ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:
Audio: Getting the inside scoop on the El Camino College Confessions Facebook Page
NIO U N
FEATURES: Special 10 page issue! Fitness, Juicing and a glimpse into EC’s history!
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
April 4, 2013
Shots and beer goggles
Priority enrollment focused on students with ed plans Karen Garcia
Online Associate Editor
Philip Prins/ Union Melissa Zimmer, 20, criminal justice major, is seen through a pair of goggles simulating impaired vision while shooting a basketball while wearing a similar pair of goggles during the DUI fair yesterday in front of the student Service Center
Torrance, California
Refocusing on the state’s emphasis of the educational plan with priority enrollment in community colleges was the discussion of the Student Media Briefing March 27. Paige Marlatt Dorr, director of communications for the Community Colleges Chancelor’s Office, said “In Sept. 2012 as part of a concerted efforts to improve students success, the community college board of governers approved a regulation to establish system wide enrollment priorities that will reward students who make progress toward their educational goals.” Dorr said that the established policy was created to ensure that classes are available for students that are seeking employment, degree attainment or working to transfer to a four-year university. “We have been having a situation for the past several years where the number of students who want to enroll in a California Community College is far greater than the number of students for whom we’ve had funding and therefore have had seats in classrooms and services to
support,” Linda Michalowski, vice chancellor for student services and special programs said. A statewide task force was then formed to oversee and create options to help students be more successful, accommodate room for students in classrooms and to help students move through the educational system more quickly. The task force spent a year developing recommendations and those recommendations that were suited for molding a better system were made into a statewide policy on enrollment priorities, Michalowski said. This policy will allow new students to start off with a smoother start in planning their academic goals, Michalowski added. Michalowski said that these students that utilize support services such as orientations, assessment, counseling or advisement that results in the development of an education plan will get priority services. Continuing students will lose priority enrollment if they have completed two consecutive semesters on academic or progress probation. Academic probation is when a student completes 12 units and their GPA is below a 2.0. Progress
probation is when a student’s unit completion is below 50 percent, Michalowski said. Michalowski added that there are provisions in the education code that gives priority enrollment to active duty members, veterans, foster youth, former foster youth, EOPS or DOPS, as well as new and continuing students in good academic standing who meet the specific criteria. Michalowski believes that these new regulations will give those students that have their educational plan set, a chance to move through the system at a fair pace and move on to their next step in achieving their goals. “The priorities have to go to students who are coming in for a purpose and are willing to stay on track to achieving that purpose,” Michalowski said. With every college there will be differences in the way that each district board handles and enforces the new state wide policy; students will not be notified until the end of this spring semester. EC won’t see any state enrollment regulations in affect until the fall of 2014, Kenneth Brown, board of trustees vice president said.
Testing and vaccinations are students’ best defense against STDs Monique Judge
Co-Opinion Editor
While one cannot see whether one’s partner has sexually transmitted diseases or not, they can take the necessary precautions to avoid contracting STD’s. Melanie Bronstein, Student Health Center nurse practitioner, knows that when it comes to students and the contraction of STD’s and infections (STI), there’s no joking around. Bronstein said that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI, and because there are sometimes no symptoms, it is important for men to do self-examinations of their genitals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is passed through both genital and oral sex. Skin to
skin contact is also a factor in the transmission of the virus. “Once you have been infected by the virus, it can lie dormant in the body. You can clear the virus to undetectable levels,” Bronstein said. According to the CDC, “Most people with HPV do not develop symptoms or health problems from it. In 90% of cases, the body’s immune system clears HPV within two years.” Bronstein said that genital warts are one of the signs of HPV, and she encourages both men and women to inspect their genital areas regularly, because “warts are things that you can actually see.” “For men, the only HPV test is self inspection. If you see bumps or anything that looks like a wart, get tested,” Bronstein said. Bronstein added that sexually
active women should be having burning sensation when urinatpap smears in order to screen for ing, according to the CDC. In men the infection because HPV can the symptoms may be a discharge cause cells of the cervix to change from the penis, burning sensation and lead to cervi- Students and when urinating and cal cancer. Sexually Transmitted sometimes swellBronstein said ing in one or both the second most Diseases of the testicles. common STD for “You can clear college students chlamydia. It can is chlamydia. be treated 100% According to with antibiotics,” the CDC, chlaBronstein said. mydia can someBronstein said times show withthat the third most out symptoms common STD and can cause among college serious, permastudents is gonornent damage to rhea. It can also a woman’s reprobe treated and Part 2 of a 3 part series cured. ductive organs. The symptoms According to of chlamydia in women can include the CDC, the symptoms for gonabnormal vaginal discharge or a orrhea vary in men and women.
While some experience no symptoms at all, for men the telltale signs include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow or green discharge from the penis. For women, the CDC notes that the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mistaken for abladder infection and include painful urination, increased vaginal discharge, and vaginal bleeding between periods. Additionally, women are at risk for serious complications from the infection even with no visible symptoms. According to a 2011 California Department of Public Health (CDPH) report, 20 to 24-year-old females account for 39.7 percent of reported cases of chlamydia and 34.5 percent of the reported cases of gonorrhea. Males in the same age group, account for 32.1 percent of chlamydia cases and 24.7
percent of gonorrhea cases. While condoms can help protect from gonorrhea and chlamydia, Bronstein said that the HPV vaccine is the greatest tool in the fight against the infection. “If you don’t vaccinate men, men are going to give HPV to women,” Bronstein said. There is a patient assistance program that helps make the free vaccines possible at the student health center. “The Gardisil vaccine is recommended for men and women ages 9 to 27, and it’s available for free in the health center if you don’t have health insurance,” Bronstein said. For students like Roxie Fornos, 19, psychology major, it’s an easy choice. “I’d definitely go to the Health Center before a major clinic,” Fornos said.
Military veteran students will receive veteran-specific counseler to prevent the loss of benefits Steven Tran Staff Writer
NEWS LINE
Veterans have voiced concerns about the lack of a veteran-specific educational counselor; but on March 28, a meeting revealed a newly-appointed veteran educational counselor. “We want to make their educational success faster, feasible, and hopefully fulfilling,” Dr. Margaret Quinone-Perez, lead veterans counselor said. “We want them to feel that they are valued for what they have did and are doing. Anthony Fratte, 31, biology major and veteran’s club vice president said there was a need for a veterans counselor to navigate the “red tape” of the Veteran Affairs to aid a veteran in acquiring financial
By Eric Hsieh
benefits associated with the Post-9/11 GI Bill. “The program is set up to give the veteran a limited amount of independence during their schooling: our tuition is paid, we receive a stipend for books and we are given a living allowance” Fratte added. “It actually saved me from going to a homeless shelter because I was able to go back to school.” Colleen Matlincs, 28, nursing major and VA representative said that because veterans are older students who may have rent, bills, and families to support, the difficulty of obtaining an appointment and errors in their educational plan directly impacts their livelihood. “All veterans must have an ed plan,” Alex Solares, 25, business major and VA representative said. “The counselor has to rush us through; It’s almost like an
assembly line.” Quinone-Perez said that all counselors attend meetings with the Veteran Affairs, but these meetings do not discuss the necessary paper work involved in a veteran’s educational plan. In addition, “The biggest problem is the lack of a workable electronic education plan for our college,” Quinone-Perez said. “We have been doing things by hand.” Quinone-Perez added that a “margin of error” exists due to a veteran changing their major or submitting multiple transcripts from non-accredited institutions. “They are under the understanding that they are entitled to get college credit, and we have to inform them that they don’t,” Quinone-Perez said. “My big-
gest concern is that the students have a different understanding about how they get the VA benefits; the VA lacks clear communication about how students are entitled.” With Quinone-Perez as the lead veteran counselor, Quinone-Perez hopes to compile a conference with community colleges to form a dialogue between the VA, community college VA centers and counseling departments. “There needs to be a three-way conversation; we have to sit down to have a conference about topics that are not usually considered sexy, which is paper work” Dr. Quinone-Perez said. “It’s not very sexy, but it’s the most crucial thing for the vet and Veterans Affairs.”
Nursing information workshop
Cal State Fullerton campus tour
UC Santa Barbara campus tour
Health Science information workshop
Undecided Major workshop
Calling all aspiring nurses! There will be a nursing information workshop today in the Distance Education Room from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information on this event call 310-660-3593 ext. 3404 or visit the Counseling Center
Don’t transfer without getting to know your new home. Come tour the CSU Fullerton campus April 13. This event is hosted by the Transfer Center and is open to the public. Find out more by calling 310-660-3593 ext. 6137
Come visit beautiful Santa Barbara. Hosted by the Transfer Center, there will be a tour of the UCSB campus on April 13. Students can find out more by contacting the Career and Transfer Center at 310-660-3593 ext. 6137
Hosted by the Counseling Center, there will be a Health Science Information Workshop on April 16. The event runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Learn more by visiting the Counseling Center or by calling 310-660-3593 ext. 3404
Uncertain about your future and ready to change that? Come to the SSC 207 April 16 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m to learn what options are available for undecided students. Call 310-660-3593 ext. 6137 for more information.