El Vaquero, Nov. 29, 2017

EL VAQUERO G L E N D A L E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

Online @ www.elvaq.com

@GCCElVaquero

@ G CC _ E l V a q

@el.vaquero.gcc

gccelvaquero

Volume 110 | Issue 6

Sierra Vista to Open For Business Much anticipated building on campus to host culinary arts, journalism, and boasts ample space for student learning

By Ken Allard Editor-in-Chief The new Sierra Vista building is practically complete and will be ready to hold classes for the Spring 2018 semester.

Yes, we’re serious this time.

The 95,000-square-foot, three-story, $49-million building that Vaqueros have watched grow and evolve over the years will officially open its doors in late February. It is now in “cleanup” phase, where the final touches are to be applied before the first programs make their scheduled move-in.

The Extended Opportunity and Program Services (EOPS), as well as Financial Aid, will make the transition first on Dec. 15 while the campus in on break.

Sierra Vista will be a one-stop shop for a collection of different services and classes.

The first floor houses the journalism department, including this awardwinning newspaper, El Vaquero, on the south end of the building. When you first enter the double doors on the north side, you’re met by a pair of elevators on the left, and a door leading to a few offices on the opposite side.

A long, slender hallway leads you to the journalism department. Before that, though, entrances on the right side of the hallway guide you to a massive, open-floor lounge area. The first area is the “Active Lab” and is filled with single- and multi-person desks equipped with charging ports, as well as couches and chairs.

Here, students can check out iPads and Chromebooks for academic purposes. Printing services are available, too.

This room also has glass-encased group areas on the north side, and a me-

Photo by Ken Allard

A NEW STUDENT RESOURCE: Students walk past the new Sierra Vista building, which is expected to be open for the Spring semester.

dium-sized Starbucks station that is similar to those found in grocery stores like Vons and Ralph’s.

Continuing through the room will lead you to the “Quiet Lab” which is a librarylike study environment. Sound-proof glass keeps disruptive noises from the “Active Lab” out. In here are long, multi-person desks and enclosed single-person desks with fold-down table tops. Large practice rooms, similar to the ones found in the Library, line the south side of the Quiet Lab, which can be used for group projects.

Both open-floor areas have giant windows on the west side that let in ambient light – a proven method of increasing stu-

dent mood and performance.

The second floor holds 14 classrooms and over 30 staff offices equipped with state-of-the-art ergonomic desks and furniture. Two long hallways border the classrooms in the middle of the floor. This is where the anthropology lab and prep rooms are located.

These classrooms have single-student and collaborative desks, with a podium for the professor. On one side of each classroom is an entire wall covered in a Wink water-based paint that transforms it into a write-and-erase canvas.

IN THIS ISSUE News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Entertainment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12

[See Sierra Vista, page 2]

Beirut-Based Reporter Speaks to GCC Audience Maya Gebeily, AFP correspondent, discusses covering conflict

By Vendela Lindblom Staff Writer

Photo by Hayk Rostomyan

LISTENING ATTENTIVELY: AFP reporter Maya Gebeily speaks to a GCC audience.

More than 100 students, faculty and staff attending Journalism day on Nov. 16.

Lebanon-based AFP News Agency reporter Maya Gebeily spoke to about a hundred students, faculty and staff Nov. 16 about her experiences covering conflict, including Syria’s seemingly never-ending conflict and the ensuing refugee crisis.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about you,” said Gebeily recalling some of her experience earlier in the year to a crowd gathered in the Auditorium for a special journalism event sponsored by the Language Arts’ Journalism program at Glendale Community College. “It’s about the story,” she said, touching on the need for human emotion and capacity for understanding.

Earlier this year while in northern Syria for a month Gebeily reported on the Battle of Raqqa between Kurdish-dominated Syr-

ian Democratic Forces forces and the Islamic State. She had been in contact with a doctor that lived inside Raqqa and was giving her information on what was happening there. After talking to him a couple of times she lost touch with him. Months later, when she was close to the city of the man that she had been talking to, Gebeily met a woman who told her about her son that used to live in Raqqa and was treating people inside the city. The woman said her son had recently been killed.

Gebeily found out that the woman’s son was the man she had been in contact with.

She described it as one of the most chilling experiences she has ever had. “It’s really hard to keep your emotions out of the story when something like that happens,” Gebeily said via Skype. “It’s really hard to report on this woman, just as this random person that you met.”

[See Reporter, page 2]

2

NEWS

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

EL V

www.elvaq.com

Sierra Vista to Open For Business

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ken Allard MANAGING EDITOR Marian Sahakyan ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Clint Black STAFF WRITERS Carolina Diaz Catalina Juarez Vendela Lindblom Ricky Nuño Hayk Rostomyan Ellis Valdescona COPY EDITOR Elena Jacobson CONTRIBUTORS Adriana Garcia Nare Garibyan Susan Hoehn Alex Leon Rachel Melikian PHOTOGRAPHERS Ivan Carlos Jonathan Camacho Carmen Fernandez Guadalupe Ruiz

Photo by Jakey Galdamez

BREAKING GROUND: In this file photo, the ground is broken at the site of the new Sierra Vista building. David Viar, GCC’s president, left, stands withvarious trustees and stakeholders hold shovels at the Sierra Vista building in Glendale, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013.

[From Sierra Vista, page 1] It’s a wall-to-wall, ceiling-tofloor dry-erase surface; a professor’s dream. If you run out of whiteboard space now, you better be writing some groundbreaking mathematical proof – these things are huge.

On the south end of the second floor is the Culinary Arts program, which includes multiple

professional kitchens, a walk-in freezer and refrigerator, dining area, as well as an outdoor patio.

The third floor contains most of the administrative services.

Walk up the stairs and you will be met by an immense, arching window giving you a picturesque view of the San Gabriel mountains to the north.

Immediately to the left is the information desk. A roughly thir-

PHOTOGRAPHY INSTRUCTOR Terri Thuente thuente@glendale.edu faculty adviser Rory Cohen rcohen@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 ext. 5214 Letters to the Editor El Vaquero accepts story ideas in news, features, profiles, sports and entertainment from the public.

Send an idea or article to the editor at elvaquero@glendale.edu or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5349.

Member of the Journalism Asssociation of Community Colleges Member of the California Newspaper Publishers Association

Letters may be reproduced in full or in part and represent only the point of view of the writer, not the opinion of El Vaquero or Glendale Community College and its district.

All letters must include the full name, address and phone number of the writer. You will be contacted before publication. El Vaquero is a First Amendment publication.

EL VAQUERO

1500 N. Verdugo Road Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 240-1000, ext. 5349

First copy free Additional copies $.25

Photo by Jakey Galdamez

BREAKING GROUND: In this file photo, David Viar, GCC’s president,breaks ground at the Sierra Vista building in Glendale, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013.

ty-foot-wide hallway dotted with skylights up above leads you past the services housed on the floor.

This includes: Admissions and Records, Financial Aid, EOPS, Assessment, Job Placement and Career Center, International Students Office, as well as the Academic Counseling offices, among others. The administration will also have their own break room accompanied with an outdoor seating area.

The building has been awarded LEED Silver status. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is a rating system put together to evaluate the environmental performance of a building. Buildings can be rated silver, gold, or platinum. Sierra Vista achieved Silver status because of its low-flush toilets that use reclaimed water, as well as its ground-source heating and cooling.

Everything that Sierra Vista offers is likely to shift the entire gravity of campus towards it. The skeleton of the building and it’s surrounding pathways that served

solely as a corridor for students to get from one side of campus to the other will now be a bustling hub of student, faculty, and administrative activity.

It’s been a long journey for GCC and the Sierra Vista building. The College and the original contractor – Mallcraft Inc. – broke ground in October 2013 with an initial completion date of November 2015.

The building was at 95 percent completion in April 2015, but repeated setbacks left Glendale College with no choice but to terminate the contract with Mallcraft Inc. Toby Hayward Inc. took over the project. The new contractor had to deconstruct many of the mechanical systems that were deemed substandard, like the HVAC and firestop systems.

This brought the completion percentage down to 75 percent. The building is presently nearly ready to be turned over to GCC. Ken Allard can be reached at KALLARD438@student.glendale.edu.

Beirut-Based Reporter Speaks to GCC Audience [From Reporter, page 1] Gebeily comes from a Lebanese background and used to visit Lebanon during the summers as a child, she explained, developing an attachment to her cultural background. Surprisingly, Gebeily never went to school for journalism. After getting her degree in international relations, she realized that she didn’t want to end up behind a desk.

Throughout the years, her interest in Lebanon and Syria had grown bigger and bigger, and Gebeily wanted to see what it was like to actually live and work in Lebanon. In Beirut, she was offered a job at a local news website called NOW Lebanon. A year ago, she got an offer at the AFP. Gebeily describes Lebanon as a beautiful place to live, and that it’s “not all bombs and war” despite what some may think.

Although, being a female journalist in Middle East has it pros

and cons, she said. Even though some rooms can be harder to get into, there are rooms only women and children can enter. Gebeily has never been denied an interview, but she explained that it can sometimes be harder for her as a woman to earn someone’s trust and get the information she’s looking for.

Reporting from Middle East comes with taking risks and it’s important to always be prepared in training and equipment. Gebeily said it’s crucial to “never leave without your helmet,” flack jacket and emergency kit.

Understanding how it works and the context that you’re in, what to look out for, who to talk to, where to go, and how to behave when being in a vulnerable situation is the key to being safe, she said.

Gebeily thinks it is important for aspiring journalists to know that they don’t have to be or think in a specific way to become a re-

Photo by Ken Allard

BREAKING GROUND: Journalism instructor and El Vaquero adviser Rory Cohen Skypes in Maya Gebeily.

porter and that all journalists view things in different ways.

The two most important qualities as a journalist is to be someone that people can trust and to stay curious. “If you can stay curious, if you continue to ask questions, that will take you so far,”

she said. “Never take anything for granted, never take an answer for granted, continue to ask why, who, where, when, how.”

Vendela Lindblom can be reached at vlindbl405@student.glendale.edu.

FEATURES

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

3

Tenacity and Truth Telling ABC producer James Gordon Meek talks about what makes good journalism

By Marian Sahakyan Managing Editor ABC News’ exclusive interview featuring Caitlan Coleman Boyle, 31, from Stewartstown, Pa., raised a lot of questions and also laid some to rest regarding the experiences of the young American woman held captive for five years. Boyle was kidnapped along with her husband, Joshua Boyle, 34, of Perth-Andover, Canada, and had three children in Haqqani Network captivity. The group is part of the Taliban. The American arguably endured worse conditions than her husband. She allegedly had undergone a forced abortion and was raped multiple times by Taliban members. Her husband, for murky reasons, took her to Afghanistan with him in October 2012.

James Gordon Meek, the award-winning ABC producer, and his colleagues, including U.K. documentary filmmaker Sean Langan, spent countless hours to bring the ABC story to reality. For a journalist, that means developing a rapport that allows a source to feel unjudged and safe to speak.

Meek, who has won two awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his reporting, is tenacious, as made evident from his reporting in the United States and abroad. He recently spoke at GCC’s Journalism Day, an event spearheaded by the school’s journalism department and students involved with the newspaper.

Ahead of his talk to GCC students, Meek agreed to be interviewed by El Vaquero editors.

How long ago did your career start? How did it start?

I studied editorial illustration, photography and filmmaking at VCU and also took up writing in earnest. I had discovered at an early age the power of narrative fiction and nonfiction when it delves into emotionally difficult subjects such as war. I also enjoyed writing satire well into my 20s. Both my parents were writers and I learned early on to get used to having tough editors critiquing my writing – or, as one high school teacher referred to himself as the dissector of our papers: “The Great Red Pen In The Sky.” Everybody needs an editor, preferably a good one who improves your copy and reporting and teaches you a thing or two about human nature rather than impedes your progression or your storytelling. I started publishing experimental art and humor ‘zines as early as grade school and in college, as well as writing pieces for local arts newspapers, and eventually producing the first interactive political blog in D.C. from 1995-2003. I jumped at every opportunity, recognizing

that all experiences amounted to a gradual process of seasoning.

What school did you go to?

What did you study? How did the college you went to affect your future as a journalist?

VCU was – and still is – one of the top art schools and I was in a competitive commercial art program.

Transitioning from editorial illustrator and photography into investigative reporting wasn’t as big a leap as you might think. But perhaps more important than the classes and the school was the era and the surrounding environment, which became a creative muse and where I gained street smarts and empathy for all kinds of people who struggled in life. I was part of the punk scene in the gritty streets of Richmond in the late 80s and early 90s, then America’s “murder capital.” And that “punk aesthetic” became ingrained – being a nonconformist, putting things in the proper perspective between that which matters and that which does not, thinking outside the box, questioning authority and confronting bureaucracy and official narratives – and it still serves me as an investigative reporter.

I have respectfully confronted politicians, military leaders and terrorists alike, and I think my punk/alternative background gave me the confidence and the moxie to do that because I learned to embrace taking risks and living close to the edge in my youth.

What does it mean to you to be a journalist?

For me, it’s about fearless accountability, about shining a light on injustice and righting wrongs, and about putting folks in the shoes of others to see how they live.

What does a day in the life for you look like?

There is no typical day for me but usually it starts with coffee and reading headlines on social media. Because I do investigative work, a lot of my time is spent checking in with sources and schmoozing with them, practicing a patient ritual that sometimes takes years before a relationship results in reportable information.

I do a fair amount of face-to-face meetings with sources in order to build and strengthen long-term relationships.

When a major story is breaking, I’m up before dawn to do any reporting needed before “Good Morning America” airs at 7 a.m. eastern and to review scripts for stories I’m involved with to ensure we are always as accurate as possible. I often will write an accompanying news story for ABC’s website to pop early in the morning and coincide with a TV report I have helped to produce. One objective

is to break stories or advance a narrative that will also get picked up by other news media and on social media. When a major story such as a terrorist attack or mass shooting is unfolding, I juggle phone calls and messages with my sources via email, text and encrypted messaging apps. There is a constant stream of reading other media and researching investigative topics.

And drinking coffee. A lot of coffee.

What’s the best thing journalism has taught you?

One of the greatest lessons a life in journalism has imparted upon me is the value of keeping your word, because of the dividends paid throughout your life – not just in your work – by earning a reputation for integrity.

Everyone is asked sooner or later to compromise their integrity and you can never surrender it wholesale. You should never ever compromise your byline (your name) or your integrity, because you carry both beyond this school or this job to the next job, up on the next marquee or your next stage in life. Once you have compromised your integrity and lost the trust of your peers or the public, hang up your trench coat and toss your press credential in the trash; you’ll never get back your honor or credibility.

Also, to really understand a subject, you have to maintain your objectivity and yet learn to put yourself in your subjects’ shoes. Eventually you may gain empathy, which is more valuable to a reporter than a pen.

What are some of the topics you enjoy reporting? Why? I have covered rock and roll and politics and I loved both. But in the past decade terrorism and national security have dominated my reporting. (I also spent a few years as a senior counterterrorism adviser to a pair of congressional committee chairmen.)

As incredible as it may seem, in the past four years terrorism has become a more difficult subject to cover and maintain my own emotional health and morale.

Man’s inhumanity to man finally met the smartphone in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, and exposure to the carnage and cruelty of warfare has increased exponentially in my work because it has become so easy to document and distribute globally.

It is both a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is being able to have a window on the battlefield; the drawbacks include lack of context and simple volume of cruelty and death imagery online.

What has kept me going in this “death beat” frankly has been finding those human stories in which I have been able to use my investigative assets to help a few people who have lost loved ones to the injustices of war find

Courtesy of James Gordon Meek

REPORTING ABROAD:Meek has traveled extensively in his reporting career, including with U.S. Forces.

answers and accountability, and therefore to find peace. That has made reporting on the rest of the carnage almost bearable and has motivated me.

Tell us a little about the most important recognition you’ve had in your career. Why did it matter so much to you?

I didn’t go into journalism to win prizes and I’ve rarely applied for journalism awards contests.

When I am helping to break a story and the media is chasing our scoop rather than us chasing one of theirs, in my opinion we’ve won the day. We have won the “prize” for reporting – but just for Tuesday. Beyond that, I have earned the affection and respect of some extraordinary people whose lives I’ve intruded upon, such as the fallen in war, or a survivor of a tragic fire or families of terrorists’ hostages. That’s better than any journalism prize or professional recognition to me.

What are some projects that you are working on right now?

I rarely discuss investigative work that isn’t ready for publication or broadcast. But suffice it to say terrorism, war, hostages and security are all ongoing subjects.

Is it hard to be a journalist today versus when you started?

I think that the shrinking media marketplace and profession of paid investigative journalism has made doing this for a living incredibly challenging. Some have said President Trump has helped grow that side of the business again. If that is true, it is an indictment of news organizations who didn’t need the election of Mr. Trump as a reason to maintain investigative journalism essential to the public interest, and yet many newsrooms shut down and laid off investigative teams over the past decade.

In other words, the need was always there and beefing up or

restarting investigative teams to prove the Trump administration is corrupt is itself an example of a corrupt bias in my opinion, because the need for public accountability and watchdogs is always there regardless of who is in power. ABC News to its credit has maintained a robust and aggressive team for two decades under Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross and Executive Producer Rhonda Schwartz.

The other major difference for those of us covering national security is that the legal and professional risks to our sources in government have been elevated by stepped up federal leak investigations and prosecutions intruding on journalists doing their jobs and those who help us keep the government and institutions honest. The public interest hasn’t changed but transparency has become more and more clouded in government operations.

What’s one advice you’d give a future journalist?

Don’t expect to make any money being a newsperson.

Expect to work 70-hour weeks for little pay. Don’t take up this profession because you “like to write,” you’ll just be getting in the way of those who have genuine passion for covering the events and the personalities of our times and want to better the lives of the downtrodden and powerless.

I used to work at a small but respected legal newspaper. The end of the year came and they informed the staff that nobody was going to get a raise or bonus because this profitable newspaper couldn’t afford it. Instead, in a tone-deaf move, managers gave staffers hoodies stamped with the masthead emblem and on the back was a quote by Mother Teresa: “Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself.”

The sentiment was true even if management’s gesture was tacky.

To be a good reporter, you have to become a warrior monk.

Marian Sahakyan can be reached at manehsahakyan@gmail.com

4

NEWS

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

www.elvaq.com

A Taste of Armenia

Dance, food and more were on display in the Vaquero Plaza Soon after, Glendale became home to the biggest Armenian population outside of their native, small Caucasian country.

When Armenians started It seemed as if moving to the migrating to the United States in new land had depleted them of the late 1800’s, it is fair to say that everything that mattered. After all, nobody knew what an Armenian they did leave everything behind. was.

Almost everything.

It wasn’t until the early 20th With them they brought century that the Armenians old recipes of their greatmarked their presence grandmothers. They “It wasn’t in the West Coast of brought music, which the United States. until the early they danced and sang In the wake of 20th century that back at home. They the First World War brought their culture the Armenians with them. and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, They opened marked their Armenians embarked presence in the bakeries and on the new journey of restaurants and crafts immigration, settling West Coast of the shops; starting to in Los Angeles. United States.” really feel at home.

Resistant at first, the Decades have Angelenos opened their doors passed since then and many and hearts to the people and their generations later, the traditions culture which they carried along and values remain. with them.

Every fall, the Armenian

By Marian Sahakyan and Ellis Valdescona

Photo by Ken Allard

GENERATIONS LATER: An Armenian-American toddler dances to music at Glendale Community College.

Photo by Ken Allard

DANCE AND TRADITION: Armenian dance has been considered one of the oldest and most varied in its respective region.

youth—and not only—host events to educate and enrich surrounding communities about their culture; things that many people have neglected to notice in the world of extensive negativity.

Glendale Community College’s Armenian Student Association (ASA) wasn’t one to stay behind as they organized an event to parade their culture in their beloved college. Armenian Cultural Day was held on Nov. 9 on campus. Students, staff and locals attended to get a close feel for what it’s like to be an Armenian.

The tricolor flag waved high as the GCC dance team performed to the plangent melody of duduk, a musical instrument native to

Armenia. They also danced to more upbeat songs by modern-day Armenian singers.

Dancers and dance team members Sera Shahgholian and Celine Voskanyan choreographed the all-female performances for the event. Three weeks and six rehearsals later, the five girls were ready for a perfect show.

In the grass area of Plaza Vaquero, male students grilled kabobs, Armenian style.

Informational booths were set up to educate attendees about the broad history of Armenia.

For a brief minute, those who were there to learn, got one step closer to understanding the depths of the culture, and the Armenian student body felt as if they were in

their homeland.

It’s no secret that Glendale College is home to a large Armenian student body. Indeed, much of the college’s faculty and staff also come from Armenian origins. Some are from Armenia, while others hail from Russia, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and even Turkey.

It’s been over a hundred years since the Armenian population experienced a heavy blow, in which hundreds of thousands were murdered.

GCC’s event showed that Armenians have persevered and triumphed.

Marian Sahakyan can be reached at Manehsahakyan@gmail.com Ellis Valdescona can be reached at Ellis81595@icloud.com.

Take Advantage of Free Services to Students

By Nare Garibyan Contributor The art of empathic and informative conversation is a critical service provided by the diverse offices within Student Services.

This is enhanced by the varied

Student Services

tinyurl.com/ GCCCounseling

resources attached to each office.

Counselors and specialty professionals in Student Services are here to help students better plan for the future.

It cannot be stressed enough that utomated and digital student tracking systems cannot replace

this quality one on one communication, which can be provided in person and/or online, preferably in a combination of both.

While these computerized systems are important to confirm that proper services were provided and track student

numbers and success, the art of conversation is paramount in the relationship between students and student services. Students need to be reminded and encouraged to learn about the services at their disposal, learn what their needs are and practice asking for

assistance and guidance by utilizing those resources.

Please scan the QR codes below for information regarding the various services at your disposal.

Nare Garibyan, a counselor at GCC, can be reached at ngaribya@glendale.edu

Counseling

tinyurl.com/ GCCStudentServices

Photo by Ken Allard

BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE: In this file photo, students line up to enroll and pay fees ahead of the start of the Fall semester.

www.elvaq.com

FEATURES

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

5

How High Is Your DAQ?

Find your disability awareness quotient in this quick quiz, and learn what you can do to improve your knowledge

By Susan Hoehn Contributor Just how knowledgeable are you about disabilities? Take this quick True/False quiz (center) and get your own Disability Awareness Quotient (DAQ.) The answers start below.

1. True - It is the mission of the DSPS program here at Glendale College to ensure that students with disabilities are all given equal opportunity to earn a quality education at GCC. 2. True - Disability is really an unfortunate term because of the stigma that comes attached to it.

People who have a low disability awareness quotient (DAQ) still believe that having a disability means a person is damaged and incapable of being successful. In truth, a more correct term would be differently-abled.

3. False - Physical disabilities are the most obvious, and so seem to be the prevalent portion of the population. In reality, they constitute about 24 percent of the students with disabilities at GCC. The other 76 percent is made up of what is often referred to as the ‘hidden disabilities.’ These include learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and various other neurological conditions that certainly make learning challenging, though not impossible.

4. False - GCC offers a number of excellent adapted physical education courses; these include self-defense, aquatics, fitness lab, sports and recreation activities, dance and indoor cycling. The

aquatics course is offered utiliz- time limits. Some students may use it to quiet their emotions. ing the swimming pool at the need more time to process the Students who are blind receive Rosebowl Aquatics Center. questions, or to retrieve the an- triple the time the rest of the class Students with varying disabili- swers from their memory. Those receives. Most others are allotted ties greatly benefit from these with attention deficits use the ex- double time. Extended time them courses by building the strength, tra time to focus their attention, to demonstrate their mastery of endurance, flexibility and dex- while those with anxiety issues the course material so that they terity they need to are graded on perform in other their abilities, not TAKE THE QUIZ! academic classes. In their disabilities. addition, Glendale 7.

False TRUE OR FALSE? College has a Power - GCC has a Soccer team. These 1. T/F: DSPS stands for Disabled Students Programs and Services. Board Policy athletes, who use that confirms it power wheelchairs, 2. T/F: The primary function of using the term ‘disability’ is to is a reasonable compete with other designate members of a specific group whose civil rights are accommodation teams from the area. protected by law. to allow any stu5. False - Student with a disdents with disabili- 3. T/F: The majority of the population with disabilities are either ability to audio ties are held to the blind/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, or have limited use of their record classroom bodies. same academic stanlectures.

The dards as the nondis- 4. T/F: People who use wheelchairs are paralyzed so they cannot High Tech Cenabled population. participate in activities like swimming or cycling. ter department of They have the same DSPS has a numcourse requirements 5. T/F: Students who are blind automatically have the math ber of software and are subject to the requirement waived because they cannot see to solve problems programs and same academic rigor containing graphics such as number lines and geometric shapes. adapted devices in order to earn a for assisting stucertificate, degree, or 6. T/F: Students with disabilities get unlimited time to take exams. dents with disability to transfer. abilities, includ6. False - Hav- 7. T/F: Only students who are blind are allowed to audio record ing note taking ing unlimited time class lectures. assistance. to take a test would 8. True - If a be of little benefit to 8. T/F: If GCC students suspect they have a disability, they can student feels they anyone. If you don’t talk to a DSPS counselor about it and their conversation will are not getting remain confidential. know the informathe kind of grades tion, you don’t know they should be, 9. T/F: Students on the Garfield campus who want to speak with a it, and no amount counselor about their disability have to make an appointment with considering the of time is going to a counselor on the Verdugo campus. amount of efchange that. There fort they are putare a number of dis- 10. T/F: The percentage of students with disabilities who success- ting into a class, abilities that prevent fully complete their courses is typically above the percentages of they can make an otherwise quali- the general student population. an appointment fied student from with one of the completing tests counselors in the under the standard Center for Stu-

dents with Disabilities (CSD) on the second floor of San Rafael.

The counselor will listen to the student’s concerns and together they will decide on a plan of action. The DSPS staff is obligated by law to keep this information confidential.

9. False DSPS also has a counselor whose office is at the Garfield campus.

10. True The numbers of students with disabilities who make it through each fall semester and persist through the spring semester has been consistently higher than the averages for the total student population. In addition, they match the total population in number of units they complete each semester and their mean grade point average is equivalent.

Your DAQ Score 8 to 10 Correct – Congratulations; you have an impressively high DAQ! That’s something to be proud of.

5 to 7 Correct – That’s not a great score, but don’t spend too much time being embarrassed.

Just by completing the quiz, you have already made strides in raising your DAQ. 0 to 4 Correct – Your DAQ is low. Don’t be alarmed; you just need to spend some time getting educated on the subject of disabilities. For more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/GCCDSPS That way, you too will be a Vaq with a high DAQ! Susan Hoehn, a Glendale Community College earning disability specalist instructor, can be reached at shoehn@glendale.edu

6

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017

ADVERTISEMENT

www.elvaq.com

FEATURES

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

7

The Unexpected Fashionista Yvette Kayazakian’s interests range from couture to computers, and everything in between

By Rachel Melikian Contributing Writer Can a life be defined by ribbons, buttons, and cuts? Some would argue it can, as they watch a master designer cutting high-fashion bespoke clothing with razor-sharp scissors for the wealthy, or a little girl who cuts a ribbon, wrapping it around her Barbie doll to style her like a ballerina or a runway model.

For Yvette Kayzakian, her life has been inspired by fabric, buttons, poetry, music and more.

Indeed, her talents helped her design a pattern which laid out who she became. She’s had to hit all the available buttons for success – next, previous and pause – and though the order may have seemed random, these buttons came to define her exceptional entrepreneurial success.

Those who know Kayzakian identify her as a computer professor, but she defies the stereotypes often associated with computer “geeks.” Instead of ill-fitting or out-of-date clothing, she has the look of a fashionista.

Kayzakian always had a knack for clothing design growing up, seeing colors and patterns in pieces that may have not been apparent to the average eye. “I love color,” she explained. “I love cutting. I always have an eye for a silhouette.” Her taste is apparent in her remarkably polished look. Kayzakian portrays the very picture of a CEO and could fit well in a highly-placed profession.

When she was a child, Kayzakian played with her dolls while carefully watching her mother create beautiful dresses from raw fabrics for her and her older sister. However, unlike most children, she sketched clothes on a Barbie paper doll, then cut, designed, and sewed dresses for her paper dolls that were fashioned after runway models.

She used the remnants that her mother didn’t need to create her own design. “I would fold the fabric, cut neckline, cut the armholes, slant cut the shoulders and the sides for the top and then the skirt was easy – just a

square that I would gather at the waistline and sew to the top.” To make them look like a ballerina, “I would decorate it with lace and ribbons and anything I could find,” Kayzakian said.

While she was pouring love into her dolls, she would dream of becoming a chemist. This love catalyzed the development of her remarkable creativity and ingenuity, which would in turn be among the greatest forces to shape her life. Kayzakian couldn’t have known what life would offer her as an adult, but as a child, the skills she was developing with ribbons, buttons, and cuts would become indispensable.

To create her models, she cut their shapes out of carbon paper, and then placed them on a cardboard backing. “Those days, in my country, there was no transparent paper. So, I would rub the paper with a cotton wool soaked in kerosene, and then before it evaporated, I would sketch the outline (the silhouette) of the outfit and then finish it by coloring with coloring pencils,” Kayzakian explained.

Kayzakian was born and raised in Iran, to an Armenian family. She attended British elementary and high schools where half of the day’s lessons were taught in English and half in Farsi. As a result, her English was very strong. “I was the highestranking student every year with a 4.0 GPA and graduated with honors,” Kayzakian says. “I was easily accepted into university and received a scholarship to go to Tehran University.”

Kayzakian says that for as long as she could remember, she has been able to teach English as a tutor because of the proficiency she developed. However, despite how well-read she was, her path wasn’t always easy.

She fell ill during the summer after high school. Her concerned father, who understood how strenuous the French-style school system could be, urged her to take a break for her own health.

The break caused her to miss the entrance exam for the university, which left her with only one option: to attend the Pars Institute

Photo by Guadalupe Ruiz

PASSION AND FASHION: Kayzakian describes why she loves fashion.

Photo by Guadalupe Ruiz

REMEMBERING THE PAST: Kayzakian shares photographs of relatives and loved ones taken in a place she once called home.

in Tehran. As a result, her aspiration to major in chemistry was no longer an attainable goal.

Before attending Pars Institute, Kayzakian was accepted to some of the most prestigious universities in the world on scholarship, including Oxford University in England, Swarthmore College in San Francisco and University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution. Had she attended Oxford, she would have either majored in chemistry or English literature.

She turned down these honorable institutions because she was young and afraid to leave her family. “I was very close to my family, I was very young and wanted to be close to home,” Kayzakian says. “I wish I had the brains then that I have now.

Then, I would have accepted those scholarships and pursued my higher education in chemistry abroad.” She could not have guessed that the ribbon directing the course of her life would eventually cut her from her hometown and take her to all of these places and beyond. She never would have imagined where this ribbon would wind through her life pattern and how it would lead her to push new buttons of success.

Despite being unable to chase her original ambitions to become a chemist, Kayzakian’s proclivity for languages and her creative mind still served her well – she was able to attain her Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Language and maintain her high marks. After graduation, Tehran University accepted her again. This time, she went on to receive her Master’s degree both in English and world literature. She graduated with honors and was ready to teach at the University of Tehran.

When the Iranian Revolution dictated “cut” to Iran’s Western lifestyle in 1979, all women lost their freedom to dress fashionably, look glamorous, or pursue a professional career. Suddenly, all females had to be covered head to toe, and women could only be what the Revolution dictated.

Thus, her teaching career at the University of Tehran was cut short before it had a chance to begin. Kayzakian was left holding the remnants of her career.

Just as when she was a child, it was up to her to fashion those scraps and remnants into something beautiful – a life that she could be proud of.

“Luckily, I knew patterns, grading, and design,” Kayzakian says, who had taken pattern classes in the French method in Iran [Achique] to advance her fashion design hobby. Unable to teach in university as she had planned, she returned to her childhood love: design. Despite her love for fashion designing, Kayzakian never imagined it as a career option; she had always considered it her hobby. Chemistry had been her dream, but now more than ever, it was clear that the pursuit of chemistry would no longer be a part of the pattern of her life.

Her husband, an architect and gifted musician, has played internationally and was receiving regular invitations to visit the Shah. Before the revolution, he often played at the King’s Palace of the Shah in Iran. Both Kayzakian and her husband were very much connected to Iranian royalty. With the revolution, the royal invitations ended, and the royal music with them.

Although she turned down Oxford’s offer years before, Kayzakian, with her positivity and determination, found herself moving to England with her family beside her. She lived there for three years, during which time she and her sister launched a clothing line inspired by European vintage styles for women.

The company, called Ann’n’Eve Designers, is still open and active in the United States. Drawing upon her previous experience and training, Kayzakian created the patterns for clothes and was in charge of grading before she moved to the United States.

After moving to America, Kayzakian continued her relent-

less pursuit of personal experience and education. Her creativity found yet another outlet in computers. Her interest in computers has grown since the day of the Disk Operating System (DOS) and still flourishes today.

Initially, her interest was sparked when she realized that computers were another tool to facilitate daily tasks and increase personal efficiency. Such efficiency is highly valued by Kayzakian, who maximizes every minute of her time to make sure no one around her is neglected.

She created her art not only with sewing needles and satin ribbons, but also with the buttons of a keyboard and the ribbon of memory inside a computer tower. She has taken a great deal of inspiration from industry revolutionaries like Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs.

Kayzakian has never stopped learning; her resume is incredible, spanning the globe with universities on two continents and profusion across a multitude of disciplines. But throughout it all, there has been one constant: love. She keeps those closest to her buttoned up to her heart, never neglecting them in favor of her career or education.

She was hired by Glendale Community College and has been teaching there for 11 years.

“She is intelligent, personable, skilled, educated, experienced, and she truly cares about the students,” said retired professor Linda Serra, the former Chair of Business Department. She initially hired Kayzakian, who struck her as very special, and she says, “I’m very glad I did [hire her].”

Ashot Movsesyan, a colleague, senior lab technician, and computer science teacher at GCC praised her teaching. Movsesyan described her as a dedicated teacher who loves her job and “donates her time to her students” in order for her students to excel. She teaches and works as she lives: with pleasure.

Rachel Melikian can be reached at rmelikian@hotmail.com.

8

FEATURES

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

www.elvaq.com

Finding Family

How one GCC employee found multiple siblings through DNA testing online

By Clint Black Staff Writer Do you have your mom’s eyes? Or maybe you got the short end of the stick and have your dad’s nose and receding hairline. Do you instantaneously answer with a level of confidence at routine checkups when the doctor inquires about family medical history?

Adoption is a factor that most don’t need take into account when asked these questions. Like many other underrepresented “others,” adoptees’ experiences are different.

Roughly 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year, according to a survey by Adoptionnetwork. com. Of those 135,000 children, knowledge of their biological families varies. It is at the discretion of all parties involved, except for the actual adoptee in question.

Some know they’re adopted, and some don’t have any clue. Some have met their birth parents, others haven’t.

Some have never known anything other than their new/ current lives, and for some that is completely OK; they are exceptionally content. But sometimes, an unexpected email from Ancestry.com surprises you with a sister, and your quiet life as a Glendale Community College counselor is “flipped upside down.”

Welcoming Christmas music permeated the second floor

where Jolie Morris’ San Rafael compared similar information office is located. Morris, a GCC and findings on their family trees counselor who also works with and histories. college military veterans, as well A previous potential as updating the college campus biological sister resurfaced and catalogue, spoke about the now another additional sister is moment that changed her life in sprung on Morris. Jolie and twin early July.

Steve, Robert, and now Michelle What initially began with and Lorna—all sharing the Morris and fellow counselor and same biological mother, Dianne friend, Roxanne Dominguez, Paulson. signing up together to utilize “I stopped eating for a week,” ancestry.com’s DNA database said Morris. “Everything was a few years ago turned different and just not the same into something completely as I thought for so long, we went unexpected this summer with from one to five in no time.” notification that Morris had Bogar has been exceptionally a sister, Michelle. “I was so supportive and equally invested, caught off guard,” said Morris as he was the first to suggest a “I didn’t think anything was telephone call between Morris going to pop up, it had been years since I did it. I then did 23andMe. com and Robert [Bogar] popped up! It had his picture and it blatantly said ‘BROTHER.’ It was like somebody just knocked me over.”

This brother shares the same biological mother as Morris and her twin brother Steve.

With the help of a colleague in the office, Morris did as any normal person in 2017 would do.

She immediately scoured Facebook for any clue of Bogar to deduce that this new “family member” Courtesy Photo wasn’t some random A FAMILY AFFAIR: Jolie Morris, a Glendale lunatic.

Upon finding serenity Community College counselor who also works on updating the main catalog at GCC, speaks in that aspect, Morris about the experience of finding her siblings. reached out to Bogar and

and himself to discuss their shared situations that all started with Dianne Paulson.

“Decades ago we were all placed up for adoption -– and for good reasons, I believe. Now, through science, technology, and the persistence of some, we are now connected!” shared Robert.

Courtesy Photo Morris A FAMILY AFFAIR: Robert Bogar, left, poses with described the his wife, Liesl. Bogar found out he had a sister, Jolie ease that comes Morris, through 23andme.com. He later found more with speaking siblings. to Robert. “Our unbeknownst to you. initial conversation lasted an No matter just how hour. We learned that we both overwhelming and emotionally love to cook and it felt like we taxing something as monumental had already known each other.” as finding long lost family Robert Bogar went as far to members proves to be, Morris, suggest that all the siblings get with the same infectious smile on a telephone conference. It that accompanied the lingering seemed however, to be a little Christmas music, is nothing overwhelming for a a half-sister short of welcoming to these new Lisa based out of Utah. “I would branches on her meticulously be totally open for it,” said investigated/researched* family Morris. tree(s). All in time to place just What initially began as a a few more gifts underneath few hand-written notes on an another, more seasonal tree. envelope from her adoptive “As the year wraps up, it has mother about Paulson is now at been a remarkable one for me a count of eight potential new from this perspective. Certainly, biological family members for I feel, nothing we had anticipated Jolie Morris. Not including happening. A good thing I feel, extended family from said none the less,” said Bogar. members. Imagine waking up to a new person you may be Clint Black can be reached at related to once a day for a week, CBlack214@student.glendale.edu.

Homes We Love: A Mediterranean Dream City and mountain getaway, this home offers the best of both worlds.

By Marian Sahakyan Managing Editor Masterful design and modern touches are uniquely embodied in a dreamy Mediterranean-style abode located in the San Rafael Hills of Glendale, Calif. Sitting on 1.5 acres of land, this sixbed, four-and-a-half bathroom

masterpiece takes its admirers right into a lush paradise.

The path to its three-car garage is covered in sleek stone, giving the property even more of an infinity, easy-flow feel. Upon walking in, one can’t help but notice the simple, yet expressive coiled staircase leading upstairs to the bedrooms.

On the first floor, one is presented with a large eat-in kitchen, designed with a rather neutral color pallet to match the home’s Mediterranean style.

French doors from the breakfast nook lead directly into the backyard.

Should you leave the doors open, both spaces will collide

Photo by Partners Trust Realty

PRETTY PERFECTION: Picture shows the front of the multi-million dollar property, highlighting its three-car garage and granite driveway.

into one, allowing for big indoor-outdoor entertaining.

It only gets better once you step out into the wrap-around patio, which features a built-in barbeque.

Once you step further out into the backyard area, breathtaking views of the city of Glendale and further up Los Angeles will make

this property feel a little more like a So. Cal dwelling.

The home is listed for a whopping $1,895,000.

The one-of-a-kind home is located at 1989 Calafia Street.

The listing agent is Kevin Grahn of Partners Trust real estate firm.

Marian Sahakyan can be reached at Manehsahakyan@gmail.com.

Photo by Partners Trust Realty

SO FAR YET SO CLOSE: The location of the home gives its residents phenomenal city views and beautiful sunsets.

OPINION

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

9

Stop Victim Shaming

In light of Hollywood and political sexual harassment charges, is society finally ready to talk about sex abuse?

By Catalina Juarez Staff Writer Star gymnast and two-time Olympic athlete Aly Raisman took to Instagram recently to speak out against those who blame sexual assault on the way victims dress. “Just because a woman does a sexy photo shoot or wears a sexy outfit does not give a man the right to shame her or not believe her when she comes forward about sexual abuse,” Raisman, who took home six Olympic medals as a member of the U.S. women’s gymnastics teams, the “Fierce Five” in 2012 and “Final Five” in 2016, wrote on the social media channel.

“What is wrong with some of you?”

In response, Raisman’s former teammate, Douglas wrote on Twitter that “it is our responsibility as women to dress modestly and be classy.” Douglas went on to suggest that perhaps Raisman was enticing “the wrong crowd,” possibly alluding to a Sports Illustrated body issue that Raisman was featured in. Douglas has since apologized for her remarks and deleted the Tweet.

Raisman’s has come forward accusing Larry Nassar, a former Olympic doctor who is accused of multiple incidents of sexual abuse of young gymnasts. Nassar allegedly molested dozens of girls who were under his care.

Though it should hardly matter, at the time of the abuse, Raisman had not posed for any Sports Illustrated spreads. It’s worth noting that male athletes pose for

the same magazine issue, which focuses on aesthetics and the human body in it’s most sculpted form. But men are treated differently, aren’t they?

Compounding the issue, Douglas said last week that she had also been sexually abused by Nassar. It makes one a little perplexed by her initial comments, but could also be due in part to how victims often see themselves in a negative light. For some victims, they often feel as if they deserved the poor treatment.

Women are faced with sexual harassment almost every day.

From being catcalled as they are walking down the streets, to being stared and hunted down by those who can’t take no for an answer. It can be as simple as a guy sending a message through social media. When there is no answer given or a woman isn’t interested, she is automatically called all kinds of names.

Sometimes women do it to other women.

A woman could be picked apart every day, from the way she dresses, to how she looks, to the way she talks. No one bats an eyelash. If a woman dresses somewhat revealing it becomes a gateway for people to say, “well, if she dresses like that, it’s because she wants attention.”

The public is so caught up constantly trying to find excuses to cover up their defamatory conduct against women when they should be learning how to mind their own business. They should be learning that no means no, and that a woman is entitled to do whatever she pleases with

Photo by Paul Weaver/Creative Commons

STREET HARASSMENT: In this file photo, the Susquehanna University Women’s Studies students and faculty write anti-street harassment messages in chalk on the main walkway through campus.

herself without having to be bashed on by people she doesn’t know or worrying that she will gain negative reputation.

Six in 10 women have been sexually harassed, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this month.

Women who have been sexually harassed have difficulty speaking out, not because they’re lying, but because the response they get back from the public makes them feel embarrassed.

Lots has changed, but, in many ways, too often there are little ramifications for abusers.

Anita Hill, the Brandeis University professor, provides an interesting glimpse at how much has changed and, at the same time, stayed the same.

In 1991, Hill came out strong-

ly against Clarence Thomas, now a Supreme Court justice, over a pattern of abuse. She described how Thomas, who had been her boss, had sexually harassed her by asking her out and every time she refused, he would demean her. Hill was brave. However, she was made a pariah by a dozen women who had previously worked with her. When asked to take a polygraph, Hill took hers and passed. Thomas refused to take one. He eventually went on to be confirmed to the Supreme Court. It was like nothing had ever happened.

“Women who accuse men, particularly powerful men, of harassment are often confronted with the reality of the men’s sense that they are more important than women, as a group,”

Anita once said.

And, as sad it may be, this ultimately is the case for many women who speak out.

Sexual abuse is hardly a partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans who are powerful are equally problematic in the way they have behaved. After all, too much power can, evidently, lead to corruption. Former President Bill Clinton was accused of multiple instances of abuse, but the women were often discredited. President Donald Trump has been called out, but went on to become the president to the United States.

Maybe it’s time to ask if we’ve learned anything.

Catalina Juarez can be reached at Cjuarez734@student.glendale.edu.

The Trouble With Kevin Spacey’s Timing in ‘Coming Out’ Did compulsory heterosexuality have a role in actor’s internal struggle and eventual downfall?

By Clint Black Entertainment Editor It was just days before Halloween when the Buzzfeed article dropped. Following the premiere of the Harvey Weinstein Hollywood debacle, Buzzfeed News broke news that former “Star Trek Enterprise” actor, Anthony Rapp, had come forward with allegations that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him at a party in 1986. Since Rapp’s initial admission, there have been dozens of other victims that have spoken up with their own accounts of inappropriate or lewd acts initiated by Spacey. But before any of the other accusations surfaced Spacey released a response in the form of an “apology,” and now infamous coming out moment.

While everyone is aware of the outrage circulating Spacey’s decision to seemingly deflect the much larger task of taking responsibility for continuous harassment, and electing to downplay the many case(s) of sexual assault and predation with something as courageous and vulnerable as coming out, has anyone questioned why Spacey is under

the impression that correlating the two is acceptable…as a gay man himself? He has never openly lived in the culture that defines him and is, in turn, ignorant on how to navigate it.

“He tried to mix pedophelia with homosexuality, as if they had anything to do with each other,” said Susan Sarandon, one of many celebrities who’ve chosen to speak out against Spacey’s failed apology and coming out attempt. “I am sorry to hear of Anthony Rapp’s experience and subsequent suffering, and am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he thought it would serve him, just as his denial served him for so many years,” tweeted Zachary Quinto.

As crucial as it is to reprimand for obvious reasons, herein lies a problem. While focused on the fact that Spacey ignorantly chose to come out at the most inappropriate time, inadvertently connecting two things that are nowhere near intrinsically linked (homosexuality/deviance), an erroneous rationale that happens continuously in the U.S. by the way, we have glossed over

the matter of why he resorted to this kind of behavior in the first place. In no defense of the actor’s wrong doings or actions, as there is no excuse, one should still question any kind of motive and what could have possibly led to the various instances, as well as how they can be prevented from happening again. It goes without question that there’s already a blinding stigma correlated to the LGBT community, which attaches its “predatory deviant“ label to what it means to be queer.

And while deviance is proven to be relative, rather than absolute, one can come to the pretty simple conclusion that we certainly still live among friends, colleagues, and family members who believe being gay is a choice that is continuously made incorrectly. As a result, there are three kinds of oppression queer people face, all with their own various forms of doing so, according to D. Stanley Eitzen, emeritus professor of sociology at Colorado State, and co-author of “Social Problems.”

These types include: • ideological (seen as stigmatized/immoral) • legal (unfairly treated by

courts and agents in control) • occupational (jobs, advancement, and/or income restricted or denied) Needless to say, Hollywood— the industry that seems to be at the forefront of the pro-gay crusade— isn’t exempt from this type of behavior. Personal testimonies of anti-gay discrimination in the entertainment industry have been recorded in a study conducted by UCLA on sexual orientation and gender identity based on experiences and perspectives of 5,700 SAG-AFTRA members in 2012. “A director told me to recast a role after he found out the lead was a gay male,” said one member. While the executive summary reads; “Though the entertainment industry through film, television, and other media reflects positive social changes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S., we currently know little about the progress toward full inclusion of LGBT performers in entertainment.”

However inappropriate a time to do so, Spacey resulted in stepping out of the proverbial closet he’d taken residence in for a ma-

jority of his life. Living in hiding…within himself—yeah, wrap your head around that one—in conjunction with juggling what the rest of the world expected of his sexuality, on top of natural impulses driven by his consistently repressed true identity, warrants room for some fraction of confusion in anyone’s mind. Even reading it aloud elicits a dazed reaction. The line between what is right and wrong, socially accepted, tolerated, or even frowned upon could become blurred for anyone experiencing high stressors and contradicting internal struggles.

Born in 1959, it can only be assumed that Spacey came across his fair share of fellow colleagues’ criticisms of gay or queer culture in the workplace.

Even as an up and coming entertainer. The plight in this particular setting remains to be Spacey’s willingness to retreat to the closet in an industry, and country, that says “caucasian, heterosexual male” is the ultimate master status.

[See Spacey, page 10]

10

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

OPINION/ENTERTAINMENT

www.elvaq.com

The Trouble With Kevin Spacey’s Timing in ‘Coming Out’ [From Spacey, page 9] It’s a slippery slope that some navigate with more finesse than Spacey’s heteronormative-industry-driven ignorance to his own “status” in gay and queer culture.

The idea of gay-shame seems to have fueled Spaceys decision to remain coy about his sexuality as he reaped the benefits of the previously mentioned master status, into which he’s chosen to willingly secede. The same country that told him he shouldn’t be gay, in turn elevated him to a platform of power, under his own cowering false pretenses. Inevitably granting Spacey the same power awarded to Weinstein. The elitist idea that they are in such a position of power that they manipulate situations where they feel in control, and eventually commit multiple acts of sexual harassment and assault.

Never allowing himself to live as an openly gay man and navigating the world as the alternative has complicated Spaceys state of mind and has resulted in finding some form of solace, no matter how inappropriate, in other outlets. Blurred lines, confusion, and the intent to abuse power in various inappropriate

ways plague his entire thought processes.

Since the initial statement by Rapp, followed by Spaceys hastily posted “apology,” 20 claims have risen against him at the Old Vic Theater in London where he served as artistic director for several years, eight from the crew of House of Cards, and another involving the son of news anchor Heather Unruh.

Consequently it was announced that filming for the Netflix original House of Cards, starring Spacey, had been put on hiatus only to be announced that the sixth and final season would hopefully return soon, sans-Spacey. Netflix eliminated a Gore Vidal biopic starring Spacey, initially slotted for 2018.

He was also removed from and replaced in the previously completed filming of All the Money in the World, still scheduled to premiere December 22nd. “I think it’s very sad what happened to him. Kevin is such a talented and a terrifically gifted actor, and it’s so sad. It’s such a shame,” said Christopher Plummer, who replaced Spacey, to Vanity Fair. Since then Spacey has been dropped by both, his talent agency as well as his publicist.

Photo by Paul Hudson/Creative Commons

FALL FROM GRACE In this file photo,Kevin Spacey addresses a crowd at a Lotusphere conference in 2011.

In early November Spacey has checked himself into a sex addiction rehabilitation center in Arizona. Coincidentally enough, the same facility that Harvey Weinstein has been admitted. It seems as if Kevin has managed to develop a habit of attempting to “apologize” or “fix” the issue, yet promptly following it with an action almost as disheartening and disappointing.

Here’s to hoping that moving forward only lessons are learned and resolutions will be determined in light of these unfortunate, but eye-opening events,

that only continue to surface.

The #MeToo movement has only just begun to spark conversation and attract attention to situations happening regularly. Not only with women, but with anyone.

And not just in Hollywood, but everywhere. Now that this has become a morbid reality, it is up to our society as a whole to have the taboo discussions that are constantly brushed to the side and become advocates for change. Urge to understand--and, if necessary, be the proponent for change in the way societal norms have negative effects on

everyone and anyone. “[I] hope to work within the industry to create infrastructure to prevent predatory behavior, and give victims more recourse to safely speak out,” Rapp told Buzzfeed.

Unlike Spacey, find meaning and comfort in your own master status, whether it be gay, black, trans, female, etc. and welcome it in hopes of enlightenment, prevention, and overall positive change.

Clint Black can be reached at Cblack214@student.glendale.edu.

ENTERTAINMENT

‘Billboards’ Features Raw, Gritty Performances Lead actors in Martin McDonagh’s new film include Woody Harrelson, Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell

By Adriana Garcia Contributing Writer Few films feature characters capable of making viewers experience all the emotions on the spectrum. Writer and director Martin McDonagh’s third

full-length, original film “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is one of them.

Lead actors Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell turn in relentless performances that highlight McDonagh’s singular writing and

ability to depict raw, powerful that of daughter Angela Hayes’ case. emotion.

The feud’s sensitive nature The film begins when grieving mother Mildred Hayes (Mc- reveals layers of all three characDormand) puts three forgotten ters that enable viewers to symbillboards in the fictional town pathize with them – even, if not of Ebbing to unconventional use. especially at some point, Dixon.

“Raped While Dying,” “And Still McDonagh admits Rockwell No Arrests,” “How Come, Chief achieved a daunting task in porWilloughby?” is the message pre- traying the complex character.

“There’s a sensitivity and a sented in bold letters.

The message refers to Hayes’ vulnerability to Sam’s acting that teenage daughter’s grim fate he was able to tap into,” said the director during a Venice Film months before the film is set.

Snapshots of their relationship Festival interview. “You can see and events leading to the daugh- his anger is covering up some ister’s murder are shown through- sues, and I think that’s one of the out, but it’s McDormand’s pains- surprises of the film.”

Protagonist taking portrayal of Hayes is also inhardened grief that “Lead actors credibly nuanced, makes the death most Frances McDorand because the striking. mand, Woody film starts several The billboards place town residents Harrelson and Sam months after her daughter’s death, in a difficult position.

Rockwell turn in They don’t believe relentless perfor- McDormand said she had to imagine Chief Willoughby mances that high- her different stages (Harrelson) should light McDonagh’s of grief. be singled out, but “There was Anthey’re uncomfort- singular writing and able confronting ability to depict raw, gela’s death, then Hayes due to her loss. powerful emotion.” seven months of paralysis,” said But not everyone McDormand. is hesitant to voice their dissatisfaction. Police officer Dixon “Then she became radicalized (Rockwell) is adamant about car- when she made the decision to rying out impulses – something rent the billboards. The only way that left him with an accurately she could survive was by action, racist, angry and tarnished image. not paralysis.”

Part of Hayes’ draw is her reThe film becomes a strategic, often violent, game between fusal to retract her actions despite Hayes, Dixon and Willoughby the collateral damage, namely her to decide the billboards’ fate and son Robbie. McDormand consid-

ers her unbound perseverance a positive thing. “She stands out of time in our culture,” said the actress.

Police Chief Willoughby is often the voice of reason mediating Hayes and Dixon’s impulsive behavior. And while Harrelson is known for playing eccentric characters, he expertly portrays the level-headed, sharp-tongued chief.

Although based around a murder and its dark repercussions, “Three Billboards” features plentiful humor – something McDonagh’s films are known for.

Willoughby’s scathing remarks, Dixon’s unbelievable ignorance and Hayes’ ceaseless attack on adversaries provide wildly effective comedic relief.

“It’s the way I see stories,” said McDonagh during his London premiere. “I don’t think I could do a film that was all bleak and all tragic, but I also couldn’t really do a rom-com.”

And perhaps it’s the delicate balance between comedy and tragedy that makes McDonagh’s films so successful (his 2008 picture “In Bruges” won him an Academy Award nomination).

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is no exception.

“It’s a story about grief and trauma,” said McDormand. “Lots of things come out of that experience, and sometimes it’s funny.”

Adriana Garcia can be reached at AGarcia5422@student.glendale.edu.

SPORTS

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

11

Two of a Kind

Glendale Community College Cross Country runners finished at the top

By Alex Leon Contributing Writer The strategy was simple for the Glendale College Men’s and Women’s cross country teams this season. The pack would fill in tight behind Raymond Lopez for the men’s team and Angie Salas for the women’s team and the rest would take care of itself.

In ten cross country meets, from the end of August until the state meet in Fresno on November 18, Lopez and Salas were amazingly consistent and incredibly durable. They were the top finishers for their respective teams in each race, coming out on top in several meets in oppressive heat, annoying winds and cool temperatures as the season came to a close.

The pressure to be the team leaders for the Glendale College cross country program was understandable as the Vaqueros have run their way to becoming

one of the top programs in the state year after year under head coach Eddie Lopez and his staff.

It was particularly daunting for the women’s team this year as they were two-time defending state champions in 2015 and in 2016, when Salas was a freshman as well as winning its 13-straight Western State Conference team title. In all, the women’s team has won eight state championships since 1977 and the men five since 1974.

“Raymond and Angie did a tremendous job of representing the team and themselves this year,” said head cross country coach Eddie Lopez. “They were very consistent and as captains they were great role models who led by example. I fully expect them to have great track seasons in the spring and to options on what four-year schools they want to attend when the time comes next year.’’

While a fifth-place finish in

Photo by Rico Gutierrez

BRIGHT FUTURE: Lopez powers through to the finish line.

Photo by Rico Gutierrez

SMILE AND CELEBRATE: (Left to right) Raymond Lopez and Angie Salas were the top runners for the GCC Men and Women’s Cross Country teams and two of the best runners in the state.

state for the women and a sixthplace finish this year for the men would look a bit unfamiliar, it was still a very successful season as the Glendale men and women both won Western State Conference Championships, and Lopez and Salas were named Western State Conference Athletes of the Year.

The road to success in cross country is littered with hundreds of miles run, countless ice bags to sooth sore muscles and endless van rides taking team members to meets all over the state. It takes a team of coaches, trainers and others for the runners in order to run the best they can over three- and four-mile races and then start the preparation all over again.

But nobody did it better for the Vaqueros in 2017 than Lopez and Salas. In ten meets this year, Lopez took first place six times

including four meets in a row in September, including a secondplace finish at the Mark Covert Classic in a race that was almost five miles and included several four-year schools. He was so dominant that he was named California Community College Athletic Association Athlete of the month for September.

Salas, for her part, took first place three times this season and practically willed a young squad to being ranked among the top teams in Southern California and the state while helping the team to several impressive wins including the Southern California Preview Meet and the UCR Invitational against Division I schools. All of this was accomplished with opponents constantly looking to knock her and her team off course as defending WSC and state champions.

With the cross country season in their rearview mirror for sophomores Lopez and Salas and track season looming in the spring, the new names on the landscape will be freshmen Antonio Arroyo, Akol Malong and Carlos Rivera who scored for the men in the state meet and Jennifer Cazarez and Genesis Siam-Alvarez for the women, among others.

But in one final mention of Raymond Lopez and Angie Salas, who earned All-American honors at the state meet with second- and fourth-place finishes along with sophomore Phillip Thomas who was seventh, they wore their uniforms proudly and carried on the tradition well.

And they did it as two of a kind.

Alex Leon can be reached at aleon@glendale.edu.

2017 Meet Results State Championships – 11/18/17

WSC Championships – 10/20/17

Golden West Invitational – 09/22/17

Fresno Invitational – 09/9/17

Mark Covert Classic – 09/2/17

Angie Salas – 4th Place finish with time of 18:31 Raymond Lopez – 2nd Place finish with time of 20:06 GCC Women – 5th Place GCC Men – 6th Place

Angie Salas – 3rd Place finish with time of 18:33 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 20:08 GCC Women – 1st Place GCC Men – 1st Place

Angie Salas – 1st Place finish with time of 18:58 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 21:48 GCC Women – 3rd Place GCC Men – 2nd Place

Angie Salas – 2nd Place finish with time of 18:28 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 20:27 GCC Women – 5th Place GCC Men – 2nd Place

Angie Salas – 10th Place finish with time of 18:52 Raymond Lopez – 2nd Place finish with time of 25:16 (8k) GCC Women – 6th Place in Non D1 Scoring GCC Men – 4th Place in Non D1 Scoring

SoCal Championships – 11/3/17

UCR Highlander Invitational – 10/14/17

WSC Preview 09/29/17

SoCal Preview 09/15/17

Oxnard Invitational – 08/25/17

Angie Salas – 10th Place finish with time of 19:39 Raymond Lopez – 3rd Place finish with time of 21:10 GCC Women – 4th Place GCC Men – 5th Place

Angie Salas – 43rd place finish with time of 18:32 Raymond Lopez – 6th Place finish with time of 18:02 (6k) GCC Women – 1st Place in Non D1 Scoring GCC Men – 1st Place in Non D1 Scoring

–

Angie Salas – 1st Place finish with time of 19:09 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 21:01 GCC Women – 2nd Place GCC Men – 1st Place

–

Angie Salas – 1st Place finish with time of 18:50 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 21:00 GCC Women – 1st Place GCC Men – 2nd Place

Angie Salas – 2nd Place finish with time of 18:42 Raymond Lopez – 1st Place finish with time of 19:57 GCC Women – 2nd Place GCC Men – 1st Place

12

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017

ADVERTISEMENT/SPORTS

www.elvaq.com

A Loss For Vaqs GCC couldn’t gain upper edge against Pierce

Photo by Carmen Fernandez

STILL IN IT TO WIN: GCC’s Frank Irowa takes a free throw shot in the game against Pierce College.

By Ricky Nuño Staff Writer Glendale Community College men’s basketball (2-2) took on Los Angeles Pierce College (13) in a thriller that went down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter in the Nov. 14 game. The Vaqueros put on a valiant effort, but fell short. The final score was 83-76.

Glendale would come out of the gates red hot as they would pile up the points early in the game. It seemed like The Vaqueros had full control of the game. Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) couldn’t seem to figure out how to stop Glendale from pouring the points on.

GCC, on the other hand, were able to have good efficient scoring all while getting some nice stops.

The Vaqueros finished the half strong holding a 51-38 lead.

Beginning the second half the pace was pretty even, but LA Pierce was slowly and surely cutting the lead.

Glendale began to struggle more and more on offense as they were turning the ball over a lot in the second half. LAPC would not squander the opportunity they were given by GCC as they took full advantage and had plenty of turnover points. For the Vaqueros it was simply a tale of two halves as they were out scored 45-25 in the second half. Turnovers seemed to be an issue as Glendale had 18 turnovers while LA Pierce had only 8 throughout the game.

A couple stand out players that lead the way for GCC were Serigne Athj and Chris Daniels,

both picking up 15 points each as well as doing good efficient work at the free-throw line, going a combined 9 for 10.

A solid performance also came from Dominic Gully as he picked up 13 points along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

Another important stand out area where LA Pierce was able to edge Glendale was in the rebound department. The Vaqueros were out rebounded 45 to 31.

Glendale took advantage of free throws as the team converted 18 of 23 (78.3 percent) while LA Pierce converted 8 for 13 (61.5).

Glendale took a high number of 3-pointers during the game as the team drained 12 of 26 (46.2 percent) shots all while LAPC shots from long range couldnt find the basket shooting 9 of 29 (31.5 percent).

The Vaqueros would just edge out LA Pierce in field goal percentage. Glendale was able to run a slightly more efficient offense going 23 for 52 (44.2 percent). Peirce College on the other hand went 33 for 76 (43.4 percent).

Despite Glendale having a more efficient night, Peirce College was able to sink more shots giving them an edge on the scoreboard. In the end the turnovers hurt the Vaqueros and it was too much for them to overcome in the closing moments of the game.

Glendale College will then face Long Beach on Nov. 30 in Culver City in the West L.A. Tournament.

Ricky Nuño can be reached at rickynuno818@gmail.com

Photo by Carmen Fernandez

GOING FOR IT: GCC’s Dominic Gully shoots past Pierce College’s defense during