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Tired of inky fingers? Scan for DAILY news at ECCUnion.com May 16, 2013
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
Campaigning for ASO unnecessary if unopposed Sara Deleon
Union Intern
For the seven candidates running in this year’s Associated Students Organization election, not much campaigning is needed before the election on Monday and Tuesday when most students are running unopposed. Campaigning started last Monday and continued until Tuesday, the last day of the election. Candidates are allowed to pass out fliers and hang posters. However, so far little to none campaigning can be seen around El Camino. Campaigning is a typical way of letting voters know that you are the best fit for a position opposed to your competitors. However, not much campaigning was needed this year due to members continuing their run and students running unopposed. “Usually we have turnovers. So people who are in ASO this year will continue but a lot of students are transferring.” ASO Co-Advisor Breanna Von Stein said. Because we are a two year college ASO members tend to change frequently due to transfers. Also,
when there is only one candidate per position there’s not much of a need for campaigning. “People don’t do a lot of campaigning and that’s usually when people are running unopposed,” Von Stein said. Some students want more awareness about the candidates and the election. “Teachers could give out flyers in class or make announcements and posters,” Tamiko Raras, 20, art major, said. How running begins is when students fill out a petition to run for election and then their eligibility is checked. Eligibility is a requirement of six units and a minimum GPA of 2.0. There are also time restrictions for some of those who may already be serving in ASO. Besides campaigning, candidates and ASO members want to heavily encourage students to vote. On this year’s ballot, a new constitutional amendment will be featured as well as a proposal for an activity fee. When voting, not only do students need their identification, but students need to keep in mind when voting for Senate positions
you can only vote for your division or major. Also, when voting students are allowed to write in candidates for themselves or others for any position. Once it is time for the elections, two main position are the ASO President and Vice President; the president is the chair for the meetings, can veto legislation passed by the Senate, and can appoint for next year’s positions. What this means is that if next year there are open positions people can apply for the position and the president would appoint them. The president also helps prepare the budget. The vice president is chairperson of ASO Senate and runs biweekly Senate meetings. The Senate leader is in charge of making sure the Senate is doing its job and answering questions. “Both attend a lot of campus committee meetings with administrators and faculty and represent students at those kind of committees.” Von Stein said. Candidates had one last opportunity to meet with students on the last day of elections which was May 14.
According to a press release, Kurt Peters, men’s volleyball assistant coach, won the closest to the pin in the men’s contest and Kate McLaughlin, journalism professor, won the women’s contest. McLaughlin’s team, “Kate’s Kids from the Block,” including Pete Marcoux, Darrell Thompson, and Dave Vickers received the mixed division prize, according to a press release. There was also a dinner and an awards presentation following the match. The Male and Female Athletes of the Year were swimmer Jonathan Diaz and softball player Aisha Salami, according to a press release. According to the brochure, the goal this year was to raise
$25,000, as it was in the past, “to supplement, enrich and support all our athletic programs.” Biedler said the money raised from the event “helps all of the athletic teams” in addition to tutoring, equipment, supplies, and staff development. The money supports student programs primarily as well as the Scholar Baller program. Scholar Baller is geared to create academic success through competition and reward,” according to the college’s website. The program honors student athletes with at least a 3.0 GPA and it honored 127 athletes this year, Barbone said. Biedler said the idea for the golf classic was suggested 26 years ago by then golf coach, Al Greenleaf,
Torrance, California
Voting speaks the mind
Kyle Borden/ Union Blake Carlock, 27, Physical Education major, votes for an ASO candidate. Carlock wanted to voice his opinion because programs such as the EOP&S can be affected by the outcome of this election.
Annual Golf Classic on par to raise funds Jessica Martinez
Co-Sports/Arts Editor
Fundraising and friendship was the name of the game at the 26th Annual Golf Classic at Los Verdes Golf Course on May 10. “It will be a good time of fellowship,” Tony Barbone, athletic director, said. “It will be a good time of what we call Camino camaraderie.” During the event, there were “contests on about five holes and we have the putting contest before we start,” Carolyn Biedler, athletic specialist, said. These five contests were hole in one, closest to the pin, circle of opportunity, long drive, and the putting contest, according to the event’s brochure.
and “our dean ran with the idea.” Barbone added a golf committee meets once a month all year long to prepare for the event and then they meet twice in May, both before the event and after. “I get quite a bit of support from faculty and support. We do have quite a few return participants,” Barbone said. “It’s proved to be rewarding for our student athletes.” The event was about coming together and having a good time for a great cause in a beautiful location, Barbone said. “I think it is the camaraderie. Our alumni comes to this. The golf team has a role,” Biedler said. “With the alumnis, it brings them back to the days they worked here and played here. It’s a fun event.”
Trayvon Stinnett/ Union Dozens of EC faculty members and staff participated in the 26th Annual Golf Classic, at Los Verdes Golf Course, in order to raise money for student programs.
New measures being taken to prevent cheating in online courses may invade student privacy Joh’nysha Vercher Staff Writer
NEWS LINE
Cheating within courses that are available online is a problem that EC is trying to help prevent as best they can but extreme security measures aren’t readily available for the school to implement. “There are some high-tech ways to authenticate students. For instance, they’re developing technology that can identify people by the patterns they use when they type,” Christina Gold, academic senate accreditation committee representative, said. “But as a
By Eric Hsieh
community college, we don’t have access to that kind of technology.” Though EC wouldn’t be able to adopt these security measures anytime soon, there are upcoming solutions for ensuring a level playing field for all students who are and will be taking online courses. “So currently we’re in the process of developing a policy to ensure that we can authenticate the identity of our students,” Gold said. “We hope to have it done by the end of the semester.” According to an L.A. Times article, some colleges such as Western Governors University are
adopting new security measures to help prevent cheating that has been going on in online courses. While these security measures are effective, there is a student concern that they are invading their privacy. Some of the measures include using webcams and analyzing students typing patterns as they log in. “It sounds creepy to have a webcam looking at you because sometimes your eyes just wander so it’s not exactly fair,” Paul Richmond, 20, art major, said. Though students may see it as an invasion of privacy, instruc-
tors believe that if these measures weren’t distracting to the actual courses, then they would be happy to adopt these methods for their courses. “I would use them if they didn’t interfere with teaching the course,” Gold said. “It isn’t good practice to develop your course and teach to the students who might cheat, you want to teach to the bulk of your students who are not cheating.” Webcams would be used to track the eye movements of the students as they take a test; their typing pattern will be tracked to
ensure that it is the same person logging in each time to the online course websites. “But I don’t think that any of those methods would interfere in the way you teach, I think most of us would feel fairly confident that we knew who students were,” Gold said. Some students appreciate the technology that’s being developed and believe that only students who cheat would be opposed to these security measures. “Only people who plan on cheating would really have a problem with it but I can understand
that it does have a few design flaws,” Brenda Lee, architecture major, said. One important reason why EC is looking to develop new policies to help protect deception within online courses is the too frequent problem of students enrolling in classes only to get financial aid funds and then not take the actual course. “The federal government is concerned because of financial aid fraud,” Gold said. “People were enrolling in in these courses and getting financial aid but they weren’t taking the courses.”
Nursing Information Session
Documentary Screening and Discussion
Anger Management Workshop
CSU Los Angeles Tour
Financial Aid Online Workshop
Pursue your dreams of becoming a nurse. There will be an info session today at 1 p.m. hosted by the counseling department through Distance Ed. For more information, visit the counseling department in the Student Services Building.
Come and watch a documentary about the battle over ethnic studies in Tuscon, Ariz. The behavioral and social science department will have a screening then discussion with the director today from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the East Dining Room above the Bookstore. For information, call 310-489-8455.
Come learn to find your center. Dr. Sally Emery will be hosting a workshop today today from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Health Center. Students can sign up 15 minutes before the workshop starts and can call 310660-3643 for more information.
Interested in transferring to CSU L.A.? Come see the campus first. The Transfer and Career Center will be hosting a tour on May 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Inquiries can be directed to 310-660-3593 ext. 6137.
Get your education without breaking the bank. Meet in SSC 204-G on May 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. for this workshop by the financial aid office. Students can register or find more information by calling 310-660-3493 or by emailing eccfaid@elcamino.edu