Issue 215.16 by CSULA University Times

NIVERSITY IMES

December 4, 2017

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

SOMETHING

Issue 215.16

IS IN THE

AIR

Google is collecting pollution and Boyle Heights youth may be at risk.

Read on Page 3.

Furry Stress Relief few weeks, animal assisted therapy shows great results.

Therapy pets relieve student stress before finals week.

“Studies show that petting animals is definitely more conducive for a healthy wellbeing and state of mind, which is a great place for everyone to start for finals or tests or anything that’s stressful,” said Ayran.

Jenifer Murua Contributing Writer Finals are upon us and stress has taken a toll on students. With papers to write and exams to study for, it is no doubt that students need time to unwind and relax during the last week of the semester.

Monica Benson, a student on campus, was happy to assist with the event this year: “I really like dogs, it makes me really happy when they bring dogs on campus to get us ready for finals week.”

Cal State LA hosted a therapy cat and dog event at the main walkway on Nov. 28, where four dogs and one cat were available for students to interact with. Students waited in line as they looked forward to spending some quality time with the therapy pets. Frangelo Ayran, Assistant Dean of Students for Wellness and Engagement, mentioned how “This event happens every semester right around the time of finals. We really want

Brian Delgado

A Golden Retriever was one of many stress relief pets that were present.

students to be prepared for finals and to be relaxed during the stressful season.”

As a way for students to be more relaxed during these last

Cal State LA has been working with the animal assisted therapy organization, Love on 4 Paws, for nearly three years now. As a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, their mission is to provide therapy to “children and adults in hospitals, special schools and assisted living facilities to enhance their overall quality of life,” according to Love on 4 Paws.

Photo By: J. Aaron Delgado

“To become a therapy team, the cat or the dog has to be very well socialized. They have to pass the evaluation and have their shots up to date.” said Janiss Garza, a therapy cat owner for Love on 4 Paws. “And so does the owner, they must have to have shots up to date too. Especially if going to hospitals. My cat, Summer, was up to date on her shots, I wasn’t. It took us an extra month to get the authorization to work.” There is a lot that goes into the certification for pets to go work as a therapy cat or dog. They are on duty to make students feel better and relieve stress. However, the animals get exhausted as well. Garza later mentioned that “Therapy animals must do at least three visits per month, and have each visit last one to two hours long.” Even though the animals are on duty, it does not mean that they did not enjoy the love they received from students who stopped. Especially if individuals had some treats for them.

December 4, 2017

University Times

NEWS

Administration goes on record about broken elevators According to Facilities Services’ webpage, elevator malfunctions are listed as emergency items, and an emergency must either be handled immediately or within 24 hours. Furthermore, if the situation has been temporarily dealt with but not completely resolved, the work order may be re-prioritized as an Urgent or Routine work order.

Facilities Services addresses student frustrations with elevator maintenance. Ricky Rodas Investigative Reporter Students who are familiar with Cal State LA’s elevators know that they have not been reliable this past semester. Malfunctions have long frustrated riders, leading some students to vent about this issue on the Cal State LA Book Exchange Facebook page.

Several elevators are out of order in buildings throughout campus. These include one in the Music Building, one in King Hall, two in Library north and one in Parking Structure C. The University Times (UT) conducted a joint interview with Facilities Director Dana Twedell and Assistant Facilities director Michael Rodriguez to shed light on this situation.

One student, Evelyn Sanchez, mentioned that she got stuck in a campus elevator on Tuesday, Nov. 28. “I just got stuck this Tuesday in the elevator by the b-wing on the right on the 1st floor going to the 4th floor in King Hall… I had to call campus police to get out,” Sanchez said. “I think they’re old and need serious attention. They just fix them when there’s an incident and not any other time.”

J. Aaron Delgado

Campus Police and LAFD respond to students trapped in a king Hall elevator on Oct. 17.

“Every time we get a call, we’ll send the elevator technician out immediately to see what the problem is, release the entrapment–first of all, if there is one–then diagnose the problem. With the majority of the elevators being so old and antiquated, troubleshooting takes that much longer, the diagnosis takes that much

longer,” said Rodriguez.

“Once the elevator technician establishes what the problem is, parts may take that much longer to acquire because they’re so old; sometimes they have to be specially fabricated,” said Twedell. Twedell continued by saying that the elevator technician is available five days a week to fix these issues. “In regards to after hours, there’s no expense spared when it comes to solving a problem. If there is any entrapments, any elevators go down, we have a one hour response; that is, we can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we can have a tech on site within an hour.” According to Twedell, The Music Building elevator is currently out of order, and is currently scheduled for modernization. “It’s being rebuilt and renewed, and it will be brought back online here. We’re saying mid-December, but we’re hoping it’ll be online this week.” According to them, the

Occupy the Imagination divided into four sections: prologue, first part, second part and epilogue. The first part is a feature-length documentary that shows the explosion of Occupy Wall Street in New York City. The second part presents interviews and testimonials from people during the revolution that aim to spark conversations among viewers.

Filmmaker Rodrigo Dorfman showcases the Chilean revolution and Occupy Wall Street Movement in his film Marcela Valdivia Staff Reporter A special screening and discussion for the film “Occupy the Imagination: Tales of Seduction and Resistance” by filmmaker Rodrigo Dorfman took place in the Luckman Fine Arts Intimate Theatre. This was part of the ongoing show "How to Read el Pato Pascual: Disney's Latin America and Latin America's Disney”. “I make my films as therapy for myself and of course they are also how I engage with the world,” said Dorfman. For the past twenty years, Dorfman has been working on a genre known as hybrid educational neorealist films and particularly looks at the Latino community in North Carolina. Dorfman was born in Chile and in 1970s as a child, he witnessed the first peaceful socialist revolution in history. The film was produced after a book burning of “How to Read Donald Duck” that was written by Dorfman’s father, Ariel Dorfman. The book was written in 1971 during the

“I think that using Chile as a model for how Neoliberalism and how Capitalism has affected the globe was an important part of the analysis in the film. Also, how he Cara Gonzales

Rodrigo Dorfman discussing the significance of the Chilean revolution and Occupy Wall Street Movement in his film.

Chilean revolution. However, after the military coup of 1973, the book was burned and banned for unmasking Disney’s hidden capitalist messages. This was only one of the thousands of books that were destroyed and prohibited during an era of censorship. “You don't burn books, you just write a better book,” said Dorfman. Through a series of stories, the film explores the lives of individuals who struggled to create alternative spaces of cultural resistance to the Western neo-liberal model of capitalism. The film highlights the history of Chile in the revolution and the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States.

“This film is made from a position of asking myself how does Chile and the U.S. tie with each other,” said Dorfman. The film includes Transamerican history, magical realism and revolutionary art. Also, it answers the questions of transmission of power, transmission of culture and transmission of tradition. “I think it was a brilliant film that has brilliant linkages with contemporary politics and what was going on in New York during the occupy movement,” said Stephanie Martinez, Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies graduate student. The film was strategically

speaks of cultural production as making interventions that are currently happening was just a brilliant way to express contemporary politics and politics at the time,” said Stephanie Martinez. To see a display of "How to Read El Pato Pascual: Disney's Latin America and Latin America's Disney”. visit the Luckman Fine Arts Gallery until Jan. 2018. This event was coordinated by the Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies Department, Mak Center for Art and Architecture and the Luckman Fine Arts Gallery.

3 NEWS

University Times

December 4, 2017

Something’s in the Air it is interesting to see what Google and scientists will do to move forward to better the situation and hopefully make our air a little bit cleaner.”

Google is collecting pollution data and Boyle Heights does not look good.

Google focused on three of the busiest areas in California: the San Francisco Bay Area, the Los Angeles metro area and the Central Valley. The data gathered mapped the level of air quality on the streets based on a color-coded scale. The highest focus of pollution in all three of the areas is along major freeways and streets.

Malerie Wilkins Staff Reporter Google focuses on collecting data with their Street Car View to identify which areas in busiest cities in California are most polluted and Boyle Heights classified as a “toxic hotspot.” If you live in Southern California, then you probably have seen the Google Street View car with the camera placed on the top of the car, because it’s not very hard to miss. The Google Street View car is not just taking pictures for Google Maps, it has now become a useful tool for scientists to study environmental issues like air pollution. Back in 2016, Google partnered with Aclima, a data startup company that builds environmental sensors. According to Fast Company Design, Google equipped two of their Street View Cars with this technology. The Street View cars drove 100,000 miles and more than 4,000 hours through the streets of California collecting more than 1 billion hyperlocal Music Building elevator is the oldest one on campus, and has been in service since the 1940’s. Rodriguez also said that all of the aforementioned elevators have been out of order for about 2 months. On Monday, Nov. 27, Facilities Services put out a written statement addressing the campus wide elevator issues. The status update stated that Facilities is planning to “modify two elevators at Library North, and two elevators at King Hall, this coming spring of 2018.” The statement also read that a third party consultant inspected the elevator conditions; their assessment led Facilities Services to part ways with their former service provider. “We elected to terminate our current service contract, and have entered into a new emergency agreement with an alternative vendor. Currently, this new vendor is quickly working to get our elevators back in top form, and we’ve been very satisfied with their work thus far,” the statement read. Both Twedell and Rodriguez declined to name the former service provider. Aside from third party consultants, The California State University (CSU) system employs a team of auditors that conduct audit reports for all CSUs.

J. Aaron Delgado

Boyle Heights, home to many historical landmarks, is currently endangered by air pollution.

air pollution data points, all of which are available upon request to scientists and researchers. For both companies, the project is a way of showing what their equipment can do while providing a service for the communities. Jes Buenrostro, an Art major at Cal State LA, shared her thoughts on the topic: “LA is notorious for air pollution and smoggy days, The UT spoke with Public Affairs manager, Elizabeth Chapin, regarding facilities management audit reports. In a series of emails, Chapin wrote that CSU auditors have not conducted a facilities audit for Cal State LA in the past three years. The last facilitiesrelated audit for the campus was a 1999 Plant Operations report. Chapin also wrote that there is currently no facilities audit in progress. Cal State LA also has its own internal auditors that conduct reports on all campus departments. In an email written to the UT by University Internal auditor Tanya Ho, she stated that campus auditors audited one facilities related topic: the Motor Vehicle Inspection Program. When asked if there is a facilities audit in progress or one planned, Ho wrote, “No, there isn’t one in progress and we haven’t planned one for 2018 year.” To contact Facilities Services directly, please visit their office in the Corporation Yard, Building A, Room 246, or call at (323)-343-3440.

Boyle Heights has been classified as a “toxic hotspot” and children living there have higher than usual rates of hospitalization for asthma. Boyle Heights’ 90033 ZIP code had an Asthma hospitalization rate of 137.7 per 100,000 people in 2009, compared with a statewide rate of 86.2, according to the state hospitalization data. Jorge

Villanueva,

organizer for the East Los Angeles Community Corporation (ELACC) said, “Every day more residents in Boyle Heights are being affected negatively due to the unsafe environmental conditions.” Four schools in Boyle Heights, including Soto Street and Sunrise Elementary Schools, have installed new air filters as part of a pilot study implemented by the South Coast Air Quality Management District to reduce community exposure and related illnesses. Eithan, a Boyle Heights resident, reflected on the issue: “It’s really a critical situation for Los Angeles. The streets of Boyle Heights have long been known for their dangers. In the past, this was due to gang violence and crime. But today, a less visible danger can cause serious adverse effects on health: air pollution.”

NOTICE OF PROPOSED STUDENT HEALTH CENTER FEE ADJUSTMENT The Student Health Center (SHC) will soon be asking the Student Fee Advisory Committee to recommend approval of an adjustment to the Student Health Services Fee. The proposed adjustment includes increasing the fee from $82.50 to $132.50 per semester effective Fall 2018 and tying the fee to the Milliman Medical Index to incrementally adjust for the increasing cost of healthcare in the future, if needed. The current state of the SHC budget presents a deficit of over $1.7 million. The deficit has been offset thus far by a reserve, which is now depleted and one-time temporary funding from the University. In the absence of these sources going forward, the SHC has no option but to increase its revenue by adjusting the fee. Failure to adopt this increase would result in dire budgetary circumstances, potentially resulting in substantial reduction of critical services to students including those of mental health care. Similar to other California State University student health services, the SHC is a self-supporting entity with its primary source of revenue being the Student Health Services Fee. As such, the Center is responsible for covering all operating costs, including personnel salaries and benefits, contractual services, supplies and equipment, pharmaceuticals, facility maintenance and care, custodial services, and other general operating costs. In recent years, the SHC has substantially increased mental health services in response to the growing need for such services. The fee adjustment is essential for the Student Health Center in order to maintain its operations at the current level and further respond to the increasing need for services, in particular, mental health care. The existing non-indexed fee has not changed since 2006 while the cost of healthcare has risen exponentially along with the demand for services. Given these factors, maintaining a stable budget has become increasingly difficult and impossible going forward. Our Student Health Center serves as a primary health care provider for many students whom otherwise do not have access to adequate healthcare, and it is important to note that despite this increase, the adjusted fee will still be among the lowest Health Services Fees in the CSU system. Furthermore, the cost of healthcare provided by the SHC is a value when compared to outsidewhere a visit to a clinician can easily cost $150-$500, and an emergency room visit substantially more. It is important to note, this proposed increase will be covered in most cases for eligible financial aid recipients. As I am sure you will agree, maintaining health services for students is essential in supporting student wellness and personal and academic success. We, at the Student Health Center, are passionate about providing high quality, convenient and affordable health services to students and need your support to enable us to continue our service! We welcome your comments and suggestions and encourage you to participate in our upcoming health services survey. Our email address is wecare@calstatela.edu. Additional information and a link to our upcoming survey will be available through the Student Health website, www.calstatela.edu/studenthealthcenter. Sincerely, Monica M. Jazzabi, M.D. Director and Medical Chief of Staff Student Health Center

University Times

December 4, 2017

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

New Year's Eve Done Right Your guide to celebrating New Year's Eve in Los Angeles Ashley Reyes Contributing Writer The final week of the Fall semester is here, and with 2018 just around the corner, Cal State LA students are submitting their last

assignments and getting ready to enjoy the winter holidays with their loved ones. For those who plan to spend their New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles, deciding on what to do can feel a bit overwhelming. Whether choosing a more relaxed scene or a night out on the town, there are plenty of events in Los Angeles that will help make the best of one’s winter break.

UN I V E R S I T Y T IMES

Editor-in-Chief Erron Franklin

Staff Reporters Marcela Valdivia Anthony Karambelas Managing Editor- Print Mike Nelson Malerie Wilkins J. Aaron Delgado Managing Editor- Web Multimedia Journalist Carlos Gomez Michael Griego Production Manager Graphic Illustrator Hector Cruz Noah Thatcher Chief Copy Editor Photographers Kyle Frizol Aileen Espita Thomas Rodas News Editor Joshua Mejia Richard Molina Camille Jessie Brian Delgado Photo Editor Allen Flores Cara Gonzales Juan J. Palma Business/ Advertising Manager Jim Munson

Contributing Writers Ashley Reyes Omolola Odeniyi Ashlee Navarec Michael Levitsky Advertising Assistant Danny Robles Alberto Perez Newsroom Assistant Daisy Villalobos Faculty Adviser Connie Garcia Pablo Baler Distribution Investigative Daisy Villalobos Reporter J. Aaron Delgado Ricky Rodas 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.

J. Aaron Delgado

Grand Park and The Music Center's New Year's Eve bringing in the new year with fireworks in front of Los Angeles City Hall.

For the first time ever, Universal Studios Hollywood will ring in 2018 with a New Year’s Eve In-Park Celebration. Entitled “EVE,” the event will take place on Dec. 31 with theme park hours extending to 1 a.m. The price of a daily admission is included in the event, and guests will get to experience a full day and night enjoying their favorite attractions alongside a live DJ, multiple entertainment hubs and a midnight firework display. Food and beverages including specialty desserts and 2018 memorabilia will be available for purchase leading up to the park wide countdown. With the spirit of the holidays

still in full effect, guests can resonate within “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” as well as toast a final goodbye to the final day of “Grinchmas.” The Music Center and Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles will also be hosting their annual New Year’s Eve celebration. With live music, food and photo booths, the free event will feature a festive countdown at City Hall as the building lights up in colorful 3D digital mapping. Don’t feel like driving? No problem. All metro rail lines including the Orange and Silver Lines run 24 hours on New Year’s Eve with free fares from 9pm–2am. The Gold Line to the Little

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:

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

Jefa de Redacción: Claudia Landeros Editores: Lissette Flores Eduardo Ramos

Consejero de la Facultad: Pablo Baler

Tokyo and Arts District Station and the Red Line Union Station are within walkable distance of the event, and the Metro Red and Purple Lines at the Civic Center and Grand Park Station exit directly into Grand Park. Lastly, the 129th Tournament of Roses Parade will take place on Jan. 1. Although the event doesn’t begin until 8 a.m., camping out on the sidewalks of Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Eve has become a memorable tradition for many and will most likely ensure a good seat alongside the multitude of floats, marching bands and equestrian units on New Year’s morning. Actor and Humanitarian Gary Sinise, who is most notably known for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in the film “Forrest Gump”, will be this year’s Grand Marshall, and “Making a Difference” will be the theme. Live broadcasting of Times Square will be available for those who wish to celebrate at home, both on CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live” with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen or ABC’s all-time-classic “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Regardless of celebration choice, millions will ring in the new year to celebrate the end of 2017 and look ahead optimistically at the year ahead.

5 FEATURE University Times

December 4, 2017

Jim Munson is a professor of journalism and the Business/ Advertising Manager for the University Times (UT). This semester will be his last as he will be retiring and moving to Arizona.

Farewell to the Paper Boy

Munson attended Cal State Fullerton to study communications and business but left to start a family and work fulltime in the industry. After 40 years working with professionals, Munson came to Cal State LA to work with students. In his free time, Munson likes to play bass guitar and tend to his boat. He has been playing music for most of his life and has been in and out of bands. Now he is in a Rock and Roll cover band that plays monthly shows in the Los Angeles area. After retirement he plans to make the most of his boat in Lake Havasu.

J. Aaron Delgado

Jim Munson

Richard Molina, News Editor

Q: How has the paper evolved during your time here? A: We used to publish on a Thursday which to me didn’t make sense for a weekly newspaper. The old-school thinking for that was weekend business but that’s a retail mindset. You have a weekly paper that comes out on Thursday, it has all the ads for the weekend and people shop Saturday and Sunday and that works for a community newspaper but not a campus newspaper. So I changed it to Monday. It actually wasn’t solely my idea, a student came to me and said “why are we coming out on Thursday?”, which caused me to analyze it a little bit and I thought “yeah, that doesn’t make sense”, and he suggested “why not Monday?”. I thought about it and said “that makes a lot of sense, let’s do it Monday”. So when we did it, that actually immediately increased the pickup rate. Q: What would you like to see happen with the paper after you’ve retired? A: I’d like to see the progress we’ve made continue and con-

tinue to grow the circulation. I think that it could probably get to 4,000 copies with a little bit of work. Monitoring the boxes, the number of returns, moving papers around. It’s a bit of a shell game where you have 50 papers left over here, you have zero left over here, so you move another 35 over here so you try to balance it out to get the most out of those copies that you print because we’re paying anywhere between four and six hundred dollars a week to print the paper. So we want to make sure it gets picked up.

Business Manager, Rock and Roll Legend

in the middle, then you have the ones who really don’t seem to care at all and you have to wonder why they’re here. On the positive side, when I see students that come through the UT, maybe they take my class and they move on to grad school or they move into a job in the industry, that’s very rewarding and I’ve never felt that in the professional world.

it’s working with the drummer, which is important. The drummer right now that we’re working with is Jon Bermuda Schwartz, who is also the drummer for Weird Al Yankovic. Q: What advice do you have for students facing today’s obstacles?

A: Staying in the journalism field, the print product still has Q: What kind of music does relevance. But then just the other your band play? What are your day in the Los Angeles Times, musical influences? LA Weekly was bought and sold and the new owners cut 50% A: Rock and Roll. Mostly oldies of the staff. Why? Because they Q: What’s the most significant but we get into 80’s and 90’s, a want to pursue the digital part thing you’ve learned from a little bit of the 2000’s. People like of it. Students say “why should student during your time at Cal to dance where we play so we try I go work for a newspaper?” State LA? to play songs that are danceable. Because it’s a way to get a foot in I’m a huge fan of ZZ Top and the door. Broadcast journalism A: I had to learn that you can’t their bass player Dusty Hill. If is a very difficult field to get into. reach everyone, and I wanted you really want to get into preYou’ve gotta have internships, to reach everyone. I wanted to cision-type playing, somebody recommendations. You can’t be able to see everyone succeed like Jaco Pastorius is just an walk out of here with a journaland excel. I saw that more in my amazing bass player. Then there’s ism degree and expect to get a lecture class but I also saw it in Stanley Clarke who is another job at the LA Times. You have to the newsroom. You’ve got cerone. Sting! I do admire Sting and start at the bottom, if you will. tain individuals that rise to the his abilities. So I would say those That said, you still need to learn top right away, their work’s on would be my biggest influences. to write well and writing for a time, they don’t miss deadlines, Timothy B. Schmidt from The newspaper is going to give you it’s quality work, they care about Eagles too, I have a style more that background, even if you go what they do. And then you have like his. He’s not real flashy but into the digital world, which is other students who are kind of it’s the groove, it’s the bottom, where the future is.

December 4, 2017

University Times

TEMAS LOCALES

Los Ángeles: la calidad del aire no mejora ARTÍCULO DE OPINIÓN

Barbie a favor de los LGBTQ

Barbie y la muñeca de Aimee Song. Crédito de fotografía: Instagram//Barbie Style

ubicaciones del teléfono estén habilitados. Los mensajes deben ser enviados en inglés y tienen que ser breves, con un lenguaje formal y claro, y no deben contener abreviaturas, ni emojis.

¿Un atentado contra la moral familiar? Por Eduardo Ramos El sistema de respuesta de emergencia del 911 del sur de California cuenta con una nueva función, “Text-to-911”, la cual consiste en brindarle a los residentes la habilidad de enviar mensajes de textos desde su teléfono o aparato móvil al 911. Este nuevo sistema entró en función el primero de diciembre y se espera que sea principalmente utilizado por personas con problemas de audición o de habla que quizás no pueden llamar en un momento de emergencia, pero también está disponible para cualquier persona que se encuentre en peligro y no pueda llamar al 911. Reggie Harrison, director de preparación para desastres y comunicaciones de emergencias de Long Beach, asegura que la gran mayoría de las ciudades del condado de Los Ángeles cuentan con este nuevo programa. Sin embargo, se recomienda que las personas que envíen mensajes de textos al 911 se aseguren que los servicios de

Harrison también explicó que el primer mensaje que se envíe debe contener la ubicación, una breve descripción de la emergencia y el tipo de ayuda que necesita. Además, debe de estar preparado para responder preguntas y seguir instrucciones del 911. El alcalde de Long Beach Robert García, considera que es importante que todos los residentes puedan comunicarse con la policía, los bomberos y los servicios médicos de emergencia cuando sea necesario. En la actualidad los mensajes de texto son utilizados ampliamente para comunicarse y por esta razón el condado de Los Ángeles implementó esta tecnología para sus residentes. No obstante, se considera necesario que el público se eduque y aprenda a utilizar esta función. A pesar de que existe la opción de texto, los funcionarios nos recuerdan que el método más efectivo para acceder al personal de emergencia 911 es por medio de llamada.

Contáctanos en:

UT CSULA La Onda

laonda.newspaper@gmail.com LAONDACSULA

La expansión industrial y residencial acelera la contaminación Por Claudia Landeros No podemos negar que la ciudad de Los Ángeles es un lugar muy bueno para vivir. La ciudad ofrece toda cantidad de terrenos para construir viviendas, los hay cerca de la playa, de las montañas, de las escuelas, pero también de las carreteras y de las grandes fábricas. La población de la ciudad crece cada día más y eso lleva a la necesidad de ampliar las áreas residenciales. Se están construyendo nuevos vecindarios en cualquier espacio vacío que se encuentre, y esta expansión se está dando en todas direcciones, horizontal y verticalmente. El clima de Los Ángeles es muy envidiado por habitantes de otros estados del país, y tienen razón, aquí se viven todas las estaciones de una manera increíble sin que el mal tiempo llegue a afectar gravemente el curso de la vida diaria. Pero es de esperarse que tanto crecimiento tenga aspectos negativos y que muchos de ellos atenten contra la salud de los residentes. California en general, tiene una calidad de aire muy mala. Los niveles de contaminación son muy elevados y esto se multiplica en la ciudad de Los

La emisión de carbono: factor importante en la contaminación. Crédito de fotografía: Wally Skalij

Ángeles, principalmente por las emisiones de carbono de los medios de transporte, por los incendios forestales y por las partículas emitidas por los diferentes tipos de fábricas y refinerías que hay en la ciudad. El crecimiento desmesurado de la población está causando que muchas casas estén ubicadas a menos de 500 pies de las autopistas. Los resultados han sido que, a corto o a largo plazo, las personas comienzan a padecer problemas de salud como, asma, ataques al corazón, nacimientos prematuros o bebés con alguna afección de salud, e incluso, cáncer de pulmón. La contaminación, lamentablemente, es un

problema persistente en nuestra ciudad, todos seguiremos inhalando las partículas dañinas que hay en el aire, aunque hay muchos que respiran un aire aún más denso, aquellos que viven cerca de refinerías y cerca de autopistas. Ojalá que las autoridades estén trabajando en este asunto que es de extrema urgencia, que formulen y ejecuten leyes que protejan el medio ambiente y con ello nuestra salud. Aunque con las políticas de negación y rechazo del gobierno de Trump respecto al problema evidente del cambio climático, quedan rezagas muchas leyes medioambientales y mientras tanto, el problema sigue creciendo.

TEMAS LOCALES

Mensajes de texto al 911 Desde el primero de diciembre es posible mandar textos al 911 Por Lissette Flores El sistema de respuesta de emergencia del 911 del sur de California cuenta con una nueva función, “Text-to-911”, la cual consiste en brindarle a los residentes la habilidad de enviar mensajes de textos desde su teléfono o aparato móvil al 911. Este nuevo sistema entró en función el primero de diciembre y se espera que sea principalmente utilizado por personas con problemas de audición o de habla que quizás no pueden llamar en un momento de emergencia, pero también está disponible para cualquier persona que

se encuentre en peligro y no pueda llamar al 911.

responder preguntas y seguir instrucciones del 911.

Reggie Harrison, director de preparación para desastres y comunicaciones de emergencias de Long Beach, asegura que la gran mayoría de las ciudades del condado de Los Ángeles cuentan con este nuevo programa. Sin embargo, se recomienda que las personas que envíen mensajes de textos al 911 se aseguren que los servicios de ubicaciones del teléfono estén habilitados. Los mensajes deben ser enviados en inglés y tienen que ser breves, con un lenguaje formal y claro, y no deben contener abreviaturas, ni emojis.

El alcalde de Long Beach Robert García, considera que es importante que todos los residentes puedan comunicarse con la policía, los bomberos y los servicios médicos de emergencia cuando sea necesario. En la actualidad los mensajes de texto son utilizados ampliamente para comunicarse y por esta razón el condado de Los Ángeles implementó esta tecnología para sus residentes. No obstante, se considera necesario que el público se eduque y aprenda a utilizar esta función.

A pesar de que existe la opción de texto, los funcionarios nos recuerdan que el método más efectivo para acceder al personal de emergencia 911 es por medio de llamada.

7 CULTURE

December 4, 2017

University Times

Painting the Inbetween

one can sense a feeling of movement, vivid memory recollection and the unique sense of daydreaming that he attempts to capture in his compositions. In one painting in particular, Pernisco portrays a man formed completely out of pillows lying in bed. According to him, this portrays a sense of contemporary masculinity that he feels is played on by the irony of the pillows.

A special glimpse into the world of an artist. Kyle Frizol Chief Copy Editor Art plays a role in society that has existed since the dawn of man. From cave paintings to renaissance discoveries, and the widespread adoption of techniques that have been cultivated for centuries, art’s creative movement is stronger than ever. Meet Atilio Pernisco, Los Angeles based artist who has spent decades honing his craft of painting and composition. Raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pernisco’s inspiration comes from his memories growing up in South America. Pernisco is also a member of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) Visual Arts Faculty and currently teaches students topics such as color theory and composition in art. In the heart of Los Angeles, Pernisco’s personal studio is home to a large body of works that he’s created over the years. Notably, his current works in progress; sizeable canvases hanging on the walls.

“Why is there an idea of a frame?” asked Pernisco. “What is the idea of a painting protected by a frame?” Beyond the paint, Pernisco took time to address the concepts that make up the overall work itself. Through the frame and the depicted scene, a specific story is told.

Hector Cruz

Atilio Pernisco composes and houses his artwork in his Los Angeles based studio

At the core of Pernisco’s art, he finds himself describing his work as uncertain. Through the uncertainty in his painting, he is truly free from any restriction and can approach his paintings any way he pleases. Atilio explained the significance of

uncertainty in painting: “It comes and goes, kind of like in your dreams. You really are vivid in dreams. Your dreams are symbolic of your daily life.” Stepping through Pernisco’s studio,

Pointing at the compositions of each canvas upon the wall, he explained his reasoning: “It was always this place where, for me, I asked what and why. It is about mortality of course, leaving something behind. It needs to be protected, it needs to be singled out.” To Pernisco, the canvas is where creative exploration and uncertainty reign free.

University Times

December 4, 2017

SPORTS

Cal State LA Sports Scores

Women's Basketball

Men's Basketball December 2

Stanislaus State

December 1

San Francisco State

November 28

Loyola Marymount (Exhibition)

December 2

December 1

Stanislaus State

52-68

San Francisco State

78-87

November 25

California Baptist

66-87

60-63

68-61

69-79

Lakers on the Rise points per contest this year. Also the team’s leading scorer is surprising rookie Kyle Kuzma.

Are the Lakers LA’s Team Again?

The Lakers are certainly not a finished product, having ways to go before actually competing for an NBA championship. Nobody knows where this team will be in a year. Yet, with rumors

Michael Levitsky Contributing Writer With the Dodgers’ World Series defeat still lingering in the hearts of many, Angelenos are looking to the city’s other beloved team, the Lakers, to raise up their spirits. The Lakers currently sit on a 8-14 record. The past few years have been tough for the Purple and Gold, who went through some of their worst seasons in franchise history. Specifically, they have gone through five head coaches in only seven years, and with the retirement of all-time great Kobe Bryant, the Lakers have been looking to turn a new leaf. Last season, they hired former Laker Luke Walton as head coach. They also added Rob Pelinka, Bryant’s former agent, and legend Magic Johnson to executive positions this past summer. Although Los Angeles has endured some rough seasons in recent years, they have been in the process of rebuilding and received the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft’s #2 overall draft pick in consecutive years. This has given the Lakers an opportunity to establish a strong core of young players that they aim to develop in the seasons to come. Much of this excitement

J. Aaron Delgado

Los Angeles Lakers home game against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter on Nov. 19

is due to this year’s top draft choice, Lonzo Ball. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) product, and native of Chino Hills, has arguably generated the most hype of any NBA prospect since Lebron James. Despite the hype, Ball has faced some early season struggles and harsh criticism from the media. Some journalists, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, have already labeled him a bust. Staff members of the University Times had the pleasure to see Lonzapalooza in action on Nov. 19 in a game against the Denver Nuggets. No sign of Ball’s struggles

were evident that night, as he recorded his 2nd triple double of the season, with a stat line of 11 points, 11 assists and 16 rebounds. More importantly, the Lakers took home the victory, by a score of 127109. Earlier this season, Ball’s first triple double made him the youngest player in NBA history to record such a feat, at 20 years and 15 days. Despite Ball’s early struggles, he has clearly shown potential that he can compete in the NBA. However, the Laker’s current state isn’t just about Ball. Last year’s 2nd overall pick, Brandon Ingram, is developing in his second season, averaging nearly 15

of a possible superstar joining next summer, Paul George or even Lebron James, there is plenty for Lakerland to be excited about. The change will not happen overnight; Rome wasn’t built in a day. However, it seems likely that in a few years, this organization will return to prominence. After all, this is the Lakers we’re talking about.