Food trucks return to campus
Variety of cultural cuisines part of dining rotatation
By Greg Fontanilla
Food trucks have returned to El Camino College, offering services to the campus community.
Food trucks made their way back onto campus on Aug. 26 after ECC authorized Pacific Dining, a food management company that has been overseeing Café Camino and El Cappuccino Café, to operate food trucks on May 20.
Terms of the new contract for Pacific
Dining to oversee and operate food trucks began on July 1 and will run until June 30, 2025. The new terms include an option to renew for another two years.
“Students wanted a variety [of food trucks],”
Julie Bourlier, who serves on the Food Service Committee said.
Associated Students Organization represented students who expressed displeasure with limited food options in a resolution approved by
the Senate of ASO. In addition, students wanted a variety of cuisines made available to the campus.
Best Food Trucks, which has a partnership with Pacific Dining and operates various food trucks at ECC, boasts 5,400 trucks across the nation, serving 1,900 cities.
Tyler Strohl, the primary advisor to ASO, said there are approximately 22 food
trucks in the Los Angeles area.
Best Food Trucks selects and rotates different food trucks each day to serve the campus community, offering a diverse selection of cultural cuisines.
“In talking with Pacific Dining, their goal is to get as many options as they can to students to see what works,” Strohl said.
The contract states
the food management company pays the college district an undetermined percentage of food sales, including paying 1% of the utilities Pacific Dining uses to operate on campus.
In addition, the college receives 5 to 12% in commission from Pacific Dining netted from Café Camino and El Cappuccino, 5 to 12% in commission of in-
By Kinzie Malony
Authorities are investigating a phishing scheme involving a fraudulent website distributing fake checks that appear to be from the Financial Aid Office.
David Brown, the assistant director for financial aid and basic needs, said approximately 15 fraudulent were checks reported.
“We are not investigating who created them, it’s outside our scope of work,” Brown said. “We are working with the campus police and the sheriff’s department in order to make them aware of what’s going on.”
According and El Camino College advisory, the college does not issue physical checks for financial aid.
Financial Aid Office has not been financially impacted by the situation.
“They aren’t actually stealing federal funds, they are just stealing funds from the check cashing services,” Brown said.
The original reporting party, the owner of the check cashing location that funded one of the checks has been financially impacted by the phishing scheme.
The Union made multiple attempts to get in contact with DCS checking services, who originally reported the fraudulent checks, but were unable to be reached for comment.
Brown added that ECC does not send money via checks since the college relies on mobile banks for its finances.
SEE PHISHING PAGE 4 →
A food truck serves the El Camino College communnity on Tuesday, Sept. 17 in front of the Student Services Center. Food trucks were approved by the Board of Trustees on May 20, and made its way back to campus on Monday, Aug. 26. Argentina Talley | The Union
Please don’t gobble up our time
By Union Editorial Board
During an Academic Senate meeting that took place on Sept. 3, El Camino College counselor Anna Brochet discussed a possible calendar update for the 2025 to 2028 academic years.
At the meeting, a notion was brought forth addressing the possibility of lengthening Thanksgiving break to an entire week.
The Union’s editorial board opposes the extension of the Thanksgiving holiday to an entire week, as it would negatively impact students and staff members by shortening winter break.
This proposed calendar would be effective during the 2025 fall semester if it were approved. There has been no official change to the schedule as of yet.
If this proposal is initiated into the academic calendar, there would be a number of drawbacks that affect both students and staff.
Having a longer Thanksgiving break would eliminate time from the student’s and staff’s winter break at the end of the semester.
Changing these dates seems needless and excessive. Students are satisfied with the current duration of Thanksgiving recess.
Why alter the duration of the time off when there has been no plea or suggestion for a longer break?
Additionally, making the Thanksgiving holiday longer would be at the expense of the duration of winter break.
If this proposal were to be approved, students would gain three days of break in November, but lose four days of break during winter.
Even with a longer Thanksgiving recess, students would lose one day of time from school.
Students and staff would also not have enough time to relax and recover from the semester before they begin the winter session.
According to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Data Mart, there were 7,674 students enrolled at El Camino for the winter session of 2024.
Out of those students, 6,211 were continuous students, meaning 81% of them had enrolled during the previous fall semester and will attend El Camino in the spring.
Considering the majority of students enrolled in the winter session are consistent students, they deserve to have a standard winter break, which is from Dec. 14 to Jan. 6.
Enrollment in the winter session classes may decrease significantly due to the shortened break.
Students may feel as if their winter break went by too quickly and may feel unprepared to jump back into classes.
International students would be impacted as well. They would not be given enough time to travel home to spend time with family and friends before they return to California to resume classes if they are registered for in-person winter courses.
Additionally, attendance rates during the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the holiday are bleak and low, even with the current break of two days off, in addition to the weekend. Inserting a full week break would be redundant.
Students should not have to sacrifice their deserved time off during winter break and in turn, get an additional three days off – days that students miss during Thanksgiving week anyways.
It is in the student body’s best interest the Thanksgiving holiday break remain four days. Four days is enough time to enjoy the holiday, revel in Black Friday, and regroup from the autumnal celebrations before students embark on the last month of the semester.
The Union does recognize there are students who would prefer a week reserved for Thanksgiving. That week would be widely used to travel, vacation, visit family in other areas or relax before December when finals are conducted.
The four-day break has not caused students and staff much grievance, so why is there contemplation to extend the length of holiday recess?
Maintaining the current structure of the Thanksgiving holiday can best serve the students and staff members in order to allow time to rest and relax and prepare for the upcoming semester.
EDITORS
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
NEWS EDITOR
SPORTS EDITOR
ARTS & FEATURES EDITOR
OPINION EDITOR
COPY EDITOR
Greg Fontanilla
Angel Pasillas
Renzo Arnazzi
Katie Volk
Isabelle Ibarra
Rhiannon Ellis
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Kinzie Malony
STAFF
Staff Writers
Photographers Interns
Camila Jimenez
Elliott Bullock II
Nick Miller
Elsa Rosales
Angela Osorio
Argentina Talley
Cameron Sample
Eddy Cermeno
Erica Lee
Eric Wang
Hong Dang
Jamila Zaki
Julissa Celis
Justin Coleman
Katie Gronenthal
Kayla Mitchell
Mario Trejos
Miliana Cienfuegos
Philip Mawamba
Rosemarie Turay
Susana Reyes Seph Peters
Taheem Lewis
ADVISERS
STUDENT MEDIA ADVISERS
Stefanie Frith sfrith@elcamino.edu
Kate McLaughlin kmclaughlin@elcamino.edu
PHOTO ADVISER Nguyet Thomas nthomas@elcamino.edu
ADVERTISING MANAGER Jack Mulkey elcounionads000@yahoo.com
INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT Jessica Martinez jemartinez@elcamino.edu
CORRECTION POLICY: The Union takes corrections and clarifications very seriously. If a correction is needed, email The Union at eccunion@gmail.com for all corrections and inquiries pertaining to a story.
EDITORIALS: Editorials represent the views of the The Union’s editorial board. Columns represent the views of the writer. Neither are representations of what the newspaper staff, other students, our advisers, faculty or the administration think.
LETTERS AND GUEST COLUMN POLICY: No more than two guest columns from the same person will be considered for publication or online use in the same semester, and 60 days must elapse before a second column is published. Guest columns should generally run 300-450 words. Letters to the editor should generally run no longer than 200 words. All columns and letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. They must be free of libel and in good taste. Publication or rejection of any column is at the sole discretion of the editorial board.
Illustration by Rhiannon Ellis
An ATM comeback is a must
Students believe there is a need for ATMs to make a resurgence
By Elliott Bullock II
It’s always better to have cash on you,” my father Elliott Bullock Sr. said.
As someone who always uses debit cards, my hope is that ATMs present on El Camino College’s campus again.
When first attending ECC in August of 2017, I remember the old Student Services building, which was then located in the middle of campus.
At the time there was an ATM located at the Student Services building, which was owned by Schools First Federal Credit Union.
I would use that same machine when I needed to withdraw cash, whether it was for food or paying for transportation to get back and forth between school and home.
Since the old Student Services building and activity center was demolished in 2019, and the current Student
Services building opened on Nov.1, 2019, I never saw that ATM again.
I always wondered if there were other ATMs still present on campus until I heard that there was one still located inside the El Cappuccino Cafe next to the Bookstore.
Kathy Cottle, the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Accounting, informed me that it was reported to have been destroyed and set on fire by someone who attempted to break into the machine years before the new Student Services building was in development.
Having not seen an ATM in the current Student Services building or anywhere on campus since then, I came to the realization that the school must have decided there was no need to install a new one.
ATMs could be located indoors, locked at night, include security check-ins from campus
police or surveillance to monitor and ensure they do not get burglarized or vandalized again.
After interviewing 10 students on campus about whether or not ATMs should return to campus, six out of the
“I feel it is time for ECC to have new ATMs reinstalled on campus.”
10 students I spoke to agreed while the other four were undecided on the topic.
Food for thought El Camino Student Q&A on new campus food truck
“I like the variety of them, different cuisine for every day: Thai, Indonesian, Mexican, American, Hawaiian,”
- Wendy Lozano, ECC staff member.
“I am willing to try the food truck some day. It is important to have a full stomach.”
- Karina Garcilazo, Psychology major.
“I found out about the food trucks through El Camino’s instagram posts. I have been wanting to try it sometime,”
- Luis Diaz, computer science major.
The six students who agreed expressed that El Camino should bring back the ATMs so they can use cash for food on campus, pay for extra school supplies, tickets for sporting or other events such as campus theatre plays and the parking permit that’s $20, but those who were undecided listed out the pros and cons of bringing the machines back.
The pros were that bringing back the ATMs would be beneficial to students who prefer to carry cash, so they wouldn’t have to rely on debit cards and walk off campus to make a withdrawal.
On the other hand, bringing back ATMs on campus could lead to damages being made to the buildings the machines installed in, especially during the evening when it is more common for homeless and other suspicious individuals to wander around campus.
Both sides of the topic make
to campus
completely fair points, as it would be beneficial for students to withdraw cash from the ATM. However, the issue of property damage could lead a compromise of campus safety. However, with consistent security and cameras around campus, especially during the evening, no problems should arise.
I feel that hopefully, in the near future, the school will decide to bring back ATMs when the time is right.
I likely won’t be present on campus, but if that possibility were to become a reality, I would be happy knowing that El Camino campus has ATMs present once again.
An ATM comeback is a must with some security added to the mix, to ensure the new machines stay protected and remain present on campus.
I do hope El Camino decides to bring back at least one ATM on campus.
Illustration by Eric Delgado
A plate of taquitos held by 20-year-old welding major Madison Seager is showcased by the Social Sciences Building on Thursday, Sept. 5. Seager purchased her meal from The Surfer Truck, a Mexican cuisine food truck. Photo by Greg Fontanilla
Hong Dang and Jamila Zaki contributed to this story.
College considers extending Thanksgiving break
By Angel Pasillas
El Camino College is considering implementing a change to the calendar for the 2026 to 2027 year, which would lengthen Thanksgiving break.
Anna Brochet, EOPS counselor and Academic Senate representative on the Calendar Committee said before a calendar change can be implemented, there needs to be a consensus regarding Thanksgiving week.
“Let’s say we see these very different iterations and people then want to put like information sessions about before folks vote cause we’re also saying it’s such a big change that maybe we need lots of people to vote, like students too,” Brochet said.
Academic Senate President Charlene Brewer-Smith said one reason for the proposed calendar change was to get a week off for Thanksgiving.
“In a lot of cases, K-12 students are out [of school] and they have kids and now they’re having their kids at home while still trying to come to work or come to class,” Carlos Lopez, vice president of Academic Affairs said.
Lopez said other colleges have successfully implemented a calendar change.
Police Beat
By Seph Peters
The Union publishes police beats online with each newspaper release. Visit eccunion.com to read more.
Monday, Sept. 9, 1:03 p.m.
A hit and run occured between 9:30 a.m. and 1:02 p.m. in parking Lot H. The case is open.
Monday, Sept. 9, 2:29 p.m.
An individual committed a vehicular hit and run in the morning in parking Lot C. The case is open.
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2:56 p.m.
Vehicular hit and run reported to have happened during the day in parking Lot C. The case is still open.
Thursday, Sept. 12, 1:10 p.m.
An aggravated assault occurred on campus, during the day in parking Lot C. The case is open.
Thursday, Sept. 12, 1:35 p.m.
A vehicular hit and run occurred on campus during the day in parking Lot C. The case is still open.
Thursday, Sept. 12,12:55 p.m.
An aggravated assault occurred at the Behavioral Science Building. The case is open/ referred for discipline.
Sept. 14, 6:04 a.m.
“Some colleges have shifted over to not being on campus for classes for Thanksgiving week and that just has made everybody’s life easier. So that was where a lot of the genesis of that came from,” Lopez said.
Brochet said a proposed calendar change which was in discussion couldn’t be implemented for the 2025 to 2026 academic year. The proposed calendar change that was in dicussion, would have seen Thanksgiving break extended.
“For now, we felt like all the concerns were not addressed, we couldn’t make a big change like that and so we decided not to make a change for next year,” Brochet said.
Brochet said a vote was needed for the 2025 to 2026 calendar, as some departments at ECC need the calendar ahead of time.
“Certain departments need our calendar to do some things…they were saying, look if we don’t vote on it today, then these departments will be in trouble,” Brochet said.
Brewer-Smith said when the proposed calendar change for the 2025 to 2026 academic year was introduced during the Sept. 3 Academic Senate meeting, most were against the idea.
“It sounded like when we were in the meeting, that they [the Academic Senate] want no, because they feel like it’s going to affect how we grade and It will affect those students who are transferring to different colleges,” Brewer-Smith said. Brochet said two-thirds of the email messages she received were against the 2025 to 2026 calendar change.
“But some folks emailed me directly with one opinion, other senators gave me a summary of their division,” Brochet said.
Food trucks offer a variety of cuisines to ECC students
→ FOOD TRUCK FROM PAGE 1
house catering revenue, and 5 to 12% in commission catering revenue.
ASO recieves $1,000 in free catering annually.
Some students on campus have been pleased with the food options on campus.
One student is 20-year-old welding major Madison Seager.
She purchased a plate of taquitos from a food truck for the first time on campus on Sept. 5 from The Surfer Taco food truck, which offers Mexican-style cuisine.
She said Café Camino and food trucks on campus are beneficial for the campus.
“I think both have good options, I don’t really have a preference,” Seager said.
Kyle Cobabe, a 29-year-old accounting major, believes that the food trucks enhance the atmosphere on campus.
“I think having food trucks on campus is a smart idea because it creates a living-oncampus type of vibe,” Cobabe said.
Abigail Sucup, a 19-yearold economics major expressed her excitement about the arrival of different
“Some emails were worth more people.”
Faculty members shared concerns with Brochet about turning in grades.
“The way the calendar works, the faculty has seven days to turn in their grades, the seventh day falls on a holiday, so they would have to turn in their grades in January,” Brochet added.
The proposed change would have added an extra week to the end of the semester, with the final day of the class ending
on Dec. 18, 2025. The fall semester typically ends during the second week of December. In addition, there would have been a shortened break between the fall and the winter semester. Brewer-Smith said if the proposed changes were implemented, the duration of the winter semester would not be affected.
To read more, visit The Union’s website at eccunion. com
food types on campus.
“The new food on campus will be able to provide the satisfaction that comes from food,” Sucup said. “The food trucks satisfied not just my
Saturday, Sept. 14, 4:07 p.m.
A case of vehicular vandalism occurred between 1 and 2 p.m. in parking Lot J. The case is open.
hunger, but my soul.”
The food trucks operate Monday through Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. between the Social Sciences and South Gymnasium.
Fraudulent checks cashed, El Camino students not affected by scheme
→ PHISHING FROM PAGE 1
“We don't verify checks, it's not something that we do at El Camino College.”
“Fortunately they aren’t targeting students...They’re making up students, they’re making up these fake checks and even made up a fake website to make it look like these are real students to verify
the checks,” Brown said.
Interim Police Chief Ruben Lopez said there have been no reports of any fraudulent checks being cashed by any El Camino students.
"We haven't been made aware that anybody’s been actively recruiting our students,” Lopez said.
According to Lopez, a fake
website was created to draw students into cashing fraudulent checks. He warns that those who knowingly cash these checks without reporting it to the college run the risk of catching criminal charges.
The Union attempted to get in contact with authorities from LASD, but they could not be reached.
Greg Fontanilla contributed to this report.
To read more, visit The Union’s website at eccunion. com
Vice President of Academic Affairs presents a powerpoint slide about Block Schedules to the Academic Senate on Sept. 17. Carlos Lopez said students and employees at El Camino College often have to juggle a lot during Thanksgiving. Photo by Angel Pasillas
After purchasing a a plate of taquitos from The Surfer Truck on Thursday, Sept. 5, Madison Seager, a 20-year-old welding major, showcases one of the food truck’s menu items by the Behavioral & Social Sciences Building. Photo by Greg Fontanilla
Saturday,
An individual’s clothes and cell phone were stolen in parking Lot D. The case is still open.
Attempted murder, suicide remains under investigation.
By Kinzie Malony
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating the Aug. 9 case involving a former El Camino student who stabbed his mother and then jumped off ECC Parking Lot H, leaving his mother in critical condition.
The condition of the mother is currently unknown but in a statement released by ECC’s Office of Marketing and Communications on Friday night, the mother collapsed after running onto Redondo Beach Boulevard and was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical Center. Officers attempted to save the man’s life, but he was declared dead at the scene.
Kerri Webb, ECC’s director of public information and government relations did not have any further information regarding the case.
“I wouldn’t be able to
comment on that. I didn’t know the student and since it’s under investigation, we can’t divulge any information regarding the student,” Webb said.
The incident prompted an investigation from El Camino College Police Department alongside Torrance Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff Department in order to find out more information.
ECCPD’s interim Police Chief Ruben Lopez said additional officers and cadets have been deployed to increase campus safety. Lopez added that officers have also been deployed at night due to safety concerns by students attending night classes.
The Union attempted to contact LASD leading Detective Gabriela Vidrio but she could not be reached for comment.
Campus Viewpoints: Students voice their opinions on new parking fees
By: Union staff
Students at El Camino College are having to adjust to paying for parking permits required for on-campus parking after more than two years of free campus parking.
Parking permits were reinstated for the fall 2024 semester after the Board of Trustees approved a measure
By Greg Fontanilla
A physical altercation involving five people erupted on the third floor in Parking Lot C on Sept.12, prompting a police response.
Officers received a disturbance call at about 1 p.m., according to Sergeant Francisco Esqueda of the El Camino College Police Department. Upon arrival, a woman was seen lying on the ground of the parking lot and complained about shortness of breath.
on Monday, May 20. Parking fees were waived in the spring semester of 2022 in an effort to increase enrollment following the pandemic.
The Board of Trustees hopes to generate revenue from parking fees as the college is in a budget deficit. Fall and spring semester parking
“The officers rendered aid to her as best they could,” Esqueda said. “She requested that paramedics come out and check her out because she was still suffering from shortness of breath.”
A Union reporter who was present at the scene of the incident said the dispute escalated to a physical confrontation involving two women and a shirtless man who was reported to have attacked one of the women. Law enforcement escorted
permits cost $20 and $7 for summer and winter semesters.
With the first week of school in session, the parking permits have generated mixed reactions from students to the college reinstating permits.
Glen Vincent, an 18-year-old nursing major, commutes by car, adding the
the female victim to Lot D to meet with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and an ambulance from McCormick for evaluation and later refused medical treatment.
“The circumstances about the actual altercation and what precipitated all of this, that’s still in its infancy,” Esqueda said. The male suspect fled the scene before police arrived.
The other woman present at the scene is the
permits do not benefit the driving students.
“I don’t feel like they should charge $20 for parking for the semester, because some students are not on scholarships and have to pay out of pocket and have a budget,” Vincent said.
He also implies how traffic is a huge problem for students on campus.
“I know the semester just started but the traffic coming in and out has been horrific and I’m on campus for four days,” he said.
Kaitlyn Matthews, 18, a business major and Torrance resident also expressed concern with finding parking.
Matthews purchased her parking permit from the Bookstore, adding that it is difficult for students who have parking permits to find a parking spot, while students who have no permit park in spaces that require one.
“It would be nice to have parking,” Matthews said. “Finding parking can be hard sometimes.”
Leslie Roman, a
victim’s girlfriend and said the male suspect who attacked the couple in the parking lot is a classmate of the suspect.
According to witnesses, the male suspect’s mother and brother were involved in the incident.
The Union attempted to speak with the victim and her girlfriend, but declined to be interviewed.
35-year-old psychology major also echoed this sentiment. Roman commutes by car.
“Better to get it ahead of time,” Roman said, referring to the difficulty of buying a parking pass due to high demand.
On the other hand, some students are not too worried about parking on campus.
English major Cassandra Bautista, 20, said they are not concerned with the parking permit fees because rather than driving, she takes the bus to and from campus.
Bautista said they are only on campus for two days this semester and spend a total of $8 a week on transportation. “I take two buses to get to campus…So that is around $4 each day,” Bautista said.
Alexis Fernandez, 18, a nursing major, has not yet purchased her parking permit for the fall semester but intends to purchase one eventually. Fernandez said she is untroubled by the current parking regulations.
A line of cars turn into Lemoli Avenue from Manhattan Beach Boulevard to enter parking Lot C at El Camino College early in the morning on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Delfino Camacho | The Union
Women attacked by a shirtless man in El Camino College parking structure
A officer from the El Camino College Police Department tends to the victim of the fight that broke out in Lot C. Greg Fontanilla | The Union
El Camino College Police car patrols the campus on Oct. 12, 2023. Ma. Gisela Ordenes | The Union
Car show displays classic rides to help formerly incarcerated students thrive
The Southern California-based Stylistics Car Club showcases their lowrider vechicles on the morning of Sept. 14 in Parking Lot B of El Camino as a part of FIRST's second annual classic car exhibition fundraiser and orientation. Funds raised from this event will be put into the Second Chance Student Scholarship” award as well as the FIRST program.
On par with Los Angeles' car-appreciative customs and traditions, El Camino College's Formerly Incarcerated Re-Entry Students Thriving (FIRST) program, along with the Resiliency FIRST Student Club, presented their second annual classic car exhbition on Sept. 14. Provided by the Southern California based Stylistic Car Club, lowriding cars from the 90's were displayed and Harley Davidson motorcycles were shown. Additioanlly, pizza and music were there for spectators to enjoy. This exhibition acted as a fundraiser for the FIRST program to help formerly incarcerated students with their educational journey. Additioanlly, money raised from the event would be put towards the “Second Chance Student Scholarship” award. - Katie Volk
Stylistics Car Club,
In addition to the classic cars displayed, curated motorcycles with visual details were also a part of the exhibition on Sept. 14 in El Camino's Parking Lot B. The presentation of the motor vehicles were in efforts to draw members of the Los Angeles community in to raise awarness of El Camino's FIRST program. Photo by Taheem Lewis
A Harley Davidson motorcycle was on display for students, vistors and spectators to interact with along with the on Sept. 14. Individuals were charged a $20 entry fee to display their vehicles in the Classic Car show, in which the money will fund the "Second Chance Student Scholarship" award. Photo by Taheem Lewis
Padme the Bulldog and Chewbacca the Maltese-Poodle enjoy the crisp morning air on a truck bed at the Classic Car Show, presented by El Camino College’s Formerly Incarcerated Re-Entry Students Thriving program and Resiliency FIRST Student Club on Saturday, Sept. 14. The two dogs are mascots of the
which have maintained a popular cult following in the Los Angeles area. Photo by Taheem Lewis
Photo by Taheem Lewis
A member of the Stylistics Car Club cleans the exterior of a lowrider car during FIRST's classic car exhibition and fundraiser on Sept. 14 in Parking Lot B. Founded in 1987, the Stylistics Car Club is a prominent car club with different chapters located in different areas of Southern California. Photo by Taheem Lewis
Happenings around El Camino: First weeks of fall
El Camino students, staff and faculty embark on one of the busiest and exciting times of the year- fall semester. From an eventful Club Rush, where clubs including Boxing Club and Astronomy Club were recruiting new members to thrilling athletic performances from the women's volleyball team and the football team. Students who want to get involved in clubs on campus can visit Engage's website to inquire about memberships.
Top: Carmichael Viola (left), Campus Connection President, shadow boxes with Boxing Club president, Alec Rodriguez, during fall Club Rush at El Camino College on Sept. 12. Club Rush is the main recruiting event for clubs at the college Photo by Philip Mawamba
Left Center: The El Camino College football team charges onto the field for its home opener on Saturday, Sept. 14, against the Comets of Palomar College at Featherstone Field. Photo by Greg Fontanilla
Right Bottom: Astronomy Club (from Left: Kai Merager, Isaac Ramirez, Mitchell Tanaka, Cassandra Bautista and Kayla Kuehmann) show off their department telescope on Sept. 10 during Club Rush. The telescope was pointed at the sun so students could observe sun spots. Photo by Katie Gronentha
Left Bottom: The El Camino women’s volleyball team celebrates a point during its home opener at the Gymnasium on Friday, Aug. 23, against Glendale. El Camino overpowered Glendale 3-0. Photo by Greg Fontanilla
-Katie Volk
Warriors take charge over Norco Mustangs in a 3-1 victory
By Elliott Bullock II
The El Camino College Warriors extended their winning streak to two games with a convincing 3-1 victory over the Norco Mustangs on Sept. 3.
In a game marked by intense competition and aggressive play, the match kicked off with a flurry of fouls and passing exchanges as both teams struggled to gain control.
The Warriors continued to assert their dominance in the second half with forward Steven Alvarenga scoring the Warriors’ second goal during the second period of play.
“Honestly, the whole sequence of that play was all team effort,” Alvarenga said. “It started from the defense up to the forwards.”
El Camino struck first early in the game with sophomore forward Alek Palomares, assisted by midfielder Charlie Cazares, scoring the opening goal 32 minutes into the game, setting the tone for the rest of the match.
Near the end of the first half, Palomares attempted to score another goal, but a block from Norco goalkeeper Adan
Zamora prevented the shot from going into the net.
Despite Norco’s best efforts, including a remarkable save by Zamora, the Mustangs were unable to equalize before halftime.
The Warrior’s offensive prowess was further demonstrated when midfielder Chris Organista scored the third goal, thanks to a precise corner kick from Cazares. The Warriors kept the Mustangs at bay throughout the game, with Norco struggling to find the back of the net, despite numerous attempts. Norco scored a consolation goal late in the game, making it 3-1.
Despite the loss, Mustangs midfielder Kaeden Talebi acknowledged the competitive nature of the match.“It was a more intense game compared to our match against Fullerton,” Talebi said. “It was fast-paced, something we haven’t faced before, and we hope to win every game moving forward.”
Alvarenga expressed optimism for the season ahead.
“Our goal is to win every game and make a strong run into the playoffs and the final
four,” Alvarenga said. The team has an overall record of four wins, zero losses and one tie in their season record this year. They remain undefeated at home. Steven Alvarenga and Marvin Gamez are the top scorers, with both tallying four goals this season.
The Warriors will be on the road to face the Chaffey Panthers in Rancho Cucamonga at Chaffey College Soccer Field on Friday, Sept. 20.
FALL SPORTS UPDATE: MEN’S / WOMEN’S SOCCER
• San Bernardino Valley @ El Camino - Sept. 27, 6 p.m.
• El Camino @ Saddleback College - Sept. 20, 3 p.m. ($10 general admission, $8 seniors (60+), children (6-12) and millitary (ID) and Parking is $5
FOOTBALL
• Riverside @ El Camino - Sept. 21, 6 p.m.
• El Camino @ Moorpark - Sept. 28, 6 p.m.
Warrior football falls short in their home opener to Palomar
By Greg Fontanilla
In their home opener on Sept. 14, the El Camino Warriors football were handed its first loss of the season by the visiting Palomar Comets, who walked off Murdock Stadium with a 1410 win.
Despite a slow start in the first half of the game, and what would have been a touchdown reception in the second half was a moment that led to the Comets taking home their first win of the season.
“I thought we were going to win the game,” Warriors coach Gifford Lindheim said. “At a bunch of different moments in the game.”
One of those moments was a 48-yard pass from Warriors wide receiver Elijah Holmes, who connected with Takim Raye-Brown Jr. into the endzone for a touchdown, with one minute and 33 seconds to go in the fourth quarter at the Palomar 48-yard line.
The touchdown, however, was negated after an illegal forward pass committed by Hall placed the Warriors at the El Camino 44-yard line.
A few possessions earlier, Jonathon Meyers of the Comets lined up at the El Camino 32yard line for a field goal attempt,
but was later blocked by defensive lineman Reuben Leiatauo of the Warriors, which led to an El Camino recovery at their 10-yard-line. Leiatauo recorded half a sack and a tackle for a loss of five yards for the night.
Comets’ coach Joe Early acknowledged that despite his team’s win, adjustments needed to be made.
“We told them [team] we got to keep fighting,” Early said. “We knew they were going to come after our field goal, but it showed some deficiencies that we got to clean up on.”
With nine minutes and 35 seconds to go in the first quarter, Comets defensive back Mason Thomas intercepted Aidan Semo’s pass on first down and 15-yards to go, running it back 41-yards for a touchdown.
Semo, who completed seven passes on 20 passing attempts and one interception drew the start at quarterback, but was replaced by Tyler Karen. Karen recorded 20 pass completions out of 36 attempts, for 212 yards forthenight.
Comets’freshman
quarterback KJ Chatham recorded nine pass completions out of 23 attempts. One of those
passes went to sophomore wide receiver Skai Donnell for a 66yard touchdown pass with six minutes and 55 seconds in the second quarter. The freshman quarterback said moving the ball consistently was key to getting the Comets to walk off the field with a win.
“We had to take shots,” Chatham said. “We had a rough time driving down the field, but we were able to get some big plays.”
Offensively for the Warriors’, running back Zamir Hall, who scored a touchdown in a Sept. 7 matchup against Southwestern, recorded 20 carries for 80-yards that included a 27-yard run, which was his longest run of the night. He credited the offensive line in creating opportunities for the Warriors’ ground attack, led by running backs Marcus Higgs and Azeon Nelson, and Hall.
El Camino will host the Riverside Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Murdock Stadium.
El Camino forward Steven Alvarenga (right) celebrates goal with forward Marvin Gamez (left) Photo by Renzo Arnazzi
Palomar Comets wide receiver Skai Donnell catches a pass during the El Camino Warriors’ home opener at Murdock Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14. Donnell caught two passes for 69 yards and a touchdown in a 14-10 victory over the Warriors. Photo by Greg Fontanilla