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e l .va q u e r o . g c c e lva q . g c c Wednesday, September 18, 2019 Glendale Community College Student Newspaper
Volume 114 | Issue 1
EOPS Turns 50
Program seeks to help students attain academic success
Tobias Graves-Morris Contributing Graphic Designer
By Elone Safaryan Staff Writer Antoinette Wright had just become a single mom and didn’t have any plans of going back to college. Wright had dreams and through a path of self-discovery, eventually pursued them by going back to school. Wright has received an A.A. in both Social Science and Visual ArtsPhotography. She is currently working toward getting her B.A. at Summit College online. She hopes to get her Masters in global leadership and start a nonprofit advocating for holistic health. None of that would even be possible if it would not have been for EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services), and CARE (Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education). This month marks the 50th anniversary of the program at Glendale Community College. On Sept. 12, EOPS hosted an open house to celebrate 50 years of serving and assisting the students within the community who may have been affected by language, economic, or social barriers. EOPS is a state-wide program that offers services to students who have the potential to achieve in higher education. This program provides specific assistance to students who are more likely
Community College established the EOPS to be disenfranchised or face language program. The statewide initiative has been barriers. EOPS serves as a counseling program and provides help in making sure a positive influence in other programs within the college and has statistically students are on a solid graduation path. proven that students in EOPS, despite Some of these services include tutoring, setbacks in their life, will achieve at the academic counseling, student progress same or higher rates compared to nonmonitoring, career planning, and more. EOPS students. Not only does EOPS serve as a The program’s staff is particularly counseling program, but they also provide loyal to it. Osheen Keshishian has worked financial services such as book vouchers, in EOPS for over 30 years. A plaque meal cards, and emergency loans. Within the EOPS, there also lies another program, dedicated to his passion for helping students was placed in the CARE. CARE is a support service aimed at students “During a student waiting area in the EOPS office. who are single parents and meeting For staff like, Keshishian, qualify for EOPS services. on Sept. the successes of students are CARE was founded 10, the Board in 1977 at Imperial everything. Kasan Butcher, like of Trustees Wright, attributes his success to Valley College. Since approved of EOPS. He’s a father and found then, it has continued to recognizing grow. In several years it difficult to juggle his personal the month of responsibilities with school. He after its formation, it had September as credits EOPS with helping. already spread through 13 EOPS month Since 2016, Butcher has campuses. By 1982, CARE and encouraged received six scholarships was established in all other colleges and was awarded the Jeanne California colleges. As of to spread Cunningham Award, which is today, CARE still operates awareness of given to a student transferring on all 114 campuses in the EOPS [...]” to a four year university, has state. EOPS was started in homemaker responsibilities, 1969 when Senate Bill and finished over 50 units while 164 passed and established the program maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher. During his time at GCC, Butcher has for all of the state’s community colleges. received an A.A. in Health Sciences and Following this, in 1975, Glendale
is now a second semester nursing program student. During a meeting on Sept. 10, the Board of Trustees approved of recognizing the month of September as EOPS month and encouraged other colleges to spread awareness of EOPS to advocate for prosperity among students who may not know about the program. Program organizers also said they were grateful to the GCC Foundation for designating funds to purchase caps and gowns for students. In order for people to qualify for EOPS, they have to meet certain criteria for eligibility. That information can be found online: http://bit.ly/EOPSatGCC If you do qualify, EOPS is currently accepting applications for Fall 2019. The deadline to hand in an application is Sept. 20. Elone Safaryan can be reached at esafary181@student.glendale.edu.
In This Issue News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Editorial/Opinion. . . . 5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Entertainment . . . . . 7-8
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Global Climate Strike Week By A. Heimer & Afroditi Kontos Staff Writers “We who live in places where you are allowed to strike and protest have a moral obligation to do it. If not for yourself, then for those who cannot,” said Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who’s been named as one of the world’s most influential teens by TIME magazine. In August 2018, Thunberg skipped school to protest against the inaction on the climate crisis by sitting outside Swedish Parliament, a movement that has since spread all over the world. By March 2019, the number of people taking part in school strikes hit 2.3 million people, across 135 countries. The movement is now called Fridays for Future. This Friday, Sept. 20, millions of people all around the world are taking to the streets to demand action for climate change in the third global strike, only days before the United Nations holds its Climate Action Summit. Besides environmental activists, student leaders and scientists there will be a much stronger presence from unions, workers and companies that have signed up to strike in solidarity with the young activists. The Youth Climate Strike will take place on Sept. 20 at 12 p.m., at Pershing Square in downtown L.A. In addition to other climaterelated activities throughout the week, there will be a Global Strike on Sept. 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles. More information is available at: Globalclimatestrike. net A. Heimer can be reached at aheimer570@student.glendale.edu. Afroditi Kontos can be reached at afroditik@me.com.
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Student Equity: Spotlighting the Members By Eduardo Carreño Senior Production Manager Our three Student Equity Learning Communities — Black Scholars, Guardian Scholars, and La Comunidad — are designed to provide a supportive and safe environment for students by granting a sense of belonging and community on the GCC campus. These programs offer services to help students reach their potential, and achieve their academic and personal goals. Students in these learning communities make connections with staff, peers, and with the campus community as a whole. Through these programs, students gain opportunities to participate in social activities and events with their peers, learn important academic skills, and make lifelong friends, all the while receiving support and guidance throughout their academic journey here at GCC. Students also get help with transportation, books, and other support as needs arise. Several university trips are coordinated throughout the year to help expose our students to transfer opportunities. El Vaquero gathered testimonials from students who found community through these programs. Learning Community: Guardian Scholars Student Name: Richard Lloyd Enloe Major: English My academic goal isw to gain a teaching degree. I am in the Guardian Scholars Learning Community. I ended up hearing about Guardian Scholars while in the GCC cafeteria. I was in there, just checking out what they had and I didn’t have any money at the time. One of the cafeteria employees turned to me and said that I should go check out the Student Equity
Eduardo Carreño Staff Photographer
HARD AT WORK: A counselor helps a student.
program and might be able to get help through meal cards. When I went to the office, I found out about the different learning communities and saw that I was eligible for Guardian Scholars so I joined and never regretted it. Honestly, this learning community has been a help in many ways — more than food. For me, it has been an open door to connect to people as long as I put in the effort. The counselors are all great. They are fun to talk to and if you need guidance for almost anything they can help you out. The biggest thing that happened to me while being in the program was the university tours. The thing that it presented was the ability to open my mind to all of the possibilities. When visiting the universities, it went from being a picture to a tangible thing I can grasp and that can really light a fire under you. And without the program, I wouldn’t have experienced that. Learning Community: La Comunidad Student Name: Eliseo Ruiz Major: Administration of Justice/Psychology
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Elone Safaryan
STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS Alin Pasokhian Afroditi Kontos SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Eduardo Carreño MANAGING EDITOR Michael Dumansky ASSOCIATE EDITOR Yesenia Thomson STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Eian Gil Anahit Sydney
STAFF WRITERS Dahlia Alrayes Genesis Barboza Jenilee Borek Natalie Casey Anthony Gharib Eian Gil A. Heimer Jay Marshall Akane “Annie” Otsuka Tatiana Pak Gabriel Ponce Gurgen Sahakyan Anahit Sydney SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Levon Abrahamyan
The fact that I had two older brothers who didn’t graduate high school and weren’t able to provide me with any support in college made it very difficult to even think about going to college. I joined La Comunidad for the guidance and to better my education and life. La Comunidad is not just a program but a family that cares about you in every way that will help you succeed. La Comunidad has helped me prevail in every way, as a student and as a person in general. La Comunidad guided me with motivation, aspiration and has always influenced me to never give up. La Comunidad counselors have become a huge part of my life with all the love and support that they have given me. I could never forget any one of them, as they will always be in my heart forever. Learning Community: Black Scholars Student Name: Nicole House Major: Journalism I joined Black Scholars because it was good to know that, even as an adult, there’s
someone else out there who has my back, who is rooting for me. Black Scholars has been there for me when I thought no one cared. They called me, emailed me, and were always available when I needed someone to talk to and just to get me excited for school. The counselors have been helpful with guiding me in planning the correct classes to get me aligned with transferring. The program has been helping me afford things like a parking pass or a book voucher to help me afford school supplies. Going to social mixers and hearing some of the issues or problems other students have had, and listening to their solutions or even what routes they took in solving those problems has given me so much insight.
For more information on how to get involved with these programs, go to: glendale.edu/ equity
Eduardo Carreño reached at ecarren860@student.glendale.edu.
FACULTY ADVISER Rory Cohen rcohen@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 ext. 5214
Letters to the Editors 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. 3211.
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.
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College Honors Math Department Professor Andrew Young Instructor receives the Parker Award for Teacher of the Year By A. Heimer Staff Writer Andrew Young of the math department was the recipient of the Parker Award for Teacher of the Year at the Academic Senate Parker Luncheon on Faculty Institute Day, Sept. 13 at the Student Center. The award was presented by Arda Tahakia, representative for Senator Portantino’s office, and Victoria Docheghlian, representative for Laura Friedman of the 43rd Assembly district. Professor Young was then presented with a pen and a check for $1,000 by Chris Hahn of the Glendale College Foundation. The event was hosted by Academic Senate President Piper Rooney and organized by Frankie Strong. Professor Young, who has a Master’s in Mathematics from UC San Diego, has been hired and tenured twice at GCC. The first time he joined the faculty full-time was 1984 where he worked until he had to give up this position in 1989 due to heart problems. He then started a computer company with some friends and was the primary author of what became the de facto industry standard for CD- and DVDfile system extensions for Unix. He returned to GCC in 2003 for his second tenured stint. Calculus is one of Andrew Young’s great passions and he tries to extend that to his students. He is now involved in printing 3D models of mathematical equations and has inspired students to create their own models of space-time curves
and vectors. His campus office is reportedly full of many strange looking 3D objects. He is also passionate about faculty involvement and governance and has served three times as President of the Academic Senate. He is currently active on several GCC Committees, “only three or four,” he said. Professor Young spoke about happiness and proceeded to demonstrate, using a bell curve, the gradations between happiness and unhappiness, pointing out that the middle ground is contentment, and said he is basically content with that. He then offered these life lessons: Love your work. “I love teaching late at night because any day that ends with Calculus is a good day.” Planning your life: “ If you can’t think of a good reason to say no, consider saying yes.” Relationships. “Happy wife, happy life.” Don’t overdo it. After a bout with pneumonia and more heart issues he is building up his stamina and reducing his activities to those of a normal human. Accompanied by his wife Sandy, his greatest passion, and other members of his family, Professor Young extended his thanks to the Senate, Liz Russell and the math department, his family and everyone who helped him when he had health problems. He received a standing ovation. A. Heimer can be reached at aheimer570@student.glendale.edu.
NEWS Wednesday, September 18, 2019 3
Transfer Fair Attracts Hundreds By Natalie Casey Staff Writer Pepperdine? Loyola Marymount? UCLA? These are just a few of the transfer options students contemplated at the annual transfer college fair. With over 70 colleges and universities for GCC students to speak with, the campus was buzzing with opportunity for the future. Power 106 helped keep the energy going by pumping music and calling up students to participate in contests like ‘who can name five Drake songs in a row without pausing.’ Having in-person access to all these different universities is very resourceful, especially to students who take transfer planning into their own hands. Veronica Gevorkian and Alique Khatchikian are students at GCC in their first semester at the college. They mentioned that even though they’ve met briefly with a counselor, they’ve been thinking and planning their transfer goals mainly on their own. Both cited USC and LMU as top choices. However, their number one choice differs, with Gevorkian’s being Georgetown and Khatchikian setting her sights on UCLA. Gevorkian is a government major and is considering taking on a second major in journalism. The transfer fair gave them and many other students the opportunity to ask questions about which path they should take to achieve their goals and how to get into their dream school. As an incentive to get stu-
Rory Cohen Newspaper Adviser
CHASING GOALS: Students who aspire to transfer to USC line up at the GCC Transfer Fair, Sept. 11.
dents out to the main plaza, students picked up free meals from The Habit Burger Grill truck. Though, in order to walk away with one, students had to approach five different booths and ask the university representative one question each. The questions were pre-written by GCC event organizers who sought to encourage students to approach more than one booth with a freebie. Students got a feel for campus communities by chatting with recruiters. The representative for Loyola Marymount University stated that their mascot is Iggy the Lion, because before the Jesuit founders of LMU broke ground on the campus, mountain lions had inhabited the area. Pepperdine’s representative stated that their most popular undergrad major is business. Emerson College, located in Boston, was present as an out of state option. A representative for the school, Lisa Yaeger, was eager to talk to students and share information about the college.
Emerson has developed one of the best journalism programs in the country, she noted. The Princeton Review named Emerson College the most LGBTQ-friendly campus. The Robbins Center at Emerson College offers speech therapy to Boston area transgender and gender diverse individuals. This therapy helps them learn to express “themselves more authentically through voice and communication modification.” Knowing this college is a safe-space for students could sway someone to make this school their top transfer choice. A lot of the information handed out during the college fair can be found online but to understand campus life, talking to a recruiter and having a conversation can mean the difference between opening an application and giving up before trying.
Natalie Casey can be reached at natalieacasey@yahoo.com.
Campus’ Fresh Offerings By Annie Ostuka Staff Writer
Rory Cohen Newspaper Adviser
RECOGNITION: Academic Senate President Piper Rooney gives Math Professor Andrew Young the Parker Award in this Sept. 13 photo.
The new semester blows fresh options towards campus. Have you already had boba from It’s Boba Time on Verdugo Road? As you might have noticed in the first few weeks of this semester, GCC facilities have changed a lot from the previous semester. El Vaquero checked out the new Starbucks inside the Sierra Vista building and our cafeteria’s new menu. Students have a variety of dishes like burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and more at the GCC cafeteria. The cafeteria even pays homage to the city with a burger called “Glendale Classic Burger.” Students can also find vegetarian/vegan-friendly options by the VG/V notation written on the menu board.Though they raised the price of some dishes from the former menu, their quality and portions have also increased. Also, GCC went from plastic to-go boxes to paper boxes, a more environmentallyfriendly alternative. Coffee is absolutely essential for students, as we definitely need a cup or more of coffee
Alin Pasokhian Editor-in-Chief
JAVA: The new Starbucks on campus opens Sept. 23 in Sierra Vista’s common area,
every day to wake ourselves up for morning classes or just for hanging out with friends. Some even claim that drinking coffee might help memorization. Although coffee tastes and smells good, we should be careful not to get addicted to it. 40% of 18 to 24-year-olds, typical college aged individuals, drink coffee every day in the United States, according to peer-edited research. To all students’ and instructors’ delight, the new Starbucks is opening in Sept. 23 at the Sierra Vista common area. This
Starbucks is the same as an off-campus coffee shop so the menu and prices are going to be the same and they will accept the mobile app so students can earn rewards as they do at an off-campus Starbucks. However, it will be operated by GCC’s cafeteria services and not Starbucks. The new Starbucks is opening in Sept. 23, in the Sierra Vista common area. Annie Otsuka can be reached at aotsuka136@student.glendale.edu.
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
FEATURES
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The Third Culture Identity Crisis Exploring what it means to exist between two cultures, and know ‘home’ as a place differing from your parents’ By Dahlia Alrayes Staff Writer Third Culture Kid, defined: A person who has spent their developmental years outside their parents’ culture; the third culture kid builds relationships to all [the] cultures, without having full ownership in any. That comes from 2009 research from Ruth E. Van Reken, David C. Pollock and Michael V. Pollock. For the majority of the Glendale community, that means the cultural intersection is between having Armenian parents and an American upbringing. For me, I live in my own grey area between the Arab and Western world. In the era of globalization, the population stuck between two cultures is evergrowing. As a child, it was getting glued to the TV at every new Disney Channel feature, listening to the radio show “Voice of America” on the way to school, jamming out to Natasha Beddingfield’s Unwritten on my older sister’s green iPod Nano, and coming home to overhearing my parents exasperatedly express their concern for our dying Arab heritage over the dinner table where my mother’s prepared fattoush — my all-time favourite dish. As a 20-year-old, it’s sitting in a Lebanese restaurant and wondering whether to pronounce “hummus” with an anglicized
La Ley Mordaza Spain’s Gag Law violates basic liberties By A. Heimer Staff Writer There was an air of optimistic anarchy as protestors took over Puerta del Sol in Madrid, set up a tent village, and began to form citizen-action groups. Many of us who participated in the manifestation known as 15M, or “Los Indignados” on May 15, 2011, were amazed at the torpid response of the media as the protest became a movement and spread rapidly via social media through many parts of the world. The lack of serious press coverage for a massive global event that involved millions of people protesting simultaneously seemed suspiciously irresponsible. Many of us couldn’t help but wonder if the press were being told to downplay the story or not cover it at all. As a result of 15M and other protest movements, a new law was introduced in 2013 and finally voted into effect by the Partido Popular, which had an absolute majority, in 2015. This change to the Spanish Penal Code gave the police unprecedented and unchecked powers to quell protests, stifle social media organizing, and prosecute criticism, jokes and insults levelled at Spanish politicians, the police themselves, the royal family or the Catholic church. The law, which was outlined in very broad and vague terms, was wide open to highly dubious interpretations by Spanish police, security forces and the judiciary. Officially called La Ley Organica De Seguridad Ciudadana, it is more com-
accent or the way it was intended. It’s wishing I could have fuller conversations with my grandmother, but responding with “Canada” when Uber drivers ask where I’m from. My identity became “too-Western-forthe-Middle-East, too-Arab-for-the-west.” Years passed as my childhood played out, and not once did I even consider that I could exist in a grey area. My identity was an enigma to me, a curse of sorts. I longed to be part of this Western idea, like every celebrity I saw on TV and heard on the radio, yet also, I longed to feel at home whenever I’d go visit family in Lebanon. And as with any ultimatum, constant comparison of the two ensued. Which cultural norms dominate; the values my parents raised me with or the values tied to the idea of freedom, the ones that are dominating everything I consumed? Being so uninvolved with my own heritage, as inevitable as it was, became
merely a source of guilt as I grew more self-aware. The ability to look down on our own traditions and values for simply being different from what dominated pop culture, became a generation-wide skill among younger Arabs. Our most successful schools, busiest restaurants, and busiest cities were purely the most Western ones, and it was no coincidence (ie; Dubai). Being externally exposed to Western culture while still trying to be taught internally to embrace my Arab heritage was almost paradoxical. At that point, I’d spent my whole life learning this new, glorified, polar opposite of what all the family that has come before me has called home. I believed growing up straddling two identities resulted in me not being able to fully discern either; but rather than a melting pot, I’ve turned my identity into a mosaic. As a 20-year-old today, I live in my
own beautiful grey area. Existing wholly in either or both realms is no longer the goal. The idea that my sense of art, social institutions, and merits should only come from one place dissipated, as the revelation that loving apples doesn’t need to require disapproving of watermelons emerged. The very definition of identity, “the fact of being who or what a person is” is truly boundless, and once we come to terms with that is when we could let our identity form and thrive. So this one’s for all of you that answer “Where are you from?” with “Well…” You and I are fortunate enough to see the world through so many lenses; to accumulate our favourite phrases, songs, recipes, methods of thought from more than one place and emerge as individuals of what we choose to value.
monly known among the Spanish public as La Ley Mordaza (the Gag Law). One of the more notorious cases of artists prosecuted for violating La Ley Mordaza is that of rap artist Voltonyc, whose lyrics were deemed as an incitement to terrorism and who was subsequently sentenced to three and a half years in prison. There have also been many lesser known cases involving journalists, photographers, protestors, tweeters, Facebook-posters, puppeteers, musicians, rappers, stilt-walkers and even plain citizens who looked cross-eyed at Spanish police officials being jailed or fined. The fines have proven a steady source of income for the Spanish government, which had reportedly collected nearly 270 million euros in fines incurred by La Ley Mordaza by 2018, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais. On World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2019, a group of journalists known as the Federacion de Associaciones de Periodistas published a letter warning against the continued threat to free speech and journalism posed by La Ley Mordaza and soliciting Spain’s new government to annul it. The letter further states, “Only the reinforcement of the freedom of the press can counteract the offensive of those who want to stop journalists from exercising an independent control of power.” Investigative journalist Eduardo Martin de Pozuelo of Barcelona’s La Vanguardia and 1985 Ortega y Gasset Journalism prize-winner for his book “10 years of the Mafia in Spain”, has written extensively about corruption in Spain. Speaking about free speech and censorship in an exclusive interview with El Vaquero in Barcelona, Martin said he has never been censored in his work because he dealt strictly in documentable facts and not opinions. He felt he would always be able to publish somewhere if he were
given his professional resources and the Internet. Nonetheless, there were many subtle types of self-censorship a journalist might face in the realities of the job. He gave as examples such as pressure from an editor, publisher or media owner to focus more on one story than another, but regarding La Ley Mordaza (a term he declined to use), he stated his belief that “Information belongs to the citizens.” The degree of self-censorship imposed by the gag law and its effect on Spanish culture is incalculable. Director of Amnesty International in Spain Estaban Beltran wrote regarding La Ley Mordaza, “Spain’s broad and vaguely-worded law is resulting in the silencing of free speech and the crushing of artistic expression.” Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s campaign promises to Spain’s citizens included annulling La Ley Mordaza, which he has not yet done, despite intense pressure from activist groups. Sanchez is struggling to form a coalition
among the many political parties now represented in Spain’s splintered government and may face another election before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Spanish police find the law a useful tool to stifle protests and generate income. Of course there are other influential factors besides the elected government which include the EU, the monarchy and the ultra-powerful Spanish Catholic church. Among the groups which have spearheaded prosecution for insults to the Catholic Church is Los Abogados Cristianos (Christian Lawyers), a group of 80 lawyers whose mission statement reads “Among our ends one finds the legal defense of religious freedom, life, family and of all citizens who see their rights and freedoms injured because of their faith.” Their website also includes a handy form for denouncing blasphemy, sacrilege and perceived religious insults.
Dahlia Alrayes can be reached at dalraye973@student.glendale.edu.
A. Heimer can be reached at aheimer570@student.glendale.edu.
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EDITORIAL/OPINION
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
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Pay Attention to New Details Surrounding Kavanaugh Accuser New York Times piece suggests FBI didn’t fully investigate claims
O
n Sept. 14, The New York Times published an explosive story about Deborah Ramirez, who is among the list of women who have accused nowSupreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The difference with her case, however, is how little attention and dueprocess her story got. As a non-traditional Yale student who came from a working-class family, Ramirez already lacked the network of friends and colleagues that Kavanaugh was privileged with. Ramirez was berated for her efforts to “fit in” with the Yale students. She joined the cheerleading squad but, by the same token, was working at the dining hall in order to pay for her student loans (which earned her the nicknames “Debbie Cheerleader” and “Debbie Dining Hall”). Her efforts were met with more hostility than admiration. As evident in The New York Times article, “Brett Kavanaugh Fit in With the Privileged Kids. She Did Not,” she was treated differently. There was no shortage of political figures ready to give their opinions on Kavanaugh’s latest accuser. On Sept. 16, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell went before Congress and called Ramirez’s accusation “Poorly sourced, thinly reported, and unsubstantiated [...] Call it a one year anniversary reenactment. Senate Democrats reopening the sad and embarrassing chapter they wrote
last September.” This was, of course, in reference to the FBI investigation into a claim of sexual assault by a high school classmate of Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford. Blasey Ford endured three days of being poked and prodded by the Senate Judiciary Committee. She was treated like a credible threat by the GOP. As a professor at Palo Alto University, and a research psychologist at Stanford University, Blasey Ford, in the minds of most, would be seen as a woman of status and a trustworthy source. She didn’t appear to be looking for attention or needing a payday. Despite not having a clear memory of the night in question, Blasey Ford was treated equally in accordance with the law, as any victim deserves. The justice system exhausted their resources in order to make a decision based on their best knowledge. Why did Ramirez not get the same benefit of the doubt? Despite having 25 individuals who may have witnessed, or even partook, in the night in question, the FBI still did not investigate, even after being approached by said witnesses on their own accord. This is in no way intended to villainize or discredit Blasey Ford’s testimony; it is instead a desire to point out the racial disparity within the justice system, which ultimately always favors racial and economic privilege.
When looking for other examples of women of color not being served justice where it’s due, we need look no further than the trial of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner and his victim Chanel Miller. Turner became a household name after being convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault of a woman known only at the time as “Emily Doe.” Even with two exchange students from Sweden witnessing and stopping the assault, going as far as pinning Turner down after he tried to flee and waiting for police to arrive on the scene, Turner was sentenced to a shocking six months in jail. He served half of his sentence. Ms. Ramirez has finally received some recognition that she, at the very least, deserved to have her case fully investigated. If the account from the Times is true, including that the FBI was told by an official not to investigate, the White House will deserve the scrutiny and criticism it receives. There were undoubtedly better choices for Trump’s Supreme Court appointee, so tough questions need to be asked. In the age of the #MeToo movement, elected and appointed officials no longer deserve to be part of the “Good ol’ boys” club, as former President Bill Clinton had been. They deserve to be held accountable as it is a reasonable expectation that they represent their office or post with dignity.
LGBTQ+ Goes Mainstream Taylor Swift is the latest celebrity to vocalize her support to a conscious consumer generation By Natalie Casey Staff Writer Taylor Swift just released a new album and the songs, as anyone would expect from a Swift record, are incredibly well produced and accompanied by lyrics with so many hidden meanings only the most dedicated “Swifties” could decode them. Something unexpected, though, is her album’s political undertones. Her second single “You Need to Calm Down” parades itself as an LGTBQ anthem. This came as a shock to some and a sigh of relief from her LGBTQ fans who, up until last year, didn’t know where the pop star stood on political issues. This silence on politics became so easy to manipulate that she turned into the alt-right’s dream girl. Self-proclaimed fascist and editor-in-chief for The Daily Stormer, Andrew Anglin, wrote: “Taylor Swift, a representation of the purest form of divine Aryan beauty.” Full-blown conspiracies circulated not only in underground alt-right circles, but on mainstream social media platforms, which suggested that Swift was an undercover fascist. This rumor has been floating around as early as 2014, which makes a lot of people question why it took the pop-star over 4 years to clarify where she stood politically. Swift commented on her silence in an article published in Elle magazine: “I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk, and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change. Only as someone approaching 30 did I feel informed enough to speak about it.” In our current social climate, politics are very personal.
When you identify as LGBTQ, someone not agreeing with your political views could mean them not agreeing with your existence. Many fans feel it necessary to know where their favorite artists stand on these issues before they spend hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars on concert tickets, album purchases, and merchandise. We often forget that celebrities are human beings, too, and feel an immense amount of pressure to be role models to the younger generation in a way that will please the older generation. They also have to construct themselves as something marketable. Every public statement a superstar like Taylor Swift makes is very carefully thought out, rehearsed, and edited by her team. Her decision to go fullspeed ahead with support for the LGBTQ community came on May 31, 2019, in an Instagram post urging Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander to support the Equality Act. Swift posted this one day before pride month started. 2019 is the year where pride felt an overwhelmingly corporate presence, from companies like Listerine releasing a pride themed mouthwash to President Trump producing his infamous MAGA hat in a rainbow option. More than 8 in 10 millennials expect companies to publicly declare commitments to good causes before they spend money on their products. Visibility is an amazing thing for minorities to have, but to have an administration profit off selling a rainbow hat during pride month when they have banned transgendered people from serving in our military is a contradiction we shouldn’t ignore, or worse, praise. Taylor Swift’s vocalization about her views come at a time
Eva Rinaldi & Albert Navarro Photo & Art Credit
that to some seems very convenient for her. When asked about why she choose to become so politically vocal in a recent interview with Vogue, Swift stated, “Rights are being stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male, I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of. It’s hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake that you just freeze.” When you identify yourself as an ally, the most important thing you can do is tread lightly in the communities you’re aligning with. Let them speak first, listen and understand their
complaints, and don’t ever make yourself the center of the movement. Swift displays all of this with her response. Some people view her longtime silence as damaging but Swift is definitely trying to make up for it. Her single “You Need to Calm Down” won two awards at this years Video Music Awards, and Swift refused to perform the song at the ceremony unless the drag queens featured in the video received their own VMA Moon Man award with their own name engraved on it. This is a huge recognition in an industry that can use queer people as props and click-bait, and then forget about them down
the road. It’s important to be aware of celebrities and corporations stealing the rainbow symbol for pure profit when Pride month rolls around. We need to also be aware of true allies in the community. For instance allies that are donating profits from pride products to LGBTQ organizations and making sure the queer people they hire are being recognized for their work. As of now, it seems that Swift is doing the latter, and if she continues down this path, I’m excited to see her give more genuine, heartfelt visibility to the LGBTQ community. Natalie Casey can be reached at nataliecasey@yahoo.com.
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
SPORTS
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California’s SB 206 Would Pay Student Athletes By Michael Dumansky & Eduardo Carreño Staff Writers
GCC Shines at SoCal Preview Race Matthew Osherow Courtesy Photo
LADY VAQUEROS: The GCC’s women’s cross country teams competed last Friday and were led by Yajaira Calderon, who took fourth place overall.
By Matthew Osherow GCC Assistant Cross Country Coach The Glendale College men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the SoCal Preview race down south in
San Diego this past Friday. There they got a sneak peek of the schools they would face off against at the Southern California Championship race in November. The women ended up taking first place with a total of 38 points, beating second place Ventura by 62 points and third place Riv-
Matthew Osherow Courtesy Photo
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY: The men’s team took eight place overall at the SoCal Preview Race.
erside by 89 points. The Lady Vaqueros were led by Yajaira Calderon, who took fourth place overall with a time of 19:32.6. She was followed by fifth place finisher Phoebe Forsyth (19:40.8), seventh Place finisher Jamie Levin (20:04.5), eighth Place finisher Lydia Forsyth (20:16.9), and 14th place finisher Bianca Biel (20:36.1) to round out the top five scoring runners in the race. All five runners would go on to finish in the top 15 of a field of 209 athletes. The men had to compete without three of their sophomore runners (Spencer Geck, Eric Guttierrez, and Abraham Martinez). They ended up taking eighth place with a total of 253 points. They were led by Marvin Guardado, who would go on to be Glendale’s first runner for the second straight week, taking 33rd place in a time of 22:25.6. Guardado was followed by Albert Serrano who finished 43rd in a time of 22:37.3, and Kevin Keller, who took 56th in a time of 22:54.9. Rounding out the top five would be 59th place finisher Ameer Mohammed (22:58.5) and 71st place finisher Usiel Ulloa (23:18.4). The next stop for the Vaqueros will be the Coyote Invitational this Saturday at CSU San Bernardino.
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On Sept. 8, the California State Assembly unanimously passed Senate Bill 206 or most notably known as, “The Fair Pay to Play Bill.” This bill allows student athletes from the University of California and California State University school system to be able to profit off their name, image and likeness. This bill has come under fire from the National Collegiate Athletic Association President Mark Emmert. In a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsome, the NCAA voiced their concern about the bill. “If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme, it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics and, because it gives those schools an unfair recruiting advantage, would result in them eventually being unable to compete in NCAA competitions,” the letter said. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, who was one of the authors of the bill, called the NCAA’s warnings mere scare tactics. El Vaquero reached out to several division one student athletes in California but all declined to comment about the bill. Notable figures such as NBA star Lebron James and Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders gave their support via twitter. “Everyone in California — call your politicians and tell them to support SB 206! This law is a GAME CHANGER. College athletes can responsibly get paid for what they do and the billions they create,” James wrote on Twitter. Sanders made a similar comment, albeit more brief: “College athletes are workers. Pay them.” The bill is currently on Gov. Newsom’s desk. If it becomes law, it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
GCC students admission $5 for both days.
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Wednesday, September 18, 2019
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Taylor Swift Gets Controversial Pop sensation’s new album is a very different offering from previous work By Anahit Sydney Staff Writer After hitting rock bottom and going through some of the most difficult and apocalyptic times, as she describes, songstress and performer Taylor Swift has finally stepped into the light and liberation. Her most recent record, “Lover,” demonstrates just that. Unlike Swift’s most previous album, “Reputation,” which represented a very dark and isolated time in her life, her seventh studio recorded album feels like an epiphany and breakthrough from those times. “Lover” embraces all forms of love, including romance, grief, loneliness, religion, and more, and celebrates both the good and troubling times. As Swift describes it, it is “a love letter to love itself.” Although critics compare the record to some of her previous work, “Lover,” is a very versatile album as it is classified under pop, but has influences of country, rock, punk and R&B, and includes collaborations with the Dixie Chicks and Brendon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. This is also Swift’s first fully-owned album as an artist. By breaking major records such as simultaneously charting all 18 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning the biggest first week sales of 2019 in just 24 hours after its release, it is evident that the record has left a major impression on her audience. From tackling issues such as equality, sexism, politics
and cancer, Swift embodies all emotions during different situations with a theme of finding everlasting love and freedom. The singer-songwriter’s second single from the record, “You need to Calm Down,” feels like an anthem for all types of people around the world who feel misunderstood and discriminated against. As one of the lyrics goes, “Control your urges to scream about all of the people you hate / ‘Cause shade never made anybody less gay.” Swift empowers the LGBTQ+ community by celebrating their love and disregarding the negative noise coming from disapproving people. At the end of the official music video, Swift has posted the link to a petition titled “The Equality Act,” now with over 500,000 signatures. The petitition is designed to fight discrimination that the community faces in the labor, school and legal systems. The fourth track from the album, titled “The Man,” demonstrates the sexism that women face in the industry and the mistreatment that they receive. According to Swift, the track was written to put into perspective of how she would be treated if she had the same exact career and did the same things but with one difference, being a man. One of her lines says, “If I was out flashin’ my dollas, I’d be a bitch not a baller.” This is a very relevant lyric in society as men are praised and respected to constantly flaunt their success and valuables, while women are looked down
upon and disregarded for it. Taylor also addresses topics and issues close to her heart, such as the 2016 presidential elections in a song titled “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” The track signifies the disappointment and sadness that the elections and turnout has caused for her and the general democratic party. She portrays and sets the scene as a high school homecoming, which is very subtle. The song itself is very catchy, lyrically beautiful and does not feel forceful in terms of her political views. Although some tracks have very political and social messages, she also gets very candid and personal with a number of songs. “Soon you’ll get better,” featuring the Dixie Chicks, talks about her mother’s ongoing battle with cancer and a recent relapse that she had this year. The song is very universal and capable of relating to different situations that people go through which make them feel helpless and lonely. She also gives an insight to her private relationship with boyfriend of three years, Joe Alwyn. With songs from “Paper rings” to “London Boy” to “Lover,” it is evident that Taylor has never been happier and more in love. The versatile collection ends with the track titled “Daylight.” The song highlights all the negatives that one goes through that creates a sensation of loneliness and isolation but eventually finds the silver lining and everlasting love. She refers to the times where she felt like
Eian Gil Staff Photographer
The Smell: One of the Last Promising Music Venues By Eian Gil Staff Writer Living in Glendale, the need for some live weekend entertainment is almost always fulfilled by the American and Galleria, which have soaked up the spotlight and established themselves as the go-to for
whatever you might be looking to do. Residents of Glendale and Los Angeles have a growing need for entertainment that will give our ears a break from overly contrived popular music, like Frank Sinatra ballads in our malls, and boring, generic bands in our bars. Sadly, there aren’t
many options left. Years ago underground clubs and music venues provided Glendale with all the entertainment it needed to fuel its counterculture, which appears to be less present today. Names like Pehrspace and Complex may not ring a bell, but only a couple years ago
Anahit Sydney Staff Illustrator
she was stuck in dark times but the days have eventually gotten brighter and the only thing she is able to see, is daylight. The song ends with a spoken note that says “You are what you love.” This is a very open ended quote and leaves people with something to think about. It is such a big and impactful statement as it insinuates that you
are your own person and you are able to decide who that is. Ultimately, the album covers many issues that Swift has faced in her career and personal life but ends with hope and love which dominates all.
they were some of the most popular music venues in the city, providing underground artists and their fans with a space to freely express themselves. Whether you attribute their closing to increased rent, loss of interest, or general bad luck, there’s no arguing that the current lack of representation for smaller up and coming artists leaves something to be desired. That’s where The Smell comes in. Since 1998, The Smell has been one of Los Angeles’ most popular all ages venues-at least for those who can find it. Located in downtown LA and only a few blocks from Little Tokyo, the DIY-style venue has had a constant stream of loyal fans who help keep the volunteer run business afloat despite the ever present fear of closing. #SAVETHESMELL has been circulating on their website for some time now, as a reminder to all venue goers that this place may not be around forever, but thankfully for now it looks like it’s going to be around at least until the new year. With its only entrance in an alleyway, and a usual door fee of only five dollars, The Smell has always been the “not so secret secret club” for a crowd of new age punks that refuse to let the movement die. With such a low
cost for entry, and such a wide array of services (like their vegan friendly snacks), it’s important to remember to repay the favor if you find yourself becoming a regular, so spread the word! The number of venues that allow all ages in attendance across our city is only decreasing, and while some of us may enjoy the benefits of bars and other establishments, the diverse community The Smell provides wouldn’t be able to survive without its fierce dedication for creating an artistic space for all forms of expression and all people. The number of all ages venues in Los Angeles is steadily decreasing, which makes it even more important to acknowledge and support the few left standing. The Smell helps diverse and artistic communities grow, all through the impressive efforts of its volunteers and patrons. Although its survived this long, the venues presence in the underground music scene is far from secured for the years to come. You can visit this venue at 247 S Main St. in Los Angeles. For more information, go to: www.thesmell.org
Anahit Sydney can be reached at anahitsahakyan0329@gmail.com.
Eian Gil can be reached at eianmgil@gmail.com.
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ENTERTAINMENT/ADVERTISEMENT www.elvaq.com Wednesday, September 18, 2019
‘It’s Always Sunny’ Returns for a Record-Breaking Season The Fourteenth Reason Premieres September 25 on FXX
Courtesy Photo
By Yesenia Thomson Associate Editor In 2005, FX premiered an original called “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Greenlighting the show based on a $100 pilot, it’s no wonder the initial audience and critic reaction was, well, non-existent. After a lackluster first season, the network looked to cancel the dark comedy, but the little show-
who-could was able to stick it out. After the addition of veteran actor Danny DeVito to the main cast, the once-failing show would soon become critically acclaimed and would grow a fan base to match. Now going into its 14th season, IASIP has tied with ‘The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet’ (a show from the 1950’s) for the title of longest-running liveaction comedy in history. The series is poised to go on to break
this record, with FX chairman John Landgraf telling Deadline the program could easily go on to season 16 and beyond if writers and stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glen Howerton, chose to. “It’s completely up to them. We will absolutely make more seasons of Sunny if the gang chooses to make more seasons of Sunny,” Landgraf told Deadline. Only read on if you don’t mind spoilers! Last season left
off on an unusually heartfelt note. Audiences saw one of the show’s main characters, Ronald “Mac” McDonald (played by creator Rob McElhenney) struggle to find his place in the world as a newly out gay man. This struggle culminates in Mac coming out to his incarcerated father, Luther, while performing a haunting contemporary-dance number, complete with rain and a standing ovation — from all but his dad.
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With the cast sharing small snippets of the new season on social media, fans are excited to find out all that it’s ivory anniversary has to offer. The new season of Sunny will premiere Wednesday, Sept. 25 on FXX. Season one through 14 can be watched now on Hulu.
Yesenia Thomson can be reached at thompsonyesenia@gmail.com