Vol. 68 Issue 5 April 3, 2014

Union

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

T h e

eccunion.com April 3, 2014 Torrance, California

EC employees protest amidst little progress Eric Hsieh

News Editor @ECCUnionEric

T

heir chants rounded the Administration Building and spilled onto Crenshaw Boulevard, floating ahead of a body of 50 disgruntled teachers and classified employees.

Many carried signs emblazoned with “5%,” a clarion call for the raise they believe is long overdue.

However, even as the El Camino Clas- ity, here’s historical evidence that a raise, sified Employees (ECCE) and El Camino at the onset of the Great Recession, was College Federation of Teachers (ECCFT) sustainable,” he said. “If during that time walk in their self-named “solidarity a 3 percent raise was sustainable, why, marches,” substantive negotiations be- with an improving economy and a reserve tween the unions and the district remain balance four times what it’s required to be, would you question the sustainabilin contrasting gridlock.

“We had our first mediation meeting ity?”

The district, however, views its reserve March 13,” Luukia Smith, president of the ECCE, said. “The mediator said that funds in a wholly different light.

“There is no requirement or obliganeither of us are in a place where we can come together on anything, so we only tion to be looking at that ending balance,” Spencer Covert, the district’s chief met for half a day and then left.”

At present, all three groups are still negotiator, said. “No one says ‘There’s money left over in your standing by wildly difcheckbook so you have to ferent propositions. The No one says spend it.’ The only time EC district is proposing you’re going to consider a 5 percent raise spread ‘There’s money left in reserves is if the district over three years while the ECCFT and the your checkbook so you is saying we’re financially strapped and we can’t ECCE are negotiating for pay a comparable wage.” a 5 percent raise every have to spend it.’

The issue of comparayear for three years and bility, how similar posia singular, 6 percent raise Spencer Covert, tions at similar districts respectively. district chief negotiator are paid, is central to the “While [state] appordistrict’s position. Covert tionment decreased, the describes it as the metric unrestricted fund balance increased, and so did the president’s sal- by which either side will appeal to the ary,” Gary Turner, vice president of po- state’s mediators, and if a compromise litical action for the ECCE, said. “Those cannot be reached, the panel that will deare the kinds of facts we’re dealing with cide upon a formal recommendation.

“It really doesn’t matter whether a when you talk about laying out whether [a union wants a 5 or 6 percent increase. raise] is sustainable.”

Turner points out that employees got a Because they could just as easily want 10 3 percent raise in 2007-08, a year before percent,” he said. “It’s not what a union apportionment funds peaked at $111 mil- wants which will be considered signifilion and began steadily dropping to $104 cant. It’s going to be what salaries do million in 2012-13. Despite this raise we have, and how do they compare with and the subsequent decrease in revenue, other neighboring community colleges?” in those same years, the district’s ending balance grew from $13 million to $20 million.

[See NEGOTIATIONS, Page 2] “If you want to talk about sustainabil-

John Fordiani/ Union The El Camino Classified Employees are asking for a 6 percent raise over the current, 3-year district proposal, while the El Camino College Federation of Teachers are asking for a 5 percent raise.

“

”

John Fordiani/ Union English professor Mary Ann Leiby protests with other faculty members on March 25 over salary negotiations. The “solidarity marches” are organized by EC’s faculty and classified employee unions every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Compton Center loses $5.5 million over contract issues Rigo Bonilla

Staff Writer @ECCUnionRigo

NEWS LINE

Up to $5.5 million will have to be paid back to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) by the EC Compton Center (ECCC) due to contractual errors with instructors in the cosmetology program.

“Obviously any school losing $5 million hurts budget-wise, but it doesn’t all have to be paid back right away,” Barbara Perez, the

Compton Center’s vice president, said. “We don’t have to pay it back in a lump sum, so we’ll set up a payment schedule with the Chancellor’s office. The final amount has not been determined.”

The ECCC has been preparing for the possibility of having to pay back the money for some time.

“We knew we were going to have to pay the Chancellor’s Office back some money, so we actually had put aside $1.2 million out of our budget this year,” Perez said.

While the final liability is still undetermined, it is expected to have little effect on the everyday functions of the Compton Center, and none at all for the Torrance campus. “[The payment] is not going to affect class offerings at all,” Perez said.

The exact repayment is still being negotiated with the CCCCO. “We’re still working with the Chancellor’s Office to determine the liabilities for the district,” Keith Curry, CEO of the Comp-

ton Center, said. “That’s the reason I can’t give a dollar amount, because they don’t know.”

Curry said that any money being returned will be coming strictly from the Compton Center and will not have an effect on the Torrance campus’s money.

The reasons for the payback were contract issues with ECCC’s third-party beauty school.

“The Compton Community College District has two Instructional Service Agreements currently in place providing educa-

tion to students,” according to a 2010-11 audit, section 2011-25.

“One of the agreements, Universal Beauty School, was found by the district to not have all the required elements within the contract as required by the State Chancellor’s office, as well as not having the required contracts with the instructors of the courses offered.”

Because of these contract issues, some funding received for full-time estimated students will have to be returned.

University Transfer Fair

Keeping up with Congress and its money

Scholarship Award Ceremony

CSU Long Beach Tour

On April 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a University Transfer Fair on the Library Lawn featuring dozens of representatives from campuses all over California. For more information, call the Transfer Center at 310660-3593, ext. 6137.

The Political Science Department will host a film and discussion about where money to run Congress comes from and what it buys. “Priceless” is scheduled for April 10 at 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the East Dinning Room. For more information, call Wendy Lozano at 310-660-3595, ext. 5735.

Attend the Scholarship Award Ceremony on April 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., as $1.4 million is awarded to approximately 650 students. The ceremony will take place in Marsee Auditorium. For more information, call Nancy Tonner at 310-660-3593, ext.

6039.

Students interested in transferring to California State University, Long Beach can take advantage of a campus tour April 4. Reservations are required in order to attend this event. To sign up, visit the Transfer Center located in the Student Services Building, first floor.

EC Compton received funding for 197.30 full time estimated students under the Instructional Services Agreement in 2009-2010 and 265.51 in 2008-2009, according to the 2010-11 audit report.

As of now, the Compton Center no longer offers cosmetology classes.

“We had a contract with Universal College of beauty, which was a part of the audit finding, and we did not continue that contract for this current year,” Curry said.

/ElCaminoUnion

@ECCUnion

/ECCUnion

news

2 El Camino College Union POLICE BEAT Grand theft leaves CocaCola flat out of business March 19, 11 a.m.—A grand theft report was made at the station. A representative of the CocaCola company stated that a vending machine was missing from an area of the field house. There are currently no witnesses to the theft.

Driving fumble leads to nasty tumble March 27, 10:50 a.m.—Officers responded to a traffic collision report on Redondo Beach Boulevard, just west of the bridge.

A male student stated that he was driving west bound on the peripheral road by Lot H when his gas pedal became stuck, and he lost control of his vehicle. The vehicle swerved left, drove over the embankment, and landed in the middle of the number two lane of Redondo Beach Boulevard. In the process, the car flipped, landing driver-side door down. Paramedics were called, but the driver did not suffer any significant injuries, and was released.

Alleged burglar screws up March 24, 5:30 a.m.—Officers responded to the auditorium regarding a suspicious circumstances call. A pair of female custodians noticed lights on near the ticket box office that should have been off. When officers arrived to investigate the scene, they observed pry marks in the wooden door to the ticket box office, along with wood chips on the floor beneath it. The door had been pried open. A second set of doors behind the first that lead into the ticket box office proper, also had pry marks, but had not been successfully opened. Another office in the vicinity also had obvious pry marks, along with fresh wood chips beneath it. Officers observed an unattended bike in the north patio, that was not locked. Officers moved the bike to another area of the north patio, and secured it with handcuffs. While they continued to search the area, officers observed a male subject attempt to mount the bicycle and leave the area. Officers detained the subject, who was a non-student. Officers confirmed that the bike belonged to the subject, and conducted a search of the subject, where they discovered a screwdriver in his possession. The subject refused to speak with officers, and was arrested with probable cause on suspicion of commercial burglary, and transported to Torrance Police Department for booking.

Student issues restraining order against ex-boyfriend March 24, 10 a.m.—Officers responded to the Student Activities Center regarding a possible stalking report. A female student had recently broken up with her boyfriend, and had issues with him off campus. She supplied ECPD with a temporary restraining order in case the ex-boyfriend attempted to come on campus.

Officers advised the student of the emergency phone system on campus, as well as the number to directly reach ECPD dispatch.

Slamming the breaks on bike scavengers March 17, 9:30 a.m.—Officers responded to the bicycle racks near the Humanities Building regarding a suspicious person call.

Officers contacted a male student who was attempting to remove a part from a bicycle that was locked to the rack. The student claimed that the bike was abandoned, and that he was attempting to remove the crankshaft to install it on his bike later. The officers informed the student that taking pieces from the bike, even if it appeared abandoned, was illegal, and released the student with a verbal warning.

April 3, 2014

Policy debate gives both sides weight Celine West

Staff Writer @ECCUnionCeline

Four of EC’s top debaters tackled the merits and demerits of a 5 percent faculty pay raise at the Campus Theater on March 31.

The entire auditorium was filled for the sold-out performance, with both students and faculty members listening intently to the team debate this controversial issue.

“The event was organized to demonstrate a policy debate. It was a demonstration to present it fairly and not to slant it in anyway,” Francesca Bishop, director of forensics, said.

The government team, which supported the 5 percent raise, and the opposition, who presented the opposing side, each illustrated the validity of both perspectives.

“Faculty have been required to do hundreds of hours of additional work without being compensated for it,” Brooke Matson, government team debater, said during the debate. “If you have extra work, you have to be compensated for it. We think faculty have had an increase in work load without any kind of increase in pay, and if there was, it was barely a cost of living adjustment.”

While the government team aligned itself with the faculty union, the opposition team argued the differently.

“Our faculty gets paid the highest in the first few years [compared to] other colleges according to a Santa Rosa study,” Nicholas Bishop, opposition team debater, said during the debate, “Faculty are hired to teach class and serve on committees. It was always part of their job description. They have to be able to

John Fordiani/ 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.

uphold the educational process, but provide the best education that they can.”

Afterwards, debaters from both sides expressed that their collective goal was to provide people with information from both viewpoints so they can begin to think more independently about the issue.

“The point of this is to educate students on this one problem, so that other people start thinking about it,” Frank Masi, 19, international relations major,

and debater for the opposition team, said. “I think it definitely opened some people’s eyes. I hope it allowed some people to see that both sides have a certain level of merit.”

The performance offered students a greater understanding of the topic and many came away with some newfound knowledge.

“It gives me more information and a deeper understanding.

I saw the signs, but I didn’t know as much about it before,” Taylor Meyer, 21, computer science ma-

An absentee MyECC

EC’s portal goes down for maintenance and a redesign.

Joel Leon

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJoel

EC students were not the only ones on break two weeks ago, but also the MyECC portal, which underwent maintenance and remained unaccessible to students.

Scheduled downtime was set for March 18, but students who attempted to access MyECC for a week after that date were unable to, which raised concerns.

“Our [maintenance] expectation was one day,” Mr. William E. Warren, assistant director of Information Technology Services, said. “Our vendor explained that’s all it really needed.”

However, the planned date for maintenance failed due to various causes.

“It took a week because we had to find all the bumps in the road and document those,” Warren said.

According to Warren, the maintenance was also prolonged due to staff illnesses.

“Things happen. Our staff became ill and they weren’t able to come in for a day,” Warren said.

“ We typically, if it’s a

planned maintenance, choose where it least impacts students. It just seemed most logical during spring break.

”

William Warren, assistant director of Information Technology Services The MyECC portal is now up and running and, with students’ feedback, the new and redesigned MyECC portal features a “much more user-friendly” system that not only has an improved performance, but also a new architecture, Warren added.

“It has a cleaner look,” Pete Marcoux, vice president of aca-

demic technology for the Academic Senate, said.

Since Windows XP will be going out of date on April 8, Windows 7 has now been programmed to many of the computers, he said. This creates some problems for some users who try to access MyECC. For students who are still having problems with their MyECC, Warren recommends they delete their unnecessary cookies.

“It’s storing that old information from the old portal and it doesn’t work with the new one,” he said.

Warren also added that EC staff were warned about the scheduled maintenance several weeks in advance.

Despite MyECC going dark for a week, students and staff who were denied access are now able to see their portal.

“We typically, if it’s a planned maintenance, choose where it least impacts students,” Warren said. “It just seemed most logical during spring break.”

jor, said.

Other students echoed Meyer’s appreciation for the way the debaters framed the issue.

“I came in with an opinion already. I feel everyone in general has an opinion, whether or not they have information. I think they did a good job presenting both sides,” Areli Navarro, 18, criminal justice major, said.

The opposing team concluded their argument with a compromise that offered faculty more than what the district had of-

NEGOTIATIONS, Continued from Page 1 However, what they see as a plentiful reserve isn’t the unions’ only talking point.

They argue that their claim to a higher raise is supported by forecasts for increased funding.

“We’re already getting more apportionment money this year than we did last year and the economic forecast is improving daily,” Turner said. “The state now has $965 million, almost a billion, more than they forecasted they would have. That’s on top of them already anticipating some extra money.”

In the upcoming years, that sort of increased revenue will come to represent the norm and not the exception, he said.

“The Legislative Analyst’s Office put out a report at the end of February which forecasts, on average, a 7 percent growth for the next four years in state revenues,” Turner added. “By virtue of Prop. 30, a percentage of those increased revenues have to be funneled to education.”

While the unions point toward encouraging news for the future, the district still has a few qualms about claims they’ve heard made about the past.

“The faculty continue to be

fered.

“I think it is interesting that the opposition wanted to do the 5 percent for the first year, then the 1.5 percent and so on. Nobody on the debate team supported what the district was offering,” Francesca Bishop said. “I think it should come up from what the district is offering. The fact is we are 13th paid of 16 community colleges. We are three from the bottom.”

paid automatic step increases.

Last July, 118, a little over onethird, of the faculty received an automatic percentage increase,” Covert said. “There’s a difference between saying 64 percent of teachers haven’t received a raise and saying nobody has received a raise.”

Those automatic step increases, a means for the district to reward employees for their continued loyalty and work, amount to increases between 2.2 and 3.45 percent.

“You’re not being prudent if you say that on top of that, we’re spending another 5 percent,” Covert said. “Because where you’re getting 1.5 percent more [in COLA] money, you’re going to be increasing someone’s salary by as much as 8 percent.

That’s not prudent and it’s not comparable.”

Through the opaque fog of opposing evidence, claims, and sometimes accusations, it seems there’s only one thing everyone can agree to: they’ve been stuck for quite some time.

“My feeling is that if we can’t, in two meetings of mediation, have conversation to work something out, then I think we say ‘mediation isn’t working’ and the next step is fact-finding,” Smith said.

Visiting the Triangle Factory Fire a century later Lorilynn Lomeli

Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorilyn

In 1911, a roaring fire devoured the lives of 146 women, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory became their coffin.

This tragic-yet-pivotal event birthed important 20th century social and economic changes.

So for Women’s History Month, Sue Dowden, sociology professor, organized a showing of the documentary “Triangle Fire” on March 25 in hopes of teaching EC students about the event’s significance.

“If we forget history, it’s bound to repeat itself,” Dowden said.

This documentary directed attention towards gender inequality 100 years ago. It demonstrated that the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory owners’ concerns dealt chiefly with profits and not with the safety of their workers. “[The owners] spent a lot of money to stop them from unionizing, to stop the women from [getting] their voice heard,” Luukia Smith, president of the El Camino Classified Employees, said, speaking on behalf of union workers after the film.

This exploited them as both women and employees, she added.

Viewers couldn’t help but to be reminded of stark parallels between the 1910s and now.

“I started thinking about the comparisons. I didn’t really feel empowered. I felt depressed [because of] the similarities between what happened 100 years ago and what’s happening now,” Sarah Musnicky, 21, English major, and a member of the panel that helped organize the documentary showing, said.

According to “Triangle Fire,” the women workers, on the cusp of social change, unionized in attempt to do away with horrendous and unfair working conditions: 14 hour work shifts, a daily pay of $2 or less, and an expectation to sew 3,000 stitches each minute.

Workers would often have to pay for their mistakes, electric-

ity, and thread.

“That’s wrong. [If] they go home with no money, they are starving their family,” Laquisha Radford, 26, sociology major and attendee, said.

Despite the plummet in morale immediately after the tragedy, a strong middle class emerged as a result of the consequent reform.

“This history is very important and if we can show it to your generation today, maybe they will understand what it takes to do what those people did,” Dowden said, “to make it a better workplace.”

Modern-day unsafe workplaces, mines for example, still bother Smith. As of 2000, there

are still an estimated 255,000 sweatshop workers in the U.S. “Some of this still goes on today, even though we have laws,” she said. “The government agency that is supposed to be monitoring safety [has] been cut. So they don’t have enough inspectors to go around and check.

That’s where unions come in to be the watchdogs.”

The number of unions is decreasing, however, which takes power away from the workers, according to Dowden.

“LA Unified took a 10 percent pay cut,” Dowden said. “I mean excuse me. They took a 10 percent pay cut. Who does that to teachers? Well, this world today does that to teachers.”

features

April 3, 2014

El Camino College Union 3

exp ring the night sky L

Staff Writer @ECCUnionLorilyn

ight polluted-Los Angeles can often make it difficult to see the stars. Because of this, it’s easy to forget that there is a whole universe surrounding us. The Planetarium on campus allows us to see the starry sky in absence of light pollution as well as simulated astronomical events including moon orbits and supernova explosions.

Astronomical shows - free and open to the public - are shown at the Planetarium monthly. The topics are wide-ranging including dark holes, exploding supernovas, death of massive stars, and current astronomical news.

The upcoming Planetarium shows are April 11 at 8 p.m. and May 17 at 3 p.m.

Susan Stolovy, physics instructor, who presents the shows with astronomy lecturer Shimonee Kadakia.

Another show was about “stars like our sun, which are not massive, and have very different end states. It will become a different kind of star eventually. It will be a red giant and then a white dwarf and then it will just kind of slowly burn out,” Stolovy said.

At one of the 3 p.m. shows, students looked safely at the sun through a special telescope. They were able to see sunspots and other features of the sun.

The most recent show on March 15 was on the spring equinox.

Kadakia said “on equinox, the sun rises directly east and sets directly west [which] causes the sun to be out for 12 hours and to be gone for 12 hours, so we get equal day and night everywhere in the whole world. It shows the starting of spring.”

The Planetarium hailed back to the early ‘60s, Jessica Asbell, astronomy aide and graduate student, said. She assists both Kadakia and Stolovy with the shows.

“We used to do Planetarium shows here for the public a while ago and then they stopped,” Kadakia said. “Professor [Vincent] Lloyd would do shows every once in a while.”

“

People are always happy with it and they thank us for putting [the shows] on, but honestly, we are so happy to do it. As much astronomy as we can spread, we will spread it.

Shimonee Kadakia, astronomy lecturer

“

Lorilynn Lomeli

Kadakia said they started the shows again a year and a half ago.

She was inspired to begin them since EC has this “great facility” and she wanted to spread astronomy.

After talking to the dean of sciences, Kadakia was able to start the shows again. Stolovy and Asbell

later helped her orchestrate the events.

Stolovy, Kadakia, and Asbell all raved about the technology, especially the projectors, that students have access to.

“We have two different sky projectors in the Planetarium. One of them is the traditional star projector. It projects the sky onto the dome and you can set it to any date and any time on any location in the world, and it will show you the sky very accurately,” Asbell said. “Most recently, we acquired a digital projector which is a little bit different in its function. It runs high resolution digital video. You can actually simulate astronomical events as seen from outer space like a moon orbiting a planet or a supernova explosion.”

All students are welcome to join in on viewing the shows. Although there are some amateur astronomers who “know the sky like the back of their hands, we also have people who have never been in a Planetarium and never did anything with a telescope before,” Stolovy said.

Asbell encourages students to take advantage of this resource. She was majoring in communications as a student at EC; however, her primary academic interests shifted when she took an astronomy course.

The shows have continued to procure viewers.

“For the past eight or nine shows it’s been a full house,” Kadakia said. “[It has] been great,” Kadakia said. “People are always happy with it and they thank us for putting [the shows] on, but honestly, we are so happy to do it. As much astronomy as we can spread, we will spread it.”

TOP: Photo by Trayvon Stinnett on an Astronomy Club trip last spring. ABOVE: CHRONOS, a projector used to view stars in the Planetarium, is used regularly in astronomy classes on campus. Photo by John Fordiani. HEADLINE: Moon photo

by Charles Ryder.

Upcoming Planetarium shows: April 11 at 8 p.m.

May 17 at 3 p.m.

EDITORIAL

4 El Camino College Union

C

April 3, 2014

UNIONIZE FOR WHAT?

ollege athletes are students, they are not professional athletes and should not be given similar treatment that professionals receive.

They are amatuers using college to further their education as well as improve their craft.

Making it to the big leagues is a guiding factor in how they choose their institution of choice, but the quality of education also plays a part.

Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was founded in 1906, student athletes have never formed a union.

That’s 108 years.

Northwestern University football players are looking to make collegiate history after Peter Sung Ohr, regional director of the National Labor Relations Board in Chicago, ruled on March 26 that the athletes are university employees and therefore entitled to an election that will determine whether they can form a union according to an article on ESPN.com.

But what are the costs of this move if they succeed?

Since the inception of the NCAA, the organization has been committed to giving young people an opportunity to learn, play, and succeed according to NCCA.org.

Allowing college athletes to unionize will effectively take away the essence of college sports and the balance the NCAA has tried to keep between education and sports.

According to a Chicago Tribune article, college football players are compensated in the form of scholarships, which are about $76,000 per academic year if the player enrolls in summer classes.

Scholarships are a contract between the college and athlete. It is an agreement that the athlete will play their sport of choice for the college and in return receive a higher education.

Along with scholarship money, most athletes are also provided with paid tuition, housing, and food plans while they attend their college.

As of right now the athletes are only asking for better working conditions and better health practices.

But if college athletes officially become unionized, what will stop them from to asking for monetary compensation?

Unions are formed to voice the majority of a group of people.

If the issue is only working conditions and safety, these athletes have the avenue to skip out on college athletics and head overseas.

There are plenty of alternatives for athletes that are concerned about how the NCAA treats them.

A number of athletes choose this option for a few years and then head to the National Basketball Association (NBA).

This a valid option for students that don’t like the way the college system is operated.

Northwestern University is a private institution that may not have the same resources as a college like University of Alabama or University of Southern California (USC) where the colleges are already accommodating the students in the way Kain Colter and his fellow teammates would like to be treated.

Pat Haden, athletic director at USC, stated in a press release that after looking at the demands of the players at Northwestern, most of the those demands are things that players at USC are already receiving.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,

For instance, USC does not yank scholarships from players and they happily pay former student-athletes to come back and complete their degrees, according to Haden’s press release.

These athletes chose Northwestern University for a reason and if they didn’t like the environment they encountered while visiting, they have have the option to find another college to go to.

Forming a union is not the answer to the current treatment athletes receive.

If college athletes want to be treated like a professional, they can find it elsewhere, but not in an educational institution where they are getting a free ride to play a sport while receiving an education.

College is college for a reason, it’s an institution that provides students with an education to help them in the future.

Allowing athletes to form unions would be a cheap way to get a pay day for athletes who, in most cases, won’t make it at the professional level.

This letter has to do with the editorial on the March 13 issue of the EC Union: “May we have some more please.”

I found the editorial very informative and well written. I fully support pay raises for EC educators and classified employees.

The condition that EC Union’s editorial describes for the Torrance campus is also a microcosm for California, the US and perhaps the entire planet.

Living standards for educators and education workers are falling together with real wages for all workers, while CEO pay shoots up and a financial oligarchy becomes richer and richer.

California’s wealthiest individual, Larry Ellison, a man with so much wealth that he could have resolved California’s fiscal deficit singlehandedly by just writing a check, saw his income shoot up 22 percent in 2012 to over 96 million.

He was part of an exclusive club. In June 2013, the New York Times reported that the 200 highest paid CEOs at US public companies with revenue above $1 billion received a median compensation package of $15.1 million in 2012, 16 percent higher than the previous year.

It recently came out that, if the Comcast-Time Warner merger goes through, recently appointed Time Warner CEO, Robert Marcus, will receive a payout of $80 million, for two or three months work, roughly $1 million dollars a day; $650 dollars a minute.

In contrast, conditions for public colleges worsen.

A system that in 1967 was intended to be truly public, taxpayer funded and dedicated to the democratic, and inalienable right that every Californian has to a quality university or vocational education, is under attack and being replaced by two systems, one for the poor, and another for the rich.

This was at the core of the attempt to impose a two-tier tuition system at Santa Monica College two years ago, and the ensuing student protests of April 2012.

It was also at the core of the student protests at UC Davis and UC Riverside in 2011 and 2012 and at San Francisco City College on March 12 of this year.

The response by the Community College and UC managements to these protests was the heavy hand of the campus police.

The title of your editorial “May we have some more?” should serve as a sharp warning.

Could it be that Dickens famous phrase from Oliver Twist is not just a reminder of how things were in the past, but a nightmarish omen of the future?

Gerardo Nebbia Economics Instructor

Weaving the budget dry Despite their obvious benefit to society, running a public school is always an expensive prospect. In addition to having all of the typical business expenses, employees, insurance, maintenance, etc., schools must provide supplies and resources to thousands of students, many of whom can’t afford to shell out the big bucks that students attending a private school might have access to. That’s why it’s so important to make every dollar count.

While Gov. Brown’s Prop 30, passed in 2012, has helped cushion the meager government funds that public schools rely on, we’ve seen first hand here at EC the struggles and tough choices that schools are forced to endure in the face of limited funding. In that light, the $5.5 million of government funding that the EC Compton Center will have to return is a major blow to the school.

While officials have assured us that the funds owed, in light of the contracting issues with Compton Center’s cosmetology program,

U N NIO EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Vol. 68, No. 5 April 3, 2014

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

won’t affect the day to day running of our sister school, that’s really only a short term view of the problem. While the school won’t have to pay the sum back immediately, it’s still a major burden on the Compton Center’s resources.

To put the issue in better context, the Compton Center only expected to receive about $25 million in state funding in the 2013-14 school year, according to a budget provided on the Compton Center’s website. That’s one fifth of the school’s annual revenue gone without good reason (though yes, it won’t have to pay it back all at once, that’s still a large sum of money).

For anyone still scratching their heads, $5.5 million is the same amount of money that divorcees Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom put their house on the market for, the annual salary for Miami Dolphins Cornerback Cortland Finnegan, and the same price that you can get a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake for.

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

However, with all of that said, what’s done is done. No amount of finger pointing and recrimination will bring that money back. We’ve been told that the funds owed by the Compton Center won’t affect the Torrance campus, but that’s only from a fiscal standpoint. The fact is, when EC took the Compton Center under its wing, we made them a part of our community, and in times of crisis and misfortune, it’s important for a community to stand together.

There’s a way for every student and employee at EC to help out, whether that means donating used textbooks instead of selling them, volunteering to help out on the Compton campus, or even just dropping by a board of trustees meeting to show support. Our community can make a difference if it tries, if it motivates itself to care about its neighbors.

And if anybody happens to have a spare Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake laying about, the school could probably make use of that too.

The Union is published Thursdays by Journalism 11 students at El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506, and is free to the student body and staff.

Unsigned editorials and cartoons are the opinion of the editorial board and do not reflect the views of the student body, staff or administration. Letters to the editor must be signed and must be received one week prior to publication in the Union office, Humanities Building Room 113.

Letters are subject to editing for space, libel, obscenity and disruption of the educational process. Single copies of the Union are free; multiple copies can be requested through the Union.

Associated Collegiate Press Regional Pacemaker Award 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 California Newspaper Publishers’ Association General Excellence Award 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 Journalism Association of Community Colleges General Excellence Award 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

April 3, 2014

Opinion

El Camino College Union 5

Campus viewpoints By: Lorilynn Lomeli Staff Writer @EccUnionLorilynn

Photos By: John Fordiani @EccunionJohn

Teachers: 5 percent or less?

Christopher Lee Union Columnist @ECCUnionChris

M

Capital Gains

y time here at EC is coming to a close.

After this semester, I will transfer to a four-year university to complete my undergraduate education. Not that you care, wink, so far I’ve been accepted to University of California, Santa Barbara and wait to hear from a few other schools.

As I look to what I’ve done at EC in retrospect and to what I will do in the future, I want to discuss the status of our current system in all aspects as a sort of dissertation, a conclusion that surveys all of the courses I have taken at EC. While it is the job of the journalist to report the news rather than to speculate and offer solutions, as a bad one, I will support my overall argument by what I feel is the cause of the problem rather than reveal the symptoms and results of, “to journalize,” which to some may be more convincing.

As the first in a series in this article, I want to focus on the big picture I’m introducing the thing that we have created since the formation of capitalism and arguably longer.

All countries no matter what type of government, have created an unsustainable world by relying on other nations to self sustain each nation.

The major flaw of capitalism, the definition of such a reliance, is that it is contingent upon improvement.

Take the United States for example. The US is founded upon the talents of individuals who have the foresight to take their dreams and aspirations and turn them into reality.

Our nation seeks to raise these individuals in order to create the best products in every sector, in art, fashion, literature, sports, science, news, technology, military, and much more, for the most part regardless of race, sexuality, gender, or class.

Ideally, these individuals create new sectors of the economy to make improvement exponential.

Through these products and sectors, whether we realize it or not, we seek to improve and appear to have improved our own lives by improving the lives of others, which is the fundamental principle of capitalism.

To put this into perspective, someone who produces food improves the life of someone who builds cars, who improves the life of someone who teaches, who improves the life of so on and so forth.

The problem with this system is that to sustain it we must continually improve the system, to make it bigger and better, because that is the nature of a capitalistic economy. This is part of the reason why Apple comes out with a new iPhone every year.

Throughout the course of time, we have heard from dissenters, who have seen the end of this conundrum, that a system based upon perpetual improvement is impossible to sustain.

Enjoying the ride to the end, we have ignored and continued to ignore its warnings. When growth ceases, all order will fall into disorder, and so will this constructed world.

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.

Kelly Humphreys, 22, liberal studies

“A compounded 5 percent, that is a lot for a general scale. .I do think that teachers are underpaid. And as I am a liberal studies major and I want to be a teacher I would, of course, love to think that there is going to be better benefits for them. I do think that teachers lay out the foundation for everyone else, so it would be important for them to feel like they are being well taken care of. I think it should really be based on individual growth.”

Illustration by Eugene Chang/ Union

UP FOR DEBATE Should the teachers get a 5 percent increase or less?

Show appreciation for our unsung heroes Tom Fallo is a pretty swell guy.

Nobody can deny that he’s done a lot of good for EC. He’s helped to get two major construction bonds passed, and on a campus full of busy administrators with scarcely predictable schedules, he’s made the effort to keep his office open to anyone who’d like to speak to him.

Thomas Schmit He’s also one of the most highly Copy Editor paid community college presidents @ECCUnionThomas in California.

When Fallo renegotiated his contract last year, he was given a $40,000 raise, along with a yearly 5 percent increase to his salary for three years. In contrast, the faculty and classified employees of EC have not received any sort of raise since 2008, and the increases proposed by the board of trustees roughly translates out to a net salary increase of five percent after three years.

Now, It’s not that Fallo didn’t deserve a raise, or that EC should be handing out $40,000 to every landscaper, painter, and teacher on campus. However, it’s important to remember that these are the people who ensure the day to day running of EC. They clean our bathrooms, fix our buggy computers, and teach our classes.

If you’d like to think about it in sports terms, Fallo is EC’s coach, and giving the coach a nice bonus is perfectly fine.

However, without the team’s players, the faculty and classified staff who actually carry out the plays, who sweat and bleed for EC on a daily basis, it’s pretty damn difficult to win the game. When you consider it that way, only forking over the bare minimum mandated by the state feels a little thankless.

Now, some might be tempted to argue that by virtue of his position, Fallo was more deserving of a raise than some of the other EC employees.

However, take a look around campus and see if you can find anyone with an “easy” job. Picking up trash doesn’t sound difficult until you have to pick up after 22,000 students. Heck, some students have trouble remembering the names of all the other students in even one class, but many of the faculty are responsible for the educational outcome of hundreds of students at once.

Yes, there will always be money issues, and EC is right to want to conserve as much of the budget as possible. In this instance though, EC might have to bite the bullet and spend some money in order to ensure that it can actually keep making money.

Think realistically, 5 percent per year is too much In the battle of negotiation, possibilities are endless, although rarely realistic. This isn’t an argument of whether teachers deserve a 5 percent raise, as most would agree that compared to professional athletes and Hollywood stars, teachers are much more essential and influential. But we have already set the Russell Lewis status quo for how much teachers Opinion Editor are paid, and though it is consider@ECCUnionRussell ably lower than a doctor or lawyer, (careers that also require lots of education) the state still doesn’t have enough roles for teachers. A cost of living increase is a totally reasonably proposition, but to increase a teacher’s salary 5 percent annually for 3 years is unlikely to swing.

First of all, its important to mention that the ECCFT (El Camino College Federation of Teachers) agreed to the current terms that they are under, and they are simply attempting a renegotiation. They are protesting to start a ruckus, but they are unable to go on strike due to the agreement that is already in place. The Board of Trustees is simply offering what was agreed upon by the state. The 5 percent figure, inspired by the EC President Tom Fallo’s personal raise, is basically used as a symbol of respect.

I believe most teachers think that 15 percent over three years is unrealistic, and most teachers would be happy with a deal somewhere in the middle. Fallo is paid very handsomely, but he is a single person who received an increase, which isn’t the same as the entire teacher’s board. There isn’t enough money in the budget to currently hire more teachers, let alone pay the lucky ones who have a job already.

As a student, I’m not sure how a pay increase for teachers would affect me. Is that 5 percent really going to make my teachers better? It shouldn’t, pay increases should come from excellent performance, not inspire it. It’s difficult to set a merit meter for a professor, as it’s much easier to find negatives than positives. Rateyourprofessor.com, a website where students can rate and review other professors to guide future students, has worked for me at EC, but the Board of Trustees shouldn’t use it since the website can be very biased. I would like to believe that students use the survey given every semester (where we critique the class) intelligently, as those could be used to better distribute the funds.

Depending on whose side you are on, either you believe the teachers are under appreciated or they are just arguing because they can. But no matter which side you are on 5 percent is a ridiculous figure.

Tara Henderson, 20, linguistic anthropology “I wouldn’t be where I am today academically without the help of my professors, so I think more than anyone here they definitely deserve an increase in their pay.”

Aiden Berndt, 18, English “The teachers deserve like a good amount of pay regardless, but like 5 percent every year that’s... a bit much, you know. Like 5 percent for like 3 years or so and then reduce it back down to 1.5 or so.”

Anissa Pol, 20, Radiology “I think they should get an increase, because the teachers do a really good job of teaching their subject and helping the students when they need help.they should definitely get a raise.”

arts

6 El Camino College Union

April 3, 2014

Movie Review

Pena gives life to civil rights activist Cesar Chavez Sam Tedla Staff Writer @ECCUnionSam

Open ended for interpretation Amira Petrus/ Union Disclosure, choreographed by Christina Morales, 23, dance major, features Catherine Chavez, 22, dance major, and Alisa Carreras, 20, dance major. This dance will be showcased in the Spring Dance Show, Thursday April 3 in the Marssee Auditorium at 8 p.m.

W

Angela Yim

Editorial Editor @ECCUnionAng

hile the majority of EC students attempt to shake off spring break fever and get back into the semester groove, the dance department prepares for hell week, the final week of rehearsals and costume adjustments before opening night.

The semesterly event the dancers have worked hard toward, toughed through endless hours of late night rehearsals, scraping every body part and countless missed meals, will all pay off tonight.

“Some of the pieces have storylines, some are thematic, and some are just simply abstract dances,” Daniel Berney, dance professor, said. “There’s really a potpourri of dance styles that are presented. There’s something for everybody that comes to the concert.”

An eclectic group consisting of faculty and student choreographers and a guest choreographer, who all have complete license to choose their own music, style of dance, and their dancers. As one of the three directors, along with Pam Santelman and Liz Hoefner Adamis, Berney is expectant of a phenomenal show.

“What you get with the students in the spring is a longer period of time, to develop some of their choreographic projects, so we a get a refined and higher level of presentation than we get initially in the fall,” Berney said.

The momentum continues from the success that EC had at this year’s American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA), earlier this month at Arizona State University, some performances that were presented there will be shown at this concert – one by the newest full time dance faculty, Liz Hoefner Adamis.

Adamis presents an 11-minute piece, excerpts from “The Arabesques of a Blind Mind” which is based on the writings of human right activist and poet Breyten Breytenbach.

“I have three set pieces, these huge boxes that Bryan Bates made, [that] the dancers use throughout the piece,” Adamis said. “The name of the book is the Confessions of an Albino terrorist, it’s based on his (Breytenbach) time in the South African prison system from 19751982, two of which were in solitary confinement.”

Showcasing her work for the first time, student choreographer and last semester’s Rising Star Alisa Carreras’s piece titled “Sleepwalking” is the second on stage following Berney’s opening piece “Cannon in D.” “It’s a lyrical modern piece – about falling out of love [and] there’s no resolution,” Alisa Carreras, 20, dance major, said. “This is my first time choreographing, it’s been an entirely different experience – being the one to be responsible, getting everyone to rehearsals on time – it’s coming [together] the way I wanted so I’m happy with it.”

Unlike the Fall Dance Concert that takes place in the Campus Theater, the Spring Dance Concert takes place in the substantially larger Marsee Auditorium. Eight faculty choreographers, four student choreographers, split into two acts, thus creating one amazing show, but for Santelman – her last show.

Closing the concert, one final time, will be Santelman’s piece titled “Hovering,” that was made possible by the engagement from the students in the choreographic development of it.

“She really worked as much as a facilitator as much as a choreographer,” Berney said. “We are just going to miss her dearly, unfortunately that faculty position of Amira Petrus/ Union another retirement was not renewed so this will whittle our full time faculty staff down to two positions, and we Cannon in D, choreographed by Daniel Berney, co-director of the feel we will be dramatically impacted and have a hard Spring Dance Concert, shows Catherine Chavez, 22, dance major, time sustaining the quality of the program it’s been with on pointe.

[Santelman] here.”

EC student wins Rob Dyrdek’s cash prize contest Chris Lee Staff Writer @ECCUnionChris

Wielding diligence in one hand and creativity in the other, Tyler Gonzalez, 21, graphic design major, may have created the logo for the next big thing.

Gonzalez created the logo for the Three Zerohs Collective (TZCo). A collection of musicians, photographers, videographers, designers, and journalists, TZCo represents people being who they want to be and achieving goals of which they’re passionate about.

“Zeroh is about your passion. Zeroh is your wildest dreams and reaching for them, but it’s not about looking into the future. It’s about creating and cultivating your talent now,” Gonzalez said.

TZCo won IVI Vision and Rob Dyrdek’s promotion Get Busy Living in Aug. 2013. Gonzalez and his crew was one of more than 3,000 contestants worldwide competing for $10,000, a lifetime supply of IVI Vision sunglasses, and invaluable business advice from Dyrdek and his associates.

“Meeting Rob and listening to what he had to say put our ideas and goals into perspective of our day to day life,” Jesse Hernandez, 23, audio technician for TZCo and former EC student who worked with Aaron Carter in his

On The Scene

John Fordiani/ Union Tyler Gonzalez, 21, graphic design major is the lead graphics designer for the Three Zerohs Collective and has been part of the collective since Feb. 2013

2013 tour said.

After finishing his coursework at EC, Gonzalez plans on transferring to California State University, Los Angeles, which his graphic design professor, Andrea Micallef had recommended him for their graphic design program to more refine his skills.

“I love graphic design. I want to pursue it and see how far it will take me,” Gonzalez said.

Hernandez and other TZCo members see him going

far.

Luis Trajillo, 27, photographer for TZCo and a former EC student who has worked with Jennifer Lopez concurs.

“Tyler is very adamant about getting it done right. He asks a lot of questions, does his work, goes home, and continues to learn more. He is a very apt student for someone in this field. He can do anything,” Trajillo said.

Fighting to give farm workers stable wages and proper working conditions, Michael Pena gives an invigorating performance as civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

“I’m angry that we live in a world where a man who picks food can’t feed his family,” actor Pena said in the newly released film.

This movie showed the perseverance and sacrifices made by Chavez in his 5-year journey to sign a deal with California crop growers. A deal that would give farm workers fair wages and better working conditions. Chavez’s journey included boycotting grapes, a 25-day strike, and going to London to raise global awareness about “La Causa.”

Director Diego Luna did a great job of not trying to change the perception of Chavez into a saint, but instead showed him through the lens of a father, brother, husband and leader.

He stuck to the essence of what Chavez’s cause was about as opposed to “hollywoodfying” his story and turning a biography into an entertaining drama film.

One of the California crop growers, Bogdanovich Senior, played by actor John Malkovich, was riveting in a film that lacked depth in overall acting. He has an interesting character in that he is a Croatian immigrant. He is torn between feeling sympathy for the migrant farm workers, and still trying to keep his farm profitable.

Chavez used different tactics to fight against oppression with nonviolence. Chavez reflected a lot of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi due to revolts against authorities in a peaceful manner.

Pena is even maddened by the protestors after they beat up a man who runs through the crowd with his car. He says to the followers of his movement that he will not eat until they vow not to use violence as a means to respond to their opponents.

The film was released just a couple days before Cesar Chavez Day, to remember not only what he did for farm workers but the precedent he set for future union workers.

Pena will have you wanting to say, “Huelga” and “Sí, se puede” as his fellow union members once chanted as they marched and protested in front of the fields and across the state of California.

The film didn’t have as much Spanish, but it served an even larger purpose being in English because it will help give those who are oblivious to the importance of a chapter in ChicanoAmerican history.

The cover of the film has a quote that explains the journey of fighting for a cause and how it doesn’t happen over night.

“History is made one step at a time.”

Dance department’s Spring Dance Concert at Campus Theater

“Under the sea, darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter...”

Los Angeles Music Ensemble performs at Marsee

Cabaret, “the sexiest musical of the American theatre”

Student “Light and Shadow” exhibit displayed in Schauermanw

The annual Spring Dance Concert performed by students and faculty will be at the Campus Theater April 3-6. The concert showcases different dances choreographed by students and faculty. Tickets can be purchased at the Campus Theater for $15.

Take a trip under the sea with Ariel and friends in “The Little Mermaid,” which will be performed Friday April 4 at the James Armstrong Theater at 7:30 p.m.

For more information and tickets call 310-781-7150 or visit www.torranceca.gov.

Harp performance by former EC dean of fine arts will be a part of the Music Ensemble on April 6 at 8 p.m. in the Marsee Auditorium. Los Angeles musicians will be playing very unique orchestral music with the harp, strings, horn and many more. Tickets are $22 and can be purchased at the Marsee Auditorium or by calling 310-329-5345.

The musical “Cabaret” is based on a book about a group people of different backgroundeds who find out their future is uncertain when Nazis try to over throw the government. The first show date is on April 18 at 8 p.m. For tickets and other show dates visit EC’s Center for the Arts website, purchase tickets at the Campus Theater for $25.

EC Student Photography Exhibition will be at Schauerman Library displayed all month long of April The “Light and Shadow” exhibit will have a reception April 4 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. for the campus community.

April 3, 2014

Features Vicki Groves dubbed her 1992 BMW 850 CSI V-12 “Louie the White Knight.”

Since devoting full-time to restoring Louie, Groves, 59, said that Lupas has gone into remission.

The Palmdale resident has put about $7,000 into upgrading her German classic since its purchase in 2010. Girls in the Garage, a series of monthly workshops, aims to teach women auto maintenance and repair in a non-threatening, hands-on environment.

El Camino College Union 7

Patricia Fairchild, Automotive instructor, hosted the “All-Girl Car Show and Vintage Fashion Exchange” March 15. The inaugural event was part of Fairchild’s Saturday Girls in the Garage series with the theme of “how fashion and car design have changed over the years.” The next Girls in the Garage workshop is April 12. There will be over 50 participants, over 200 in attendance, and over a dozen vendors, including various fashion clothing vendors, and various EC clubs. For more information email pfairchild@elcamino.edu.

Fashion charms the Fast Lane By: Amira Petrus/Union

Known affectionately as “Red,” Cindy Campos of Riverside, in her mid-30s, belongs to the Double Dames Car Club of Puente Hills. Campos doubles as a housewife, mother of three, and a full-time car enthusiast, entered her 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville in the show, top etched with green flames.

Above: Dressed as a gangster’s moll, Peggy DiVill, 65, Orange County, entered her 1930 Ford Model-A Tudor hot road, complete with a mock machine gun mounted to the passenger-side mirror. After having purchased the Ford last August in Big Bear, her daughter, who took mechanic courses in Michigan, helped rebuild the car’s engine. The all-girls car show was presented in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Left: Possibly the youngest entry in the show was Jessa Meza, 18, senior at San Pedro High School. She is the second owner of a classic 1964 -1/2 red Mustang, which she said has logged 674,250 miles in its lifetime. Meza’s dad handles all of the Mustang’s maintenance. Her mother is a former EC cosmetology student.

Union

8 El Camino College Union

April 3, 2014

There is no spokesperson with a catchy phrase to remind the driver to slow down, stop eating, quit messing with the radio or pay attention to the road.

URtheSpokesperson.com

There’s Only You. Speak Up.

April 3, 2014

Turner lands hit for go ahead run

Sports

El Camino College Union

9

Brian Camacho Staff Writer @ECCUnionBrian

Freshman left fielder Alex Turner stepped up the batter’s box, in the bottom of the 7th, with a chance to give the Warriors baseball team the lead in a 1-1 game against El Camino Compton College.

With a runner on third, and no outs, Turner hit a line drive single into center field, which gave the Warriors the go ahead run to pull out a 3-1 victory over the Tartars.

“I had two strikes on me, and he threw a fastball low and in,” Turner said. “It was a nice pitch, one that I liked, and I just drove it up the middle to get that run in.”

The Warriors have swept the series against the Tartars this season, including a dramatic walk-off by freshman shortstop Fred Smith in the opening game. There always seems to be an extra sense of competitiveness between these two teams.

“Both of us have El Camino in front of our names,” freshman center fielder Keyon Allen said.

“We know some of the people on that team, so we take it as bragging rights.” The Warriors bats stayed hot, as the team racked up 12 hits and is now slugging .333 with a .372 OBP, but one lingering

issue is leaving men on base.

The Tartars held a one-run lead through eight innings, despite being outhit, but luckily sophomore starting pitcher Andy Burschinger was able to come back from one of his worst outings to pitch eight excellent innings. Burschinger only allowed four hits, and no earned runs.

“I wanted to come out and prove to my teammates that I can bounce back from a rough start,” Burschinger said. “Just being mentally tough and keeping things simple.”

The Warriors would tie the game up in the bottom of the 7th, after sophomore second baseman Joseph Cortez scored on a wild pitch.

Another insurance run would be added in the bottom of the 8th, thanks to a single deep center by Allen to give the Warriors a 3-1 lead.

“It’s not the situation you want to be in (down), but there is a confidence that we’ll be able to score when we need to,” coach Nate Fernley said.

The Warriors are now 17-8 overall, 9-3 in conference and have won eight of their last ten

to move into a first-place tie with East L.A. College.

The upcoming series with East L.A. will be crucial in deciding Kyle Borden / Union

ECC Compton Center player attempts to tag Warrios Joey Notch at Saturday’s game. ECC won 3-1.

who wins the conference championship. The first two games will alternate in location, before wrapping up this Saturday at East L.A. “We want to take two out of three but our mindset is to sweep them,” Cortez said. “We’ll do whatever we can to win conference.”

Gilberto Castro / Union

Freshmen outfielders Keyon Allen, Alex Turner, and Jeremy Barth celebrate after last Saturday’s game against Compton. The Warriors battled back from a tough start to win 3-1.

THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO

change everything.

Attend an Information Session: April 16th in Encino The Bachelor of Science in Management

Encino, West LA, Irvine Graduate Campuses

A Higher Degree of You

bschool.pepperdine.edu

Sports

10 El Camino College Union

After loss Lauro goes the distance

April 3, 2014

Warriors bounce back

Rocky Rivera Staff Writer @ECCUnionRocky

Joel Leon EC’s home crowd cheered for a late comeback as freshman thirdbaseman, Reina Trejo smashed a hit to right field and made it to second base. Regrettably, the eleventh hour fight was not enough as the Warriors softball team (13-12,67) slumped to a 5-0 home loss to Cerritos on Tuesday.

“We kept making mistakes we weren’t proud of so that was the talk we kept saying ‘let’s come back, lets start fresh, lets start now,’” coach Elaine Martinez said about the late rally. “That was our mindset.”

Cerritos crept into the lead one inning at a time scoring three runs by the fourth and leaving the Warriors ruing their leaky defense.

“Defensively we didn’t play as good a game as we know we’re capable of,” Martinez said. “We have to do a better job of executing with runners in scoring positions.”

The latter part of the game showed a glimmer of hope for EC as Trejo’s double gave the Warriors a lifeline. It was her only hit from EC’s five.

“We could all hit off of that pitcher,” Trejo said. “It just didn’t come through when we had the runners on. I almost thought we had it.”

Cerritos are at the top of the South Coast conference standings and their prior meeting was a heavy away loss for EC that ended 11-1.

The Warriors were unfazed by the rankings heading into the game.

“To be honest, it’s anyone’s day.

We know we could’ve beat them,” freshman pitcher Danielle Bonsky said. “Obviously they beat us by more last time and we know we could do a lot better and get the hitting in.”

Trejo, who usually pitches for portions of the game, was unable to do so against Cerritos due to a slight injury on her right hand.

The thirdbaseman hurt her pitching hand during training before the game but said it was nothing serious and that it should heal within a week.

Bonsky completed all seven innings as pitcher earning one strikeout and allowing 11 hits.

The Warriors’ are now 6-7 in the conference and 13-12 overall.

In the Warriors’ next game freshman pitcher Samantha Lauro threw her first no-hitter when the team defeated L.A. Harbor on Tuesday, 4-1.

Freshman catcher Miranda Aguilar had 2 hits and scored one run in the victory.

Reina Trejo also went yard in the game hitting her fourth home run this season.

The team will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to face Mt. San Antonio College today.

Staff Writer @ECCUnionJoel

Gilberto Castro / Union

Sophomore Baubak Soltanikhah competing in the Men’s 400 meter dash last Friday at the 2014 Pasadena Games. Soltanikhah finished in 3rd place in his heat and in 18th place overall out of a field of 23 runners with a time of 56.16 seconds.

Taking stride

Cynnamon Baker Staff Writer @ECCUnioncBaker

Boxed-in anxiety filled the throwers ring. On deck to throw, the opposing team spun to meet her next mark. She then lost her grip and the shot put launched into the crowd of athletes.

Frightening giggles grew in that moment.

“It happens,” Tina Farley, freshman sprinter, said. “That is why we have rules. We walk facing the throwers so that we can see what’s going on.”

Farley placed sixth in the women’s shot put with a mark of 7.75 meters [around 25 feet].

The Warriors track and field team faced competitors at Pasadena Games on Friday March 28. Throwing and running events split between California Institute of Technology and Pasadena City College.

Even EC alumni ran unattached at the invitationals. Many in the athletic community say “once a Warrior, always a Warrior.”

“They have untapped raw talent,” Climonte Blackmen, 22, EC track alumni said. “They run with so much passion which makes me proud to be from El Camino.”

Warriors Schedule Men’s Baseball:

men’s Volleyball:

Today vs.

East Lost Angeles College 2:30p.m.

Friday at Santa Barbara City College 6p.m.

Women’s Softball:

men’s & Women’s Swim & Dive:

Today vs.

Mt. San Antonio College 3p.m.

Fri-Sat at Pasadena City College Invitational All day

Men’s & Women’s Track & Field: Tomorrow at Orange Coast Invitational

While alumni came to support, the men and women represented for their team. Haley Heinemann, freshman distance runner placed second with a time of 19:17.87 in the women’s 5,000 meter.

For the men’s team Khalil Flemister, freshman sprinter placed first with a mark of 13.71 meters [a little over 44 feet] in the triple jump.

“It’s a pretty mellow meet,” Flemister said. “I tend not to worry about big marks. I just try to build on whatever mark I had from the previous week.”

As some prepared to better their scores, Raynisha Franklin, freshman, has been adapt her skills as she changed from sprinters to a mid-distance.

Franklin placed sixth in the 1,500 with a time of 5:08.86 and placed seventh in the 800 at 2:32.38.

“When the coach put me in the 800 and the 1,500 I was like ‘wow this is something new,’” Franklin said. “I didn’t choose the 800, the 800 chose me. So I guess it was destined to be.”

Reo Miranda-Lavertu, sophomore distance placed sixth in the 800 with a time of 1:57.60 later returned to win second in the 5,000m at 15:47.48.

The Warriors will attend the Orange Coast Classic Invitational Friday April 4 at Orange Coast College according to information provided by Dean Lofgren, track and field coach.

“Lets Go ElCo! Lets Go!” A packed gym, filled with roaring fans at the edge of their seats, cheered on for EC, to keep the pressure and defense on.

On Friday night the men’s volleyball team swept a strong Long Beach City College side that came in search of revenge, after El Camino had defeated them in their home side in their first encounter.

“Coming out of the loss against Santa Monica, we wanted to bring that fire again,” Errol Basconcillo, sophomore player, said. “We just stayed focus the entire game.”

Santa Monica stopped EC’s long streak of wins, and EC knew it was important to be resilient after a tough loss.

“We just came in today fire up,” sophomore and captain, Roy Powell said. “We weren’t going to take a loss.”

The strong Long Beach side were 6-1 before facing EC and they started off the game aggressively and were rewarded by clutching the first set by the score of 26-24.

“We let up. Took the foot off the gas,” Head Coach Richard Blount said. “We had that problem in the past and hopefully we’re growing out of it.”

The second set saw the Warriors pushing harder for every point and limited their errors, taking the set easily by the score of 25-14.

“The only way that we were able to take that is just to kick them all the way down,” Powell said.

Powell had another stellar night providing the team with 18 kills and10 digs.

“The guys came out here with the biggest hearts in the word,” Powell added. “I couldn’t ask for anything different.”

The third and fourth set were intense; both sides fought for every point, but in the end, EC took both sets by the scores of 25-20 and 25-21.

“Our guys really responded tonight,” Coach Blount said.

The entire team synchronized on Friday night. Errol Basconcillo had a great game providing with 22 digs, as well as Brandon Hiehle who provided with 16 kills, and Nick Williamson who provided the team with an incredible 57 assists. ”We couldn’t have done it without everyone,” Basconcillo said. “We owe it all to them.”

EC are now 8-1 in the season, and their next opponent is Moorpark. The Warriors will look to maintain their high performance as Playoffs creeps near.

“We swept probably the best team in the state. We beat them in their place and we beat them in our place,” Coach Blount said.

“That’ll tell everyone else, “Hey! We’re here to play. We’re not going anywhere.”

Warriors Scoreboard Men’s Volleyball:

Warriors 3 (12-4), Long Beach 1

Men’s baseball: Warriors 3 (17-8), El Camino-Compton Center 1,

Women’s Softball:

Warriors 4 (15-15), L.A. Harbor 11

FOR MORE SPORTS ACTION GO TO OUR WEBSITE, ECCUNION.com