Issue 6 Union April 17, 2014

Union

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

T h e

eccunion.com April 17, 2014 Torrance, California

Voters fawn over Kahn Lorenzo Gutierrez Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorenzo

EC students voted for the 2014-15 Associated Students Organization (ASO) board on April 7 to 9, electing Rafeed Kahn as its president-elect.

The results of the elections were revealed April 11 and posted in the Student Activity Center.

“I basically took over classes and asked the teachers if I could steal five minutes of their time,” Kahn said. “The teachers were very kind to let me speak to their classes and the re-

sults showed; I was able to reach out to students, got my message across, and we really connected with a lot of them.”

Kahn’s first order of business will be to structure ASO, filling its empty positions, and then in the summer, to familiarize the new members with their duties.

“I’m glad that people are coming out to run for positions,” Nicholas Awakuni, ASO elections committee member, said.

“People putting their time and effort in hopefully shows they’re willing to work hard next semester.”

[See ASO ELECTIONS, Page 2]

No debate over Forensics victory Celine West

“Abigail Watkins and Andrew Escalante are being heavily recruited by many four year schools, and offered scholarships Recent successes and victories to get them to go to their schools. for the EC debate team places Either of them have a good chance them in high ranks among other of winning gold at Phi Rho Pi colleges as their final State and National Championships coming National Championships brought up,” Bishop said, “They are amazing competitors and really great their season to a close.

“We were first in community people too.”

EC’s debate team is so good colleges at the NPDA [National Parliamentary Debate Associa- that they came out ahead of many tion,]” Francesca Bishop, director other colleges and universities in the recent state of forensics, said. championship “Our top team We kind of crushed while they won did so well in prethe recent nationliminaries that we al championship. got a bye in the them. No other com“We finished first elimination munity colleges adthird in junior round.” colleges, 11th in The team’s vanced. There was us four-year colleges success in the and them, and they and universities, NPDA Champiand we won the onship Tourna- were way down.

NPDA Tournament placed them ment,” Crossman far above all other Francesca Bishop, said. community colNot only does leges in the comdirector of forensics the debate team petition. compete against “We had the local community only two teams that made it to elimination round colleges, but it held its own in in community colleges at that competitions against top-tier coltournament,” Mark Crossman, leges and universities.

“Out of 300 speakers Abigail professor of speech communication, said. “There were no other was 14th,” Crossman said. “These community colleges in the elimi- were the best colleges, too.”

The time and effort put into nation round.”

EC’s top teams garnered the building a strong team paid off attention of many college recruit- when it came to pulling together ers and improved their chances in and coming out ahead. the final and upcoming national [See FORENSICS, Page 2] tournament, Phi Rho Pi. Staff Writer @ECCUnionCeline

“

John Fordiani/ Union Leonardo Perez, EC Fire Academy recruit, runs to connect a fire hose to a hydrant at the ECFA graduation on April 11 in Inglewood, Calif.. Class 138 recently finished an intensive, 10-week long academy.

Passing the torch

Celine West

G

Staff Writer @ECCUnionCeline raduating students from class 138 of the EC Fire Academy gathered together with friends and family to celebrate a major stepping stone in their firefighting careers at the EC Fire Academy in Inglewood on April 11.

“Being part of the team was most valuable to me, the brotherhood and camaraderie. We all came to know each other at the academy,” Nicholas Hart, 22, fire technology major and academy graduate of class 138, said.

Students said they found a sense of value from being part of this group.

“I joined because I want to become a firefighter,” Hart said. “I am going to get EMT experience, a volunteer job, do a resident program, and take classes. Everything is just done in baby steps.”

Despite the prospects of years of hard work ahead, students were more than ready to graduate and celebrate their accomplishments with their families and guests.

“Today we are looking forward to having a good time with our families who came to see us graduate,” Hart said.

The graduation consisted of a traditional ceremony that was followed by demonstrations of the skills that students had acquired during their training.

“We have 31 students graduating today, which is a very typical class size,” Deborah Zavala, program assistant and buyer of emergency technology, said. “We are going to have the ceremony first, give out the certificates and then have a break. Then we will have a demonstration,” Zavala said.

Part of the demonstration included showing important historical items in the field of firefighting and emergency service work.

“We’re going to have a speaker from the Culver City Fire Department who will show us the fire engine that got damaged in New York on 9/11,” Bill Melendez, chief of the EC Fire Academy, said. “The fire engine got restored and inside the rig there are items that they preserved,” Mendez said.

NEWS LINE

[See FIRE ACADEMY, Page 2]

”

Groundskeepers grab news racks Matthew Simon Editor-In-Chief @ECCUnionMatt

John Fordiani/ Union Joseph Fuentes, El Camino Fire Academy recruit, rappels down the academy’s tower during a demonstration at the class graduation on April 11.

Without warning or notice the Union had several newspaper stands removed by groundskeepers before distribution of the April 2 issue.

The move was prompted after Joe Saldana, grounds and operations supervisor, received calls from his groundskeepers about newspapers being displaced due to wind.

“The wind was crazy that day,” Saldana said. “I was getting a lot of calls from my groundskeepers about the situation, so I told them to grab the racks and move them and we’d let you guys [the Union] know. We had the same problem last spring, this just happened to be a case of bad timing.”

The call to remove the racks was one that Tom Brown, director of facilities, did not know about.

“I was unaware of it and that direction did not come from me

ASB Awareness Fair

Inglewood Court Tour

Internship Workshop

Vintage Cars Event

Attend the ASB Awareness Fair today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Library Lawn. Enjoy singing, dancing, and a drawing for tickets to Disneyland, Universal Studios and much more. For more information contact the Student Development Office 310-660-3593, ext.

3500.

Have a passion for the judicial process? Take a tour of the Inglewood Superior Court on April 24 at 9:30 a.m. Meet with judges, participate in pre-trial arraignments, and much more. Limited sign-ups in the Career Center. For more information call 310-6603593, ext. 6137.

Want to learn about the benefits of an internship? Attend a workshop on April 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. to find out the importance and uses of a career internship. For more information contact the Career Center 310-660-3593, ext. 3408.

Vintage oldsmobile car will be displayed on campus at the Alondra Room on April 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Get experience in automotive repair. There will also be special guest Michael Anderson, a UEI Automative Technology instructor. Call 310-660-6460 or visit www.eccommunityed. com to pre-register.

last week,” Brown said. “In no way did it have any bearing on what [the Union] published. Quite honestly we wouldn’t be aware of what you’re going to publish ahead of time.”

Brown affirmed that the front page story, which showcased the teachers’ protest for a higher pay increase, was not part of the reasoning behind the removal.

“I wasn’t even aware of this article until I was in the vice president’s office and read it,” Brown said.

Brown says that the removal was a miscommunication and was more of a coincidence than anything else.

“I believe it was a total miscommunication,” Brown said. “I think it was an anomaly of the timing and totally coincidental.

Quite honestly, it couldn’t come at a worse time because in no way do I believe anybody would do something to hinder a story.”

[See NEWSRACKS, Page 2]

/ElCaminoUnion

@ECCUnion

/ECCUnion

news

2 El Camino College Union POLICE BEAT Sharing is not always caring April 7, 1:15 p.m.—Officers responded to the pool regarding reports of a male subject offering alcohol to students. On arrival, the officers contacted the subject, a non-student, who was laying in the fetal position on a concrete bench on the east side of Mens’ P.E. The subject had an open container of alcohol in his possession, was obviously intoxicated, and would not cooperate with officers. He was arrested on charges of public intoxication and possessing alcohol on school grounds, and was transported to Torrance Police Department for booking.

Doing harm via Japanese pole-arm April 10, 12:30 p.m.—An officer responded to the station regarding an information report. A male student complained of another male student in his P.E. course.

The other student was reported to have repeatedly failed to properly observe safety regulations while sparring using practice naginatas (A form of Japanese pole-arm weapon), and had struck the other student in the head. The instructor asked the offending student to leave the class, and contacted the dean regarding further disciplinary action.

Instructor finds stoner stash April 9, 9:13 a.m.—Officers responded to the Social Sciences Division Office regarding some found property. An instructor in the building discovered a marijuana pipe hidden in a cabinet in his classroom. The pipe was turned in to the police department to be disposed of.

Girls flex for mutual ex April 2, 11:40 p.m.—An officer responded to the ECPD lobby for a disturbing the peace report.

A female student reported that she had had an altercation with another female student near the Tennis Courts near Lot H. The student reported they had been arguing over a mutual ex-boyfriend when the other woman punched her in the back of the head and knocked her to the ground. The student reported the incident, but did not want to press charges. The other student was referred to the Director of Student Development regarding her actions.

Trespassers attempt US Open at a closed EC

April 3, 2014

The state [convention] of the Union Lorilynn Lomeli Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorilyn

A constant race to meet ever-approaching deadlines; crisp, white pages brimming with black and red ink; fingers scrambling on keys; interview after interview; Starbucks baristas that know you by name. All in a day’s work for a journalist.

The Union staff found themselves immersed in this rapid-fire lifestyle at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) State Convention on April 3 to 5.

“It’s incredibly fast paced. From the minute you arrive until the minute you leave it’s go go go go go,” Kate McLaughlin, journalism instructor and the Union advisor, said.

The convention had a myriad activities for journalists including workshops, orientations, competitions, events, writing labs, a vendor fair, writing critiques, and photo critiques.

For Matthew Simon, 24, editor-in-chief, journalism major, and Angela Yim, 26, editorial editor, communications major, their main focus was the convention’s design layout workshops.

One such workshop was led by Spencer Holladay, team leader at Gannet Design Studio and JACC alumn.

“He [Spencer] was very inspiring, and broke it down in a way that was not only understandable for aspiring journalists, but realistic,” Yim said.

She hopes to incorporate ideas that she took away from the workshop both for the newspaper and for her personal use, she said.

Simon discussed design ideas for future issues of the Union with Holladay.

“I spoke with Holiday afterwards about my page that I had turned in. So he kind of gave me pointers in terms of what we can do and how to make stuff be more impactful for the reader,” Simon said.

Charles Ryder/ Union Nicholas Bishop, international relations, argues against the faculty union’s salary proposal in the Campus Theater on March 31. The EC debate team held the event to frame the ongoing negotiations between the district and teachers.

Simon is hoping to earn JACC’s general excellence award by implementing the ideas he took away from the convention’s workshops.

“General excellence is something that I’m striving for this semester,” Simon said.

“So, I’m hoping that the changes and the progression we’re making really adds in when we go to regionals in fall.”

While the Union staff won a few awards,

Yim felt they could have done better and said the convention inspired her and others to better the newspaper.

“It’s definitely a rude awakening for the union,” she said. “I think everybody kind of walked away from JACC with that much more of a fire in our stomachs. We are that much more fired up to work harder and put more effort and, you know, really give it our all instead of riding on our history.”

ASO ELECTIONS, Continued from Page 1 Amy Guerra, who was elected the new director of public relationships, describes herself as a good person for this job because she wants increased student participation and is dedicated to working for students.

“I would personally like to have a closer connection with the school newspaper and the activities on campus with ASB, ASO, different clubs because I believe its very important for the student body’s voice to be heard,” Guerra said, “that would be my ultimate goal.”

Joy Mo, 18, nursing major, was elected senator of the Health Sciences and Athletics Division and she has had experience working on the Inter-Club Council (ICC) as its secretary.

“I’m really excited because I get something new next semester and I really

John Fordiani/ Union Rafeed Kahn, EC’s new ASO president elect. Kahn won last week’s ASO election.

FIRE ACADEMY, Continued from Page 1 Despite the concluding tone of the graduation, constant growth and development is the main focus in this line of work rather than arrival at any particular goal.

“Progressing is the most important thing. We always like to make progress. We never stop learning,” Ryan Lauzon, senior mentor of the EC Fire Academy, said.

Pedro Montero, another senior mentor of the EC Fire Academy, echoed this sentiment.

“This is one of the building blocks.

It is just a small step. Just because we have this doesn’t mean we’re done,” he said. “People came here to challenge themselves in a new area.”

“It can takes anywhere from six months to six years to get hired on a fire department,” Montero added.

After the academy, students piece together their experience in the field in order to build their resume and prepare themselves for joining a fire department.

“It takes time. I’m not going to give up. I have gotten this far. You keep testing yourself,” Aaron Hayre, recent graduate of the EC Fire Academy and a new mentor, said. “I became an EMT for four years and an explorer with L.A. City for one year.

In a resident program, you live at the fire station on a 24 hour shift for at least three days a month and you go on calls with them. It’s a stepping stone.”

Another stepping stone is to become a mentor to future academy classes, which many students will be doing after they graduate.

“Half of the students sign up to become mentors for the next class,” Melendez said, “I’m glad to see that.

It’s a key factor in continuing with their education.”

want to work hard for all the people who voted for me,” she said. “I want to make an impact next semester, even if it’s just one small change for something better.”

Mo also hopes EC students have more opportunities to get the classes they need and wants to help students to reach their goals, she added.

Arnold Lee, 18, psychology major, was elected senator of the Behavioral and Social Science Division, according to ASO’s official election results.

It’s a honor to be part of ASO as a senator and he wants to change the overall participation and opportunities of the campus, Lee said.

“To the next year ASO, I wish the best of luck in everything that they do and I hope they can put togetther a lot events,” Awakuni said. “They have the funding and the man power and I hope they can do more than we did this year.”

FORENSICS,

April 5, 2:50 a.m.—An officer was on a foot patrol when he observed two subjects inside the tennis courts, playing tennis. The officer contacted the subjects, who were both non-students. One of the subjects had a $15,000 warrant issued out of Torrance Police Department for trespassing in a park after hours. The subject with the warrant was given a citation, and both were warned that they were trespassing and released.

Continued from Page 1

Stolen motorcycle license plates April 10, 8:25 a.m.—An officer responded to the station regarding a theft report. A male student stated he had parked his motorcycle in the visitor parking of Lot D. When he returned, he realized that his license plate was missing. The student reported the license plate was held on with zip ties, and there was evidence that the zip ties had been cut with some sort of edged tool.

Cary Majano/ Union Union staff photographer Cary Majano, 29, photography major, discovered the newspaper racks relocated to the Receiving Facilities near the baseball field on April 7.

NEWSRACKS, Continued from Page 1 While the latest removal was caused by the wind, the Union has, in the past, been censored by a faculty member who removed stacks of the newspaper based on content.

Still, the humanities division also views the incident as a matter of miscommunication, and points to the strong working relationship between the division and those in facilities.

“Joe Saldana is a reliable, hardworking, responsible supervisor

in facilities.,” Tom Lew, dean of humanities, said. “Given all the things he has to take care of, I’m inclined to believe him [when he says he meant to contact us.] Things fall into the cracks. Saldana has always worked with this division.”

The issue of wind and the newspapers has become a reoccurring problem for the groundskeepers and Saldana hope there is something that can be done to fix the problem.

“We’re hoping we can find a solution for this in the future to prevent this,” he said.

“During the preliminary debate rounds, we advanced two teams,” Bishop said. “We kind of crushed them. No other community colleges advanced. There was us and them and they were way down,” she said.

Having such a highly competitive team has motivated college administration to back their competitive advancement.

“We never get to go to this tournament because we can never afford the tournament. Rebecca Cobb, of student development, actually gave us championship funds to get this team to that tournament,” Bishop said, “because this team was one of the most competitive, on a four year level, that we’ve ever had. We really wanted to give them that experience.”

Students who play a critical role in building such a strong team often hear about the opportunity either through a friend, or through a communications class. Those who join sharpen their skills and change their educational futures.

“I’ve always liked to argue and I found out about the program here. I heard it was really good and thought this was probably the best place I could test the waters with debate,” Alejandro Rivera, 20, accounting and communications major, said.

“I had a friend on the debate team last year. I took Communication 4 over the summer and then I hit the ground running.”

“It has really made my time worthwhile,” he added.

April 17, 2014

Features

Hitting the perfect pirouette Matthew Simon editor-in-chief @ECCUnionMatt

W

Photos By: Tracy Kumono

rapped around his neck is his muse — a black tutu, a multi-faceted object that drawed in every eye in the audience — the music begins, the animal emerged.

Elijah Laurant, 21, dance major begins to use his movements to tell his story while auditioning for FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance last year.

“It’s kind of weird (to watch it again),” Laurant said. “That piece was really intimate for me. It was dealing with depression and stuff like that.

It’s something I went through as a child. So, it’s weird watching it over again.”

Laurant was invited to the Las Vegas portion after his audition for FOX’s show So You Think You Can Dance. The judges were able to understand the message Laurant was sending and it was something he strives to do everytime he dances.

“With the tutu and the movement quality (it was weird),” Laurant said. “Every time I watch it I feel awkward. My style has always been different, so I felt like I needed to take something that was personal that people didn’t know about. I also thought a lot of people could relate to it because many people go through depression, even though

they don’t speak about it. But, we try in certain elements to let people know. People don’t understand or they can’t connect to what we’re trying to tell them in ways, some people want a lot of attention. For me, it was wanting a lot of attention from other people. My mom she kind of figured it out with me, with me standing in my room and not really talking, not really being social. That piece very personal to me so every time I watch it, I do fell awkward when I watch it because I’m trying to let everything out in that moment.”

After his performance own the show, Laurant was invited to dance the same routine seven more times after his appearance on the show.

“After I performed that piece I got a lot of attention from it,” Laurant said. “I was invited to seven more places and actually got invited to DessyMak Production in London.”

Along with his performance with DessyMak, Laurant has now been accepted in the summer program at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, in New York City.

“I’ve always wanted to go there since I was a little kid,” Laurant said. “This program is very hard, it’s a very prestigious dance theater.

Laurant will spend six weeks in the city and with hopes of transferring into the theater’s first year program.

“Hopefully after the six weeks I’m able to transfer into their year-round program,” Laurant said.

El Camino College Union 3

EDITORIAL

4 El Camino College Union

April 17, 2014

RACK CITY, A DANGEROUS PLACE

COMMENTARY

Listen to the trees Lorilynn Lomeli

English major @ECCUnionLorilynn

T

wo weeks ago, you were robbed.

Many of you might not have noticed it, and if you did, you might not have even recognized the robbery for what it was.

That’s not to say nobody noticed, because the Union received more than its fair share of irate calls from news hungry readers who were for the most part left paperless that week.

However, even a large majority of our loyal readers who called about our news racks disappearing had no idea that they had been personally and financially robbed.

The thing is, making a newspaper isn’t cheap. Even though almost our entire staff, including our fearless editor-in-chief Matthew Simon, works for free, and despite the ad space the Union sells every week to help cover our costs, printing out thousands of copies of the Union every week for the students, staff, and area locals costs money.

Where does that money come from? Some of it comes from the school, of course. However, it also comes from the students of EC. Every semester, when you pay your enrollment fees, a portion of that money is used to help fund the Union. Just like the fees you pay to keep the Health Center running smoothly guarantees you access to check ups, testing, and vaccines, you are entitled to a copy of the Union, because you’ve already paid for it.

Of course, even those of you who don’t have to pay enrollment fees, the faculty, staff, and local residents who read the Union each week, were robbed as well.

You all have a basic human right, protected by our government, to be informed. You have a right to hear both sides of the ongoing argument between administrators and faculty, to know the crimes that occur on your campus, even a right to look at pictures of girls with classic cars. When those newspapers were removed, those rights were infringed upon.

Lastly, we, the staff of the Union were robbed. As mentioned earlier, working for the Union is not a paying job. Even if it was, it wouldn’t be much; Careercast.com has rated newspaper reporter as one of the worst

jobs of 2014, with only the profession of “Lumberjack” being rated worse.

With little pay, insane hours, and high levels of stress, it takes a certain kind of obsession to be a journalist.

The root of that obsession, of course, is that after every issue, every late night spent pulling out hair and alienating friends, we know that you, our loyal readers, will get to read our paper. When that sense of accomplishment is taken away from us, we’re not left with much else.

Now, it’s most likely that this wasn’t done out of malicious intent.

While the Union would have preferred to have been contacted about the news racks’ removal before hand, instead of being left to assume on that Thursday morning that somebody had stolen our racks either for scrap metal or to censor our front page story, we can understand the difficulties that the strong winds were causing that week.

With all of the hard work we put in, we’re the last group of people who’d want to cause extra headaches for EC’s hard working groundskeepers. Anyone who’s ever had to write a “state of the bathrooms at EC” article for the Union understands the horrors and tests of sanity those folks face on a daily basis while trying to clean up after 30 thousand students.

However, in the event something like this ever happens again, we’d like to remind our readers that they can always find issues of the Union indoors in both the Humanities Building and the Student Activities Center.

And, if the worst should ever happen, and somebody actually did attempt to censor the Union’s content by stealing our papers, you can find us online at eccunion.com, where you will find everything you would normally find in the paper (along with a .PDF version of the week’s issue for those who prefer that newspaper feel), along with some extras, such as our interactive crime map and podcasts.

Come wind, sleet, or snow, The Union will find a way to share the news you’re entitled to.

His fingers anxiously tapped his cell phone, and his attention constantly wavered.

His eyes escaped from mine and darted to his cellular device. The abruptions in our conversation instigated my disinterest in the otherwise interesting topics, and my want for social interaction plummeted.

Social networking and cell phones present somewhat of a paradox. Although both are supposed to help us form stronger and more connected friendships, this is often not the case. Technology removes us from our surroundings, distracting us from healthy social connections.

According to the Washington Times article, “Cell phones promote serious social, psychological issues,” young adults on average send 109.5 texts daily and compulsively check their phones an average of 60 times a day.

Think about it. How many times do you hide your phone from your professor during lecture to check Facebook or your text messages? How many times do you whip out your phone during a family dinner to mitigate your ever-present boredom? How many times do you use your phone as a tool to remove yourself from an awkward social situation? According to this study, quite a lot.

We either actively or passively scan information on social networking sites. According to “How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy,” from the New Yorker, a study lends credence to the argument that social networks’ psychological affect on people is contingent on whether the reader is actively or passively surveying the site.

This was confirmed by using electrodes to record the participants’ facial expressions in a procedure called “facial electromyography”.

Most of the time, people passively check their social networking sites.

For instance, people usually just scan their newsfeed on Facebook. Passive surveying is seen to hinder one’s emotional welfare based on the facial expressions that were recorded.

On the other hand, the study found there was an influx of overall happiness when participants were actively engaged on a social networking platform.

No, I am not advising we all throw away our cell phones and run into the forest together. I realize that’s crazy.

On the other hand, muting your phone while you interact with others would help in real world relationships.

Dip your foot into social networking, but don’t plunge completely into a cyber-social construct. You might get lost. Each moment is fleeting and cell phones distract us from the now – savor each moment.

Enjoy face-to-face interaction. Take time to breathe in the naivety of freshly bloomed flowers and the wisdom of trees.

Don’t let cyber socializing remove you from the beauty of each transient moment.

Hear ye, hear ye, said no one ever

When one thinks of an election, what comes to mind? Lawn signs? Political rallies? Presidential debates?

The specifics always vary, but no matter how toxic or endearing, topical or substantive our elections end up being, they unfold step by step in the public eye. It’s this openness that legitimizes any claim to democratic tradition.

It was to the Union’s bewilderment, then, that it learned just how little publicity was raised for Associated Student Organization’s (ASO) election last Tuesday.

Was our surprise justified? We think so.

Evidence of this election is most conspicuous on ASO’s official website, where they prominently display links for an election calendar, petition, and guidelines.

This information’s intended visibility, however, is undermined by its unfortunate location: an outdated webpage. Currently, the site still advertises the group’s fall 2013 meetings, lists past cabinet members, and the most recent meeting minutes stretch back into January.

For how long should students return, day after day, to outdated information about their own government before they give up and seek

U N NIO EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Vol. 68, No. 6 April 17, 2014

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

that information elsewhere? Three months? Four?

Any claim that ASO’s website is the go-to place for election information is seriously challenged by the notion that it hasn’t been a reasonable source of any information in months.

What about something ASO’s officers directly control? Social media: accessible for organizers and more relevant for their constituents.

Their most visible attempt was a public event on Facebook titled “ASO elections,” but it hardly represents a concerted public relations effort. 38 people were invited, many of the ASO officers or candidates; five guests bothered to click “attending,” all of them current ASO members.

Past a Facebook event that more closely resembled an internal memo or private dinner invitation than a call to the voting booths, the Union could find no Twitter, Instagram, or Wordpress account announcing EC’s free elections.

The story of ASO’s inability to reach out to EC students has one last chapter: the official election results.

The next student body president-elect and the candidate with the

Editor-in-Chief �����������������������������������������������������������������������Matthew Simon News Editor ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Eric Hsieh Opinion Co-Editor ���������������������������������������������������������������������Russell Lewis Editorial Editor....................................................................................Angela Yim Features Editor ����������������������������������������������������������������������Jessica Martinez Arts Editor ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Nadia Basich Sports Editor ���������������������������������������������������������������������������Matthew Simon Photo Editor ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������Amira Petrus Distribution Manager ���������������������������������������������������������Lorenzo Gutierrez Copy Editor ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� Thomas Schmit Copy Editor ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� Rachel Oatridge Advertising Manager �����������������������������������������������������������������Liliana Lopez Adviser ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������Kate McLaughlin Photo Adviser...................................................................................Gary Kohatsu

most votes currently on record, Rafeed Kahn, received 157 votes.

For reference, in February the college estimated its fall 2013 student body to be approximately 23,993 students. That means in its latest election, ASO managed a voter participation rate of slightly more than half a percent of students.

Is this lack of civic participation entirely ASO’s fault? Certainly not. Young voters turn out at demonstrably lower rates and schools with a large commuter populations can often struggle with student involvement.

These trends, however, should be all the more reason for ASO to aggressively publicize its elections, not resign itself to the presupposed apathy of the students they’re trying to represent.

A year ago, in its May 16 issue, the Union implored ASO on this very same issue: to clearly and loudly announce its elections and introduce its candidates. 12 months later, our position is the same, even if it means reaching out and asking to use this paper as a megaphone.

If anything is worth the pomp and circumstance, it’s a democratic election.

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.

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April 17, 2014

Opinion

El Camino College Union 5

Campus viewpoints By: Russell Lewis Opinion Editor @EccUnionRussell

Photos By: John Fordiani @EccunionJohn

Is Flight MH370 a media cover-up?

Christopher Lee Union Columnist @ECCUnionChris

L

Capital Gains Pt. 2 ast issue, to recap all I have learned at EC as an English and art history major, I introduced the topic of the decline of capitalism.

I am well aware of the irony.

However, since much of art and literature deals with the end of the world, my concern is warranted, especially given our cultural obsession with the apocalypse.

While today’s artists and authors depict the end by more fantastic means such as zombies, alien invasions, terrorist attacks, or nuclear warfare, to me, an economic collapse seems a more plausible end.

Let’s be real.

Zombies and aliens are figments of our imagination. The likelihood that a terrorist group would be as large and organized enough to bring about the end of the world is close to nil, and nuclear warfare would only occur when nations are pushed to desperation.

Few things could cause desperation of that level, but another world war or economic collapse could push nations to resort to such drastic measures.

Since the majority of world nations collaborate through the UN, large-scale warfare seems less and less likely and as economic collapse seems more and more likely. Why? Simply put, it is because we are becoming a single, global economy. In this process, as we rely upon each other, we are closing the gaps of a finite world.

This is the danger - the finite nature of the world.

Economists freely admit that no economy can grow beyond its resources. The problem is that we are depleting these resources as fast than they can be replenished.

However, the ultimate goal is not depleting said resources, but rather to grow economies.

Instead of eliminating the finish line, economists offer methods to slow our sprint to the finish line to a jogging pace because there is simply no solution to the depletion of resources.

Even if we somehow manage to create infinite resources, still one of the problems is that human populations can outgrow the economy when innovation stops or slows too much.

Theoretically, it is possible to slow population growth to correlate with economic growth.

China and India have already implemented a one-child and two-child per family policy. It is not too far-fetched to implement these policies worldwide.

We live in the real world, however. We do not have infinite resources, and unless we implement infanticide or severe punishment for reproduction, we cannot force control over population size.

Therefore, an economic collapse is eminent, but not because the economy is unstable. It just isn’t big enough to support us all.

Capitalism works because we have both resources and a roughly egaul consumer-producer ratio.

Land and resources are scarce.

While an infinite amount of consumers is possible, the economy allows for only a certain number of producers.

Eventually, the economy will dissipate, for either reason.

Join the conversion online at www. eccunion.com The views expressed in this column are those of the author. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Union, its staff, editorial board or advisers.

Jocelyn Clara 19, Biochemistry “I think so because the media is always covering stuff up and they only tell us the half truth until it gets really bad and then they have no other choice.”

Illustration by Eugene Chang/ Union

UP FOR DEBATE Is the Malaysian Airlines disappearance a media cover-up?

Denial Sensationalized International tragedies like the March 8 disappearance of Flight MH370 deserve a solemn pause in our affairs.

However, instead of a silent respite for MH370, our frenzied media and its throngs of disciples rushed to consume this novel mystery, speculating hope and calculating deaths.

Rachel Oatridge Under “entitlement” to protecCopy Editor tion, our U.S government began and @ECCUnionRachel directed what has become a monthlong search for the missing victims and their plane. And, whether by concession or simple disregard for life, the Malaysian government crouched in the background, aiding only when its citizens’ cries morphed to anger.

Previous to MH370’s disappearance, our media’s attention was super glued to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but when word came of a plane’s strange disappearance, the Russian fad was over, and a new form of sick entertainment rose to the forefront. We condemned our society’s “watchdog” of truth in exchange for its promise of novel entertainment. A plane missing in flight gives much more to the imagination than walls of soldiers shooting their citizens.

And so it began.

Our media feeding off each new speculation, disregarding all need for legitimacy of fact. And we loved them for it. After all, who needs dinner when you can have cake?

Initial search efforts produced nothing and the now more than month long search has simply teased each report fancy.

Though its disappearance has been a tragedy, the media’s prolonged and exclusive attention to it holds no ground other than to distract its audience’s fickle attention from Russia’s organized invasion of Ukraine. By our denial to truth we have allowed our media to sensationalize, dehumanize, and manipulate a country’s mourning.

And for what? Our simple pleasure. We wallow in ignorance of impending war and content ourselves to imagination of those “misfortunate” flyer’s fate. Maybe, we say, they are on a mysterious island battling evil black smoke and befriending the Others.

No. They’re dead. There, I said it. Because no one else wants to and is so content to let thousands more die by the Black Sea than admit 239 have died in the Indian Ocean.

The MH370 tragedy was not a conspiracy, it was a brute cover-up allowed by our people and propelled through our media.

Once discovered that the plane was, in fact, under water, our media should have balanced back the reports of it, upcoming news, and a threatening Russia.

Instead we have contented ourselves to playful taunts and gross ignorance toward impending war while eating popcorn and watching a movie labeled “Malaysian Mystery Continues.”

Michelle Gonzalez 19, Biochemistry “I think the government chooses which stories that they want to put out there. In a way, the media is responsible for that.”

The media is giving this story the sensitivity it deserves.

Two hundred and thirty-nine people were on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and now friends and families of those people are waiting to reconfirm the harsh reality that the plane has no survivors.

The media wouldn’t withhold information about this tragic situation.

If anything, this situation has too litSam Tedla tle information about it because the Staff Writer black box hasn’t been found yet. @ECCUnionSam The John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinations are examples of media cover-ups. This is just a freak situation. The airline and the media want to give this story the caution and sensitivity it deserves because of the people who will be affected by loss of loved ones.

Proponents of a media cover-up say that the reporting being done is sketchy but you can’t give much information about a pending investigation. Primarily because great reporting is backed by it’s accuracy.

Obviously, it’s going to raise eyebrows when a plane suddenly goes missing in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There are conspiracy theorists who have this notion that all current events are controversial. I can understand the people making outlandish criticisms about the reporting when they are eager to get more information about this heartbreaking story.

A cover-up is any action or other means of concealing or preventing an investigation.

Based on its facts and reports, what about this story falls into any category of this definition?

In late August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans, bringing global attention to the most expensive disaster relief in U.S. history. Many said that this was the lead story on all news outlets to be a distraction from the “War on Terror.”

Proponents say that the Malaysian story has been deemed more newsworthy than that of the Ukraine/Russia crisis.

Is it questioning the media’s judgment on newsworthiness or on what’s more entertaining?

Sometimes stories are brought to the forefront, not to filter a story’s attention, but rather to raise awareness of one.

The fact that this story is even being considered as entertaining is making me sick to my stomach.

YouTube this story, watch the victim’s loved ones go through a never-ending nightmare, and then tell me you still think this story is a cover-up. Because I highly doubt that the media would conceal information in order to one day make a hit at the box office.

Joseph Santa Cruz 19, Music “(The plane disappearance) does seem a little questionable, but I guess it could happen. But if there is nothing being released about it, they can focus on other stories.”

Corina Alarion-Gemser 19, Socialworking “I think we should just let it go, but then again families of the people who were on board the plane want closure, so it’s good that they are keeping up to date on it.”

arts

6 El Camino College Union

April 17, 2014

Movie Review

“Draft Day” is just a cheap box of wine Chris Lee

Staff Writer @ECCUnionChris

John Fordiani/Union Scattered throughout the first floor of the Schauerman Library are the photographs for the gallery “Light and Shadow”, and will continue to be on display until the end of April.

the shadows in Schauerman Library Cynnamon Baker

A

Staff Writer @ECCUnionCBaker s the camera focused, the photographer craved a masterpiece as the flash captured the rays of light.

Just like an artist using a stroke of a brush to paint, poets using a pen to dance across a page and photographers engraining a story through a snap of a lens.

The photos that decorate the walls and cases inside of the Schauerman Library lobby are the images student photographers showcase for the spring exhibit. This years theme is “Light and Shadow.”

“It is important students gain experience by exhibiting their work,” Dari-

lyn Rowan, photography professor said.

“Graceful, insightful and strong images.”

Although the students had a theme to portray, many took this as an opportunity to be creative and standout from the competition.

“As a floral designer I wanted to incorporate those organic materials within my photographs,” Maria H. Andrade-Reyes, 32, photography major said.

Andrade-Reyes used flowers and fabrics to give texture while accenting her black-and-white film photos. She used the flowers, fabric and natural lighting, captured humility and emotion in her selfportrait.

“Sixty eight photos were selected for the exhibit and 44 photographers showcased their work,” Rowan said.

Just as Frida Kahlo painted her pain and emotion from her own reality, photogra-

From

parking lots

to the

main stage

Carey Majano/Union

Top and right: Jamie Burton during rehearsals, hinging back in full stretch.

On The Scene

phers capture the same emotions through the stories they grabbed with the camera.

Crystal King, 21, photography major portrayed an array of emotions she had while capturing photos at the funeral where they laid her brother to rest.

“The initial emotion I wanted to convey was pain, loss, and loneliness. But through working with these images I started to feel comfort and healing,” King said. “These images kind of made me confront the reality that my brother was physically gone.”

Her artwork gave eternal life to the memory of her brother as he traded his life on earth for an eternity in her heart.

“I became a storyteller... I found my voice through these series [of photos],” King said. “It wasn’t until I saw my work displayed that I found my voice.”

Rowan’s theme came from her passion for expression. She chose photos that

Joel Leon

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJoel In the words of Lady Gaga, “just dance, gonna be okay, da da doo-doo-mmm,” Jamie Burton knows how to spin that record with his artistic dance moves.

Jamie Burton, 20, dance major, not only leads when he is choreographing, but he also leads with his determination to mark a difference in peoples lives.

“I think people should look at what he has done,” Daniel Berney, dance professor said.

“He did not have the most technical background, yet he has been very successful in choreographing.”

Burton’s background in regards to the dance field started by dancing outside of school and by his old high school’s parking lot. It was only until one of Burton’s friends recommended him to join EC’s dance program. “[At EC] I got a lot of ballet training, a lot of jazz training and things like that,” Burton said. “As soon as I got here I sky-rocketed, I took every op-

Gilbert Castro/Union Maria H. Andrade-Reyes, 32, Photography, stands by the photo she submitted for the 2014 Annual El Camino College Student Photography Exhibit at the Library. This is AndradeReyes’s 2nd time in the show and she has three photos total on display there.

shined light on the students “authentic voice.”

“I selected photos that reflected all our voices,” Rowan said.

“I told myself, ’I don’t know if this is going to happen again. If so lets not waste the time we have left. Lets capture every moment,’ and that’s where my passion for photography stems from,” King said.

portunity I could.”

Burton is determined to grow as a dancer, and hopes to one day give back to those who aren’t so privileged.

“He has a great ability to move people through space and his pieces are always highly emotional,” Liz Adamis, dance professor said. “Not only is he a fantastic choreographer, but he really learns from the people he is dancing with and I see him utilizing tools that he has learned, not copying, but utilizing which is very different.”

On her last semester before retiring, dance professor Pamela Santelman admits that Burton “came in not knowing much about dance” but is now destined for greater things if he goes on to a university.

“After this for sure I want to go to a university. I’m looking at UCLA, USC, Cal State Long Beach, and San Francisco State University,” Burton said. “I like those schools in particular because I got to see a lot of these colleges performing and I can see myself performing in them.”

Besides attending a university and growing as a dancer, Burton hopes to one day open a dance

studio and also start “I Dance 4 Kids,” a program where underprivileged kids can get help by becoming great dancers.

“I want to be able to give back,” Burton said. “It is unfair that the good dancers have the money and that in order for them to do good, they have to be taking private classes.”

With different avenues being opened, what makes Burton stand out is not only his choreographing skills, but his desire to lead and help others.

“He’s at the point where he’s ready to make that leap,” Berney said. “I think he will be successful and I would be happy to recommend him.”

Tony Bennet’s “favorite singer”

“Pianists performing at Marsee

Jazz Two Big Band with David Sills

Award-winning dance company returns to EC

Award-winning jazz vocalist, Allen Harris will be performing at the George Nakano Theater April 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. Dinner will also be available at 6:30 p.m. at additonal cost. For tickets and more information visit www. torrancearts.org.

Polli Chambers-Salazar and Christopher Brennan will be playing the piano of different performances The pair will take place at the Marsee Auditorium April 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Marsee Auditorium box office or by calling 310-329-5345.

Come out for a night of swing and jazz at the Haag Recital Hall on May 5 at 8 p.m. The big band will be featuring songs from well-known artists and is directed by David Sills. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 310-329-5345.

Karin Jensen’s, Mandala Dance Works returns to the Marsee Auditorium with middle eastern dancing. Jensen brings guest artists and other companies to a night of culture and dance on April 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and and can be purchased at the Marsee Auditorium box office or by calling 310-329-5345.

With good scripts hard to come by, directors are regularly tasked with taking bad ones and turning them into wine, albeit cheap Franzia box wine.

Despite having little to work with, Director Ivan Reitman squeezes a watchable movie from “Draft Day” through hyperbole and character development.

“Draft Day” is another banal story fleshed out for the big screen. The writers load the main plot with a line of non sequitur subplots to heighten suspense and build the mounting pressure of the NFL draft.

On the most hectic day of the year, Kevin Costner who plays the Cleveland Browns manager Sonny Weaver Jr., must make a splash in the 2014 draft. Weaver must also manage egos, the news of a pregnant girlfriend, the death of his father, and a concerned mother.

As with all movies, the viewer, especially one familiar with the NFL Draft, must suspend any disbelief since the script exaggerates reality by creating the wackiest draft in the history of drafts.

The movie hinges on big climatic twists that seem plausible in theory but would never happen in the NFL. Though one may scoff, the twists are necessary for a viable movie.

“Draft Day” overcomes the poor script with good character development by pinpointing the human element in persons often misunderstood by football fans.

Reitman relays well each character’s passion for the sport by emphasizing the professional aspect of the NFL for all involved, from owners and managers, to coaches and players, and to tax attorneys and interns.

Some of this development may also be credited to the acting.

Kostner and Jennifer Garner gave notably dry performances that are suited for their roles. Denis Leary fits the profile of a hotheaded coach who is desperate to win. Chadwick Boseman, who played Jackie Robinson in “42,” gives the best performance of the film displaying his versatility and emotional range as a draftee.

To put the icing on the cake, the cinematography sets the milieu of an NFL Draft. Reitman flashes graphics in a typical NFL Network fashion and utilizes split screens in a way where a character spills onto the other screen.

The effects gave the film a fast paced and realistic feel that engages the viewer into the plot.

For the careful viewer, however, realism falls apart when Commissioner Roger Goodell at the drafting podium is cheered by fans.

“Draft Day” succeeds given the tools it has to work with. The movie passes, but unless you have a taste for Franzia, it is better left for Netflix.

Union

April 17, 2014

El Camino College Union

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Sports

8 El Camino College Union

April 17, 2014

Warriors escape nail-biter, 7-6 Lorenzo Gutierrez

Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorenzo Pumped up would be an understatement in describing the Warriors start to the game. Up by four after two innings, EC's softball team would not lose the lead as they beat El Camino College Compton Center 7-6 last Thursday.

The performance earned freshman shortstop Victoria Garcia recognition from California Community College Fastpitch Coaches Association. She was named SoCal Player of the Week.

"We went up early in the first two innings," Garcia said. "But I think we got a little comfortable for the following innings and we kind of stopped scoring runs so those runs in the first two innings really helped us a lot."

Offensively, freshman infielder Jessica Gonzalez scored two runs and freshman shortstop Victoria Garcia earned two RBIs herself.

"We knew we had to score first, so that we could stay on top of it because our games are always close with them," Gonzalez said.

"Scoring two in the first really brought up our motivation."

Freshman pitcher Reina Trejo pitched for the first two innings

Freshman Kathy Orozco, slides into home, but was later ruled out. The Warriors went on to defeat EC Compton Center 7-6 last Saturday.

and the end of the seventh allowing four hits and earning two strikeouts. Freshman infielder Danielle Bonsky pitched the rest of the game allowing six hits and earning two strikeouts.

“I went in for the last out of the last inning," Trejo said. "My

biggest focus was trying to get a ground ball so that we could get that third out and end the game and that's what happened."

The Tartars rallied in the last three innings almost tying the game, but EC's defense was able to stop the onslaught.

"We just had to stay calm and know that Dani (Bonsky) was gonna throw strikes or that she was gonna get us the ground balls and things that we needed," Trejo said. "The biggest thing was staying calm and not cracking under pressure."

This is the third meeting between the two sides; two wins in favor of EC and one for the Tartars. Compton's win was back in February.

"We came out strong and that was really important because it's always a flip flop with us," Bonsky

Amira Petrus / Union

said about previous meetings with Compton. "But we stayed strong throughout the whole game."

The Warriors have two games remaining in the regular season.

Its penultimate game will be today against the visiting Cerritos College at 3 p.m.

Track and field teams set personal bests and top 10 marks at Mt. San Antonio College event Freshman sprinter Syrea Hicks stole the show for the Warriors as she took home three medals in events she competed in. She also ran the top time in the 100-meter dash.

Cynnamon Baker

Staff Writer @ECCUnionCBaker She waved and wished her teammates good luck as she warmed up for the race. Before blasting out of the blocks, everyone knew she had what it took to win.

Dashing off to a fair start she started to pull away from the competition. That day Syrea Hicks made her mark on the track.

Hicks, freshman sprinter brought home two gold medals and a silver. She won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.07 seconds which now leads the South Coast California Conference and places her No. 2 in the state.

“She won the 100 (meter) hurdles. She won the long jump and took second in the triple jump,” coach Dean Logren said. “Syrea had a great day.”

During the Mt. San Antonio College relays on last Saturday, the Warriors brought home medals, state titles, and achieved personal bests in their respective events.

“It really brought together the best in the state,” Lofgren said. “It was kind of like the state meet preview. This was really a sample of some of the best teams in state.”

Track athletes are invited based on times for the invitational which explains the high level of competitive marks.

“Crystal furthered her state lead in the 400-meter hurdles and she also improved in the 100-meter hur-

dles,” Lofgren said.

Crystal Lizaola, sophomore sprinter improved her state mark in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 61.02 seconds. She also ran her personal best in both the 400-meter hurdles and the 100-meter hurdles.

“I have the current state leading time," Lizaola said.

“I have been working as hard as I can and my time is showing that hard work pays off.”

Haley Heinemann, freshman distance runner placed second and came close to the EC Steeplechase record at 11:33.48 minutes placing her at No. 3 for the ECC All-Time Performer list.

“I was super stoked with my PR (personal record),” Heinemann said. “I expect to get my time down more and more each meet.”

Just like the women's side, the men's team scored some of its best times by the way of establishing new personal bests.

Christopher Street, sophomore thrower placed 5th in the shot put with a throw of 49 1/4 which places him in the top 10 in the state and he also took 6th in Javelin.

Antwon Parker, sophomore sprinter placed 10th in the 400-meter dash and 14th in the 200-meter dash.

“This week was a tough one. I was so nervous,” Parker said.

Lofgren thinks each junior college athlete has a competitive standing in the conference.

“We have only seen the bits and pieces from every other team and they only seen bits and pieces from us,” Lofgren said. “We just don’t know how well until we go head-to-head with them.”

Warriors Schedule Men’s Baseball:

men’s Volleyball:

Tuesday vs Long Beach City College 2:30p.m.

TBD April 23 at Santiago Canyon College 6p.m.

Women’s Softball:

men’s & Women’s Swim & Dive:

Today vs Cerritos College 3 p.m.

Today-Saturday at Mt. SAC All day

Men’s & Women’s Track & Field: Today-Saturday at Mt.SAC Relays

Gilberto Castro / Union

Freshman Khalil McClain races in the 2nd leg of the Men’s 4 x 110 meter Shuttle Hurdle during last Saturday’s meet at Mt. San Antonio College. This was the debut of the El Camino team in this event and they finished in 3rd place with a time of 1:12.19.

Warriors Scoreboard Men’s Volleyball:

Warriors 3 (14-4), L.A. Trade Tech 0

Men’s baseball: Warriors 11 (21-11), Antelope Valley 6

Women’s Softball:

Warriors 0 (18-17), East L.A. 5

FOR MORE SPORTS ACTION GO TO OUR WEBSITE,

ECCUNION.com