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Volume 65, Number 7
December 14, 2010
Chancellor gets Obama nomination By Ernesto Lopez City Times The White House announced on Dec. 7 that San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance Carroll has received a nomination from President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities. Carroll is one of three nominees from across the country to the 26-member council, which serves as an advisory panel to the National
Endowment for the Humanities. She said she still must go through the Senate confirmation process but is proud to have been picked as a nominee by Obama. “He has a great love for the country, he is a great leader and I am proud to have been picked for this role,” Carroll said. “I am hoping the confirmation goes well.” “This is a great Christmas present,” she added. Obama issued a prepared statement about the three nominations.
“I am proud to have such distinguished and accomplished individuals join this administration and serve on the National Council Constance on the HumaniCarroll ties,” the president said. “I look forward to working with them in the years and months to come.” City College President Terrence
Burgess congratulated Carroll on her nomination. “We are amazingly proud of her, and we congratulate her,” Burgess said. “She is a nationally recognized humanities scholar, but to be named to the National Council on Humanities is one of the highest honors. She will do a fabulous job.” Carroll said she is not allowed to comment on her role as a council member but added that she will continue serving as district
chancellor. “This is a service to the nation, not a job,” she added. The humanities include the study of history, literature, languages, philosophy, religion and related disciplines. “It’s a potential role that is close to what students learn in fields that particularly lead to understanding the human condition and how to improve it,” Carroll said. “Being involved in the humanities is very important.”
Performance to raise funds for Gonzalez’s child By Katrina Cameron City Times
City College professor Larissa Dorman updates protesters after a meeting between Diana Gonzalez’s family and the district attorney’s office on Dec. 9. More than 100 people marched from campus to the Hall of Justice to protest the handing of the Gonzalez case. Carlos Maia, City Times
March for justice Supporters of the Gonzalez family walk from campus to DA’s office to voice concerns about case By Shane Finneran City Times More than 100 people marched silently from City College to the district attorney’s downtown office on Dec. 9 to protest the handling of the Diana Gonzalez case. Students and faculty members joined friends and family of Gonzalez for the march. Most of the group stayed to chant and cheer in support when Gonzalez’s immediate family entered the building and met with a representative of the district attorney.
A flyer said the march aimed to “remind the DA that we want justice for Diana and assistance for her family.” On Oct. 12, Gonzalez was murdered at City College. Police suspect she was killed by her estranged husband, Armando Perez, who is believed to have fled to Mexico. Three weeks before the killing, according to a police report she filed, Gonzalez was assaulted, abducted and raped by Perez, who was taken into custody but was released when the district attorney’s office declined to file charges. Paul Levikow, communications director for the district attorney, said charges can only be filed when the office believes it can prove them -- a threshold that was not reached for Gonzalez’s charges against Perez. “Our analysis was there would have been an acquittal,” Levikow said. “I know that's frustrating to the family.”
Beatriz Luna, Gonzalez’s cousin, said the only assistance the family is currently seeking is to help Gonzalez's parents get grief counseling. “As far as justice,” Luna said, “we want to see (Perez) behind bars.” Soon after the march reached the district attorney's office, Diana Gonzalez's parents, her sister, and her infant daughter, Crystal, met with Patrick McGrath, a deputy chief of the family protection division. They were joined by Larissa Dorman, a political science professor who has advocated for the Gonzalez family. “Today was a success,” Dorman said after the meeting, though she noted some shortfalls. She said McGrath acknowledged the family's request for more consistent communication, for example, but he did not provide more details about the office's earlier decisions in the case. See March, page 2
Auditions for City College’s presentation of “The Vagina Monologues: The V-Day Edition” occurred Dec. 8 and 9. The production, which raises awareness of violence against women, will be held Feb. 18 and 19 in the Saville Theatre. Ninety percent of the proceeds of the performances will be donated to Diana Gonzalez’s daughter Crystal’s scholarship fund. According to the production’s website, Gonzalez — who was killed at City College on Oct. 12 — was a V-Day activist and “The Vagina Monologues” cast member. V-Day is a worldwide activist movement to end violence against women. The events
increase awareness and raise money for the cause. V-Day campaigns occur on college campuses and are organized by local volunteers and college students. “When we lost Diana Gonzalez as a victim of domestic violence, I contacted the national organization and said we wanted to give the money to her daughter’s scholarship fund,” V-Day director and City College theater professor Katherine Rodda said. Eve Ensler, author of the “Vagina Monologues,” has made the rights of the play available for production during “V-season,” February through April. “They don’t have to pay to produce, which is unusual,” said Rodda. “The stipulation See Performance, page 2
A student signs up on Dec. 8 to audition for the “Vagina Monologues.” Proceeds are going to Diana Gonzalez’s daughter, Cr ystal. Troy Bryant Orem, Contributor