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ARTS, PAGE 6: Faculty display passion through artwork
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
October 18, 2012
Serenade to serenity
Torrance, California
Voter reg. creates controversy Thomas Schmit Staff Writer
Michael Stone/ Union
Psychology/Music major Angel Velazco finds a quiet area near the library to practice the guitar. The 24 year old hopes to use music as a form of therapy. Music helps relieve the stress of a busy student life.
Despite repeated complaints of alleged coercion and possible voter registry fraud over several weeks, the majority of independent voter registration solicitors are still being allowed on campus, school officials said last Monday. One such complaint is from Stephanie Schwartz, English professor. Schwartz said that Ahande Femi, who is, according to his badge, an independent contractor hired by the Republican affiliated AAV group (Femi refused to identify what AAV stood for in a later interview), attempted to pull forms from her hands to prevent her from marking her affiliation as a Democrat. “He held up a badge that said Republican on it, and said ‘I’m working for these guys,’ and then added, ‘I gotta get paid!’” Schwartz said. Femi said that no such event happened, showing the bottoms of two registration forms that had been marked as Democratic in the affiliation section. “I sign up Democrats, Independents and Republicans. I do them all. I get paid for
them all,” Femi said. Many of these solicitors are from completely unrelated groups, and while the complaints regarding the handling of voter registation are widespread, only single individuals can be held accountable for each complaint, Rebecca Cobb, director of student development, said. “I’ve even witnessed it (coercion) myself, and I made that person leave campus,” Cobb said. However, while complaints have been numerous, many of them have been vague and came long after the incident happened, preventing the Student Development office from identifying any transgressors, Cobb said. “I only have a staff of six people to handle everything,” Cobb said. “There’s nobody to sit out there and monitor solicitors, so we really need people to come in and tell us who is doing this and where they are.” While school rules require all solicitors to register, some solicitors are showing up on campus completely unauthorized, with absolutely no accountability to the school, Cobb said. “Part of the issue is that
there are authorized people and unauthorized people on campus, and even the ones who come in to fill out the forms for authorization aren’t always the ones actually taking down people’s information on campus,” Cobb said. Authorized solicitors are required by the college to wear a badge clearly identifying their name, party and group affiliations, Cobb said. Students need to be wary of any attempts to coerce or alter their registration forms, such as being asked to leave portions of the form incomplete, Schwartz said. “These guys could just be filling out blank registration forms after a student leaves, getting legitimate names and addresses and then registering them for their party,” Schwartz said. Students won’t have to worry long about registration solicitors, Femi said. “After this week I will not be here anymore. After this we will all be going door to door instead,” Femi said. The last day to register for the Nov. 6 election was yesterday. -Rigo Bonilla contributed to this story.
Faculty discussing campus skateboarding and consequences Coree Heard Staff Writer
Before this semester began, police, faculty and students met to discuss ways to enforce skateboarding regulations, Sgt Jonathan Ott said. The district’s mission is to provide the entire student body with safe access, including the impaired students and faculty, Sgt. Ott added. “Last spring Chief Mike Trevis spoke to Associated Students (Organization) to inform students about skateboarding on campus,” Rebecca Cobb, director of student development said. “There are consequences. It’s a violation of student conduct codes.”
If students are cited multiple times for skateboarding on campus, the campus police will then inform Cobb. “If it’s excessive (and citations are unpaid) then they will end up going to court,” Cobb said. In the past, faculty members have discussed designing signs with a slogan that will be displayed around campus, Cobb added. “If it’s a problem, then we all need to start saying something,” Cobb said. “We (will start to) make the practice and the behavior uncomfortable.” Police are noticing that certain semesters generate more of the illegal skateboarding traffic on campus. The fall semester most likely gener-
ates the most skateboarding because of all the new students, Ott said. Every semester police and faculty warn students about skateboarding on campus. “It’s simply a risk management issue,” Ott said. “With (approximately) 18,000 students, we have a lot of pedestrian traffic.” In the first two weeks of each semester, the police only advise students to not ride their skateboards on campus, Ott said. “They (skateboarders) mistake it for permission to do it,” Ott said. “The congestion alone just makes it dangerous.” Although new measures are continuing to be discussed, not everyone on
campus agrees. “I’m not messing up the concrete,” Josh Alvarado, 20, communication major said. “I’m not hurting anyone. I had a knee problem last spring. I was sitting on my skateboard and rolled over to a bush and they (police) gave me a ticket. I got a $140 ticket.” The dollar amount of the citations is determined by Torrance courthouse, Sgt. Ott said. If prices do rise on citations, it is the law makers who make those decisions, Ott said. “I think that’s stupid,” Ric House, 21, psychology major said. “Why would you charge someone for skating on campus? It’s not like we’re going to do something
crazy.” There are plenty of disabled and impaired people on campus and “they may (accidentally) step into the skateboards way,” Ott added. “I hear them zoom by,” Marietta Scott, 51, business major said. “I am legally blind. Regulations are regulations (and) they should get a citation.” In the past, people have been injured because of skateboarding on campus, Ott said. “Over the many years that I’ve been here, we’ve had several senior citizens ran into,” Sgt. Ott added The college spends money to help the students not get cited, Ott said. The signs are not an “extended April fool’s joke.”
Great ShakeOut earthquake drill today Medieval weapons hands-on display today Victor Liptzin Staff Writer
NEWS LINE
In preparation for a possible earthquake, EC and other schools and businesses around the world will be participating the Great ShakeOut today at 10:18 a.m. The ShakeOut is an emergency drill where student must find a place to cover up, follow an escape route, meet up in a safe location and form an overall emergency plan, according to a newsletter on Elcamino.edu. “I think that students are going to feel satisfied and confident that by practicing, they’ll know what to do if we experience an actual earthquake.” Rocky Bonura, director of business services, said. The first step of the drill will be an imagined earthquake.
By Monique Judge
“At 10:18 am, all faculty, students and staff will drop, cover and hold on,” according to Elcamino.edu. The second step will be evacuation. Students will have to “identify emergency personnel,” who will then lead students to a safe spot, Banura said. “They will wear bright-colored vests that will identify them as building captains or floor leaders,” added Banura. Once evacuated, students will have a chance to gather in their designated areas to perhaps discuss their emergency plans. However, some students would prefer to continue working on their schoolwork. “I kinda wish it wasn’t in the middle of my class,” Edgar Diaz, 23, music major, said. Some students, on the other hand,
welcome the idea of the 30 to 45 minute respite from class. “Honestly, I think it’s a good idea,” Lance Fujimoto, 22, auto technology major, said. “We are in earthquake zone. Earthquakes, they just happen. I don’t mind the 40 minutes.” The ShakeOut has been such a success in the past four years, that the once California based program, is now spreading worldwide, Bonura said. According to shakeout.org/california, other states and countries will also participate like, Alaska, Arizona, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Canada and Southern Italy. Students can visit shakout.org/ California for more information. Bonura says that although “we haven’t seen a real disaster,” it is important to be prepared.
Workshop for admission appilications to CSUs
Distinguished alumni awards
Cal Poly Pomona Bus Tour scheduled
Undeclared students workshop
USC Bus Tour scheduled by transfer services
Students planning to apply for admission to the California State University system may want to attend the informative CSU Application Workshop taking place Thursday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Social Science, Room 213. For more information, call 310660-3593, ext. 3408.
The EC Foundation will be honoring past EC college students during the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Awards, taking place Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the East Dining Room. For more information, contact Nancy Tonner at 310-6603593, ext. 6039.
Transfer Services has organized a trip to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona on Saturday. Payment of a $5 refundable deposit is required. Sign up in the Transfer Center located in the Student Services Building, 1st Floor.
For students who are undecided about their major and career goals, Career Services has planned a workshop for Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in SSC 106. Interested parties must sign up with Career Services at 310660-3593, ext. 6137.
The University of Southern California will be having its fall transfer day on Friday, Oct. 26. Transfer Services has arranged a bus tour to USC on that day, and interested students are encouraged to register early by signing up in the Transfer Center and paying the refundable $5 deposit.
Angela Songco Staff Writer
Students will be given a chance to have a hands-on experience on historical armaments during a medieval weaponry presentation at Social Sciences, Room 205, today at 1 p.m. Edgar Pacas, adjunct history professor, said the presentation on weaponry will focus more on on the early British history like the Vikings, Romans and among others with the use of his personal collections of replicated artifacts from the era. “It is a unique opportunity for students to feel, see and experience how heavy the weapons are,” Florence Baker, history professor, said. “In a museum or elsewhere, you will never get the chance to lift a sword,” Baker added.
Pacas said that the presentation will not only showcase the weapons and armors, but also the factors that influenced their development and refinement. “Aside from the armor and weapons, we will also discuss how they were made, the historical importance of these weapons, the military technology behind them and their political implications and significance,” Pacas said. Baker said that Pacas is knowledgeable of the evolution of weaponry and had done a number of presentations about it in the past. Paul Hiraoka, 42, psychology major, said that these presentations had been very popular and well received. “Usually, all the seats are filled and it is almost standing room only,” Hiraoka said. “In his (Pacas) presentations,
there is room for everyone. He does it in way that affects general interest, not only for historians.” The event is free and open to everyone. It is sponsored by Baker and the History Club. “In order to be a good historian, in order to understand history, it is important to have a good historical imagination,” Baker said. “It is one thing to be able to say ‘a battle occurred’ and this is the outcome on such a date,’ but to be able to imagine it through the mind and seeing it, it will help them bring the facts to life.” Baker encouraged students to attend. “It will give them better understanding. The enthusiasm and knowledge of Mr. Pacas will bring an opportunity for everyone to experience and appreciate history,” Baker added.