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EL CAMINO COLLEGE APRIL 23, 2015
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THE UNION eccunion.com
TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA
Stabbing victim was promising musical talent
An El Camino student was killed at his South L.A. home on the night of April 6 Phil Sidavong
News Editor @ECCUnionPhil
John Fordiani/ Union An El Camino student was attacked in a home across the street from campus on April 10. Neighbors on Atkinson Avenue have rallied together and responded to the incident by keeping an eye out for the alleged attacker.
Student raped near campus Jessica Martinez
Editor-in-Chief @ECCUnionJessica
An El Camino faculty member sent an email to faculty, staff, managers and supervisors that said the victim of the alleged rape that occurred blocks from EC Friday was an international student at the college, on April 13. As reported first on ECCUnion. com: Pete Doucette, who teaches chemistry, said he lives in the area near Crenshaw Boulevard, north of Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Doucette said his neighbors, said the international student was followed home in broad daylight by the suspect, who kicked the door
in. Doucette said his neighbors said the student soon emerged from the house, fell on the sidewalk and was “devastated.” Doucette said his neighbors told him the student, described as Chinese or Japanese, yelled, “He’s in the house. He’s in the house.” Gardena police officers were going door-to-door in the neighborhood yesterday “wanting to know if we had seen anything or had any video cameras,” Doucette said. Many international students from El Camino live in that area, Doucette said. The incident happened on the corner of 156th Street and Atkinson Avenue, according to a Campus Advisory sent out by ECPD.
Mike Tumnt, who lives on the block of the alleged incident said he was the victim’s landlord and confirmed that she was a student at EC. However, Gardena Police Lieutenant Steve Prendergast said today he can’t confirm the victim was an El Camino student. “I can’t confirm anything,” Prendergast said. “I don’t know much about the victim.” Community Relations Director Ann Garten said she had no information on the incident. “We don’t confirm or deny rumors,” Garten said. Chief Trevis did not respond to multiple messages the week following the incident. ECPD Officer
Jan Caldwell said, “I can’t talk to you until (Garten) says OK.” “I’m sure it’s an ongoing investigation,” Doucette said, “but they should say something. That’s a pretty damn big thing to happen to one of our students.” He added that the Campus Advisory sent on April 10 said there was a search happening in Gardena. “It happened within probably 200 feet of campus,” he said. The man, Prendergast said, is described as black, 20 to 25 years old and is about 190 pounds with a muscular build. He was wearing a black hoodie. Rocky Rivera and John Fordiani contributed to this story.
Community reactions International reactions EC response in question Tips for preventCommunity members spoke out ing sexual abuse Four days after a woman was International students were givattacked in her home across the en the chance to speak up about the about the handling of Friday’s rape in Gardena, where the victim was and assault: street from campus, neighbors ral- incident. lied together and responded to the Jovielle Marantan, 20, com- an El Camino student. rape. Some residents said they saw the attacker in the area before. El Camino Police Chief Trevis confirmed in an email on April 14 that the victim is an El Camino student. Nick Garcia, resident of the area, said he’s seen the man riding his purple and orange-rimmed bicycle, before on his street. “I’ve seen that guy a few times digging through the trash in the alley,” he said. Residents said they look out for each other and call the police from time to time about suspicious activity in the area. “All the neighbors were like, ‘We’ve seen him before,’ Elena Young, a 16-year resident said. “Because of all the students, we see so many different people its kind of hard to be like, ‘You’re not from here.’”
puter science major, talked about the difficulties internationals face when they first get to California. “International students, especially females, have to be emotionally strong,” Marantan said. “Then something like this happens to them; it’s going to break their confidence. It’s like destroying their human nature.” Ana Chkihivadze, 22, fashion design major, said she was warned about the crime rate. “They used to tell me ‘don’t move there, it’s really ghetto,’” Chkihivadze said. Rachman highlighted the key contrast between an average student and an international student. “(International students are) victims of crime like everyone else and even more,” Rachman said. “If you’re a victim of a crime you run to your parents. They cannot, they have no one around.”
A neighbor of the victim said the crime happened Friday morning. The Nixle alert about the incident wasn’t sent until just before 3 p.m. that same day. One EC student said it’s not the first time there’s been a delay in letting people know about crimes in the area. “The school (doesn’t let us know things),” Gabriella Reyes, 29, music major, said. “It’s kind of sad. There was one student who wanted to do a mass murder. I think there was a teacher who said something, but no one listened to her. They called police and they didn’t let students know until a month later. During that period, anything could have happened.” Reyes was referring to an alleged threatened mass killing made on campus last semester. Students weren’t alerted about the threat until several weeks later.
NEWS LINE
Stories by: Jessica Martinez, Celine West, Rocky Rivera and John Fordiani
A
young man’s journey to becoming an aspiring musician and a lover of music began early. Tommy Cheatham Jr., 18, music major, had many inspirations in his life, beginning with his fourth grade class and years later, he ended up taking music classes at El Camino College. Never having formal training did not hurt his musical prowess. His talent even intrigued professors from the college. “He was phenomenal,” Suzanne Wong, adjunct instructor in music, said. “He learned how to play Chopin’s Fantasy Impromptu, by ear, which is difficult because you play with different rhythms on each hand.” Cheatham Jr. “listened” to the track and learned how to play it by ear and showed Wong. She asked him to slow down the music and figure out the difference between the “3 against 4 technique,” because he didn’t realize how amazing of a thing he was doing. “The next class,” Wong said. “He perfected it. I was amazed. That (Monday) was the last time I saw him in class.” That dream and great musical talent was ended, on the night of April 6 when Cheatham Jr. was fatally stabbed in the backyard of his South L.A. home. Cheatham Jr.’s love for music began when he first played the recorder as part of his class in the
fourth grade. The love for music came out after that. “He heard about all kinds of stuff and really loved music,” his father, Tommy Cheatham Sr., said. Cheatham Jr. was into a lot of music, chamber music primarily, but after high school he really found a love for the Beatles, his father said. “He loved them so much,” Cheatham Sr. said. “We’re going to put a Beatles plaque up for him.” Wong remembers that Cheatham Jr. would always play the piano during the warm-ups in her class and impress the rest of the class, because it was a “beginner’s piano class.” “He really wanted to be a music major,” Wong said. “But he never had the training and couldn’t read music, so he was learning how.” Cheatham Jr. had two classes with Wong, Beginning Piano and Music Fundamentals. “He did very well,” Wong said. “He had an A in both classes.” His musical talents impressed all who came into contact with him. Matthew Cruz, 21, audio production major, who met Cheatham Jr. this semester, had no problems honoring him. “When I first met him, he was chill,” Cruz said. “We had a project together for our class. He always pulled his weight. Never did too much or too little.” Cruz talked about Cheatham Jr.’s love for piano and his ability. “There was a piano in the front of the class we had,” Cruz said.
See CHEATHAM, Page 2
• Trust your instincts • NO means NO • Use the BUDDY system • Be AWARE of your surroundings • Be an ACTIVE bystander
Tips courtesy of Candis SimmonsDavis, Outreach Specialist at the YWCA, Young Women Commited to Action.
Sociology Club discusses rape culture
Open house showcases various talent
Coaches take on students
The Sociology Club invites all El Camino students to attend their “End Rape Culture” open discussion today at the Art and Behavioural Sciences Building in room 317. For more information contact the
The Fine Arts Division will be hosting its open house tomorrow from 5-8 p.m. in various spots around the campus. These areas will showcase various pieces and genres of work: such as dance, singing and artwork. For more information on the event, call (310) 660-3715.
The Center for the Arts will be presenting a performance of the speech and debate coaches versus the students on April 30 at 2 p.m. in Marsee Auditorium. Tickets for the event are $15 and they can be purchased online, by phone, or in person at the ticket office. For more information, call (310) 329-5345.
John Fordiani/ Union Christine Marie Chavez sets down pictures of her son Tommy Cheatham Jr. in the backyard of their South L.A. home. Cheatham was killed in the backyard of his home by an unknown attacker on April 6.
Speakers talk about mental health awareness A two-day mental health awareness fair will be presented by the Special Resource Center, Student Development, Staff and Student Diversity on May 6 and 7 at 10 a.m. on the library lawn. There will be various speakers and vendors for the event and it is free. For more information on the fair, call (310) 660-3593 ext. 3660.
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