ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: POLICE BEAT
NIO U N
ARTS, PAGE 6: ANTHROPOLOGY MUSEUM REVAMPS ITS LOOK
EL CAMINO COLLEGE
November 8, 2012
Torrance, California
Student voter turnout assures passsage of Proposition 30 and Measure E Thomas Schmit Staff Writer
In a significant victory for the college, voters passed both Proposition 30 and Bond Measure E Tuesday, reducing the financial burden upon the college and allowing the completion of several unfinished construction projects. “All of us in education in California were very relieved, and that’s probably an understatement,” Tom Lew, dean of Humanities, said of Proposition 30’s passage. Tax initiative Proposition 30, which increases sales taxes by a quarter cent for the next four years and income taxes on the wealthy for the next seven years, is promised to provide $210 million to California’s Community College system and narrowly passed with just 53 percent of the vote. “We’re all celebrating today, because last night California came to its senses and put a halt to the catastrophic budget cuts that run contrary to the state’s best interest,” Constance Carroll, San Diego Community College District Chancellor said. While the majority of the money will be used to pay back deferred funds to community colleges with EC receiving about $840,000, a small portion will be used to increase class sizes throughout the community college system, Brice Harris, California Community College chancellor, said. “We estimate that this will open up access to 20,000 students statewide,” Harris said during a press conference yesterday. While it’s hard to say yet what the exact amount
of funds going directly to EC will be, the college had planned to cut nearly $7 million from the budget, as well as 250 sections from the spring semester if Proposition 30 failed to pass, Lance Widman, Academic Senate vice president of finance and special projects, said. “If we had to accommodate a deep, deep budget cut, then the result would be cancellation of sections beginning with the spring semester and then start focusing on next year,” Lew added. However, Lew cautioned students that despite Proposition 30’s passage, the community college system would not soon return to the level of funding it enjoyed in 2008. “There needs to be awareness to the students and the college that times will be lean, but the passing of proposition 30 makes the job easier,” Lew said. Harris echoed those sentiments in yesterday’s press conference. “This is not a great deal of money, but it does stop the bleeding and it begins to put us on the pathway to opening access again,” Harris said. To put those numbers in perspective, while $160 million of the $210 million will be used to pay back money deferrals, in the last four years almost $900 million of state funding has been deferred to community colleges, Harris said. Measure E however, is a facilities bond measure specific to EC, which will provide $350 million to the school in order to make improvements to the campus, as well as renovations to the Library and Marsee Auditorium. It passed with support of 67 percent of the district’s voters. “Measure E really is an investment for the fu-
ture and the people in the district understood the value of EC in the community,” Dilan Horton, Associated Students Organization vice president said. “We saw how that value came out with the way they voted.” According to a letter from Tom Fallo, president of EC, “Measure E funding will upgrade buildings and classroom technology for 21st century job training and transfer preparation, and fund efficiency advancements for significant cost and energy savings.” These energy saving improvements will include thermal dual pane windows and insulated doors, as well as new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems for every building. In all, the improvements should save the college nearly $1 million annually in utility costs, according to the college’s website. However, this victory for education didn’t happen by itself, points out Lew. “Twenty-eight percent of the voters were 18-29 years old, which means that the students got out there and had their voices heard, too,” Lew said. Harris also noticed the large turnout of young voters and offered his own words of encouragement to student voters. “This democracy in which you participated really does work, you got behind this measure, you rallied up and down the state and then you went to the polls,” Harris said. “Your involvement may well have been the margin of success for this measure.” To get more information on the facilities bond projects visit www.eccunion.com.
Where the money of Measure E will go *Kinesiology and Fitness Complex Replacement
$79.2 million
*Counseling and Student Support Services Building Replacement *Administrative Functions Building Replacement
$115.8 million $27.4 million
*Music, Theater and Arts Complex
$40.4 million
*Marsee Auditorium Renovation
$18.6 million
*Library Renovation
$32.8 million
Writing Center offers free printing Forensics fundraiser open to all Karen Garcia Union Intern
The Writing Center will be providing free printing for students until the end of the semester. “Due to (lack of) funding the center suffered budget cuts that affected our ability to provide the service to the students,” Isel Chavarria, receptionist for the Writing Center, said. This fall, semester the Writing Center received money which “made it possible to reinstate the service,” Chavarria said. “We received a grant from the Graduation Initiative program that also funds
many other programs on campus,” Barbra Budrovich, computer lab director for the Writing Center and professor of English, said. Budrovich said she believed that the students will benefit from this free service “especially now that it is that time for research papers to be written” but the service only lasts until the end of this semester which ends on Dec. 14. Printing is now limited to just student written essays, outlines associated with the essay and essay assignment sheets. Students who are enrolled in the English 80 reading classes can print their reading score for free with this service as well.
If a student wishes to utilize the free service, it is now required that he or she must bring any or all files to be printed on their flash drive; the files cannot be printed from their email. Although there are a few new regulations for the use of the free printing service, one student expressed her gratitude toward the return of the service. That’s really awesome, since the 10 cents they charge at the Library really adds up, it’s great,” Jaqueline Samad, 19, psychology major, said. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday: 7 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. and Friday 1:30 - 7:40 p.m.
Sarah Bremme Staff Writer
Due to heavy budget cuts earlier this year, the forensics team has scheduled a fundraising event on Wednesday which will feature the competitive speech talents of team members. Having a fundraising event is nothing new for forensics team members, who typically plan events like these for its department. However this time around the team is extending their invitation to any and all interested stu-
dents, at the price of $10 a ticket. “We usually get $3,000 from our department alone, we would like to think that we could double that,” Francesca Bishop, director of forensics, said. If the team does succeed in raising $6,000 from the fundraiser, its plan to use the funds to attend one of the few fouryear college debates that would otherwise have been cut from the schedule. The competition, the Sunset Cliffs Classic in San Diego, is “the biggest four-year competition we go to and is one
of the only times students get to see four-year teams,” Bishop said. Attending four-year debates like the Sunset Cliffs Classic may require the extra effort of a fundraiser, but Bishop said that it would be beneficial to the team in more ways than just a chance to hone their skills. “We frequently have team members receive scholarships from these four-year universities, and it’s an important chance to be seen by a national audience,” she said.
Students to experience Muslim culture through Hijab day Karly Daquila Staff Writer
NEWS LINE
To some, it may only be a scarf, but to others it is a symbol of their rights. On Nov. 15, the Muslim Student Association will be giving students the opportunity to live one day in another person’s shoes, or in this case scarf, to know what it is like to wear a hijab on a day-to-day basis. “Due to the media or misconceptions, people think that Muslim women don’t have as many rights as men or that we’re oppressed, hijab day will teach them about Muslim women’s rights,” Raissa Kahlil, 20, president of Muslim Students Association (MSA), said. The whole point of the experiment is to help women understand the role of women in Islam, she added. “As Muslim women, we’re given a lot of rights, Hijab Day is about understanding those
By Victor Liptzin
rights and the importance of upholding those rights as men and women,” she said. Students will be able to participate by coming by the MSA table on Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sabrina Farah, 20, vice president of MSA said. “We will provide the scarves as well as show those who choose to participate how to wrap them and discuss the meanings and mannerisms behind wearing the hijab,” Kahlil said. Wearing a hijab is a choice that many Muslim women choose to honor God and themselves as they grow to understand themselves as Muslim women. Farrah said that the reason for wearing a hijab isn’t about the covering of their hair, but about manners. “First it is to obey God, Allah told men and women to be modest,” Farah said. “Modesty isn’t about covering your hair or your chest
area; it’s about how you interact with other people. I still have my character and my personality, I still am myself, but it has its time and place.” Heelai Shinwari, member of MSA said that since she started wearing the scarf she feels that she represents other muslim women. “If I act in a bad way, other people look bad because of me so I try and calm myself down,” Shinwari said. Those who participate in Hijab Day will be encouraged to attend a MSA meeting to share their experiences with the members of MSA, Khalil said. “People see us wearing the hijab but they may not know why we wear it. I think that some people may judge and if someone is put in our shoes they may think twice about something they say, do, or think,” Shinwari said.
Philip Prins/ Union Raissa Khalil, 20, nursing major, and Sabrina Farrah, 19, public health major, choose to wear hijabs (scarves covering the hair and neck) as part of their Muslim faith.
UCLA campus tour scheduled tomorrow
Campus closed Monday for holiday
CSU application workshop to take place
Nursing Information workshop
Last day to transfer with a “W”
Looking forward seeing what the UCLA campus looks like? A tour that may get you acquainted with the University will take place. This is an off campus event for more information please visit the Transfer/Career Center to get info on the tour.
Campus will be closed on Monday in observance of Veteran’s Day. Veterans Day was originally known as “Armistice Day” after World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.
Students interested in learning about how to fill out their CSU applications can attend the application workshop. There will be a CSU application workshop. Interested students may contact the Transfer Center at 310-660-3408.
For students planning to be nurses, there will be training at the Distance Education Center on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. A workshop/training for students will be sponsored. For more information, contact Janice Ishkawa at 310-660-3458, ext. 3433.
The last day to drop with a “W” is Nov. 16. Students may do so by logging on to the EC website and clicking on MyECC. Reminder that because of changes to class repeatability, students will only be permited to retake a class two times, which includes any “W” grade.