Spring Week 2 Issue 214.02

UT

NIVERSITY IMES

January 30, 2017

A recent study by the Equality of Opportunity Project, ranked California State University, Los Angeles the number one university in the nation for upward mobility of its students. Pace University in New York was in second place, followed SUNY University at Stony Brooke.

The study was published in the New York Times and highlighted the power mid-tier public universities and colleges may offer in providing a foundation to boost students who typically come from low income households to the top twenty percent of income earners in the nation.

www.csulauniversitytimes.com

C A L I F O R N I A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y, L O S A N G E L E S

When the mid-tier universities, such City University of New York and The CSU system, are matched up against Ivy Leagues like Harvard, Yale or Princeton or “elite private institutions” like Stanford or Johns Hopkins, Cal State LA still performs well because the study is based on student access to the institution and student success.

According the studies abstract, “Mid-tier public universities such as the City University of New York and California State

colleges tend to have the highest rates of bottom-totop quintile mobility,” this was the result of a study that span nearly 15 years, which included millions of student.

“We characterize rates of intergenerational income mobility at each college in the United States using administrative data for over 30 million college students from 1999-2013.”

The University administration sees the study as confirmation of the ability Cal State LA has in transforming its students.

“This research confirms that Cal State LA provides a transformative educational

Issue 214.02

experience,” said University President Covino.

(Continued to Page 13)

CSULA Ranked No.1 for Upward Mobility By: Erron Franklin Copy Editor

Trump’s Orders Evoke Uneasiness Trump’s controversial executive actions harbor mixed feelings Kyle Frizol Intern In the first full week of his presidency, Trump has backed the U.S. out of the TransPacific Partnership (TPP), signed a law forbidding federal tax dollars from being spent on international abortions, and met with congressional leaders at the White House.

On Wednesday, President Trump cast executive action in his decision to continue supporting the funding and construction of a large border wall between Mexico and the U.S. Trump also formalized his cabinet positions, advanced the repeal for the Affordable Care Act, reinstated actions to build nationwide oil pipelines, met with military leaders to discuss plans to rebuild the military, and created an order to enforce vetting measures

Facebook - Donald J. Trump

for Muslim Americans. What does all of this translate to for the country?

First of all, Trump’s withdrawal from the TransPacific Partnership signified the first major executive decision of his presidency.

President Donald J. Trump signing executive orders

The TTP agreement is a trade partnership between a dozen countries that has the intent of forming a closer economic and trade-based bond. However, Trump, and many other Republicans and Democrats, believe that the TPP was holding back

the U.S. from fulfilling and gaining its own domestic trade and production of goods. For the countries that are a part of the partnership, primarily in the AsianPacific region, including Japan and Singapore – uneasiness is beginning to

POLITICS

FEATURE Page 7 -Meals on Wheels

grow. This was once former President Obama’s central means of combating China in global trade. President Trump’s feelings toward the partnership were addressed early on in his campaign for Presidency over the last year. With his promise of withdrawing from the TPP back in 2015, Trump held to his word and did just that, all on his first day of office.

The withdrawal from the TPP means that the U.S. will become less dependent on Asian-Pacific countries, which both directly and indirectly influence China, who is not a member of the TPP. However, many are fearful that this means the U.S. will be losing out on key trade to these countries that they previously relied on for economic stability.

Following the policy that was enacted in the Reagan era, President Trump reinstated the law that would inhibit U.S. Federal aid for international abortions. Also, he jumped immediately into (Continued to Page 2)

NEWS Page 3 --

Trump's First Dys Initiate Overhaul

Page 6 --

Delays expected on road

2

University Times

January 30, 2017

POLITICS

Protest or Civil Unrest?

A close examination on The Cal State LA protest recent protests began as a walk-out, which

was aimed to display dissatisfaction with the president elect. This method however, isn’t the accurate It is becoming common form of protest for contesting knowledge that political a new president.

Walkdecision making has been outs such as the East LA hijacked by private interests Blowouts of 1968 have been worldwide. This corruption historically used to cause becomes especially horrific financial repercussions to in the United States’ grade schools who receive representative democracy funding based on the number and is the antithesis of a of students attending class. government intended to The idea is that financial be “of the people, by the repercussions of students people, and for the people”. not attending class persuades The information revolution administration to meet the has raised platforms that protest demands.

Higher nurture an updated public education such as at Cal State crying out to take a stand. It LA is optional and tuition is inevitable that open source is paid for in advance. This platforms with political makes the use of a walk-out media would have since to protest a new president been targeted, transforming an unacceptable attempt by freedom of information protesters to gather more shared by the people and for bodies for their movement, the people to manipulative while for many students, an boosting of private agendas. act of using group think to get Unfortunately, false out of class. The walkout was information and emotionally not creating definite change. charged opinions follow.

This is particularly true of Fire alarms were pulled the recent election decision, along the walk-out path, escalating to malevolence alerting public safety among the most adverse. agencies to respond and wasting tax dollars. It also The issue of peaceful forced students, faculty, and protest turned to civil unrest staff out of class, despite was evident in the Cal State their freedom to remain LA anti-Trump walk-out. unsupportive of the protest.

California Penial Code 148.4 On Thursday, Nov. 10, PC states that creating a false 2016, student bodies on fire alarm is a criminal offense Los Angeles universities, if it makes a false report of the including: University of fire willfully and maliciously.

Southern California (USC) It is evident that the Penial and University of California Code criteria is upheld, but Los Angeles (UCLA) the sole perpetrator wasn’t responded to the unforeseen identified to condemn. This election results with protests additional disruption tactic as did Cal State University, should be frowned upon Los Angeles. in this case as unnecessary

Robert Camou Intern

(Continued from Page 1) repealing the Affordable Care Act, which Obama had worked on for much of his presidency, which came as little shock to the majority of politicians across party-lines.

Next, the majority of President Trump’s cabinet appointments faced Congress and were sworn in. Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil Chief Executive, was voted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a 11-10 decision to move his appointment to the full senate. The final decision of his appointment will be announced next week on the senate floor. Amid the close 11-10 vote, Democratic concerns continue to grow as Tillerson faces the full senate vote. Marco Rubio, the Republican Senator from Florida, had the opportunity to tie the Committee vote,

but made the decision to support Tillerson after initial uneasiness in his intentions.

Mike Pompeo, Trump’s pick for CIA Chief, was approved by the senate in a vote of 66-32. Thus far, Trump’s cabinet decisions have been approved by the senate, even amidst doubts and concerns from both Republicans and Democrats.

Trump’s Wednesday agenda consisted of numerous actions. The foremost of which was his executive order that set in motion an elaborate plan to both secure and begin constructing the plans and means necessary to build his promised border wall.

Immediately, the politicians and lobbyists of Mexico and the U.S. began to feel the threat of tension built as they witnessed Trump continue to follow through on

Marrian Zhou

breach of American liberty.

This lost support from some, seen as crossing the line from acceptable protest practices.

After congregating in the Salazar Hall quad, protesters stormed the 10 Freeway near campus to make a stronger statement. They temporarily blocked westbound lanes as well as eastbound traffic until highway patrol dispersed the crowd. This tactic was additional and unnecessary to the walk out. It counteracted protest efforts in that many opinions were driven from support to dissatisfaction.

Protestors occupied the streets of Downtown Los Angeles

However, the number of high school students who attended the protest clearly comprised an insignificant proportion of the massive protest turnout.

The massive turnout was significantly abided by the walkout’s controversial tactics.

Multiple sources about the incident from news media and private sources alike say the walk-out was not spearheaded by the adjunct high school, making a peaceful march through campus more fitting than a walkout or roadway blockade.

The only justification for the walkout would be by the few high school students old enough to vote who attend the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHA), an adjunct high school to the Cal State LA campus created in 1997.

While peaceful protesting is protected by the US Constitution, civil unrest is not. According to Karen Sternheimer in a W.W. Norton & Company Inc. independent publication, essentially, “civil unrest involves a disruption of the typical social order;

his campaign promises. The most significant reaction was that of Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto. This was in result to Trump’s reassurance of Mexico’s cooperation in paying for the wall entirely, alongside worry that Trump may very well succeed in deporting and separating the two countries from each other entirely on all fronts, including trade, protection, and military support. His early decision to follow through with his intentions signified the start of an uncertain presidency that left politicians worldwide wondering to what extent Trump would go in fulfilling his controversial goals, especially considering the now deeply influenced Republican majority Congress working alongside Trump.

Continually, Trump signed

the executive orders to continue investigating and creating a plan to construct oil pipelines throughout the country. This, amidst previous conflict and resistance by many, harbored fear amongst lobbyists and environmentalists that have fought for months against Obama’s original plan that has since evolved into a Trump policy.

As of Friday, President Trump continued along his strict path of fulfilling his campaign promises, and enacted his executive order to tighten the vetting process in the United States. His goal, to prevent radical Islamic terrorists from gaining access to the U.S, which he plans to achieve through suspension of immigration in terroristprone countries. "We don’t want them here. We want to make sure that we are not

it can involve a strike or protest, and it can be peaceful or involve violence. Civil unrest often occurs when a group strives to gain attention for something they feel is unjust.”

Therefore, all actions of the protest can be classified as civil unrest. Some may argue that this is the point, and this may be true, but unrest without a proposed ultimatum is nearly useless and not patriotic, it’s just whiney.

Boundaries were crossed that shouldn’t have to no avail.

If America wants direct democracy provisions, they need to propose legislation in addition to using the methods they currently possess like voting for California propositions, voting with the dollar, and personally being the change they want to see.

admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas," Trump said.

Lastly, Trump visited the Pentagon to both attend the swearing in of his defense secretary, Gen. James Mattis, and to sign an executive order to begin rebuilding the U.S. military. The significance of order specifically would, according to Trump, create, “…a great rebuilding of the armed services of the United States.”

Thus far, Trump has strictly adhered to the promises that he made throughout his highly controversial campaign, which has created a mixture of support and growing uneasiness as the President has only served one week and has ordered more action than any of his predecessors in modern memory.

3 POLITICS University Times

January 30, 2017

Trump’s first week actions impact the environment, healthcare, and trade deals Ani Nalbandian Staff Reporter Throughout the first week of President Trump’s administration, a total of 12 significant executive orders have been signed that will impact the direction of United States policies over the coming years. Trump has spent the past week fulfilling many campaign promises that may or may not win him favors in the next election.

Of these orders, the most impactful to the Obama legacy has been the rollback of federal agency burdens on state’s regarding the Affordable Care Act. “One danger in this is that incrementally removing parts of the program may make the other parts less workable,

Trump’s First Days Initiate Overhaul actually causing more Trans Pacific Partnership problems than before,” said [TPP] trade deal.

Dr. Taylor Dark, Cal State LA Political Science Professor.

“It’s not very surprising.

There are a lot of people on The Republican both sides of the aisle that are Administration’s ultimate going to support this move, goal is to eliminate especially those without post Obamacare and to replace secondary education,” Said it with a different program Dr. Groper. which focuses on interstate competition of private health “This is interesting in that it insurances. is a departure from the usual Republican perspective. Most “Obama started the health Republicans in Congress have insurance coverage of been strong supporters of the many Americans, and the TPP. The strongest opponents country will be upset if those have been Democrats with protections are taken away. ties to labor unions. So, one Trump and the Congress need of Trump’s first moves is to find some way to replace going to be popular with the ACA and it will take a many liberals and economic lot of details and political populists,” said Dr. Dark. maneuvering to do so,” said Dr. Richard Groper, Professor The Trans Pacific of Political Science.

Partnership removal was also advocated by the other A couple actions taken populist candidate running by the President over the in the 2016 Presidential past week were specifically Election, Bernie Sanders. No aimed at blue collar workers doubt this will go against the centered in the rustbelt states. wants of the establishment, Trump released a notice especially those like Hillary removing the US from the Clinton who called it the

“gold standard deals.”

of

trade

Trump also signed two orders reviewing the Keystone XL pipeline and Dakota Access pipelines.

Two pipelines that have been of some controversy over the past couple years. The Dakota Access pipeline was originally set to go through Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, but was later rerouted through Native American lands because of fear of pipeline spills.

Protesters have been camping out in freezing temperatures for months in order to stop the building, to which the federal government reluctantly complied and revoked the pipeline’s permits.

The Keystone XL pipeline was of some contention because it would carry a diluted form of tar sands through nine states, which environmentalists argue, is even more dangerous than crude oil in the event of spillage. Trump’s executive

orders would expedite the environmental permitting process for pipelines and directs the Commerce Department to speed up the manufacturing permitting process.

Dr. Dark explained that, “One aspects of this that is interesting is that Trump is continuing his strategy of trying to bring working class voters, especially white working class voters, into the Republican Party.

Construction unions have been supportive of these pipelines, since they provide good jobs for their members.

And many other working class men may gain employment in these projects.”

Everything is still up in the air regarding Dreamers students and DACA protections put in place by Obama. So far he has been reluctant to take action, but of any of Trump’s policies, those would mostly affect California, including many students at Cal State LA.

Whitehouse.gov

President Trump with a signed executive order

4

January 30, 2017

University Times

NEWS

Do You Want to Get Elected?

ASI Prepares Students Running for Office Miguel Arriola Intern

Elizabeth Lechtholz-Zey, the event organizer and head of the Election Committee.

These friendly and informal events occur before This past Wednesday, every student government Jan. 23, the Cal State LA election. Their purpose is to Student Union’s third floor familiarize those interested representing their Alhambra Room was the site in for an Associated Students fellow students in matters Inc. Election Info Session. relevant to the university’s while It was the first of at least administration, three planned sessions. “We introducing the process and advocate for the students rules of running for an ASI and help students develop office. Students are guided their leadership skills” said through the ASI website

UN I V E R S I T Y

IMES T Editor-in-Chief Marcela Valdivia Marrian Zhou

Mimi Li

Managing Editor Ricky Rodas

Interns Kyle Frizol Sylvia Valdez Sean Warner Miguel Arriola Oscar Alanis Eunjong Kim Robert Camou

Production Manager Hector Cruz

Web Editors Carlos Gomez Copy Editors Erron Franklin Alfredo Gutierrez Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson

Contributors Javonne Crumby David Czinner Matthew Gonzalez Cal State La Athletics Illustrators Valerie Lesser

Advertising Assistant Photographers Alberto Perez J. Aaron Delgado Juan J. Palma News Assistant Edna Cerritos Kelly Vasquez Daryl Dennis Tyson Jex Faculty Adviser Kirby Lee Suzanne Regan Social Media Distributors Correspondent Ricky Rodas Matthew Gonzalez Xavier Jones Photo Editor Staff Reporters Joseph Delgado Ani Nalbandian Anthony Karambelas Journalism 3910 TA Robert Ellsworth Janice Peregrina

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.

Juan J Palma

Upcoming ASI election information

which details information about ASI and how to begin a campaign for office through the online application.

Students are also told about pre-campaigning, submitting a Letter of Intent, and what sort of online, and grassroots advertising they can do before the start of an official campaign cycle.

Among the positions available to prospective candidates are President, Academic Senator, and Chief Justice. Additionally, the Vice-Presidential of Finance, Academic Governance, Administration, and External Affairs and Advancement are also available.

The Chief Justice heads the By-Laws and Codes of Procedures Committee as well as the Judicial Affairs Committee. His or her duties include the

handling of conflicts of interest and election related grievances like spending too much or placing campaign advertisements where the rules prohibit.

various administrative skills and a an in depth look at social issues facing students.

Currently, the pressing issue being addressed by ASI is the potential rise in tuition costs.

The Vice-President of Finance chairs the Finance Committee and deals with things like club funding, which is a primary responsibility of ASI. All elected or appointed offices are held for one academic year and there is no limit on how many times one can run for an office. Additionally, these are paid positions and there is also good upward mobility within ASI as.

The development of political experience and leadership skills is certainly in high demand in the current national political atmosphere.

These positions can be a first step for students seeking to involve themselves in local politics beyond the university.

“Typically, people move up…you don’t really move down” said Lechtholz-Zey. Those who get involved in ASI and remain have the opportunity to develop

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.

Para La Onda:

Copyright 2017 University Times.

All Rights Reserved.

Cal State University, Los Angeles 5151 State University Dr. - KH C3098 LA, Ca, 90032 Office 323.343.4215 Advertising 323.343.4270

www.csulauniversitytimes.com calstatela.ut@gmail.com Calstatelaut facebook.com/CsulaUT Calstatelaut

Jefa de Redacción: Claudia Landeros Editores: Lissette Flores Jessica Magaña Consejero de la Facultad: Alejandro Solomianski

In discussing what kinds of students enter the elections, Lechtholz-Zey praised the efforts of current ASI President Kayla Stamps, “She came here, she knew what she wanted to do, and she’s getting it done.”

Whether fresh-faced and idealistic, or experienced in university life and involved in clubs or athletics, ASI is a chance for students to influence their educational environment and make a difference for the better.

Along with contributing to the improvement of the college experience of others, there is also ample opportunity for personal growth and networking.

Students seeking to run for office must be enrolled at CSULA for at least one semester.

Further information can be obtained by contacting the Elections and Orientation Commissioner via the email at: asieoc@calstatela.edu.

Applications are due Feb. 09, 2017.

The stakes were high for students who participated in ‘Prize Palooza’

5 NEWS

University Times

January 30, 2017

The Prize is Right!

J. Aaron Delgado Photo Editor The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) drove in the Spring semester by offering students a chance to win some great Cal State LA gear at Prize Palooza.

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the University Student Union Plaza, students and guests were able to participate in three fun games. If they landed on a certain logo, the student would automatically win or have to answer a simple question relating to the campus, such as “where can you find a job on campus?” or “what year was Cal State LA established?”

By answering the question correctly the student was awarded a prize. If students did not win anything yet or simply wanted to collect all the prizes, they were given the opportunity to try the game multiple times.

J. Aaron Delgado

Three activities were featured: the first, a wheel spin, where students had the opportunity to win a Cal State LA sack bag, a black Cal State LA water bottle, and a gold bandana with the Cal State LA logo; the second, a game of plinko, where students drop three pucks and if at least two of them landed

on logos they would have the choice of winning a screen cleaner with a map of the campus or a phone stand that can be stuck onto the back of a smartphone; and third, the bean bag toss, where students would attempt to either get two bean bags in holes with eagles on them and answer the question about Cal State LA correctly or the center

Student spun the wheel and won big

hole for an automatic prize choice of either hand sanitizer or yellow tint lip balm.

The prizes did not stop after completing all the activities as members of the men’s Cal State LA baseball team showed up, offering a ‘home run’ of a prize to the palooza. Austin Nazabal, who pitches for the baseball team, and Andrew Jimenez,

the mid infielder, handed out complimentary tickets to students for their home opener against Cal Baptist on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 6p.m.

Prize palooza was a great way to start the semester by allowing students a chance to win prizes that might actually useful. In the end, every participant was a winner.

6

January 30, 2017

University Times

New year, new finances representative for the Society

ASI board discuss the budget among other issues Ricky Rodas Managing Editor

On Friday, Jan. 27, the Cal State LA Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI) Board of Directors, met at the Student Union to discuss their Financial agenda for the coming months. Timothy Achinger, Vice President for Finance, led the meeting as they dealt with the budget review, approving the allocation of funds for clubs, and strategic planning of ASI Finances.

According to Part IX of the Jan. 27, finance agenda, the total functional expenses were $1,303,686. Part of these expenses went toward to the child care center, programming for events, student organizations direct funding, administration fees, and services.

The agenda also included a summary of proposed fees for June 30, 2017 and 2018, which are comprised of the audit and tax. For ASI, the proposed fees are projected to be $19,625. For the Los Angeles Foundation, the proposed fees are projected to be $24,494.94. For the University Auxiliary Services, Inc. the proposed fees are projected to be $111,981.88.

For the University- Student Union (U-SU), the projected fees are projected to be 19,625.

of Hispanic Engineers and Science Students (SHESS), requested $490.00 for their 7 Professional Speaker Series events, and it was approved.

A representative for CSULA AAAE requested $1,986.57 for a 57th annual Airport Short Management Course conference, and it was approved.

Eagle Jiu Jitsu club requested $681.18 for retreats and attending JiuJitsu tournaments, and it was approved. Lastly, the School of Psychology Student Association requested $3,000.00 for a conference, and the board approved that they would allot 70% of the total cost of the expenses, while the association would pay the remaining 30%.

The final portion of the meeting was dedicated to a strategic planning discussion, an environmental discussion being coordinated by the Strategic Planning Committee. Board members were asked to list issues they felt were important financially, such as increase in resource centers on campus, ASI staff expansion, new technology to keep up with an old campus, creating events that help students gets jobs, tuition increase, etc. A public forum was also scheduled to occur, but was noticeably skipped.

For Cal State LA students and other members who are interested in gaining understanding about ASI’s budget, A number of finance meetings are scheduled for this Spring semester. The next Next, the ASI board one is scheduled for February moved on to the task of 10 at the U-SU San Gabriel allocating funds for clubs. A Rm 313, from 12-2 PM.

Juan J Palma

Finance Committee going over tax forms

NEWS

Delays expected on the road Sinkhole Near Lot 2 Raises Traffic Concerns.

Carlos Gomez Web Editor On Friday, Jan. 27, the right lane of Circle Drive that turns onto Campus Road was closed off by caution tape after a sinkhole was reported.

The sinkhole, measuring an estimated 120 ft. squared, was most likely caused by a broken drain pipe, allowing water to wash away soil from under the street. Repair crews were called in on Friday afternoon, and will be occupying Lot 2 space, leaving an estimated loss of about 25 parking spaces for students this week.

Chief of Police University Police Rick Wall spoke to the University Times regarding this matter.

“Someone noticed it on Thursday, but didn’t follow up with it due to prevailing issues,” he said.

“We’re just glad no one got hurt.”

Although the hole has been identified, it is still unclear how long repair crews will need to work on the sinkhole. Engineers have been dispatched to assess the problem and give an estimate on the amount of time necessary to repair the sinkhole. However, the length of the damage to the drainpipe is a crucial factor that will affect the timeframe of repairs. If the crack on the pipe extends for more than was previously thought, more lanes will be closed.

J. Aaron Delgado

The sink hole resides in the far corner of Lot 2

was recently repaired in the summer, which played an essential role in allowing the area above the sinkhole to remain standing. The material used in the repairs was more costly to implement, but have provided the necessary support to keep busses or large vehicles from causing it to cave in.

As a word of advice, Chief Wall advised students to be prepared for traffic delays.

“Best case scenario, we lose the two right lanes for a week and adjust accordingly.

The two left lanes will be used for two-way traffic on Circle Drive. Worst case, we lose the entire street.” He also encouraged students who use the off campus parking lot

to arrive earlier than normal.

“While buses and the trains should remain unaffected, the off campus shuttle may see some delays.”

On Friday evening, Parking and Transportation sent an email warning drivers of traffic delays and lane closures.

Chief Wall continued, “Expect traffic delays on Circle Drive as you enter from the south of campus.

A portion of the westbound lanes and the south section of Lot 2 will be closed for emergency repairs. Pedestrian access will be limited. Traffic officers will be coordinating vehicular and pedestrian access.”

The area with the damage

J. Aaron Delgado

A lane from Circle Drive is closed due to the sink hole

7 FEATURE

January 30, 2017

‘Lettuce’ talk about healthy food alternatives

University Times

Meals on wheels

Matthew Gonzalez Contributor Are you trying to tone up for your new year's resolution?

Don't know where to find any healthy alternatives on campus?

Cal State LA has sixteen venues across campus where students can purchase a meal or snack during their down time from classes. The Office of Communications and Public Affairs sent out a mass email last Tuesday informing students of these healthy alternatives which included salads, wraps, and fruit. The email also featured a new salad bar that is available in the Housing Dining Hall and a new electric food cart that will now travel to different locations around campus.

In addition to the new features, and due to a large number of student requests, several venues will now be available after 2pm on

Edna Cerritos

Freshly prepared meals for the food cart

Fridays including: Barnes & Nobles now closing at 5pm.

Starbucks closing at 4pm and the Food court now closing at a later time.

The Electric food cart is currently in the Salazar

Cafe study area but due to the recent gloomy weather it has been inactive. The Electric Cart is to be utilized in the main walkway, King Hall, Greenlee Plaza, and the Farmers Market. It was recently used in the Golden Eagle Ballroom for an event hosted on campus.

The cost of the electric food cart is around $6,000. Golden Eagle Hospitality mentioned that in the near future, organizations will be able to rent the electric food cart for fundraisers on campus. The electric food cart will be open to the public, including the local high school students.

The food sold on the cart is made the same morning around 5am.

Edna Cerritos

Liz, manager of food cart, with the food cart

Golden Eagle Hospitality currently serves six different types of salad and protein packs and hopes to make it as affordable as possible with hot meals, including chicken, which should be priced around $6.50. The University Auxiliary services hope to accommodate more student demands, desires, wants and needs in the near future.

hours [which] is new.

However, the email should have stated that and not “new” food options,” said Leslie Mazariegos-Maldonado, Communication major.

Similarly, senior Communication major, Norma Sanchez, described the email as misleading students into assuming the food is “fresh”. “I feel they are the exact same food options that have been provided in the past semester[s]. The “healthy” alternatives are prepackaged and very expensive. Many are not even fresh. As a commuter that is here [on campus] all day I consistently find myself either bringing my own food or eating El Pollo Loco. That's all I have eaten in the past four years at Cal State LA.” “I think the campus should worry more on lowering prices and give more options for healthier foods!

Part of students having more stress in their college careers is because of health issues. Trying to focus on homework, jobs, intern, etc.

Then to worry about making

food because campus food is too expensive and unhealthy?

There should be more options for students in a so called ‘multicultural campus’,” said Gabriela Cherbony, senior Television and Film major.

However, according to Executive Chef and Food Service Director of University Auxiliary Services, Daniel Keenan, he expressed that there have been more recent improvements to maintain a more healthy lifestyle within our campus culture. “There are more options now than there has been and if they [the student] were to do a little research and if they look at king coffee in the retail section we have pre made salads, there are a lot of healthy options there but they can also contact me and I have flexibility to do stuff. I have the ability to help them out and place what they want in stores,” said Keenan.

To contact for improvement, you could email Chef Keenan at DKeenan@cslanet. calstatela.edu

“The ‘New’ food options email that was sent out this week was misleading.

Nothing about these food options is new. I understand they [now] have extended

Pregnant?

Free counseling & services.

We come to you.

Holy Family Services, Adoption & Foster Care CALL 1-800-464-2367

Edna Cerritos

Server freshly preparing food for the food cart

8

January 30, 2017

University Times

RELACIONES INTERNACIONALES

El muro de Donald Trump La corriente antiinmigrante

RELACIONES INTERNACIONALES

¿Cómo lidiar con el enemigo?

La postura de México ante la crisis binacional Por Claudia Landeros Habían pasado sólo cuatro días desde que Donald Trump asumió el poder y en su narrativa ya estaba declarando como su principal enemigo a México. Lo anticipó desde que se pronunció como precandidato y a diferencia de lo que la gran mayoría pensaba, que eran palabras sin forma ni juicio, él maduró la idea y ahora lo está ejecutando. No fueron amenazas echadas al aire, fue un monstruo que agarró fuerza y ha sumido al pueblo mexicano en un estado de sitio psicológico muy crítico.

La consecuencia mayor es el hostigamiento y el tono amenazante de las medidas de Trump. Él exige una sumisión del pueblo mexicano y en su fantasiosa idea de poder cree que tiene la autoridad de obligar a México a acatar sus decretos.

Ante esta situación, México está obligado a tener una respuesta enérgica. Y no es responsabilidad sólo del presidente, es una cuestión civil, que involucra a todos y cada uno de los mexicanos, fuera y dentro del país. Es un momento histórico, es importante aprovechar esta oleada de unidad del pueblo mexicano para hacer un verdadero cambio.

Es cierto que los líderes políticos mexicanos no tienen credibilidad con su gente. Es

una relación fragmentada que la sociedad resiente y que en este momento de crisis resalta aún más. Dos grandes pilares de México se están tambaleando, el tratado de libre comercio (TLC) y la comunidad de millones de mexicanos indocumentados que viven en Estados Unidos. Para hacerle frente a esto, se tiene que armar una colectividad que unifique y fortalezca al pueblo mexicano, al mismo tiempo que se independiza del gobierno de Trump.

México ha sido agredido y violentado por Trump.

Pero este México, no es el de antes, tiene mucho aliados que están alerta de la situación. Además, es un país que si coordina estrategias y se une fraternalmente entre sí, si actúa con serenidad y con inteligencia podrá hacerle frente a este enemigo declarado.

Donald Trump no entiende que no se puede borrar la historia con decretos. La relación entre los dos países es muy compleja, son países que por su cercanía tienen intereses en común, no pueden vivir como enemigos.

No es más un gobierno poderoso pisoteando al adversario débil. México no depende únicamente de Estados Unidos para subsistir, tiene amigos políticos y económicos que lo respaldan.

Pero lo más importante es tener un pilar nacional sólido, un pueblo que se sostenga erguido y que tome acciones dramáticas, que no se espante y que no se debilite. Esto es una causa nacional.

Fotografía. Crédito: http://www.elnuevodiario.com

Contáctanos en:

UT CSULA La Onda

laonda.newspaper@gmail.com LAONDACSULA

Por Eduardo Ramos Desde inicios de su campaña, el presidente Donald Trump ha sido objeto de críticas por su política de inmigración.

Lo más sobresaliente son sus declaraciones de que lo único que recibe Estados Unidos de México son sólo delincuentes. Los medios de comunicación se encargaron de extender la noticia hasta el punto de asegurar que Trump, como presidente, deportaría a todos los indocumentados de este país, creando una sensación de inseguridad y pánico en la población hispano-americana.

Han surgido muchos que se aprovechan de la situación en beneficio propio. Entre ellos el partido demócrata quien inició una campaña anti Donald Trump para manipular el voto de los latinos a favor de Hillary Clinton, su candidata oficial. Otros ventajosos son los abogados de inmigración anunciándose en los medios, anteponiendo la gran amenaza que es este presidente a lo importante

que es para todo inmigrante que contraten sus servicios.

Donald Trump firmó el pasado miércoles órdenes ejecutivas que autorizan la construcción de un muro fronterizo, un aumento en las deportaciones y la reducción de fondos federales a “ciudades santuario”. Esto no solo traerá más críticas al el presidente, sino más oportunistas.

Como antecedente, se debería recordar también a la población que el presidente anterior, Barack Obama, ha sido catalogado como el presidente que más deportaciones ha hecho en los últimos treinta años y nadie ha protestado por eso. Fueron cerca de tres millones de deportaciones en ocho años. Cabría enfatizar que las deportaciones a las que Trump se refiere amenazan más directamente a los indocumentados encarcelados por motivos delictivos graves.

Por su parte, Hillary Clinton pensaba continuar apoyando la política de inmigración de Barack Obama, lo que significa que cualquiera de los dos panoramas nos brindaría la misma situación.

Lo que sí debería de preocupar a la sociedad, es de lo que podría suceder con las personas que están en este país en busca de mejores oportunidades, como “Los Dreamers”. Existen muchos otros asuntos de igual o mayor importancia que verdaderamente merecen nuestra atención.

Es increíble ver como ciudadanos americanos y otros residentes de este país estén a la expectativa de lo que Donald Trump haga acerca del muro fronterizo.

Esa es la mayor presión y preocupación que tiene nuestro presidente y por ello ha decidido que en su primer visita al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS, por sus siglas en inglés) lo primero que debería atender es lo que todo mundo espera que haga ansiosamente: aprobar la creación del muro fronterizo con México.

Cualquier otro asunto, Rusia, Corea del Norte, las exigencias de la secretaría de educación pública, todo puede esperar.

Después de la tormenta viene a la aventura

Las tres mejores áreas de nieve para visitar este invierno Por Marcela Valdivia Parece ser que después de la tormenta viene a la calma. Tras unos intensos días de constante lluvia en el sur de California todo parece indicar que volvimos a la normalidad, tenemos un clima bastante frío pero ya regresó el sol y dejó atrás días nublados llenos de lluvia.

California se enfrentó por varios días, con granizo, aire, bajas temperaturas, inundaciones y muchísima lluvia. Sin embargo, la lluvia llegó como una bendición para aminorar la sequía que aún persiste en California debido a varios años de escases. Con las pasadas tormentas, las montañas se cubrieron con varias pulgadas de nieve y lucen como no se había visto en muchos años.

Aprovechando esta maravilla de la madre naturaleza, los angelinos buscan la mejor forma de divertirse. Varios son los lugares en California que se pueden visitar durante el invierno, pero estas son algunas propuestas para los angelinos: 1) Big Bear: El lugar está localizado en las montañas de San Bernardino y es el

más visitado por la cantidad de nieve que cae sobre las montañas. Actualmente, ha acumulado un aproximado de 140 pulgadas de nieve.

El lugar está perfectamente acondicionado para recibir a los visitantes, quien planee quedarse puede reservar una cabaña y pasar unos días.

La atracción más popular es "Snow Summit". Este es el lugar perfecto para practicar “snowboarding” y esquiar.

2) Running Springs: También en las montañas de San Bernardino se encuentra "Snow Valley Mountain Resort." Actualmente hay 72 pulgadas de nieve ahí. Es un lugar de fama, considerado el lugar más antiguo para esquiar. La atracción más popular es el trineo y ofrece

las carreras más largas de la región en el área de juegos.

3) Mount Baldy: Las montañas de San Gabriel tienen el pico más alto del condado de Los Ángeles. Hay una acumulación de nieve de 59 pulgadas. Este terreno tiene más de 400 acres para esquiar. Hay muchas rutas para que personas de todas las edades y habilidades puedan esquiar a su gusto. Además, hay transbordadores que recorren una milla para que los visitantes puedan tener una vista panorámica de las montañas desde las alturas.

Sin más excusas, preparen sus abrigos, bufandas, guantes y gorros para disfrutar un día en la nieve, que pronto llegará la primavera.

Fotografía. Crédito: https://www.choicehotels.com

January 30, 2017

Food Venues on Campus: Barnes & Noble (Convenience Store) Café 47 Starbucks Metro Express Golden Eagle Express Carl's Jr El Pollo Loco Rice Garden Kikka Sushi Johny's Kitchen Sbarro's University Club King Coffee Salazar Espresso Bar Salazar Café Housing Buffet (including salad bar)

9 FEATURE

University Times

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

8AM‐ 8PM

8AM‐ 8PM

8AM‐ 8PM

8AM‐ 8PM

8AM‐ 5PM

9:00Am‐2PM

Closed

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐2PM

9:00Am‐2PM

Closed

7AM ‐ 9PM

7AM ‐ 9PM

7AM ‐ 9PM

7AM ‐ 9PM

7AM ‐ 5PM

7AM ‐ 1PM

Closed

7AM ‐ 7PM

7AM ‐ 7PM

7AM ‐ 7PM

7AM ‐ 7PM

7AM ‐2PM

Closed

Closed

7AM ‐ 7:30PM

7AM ‐ 7:30PM

7AM ‐ 7:30PM

7AM ‐ 7:30PM

7AM ‐ 2PM

Closed

Closed

7AM ‐ 8PM

7AM ‐ 8PM

7AM ‐ 8PM

7AM ‐ 8PM

7AM‐4PM

7AM ‐ 1PM

Closed

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM‐4PM

9AM ‐ 2PM

Closed

9AM‐ 7PM

9AM‐ 7PM

9AM‐ 7PM

9AM‐ 7PM

10AM‐3PM

Closed

Closed

8AM ‐7PM

8AM ‐7PM

8AM ‐7PM

8AM ‐7PM

8AM ‐ 3PM

Closed

Closed

7AM ‐7PM

7AM ‐7PM

7AM ‐7PM

7AM ‐7PM

8AM ‐ 3PM

Closed

Closed

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

9AM ‐ 8PM

11AM ‐3PM

Closed

Closed

11AM ‐ 3PM

11AM ‐ 3PM

11AM ‐ 3PM

11AM ‐ 3PM

11AM ‐ 2PM

Closed

Closed

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 8PM

7:30AM ‐ 12:30PM

Closed

Closed

7:30AM ‐ 5PM

7:30AM ‐ 5PM

7:30AM ‐ 5PM

7:30AM ‐ 5PM

7:30AM ‐ 2PM

Closed

Closed

7:30AM ‐ 7:30PM

7:30AM ‐ 7:30PM

7:30AM ‐ 7:30PM

7:30AM ‐ 7:30PM

CLOSED

Closed

Closed

8AM ‐ 8PM

8AM ‐ 8PM

8AM ‐ 8PM

8AM ‐ 8PM

8AM ‐ 8PM

9AM‐ 3PM Varies The Office of Communications and Public Affairs

Schedule of many food venues on campus

By: Valerie Lesser

10

January 30, 2017

University Times

FEATURE

Farming for Change Professor Choi Chatterjee shares tips on achieving a sustainable future Janice Peregrina Staff Reporter Environmentalism and sustainability are often associated with either being a product of hippie culture, or something that is unattainable in the modern age. It is hard to reflect on the choices we make, and make changes when the culture around you ignores sustainable options. Even in these shaky times, the little shouts you make can and will be heard, and the effects can spread like wildfire.

Professor Choi Chatterjee is a resident History professor at Cal State LA, whose outside projects concerning a healthy environment recently garnered attention from the Los Angeles Times. Earlier this month, Professor Chatterjee and her husband were interviewed about their zero-waste homestead in Altadena.

Their home and the waste it produces is cancelled out by the energy it provides, both from their garden and the animals they raise on their land. By composting their food waste, growing their own fruits and vegetables, fertilizing their garden with manure from their goats and chickens, and beekeeping, Chatterjee’s household is an inspirational example of sustainability in the modern age.

Environmental reasons aside, the garden has also brought her closer to her neighbors, and closer to nature.

She and her family frequently give the actual fruits of their labor to the people in their neighborhood.

When speaking to Professor Chatterjee, one can sense the passion she holds for the environment, however, It did not start out this way.

Creating her household was not an easy task, and it came with many obstacles.

“The biggest obstacle was our own ignorance about sustainability and our mindless reliance on industrial systems,” said Chatterjee, referring to herself and her family. “We had to read, research, and experiment our way towards sustainability and believe me when I say we have a very, very long way to go.”

Lots of experimentation must get underway to create a zero-waste household, especially when living in an urban area like Los Angeles.

Chatterjee admited that she is “very fortunate” that her family has a garden, but highlighted a number of

Choi Chatterjee

Close up of Daisy, resident goat at Choi Chatterjee’s home

Choi Chatterjee

other ways Angelenos can take part in limiting their energy use.

“We could do simple things like cooking and eating more vegetarian meals, compost our kitchen waste, eliminate single use plastic from our lives, turn off the air conditioner, use less water, use public transportation,

ride bikes, or drive electric cars, install solar panels on rooftops, grow herbs and salads in pots on our kitchen windows and balconies, plant drought tolerant trees, and most importantly, spend more time outdoors (away from our little devices) in our beautiful Southern California,” said Professor Chatterjee, who firmly believes that the change must come within ourselves. “We only protect that which we love and deem important.”

Chatterjee’s concerns for our habitat stem from different sources.

She and her husband are of Pakistani and Indian descent, and these cultures “care deeply about the environment.”

Her sources of inspiration come from both “the scientific and research based environmental movement in the US that has grown in the last two decades” and author and activist Michael Pollan.

“Michael Pollan has done more than anyone else to create awareness about food and sustainability. He is definitely one of our main sources of inspiration,” said Chatterjee.

Choi Chatterjee

Choi Chatterjee’s bountiful backyard garden

The positive impact on the environment her family has achieved is a great step in the right direction, but Professor Chatterjee believes that

Peaceful backyard pond

her efforts will ultimately help move others, including students, towards adopting sustainability efforts of their own.

“I teach a class on food justice and know that our students… care deeply about the environment. I am very hopeful that student pressure will force the administration to adopt sustainability seriously.”

Additionally, Chatterjee had a list of efforts she wishes students will push to implement throughout the university. Implementing solar panels on all buildings, urging the food court to have more vegetarian options, food waste composting, more drinking fountains, increasing promotion of bicycle use and carpooling to get to campus, and hiring someone with an advanced sustainability background to implement these changes on campus.

All of these are environmental goals Professor Chatterjee believes Cal State LA should work towards.

If you share similar ideas and want to see these changes move forward, make some noise. Environmentalism isn’t unattainable, and if you love your university and give it importance, your actions will help keep it running to produce the least amount of waste possible.

January 30, 2017

University Times

2017 2018

NOT SUR E W HER E TO STA RT? S T O P B Y A N I N F O R M AT I O N S E S S I O N T O L E A R N A B O U T T H E E L E C T I O N P R O C E S S , AVA I L A B L E P O S I T I O N S , & M U C H M O R E

3 6

10 AM

SAN GABRIEL ROOM

2 PM

ALHAMBRA ROOM

3 R D F L O O R • U N I V E R S I T Y- S T U D E N T U N I O N

WHEN CAN YO U A P P LY

?

APPLICATIONS AVAIL ABLE NOW

FEB 9

SCAN HERE

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N & OPEN POSITIONS

THU

A P P L I C AT I O N S D E A D L I N E

F O R E L EC T I O N I N F O R M AT I O N A N D S T U D E N T P OS I T I O N S

V I S I T U S O N L I N E AT:

WWW.CALSTATELA.EDU/ASI/ELECTIONS

4

TUESDAY

D EB AT E N O.1

1 – 2: 30 PM • COLLEGE R EPR ESENTATIVES

APRIL

14 FRIDAY

APRIL

18

TUESDAY

APRIL

M A IN WA LK WAY (FA R M E R S M A R KET TR I A NG LE)

D EB AT E N O. 2

12:30–2 PM • SENATORS & R EPS-AT-LA RGE M A IN WA LK WAY (FA R M E R S M A R KET TR I A NG LE)

D EB AT E N O. 3

5–7:30PM • PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE BOARD U - S U T H E AT R E , 1 S T F L O O R U N I V E R S I T Y- S T U D E N T U N I O N

CANDIDATE MEE T + GREE T U-SU PL A Z A , UNIVERSIT Y-STUDENT UNION

MONDAY

20

THURSDAY

APRIL

WEDNESDAY

| |24–26 APRIL

MONDAY

• MANDATORY A.S.I. DEBATES •

VO T E O N L I N E T H R O U G H T H E G O L D E N E AG L E T E R R I T O RY(G . E .T. )

R ESU LTS A N NOU NCEMEN T PA RT Y THU

FRIDAY

AND

FEBRUA RY

INFO SESSIONS

11

APRIL 27 • 4-5:30 PM U - S U P L A Z A , U N I V E R S I T Y- S T U D E N T U N I O N

C

M

12

University Times

January 30, 2017

FEATURE

From Cal State LA to the White House Cal State LA Alumna interns as ‘Digital Strategist’ in Obama’s Administration Marcela Valdivia Staff Reporter As college students, we dream big and reach for the stars. We have countless goals we wish to accomplish and people we want to make proud. Crystal Miller graduated from Cal State LA last Spring with a Communication Studies degree, and embarked on a journey to the White House through a coveted internship program.

a strong commitment to public service, leadership presence in the community, and a commitment to the administration in office.

“The internship application process is an in-depth analysis, for the White House Internship Program and White House staffers, to get a better feel and understanding of who applicants are. Not only do we complete an online application, but there are multiple essays and letters of recommendation required before submitting your application,” said Miller.

The highly competitive internship brings applicants from across the nation.

It was July when Miller The White House finally received an email Internship Program confirming her acceptance provided individuals with into the internship program. an opportunity to develop She served the Obama their leadership skills in a Administration last year from professional environment, September to December, which allowed those same working in the Office of individuals to work alongside Digital Strategy, where she the nation's top advisors and was tasked with assisting to gain firsthand experience in the production of digital in becoming powerful leaders platforms for the White in the future.

House.

Postcard_SPRING2017.pdf 1 1/18/2017 1:15:08 PM The White House sought applicants with

“I was surprised, excited, thankful and amazed when I read my acceptance into the program,” Miller shared.

During her internship, Miller had the opportunity to meet and talk with former President Barack Obama and first fady Michelle Obama.

This moment holds a special place in her heart because the first time she ever casted a vote, it was for President Obama. This unforgettable moment was a dream come true as they were both under the same roof and face to face.

Each day of the White House Internship was memorable and Miller kept a journal to remember each day.

“The best advice I have ever received came from President Obama. He encouraged us to, 'Be smart. Be kind. Be fearless.' I will keep these words with me forever,” said Miller.

Miller also mentioned how Frances Chee, Communications Studies professor, constantly emphasized the importance

of networking. She utilized that advice in the White House and networked with copious amounts of people.

Her number of colleagues increased as she met the people working in her field, and built stronger connections to keep for a lifetime.

“The one thing I learned at Cal State LA was to keep my head down, work hard and it will all pay off. While I was interning at the White House, I kept that same mentality, which is why I was able to succeed during my time in D.C.,” expressed Miller.

The White House Internship was a step into the public service of the nation. This grand opportunity allowed Crystal Miller to grow as an individual and gain first class experience.

“The White House Internship Program was an amazing experience from beginning to end. I was not only able be surrounded by White House staffers who modeled excellence, but I was also given the opportunity to take my skills and have them fostered and mentored

Calstatela.edu

Crystal Miller Interns for the White House Internship Program

on a daily basis. Every day I learned something new, and every day I have a new lesson to take away,” said Miller.

As the White House Internship Program ended in December, Miller returned to Los Angeles with her family and friends. She recently started a new position with a major company in Santa Monica working in Social Media. Her future plans include returning to school to complete a Masters of Science in Social Media.

Start your future today.

night owl?

Y

CM

MY

CY

MY

K

Spring classes begin february 22. Register and enroll now to start your future.

13 FEATURE University Times

January 30, 2017

The Year of The Rooster Sylvia Valdez Intern If you’re wondering how exactly the Chinese Calendar works, timeanddate.com is here to explain. “The Chinese calendar does not count years in an infinite sequence. Each year is assigned a name consisting of two components within each 60-year cycle.

The first component is a celestial stem element, and the second component is a terrestrial branch (Zodiac animal).

“Each Chinese New Year is characterizes by one of twelve animals which appear in the Chinese Zodiac,” as posted on The Telegraph. The Zodiac has twelve sections, each indicating a time length - one year instead of one month.

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar; based on exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude and the moon’s phases World Journal, hosted The Lunar New Year Festival in Downtown Monterey Park, CA. The two day event was from Jan. 28-29.The event was free and open to the public. The festival was seven blocks block at the heart of Monterey Park, on Garvey between Ramona and Alhambra avenues.

The festival kicked off bright and early at 10a.m. with a decent crowd. The smell of BBQ plagued the air as food stands prepared for the day ahead of them. A variety of stands sprouted from the streets and welcomed everyone. There were games, rides, and raffles.

I asked Kim, a local vender who was passionately brushing BBQ sauce on a squid, what the new year meant for her. “I wear red to hopefully bring good fortune.

I’ve been fortunate enough to open my own business and keep it running.”

“Wearing bright colors or red symbolizes a new start and fresh hopes for the new year. It is also to go with the festive and upbeat mood of

Sylvia Valdez

"Welcome Rooster"

the new year,” as explained on chinahighlights.com.

This is no lie. As I walked tent after tent, I couldn’t help but notice the vibrant banners and lanterns. Gold and red gracefully laced each tent.

Chinese New Year traditions are filled with joy and hope. There’s great food to ring in the new year and also, dragon and lion dances!

Dragon and lion dances are believed to a way to pray for good luck and drive away evil spirits.

Cal State LA celebrated the Lunar New Year on campus this past Thursday, in the courtyard. One of the memorable moments was the dragon and lion dance, as mentioned above.

The luckiest things for Roosters: Numbers: 5,7,8.

Days: 4th & 26th of any Chinese lunar month. Colors: gold, brown, and yellow.

Flowers: Gladiola and cockscomb. The unluckiest of things: red. Numbers: 1,3, and 9.

Jethro-Lee

Chinese Zodiac Calendar

(Continued from Page 1) “Our outstanding faculty and staff understand well the transformative role of public universities.

They know what is needed to take students from where they are, to where they need to be,” said University Provost Lynn Mahoney.

Many alumni who became apprised of the study’s results, weighed in on social media to highlight the ways in which

the university contributed to their career success.

“Wonderful. I graduated in 1987 with a bachelors in Social Work, went on to Berkeley for my Masters in Social Welfare,” wrote Maria Quintanilla, “I now run Latino Family Institute, a nonprofit adoption and foster care agency in West Covina.

For the past four years I've been teaching graduate Social Work students at Cal State

Long Beach. Indeed I have come a long way from my barrio of South Central Los Angeles. Eternally grateful.”

A common theme mentioned by alumni is the impact the faulty has had on their success and although there are no facts or figures to prove it true Provost Mahoney agrees and is confident that Cal State LA faculty understands their purpose in the lives of

students, “Our outstanding faculty and staff understand well the transformative role of public universities. They know what is needed to take students from where they are, to where they need to be.”

Although the study findings name mid-tier universities as the best institutions for upward mobility, a predoctoral research fellow who was involved with the study, told the Christian Science Monitor, “What we've seen

is that the colleges that we identify as being very good by our metric, which in many cases includes these mid-tier public schools are in most cases declining in terms of access,” said Robert Fluegge of Stanford University, “They've seen the proportion of poor students decline pretty substantially, and I think that that's a bit worrisome, given that these are the colleges that are really doing well for poor students.”

14

University Times

January 30, 2017

OPINION

Screeching in the rain: are the cats and dogs really worth it?

Students and staff provide insight into what Cal State LA really thinks about last week’s weather Anthony Karambelas Staff Reporter If you aren’t a rainy day person, last week probably wasn’t up your alley. It was, to say the least, a soggy experience. But not all students felt the same way.

While some complained of its burdens, others found the rainy environment nostalgic.

So to see how your opinions stack up, here’s how Cal State LA reacted to the abnormal weather situation.

The most common responses from students were positive in reaction to the rain. Many associated rainy weather in general with feelings of nostalgia.

“About the rain, it got me reminiscing back in the old days when I was a child, there would be rainy days from January to April. I would just go outside with my raincoat and splash around the puddles until my mom yelled at me,” said Bryan Ha, freshman student.

Growing up out of state, student Erika Steele offered a different perspective. “When I think back to the storms in Michigan, the skies would turn different colors. Literally like purple, orange. I mean you’d lose cable because your satellite connection would fail, and you and your family would just sit there watching the storm because there was nothing else to do.”

Who doesn’t like to stay inside, warm and cozy, wrapped in blankets with a hot cup of tea on cold and rainy days? Fourth year Amelia Gonzalez dubbed this kind of idyllic environment, her “perfect day.”

There are many students who would agree that bundling up on cold days is much more comfortable than removing articles of clothing on hot ones.

“I feel like I can cover more than I can take off, so I actually like rain more than sun. You can put on more jackets, but if it’s hot there’s only so much you can take off,” said Justin Johnson, freshman.

Interestingly enough, rainy weather does not always equate to cold climate.

According to Dr. Hengchun Ye, Chair of the Geosciences and Environment Department, rainy weather can also bring heat.

“One of the misconceptions all students have, every time I ask them ‘is it colder in the rain or sun?’ People always say if it’s raining, it’s colder.

Anthony Karambelas

Dr. Ye and graduate student Deana Nash

If you look at other parts of the country when it rains, actually it’s warm because water brings a lot of heat. So in extreme environments, very cold has to be on sunny days.

Rainy days are actually warm for a lot of people in northern countries. Because water has a lot of energy that keeps the environment warm,” said Ye.

Just as there are those who adore the rain, there are also some who detest it. One Master’s student in particular, Jackson Spencer, expressed his vehement attitude toward the rain, calling it “foul.”

One big concern students and staff had about the rain was its impact on road safety. Professor Holland Smith, though cognizant of California’s dire need of rain, recalled numerous road accidents. “Driving in the rain is quite terrifying. The other day, there were four overturned cars on the 710 freeway. So, that’s scary and I hope that people are careful driving,” she said.

Ha added that two freeways were shut down over the duration of the heavy downpour last week, making transportation arduous.

However, as student Eric Orozco noted, taking the Metro is a great way to beat the traffic.

highways, others like graduate student Daniel Burnam think Californians take this to an unnecessary extreme.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, he considers Californian drivers “wimps.”

Not all students put the rain to blame, however. Those from out of state accused LA drivers for their lack of dexterity in rainy weather.

Rashad Freeman, originally from Philadelphia, said that Californians react to cloudy skies like Chicken Little.

Ye added that even the smallest amounts of rain can cause floods in LA, due to the concrete nature of our city. Since only a very small portion of water is actually soaked up by the cement ground, built up currents can often drag pollutants into runoff, adding to the problem of environmental stability.

Steele, from Michigan, expressed her concern with driving in rainy conditions.

“I would say that no one knows how to drive. It was very surprising for me. I haven’t seen anything like that [anywhere else besides] LA. It’s kind of scary.”

While some may advocate for slowing down on

“It’s not that big of a deal, you don’t have to slow all the way down to 30, you can take it. In the long run, rain is good. But in the short run, rain is bad until Californians can get it through their heads that they can drive 50 miles per hour even if it’s pouring,” said Burnam.

All in all, the high intensity of rain came as a shock to many Angelenos. As student Alan Diaz stated, Californians could have adapted better had the rain been more gradual.

Dr. Ye, who is currently researching the effects of climate change on precipitation, seemed to confirm this observation. She noted that weather is slowly growing more and more unpredictable.

“So the general concept is temperature gets warmer, and wet season gets wetter, dry season gets drier. But on the other hand, we see more happening in extremes. When it rains, it pours. We don’t see steady, low intensity rain anymore,” she said.

Even when rain makes contact with California soil, catastrophic events can occur.

Due to the dry and loose chemistry of our soil, added water can generate rockslides and mudslides.

Especially because of the dangers of intense

rain, predicting upcoming weather is a necessity. For meteorologists, however, detecting the next major storm that will hit LA is tricky business.

According to graduate student Deana Nash, who works under Dr. Ye, California receives most of its rain from atmospheric rivers or ARs. These atmospheric rivers are large concentrated bodies of moisture from the southwest; they can travel from as far as the Hawaiian Islands region.

Nicknamed the “pineapple express,” this moisture is ultimately responsible for 60% of our west coast rainfall.

There is only one slight problem: “[ARs] only have a meteorological prediction level of five days ahead. So you can only say three weeks from now we’ll have another storm,” said Nash.

To make matters worse, Ye’s research shows that climate change is making rainfall predictions even more uncertain. Using massive amounts of data - in the form of historical observations and remote sensing - Ye studies precipitation in large high latitude regions.

Her student, Nash, uses remote sensing to study western regions.

Concerning the intense rainfall last week, Professor Steve LaDochy of the Geosciences and Environment Department had a few things to say about the degree to which it was unusual.

Though last week’s rainfall may seem like a lot compared to our last six years of drought, it isn’t very unusual in the long run. LaDochy noted that California weather follows multidecadal changes in the North Pacific Ocean, known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO).

“When the PDO is in the warm phase, we tend to get more El Nino events and more above normal rainfall. When

PDO shifts to the cool phase, we tend to get more La Nina events and more drier than normal years,” said LaDochy.

However, PDO’s are not steadfast and can be influenced by numerous factors (like ARs).

For example, California’s rainfall record shows that we receive an average of less than 15” of rain annually.

However, between 2004-2005, California received 38”. This just goes to show the large of area of unpredictability in the field of meteorology.

LaDochy noted that some scientists believe the 2015 El Nino indicated a switch to a season of wetter years to come, that could last at least a decade.

Whatever the situation may be, water conservation remains an important concern.

Ye recommends that students shorten their showers, and when possible, refrain from taking them on a daily basis.

Nash proposed low flow shower heads as another impactful way to reduce water consumption.

A little known fact, coffee costs a proportionally extensive amount of water.

The sum of water required to grow coffee beans, transport them, and brew the drink places a significant burden on the environment.

As far as reducing carbon footprint, refraining from meat eating is perhaps one of the effective solutions. In total, each burger costs a staggering 660 gallons worth of water.

In addition, the methane emitted by cattle is much more damaging to our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. By simply going vegetarian, you can do your own small part to save Mother Earth.

California still has a long road to recovery, but by educating ourselves on important issues like climate change, we can hopefully stop the screeching and start the teaching.

15 SPORTS

January 30, 2017

University Times

On your mark, get set, soar!

017 season looking bright for track and field team Oscar Alanis Intern Cal State LA track and field is one of the nation’s bestkept secrets. The 2016 season featured a Division II National Champion, a Gold Medalist and a couple of All-Americans.

Returning for her 5th year at Cal State LA, head coach Tina Fernades leads both the men and women track and field teams. Both teams finished the season unranked by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). However, the teams were in the top 15 at one point during the 2016 season.

Under Fernandes’ leadership, the men were ranked as high as 7 in the nation, and the women at 14.

At the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, the men finished at 25.

Returning for the men senior Khallifah Rosser; will lead the pack after astounding 2016 season.

is he an In

his first year with the Golden Eagles, Rosser won multiple races, broke records, and won multiple awards. The 400-meter hurdler topped off the season being named California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Track Athlete of the Year, winning the NCAA Division II 400-meter intermediate hurdles and, during the offseason, participating in the 2016 Olympic Trials.

The senior athlete clearly set the bar high for the 2017 season, but he is up to the task to do better this season.

On the other hand, freshman J'Liyah Miles will look to lead the women. The talented freshmen specializes in the long jump; she was named the Women’s Freshman of the Meet at the 2016 CCAA Championships after winning the long jump with a his personal best of 19-1.25.

The indoor season has started, and the Golden Eagles are already off to a good start.

On Jan. 21, Cal State LA took a trip to Nampa, ID for the Boise State Bronco Invitational and left with promising results.

In his first indoor race, Khallifah Rosser did everything but disappoint.

Kirby Lee

Khallifah Rosser (left) , leading the way

He ran the 400-meter race and won, finishing with a time of 46.63, automatically qualifying him for the 2017 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in March.

Ingvar Moseley won the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.00 giving him a provisional qualification to the indoor championships. He was 0.11 seconds short of an automatic bid. Moseley is a junior out of Canada that looks to boost the Golden Eagles squad.

Performances by Rosser, Moseley, the 4x400 relay team, and nine top 10 finishes helped elevate Cal State LA from “not ranked” to 25 in the first NCAA Division II Men’s Indoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings.

Ericka Taylor had the best individual finish for the women. She ran the 800-meter race and finished with a time of 2:20.36 for 7th place. The

Golden Eagles 4x400 relay team finished 5th with a time of 4:05.81. Overall, the women finished with two top 10 finishes.

Next up for the Cal State LA’s track teams is a trip to New York for the Armory Track Invitational on beginning Feb. 3.

The outdoor season begins on Feb. 25, at the Rossi Relays in Claremont.

16

University Times

January 30, 2017

SPORTS

Golden Eagles Picked To Finish Fourth In South

Cal State LA Athletics Contributor

Cal State L.A.'s baseball team has been picked to finish fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division in a poll of conference coaches released by the conference on Friday.

The conference is in its second year of a two-division

format. The top three teams in each division will qualify for the CCAA Championship Tournament in Stockton.

Teams will play four-game series against teams within their own division and threegame series against teams outside the division during the regular season.

Cal State LA will be joined by Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego, Cal State

Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State San Marcos in the South, while Chico State, Sonoma State, Cal State Monterey Bay, Stanislaus State, San Francisco State and Cal State East Bay make up the North.

Defending conference champion Chico State was picked to win the conference, while Cal Poly Pomona was picked to win the South. Last

year, Chico State qualified as the No. 6 seed and outlasted five conference foes to win its first tournament title since 2006.

The coaches predicted Chico State, Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay to earn the three tournament bids from the North and Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego and Cal State San Bernardino to claim the three spots from the South.

Cal State LA will open the regular season next Thursday, Feb. 2 with a home game against California Baptist at 6 p.m. The series will continue with a game at California Baptist on Friday at 6 p.m. and the series will conclude at Cal State LA's Reeder Field with a game on Saturday at 2 p.m.

The Golden Eagles will also host a four-game nonconference series against Northwest Nazarene beginning with a single game on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. The series will continue with a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. and conclude with a single game on Saturday, Feb. 11 at noon.

Cal State LA will open conference play with home games against Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday, Feb. 23 and Friday, Feb. 24 with games set for 6 p.m. starts.

Cal State LA has 17 players returning from last year's squad, including allconference outfielder Nathan Navarrete and all-conference reliever Gabriel Gentner.

Navarrete led the team with 31 runs scored and had a .269 average with three home runs and 19 RBI. Gentner led the team in appearances with 21, 20 of them in relief, and had all seven of the Golden Eagles' saves. He had 29 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched and was spectacular at the end of the season as the Golden Eagles made a late postseason push.

Christian Broussard, Jr., who led the team with a .301 batting average and also picked up three wins as a starting pitcher and Ryan Dixon, who hit .311 and also made nine relief appearances as a pitcher, also return.

Infielders Angel Sanchez, who started 46 of the team's 47 games, and Isaac Dominguez, who started all 45 games that he appeared in, are also back.

Daryl Dennis

Grant Arthur (right)

Khallifah Rosser Earns National Weekly Honor It didn't take long for Khallifah Rosser to make a big impact on the national NCAA Division II indoor track and field landscape.

Cal State LA Athletics Contributor Rosser, after a sizzling debut at Boise State's Bronco Invitational, was named the National Athlete of the Week for NCAA Division II Men on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Association. Rosser, the reigning 400-meter hurdles champion in outdoor track and field, won the indoor 400 meters on Saturday in Boise with a time of 46.63.

That time automatically qualifies Rosser for the NCAA Division II indoor championships, which will be held on March 10-11 in Birmingham, Ala. Rosser's time is currently No. 2 in the nation behind Myles Pringle (46.11) and

is also the ninth-fastest in Division II history.

"He's been working very hard," Cal State LA head coach Tina Fernandes said.

"He has set a lot of high goals for himself to surpass what he did last year and he's also very excited about graduating this year and getting his degree."

This is Rosser's first experience in indoor track and field after a recordsetting season in outdoor track and field at Cal State LA last year. Rosser set new school records in the 400 and 400 hurdles and captured the NCAA Division II 400-meter title.

During the summer, Rosser qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and won his first-round heat on his way to the semi-finals. He then won two gold medals in the 400 hurdles and 4x400 relay at the North American Central American Caribbean U-23 championships.

"He ran a little bit faster than I thought he would, running on an indoor banked

Tyson Jex

Rosser (center right) posing with the coaching staff and his National Weekly Honor

track for the first time," Cal State LA assistant coach Orentheus Hutcherson said.

"He didn't run the race exactly how we wanted him to, but he got the results. I think when we get to New York for our next race, he'll drop his time and run even faster. Now that he's got his first race in, he'll know what to do."

The Cal State LA coaching staff put together a makeshift

200-yard track to give the student-athletes a chance to at least get the feel of running on boards prior to the first indoor meet.

Rosser could have some company with him at nationals as teammate Ingvar Moseley posted a provisional qualifying time in the 60 hurdles at the Boise meet while winning the event in 8.00. That time is currently

fifth in the nation and just off the automatic standard of 7.89.

Cal State LA's men's team is currently ranked No. 25 in the nation in the USTFCCA computerized rankings.

Cal State LA will return to action on Feb. 3-4 at the Armory Track Invitational in New York.

17 SPORTS

January 30, 2017

University Times

Golden Eagles Post Non-Conference Victory Cal State LA Athletics Contributor Cal State LA's men's basketball team picked up a non-conference victory Wednesday and will now set its sights on eight important California Collegiate Athletic Association contests that will end the regular season.

The Golden Eagles rebounded from a dreadful start and overcame La Sierra, 97-85, in the University Gym. Cal State LA (11-10) surrendered the first 10 points of the game and trailed by 11 points, 17-6, before getting its wakeup call. The Golden Eagles went on a 14-0 run and led the rest of the way.

Roderick Evans-Taylor led four Golden Eagles in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds. Jordan Nelson-Brown and Garrett Carter had 17 points each and Brandon Hitchman had a season-high 13 points in his longest outing of the season.

Isaac Deese led four La Sierra players in double figures with 20 points. Kyle Hamilton had 18 points, Reynoldo Solorzano had 16 points and Curtis Brisbane had 12 points.

Grant Arthur had nine points, Miles Ford had eight points and eight rebounds and Travis Hammonds finished with six points for the Golden Eagles.

Cal State LA shot 50.7 percent for the game (37-of73) and made 16-of-33 from 3-point range. The Golden Eagles were 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. La Sierra shot 47.8 percent (33-of-69) and was 6-of-11 from 3-point range. La Sierra was 13-of-19 from the free-throw line.

La Sierra had a 42-34 rebounding edge. Cal State LA committed only six turnovers to nine for La Sierra.

After falling behind by

Daryl Dennis

11 points, 17-6, the Golden Eagles got on track and built a 53-41 lead by halftime.

Arthur broke a 17-17 tie and gave Cal State LA the lead for good with a 3-pointer.

A 3-pointer by Hammonds gave the Golden Eagles their 12-point halftime lead.

Grant Arthur (right)

Cal State LA started the second half strongly and built its biggest lead, 79-52, after a three-point play by Hitchman with 13 minutes to play. La Sierra kept baattling and climbed to within 87-75 with 3:54 to go, but Frid converted

a three-point play with 3:15 to go to stop the La Sierra surge.

Cal State LA will return to action on Saturday with a road game at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

18

University Times

January 30, 2017

ODC/ DANCE FEB 11 8 PM A groundbreaking contemporary arts institution.

BALLET , HISPANICO FEB 16 8 PM Ballet Hispรกnico brings the joy of dance and Hispanic culture to the world!

DOBET , GNAHORE FEB 18

JONES & PEYROUX

8 PM

MAR 18 8 PM

Cal State LA students: $20 tickets max 2 tickets, upon presentation of valid Cal State LA ID card.

Cal State LA staff & faculty: 20% off DISCOUNT upon presentation of Cal State LA ID card.

MORE INFO:

LUCKMANARTS.ORG

TICKETS ON SALE NOW:

323-343-6600

January 30, 2017

19 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT University Times

When Hummingbirds Fly Out of the Closet El Canto Del Colibri explores Latino fatherhood in the LGBTQ community Javonne Crumby Contributor It was an intimate audience in the University Student Union Theatre on Thursday, Jan. 26 for the viewing of award winning Director Marco Castro- Bojourquez’s documentary El Canto del Colibrí. The title of this film translates in English to The Song of the Hummingbird.

It focuses on five Latino fathers who have gay, lesbian and transgender children.

The film opens up with a hummingbird fluttering about at a bird feeder. The opening caption explains the title choice, “Much like the seldom-heard song of the hummingbird, the voices of the Latino fathers are rarely heard in addressing LGBTQ issues.” That is until now.

The fathers, who have all emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, Venezuela, and Columbia open up about their relationship with their children. They retold stories of their own childhood and how they viewed the LGBTQ community prior to learning their children were part of that community. El Canto del Colibrí also challenges the concept of machismo.

Machismo is a term used in the Latinx community to describe masculine pride.

Santiago Vasquez, father of his gay son Santi, explained how he was raised in machismo culture where men are expected to be aggressive and call the shots.

Vasquez, who is also a police officer, opened up about his unexpected reaction to his son Santi coming out as gay.

He turned to his wife smiled, and cried tears of joy. He said told his son to give him a hug and kiss. His acceptance defies the machismo values he was raised on. The film also follows the lives of the father of ‘Cris’ a transgender man who was once ‘Cristina,’ the fathers of Jorge, and Salvador who are both gay, and the father of Zizi who is a lesbian. The fathers recounted any signs, or lack thereof, that their children were different, their initial reaction to their children coming out and eventually, acceptance.

After the film some viewers shared their thoughts on the film. One woman said, “I’ve never really thought about the perspective of the parents because you never hear that. I think it was interesting to see

their perspective as well as the child’s perspective . . . It just brings in a whole deeper layer.”

“I never seen the parent’s side of it, especially coming from la cultura. Most of our dads are very machismo and very hard. But they [the fathers] were just so kind and loving, and I really really liked it,” said a male viewer, who came to the film in support of his sisters. “I came here in support of my sisters, they’re both gay, and I love them dearly,” he added.

After thoughts and reactions were shared about the film, Director Marco Castro-Bojourquez came to the stage with his guest Mariela, who he introduced as a healer and a woman who “fights for la tierra, the earth.”

Marco thanked everyone for watching his film. He said, “I consider my film an anti-racist film,” he said.

“Stereotypes are utilized, in our culture to oppress us, and I think the film does a good job to dismantle those stereotypes.”

The screening concluded with the viewers joining Marco and his guest Mariela on stage and forming a circle.

The small group held hands as Mariela gave breathing exercises, reminding us to be in the moment and to transfer a positive energy into the world.

The Film El Canto del Calibrí can be purchased on Vimeo.

Movie review: "Hidden Figures"

Mimi Li Staff Reporter

Based on the nonfiction novel of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, the film follows mathematician Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), engineer Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and supervisor Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) as they engage in the space race against the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Did you know that Black female mathematicians were instrumental in working for NASA and sending the first American to orbit space? Well, now you know.

Hidden Figures, currently in theaters everywhere, sheds light onto the hidden history of significant figures in calculating space trajectories for NASA’s historic launch.

What’s interesting is that the movie is now playing alongside another film, Fences, which also explores the issue of race, specifically Anti-Black discrimination in employment. Fences, which is based on the late August Wilson’s play, centers around Troy Maxton, played by Denzel Washington, a father (Continued to Page 20)

The award-winning movie, based on a nonfiction novel, is empowering and informative, but improvements can be made.

Javonne Crumby

Director Marco Castro-Bojourquez

20th Century Fox

Octavia Spencer portrays Dorothy Vaughn in Hidden Figures

20

University Times

January 30, 2017

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Calendar

Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program

TUE

Jan. 31

3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

KH D1053

Geographies of Indigeneity 3:00 p.m.

U-SU San Gabriel Room Remembering El Divo De Juarez 6:15 p.m.

U-SU Los Angeles Room

The State of NSS College: New Dean Speech 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

U-SU Plaza

THUR Feb. 02

WED Feb. 01

Qutipol Thursdays

12:00 p.m.

U-SU Gender & Sexuality Resource Center

Know Your Rights Workshop 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Location TBD

Mason Jar Crafting

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

U-SU Alhambra Room

Sounds of the African Diaspora 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

U-SU Los Angeles Room

(Continued from Page 19) who had an early career as a baseball player in the Negro Leagues but was prevented from playing in Major League Baseball as a result of racism.

Similarly, Hidden Figures delves into the issue of the lack of Black women in the upper ranks of NASA, often showing Katherine Johnson

Indeed, Hidden Figures provides a realistic portrayal of the racism that

FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL: (323)343-6777

HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY - THURSDAY FRIDAY 11AM - 3PM 11AM - 2PM

DAILY FRESH PREPACKAGED ITEMS PREPARED BY THE UNIVERSITY CLUB ALSO AVAILABLE AT THESE LOCATIONS:

KING COFFEE

Monday - Thursday 7:30am-8:00pm

Feb. 03

as the only Black woman in a sea of white male colleagues.

Both movies are set in the 1950s, a time where racism in America was rampant – although racism has never ended in the U.S.

The University Club

S ALAZAR C AFE

FRI

Monday - Thursday Friday 7:30am - 8:00pm 7:30am - 12:30pm

Monday - Thursday Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm 7:30am - 2:00pm

Black Americans faced at the time. Black female mathematicians, referred to as ‘human computers,’ were assigned to work on their calculations in a separate facility called the West Area Computers. When Katherine Johnson is promoted to work in the all-white and male dominated Space Task Group, she had to make half-mile trips to the colored restroom in another building.

One of the best scenes in the film is when the Katherine’s boss, the task group’s director Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), demands to know where she has been after she trekked to the segregated restroom, and she unleashes her frustration about the situation to him.

However, the scene then takes a very unrealistic turn when the white male director takes it upon himself to desegregate the restrooms, using a crowbar to knock down the colored restroom sign with a dramatic score playing in the background.

He then exclaims: “No more colored restrooms. No more white restrooms. Here at

NASA, we all pee the same color.”

“In a Jim Crow era, is this type of white heroism realistic?” I wondered. More importantly, since the film was based on a nonfiction novel of interviews with Black women who worked at the Langley Research Center, did it really happen?

Of course not. In an interview with the real Katherine Johnson conducted by Vice News, she confirms that this scene did not unfold in reality – She refused to use the colored restrooms and went in the white restrooms instead.

When Vice asked the film’s director, Theodore Melfi, of his thoughts on the matter, he replied: “There needs to be white people who do the right thing, there needs to be black people who do the right thing. And someone does the right thing. And so who cares who does the right thing, as long as the right thing is achieved?”

However, it does matter

who “does the right thing.”

From the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the present day Black Lives Matter movement, it is shown that liberation is never simply given, but fought for,

by Black folks. To whitewash this history is to do a great disservice to the Black communities that struggled for justice and to audience members who see a hero in a white man who would have never been a hero.

Despite the issue of inserting white savior themes in a film meant to uplift Black women and girls, the positive impact the movie has had on them is undeniable. Representation matters, and the fact that this movie is centered on the true story of three remarkable Black women makes it all the better. Perhaps in the future, the film can be remade into a more realistic account, consulting the real voices of Black women pioneers such as Katherine Johnson herself and being written and directed by Black women such as Ava DuVernay.