The Union Vol. 77, No. 2

A welcoming space for students

New Social Justice Center aims to build student equity, unity and a sense of belonging

Kim McGill @KimMcGillLA

More than 100 students, faculty and staff gathered on Wednesday, Sept. 28 to celebrate the opening of El Camino College’s new Social Justice Center located in the Communications Building across from Student Services.

Multiple instances of civil unrest such as the protests following the murder of George Floyd under police custody and escalating attacks on the human rights of the LGBTQIA+ population have renewed pressure for El Camino to build the center.

“I think it’s a bold and brave risk that the college is taking to create this center, because what we want to do is not just celebrate our cultural differences and have film screenings and collaborative events, but also hold the campus accountable for things that we could do better,” the center’s coordinator Monica Delgado said.

Mask mandate could drop next spring

Brittany Parris @eccunionbparris

Come spring semester, El Camino students may return to a mask-free campus, according to Academic Senate President Darcie McClelland during the Oct. 4 Academic Senate meeting.

“The COVID TaskForce met Friday, and we are in the process of collecting feedback to make a decision about what we’re going to do with mask mandates for spring,” McClelland said.

The two options on the table are to keep mask requirements as they are now or to drop them entirely and make them optional for every person in every space.

Going back to El Camino’s previous protocols requiring masks to be worn in all indoor locations will not be one of the options.

The Board of Trustees will discuss all COVID-19 response mandates at their next meeting on Oct. 17.

Testing no longer required for vaccine exemptions

Future of campus’ vaccine mandate to be decided next Board of Trustees meeting

Khallid Muhsin & Delfino Camacho @KM_elcamino23 @eccunionDelfino

COVID-19 protocols continue to loosen at El Camino College as vaccine exempt students, staff and faculty are no longer required to test for COVID-19, however, vaccinations are still required for those who are non-exempt.

According to an email sent by the Office of Marketing and Communications, the new testing protocal will go into effect on Monday, Oct. 10 with optional testing available at the health screening kiosk located at Manhattan Beach Blvd. Module 134.

While testing is no longer a requirement on campus, vaccines remain mandated for non-exempt

students, staff and faculty.

The future of El Camino College’s vaccine mandate will be brought up for discussion during the next Board of Trustees meeting scheduled to take place on Monday, Oct. 17.

The decision to address the mandate for the board’s next meeting was unanimously agreed upon by the Board of Trustees during their Sept. 6 meeting, resulting in the discussion being placed on the agenda’s future action items.

At the September board meeting, Trustee Kenneth Brown brought up the possibility of updating the mandate.

“I’d like to have a conversation about [the] current status of [the]

vaccine mandate, if we need to change anything,” Brown said.

Currently, El Camino still enforces a vaccine mandate that requires all students and employees to provide proof of vaccination with few medical and religious exceptions.

The mandate was enacted on Sept. 7, 2021 as is detailed in the college’s campus COVID-19 response plan.

An El Camino Health Center employee said the college no longer offers the COVID-19 vaccination and only offers the Pfizer bivalent booster shot.

Matt Schulz cuts the ribbon, opening the new Social Justice Center at El Camino College on Sept.

Kitzia Lopez and Schulz were among

student

center’s creation.

McGill

Photo illustration by Delfino Camacho | The Union

On-campus dining options should extend business hours

frustration of trying to catch a quick bite to eat in between classes only to realize on-campus dining is closed.

an interview after Mahone refused to comply with its interview policy.

Campus Viewpoints: Vaccine Requirements

Sean Masi, 20, Business and Fire Emergency Technology Major

“As an educational institution, you’re supposed to provide education to everyone. If you want to be vaccinated, that’s great. If you don’t, that’s great,” Masi said. “I think [El Camino] should lift the vaccine mandate because [soci ety] has moved away from the level of lockdown and urgency.”

Student

Carlos Munoz was feeling hungry on Thursday, Sept. 29, so he stopped by the El Cappuccino restaurant before doing some homework on campus.

There was only one problem: Munoz attended afternoon classes.

It was after 2 p.m., and the doors were locked.

El Camino College has two main oncampus dining options, El Cappuccino, located by the bookstore, and Cafe El Camino, by the Humanities Building. The two locations, operated by thirdparty vendor Pacific Dining, are not open past 2 p.m.

El Cappuccino is open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - Thursday and from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Cafe El Camino operates from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Thursday.

The restaurant does not open on Fridays.

El Camino is still getting used to the return of in-person classes after two years of strictly virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so limited operational hours are understandable in this transition phase.

But with in-person classes comes the return of hungry people.

Around campus, many students, faculty, and staff have experienced the

One might argue that, admittedly, more students are on campus in the mornings and early afternoons.

According to the El Camino College Office of Institutional Research and Planning, the fall 2002 semester has 1,115 in-person courses (or classes) available. Of those 1,115 on-campus classes, 356 starts at or after 2 p.m.

That means 32% of available inperson classes begin after on-campus restaurants have shuttered their doors.

That 32% accounts for 6,120 current enrollments.

While enrollments are not a direct representation of student count due to duplication, that is still a sizable number of students, not to mention staff and faculty, who simply don’t get the availability of on-campus nutrition.

While it is not the majority, it does not seem fair to cut off the nutritional needs of those members of the El Camino community.

Vendors and school offficials should work together to find solutions rather than closing early.

The Union attempted to speak with Pacific Dining representative Rick Mahone to clarify why dining shuts down at 2 p.m.

However, the Union could not attain

The Union does not, under any circumstances, accept or participate in e-mail interviews.

Neighboring Compton Community College is significantly smaller than El Camino in terms of campus and enrollment size.

They have one on-campus dining option that a third-party vendor also runs.

Their operating hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

While the restaurants are open roughly the same hours in the day, the operational hours at Compton allow afternoon students and staff to take advantage of hot meals while still giving adequate time to morning students.

Vice President of Administrative Services Abdul Nassar at Compton Community told The Union he wants to expand hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m when it becomes feasible.

While the details and logistics may differ here at El Camino, there is a way to do it.

To alleviate the growling stomachs of late afternoon students and faculty, El Camino and Pacific Dining should make efforts to extend dining hours.

Editorials are unsigned and are written and voted upon by the editorial

“I think personally, I like having the vaccine mandate because it just improves safety on campus,” Medina said. “For a safety issue allowing us to be back on campus, it’s [vaccine man dates] something that I support.”

“I think it [the vaccine mandate] should remain to keep the safety of all these students who have been vacci nated and to keep the exposure levels down.” Jiang said.

Gary Medina, Librarian

Jason Jiang, 17, Biology Major

Ash Hallas | The Union

Choosing between my faith and school

Schools should strive to accomodate their religious students

Ethan Cohen @itscecohen

For many students, the fall season means the start of school, catching up with old friends, football games, and pumpkin spice everything.

But for me, it's the most sacred time of year.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two most important and observed holidays in the Jewish faith.

Rosh Hashanah means more than just the Jewish New Year, but a celebration of the world's creation. The following ten days symbolize reaching out to those we have wronged in search of their forgiveness leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is observed by fasting and reconciliation with God in reflection of the past year's sins.

As a Jewish college student, observing these crucial holidays means I will miss two days of school during the first month of the semester.

Is there a project due that day? Will I miss an important test or exam? How do I approach my teachers? Will I be accommodated?

I have asked myself these questions countless times and have to explain my reasoning for my absences from class constantly.

As a young child, I never understood why I was never given these days off.

The Torah teaches us that "work" is prohibited during the High Holidays, which includes writing and using technology. These are not simply "days off," which we can use to complete

homework or study for a test, but intend for us to connect ourselves closer to our religion.

I felt compelled to choose between my faith and being present at school.

I resented listening to the announcements of students that would be receiving awards for perfect attendance.

I rushed to email all my teachers about my absences, turned in schoolwork earlier than the deadlines, and rescheduled tests to take on later dates.

Sometimes, I was left to fend for myself, texting classmates for notes on the day's lesson. While on other occasions, I was met with kindhearted instructors who made accommodations.

When I was a senior in high school, Rosh Hashanah fell on the second day of school, posing a significant challenge for both parents and students as we all struggled to acclimate to the new school year.

Missing two days out of the first month of school interrupts one of the most fundamental times of the academic year: getting back into the rhythm.

Experts say that the opening days of the school year are the most critical to student success.

"The first days of the school year are a time when students establish their initial rapport with teachers or professors and learn about their educators' expectations for the coming year or class," according to the Anti-

Defamation League, an anti-hate organization focusing on issues of antisemitism and bias.

In an era where the Jewish High Holidays are featured on every calendar, the expectation would be that school districts and administrators would strive to accommodate their religious students better.

Through the years, Jewish community leaders have asked local school district officials to grant student holidays so that students and faculty may observe the day without feeling the pressure of missing class.

In 2010, the Redondo Beach Unified School District became the first school district in the South Bay to add Jewish holidays to their yearly calendar as "local holidays," which grants students and faculty time off.

Redondo Unified was followed by Palos Verdes, Torrance, and Manhattan Beach school districts, which now grant one or both student holidays.

More school districts, including college districts, must follow their lead.

By granting district-wide holidays for the two most important days of the Jewish calendar, local school officials can ensure that their campuses are inclusive places where students, regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity and creed, are given the best possible opportunities to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

So as I enter the Jewish year of 5783, I hope that change lies before me and for the many other religious college students who share my struggle.

Samantha Quinonez

@eccunionSamQ

I remember one afternoon I was swiping through TikTok, uninterested. Every trend is the same.

It was one of those days that every swipe was the same thing.

I swiped into a video of a woman speaking about a filter.

At first, I didn't understand what filter she was implying. The video looked like any other video.

She started talking about how this filter made her feel beautiful, so beautiful that she asked the filter, "Please don't make me look so beautiful, it's going to make me leave my husband."

This video stuck with me for a while. How can a filter make someone feel so beautiful that they would have thought like this?

There was a study conducted by Consumer Reports asking people if they found filter usage troubling or not.

They reported that 59% of people said that beauty filters are "troubling."

I didn't understand what it meant for beauty filters to be "troubling."

Troubling can be translated in many ways.

One of the most recent troubling events that filter has caused was the recent lawsuit where Texas and Illinois sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, temporarily restricting certain filters.

Certain restricted filters were the virtual makeup and add-ons like sunglasses and different hair colors.

Filters that younger audiences still use.

Texas and Illinois claimed that Meta was breaking the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, learning people's faces and biometrics without people's content.

Since the temporary ban on filters, it made me start to wonder if other places should consider restricting filters as well.

Filters have started to bleed into our everyday lives. It allows the user to alter the world around them.

But even worse, it allows users to alter themselves into whatever they want.

At a young age, I still remember when filters started to become a new trend. The puking rainbow filter was on everyone's feed.

I still remember trying it out with my friends from my choir class. We laughed quietly in the back of the class. Scared Mrs. Chong would catch us.

Little did I know that it would shape the way I saw myself.

I don't remember taking a picture that doesn't have a filter.

I always thought my photos looked better with a filter on.

I relied on a filter that made me feel beautiful.

Knowing this scared me.

Another thing that scared me was I wasn't the only one who felt this way.

To know that other people feel this way is both troubling and comforting.

Comforting to know that other people feel this way but troubling to know that something as small as filters allowed us to justify ourselves.

I should've known this would shape me, and I should've known I relied on a filter to make me beautiful.

I didn't know until I started constantly using filters in my photos.

I look back, and all I see in pictures of myself are red horns on top of my head, the one with the pink hearts on top of my head, or the one that made my voice a few octaves too high.

I think there should be restrictions on filters. I think it will help people become more confident in themselves.

The only way people accept something is when they realize that they are not alone.

I felt alone in this troubling thought, and for a long time, I thought I was alone.

I kept it to myself and didn't tell anyone what I thought.

To know that 59% of other individuals feel the same way makes me realize that even amid everything, we can allow ourselves to be understood.

I don't think this problem will be solved overnight, and it will take years to unlearn this issue that took years to develop.

I believe if we allow Meta to continue evolving into what it is becoming, we will fall further into the cycle of not allowing ourselves to be our authentic selves.

Photo illustration (Ethan Cohen | The Union)

How filters changed how I view myself and the change we need to see

Filters are changing the way beauty is seen

"I relied on a filter that made me feel beautiful."

Trial in murder of student postponed until

Kim McGill @KimMcGillLA

A29-year-old man entered court in a white tee shirt with a yellow collar under blue cotton scrubs and slip-on sneakers issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

His head was clean-shaven and his face and scalp had a clear and even complexion framed by a full beard.

As the deputy motioned for him to sit, his shoulders slumped forward as his wrists remained handcuffed behind his back.

Ethan Kedar Astaphan is on trial as one of three defendants accused in the alleged murder of El Camino College engineering student Juan Carlos Hernandez.

Astaphan’s trial was postponed again from its initial start date of Sept. 6 and will now start on or before Feb. 28, 2023, unless Astaphan requests another postponement.

On Tuesday, Sept. 27 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles, Larson Hahm, the Los Angeles County deputy public defender representing Astaphan, requested more time for the defense to prepare.

Astaphan again waived his rights to start trial and agreed to the

postponement of the trial into the new year.

On May 8, Astaphan’s trial was scheduled to start on or before October 27. Under both federal and state law, defendants have a right to a speedy trial.

Before Tuesday’s hearing, Astaphan raised concerns with his attorney that trips to court for procedural matters burden defendants in Los Angeles County Jail custody.

On behalf of Astaphan, Hahm requested that future procedural hearings be attended by counsel only. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynne M. Hobbs ordered Hahm to fill out a waiver that relinquishes Astaphan’s right to be present during the trial, which he signed.

The next pre-trial hearing is scheduled for November 15, at which Astaphan’s attendance will not be required.

On Sept. 22, 2020, Hernandez left from his home on Adams Blvd. in South Central Los Angeles to drive to his job at the V.I.P. Collective marijuana dispensary at 8113 South Western Ave.

Hernandez never returned home that night. His decomposed body was found on Nov. 15, 2020, in a remote section of the Mojave desert.

Astaphan worked at the unlicensed dispensary as a manager along with the dispensary owner Weijia Peng. Both Astaphan and Peng have been accused of murdering Hernandez, hiding his body and burning his glasses and other belongings.

A third defendant, Peng’s thengirlfriend Sonita Heng, was charged as an accomplice and has negotiated a plea deal in exchange for her testimony against Astaphan and Peng.

On Tuesday, in the hallway outside court, Hahm declined to comment on the case and denied The Union staff an opportunity to interview Astaphan.

Responding to news of another postponement of Astaphan’s trial, the victim’s mother, Yajaira Hernandez, said, “I figured that much because the detectives didn’t call me. I wish they would start already, but I understand it’s the process.”

Student voices manifested at new center’s grand opening

Delgado said that there are many equity programs on campus that have existed for a long time and the new center will serve as a hub for all the different ideas.

Discussions began again in 2020 within the Associated Students Organization (ASO), spanning three administrations that worked to move the vision forward.

“The idea was to have a space where people of any background, of any origin, could come together, learn and advocate for themselves,” ASO member Matt Schulz said.

The vision and content for the center including the staffing, space and program priorities were developed by the Student Equity Advisory Council.

The center will operate as a gathering place for film screenings, discussions, workshops, and action planning. Audio-visual equipment will enable online meetings and webinars.

Campus clubs and organizations that promote justice and equity will have access to printers, a copier, computers, button making and other resources to support their social justice efforts.

Student employee Nindiya Maheswari, described the center as a place to discuss complex topics in a safe and inclusive environment.

“After George Floyd’s murder, the students on campus wanted a place they could talk about the issues and organize and also feel safe,” Maheswari said.

Trustee Nilo Michelin went on to praise the students who made the center a reality and said that he was “proud” of their efforts and emphasized that it was the students who “pushed” the idea forward.

“As a student who went from Los Angeles Unified School District public schools to UCLA Law School, this is a special moment for me. I faced a lot of discrimination, I faced a lot of challenges, and I really needed a social justice center,” Michelin said.

Physically the space is comfortable and inspiring, including beautiful images of freedom fighters and innovators on the walls and decorating the ceiling of the main room as you first enter.

“It’s difficult. We have endless backgrounds, endless stories here at El Camino, but it seems we all get caught up in our academics, our jobs.” Kitzia Lopez said to the crowd. “Here at the center, we aim to make community happen.”

Lopez was a member of the Student Equity Advisory Council (SEAC) when the proposal was developed. She said that she wants to implement a “home away from home” feeling by encouraging people to collaborate together on campus.

“This is what student voice and student agency looks like manifested,” President Brenda Thames said.

The El Camino president was just one of the numerous administrators that spoke at the event.

“Everybody wants to feel welcomed. Everybody wants to feel respected. Everybody wants to belong. And that’s what social justice is, the opportunity to belong, to be respected, to be welcomed into El Camino College and the South Bay,” Vice President of Student Services Ross Miyashiro told the crowd.

“This is a very unique place,” Trustee Kenneth Brown said. “Let’s not make this a one-time thing. After today, please come and visit, please come and contribute, please come and volunteer.”

The Social Justice Center is open on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The college community can follow the center on Instagram for updates on events and activities.

During

Yajaira Hernandez holds a photo of her son, Juan Hernandez, 21, at the #SurvivorsSpeak rally in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 26. Hernandez went to Clara Shortridge Foltz Courthouse for a hearing in the case of The People of California vs. Sonita Heng. Kim McGill | The Union

Need a hand? Here’s a paw

Vaccines up for discussion at El Camino

The El Camino COVID task force is a group made up of campus officials who make preparations and decisions regarding any impact that the pandemic may have on the college community and play an advisory role regarding COVID-19 matters.

“The task force cannot decide on the COVID-19 vaccine resolution, the requirement of the vaccine comes from a resolution that was passed by the Board of Trustees,” El Camino College President Brenda Thames said. “So the task force’s role in this is to make a recommendation to me and then I make a recommendation to the Board.”

Chief of Campus Police Michael Trevis, a member of the task force, said that while he cannot give an official comment regarding the mandate, his opinion is that while people should have choices there are circumstances where rules need to be applied for the “good of everybody.”

Over the past year, Thames and other El Camino administrators have worked hard to navigate the many pitfalls regarding enacting and enforcing mandates, all for the safety of students, faculty and staff.

College officials have made efforts to reduce how much coronavirus mandates interfere with students’ education.

“We have been very intentional and very purposeful on following federal state and local guidance since the county provides guidance of higher education and we’ve been very intentional on following that guidance as well,” Thames said.

Police Beat

Information courtesy of the El Camino College Police Department

Friday, Sept. 23, at 8:48 p.m.

An unnamed individual was found in possesion of nitrous oxide at the “7-11” store on 16520 S Crenshaw Blvd; the individual has been arrested.

Thames said that the only time this guidance was not followed was when the county, state and the CDC ended their mask mandate. El Camino kept their mask mandate in place due to input from the college community.

While safety and health appear to be the top concern for college officials, the matter of low enrollment throughout the California Community College system might also play a factor when debating further mandate changes.

With COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations rates decreasing in LA County, more colleges have ended their vaccine requirements.

Currently Santa Monica College, College of the Desert, West LA College, Citrus College, Mt. San Antonio College and Rio Hondo College have ended their vaccine mandates.

Other local colleges such as East Los Angeles College, LA City College, Compton Community College, Pasadena City College, North Orange

Replacement pianist set to perform at Marsee Auditorium

Monday, Sept. 25, at 12:34 p.m.

A battery incident was reported in an unspecified parking lot near Manhattan Beach Blvd; the case is now closed.

Wednesday, Sept. 28, between 5:45 & 9:56 p.m.

A vandalism involving a broken vehicle window occured in Lot B; the case is open and under investigation.

Famed pianist and 2022

Cliburn Silver Medalist Anna

Geniushene has canceled her Friday, Oct. 7 performance at El Camino College and will be replaced by Cliburn Bronze Medalist Daniel Hsu for the same performance date and time of Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.

El Camino’s Center for the Arts Director Rick Christophersen said that Geniushene’s departure was due to currently being in the middle of a late-stage pregnancy.

The Cliburn Foundation, an organization that aims to “advance classical piano music throughout the world,” reached out to the Center for the Arts to let them know Geniushene would not be available.

The foundation also suggested Hsu as a replacement.

Unlike Geniushene, who has performed at El Camino in the

College and Golden West College have kept their required vaccine mandate, as of this publishing date.

El Camino is currently collecting data from other community colleges that have rescinded their mandates and numerous other school districts that have done so as well to give the Board of Trustees all of the information possible so that an informed decision can be made.

“We’ve decided to be very aggressive in our enrollment management approach and our outreach in recruitment, so we’re going to invest a lot of funds and resources into that,” Thames said.

Trustee Brown said that while he has not yet seen the future meetings agenda, he is open to discussions and recommendations regarding the mandate at the Oct. 17 meeting

“We need to continue looking at those things,” Brown said. “Because those aren’t just static documents or

past, Hsu has never performed on campus. Christophersen said he was excited to see new performers on stage after not having any performances for two years due to COVID-19.

Hsu has won the 2017 Cliburn Bronze Medal and also won a 2016 Gilmore Young Artist award and was the first prize winner of the 2015 CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition.

Tickets are priced at $26 for general admission and at $10 for students with I.D.

COVID -19 protocols must be adhered to and all guests will be required to show proof of vaccination and complete a health screening questionnaire prior to attendance.

Thursday, Sept. 29, between 1:30 & 4:15 p.m.

A burglary occured near the Humanities Building; the case is open and under investigation.

Thursday, Sept. 29, at 11:12 a.m.

A physical and verbal disturbance was reported on campus near Café Camino; the case is now closed.

static decisions.”

The decision will be determined at the next Board of Trustees meeting at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, where it is open to the public located on the first floor of the Administration Building.

Friday, Sept. 30, at an unknown time.

A stalking incident was reported to have occured at an unlown location on the El Camino College campus; the case was left as a Campus Security Authority report.

Friday, Sept. 30, at 2:15 p.m.

A petty bicycle theft occured between the Physics and Humanities Buildings; the case is open and under investigation.

Bonnie and Patty, both El Camino College staff, pet Trixie, a therapy dog, during a visit to El Camino College on Sept. 28, 2022. . Raphael Richardson | The Union

An El Camino student recieves a flu vaccination at the Health Center on Wednesday, Oct. 5. El Camino also offers Pfizer variant of the bivalent booster shot. Will Renfroe | The Union

-Delfino Camacho

Trucking course helps students ‘switch gears’

Trucking School was born from job market needs and rising student interest, college officials say

Samantha Quinonez @eccunionSamQ

In light traffic on a Sunday morning the El Camino College stadium parking lot sits empty and through lonely, scattered cars, a small white trailer-less truck makes its way to the end of parking lot L.

Emmanuel Navarro, El Camino’s Truck Driver trainer, parks the truck in front of two small trailers. One of the trailers reads ‘El Camino College Trucking School’ in large letters.

Navarro opens one of the trailers and takes out orange traffic cones, two tables, chairs and a blue tent.

He sets up five obstacle courses and two tables, placing five chairs around the table.

He’s ready to teach the morning class.

The supply chain slowed at the pandemic’s peak, and the demand for truck drivers rose. Earlier this year, El Camino started a new job training program aimed at teaching and helping students to earn their class A commercial driver’s licenses.

That is how the El Camino Truck Driving training program was born.

“The wages went up to $29-36 dollars an hour on average,” Navarro said.

“With the ports, it is a guaranteed job.”

Navarro said he likes to teach students the ins and outs of truck driving, which is his way of giving back to the community. Before teaching at El Camino, he taught at Empire Trucking in Ontario.

“I want everyone to pass,” Navarro said, “I don’t want anyone to fail.”

Director of Community Education

Betty Sedor recognized a need for this training in the community, primarily due to the ports around the Bay Area.

Sedor looked online at The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and realized that truck driving is among the highest in-demand occupations nationwide.

“When I [discovered] that there is a need for something, I keep a list in the back of my mind or just on my computer for potential jobs,” Sedor said. “Then I start looking for a good partner, a good trainer that could provide this training.”

Sedor partnered with Del-Aire, a trucking company that transports supplies throughout California. DelAire provided instructors and allowed El Camino to use its equipment for teaching.

“The demand is so strong that we actually have more students than we do

classes,” Sedor said.

There are two classes, with one group meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays and the other on Saturdays and Sundays. Both classes are extended to finish in November, giving the students more time to learn, practice and achieve the minimum requirement students need to be behind the wheel.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a specific curriculum that students need to follow. At the same time, the California Department of Motor Vehicles requires students to practice for 170 hours to be behind the wheel.

Juan Ceja, a 52-year-old carpenter, said he wants to start working after getting his license. When he learned about truck drivers’ wages, he googled truck driving classes and found that

El Camino offers reasonably priced courses.

“I want to learn,” Ceja said. “I want to get the knowledge,”

Ceja said he is a visual learner. While other students are driving, he watches them and studies the obstacle course before he gets behind the wheel.

After this group of students get their requirements for the job commercial driver’s license, or CDL, the program will be paused to “revamp” the course and make some improvements.

Sedor said it would be separated into three parts, allowing students to make payments since FASFA does not cover the course.

Joaquin Suarez, a student of the Commercial Truck Driving class, checks all tires and ensures that they are in good condition prior to driving on the road. Nindiya Maheswari Putri | The Union

Erika Reyes, a student in the Commercial Truck Driving class, disconnects a trailer to a truck before her turn to practice driving at the parking lot and the road on Sunday,

Juan Ceja, Commercial Trucking Class student, practices parking a truck in the designated spot during class time on Sunday, Sept.18. Nindiya Maheswari Putri | The Union

Meet the VP: Carlos Lopez is a lifelong learner

Jesus “Jesse” Canche Chan @eccUnionJJesse

Carlos Lopez is always learning. Now 51, the lifelong educator challenged himself by learning how to ice skate in his early 40s. Even after multiple falls, he kept getting back up.

Keeping up with younger, more experienced ice skaters takes tenacity, something the new Vice President of Academic Affairs knows about.

Born in Calexico, Lopez spent most of his life in the Coachella Valley and a little bit in Orange County. He attended College of the Desert for two years.

“It’s kind of where I fell in love with community college because if not for the College of the Desert, I wouldn’t be here today, so I’m grateful,” Lopez said.

At College of the Desert, Lopez eventually discovered that he enjoyed tutoring his fellow students.

“It was kind of my first teaching [job] … I got to work as a tutor there, a math tutor,” Lopez said. “I really kind of liked teaching, I never thought I would.”

Lopez transferred from College of the Desert to UC San Diego, earning a degree in applied mathematics. Unfortunately, Lopez would have to return home from college to help his mother.

“My father passed away, and we had a small family business back in the Coachella Valley and so I had to go home and help my mom and the job I could get was working as a teacher,” Lopez said. “I taught at Palm Springs high school for a couple of years.”

Although he enjoyed his time at Palm Springs, Lopez soon realized he didn’t want to spend the rest of his career in a high school classroom.

Returning to graduate school at UC

“Another reason why I want to divide it into three parts is I want to make it easier,” Sedor said. “A little easier to digest pain, each part of it.” Sedor partnered with J.J. Keller, a company that strives to teach people how to work safely in job sites and

Riverside, Lopez studied statistics not long after he began to teach part-time at a community college in Moreno Valley.

“Again, I was reminded how cool it was to work at a place where you know students like me, from places where

I grew up,” Lopez said. “[I] had an opportunity to improve their place of work.”

Lopez decided to apply for full-time teaching positions at Mt. San Jacinto College and got the job.

Lopez would continue to fill many positions at different colleges, including Dean of Instruction at Mira Costa College, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santa Ana College and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Moreno Valley College.

When a position opened up at El Camino College, and after doing some research, Lopez jumped at the opportunity, officially landing the role on August 1.

Visitors to the Vice Presidents of Academic Affairs office will be greeted warmly by Lopez, but even before you see him, you’ll also get a sense of the man sitting behind the desk.

Lopez likes to advertise his friendly personality, from the noticeable Lego calendar on his desk to the artwork hung on the wall.

While he is still new to the role, Lopez has nothing but praise for El Camino and its faculty and staff.

“So far, it has been (great). I have been here seven weeks,” Lopez said, “It has been exciting … in that really cool kind of energizing way.”

Since he was hired, Lopez has been quite complimentary of El Camino’s exceptional quality and variety of faculty.

environments. Students will have the opportunity to take a “mock knowledge test” through a textbook that the company provides.

“The reason why some people want to become a truck driver is because some of them want to supplement their existing income,” Sedor said.

“We have industry professionals that teach [here],” Lopez said, pointing out the quality of teaching available at El Camino College.

Kerri Webb, Director of Public Information and Government Relations, works closely with both the college president and vice president.

“He’s very responsive. It’s been my experience he literally hit the ground running. On day one, since he first got here, he got right to work. He’s amazing,” Webb said.

Lavonne Plum, the vice president’s assistant, said that she and Lopez are still getting to know each other due to their short time on the job.

“We’re still learning how to work together. Things have gone very well so far, to my knowledge,” Plum said. “He’s pretty straightforward, he’s very knowledgeable,” Plum said.

Community colleges have played a significant role in shaping Lopez’s life, and with his new position at El Camino, they will continue to be a focus in his future.

Listen to this issues themed playlist

The Union staff will be curating music playlist to coincide with each print issue. Inspired by the El Camino Trucking school story this weeks theme is: Roadtrip Tunes.

“They’re not making enough money at their regular jobs.”

People curious about truck driving training can contact the program by calling 310-660-6446 or send an email to commed@elcamino.edu.

New Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez speaks to The Union staff during a newsroom visit on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Ethan Cohen | The Union

New vice president of Academic Affairs has deep roots in the community college system

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New Esports center scores points with gamers

Now open at the Schauerman Library at El Camino College

Nindia Maheswari Putri

Warrior Esports Center, a hightech and inclusive gaming space on campus, is now open at the Schauerman Library at El Camino College.

Currently, it is an old computer lab in the library basement, but the Warrior Esports Center will soon have 25 high-powered computers and a few Nintendo Switch systems capable of running a myriad of video games ranging from “Call of Duty” to “Super Smash Bros”.

In that same space, you’ll meet the Dean of Library and Learning Resources, Crystle Martin. With her electric blue hair and sporting a “Psychonauts” video game t-shirt, Martin is a gaming expert and strong advocate of Warrior Esports Center.

Martin collaborated with the Dean of Health Sciences and Athletics Russel Serr, as well as other faculty and club members to create the Warrior Esports Center.

Her vision is a place where people interested in gaming can go to hang out together on campus.

“I actually did my Ph.D. research on gaming, so that’s kind of near and dear to my heart,” Martin said. “The way that we got the esports center in the library was [that] as the esports club was growing, they were looking for a space and we were interested in having a gaming space.”

Some universities have established big competitive esports arenas and scholarships for esports team players. An esports team at El Camino will give one more career pathway for students interested in transferring to universities.

Currently, El Camino College esports teams are comprised of 136 active members. On average, competitions garner 65 viewers for each game played, with one season consisting of 16 games.

“When you play an esports team, you still have to do the same kind of like learning, collaboration, teamwork, and tactics as a team, that you would if you were playing sports as a team,” Martin said.

Founder and President of the Warrior esports Club, Luisa Paredes, was heavily involved in revamping the Warrior esports Center. She worked

Warrior Esports Club members welcomed and answered questions from a student who visited their table at ECC Fall 2022 Club Rush on Sept.14. Nindiya Maheswari Putri | The Union

with library staff to create computer specifications and a spacious layout.

The new high-speed computers in the Warrior Esports Center will have specifications consisting of an “Nvidia RTX” 3070 Ti graphics card, AMD 5600 desktop processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM, a one terabyte SSD and two terabytes HDD for storage.

All component specifications will enable each computer to run modern video games at near limitless potential.

Paredes said that the center plans to implement a modular design that makes it easy for students to move computers around. They can rearrange the space for both tournaments and casual play.

Sam Park, a library staff member and student workers Angel Tapia and Moises Santander also helped with the center. Park said students could add their games onto the computers, but have to use the same PCs to access them.They can reserve computers in advance by using the library reservation system.

“We’re gonna have competitive players, but we also want

to have casual players as well,” Tapia said. “We just want to include those people, we don’t want them to feel marginalized or left out.”

The space welcomes all students whether or not they associate themselves with the esports club. Gaming experience is not required. “It’s a space where collaboration is supposed to happen, learning is supposed to happen,” Santander said.

Martin also considers developing a curriculum around esports in the future. Some faculties have shown interest in using the space and educational games to help students build math, communication, and creativity skills.

However, not all students knew about the esports center’s existence on campus. Sheriff Abdrahman, a business student and President of the Black Student Union, showed interest in the new space.

“I’m not so much of an esports guy, but definitely will check out and play casually and even get better to play in competition,” Abdrahman said.

The Warrior esports Center is still awaiting 25 high-powered computers to arrive between late October and early November. The center is currently planned to be fully operational by Spring 2023.

“One of our goals is to achieve equity in gaming. There are people who do not have the financial means to play video games.”

-Luisa Paredes, Founder and President of Warrior Esports Club

Crystle Martin, Dean of Library and Learning Resources is a gaming expert and strong advocate of Warrior Esports Center. Nindiya Maheswari Putri | The Union