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NIVERSITY IMES
October 24, 2016
Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals visit the Women’s Tennis Team
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C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S
Issue 213.10
David Ochoa Contributor
It is not everyday that people get to meet legends of their craft, but that was exactly what the women’s tennis team were able to do on Friday. Former world number one women’s tennis player and Cal State Los Angeles alum, Billie Jean King, met with the tennis team for a small meeting in the President’s Boardroom on Friday, along with another formal top ranked tennis player, Rosie Casals. The two legendary tennis players were in town for the annual Billie Jean King and Friends Gala, which took place on Saturday in Pasadena. The gala looks to “enhance the studentathlete scholarship program for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at Cal State LA,” according to their mission statement. In previous years King would put on a tennis clinic and meet with the tennis team at the event, but this year she decided to forego the clinic and just sit down and meet with the team on campus the day before. The meeting began with the girls introducing themselves and their backgrounds to King and Casals, which led to King humorously reminding everyone that she is from the area and that they didn’t need to explain where their hometowns were located. After the introductions, King took the floor and began to share her wisdom with everyone in the room. What she talked about went beyond just the tennis court. She highlighted the importance of education and was visibly excited when she learned the team might finish with the highest GPA of all the Cal State LA teams. (Continued On Page 6)
Photo courtesy of Instagram @ivansoledad.o
Brave new world with innovative weekend-long BioHack Ricky Rodas Copy Editor What do you get when you give science and tech-savvy students a place to sleep for the night, massive amounts of hardware, and 30 hours to build and design products that could change the world? BioHack
of
course,
a
“hackathon” competition designed to give students the opportunity to build and test biotechnological products with an emphasis in hardware. The University Times attended on Saturday, day 1 of the twoday event that took place over the weekend, which also marked the first time a hackathon was held on campus. The concept for Bio Hack was conceived
about 4 months ago, and it took the combined efforts of Entrepreneurial Collegiate Consulting Organization (ECCO), Major League Hacking (MLH), LA Bio-Space, Make in LA CEO Norahmay Cadena, Hacker Fund, the Cal State LA engineering department, and more to create this monumental experience for entrepreneurial minded students.
“Overall it’s just a great collaboration of interdisciplinary colleges and interdisciplinary organizations working inside the school and outside the school; it was just a perfect, perfect marriage of all that, and which I think the ultimate direction the university wants to take going forward,” Barney Santos, BioHack lead organizer, said. (Continued On Page 7)
Beatboxing, a cappella, and laughs from the Seoul J. Aaron Delgado Photo Editor On October 19, the Luckman Theater hosted the U.S. premiere of the delicious musical “BIBAP,” a non-verbal musical with a mix of dance, comedy and cooking. BIBAP performances were staged at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival where the musical earned positive commendation
ROCK THE VOTE! Page 2 -- ASI
hosts free comedy night headlined with Silicon Valley star
from festival goers. The show originated in 2009 in South Korea and toured internationally. BIBAP finally touched down at Cal State LA to please students for a night of laughs and enjoyment, which was organized by the Korea Foundation and the Center for Korean American and Korean Studies on campus. BIBAP highlights Korea’s traditional plate Bibimap, an assorted vegetables and meat or
fish dish that is combined with rice. Though the thought of a non-verbal musical may seem like an oxymoron, the BIBAP performers mimic the sounds of preparing Bibimap with beatbox rhythms and acapella vocals, along with expressing the delicious tastiness of Bibimap through B-boy, acrobatic, and martial arts maneuvers. The plot of the musical was a fiery competition to determine
OH MY INTERNET Page 4 -- Hackers flex muscle with massive hack bringing down popular sites
the winner between two master chefs, Green Chef (Jeon Joowoo) and Red Chef (Yu Seonghyun), at the restaurant of the same title. Cooking along the two master chefs were cooks with diverse personalities such as Sexy Chef (Kim Ruah), Rookie Chef (Baek Seungkoo), Cutie Chef (Kim Seulah), Iron Chef (An Yongwoo), MC Chef (Song Wonjun), and Rhythm Chef (Park Seongjun). The two master chefs (Continued On Page 2)
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED Page 12 -- Three Cal State LA students successfully inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps
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October 24, 2016
University Times
Laughter might be best medicine for a stressful election season
ASI hosts free comedy night headlined with Silicon Valley star Janice Peregrina Staff Reporter Are you caught up in the stressful atmosphere of election season? Maybe you’ve gotten caught up in a Facebook argument with a family member about politics. Maybe you’re tired of hearing about the next ridiculous thing coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth, or the neverending drama surrounding Hillary Clinton’s email scandal. When all's said and done, sometimes the best way to feel better after all the negativity is to laugh about it. Associated Students, Inc.’s (ASI) comedy show ‘Jokes for Votes’, presented by Funny or Die, was a great way to sit back and release some tension, while also supporting a good cause. The show was held to support the Jokes for Votes movement, which has been touring different California college campuses throughout October hosting free comedy nights with big-name comedians, and promoting mass
voter registration before the registration deadline on October 24. Volunteers with Jokes for Votes were outside of the Golden Eagle Ballroom helping students who were unregistered to fill out the forms right then and there. They also took down the information of students who wanted to pledge that they were going to vote, which was being recorded by the organization. There was an informational flyer on every seat in the ballroom with staggering statistics about the number of registered voters in California. “There are more than 7 million Californians who are eligible, but not registered to vote,” which constitutes “30% of eligible voters.” This number is even more significant because 7 million unregistered voters are “more people than the entire population of 36 of our U.S. States.” Jokes for Votes hopes to bridge this large gap by providing the resources necessary to those “disproportionately urban, young, and people of color” who are unregistered. With the name Jokes for Votes, one could assume that the comedy would be very politically
Photo by Jonah Vales
driven in the show. However, the show focused on a wide variety of topics. The comedians present were Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani, Comedy Bang! Bang! stars Baron Vaughn and James Adomian, and Kate Berlant, one of the nine comedians to watch in 2015, according to TimeOut LA. Each one added their own distinctive flair. Berlant was the host of the show and came on stage wearing a red baseball cap parodying Donald Trump’s campaign slogan: “Make America A Hat Again.”Her irreverent and self-deprecating humor was
enjoyably jarring to watch. Adomian was the first one up, and his comedy was mainly focused on marijuana and his gay identity; he was a self-professed “homo-American.” Vaughn’s comedy constantly nudged the line of comfortability as he focused on living as a black person in America. Vaughn spoke about his trip to the Texas town where he discovered his ancestors had lived as slaves, black names, and police/mass shootings. Despite these grim topics, Vaughn had the audience laughing without fail.
Nanjiani finished the night on a lighter note with personal anecdotes. A story about the time he first discovered masturbation, which he jokingly kept back from the audience by saying it was “too embarrassing,” was well received by the crowd. Overall the Jokes for Votes comedy night was a great representation of Cal State LA student voter status, and a fun way to start off the class week.
Love doesn’t bruise or bleed Clothesline Project brings domestic violence awareness Sylvia Valdez Staff Reporter The Clothesline Project (CLP) is a program started on Cape Cod, MA, in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. It is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women. With the support of many, it has since spread worldwide, as posted on their website. (Continued From Page 1) prepared representative cuisines of the world for the audience. The first act revolved around preparing sushi for their guest by showing off their adept use of chopsticks. Each act starting from the top broke the fourth wall by incorporating the audience in some sort of way, either responding through the reactions of members of the audience or by including interactive activities in the audience. The first act was not only the slice and dice actions of preparing sushi, but also an act where the lights were dimmed down and the use of black lights to emphasize a small act that included white gloves. The chefs were then challenged in the second scene where they had to prepare dough for a pizza to the pulsating beatbox rhythms
Nyehla Irsheid, a public health major at Cal State LA, sat down with University Times for a brief discussion about the “Clothesline Project” that was held on campus earlier this week. From 3-5:30pm, the “Clothesline Project” was held to raise awareness, as October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. The event was held in the Union Plaza with tents spread throughout the courtyard. “Though the event did not seem ‘full,’ I think it was a success. I wanted to provide resources and engagement was key,” Irsheid confessed, her first semester of being in charge of the event. Music welcomed anyone who was wandering around. Poster and cheerful melodies. On top of the good beats, the B-boy dancers cooked up some acrobatic moves to wow the audience. After baking delicious pizza, the cooks were then requested to serve some steamy Chinese chicken handmade noodles. The sexy cook took lead with a seductive performance where she emphasized the savory taste of the Chinese chicken noodles that knocked out the whole cast and the audience member. Both master chefs went headto-head in the final act where each made their own dish of the iconic Korean plate Bibimap. The first chef prepares up a dish with the melody of Korea’s traditional song, Arirang, while the other chef prepared their version of Bibimap with traditional martial arts exercises. But who won? A member of the audience was
boards were on display for the crowd to read the words of those affected by domestic violence. The Health Center, along with the Cross Cultural Center, and Gender Sexuality Resource Center, had tents for information. One of the tents offered t-shirts to those willing to share their experience with the world anonymously. “The shirts are symbolic, for they represent a different type of violence,” Irsheid shared. “From sexual abuse, human trafficking, to rape survivors, the shirts are color coordinated to represent a different part of the atrocity.” The sound of a dong and whistle echoed through the campus to instill how real and often domestic violence occurs.
pulled onto stage where they tasted each plate and ultimately chose the winner, which was the Green chef. The cooks celebrated the green chef’s victory while the red chef sat on a chair where they confronted the members of audience after the other cooks left stage. The cast came to the stage once more to perform a final number where they performed dance moves in regular street wear compared to the chef outfits during the main acts. BIBAP was a story of two chefs competing against each other in order to become the top chef, but the whacky acts that stirred laughs throughout the night, accompanied with the harmonious acapellas and the grooving beatboxing, all composed the ultimate fun of being a chef.
One subject in particular that doesn’t often get brought up in domestic violence cases is the topic of gender and what that means. In this modern day and age, people are unaware of how to address a certain group of individuals, and have yet to become aware of the obvious gender “language” that has been created. While listening to Nayhela Irsheid express her concern about the LGBT community in regards to domestic violence, she welcomed two individuals, Zamaria and Alejandra, identifying as “them.” There is no “she” when it comes to speaking about these two individuals.
“Lack of safety,” Zamaria reinstated, was the notion she would like to address, not shared on the Clothesline Project. As a person who identifies as queer, Zamria shared her worry about campus safety and would like to address that using the right pronouns is very much appreciated in regards to sexual identity. To learn more about the Clothesline Project and how you can contribute, you can get more information at: www. clotheslineproject.org or stop by the Cross Cultural Center on campus, located on the second floor of the Student Union.
Photos by Joseph Delgado
October 24 2016
University Times
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YAF welcomes Star Parker to speak about abortion The controversial issue of abortion set on the table Marcela Valdivia Staff Reporter Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), a conservative group on campus, hosted “Abortion: Planned Parenthood's War Against the Poor” with special guest Star Parker on October 18 in the University-Student Union Theater. “It may be legal, but it is not lawful in God's eyes,” said Star Parker multiple times about the controversial issue of abortion in the United States. Star Parker, a national black conservative leader, came to Cal State LA to speak passionately about the topic of abortion. She is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE). The non-profit organization aims to address issues of race and poverty from a Christian conservative perspective. Prior to visiting Cal State LA, Parker received several messages advising her not to attend the event due to the uprisings sparked by conservative speaker Ben Shapiro’s university appearance in the spring of 2016.. Despite all the messages received, Parker
still came to Cal State LA to answer the big moral question about against humanity. First responders, including LAPD and paramedics were on standby if things got out of control. The topic about abortion hits back home for Parker. She lived the experience of abortion first hand when she had four abortions in three years. She had all her abortions at a clinic paid by taxpayer money. She was on welfare for several years and became highly dependent on the government. However, she flipped the coin to the other side when she decided abortion was unsettling and no longer fit into her moral code. “It was after that Christian conversion that changed my life that I was able to pull things back together in my life,” Parker said. Star Parker spoke about physician Kermit Gosnell, who killed infants that were born alive during the abortion procedure in the Women's Medical Society clinic in Philadelphia, PA.. He was arrested and charged with murder, felony accounts of performing illegal abortions, and misdemeanors for violating the twenty-four hour informed consent law. “This is not a good idea to kill offspring in our society or to dismember children who have uniqueness, unique humanity, and unique DNA,” Parker said. Parker believed that abortion is
an issue that seems to tear us apart as people do not acknowledge the importance of humanity. She compared the issue of abortion to slavery as the same moral question is on the table about humanity. “We will always have people that are going to fight on the side of right to end this scourge against humanity,” said Star Parker. Parker advised women to visit pregnancy care centers that are highly concerned about the protection of an unborn baby. Adoption services, parenting classes, financial assistance recovery, and job assistance are some of the resources available at these care centers. Women can go to care centers to receive information and make an
informed decision about their child. “The pregnancy care centers help these women recover their lives so they can get on with their lives in strength and knowing they have been forgiven for aborting their child and help them live with themselves in the decision that they made,” Parker said. Parker encouraged women to seek adoption as an option before even considering abortion as an alternative. By learning the facts and the importance the life of a human being has, more women can make a different decision. To the women victimized by rape, she encouraged women to hear the testimonies of other women who are thankful for keeping their child.
Photo by Michaela Reed
“I am convinced that we will win at the end because life always wins over death,” stated Parker. Parker has visited over two hundred campuses to emphasize that a human organism should live. She enjoys promoting her ideas on college campuses because some students get facts about abortion through campus events that they might not hear in a classroom setting. Star Parker has faith that abortion will end and it will be recorded in history just as slavery did.
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October 24, 2016
University Times
Award-winning Latino researcher Dr. Cristobal Salinas Jr. visits Cal State LA
Constantly fighting oppression, this young Latino did not give up and now has award winning research and a Ph.D.
Katelin Petersen Contributor
Students gathered Thursday afternoon in the University-Student Union Alhambra Room as they eagerly waited for “Crossing Over the (In)Visible Borderlands of Oppression and Privilege: Latino Males Entering the Field of Education” with delicious free refreshments to hear the inspirational Latino researcher and speaker, Dr. Cristobal Salinas Jr. “I am Latina and I’m interested in what he has to say on the matter. Even though he focuses on males, it relates to us females too, just in a different way,” said Maria Rodriguez, 19, undeclared major. At only 29 years of age, Dr. Salinas Jr. has received a leadership award from President Obama and has had numerous conversations with the president since. He was also honored at Nebraska State University and received a full ride scholarship for his Masters at Iowa State University. With his love for education he continued at Iowa State where he also received his Ph.D. in Higher Education. Dr. Salinas Jr. opened his seminar with a quote that he wrote and shared on Twitter, “If you do not know who you are, anyone can name you. And if anyone can name you, you will answer to anything.”
Young and determined, Dr. Salinas Jr. wants to make a difference by helping oppressed under privileged Latinos find success. Through his research he has found that the graduation rate of Latino males is very low compared to other races, and wanted to know why. This is where his research started, and he began his journey to find an answer to that question. Dr. Salinas Jr. used his research as well as his own personal chal-
lenges to show that students that work hard and earn their own privilege through education can find a way to overcome oppression. “I dealt with the struggle of my father getting kidnapped in 1998 by police officers in Zacatecas, Mexico; then when I came to Nebraska for a safer life I was bullied for my accent,” Dr. Salinas Jr. said. He also compared it to Latino culture and how education
Photo Courtesy of Twitter @drcriss_salinas
has been somewhat feminized. “The dad would commonly give the young Latino an ultimatum saying you either work or go to school,” he explained. Also the family structure is very strong, which can put education second in many young Latino’s lives. “My family always comes first. So it makes it hard to leave a tight knit family because you feel incredible responsibility,” Carlos Palacios, communications major, said, who agreed to Dr. Salinas Jr.’s theories. Dr. Salinas Jr. ended with a
question and answers session where he was able to give advice to Cal State LA students and faculty, and apply his theories to help Latino’s in our local community fight oppression and gain his or her educational privileges. Currently, Dr. Salinas Jr. is an assistant professor at the Florida Atlantic University for the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology.
October 24, 2016
University Times
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Ooh-Rah! For the newly inducted Marine recruits Three Cal State LA students successfully inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps Anthony Karambelas Staff Reporter Ever wonder what Cal State LA students do after graduation? Some continue to serve the university as staff members. Others serve the private sector through corporations. And still others choose to serve something even bigger: serve their country. This summer, three Cal State LA students attended the Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, VA. There, they were evaluated for their academic, physical and leadership potential to determine their aptitude for the United States Marine Corps. John Griffith, Steven Barrios, and Bette Bosch all graduated with flying colors and earned the rank of second lieutenant. Although these three commissioned officers wound up beginning their military careers at the same time, each had unique stories and motivations that got them there. John Griffith, a graduating senior, studies Mechanical Engineering. Less than four years
ago, he entered as a 14-year-old through the Early Entrance Program (EEP). Since then, Griffith’s passion for his field of study has landed him two production internships at SpaceX. Although Griffith liked the environment of the aerospace company, he didn’t feel that it was right for him. “I wanted something that I could use to directly influence lives, that would be more fulfilling than sitting at a desk like some faceless engineer in some corporation.” What better way than to join the military? But here comes the big question: why the Marines? “I guess I’m just the kind of person who always strives to do the best and be the best so the Marines is definitely, out of the armed services, the one to go for,” Griffith said. The fact that his father was a former Marine only made his choice easier. “So I guess I had the feeling that if I were to join any branch but the Marines, I would spend my entire career thinking, ‘why didn’t I join the Marines?’ So I thought, go big or go home,” he added. While Griffith’s long-term goal is to become an astronaut, he says that is far off as of right now. However, he has a game plan and hopes that through the military, he will achieve his dream. After graduating, Griffith plans to attend the Basic School in
Photo by John Griffith
Quantico, Virginia, where he will prepare himself for the role of company-grade officer. Griffith will first receive piloting training, and then apply to the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School, where he will be instructed in experimental aircraft, weapons systems, etc. While Griffith is completing his senior project that will give him his Bachelor’s, Barrios and Bosch are already training at the Basic School. Barrios, who graduated with the Class of 2016, majored in criminal justice. He says his major relates to the military because both are about protecting and serving the U.S. and citizens. “One thing that really drove me towards the military is that I have always wanted to do some-
thing bigger than myself; I have always wanted to be a hero since I was a kid.” Barrios always knew he wanted to be an officer, but struggled to decide which branch to join. In the end, his visit to the Marines office solidified his choice. Being a member of track and field while at Cal State LA, Barrios didn’t have any difficulty with the physical aspect of candidate school. Instead, the military environment posed a challenge for him. “I was not too familiar with military customs and courtesies so I struggled in that area,” said Barrios. Barrios reportedly benefitted in numerous ways from the OCS. “[This summer] let me understand more about myself and its limits. I was pushed to my limits
and had to operate on minimal sleep. Overall, I enjoyed it and realized that to succeed you just need to get 1% better everyday and be comfortable with being uncomfortable.” “No matter what life throws at you, resilience is the key to success,” concluded Barrios. Bosch, a fellow graduate and member of the track and field team, double majored in exercise science and biochem and minored in psychology. Feeling a need to serve her country, she joined the Marines. We can expect great things in store for these newly commissioned officers as they begin their military journeys. The few, the proud, we praise you.
Life is a Phi-esta New Greek life on campus Matthew Gonzalez Xavier Jones Social Media Coordinator/ Contributor Cal State LA currently has 25 Greek organizations on campus listed on the University-Student Union's website. This semester, Fraternity Kappa Sigma hopes to be reinstated, while Sorority Delta Phi Epsilon gets an established colony on campus. Back in the day, an earlier chapter of Kappa Sigma hosted a historic concert fundraiser in the Cal State LA gym to raise funds for the University's athletic program. Legendary rock band The Doors headlined the event that was performed in the month of October in 1967. The rebooted Fraternity is making progress in Greek socials. They have participated in intramural sports and Julian Manzano, Kappa Sigma’s refounding member recently won a competition being second place for Alpha Sigma Tau’s fundraiser Mr. AST. (picture @asain310) “Winning second place for Mr. AST felt really amazing it was a honor and a privilege and I am
looking forward for more socials to attend in spring.” said Julian Manzano, political science major. In an interview with the University Times, Anthony Anaya, international business major and Kappa Sigma president stated, “So far we have a solid 40 members and are still currently growing. We are shooting to have an ambitious 70 members”. He later mentioned, “Estevan Esparza, Fire Protection Administration major has a brother from Sacramento State who is in [another chapter of] Kappa Sigma and after interacting with them he thought it would be a great idea to bring the same atmosphere to Cal State LA. He discovered that the social fraternity also has evolved to focus on leadership, fellowship, scholarship and community service.” “We had no idea it (the refounding class) was going to be this big and grow this fast. We are still learning a lot and are constantly discovering more about what it takes to lead this organization.” He expressed that he plans to continue searching for members who would want more experience in leadership development and would like to contribute to the organization academically. “Personally I want to change
Photo courtesy of Instagram @asian310
Photo courtesy of Instagram @csuladphie
the atmosphere here on campus. By creating unification within the student body and hosting philanthropy events,“ said Kappa Sigma President Anthony Anaya. For Sorority Delta Phi Epsilon, Princess Umayam, psychology major, stated, “Starting up the sorority was a great opportunity to be apart of the founding class. [As a founder] you set an environment that the other two panhellenics don't have, not to say that we are better than the other sororities, but we offer a
different environment.” “As of right now we currently have about 90 founding members,” said Umayan (picture by @csuladphie) “My focus and goal right now, as a founder, would be finding ourselves first and then getting out there. Our sorority sisters and I should get to know each sister within the sorority on a personal level to better establish philanthropy events and later hold
socials with other fraternities and sororities.” Fraternity Kappa Sigma and Sorority Delta Phi Epsilon have gotten a lot of attention this fall and only a few students from Greek organizations are allowed to get involved in. For more information on the current Greek organizations visit: http://www.calstatelausu.org/fsl
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October 24, 2016
University Times
Falling through the cracks: The vanishing Latino in higher education
The crucial nature of investing in education
Kyle Frizol Intern
When it comes to attaining education, students throughout the United States must overcome the obstacles in their lives and make exceptions to fulfill the bigger picture. However, for members of the Latino(a) and Chicano(a) communities, fulfilling this goal of education becomes even more challenging, and many times more impossible. Dr. Alejandro Covarrubias, current faculty for the Department of Chicano Studies at Cal State LA, presented an information session titled “Making Education Possible: The Chicana/o Latina/o Educational Pipeline” in the University-Student Union San Gabriel Room last Thursday, October 20. Dr.
Covarrubias is a major advocate to address the issues associated exclusively with those of Latin and Hispanic descendant. For example, Dr. Covarrubias' experience in interacting with these communities goes all the way back to his founding of the Los Angeles Communities Advocating for Unity, Social Justice and Action (LA CAUSA). By engaging himself in the communities of East Los Angeles, LA CAUSA served as the benchmark for volunteer programs involving communities that are susceptible to poverty and stratification of their social and economic ability. For students of the Latino and Chicano community, the dangers of dropping out of high school runs higher than any other race. If students are not finishing high school, then they do not have the option or ability to attend college.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, around 10.6% of all Hispanic students drop out of high school. Comparing this to other races, such as white at 5.2% and black youth at 7.4%, Hispanic youth have a much higher chance of dropping out even before college. Dr. Covarrubias, through his extensive research, has focused his attention on dropout rates and contributed the high statistic to ‘intersectionality,’ which finds that gender is a key factor in the overall education and outcomes of Hispanic students. The National Journal’s study of interdependency between students and their families showed that over 66% of Hispanic students are forced to work to support their families, whilst only 39% of white students do the same. This notion pointed to the trend that Hispanic students from traditional families tend to
have more difficulty staying in college than other races, as they have at least a partial (to full) responsibility in their families’ well-being. One possible solution to the existent issue with Hispanic dropout rates is to align the curriculum of at-risk high schools to the necessary programs that can help them succeed. Through research that has been done by the National Education Association, schools that implement these programs notice improvements in community outreach, academic success, and the overall increase in the unique cultural understanding of Hispanics. The exception arises in students from poor backgrounds who tend to have the same, or similar futures as their parents. Furthermore, the resources that a school allocates to its students play an equally critical role in deciding the future of at-risk
When Hackers Attack! Hackers flex muscle with massive hack bringing down popular sites
Gerardo Amezquita
Editor-In-Chief Popular websites were down last Friday from a series of three large-scale dedicated denial-of-service attacks (DDos) on Internet firm Dyn, affecting users nationwide. The New Hampshire-based Internet services company, Dyn, reported attacks to its servers in (Continued From Page 1) King, a notable activist, opened up about her history of fighting for equal rights throughout her career. She talked with the team about their experiences and how being women might have affected each of them. She also advised the team that they shouldn’t be afraid or hold back from doing something just because they were women. The aftermath of King and Casals’ breaking of barriers is still being felt today. Cal State LA tennis player Iris Raileanu is from Sweden, and she says she owes everything she has to them. “I'm an international student and [they’re] the reason why I'm here in this country and I can even play.” Raileanu went on to say, “For us to get to meet her and talk to her it's a big deal and very inspiring. She's just an empowered person.” After the team was assigned some “homework,” which
the early morning where stronger, more sophisticated attacks reoccurred throughout the day. The company provides Domain Name System services, the equivalent of an Internet address book, which facilitate users’ request to visit the specific webpages. However, the DDos attack flooded Dyn’s servers with a huge volume of illegitimate bot requests to these websites, causing widespread slowdowns and outages of several popular websites across the nation. Numerous posts spread online, as users reported Amazon, Reddit, Twitter, SoundCloud, Spotify, PayPal, and Netflix slowdowns as websites affected by the hack. Additionally, ser-
vice providers like AT&T, Time Warner Cable and Comcast were also affected. Several social media posts also indicate users were affected in Europe. DDos attacks are a common trend to attack sites before, but because the unknown hackers targeted a server for popular websites, it has become a high-profile event. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has declared they were monitoring the situation and opening up investigations as to the source. U.S. Intelligence experts cite
one of the sources stemming from the “Internet of Things,” a term for everyday objects, like printers, heart monitors, even toasters that have a network connection. As of the time of this writing, government officials said it is still too early to determine who was responsible for the cyber attacks and their motive. By attacking Dyn, the culprits of the DDos hack caused heavy damage to the Internet infrastructure than simply attacking one website. Security experts have drawn assumptions that this may be some tactic to act as a trial run for a far superior attack, especially as the Presiden-
Hispanic students. With this in mind, it’s essential to place student’s needs and requirements at the forefront of the education system, or else the risk of failure in at-risk groups can run rampant. Through Dr. Covarubbia’s research and extensive experience in studying at-risk communities has provided the necessary visibility to this particular issue. The development of our youth, of all races and ethnicities, and the probability of success for them lies in the investment that the education system dedicates to their students. Understanding the student, for the individual and the member of the community that he or she is a part of, has statistically proven that dropout and retention rates decrease, and the odds of enrolling and successfully graduating from college increases exponentially, all in the hands of education systems that create guide youth’s futures.
tial Election draws near. This attack comes after WikiLeaks released batches of private emails this month, courtesy of Russian hackers, in what has been dubbed a conflict between U.S. and Russian relations. Later in the day, Twitter and other sites were restored and Dyn sent out a statement it had resolved the third wave cyber assault. Nonetheless, the cyber blackout has computer and intelligence experts worried whether this could the beginning of a bleak future for Internet security.
included watching a few movies and looking up a couple dates, the conversation focused in on tennis. King gave a short lesson on the “contact point,” and gave a demonstration by using a small dinner plate in lieu of a tennis racket. Once the team told her that they would finish number one in their conference, she instructed them to draft up a contract saying just that, and told them to all sign it. Although the room was only reserved for one hour, the meeting ended up lasting for almost three. King’s insights, along with the witty back-and-forth banter between the two tennis icons combined with questions and a short video presented by the team, made the time fly by. Head coach Sandy Kriezel had many positive things to say about the meeting. “To be able to have an intimate conversation with Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals
Photo by Cal State LA
does huge things for the girls. I think it empowers them. It’s a once in a lifetime experience for them.” Once the meeting was over and King wasn’t busy giving selfie instructions, she and Casals had high praise for the girls on the team. King said, “They’re fantastic. Each one is different
and unique and wonderful. I know Rosie and I want to wish them to have a really great life during their time here at Cal State LA and beyond for the rest of their lives to really go for it and believe in themselves.” Both of the former star players are important figures at Cal State LA, as the school named its
sports complex after King, and is currently constructing the Rosie Casals/Pancho Gonzalez Tennis Center. In just three hours it was obvious how much of a rapport King and Casals have, and just how much they both care about the student athletes here at Cal State LA.
October 24, 2016
UN I V E R S I T Y T IMES
Editor-in-Chief Gerardo Amezquita Managing Editor Marrian Zhou
Production Manager Carlos Gomez
Web Editors Carlos Gomez Linda Anguiano Copy Editors Ricky Rodas Gerardo Amezquita Erron Franklin Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson Faculty Adviser Suzanne Regan Distributors Alex Ortega Xavier Jones Staff Reporters Ani Nalbandian Anthony Karambelas
Janice Peregrina Marcela Valdivia Mimi Li Interns Kyle Frizol Sylvia Valdez Emmanuel Maresca Jonah Vales Contributors Katelin Peterson David Ochoa Theta Ro Chapter of Delta Zeta Alina Ogle Photographers Emilio Flores Joseph Delgado Michaela Reed John Griffin Social Media Correspondent Matthew Gonzalez Photo Editor Joseph Delgado
Journalism 3910 TA Robert Ellsworth
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Para La Onda:
Jefa de Redacción: Claudia Landeros Editores: Lissette Flores Eduardo Ramos Jessica Magaña Consejero de la Facultad: Alejandro Solomianski
University Times (Continued From Page 1) While Santos was excited by the outcome produced, he noted that organizing BioHack was not without its challenges. “Uncharted territory always means it’s sort of an ambiguous thing,” Santos said. “This event is made for students, and the student leaders made the process less ambiguous, because they helped execute the whole thing.” The event was open to students from various colleges, and before the “hacking” commenced, East Los Angeles College (ELAC) student and mechanical engineering major Maricela Ortiz spoke about her excitement. “I was going to class in the engineer department that we have there [at ELAC], and they had it posted up there; so I’m like ‘oh that’s cool, I should go check it out’ just to go see what’s up because I’ve been wanting to go [to a hackathon], but there has been no chance.” Ultimately, Ortiz hoped to meet and build community with others who share her love of coding and building innovative products. When the event finally began, all 80 plus students in attendance were asked by Barney Santos if they had ever attended a hackathon before, an astounding majority of which had not. After eagerly waiting to find out the theme of the project, participants were told that their teams would have to build a product that fit within the parameters of food, agriculture, and technology. Once the guidelines were set, everyone quickly dispersed, mingling quickly in order to find the perfect team to win with. Teams were able to build their dream biotechnological products with over $4,000 worth of hardware donated and sponsored by the school’s engineering department, and Hacker Fund brought on highly skilled professionals as mentors to assist the participants with any needs. Cal Poly Pomona student Albert Gil’s group were working to create an advanced thermometer using infrared thermal sensors to measure dangerous levels of heat based on someone’s forehead temperature. “That’s pretty much just the basics of what we have right now, we’re still working on it,” Gil said. Cal State LA student Sochi Sandoval’s group did research that certain bacteria go through
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Photo by Ricky Rodas
specific types of catalysts/ enzymes, and those enzymes release certain types of elements. A particular type of element produced is dangerous to humans in specific amounts, so their aim was to create a UV sensor that would single out the catalyst and find out which element it is producing. “We haven’t even done it yet, but we’re already excited,” Sandoval said. Cal State LA student Erick Avalos’s group aimed to create a type of heart monitor that could be installed into self-driving cars. If a person’s heart rate were to reach zero, the monitor would be able to alert the car, and the car
would pull over and call for help. Cal State LA student Tyler Powell’s group wanted to create a device that will detect the certain key tones that are produced in the breath of diabetics in order to make it easier for them to identify their blood sugar levels in replace of needles. Many more groups were working hard to develop their equally groundbreaking ideas, all made possible with the help of the various organizations giving these students a platform to apply their brilliant classroom knowledge into real life situations.
STUDENTS! Choose this Year's Outstanding Professors The 2016 - 2017 Outstanding Professor Selection Committee is now receiving nominations to recognize superior full-time faculty members Official Nomination forms are available at: * Any Department/Division/School/College Office * The Circulation Desk in the Library * The Academic Senate Office Nomination forms should be submitted to the Academic Senate Office, ADM 317 (8270-1), no later than 12:00 p.m., on November 4, 2016
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October 24, 2016
University Times
NOTAS DE INTERES Los documentales que reflejan la triste realidad de Latinoamérica. Historias que tocan el corazón. Por Lissete Flores
EVENTOS LOCALES El Día de los Muertos en Los Ángeles Hollywood Forever se prepara para la celebración Por Marcela Valdivia Uno de los lugares más populares en Los Ángeles para celebrar este próximo Día de los Muertos es en el cementerio Hollywood Forever. La festividad empieza el día 1º de noviembre con el Día de Todos Los Santos y culmina el día 2 de noviembre con el Día de Los Fieles Difuntos. Altares decorados, comida típica, música alegre y disfraces alusivos harán lucir esta celebración.
Parte de la tradición es el concurso de disfraces y de altares. Se premia al mejor vestido de catrina o cualquier otro tema que sea alusivo a la fecha. Los creadores de los altares tendrán la oportunidad de ganar $3,000 en diferentes categorías: mejor altar con tema del evento, mejor altar tradicional y mejor altar contemporáneo. Además de una gran variedad de comida típica mexicana y el tradicional pan de muerto, también habrá exhibiciones del artista Luis Villanueva. Para los niños, habrá proyectos de arte y manualidades.
Hollywood Forever es el cementerio más antiguo de Los Ángeles pero también es conocido porque los restos de muchas celebridades descansan aquí. Este año, por decimoséptima vez consecutiva, el cementerio abrirá sus puertas al público para llevar a cabo el Festival de Día de los Muertos. Esta vez el evento llevará por tema: El Árbol de la Vida.
El Mosaico, Muerte y Tradición, La Catrina y el Fandango son los nombres de los distintos escenarios donde se podrá disfrutar las presentaciones de artistas de música mexica, entre ellos la cantante Julieta Venegas quien estará cerrando la celebración. No podrán faltar los populares grupos folklóricos y danzantes aztecas.
“El Árbol de la Vida, representa la celebración del Árbol Universal de la Vida, un punto de encuentro común entre varias culturas y religiones del mundo, a la vez que entendemos que todos somos ramas y hojas del gran Árbol de la Vida y parte de la misma raza (la raza humana) con toda su belleza y diversidad", dijo Tyler Cassity presidente de Hollywood Forever.
El evento comienza oficialmente con la exhibición de altares el 29 de octubre y está abierto al público de las 12 del mediodía hasta las 12 de noche. El precio de entrada es de $20 para los adultos y gratis para los niños hasta las 4 de la tarde. Recuerde traer a su familia y amigos para disfrutar de un evento lleno de diversión. Para más información visiten el sitio web ladayofthedead.com.
Fotografía Crédito: thepartnerstrust.com
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Para comprender realmente la cultura latinoamericana se debe empezar por hablar sin tapujos de los aspectos que más afectan a las comunidades latinas en todo el continente. Es por eso que muchos productores de cine se han dado a la tarea de exponer la realidad a través de los filmes. Los siguientes documentales, en su momento ocasionaron algún tipo de controversia o quizás recibieron reconocimientos o nominaciones a premios importantes por exponer la realidad de la comunidad latina. Sin embargo, más allá de ganar premios, estos documentales fueron filmados con el propósito de brindarle al público el sentir del “otro”, desde la perspectiva del sector marginado. Empezando por el espectacular documental del mexicano Tin Dirdamal, De Nadie (2005), cuenta la historia de los “sin
nada”, que apuestan su alma y su vida para hacer de su futuro una realidad diferente. El interés del productor surgió después de conocer a un inmigrante centroamericano en Veracruz que buscaba cruzar la frontera para llegar a EEUU. Con un presupuesto de $5,000 dólares plasmó en la pantalla las historias de los que arriesgan todo y nunca estarán en las portadas de los grandes medios de comunicación. Entre los reconocimientos recibidos están el premio del público en el Festival de Cine de Sundance 2006 y el premio Ariel al mejor documental en el mismo año. Fuera de Sistema (2011), producida por el director Fernando Venegas Domínguez, es un documental que solo dura 28 minutos; sin embargo, revela el pensamiento de dos recolectores de oro de la pampa chilena frente a una situación económica de escases. No solo se enfrentan a su propia soledad, sino a la decisión de ir por encima de un sistema que exige mucho, pero retribuye poco.
Por otro lado tenemos, Waste Land (2011), un filme que muestra la vida de los recolectores de basura de Jardim Gramacho, un gigantesco vertedero en Rio de Janeiro. Estos buscan entre las pilas de desperdicios por materiales que sirvan para vender. Aparte del contenido social, el filme involucra el arte del brasileño Vik Muniz, quién utilizó sus técnicas para crear obras de arte a partir de los desperdicios. El documental incide al carácter del arte como medio para transformar la sociedad de forma activa y a su vez refleja el fascinante proceso de desarrollo y creación de las obras de arte. Obtuvo varios premios y hasta una nominación al Oscar por mejor documental. Esta es solo una breve lista de algunos documentales que pretenden mostrar la otra cara de la moneda, brindando un pequeño acercamiento a historias de los que viven o sobreviven en los países latinoamericanos.
EDUCACION
Bajo porcentaje de estudiantes de minorías son admitidos en universidades prestigiosas CAP revela la falta de equidad entre grupos demográficos Por Jessica Magaña Un reciente estudio realizado por el Center for American Progress(CAP) revela que la mayoría de estudiantes que asisten a las universidades públicas más prestigiosas de los Estados Unidos son de raza blanca y asiática en comparación con hispanos y afroamericanos. Entre las universidades más reconocidas de Estados Unidos se encuentran las del estado de California de Berkeley, Los Ángeles e Irvine, la universidad de Virginia, la universidad de Michigan-Ann Arbor y la universidad de Carolina del Norte. Varias de estas instituciones admitieron a tan solo el 18% de los solicitantes para el otoño de 2014. La publicación del estudio se tituló “Closed Doors: Black and Latino Students Are Excluded From Top Public Universities”, el cual examinó información del gobierno federal sobre el porcentaje de estudiantes, categorizados por raza, que fueron aceptados en universidades de élite en el 2014. En los resultados sobresale el
Fotografía Crédito: www.cscdf.org
ingreso de estudiantes asiáticos con 31%, siguiéndole con un 20% los estudiantes blancos, 12% los hispanos y sólo un 9% de admisiones de estudiantes afroamericanos.
de minorías. Datos revelan que “solo 6% de los adultos jóvenes hispanos cuentan con un título universitario a comparación con el 63% de los adultos jóvenes asiáticos”.
Debido a esto, el estudio de CAP supone que es posible que estudiantes de minorías acudan a universidades menos reconocidas o a colegios comunitarios aunque estén calificados para asistir a mejores instituciones.
Elizabeth Baylor, directora de educación postsecundaria, mencionó que “Obviamente en estas escuelas de élite uno cuenta con una mayor variedad de oportunidades de carrera y académicas”. Por esta y otras razones, CAP reconoce que las minorías requieren mayor acceso para terminar con la desigualdad en recursos educativos entre grupos demográficos.
Según CAP, el bajo porcentaje de minorías admitidas a las universidades públicas más reconocidas del país demuestra la brecha que existe entre alumnos blancos, asiáticos y los
October 24, 2016
University Times
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Delta Zeta Sorority women at Cal State LA are Global Citizens camp is open year round allowing children with chronic illnesses to have a place to just be kids with the best medical treatment possible on site and all thanks to the donations and efforts done through various events.
Delta Zeta Sorority women at Cal State LA are Global Citizens Theta Rho Chapter of Delta Zeta Contributor
On Saturday, October 15, 22 members of the Theta Rho Chapter of Delta Zeta Sorority at Cal State LA, made a two-hour journey to the grassy hills of Lake Hughes, CA in support of “The TOUR de TURTLE and TURTLE TREK.” Delta Zeta promoted awareness about the camp and invited fellow Greeks to join them in the Turtle Trek event being hosted to raise funds for The Painted Turtle Camp. Twenty gentlemen of Sigma Nu Fraternity at Cal State LA and 6 Delta Zeta women from LMU joined their team “DZTURTLES4PTC.” The team raised $1,000 contributing to the impressive $136,947 raised for the camp’s original goal of $150K. At the time of this report we are unaware if any other additional funds were raised. The Painted Turtle camp hosts children with serious medical conditions who can enjoy a camp experience and celebrate just being kids. The Painted Turtle provides fun and support for children with more than 70 medical conditions and helps children, as well as siblings and parents,
Photo by Delta Zeta
have an enjoyable experience without having to worry about illness. At camp, differences are celebrated and, since The Painted Turtle opened its gates in 2004, thousands of children and their families have enjoyed that freedom, encouraged to embrace their unique camp experience, and inspired to explore and foster personal growth. “It was such an amazing experience to have an opportunity to physically participate. We’ve always talked about being to able to visit the camp, we raised money in the past but this time I was actually able to be there. Is such a great atmosphere, beautiful setting, so serene, I can definitely see why it’s so inspiring for kids. It was so much fun to share this experience with my sorority sisters because everyone was so jolly and excited. The drive and pain was totally worth it,” said Faith Gabriel, DZ’s Vice Presi-
dent of Philanthropy “I felt Turtle Trek brought sisters together whom usually don’t hangout which I felt is continuing to build our sisterhood & make it stronger. I enjoy going to the Painted Turtle Camp because it always makes me feel appreciative. Overall, a good experience, as attending there before,” said Alyna Serna, Standards Chairwomen. Participants had the opportunity to make a wish in the wishing turtles – special wishes are written and put inside individual “Golden Wishing Turtles” – this was a very unique experience to us all as brought awareness of how many fun things kids get to have when they visit the camp. Other volunteers arrived earlier to help set up the tracks, pass out water, help in food stations, registrations, games, etc. This
Aside from the fun that the kids’ experience, it is clear to anyone that visits this camp is filled with magic and empowerment. The staff and volunteers at camp there are great and kids aren’t afraid of letting their illness get in the way of fun. The realization that their illness doesn’t own them empowers them to live a week long care free event and that to me is powerful and worth all my volunteer hours "I’m extremely proud of the women at Delta Zeta for continuously bringing awareness in the Cal State LA community and peers about the amΔΖing opportunities they have and their contributions into becoming more GLOBAL CITIZENS. This Camp is all about empowering campers and as Delta Zeta women, we are proud and honored to pay forward our time and give our energy as we raise funds throughout the year but most importantly raise awareness among our friends and community about what is dear to us,” said Tania Roney, College Chapter Director, Delta Zeta CSULA. We are extremely thankful to the gentlemen of Sigma Nu: Marvin Alberto, Christian Bautista, Matthew Chiou, Mark Garcia, Ethen Gonzalez, Ricky Gonzalez,
Michael Ibarra, Kenji Karuhaka, Devin Lavin, Pablo Panuco, Ronnie Peralbo, Luis Ramirez, Edgar Rodriguez, Julian Rodriguez, Julian Rodriguez, Andrew Romero, Gabriel Salinas, Doug Torres, Nate Trias, Sean Warner and Cyrus Wofford for participating and sharing in our experience. Delta Zeta participants in Turtle Trek included: Caroline Burt, Izzie Corcuera, Becca Cordier, Megan Daggett, Megan Davis, Dev Elizondo, Mercedes Evangelista, Evelyn Felix, Faith Gabriel, Ariami Garcia, Megan Glendinning, Marjorie Martinez, Alexis McCowan, Jacqueline Mora, Crystal Nerio, Kelly Nguyen, Kiana Perez, Lucy Perez, Lauren Pritting, Karla Quinteros, Anna Rizza, Ari Rodriguez, Estefania Sandoval, Alyna Serna, Aimee Velasquez, Davina Vienetta, and Yazmin Whang. The women of Delta Zeta have been fully involved in their Global Citizens campaign and have hosted many events on campus while raising funds to donate not only to The Painted Turtle, but also Starkey Hearing Foundation, Autism Charities, Red Cross and others. The sorority and fraternity are encouraging our fellow Golden Eagles to help them by participating in any of their upcoming events this semester. They encourage everyone to please follow them on Instagram @csuladeltazeta and or facebook.com/ csuladeltazeta for more fun activities and events.
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October 24, 2016
University Times
Conscious ‘Unfriending’
Election season takes its toll on relationships Alina Ogle
Contributors The final countdown to the 2016 general election has begun and it seems to be more divisive than any before. With the final stretch in sight, people are making their decisions about who to vote for and that may be creating more than a few unwanted waves in relationships. According to a national poll by Monmouth University, 7 percent of respondents reported losing friendships over the election. Anyone with a Facebook account and decent amount of friends on the social media platform has more than likely seen the political fervor in their newsfeed. This year over 100 million people have shared their thoughts about the election on Facebook. Ever since the introduction of the ‘unfriend’ button in 2013, the political season seems to be users' favorite time to “clean up” their friends list. “I just can’t with the political posts. I have unfriended and unsubscribed to at least 20 people because of their crazy political rants and the posts they share. I just can not,” said junior Jenny Woo. During the last month of this election, the rhetoric between political parties and candidates has become personal, and so has the disagreements between friends and family members.
Photo courtesy of TheSocialMediaDepression.com
and Hillary is president,”Johnson added. “I had to unsubscribe my parents on Facebook. We don’t see eye to eye on politics, especially after the events of the last couple of weeks, I just told them we are better off not discussing the election because feelings are starting to get hurt,” said Tessa Johnson, senior at Cal State LA.
Not everyone is hitting the ‘unfriend’ button on Facebook or in real life. In the Monmouth University poll, 93 percent of people said they haven’t ended relationships or been affected by differing political beliefs.
“It sucks that’s there’s tension between us. I’ll be glad when the election is over
“There’s enough negativity in the news and world. I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal if someone has different views than
you. That’s what makes America, America,” said fourth year student Cassandra Martinez. For those looking to free their Facebook newsfeed from the onslaught of political post in the next few weeks, there is now a tool called Political Post Blocker, a browser extension by Social Fixer that can save your social media sanity and possibly a relationship in the process.
October 24, 2016
University Times
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Students raise the 'ruff' for pet adoption October is adopt a dog month Emmanuel Marseca Intern
Dogs from the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center trotted about on the lawn of the Palmer Wing Wednesday as weary student’s faces lit up at the very sight of excited, fuzzy friends ready for new homes. Students and the community were encouraged to come down and play with dogs. Same day adoption was also available for anyone ready to take puppies to a loving home. “I can’t stop petting them, I think they’re so happy with all the attention,” Art major Kyleen Reyes said, doting over the small dogs bouncing around in a pen. The dogs, ranging in age, size, and breed, were all ready for adoption with valid identification. German Shepherds, Havanese, and Pit bulls were just a few of the breeds out and about on campus in the afternoon. Each large dog was accompanied by a volunteer and was open to questions about how to care for specific breeds fur, diet, and living space.
ASPCA professionals were also present to provide information on pet care, as well as match students up with their new best friends. Los Angeles local rescue groups were also in attendance to help potential pet parents with guidance and volunteering opportunities. “I’ve been wanting a dog for a while and they’re helping me pick one out that’s good for me, I think the Pit bull Coco is a good dog,” Engineering major Chris Em said, petting a very excited brown pit bull. In addition to pet adoption services and stress-reducing quality time with adorable puppies, the event was also staffed by a variety of volunteers from the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, ASPCA, and the Los Angeles area, all ready to provide helpful pet-care facts and an insight into dog behavior. Pet owners and potential adoptees were encouraged to take their dogs out often for walks and playtime. To many student’s surprise, volunteers also advised to keep dogs inside the house during hot days, as the scorching concrete on sidewalks or outside of homes burns their paw pads. “I don’t have a dog, but I never even considered that,” said undeclared student Rayanh Hurtado. Other helpful tips includ-
Photo by Jonah Vales
ed not feeding your dog too much peanut butter and being wary of certain brands of peanut butter that use a sugar substitute, Xylitol, that harms canines. The walkway of the Palmer Wing was also stationed with a street taco stand, much to the delight of Cal State LA students that happened to be passing by or those who showed up for the adoption day. One student in particular, Engineering major Kevin Dinh, was ready to take a German Shepherd named Lucky to their new home.
“Come here Lucky!” Dinh said, beckoning Lucky who danced in place and walked over. Lucky is just one of the adopted pets at the event, waiting for their new, caring owner to finish preparations for the trip back home. “He’s really excited,” Dinh said. The Baldwin Park Animal Care Center provides adoptions year-round as well as more information on pet care. More information and adoption services are also available on the County of Los Angeles Animal Care and Control website.
OP-ED: Winter (Session) is coming, but is it worth it? Is a three-week class really worth for the cost? Katelin Peterson Contributor
The start date for the winter session will begin January 3 and will end on the 21, a total of a three-week session. Registration for winter session began October 17 for continuing students who are interested in signing up for classes. Further information and registration appointments can be accessed on each student’s GET account from the MyCalStateLA Portal. The winter session class schedule is already posted, but it is limited compared to the courses available in a sixteen-week semester. Optimistically, there might be a diversity class or elective that students can take to get ahead. A handful of classes are also included for upper division courses, although classes for certain majors are extremely lacking. “There’s only one TVF course available, and I’ve already taken that course,” said Laura Liu, TVF major. The point of the semester conversion is to give students more study and lecture time for better comprehension. A recently graduated sociology alumni, Blanca Torres said, “I think that semester’s is smart, I feel like there are areas I raced through in the quarter system and I regret not learning more about my field.” A three-week session does just the opposite of giving students more time. “I’m interested in taking a class, but I am wor-
ried that three weeks is just too short. Six weeks maybe would have been better,” said Jessica Gonzales, Sociology major. Threeweek classes make it difficult for a student to grasp a full concept, and challenging for a professor to teach. Instructors have gone from teaching ten week courses, to sixteen weeks, now three weeks? That puts tremendous pressure on professors having to constantly reestablish the way they teach. “Way too many changes as a senior,” said a frustrated TVF senior Jim Grant. “I was used to quarters, now I’m procrastinating more,” he continued. Due to it being the first year of the semester conversion, as well as the first ever three-week session at Cal State LA, hopefully available courses will continue to improve in the near future. The current cost is $320 a unit with options to pay in full, or divide it into a two-payment plan. Financial aid opportunities may be available to certain students. Also, the students parking pass is being offered at $33. “At least parking won’t be an issue for winter session, way less students,” said Gabriella Chelbry, Communications major. It will be interesting to see how this short session turns out and if students are able to absorb the information in three weeks time. “I definitely would not learn anything in three weeks; plus, I look forward to my winter breaks,” add Tim Chen, business major. With this 2016-2017 academic year and the campus’s recent changes, let’s hope that everything works out for the best.
OCTOBER 31 | MONDAY
3:00 pm • U-SU Plaza Come join us for a spooktacular family friendly night at the Harvest Festival. Play carnival games, make Halloween crafts, grab festive treats, and enjoy live entertainment. We will have a costume contest with prizes, so dress up! Carnival food, prizes, and activities are free while supplies last.
Presented by the Center for Student Involvement, University-Student Union, and student fees. For more information, or to request accommodations for a disability, call (323) 343-5110.
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October 24, 2016
University Times
New play about undocumented women in search of opportunities
Theater department puts on Latina, spreading harsh realities Anthony Karambelas Staff Reporter Thirty years ago, a man navigating the complex world of show business watched a play that stole his heart. Though times weren’t right at the moment, he promised himself, “Someday, somewhere, I’ll do it as a director.” Thirty years later, as a professor of Theater Arts, Dr. Steven Rothman found himself in a classroom at Cal State LA teaching an acting class of primarily Latina students. The women in his class came to him, desperate for scenes that they could relate to. Suddenly, he remembered the play from thirty years before. That play was Latina. This fall, Rothman is fulfilling his dream of directing this brilliant and provocative work by Milcha Sanchez-Scott. “We have such an incredible group of talented women in this program who happen to be Latina and we haven’t picked a major play for them in years that would allow them to explore,” said Rothman. Especially on a Hispanic-serving campus like Cal State LA, it only makes sense that we should be representing the student body with bilingual plays such as Latina. According to Rothman, these shows give students a chance to explore topics that are very familiar to them. While Latina is evocative, making audience members laugh at times and cry at others, it also has its informative aspects. Viewers will be shocked to find that the circumstances portrayed in Latina are not far from reality. Rothman said, “When I reread the script again, my jaw fell on the floor because the play was writ-
ten in 1980 and is talking about illegal immigration. It’s talking about the difficulties of people in the working class and making a living. It’s talking about exploitation by white people in terms of the Latino population. In other words I’m reading this thing and going, did nothing change?” Latina involves the Felix Sanchez Domestic Agency, which is run by poorly treated Latina maids. Gloria Hernandez, fourth year theater major, has a grandma who worked as a maid the exact time during which Latina is set. “It just makes me wonder, did she go through all that ugliness? It’s hurtful that people were treated like that. My grandma to this day refuses to speak English,” she said. Lilyana Melero, another fourth year theater major, expressed the inspiration she found in Latina. “Up until I got to Cal State LA, I never really thought of myself as Latina because I’m mixed race, so it wasn’t until I saw the melting pot that we have here and even doing this show, I realized I am Latina and I have all this stuff to be proud of.” Melero added, “When I was a kid and I was watching TV and theater and movies, I never really saw anything that related to my life. I’m just so happy a play like this exists.” Latina also allows insight into the lives of those often ignored. Osboldo Mancia, assistant stage manager for the production, said, “Most of the time, we see a Hispanic cleaning lady and we don’t understand their stories or their struggles and maybe this could be a glimpse into that. I know most of us have had cleaning ladies come to our houses and we just don’t talk to them.” Diana Cruz, who plays the main character, Sarita, said, “I want to touch the people who are too Americanized and deny their own culture. I hope they identify themselves with my character. There’s nothing wrong with embracing your own culture. It’s something beautiful, you should
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do it.” Audience members will be kept on the edges of their seats with surprises throughout the production. As Rothman said, “The show has some moments that will surprise the audience in a way that is really cool, because it’s magical. The play is realistic, but at times it goes somewhere else and things happen that is like, what?!”
In a nutshell, Latina provides a reality check, bringing to light important issues that need to be addressed. Rothman added, “Everyone in the audience, regardless of who they are, are going to be forced to face some hard realities, which is why has nothing changed?” For those interested in attending
the play, Latina will be showing at the State Playhouse on campus. The show dates are November 4,9,10, and 12 at 7:30 PM, November 5 at 8:00 PM, November 6 at 1:00 PM, and November 12 at 12:30 PM. Tickets Student and senior cost $10, while general admission is $15. Tickets can be purchased at www.calstatela.edu/ mtd, and for more information email mtdevents@calstatela.edu.