Campus culture: A call to action

El Camino College is a vibrant and diverse community that hosts a melting pot of cultures.

Over the years, the college has made concerted efforts to foster an inclusive environment where all students feel like they belong and can succeed.

With its diverse student and employee population, El Camino is well-positioned to offer an enriching and empowering educational experience that encourages critical thinking, empathy, and mutual respect.

By embracing cultural diversity and creating opportunities for students to share their unique perspectives, the college is helping shape a generation of learners equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Although the college provides a welcoming environment for students to express themselves freely, there is still room for students to contribute more of their individuality to the campus community.

An exchange of cultures, religions, backgrounds, and experiences can help break down stereotypes that have been created over time and foster understanding between different groups. It can also have a positive impact on individuals and communities, leading to greater empathy and understanding.

The call to action for El Camino College students is clear: bring more of your culture, religion, background, and experiences to the campus community.

Not only do individual students benefit from showcasing their cultures on campus, but the wider community also reap the rewards.

The importance of cultural diversity cannot be overstated, as it offers students the opportunity to learn from each other, experience new things and improve their critical thinking skills.

It is, therefore, vital students bring more of themselves to campus life to create a more inclusive and diverse community.

This can take many forms whether it be organizing cultural events, participating in clubs or organizations that celebrate your heritage or simply sharing your unique perspectives with others.

Clubs like “Christians on Campus” or the “Muslim Student Association” are great examples of how students can pool together and bring a part of themselves to the table.

For example, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) will be marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan by hosting an Eid al-Fitr prayer on Friday, April 21, at Murdock Stadium as a beacon for Muslim students in the area.

MSA expects there to be over 3,500 people joining the event which encapsulates the power of shared community here at El Camino.

Cultures that may not always see the spotlight have an opportunity to showcase and help people understand what goes on behind the scenes of someone who is not represented in large numbers.

By showcasing their cultures, students can feel more connected to their roots, develop leadership skills and gain a sense of pride and belonging.

Of course, there may be challenges to showcasing cultural diversity on campus. Some students or administrators may be hesitant to change or there may be a lack of resources available to go around.

However, there are solutions to these challenges.

Students can collaborate with other clubs or organizations to pool resources and fundraise for events. They can also reach out to allies for support or partner with employees to create more inclusive programming.

El Camino has a unique opportunity to create a diverse and inclusive campus community. The Union strongly urges all students to take the initiative and bring more of their culture and religion to campus life.

Together, we can create a more inclusive and diverse community that celebrates the unique perspectives and experiences of all students.

There is space for everyone at El Camino College.

Editors

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Khoury Williams eccunion@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR Ethan Cohen managing.eccunion@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR Ethan Cohen news.eccunion@gmail.com

ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR Brittany Parris af.eccunion@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITOR Greg Fontanilla sports.eccunion@gmail.com

COPY EDITOR Anthony Lipari eccunion@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Delfino Camacho SM.eccunion@gmail.com

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Nindiya Maheswari MM.eccunion@gmail.com

OPINION EDITOR Igor Colonno opinion.eccunion@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITORS Ethan Cohen Greg Fontanilla photo.eccunion@gmail.com

Staff

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

Kai Martinez

Kae Takazawa

Erica Lee

Ari Martinez

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Senior Photographer Photographer Photographer Photographer Photographer Photographer Illustrator Intern Intern

Advisers

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

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The Union is an award-winning, nationally recognized publication that prints on designated Thursdays by Journalism 11 and 14 students at El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506, and is free to the student body and staff. The Union publishes daily online at eccunion.com.