SCHOLARSHIPS, SPORTS BIN RESOURCES Banish Pandemic Pounds Page 7 Page 8 C Wednesday, Marchollegian 24, 2021 Volume 186 Number 2 The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929 LITTLE TOKYO PROTEST

It should not be lost upon anyone that conservatives just spent weeks defending old children’s books that contained racism against Asians... only to have that story disappear once a conservative evangelical man committed a terrible hate crime against Asian American women.

Arlen Parsa @arlenparsa COMMUNITY RAILS 1 AGAINST VIOLENCE

BY MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ

A gunman’s deadly rampage in Georgia that left six women of Asian descent dead has left many and Pacific Islanders across the nation outraged and calling for change, fearing an escalation in a rising trend of anti-Asian attacks nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. While no official motive has been made available, the 21-year-old white male suspect has reportedly told authorities that the murders were not racially motivated, claiming that targeting the massage businesses stemmed from a porn and sex addiction. In the following days, a debate began across the nation: Was this a racially motivated hate crime? Curiously, the answer may lie somewhere in the fact that sexuality, race, and gender all intersect here. Concerns about an escalation of violence 2 3 making its way into the East area were largely focused on protecting the more PHOTOS BY LOUIS WHITE vulnerable members of the community. 1- A Chinese man pridefully raises his fist in solidarity with the large crowd gathered at the “Love Our Communities:Stop Asian SEE “CRIMES” PAGE 3 Hate rally in the Little Tokyo/Arts district of , Saturday,March 13, 2021. 2- A Mother holds her three daughters close for a moment in group prayer and meditation led by spiritual leaders on stage for the “Love Our Communities:Stop Asian Hate rally in the Little Tokyo/Arts district of Downtown Los Angeles, Saturday,March 13, 2021. INDEX 3- Signs held in cultural diversity and protest at the Japanese American National Museum, Saturday,March 13, 2021, An Opinion & Editorial 2 interracial couple displays love over hate at the “Love Our Communities: Stop Asian Photo Focus 4-5 Hate” rally held in the Little Tokyo/Arts district of Downtown. News 3-6 4- Young group of Angelenos stand in resolute harmony expressing their Scholarships 7 views against hate during the “Love Our Sports 8 Communities: Stop Asian Hate” rally held in the Little Tokyo/Arts district of Downtown Los Angeles at the Japanese American National 4 Museum, Saturday, March 13, 2021. 2 Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 OPINION & EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

We Must Act to Regulate Artificial Intelligence, Now Collegian

BY CHARLIE DERR tenfold in ensuing years, and the It has been left largely to social Los Angeles City College doppelgangers it can produce are media conglomerates to self-police Visual & Media Arts Department It is time to ask yourself: Is my now nearly indistinguishable from content and introduce or enforce 855 N. Vermont Ave. likeness protected property? reality. disinformation countermeasures, Los Angeles, CA 90029 If you have spent time on TikTok Enter “deepfake” as your query and their traffic-driven profit mod- 323.953.4000 ext. 2832 recently, it is likely that you too have into any major search engine and els ensure that no serious action will [email protected] scrutinized you’ll immediately learn the tech- be taken to dismantle fraudulent ac- Tom Cruise’s nology’s most popular implementa- counts. Co-Editors-in-Chief sleight-of- tion—celebrity porn videos. Artificial intelligence has seri- BEATRICE ALCALA, ANGELA JOHNSON hand for signs Deep faking has also been utilized ous potential for damage. Beyond of life. What to influence international media, the insidious specter of fake news, Graphics Layout Editor you and I saw discredit politicians, and spread we are just beginning to see what a BEATRICE ALCALA was not an disinformation about COVID-19. world full of AI looks like—trans- aging actor Presently, the technology requires humanism, fully automated work- Copy Editor parlaying his several hours of audio and video places, algorithm overlords, and ANGELA JOHNSON fame into so- footage to produce an effective fac- self-driving cars. Managing Editor cial media clout, but rather new, so- simile; that’s why celebrities and It appears our government his- DIEGO CHAVEZ phisticated, and largely unregulated politicians are preferred targets. torically prefers to implement regu- artificial intelligence programming However, it’s likely that its rapid lation after disruptions have begun Opinions & Editorial Editor designed to deceive. This is what’s advancement will allow seamless to wreak havoc on our social sys- ANGELA JOHNSON known as a “deepfake,” a type of identity theft using just your Insta- tems, but it is imperative that in this synthetic media in which a person’s gram feed. case, the United States Congress acts Broadcast, Social Media Producers likeness is imitated by powerful ma- Despite the formation of a G7- now. BEATRICE ALCALA, JAMES DUFFY V, chine learning algorithms. backed Global Partnership on AI, A regulatory board must be es- DIEGO CHAVEZ CADENA Major production houses have the United States government has tablished for Internet-based media been improving this kind of AI for yet to endorse its policies, and there and technology, staffed with former Photo Editor BEATRICE ALCALA years— it’s the sort of facial scan- is no federal law prohibiting the cre- industry members and ethics and ning that resurrected Audrey Hep- ation or distribution of deepfakes, policy experts with a singular goal Photographers burn for chocolate ads way back in although several bills have been in- of protecting humanity. The stakes PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH LOUIS WHITE, ALLIN ERIS, JONATHAN 2013. But the process has advanced troduced in Congress. are too high to stand by. MONTES, FRANK MARTINEZ, GERARDO DE LOS SANTOS

Illustrators STEPHANIE KO OPINION Designers Neglect of Power Grid Led to Blackouts in Texas BEATRICE ALCALA, JAMES DUFFY V L.A. Music Scene Missing in Action Reporters MATTHEW RODRIGUEZ, WHITNEY BY RONNISHA GUNN BY HANNAH COBURN lem nothing was done about it. That which is actually attending the show. main income for live music venues GIBSON, WILLIAM B. TORRES, enrages me. This crisis could easily Waiting in a line for hours just to comes from putting on shows for HANNAH COBURN, RONNISHA GUNN, The sorrow and misery of Texans have been avoided had people did Pausing and rescheduling con- get your wristband, and then stand- the community. A Silverlake venue JONATHAN MONTES, SERINA HAYNES, cannot be comprehended by us Cali- their job. tinue to stifle the colorful and vast ing for an even longer period as you and bar named the Satellite decided JAMES DUFFY V, DELIA ROJAS, fornians as they undergo a power out- Being the largest energy produc- music scene of Los Angeles. The wait for Elton John or Megan Thee in early 2020 to no longer host live JUAN MENDOZA, ANGELA JOHNSON, age crisis from the result of two severe ing state in the country, individuals closing of venues across the city was Stallion to come out on stage, only shows and become a restaurant. TUPAC ZAPATA, ALLIN ERIS, KELIYAH winter storms, expected things to be under control among the to continue standing as they preform According to the National Inde- WILLIAMS, JUSTIN DE LA CRUZ leading fam- briskly. Instead, nearly half the state many loses for an additional four hours while pendent Venue Association (NIVA), ilies to very faced power disruptions. associated your feet start falling asleep—all of “Venues are losing 85-100% of their Online Editor-in-Chief dangerous liv- The Governor of Texas, Greg Ab- with the that is the ultimate show experience! income due to the social gathering DIEGO CHAVEZ CADENA ing conditions. bott is providing very few details about COVID-19 Of course, you can’t leave out the bans in place. We were the first to Texas was when individuals can go back to living pandemic. overpriced drinks and the potential close and we’ll be the last to open.” Faculty Adviser somewhere I a normal life, as if he doesn’t care. He With the fights that can break out. But this all NIVA was able to get more than RHONDA GUESS was consider- doesn’t give full and honest responses u n k n o w n becomes worth it when you take in two million emails for congress to ing soon visit- in his press conferences which leads to return of the beauty of live music directly in pass the Save our Stages Act. The act ing because of me question his real motives. live enter- front of you and make unforgettable states, in part, “the Small Business For all submissions including letters the distant family I have residing there As of February 28, 2021, the power tainment, we patiently wait for the memories. Administration allows grants for eli- to the editor and publicity releases, send materials to Collegian offices located in waiting to meet my daughter. But the is back, but millions of Texans worry safe day when we can gather in a Infamous venues like the Hol- gible live venue operators, producers, Chemistry Building, Room 207, or email: thought of not having electricity or about what it will take to fully retrieve dark crowded room, swaying side to lywood Bowl, the Troubadour, the promoters, or talent representatives [email protected]. water upon my arrival worries me. the happy and healthy lifestyle they side to our favorite performers once Fonda, the Echo and Echoplex, the to address the economic effects of To advertise in the Collegian, direct Federal agencies sent out a warn- were previously used to living. again. Wiltern, the Smell and my personal the COVID-19 pandemic on certain all insertion orders and questions to: ing 10 years ago that Texas needed to So many different emotions have Los Angeles has always been as- favorite El Cid all have pushed back live venues.” [email protected]. weatherize its power plants and grid. overtaken us all. I am hoping Texans sociated with its exciting night life their re-opening dates to the later That may be helpful, but it is not In all the time they had to fix the prob- will pull through very soon. where you can always catch a show. months of June, August, and Octo- a permanent solution. If venues con- Issues of our award-winning But because of the social distancing ber. With the continued postponing tinue to push back reopening and the newspaper and magazine are instantly guidelines, venues were forced to we may not be able to attend shows grants, funding, and donations run available to our readers on issuu.com/ close up indefinitely. As a new alter- safely until 2022. But with the city out, we’ll be forced to say goodbye to collegianwired. native, online virtual concerts and transferring from the purple to red the experience of live music. Future to Bring Premium Prices for Water live streams have become the safe tier, hopes remain high. Don’t let the music fade away. show-going experience. However, Many smaller venues face the re- Support the live music scene of Los BY ANGIE DELORENZO the idea of public officials working there’s an important aspect missing, ality of closing permanently, as the Angeles! on behalf of the people in concert Recently, a meme surfaced that with corporations is especially un- called attention to the monetization comfortable during this time of of drinking water in Africa. COVID-19. The photo featured an indigenous Corporate profits soared while woman swiping unemployment rates have reached an ATM card record numbers. The divide has in exchange never been more apparent. How for the sani- did the idea of controlling the most tized essential prominent ingredient of life in ex- element of life. change for funds become so nor- The captionmalized? How have we come to ac- below read, cept a literal cost to survive? L.A. Music Scene Missing in Action “Capitalism at In December of 2020, amid a Wor k .” global biological crisis, the stock Missing from the slough of em- market allowed for a new catego- bittered and insightful comments ry: Water Futures. According to the is the fact that you, as an Ameri- Bloomberg report “Water joined can citizen, also owe your access to gold, oil and other commodities drinkable water to capitalism. traded on Wall Street, highlighting You do not have access to clean worries that the life-sustaining nat- water. Well, you do, if you have an ural resource may become scarce address, a bank account and job to across more of the world.” pay for each of these things. Your So, while a large percentage of basic needs exist as a for-profit in- this country’s population struggles dustry in what is called a “regulated with financial insecurity during a monopoly.” pandemic, corporations have seized A regulated monopoly allows the opportunity to extract yet an- public officials to guarantee compa- other natural resource for profit. nies a monetary return on their in- This corporatization is completely frastructure investments, while they endorsed by the United States gov- fix prices for consumers. I think I ernment. Enjoy the free air while can speak for all of us when I say you can. This place is trash. ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHANIE KO “You Make Me Gag!” Next Issue: April 21, 2021 Those who inflict and are complacent to the fetishization, violence and racism against Asian Americans. Editorial Deadline: April 19, 2021 NEWS Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 3

CAMPUS NEWS FROM “CRIMES” PAGE 1

of the ordinary has happened at his As an parents’ shop, he says. Park’s parents own a local Korean Asian convenience store that has been operated by his family since 1982. born Australian, it “I’m lucky but I do worry SWAP MEET WARS sometimes about my parents having Answers do not come easy for vendors on the street near Vermont and Melrose contact with strangers every day, fu**ing hurts to see the so I’ve been going out of my way to Avenues. They jostle for position, interact with police, and try to carve out a living. close the shop,” he said. sh** that happened in There’s no doubt that rhetoric from space. set up. It was a treasure hunt, look- the former leader of the free world “There are people here since 4 ing through the mountains of gar- Atlanta. I’ve already about COVID-19 being a “Chinese a.m., Friday mornings,” Sanchez ments piled on top of each other. virus” has stoked existing fires. Spikes said. “The crisis has been very diffi- When the Collegian asked Her- experienced some shi*** in violence and discrimination cult and in reality, a lot of us do not nandez if she would consider re- against Asian Americans come on have papers.” turning to the weekend swap meet, the heels of American anxieties “Seguimos luchando,” Sanchez she was direct. slurs being thrown at me regarding the rapid economic rise said. Determined to find ways to “No, I do not think I would re- of China, coupled with American survive. For him and his wife, their turn,” Hernandez said. during peak COVID time, hegemony on the decline worldwide, lives are not the only ones they are The situation is give-and-take provide a scapegoat for Americans’ luchando for. since there clearly are financial in- but I’m so scared that my frustrations. Meanwhile, competition is fierce centives. But the benefits of sell- The topic is not without a great on . Vendors told ing on the sidewalk since the swap family members might amount of nuance, and city officials the Collegian about threats made meet has been closed bring mixed are making carefully worded by some sellers to call ICE (Immi- reviews. community impact statements gration and Customs Enforcement) “In reality outside is better,” said be attacked that reflect their solidarity with the if they refused to give up their space Sanchez who has rented at the swap Asian American and Pacific Islander on the sidewalk. meet for more than two decades. any day. communities. Many vendors are immigrants “But there is a limit to what we could “The community impact statement who may not speak fluent English have outside.” that will be brought forward in April or understand the published regula- Sanchez runs his small business hyobin@squizxy has the intention of raising awareness tions from the city. alongside his wife. They provide for about racially-motivated violence East Hollywood resident Sandra Some vendors find support from a their family of five and work to put pertaining specifically to members Ortega, 54, points to race as the grassroots program. The day-to-day their kids through school with hopes of the Asian American and Pacific leading factor. “It’s sad, it reminds sellers rely on the Community Pow- they will one day graduate from col- Islander community,” said Lucine me of how Muslim Americans were er Collective (CPC). lege. The couple immigrated from Poturyan of the East Hollywood treated during 9/11,” she says. “I was Sergio Jimenez and “Miguel” rep- Mexico to find a better life. Much Neighborhood Council for District 4, as ashamed of my fellow Americans resent the collective. Both are de- like Hernandez, Sanchez sells a vari- Little Armenia. then as I am now.” termined to ensure that all vendors ety of hand-me-down clothes. Ortega, a Los Angeles native born follow guidelines to sell. They make As a vendor, the initial goal is to and raised in the East Hollywood rounds at the sidewalk swap meet to have as much merchandise as possi- area, expresses worry for the elderly inform vendors of their rights and ble on hand for the public. They also members of the community. These PHOTO BY GERARDO DE LOS SANTOS options. have a disadvantage in comparison “There are always seniors out According to the duo, the need to bigger retail businesses that can A few Vendors’ stands spill over onto Willowbrook and Vermont behind L.A. City College on March 21, getting their steps in, usually in the stereotypes to make threats, arriving early for afford to rent office space. Now, with 2021. The number of vendors on the street has increased since the pandemic forced the closure of the morning. A lot of them come out to parking lot swap meet last year. space, and other internal conflict is social distancing regulations, ven- do their shopping later in the day,” because of a lack of structure and no dors find it more difficult to exhibit toward Asian-Americans she says. “It’s them that immediately BY GERARDO DE LOS SANTOS to harassment by law enforcement, compassion for one another. The ob- as much inventory. come to my mind. They are the according to vendors who say police jective of the organization is to unite. Since Jan.1, 2019 street vending are depicted as if most vulnerable.” Students and faculty were not the force them off the street and make “Everyone is trying to secure a has been decriminalized and al- Jihyun Choi, 36, regularly only ones whose worlds changed them leave the area. Vendors in- spot, that’s why they are here so lowed under SB 946, which former they don’t need any accompanies her father on when L.A. City College closed its formed the Collegian of situations early,” Sergio said. “A lot of vendors Gov. Jerry Brown signed. However, his nightly strolls around the doors last March. where officers would trash their become day-to-day sellers because the process of getting a permit is te- neighborhood for fresh air and type of protection , Anyone familiar with the area equipment and/or merchandise they no longer have the type of dious and requires sifting through exercise whenever possible. knows about the bustling weekend if vendors did not move quickly agreement they once had with the multiple applications and websites. “You hear about a lot of these or deserve protection swap meet in the parking lot on Ver- enough. swap meet.” The first step to be eligible to rent reports of elderly Asians getting mont Avenue across the street from “You have to leave, or they throw No one knows this more than Mi- space would be to acquire a Cali- pushed down in the street and I and that is awful and the college. Around 200 vendors your stuff away in the trash,” 51-year- guel who is a vendor and active rep- fornia Department of Tax and Fee could not bear to even think about were once able to rent a space in- old Javier Sanchez said about his in- resentative of CPC. Miguel fought Administration Seller’s Permit. After it happening to my dad,” Choi said. side the parking lot and set up their teractions with police. for his right to sell his merchandise that, the vendor may bid for a space, something needs to Choi is acutely aware of the small businesses. In 2015, a street vendor in the by acquiring his permit, and now he which starts at around $60 per day reported increase in anti-Asian The spread of coronavirus forced Fashion District of downtown Los focuses on ensuring others do, too. and may go up to $80 or more de- happen immediately! violence as she herself has been many stores, restaurants, and other Angeles sued the city, alleging their Vendors on Vermont Avenue told pending on the bidding and whether discriminated against as early as social environments in Los Angeles property was destroyed and they the Collegian of situations where you are a reserved or non-reserved Even the racism toward January of this year when a man to close, and this included the swap were threatened with deportation. some with reserved spots would vendor, according to the LACC swap yelled at her from a passing car meet. In the case of Santiago v. City of often rent their space in the LACC meet website. to “go back to my country, even Asians range from Mayor Eric Garcetti launched the Los Angeles, the plaintiff alleged Swap Meet parking lots to other ven- The parking lot continues to re- though I’m local to the area. It L.A. Al Fresco initiative to support that “officers [would] routinely dors before the pandemic, and sell- main closed forcing many vendors was only a verbal thing, fine, but I word to mouth to even dine-out opportunities for restau- verbally harass the street vendors ers say it is expensive. to adapt to the new world to survive. will not take a chance on my dad’s rants last May. The initiative grant- and insult them, and, on occasion, “We would pay a lot of money,” Many vendors have now applied for safety.” in popular films, and ed approval for vendors to set up threaten them with deportation if said Teresa Hernandez who was the permit for not only the survival Kevin Park, 24, says he has on sidewalks and in eligible private the vendors protested the seizure been a vendor for more than five of their business, but of their fami- not recognized any instances of parking lots. of their property,” according to case years. “Sometimes we wouldn’t sell, lies. it almost always goes discrimination that are part and However, vendors did not nec- documents filed. but still had to pay the rent cost.” Permit fees were initially $291 if parcel of living in any big city. essarily welcome this news, since A settlement was reached just Hernandez claims to have paid applicants applied prior to July 1, unrecognized. It’s Describing his upbringing in Garcetti never fully included street three weeks after officials decrimi- va few thousand per month at the 2020. Applicants who applied af- Koreatown, Park said he “feels safe vendors in the initiative. After heavy nalized street vending in 2019. weekend swap meet. The second- ter that date will now pay $541, ac- so horrendous. I feel enough for K-town.” Nothing out criticism, Garcetti eventually ex- Sanchez admits that it is difficult hand clothing vendor says she would cording to StreetsLA. This is a huge tended the approval to street ven- to say whether being outside is en- use her business to pay her bills and savings from the weekly fee vendors disgusted to say that I’m dors with a permit. tirely a good thing, since it did pro- support her family. would pay for the LACC Swap Meet. Selling outside the swap meet vide its own security against police Hernandez would sell anything The L.A. City College Foundation from the U.S. gates presents its own set of chal- harassment. However, there is now from pants to shorts, from winter oversees the Swap Meet. Calls to the Hate when lenges. added competition within the area clothing to summer apparel, which Foundation by the Collegian were at this The lack of office space can lead with vendors fighting for a sidewalk she would lay out on her two-table not returned. people point!” allow 16-17 year old white kids on the Twitter user @ganjapotato internet get away with age 20

being ignorant with “In a similar vein, I can recall that the EHNC has been supportive the excuse that they’re of limiting police activity in our POLICE WIRE neighborhood – activity which too young. sorry, but statistically and historically COMPILED BY JAMES DUFFY V Department reported an assault with a deadly discriminates against people of weapon at 1:25 p.m. March 17 at Santa Monica color. Also, the EHNC has made Boulevard and Madison Avenue. POC never ‘too young’ statements and passed CIS’s that LA County Sheriff’s Dept. Senior Office Incident # 210207127: LAPD reported a are reflective and supportive Assistant Josef Nikoloff says the LACC campus burglary at 10 a.m. March 19 on the 900 Block of to experience racism, of the multiculturalism of our has been quiet. North Kenmore Avenue. neighborhood.” For now, East Hollywood residents “We have had one crime occur for the month of Second Show: April 22-24, 2021. so why can’t those who February, and no crimes in March,” Nikoloff said. Incident # 210207098: LAPD reported a stolen Title: “SELF DEFENSE” are going to keep their guard up. vehicle at 7 p.m. March 18 on the 4000 Block of Description: Based on a true story of a “I know this moment will pass. Incident # 921-00037-8714: Campus Sheriffs Marathon Street. female serial killer, Aileen Wuornos. Live haven’t at least try to All we can do is take it day by day on Zoom. reported the grand theft of an unsecured and find strength in our community of neighbors,” Choi said, as she is generator left in the central plant area of campus. Incident # 210207107: LAPD reported a burglary Third Show: Jun.4-5, 2021. become No suspects were found, nor was forced entry from vehicle at 12:30 p.m. March 15 at Sanborn Title: “BREAKING BREAD” pulled along the sidewalk by a teacup detected. Avenue and Hoover Street. Description: Five short films that will educated? Pomeranian getting tangled in her make breaking bread the story. The piece leash. “The Asian community in Los that ties them all together. It starts out as Incident # 210207019: Los Angeles Police Source: LAPD Crime Mapping euni minecraft @ new art! Angeles has always been very tight people eating a meal together, and each knit, the closeness always gets us of the films has that theme. @eunivrz through the tough times.” 4 Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 PHOTO FOCUS

PROTESTORS MARCH TO END ANTI-ASIAN CRIME BY SERINA HAYNES

ver 300 people rallied against anti-Asian violence in Little Tokyo on March 13 at a place of special historical significance: It is where the government rounded up Japanese Americans during World War II before they were sent to internment camps. Organizers originally billed the event as “Stop Asian Hate,” but rebranded it to “Love Our OCommunities: Build Collective Power,” to address a myriad of topics that cause frustrations within the community. Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED) organized the march that included support from Ktown4BlackLives, Nikkei Progressives, Asian Pacific Islanders Equality LA, Progressive Asian Network for Action and others who made their presence known with placards and signs. A prayer site featured carefully arranged photos, flowers and other mementos to commemorate victims of racist violence across different ethnic groups. Former L.A. County Chief Executive Officer Bill Fujioka spoke to the crowd and urged city officials to do more to stop the violence. “Ignoring it, denying its existence, or refusing to speak up is almost as bad as participating in this disgusting behavior,” Fujioka said during a live stream of the event. Organizers say the goal was to make space to “meet, collaborate, and build with grassroots organizations doing direct work in Los Angeles Asian American communities.” The event broadened the conversation beyond anti-Asian hate crimes into a myriad of collective issues regarding housing, political failure, over-policing, lack of support and health services. Speakers at the march expressed frustration over the failure of the city of Los Angeles to follow through with promises of support, hot meals for seniors and COVID-19 resources. Some accused politicians such as Mayor Eric Garcetti of using Chinatown residents as props in photo-ops. Tiffany “TiDo” Do represents CCED. She 3 made an impassioned speech of solidarity with all PHOTOS 1, 2, 3 BY FRANK MARTINEZ Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC),

addressing the mainstream media’s emphasis on 1. A Woman stands next to the “Wall of Solidarity,” a board where attendees can leave notes Black-on-Asian hate crimes as being divisive, while of support and well-wishes for the Asian community. The “Love Our Communities, Stop Asian Hate” march happened in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, March 13, 2021. starkly contrasting against the lack of mention of 2. Attendees wave signs displaying the message “End Racism and White Supremacy and Hate.” The “Love Our Communities, Stop Asian Hate” protest took place in Little Tokyo, Los racism in violence perpetrated by white people. Angeles, on March 13, 2021. “The harm against our elders will not be used 3. A young woman smiles behind her colorful mask and holds a placard that reads “We are our ancestor’s wildest dreams.” She attended the “Love Our Communities, Stop Asian Hate” to advocate for more harm against our black and protest in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, March 13, 2021. brown communities,” she said at the rally according to LAist. “We are here to tell the world: don’t you fu**ing dare use our community tragedies to fund the police.” PHOTO FOCUS Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 5

Ignoring it, denying its existence, or refusing to speak up is almost as bad as participating in this disgusting behavior.

-Bill Fujioka Former L.A. County Chief Executive Officer

PHOTOS 4, 5 BY LOUIS WHITE 4- Woman poses with handmade dolls celebrating various ethnicities in front of a large Black Lives Matter banner at the, “Love Our Communities: Stop Asian Hate rally held in the Little Tokyo/Arts district at the Japanese American National Museum, Downtown Los Angeles, Saturday,March 13, 2021

5- A masked woman displays sign with personal message against racism at the Japanese American National Museum, where the “Love Our Communities: Stop Asian Hate rally was held in the Little Tokyo/Arts district in Downtown Los 1 2 Angeles, Saturday,March 13, 2021

4 5 6 Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 NEWS

‘Unbought and Unbossed’

Film Portrays Shirley Chisholm as

COLLEGIAN ARCHIVES Political Pathfinder

BY WHITNEY GIBSON story is under-told seemed to reso- A Seat at the Table: Why Campus Earns High Ranking Marks nate in the discussion forum. One hirley Chisholm was the anonymous person in the chat When it comes to higher education rankings, community colleges are usually a non-factor. L.A. City first black woman elected asked, “Why have I never heard of to Congress in 1968. her before?” College ranks sixth in the nation using a system powered by artificial intelligence technology. Determined to represent History professor Heisser put it the millions of Americans bluntly. BY ANGELA JOHNSON median household income as of 2019 alumni,” Tomar said. “And that’s why have attended and have taught. It is she felt were overlooked, “Well, racism,” she said. was more than $110,000, according LACC made our list. According to a free, open-collaborative online en- Sshe did what was at that time un- Heisser went on to expand upon Conventional wisdom about rank- to the most recent data from the our machine learning algorithm, cyclopedia that is maintained by an thinkable— she ran for the highest black women’s erasure from the ings in higher education suggests Census ACS, 1-year survey reports. City College ranks high among its army of volunteer contributors. office the nation. feminist movement, noting a histor- the college with the most money The AI team says their method peers for the influence of its instruc- Crossref.org is a foundational in- LACC hosted a virtual viewing ical trend of black women in Amer- employs the best professors, will churns through the data to deliver a tors and its alumni.” frastructure that makes research eas- of “Chisholm ’72: Unbought and ica having a great political sway but have the most powerful alumni, will more precise measure of the quality Tomar says the ranking metric ier to find, cite, link, access and re- Unbossed” on March 18. The 2005 receiving little credit for it. attract the most academically ac- of education offered by schools on stands alone on the higher education use, according to its website. documentary was directed by Sho- Jackson, a political science pro- complished students, and therefore the list. landscape. The InfluenceRanking Engine cal- la Lynch and reflects on Chisholm’s fessor, spoke about the electability have the most influence, and rank Two members of the AI core team “(It) is free from bias, immune to culates a numerical score for people, historic 1972 bid for the presidency conundrum wherein people don’t the highest. That is how most college discussed the main reasons the Influ- manipulation, and equates academic institutions and disciplinary pro- as both the first black person and vote for women because they be- classifications stack up. enceRanking Engine rates differently excellence with real world achieve- grams that are mentioned and doc- first woman ever to run. lieve women cannot win. She also But the ranking method used by than U.S. News and World Report, ments,” he said. umented on Wikipedia and Cross- The film portrays Chisholm--in talked about advocacy groups for AcademicInfluence.com (AI) seems Money, Forbes or The Princeton Re- The InfluenceRanking Engine ref. Where professors taught and vintage clips from her candidacy women who want to run for office, to trump all of that. AI broke all the view. drills down and mines the informa- attended school is also figured into and interviews from later in her life- like Emily’s List. ranking rules when it released its Dr. Jed Macosko is the president tion that is already out there, not cre- the score. -as a woman facing insurmountable What’s clear after the film and first-ever list of the 50 best American of AI, and a professor of physics at ate new data by surveying students, “We also use a database of newspa- opposition head-on because she discussion is that while trailblazers community colleges in the country Wake Forest University. parents, professors, alumni about per articles and other forms of publi- believed everyone should be repre- like Chisholm have paved the way, earlier this month. “The main difference is that U.S. their opinions. It mines data sources, cations that people publish and then sented. women, particularly black women, The InfluenceRanking Engine, a News and World Report includes a specifically Wikipedia and Crossref, other people reference,” Dr. Macosko The film is speckled with inter- still must work incredibly hard to proprietary tech tool that was created component that is human-driven,” to identify billions of mentions or said. “So, we kind of calculate up all views from many notable figures, succeed in the U.S. political system. for AI, cuts through the layers of data Macosko said. “It’s based on opinions references to scholars, educators and those references and figure out who’s like acclaimed writer Octavia But- Kamala Harris became the first that other rankers use to provide a . . . they asked for the opinion of peo- thought leaders in a particular disci- providing the most influential stuff.” ler and Congresswoman woman and first black person elect- barebones yet substantive ranking. ple that they think might be experts pline or subject. AcademicInfluence.com was cre- Barbara Lee. It highlights the steep ed to Vice President and those in- Consider then how an urban in that field which schools they think “We don’t ask the Wikipedia edi- ated with funds from the Defense climb black women endure on their tersections, being both black and a school like City College in East are the best.” tors directly ‘Which school do you Advanced Research Projects Agen- way to Capitol Hill. woman, carry history with them. In Hollywood ranked sixth and sister Dave Tomar is the managing ed- think is important?’” Macosko said. cy (DARPA) in October 2016. AI is Following the viewing, there was Vice President Harris’ election there school L.A. Valley in Valley Glen itor and an expert on plagiarism “You kinda have to use the back door a partner site within the Education a discussion lead by moderators and are echoes of Chisholm’s work and came in at No. 26, out of a field of and contract cheating in higher ed- method to find out which ones are Access LLC group, which includes LACC professors Christina Heiss- what she did for the imagination of 839 community colleges in the Unit- ucation. He says the AI approach to the best, and we think our back door Influence Publishers, Intelligent Ed- er and Anika Jackson. The topics the American electorate by daring ed States. LACC ranked second in rankings is unique for a couple of method does a good job.” ucation and Success Partners among ranged from intersectionality to the to imagine herself electable. California behind , reasons. Wikipedia contains an ocean of others. Education Access is located erasure of black women from his- “Chisholm ’72: Unbought and one of the wealthiest communities in “The best institutions are defined data where the academic careers of in Shiner, Texas. Go to academicin- torical retellings. Unbossed” is available to view on the state. Marin County California by great professors and successful professors are on display, where they fluence.com/articles The sentiment that Chisholm’s AmazonPrime.

TALK BACK TO THE EDITORS PHOTO BY ALLIN ERIS

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Check us online collegian.lacc.life SCHOLARSHIPS Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 7

Foundation Stacks Scholarships for City LACC Foundation posts new scholarship and internship opportunities on its website. Students may access scholarship page with their college account.

BY ANGELA JOHNSON AND JAMES DUFFY V

Angel Lopez Scholarship The LACC Foundation is offering to recognize a deserving student who has been an exemplary teammate, role model, has demonstrated outstand- ing student accomplishment and is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree. The Earnest Scholarship This scholarship is available at https://www.earnest.com. The Earnest company is giving away $250,000 in scholarships. No essays PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES DUFFY V are required; neither are entry fees. Enter for a chance to win one of 50 Earnest Scholarships and an applicant could get $5,000 for books, tuition, public benefits (i.e. CalFresh, CalWORKS, General Relief, etc.) and more. (ISC)² Undergraduate Cybersecurity Scholarship And/or applied for unemployment insurance benefit, CalFresh, Applicants must be enrolled, or soon be enrolled, as a full-time $5,000 CalWORKS, General Relief or CalFresh, and have not received their first student at an accredited U.S. college or university in fall 2021. March 8, 2022 check. There are no minimum GPA, residency, or major requirements. The (ISC)² Undergraduate Scholarship offers students scholarships from Hours of Operation $1,000 to $5,000 per recipient. Must be pursuing, or plan to pursue, a degree M-8 a.m.- 6 p.m. The submission deadline: June 30, 2021 with a focus on cybersecurity or information assurance. You may be a senior T - 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. in high school or an undergraduate student who is currently a junior, fresh- Tallo’s $1,000 Scholarship W -8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. man, sophomore or senior who will be pursuing an undergraduate degree in Th -8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tallo is a platform that helps over a million students show their scholastic the fall. A minimum 3.3. GPA is required. Recipients are notified in June. For F - 8 a.m. -4:30 p.m. and extracurricular accomplishments. Students listed with Tallo may be more information Contact The Scholarship Committee by mail at 311 Park discovered by colleges and companies looking for new talent—all while Place Blvd., Suite 610, Clearwater, FL 33759, or via the website: scholarships@ Serving Zip Codes matching them with over $20 billion in scholarships. isc2.org. The phone number is 727-493-3587. 90004 | 90007 | 90008 | 90016 | 90018 | 90019 | Applying for the $1,000 scholarship is easy. Just follow the three- step process below: Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship 90035 | 90036 | 90047 | 90048 | and surrounding neighborhoods 1. Join Tallo. It’s free. $5,000 2. Create your account. April 5, 2021 Food Assistance/Assistencia Alimentaria 3. Apply The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship awarded https://tallo.com/college-scholarships/ over two years ($2,500 each year) to a graduating high school senior who will Pandemic EBT Card/Tarjeta EBT para pandemia: https://www.cdss. enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training No Essay ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship ca.gov/home/pandemic-ebt program, or a specialized program for students with LD and/or ADHD in Sign up for reduced price produce boxes/Regístrese para cajas de productos Sign up and get applied to the the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD) and/ a precio reducido: https://airtable.com/shrleQyPrPxXOHKFu scholarship automatically! or ADHD. For more information go to the scholarship information page at Need free diapers & formula? Check availability and make an appointment 1. A prize of $2,222 goes to the winner. [email protected]. with the Koreatown Youth+Community Center! 2. Application Deadline: 11:59 PM PDT on March 29th 2021 ¿Necesita pañales y fórmula gratis? ¡Contacte el centro comunitario y 3. *No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship juvenil de Koreatown para consultar disponibilidad y hacer una cita! win the $2,222. No essay is required for the ‘You Deserve It!’ Scholarship. $5,000 Contact/Contacto: Ima Figueroa: (213) 365-7400 [ext. 5126]/ e-mail/ January 22, 2022 correo electrónico: [email protected] The BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship is an annual competition open to Apply Me, Inc. ‘Scholarship Sweepstakes’ Reality LA Center/Fountain Avenue Baptist Church/Iglesia Bautista rising jazz stars enrolled at colleges and universities nationwide. The award Fountain Avenue 4903 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029 Apply Me, Inc. is pleased to offer this scholarship sweepstakes (“Scholar- pays tribute to the artistic excellence of jazz pioneers while providing crucial Free breakfast [10 AM] and supper [4 PM] Monday – Friday ship Sweepstakes”) in which you can apply for a chance to win a scholar- support for emerging performers. In order to be eligible for the competition, Desayuno gratis [10am] y cena [4pm] de lunes a viernes ship to be paid by ScholarshipOwl directly to your qualified high school, all applicants must be current full-time or part-time students of a U.S. college SELAH Meals & Shower Programs/Programas de comidas y duchas college or university or university, and be 17-24. Students who have been accepted to a U.S. college SELAH: https://www.selahnhc.org/ or university for future enrollment are not eligible. For more information or Laptop Application Tuesday Showers/Ducha to apply, contact the scholarship committee by mail at 7 World Trade Center, Tuesday Showers/Duchas los martes [9-10:30 AM] @ Echo Park United Students in need are eligible to apply for a laptop provided by the college. 250 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007-0030. The committee can also Methodist Church [parking lot off Reservoir St]/Iglesia Metodista Unida de The grant is for students enrolled in the 2020-2021 academic year. be reached through the website or by email: https://bmifoundation.org/pro- Echo Park [estacionamiento junto a la calle Reservoir St]: grams; [email protected]. Nursing Persistence Grant 1226 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026 Saturday Supper Program/Programa de Cena del sábado [1-4 PM] The LACC Foundation students studying nursing are encouraged to apply One Earth Film Festival Young Filmmakers Contest @ Silverlake Presbyterian Church/Iglesia Presbiteriana Silverlake 2930 for the Nursing Persistence Grant. The grant is for students enrolled in the $1,000 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 2020-2021 academic year. January 5, 2022 The Hope Center – Reality LA Church https://realityla.com/about/the- One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest is open to students from third ASG Community Service Scholarship hope-center/ grade through college. Each film submission is based on one or several of the Hot Meals 2-3 times a day The ASG Community Service Scholarship dedicates a scholarship to ASG following topics: water, waste, food, transportation, energy, open space and Comidas calientes 2 a 3 veces al día members for community service. The scholarship excludes current student ecosystems. All entries must be between three and eight minutes in length. (323) 883-1812 – [email protected] senators. For more information or to apply, contact the scholarship committee by mail Immigrants Charitable Foundation/Fundación benéfica para inmigrantes: This scholarship requires a 500-words profile essay. The essay at 166 N. Humphrey Ave., #1N, Oak Park, IL 60302; lisa@greencommunity- https://immigrantscf.org/ should describe the types of community service and populations served. connections.org; https://www.oneearthfilmfest.org/contest-details Food Distribution every Friday – Santa Monica Blvd / Normandie Criteria for Applying: Distribución de alimentos todos los viernes – En la Santa Monica Blvd y 1. Must be a current full-time student at LACC Normandie 2. Applicants must submit a current class schedule as proof of Social Services, Counseling, Immigration Assistance enrollment and an unofficial transcript Servicios sociales, Asesoramiento, Asistencia de inmigración 3. Applicants must complete a minimum of 12 units at LACC. (213) 325-5056 – [email protected] 4. Applicants must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above FOOD RESOURCES 5. Applicants must be a student intent on transferring to a four- year college university. WEST ADAMS Free Tax Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers Brian Newkirk and Loren Ostrow Theatre Arts Scholarship 1736 Family Crisis Center VITA/TCE The authors say this scholarship is intended for self-identified LGBTQ 2116 W. Arlington Ave. Suite 200 The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling LACC Theatre Academy students who can demonstrate financial need. Los Angeles CA 90018 for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free tax help to people who generally The award will be granted based on academic promise, financial need and (323) 737-3900 make $57,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking talent in a theatre academy discipline. 5213 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019 taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. More scholarships are listed on the LACC Foundation website at (323) 904-3832 Due to COVID-19, a number of VITA/TCE sites are closed for an http://www.laccfoundation.org/. New scholarships, grants, internships and undetermined period of time. Those that are open may have adapted their other opportunities are updated. To accessibility City students may use Requirements operations to accommodate limited in-person contact or remote services their student login information. Household must meet the Federal Poverty Level Have been denied unemployment insurance benefit -or- ineligible for and may have limited hours. Find a VITA/TCE site online or call 800-906-9887. 8 Los Angeles Collegian - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 SPORTS

SPORTS BIN Banish Pandemic Pounds

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNSPLASH Throw Yourself into Martial Arts BY JUSTIN DE LA CRUZ

The pandemic caught us all by surprise. We nev- The first three weeks of the order were difficult. our homes, we immediately think about sleep, rest people in L.A. lack space for a home gym, but mar- er thought everyone would be Pre-pandemic, I was always moving, and I tried to or relaxation. tial arts do not require a lot of space, and there are closed indoors, afraid to shake keep myself in good health. But staying at home, I When we see our workspace, we automatically fo- opportunities for in-person instruction. hands, or afraid to see someone lacked the motivation to get up or the energy to go cus on work and think about deadlines. Staying in The study of martial arts helps improve coordi- without a mask. for a run. It was so bad that I started to eat constant- our home and mixing work is difficult. Home is the nation, flexibility, confidence and public speaking Humans are not meant to ly, and I gained weight. comfort zone. skills. It will help the student develop better social stay indoors. Instead, we should Martial arts schools adapted to the situation. My I recommend Moorimgoong Martial Arts acad- skills, better full-body workouts and self-defense be communicating with one school started teaching via Zoom. It was a new way emy to anyone who wants to have a good workout. skills. another, exploring, and partic- to teach and run a business. It builds self-discipline, respect and focus. You can Everyone wants to maintain their health, but it is ipating in physical activities. I think other people will feel the same about not learn Moorimgoong Martial Arts at home with vir- difficult now. I currently work at a martial having the energy to do work, to go out for a run, or tual instruction or practice with in-person classes. Find a martial arts school to join during the pan- arts gym, and when the stay-at- spend time with family. Our home is a place for us Many regular gyms are still closed, and not ev- demic. Practice online or take an in-person class. home order was issued, all gyms had to close. to relax. It the place we go to recharge. When we see eryone can afford to buy expensive equipment. Most When this is all over, the health benefits will be clear.

BY TUPAC ZAPATA

In the summer of 2008, Javier Aguiniga Campos was a UCLA graduate when he was invited to travel to Mexico City and try out for Cruz Azul, one of Mexico’s most im- portant professional teams. Cruz Azul calls the southern part of Mexico City home, and the team has been the “Primera Division” champion eight times. It was a special time for the UCLA grad. A once in a lifetime opportunity to become a profession- al footballer was unusual for a 23-year-old. That’s consid- ered a bit old to start a professional soccer career. “It was a unique and beautiful experience to be in Mexico for four months trying to achieve any young man’s dream, but the competition was incredibly good and unfortunately I did not make the roster,” said Aguiniga Campos. Head Coach Aguiniga graduated from UCLA in 2007. He also earned an M.A. degree in mathematics and one in physical educa- tion. He was ready for life’s curve balls, and soccer would Brings bring another opportunity a year later. This time, it was a position as a head coach at Rio Hondo High School where International, he also worked as a substitute teacher. During his two years at Rio Hondo High, his team won back-to-back conference titles in 2009 and 2010. At the Pro same time, he attended Rio Hondo Community College where he played college soccer. The wins caught the atten- Experience tion of ELAC’s head soccer coach who brought Aguiniga Campos on as an assistant coach. He remained there until 2013 and then returned to as assistant to City coach until 2019. In early 2020, LACC Athletics Director Robert McKinley and Kinesiology Department chair Aykanush Gevanyan, New Soccer decided to name Javier Aguiniga Campos as the new head coach of the LACC men’s soccer team. They had inter- Coach Has viewed several other candidates for the position, but Agu- iniga Campos’s decade as assistant coach at two other col- leges convinced them that he was the right man for the job. a Head for “My experience allowed me to be considered as the most qualified candidate for the job as head coach,” he said. Numbers and Landing the job as the head coach at LACC is an oppor- tunity that Aguiniga Campos has been patiently waiting for, Wins. as he feels that he has paid his dues and learned the ropes. The native of Ziquítaro, Michoacan, was a standout ath- lete at Mountain View High School in El Monte where he played soccer, football and ran track & field. “I have waited a long time for this opportunity, and I’m looking forward for what’s to come,” said coach Aguiniga Campos. His assistant coach will be Felipe Bernal, who won a na- tional title with in 2018. Coach Javier Agu- iniga Campos is bilingual and will be vaccinated by April. He says he will have an idea of how the team will look by late June and will have his final roster by Aug. 1.