Mustangs soccer makes final four
Cookies: edible art
SPORTS, PAGE 10
FEATURE, PAGE 7
The Collegian Issue 6 • Friday, Dec. 6, 2019 •
/deltacollegian
UPHILL BATTLE
deltacollegian.net
Shifting priorities, fractured messaging in MyDelta implementation left college employees confused BY VIVIENNE AGUILAR Editor in Chief
Rising costs of implementation and questioning by members of the Board of Trustees continue to mar the launch of the MyDelta product as Spring 2020 registration is well underway. While issues with financial aid and course requisites have been mostly addressed, constantly shifting priorities stemming from a lack
MORE INSIDE The Collegian reported extensively on MyDelta this issue. More stories are inside. • Student information was inadvertently released by Delta to The Collegian as part of a public records request. PAGE 2 • Faculty respond to the stresses and problems of the initial rollout at the start of the Fall semester. PAGE 12
of features have left those cludes more than $5.3 close to the process fight- million from January to ing an uphill battle to serve November of this year. the student population, Problems and conprompting quescerns with the tions about wheth- NEWS MyDelta rollout er the system is ANALYSIS go back to betruly worth the evfore the start of er-growing costs. the Fall 2019 semester. “We’re spending an awful lot of money in it. It SHIFTING PRIORITIES just seems to continue and In response to faculty continue. And every time frustration during the first we come in here and report week of the semester, The there’s just slight improve- Collegian filed a California ment,” said Janet Rivera, Public Records Act request who represents Area 3, on Aug. 29 asking for North Stockton, at the Nov. emails, contracts, and other 19 board meeting. “I think information concerning the we’re at a point where we MyDelta rollout. need to cut our losses now. The email documents, It was a mistake.” which do not represent the The total, according to totality of correspondence, a presentation from Chel- show mass confusion, frussy Pham at the same tration, and general angst. meeting, is now just Vice President of Inover $14 million, struction Dr. James Todd with $767,493 provided constant updates remaining. to faculty members, with That to- information from Informatal in- tion Technology and other departments. One noted issue: availability of rosters. Instructors began the semester without census, positive attendance, and grade rosters. The chain of information started with Pham and the High-
street IT Solutions, LLC — the third-party contractor for the implementation — the team then presented to the faculty via Todd, Cooper-Wilkins, and other administrators. Internal emails and updates shared with faculty regarding census rosters, which are used by the district to calculate enrollment numbers, show confusion. In an email sent to faculty on Sept. 4 from Todd, he and Pham shared that issues with census rosters were being worked on. “The census roster is currently in progress in MyDelta, and we know that some classes have reached census,” wrote Todd in an email update about multiple aspects of the system. “We will notify you as soon as possible when it is ready.” Internal emails indicate the initial design document for census rosters was not submitted until Sept. 12. An email from Highstreet’s Arnulfo Mendoza on Sept. 12 said meetings had been held to provide “proper estimate on how long this would take.” “As it was pointed out in our meeting today, this specification for Census
See MYDELTA, page 2
Talent show raises funds for pantry BY ALEX SALON Staff Writer
Delta’s Business and Entrepreneur Club hosted its first-ever talent show on Friday, Nov. 22. Students were given a chance to compete for a $300 prize with proceeds directed back to Delta College’s Student Food Pantry. There were 21 acts, ranging from singers, bands, comedians, and dancers. There were also 194 members in the audience who voted for the best acts. There were judges present, but they
@
were only there to critique and comment, rather than decide on the best acts. The voting was broken down into three different categories: best singer, best dancer, and best variety act. Patricia Boron was voted the best singer. Jimmy Xiong was voted best dancer. Minus 3 was voted the best variety act. Boron sang Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You.” Xiong break danced to Skrillex’s “Cinema.” Minus 3 performed
First place winners Richie Moreno, Michael Valdez , Philip Wong, from the band “Minus
See TALENT, page 12 3.” Delta’s Got Talent took place on Nov. 21 in West Forum. PHOTO BY ALEX SALON
Read more stories online at www.deltacollegian.net
NEXT ISSUE: Spring 2020 • CONTACT US: deltacollegian@gmail.com or (209) 954-5156 • ONE FREE COPY
2 NEWS 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/news
Delta inadvertently releases student information to The Collegian of The Collegian’s request. DeAnna Solina, Vice President of Human Resources and In a response to a public reRisk Management, said it was cords request by The Collegian, an oversight. After recheckDelta College inadvertently revealed private student infor- ing the emails in question, the mation and educational records department realized it had incorrectly assumed the fields of some of the were filled with student body. “dummy” inforThe Colle- FERPA EXPLAINED mation — fake gian requestThe Family Educational Rights student infored public and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a fedmation used for records on eral law passed in 1974. the purposes of information It requires that institutions working with related to keep students’ grades, enrolla third-parthe rollout of ment and billing information ty company to private unless the school has the MyDelta understand the system in an specific permission from the stunew system. The email directed dent to share them. information was to Delta adindeed real, and ministration on Aug. 29. The Office of Hu- students’ educational records man Resources and Risk Man- were used in conversations beagement provided the records tween Delta and Highstreet. “Unfortunately, within an on Nov. 4, 67 days after the iniemail chain between District tial request. In total, 2,386 pages staff and our consultants, dewere disclosed. scribing the process to access Among these were sever- a class roster, was an embedal emails between employees ded screenshot of a class roster of Delta and Highstreet IT including about a dozen stuSolutions LLC, a third-par- dent names and their student ty company implementing the number, and four unconfirmed MyDelta system, that revealed phone numbers. One example detailed information regarding included a student profile with students with names, identifi- an address and class selection,” cation numbers, and, in some Solina wrote in a follow-up cases, course grades, grade point email to Collegian questions. averages, home addresses, waitAccording to Solina, the ing list registrations dates, Del- mistake occurred because the ta email addresses and a student department worked to comply transcript. with the request in a timely One student’s profile re- manner. In hindsight, she said, vealed goals, probation sta- a more thorough review of the tus and assessment levels for 2,300 pages of documents was composition, mathematics and needed before turning them over to The Collegian. reading skills. “The Administration and Overall, information for 86 students was exposed to varying Human Resources takes the protection of student informadegrees. Students’ personally identifi- tion very seriously and staff are able information was never part trained on this protection,” SoliBY JASON ORTEGA Staff Writer
na wrote in the follow-up email. “Missing this information was a regrettable oversight within the voluminous responsive records.” According to Mike Hiestand, senior legal counsel at the Student Press Law Center located in Washington, D.C., Delta’s act is a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). “This is clearly a FERPA violation. This is exactly the sort of student academic information that FERPA was actually designed to protect,” said Hiestand. “Anything that is clearly tied to a student’s academic life, transcript and GPA ... this an education record, very clearly. I think they have violated FERPA in this particular instance by releasing students’ education records that clearly identify specific students.” There are a few exceptions to this rule. FERPA allows personally identifiable information from students’ education records to be accessed by third party providers in order to deliver the agreed-upon services on the condition that such party will not permit any other party to have access to such information without the written consent of the adult student. The California Public Records Act gives public institutions a 10-day window to either provide the requested documents or a reason for denial. The initial response by the administration to the records request came on Sept. 5 as an acknowledgement, with no decision regarding the disclosure of public information. After prompting by The Collegian, Delta responded to the request with an explanation that
the disclosure had been delayed due to their examination of “the voluminous amount of separate and distinct records that [were] demanded.” Delta planned to fill the request by Nov. 4. Jim Ewert, general counsel for the California News Publishers Association (CNPA) reiterated the purpose of disclosing public information and the responsibility of the organization delivering such records. “Any request for information that’s provided to a local agency is presumed to be disclosable information unless an exemption applies,” said Ewert. “Because the Public Records Act requires schools to segregate exempt from nonexempt information, the school is not absolved from providing information that is being sought but only exempt information that is recognized under the law.” Solina pointed out Delta’s commitment to fulfill the Collegian’s request, although it took a lengthy period to fulfill. “Public Record Act requests come out of here all the time and it’s generally for very standard collated data on information, with number of applicants, just the numbers, but not asking for things to this level of detail. There is not usually ever any ability to receive any kind of information to this kind of detail,” said Solina. FERPA is itself a vague and sometimes confusing law, according to Hiestand, with harsh punishments for violations that are rarely enforced. “FERPA is a misunderstood law, there is no private cause of action under FERPA. The only time a school is supposed to
get punished by FERPA is by a drastic consequence. It’s a restriction to all federal aid, which is a nuclear option really. If you actually enforced FERPA’s penalty against schools, then you would actually put them out of business. It’s really supposed to be imposed against schools that make a policy or habitual practice of releasing student’s private information and educational records,” said Hiestand. Hiestand believes FERPA needs a major overhaul due to its draconian style of punishment. “There needs to be some sort of middle ground in terms of damages or penalties that are assessed. To this date, there has been no school in the country that has ever had all its federal funding cut due to a FERPA violation. I think by having a more reasonable sort of penalty brought to bear just needs to happen,”said Hiestand. “If students are concerned with their FERPA rights, the only thing a student can really do is file a grievance with the Department of Eeducation.” The U.S. Department of Education offers a guide for students who contend that their privacy rights have been violated. The procedure to file a complaint can be found at bit. ly/complaintFERPA. According to Solina, Delta plans to reach out to all students affected by the disclosure. “Human Resources requested the record be returned for proper redaction to ensure no further disclosures happen, and will ensure each student is notified that their information was shared with The Collegian,” Solina wrote.
MYDELTA: Records point to lack of cohesion in early Fall 2019 semester cord emails, were pilot tested on classes that ended mid-semester. Positive attenrosters was not part of the development dance rosters are scheduled for release items that Highstreet has been working with an updated faculty center. Faculty on. This specification was confused with teaching full-semester courses are exRoster Certifications which are due at pected to receive grade rosters for the the end of the current semesterm and pertain ter on Dec. 13. COLLEGIAN REVIEWS PUBLIC DOCUMENTS to all rosters not The team just attendance On Aug. 29, The Collegian student newspaper working to rosters,” Mendo- sent a request to Delta College for documents reimplement za wrote. lating to the MyDelta implementation as part of MyDelta A c c o r d i n g a California Public Records Act request. weren’t exThe newspaper asked for emails, contracts, to Pham and pecting the Todd, this hap- records, and documents. Delta College requestamount of pened because ed time beyond the standard 10-day fulfillment modifications window due to the “voluminous amount” of rethey “repriorinecessary to requested. The district sent 2,300 pages of tized” issues. A cords the product. documents to the newspaper on Nov. 4. workaround was The documents provided the base of the The pressing established for reporting for this issue. needs kept faculty to submit changing. census rosters, “It felt a lot which had been like the rug was being pulled out from a one-click button in System 2020, the under us,” said Pham. legacy system MyDelta replaced. “What we’ve asked folks to do with COMMUNICATION INCREASED their census is we printed them and Students, frustrated by issues they they’re actually in paper form rather than perceive not fixed, have turned to social inside the system. Actually deans are col- media to vent frustrations. lecting them from faculty to have them When a student posed a question housed or held onto it until we can have about financial aid in a Delta College an electronic mechanism for reporting,” Facebook group on Nov. 21, specifically said Todd. that they had yet to receive their money, He said that since the school has the another student responded with “transanalog versions of rosters there should fer to a new college bc delta [sic] isn’t not be any confusion when it comes time doing anything for anyone.” to report them to the California ComDr. Lisa Cooper-Wilkins, Vice Presmunity College Chancellor’s Office. ident of Student Services, said work is Todd said any concerns of auditing being done to monitor social channels. are null because the school is audit“One of the things that we’re trying ed year round by an outside company. really hard to do is to monitor the FaceChanges are allowed to be made up to a book page and even if sometimes an anyear later, he said. swer doesn’t go off on Facebook, they’re Grade rosters, according to public re- staff that are looking into it for students
continued from PAGE 1
and reaching out to them directly if they can identify them and so I know it’s been challenging,” said Cooper-Wilkins. Delta’s social media accounts also became useful to spread information to students. While students are advised to check their email weekly, many do not. Social media updates may have reached users who do not regularly check student emails. “How else can we get information to students?” asked Interim Director of Marketing Alex Breitler during an interview with The Collegian. Delta College is seeking ways to better connect. A weekly newsletter was implemented in mid-October as well, with the intent to keep students informed. “We want to be better at sharing important information with you,” the email led off, then listed recurring semester and MyDelta updates. QUESTIONS LINGER Enrollment for the spring semester began on Nov. 19. Cooper-Wilkins estimated first-day registration hit 1,000 students. By the end of the first week, it was an estimated 6,000, according to Pham. Issues have crept up with enrolling in co-requisite courses, such as English 1A and English 95. On Dec. 2, a student in the Facebook group posted about errors in adding the two classes, which are offered together to comply with Assembly Bill 705. “Unable to add this class — requisites have not been met,” the error read. Cooper-Wilkins said Delta is pioneering the use of the newest version of PeopleSoft, the MyDelta system. The school is still looking into ways to streamline fixes, with potential at look-
ing to other campuses for processes. “So, the things that they [Pourzanjani and an update team] really focused on was seeing if there was a way to utilize any information from colleges who already use PeopleSoft. To see if we could borrow, say, their script or their solutions,” she said. PeopleSoft has positive implementations in the California State University system, but those rollouts happened at slower increments in order to be successful, according to Pham. Continued issues have spurred questions about Delta’s return on investment, specifically with members of the board of trustees. Dr. Omid Pourzanjani, who started his term as President/Superintendent weeks before the semester began, when MyDelta was already moving forward, was candid at the Nov. 19 meeting. Pourzanjani, who most recently served as Vice President of the Digital Futures Lab for the Chancellor’s Office, said he’d been through many implementations of new systems. “None of them were pretty, just not pretty,” he said during the meeting. “If you stop in the middle of remodeling, it will continue to not be pretty. You have to sort of bear through the pain.” At the Chancellor’s Office he worked on a team looking for a common enterprise resource program for the entire 115-campus system. He looked at the Oracle PeopleSoft system in that role, which he said provides “newer technology” to competitors. “It’s not what I would have gone with, but here we are,” he said.
3 OPINION 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/opinion
POULTRY SHOWDOWN: CHICK-FIL-A VS. POPEYES Which original chicken sandwich will reign champion? BY MARIA ABUGARADE RAYO
T
Opinion Editor
he battle of at least the last couple of months: Chick-fil-A vs. Popeyes original chicken sandwich. Or as The Collegian put it: the Lord’s Chicken vs the Devil’s Advocate. The Collegian did a blind taste test, where the original chicken sandwiches from Chick-fil-A and Popeyes were wrapped in unmarked napkins, labeled sandwich A and sandwich B. The goal was to end the battle of who’s original chicken sandwich was the best. As most of us are aware, Popeyes came out with their version of an original chicken sandwich in August as a trial run. They had enough inventory to
supply its stores for two months, yet after just two weeks, Popeyes had sold out worldwide. When you drove by a Popeyes, you would see the drive-thru line at least five cars deep. Sometimes, the line would wrap around the block. People were whipping themselves into a frenzy just to try their chicken sandwiches. The controversy began in just those two weeks about which chicken sandwich was the best: Chickfil-A vs Popeyes. There was a lot of back and forth on which sandwich was the best. That is the reason why The Collegian decided to take part in this to decide which sandwich is really the best. Some points to take into consideration: Popeyes is open on Sundays, unlike Chick-fil-A, using that to their advantage, Popeyes ushered in the sec-
ond coming of their chicken sandwiches on a Sunday. When ordering, you have two completely different experiences. Chick-fil-A is very welcoming and friendly, while Popeyes was more straight-forwardand to the point. The wait time just depends what time of day it is, but expect to wait longer at a Popeyes drive-thru then you would wait at a Chick-fil-A. After everything, the following shows the results for The Collegian and who the winner is. The flavor for Chick-fil-A sandwich had more seasoning compared to the overly-battered Popeyes chicken sandwich. However, comparing the breads of both, Popeyes was the best. One can tell Popeyes took the time to pick out the best buns to compliment their chicken. We chose Chick-fil-A as the one original chicken sandwich we would likely eat again.
Chick-Fil-A Popeyes Flavor Texture Appearance Mouthfeel Aroma
PHOTO BY BONES PETHOUD. ILLUSTRATION BY MARIA ABUGARADE RAYO.
The Collegian The Collegian is the student newspaper of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. The paper is published six times a semester. As a First Amendment newspaper we pride ourselves on a commitment to the students of Delta College while maintaining independence. We reinvigorate the credo that the newspaper speaks for the students, checks abuses of power and stands vigilant in the protection of democracy and free speech.
The Collegian is a member of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
EDITORS VIVIENNE AGUILAR Editor in Chief/News
AYAANA WILLIAMS Feature
MARIA ABUGARADE RAYO Opinion
AMIRAH AMENHOTEP
Entertainment/Social Media
PAUL MUYSKENS Sports
STAFF ZOEY CAMPBELL KACI KELLEY JEFF LEIVA ALEXZANDRE SALON MATTHEW MILLSAP KAROLINA A. MOLINA JASON ORTEGA HARPREET SINGH DAVID VICTOR HANNAH WORKMAN
PHOTOJOURNALISM ALEXANDER APCAR SIDNEE GALLARDO STEPHANIE JIMENEZ ROBYN JONES SERENA MALDANADO JESSICA MOLANO JOSEPH PETHOUD COLIN WEIS
SENIOR STAFF YGRAINE MONTGOMERY JUSTINE CHAHAL MAISY MACATO
CONTACT US:
ADVISER TARA CUSLIDGE-STAIANO
MULTIMEDIA TECH MATTHEW WILSON
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shima 203/204, (209) 954-5156 or deltacollegian@gmail.com For information about advertising, letters to the editor and editorial standards visit deltacollegian.net
4 OPINION 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/opinion
Human trafficking threat at an all-time high BY HANNAH WORKMAN
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Staff Writer
uman trafficking is at an all time high and isn’t spoken about nearly as often as it should be. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking “involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” World Population Review reports that California had the highest number of human trafficking cases reported in 2019 with 1,656 cases. However, it’s important to note that not all cases are reported and there have been even more attempts to kidnap children and young women. Recently, the problem of human trafficking has been given more attention online. It’s become something of a trend for young women to take to social media to warn others of suspicious behaviors involving potential sex traffickers. On Nov. 21, a young woman
from Santa Rosa tweeted about an experience she had at the doctor’s office. She claimed that a girl who looked distressed approached her in the parking lot. When asked if she needed help, the girl said yes and simply asked her to follow her to her boyfriend’s car. The young woman felt unsafe so she didn’t follow the girl. Though after she made it to her own car, she stood in the parking lot and observed the girl’s actions. She went on to find the girl approached many different women over the course of the next half hour using the same tactic. She eventually reported this information to the Santa Rosa Police Department. In October, a student from California State University, Sacramento, tweeted a warning to her fellow female classmates, urging them to not trust ads that were found posted around campus. The ads claimed an aspiring photographer was “currently looking for enthusiastic and friendly person(s)
to help with some photo and video shoots” in exchange for cash. The student said these ads were being posted around campus in order to “lure women into sex trafficking” and urged her classmates to take down the ads if they came across them. These are only two examples of the popular trend. Even women in Stockton have shared their experiences with potential sex traffickers on Twitter. It’s important for all women to speak out if they feel they have been targeted. Doing so will only help other women to know which areas to avoid going to alone and recognize the tactics commonly used by sex traffickers to lure in victims. It’s also important for all women to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves. This can include traveling in groups or pairs, carrying pepper spray and learning other methods of self-defense. As this problem continues to worsen, it’s up to us to take matters into our own hands and do what we must to ensure our safety.
Enrollment begins for spring semester
Delta prepares for questions, issues by providing help for students BY AYAANA WILLIAMS
I
Feature Editor
f you’ve had an especially frustrating semester, chances are you might be a student, staff or faculty member at Delta College. To specify, in just one semester, MyDelta and its’ chaotic structure has been responsible for complications such as: students not receiving financial aid, students not being able to enroll in and being randomly dropped from existing classes, teachers not being able to drop students, inaccurate transcripts, enrollment decline and campuswide outrage as the list goes on. What seems to be somewhat of a never-ending battle between the new online system and it’s users, Delta has currently made little to no progress as far as ensuring that next semester will be any different. In these challenging times, it is important for students to remember that there is still a chance to defend your educational success. If you have yet to complete registration — or are having trouble doing so — here is a checklist of things you can do to secure your enrollment for Spring 2020 semester: Log into your MyDelta portal, click on manage classes then click ‘Enrollment Appointments’ to
MUSTANG VOICE
“A lot of people try and play a face that everything’s good and happy, and in real life it’s not reality ... conversations are so different these days. I don’t even use social media anymore, really. We’re older, you’ve gotta stay busy.” Alexis Gomez
check for your registration date and time. Make sure to have a list of all the classes you need beforehand, then start searching them individually (since that is really the only option). After finding each specific class you’d like to enroll in, simply follow the instructions to place the class in your “shopping cart.” When you are done picking your desired classes, and when your registration date and time comes around, go to the shopping cart where you’ve saved them all, select each one and click “Enroll.” This will enroll you in all of your previously chosen classes (assuming it is still open) without having to go back and search each one individually again. The shopping cart feature on MyDelta does not guarantee your spot in the class, however it is a helpful tool if taken advantage of with the right timing and preparation. Another important thing to remember is to regularly be making counseling appointments to stay on track with classes and credits. For further help with registering for classes, Delta is holding Enrollment Express events on Jan. 11 and Jan. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. You may also fill out an online help form for any further questions you might have at https://www. deltacollege.edu/mydelta-portal/mydelta-help.
Black Friday scam: Is it even worth it? BY AYAANA WILLIAMS
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Feature Editor
aiting in horrendous lines Thanksgiving night in service of amazing deals is an annual tradition. It had to be worth it, right? Think again. In fact, Black Friday, much like many other made-up “holidays,” is simply another marketing gimmick pulled by American corporations to practice their right to capitalism and reap the benefits of obligatory holiday spending. For example, popular online shopping sites such as Fashion Nova have gotten called out by twitter users for jacking up the price of their merchandise and then offering unusually high discounts. According to an article from Business Insider — “some retailers will inflate their prices leading up to Black Friday weekend so that their subsequent discounts seems more appealing by comparison”. If that alone is not convincing enough to boycott the holiday, consider the psychological aspects. Think about it — whether you’re waiting in long lines at Target or even shopping online, chances are you’re not sure what you’re going in for; you just know you’re gonna get some sweet deals. However, in many instances, you’ll find yourself putting things in your cart that you wouldn’t otherwise both be tempted to buy if you hadn’t come to the store or website for such “great deals” in the first place. To simplify, the select few eye-catching items you may find on sale are usually not as great a deal as you may have thought — but end up pulling you into the store or website anyway. Don’t get played for a fool; create a budget, get your holiday shopping done early and avoid being a part of this tradition at all costs.
‘What are your rules for using the internet?’
“Most of the time my accounts are private - it’s only for friends. I’m not really competitive when it comes to arguing. I’m not even commenting on someone’s post unless I know them.” Aljon Mejia
“Don’t put up anything about my family, or anything sexual, or religion. Those are my rules.”
Marta Torres
“You can do whatever just as long as it doesn’t involve you getting into any trouble. I’ve been open to exploring the dark web, but I’m too scared right now.”
Michael Virtudazo
“Set boundaries for yourself so that you’re taking care of yourself ‘cause it’s easy to get caught up in comparison, especially with social media.”
Bonny Barker
5 FEATURE 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/feature
Mario Moreno teaches, inspires student art BY MATTHEW MILLSAP Staff Writer
Mario Moreno is a muchloved professor of art at Delta College. Students speak fondly of Moreno, a veteran teacher of 25 years who is known for his encouragement in helping students find their voice through expression. Moreno, though, has also played a key role in helping students of indigenous heritage find a way to share their culture. He has helped facilitate the presentation of indigenous drumming and dancing groups at various times. He has also helped organize powwow and Aztec dancing events, as well as sponsor an indigenous people’s organization called the Talking Spirits Club. Going to meet Moreno in Budd 103, one has to find the way through a forest of easels and paint-stained students lost in reverie. His office is covered by pieces of art made through years of students getting in touch with their creative sides. He is proud of his students. Another thing he is proud of is his indigenous heritage. When asked why he cares so deeply for the indigenous population, he shares some incredible knowledge. “I am a member of the Tarascan nation, the Purépecha people of what is now Mexico. The native struggle can be seen from Alaska to Chile, and even Hawaii. We are on Yokut land right now,” he said. “When we look at the history of this continent we see some dark things. Agents of oppression have been prolific here for hundreds of years. Some nations have survived and
some have not. Legislation that outlaws your language, growing your hair, singing, dancing — as basic as those things are — are denied. A lot of people think I’m making stuff up when I talking like this. The people don’t forget” He calls it “multi-generational memory,” that links back in time like a chain. “It is a solemn history but it is also a tradition of resilience. The fact that we can say ‘Were still here’ is an empowering statement,” he said. It’s vital young people claim their heritage. People often think of us as something that existed in the past. Just because there are so very few in those governing bodies to raise the issues, does not mean that we aren’t still here, we are still here. We have to reclaim the conversation and reformat it. The general culture is consumed with capitalism and its hard for those who have been disinherited to break through, Moreno said. We are trying to reformat the conversation, not in a capitalistic perspective. How do we go back to a society that believes in sharing? That if I have something it does not solely belong to me, it belongs to all of us. The air we breath cannot be owned and that is the rule of reciprocity, he said. We all stand — or we all fall — together. There are a lot of people who have a lot of yachts and a lot of power, but what about the stewards of the land? Where is their rightful place?” As for the importance of art, and his passion for nurturing students, Moreno explains. “The arts bypass bureaucracies that would usually silence a people. The arts have been
Trans Day of Remembrance makes impact on campus
Delta College art Professor Mario Moreno both teaches and inspires students on campus. PHOTO BY MATTHEW MILLSAP
one of the few avenues where cultures can survive.” Dancing, songs, bead-work, painting have all been ways in which native Americans have passed on their values and stories to future generations, and in this day and age, to the public, when they listen. Nov. 28 was Native American annual Thanksgiving “day
of mourning” on Alcatraz island, “The 50 year anniversary. That was a big hero of mine, Richard Oaks. The living tradition of resistance. I can confidently say he gave his life for the indigenous peoples.” Oaks was a Native American activist who helped bring the struggles of indigenous peoples to the forefront of
Student podcast ‘Aftershot’ gives local creators a platform BY HANNAH WORKMAN Staff Writer
Students at Delta College gather in the quad on the Transgender Day of Remembrance to raise awareness of transgender people who have died to violence and discrimination. PHOTOS BY JASMINE GONZALEZ
America’s attention. Every Thanksgiving, members of tribes from all over the American continents gather for reunion and prayer. They have been doing so since the civil rights movements of 1969. This year more young people attended the event than has previously been seen.
“How much longer are you going to stay oblivious of the immensity of yourself ?” This is the quote that inspired Micahela Vindiola, a second-year Delta College student, to finally stop letting life pass her by and pursue her passion. The quote was shared by Adriana Brogger, associate professor of Radio and Television. Vindiola cites Brogger as her inspiration behind starting her podcast: “AfterShot.” After taking a three-year-long break from college, Vindiola returned to Delta last spring and enrolled in Brogger’s Media Performance class. She gained more from the class than she could have imagined. “Hearing a professor tell us her story and everything she’s done, it made me think, ‘Hey, I want to do that, too,’” Vindiola said. It wasn’t long after hearing Brogger’s story that Vindiola decided to launch her podcast. “I’m grateful to know that I have inspired her,” Brogger said. “She inspires me right back.” Vindiola knew she wanted “AfterShot” to focus on local creatives from the beginning. She inherited her father’s love of music and noticed not enough attention was paid to Stockton’s arts scene. “Stockton doesn’t have the best reputation,” Vindiola said. “The main reason why I started “AfterShot” was to give those in
the local area a platform for their work to be seen. So many people focus on the bad stuff here, but there’s a lot more that we have to offer and there’s a lot of people here who are trying to make a difference.” Vindiola, who has now taken two RTV classes, said she has learned the value of post-production and interviewing techniques. “I really get in-depth with every artist,” she said. “It’s important to study every person you’re going to interview because that shows you’re genuinely interested in them and you know what you’re talking about.” Vindiola said networking and being consistent with uploads has helped to grow her audience. “Everybody knows everybody in the local arts scene,” she said. “You see the same faces over and over again. As long as you keep showing up to these events, people are going to recognize you and they’re going to follow you.” The best part about the local arts scene is the sense of community that it fosters. “Out of every event I’ve gone to during the past two years, there hasn’t been a single fight or any violence at all,” Vindiola said. “That’s hard to find in this town. If you go to a bar or a club, there’s always a chance it’s going to get shot up so it’s important for us to have a space where we could be ourselves and be creative.” See full story on DELTACOLLEGIAN.NET
6 FEATURE 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/feature
Horton Gallery exhibit brings photography to life BY DAVID VICTOR Staff Writer
The Contemporary Portraiture exhibit opened at Delta College’s L.H. Horton Gallery on Nov. 21. It featured photos by photographers from across the country, including the city of Stockton. 34 out of 100 photographers’ entries were selected to be displayed in the exhibit, with each image showing a different kind of portrait. “There’s no strict rule as to what a portrait is, even a portrait here is trees and a little dog,” said Gallery Director Jan Marlese. The artwork demonstrates a
wide variety of styles from the photographers; from images blurred with intention to photographs displaying nudity. What some see as paintings or vertical pictures of people, photographers see as a unique form of art that anyone can appreciate. “You get to really look at somebody’s face, which we don’t get to do that often because it makes people uncomfortable,” said Photography Professor Kirstyn Russell. “When we have a photograph of someone’s face or body we actually can take it in, look and take our time. I think that’s what makes portraiture be something people have enjoyed looking at for hundreds
of years.” Several photographers use their art as a medium to convey messages to the observers. “I want to create a reaction. When you’re looking at an image I want you to feel something from the photograph, so creating almost a relationship within the image,” said Photographer Brent Reaney, who won the second place award for $400 with his photograph entry “Muska, Ruslan and Emirj” on display in the gallery. Reaney is a portrait photographer who is a Masters of Arts candidate at the University of Houston. He started in photojournalism, but developed an interest in portrait photography after
taking pictures of so many people. “I sort of realized that portraiture was a thing I wanted to do. I cared about the stories and the issues around photojournalism, but I was caring more about the people.” Some images have the intent of invoking a reaction, others try to tell the story of the subject in the portrait. “When I’m photographing people I try to show who they are and give a sense of what their life might be like based on the photograph,” said photographer Richard Dweck. Several artists have their own vision of art when it comes to composing a shot, but for Dweck, it’s about what
he can photograph and find intriguing about a picture. “I have no definition of art. I just photograph and try to find my photograph,” he said Dweck switched to a career in photography after working for most of his life as an engineer. “I did that for a whole career and now I’m in photography. I’ve been devoting my life to this for the past four years.” First place award for $600 went to Dan Farnum, an Associate Professor of Photography at the University of Tulsa with his entry, “Resting Skateboarder, Detroit, Mi.” The exhibition will remain on display in the gallery until Friday, Dec. 13.
Students, staff and local lovers of art in its many forms admire the highlights of the Portrait contest exhibit in the Horten Art Gallery at Delta. PHOTOS BY AYAANA WILLIAMS
7 FEATURE 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/feature
These bags hold a story of Delta student success BY KAROLINA A. MOLINA Staff Writer
(Top): Katie Wood describing the types of icing consistencies during a gingerbread Christmas cookie decorating class at Wine and Roses in Lodi. (Bottom left:) A plate of holiday gingerbread cookies is displayed at the class. (Bottom right): Attendees focusing on the beginning stages of their gingerbread house cookie. PHOTOS BY MARIA ABUGARADE RAYO
Cookies become art in hands of Ainslie Lane BY MARIA ABUGARADE RAYO Opinion Editor
C
ookie decorating is not only a hobby — recently, it has become an art. From simple sugar cookies with icing on top to intricate details that may make one think “this cookie is just too beautiful to eat,” Katie Wood has made them all. Wood, the owner of Ainslie Lane Cookie Studio in Lodi, began teaching classes more than 20 year ago to help locals step up their cookie decorating game. It all started when her mom owned a cooking school here in Stockton. Wood would attend decorating classes and eventually started teaching cookie decorating classes at the school. “I started teaching myself because back then there was no Youtube or Instagram videos. Now you can see cookie decorating videos all day long,” said Wood. Typically, Wood teaches at least once a month, but during the holidays she can have up to eight classes. Ranging from beginner to intermediate to advanced classes, Wood has a starting point for everyone. It has been around five years since Wood begun selling her Instagram-worthy cookies to nothing but great reviews. One of her friends “urged me to finally get licensed and sell my cookies” and ever since it has “been a whirlwind.” For being a self-taught cookie decorator, you can
On the menu with Maria expect to order anything from custom birthday designs to adorable Christmas cookies. Wood can get you those extra points at your events by bringing these phenomenally decorated cookies. Creating such masterpieces may seem like it only takes a couple hours. However, the process from beginning —the dough making — to end —finished product, fully decorated — can take several days, depending on the amount of detail in the design. “Lots of different layers [are used] to get them to the way they look,” said Wood. There’s even been days where she has stayed up until 2 or 3 in the morning finishing up orders. At the end of the day, Wood’s goal for Ainslie Lane Cookie Studio is to continue what she is doing, but maybe take it back a notch on custom orders to be able to enjoy some time with her family, as she has a granddaughter. If you’re interested in taking any of Wood’s cookie decorating classes, you can go to linktr.ee/ainslielanecookiestudio. You can also follow Ainslie Lane Cookie Studio on Instagram @ainslielanecookiestudio to see what other beautiful cookie art she has in store.
Summer Petitt, a former Delta College Fashion student, has always been drawn to clothes and fashion. More importantly, she’s drawn to being an entrepreneur. At a young age, Petitt knew she wanted to own a business. When she was little, she’d gather neighborhood children to sell lemonade or make crafts for others to purchase. “Looking back I have second-hand embarrassment of what I choose to wear but that’s how I wanted to express myself,” she said. “I take fashion inspiration from people that don’t necessarily dress ethically or sustainably. But I can get ideas from them. I look towards a lot of strong female entrepreneurs and leads in the industry,” she said. Her passion for business was only rivaled by her interest in elaborate clothing. One of those strong women entrepreneurs is her grandmother, Faye. The owner of a clothing manufacturing brand named, Faye California. Being able to live on her grandmother’s legacy, Petitt continues to create unique, sustainable bags and hopes to be a strong female leader like the many strong women she looks up to. Petitt’s love of clothing stemmed from her grandmother, who was a manufacturer for many years. Petitt also revisited memories when talking about her grandmother’s manufacturing factory that started in Stockton. “I spent a lot of my child-
hood in that factory in I sew now. Just like messing around and being a kid but grandmother taught me how to sew when I was little, so I just kept that with me. Now I sew more than I have in my entire life,” she said. Combining the two passions together, she started to upcycle, thrifting items and making alterations to enhance the pieces. Petitt wanted make herself stand apart from other Summer Petitt modeling her Faye inventory in the clothiers. manufacturing factory. PHOTO BY KARONot losing Faye LINA MOLINA touch with her childhood dream and having expanded supported her through all her knowledge from Delta her different hobbies and and her family, she became an phases, making sure she had entrepreneur by creating Faye, tools to succeed. tote-bag company. “She’s always been there “Anyone can wear a bag, to support me, so I knew I any size bag, but with clothing wanted to incorporate her it’s harder because you have name,” Petitt said. to have a wide variety of sizes She takes her upcycling and styles. With bags its easy, further by using her grandanyone can wear any size bag, mother’s old clothing tags it doesn’t matter what size you from Faye California, incorare, you can just throw on a porating sustainability into bag. Its inclusive, it’s easy, and her production. I love tote bags,” she thought. She has since settled on The original name to the the Faye name only. bag company was Faye In “ I thought, Faye is fine! Fortune, because of her grandI have the resources here, mother’s name, Faye. I’m going to run with it,” Faye is one of Petitt’s said Peititt. greatest inspirations and has
Stockton Greek Church hosts annual Fine Arts Festival BY JUSTINE CHAHAL Senior Staff Writer
A collection of handcrafted bowls line a table. Glasswork shines under fluorescent lights. Colorful paintings are fully on display. Different forms of art are all shown off in one room. The San Joaquin Potters Guild held their annual Fine Arts Festival on Nov. 22 at St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church. This is the 26th year the Guild has held its festival. The festival highlights local artistry, showing off a subculture Stockton is not necessarily well known for, despite other events like Stockton Art Week. Originally intended for just pottery, the event now also displays fabric, jewelry, glass work and paintings. “There’s not a lot of places like this [in Stockton]. It’s always in other places,” said Potters Guild President Glenda Burns. Artists and the general public are given a chance to interact with each other at the event. Artists who work with different mediums all come together and coexist in a single setting. PHOTO BY JUSTINE CHAHAL
See full story on DELTACOLLEGIAN.NET
8 ENTERTAINMENT 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/entertainment
JAZZ MUSIC FESTIVAL BACK AT DELTA
(Top Left) Freelance Musician Joe Mazzaferro. (Top right) Vocalist Sydney Cruz. (Bottom right) Delta Music Professor Brian Kendrick. (Bottom left) Members of the Jazz Band play during the concert. PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE JIMENEZ
YIPPEE KI YAY MERRY CHRISTMAS ‘Die Hard’ more than just action thriller, it’s a holiday classic BY HANNAH WORKMAN
T
Staff Writer
he holiday season prompts many age-old debates. Should you buy a real tree or an artificial tree? Should you open presents on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day? Is “Die Hard” actually a Christmas movie? Since “Die Hard” was released in 1988, film buffs have long argued whether or not it can truly be considered a holiday classic. A survey conducted by Morning Consult and The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 found that only 25 percent of U.S. adults believe “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. However, a study conducted by online media seller musicMagpie this year proves that, contrary to popular belief, “Die Hard” is, in fact, a Christmas movie. musicMagpie decided
to hone in on four key elements they felt were essential to any Christmas movie. musicMagpie determined all Christmas movies “must have Christmas references, perform well in the box office, be a hit with critics and audiences alike, and create a festive buzz year after year.” According to musicMagpie, “Die Hard” checked each of these boxes. It was also given a ranking of 11 out of 20 in “overall holiday feeling” and was named one of the 20 most popular holiday classics, based off of social media metrics. While this study is intriguing, it most likely won’t end the debate that has been going on for decades. But I’m not sure why it is so hard for some film buffs to simply face the facts: “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. Although it’s packaged as an action flick, “Die Hard” has the spirit of the holidays. After all, the story is centered around John McClane, a man who has been consumed by his work and is trying to become closer to his family. That’s a trope which can be found in many Christmas movies, including “Jingle All the Way” and “The Santa Clause.”
Throughout the course of the film, McClane must fight to save his estranged wife’s life and eventually comes to realize that family is what’s most important. Isn’t that the lesson at the heart of almost every Christmas movie? The film’s villain, Hans Gruber, can also be compared to Ebenezer Scrooge, the protagonist of “A Christmas Carol.” Like Scrooge, Gruber puts money and profit above all else. He has no remorse for others and doesn’t care who he hurts on his pursuit of riches. “Die Hard” is certainly not a traditional Christmas movie, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one. Bullets, bloodshed and swearing aside, “Die Hard” perfectly captures the essence of the holiday season.
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The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/entertainment
Because he’s Charlie freaking Brown BY AMIRAH AMENHOTEP
W
Entertainment Editor
ith the holiday season finally in full swing, many are trying to stay inside and keep as warm as possible — when not hunting for
gift deals. Many networks such as ABC, Freeform, Hallmark and TNT have been following the yearly tradition of keeping all — or at least most — in the holiday
spirit. In both Twitter polling and a second vote by The Collegian staff, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” won over the 2000 live-action remake of “Dr. Suess’s The Grinch,” starring Jim Carrey. A long-running tradition since it first aired on television in 1965,“A Charlie Brown Christmas” is the ultimate classic, considering almost everyone has seen it. Turning it on the telly brings us immediate holiday spirit.
Although it didn’t win, Carrey’s “The Grinch” was a close second. Some say it was the story, but the real reason it almost won is the comical, iconic costume that brought the children’s story to life. A film worth noting, which isn’t on the bracket, was Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” The Halloween-to-Christmastime classic was the winner for the Halloween movie bracket, disqualifying it from this round.
The Polar Express A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Carol (2009)
A Christmas Story
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” ranked top in a Collegian poll, moving past holiday classics including “The Grinch” and “A Christmas Story.”
The Grinch (1966)
The Grinch (2000)
Elf
BRACKET BY AMIRAH AMENHOTEP
Die Hard
10 SPORTS 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/sports
Team poses for a group photo after 1-0 win over Fresno City to advance to the Final Four for the second consecutive season. PHOTOS BY PAUL MUYSKENS
WOMEN’S SOCCER FINAL FOUR BOUND BY PAUL MUYSKENS Sports Editor
Following a 2018 season that saw the Delta College women’s soccer team make their first Final Four in program history, this year’s team has continued to rewrite the program’s record book. They will look to continue making history this weekend at De Anza College in Cupertino as they attempt to capture their first state championship. “It was really amazing to watch them have that opportunity that they have really wanted so badly for a year,” said Head Coach Adrienne Sorenson after a 1-0 win over Fresno City earned the Mustangs a trip to the Final Four for the second year in a row. “I haven’t seen them execute so well and in such detail the whole year. They were laser-focused on their goal and it wasn’t easy with the wind, the rain, and the conditions were obviously not ideal but I think that we felt all year that we are not losing here.” During the season, the team went a perfect 14-0 at home and allowed just one goal on their home turf. Going 100-3 at home last season, the Mustangs have not lost a home game in over two years with their last home loss back on Nov. 10, 2017. Returning to the Final Four the Mustangs will have a chance to get some revenge on Friday afternoon against a Santiago Canyon team that defeated them in the Final Four last season and is the defending state champion. “I think it’s more exciting that we go back against the same team that we played against last year,” said sophomore Jaylin Meza, who has led the team with 18 goals this season and also scored their lone goal in last year’s 2-1 loss to Santiago Canyon. “Last year it was just an experience but now we know what we are going for,” said Meza. This season, the Mustangs have allowed a program-record low six goals, the majority coming on set pieces, on the season with goalkeepers Marcella Salyer and Callie Crain often each playing half of the game in goal. “I’m very proud of both our goalkeepers, “ said Sorenson. “It didn’t come right away to her (Marcella Salyer). She wasn’t handed anything and she has had to earn everything. It has been really cool to watch her grow as a goalkeeper, player, person, and leader. Callie plays in a lot of big moments and she has kind of stepped in like it is no big deal. Both of them have been outstanding. The
(Above) Jaylin Meza dribbles the ball upfield against Fresno City. (Top Right) Nailah Staples goes up to head the ball. (Bottom Right) Jay Her, Dayana Hernandez and Jaylin Meza pose for a celebratory photo after a 1-0 win over Fresno City.
whole backline throughout the year has done a great job.” While the defense has given up a record low for goals this season the offense has scored goals at a record pace led by Meza while freshmen Dayana Hernandez has scored 15 goals and Kylie Zentner has scored ten goals. So far this season 18 different players have scored at least a goal for the Mustangs while 11 players have scored four goals or more. “I think this team more than any other team I have coached has a lot of different pieces,” said Sorenson. “We have a lot of different looks. I don’t think our team is very predictable. I think we are very unpredictable on how we can hit you. Our depth with the players that we have coming off the bench has been really impactful all season. I’m really proud of the buy in by the whole group.” As a group, they have currently won 18 straight games and they won their first ever Big 8 Conference championship earlier this season going 15-0-1 in conference play. For the season they are 23-0-2. “We have always kind of been the underdog or the overachiever so this year kind of coming in with a target was different,” said Sorenson as the team came
into this season as one of the teams to beat with 18 players returning from last year. “I think the players handled it really well. They are never nervous and very confident in a good way. They love the big game.”
Potentially two big games remain as they will take on Santiago Canyon on Friday at 1:15 p.m. With a win, the Mustangs would play in the state finals on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Lake Tahoe or San Diego Mesa.
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The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/sports
Record setting season ends for men’s soccer
BY PAUL MUYSKENS Sports Editor
It was a history making season for the Delta College men's soccer team as they not only picked up their first postseason win in program history but they won two road playoff games before having their season come to an end in the Elite 8 with a 1-0 loss at Fresno City. Going 13-7-4 on the season the Mustangs once again made the playoffs and went on the road and pulled off shutout wins over De Anza and Folsom Lake before coming up a win shy of making it to the Final
Four. Sophomore goalie Alexis Jimenez was named as the Most Valuable Goalkeeper in the Big 8 Conference while freshmen Danny Gomez was named as the league's Most Valuable Midfielder. Toby Pena webb and Avel Chavez were also both honored as they were named to the Big 8 Conference second team. Despite starting just one game all season Martin Torres Jr. led the team with eight goals while Lucas Durval and Toby Pena Webb each scored six goals.
(Top Left) Danny Gomez was the Big 8 Conference Most Valuable Midfielder. (Above) Alexis Jimenez was named as the Big 8 Conference Most Valuable Goalkeeper. PHOTOS BY PAUL MUYSKENS
Postseason run comes to an end in Fresno for volleyball team BY PAUL MUYSKENS Sports Editor
While the season came to an end a week sooner then the Delta College Mustangs volleyball team had hoped for it was still a successful season as they went 21-9 and made the second round of the NorCal Regionals. “I’m proud of this group,” said Head Coach Molly Mordaunt-Hummel after the season-ending loss at Fresno City. “We had a lot of new bodies that had to learn a whole new system and for us to be in this position is a good accomplishment.” Starting the season by winning their first seven matches and making the championship game of the Delta Classic, the Mustangs finished in a tie for third place in a tough Big 8 Conference which had four teams all finish with over 20 wins on the season. “Watching Angel (Lambert) and Angelique (Stepanoff ) really develop into two of the top players in Northern California with Angel being respected as one of the top players is pretty amazing,” said Mordaunt-Hummel.
Angel Lambert was the team’s lone all-state honoree as the sophomore middle blocker had a second-best 242 kills while hitting .353, after having just 128 kills last season. She also led the team from the service line with 43 aces. Sophomore Angelique Stepanoff went from having 174 kills last season to a team-leading 366 kills while also having a second-best 238 digs. Freshmen setters Kacy Bolding and Kaitlyn Morenzone both played in all 30 matches this season, as did libero Analiese Almgren who was also in her first season with the Mustangs. Almgren led the team in digs with 410, Bolding led the team with 872 assists to go along with 146 digs and Morenzone had 247 digs and a second-best 89 assists. The 21 wins this season was a three-win improvement over last year and included a postseason win after making the playoffs but losing in the first round last season. With the indoor season now over there will be a bit of a break for the volleyball team before the start of beach season in March.
Angel Lambert gets a kill against Fresno City. Lambert was named to the All-State team. PHOTO BY PAUL MUYSKENS
Women’s wrestling, beach volleyball facility among future Delta possibilities BY DAVID VICTOR Staff Writer
In an interview for Delta College’s Radio and Television program on Nov. 18, Delta College Athletic Director Tony Espinoza spoke about the athletic program’s success, what could be done to make it better and discussions about establishing more teams. Delta College ESPINOZA currently offers 20 sports, 10 for men and 10 for women, but expansion may be possible. “The next sport that has been discussed about potentially being an emerging sport here at Delta would be women’s wrestling. We’re looking at potentially introducing women’s wrestling in Spring 2021 and adding it to our
current list of sports,” said Espinoza. Espinoza. Most community colleges in CaliforSome of the challenges facing the nia offer women’s volleyball, but only 16 program lie within the facilities used by out of 114 schools in the state offer a the teams. men’s team. Maintenance of these facilities are “The men’s side a concern of volleyball is for Espinoza strictly down in SEE THE INTERVIEW and the athSouthern Caliletic departDelta College’s Radio and Television program fornia. It hasn’t filmed the interview with Delta Athletics Director ment. moved north yet, Tony Espinoza. “I think not to say that it there are See the video at www.youtube.com/ won’t in the fu- watch?v=x-Y8jlUco_4 some things ture, and if it does that we need I’m sure it would to work on be something that we would consider,” with our facilities,” said Espinoza said Espinoza. “We’re reaching the lifespan of some Delta College once offered tennis of the turf facilities, so that’s the focus but the program was abandoned due to for us right now within our department, low participation numbers. what areas need to be maintenanced “We do a yearly survey testing in- and what areas need to be potentially terest of incoming students, and we looked at for replacement.” haven’t had the numbers to support inThe department has also discussed troducing tennis. You need a number of the possibility of establishing a facilistudents to be able to get a team going ty for Delta College’s beach volleyball and establish a competitive team,” said team on the main campus.
The team uses a facility at the University of the Pacific for practice and home matches. “There has been discussion of where we move in regards to a facility for beach,” said Espinoza “Financially it’s a major expense to be able to bring those facilities in, and the discussion of where those facilities would be located would be a question that we would have to figure out as we move forward with that discussion.” Espinoza remarked on what he thinks Delta’s athletics program does best. While some students continue both their academic and athletic careers, others only prefer continuing their education after transferring to a higher education institution. “All of our coaches have a plan in place for their athletes,” said Espinoza. “There’s a lot of different routes that these athletes can go, but the coaches have all of that prepared and they have a plan in place.”
12 NEWS 120619
The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/news
Stresses of MyDelta rollout hit faculty BY YGRAINE MONTGOMERY
According to Kostyrko, MyDelta wasn’t ready. “The proper way, of course, would Delta College faculty struggled with have been to start a pilot, use both systhe rollout of the MyDelta informatems concurrently, and allow a lot of time tion system in Fall 2019, experiencing for faculty input, and then actually meet problems ranging from helping students register for classes, to submitting and the faculty and ask them to specifically changing grades, to not having enough describe how they use it, what are the most important functions, and for them training prior to the system’s launch. “I was hopeful at the end of last se- to do that before that before System mester that the summer experience 2020 could be closed and they were sure would smooth out all the bumps. And that all these functionalities were present I was shocked to find out how many in MyDelta,” Kostyrko said. “The worst problems there were in the fall,” said thing about this is that Admissions and Records, they are totally aware of the fact Paula Sheil, professor of English. Frustrations simmered in a barrage that MyDelta isn’t working, so they’re of campus-wide emails between facul- still using System 2020 … they are sety, administrators, and those responsible cretly still using System 2020. And from for system implementation showing re- that system, manually, they put things in sponse to a steep learning curve. The Col- MyDelta. But faculty were cut off from legian received some of the email corre- that system, without warning.” Admissions and Records does still spondence as part of a 2,300-page public records request submitted in August and have some access to System 2020, according to both Director Amy Courtfulfilled on Nov. 4 by Delta College. The emails illustrate faculty members wright and Angela Tos, dean of grasping for understanding of the new Enrollment Services and Student Desystem and struggling with the issues it velopment. However, both said, that access is introduced into the start of the semester. limited. Sheil, who teaches accelerated cours“To be clear,” Tos wrote in an email es, was manually enrolling students in response to The Collegian, “changes are that frenzied first week. “I teach eight-week classes, English only made according to policy and pro1A followed by English 1B … so the cedures for specific purposes — for extough part for me was getting students ample, grade change forms.” The most important goal, according enrolled in both classes [in the same to an email interview with Dr. Sarah semester]. But it was problematic, it Antinora, professor of English, is to enwas terribly difficult to get people ensure that all aspects of the system work rolled in both classes to be able to do this accelerated program … so we had and are easy to navigate for the students; to hand-enroll all of the people, and that any other obstacles she faces are secondary to that. was difficult.” Antinora said there was much conRegistration wasn’t the only problem encountered. The semester started with- fusion. “At first, it was difficult to get the out grade, census, and positive attenright support. It was unclear what was dance rosters. causing so many of the obstacles. Were “The second difficulty came up af- they errors in how the system had been ter the completion of English 1A,” said designed? Or were the issues not errors, Sheil. “There was no way to submit but instead the new system was just not grades. And then I couldn’t show that meeting our needs? ... When it’s unmy students had completed it, to enroll clear what is causing the obstacle, it is them in the second class. So everything also unclear whom we should contact that had to do with buttons, the ways to have it resolved. That lack of clariwe normally did things, being able to ty also means that we sometimes were enroll students in special programs, or given conflicting answers. And, as you being able to finalize grades to move can imagine, the people in charge of anstudents forward, all the regular things swering those questions were inundated that faculty [previously] had control of with emails and complaints — a volume that is more than any one person can efwere problematic.” Other faculty experienced similar fectively manage.” However, Antinora also wanted to problems. The switchover from one system to another meant students requir- commend college staff for working to ing grade changes were left in limbo, address the problems. “That being said,” Antinora said, according to one instructor. “I needed to change some grades for “there are numerous people who went my summer and spring students. And I above and beyond to support us and was taken by surprise because I didn’t remedy issues in a timely manner.” The issue that stood out the most for have access to their grades, and there was no way to change the grades on- English Professor Dr. Mark Slakey, was line,” said Math Professor Dr. Jacek Ko- lining up his roll sheets correctly, so that styrko. “Some of these grades are still students who wanted to be in his class not changed … to this day I have no could get in, and those who wanted to access to my grades that I issued to my drop could be dropped. “It frustrated a lot of students who own students, and I cannot verify them.” Kostryko noted the issue in an Aug. wanted to be in the class, they were first 26 email: “There is no provision for cor- on the waitlist and ready to go in and I recting grades from past classes (it was couldn’t get them in. The registrar Amy demonstrated last Thursday). When is Courtright was really good, and their it going to be implemented? I need to whole team were really helpful,” Slakey update a grade of a student from one of said. “It wasn’t too much of a hassle for my summer classes. System 2020 is no longer available, and MyDelta is not up me, though I’m sure it was for my boss. It meant that sure, I lost a certain numto the task yet!” The demonstration Kostyrko is refer- ber of students to other teachers. I’m ring to is the MyDelta faculty training sure they decided to go to another class provided before the semester started. It where they could register right away. was a two-hour session Thursday before It was stressful, but mostly under the category of irritation; the problems got the semester began. Kostyrko also noted that the old Sys- solutions. I guess I got really angry at tem 2020, which faculty had previously how it was mishandled,” he said. “It was very frustrating but again I used to enroll students and post grades, was abruptly closed down, and faculty think you know we worked around it was told to start using the MyDelta im- and we muddled through. I get angry if I’m working hard and others are free mediately. Vice President of Instruction James riding on the rest of us. A lot of people Todd had sent an email informing fac- really worked really hard to make it betulty of System 2020’s retirement on ter and give credit to those people. It’s better now,” added Slakey. Aug. 21, two days before the deadline. Senior Staff Writer
New emergency phones installed “In an effort to increase student safety, the new phones have been conveniently located adjacent to campus pathways,” the San Joaquin Delta College District Police wrote on Facebook on Nov. 13. “They are very visible, easy to use, and in locations accessible while walking to parking lots or classes.” The phones have push-button access and highly visible with a bright blue light at the top. PHOTO BY SERENA MALDONADO
Delta’s Got Talent winner of “Best Dancer” award, Jimmy Xiong. The competition took place on Nov. 21 in West Forum. PHOTO BY ALEX SALON
TALENT: Overall winner gets $300 continued from PAGE 1 Violent Femmes’s “Blister in the Sun.” It was then up to the audience to vote for the best act out of the three. Minus 3 was voted as the best performance, winning the $300 prize. The students of Delta College may be the real winners, though, since the club was able to raise $2,000 for the pantry, located on the first floor of the Shima Building. The money was raised through the talent show ticket sales and outside donations. During intermission, buckets were passed around for the audience to donate, and an extra $207 was collected. Steve Rincon, a singer and guitar player in the show, said “it’s important for [the money] to go back to the pantry,” and that events raising money for the campus and clubs is a great idea. Event host and member of the club Tony Zhee said, “the money raised will be used to restock the food pantry.” Dean of Enrollment Services and Student Development Dr. Angela Tos, who was in attendance, said she was “touched by the show of support,” and “the contributions are going to change students’ lives.” Tos said a Basic Needs survey was
conducted in Fall 2018, and out “of 1217 students, 73% said they were food insecure within the prior 3 days.” “Three-quarters of the people who took the survey didn’t know where their next meal was coming from.” The pantry opened in March. Tos said it has served 5,688 students since then with 3,493 visiting in the fall semester alone. More than 700 have registered for services this fall, with daily student numbers averaging 116, Tos said. According to Dr. Tos, the food pantry opened in March of 2018, “and since March, [the pantry] has served 5688 students.” 3493 students visited the pantry in the Fall semester alone, 729 students have registered to be apart of the food pantry this Fall, and a daily student visits average of 116. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart and on the behalf of students, thank you for supporting the food pantry,” said Tos during the event. The event was sponsored by Quail Lakes Baptist Church, who also performed a non-participating opening act, Deli Delicious, T4, and Empresso.