EL VAQUERO
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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 Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
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Volume 112 | Issue 2
Helping Children Succeed Multicultural and Community Engagement Center celebrates their 10th annual Pack-A-Backpack drive
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
A HELPING HAND: GCC’s Pack-A-Backpack Drive was launched in 2008 and is geared toward gathering donations for students.
By Carolina Diaz Web Editor Running around, playing with friends and having fun is what we think of when we picture children during their elementary years. However, we are not seeing the bigger picture. There are students who don’t get to do this. To some even eating is a hard thing to accomplish. Some live below the poverty line even in wealthy Los Angeles. There are more than 1.3 million homeless students in America’s public schools according to invisiblemillion.org. This makes it harder for the youth to enjoy their childhood. The main struggles for
families is not only feeding their children, but also giving them a good education. That includes tools and resources. In 2008, Glendale Community College initiated a program called “Pack-ABackpack Drive.” The motivation behind this drive was the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The staff and student’s main objective was to honor people that were affected the most by Sept. 11, 2001 by spreading good deeds to all Americans. At the end they realized that children were the most vulnerable and the ones that needed help the most. Started by the Multicultural and Community Engagement Center, the department was thinking of ways to perform a
good deed when the “Pack-A-Backpack” drive arose. The Pack-A-Backpack drive is to help homeless children get a good education and have less stress about not having the supplies,” said Nane Kakosian, a student services technician. The drive is partnered with a non profit organization, School on Wheels. It was inaugurated on April 1993 by Agnes Stevens, a retired school teacher. Celebrating their 25th anniversary, School on Wheels has opened their first learning center located in Skid Row and also began their first digital learning center. “Every child needs a champion, a mentor, someone who is there just for them.
Our program serves as a consistent support system to homeless students at a time of great stress and fear.” said Catherine Meek, executive director of School on Wheels. “We bring the message to our students that they are cared about and important. We have hundreds of students waiting for volunteers just like you. You can help change a child’s life.” Their main purpose is to help youth with all the necessary materials they need to learn. Not only do they need donations like backpacks, notebooks or pencils, but they also need tutors.The organization also has a scholarship, which helps a homeless student get exceptional education. “Every little bit can make a huge impact on a child’s life,” Kakosian said. “A lot of times we don’t think that there are people that have much less than we do and we just walk by in our own little bubble realizing people out there just need a little push of help.” The Multicultural & Community Engagement center is accepting donations for backpacks, colors, pencils and more. The only requirement is that they should be brand new supplies. Contributors can donate school supplies or gift cards from stores that sells supplies. Donations are accepted until Sept. 28. To help in other ways, email School on Wheels at contact@schoolonwheels.org or visit their website at www.schoolonwheels.org. Carolina Diaz can be reached at itscarodiaz@gmail.com.
Eat Right on a Tight Budget ASGCC educates campus community on healthy eating habits that can work for the toughest schedule By Alin Pasokhian Managing Editor In efforts to educate students about the benefits and importance of a healthy meal, all the while staying within their personal budget, Associated Students of Glendale Community College hosted their third “Eat Right on a Tight Budget” event on Sept. 18 in Plaza Vaquero. Hosting events like these has been a common goal of ASGCC, as the main focus of the organization is centered around increasing student involvement as well as promote the physical and mental health of students on the campus. Many of these events take place during the college hour, a time when most students are going in between classes and have the ability to partake in campus activities. It’s fairly obvious that students are too busy to cook on a daily basis as they are occupied with school, work, and personal everyday duties. This leads to students often picking the faster, cheaper, and less healthier meal option, with the impression that it will not have a lasting impact on their bodies. ASGCC made in-house sandwiches, all which consisted of carefully selected
ingredients and combined to make something that is portable, quick and easy, and, of course, healthy. The sandwiches ranged from chicken, turkey, and ham, to vegan wraps to serve a full range of dietary needs. ASGCC offered fruit cups alongside the main course, emphasizing the need for students to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. They also offered water as the drinks, sticking to the basics and straying away from any drinks with sugar or any additives that may pose harm to the body. Many students were gathered for this event, excited to try out these recipes. “I think events like these are a great way to bring students together,” said Emine Gholian, psychology student, as she enjoyed her sandwich during the event. ASGCC has hosted many events with the focus being on students’ health, such as their semi-annual “Puppy Day,” where students are given the opportunity to play with puppies during what many students like to call ‘dead week,’ also known as finals week. The purpose of the event is to help students relieve stress from final exams and assignments, which usually take toll on the students’ mental health. The
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
YUM!: ASGCC provide sandwiches made on campus to attendees of event.
University of California, Los Angeles’s People-Animal Connection program has shown scientific evidence of physical and mental benefits of what is known as “Animal Assisted Therapy” with the common animal being dogs. Overall, ASGCC student leaders indicated that they plan on continuing to offer events oriented toward overall student health and wellness. For more information, visit glendale.edu/as. Alin Pasokhian can be reached at apasokh506@student.glendale.edu.
IN THIS ISSUE News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Politics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 -14 Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Advertisement. . . . . . . . . . 16
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Know Your Resources: Veterans Center At GCC Supporting those who have served in the United States Military
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
VRC THRESHOLD: Flags representing each branch of US Military service.
By Samuel Reynolds Staff Writer There are many reasons one joins a military branch. Some wish to serve their country and show their patriotism. Some people simply want the benefits during and after their service. No matter what their reason, however, when a veteran comes out of the military, it takes some time for them to adjust to life outside of the military. One thing that definitely helps this sudden shift in life for a veteran is having other veterans there for them. The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at GCC is a perfect example of this process working. For example, when a military member needs help using their benefits, staff members at the VRC are
armed with knowledge and ready to assist any veteran who might not be up to speed on the process. U.S Navy veteran and veteran coordinator in the VRC, Charles Shumate, said what he sees most vets struggle with is lack information. “When you get out of the military, they take you through a program,” Shumate explained. “ And the information they give you is very little, so when you do get out, you really don’t know how to utilize it.” Though the information given by the military on benefit usage is plentiful, veterans often need guidance. “It became our one-stop-shop, so when veterans come in they don’t have to walk all over campus to find out what was going on,” Shumate added. Considering that veterans have
lived a different life from most civilians, when they get together, it shows off a bond that is unique in nature. “We’ve all kind of acted like they already know each other,” said U.S Coast Guard veteran and science major, Bryant Seymour. “It doesn’t feel like I’ve left the military completely, because I also took this brotherly-sisterly part of it.” Many vets that have never met can sit down and talk like they’ve known each other for years. Having someone who has gone through similar situations and training can often help someone get through the day. Even though veterans enjoy each other’s company, civilians are also encouraged to join in and have fun. U.S Marine Corps veteran and aviation and transportation major, Victor Ruiz gave a few tips on easy ways to befriend some veterans and make them feel more comfortable. “We like a lot of dark humor, we laugh at dumb stuff. We’re not easily offended, either,” he said. Common courtesy being a given, talking with vets can be really interesting from a civilian view. Andrea Ballesteros, a student worker at the VRC, has mastered the craft of befriending veterans. “You’d assume people would know not to ask certain questions, but some people aren’t really informed,” Ballesteros explained. “The main thing is to be inclusive. Treat them like you would anyone else, but be mind-
el vaquero EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Marian Sahakyan
STAFF WRITERS Tania Acosta
ful with questions that come with curiosity.” The VRC also offers services to help military members get back into the swing of going to school. Gerald Desmond, US Army veteran and student worker at the VRC, says that his transition was easier because of the vets that helped him when he enrolled. “I actually called them a year before I even got out,” Desmond recalled. “They told me what I needed in order to get into GCC and also get setup to start receiving benefits.” There are a number of services readily available to assist vets, should they need help. There are also programs that the VRC assists with on campus. “We’re doing a drive to donate
from the veterans here to the local food pantry on the GCC Campus. We’ll also be doing a podcast to reach out to more veterans locally,” Desmond said. He urges students and veterans to donate and tune into the VRC podcast to help reach more people. Ensuring that each veteran has an opportunity to get a college education was one of the many benefits of joining the military originally. With the community of veterans at GCC, and the support of fellow students and staff, this goal is a bit easier to obtain.
Samuel Reynolds can be reached at sam.reynolds313@gmail.com.
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
LIVE IN 3, 2, 1: Gerald Desmond U.S Army, Harrison Schofield U.S Navy, Charles Shumate US Navy and VRC Coordinator are ready to record a show.
COPY EDITOR Elena Jacobson Yesenia Thomson ILLUSTRATOR Matthew Spencer
Allison Ayala MANAGING EDITOR Alin Pasokhian SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Hayk Rostomyan PRODUCTION MANAGER James Ojano-Simonsson
Samantha Banuelos Dylan Bryant Eduardo Carreno Michael Dumansky Danny Escobar Joanna Flamenco
FEATURES EDITOR Samantha Decker
Jordan Henry Kevin Holcomb Hayk Martirosyan Avetis Oganyan Selena Reyes Samuel Reynolds
WEB EDITORS Carolina Diaz
FACULTY ADVISER Rory Cohen rcohen@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 ext. 5214
Member of the Journalism Asssociation of Community Colleges
Tyler Greene Rudy Guijarro
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Chieko Kubo
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ethan DeHoyos
Kenya Ruiz Lilit Sedrakyan Kylie Shannon Eisho Shiroma Martha Topete
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 rcohen@glendale.edu or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5214.
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.
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Welcome Back, GCC! Over a hundred college students designed their shirts By Hayk Rostomyan Senior Production Manager
Photography by Production Assistant, Chieko Kubo
ASGCC threw a tye dye event on Sept. 13 at Plaza Vaquero. Represntative of the student government supplied 150 glendale college students with T-shirts and dyes. The hosts told participators to “Inject [the dye] and have fun” said Chris Lopez, 18-yearold, business admin major. He was happy about how the event brought the students together. ASGCC also suplied the students with chips and drinks,
GETTING THE TYE DYE SHIRTS: ASGCC students gave them fun experiences.
which helped out everybody who was waiting under the sun for a turn to make their Tye Dye shirts. The organizers of the event ran out of t-shirts and had to dig around in their inventory to find an extra supply. Students at Glendale College seemed really happy about this event. Can GCC expect more in the future? Atendees had to wait six hours for the dye to dry, after they could wear their shirts. Hayk Rostomyan can be reached at hayk.rostomyan@gmail.com.
MAKING THEIR ORIGINAL ONES: Putting their own favorite colors on their shirts.
California Takes Aim At ‘Cruelty’ Bill 1249 may eliminate cosmetic sales with a history of animal testing By Kylie Shannon Social Media Manager Getting beauty companies to convert into cruelty free businesses has been an ongoing issue for consumers, but things have shifted in the last decade with more products available that don’t test on animals. However, on Sept. 4, the California State Assembly unanimously passed Senate Bill 1249, which, if signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, will eliminate California sales of any beauty products that have been tested on animals. What does this mean for the state? Beauty brands such as NARS, Benefit, Clinique, Covergirl and Maybelline could find themselves incapable of selling their products in California. In addition, this new law will take a stance against products ranging from deodorants to shampoos and conditioners that also test on animals. Brands in the beauty industry such as Fenty Beauty, Glossier, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Kylie Cosmetics avoid the method of animal testing entirely. Lush Cosmetics has continuously worked to reform, reduce and eliminate animal testing altogether. Furthermore, Lush has their own unique policy called the “Supplier Specific
Boycott,” which states that they will not purchase ingredients from manufacturers that test anything involving animals. The U.S. beauty and personal care market is worth at least $86 billion, as of 2017. Internationally, the figure is $445 billion, according to Statista and Forbes, respectively. As beauty and cosmetics enter Chinese markets, rules change, as Chinese law requires mandatory animal testing on cosmetics that are manufactured outside of their country. Laboratories test these cosmetic ingredients on animals which can irritate both their skin and eyes. “Currently, nine out of 10 experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on laboratory and animal studies,” former secretary of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Michael O’Leavitt said. That point is crucial because it’s a reminder that cosmetic animal testing may not be beneficial to human beings at all. One organization that has belabored this point is the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. They are dedicated to protecting what they deem to be animal rights at all costs by educating the public on certain topics, concluding
Kylie Shannon / Staff Photographer
WHICH ONE IS CRUELTY FREE?: A few mega brands pictured above feature those that test cosmetics on animals versus those that do not.
new research to implement new changes, and curating their own protest campaigns. One way that the cosmetic industry can avoid pitfalls if a law like SB 1249 is passed is for manufactures and suppliers to implement a truly cruelty free market where all brands can prosper without it being at an animals’ expense. Alternative methods do exist
that involve testing on humans instead of animals. This modern new form of testing is known as Vitro Testing and involves a human based microdosing. In turn, this practice has become more reliable, accurate, and cheaper -- not to mention no animals are involved to begin with. If indeed this law is passed by Gov. Jerry Brown, it will go
into effect on Jan. 1, 2020 and reshape the beauty industry with regard to animal cruelty. As we have seen before, what starts in California normally spreads out. So, if the law does pass, it’s entirely possible other states will follow California’s lead. Kylie Shannon can be reached at kshanno124@student.glendale.edu.
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A Snippet From GCC’s Blood Drive Associated Students of Glendale Community College partnered up with Huntington Hospital in efforts to host a Blood Drive on campus. The event took place in Plaza Vaquero on Sept. 25 and 26, between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.. Ethan DeHoyos/ Staff Photographer
BLOOD DRIVE: Technician Jackie Baca- Geary from the Huntington Hospital checks student Maja Herrera’s Iron level, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature to see if she qualifies as a candidate to donate blood. The blood drive was located in the quad of Glendale Community College in Glendale, Calif.
All donors received a $5 In-N-Out gift card.
California Bans Plastic Straws In Restaurants State may lead a national wave with latest bill signed into law By Marian Sahakyan Editor-in-Chief The state will soon follow in Santa Monica’s footprints by banning plastic straws in places of business. Sort of. Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that will ban restaurants from giving out straws along the state, unless a customer specifically asks for one. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. “It is a very small step to make a customer who wants a plastic straw ask for it,” Brown said. “It might make them pause and think again about an alternative.” Brown is known to be one of the biggest ralliers to campaign against the unnecessary use of plastic. In an official statement, Brown said that plastic has been a very important part of innovation and in many cases it is hard to get rid of. However, he argued that daily plastic use can be scaled back. “It is even found in toothpaste,” he said. “Plastic has helped advance innovation in our society, but our infatuation with single-use convenience has led to
disastrous consequences.” Brown referenced the nowviral story of a dead whale found with 80 plastic bags that were found inside of a dead whale’s stomach in Thailand which prevented it from digesting food and led to the animal’s death. The governor called banning unsolicited plastic straw use a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. “Plastics, in all forms — straws, bottles, packaging, bags, etc. — are choking our planet,” Brown wrote. A report from the California Coastal Commission’s annual cleanup logs show that plastic stirrers and straws are the sixth most common type of trash found on state beaches. Conservation groups in San Francisco have claimed plastic litter that flows into the ocean out of urban drains is threatening about 500 species of wildlife, 23 of which are considered to be endangered species. “One thing is clear, we must find ways to reduce and eventually eliminate single-use plastic products,” Brown said. Marian Sahakyan can be reached at manehsahakyan@gmail.com
frankieleon/ Creative Commons
PLASTIC WASTE: These will soon be replaced by paper straws and other alternatives.
Courtesy Photo / Mexico News Daily
DANGER AND DESPERATION: Storm damage in has left many people homeless and wandering the streets.
Sinaloa Slammed With Tropical Storm Family member of GCC student provides details of the situation on the ground By Marian Sahakyan Carolina Diaz Federal officials in Mexico declared a state of emergency for 11 municipalities in the state of Sinaloa, as an unexpected storm hit the territory on Sept. 20. Four people were killed as a result and three others are missing, and are yet to be found. The heavy rainfall was due to a tropical depression, which “forms when a low pressure area is accompanied by thunderstorms that produce a circular wind flow with maximum sustained winds below 39 mph,” according to NASA. Though not many U.S.-based media outlets have covered the disaster in Mexico, El Vaquero’s staff deemed it important to report about the unfortunate events, as Glendale Community College is home to many Mexican students with roots from Sinaloa. The aunt of a GCC student and newspaper staff member provided insight on the conditions on ground in a lengthy interview. Margarita Carranco Gonzalez
and her family live in the small town of Rafael Buelna in central Sinaloa, and though this town hasn’t suffered as poorly as some other parts of the state have, people still express their concern over what is to come. The Gonzalez family home did not suffer from too many damages, though they have not had any running or drinking water in their city for days. The state has yet to fix the problem. Gonzalez said she has donated items like kitchen utensils, along with food to families who have lost their all to the horrific storm. Her family has also volunteered to help clean the houses of those affected by the storm. “We are in the mood to help with collecting food, clothing and cleaning houses,” she said in an interview, demonstrating optimism despite concern about clean up efforts. However, Gonzalez added that little help has been received from the government. The most active aid was executed by the Mexico’s navy. M e x i c o n e w s d a i l y. c o m
reported that 14 inches of rain fell in less than a 24-hour period, destroying more than 300,000 homes. The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture estimated that nearly 15,000 hectares of agricultural crops in Sinaloa were completely lost and that there were partial losses in an additional 1,920 hectares as a result of the heavy rainstorms. Flooding also caused damage to three major highways, and 160 public schools. Later in the week, the state government reported that at least 3,504 people had to be evacuated from their homes. Shelters have been set up in several safe areas to receive and take care of those who were forced to leave their homes. The Mexican Red Cross has sent over 30 tons of humanitarian aid to help the state.
Marian Sahakyan can be reached at manehsahakyan@gmail.com Carolina Diaz can be reached at itscarodiaz@gmail.com
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College Student By Day, Parent All The Time Those with kids struggle as they try to complete their education By Eduardo Carreno Staff Writer “I was 15 when I had my baby,” Diana Hernandez, a college student, said in an interview. “It really did send my life into a never-ending spiral of stress.” However, the moment she was able to hear his heartbeat. Diana said she “saw this as a huge blessing.” When she told her parents, “they weren’t happy about it.” Hernandez recalled that “what hurt the most was my dad telling me that I had one week to pack my bags and leave.” Her aunt let her stay with her under the condition that she finds a job and continues school, while she looked after the baby. The U.S. has gotten a lot better when it comes to family planning. Most people are waiting to have children and teenage pregnancy is down from earlier decades. A 2015 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a total of 229,715 babies were born to women between the ages of 15 and 19. These statistics were compared to those from a 2014 study by the same group of scientists, which found that birth rates fell by 9 percent in 2015 for women between the ages 15 to 17, and about 7 percent for women ages 18 to 19. When teenagers have a baby, people and society inevitably will look at them in a negative manner. But what if someone did get pregnant in high school or even their first few years of college? How can they fix their life and provide a better life to their child?
Diana is 17-years-old today. She got pregnant at 15. Her father, in particular, was very upset and discouraged, and felt like he had to provide for an additional mouth. In many circumstances like Diana’s, a young woman would consider getting an abortion. Yet, like pregnancy rates, abortion rates are also relatively low. “Government estimates indicate that teen abortion rates increased during the 1970s, stabilized during the 1980s at around 43 per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19, then decreased steadily to about 14 per 1,000 by 2011,” according to Child Trends, a research institution. What about all the dads? What role do they play? One college student explained that he knew his life had changed the minute he got his girlfriend pregnant. “It really wasn’t easy at first when it comes to raising a kid,” he told me, asking to be anonymous. “You get looked at weirdly at the mall, the supermarket, and at parks because, at my age, you’re supposed to be applying for scholarships, colleges and universities.” Instead, he noted, he is “applying for child daycare and signing WIC checkbooks.” He is determined to change his life and attends community college. In the future, he may want to move to Oregon, a place where he thinks he can more easily afford the cost of living. He and his girlfriend plan to make the move together. One of the biggest struggles was to find a stable job that didn’t interfere with his school schedule, and still allowed
YOUNG MOTHER AND HER BABY: Mothers don’t have any break time.
enough time to drop off and pick up his baby from daycare. “I work 25 hours to 30 hours a week to be able to just buy my son’s baby formula, clothes, diapers and wipes. I do this for him because he completely changed my life around in a positive way, instead of a negative way like society would often times see it.” He plans on completing his education and increasing hours worked. “I’m just lucky that my parents are supporting me, my girlfriend and my son, their grandson, pushing me to finish school, find a good job, and put me and my family forward,” he said. Sadly, not all families are supportive. With minimal help from the families of both young
parents, these two are often left with no choice but to drop out of school, in order to work and provide for their newborn. On top of that, they have to worry about ways in which they can pay other bills, and lead a healthy lifestyle with one another. Among dropouts, according to statistics by the National Conference State Legislature, “only 40 percent of teenage mothers finish high school. Fewer than 2 percent finish college by age 30.” “Teenage fathers, regardless of their marital status at conception or age at first birth, were much more likely to have been high school dropouts than were other male teenagers,” according to an article in the National Center for Biotechnology In-
Oleg Sidorenko / Creative Commons
formation. “Teen dads are less likely to finish high school than their peers,” claimed a research on teenage fathers compiled by DoSomething.org. The race and the community that they live in, can also have an impact in whether or not a teenage male will complete school. There are many teenage mothers and fathers who still defy the odds and become outstanding achievers, regardless of the amount of support that they receive. But don’t think it’s easy. Having a child so young, often makes one rethink priorities and put goals on hold. Eduardo Carreno can be reached at ecarren860@student.glendale.edu.
Community Colleges Should Offer More Off-Campus Internships Students develop confidence and professionalism in their field of study By Joanna Flamenco Staff Writer Community Colleges in California are transitioning into a new era of education, finding ways to increase transfer rates, while tailoring curriculums to students’ career goals. Although plans for education reform are always underway, there are other impactful experiences that could help students discover their futures. One of those experiences is an off-campus research internship, teaching individuals how to develop professionalism, while ex-
posing them to the reality of the work field. Students are currently facing outrageous tuition fees and a fear of investing in an unfulfilling academic journey. With the introduction of more off-campus internships, students would enter the workforce with greater confidence, and proper training to become distinguished scholars solving real-world issues. One professor that recognizes the value of this process is the reputable Dr. Javier Gago, an Ichthyology (study of fish) expert , teaching marine biology and biology 102 at GCC. He has a con-
Quote Catalog / Creative Commons
CLEAR AND STAINED FISH: Students have the option of learning how to dissolve specimens’ tissue in a digestive enzyme called Trypson and dying the cartilage and bones with blue and purle dye.
tagious passion for ocean life, always finding ways of bringing humor into the classroom. He finds students in his classes with a fervent curiosity for biology and offers them an internship at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. There, students are familiarized with the Ichthyology and Malacology (study of mollusks) departments and their designated curators of those fields. Students are challenged to become independent thinkers, develop hypotheses on various topics, like the evolution of shark fins, whether snails can be photosynthetic, or if ice fish from Antarctica could survive on other planets. Throughout the semester, students study the museum’s large collection, and learn to use many tools to further develop their research. As they utilize Scanning Electron Microscopes, and use DNA analysis tools to support their research, students take away knowledge and experience, beyond an ordinary internship. In the end, they present their research findings to the museum curators, and the GCC biology faculty. Raul Flamenco, a former GCC student, an intern of the museum, and currently an environmental
biology major at Cal Poly Pomona talked a little about the experience. “If people know about you and your passions, they will open doors for you. If people see that you work hard and that you are willing to go out of your way to learn more; to ask the hard questions, people will see that you care and offer you opportunities or whatever it may be.” He spoke about the importance of building relationships with professors, and valuing their experiences, because you never know what opportunities they could share with you. This internship helped him apply classroom concepts into real world problems, like the study of environmental toxicology and how to manage humans’ chemical waste. Not only did this experience direct him closer to his passion, but it taught him the value of teaching these concepts to kids, inspiring those who one day may want to pursue a field in biology. These opportunities manifest into a domino effect of impact, and that’s worth the investment. In 2018, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office created a budget of $150 million to make serious changes to community colleges. Guided Path-
ways is one program that intends to create services that enhances the community college journey. In order to make this a reality, a part of this budget could be allocated to off-campus internships, creating real world application to classroom concepts. Who knows how far the dominoes’ would fall if this becomes a possibility for students. Joanna Flamenco an be reached at jflamen496@student.glendale.edu.
Joanna Flamenco / Staff Photographer
DISSECTION MICROSCOPE: Used to remove jaws from slugs.
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When September Comes … Mexicans, Armenians celebrate a special victory month
LATIN DANCE: The most passionate dance of all time.
By Lilit Sedrakyan Staff Writer On Sept. 16, 1810, priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bells of the town and called the Mexicans to fight against Spanish control. On that day in the little town named Dolores started the Mexican War for Independence and lasted two decades. It is one of the favorite holidays for Mexican-Americans. It is a good occasion to celebrate, come together and introduce the rich cultural heritage in their country and abroad. Thousands of LatinoAmericans lined up along the Cesar Chavez Boulevard, East LA, for 73rd parade organized by the Mexican-American community on the occasion of Independence Day. The annual parade is one of the oldest and largest celebrations
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
of Latino community. Monica Contreras Hernandez specially travelled to LA from Pennsylvania to participate in festivities. “This is beyond the most amazing parades I’ve ever been in. I’m from Pennsylvania, where we don’t have anything for my culture, we need to step it up. This parade is about equality, that is what we fought for, that’s what our country fought for and stands for; culture, equality, opportunity, family and religion,” said Hernandez. The parade introduced rich and diverse culture, traditions and customs of the dynamic and vibrant Latino community of LA. Many school bands, equestrian units, folkloric groups, elaborated floats, colorful costumes, live music represented different Mexican states. “This parade shows our heritage, our culture, shows
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
DIVERSITY: DIfferent faces of the Mexican culture were introduced during the parade.
how we can come together as a community, how we can celebrate, our Independence in the US,” said Maria Camboa. She also added that after the parade she will gather her big family to have their favorite dishes on dinner, including tamales, burritos, el grido, and very spicy salsa. “I celebrated this holiday with my family in Mexico every year. Now I live in California and I’m very proud that can celebrate this great holiday here in LA, too. This is a very important day for us; we come together, celebrate and remember our past,” said Margarita Sandoval. The street festival continued on with delicious Mexican spicy food, mariachi bands and national costumes. This year, for the first time, Armenians took part in the parade as a guest country.
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
PARADE: A Mexican beauty showcased the strong spirit of a nation.
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
PRIDE: Jose Luis Leon is excited to celebrate the holiday in the U.S.
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
TRADITIONAL WARES: Century old carpets tell a lot about Armenian heritage.
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
ARMENIAN CULTURE: The new generation carries the culture of their ancestors.
Lilit Sedrakyan / Staff Photographer
BUILDING COMMUNITY: Congressman Schiff congratulates the crowd.
September is a festive month for Armenians as well. On Sept. 21, 1991, the people of Armenia voted in a referendum to proclaim independence from the Soviet Union, regaining their sovereignty after 71 years of communism hegemony. This was the result of many lives spent in jail and a struggle worth a few decades. The Armenian youth had been fighting for their independence since the 1960s. At last they made their dreams come true on that very September day. Armenia was among the leading countries re-gaining independence from the Soviet Union, putting an end to a monster which had absorbed fifteen countries into one totalitarian union. A total of 99.5% of Armenian citizens voted in favor. “I cannot express those feelings we had on those days, back in 1991. Our hearts were full of joy and happiness, we could feel the sweet taste of freedom,” Karine Tepoyan
shared her feelings with excitement. She and hundreds of other members of the ArmenianAmerican community gathered in Verdugo park to celebrate the holiday and to share their memories from what felt like a national awakening. “I celebrate this day every year, this is a special day for all of us,” said ‘grandpa’ Gourgen taking photos on his little camera, to show and to tell about the celebration to his wife later on. A number of folkloric groups in national costumes introduced Armenian traditional dances. Famous Armenian singers performed folk and modern music, entertaining the community until late evening. Armenian rich and delicious cuisine was presented as were interesting wares. One couldn’t resist the seductive scent of Khorovats, the Armenian barbeque. Congressman Adam Schiff was among the guest speakers
with a congratulatory message. “It’s my great good fortune to represent the largest Armenian community in the US Congress. It is a great pleasure to congratulate the entire Diaspora and the nation of Armenia on this historic occasion and it comes in such an exciting time when we have had revolutionary change in Armenia,” said the congressman. “ I think that captivated the world. And I think this is a good opportunity for the US to once again strengthen the partnership between our countries.” With the recent “velvet revolution” in Armenia, many community members set a new goal; return to Armenia and celebrate the next Independence Day in their homeland. Despite the fact that it was Sunday and a working week was ahead, nobody wanted to leave the park, where they enjoyed a day full of joy and warm memories. Lilit Sedrakyan can be reached at lilit.sedrakyan@armtv.com.
FEATURES
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Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
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Vaq’s Dodgeball “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.” - Patches O’Houlihan By Kevin Holcomb Staff Writer We are back, and it is dodgeball season. A new club is on the horizon! The Glendale College League of Dodgeball “is an organization dedicated to providing an inclusive, fun environment for all students at Glendale Community College,” according to the mission statement of the organization. This club offers all GCC students and faculty the opportunity to play organized dodgeball, make new friends and compete with their squad. Being a student can be a lot of work. We are well into the fifth week of the semester and the workload is in full force. League of Dodgeball is a perfect place to let go of all the stress. When asked about the benefits of joining, Bobby Morales, marketing major, and president of the club, showed his enthusiasm about the new opportunities the League of Dodgeball brings to campus. “It is a great way to get involved on campus, meet people [and] stay healthy,” Morales said. He also mentioned that joining this club is free and there are no commitments. If you play
hard enough, you can even skip the gym. “Dodgeball doesn’t take any brain work,” said Joseph Ortiz, history major and vice president of the club. “Throw a ball and have fun.” As a developing club, the League of Dodgeball will need lots of members to play matches. Everyone is welcome, bring your friends and spread the word. An easy going and active game of dodgeball is not only easy on the mind, but it is also good for the body. As of now, the official meetings are yet to be announced but are expected to be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.. Organized teams are welcome and matching shirts are encouraged. Dodgeball typically consists of two teams of five. Bring five and have a team or bring ten and have a match. Games will be held across from campus, in Verdugo Park, next to the home of Vaq’s baseball. Regardless the reason for joining, this club is guaranteed to be fun. Although not promised by club officials, I am willing to say it is the easiest one on campus. Kevin Holcomb can be reached at kholcomb129@gmail.com.
Matthew Spencer / Staff Illustrator
THROW A BALL: Playing dodgeball is going to give students another options to have fun and excersice.
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El Vaquero offer all GCC Clubs the opportunity to advertise for upcoming events. Contact us for more information by emailing rcohen@glendale.edu.
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Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
FEATURES
www.elvaq.com
“If you were asked to put together a concert By Selena Reyes and Martha Topete Staff Writers
Jonathan Suarez
Lily Walker
Major: Environmental Science
Major: Business Communications
“My artists are all dead, so they can’t be present but I’d have John Lennon and Michael Jackson. Oh, actually I would have Tears for Fears playing.”
“I’d bring August Alsina, holy Jesus of course Cardi, and Ozuna!”
Bryan Aguilar Major: Psychology
“My top 3 are Panic! At The Disco, The Killers, The Rolling Stones.”
Natalie Mira Major: Psychology
“I’d bring Four Tops, The 1975, and Lady Gaga.”
Andres Simental
Natali Vardanyan
“I would bring Becky G, Maluma, and Lincoln Park.”
“If it’s my concert I have to have Russ, Eminem for sure, and something old school like Modern Talking.”
Major: Finances
Major: Criminal Justice
FEATURES
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Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
at GCC, what 3 artist would you bring?”
Nate Degraffinreaidt
Adayus Robertson
Major: Undecided / GCC Athlete “For sure Lil Baby, NBA YoungBoy, And Future.”
Major: Undecided / GCC Athlete
Elijah Garcia
Major: Undecided / GCC Athlete
“My three would be Quando Rondo, NBA YoungBoy, and 1 Take Jay.”
“I have only two and that’s A1beam and Cabana Sahm.”
Ceasar Ibarra Major: Undecided / GCC Athlete
“I’d only have Daniel Caesar and J.Cole.”
Angel Andrade
Alex Binczek
Major: Sociology
Major: Undecided
“You know, I’d have to bring Lil Baby, Gunna, and definitely Joey BadA$$.”
“I’d bring Lil Baby, Lil Pump, and Kendrick Lamar.” Photo Credit: Selena Reyes Staff Photographer
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POLITICS
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
www.elvaq.com
The Great Race A hundred candidates set their sights for Congress
Jeff Turner / Creative Commons
THE CALIFORNIA CAPITOL: Upon the conclusion of the elections, the new representatives of California will gather within the California Capitol building for state legislature meetings.
By Hayk Martirosyan Staff Writer New elections bring new faces. This is doubly so for California’s Congressional elections. While only one senator will have her seat challenged this election, all 53 seats in the House of Representatives have been challenged. A difficult choice stands ahead. To simplify it, below is a breakdown of the candidates that will be competing in the November election for a seat in the Congress and the right to represent the people of California. The simplest election to understand is the US Senate elections. Each state holds two seats in the Senate, and this year one of these seats for California has been challenged. This means that the senator holding one of the seats, also referred to as an incumbent, must run for re-election against a potential challenger. In this case, the race will be between incumbent of 26 years, Dianne Feinstein and challenger Kevin de León. Sen. Feinstein and de León are both from the Democratic Party. This marks the second consecutive year, that the Senate was contested by two Democrats. They are running on similar platforms, championing for universal healthcare, a statewide $15 minimum wage, comprehensive immigration reforms, and support for women’s right to abortion. In terms of their goals, the two differ little, excluding the fact that Sen. Feinstein has extensive experience within Congress under her belt, including sponsorship and co-sponsorship of various acts such as Keep Families Together Act, Agricultural Workers Program Act, and RAISE the Wage Act, just to name a few. The greatest issue regarding this election is the controversy regarding sexual scandals
being thrown around. Early during the election, Kevin de León occused Sen. Feinstein of “gross misconduct” for waiting months to act on the sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, who is a judge nominated by President Trump for the Supreme Court. This accusation led to supporters of Feinstein digging into de León’s history, revealing that he was also too slow to react to sexual accusations against multiple lawmakers in Sacramento, one of whom previously shared an apartment with de León. Further criticism against de León has come from the Democratic Party itself, as he has been accused of unsportsmanlike behavior in trying to sully Feinstein’s name to push his campaign forward. Moving on from the Senate, is the House of Representatives. This year, all 53 districts will hold elections for their representatives. This makes for 106 candidates, which translates to being too many for this article. For the sake of brevity, below will discuss the candidates from Districts 28, 29, and 34. District 28 includes Glendale, Burbank, parts of Pasadena, and Sunland. The contestants here are the Democratic incumbent Adam Schiff and the Republican challenger Johnny Nalbandian. The former has served as a representative for 21 years. He has displayed an active support for Armenian Genocide recognition, a highly contested issue in Glendale. He has made his name by supporting the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and increasing the max grant limit for students to $5,730. Schiff has also held the lead in possible votes in most polls. Johnny Nalbandian, on the other hand, has expressed great love for capitalism. He advocated against government intervention
in small businesses and gun laws. He has also voiced his support of veterans and tighter border control. Despite all of this, his most unique feature is an inclusion of a recipes in his campaign website that features recipes by Nalbandian, such as “Mr. Seafood’s Baked Lobster Tail” and “Pomegranate Marinated Sturgeon.” District 29 includes North Hollywood, Van Nuys, San Fernando, and Arleta, along with a few other locations. The candidates here are the Democratic incumbent Tony Cardenas and the Republican challenger Benito Bernal. Rep. Cardenas has held his position for five years. He says his focus is building a healthy economy via immigration laws, that allow immigrants to further utilize their skills and knowledge in the American market. He is also very passionate about animal rights, as it is the first issue mentioned on his campaign website. His campaign, however, has been sullied by a recent accusation against him, alleging that in 2007 he molested a 16-year-old girl in his car after having her drugged. No public evidence has been provided on this case, and Cardenas is still holding a lead on his opponent, according to several polls. Benito Bernal is Rep. Cardenas’ opposition and has placed a great emphasis on improvement of education and taxes. For one, he champions for the increase in resources provided to special needs students and wishes to increase funding for career technical education. Bernal has also addressed the high tax rates in California, stating that despite it being one of the highest taxing states in the nation, it suffers greatly from issues regarding homelessness, traffic, and infrastructure. Finally, District 34, which includes Downtown Los Angeles, Chinatown, and Eagle Rock,
among other locations, will hold a unique race. On one side is the Democratic incumbent Jimmy Gomez and on the other is a young Green Party challenger, Kenneth Mejia. Rep. Gomez has been in the House for one year. He has aided education reform with the GREAT Act, meant to streamline the process of giving grants. His economic interests fall against President Trump’s 2019 economic plan, a fact he has made very clear by saying “President Trump’s budget falls woefully short in meeting the needs of working families.” Gomez intends on countering this by establishing his own economic plan, although details regarding it remain vague. His opponent is a young Green Party member, Kenneth Mejia. Mejia takes a more socialist stand on many issues, promising to work on free tuition by using the Wall Street Speculation Tax. Meaning, he intends to tax the stock market and use the taxed money to provide free college. He also voiced an interest in
revitalizing the middle class by having “job guarantees” and a minimum $12,000 guaranteed income for anyone who makes below $150,000 annually. Mr. Mejia also intends to combat the GOP’s supposed attempt to remove the Affordable Care Act and make universal healthcare a human right, thus providing a universal health care across his congressional district. He has established his platform on the persona of a man-of-the-people, vouching for the betterment of financially depleted communities. These are just some of the candidates preparing for the election. Some 100 other candidates are still running across the state, each with their own agendas and policies. In order to make an educated vote, citizens are encouraged to research their candidates in detail in order to understand what issues each is willing to tackle, in order to make an educated vote. After all, these elections can redefine the future of California as a state. Hayk Martirosyan can be reached at haykm212@gmail.com.
United States Department of the Interior
DISTRICT 28: Boundries of California’s 28th congressional district.
OPINION
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Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
11
Are Athletes Overpaid? Two authors debate if athletes deserve their extensive paychecks
Logan Selinski / Creative Commons
AN EXPENSIVE COMMTTMENT: The US Bank Stadium was closed down December 2013 for renovations. Opened July 2016, the 3 year renovations cost $1.061 billion, half of which was paid by the state of Minnesota.
Professional Athletes Are Overpaid By Yesenia Thomson Staff Writer One cannot argue the importance of sports in American culture. Although it may not be this writer’s cup of tea, to deny the role that sports play on a societal scale, would be naive. Indeed, from college to professional, organized sports are often a large part of many people’s lives. However, one cannot help but wonder about the kind of money those within the professional leagues make. The average NBA salary for the 2016-2017 season was $6.2 million, according to Forbes. The highest paid player, LeBron James, made $31 million for the season. Compare that to the highest doctor’s salary in the United States, which is at best $500 thousand a year, as reported by Forbes. Even the salary of the president of the United States is $400 thousand a year. Arguably, the stress of saving lives and running a country are far greater than playing professional sports. A common argument is that the chances of playing professionally are so slim, between 0.03 percent and 0.09 percent, depending on the game, makes the sizable salary warranted. This is a valid argument, despite the chances of becoming president being much slimmer. But what does a salary of this magnitude mean for college players? Unfortunately, college players are not paid, despite the amount of time and effort they put into their sport. Continuing with basketball as the example, in 2015, NCAA division 1 schools made about $100 million dollars in revenue, according to Bloomberg. While it’s worth noting, most of the money made is attributed to the top 23 percent of those schools, the high salary of professional athletes is often used as leverage over college athletes. This is despite only 1.2 percent of male college basketball players going on to play professionally, and 0.9 percent of female players, according to the NCAA. Another great example of an underpaid but highly crucial profession is that of a United States soldier. An E1 serviceman, somebody who has just enlisted in the military with less than two years of experience, gets an
annual salary of just over $19,000. Although, these soldiers are eligible for benefits, the amount of time dedicated to their service is disproportionate to their compensation. Nevertheless, both jobs require a lot of physical capability but at the end of the day, one gets to go home to their families and the other does not. Furthermore, soldiers spend about 90 hours a week in what is called ‘productive time,’ and are typically allotted 10 hours of free time a week. Think about a professional athlete. They, on the other hand, train about 36 hours a week. We can conclude that although both professions require physical endurance and time commitments, the pay gap is tremendously wide between the two. While an average soldier puts in more than twice the time of a sportsman, he also makes less than 1 percent of the average NBA player. It is evident that the obligations of one career far outweigh the other but the pay does not reflect any of it. With the chance of earning millions on the horizon, it’s easy for college sports officials to rationalize a lack of compensation for their student athletes regardless of the fact that they make millions of dollars off of these athletes. While the free education that most university players are awarded is a nice start, the lofty checks professionals enjoy can serve as an unintentional roadblock to young players’ economic stability. So even if you don’t see a problem with a sportsmen’s multimillion dollar payday compared to that of a doctor, or a soldier, or even world leaders, you can recognize how these wages hurt their own. Athletes work incredibly hard and should be awarded for their efforts, but it’s worth examining other careers, like those of medical professionals and soldiers, who are faced with far more complex tasks and aren’t rewarded nearly as handsomely. Although not everybody can be Kobe Bryant or Clayton Kershaw, not everybody can handle the horrors of combat or the stresses of surgery on a regular basis. Shouldn’t those less glamorous but far more essential professions be compensated as fairly? Yesenia Thomson can be reached at ythomso890@student.glendale.edu
Why Getting Paid A Lot is Perfectly Fine By Hayk Martirosyan Staff Writer The average salary of a professional National Basketball Association player is $5.15 million per year, according to the Huffington Post. This amounts to $430,000 per month, and $15,000 per day. This is a lot of money for a single person to make. Especially when we consider that doctors, who arguably participate in a more important service, only make $180,000 annually, (or $15,000 per month). The question is then, why would an athlete be paid noticeably more than other professions, such as doctors or policemen. For one, athlete salaries are not stable. An athlete embroiled in controversy or bested by other athletes will have his income be reduced, as they will no longer be popular. In some cases, like boxing, the athlete is paid per match. Furthermore, certain sports require an athlete to willingly put their life to risk for the sake of an audience’s entertainment. Surely getting into a fist fight that can lead to permanent injury justifies getting paid a few million. Secondly, it is important to not ignore the value of sports. I don’t really have interest in sports, but to say that it is invaluable would be ignorant of me. Sports has been and will continue to be a powerful element of culture within society. Nations like Brazil have built their identity around sports like soccer. Meanwhile in the United States, every year families and friends gather to watch a game of American football. Children grow up looking up to athletes as models of strength and perseverance, and are inspired by them to be better. It is thus inarguable, that sports are fundamental to the culture of modern society. Most importantly, the money for athletes flows from customers. People are willingly buying expensive tickets and merchandise to see their preferred athlete perform. The money is given to the athlete willingly. Once an athlete becomes popular, a business or a brand may offer him or her sponsorship, thus giving them more money. Note, that every step of the way, an athlete’s income is given to him by fans who love his work, much like
how an actor is paid by the money audiences pay when buying movie tickets. No one is forcing these fans and audiences to pay so much. Especially considering, with modern technology one can watch any sports game from the comfort of their home. People volunteer their money. On contrary, doctors are paid through insurance services, which in turn are funded by people who must provide periodic fees. It’s doubtful that anyone is excited to pay for their insurance. Similarly, policemen are paid by the government, which is funded by taxes. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wants to pay more taxes. Because the only way we can increase the pay for our doctors or policemen is by paying more to our insurance companies or to our government. Thing is, most people aren’t interested in doing that. When I buy a ticket to a sports game or to a movie, I get enjoyment out of it. I see a direct return to my investment. When I pay taxes, it feels like I am throwing money off a bridge. Of course, that’s not true. Our taxes fund schools, police departments, government offices, etc., but the return is not obvious nor immediate. Thus, I am not excited to fund my doctor. At the end of the day, there’s no fun in paying for my doctor. Lastly, athletes just have a bigger role in our lives. Someone who is into sports may spend every day seeing something relating to his hobby. It may be a video on YouTube, a game on TV, or just a prolonged conversation with friends about a game or an athlete. Most people will never have this much interaction with a doctor or a policemen. They are simply not a major part of the average person’s life. There are only two possible solutions to this “issue.” Either we force people to not buy tickets and not fund their favorite athletes, so it is more fair for doctors and policemen, or we increase taxes, make life insurance more expensive. In other words, there is no solution. The system works fine as it is right now. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, just don’t fix it. Hayk Martirosyan can be reached at haykm212@gmail.com.
Rene Schwietzke/Creative Commons
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OPINION
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
www.elvaq.com
The
By Samantha Decker Features Editor
An ad for trendy new restaurant approved by a foodie, a photo of a perfectly groomed dog eyeing at jar of treats hungrily, a Boomerang loop of a girl kissing a tube of lipstick with bright cherry-red lips, an Instagram Story of a pretty girl instructing to “swipe up” to get her fashionable look, and a post encouraging a click through to the link in bio for 15 percent off chic home furnishings. These are just examples of some of the sponsored content that have appeared on my Instagram feed in the first 10 minutes of scrolling. The emergence of social media not only provided a space for people to express themselves and share content, it also created a platform for people to put themselves on a pedestal. Deemed influencers, these users can be described as online public figures who have the ability to distribute content and persuade large groups. The influencer industry, specifically the subcategory of micro-influencers, has exploded in popularity. A micro-influencer is a smaller scale influencer that has between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. They will oftentimes hone in on an area of interest, such as fitness, lifestyle or fashion and post tasteful pictures and material that correspond. Content can come in the form of blogs, Tweets, Instagram posts, etc. Since becoming one is relatively easy, the number of microinfluencers has been on a steep increase, as people chase the internet fame. Influencers, supposedly more real and relatable, first piqued interest because of how different they were than too-perfect celebrities the masses were too used to seeing. As influencers started to grow in popularity and quantity, businesses started to take notice. As a result, ads and product placement contributed by influencers that have infected the internet worse than pop-ups before the blocking feature. The only difference is, in this form, it’s accepted. Not surprisingly, this is a gold mine to brands who use the internet to promote. Influencers have revolutionized the way brands and marketers reach a significant portion of their target audience on the internet. Instead of signing a expensive celebrity endorser, multiple influencers can do a version of this on a smaller scale and at a minimal cost. Aspiring models, actors, musicians and visual artists frequently turn to social media channels as a tool to gain more exposure and accumulate a fanbase, in hopes to further their careers. If they reach a level of mild success, they are considered micro-influencers. As a result, self-promotion on social media has largely replaced the traditional ways, which
Influencer Influenza An Internet epidemic more contagious than the cultures living on the screens of the common smartphone Samantha Decker/ Instagram Compilation
means aspiring artists are no longer seeking agents, managers or professional to help them get in front of talent scouts. They may rationalize it as a smart alternative to break into the industry, but by never enlisting the help of a professional, they are inevitably robbing themselves of opportunities social media may not be able to offer. While online exposure has worked for a few celebrities, it can be unrealistic and risky. Hollywood is not known for providing a safe work environment and many are going in without the protection and advocacy provided by an agency. This can leave an artist vulnerable, underpaid and even exploited. While awaiting their big break, these artists often represent brands and try to generate sales. However, it is easy to become more preoccupied with pushing products rather than their careers. At first, endorsing a product makes them look important and sought-after, but people tend to get carried away and overdo it. Ironically, this causes fans to eventually lose interest, because everything they post is now an ad and not art. An obsession with a glamourous lifestyle and a fever for fame coupled with the lack of a marketable talent, makes the prospects of being an influencer become extremely attractive. Consequently, there is an immense amount of interest in becoming an influencer, so much, it’s practically taking over the internet. For this, people are willing sacrifice their own individuality to turn themselves into a digital billboard, without a second thought. This of type of gilded fame can be traced to the
Paris Hilton/Kardashian mentality, where the status of fame is attained for no real reason other than glam and scandal. The lifestyle seems incredibly attractive from the outside, but behind the lens depicts a different story. Contrary to popular belief, many seasoned influencers are still struggling financially. There are instances where an influencer can an over 100,000 followers but under $100 in their bank account. The brutal reality, is it takes at least a million followers before there will be any substantial compensation. To enable their online image, there are many who will turn to unconventional and dangerous methods to support themselves. I have witnessed many influencers become involved in illegal activity, maintain questionable relationships or contacts for networking and financial support, or bend their personal morals to take work in the sex industry, all in order to survive. Not a shred of evidence of this darker side is found anywhere on their profiles as it is carefully hidden from the public eye. From working with influencers on the corporate side, I can say from experience that the hunger for fame is astonishing. I was stunned by the lengths they were willing to go for just a few bottles of lotion and a low-dose of validation. Or how upset they would get if I told them their post wasn’t up to the brand’s standards and they would plead with me to give them another chance to post, in fear we wouldn’t work with them in the future. The other influencer pitfall is the shared belief that they hold more power than they actually do. Even with the presence of a
loyal following, influencers often lack the actual influence it takes to inspire a purchase. This sense of entitlement leads them to try to solicit freebies incessantly from businesses, offering follower impressions in place of currency. Since there are too many influencers and not enough that are worthwhile, businesses get overwhelmed with requests and start to ignore them altogether, including the select few that would actually benefit the business. Realistically, businesses cannot constantly give things away for promotion and need to ensure its worth it when they do. While influencers may seem more trustworthy than a TV commercial, beware of the “buying advice” they give. Since they are independently contracted and not regulated by the government agencies that normally oversee ads, they essentially have freereign with their content. This means influencers can overexaggerate, make false claims and even flat-out lie without being held accountable. Why not unfollow them? The reality of living in Los Angeles is many, if not all, of the influencers I personally follow are people I know in real life. They are average people with normal lives and when I first agreed to follow them, I assumed their profile would reflect that. Instead, I was unknowingly subscribing to constant posts of practically the same unremarkable selfie again and again, cheesy inspirational quotes and amped-up pictures that create the illusion of an experience that looks more interesting than it actually is. Interacting in-person with influencer friends, leaves me with
the questioning whether or not I have a real friendship with them or if I am I just another follower and like. I question that every time I am confronted about not liking their fifth post of the day or when they seem to only text for caption ideas. At times, I feel like just another one of their fans and that I serve the role of an semi-oblivious groupie to their so-called famedom. The truly sad thing is while they are so absorbed with their online “friends,” it inhibits them from building real relationships offline. To maintain peace in my person life, for now, I will just silently hit the “mute” button. Internet fame is going to be inevitable due the web’s widespread accessibility and vast popularity. Naturally, there are talented, fame-worthy people, who are bound to be discovered. However, only a small percentage of the contributors, who are trying to make a name for themselves, are going to have what it truly takes to be successful in the entertainment industry. The majority do not, yet they are still receiving a disproportionate amount of attention. Does that mean we will continue to sacrifice real entertainment by having low standards and talent expectations? The cure lies in the decision to collectively raise the bar so those who deserve it, get our attention and those who don’t, fall into a cyber abyss. We need to finally break our dependency of the mundane and choose to live above the influencer.
Samantha Decker can be reached at samantha.l.decker13@gmail.com.
SPORTS
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Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
13
Making A Comeback
Haley Tsarofksi of GCC’s women’s soccer speaks about her journey and legacy at GCC
Sam Lee / Courtesy Photo
PERSEVERENCE: Haley Tsarofski has helped lead the GCC women’s succer team to a 4-1-1 record this season. She has five goals in six games this year while playing a variety of positions for the Lady Vaqs. By Michael Dumansky Staff Writer Haley Tsarofski’s journey to Glendale Community College has been anything but easy. In the past 12 years she has undergone three knee surgeries. Her most recent rehab assignment for the last
surgery was the most challenging of all. Tsarofski, who is known as one of the most genuine members of the GCC Women’s soccer team, is studying Kinesiology through which, she hopes to help athletes in the future as others have helped her during her toughest times as an athlete.
It was a year ago, on Sept. 14, at Compton Community College that she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. The injury sidelined her for the remainder of the season. She recalls the events as if it happened yesterday. “Two weeks before I tore this one, I went one-on-one with a goalkeeper and I tried to get the
ball out of the way, but we just collided,” said Tsarofski. “At the time I hurt my left knee, but I thought it was nothing too serious that I would need to get an MRI for,” she recalled. “But weeks after, it was still hurting. Later I went in and found out that I had also torn my meniscus on my right knee.” Medically retiring from soccer was a real consideration. She mulled around the idea of quitting soccer and just focusing on school instead. While the thought of ending her sports career lingered on her mind, she also knew she wanted to continue with the game. “I feel like if I tore my ACL for the third time, four or five years ago, I would have fallen apart. Instead, this time I took it positively,” said Tsarofski. “I told myself, 10 months and I can come back, so for now I’ll just focus on school and go work out at the gym.” She was determined to one day return to the field with her teammates and compete. Tsarofski constantly trained to get back on the turf to continue to play and to enjoy what she did for so many years. Aside from her teammates and coaches, a person in her life that has always supported from the beginning was her father, Jim Tsarofski. The GCC alum and football player saw her grow throughout the years and has continued to encourage her at every single one of her games. “I’m really, really proud of her. She has overcome so much
adversity and injuries,” said her father. The athlete has taken the kind of humility and love that her father has taught her, and bestows that same love to her teammates. She wants to make sure that every teammate feels successful and takes pride in their work, in the way that she does. During a home game against Imperial Valley, the Lady Vaqs pulled out a huge five to one victory. As she looked back at statistics after the game, she recognized that the goals scored were entered incorrectly. It showed that she scored three goals, and she knew she only had two goals. Immediately, she headed out to the scorekeeper and asked them to change the error. “I just want my teammates to get recognition, because I know it probably didn’t feel good to have scored a goal and not have the credit for it,” she explained. Her maturity truly speaks for itself. She never holds back what’s on her mind and cares for every single one of her teammates and others around her. Haley Tsarofski has used the adversity she has gone through and learned from it. She hopes that she will get a full ride athletic scholarship to play soccer at a four-year school. She continues to work hard to achieve that goal and to one day prove to herself that anything is possible, even if the odds seem impossible. Michael Dumansky can be reached at mdumansk011@studemt.glendale.edu.
NHL: What’s Coming Up Next El Vaquero’s analysis on some of the major trades By Avetis Oganyan Staff Writer This past week, the NHL has seen some of the most blockbuster trades happen. It had everyone on their heels wondering what’s going to happen next. On Sept. 10, the hockey world was shocked as Montreal captain Max Pacioretty was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. The hockey community knew that Pacioretty was going to be traded sooner or later but not to the Knights. The trade details are that Monteral sends Pacioretty in exchange for Tomas Tatar, forward prospect Nick Suzuki and also a 2019 second round draft pick. Pacioretty was coming off a disappointing year some can say, as he only put up 37 points. However, he missed the last 18 games of the season with a knee injury. The 29-year-old has lots of positives in his game. He is not the fastest skater, but he has an outstanding shot and great faceoff and leadership qualities in him. He was almost traded to the Los Angeles Kings during the 2018 draft in June, but the deal never went through
because Montreal asked for too much in return. In my opinion, Montreal didn’t get enough back, because Tatar is already getting up there in age, and therefore, doesn’t have much left to offer. Suzuki is an unproven talent and is very unpredictable. In addition, they got a second round pick, which can be used to get a solid player in the draft. Montreal really didn’t need anymore offensive players in their roster. However, they needed a defenseman as their defense did poorly during the last season. The Pacific division just got a lot tougher, folks. Who won the trade? Without a question, the Vegas Golden Knights got the better part of the deal because we cannot forget the day after the trade. The Knights re-signed Pacioretty to a four-year $28 million contract. The Canadiens just didn’t get enough back. What I would’ve done: If I was Marc Bergevin who is the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, I would have tried to get Brayden McNabb, instead of Tomas Tatar, who is far more
needed in the Montreal Roster than Tatar is. Just when hockey fans thought that they had seen it all during this off-season, they were in for a bigger surprise. Only four days after the Pacioretty trade, one of the biggest trades in NHL history took place, as the superstar captain of the Ottawa Senators, Erik Karlsson got traded to the San Jose Sharks. My jaw dropped when I saw this trade. The Sharks with already one of the top defenses in the league just got so much better without having to give up much. Just imagine the pairing of Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, flat out terrifying. The Ottawa Senators sent over Erik Karlsson and forward Francis Perron in exchange for Chris Tierney, Josh Norris and Rudolf Balcers, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, and lastly, two conditional draft picks. The Norris Trophy, being the most prestigious trophy for a defenseman, was given to Karlsson twice during his career. How can you let go of such a talented and respected player? This, in my opinion is just absurd! Karlsson is a top elite player
OTTAWA TRADES: Karlsson poses wit his jersey. in the league and he was traded for practically nothing. Tierney is not a bad player at all but that does not make up for the other pieces in the trade. This trade was poor judgement on behalf of the Senators management. If the Sharks finalize a deal also to re-sign Karlsson to a long term deal, it’s a done game, because that will make these Sharks title contenders every year! Oh, and remember how I said the Pacific division just got harder? Well, imagine what it’s going to be like now.
Courtesy Photo
Who came out on top? Sharks won without a doubt. I feel really bad for the fans of Ottawa. They deserve much more than what they are getting. What I would have done: I would have asked for a player like Marc-Edouard Vlasic or even a player like Logan Couture. This trade, in my opinion, was just crazy, I do not know what went on during the trade discussions. Avetis Oganyan can be reached at aoganyan@student.glendale.edu.
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SPORTS
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
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Win the Down
Coach Lester Towns talks current and future state of Glendale football Watch/listen to Dylan Bryant’s and Tyler Greene’s interview with Lester Towns
https://bit.ly/2NKLn5u
https://bit.ly/2DwY13p Go to the App/Play store on your phone to download a QR code reader
By Dylan Bryant & Tyler Greene Staff Writer Lester Towns would have never thought he would make his way back to his hometown to continue his coaching career and ultimately to be with his whole family once again. Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Lester Towns began his football career in Pasadena. Out of high school, coach Towns received a scholarship to the University of Washington where he continued to thrive on defense. In 2000 Towns was drafted by the Carolina Panthers where he spent the first four years of his professional career. Coaching intrigued Towns early on and soon after retirement he began an internship with the Carolina Panthers. Towns went on to coach at the University of Alabama and Portland State University. As a coach he describes himself as a perfectionist. “I try to take my experiences as a former player and try to put myself in my players shoes,” said Towns. He motivates his players to be their best; his past experiences and fatherhood guide his coach-
ing style. Coach Towns being a father, knows how important it is to get to know his players. He knows the ability to relate to all the different players is very important for team bonding and chemistry. Being an athlete comes with more responsibility than just playing the sport but also being a student. Towns preaches that academics goes a long way, in the future as an adult and for those who continue to play at a higher level. Building good study habits is not just a skill adopted from the classroom but a skill used to be a learner of the game. “Once everyone buys in and the trust factor, and they stand to believe in what we are trying to do and what we are trying to accomplish, we’ll take off.” Despite struggling in the preseason, Coach Towns believes the team is taking a step in the right direction. Taking it one game at a time and winning the conference is the main goal this season. Dylan Bryant can be reached at Dylanbryant97@gmail.com. Tyler Greene can be reached at tgreene626@student.glendale.edu.
Jennifer Frasco / Courtesy Photo
On The Feild: Coach Towns is fired up for pre-game warm ups.
What is eSports? It might become a new Olympic sport in 2024
By Eisho Shiroma Staff Writer Today, people can make money by playing video games. A pro-gamer is a full time competitive player who is paid to play games. Some of these people are making a livable salary. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that they held a debate in July with the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) for eSports to become an Olympic sport. It will also be discussed at the GAISF Forum and is on the agenda for the Olympic Summit in December. It’s still not certain that eSports will be an Olympic sport, but the industry is growing fast and creating new jobs. In the U.S., some professional sports teams and businessmen started
to invest in eSports. Because the market is easy to enter for investors, some retired athletes have became eSports investors as their second career. Retired basketball players Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Rick Fox have already entered the race. The National Basketball Association (NBA) held a eSports league by using a popular basketball video game NBA2K this May 1 and August 25. Though, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon, if eSports becomes a part of the Olympics, the gaming industry will be more developed and it will become a big dream for future generations to be a a part of. Since video games and computers have developed, eSports is becoming more and more popular in many countries. Some people have heard the
word before, but they don’t know what it means exactly. eSports stands for “electronic sports,” and it is a sports competition using and video games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, Call of Duty, FIFA, and so on. Lee Sang-hyeok is a South Korean professional League of Legends player, known by his in-game name “Faker.” He was chosen as the best eSports player in 2017 by The Game Awards and has won over $1.1 million in prize money. The profit of the world eSports industry was $4 million in 2016, and it was predicted to make over $8 million in 2019, according to market research firm Newzoo (the global market intelligence partner of choice for any company with an interest in games, mobile, and esports.) In the United States, one higher education institution accepts eS-
Marian Sahakyan / Staff Photographer
GCC HAS JOIN THE LOBBY: Glendale college is engaged in Profesional gaming with their own eSports Club.
ports athletes in order to develop pro gamers. For example, Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, is the first university in the United States that provides an eSports program. The students were exempted half of tuition and given financial support for their school activities. In addition, University of California, Irvine started scholarships for eSports student athletes. It was sponsored by Riot, the development company of League of Legends. To say that this is a growing industry is an understatement. It has become a lucrative career for many, allowing them to use creative thinking and gaming skills to earn their money. If the player puts in a lot of hours, they start to build a fan base and become well-known. Some of the top players become famous on the internet by uploading videos of their games on YouTube. They belong to a sponsored organization team and receive money in tournaments. Ninja, age 26, is an American pro-gamer and YouTuber. He has over 12 million subscribers on his channel and is known for playing Fortnite. His monthly income is about $500,000, according to an interview on CNBC. The source of money is mostly from YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. In the late 1990s, many tournaments were held in Europe and Western America. Now, it is held in stadiums around the world every year with huge cash prizes. There are amateur and professional participants, and some of the players earn over $1 million in a year. At the studium, gamers battle against each
other on a particular game with fans watching on big screens. Dota 2 is a video game produced and managed by Valve. Its tournament is called “The International” and said to be the biggest eSports tournament in the world. It was held in Vancouver, Canada this year. Sixteen teams from all over the world battle against each other to get a grand prize of $24 million. Watching eSports as a sport is also an amusement. In South Korea, eSports is well developed and very popular, and they have an eSports channel called “OGN.” A lot of South Korean kids look up these players and they want to be like them. According to an investigation in 2017, there are over 380 million eSports viewers in the world. There’s a lot of fanfare surrounding these competitions. In fact, some players are treated like they’re stars. Playing video games for a job sounds fun, but pro gamers have to work and train really hard. The players on Team Liquid, a professional League of Legends team, practice for minimum of 50 hours per week. “Being pro is time restrictive,” Team Liquid player Diego Ruiz said in an interview. “To stay competitive with other teams, you can’t stop playing.” Some people argue that computer gaming should not be considered to be a sport. They often stick to the traditional definition of what a sport is. Regardless of the controversy, eSports is now revolutionizing and redefining sports. Eisho Shiroma can be reached at eishoshiroma@gmail.com.
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TRAVEL
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
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How to Spend an Exceptional Weekend in San Francisco Going to the Bay? Here’s what you should see
By Chieko Kubo Production Assistant San Francisco is known for having a lot of slopes and rows of appealing Victorian houses, but it’s so much more. People in the city have many
kinds of cultural backgrounds, which allows tourists to be entertained by discovering new cuisines, original experiences, and unique history. Here is a sample of how visitors can have an ideal day in this Bay Area town.
1. Breakfast at Mama’s Many locals say that Mama’s is the best breakfast restaurant in San Francisco. They serve omelettes, french toast, pancakes, and more. The eggs they offer are very fresh and tender, and the saltiness is just right. Mama’s opens at 8 a.m. and gets packed, so go at 8 a.m. sharp. However, the taste of their plates are worth the wait. Mama’s opens from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., except on Monday. It is located at 1701 Stockton Street, San Francisco, 94133. They can be reached at (415) 362-6421.
2. Hike up Lombard Street Lombard Street is one of the most beautiful, Instagramable spots in San Francisco. The street has a long, winding, and sharp slope that looks difficult to navigate a car through. The best season to visit there is from April to July, when the hydrangeas on the slope will be fully bloomed. Renting a cute mini-car, which only 2 people ride in, is also a good idea. Once visitors get the top of the street, they could look over the spectacular sight of the bay town and the ocean.
3. Visit the Legion of Honor One of the most worthwhile museums people must visit in San Francisco is Legion of Honor. Because of the beautiful structure, many couples choose it as a spot to take their engagement photos. Not only is the exterior gorgeous, but also the inside of the gallery would fascinate any art lover. They have European paintings, sculptures, and ancient art on display. Currently, they also offer several season-limited exhibits, “Truth and Beauty: The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters” is on exhibit until the end of September in 2018. “Islam and the Classical Heritage” is going to be there until Jan. 27, 2019. “The Future of the Past: Mummies and Medicine” will be displayed until April 7, 2019. Visitors can see actual ancient Egyptian mummies. Legion of Honor opens from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., except Mondays, and is located at 100 34th Avenue, San Francisco, 94121. They can be reached at (415) 750-3600.
4. Walking around in Fisherman’s Wharf Many people who are interested in San Francisco know Fisherman’s Wharf, known for its big circle sign. There are many food stands, which serve fresh oysters and crabs. People can see Alcatraz Island from there and also visit by ferry. Musicians play guitars or other interesting instruments, while looking at the waving ocean. Listening to a tune is one of the best ways to spend one’s weekend. Along the street, there are many shops where visitors can buy souvenirs for their family, friends, and themselves. When they walk to the east, they can reach Pier 39 within about 10 minutes. All photos and design by Chieko Kubo
5. Have Dinner at Pier 39 Seafood is the best option for dinner when people are in San Francisco. They might have to choose a restaurant because there are a lot. According to Yelp, Fog Harbor Fish House is one of the best eateries there. It gets four stars from customers. Strongly recommended is their award-winning clam chowder, it comes with a bowl of traditional slightly sour bread. The smell and taste of the clams perfectly matches the sourness. People should make a reservation before going since there is always a crowd. Fog Harbor Fish House is located at Pier 39 Building B, Level 2, San Francisco, 94133. They can be reached at (415) 421-2442.
Traveling allows people to expand their horizons. However, it doesn’t matter where they go and how far. New discoveries are everywhere, even just up north in San Francisco!
Chieko Kubo can be reached at ckubo195@student.glendale.edu.
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