The Union Vol. 77, No. 10

The Union

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1946

June 1, 2023

ASO faces budget deficit

By Nasai Rivas, Eddy Cermeno & Matheus Trefilio

The Associated Students Organization is grappling with a deficit that poses a significant threat to the future of student activities, clubs and other vital programs.

The deficit started during the 2022-2023 academic year when administrative services projected Associated Students Organization (ASO) with a revenue of $470,000.

The projected revenue came from 2021-2022 budget numbers.

Despite this, the revenue projected was only around $360,000.

“We as an organization are bleeding,” Ricky Gonzalez, interim director of the Student Development Office, said.

The ASO Benefits Pass, which funds 100% of the budget, gives students discounts for various services and goods around El Camino. However, students are opting out of the pass by 50% which diminishes ASO’s funding.

ASO has taken proactive measures, including cutting its own allocation of the budget, to address the financial situation by ensuring continued funding for its various programs including the Inter-Club Council.

“They were misinformed about this by the previous Director and Dean of Student Support Services,” Gonzalez said. “These projections were not properly distributed.”

According to Gonzalez, the issues of ASO were amplified by the departure of several advisers: Student Service Specialist Chris De La Cruz, Student Services Adviser Debbie Allison, Director of Student Services Greg Toya and Dean of Student Support Services Idonia Reyes.

SEE ASO PAGE 4 →

Benefits pass

See Page 2

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Primed for a wedding

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos engaged to former journalism student

Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos popped the question to a former El Camino College journalism student while on vacation together in Southern France.

According to People magazine, Lauren Sánchez was photographed with Bezos wearing a wedding ring on his $500 million yacht at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, May 21.

Sánchez’s engagement ring features 25-30 carat diamonds ranging from $3 to $5 million.

Lauren Sánchez, who was known as Wendy Sánchez

ECCUNION.COM

Pay cut proposed for psychologists

By Ethan Cohen

While labor negotiations at El Camino College have reached a standstill, one major point of contention is the proposed pay cut to part-time clinical psychologists.

According to the current proposal from the El Camino College District, a new formula for calculating part-time clinical psychologist pay could cut their hourly rate from almost $75 per hour to $45 per hour.

This is part of the latest offer to the college’s faculty union, the Federation of Teachers, which will go to a state mediator if not agreed upon.

By Brianna Vaca

while attending El Camino College, wrote for The Union, formally known as The Warwhoop, during the 1991 spring semester. Neither Sánchez or Bezos could be reached for comment.

After her time at El Camino, Sánchez continued her education at the University of Southern California. While at USC, Sánchez worked as an intern for KCOP-TV in Los Angeles.

After graduating from USC, she worked for KCOP-TV as a desk assistant and then worked for ‘Extra’ and KTVK in Phoenix, Arizona. She eventually

went to work for Fox Sports Net where she was nominated for an Emmy award.

Sánchez is now a philanthropist and the Vice Chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. She also acquired her helicopter license in 2016. Following getting her helicopter license, she founded Black Ops Aviation, an aerial film and production firm.

There are no reports on when or where the wedding will take palce but according to CNN, Bezos and Sánchez originally went public with their relationship back in 2019.

@eccunionbvaca

El Camino addresses student housing crisis

By Nellie Eloizard

As rent continues to rise, home-owners and residents are feeling the impact, but many students who are in college are left struggling to maintain their studies and work between their time throughout college.

Many students facing

increasing rent and multiple jobs are seeking more assistance in housing across California because students are left working while being a fullor part-time student.

Homeless students usually reside in vehicles, parks, open areas, abandoned buildings,

Defense spending

See Page 3

bus or train stations or other locations for temporary shelter.

Many of these circumstances happen due to those who are sharing housing with others because they have lost their own house, experiencing financial hardship or have a similar reason.

SEE RENT PAGE 4 →

See Page 7

“If we went to $45, I would not be surprised if I did not have a staff left,” Student Health Center Coordinator Susan Nilles said. “It is just a total slap in the face.”

The Union reached out to members of the district involved in the negotiations via email, phone and in person, including Vice President of Human Resources Jane Miyashiro and Vice President of Administrative Affairs Robert Suppelsa.

Suppelsa told The Union that negotiations are not under his purview, however, he said that multiple items are connected and cannot be separated.

“It’s very hard,” he said. “It’s all tied together.”

Miyashiro said in an email “negotiations are ongoing through the mediation process” and the items mentioned “have not been agreed to.”

The Union’s official policy is to only engage with sources in person or over a phone/Zoom call. Reporters are to refrain from text and email interviews.

SEE PAY PAGE 4 →

On Cliff’s Edge: Andrew, or AJ, tags a grafitti-covered chunk of road at Sunken City, San Pedro. This is part of a month’s long story about coastal erosion in Southern California. See B1

Photo by Ethan Cohen

$15 isn’t much to support students

By Union Editorial Board

EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Khoury Williams eccunion@gmail.com

Ethan Cohen managing.eccunion@gmail.com

Ethan Cohen news.eccunion@gmail.com

Brittany Parris af.eccunion@gmail.com

Greg Fontanilla sports.eccunion@gmail.com

Anthony Lipari eccunion@gmail.com

Delfino Camacho SM.eccunion@gmail.com

Nindiya Maheswari MM.eccunion@gmail.com

OPINION EDITOR Igor Colonno opinion.eccunion@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITORS

Ethan Cohen Greg Fontanilla photo.eccunion@gmail.com

T

he mission of all colleges is to foster academic success. But besides academia, college is a place where many people explore life by meeting new people, joining clubs, participating in sports and taking part in the college community in a capacity besides the ever-important coursework.

At El Camino, many of these activities, including most clubs, are managed and funded by the Associated Students Organization (ASO).

The Union’s Editorial Board believes our college population can do more to support the organization’s financial needs, in order to support popular programs including athletics, the Transfer Center, speech and debate and a variety of other clubs and services.

The entire budget the ASO depends on to keep popular student services and clubs operational comes from the $15 Benefits Pass students have a chance to opt out of when registering for classes.

Recently, due to poor projections and an increase of students opting out of the fee, the ASO is in a deficit and the future of many groups, services and clubs are murky.

Interim Director of the Student Development Office Ricky Gonzalez said due to guidelines set forth by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, there is a policy that limits a district’s power in matters of auxiliary funding. State policy prohibits a student body organization from forcing a student activity fee. Local college policy such as Board Policy 5420 states the ASO is responsible for all auxiliary fee funds and not the district or president. While Gonzalez said administration is helping, there is only so much they can do.

Gonzalez added the college is looking into updating the online opt-out page to list the benefits of the fee, but the current infrastructure does not support it.

In the past, major decisions such as originally giving the full fee responsibility to the ASO and increasing the cost to $15 were responses to the root issue; simply put not enough El Camino students are paying for the fee.

Current projections have the student opt-in/opt-out ration for the fee at around 50/50; not enough to support all the extracurricular activities we students have grown to expect.

According to research originally conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and later republished by Liberty University, 62.4% of college students participate in some form of extracurricular activity.

At El Camino the struggling ASO Benefits Pass funds the Inter-Club Council, which in turn pays for every student-led club, but the funding also pays for services such as the Warrior Pantry and transfer counseling, spaces like the Art Gallery and student-led programs like the award-winning forensics and journalism teams.

The fee also provides students with discounts to off-campus locations, including McDonald’s and local amusement parks.

In this dire time for our college, the Editorial Board believes it is time we students do our part and begin increasing our participation in the benefits fee.

According to Gonzalez, a 5 to 10% increase in student participation would yield an estimated $40,000 to $85,000 in additional funds.

For students who are athletes, debaters, journalists or club members, the stakes are clear. If you can afford it, The Union believes the $15 fee is a good investment as it helps fund the very things we care most about at El Camino.

But even students who don’t consider themselves plugged-in to college-life benefit from the services the fee helps make a reality.

If you’ve ever enjoyed an art exhibit, watched a ball game or taken advantage of the free events, workshops and food that is made available throughout campus, think about the importance of having a thriving and funded college.

The Union Editorial Board suggests students don’t opt-out of the ASO Benefit Pass and instead opt-in to exploring the community within your college.

Senior Staff Writer

Senior Staff Writer

Senior Staff Writer

Senior Staff Writer

Senior Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

Senior Photographer Photographer Photographer Photographer Photographer Illustrator Illustrator House Designer Intern Intern

STAFF ADVISORS

Eddy Cermeno

Jesus “Jesse” Chan

Khallid Muhsin

Samantha Quinonez

Kim McGill

Matheus Trefilio

Brianna Vaca

Raphael Richardson

Alexis Ponce

Renzo Arnazzi

Taylor Sharp

Reina Quevedo

Bryan Sanchez

Zamira Recinos

Kae Takazawa

Jenny Hoang

Ari Martinez

Erica Lee

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER Stefanie Frith sfrith@elcamino.edu

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Kate McLaughlin kmclaughlin@elcamino.edu

PHOTO ADVISER Nguyet Thomas nthomas@elcamino.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER Jack Mulkey elcounionads000@yahoo.com

CORRECTION POLICY: The Union takes corrections and clarifications very seriously. If a correction is needed, email The Union at eccunion@gmail.com for all corrections and inquiries pertaining to a story.

EDITORIALS: Editorials represent the views of the The Union’s editorial board. Columns represent the views of the writer. Neither are representations of what the newspaper staff, other students, our advisers, faculty or the administration think.

LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMN POLICY: No more than two guest columns from the same person will be considered for publication or online use in the same semester, and 60 days must elapse before a second column is published. Guest columns should generally run 300-450 words. Letters to the editor should generally run no longer than 200 words. All columns and letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. They must be free of libel and in good taste. Publication or rejection of any column is at the sole discretion of the editorial board.

Rayza Colonno | Special to The Union

Leaving Home: The next chapter of my education

By Samantha Quinonez

You’re transferring, how does it feel, my adviser said after submitting my petition to graduate.

At first, I felt fine. It was a long journey to reach my goal.

I started back in the fall of 2017, right out of high school.

I still remember my first day, looking up the El Camino map on my phone instead of getting a physical copy because I didn’t want anyone to know I was new to campus.

At the time, I wanted to be a business major. I had no doubt about it.

However, during my second semester, I took an accounting class along with a journalism class, just to try it out.

In the end, I realized I enjoyed my journalism class more than accounting, so I decided to switch my major to journalism.

But some doubts were created.

I found myself debating whether or not to pursue my education.

This went on for a while. Being here for four years already, I knew I had to go back

to finish what I started.

According to an American Educational Research Association article, 10% of college students who leave college without a degree are close to graduating and earning a degree.

But during those four years of going back and forth, I realized

El Camino became my home. No matter how many times I tried to leave, I always came back.

Now, less than a month away, I’m transferring to a 4-year institution.

I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

According to a College Pulse

and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators 2020 report, 20% of college students said they are “constantly anxious,” and 81% reported students are dealing with some kind of stress.

That is not including the anxiety that comes when you’re

thinking about your future or the loans you might have to take out.

I thought the hardest part was the waiting period to see if I was going to be accepted to any university, but it turned out to be which campus was the right one for me.

The clock keeps ticking and ticking; I have to choose what school I am going to be attending next semester.

As anxiety approaches, I can’t help but also ask myself other questions: Is transferring even worth the money?

Is it even worth remembering the constant deadlines?

Or is it even worth the time and the effort?

As much as I try to find answers to my questions, I realize it will all be worth it.

I have been at El Camino for so long I realized I am not trying to stay here forever.

As much as I have learned and grown on this campus, I know at some point I have to leave and pursue my journey elsewhere.

@eccunionSamQ

Less military spending, more spending on books

US priorities on helping other countries shows America does not care about its own issues

By Joshua Flores

The amount of aid sent to Ukraine displays the United States government’s priority of supporting foreigners rather than its citizens.

The U.S. has problems of its own that could be solved by the government with appropriate funding.

While Congress debates topics such as free healthcare, free college and managing America’s spending and debt, they have no hesitation to fork over billions of taxpayer dollars to give Ukraine military weapons.

Following the outbreak of the war, the Biden administration and Congress appropriated billions more in funding to be sent to Ukraine.

Bilateral aid to Ukraine, between Jan. 24, 2022, and Jan. 15, 2023, totaled $76.8 billion going towards military, financial and humanitarian aid.

In total, the U.S. appropriated $115 billion in emergency funding to support Ukraine since the war’s beginning. 95% of funding goes to the Department of Defense and State Department.

The remainder goes to agencies providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.

Some may argue aiding Ukraine is aiding democracy. However, the same arguments were used to justify intervention during the Cold War, such as in Vietnam.

America should not be sticking its snout where it does not belong.

This raises the matter of whether our government is putting the needs of Americans or Ukrainians first.

Only 79% of U.S. adults are literate in English.

economic growth each year. This lack of appropriate funding for education in the U.S. has resulted in more than just economic problems.

The U.S., a first-world nation, has over 34 million Americans who face hunger every day, including one in eight children.

While the war in Ukraine is a tragedy, the government has not taken any action to justify it to the American people.

Perhaps instead of sending billions of dollars to Ukraine, the U.S. could invest in its citizens’ well-being by providing funds so they can be literacy proficient.

Low adult literacy rates cause a loss of $2.2 trillion in

According to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, adults with poor literacy are four times as likely to report lower levels of health, requiring hospitalizations and emergency medical services at a high rate.

The government’s lack of attention to the problems America faces demonstrates the priorities of those in power.

So why is the government so willing to send a lot of aid and money to the citizens of another country while its own is suffering?

It’s because those in power could care less about those they supposedly serve.

The problems of famine and illiteracy the U.S. faces right now could have been solved if the government acted upon its own principle, “of the people, by the people, for the people.”

If the U.S. diverted money and resources to solve many of its issues it would strengthen the nation and bring prosperity to America.

The U.S. should be putting Americans first if it wants to ensure the prosperity and success of its people.

Community colleges are a great place to start your education, but it has to end one day

Kim McGill | The Union

Zamira Recinos | Special to The Union

“America should not be sticking its snout where it does not belong”

Pay could be cut from about $75 to $45 an hour

Spearheaded by Nilles, the Student Health Center is one of the only services on campus that has a required health fee of $22 per semester and $18 during the summer.

Clinical psychologists work in the center, which assists students with outpatient clinical care, vaccinations, medications and mental health therapy. There are seven part-time psychologists employed that come from various outside practices.

Nilles said before the current contract proposal, clinical psychologists were paid “hourfor-hour.” However, within the new proposal, the unit of measurement for calculating the hourly rate has changed causing a paycut for the psychologists.

“If this goes forward, this cannot pass,” she said. “There needs to be a solution, or an alternate rate of pay … we need something else.”

From protests around the college with bright red T-shirts and picket signs to dominating discussion during public comments at Board of Trustees meetings, the teacher’s union has been at odds with the district over multiple aspects of the new contract.

John Baranski, a history professor and member of the teacher’s union at the negotiating table, expressed his concern despite the district’s apparent intention to assist, their proposed contracts exacerbate the situation.

“In the attempt to fix this overload pay issue, they also put forth something that will hammer non-instructional faculty who are part-time,” he said. “Both full-time and parttime people get crushed.”

Students feel impact of rise in rent

→ RENT FROM PAGE 1

El Camino College students who need immediate housing can speak to a Basic Needs Coordinator at the Basic Needs Center located on the second floor of the Bookstore.

The college’s proposal to reduce the hourly rate for psychologists would result in the college falling behind other local institutions including Cerritos College which compensates its clinical psychologists at a higher rate of $59 per hour, as specified in their own contract.

The national average for a clinical psychologist in the U.S. is around $56 per hour and $57 per hour in the city of Torrance,

according to ZipRecruiter, an online American employment marketplace.

“How come other districts can do it and we cannot,” Nilles said. “There never really seems to be an answer.”

Troy Moore, a chemistry professor and member of the faculty union, said faculty members with the lowest earnings are disproportionately left behind, while the college as a whole is declining compared to other colleges.

“It’s an insultingly low rate,” he said. “It’s so insulting and low that it’s just not competitive which means we’re not going to have people in that role.”

As someone who has used the clinical psychologist services, the Associated Students Organization’s Director of Public Relations Sabrina

Rashiq, 20, told The Union she is “disappointed” with the district’s current proposal to cut psychologist’s pay.

“I believe, not only at El Camino, (but) at every single school in the district there are students who require more support and it’s the district’s responsibility to provide the support for those students,” Rashiq said.

Nilles said if the students were better informed of the district’s knowledge and indifference toward the matter, she believes it would be deeply offensive to them as well.

“In some ways I feel powerless,” she said. “I think without the student’s support it’s just me saying this to a district that perhaps doesn’t care or best case scenario, wasn’t aware.”

El Camino to help student government with financial woes

Allison returned from maternity leave, but De La Cruz, Toya and Reyes left for other jobs at Cerritos, Santa Ana and Antelope Valley colleges.

Allison responded via email, referring The Union to Gonzalez regarding “ASO financial matters.” Reyes also responded via email, saying “I am not sure what you are talking about. I left ECC on March 15th.”

The Union reached out to De La Cruz and Toya three times via email and phone but were not available for comment.

The departure of the student advisers left ASO leaderless from August 2022 to March 2023 until the arrival of Gonzalez.

“ASO has been incurring the cost themselves,” Gonzalez said, highlighting ASO’s reserve funds are $1.2 million

Police Beat

which are used to keep ASO funded during emergencies.

Gonzalez emphasized there is a real possibility ASO will have to use the reserve funds if its revenue remains low.

“ASO and all ASO-funded programs would cease to exist within 5 years,” Gonzalez said.

ASO Funded Programs that will be affected include Athletics, the Career Center, commencement, counseling,

9, 1:58 p.m.

First Year Experience, Forensics, Student Support Services, the Transfer Center and the The Union newspaper. Forensics coach Britany Hubble said if the program didn’t receive funding from ASO, students would miss out on attending tournaments that could help them earn scholarship opportunities.

“We would have to be a smaller team, not travel as

much and no longer compete as much,” Hubble said.

Journalism and English professor Kate McLaughlin said if this five-year projection were to happen, the district “should do what it should be doing now” and pay the cost of its journalism program.

One of the requirements the ASO is working on is promoting the benefits pass, especially to their funded programs and clubs.

With a clear mission in mind ASO President-elect Jose Merino expressed the organization’s determination to address the current situation.

“Our job is to straighten the ship,” Merino said. “We are working on establishing some requirements that will help us reach our goal.”

Despite the situation some good news has happened to help ASO with the deficit.

“This year VP (of

Thursday, May 18, 12:53 p.m.

Basic Needs Coordinator Sharonda Barksdale said services such as Metro U-Pass, free clothes through the Warrior Closet, toiletries, free food from the Warrior Pantry and housing assistance became available to all students in July 2022.

“We have seen an increase in the number of students utilizing our services, averaging about 125 to 150 students per day,” Barksdale said.

Basic Needs services help since an increase of students see themselves wrapped around the housing crisis due to rent increases and a rise in competition for housing. As housing becomes more limited, many see themselves worrying about their housing security due to high expenses.

According to El Camino’s 2021 “Student Campus Climate Survey Report,” 21% of El Camino students work more than 30 hours a week, 10% more than students who work 20 to 29 hours per week. Overall, 31% of these students who rent felt the impact of rent increases in California, according to the survey.

“The ultimate dream of all community colleges is to provide some type of housing to students,” Barksdale said.

To read the full story, visit the website at eccunion.com

Administrative Services, Robert) Suppelsa, has offered that his department is going to cover the cost of Athletics,” ASO Director of Finance Uzair Pasta said. “So that’s $130,000 dollars that’s gonna go back to our operational budget.”

According to Pasta, the deficit is incrementally smaller than it was before.

“It may sound all spooky, but the thing is ASO is gonna be pretty good, hopefully if we get the salaries off,” Pasta said.

@EccunionMatheus

@eddycermeno

Wednesday, May 24, 5:45 a.m.

Thursday, May 11, 9:04 a.m.

Tuesday, May 23, 7:27

Thursday, May 25, 7:26

“In some ways I feel powerless”

— Susan Nilles, Student Health Center Coordinator

A student walks toward Student Health Services. Psychologists could see a pay cut in a potential labor contract deal. Ethan Cohen | The Union

A car window was vandalized near Stadium Way next to parking Lot F. The case is currently open.

Fraud and forgery was committed at the Bookstore. The case is currently open.

An individual was detained at the South Gym in possession of burglary tools and drugs. The suspect has been arrested.

An individual was detained driving recklessly within Lot F. The suspect was issued a warning and released the same day.

a.m. An individual defecated in public between Marsee Auditorium and parking Lot J. The suspect was arrested.

p.m. A car was stolen in parking Lot L. The case is under investigation.

A student walks toward Student Health Services. Psychologists could see a pay cut in a potential labor contract deal. Ethan Cohen | The Union

Breaking news: But he can fix it

El Camino student Justin Pham turned his tech repair hobby into a business

By Kae Takazawa

Waking up at around 11 a.m. and leaving for school in the afternoon, he starts off his day and gets down to work at 6 p.m.

Justin Pham, a 20-year-old nursing major at El Camino College, has something he is passionate about: Fixing phones and computers by himself.

Whenever he stays awake until 5 a.m., Pham thinks his daily routine may sound a bit unusual for most college students.

As a 16-year-old, Pham was given his father’s old iPhone, and while walking down the stairs, he accidentally dropped the phone, which needed to be repaired.

However, as a high school student, he didn’t have enough money to get it fixed.

So, he decided to buy a cheap

screen and try to fix it by himself, knowing it would be hard for him to do that because he didn’t know much about terminal devices.

As he failed to fix his phone, he searched for how to repair it on the internet, and piquing his interest, he started buying old phones online that was already broken and taught himself how to fix them.

It took half a year to master the skill of fixing phones, and while learning more about fixing those devices, Pham became more into machines.

Following the devices such as phones, he started learning how to fix iPads, laptops, and computers by himself.

As he became better at fixing machines, his family and friends started asking him for repairs and began charging about $40 an hour.

Even though he has been busy with his assignments, he makes up time for himself to dabble in his new hobby.

“I’m not planning to do this work for my future job. I find it interesting and fun. I’m doing this work just to make extra money,” Pham said.

Zion Une, a 19-year-old student at El Camino College asked Pham to fix his iPad before.

“I didn’t believe that he could repair machines. I thought it was just a joke,” Une said. “When I asked him to fix my broken iPad, he did it in just a few hours, and I was surprised and shocked.”

Une said Pham has excellent skills and is very talented. Now, he believes Pham can actually fix devices.

Jane Chun, a 20-year-old student business major also inquired about Pham’s services.

“I heard from some of my

friends that Justin is skillful in fixing machines. So I asked him before.” Chun said. “My phone wasn’t totally broken, but he made it back to the original. I still can’t believe that he did it by himself.”

Chun describes that Pham’s

skill is admirable, stating he should deserve more and should be remarkable.

“Nothing is ever fully broken,” he said. “You can always fix it using the internet.”

Native influence: Rising social media star shares his culture

El Camino College freshmen Tyler Notah is amassing a sizable audience across social media platforms

By Duncan Callari-Martin

Notah arrives with two things consistent with his content, a smile and a signature Pittsburgh Steelers hat, always representing his favorite football team.

Not only does Notah represent his football team, but he also consistently sports native american fashion brands: a showing of his heritage.

Since middle school, El Camino College freshman Tyler Notah has amassed 28,183 followers across four major platforms TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.

Notah started content creation at Parras Middle School, where he uploaded short, small “let’s play” videos on YouTube and played video games with his commentary in

the background. His love for content creation then carried over to Redondo Union High School, where he went into sports broadcasting, expanding his list of skills.

“Once I got to high school, I started to make sports media videos, covering all sports that I could but also kept it up with making gaming content,” Notah said.

Now at El Camino, Notah continues his content creation consistently and puts working on it as a priority in his daily life. He plans on continuing to grow his brand on his platforms and hopes to build the same following he has on TikTok on other platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

The film student is known on his platforms as “Native Hustle,” with most of his

following coming from TikTok.

On TikTok, he showcased several videos which can be considered “viral,” including view counts of around 52,000.

15,000 followers on TikTok, the largest following of any of his platforms. Nearly three weeks later, Notah earned 11,500 more followers in that span.

He believes this has to do with the popularity of his video series “Catching Up With Cousins,” where he interviews other Native Americans at cultural events called PowWows, a ceremony generally involving feasting, singing, or dancing.

me or find me on other platforms that they also use.”

To end the interview, Notah discussed the most memorable moment of his journey so far, the creation of the series that has gained him followers on TikTok.

However, even though he had been working on his content since middle school, it wasn’t until April 5 his platforms started growing.

On April 5, Notah reached

“Creating a tik tok series, where it has gotten recognized by everyone in my culture, has given me the success that I’ve worked so long for,” Notah said. “I enjoy just being able to spread my creativity to all users across different social media platforms, which also brings all those different users on different platforms to follow

“Interviewing the Native American dancers and drum singers, and asking them different questions both professional and humorous has allowed me to embrace the culture more and also share it with the world,” Notah said.

Justin Pham works on an assignment for his nursing class in the Schauerman Library on Friday, April 28. The El Camino student has turned his interest of fixing electronics into a side business. Kae Takazawa| The Union

“Creating a tik tok series ... has given me the success that I’ve worked so long for.”

—Tyler Notah

Pham explains how he usually fixes phones on Friday, April 28.

Kae Takazawa | The Union

A hero in the making

From Marine Corps to center stage, Cody Hagemeier is on the pursuit to help his community

By Raphael Richardson

Dressed neatly with a crew neck sweater and dress shirt with a focused gaze, you might mistake Cody Hagemeier for an El Camino instructor.

You would be wrong.

At only 28, the political science major is looking to earn his eight associates degree, has served as a reserve soldier in the Marine Corps and an

Emergency Medical Technician in Compton.

More recently, he is a member of the award winning Forensics Team at El Camino College, having won three championship awards, one of them most recently at the International Forensics Association Tournament in Tokyo in March.

However, life now for Hagemeier wasn’t as rewarding when he was younger.

Born and raised in San Pedro, Hagemeier was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. As he was being treated by specialists, he began watching movies.

Those movies, which were centered around a hero’s story, inspired Hagemeier to do better despite his disorders.

“I grew up wanting to accomplish something extraordinary, or just do something fulfilling and purpose driven with my life,” Hagemeier said. “I wanted to not be known sort of as the one who was broken or had a disorder, I wanted to be known as someone who is doing something good for the world and making a difference.”

With less than the best grades in high school and enrolled at El Camino College, he ditched his academic pursuit to instead join the fire academy. His father died just before he was set to graduate, thrusting him into a leadership role in his family.

“That is something that definitely forces you to grow up really fast,” he said. “It forces you to take responsibility of not just myself, but my family.”

Shortly after graduating from the academy, he joined the Marines as a reserve soldier and worked as an EMT in Compton,

both of which Hagemeier said helped develop his character and leadership skills.

However, the COVID pandemic reignited a spark in Hagemeier to return to school.

“When COVID hit, I really became much more interested in academic pursuits,” he said. “I came back spring of 2021.”

It was in this time during a philosophy class that a student recommended the Forensics Team, referring him to the team’s coach, Francesca Bishop.

“Well I met him first over two years ago and I invited him to join the debate team, which he did,” she said. “He is the most reliable person I’ve ever had on the team. He is always prepared, he usually dresses up even for practice, he is always ready to go.”

Since joining and leading the team as co-president, he has won numerous awards for both himself and the team, earning the praise of his fellow team members like Co-President Uzair Pasta.

“Cody is one of the most responsible, well-spoken, organized and cohesive people I’ve ever met on the team,” Pasta said. “Initially, he was quite reserved and kept to himself, but because he came into his leadership role, he was more outspoken and he truly

did help me in terms of becoming a better speaker and leader.”

Hagemeier doesn’t plan on stopping at El Camino. He will be going to UCLA to study political science and philosophy, and possibly law school after. In the spirit of his early movie inspirations, he wants to be a hero.

“I’d like to serve the community in various different ways using my degree, and then potentially enter politics at some point,” he said. “But we’ll see.”

Check out a behind the scenes look:

Forensics Team Co-President Cody Hagemeier poses for a photo in front of the team's room in the Music building on Thursday, May 25, 2023. Raphael Richardson | The Union

Cody Hagemeier practices in a mock debate with another student and assistant coach in a YouTube video uplaoded on April, 7. Eddy Cermeno | The Union

Special Section

ON CLIFF’s EDGE

Inside

The Fix The Problem

One aquarium has taken a unique approach to tackle the growing climate crisis.

See more B2

Erosion has slowly been eating away at California’s coasts, here’s a highlight of the problem.

See more B2

The Effect The Culture

Past and Present: California’s coastal erosion’s history and modern day effects.

See more B3

A grafitti culture thrives in the heart of one of Califoria’s largest community disasters.

See more B3

Photo by Ethan Cohen

Tiny aquarium leads charge to heal coasts

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro nurses endangered species to be reintroduced into wild

By Kim McGill

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro focuses on education, research and conservation to connect people to the underwater world of Southern California.

School visits, beach cleanups and interactive exhibits put people in contact with some of the region’s smallest aquatic species.

Despite the happy chaos, one section of the aquarium remained quiet—the aquatic nursery—where the gurgling of the huge cylinders “growing live foods” stretched to the ceiling could be heard.

The aquarium is using its nursery to raise criticallyendangered species that can be reintroduced to the wild, including the white abalone. Native to Southern and Baja California, the marine snail was the first invertebrate on the endangered species list.

“A lot of the invertebrates found in the tide pools are taking the biggest hit,” Research and conservation curator Brenton Spies said.

The larvae being reared in the nursery exhibit how climate

change impacts marine life.

The aquarium researches how to properly intervene.

Other marine life rely on smaller animals for food. The destruction of the tide pools is altering the ecosystem, making algae dominant. Climate change, overdevelopment, severe weather and pollution has created a cycle that’s throwing off the ecological balance.

“Tide pools are getting filled in or deteriorating … That impacts a lot of the animals,” Spies said humans manipulate the coast.

Spies said development has dominated the coast, leaving little space for wildlife.

“For example, the barrier walls built to protect the cliffside homes are increasing erosion,” Spies said.

Instead of soaking into earth, the waves hit the walls and they bounce back stronger, increasing erosion.

El Camino student Glenys Rich has been working and volunteering at the aquarium for over three years.

Rich described how new currents bring pollution. Sediment runoff from agriculture and the streets also poisons the

ecosystem. Erosion is shrinking the beaches.

“Climate change has affected a lot of the tide pools,” Rich said. “The water comes up too high, causing erosion that pulls away the sand on the beaches.”

Spies urges South Bay communities to become more active, get educated on climate change and eat sustainable seafood.

“Vote with the environment in mind,” Spies said.

Climate change amplifies California’s coastal erosion

Preventative measures needed to combat natural, human contributions to changing coastal climates

By Khoury Williams

Most of California’s beaches could be washed away by 2100, according to a recent study from the United States Geological Survey.

The impact of coastal erosion, which refers to the soils, rocks and sands being carried away or worn down by changes in the climate, have worsened with climate change.

According to the California Coastal Commission, California’s beaches get visited more than 150 million times per year, making the ocean and coasts in California one of its most popular destinations for both tourists and local residents.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary found 85% of California’s coasts are experiencing active erosion from human involvement and natural causes.

El Camino College’s earth sciences professor Sara Di Fiori said human interaction and misuse can contribute to the problem.

“All of these impacts and all of these collisions between the

ocean, gravity, time and weather are constantly shaping the coast,” Di Fiori said. “If there weren’t people [living] there, this wouldn’t be a problem.”

The Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program released an interactive topographic map showing the state of California’s coastal erosion before and after a heavy rainstorm made its way to the state in January.

The South Bay coast, a region in southwest LA County, experienced increased erosion due to the wave of heavy

rainstorms.

Rancho Palos Verdes, a city on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is in a unique position as it sits directly above a fault line that worsens its coastal erosion problem.

“There’s a fault that is lifting

[Palos Verdes Peninsula] out of the ocean. It goes up, sometimes the fault’s not active and it erodes and gets smaller,” Di Fiori said.

Di Fiori added rising sea levels and rain storms also increase the “energy” that shapes its coastlines.

Associate Planner for Rancho Palos Verdes Steven Giang said the coastal erosion plan for the Palos Verdes Peninsula involves a preventative measure that minimizes development with zoning.

“We have stricter standards when you’re along the coasts and that gradually gets less strict as you go away from it,” Giang said.

The irreversible impacts of coastal erosion on California necessitate a focus on preventive measures, which can help mitigate further deterioration by implementing comprehensive planning and proactive monitoring strategies along the coasts.

Climate Central Inc., an independent group of scientists and researchers, predicts the Santa Monica Pier could be

completely submerged in the ocean within 80 years if climate change is not addressed.

J.D. Allen, an award-winning podcast host recognized for excellence in science communication by the National Academy of Science, said neighborhoods might need to move in a “coastal retreat.”

“Your southern sunny California beaches that everybody loves are gonna be washed away … and so that economic value that California has for its pristine beaches is going to disappear,” Allen said.

Allen said coastal erosion can also worsen sewage, electricity and essential trading harbors that include access to fishing vessels and cargo ships. He noted that if people want to continue living and building along the coasts, they have to adapt.

“A lot of my podcasting work has been about climate adaptation,” Allen said. “If we want to continue to live somewhere, we have to figure out a way.”

Cliffs at Bluff Cove in Palos Verdes house multiple properties right on the edge of the cliffs that slope toward the ocean. Photo by Ethan Cohen

The aquatic nursery at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, where scientists are raising critically endangered species that can be reintroduced to the wild. Photos by Kim McGill

“If we want to continue to live somewhere, we have to figure out a way”

@KimMcGillLA SPECIAL SECTION B2 June 1, 2023 Cal Humanities

Sunken City’s dire coastal warning

What one tiny San Pedro neighborhood that slid into the sea can teach us about about the future

By Kim McGill

Nearly 100 years ago, there was a neighborhood here.

Built by developer George Huntington Peck, 39 luxury homes were built on local cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The final development of the elite San Pedro Hills.

But within a few years of opening, the land beneath the cliffs shifted, a water and gas line broke, the street cracked and dropped several feet.

By June 1929, the community had slumped over 7.5 feet. An earthquake in July hastened the movement further.

The community was evacuated. The area was renamed the Point Fermin Landslide.

In May of 1931, William Miller, professor and chairperson of the Department of Geology at the University of California, Los Angeles, published a study of the landslide in Scientific Monthly. “A considerable body of bedrock is slowly moving into the sea,” he wrote.

Miller described the cause of the drop.

“Five acres of bedrock on land, as well as a larger portion of bedrock under the ocean, is breaking away from the mainland,” he wrote.

He added that the fissuring and cracking of the ground caused a number of buildings to be damaged.

“Where the ever-widening main fissure crosses the street, an attempt is being made to keep it filled with dirt,” he said.

But by the 1940s, all that was left was the crumbling foundations of the remaining two homes, now sitting more than fifty feet below from where they originated.

Miller’s report read that “the fundamental cause of the landslide lies in the character and structure of the rocks. It’s an anticline in a strong seaward dip likely to continue for years.”

A very dangerous area

26.3 million Californians live along the coast. Increasingly for these residents, the devastation of coastal erosion is becoming more evident.

From the rocky Bluff Cove beach on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, El Camino earth sciences professor Sara Di Fiori instructed her students to observe how erosion impacts the coastline. Close by the green and brown vegetation engulfing the cliff side was interrupted by a large section of

slate grey sediment. That demonstrates where a recent landslide occurred, she explained.

Di Fiori said slippery layers of clay are not the only factor that encourages houses to slide off into the ocean. She says owners and developers also make poor landscaping decisions.

“If you add water to clay, it swells up and if the layers are tilted toward the ocean, you slide right in,” Di Fiori adds.

Geo-engineering—such as water pipes installed into the cliffs to remove excess water— can’t hold back the erosion, Di Fiori explained.

“It’s a very dangerous area,” Di Fiori added.

In addition to the erosion waves below also carve away the cliffs bottom. Climate change is causing more powerful storms and a dramatic rise in sea level is hastening coastal erosion.

Indigenous leaders urge change

A 30-minute drive north of Sunken City, the luxury development of Playa Vista threatens the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, home to over 1,700 wildlife species.

Ironically, the wetlands are the most important protector against the dangers of both coastal erosion and flooding due to sea level rise. Wetlands are essential to the survival of the human developments that seek to overtake them.

Gina De Baca grew up in Santa Monica and teaches indigenous and folkloric dancing.

She remembers the fight against building Playa Vista.

The indigenous people of the region—the Tongva—lived with coastal erosion and respected nature’s process. “They have a lot to teach us about how to live in harmony with the natural environment,” De Baca said.

But developers’ quest to build on every inch of the coast

threatens the future of the land De Baca said.

For that reason, she says, the Tongva should be involved in every decision about development in LA County.

“Our indigenous elders remind us that the earth serves us, and we’re expected to serve the earth,” De Baca said.

Mother nature has a bigger budget

Today, Sunken City is known worldwide as an essential destination for graffiti writers. It’s a favorite spot for couples, people looking to get high and meditate on life, and teenagers too cool for school.

It endures as a warning to would-be developers who prioritize quick profits over long-term community.

On the inside of the barrier wall that people jump to enter Sunken City—between communities still intact and the desolation of a neighborhood that slid into the sea—a graffiti artist created a chubby blue water drop with mournful eyes.

As if warning us.

There are humans sounding warnings also.

“The cliffs have more time and more natural impetus to move,” DiFiori said.

She stands by beneath a sign at Bluff Cove that warns of falling rocks

“They’re not going to care how much money you spend to preserve structures,” she added. Mother nature has a bigger budget.”

Graffiti thrives amid ruins

By Ethan Cohen

As he descends into the sunken abyss, he climbs over chunks of cracked street lanes and rocks.

He ascends to the top of a piece of road that is flat enough and looks into the distance seeing veering cliffs, sharp drops and loose dirt.

Determined, he keeps moving to find the next spot to put his mark on.

Rocks, chunks of road and even tree trunks are covered in thousands of rainbow-colored graffiti tags and murals.

Andrew, also known as Apple Jax or AJ, who declined to give his last name, is in the business of art.

Graphic design, clothing lines, brand deals and graffiti explicitly fall under his purview. And his main place of business: Sunken City, San Pedro.

“This spot is therapeutic for me,” AJ said. “But also, it’s a place for me to be able to grow my business.”

Fenced off and known as one of the greatest graffiti attractions for artists in the South Bay, Sunken City is

situated right next to the Point Fermin Lighthouse park.

However, it is also home to one of the most infamous geological disasters of the early twentieth century.

Sunken City is a beachfront area that was abandoned after a slow-moving landslide in 1929. Over the following decades, pieces of the coastline would slip into the ocean.

At one point, geologists measured the sinking of the coastline at an average of 11 inches per day.

The area was eventually fenced off and signs posted warning of fines after

complaints from the neighboring residents poured in about the loud music and roaring bonfires that occurred in the area.

That did not stop the art and artists from flowing into the landscape looking for an open canvas to create various pieces of art.

As AJ finally finds a place to make his canvas, he pulls out his cans and his friend sparks the tail end of a blunt.

“People come here for all the right reasons,” AJ said. “It’s a diverse place for people of all backgrounds to come together.”

Sunken City, San Pedro, is home to the sloped ruins of a century-old neighborhood that slowly fell into the sea. The coastline sloped at an average of 11 inches per day. Photo by Jay Seidel

AJ creates a new peice centered around The Simpsons character Marge Simpson at Sunken City. Photo by Ethan Cohen

Historical photos courtesy of City of Los Angeles Public Library, San Pedro Branch, Archives, Point Fermin Slide. Photos of Sunken City today by Kim McGill

Left, 1908, Point Fermin before development. Only the lighthouse exists. Below, 1940s, the paved street through the community ends abruptly where the neighborhood fell. Bottom, by 1950, the full impact was seen.

Above left — Point Fermin community in the 1920s just before the landslide, or “slump,” began in 1929. The area that fell into the sea, now known as the Sunken City, is directly above the the Point Fermin lighthouse and park. The street and homes that fell are visible on the right along the edge of the cliff. The same street is above right after the landslide and below today.

Jessica Martinez Ethan Cohen Kim McGill Khoury Williams

Content by

Instructional Assistant

Going green? Hurdles to implement recycling efforts

El Camino College has no plans for separate recycling and composting trash bins

By Nindiya Maheswari

ElCamino College placed one bin for all types of trash around campus because waste recycling efforts in the past added extra work for employees.

While throwing all kinds of trash into one bin is not against the law, this practice poses a risk of contamination of the recyclable materials which end up getting trashed, according to a recycling and composting expert.

El Camino College Grounds Supervisor Fernando Vicente said 10 years ago the college tried to recycle and set out recycling bins.

Vicente said most people did not care and threw landfill and food scraps into recycling bins.

They stopped recycling efforts because it was not a workable situation for the groundskeepers. There are only 10 groundskeepers on campus and they can’t spend more time sorting trash, Vicente said.

“We don’t really have a recycling program, except for the cardboard, computer paper and electronics,” Vicente said. “Our trash disposal work here is basically just dumping the trash cans.”

Vicente said groundskeepers take the trash from all-in-one bins to the trash compactor in the facility yard on campus every morning. Then the waste hauler Republic Services comes twice a week to dispose of the trash.

“To implement a recycling plan, it will require more employees and probably more equipment,” Vicente said. “It's not all that easy to do because the facilities department can only do so much with their budget.”

The Union requested waste management reports from 2020 to 2022, but the Assistant Director of Facilities and Planning Dwight Bradley said he does not have access to the information and will look into it more. Information was not provided to The Union by the May 23 deadline.

Bradley previously worked at the University of Houston and recently joined El Camino College.

He said he’d like to see a separation in who manages the trash pick-ups and who maintains the campus grounds.

California Assembly Bill (AB) 341 signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in October 2011 required mandatory recycling for businesses including public education agencies by July 2012, according to CalRecycle.

To comply with AB 341, businesses are mandated to separate recyclable materials on-site from the trash before a waste hauler collects them.

However, businesses can also use a trash service that takes mixed waste and separates the recyclables from the trash at a different site. This can be done as long as it yields diversion results comparable to source separation.

El Camino College chose the latter method.

By comparison, Santa Monica College Recycling Program Specialist Kenneth Derieg said the campus has three separate bins for recycling, composting and landfill.

“In some of our hallways and

some office buildings, even the paper is separated from the bottles and cans,” Derieg said.

Derieg said the two separate recycling bins end up together in the same recycling dumpster at the end of the day.

However, it’s an effort to prevent liquid from soda cans from spilling out and making the paper wet as it is not recyclable, according to Derieg.

In addition, the college also has a sustainability center that does compost on-site for food waste collected from their food pantry and campus dining.

In contrast to Santa Monica College, El Camino College Associated Students Organization Senator of Mathematics Rebecca Gloyer and student leaders have been advocating for more sustainable waste management since the spring of 2022.

Gloyer said the college administration is supportive of the idea but does not have the funds for an extreme change in waste management.

As the college implemented a single-bin system, Gloyer said throwing all trash in a mixed waste bin makes it difficult to educate our students.

USC Sustainability Manager and recycling

and composting expert Gina Whisenant said they pull recyclables out of trash inside a mixed waste facility.

Whisenant said more bottles are being pulled out than papers because they’re contaminated at that point.

“When it’s contaminated, it’s already compromised the materials,” Whisenant said. “They can no longer take them

apart and recycle them and make them into something new.”

El Camino College groundskeeper Daniel Cahill takes a trash container in parking Lot K and dumps the mixed waste into a trash compactor provided by Republic Services at the campus facility yard on May 5. All trash is dumped in one compactor and then sorted for recyclable materials by the trash company at a Materials Recovery Facility. Nindiya Maheswari | The Union

A mixed-waste bin with labeled contents of all bins sorted for recycling can be found around El Camino. Nindiya Maheswari | The Union

Terms to know

Tenure/Tenure Track Faculty

Faculty hired to work a full load, usually five classes, with full rights and privileges that have been negotiated. For California Community Colleges, it is a four-year probationary process.

Generally, tenure means full-time employees but positions exist where tenure-faculty work parttime or a faculty member is tenured to a limited percentage.

Temporary Faculty

Faculty that are hired atwill. According to state law, part-time temporary faculty cannot reach more than 67% of a full-time load. They usually are paid on a different salary and do not recieve the same benefits.

Most part-time faculty are temporary, but full-time temporary positions do exist and are usually on a year or semester basis.

The 75/25% Goal

1988 law to address a goal that 25% of credited instruction taught in California community colleges should be taught full-time and 25% of instruction should be taught by part-time instructors. The Chancellor’s office collects and maintains district progress.

This is a statewide aspirational goal with no penalties.

Faculty Obligation Number (FON)

The minimum amount of full-time faculty staffing a district must employ. Districts that do not meet the FON have their revenue reduced. It was introduced by the Chancellor’s Office and approved by the Board of Governors as a way to work toward the 75% goal.

Individual college percentages are set based on faculty’s fulltime equivalent and any student-centered funding recieved.

Union officials push for more full-time faculty

After a post-pandemic rise of enrollment, part-time grows to meet demand

By Delfino Camacho

Chris Lopes, 23, works part-time at Compton College and attends El Camino.

While he cites a history of excellent part-time instructors, he sympathizes with them due to his own part-time job, he would like more interaction.

“I would prefer more office hours, more chances to visit a professor,” Lopes said.

The Data: Part-Time Increase

Part-time/temporary faculty increased 32% between 20202022 at El Camino, faster than the California average, a 3% drop.

El Camino and statewide student enrollment saw a 2% rise last year, per the California Community College Chancellor’s Office data mart.

An enrollment strategies presentation given at the May 15 Board of Trustees meeting indicated a rebound of students began in fall 2022 and continued through this year.

Retention rates declined between 2018 and 2021.

Meanwhile, full-time faculty decreased by nearly 6% between 2020-2022 at El Camino, compared to a 3% drop across California.

“We’re growing, that’s really good news for us and that also means we’re bringing back more part-time faculty in order to … accommodate the surge of enrollment.” Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez said.

While tenure or full-time positions can take months, temporary positions can be filled much faster.

As emergency funding is set to expire in 2025, Lopez said colleges are incentivized to attract and retain students.

Cerritos College also increased temporary instruction and is experiencing an enrollment bump, something Santa Monica and East LA colleges are not seeing.

Human Resources Director Maria Smith said while the recent part-time increase seems drastic when compared to years prior to 2020 she can see current tenure and temporary numbers are similar to 2019.

She said historically El Camino has always hired a lot of temporary faculty.

“If you have one person who leaves five classes, you may have to hire three people to replace that one,” Smith said.

While Lopez said the parttime increase was necessary next semester, the college approved 25 new full-time faculty positions and four oneyear full-time temporary positions with plans to increase

tenure positions if possible.

President of the El Camino Federation of Teachers Kelsey Iino said the increase in parttime makes sense for flexibility.

“But I would always encourage more full-time permanent employees … it just creates a better work environment and job security,” Iino said.

Iino brought up retention rates and how full-time faculty can help students stay.

“Within reason I think we can get to a higher number of fulltime and a lower number of contingent faculty,” Iino said. Increasing Full-Time Evan Hawkins, executive director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges said incentives exist to help districts increase their full-time instruction, but they don’t always work.

He said the 75/25% rule established in 1988 was meant to encourage colleges to strive for more full-time instruction. Others say it’s not realistic.

“The funding model in the state is not designed right now to support 75/25,” Lopez said.

“It’s a noble goal but the current funding structure and the current funding realities in our system make it very difficult.”

Hawkins says the problem with the goal is there is no penalty to comply.

“There’s no enforcement,” Hawkins said. “Research and data (show) that students can be more successful when interacting with a full-time faculty member.”

The faculty obligation number does have a penalty; colleges that do not comply receive reduced funding. But Hawking thinks the Faculty Obligation Number has become the goal rather than the tool to reach 75%.

“It was supposed to be a

minimum, so it was supposed to be sort of a floor but most districts use it as their benchmark,” Chemistry professor at Merritt College Jennifer Shanoski said. She is also the president of the Peralta Federation of Teachers..

She said increasing full-time instructors helps students by increasing support services outside the classroom like lab, office or committee hours.

No Easy Solutions

A 2023 report from the California State Auditor’s Office found some districts mismanaged their statewide allocation of $150 million meant to be used to increase full-time instruction.

The report read “two of the districts we reviewed did not always use the funds properly,” while another two districts could not always prove they had used the funds as intended.

El Camino was not audited but has met its faculty obligation. While the 75/25%

split eludes El Camino, other schools have failed to consistently reach it as well.

Even legislation is not a guaranteed fix. Two failed California bills, AB 1505 and SB 777, were meant to help enforce 75/25%. The issue received attention but the bills did not pass.

“The downside of it is not just that it hurts students by not having as much access to fulltime faculty, but basically, budgets are balanced on the back of temporary faculty,” Hawkins said.

Lopes’ idea of how to increase full-time instruction echoes the words of Iino and other faculty.

“It would help out if you increase full-timers ... fulltimers need more incentive,” Lopes said. “Better pay.”

To read more, visit the website at eccunion.com

Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez strategic enrollment during the May 15 Board of Trustees meeting. It showcased enrollment and rentention. Khoury Williams | The Union

Graph showcasing percentage split between temporary and tenure-track faculty between fall 2017 and fall 2022. The split between faculty type is not the same as the 75/25% goal split. Data from California Community College Chancellor's Office data mart. Delfino Camacho | The Union

Transfer rates decline over past decade

California seeing a 48% decrease in in-state transfers from El Camino College

By Dalton Pierson

Transfer rates from California community colleges to four-year universities have seen a 42% decrease from 2011 to 2021.

Transfer rates are low in community colleges in California for multiple reasons, including students not being prepared for academics beyond community college.

According to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2021, only 28% of community college students in California are considered ready for academics beyond community college based on their performance on standardized tests.

Another reason why transfer rates are low is the decrease in students over the past reported decade, with a 20% decrease in students in California alone. One primary reason for students’ decline is the COVID-19 pandemic and its side effect on students being forced to take classes at home. Students spend a lot of time at El Camino College contacting student support, where Nicole Cheyenne works.

Nicole Cheyenne is a student worker who works for the Humanities Division at El Camino and is involved with many students daily, she still sees the residual effects of the pandemic to this day.

“Many students also wondered if online classes would still be eligible for transfer,” Cheyenne said. “Based on the number of times I would answer those questions, at a time, I would say that about one-third to one-half of students seeking available classes in this division would make an effort to ask for confirmation as to whether those sections would be eligible for transfer.”

Having transferable classes is common for El Camino students and neighboring community college, Long Beach City College, which has had a consistent 34,000 students over the past decade. Still a state-wide problem, Long Beach City College has seen a 45% decrease in transfers. More specifically, a 54% decrease in state transfers and a 41% decrease in out-ofstate transfers.

More specific details, such as in-state and out-of-state transfer rates, have more personable reasons and make the transfer portal quite diverse in its data, especially for California, which often sees students transfer to

other community colleges. This is the case for Louis Boich, who went to school at Long Beach City College just two semesters prior and is now attending El Camino College, undecided in his major.

“I have been doing my transferable general education classes so far,” Boich said. “ I started at Long Beach (City College), but I wanted to be closer to home and not have to drive as long to campus, so I decided to transfer to El Camino.”

California Community Colleges Eloy Ortiz Oakley.

“I have said before, community colleges are crucial for our state’s higher education system, and we need to invest in them if we want to see more students transfer to four-year universities,” Oakley told a Union reporter via Zoom call in March.

The prevalent issue that plagues colleges, in general, is the tuition that comes with attending a school, whether that is a community college or not. In a survey conducted by the RP Group for former California community college students, almost a third of former students did not reenroll due to prioritizing work to juggle other commitments and tuition costs. More specifically, 22% was due to other obligations, while another 29% struggled to keep up with classes and the costs.

be home.”

The students who attend community colleges in California are seeing a decline in transfer rates and the total staff for community colleges statewide. California has seen a one percent decrease over a decade, but colleges, specifically Glendale Community College, have seen an eight percent decrease in total staff from 2011 to 2022.

Investing resources into community colleges has been a more prominent debate since the pandemic. Still, it has nevertheless been talked about before and, more specifically by former Chancellor of the

Raymond O’keefe is a student at El Camino who is majoring in business but is looking to find work during his off time in sports to afford college. Raymond just finished his years of athletic eligibility in the fall and is still attending El Camino as a student looking for a scholarship out of state for football. Still, he also is looking to work to provide for his family and his school costs.

“I would try to transfer, but with no scholarship or anything, I simply can’t afford it,” O’keefe said. “I have some interest from out-of-state colleges, but I want to be able to stay close to home and help my mom financially and simply

According to the California Community College Athletic Association, the student-athlete faces more of a challenge when it comes to out-of-state transfers or in-state with over 26,000 student-athletes participating annually in intercollegiate athletics at California’s community colleges.

Most student-athletes participating at a California community college transfer to a four-year college or university to continue their academic and athletic careers once again, according to the CCCA. Current El Camino college athlete Jason Davis is currently doing general arts and humanities studies and looking towards the next level. Jason Davis is playing summer baseball in Canada in order to improve his chances of getting to look for scholarship offers from four-year colleges when he leaves El Camino.

“I felt it was the best option. I still have more to prove if I want to go to the next level,” Davis said.

With most students, such as Jason Davis, transferring out of state the number of students who transfer out of El Camino has only seen a 22% percent decrease to the in-state transfer count seeing a 48% decrease from 2011 to 2022.

In the grand scheme for community colleges in California, the reality is since the pre-pandemic in 2019, the state as a whole, which is all 115 community colleges, has lost about 18% or put in a more significant number of around 300,000 students, which shows if changes are not made there will be dire consequences for students in the future.

To read more, visit the website at eccunion.com

El Camino Student athlete Jason Davis playing baseball on campus before spending the summer playing in Canada to improve his resume on Thursday, April 6. Dalton Pierson | The Union

Students walk past the Career & Transfer Center on the second floor of the Student Services Building on May 30. In 2021, 28% of community college students in California are ready for academics beyond community college. Khoury Williams | The Union

“I would try to transfer, but with no scholarship or anything, I simply can’t afford it.”

— Raymond O’keefe, business major

at El Camino

College out of compliance to prevent opioid overdose deaths

College officials block naloxone distribution despite 6,483 opioid overdose fatalities in California in 2021

recent meeting, she felt she could not yet raise the need to distribute fentanyl test strips because of the college leadership’s previous response to naloxone availability.

By Kim McGill

El Camino College is out of compliance with a new state law that went into effect on Jan. 1, mandating naloxone distribution.

The health center has naloxone they can administer in an emergency, but college officials have told Student Health Services they may not distribute naloxone to anyone.

The Campus Opioid Safety Act, authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado, “requires the governing board of each community college district and the trustees of the California State University to have each campus health center ... distribute dosages of a federally approved opioid overdose reversal medication.”

Susan Nilles, faculty coordinator of Student Health Services, said she has tried to inform campus administrators naloxone is safe and essential to save the lives of people experiencing an opioid-related overdose emergency.

“Individuals are not comfortable with this direction,” Nilles said about the decision El Camino officials are making to ignore both state law and new policies promoted by most public health and education agencies.

El Camino’s response has been to forbid Student Health Services from distributing naloxone to trained individuals.

Nilles was told legal counsel fears lawsuits if naloxone fails to reverse an overdose.

“That makes no sense,” Nilles said. “We don’t stop distributing condoms because someone might still get pregnant or get an infection.”

On March 2, El Camino’s Office of Marketing and Communications issued a memo outlining the college’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program (DAAAP) and Board Policy 3550 that includes “disciplinary sanctions on students and employees … up to and including expulsion or termination of employment and referral for prosecution for violations of the standards of conduct.”

The Union asked the staff interviewed if a warning about possible firing or expulsion would discourage students’ and employees’ willingness to come forward.

“I think they might hesitate,” Robin Dreizler, interim vice president of Student Services, said. “But somebody who reaches out for help is generally offered that assistance.”

Since 1989, U.S. law required all schools and colleges develop a DAAAP to receive federal education funding.

But El Camino staff revealed a lack of clarity on who develops and leads drug and alcohol policies on campus.

According to the California Department of Public Health, in 2021, there were 6,843 opioidrelated overdose deaths, 57% caused by fentanyl.

Dr. Julie Poepoe, a nurse practitioner at Student Health Services, has conducted opioid information workshops for students and employees.

“We have an overdose epidemic ... deaths of 15 to 20-year-olds. We should be doing everything possible to protect students,” Poepoe said.

Currently, the health center is the only location on campus that has naloxone, and is both trained and authorized to administer it on campus.

“That’s not good enough,” Nilles said.

El Camino Police Sergeant Ruben Lopez said the police department does not administer naloxone or have naloxone.

“If somebody has any kind of medical emergency what we do is contact LA County Fire and they would respond, and they have naloxone to administer if they have to,” Lopez said.

Nilles was hoping El Camino would be proactive and emerge as a leader among college campuses in responding to the opioid overdose crisis. But in a

The March 2 DAAAP memo was signed by Dreizler. While he knew the directive was issued, Dreizler said he didn’t know it had his signature.

He suggested the Office of Workplace Safety and Risk Management.

Valerie Wagner in Risk Management said their office did not develop the DAAAP or block naloxone distribution. Nilles said health services advises on the DAAAP, but it is created and managed by the police department. Lopez said the police didn’t develop the DAAAP.

“I think a campus drug plan sounds like a risk management function,” Lopez said.

On May 24, community healer Amanda Perez got a call from her family. Her nephew, who was about to be a father, died from a fentanyl overdose.

“People don’t know fentanyl’s strength,” Perez said, holding back tears. “His mother found him. How devastating is that? Naloxone should be in every home, every school, every back pack.”

Amanda Perez, community healer and addiction specialist in Los Angeles. On May 24, her nephew, 25, had died of a fentanyl overdose. His first child is about to be born. Kim McGill | The Union

El Camino Police Sergeant Ruben Lopez on campus on March 23.

Kim McGill | The Union

Susan Nilles, faculty coordinator of Student Health Services, at El Camino’s student health center on Oct. 18, 2022. Kim McGill | The Union

To read more, visit the website at eccunion.com

Colleges taking action on mental health

Campuses offers individual and group therapy, support workshops and online resources

By Igor Colonno

California community colleges are taking action by spending more money to bring additional mental health resources.

The state of California has increased its funding for community college for the 2021-2022 academic year by funding $30 million from the state’s general fund, according to the California’s Legislature Nonpartisan Fiscal and Policy Advisor.

The state of California has appropriated the funding for regional trainings, Crisis Text line support, mental health resource materials, and Kognito online suicide prevention training In 2021, 106 community colleges were currently enrolled in these services, according to a Mental Health & Health Services Overview. Colleges are also funded by their mandatory student health fee. This enables colleges to provide extra help to students, including counseling sessions, therapy, group therapy and more.

The student health fee at El Camino College is $22 each fall and spring semester.

Health fees at other colleges cost $19, a 15.8% decrease compared to $22, and lower than the maximum fee limited to $26, an 18% increase.

The center offers individual assistance, but its long waitlist averages 10 days, according to Susan Nilles, director of the Student Health Center.

To solve this issue, Nilles said the center is working to bring the platform Togetherall to El Camino College.

The platform is a peer-to-peer online mental health community featuring 24/7 clinical moderation, courses and resources for students.

Nilles said the Student Health Center will offer a program to post-doctoral students to work with professionals.

Currently El Camino provides TimelyCare, an external source to replace the slow pace, and get help as soon as possible.

The app provides scheduled

appointments with a provider where students can choose psychologists by preference and offers the TalkNow service any time of the day. A licensed psychologist will be available within five minutes.

Even though the service is useful, Nilles said students still prefer in-person meetings with a psychologist.

The Student Health Center offers six visits per academic year, and depending on the problem, a person may be referred to an outside specialist for further assistance.

Lux Vargas, a 21-year-old fashion designer major said she recommends using the therapy counseling sessions available at El Camino.

“I have anxiety so they helped me utilize how to manage my anxiety … it’s very helpful,” Vargas said.

Azeb Bhutia, director of clinical training at the Life Skills Center at LA Harbor College, said 10 to 12% of the 11,426 students use the services at the college, including individual counseling and support groups. The college’s mental health services are funded by the state and health fee. The college offers group therapy workshops targeting specific topics each week during the semester.

Support groups work related to a specific topic focused on minority groups.

“The focus is to really see the person as a whole … if it’s a crisis within the hour, we’ll make sure that the crisis is deescalated and they’re able to be calmer ... so either they can be back in the classroom or go home and rest and then we’ll engage them with a brief therapy,” Bhutia said.

Its one-on-one assistance offers six sessions to students, but may go up to 12 sessions if the issue has yet to be resolved, with the possibility of referral to a clinical professional, Bhutia said.

The college not only offers assistance to its students but also offers staff assistance followed by two presentations to present its resources.

LA City College, on the other hand, works in conjunction

with an external clinical source.

Aspen Burnett, director of Behavioral Health said the College offers individual assistance to students in need of help with its main goal of “solution oriented helping.”

mental health resources to promote psychological well being for our students,” Donoso said. “We offer that in a number of different ways: outreach, workshops and individual counseling therapy.”

The college provides shortterm counseling and refers to community counseling through clinics as long-term.

Donoso said effectiveness is highly considered in the center and academic performance is used as a metric for mental health wellness and student performance.

Chancellor’s office.

Dana Timmermans, director of the Behavioral Health Services at Fullerton College, said the college established RAD Care to promote its services. A social gathering is available every Wednesday for students to ask questions to professionals of the center and educate more on the topic. “It’s not therapy, it’s just being able to decrease the stigma around therapy,” Timmermans said.

Depending on the issue, the center may refer the student to specialized doctors to take an in-depth look on its case.

“We don’t want people in 20 years of therapy,” Burnett said.

The goal of the center is to find long-term solutions for its clients. The person may come back as many times as they want.

Santa Monica College, in comparison, prioritizes counseling assistance with three sessions fully covered by the $26 student health fee.

Psychologist at Santa Monica College Danilo Donoso said he cares for student mental health.

“Our mission is to provide

“I think (the services) are extremely effective … just being able to talk with somebody … is so vital,” Donoso said. “Even for those students who don’t use our services just knowing that they’re there, (it already) provides a therapeutic benefit.”

Pasadena College met the health needs of 2,142 students this year with services including intakes, individual therapy, case management, crisis and testing, Mindy Throop, director of the Student Health Services at Pasadena College, said.

Throop said the college has difficulties promoting or planning new events due to the professionals availability to meet student needs.

“We have lots of ideas but the main goal is to maximize what we have without burning out our current employees,” Throop said.

Pasadena College’s health center is not entirely funded by the $26 health fee, although some portion of the funding comes from district funds and money allocated from the

Flyers for RAD Care are everywhere to make sure students know the services are present, Timmermans said.

The $21 student health fee covers three to six individual therapy sessions but possibly more if problem persists.

It covers in-person or online therapy, embedded therapy that serves minority students and a program professors may refer students to who are showing lack of performance.

Although human assistance is helpful to most people, there are developments of machine prototypes to solve people’s mental health problems.

Elyn Saks, an expert on Mental Health and psychologist and psychiatrist at USC, said research is being done, including new medications and potential treatments.

“Transcranial Medical Stimulation where they shoot electricity through your brain … (is) supposed to be as effective as ECT with fewer side effects,” Saks said.

Student Health Ambassador Gabriel Cunha promotes Student Health Services at the Health Center on May 18. The stand offers hand sanitizers, condoms and flyers promoting Timely Care and workshops. Igor Colonno | The Union

Igor Colonno | The Union

“I have anxiety so they helped me utilize how to manage my anxiety ... it’s very helpul.”

— Lux Vargas, fashion major

Fight night strikes success at Sweet Science gym

Fighters of first ever boxing club in El Camino school history takes center stage

By Jesse Chan

Few people are willing to enter a boxing ring.

Fransisco Chavarin, a student fighter at El Camino College is one of them. However, even he couldn’t shake the nervousness he had hours before his match.

“I feel really accomplished right now because we’re filling up the house with people,” Chavarin said. “I’m not going to lie, I threw up a little bit. Once you get those nerves out of the way, you feel perfect right after.”

While El Camino provides boxing classes for students, a boxing club did not exist until the start of the spring semester.

The club’s efforts paid off on Saturday, May 20, when fighters hosted a fight night at Sweet Science Boxing and MMA gym in Hawthorne.

Chavarin was one of those fighters.

The event was not sanctioned, so there were no winners or losers. While many questioned whether the fight night event was even possible, everyone involved felt a feeling of satisfaction, following an astounding attendance.

Coach Rachel Pittock saw Fight Night as a chance for club members to show off their talents and hard work in anticipation to compete in future tournaments.

“Fight Night was an opportunity for our club members to show their skill and all their hard work. We hope to do something like this at the end of every semester,” Pittock said.

“We also hope to grow into a fight team that will compete against other colleges.”

Boxing club co-President Christian Garcia took part in Fight Night: Season One, but originally planned to get involved with a weightlifting group until the opportunity to form a combat sports team emerged.

Garcia said Pittock and Thanos Sarreas, who is part of the organization as a fighter, pitched the idea of formulating the boxing club.

“Thanos and coach Rachel came up with the idea. It wasn’t my idea, so when they mentioned it, I was like, oh my god, why didn’t I think of this,” Garcia said. “And at the time, I liked weightlifting more.”

Six fights were held during the event.

Inter-Club Council weightlifting and boxing club representative Ace Reyes faced

obstacles in organizing the event and demonstrating the club’s capabilities to the InterClub Council cabinet.

“The ICC cabinet did not believe in us; they did not believe in our aspirations that we could build this and make it successful, they were wrong,” Reyes said. “Because we fundraise over $2,000 for the club, and fight night was a huge success.”

Such accomplishment comes as satisfaction for Reyes, as the club demonstrated how the naysayers were wrong.

Fight Night does not end for Pittock and the club.

“We hope this continues to grow and more people learn that we have boxing classes on campus and they might join the club,” Pittock said.

“It feels great because now we can shove it in their face a little bit,” Reyes said. “Now they know this is a legit club. We’re willing to do anything possible to make the club more recognizable.”

To read more, visit the website at eccunion.com

@JJesseChan

Baseball, track and field, swim, highlight spring sports

The baseball team finished the regular season with a 31-14 record, which included an 18-6 conference record, qualifying for the postseason.

The Warriors ended their postseason run against Glendale Community College after dropping their last two games in the second round of SoCal Regionals.

Swimming

Freshman swimming sensation Mia Park captured three state championship titles at the California Community College Athletic Association’s Swim and Dive State Championships in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard free, and the 500-yard free.

Men’s tennis

The team finished with a 7-9 overall record, and 6-6 in conference play, ending their season on April 30 against Mt. San Antonio.

Numerous individual and team qualifers competed at state championships on May 19 and 20 at Modesto College.

Freshman Alyssa Matsuzaki finished in second place in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, while freshman Anthony Taylor finished second in the men’s 110-meter high hurdles.

Freshman Lincoln Marschall competed in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, finishing in third place. Other state qualifiers included James Neely in the 800-meters, Rania Gomaa in the 1,500-meters, Chinedu Adolf in the discus throw, and Ami Jacobson in the 10,000-meters.

Badminton

The team finished with an overall record of 4-6.

Softball

The softball team qualified for the postseason, opening up with a 3-1 victory over Ventura

College, but ended their season after dropping their last two games against the Pirates.

Beach volleyball

The women’s beach team wrapped up their season with a 15-7 overall record, finishing 5-5 in conference play. Sophomores Leafa Juarez and Diana Enriquez entered the CCCAA postseason as the no. 16 seed in the pairs tournament. Juarez and Enriquez won their match against no. 11 pair Taylor Vales and Tristin Sahlie of West Valley College, but were defeated by Orange Coast College pair Corrine Williams and Brisa Zapata-Reaves, ranked no. 6. and no. 3 pair of Flor Porras and Kiana Manson of West Valley College.

Golf

The golf team competed on April 17, coming in last place with a score of 420. They later competed at conference finals on April 24.

Sweet Science Boxing and and MMA gym owner Marco Trejo (middle) lifts up Francisco Chavarin (left) and Ricardo Mercado after their battle at El Camino’s first “Fight Night” event in Hawthorne on May 20. Khoury Williams | The Union

Warriors player Diana Enriquez dives for a ball during a game against Cerritos College on Friday, April 7. Ethan Cohen | The Union

Baseball

Track and field