KAABOO brings music, food and art to Del Mar Arts, page 4
CityTimes sdcitytimes.com
National Pacemaker winner
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Triweekly in print
Volume 72, Number 2
October 03, 2017
Hepatitis A takes downtown and spreads to L.A. The city?s three-step plan, will it be enough to combat the outbreak? By Paige For r est er According to a recent update by San Diego?s Health and Human Services agency, as of Sept. 27, 17 people have died from Hepatitis A in the county since March. In addition, there have been 17 more cases and 10 more hospitalizations within the last month. With 461 confirmed cases in the San Diego region since November 2016, this is the largest Hepatitis A outbreak in decades, with the upsurge beginning last November but not identified until March. The youngest person to be infected was a five-year-old who had not been previously vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hepatitis A (also known as Hep A) is spread through person to person contact. A gesture as simple as shaking hands, being in close proximity, or eating food prepared by someone infected with the virus, can pass it on. Basic prevention starts with
Police respond to a homelessman, discovered by student Sherman Coates(right), loitering in a toilet on campus, Sept. 27. RICKY GUTIERREZ/ City Times always washing hands after using the this particular outbreak difficult to campus police said was homeless was bathroom or touching an infected combat because the disease has found inside the BT building person. mainly affected the homeless bathrooms by student Sherman If Hep A can be traced back to a population since many do not have Coates, who said, ?It smelled like it restaurant where a food handler was access to public restrooms for basic does under the bridge,? referencing infected, the situation can be kept personal hygiene. the bridge over 17th Street and under control. On Wednesday, Sept. 27 at San Island Avenue. See Hep A page 3 But San Diego officials have found Diego City College a man who
Tragedy strikes Las Vegas Strip ASG president works shooting in modern United that time. States history. The shooter, identified as The gunfire was reported at Stephen Paddock, 64, was found dead by officers after they breached his room on the 32nd-floor room in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Lombardo said he was found with ?in excess of 10 rifles? in the room and the police believe he killed himself. President Trump addressed Terror in LasVegasasa shooter kills58 and injuresover 500 concert the press on Monday morning goers. Joseph Hunkins/ Flickr - FILE and called the mass shooting, By Shaylyn Mar t os 10:08 p.m. at the multi-day ?an act of pure evil.? He said A gunman opened fire upon Route 91 Harvest Concert, said he will visit Las Vegas on thousands of people attending Clark County Sheriff Joe Wednesday and ordered the an outdoor concert on the Las Lombardo at a news briefing flag to be flown at half-staff. He is also scheduled to visit Vegas strip on Sunday night, following the attack. killing at least 58 and injuring He estimated that the Puerto Rico on Tuesday. over 500 in what authorities country festival had about are calling the deadliest mass 20,000 people in attendance at
Inside News Page Arts Page Entre LĂneas Page Life Page
1,2,3 4,5 6 7,8
More on this story online at sdcitytimes.com
to aid "Dreamers" DACA recipient who works five jobs shares his story By Shaylyn Mar t os A leader at San Diego City College spends his days working to provide for his fellow students, although his own plans for the future may be a fleeting dream. Ignacio Hernandez V., or ?Nacho? to his friends, has been in the spotlight since he came forward as a DACA recipient in early September. ?I feel like I?ve already shared my story, so what I?m doing right now is encouraging others
New Border Blog goes live with "Carmeggedon"
Where and why you should get vaccinated for Hepatitis A
Entre LĂneas, page 6
News, page 2
to share their stories,? he said. According to Hernandez V. there is strength in unity, and if more DACA recipients come forward and share their experiences, they will be able to work together to accomplish their goals and keep hope alive. He is the first in his family to pursue higher education, and he is focused on using his knowledge to help others at City College. Continued on Page 3
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 03, 2017
2
CITYNEWS
Essential info on S.D. outbreak
Hep A hits home Student and her family rush to the emergency room after possibly coming in contact with disease By Esai Melendez The joys of being a mother to a 9-month-old child quickly turned into panic and horror for San Diego City College student, Cristal Miranda. Two weeks after eating at Pacific Beach?s World Famous seafood restaurant at 711 Pacific Beach Drive during Labor Day weekend, Miranda feared the worst for her child when she read a report about the restaurant?s food and water possibly being contaminated with Hepatitis A. ?I couldn?t think for a second. My heart started racing,? Miranda said the thought of,?Having to wait to find out if my son was going to have Hepatitis A was probably the most fearful time.? Miranda went on to say, ?I was really overwhelmed. I was on the verge of hyperventilating because my baby isn?t allowed to be vaccinated.? Miranda said that the doctors told her that infants younger than 1 don?t have a strong enough body to withhold the vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the time it takes for symptoms for Hepatitis A to show ranges from 2 weeks to 6 months. Miranda then shared that they were actually 12 days removed from eating at the restaurant. ?I had to take him to the emergency room because we couldn?t get him the shot,? Miranda said. Miranda also shared that her 13-year-old daughter received vaccinations at age 2 and 4 years old so she became immune to the disease. Miranda also described that just two days before reading the NBC 7 report about World Famous being contaminated, she and her husband received vaccinations. Hepatitis A has been spreading throughout San Diego for the past couple of weeks and one way that it?s spreading is through contact with someone with poor or improper hygiene. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) website, ?The disease is closely associated with unsafe water or food,
CityTimes Editor-in-Chief Shaylyn Mar t os News Editor Mar ia Mur cia Copy Editor / Managing Editor Fr anceen Per er a Sports Editor Claudia Robles Features Editor Esai Melendez Art Director Par t ha Ranadive
Photo Editor Ron Mor ales Online Editor Alan Hickey Border Editor Celia JimĂŠnez Social Media Editor Nani Compar an Cuadr as Journalism Advisers TARA PIXLEY, JERRY McCORMICK
CITY TIMES STAFF Paige For r est er , Yakir a Delgadillo, Ricky Gut ier r ez, Michelle Bot ello
Journalism student and mother Cristal Miranda pictured with husband and son, July 2017. COURTESY OF CRISTAL MIRANDA inadequate sanitation and poor personal hygiene.? When asked about how this outbreak might affect those who are against vaccinations, Miranda said, ?If they don?t want to get vaccinations they?re allowed to do that. But I know it could shun them away from regular life.? Much like ot her vaccines, t he Hepat it is A vaccine comes wit h it s fair shar e of pr os and cons. Accor ding t o t he CDC, one of t he pr os of t he vaccine is how long it last s for
?Having to wait to find out if my son was going to have Hepatitis A was probably the most fearful time.? childr en and adult s. When given t o childr en, t he vaccine last s fr om 14 t o 20 year s. The st udy also says t hat when t he shot is administ er ed t o an adult t he vaccinat ion last s at least 25 year s. Some of the cons associated with the Hep A vaccine according to ?wisegeek.com? include, ?...Headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, mild fever and fatigue.? The website goes on to say that these side effects occur within three to five days after the vaccine is given and can only last up to about two days. For Miranda all that matters is her son?s safety. ?I just didn?t want my son to be hospitalized,? she said. Contact us: City Times, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101 Newsroom: BT-101
September 12, 2017, Volume 72 Number 1, National Pacemaker winner, Associated Collegiate Press. Published as The Jay Sees (1945-1949), Fortknightly (1949-1978), City Times (1978-Current). Incorporating the newspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl and Flicks. Memberships: Journalism Association of Community Colleges, California College Media Association, Associated Collegiate Press, California Newspaper Publishers Association.
By Michelle Bot ello If you are worried you might have the Hep A virus, also known as HAV, here are some symptoms listed by the San Diego County Health Department. HAV symptoms are: fever, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, dark urine, pale stool and diarrhea, stomach pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). If you or someone else have one or more of these symptoms, contact a doctor or visit the nearest emergency room. Carry your insurance cards, you may need them. As a precaution, always wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before handling food. Use hand wipes if necessary and carry hand sanitizer for emergencies. Preventative measures for Hepatitis A require getting two shots of the Hep A vaccine. Don?t have sex with someone with the infection or share towels, toothbrushes, or eating utensils. In addition, don?t share food, drinks, or cigarettes. The Hepatitis A virus is relatively strong. In good conditions, it can survive outside the body for months, including in certain acids and under hot conditions. For a period of time and under certain conditions, HAV can survive in seawater, dried feces, and live oysters. In San Diego County, the following places provide free Hep A vaccines: Mon: Oct. 9, 1-4 p.m. at Logan Heights Branch Library, 567 S. 28th St. Tues: Oct.17, 2-5 p.m. at S.D. Central Library, 330 Park Blvd. Fri: Oct. 20, 2-5 p.m. at Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St. Tues: Nov. 21, 2-5 p.m. at S.D. Central Library Tues: Dec.19, 2-5 p.m. at S.D. Cent r al Libr ar y The Count y of San Diego Healt h and Human Ser vices Immunizat ion Hot line cont act number is 1-866-358-2966.
The City is taking measures to combat the Hep A outbreak, Sept. 2017. RICKY GUTIERREZ/ City Times
E-mail: info @sdcitytimes.com City College Phone: Extension: 3880
Designed entirely in the cloud using Lucidpress
City Times is published twice monthly during the semester. Signed opinions are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent those of the entire newspaper staff, City College administration, faculty and staff or the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees. District policy statement: This publication is produced as a learning experience under San Diego City College?s Digital Journalism program. All materials, including opinions expressed herein, are the sole responsibility of the students and should not be interpreted to be those of the college district, its officers or employees. Letters to the editor: Letters to the Editor are welcome, 350 words or less. The staff reserves the right to edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation and length.
October 03, 2017 | www.sdcitytimes.com
Hep A
DACA
Continued from page 1
Continued from Page 1
When asked why he alerted campus police Coates said, ?I knew there was an outbreak and I didn?t want that being here on campus.? According to Coates the man told him that he was feeling very ill and needed to lie down. City Times tried to interview the homeless man but was denied by campus police. City Times checked the BT building bathroom two hours after the homeless man was removed but the particular toilet stall had not been cleaned.
He came to the United States from Tijuana with his family in October, 2002, when he and his twin sister were six-years-old. He, his twin, and his older sister went through their education here in San Diego. The fir st t ime he applied for DACA was dur ing his senior year of high school. In t he middle of her divor ce fr om an alcoholic and abusive husband, his mot her paid $3,000 t o a lawyer for DACA applicat ions for her t hr ee childr en. His mot her , who only was in school unt il sevent h gr ade,
?The handwash is a joke... t he Cit y isn?t doing enough, all t hey do is sanit ize t he sidewalk.?
CITYNEWS said he is clocking in much more. With his busy schedule, he only has one day to himself each week. He applied for his DACA renewal on Sept. 19. Instead of paying for a lawyer?s assistance, Hernandez V. researched the necessary paperwork and filed everything himself. This way, his renewal cost was $495, instead of the nearly $1,000 it cost in 2013. He said he is eligible for renewal, and is eagerly awaiting
3
?They?re gonna send me a letter asking me for my fingerprints,? he said. ?Once I get that letter, it means that I most likely got approved.? In the meantime, he is maintaining his characteristic work ethic. ?What I?ve been doing is that in three of my jobs, ASG president, Student Trustees, and FYS, I?ve been adding helping DACA students into my work,? he said. ?It alleviates my stress and
In a statement on Monday, Sept. 25, the City of San Diego pledged to install 63 handwashing stations downtown, possibly including additional locations in Hillcrest and our beach communities. The city is following three steps to help stop the virus from spreading, which are to vaccinate, sanitize, and educate. In order to vaccinate, American Medical Response (AMR) will offer 1,278 free vaccinations in the Downtown area. A clinic was held two weeks ago at Golden Hall in downtown with hundreds of people taking advantage of the free vaccinations. When asked if they knew about the growing Hepatitis A outbreak, Natalia Maggio and Lucas Thornton, both City College students, responded that they had heard but did not know much about Hepatitis A. ?I?m kind of concerned but it seems like ASGpresident Ignacio Hernandez V. at a First Year Servicesmeeting, Sept. 20. SHAYLYN MARTOS/ City Times it?s getting a little bit better...I heard they were giving out a lot of free shots and encour aged her t wo younger news of his status. ?If my DACA is my anxiety.? spraying bleach on all the sidewalks.? kids to finish high school and not renewed I won?t be able to He got involved with student Maggio said. She said she was not too achieve their dreams. work. I?ll have to resign from all leadership last year. ?Mainly, it concerned about contracting the virus since In order to achieve his own the positions I have,? he said. ?I was for me to learn the process of she commutes by car to school. Thornton on goals and provide for his family will not be able to help myself and going to college and transferring the other hand, said he was concerned Hernandez V. has five jobs, three continue to go to college.? but then at the same time I because he regularly takes public transit to of which are right here at City Hernandez V. has already wanted to help other people who get to school. College. He is the Associated completed his required general were like me, who didn?t know Despite the ongoing efforts to curb Hep A Student Government (ASG) education courses and the anything, had no one to look up in San Diego, Kenny Shaw, a homeless San president, a Student Trustee, a Intersegmental General Education to,? he said. Diego resident, said he disagrees. ?The Peer Advocate for First Year Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) in A Film major, Hernandez V. handwash is a joke...the City isn?t doing Services (FYS), an intern for the hopes of transferring to UCLA. received an Associate's in enough, all they do is sanitize the sidewalk.? American Federation of Teachers If his DACA is not renewed, he Liberal Arts Focus in Humanities Shaw continued that there are only a few (AFT), and a security guard. said he will not have the and Liberal Science in May 2017. places for the homeless to shower and use At the beginning of this resources to pay for rent and He intends to use film to share a the bathroom, therefore even if the City semester he calculated how much transportation when he transfers. message of hope. bleaches the sidewalk those who are infected he would be working, and that This is his third time applying ?I feel like the movies that will just return to the newly cleaned area. totaled 44 hours each week. for DACA so Hernandez V. now I?ve seen have influenced me in The City College and San Diego Downtown Six weeks into the semester, he knows what to look out for. becoming a leader,? he said. area has a very condensed population. Anyone who frequents downtown comes into contact with hundreds of people every day, some of whom could be infected with the virus. When asked how he protects himself during the Hep A outbreak, MTS bus driver Tracey Harvey said, ?lots and lots of hand sanitizer.? According to the City of San Diego, expanding efforts to combat the Hep A outbreak will include sanitizing locations in downtown, Midway, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, and the Hillcrest area. In order to protect citizens, the city is advising residents to regularly wash hands with soap and water for roughly 20 seconds, get vaccinated, and to be aware of their The homelesspopulation of San Diegowashit particularly hard by the HepatitisA outbreak. The City isworking to aid the population by providing hand-washing stationsand public restrooms, Sept. 2017. RICKY GUTIERREZ/ City Times surroundings when using public facilities.
4
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 03, 2017
folks and fun rock the CITYARTS Food, North County at festival
Weezer rocksout on the main stage on Day 1 of the Del Mar KAABOOfestival , Friday Sept. 15, 2017. MARIA-CAMILLA MURCIA/ City Times
The Wallflowersheadlined the Trestlesstage on the Saturday night at the 2017 KAABOOfestival, Del Mar, Sept. 16. Pictured is lead singer Jakob Dylan. ALAN HICKEY/ City Times
By Esai Melendez Camaraderie, food, beer, and some of the world?s biggest music artists took center-stage from Friday Sept. 15 to Sunday Sept. 17 at Del Mar?s young, but expanding, KAABOO music festival. This year?s headliners included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, Muse, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Other acts included Weezer, David Guetta, Ice Cube, Jane?s Addiction, and more. Despite the festival being just three years old, the star power of the attending artists increases every time. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, who were arguably the festival?s biggest attraction, put on an outstanding performance based on the crowd cheering, clapping, and singing along to most of the band?s songs. Performing staple hits such as ?Californication,? and ?Give It Away? to their more modern singles ?Dark Necessities? and ?Go Robot.? The band still has just as much energy and fun in their shows now then when they were much younger. One of the other headliners, Muse, began the set 20 minutes later than its original 7:55 p.m. time slot on Saturday. Despite the late start, the band gave an amazing performance which captivated the audience. Muse had the best special effects on screen compared with other artists throughout the festival. With so many vibrant colors and special effects, it seemed as if the audience was watching two Matt Bellamys, the lead singer/ guitarist, singing at the same time. The crowd was moving and singing along to the Muse?s staple songs such as ?Supermassive Black Hole? and ?Uprising.? ?Muse. I?m totally pumped about Muse,? said Nate , a San Diego native, when asked what band/ artist he was most excited to see. ?It?s really awesome to see these guys perform. I?m glad about what they?re doing so I can partake in the experience.?
The KAABOO music festival wasn?t just a local attraction though. Alex and Carolina Cordova, who traveled to the festival from San Francisco, said ?We bought our tickets back in April. We?ve been anticipating this for a while.? However, it wasn?t just Californians attending the festival either. Graffiti artists from around the world attended KAABOO to show off their work during the festival?s art exhibition that went on in Del Mar Fairground?s Mattress Firm building. Case Maclaim, a graffiti artist from Frankfurt, Germany, attended KAABOO to show off his art pieces. Another international artist, Bicicleta Sem Freio, came from Goiânia, Brazil. Food was also one of the festival?s highlights. From national chains such as
?We bought our tickets back in April. We?ve been anticipating this for a while.? - KAABOO attendees Alex and Carolina Cordova
Chipotle and Dunkin?Donuts, to smaller food businesses such as Rock & Roll Pizza and Dogtown Dogs, a varied selection was on every corner and each gathered their share of attention and business. Not only was there music, art and food to keep guests entertained, but comedians and guest celebrities such as Patton Oswalt, Norm Macdonald, and Arsenio Hall made appearances at KAABOO?s Humor Me building. With the increasing amount of star power that KAABOO showcases each year, it?s becoming more apparent how well KAABOO is creating its brand. If you missed out on this year?s KAABOO Festival, tickets for next year?s festival which will take place from Sept. 14-16, 2018 have already gone on sale.
Round two of free KAABOO for contest winner By Nanit zia Compar an Cuadr as After winning a pair of KAABOO festival tickets last year at the Pride Festival, a San Diego City College student decided to give our 2017 social media KAABOO tickets contest a shot. Javier Mor eno, a Gr aphic Design st udent , ent er ed t o our Cit y Times social media cont est t o win t icket s for himself and his lit t le br ot her Car los t o t he biggest weekend fest ival in San Diego KAABOO Del Mar. How did you find out and what made you ent er t he cont est ? I saw a flyer in the elevator in the AH building. I have been trying to win tickets for a couple of months now, and I have been entering to every contest that I came across. Could you descr ibe how you felt when you found out you won? I thought I broke the elevator because I was jumping in it! I felt like all my hard
work payed off after entering to a different million contests. What was KAABOO like? It was spacious, there was a lot of different things to do. You could walk around in the art exhibits with hundreds of different artists in there. Some of them were even doing live paintings. They did installations that started on Friday and ended on Sunday. Who wer e you most excit ed t o see at t he fest ival? I was most excited to see Kesha because I love her so much! But there were other really good acts like The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and I had never seen P!nk before, it was really excited to see her. Any advice for t hose who want t o check out KAABOO next year ? Contest winner Javier Morenowith friend Cameron Johnson whowas Wear lots of sunscreen, and go early alsoattending the festival on Sept. 17. COURTESY OF JAVIER because parking sucks, and pace yourself so MORENO that way you can last all night!
October 03, 2017 | www.sdcitytimes.com
City Reels Movie Reviews
No one wins watching ?Battle of the Sexes?
CITYARTS
5
A-List stars do not surprise in film that falls flat By Esai Melendez Man vs. woman. You?ve heard this line before. This age-old tale came to the big screen on Sept. 29 in Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris? (?Little Miss Sunshine?, ?Ruby Sparks?) film ?Battle of the Sexes,? based on the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King played by last year?s Best Actress Oscar winner Emma Stone (?Birdman?, ?La-La Land?) and Bobby Riggs played by Steve Carell (?Little Miss Sunshine?, ?Foxcatcher?).
saving graces of the film. Carell managed to combine his early goofball roles from films such as, ?The 40-Year Old Virgin? (2005) or ?Anchorman? (2004), with his more subtle and dramatic roles that he portrayed in the films like ?Foxcatcher? (2014) and ?The Big Short? (2015). One scene that portrays this is when Riggs is running around on couches with his youngest son acting like the floor is lava. It shows that Riggs had a close
First fall play premieres Cit y College Dr am a Depar t m en t 's m oder n ver sion of m yt h dr aw s f r om Sou t h er n Calif or n ia cu lt u r e By Mar ia-Camilla Mur cia
Emma Stone and Steve Carell in "Battle of the Sexes" which premiered Sept. 29. Official photo COURTESY OF FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES Although it was only the second tennis match in history between a man and woman and might?ve been one of the most watched sporting events of all time according to Kevin Skiver of CBS, that doesn?t mean people should flock to this movie the way they did with the actual match. The film kind of just feels like a generic sports biography film. It doesn?t really do anything new or exciting to break away from the cliches that come with this genre. Despite the bare-bones approach to the structure of ?Battle of the Sexes,? it doesn?t mean that the movie is bad. It?s not a great film and one example of this is a compare and contrast training montage which is very cliche and overused in these types of films. However, that doesn?t necessarily mean that it?s a bad film. One of the good things about the film is how it shows off Riggs? and King?s lives/ experiences in a pretty equal manner. I never felt that the film showed too much of King and less of Riggs or vice versa. Its pacing of both characters? lives was perfect. Carell?s performance and the amount of character development and depth his character portrayed is one of the
relationship with his son and how good of a father he was to his son. You never really find yourself rooting against Riggs in the film, because there are more layers to him than being a ?male-chauvinist.? Stone?s performance is solid, but nothing too out of the ordinary for the actress. Her character has the capacity to have more depth than Carell?s and that?s because Billie Jean King was a closeted lesbian during the ?70s. At times Stone does a good job showing the insecurities that come with being closeted, but other times the execution comes off as a little forced or even flat. There was definitely more she could?ve done with her role. Over all t he film feels like t he dir ect or s decided t o play it safe. Ther e never seems t o be any r eal t ension por t r ayed. It has t he cliche ending most of us have been expect ing fr om biogr aphical spor t s films. It?s just a competent film at best, aside from Carell?s performance and character development. Hopefully an ?Oscar-bait? film like this, ends up just being bait.
The Drama Arts Department of City College opened first production of the fall semester, ?Electricidad,? on Sept. 29 in the Black Box Theater. Originally told by Luis Alfaro, the drama is directed by Drama Professor and Co-Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Dr. Katie Rodda. ?Electricidad? is a contemporary retelling of the Greek myth of Electra. Set in East Los Angeles, the play follows the murder of ?el Rey del Barrio,? Agamemnon. His daughter, Electricidad, mourns his death and plans her revenge on her father?s killer, her own mother, Clemencia. ?I wanted to do something that had strong female roles because I knew that we were going against the Shakespeare play that has a lot of male roles,? said Rodda. ?I also wanted to look for something that spoke to Latino students as well.? The production involves cholo culture with a bilingual cast speaking, as Rodda said, 10 percent Spanish and 90 percent English. Latino Playwright, Luis Alfaro, got inspired by this play from doing a workshop with juvenile detention centers. The show opened on Friday, Sept. 29 and will run until Sunday, Oct. 8 with tickets starting at $15 for general admission and $10 for students/ military. It begins at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. ?Electricidad? does contain adult language, violence and mature themes. It is recommended for audiences over the age of 14.
Bilingual cast of "Electricidad," which brings cholo culture to Greek tragedy, Sept. 2017. Official photos COURTESY OF KATIE RODDA
6
www.sdcitytimes.com
| October 03, 2017
Bienvenidos a
Entre Líneas City Times' Entre Líneas highlights life Between the Border Lines
So much for " Carmeggedon" The San Ysidro Border closure not as disruptive as predicted Bet ween t he Lines News Blog St aff Massive vehicle and pedestrian backups didn?t occur on the first day of a weekend-long closure of lanes leading into the San Ysidro border crossing. All the vehicle lanes heading southbound at San Ysidro were closed at 3 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, and were to reopen at noon on Monday, Sept. 25. This was done to accommodate construction at the port of entry, which is being expanded as part of a multi-year project. Southbound vehicle traffic was rerouted to the Otay Mesa border crossing via 905 East. This left the pedestrian crossing as the only means to get into Tijuana from San Ysidro. Some individuals left their cars in the U.S. overnight to
make travel on the U.S. side work more convenient. SAN YSIDRO Around 10:30 a.m., a steady stream of people got off the San Diego trolley at its final stop at the San Ysidro port of entry, but certainly not crowds. Adults, families, college students, a group of young women carrying shopping bags, walked to the pedestrian crossing to enter Mexico. The area is normally bustling with cars and people walking. Around noon, a line of taxis waited for fares near a shopping center just south of the southbound vehicles lines. And there were spots still available at the parking lots steps from the border crossing. The view from the pedestrian border bridge that crosses the freeways lanes was certainly unusual: no vehicles streaming into Mexico?s border crossing lanes. OTAY MESA In the mid-afternoon, the traffic was flowing easily in the lanes heading into Mexico at the Otay Mesa port of entry, without backups. At the pedestrian crossing there, the flow was uneven. Sometimes there were more than 50 people in line to cross, while at other times less than 10. ?I don't know why they said there it will be a lot of issues,? said Mario López of the
closure at San Ysidro. ?Here, it looks normal." He would know. He is an international porter who crosses the border several times at the Otay Mesa port of entry, where he has worked for more than 10 years. Around 4 p.m. the traffic was heavier heading into the Otay crossing. The traffic was at least twice as heavy than around noon. It was like driving 5 South at 1 or 1:30 pm on a weekday. CORONADO From behind a green tile counter, Carlos Gallardo, an employee of Clayton?s Mexican Takeout in Coronado, chops away at carne-asada, french fries, and sour cream as he assembles all possible variations on a California burrito. ?Yeah, I have to work this weekend,? he said, ?But I?m not too worried about getting to work. I can just leave my car at the border on U.S. side. Gallardo, a four-year-employee, went back to loudly separating and chopping the meat, the fat popping and sizzling against the grill. The San Ysidro crossing is the busiest land crossing in the world, with 50,000 vehicles and 25,000 pedestrians using the border per day, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics. Despite being a U.S. citizen, Gallardo has lived in Tijuana for about 12 years. He said that he can afford a better house in Tijuana, given the much lower cost of living and housing costs there than in San Diego. He said he lives in neighborhood where professionals, like doctors or lawyers, are his neighbors. He has noticed Tijuana change over the years, becoming much more culturally diverse and popular. This is the draw for many people who opt to live in Tijuana but work in the United States, like himself. Paige Forrester, Ron Morales, Michelle Botello and Celia Jiménez contributed to this piece.
Top: "Carmeggedon" construction on the San Ysidroborder, Sept. 23. Above: San Ysidrotrolley station packed with commutersasthe San Ysidro border was under construction, Sept. 23. RON MORALES/ City Times
October 03, 2017 | www.sdcitytimes.com
Former City College Student lives life as role model to others Founder of campus clubs named 'Lat ino of t he Year ' By Celia Jimenez Self-determination was key for a 39-year-old Chicano man who overcame personal and social obstacles to become a role model for college students. Alberto ?Beto? Vasquez was recently named Latino of the Year by the Latino City Employees Association, and the City of San Diego declared Sept. 12 as Beto Vasquez Day for his contributions to the community. He is the founder of two City College campus clubs: Advancing Chicanos/ Hispanics & Native Americans in Science known as SACNAS, a program that is committed to increase diversity on Science, Technology, Engineering,and Math and Urban Scholar Union, a support group for students who were incarcerated. He also organizes and raises funds for the Community Graduation Celebration, a free party for recent low-income graduates of color. Vasquez never expected to win this award and even recalls working at City Hall helping to write and prepare awards for others. The same day he was notified, one of the students he inspired at City College shared on social media how Vasquez motivated her to continue with her education. Brooke Binkowski posted ?He relentlessly encouraged me to apply and believe in myself, even as I was questioning my
life choices as a 30+ year old college student and wondering if I was really cut out for the academic life.? Vasquez also won a 40 under 40 award from San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, SD Metro, in 2014 Vasquez is a UCSD graduate with a Masters in Biology and started a new position as K-14 Academic Preparation Specialist III, on Monday, with UC San Diego?s Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment & Teaching Excellence (CREATE). In this position he will design and lead activities to introduce (STEM) programs among students of color. He was a full-time student at City College and worked part-time on campus for more than five years. In 2016, he accepted a job as outreach coordinator at Continuing Education where he worked for more than a year. For many he is an example of leadership, but it hasn?t been always the case. Vasquez comes from a troubled past. Vasquez is a San Diego native who grew up in City Heights, a predominantly Latino neighborhood. He is the youngest child of Mexican parents and the only one from his family born in America. His neighborhood was surrounded by violence, drugs and gangs, and his home situation was no better. He said his father was an
abusive alcoholic, and Vasquez and his family lived there until his mom left to raise her children on her own. Growing up, Vasquez and his siblings didn?t spend much time with her. She was busy often working 12 hours shifts to provide for her family. He spent most of his 20?s behind bars after a rough childhood. Then he decided to give City College a try. During his time at City College, and as president of Associated Student Government, he was very active on campus and connected students with the community. ?His compassion and his strong sense of leadership played a critical role in getting other students involved in a way, that me as administrator, couldn?t do? said Denise Whisenhunt Vice President of Students Services. She was the ASG adviser when Vasquez was the campus?president. Vasquez is married and has four kids. His goal is to inspire his kids and other students to fulfill his goals. ?They (students) don?t have to feel they are less than when they go to a the college campus, the university campus.? There is one strong reason he wants work in the educational field. He said, ?Community College changed my life.?
Beto Vasquez talksabout histroubled past and how he overcome obstaclesto change hislife on Sept. 12 in hisoffice at Continuing Education. CELIA JIMENEZ/ City Times
CITYLIFE
7
Let's talk about sex: All the good things and bad things it can be By Claudia Robles If only sex was all fun and games. Having sex can provide many young college couples with affection, relief, and a better bond of trust about their relationship. In developing a sexual relationship, whether as a couple or not, many tend to forget the fact that that having sex becomes a huge responsibility for everyone involved. Sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are very common according to the Family Health Center of San Diego, most college students ages 18 to 25 had contracted a disease twice in their life already STD?s are common and curable if detected quickly. If left unnoticed or undetected, they may cause infertility. If you are older than 25, health experts from the San Diego City College Health Center say you should test regularly for gonorrhea and chlamydia if you have a new partner or partners, or have unprotected sex. Gonorrhea being a sexually transmitted infection that can be spread all through your genitals, throat, and surface of skin, causing it to swell up and cause irritation. Chlamydia, is a form of bacteria that can give an individual feeling pain in their genitals when they urinate. From the get-go of every sexual relationship, it's important to have a talk with your partner and share if you have any STD?s or sexual concerns. A lack of communication can lead to unwanted discussions, trust issues, or even break-ups. Ask yourself, ?When was the last time I had unprotected sex?? Ask yourself, ?When was the last time I got tested for STD?s, or we got treated?? City College couple, Manuel and Ricky, ages 22 and 23, met when they were freshmen in college. They met in drama class, and their chemistry led to a romantic make-out session after the second week. They are a couple, but they also agreed to have an open relationship where they sleep with other partners. ?We care for each other, but we like other men too,? Ricky said. The couple has been together for three years. Being a same-sex couple, they face many challenges in today's society. Fears of catching STDs such as HIV has stigmatized them. They also are afraid of going to the doctor and telling him or her about different sexual partners. Manuel, a graphic design major, said, ?I have nightmares about HIV, I am an afraid human, if I don't feel a symptom then I guess I am alright.? What?s important to know is that most STD?s do not show signs of symptoms. In most clinics the patient needs to ask for exams for diseases like Herpes and HPV. For high school sweethearts Sam, 20, and Jayden, 21, starting college and exploring safe sex was all she ever hoped for, according to Sam she says, ?I always been a careful individual when it comes to sex.? Sam was diagnosed with Chlamydia in 2016 and feared every moment of her life. She described her experience as ?the worst semester of my life.? Having this disease made her move out of her home for the month she was being treated, and she lied to her parents occasionally. College years can be among the most enjoyable times of your life, so it's important take care of your well-being and your health. Remember as a student at City College, health services are provided for you for little to no cost. STD testings are free of charge to any college student in any branch of Family Health Centers of San Diego.
www.sdcitytimes.com | October 03, 2017
8
CITYLIFE VOX POPULI
Phot os and int er views by Claudia Robles
How will t he end of DACA affect your life? Ana Ibar r a, Biology ?It is a very sad and disappointing event because here we have the United States of America. The supposedly the country of freedom, but yet they ended it? The country will have increase of budget cuts from programs to help students succeed.?
Under the rainbow at the Pride Parade in Hillcrest on July 14. SHAYLYN MARTOS/ City Times
Hey mom, I'm queer! National Coming Out Day is Oct. 11
Daniel Gomez-Chavez, Gr aphic Design ?The ending of DACA is a step back in the progress of our nation, its will affect all immigrants that have worked so hard to make the United States the great nation we have today. Our students will become affected because it is likely to see more dropout in school and will cause budget cuts for our professors and some programs?.
Yasina Nat asha, Fashion Design "I believe as a student we deal with many troublesome effects in our country now that we have Donald Trump in office, it's sad to see many of these programs fail because of one person not valuing us as minorities and as student-workers.?
Fer nando Rodr iguez, Theat r e Ar t s ?It?s heartbreaking to know that is happening, all these people who came from around the world grew up here and only know the United States as their home. They come with goals and dreams and deserve to accomplish them no matter their legal status.?
By Shaylyn Mar t os National Coming Out Day is next Wednesday, a day that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people can come forward and declare to whoever they want, ?Hey, I?m ___ and I?m proud!? The tradition began on Oct. 11, 1987 when half a million people participated in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The ripples of influence of that march led to the creation of multiple LGBTQ organizations and the designation of a National Coming Out Day. Differing sexualities and gender expressions are more common than we were led to believe. According to the Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization, one out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is one in 10. As much as I dislike these ?everyone gets a like on social media? national days, I think this particular tradition is important for the LGBTQ community. For someone who is closeted to everyone or to certain people, this day gives an opportunity to state who we are. Many of us are afraid to come out, for fear of our mental and physical safety. Some of us feel that we can never come out to our parents, or even to our best friends, because they?ll judge us or hurt us. Some of us have been hurt by the very people we trusted to confide in. As a queer woman, I have the pleasure of coming out to new people on a regular basis. After further exploring my sexuality, I discovered I'm pansexual. That means I am comfortable dating any person that loves, respects and appreciates me. Coming out is especially fun since some of the people I meet either haven?t heard of pansexuality or don?t believe it exists. My usual line is, ?I
don?t care what you?ve got, just make me laugh and tell me I?m the only one.? In my family, my sexuality was never a major issue. When I came out to my mother, she said, ?Oh honey, we knew when you cut your hair!? My fathers are supportive and joke about it almost as much as I do. This isn?t the case for LGBTQ people around the United States and the world. According to the Human Rights Campaign 21 transgender people have been violently killed in the U.S. in 2017 alone. Just last Thursday three people were charged with murder after a transgender teenager named Ally Steinfeld was stabbed, burned, and had her eyes gouged out in Cabool, Mo. The officers who searched the home Steinfeld?s body was found in said the remains were in a pile and a plastic bag, according to the Bradenton Herald. The sheriff of Cabool, James Sigman, is not calling the murder a hate crime. San Diego mourned when three transgender teenagers committed suicide in 2015. According to a study in the same year by the Center for Disease Control, nearly one third of LGBTQ youth had attempted suicide within the last year. This is why Coming Out Day is popular and important to the LGBTQ community. ?If more of the population that identifies as LGBTQ steps forward, the closer we move towards acceptance,? said David Fuentes, who works with Art Safe Place, a program connected to the Youth Services for the San Diego LGBTQ Community Center in Hillcrest. ?I would like to see a future generation where LGBTQ people don?t have to come out because the act itself does marginalize you,? they said. ?It?s freeing and it?s liberating but it does put you apart from the norm since heterosexuals don?t need to come out.?