Power outage shuts down El Camino campus; Soccer success story: Record-breaking coach surpasses his own expectations
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This is the final newsletter for the fall 2023 semester.
The Union’s weekly newsletter will return at the beginning of the upcoming spring 2024 semester.
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NEW
Power outage shuts down El Camino campus
By: Madison Selack and Angela Osorio
Hundreds of classes were canceled and campus was shut down just before 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7 due to an outage knocking out power in parts of El Camino College’s campus, El Camino Village and Alondra Park. The outage affected phone lines, computers, lights, automatic doors, elevators, some restroom facilities on campus and shut down traffic lights on Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Redondo Beach Boulevard. Read more.
El Camino lead the charge among community college’s with high transfer rates
By: Hannah Bui
El Camino College emerged with the highest transfer rates to California State University Long Beach spanning from 2020 to 2023, according to the El Camino Office of Institutional Research and Planning Database. Learn more about why El Camino leads so high in transfers and find out how other local colleges stack up. Read more.
‘Finals Madness’ event returns, elevating student study experience
By: Madison Selack
In support of students during the intense week leading up to finals, the student government hosted another “Finals Madness” event, giving students access to study spaces late at night. The Schauerman Library became a hub for academic activity last week. Extended hours and free study resources accommodated all types of students on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. A total of 466 students checked in between Monday and Wednesday for Finals Madness. Read more.
Bots and Beats: DJ plays science fiction music as students showcase robotic creations
By: Joseph Ramirez
El Camino College and North Torrance High School robotics club students attended the Robotics Exhibition in the Industry Technology Education Center to demonstrate their creations to the beats of science fiction music. Read more.
Police Beat Dec. 5 to Dec. 10
By: Emily Barrera
Learn about four crimes that have been reported around the El Camino College campus since the last police beat update was published on Dec. 4. Read more.
Changes to official Decision Making Handbook brought up during Academic Senate meeting
By: Ivan Gonzalez
El Camino College officials discussed possible changes regarding the handbook, specifically the Academic Senate section and how it relates to BP 2510, during the Tuesday, Dec. 5 Academic Senate meeting. There are two legally binding documents the El Camino Academic Senate follows in its decision-making process, The Participatory Governance, Planning and Decision Making Handbook and Section Board Policy 2510. Read more.
SPORTS
Soccer success story: Record-breaking coach surpasses his own expectations
By: By Ma. Gisela Ordenes
Michael “Mike” Jacobson, the record-breaking El Camino College men’s soccer team coach, is always ahead of schedule. Originally from New York, learn more about the coach who led the El Camino men’s soccer team to become the 2023 National Champions and find out what his own players have to say about him. Read more.
Men’s basketball cuts win streak short with a home loss to Irvine Valley
By: Tommy Kallman
The men's basketball team faced a scoring drought in its home matchup against the Irvine Valley Lasers on Friday, Dec. 8. Despite winning the past two games, the Warriors lacked the efficiency they showed the past games. The first half saw both teams struggling, with the Lasers capitalizing on early offensive rebounds and dominating the paint. Although the Warriors improved in the second half, their shooting struggles continued, leading to a 71-58 defeat. The Warriors will look to rebound in their next home game against Grossmont College on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 5 p.m. Read more.
Men’s soccer named 2023 National Champions, All-Americans announced
By: Johan Van Wier
The men’s soccer team was named the 2023 National Champions according to the United Soccer Coaches’. The Warriors finish their almost perfect season with national recognition as the best soccer team in Division III. Freshman Marvin Gamez, and sophomores Nicholas Baltazar, Donovan Palomares and Jovanny Mejia were all named to the 2023 United Soccer Coaches Junior College Divison III All-American Team. Read more.
OPINION
California dreaming: Finding my place in the city of angels
By: Maddie Selack
Union reporter Maddie Selack always had California dreams. Follow her journey from her hometown in Kentucky to the streets of Los Angeles, where her pursuit of independence and belonging led to unexpected challenges and personal growth in the sprawling city she longed to call home. Read more.
ARTS & FEATURES
Rising to his own rhythm: Student dancer reaches for the stars
By: Angela Osorio
Self-taught dancer and instructor Rayshawn Reed teaches hip-hop not only to his peers but also to elementary, middle and high school students at San Pedro City Ballet. Reed is an El Camino business major, aspiring entrepreneur, and founding member of his dance club, Rising Stars. Read more.
Aquatic feats and brotherly beats: Student overcomes back injury with swimming, photography and music
By: Olivia Sullivent
With each click of his camera, El Camino College student Justin Rash preserves the captivating moment as his musician brother performs live on stage in front of hundreds of fans. The 19-year-old, 6 foot 3 photographer is also a swimmer. Known for his speed and agility in the pool, Rash has earned his position as top 10 and top 20 in numerous events. Read more.
De-stress Week event helps students meditate into the present
By: Joshua Flores
Finals week! Perfect time to de-stress. El Camino College’s Health and Student Services hosted a de-stress meditation workshop for students to alleviate stress, promote relaxation and enhance their overall well-being. Read more.
Around the World, in a couple of hours
By: Joshua Flores
Around the Corner, Around the World,” a documentary directed and produced by Brent Winebrenner, is a collection of still shots and some video clips accompanied by live narration. The audience at El Camino College Marsee Auditorium didn't initially like the idea. But as the film ended, the audience was ecstatic, applauding and asking the director Brent Winebrenner question after question. Read more.
Roadium Resilience: Local swap meet vendors want students’ customers
By: Emily Gomez
Located close to El Camino College, The Roadium open air market is a swap meet filled with stories. Learn about former El Camino student Elizabeth Saldana, who grew up working at the swap meet with her mother, Vicenta Saldana, and her father. Learn more about the swap meet and the vendors who call it a home away from home and why they say they want students’ support. Read more.
‘Glitz and Glamor’: Cosmetology Department hosts hair show at Campus Theater
By: Nasai Rivas
A fairy with a wand in one hand and a hair spray in the other. And hair. Lots and lots of hair. It was the Day and Night Cosmetology Hair Show, an event showcasing cosmetology students’ work. Read more.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
Photo: Courtesy of Stefanie Frith
The combined staff of The Union newspaper and Warrior Life magazine hold up awards at a journalism department ceremony in the Distance Education Center on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
By: Hannah Bui
Emily San Vicente, a former student at El Camino who has since transferred to California State University, Los Angeles, shares her success in transferring and highlights the role of transfer resources, including tutoring, in her journey.
Warrior Life Magazine - Fall 2023
It’s here! The Fall 20023 issue of Warrior Life magazine is now available both in print, available across the El Camino College campus and in digital form.
This issue of Warrior Life features profiles such as the focus of the cover story, Cat Care Club member Carl Turano, and new El Camino Board of Trustee Brett. C.S. Roberts. From heartfelt opinions to the top 5 most checked-out graphic novels in the library, this issue is a compilation of the campus community and the charm of El Camino.
You can find the digital issue here.
The fifth issue of the fall semester is still available!
The Union’s fifth and final print issue of the fall 2023 semester is still available across El Camino College. Make sure to pick up a copy, conveniently found across multiple campus news racks.
The Union Vol. 78, No. 5 features a front-page investigative story about college enrollment and financial aid fraud with ties to human trafficking, coverage of the El Camino men's soccer State Championship game against Cuyamaca College, a story exploring the El Camino respiratory care bachelor program and much more.
A digital version of our newspaper is available here.
This concludes The Union’s print publications for the fall 2023 semester.
At the end of this week, The Union will be taking a temporary hiatus to accommodate winter break. The Union and the The Union Newsletter will return in spring.
Letter From The Editor
Beginning, middle and-
So rarely do stories get a 'definitive' ending. At least right off the bat. In my experience, there's no real ending to a singular article, just the place you stop reporting.
I think it's true of The Union as a program as well, there's no real ending.
People's journeys come and go, yes, but the El Camino College Journalism program goes on, as it has for decades now.
As my time as Editor-In-Chief of this publication comes to an end this week, I take solace in these thoughts. My tenure is ending, but the news goes on and so will The Union.
This semester was challenging in very unexpected ways. There was a little while I couldn't wait to be done with the semester.
But now, as the semester ends and my time as Editor-In-Chief does as well, I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that I will miss it.
The long days, late nights, frequent “fires,” I will miss all of it. The camaraderie, new friendships, sense of purpose and belonging, I will miss that too.
Selfishly, the rush I would get in getting a print issue or a newsletter out, the “will-we-won’t-we,” feeling of a tight deadline, the pride of realizing I helped lead a team that is recognized nationally in our chosen craft and accomplished something a past version of me could never have imagined, I think I will miss that most of all.
My time in The Union has been eventful. I have gone through giant personal changes both good and bad and have made relationships and friendships I hope will last a lifetime.
One of those hopeful lifelong friendships is with current Arts and Features editor Gisela Ordenes. Starting this upcoming spring 2023 semester Gisela will be the new Editor-In-Chief of The Union. The publication could not be in better hands, I am so happy and proud of Gisela and can’t wait to see what she and the news team do.
I won’t be going away quite yet. I am returning next semester as a member of the Warrior Life staff for one semester before moving on in my education career.
I cannot wait to see what Warrior Life Editor-In-Chief Brittany Parris and managing editor Greg Fontanilla have planned.
But as my “official” time at The Union ends I want to thank a few people.
Thank you to our advisors, Stefanie Frith, Kate McLaughlin, Nguyet Thomas, Jessica Martinez and Jack Mulkey, always. For the long days, the headaches and the overly loud conversations.
Thank you to the Edboard: Gisela Ordenes, Jovan Van Wier, Nellie Eloizard, Raphael Richardson, Nasai Rivas, Maddie Selack and Kae Takazawa. Thank you for trusting me and for your hard work and friendship. A special thanks to news editor Eddy Cermeno for his unrelenting help the entire semester. I’m sorry for the late nights.
Huge thanks to the reporters who worked and wrote so much the whole semester. We can’t do our jobs without you, so thank you. Thank you to all the photographers and illustrators.
Gigantic thank you to my family. My sister, mother and my father, who passed away during my time in The Union, and to my amazing wife who is responsible for me coming back to school in the first place.
And from the bottom of my heart, thank you, our readers. If you keep up with our publication thank you for supporting student journalism. If you are reading this and have followed my letters throughout the semester, thank you for indulging me and for following along, it’s been a blast.
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Thank you for trusting us and for trusting me.
Sincerely,
Delfino Camacho
Outgoing Editor-In-Chief
About The Union
The Union is El Camino College’s student-run newspaper and the only local source of news for its college community. Everything published by The Union is done by student journalists. The Union is proud to present the El Camino College community with weekly newsletters delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday morning.
The Union will commit to covering stories that deliver the truth and highlight diversity, equity and inclusion on campus at El Camino College and its surrounding community in Torrance, California.
If you have any comments or questions about this issue of The Union’s newsletter or any of the stories you’ve read, please contact The Union’s new Editor-in-Chief Gisela Ordenes by emailing her at ma_ordenes@elcamino.edu. If you feel satisfied with what you read today, let us know by sharing this newsletter and tagging us on X, Facebook or Instagram.
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