s allocated budget to the school to more than double what it was currently. Not only has the administration asked for an increase in their funding, but has also added a $1.6 million bill
Continues on page 7
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS CLUB FIGHTS FOR CHANGES TO THE PIT
PG 4
AS STUDENT POPULATION INCREASES, ADMIN. LEAVES BUDGET THE SAME
PG 3
versity of Southern California for her undergraduate degree. She graduated from the Cal State LA Graduate program in Sports Nutrition, and shortly after began working at the University as a coach.
Ani Nalbandian
Staff Reporter
Dean of Students Jennifer Miller spoke to the family and learned that Isabel underwent surgery and was speaking afterward.
Placed in an elite group of a half a dozen women, Budniak was on track to finish fourth in the event when at mile 15 she was told one of the top Ethiopians had collapsed and dropped out.
Family and authorities are urging anyone with information to contact California Highway Patrol’s Santa Fe Springs local offices at (562) 8580503 or 1-800-TELL-CHP.
“A race monitor let me know I had a three minute lead on the runner behind me. I told myself in that moment that if I just kept pace, I would finish
Moreover, many students just like Fernandez are curious as to what this strange new smell is, and where exactly it is coming from. According to Dr. Kirsten Fisher, Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, the smell derives from Bradford Pears, also known as Callery Pear trees. These trees go through a mating process, which causes a rather pungent aroma during blooming and attracts bees and other insects.
Continues on bottom of page 3
Getting on track with Julia Budniak, third place winner of the L.A. Marathon Resident Track and Field Assistant Coach, Julia Budniak, placed third in the 2016 Los Angeles Marathon, coming in a little under five minutes ahead of the next best long distance runner.
“It is kind of weird because this smell has never been here before, so to have it now is distracting. It makes me want to walk faster so I don’t have to smell it anymore,” Fernandez said.
third.”
Photo Courtesy | Long Beach Post
At mile 20 she wanted to stop, just like she had wanted to in the two other marathons she had ever run. She continued running despite her pain. “I had to be strong in mind and realized my body was not hurt, just tired, so I kept going.” Budniak is a long time competitive track and field runner and accepted an athletic scholarship from the Uni-
When Budniak was 14 she remembers watching the elite marathon runners on television, becoming inspired and wanting to participate in one herself one day. After suffering from sciatica however, Budniak took a four-year hiatus from running and began to try new sports such as kite boarding, skiing, and surfing among others. She decided to make her debut
Continues on bottom right page 3
Zika virus poses a new threat, causing birth defects Thalia Ramirez Contributor
The H1N1 outbreak, or so-called swine flu that happened in 2009 was one of the scariest to hit the nation. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Ebola a public health emergency. Now the agency has claimed the unexpected Zika virus to be a global health emergency. The virus broke out in South America and is quickly spreading to Latin American countries. Originally, Zika was believed to be spread by mosquitoes, but according to CNN, a case in Texas confirmed that it could possibly be sexually transmitted. The person infected had returned from Venezuela and passed it to their partner. Common symptoms of the virus
Continues on bottom of page 2
2
University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
NEWS
Political refugee and famed philosopher shares his theory of world politics Dr. Enrique Dussel, Political Exile and Philosophy Professor in Mexico, speaks on non-Eurocentric political philosophy and how it impacts our changing time. Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
Dr. Enrique Dussel’s story is one, which the average reader finds difficult to even imagine. After becoming a political exile from his home country of Argentina, Dr. Dussel went on to become a Mexican citizen, the possessor of multiple doctorates from around the world, the co-founder of the Philosophy of Liberation movement, and the author of over 50 books. As a crowd filled the U-SU San Gabriel Room on Tuesday, Feb. 16, to listen to this influential philosopher, the weight and passion in his words communicated how very much this professor has seen, both good and terrible, in the world around us. Beginning the presentation with a joke that he would be speaking Spanglish rather than English, Dr. Dussel presented the awkward position of studying philosophy—a field with a largely Eurocentric view of its discipline’s history and definition of the “other,” which Dr. Dussel identifies with. “My English is Spanglish. I was in France, and Germany, and Israel and many other places, but I never studied in an Anglo-Saxon univer-
“Latin America was, for 500 years, the colony of one power of Europe— Spain,” Dr. Dussel said. “The Latin American countries were a colony of Spain, and they became neocolonies of England and of this country. We are until today in a neocolonial time. Colonialism is not in the past, colonialism is in the present.” An example of this lingering effect is Bolivia, a Latin American country that elected its first indigenous president, Juan Evo Morales Ayma, in 2006. Alejandro Meléndez Photo Courtesy | www.enriquedussel.com/
sity,” Dr. Dussel said. “But perhaps because it’s poor, and not correct, its better; one second century Christian Apologist wrote a book against the Greek, and he said: I speak barbarian philosophy. So my philosophy, too, is a barbarian philosophy. You understand ‘the being is, the non-being is not.’ One Philosopher said, this is obvious, this means that the being is Greek and the non-being is the Barbarians. I come from the non-beings.” This non-beingness is still echoed in the United States. Dr. Dussel says that through the claimed illegality of Mexicans as ‘illegals’ within our country’s borders, through the nonchalance of taking Iraqi lives in the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and through the subtle distinction of the Anglo-Saxon as the being and the non-Anglo-Saxon as the non-being. His pondering of this non-beingness, if you will, assigned to the nonGreek, and later to the non-European, correlates deeply with his own history of having his very national identity taken from him. While Dr. Dussel was born in Argentina, a paramilitary group bombed his house in the 1970s, and he was forced to become a political exile from his home country. Perhaps due to his own turmoil in the political climate of Latin America, Dr. Dussel pushes that political
philosophy must be a field that takes us into the problems of our own chaotic time. “We need a political philosophy to understand our time,” Dr. Dussel said. “The world today is a very dangerous moment. About forty days ago, Chomsky said we are in the most critical time in our world history from the beginning of the human being, and I think: never could humanity destroy life as in this atomic age, with the pentagon developing one atomic bomb to make possible an atomic world. We are in a very critical moment.” These critical moments are defined by the political choices on both the running of society and our interaction with the environment around us, Dr. Dussel spoke of climate change as an example of one of the ways in which “we commit today that human suicide of the human species.” The political tipping point that has been reached by many Latin American countries presents a hope for Dr. Dussel that studying the political philosophy behind completely new forms of constitutions and government orders, after the continued escape of Latin American countries from the grasp of colonialism, may define this changing world.
Continued from cover include: fever, headache and rash but the signs don’t always appear. Officials from Colombia and Ecuador are advising women not to get pregnant since they are the most affected. The Zika virus has been associated with a birth defect known as microcephaly. In other words, the infant is born with an unusually small head. “It’s unfortunate for infected women in some countries like El Salvador because abortion is illegal,” said Karina Ramirez who studies Health Care Management at Platt College. “There is no vaccine against it, they are being told to use protection and avoid getting pregnant for at least two years.” Students at Cal State LA who are aware about the virus brace themselves for the impact that the virus could potentially have. “It’s crazy how quickly it’s spreading. We are so close to South America, where it’s happening. Mosquitoes migrate, they tend to like warmer areas,” said Jessika Roblero, senior
| Photo Courtesy | al.com
Biology major. “There have been cases in Europe and Asia but the population infected wasn’t as huge as it is in Latin America. Scientists don’t think they can find the cure for maybe another three years.” When Ebola cases first began to rise, WHO failed to report the deadly illness causing many deaths. In this case, WHO was fast to call Zika a public health emergency to prevent it from getting out of hand. Monica Sandoval, junior Sociology major, believes the U.S. will be better capable in dealing with the virus. “I think it’s like the swine flu but it will be taken care of if it begins to spread here,” Sandoval said. “Lower
class countries don’t tend to have the medical advancement that we in the United States have.” According to USA TODAY, the CDC reported eight cases of Zika spread by mosquitoes in Puerto Rico. Zika could critically affect the island in upcoming months. Researchers say the virus can spread to mosquitoes in the U.S. but the outbreak won’t be major since the climate here is cooler. The World Bank is contributing $150 million to fight Zika and assist affected countries. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for Zika. The CDC suggests wearing long sleeves and using insect repellant as a sample of ways to prevent bites from infected mosquitos.
“After 500 years, an Indian president, is like a novelty, though seventy percent of the population are Indians, these people were not members or equals of the state. Only the thirty percent had the domination.” Now, just as with the election of Evo Morales to office in Bolivia, Latin America is undergoing a political revolution which defies previous conceptions of constitutional and political structures. “In Latin America, we are in a very creative moment,” Dr. Dussel said. “In the U.S., this country has stability after centuries of the constitution, and you remain in this legal order. In Latin America, on the contrary, we are in a changing moment. For example, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Ecuador are changing their constitutions, and these are no more the French Revolution constitutions, they have another class, another structure.”
With these new structures and creative movements comes a rethinking of the conception of power, of international political relations, of national security. With these new structures come the rebirth of what Dr. Dussel calls the “anti-discourse of modernity,” a philosophy that goes against the questions of non-being which Dr. Dussel himself is placed in. “The Spanish people arrived in the Caribbean, and they determine that these people are human beings, but they become beasts by their customs, their culture,” Dr. Dussel said, “That is an anthropological definition, that means they’re a human being but the culture is satanic, is negative, that we must destroy and put the European conception of the world in place instead.” With this, an early philosophy was born but not acknowledged in the official history of modernity, though the constant hint of certain groups of peoples and cultures as “less than” has constantly reshaped our world into one where the “European way” is upheld as the best way. Through pioneering a non-Eurocentric study of political philosophy from his place in Latin America, Dr. Dussel is on his way to recovering the complete story of the world’s philosophical history in order to understand our current times and shame the notion of ‘non-beings,’ which hurt present political infrastructures.
3 NEWS
University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
UN IIMVEESR S I T Y Editor-in-Chief Gerardo Amezquita
T
Journalism 391 TA Robert Ellsworth
Managing Editor Marrian Zhou
Distributors Jasmine Salgado
Production Manager Taylor Preza
Staff Reporters Hannah Jacobsen Ani Nalbandian
Web Editor Pablo De La Hoya
Contributors Marcela Valdivia Ricky Rodas Kayla Hodge Thalia Ramirez Patrick Shearer Joecelyn Mendez Chelsey Michaelis
Copy Editors Celeen Arce Nico Triunfante Yzzy Gonzalez Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson
Photographers Pablo De La Hoya Matthew Gonzalez Danny Barnts
Advertising Assistant Matthew Gonzalez
News Assistant Carlos Gomez
Faculty Advisor Suzanne Regan Journalism 391 Professor Josef Sawyer
All opinions and letters in the University Times represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the UT or the university. Letters to the editor should include an address, telephone number and identification. Letters may be edited for grammar and length. University Times display and classified advertising should not be construed as the endorsement or investigation of commercial enterprises of ventures. University Times reserves the right to reject any advertising. University Times is published every Monday. Copyright 2016 University Times. All Rights Reserved. Cal State University, Los Angeles 5151 State University Dr. - KH C3098 LA, Ca, 90032 Office 323.343.4215 Advertising 323.343.4270
www.csulauniversitytimes.com calstatela.ut@gmail.com Calstatelaut
Cal State LA stalls on renovating hazardous restrooms
Administration fails to increase budget as they increase student population.
Ani Nalbandian Staff Reporter
A result of the massive increase in about seven thousand students this year, the Cal State LA campus has experienced a corresponding increase in broken down facilities and general wear and tear. Associate Vice President of Facilities, Planning and Construction, Warren Jacobs explained, “Although there has been an increase in students, an updated assessment of our department’s budget has not been done, leaving us with a similar budget from the previous years.” Frequently used restrooms in the busiest buildings on campus such as King Hall, the Student Union Gym, and JFK Library needs a complete remodeling in order to look anywhere similar to nearby CSU campuses such as Northridge and Fullerton. Broken door hinges, clogged toilets, unusable sinks, and missing soap dispensers are frequently experienced by students. “Our campus needs to be renovated and the administration should make funding available to address infrastructure concerns,” said Patric Gharibian, senior Political Science major.
repairs.” During an interview with the University Times, the Director of Facilities, Planning and Construction, James Dana Twedell, explained that $5.8 million of the roughly $7.9 million has been reserved for utility payments such as electricity, storm water, gas and sewer costs. The remaining $2 million is spent on emergency repairs such as fire hazards, clogged toilets and basic light fixture replacements.
The 2014-2015 Cal State LA spending reports show that Facilities and Construction spent about $501,000 on special projects and about $1.5 million on building services. Combining the two, it looks like the department had approximately $2 million for emergency and special repairs, as well as new construction projects. As an example of budgetary confinement, the department spent nearly $819,000 in 2008 updating the campus wide electrical system. Due to the lack of a sufficient emergency repair fund to manage facilities, students constantly report broken down toilets, sinks and water fountains throughout the campus. The amount of reports are so large that employees of the Facilities, Planning and Construction Department have to allocate significant amounts of time addressing complaints. Currently Facilities, Planning and Construction are awaiting funding for summer 2016 to do a complete overhaul of the HVAC system campus wide. The HVAC system in place at this time is at maximum functioning capacity and is not able to adequately handle the heat during summer months.
According to the 2015-2016 Cal State LA budget, nearly $7.9 million of the $252 million budget has been allocated to “utilities and special
On top of the emergency repair concerns of students, the general dirtiness of the campus is also of
Continued from cover
other students would trip out because it stunk so bad,” Guzman said.
facebook.com/CsulaUT Calstatelaut
“The funky smell helps the trees lure the insects to their flowers, where they provide a bit of nectar in exchange for the insects moving pollen between different trees to assist with fertilization,” Fisher said. “While pretty intense during full bloom, the smell will wear off as soon as the blossoms begin to fade, which is happening already.”
Para La Onda: Jefa de Redacción:
Graciela López
Editores: Martha J. Orellana Jessica Magaña Gerente de publicidad: Martha J. Orellana Consejero de la Facultad:
Pablo Baler
Along with the unusual hot weather that appeared out of nowhere, the unusual smell throughout campus is causing a buzz amongst the students. The new trees that were planted in front of the King Hall buildings and in between the library has students holding their noses, and looking around curiously as to what that horrid smell is. Senior TVF major Gabriela Guzman has class every Thursday in King Hall. “Now that it is starting to get warmer, the smell doesn’t bother me as much as it used to a few weeks ago, the smell was so bad that myself and
Although Fisher claims that the scent will wear off, senior TVF major Marcus Pardo cannot tolerate it due to his allergic reactions. “I have classes in this building every Tuesday and Thursday, but I always find myself getting really itchy, and constantly sneezing a lot when passing in between those trees,” Pardo said. “It is very difficult to smell them at times, but I for sure know that I am allergic.” Other students like Matthew Anderson, freshman Business Administration major, do not care. “The smell actually does not bother me, I pass through Kings Hall everyday, and I can tolerate the scent,” Anderson said. Even though this smell has been affecting some of the students, the University is not inclined to take down these trees. And on a higher note, the University does not intend to plant more.
concern. However, students can totally prevent these concerns if the custodians are utilized efficiently on campus. “We have one custodian for every 50 thousand square feet of campus, students must do their part by throwing their trash and gum away in the appropriate bins,” Twedell said. In 1948, Cal State LA was converted from Los Angeles City College to the state university we have now. Of the ten main buildings on campus, nine were originally built in 1948, according to Vice President Warren. At the time of construction, asbestos was a commonly used building material, meaning that nearly every building on campus currently houses encapsulated asbestos. On the Cal State LA Environmental Health and Safety website, the asbestos management report states, “Due to the age of the University infrastructure, it is probable that many buildings contain some asbestos within the construction materials.” Although encapsulated for safety reasons, if the demolition and replacement of any buildings were to occur, the entire campus would need to be shut down. Cal State Northridge received a massive grant of $400 million in 1994 in response to the major earthquake they experienced. Their campus was updated, asbestos removed, toilets replaced and buildings overhauled and nearly twenty years later it continues to look pristine. This concludes that without a major earthquake and resulting devastation of the school, the federal or state government will never provide Cal State LA with a grant large enough to improve the safety conditions and quality of infrastructure.
Continued from cover back into running by participating in the L.A. Marathon, two years ago which resulted in a time of two hours and 49 minutes. For perspective, with her third place finish, Budniak recorded a time of two hours and 44 minutes and 44 seconds. With Golden Eagle student athletes and coaches at her side for the last few miles, Budniak was able to make a strong finish and wore her medal proudly. With a Polish flag, borrowed from a local restaurant, draped around her shoulders, Budniak said she was too distracted to collapse from the pain. Though many competitors were elite runners training for the prior day’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Budniak ran away with bragging rights and a $9,000 cash prize. If you’d like to see her medal or ask for any advice, Budniak says she is always happy to assist students. You can find her on campus at the upcoming Cal State LA Invitational track and field meet on March 4 and 5.
4
University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
Gay minorities describe life of bullying Dr. Anthony Ocampo criticizes gay bullying at WGSC event. Intern
The event, titled “The Gay Second Generation: How Filipino and Latino Gay Men Navigate Sexual Identity in Schools,” was held Feb. 17 on the 3rd floor of the University-Student Union in the Alhambra room. The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department (WGSC) hosted the event in conjunction with the Center for the Studies of Genders and Sexualities. When Ocampo stepped to the front of the room to speak, he was greeted with overwhelming applause from the students in attendance.
He shared the story of Robbie, a 20-year old Filipino male who was born in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. with his parents at a young age. Robbie attended a private Catholic school in Eagle Rock, and told Ocampo about his sadness there. “Going to Catholic school instilled a sense of shame in Robbie very early on, because from an early age Robbie knew he was ‘different,’” Ocampo said. “I really hated it, I really hated it, and I hated being in Catholic school. Hated it, absolutely hated it.”
Ricky Rodas Young, gay Filipino and Latino men often face bullying in school, and many develop their own strategies for evading this harassment. Dr. Anthony Ocampo, an assistant professor of Psychology and Sociology at Cal Poly Pomona, spoke to an intimate sized crowd at Cal State LA about these creative strategies and how they are shaped by institutional context and racialization experiences on campus.
about some of the stories these young men shared with him, noting that most of their names were changed for the sake of anonymity and respect.
has something to bring to the table… their experience is validity and worth and value,” Ocampo said.
Robbie was picked on a lot by his fellow classmates for being gay, and couldn’t take the harassment due to his private school being small and close-knit.
Ocampo conducted various interviews with Filipino and Latino gay young men, most between the ages of 18-35. Ocampo talked about the challenges of conducting these interviews due to the strong emotions and memories they reveal.
“The whole school was really Filipino, and the whole “bakla” (gay) culture was really taboo, forbidden,” Robbie said. “You were going to hell if you were bakla. It put a big strain on my relationships with Filipinos. I hated being Filipino growing up.”
“You have to have conversations, very deep conversations with folks that don’t know anything about you, and vice versa,” Ocampo said. “And you know, it’s a very difficult thing to do because often times when we’re talking about gay identity, there’s often a lot of emotional stuff going on there.”
Ocampo went on to talk about Henry Morris, who moved to the U.S. with his family from Aguascalientes, Mexico. They lived in Los Angeles in a low income, predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. Henry’s mother sent him to a private school instead of the local Jefferson High School, which was known for gangs and violence. His mother thought she was doing the right thing by sending her son to a Catholic private school, but Ocampo
Photo Courtesy | entertainmentnewsphillipines.net
Ocampo started his presentation by showing a drawing of two young men kissing passionately. “This image embodies everything about the struggle of what it’s like being from an immigrant family, growing up in an urban neighborhood, but also finding out that you’re queer, gay or bisexual,” Ocampo said. He then went on to briefly talk about his upcoming book “The Latinos of Asia: How Filipino Americans Break the Rules of Race,” to outline reasons for wanting to provide an opportunity for Filipino and Latino gay young men’s voices to be heard. “What’s of the utmost priority for me is people seeing their own story so that they know their experience
He went on to tell the audience
‘League’ club relentlessly pursuits to buff the Pit
club with the computers and more for the club to have a space to practice. The club currently practices online, meaning all of the students are mostly off-campus and not together while practicing. Renovating the Pit will allow them to have one centralized location to practice that will also be open to all students to use. Lin is working with Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) to bring this plan to life. ASI President Ejmin Hakobian supports the changes proposed to change the Pit and suggested to the League of Legends club to read the proposal to the Board of Directors if nothing is done soon. “Well, they are using the Pit now a lot, and are the main occupants there,” Hakobian said. “We need to change the Pit to make it more attractive to students.”
Photo Courtesy | pcgamer.com
Gaming community seeks to expand network in U-SU basement. Pablo De La Hoya Web Editor
President of the League of Legends club, Kent Lin is seeking to renovate The Pit to create an upgraded environment for the 600-member club made up of Cal State LA students. In an interview with the University
Times, Lin explained the possibilities that could come to Cal State LA with a renovation to the Pit. His organization is a competitive club that competes in several tournaments against other schools. Most recently they participated in an event where they tied for third place with UCLA. Scholarships are also at stake for the club at these competitions. “The student body here is a part of the gaming culture,” Lin said. This culture has been increasing across many campuses. For instance, UC Irvine (UCI) has recently opened up a 24-hour lounge to students that accommodates gamers.
Lin explains that if UCI can do it then there should be nothing stopping Cal State LA from following as well. However, there is the question of funds and how much it would cost to bring in state-of-the-art equipment. “Well we actually have a partnership with an organization that is willing to provide all of the equipment as long as they get to paint the room and have their logo,” Lin said. Lin has secured a sponsorship with the company I Buy Power, an online-based custom gaming computer store from the City of Industry. I Buy Power have offered to provide the
Lin also explained that they did attempt to work with Dean of Arts and Letters Peter McAllister to get a room in King Hall. He explains that everything was moving along well until they proposed the change of the Information Technology Services (ITS) campus lab room, which would need approval from ITS Vice President, Peter Quan. Lin knew that this would take a long time so they decided to look elsewhere. When they first approached the University-Student Union (U-SU) about the changes they actually received a counter offer to give them space in the Annex Lab located in the building. However, that space is dedicated to academics and the club will be bringing a lot of traffic and noise. The League of Legends club has the highest number of members for
NEWS
said Henry described it as a “living hell.” Like Robbie, Morris could not avoid the harassment and bullying he received for being gay due to the close-knit nature of the school. “Both said that the trauma they experienced in Catholic School made it really hard to embrace their ethnic identity because of the close link between Catholic and Filipino, and Catholic and Mexican, and other Latino identities,” Morris said. Henry attended this school for a year and a half, and soon after attended Jefferson High School. Surprisingly, Henry told Ocampo that his time at Jefferson was amazing, describing it as ‘a blessing in disguise.’ “At Jefferson I never had a problem. I felt like the school was really big, no one had time to look at me because there are so many kids. There was a lot of other gay kids in high school, and I could parade being gay,” Morris said. At the end of his presentation, Ocampo allowed those in attendance to share their feeling about the subject matter and ask questions. A student in attendance thanked Ocampo for his work in this field, and expressed joy in being able to see himself in these stories, saying, “I have never had the opportunity to see my identity be put up on the screen, because I feel like you were taking parts out of my life.” Moved by the student’s words, Ocampo expressed his own joy in seeing his work move people’s lives. “That feeling of seeing your experience in words…is at the heart of why I do this stuff.
the club here on campus with Joann Ly as a highly active member and representative for the E-Gaming community. “For me personally it means to recognize the gaming community, bring rep to the club and the game we represent, and also build school spirit,” Ly said. “E-Gaming is becoming a really popular culture and to have a place that not only welcomes console gamers or sports enthusiasts would really mean a lot.” Currently, The Pit does have an option for gamers with the Xbox for rent at $4 the hour. However, this is a system that was released years ago and is outdated. The area of the Pit that the club proposed to renovate is to the left of the entrance. Right now it is an empty space filled with couches to lounge in and a projector playing television. U-SU Executive Director Steven Fleischer recommended that the organization draw up a complete proposal to bring to the Board for future discussion. “I have just recently spoken with Kent and we are looking into our next step,” Fleischer said. Lin has gathered signatures and presented that, but it wasn’t enough until they have a full written proposal for the Board to decide on. The gaming community at Cal State LA could soon have a place to bond and meet others within the community. Lin stated, “We hope to bring the school together and encourage more school spirit.”
5 OPINION University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
CFA strike and how it affects students like me
19, sophomore TVF major. A strike means teachers who participate will do nothing schoolrelated including going to office hours or responding to student emails. Not every professor is going to strike if no agreement is made between the CSU and CFA. According to the L.A. Times, it shouldn’t affect graduation or most students from being able to enroll and complete their classes for the quarter. That being said it’s not really fair for the students who could be missing up to a week of classes with no help or instruction from professors. If a student missed class because of a strike against the Cal State System they wouldn’t be excused for their absences.
Divergent strike opinions change between different levels of students. Patrick Shearer Contributor
Photo Courtesy | collegian.csufresno.edu
The California Faculty Association (CFA) plans on striking on April 1315 and April 18-19 across all 23 CSU campuses if an agreement on a pay raise isn’t met. The strike will affect all 23 campuses, which hold 460,000 students and 47,000 staff and faculty. The CFA represents over 20,000
of the 47,000 staff in the Cal State system. “I am for it even though teachers will be missing class I think it’s good for students, especially those who are going to be going into the teaching profession, “ said Jasmine Salgado,
“It’s not fair for students who are paying hard earned money to miss out on classes even if I agree, in principle, for the reason the CFA is striking,” said Elizabeth Peterson, 19, freshman. The staff and faculty in the CSU are really great from what I’ve seen. I understand their reasoning for going to strike, but it’s not fair to the
students who will be missing classes. A week off is ten percent of the entire quarter. “People need this precious time with teachers. Not everyone is the best student and some need those hours to understand the material,” said Edwin Galiendo, 24, senior Industrial Technology major. Ten percent is a big chunk of the quarter, and that is two less classes to get extra information and a week less of professors help. Though some students support the faculty and think they should strike. “I think they should strike. They need to have their voice heard because the current situation isn’t working, and needs to change,” said Derek Castillo, 27, junior Spanish major. The strike itself is a great idea because it shows the CFA means business and is usually the best way to get negotiations done, but it’s not fair to affect so many students around the state. Instead of going on strike, both sides need to come to an agreement for the sake of the students.
6
University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
COLUMNA DE OPINIÓN “No llego como el rey mago”, dijo el papa
NACIONAL
Apple es demandada por la corte federal El FBI presiona a la empresa para que le dé acceso a información privada
puesto a sus ingenieros a disposición del FBI pero que esta petición va más allá de lo que ellos pueden proveer.
Por Martha J. Orellana La jueza federal de Estados Unidos, Sheri Pym, ordenó a Apple a que ayude al FBI a desbloquear el IPhone del joven responsable del tiroteo en San Bernardino, California donde murieron 14 personas. En la demanda, Pym exige a Apple a que provea “asistencia técnica razonable” para acceder al dispositivo móvil. No obstante, la orden ha sido rechazada por el representante de la empresa, Tim Cook. Cook considera que dar acceso a este tipo de pesquisas amenaza la seguridad de sus clientes. Apple argumenta que lucra con la venta de sus móviles, ordenadores y tabletas y no con los datos de sus clientes como lo hacen Google, Twitter y Facebook. Los investigadores consideran que el aparato contiene información que les ayudaría a verificar si hubo más involucrados en este atentado. El gobierno estadounidense ha pedido al gigante tecnológico que elabore un sistema que desbloquee el código de seguridad del aparato. Cook declaró que la empresa ha
“Nos han pedido algo que simplemente no tenemos y que consideramos demasiado peligroso crear: construir una puerta trasera para el iPhone”, explicó Cook. Éste añadió que “en las manos equivocadas, el software —que no existe hoy en día— tendría el potencial de desbloquear cualquier iPhone que esté en posesión física de otra persona. El cofundador de WhatsApp, Jan Koum, salió en defensa de Apple y publicó en Facebook un encabezado en el que pide que se evite crear este peligroso precedente. Koum escribió que la libertad de los ciudadanos está en peligro. Hay temor por parte de los usuarios del IPhone. Muchos de ellos consideran que la empresa no debe acceder a esta petición. Sin embargo, otras personas piensan que Apple debe crear un sistema que permita desbloquear el código para rastrear la información de individuos involucrados en actos ilícitos. A pesar de las exigencias a la compañía por parte del gobierno, sus representantes entienden que el corporativo tiene mucho terreno por ganar, en cuanto a proteger la información de sus clientes se trata.
El papa Francisco con una bandera mexicana y la imagen de la virgen de Guadalupe de fondo. Fotografía | Crédito: www.airanosmar.com
El pueblo mexicano deseaba que Francisco trajera la solución a sus problemas Por Claudia Landeros El papa Francisco llegó a México ante el alboroto de todo el pueblo. Mucho se especulaba sobre su visita. Las opiniones eran diversas. Los más creyentes, eran los más ansiosos y esperanzados. México es el segundo país más católico del mundo y uno de los más golpeados por diferentes “demonios”: la corrupción, la pobreza, el narcotráfico, la discriminación a indígenas y los feminicidios. En palabras del Papa, México es un pueblo que “el diablo castiga con mucha bronca”.
La gente puso todas sus esperanzas en Francisco. Los mexicanos querían que él rompiera todo protocolo y formalidad política-religiosa. Ellos esperaban que el pontífice hablara de frente con el gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto sobre los temas que más dañan al país. También pretendían que él cuestionara al gobierno más que al pueblo sobre “la cultura de la simulación”. Simular que no pasa nada, simular que las leyes se ejercen debidamente, simular que se cumplen los deberes, simular que las demandas del pueblo son escuchadas, simular que hay seguridad y prosperidad para las familias. Éste evitó tocar temas que aún siguen sin resolverse como el abuso sexual infantil por parte de sacerdotes católicos. Pero sí hizo referencias a la explotación de niños y mujeres, a los secuestros, a la pobreza y al crimen organizado.
La ruta que siguió durante cinco días señaló claramente los problemas más grandes que tiene el país. Estos son las comunidades violentas y corruptas como el municipio de Ecatepec; zonas pobres y olvidadas en el estado de Chiapas que albergan grupos indígenas y a un gran número de inmigrantes de Centro y Sudamérica. Francisco también hizo escala en Michoacán, casa de varios grupos de narcotraficantes que han masacrado al país por décadas. Y finalmente, el paso fronterizo de Ciudad Juárez que es el punto de mayor conflicto entre los gobiernos de ambos lados de la frontera. La visita terminó y México fue un excelente anfitrión. El Papa dejó contento al pueblo mexicano. Muchas frases célebres para recordarlo, bendiciones repartidas y momentos incómodos para el gobierno ante los regaños de Francisco. Pero es tiempo de seguir viviendo con la realidad a cuestas.
INFORMATIVA LOCAL
Dos policías de Los Ángeles en problemas con la ley Varias mujeres los acusaron de haberlas atacado sexualmente Por Graciela López
Tim Cook, jefe ejecutivo de Apple. Fotografía | Crédito: www.aol.com
La Onda hace una cordial invitación a todos los estudiantes de español que deseen publicar artículos, noticias, anuncios o cualquier otro escrito sobre temas relevantes para la comunidad estudiantil. Nuestro objetivo es mantener informados a los alumnos de esta universidad y nuestra misión es conservar el legado de nuestra página periodística en español con la participación de ustedes. Nota: tener trabajos publicados no sólo les ayudará a reforzar su español, sino también a construir un currículo más fuerte. Además, si están trabajando en su licenciatura, pueden agregar sus publicaciones al portafolio para que sea más convincente.
Luis Valenzuela y James C. Nichols abusaron sexualmente de por lo menos cuatro mujeres. Los ex policías amenazaban a las víctimas con arrestarlas si no hacían lo que demandaban. Los ataques habrían ocurrido entre el 2008 y el 2011. El par de oficiales trabajaba en la división de Hollywood investigando casos de drogas. Estos elegían como blanco las mujeres que habían arrestado por posesión de drogas o que servían de informantes. El mismo departamento al que pertenecían empezó una investigación. Ambos fueron
El jefe de policía de Los Ángeles, Charlie Beck, dando conferencia de prensa. Fotografía | Crédito: www.cnn.com
suspendidos sin derecho a paga desde hace dos años mientras se reunían las evidencias. Los hombres fueron arrestados el pasado 17 de febrero. La fianza que se les aplicó fue de más de tres millones de dólares. Sin embargo, los cargos que se les imputan podrían
dejarlos en prisión de por vida. Tras el arresto de los agresores, el jefe de policía Charlie Beck afirmó que “estos dos oficiales han deshonrado su placa y su juramento a la oficina”. También mencionó que sus actos son una violación a la confianza pública.
Contáctanos en nuestras nuevas cuentas de redes sociales : La Onda Cal State LA
UT
laonda.newspaper@gmail.com
laonda.calstatela
Feb. 22, 2016
University Times
OPINION
Clearing the air with the vaping community
Understanding the perspective of vapers on campus. Joecelyn Mendez Contributor
Vaping isn’t just a hobby for Aaron Delgado—it’s life. “It is equivalent to a job, I would say five days a week, a nine to five commitment, constantly infusing the nicotine vapor into my lungs with every chance I get,” Delgado said. “Whether it is when I am sitting in traffic or taking a walk to my next class I am on it.” According to Health Education Assistant Stephanie Toledo, vaping and smoking cigarettes are not illegal. “Cal State LA is working out the logistics on how to become a smoke free campus, as of right now there are no regulations in place that forbid vape smoking or any tobacco-related products on campus,” Toledo said. English major Tysen Quagliata is a spontaneous 18-year-old, freshman that goes to the beat of her own drum. Photo By Pablo De La Hoya
Editorial Cartoon By Carlos Gomez
“It is all a matter of knowing your boundaries when vaping in a public place, if you want others to respect you and be mindful that you are vaping instead of smoking cigarettes. Do not be obnoxious and blow smoke directly at them.” Quagliata has a valid point. According to the Gallup analytics, the smoking rate of 18 to 29 year olds in the U.S. has dropped from 34 percent to 22 percent over the past decade, more than twice the drop seen for any other age group. But students like Anthony Arellano, 21, senior Biology major thinks
Continued from cover to their tab, citing 20 years of back pay, according to the referendum passage date. Chair of the Cabinet of College Representatives, Sean Weerasinghe met with President Covino in an attempt to understand the reason
7
vaping is only the beginning and start of an addictive and harmful lifestyle. “I have seen several of my closest friends end up down a narrow path because they choose to waste their money on vapes, e-cigarettes or hookah and so on. It hurts to check back up with them and notice that there once little hobby turned into a life time commitment,” Arellano said. Although statistics show cigarette usage has declined due to the massive outpour of young adult vapers, students like Arellano believe strongly that vaping is just an easy gateway to smoking tobacco. Avid vaper and freshman Business major, Diego Mendoza, 18, thinks vaping is truly the best investment he has made. Over the course of two years, he’s communicated with different vaping forums, made new friends, spent several dollars on the best products and has not once touched a cigarette in the process. “Vaping is like my sweet escape from the real world, the moment I take in one puff I am up and ready for the start of my day," Mendoza said. It’s not like all these other smoking activities where you have to have a social gathering to chill and have a good time. I can keep this bad boy in my pocket and get to take it wherever I go.” The issue has even reached the seats of the House of Representatives where Congressman Duncan Hunter’s (R-CA) video of him pulling out a vape pen and smoking it went viral. His stunt was in protest of the House’s debate whether to ban vaping on commercial planes, which was overwhelmingly approved. There has been no word by the Food and Drug Administration whether vaping presents any danger, but studies report it is a “far less harmful alternative to smoking,” according to the Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety. for the increase as well as to a reason for the funding being frozen. As a measure of good will, Covino told Weerasinghe that he would speak with Vice President Lisa Chavez about eliminating the Board’s $1.6 million debt. When he asked the administration if this action to freeze funding was legal, he never got an answer. The school in the midst of the conflict, the Anna Bing Arnold Children Center, is overseen by University Auxiliary Services (UAS). The organization has a budget of $30 million and allocates about $1.5 million dollars to the school. Whereas, ASI must now spend $250,000, amounting to about a quarter of their budget. In ASI’s Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 18, the Board voted to pass a resolution in support of an increase in the Anna Bing Arnold Children Center to $250,000 in order to receive their full funding from the administration.
8
University Times
Feb. 22, 2016
EVENT CALENDAR
MONDAY 22nd
TUESDAY 23rd Engineering Week STEAM Showcase 12:00pm - 4:00pm ECST Courtyard
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Until Saturday, April 16 - 12:30 p.m. Salazar Hall 343
Muffin Monday Meets Open Mic 2:30 p.m. Los Angeles Room A, 3rd Floor, U-SU
Mindfulness & Relaxation 2:00pm - 3:00pm Student Union, Reflection Room
Cup of Culture: Social Justice in Television and Film 3:15 p.m. Alhambra Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
Black Talk: Africans and African Americans 3:15 p.m. Alhambra Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
A Conversation with 'The Soloist' Producer Gary Foster 6:30 p.m. Golden Eagle Ballroom 3 Becoming Jaime Nevares: Imagination, False Identity and Historical Misconstruction in the Communist International's Transnational Network in Latin America, 1925-1979 6:15 p.m. San Gabriel Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
U-Lead: Conflict Resolution 3:15 p.m. Pasadena Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU
THURSDAY 25th AB540/Dreamers Poetry Workshop Series, Part 2 12:00 p.m. Pasadena Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU Wind Ensemble 12:00 p.m. MUS 150 An Evening with Kavindu Ade 6:15 p.m. Los Angeles Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU Fostering Change Through Hollywood 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Salazar Hall E184
SPORTS
Golden Eagles suffer pitching woes, lose 6-3
Photo By Danny Barnts
The struggles continue for the Golden Eagles Men’s Baseball team.
bringing the score to 3-0 going into the sixth inning, hit another homerun in the bottom of the fifth. The Lions started to take control of the game, scoring back-to-back runs and struck-out two of the three hitters for the Golden Eagles.
Chelsey Michaelis
In the top of the seventh, the Lions scored four runs. Merrick Patito replaced Christian Broussard Jr., who had his struggles on the mound. More struggles continued as Patito gave up two hits, and pitcher Gabriel Gentner gave up a 3-man homerun and solo homerun bring the score to 6-3.
Contributor
The Golden Eagles are 1-4 coming into a double-header match up against the Point Loma Lions on Saturday, Feb. 13th. They are currently on a 4-game losing streak for being unable to score in 3 straight games. On Saturday afternoon, the Golden Eagles took the field looking to get back in the winning column, with no luck. The Golden Eagles pitchers’ struggled to strike out Lions hitters and lost 6-3. The first 3 innings they scored no points and went into the bottom of the third with runners on first and second base. Ryan Welker hit a deep ball downfield that scored Angel Sanchez from second base, scoring the first run of the game. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Garrett Dean hit the game’s first solo homerun, adding another point to the lead. Nathan Navarrete,
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
The Golden Eagles ongoing pitching struggles continued as the Lion’s pitchers recorded strikeouts and a double play to end the inning. “Our guys did a fairly good job of competing hard to keep the lead for us,” said head coach Vince Beringhele about his pitchers in the first game of the double-header. The second game of the double header ended in a 4-8 loss. The Golden Eagles continue to struggle and are now 1-6 on the season. Next game is on the road, Feb. 26 against Cal State San Marcos at 2:00 P.M.
WEDNESDAY 24th Exploring Whiteness Video Series: Vocabulary of Change: Angela Davis and Tim Wise 3:00 p.m. San Gabriel Room, 3rd Floor, U-SU Dare 2 Dream Part III Career Advancement 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. USU Board Room North Golden Moment Talent Showcase 6:00 p.m. U-SU Theatre, 1st Floor, U-SU A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 7:30 p.m. State Playhouse
FRIDAY 26th
24th Annual Student Symposium on Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 7:30 p.m. State Playhouse