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April 25, 2016
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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
ASI President calls for investigations and probations
Issue 212.05
Ani Nalbandian Staff Reporter
The battle for respect continues to wage on between the Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) and President Covino. In early March, ASI called for the resignation of President Covino on claims of his mismanagement of the Ben Shapiro speaking event that was met with a massive student protest. Covino is now under fire from ASI once again for failing to protect student interests.
Photo Courtesy | Cal State LA CCC
Prince reign comes to an end Alejandro Ortega Julian Garcia Contributors
Last week, ASI President Ejmin Hakobian submitted a draft Grievance against Cal State LA, the University StudentUnion Board of Directors and Personnel. In the document he asserts that President Covino and his staff should be reprimanded for negligence and unprofessional conduct. The Grievance calls for a reprimand of the UniversityStudent Union (U-SU) for disregarding CSU policy. Hakobian also requested for a full investigation of the U-SU under the grounds of unethical and unlawful practices. At the center of the argument was the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Jose Gomez and the U-SU. Hakobian called for the probation of Dr. Gomez, as well
| Photo by Pablo De La Hoya
as a reprimand of the U-SU chair based on violation of CSU policy and recurrent unprofessional conduct.
INSIDE:
At a U-SU meeting in late February, three students were to be nominated to the Board of Directors, however two were
LA ONDA: LA RONDA TIENE SU PRIMER PROGRAMA RADIAL
ASI ELECTION DEBATES IN FULL SWING
PG 8
PG 2
Inspirational speaker tackles eco-injustice Marrian Zhou
Managing Editor Professor Philip Clayton delivered an unforgettable presentation entitled “Toward a sustainable civilization: New Directions in Environmental Philosophy,” at the inaugural lecture event hosted by the Joseph Prabhu Fund for Interfaith Peace and Justice, College of Arts and Letters, and Cal State LA Philosophy Club on Thursday, April 21. Professor Philip Clayton currently holds the Ingraham Chair at Claremont School of Theology. He works to formulate constructive responses to challenges of violence and injustice around the world. In this special lecture, he brought to light the overlooked issues of eco-injustice in the modern
world. Clayton suggested that we have a gap nowadays between environmental concerns and actually evoked social change, with landfill being the most important, and yet overlooked environmental issue.
| Photo Sherry Yuen-Ruan
In one of his case studies, he mentioned the “toxic doughnut” in Altgeld Gardens, located in the South of Chicago, also known as the “ring of toxic.” It was originally established as a federal housing project for World War II African American veterans.
ineligible for confirmation based on CSU academic policy. Continues on page 3
RAPE SURVIVORS TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
PG 5 The community was surrounded by 50 landfills, 382 industrial facilities and it had 250 leaking underground storage tanks. The toxic living condition directly contributed to the excessive rates of prostates, bladder, and lung cancer of the residents. Since the community was mainly composed of African Americans and a large percentage were below the poverty level, the “toxic doughnut” case also became an example of environmental racism. Other cases were also presented, such as Chester in Pennsylvania and Dickson in Tennessee. “We’d like to think that poor people had a rougher time maybe, or that folks in [these communities] are somehow responsible for this treatment, it’s not true,” Clayton said. “This is a case where those who are not able to speak up for their rights, who were less important about environmental conditions, or simply less powerful, became the dumping grounds for others who have the power, the money, and the know-hows.”
Multiple Grammy Award-winning musical artist Prince died early morning of April 21 at 57 years old. Prince Rogers Nelson’s body was discovered in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota, according to a report by TMZ. His death was confirmed by his publicist Yvette Noel-Schure, stating that he was “fighting the flu.” “It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson, has died at his Paisley Park residence this morning at the age of 57,” Noel-Schure said. Continues on page 7 Clayton proposed to change our perspectives on the relationship between humans and nature. We should not view ourselves as conquerors of nature, instead, simply as members of nature; to teach each other to see earth as beautiful and aesthetic, which will motivate us to do good and just actions. He incorporated J. Baird Callicott’s quote to this idea, “We need a new narrative, to tell the story of nature.” Kirianna Florez, Clayton's research assistant, commented on the idea of creating new narratives. “The community in Chester that was affected by [landfills] so badly fought back but lost to the political government in the city. They used their ability to create narrative--a sense of community, to tell stories of their family members who were having issues such as cancer,” Florez said. “One of the
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University Times
April 25, 2016
ELECTION NEWS ASI candidates beat around the bush to solve University problems Nico Triunfante Copy Editor
Election debate turns into open forum regarding personal leadership skills. The 2016 Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) Elections Debate for Presidential and Executive positions was held on Thursday, April 21, where potential ASI board members for the upcoming school year “debated” in the U-SU Los Angeles Room in front of current ASI board members and candidate friends. The misleading debatestyle meeting was merely an
open forum for ASI candidates to answer general questions regarding personal leadership qualities, supplied by ASI Elections and Orientations Commissioner Mihika Mody. She presented these questions, which concluded with candidate redundancy of similar answers, only rephrased. Each candidate addressed the fact that student involvement is declining, but lacked any concrete pathway to solving the problem. Prioritizing health, active listening, time management, and enhancing bonds with the ASI board were strategies touched upon by nearly all candidates. ASI candidates presented very few specific goals. Presidential candidate Samuel Garza,
introduced his vision of reforming the Pit into a gaming ground, while VP for Administration candidate Gregory Bates, stood behind his credibility of success by acquiring more newspaper boxes across campus. However, the candidates are not to blame for merely answering their personal definitions of leadership. ASI board members lacked questions that addressed quality student issues – including policies regarding welcoming Ben Shapiro-like speakers, the lack of parking, or congested classes, for example. Crowd members got the opportunity to ask questions to the candidates, but the questions, were again, general – one regarding a list of each
| Photo by Pablo De La Hoya
candidate’s club involvement. Student involvement will continue to wither, but the answer lies within ASI. According to a previous ASI board member, students present at the election debate were only friends of each candidate.
If potential ASI board members were unable to entice students to attend the debate, how credible are their promises to unify the University? Students who advocate school unity must present clear-cut steps toward the end goal in order for the University’s school spirit to flourish.
ASI election debate #2 voices a platform resent undergraduates by talking with those who shared her opinions on campus and through communicating with posters and brochures.
| Photo by Pablo De La Hoya
Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
College representatives and academic senators showcase their platform for upcoming election. Spectators gathered on a stretch of lawn near the main walkway last Wednesday as student candidates participated in one of the multiple debates held to fill positions in next year’s ASI. The debate centered around introductions of the candidates running and a Q&A series run by ASI Commissioner Mihika Mody. The positions debated on Wednesday were for Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Senator, College of Business and Economics Representative, College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology (ECST) Representative, and Charter College of Education Representative. The position of Undergraduate Academic Senator has four contenders: Elise Dang, Leslym Mendez, Matthew Hu, and ThuLan Nguyen.
Elise Dang, an Anthropology and Asian & Asian American Studies major, felt that the two biggest problems currently facing undergraduates are overcrowding and the Add & Drop deadline. If elected, she wishes to create more access to courses and move the deadline for dropping classes into the third or fourth week. Leslym Mendez, a Psychology major, stated that our campus’s commuter mentality was one of the biggest problems currently facing undergraduates. As the first in her family to go to college, she wants to use her knowledge to guide students through the college process, while enhancing communication through one-onone interactions with the students she will represent. Matthew Hu, a Finance major, plans to bring his experience from working with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors over to his work as an undergraduate academic senator in order to advocate for student voices through strategies such as petitions. Thu-Lan Nguyen, a Biochemistry major, stated that she would focus on the issues of overcrowding and a lack of awareness surrounding office hours during her time in the academic senate. She further stated that she would rep-
Shichaun Li, a graduate student majoring in Political Science, is the only contender for the position of Graduate Academic Senator. He’s running for a position on the Academic Senate due to his belief that graduate students are underrepresented on campus. As a former international student from China, he would additionally like to increase support and representation for international students who may struggle with courses that are not designed for them in mind. The position of College of Business and Economics Representative has two contenders: Adam Rteimeh and Shirali Shah. Adam Rteimeh, a Business Management major, would focus on student involvement and access to advisement services if he is elected as a representative. He proposed a mentorship program between freshman and upperclassmen within his college that would increase communication and fulfill the volunteer requirements that are coming with semester conversion. Shirali Shah, an international graduate student majoring in Information Systems, believed her current position as a Graduate Academic Senator in ASI has given her the experience to skillfully represent her college. As a representative, she plans to focus on making required classes available on a more frequent basis while increasing campus involvement for business and economic students. Marvin Soltero, an Engineer-
ing major, is running for College of ECST representative. He believes that his involvement with engineering has made him knowledgeable on the struggles faced by those in the ECST College. As a representative, he wants to open lines of communication with professors and advisors to enhance student success.
Zulema Lopez, a transfer student and Urban Learning major, is the only candidate running as a representative for the Charter College of Education. As representative, Lopez would advocate for more access to workshops that discuss difficult aspects of the credentialing process, while enhancing education surrounding the pillar of professionalism.
An additional opportunity for campus voters to make their decisions will be available in a “Meet Your Candidates Mixer” on May 4. Students can vote online on May 9 to May 11 via GET or in-person through a voting booth that will be set up on the main walkway during the same time period.
3 NEWS
University Times
April 25, 2016
UN IIMVEESR S I T Y Editor-in-Chief Gerardo Amezquita
T
Journalism 391 TA Robert Ellsworth Distributors Jasmine Salgado Marcus Escobar
Managing Editor Marrian Zhou Production Manager Taylor Preza
Staff Reporters Ani Nalbandian Hannah Jacobsen
Web Editor Pablo De La Hoya
Contributors Alejandro Ortega Julian Garcia Mimi Li Sarely Perez Hector Aguilar Anthony Karambelas Vanessa Osio David Ochoa Joseph Delgado Marcela Valdivia
Copy Editors Nico Triunfante Ricky Rodas Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson Advertising Assistant Yessenia Rivas Faculty Advisor Suzanne Regan Journalism 391 Professor Josef Sawyer
Photographers Mimi Li Joseph Delgado Pablo De La Hoya Anthony Karambelas News Assistant Dona Vernet
All opinions and letters in the University Times represent the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the UT or the university. 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
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GET it together
Pablo De La Hoya Web Editor
University system shuts down prior to Writing Proficiency Exams. Golden Eagle Territory (GET) has been shut down periodically for updates in preparation for the semester conversion. Most recently, GET was shut down on April 15 the day before the Writing Proficiency Exam. The exam is held once every quarter for students who have completed English 102—or its community college equivalent—as a prerequisite to graduate. Registration for the exam is equivalent to enrolling for a class with an additional $25 fee. Each section has an assigned room and time to report to. However, GET going offline left students unaware of their exam time and locations, leaving many students to take to Facebook to get some answers. Originally, John Mikaelian, senior Marketing Management major preparing for graduation in June, was simply asking for advice on the exam before realizing he didn’t even know where to go. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to take my WPE as scheduled,” Mikaelian said. Fellow students via Facebook told Mikaelian that there would be people in King Hall with lists of the rooms for students taking the WPE. However, the time was still an issue since there were two different times for the exam.
| Graphic by Pablo De La Hoya
The inconvenience left students wondering if the campus was aware that the WPE was coming up. “They need to make sure students don’t need to login into GET for a major class or event before taking it down,” Mikaelian said. An email was sent out by Communications and Public Affairs Friday morning, informing students that GET would be offline starting at 5 P.M. This didn’t give many students much time to plan ahead and prepare for the system to be online until the following Monday. However, according to Rennie Schoepflin, Director of Semester Conversion, an email was sent out on April 5 giving students time to prepare.
The maintenance was created to update the system in preparation for the semester conversion and a follow up email was sent out on April 17, stating the updates were a success. Schoepflin explained that the maintenance is done regularly to the GET system to ensure high levels of system performance. Despite the system going offline, students still had help finding their room before the test. “Personnel were on hand with information about WPE test locations to assist students on Saturday morning if they had not previously printed out their schedules for the quarter,” Schoepflin said. The semester conversion is bringing a lot of change and this is just one of the many steps being taken by the University to ensure a smooth process.
ASI
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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
The board went on ahead to confirm the students, undeterred by ASI objections. Dr. Gomez then publicly shouted at the ASI President, questioning his motives while using offensive language. Stephen Fleischer, the Executive Director of U-SU, in a statement given over a phone interview said, “Dr. Gomez was frustrated and passionately explaining to the ASI President that he was delaying the nominating process for unnecessary reasons.” Fleischer stated, “the way Gomez was passionately speaking to Hakobian made the room a little uncomfortable, so the board
and those running the meeting moved on with the agenda.” Fleischer continued to explain that Hakobian questioned the nominee’s qualifications, because as transfer students, they would not be eligible to run until the spring quarter, which would begin over a month later. However the U-SU nominated and confirmed them based on their eligibility for the following quarter, and Gomez was standing up for the U-SU’s decision. In his Grievance, Hakobian stated, “Dr. Gomez has used offensive remarks and intimidation during public and private meetings this year to address the A.S.I. President and
other student leaders. This is not the first time Dr. Gomez has been called out for disrespectful behavior and outright apathy of student interests. President Covino has been notified of previous instances of Gomez’s conduct, which has been deemed difficult and hostile.” When reached for comment about the U-SU incident, Dr. Gomez refused to provide one. The Grievance is up for consideration at the next ASI Board of Director’s Meeting on April 21, and will determine whether ASI will seek serious actions against the Administration and the University-Student Union.
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University Times
April 25, 2016
NEWS
Getting to know your Presidential candidates: Donald Trump Hannah Jacobsen Staff Reporter
A breakdown of the background and political leanings of Donald Trump. Donald Trump was born in Queens, New York, and his official political career largely began with the announcement that he would be running for President in 2015. He has become well known for his controversial statements on immigration, Islam, and a host of other issues, bringing him a mixture of clamoring support and shocked disgust from the nation’s voters. While Trump is not known for an extensive background in politics, he is famous for the Trump Organization, which operates in highpriced real estate, sports, and entertainment. The corporation, originally owned by his father under the name Elizabeth Trump & Son, was taken over by Trump in 1971. While his father focused on middle-income apartments in the New York area, Trump’s reign changed the focus to large building projects that went for high profits and high recognition. Though the corporation ran close to financial ruin during the decline of the real estate market in 1990—and Trump has frequently been accused of inflating his own net worth—Trump has used his position as a wealthy businessman to his advantage in the campaign. He sets himself apart from “politics” through a statement on his website: “I am self funding my campaign so I don’t owe anything to lobbyists and special interests.” Trump teased his consideration of running for President in 2012, during a time which he was also involved in the “Birther” movement that claimed President Obama was not born in the United States. He officially announced he would be entering the race for president in June 2015. Trump’s political platform as a presidential nominee, according to his campaign website, is to “make America great again” through major reform of health care, taxes, veteran administration, US-China trade, and immigration. Trump’s campaign states that the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, has been an economic burden on the U.S. public, and that “on day one of the Trump Administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare,” to be replaced with reforms that follow the principles of the free market. While a full plan is not yet communicated for these reforms, the campaign states that it will involve: modifying existing laws that prevent the sale of health insurance across state lines, individual tax deductions for health insurance premium payments, tax free contributions to Health Savings Accounts, price transparency from all healthcare providers, state control of Medicaid, and free markets for overseas drug providers. Trump also plans to extend these health care reforms to veterans, and he promises to stop the current wait times for VA health care while reforming care to focus on “the whole veteran, not just their physical health.” This would include a reform of the structure and available technology within the Veterans Administration. When it comes to trade with China, Trump’s campaign website states that “when Donald J. Trump is president, China will be on notice that America is back in the global leadership busi-
ness and that their days of currency manipulation and cheating are over.” This promises an economic war on China which will declare the country a currency manipulator, enforce “swift robust, and unequivocal” responses to theft allegedly committed by the country, end subsidies for Chinese exports, and deploy U.S. military to the East and South China seas. Tax reform would include simplifying the tax code with four brackets rather than seven, erasing income tax for families or individuals under a certain income level, and capping business income taxes at 15 percent. To pay for these cuts, a “Trump Tax Plan” would eliminate deductions and loopholes available for the wealthy, establish a one-time repatriation of corporate cash held overseas, and reduce or eliminate certain corporate loopholes. Donald Trump is widely known for his controversial statements on immigration, which have caused many businesses to break financial ties with his corporation. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you,” Trump said during his presidential announcement speech in June. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” Trump’s campaign promises to cut down on illegal immigration by increasing the militarization of border control—by tripling the number of ICE officers, placing ICE officers into local police departments for raids of street gangs, and ending the catch-and-release of those found crossing the border in favor of detention—and by establishing strict consequences for those who defy immigration laws, including cutting off federal grants to sanctuary cities and enforcing the criminalization of those overstaying a visa. Trump’s biggest pride within this list of immigration reforms is a giant wall between Mexico and the U.S., a wall that Mexico will be forced to pay for. Trump’s campaign lists that Mexico will be given the decision to either make a one-time payment of $5-10 billion or be compelled to pay through preventing the flow of remittances to Mexican families, creating more trade tariffs, canceling existing visas for Mexicans in the United States, and increasing visa fees for Mexican tourists to the US. A comprehensive takedown of Donald Trump and his wall recently arrived in the form of political commentator and “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver, who analyzed both the cost and the effectiveness of this planned wall. Oliver’s estimate was that the wall would actually end up costing about $25 billion to build, excluding maintenance, which will exceed the initial construction costs within seven years, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. “So it’s a big dumb thing that only gets more expensive over time,” Oliver said on his show. “It’s like getting a pet walrus. You think it’s stupid now, wait until you learn what a bucket of sea cucumbers cost. You’ve not prepared for that.” There would be additional problems, according to Oliver, in finding an actual ideal location for the wall that does not violate treaties and laws or take away land from the U.S. Additionally, a 2006 Pew Research Center study revealed nearly half of all unauthorized migrants in the U.S. enter legally through an airport or border crossing point, a situation that the wall would do nothing for. “The wall is about making us feel safer. And
here is where the racism and xenophobia that we put aside at the top of the piece really needs to be brought back in,” Oliver said. “While other politicians have supported barriers at the border, Donald Trump has been uncommonly clear about who we need to be protected from.” Another outspoken dissenter of Trump is a conservative who is rather well known at Cal State LA: Ben Shapiro. “Donald trump is a boor,” Shapiro wrote in an article for Townhall. “He’s a vulgarian, a liar, an ignoramus. He has only the most cursory grasp of policy, a stentorian voice and a great big set of self-assurance.” While John Oliver and Ben Shapiro—along with an onslaught of other media sources, businesses, individuals, and even whole countries—have spoken out against the presidential candidate, Trump’s supporters believe that he will truly be able to improve the U.S. through his policies. One self-proclaimed liberal voter supports Trump, even though they voted for Obama in
| Photo Courtesy nationalvanguard.org
2012 and support many liberal positions, according to an article in The Atlantic. “Trump strikes many of my nerves, but one of the most accurate and dangerously true statements he has made is that ‘America doesn’t win anymore,’” they said. “Trump supporters feel that a confident, strong-willed leader is needed to right the ship and to fight back against the perpetual decline this country has experienced for the last two-plus decades. And to be honest, I feel that Trump is our only hope in this election.” Another supporter who spoke to The Atlantic, as a conservative voter, stated that they found themselves drawn to Trump due to the issues they felt he addressed in California. “We have a horrendous problem with illegal aliens, sanctuary cities and crimes,” they wrote. “Trump has brought this front and center.” Keep reading the University Times in the following weeks to get to know Hillary Clinton and Ted Cruz as your Presidential Candidates before the California Primaries on June 7, 2016.
5 NEWS
University Times
April 25, 2016
Annual rally against sexual assault ture, as a part of the Clothesline Project that started in the 1990s to break the silence around sexual assault by letting survivors air their ‘dirty laundry.’
Mimi Li
Contributor
Tradition continues as students Take Back the Night against sexual assault. April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Cal State LA’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center highlighted this issue with an empowering event for sexual assault survivors. Take Back the Night, a global phenomenon, has been a part of Cal State LA tradition for over a decade. To ‘take back the night’ is to take or reclaim the night where a survivor was assaulted by breaking the silence and stigma around sexual assault, usually accompanied with an open-mic for survivors to speak and a rally to make their voices heard in their community. It highlights the damaging effects of rape culture in society, which consists of shaming women and other genders for their sexuality and blaming them for getting assaulted. Gender and Sexuality Resource Center Co-
| Photo by Mimi Li
ordinator James Green acknowledged the correlation between his gender and his position in planning the event. “It’s been traditionally coordinated by a woman, so I was constantly making myself aware of my privilege,” Green said. “As such, I wanted to allow the space to be open for women and victims or survivors of sexual assault.” However, Cynthia Aguilar, a fifth year student and Cal State LA Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance Organizing Committee member, expressed the need to include other genders in the cause. “One of the common misconceptions about rape culture is that
it is a heterosexual occurrence. Rape culture has no gender,” Aguilar said. “Yes, we hear most stories about women identified folks but we must also allow space for discussion about rape culture affecting men and gender nonconforming folks.” The event was filled with activities and resources around the topic of sexual assault. Local and nearby rape crisis centers such as the East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, and Peace Over Violence, provided resources for survivors. Students were able to make personalized T-shirts of their experiences with rape or rape cul-
Another activity was creating hand mandalas, which expressed love and encouragement toward sexually assaulted victims. Grad student Kendall Obra noted that this activity was a good contrast to the disheartening stories of the Clothesline Project. The open-mic that followed allowed survivors to speak about their experiences and receive support from the community. Several of the speakers’ spoke of the victim blaming they encountered, including alcohol consumption or wearing revealing clothing, after they were assaulted and confided in others. At times, this blame came from friends and family members. Freshman Yuma Velasquez recounts facing sexual harassment from a customer at Macy’s when she was 10 years old. She hesitated to tell her mother, believing she would get scolded. When she found the courage to tell her mother, she got scolded. She went
on to face harassment at another point in life and felt that it was her fault that she kept getting harassed. Another theme was consent or the lack thereof, which several speakers noted was hard to recognize. “My rape wasn’t brutal. It was quiet and I thought it was an act of love. I didn’t know it was rape. I’m still dealing with it,” said senior Roanna Iverson said. Survivors who spoke at the open-mic said they thought the sexual abuse they faced would be a one-time occurrence, yet it happened again and again, with different abusers, as they got older. They learned that sexual abuse does not go away, and some, like Iverson, have to live with frequently running into their abusers. The event closed with a short march around campus. Students rallied for an end to all forms of sexual assault. Iverson led the march, with chants like “Hey hey, ho ho, date rape has go to go!” And by the end of the day, they took back the night.
The last time to make a first impression
Joseph Delgado Contributor
Etiquette dinner teaches students proper dining techniques.
Business casual, check. Table manners, check. Confidence, check. These are some of the aspects that make up an etiquette dinner. One may think they know exactly what an etiquette dinner is and how to conduct themselves during these events, but there is so much more than just appearance and selling one’s self to a company in order to land a job. This is why the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) offered these opportunities for students to prepare for these occasions. “An etiquette dinner is a workshop facilitated by an expert who walks students through the ins and outs, and the manners of how to professionally and successfully navigate what’s on the dinner table. Both for personal and for professional use,” said Frangelo Ayran, Etiquette Dinner organizer and Assistant Director for Student Development. Ayran feels students greatly benefit from the dinner because it will teach students how to enter the professional world knowing that a lot of business like contracts and negotiations take place at meal settings.
| Photo by Joseph Delgado
The workshop featured Jules Martinez Hirst, Etiquette Expert and co-author of Power of Civility, as the presenter who walked students through the proper ways of etiquette. “Etiquette is not about being perfect, creating robots and everybody following each other; it’s about being confident,” Hirst said. Confidence plays a key factor at any professional dinner setting; it is not unusual for a job interview to take place at a dinner setting.
A simple gesture of passing over the salt and pepper can make or break the candidate on the event of whether or not the person properly passes the two condiments. The proper way, exemplified through the dinner, of passing salt and pepper is passing them together. Having proper etiquette with confidence also leaves a positive impression on the host and their guests that they bring to the dinner. It is imperative that the interviewee properly emits confidence and knows how to operate around the dinner table.
“When you go in and sit down at the table, you know exactly what fork is yours,” Hirst said. All you have to worry about is making a positive first impression with everybody around you,” Hirst said. Making a great first impression means being able to display appropriate table manners, which are an essential quality to any dinner. Some table manners many people may not know about are: Once a utensil is used, it should never be placed back on the table and waiting until everyone has been served before eating when dining with a group. Social
etiquette is also expected with a great handshake when introducing yourself to those around you at the table. During the three-course meal, students learned that there were also two types of dining styles, American and European, from the way of holding utensils to placing the utensils on the plate in either resting position or finished position. “You have less than 30 seconds to make a first impression,” Hirst said. “What does yours say about you?”
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University Times
April 25, 2016
Familiarizing yourself with college success apps
signment. Essentially, this feature aims to push students to complete their assignment in a timely manner and not procrastinate by leaving something until last minute. Office 365 is a part of Outlook that provides students with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. As a result, students do not have to download these features onto their laptop because they can use these features through their Outlook when they sign in through their Cal State LA account.
| Photos Courtesy student.approvedcolleges.com
Marcela Valdivia Contributor
S.T.A.R.S presents Outlook and Google as tools for college success. Students Taking Action for Retention and Success (S.T.A.R.S.) program held its first event of the spring quarter about using apps for college success on Monday, April 18. Diana Victa, the Cross Cultural Centers coordinator, highlighted the importance of utilizing Outlook and Google throughout college in order for students to become more productive and efficient. “When I was in college I could not afford to pay for all these dif-
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difficulties of getting their narrative across was that they were minorities living in poverty and their voice was ignored by the larger communities. They were silenced unless they could grab the attention of media and its journalists.” Environmental ethics is deeply connected with many other fields as well, such as religion. Among the respondents at the event, Professor John Cobb, Kayley Vernallis, Ruth Broyde Sharone, and Dr. Joseph Prabhu, Sharone is the co-chair of the Southern California Committee of the Parliament of the World’s Religions (SCCPWR). She is a devoted supporter of the “Interfaith Movement.” Many believe that the “Religion of the Earth” exists. Sharone and her colleagues work to find the similarities amongst different religions and promote environmental justice as well as its importance. However, according to Sharone, when it comes to college students, 40 percent of whom identify with no of religion.
ferent softwares. So what I loved about using Google and Outlook is that it is the same exact thing that Office would provide, but I would get all that for free,” Victa said.
view calendars from other people. By viewing others’ calendars, students can accommodate a time to meet with their professors or colleagues.
The Outlook application enables quick and easy email access. Students who were first introduced to the app found this workshop helpful.
Students can construct groups in Outlook in order to create conversations and share documents. This is extremely helpful when it comes to group projects because everyone is contributing in one single assignment at the same time. With any document done on Outlook, students are able to share a link of a document to their peers. There are options to send a document where your peers can only view or edit the document.
“I didn’t know how to use Outlook at all because I only used Outlook to check my Cal State LA email. I didn’t know all the other useful features Outlook provides so I really liked everything I learned,” said Candy Noriega, Chemistry major. One of those features includes Outlook calendar - a feature that includes functions from a daily calendar to a yearly calendar. Even more interesting is that people can
“[They might not be religious] but they do have spiritual concerns and yearnings,” Sharone said. “Many young people I’ve met definitely wouldn’t call themselves religious, but they are very caring and want to do something about this state of the world. So I want to take the opportunity and invite you to become a part [of the movement].” The event sparked great discussions about environmental concerns and possible solutions among students, philosophy professors, members of SCCPWR, with honorary appearances of Dean Peter McAllister and Representative Daniel Tamm from the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti. Tamm also honored Dr. Prabhu the certificate of congratulations on behalf of the Mayor for his long-term engagement on issues of interfaith peace and justice. The impact of inspirational lectures is significant and it is desperately needed throughout the world on environmental justice. College students are crucial in building a better place for future generations and you might ask what you can do. For starters, spread the words for the voiceless and unjustified.
Task is a feature in Outlook that reminds people about deadlines they have set. People will get constant emails as reminders of the work they have to do in order to make sure they are on top of an as-
On the other side, Google is a similar application to Outlook that provides an extensive amount of free features to people. At first these tools may seem complicated to students, but once they familiarize themselves with these tools they will be able understand how they work. Google Doc is the most used feature by people because it is a resourceful backup when writing a paper, as it constantly saves any work in progress. A person is also able to add other people to the document in order to work together. When working together, people are able to directly leave comments on a paper for the other person and share a document via link. With Google Docs, students can create forms that serve as surveys in an electronic document format. These forms are used as assessments, feedback, and reservations. People can request short answer, multiple choice, checkboxes, pictures, etc. to personalize their form in any manner they want. Essentially what the creator of the form receives back as an excel sheet of the results. “A lot of people use Survey Money, but I find forms in Google
NEWS
Docs better because it is free, but also does the same exact things Survey Monkey would do,” Victa said. Google Hangouts provides personal broadcasting capabilities for others to view via invitation or link. While someone is working live on the document, it gives others the opportunity to comment and interact in a fast manner. The share screen feature allows people to share a document in order for everyone to be on the same page and know at what exactly they are looking at while they are live. “One of the interesting things about Cal State LA is that everyone is commuting from different places so one of the challenges for group projects is where and when to meet. The cool thing about Google Hangouts is that you can meet in the comfort of your home in your pajamas whenever you are all free,” Victa said. Today, technology continues to be on the rise and at the palm of our hands. The easy access of technology has helped facilitate the lives of people. Using apps are fast, accessible, and easy for academic and personal needs. Moreover, being able to effectively use these apps allows students to get organized and increase their digital competency skills. The next event will be about helpful time management strategies on May 4, and on May 25 the class of 2016 will have the opportunity to design their graduation cap. The S.T.A.R.S. program aims at providing students with engagement through a series of workshops in order to attain academic success and ultimately reach graduation.
April 25, 2016
7 NEWS
University Times
Prince Continued from cover
Prince was born on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He burst onto the music scene in the late 1970’s and forever changed the entire pop landscape. Known as a sex symbol, prolific songwriter and virtuoso musician, Prince was the definition of music and fashion in the 1980’s.
| Graphic by Carlos Gomez
Since the age of 18, Prince released 35 albums selling over 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time, has won 7 Grammy awards, 5 number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “Song of the Heart,” and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for “Purple Rain” in 1984. Prince’s Top 10 hits include “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry,” “Lets Go Crazy,” “Kiss,” and “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World.” Not only was he composing amazing musical pieces for himself, but he also had a hand in creating hits for other musicians, including Sinead O’Connor’s 1990 single “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “I Feel For You” performed by Chaka Khan. His stardom reached a new high with the release of his 1984 film and album, “Purple Rain,” in which he fictionalized his own story. The film earned Prince an Academy Award and sold over 13 million albums in the United States alone.
DTLA City Hall| Photo Courtesy thesun.co.uk
Eventually, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Cal State LA students mourned the death of the Purple Rain artist through Twitter. “I was getting ready for class when I first heard the news,” said Christina Ramirez, a 37-year-old Junior Education major. “I grew up with his tapes and records. His music was always playing at home.” According to a report by CNN, Minnesota County investigators found no obvious signs of trauma on Prince’s body and there was no reason to believe that the death was a suicide. The CNN report also stated that the complete results of the autopsy will not be released for weeks. This is truly what it sounds like when doves cry. The Cross Cultural Center invited students to stop by to pay respects to Prince and his musical legacy by visiting their shrine on the second floor of the University-Student Union.
| Photo Courtesy mtv.com
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University Times
April 25, 2016
INFORMATIVA LOCAL
¡La RONDA debuta en la radio!
NACIONAL
No más “extranjero ilegal” en los Estados Unidos Estudiantes expresan su felicidad por la noticia
Por Sarely Perez La Biblioteca del Congreso de los Estados Unidos eliminó el término "extranjero ilegal" y lo sustituyó por "indocumentado". El cambio fue dado originalmente por integrantes de la Dartmouth Cooalition for Immigration Reform Equality and Dreamers (CoFIRE) de la Universidad de Dartmouth. Ellos exigieron a la biblioteca que dicho término fuera eliminado. Esto tiene a muchas personas muy complacidas ya que consideran el término muy ofensivo. Lorena Ramírez, estudiante de Television, Media and Film Studies en Cal State LA, reaccionó a la noticia. Ella nació en los Estados Unidos pero sus padres son inmigrantes. Lorena se siente "muy contenta de que hayan cambiado esa expresión. Se escucha inapropiado porque nadie merece que se le diga así. Todos somos seres humanos y todos somos iguales. Mi madre está contenta porque esto es otro paso más en la lucha por la reforma migratoria, estamos avanzando poco a poco". Selena Juárez, integrante de la
organización SURGE en Cal State LA, ayuda a estudiantes indocumentados y también expresó su felicidad por el cambio que hizo la biblioteca. "Ya era tiempo de que ellos hicieran esto. Ninguna persona es ilegal y no es justo que seamos vistos como si no fuéramos humanos. Nadie tiene derecho de hacernos sentir que somos menos al llamarnos así sólo por no tener documentos estadounidenses", opinó la estudiante. Algunos grupos y organizaciones emplean la palabra “ilegal” para insultar o herir los sentimientos de los inmigrantes indocumentados. Selena dijo que esto trae consecuencias negativas. “Hemos recibido muchos estudiantes en nuestra organización que se reúsan a relucir su estatus migratorio ya que algunos tienen miedo de que estas personas les reclamen o los insulten”, aclaró. Los activistas por los derechos de los inmigrantes indocumentados piensan que este es un gran logro pero que todavía hay mucho por qué trabajar. Selena comentó que "todavía falta ver qué pasará con DACA y DAPA. Esperemos que también tengamos buenas noticias en unos meses. Y también espero que el próximo presidente nos ayude, ya que nos han prometido muchas cosas que aún faltan por cumplirse".
Manifestantes con pancartas que apoyan a los inmigrantes indocumentados. Fotografía | Crédito: solidarity-us.org
EVENTOS
Coachella: primer fin de semana Varios artistas se dieron cita al tan esperado evento Por Brenda Rodríguez En su primer fin de semana, Coachella regresó a Indio para ser de nuevo el centro del mundo de la música. Durante ese par de días, se capturó la presencia y el espectáculo de varios artistas como Guns ‘N Roses, Ice Cube, Calvin Harris, Jack U y Major Lazor. Hubo conjuntos de artistas que
sorprendieron a los espectadores. Guns ‘N Roses colaboró con Angus Young, cantante de la famosa banda ACDC. Rhianna salió con Calvin Harris para cantar su gran éxito I Need Your Love. Lorde y Sam Smith salieron con Disclosure. Hasta Kanye West se presentó con Jack U. Además de la música, el público también disfrutó de la rica comida y del arte que no podía pasar desapercibida. A pesar del clima cálido por las mañanas y frío por las noches, la gente bailó sin parar mientras disfrutaban de su artista favorito.
Contáctanos en nuestras nuevas cuentas de redes sociales :
UT
laonda.newspaper@gmail.com La Onda Cal State LA
laonda.calstatela
Integrantes de La Ronda listos para su primer programa de radio. Fotografía | Crédito: Pablo De La Hoya
El Golden Eagle Radio le abre las puertas al periodismo en español Por Graciela López El pasado jueves, 21 de abril, la clase de periodismo en español realizó la primera emisión de radio en habla hispana en Cal State LA. El profesor Pablo Baler compartió los micrófonos con sus estudiantes y hablaron de diversos temas. Max Lee y Jasmine Salgado ofrecieron el apoyo técnico a los jóvenes periodistas. la
Brenda Rodríguez comenzó discusión hablando del
famoso evento Coachella. Sus compañeras Brenda Valadez y Beatriz Cortez se unieron a la conversación explicando que muchas personas faltan al trabajo o a la escuela por ir a los conciertos. Después procedieron a hablar de la ley que daría seis días de enfermedad con paga a los trabajadores en California. Richard Molina, Clare Frye y Jennifer Ramos, por su parte, comentaron sobre algunos problemas que hay en las universidades. Los estudiantes mostraron su preocupación por la represión que hay en UC Davis y el hombre sospechoso que rondaba Cal State LA la noche del 12 de abril. Por último, Alejandra Córdova y Beatriz Cortez mencionaron el
incidente en el que se vio envuelto el candidato presidencial Donald Trump al confundir el evento 9/11 con la cadena de negocios 7/11. Los estudiantes presentaron entrevistas que ellos mismos hicieron. Asimismo, escogieron las canciones y clips adecuados para los temas de discusión. Este grupo de estudiantes y el profesor Baler planean llenar el mismo espacio en Golden Eagle Radio semanalmente. El programa radial de La Ronda se podrá oír en repetición todos los días a las 11:00 de la mañana. Los radioescuchas pueden visitar la página de internet web.calstatela. edu/orgs/goldeneageradio/ para disfrutar de este programa radial que recién debuta esta semana pero ya pasó a la historia.
Sigma Delta Pi celebró su gala anual de iniciación de nuevos miembros
Mesa directiva y nuevos miembros de Sigma Delta Pi. Fotografía | Crédito: Leandro González
Una emotiva ceremonia para maestros y estudiantes del departamento de español Por Claudia Landeros
El pasado viernes, 15 de abril, la sociedad nacional honoraria hispánica, el Capítulo Gamma Psi de Sigma Delta Pi, tuvo su ceremonia anual de iniciación de nuevos miembros. Esta sociedad de honor, reconoce exclusivamente a estudiantes y profesores que destacan y han hecho grandes aportes a la lengua española y en especial, al Capítulo Gamma Psi de Cal State LA. Este capítulo fue formado en el año 1954, tuvo una pausa y fue reactivado en 1990. Ahora, bajo la dirección de la Dra. Domnita Dumitrescu y con nueva directiva, liderada por
Claudia Jiménez como presidenta, el capítulo Gamma Psi, continúa trabajando arduamente y añadiendo nuevos miembros año tras año.
vez al año a aquellos alumnos que se comprometen con el capítulo y tienen una participación destacada durante el año previo.
En la ceremonia de iniciación, once estudiantes de la carrera de español tuvieron el privilegio de ser iniciados. Esto bajo un detallado y emotivo protocolo. Después de la ceremonia, todos los asistentes participaron en una cena, que sirvió de motivo, no sólo para celebrar a los recién iniciados, sino para convivir maestros y alumnos de la carrera de español.
También se entregaron certificados a aquellos estudiantes que colaboran con Sigma Delta Pi, y los estudiantes que están próximos a graduarse, recibieron el cordón de honor que portarán en día de la ceremonia de graduación. Para amenizar el evento, el grupo de danza “México moderno” bajo la dirección de Jesús Mejía, presentó un baile que fue una fusión de danza tradicional mestiza con danza moderna. Los bailarines a ritmo de tambores, interpretaron un número del estado de Veracruz, México.
En la ceremonia, se reconoció a la Dra. Paola Marín y al Dr. Gastón Alzate, por su colaboración y ayuda constantes con los estudiantes y por su excelente desempeño como docentes del departamento de lenguas modernas. Además, se entregó el premio “Gabriela Mistral” a la estudiante Cecilia Lara. Cabe destacar que este reconocimiento, se entrega una
El evento lució como cada año. La consejera y la mesa directiva del capítulo Gamma Psi cuidaron cada detalle y todos los asistentes gozaron de una linda ceremonia que culminó con baile.
9 NEWS
April 25, 2016
University Times
Earthquake outbreak raises questions for University’s stability Sarely Perez Contributor
Students feel unsafe in regards to earthquake preparation.
were killed, more than 100 people were trapped under collapsed buildings, and almost 2,000 people have been hurt since the earthquakes occurred. In Ecuador, at least 350 people died and more than 2,500 were injured.
Whenever multiple earthquakes happen, Californians especially start getting worried Several earthquakes occured and they ask themselves “Are we during the past week, but most next?”. of them went unnoticed because they were so small and caused Geophysicists at NASA’s Jet no harm. However, this wasn’t Propulsion Lab said “that there the case in Japan and Ecuador is a 99 percent probability that a recently, where three deadly major earthquake will rock Calearthquakes hit in just three days. ifornia within the next two-andJapan was hit with a 6.2 magni- a-half years.” These scientists tude earthquake on Thursday and have been using radar and GPS when we thought we had seen it technology to monitor tectonall from Mother Nature, two more ic movements in an attempt to earthquakes occurred on Satur- predict such a disaster, and they day. Japan was struck once again now believe that it’s extremely by a 7.0 quake, while Ecuador likely that an earthquake measurfelt a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, ing more than 5.0 on the Richter causing major destruction in both scale will strike Southern Calicountries. fornia. In Japan, at least 41 people
But do stu-
| Photo Courtesy Emergency Cafe
dents at school feel prepared for a big earthquake? Brisa Dominguez, a third year student at Cal State LA, expressed her concern. “I don’t feel prepared, and I also don’t feel safe at school if there’s an earthquake,” Dominguez said. “I know we have to go under the tables but I don’t trust our school tables. I feel if the roof were to collapse the table would break.” Every week an email is sent out to the faculty and staff on what to do in case of an emergency at school. This week’s bulletin board talked about earthquakes and what to do in case one occurred during school. These are the steps that students should take in case of an earthquake: find a safe location, calmly and safely find the nearest stairwell and evacuate outside to designated earthquake meeting areas, and wait for proper emergency personnel for further directions. The University Times spoke to Kevin T. Brady, the Director of Risk Management & Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) at Cal State LA, to get more information on how students can prepare themselves in case of an earthquake during school, and how the school itself has been preparing for an earthquake.
Brady assured that we as a campus have staged resources for water, food, and other supplies, if the students were to stay on campus. Additionally, the University is equipped with the Eagle Alert Emergency Notification System, which every student is a part of and this sends out texts, emails, and phone calls to the students in case of an earthquake, active shooter, bomb threat, or fire on campus. “Not only that but we also have a Community Emergency Response Team (CETR) volunteer training program, that will be called on to assist campus emergency response in the event of an emergency,” Brady said. “Soon the flyers will be posted on the buildings and hopefully students can see them and volunteer.” Brady claimed that our buildings have gone through seismic ritual fits so they’ve been upgraded based on the seismic structural needs for those buildings. However, not every building has gone through identical rituals. For more information on how to be prepared in case of an emergency visit the Department of Public Safety in the school website. Remember Golden Eagles: Always Be Prepared and Stay Safe.
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University Times
April 25, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Festive performance sparks curiosity in Afro-Latin culture Hector Aguilar Contributor
Afro Descendientes Festival introduces worldwide cultures at U-SU Plaza. The University-Student Union Plaza was adorned with the many flags of various Latin American countries, as the school held their Afro Descendientes Festival, a collaborative effort by The Chicana/o Latina/o Student Resource Center (CLRSC) and Pan African Student Resource Center (PASRC) on Wednesday, April 20. Both the CLRSC and the PASRC are
part of the Cal State LA’s Cross Cultural Centers, who create inclusion of all people from all walks of life, regardless of their gender, race, religion, or sexuality.
The Afro Descendientes Festival was held to celebrate and highlight African, Caribbean, Central American, and South American cultures. The festival aimed to introduce a culture that most people may be unfamiliar with, while also drawing an understanding to how students may find themselves connected to these cultures.
The festival kicked off with guests being invited to try various activities such as food booths, games, arts and crafts, and the crowd favorite, photo booth. All of which were inspired or influenced by Afro-Latin culture, such as Jamaican patties with rice and fruit cups served with chili powder. “I really enjoyed the fruit cups. It reminded me of when I was growing up,” said junior Communications major Jesus Ortega.
“The goal was to highlight AfroLatin culture. We also wanted people to understand how connected we all are, especially among African and Latino communities,” said Fred Smith, Director of the Cross Cultural Centers.
Attendees of the festival were treated to a live Latin American dance performance, which included three female performers dressed in flashy costumes dancing to the diverse music of the culture. The performers began their act onstage
performing carefully choreographed set pieces, eventually moving their way off the stage in front of the crowd. The performers first began with their own individual routines, eventually breaking off and pulling in members of the crowd to form a dance circle. Those chosen were reluctant at first, however, they would all find themselves falling victim to the rhythm of the music. “The dancing was definitely my favorite part. I just loved the way they highlighted their culture and how they even got the crowd involved,” said Joshua Signs, a senior Economics major. The Cross Cultural Centers’ next event will be held April 27, and will be a continuation of their series, “Exploring Whiteness & Anti-Blackness” in which they take a journey to examine the ‘whiteness,’ white privilege, and racism in the United States.
Trigger Warning: May contain dark truths about America Anthony Karambelas Contributor
Forbidden Book exhibit presents pro-imperialist propaganda. What’s more secretive than a presidential campaign? Probably something you’ve never heard about: the Forbidden Book Exhibit. Featured on the second floor of the University Student Union (U-SU) at the Cross Cultural Center, the Forbidden Book Exhibit displays several contemporary comic book strips created by the U.S. during the Philippine-American War that served as pro-imperialist propaganda. One of the themes of U.S. imperialism during this era was the ‘White Man’s Burden.’ The mission was to send America’s ‘whitest’ and best men to the Philippines to “make them American, make them white, make them civilized.” “Take up the White Man’s burden— / Send forth the best ye breed— / Go send your sons to exile / To serve your captives’ need / To wait in heavy harness / On fluttered folk and wild— / Your new-caught, sullen peoples, / Half devil and half child,” written by the original The Jungle Book writer Rudyard Kipling. American propaganda also degraded blacks and Native Americans because the U.S. couldn’t categorize Filipinos as “black” or “Native”. Instead, they delineated Filipinos as a “hybrid of Native American and black,” white civilization’s so-called two worst enemies. But that wasn’t all. Prejudice against other minorities is apparent in these comic strips. In one photo, a Chinese student is standing outside a classroom as part of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Meanwhile, white students, representing the United States, excel in the classroom. On the other side of the room, Uncle Sam is seen having a hard time teaching the unruly Philippines islands students, while a black man washes windows in a corner.
This comic strip is only one example of the idea that a foreigner can only be deemed civilized by the U.S. through education. American policy held the “book or guts” philosophy; You either pick up a book or die by the gun. At the “Beyond The Forbidden Book: Anti-Blackness, Indigenousness and Muslim Identity In Filipina/O-American Consciousness” event hosted by the APISRC, a guest speaker shed light on the oppression faced by indigenous peoples. “My family was actually part of the 1908 World’s Pacific-Alaska-Ukon Exposition,” speaker said. This was one of America’s largest human zoos, showcasing the progress of native civilization by displaying peoples from tribes within ethnic colonies. Igorots (meaning “dirty brown people”) were one of the displayed tribes of the Southern Philippines. These people went to school to learn English, but were only allowed to stay if they had become completely civilized in the eyes of the U.S. The idea was that if you could dress up the blackest people in a suit and tie, anyone could be civilized. Unfortunately, that’s not so true. These ideas still plagues our modern day society, whether we like it or not. The concept of disposability follows that certain groups of peoples are dehumanized by association with blackness. ‘Sand n*ggers,’ for example, is a derogatory term for Muslims. In this regard, blackness is tied with terrorism. ‘Taco n*ggers’ stand for Mexicans. So what can you do to stop this clearly racist jargon? “If blackness is marked for death, marked for execution, marked as trash, marked as unwanted bodies, what ways can black bodies utilize that framework to demand justice, or poltergeist the place?” the speaker also asked. My answer: don’t let it rule you. Don’t spread racism, and above all, don’t give in to racism.
| Photo by Anthony Karambelas
April 25, 2016
11 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT University Times
The 19th Annual Film Festival arriving first week of May Vanessa Osio Contributor
Cinematic Vision’s looking for submissions and talents for upcoming festival. The 19th Annual Cinematic Vision’s Golden Eagle Film Festival will be held on Saturday, May 2 from 4:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M. in the Choral room of the Music Building. This is a change from years before where the festival was a twoday event. This year, the films will be shown followed by an award ceremony and the announcement of the festival winners. Cinematic Visions wants to bring students from all majors of the campus together. Michael Acevedo, President of Cinematic Vision’s wants the festival to be an event for all majors, not just Television and Film. “Make the festival a networking opportunity for students to
| Photo Courtesy Cinematic Visions
connect with other students as well as faculty and individuals within the industry as well as showcase our local Cal State LA talent to promote our school pride,” Acevedo said. There are 10 different categories, including Animation, Comedy, Drama, Documentary, Ethnographic, Experimental, Horror, Music Video, Short Screenplay
and Web Series. The submissions will be placed in and winners will be chosen by faculty and staff. Golden Eagle Productions is currently looking for photographers, artists, bands, solo artist, rappers, and poetry performers for the event. Vice President Danny Mendoza has been working on the fes-
tival all year long and wants the students and attendees to enjoy the day. “The film festival gives filmmakers a chance to showcase their passion for their work,” Mendoza said. “It will be something they can feel confident and aspire into creating films for future festivals, increasing the chance to get no-
ticed with luck, and succeed in Hollywood.” The deadline to submit work is Friday, April 29. Submissions can be turned in on DVD or flash drive in the Music building, Room 245 or in the TVFM Building room 102. Each submission cost five dollars. For more information email brandy_silva@yahoo.com.
12
University Times
April 25, 2016
EVENT CALENDAR
MONDAY 25th
THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS
TUESDAY 26
th
Men of Color Success Network 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. U-SU Los Angeles Room
NSS: Diversity in Higher Education A Conversation 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. U-SU Boardroom
The Academic Senate Distinguished Lecture on Engagement, Service, and the Public Good 1:30 p.m. Golden Eagle Ballroom 3
Cup of Culture: 92 Grove Street A Stage Reading by the Robey Theatre Company 3:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. U-SU Theatre U-Lead: Interview Skills 3:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. U-SU San Gabriel Room
THURSDAY 28th
NSS: State of the College 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. U-SU Alhambra Room
When Justice Isn’t Just: Film and Panel Discussion 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. U-SU Theatre
Music Faculty Artist Recital – 2nd Annual Tribute to Mary Lavin Cutler’s World Music Instrument Collection 7:30 p.m. Music Hall
FRIDAY 29th Introduction to Time Management Presentation 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. JFK Library Honors Convocation 6 p.m. University Gym
What About Us?
Students express personal loss to cancellation of CFA Strike. Over the last week, there has been a focus on the faculty successfully negotiating a pay raise and avoiding a strike. Getting lost in the mix is how the students were affected by the cancellation of the strike that was scheduled to happen April 1315,18-19. In the weeks leading up to the date of the strike, the focal point of the story was the stalemate between the Cal State Chancellor’s office (CSU) and the California Faculty Association (CFA). Some students feel that they were somewhat of an afterthought. While it can’t be said for sure about other Cal State campuses, the instructors here at Cal State LA had the students in mind. Many were asking for the support of the students and hoping that they would stand beside them on the picket line. And while many would agree with their cause and their tactics, the final verdict left a sour taste in the mouth of some students. Almost like pawns in a game of chess, the student body’s time and money were offered as a sacrifice by the CFA to reach their goal of getting a pay raise. And whether it was the thought of having
Creating Professional Résumés and Cover Letters 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Career Development Center Annual Geosciences Career Fair 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. King Hall 4044
An Evening with Fred Moten 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Golden Eagle Ballroom
Contributor
Introduction to Note-Taking Presentation 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. JFK Library
FAB’s Cool for the Summer Bash 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. U-SU Plaza
Unpacking Whiteness and Anti-Blackness Within Communities of Color: A Talk by Jose Antonio Vargas 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Golden Eagle Ballroom
David Ochoa
WEDNESDAY 27th
no one to teach their students or just the potential bad publicity of a strike, the CSU caved and gave the CFA a 10.5 percent pay raise over three years. This isn’t to say that students minded giving up their already paid for class time. Most, if not all, would’ve gladly given up a couple of days of class not just for the faculty, but for some free time for themselves as well. The word “student” implies a certain connotation of someone whose main focus is on their education. That could be true for high school or maybe other colleges, but for a school such as Cal State LA, education is just another thing that many students are juggling. Cal State LA is known to be a commuter campus; therefore a majority of students also work full-time when they’re not in class. So when a potential chance for some extra free time arises, many won’t complain. Most students are happy for the faculty fighting and getting what they wanted. TVFM major Lisa Zhou mirrors the sentiment of much of the student body. “I’m glad [the faculty] got a raise,” Zhou said. “Some teachers love what they do and do a heck of a job at it too. They deserve it.” However some students didn’t enjoy being jerked around by both sides and be used as bargaining chips, only then to be expected to agree and roll with everything that was agreed upon. Every student that was asked said the
OPINION
same thing: instructors warned students of the strike and called class off on the strike days. They said this both in class on stated it on the syllabus. They also made the necessary changes in their teaching plans to work around the strike.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, told the University Times: “In the syllabus, if they say that there’s going to be no class, there should be no class.” There are some professors that planned on keeping the classes cancelled, but according to one, part of the agreement between the two sides is that all class had to be resumed. “They wanted the students to be on the picket line to help support them, then they’re going to let us know via email that ‘we got what we wanted, so now drop whatever you’re doing and work to our schedule.’” Some may call this a selfish point of view, but it makes sense to some students, and what is a college for if not for the students? Anything that students believe about the happenings on a campus is legitimate because they’re the ones that make up that school.
failures to finish and turn in assignments. There are also stories of students who made appointments with doctors that were forced to miss class lest they have to pay a hefty cancellation fee. There are even more stories of students making plans to visit family and/or friends out of town that either had to cancel or miss class. The variations of these situations go on and on and on. Student Kevin Gann had a suggestion that could have potentially had everyone meet in the middle. He suggested that instructors hold ‘optional’ classes, where students who wanted to go to class were able to, seeing as they already paid for the course. However, students who were unable to make it to class for whatever reason would not be penalized for missing class or any work for those days. This solution could have the CSU and the students receiving what they’re paying for, while at the same time allowing those who had to miss class, to do so without being punished.
Nonetheless, teachers are being paid to teach, so they need to have class. This much makes sense, especially with a pay raise coming. Unfortunately, the resumption of class didn’t go as smoothly as planned. In some cases, instructors didn’t let students know there was class until a day or two beforehand.
No one enjoys being put in a compromising position by other people’s decisions. This is why many on campus feel somewhat miffed that their schedules are being forced to change on such a short notice. While both the CSU and the CFA may have authority over the student body especially, how things are ran, are they not supposed to be working for the students and with their best interests in mind?
There were incidents where students that were added late didn’t even receive an email about the continuation of class or that homework due later was now being moved up. This led to many absences and many
The faculty getting their pay raise was a wonderful thing for them, and the majority is happy for them. But for some students, they’re asking and want to know: what about us?