El Camino College The Union, Vol. 71, Issue 3 April 20

EL CAMINO COLLEGE APRIL 20, 2017

THE UNION eccunion.com

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TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA

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No skateboarding allowed EC adds new signs to enforce skateboard and bicycle ban on campus Emma DiMaggio

Staff Writer @ECCUnionEmma

E

l Camino campus is a skate and bike-free zone and students who still skateboard, or bike, on campus face being ticketed or sentenced to court, a sergeant at the El Camino Police Station said.

Sgt. Dal Toruno has worked at the El Camino Police Department for 23 years and said there are approximately 30 signs posted around the entrances of campus that outline the skateboard ban.

Some students intentionally skate on campus, even though they know that it isn’t allowed.

“It’s fun. The thrill and the adrenaline, people telling you to stop, that you shouldn’t be doing it,” Khalil Prentice, 19, engineering major, said.

Students who skate on campus may face consequences from the police department.

Prentice said that when it came to tickets, he knew plenty of people that had been ticketed on campus for skateboarding.

“They tell me it’s expensive, super expensive,” Prentice added. “(Like) $100 plus.”

Other students said they never noticed that skateboarding wasn’t permitted on campus.

“I hardly even look at signs if I do see them,” Keion Finner, 19, photography major said. “I haven’t seen any signs that say no skateboarding.”

In an effort to show more visibility of these skateboard and bicycle ban signs, the police erected 20 fold-out signs in walkways across campus, Toruno said.

Toruno said that he didn’t know exactly when the skateboarding ban was implemented, but he that it had been in effect for the over two decades he has worked at EC. Not all local community college

Jorge Villa/ Union Luke Couce, 19, graphic design major, skates everywhere he goes, including on campus. Couce said that he doesn’t even pay attention to the signs that say no skateboarding. campuses have skateboarding bans and Toruno said that Cerritos College does not have a skateboarding ban.

Some students disagree with the skateboarding bans, but others understand the benefits of the ban for the overall safety and wellbeing of students.

“It’s a hassle, but the rule isn’t really for us,” Roy Gesmer, 20, psychology major said. “It’s for the people who are hard of seeing and have other disabilities that might run into them if we’re on our skateboards on campus.”

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Nohemy Barrera/ Union Two of the new signs that have been put up in an effort to enforce the no-skating and no-bicycling ban on campus.

Violet Simpson takes the court for El Camino to host annual Career and Majors Fair opportunity to ask any questions Selvin Rodas women’s tennis, P. 8 they have for that specific career Assistant Arts Editor @ECCUnionSelvin

Jazz is the dream for singer/dancer, P. 6

El Camino’s Career Center will be hosting a Career and Majors Fair on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Library Lawn, a student worker at the career center said.

Students will be able to find work related to their majors and meet with campus faculty, Wendy Mata said.

Attendees will have the

and academic counselors will be attending the event.

It’s recommended for students to bring their resume, employers will be meeting up with students during the fair, Mata said.

The fair is an open event, but in order to participate in this event students need to register online.

For more information on the event call the Career Center at 323660-3593 ext. 6137.

NEWS

2 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

POLICE BEAT

By Phil Sidavong

Students referred after ongoing issue Thursday, April 6 at 12:37 p.m. A disturbance call was made at the Fine Arts Division Office regarding an ongoing inssue involving a female and two male students. After an officer arrived to take the report, all three students were referred to the Director of Staff and Student Diversity, Jaynie Ishikawa.

Student reports stolen bicycle to police Thursday, April 6 at 9:55 a.m. A student made a theft report at the polce station regarding his bike being stolen the day before. The student waited a day to report it, and after reviewing surveillance camera footage, there was evidence of a male suspect tampering with the victim’s bicycle. The victim isn’t looking for prosecution and the case has been forwarded to a detective.

Staff member reports hitand-run incident Tuesday, April 4 at 8:35 p.m.

A male staff member said reported that there was hit-and-run damage to his vehicle after returning to Lot A. The damage was to the rear bumper and was minor. Officers reviewed surveillance footage, but the area where the collision occured was out of camera range.

Student’s car gets hit, another becomes witness Tuesday, April 4 at 2:03 p.m.

A male student said that he found minor rear bumper damage to his car after leaving class. A female student said that she saw the collision and was willing to be a witness, and there was a note left by the suspect on the car. The case was forwarded.

Corrections In the March 23 issue, The Union said that school psychologist Jan Schaeffer declined to speak about college suicide due to the sensitivity of the subject.

She declined to speak to The Union because she didn’t receive questions before the interview, due to the topic being too sensitive.

The Union regrets these errors.

APRIL 20, 2017

Theft continues at the Bookstore Emma DiMaggio

Staff Writer @ECCUnionEmma

The El Camino Bookstore deals with theft from time to time, the assistant director said.

Andrew Nasatir, assistant director of the bookstore, said most theft usually occurs, “at the beginning of the semester and sometimes during finals.”

Nasatir did not think the amount of theft that occurs in the bookstore was excessive.

“We experience theft in what

I would call the normal range,” Nasatir said. “It does occur but not to any extreme.”

In general, the items that are stolen are of relatively low value.

“The items that are stolen the most frequently are usually pens,” Nasatir said, “We know because we find little cartons opened up around the store.”

Sgt. Dal Toruno, who has worked at the El Camino Police Department for 23 years, said he once busted a male who had stolen six textbooks in his backpack which were worth easily $300 each.

The punishment for theft depends

on the scale of the theft. The aforementioned male, who would have had approximately $1,800 worth of bookstore goods in his backpack, would have experienced a more extreme punishment than a student stealing a carton of pens.

The courts are ultimately up to decide the punishment for stealing from the bookstore. The courts will look at students’ previous crime records to decide how to move forward, Toruno said.

The consequences can range from fines to probation and community service hours, depending on the severity of the court ruling and the

value of stolen bookstore goods.

Stealing from the bookstore can also affect a student’s academic standing.

When a student steals, they have broken the El Camino Code of Conduct.

One consequence of stealing from the bookstore could be academic probation.

“We have a lot of students, especially in the beginning of the semester. We hope that just by our presence that would deter theft,” Nasatir said.

Toruno said there are 11 security cameras inside the bookstore, not

including the security cameras located outside the bookstore premises.

“We do catch students. It’s usually not for supplies, it’s usually for books,” Nasatir said. “For the most part we want this to be an inviting place and we understand that there’s going to be a small amount of theft.”

Despite the fact that petty theft is common in the bookstore, only one formal arrest has occurred for stealing from the Bookstore since 2013, Toruno said.

Nasatir said that Karma will come to anyone who steals.

Updating the board Task force aimed to aid Assembly Bill 540 students speaks at board meeting Sierra Robles

Staff Writer @ECCUnionSierra

T

he task force aimed to help coordinate communications and campus issues of AB540 students was reviewed by the board of trustees on Monday, April 17.

AB540, or Assembly Bill 540, allows students who meet certain requirements to pay in-state tuition fees at any UC, CSU, or California community college, according to the law.

The task force works together to figure out different ways to inform students, faculty members and staff members who have concerns with the potential changes in federal policies.

We had to make sure we had information that was out there so we created a list of FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) and posted it on the EC page, Dipte Patel, chair of the task force said.

Many students are expressing some concerns about transferring to universities, and wondering what resources might be available for them once they transfer.

The task force is in the process of scheduling trainings with local CSU (California State University) administrators to help provide informative sessions for students, Patel said.

Students have created a student empowerment series and there is an

event every month. They have even created a club named “Students of Color United,” Patel said.

“It’s quite responsive, and I think that’s the important part, continuing to trying to gather what’s important,” Patel said.

“Do we know of any students who have been directly impacted by some of these enforcement actions that have been occurring?”

Vice President of the board of trustees John Vargas said.

Patel had no information about a specific case of a student being exposed to federal issues as far as a deportation notice, but did have information on students who are beginning to live in fear.

President Ken A. Brown, shares great interest with being updated on further calendar events regarding the task force and wants to make sure information is getting out to students.

“I would love to hear from the students directly (about the matter),” Brown said.

Patel has gotten in contact with a faculty member who was not named during the meeting, but also happens to be an immigration lawyer.

“He has been presenting at these workshops, not in a legal way, but in an informative way,” Patel said.

The Dreamer’s Task Force, is in the process of putting together an AB540 resource guide and hopes to address all the information to students in that way as well.

Ryan Quan of Washington Square News Jessica Anne Martinez is a former Editor-in-Chief of the El Camino student-run newspaper and will be interning at the New York Times in the summer.

Growing up from The Union

From EC to New York University, former student Jessica Martinez is taking the Big Apple by storm and will intern at The NY Times Phil Sidavong

Editor-in-Chief @ECCUnionPhil

The student newspaper at El Camino has had lots of success over the years and has seen the faces of many successful people go

through the program.

Last December, former Editorin-Chief of The Union, Jessica Martinez received a call about an internship at the New York Times.

“I was speechless,” she said. “As cheesy as it sounds, I was super excited about it.”

Martinez was on staff for almost

three years and said she originally didn’t know what she wanted to do when coming to EC. “I used to watch news in high school,” she said. “When I got to El Camino I took a few classes of what I wanted to do and then I expressed an interest in it. I had the best time on the paper there.”

Get a free copy of The Union at any of the following locations Northeast side of campus

- First floor of the Humanities Building - Humanities division office - Cafe Camino - Crenshaw door of the Humanities Building - Natural Sciences Courtyard - Library Reading Room - Natural Sciences division office - Switchboard Desk - Outside the front and back doors of the library

South side of campus

- Social Sciences division office - Campus Deli - Music division office - Music library - Art and Behavioral Science division office - El Camino Police Department - Marsee Auditorium - Student Health Center

Center and northwest side of campus - Student Activities Center - P.E. Courtyard - Student Services Center - Outside the front doors of the Bookstore

Follow us on Twitter: @ECCUnion and check out our website: ECCUnion.com to stay up to date with everything sports, news, arts and more.

FEATURES

APRIL 20, 2017

EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION 3

Duyen Le with her friends wearing their traditional costume, “Ao Dai,” during high school in Vitnam on Nov. 17, 2012. Photo courtesy of Duyen Le.

New to the American Culture Vietnamese student speaks about her experiences at El Camino and the U.S. Selvin Rodas

English.

@ECCUnionSelvin

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your culture?

L

Staff Writer

ast fall there were 24,092 students at El Camino and 11.47 percent of them were Asians, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.

Vietnam is in the southern part of the Asian continent and that’s where Duyen Le, 19, business administration major, is from.

Question: Where are you from?

Answer: I am from the Dong Nai province in Vietnam and I came to the United States to get an education in the business field.

I came to this country about three months ago, so I’m still learning

A: We have so many traditions to celebrate, but in spring we always celebrate the Lunar New Year, which is different from what people celebrate here in America.

As part of the culture, we wear our cultural costumes. One of the traditional costumes is called “Ao Dai.”

Q: Do you like it here more or do you prefer your home country?

A: I like it more here because there are more things to explore. Also, I can learn more about business and how a company can be

built and I want to use every skill that I learn here in my country.

Q: What is a typical dish that is from Vietnam?

A: Pho is one of the famous food that we have.

Pho is a noodle soup that has rice noodle, beef, chicken or shrimp and it has vegetables, as well. Another Vietnamese famous dish is Bánh mì, which is a sandwich.The Bánh mì is really famous here.

Q: Do you think El Camino is a welcoming campus?

A: Yes, I think EC is a welcoming campus because

I feel safe here and it has a good environment to study.

Also, I had an uncle that graduated from here.

Q: Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone from another culture?

A: I remember in my English as a Second Language (ESL) class I had to work with students from Hong Kong and Japan. We were somehow different because we don’t speak the same language and we were learning English, but now we are friends because we used to talk about our culture and how they were different from each other.

Selvin Rodas / Union

Duyen Le, business major speaks about her Vietnamese culture. Here she is outside of the Humanities Building on campus on Tuesday, March 21.

Peruvian student speaks about her cultural background and experiences Selvin Rodas Staff Writer

@ECCUnionSelvin In South America there are 12 countries, which includes Peru.

This country is in the is surrounded by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia.

Maria Fernandez, 48, Spanish major, is from the capital of Peru and she has been an El Camino student for about seven years.

Question: Where are you from? Can you tell me a little bit about your culture?

Answer: I am from Lima, Peru.

The Peruvian culture is based on the Incas. We believe a lot in the Catholicism and we celebrate the Indigenous’ culture. We also celebrate the Mother Earth in the Sierra, Peru. In order to celebrate this we make ‘Pachamancas,’ it is when the food is made in the ground, so we make a big hole and we heat a lot of stones. Then, we put the food there like chicken, green beans, potatoes, and corns.

The last step is to close the hole and we wait for two to three hours.

This is a way to show how we celebrate Mother Earth because we

are eating food from the Earth.

We celebrate it every September.

Q: Where do you like more?

Here in the U.S. or your home country?

A: Peru is beautiful but it is still an undeveloped country. It has a lot of limitations, you can study and you can be a professional but you don’t have the ability to succeed like here (in the states). I like it more here because I can have a better life than in Peru.

Q: Do you think El Camino is a welcoming campus?

A: I think EC is a very good college and I feel safe here. Also, EC has good professors and most of them have a PhD, which is better because you can learn more (from them).

Q: Tell me about a time when you had to work with someone who has a different culture?

A: I have met students from Egypt and they are very different. They have different beliefs and culture. I have a friend that I met in my English class and she told me that they don’t celebrate

Selvin Rodas / Union

Maria Fernandez, a peruvian student has been at EC for seven years and hopes to have a better life here in the states.

Meeting people from other cultures has been great for her.

Christmas or New Years. It was great meeting her because we both were trying to learn English and learn a little bit of the American culture. It was funny too because

we suffered trying to communicate (with) each other because we didn’t speak English at the moment.

To read more about student diversity on campus go to: elcaminodiversity.wordpress.com

FEATURES

4 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

APRIL 20, 2017

Journey to find the meaning of life Randy Firestone found a passion for philosophy after retiring from his old job Reyna Torres Staff Writer @ECCUnionReyna

A retired civil litigator decided to start a new journey by pursuing a career in philosophy. A pique of interest soon turned into a passion of finding the meaning of existence.

Philosophy professor Randall Firestone at El Camino College has written three books and many articles regarding philosophy during his tenure.

When he read about eastern philosophy, he was mesmerized and found it very fulfilling.

“It was kind of spiritual for me,” Firestone said, “I felt good just reading about it and starting to think about the meaning of life. I was convinced I had some good stuff to get published so I had it sent to a publisher and it got accepted.”

Firestone finds philosophy interesting how we can study the fundamental questions of life and how it can make a difference in people’s lives.

“I try to teach it to always be practical, meaning we study what these really smart people think, but how can we apply this to our lives to make our lives even better,” Firestone said. “So that’s what’s really cool about it, it really does change and transforms lives.”

His favorite article that he has written is “An Argument for Libertarian Free Will: Hard Choices Based on either Incomparable or Equally Persuasive Reasons.” “(When I started teaching) I was very troubled in all the introductory philosophy books, there was never a good argument of why we should believe that we have free will,” Firestone said, “So I said, ‘I gotta do more research’ and nobody was explaining it the way I was.”

His work got published through an organization online called Peer Review Journal.

“Your peers review your work before it gets accepted. Other philosophy professors get to review my paper to make sure it is of high enough quality and if it deserves to get published,” Firestone said. “ All of my articles got accepted but a few were suggested to do minor modifications.”

Firestone’s exceptional knowledge of philosophy has earned him the respect of his peers.

Felipe Leon, philosophy professor at EC, is good friends with Firestone.

“He is known for engaging students in giving time in a really abstract philosophical material to student’s lives,” Leon said, “Outside of class he’s funny and well liked ... he has a trialed

energy.”

Even his students can see that Firestone loves his job as a professor.

“He prepares you for your future education,” Alex Gonzalez, 20, philosophy major, said, “You can tell he’s very enthusiastic.”

Another student sees Firestone passionate about his teaching.

“He approaches questions and you can tell he not only has his mind in it but he also his heart,” Abner Aguilar ,22, philosophy major, said. “He’s very open about if anyone has a question, he takes time to answer questions even after class.”

One of his student, Yesenia Gaeta, 24, undeclared major, finds the material in his class understandable, “The way he structures his lectures, everything is on the board. Anytime when I’ll have a question, he refers back to quotes, to its time and history, and gives examples,” Gaeta said. “ So its not a blank way of teaching , where its all from the book, he explains it to me in a way that I can understand.”

Overall, Firestone’s hard work has truly paid off and he hopes to get any student to be a philosophy major. “(Philosophy) gives you different perspectives, you learn to think outside the box.” Firestone said.

LIFE DOESN’T STOP BETWEEN ISSUES

Jorge Villa/ Union Randy Firestone, philosophy professor, is a retired civil litigator who found a new passion in trying to find the meaning of existence.

Firestone has written in philosophy journals and has enjoyed the interest in the subject.

3D Digital Art (3D Glasses provided!), Planetarium Show, Music, Telescopes, Bean Bag Chairs and A Cake Pop Bar… $10/$5 with ECC Student ID

Lounge, listen, learn…under the full-dome of the planetarium. Observe the night sky through wondrous telescopes on the rooftop observatory.

3d digital media Chris Weisbart & Raphael Arar

(3D glasses provided!)

Keep up 24/7 with the latest El Camino news, sports and features from the Union

eccunion.com

Planetarium/ Observatory Show

Shimonee Kadakia D.J. rooftop observatory

Diana B. “Synthpop, New Wave, Shoegaze” The El Camino College Art of Science/Science of Art series is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Cake Pop Bar by Yummy non-alcoholic cake pops available for purchase!

El camino college planetarium Saturday, April 29, 2017 • 7-10 pm

310-660-6460////www.ECCommunityEd.com

EDITORIAL

April 20, 2017

EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION 5

CAMPUS VIEWPOINTS By: Nohemy Barrera @ECCUnionNohemy

Photos By: Selvin Rodas @ECCUnionSelvin

Do you agree with the legalization of marijuana?

Illustration by Mason Hardison/Union

Renovations will spruce up new students

Melissa Ayala, 20, nursing major “I know some people are against it, but I think people can make their own decisions.

I don’t think it’s a big deal. So far, it doesn’t look like it’s been an issue [on campus] so I don’t think it will be an issue in the future.”

El Camino has plans for new renovations and we believe that it will attract new and future student to the campus Over the past five years the Facilities Department has planned modernizing buildings and expanding the school’s horizons.

With the completion of the new Murdock Stadium, as well as the new plan to build a new gym, pool, and Student Activities Center, we believe

that the school is moving towards the right direction in appealing the new student population.

The combined funding of two bonds over $744 million and the permission of the department state architects, thus streamlining the “facilities master plan” that will span

over eight years providing students a higher education said Tom Brown.

Included in this plan is Lot C; the most recent parking structure north of campus, which would compensate the oversaturation of Lot H where students have found themselves in a bind for parking.

In turn, the Facilities Department has done a good job trying to accommodate the students induced in the parking issues which has fueled the seismic retro fit in Lot F. “We been doing according to projects and timelines like a domino effect, you can’t do one without the other,” said

Tom Brown when speaking of the future demolitions.

The foundation has been cemented for the new infrastructure for incoming students and see’s modern technology broadening in El Camino.

Poll:

Do students agree with the legalization of marijuana?

119 Students Agree 32 Students Do not agree

22 Students said It doesn’t affect them

210 students were asked if they agreed with the legalization of marijuana.

The poll was done by journalism 1, 12, and 14 students

THE UNION Vol. 71, No. 3 April 20, 2017

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

37 Students Do not care

Illustration by Sydney Fajardo/Union

Editor-in-Chief �������������������������������������������������������������������������� Phil Sidavong News Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Phil Sidavong Opinion/Editorial Editor ��������������������������������������������������������� Jimmy Nguyen Arts Editor......................................................................................Jimmy Nguyen Sports Editor ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������Eric Ramos Photo Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Jorge Villa Features Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Alba Mejia Social Media Manager........................................................................Eric Ramos Multimedia Manager.......................................................................Phil Sidavong 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.

Collin Kattengell, 20, biology major “I think it’s a good thing because there will be extra revenue for the state. It will also be really interesting to see how the older generation will handle it. This is going to affect our campus because a lot less people will be coming to class. I see it helping in a philosophy class, but not somewhere like a math class.”

Tyler Giles, 19, kinesiology major “If people are already going to use it [regardless of legal status] they might as well tax it. I only see it affecting student’s attendance, but that’s a personal choice they have to make. Everyone just has to be responsible.”

Elaine Walters, 51, business major “It’s ok to use it for what it’s intended for.

My family uses it for medicinal purposes only and they bake, cook, and boil it for skin healing, sicknesses, etc. For recreational purposes, I think it’s going to have an impact on grades and student’s will probably show up disoriented class.

It just depends on the environment they’re in.”

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ARTS

6 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

Jazz in her soul and her hands

April 20, 2017

Analiz Castillo is an El Camino student is passionate in jazz and hopes to achieve great heights in the future Reyna Torres Staff Writer @ECCUnionReyna

A

young female vocalist found an interest in jazz after watching a music video of the famous jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, She then realized that she had to do it and jazz fit her voice.

Analiz Castillo, 21, jazz voice major, has been an El Camino student since spring 2015 and has been singing for a year now.

“I felt that it was my spiritual awakening,” Castillo said. “Finding a piece of myself in someone else,” Castillo took a trip to Washington D.C. on Feb. 28 to perform at a concert for women called ‘Washington Women in Jazz.’

Amy K. Bormet, a 31 year old jazz pianist combo player for EC’s applied jazz class invited Castillo to the event. She also organized the event in Washington.

“I just throw out ideas to her and she is able to visually lay out my ideas,” RISE Center Coordinator Julieta Ortiz said. “She really brings the artistic side to make an idea work.”

Bormet chose Castillo to attend the performance due to her experience as a jazz singer.

The concert lasted two hours with her performance being only four-minutes. Castillo was able to sing one of her songs and said she felt accomplished with her performance.

“I was really happy because I saw people ‘vibing’ to my music, dancing, and I usually look at the floor when I sing but this time I was looking up to the crowd,” Castillo said.

Castillo said her greatest experience from the performance

was seeing professional women do their job professionally on stage e as well as being able to interact with them.

“It made me feel empowered.

Thinking about it makes me want to cry,” Castillo said.

The event was created in honor of women who sing jazz because women in the music industry are underrepresented.

“These women work just as hard and are just as talented,” she said.

“Castillo’s pianist, Srimal De Mel, 20, jazz piano major, was on stage with her, and enjoyed seeing other performances.

“I got to see a lot of great performances, and we got to sell t-shirts,” De Mel said. “I thought it was pretty cool to see professional women perform.”

De Mel said he views Castillo’s work as a jazz performer as something that is relatable and humane.

“Her lyrics are very transparent in her meanings, (and) her tone of voice is what I like the best,” he said.

Castillo’s private applied instructor on campus, Anne Farnsworth, said that Castillo’s work ethnic stands out and has a beautiful instrumental voice.

“She has a great attitude and she is like a sponge soaking in all of the information,” Farnsworth said.

“She is a class leader,” After EC, Castillo plans to transfer to a four-year university in order to pursue her passion as a songwriter. She hopes to turn it into a professional career one day.

“Music wakes me up in the morning. I want to be my own artist and make my own money on songwriting,” she said. “I am walking in that general perspective.”

John Lopez/Union Analiz Castillo, 21, jazz voice major, can be found in the Music Building anytime of the day sharpening her musical skills that started in spring 2015 and has since acquired a multifaceted voice range.

Wild Biology exhibit explores the idea of humans in nature A new art exhibit featuring wild biology which explores nature is currently being displayed at the EC Art Gallery Emma DiMaggio Staff Writer @ECCUnionEmma A new art exhibit is on display at the El Camino Art Gallery and will be open until Thursday, April 27.

“Wild Biology” by Margaret Lazzari, is the current art exhibit in the EC Art Gallery. It is a survey of the past 20 years of Lazzari’s work, and includes both representational and abstract pieces.

This exhibit is one of the six exhibits that the Art Gallery holds each academic year.”

“It’s a rare opportunity that one is able to see a mid-career survey of work from an artist that spans over such a period,” Susanna Meiers, director and curator of the Art Gallery, said.

In regards to her body of work, Lazzari said that she’s always had a strong attachment to nature..”

“It’s not just nature in the abstract, but people in nature. I think that comes from gardening,” she said. “I really want to connect people back to nature.”

“Wild Biology” is comprised of layered abstractions made from acyrlic on canvas.

“It’s really fascinating to get a glimpse of that,” Meiers said. “She really know how to move paint.”

One EC student said she enjoyed the art gallery due to the variety of

paintings being showcased.

“I really like the charcoal drawings the most, the ones around the corner,” Gabriella Imal, 18, nursing major, said.

Lazzari’s work wasn’t always primarily abstract because in the the beginning of her career it was marked by mostly representational pieces. According to Lazzari, it was about 12 years ago when she began to delve into the acrylic medium and begin working on abstract pieces.

This change in medium aligned with a time when she was battling with cancer, thus the “Cancer series” in the exhibit.

“The idea that I could be free enough to just deal with color shape and movement in a more free and abstracted way was really pretty wonderful,” Lazzari said.

Her pieces speak to this. The exhibit itself is grouped into three distinctly different exhibits, the “Wild Biology Series, the “Cancer Series,” and the “Floating Series.”

The “Cancer Series” is based on the concept of “body under assault,” and draws inspiration from the time that Lazzari battled with cancer. The pieces in this series are primarily charcoal and conte drawings.

The “Floating Series” is a group of paintings depicting humans partially submerged in water that is meant to explore the physical and

Emma DiMaggio/Union One of the paintings being displayed at the EC Art Gallery. It’s a painting that is part of the exhibit that depicts nature and life. emotional changes one experiences throughout life.

Lazzari hopes viewers at the exhibit will pick up on the theme

in her works “I want (the pieces) to be abstracted and general enough so that people can associate a sense of

space and light and the movement of trees and water movement and everything else,” she said in regards to her abstractions. “(Viewers) can

really feel those rhythms in the paintings, without being attached to a specific place.”

SPORTS

APRIL 20, 2017

Conference Champs

El Camino softball team has won 23 consecutive games with two games left in the season and playoffs on the horizon

EL CAMINO COLLEGE 7

Eric Ramos

A

Sports Editor @ECCUnionEricR

23-game winning streak.

Undefeated in the South Coast Conference-South.

Now they can add conference champs to the season the El Camino softball team is having.

The Warriors won its second conference title in three years after a 3-1 win over Long Beach City College on Tuesday, April 18.

Despite struggling on offense, three runs was all the Warriors needed as sophomore pitcher Haley Reed pitched a complete game, allowing one run on nine hits.

EC (32-5, 10-0) is ranked No. 5 in the California Community College Fast Pitch Coaches Association State Poll and No. 3 in the Southern California Regional Poll.

Sophomore catcher Ashley Machado credits team chemistry as to why the team has come this far. Every player knows their role on the team.

“We have really come together as a team,” Machado said. “Our energy has never been so high.”

With two games left on the schedule and the playoffs around the corner, the Warriors have a showdown with No. 1 Cypress College (35-0, 17-0) on Saturday, April 22.

Cypress is the only undefeated team in the state and holds a longer winning streak than the Warriors at 35 games.

Osvaldo Deras/ Union The El Camino softball team won its second conference title in three years with a 3-1 win over Long Beach City College on Tuesday, April 18 at the EC softball field.

“We know we are prepared and good enough to win,” sophomore first baseman Kamryn Fisher said.

“Everyone is excited with a little nerves, which is really going to benefit us on Saturday.”

The Warriors have approached every game the same, even during the winning streak. Sophomore infielder Brigid Antonelli said their

mentality stays the same.

“The streak is nice, but it doesn’t change how we approach each game,” Antonelli said. “I’m proud of this team for all the constant hard work and effort everyone has put into this season. We could not be happier about winning conference.”

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Statistical leaders through 37 games this season: Alyssa Wing .505 Avg, 47 Hits, 37 RBIs, 32 Runs Julianne Adamos - .404 Avg, 37 Hits, 25 RBIs Raelani Camez - .461 Avg, 47 Hits, 25 RBIs, 28 SB Ashley Machado - .439 Avg, 36 Hits, 30 RBIs, 34 SB

Athlete of the Week Jean Liu, diver

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El Camino freshman goalie Jean Liu was a force defending the goal this season for the men’s water polo team.

Reporting and photos by Selvin Rodas Jean Liu, 23, nutrition major, has been diving for a month and a half. Liu earned the No.1 spot in the conference while taking a 7th place finish in Southern California for the women’s 3 meter competition at the diving championships on Saturday, April 15.

Q: How do you feel about being No. 1 in conference?

A: Really surprised. I didn’t expected it at all, honestly. I think it’s been a very humbling experience because I got to see other divers compete. One of the cool parts was just being able to be part of this experience, where everyone supports each other.

Q: How did you prepare yourself for the diving championship event?

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A: I think there is a lot of mental preparation that goes on. When I go home, I literally just YouTube “Best Olympics Dives” or like “Best Springboard Dives.” I just watch people dive because I think one of the most important part of this sport is to visualize and be able to focus on what I need to do.

Q: Why did you choose this sport?

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A: I tried a few sports before (and) the longest I have participated in a sport was gymnastics, (which) it is a very good transition into diving because diving it’s not really about being in the water, it’s about what you do before you go into the water.

Q: What are you plans after college?

A: I came to EC because I just wanted to take a few classes and I am planning on taking a master’s program because I graduated from UC Davis already. I’m just taking few classes for fun.

SPORTS

8 EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION

APRIL 20, 2017

Jorge Villa/ Union

El Camino offense coordinator Tim Kaub is in the pressbox at Murdock Stadium during Narbonne’s 66-7 victory over Banning on Friday, Nov. 4. at El Camino College.

Injuries do not stop sophomore from competing

El Camino tennis player has battled illness and several injuries to return to the courts Don Perez

Staff Writer @ECCUnionDon

V

iolet Simpson gave off a banshee shriek of agony.

She hit the tennis ball into the net, sending the match against Rio Hondo’s Nicole Robbins into a third set she had no energy left for, costing her and the El Camino women’s tennis team the match in the regular season finale.

A frustrated Simpson — who was hospitalized over the previous weekend with a viral infection, dehydration and still dealing with lingering bronchitis during the March 30 match — slumped over to the bench to rest, later throwing in the towel on advice from her coach, Steven Van Kanegan, who told her there was no shame in giving up.

You just started walking again in January, the 25-year-old Simpson said she reminded herself, putting the competitive part of her psyche down as the team got around her.

“She’s a fighter,” Van Kanegan said.

“I’m so grateful for a coach like that, watching my matches and looking after me. I like playing competitively; if you can’t run then walk; if you can’t walk, you crawl; that sort of thing” Simpson said later in a phone interview, her Australian accent coming up as she relaxed — it takes a bit of effort to sound like an American, she added.

“I broke my ankle at school last year and I was in a boot until December,” Simpson said. “Celiac disease, three surgeries — wrist, broken arms, ankle surgery — I think I have not had six months injury free since I was 11 or 12.”

Van Kanegan said she was still under the weather when she took part in the South Coast Conference Tournament on April 6, beating Erika Garfias of Rio Hondo 6-0, 6-0 to qualify for the state championship, but had to retire during the first set against Diviana Bravo of Cerritos, and didn’t make a doubles match with teammate Stephanie Kingham.

“I wasn’t feeling good after I

won. I slept in the team van,” Simpson said. “I was dizzy; my throat was really swollen.”

Simpson said she may take a visit to her doctor’s office during the break, before she resumes action on April 27th in the state championships at Ojai.

Born in Santa Cruz and raised in Australia, Simpson was athletic and competed in track, soccer and tennis while growing up. But as her teen years approached, she started getting ill and injured repeatedly, and she gradually gave up athletics.

Enrolling in the nursing program at EC, she realized her body wouldn’t be able to compete at a four-year school’s tennis team, but she wanted one more shot at competitive play, even if it meant stretching her body and time management to the limit. She took 45 units in her first year at the college and was getting over wrist surgery.

Van Kanegan immediately could tell she was an experienced player.

He said as soon as they met, he knew she was a player. But she did have obstacles she had to face. She

was rusty. Her wrist didn’t allow her to drive the ball with topspin.

She hits primarily flat balls.

“She does quite well with that but you need topspin,” Van Kanegan said. “But she’s mentally tough as they come and in the tennis world, that’s an incredible weapon to have. She’s a gamer.”

Simpson has also been a leader on the team, giving silly nicknames to those around her, giving tennis advice and even organizing a karaoke birthday party for her doubles teammate Kingham.

“She’s taught me a lot for doubles, learning on volleys places to be. And her serves are killer,” Kingham said. “You can tell she’s been getting a lot better.”

Meanwhile, Simpson, who aims to become a nurse working with at-risk youth or abroad, takes what might be her last time playing competitively in stride.

“Some people wouldn’t play again. I always felt like I could’ve done something with the raw ability,” Simpson said. “But I’ve learned to enjoy what you can do than what you can achieve with it.”

John Fordiani/ Union Violet Simpson returns a backhand against Rio Hondo College on Thursday, March 30.

No. 7 men’s volleyball team prepares for first round of playoffs at No. 2 Irvine Valley College Phil Sidavong

Editor-In-Chief @ECCUnionPhil

It’s playoff time for the men’s volleyball team and the only thing the No. 7 ranked Warriors want is to run the table for a chance to win the California Community College Athletic Association’s State Championship match.

But first on the schedule is a trip to the No. 2 Irvine Valley College Lasers on Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m.

IVC has been ranked in the top three all season long and only just fell out of the No. 1 spot two weeks ago following a loss to the current

WARRIORS SCHEDULE

king of California: Orange Coast College.

The Warriors visited the Lasers on Wednesday, March 15 only to be outdone in a four-set loss.

“We’re not thinking this is going to be our last match,” Chris Phanngam, co-captain of the Warriors and sophomore outside hitter, said.

“We’re thinking that there’s three more games (to the state championship).”

El Camino will need to find a way to stop hitting percentage state-leader Matt August, who can play in the middle or on the right side and shine.

But August will be backed by some incredible crew of his own

in Brennan To, Patrick Furlong and Ruben Lopez.

All four of these Lasers rank in the Top 25 of the state for kills: No. 10 August (191), No. 18 To (146), No. 20 Furlong (141) and No. 23 Lopez (132).

EC sophomore outside hitter Cesar Medina landed at No. 6 in the state with 207 kills and sophomore opposite hitter PJ Tulikihihifo was short of the Top 25 at No. 29 with his 115 kills.

EC was ranked No. 4 to end the season on the power rankings, but despite being the No. 2 team in conference, they fell to No. 7 in the state playoffs due to the lackluster record of 10-7 overall.

“We’re good when we get going,” EC coach Dick Blount said.

“We just haven’t been able to do it at times. It’s a mental thing.”

The winner of the Western State Conference has won the State Championship the last years (LBCC in 2016 and Santa Monica in 2015), the Orange Empire’s OCC won it all in 2014.

EC has been in dire straits this season and has lacked many things necessary to become a real top contending team.

“It’s consistency man,” Medina said. “We weren’t consistent and it’s an issue we’ve had all year, and we need some energy on the court (to win).”

BASEBALL Today at Rio Hondo College 2:30 p.m.

M/W SWIM AND DIVE Today at East L.A.College 10 a.m.

WARRIORS SCOREBOARD

Jorge Villa/ Union FILE: Now co-captain and sophomore outside hitter Chris Phanngam digs the ball in an attempt to get the Warriors a point.

SOFTBALL Warriors 3, Long Beach City College 1

BASEBALL Warriors 2, Rio Hondo College 3