Union
El Camino College
May 12, 2011
With winter session cut,
What’s next for spring? Alma Zazueta Staff Writer
After a week-long struggle between administration and faculty groups, a proposal to eliminate the 2012 winter intersession appears to have prevailed. Now the fate of the spring semester hangs in the air, with early talks of adjusting the full calendar year having already taken place. “This is still a process for moving the spring session forward, some people might think it’s for the winter intersession but it’s not, winter intersession is pretty much gone,” Tom Fallo, EC president, said. During an emergency meeting the Calendar Committee brought up a proposal to have spring semester start earlier and end prior to June. This means that the spring 2012 semester would begin Jan. 21 instead of Feb. 11, and end May 18 instead of June 8. However, the calendar presented last week is still not official. There will be a second meeting with the Calendar Committee to discuss and vote on any changes. Fall would remain the same under this proposal, starting Aug. 27 and ending Dec. 16. “There has been a lot of discussion
about it and they seem to be completely inflexible, but to shift the start date of spring will basically eliminate the possibility of ever even having a winter session again,” Jeffrey Cohen, math professor, said. Cohen strongly opposes the cut of winter session, but says that if it is cut it would be best to keep the winter session gap and keep the start of spring as it is. “If we have no winter classes but we leave the calendar the same, then our students can go to other colleges, take winter classes and come back in the spring,” Cohen said. “Otherwise students who choose to take winter classes will not be able to come back because we would have already started,” he said. The decision to eliminate winter session was made as the result of future budget cuts coming to community colleges, an official said. The campus could now be facing a possible $11 million budget cut, Francisco Arce, vice president of academic affairs, said during the meeting. Although the shift in the start date for spring semester would have no impact in the amount of savings for the college, cutting winter will. “Part of the rationale for the winter was to cut the associated cost with it such as library service, and maintaining
Torrance, Calif
Putting the pieces together
buildings, we’ve estimated those costs in $100,000,” Jeanie Nishime, vice president of student and community advancement, said. Despite this, faculty and students disagree with the idea of adjusting the calendar. “Everyone acknowledges that there are cuts and there are going to have to be sacrifices, but we could keep winter intact and make a neat percent cut in fall,” Christina Gold, Academic Senate president, said. Meanwhile Edwin Arredondo, 20, communications major, said that the spring semester “should stay the same because students are accustomed to it and students can take classes at another college.” Despite the opposition from faculty groups and students, the restoration of winter session is no longer an option. The new proposed calendar comes only a few months after Nishime promised there wouldn’t be any changes to the college calendar for at least two more years during a forum last October, Cohen said. But even with their discontent, instructors and faculty members will continue to serve the school. “I’ve been here many years, I love my job and I’m not going anywhere,” Cohen said.
Jose Flores /Union Andrea Palacios, 21, fashion design major, works on sewing together an article of clothing on her machine during class. Eric Farrell /Union
Associated Students Organization gets new members Tayani Davis Staff Writer
Keep a close eye on campus, because changes may be on their way thanks to the newly elected Associated Students Organization (ASO) members. Rebekka Asher was voted the president elect of ASO after serving as the Senator of Natural Sciences. “I feel like being a president elect is such a privilege, and it energizes me. We are all here for the same purpose but as president of ASO I can help students get to that purpose,” Asher said.
Asher, who will officially be president in the fall semester, said that understanding how the current slumping economy affects students will be a big focus for her. “How the economy is I just want to provide a sense of hope for students next fall and inform students on how important education is. I want students to look at ASO as guidance,” Asher said. Asher’s other main goal is to increase awareness to students as to what ASO is. She was elected after an 876 student-voter turnout for the elections.
“One of my goals next semester is to create more awareness on our campus. It is hard to advocate when you don’t have students support because no one knows we exist,” Asher said. To achieve more recognition on campus she said she plans to have more small awareness events, with possibly one event a month just so students can gain knowledge of ASO and its members. Jasmine Hormati, new vice president elect, said she also plans to make students even more aware of ASO and
what their organization entails. “Moving into this position it gives me the chance to make myself more available to the students so they are aware of who ASO is,” Hormati said. Hormati’s goal for next semester is to keep students better informed and more aware of what is going on around their campus. She also wants to develop better connections with the 14 other schools in our district to gain ideas from them and apply it to our school as well. “I definitely want to keep students more informed next semester not only
with what is going on around campus but statewide issues that can affect our school,” Hormati said. Melina Mossberg, new Public Relations Officer elect, looks to help out her ASO peers. Her goal is to finish the goals that the former Public Relations Officer Nicole Reinertsen’s already started. “As Public Relations Officer elect I can reach out to students and get them to see the positive side of things, be more spirited and more comfortable on campus,” Mossberg said.
Acceptance rates decline despite increase in college applications Ashley Curtin Staff Writer
It is that time of year when students rush to their mailboxes and stay by their computers patiently waiting for college admission decisions. But the college acceptance rate continues to drop as students now apply to more colleges. “This is a growing trend and I encourage students to apply to multiple campuses,” Sue OdaOmori, Transfer Center coordinator and counselor, said. “This gives students a lot of options and broadens their horizon.” The recent trend set by students has caused a 7 percent increase in college applications, according to the Los Angeles Times. But this increase comes with a decline in the college admittance rate. According to UCLA’s Profile of Admitted Transfer Students, the rate dropped
NEWS LINE Anthropology Student Research Symposium The Anthropology Club is hosting an Anthropology Student Research Symposium tomorrow at the Haag Recital Hall from 1 to 3 p.m.
from 33 percent admitted in 2009 to 29 percent in the fall of 2010. And as California faces proposed budget cuts, it will continue to limit the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems’ admissions, Oda-Omori said. She feels it is important that students start applying to both private and out-of-state colleges. “There is an increase in applications to UC and CSU colleges,” she said. “Therefore it is impacting the admission rate and the CSU system must reduce the number of students they admit.” With a possible fee increase, UC and CSU systems’ tuition is now comparable to that of private colleges Oda-Omori said. “If you compare them, there is not much of a cost difference,” she said. “There are also many scholarships (private colleges) have to offer so it is very appealing to students.”
Classified Professional Development Week Next week is Classified Professional Development Week where everyone can take part in informative personal and professional development activities. More information can be found on the college website.
For Lisa Nena, 21, English major, private colleges were the only ones on her list. She will attend Azuza Pacific University (APU) in the fall and even though she said it might cost a little more, she is excited about the opportunity. “I feel that private colleges have a higher acceptance rate,” Nena said. “Also I am transferring in as a junior which at a CSU I would have transferred as a sophomore.” Other students feel that applying to many different colleges will give them a better chance of being accepted to a college. “It is important for me to apply to as many colleges as I can,” Tray Thompson, 26, broadcast journalism major, said. “At first I was only looking at UC and CSU colleges but now I am interested in private colleges too. Things are so tight and I don’t want to be disappointed,” he said.
Day with Dominguez informational session California State University, Dominguez Hills will be on campus today for an event called “Day with Dominguez” located on the Schauerman Library Lawn from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
While students look to keep their options open, some are interested in staying in the geographical area. This forces them to apply to multiple colleges in the UC and CSU systems. “I am first applying to colleges in the UC system,” Jessica Sullivan, 18, English major, said. “If I don’t get accepted, I will move on and apply to some CSU colleges.” But the trend is causing tougher competition for students. “When I was first out of high school and applying for college, it was quite a bit easier compared to now,” Stephen Valiza, 22, business major, said. As many student wait for college admission decisions, a feeling of uncertainty lingers for the years to come. “At this point, we can’t focus on just one or two colleges,” Thompson said. “We need to apply to many for a better chance to get in.”
Strategies for registration session this Monday
Get help with navigating MyECC Portal
A “Strategies for Registration” session is Monday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. telling students how to use time management to plan around there schedule. Interested persons may visit the Special Resource Center.
There will be a session Monday from 4 to 5 p.m. assisting students on how to navigate the MyECC portal. This session will take place in the Special Resource Center; please ask front desk for location upon arrival. -Tayani Davis
2
NEWS
POLICE BEAT Male cited for driving with suspended license May 7, 11 p.m. — An officer observed a vehicle at the corner of Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards driving without a license plate. A traffic stop was made on Redondo Beach Boulevard adjacent to Alondra Park. The male non-student was driving on a suspended license. He was issued a notice to appear and was released on scene.
Student files grand theft report for cell phone May 7, 6 p.m. — A female student filed a grand theft report after her cell phone was stolen from an outside table near the Math and Computer Science Building close to Room 100A. The student stated she fell asleep at the table and when she awoke her cell phone was missing. The phone was valued at $600.
Female detained for drunken driving May 6, 12 a.m. — An officer observed a vehicle driving through Parking Lot H and continued through inner campus. The vehicle was stopped and a female non-student stated she was drinking earlier that evening. A field sobriety test was conducted and the suspect failed. She was transported to Torrance Police Department for booking.
—Ashley Curtin
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
Social Science Building gets face lift Sam Barke Staff Writer
Construction here. Construction there. Construction everywhere. The Social Sciences Building, one of the oldest buildings on campus, is getting a face lift and is planned to open this fall. “I think it’s cool that they are renovating the Social Sciences Building,” Jon Bartolazzi, biochemistry major, said. “This means that future generations like my siblings will be able to take advantage of things we didn’t have.” Faculty was moved out at the end of fall semester in December of 2009 and the building was gutted around April 2010 to commence construction. Classrooms were relocated in spring of 2010 to the Manhattan Beach Boulevard Modules and the Art Building, while most of the faculty offices were moved to the Cherry Tree Offices adjacent to the Communications Building. “It’s been kind of a hassle because the divisional office is located on the third floor of the Art Building and a lot of the faculty offices and classes have been moved out,” Gloria Miranda, dean of behavioral and social sciences, said. “It’s been a little
Jose Flores /Union The Social Science Building gets remodeled and is set to open this Fall.
tough getting used to, but we still managed to keep things going.” “The building is one of the oldest and was remodeled for efficiency and modernization” Tom Brown, assistant director of facilities planning and services, said. “The project budget currently is $7,362,527.
This is a state project, so the project is 50 percent funded from the bond and 50 percent from the state.” While rain hit the campus constantly in the fall semester of 2010, construction has been on schedule, with no hindrances. Construction plans to end in June and
classes are already scheduled for the fall 2011 semester. “I’m a freshman, so all of this new building that’s being done on campus is pretty neat,” Ben Inada, applied math major, said. Like the Math, Business, and Health Sciences Building, the Social Sciences Building will be a more “green” building, with more efficient air conditioning and electrical systems. Classrooms will also be improved with “smart classroom” technology. The restrooms will be ADA compliant as well as all access for those that are disabled, Brown said. “Change often requires that a person be inconvenienced for a short time,” Kell Stone, adjunct sociology major, said. “The whole move process in general is a great way to organize, de-clutter and get renewed for future semesters. It will also be great to have the division much more united, where faculty and division staff can work in a more collaborative way.” Future projects on campus include a current MSC Building renovation; a relocation of the Shops Building to what is currently the North Field, and Murdock stadium as well, which is in the design phase.
Club works with PETA to pass out stickers for animal rights Joshua Sherman Staff Writer
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, are spreading their influence across college campuses by launching “Million Sticker Mania,” a campaign attempt to administer one million pro-animal rights stickers to college students. The stickers parade a cartoon nugget with the slogan “I am not a nugget” on them. The slogan represents the fact that, chickens do not have nuggets. “The million sticker mania campaign shows how easy it is to make a difference for animals,” Ryan Huling, PETA2 college campaign coordinator, said. “It’s a fun and light-hearted way of talking about a more serious issue.” More than 100 campuses in
the U.S. have received the stickers from PETA2 in an attempt to educate students about animal rights and veganism, according to news release from PETA2. “It has the potential to get around at EC, but it needs a bigger support group,” Heather Henry, 22, environmental science major, said. “People like the stickers because it’s a fun way of educating people.” Henry, president of the Animal Rights Club, will be passing out the stickers Tuesday May 24 at her last club meeting. The club members are then meant to distribute the stickers across campus. “When it comes to animal rights (just like with other social justice movements) it’s young people who are leading the charge,” PETA2 director Dan Shannon said in a news release.
“More and more college students are embracing a healthy, humane vegan diet and thanks to student activists like Heather, that number will continue to grow.” Colleges provide a great forum for spreading the word about animal rights and veganism, Henry said. “They’re great places to access lots of people and it’s where students are still growing up and learning,” Henry said. The animal rights club performs educational outreaches by handing out pamphlets and stickers to help promote veganism, Henry said. PETA was founded in 1980 in reaction to the cruel treatment of animals and PETA2 is a branch of the organization designed to appeal to younger audiences. PETA2 came on campus this semester to petition for more vegan
options in the cafeteria and was able to acquire more than 900 signatures from students. “Animal rights goes beyond your food,” Henry said. “I think being vegan is important because it not only affects the environment but it affects your health in a positive way.” The number of college students who identify themselves as vegetarian has risen by 50 percent in the past four years, and the number of vegans has more than doubled, according to PETA. “I think veganism is too hard to do because a lot of things contain animal products,” Korrina Guerrero, 19, biology major, said. “I think you can support it without being a vegan.” Even if you don’t stick with it, trying to be vegan or vegetarian helps you learn a lot and it’s a good experience, Ana Rodriguez,
20, art major, said. “I’m not restricting it only to vegans and vegetarians, I think anyone can be for animal rights,” Henry said. “But it is important to know if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, where the food you’re eating comes from.” Rodriguez said she thinks veganism should be expanded because vegan restaurants aren’t ,popular around here. “People are always asking me questions about being vegan because they think it’s strange and from some other world,” Rodriguez said. “They just don’t understand and it’s new to them.” “It’s shocking for a lot of people to find out what happens,” Huling said. If interested in helping the cause you can visit the PETA website at www.peta2.org.
ARTS 3
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
ON THE SCENE Theater
Workshop is more than just opera
‘The Waiting Room’ debuts tomorrow night Three women from different historical time periods meet in a modern day waiting room to discuss the path to beauty and its consequences. With mature subject matter and language, younger audiences should be advised. The dark comedy begins tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Campus Theatre. A Sunday matinee on May 22 begins at 3 p.m. Interested persons may call 800-832ARTS for more information.
Nicholette Raecke Staff Writer
Speech
Resident artist Cynthia Bahti presents speech “The Journey to Self-Hang On, It’s Going To Be A Bumpy Ride” is an informative speech discussing theories of self concept by Cynthia L. Bahti. It will take place at Marsee Auditorium Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $15. Interested persons may call 800-832-ARTS for more information.
Music
Morgenstern Trio makes L.A. debut at Marsee The International awardwinning, Morgenstern Trio featuring Catherine Klipfel playing piano, Stefan Hempel on violin and Emanuel Wehse on cello will perform at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Marsee Auditorium. The Los Angeles debut of the German trio will include selections from Beethoven, Ravel and Brahms. Tickets cost $26. Interested persons may call 800-832ARTS for more information. —Joshua Sherman
Family feud stagnates
Shiggy Ichinomiya /Union Anthony Moreno, 25, music major (left) and Christina Dee, 24, vocal performance major, (center) rehearse a scene for their performance on June 6. Rabiya Hussain Staff Writer
Selections from “Guys and Dolls” to “The Marriage of Figaro” can be heard being rehearsed from the quad of the Music Building Monday nights as students from the Opera Workshop prepare for the upcoming showcase next month. The Opera Workshop was created in 2004 to teach aspiring performers the skills needed to be able to move, act and sing simultaneously on stage. “It’s a skill that you need to acquire and this class is a place where students cannot only perfect their performance but also get used to interacting with people on stage while singing,” Opera Workshop director Vicki Muto said. Unlike the name suggests, Hedley Nosworthy, music professor and founder of the class, said the Opera Workshop is about much more than just opera. Throughout the semester, the class experiments with a va-
riety of performances such as operettas, arias and musical theater. “You connect with the music better and really dive into the character you’re portraying,” Sedonia Murray-Cain, 29, music major said. “It’s a lot of multitasking. Many songs are in a foreign language like French, Italian or German and then at the same time you have to tell a story with your song and performance.” Muto said the class is especially beneficial for music majors transferring to universities. “We have noticed that students who have transferred in the last couple of years have said that this particular workshop was key in their development and helped prepare them,” Muto said. She added, “In some cases it has made the difference between whether or not they got into the university.” Although Anthony Moreno, 25, music major, graduated EC last spring and attends Cal State Long Beach, he continues to enroll in the class that, he said, is an invaluable re-
source. “The class has helped me tremendously with what I’m doing now at CSULB,” Moreno said. “It has given me so much experience in solo performances and I’ve really become more comfortable with being on stage as a solo performer.” Teamwork is an essential part of the class, Murray-Cain said. “There is a lot more interaction in this class. We’ll work on scenes with multiple people and we all have to rely on each other. Everybody has to pull their own weight for a good performance, ” Murray-Cain said. Outgrowing small classrooms that showcased these performers, the Opera Workshop performances now take place at the Campus Theatre. “Even with that we have to do multiple performances so that everybody can get in.” Nosworthy said. “It’s become very successful.” Taking place on June 6, the showcase begins at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10.
“Jumping the Broom” in a nutshell, is an entertaining urban comedy that ultimately feels a bit formulaic. Planning a speedy wedding and uniting two very different families, Jason (Laz Alonso) and Sabrina (Paula Patton) are young lovers tasked with introducing their families to each other. Things don’t go as smooth as they had hoped. Two drastically different families, one living downtown, the other uptown, clash immediately. The film juxtaposes Sabrina’s mother, a smart, attractive, snarky and demanding woman with Jason’s mother, who carries some sort of deep resentment and feels slighted that she hasn’t met the bride prior to the wedding. Neither woman seems willing in the long run to yield to the considerations of their children, even for the most important day of their lives. Uncle Willie Earl (Mike Epps) steals the show, delivering laughs throughout with smart one-liners. Sabrina’s character was a vision of beauty, showing the utmost of patience throughout the film. But often she came off as infantile and childlike. As if she couldn’t handle the idea. Although a beautiful film, many stale and stereotypical feelings drag down the setting and good acting. Luckily the film does enough to save it from being completely stale.
Southern belle wins gold
Jose Flores /Union Whitney Gamble, 22, mass communications major, graduates EC in June.
Actor and Forensics team member is a double threat. Erika Maldonado Arts Editor
Playing an angry, foul mouthed gang leader from South Central Los Angeles named Aisha in the feature film “Down For Life” is what Whitney Gamble, 22, mass communications major, calls her alter-ego. “She is the complete opposite of me. I shoot photos and she shoots bullets. There is no likeness between the two of us at all,” Gamble said. “I walked into my audition with no smile, cussing up a storm and being hardcore,” Gamble said. “When I finished and started talking like I normally do, I think I surprised them.” “Down For Life” starring Snoop Dogg and Danny Glover recently won “Biggest Surprise”
at The Toronto International Film Festival, the third largest film festival behind the Cannes and Sundance film festival. Based on a true story, the film follows a fateful day in the life of a 15-year-old gang member, played by Jessica Romero. After she steals Gamble’s character, Aisha’s car, Aisha puts justice in her own hands.
RISING
STAR “You have to go see the movie to see what happens in the end,” Gamble said. Moving from Savannah, Georgia at age 18 on her own, to pursue acting, Gamble said California took some getting used to at first. “I miss the Southern hospitality and knowing my neighbors,” Gamble said. “Everything is so
fast-paced here. Nobody says hi to each other and it’s harder to find true friends.” After a successful semester in Francesca Bishop’s, communication studies professor, debate class in spring 2007, Gamble joined the Forensics Team. “Whitney is our expert oral interpretation performer. She is a skilled performer who is able to get inside a character like few people her age can,” Bishop said. “I have seen her virtually become the character, so much so that she, and the audience, can be moved to tears.” Gamble won gold in oral interpretation in a national competition, last month, improving her silver award she earned last year. The 10-minute, individual event, she said, was like her baby. “It was a mix of genres and I used a Youtube video and a poem with song lyrics, using six different characters to talk about music in the entertainment industry and how it’s trashing our minds.” Gamble explained how songs such as Grandmaster Flash’s “White Lines” spoke against drug use and now almost every mainstream song glorifies drug and alcohol use. Finishing her final semester at EC, Gamble has been accepted to Concordia University in Irvine with a scholarship where she will continue to compete on its debate team. “I am so happy to have seen such personal and professional growth in Whitney,” Bishop said. “As an educator, it is what you hope for the most. I’m looking forward to watching her development as she competes for a university. I am sure she will excel.” Gamble’s biggest cheerleaders, she said, have been her parents. “I’ve been so blessed to have 100 percent support from my parents. They’ve always encouraged me,” Gamble said. “At the end of the day, they’re going to tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. If I wasn’t any good at this, they’d let me know.”
4 EDITORIALS
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
Canceling winter session is the wrong move
Illustration by MariaCristina Gonzalez
With winter session cut, students need to step up to the plate and fight for what we believe in. Why change something that has been working so well? According to a study done by Institutional Research, 78 percent of the students were more successful during winter session than they were during the fall semester. Last semester, Jeanie Nishime, vice president of student and community advancement, said that calendar changes don’t just happen “overnight” and the last calendar change took about three years to go into effect. President Tom Fallo called the calendar change proposal just a “proposal” and that students needed to just relax and not worry so much. Well, they were very wrong. It only took a year for them to discuss the matter and come to a conclusion that hurts students more than benefits them. Nishime argues that everything is on hold during the winter and that everything stops, administrative-wise, due to the fact that the faculty are not under contract. However, what’s more important: Students or administration? They need to step back and think of what would be better: administrative efficiency or student success? They need to set their priorities straight. The cancellation of the winter session means that there will be one less session per year, which means that it would take longer for us to transfer. A lot of us already had our educational plans made by the counselors and have to lengthen our time here at EC, frustrating the students and also the counselors who have to remake the plans.
The issue:
Winter session is no longer an option for students attending EC.
Our stand:
This benefits the administration rather than the students they were put here to serve.
The faculty is very mad about this change. They care a lot about the students. However, that will not change anything until we, students, go up there and really tell the administrators what’s on our mind. Students should start a petition and send it over to the EC board of trustees, voicing their disapproval of the administration’s actions in regards to canceling winter session. We need to tell them that winter session is a necessity and without it, it’s just going to make our transfer processes longer. Students should also utilize the “Tuesday’s with Tom” opportunity to visit President Fallo during his office hours from 2 to 3 p.m. to discuss important matters. This calendar change can also potentially have a drastic change in enrollment because students might just go to a different community college that has winter sessions, such as Los Angeles Valley College and Pierce College. The community college system should be for the students and do everything in its power to make the students have a successful transfer to a four-year university within two years. It’s about time that we step up and make the administrators realize that they made a huge mistake in getting rid of winter session. —See related article on Page 1
More vegan options at campus eateries are necessary in today’s world While sitting in class, glancing at the clock waiting for noon to approach, one begins to hunger for lunch. Vegan lasagna or a vegan hot dog is what your stomach is craving, but when you get to the campus food spot, the only options available are veggie burgers and wraps. Vegetarians tend to not eat any meat, poultry or fish and a vegan tends to not eat any animal products or by-products. Since there’s only a limited amount of time before your next class, you are forced to settle for what’s there. With such a diverse group of students and faculty on campus, one would assume that the food on campus would reflect all those lifestyles. For example, the Campus Deli, the Manhattan, CaféCamino and Common Ground; all provide choices of hamburgers, pizzas, deli sandwiches and burritos, making meat their main ingredient in most of their menu items. There are other options at these locations for people to choose from when looking for something to eat, including
junk food, select fruit and different pastries. We have the right to stay healthy and have dining options on campus that do not contain meat. Joining the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Animal Rights Club is taking the initiative of bringing awareness to faculty and students about having vegan options on campus. With almost 900 signatures, the club hopes to get support in providing vegan food at EC. Although this is a great way to bring attention to something that affects many people on campus, it shouldn’t take an event like this to get a variety of non-meat foods on these grounds. Food shouldn’t be an exception when considering people’s backgrounds or beliefs. Just as we acknowledge people’s religion, we should also acknowledge their eating habits. Going green shouldn’t only apply in the environmental
aspect; it should apply to the food that is offered. The average person’s consensus is that vegan food is boring and is only green, but it doesn’t just have to involve lettuce and tomatoes. UCLA has been a leader in this area, as they have gone vegan friendly and incorporated many vegan options to their menus. Why not follow and also make that change here on this campus? Having more green fresh food that doesn’t consist of meat will not only keep everyone on campus happy, but it will also promote a healthy lifestyle. Just as the few campus items on the Café Camino menu give vegetarians some options, why can’t there be any for those who choose to eat vegan? Even if some of us are not vegan, we should still all go out there and support the idea of bringing vegan food options to EC. —See related article on Page 2
Online publication brings EC to new heights Bad sportsmanship leads Lakers to a loss CAMPUS COMMENTARY INSIGHT
Various media outlets such as KTLA and the Los Angeles Times use their websites to stay connected with its viewers along with using them to keep updated with the latest news worldwide. Similar to those publications, EC’s own journalism department also uses social networking as an important tool with its recently upgraded Union online publication. The possibilities of informing the campus were limited on the older version of the website as it was outdated and didn’t provide the website visitors with new multimedia. With an estimated 300 viewers weekly, the new website continues to provide students and faculty with current EC news. With the new website, readers can now be a part of the evolution of journalism as it showcases new and improved multimedia projects that display EC’s own student opinions, while covering campus events to a new extent. Our social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook can also be found to be updated continuously with links to our stories on the website along with other information students should know about. Readers can now also be introduced to our editorial board of all our publications from the Union newspaper, Online publication, as well as our Warrior Life magazine by clicking on their staff profile links which is easily accessible on the website. A new different feature on the website now showcases staff profiles that lists some of the journalists work along with personal blogs that describe their experiences along with our day to day editor life.
Union
El Camino College
Vol. 64, No. 17 May 12, 2011
E-mail: elcaminounion@ yahoo.com Newsroom: (310) 660-3328 Advertising: (310) 660-3329
Another new feature that also cannot be found in our print edition of the Union is an out and about section, where staff writers cover local events such as First Fridays in Venice Beach, the recent Redondo Beach Kite Festival and more. The out and about section also includes various restauMariaCristina Gonzalez, 21, rant reviews within the LA Online Editor-inarea along with feature stories Chief on latest nightlife hot spots. Movie and album reviews are also available on our website, covering a select few of the newly released movies. For our sports fans, the website also has a new feature that allows us to have daily score updates of all our teams currently in season. For many readers who prefer the print edition of the Union, the website also showcases our print edition in a viewable form that can be downloaded, linked or emailed to other readers, in case you forget to pick up a copy during the week. The views expressed in Campus Insight are those of the authors. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Union, its staff, editorial board or adviser. This column is available to students and faculty. All articles may be submitted to Eccunion@gmail.com. Please note that articles may be edited for content and length.
With a blow to the lower body, a blindsided Dirk Nowitzki was knocked to the ground. As the Maverick’s star player scrambled to get back up, the crowd groaned in complete disbelief. After being swept 4-0 by the Dallas Mavericks in what looked to be a possible three-peat season, the Lakers did more then stare defeat in the face. But when did the basketball court turn into a boxing ring? Lamar Odom’s repulsive act of shoving Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki’s body to the floor, followed by trash talk, looked a little more like Mike Tyson boxing in his prime. And the humiliation continued for the Lakers when Andrew Bynum threw an elbow at Maverick’s guard Juan Jose Barea sending him to the hard ground, hard. Bynum, unable to keep his composure, walked off the basketball court shirtless; an altogether unforgiveable act. These punk moves shamed both themselves and the Lakers’ organization. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Odom admitted he was “embarrassed.” Bynum said he was annoyed that the smallest opponent kept scoring on him during his interview. Their embarrassment and frustration changed the style of the game that night as both players were quickly ejected for purposely trying to hurt the opponents. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has no tolerance for dirty plays, hard fouls and disrespect toward players. David Stern, commissioner NBA assessed punishment for Odom and Bynum’s degrading behavior, suspending Bynum for five games and fin-
Co-Editor-in-Chief.................................................Haipha Simon Co-Editor-in-Chief.................................................Nelson Amaya Co-News Editor...........................................................Matt Simon Co-News Editor...........................................................Eric Farrell Co-Opinion Editor..................................................Haipha Simon Co-Opinion Editor..........................................Viridiana Vaca-Rios Features Editor.....................................................Samantha Troisi Arts Editor..........................................................Erika Maldonado Co-Sports Editor.....................................................Nelson Amaya Co-Sports Editor........................................................Andrew Lim Co-Photo Editor...........................................................Jose Flores Co-Photo Editor....................................................Patrick Osborne Online Editor-in-Chief.............................MariaCristina Gonzalez Advertising Manager..........................................Stephanie Alcorn Adviser................................................................Lori Medigovich Adviser...............................................................Kate McLaughlin
Technical Support.....................................................Don Treat
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.
ing Odom. Basketball is a profession and athletes need to sustain a professional demeanor throughout the sport. So when emotions run high, it’s their job to show poise, self respect Ashley Curtin and gratitude for both themStaff Writer selves and the game. Rather, the Lakers’ immaturity shined through on Sunday and their anger management went out the door. Since many athletes serve as role models and heroes to children, athletes are asked to set a good example. It is important to teach children to be humble, win or lose, and instruct them on ways to keep their composure even when a temper sparks. While the children look up to athletes, the fans put their heart and soul into the team. The Lakers inexcusable behavior during the game was also a disregard for the people that support them. Many fans put their lives on hold to watch a basketball game or save up enough money to sit in the nosebleed section of the arena just to see a glimpse of their favorite player. But those two inexplicable acts by Odom and Bynum showed no respect for the loyal fans who “keep the faith” throughout the Lakers’ season. Further more, after winning 16 NBA championships, there is no reason for the Lakers to be sore losers and taint the franchise name. So until next year, let’s keep it classy Lakers. Associated Collegiate Press Regional Pacemaker Award 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 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
OPINION
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
UP FOR DEBATE
Should people have sex on the first date? It’s a great way to test a couples’ chemistry. Like a very wise man once said, Carpe Diem; “Sieze the day.” If the planets are aligned and the music of your heart is enticing you to trust your feelings and to act upon your primal instincts, then “sex it up” on that first date. An article on the website EmandLo.com, titled “Wise guys; is sex on the first date a relationship killer,” contains responses from readers boasting how their sexual encounter on the first date had happy endings. Many of the responses on this website shared how many of the men who had sex on the first date had relationships that lasted several years. And having sex on the first date won’t necessarily ruin things between couples. If you are worried about that other person losing interest once they get a little sample, be aware that if he or she is in it only for the sex, he or she shouldn’t even be worth your time in the first place. Sex on the first date can whittle out unkeepables or even people that you don’t seem to have any chemistry with. If a woman or a man truly loves you, she or he will stay because of reasons beyond sex alone. Knowing that the two of you have great chemistry in bed can lead to a stronger relationship and can eventually progress into love. And don’t be afraid that sex might kill the “mystery”. Won’t the mystery die out anyway when you do end up having sex? Why prolong the inevitable? Even if your sexual encounter does not extend beyond a one night stand, you might score more personal, self building feelings. One may not get a significant other out of the experience, but one may definitely change for the better because of it. Let us not forget experience. And if nothing good comes out of it at all, think of it this way; at least you got laid. Be happy about that. Nothing can take that away from you. Who is to say you will not die tomorrow, right after you read this article? We are all young, we must enjoy life to its fullest. You have to do what feels right. Next time you have a date with some-
Tayani Davis Staff Writer
Samuel Barke Staff Writer
one, and the sparks are flying, test the waters and dive right in and go along for the ride. Whether it is having sex on the first date or not, it is all up to you and is no one else’s concern. However, remember that if you do decide to engage in sexual activity on the first date, do it responsibly and always protect not only yourself, but your partner as well.
If an individual wants to set standards and morals for themselves, then sex on the first date should not be an option. Having sex on the first date may sound appetizing, but it does not look good for two people who are both making an effort to get to know one another. Think about it, if you have sex after just meeting someone on the first date, it may give the other person the impression
Illustration by Dan Baldonado
People should get to know each other first. that you are easy. And if it seems as if there may be a future with this person, you don’t want to give them that impression. Your first impression is sometimes your last impression when first meeting someone, and sex should not be the first. According to the website Askmen. com, waiting longer before having sex in a romantic relationship is important because it gives you something to look forward to. If you enjoy sex on a first date, you are starting the process back to front. It’s quite backwards to get to know each other after you have already had sex. Also, what may seem like a harmless thing to do can be harmful on the first date because you don’t know the person you are sleeping with. The person could be a rapist, a killer or can even be carrying a sexually transmitted disease. Even though there are condoms and other contraceptives available, you’re unaware of the person’s sexual history and there could be unplanned pregnancies as well. When you set standards for yourself to hold off on sex on the first date, you’re also protecting yourself from harms way. If you wait to get to know the person and have an idea of who they are, then you can make a better choice on having sex with him or her or not. In addition, sex on the first date could lead to a strict sexual relationship with the other person instead of a romantic relationship. Waiting to have sex keeps you more interested in the person and it makes you curious as to what the person has to offer. It also helps keep the relationship a mystery. By waiting, it also creates an intense feeling between the two people. It will only make the first time the couple has sex, that much more special. Even though sex may be hard to resist at times, you will gain an even better reward if you wait a bit longer to get to know the person mentally, instead of only physically.
Terrorist’s death brings human decency into question Osama bin Laden is dead! Or at least this is what our president said in a short speech he gave to Americans confirming that bin Laden had been killed. And now everybody is wondering whether his death is real or not, although the president said it was real. Americans want to know why he was buried at sea and why the U.S. refused to show proof of his death. To many, this means that he is not dead, or that he had been dead and the U.S. is only taking credit to gain popularity amongst its citizens, in a way to make citizens feel that what happened on 9/11 was finally being avenged. Even if it’s a Muslim tradition to bury people within 24 hours, people want to see it to believe it. They want proofs, a picture, a video, or something that can give them the comfort of saying yes, bin Laden is dead. But in today’s world, that can’t really prove anything. A picture can be easily edited and a video can be misleading. Maybe to some, any of those, as gruesome as they may be, could be the only proof they need to feel safe. However, to many others it will only be a satisfaction. When the news of his death came out, it took over the front pages of magazines, newspapers and was all over the TV, spreading throughout the world, which isn’t surprising because he was one the most recognized figures on Earth.
all over the COLUMN worldSoon,tookcrowds over the streets to celebrate his death. It was as if for a moment they had forgotten that he was also a human being. He was also a person who had a family, who are now lost in their own misery. It’s hard to forget that he was beAlma Zazueta hind 9/11, but is the celebration really Staff Writer necessary? Can we really say that we are better than him when we celebrate a human death? Showing a picture of his body covered in his own blood can be disrespectful and it can also feed the anger people have for violence. At least when it comes to me, seeing a picture of a dead body will only make me feel bad. I can still remember a day when I was in the back seat of my uncle’s car. It was my sister, two of my cousins and me. We were coming home after driving four hours from a place I can hardly recall. Traffic was horrible, and my uncle was really upset and
CAMPUS VIEWPOINTS
tired. I was wondering what happened because I could see bright lights flashing, and there were a lot of cops around the area. And then, we finally got to a point where two cars had crashed. And there it was, the body of a person lying down on the grass next to the road and the broken pieces of glass, it was covered from head to toe with a white sheet. I had no idea who that was, but it didn’t matter. Whether it was a man or a woman, a teenager, or if it had been his or her fault, or whether he had killed someone before or not, seeing a lifeless body made my heart quiver. For days, I couldn’t take that image out of my head and I wondered what his or her family was like, what they were doing or what they were going to do now. Bin Laden is different. Yes, he killed many people and it was wrong. But he is a human being and I can’t be happy for his death. It was probably the best thing for the world, but I can’t help it to feel sorry for him. I can imagine what his family feels right now and how horrible it would be to see a picture of your son or father after being murdered and to know that people are happy about it. Seeing a picture or a video of his death could mean the world to many people, but not to me.
5
CAMPUS CORNER
Heather Henry President Animal Rights Club
Heather Henry is the president of the Animal Rights Club. The club meets in the Math and Computer Science Building in Room 203, every fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 1:45 p.m. What’s it like being President? Its been really rewarding being president. It’s exciting to know that there’s a community at EC that supports animal rights. Is this a new club on campus or has it been around for a while? It started sometime in the early ‘90s. It was active for a while and then just kind of stopped. I reactivated it in the fall and changed some of the goals of the club. What are the goals for the club? To educate people in animal rights, to do volunteer work. We wanted to get some pot lucks with vegan food and get people familiar with it. What are some of the events you have done or plan on doing? Last semester, we volunteered at an animal sanctuary. We’ve handed out pamphlets and literature about animal rights. This year I had the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) help me get signatures for more vegan options on campus. I got almost 900 signatures. We’re in the processing of handing them over to EC. Hopefully we can get them to support the idea of having more vegan options. We have also volunteered at Animal Acres, an animal farm sanctuary in Acton, Calif. with cows, pigs and chickens that have all been rescued. We got some free food from Veggie Grill so people could try vegan food. They also said that they would do a fundraiser for us to help raise money for our club. In what direction will the club go next year? We would like to have more fundraisers, so we could donate money to sanctuaries and shelters that help animals as opposed to euthanizing them. I would definitely like to see more volunteer work be done. Sometimes it can be hard to help at shelters because of the paperwork and orientations that are required, so we would like to do so at a place where we can just sign up and do volunteer work. We want to get more people involved next year and continue advocating and educating others about animal rights. —Samuel Barke
Should people have sex on the first date? By Jessica Mendoza and Anna Ashkinadze
Taylor Tamura, 19, environmental studies major
Vincent Journey, 18, engineering major
Emmie Delio, 25, nursing major
Donovan Armstead, 19, criminal justice major
Ashley Caleeron, 20, child development major
Eddie Mckenna, 25, physical therapy major
“No. For me, sex is making a connection with someone you love and giving it away in the first night is too easy.”
“I think it is inappropriate, it is just the basic standards and going against what your parents taught you.”
“It depends on the situation and the person and how comfortable you feel with them. Alcohol can play a big role in your decision.”
“No, because I would have to get to know her more. Being intimate with someone I would want to have feelings for her.”
“No, because it is inappropriate. You don’t know what the person can have and what if they have STDs.”
“It all depends on the circumstances. I think everyone should have a one night stand once in their lives.”
6 SPORTS
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
Top tennis player excels on and off the courts Ever since she was young, Lindsay Guardado has had a passion for playing tennis. Alma Zazueta Staff Writer
Jose Flores /Union Lindsay Guardado was named one of the best players in the South Coast Conference and looks forward to playing next year.
Being named one of the best women tennis players in the South Coast Conference, Lindsay Guardado, 19, nursing major, proved herself to others that she is one of the best when she steps on the tennis court. Although she is only a freshman, Guardado has brought excitement to a team that went winless last year in conference; this year, the team managed to move on to the regionals placing second in the conference behind first place, Mt. San Antonio College. Her love for the sport began at a very young age when she was simply trying to stay active, but soon it became something that she was really passionate about and something she tries to get better at every single day. “My parents wanted us to play a sport. I tried (tennis) and I liked it,” Guardado said. “I just like the idea of the sport; people really get into it, and it’s all about the game.” It all started when she began playing at a recreational park in Dominguez Hills, where she joined a program specially designed for minorities. Guardado has been playing tennis for more than seven years now. “It’s not that I’m a better player but it’s just that I have more experience because many of
them haven’t been playing for that long,” she said. She has helped the team immensely with her experience and her attitude on and off the tennis courts. “She played tennis longer, she has played tournaments, is more consistent and more intelligent on the tennis court,” Steve Van Kanegan, tennis coach, said. The thrill of competing is what she enjoys the most, and even as the No. 1 player, she ad-
“We were very happy for her; she is our No.1 player and works really hard.” —Mio Hosaka Tennis player mits that she still gets nervous before starting every match. During the season she has been able to develop a close relationship with her coach as well as her teammates. “When she is playing tennis she is more serious and gets her game on, but outside of the tennis court she is just really bubbly and fun,” Mio Hosaka, Guardado’s teammate, said. “She cheers everyone up and is really funny, she’ll make everyone laugh,” Hosaka added. “She has inside jokes with everyone in the team so she is really close to everyone.” Guardado, together with Jourdan Jefferson,
No. 1 tennis player of Mt. SAC, was named the co-South Coast Conference player of the year. “It’s kind of exciting, I was really surprised,” Guardado said. “I wasn’t expecting it and it just made me want to do better next year.” The coaches present at the South Coast Conference Tournament voted on the player, who they thought should be named the best player in their conference; the coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players. “She is a really good player, has really good skills, has great swing, is consistent in everything, and she has a great attitude,” Teila Robertson, assistant coach, said. Despite her success, Guardado never thought of the possibility of becoming a professional player. “I didn’t take it seriously all my high school years,” she said. “Plus, I broke my ankle sophomore year so it took me a while to recover.” This season she was unable to move to the State Championship, losing in the first round in both the singles and doubles matches, but she looks forward to returning next season and carrying this momentum from this year to the next upcoming season. Her passion for the sport is something that she keeps in her heart and is something she wants to continue doing and encourages other teammates to play it as well. “We were very happy for her; she is our No.1 player and works really hard, she has really good sportsmanship, and is the most valuable player on the team, we need her to win,” Hosaka said.
Regional playoffs bring a mixed bag of results for the Warriors Heading to Fresno to compete in the state championships, duo has a long road ahead. Jorge Camarillo Staff Writer
It was déjà vu all over again for Attila Lassu and Andrew Sarawasi. The doubles tandem of Lassu and Sarawasi had to face Oliver Andrzejczuk and Torsten Keil-Long of Cypress College again, after losing to them in the Ojai Tournament.
Although Lassu and Sarawasi could not pull out a victory, they still qualified for the state championships and will head to Fresno on Thursday for the two-day Friday and Saturday event. “It’s the top 16 doubles teams from the southern regional and northern regional, each doubles team from the top 16 teams in the state (show up at the state championships),” Van Kanegan said. Lassu and Sarawasi will be the only players to represent EC in Fresno as all the other singles players fell short of qualifying. The doubles team duo of Yasuto Miyawaki and Jonathan Fisher lost in the first round, but Lassu and Sarawasi won the first two matches.
The wins enabled them to qualify, even though they lost the third match to the duo from Cypress College. “In singles, I lost in the first round,” Lassu said. “It was a really long match. It went three sets and I lost, so I was kind of disappointed, but then we made up for it in doubles and we won two rounds and we lost in the quarterfinals to the same team from Cypress College.” “Losing to them is more motivation to do better at states coming up, so I’m looking forward to that,” he said. The team still has a lot of room for improvement for its last stand of the season.
Lassu and Sarawasi have worked hard this week to try to get ready for the states competitions, Van Kanegan said. “We are going to work on returning serves and being faster during the matches,” he said. “We are going to leave today whether they are ready or not.” Van Kanegan still believes in his duo and thinks they will make some noise at state this weekend. “I think they have a good chance to win at least one match,” Van Kanegan said. “We’re down to the top 16 in the state, so I think they have a good chance to make it to quarterfinals and they will certainly make it to the semifinals or possibly into the finals, but it will take hard work.”
Women’s tennis team fails to qualify for the state championships in Fresno Season comes to a halt after improving the win total from two last year to eight. Alma Zazueta Staff Writer
After a loss in her singles match, tennis player Mio Hosaka, 19, business major, stood next to her doubles partner hoping to move to the second round at the regionals playoffs on Friday. Her first doubles match had come at an easy 6-2, 6-1 win. Her hopes were high as she walked into to her second doubles match but for her and her partner Sara Carranza, everything fell apart as they eventually lost the match and failed to move on. The
duo was the only ones to take a win that evening. “Our doubles team Carranza and Hosaka, about midseason really started putting it together and became much more consistent and more confident,” Steve Van Kanegan, coach, said. This was Hosaka’s first and last semester on the team as she will be transferring next semester, and admits to have started the season with little knowledge of the sport. “I wish I would’ve started practicing earlier, because when I started tennis it was just really sudden, so I was kind of rough at the beginning,” Hosaka said. As the No.1 player and recently named co-conference player of the year, Lindsay Guardado, 19, nursing major, had high hopes of moving forward to the
State Championship but found herself in a similar position. She lost her singles match 6-2, 6-1, and walked into a close doubles match together with her partner Carolina Mendoza. They ended the first set with a loss, 6-3 and tied the second set, moving on to a tiebreaker that gave them a win, 8-6, and brought them one step closer to the second round. They still had a chance to move on if they won the third set. However, their frustration took over their tennis racquet and one after another the duo kept making uncharacteristic mistakes, losing the set, 6-3. “For doubles, my teammate and me knew that we could have gotten it, but we went to a third set and we made too
many mistakes,” Guardado said. “We had arguments, we got frustrated, and I would just throw the balls out like out of frustration.” The same happened with the rest of the team as none of the players were able to move to the second round. “Although we had a good team this year we still need to move it up a notch with some of our players to compete with the top players in the state,” Van Kanegan said. “So, no real surprises here. I was expecting a tough tournament and it was.” The regional playoffs took place in San Diego last Friday to Sunday and hosted the top 40 singles players and 40 doubles teams all around the state. “It was a really good experience I’m glad that we made it, the teams out there
are really great,” Guardado said. Despite not qualifying for the state championship, the women were pleased with their performance. “I was happy because I heard that last year they weren’t even close to be one of the top teams in conference and we went farther than last year,” Hosaka said. The last time a woman tennis player moved on to State Championship was three years ago and with the season now over, the players are looking forward to showing better results and hopefully having some of the players move on to the championships. “They improved dramatically, and they all got along so well that practice was always fun, and some of them are already looking forward to next year so it’s really satisfying,” Van Kanegan said.
SPORTS
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union
ON DECK BADMINTON
Track and field team qualifies for finals Joshua Sherman Staff Writer
Tomorrow and Saturday at TBD for the Individual State Championship.
MEN’S TENNIS Tomorrow and Saturday at Fresno for the State Championship.
TRACK AND FIELD Tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Mt. San Antonio College for the Southern California Regional Finals.
Roger Morris /Union —Andrew Lim
7
Richard Smith was one of the shot putters to qualify for the regional finals at Mt. San Antonio College.
With only weeks left in the season the track and field teams began throwing, vaulting, jumping and running with extra intensity. Any doubts that the Warriors could qualify for state disappeared as they tore through the competition Friday at the Southern California regional finals at Mt. San Antonio College. “We’ve been doing well all season, and we continue to have big performances,” coach Dean Lofgren said. “Everything we do throughout the season and in the fall is geared toward the last few weeks.” The track and field teams will return to Mt. San Antonio College for the Southern California regional finals and state qualifiers tomorrow. “You have to go in there and just do what you have to do,” Alex Tuliau, discus thrower, said. “It’s not like it’s our first time going there.” Tuliau qualified in the discus along with Jason Harrell and Jovan Beason. “I picked up the discus when I started EC, but shotput is my main event,” Beason said. “Coach has always been telling me that I’m a discus thrower, so maybe this is a true testa-
ment to what I actually am.” Derion Taylor, triple jumper, reached seventh on the EC All-Time Top 10 List with a jump of 48 feet and 11 3/4 inches. “This week is about preparing mentally for this big meet because physically they’re ready,” assistant coach Darryl Geurin said. Qualifying in the 10,000-meter
“If you’ve thrown well, jumped well and run well, just go out, stay relaxed and do it again.” —Dean Lofgren Coach for the state finals, Maria Colin ran 39 minutes and 5.91 seconds placing her seventh in the race. “The pressure going into these meets tends to be self-imposed and (the coaches) try to take the pressure off the team,” Lofgren said. Due to dehydration and a quadricep strain, Jose Lezama dropped out of the 10,000-meter but will compete in the 5,000-meter final tomorrow. “The purpose of the meet is not
only to score well for the team, but to do as well as you can,” Lofgren said. Isis Garland achieved a personal record of 24.49 seconds qualifying her in the 200-meter along with Shale’ Garland with a time of 24.30. Shale’ Garland heads to the finals as the top qualifier in the 400-meter while Amanda Young achieved a personal record of 57.85 seconds in the event. “We have some high end people that are going to score points,” Lofgren said. “There’s good spirits, they’re competing well and everybody’s healthy.” Additionally, the women’s relay team won in the 400-meter and the 1,600-meter with times of 46.31 seconds and 3:48.66, respectively. The team consisted of Isis Garland, Shale’ Garland, Ronisha Vallery and Young. “If you’ve thrown well, jumped well and run well, just go out, stay relaxed and do it again,” Lofgren said. “It’s more important to stay relaxed in the big meets than to go in with high pressure thinking you’re going to go out and kill the world,” Lofgren said. “Those are the ones that walk away with their tail between their legs, bummed out that things didn’t go the way they planned.”
Doubles team heading to San Francisco for state championships Rabiya Hussain Staff Writer
Fear set in as Andrea Flores, first-year badminton player, prepared for her first singles match at the 2011 South Coast Conference against an East Los Angeles player known as “The Toughie” by her peers. “This was my first time playing at the tournament and I was a little scared not having played before,” Flores said. “But she was pretty tough; she was East L.A.’s No. 4 player.” Although Flores lost and was not able to make it to the finals, which would have made her eligible to compete in the state championship taking place
Friday, two of her teammates did. The doubles tandem of Tanille Barnes and Kumiko Noguchi will be heading to San Francisco today to compete at the State Championships against colleges from Northern California as well as qualifying teams from Southern California. “We beat two East L.A. teams and that’s how we ended up placing,” Barnes said. “It felt really good. We hadn’t beaten any other team besides Compton the whole season, so it felt great.” However, Barnes said the pressure of competing at the tournament was immense and was nothing like the matches the team played throughout the regular season. “It’s a lot of pressure on your body and mental-
ly,” Barnes said. “You don’t know how long you’re going to be playing and then you don’t want to loosen up cause if you lose your game, that would be it. And of course if you win, you have to be strong for the next game.” “It’s different than playing a few games on a regular day; it’s just a lot harder playing in the tournament.” Barnes added. Despite the fact that none of the other team members placed in the finals, Barnes said the team was excited for Noguchi and her success. Flores said the fact that two of her teammates managed to go to the state championship was her most memorable moment of the season. Among those who were proud of the duo was
coach John Britton, who said he had faith in the players and anticipated that Barnes and Noguchi would qualify. “I’m very pleased they’re getting a reward for the effort they put into the play and for the effort they put into the competition,” Britton said “it’s great to get recognition by reaching the state finals.” Britton added the team had improved greatly over the course of the season but had not improved enough to match the opposition’s strength. “Of course there is always something to improve on,” Barnes said. “We aren’t professionals, but I think we all did pretty well this season, especially the players who were playing the game for the first time.”
May 12, 2011 / El Camino College Union