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 I first started attending ECC in August of 2017, I remember the old Student Services building, which was then located in the middle of campus.

It had an ATM machine attached to it that had a school bus on it, which was owned by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.

I would use that same machine when I needed to withdraw cash, whether it was for food or transportation to get back and forth between school and home.

Since the old Student Services building and activity center were demolished in 2019, the current Student Services building opened on Nov. 1, 2019.

I never saw that ATM again.

I always wondered if other ATM machines were present on campus until I heard there was one located inside the El Cappuccino Cafe next to the Bookstore.

Kathy Cottle, the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Accounting, informed me 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 the college must have decided there was no need to install a new one.

I feel it is time for El Camino College to have new ATM machines reinstalled on campus.

Machines should be indoors locked at night and 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 ATM machines should make a comeback to campus, six out of the 10 students I spoke to agreed, while the other four were undecided on the topic.

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 like campus theatre plays and the parking permit that costs $20.

Those who were undecided listed out the pros and cons of bringing the machines back.

Bringing back the ATM machines 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 in the evening when it is common for the homeless and other suspicious characters to wander around campus.

Both sides of the topic make completely fair points, as it would be beneficial for students to withdraw cash from the ATM.

However, the issue of property damage could lead to issues in campus safety.

With consistent patrols, security and cameras around campus, especially during the evening, no problems should arise.

I feel confident that hopefully, in the near future, the school will decide to bring back ATMs to campus when the time is right.

I likely won’t be present on campus if that becomes a reality, but nothing would make me happier than knowing that ECC’s campus have 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 machine on campus.