El Camino College The Union Vol. 70, Issue 8 by El Camino College The Union

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Football team falls to No. 1 ranked Saddleback College, pg. 8

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

THE UNION Like us at /ElCaminoUnion

Judge sentences Jordan Joseph on second-degree murder and use of a firearm for shooting former El Camino student Kody Ryan Cook Grant Hermanns

Arts Editor @ECCUnionGrant

Joseph’s grandfather, Julius Dorsey, was the first to take to the podium and called for the court to show mercy on his grandson. “I have prayed for the Cook family, because they have lost a loved one,” Dorsey said. “I am saying to this court they (the prosecution) have painted a false picture of my grandson. There were things said by the attorneys and jurors that were untrue.” While speaking Dorsey started

Anniversary TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA

Send us an email at /eccunion@gmail.com

40 years to life

Family Statements:

70th

eccunion.com

The killer of a former El Camino student was convicted of seconddegree murder and use of a firearm and was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, by a Torrance judge Tuesday morning. 18-year-old Jordan Joseph shot and killed Kody Ryan Cook, 18, former El Camino student, in the early afternoon of June 26, 2015. At the start of Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Joseph’s attorney requested that a new trial be called for his client saying a “substantial amount of evidence” was shown to the jury that Joseph acted in self-defense, but that no proper efforts were made to show the jury how accurate the selfdefense claim was. Judge Alan B. Honeycutt, denied his request for a new trial. “I’ve been in this chair for almost 10 years,” Honeycutt said. “I’ve seen cases similar to this many times (at the Torrance Courthouse). This case will stand out forever in the senseless loss of life. The loss of life in this case is not simply to Kody, but to his family. The loss of life in this case is also to you.” Joseph admitted in the last court hearing that he shot Cook, but said it was in self-defense because he “feared for his life.” Joseph approached Cook’s grey BMW at the Baskin Robbins on Crenshaw Boulevard down the street from campus. “What’s up,” Cook said, according to Joseph’s testimony. Cook tried tor each for gun, he said, when Joseph pulled out his own gun and shot at Cook six times as he said, “What’s up now?” Cook was hit four times in the head and neck area. Joseph’s punishment is the maximum allowed by law.

1946-2016

Portion of Lot F will close on Monday Phil Sidavong

Editor-in-Chief @ECCUnionPhil

Construction for earthquake retrofitting will close 521 spaces in the Lot F parking lot beginning Monday, Oct. 3, according to an email from the Facilities Department. The upper level south of the ramp on the Redondo Beach Boulevard side of Lot F will be closed to allow for “deck coating to be installed,” according to the email from Senior Clerical Assistant of Facilities Debbie Turano. The lower level will lose 280 spaces, while the upper level will lose 241 spaces for parking. Lot F was originally closed on May 16 for earthquake retrofitting to be done over the summer, according to an email from Turano. With Lot C construction still ongoing, Lot F was temporarily opened for students to park at the beginning of the semester, but with students dropping classes or no longer attending school, the twostory structure will once again be closed according to the email. “I think (this isn’t) good because there is going to be no parking on campus and we will need to find parking out in the streets,” Peter Silva, 18, computer information major, said. “It will be difficult for us because then we will need to get parking in the other structures, (and) that’s never going to happen because it’s always full.” Turano said that there should be enough spots in lots K and L to supplement the spots being closed in Lot F. She added that ride sharing, biking, public transportation and walking are alternatives to driving to school. Other parking updates:

to turn and directly address the audience behind him, some of whom were Cook’s family members. As he got more worked up speaking, Honeycutt asked Dorsey to calm down and turn around to face him. Following Dorsey’s comments, Cook’s family and friends came up to the podium and addressed the court about their loss. “I still have no idea why your (Joseph’s) heart was filled (with) so much hate and anger towards Kody,” Billie Strong, neighbor and close friend of Cook, said. “I lost my brother, even though we weren’t the same blood, he was family.” Cook’s family members visibly fought through tears; as they also shared fond memories of the 18-year-old aspiring rapper. “The time Kody took a young lady to the prom he hadn’t met and had no romantic interest in, because she had no prom date and he was the only one her mom trusted to take her,” Diedre Cook,

Illustration by Phil Sidavong

Kody’s mother, said. “His high for the day was coming home to his family.” Every person on Cook’s side requested the same thing: justice. “The sentence you receive here today is a token payment for the debt you owe Kody’s family,” Diedre Cook said..

•

Lot C will add in excess of 1,400 spaces and is expected to be finished by the end of the year. Lots J and K are no longer free after 6 p.m. Instead the new time is 6:30 p.m.

Director of Facilities Tom Brown did not comment by deadline. Selvin Rodas contributed to this story.

Sentencing: Honeycutt reviewed the charges for which the jury found Joseph guilty: 15 years-to-life for seconddegree murder, and 25 years-to-life for use of a firearm, totaling 40 years-to-life with an opportunity for parole after 40 years. The judge reminded Joseph of his right to a written appeal to the sentence that must be submitted within 60 days, his attorney responded they would be submitting and he would work on drafting it right after the hearing. Joseph was then returned to police custody.

•

For more stories on sports, news, arts and more, check out eccunion.com. Do you have a story idea for The Union? Photo taken from Kody Ryan Cook’s Twitter account. Cook was shot at six times, was hit four times in the head and neck area and was pronounced dead on arrival by responders.

Email us at: eccunion@gmail. com

Former students form band; dedicate album to late professor, P. 6

Long-time Humanities dean announces retirement, P. 3

Men’s water polo grabs first win in over a year with blowout, P. 7

2 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

POLICE BEAT By Grant Hermanns

Questions, no answers Thursday, Sept. 22 7:08 a.m. A disheveled man was detained by ECPD after walking in front of traffic on Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard. The man was not wearing any shoes and would not answer any questions the officers asked and would mumble incoherently.The man was transported to a local hospital for a 72-hour psychological evaluation.

You have a warrant, police have a citation Monday, Sept. 19 5:04 p.m. A male non-student driver was issued a citation for a $15,000 outstanding warrant during a routine traffic stop, where he made an illegal turn. Officers discovered when running his information that he had a $15,000 warrant out of the West Covina Courthouse for a municipal code violation. The driver was written a citation and released.

NEWS LINE

NEWS

Saftey on campus continues to be an issue Estrella Ramos

Staff Writer @ECCUnionEstrella

Being safe in campus is something students should feel comfortable about, but with recent events around, or at, El Camino, that may not be the case. Through the years, it seems as if safety on campus has been newsworthy; from robberies to sexual assault attempts, death threats and males stalking female students. “I don’t know how I honestly feel about safety here on campus,” Hira Rizvi, 19, linguistics major, said. Since the beginning of this year, there have been several incidents where safety was an issue to students; from the incident where a man was shot at Ramona’s down Crenshaw Boulevard to the former student who threatened to kill his former English professor. “I feel a bit worried when I hear stories that happen around here, even though I am a male,” Isaias Casas, 18, nursing major, said. “I do take night classes (and) it

gets really dark around campus. Sometimes I wonder if I am safe walking around here that late.” Rizvi thinks that there are many concerns that students should be wary of, considering the recent crime reports and police logs from the El Camino Police Department. “I do know some of my friends (that) have said that they have been eyed by a lot of guys,” Rizvi said. “I also see a lot of girls that have to carry around pepper spray.” While Casas believes that students should be more in the know about safety protocols. “I think there should maybe be some type of way of identifying whether you are a student or not, because anyone can just walk in here and potentially harm someone,” Casas said. EC is a public institution and many community members traverse the campus on a daily basis, whether people are looking for recyclables through trash or the many religious groups who seek to garner attention to their beliefs. Despite the various crimes around campus, there are students

Shontel Leake/ Union Students walk around campus on Sept. 24. Safety concerns have arisen over the past few semesters with death threats against teachers and administrators from two different former students and even an armed robbery earlier this semester. who feel no danger on campus. “I feel completely safe, I have not had any problems with anyone at all,” Bethany Lozano, 18, arts major, said. “I am aware of my

surroundings but I have never really seen any crimes at all.” Some students feel that as long as it doesn’t directly affect them. “Honestly you hear so much bad

news now-a-days that it feels like it’s all around anyways,” Minahil Malik, 19, computer science major, said. “When it doesn’t happen to you, it’s not really as scary.”

Student government approves installation of water stations on campus

Five new purified hydration Transfer Center to aid students with applications systems will be installed in For students who are transferring in Fall 2017 to any UC, the Transfer Center will have a workshop that will give them tips to help answer the new personal insight questions that the UC’s admission applications have for their applicants. This workshop will be on Thursday, Sept. 29 in the Alondra Room from 1 to 2 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

mid-November Jimmy Nguyen

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJimmy

The student government at El Camino has approved the installation of purified water stations on campus, the Associated

Student Governent president said. The funding for this project comes from students who buy ASB stickers Eman Dalili said. Dalili has been attempting to have stations placed on campus since the beginning of spring 2016. The proposal was sent back and sent again to the College Council, and was approved by the board of trustees. The new hydration stations are coming from the company FloWater. According to the

FloWater website, the main goal is to hydrate students as well as reduce plastic waste. “This encourages students to drink more water, as well as save a lot of money and in the process save the environment due to reduced plastic wastes,” Dalili said. The hydration stations are scheduled to be installed in midNovember. “A lot of people want these systems installed onto the campus because it can really save both

the students and the school a lot of money,” Dalili said. “These systems have the best filtration systems and this is the best water you can buy,” Dalili added. There is no charge to use the hydration stations, and once these systems are installed Dalili said ASO plans to have a promotion where they give students free canteens, while supplies last. For more information about FloWater, visit www.myflowater. com.

Five locations for the FloWater systems • Math Business Allied Health Building (MBA) • Music Building • Student Services • Activities Center • Humanities Building

Good bye FEATURES

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION 3

Dean of Humanities Tom Lew will retire at the end of the year and some professors say he will be missed

Matt Cheung

Pete Marcoux

“I was one of the student workers in the [Humanities] office right before I graduated, so I’ve kind of known Dean Lew since then (2000). I think we’re all sad to see him go, he’s led the department with such an even hand. We’re definitely going to miss him and miss having him around. Even as a student, he was always very nice, which is just part of his personality.”

“I’m sad to see him go. He’s been a great dean. He was a big supporter of ‘Myriad,’ which I’m the faculty member for. I want to wish him well and wish him health and happiness in his retirement.”

Chelsea Henson

Stephen Waterworth

“I think it’s well-deserved, he’s an incredibly efficient dean. Very detailed-oriented, but sees the whole picture. He’s generally very sympathetic towards the faculty. We’ve hired a lot of good people in English and in Humanities throughout his tenure. In his time, we’ve grown a lot in Humanities.”

Grant Hermanns

Arts Editor @ECCUnionGrant

The long-time dean of humanities announced his retirement on Sept. 6, ending his 31-year tenure as a dean at El Camino. Tom Lew started his career at EC in 1977 as a student teacher after selecting the community college for his student teaching assignment from the college he was attending at the time, Cal State L.A., from which he graduated with a master’s degree in 1976 and a bachelor’s degree in 1977. “The program director thought very highly of El Camino College and encouraged me to come here,” Lew said. “Since I lived very close to the campus, and I was aware of El Camino’s reputation. Even then, El Camino had a reputation as one of the finest

Elijah Hicks/Union Tom Lew has been the dean of Humanities for nearly 31 years. He had his start as a student teacher before being recommended to becoming an adjunct. Lew has decided to finally hang up the title as Dean of Humanities and will retire on Dec. 30.

community colleges of the state.” After teaching his first student class in the spring semester of 1977, he was recommended by his master teacher to the Dean of Humanities at the time, Edward Jones, who offered Lew a few classes as an adjunct teacher that fall semester. In his 39 years at El Camino, in which he has served under five college presidents, Dean Lew has felt grateful for his opportunity to teach and work here. “I always felt that I was extremely fortunate to be able to work at a college like El Camino,” Lew said. “I always wanted to teach at El Camino as a young instructor and

“I always felt that I was extremely fortunate to be able to work at a college like El Camino. I always wanted to teach at El Camino as a young instructor and getting a job here was a dream come true.”

— Tom Lew, Dean of Humanities

getting a job here was a dream come true.” When Lew became dean for the department, one of the biggest changes he made to the division was to increase the number of professors working in the department. “When I became a part-time teacher in English, I believe there were only nine part-time teachers,” Lew said. “Today in English there are 73 part-time teachers.” While Lew hoped that he “helped faculty and department” adjust to changes over time, multiple professors and fellow

“I’m sad [about Dean Lew’s retirement]. He is the one who was in charge of hiring me, and if all goes as planned this semester, I’m being evaluated for tenure. He’s an excellent leader of the division, and I can’t imagine who’s going to replace him. He’s also very friendly, I think he’s a very approachable boss, which is nice, you want someone you can feel comfortable going and talking to about things.”

administrators agree that he has been a truly helpful boss for them. “Everyone on this campus relies on him when we have a complicated question about Title 5 or the California Education Code,” Elise Geraghty, Associate Dean of Humanities, said. “He’s our expert. He’s also one of the best bosses around. He brings out the best in his employees because he sees the best in people and trusts them to rise to their own personal best.” Many of the Humanities professors agree that though he deserves some time to himself, it will be sad to see him go. “A person couldn’t ask for a better boss,” Mary Leiby, English professor, said. “I’ve had colleagues from other divisions express envy over our dean. He really encouraged faculty input.” Dean Lew’s final week at EC will be the last week of December 2016.

EDITORIAL

4 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Editorial: First day of school parking, everyday?

‘Ghosting’ is a terrible epidemic There are better, less mean ways to end a relationship.

Will the closure in Lot F make it impossible to find parking? With the scheduled closure of 521 spaces in Lot F to begin Monday, Oct. 3, our editors are concerned about the possibility of more parking trouble cropping up on campus. Where are we supposed to park? The school could work something out with Gardena to allow parking in El Camino Village, but of course things like that take a long time to process and will most likely cost a lot of money. Here’s our solution: park wherever you want. Go up and down Manhattan and Redondo beach boulevards and find a spot, it’s free and if you follow the times on the signs you’ll be fine. Debbie Turano, senior clerical assistant of the Facilities department said in our Sept. 24 story on the Lot F closure that there is space in Lots K and L to accommodate students during construction, but how is that possible when the campus was filled with parking complaints before the Lot F closure? With an enrollment of 24,00 students last year, EC Institutional Research and Planning found that 60.5 percent of students take daytime sessions, so there’s clearly a lot of people on campus at the same time. Turano added that that ride sharing, biking, public transportation and walking are alternatives to driving to school. All of which are easy to say, but when you live in South Central like some of our editors, those aren’t the best of choices. While many students come and go from school without really making friends and ride-sharing becomes difficult. Students may be forced to explore these alternatives if the parking situation is to worsen. A new four level parking structure is currently being built on Lot C, but construction won’t finish before this semester ends.

EC student schedules (Fall 2015) Jimmy Nguyen

*All info according to EC Institutional Research and Planning.

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJimmy

5,041 students

24.2% 3,186 students

12,596 students

60.5%

15.3%

Time of day Night

Day/Night

Daytime

This graph shows that of the over 20,000 El Camino students who attended last year, over 60 percent of students took classes during daytime sessions, with another 24.2 percent of students taking a mix of day/night classes. Only 15 percent of students take primarily night classes at EC. A popular option for finding parking is showing up to school earlier, usually an hour before class starts. You could also park at Alondra Park, however, the park also has signs posted saying ‘no college parking’ in the area, even though students report never being ticketed for parking offenses there. Students may need to get creative, but there are ways to get parking on campus, even though space will be scarce from the loss of 521 parking spots.

• We think parking sucks.

• We think it will suck even more, but you can always share a car with friends. • If you live close, you can walk or bike.

Editor’s Thoughts: Thumbs up, Thumbs down The vending machines next to Cafe Camino are finally opened again.

Football season is back in effect. Tell us your favorite sport on Twitter #eccunion

THE UNION

Vol. 70, No. 8 Sept. 29, 2016

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

Editor-in-Chief �� Phil Sidavong News Editor �� Phil Sidavong Opinion/Editorial Editor �� Roy Garza Arts Editor................................................................................... Grant Hermanns Sports Editor ��Eric Ramos Photo Editor �� Shontel Leake Features Editor �� Phil Sidavong Advertising Manager �� Jack Mulkey Adviser ��Kate McLaughlin Adviser �� Stefanie Frith Photo Adviser...................................................................................Gary Kohatsu

I walked into my new math class during the spring semester of 2015, and introduced myself to a rather attractive woman. The things that took place between she and I were great. I got her number and we went on several dates. I couldn’t help but think about what could potentially happen between us, however something drastically changed. She wasn’t responding to my phone calls or my text messages. When the next class session began, she had vanished. It was as if a ghost came and destroyed my expectations of trying to get into a new relationship. This occurrence has been dubbed “ghosting.” “Ghosting” refers to the anecdotally pervasive act where one dater ends a relationship by disappearing, according to the Huffington Post. It essentially means that the person who you were talking to, wasn’t true enough to themselves

to end things in a more formal manner. It can also really hurt the person who’s being affected, and one student at El Camino shared what he thinks about this habit. “I believe that ghosting is an immoral act and that they should just be honest and tell us that they aren’t interested at all,” Miguel Morales, 22, engineering major said. This epidemic is getting out of hand, because we’re generally being led on, only to have our dreams and expectations crushed into pieces. Why lie and lead a person on, when you could just be honest? It’s also a waste of time because we’re using up our free time with this person and hoping something good happens, only to find out that he or she wasn’t interested at all. I believe that a person shouldn’t be led on just to have their time wasted. They should’ve been honest from the very beginning.

Do you have something to say? If you have an opinion about an issue on campus, or want to share a personal story for possible publication, send us your pitch by email at eccunion@gmail.com Letters pertaining to campus issues or responding to articles will have priority over commentaries or other letters on the editorial page, to the discretion of the editorial board. Letters may be from any El Camino student, faculty member, classified person or employee of the college. Letters from students have priority. Every attempt will be made to run all letters received before the editorial deadline, which is the Monday prior to publication, each week. Depending on the gravity of the content of the letter, some anonymous letters may not be published.

Are you an artist and looking to work for The Union? The Union is looking for a cartoonist, so email us at eccunion@gmail.com.

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.

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OPINION

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Column

Don’t sit, Don’t stand, read

EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION 5

CAMPUS VIEWPOINTS:

Do you agree with protesting injustice in America?

By: Christina Lyon @ECCUnionChristina

uring the NFL preseason, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested against racial injustice and police brutality by refusing to stand for the national anthem. Waves of contention have since spread across the nation, a division made evident in a recent Yahoo sports poll showing that half of Americans oppose Kaepernick’s protest. An argument arose that placed an obligation on the former starting quarterback to follow tradition and stand for

the flag, while supporters viewed his protest as an act of bravery, defending oppressed minorities in America. Is Kaepernick disrespecting the American flag, or exercising his rights included in the First Amendment? “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kaepernick said in his initial interview on the issue. Students at El Camino are also voicing their opinions on the protest of racial

injustice. “That’s a constitutional right, and I believe every human being is entitled to protest an injustice of any matter... especially here in America,” John Diaz, 29, business major, said. What began as Kaepernick’s lone boycott has flourished into an allegiance of athletes from various sports arenas who are kneeling, sitting and raising fists in solidarity. NFL players from the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins have

since joined Kaepernick in his protest, with support also coming from Megan Rapinoe of the U.S. women’s national soccer team. Though Kaepernick’s protests have been met with both fury and support, one thing has become clear: the flag which was meant to unite can also divide. Below are photos of students, athletes and coaches at EC and their personal thoughts on this matter.

Roy Garza

Op/Ed Editor @ECCUnionRoy

By now you’ve probably heard about the protests during the national anthem, and thrown your two cents in about it too, whether on Facebook or Twitter or whatever. The Black Lives Matter movement and the more recent protests against injustice in America have opened a fierce debate, one that is unfortunately growing more violent by the week. One person has died in Charlotte, North Carolina during protests over the death of Keith Lamont Scott, the latest policerelated protest to hit the streets. But the action that’s elicited the most hate is actually the most peaceful, and has had a wider effect on myself than any previous demonstrations. As a 49ers fan, seeing Colin Kaepernick kneel didn’t make much sense to me at first and I didn’t think much of it when I saw the first headlines, because what really struck me was how vicious people were in going after him for this, calling it disrespectful and so on. You may not like that Kaepernick isn’t standing, it’s a controversial thing to do and since then I’ve found it hard to sit still even though I agree with his ideology, I commend him for opening so many eyes to something serious going on in this country. I had heard about other killings and protests of the kind, but never before had I gone and read up on the issue thoroughly. All the commotion about Kaepernick was what drew me to learn about this issue, and I think others should do the same. And during an election year, all the debates swirling the country needed was a swift kick in the pants by football players at all levels, some who have come out against it and the growing number of players who have decided to embrace Kaepernick. Players who have decided to kneel have been met with anger, prejudice and an overall ignorance towards their message from others, who probably don’t realize that such emotions are the basis for the protest in the first place. Condemning these actions as ‘unamerican’ is not only wrong, but doing so doesn’t solve anything either. We should be trying to learn about important issues, not demeaning each other over them. I know everyone is busy, but is it too much to go see what the issue is all about before spouting off an uninformed opinion? If you don’t want to read, you can go watch the video of Tulsa Police shooting unarmed Terrance Crutcher almost immediately upon their arrival, and then try to attack those who are protesting police brutality. The goal isn’t to try and get everyone on the same side, it’s to get everyone on the same page with the same facts. So go ahead and read, watch and listen; do whatever it takes to help you understand the truth.

Lewis Niblett, 30, business administration “I do agree with it, I believe that no matter what race you are, everyone has a right to protest, people need each other, sometimes it’s easier to stand up when you know that other people feel the way you do. Anyone should have the right to stand up and say ‘this isn’t right.’”

Jessica Valvidias, 21, criminal justice “Yes I do, racism never really ended, I believe that Kaepernick is finally standing up for racial discrimination.”

LeValley Pattison, EC women’s volleyball coach “I think it’s their individual right to do what they feel, I would hope they would respect that a lot of people gave them their right to do it.”

Kyler Stewart, 18, mechanical engineering “I support his right to stand up, [for racial injustice] I would just like to see him actually come out with an argument rather than going over the same exact things, I would like to see more of a message going out on this protest stuff rather then building burning, I’d rather see more of the protest than the riot.”

Alina Dinneen, 20, liberal arts “It’s not right to boycott racial injustice… (Kaepernick’s) not following our nations rights. It shows that he is not American and he doesn’t care about our beliefs and it’s unnecessary for him to do that, I understand his position but why do that, that’s like going against everybody, he’s not gonna win.”

Nathan Lara, 24, communications “He (Kaepernick) doesn’t believe in what America stands for anymore, it’s within his rights.”

40 years to life is too light

Phil Sidavong Editor-in-chief @ECCUnionPhil

40 years to life is too lenient for killing a man in cold blood. Jordan Joseph is the killer of Kody Ryan Cook, former El Camino student, and on Tuesday morning the 18-year-old man was

sentenced to 40 years to life on charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm. He killed Cook and hasn’t looked to feel a single shred of remorse what he’s done and he deserves his punishment. As someone who has covered court cases from Dash Porter, the former student who threatened to kill his professor for a bad grade; to James Lemus, who threatened to create a massacre on campus; and even the first hearings of Nicholas Kim, the former student who killed his own mother; I’ve heard, read and seen the people involved. I have not seen someone who could not only ruin another person’s life and their family’s life, but ruin his own life, at a young age. Cook was an 18-year-old psychology

student and was an up-and-coming rapper, who went by the name “Lecturre.” Cook’s life which was cut short hurt his family and as many of them spoke in our news story, they condemned him and his actions, and so do I. You’re an 18-year-old man and I don’t even know what happened that day, but judging on your testimony, you went and shot a guy because he said, “What’s up” to you. Now you said he was reaching for a gun, but police never found a gun and I’m not going to speculate on the gun situation, but you should have never put yourself in that situation. I have no idea how you grew up, or what you may have gotten into as a young one,

but as a young Asian, I had family who represented Asian Boyz, one of the biggest crip organizations in the U.S. and I had an uncle who was a blood and was in prison for manslaughter. I never once put myself into the life of a gangbanger or a person who would do something so inhuman as to shoot someone cold-blooded in his car and never show emotion. I hope you can feel remorse for what you have done to Cook’s family, but I also hope you realize, one day, what you did to your own family, because to have your mother and grandfather condemned by the family of the young man you killed should hurt you.

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ARTS

6 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Students share their favorite movies, books and games

Santisteban was interviewed and photographed on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Sabrina Santisteban 18, criminal justice major Question: What is your favorite movie and why? Answer: “The Parent Trap,” not the original one, the one with Lindsay Lohan in it. It’s only my favorite because I’ve watched it so many times. Q: What is your favorite TV show and why? A: “Quantico,” because it’s related to my major and I’m into crime-solving shows.” Q: What is your favorite book and why? A: I like romance novels,

but I also like a book called, “The Girl’s Guide to Absolutely Everything.” It’s about life and college tips for girls. Q: Who is your favorite musician/band and why? A: Red Hot Chili Peppers, my dad likes them and listened to them when I was little. He influenced me into liking them. Q: What is your favorite video game? A: I’m uninterested in video games.

Do you have a favorite movie, TV show, video game, book or artist? Tweet us your favorites to @ECCUnion with the hashtag “StudentPicks”.

Bennett was interviewed and photographed on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

James Bennett 22, biology major Question: What is your favorite movie and why? Answer: I like the movie, “Airplane!,” I [first] watched it in 7th grade and I thought it was super funny. It had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in it. Q: What is your favorite TV show? A: I like the show “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Q: What is your favorite book and why? A: I read it in fourth grade, it was called “The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm.” It’s an adventure story.

Q: Who is your favorite musician/band? A: Black Sabbath. Q: Do you have a favorite artist? A: I like sculptures and landscape paintings, not necessarily any specific artists. I think modern art is trash. Q: Do you have a favorite video game? A: I’m not really into video games, but the only one I know how to play and the only one I’m actually good at is “Call of Duty.” I don’t really play too many video games.

Reporting and Photography by Nohemy Barrera Staff Writer (@ECCUnionNohemy)

Former students form band and dedicate album to late music professor Estrella Ramos Staff Writer @ECCUnionStar

As smoke fills the air, the sensation of relaxation overpowers the body and the beat of the music circulates through your soul. That’s the feeling of attending an Aeonic Impulse performance. The band, composed of five members, four of whom are former El Camino students, have released their first album, “A Night for the Troubled,” which is dedicated to former EC music professor Chris Mello, who passed away in 2014 after battling cancer. “He (Chis Mello) was my guitar teacher for about a semester at EC,” Ryan Rappaport, 25, rhythm guitarist, said. “He was a great guy. He was an incredible guy.” Rappaport, along with 25-yearold lead guitarist Jordan Salfity, 20-year-old drummer and percussionist player Fernando “Fernie” Guerrero, bassist Pete Bucci, and 26-year-old vocalist Gasper Gray are former EC students and the creators of Aeonic Impulse. The band was formed in July 2011 by these members, with the exception of Fernando Guerrero, who joined later. Mello died at the age of 38 in June 2014, but had a career that included working with big names such as Norah Jones, Vanessa Williams and The Dixie Chicks. Aeonic Impulse was writing a song at the same time they found about Mello’s death, and as a tribute to Mello, the band was inspired to produce a song called “View of the Sunrise,” which is dedicated to Mello’s memory. “Mello was my mentor, he not only taught me about music, (he taught me) how to play better, and how to think better, (to) think outside the box and how to develop chord productions, (and) solos,” Salfity said. “He actually taught me how to be a better musician.” Aeonic Impulse is dedicated, which makes it hard not to appreciate the enthusiasm transmitted through their music. Because of Mello’s impact, they not only have

Sanders was interviewed and photographed on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Matthew Sanders 23, psychology and English major Question: What is your favorite movie and why? Answer: “Suicide Squad” was a really good movie. I like a lot of movies, but it just depends on what I’m in the mood for. Q: What is your favorite TV show and why? A: I like the TV show “Shameless,” but the U.S. version, I like how it’s about a dysfunctional family and it’s a lot different from the norms that are set for us; it’s really the perfect storytelling. Q: What is your favorite book and why? A: We’re actually reading a good book in class [English 1B] called, “Song of Solomon.” I like other books too, but it also depends on if the title catches my attention. Q: Who is your favorite

Art Gallery to exhibit ‘Vanishing Boundaries’ Carina Cardenas Staff Writer @ECCUnionCarina “Vanishing Boundaries” is the next exhibit that will be featured in the El Camino Art Gallery beginning Oct. 10 - Nov. 3 by Ann Page, an associate professor at Roski School of Art and Design, and George Page, Susanna Meiers, Art Gallery director, said in an email. Ann and George Page have been long-time artists who, as the years go by, show change in how they present their work. From the presentation of drawings and sculp-

fun, they pour their hearts into what they do and they work very hard to achieve their goals. “It is a lot of work,” Bucci said. “It’s a lot of fun, but you have to practice, practice, practice; without practicing you won’t be able to (go far).” Aeonic Impulse has dedicated their album to Mello and is setting the example of how one professor can impact the future for upcoming artists, or any student. “He was so memorable, I always tell all my close friends that Mello, until this day, is the voice in my house, whenever I am playing something and performing live, he is the one telling me, you can do better,” Salfity said. “A Night for the Troubled” can be purchased on iTunes for $5.94, or by visiting their website and purchasing it for $6. (Top): Aeonic Impulse (Left to Right): Jordan Salfity (Lead Guitars/Backup Vocals), Fernando “Fernie” Guerrero (Drums/Percussion), Gasper Gray (Lead Vocals), Ryan Rappaport (Rhythm Guitars), Pete Bucci (Bass). Photo by Gaius Roberts/Union (Bottom): “A Night for the Troubled,” Aeonic Impulse’s first album, is dedicated to former EC music professor, Chris Mello, who died in 2014 after battling cancer. Photo courtesty of Aeonic Impulse

musician and why? A: Lana Del Rey, I went to go see her in concert and I love her. I went to go see her at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, I didn’t realize it was an actual cemetery until later on, but I thought it was pretty cool. Q: Do you have a favorite artist? Who and why? A: I’m thinking [literature wise] it would have to be Edgar Allan Poe; his writing is really dark and twisted and I think that is true literature. Q: Do you have a favorite video game? A: I don’t really play many video games, but I do like one that’s called, “Warframe.” [Like many video games] it gives me a lot of freedom and the whole idea and storyline is really interesting. There’s missions you have to complete and I like that.

tures, along with the material that is being used. According to Meiers, Anna has worked on 2D pieces along with different materials before working on her 3D work and her most current pieces of art feature both multi-dimensional and flat pieces. Alongside Anna is George, whose art pieces are more paintings and sculptures, which will also be seen in the “Vanishing Boundaries” exhibit. “Viewing their work there will be a sense of change and seeing how their work will interact with each person viewing it,” Meiers said.

On The Scene Campus Theatre to host piano & guitar recital In the latest duo recital at the Campus Theatre, MexicanAmerican baritone Efrain Solis, who was a finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition, and guest guitarist John Charles Britton performing classical and opera-style music on Friday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. Some of the composers the program performs include Shubert, Maurice Ravel, Stephen Foster and Georges Auric. Tickets are $24 and can be purchased at the Center for the Arts’ website or by calling 310-329-5345.

Brass Band to salute the Services in performance Americus Brass Band, the 17-piece band, will be performing their newest show, “Top Brass,” in the Marsee Auditorium on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. The show is a salute to the men and women in the Armed Services, the band performing music spanning from over a century of American military bands that played during the Civil War to World War I to the recent wars. Tickets for the performance are $26 and can be purchased at the Center for the Arts’ website or by calling 310-329-5345.

SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

EL CAMINO COLLEGE 7

Women’s soccer team wins conference opener The Warriors are on a sixgame winning streak as they begin conference play.

Alex Torres

Staff Writer @ECCUnionAlex

fter a 2-0 lead in the first half, sophomore midfielder Kalyn Kaemerle counter attacked on a fast break, split the defenders from the corner and fired a goal pass the Tartars’ goalie. That marked Kaemerle’s second goal of the day, which ignited the team on offense. The El Camino women’s soccer team went on to score seven goals in the second half en route to a 9-0 conference win over El Camino Compton-Center Tuesday at Murdock Stadium. “Every goal after the fifth, I put my head down because I do not like beating teams more than 5-0,” Kaemerle said. “I thought our coach was going to stop us at four like she did last season, but I’m going to assume that she did it to help us build confidence.” The Warriors improve its overall record to 6-0-2 with the victory in the conference opener. In eight games, Kaemerle leads the Warriors with six goals. Sophomore co-team captain Sarina Ferlazzo said the offense keeps improving game after game and believes the team can get better. “Being one of the offensive players, I know what we need to work on to achieve our goal,” Ferlazzo said. “We need to improve on not getting disconnected in the midfield. Our offense starts slow, but we work hard to get that win.” Ferlazzo scored her third goal of the season in the 50th minute and is one of the leaders on the team.

Elijah Hicks/Union El Camino sophomore midfielder Kalyn Kaemerle uses her speed to gain an advantage over her defender. Kaemerle leads the Warriors with six goals on the season.

The shots on goal were different for both teams. The Warriors finished with a total of 30 combined shots. The Tartars only had two opportunities in the entire 90 minutes. After they allowed two goals in their net, their level of confidence and desire to win vanished. Play after play, Compton-Center

lost the ball and began to get frustrated with themselves. Despite allowing nine goals, they had a game total of 14 saves. 10 of those came in the first. Even after starting the season strong, Kaemerle believes the team as a whole needs to improve in some areas. “Communication is a huge aspect

to the game, and that is still a factor that we need to work on,” she said. “The offense has yet to be a problem for us, but I have a lot of confidence that we will continue to dominate.” The Warriors will look to continue its win streak when they travel Long Beach City College Friday. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

WARRIORS SCORING SUMMARY ‘13 - goal by Sarina Ferlazz

‘50 - goal by Sarina Ferlazzo

‘77 - goal by Ashley Lopez

‘53 - goal by Miranda Ramirez

‘43 - goal by Kalyn Kaemerle

‘68 - goal by Ashley Lopez

‘48 - goal by Kalyn Kaemerle

‘85 - goal by Jodie Brennan

Men’s soccer team earns a draw versus El Camino Compton-Center Alex Torres

Staff Writer @ECCUnionAlex

Alba Mejia/Union Bronson McFarlin makes a pass for El Camino during the second quarter of the game versus L.A. Trade Tech on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

With just 12 minutes left in the game, Compton College midfielder, Odoom Baisie-Mensa steals the game from the Warriors with a solo shot on a counter attack. Despite a 1-0 lead by the Warriors men’s soccer team in the first half, the final score between El Camino and Compton College ended in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday. The game came down to a defensive error, team captain Andy Marin said. “We gave away a very easy goal, but I believe we have improved on the way we posses the ball.” Marin said. “ We have room to improve and we can win games as long as we work on avoiding little mistakes that can hurt us in the long run.” The Warriors have yet to win a game this season. The main reason is not being able to finish the game

strong. Warrior head coach, John Britton, said that the team got a little tired on Tuesday. “We put tremendous effort and one of our players fatigue caused him to make an unforced error allowing Compton to score.” A total of seven yellow cards were handed out through out the game. The Warriors received three and the rest were given to the Tartars. Warrior forward Jose Contreras thinks the team is not mentally prepared to play 90 minutes. “That is something that should be worked on during practice. Contreras said. “I’m expecting from this team to finish strong until the last whistle.” The Warriors next game is on the road against Long Beach City College on Friday. Kick off starts at 3 p.m.

Men’s water polo team wins first game of the season

Selvin Rodas

Staff Writer @ECCUnionSelvin

ith seven seconds left on the clock, El Camino’s J o n a s Fahrney made the tying goal to send the men’s water polo game into overtime. El Camino and L.A. Trade Tech remained tied through the second overtime. The Warriors went into a 3-minute golden goal period. First team to score wins the game. Halfway through the golden goal period, EC Jason Gottschalk,

made the winning shot, giving the Warriors a 21-20 win over Trade Tech and their first victory of the season on Wednesday. “I feel like we played really hard,” Gottschalk said. “We knew it would be a tough game, because it was probably the most evenly matched we have been all season.” Coach Corey Stanbury agreed with Gottschalk’s feelings, saying that the “game could’ve gone either way.” In the last few minutes, the crowd roared with anxiety not knowing who would win such a close game. There were many players who scored, but only one came out on

top. Fahrney led El Camino with nine goals. “I have never made more than nine goals,” Fahrney said. “I’m happy, but I’m also a little bummed out that I didn’t beat the school’s record.” Goalie Nicholas Elias said even though EC came out on top, there are still some key things the team needs to work on. “As a team, overall I think we’re improving in all areas we need,” Elias said. “But I think the most we need to improve on is game awareness because some players focus too much on one player, and they get lost in the pool.” In the end, Stanbury said that he

was proud of his team, even though they made a lot of mistakes during the game, such as not blocking shots from the opposing team. The Warriors picked up their second win of the season with a 1910 win over Southwestern College last Friday at the San Diego Mesa tournament. In the second game, the Warriors fell to Citrus College, 19-8. In last Saturday’s South of the Border tournament, the Warriors lost the first game, 9-7, to San Diego Miramar College. In the second game, the Warriors fell to Miramar College, 22-1.

Jackie Romano/Union No. 11 Marcos Ambriz and No.7 Misael Serrano, gaining control of the ball during Tuesday Sept 27 game against Compton College at El Camino.

SPORTS

8 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Jackie Romano / Union

Coach Gifford Lindheim leads the football team out of the tunnel and out onto the field Saturday, Sept. 24, against Saddleback College at Murdock Stadium. The Warriors are 2-2 on the season.

El Camino can’t overcome early turnovers in loss The Warriors sluggish start led to 25 unanswered by Saddleback in the first quarter Eric Ramos

Sports Editor @ECCUnionEricR

El Camino faced a big test with a showdown against top-ranked Saddleback College but the Warriors were unable to overcome three turnovers in the first quarter as the Gauchos jumped out to a 25-0 lead. The Warriors (2-2) had moments where they could’ve climbed back into it, but the defense allowed the Gauchos’ offense to roll up 679 yards resulting in a 60-33 loss Saturday night at Murdock Stadium. “There were some good things to build on and some mistakes we clearly made,” coach Gifford Lindheim said. “Turnovers are hard to overcome against one of the best teams in California.” Lindheim and his staff are trying to build a program with players who are learning a new system on both sides of the ball. Lindheim

SCORING

said he wants to play fast on offense and attack teams vertically, while running the ball effectively. On the opening drive, Saddleback marched down the field on an eight-play, 71-yard drive capped by quarterback Jacob Gibson’s 13yard touchdown pass to C.J. Harris. Warriors’ sophomore quarterback David Sills then fumbled the snap on their first possession, giving the Gauchos good field position. Saddleback capitalized on the turnover with a 12-yard touchdown run by Remy Wasserbach. Gibson punched in the two-point conversion to give the Gauchos a 15-0 lead in the first quarter. “We work all week to come out with a win but we shot ourselves in the foot a couple times,” Sills said. “We have to make more plays but I’m confident in our team going forward.” Saddleback (4-0) converted another turnover into points when Gibson connected with Harris again for an 8-yard touchdown, giving the Gauchos a 22-0 lead. Sills put the Warriors on the board with a 3-yard run in the sec-

Saddleback College

ond quarter, but Saddleback came right back with a pair of touchdown passes by quarterback Nick Robinson giving the Gauchos a 4613 lead at halftime. After a Sills 14-yard touchdown run, the Warriors forced a fumble which was recovered by sophomore defensive back Nathaniel Vaughn. The turnover set up El Camino freshman running back Donovan Davis’ 4-yard touchdown run, cutting the Gaucho lead to 46-26 in the third quarter. “We practiced hard all week but we didn’t execute,” Vaughn said. “We had a lot of broken coverages and didn’t play to our potential.” Saddleback running back Edward Vander put the game out of reach with an 8-yard touchdown run. Sills completed 14 of 25 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown while adding 71 yards rushing and two touchdowns. “It was a great opportunity to play Saddleback College,” Lindheim said. “I was proud of the way we responded after coming out of the gates slow. It was good to see where we are at and learn from it.”

25 21

El Camino Warriors

FINAL

WARRIORS SCHEDULE

Jackie Romano / Union

El Camino quarterback David Sills runs in for a touchdown during Saturday Sept. 24 game against Saddleback College at Murdock Stadium.

WARRIORS SCOREBOARD

W. SOCCER Friday vs Long Beach City College 2 p.m.

MEN’S SOCCER: Friday at Long Beach City College 4 p.m.

Follow our sports writers on Twitter:

MEN’S SOCCER Warriors 0, El Camino Compton-Center 0

W. VOLLEYBALL Friday vs L.A. Harbor College 6 p.m.

FOOTBALL Saturday vs Bakersfield College 6 p.m.

@ECCUnionPhil @ECCUnionAlex @ECCUnionEricR @ECCUnionRoy

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Warriors 9, El Camino Compton-Center 0

FOOTBALL Saddleback College 60, Warriros 33

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