The Union Vol. 78 No. 5

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The Union

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1946

@ECCUNION

Dec. 7, 2023

ECCUNION.COM

Faculty union fights for security video Number of unhoused students rise

By Isabelle Ibarra and Olivia Sullivent Vandalism targeting El Camino College’s faculty union and its president are no longer being investigated by the police department, despite union and college officials who said they may know the

identity of the suspect.

Following up on the vandalism earlier in the semester, new information was revealed that might identify who vandalized the El Camino Federation of Teachers office in the Communications Building.

A Federation official who tipped off The Union about the security video asked to remain anonymous so they don’t impact the case.

“I don’t want to jeopardize anyone or anything,” the official who was granted anonymity said.

SEE FED PAGE 10 →

By Nick Geltz It’s 4:43 a.m. at El Camino College, on Thursday, Nov. 30.

At 51 degrees Fahrenheit, as one walks outside, each breath released appears visible in front of them.

Most students are currently in their homes

or apartments snuggled up in bed. Some with heaters or an extra blanket on top of them to keep warm.

But at least one student at El Camino does not have those luxuries.

He sleeps on the bottom floor outside of the Communications Building in a green tent

Human trafficking, fake students suspected in financial aid scams

El Camino lost over $100,000 to phony applications last academic year, officials said

Students walk to the Admissions and Records help desk in the Student Services Building on Tuesday, Dec. 5. El Camino College has been working to stop scammers using stolen identities from stealing financial aid. Photo by Raphael Richardson

By Johan Van Wier El Camino men’s soccer team defeated Cuyamaca College 4-0 during the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship to claim the fifth state title in the program’s history.

The Warriors dominated control of the ball to start the first half of the Sunday, Dec. 3 game leading to three shots on goal in the 10, 12 and 13-minute marks.

The aggressiveness paid off as Warriors midfielder Charlie Cazares scored on a free kick from 21 yards away at the 15-minute mark.

“Getting that first goal gave us that ‘Oh yeah, we’re on top [feeling].’ We got the ball in our court let’s make them play,” Warriors goalkeeper Donovan Palomares said.

SEE CHAMPS PAGE 12 →

See Page 5

SEE AID PAGE 6 →

Campus lactation rooms

ENTERPRISE

ENTERPRISE

New degree program

maximum award for 2022–2023 was $6,895 per student in the country.

Dao said El Camino had to return the $110,298 they released to fake students back to the federal government because it is considered an overpayment.

At the latest financial student aid conference Dao attended, she said one of the things to look out for is a student wearing earpieces during the interview for their financial aid application.

See Page 8

El Camino coach Mike Jacobson is tossed in the air by the men’s soccer team after becoming state champs. Photo by Elsa Rosales

Foreign students return See Page 9

SCAN ME

The stolen money was disbursed to 77 successful Pell Grant recipients in the academic year 2022-2023. The amount released to scammers ranged from $128 to $3,448, officials said.

Successful grant applications mean the applications were approved and that money was released to the recipients of the grant.

Pell Grants are federal financial aid given to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need. The

ENTERPRISE

l Camino College has joined a growing list of community colleges that have been defrauded by what education officials believe could be a human trafficking ring.

The college lost $110,298 in financial aid last academic year to scammers who pretended to be students.

Chau Dao, El Camino’s financial aid director, said the college has filed cases with the Department of Education Office of the Inspector General.

SEE RISE PAGE 4 →

Men’s soccer team becomes state champs in 4-0 win

By Ma. Gisela Ordenes

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from time to time. Next to his tent on a wall, there are games of tictac-toe he seemingly plays to keep busy.

The student was unable to talk to The Union at the time but patrolling campus police officer Darrell Miller spoke highly of him.

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EDITORIAL

Dec. 7, 2023

The Union

The Union SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1946

Vol. 78, No. 5 Dec. 7, 2023

EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITOR

Fumie Coello | Special to The Union

El Camino needs to take the First Amendment seriously

ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR COPY EDITOR

By Union Editorial Board

H

umanities 113 on the ground floor of the Humanities Building houses The Union newsroom. This is where the First Amendment publications of El Camino College are produced. It is a place of learning.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, students who were there in the room learned a valuable lesson about the journalism profession from an unlikely teacher, as their place of learning, which should be sacrosanct, was violated. The lesson was on freedom of the press. The unwitting professor was Vice President of Administrative Services Robert Suppelsa.

The Warrior Life magazine class was in session when Suppelsa walked unannounced into the room and demanded journalism professor Stefanie Frith take down photos accompanying an article about a commercial being filmed on campus. Chief Technology Officer Loic Audusseau accompanied Suppelsa.

Students were shocked, dismayed and scared as Suppelsa mentioned the possibility of a lawsuit and mentioned possible consequences for the journalism program’s budget.

Suppelsa said the photos could implicate a non-disclosure agreement between the production company shooting on campus and the corporation that hired them to film.

He said this could lead to legal action against the paper.

The Union had no prior knowledge of any agreement between the college or the companies. Facility Rentals Director Bridget Delahunt echoed Suppelsa’s demand through an email sent to Frith the same day.

The email also stated The Union would need to ask Facility Rentals for written permission to publish stories concerning campus rentals moving forward.

This is unlawful prior review and it has no place in a functioning democracy. It certainly has no place in an institution of higher learning funded by American taxpayers.

In a letter written on behalf of the journalism students to El Camino President Brenda Thames, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression quoted from Healy v.

James: “...the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools.”

While The Union is alarmed by these attempts to curtail freedom of the press, we are more concerned about the culture on campus where the media is seen as the enemy.

Journalism students have said they are treated “like a chore” by some members of the administration, staff and faculty. Some give students the runaround when they look for sources. Others utter “ugh” when The Union is mentioned. This needs to change.

The Union proposes a campus-wide training on how El Camino officials, faculty and staff work with the media. The campus needs to know what we do so it can call us out when we’re not doing the right thing.

Journalism students need your help. We are, first of all, students. We are getting training in El Camino on how to be members of the press who must speak truth to power.

Journalists in other parts of the world have died for this freedom. The Union, Warrior Life and the rest of the journalism department recognize this and take any suppression of freedom of the press seriously.

Thankfully, another vice president at El Camino understands press rights. Vice President of Academic Affairs Carlos Lopez obliged when the journalism department asked for a meeting to address the issue.

The meeting included Suppelsa, Director of Public Information and Government Relations Kerri Webb, Mari Baquir from Civic Center Facility Rentals, The Union Editor-In-Chief Delfino Camacho, journalism professors Frith and Kate McLaughlin and instructional assistant Jessica Martinez.

Lopez and Webb reassured Camacho that journalism students’ fundamental rights to freedom of expression and of the press would not be violated.

These are the first steps in rebuilding trust and mending the relationship. Suppelsa will revisit the newsroom today. The students are looking forward to this.

In the meeting with Lopez, Webb said “All of us here are educators,” to reassure journalism students that the college has their back and will not hinder their education.

The journalism students may not be educators but The Union hopes the El Camino administration learned from this incident.

Delfino Camacho delcam93@gmail.com Eddy Cermeno eddyrcermeno@gmail.com Ma. Gisela Ordenes theunionartsandfeatures@gmail.com Johan Van Wier jvanwier22@gmail.com Nasai Rivas eccunioncopyeditor@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Maddie Selack mselack19@gmail.com Kae Takazawa kaelealani@gmail.com

OPINION EDITOR

Nellie C. Eloizard neloizard@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITOR

Raphael Richardson eccunionphoto@gmail.com

STAFF Senior Staff: Joshua Flores Senior Photographers: Bryan Sanchez, Khoury Williams, Renzo Arnazzi Staff: Angela Osorio, Angel Pasillas, Emily Gomez, Ivan Gonzalez, Joseph Ramirez, Nick Geltz.

Interns: Alondra Peza Camarena, Emily Barrera, Katie Volk, Liliana Romero, Ira Mendoza, Isabelle Ibarra, Olivia Sullivent, Osvin Suazo, Tommy Kallman

ADVISERS STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS

PHOTO ADVISER ADVERTISING MANAGER

Stefanie Frith sfrith@elcamino.edu Kate McLaughlin kmclaughlin@elcamino.edu Nguyet Thomas nthomas@elcamino.edu Jack Mulkey elcounionads000@yahoo.com

CORRECTION POLICY: The Union takes corrections and clarifications

very seriously. If a correction is needed, email The Union at eccunion@gmail.com for all corrections and inquiries pertaining to a story.

EDITORIALS: Editorials represent the views of the The Union’s editorial

board. Columns represent the views of the writer. Neither are representations of what the newspaper staff, other students, our advisers, faculty or the administration think.

LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMN POLICY: No more than

two guest columns from the same person will be considered for publication or online use in the same semester, and 60 days must elapse before a second column is published. Guest columns should generally run 300-450 words. Letters to the editor should generally run no longer than 200 words. All columns and letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. They must be free of libel and in good taste. Publication or rejection of any column is at the sole discretion of the editorial board. Letters and guest columns must be sent to The Union’s email address, eccunion@gmail.com.

The Union is an award-winning, nationally recognized publication that prints on designated Thursdays by Journalism 11 and 14 students at El Camino College, Humanities 113, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506 and is free to the student body and staff. The Union publishes daily online at eccunion.com.

First copy free; additional copies are 10 cents.

The Union

Dec. 7, 2023

OPINION

3

Young voters hold a very powerful weapon

The power of the ballot falls in the hands of the younger generation and the country’s future seven years as an adult and voting at age 25.”

When I turned 18, I According to the New recognized I now wielded a Republic, at least 15 new power.

Republican states introduced Voting. legislation to disenfranchise At the time, I asked myself, is young voters by changing the one person’s vote really that rules of using student IDs in important? voting booths and requiring I now know it is. My out-of-state college students to generation and I have vote absentee in their tremendous political power. hometowns in Wisconsin.

According to Brookings, This type of action and younger generations in the rhetoric from the GOP shows 2022 midterm election voted some candidates are willing to heavily for Democrats, hurt our constitutional rights to allowing the left-wing political vote to further their agendas, party to win the U.S. Senate rather than tapping into the Raphael Richardson | Special to The Union powerful potential of younger and many battleground state elections. reddest of Republican states.

Beyond elections, the voters.

The Center for Information Generation Z and millennials younger generation holds The reason they want to do and Research on Civic were the only age group to cite protests and marches for their that is not because they simply Learning and Engagement, or abortion rights as the most beliefs. vote for Democrats but because CIRCLE, reports young voter important issue.

Yet the enthusiasm and power of the unity and eagerness of turnout was “the secondBut it’s not necessarily of the younger generations are younger voters when it comes highest level of youth Democrats young people are not supported by certain people. to voting for their beliefs. participation in at least 30 voting for, as not all youth Although Democrats Republican presidential years” during the 2022 voting trends fall within party candidate and entrepreneur understand the powerful midterms. lines. The younger generation Vivek Ramaswamy said the potential of younger votes, they This is a prime example of rather shares beliefs that voting age in the U.S. should be still split from the concerns of the genuine change and power coincide with Democrats, raised. the younger generation such as the younger generation’s voice attracting their vote.

“There needs to be some civic foreign policy issues. has on the national stage.

From climate change to experience you need to have One of those issues is the CIRCLE also reports young abortion and healthcare, my gone through in order to Israel-Hamas war. voters played a large part in generation is using its power of actually vote,” Ramaswamy As reported by NPR and ABC blocking anti-abortion laws voting to support its beliefs in said in an article by Politico. News, younger voters are more from being implemented in the elections.

“That experience could be living supportive of Palestine and

By Nasai Rivas

have negative feelings about U.S. support and funding of the Israeli government.

Despite clear messaging from younger voters, U.S. President Joe Biden and other Democratic politicians support Israel’s war and continue voting on funding for the Israeli Defense Forces.

This shows despite Democrats having past support from young voters, they are failing to respect and recognize the power of the youth vote and will get hurt by this in the 2024 election.

This failure might allow young voters to significantly influence Democrats’ policies in the future, adding more to the youngsters’ ever-growing power.

So when I think about why my vote counts and how much power my generation has, I remember Republican lawmakers are doing so much to suppress our votes while Democrats take the youth vote for granted. That misplaced confidence could hurt them because they support certain policies.

I also remember the words of Uncle Ben from Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Why college students should take a year off

How a gap-year program helped me discover my passion to tell stories

By Angela Osorio Lack of motivation, switching majors and dropping out.

These are all “normal” experiences college students face, as they are forced to decide on what college they want to go to and what career they want to pursue as soon as they graduate high school.

Summer break isn’t a lot of time for students to make up their minds and decide on a major. The societal pressure of being prepared and deciding your major by the time you start college is what leads students into a whole lot of debt, pain and regret.

For example, parental or peer pressure might lead one student to commit to a biology major.

They take on a student loan to afford an expensive program, end up hating it and switch majors halfway through college, wasting a lot of time, effort and money.

These could all be avoided if students simply took the time off school, to think, reflect and discover what they truly want to do.

Taking a gap year teaches you new things about yourself

through meaningful experiences such as volunteering, traveling and internship programs.

Gap-year students embark on a journey of personal growth, discovering what their passions, talents and dreams are. This sets them up for future success, as they get to choose a career they are happy and passionate about.

Research by The University of Western Australia reveals that students who take a gap year are more likely to achieve higher grades once they enter university. Gap-year students also tend to have higher motivation once they start college or university.

In addition, students who take a gap year report having high satisfaction at their jobs, according to researchers Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson, authors of “The Gap Year Advantage.”

Last spring, I made one of the scariest but best decisions I could ever make: I moved to New York for six weeks.

After a tiring fall 2022 semester, I participated in a gap year program with the School of the New York Times, a

garden he was building for a neighborhood in Queens, it inspired me to find more people like him–ordinary citizens who were doing extraordinary things for their community, family and environment.

I interviewed more community superheroes, including a music teacher who started a non-profit environmental organization and a German immigrant who pruned trees for the city.

Through this project, I discovered my true passion: telling stories.

That’s where I felt the most Photo courtesy of Angela Osorio | Special to The Union freedom; where I could use my style, politics and publishing, company that provides summer programs for high school however, I quickly discovered creativity to tell someone else’s students and gap year programs that some of these careers were story in my own unique way.

Journalism has provided a not for me. post-high school. pathway for me to do that and It wasn’t until my final I wanted to explore my career options and decide whether or reflection project that I finally I’m very grateful to have not journalism was for me, felt passionate and excited discovered it through this gap semester in the Big Apple. before continuing my time as a about an assignment.

If students were to just take For my final project, I student at college.

During the program, I decided to write a collection of the time off school to invest in participated in two-week feature stories. I was inspired their future, they would courses exploring different by a green infrastructure discover so much about careers, led by industry engineer who I met while themselves and be more professionals. I went on class volunteering with GrowNYC, a prepared to enter college with a trips to places like the New nonprofit environmental positive, confident and motivated outlook.

York Times building and the organization.

All it takes is a little bit of After talking to him and United Nations Headquarters.

As I began learning about learning about the community research and a whole lot of guts.

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NEWS

Dec. 7, 2023

The Union

Number of unhoused students at El Camino rising → RISE FROM PAGE 1 “He is a very nice guy. We let him sleep there as long as he packs up everything before 8 a.m.,” Miller said.

According to surveys by CCCApply, 151 El Camino students said they were unhoused in the 2023 spring semester.

This semester 198 students said they are unhoused.

“The number of students we are servicing through basic needs has almost tripled,” El Camino Basic Needs Coordinator Sharonda Barksdale said.

“The number of unhoused students seems to be increasing and it is an issue” — Michael Trevis, El Camino Chief of Police The Basic Needs Center is above the El Camino Bookstore, where students struggling with food and housing insecurities are given

access to food, clothes and emergency housing referrals.

“The goal of basic needs is to fill in the gaps that students might have, so students can focus on their education,” Barksdale said.

When it comes to unhoused students on campus, El Camino Police Chief Michael Trevis said they feel safer on campus.

“The number of unhoused students seems to be increasing and it is an issue,” Trevis said.

Unhoused students have been living on campus for some time according to Trevis, he knows some students usually sleep in their cars in the parking lots.

Trevis said the relationship between campus police and unhoused students is respectful.

“We do our best to help them,” Trevis said. “We’re sensitive to these things and we want all students to succeed and it has to be difficult living in your car.”

With an increase of unhoused students, the Basic Needs Center is the primary resource El Camino provides. Students such as Associated Students

The green and gray tent of an unhoused student sits on the ground floor outside the Communications Building in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 29. El Camino police officer Darrell Miller said the student inside the tent is “a very nice guy” and the police department allows him to sleep on campus as long as he packs his belongings before 8 a.m., as classes at El Camino begin. Photo by Raphael Richardson

Organization Commissioner of Finance Manuel Ortiz, also want to help.

“I want to pitch a care package for unhoused students at El Camino, which would include things like window shades in front of the car to block out light and a portable stove top so people can cook

hot meals as well as many other things,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz has come up with this initiative, as well as a preplanned budget in mind, to give unhoused students who currently sleep in their cars a box of items in which they could make “sleeping in your car more comfortable.”

Dean of Student Support Services Parrish Geary said he knows “students will be the vocal advocate for this issue.”

“I see unhoused students as a lot [any] of our other students who just have another marginalized situation to deal with,” Geary said.

Drug abuse and theft patterns revealed in report

Annual crime report shows number of drug abuse and vehicle thefts occurring around campus

By Nick Geltz

T

here have been consistent reports of motor vehicle theft and drug abuse violations at El Camino College and off campus, according to this year’s Clery Act Report which was released in early October.

The Clery Act Report is a federally mandated record of on-campus crimes that colleges and universities are required to submit. The document divides crime incidents into three categories: on-campus, non-campus and public property.

The report showed that from 2020-2022, there were a consistent amount of motor vehicle thefts in all three categories. In total, there were 35 motor vehicles stolen around campus in that timeframe.

“The majority of the crimes that are occurring are not involving our students,” El Camino Chief of Police Michael Trevis said. “Most of them occur in the wee hours of the morning.”

Trevis said a total of 14 vehicles were reported stolen on campus, with a majority occurring on the weekends during special events. The other 21 cars were stolen in local areas near campus.

In last year’s report, there were a total of 38 reported stolen vehicles, 14 of them ocurring on campus.

“I don’t think there has been a drastic change with the statistics, I feel as if they are pretty aligned with what we have seen in the past,” Clery Act Compliance Coordinator for El Camino Nina Wong said.

Along with motor vehicle theft, another consistent report within all three categories was drug abuse violations.

However, Trevis made it clear none of the violations involved El Camino students.

“None of them are our students, not a single one,” he said. “Some of them involved [unhoused] people, there are people on campus at all hours of the night here and they’re not our students.”

Trevis said campus police do try to help unhoused people they encounter on campus, even in events when they are found with drugs, but many people refuse to accept the resources offered by police.

“When we make contact with [unhoused] people, we provide them with the resources,” he said. “What we’re finding is that there’s quite a bit of them that do not want the resources and do not want the help, we can’t make

them do that stuff.”

Speaking to The Union newsroom on Wednesday, Nov. 1, Trevis said unhoused people stay overnight at El Camino because they feel safer here.

Trevis said campus police are constantly refining their safety procedures and are trying to reinstate the Campus Watch program at El Camino.

Campus Watch would involve having small meetings with people to inform them about what is going on at El A motor home parked next to the Student Services Building early Camino, on and off campus in morning on Sunday, Dec. 3. The Clery Act shows a total of 35 vehicles were stolen around campus from 2020-2022. Photo by Delfino Camacho terms of crime and safety.

Trevis also spoke about the happening around campus. spots on campus when I walk “I had no idea about the to the parking lot after my history of the Clery Act, which itself was created after a crime crime on campus,” art major class gets out at 10 p.m.,” Jordan Fletcher, 19, said. incident occurred. kinesiology major Edward Other students shared their Malones, 23, said.

“The Clery Act is a federal regulation that was enacted opinions on how to deal Wong encourages everyone with the unhoused situation more than 20 years ago, at El Camino to look at the named after former [Lehigh affecting El Camino. report when it is emailed “If we focus on their mental to them so people can learn University] student Jeanne health and give them the more about campus safety and Clery,” he said.

After Clery was murdered support for those types of procedures. in what was described as a issues, then maybe the crime Trevis said his end goal “random crime,” her parents rate will go down,” business as chief of police is to keep discovered the university major Matthew Kardan, 22, people safe at El Camino. never reported previous crimes said.

“I am very proud of our Most of the reports involving students at this school, I am occurring on campus.

The Clery Act was created unhoused people occur at very proud of our faculty and afterward for educational night, around the time many staff at this school,” Trevis institutions to publish campus students are leaving their late- said. “It’s been an honor for night classes and walking me to work with all of the crime statistics.

The Union spoke to some through campus. students, faculty, and staff to “They should put up more continue to keep this campus El Camino students. Many were unaware of the crimes lights, there’s a lot of dark safe.”

The Union

Dec. 7, 2023

NEWS

5

Community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees

California aims to provide an accessible education to underserved students

By Emily Gomez

E

l Camino College student and respiratory care practioner, Priscilla Fleming has had a lifelong passion for helping others which was influenced by her single mother who never hesitated to help anyone she came across.

Fleming has a background in physical therapy and wanted to continue pursuing her education in a similar field, prompting her decision to enroll in El Camino College’s respiratory care bachelor’s degree program.

The respiratory care bachelor’s degree is a newly launched program at El Camino College. The program began in August. El Camino College is one of the select few California community colleges to offer a bachelor’s degree program.

According to a California Community College Chancellor’s Office press release, 33 out of 116 California community colleges are now offering or will soon offer bachelor’s degree programs.

There is a projected increase in demand for various jobs in California and the bachelor’s degree program could help provide students with an accessible opportunity to fill those positions according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office website.

Fleming, 36, said the program has the potential to be “very impactful,” as the affordability of the bachelor’s degree has provided financial alleviation.

“It’s economically, a very, very, huge opportunity,” Fleming said. “Not only for me, but I’m pretty sure for the other students [as well].”

The decision to authorize statewide bachelor degree pilot programs at California community colleges was initiated by Gov. Jerry Brown

on Sept. 28, 2014, when he signed Senate Bill 850.

According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office website.

In order for a bachelor’s degree program to be implemented at a California community college, there has to be evidence of a regional workforce need, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s website.

Santa Monica College offers an interaction design bachelor’s degree, Rio Hondo College offers an automotive technology bachelor’s degree and West Los Angeles College offers two bachelor of science degrees, dental hygiene and aviation maintenance technology: avionics.

Paul Feist, vice chancellor for communications and marketing at the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, said that the framework for action recently adopted by the California Community Colleges is titled Vision 2030, which is a document that lays out a strategic plan for the next seven years.

Feist said that one of the major pillars of Vision 2030 is equitable baccalaureate attainment.

Baccalaureate programs can benefit Californians by giving them more access to a college experience, Fiest said, and by providing the opportunity to improve their social and economic mobility.

“This is reaching a type of student that, you know, has not always been represented in higher education, so that’s important to us.”

El Camino College Dean of Health Sciences and Athletics Russell Serr was involved in El Camino’s approval process and said he worked closely with his faculty members to submit all the approvals in 2015, back when the first cycle of program

El Camino College respiratory care students demonstrate a patient assesment with lab simulators. The lab environment emulates a hospital so that students recieve hands on training with equipment on Oct.16.

Respiratory care students recieve preparation to enter the workforce. Photo by Emily Gomez

applications were being accepted by the Academic Affairs division of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Serr said the goal of El Camino’s bachelor’s degree program is accessibility. He said socio-economic status creates barriers for students and removing barriers for underserved students is a huge goal of the bachelor’s degree program.

“Equity, diversity and inclusion is on the forefront of almost everything we do here at the college,” Serr said. “This aligns with the college’s mission and with the goals of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.”

The job market demand in Los Angeles County projects an overall increase in demand for occupations including respiratory care, interaction design and dental hygiene, according to data from the Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research.

“There was a shortage in the workforce,” Roy Mekaru, El Camino faculty coordinator and program director for respiratory care said. “This was an

Respiratory Care, Interaction Design and Dental Hygiene Job Market Demand in L.A County Respiratory Care

Interaction Design

Dental Hygiene

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

SOURCE Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research

With medical equipment all around him, Dean of Health Science and Athletics Russell Serr poses in the Math Business Allied Health Respiratory Care Lab on Nov 22. Photo by Bryan Sanchez

opportunity for El Camino to degree program makes it much provide our graduates and other more affordable. graduates an [economically “I have two kids, I have a feasible] opportunity.” family, and I just started San Diego City College also w o r k i n g , s o i t i s v e r y has a new baccalaureate degree, important to do a program that approved this year for cyber defense and analysis.

“This is reaching a San Diego City College type of student that, Cyber Defense Program Director David Kennemer said you know, has not the cyber defense and analysis a l w a y s been program aims to “best serve as represented in many students.”

The college has a high higher education, so information technology and cyber security demand, that’s important to Kennemer, who is also an us.” associate professor of industry technologies, said. He said the — Paul Feist, job outlook is high and that V i c e C h a n c e l l o r f o r students can fill that role.

Communications and Marketing “It’s all about providing at the California Community students that opportunity to get College Chancellor’s Office into that job,” Kennemer said.

“Something that makes a I know is going to be helpful difference in their lives, their in the future,” Fleming said. communities.”

“It’s cheaper than other Back at El Camino College, programs at the moment. That respiratory care student, really helps a lot, just Fleming said that she believes [removes] the burden of not that there are a lot of students paying huge loans and stuff that are more inclined to pursue like that.” their education and “take that To read more visit step” because the bachelor’s eccunion.com

6

FEATURES

Dec. 7, 2023

The Union

Enrollment scams linked to trafficking → AID FROM PAGE 1

Rich worked as a deputy sheriff for the Ventura County At the latest financial student Sheriff’s Department for 13 aid conference Dao attended, years. She’s been teaching she said one of the things to criminal justice since 2008 at look out for is a student wearing Pierce College. earpieces during the interview Rich is largely credited for for their financial aid breaking the story on bot application. students in August 2021 when Dao said investigators from she investigated suspicious the Department of Education students on her class roster.

Office of the Inspector General Rich said fake students are (OIG) believe the individuals often victims of identity theft. being made to pose as students “The extreme majority of the are human trafficking victims. fake students enrolled in The fake students don’t know courses, they’re first of all just the information the traffickers placeholders,” Rich said. provided on the applications so “There's not a real person someone else dictates the behind that and they’re almost details to them via the earpieces, all victims of identity theft.”

Dao said.

A ‘Relatively Small’ Amount “When we’re asking Robin Dreizler, El Camino questions to validate who they dean of enrollment services, are before we start speaking to said it’s not uncommon to have them about their financial files, one person behind 40 or 50 it's actually the people behind fraudulent applications. the scenes that are in control of “So when we say a fraudulent their applications,” Dao said. student, it's really more a Dao said if a student is fraudulent record because it's wearing earpieces in the not always tied to one person,” i n t e r v i e w d u r i n g t h e he said. “It could be one person verification process, the advice doing a lot of the activity.” to financial aid staff is to ask El Camino did not provide the student to take the earpieces data on how many fraudulent off. applications and enrollments “Do not allow the students to the college had to fend off. have earpieces,” Dao said.

El Camino Vice President of The Union tried to get more S t u d e n t S e r v i c e s J e f f information by requesting an S t e p h e n s o n s a i d w h i l e interview with the OIG. $110,298 is a lot of money, it is Catherine Grant, OIG public relatively small compared to affairs liaison, said in a Nov. 1 what other community colleges email the OIG is “investigating have lost to fake students. the matter.”

The El Camino financial aid “Per our policy, the OIG does office processed 7,580 Pell not discuss details of its Grant applications for the 2022o n g o i n g w o r k . T h i s 23 academic year. longstanding policy is in place The total amount awarded to to protect and maintain the students was $27,993,242 or integrity of our efforts,” Grant’s 0.39% of the total Pell Grant for email said.

2022-23.

The California Community Information from the Colleges Chancellor's Office is C a l i f o r n i a C o m m u n i t y unaware of human trafficking Colleges Chancellor’s Office cases related to student said confirmed fraud reported enrollment or financial aid in the state annually amounts to fraud. $2.5 million.

But the Chancellor’s Office This is equivalent to about has acknowledged that fraud 1% of all aid distributed. occurred through “multiple “I will speak from where the avenues, generally including college I came from, we had bots, individuals and fraud entire sections of classes that rings.” were fraudulent students,” Paul Feist, California Stephenson said.

Community Colleges Stephenson was hired at El Chancellor ’s Office vice Camino in July 2023, following chancellor for communications, a move from American River said there are "international College in Sacramento where actors" involved in some of the he also served as the vice fraud. president for student services.

Kim Rich, a professor at American River College is Pierce College, currently on a one of the four colleges in the leave of absence, said it would Los Rios Community College not surprise her if the District. enrollment and student aid All four have been targeted fraud were tied to human by the fraud as reported by the trafficking.

Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles

Vice President of Student Services Jeff Stephenson works in his office in the Administration Building on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Photo by Raphael Richardson

Times, and American River C o l l e g e ’s s t u d e n t - r u n newspaper, American River Current.

American River College had at least 1,200 confirmed cases of registration fraud, as reported by the Current in September 2021.

Dreizler also said the number of financial aid fraud cases El Camino had to deal with is not significant compared to other colleges.

Recognizing Patterns “Talking to sister schools around the state and hearing that entire classes were 30 to 35 deep with fake students, we had our share,” Dreizler said. “But I don’t think it was significant with the number of checks that we have in place.”

Stephenson said fake enrollments in the previous college he worked at started before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“It was starting to occur before the pandemic, but I think the pandemic really escalated [the fraudulent activities],” he said.

Dreizler said El Camino became aware of the fraud over a year ago but a lot of fraudulent activity happened during the pandemic.

“More students were applying and taking classes remotely, so they were pretty anonymous,” he said.

Dreizler said they started seeing patterns and similarities with enrollees who were not participating in class.

“There were some consistencies from certain students, whether it was their location or their zip codes,” he said. “Sometimes phone numbers would give away some patterns.”

Dreizler said when they dug in a little bit deeper and reached out to the student, they found they didn't exist or their addresses didn’t exist.

Dao said the scammers are becoming “more and more lackadaisical.”

“They’ll use addresses from Beverly Hills where the home value is like $5 million,” she said.

Dao said the financial student aid offices of community colleges nationwide have a network where they share information to identify and mitigate fraud.

“What was happening was that [the scammers] were jumping from school to school,” Dao said. “And so with our network of communication with financial aid directors, we were able to kind of figure that out.”

The scammers, however, haven’t stopped attacking El Camino.

Dreizler said when the new eight-week classes started, a professor came to him alarmed that the “students” were submitting assignments that had nothing to do with the assignment prompts.

The new eight-week classes, which started on Oct. 21, were offered to help drum up enrollment to avoid budget cuts and a hiring freeze.

Josh Troesh, El Camino professor and Academic Senate vice president of finance and special projects, said a lot of people may think of enrollment and student aid fraud as a victimless crime.

“Who cares if someone's getting financial aid?” Troesh said. “But realize that as a society, there's only so many resources that we can put toward students.”

Troesh said those committing fraud are not just taking from the government but from students who need those resources to advance their lives. “ I t ’s t h e f t f r o m t h e government, but the real theft is that it’s theft from students who need that money, that’s where the money is ultimately going to come from,” Troesh said.

Rich said fake students limit the ability of real students to enroll in courses because they are on rosters months before classes begin and they remain there even after classes begin.

Dao also said she thinks it’s good for students to be aware that fraud is happening.

FINANCIAL AID FRAUD CASES IN CALIFORNIA WITH ACTUAL DISBURSEMENTS El Camino College Lost $110,298 to 77 fake students in academic year 2022-2023 Peralta Community College District $179,000 released to scammers, with $4,800 reversed in fraudulent summer 2021 disbursements City College of San Francisco 29 received $22,418 in Pell Grants Mt. San Antonio College $190,732 to 63 disbursed to fraudulent students as of October 2021 San Diego Community College District $101,619 in aid to fraudulent student accounts in February and March 2022 and prevented another $373,854 Sources: The Citizen, San Francisco Chronicle, EdSource, City Times Media

The Union “Real students need to be aware because it’s impacting them indirectly because it's taking spaces out of the courses that they need,” Dao said.

F r a u d Wi d e s p re a d i n California The California Community Colleges Technology Center has identified “20% of the OpenCCC traffic as malicious and bot-related.” (See “Mapping the Fraud”) This is according to an Aug. 30, 2021 memo from Valerie Lundy-Wagner, interim vice chancellor of digital innovation and infrastructure at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

The memo also said the TechCenter has addressed 15% of the malicious bot attacks through a third-party filter and bot detector Imperva Bot Detection.

Imperva was implemented on July 15, 2021 to address enrollment fraud.

OpenCCC is an online portal maintained by the CCCCO. Anyone applying to the 116 colleges in the state must first start an OpenCCC account.

The intention is for a single sign-in account that allows prospective students to access the online services of the California Community Colleges, called CCCApply.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Sept. 1, 2021 that 105 out of the 116 campuses in the California Community Colleges were affected by enrollment fraud.

Feist said it’s important to make a distinction between enrollment fraud and financial aid fraud.

Enrollment fraud is “widespread throughout the system” while financial aid fraud is “more limited.”

“I wouldn't say all colleges have been hit with financial aid fraud,” Feist said.

Dec. 7, 2023

NEWS

7

California colleges that have A Jan. 21, 2022 memo tried f l a g g e d q u e s t i o n a b l e to correct this by requiring all application and enrollment colleges and districts to report numbers include Mt. San suspected fraud Jacinto College, Contra Costa No Way To Verify Data Community College District, Rich is wary of the data being Cerritos College and San Diego reported by colleges because Community College District. “many schools have not been ( S e e “ A p p l i c a t i o n a n d transparent,” she said.

Enrollment Fraud in She said colleges have not California”) been forthcoming with their Mt. San Jacinto College numbers and there’s also no identified 42,000 suspected way to verify the data. cases in the 2020-21 school “If you provide me with a list, year while Contra Costa but I have no way of verifying Community College District that list, then what good is that had 40,000 suspected fake list to me?” Rich said. applicants in fall 2020.

Rich said one reason why Community colleges in other colleges are hesitant to share states that have reported the extent of fraud is because fraudulent enrollment attempts they’re scared of losing El Camino College Dean of Enrollment Services Robin Dreizler in front of the Student Services Building on Dec. 4. Photo by Ma. Gisela Ordenes include Portland Community funding.

College in Oregon, Salt Lake “Everybody that is allowing “very organized and very a l s o d e p l o y e d v a r i o u s Community College in Utah, the fake students to enroll in sophisticated” and that's why strategies to help mitigate the a n d D e s M o i n e s A r e a classes or failing to remove the CCCC finds it challenging fraud.

Community College in Iowa. them from classes is financially to keep ahead of the methods Aside from Imperva, monthly ( S e e “ A p p l i c a t i o n a n d benefiting through funding,” used by scammers. reporting by colleges and Enrollment Fraud Outside Rich said.

Feist said the attacks automatic suspension of any California”) Every student that remains in increased during the pandemic accounts associated with Financial aid-related fraud a class, fake or not, can mask when colleges were forced to fraudulent activity, the occurs after the student has real enrollment data. go online “very quickly.”

Chancellor’s Office has also been accepted for admission, Colleges are funded based on There were more added multi-factor their identity is confirmed by their enrollment numbers. opportunities for bad actors to authentication to CCCApply. the college and the college has Rich said because this started exploit vulnerabilities in the El Camino also announced it begun the process of disbursing happening during the pandemic system during the swift online is instituting a multi-factor local, state and federal financial and the uncertainty swirling onboarding, he said. authentication, which will be aid. around during that time, people “And frankly, there was more “required to log in to El Camino While the scammers may were concerned about the money available in the system systems, including Canvas, have different interests at every funding and the impact that because the federal government from off-campus” starting Nov. step of the fraud, Feist believes could have on classes. and the state government were 27. the end goal for most is to steal “Obviously, nobody wants to trying to help students cope In December, the CCCCO financial aid. lose the class that they’re with the terrible effects of the will launch its newest program “I think ultimately, people do t e a c h i n g d u e t o l o w pandemic,” Feist said. to combat fraud: identity wanna create or commit enrollment,” Rich said.

The federal government verification service ID.me on financial aid fraud,” Feist said.

Other California colleges that provided $76.2 billion in CCCApply.

“But there are so many have reported financial aid COVID-19 emergency funds to Through ID.me, CCCApply eligibility and processing steps fraud include Fullerton College, institutions of higher education will adopt the same technology that stand between enrollment San Diego Community College and their students. for identity verification and and actually receiving financial District and Mt. San Antonio California received the lion’s fraud reduction “as 37 state aid.”

College. (See “Financial Aid share of that aid, $9.5 billion. agencies and 15 federal The CCC Chancellor ’s Fraud in California”) $4.2 billion went to community agencies,” according to the Office has requested monthly Fullerton College’s student- colleges and $1.6 billion was Nov. 8 PowerPoint presentation. f r a u d r e p o r t i n g s i n c e run newspaper, The Hornet, set aside for low-income The presentation also said September 2021 but colleges reported Fullerton has stopped students, according to a series “over 8 million Californians and districts have been showing “over $1 million in financial aid o f E d S o u r c e r e p o r t s , already have a verified ID.me “modest participation” in funds” from being dispersed to “Following COVID money in account.” sending the data. fraudulent students in 2021. education.”

The program will go live on The San Diego Community California’s Efforts to Friday, Dec. 8.

APPLICATION AND ENROLLMENT FRAUD IN College District has prevented Combat Fraud CALIFORNIA $373,854 from being disbursed The state government takes StoryMap: to fake students as reported by the matter of enrollment fraud Mapping Application, the City Times Media, San seriously. It has set aside $100 El Camino College Diego City College’s student- million “for various technology Enrollment and Student Data not provided run media group. and information security El Camino College lost The district however has purposes” for its 2022-23 $110,298 in financial aid Contra Costa Community College District released $101,619 in aid “to California Spending Plan.

40,000 suspected fake applicants in fall 2020 fraudulent student accounts” in A big portion, $75 million, money last academic year February and March 2022, was earmarked for “security to scammers pretending Mt. San Jacinto College according to the same report. network upgrades, general to be students. Many 42,000 suspected in 2020-21 school year Mt. San Antonio College security software and anti- o t h e r c o l l e g e s i n distributed $190,732 to “63 fraud technology.”

California and beyond Cerritos College fraudulent students” as of The Department of Education have also been affected.

9,000 suspected cases October 2021, according to an rolled back the more stringent EdSource report. verification process for SCAN ME San Diego Community College District Feist said $2.5 million financial aid applications in 7,047 fraudulent applications from 2021 including 2,906 confirmed fraud annually or 1% summer 2023. from San Diego City College of all aid distributed is a The California Community relatively small number but it’s Colleges Chancellor’s Office City College of San Francisco not an acceptable number. said it will “directly impact 4,300 suspicious enrollments since 2020 “Obviously, we don't want Financial Aid fraud starting in any but the reality is that people the 2023-2024 school year” have been trying to scam and will help in their fraud Sources: CalMatters, Talon Marks, City Times Media, San Francisco systems,” he said. mitigation efforts.

Chronicle Feist said a lot of the fraud is The Chancellor’s Office has

8

The Union

Dec. 7, 2023

NEWS

El Camino leads in SoCal for single-campus lactation rooms College working steadily to designate lactation-only spaces despite minimal awareness

By Erica Lee When Jessica Euyoqui first enrolled at El Camino College in the 2002 summer semester, she was a 17-year-old single mother with a daughter.

Less than a year later, she dropped out of school.

“Honestly, I didn’t know what I was doing. As far as services and community, I was not exposed to much to that,” Euyoqui said. “So I was kind of intimidated by college, you can say; I stopped coming to school.”

Euyoqui returned to continue her education as a full-time political science student after 20 years and having four children.

This time, El Camino has CARE student success coordinator Leslie Delgado takes a seat in Room 288 in the Student Services Building on Monday, Nov. 13. Room 288 is one improved its efforts to connect of four lactation rooms now open at El Camino College. “We have been in conversation long before I was here, but the new law made it so that colleges are forced to take action,” Delgado said about college campuses establishing lactation rooms. Photo by Erica Lee student parents, like Euyoqui, with the resources needed to the fall of 2022, three more League of Los Angeles leader support their families and rooms were added to El since 2012, applauded the Camino. inclusion of lactation rooms at succeed in school.

However, where and how to El Camino. La Leche League is One of these resources a c c e s s t h e s e r o o m s i s a non-profit organization that includes lactation rooms. helps breastfeeding mothers As more colleges across unavailable online.

Searches on the El Camino with support, education and Southern California install oncampus lactation rooms, El website for “lactation room,” advocacy.

“It’s a step in the right Camino is emerging as a leader “lactation” and “lactation accommodation” result in a direction. It’s difficult to in the trend.

El Camino currently has the link to an administrative policy balance a new baby with school most lactation rooms on a regarding designating lactation life,” Savene said. “When you are doing difficult classes every s i n g l e c o l l e g e c a m p u s spaces on campus.

Jaynie Ishikawa, director of semester, it is difficult to get compared to other institutions across Southern California. Title IX, Diversity and into a routine.”

Over 25 Southern California Other colleges may have more Inclusion at El Camino, is community colleges surveyed lactation rooms in total but working to change that.

“We are talking about putting by The Union have at least one there are in separate campus a link to the map because it’s on-campus lactation room. locations.

Jessica Euyoqui sits in front of the Distance Education Center on According to the California Monday, Nov. 13. Euyoqui dropped out as a young mother due to lack This comes five years after going to be on the campus map the passage of Assembly Bill as well,” Ishikawa said. “So C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e s of resources 20 years ago before reenrolling in 2022. Photo by Erica Lee 2785, which requires California hopefully that will be a good Chancellor’s Office Data Mart, Emeritus, Bundy and Malibu their Pacific Coast Campus and Liberal Arts Campus and is community colleges to resource for people to know El Camino had 30,654 students locations.

S a n t a M o n i c a H e a l t h only for faculty use. enrolled for the 2022-2023 “provide r e a s o n a b l e where to look.”

El Camino associate Despite having a space to academic year. The Data Mart Services assistant Harald accommodations to a lactating student… to express breast nurse their children or pump provides information on a wide Austin said their Performing professor of childhood milk, breastfeed an infant child, privately, childcare options for range of factors involving Arts and Center for Media and education Cynthia Cervantes, a Design campuses will also mother of three, is optimistic or address other needs related parenting students at El community colleges.

Camino are still limited.

Mt. San Antonio College in receive one lactation room each for the future of student parents to breastfeeding.” on campus.

Leslie Delgado is the Walnut has more lactation in the future, for a total of six.

As of November 2023, El “We didn’t see many kids on C o o p e r a t i v e A g e n c i e s College of the Canyons, near rooms than El Camino.

They Camino has four lactation Resources for Education, or have seven designated lactation Santa Clarita, had 37,173 c a m p u s d u r i n g t h e rooms on campus.

“As far as we know, there CARE, student success rooms and three portable students enrolled in the 2022- [COVID-19] pandemic,” 2023 academic year, 23% more Cervantes said. “This semester “pods.” aren’t any plans for new coordinator at El Camino.

“A lot of our students come to Mt. San Antonio also had than El Camino. Their six we’ve seen more young lactation rooms in the meantime,” Kerri Webb, us because they need more 54% more students enrolled for lactation rooms are divided children in their strollers, [the director of public information childcare resources,” Delgado the 2022-2023 academic year between their Valencia and lactation rooms] send the message that you, your family, Canyon Country locations. and government relations at El said. “If we have a child care at 66,446. center here, then that would Long Beach City College has your kids are welcome on Santa Monica College had Camino, said.

One lactation room is in make things a lot more efficient, 37,280 enrolled students in the two campuses for the 34,680 campus.”

For Euyoqui, the inclusion of Room 288 in the Student I think they would be more 2022-2023 academic year, 23% students who enrolled for the motivated to take classes on more than El Camino. They 2022-2023 academic year, 13% lactation rooms is a step in the Services Building. currently have four lactation more students than El Camino. right direction in creating a After completing the Arts campus.”

Sharon Savene, a lactation rooms divided between their Long Beach City has two more inclusive space for Complex and the Behavioral Arts and Sciences Building in consultant and La Leche main campus as well as their lactation rooms, split between student parents.

“I think it’s an encouragement for women who have children that want to pursue their education, that they have a safe Student Services Behavorial Arts and space,” Euyoqui said.

Arts Complex

El Camino College Lactation Room Locations Building

Sciences Building

Room 288

Room 117

Room 122 Room 229

To read more, visit the website at eccunion.com

The Union

Dec. 7, 2023

NEWS

9

International students are slowly returning to campus

F-1 visa holders received help from college during pandemic. New issues now face program

By Nasai Rivas

A

fter months of lockdowns and online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international students are slowly returning to El Camino College and bringing in substantial revenue.

F-1 visas allow students who live in other countries to study and live in the United States.

El Camino’s International Students Program (ISP) helps these students adjust, study and make connections on campus.

International students at colleges and universities make billions of dollars for the U.S. and California and millions for El Camino. There are some concerns about an increase in competition from other colleges.

A Slow Trend Back to Campus F-1 visa students started leaving El Camino and other colleges due to the pandemic shutdowns in their home countries and the U.S. Between the spring 2020 and spring 2022 semesters, the number of these students at El Camino dropped by 42.21%, according to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Data Mart.

Data Mart is a website that documents information on community colleges in California.

Before the pandemic, El Camino had 532 F-1 visa students during the spring 2019 semester.

During the pandemic between spring 2020 and fall 2021, the number of F-1 visa students dropped by 40.91%.

The trend reversed from spring 2022 to fall 2022, with the number of F-1 visa students rising to 8.61%, according to the Data Mart.

The number of students slightly rose again in spring 2023, with the number of F-1 students increasing to about 6.55%, with about 309 students in the program in spring.

Compared to El Camino, other California community colleges have had a similar rise in students from fall 2022 to spring 2023, with a 6.74%

increase in F-1 visa students.

Leonid Rachman, an F-1 visa specialist for the ISP at El Camino, said despite international students returning to campus, the program has been struggling to get students to return due to the high cost of living in the U.S. and international students going to other English speaking countries for education. “[We] are trying our best [with] very limited resources,” Rachman said.

He said El Camino must make a greater effort to help the program recruit new international students than before the pandemic due to increased competition from other colleges.

International students have also been returning to other community colleges.

Santa Monica College has the largest number of F-1 visa students compared to El Camino, with over 1,602 international students in the spring of 2023.

Like El Camino, Santa Monica began recovering students on campus around spring 2022 semester.

At Cerritos College, the number of F-1 visa students began growing between spring 2022 and fall 2022 from 21 to 36 F-1 visa students, a 71.43% jump, according to Data Mart.

The number of F-1 visa students at Cerritos decreased to 35 during the spring 2023 semester.

Cerritos’ Assistant Director of International Student Services and Cultural Engagement, Gladys Calderon, said the college currently has 76 F-1 visa students.

“We want to be back to at least where we were before the pandemic,” Calderon said. “So we would hope to be reaching 130 [international students] within the next year.”

Calderon said she heard other colleges are still struggling to recover the same amount of international students they had before the pandemic.

Despite this, colleges like Los Angeles City College were able to recover F-1 visa students rather quickly.

According to Data Mart, from spring 2022 to spring 2023, LA City had a 31.02%

Hwanjoo Jeong ,left, and Eunseo Hwang, 20, neuroscience major, sit together in the Study Center on the second floor of the The Schauerman Library on Oct. 3. Photo by Nasai Rivas

rise in F-1 visa students from 245 to 321.

East Los Angeles College had more F-1 visa students than El Camino before the pandemic, with 615 F-1 visa students compared to El Camino’s 532 students. By spring 2023, East LA had 175 F-1 visa students.

College officials from LA City and East LA declined to speak with The Union, while officials from Santa Monica were unavailable to speak.

What Happened During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Rachman said the international program had been greatly affected by the pandemic.

“Obviously it was so shocking for us [the closure of the program] was so sudden,” he said.

Rachman said the transition to online classes during the pandemic lockdown was fast due to help from the Director of the International Students Program at El Camino, Lindsey Ludwig.

Ludwig said during the pandemic, embassies and consulates stopped issuing F-1 visas, preventing students from their respective countries from attempting to get visas.

“Half of [the F-1 visa students] went back to their home countries during [the COVID-19 pandemic],” she said.

Ludwig said with embassies and consulates opening back up, international students are

F-1 Visa Specialist Leonid Rachman in front of a photo contest booth in the International Students Center on Nov. 14. Photo by Nasai Rivas

coming back to the U.S. to study.

Some international students received help from El Camino during the pandemic.

Hwanjoo Jeong, a 21-yearold business and economics major from South Korea, said she received COVID-19 relief aid from El Camino.

“I got [a] $1,200 [relief aid] because of [the COVID-19 pandemic],” Jeong said.

Rachman said for three semesters during the pandemic, each F-1 visa student received relief aid.

“El Camino went above and beyond for international students,” he said.

The Economics of International Students International students pay more for tuition and fees per unit compared to regular students, with a $342 per unit cost for the former, while the latter only pays $46 per unit.

According to a report from the NASFA: Association of International Educators sent by Policy and Media Relations Specialist Matt Ruffner, international students contributed over $40 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Union contacted Ruffner, who declined to speak.

International students contributed $11.8 million to El Camino and helped support 52 jobs during the 2022-2023 academic year, according to the Department of Education and the NASFA report.

Compared to El Camino, Santa Monica College makes $48.6 million on international students with 221 jobs supported.

To read more visit the website at eccunion.com.

Top six California universities that international students fund compared to El Camino

1. USC $818 million

3. UC-San Diego $489.5 million

5. UCLA $409.9 million

58. El Camino $11.8 million

2. UC-Berkeley $528.6 million

4. UC-Irvine $417.7 million

6. UC-Davis $394.7 million

Rankings provided by NASFA: Association of International Educators

10

NEWS

Dec. 7, 2023

The Union

The front window display of the El Camino College California Federation of Teachers faculty union office on Sept. 2. Photo by Delfino Camacho

Campus vandalism update → FED FROM PAGE 1

later on Oct. 25, the Federation received an email from Kerri The official said Federation Webb, El Camino director of members have seen video public information and footage of a vandalism incident government relations, citing provided by the El Camino multiple court cases indicating Police Department. the police department had no Despite being able to identify imperative obligation to the person who vandalized the respond to their request. office, they don’t believe all the The Union contacted Webb footage was provided to them. who said she didn’t have any However, it wasn’t enough to additional information to offer. lead to any considerable Federation officials told The progress in the case, the Union the case was open and Federation official said. active following one of the first On Oct. 19, the Federation v a n d a l i s m i n c i d e n t s i n sent two internal requests via September 2022. They have email. since been informed the case One was sent to El Camino will never be closed and if new Police Chief Michael Trevis information was brought and the Board of Trustee forward, the case would be remembers. The second one was examined. sent to the district regarding the According to the ACLU and police department and outside as cited in AB 1291 and agencies involved. government code 7920, the Their letters requested access California Right to Know Act, to all documents and video if a case is open any footage f o o t a g e r e g a r d i n g t h e cannot be accessed by anyone Federation office vandalism outside the authorities. incidents that occurred between However, if a case is closed, July and September. The that footage should be available i n c i d e n t s i n v o l v e d t h e to the public.

Federation office door being As of today, the case is closed. marked with graffiti, the door However, after submitting a lock filled with glue and anti- public records request to the Federation messages being police department for access to posted on windows. Six days all documents and footage

Police Beat

Info courtesy of El Camino College Police Department

The Union publishes police beats online with each newspaper release.

Visit eccunion.com to read more.

regarding this case, The Union’s petition was declined.

An email from Webb and a letter from Police Chief Michael Trevis indicated the district’s concern for the safety and right to privacy of those involved in the case, as they were not proven guilty.

“This response fully resolves the District’s obligation to respond to your request. Please be advised this decision was made by Dr. Jeffrey Stephenson, vice president of Student Services, in consultation with the District’s legal counsel,” Webb said in the email.

Trevis said in the email letter the California Public Records Act exempts types of information from being disclosed.

“Disclosure of the requested investigative reports and or evidence such as interviews, video or audio records related to the incidents could jeopardize the involved parties right to privacy,” Trevis said in the email.

The Union reached out to Webb for further clarification but she was not immediately available.

The Federation expressed their frustrations with this case;

The El Camino College Federation of Teachers office door as it looked on July 1, an unknown person or persons vandalized it with black marker. Photo Courtesy of Kelsey Iino

indicating if it were any other situation where someone posed threats and had the potential to cause harm on campus, the police would publicize it widely. Officials said they wonder why their case is being treated differently.

The Federation told The Union they are doing everything possible on their end, but they think those in power seem to be deliberately avoiding action and providing minimal responses to the Federation’s efforts.

Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2:05 p.m.

A suspect was arrested for criminal threats at the Bookstore.

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1:55 p.m.

Miscellaneous items were stolen from the Administration Building. The case has been resolved and is now closed.

Thursday, Nov. 30, 1:36 p.m.

A vehicular hit and run occurred in parking Lot L. The case is currently open.

Friday, Nov. 24, 8:08 a.m.

A vending machine was vandalized outside the Bookstore. The case is closed.

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 9:08 p.m A vehicular burglary occurred in parking Lot C. The case is currently open and under investigation.

Monday, Dec. 4, 1:10 p.m.

An individual was referred for discipline after making criminal threats at the Schauerman Library.

The Union

Dec. 7, 2023

FEATURES

11

Previous El Camino College Art Gallery Director and curator Michael Miller, right, and then student/organizer Dulce Stein, left, welcome guests during the Oct. 15, 2022 public reception of the ‘Aqui y Alla y Mas’ art exhibit at the old Art Gallery. Photo by Delfino Camacho

Crayons to Curating

Student senator uses art to educate and engage with community

By Ruddy Lopez

were being thrown out at the end of the school year, Stein he engraved words “El spoke to her children’s teacher Camino Art Gallery” are and saved the used workbooks filled with orange paper flowers and crayons. and decorated with paper The students were learning monarch butterflies.

English as a second language.

As one walks into the Art With those workbooks and Gallery, instruments from all crayons, Stein and 12 of the over the world are displayed, as students met at a library once a well as a vibrant Dia de los week to continue learning the Muertos installation. language.

At the tables toward the back As someone also learning of the gallery, art curator Dulce English herself, Stein faced Stein sits with markers carefully challenges helping her students. lined up beside her as she works When prompted to write on a similar butterfly to the paragraphs, she realized they ones on the outside wall. felt overwhelmed.

She picks up a yellow marker So instead, she asked them to and fills in the yellow specks of draw. a printed butterfly that will later The students became excited be used to decorate the gallery. about what they drew and were For the past year, Stein has eager to share, but Stein gave been El Camino College’s art them special instructions: curator. She is also the fine arts “Wait, don’t tell me–write about senator of the Associated it!”

Students Organization, the Students wrote sentence after college’s student government. sentence explaining the story “This is the center of the they drew. universe,” Stein said. “I love “That impossible paragraph working here because I find became a story,” Stein said. healing and peace and beauty As more families learned of and blessings.” the tutoring, the program grew.

Born in Mexico, some of Stein simultaneously became Stein’s earliest memories are of more acquainted with local her mother, who was an artist. artists.

But Stein’s own career in the She curated her first art show field began when she witnessed, at the Neutra Institute Gallery firsthand, art used as a tool for and Museum in Silver Lake learning. after attending an art curator As a mother of five, Stein training program. volunteered at her children’s Stein curated 17 shows per school in the Wiseburn School year in the nine years that District in El Segundo. followed. Stein also served as When she realized supplies co-chair for the Silver Lake

T

El Camino College art curator Dulce Stein crochets a beanie at the Art Gallery on Dec. 6. Stein is also the fine arts senator of the Associated Students Organization, the college’s student government. Photo by Saqib Rawda

Michael Miller and offered her Patrick Hahn, an English and help to the college Art Gallery. creative writing major who Miller agreed. works closely with Stein, said.

“She has a spirit of Some of Stein’s most recent camaraderie and supporting the work includes the Feria de las community,” Miller said.

Flores, or Flowers Fair, which “This is the center of Amongst colleagues and w as displayed in the the universe. I love students who work closely with Schauerman Library. working here because her, Stein is known to be very Stein has also recently collaborative. collaborated with the fashion I find healing and “She likes to get everybody design department at El peace and beauty and involved as much as possible, I Camino, where she taught a never feel like I’m being left workshop on embroidering the blessings.” out of any project she has an Indigenous garment known as - Dulce Stein idea for,” Psychology major huipiles.

Sigh Santoro said.

Besides being an art curator, Collaborators a l s o Stein is also taking classes this acknowledge that she’s able to semester and plans to transfer Neutra permanently closed network and bring people from in 2025 to major in art history. the museum during the all over Los Angeles to El “I find that you can make Camino.

COVID-19 pandemic. whatever you want with Eager to continue curating, “I really enjoy the energy that whatever you have,” Stein said.

Stein approached El Camino’s she brings to the table, she “The possibilities of creating Director of Gallery and always comes up with such something positive and healing M u s e u m P r o g r a m m i n g brilliant and engaging ideas,” at the same time are a blessing.”

Neighborhood Council Arts and Culture committee.

Dec. 7, 2023 The Union 12 SPORTS The Warriors finish historic season with state title → CHAMPS FROM PAGE 1 An offside call against Cuyamaca led to a free kick for Warriors defender Nicholas Baltazar, who kicked it to forward Diego Garcia, leading to an assist pass to forward Shingo Nakano for El Camino’s second goal at the 22-minute mark.

Cuyamaca only had one shot on goal in the first half. The Warriors controlled possession and spaced the ball around, creating runs that led them to six shots on goal in the first half.

To start the second half, the Wa r r i o r s m a i n t a i n e d possession, which led to multiple fouls on Cuyamaca.

One foul led to a penalty kick for midfielder Franco De Luna at the 49-minute mark.

De Luna scored and brought the game to 3-0.

The Warriors were able to take control of the ball which led to them dictating the flow of the game and stopping Cuyamaca’s runs.

“Our way is to keep the possession of the ball when the

other team doesn’t have it and they have to run and chase, it tires teams out, we don’t have to run as much when we keep the ball,” coach Mike Jacobson told The Union.

Cuyamaca could not get a run going in the second half.

The momentum stayed with the Warriors, getting 10 total shots on goal for the game compared to Cuyamaca’s two.

The Warriors finished the game with another free kick goal from Cazares, 28 yards away at the 77-minute mark, the final nail in the coffin for Cuyamaca.

As the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the game, El Camino’s goal of becoming state champions was accomplished.

The Warriors dominated the opposing teams in the playoffs and the regular season. The team finished with an almost perfect 24-1 record, scoring a total of 113 goals on the season and only allowed 13 goals. “ I t ’s t h e m a s t e r m i n d , [Jacobson], behind this, he preps us well. Assistant coaches

The El Camino men’s soccer team gathers after its 4-0 title win at the 3C2A State Championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut on Sunday, Dec. 3 versus the Cuyamaca College Coyotes. The Warriors took home the fifth state championship in program history and finished the season with a 24-1 record. Photo by Elsa Rosales

and goalkeeper coaches [too].

We train well [to] keep that shape mighty strong,” Palomares said in regards to how they have been consistently shutting opponents out.

According to the Warriors’

website, the Warriors scored 34 more goals than the next-best team in the state. They have the second-fewest goals allowed in the state, behind Taft College.

Taft allowed just 10 goals but played six games less than the Warriors this season.

“It’s been a fantastic year, historic...This might be, arguably the best team, when I think about that and how long it’s been since we’ve won it, it’s really a fantastic feeling,” Jacobson said, reflecting on the 2023 season.

Retrospective review: El Camino’s fall 2023 athletics A look into each Warrior teams triumphs and defeats of the season

By Tommy Kallman With the fall semester coming to an end, The Union took time to reflect on each sport and how each team performed throughout their respective seasons.

El Camino’s football team played 11 games, ending with a res pectable 7-4 record, including a bowl game, which was not enough to qualify for postseason action.

Over several games of conference play, the offense averaged over 460 yards per game. Freshman quarterback Dayton Tafoya led the way with 1811 passing yards.

Wide receivers Joshua Lorick and Bryant Williams also had standout seasons, each grabbing at least 40 receptions amounting to over 700 receiving yards. Lorick hauled in 10 touchdowns and Williams caught 4.

The Warriors had an efficient run game all season, averaging over 216 rushing yards per game on 5.8 yards per carry.

On the defensive side, the Warriors ended the season with 16 sacks and 9 interceptions.

The football team had 12 players selected to the AllNational Northern League team. six on offense and six on defense.

“Based on where we finished, we were able to nominate 12

guys and we had 12 guys selected for the teams,” El Camino football coach Gifford Lindheim said. “I think that speaks to the respect for our players and our program.”

In the pool, both men’s and women’s water polo teams did not secure a record of .500 or more.

The men’s water polo team ended the season with an 11-18 record, while the women’s team finished the season at 8-13.

Freshman Marc Bugarin led the men’s team with 89 goals on the year, with contributions from freshman Scott Fujiwara and freshman Heitor Trefilio, who both surpassed 50 goals and 40 assists.

For the women’s team, sophomore Jackie Calhoun led the team in three statistical categories with 54 goals, 24 assists and 66 steals. Freshman Yani Camarador tacked on 47 goals, 18 assists and 22 steals.

Neither the men’s or women’s water polo teams made the playoffs. However, the freshmen on the teams have a lot to look forward to next season.

The women’s volleyball team also has a young team, with only three sophomores rostered this past season.

“It’s nice to have a good core group of players coming back,” women’s volleyball coach Liz Hazell said. “Pretty much

everybody is playing on our beach volleyball team this spring, so to get all that [training] and carrying it into the next season of indoor volleyball totally helps.”

Women’s volleyball finished the season 5-18, with standout performances from sophomores Sophia Ortiz (188 kills, 248 digs) and Bridget Dorr (463 assists), and freshmen Ryan D’Angelo (191 kills, 224 digs) and Aireon Scott (150 kills).

The cross country teams found a lot of success this past season. Both the men’s and women’s teams were able to qualify for the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships.

Men’s freshman runner Aaron Cohen was the first Warrior to cross the finish line in each meet he attended. He got the first overall finish in the Chaffey College Invitational, crossing the finish line at 21:40.6.

The women’s team had two California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) First Team All-Americans, sophomores Ami Jacobson and Sequoia Gonzales, who respectively placed 4th and 5th in the State Championships.

The women’s team finished 10th in the State Championship, while the men’s team finished in 17th.

El Camino Warriors jump up in celebration after dominating 49-13 against the Southwestern Jaguars during their first football game at Featherstone Field on Saturday, Sept. 2. Photo by Saqib Rawda

The women’s soccer team finished with a 12-5-3 record, earning themselves a spot in the playoffs for the third straight year.

Outstanding performances from freshman Ashley Ruiz (8 goals, 8 assists) and freshman Claire Mahon (6 goals, 10 assists), helped secure a postseason match. However, the women’s team didn’t advance, as they were knocked out in the play-in round.

The men’s soccer team finished its historic season with a 24-1 record, winning the 3C2A State Championship for the fifth title in program history.

The men’s soccer team was also named the 3C2A 2023 National team of the year,

coach Mike Jacobson announced durring the teams meeting on Dec. 6.

El Camino did not allow a goal in any of their seven playoff games. They shut out their opponent in 17 out of 25 games.

Star Freshman Marvin Gamez won the 3C2A Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Gamez scored 28 goals and 66 points on the season, leading the state in both categories and tying the program record for goals in a season.

Goalkeeper Donovan Palomares led the Warriors defense, only allowing 11 goals in 25 games, even earning one assist on the season as well.