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CT CityTimes
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Vol. 68, No. 5
October 29, 2013
Weekly at sdcitytimes.com
Gonzalez mural at the center of complex debate
NOTABLE FACULTY
By Chris Handloser City Times
Humberto Gurmilan reflects on the hardest struggle of his life in his book,“Desde mi Silla.” Courtesy photo (Below) Gurmilan teaches a communication class at City College on Oct. 24. Mary Watson, City Times
Author overcomes adversity
By Ahmad Blue City Times Have you ever had that little annoying itch on your nose? Now imagine not being able to scratch it. That was one of the small things Professor Humberto Gurmilan wasn’t able to do for himself after an accident changed his life forever. Gurmilan, an adjunct procommunications professor, spoke to students as part of the World Cultures Program and gave life advice that anyone could take a lesson from. Gurmilan talked about attitude, perseverance and support. These three factors would ultimately play a key role in inspiring the then 15-year-old that his life wasn’t over. After his accident, Gurmilan woke up in a hospital, not yet realizing where he was and why he could not move his limbs. “I could barely see out of the corner of my eye and then I realized I was hurt,” said Gurmilan as he recounted the day. Confused and stressed, Gurmilan passed out from the shock of his current situ-
ation. His mother and father received news that their son would make it, however, there was bad news as well. Doctors believed he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. He had no control over his hands or legs and was unable to speak. The accident severely damaged his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Two weeks later, after finally gaining full consciousness, Gurmilan was awake and coping with his current situation. “As time passed, I realized I wasn’t getting better,” said Gurmilan. “All of a sudden things raced through my head and boom, I hit a wall.” This severity of the situation and realization that he would never walk again brought on a depression. “It was very, very hard as a 15-year-old to lose your independence,” said Gurmilan. Family would visit to cheer him up but as they left, Gurmilan would fall back into this depression. It would eventually fade as his rehabilitation started. After six months in the hospital, Gurmilan would return home and continue his life, eventually graduating from high school and than
NAIL ART
college. During those six months Gurmilan learned life lessons that would become his inspiration. Attitude, perseverance and support from family and friends became his motivation to get better. Soon, he regained control of his hands. Gurmilan has worked hard to get where he is today, but he knows he will always
Festive designs to get you in the spirit of Halloween PAGE 6
face the adversity of not being able to walk again. He continues to move forward to this very day. His book, “Desde Mi Silla” or “From My Chair,” recounts events from his life and is available in both English and Spanish. His book is listed on Amazon and all profits are being donated to charity.
City College’s administration, members of student clubs and their faculty advisers and student government leaders are working together to determine the fate of a mural depicting Diana Gonzalez, a student that was killed by her estranged husband on campus in 2010. The mural, created and painted on campus by more than 150 students on Sept. 28, portrays Gonzalez holding her young child against a floral backdrop. The administration has various concerns regarding the mural: How does the murder affect the reputation of City College; how it mentally affects students, faculty and staff; and what should the process be to create and hang murals on campus. Members of the student clubs involved believe that the mural was created to raise domestic violence awareness and to honor Gonzalez and removing her name would undermine that. They also strongly desire to find a permanent home for it on campus. The contrasting plans for the mural came to a head on Oct. 10, when student organizers planned to unveil it in the Math and Science (MS) Building. Instead that day, they were informed by their advisers in an emergency meeting that the administra-
tion had not given permission to do so until key details could be worked out. ASG leadership, representing the student voice, met with Interim City College President Lynn Neault and other senior administrators on Oct. 21. “Do we really want City College to be in the news repeatedly for the campus where a murder occurred?” asked Neault. “Do we want that to be the public image of the campus?” During the meeting, college health officials reported concern for the emotional well being of would-be viewers of the mural, stating that instances of emotional distress spike at the Mental Heath Center every time there’s an event for Gonzalez. Neault’s proposal included removing the commemoration of Gonzalez from the mural, and instead, honoring domestic violence awareness as a general theme. In addition, the mural would hang twice annually, not permanently, in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month and in March for Women’s History Month. However, some students involved in the creation of the mural take exception to the removal of Gonazlez’s name. “The way we always talk about this is as the mural for Diana Gonzalez and survivors of domestic violence. It’s See Mural, page 2
Students, faculty and children creating a mural for Diana Gonzalez on Sept. 28. Michelle Moran, City Times.
CRAFT FOOD
Contemporary food and drinks in Little Italy PAGE 5
INDEX Calendar................. 2 News....................... 3 Life......................... 4 Arts........................ 5