The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

Phi Beta Gamma – The Journalism Club

Thomas Schmit , 23, journalism major, is the editor editor-in-chief invites to all students to try new things to know more about themself and find new experiences and then they will find what they really love.

How does one become a member of Phi Beta Gamma?
We are not like other clubs; you cannot simply show up and have us take you in. You have to be enrolled in a either Journalism 1 or one of the journalism production classes.

What are the requirements to be able to write for the campus publication?
if you would like to write for the newspaper, you have to take J11 or other journalism production classes. There is a section in the paper called Campus Insight where someone who is part of the EC community (faculty, staff or student) and is not a member of our paper can write a commentary article for us.

When do the publications come out?
We generally publish every Thursday, but we have an interesting pattern. We put out three weekly issues, and then we take one week break, and then we will be publish another three issues. This gives us a chance to recharge our batteries after pulling our hair out for three weeks straight.

How long has Phi Beta Gamma been on campus?
I’m not really sure how long we have officially been a club, but the campus newspaper has been a part of the college since before we had a campus back. Our first issue came out in 1946. We didn’t have the same name that we have now. I think we were the El Camino School Paper back then, after which we became The Warwhoop and then we became The Union.

What is the experience of Phi Beta Gamma like?
Well, everyone in here is here because they are passionate about what we do. We are some of the craziest students of the campus. We go long periods without sleep or seeing our friends or family. Basically we hunt people down to get information. That means that we may have to wait outside of your office to interview you, but the reason we do all of that is because we really care about what we are doing here.

What kind of interesting things you can find in Phi Beta Gamma?
I’m not really sure what you mean with interesting because I mean, for one thing if you walk in the newsroom and see eight people wearing snuggies trying to not freeze in the room when outside is 95 degrees that’s interesting. Randomly if you are coming here you can find us writing papers or doing the Macarena. We are very seriously about what we do, but we like to have some fun when we do.

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