Issue 9, 11/15/12

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE:

Extended Q&A with Robert Uphoff, basketball coach

NIO U N

FEATURES: UNION HOLIDAY EDITION, Pages 7-12

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Nov. 15, 2012

Torrance, California

EC accepts accelerated math classes for nonSTEM majors

Drawing out a little death

Thomas Schmit Staff Writer

Kyle Borden/ Union Anaron Yamamoto, business major, draws a Dia de Los Muertos skull for the anthropology club.

Members of EC’s curriculum committee voted Tuesday to accept a pair of experimental, accelerated math courses on a permanent basis, school officials said.

The courses are designed to help students who are not majoring in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) more effectively reach proficiency in college-transfer level math, Susan Taylor, math professor, said.

“The traditional developmental math sequence we have is geared towards calculus, and toward STEM majors, so we wanted to create an alternate sequence that would be most suited for the majority of our students, who are not STEM majors,” Taylor said.

According to the El Camino website, the courses, “Basic Accelerated Mathematics” and “Intermediate Algebra for Statistics” worth five and four credits respectively, essentially condense two semesters of courses into one, with a minimum of three hours of lab time and three hours of lecture a week.

Educators hope that by shortening the length of time these non-

STEM majors need to reach college level proficiency in math, the rate of attrition among students in these courses can be greatly lowered, Alice Martinez, math instructor, said.

“We tend to have a lot of students who test into math 12, and statistically, only 50 percent of those students continue on to the next course, and only 50 percent of those move on to the next, so you only have 25 percent then, and when only half of those move on to math 40, you basically only have 12 percent of those original students left,” Martinez said.

Those numbers quickly add up, as despite the large number of students testing into math 12 classes, only 4 percent of students in those classes actually reach transfer level math courses within two years, Martinez said.

“With accelerated classes, you’d think students would do worse, but we’ve found that they actually do much better, since they get more done at once,” Martinez added.

In addition to shortening the time it takes students to reach a college level of proficiency in math, the courses have another benefit, Taylor said.

“Not only is it in half the time,

the preparation for statistics is a better preparation for most students, since that’s the math that most non-STEM majors take,” Taylor said.

However, some students, like Spencer Tanaka, 19, pre-engineering major, have doubts about the new courses’ effectiveness.

“It might be a good opportunity for students to finish faster, but if they are struggling then it will be a whole lot tougher on them. If a class goes faster to cover all the materials and student cannot keep up then they’ll just end up even further behind, and might have to repeat the class anyways,” Tanaka said.

Of course, other students, like Frankie Villanueva, 21, music major, are more confident that the classes are an improvement over traditional math classes.

“It’s good because it means skipping classes that I already did in high school.” Villanueva said.

“In terms of being able to handle the accelerated math class, if I sign up for it, it means that I am ready for the amount of coursework.”

“A student should know what to expect when registering for classes and they should prepare for it ahead of time,” Villanueva said.

New schedules for Torrance Transit buses Sam Tedla

Staff Writer

Not serving El Camino students the way it would have liked to, Torrance Transit has made changes to its routes and bus schedule, which will take effect on Sunday, a Torrance City Official said.

“I think it’s really going to change the way El Camino students really think about transit and get to school because that was a big issue for us,” Bradley Tolloson, management aid for Torrance Transit, said.

“We knew that El Camino students weren’t being served as well they could’ve been. We know they need it the most because many of them are just get-

ting out of high school and they don’t have a car or maybe they’re just trying to save money to pay for books and tuition,” Tolloson said.

Line 2, which many students take to reach EC, has made changes to its schedule and its last stop on the route.

“We have increased the time it runs, so it now runs from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the difference is right now it only runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” Tolloson said.

“That line does not go to downtown L.A. anymore, it goes to the Harbor Freeway Greenline Station,” Tolloson added.

Line 5 will also be running later, which will allow students who take night classes a source of transportation to get home.

“The people in the night classes will finally be able to take a bus home; now they won’t have to try to find an alternative for getting home,” Kyle Ihde, psychology major, 19, said.

“The biggest impact is they’ll be able to get to school and for those night classes they’ll be able to get home from school as well,” Tolloson said.

Torrance Transit has created a new bus which is Line 10 that will run much more frequently than the other transit buses.

“The other line we’ve created is the new line 10 which will run north and south down Crenshaw Boulevard, which will start at Crenshaw and PCH, then in route at Crenshaw Greenline Station, and it will run from 5 a.m. to 10

p.m.,” Tolloson said.

The transit will continue to also to give students a discount for their bus fare. Students must show ID before paying bus driver in order to receive the discount.

“I definitely think it helps because there are a lot of students on campus that can’t afford to pay $2 a day to pay for going to school every day,” Ihde said.

The Torrance transit will look to make more changes so to stay on top of all changes students should go their website at www. torranceca.gov.

“We encourage all students to check all our new changes, and if they go to a section called what’s new on our website they can see a laundry list of service changes,” Tolloson said.

Philip Prins/ Union Students board a bus in front of the college at the corner of Crenshaw and Redondo Beach boulevards yesterday. The Metro bus system begins a schedule on Sunday.

EC awarded $650,000 in grants for medical and allied health students needing financial aid Angela Songco Staff Writer

NEWS LINE

Nursing students who are experiencing economic hardships can be eligible to receive up to $15,000 each in federal grants, college official said.

Katie Gleason, executive director of EC Foundation, said that students in the nursing program could qualify for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant if they meet all the guide-

By Zachary Weber

lines for it.

“The grant EC received is an award of $650,000 a year for four years and is for students in the medical and allied health field,” Gleason said. “It is for those who are disadvantaged economically and environmentally,” Gleason said. “This is not only based on their income levels but also on where they live. At EC, they must also be enrolled in the nursing program and are making progress in their studies. The grant is also

available for nursing students of the EC Compton Center.”

Gleason said that nursing students would automatically receive a letter about this grant once they are enrolled in the program.

The letter will inform the students on what information will be required from so that the foundation can see if they qualify for it or not.

“We identified our nursing program as the program that we are looking

for support for,” Gleason said. “The EC nursing program is for four semesters.

In the third semester the coursework gets incredibly intense. Many of the students have to work,” Gleason said.

Gleason said that to work while trying to manage that academic workload is very difficult so the nursing department has a high attrition in the third semester.

Theresa Kyle, director of Nursing, said that a lot of their students struggle

because the program has a very difficult schedule and that they have a lot more inclass and hospital time than regular full-time students have.

“They already have two whole days in the hospital (for clinical),” Kyle said.

“Then one to two more days of lecture.”

Chandra Richardson, 43, nursing major, said that her clinical could take so much of her time that the nursing department recommended that she does not work

while in the program.

“I go to my clinical two days a week with eight hours each day, but then with that I also have to add four hours of clinical-related paperwork each week,” Richardson said.

“In clinical, we have to look up the patients’ every single medicine, some of the patients can have as many as 21 medicines. We have to research each medicine. We also have to write a care plan for each patient.

We have to do so much pa-

perwork just for clinical.

Then we still need a lot of time to study. We have a lot of readings, a lot of paperwork,” Richardson said.

She added that, despite having about six hours a week of worth of lecture, she also go to optional classes that can help her practice and improve her skills in the field.

[See Nursing Grants, page 2]

Last day for students to receive a W is tomorrow

Last CSU workshop is next week

Undeclared workshop for Workshop on joining the students nursing program

Scholarship coordinator available after finals

The last day for students to drop a class with a W is tomorrow.

Classes may be dropped by going the EC website, logging in to my ECC and clicking drop a class. Dropping a class will not affect the student’s overall GPA. Classes dropped after tomorrow will receive their current grade.

The last day to attend a CSU workshop is next Monday from 12-1:30 p.m. located in the Social Science building Room 213. This workshop will teach students how to fill out a CSU application for students who are planning on transferring to a Cal State school. For more information, contact the Transfer Center.

The Career Service center has scheduled a workshop for undeclared majors on Nov. 29 from 1-3 p.m. in the Social Service Center. This workshop is open to all students attending EC. For more information, contact the Career Services Department at ext. 6137.

These workshops are designed to assist students with the online scholarship application such as uploading unofficial transcripts, and clarification on questions related specifically to the application. The scholarship coordinator will be available at 3 p.m. on Dec. 17 to help out with scholarship applications.

The counseling department is holding a workshop for students who are interested in becoming a nurse. The workshop will be held at the ECC Distance Education Center located next to Schauerman Library. This will be taking place on Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

NEWS

2 El Camino College Union POLICE BEAT

By Coree Heard

EC offers training courses for airport security Thomas Schmit

Vehicle collision in student parking lot Nov. 7, 2:45 p.m. - A female student responded to the station after a vehicle collision in Parking Lot H. After the minor accident, both parties exchanged information and reported it to the station. There were no injuries.

Vehicle impounded for expired registration Nov. 6, 8 p.m. - A vehicle was impounded in Parking Lot C after an officer observed its registration pass was overdue by more than a year. The owner of the vehicle could not be found.

Illegally displayed handicap placard Nov. 5, 8:55 p.m. - After a car illegally displayed a handicap placard in Parking Lot C, a cadet issued a citation. Before the citation was issued the male driver had been contacted and he admitted that the placard did not belong to him. The placard was confiscated and the driver was released on the scene.

Want more News?

Go to the Union Online and keep informed!

Find us at eccunion.com

November 15, 2012

Staff Writer

As part of a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, El Camino recently launched a program this semester offering supplementary training to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel working at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The program is aimed specifically at Transportation Security Officers, the personnel who manage airport security, Jose Anaya, Dean of Community Advancement, said.

“Homeland Security has asked

us to develop courses in three areas to help develop their workforce in the hopes that they’ll (TSA officers) gain the expertise required for their jobs,” Anaya said.

While TSA personnel are not required to take the courses, the TSA pays for student’s registration and books and the courses count toward an associate degree with an administration of justice major.

“The hope is that all TSA officers at LAX will take all three courses, and then hopefully continue their education, in other words transfer to a four year institution or an associate degree,” Anaya said.

The first of the three courses, “Introduction to Homeland Secu-

rity” began this semester with four sections and 80 students, 90 percent of who intend to continue on to the second course, according to a school press release.

Four sections of the second course, “Intelligence and Security Management” will be offered this spring alongside another two sections of “Introduction to Homeland Security” Craig Neumann, Faculty coordinator of the project, said.

“Each course is a three-unit, semester-long class taught by law enforcement professionals with expertise in these areas,” Neumann said.

The third course, still as yet unnamed, will be offered in the fall 2013 semester and will relate to

border security management, Neumann added.

“Once they’ve completed all three courses, they will receive a certificate of accomplishment from the college and we’re discussing adding another three courses they could earn a certificate in, but that’s not finalized yet,” Neumann said.

While the new program is only for the TSA officers working at LAX, it’s only one part of a larger program to provide training for TSA personnel throughout the country.

“The TSA designed this program because they want to maintain standardization, not just in New York, or Illinois, or here, but throughout

the whole country,” Neumann said.

Of course, putting academic programs in place for TSA personnel scattered throughout the country is no easy task, Neumann said.

“There are some 60,000 TSA personnel throughout the country, 2,300 of them at LAX alone,” Neumann said, “I had never realized there were that many.”

Once the program is fully implemented, EC will become the largest provider of TSA training in the country, according to information in a school press release.

“The thought for the future is, at some point, to offer these courses to the general public as well,” Anaya said.

repeaters and “super seniors,” that was meant to happen yesterday afternoon, according to sacbee.com.

“Super seniors” is a term that is used to describe senior students who are taking classes for pleasure, not for transfer or degree

purposes.

“I don’t think it’s right for them to overcharge someone for something that they want to do,” Cynnamon Baker, 19, film production major, said.

“I think it’s going to be espe-

cially hard for people who want to change their major,” Michelle Guelff, 20 English major,said. “It pigeon-holes people and doesn’t allow them to change their minds.”

“It’s going to be especially hard for people like me a who went

from a humanities major to a science major and have to retake their core classes.”

For more information and updates on this possible change in student fees, go to www.eccunion. com.

CSU postpones vote to raise fees for “Super Seniors” Kyle Mounce Staff Writer

Cal State University leaders postponed a vote on whether to increase fees for students with an extra-large course load, course

Nursing Grant Continued from page 1 Janice Ishikawa, health sciences and athletics counselor, said that a lot of times students are unsuccessful in the program because they also have to work part time and that often interferes with the amount of time they are able to spend on clinical preparation and studying for their theory classes.

“Even if a student is only working 10 to 15 hours a week, if she is having a big test that week even just those 10 to 15 hours can sometimes interfere with her opportunity to finish a chapter or study for the test,” Ishikawa said.

Gleason said that with the grant, the college hopes to meet students’ unmet financial need and to alleviate the necessity to work so that the students can focus on their studies.

Currently, Gleason added, the foundation had looked at about 60 students and from a dollar perspective they had identified about $360,000 worth of grants.

Furthermore, Gleason said that the grant application is renewable as long as the student con-

tinues to make progress in the program and does not require the traditional letter of recommendation to be qualified.

Aside from that Gleason said that the grant does not have restrictions on how students can spend it.

“But we won’t just hand them the money all at once,” Gleason said. “We will spread it out throughout the year so that if ever a student drop out of the program, she won’t get the rest of her grant.”

On the other hand, Kahealani Kamahele, scholarship coordinator, said that students who are not enrolled in the nursing program may still qualify for scholarships as long as they submit their applications on or before Dec. 14.

“The Scholarship Office will have workshops available for students who are still working on their application,” Kamahele said. “It will be in Communications Room 302 on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5. Students need to sign up in the scholarship office at Administration Room 119.”

Philip Prins/ Union

Mollie Mann, 21, nursing major, checks a student’s blood sugar at a diabetes awareness booth this week in front of the Schauerman Library. Nursing students like Mann could be eligible for up to $15,000, thanks to a new grant.

NEWS

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

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3

EDITORIAL

4 El Camino College Union

November 15, 2012

This holiday season, take some time for self-reflection As the holidays approach, a merry anticipation starts to gather in the spirits of many of us. Festive wreaths decorate the doors of our neighbors, television sets display holiday commercials and an air of cheer and friendliness starts to fill the hearts of, well…anyone who has one.

Perhaps this is why giving back to our communities has become a timely tradition this time of year?

Giving back to our communities doesn’t have to be in the form of money. It can be donating your time to an organization or simply tossing in canned foods at the local grocery market’s canned food drive.

Volunteering has many benefits that stem from the time donated of oneself.

Canned food drives support struggling families, individuals and the homeless.

There are more than 51,000 homeless people living in Los Angeles County, with more than 6,000 residing in the South Bay area, according to the South Bay Coalition for the Homeless’ (SBCH) website.

The current unemployment rate is at 10 percent, according to a

report issued by the State of California’s employment development department.

A struggling economy and the previous high unemployment rate affected families and individuals resulting in a loss of homes, jobs

The Issue • Volunteering during the holidays.

Our Stand • Throughout the semester, students are focused on themselves. Take a timeout and use it to volunteer and spread good cheer this holiday season. and a earnings.

Volunteering at food shelters helps feed many of these people in need. Food shelters are located across the South Bay. The SBCH’s website has a large listing of food shelters with phone numbers and days of meal service for those interested in volunteer-

ing their time.

During the Christmas holiday, the Volunteer Center of South Bay, Harbor City, and Long Beach conduct the Adopt-A-Family program. The program allows volunteers to adopt families of any family size and are given the families’ wish list, according to its website.

Volunteering during the holidays has endless benefits. Not only does it provide the feeling of gratification, but it may also help in the long run of meeting many people and developing long lasting relationships.

For the purpose of education, many universities, especially the most prestigious ones, encourage community service and giving back to the community.

Of course, volunteering isn’t about oneself. It’s about an act of unselfishness. And, during the holidays isn’t being unselfish the best trait to have?

Between homework, part-time jobs, relationships and goals for the future, there is little time to think about others. This is exactly the time where thinking of others is the most important task of all.

–See related article on Page 10

A New Year, a new EC and a new chance at improvment Illustration by Paul Murphy Quiambao

This New Year’s Eve make a resolution to remain a participant in the future of education While many students look forward to New Year’s Eve with thoughts of champagne and midnight kisses, this New Year holds something special for El Camino.

Since 2009, being a student has been tough, and while the old obstacles of tests, essays and homework continued to hang as heavily as they always have upon the average student, new hurdles such as shrunken course offerings, reduced counselor access and massive waitlists only made the road to student success longer and rougher.

For a time, it was easy to believe that the threat of continued budget cuts would loom over El Camino for all eternity like some sort of existential thundercloud.

While it would be nice to say

those days are over and done with, such a claim would be premature. However, it would be safe to say that a glimmer of sunlight has shone through the clouds and the road has smoothed out for the first time in years.

With the passage of Proposition 30 and Measure E, the new year will be a time of opportunity for the college, a chance to recover and improve on this new found forward momentum.

Thanks to Proposition 30’s success, the school has avoided a $7 million budget cut this year that would have caused 250 sections to be dropped from the upcoming spring semester, as well as likely putting the last nail in the coffin of winter session.

Not only has EC avoided re-

ductions to courses, there will actually be an increase to the number of courses offered both here and throughout California, with room for an expected 20,000 new students to be added this year throughout the state.

Additionally, with the success of Measure E, new, green technologies will be added to the campus, cutting utility costs by almost $1 million a year and reducing EC’s environmental footprint.

The measure will also provide funding for new projects, such as a new gym and Administration Building, and renovations to the Library and Auditorium.

Finally, many classrooms, some more than 50 years old, will receive much needed renovations

and updated technology.

Of course, in the face of such hope, it’s easy to lose sight of the larger picture, but now is not the time to get tipsy on victory champagne. The school is nowhere near its pre-2009 funding, and while the future seems brighter now, it’s hard to tell how quickly that could all change.

What’s important to keep in mind, then, is how EC managed to make this first step on the road to recovery.

When winter session came under fire last semester, it was the combined efforts of EC’s students and faculty that managed to save it.

When the college needed new funds to renovate, it was a campaign supported by the faculty

and ASO that ensured Measure E’s success.

When Proposition 30 was challenged by not one, but two opposing tax initiatives, it was again faculty and students who banded together to educate voters on the importance of Proposition 30.

If anyone doubts the part played by EC’s teachers and students, just remember that a huge 28 percent of voters in this last election were college aged, and that for the first time in 20 years, a tax hike was passed in California.

While everyone makes New Year’s resolutions they don’t really intend to keep, this year is an opportunity to do something meaningful.

Instead of making empty

promises to lose weight, to exercise more, to stress out less, this should be the year to make a real change, to improve El Camino even more.

While the winter session may be safe for now, with nearly $700 million dollars of community college funding still being deferred

by California, that could change at the first sign of trouble.

Don’t slip into apathy now that the election is over; instead, stay aware, stay involved, and make sure that EC remains a college worth fighting for.

Soon it will be a new year; if students and faculty continue to work together for the college’s benefit, a new El Camino will be there to meet it.

–See related article on Page 12

A chief’s award-winning journey through journalism Goodbye bad attitudes, hello good behaviors EDITOR’S NOTE Although it’s been about two years, it feels as if it were just yesterday.

I remember nervously walkViridiana Vaca-Rios ing into her office for a conferEditor-in-Chief ence. I sat down and awkwardly smiled as she told me how great I was doing in her Journalism 1, News Writing and Reporting class.

“You’re a journalism major, right?” Lori Medigovich, Union co-adviser, said.

“Yes,” I replied, trying to avoid any or all eye contact with her.

“You need to join the paper,” she said.

“OK!” I said without hesitation.

It’s hard to believe that I gave her one or two word answers, as I seem to talk her ear off now.

She made me nervous. She was a real journalist, someone who worked in the field that I planned to be a part of and although she didn’t know it then, I looked up to her. As I do now.

Sitting across from her that day was Kate McLaughlin, co-adviser. I remember seeing this really tall lady walking in and out of the office.

I didn’t know her until I joined the paper. There I quickly learned from her, soaked up every piece of journalistic knowledge and thought how lucky I was to have another journalist to look up to and to

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EL CAMINO COLLEGE

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Vol. 66, No. 09 November 15, 2012 email: eccunion@gmail.com Newsroom: (310) 660-3328

Advertising: (310) 660-3329

cheer me up when I was sad or when I’d leave the house wearing two different shoes.

I’ve had many teachers in the 20-something years of loving journalism, but I’ve never had anyone come close to these two extraordinary women.

They’ve taught me, guided me and supported me.

They’ve gone above and beyond, have never given up on me and believed in me more than I believed in myself.

And truth be told, I want to be like them. They inspire me to reach my full potential and I could never thank them enough. But thank you!

If someone would have told me I would have been editor-in-chief of this award-winning publication three times in a row, I wouldn’t have believed it. I reached goals this semester. I placed in all my competitions (even won first in broadcast) at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges competition. The issues I was EIC for were nominated for an Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award.

It’s been an amazing journey. I’d like to thank my small but mighty staff. The term ‘quality over quantity’ applies to them. They each have something special about them and I want to thank them all for their hard work and dedication.

It’s been an honor being EIC of this wonderful publication. I love the Union and everything I’ve learned here. It is certainly an experience I will never forget.

Editor-in-Chief �������������������������������...........Viridiana Vaca-Rios News Editor ...................................................Viridiana Vaca-Rios Assistant News Editor..........................................Thomas Schmit Co-Opinion Editor ����������������������������������......Jorge Maldonado Co-Opinion Editor ��������������������������������������.....Zachary Weber Features Editor ��������������������������������..........Viridiana Vaca-Rios Arts Editor �������������������������������������������������������....Rigo Bonilla Sports Editor ������������������������������������������������������Mary Alvarez Advertising Manager ������������������������������������Stephanie Alcorn Adviser ����������������������������������������������������������Lori Medigovich Adviser ���������������������������������������������������������Kate McLaughlin Technical Support ����������������������������������������������������Don Treat

COMMENTARY Throughout the year, the campus community nearly turns to anarchy because of the constant competition among students.

Whether it’s racing for seats Coree Heard Staff Writer during the first week of classes so they won’t be left standing, or accidently scratching another student’s car without leaving a note, the game seems to be never ending.

All of a sudden, the holidays begin to take over, snatching away all the bad attitudes out of some students and smacking smiles right in the center of the faces of others.

No one is exactly sure what actually causes the switch in behavior, but around November, students begin to brainstorm about what they could do to make a difference in the lives of others.

There are two main time periods when people give the most; during large-scale disasters and at the end of the year, according to networkforgood.org.

And since Southern California’s large-scale disasters tend to be blockbuster flops, the EC community is lucky enough that their main time period is end of the year giving.

It is as though many students have tunnel vision approximately 10 months out of the year and in the last two months that vision is expanded to include others.

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.

Besides being courteous to those outside of EC’s community, students can start to take notice of their own behavior on campus.

Some students tend to do things like give out an extra scantron instead of asking for replacement money for each one.

That extra scantron could potentially set off positive emotions which can cause that student to smile while also producing a domino effect. One student does a good deed for one student and that student in turn will do the same.

Research has shown that genuine smiles are healthy, according to abc.net.

Imagine if one simple act of kindness to a fellow student could cause them to genuinely smile, which will subsequently grant that person an extra moment of life.

As it gets closer to finals week, students begin to wish each other luck and start to become a little more social.

It is almost as if their holiday spirit was shot by cupid himself.

Maya Angelou said people will forget what you said and what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

It is important that college students continue to remember the first rule of life, the golden rule, which is to treat people how you would like to be treated, not just when it is holiday season.

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

OPINION

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

UP FOR DEBATE

Is Black Friday worth getting up early for?

Fantastic deals solve holiday shopping issues

Karly Daquila Staff Writer

having to wait in line for coveted merchandise while still enjoying great deals on great products and without worrying about their safety.

Black Friday offers an answer to almost any need people may have for the holidays. It saves consumers a lot of time for holiday shopping.

After feasting on a Thanksgiving dinner, families either settle in to get a good night sleep or get ready to partake in Black Friday shopping festivities.

Millions partake in the early morning shopping, but the unnecessary spending and uncivilized fight to score the best deals shouldn’t be the opening ceremony

Illustration by Paul Murphy

to the holiday season.

Is this really worth all the hassle, to wake up early?

Injuries and deaths are becoming more of a normal occurrence among Black Friday risk takers all in the search for the lowest price.

In 2010, a crowd of about 2,000 shoppers stumbled over a Wal-Mart employee to death, when they broke down the store’s doors, trapping him in a vestibule, according to usatoday.com.

The motives behind the consumerism driven lack of civilization is everything that the holiday season does not stand for.

In 2011, Target advertized its Black Friday sales by creating a character they named the “crazy Target lady,” a woman who proudly proclaims her OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), according to Andrew Leonard of Salon.com.

The “crazy Target lady” is definitley in the spirit of the holiday season because of her desiring to deck out her family in festive gear and holiday decorations.

The meaning behind the season is skewed as she frantically obsesses over consumerism ideals of what the season of giving truly is.

In 2011, a record 226 million shoppers visited stores and websites during the holiday weekend starting on Thanksgiving, the average shopper spent $398.62.

Though this financial gain is beneficial for retailers, it is an economic risk and physical hazard for shoppers.

“No one who can afford otherwise goes out and stands in the cold with a crowd, to fight the stampeding, pepper-spraying mob for a discounted X-box,” according to Barry Ritholtz, wall street money manager and blogger.

Saving money during a sale is always a benefit, but for Americans, the art of finding a deal has turned into a competitive and dangerous sport.

Recent election puts more women in the House and less in the houses COLUMN

Karly Daquila Staff Writer

Recently, I have questioned the relevance of feminism and women’s rights in the modernday culture; more women are adopting the mentality of being strong and independent.

Last week my mom asked what feminism meant to me.

For my mother growing up, feminism was about women leaving their children at home to pursue careers.

For many women this may not be a bad thing in reality.

In the eyes of my mother who

stayed home with my sister and me because she desired to do so, the idea of the 1970’s feminism wasn’t something that my mother desired.

If someone wants to stay home with their children, then they should be able to do that because she wants to.

For me, feminism is about equality and understanding that if I want to achieve something, I can do that and not let my gender or circumstances dictate what I can and cannot do.

According to the MerriamWebster dictionary, feminism is “A belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”

During the recent presidential election, millions of women and some men stood up to speak out for women’s rights and equality.

After multiple debates on contraception and women across the U.S. stood together and decided

CAMPUS VIEWPOINTS

By Zachary Weber

CAMPUS CORNER

By Coree Heard

Death and injuries play a part in Black Friday

Angela Songco Staff Writer

With the holidays just around the corner, Black Friday is one of the rare opportunities American consumers will have to get the most out of their hard-earned money.

With the economy still weak, consumers are beginning to be more and more concerned about how they will allocate their money. At the same time, as the season of giving nears, these same people are also concerned about giving the best gift to their loved ones.

There is no doubt that Black Friday gives many consumers access to many top brands and services at unbeatable or even outlandish prices. As retailers compete against each other in their attempt to attract buyers to their stores, consumers cannot afford to let these deals go.

These deals allow buyers to finish their wish list, not only early, but with spare money that can be spent or saved however they wish.

In addition to that, businesses and working sectors benefit from Black Friday festivities.

Businesses get the chance to increase their sales and hopefully recover from being in the “red ink” to being in the “black ink” according to an article on foxbusiness.com.

With employees wanting to make more money, buisness are willing to hire seasonal workers to meet the service demand.

This can be an opportunity for employees to make extra money working late hours.

Who wouldn’t like to have extra cash to be for the holidays?

Retailers are offering an alternative option to shop while avoiding such incidents. A lot of retailers had put up online exclusives that have deals that are almost as good as in-store deals, if not better.

The online version of Black Friday is almost hassle free and gives consumers the comfort of shopping conveniently without

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that their voice would be heard.

Not only are women behind the modern feminist movement, men have been joining alongside in the quest for gender equality.

Well-known male media figures who have stood up for gender equality and women’s rights include Anderson Cooper, Andy Samberg and Seth Green, according to an article on feministing. com.

Even though President Barack Obama was re-elected, the election was truly won by women across the nation.

The voices of millions of Americans standing up together to speak out for women’s rights and equality, have stepped forward as a nation to bridge the gender gap.

White males are now becoming a minority in the House Democratic Caucus. There will be 20 female U.S. Senators in 2013 and New, Hampshire will boast the

nations first all-female congressional delegation, according to timenewsfeed.com I was given the opportunity to speak with some students involved in the Muslim Students Association on campus about the traditional hijabs (headscarves) that they wear.

After listening to stories of strength and tradition, I understood that the hijabs that women wear represent strength and freedom in the Islamic culture.

After a battle of more than 100 years, the idea that women are beginning to root themselves in local, national and global politics is mind boggling and inspiring.

By understanding that feminism is not about burning bras and hating men, but the realization that stereotypes and discrimination should be abolished.

We are paving the way for future revolutionary changes through unification and understanding.

The education gained from being a part of this modern feminist movement has helped me to realize that no one should obstruct me from achieving my aspirations.

If I want to wear a great red lipstick along the way, I won’t be a hypocritical, self-absorbed feminist; I will just look and feel great while changing the world.

Oppression and freedom are different to every woman but true freedom comes from happiness.

Please connect with me by email at karlydaquila@gmail.com

Freddy Cisneros President Society for Hispanic Professional in Engineering Club

Freddy Cisneros is the Vice President of the SHPE club. The club meet every other Tuesday at 1 to 1:45 p.m. in the Physics Building Room 101.

Do you have to be Hispanic to join SHPE? No, it’s very diverse. The majority of our members are not even Hispanic.

What are the benefits of SHPE? We have several scholarships that are only offered to SHPE members. There are companies and a lot of universities that are familiar with SHPE and look for students who are a part of the club.

What does the club focus on?

We try to integrate a lot of sciences that go into engineering, such as chemistry and mechanical engineering into our projects and activities.

What project is SHPE working on now?

Right now, we’re working on a rocket. We are going to create the structure of the rocket.

What is the first step to join?

The best thing to do is email our website at eccshpe@gmail.com or attend a meeting.

Are there any requirements to be a member?

There is a $5 membership free and the only other requirement is to just attend our meetings every other Tuesday.

How did you become president?

I was nominated and elected by the members of the club to be president.

What is your favorite thing about SHPE?

Follow me on Twitter @ECCUnionKarly

I get to work with my classmates and community and share our engineering interest.

Join the conversation online at www.eccunion.com

What do you want people to know about SHPE?

The views expressed in this column are those of the author. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Union, its staff, editorial board or advisers.

We do a lot of activities and it’s not just engineering. We collaborate with other clubs like the robotics club and the chemistry.

Is Black Friday worth getting up early for?

REPORTED FROM CAFE CAMINO

Grissel Altamirano, 22, Nursing Major

Ceyhan Aygor, 26, Sociology Major

Tasha Dillard, 33, Nursing Major

Alvaro Ibarra, 17, Biology Major

Jesse Ramos, 22, Auto Technology Major

Jennifer Gasea, 18, Undecided

“Yes. There are better discounts on electronics and clothes.”

“No. In Las Vegas I spent my whole night at the outlets with my friend it was horrible.”

“Yes. There are good deals, and I get to go shopping with my friends.”

“No. Because I know I’m going to exceded my spending amount.”

“Yes. You get discounts on all the clothes, for the up coming winter.”

“No. There are plenty of sales all the time. I could go to Target and get good deals.”

6 El Camino College Union

PHOTO ESSAY

November 15, 2012

24/7 EC Crime Fighters Photos By: Kyle Borden Photographer Story By: Viridiana Vaca-Rios Editor-in-Chief Walking along the dark campus after finishing night classes is the norm for many students on campus.

Going to the parking lot and finding missing vehicles, which is not an everyday occurance, has happened to students.

Tu r n i ng around and finding one’s belongings are suddenly missing when they were there just a second ago has also happened to far too many students.

For each of these incidents, the EC Police Department is on patrol to help students and faculty when they are afraid of walking to their car late at night or have just discovered that they’ve been victimized. With approximately 40 employees, the

police department is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and handles everything from parking citations, drug-related arrests, to thefts.

What some students may not know is that the college was at one point, one of the first California community colleges in the state to form and maintain a Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST,) Commission certified police department.

The department also employs students who are interested in working as cadets. Cadets assist the police department in providing quality law enforcement services to the campus community.

The police department has made it possible for students taking classes at night to use its nighttime shuttle service.

Students can use the service which operates from 6-10:30 p.m. According to

EC police Sgt. Dal Toruno checks the backseat of a vehicle during a traffic stop. The driver was pulled over and warned about using headphones while driving, which is illegal.

the EC website, the emergency phones are the blue poles located throughout campus along walkways, and parking lots.

They’re to be used in case of emegencies or to request the shuttle service.

By pressing the red button, the police department can be contacted.

The phone rings directly into the Police Communications Center and are automatically identified by location.

People who have been locked out of their vehicle on district property or might have a dead battery, can request assistance in order to gain entry to their vehicle or getting a battery jump.

ABOVE: During a vehicle check by EC traffic officers, a vehicle with an expired registration is towed away.

A man who made an illegal turn into Alondra Park was detained, while EC police searched his vehicle. He was cited for drug possession and released. The EC police also patrol the community surrounding the college, including Alondra Park.

LEFT: Officer Jeffrey Lewis searches a vehicle and finds containers of marijuana in the backseat. The driver of the vehicle was cited and released. The EC Police Department has the capabilities to do live scans, an extensive fingerprinting service and background check.

Receiving a call of vandalism and theft, Officer Ruben Lopez investigates a damaged food vending machine outside of Café Camino near the Humanities Building. The suspect(s) used a tool like a crow bar to force open the glass door, causing it to shatter.

Police noted that the suspect(s) appeared to have stolen bagged food items before fleeing.

FEATURES

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

7

Away from home for the

holidays

Leaving home for a chance at a better education, international students talk about how they cope with being away from family and friends during the holiday season.

Angela Songco Staff Writer

Wearing a comfortable sleeveless shirt, he picked up his bottle cap-adorned tambourine and then reached for the maracas he made out of tin cans and pebbles and headed for the door.

Stepping outside in the hot and humid air, he joined his friends, who were waiting for him outside. Starting from the nearest neighbor, they started singing Christmas carols from house to house.

Carolers are not uncommon figures in Philippine’s streets, weeks before Christmas day.

“Caroling, doesn’t only help us earn extra money for the holidays,” Paul Quiambao, 22, nursing major, said. “Whenever I am out there caroling with my friends, I also get the opportunity to see and admire the lighted Christmas lanterns of different shapes and sizes.”

Quiambao said that the town where is he from is known as the Christmas capitol of Phillipines as they take the holiday and season seriously.

“My ‘Kababayans’ (hometown folks) make grandiose lanterns that they put on display outside their homes together with more Christmas lights,” Quiambao said. “Every time I see these lanterns, I just get lost in their magic.”

Quiambao said that he never thought he would

miss simple things like these when he migrated to the U.S. two years ago for his education.

“The spirit of the season, I think, will never be the same,” Quiambao said. “All my relatives will gather together for ‘Noche Buena’ or the meal that we had once the clock struck midnight, signifying the beginning of Christmas. It is like a mini festival in our home.”

Celebrating Christmas away from ‘home’ is one of the many concerns of students who came to the U.S. to study.

Like Quiambao, Seung Woo Huh, 24, sociology major, said that what he really misses was spending time with his family.

And even though Christmas was not a big thing back in South Korea, they gathered together in their elders’ home to celebrate togetherness and family during the holiday season.

“My family gathering together, having a ‘let’s see each other and talk’ can do a lot for us,” Huh said.

Huh said that these gatherings were also made to pay honor and respect to their ancestors.

“We set up a table with their picture on top of it together with great meals,” Huh added. “Then

HOME

EC

we bow in front of their pictures as a sign of our gratefulness and respect to them.”

After the formalities, Huh said, the family’s elder will not only feed them but will also give them some gifts, often times money.

Student Thuya Htoo, 18, computer science major, said that what he really misses most is the food and the community gathering together, helping each other out in preparing meals for the holidays.

“Christmas is not celebrated by many people in Burma,” Htoo said. “But we have festivals that are as special as that, and it is our tradition to share food with everybody.”

He added that everybody will be busy preparing food during these events, then after that, the young ones will go to their relatives’ houses to share what they have and bring back some food or money from them as well.

“Then by late night me and my friends can play with firecrackers. That is something that I can’t do here in U.S.,” Htoo said.

As for a student from Russia, Andréy Tsyplakov, 24, computer science major, said he sees his culture’s celebration as something different.

“Although Christmas is not widely celebrated,

my friends and I will gather together and just hang out,” Tsyplakov said. “But we have some holidays like New Year’s where there will be a 14-day holiday in the whole country; nobody works except for the police and those in the medical field.”

But as they miss the celebrations from back home, these students do find ways to celebrate it by learning the American style of being festive.

Htoo said that through the help of an off-campus, non-profit organization called Spectrum, they were able to get accustomed to American style Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

Htoo said that Spectrum arranges events and places for them to celebrate the season.

“Last year I spent holidays with an American family,” Htoo said. “They were accommodating and we really got to know each other. They explained to me what thanksgiving is, the significance of the food that are being prepared. They had extended a very warm welcome for me and they made me less sad.”

Quiambao said that although Christmas here is not as festive as it is in his native country, “he still found ways to enjoy the season by celebrating it with friends and family who are dear to his heart.”

Tips on how to handle being away from home.

Tips from EC students

“I would eat food, watch a movie, talk to some friends and spend it doing things they enjoy.”

-Paulina Nguyen, 18, nursing major

“Go shopping, watch ‘Home Alone’ and sleep and also make some hot chocolate.

-Jessica Alvarez, 18, criminal justice major

“Go out and enjoy the holidays with someone else. There’s a lot of events going on.”

-John Trevizo, 20, journalism major

“I would stay home, make myself a Christmas dinner and watch all Christmas movies.”

-Bianca Flores, 20, biology major

FEATURES

8 El Camino College Union

November 15, 2012

Christmas Time Viridiana Vaca-Rios Editor-in-Chief It’s almost that time of the year.

The cold, crisp air blows throughout the city.

Colorful lights adorn homes and every store front in the city.

The smell of pine trees fills the air and the sounds of cheerful Christmas music echoes throughout the house.

Christmas is coming!

Though decorations and tunes playing around the house might be similar, each person has different Christmas traditions.

Whether it’s having a big meal to feast on or singing carols, students on campus have their own traditions to follow each year.

“We play games; we play football, Frisbee and basical-

ly all kinds of sports,” Sam Jones, 18, history major, said.

“We also make homemade pie and take a family picture.”

For other students, going over to other family members homes to celebrate is the norm.

“We go to our relatives house for a Christmas party,” Gavin Kellems, 18 music major, said.

Part of some students Christmas traditions is leaving decorations up until the following year.

The reason is because of a holiday called “Dia De Los Tres Reyes Magos” which is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ.

“We keep the decorations and tree up until Jan.6 of the new year,” Lee Takeuchi, 21 astro physics major, said. “A

TOP 10 CHRISTM AS food According to sheknows.com 1. APPLE CIDER 2. EGG NOG 3. LEG OF LAMB 4. ROASTED TURKEY 5. TURKEY STUFFING 6. CANDIED SWEET POTATOES 7. CR ANBERRY SAUCE 8. PUMPKIN PECAN PIE 9. CHRISTMAS COOKIES 10. CHRISTMAS CANDY

couple of weeks before Christmas, we decorate the tree.

We also go to Santa Barbara with my dad. We go to Rolling Hills with my mom’s family and have dinner and exchange gifts.”

Other students’ traditions focus on the history and meaning of Christmas itself.

“We open presents and talk about why Christmas is celebrated,” Chanave Arline, 20, accounting major, said.

For other students, the holiday season is a time for giving instead of receiving.

For Alina Vartolomei, 21, nutrition major, said that she enjoys spending time with her family and doing the traditional singing of Christmas carols.

top five favorite christmas songs EC student choices

“Jingle Bells” Diana Andrade, 18, Child Psychology major “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”: -Jessica Alvarez, 18, Criminal Justice major “Winter Wonderland” - Cindy Lopez, 18, Nursing major “All I Want for Christmas is You” -Udanie Hecoapathirana, 20, Biology major “Jingle Bells” -Flor Canales, 22, Psychology major

TOP 10 CHRISTM AS Songs According to rollingstone.com 1.

2.

3.

4.

John Lennon - ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ The Pogues - ‘Fairytale Of New York’ Queen - ‘Thank God It’s Christmas’ Mariah Carey - ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ 5. Bruce Springsteen - ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ 6. David Bowie and Bing Crosby - ‘Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy’ 7. Elvis Presley - ‘Blue Christmas’ 8. The Kinks - ‘Father Christmas’ 9. Paul McCartney - ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ 10. Run-DMC - ‘Christmas In Hollis’

TOP 10 CHRISTM AS MOVIES According to Forbes.com

1. “The Grinch Who stole Christmas” 2. “Br azil” 3. “The Nightmare before christmas” 4. “1941” 5. “A christmas story” 6. “The bishop’s wife” 7. “elf” 8. “Gremlins” 9. “Mir acle on 34th street” 10. “A christmas carol”

FEATURES

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

Hanukkah: its history and traditions Elizabeth Aviles Staff Writer A match is lit, a candle burns and a family gathers around as blessings are recited during the holiday known as Hanukkah.

Celebrating a festive holiday, Jewish students and faculty maintain their traditional values during the Hanukkah period.

Another name for this holiday is the Festival of Lights, Mel Kantz, chemistry lecturer, who is also Jewish, said.

Members of the Jewish community celebrate Hanukkah by lighting candles or what can also be called a candelabrum or in today’s modern world electric light bulbs to light the nine candles and what is called a menorah.

The holiday is celebrated for seven days.

During that time, a candle is lit in recognition of “a post-biblical event: the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek rulers of Jerusalem and the subsequent rededication of the Temple in 164 BCE (before the common era),”according to religionfacts. com.

“The (second) temple was used as a place of slaughter and a number of things that you would not consider to be religious,” Kantz said. “To purify the temple, they worked day and night and what they found was, they needed oil to celebrate the Sabbath (and) to illuminate the interior to see what they were doing.”

He said that because the second temple was used as a place were pigs were slaughtered, the meat of pigs is considered food that you will not eat as well as any other animal with cloven hoofs.

“They forecast that the oil was only enough for one day and they needed to be able to include a longer period of time that would include the observation of the Sabbath,” Kantz remarked. “It was a miracle because instead of burning only for one day, the oil lasted for seven days, and that’s considered the miracle of Hanukkah.”

Lighting the menorah during Hanukkah is very important and must be done for each

of the nine days.

“There are places for eight candles, each day we light one candle,” Avi Ifrach, 46, computer information systems, said. “On the first day, we light the middle candle and one candle; on the second day, we light the middle candle and two candles; on the third day, we light the middle candle and three candles and then just from there until all of the candles are lit.”

Accompanying the lighting of the menorah is also blessings during the tradition.

“We do a prayer when we light the menorah,” Patrick Lujan, 20, computer science, said.

Traditional Hanukkah dishes are also prepared for dinner each night, Lujan said.

“We have traditional food that we eat called latkes and another traditional food that looks like jelly doughnuts (sufganiot),” Ifrach said.

Kantz said that in recent decades Hanukkah has evolved into “a holiday of gift giving

that had never really been intended or never really existed before.”

“Typically because of the time that it occurs, side by side with Christmas or maybe even a little before and because of the assimilation of the Jewish population into the Christian population, Hanukkah evolved to a holiday of card giving and gift giving,” Kantz stated.

“The younger kids get presents every night, where as the older kids would only get presents on the last night of Hanukkah,” Lujan said. “Most people would see it almost like Christmas.”

“Some Jewish families give a present to a child everyday,” Ifrach stated. “Unfortunately, some Jews are not keeping the tradition but the Jewish orthodox observe the religion.”

“They are trying to keep the tradition and pass it from generation to generation,” he said.

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FEATURES

10 El Camino College Union

students

November 15, 2012

find time to

volunteer during holiday season Karen Garcia Union Intern The malls are packed, the lines out the door.

With the holiday season approaching and people planning their big purchases after Thanksgiving, it’s hard to remember at times that there are less fortunate people who are in need of the basics to survive.

While times may be financially difficult for many people, there are always those who have less than others and by donating time and or money, Many students volunteer by donating their time at local food banks by packaging lunches or serving a warm plate of food for someone who can’t afford it.

Other people help by donating clothing or food to local drives as well.

“Every now-and-then, local schools or churches have drives around this time of the year where I along with my family, can donate new or used clothes or toys to those who probably need it more than I do,” Adrian Ruiz, 19, communications major, said.

Of the many students who donate items there are

others who volunteer and feel that by giving their time to help others they receive a sense of fulfillment knowing that they have brought a little light to brighten a person’s day.

Christy Villasor, 19, nursing major recently began volunteering at Providence of Little Company of Mary, helping to discharge patients and deliver flowers that have been sent to patients.

“I just started to volunteer and I enjoy it. I see that the patients are happy and appreciative of the volunteers and what they do for them,” Villasor said. “I strongly encourage that others volunteer.”

Other students on campus are in clubs that take time each year to help others in need.

Iva Mrkonje, 19, English major said, “Every year in the Honors Transfer Club participates in preparing sack lunches for the homeless.”

Not only do students receive the satisfaction of helping others, but also the people being helped share this

mutual feeling of camaraderie.

Circle K club president Stephanie Munson, 18, communications major, discusses the passion that she and her club members have for volunteering.

“We’re proud of what we do,” said Munson. “This holiday season we have projects lined up to work at soup kitchens and to create care packages.”

Although the holiday season puts people in the spirit to give and help others many students and faculty believe that aiding the less fortunate is something that should be done year round.

“It’s not just a seasonal thing [volunteering]. There’s always somebody that needs your help,” said Munson.

“With the time of the season there is more of a magnification and awareness to help those in need,” Daniel Berney, dance instructor and faculty adviser for Circle K Club said. “It’s an international concept that goes beyond your school, local community, or hometown town.”

Places to donate and or volunteer Boys and Girls Club of Harbor City Interested persons can inquire about becoming a volunteer and helping out with children in the community by giving them a safe place to grow and have fun with others.

Contact Number (310) 534-0056 1220 256th St. Harbor City, CA 90710

L.A. Works, Inc. By going to this non-profit organization’s website, people can find a variety of volunteer opportunities, including helping feed the homeless, helping children learn to read, helping rescued animals find a home and helping to build a home for the Habitat for Humanity group.

570 W. Avenue 26, Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90065 323-224-6510

The Volunteer Center South Bay-HarborLong Beach The program is called adopt a family and a person is assigned a family to whom the volunteer can provide as much food and gifts as they can to help the family get through the holiday season.

(310) 212-5009 volopps@volctr-sobay.org 1230 Cravens Ave. Torrance, CA 90501

Volunteer Los Angeles Volunteer Los Angeles is a non-profit associated with the Assistance League of Southern California. By going to its website and entering your ZIP code, you can find volunteer opportunities near you.

1370 N. St. Andrews Place Los Angeles, CA 90028 323-450-5080

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Points of Light

The program is called Operation Gobble November 12, 2012, in which the volunteer helps sort, inspect and repackage donated food items from local food banks. You must register in order to volunteer at this event.

Registration is from 12:10 to 12:25 p.m.

The event is from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank 1734 E. 41st St. Los Angeles, CA 90058

A non-profit group aimed at connecting volunteers with nonprofits needing help, has established Saturday as Family Volunteer Day. You can go to the Points of Light website at: http://www.pointsoflight.org, click the “volunteer” button at the top of the page and find a place that could use your help.

FEATURES

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

11

Which real housewife are you?

Viridiana Vaca-Rios Editor-in-Chief Admit it. You either love them, hate them or want to be them.

They live a lifestyle that most could only dream about.

They are the rich, the famous, the beautiful.

Did we mention, RICH? They are the “Real Housewives” of Bravo.

With shows in Beverly Hills, Orange County, Miami, New York, D.C., Atlanta and New Jersey, millions of people tune in to get their dose of reality TV and the ladies’ latest drama.

But did you ever wonder which housewife you would be?

Here’s your chance!

Take the “Which Real Housewife Are You?”

What would your catchphrase be?

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Smart, feisty and successful. ( 3 pts.)

Sophisticated, elegant and classy. ( 2 pts.)

Rich, rich and very rich! ( 5 pts.)

Family-oriented, loyal and protective. (1 pt.)

Woo-Hoo!!! Here’s to not being fake. ( 3 pts.)

I have arrived, and the spotlight is on me! ( 5 pts.)

In a town full of phonies, I’m not afraid to be me. ( 2 pts.)

I’m not afraid to say what everyone else is thinking. ( 4 pts.)

Life is too short, I don’t have time for drama. ( 1 pt.)

You would rather live in...

Invite them to dinner to sort things out. You’re an adult. (1 pt.)

Let them have it and then go back to work. You WORK! ( 3 pts.)

Threaten to snap their neck, slap their face or pull their wig off. What else? ( 5 pts.)

Play dumb. What are you talking about? You didn’t do anything. ( 2 pts.)

Someone older than myself.

Age ain’t nothin’ but a number! ( 5 pts.)

No one. I started it myself! I need attention. ( 3 pts.)

Someone who can respect my independence. ( 3 pts.)

My ex-best friend, of course!

Then i’ll snatch her wig off.

Bloop! ( 5 pts.)

Someone exotic and who will shower me with gifts. I’m worth it! ( 2 pts.)

My sister. She drinks so much that she probably did it while she was intoxicated. ( 2 pts.)

Someone who will be a great parent. Family is important to me. ( 1 pt.)

This red-headed lady, I really, really hate! Rhymes with Bill. ( 4 pts.)

Someone who shares a love of fashion with me. Looks are important. Look at me! ( 4 pts.)

No one. I am a good person.

There would never be rumors about me. ( 1 pt.)

Give yourself an additional 5 points for taking the quiz!

Why would the other housewives be jealous of you?

Because I’m independent and make my own money, honey! ( 3 pts.)

Look at me. I’m hot, famous and rich! ( 5 pts.)

I’m fashionable and perfect. ( 4 pts.)

N ow, put those Louboutins down and start adding them up!

I’m married, have children and a wonderful life. ( 2 pts.)

Loud, opinionated and fabulous. ( 4 pts.)

When someone makes you mad you...

There’s a rumor circulating about you.

Who do you blame?

You are likely to marry...

I don’t think they envy me. I’m just a down-to-earth person.

Jealousy is an ugly thing. ( 1 pt.)

New York City. It’s the fashion capital of the world! ( 4 pts.)

Orange County. It’s where my plastic surgeon lives. ( 3 pts.)

Atlanta. Is there anywhere else? ( 5 pts.)

Beverly Hills, 90210. The city, not the show. ( 2 pts.)

New Jersey. The nice part. Not where those fist-pumping kids live. ( 1 pt.)

Say ridiculous things, insult horribly and cry. ( 4 pts.)

Your top priority in life is...

How do you spend your free time?

What free time? You work too much. ( 3 pts.)

My career. Someone has to pay the bills! Have you not been listening? ( 4 pts.)

Money. Didn’t I tell you? I’m rich! ( 5 pts.)

Talk about how rich and fabulous you are to whoever will listen to me. ( 5 pts.)

My family. If they’re happy, I’m happy. ( 1 pt.)

Watch over my crazy sister and try to dictate her every move.

That’s what sisters are for! ( 2 pts.)

Fashion! Oh and my husband and only daughter. ( 4 pts.)

Prepare meals and take care of my children and support their dream of having a strip club/ carwash. ( 1 pts.)

Attend fashion shows and spending money. ( 4 pts.)

Being a good mom, sister and wife in the most famous zip code. ( 2 pts.)

Photo Courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter

YOU ARE...

47-50: Nene. You are rich, glamorous and a star! Well, you think you are and that is all that matters. It’s all about you and you let people know it. People know not to question you as you know best.

It’s your world and everyone just lives in it.

37-46: Ramona. You aren’t afraid to tell people what you think, good or bad. You love fashion, work hard to look good and live the life that others could only dream about. You are opinionated, strong-willed and dare we say, dramatic.

28-36: Vicky. You’re smart, independent and a workaholic. You like to be the leader of the pack and can get a bit bossy at times and turn into a negative Nancy when things don’t go your way.

13-27: Kyle. You stay calm, cool and collected, most of the time. You always want to be the peace-

maker in the group. You try your best to not get caught up in the drama, but it always seems to find you one way or another.

9-12: Caroline. You try your hardest to keep clear of the drama and although you can’t help it, you still get wrapped up in it. But you never lose sight of what is important, family. You are always there to help solve problems.

FEATURES

12 El Camino College Union

November 15, 2012

NEW YEAR’S Brooke Buckaway Viridiana Vaca-Rios Staff Writer Editor-in-Chief

Resolutions

Eating healthier, living each day to its fullest, being happier, finding love, traveling the world, or cursing less—these are some of the New Year’s resolutions students are contemplating as Jan. 1 gets closer.

“Mine is to quit smoking,” Lesley Golphin, 22, sign languae and business marketing major, said of her resolution. “I never had a New Year’s resolution before, so this is going to be my first one. The reason why I wanted to do it is because of my mom’s health. I know people can say I can stop right now, but I am not ready yet. The time between now and New Year’s will help me prepare myself because I don’t want to start cold turkey.”

The idea of starting the New Year doing something that makes them healthier is a common resolution for many students. Although Janae Griffin, psychology major, said that while she may not be interested in making a resolution to become healthier, she is interested in making a resolution to help

her determine her goals for the coming year.

“My New Year’s resolution is to reset my goals,” Griffin said. “It makes me be more focused. I had myself focused on my goals at the beginning of the year, but throughout the year, you get swayed or distracted. New Year’s is always a good time to refocus. You can always start your goals anytime but it is always good to just sit down and focus on New Year’s.”

John Penuela, 19, psychology major, sees New Year’s resoultions as a time for growth and change. He said he finds that if he makes a resolution, he tends to keep it.

“It is a motivation for me to change,” he said about making New Year’s resolutions. “It is my commitment. It is something that people do yearly to change to themeselves for the better.”

“My New Year’s resolution is to have better time management, focus on my school and work and not waste time on useless things,” he said. “Last year, I promised myself to improve my grades and my grades are actually better now.”

While many students are looking ahead to New Year’s and coming up with resolutions to keep, others are taking a different approach and contemplating boycotting resolutions for 2013.

“I think it’s a social thing,” Nancy Le, English major, said about the concept of making New Year’s resolutions. “I think that if you are going to do something, you shouldn’t wait until the beginning of the year to do it.”

Although setting up goals for the New Year might be ideal for some students, other students would rather not set themselves up for failure, so they don’t come up with New Year’s resolutions.

“I tend to think practically, so I do not need to set up a New Year’s resolution that I would not really follow through with,” Hanh Nguyen, 19, international business major, said. “I don’t call mine a New Year’s resolution because I don’t really have to wait for the New Year to set up my goals.”

NYE hot spots After finding the perfect dress and making dinner reservations at the perfect location, the only thing left to do is to find the best location to ring in the New Year. Here’s a list with some of the hottest spots to celebrate the beginning of 2013.

Winder Wonderland Rave: $60+ Disneyland: $87 Hermosa Beach Bars Cover Charge: $40-$60 Queen Mary: $109 VIP: $249 Hollywood Block party: FREE Helpful Websites for Students: Ilovefun.com Clubzone.com

November 15, 2012

PHOTO ESSAY

El Camino College Union

13

A hose team made up of Fire Academy cadets, along with an academy mentor to supervise, prepare to move forward and suppress a simulated large scale gas fire recently at the El Segundo Chevron Oil Refinery fire-training facility.

Fire and water Photos and Story by Philip Prins

During a training exercise recently at the Fire Academy, Marlon Montenegro, fire academy cadet, practices moving with a charged fire hose in preparation for a small scale gas fire exercise later in the day.

Images of firefighters often grace the pages of newspapers and magazines across the country, especially during disasters.

What is not often seen is where and how these firefighters morph from average individuals into toughened professionals. One place where this transformation begins is the EC Fire Academy in Inglewood, California.

Fire Chief William Melendez, director of the Fire Academy, said that being a firefighter is a calling.

“You have to have a good personality, you’ve got to have loyalty, you’ve got to have the dedication and desire to be a fireman,” Melendez said. “You can’t force somebody to do that; they have to say ‘That’s what I want to be.’”

The program consists of 400 hours of training packed into 10 weeks that includes both time in the classroom and hands-on training in areas like ladder

use, search and rescue, fire behavior, working in confined spaces, hazardous materials, trench rescue, using hoses and extricating people from damaged vehicles.

The Fire Academy has put 134 groups through the training process and although each one is different, the current group, class 134, has done very well, Melendez said.

“This has been an outstanding class, they have been coming together and have been able to achieve the goals and objectives we set for them,” he said. “They don’t quit on us; it’s great to have this type of attitude and response back from the students.”

Melendez said that it is a tough program and the instructors push the cadets hard, but when they are finished they will be prepared to move in to the professional world of firefighting and work as a team.

“The main thing is it is not one person’s ability to put the fire out; it takes the entire group to be able to function as a team, every movement makes a difference,” he said.

Fire Academy mentors, left to right, Jason Silva, Matt Taras, Andrew Behrens and Eric Anderson, share a laugh in front of the gas fire simulation prop recently at the El Segundo Chevron Oil Refinery fire training facility after the cadets finished their training exercise. Mentors are previous fire academy cadets who return to the academy to help train new recruits.

Cadet Lanakila Guerrero runs to exchange a depleted oxygen bottle for a full one as cadets practice moving up the stairwell of a multistory building with charged fire hoses.

A cadet walks away during an Academy training exercise that uses propane props to simulate common fire scenarios such as a Cadet Adam Hyink repels down the Fire Academy training tower in a skills demonstration for family and friends during a recent burning Christmas tree or a fire fueled by a gas leak. class 134’s graduation ceremony.

ARTS

14 El Camino College Union ON THE SCENE

By Rigo Bonilla

Live Music Yuval Ron Ensemble concert performance The Yuval Ron Ensemble unites nationalities, races, religions and cultures to form one music and dance group. It will perform tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the Marsee Auditorium. Tickets are $26. For more information, interested persons may call 1-800832-ARTS.

Red Hot Skillet Lickers Lavay Smith and The Red Hot Skillet Lickers will be performing tomorrow at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. The eightpiece band plays jazz and blues from the ‘40s and ‘50s. The event is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32.50 or $29.50 for season subscribers.

For more information, interested persons may contact the Ticket Office at 310-781-7171.

Concert band recital EC’s concert band will be performing several tunes including John Moss’ arrangement, “A Disney Spectacular,” at the Marsee Auditorium at 3 p.m. Sunday.

This event will cost $10. For more information, interested persons may call 1-800-832-ARTS.

Performance The Story Pirates comedy performance The Story Pirates, a hand puppet group that has been featured on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” will be performing stories written by children Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center. This comedy performance will cost $22.50 for a regular ticket, or $20.50 for season subscribers. For more information, intersted persons may call 310-781-7171.

Artistic duo exhibit shared travels Angela Songco Staff Writer

With a click of a camera shutter and a dab of a paint brush on a canvas, the memories of American travels were immortalized.

Containing images inspired and captured from recent travels to places of natural wonder, “Along the Highway” is a painting and photography exhibit that showcases the works of Linda Detwiler and her husband, Bradley Burns. The exhibit is on display at the Schauerman Library lobby through the end of the month.

“When I travel, I’ve always wanted to bring back with me what I see to show my friends,” Detwiler, financial aid information technology services (ITS) support technician, said.

Ed Martinez, Public Access Librarian, said that the exhibit is a depiction of the “natural and rural” scenes found in America and other places in the world.

“They are paintings and photos of the back roads, riv-

ers, ponds, the barnyards, the roads along the way to Yosemite,” Martinez said.

Burns, Detwiler’s husband and exhibit partner, said that the show is a collection of their works inspired by the places that they had been to, either separately or together.

“We love to travel,” Burns said. “Both of us also enjoy creating something substantial. In my case, I love to paint outdoors, so I had been to Joshua tree, Death Valley and most of the places that you see. So our art shows our feelings as we saw the beauty of nature.”

Detwiler said she initially fell for photography, particularly landscape photography, when she was a girl.

“I went to a summer camp in Catalina Island many many years ago with a little camera my family gave me,” Detwiler said. “I started to enjoy it back then. In my high school and college years, I got into it a little bit more, but when my film camera broke, I got away from it.”

Although the broken camera almost stopped her

from doing what she enjoyed most, she said that her passion for photography and traveling inspired her to continue on the expeditions of art.

“I was not able to continue on (with photography and travel) back then,” Detwiler said. “But now I am doing more things with it. I’m experimenting (with pictures) during my trips. If you know anything about photography, it is all about the lighting.

Some of my pictures on our trips were just great because we happen to be in the right moment at the right time.”

Once she had regained her enthusiasm for photography, Detwiler started taking private and college classes to improve her techniques.

“I took classes at Paul’s Photo in Torrance and then some classes here at EC,” Detwiler said. “I took a black and white photo class here back in 2009.”

Since her comeback to photography, Detwiler said she has done a number of exhibits with her husband and with people from photogra-

Rigo Bonilla Arts Editor

Butterflies flock throughout the digestive system, but the dedicated actress has done her homework.

After a deep breath and long stillness, it’s show time.

Kelli Anderson, 20, theater major, is an aspiring actress who’s been involved in theater since an early age.

She participated in the production of

Paintings Madrona Marsh art Tomorrow will be the last day to experience a group exhibit featuring art inspired by the nature of Madrona Marsh. This exhibit is free in the Madrona Marsh Nature Center. For more information, interested persons may call 310-782-3989.

Kelli Anderson, 20, theater major, prepares her eyelashes before a performance in

The Torrance Craftsmen’s Guild will be hosting its 43rd annual arts and crafts event where one-of-a-kind gifts can be purchased in time for the holidays.

This will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, interested persons may contact Wendy Lee at 310-547-5097.

Workshop Drawing native plants and wildlife A workshop to learn how to draw native plants and animals will be hosted by local artist, Lal Ragimov on Saturday. This event will cost $10. The workahop will take place at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center. Supplies will be provided. For more information, interested persons may call 310782-3989.

phy clubs and classes. She also gained recognition from several prestigious bodies and organizations.

“One of my works entitled ‘Painting M&Ms’ will also be published in the 2012 International Photography Society contest,” Detwiler said. “I was also a finalist of

“Noises Off” last week on campus and starred in an independent short horror film titled “Kill Your Television.”

“Its one of the best feelings after working so long to feel the live energy from the audience when they laugh or are shocked at something that you did,” Anderson said.

Juston Gonzalez, who played Gary in “Noises Off,” said Anderson is “incredibly professional.”

“She’s very intuitive with what she’s doing,” Gonzalez said. “She’s good at spotting

Disneyland’s Billy and The Hillbillies will be performing show tunes along with the Velvet Frogs harmony group at the James Armstrong Theater Sunday at 2 p.m. This event will cost $25. For more information, interested persons may call 310-7817171.

Arts and crafts faire

Philip Prins/ Union Linda Detwiler and Bradley Burns are featured artists in the Schauerman Library until the end of the month.

the 2010 Easy Reader contest sponsored by Paul’s Photo.”

Looking back, Detwiler said she nearly let all of these opportunities slip away by letting a broken camera stall her progress and hold her back when she was young.

But with the shared passion, reinvigoration and support of

her husband, she perservered by turning a hobby into a real talent.

“It could have been the end of photography for me when it happened, but I got back into it,” Detwiler said.

“I found something that I enjoy and I am not afraid to share it.”

Lifelong actress learns to dig deep

Billy and the Hillbillies Chorus performance

Arts and crafts

November 15, 2012

when things are wrong and knowing exactly what to say to help someone’s scene. She’s very easy to get along with.”

Preparation is key in the world of acting.

Anderson has been training for these moments of a lifetime for just about a lifetime.

“I started acting when I was six years old,” Anderson said. “There was a children’s theater group I was in, we worked a lot on the Stanislavski method of acting.

I joined another theater group from eighth grade until senior year of high school and now I’m at EC.” Once here, Anderson found that knowing how to act was only half of the job and that doing the research is just as important.

“EC helped me a lot,” Anderson said. “The theater program is great.

Ron Scarlata (artistic director) has really taken the time in his classes to do scene analysis and really go into character analysis. We fill out worksheets on the background of the character like where they’re from and how they got to where they are. EC has really helped me take acting to a deeper level instead of scratching the surface.”

Anderson’s heroes reflect her desire to be versatile and her willingness to transform herself into a character.

“I love Rachel McAdams because of how versatile she is,” Anderson said. “She’s played so many parts.

I look up to Leonardo DiCaprio because with each part, he really gets into the character and he throws himself into it 150 percent.”

There have been instances when Philip Prins/ Union Anderson has actually taken characthe campus production of “Noises Off.”

ter traits home with her for a while.

“There was a scene I did for the play, ‘Reasons to Be Pretty,’ where my character cusses out her boyfriend using every word in the book because her boyfriend called her ugly to his friend and I didn’t notice it as much but my mom actually brought it up to me, she said, ‘Kelli, you’ve been kind of snippy. You’ve been snapping at people,’” Anderson said. “I just got so into the character.”

Getting into the character is what sets actors apart and what attracts Anderson to this profession.

“I love how many different characters you can be and get lost in,” Anderson said.

“It’s great looking at a character to find out why they do those things, why they say what they say and just digging into them psychologically. I love bringing a different person to life for people to enjoy.”

Anderson, who realizes that acting is a “cutthroat business,” just wants the art to continue being a prominent part of her life.

“My ultimate goal is just to keep acting and performing,” Anderson said. “I would one day like to be in movies, TV shows, or on stage. I really don’t care where I act, just as long as I’m doing it. I would like it to be my main job and my main source of income.

I really don’t see myself doing anything else.

It’s what really brings me joy.”

“I’m excited for ‘Grease’ to come up,” Anderson said. “I haven’t done a musical since senior year of high school.”

A round of applause will surely be waiting for her.

“The final applause when you’re taking a bow is so humbling,” Anderson said. “To come out for a bow and feel all the love is so nice. It makes you feel like a movie star for a little bit.”

James Bond’s “Skyfall” satisfies 007 fans new and old Victor Liptzin Staff Writer

Fist fighting, gunplay and high speed thrills are just a portion of the daily itinerary for James Bond.

Bond, also known as 007, is played by Daniel Craig in “Skyfall,” the latest addition to the 007 legacy, released on Nov. 9.

The new film contains all the classical elements of a Bond film and more.

Bond goes to extreme lengths to defeat the bad guys using the many tools at his disposal. He can be seen conducting business in places that range from the top of a train in Istanbul, Turkey, or a sky scraper in Shanghai, China.

The 007 movies never cease to amaze. In this installation, Bond faces creative adversaries, but like always, he is equipped with the latest in super spy technology to assist him.

A man-eating Komodo Dragon makes an exciting appearance in the film. As for gadgets, one of 007’s newest toys is a pistol that will only work when held by Bond.

No Bond movie would be complete without a dashing female sidekick. Naomie Harris, who rose to fame in the zombie thriller “28 Days Later,” plays Eve Moneypenny.

What sets this 007 film apart from others is that it delves far into the past of the notoriously mysterious agent Bond.

The plot was interesting and more realistic than past 007 films.

The movie centers around cyber terrorism, which is a very real issue in today’s world. Cyber terrorism can happen anywhere at any time.

The Academy Award winning Javier Bardem plays a worthy adversary. A Bond movie is only as good as its villain, and Bardem is up to the task.

It is no surprise that this installation of the Bond franchise has already broken box-office records. Another Academy Award winning artist is at the helm in the director’s spot. Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for “American Beauty,” lets his directorial skills shine.

“Skyfall” not only ranks high on the list of James Bond movies, but in the action movie genre in general.

Not only was the movie action-packed, but it also delivered a couple of welcome laughs.

One notable example was when Bond was tempted to push the button for the ejector seat in his 1964 Aston Martin DB5 if his female companion was going to complain the entire way to Scotland.

Overall, the film was very well done, and will surely fail to disappoint fans of the 007 series.

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Publicity

November 15, 2012

ARTS PREVIEW

El Camino College Union

15

Dancers get ready for show Sam Tedla Staff Writer

Philip Prins/ Union M Itsuki Moriyama, 21, and Nicholas Linares, 18, rehearse for the dance piece “Laffire de Cortigianas” which is part of the fall dance concert “Jubilation” that will be showing Nov. 1 through Dec. 2.

With the holiday season underway, many students are preparing to spread joy by participating in the arts they love most.

The dance program’s best students will perform in “Jubilation,” a versatile dance performance at the Campus Theater from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2.

“I think the thing students will love most about this show is the diversity and variety that the choreographers and the instructors are bringing to each piece,” Lesley Washington, dance major and choreographer said.

This performance will appeal to the general public because it features a wide range of dances.

“There’s modern, contemporary, a little bit of tap and some hip-hop as well,” dance major, 28, Shinna Johnson said.

“It’s just like a mix and match of all of the above.”

Although the dance styles vary, there

will be a central theme.

“The performance is about the 18th century courtesans and noblemen and how they used their flirtatious ways to build alliances,” Washington said.

The name of the show reflects the mood of the evening.

“We named it ‘Jubilation’ because it’s a celebration of life and students renewing their passion for dance,” Daniel Berney, show director said.

This show features the best and most experienced dancers on campus. It will give spectators the feeling of being at a professional dance performance, Santleman said.

“This performance is a bit different because it’s more advanced in terms of the dancing experience,” Pamela Santleman, dance instructor and show director said.

These dancers will convey emotions and feelings that their choreographers intend the audience to experience.

“They have more technique and more attitude,” Berney said.

Training for a performance can be physically and mentally draining, but the results are worth it for all.

“Working on this performance has been time consuming,” Johnson said.

“We’ve had lot of sweat and a few of the injuries that come along with being a dancer. For the choreographers, there are the headaches that come when the dancers can’t get something right. There’s no complaints, but just the things that come along with preparing for a big show.”

Berney and Santleman will be directing another show called the “Choreography showcase” this holiday season. This performance will serve as a final grading assignment for students taking the choreography class on campus.

This is a show with the highest of standards for its participants, Santleman said.

“You’re working with professional faculty so the dances are at a higher level,” Santleman said. “It’s a little more professional. It has actual costumes for the dancers as opposed to the showcase.”

Musicians are preparing for the winter jazz band concert Brooke Buckaway Staff Writer

With just a few weeks before the jazz band concert on Nov. 30, jazz students are kicking their practice sessions into high gear to ensure a flawless performance.

“We’ve been practicing since early October and have been recycling the hard parts of songs over and over again until we get it down,” Enrique Mora Toro, 20, music major, said.

With two-hour practice sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, the students in the jazz band are proud to see their accomplishments and watch each other progress as musicians.

“For me it has been nice to see how all the people have progressed throughout the year,” Chris Hinojosa, music major, said. “Every time you get to hear someone play you are hearing them get

better.”

The songs the band will be performing have a wide range of complexity.

“Students will enjoy this,” Brandon Marshall, 28, Computer Engineering major said. “It gives students a break from studying.”

While jazz can be incredibly difficult to play, Conductor Kurt Festinger is there to guide student musicians to a smooth sound.

“In outside bands, you don’t have Kurt to make sure things are tidy,” Jared Sachs, 19, music major, said. “He’s had years of experience. He’s a musician himself. When he’s conductor, he watches all parts of a score.”

The jazz band gives musicians a unique oportunity to express themselves through solos.

“The solos tell a story about that person and paint a picture and show you what struggles and emotions they are

going through,” Mora Toro said.

Solos are integral part of American-made jazz music. The EC jazz band wants to keep the genre alive.

“People take Jazz for granted,” Hinojosa said. “Jazz is a true American art form and expresses our individualism. We are creating something that is part of the American spirit.”

The jazz band is counting on a big audience to support the music art form. Festinger said the jazz band is welcome to students, all members of the community and vocalists.

“We hope the show is big this year,” Manny Plascencia, 20, music major said. “I would really like more people to come out. It’s your friends and peers performing good music.

They’re talented performers. Just come out, enjoy the music and watch your peers perform.”

Philip Prins/ Union Members of the Band’s trumpet section rehearse with the rest of the band in the Marsee Auditorium band room.

Sudoku

Fill every row across, every row down and every 3x3 box with the digits 1 through 9.

Each digit must appear only oncein each rowacross, each column down and each 3x3 box.

For the solution to the puzzle, visit the Union website, www.eccunion.com

16 El Camino College Union

PHOTO ESSAY

November 15, 2012

HANDS ON WITH WOODWORKING Story and Photos by Philip Prins Photographer

T

he semi-sweet smell of slightly burnt wood fills the workshop as particles of sawdust drift lazily through the air.

The sound of lathes, power saws and air filters create a constant hum of background noise as students from the Construction Technology 107abcd and 108abcd, Cabinet and Furniture Making classes use their hands to turn their visions of chairs, tables, bowls and almost anything else they can imagine into a

reality.

“I love teaching the students and seeing that lightbulb go on when they actually accomplish what they want to do” Jack Selph, cabinet and fine woodworking instructor, said.

Selph said that the woodworking classes cater to a diverse group of students ranging in age from 17 years old to the occasional senior citizen, with around 30 percent of the students being women.

“We get a lot of people looking for a career change,” Selph said. “They know that their jobs are going away and they want a

new skill they can use.”

He said that students completing the Cabinet and fine woodworking degree or certificate would definitely have the skills necessary to find a job.

Selph believes there will soon be an “explosion” of growth in California woodworking industry due to homeowners being more comfortable spending money on remodels, he said.

It (woodworking) can create a great career for them (students).” Selph said. “It is a highly employable skill and it’s a portable skill that you can take anywhere in the country.”

Rosa Novack, 47, undecided major, uses a radial arm saw to take the end off a cutting board she is making. smaller strips

Above, Naomi Mest, 43, cabinet and fine woodworking major, smooths the outside surface of a wooden bowl with a orbital power sander.

Above, Brian Williams, 27, undecided major, measures out a point along the edge of what is to become a 48 -inch-across by 4-inch-thick round table top.

Lemarie Romeo, Cabinet and fine woodworking major, experiments with glueing layers of plywood together and turning them on a lathe to see what kind of result he will get.

Above, Jack Selph, cabinet and fine woodworking instructor, demonstrates the proper way to use a jointer machine to his students.

Chris Ellis, 60, cabinet and fine woodworking major, uses a bowl-gouge tool to hollow out a piece of olive-tree wood, soon to become a bowl. Ellis said that care must be taken at this stage of the process because the wood is still moist and the heat from friction can cause the wood to expand and crack.

November 15, 2012

SPORTS

El Camino College Union

17

Cheerleading: high energy but dangerous

Jorge Maldonado

Co-Opinion Editor

Philip Prins/ Union Members of the cheerleading team perform a table-top pyramid formation during a practice session before Saturdays football game against the Citrus College Owls.

Sweat drips down their faces and the room is stifling hot as the cheer team maintains its focus in its warm-up before it begins practicing its routines.

With the ability to separate itself from being a sideline cheer team, competitions and disciplined practice make this team just as athletic as football or basketball.

“We’re a co-ed squad who tumbles, stunts and dances,” Alyssa Santos, 19, psychology major, said.

Monday and Wednesday evenings are dedicated to practicing routines which involves very intricate stunts often times resulting in injuries to the nose, mouth, or other parts of the body.

“Not everyone thinks it’s a sport; they just think they scream, jump up-and-down, ra-ra-ra, but if they happen to come to practice and see what we do and actually try to attempt what we do, then they’ll understand,” Crystal Oropeza, co-cheer coach, said.

Their routines consist of ranges from stunts requiring balancing on one leg on the palm of their teammates, backhand springs, human pyramids, and jumping from the air onto their teammates in a very well thought-out blind landing.

“We get bounced around, we don’t have a room, we need a room,” Oropeza said.

“When I’m at the football games, I see the cheerleaders doing flips and high jumps during halftime,” Royshaun Lewis, defensive back, said. “They are loud, energetic and really coordinated.”

Lewis said that the cheerleaders are dedicated to their craft.

Unlike the football team that

has a dedicated area of space to practice, the cheer team does not, practicing in areas such as the Schauerman Library lawn, the baseball field, or the Physical Education North Building.

“I have seen them practice by the weight room. We (the football team) have seen them practice before we practice and they are still practicing after we are done with our practicing,” Lewis said.

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s website, the organization doesn’t define cheer as an official sport leaving it up to the college itself to decide.

“Cheerleading can be a dangerous sport because of the safety concerns when they throw them on the air,” Luis Villegas, 21, film and media studies major, said.

Villegas said that he knows of the cheerleading on campus because he has a classmate that is part of the team and has seen her in her uniform a couple of times already.

In a statement released Monday the American Academy of Pediatrics urged cheerleading as an official sport, stating it would give valuable protection including well-maintained facilities, mandated sports physicals and surveillance of injuries.

Cheerleading is one of the highest risk sporting events for direct catastrophic injuries that can result in permanent brain injury, paralysis or death, according to the AAP’s statement.

“Danger is present in any sports; it is out there,” Ashley Barajas, 18, nursing major, said.

“But if you really like what you are doing, then you will take all the precautions that you have to so that you will be safe.”

From an outside perspective cheerleading may seem like a delicate sport led by pom poms,

however any cheerleader knows the risks associated with the sport; injuries to the knees, wrist, lower-back and head, including concussions.

In the most extreme cases a catastrophic injury such as a skull fracture, spinal injuries or paralysis may result if a cheerleader falls from the top of a pyramid, lift, or basket toss if a stunt is not performed correctly, according to healthychildren.org.

The NCAA has set standards defining a sport as existing for the purpose of athletics competition, not to support or promote other athletic activities.

However, the NCAA also defines a sport as being able to offer scholarships, recruit participants, have practice opportunities and regular-season competitive opportunities and conduct state, conference, and national championships.

In 2011, the Warrior cheer team placed third at the Cheer Pros Co-Ed Division, according to EC Matter’s February 2011 newsletter.

“We went the past two years.

They placed second two years ago and third last year, but we’re striving to get first,” Oropeza said.

The team will maintain its goal of placing first at the next Cheer Pros Co-Ed Division, which takes place in March 2013 in Long Beach.

“This year we’re striving for a higher title and get into a division,” Santos said.

For the 22-member cheer team, its coaches and adviser, cheerleading is more than just about toe-touches, raising pompoms, and screaming chants.

“We’re putting in a lot of practice, a lot!” Santos said. “And in our spare time we still practice doing tumbling and stunts.”

Looking through the volleyball net at a bright future Zachary Weber

Co-Opinion Editor

After a year away from the sport she loved, 19-year-old freshman Elise Tizon, outside hitter, was uncertain whether she would continue her volleyball career.

A graduate of North Torrance High School, Tizon was a two-sport athlete in volleyball and soccer. She decided to stop playing soccer and focus on volleyball. Tizon felt passionate about volleyball and wanted to continue playing at the college level.

She was offered multiple out-of-state scholarships for volleyball, but ended up turning them down.

Tizon said she had doubts about continuing her volleyball career.

Tizon decided to take a year off because she felt overwhelmed with volleyball taking up her life.

“During my time off, I had a lot of time to think and see what I really wanted. I didn’t think I was ready to go to a school out of state,” Tizon said.

Tizon felt she wasn’t into the game as much. She wanted to see if volleyball was really for her.

“I just wasn’t into it a 100 percent,” Tizon said.

She took 2011 off to really see if she wanted to continue playing the sport she loved.

Tizon enjoyed the time that she had away from volleyball.

“It was different not playing volleyball and it was nice to have time to myself,” Tizon said.

The reason Tizon took a year off is because she wanted to see if volleyball was really for her.

“It was more of a personal thing to me to figure out what I wanted to do,” Tizon said.

Towards the end of 2011, it clicked for Tizon that volleyball is something she felt passionate about and wanted to continue playing the sport.

She (Tizon) felt the urge to get back on the court.

Tizon said she started to get back in shape by partaking in excruciating workouts.

“In the beginning, I didn’t think I was going to come back, but towards the end I started taking off the weight,” Tizon said. “I just thought give me another shot.”

Those workouts consisted of hot yoga, cardio and beach runs.

“When I was in high school, I felt I could have

been thinner and better at volleyball, so I lost 40 pounds and now I’m feeling great,” Tizon said.

“I work really hard for what I want. Nothing is handed to me. I always struggled with obtaining the starting spot and I would always be one step behind somebody, but I would never give up,” Tizon said.

Tizon credits her parents for supporting her through her high school days till now.

“Both of my parents are my support team, they are always their to pick me up and tell me to keep improving,” Tizon said.

At first she didn’t start for the women’s volleyball team, but she continued to work and she was determined to reach her highest achievement.

“For El Camino College, I wasn’t playing at first and I never let it discourage me. I just had to keep working hard,” Tizon said.

“I knew if I worked that I would be starting and I am now,” she added.

Tizon would work relentlessly for her starting position with the women’s volleyball team.

She knew that nothing was given to her and was determined to earn her starting position.

“It was tough for me, it wasn’t easy,” she said.

“I didn’t complain, and I never stopped believing in myself.”

Even Tizon’s coach (Le Valley Pattison) took notice of her hard work and dedication.

Pattison said she enjoys coaching Tizon.

“She is working hard; she sat out a year. It took her time to adjust,” Pattison said.

“She is one of our more versatile players. She can hit and play libero.”

—Le Valley Pattison

coach

“She has a great work ethic, she is at practice everyday with a smile,” Pattison added. “She wants to get better and I enjoy coaching her.”

When she first started playing volleyball at EC, she didn’t get complacent and was determined to improve her craft.

Omar Casasola/ Union Elise Tizon, 19, outside hitter, at the EC North Gym Facility, plans to continue playing volleyball at a university.

Now Tizon is gaining more confidence by working hard every day in practice.

“I think I have more confidence in myself. I can only tell by training a lot harder, but I think I have the potential to be really good,” Tizon said.

Pattison said she thinks Tizon is an adept player who can play multiple positions, and has become an important player in the team’s offense.

“She is one of our more versatile players. She can hit and play libero,” Pattison said.

So far, Tizon has enjoyed her time at EC and thinks the coaching staff has helped her out a lot.

“I love it, I think EC has some of the best coaches I have gotten throughout my years of playing,” Tizon said.

When asked if pursuing a career in professional

volleyball is a possibility, Tizon said it is possibly.

Tizon said that she plans to continue her volleyball career at a university.

Tizon will also start training for beach volleyball in Manhattan Beach.

“I do play beach volleyball. I’m going to start training for that and see how far I can go,” Tizon said.

She (Tizon) recently changed her major from film to communication.

“I just felt like a communications major would open up more doors than film,” Tizon said.

For the latest on the volleyball team, visit www.eccunion.com.

SPORTS

18 El Camino College Union

November 15, 2012

Q&A With coach Robert Uphoff for the men’s basketball team Kyle Mounce

Online Staff Writer

Q: So who is your biggest competition right now?

A: Well, ironically, our first game is against No. 2 team in the state. They will be a great gauge of where we are at as a program with this first year of our team, and trying to move forward. Win or lose, we are going to find out a lot about ourselves on Friday night. As far as our conference goes, L.A. Southwest is the defending conference champion on our side, but the team to beat without question, is Mt. San Antonio College. I know that they have a number of Division 1 players, kickbacks, so they are going to be roaring and ready to go.

Philip Prins/ Union

The men’s basketball team huddles up at half court after its Friday practice. The team opened the season with a home game against Citrus College.

Men’s basketball team is excited for new season Kyle Mounce

Online Staff Writer

The basketball team, is starting this new season with a new training regiment, a new team and a new determination, new coach Robert Uphoff said Thursday.

“To compete and win the conference title,” Uphoff said. “That’s something that hasn’t been done here since the, I think, mid-80s’, so being a new coach here that’s my goal.”

Uphoff said the Warriors have been on a workout routine involving heavy conditioning and working with the college’s personal strength conditioning coach Kim Jones, in order to meet the physical demands so that they can face the challenges this season presents.

“Our guys have been working at the gym anywhere from two to five hours a day after October 1 hit,” Uphoff said. “They’ve been do-

ing beach workouts, two to three days a week sometimes, to help get their legs and body in condition and stuff like that as well.”

Joshua Wilson, point guard, 19, communications major, said that his main goal is leading his team to a conference title and to get a full-ride scholarship to a four-year university.

“My goal is to be a great leader,” Wilson said. “I want to lead the team in the best possible way that I can.”

Uphoff said that the Warriors’ biggest competition this season is Mt. San Antonio College because of its multiple Division 1 players and its strong previous season record.

The Warriors beat Mt. SAC last season seeded No. 15 while Mt. SAC was No. 2.

“We just want to, basically, make more plays than the other team does,” David Howard, guard, 19, kinesiology major, said. “We just want to stay focused and stay in the game.”

A: For me, it’s really about having the opportunity to encourage and change lives. I’m as a competitive person that I have met, but at the same time, I don’t place our wins and losses over our student’s welfare and health. I think the biggest rush and the biggest thrill that I get is to watch those guys walk across stage, get the diploma and hopefully already have a scholarship signed where they’re going to finish out their last two to three years of their education or athletic endeavors

Uphoff said that the Warriors’ first game would serve as a good measurement of their abilities and as test of their preparation.

“We are going to find out a lot about ourselves on Friday night, so I’m looking forward to that,” Uphoff said.

The Warriors faced off against the Citrus College Owls on Nov. 9 and came out on top with an 87-85 win.

The Owls finished their last reason in the final four of the California Community College Athletic Association and started the game holding the slot for No.1 in Southern California and No.2 in the state, according to cccaasports.org.

“I feel that we are a pretty solid team,” Shawn Ray, center, 19, psychology major, said.

“I feel that if we just play together and follow the game plan, we should be successful.”

Q: What do you want these players to get out of this experience?

A: I’m hoping that when they leave here that they look back on this experience, and that we have a close familyknit bunch that has formed some bonding relationships in which they carry on for the rest of their lives no matter where they go. That’s what I’m hoping, that it’s a positive experience, something that they’re proud of, and the hard work and dedication that I demand from them. That it flows into parts of their life beyond basketball.

MEET THE WARRIORS’ TEAM CAPTAINS: DAVID HOWARD AND JOSHUA WILSON

MEN’S BASKETBALL Joshua Wilson

David Howard Age 19

Age 19

Height 6 feet 2 inches Position guard

Position point guard

Major kinesiology

All-state mention

honorable

Points per game 12.4

Field goal average

50 percent

Rebound average 6.6

Games played last season 18

Total Steals 58 Philip Prins/ Union David Howard, left, shooting guard, and Joshua Wilson, point guard, have been chosen as team captains by their fellow players.

Howard and Wilson said they were honored that their peers thought so highly of them and that they hope to lead the team to a successful season.

SCHEDULE

By Mary Alvarez

Height 6 feet 2 inches

Points per game 7.4

Q: What do you think is the most rewarding part of coaching here at El Camino, or coaching in general?

Total Assists 108

Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Cypress College Nov. 23-25 at Citrus Tournament Dec. 7-8 at 7 p.m. at L.A. Southwest Tournament Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. at Palomar College Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. at College of the Canyons Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. at Citrus College

SPORTS

November 15, 2012

El Camino College Union

19

ON DECK

By Mary Alvarez

MEN’S BASKETBALL Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Cypress College Nov. 23-25 at Citrus Tournament Dec. 7-8 at 7 p.m. at L.A. Southwest Tournament Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. at Palomar College

Dec. 29 at 5 p.m. at Citrus College

Royshaun Lewis is ready to make the next move

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Staff Writer

Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. at College of the Canyons

Tomorrow-Saturday at Palomar College Wednesday at 5 p.m. at West L.A. College Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m.

Fullerton College Dec. 6-8 at Irvine Valley College Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. at L.A. Southwest College Dec.19 at 6 p.m. at EC vs. East L.A. College Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. at L.A. Trade Tech College

CROSS-COUNTRY Saturday at 10 a.m. at Woodward Park, Fresno

MEN’S SOCCER Saturday First round of play-offs

MEN’S WATER POLO Today-Saturday at State Championship

WOMEN’S WATER POLO Today-Saturday at State Championship

Follow us on Twitter for scores on EC sports teams

Coree Heard

As the shadows of palm trees began to slowly disappear and the sun set at Murdock Stadium, the field lights flickered on.

Under a dusk sky with lights shining above, Royshaun Lewis, 20, free safety, prefers to practice football.

Growing up in South Central L.A., Lewis said he never experienced practicing under stadium lights.

“Being able to practice on Thursday nights felt like I was at a big time university,” Lewis said.

When Lewis was a freshman in high school, he got into what he said was “some trouble,” which subsequently got him removed from a Division 1 high school to a Division 3 high school.

“It was just like, now I’m going to start over,” Lewis said. “Now I just have to work harder to be a stand out star and try to go somewhere.”

Not regretting any moments in his life, instead, Lewis said he has learned from all of his mistakes, while developing spiritually.

“God never failed me, even though I failed him,” Lewis said.

“Gotta make it sound good! No because I can always call up on him, even when I’m doing bad.

I know that I’m going to be cool and everything is going to be all right.

Lewis said that not only hasGod influenced his life, but hisbrother Roy Lewis, who plays for the NFL, also plays an important role in his life.

“He was a top recruited athlete out of high school who made the dean’s list,” he said. After grading from college, “He (Roy Lewis) was able to go to the NFL and got a Super Bowl ring in 2008 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s basically a great path to follow. He inspires me.”

In 2009-2011, Roy Lewis played with the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to his brother leading by example, Lewis said his brother has taught him about life and dignity.

“He taught me the value of life,” Lewis said. “He taught me that football is not everything.

Football can relate to a lot of things in life too. It’s not going to last forever.”

Lewis said that injuries could be one of the things that end a career and he makes sure he prays before every game.

“I pray that I don’t get hurt and that my teammates don’t get hurt,” Lewis said. “Honestly, I pray that the other team doesn’t get hurt, either.”

To go along with his prayer ritual before every game, Lewis has a theme song named “Underdog” by hip-hop artist Wale, which he said he uses to get in his game mode.

“Mr. Under Rated. ‘Yeah, I’m trying to make it; Yeah I’m trying to tell them,” is what he said was one of his favorite lyrics in the song.

Unlike the lyrics in the song, said defensive coach Matt Kirk, Lewis doesn’t have to tell anyone anything, because it shows naturally in his drive and leadership.

“He doesn’t argue with coaches,” Kirk said. “He is a Yes, sir’, No, sir’ kind of guy and he is very coachable.”

Kirk said that he enjoys practicing and is not the kind of athlete who would rather take the easy route.

“He doesn’t cut corners or skip the weight room,” Kirk said. “I learned that he is the kind of guy I would want to recruit.”

Younger players also see Lewis has a leader and someone who is inspirational.

“I’m going to miss playing with him because he helped me a lot and walked me through ev-

Mike Stone/ Union Royshaun Lewis, 20, undeclared, prepares to make some big decisions in the near future. Namely, which Pacific Athletic Conference college to transfer to.

erything,” Kaelyn Henderson, 18, strong safety, said. He kept me focused and out of trouble.”

Lewis acknowledges that he is talented, but said he wasn’t just born with skills.

“Nothing comes easy,” Lewis said. “It takes a lot of hard work.”

Reo Miranda-Lavertu moving ahead at a steady pace Angela Songco Staff Writer

Philip Prins/ Union Reo Miranda-Lavertu, 18, undecided major, is currently ranked second out of the members of the men’s cross-country team and finished in first place at the Ventura Invitational helping the Men’s team take first place over all in the race.

It was the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) finals in his junior year in high school and Reo Miranda was running with all his might. But in a matter of less than a second, his dreams of entering the state cross-country competition ended.

But that was then.

Now, with burning desire to fare well as intense as the 100 degrees heat on a summer noon, Reo Miranda-Lavertu made up his mind to run the complicated road that lies ahead, bravely, swiftly and aggressively.

Miranda-Lavertu, 17, undecided major, is one of the Warriors’ fast runners of the season.

“When I run, my mind will always tell me to put out my best and leave nothing behind,” Miranda-Lavertu said.

Miranda-Lavertu said he was first exposed to running through community runs that his mom had signed him up for when he was 9 years old.

Although he was not fond of running as a sport in the beginning, fate chose a different path for him.

“At first, I did not like running. I was an ice hockey player before. But because I had too many concussions (from ice hockey), my mom and my team decided to not allow me to play anymore,” Miranda-Lavertu said.

It was then, he said, that he started to divert his interest from ice hockey to com-

petitive running.

“I was in eighth grade’s PE class that I broke my school’s record (in running),” Miranda-Lavertu said.

He said that since then, he had started to like the sport and at the age of 14, he was already into competitive running.

When he joined the Warriors the summer of 2012, he began to work closely with Sean Sheil, assistant coach of the crosscountry team.

“He is our No. 1 or 2 man. One thing about him that is good for cross-country is that he is aggressive. He wants to be a front runner; he wants to race and win,” Sheil said.

Sheil added that despite the fact that Miranda-Lavertu was still adjusting to competing in the collegiate level and the college study load itself, he (Sheil) still does not worry too much about his (Miranda-Lavertu) performance.

“He has natural talent,” he said. Sheil added that If Miranda-Lavertu gave himself a good start with enough time and good work ethic, he can be one of the better runners.

To better himself in the field, MirandaLavertu said that aside from the rigorous training of running 10 miles a day to stay in shape, he also had various sources of strength and motivation.

One of them was his teammate, Jimi Duffin, 21, general education and David Rosales, who were friendly, welcoming and competitive at the same time.

“They push us to do better. They inspire

me to be like them,” Miranda-Lavertu said.

Another inspiration for Miranda-Lavertu was his desire to get an athletic scholarship from either UCLA or UCSD and to represent the country in the 2016 Olympics.

“I am doing my best so I can hopefully be noticed by a coach (from team USA),” he said.

Typical of an athlete and a student at the same time, Miranda-Lavertu was never free of challenges that he has to face regularly.

“Balancing academics and athletics and work take a lot of time and effort but what I try to do is to always stay organized. I want to stay on top of everything I need to do,” he said.

Aside from these, Miranda-Lavertu also makes sure that he to takes care of his physical health all the time.

“Being permanently injured is my biggest fear. Especially an ankle or a knee problem,” Miranda-Lavertu said.

Nevertheless, teammate Jimi Duffin admired Miranda-Lavertu’s contrasting characteristics in the racetrack. Duffin said he was humble and fearless at the same time.

“Reo (Miranda-Lavertu) does not train to prove himself but to better himself. But he is never afraid to run and does not give up on challenges,” Duffin said.

Miranda suffered a knee injury in one of the meets but that has not stopped him from running.

Miranda continues to challenge himself and improve his technique.

SPORTS

20 El Camino College Union

November 15, 2012

Men’s basketball team starts the season with a close win Emerson Keenan Staff Writer

Philip Prins/ Union David Howard, guard and team captian for the Warriors, puts up a short jump shot over Teddy Ndouba, forward for the Citrus College Owls, during Friday’s seasonopening game. The Warriors came from 10 points behind with three minuets left in the game for a win, 87-85.

The Warriors overcame the odds in the basketball game against Citrus College, the No. 1 ranked team in Southern California as well as the No.2 ranked team in the state.

The Warriors got a 87-85, win with their first game of the season on Friday at home.

Throughout the game, there were seven lead changes and the score was tied on 10 occasions. The final lead change was decided by Brandon Boyd, who had a fall away lay-up with 2:46 left in the game to give the Warriors the lead for good.

“We know the game; the game is 40 minutes,” Joshua Wilson, guard, said. “It is not short and we know we just have to keep playing and sooner or later we are going to turn it on.”

Wilson led the way with 21 points on 9-17 shooting and added eight rebounds and six assists but also had eight turnovers.

The crowd was especially cheerful because after being down six points with 4:40 left in the game, the Warriors went on a 6-0 run to tie it at 74-74 with 3:30 left in the game before running away with the win.

Wilson said that it was a great team effort as the Warriors shot 51 percent from the field. They also had three players in double figures in points. This game was the first for new coach Robert Uphoff, and he was jubilant after the big win to start the season.

“I thought they competed their behinds off,” Uphoff said. “They played as a team.

I thought they were unselfish and they laid

everything on the line.”

Uphoff said he was impressed with the teams’ adversity and tenacity throughout the game as there were deficits of 10 points multiple times.

The Warriors’ bench was a force as six out of seven players pitched in with at least five points and at least eight minutes.

The Warriors found a formidable player off of the bench, forward Joshua Boyer, who was a constant force down low with 11 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.

Boyer said that the Warriors’ defense and offense helped them to come back with intensity in the second half.

“I really thought it was our pressure on the defensive end. When we pressed them, we got them to turn the ball over and we just made plays,” Uphoff said.

In the end, the stat of the game was probably from the free throw line where neither team shot very well. The Owls were 46-31 (67 percent) from the free throw line and the Warriors were 22-11 (50 percent).

Uphoff said that Citrus College was missing some of its big players, but still gave the Warriors a challenge.

Citrus College came into the game favored as they are ranked and are coming off a season in which, they had a deep playoff run. The Owls leading scorer was guard Kerry Carter who had 23 points on 7-13 shooting and 7-10 from the free throw line.

“I feel good and I feel like we can do big things,” said Wilson, on his outlook for the season, “We could compete for a state championship.”

The Warriors’ next game is Wednesday at Cypress College at 5 p.m.

Women’s volleyball team finishes its season and makes it to the playoffs Zachary Weber

Co-Opinion Editor

In the third set of a competitive game, Tarryn Luafalemana, middle blocker, destroyed Long Beach City College’s momentum with a thundering kill that bounced directly to floor and had her teams and coaches in shock.

“It definitely got us excited,” Elise Tizon, outside hitter, said.

“When Tarryn hit the ball, the gym went silent,” Jessica Juarez, assistant coach, said. “Our bench went crazy, we all looked at each other and started cheering for Tarryn.”

The play helped the Warriors lead past Mt. San Antonio College in three straight sets 25-20, 52-21, 25-21.

They improved their record to 18-4 overall and 12-1 in the Southern Coast Conference.

“We came off a big on Wednesday day against Mt. SAC,” Tizon said. “We wanted to focus and beat them in three sets.”

“We played really well,” Juarez said. “We stayed calm, cool and collective.”

The Warriors have improved since the start of the season.

“The team has grown tremendously,” Juarez said.

“They are smarter and see the game better.”

Men’s soccer team ends its season with a win at Murdock Stadium Zachary Weber

Co-Opinion Editor

With nerves running high and a playoff spot at stake, the Warriors were motivated and determined to play their final game at Murdock Stadium.

A lot of emotions were running through the players as they stepped onto the Murdock field for the last regular season game.

“I was feeling pretty anxious,” Nolan Dean, goalkeeper, said.

“The emotions were really high. We wanted to go out on a positive note,” Ozzy Rodriguez, midfielder said.

That is exactly what the Warriors did as they defeated Long Beach City College 2-1.

Jessie Chamberlain, midfielder, and Claudio Rodriquez, forward, each scored a goal for the Warriors.

Chamberlain scored off of rebound from the goalie in the first half to give the Warriors a lead, 1-0.

He (Chamberlain) knew there was a lot of soccer left to play.

“I felt good, but I knew the game wasn’t over yet,” Chamberlain said.

With 10 minutes left in the game, Frank Arteaga, defense, got a red card and has been suspended for the Warriors next game.

The Warriors know that other players on the team will have to step up their game.

“It’s definitely disappointing, he (Arteaga) is an important asset to the team,” Rodriguez said.

“It sucks not having him (Arteaga), but we have enough debt and talent,” Chamberlain said.

Dean felt “relieved” that the game was finally over and that the team had clinched a playoff spot for the first time in seven years.

“A lot of people were “A lot of people were watching, watching and I felt relieved and I just felt relieved that we got that we got the win.” the win,” Dean said.

Dean said that not only did it —Nolan Dean feel good to win their last season goalie game at the Murdock Stadium but to have won at home.

“We are all excited, it was a good win going into the playoffs,” “It was an intense game. We Chamberlain said. were being dominated,” RodriThe men’s soccer team will guez said. “We were commit- compete at the first round of the ting mistakes and giving the ball play-offs Saturday. away.”

This will be the first time in The Warriors picked up play in seven years that the men’s soccer the second half. team makes it to the playoffs.

The Warriors have dominated its opponents. They have won its last 14 out of 15 games dating back to Sept. 15.

Part of that has to do with the leadership that Luafalemana has taken on.

“She has taken the leadership role and embraced it,” Juarez said. “Every single play she is talking to the girls.”

Even Luafalemana’s teammates are impressed with her leadership.

“She is an amazing player,” Kaleialani Manica, defensive specialist, said of Tarryn.

“I think how she communicates with the players is definitely having a positive attitude, ” Manica said.

A lot of credit goes to the assistant coaches Liz Hazell and Juarez.

“We look at what the girls need to improve on,” Juarez said.

“They help out so much,” Tizon said. “ They make the program so much better, with understanding us players.”

Aside from the win, the Warriors are looking forward to making a deep playoff run.

“We need to keep working hard and fix our mistakes,” Manica said.

“We are excited about the playoffs,” Juarez said.

“The girls are working hard getting ready for their first playoff game.”

Towards the end of the second half, Rodriguez put the game away, blasting a goal 20-yards out into the top right corner of the net.

“In the second half, we played better. We scored again,” Rodriguez said. “We were much more aggressive and we were being more physical.”

The Warriors struggled in the first half and described their final game as “scrappy.”

Nagano said that the first 30 minutes of the game were scrappy and they could have definitely played better.

Philip Prins/ Union Harold Morse, striker for the Warriors, fights for possession of the soccer ball during Friday’s game against the Citrus College Owls. The game was the last sporting event at Murdock Stadium, with the Warriors winning, 2-1.

Men’s and women’s cross-country teams are prepared to compete Saturday Brooke Buckaway Staff Writer

Far off in the distance along a woodchip trail covered with trees and a light ocean breeze kicking up dust along the path, a pack of runners can be heard in the distance.

Their colorful shoes stomp against the wood chips, sending splinters of wood flying in every direction as the pack passes by in what seems like mere seconds.

With the state championship just days away, the men’s and women’s cross-coun-

try teams gear up for what they expect to be the run of their lives.

“I definitely think we are going to have our best race of the year. We have too,” Dean Lofgren, coach, said. “We try to stay relaxed, which is very important in a state race because there is a lot of stress and a lot of anxiety and excitement. We try to maintain composure and relaxation.”

Although the teams are not looking at the state race as “just another meet,” Lofgren said that the teams are keeping calm and trying to run as best as they can in preparation for the state championship.

“We have been tapering down in our training so it is not as hard as it’s been,” Nicole Sroczynski, freshman, said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of recovering and I think we are definitely peaking.”

In the days leading up to the big race Saturday at Fresno, the women will be running only eight miles during practice; while the men will be cutting back to 10 miles, which is considered a relaxing run for the EC Warriors.

The teams have been switching up running spots and run anywhere from Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes to the woodchip

trail that leads through the beach cities where they run mile repeats as well as hard runs.

“We are definitely training hard, but aren’t trying to be too serious,” Sroczynski said. “We are more excited to get to spend more time together.”

Over the course of the semester, the men’s and women’s teams have come close together and have made a core group of not only teammates, but friends also.

“We are a solid team and it’s really cool that we get to go to State together,” Sroczynski said.

To support their school and show team spirit, the women’s team is planning to wear matching braids with ribbons in their hair as well as blue and white socks and go all out in order to show off their Warrior pride.

The state championship race will host 28 of the top teams in the state with about 220 runners taking part in each race.

“One of our goals is to come out of that state championship race 10th or better,” Lofgren said. “Traditionally we do quite well in the championship race and we are going to try to do our best.”