Vol. 68 Issue 14 Nov. 20 by El Camino College The Union

PHOTO ESSAY

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

SWIM COACH TEACHES UNIQUE BOOTCAMP COURSE, P. 7

November 20, 2014

PHOTO ESSAY

SPORTS

STUDENTS GET THEIR HANDS ON ART CLASSES, P. 8

WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM LOSES 8-0 TO CERRITOS, P. 9

THE UNION eccunion.com

Torrance, California

Student who threatened to kill pleads not guilty The charges brought up against James Lemus were increased from one to eight in Torrance court Wednesday Jessica Martinez

Co-editor-in-chief @ECCUnionJessica

Gilberto Castro/ Union

The men’s soccer team celebrates after its down-to-the-wire Nov. 14 game against Cerritos College, which ended in a 1-1 tie. The result guaranteed that the Warriors finished in first place in the South Coast Conference, giving them a home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

MEN’S SOCCER TEAM FINISHES NO. 1 Rocky Rivera

Staff Writer @ECCUnionRockyR

The men’s soccer team won the South Coast Conference title for the first time since 1991. This is the Warriors’ sixth conference title in their history. EC clinched the title on Tuesday but needed at least a draw to keep from sharing it with Cerritos. The Warriors finished the regular season undefeated at home after their 1-1 draw on Friday thanks to a late equalizer from freshman midfielder Carlos Rosales. “We were close two years ago and we kind of blew it with two games to go and we almost did the same here,” coach John Britton said.

“I didn’t want history to repeat itself.” Sophomore forward Andy Nunez, EC’s leading scorer with nine goals, was rested for this match. Cerritos took the lead in the 31st minute. A cross from the visiting team into the penalty box resulted in a headed goal making the score 1-0. The visitors pressed on for a second but a solid Warrior defense kept the score unchanged. The referee booked EC three times as the Warriors’ pursuit for an equalizer made it a physical game. However, EC equalized with three minutes remaining in regulation. Hamilton shot a powerful strike from outside the penalty box that hit the crossbar. The rebound fell to Car-

los Rosales who slotted it into the goal. “I just saw the ball coming straight at me,” Rosales said. “I kind of got in between the defender and my only thing (I thought) was to put it on target and score. That was the only thing I thought about. The ball was going towards the net. I was already celebrating.” The Warriors lost only once this season, at an away game at Mt. San Antonio College. Their unbeaten streak now stands at 13 games. Last season EC were knocked out by Santiago Canyon College in the first round of the playoffs. The last time the Warriors won the state championship was in 1992. EC will host Southwestern College on Nov. 22 at 2 p.m in the first round of the regional playoffs.

The 35-year-old Hawthorne man who threatened to create a “massacre” on the Library Lawn pleaded not guilty to an additional seven counts during his second arraignment in Torrance court today. James Lemus, dressed in a light blue L.A. County Jail jumpsuit similar to the one he wore at his Nov. 4 preliminary hearing, smiled and mouthed, “Hi, mom,” to his mother as he entered the courtroom. Originally, Lemus had one felony count charged against him. Now, the number of charges has been increased to eight. Deputy DA Patrick O’ Crowley said the other counts are from EC employees coming forward and saying they felt threatened and scared after hearing about the threats. “The original complaint just alleged the one count,” O’ Crowley said. “What we did was put on evidence there were other people at the school aware of the threats.” O’ Crowley said getting the eight counts approved was difficult, given the broad nature of the threats. “You could conceive anybody else at the school coming forward and saying, ‘Hey, that was about me,’” he said. EC Police Chief Michael Trevis, EC’s attorney Michael Travis, and the husband of English instructor Leeanne Bergeron never entered the courtroom but stayed in the hall outside. The first temporary restraining

order (TRO) filed last month protects Vice President of Academic Affairs Francisco Arce. The second TRO protects Bergeron and “all employees of the El Camino Community College District.” Lemus told Veterans Center employee Miriam Jauregui he was going to create a “massacre” on the Library Lawn, making it look like the shooting that killed six plus the gunman near the University of California, Santa Barbara that took place in May, according to the TRO. At Lemus’ Oct. 21 arraignment at Torrance Courthouse, he pleaded not guilty to the one felony count of threatening a school official. During Lemus’ Nov. 4 preliminary hearing, it was ruled the case will go to trial. In the nearly two hours spent in the courtroom, Jauregui, Arce, ECPD Detective Jeffrey Lewis, who took Lemus into custody Oct. 1, and Police Chief Michael Trevis testified. Jauregui said during her testimony that she took Lemus’ comments as a “serious threat,” adding he talked to her about several things, including his childhood and being upset about his morning class. Arce said he had not seen Lemus before the Nov. 4 hearing, but was “very concerned” about the threats. “If someone makes a death threat against you, you should be concerned regardless of who says it,” Arce said. Lemus’ pretrial is set for Dec. 18 and his bail remains at $1.2 million.

Withdrawal drop deadline could be moved up as soon as next fall Juan Lorenzo Gutierrez

Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorenzo

NEWS LINE

Administrators at EC proposed to change the “W” drop date to two weeks earlier in the semester to help students, Dean of Enrollment Services William Garcia said. “One reason is to align the course withdrawal drop deadline with the federal financial dead-

line for the semester,” Garcia said. “There is no firm date or deadline we’re working with. It’s only been proposed.” He added the earliest the change could be implemented is fall 2015. The administrators that proposed this change want to move back the “W” drop date deadline from where it is now - after 75 percent of the semester is over - to just 60 percent.

“According to the U.S. Department of Education, after a student has completed 60 percent of his or her coursework, they are eligible for 100 percent of the financial aid that they received,” Garcia said. In addition, if a student doesn’t complete at least 60 percent of the course, the student has to repay their financial aid they received dependent upon when they stopped attending their courses, Garcia said.

“Because over 50 percent of our students of this campus are on financial aid, we should align our missions and records policies,” Garcia said. EC is following other colleges’ examples by doing this, Garcia said. “This gives us almost three weeks where (students) can seek academic counseling to determine how that withdrawal would affect them and how to plan the next se-

mester,” Garcia said. One benefit is students get their financial aid sooner, Garcia said. Associated Students Organization (ASO) Vice President Sharda Jones brought up the topic at the Oct. 30 ASO meeting. “It might be (helpful for students) because it gives them a jump to know what their schedule will be next semester so they can plan accordingly,” Jones said. Students like Tyler Bowers, 18,

Come get your groove on

Check out what USC has to offer

Learn information on how to be a nurse

See the stars of the night sky

The fall dance concert will take place today at 1 p.m. in the Campus Theatre. The cost to attend the concert is $15 per person. The concert will also be tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday, at 3 p.m. For more information, call 310-329-5345.

Take a tour of USC tomorrow. Tours start go from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students must be enrolled in at least one course at EC, have a current class schedule print out, and a $5 deposit is required when signing up for the tour. For more information, contact Rene Lozano at rlozano@elcamino.edu.

Students will learn nursing information during an info session taking place in the Distance Education Center from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 8. Students will learn the requirements and classes to take to qualify for the nursing program. For more information, call 310-6603593, ext. 3433.

There will be a planetarium show from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 12 for the public to enjoy. Everyone will get to see the night sky from inside the dome. The event is free, but space is limited so seating will be first come, first served. For more information, call 310-660-3593, ext. 3543.

undecided major, likes the idea. “It could be helpful since the kids have a better opportunity to get a class they actually want it,” Bowers said. “They don’t feel stuck in a class and I think that would be a positive change.” Also, this proposal would not greatly affect faculty, Garcia said. “At this point, again, it’s just a proposal,” Garcia said. “There is not a time line or a deadline to implement this.”

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news

2 El Camino College Union POLICE BEAT By Jay Bamba

Female student throws up after eating ‘tainted’ brownies

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJay

Custodian transported after cleaning trash can with needle inside Nov. 4, 11 p.m.—An officer responded to the Student Services Building financial office regarding a medical aid call. A female custodian attempted to remove a piece of gum from a trash can. The trash can had a small needle inside resulting in an injury. The custodian was transported to an area hospital for further treatment.

Corrections In “On the Scene” on page six in our Nov. 6 issue, the EC Concert Band entry incorrectly said Ann Patterson would be featured in the performance. She was not. On page nine, the photo credit for the men’s soccer photo was taken by Gilberto Castro of “The Union,” not Charles Ryder. On page 10, the story “Once a Warrior always a Warrior” was written by staff writer Aryn Hicks, not Kristopher Aguilar. The Union regrets these errors.

TEAM AIMS TO ASSIST TROUBLED STUDENTS Jay Bamba

Nov. 13, 2:25 p.m.—An officer responded to the fourth floor of the women’s restroom in the MBA Building regarding a medical aid call. A female student was throwing up as a result of eating “tainted” brownies. Paramedics arrived on scene, however, the student did not tell when or where she ate the brownies. She also refused to tell the officers who gave her the brownies.

November 20, 2014

Assessment, Intervention, and Management of Safety (AIMS) team is a special team at EC that takes charge of incidents that may threaten faculty member, staff member, or a student. The AIMS team is an “intervention team that started up in many schools around the country in response to some of the events that have taken place in the last several years in school campuses,” Jan Schaeffer, EC psychiatrist and member of the team, said. The AIMS team coordinates resources on campus to assist in prevention and early intervention in case any dangerous or threatening situations may occur to a person at EC. The group recently took action when James Lemus, former EC student, threatened to cause a massacre in campus.

The goal is to “maintain a safe working and educational environment for everyone,” Schaeffer said. The AIMS team represents both the Torrance and Compton campuses.

“

to the person face to face to fill in any missing information. “We put our heads together to see if anybody else on the team has heard about that incident or individual to see if there are any reports from other parts of the

We put our heads together to see if anybody else on the team has heard about that incident or individual JAN SCHAEFFER EC PSYCHIATRIST

It consists of several members, including Police Chief Michael Trevis, Ray Lewis, administration of justice instructor, and Trish Bonacic, director of CalWORKS from the Compton Center, according to the EC website. The team follows a specific procedure to resolve issues. Schaeffer said they receive a report and talk

campus,” Schaeffer said. “We always get back to the person who actually filed the report to let them know.” The group meets twice a month and the meetings are not open to the public. An incident report form for staff members and faculty members to submit to the AIMS team

are available on the EC website. People can also reach the AIMS team by emailing or calling and asking to meet in person. Trevis and Community Relations Director Ann Garten declined to comment and instead referred “The Union” to the website. Kyle Katano, 19 years old, music major, said a safe campus can be attributed to the AIMS team’s duties. “I’ve never seen them around but I think they’re doing a good job since it means that they are taking care of things before it happens,” Katano said. Riana Portillo, 19 years old, digital art major, also praised the activity of the AIMS team, even though she did not know the existence of it. “Keeping yourself in an open place makes you isolated sometimes, so it’s good that a team like that exists,” Portillo said. The AIMS team can be reached at aimsteam@elcamino.edu.

members of the

AIMS TEAM

Jan Schaeffer,

EC psychiatrist Michael Trevis, ECPD police chief Trish Bonacic, director of CalWORKS Rocky Bonura, business services director Michelle Arthur, acting dorector of student development Jeffrey Lewis, ECPD detective Ray Lewis, administration of justice instructor William Mulrooney, ditrector of admissions Sharin Nakayama, SRC supervisor Dipte Patel, SRC director Jaynie Ishikawa, staff and student diversity office director Kay Ragan, counseling and student services interim dean Information from the AIMS page on the EC website

Sociology Club hosts Thanksgiving drive Puente Project to return in fall Aryn Hicks

Staff Writer @ECCUnionAryn

The Sociology Club is hosting their second annual Clean and Warm Thanksgiving Drive, where they collect donations such as clothes and money and donate them to the L.A Mission. “We are concerned with social issues such as homelessness and the inability to fully support oneself within our society and we think it is especially important to give back,” Emily Ploch, Sociology Club president, said.

Last week at the Inter-Club Council carnival, the club sold snow cones in order to raise money for the L.A Mission. Last year, the club donated 500 pounds in items and this year their goal is to donate more. The club is accepting donations of new and used clothing. Socks and undergarments must be new and in their original packaging. They are also asking for items like shampoo, soap, and deodorant. “I believe that anybody who can give back should give back in any way, through monetary donations or through the clothing

Your Donation Today Means Jobs Tomorrow.

drive,” Miriam Mcclure, Sociology Club treasurer, said. To drop off items, students can go to Room 317 in the Art and Behavioral Science Building to leave their donations with sociology professor and club adviser Stacey Allen. The last day to donate is today. “My goal is to provide materials for people in need,” Aurielo Esparza, Sociology Club vice president, said. “There are a lot of unfortunate people who rarely have stuff like shoes and clothes and I want them to feel comfortable.”

Brenda Soriano

Staff Writer @ECCUnionBrenda

During the board of trustees meeting Monday, President Thomas Fallo announced that the Puente Project will be back next fall. “The most important thing is that it’s coming back,” Puente Project co-coordinator Margaret Quinones-Perez said. “It’s good for the program to have a new team every three years because it gives them a chance to step out and learn new things.”

Griselda Castro, former Puente student, will be the new counselor for the program and will work with English instructors to recruit new staff in spring. During the meeting, the trustees reviewed their self-evalutation questionnaires. They can be found on the EC website. In addition, Director of the Institutional Research and Planning Irene Graff gave a presentation about the proposed college’s mission and strategic plan. The next meeting will be Dec. 15 in the Board Room in the Administration Building at 4 p.m.

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Features

November 20, 2014

Amira Petrus/ Union

Andy Garcia, 17, undecided major, rides his skateboard from class to his carpool ride.

El Camino College Union

Amira Petrus/ Union

EC students often use Torrance Transit to travel to and from EC. One of the stops is on Crenshaw Boulevard, across from the Humanities Building.

Lack of carpooling programs drives problems for students Both students and faculty get to EC by different means of transportation, whether it’s bike, car, bus or skateboard Lorilynn Lomeli

Union Correspondent

Jesus Beccerra

Union Correspondent

ifteen minutes until class starts. His fingers are tapping the steering wheel. His back slouches against a hot, leather seat. His open, alert eyes search for the next open parking spot. Parking Lots A, D and L are packed. Finding a parking spot at EC is like finding a needle in a haystack. The lack of parking affects students like Ian Mautner, 22, music major. “(A carpooling program) would seriously cut down on all the problems with parking, especially within the first couple of weeks,” Mautner said. “I think that it would be awesome to cut down on the amount of gasoline that we are consuming.” The packed parking lots reflect the lack of carpooling programs for students. Carpooling programs at EC are directed toward faculty members and not students. A department of the federal government, Air Quality Management Department (AQMD), requires certain corporations and educational institutions, such as EC, to meet low emission standards. To meet this requirement, EC implemented a carpooling program for both part-time and full-time faculty. There are incentives for faculty members to participate in the program, such as free food

vouchers and special parking closer to the school. According to a survey completed in early September by Erick Mendoza, police services and employee transportation coordinator, there are 1.04 staff members to one vehicle. “We are required by law to have a certain amount of vehicles per employee for EC for our area. It’s supposed to be 1.5 employees for every one vehicle,” Mendoza said. “We are below the

“

Increasing the number of carpoolers is a difficult challenge since people like their independence, EC Police Chief Michael Trevis said. Although there is a carpooling program for faculty, there is no carpooling program for students since “we are not required (to have such a program) by the federal government,” Mendoza said. Most students and faculty opt not to carpool.

We are below the standard of commuting that we are required by the federal government

ERICK MENDOZA

POLICE SERVICES TECHNICIAN AND EMPLOYEE TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR standard of commuting that we are required by the federal government.” Although there is a carpooling program for teachers, only about 55 faculty members, or 12.6 percent of faculty, utilize the program, according to information provided by both Mendoza and the Institutional Research Mendoza disclosed the number of enrollees and the institutional research department’s website provided the number of faculty members as of 2013.

Most students are solo drivers, which contributes to the packed parking lots. EC students were surveyed between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4 for this information. In addition to clearing up the parking lots, international students could benefit from a carpooling program. Between 2012 and 2013, there were 780 international students at EC, according to Institutional Research.

Amira Petrus/Union

Darren Patton, 24, music major, rides his bike to and from school.

“They usually don’t have a car, so a lot of times they ask for rides from friends,” Christian Vergara, 22, global studies major and cabinet member of the International Club, said. Secondly, a carpooling program could be a useful resource for students who are physically unable to drive themselves to campus. “I know that some students actually can’t drive due to medical conditions, like me, so I would be interested in that,” Kyra Qurita, 16, undecided major, said. Besides carpooling, encouraging alternative means of transportation–like public transportation, and bikes – could also help control the parking situation at EC. “I am talking about the possibility of adding more bike racks,” Trevis said. Between 2010 and 2011, approximately 56 percent of students had parking permits. In 2012 to 2013, only 51 percent of students had parking permits. Information was gathered by cross-referencing the number of enrolled students and the number of permits sold. Janice Ely, business director, provided information on permit sales. The number of enrolled students was found on the institutional department’s website. Information for the current fiscal year is unavailable. “They are learning or adapting to the lack of parking we have. So, they are finding other alternative parking (around) campus,” Mendoza said.

51 percent drive themselves 23 percent carpool 22 percent use public transportation

EDITORIAL

4 El Camino College Union

November 20, 2014

Letter from the Editor

Matthew Simon Co-editor-in-chief @ECCUnionMatt

Fulfilling your potential Confucius once said that the will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence. Now that my time with the Union is coming to a close, I realize reaching my full potential with “The Union” has been fulfilled. When I look back at my last two semesters as editor-in-chief, I can pinpoint every step that helped me get where I am today. It started with a Facebook message from my adviser Kate McLaughlin asking me if I was coming back to the student media staff and that “The Union” needed some good people. After that message I found myself back in the newsroom in spring of 2013. At the end of the semester, I remember chasing down Thomas Schmit, my editor-in-chief at the time, down Crenshaw Boulevard and stopped him to tell him I wanted to take over the sports pages. That began another journey. All my work paid off when I won first place in the sports story competition at that semester’s Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) convention. After doing everything I could with the sports pages, I decided there was only one more step for me to take: editor-in-chief. My time as editor-in-chief was one that would teach me the most during my last chapter with “The Union.” The semester for me would be a success when “The Union” newspaper and ECCUnion.com site both achieved General Excellence at this semester’s JACC. That brings me to where I am now, Fall 2014. As the “The Union” begins its transition into a new digital era with new advisers and students I find myself handing the torch off to my co-editor-in-chief Jessica Martinez to uphold the “The Union” way. I also find myself reflecting and realizing that even though things in the newsroom weren’t always easy, I grew and learned how to handle any adversity I may come across in my future. I’ve fulfilled my full potential with the “The Union” and look forward to watching the new era of “The Union” writers reach theirs. I’d also like to thank my advisers Kate McLaughlin and Stefanie Frith and my editorial board: Eric Hsieh, Russell Lewis, Nadia Basich, Sebastian Spencer, Jean-Paul Udeh, John Fordiani, Thomas Schmit, Jessica Martinez, Lorilynn Lomeli Angela Yim, and Amira Petrus.

Illustration by Eugene Chang/ Union

IF IT ISN’T BROKEN, DON’T FIX IT Moving the withdrawal date to two and a half weeks earlier would ben- through college without racking up debt. Some students stick it out to the very last day to efit administration and faculty, but how would it benefit drop with hopes of turning things around and pass EC students? the class. With this 60 percent change, that means The last day to drop a class with a “W” is fine where students are barely out of midterms and might not it is now and there’s no need for changing it other than have received the results. So how would they know making things more complicated for students. The issue: if it’s wise enough to drop the class if they are not The campus administration wants to move back the The ‘W’ drop date may seen sure how they’re doing in the class a week and a half “W” drop date from 75 percent to 60 percent of the sebe moved to the 10th week after midterms? mester, because the U.S. Department of Education allows Seventy-five percent through a semester gives stustudents to keep 100 percent of the financial aid money from the current 12th week dents enough time to get a feel for the course, so if they’ll receive during the term if they’ve completed at of the semester they do decide to drop the class, they can choose to least 60 percent of it. retake the class the following semester and do better. If a student doesn’t complete the full 60 percent, then Changing the drop date would do more harm they will have to pay back the money they’ve received Our stand: than good. Students might receive their financial aid from financial aid. There are students who drop a class The change doesn’t help money earlier, but at what cost? At least with four before the drop date as a precaution toward forgetting to students who want to get as weeks remaining in the semester, students have a drop it or the lack of Internet access. Will they have to much out of a class as better idea as to how they’re doing and what steps pay back the financial aid money if they’ve only comthey need to take to drop the class or stay enrolled. pleted 59.9 percent of the term? they can Community colleges are designed to make going And how is that fair for students who work as hard as to college more accessible for students, not pulling anyone else, but have to drop for numerous reasons? Not the rug from under students’ feet whenever adminisevery student drops a class due to poor grades, some have tration and faculty come up with new ideas. medical issues or have to leave school for an extended period of time for personal reasons. Asking them to pay See related news story on Page 1 back the money would only hinder their ability to get

CLOSET OF SECRETS RUNS TOO DEEP The AIMS team meetings aren’t public, no notes are ever taken and few members answer few questions about how they operate The simple truth: humans are curious individuals. The scary truth: those curious individuals aren’t allowed to get information that could very well have to do directly with them. A month and a half ago, a student told an EC employee he was going to kill everyone at the college, staging a “massacre” on the Library Lawn. Half an hour after he made the threats, he went to an arts class. More than five hours after that class ended, he went to a humanities class. The next morning, he attended another class before the threats were reported and he was taken into custody near his home. Students and teachers were in the same room

with that individual with no knowledge of what he had said less than 24 hours prior. They didn’t know he had previous incidents with teachers, something brought up at a public faculty meeting last month. However, the student’s name and incidents regarding him had been brought to the The Assessment, Intervention, and Management of Safety (AIMS) team before the most recent threats were made. The AIMS team, according to the EC website, is a “multidisciplinary campus threat assessment and behavioral intervention team that guides the campus community in effectively assessing and addressing threatening and/or concerning behaviors.” Its goals include early intervention for students

THE UNION

Vol. 68, No. 14 November 20, 2014

E -mail: eccunion@gmail.com Newsroom: (310) 660-3328 Advertising: (310) 660-3329

Co-Editor-in-Chief ��Matthew Simon Co-Editor-in-Chief ��Jessica Martinez News Editor ��Jessica Martinez Sports Editor ��Matthew Simon Photo Editor �� John Fordiani Multimedia Editor.........................................................................Jean-Paul Udeh Distribution Manager ��Lorenzo Gutierrez Advertising Manager �� Jack Mulkey Adviser ��Kate McLaughlin Adviser �� Stefanie Frith Photo Adviser...................................................................................Gary Kohatsu

who seem upset, track information about behaviors, and provide recommendations to certain individuals on campus to manage situations, according to the site. A number of teachers filled out Incident Referral forms about the student who made the threats and sent them to the AIMS team. But there’s no record of the forms and/or students mentioned in them being discussed. “The Union” has been told that minutes aren’t taken at the meetings and most of the discussion is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), so besides the 10 or so people on the team, rarely anyone else knows what happens at the meetings.

The Union is published Thursdays by Journalism 11 students at El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506, and is free to the student body and staff. Unsigned editorials and cartoons are the opinion of the editorial board and do not reflect the views of the student body, staff or administration. Letters to the editor must be signed and must be received one week prior to publication in the Union office, Humanities Building Room 113. Letters are subject to editing for space, libel, obscenity and disruption of the educational process. Single copies of the Union are free; multiple copies can be requested through the Union.

We understand FERPA protects students’ education records, and those records do include disciplinary records, but redacted versions of meeting minutes could and should be available to those who ask for them. At least this way, students will be able to be aware of what’s going on on their campus, a place many spend several hours a day. They’ll know what’s happening and they’ll know what to be watchful of. They, as many of us have been told, if they see something that matches up with something they’ve heard about, they just might say something. See related news story on Page 2

Associated Collegiate Press Regional Pacemaker Award 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 California Newspaper Publishers Association General Excellence Award 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 Journalism Association of Community Colleges General Excellence Award 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014

November 20, 2014

Opinion

El Camino College Union

Campus viewpoints

Column

By: Rocky Rivera @ECCUnionRockyR

Photos By: John Fordiani @ECCUnionJohn

Should non-math majors be required to take math?

Sydnie Mills

Union Correspondent

Life is all about the choices you make

hat do you want to be when you grow up? When we were younger, we were always asked that question and we probably gave a different answer every time. People would tell us to shoot for the stars and that we could be anything we wanted to be: a doctor, an astronaut, the president. Or, in my case, a princess. But, as we got older and entered the world, our childhood imagination began to slowly fade away. When we reached a certain age, we got on this ride that doesn’t seem to stop and at each turn, we are forced to make decisions that we later realize have shaped our lives. Once in college, you become responsible for yourself and the choices you make are the ones you have to be OK with. There are two types of people in college: the ones who think they know what they want to be and the ones who have no idea. I was the girl who thought she knew what she wanted to do until I realized I had declared a major for all the wrong reasons. I was choosing a career where I could make the most amount of money in the least amount of time. Once I realized that I was just going through the motions, I knew that I wouldn’t be happy with my life if I stayed on that path. I have now found my passion and I am pursuing my goals. Consider yourself fortunate if you have found your passion and have no need to search for it. College is the time when we are supposed to challenge ourselves and change our mind to find what we are truly passionate about. It allows us to grow and thrive in an environment where others are trying to do the same. College is also the place where we can choose to focus on our education or be in the party scene. This path may take us longer to achieve our goals and hopefully not put us off track of our plans. Partying is a part of our college experience, but we want to keep a balance. Or, we can be focused on academic goals and do what we have to do to achieve our aspirations. College is the place where we are free from our parents, where we make our own decisions and grow up. We also meet new people and develop life-long relationships. College offers us the ability to take advantage of getting an education abroad. Many have chosen this experience and have thrived in the environment. This course offers the chance to live in a different country and truly become completely immersed in a new culture and way of life. The opportunity will come with the challenges that will make us grow as individuals.

• Please connect with me by email at sydniemills@gmail.com • Join the conversation online at www.eccunion.com • The views expressed in this column are those of the author. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Union, its staff, editorial board or advisers.

Armando Torres 19, accounting “No, because there no point to it, they’re not really going to use it. I’m good at math I don’t really mind it, but I’ve seen people really struggle.”

Illustration by Eugene Chang / Union

Maria Renteria, 21, Spanish “No, I’m a Spanish major and I need to do college algebra and then statistics, so I can transfer and that’s ridiculous because I’m not going to use it.”

UP FOR DEBATE Should non-math majors be required to take math? Math is something needed by everyone Math is an important course that will help people, not hinder them. To not require math would be the same as not requiring English as well. Even though students may not use math all the time, students won’t be required to write persausive essays once they graduate either. Regardless of the major, we live in a society that deals with numbers. Jean-Paul Udeh Good luck finding a job if math Multimedia Editor isn’t part of the college equation; not @ECCUnionJP even McDonald’s will hire you if you can’t count the register at the end of your shift. What they might hire you to do is mop the floor, since you’re unable to calculate the number of hours you worked multiplied by your hourly wage, the employer might short-change you every paycheck, who knows? Math is critical to the development of the human species. All of our greatest technological advancements were due to brilliant mathematicians such as Isaac Newton, Alan Turing, and Archimedes who was solving calculus problems nearly 2,000 years before calculus was even thought of. His manuscripts were lost a few hundred years after his death, written over with religious text. Scientist and historians both agree if his manuscript were taken seriously, the Western World wouldn’t have plunged into the Dark Ages. Society today would have been further advanced than where we are now. Taking away math as part of the college experience would sabotage generations to come. It will create a generation of students unengaged to learn as much as they can about the world and how it works. Getting rid of math would take away a basic skill everyone should know, regardless if it is used after graduation or not. There’s a video on YouTube where a man asked his wife how long it takes a car traveling 80 mph to travel 80 miles. First, she said she didn’t know how to work it out, then she assumed it took 15 minutes, then 30 minutes. After comparing the time she could run a mile to how fast a car can travel, her husband told her the answer and she didn’t believe him. There’s no way of knowing if she graduated from college or not, but there’s a good chance a person who passed all their math prerequisites at EC would have gotten this answer right.

If it isn’t needed, it shouldn’t be required

Jessica Gualotuna

Union Correspondent @ECCUnionJessG

Some students are fed up with taking math courses when their major has nothing to do with math. From a student’s viewpoint, math should not be required for all majors. History, journalism, art and et cetera are majors that not require you to know math. None of these majors will ever solve a quadratic formula or even what pi is. Formulas will never be included the next time a writer will edit or publish an article. The same goes for an artist the next time they create a

piece of artwork. Math courses should not be required if it does absolutely nothing for the student’s major. Algebraic formulas to probability is essientially something students will not use in the future. Students are expected to excel in math skills they will probably never be asked to solve when they get a job. About 1.7 million students nationwide take remedial classes, according to an article from huffingpost.com. Students who do not pass the placement test at their community college will take remedial classes in order to take the transferable course. Students can save time and money if math courses were not required for their major. Most students who take remedial classes are not only wasting time, but are spending more money. Taking non-transferable classes will slow the process of transferring. The report authors say the estimate for the annual cost of providing remedial courses ranges from $1 billion to $4 billion, according to article from washingtonpost.com. However, students are expected to pass and afford their math classes. Taking remedial courses is another way of taking money out of students’ pockets. College can be expensive, so it is hard to take courses that ultimately have nothing to do with the students’ majors. It would be much more beneficial, if students focused their two years in their major, not so much in their general courses like math. It would be easier to spend money focusing on the students skills required for the job field they’d like to enter. Students will be able to graduate sooner if they don’t have to take something that doesn’t involve their major. College should be about time focused on skills that students will need for the rest of their lives instead of stressing about the next grade on their math test.

Brian Arroyo 23, photography “I feel like math should just be for those people that are trying to either major in science and those people who are trying to major in math too.”

Stephanie Saenz 22, undecided “No, they shouldn’t. Just because they’re not gonna need the math in whatever they’re trying to do so it’s kind of pointless.”

Jovielle Marantan 20, computer science “Yes, definitely because they need the background for it, especially for jobs. Of course jobs are looking for people who can solve basic math.”

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November 20, 2014

PHOTO ESSAY

El Camino College Union

m lee Ha Patrick

From crunches to push ups, coach Stanbury not only talks the talk he walks the walk. From running or mixing it up with his students - Stanbury is right there in the action ready to sweat. Patricklee Hamilton/ Union

nion ilton/ U

John Fordiani

Photo Editor @ECCUnionJohn

hyiscal Education 300, an eight-week course, is a bootcamp style physical fittness class. Instructor Corey Stanbury, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the water polo and swim coach, leads the course that meets on Mondays and Wednesdays for eight weeks. The course is designed to get students into shape with a intense bootcamp style workout. Students perform multiple exercises from push ups and sit ups to running the stairs in the parking garage. The course is held twice a semester and is open to all students who wish to push themselves for better health.

This course is different from other fitness courses available on campus in that they utilize more than just the gym and track to exercise. Here, the class is switching from leaps to squats on their way back from doing laps up and down the stairs of the parking structure. The 8-week bootcamp is available twice a semester. Tristian Bellisimo/ Union Left: From crunches to push ups, coach Stanbury not only talks the talk he walks the walk. From running or mixing it up with his students Stanbury is right there in the action ready to sweat. Patricklee Hamilton/ Union

Severin Stone, 35, is a computer science major who is taking the 8-week bootcamp to stay healthy. This is his first time taking the course, and plans on returning in the Spring. Tristian Bellisimo/ Union

November 20, 2014

PHOTO ESSAY

El Camino College Union

Hands on the arts

Jonathan Galbreath, 20, music major, is serious about practicing scales and technique on the piano. He was delighted to have his photo taken by a staff photographer here at El Camino.

Students get hands on to create works of art

John Fordiani

Photo Editor @ECCUnionJohn

et your hands ready, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to craft. Take a break from the lecture classes and look into the many hands on art classes on campus. The arts division offers multiple hands on classes from painting and ceramics to being able to make your own jewelry in the jewelry design and fabrication course. These classes provide students with a environment where they can create art and learn the

techniques and create their own masterpieces. With a wide variety of classes and times, EC provides a true hands-on experience for students to get crafty with their hands. With spring semester registration coming up, take the time to look into the courses that the EC art division has to offer. Beginning Ceramics, Art 161, runs Mondays through Thursdays, and has multiple class times, ranging from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Art 173, Introduction to Jewelry Making and Metalsmithing, is mostly an afternoon course, with times ranging from 1 to 9 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays.

Left: Shoshoni Ham, observes a brass ring just before she begins to file it to perfection in Art -173 creative jewelry designs. Patricklee Hamilton/ Union

Right: Carol Erilane, a 5th semester ceramics student, shapes a block of clay into the beginning stage of what will become a jar. Even though this art form is messy, it is also very gratifying once you have the final product. Tristian Bellisimo/ Union

Bottom: It takes a steady hand. Well, at least in Art-173 or creative jewelry designing and Dennis Conlon certainly knows how to keep his mind focused and his hands steady. Dennis is among about 24 other motivated creative jewelry design students that enjoy exploring their creative artistic abilities. Patricklee Hamilton/ Union

Patricklee Hamilton/ Union

SPORTS

November 20, 2014

El Camino College Union

EC WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM LOSES IN SHUTOUT Juan Lorenzo Gutierrez Staff Writer

@ECCUnionLorenzo

In its traditional dark blue uniforms the EC women’s soccer team played its last game against Cerritos College, last Saturday. This was the second time the two teams faced each other in the season and the result was the same; the EC women’s soccer team lost 8-0. “The problems that we had all season long were still evident in

today’s game,” coach John Britton said. “Failure to make tackles when it counted and the ability to head and clear the ball on defense.” In addition, the first time the teams played Cerritos College scored 11 goals, but the Warriors were able to score one goal on Oct. 21. “To the coaching staff there was improvement, but not enough improvement where we need it,” Britton said. “Since game one we have been asking people to make

tackles and 20 games later they are still missing tackles.” However, in the first half, the Warriors had trouble getting their offense going. They had only one opportunity to score, but the shot was directly to the hands of Cerritos College’s goalkeeper. Since the beginning Cerritos College showed its dominance with the ball scoring three goals in less than 20 minutes by Ashley Anaya-Webb. Also, Anaya-Webb scored the

last goal of the game. In the first half Cerritos College scored four goals and the other four in the second half. The fourth and sixth goals were scored by a penalty kick. The first one was scored eight minutes before the first half ended. The second goal was scored 13 minutes after the second half started. At end of the game, freshman goalkeeper Melissa Paramo, was substitued with sophomore Kristyn Houts because it was her

last season of the team. “We have to give to all the sophomores the opportunity to play,” Paramo said. “And she is also a goalkeeper, so she should have ended the season playing as the goalkeeper.” Another sophomore that will be leaving the team is the forward Kendall Collard. “It’s sad but I am ready for retirement,” Collard said. “I wished to go on. We didn’t win every game, but we won some games. I scored a lot, so that’s really excit-

ing.” The EC women’s soccer team ended its season 4-17. “The season is over,” Britton said. “Nicole Gervais and I are disappointed that we didn’t get more victories.” The team also missed chances where they could have won. “We deserved more victories,” Britton said. “But unfortunately mistakes cost us every step of the way, and simple mistakes, but the players try and that’s all what we can ask for.”

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Transfer to Success Scholarship Finding bliss on the court Freshman outside hitter Nickeisha Williams has been a force for the Warriors this season.

Nadia Basich

Union Correspondent @ECCUnionNadia

Coming from a different country to California was a big change, but freshman outside hitter Nickeisha Williams found a new home on the volleyball court. The 18-year-old was born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, where she grew up with her grandmother and older sister. Williams and her sister didn’t grow up with her mother because she lived on a different island where education and opportunities were not available. “When she was younger it was harder for her to be someone,” Williams said. “So, she wanted us to have a better life and not go through the same thing she went through.” When Williams was in the fifth grade, her mother and sister moved to the California where Williams found her passion during her physical education class when she was in middle school. “I saw this girl with a volleyball and I asked her ‘can I use your

volleyball?’ and she’s like ‘yeah sure,’” Williams said. “I asked her why she had the volleyball and she told me there was tryouts, she was going to the Narbonne tryouts.” Williams invited a friend to go to the Narbonne High School volleyball tryouts with her just for fun, little did she know that she would make the junior varsity team her freshman year. “I was more into track and basketball because that’s what I’ve been playing my whole life,” Williams said. “I didn’t know I was going to make the team.” Williams played one year of basketball at Narbonne and chose to stick with volleyball for the rest of her high school career. She was named Most Valuable Player and Best Blocker at Narbonne, but that wasn’t enough for her transition from high school volleyball to college volleyball. “It’s hard and so much work. The workouts, the conditioning, the running, the practice, it’s a lot and the intensity is way more,” Williams said. “I know my team expects a lot from me and it’s hard for me to not be down and have en-

Jean-Paul Udeh / Union

ergy all the time.” Teammate sophomore outside hitter Darlene Lee thinks Williams brings a lot on the court for the team. “She’s one of our strongest hitters and she can play in any position in the front row,” Lee said. “Being only a freshman, she’s improved a lot since she stepped foot into the gym the first day.” As if it wasn’t tough enough just transitioning from high school to college volleyball, Williams gets down on herself at practices and games no matter the outcome. “I do mess up and I get really mad when I mess up,” Williams said. “It’s hard for me not to be mad at myself because I feel like I’m letting my team down and I hate that feeling.” Another teammate, outside hitter Kimberly Haney, thinks Williams will lead the team next season. “Nickeisha is a great friend of mine with a great sense of humor,” Haney said. “She is getting stronger every day and will continue to be a major player next season for the Warriors.”

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SPORTS

10 El Camino College Union

November 20, 2014

Volleyball team wins in five

Matthew Simon co-editor-in-chief @ECCUnionMatt

Tristan Bellisimo / Union

Receiver Vladimir Gray leaps over a Long Beach City College player during the Warriors’ 53-31 loss Nov. 15.

Football team ends season with loss Matthew Simon co-editor-in-chief @ECCUnionMatt

With nothing to lose, the EC football team was looking to upset Long Beach City College on Nov. 15. The Warriors’ defense wasn’t able to contain LBCC as the team faced a 21-0 deficit in the first quarter of the game during the team’s 53-31 loss. The Warriors finally scored when sophomore quarterback Joey Notch connected with sophomore wide receiver Devante Jenkins on a 28-yard touchdown

which brought the team’s deficits to 21-6 after EC’s two point conversion attempt failed. The team would only trail by nine after sophomore running back Kendell Sparks rumbled in for a 1-yard touchdown. After bringing the score to 21-12, EC wouldn’t be able to keep up with the offensive onslaught that LBCC went on. LBCC quarterback Kenny Potter would connect with wide receiver DeQuan Hampton for a 1-yard touchdown to bring the score to 28-12. That touchdown would start a 17 point run that LBCC would go on to put the

game away and not give the Warriors any opportunity for a comeback. After that the teams went back-andforth scoring and EC wouldn’t be able to get its defense going. The Warriors finished the season 3-7 and 1-5 in the South Coast Conference. Notch finished the game with 200 yards passing, one touchdown and two interceptions. Despite the loss the team was able to form a bond they will not forget. “We grew as a family,” Ralph Harvey Jr. said. “We became close as brothers and learned a lof from the coaching staff.

WARRIORS SCHEDULE Men’s Soccer: Saturday vs Southwestern College 2 p.m.

women’s Volleyball: Tuesday Nov. 25 Regional Playoffs round one

Women’s Basketball: Tuesday vs West L.A. College 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball: Today - Saturday ECC Tournament of Champions

Sparks would finish the game with eight rushes for 42 yards and one touchdown. Jenkins would have 10 catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Jenkins would also have a 40-yard touchdown. Overall the team’s achille’s heel was its lack of playing a consistent balanced football for an entire game. The last score of the game would solidify this when EC had an extra point blocked and returned 98 yards for a safety. Next season the Warriors will still play home games at Redondo Union High School.

Down 2-0, facing a sweep the EC women’s volleyball team wasn’t ready to give in. The team would rally to defeat Mt. San Antonio College 3-2 last Friday. “We realized in the beginning of the third game that we weren’t going to lose this game,” sophomore setter Sadie Fraker said. “We knew that in the first two games we didn’t play our best, but that wasn’t stopping us from winning the next three.” Along with facing a 2-0 deficit, the Warriors were without sophomore outside hitter Nicole Echeverri who was out with a cold. “Nicole is a big part of our team,” Fraker said. “It was tough not having her play, but we had other great players that played well in her position.” Filling those shoes was sophomore outside hitter Darlene Lee who stepped right in for Echeverri and lead the team with 16 kills in the match. “It was rough in the first two sets,” Lee said. “We didn’t have the energy that we usually have in all the other games and we were a bit hesitant, but once we got going we started putting pressure against that team and they began to make more mistakes.” Along with Lee, sophomore middle blocker Kimberly Haney chipped in 15 kills. “It was exciting (to come back),” Haney said. “We were all super pumped, it was fun seeing us all not giving up and playing like we usually do.” How the team usually played has helped it go unbeaten in league play and sweep most of the competition the team may face. “We have been talking about working hard at practice and staying focused,” Fraker said. “We have to play like we want it. When it comes down to it, we know that there are going to be good teams that we can potentially face, but if we focus and play our game we can reach our goals.” The team will now await its playoff fate and look to continue its dominate play when the playoff begin Nov. 25. “We have worked so hard and we deserve all of our wins,” Fraker said. “Now all we have to do is work hard and let our playing do the talking.” Hard work in practice and focusing on the fundamentals that the team will strive for continuing on throughout the playoffs. “We need to keep our energy up,” Lee said. “We need to work on using the block a little more and keeping up the ball control.” The team played last night but due to our publication schedule we are unable to release the results, follow our story online at ECCUnion.com. The team faced Pasadena City College and was going for its first undefeated South Coast Conference run since 2011.

WARRIORS SCOREBOARD Men’s Soccer: Warriors 1 (9-1-10), Cerritos College 1 Women’s Soccer: Warriors 0 (4-17), Cerritos College 8

women’s Volleyball: Warriors 3 (21-2), Mt. San Antonio College 2

Football: Warriors 31 (3-7), Long Beach City College 53

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