By Frank Portillo The Dream Resource Center provides resources for all students in need, including those who are undocumented, homeless and/or members of the LGBTQ community. “The intent (of the program) is always going to be (providing) a place where our students can come and feel like they’re welcomed and a part of something. Many students still live in what they call ‘the shadows.’ Our students are still fearful, especially…
By Frank Portillo “Thor: Ragnarok” is not only the funniest Marvel movie to date, but is also one of the best at using its universe of characters. It’s a film that beautifully wraps up the trilogy, It is hard not to describe “Ragnarok” as a comedy because of how much humor is involved. But the film also manages to be emotionally moving when the story demands it. The humorous tone…
By Frank Portillo After living a closeted life in foster youth, student worker Jaci Cortez now assists others as part of the Dream Resource Center staff. Her biological mother is an undocumented citizen from Guatemala and was deported for drug charges when Cortez was 4. Since she was born in the U.S., she was placed in foster care. At age 5, she was adopted by a family, but ran away…
Frank Portillo Two assembly bills were passed by California legislature recently that might impact the student population on campus. A free year of community college for first-time students and self-assessments for new students were the main focus of the Senate Executive Committee meeting Wednesday. The committee spent a large portion of the meeting discussing ways in which it can assist the math and English faculty with the new Assembly Bills….
By Frank Portillo East Los Angeles College alumni and current students are experiencing delays in receiving their degrees and/or certificates. Alumnus Alejandro Nunez Gutierrez posted on the college’s Facebook page asking other students if they were dealing with the same issue. The delays have prompted both negative and neutral reactions from the students involved. Colonda Hawkins, who is in charge of substandard grade petitions, said that the issue must be…
By Joe Dargan The Anarchist Book Fair went from a peaceful exhibition of free speech, to a chaotic, verbal clash between white vendors and black community activists in Leimert Park on Saturday. The fair was a result of a collaboration between the Anarchist Bookfair Collective, an independent group of writers, publishers and activists promoting peace through dialogue and the Chaos network, a broadcasting and media company created by long time community…
By Frank Portillo The seventh annual Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con featured a star-studded lineup of celebrities and creators this past weekend, with the biggest being Dwyane “the Rock” Johnson. Some attendees wore costumes of their favorite popular culture characters, shopped at the multiple vendors, met with some of their favorite creators and attended panels that took place throughout the weekend. The convention, which is a relatively new one, attracts…
By Frank Portillo With the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, a lot of bandwagon fans have come out of nowhere. The sea of blue and white jerseys, shirts, hats and even car flags is impossible to escape and begs the question: “Where were all of these fans before the success of the Dodgers?” The term fanatic is subjective. The definition of what constitutes one as a sports fan…
By Frank Portillo “Blood Wedding” could have been a great way to spend the holiday season, but the play fails to overcome mediocrity due to weak performances and a lackluster ending. The latest Theater Department production follows two characters that are in love with each other but are being pulled apart by society. Leonardo is married with a child but still lusts over the character known only as The Bride….
By Frank Portillo The first play of the semester, “Blood Wedding,” is set to debut Friday. The play is based on a story by Federico Garcia Lorca from the ‘30s and is meant to be a commentary on society at the time of its inception. “Blood Wedding” focuses on Leonardo, played by Michael Herrera, who falls in love with The Bride, played by Miriam Menendez, despite the fact that she…