The Union Vol. 78 No. 9

The Union

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1946

Budget to be slashed $40

million

Parking, other fees being considered to address deficit

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

By Angela Osorio and Ma. Gisela Ordenes

El Camino College could start collecting parking fees from students in 2024 as part of its moneymaking strategy to address a possible bankruptcy.

Other changes in student fees are on the table; a $24 per unit increase in nonresident tuition fees was already approved by the Board of Trustees in March.

El Camino is facing a $20 million deficit for July 2023 to June 2025 and another $20 million from July 2025 to June 2026.

This is according to El Camino President Brenda Thames’ April 29 letter addressed to the community.

The deficit has resulted in a series of cuts including the cancellation of 37 employee positions, a potential hiring freeze and a reduction of faculty sabbaticals.

A “review of extra-

curricular programs” including athletics, debate, forensics and journalism is also being considered.

Other cuts that are considered to be “worst case scenario” include furlough days and reducing class schedules and faculty salaries.

Thames sent the letter to students, faculty and staff days after Vice President of Administrative Services Robert Suppelsa gave an update on the three-year financial projection of the college in a budget town hall on April 26.

In the first budget town hall on Feb. 16, he said El Camino has been spending more than it has been earning for the past 10 years.

Two college vice presidents did not categorically deny there was mismanagement of district funds, a persistent concern among members of

the campus community.

For fiscal year 2023-2024, the college’s projected expenditure, or the amount it planned to spend, was $192.12 million, but the amount of revenue it expected to generate was only $172.18 million.

This means the college would have to take the $19.94 million deficit out of its beginning fund balance of $58.70 million.

If the trend continues and no belt-tightening measures are put in place, the college will have a balance of $17.96 million in 2025-2026.

This scenario would violate the district’s agreement with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, which calls for El Camino to have an emergency fund reserve of at least $34 million.

ECC’s Budget Crisis by the Numbers

$30 billion

California’s budget deficit for 2023-2024

$192.12 million

El Camino’s projected expenditure for fiscal year 2023-2024

$172.18 million

El Camino’s expected revenue for fiscal year 2023-2024

$20 million

El Camino’s deficit for July 2023 to June 2025

$20 million

El Camino’s deficit for July 2025 to June 2026

Men convicted of killing ECC student face up to life in prison

By Kim McGill

The two marijuana dispensary workers found guilty of El Camino College student Juan Hernandez’s murder face up to life in prison after their sentencing in April.

Judge Mark Hanasono sentenced Weijia Peng of Alhambra to at least 26 years in prison with the possibility of life imprisonment and Ethan Astaphan of San Gabriel to 25 to life for the murder of Hernandez in Sept. 22, 2020. Peng received a one-year deadly weapon enhancement for his use of a syringe to inject Hernandez with a lethal dose of ketamine.

Hernandez’s mother, Yajaira Hernandez, and his aunt, Stephanie Pineda, both gave victim impact statements in court at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Downtown Los Angeles.

“Your actions have shattered our lives and devastated our family beyond measure.”

-Stephanie Pineda

After nearly three weeks of trial in February, Peng and Astaphan were convicted for the September 2020 murder of Juan Hernandez who worked as a budtender at VIP Collective, an unlicensed marijuana dispensary on Western Avenue in South Central Los Angeles. Peng owned the dispensary and Astaphan was the manager.

In the hallway outside court after the April 25 sentencing hearing, Los Angeles County Assistance District Attorney Habib Balian credited Yajaira Hernandez for pushing the LAPD to investigate her son’s disappearance.

Los Angeles Sparks players Monique Billings, left, and Aari McDonald, middle, prepare to speak to the media in El Camino College’s Gymnasium on Wednesday, May 1. The Sparks rent the Gymnasium as their training camp site for the 2024 WNBA season. El Camino is considering increasing facilities rentals as one of the revenue-generating strategies to address the budget deficit. Photo by Ethan Cohen

The Union

Vol. 78, No. 9 May 9, 2024

EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

NEWS AND MANAGING EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR

OPINION EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

The First Amendment says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Union condemns all actions that violate the First Amendment rights of the campus press. The Union Editorial Board stands in support of our peers who are covering the campus protests around the country. Let student journalists do their job.

Ma. Gisela Ordenes sablayenya@gmail.com

Eddy Cermeno eddyrcermeno@gmail.com

Johan Van Wier jvanwier22@gmail.com

Angela Osorio angoso1638@gmail.com

Nasai Rivas opinioneccunion@gmail.com

Erica Lee erjalee@gmail.com

Raphael Richardson eccunionphoto@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Nick Geltz ngeltz4140@gmail.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Kae Takazawa kaelealani@gmail.com

STAFF

Senior Staff Writers

Staff Writers Photographers

Ethan Cohen

Joseph Ramirez

Joshua Flores

Jaylen Morgan

Olivia Sullivent

Osvin Suazo

Tommy Kallman

Caleb Smith

Clarence Davis

Elsa Rosales

Monroe Morrow

Rhiannon Ellis

Intern

ADVISERS

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS

Stefanie Frith sfrith@elcamino.edu

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

The traditional dating experience is dead.

In an era marked by swipes, likes and fading connections, it has become evident that the traditional concept of dating is on life support.

From the emergence of hookup culture to mindless scrolling through dating apps, the modern dating experience seems to have lost its spark.

While casual stints have always existed, in recent years hookup culture has normalized the ideas and values surrounding purely physical connections that completely lack feelings and emotions.

Due to this circumstance, it feels like dating is minimized to a mainly transactional experience, where participating members seek instant gratification without investing in real connections.

In this hookup culture, it diminishes the value and importance of meaningful interactions and is instead replaced by a pursuit of hormones and pleasure.

An outlet that allows this culture to continue is dating apps, which have existed for a long time.

According to SQL Server Reporting Services, 56% of adults between 18 and 29 have used online dating apps or sites. So, the young are no strangers to these harmful outlets.

These platforms are often advertised as perfect places to find a potential soulmate. Still,

Dating apps killed romance

Modern age of love is soulless and sad

By Tommy Kallman

all they do is allow for the spiral of hookup culture to continue within our society.

The firm conducted the poll in January among 2,011 nationally representative 18 and older sample population.

Instead of judging a person on their personality, humor or charm, younger generations are stuck reducing others’ complexities to a simple photo

and a short bio in their profiles. Scrolling through many faces in a space nobody can physically touch or feel has become more common than simply going out in public and searching in a more traditional and comfortable setting.

As a 19-year-old second-year college student, I’ve seen these atrocities with my own eyes.

I know plenty of people close to me who participate in these

virtual relationships and are looking for nothing more than a quick hookup.

When I ask if they’ll ever go back for another date, if you can call it that, the response is always a quick “No.”

The absence of courtship leaves very little room for a genuine connection to develop and flourish.

With the emergence of social media and the online world as a

whole, ghosting, which is characterized by completely ending a personal relationship or withdrawing from all communication with another individual, has emerged.

In a society where communication could not be any easier, such an absurd act has become much too familiar and convenient to many people. I have fallen victim to ghosting, and I wish it would never happen again. Being ghosted left me with feelings of sadness and curiosity about what made the other person cut ties with me.

It left me hurt and confused, and I wished a real rejection came instead of just a receipt that let me know my messages were being delivered.

For the most part, ghosting is a perfect example of the nature of modern relationships.

It shows just how uncommitted individuals have become in this age, and it has become a cowardly way out of a situation in which someone doesn’t want to take part.

Overall, the modern dating experience is beyond saving. It would take a resurrection of love, companionship and intimacy, which I don’t see happening anytime soon. It just raises one question: Where do we go from here?

To read additional opinions go to eccunion.com.

Guest Column: El Camino fails to support Muslim students

My name is Uzair Pasta, and I am a student at El Camino. I am also disappointed. El Camino prides itself on its commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, yet creates a hostile environment when Muslim students try to bridge further gaps on campus.

Lack of support for SWANA: The absence of a support group for SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) students neglects a vital aspect of our community’s needs. There are affinity centers and programs for all ethnic identities, except one of the largest demographics on campus and the surrounding community.

Absence of an interfaith center: Despite discussions about potential renovations, proposals for a dedicated prayer space have consistently been dismissed. Moreover, requests for a support group tailored to our demographic have been met with skepticism and unreasonable demands for justification. Unequal treatment in political discourse: There has been no condemnation on the state of Israel for indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, even though it has been considered a war crime and crime against humanity by the International Court of Justice. There is a huge population of Arab Americans and Muslims who do not feel safe on campus due to the normalization of crimes against their community.

Equating criticism with antisemitism: It is crucial to differentiate between criticism of a government and antisemitism. Conflating the two not only stifles

legitimate discourse but also undermines efforts to address genuine concerns. Disregard for Muslim holidays: The prevention of Eid celebrations and the neglect of Muslim students’ needs not only alienates a significant portion of our community but also perpetuates a culture of exclusion. In order for the community to have Eid at El Camino, they are charging students upwards of $6,000 despite the fact that they have allowed this same event for two previous years at no cost.

Lack of awareness and recognition: When was the last time the administration checked in on Muslim students’ well-being? ECC has not made any efforts to provide its Muslim students with the support they need as they observe the month of Ramadan.

From the absence of Halal food options on campus to the disregard for our holiest months and holidays, it’s evident that our community is not receiving the support it deserves. If the administration continues to disregard the plea from the Muslim community, I urge all who share my concerns to consider seeking support elsewhere.

Uzair Pasta is a student and former Director of Finance of the Associated Students Organization.

To send letters and guest columns to The Union, send them to eccunion@ gmail.com.

Letter to the Editor: We are dealing with Hamas, not Palestine

Re: We are not helpless while watching a genocide. Published April 24.

In response, in part, to the article about the Palestinians, I agree. There should be a safe space for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. But we’re not dealing with the Palestinians, we’re dealing with Hamas. Hamas is a known terrorist organization, and their main effort is to destroy Jews around the world, so it’s not really the fault of the Palestinians; it’s Hamas that has started the war by attacking Israel first and then Israel is only defending itself and I agree that if you are anti-Israel, you are antisemitic because I don’t think that we should

have an organization like Hamas, running a government and running around attacking and kidnapping Jewish people and torturing them. This is wrong, I don’t know. Oh, the solution nobody does because this has been going on since Biblical times, but it’s not to silence Israel because Israel is only defending itself. Hamas attacked first.

Helen Binstok is a student at El Camino College.

Nikki Yunker | Special to The Union

Agreatdeal of ink has been spilled on the issue of whether the protests against Zionism are driven by hatred of Jews or instead a simple condemnation of the actions of the Israeli government and military.

The latest flare-up in the Israel-Palestine conflict raging thousands of miles away from the U.S., protests have surged in the streets, colleges and the pixelated halls of the internet are plastered with the use of Zionism as a derogatory term akin to racism, colonialism and apartheid.

This idea aligns with many activist movements in our current political era, where the anti-Israel cause has gained prominence by connecting it with other social justice causes.

But is that the real story?

Within the academic realm of understanding, antiZionism and Jew hatred, better known as antisemitism, cannot be connected.

Anti-Zionism is an objection to a country, a nation, a state.

Antisemitism is a vile and old form of prejudice that singles out Jews as a religion, a people and an ethnic group.

However, anti-Zionism is the latest mutation of the world’s oldest form of hate.

What the two have in common is that they are different ways of claiming Jews have no right to exist as a group or have the same rights as other people.

What originated as a political movement in the late 19th century in response to escalating pogroms against Jews, Zionism reached its peak after the near extermination of the Jewish

Anti-Zionism is ANTI SEMI TISM

Observing at a history of hatred and prejudice

people during the Holocaust in the 20th century.

At its core, Zionism has been driven by the imperative of self-preservation in a world fraught with hostility toward its Jewish minority.

Zionism is and always has been the movement of the Jewish people to return to their ancient homeland and reestablish a state. In the modern day, the meaning has evolved into the protection and inherent right of Jewish self-determination.

While many others may have a different view of the term, the real impact that antiZionism has is more than just criticism of the state of Israel.

The Oct. 7 attack on Israel by the U.S.-designated

Guest Column:

By Ethan Cohen

terrorist organization Hamas is anti-Zionism in action.

The ruthless murder, rape, mutilation and taking hostage of more than 1,400 Israelis is the result of years of normalization of antiZionism as a front for the hatred of Jews.

The stoking of the flames by previous Associated Students Organization President Jana Abulaban and her anti-Zionist tirade at El Camino College’s last graduation ceremony highlights that even close to home, demonization of Israel and its supporters runs rampant here.

In 2023, there was a surge of over 140% in antisemitic incidents compared to the previous year, totaling 8,873

cases of assault, harassment and vandalism across the U.S., according to the AntiDefamation League.

Nearly 5,200 of these incidents occurred following the Hamas attack on Israel.

Before the Oct. 7 attack, about 67% of Jewish students reported feeling “very” or “extremely” safe on campus. However, since then, the number has only taken a nosedive as protests on U.S. campuses largely target Jews for their support for Israel.

When anti-Zionism translates into calls for violence against Jews, it unequivocally reveals itself as antisemitism.

Any denial of Israel’s right to exist, which descends into

racism or discrimination, exclusion and intimidation against Jews at social events, boycotting of Jewish goods and a revival of tropes and conspiracies against Jews under the guise of antiZionism are all forms of hate. This conflict has led to numerous Palestinian civilians tragically losing their lives in the crossfire. Though the Palestinian cause remains significant, the harsh reality underscores decades of awful, corrupt and negligent leadership.

Multiple times it has been shown by various responsible media sources Palestinian leaders have indoctrinated extremist groups and portions of the local population into harboring and spewing antisemitic sentiments by denial of the horrors of the Holocaust, “Pay-forSlay” terror programs and demonization of Jewish neighbors who live nearby. Without understanding the history of the region and the longstanding conflict, it is not possible to fully understand the complex connections between anti-Zionism and Jew hatred.

Rather than perpetuating divisive pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist narratives, the focus should be on fostering empathy and respectful dialogue, even amid disagreement with both sides. By listening to one another and seeking to understand different viewpoints, we can work together towards a hopeful peace and a better hope for a safer tomorrow.

To read additional opinions visit the website at eccunion. com.

Hamas conspiracy theories do not belong at El Camino

At a time when campuses across the country are unsafe because of inflammatory, atrocity-themed conspiracy theories that are tossed xenophobically ad infinitum at Jewish people, throwing yet another one at us like your fellow idealogues of the last three years shows a pattern of an obvious, unhealthy obsession with us. We do not have a standing policy of replicating the pharaoh’s role in Exodus, unlike Hamas. We are not roaming the street with a vampiric thirst for the blood of Arabs whose grandparents aided Haj Mohammed Amin Al-Husseini during the days of the British Mandate, in contrast to the 1929 Hebron Massacre. We do not use student government systems to threaten access to halal foods, in contrast to the University of Toronto in Scarborough. We are not Nazis, but we’ve seen countless kindergartens in UNRWA-run schools in Gaza with Arabic translation copies of Mein Kampf, including editions which were actually published during the Holocaust. Across many years, I have learned far too many undeniably obscene things that I wished were not true…

…about “anti-Zionism;”

…the history of the Caliphates;

“Grow up. Stop using this platform to spread decades-old Pan-Arabist dezinformatsiya, stop blaming us for everything.”

…the countless forms that antisemitism took throughout two millennia and 24 years;

…and the ways in which my tribe members have been slaughtered, raped, enslaved, trafficked, incinerated, stabbed, axed, shot, bombed, gassed and more, with a historic average of some atrocity or another being inflicted upon us every five to 20 years (that we know of).

We do not control bank accounts, the amount employers pay employees, any non-Israeli governments, any kind of meteorological phenomena, or anyone’s media (neither their decision to consume media, nor their frequency of media consumption, nor their choice of specific media). We have neither “stormed,” nor have we ever “plotted to destroy,” the Al-Aqsa Mosque for the entire century that fearmongers such as the Nazi propagandist Haj Amin Al-Husseini have falsely accused us of doing so. We go to campuses to learn and study and improve the possibilities in our futures, not to experience that popularity, incited moral panics, posturing and unthinking xenophobia are the main reasons why so many young, inexperienced defeatists and hyperprivileged one-percenters, have weaponized the benefits of wealth, power and clout to get away with fighting words, burning our synagogues, stabbing our Holocaust survivors, threatening access to kosher food, colonizing our history, raping our women or shooting up schools in Israel. Grow up. Stop using this platform to spread decades-old Pan-Arabist dezinformatsiya, stop blaming us for everything and never forget that we can respond to your well-understood dog whistles, genocidal chants and stochastic incitements as fighting words. I know my rights as a Jewish progressive, including to defend myself. Goodbye, and may Hamas face the judgment for lying, rapist thieves.

Jonathan Forel is a student at El Camino College.

To send letters and guest columns to The Union, send them to eccunion@ gmail.com.

Jeremiah Dela Cruz | Special to The Union

ECC student journalists receive national, state awards

Newspaper, magazine staff win accolades

By Ethan Cohen

ElCamino College’s journalism program won multiple state and national awards from various college media organizations, including top honors for Best Newspaper and Best Magazine, in addition to numerous individual accolades given to reporters.

The journalism program also amassed over 40 awards from other nationally recognized student media organizations including the College Media Association and Journalism Association of Community Colleges this year.

The awards were announced throughout March and April, including during the College Media Association conference on March 16 in New York City, where 17 students attended.

At the conference, The Union and Warrior Life won firstplace awards for Best Newspaper and Best Magazine for two-year schools at the organization’s Apple Awards.

The Union’s former Editorin-Chief Delfino Camacho was among several individuals who received first-place awards for his work. Camacho earned top

honors in Best Headline Portfolio and Best Multimedia Package, including his visual story map highlighting five of the South Bay’s top lingerie and sex shops.

“I’m happy that I won, it’s nice to take a little pride in that,” Camacho said. “I’m happy about the headlines award because that’s something I kind of got known for in the newsroom…and I’m happy the lingerie story got some attention because it’s funky and out of the norm and I worked hard on it.”

“I’m happy the lingerie story got some attention because it’s funky and out of the norm and I worked hard on it.”

-Delfino Camacho

Camacho previously found it difficult to ta ke pride in his work, but being part of the journalism program at El Camino has changed that. The sense of teamwork and shared achievements within the program has allowed him to embrace collective success and take pride in his contributions.

“Even when I’m gone and graduated, I left a little bit of my mark here just like everyone else did,” he said. “I like that a lot, and there is pride there…we are doing good work,” he said.

Warrior Life’s Editor-inChief Brittany Parris was thrilled to learn the magazine took first place for Best TwoYear Magazine during the College Media Association’s award ceremony.

“It was exciting, especially when they announced we got first place for two-year magazine,” Parris said.

Warrior Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2023 won first place.

Parris credits the success of the magazine to the Warrior Life staff and the hard work they put into creating the final product, but also the hard calls and strict deadlines she has had

to maintain as the leader of the publication in fall of 2023.

“It’s important to be here,” she said. “You get what you put out. It’s all about doing as much as I receive. That’s been my motto throughout the semester.”

Gary Metzker, president of the California College Media Association, noticed that big visuals and graphics were a trend among award winners during the Associated Collegiate Press conference in San Diego in early March. “I don’t think that there’s another community college that did better,” Metzker told The Union during a class visit.

Metzker, the design adviser

for California State University, Long Beach’s publication the Daily49er, also spent two years teaching at El Camino College. He believes the program, run by advisers Stefanie Frith and Kate McLaughlin, is among the best for developing highly skilled student journalists.

“I think from my perspective teaching at a four-year institution, I noticed that the students that come from El Camino College very comfortably step right into the newsroom setting at the Daily49er without missing a beat, much more so than some other community colleges,” he said.

College warns students, ‘don’t use AI for scholarship essay’

There are 600 scholarships for students to apply to next

semester

By Kinzie Maloney

The El Camino College Scholarships Office will inform scholarship applicants in September they are not allowed to use AI while writing the “Tell your Story” essay which is part of the requirements.

“We have even gotten two student applications that had the same essay submission

Police Beat

By Rhiannon Ellis

The Union publishes police beats online with each newspaper release. Visit eccunion.com to read more.

Monday, April 29, 10:06 a.m.

Vandalism was reported at parking Lot C. The case is open.

Wednesday, May 1, 11:10 a.m. An act of indecent exposure

Building. The case is open.

because they put the same prompt into ChatGPT and submitted it,” Scholarship Specialist of the El Camino Foundation Team Theresa Clifford said. “It’s honestly so sad.”

El Camino has 600 scholarships available for students enrolling in and transferring out of the college.

Current students returning in the fall semester can start applying for scholarships from Sept. 9 to Dec. 23 by filling out a form in their MyECC account.

“Only around 1,200 students apply for scholarships,”

Executive Director of the El Camino Foundation Team

Andrea Sala said. “There are thousands of students on campus. If all of them applied, at least half would be able to get one.”

The Scholarship Office emails all students individually about available scholarships at El Camino along with putting up flyers and signs to get the word out.

“All you have to do is go to MyECC and select the scholarship application under a drop-down menu listed. You answer some very easy questions like your name, student ID, major and then write a small essay on your life story so we better understand you,” Sala said.

The electronic form will automatically put each

On May 16, El Camino is hosting a Scholarship Dinner for students to meet the partnerships that supply them with their scholarships and funds, Sala said. “El Camino College gave away $900,000 in scholarships just within the last fall [semester], that’s almost a million dollars spent on just helping people,” she said.

individual’s application into different boxes. This helps separate students into categories where they are most likely to receive a scholarship.

“They have to have a minimum 2.0 GPA and not only enrolled, but have completed a minimum six cumulative units prior to applying,” Clifford said.

According to a Scholarship Office General Information flier, all scholarships are either non-transferable or transferable.

“Non-transferable means that all funds must be used at El Camino College while transferable funds transfer to a four-year university or accredited, certificated vocational institution.”

The average scholarship money awarded to students is around $1,000. Transferable scholarships will have more than the average amount, Clifford said.

“You can only get one scholarship unless they are transferring out cause it can be more expensive,” Sala said.

When the scholarships are received, the Scholarship Office won’t give each student a check; they will give a set of money on a card that can only be used at the Bookstore and the rest of the funds will be sent to the college for classes.

According to the El Camino College Foundation Scholarship Program booklet that lists all of the partnerships from funding, donations and scholarships, there are a total of 36 partnerships including Skechers, Kinecta, AT&T, Providence Little Company of Mary, Honda and others.

Scholarships available for students to apply for can be found on the El Camino website. Students can start applying for scholarships on Sept. 9 when the 2025-26 Scholarship Application opens.

Former Union Editor-in-Chief Delfino Camacho holds up his first-place award plaques in front of the journalism department trophy case in the Humanities Building at El Camino College on Wednesday, April 17. Camacho won multiple awards, including first place in Best Headline Portfolio and Multimedia Package. “Even when I’m gone and graduated, I left a little bit of my mark here just like everyone else did,” he said. Photo by Ethan Cohen

Budget cuts may affect student-led activities

By 2026-27, the college will have a negative fund balance of $6.34 million if the crisis is not averted, Suppelsa said.

“We are essentially bankrupt at that point,” Suppelsa said in the meeting.

The Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team would then take over the financial decision for the district, he said.

“So we would be under essentially state receivership if we had stayed on exactly the same path,” Suppelsa said.

The Union has made several attempts to schedule an interview with Suppelsa but he has not agreed to an in-person or phone interview.

Cost-cutting moves made by El Camino

Items implemented or planned to be implemented

1. Review and cancel, or remove 37 staff positions

2. Reduce the number of sabbaticals for staff from 12 to four for 2024-25

3. Delay the 2% salary increase for management and executive roles until 2026-27

Items “potentially inconvenient” but being considered

1. Elimination of the EASE program, a mental health program for employees

2. Reducing spending on outside vendors, professional experts and other outsourced work

3. Reviewing energy costs

To address the budget crisis, the college looked for ways to limit spending. The college designated the task to the Budget Leadership Strategies Team, a committee of 16 people who represent students, faculty, classified staff and police. They began meeting in December 2023 to suggest where the money should be cut.

The committee has identified 11 initial strategies estimated to save around $18.8 million.

There are four categories of what will be cut: items already in discussion, items that may be “inconvenient” but seem reasonable, items that “might be difficult” and items that are the worst-case scenario.

Why is the college in a deficit?

El Camino is facing a $20 million budget deficit this year due to a combination of factors.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez said the three main reasons are the current state budget, the fact that the college is no longer under emergency conditions

funding and the approval of new labor agreements with the district’s labor unions.

California has a budget deficit of over $30 billion for 2023-24. In January, Governor Gavin Newsom released the state’s 2024-25 budget proposal. It projected a $38 billion shortfall.

Eric Saucedo, a senior policy analyst at the California Budget & Policy Center, a budget research and analysis nonprofit, said although the state is constitutionally required to guarantee minimum funding to community colleges under Proposition 98, they are still impacted by the state’s deficit.

“So when the revenues that go into that big pot of funding, decrease, the portion that goes to schools and community colleges also decreases,” Saucedo said. “So that’s exactly what’s happening right now, when we’re looking at the budget, there’s less revenue than we thought, and things aren’t looking good. So that means there’s gonna be less available for schools and community colleges.”

Suppelsa reiterated in both town hall meetings that the college would still be in the same situation “regardless of the recent or future state financial shortfalls for education spending.”

The approval of new labor agreements with the district’s primary labor unions also contributed to the current situation, Lopez said. There were significant costs associated with those changes, he said.

President of the Federation of Teachers Kelsey Iino said there has been uncertainty and lack of clarity regarding the reasons as to why the budget cuts are happening.

“I think there’s some suggestion that [salary] increases are part of the problem. But if other colleges have been able to have these, you know, salaries and benefits, for a decade, then, there must be mismanagement of spending elsewhere,” she said.

The Union asked Lopez and Vice President of Student Services Jeff Stephenson, who was present during the May 6 interview, about concerns that the district administration has mismanaged the budget.

“Since I don’t control the overall college budget, I don’t know that we can comment on that. I can tell you that we work hard not to mismanage any funds at Academic Affairs,” Lopez said.

When they find errors on the

budget, they clean them up. “But I don’t represent the entire college with regard to that kind of question. So I can’t really answer it directly,” Lopez said.

Stephenson echoed Lopez’s statement. “I think our tenure here both have been pretty short, but what we are doing is just trying to clean up, trying to catch any errors or anything like that,” Stephenson said.

The “budget cleanup” they referred to is the cancellation of 37 positions. Lopez said in the Office of Academic Affairs, a number of the positions that were removed were those that had still been receiving funding but there was nobody in them and his office wasn’t going to recruit them.

Cuts raise concern on campus

Several faculty and staff are concerned about the budget.

As president of the Federation, Iino fought for more sabbaticals and salary raises. One of the Federation’s “biggest wins,” after over a year of negotiations, was an increase of sabbaticals from eight to 12.

Iino said because of the high number of faculty on campus, “unless you increase the number [of sabbaticals], some faculty will never have the opportunity to do their research and have their sabbatical.”

Now, due to the budget crisis, sabbaticals will be cut to to four.

“We didn’t quite understand initially, when the district made a decision to cut that to four. We feel like…to keep it at eight

would have felt more fair. But to cut it to [four], felt pretty sad,” she said.

Darcie McClelland, Academic Senate vice president of educational policies has been at the college since 2016. She said the college has prepared for this deficit since state funding changed in 2018 and enrollment started declining.

El Camino has seen about a 20% decrease in average enrollment from 2017 to 2023.

“We’re doing everything we can to increase enrollment, including things like building up noncredit [classes], building up dual enrollment–like other nontraditional sources of enrollment that have not been big things for the college in the past we’re considering in a much larger way now,” McClelland said.

Student success coach Fernando Valtierra said he feels the college is not being transparent.

“Things are just being done behind closed doors, so we’re kind of just left in the dark,” Valtierra said.

Russell Serr, dean of health sciences and athletics, said the Athletics Department is trying to cut on travel expenses and instructional supplies, encouraging members in the department to request what they need, “not necessarily what they want.”

Serr said he thought it was normal to have athletics as a line item for potential review,

Other items under consideration

Items that might be difficult

1. Retirement incentive for 202425

2. Discontinuing low-enrolled programs

3. Reviewing extra-curricular programs including athletics, debate, forensics and journalism Items that are worst case scenario

1. Furlough days

2. Temporary salary reductions

3. Reducing class schedules

considering it is a big department that requires “quite a bit of budget.”

“The biggest concern I have… is the unknown,” Serr said. “I don’t think anybody knows how much we’ll have to cut or if we will have to cut…I’m just confident that the college can make the cuts that they need to…and still be able to serve students.”

Professor of communication studies and Director of Forensics Francesca Bishop said she was asked by Christina Gold, the dean of Behavioral and Social Sciences, to cut 40% of the forensics budget.

This will affect the number of students admitted to the forensics program from 24 to 18 this fall and the number of students that will attend tournaments.

“I just wish the cuts could have come in places that wouldn’t impact undeserved community students,” she said. “It just seems a shame when we’re trying so hard for equity, to cut programs we know benefit underserved students.”

From left, Vice President Carlos Lopez, Trustee Nilo Michelin, Trustee Brett Roberts, Student Trustee Connor Lai, President Brenda Thames and Trustee Trisha Murakawa cut a ceremonial ribbon at the Arts Complex and Behavioral & Social Sciences Buildings on Thursday, May 2. Photo by Delfino Camacho

Passion for Fashion

Long-time professor sets the pattern for students

By Nikki Yunker

I

nside Fashion 44, colorful fabrics and vibrant fashion sketches adorn the walls.

A poster proclaims the model casting call for “Reflections,” this year’s fashion show theme at El Camino College.

Professor Vera Ashley weaves through the classroom in a classic black suit, accented by a carnelian-red shirt as she checks in with students preparing for the fashion show.

“The camaraderie, the working together with the students, all that to me is very charging,” she said.

Ashley, who has worked at El Camino for over 16 years, is a full-time fashion professor, Fashion Department coordinator and club adviser.

“I love

working with the students, I love seeing the light go on.”

-Vera

Ashley

When Ashley was around seven years old, she had a classic Barbie doll.

“My mom told me ‘those [Barbie] clothes cost as much as your clothes, so I’m going to get you a sewing machine,’” she said.

With the help of her first machine, a small hand-cranked Singer, her dolls were soon wearing tailor-made designs.

After excelling in sewing classes at Horace Mann Junior High and Crenshaw High School, Ashley received her first real sewing machine in middle school.

Later, at Pepperdine University, she majored in family

consumer sciences and early childhood education.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” Ashley said. “My original goal was to be a preschool teacher.”

After graduating from Pepperdine in 1976 and briefly working in retail, she found a job listing that said, “spec sheet writer must know how to sew.”

When she went to the interview, she said, “They had patterns hanging on cardboard.”

“And I go, ‘what’s that,’ you

kno,

know, I hadn’t seen that before,” she said. “So, in my curiosity, I went back to school.”

While enrolled at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, a position opened at a company called Tomboy Domino, where she moved up from spec sheet writer to designer’s assistant.

“I just continued moving up in the industry. I was a designer, I was a spec sheet writer, I was a trim supervisor, I was a pattern maker.”

After about 10 years working in the industry and at several companies, there was an instructor opening at Otis College of Art and Design.

“I loved it. I love working with the students, I love seeing the light go on, I love them admiring what they had created,” Ashley said.“I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Ashley received a master’s in family consumer sciences and fashion design from Cal State Long Beach in 1998 while also working at Cal Poly Pomona.

- American Intercontinental University

- Brooks College

- Cal Poly Pomona

- Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising

- LA Trade Tech

- Otis College of Art and Design

- Pasadena City College

- Woodbury University

“I was working in the industry four days a week and teaching one day a week. That’s how my teaching started,” Ashley said. Ashley has taught at several other colleges and universities.

“Bringing this joy to the students...I like being a part of that. ”

-Vera Ashley

She received her doctorate of education from UC San Diego and San Diego State University in 2010.

After teaching part-time at El Camino for a few years, she became a full-time fashion professor in 2008.

“Bringing this joy to the students, or that love of learning, love of discovery, to the students, I like being a part of that,” she said.

In El Camino’s fashion department, Ashley is the only full-time professor.

“She’s a good leader for her group. She manages a group of part-time faculty that support our program also,” Dean of Industry and Technology David Gonzales said.

As department coordinator, Ashley is in charge of tasks including conducting research, hiring instructors and directing program reviews.

“Her leadership is critical,” Gonzales said. “A lot of the things that she does in the division, in her department,

wouldn’t happen without her, and her passion.”

Ashley is also the adviser of the Tailor-Made Fashion Club.

Both the club and the Fashion Department present El Camino’s annual fashion show.

The show, which started in 1982, is entirely planned by students from the Fashion Show Production and Planning (Fashion 44) class.

Clara Villa, 26, is a fashion design and business administration major enrolled in Fashion 44 this semester.

“It’s chaotic and stressful but it’s fun and I look forward to seeing the outcome,” Villa said.

Fashion design major Amber Davis, 21, has taken two prior classes with Ashley and said Fashion 44 is her favorite class.

“She’s a very great professor. If you have any questions about getting in the [fashion] industry, she’s the person you can go to,” .Davis said.

During her time at El Camino, Ashley has also published research, including an article on leather alternatives in the Journal of Textile Science and Fashion Technology.

Ashley’s other research interests include thrifting and metal-free jewelry.

“I just like creating. I’m very technical and I like creating something out of nothing,” Ashley said.

Among all the processes in fashion design, patternmaking is not only one area of Ashley’s expertise, but her favorite.

“Fashion is a huge means of expression,” Ashley said. “To have the creativity that you want is really cool, and again, you can walk into a fashion classroom and see students in all aspects of that, because it starts when you’re little.”

Rhiannon Ellis created this story’s illustrations.

Vera Ashley’s Teaching Career

Fashion professor and Fashion Department coordinator Vera Ashley briefs the Fashion 44 class on important show preparations, including stage hands and donation tables on Thursday, April 4. “I love working with the students,” she said. Photo by Nikki Yunker

Full-time fashion professor and Fashion Department coordinator Vera Ashley started her career in fashion around seven years old, sewing clothes for her Barbie doll. Seen here in Room 225 of the Industry Technology Building on Monday, May 6, Ashley now teaches El Camino students how to make their own clothes and how to put on a fashion show. Photo by Raphael Richardson

Sliding into the Next Round Warriors right fielder Malia Martin slides into third base as she’s almost picked off by Raiders third baseman Isabella Velasquez. Martin broke open the scoring in Game One of the 3C2A Southern California Regionals at El Camino College’s Softball Field with two hits to her three at-bats, bringing in two RBIs to secure a 3-0 win over the Raiders on May 3. The Warriors beat the Raiders again, 10-1, on May 4 to advance to the 3C2A Southern California Super Regionals starting on May 10.

Spring Sports Playoffs Update Baseball

-The Warriors were swept by Santa Ana (2-0) in the first round of playoffs, ending their season.

Softball

-The Warriors beat Moorpark 3-0 and 10-1 to advance to the next round on May 10 vs. Mt. SAC. Track and Field

-The Warriors will compete in the 3C2A Southern California Finals, set to be held on May 10 at Cerritos College.

Beach Volleyball

-The Warriors top duo of Ryan D’Angelo and Bridget Dorr will compete in the 3C2A Pairs State Championship on May 9.

Swimming, Diving

-The Warriors finished 4th (women’s) and 6th (men’s) at the 3C2A State Championships, but swimmers Mia Park and Iyanah Samayoa won the 3C2A CoSwimmers of the Meet.

El Camino’s own: Player to coach

Former Warriors infielder takes over reins as new head baseball coach

By Tommy Kallman

Warriors’ baseball coach Grant Palmer always knew that El Camino College would be his place.

After joining the program as a baseball player in 2012 and then assistant coach in 2017, Palmer’s long history at El Camino helped him propel himself into the top position on the Warriors’ coaching staff.

“From the moment I got here, [El Camino] just felt like home,” he said.

Palmer was recruited to play at El Camino in 2012, by longtime coach Nate Fernley, after an injury during his senior year of high school left him without a team to play for.

“My playing career was done, and by chance Fernley reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in coaching,” Palmer said. “I had nothing but respect for how he coached and built the program, so it was an easy yes for me.”

Before he got the call to help lead a successful Warriors

squad, Palmer was a standout infielder at UC Irvine, where he helped the Anteaters make a run in the 2014 College World Series and played enough games to make him 11th in alltime games played.

“Having those four years and being able to play under Gillespie established a foundation and baseline of knowledge of the game that not only helped me as a player, but I take every day with me as a coach,” Palmer said.

Palmer learned what it takes to win while working as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University in 2023. There he worked with the outfielders and hitters and got to experience coaching at the Division I level.

“That squad was so successful because we were a great team surrounded by great people that genuinely cared about one another,” Palmer said. “My takeaway from [coaching at LMU] was surrounding yourself with the right people and seeing how that looks to

learn for what kind of people I want to bring into my program here.”

After getting approved to become coach of the Warriors baseball team, Palmer brought two new faces to accompany him on the coaching staff.

Assistant coaches Jerry McClanahan and Zach Kirby are in their first year at El Camino but are already well acquainted with Palmer.

McClanahan had coached with Palmer for the Anchorage Bucs in the Alaska League in 2019, while also being a teammate of Palmer’s at UC Irvine. Kirby was a pitcher at LMU when Palmer was coaching there.

McClanahan was also drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, where he played three years in the minor leagues before going back to UC Irvine as an assistant coach.

“[Palmer] was a great coach to play under last year, and he’s a great boss to work with now,” Kirby said. “I try to use all types of experiences I went

through to teach this team the right way to play.”

Warriors infielder Connor Meidroth is currently a sophomore and has seen the transition between coaches from previous coach Nate Fernley, who was the coach for 16 seasons and was hired to become the Cerritos coach after.

“He’s helped me a lot,” Meidroth said. “He came in and got me the opportunity for [USD] to come watch me, and I thank him for everything he’s

done for me.”

Palmer’s transition from assistant to coach has been a smooth one. The familiarity with the program and the school has given him a “great advantage” as a new coach.

“The goal is to always be as successful as we can,” Palmer said. “I want to continue the success that this program has had and continue to build on the direction that it’s going.”

To read more of the story, visit the website at eccunion.com.

Defending State Champs end Warriors baseball playoff run

By Ethan Cohen

The El Camino College baseball team came out fast and early in Game 2 of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals, but it was not enough to face down the defending champions who rallied to topple the Warriors in a season-ending loss.

The Saturday, May 4, game at Santa Ana College’s Dons Sneddon Field was crucial in

deciding whether the Warriors could force a Game 3 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

However, the task was too much for El Camino to handle as the Dons, operating like a well-oiled machine, heated up its bats, swung into action and swept the Warriors 17-7.

“They’re the defending state champion for a reason… they’ve got a good team,”

Warriors coach Grant Palmer

said. “It came down to us just not being able to stop the bleeding early in that game.”

The Dons (30-11-1) advance to the 3C2A Super Regionals, where they will compete in double-elimination games against Golden West College and Santa Barbara City College from May 9 to 11.

The Warriors finish their 2024 season with an overall record of 21-21.

Photo by Ethan Cohen

The Santa Ana Dons celebrate Conor Dietsch’s second-inning home run off Warriors pitcher AJ Hiestand during Game 2 of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals on Saturday, May 4. Photo by Ethan Cohen

Grant Palmer rests on the edge of the El Camino College Warriors dugout during a routine practice before the teams matchup against Mt. SAC at Warrior Field on Wednesday, April 24. Photo by Ethan Cohen