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EL CAMINO COLLEGE
April 25, 2013
Torrance, California
Activists gather to fight for California’s higher education
Synchronized friendship
Eric Hsieh
Staff Writer
During last Saturday’s Student Organizer Summit, opening speaker Dr. Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African studies at CSULA, made the case that California’s higher education students have every right to be angry. Held in a nondescript hall of Los Angeles Trade Technical College, the summit aimed to network politically-conscious students from across the UC, CSU and community college systems. “The purpose of today’s conference is to give tools to community organizers who are angry about what’s going on but don’t find themselves capable of developing,” Yesenia Ramirez, a student at Cal State University, Los Angeles, said. As it turned out, the issue of privatization was a major concern for many of the summit’s organizers and attendees. “So many student problems branch from the privatization of higher education,” Vanessa Lopez, a student at Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, and a member of Student for Quality Education, said. “Tuition is going up because
Tracy Kumono/ Union Best friends Rachel Ayala, 18, photography major and Cynthia Ramos, 20, dance major, perform a traditional Khmer classical dance from Cambodia during the Inter-Club Council’s World Tour Festival April 18 at the library lawn.
the state is not funding education, so our campus presidents are finding funding through private means.” “Student debt is also rising because the price of school is rising,” she added. “We have no means of paying for it because Pell Grants are being cut so students have to take out loans from private companies.” Still, the heads behind the summit wanted to do more than simply vent their frustrations. Instead, they envisioned a long-term student movement to bring change to California’s higher education system. “Our basic idea was that we wanted to bring together activist students, from each sector of higher education in Southern California, to talk about the commonalities we have in our struggles we have for higher education,” Samie Blasingame, a student at Cal State University, Long Beach and a member of the summit’s planning committee, said. To them, developing meant networking not only between students with similar grievances, but also between students and teachers. To that end, members of the American Federation of Teachers backed the summit.. “A lot of the issues that faculty are facing, students are facing. So
we have that connection,” Ramirez said. “It’s a collaboration to understand each other as well as create change.” That change would mitigate the steady stream of cuts higher education has endured. “Our school boards and the state do things by increments. They only raise fees by a bit. 9 percent here, 5 percent there. They only cut Pell Grants by a bit. 500 here, 1,000 there. Before you know it, that has accumulated,” Lopez said. “Within the CSUs, in the last 6 years, tuition has gone up 283%. That’s insane.” “Imagine if they tried to do that all at one time. Students would react,” she added. “But because they do it in increments, it’s easier to swallow.” The summit’s organizers encouraged students at community colleges like EC to be just as invested in the policies set forth on CSU and UC campuses. “As a community college transfer, I wasn’t aware that whatever happens at the Cal State or UC systems would go on to affect me,” Ramirez said. “But you’re transferring into those systems. Whatever decisions are made will affect you in your future. So pay attention.”
Geography professor avoids bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon Philip Prins
Staff Writer
Despite the swirling currents of confusion and uncertainty left in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, EC geography professor Matt Ebiner, who competed in the marathon, returned safely to Los Angeles last week with his wife and daughter. Ebiner was kind enough to share his marathon experience and his perspective on the bombing with the Union. “It’s so sad that such a positive day, which is such an uplifting day for so many people and for many participants a once-in-a-life time experience, is ruined and tainted
by this event that turned a beautiful day into a horrific day,” he said. For Ebiner, race day started out with an air of excitement, and since the Marathon is the biggest annual event that takes place in Boston, it had drawn a huge gathering of spectators, he said. “Those last two miles (of the race course) especially, it’s absolutely packed on both sides of the street,” Ebiner said. “It’s just such a positive kind of energy; it’s really very inspirational for runners during a time when runners are usually pretty dead. It’s great to have that kind of support.” Ebiner finished the 26-mile marathon with a time of 2:32.53, finishing in 98th place overall
and winning first place in the men’s-50–years-old-and-up age group, then left the area soon after, he said.
the blast area, text and Facebook messages containing congratulations from friends began to shift to inquiries and expressions of relief
“It’s so sad that such a positive day... is ruined and tainted by this event that turned a beautiful day into a horrific day”
—Matt Ebiner Geography Professor
Two hours later, two homemade explosive devices detonated near the Marathon’s finish line. While having dinner with his wife and daughter at a restaurant approximately three miles from
about his safety, Ebiner said. Ebiner said it was shortly after that when he began seeing ambulances and police helicopters rushing in the direction of the race. “Still, we hadn’t really seen
any images about anything and so when you don’t see the images it doesn’t seem quite as serious but later on we did see videos of it,” Ebiner said. “It actually seemed so horrendous and horrific that it’s understandable why people would think we were some of the unlucky ones.” Ebiner and his family swiftly made their way to the airport in hopes of avoiding security measures complicating their return trip, he said. He said that despite a delay ofseveral hours, they were able to board a flight back to Los Angeles that evening. Ebiner considers running an integral part of his life, and although
the bombing has cast a shadow over his marathon experience, he said he wasn’t going to let the tragedy darken it completely. “I still kind of keep it separate in my mind,” he said. “On the one hand I’m still very pleased with how I did, and it’s one of the best marathons I’ve ever run, and in that way I won’t let the events erase that feeling of accomplishment, but on the other hand it’s so very sad for so many people.” Ebiner said he doesn’t think the bombing will put an end to the Boston Marathon, but it had left its mark. “The Boston Marathon will go on next year but it won’t ever be quite the same,” he said.
Honesty between partners is a necessity when it comes to STDs and relationships Karen Garcia
Associate Editor
NEWS LINE
Contracting an STD can have not only physical effects on a person, but also have emotional effects on both the STD sufferer and their partner as well. “There’s nothing casual about casual sex,” Deborah Herzik, family nurse practitioner, said. “It can have an emotional toll on someone.” There are many challenges that males and females must face if they are infected with an STD from a partner in either a long-term or casual relationship. “There are physical consequences such as infertility from chronic or untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea,” Herzik said. In other cases Herzik said that it is possible for an STD such as HIV, hepatitis or gonorrhea to be transferred from a mother to her baby. “Consider a newborn that doesn’t have the ability
By Eric Hsieh
to fight off infections as we do,” Herzik adds.”This can potentially be very devastating to the mother, as the baby can get an infection in their eyes.” Not only must an STD sufferer overcome physical consequences that arise from these infections, but he or she must overcome the emotional aspect of dealing and coming to terms with having an STD. Debbie Conover, student health services coordinator, said,”because there was a lack of education on STDs in the past there was a lot of blaming on someone else. Now it’s much more accepted because people are educated and there are a lot of treatment options.” As more and more people are aware
Students and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Part 3 of a 3 part series
of STDs, it can be emotionally difficult to let their partner know that they could have potentially contracted an STD. According to the California Family Health Council (CFHC), a person infected with an STD must let their partner know. “It can be hard to say something, but it is very important that they can get treated and won’t give it back to you or to anyone else,” CFHC added. The CFHC goes on to say that a person infected with an STD must not have sex until that person and their partner have finished treatment. This may have an impact on the
relationship between both partners, but Jane Schaeffer, clinical psychologist, said how a person or a couple reacts to this infection depends on the person or what type of relationship the couple has. “It depends on the quality of the relationship. It depends on whether the relationship is functional, long-term, or secure,” Schaeffer said. “If this was a one night stand, that’s a completely different scenario and much more difficult.” Schaeffer added that if someone has contracted an STD they must be honest with their partner and let them know. “There is a sense of shame involved with someone who contracts an STD,” she said. That is why Schaeffer said that although this infection is very upsetting there is always help and always someone to speak with.
Department of Rehabilitation Workshop
Anger Management Workshop
Loyola Marymount University Campus Tour
University of California, Los Angeles Tour
Choosing a University Workshop
Are you seeking a job with a disability? Come and attend a workshop by the Department of Rehabilitation today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Special Resource Center. Sign up for an appointment at 310-660-3295 or visit the SRC front desk.
Come learn healthy ways to deal with your anger. EC’s Dr. Emery will be holding an anger management workshop today from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Health Center. Students can sign up 15 minutes before the workshop and should call 310-660-3643 for information.
Interested in Transferring to Loyola Marymount University? See the campus first. The Transfer Center will be hosting a tour tomorrow, April 26. Call 310-6603593 ext. 6137 for information about the tour.
Ever thought about transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles? Take the Transfer Center’s campus tour of UCLA tomorrow, April 26. Call 310-660-3593 ext. 6137 for more information and to sign up.
Having trouble deciding where to transfer? Attend the Transfer Center’s Choosing a University Workshop April 30 from 1 to 2 p.m. in Chemistry 108. Call 310660-3593 ext. 3408 for more information.