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OPINION & EDITORIAL
Los Angeles Collegian — Wednesday, October 22, 2014
COMPILED BY Angie Rivera Olmeda PHOTOS BY Jorge Ponce
DO YOU FEEL YOUR SAFETY HAS BEEN COMPROMISED FOLLOWING THE SHOOTINGS NEAR CAMPUS?
June Mendoza Graphic Design “Yeah, that’s two shootings, too close [in] too short of a time … That’s kind of scary, of course, to hear that … If they’re targeting people that maybe they don’t like, there’s a wide variety of people in college … So, I kind of feel unsafe now, but not too much.”
Norma Diaz Anthropology
Seung Yoo Political Science
Brett Anderson Psychology
“I think whether we are on campus or not, our safety is still compromised, because it can happen here or off campus, or anywhere else ... It doesn’t really matter, regardless of gender, it doesn’t really matter, because anyone’s vulnerable.”
“I live around here, so I was really surprised to hear that. I never heard about murder around here. I felt pretty safe around here, until I heard this happened. I don’t go out at night now, not too much.”
“I think I’ve always felt like that at night here. It’s important that women stick together. I just always think it’s smart to stick together, that’s my position.”
Meet Me Outside Conflicts Will Happen
EDITORIAL
BY HYUN CHUNG
SAFETY DOES NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT BY RICHARD MARTINEZ There have been more than 900 violent and property crimes in East Hollywood within the last six months, according to The Homicide Report compiled by the L.A. Times. Homicides, rapes, aggravated assaults and robberies accounted for 269 of those crimes. Two of those violent crimes occurred in our backyard. Aniya Parker and Alexander Eduardo Garcia were both shot and killed just blocks away from campus within days of each other. High crime rates are a sad, inescapable reality of living in the city, and it is upsetting that some people see no way to sustain themselves other than to turn on their fellow Angelinos. These killings must inspire vigilance in students since they are particularly vulnerable. Many leave the college late at night and often by themselves. It is not enough for students to be aware of the dangers they face. They must take a proactive approach to ensuring their safety on and around campus. Assistance from the Sheriff ’s Department may be more reactionary than preventative, but if you feel unsafe for any reason while on campus, head to their office on the north end of the Administration Building, or call (323) 662-5276. Program this number into your phone. You can also dial #3 from any school phone. Do not be afraid to ask for help. That is what they’re here for. They are getting paid for it. Do not leave school late at night by yourself if it can be helped. Pick a classmate and be their walking buddy and try not to put yourself in a vulnerable position.
ILLUSTRATION BY CLINTON CAMERON
According to a 2009 Psychology Today article on street crime, criminals stalk locations with few witnesses and little chance of being caught. Remember that your life is far more valuable than your pride and whatever is in your bag. Heed Joe Stone’s warning. He’s a doorman at the Faultline Bar near Melrose and Vermont. He says he is used to seeing and dealing with gang members and harassment.
“If somebody is mugging you at gun point, please give them the power and the respect in that moment,” Stone said. “Give them your belongings. It’s worth your life, you know?” Anyone who falls victim to an assailant needs to remember that it is not their fault and that it does not matter how much of an “easy” victim they made. Criminals bear the sole responsibility for their crimes.
‘HIGHER EDUCATION’: AMERICA’S MOST PROFITABLE SCAM BY MELISSA CRUMBY Have you ever wondered how easy it is to achieve your educational dreams? It’s not so easy. College is so much more than a learning experience. But more so a competitive and out of pocket experience; that requires a lot more than knowledge and determination. Yo u n g adults of this generation realized that in order to survive and become financially independent, they must first obtain a diploma. College has been an important necessity for ages. But it is now becoming nearly impossible for lower class students to gain an upper hand on higher education, which secures a solid career. The students who don’t seem to worry are those who come from wealthy families. They have been
given much better opportunities, such as private schooling and abroad studying Wealthy families set the bar for college enrollment. Where does this leave the lower income families applying to the same Ivy League schools? Take this for example: Suzy’s 4.0 GPA and involvement in the school board is nothing compared to Max’s 3.5 GPA and abroad experience. Even community college has a price. People may say lower income students have easier access to community college with the help of financial aid. But college is a business. You could be filling out large amounts of paperwork and sitting in the financial aid office for an hour, and still have to pay $30 a unit; that’s not including books or any other supplies a class might require. The hyperinflation of our college educational system has skyrocketed over the past years. This may make it even more competitive to get a class, especially at a community college. In a 2011 article PR Newswire reported that, “In 1985, the college enrollment rate reached a new record high of 57.7%. Since then, the col-
lege enrollment rate has increased steadily to its current record level of 70.1%.” This is why people wait an hour in the Financial Aid Office and why there is a strong competitiveness in enrollment. College is a nececissity but for some it may lead to bankruptcy. Getting an education shouldn’t be about who has more money or who has the most experience in extracurricular activities. Everyone should receive a fair college education, no matter their financial situation. Sadly, these days that is not how the system works. In modern day, a degree from an Ivy League school says much more than “this was all hard work and determination.” Instead, the degree says “I’m part of the privileged ones than can afford this.” The only thing we can do is hope that the educational system accommodates to those not able to afford expensive tuition costs. Many students struggle to make themselves more appealing to prestigious private universities. It is unfair that the wealthy get a free pass while the rest struggle to get their leftovers.
I had five minutes left to complete ten problems on an exam – not good. I had plenty of Red Bull inside me and my anxiety was overwhelming. S u d denly, w h i l e trying to figure the zeroes of a polynomial, I heard a loud “A a a h h hhh!” It was the characteristic yawn of one of my dear classmates. It was a scream that lasted a generous stretch of three to four seconds, sometimes five to six. I heard this operatic scream at every lecture, while trying to remain focused on my professor. While the professor discussed factoring the zeros of a polynomial function and explained the Descartes’ Rule of Signs which he mentioned was “not in the book,” I heard that “Aaahhhhh!” that was louder than the professor. At first, I was impressed: Wow a person has the guts to yawn so loudly. The second time, I was suspicious. I thought lecture disruption was forbidden. Then, it became routine. Every Monday and Wednesday, some thirty-odd students and I listened to this one student Aaaahhhhh! while the professor spoke about graphing exponential and logarithmic functions and graphing asymptotes. On test day, with the anxiety of beating the clock and excess caffeine pumping through my veins, I, a normally soft spoken and shy person who refuses verbal contact at all costs, became possessed with the desperate audacity to say, “Could you please stop? Yes, you with the loud yawning.” I had suppressed my disgust for so
long. Finally, it exploded. Class was over. Back to business. “Are you going to pack up or are you going to talk to me?” she said. “Listen, I’m sorry I yelled. It was exam time.” I was at first impressed that she would accost me instead of resorting to cold war – the usual style of engagement. “I’m going to yawn as much as I want to [and] as loud as I want to. It’s natural. I am going to yawn in the loudest decibels as I want,” she said. “You were f*cking rude and it was humiliating. You better f*cking shut up. … I’m going to wait for you outside. You want to take it outside? You f*cking bitch … You better f*cking shut your mouth.” I tried to reason with her. “When you yawn [the way you do], almost like yelling, it’s kind of considered rude when you do it during lecture.” I was dazed to be a part of something reminiscent of a high school movie. Later, it turned out that she really was waiting for me in the hall. Good news, stalkers, you can get away with harassing a student, surprise, surprise! I was lucky to have two classmates offer their assistance. One even voluntarily negotiated peace, so that I didn’t have anyone lurking after me. If that student who threatened me had tried anything, I would have been in a position of needing to defend myself. A physical altercation would have threatened both our educational prospects with disciplinary proceedings. I will be in the debt of my peers who did not succumb to the “Bystander Effect,” but offered their generosity. I pose the following questions. For my fellow students, how do you deal with conflicts with your classmates? Administrators, what should students do in these situations? Should one adhere to the primitive eye-for-an-eye?
Colleges Allow Students to Find Path BY IRENE SOLIS Los Angeles City College has wonderful perks; it also has a few downsides. My college life experience is based on what the school offers me and what I can benefit from. Being a student at LACC, I have faced numerous situations that I do not like: parking, for instance, is the worst. I have to haul my ass to the school parking lot by 8 a.m. every morning in order to have a guaranteed parking spot. If you are there a minute later, chances are you will find yourself playing musical cars. However, there is a positive side to embrace from this city college. Attending LACC gives students a beneficial boost on our economy situation. We have a financial advantage because of the cheaper courses and the financial support the school contributes to its students. Compared to going to a 4-year
university, you can come here and seek out options, while knocking out your general education classes. At LACC, you can come and explore your different interests before committing to one major that you would possibly end up regretting. You can gain a new perspective and begin to pursue something of interest. The limited curriculum at LACC is an issue to many students who want to finish their general education at a faster pace. There are many students who attend this school who do not take it seriously. These students take up space that more driven students need. Unfortunately, in the middle of the school semester, these uninterested students either never come back to class or they’ll drop it. This causes the negative effect on the determined students. LACC is intended to be two years of education; meaning that people shouldn’t stay here and make it their permanent residency. The purpose of LACC is to obtain a higher education by transferring, helping those unable to afford a fouryear university obtain a certificate or associate’s degree and give those who need more time to decide what they would like to pursue in life.
CLASSROOMS LACK COURTESY AT LACC BY: ROY FISCHER There are varying degrees of decorum occurring here at Los Angeles City College. For example, as I come into class, I see candy bar wrappers left on the desk. I hear nonstop streams of convers ation and a muffled sound pops and hisses from a mobile app. Suddenly, a snap c o m e s from a food container that has suddenly been opened. The odor of cheese and onions soon followed it. During the lecture, noise is coming from a phone, stopping the flow of the lecture with five uncomfortable silent seconds. I used the word decorum, a misunderstood word, to mean the sort of rigid formality that most Americans, myself included, find abhorrence. What decorum actually means is a sense of modesty, relative to any given situation. Formality has little to do with it. Whether a classroom is run by a professor who insists on being formally addressed and won’t speak to a students without an appointment, or even an instructor who prefers to use first names and is perfectly approachable, a sense of decency would prevent the urge to munch on a sandwich while class is underway. But if a significant number of students don’t see this, and apparently they don’t, is there any point to my complaining? Attitudes are not going to suddenly change. So do I just have to accept a low standard of classroom conduct? There is a solution. What is this miracle cure for classroom misconduct? It is simply maintaining a vigilant, enforced attitude of zero tolerance. The vigilance part is critical. I have had other professors who seemed at first to be determined not to tolerate violations of classroom decorum, but in fact allowed such violations. Throughout the semester, the situation would seesaw between enforcement and no enforcement. I imagine that maintaining vigilance while teaching the class is not that easy, and that’s probably why it’s rarely done. But now, thanks to one of my current professors, I’ve seen that it can be done. And it gets easier as the weeks go by. As the efforts toward a zero-tolerance environment is truly made, bit by bit the texting, web surfing and game playing die out. So I appeal to the teaching staff of LACC: Make the effort. I can’t imagine that it would make teaching more enjoyable, but I believe the majority of students will be grateful for the improvement.