First Friday JazzEast Los Angeles College will host the First Friday Jazz

Concert Series on Friday at 8 p.m. at the S2 Recital Hall.Everyone is welcome to attend and admission is free.

Indecent Exposure IncidentA male Hispanic approximately 26 years old, 5 foot

9 inches tall, 160 lbs., with facial hair and a ponytail wearing a white shirt was reported exposing himself in the library on April 5. Information leads sheriffs to believe suspect to be an ongoing threat.

CorrectionsOn “Elans unite to celebrate Earth Day” Associate

Dean of CalWorks Angelica Toledo’s last name was misspelled and title was wrong. The Earth Day event was held on April 23 not April 22.

Volume 71, Issue 21 Wednesday, may 7, 2014sIngle copy free - addItIonal copIes 50 cents

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News Briefs

Three East Los Angeles College students were accepted to the Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art sponsored by the Mellon Foundation.

Kimberly Miranda, Saúl Quintero and Liliana Sanchez were among 65 students from across southern California competing for 15 slots in the academy.

Sanchez, a 20-year-old art history major from Commerce applied because it fit in with her plans for the future.

“Since I want to go into art history, either as a curator or teaching in a four year university, I figured it would be good to get some experience. I’m really interested in knowing what goes into creating an exhibit. I love museums and I want to see what goes on behind the scenes,” Sanchez said.

Summer academies are one-week immersion programs designed to provide a rich experience in the museum environment and expose participants to career options related to art and art history.

According to LACMA, the

Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship Program provides specialized training in the curatorial field for students from diverse backgrounds across the United States.

Kimberly Miranda, also a 20-year-old art history major at ELAC, could not believe the news when she found out she was one of those selected.

“These programs are really important , because i t g ives people that are not of privileged backgrounds an opportunity to contribute their ideas,” Miranda said.

Sanchez also said she could not believe she got into the program, in part because she was competing with students from four-year-universities.

“It speaks to the quality of ELAC students and the art history (program) here that three students got into the program,” Sanchez said

Each summer academy will include workshops, tours, field trips and networking events with museum professionals. Participants will also work together to curate an exhibit.

The fellowship, announced in February, seeks to impact American art museums by developing curators

who are committed to engaging with the full spectrum of museum audiences.

Summer academy applicants submitted a form with general information, transcripts, a resume and essay responses to prompts provided as part of the application process.

Saúl Quintero, a 24-year-old ELAC Chicano Studies major, sees the program as a way to deal with what he sees as a problem of representation.

“ I believe it is necessary to expand the diversity of curatorial ranks in American art museums because historically underrepresented individuals are absent in non-specific ethnic museums. To walk into an academic space and see familiar images regarded as artwork, and to have shows curated by individuals from our communities is a powerful message,” Quintero said.

The program specifically seeks individuals from historically u n d e r r e p r e s e n t e d g r o u p s in the curatorial field who are undergraduates currently enrolled at a university, college or community college.

Artists accepted into prestigious LACMA summer academy

Kimberly Miranda

Liliana Sanchez

Saúl QuinteroLACMA Continued on page 3

University of California, Los Angeles Chancellor Gene Block presents East Los Angeles College President Marvin Martinez with a banner from UCLA last Thursday during ELAC’s “Spring into a Career” Job and Career Fair 2014. Martinez was joined by ELAC administration.

Sheriff finds lost money, searches for owner

ELAC President receives banner from UCLA

The Sheriffs at East Los Angeles College are looking for the owner of a considerable amount of money that was lost by the F9 bungalow on April 13.

Deputy Humberto Barragan said he hopes that the person who lost the money will come claim it.

“All the person needs to do is tell us the amount of money that was lost and the denominations and we would be more than happy to return the money,” Barragan said.

It has been awhile since the money was lost, so the deputy hopes that the person who lost the money will claim it within the next 30 days.

The sheriff’s station on campus is holding on to the money until the time period to claim the money has expired.

They must then follow procedure for lost money.

“We write a report for lost property and it will go to where ever it is it goes in the end,” Barragan said.

“It’s not going to be in the hands of the person who lost it. I am trying to make every effort to find the person who lost it and return the money that they lost,” he said.

Anyone with any information that may help the sheriff’s find the owner of the lost money can contact the sheriffs station in B5-104 or call (323)265-8800.

MAKING WAVESTadzio GarciaStaff Writer

Jesus FiGueroaStaff Writer

MaeGan orTizStaff Writer

CN/Tadzio GarCia

CN/Jesus FiGueroa

swimmers splash through state finals

The women’s swim and dive team finished in 17th place at the 2014 California Community College Athletic Association Swim and Dive State Championships held May 1-3 in the ELAC Swim Stadium.

Diablo Valley College won the women’s team, title surpassing Orange Coast College by just 14 points on the final day. It was DVC’s first title in seven years and ninth in its history.

Alice Ying Fei Zhang is the first ELAC swimmer to advance to the finals out of the prelims in 25 years. Zhang won All-American status in three races.

She won the silver medal taking second place in the 100-yard individual medley. She was No. 19-seeded entering the event’s prelims.

Zhang beat 18 higher-seeded women while winning ELAC’s highest placing medal in the state finals.

“She is the highest ranking (swimmer) ELAC has ever had, achieving what no one else has at this college,” ELAC Swim and dive team head coach Erik Matheson said.

Zhang placed fourth in the 50-yard breaststroke. Her third medal and All-American status was in the 100 breaststroke. She was No. 16-seeded

in the event. Zhang finished with personal records in every race, prelims and finals. “She dropped three seconds in the 100 (IM), a half second in the 50

breaststroke and a full second in the 100 breaststroke and she accomplished this without being in the pool for almost a month,” Matheson said.

Zhang said she went in each prelim race with a strategy of qualifying to the final of each event rather than burning herself out.

Teammate Wenning Shen advanced to the consolation finals in the 50 and 100 backstrokes. “She missed qualifying in the 100 (IM) by just .02 of a second. She finished with a personal record,” ELAC second-year swim coach Susan Lai said.

Entering the 50 back as the No. 23 seed, Shen placed 10th swimming personal records in the prelims and finals. Shen placed 14th in the 100 back.

Zhang scored 45 points for ELAC. Shen added 14 points to vault ELAC past De Anza, San Joaquin Delta and Grossmont colleges in the final standings. The Swim Stadium drew about 3,000 including athletes and fans over the three days.

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Opinion2 EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014

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Acceptance to a four-year university is harder now than it has ever been.

One very important factor of acceptance to a university is getting involved in extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are important to admissions officers because they give students an opportunity to showcase their personalities, uniqueness and how they spend their time off campus.

Volunteering is one of the easiest ways of improving your chances of being accepted to a university and a great extra curricular activity.

It lets students express their passion, creativity and commitment all while helping others.

Being involved with only one organization for a long period is better than being involved in five or six for a short period.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of college students that volunteered i n t h e U . S dropped by three pe rcen t f rom 2009 to 2013, th i s decrease is s ignif icant considering that more students are now applying to a larger number of schools.

N o t e v e r y o n e k n o w s o f organizations or corporations that are willing to accommodate schedules and creative preferences.

Lucki ly, a websi te ca l led VolunteerMatch was created to facilitate this task.

VolunteerMatch is a website that helps connects students to nonprofit organizations and has made it possible for students to access specific volunteer opportunities in a variety of fields.

Engagement Director of Volunteer Match Shari Ilsen said their mission is to strengthen communities by making it easy for good people and good causes to connect.

“Volunteering is a great way for students to give back, have fun

Dropping out of college is a serious decision that requires a lot of thought.

Students have to make a choice about dropping out or not.

Anyone who goes to community college, or any college, reaches a limit.

Some students don’t mind the time span as long as they reach their future goals.

Others don’t feel that at all and dropout to move on with life.

Being a student who’s feeling the urge of leaving school, I should know.

I’ve been going to East Los Angeles College for a year and half now. I came to school with high hopes of accomplishing something in life. I was willing to work as hard as possible to reach my goals and be successful.

Over the last two months, my feelings have been otherwise.

There’s times where I find myself not caring about school anymore. This includes having thoughts about dropping out of ELAC.

It wouldn’t surprise me if others felt the same. Though why is it students have these thoughts?

What leads them to making a choice like this?

People think differently and have their own reasons. This ranges from lack of interest to personal matters.

According to an Apollo Research Institute statistic, 49.1 percent of adult students drop due to school interfering with personal routine.

This includes working and

With summer fast approaching, East Los Angeles College students are beginning to make plans for their summer vacations. A great way for students to indulge in musical diversity during summer is to attend one of the many summer concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

As students, part of our educational agenda involves an array of art and artistic diversity. In partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl will hold a series of concerts highlighting a variety of musical genres.

The Hollywood Bowl is an outdoor venue that lets audiences from around the world enjoy spectacular music under the stars.

The concerts will run from June 21 to Sept. 28 and will feature several firework spectaculars.

In addition to bands and musical artists, the Hollywood Bowl will be home to other special concerts such

managing time for family and friends.

Adding school to the mix puts more pressure on a person.

A s s o m e o n e w h o i s cu r ren t ly work ing and has personal issues, I relate to this.

A common reason students drop is due to financial problems. Many college students could relate to this motive.

According to the same study, 71.3 percent of adult students drop due to stress about college expenses.

They have to pay rent, bills and personal expenses as well.

S o m e m a y n o t h a v e enough to cover their college expenses like books, transportation, fees and other requirements.

Another reason could be a lack of

interest in education. Some people don’t want to endure

two to four years, or maybe more. They simply lack patience and

want to move on to something else. They figure that they could find

employment and start a life. This is another reason I find myself losing interest in school.

This could be having gone to many schools prior to ELAC, including another community college.

There must be way a student can overcome this, something that changes their minds and allows them to continue school.

In all honestly, there’s really not a simple answer for this.

As mentioned before, people think differently from others. Just because one answer works for few doesn’t mean it’ll work for all.

Of course students could plan things out, but it’s not successful for everyone. Dropping out of college is really up to the person making the choice.

It’s an option they would have to make on their own and think hard about because the outcome will affect their lives.

They could realize that they need school and continue their education, otherwise some feel like they made a mistake and want to try something else.

Whatever the outcome is, they have to really look into it and be honest with themselves.

Students have to know whether dropping out of college is the right or wrong choice.

Decisions like this could have either a positive or negative effect on the rest of their lives.

and learn new skills. It is also a great way to get work experience and make connections in the fields and areas in which you might be interested in working eventually,” Ilsen said.

By c rea t ing a p ro f i l e on VolunteerMatch, students can interact with organizations that provide volunteer opportunities for causes such as health care, community services, animal care, environmental welfare and many more.

Most of the fields that are looking for volunteers do not have any academic requirements so it is ideal for students that are in their first year of college and for those near graduation.

Organizations may also look for students with specific skills such as writing, graphic artistry and even knitting.

“Our website is free for volunteers and nonprofit organizations to use.

We cur ren t ly work with close t o 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 nonprofits, and m i l l i o n s o f volunteers and many nonprofits a re happy to train and orient volunteers to what needs to be done,” Ilsen said.

W i t h c o m p e t i t i o n f o r s c h o o l

admittance at its peak, students should be motivated to volunteer.

U s i n g a w e b s i t e l i k e VolunteerMatch could facilitate that interaction and make everything a bit easier amidst the stressors of college education.

“Students who are interested in finding ways to give back in their own communities in L.A. and beyond can go to our website, register and fill out their profiles. When they indicate the causes they care about and the skills they have to contribute, VolunteerMatch will provide personalized, localized recommendations just for them,” Ilsen said.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n v o l u n t e e r i n g v i s i t VolunteerMatch.org or email silsen@volunteermatch.org.

as the Beatles 50th Anniversary concert and the Sound of Music sing-a-long.

One anticipated event that will take place on Sept. 12-14 is The Simpsons 25th Anniversary special. The special will consist of scenes from the beloved animated series “The Simpsons,” accompanied by an orchestra and feature special guests and a firework finale.

For those students who have children, the Hollywood Bowl, will hold a series of events for children called Summer Sounds World Music for Kids.

This event is a great place for students and their children to learn about different music, arts and culture from around the world.

This four-week summer series will feature different activities each week and will run weekday morning from July 7-Aug 1 and are $15 a ticket.

The Hollywood Bowl encourages c u s t o m e r s t o t a k e p u b l i c transportation to the concerts, as

the parking lot gets extremely full during concert times. The bowl also provides free shuttles from distant parking lots to the venue.

The Hollywood Bowl allows guests to bring their own food and drinks to all concerts and provide concession stand food and drinks as well. Picnic tables are available for those who wish to eat before the show.

Admission prices for all summer concerts vary but usually range from $13-$290, depending on the seats you select. The views from most seats at the Hollywood Bowl are great due to the angle of the seating benches, box seats and super seats.

Tickets may be purchased at the box office, by phone and through Ticketmaster outlets.

T h e H o l l y w o o d B o w l i s located at 2301 North Highland Av e n u e , L o s A n g e l e s C A 90068. For more information and a full list of all summer concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, visit hollywoodbowl.com.

Diego olivaresStaff Writer

brenDa DiazStaff Writer

brenDa DiazStaff Writer

Volunteering helps earn acceptance

ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITORSJade Inglada

Daniella Molina

Students struggle to stay in school

Hollywood Bowl hosts summer events“Volunteering is a great way for students to give back, have fun and learn new skills.

Shari Ilsen

COPY EDITORSTadzio GarciaJade Inglada

Erik LunaAugustine Ugalde

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EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWSWEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 3ELAC alumnus, disability counselor Ron Aguilar dies at 51

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The East Los Angeles College Future Automot ive Sc ience Technician Huskies garnered a 25th place finish in the 2014 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas event in Houston, Texas April 24-27.

Out of the 28 schools that passed inspection tests and finished the 10-lap race, the FAST Huskies’s made-from-scratch aerodynamic-carbon-fiber vehicle used a total of 221.10 gasoline miles per gallon.

More than 200 high schools, colleges and universities from across the nation and continent competed in the competition.

“There were schools from Brazil, Canada, Mexico (National Autonomous University of Mexico)

FAST Huskies compete in Houstonthere. But everyone was willing to give parts and help each other out,” driver Ryan Ross-Pok said.

“Everybody’s going through the same endeavor of trying to get their car running and diagnosing spontaneous problems. It always comes down to time management,” Ross-Pok said.

FAST Huskies students Ross-Pok and Nayeli Aguilar traveled to Houston and spent four days of rigorous mechanical training, technical inspections and getting the car running onto the track.

“It was a very meticulous process, because it got real technical as we had to put the brakes in and finish wiring the engine. It is all about the little things,” Ross-Pok said.

“It got intense because we had to finish the last 40 percent of getting the car ready to run. We used the first two days to complete it and prepare for Saturday and Sunday’s race.”

A u t o m o t i v e Te c h n o l o g y Department chair and club advisor Adrian Banuelos accompanied the automotive engineering students.

“They basically built the car from scrap. They designed the metal chassis, they welded it, bent it and cut it…Machined it,” Banuelos said.

Once teams passed their technical inspections, they were allowed to take the car onto the urban setting Discovery Green track, that had an 11 feet width and 0.6 mile length per lap.

“It was stressful but the most rewarding part is hearing the engine run and being able to control and steer it,” Ross-Pok said.

“We are glad we got an outcome and brought something home because there were a lot of schools that went home with nothing. There were a lot of cars that broke down on the track, tires blowing and one car even flipped over,” Banuelos said.

For Aguilar and Ross-Pok, they experienced first-hand what it’s like to prepare and compete in a professional Formula 1 setting.

“The weather was hot, but inside the car’s temperature felt like it was 120-degrees. But it came down to mental toughness and driving strategy,” Ross-Pok said.

This was the fourth consecutive year that FAST Huskies competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon.

“Had it not been for the student’s competitiveness and willingness to finish, this would never have happened,” Banuelos said.

Among other competitors that finished were Schurr High School (18th), Citrus College (27th) and the University of California, Los Angeles who finished in 16th place.

2013 Eco-marathon winner University of Laval reclaimed their title with a final attempt of 2824 mpg.

LACMA: Artists receive illustrious opportunity

LACCD to fund ELAC summer sessions

William hernandezStaff Writer

East Los Angeles College alumnus and disability counselor Ronald “Ron” Aguilar died April 22 After years of struggling with his health, he died from liver and kidney failure caused by Hepatitis C at the age of 51.

Yet, his passion to learn and help others will be remembered.

Aguilar was born on Oct. 13, 1962, and grew up in East L.A. as one of six children.

He spent most of his youth focused on his personal life and gang-related activities, up until he got into a car accident in 1981 at 18 years old. It left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.

“His life really turned around after that,” his wife Brianne Aguilar said. “He started taking things seriously and wanted to go back to school.”

Ronald Aguilar earned his GED in 1997 when he was 35 and began attending ELAC shortly after.

Brianne Aguilar f i r s t m e t R o n Aguilar in 2000, w h i l e h e w a s covering a story for the Journalism Department about a Chinese New Year event.

“He asked a lot of questions. I t h o u g h t h e was annoying,” Brianne said.

T h e y w o u l d meet again a year later through a m u t u a l f r i e n d a n d b e g a n dating in 2002. He also earned his certificate of achievement in journalism and graduated with an associates degree in liberal arts later that year.

Brianne said that, while he enjoyed journalism, he put that interest aside in order to start helping others.

Aguilar started taking classes at California State University, Los Angeles in order to become a counselor.

Due to his health, Aguilar would have to take leaves in the middle of the term but made the effort to always continue what he started.

“When he had to stop coming in the middle of a quarter to take care of himself, he would always be there ready for when school started again. He was so motivated and even pushed me to keep trying so we could finish the program together,” Conie Zepeda, a close colleague and co-worker, said.

When it was time for him to start getting his internship hours for his major, Disabled Student Program and Services Director Grace Hernandez allowed him to do his time at ELAC’s disability office.

“I would see Ron often when he’d

come by the office while he was a student. He was liked by everyone in the office and everyone outside the office,” Hernandez said.

Aguilar received his bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services in 2010 when he was 48. He was currently in the process of earning his master’s degree in rehabilitation services.

He became an assistant counselor at ELAC’s DSP&S office and went above and beyond to help disabled students. As a peer adviser, he went out of his way to give advice to students about what classes they should take and career guidance.

“He liked to get involved and participate in fundraising and special events. He liked showing students around the campus and take them all over the place. We knew his health wasn’t the best so sometimes we’d tell him he didn’t have to do that stuff, but he would just say ‘I just want students to see the best of ELAC,’” Hernandez said.

Zepeda said t h a t A g u i l a r had d r eamed of s t a r t ing a business with her to e i ther help s tudents transition from high school to college or offer support services and motivation.

Aguilar would stop working in order to focus on his health.

In his free time he enjoyed going fishing, watching

his favorite football team, the Oakland

Raiders, and drawing. He drew on cups using a tattooing technique, and it could take him as long as two days to finish a piece and he drew all the tattoos on his left arm himself.

Zepeda said that one of Aguilar’s happiest moments was when he and Brianne married on Oct. 11. “You could tell that they were both just so happy. It was small and very intimate,” Zepeda said.

Brianne said one of his most treasured possessions was a folder he carried with him every day. “He had all his awards and certificates in it. He was so proud of it,” she said.

The folder held a collection of achievements Aguilar had earned throughout his life, from his college degrees to a dental health award.

His is survived wife Brianne and four siblings.

The funeral service will be held at Guerra and Gutierrez Mortuary at 5800 E. Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles on this Friday. The viewing will be from 5 to 9 p.m.

The mass will take place at Rose Hills Memorial Park at 10 a.m on Saturday. The burial will follow after at 11 a.m.

Ronald Aguilar

Jade inGladaStaff Writer

The Los Angeles Community College District board of trustees approved a plan to distribute $8,912,000 in state revenue among the district.

Some of the money will be used in projects to help the district reach out to the community and recruit employees. $7,752,000 was distributed among LACCD’s 10 colleges. ELAC received $1,676,000 and the college has already started to invest the money it received.

The $1.6 million the college received is making it possible for ELAC to offer over 400 classes this upcoming summer. There will be two summer sessions.

One will start on June 16 and end on July 18. The other session will start on the same day but will continue until August 1.

ELAC President Marvin Martinez

alongside the rest of the cabinet and other faculty leaders, worked under Academic Senate President Alex Immerblum to plan the two summer sessions.

Director of Facilities Abel Rodriguez is gathering request from every department to see what needs improvement and what needs to be replaced. Information Technology Manager Gonzalo Mendoza is taking inventory of the school’s equipment including staff computers.

This increase in the school’s budget will allow ELAC to replace chairs, computers and other equipment. It will also make it possible for the school to address any safety, health or sanitary issues on campus.

“The money the school received will help us improve the campus environment,” Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Erlinda de Ocampo said.

Ocampo said the money will

help the college ensure student success. With a total budget of $102,374,122, ELAC plans to expand tutoring services, course offerings at the South Gate campus and hire staff needed to meet college and accreditation needs.

Before the current fiscal year is over, ELAC plans to expand Saturday library services and workshops. ELAC also aims to address the needs of disabled students, like those with hearing impairments, and students with special needs, like veteran students, especially female veterans.

With the upcoming completion of 300,000 square feet of new buildings, ELAC will face the need for new staff.

The increase in the schools budget will allow it to hire professors as well as custodians and staff needed for maintenance.

Some of the schools administrative goals include plans to integrate and improve the campus emergency

notification systems. ELAC must also determine the administrative service needs at the current and future off site centers and satellite campuses.

LACCD and other school districts across the nation have been facing budget cuts since 2008.

The increase in LACCD’s budget will help ELAC and the rest of the district to meet the educational needs of their students.

The district’s colleges will use the the additional funds they received to restore classes and meet the district’s enrollment target.

Los Angeles Mission College, Southwest College and Valley College received money specifically to help them meet their accreditations needs.

Ocampos said that ELAC predicts it will spend $90 million by the end of June, which leaves the college roughly $10 million left over for the next fiscal year, which starts on July 1 and ends on June 30, 2015.

Jose cazaresStaff Writer

Continued from page 1

Not A tEN sECoNd CAr—ELAC’s Future Automotive Science Technician Huskies custom-made car for the 2014 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas event in Houston, Texas led the club to a 25th place finish.

CN/Jesus Figueroa

According to Hillary Walter, C o o r d i n a t o r o f C u r a t o r i a l Fellowships at LACMA, diversity is a popular topic among museum curators nationwide.

“The U.S. population is diverse and museums need to engage that audience when they curate exhibits and remain relevant to the community. Over 80 percent of museum curators self-identify as white and over 60 percent believe that diversity is the most important issue according to a survey conducted by the Association of Art Museum Curators,” Walter said.

“We believe The Andrew W. Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship will have a lasting impact on the next generation of curators,” LACMA CEO Michael Govan said.

F o r K i m b e r l y M i r a n d a , this impact means expanding the role that women play in museum curation.

“I applied because I knew this opportunity would help me fulfill my dreams of one day becoming an art historian. I also thought it was important because one of my goals is to close the gender gap

that top museums have with the misrepresentation of women,” she said.

The summer program has rewards beyond exposing students to hands on experiences in curation in a museum setting. Participants in the summer academy also receive a daily per diem.

“ T h r o u g h t h e s u m m e r a c a d e m y, I expect to learn how to properly synthesize my thoughts into research that m a y t h e n , translate into a cohesive art exhibit,” Saul Quintero said.

All of the Elans selected said they were encouraged by their professors to participate.

Art History Professor Surana Singh felt it was important for her students to apply because she knows from personal experience how hard it is to get into the art history and curation field. Singh acknowledges that the challenges are not just academic but structural.

“I was raised by a single-parent and I put myself through school; and, as a South Asian woman,

professionally I am a minority in my field. Therefore, I know the economic and academic commitment it takes to pursue a career in art history and that it is not something easily obtained,” Singh said.

Singh said that the history of art has been practiced a s a n a c a d e m i c discipline where a select few have had the privilege to decide what constitutes art while maintaining a cultural and class-based hierarchy. All participants in the summer program have the chance to be chosen to participate

as one of 20 fellows following the completion of the one week intensive.

Fellows selected from the summer academies for the Fellowship program will be paired with a mentor at the host museum with whom they will work with on projects and meet regularly during the academic year and summer.

Partner museums are the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, LACMA, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of

Art, Kansas City.All students who participated

must be open to the idea of pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree in the arts or museum field.

Quintero says that he is pursuing graduate school even if he does not get chosen as a fellow but if he does he will celebrate the success with his family.

“Programs like this are important because it is a gateway for Chicanos to speak of their experiences, rather than having other individuals represent us. Museums are spaces where individuals go to learn about the culture of an area. We live in Los Angeles, therefore individuals from our communities should be engaged in an ongoing dialogue about art in our city,” Quintero said.

Sanchez said she almost did not apply because the odds seemed stacked against her getting in, but she encouraged others to “just go for it.”

“I am so pleased that East Los Angeles College will be represented by three students at LACMA’s Andrew W. Mellon Summer Academy. These students represent the academically driven student body of ELAC, and let’s hope that the two Fellowships get awarded to two of our three representatives,” Singh said.

“Saul QuinteroELAC Student

Programs like this are important because it is a gateway for Chicanos to speak of their experiences...

www.ELACCampusNews.com

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWSWEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014Feature4

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East L.A. College.indd 1 5/1/14 11:00 AM

Siblings passion grows inside the diamond East Los Angeles College siblings

Valerie and Michael Aguilar grew up playing baseball, but their relationship has made the game their passion.

ELAC softball catcher Valerie and third baseman Michael Aguilar began to play baseball together at a young age with the guidance of their father.

“Our dad would take us to the park to throw the ball around. He just wanted us to be active and not stay home,” Michael Aguilar said.

While playing for the same team in little league, brother and sister began a routine that continues today.

“We played together until she (Valerie) was nine and began to play in a softball league, but we would work on our throwing and hitting eight hours a day. Now we have more on our hands, but we find the time to practice,” Michael Aguilar said.

According to Michael Aguilar, 20, the eldest of the two Valerie Aguilar is the superior player.

“She (Valerie), plays the game the right way. I dont know, I just think she is better,” Michael Aguilar said.

“I think we are about the same. Anyways, you can’t compare baseball and softball,” Valerie Aguilar said.

On the field Valerie put up dominant offensive numbers, earning her a spot in the All-Southern California All-Region team.

Valerie Aguilar led the softball team with a .413 batting average, hitting eight home runs, while collecting 37 runs batted in.

“Valerie is by far the hardest worker on the team. We are always on the same page. She’s a great teammate and friend,” ELAC starting pitcher Alashanee Medina said.

Michael Aguilar earned honorable mention for the All-South Coast

Conference team. He was a force offensively batting .278, collecting 40 hits with 25 RBIs.

“He (Michael) is a tough, gritty kid, who has improved tremendously. Michael is a team-guy,” ELAC baseball Head Coach James Hines said.

On the field they look at one another in order to improve their own game.

“I try to pick up something from him. The attitude and that confidence he shows is something I always try to imitate,” Valerie Aguilar said.

Michael Aguilar explained that he tries to get some pointers from his sister when it comes to catching.

While attending Montebello High School, they both played the same positions, catcher and third baseman. The comparison between them began.

“We always hear people say, ‘Oh your brother or your sister plays (baseball),’ but we are not trying to compete against one another. We both go about our game, while keeping an eye on how we are each doing,” Michael Aguilar said.

While they keep a competitive edge on the field, they always remain humble, maintaining a respect for the game.

“Our dad always showed us to not show up the other team. He wants us to play our hearts out, but never disrespect our competition,” Valerie Aguilar said.

Valerie and Michael Aguilar a r e c o n t i n u i n g a f a m i l y baseball tradition.

“They come from a really good family. Their older brother played baseball here, a good baseball/

carlos alvarezStaff Writer

softball family,” Erika Blanco, ELAC softball head coach said.

Following in the footsteps of their older brother Walter Aguilar Jr., who attended ELAC from 2011-2012, they both hope to continue to play baseball at a four-year school.

“He (Walter) has been the one person we both look up to. Our passion for the game has grown because we have seen where the game has taken him,” Valerie Aguilar said.

With their brother as their main role model, they also wish to follow in the footsteps of MLB player Adrian Beltre and USA softball and Olympian Jessica Mendoza.

“I love how he (Beltre) plays the game. He is fierceless and he has a conflicting attitude, but he plays his heart out,” Michael Aguilar said.

According to Valerie Aguilar, she loves the way Mendoza works on and off the field; always showing respect a n d n e v e r forgetting where she came from.

On the field the siblings are both fierce competitors, but off the field they are complete opposites.

“She (Valerie) is quiet off the field, very respectful, keeps to herself, but aggressive on the field,” Blanco said.

According to Michael Aguilar he is the funny one while her sister is in the background going about her business.

“He is a funny dude, who is cool to hangout with,” ELAC right fielder Zachary Ashford said.

Their differences don't stop with their personalities, but also in their academics.

“I’m just lazy when it comes to homework and she (Valerie) is more responsible with her school work,” Michael Aguilar said.

According to Hines, Michael struggled with his grades his first year at ELAC, but during the past year and a half he has improved and should be able to graduate with an associate degree in the summer

With the full support of their parents Walter and Isabel Aguilar, Michael Aguilar hopes to become a police officer and Valerie Aguilar hopes to become a softball coach.

“Their parents are at every one of their games. They are honest with their kids, but they don’t sugarcoat anything when they don’t do well,” Blanco said.

Valerie Aguilar said that their parents have raised four kids with

only her father working, but they have always kept them involved with sports even though equipment for four children is not cheap.

“ I t h i n k when we look at our parent’s sacrifice, that is what pushes us to succeed. They disciplined us, but they have never stopped us

from pursuing anything,” Michael Aguilar said.

While their parents attend their games, when both teams are playing at the same time you will find them cheering on Michael Aguilar.

“If I have a 5 o’clock game and his game begins at 6, my parents will go to the start of my game and head over to his game. I guess he is the favorite,” Valerie Aguilar said.

Favoritism aside, Michael and Valerie Aguilar said that they know that unless they end up going to the same school, this will be the last time they would share the distinction of brother and sister playing together at the college level.

“Knowing that our parents were able to see us play is all we could ask for. We owe everything to them,” Valerie Aguilar said.

CN/LILIANA MARQUEZ

SIBLINGS— East Los Angeles College catcher Valerie Aguilar and third baseman Michael Aguilar spend time together on the ELAC softball field. They have been representing the Huskies in the softball and baseball teams for the last two seasons.

“They come from a really good family. Their older brother played baseball here, a good baseball/ softball family.

Softball Head Coach Erika Blanco

www.ELACCampusNews.com

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWSWEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014 Arts 5

CRASS rocks out zine event

Asian Fusion serves up great deals

All smiles—Author and Chicana punk musician Alice Bag, gave a performance of spoken word along with a few songs she admired at the Collective Revolutionary Association of Students in Solidarity (CRASS) zine release event on April 30 in the Ingalls Auditorium.

CN/MegaN g. Razzetti

CouRtesy of soNy studios

MEGAN G. RAZZETTIStaff Writer

Located in south side Montebello, The Chicken Bowl Asian Fusion is true to its motto “no MSG,” giving its customers a meal with no regrets.

“MSG,” Monosodium glutamate is a non-essential amino acid, also known as a flavor enhancer.

Although the Food and Drug Administration has recognized MSG as “generally safe,” it is still question.

The Chicken Bowl Asian Fusion offers a great variety on their menu, starting with their highly recognized Korean tacos.

T h e s p i c y chicken includes a mixture of spices, topped off with kimchi sprouts to add flavor that will not disappoint.

G u e s t s c a n choose from the chicken bowl, containing no fat or skin or pork marinated with their special sauce.

Also available is thinly sliced rib-eye steak, marinated with their special Korean sauce.

If guests opt on making their meal a combo they receive a 55-cent discount on their purchase.

Guests can also enjoy a substantial plate of their choosing, varying from beef to chicken.

The plate is served with white rice and a choice of two different sides: macaroni salad, green salad, miso soup, or curry.

The macaroni salad, is not liquid gold infused macaroni, but a fresh mixture of onion and

DESIREE LOPEZStaff Writer

other vegetables with macaroni and mayonnaise. It gives the right combination of warm and cool to the dish.

For those who are on a budget The Chicken Bowl Asian Fusion is the perfect place to go, with meals ranging from $3.99 for their chicken bowl to $12.99 for their more exotic dishes.

The restaurant also provides over the phone orders for customers on the go.

Guests order their food at the register, one of the employees will take the order to where the customer is seated.

T h e s m a l l f a m i l y o w n e d r e s t a u r a n t , which provides a w e l c o m i n g service as soon as customer walk through the door.Greeted by the owner himself,his cool collective pe r sona l i t y i s

reflected upon ordering making everyone feel comfortable.

Its green walls with flower decals give the restaurant a serene environment in which guest can unwind while enjoying a meal.

Besides the food being a great meal for your buck, the fact that the restaurant is not using MSG in, gives guests peace of mind of what they are putting in their mouths.

It is not an artificial flavor but good quality food, making it taste only that much better.

This resturaunt is located at 725 Washington Boulevard, Montebello. It’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and closed Saturday and Sunday.

Marvel’s famous web slinger is back on the big screen for his greatest battle in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” but the true battle may be trying to figure out what story to follow.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”continue on from the 2012 film reboot with the witty Peter Parker, played by Andrew Garfield, still protecting New York from danger as Spider-Man and trying to keep his girlfriend Gwen Stacy, (Emma Stone) safe from the harm of the life he leads.

Peter discovers a briefcase from his father Richard Parker, (Campbell Scott) and goes to unravel the mystery of his parents while dealing with the electric mayhem of Electro aka Max Dillon, (Jamie Foxx).

Peter also gets caught between the return of his childhood friend and Oscorp heir Harry Osborn, (Dane DeHaan), trying to keep his relationship with Gwen and home life with Aunt May, (Sally Field) stable.

“Amazing Spider-Man 2” fails to live up to the promise seen by

its predecessor. It overshadows the rest of the film aspects that are well done.

The story itself has many plot threads that seem to forget that other threads exist.

The plot of Peter’s struggle to figure out who his parents are and his reasons to keep Gwen at bay get lost beneath the long stretches spent on O s c o r p ’ s troubles and setting up villains or characters for future films.

One plot thread shown in the trailers involving the famous Spider-Man villain Rhino aka Alekski Sytsevich, (Paul Giamatti), is ignored throughout the entire film, but brought up once the plot finally remembers exactly what his purpose to the story was again.

Such a gross oversight as that hurts the film rather than give the audience something to look forward to in a sequel.

The Raimi trilogy of Spider-Man films suffered the same fate in the final entry with ‘Spider-Man 3’. It has too many plot threads to focus

on, and one too many villain while losing some charm in the process.

With such a big failing at managing to tell a cohesive story, the film attempts to make up for it by providing extraordinary action scenes and great performances

throughout. As Electro

brings on the electrical c h a r g e s , e l e c t r o n i c a -inspired beats follow with each s tep.Electro’s voice in his head fuels his

beautiful symphony of destruction and acceptance of power. Spider-Man also struggles to save the civilians from the falling billboards high above. This brings back the unique thrills of the previous film and gets the audience to root for Spider-Man to succeed.

The acting is top notch despite one character’s introduction. Garfield and Stone’s chemistry as Peter and Gwen are still as wonderful and kinetic as it was in the first film, with the charm of two young lovers living in the city while high on life.

Garfield still nails the role of Spider-Man perfectly by providing

the witty humor managing his secret identity and intelligence while experimenting that makes Peter relatable.

Stone’s performance followed in the same steps of intelligence and heart as Garfield by keeping up with Peter’s life with a great sense of admiration, even if he feels she is in danger.

When Dillon transform into Electro, Foxx brings out the true essence of his acting. Foxx captures the emotional struggle of Dillon’s acceptance of his new power and his unrecognition of his work.

The tension between Electro and Spider-Man makes the battles between the two all the greater as New York’s view of Spider-Man’s heroics helps to balance the vengeful yet sympathetic personality of Electro.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” starts off the summer with adequacy showing great romantic chemistry along with a powerful villainous performance and dazzling action. The overbearing jumbled and confused plot harms the overall fun experience.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” opened on May 2nd. The film’s running time is 142 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequence of sci-fi action and violence.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ tangled in a web of plot SERGIO bERRuETA

Staff Writer

The Collective Revolutionary Association of Students in Solidarity (CRASS) celebrated the release of their latest zine April 30 at the Foyer Theater.

Included was a performance by special guest, Chicana punk rocker, author, and educator Alice Bag.

Sporting a head of electric blue hair, the author was enthusiastic as she was approached by fans not only students but also members of the surrounding community.

As Bag entered the theater, the room applauded her even though she was not yet up to perform.

“I’m really excited that the kids are writing,” Bag said as she shared her thoughts on CRASS collectively putting together their latest zine.

“My book started as a blog,” Bag said, “ I had no idea it would become a book.”

The zine is a collaborative effort by not just the members of CRASS but also students from other schools such as California State University, at Humboldt.

The theme included addressing the question of “What is American culture?”

Alan Bacarnal, one of the founding members of CRASS, discussed a few of the details in planning the event, which included some difficulties.

“The idea came around last semester,” Bacarnel said.

“Originally we wanted Alice to come last semester, but there was some difficulties like a really bad car accident I got into that prevented that.”

The event kicked off with the band Little T and the Swigs, playing a set of original songs to the styles of reggae and punk. Band members included CRASS member Jose Camacho.

Also in the group, Ehecatl Negrete on the viola alongside Tanya Flores on violin,giving a twist to the traditional version of a punk band.

The upbeat music which included a cover of Rancid’s hit “Timebomb”

gave the attendees the momentum to get up and dance.

Once the band finished playing, Bag and her companion Angie Skull, began to gather their things to set up for Bag’s set.

Bag urged audience members to sit closer to her as she started.

The wide and spacious room became a more intimate atmosphere.

Bag opened her set with an introduction of her book “Violence Gir l f rom East LA Rage to Hollywood Stage: a Chicana Punk Story.”

She touched on her childhood and her experiences with witnessing domestic violence involving her parents.

Although, Bag talked of the abuse she witnessed, she played a song her father dedicated to her. The ranchera style song played along

with a mariachi band, “Monedita de Oro (Little Gold Coin)” Bag made it her own by calling her version a “punkchera.”

Bag then read another excerpt of her book. The section which was called “Audiophilia,” talked of her failed attempt of becoming a groupie.

She discussed how women were only seen as groupies in the scene and there were few females to look up to in the world of rock.

“I don’t want to be a groupie, I want to be the rockstar,” Bag said as she ended the reading.

Bag played another song which was David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream.”

Ending her performance with a song she used to perform with her own band The Bags “Babylonian Gorgon,” the crowd got up dance

once more.Through out the entire event,

CRASS members such as Dario Serrano and Camacho made sure everyone was having a good time. They both passed bottle water and interacted with the audience.

The diversity of the people who attended also contributed to the event.

Parents with young children danced along to the music and also enjoyed some of the food that had been provided.

Some students who came to support their classmates were involved with this event.

“I came out to support Jose from Little T and the Swigs, but, I also think Alice’s music is interesting so I thought it would be good to stick around after,” Alexandria Cardenas said.

Art students at East Los Angeles College are given the opportunity to have their work displayed at the Vincent Price Art Museum’s Small Gallery this fall for the 2014 Juried Student Art Exhibit.

The submissions are open to any ELAC student who has taken a course in studio art, architecture or photography during the 2013-2014 school year.

The art exhibit opens until Sept. 23, and submission applications are being accepted June 10 through the 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. No early or late entries will be accepted.

Students must also meet other requirements such as: the artwork must have been completed during the summer 2013 or fall 2013 and either winter 2014 or spring 2014 semesters. Submitted artwork must be no larger than 5 feet by 7 feet for 2D artwork and 5 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet for 3D as the VPAM will provide bases for 3D artwork.

Any artwork larger than these dimensions will be disqualified.

The submitted artwork does not need to be related to a class assignment.

Not all submissions for the show will be selected.Professional curators and artist will make selections from the artwork submitted.

California State University, at Long Beach Professor of Art Marie Thibeault and Graphic and Multimedia Designer, and ELAC alum, Raul Vergara will serve as the 2014 jurors.

In the

Spotlight

JESuS FIGuEROAStaff Writer

VPAM seeks student work for fall gallery

electric feel— The battle between Spiderman, (Andrew Garfield), and Electro, (Jamie Foxx) add the excitement to ‘The Amazing Siderman 2,” released on May 2.

this brings back the unique thrills of the previous film and gets the audience to root for Spiderman to succeed.

B e i n g m i n u t e s away from the City o f C o m e r c e , a n industrialized city, this restaurant is a perfect quick lunch spot.

www.ELACCampusNews.com

Badminton moves on to state finals

Track and field team prepares for state finals

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2014Sports6 EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE CAMPUS NEWS

Carlos alvarezStaff Writer

Tadzio GarCiaStaff Writer

Going for

gold

Tadzio GarCiaStaff Writer

Baseball first round woes continue

Softball team shocked by Saddleback College

All-American and freshman Laura Aceves won first place in the women’s 10,000-meter run at the 2014 SoCal Trials Regionals Championships May 3 at Riverside City College.

It is ELAC’s first-ever women’s gold medal in the event at the SoCal finals since the event was added to California Community College Athletic Association track and field team competition in 1995.

“The race is not about time. Laura needed only to place at least sixth to qualify for the state finals in the event. She ran a tactical race, with her kick helping her to win,” ELAC Assistant Coach David Loera said.

Aceves picked up her speed in the last mile and ran alone to the finish line, finishing 16 seconds faster than her nearest competitors.

After two of 36 women’s events completed, ELAC was tied for third place in the team standings with 10 points behind College of the Canyons and host Riverside.

The ELAC men’s team is tied for seventh the place with El Camino College with four points apiece behind leader Orange Coast College (20).

Sophomore Gonzalo Ceja won sixth place in the men’s 10,000 run and advanced, along with Aceves, to the state finals May 17 and 18 at Mt. San Antonio College.

Aceves and Ceja will compete in the 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter steeplechase runs at SoCal finals this Saturday in Riverside.

Aceves took second place in the steeplechase prelims. Ceja won his

prelims heat in the steeplechase. “I didn’t need to win in the steeplechase since it was a qualifying race,”

Aceves said. Sophomores Daniel Zaragoza placed eighth in the 10,000 run in the

prelims for the Huskies while teammate Kris Chacon finished in the No. 16 spot.

Both men will compete in the SoCal finals in the 5,000 run for a chance to move on to the state finals.

“For the fourth consecutive year ELAC has a chance to qualify for the state finals in a hurdles event,” Loera said.

Freshman Jorge Romo advanced to the finals in the 400-meter hurdles, placing fifth in the prelims with a personal record. “He runs hesitant in the event, but can advance to state if he drops a half-second off his time,” Loera said.

Romo ran back-and-forth between events as a multiple qualifier. He took 15th place in the long jump, missing out qualifying to the SoCal finals by 1.25 inches. He was disqualified in the 100-meter high hurdles for an inadvertent leaning fall at the start of the race.

“He was probably thinking about the long jump, which was just about to begin,” Loera said. Romo took 14th place in the decathlon.

The men’s 4x400 relay team did not compete because Adrian Gaytan was a no-show.Sophomore Adriann Crespo finished her ELAC track and field career a two-time SoCal semifinalist in the hammer throw.

Cris Flores and Viridiana, both in the steeplechase, along with Luis Hernandez (110-meter hurdles) finish the season SoCal semifinalists.

After ending the regular season, 13-0, the ELAC swept the South Coast Conference tournament finals last Friday in Manhattan Beach and advances six to the state championships.

The state individual finals will be held this Friday and Saturday at De Anza College in Cupertino.

In the singles matches at the SCC finals, sophomore Khanh Dinh took first place.

She beat teammate Yuki Tai in the singles title match.

Suki Kwan placed third, edging teammate Jasmine Florencia Zhan Wong, who placed fourth.

Pasadena City College took fifth and sixth places, the other state qualifying singles spots.

In the doubles competition Dinh and Zhan Wong won the SCC title. They beat teammates Tai and Kwan who took second place.

Both ELAC doubles teams beat Pasadena’s No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams in the semifinals.

ELAC lost the SoCal Regional Finals, at home, to San Diego City College, 17-4, April 30. San Diego reached the state finals for the third consecutive year.

ELAC finished undefeated in 2008 and lost to San Diego in the SoCal finals.

“We were tied 3-3 after the first singles (round), but San Diego is a doubles powerhouse and won all doubles matches,” ELAC head coach Qui Nguy said.

Dinh, ELAC’s No. 1 singles player, won both her singles matches 2-1. She ended the last singles match of the day with a 21-19, 18-21, 22-20 win against San Diego’s No. 1 player Darby Duprat. Dinh also beat San Diego’s No. 2 player, Gina Niph, 23-21, 14-21, 21-19

Down four points and on the brink of losing, Dinh pulled off a rally that got both teams involved by supporting each shot with approvals of “good shot” regardless of the player.

“I wasn’t doing well so I took a deep breath and told myself to just concentrate on each point,” Dinh said. She did to the approval of the home cheers.

Zhan Wong beat Trinh Lang of San Diego, 21-16, 21-8. “(Wong) is a good player. She fought for every point,” San Diego Head Coach Son Nguyen said.

Nguyen said that he wishes for more non-conference competition, but budget cuts make it difficult. ELAC played its first non-conference game in years April 25 at home.

The Huskies finished the regular season with a 20-1 victory against Skyline College of San Bruno at home.

For the fourth consecutive season, the East Los Angeles College baseball team failed to move past the first round of Southern Regional playoffs.

“It’s tough to advance in the playoffs. You don’t have anybody that’s chopped liver. We gotta figure out how to get over the hump,” ELAC Head Coach James Hines said.

The No.15-seeded Huskies did not continue their come from behind magic, losing the three-game series, 2-1, to the No. 2-seeded Oxnard College.

After splitting the first two games of the series in dramatic fashion, ELAC was unable to muster much offense in game 3, losing 2-0.

“You might look at the scores and say that our offense didn’t

produce, but we are facing legitimate guys. Some of the pitchers we faced will be in the pros. Our hitters were not intimidated at all,” Hines said.

Oxnard starting pitcher Blake Redman dominated the inconsistent ELAC offense. Redman pitched a complete game shutout, allowing five hits while outdueling South Coast Conference ELAC Pitcher-of-the-Year Roman Davalos.

“Redman was in another level. He was strong mixing in his pitches. He kept us off balance. Davalos was a little pumped up in the first which is natural, but otherwise outstanding,” Hines said.

Davalos was dominant, but the two first inning runs he allowed were too much for ELAC to overcome.

EYE ON THE BIRDIE—ELAC’s Suki Kwan is ready to return the birdie that’s out of reach of teammate Yuki Tai. The Huskies lost 17-4 to San Diego City College in the SoCal finals on April 30 at home in the women’s gym.

CN/TADZIO GARCIA

william hernandezStaff Writer

To read the rest of the story visit www.elaccampusnews.com

State pitcher of the year Alashanee Medina was filled with emotion and disappointment, after she flied out to center field to end the 2014 softball season for the Huskies.

“I have mixed emotions right now because we worked so hard to get here. We had to start from the bottom in my first year. I thought: What am I getting myself into?” Medina said.

“Our top goal was to go state, but at the end of the day I’m proud of my team because no one expected us to win conference.”

The No. 9-seeded Saddleback College knocked out No. 8-seeded ELAC taking the three-game

series, 2-0, in the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association Southern Regional playoffs.

Saddleback won consecutive one-run games. They won game one, 5-4, in 10 innings on Saturday and eliminated ELAC in game two 3-2 on Sunday.

Both teams battled neck-to-neck, but when the ELAC defense committed uncharacteristic errors, Saddleback capitalized.

“When it’s playoff time, it is the top-16 (teams) and at anytime a team can get hot. We hoped to bring our defense and our bats, but unfortunately we did not,” ELAC Head Coach Erika Blanco said.

“That is the nature of championship ball, you play all year and prepare, but it is all about

the team that comes prepared to play that weekend.”

Down 3-2 in the sixth inning of game 2, ELAC’s opportunity to tie or take the lead was counterbalanced by some misfortune.

With runners on first and second, ELAC third baseman Raleen Fuentes smashed a line-drive to the left side of the infield.

The ball hit the third base bag and then stayed in the field of play loading the bases, but preventing the runners from scoring.

“It is a game of inches. If that goes through we score two runs. But that is just the nature of playoff softball, you win with the ‘ball of inches’ or you go down with the ‘ball of inches,’” Blanco said.

ELAC finished their storybook season 29-11 overall and 18-3 in

the South Coast Conference. Blanco was named South Coast

Conference Coach-of-the-Year.ELAC’s starting catcher Valerie

Aguilar was named to the All-SCC First Team while center fielder Larissa Munoz was named to the All-SCC Second Team.

Medina needed only three more outs to cement the game 1 victory on Saturday, but Saddleback’s second baseman Chandler Smith doubled to lead off the top of the seventh inning.

A throwing error by Aguilar, allowed Smith to tie the score. Saddleback scored to take the lead in the top of the eighth.

To read the rest of the story visit www.elaccampusnews.com

ALL ALONE—ELAC’s Gonzalo Ceja crosses the finish line winning his heat in the 3000-meter steeplechase run in the SoCal prelims last Saturday in Wheelock Stadium at Riverside City College.

CN/TADZIO GARCIA