January 25 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 January 25, 2017

Visit us@www.elvaq.com

El Vaquero Newspaper

@ G CC_El V aq

@ G CC_El V aq

Volume 108 | Number 8

Women’s March Draws 750,00 Peaceful Protesters Marchers Worldwide Show Solidarity

By Morgan Stephens

A

fter days of heavy rain, the sun came out for hundreds of thousands of protesters at the Women’s March in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, the day after Donald J. Trump was inaugurated president of the United States.

An estimated 750,000 activists participated in the march, according to the Los Angeles Times. Mostly women, but also men and children, took to the streets as a sister event to the Women’s March on Washington.

“I’m marching for the rights of my three daughters,” Debbie Stopp, participant said. “I’m marching for equality,” another woman shouted, “because it’s the right thing to do,” an activist chimed in.

The streets were engulfed with signs of protest and chants as thousands marched from Pershing Square to the steps of Los Angeles City Hall.

Nearly 5 million people participated in similar protests around the nation and globally, in more than 50 countries.

Cities included New York, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Portland, London, Sydney, Berlin and Paris, among others.

Distinctive pink cat knitted beanies were scattered throughout the crowd as a symbol of feminism. Among the issues being voiced varied from human rights, racism, reproductive rights, gender inequality, LGBT equality, climate change, to universal health care.

“To the little ones, the future belongs to you and it is our duty as grandparents to tell you about the America that we know, that we believe in, that there will be a future for after we get rid of this nightmare,” said speaker Hannah-Beth Jackson, a California state senator from Santa Barbara county.

Keynote speakers included Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, Natalie Portman, Jane Fonda, Miley Cyrus and Barbra Streisand.

“I wasn’t asking for anything but respect, and I still have my respect and my pride. I march for me and all of you who have gone through this trash.

I persevere,” a tearful woman echoed to the crowd regarding a sexual assault encounter. In jeans and a sweater, she held a sign that read, “This is what I was wearing. Don’t let your ‘leader’ tell you I was ‘asking for it’.’”

Chants sporadically rose up from the crowd, “Show me what democracy looks like,” responding with “This is what democracy looks like”, and “Her body, her choice”, with the response “My body, my choice.”

Despite a significant police presence, no arrests were made during the march in any of the participating cities.

“I’m a woman of color, I grew up in a household of a woman who is gay, and all the things that this administration is against, is what I, myself represent and I want to fight against that,” said

Photo by Morgan Stephens

L.A. WOMEN: Hundreds of thousands joined in the peaceful protest in front of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday after marching from Pershing Square. The march far exceeded expected crowd numbers. See page 4 for more exclusive photographs.

Venisha Jeff, Fearless Feminists Action Committee member.

“I’m angry and disappointed, but I want to be about action, that’s why I’m here.”

Journalists and crowd analysts estimated the crowd size of the Women’s March far exceeded Trump’s inauguration on Friday. Photos of the events revealed a much larger crowd for the Women’s March, which boasted 275,000 DC Metro rides before 11 a.m., surpassing the figures from the previous morning.

Local and federal agencies have not yet released the numbers for the inauguration size. Although DC Metro figures counted 193,000 rides on Friday, less than half of Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009 at 537,000 rides, and far less than his second inauguration in 2013 at 317,000 rides.

Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, drew criticism after he said in a press conference on Saturday, “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe,” in reference to Trump’s inauguration crowd size. White House aide Kellyanne Conway defended Spicer during an interview with “Meet The Press” host Chuck Todd, saying Spicer was using “alternative facts.”

The Women’s March on Washington website requested “10 Actions in 100 days” after the event on Saturday, encouraging activists to continue to contact their elected representatives and get involved with causes.

Morgan Stephens be reached at morganstephens6@gmail.com

Sierra Vista Building

Possibly Another Year Before Occupancy

By Diane Roxas

A

whole new year will pass before the departments waiting to occupy Sierra Vista will be able to move from their now in some cases overcrowded or decrepit current quarters into the new building.

It was initially supposed to be ready for occupancy in the winter of 2016.

“The building won’t be available for 2017, but we are in a continual mode of moving the contractor forward and getting the work done,” said Anthony Culpepper, vice president of administrative services. “Our current timeline is to hopefully have it ready by spring of 2018.”

A couple of departments looking forward to occupy the new building were moved around in different accommodations. The human resources department is currently in a trailer adjacent to the tennis courts to allow the Welcome Center to use their former space.

The culinary arts department will be moving to a portable classroom which will be installed by the east side of the auditorium. They will be staying there until the completion of the Sierra Vista building.

The building was estimated to be at around 95 percent completion in April 2015 when the original contractor, MallCraft, was replaced by Toby Hayward, Inc. The takeover contractor needed to deconstruct parts of the building and this brought the percentage down to 75 percent.

“Because substantial portions of the mechanical systems lacked quality of work and workmanship, the district issued numerous construction deviations and corrections,” said Nelson Oliveira, director of facilities and construction.

Currently, the construction company is working on the air conditioning system.

There are units on the building’s rooftop that blow air through horizontal and vertical ducts around the building. In the event of a fire and the alarm is pulled, the air handlers stop working, which prevents smoke from spreading throughout the building.

“If the ducts are improperly installed and sealed, the fire defenses of the building are compromised,” Oliveira said. “The additional significant issues found are related to insulation and fire sealing. They are now being addressed along with all other activities.”

The contractor is currently in the process of making sure that the building is in full compliance with the Division of State Architect standards and Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status.

LEED has guidelines for new buildings to have a sustainable approach on energy efficiency. Sierra Vista has a silver status since it includes the use of reclaimed water as well as ground-source heating and cooling.

“The quality of work being produced by the current contractor is optimum,” Oliveira said. “It complies with our plans and specifications and meets industry standards. The district will get what we Diane Roxas be reached at dmroxas7@gmail.com

2

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

EL V EDITOR IN CHIEF Melody Shahsavarani REPORTERS Diane Roxas Morgan Stephens PHOTOGRAPHERS Sal Polcino Morgan Stephens Rich Kontas PRODUCTION Sal Polcino Jayne Pojawa Rich Kontas faculty adviser Michael Moreau mmoreau@glendale.edu (818) 551-5214 advertising Jeff Smith jsmith@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000, ext. 5493

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 melody.elvaq@gmail.com 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

IN THIS ISSUE

News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Review/Column. . . . . . . . . 5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Lifestyle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

www.elvaq.com

LETTERS

Long Time El Vaquero Adviser Bids Adieu

By Michael Moreau When I became adviser to El Vaquero 1998, I barely knew what an adviser did, and the first student staff looked at me as warily as I did the task ahead.

There was a crusty and wheezy retired copy editor who held the adviser job as an adjunct, and I had been hired to teach a couple of English classes. (Language Arts back then included Journalism and English). I was introduced to the part-time adviser and was asked to help him out because he had been struggling with health problems. I found that there were only four students in both Journalism 103 and 104, and no designated student editor — nor for several semesters had the introductory Journalism 102 class been offered. There seemed to be no particular urgency to get out a newspaper. I was told that El Vaquero came out sporadically and only when the small staff could actually get it together.

The student government, which has always been generous in financial support, had pulled back funding until the paper could show that it was worth the investment.

As adjuncts, both the wheezy retired copyeditor and I parked at the top of the hill, before there was a parking structure and before the elevators. Those stairs were daunting. One of the first things my colleague told me was that he hated climbing up that hill and that he was afraid he was going to have a stroke if he did it one more time. A few days after that, he said, “Michael, I can’t deal with this anymore. Why don’t you just take it over?”

I was astonished at first. But soon after that David White, chair of the English Department, and Vice President Chris McCarthy, met with me to ask if I could take over the paper. I said sure, I would be glad to. I had taken a buyout from the LA Times a couple of years earlier and my freelance dreams weren’t paying the bills.

In my first meeting with the staff as designated adviser, I asked who the editor was. No one responded, but a lanky fellow who appeared to be in his early 20s stepped forward and said he’d do it if no one else was interested.

It was a start.

He was a nice guy, but he preferred playing cards outside the AD building to working on the paper. But somehow we got it together. I didn’t know much about the page design program that was installed on the two occasionally operable computers in the room and neither did the editor. What I figured we needed was QuarkXPress and someone who knew how to navigate it.

That someone turned out to be

LAST HURRAH: Journalism adviser Michael Moreau, center, at the Journalism Association of Community College SoCal convention in Cerritos on November 9 with award winners Diane Roxas, Sal Polcino and Editor-in-Chief Melody Shahsavarani from fall semester 2016.

David Glover of the business department, who saved our first few issues for us. Later, I met Charles Eastman of the Art Department, a graphic artist who became indispensable to El Vaquero for most of the time I have been here.

After I served a couple of very challenging semesters as an adjunct, David White, the English chair, told me that a full-time position was being considered and that I might want to apply for it. The teaching assignment was to combine journalism and English classes and it would require master’s degrees in both English and Journalism — both of which I luckily had. It seemed like a perfect fit.

When I went to the final interview, with Chris McCarthy and long-time college President John Davitt, McCarthy said something I will never forget: “You can’t have a college without a newspaper.”

That has been a guiding principle of the college and I know it is also the belief of our current President David Viar. And I thank them and all the administrators, the college support staff, and my faculty colleagues for their invaluable support over the years.

But most of all I owe thanks to the dedicated student writers and photographers and editors who have worked so hard and believed so strongly in journalism to have made El Vaquero a newspaper that is respected around the state for its excellence.

I have been privileged to work with some of the most dedicated and accomplished students to have passed through the campus over the past 20 years. I have seen many of them go on to work in print and broadcast journalism

or public relations or other communications-related jobs, and I have maintained lasting friendships with several of them.

I have seen writers and editors work well into the night to get their stories right and to make the paper read well and look as good as it can. And if writing weren’t enough of a challenge, I have been in meetings where the staff haggled over the merits of various typefaces, over whether to change the logo style, or even whether to rename the paper. But El Vaquero has seemed to stick.

More than 150 newspapers have been published since I started, and there have been nearly 20 editors. They typically served for two semesters, although two editors resigned within a few weeks — one because he had to take a full-time job and the other who seemed to have developed a phobia against working with other people. A previously serving editor jumped in to fill the void. There was never a missed paper, although there were many story deadlines pushed to the limit — sometimes because of that one last interview that was needed, other times because of procrastination. One of the hard lessons to learn is the sanctity of deadlines.

Working for the newspaper is unlike most other classes. It provides lessons in responsibility like almost no other discipline.

A college newspaper is actually a business. There are budgets to prepare and meet, bills to be paid, advertisers to appeal to, and readers who expect to see the paper appear with clocklike regularity, and for stories to be fair and accurate.

As I look back over the years and the staffs that passed through

San Gabriel 140, I feel honored to have known most of these people, and sad that I won’t see how they and future instructors will move into an increasingly digital world, and how they will fight the battles against the purveyors of fake news and the trivialization of what is an honorable profession.

When I was 18 and 19, I was in and out of college and I was an indifferent student. I liked to read and I thought I wanted to write, but I wasn’t doing much about it.

It took me a long time to find my way. As I write this, I am looking from my office into the newsroom on a cold January night. Some of the most motivated students from the fall semester have reported on several stories that are going into a special mid-winter issue.

There is no journalism class in the winter. They are not doing this as an assignment. There are no grades, no extra credit. The bylines you see on the stories in the issue are names to look for in the future. These are people who will make a difference in the world.

We have just celebrated the 20th birthday of our editor-inchief, Melody Shahsavarani.

You can see her name on the masthead and on her Grammy story. Entertainment is her passion. She’ll be editor into the spring and then plans to transfer to the USC Annenberg School.

She has come a long way since I first started working with her two years ago.

It occurred to me that she was born the year I started teaching.

It’s a good time for me to say goodbye.

The paper will be in good hands.

Michael Moreau can be reached at mmoreau@glendale.edu

EL VAQUERO

www.elvaq.com

COLUMN

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

3

Ask Aggie: Involvement at GCC Makes a Difference

By Agnessa Kasumyan

D

ragging my feet up the steps of campus on my first day of post-prison (high school) education, my feet were weighed down with dread and reluctance.

I looked at the teal railings in distaste, dubbing the chips in the bland paint as signs that the next two years at GCC would chip away at my sanity.

Melodramatic, I know. But like many others, I bought into the stigma attached to community colleges. I couldn’t wait until I completed my G.E. courses and transferred out. That’s when my life will really begin, I thought.

I had no plans to get involved in campus life — except to join the newspaper as a way to pass the time and build my skillset as an aspiring journalist. Fortunately, my friend Mary encouraged me to join the Scholars Program, which I did simply to increase my chances of transferring to a reputable school.

But joining El Vaquero and Scholars were two of the smart-

est decisions I made as a budding adult. Not only did both require getting more involved on campus, but also in the community.

Through the newspaper, I grew up as not only a writer and a journalist, but as a human being, learning from those much more experienced and knowledgeable than myself. I learned to swallow my pride, put my head down, and just simply work to move forward.

Professor Michael Moreau and our production team, which consisted of Sal Polcino, Jane Pojawa, Rich Kontas, and Charles Eastman, were the heart and soul of El Vaquero, keeping the other writers and I on our toes as their blunt and honest criticism forced us out of our Millennial shells and emphasized the importance of meetings deadlines in the adult world. A newsroom is a welloiled machine, and when one part fails, the whole structure is in danger of collapsing — often, we learned this the hard way.

Through Scholars, I was similarly blessed, working with peo-

ple who pushed me to aspire toward constant improvement. The program’s director, Dr. Harnett, is simply a gem, working long hours to make sure his students make the most out of their education.

I used to see the program as just an opportunity for university

resume-padding, but upon getting more involved and working directly with Dr. Harnett, I realized that it was so much for than an honors curriculum — it was about community and teamwork..

As we assembled to organize fundraisers, volunteering events, and what seemed like an endless

line-up of meetings, my fellow scholars and I realized that teamwork really does make the dream work — as cliché as the adage may seem.

Had I continued my education at GCC with the same bored and detached attitude I started out with, I would have missed out on major opportunities for personal and academic growth. Not only did I meet two of the greatest mentors anybody could ask for (Professor Moreau and Dr. Harnett), but I also made lifelong friends and met individuals, such as President David Viar, whose dedication to the campus and its students fueled my sense of belonging at GCC. Many often decry the value of a college education. In fact, during my first semester at USC, one professor rather haughtily remarked that, as a community college transfer student, I must surely struggle with the scope and length of the readings. I was more than happy to inform him that many of my professors at GCC were some of the best and most

inspiring instructors I had ever come across (shout out to Professors Toby Rogers, Michael Reed, Levon Marashlian, John Queen, and Marguerite Renner).

I cannot emphasize enough the benefits of making the most out of one’s experience at community college. Upon transferring, the skillsets built at a two-year institution will help transitioning to a four-year university run more smoothly.

Not only will keeping up with the course load seem less daunting, but so will getting more involved on campus. Most of the professors you come across upon transfer will not be like the snooty aforementioned one, as they are typically happy to answer any questions you have about the course or the university. They will not treat you any differently as a transfer, nor think you are less than capable of keeping up — and you shouldn’t either. After all, you are a Vaquero!

Agnessa Kasumyan can be reached at agnessaks@gmail.com

THE ARTS

Editor’s Pick: And the GRAMMY Goes To...

By Melody Shahsavarani

M

usic’s biggest night will once again bring the industry’s superstars and newcomers for the 59th annual GRAMMY Awards when it airs Feb. 12 on CBS at 8 p.m.

Nominations for all 84 categories were announced in early December. This year’s competition brings nail-biting anticipation.

Beyoncé, the most nominated female artist, leads the pack with nine, followed by Kanye West, Drake and Rihanna with eight each.

To be eligible, albums must be released between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016.

The GRAMMY nominees are selected by the Academy of the Recording Arts, which consists of recording artists, songwriters, producers and engineers.

Album of the Year: • “25” — Adele, • “Lemonade” — Beyoncé, • “Purpose”— Justin Bieber, • “Views” — Drake • “A Sailor’s Guide To Earth” — Sturgill Simpson.

The battle is between Adele and Beyoncé, both powerhouse vocalists who dominated charts and sales throughout last year. Adele’s “25” is a safe choice, as she has a prominent standing in the industry, with her downcast lyrics she still strings in a mass mixed audience. Beyoncé’s groundbreaking album “Lemonade” is politically oriented, and sparked a movement with hits such as “Formation” and “Freedom.”

The recording academy can sway either way to satisfy ratings and viewership.

Record of the Year: • “Hello” — Adele • “Formation” — Beyoncé • “7 Years” — Lukas Graham • “Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake • “Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots It’s evident that Adele can easily scoop up record of the year for a second time. She resurfaced with “Hello” and with an imme-

diate response broke records on Youtube, along with the charts. It was embraced worldwide, being one of the most talked about tracks of 2015. She effortlessly transitions through each verse, along with piercing through each high note.

Song Of The Year: • “Formation” — Beyoncé • “Hello” — Adele • “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” — Mike Posner • “Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber • “7 Years” — Lukas Graham Beyoncé’s “Formation” led a movement throughout 2016, after it’s television debut at the Super Bowl halftime show. It became an anthem for women empowerment and Black Lives Matter. It gives a sense of urgency for what needs to be said and heard during these difficult times for social justice. She is an artist who is willing to take professional risks, and for her undeniable talent and starpower, Beyoncé deserves this award for a track featured on a culturally relevant album.

Best New Artist: • Kelsea Ballerini • The Chainsmokers • Chance The Rapper • Maren Morris • Anderson.Paak The Chicago native, catapulted to fame with his 2013 mixtape “Acid Rap.” Chancelor Bennett, notably known as Chance the Rapper, first dabbled with music when on suspension from school, and that’s when he released his first mixtape “10 Day.” It gained the attention of Forbes Magazine, featured in their Cheap Tunes Column. Bennett brings soul, vibrant sounds and lyrics to the table all without a record label backing. His current charttopper “Coloring Book,” only available through streaming services, debuted on the Billboard 200. As his first year in the competition, he racks up seven nominations. He embeds political and social matters within tracks and his distinction in the rap game deserves this recognition of best new artist.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Superstars Beyoncé and Adele will go head-to-head for the most notable award of the night. The 59th annual GRAMMY Awards will air Feb. 12 on CBS at 8 p.m.

Best Pop Vocal Album: • “25” — Adele • “Purpose” — Justin Bieber • “Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande • “Confident” — Demi Lovato • “This Is Acting” — Sia As most would jump to the conclusion of Adele sweeping this category, best pop vocal album can be a battle between Bieber and Grande. “Purpose” redefined Bieber as an artist and his eclectic and enticing vocals blend together in this chart topping comeback album. But from Grande’s petite body emanates a set of powerhouse vocals, “Dangerous Woman” enthralled fans and radio waves as she introduces a new persona. The sultry-pop tracks from “Into You” and “Side to Side,” with a little hip-hop flare on “Everyday” effortlessly obtains the stamina needed for the win of best pop vocal album.

Best Rap Album: • “Coloring Book” — Chance The Rapper • “And the Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul” • “Major Key” — DJ Khaled • “Views” — Drake • “Blank Face LP” — ScHoolboy Q

• “The Life of Pablo” — Kanye West” — Kanye West Featuring Rihanna Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book” has obtained seven nominations, and it’s unique because it was issued exclusively on music streaming platforms (Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal), not as a physical album or digital download. Due to this year’s’ rule change, “Coloring Book” was eligible.

The rule allows streaming-only titles to be considered for recognition. The 13-track compilation album transcends to a gospelfilled, poetic rap album, with some of the best contemporary artists featuring on several tracks. “Coloring Book” became the first streaming-only release to chart on the Billboard 200. It could become the first streaming-only title to win a GRAMMY. The 59th annual GRAMMY awards will bring many show-stopping performances along with memorable wins as each cateogory outdoes itself.

Melody Shahsavarani can be reached at melody.elvaq@gmail.com

4

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

FEATURE

www.elvaq.com

Los Angeles Women’s March in Pictures Women and their supporters gather in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday in solidarity with millions across the globe.

Photo by Sal Polcino Photo by Richard Kontas

Photo by Morgan Stephens

Photo by Sal Polcino

Photo by Sal Polcino

www.elvaq.com

REVIEWS

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

5

What Makes Us Human?

HBO’s new series questions the nature of consciousness

By Jane Pojawa

I

n a world of first-person shooter video games that will soon be augmented with virtual reality helmets, it is easy to imagine the next step: an amusement park where players can enact their fantasies as a full-immersion experience.

This is the premise of “Westworld,” HBO’s newest big-budget serialized drama. Wealthy “guests” travel back to the heady days of the western frontier where they are welcomed by a wide variety of archetypical characters known as “hosts” who draw them into various storylines. Adding to the realism of the park environment, the hosts are blissfully unaware that they are in any way different from the guests, and interact with them as fellow human beings.

Of course there is a critical difference — the hosts are objects who have no more reality than a digital prostitute in “Grand Theft Auto.” Guests may choose to wear white hats or black hats, signifying a general tendency towards heroic or villainous traits and use the hosts as they will, which in the consequence-free environment tends to sex and murder. After each round of play the dead and damaged hosts, which are extraordinarily sophisticated androids, are gathered up for cleaning and repair, and most importantly, to have their memories erased.

“Westworld” is loosely based on the 1973 film of the same name, written and directed Michael Crichton who went on to write “Jurassic Park.” Its pres-

ent incarnation owes more to husband-wife creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, whose multilevel storylines and dialogue are mesmerizing.

HBO is literally banking on the success of this show, which many consider to be a successor to “Game of Thrones.” The pilot episode cost $25 million, the first season is estimated at $100 million. It’s star actors include Anthony Hopkins as park founder Dr. Robert Ford, Ed Harris as The Man in Black, Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy, a plucky girl-next-door host, Jeffrey Wright as Ford’s assistant Bernard Lowe, Jimmi Simpson as a firsttime guest, and in a particularly riveting performance, Thandie Newton as level-headed madam Maeve Millay.

According to Forbes, the investment has paid off: “Westworld” attracted 12 million weekly viewers on average, which gave it the most viewers of any original HBO series’ first season.

After Ford programs the robots to experience a sort of “reverie” or period of reflection to give them an enhanced “realness,” glitches start occurring among the robots.

Sometimes this manifests in overloading the circuits, sometimes in unpredictable behavior. Tensions in the park management become strained. Ford and Lowe, as scientists, have their own agenda to push the limits of what is possible with artificial life. The guests have the expectation of limitless entertainment, and the park stockholders want Westworld to be as profitable as possible. Amid all of

GO WEST: Brothel keeper Maeve Milay (Thandie Newton) has a tragic history as settler who unsuccessfully defended her daughter (played by Jasmyn Rae) from a violent Indian attack. Westworld questions whether a synthesized memory can be experientially real.

this, it seems that the androids are becoming sentient.

Hosts fulfil a number of functions, but the main imperative is that the guests are kept safe.

Guests may kill hosts but not each other, and a pre-programmed “good Samaritan” reflex causes the hosts to protect the guests from harm, whether that comes from hosts, other guests or from themselves. The recklessness of saloon fights, shoot-outs, buffalo stampedes and wild desperados is mitigated by the reality that humans can’t be seriously injured.

Reminiscent of the studies of social-psychologist Paul Piff, which demonstrate that winners in a rigged game of Monopoly are quick to forget their privilege and give themselves credit for unearned achievements, the guests begin to forget any social constraints that they felt in the out-

side world.

Into this venue of frontier lawlessness, guests are encouraged to discover their “true selves” and in practice that seems to mean that in a consequence-free environment, it doesn’t take long for “civilized” people to go completely “Lord of the Flies” on the hosts. The most sadistic of them all being The Man in Black, a mysterious guest played by Ed Harris, who claims that he has visited Westworld since it opened 30 years before, and seems to be following a storyline of his own invention.

As for the hosts, the hyperrealism aspired to by Ford and Lowe causes tension with the Delos Corporation and with the lead storyline editor who find that the expense, the glitchiness and the maintenance aren’t worth the trade-off. The storyline editor

Lee Sizemore (played by Simon Quarterman) makes a convincing argument that guests do not want to play with realistic game pieces — that making them more human detracts from the enjoyment of the consequence-free experience. Nevertheless, independently of one another the androids are becoming “woke.” They connect with their traumatic anchor point, a synthetic memory that is experienced as real, and when combined with memory begins to create a consciousness, leaving viewers wondering what it really means to be human.

“Westworld” is available on HBO/ HBO GO 5/5 Stars

««««« Jane Pojawa can be reached at elvaquero.editor @gmail.com

Dissociative Disorder Subject of Psychological Thriller

CRAZY ABOUT YOU: James McAvoy stars in M.Night Shyamalan’s newest movie, “Split.” Hightly recommended.

By Eric Bourse After nearly 15 years, writerdirector M. Night Shyamalan has finally delivered a movie that ranks with the trio of films that put him on the map with “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable” and

“Signs.” “Split” is a psychological-horror drama boasting an impressive performance by James McAvoy and an ending that will be talked about for years to come.

After a series of high-budget duds ranging from forgettable to abysmal, Shyamalan’s 2015 en-

try into the found-footage horror subgenre was a surprising success with “The Visit.” This year the result is even better.

The film opens with the abduction of three teenage girls in a parking lot who are then imprisoned by Kevin (played by McAvoy,) a man with 23 distinct personalities. To make matters even more dire, Kevin informs his captives that they will soon become sacred food for “The Beast.”

One of the teenagers, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), is not only an outcast, but tries to escape the lunatic’s prison by trying to manipulate Hedwig, the 9-year-old personality of Kevin. This adds an interesting dynamic by showing an prisoner trying to swing the balance of power from her captor not through desperate escape attempts, but by appealing to his inner-child. The script does a good job setting up the scenes between Casey and Kevin as we learn more about their traumatic pasts scarred from child abuse.

“Split” also follows Doctor Fletcher (Betty Buckley), Kevin’s psychologist and someone who believes that he is suffering from

dissociative identity disorder and that it is something that not only affects him mentally, but can cause slight physical changes in his body. Kevin’s “undesirable” personalities, Patricia and Dennis, want to take it a step further to turn him into a monster with the hunger for human flesh to terrorize people who they deem to be “impure.”

The anchor of the film is James McAvoy’s performance as Kevin and his multiple personalities.

McAvoy can be drawing nervous laughter from the audience one second or be downright terrifying the next. Even the humorous moments of the movie are filled with tension as it’s unpredictable when Kevin will switch back to his crueler personalities Patricia and Dennis.

One of the best moments in the film is when Fletcher notices that Kevin is hiding something when his “undesirable” personality Dennis (who has OCD) is trying to trick her by pretending to be another personality “Barry,” a charming fashion designer. The subtle clues as to which personality he is actively channeling (or

pretending to) adds an extra reason to pay attention.

With Shyamalan’s film career mainly defined by his love for surprise twist endings, “Split” may just have his most surprising one yet. More so than any of his other movies, the ending will make or break the film for audiences. After the reveal, a lot of what happens in the movie takes on an almost entirely different meaning and will warrant at least a second viewing to catch all the clues.

“Split” is not only recaptures most of the magic that made Shyamalan’s heyday so attentiongrabbing but also stands on its own merits as a thoroughly engaging psychological-horror film.

The film is rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and behavior, violence and some language and runs for 117 minutes.

4 out of 5 Stars

«««« Eric Bourse can be reached at elvaquero.editor@gmail.com

6

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

www.elvaq.com

S P O R TS Baseball

Softball

Womens Tennis

Jan. 28 @ LA Valley 12 p.m.

Jan. 27-28 Hawk Wilder Tourn.

Sports Complex 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Jan. 27 vs Seqouias 12 p.m.

Basketball Face-Off with Citrus Teams Lady Vaqs Stay in Front Lead Conference

By El Vaquero Staff

T

he Lady Vaqs remain undefeated in conference play with a win over Citrus Saturday. The women ran all over their opponent, winning 52-44.

Now 15-6 overall, the Glendale women’s team continues to dominate the boards. Starting point guard Katia Dabbaghian, who led the Vaqs scorers with 20 points, played a solid game with five rebounds, four steals and four assists, while forward Brooke Radcliff scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

The Lady Vaqs led by six at the half and despite the valiant effort of Citrus reserve forward Marisa Brown coming off the bench to outscore all players with 28 points, the Owls could not catch up.

The Lady Vaqs will face L.A. Valley on their court tonight at 7 p.m. and Antelope Valley at home at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Vaqueros Lose a Squeaker Owls Win in Final Seconds

By Sal Polcino

T

he Vaqueros men’s basketball team lost to Citrus College Saturday afternoon in a game that went down the wire.

The two Western State-East conference teams came onto the boards tied at 1-1 in conference play, but the Owls persevered, taking their team to second place in the division, while the Vaqs dropped to fourth.

Turnovers plagued the Vaqueros throughout the game with a total of 19 to Citrus’ 10. Though Glendale had a much higher field goal percentage, the deciding factor was the Owl’s 13 3-pointers.

All of the Vaquero starters scored in double digits, yet it wasn’t quite enough to pull off the win. Center Ange-Michel

THE BIG MAN: Vaquero Ange-Michel Kuo gets an easy two on a shot from the center of the key in the game against Citrus on Saturday. The Vaqs will face L.A. Valley tonight at 5 p.m.

Kuo posted up throughout the game and kept Citrus out of the paint, but defending the long shots from behind the 3-point line proved nearly impossible.

The Vaqueros struggled in the first half, but came back strong in the last eight minutes of the game, taking a the lead with just two minutes to go, but after a turnover and a few fouls, the Owls came back to win it with an insurmountable 3-point lead at the 1.5-second mark.

The Vaqs, now 11-9 overall, travel to L.A. Valley College to face the Monarchs tonight at 5 p.m. and will play Antelope Valley at home at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Photos by Sal Polcino Sal Polcino can be reached at elvaqed@gmail.com

BATTLE ON THE BOARDS: Vaqueros’ guard Serigne Athj puts one up from the paint during Saturday’s game against the Citrus College Owls.

WARM UPS: Lady Vaqs forward Brooke Radcliff leaves the floor for a layup before the game against Citrus Friday. The Vaqs won 52-44.

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

OPINION

7

The Alternative to Fact is Fiction

By Sal Polcino

A

fter the 45th U.S. President, Donald Trump, was sworn in on Friday, the biggest issue for his press staff seemed to be how many people attended the festivities—an issue only important to Trump’s image and how the media perceives him. In fact, Press Secretary Sean Spicer held a conference on Saturday just to deal

with crowd size.

Spicer insisted the media had grossly underestimated how many people were at the event and that they used uncomplimentary photos from Obama’s inauguration in 2013 side by side with Trump’s inauguration photos to make it look like there were fewer people. Spicer, along with his boss, still falsely insists they had the largest inauguration crowd in history.

Trump later declared his own inauguration day as a national Day of Patriotic Devotion—a confusing edict for a day that has passed and won’t happen again.

To make matters worse, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told NBC’s “Meet the Press” reporter Chuck Todd that Spicer gave the public “alternative facts.” This does not bode well for truth in journalism to come out of the White House in the next four

Photo Illustration by Sal Polcino TRUMPNOCCIO: In a break with the traditional values of truth and transparency, the 45th President chooses his own reality, unhampered by facts.

years. Isn’t the alternative to fact, fiction?

This is a non-news story. Nobody cares except Trump and the image makers on his staff and yet it is being blown out of proportion. No one cares! Imagine how his staff will react to important issues. Climate change, civil rights, LGBT...oh wait—those were taken down from the whitehouse. gov website early Friday morning. Problem solved.

One can, however, buy First Lady Melania’s jewelry from the QVC network on the White House site.

Over the last few days Trump has continued to complain that the reason he lost the popular vote is that 3 million illegal immigrants voted against him. This is yet another “alternative fact.”

Meanwhile, the new president has already redecorated the Oval Office in traditional gaudy Trump Hotel style. Because nothing says “Average Joe” like gold drapes.

At his less-than-inspiring inaugural speech Trump said, “Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another -- but we are transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.”

Immediately after the ceremonies the new president ran off to sign an executive order which

will make mortgages less affordable for the middle class and a bill which will start the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act. This could take healthcare away from as many as 20 million Americans.

Yesterday he put the Keystone and Dakota pipelines back in business.

Then there are his unrealistic proposed tax cuts. Rumors are that in his new budget, to subsidize massive tax cuts for the rich, he will cut funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which includes NPR and defund Planned Parenthood, even after millions of women across the world marched to protest.

His cabinet will be the richest and least qualified in history, yet his supporters from all walks of life continue to support him.

Even after breaking numerous campaign promises.The latest is that he will not release his tax returns, which he swore he would do if elected.

“Nobody cares,” said both Trump and Conway. Another alternative fact.

Let’s hope our new Commander-in-Chief will put his ego aside and get down to the business of running the country.

Sal Polcino can be reached at elvaqed@gmail.com

Hungry?

The GCC Food Pantry can help. The Pantry provides a variety of food and hygiene products for students in need.

Hours of operation for winter session are: Noon to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday

Located in SR 134

8

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017

LIFESTYLE

www.elvaq.com

Remembering Dr. King

By Diane Roxas

M

artin Luther King, Jr. was known for being a powerful speaker. His words transcend time and drive people to action. His works with the Civil Rights Movement led to monumental strides, most notably an African-American president for two terms.

In commemoration of this, the college held its second annual MLK Interfaith Breakfast last Tuesday at the J.W. Smith Student Center. The event was attended by school administration, faculty, staff and students, as well as the community.

Remembering King’s teachings, the breakfast was a call for unity among people of different beliefs and background. Religious leaders spoke of their own beliefs, relating King’s message in their own teachings.

King also taught about the power of love: “It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals.”

Guest speakers Danny Murillo and Steven Czifra are living examples of redemption, sharing their life stories from prison incarceration to college graduation.

Murillo was 14 years old when he was arrested and given a 15-year prison sentence.

“It wasn’t until I got into solitary confinement in 2003 that I really dedicated myself to my studies, not really knowing what I was going to do but just wanting to do something better,” Murillo said.

He was in solitary confinement when he got his GED. He continued his education in prison and had finished 40 units by the time he was released in January 2010.

He finished his associate’s degree at Cerritos College and was accepted to UC Berkeley where he graduated with a major in ethnic studies.

He met Czifra on his first day at the university and they have been friends ever since.

Czifra was arrested when he was 15 years old and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. It was extended to 16 years, half of which was spent in solitary confinement. He received his GED while he was locked up.

When he was released, he could not get a job anywhere because of his record.

“I got on a bus at eight every morning, spent 40 hours a week looking for a job and I did that for a few weeks,” Czifra said. “Then it became clear that I was unemployable.”

He decided to go to community college and get an education. He then went on to UC Berkeley where he received a bachelor’s degree in English.

Together, they decided to start the Underground Scholars Initiative (USI) at UC Berkeley. USI helps students who were formerly incarcerated or have family who were formerly or are currently in jail.

“When you are incarcerated it is not just you doing time, but it is also your family doing that time with you,” Murillo said. “I always say that my longest cellmate was my mother. She was there from the first day to the last day.”

USI aims to bridge the gap from incarceration to education and support these students to transition and thrive in an academic setting.

“If you want to improve the life of somebody who you are advocating for or you have dedicated your life to helping, the best way you can do that is to empower them and get out of the way,” Czifra said.

“Faith without works is dead.

We have a lot of people that come through and have a lot of good ideas and intentions and then we have some people that come through and they get to work. I am not that hard of a worker but when it matters I suit up and I show up.”

Diane Roxas be reached at dmroxas7@gmail.com