Sept 28 2016

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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

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El Vaquero Newspaper

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@ G CC_El V aq

September 28, 2016

Volume 108 | Number 2

Photo by Tina Fernestam

JUMP UP AND VOTE: The ASGCC celebrated Constitution Day on Thursday in Plaza Vaquero with tables set up for students to register to vote. The Activities Committee organizes a booth for Constitution Day every year. This year the new ASGCC President Emin Azarian was

dressed as George Washington. They prepared questions regarding the Constitution to educate the students on what it is about. If a student answered correctly, they got a free cupcake or a cookie. The deadline to register for the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 24.

Living Green Goes Mainstream at LA Convention Center Inside the L.A. Green Expo Festival By Morgan Stephens

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ustainable farmers, animal rights activists, yoga instructors and morticians were among the vendors gathered at the Convention Center for Green Expo Festival on Sept. 16 to 18 celebrating all that is vegan and ecofriendly. “If you want to make a difference, you have to embrace the companies and brands because they will go with the demand,” said Dr. Corinna Basler, president of The Green Festivals, Inc. “The

more people ask and care about green products, the more they will produce.” In response to 2015 market cues, companies are now seizing the consumer’s interest of green products. M.A.C. makeup boasts itself on cruelty-free manufacturing. Target and Trader Joe’s both offer a multitude of vegan and vegetarian foods in their grocery section as well as green household essentials. A green lifestyle, once geared toward a clichéd granola-crunching, Birkenstock-wearing sub-

culture is a thing of the past. Eco-friendly merchandise has officially entered the mainstream public, for those who seek healthier, cleaner products. Big Green Opportunity Report saw a 75 percent increase in businesses who sold green products during the down economy, from 2008-2011. The same survey found 49 percent of customers supported the businesses due to their environmentally beneficial practices. “When I first started there were only two meat alternatives and they weren’t very good.” said Hal Weiss, Southern California organizer for People for The Ethi-

cal Treatment of Animals, commonly known as PETA. “Back then, if you were vegan, you were going to a health food store and now that’s not really true. . .You can also get them at Vons and Ralphs.” Today, green commodities cover a broad range of food, cleaning products, farming methods, holistic medical approaches, cars, home energy options, animal rehabilitation and even burials. Eternal Meadows, a cemetery located in Santa Monica, even offers environmentally sound plots for the departed by placing the body in an organic shroud or wicker basket with no metals or

other materials. The intent is to repurpose the body back into the earth. Veganism, abstaining from all animal foods and products is gaining popularity. This includes refraining from meat, dairy, eggs and honey as well as leather or anything tested on animals. “People believe veganism is just a trend and I disagree. It’s definitely growing and hopefully will continue that path but it’s a healthy growth, it’s not fluctuating,” Basler, a-10-year vegan said. “There are more [vegan] products than ever before.” In addition, Google revealed [See Green page 3]

Aspiring Musician Brings Indian Classics to Campus By Diane Roxas

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SOUNDS OF INDIA: Evan Hatfield performs on the sitar.

Photo by Sal Polcino

any students may have passed by a musician playing a strange instrument in front of the San Gabriel building this semester. Evan Hatfield, a 23-year-old music major, lugs his sitar around campus, playing regularly in front of the student body. A sitar is a stringed instrument that has a very distinct sound that evokes feelings of a different place. Much like the bagpipes of Scotland or the shamisen of Japan are identified with specific countries, the sitar is uniquely Indian. A sitar looks similar to a banjo but with a wider, longer neck and a rounder body. Its bridge holds 18-21 strings, of which only six or seven are played, and the rest

serves to resonate the sound. Some sitars also have a second resonating chamber attached at the top of its neck, in addition to its main body. Hatfield often practices outside, whether on campus or at Verdugo Park, which is located across the college. “I met him the same way everyone else did. I saw him playing sitar his first semester, I just sat down next to him and I was like ‘we’re going to be friends’,” Jafet Vallejos, 25, talks about how he met Hatfield. “We both like music and we can relate on certain levels. We’re always showing each other music and going to shows. He’s the dude who is always dancing at a show.” [See Sitar, page 3]


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