EL CAMINO COLLEGE
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Murdock Stadium victory...Page 8
eccunion.com
October 31, 2013
Torrance, California
Football player arrested on campus Jessica Martinez News Editor
Matthew Simon Sports Editor
After being arrested on campus for possession of firearms at a public institution Oct. 10, former EC football player Taj Mathis was removed from the team roster Friday. Mathis, who played defensive back for the Warriors, was arrested on campus after a loaded semiautomatic handgun and a revolver were found in the trunk of his car, EC Police Chief Michael Trevis said. The car is registered under the former 20-year-
old’s name and at the time of arrest, three other EC students were in the car, Trevis said. The four students were in the vehicle with smoky windows in the lower level of Lot F. An officer observed marijuana on the car console and upon doing a search, the firearms were discovered, according to the EC police log. Trevis said the two firearms located in the trunk of the vehicle were not registered and Mathis doesn’t have a gun license. Trevis added a bag was also found in the car with bullets and shells that did not fit the two guns. The Office of Community Relations has declined to comment after several requests and has told others
not to comment on the story. “One individual was charged with California Penal Code 626.9(b) Possession of firearms at a public institution,” Trevis said in an email. Trevis later confirmed Mathis was the individual who was charged. The other three students are likely facing disciplinary action from the college but face no criminal charges at this time, Trevis added. Mathis currently faces only the one charge but the district attorney’s office may file more, Trevis said. According to administrative procedure 5520, an immediate suspension will be enforced when a student has “possession or use of any weapon, firearms,
or explosives.” Rebecca Cobb, director of student development, said that students who have been immediately suspended have no student standing with the college while they go through due process. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department database, Mathis’ bail was set at $35,000 and he bonded out the same day he was arrested, Oct. 10. Rory Natividad, dean of health sciences and athletics, said this type of conduct is “against our mission, our values, and everything we stand for.”
Getting a kick out of life EC soccer and badminton coach John Britton continues his passion after losing leg
N
Nadia Basich Staff Writer
othing and no one can stop Superman. The same goes for amputee coach John Britton. Britton does not have super powers but he does have strength, positivity, and a few jokes under his Scottish skin. Britton is the men’s and women’s soccer coach and is also the badminton coach. The professional Scottish badminton player and U.S. Hall of Famer is a 20-year diabetic and lost his right leg last December. “I wanted to buy a new car,” Britton said. “They told me it was going to cost an arm and a leg. I bartered the guy down so I gave him my leg.” Coupled with having diabetes and letting a blister on his foot get worse, Britton had to have his leg amputated. “I got a blister on my foot from cycling. I love cycling on The Strand. There was no circulation,” Britton said. “That didn’t heal so they cut off a toe and then they cut off all of the toes. And then after the toes is below the knee.” Certainly there was no challenge for this man of steel. Britton said his students have been great to him and they look after him far more than he needs. “Some people do it for attention, so I cut my leg off,” Britton said. Being one leg short does not bother Britton at all. He still
can run forward but is still trying to figure out how to run backwards. Britton is hoping to play in the Pan American Games for badminton once he gets his permanent “leg.” Britton’s men’s soccer players describe him as an overall positive and inspirational person. “He is the father figure of the team,” midfielder Andrew Cervantes said. “He always motivates us even through bad games.” Sophomore forward Shaun Nagano agreed with Cervantes’ response about Britton’s optimistic views. “John is a good guy,” Nagano said. “He never has a bad day, he’s always in a good mood. Even though he’s not involved like, as coaching us as much, he has a solid impact. For Cervantes, he thinks his coach’s injury has affected the team for the better. “It has motivated us to play for him. This might be one of his last few seasons,” Cervantes said. “It motivates me to try to play a better game.” Nagano thinks otherwise. “I still see him as having two legs, even though half of his leg is gone,” Nagano said. “I mean, he’s still the same guy. He hasn’t changed at all.” Britton’s jokes that his condition will never stop him from doing what he wants. “I could continue my career at EC as a soccer coach or I could get a job at Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland with my peg leg, but EC paid more,” Britton said.
Patricklee Hamilton/ Union
Board of Trustees votes to close Child Development Center Davion Walker Staff Writer
NEWS LINE
After nearly a two hour meeting, the Board of Trustees voted Oct. 21 to ultimately close the Child Development Center effective June 30, 2014. The CDC eluded closure last January by the board in favor of a method to strengthen enrollment. “We were very surprised and very, very disappointed,” Janet Young, associate professor of childhood education, said. “We were stunned and shocked and disappointed that all of the things that have been done and all of the improvements, the increased enrollments, and it didn’t count.” According to a report sent from Francisco Arce, vice president of academic affairs at EC, to Tom Fallo, president of EC, “the recommendation for closure of the Child Development Center is based on a history of low enrollment beginning with fiscal year
By Sam Tedla
2008/09.” “As the enrollment numbers declined, the district general fund transferred money to cover the annual budget deficit in the CDC. The amount of revenue allocated from the district general fund to cover the CDC budget deficit has steadily increased since the 2008/09 fiscal year. For fiscal year 2013/14, the district general fund is subsidizing the CDC budget deficit by $257,750,” according to the report. The members of the CDC are not disputing that the center had been operating at a deficit for many years. However, they believe they should have been allowed to continue because of the progress made under the center’s new direction. “We understand that we’re in a fiscal crisis and that numbers were terrible; from a strictly number standpoint, we’re not disputing that at all,” Young said. “We were told by Dr. Arce that when they came away from that board meeting, it wasn’t to give us a
year to try to turn the center around, it was a year to close the center down.” The center has been operating under new direction by the interim director, Jennifer Montgomery, since July 1 and since has shown improvement in enrollment. “We heard that our director was to get in there to see what she can do and bring them back a report in November and we will reassess,” Young said. According to a recovery report made by Montgomery, the enrollment for the center has increased from 14 students to 58 students in three months. However, the Board of Trustees made their decision based on the ongoing problems. “She’s [Montgomery] doing a great job, but she just started and this issue has been going on since January,” Ken Brown, vice president of the Board of Trustees, said. “There’s no doubt that policies have been made. Unfortunately, it has not translated in
more clients and more money.” Those with kids who attend the center will soon have to search for a new location. “Parents don’t want to enroll their child in a place that will being closing in a couple of months so they’ll limp along until they can close,” Christina Gold, history professor and academic senate president, said. According to the recovery report, 41 percent of children enrolled in the center are children of students or staff members. With the closing of the CDC, childhood education majors will have to find other programs that they can observe children and organize their studies. “Our childhood education students deserve to conduct their observation and their assignments and their student teaching with real children in a model program at a site at our school,” Young said. “They’re not going to have that opportunity any longer. We don’t know where we’re going to send our students.”
Student Improvement Workshop
Planetarium Show
Preventing Failure Workshop
Financial Aid Online Application Workshop
Nursing Info Session
Jan Schaeffer will be hosting a workshop today about self-awareness at 1:05 p.m. in the Decathlon Room, located above the Bookstore. If you want to attend, sign up at the front desk in the SRC. For more information, call 310660-3295.
Professors Shimonee Kadakia and Susan Stolovy will have a fulldome feature film. The show will be on Saturday with back-to-back showings at 3 and 4 p.m. For more information, call 310-660-3373.
Sue Oda Omori will be hosting a workshop that will help prevent outside factors from deterring someone to accomplish their goals or aspirations. The workshop will be Monday at 1 p.m. in SSC 207. For more information, call 310660-6936.
The financial aid office will give general financial aid information and help students fill out their FAFSA forms. The workshop will be on Tuesday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in SSC 204-G. For more information, call 310-660-3493.
Students who are ready to apply to the nursing program can attend this information session. The workshop will be on Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Distance Educatio Center. For more information, call 310-660-3493.