El Paisano Newspaper Vol.64 Issue 5

Dr. Marilyn Flores

Elected 12th Superintendent/ President of Rio Hondo College

Jeffrey Barragan Opinion Editor jeffrey.barraganramos6969@my.riohondo.edu

Dr. Marilyn Flores will take over the role of President/Superintendent of Rio Hondo College. Dr. Flores is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where she obtained her doctorate.

Teresa Dreyfuss, the cur-

ter Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News and the Southern California News Group reported he had committed fraud by making unapproved changes to his contract.

Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News first reported the story on July 8, 2020. Two days later, the Southern California News Group, which owns the local

House Passes Bill to put a price limit on Insulin

eva r ivera News Editor eva.rivera2331@my.riohondo.edu

Abill to limit the cost of insulin to $35 a month was passed on March 31. The bill had the unanimous support of the Democrats along with 12 Republicans, the final vote was 232-193. For the bill to become a law at least 10 Republican votes are needed when the bill reaches the senate.

According to the CDC, one in ten people in the country are diabetic. Only 31% of those afflicted with diabetes take insulin to manage their condition. Many diabetic patients who cannot afford the medication have been faced with rationing their medications or have opted to not take it due to the frequently increasing prices of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that lowers the sugar levels in your blood, it is normally produced by the body in the pancreas. Those who have diabetes are unable to regulate their own blood sugar levels so they must inject insulin into their bodies regularly. Insulin prices range from $50 to over $1,000 and a pack of insulin pens can be priced as high as $600.

Jennifer Perea was diagnosed with diabetes in 2013 and has been taking insulin folr the past 6v years. Perea’s

thoughts on having been prescribed insulin are is more on the optimistic side, “being on insulin to me was 100% better than not.” Perea shared that she has to refill her insulin prescription two to three times a month but has been fortunate enough to have health insurance to help with the costs. Perea’s costs have been as high

Iconic McDonalds Sauce Returns For Limited Time

john.sayoc2436@my.riohondo.edu

rent Superintendent/President of Rio Hondo College, is set to retire on June 30, 2022. Previously, Dreyfus was in office for seven years between 2012 and 2019. Despite retiring, she returned to the position after Dr. Arturo Reyes was put on leave in July 2020.

Reyes was Superintendent/ President of Rio Hondo College between 2019 and 2020. But he was only active as Superintendent/President between July 2019 and July 2020. Reyes subsequently resigned from the position in Dec. 2020

Reyes was put on leave by Rio Hondo College af-

Whittier Daily News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune, independently confirmed the report.

The Rio Hondo College Superintendent/President search began during the Fall semester in Nov. 2021. After four months, the College hosted a virtual public forum with the four finalists on March 22.

Despite not being elected, one of the final four finalists was Rio Hondo College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Don Miller.

In addition, Dr. Cynthia Olivo, who was a finalist in

On March 31, 2022, McDonald’s has re-released a popular sauce. This popular sauce is called Szechuan Sauce. This sauce will be exclusively sold in the McDonald's app, and will be sold while supplies last through April 4, 2022.

Szechuan Sauce first made its appearance in McDonald's restaurants in

1998. It was served at restaurants as a promotion to the Walt Disney Company film, “Mulan.” The movie is about Mulan pretending to be a man to take her father’s place in the military, and the movie came out on June 19, 1998. The Szechuan teriyaki dipping

as $50 a refill and as low as $10 each vial keeping up with the constant fluctuation of pricing.

“I wish it would be lower [than $35] or free, to have high blood sugar is a horrible feeling,” Perea said. “If people can’t afford their insulin they are causing such damage to themselves, it can be a matter of life and death.”

sauce came with Happy Meal Chicken McNuggets and a “Mulan” toy where there were eight different toys in the set. The original 1998 Szechuan Sauce packaging is purple and white despite some people thinking it is red.

The sauce found more popularity again as a very popular show brought up the sauce as a joke. That show was “Rick and Morty'', a show first released on

Jeffrey Barragan for El Paisano Media Dr. Marilyn Flores Elected 12th Superintendent/President of Rio Hondo College will be transitioning into her new role Summer 2022. Currently Teresa Dreyfuss is the interim Superintendent/President of Rio Hondo College.

John e deson sayoc Photo Editor

John Edeson Sayoc for El Paisano Media

3 out of 5 szechuan packets that were purchased exclusively through the McDonald's App, available once a year.

Eva Rivera for El Paisano Media Independent Artist Jennifer Perea makes sure to have her needles on hand every day so that she may inject herself with her doses of insulin so that she may regulate her blood sugar levels. Every morning consists of reading her blood sugar levels and ensuring she her medicationto keep her levels at an appropriate number.

◀ Continues from pg.1

2019 when Reyes was elected, was also a close runner-up for the position this year. Dr. Olivio is the current Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Student Services at Pasadena City College.

The Board of Trustees selected Dr. Flores two days after the virtual public form. The following day on March 25, the College released a public announcement about the new Superintendent/President-elect in a press release.

Dr. Flores shared, "I am thrilled and excited to serve as the next Superintendent/President of Río Hondo College… I firmly know that through the support of the Board of Trustees, the staff and administration, Río Hondo College will continue to thrive, excel and serve its community with excellence. I believe the work that

I've done over the course of my career in community colleges has led me here to this College and this community. I could not be more excited to join you and serve our students."

Dr. Flores will transition into her new role as the 12th Superintendent/President of Rio Hondo College during the Summer.

All-new PlayStation Plus Coming Soon

ryan L eon Online Editor-In-Chief ryan.leon7365@my.riohondo.edu

Sony Interactive Entertainment is releasing a new and improved version of their PlayStation Plus subscription this June. The updated subscription service will merge the current version of PlayStation Plus with Sony’s other subscription service, PlayStation Now. While an exact release date has yet to be announced, subscribers of the platform have much to look forward to this summer.

For over a decade, Sony Interactive Entertainment has allowed PlayStation users to enjoy online gaming and special discounts with the use of its PlayStation Plus subscription service. Subscription plans have ranged from $9.99 monthly, $24.99 quarterly and $59.99 yearly. Special benefits

of being a PlayStation Plus subscriber include free monthly games, discounts and access to online multiplayer. Additionally, the PS Plus Collection offers 20 free games exclusively to PlayStation 5 owners once they subscribe to PlayStation Plus.

On the other hand, PlayStation Now allows users to stream a variety of first-party and third-party games. The selections include games on PS2, PS3 and PS4 across an extensive library. Players can purchase the same subscription plan options as PlayStation Plus to grant access to PlayStation Now.

Moreover, the merging of the two services will allow players to enjoy both options under the same plan. This new version of PlayStation Plus will have three membership tiers,

each with its own benefits.

The first tier will be called PlayStation Plus Essential. Subscribers of this tier will have the same benefits as they do today. Those benefits being two free monthly games, discounts, cloud storage and access to online multiplayer. Also, the current prices of PlayStation Plus will remain the same in this tier.

The second tier will be called PlayStation Plus Extra. Players who choose this tier will have access to all the benefits in the essential tier, as well as an additional library of 400 games available for download across PS4 and PS5. The prices of this tier rise to $14.99 monthly, $39.99 quarterly and $99.99 yearly.

The third and final tier will be called PlayStation Plus

Premium. This tier will provide all of the benefits from the essential and extra tiers. In addition to those benefits, players who subscribe to this tier will also receive 340 more games available to download. This is on top of the 400 gained in the extra tier. That means a total of 740 games will be available for players who go premium.

This new expansive catalog will feature games from the original PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PS3, PS4 and PS5 generations. Furthermore, cloud streaming will also be available on PS4, PS5 and PC.

The premium tier comes with the heftiest price tag. However, players in this tier will have to pay $17.99 monthly, $49.99 quarterly and $119.99 yearly. In addition to all the benefits in the premium tier,

players will also have access to time-limited game trials. This will allow them to try out select games before they decide to buy them.

Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive entertainment, shared his thoughts on the upcoming changes to PlayStation Plus.

“With the all-new PlayStation Plus, we’re focused on delivering a compelling game subscription service with curated content from our exclusive PlayStation Studios team and our third-party partners.” He continued, “The newly enhanced PlayStation Plus will enable our fans to discover and engage with more content than ever before and deepen their connection with the PlayStation community through shared experiences.”

Ryan Leon for El Paisano Media

Sony Interactive Entertainment has used the same PlayStation Plus format since its creation in 2010. Three new tiers will be available starting this summer.

Ryan Leon for El Paisano Media Sony's PlayStation Now subscription service allows players to stream select PS2, PS3 and PS4 games. The all-new PlayStation Plus subscription service will include this feature when it releases this June.

December 2, 2013. This show was an animated comedy about scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson, Morty that went on crazy adventures together with Rick’s portal travel gun. On April 1, 2017, “Rick and Morty” season three, in the first episode, Rick is in a dream space in his mind after being captured by aliens. He is to tell the alien how he built a portal travel gun that allows him to travel through infinite universes. But before he does, he travels to a McDonald’s with an alien in order to get a taste of the Szechuan Sauce that he declares as delicious. The alien also found the Szechuan Sauce to be amazing as they saw Rick’s family die in Rick’s “memory.”

At the end of the episode, Rick goes on a rant that his true purpose isn’t to avenge his dead family, but to get the “Szechuan dipping McNugget sauce.”

On July 29, 2017, Justin Roiland (creator/voice of “Rick and Morty”) received a custom package of a four-pound Szechuan Sauce bottle and a letter. Later during the year on October 7, 2017, McDonald’s released the Szechuan Sauce again for one day only where only 20 sauce packets were distributed at select restaurants. It was sold again in 2018. McDonald’s restaurants distributed altogether about 20 million cups of Szechuan Sauce that started February 26, 2022.

With its popularity in “Rick and Morty”, fans of the show would trade anything to get their hands on one. One super fan of the show (who remains unknown) decided to trade his car, a Volkswagen Golf MK4 for the sauce in October 2017.

Río Hondo College Welcomes Secretary of Education, Congresswoman to Campus to Hear Student Stories

Río Hondo College students had the opportunity to converse face-to-face with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, relaying their own personal stories about housing and food security and discussing what elected officials can do to provide further assistance.

Cardona and Sánchez met with six current and former Río Hondo College students, Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss and the College’s Board of Trustees, then went into a roundtable discussion with students and Dreyfuss on March 29 about topics such as the Hope Scholars Program, transportation and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hope Scholars is a Río Hondo College program that provides food and housing support to unhoused and transitionally unhoused students.

“We look to our community colleges for our future workforce. These students can succeed at anything they can dream and imagine – if they’re given the proper support system,” Sánchez said.

Cardona said his main

goal in visiting Río Hondo College and talking to students was to bring the stories back to Washington, D.C. and advocate for more funding for programs

student, said meeting with Cardona and Sánchez was exciting, because it was an opportunity to talk directly with the people who can make the changes that

so we need to talk about it together, but we’re not going to get there without stability.”

Río Hondo College alumna and Hope Scholar housing peer

like Hope Scholars.

“In my visits to different states I am always inspired by the stories of our students as well as their resilience, their drive to continue to succeed despite whatever challenges they might face,” Cardona said. “I think it’s really important that our higher education institutions evolve to make sure they can meet our students where they are.”

Martin, Río Hondo College Hope Scholar success coach and Azusa Pacific University

will help millions.

“I hope that you take back

navigator Brianna said talking with Cardona and Sánchez was a chance to advocate for countless future Hope Scholar students.

“We at Río Hondo College are grateful that we have leaders such as Congresswoman Sánchez and Secretary

our hearts with you to show others what we’re doing here at Río Hondo College,” Martin said, addressing Cardona and Sánchez. “Housing and homelessness will always be an issue

College,

Cardona advocating for our

students and community."

Río Hondo College Hope Scholar students and staff members, as well as Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss meet with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, where they spoke about supporting the basic needs of students such as housing and food.

Courtesy of Rio Hondo College

Río Hondo College student Marlene greets Congresswoman Linda Sánchez with a hug following a roundtable discussion about student support needs. Sánchez and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visited the College to talk directly with students about their experiences regarding housing and food security.

Courtesy of Rio Hondo College

“Their work means our community has a chance to succeed and grow and this visit is an important step towards helping our students realize their full potential.”

Experience UC Irvine this Summer 2022 10-Day Residential Program

Disney+ Releases New Star Wars Series

MadeLine Torres A&E Editor madeline.torres@my.riohondo.edu

Starting May 25, Star Wars fans will be able to watch the new Star Wars series "Obi-Wan Kenobi." created by Lucasfilm. The six-episode series can be streamed on Disney+. The new series was announced on Feb. 9 by Disney+ continuing the plot after leaving off in "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith." The new series was meant as a gift for all Star Wars fans as this year will be the movie's 45th anniversary.

The two-minute teaser trailer was enough for all the fans to be excited about the upcoming series. The teaser had the nostalgic theme “Duel of Fates” playing making the anticipation even harder for

the fans.

The teaser starts in Tatooine, the desert planet, which was where the original Star Wars movie began. Then to surprise the teaser shows Ewan Mcgregor, who played the young Jedi master in the past prequels, looking into a pair of binoculars which then pans over to a little boy who is supposed to be young Luke Skywalker. Hayden Christensen (Darth Vadar) and Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars) will also be making a return to the series.

However, there will also be new characters and a new expansion to the Star Wars galaxy. The trailer gives the fans a brief look at the third sister, Reva, a new inquisitor. She’s only on the screen for a

few seconds but has shown a fearful presence.

Then, fans were also able to get a small glimpse of the new galaxy Daiyu. There was not much information given by the new planet though. “sort of [having] a Hong Kong feel to it.” Writer, Joby

Harold explained when asked about the new planet.

Who knows maybe more planets will be discovered in the new series along with Daiyu.

From then on, multiple scenes are shown throughout the Star Wars galaxy as the

evil Empire agents try to find the last remains of the Jedi order. Then from a distance, keeping his promise to Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan prioritizes keeping young Luke Skywalker safe. The time setting takes place before the original trilogy but a little after the prequels to give an idea for the viewers who are a little confused of the time stamp.

This is known to be one of the biggest most anticipated premieres on Disney+. As well as potentially being a streaming powerhouse for Disney+. The streaming platform has a chance to either surpass or catch up to Netflix and Amazon Prime. Disney+ is only 130 million subscribers away from the two competitive streaming platforms. So not only is this series great for fans, but also Disney’s stock prices.

Get ready to follow along on Obi-wan’s solo adventure as he continues to unravel secrets and mysteries in the Star Wars universe in "ObiWan Kenobi."

The Good Die Young Exhibit is Now Open

MadeLine Torres A&E Editor madeline.torres@my.riohondo.edu

The Sugarmynt gallery opened its latest exhibit, “The Good Die Young” on March 26.The exhibit pays a tribute to those who passed away too soon and were loved by many on and off the camera. This exhibit displays amazing artwork of these wonderful icons including Marilyn Monroe, Selena Quintanilla, and many more. The exhibit is open from March 26 through April 30. Throughout the years the gallery has different exhibits but is known for their “Where Everyday is Halloween” theme. In the gallery many artwork from old halloween films are found displayed in the gallery. It’s

a fresh change from other galleries considering that this gallery is only about Halloween movies and involves other spooky elements.

The gallery was created by Sara Rose Orlandini in Jun. 2015. The art gallery was originally opened as a regular art gallery so none of the halloween elements were intricate at the time. For the first three years, the gallery displayed contemporary art and during October is when all the halloween art would be displayed. Growing up in Orlandini, she was always watching Halloween films. She loved spooky elements and the idea of October as a whole.

“I’ve always been in love with Halloween movies, I grew up around the Michael Myers house. And when we opened the gallery, I knew I wanted to do something for Halloween.”

She wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do for Halloween but she knew it was something she really wanted to do. By chance, Orlandini had met someone that knew Malek Akkad, producer of “Halloween,” who then ended up introducing Orlandini to Kim Gottlieb Walker, a photographer. Since the opening of the gallery, Walker has had her artwork displayed in the gallery.

After doing Halloween exhibits a couple of times, Orlandini wanted to transition her gallery to a spooky gallery where it’s Halloween everyday. However, many of her peers were skeptical of her decision and advised

her not to.

“People told me nobodies going to come throughout the year if it’s only spooky artwork. I decided, I'm either going to change it to spooky all year round or I'm closing the gallery.”

After making her decision, the gallery has grown so much and has received so much attraction from the public. Orlandini is very proud of how far her gallery has come and strives to make her art gallery better with every exhibit.

The gallery is located in South Pasadena and right next to the infamous original Michael Myers house. When you first enter the gallery, you are welcomed by a room that

is a start to the first section of artwork. Entering is free however, if you wish to see more in the house and go outside you have to pay 10 dollars in order to do so. They would have a black curtain to separate the free section. “The Good Die Young” is partially free to look at. Some of the artwork is available to view in the first section of the gallery.

The gallery is like a small cozy home, just filled with spooky artwork. Five rooms including the backyard are decorated with halloween decorations along with the artwork. The gallery is also an airbnb or also known as a “ScarBnB.” there is a one bedroom located in the

gallery where guests can stay and chill out in the airbnb. The bedroom is also completely decorated with spooky decoration and some spooky artowork. Anyone can send their artwork to the gallery, they just have to go to gallerie’s website to submit their artwork. If interested, all artwork hung in the gallery can be purchased.

Orlandini’s next exhibit is called “Spooky Kids Club” which will open in May 7. Artwork of Nostalgic children Halloween movies will be displayed throughout the exhibit reliving and bringing back all the memories and feels when first watching Halloween movies.

Graphic by Madeline Torres for El Paisano Media Disney+ releases the first ever trsiler of their new Star Wars series "Obi-Wan Kenobi. The live action 6-episode series is filled with sci-fi comedy and unsolved mysteries and questions that have not been answered in the Star Wars world. Will fans will be able to stream the new series on Disney+ May. 25. The new series has many fans excited and expecting great things from the new series.

Madeline Torres for El Paisano Media Sugarmynt gallery just opened their new exhibit, "The Good Die Young," it started on March 26 and ends on April 30. The artwork thats being displayed in the exhibit will be of people who have lost their lives too soon. There are many pictures and artwork throughout the exhibit not just the ones as shown in the picture. The gallery is free for anyone who wants to visit and can purchase any of the artwork.

Madeline Torres for El Paisano Media

The Sugarmynt gallery is located in South Pasadena. The gallery was created Sara Rose Orlandini back in 2015 and since then has been gaining so much attraction by the public for its unique spooky artwork.

Neighboring Planets to be Visble during Month of April

JonaThon carMona Science and Tech Editor jonathon.carmona9046@my.riohondo.edu

i

Snce the dawn of Man, we have all looked to the stars.

Sometimes for answers to questions that we’ll never get and sometimes just to gaze at the skies above us. One thing always remains constant, the space that is above us is a work of art. All kinds of space dust fell together billions of years ago to make up the outer space we know today. Sometimes, space likes to show off that beauty.

During the month of April, some of our neighboring planets in the solar system will kindly make their presence felt.

Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all be visible in April. This is not the first time an event like this has occurred and it certainly won’t be the last. You’ll be able to see these planets with

the naked eye as well, although a pair of binoculars might help as well.

During the first week of April, many will be able to spot Venus, Saturn, and Mars in the morning skies. The triplet of planets will be visible in the east-southeast sky just before sunrise. The trifecta will all be within 6 degrees of separation from each other. As the days go on, the configuration will change.

Beginning on April 5, Mars and Saturn will be closer to each other. The distance between the planets will be closer than the diameter of the Moon.

The first week is just the taste, on April 8, Jupiter will come over to play. Located far lower and to the left of the other planets, Jupiter will be visible relatively close to Venus. On April 19, all four of the visible planets so far will line up. In a diagonal

line, from the bottom left to the top right will be Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn.

During the last week of April, things start to get interesting as our Moon now joins the party. Our Moon will be visible below Saturn on April 25. The next day, the Moon moves to be under Mars. The day after that, April 27, the Moon will appear

below Jupiter and Venus. The crescent Moon will act as jewelry to our visiting neighbors. Jupiter and Venus will also shine seven times brighter than the previous weeks.

Speaking of Jupiter and Venus, during the final days of April, these planets will move closer and closer to each other.

By April 30, Jupiter and Venus will stand together separated by only 0.45 degrees. The closest these two will get to each other, however, can be viewed by those in the far east. For those able to view, Jupiter and Venus will be separated by just 0.25 degrees. The reason being

Venus will be passing by north of Jupiter at that time.

Being able to view these planets from our own is just one of the ways nature has produced art. The stars we see everyday, the constellations that we follow, and the planets that revolve around, all can be taken for granted. However, many may not realize that these opportunities that arise allow us to do something we may never get to do, which is see another planet with our own eyes. In the month of April, we’ll have to opportunities not only to see one other planet, but four.

Graphic by Jonathon Carmona for El Paisano Media During the month of April, you'll be able to view some of our neighboring planets out in the morning skies. Just look towards the east-southeast sky just before sunrise on each day of April and you'll see planets Saturn, Mars, Venus, and eventually Jupiter. All within the month of April and we can't forget our Moon who will join the party later in the month.

A Day in Pismo Beach

MadeLine Torres A&E Editor madeline.torres@my.riohondo.edu

The pictures were captured in Dinosaur Caves Park located in Pismo Beach. The park received its name from H. Douglas Brown began building a giant dinosaur structure in the 1940s. It was built near an entrance to a cave to lure attraction from people passing by. However, the residents living by the park were not very happy with the reptile structure because of how huge it was. The structure was so huge it could be seen from the highway. Complaints were made to the county and the dinosaur's head was beheaded and taken down in 1950. Though, there are still dinosaur themed objects like the playground and the dinosaur eggs around the park still there. That's how the park earned its name, Dinosaur Caves Park.

The scenic area was right along a cliff showing the view of the ocean. It’s a large grass area perfect for a picnic or a walk around the park. Everyone is welcomed, it’s free and family-friendly. There is also a playground with dinosaur themed structures for children to play around in. Vibrant purple wildflowers surrounding the park creating a pathway that leads to the edge of the cliff overlooking the shoreline. Then, down at the beach you have to walk through sand dunes to reach the ocean where you’ll find people parasailing or surfing. Parking is free, but you can also pay a fee to drive your car onto the beach if you don’t feel like walking. Many people were at the beach enjoying themselves doing their own activities by themselves or with their loved ones. It's a perfect spot to relax for the day and get good views of the ocean and the nature surounding the park area.

A lot has changed at Rio Hondo College since Spring 2020

Jeffrey Barragan Opinion Editor jeffrey.barraganramos6969@my.riohondo.edu

Alot has changed at Rio Hondo College since Spring 2020. The obvious COVID-19 pandemic altered how Rio Hondo College operates. And students were forced to adapt and be content with not being able to get a more personal college experience, at least for a while.

Following the United States government's declaration of a national emergency, on March 16, the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees declared a state of emergency. As planned days earlier, the College efficiently moved all its courses online for the first time that Monday. Everything else followed, including counseling and tutoring services.

The move to online learning was only supposed to be for over three weeks, one of which was spring break. But it was just ten days before Rio Hondo College pushed the date back to May 9. Consequently, before we knew it, five whole semesters passed, and we were still mostly sitting at home on a diet of Zoom calls and isolation.

But during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new and returning Superintendent/President of Rio Hondo College stepped into office, Teresa Dreyfuss.

Dr. Arutro Reyes, who was in office when the pandemic began, was put on leave by Rio Hondo College in July 2020. He officially resigned by the end of the year after accusations of

fraud were reported by Hews Media Group-Los Cerritos Community News and the Southern California News Group.

Besides the changes in learning and leadership, upcoming events at Rio Hondo College were stalled. The fundraiser, "A Taste of Rio," has been on hiatus for three years since 2019.

The fundraiser is part of the Rio Hondo College Foundation's mission to raise financial support for the College and its students. The Foundation accepts donations through its website. "A Taste of Rio" will return on June 17, 2022.

But during that period, between 2020 and 2021, Rio Hondo College also stepped up by offering a weekly food pantry for students, computers and internet services, housing, and financial assistance to students. Recently, the College received over $28 million in relief funds. Part of that went to assisting students to pay their tuition.

The College also continued to make its support of undocumented students and other minority students an integral part of its overall COVID-19 response. For example, in Dec., the College partnered with Whittier College to house a limited number of students.

In addition, despite a global pandemic, Río Hondo College's Fire Crew 77 assisted in several fires in California and outside of the State between 2020 and 2021.

While in the Rio Hondo

College newsroom, publishing never halted. Until her recent hiatus, El Paisano continued to publish print and digital stories under the guidance of Wendy Carerra, who is affectionately referred to as La Profe by her pupils.

But as the semesters passed, so did the transition of Editor-in-Chiefs and other editors. For digital, Lorenzo Acre was Editor-in-Chief for multiple semesters. Ryan Leon has recently taken over the role. For the print newspaper, Raymond Luna had the position previously. In addition, Jasmine Soria has currently been in charge of print operations for two semesters.

Naturally, with a possible never-ending global pandemic taking place outside, the change of times was quickly realized by the ever-changing cycle of reporters that have the opportunity to write for El Paisano.

In Feb. 2020, a month before the pandemic began in our local and national communities, Vincent Franco wrote the story "Coronavirus Rapid Spread through the Internet." Franco is the first person who reported on COVID-19 at El Paisano.

On March 15, Jesus Marquez reported the cancellation of Rio Hondo College sports. One month later, Marquez later wrote about the slight improvement in air quality during that first pandemic month.

One year later, Luna shared his personal experiences during that first Pandemic year in "Life:

One year into Covid." Apr. 2, 2021. It was a reminder of all that had changed. Later that year, Leon questioned, are "Vaccine Mandates: Good or Bad?" Then, Leon examined the differences between "Online vs. In-Person Learning."

In addition, the multimedia section of El Paisano released several videos about the changes in education, quarantine, and more between April and May 2020. Suddenly, the backdrop of the videos changed from the Rio Hondo College campus and other places to being filmed in students' homes and rooms.

Many students really only know the post-pandemic era of Rio Hondo College. But many also remember how it was before the pandemic, including the first few weeks before

school went online when you panicked as soon as somebody sitting nearby sniffled, sneezed, or coughed.

The Rio Hondo College campus reopened to students in the 2021 Fall semester. Some classes resumed, but many also stayed online through Zoom meetings or Canvas.

The school was forced to adapt and almost immediately had to rearrange its leadership. But it also stepped up in several integral ways to assist students of all backgrounds. Last year, the College even hosted a drive-thru graduation ceremony dubbed a CARmencement ceremony.

Rio Hondo College will continue to host in-person art, culture, music, dance, and theater events for students like in the previous Fall semester.

Rio Hondo College Students Share Their Thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine War and Rising Gas Prices in California

LesLie Tovar Reporter leslie.tovar2034@my.riohondo.edu

Since the Russia-Ukraine war has started, gas prices have been rising in Cali. due to oil imports from Russia being banned.

President Joe Biden announced, on March 31, a historical release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Tapping into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will help decrease gas prices until the end of the year, according to a press release from the White House.

In Whittier, Calif. gas prices have also been on a high rise over the last weeks but this week prices in Los Angeles County did drop a small amount.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average gas price for last week in Los Angeles County was up to $6.069 for regular gas. The current average gas price in the County is $5.987.

Q: What are your

thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine War?

Janelle Castaneda, Rio Hondo College Student:

“I think it’s really scary and it’s not fair that those people have to go through that because of other people's deci-

sions like the people in power… they don’t, like, consider [the consequences]... they don’t really care.”

Pablo Mecias, Rio Hondo College Student: "...I just think that it was something that could have

been avoided..."

Bruno Ferandez, Rio Hondo College Student: “I think it's really worrying... I know we are doing something, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on Russia…”

Q: Do you drive? If so, are you being affected by high gas prices. Or if not, do you know anyone who is being affected by the high gas prices?

Janelle Castaneda, Rio Hondo College Student:

“I have a permit but I’m working on getting my license.”

“Yea my mom... my co-workers too, they are trying to get more hours because they can’t go do things they want to do anymore because of that.”

Pablo Mecias, Rio Hondo College Student: "Yes."

"It sucks because I have to spend a little bit more money on my gas now and I drive a lot."

Bruno Ferandez, Rio Hondo College Student: “I do not drive.”

“Yea, I can say my parents and [my brother] Palo [Mecias]. The gas is going up and it’s getting pretty pricey.”

The Rio Hondo College Parking lot was full of cars on Monday morning. Students and staff members have to drive up the hill to get to the Rio Hondo College parking lot and main campus.

Jeffrey Barragan for El Paisano Media

Water is not just Water

noah segovia Reporter noah.segovia5186@my.riohondo.edu

There is so much to discuss about water in general, alkalinity, and the benefit of consuming it on a daily basis. The research on this particular water dates back to the 1950’s, when Russian scientists started studying the four sites around the world creating miracle water and when money ran out for their research Japanese scientists took over. The four sites of water are Lourdes Water in France, Nordenau Water in Germany, Tlacote Water in Mexico, and Nadana Water in India.

These four miracle waters are known to have healing properties and have something in common which is a large amount of natural hydrogen. Furthermore, the scientists discovered the water affects humans on the cellular level and this water is small water as compared to large water that we often get from tap or bottled water. To put into perspective, alkaline water is like little bb’s and all the other waters are like huge softballs. If you were to throw some of the softballs against a chain link fence they wouldn’t go through because the softballs are too big in comparison to the small bb’s when thrown into the chain link fence, they would go right through it.

Nowadays, health is a top priority for the majority of people no matter their age. For a matter of fact human bodies are made up of 90 percent water due to water being the best type of fuel our body needs to get through our everyday lives. However, alkaline water can get the cold shoulder because of its high praises of energy production it gives the body, hydration benefits and more but, many more consumers out there are distracted by sugar, the food coloring in water solutions, energy drinks, workout drinks

to through the day or to hydrate during a workout Kangen water hydrates the brain in 60 seconds and hits your body on the cellular level. Also, Kangen alkaline water has a higher PH level than tap or bottled water and Kangen can help reduce or eliminate multiple diseases like cancer, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and eczema to be exact.

Personally, Kangen water is very resourceful because water from the tap goes through a high grade filter then electrolyzed it through seven platinum and titanium plates and the water comes out at three different PH levels that you choose 8.0, 8.5 and 9.5 alkaline that destroys acidity in your body. This method, which has been proven by Nobel Prize winner

Biochemist Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg, a leading cell biologist, discovered the root cause of cancer is too much acidity in the body and in 1931 he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this important discovery.

Per Nobel Prize winner

Biochemist Dr. Otto Heinrich Warburg, “Cancerous tissues are acidic, whereas healthy tissues are Alkaline.”

When a baby is born they are in an alkaline state, the umbilical cord is alkaline, moms breast milk is alkaline, a young kid is in the alkaline state until about 7 years old. The alkaline state is where you want your body to be, the next time you get a blood test check out your PH reading on the test you want it to be at least 7.0 or higher anything less you are in the acidic state. Oh, and the ladies know about 6.0 beauty or toner water to help tighten your skin to help it stay looking young, the high end department stores put toner water with perfume and sell those fancy bottles for $30-$50 for one, with one touch on the machine you have unlimited 6.0 toner water.

The Kangen Water Machine is a little pricey but when you

cleaning.

compare what the average family spends on 24 pack cases of water a month or water that is delivered to your home easily over $2,000 plus a year just add up your own family water consumption. This water is very affordable and reliable and way healthier for your body in the long run. To be exact, my family bought our machine in 2010 for the price of $4,100 which they were able to finance for very cheap and the money they saved on other water

options we were doing and is still going strong today 12 years later. They just need a yearly service tune up and new filters. The machines range between $,2500 to $7,000, my Dad is also a distributor who can help with any service needs.

Overall, once you understand the health benefits of owning a machine there is no looking back purchasing from a water that is acidic from delivery companies or cases of water no more. The two benefits that

come to mind is that the water will keep you naturally energized all day long because when alkaline hits your cells it acts like fuel to your cells that act as little engines to give you energy and it will clean out your system on a consistent basis making anyone go to the bathroom number one and two more often which, if you do not know, keeping your intestine clean is very important to keeping your body healthy.

Courtesy of Kangen Water Customer Sid Segovia Kangen water machine with seven different PH levels with voice response and automatic self

Glamour and Style at Los Angeles Fashion Week 2022

Bless by Bless was the third show of the night. Bless by Blessis a limited edition fashion brand of timeless wardrobe staples, gender-neutral, and ready-to-wear capsules influenced by the traditional African garments of its designer's heritage. The show started with a short story of an African boy followed by five garments from this magnificent SS22 collection. The Bless by Bless collection featured garments for both men and women with a touch of the designer's native Africa, Bless Mazaura. The collection included jackets, trench coats, dresses, accessories, and urban chic sets all in nudes and black and white colors. The closing of the show was a long transparent skirt with gold embroidery designs with a black top, the model who wore this incredible look was Sophia Lynn. In the end, Mazaura came out on stage and thanked the audience.

Jimmy Paul

The fourth show of the night was Jimmy Paul. Jimmy Paul is a designer who loves color and kawaii fashion. This collection includes highly distinctive skirts, dresses, tops, sweaters, accessories, bags, and fur trench coats. At the end of the fashion show, Jimmy Paul came out on stage

accompanied by all the models, approaching the public, who received him with a standing ovation.

Demobaza

The closing show was Demobaza. This collection had its peculiar “reconstructed clothing.” Which included leggings, baggy jeans, gloves, masks, shawl tops, and cardigans. The predominant colors in this collection were nude colors, black and red. Demobaza is a fashion brand created in 2007 by Demo and Tono. The philosophy of this brand consists of Bulgarian post-socialist spirit and its distinctive haute couture garments are based on an animalistic and futuristic look. Demobaza seeks to express with his clothes the revolution and a new vision for the human being to leave behind the artificial and that no one can control true love.

This year the fashion show was held under a new owner. In January it was announced that the new owner of LAFW is N4XT Experiences, made up of Ciarra Prado (former Fenty creative officer), Spring Place President Imad Izemrane, along with Jackie Trebilcock, Marcus Ticotin, and Keith Abell, all finance and entertainment industry veterans.

BeaTriz MarTinez Reporter Beatriz.martinezortiz0021@my.riohondo.edu

Los Angeles Fashion Week 2022 took place last weekend at the Petersen Auto Museum in Beverly Hills. LAFW 2022 ran from March 31 to April 2, featuring Cars & Fashion, Contemporary, and Streetwear looks. The designer roster for March 31 and April 1 was Rocky Star, Michael Cinco, Andrew James, Perry Jones, Puey Quinones, MM Milano, and Ron Tomson. LAFW featured designers Femgraphy, Humans, Bless by Bless, Jimmy Paul, and Demobaza for the streetwear-themed April 2 show.

Femgraphy

Femgraphy was the first show of the night. Femgraphy is a clothing brand that has as its slogan, "Design, Sophistication & Comfort." Femgraphy presents the "MERGERS" Fall-Winter 22 Collection. This collection was composed mainly of women's clothing, with very feminine dresses and outfits that enhanced the bodies silhouette. Most of the clothes were in nude colors and black and white colors. The collection also included two outfits for men. The virtuous garment of this Femgraphy collection was

a brown dress with slits on both legs, the beautiful model who wore it was Ramona Thornes. At the end of the presentation, the founders of Femgraphy were greeted with a round of applause for their incredible work.

HUMANS

The second show was in charge of Humans. Humans debuted its very first “Ready to Wear” Sustainable and Unisex Collection. Humans presented a very colorful collection that included red, blue, orange, green, blue, light blue, brown, and white colors. Their garments were mostly sets and women’s dresses made of cotton and the runway had a vibe from the famous series "Euphoria" as the models wore glittery and colorful makeup. The look that closed this show was a long white dress with a tail, the model wearing it is Micaela Zoe Jones. At the end of the show, Humans founder and CEO, Troy Scott, came out and was greeted with a cheering ovation by the audience. Humans is a unisex clothing line sewn, dyed, and embroidered entirely by hand in LA. Humans is distinguished by one of its main values, which is to be committed to diversity and inclusion.

Photo by Beatriz Martinez for El Paisano Media

Photo by Beatriz Martinez for El Paisano Media

Bless by Bless

MLB Predictions for the 2022 Season

MaTThew Medina Online Sports Editor matthew.medina7081@my.riohondo.edu

After a 99 day lockout during the offseason, Major League Baseball is back on April 7! With regular season baseball around the corner, fans across the world are ready to see their favorite teams play a full 162-game season. Let’s take a look at which teams will be contenders, and which teams will have a long season ahead of them.

The AL East division should be one of the tightest division races this season between the Rays, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Yankees.

After making huge moves during the offseason, the Blue Jays are the favorites to win the division and rightfully so. MVP runner up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will lead the way with a loaded lineup that includes George Springer, Bo Bichette, and Matt Chapman.

The Rays are always a tricky team to predict due to their ever changing roster and pitching rotation. Their top 4 hitters had great seasons last year including 21 year old superstar Wander Franco, who should have another great year in Tampa Bay.

The Yankees are set to have a stacked lineup for the 2022 season due to blockbuster trade deals that included Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Fale -

fa. We all know that the Yankees will be contenders this season, the only thing stopping them from a division title is the health of their superstars like Stanton and Judge.

The Red Sox added shortstop Trevor Story from the Rockies this offseason which gives Alex Cora’s squad a little extra help on the plate. Boston made a little run last postseason with the same lineup that included Kike Hernandez and Rafael Devers,

The AL Central is probably the easiest division to predict with the Chicago White Sox having the highest odds to win their division. Chicago made some noise this offseason adding a pair of Dodgers to their roster.

AJ Pollock and Joe Kelly should bring excitement to the South Side in 2022. Tim Anderson is one of the most exciting players in the MLB and with the addition of Pollock, the White Sox are ready

As for the rest of the division, the Twins are the only team that can give Chicago a hard time this season. Minnesota broke the internet with the acquisitions of Carlos Correa and longtime Yankee Gary Sanchez to their roster.

The AL West is a division to be watching thoroughly this season and for many reasons. The Angels are lucky to have two of the most exciting players in Major League Baseball with

Dive into the Sand

MoLLy MccorMick Sports Editor molly.mccormick3682@my.riohondo.edu

You’ve seen them on the court, now you see them in the sand. On Friday, March 25th, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Rio Hondo’s Women’s Beach Volleyball versus El Camino Community College. Unfortunately, they did not come out victorious but they still played a great game. You see in the game of Beach Volleyball, there's a huge difference. Even though they might have the same ball

they're very different. For example, five games are going on at a time instead of just one. Also, there are only two girls on each side instead of 6 girls on the court per team. Not to mention the setting is the complete opposite.

El Camino College is a great college and they are the best in the league. For Rio Hondo’s Women coming out and giving it their all, they did amazing. They have fallen behind on the scores on the board but they never let that get to them.

defending American League MVP Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.

The Mariners are the underdogs to make the playoffs this season. The Rangers added some big bats to their lineup like Corey Seager and Marcus Semien but they are not con-

tenders just yet. They made an exciting run to make the playoffs last season but came up short in game 163 They may not have the household names like the other teams in this division but players like Mitch Haniger and Adam Frazier will carry this team to victory.

Francisco wants to run it back for 2022 and beat their bitter rivals in Los Angeles.

The Giants have some nice bats in their lineup which includes Mike Yastrezemski who is one of the most underrated players in the league in my opinion. They also added former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon to shut down the high powered offenses in the NL West.

The Padres started off strong last season and looked like legit contenders against the Dodgers but fell off later in the season. The pitching rotation in San Diego is easily the best rotation in the division which includes Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. The absence of Fernando Tatis to start the season will slow down the Padres but the addition of Luke Voit from the Yankees will fill in that gap in the meantime.

However, just like the Yankees, injuries are going to be the death of New York this season. Jacob DeGrom is already out for four weeks with a stress reaction in his shoulder and Sherzer has had problems in Spring Training as well.

Let’s not forget about the Phillies though. Philadelphia added Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to an already decent lineup led by Bryce Harper. I can see the Phillies battling it out with Atlanta late in the season for the division title.

The NL Central is going to be another division that is going

The communication these girls have and the drive that keeps them going is so rare nowadays in sports. I had the opportunity to speak with Faith Lee and Nadine Oronoz. They were both on court one. “It’s a lot more mentally draining because you have to serve every other ball,” said Oronoz. This goes to show that this sport is different from indoor volleyball but it's a team effort between the two girls. They both equally have to play the same number of positions they would’ve if there were six of them. “You have to pretty much be good at everything, '' said Lee.

to be a close battle between three teams. The Brewers are the favorites to win but they will have to go through a new and improved Cardinals team that brought back Albert Pujols.

This division is one of the weakest divisions in the league and I don’t see a team from the NL central having anything for the Dodgers or Braves.Everyone knows that the Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series like every year, but they have to get out of this grueling division first.

With the addition of Joc Pederson on the Giants, San

The Dodgers will win this division and grab the one seed in the postseason but it won’t be easy.

The best part about this upcoming season is that any team has a chance to win it all this season. Although the Astros are highly favored as well, the loss of Carlos Correa will hurt Houston more than we think. The World Series will come down to roster depth especially during an expanded postseason. I think the Dodgers have the most depth out of any roster in the league and that will lead them to a World Series title.

Not to mention even though the weather was only sixty-one degrees it felt like ninety. With the sun beaming down on you, so bright in your eyes, and your feet in the hot sand.

For some of these girls, this is their first time playing Beach Volleyball, and they a doing an amazing job.They are progressing and getting better

with every practice, game, and advice from Coach Esko. These girls have their whole season ahead of them and who knows what these girls will accomplish. With such a

great team and coaching staff nothing can stop them. I look forward to be watching in the stands and cheering them on. Good luck ladies and I hope you have a wonderful season.

“If you watched us play our first game, we’re a whole new team.”

Photos By Molly McCormick for El Paisano Media Ariel Garcia #23 is a spohmore here at Rio Hondo.

Photos By Molly McCormick for El Paisano Media Nadaine Oronoz #4 is freshman here at Rio Hondo

Photos By Molly McCormick for El Paisano Media Leanet Fandino #10 and Shannen Ferraren #14 are freshmans here at Rio Hondo.

Photos By Matthew Medina for El Paisano Media

Opening Day for Major League Baseball begins April 7.

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Jasmine

Jonathon Carmona

Bryan Altamirano