Vol. 69, Issue 1 Feb. 26

ARTS

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

LARAMIE PROJECT PREPARES TO STUN CAMPUS, P. 6

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

SPORTS

SPORTS

MIKE EVANS’ PRO CAMP COMES TO EC, P. 8

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CLINCHES PLAYOFF SPOT, P. 8

THE UNION eccunion.com

TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA

On-campus smoking snuffed by board of trustees

Board members speak on the retirement of President Thomas Fallo Jerome Casio

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJerome

The controversial proposition to ban on-campus smoking was approved and President Fallo’s retirement were the two big topics during the Feb. 17 board of trustees meeting.

According to Board Policy 3570, the ban includes the prohibition of “cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, snuff, snus, water pipes, pipes, hookahs, chew and any other noncombustible tobacco product.”

There was much debate over ecigarettes and snus and whether their ban should stay in the policy.

Snus, a moist-powdered tobacco product, is “basically another variant of chew,” said Vice President of Human Resources, Linda Beam.

The president of the board, William Beverly, argued that e-cigarettes bear the same danger actual cigarettes do.

“I think it’s overkill political correctness without any data,” Beverly said. Secretary of the board, John Vargas, agreed with Beverly’s con-

Amira Petrus/ Union Marley Negus, 26, undeclared lays on his backpack while grooming his mustache and listening to music as he smokes under a tree infront of the music building, waiting for his next class. Photo from Fall 2014.

cerns.

However, after a 3-2 majority vote, the ban was passed and took effect Wednesday Feb. 18, said executive assistant of President Fallo, Cindy Constantino.

Board members Cliff Numark,

Mary E. Combs and Vice President Kenneth A. Brown voted in favor of the policy, while Beverly and Vargas voted against it.

Brown pointed out several data refuting Beverly’s statement, including recent studies that claim

e-cigarettes cause nicotine addiction and the alternative is not FDA approved.

“I don’t (want to) have to worry about: Is that a regular cig? An ecig? … I don’t want to do all that,” Brown said when expressing his

Black Student Union showcases Spoken Word at EC Creative words and minds brought together to showcase talent

Monique Judge

have something where students can express themselves and be able to show other people and other students what they do in their spare time and encourage them to maybe show their talents,” Nikita Kinshasa, 28, business major said.

Along with the several other events on campus, there will be a festival today to honor the end of Black History Month.

Final events for Black History Month on campus

Events are free and open to the public.

Hedley Nosworhy, a well-respected music teacher who spent 28 years serving the music department and the EC community at large, died on Jan. 30.

“He was very well loved and very dedicated to his teaching and his student,” Diane L. Hayden, associate dean of fine arts, said.

According to an email sent by Constance Fitzsimons, dean of fine arts, Nosworthy was hired to teach Applied Voice in 1986, appointed full-time status in 1991 to teach Voice Class I and Voice Class II, and spent his entire EC career making important contributions that directly benefited students.

“He provided tremendous leadership in the program,” Fitzsimons said.

She added that he was easy to work with and “always came to work with a happy spirit.”

Nosworthy was honored and acknowledged at the Fine Arts Division meeting on Jan. 15, Fitzsimons said, with a special presentation by Joanna Nachef, professor of music.

“He was always willing to join committees, and he always gave of

Advice given at workshop

FAFSA questions answered

Students to tour University

Workshop offers information

Jaime Gallegos, will be hosting an academic probation workshop titled “How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Probation” today at 1 p.m. in the Student Services Building, Room 218. For more information on the event, call 310-660-6936.

This event is not open to the public.

A FAFSA application workshop will be today at 1 p.m. in the Humanities Building, Room 315.

This workshop will be run by Tara McCarthy. For more information on the event, call 310660-6936. This event is not open to the general public.

UC Riverside tour on Friday, Feb. 27 that is sponsored by the Transfer/Career Center at EC. For more information on the event, contact the office at 310-660-3593 ext. 6137. This event is not open to the public.

The career center is offering an internship workshop on Tuesday from 1-2 p.m. in Humanties 101.

Any student interested in finding out more information on how to choose and apply for internships should plan to attend. For more information, contact the Career Center at 310-660-3593 ext. 6137.

Staff Writer @ECCUnionAryn

NEWS LINE

Respected fine arts professor dies Staff Writer @ECCUnionMonique

Aryn Hicks

Poetry and music filled the East Lounge as students and faculty gathered together to attend the Spoken Word lounge in the activities center east lounge on Feb. 17.

This event was put together by members of the Black Student Union and the event showcased musicians, singers and poets who came out to perform and entertain the crowd with original works and renditions of popular songs.

“Its a great event because it brings together all kinds of races of people. I think people need poetry, its a real truth in the world,” Isaiah Getaw, 19, communication major said.

The spoken word lounge brought a piece of African-American culture to EC and allowed students to express themselves through music and poetry.

“I think it’s just a good thing to

personal concerns about the issue.

In agreeance with Brown’s concerns, student member Kimberly Garcia pointed out that many other substances can replace the vapor placed inside e-cigarettes, including marijuana.

“Students my age are pretty creative with vapes,” Garcia said. Although her vote does not officially count toward the ballot, Garcia also voted in favor of the ban.

President Thomas M. Fallo’s retirement, effective Jan. 31, 2016, and the process of finding a replacement was also widely discussed in the meeting. Before the discussion of finding a capable search committee began, Fallo took a few moments to express his thoughts about leaving.

“I still love this job. It’s time to let somebody else have the joy,” Fallo said. “It’s a wonderful position, and I hope we get great candidates. And I hope you make a great choice.”

Numark suggested that a search consultant firm be found by April 13, while Beam suggested that the board ratification of employment of the new president be completed

by Oct. 19.

According to the board meeting’s agenda, Fallo’s first day of retirement is Feb. 1, 2016.

The second read and final version of board policy 3570 and brief information on Fallo’s retirement can be found on the Board of Trustees Agenda minutes, pages AS 10 and HR 2, respectively. The next board of trustees meeting is Monday, March 16.

Aryn Hicks/ Union Left to right: Tanita Dexter, Chris Barron, Briana Thomas, Michael Thompson and Kaylan Green of the Black Student Union.

“Taste of Soul” Festival “Langston Hughes Project”

Today from 11 a.m. to 2 Today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. p.m.

East Dining Room East Dining Room

Fine Arts Divison Photo of Professor Hedley Nosworthy, sent

by Fine Arts Division of EC.

himself,” Fitzsimons said. “He had a great sense of humor.”

While at EC, Nosworthy served on the Academic Senate, Staff Development Committee, Division Curriculum Committee and Division Council.

In her email, Fitzsimons punctuated that Noswothy’s “dedication, service, and contributions to El Camino are indeed noteworthy. “ Information on a memorial for Nosworthy will be forthcoming.

“He will be dearly missed,” Fitzsimons said.

G eccunion@gmail.com /ElCaminoUnion /ECCUnion /ECCUnion /ECCUnion

NEWS

2 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

POLICE BEAT

By Sydnie Mills

Non-student man arrested for possession of loaded gun and drugs Feb. 5, 11:08 a.m. — Police stopped a male subject, who was not a student, who had dropped off his girlfriend when an officer smelled marijuana coming out of his car. The subject was pulled over on suspicion. When officers searched the vehicle they located a jar full of marijuana in the floorboard and a .32-caliber revolver in the trunk. The subject was arrested for possession of a loaded firearm, marijuana and he had a traffic warrant. The subject was later transferred and booked at the Torrance Police Department.

Skateboarder arrested; failing to comply with EC poice officer Feb. 11, 11 a.m. — A male student riding a skateboard was arrested after he failed to comply with officers. The student refused to give an officer his student ID so he could issue a citation. The subject was arrested for failing to comply with an officer’s instructions. The subject was later handed over to Torrance Police Department and was booked.

Transient man booked for possession Feb. 13 2:20 p.m. — Officers responded to a call regarding a non-studen-transient male suspect lurking in the bushes on the south side of the campus. Officers found a glass smoking pipe and a three-inch blade-folding knife on the subject. The male was booked and cited for possession of drug paraphernalia and a weapon.

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Refinery explosion blows up gas prices El Camino to prepare for Northern Cal University tour

Torrance Exxon Mobil Refinery explosion shows raise in gas prices

UC Merced and UC Davis are among the universities to be visited by El Camino College Students in March

Phil Sidavong News Editor @ECCUnionPhil

An explosion shook the Torrance Exxon Mobil Refinery area causing a fire around 9 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 18, but was put out by Torrance Fire Department, Capt. Steve Deuel said.

The Torrance Fire Department responded on scene at the ExxonMobil Refinery, which was closed on Del Amo Boulevard between Maple Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard, as reported first on eccunion.com.

Traffic was backed up heavily and people were told to avoid the area near the explosion and a “Shelter in place” alert was sent out at 10:05 a.m. according to the Nixle website

Patrice Moore

Staff Writer @ECCUnionPatrice

John Fordiani/ Union An explosion at the Torrance Exxon Mobil refinery around 9 a.m Wednesday morning sent ash and fumes into the air.

The type of explosion was a “second-alarm fire explosion” according to the Torrance Fire Department information line.

According to Consumer Watchdog the price of gas rose about 10 cents.

Predictions show that gas could rise up to $3.50, but no higher, according to the Bakken Oil Journal.

On Feb. 16, a refinery was also shut-down due to “mechanical issues”, according to the Bakken Oil Business Journal.

As it is now, two refinery’s have now shutdown and are currently not being run, and according to Consumer Watchdog, this affects “16 percent of the state’s refining capacity.”

Alert system to aid El Camino College Nixle was created to send information about incidents and accidents to the people Kyle Dowen

Staff Writer @eccunionKDowen

The Nixle system is an emergency alert system that sends text messages, calls, and web updates to people who subscribe, according to their website.

It keeps people informed on relevant information, as it is delivered as fast as possible.

Students can sign-up for the Nixle system alerts by texting to “888777”. This is not specific to EC itself. If you are looking to find out what is going in your area. You can also text your zip code to the same

number for updates in any area.

Nixle is based in San Francisco, which was created in June 2008, and was first tested in Chula Vista, California later that winter.

To subscribe to Nixle, the person interested sends a text to the number provided on their website. Once they have done that, they have officially subscribed.

Most students on campus, when asked about the Nixle system, had no clue what it was, or how it worked. Nam Duong, student, said he’d “never even heard of it.”

In addition to the explosion, there was a recent shooting on campus, and a Nixle alert was sent out. The

Put your knowledge to work.

problem was, not many students are Nixle subscribers, and did not find out about the shooting until hours later.

In the event of an emergency, such as an earthquake, a gas leak, or other things of that nature; students and faculty would receive an alert with instructions on what to do, if they were subscribed to Nixle.

A few students seemed to welcome the idea of receiving these alerts. After informing him of the steps it would take to subscribe, student Steven Ullfig said, “if all it takes is a text, then it sounds like a good idea.”

The El Camino College Transfer Center is offering university tours for Northern California universities from March 16-19, according to the Transfer Center.

As a community college, EC has a large population of students who intend to transfer to four-year institutions to pursue their bachelor’s degree.

However, many students in the South Bay area don’t have the opportunity to visit these campuses before. These tours are designed to fix that problem by taking the students in large groups to see the various schools, with UC Merced and UC Davis are among those.

“I think they should go,” Peter Hamilton, 20, economics major said. When asked about being given the chance.

Many EC Transfer Center-student workers and full-time faculty work hard to make sure that the word gets out about various tours so that students can take advantage of these opportunities.

“It is important to make informed decisions to see if the schools are a good fit,” Blanca Prado, Student Services/Transfer Adviser and campus tour chaperone said.

Many students found that by visiting these campuses, they were able to make better, more-informed decisions when it came to picking the schools after they had taken part in the tours.

“I would definitely recommend it,” Jorge Aguirre, 20, architecture major and Transfer Center student worker said. “I went on a USC tour. You want to be amazed every day in a place you can be happy in since you’ll be there for two or four years.”

The Transfer Center is open from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., according to the website. The last day to submit the completed application for the Northern California campus tours is Friday, Feb. 13, by 1:00 p.m. to the office of Blanca Prado in SSC 108L. “I’ve had some students tell me it changed their lives,” Prado said.

“It’s definitely something to take advantage of.”

Other upcoming university tour opporunities: • Feb. 27 - UC Riverside • March 6 - Loyola Marymount University

For more info. contact Transfer/career center: 310-660-3593 ext. 6137

Visit the transfer center • March 14 - San Diego Mon.-Thurs. 9 a.m. to 7 State University p.m.

Low enrollment forces class drops at El Camino Patrice Moore Staff Writer @ECCUnionPatrice

EC faces a series of problems amidst low enrollment, possibly leading to a reassessment of the school’s budget, officials said.

Students have had classes dropped in the beginning due to low enrollment, but it was not a new issue for EC. Statistics show that from 2008 to the 2013 academic year, enrollment has dropped by a sharp 31%, according to the official EC 2013 Annual Fact Book.

According to the Fact Book, “these declines are primarily due to budgetary constraints that lead

to reduction in sections offered.”

When there aren’t enough students to fill the quota, the college receives less money. As it stands, there was a $5 million deficit from the 2013-2014 academic school year with the balance at the end of the term being approximately $16.7 million, according to the final budget document from the 2013-2014 school year.

Still, there are those who believe that the new building still has a place on the campus despite the college’s financial woes. ”Enrollment is at the whim of the economy.,” Transfer Counselor Atheneus Ocampo said. When asked if the economy had anything

to do with it, Ocampo agreed but also said that there were other factors contributing to the drop in classes.

In fact, the Annual Fact Book from 2013 projected that enrollment would stabilize within the next few years, so if not now, this leads to believe that there will be positive change in the future.

“There’s always room for improvement and everything is in constant analysis. We are living in an environment of change.”

EC will continue to try and work through these problems to come to a solution that not only helps the students through these tough times, but the institution itself.

Tell us you like us.

Learn in the classroom, thrive in the world. At CSUDH, you’ll graduate with more than a respected degree. You’ll have the practical skills and experiences employers want, and your dreams deserve.

What will you find @CSUDH? CSUDH.EDU/FutureStudents Learn about the El Camino College and CSUDH Pathways to Success Enrollment Partnership and view upcoming visit dates at CSUDH.EDU/CCPartnershipsVisits.

CareerReady@CSUDH facebook.com/csudh twitter.com/dominguezhills

CSU Dominguez Hills | (310) 243-3422 | 1000 E. Victoria Street | Carson, CA 90747

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FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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EDITORIAL

4 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

Campus Insight

Ali Farrokhzad

Special to The Union

Identifying campus walkways

by names

Illustration by Eugene Chang/ Union

The consequences of losing the winter session Both smaller class sizes and fewer courses offered this semester is a change to students who have been attending El Camino in recent years, and they are both results of low enrollment numbers for the spring semester.

Yes, some could say that smaller classes are a good thing, providing one-on-one instruction that’s helpful to many, but the reason classes are emptier this semester is because enrollment is lower than any other in recent years.

One reason for this? Winter session being cut.

Last year was the first year winter session had been cut at El Camino after years of going back and forth about its future.

At last month’s board of trustees meeting, President Tom Fallo said that this semester, 70 sections were cut at El Camino.

Certainly several factors weigh in to this, but two of the main ones have to be the economy continuing to improve and the fact that other local colleges offer winter session. Those are the schools that former El Camino students are attending.

They’re going to them for winter session, then because the winter sessions and our spring session overlaps, students stay at that school.

“The Union” acknowledges that bringing back winter session costs money -- with paying teachers and all that goes into getting classrooms ready and able to use and running during a time when The issue: not many people are around -- but it’s worth it. The institution is losing plenty of money with students El Camino is suffering from low enrollment, which equally taking their tuition funds elsewhere.

On the other hand, if classes don’t have fewer disbenefits students. students than they usually do, they’re overcrowded with two of the same course being combined into one section. This forces one teacher to lose a class Our stand: and, at times, students to alter their schedules. Still, Though it will be a costly act, in week six, there are students in classes who don’t bringing back the winter ses- have a desk to sit at.

Some students had classes they needed for a sion will solve the problem for requirement cut. The cutting of those classes could both sides. impact their course load, sometimes having them lose full-time status. This could affect their financial aid, insurance costs and transfer plans.

Without winter session, students are leaving and will continue to leave. If students choose to stay, they have to face the consequences of their peers leaving. It’s not the students’ fault that El Camino cut winter session, so why should they pay with not getting the classes they need or not having a desk to write on?

Nixle system needs to be redone Emergency notification from the system recently went out 45 minutes after an incident Nixle is an alert system for the campus and area for students, faculty and staff to be informed of big updates and incidents as quickly as possible, but in the case of the campus shooting where was the immediate update?

Nixle is supposed to alert those in the area of important updates, but it’s not just supposed to alert, but to alert immediately of impending danger.

There are those who think that this system is the best way to go about sending alerts out.

But not many students even know about this option, and do not know how to sign up.

Recently, there was an incident with an officer-involved shooting on campus. But the first alert was not sent out until 45 minutes after the “situation had been handled,” EC

Police Chief Michael Trevis said, during a community forum held after the incident.

Now, at the moment, there may not be another great service to the student body and faculty, but there was a problem that arose during the community forum. When the incident happened on campus, “everyone was busy with handling the situation,” Trevis said.

There are many things that could have happened or been done differently. If the situation was handled within the five minutes of the phone call about a hostage, why send everyone out to the scene, when just one person needs to stay back and alert the campus. Is the department that headstrong, that they have to be a part of the action?

What if the thousands of students in class and on campus, who could have been hurt due

to not being informed? This needs to be fixed.

The system in place works well enough for the campus, but the problem is the timing of the alerts and the fact that the alerts sent out are only for ongoing threats. But that is what needs to be changed.

There should be more consideration for the students, faculty and community members who show up around school.

These alerts need to be sent out as quickly as possible, despite whether or not the situation is deadly or controlled. Otherwise, there should be a better system or way to inform those on campus.

If there is information that is imperative for the campus or people on campus to know, then it should be sent out, whether or not the situation has been handled.

THE UNION

Vol. 69, No. 8 February 26, 2015

Email: eccunion@gmail.com Newsroom: (310) 660-3328 Advertising: (310) 660-3329

Editor-in-Chief ����������������������������������������������������������������������Jessica Martinez News Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Phil Sidavong Features Editor ����������������������������������������������������������������������Jessica Martinez Opinion/Editorial Editor ���������������������������������������������������������������� Jay Bamba Arts Editor...........................................................................................Celine West Sports Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Rocky Rivera Photo Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� John Fordiani Distribution Manager ���������������������������������������������������������Lorenzo Gutierrez Advertising Manager ������������������������������������������������������������������� Jack Mulkey Adviser ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������Kate McLaughlin Adviser ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Stefanie Frith Photo Adviser...................................................................................Gary Kohatsu

The Union is published Thursdays by Journalism 11 students at El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506, and is free to the student body and staff.

Unsigned editorials and cartoons are the opinion of the editorial board and do not reflect the views of the student body, staff or administration. Letters to the editor must be signed and must be received one week prior to publication in the Union office, Humanities Building Room 113.

Letters are subject to editing for space, libel, obscenity and disruption of the educational process. Single copies of the Union are free; multiple copies can be requested through the Union.

There are four major arteries that connect the parking lots to the interior of the campus.

Two major passages runs north to south, the first one connecting to the biggest parking lot L, the five story structure that runs all the way to Redondo Beach boulevard.

The second one connects lot K and the motorcycle lot at the south of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

The other two passages run from east to west, connecting from parking lot F all the way to Crenshaw Boulevard.

These four passages connect all of the building and therefore needs to be identified by names for the purpose of directions for students, visitors, police, and emergency vehicles to navigate easily and faster throughout the campus.

The first passage that connects north to south can be named “Main Street”; the Main Street passes Marsee Auditorium, the Social Science Building, the Physical Education Building, and the book store.

The second north to south passage can be named the “Central Avenue”. The Central Avenue passes through the Social Science Building, Art Building, Music Building, library, library lawn, Special Resource Center, and the planetarium.

The first passage that connects west to east can be named “First Avenue”. The First Avenue passes the softball field, tennis courts, South Gymnasium, Social Science, and the Art Building.

The second passage that connects west to east can be named “Second Avenue”, which passes by the Murdock Stadium, the soccer field, the Physical Education Building, library lawn, the Administration Building, and the MBA Building.

Art students can design these signs to add to the beautification on campus. The names suggested are compatible and relevant to these walks and driveways because of its characteristics. However, we can also ask for student body or faculty’s suggestions for the names.

It is clear what is missing and what is needed. The need for clear direction is needed so that it helps everyone get to where they need to go. And this can be achieved only with four names and four signs.

Here’s our policy The Union newspaper will address national, state, local, and campus issues that affect El Camino College students, the El Camino College Community District communities and higher education indiscriminately. Books, films, plays and other entertainment determined by the staff to be of interest to El Camino students will be reviewed and published. Staff is assured the right to comment editorially upon actions of the administration, the board of trustees, the facility or the student government on any issue.

The newspaper staff recognizes the liability undertaken on its behalf by the board of trustees, and reamins committed to serving responsibly.

Write us a letter

Letters pertaining to campus issues or responding to articles will have priority over commentaries or other letters on the editorial page, to the discretion of the editorial board.

Letters may be from any El Camino student, faculty member, classified person or employee of the college. Letters from students have priority. Every attempt will be made to run all letters received before the editorial deadline, which is the Monday prior to publication, each week.

In cases of sensitive circumstances, anonymous letters will be published. Depending on the gravity of the content of the letter, some anonymous letters may not be published.

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OPINION

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

EL CAMINO COLLEGE 5

Campus viewpoints

Column

By: Monique Judge @ECCUnionMonique

A massacre threat and an officer involved shooting Is our campus safe?

Monique Judge

Columnist ECCUnionMonique@gmail.com

Never too late to get out of the negative spiral

It is the end of the sixth week of classes, and I am finally settling into my daily routine. I think it takes that long to adjust and figure out most successful mix of school, work, homework, and social life.

I am concurrently enrolled on two campuses right now, and my brain often has trouble figuring out which professor I am doing which assignment for, but I think I’ve got it.

There is a certain delight that comes with knowing you are doing your best, and having the grades to prove it is the icing on the success cake. It makes skipping all those game nights and extra dates with my boyfriend worth it in the end.

This is the first time ever I have not been stressed out about midterms.

I have been setting aside time every single day and keeping a task list that keeps me on top of my readings and homework assignments.

Following the advice of one of my advisers, I’ve learned that chipping away at it a bit at a time is much more sustainable than trying to attack it all at once at the last minute, and it is definitely making me a better student with better study habits.

I wasn’t always like this; I used to be a downward spiraling mess of missed deadlines and unfinished or unsubmitted assignments.

What turned the tide for me was realizing that the habits I am building now are going to be the habits that follow me throughout my working career. If I am a sloppy and unorganized student, what type of employee can I expect to be?

What type of legacy and reputation am I building with the bosses I have right now, and what type of reference would that lead them to give to anyone who would ask them about my work or my work ethic?

Think about it. A lot of us are at the point in our college careers where letters of recommendation are going to become important. What impression are you leaving on your instructors? What will they say about you?

The good news is, even if you haven’t maintained the best work habits up until now, there is still time to turn it around and make it right.

There’s still time to map out a schedule for getting things done.

There’s still time to talk to your professors and instructors about extra credit. There are still opportunities for you to turn down a night out with friends and instead catch up on the reading that you have let fall behind.

No matter where you are in your process, remember college is where we build the skills that are going to make us successes in the future. We are here to learn from our mistakes and grow into something better.

It is a process that takes some adjustments and getting used to, but once you do it, you will be glad you did.

Good luck, from a former fellow procrastinator.

THE UNION

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Send us an email at eccunion@gmail.com.

Mario Vivas 19, nursing “I do feel safe. I see the police always around. I feel like if something goes wrong, the police will get here quick.”

Illustration by Eugene Chang/ Union

Jason Tario, 20, undecided “I don’t really feel safe parking my car farther from campus buildings.”

UP FOR DEBATE A massacre threat and an officer involved shooting - Is our campus safe?

El Camino is not perfect, but safe

Sin City is safer than this campus

Let’s be honest here; you aren’t completely safe anywhere. Even in the comfort of your own bedroom you still aren’t totally secure. But evening after evening, you still relax there. Night after night, you still sleep there. And, morning after morning, you find that you’ve woken up again.

The same goes for El Camino. Yes, threats against EC were made. And James Thompson yes, there was recently an officerStaff Writer involved shooting on campus. But @ECCUnionJames does that make EC dangerous, or less safe than any other college campus?

The answer is a clear, definite “no.”

It is perfectly legitimate to be worried about EC’s safety after James Lemus’ threats last semester and the officer-involved shooting which put suspect Peyton Dingman in the ICU just a few weeks ago. In fact, it is healthy.

Public scrutiny of the administration’s practices after these shake-ups can only help strengthen EC’s safety standards. But EC is not a den of thieves: it is far from it. El Camino is, in fact, among the safer colleges in the Los Angeles area.

According to Clery Act crime statistics, in 2013 EC reported 14 total criminal offenses. Pierce College reported 16, while Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Cerritos College and East Los Angeles College all reported 21.

And while details of the officer-involved shooting during the first week of this semester remain unclear, it is important to remember these two things: Chief Trevis said that it is the first shooting to occur on campus in six years, and that no students other than Dingman were physically harmed.

Of course, a need for reform still remains. Issues about the lack of transparency with regards to campus officials and police, as well as the police’s failure to alert the community in a timely fashion following Lemus’ threats last semester – itself a violation of the Clery Act’s requirement to keep students alerted to security threats – must be addressed in favor of transparency.

The fact that some things around campus need to be fixed cannot be denied, and shouldn’t be. In fact, students and faculty ought to be scrutinizing safety procedures at EC with a level head in order to ensure that EC remains a safe campus. But unreasonable paranoia is not the way to fix them and is not the way to foster a safe campus environment.

Sin City is safer than wandering around EC campus unaware of the danger that is walking around the campus masked to look like innocent people.

There have been incidents at EC that students might not be aware of; such as a man pulling out a knife on a student at this year’s Club Rush, a police officer shooting a man, a man Trent Ledford under the women’s bathroom stall Staff Writer in the Music Building trying to take @ECCUnionTrent pictures of a girl on the toilet, and threats made to the campus by James Lemus.

With all the theft, disturbance, traffic collisions and suspicious people on campus, it is hard for a student to study and focus on school. How could students study with disturbances all over the campus, when a male student drinks alcohol and bother female students?

Students can’t even leave their wallet beside them while they are on the phone without someone trying to steal it. For example, a girl that was sitting on a planter left her wallet on her side to make a quick phone call. Minutes later she found it missing after her call.

The campus security needs to do a better job with securing the students at school and making them feel safe. The school does email students when something big happens on campus, however, students should get alerts more frequently.

Students should bring something like pepper spray to protect themselves against creeps, especially if they’re taking night classes.

To make the campus safer, the security could set up a booth on the library lawn for the first two weeks of school and give students detail about the Nixle system and information about incidents that happened on campus. The booth would be a great thing to do because students can stop by and ask a question, whether it would be about the campus or direction.

Staff members at the campus could also help make the school a safer place by staying up-to-date with all the incidents that happened on campus and letting their students know about them at the beginning of class and also informing students about the Nixle system.

El Camino is not a safe place for students, staffs, and faculties.

Angel Gomez, 23, physics “I do feel safe. The campus police acted fast. I read the report. The police handled it as good as they could.”

Lorena Ayoub, 18, biology “Not really, because of the past situations. You get scared and don’t know if it will happen again.”

Tamara Penn, 41, sociology “I feel safe when I come to El Camino. I see the police periodically.“

ARTS

6 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

ON THE SCENE Thursday, Feb. 26 Black History Month Committee hosts ‘Taste of Soul’

The El Camino College Black History Month Committee is hosting their “Taste of Soul” Festival today at 11 a.m. in the East Dining Room as part of the month-long Black History Month events. The event is free to attend.

Thursday, Feb. 26

Dance Collaboration Effort goes to James Armstrong Theatre The West High School Dance Department is hosting The 16th Annual TUSD’S Dance Collaboration Effort performance today at 7 p.m. at the James Armstrong Theatre.

There is an admission fee of $10.

To find out more information about the event, call the center at 310-781-7171.

Friday, Feb. 27 Maria’s Dance Studio has celebration

Maria’s Dance Studio is having their First-Year Anniversary Celebration on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at the James Armstrong Theatre.

There is an admission fee of $20 for adults. For more information call 310-781-7171.

Rosendo Vargas/ Union

“The Laramie Project” cast ends dress rehearsal at the Campus Theatre Feb. 19. “The Laramie Project” premieres at the Campus Theatre this Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. and again on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. There are also showings on March 6, 7 at 8 p.m. and March 8 at 3 p.m.

‘The Laramie Project’ comes to the Campus Theatre Jerome Casio

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJerome

In a small Wyoming town that abides by the motto “live and let live,” Matthew Shepard, 21, was brutally beaten, tied to a post and left to die. Why? Because he was gay.

A month later, The Tectonic Theater Project arrived at Laramie, interviewed several residents and made a play based on their accounts.

Seen by more than 30 million people nationwide, “The Laramie Project” comes to EC under the direction of Jerry Prell, part-time lecturer for the theater department.

Along with interviews conducted by The Tectonic Theater Project, the play consists of several other forms of public records,

including newscasts, court records and interviews conducted by other media outlets, Prell said.

This format is known as journalistic theatre.

“It’s an intriguing story that way, because you hear all these perspectives,” Prell said.

In “The Laramie Project,” reactions are not just taken from Shepard’s family and friends but also from the accused and other residents unconnected to the murder — giving the audience a look at the pain and disbelief of everyone in the community.

Cast member Clifton Bobb, 24, explained that one of the challenges he had when working on “The Laramie Project” was dealing with monologues the play completely consists of. “It’s really just one person talking,” he said.

The point of that journalistic format is to look at the murder as

a “historical record of what happened and how it’s put together,” Prell said. “It’s a collage of what was going on kinesthetically and emotionally.”

Which is what “The Laramie Project” is at its core — a literal look at real-life events that echoes motivations seen in recent hate crimes.

The unending relativity of “The Laramie Project” is what made the production such a big hit, especially with younger generations in college campuses across the country.

Muhammad Umar, 26, theater major, said that he and the cast wants to do the show justice. “It’s not just a made up play,” Umar said. “These are actual people.”

Another student, 22-year-old Robert Hart, theatre major, agreed with Umar. Hart had over five different roles in “The Laramie Proj-

‘Kingsman’ has lots of class and flying limbs

Quilters show work at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center

Jerome Casio

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJerome

Jorge Villa/ Union

Tony Pham, 39, nursing and photography major, shows off his Canon 5d mark iii camera. Pham enjoys shooting landscapes and desires to do volunteer nursing overseas to help African refugees.

Photography student shoots past setbacks Juan Lorenzo Gutierrez

Sunday, March 1 Norris Theatre puts on ‘Camp Rock’

The Palos Verdes Norris Theatre is having a performance of Disney`s Camp Rock: The Musical on March 1 at 2 p.m.

The admission price for adults is $25 each and youth tickets are $10 each. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or they can be called directly at 310-544-0403, ext. 221.

under the protection of the First Amendment, held pickets full of hate aimed toward homosexuals.

Many of the cast had to play characters, real-life people, who held convictions they strongly opposed.

“I’m trying to make it as honest as possible,” Umar said. “But how do I relate that to myself?”

When further discussing the relativity of the play, Prell called out to the EC community: “Because (Matthew Shepard) was a college student, and this stuff is still happening, I think it’s important for our community to try and get as many college students to come.”

“The Laramie Project” premieres at the Campus Theatre Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. and again on Feb. 28. There are also showings on March 6, 7 at 8 p.m. and March 8 at 3 p.m.

Movie Review

Saturday, Feb. 28 The 35th South Bay Quilters Guild 2015 Quilt Show: Square Root of Nine will be hosting an auction at 1 p.m. on Feb. 28 as well as educational workshops such as “Quilts for Wounded Warriors.” The event will take place at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. The admission price is $8 and children under 10 get in for free. For more information, go to www. southbayquiltersguild.org.

ect,” including Matthew Shepard’s father, Dennis Shepard. However, Hart did not find the amount of roles he had difficult.

Instead, Hart said that “(playing) them honestly and to make them distinct” was the real challenge he had when preparing for the roles. Umar had similar but, at the same time different, challenges when honestly depicting some of his characters.

In the second act, Umar plays Rulon Stacey, CEO of Poudre Valley Hospital, and had a few emotional moments. Shortly after, in the second act, he then had to play Reverend Fred Phelps who is “the polar opposite” of Stacey, Umar said.

Phelps, who died last year, was was an activist against homosexuality and picketing at funerals, including Shepard’s. In the funeral, Phelps and his congregation,

Distribution Manager @ECCUnionLorenzo

Even though photography wasn’t originally part of Tony Pham’s plan, he now sees more flashes of victory than he does the flash of his camera.

Pham is excelling in his photography work now, but his life began in a different field.

“I was in the Philippines for 16 years as a refugee,” the 39-yearold photography and nursing major, said.

Pham is from Vietnam, but in 1989, when he was 13, he left Vietnam and become a refugee in the Philippines when the Communist government became established in Vietnam.

As a refugee, Pham had limitations in food, electricity and education, he said.

“I came here in December 2005,” Pham said. “I studied in Le Cordon Bleu — a cooking school in Pasadena.”

After graduating, Pham started to work at Hotel Bel-Air as a chef and it was there he started to learn English.

“My boss was very generous.

He told me one thing: I don’t care if you know English or not, but I teach you every day, whatever you don’t understand you ask me and I will answer,” Pham said.

Pham comes from a family

that has a restaurant business in Vietnam and the need of food made him want to be a chef.

“When you are in hungry and you are short of food, you always think in food,” Pham said.

Pham enjoys taking pictures of his food. He had traveled to other countries and he didn’t know how to use a camera, so he decided to enroll in a photo class

at El Camino.

“Tony is remarkable and outstanding student he is mature responsible compassionate and brilliant student,” Darilyn Rowan, photography professor, said.

Rowan said that what makes Pham unique is that his work is very elegant, distinctive and memorable.

Even with his short experience in photography, Pham decided to enter Photographer’s Forum, an international competition. He ended up being a finalist.

Last year, Pham submitted a photo to Myriad, EC’s literary journal, and his photo was selected to be part of the journal.

“I think his work is so amazing, there is so much emotion into his photographs, you look at them and you just feel like in this very peaceful place like he captures all that emotions that I guess he is feeling them and he just put that in his photographs,” Maria Andrade Reyes, 35, photography major, said.

There are two ways to do a spy thriller. The first is found in the more recent Bond films, starring Daniel Craig, that dispose of all the absurdity and contraptions that beleaguered its less-successful predecessors. The second is found in “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” which, instead, does the opposite and embraces what came before it in such a stylistic fashion.

Much of “Kingsman’s” success — and failure — is due to Matthew Vaughn’s (“X-Men: First Class”) direction and screenwriting. The director-screenwriter brings familiar tropes from his first comic adaption effort that mostly work this second time around.

Adapted from the comic book created by Mark Millar, “Kingsman” revolves around a secret service, the Kingsmen, that names its agents after the Knights of the Round Table.

We follow our protagonist, Eggsy, and a few other candidates as they all audition for a spot in the group that just opened up. While all this happens, the Kingsmen conduct an investigation on the film’s antagonist, Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), who is actually one of the more amusing espionage-thriller villains to watch on-screen. This includes his lethal, peg-legged number two — Gazelle (Sofia Boutella).

And this isn’t because of Valentine’s chilling sophistication — because, really, there isn’t any — or grandiose master plan but

because of the kind of entertainment Jackson and his lisp bring to the character.

Even though “Kingsman’s” action doesn’t really pick up until the end of the second act, Vaughn’s script provides enough entertainment to keep us in our seats.

Most noticeable are the constant shots “Kingsman” takes at old espionage thrillers. One example being the name of Eggsy’s assigned K-9 companion, JB (Jack Bauer). When asked about the meaning, “Kingsman” points out that all household-name spies coincidentally use the exact same initials.

There’s no question that “Kingsman” is a swift-looking piece of action.

There is also a beautifullooking sequence full of engaging cinematography, swift editing and numerous limbs flying across the screen.

While it’s true that “Kingsman” has class and suits that are impossible to turn down, it does suffer from a few wardrobe malfunctions in the first act due to Vaughn’s choice in visual direction.

Because of its laid back tone, the great use of closeups and unattached limbs may provide a few awkward laughs similar to the ones heard in theaters screening “Kingsman’s” opening-weekend competitor, “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

But once Vaughn gets us up to speed, we get to enjoy an espionage thriller that doesn’t take itself seriously and isn’t as messy as the limb-riddled aftermaths of each action sequence.

SPORTS

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

EL CAMINO COLLEGE 7

Warriors baseball tops Imperial Valley College Grant Hermanns

Staff Writer @ECCUnionGrant

The Warriors baseball team played the Imperial Valley Arabs last Thursday at El Camino baseball field, winning 5-3.

The game remained close from beginning to end. The Warriors started off hot with a three-run first inning and a two-run second inning. The Arabs followed up with one run in the top of the second inning and two runs in the bottom of the third inning.

The hitting was strong for both teams throughout the day. The Warriors recorded a total of 10 hits and the Arabs recorded a total of seven hits.

The biggest hitters on the day for the Warriors were sophomores shortstop Fred Smith, who recorded two hits, and left-fielder Alex Turner, who recorded a perfect three-for-three against Imperial Valley.

The Warriors’ first inning was a strong one. It started with sophomore Fred Smith hitting a single, followed by a stolen base at second. He was then brought in for the run when freshman first-baseman Jake Sahagian hit a single. The next play walked sophomore catcher Joey Notch, which would set up the next two runs.

After a wild pitch that helped Notch advance to second and Sahagian advance to third base, sophomore Alex Turner hit a single that would bring in Notch and Sahagian for an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

The Warriors would follow it up with a strong two-run second inning. Freshman third-baseman Tyler Martizia hit a single, followed by a fielder’s choice that helped him advance to second.

The next play saw freshman designated hitter Zach Decuitus get a walk, putting two runners on base. Martizia and Decuitus were brought in when sophomore right-fielder Kevin Lopez hit a double, earning him two RBI’s for the day.

The Warriors bullpen proved to be one of the team’s biggest assets against Imperial Valley. After five strong innings of pitching, sophomore Ulices Moreno was relieved by freshman pitcher Sebastian Sanchez, who

Tristan Bellisimo/ Union Warriors outfielder Alex Turner slides into second base before a Imperial Valley second baseman catches the ball. The Warriors defeated the Arabs 5-3 on Thursday. pitched an impressive three more innings before being relieved by sophomore Josh Norwood.

Moreno and Sanchez pitched a tough eight innings for Imperial Valley, recording a combined seven strikeouts.

Coach Nate Fernley felt that the bullpen did a great job in coming in and relieving Moreno, freshman pitcher Sebastian Sanchez really standing out in his three innings pitched. Fernley also said that sophomore Alex Turner did a great job at the plate. He feels his team still needs to work on the base-running.

“We didn’t really run the bases well,” Fernley said. “We had bases loaded, but we kept running into outs, so we just really need to work on that.”

Sophomore right-fielder Kevin Lopez felt that his team played really

John Fordiani/ Union Olympic gold-medalist, Alex Morgan, featured in a youth camp for girls on EC’s soccer field in January. Morgan will head to Canada this summer to compete in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She is one of the US’ top 10 goalscorers of all time.

U.S. soccer’s Alex Morgan more than a star athlete to EC girls Rocky Rivera

Sports Editor @ECCUnionRocky

Alex Morgan, team USA’s slender forward, sprints down the pitch with intensity. She leaves the defense in her tracks and rushes toward goal. With a confident kick of the ball, it hits the net and the US takes the lead.

The scene has become all too familiar since Morgan started playing for the US women’s national squad (USWNT). Her teammates call her baby horse on account of her speed and youth.

The US striker also known for her pink headband has become the biggest hope for team USA going into this summer’s World Cup, both on the field and off.

“I think she just really pumps her team up,” EC soccer freshman, Rocio Najera said. She’s a spokesperson that brought people to watch her attitude and her skills and all of her packaging and brought a new foundation, a new way to look at (women’s soccer).”

Morgan is perhaps the most popular player among the USWNT due to her 2012 Olympic heroics, in which she led the stars and stripes to a gold medal.

She has since garnered corporate deals with the likes of Nike, Coca-Cola and Tampax who hosted a Pro Camp for girls at EC in January.

“I’m into playing with little girls, relating to them, teaching them, and learning from them,” Morgan said.

“It’s great to be surrounded by them and see how excited and motivated they are.”

Morgan sees it as a way to give back to the girls

who look up to her as a role model and give them a positive outlook on life like the players she used to look up to.

“I think there’s a certain level of pressure when you think of the responsibility that me and my teammates have to set a good example,” Morgan said. “I want to inspire young girls, not that I feel like I was pushed into any position.”

Dianna Smith, former EC soccer player, said she grew up watching USWNT players like Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach but now admires Morgan from the current US squad.

“I think a lot of girls can relate to (Morgan, which) makes her more attractive to youngsters,” Smith said.

Morgan’s clean image contrasts her teammate Hope Solo’s, who’s reputation has tanked ever since being charged with two accounts of assault last year.

“I do not appreciate (Solo’s) attitude with her whole scandal. It doesn’t show sportsmanship,” Najero said. “I think Morgan tries to create this role model (persona). She’s all around a good person compared to Solo who does not help the image.”

Morgan will hope to carry team USA to glory this summer with so many girls cheering her on. A triumph this summer would be the first since 1999 for the USWNT. “It’s such a great opportunity and it it all comes down to these thirty days in the World Cup,” Morgan said. “(It’s) what you’ve worked for your entire life and for us its putting all that together and making it cohesive.”

good defense against Imperial Valley, and what they really need to work on is keeping their energy up, rather than allowing it to die off like it did.

He felt the major turning point in the game was when Sebastian Sanchez took the mound against Imperial Valley.

“When Sebastian came in, he pitched really well, and he just didn’t let up,” Lopez said.

Sophomore left-fielder Alex Turner felt that his team really did well in hitting the ball, as well as not giving up any errors defensively. He felt that the major turning point in the game came in the first inning when his team scored three runs.

“We really should’ve gotten at least eight or nine runs today with all the runners we had on base,” Turner explains, “but a win is a win, so we can’t complain.”

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8 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION FEBRUARY 26, 2015 SPORTS

Women’s basketball routs L.A. Harbor 82-52 After clinching the SCC-South title last week, Pasadena awaits EC in the regional playoffs

Eric Ramos

Staff Writer @ECCUnion_Eric

With the conference title already in hand, the EC women’s basketball team had one more goal to accomplish, finishing the season undefeated in conference play.

It was close midway through the first half but EC was able to open the game up with a sequence of defensive stops. The Warriors played tenacious defense and closed the first half on a 22-10 run.

Sophomore forward Sydney Chase (West Torrance HS) led EC in the first half with 11 points and five rebounds.

“We just wanted to end the season undefeated because we are already conference champs,” Chase said. “We rebounded, executed our offense, and played as a team.”

EC (20-8, 8-0) closed out the regular season with an 82-52 win over L.A Harbor College (8-17, 0-7). The Warriors are South Coast South-conference champs for the first time since 2005.

“Nice way to finish it off,” coach Steve Shaw said. “We worked so hard to get to the point where we are at and having clinched the championship last Friday, its a little bit of a weird feeling. We want to keep moving in the right direction towards the playoffs.”

EC held the Seahawks to 23

percent shooting from the field and outrebounded them, 62-44 Sophomore forward Shontalene Trudeau (West Torrance HS) registered another doubledouble with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

“We just knew that no matter what we got from the last game, we just had to keep playing because every game is important,” Trudeau said. “You can never under estimate your opponent so we needed to make sure we came out and played good basketball.”

The second half was all EC as they shot 58 percent from the field and converted eight of 10 from the free throw line. Four players scored in double figures and every player on EC’s roster registered at least one point.

Sophomore guard Nisja Bass (Mayfair HS) finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assist. Freshman forward Helena Jones-Caldwel (Inglewood HS) added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

EC heads into the playoffs on a four-game winning streak and will look to keep the momentum going.

“We are excited and we are kind of glad this part’s over,” Shaw Jorge Villa/Union said about the regular season.

Warrior guard Sydney Chase strategizes her next move against LA Harbor College. The Warriors defeated the Seahawks 82-52 Friday night.

The Warriors host Pasadena City College in the regional playoffs tomorrow at 7 p.m.

NFL stars touch down at EC Pro footballers share their stories at Marsee Auditorium during an event for local young athletes Jed Fernandez

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJed

The Laced Facts Tour came to EC this Februaury with some special guests that wanted to say a few words to the young athletes of the South Bay. Some of these guests included NFL players and former collegiate athletes that played in big time college programs like Louisville and UCLA. A few key-note speakers were Packers defensive tackle Datone Jones, Jets running back Bilal Powell, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, Bills wide receiver Robert Woods, and Vikings quarterback and NFL Rookie of the Year, Teddy Bridgewater.

The Laced Facts Tours is a movement started by former EC and Louisville Alum defensive back, Mike Evans.

“Laced Facts is a social media platform that connects professional athletes to their fans,” said Evans.

Through Laced Facts athletes get to tell their story to the fans of how they grew up with the struggles they overcame to get where they are today.

It also educates the young people about making the right choices on and off the field Evans said.

The Laced Facts Tour kicked off at EC because Evans felt it “was the right place to be.”

The two-day event started off at Marsee Auditorium with a presentation from the athletes talking to the fans about their past experiences with a Q&A session after followed by a meet and greet.

With big names on the program list came a big crowd as the doors opened by 1:00 p.m. to let the fans slowly fill the sold-out event.

“Laced Facts is a great way for the fans to have hands on fun and experience with the athletes. I wish we had this when I was younger,” Jones said.

The second day consisted of a football camp from 8:00 a.m. to noon at Carson High School with 27 NFL athletes coming out to train with kids from elementary school to high school.

Some of pros that came to speak and help out at the camps have a history with Evans as the majority of them played football with him at some point in his career. Evans has earned respect with these starstudded players on and off the field throughout his football career and even mentored some of these NFL players.

“I’ve known Mike (Evans) since Pop Warner football and he was always a older role model to me,” Robert Woods said.

Mike had the chance to play in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams but says he declined to start Laced Facts and to spread his story with the rest of the young student athletes around the US with the help of his friends.

“My journey through life has led me to Laced Facts and kids need to hear this message and get an inside scoop to the athletes they look up to,” Evans said.

Every year the Laced Facts Tour gets stronger and this year it’s touring 20 cities.

WARRIORS SCHEDULE softball: Thursday at Long Beach 2 p.m. track & field: Saturday at Cerritos and Mt. San Antonio 10 a.m.

men’s tennis: Today at Cerritos 2 p.m.

WOMen’s tennis: Today at Cerritos 2 p.m.

John Fordiani/Union (Left) Sophomore outside hitter Casey Wood and sophomore middle blocker Peter Nordel block a hit from San Diego Mesa outside hitter Matt Stagg. The Warriors defeated the Olympians 3-0.

Men’s volleyball team sweeps San Diego Phil Sidavong

Staff Writer @ECCUnionPhil

San Diego Mesa’s volleyball team was looking for the comeback, down 13-20 in set three, and down 0-2 in sets.

Their momentum was shut down as sophomore setter, Chris Griebenow set for freshman outside hitter, Cesar Medina, who slammed the ball in between the Mesa defenders.

The EC men’s team won the third set 25-14 going on to sweep the visitors 3-0 in sets.

Coach Richard Blount said that the serving of the team was “lousy.”

When asked about the play overall Blount said, “I know we’re capable of a lot more.”

Sophomore outside hitter, Casey Wood, played his first game back after a foot injury against Irvine Valley. He tacked on nine kills to aid the team.

“I was stoked the team did a great job without me,” Wood said. “My foot feels good, and I’m working hard to get back to 100 percent.”

Blount knew how to get the best out of Wood in his first game back.

“Wood looked good,” Blount said. “I knew he

could play, but it was better to leave him off, to get him angry and let him build up that energy. Then today, he blew up. It ended up working out for us.”

The first set was won a dominant fashion that set the tone for the offense of the night. The Warriors revved up their engine and had 14 kills and zero attacking errors in set one. That intensity helped them win the set, 25-14.

“Having Casey back is big,” freshman outside hitter Joshua Riblett said. “He’s the captain, he brings great leadership and keeps us playing at a high level.”

The second set was the closest of the three, which ended 25-18 in favor of the Warriors. There were less errors, although there were 12 service errors, the team played much more consistently.

“We have momentum,” Riblett said. “Being undefeated just means we have more of a reason to not slack off.”

Griebenow had 32 of the team’s 35 assists, while Sarmiento had seven kills on eight attempts.

Sophomore middle blocker Peter Nordel tacked on four kills while Medina had 10 and Riblett had nine.

The Warriors are now 7-0 against nonconference opponents. They play at Santa Monica College tomorrow at 6 p.m.

WARRIORS SCOREBOARD softball

softball: Warriors 0 (10-5), Cerritos College 1

Warriors 0 (10=5), Cerritos College 1

For more information

men’s basketball: Warriors 53 (8-16), L.A Harbor 57

WOMen’s tennis: Warriors 7 (6-1-1), Victor Valley 0

check out ECCUNION.COM @ECCUnionSports