A N AT I O N A L PA C E M A K E R AWA R D N E W S PA P E R
n o i t i d E Special theswcsun.com
November 2, 2016
Volume 60, Special Edition
Five vie to replace Peraza By Josh Navarro Assistant News Editor
Shortly after Humberto Peraza was appointed to the governing board, all hell broke loose. Armed officers raided the homes of former Southwestern College trustees and administrators, and carted away their computers, phones and files. San Diego County’s largest ever public corruption case exploded across the TV news and front pages of newspapers. Peraza was happy to see the purge and he became a warrior against the corruption that nearly shut down the college. The payfor-play era, he declared, was over. In the five years since those December 2011 raids, the college has made great progress, Peraza said. So much so that he said he is now comfortable stepping down from the board. His term expires in December and he is not running for re-election. “There’s still a lot of work to do,” he said. “I could’ve run two more times and there will still be things I wanted to get done.” Peraza was sworn into office mid-2011, to replace revered trustee Nick Aguilar, who had health issues. Peraza’s stay on the board was characterized by the three pillars of honesty, transparency and integrity, according to his supporters. Changing the culture of the college and restoring the trust of the community were the board’s main tasks, he said. During Peraza’s five-and-a-half-years on the board, the college endured political debacles, concerns over campus safety and even an Ebola scare, which was, thankfully, a hoax. “Sometimes I thought ‘What did I do to deserve this? How is this happening? How is there Ebola?’ There’s always times you think ‘what else can happen on this campus?’’” he said. Nevertheless, he embraced all challenges, he said. “Life is a lot more interesting as an elected leader when you have important decisions to make. It would be a lot more boring if we went up there every month and went ‘yes, yes, yes.’ There are a lot of issues on the campus. We had to work together.” Serving in the crucible caused the board
Proposition 55 continues K-12, college funding By Brelio Lozano Assistant News Editor
Peraza in 2012 to bond, he said. “I think this is one of the best boards in town, easily. You have a former mayor who is an attorney general, a former college superintendent, you have a (Planned Parenthood) administrator, you have a (middle school) principal.” Peraza said nobody is irreplaceable and he has no doubt that a solid new leader will follow him. Individual trustees have no power, he said. Only a majority decision can make policy. “The college is more than one person,” he said. “It’s our community. Our board is five people, six if you count the student trustee. We make a decision together. I can’t do anything by myself. My opinion is only one of six opinions. It will be fine. Somebody else will come in.” He smiled knowingly. “Immediately (after I am gone) people will be saying ‘He’s way better than Peraza!’” His days as a community activist are far from over, he said. “There’s a lot of stuff you can do as a member of the community for the college,”
$400 million Proposition Z is in voters’ hands By Brelio Lozano Assistant News Editor
Southwestern College’s largest-ever bond measure is a $400 million request to the voters that college leaders say will change the face of the college. Proposition Z is the second part of what will be a 20-year effort to expand and modernize the South County’s only public college. The Proposition requires 55 percent voter approval to pass. Proposition Z would be used to build a new Performing Arts Center in Chula Vista, a multi-level structure at the San Ysidro Higher Education Center and a repurposing of the nursing and first responder labs at the Otay Mesa HEC. Trustee Humberto Peraza said Prop Z is essential if the college is to readied for its next 50 years of service. He said the original campus built in 1964 was in bad need of modernization. Pr o p o s i t i o n Z h a s n o o r g a n i z e d opposition, though Kevin O’Neill, president of the California Taxpayer’s Network, signed an argument against it in the sample ballot. O’Neill said the measure lacked taxpayer protections against waste and a “prioritized project list.” College officials dismissed both claims and insist the funds will be used in an effective manner according to a careful plan.
...and in 2016
he said. “You can still be involved. This won’t be the last time you see me being connected to the college. This is a place you fall in love with, and I have. This (college) is, to me, home. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to try and help the college or the people on this campus.” Peraza said leaving his seat would be a bittersweet moment. “When I made the decision (to step down) in November of last year, I thought ‘a year to go!” and boom, we’re here,” he said. “It’s going to be a little bit tough. There’s going to be days where I’m going to call some people on campus and ask ‘What’s going on?’ That night will be tough, to let it go.” Just as variety is the spice of life, differing points of view can lead to robust discussions, Peraza said. Governing board members should have different perspectives, he said, and the current board does, which can lead to an occasional clash. “This board worked really well together. There are lots of times where we disagreed vigorously and we had huge debates. In the
end there was a conclusion. We decided and then we would stick together on it. Even though the debates were tough, we always came out of it the same way. We could still have a beer together. That’s what makes a good board, that you can have that type of debate and still get along afterward.” Peraza said he has plenty to keep himself busy, including his young family and the Master’s degree he is pursuing at SDSU. “I get to have dinner with my kids a couple more times,” he said. “I get to go to a few more (soccer) practices that I wouldn’t have been able to go to before. I will be able to hang out with my wife a little bit more than I have. There’ll be less calls, for sure.” Someday, Peraza said, he would like to be a college professor. He teaches three classes at SDSU, is taking two and working on his Master’s thesis. He was inspired to become a professor during his time on the board and by spending time with faculty and students. “Teaching and learning is magical,” he said. “Magic happens on college campuses every day. It sure happens at Southwestern.
The Sun endorses: Roberto Alcantar Griselda Delgado Yes on Prop. Z
In 2012 voters approved Proposition 30, a temporary marginal tax rate increase of 1-3 percent on those making more than $263,000 a year, including any small business that pays personal income tax instead of the state business tax. This tax is effective until 2018. Proposition 55 would extend the tax until 2030. If Proposition 55 passes, it will: • Extend by 12 years the temporary personal income tax increases enacted in 2012 on earnings over $250,000 for single filers and over $500,000 for joint filers. • Allocate 89 percent of these tax revenues to K-12 schools and 11 percent to California Community Colleges. • Allocate up to $2 billion in certain years for healthcare programs. • Bar use of education revenues for administration costs, but provides local school boards discretion to decide, in open meetings and subject to annual audit, how revenues are to be spent. Governor Jerry Brown said he is neither supporting nor opposing the measure. “I’m prepared to manage without it and I’m prepared to manage with it,” he said. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom supports Proposition 55, along with a coalition of teacher and health unions. Several major publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune oppose Proposition 55. The San Diego Union-Tribune’s reason for their opposition to Proposition 55 is that it maintains a status quo that “deserves demolition, not acceptance.” “Consider that the biggest beneficiary of the tax hikes by far is the California public schools system, which under Proposition 98 gets the most state revenue.” The Union-Tribune also argued that school funding is a civil rights issue and that Proposition 55 does not do enough to help low-income schools. “The evidence is endless in Sacramento that the interests of the veteran teachers in the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers are valued far more than the interests of students – especially minority students in the poorest communities,” read a UnionTribune editorial. “This persistent problem is why any broad tax hike brought to voters must be paired with reforms that fix the imbalance of power in Sacramento and school districts across California. Voters will be told over and over again in coming weeks that voting for Proposition 55 is voting ‘for the children.’ Wrong. Voting for Proposition 55 is supporting a status quo that neglects our neediest students.” The Chronicle opposed Proposition 55 for a different reason. “Our issue is not with the goal of Proposition 55, it is with the dubious means of achieving it,” wrote the Chronicle. The Chronicle argues that the funding source for education should come from a more reliable and stable source. “Its dependence on the wealthiest taxpayers leaves education highly vulnerable to the next downturn, when capital gains typically vaporize.” The Chronicle editorial said Proposition 55 relies too much on the wealthy for education funding. “To put that dependence in perspective: The top 1 percent of families account for 77.2 percent of the income-tax revenue generated by Prop. 30. A report by the respected government-reform group California Forward last year projected that the income surtax on the wealthy could drop by half — or more — in the next recession.” The Los Angeles Times shared a similar sentiment. “A tax structure that depends too heavily on a small group of people, however wealthy they may be, also presents an insidious social and political problem.”
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Design by Jaime Pronoble
ELECTION
November 2, 2016 — Vol. 60, Special Edition
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: news@theswcsun.com
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Meet the candidates
Griselda Delgado
Gov. board seat #1
Roberto Alcantar
Gov. board seat #3
Lander Iriarte
Gov. board seat #3
“We have to keep working with the accreditation (commission) and (ask) ‘Are we on the right path?’”
“I want people to feel safe here. It’s an environment for learning and I do take (sexual assault) very seriously.”
-Griselda Delgado Gov. board member
-Roberto Alcantar Gov. board candidate
-Lander Iriarte Gov. board candidate
• Griselda Delgado was elected to the governing board in 2014 to a two-year term to replace a trustee who had resigned. • She is the principal of Hilltop Middle School. • A doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at SDSU, she earned an MA and a BA in English, both from SDSU. Griselda Delgado was elected in 2012 to serve a two-year term for Seat #1 after Trustee William Stewart abruptly resigned. She ran a campaign that prioritized transparency and accountability, studentcentered programs and job training. She is running unopposed in 2016. “Transparency comes with trust,” she told The Sun during her 2012 campaign. “You set policy to make sure that every information, every piece of data is exposed.” Her 2012 governing board campaign was endorsed by Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas and Trustees Tim Nader, Nora Vargas and Norma Hernandez. Delgado supported placing Proposition Z, the $400 million construction bond, on the November 8 ballot. She has also spoken out about campus safety, sexual assault and student access to classes and programs. An advocate of life-long learning, Delgado is the final phase of an Ed.D. program in K-12 Educational Leadership at SDSU.
• Roberto Alcantar represents California State Senator Marty Block as District Director in California’s 39th Senate District. • Alcantar served as campaign manager for Marty Block For State Senate in 2012. • Alcantar worked for the U.S. State Department as Assistant Diplomat to Australia from 2008-09. • Alcantar was a student counselor at Ashford University from 2010-2011. Starting from a young age, Roberto Alcantar said he has held Southwestern College dearly close to his heart. “I remember being a five-year-old kid and growing up with a single mother who was raising three of us by herself,” he said. “We were living in San Ysidro in a one-bedroom apartment. She saw a flyer for Southwestern College. With her very limited English skills, (she) decided to apply and enroll and became a student there.” Alcantar said SWC changed his family’s trajectory and he hopes to bring altering moments to others. “This campus is very personal to me,” he said. “It changed my life. It changed the life of my family. It gave us the opportunities we were seeking and I want to make sure we continue to provide those kind of opportunities to students throughout the South Bay. We hear a lot about wanting to bring a new university to the South Bay and wanting to bring an educational complex. This is it. This is the jewel that we have in the South Bay.” Alcantar said fixing accreditation issues requires a very exact process. “We don’t just take these recommendations and say ‘We’ll fix them,’” he said. “We have to keep working with the accreditation (commission) and (ask) ‘Are we on the right path?’ The last thing we want is to put in all these resources, time and effort in fixing a problem and then having them last minute say ‘Oh, you did it wrong. Too bad.’ We can’t play around with accreditation. We need to make sure we’re in constant communication.” Alcantar said he supports Proposition Z because it is in the best interest of SWC students. “You look at communities like Chula Vista, San Ysidro, National City and we’ve been forgotten for many years,” he said. “I’ve been to places in Chula Vista where roads aren’t even paved and to me, that seems absurd. The kind of culture that’s been brought up in our community is that we’ll fix it later. I would make sure to work with the board to make sure students are part of the process. If our committee is willing to say ‘Yes, I’m willing to raise my own taxes in order to provide better buildings for the students,’ then we need to do that. We deserve the best.” If elected, Alcantar said he would make sure SWC remains accessible and affordable for everyone involved with the campus. “I want to make sure that our faculty and classified employees are taken care of,” he said. “The only reason this campus continues to be recognized for its achievements is because of (faculty and classified employees). I want to make sure this campus is a campus where anybody feels comfortable, safe and protected, regardless of race, religion, gender or identity. I want to make sure we fight together to make sure this campus is safe for anyone. That’s important to ensure those students or faculty or classified members can do a great job and continue to keep this campus thriving.”
“Transparency comes with trust. You set policy to make sure that all information, every piece of data is exposed.”
• Lander Iriarte has a background in financial services. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Princeton University and a MBA from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College in Florida. • He is 34 years old and a Chula Vista native. • A long-time Chula Vista resident, he attended Chula Vista Hills Elementary, Bonita Vista Middle and Bonita Vista High School. Iriarte said he intends to focus on the students first and fund education essentials. “My goal is to serve the educational needs of the South Bay community,” he said. “I want to make sure every student here can reach his or her goal, (whether it is) transfer, technical degree or basic skills.” Iriarte said he supports project labor agreements that require bond funds to give local jobs to local people. “I’m not a big fan of contracting out services,” he said. “As we’re already aware many of our blue-collar jobs have been shipped out to foreign countries.” Iriarte said he supports Proposition Z. “I think it is needed to finish what was started (by Proposition R),” he said. “I also like the fact that it would help involve the community with the new facilities, like the Wellness and Aquatics complex.” Campus safety is a priority, he said. “I want people to feel safe here. It’s an environment for learning and I do take that (sexual assault) very seriously. People don’t feel like they are being heard and I take that very seriously. We’re here to learn.” SWC’s next president should reflect community values, he said. “I’ve seen a lot of presidents come through here. There has been a lot of turnover. What I would do is bring in someone that brings people together, get things done and a strong leader that has a clear vision and someone that is going to stay here for a long time.” Racial tension is a concern, he said. “There is a lot of division. One way to fix that for me would be to make people proud of the school they go to, have Southwestern College Pride. You’re not an African-American or Hispanic, you are a Southwestern College student. You are a South Bay Community member. Make sure we all here in the community and we want to do our best.”
William McLeroy
Gov. board seat #3
“I intend to make Southwestern College a premier school system that will be the model for other colleges...”
Casey Tanaka
Gov. board seat #3
“... There is probably a morale issue and a need for stronger communications and relationships between the administration and the faculty.
-William McLeroy Gov. board candidate
-Casey Tanaka Gov. board candidate
• William “Bud” McLeroy is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and a retired firefighter. • McLeroy ran for a governing board seat in 2010 and 2012. • In 2014, McLeroy ran for a seat on the Sweetwater Union High School District school board. William McLeroy failed to respond to The Sun’s request for an interview. McLeroy said he has been a South Bay resident since 1960 and attended classes in Southwestern College and cares deeply for his community. “No matter who you are, your income level, you can always count on Southwestern to give you the chance to better yourself,” he said in a 2012 interview with The Sun. “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be a fireman. I wouldn’t be in the military. I want to help this community and this school as much as I can. It comes from the bottom of my heart.” McLeroy said it is not enough to squeeze by accreditation. He said he has experience dealing with accreditation issues. “Being a board member, you are a leader,” he said in the 2012 interview. “We need to get away from the corruption part and actually get back into the education part. People won’t remember us for the education, they will remember us for corruption. Part of changing that is changing the people that are in power. We just need to make a clean break. We need to build our reputation up.” McLeroy said whoever is elected needs to understand the education system and how to balance the budget. “Two years ago when I sat down in debates, I said it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he said in the 2012 interview. “Now we are at the governor’s bill that says we have to pay taxes. If you look at all the bills that have wanted to raise taxes, people say no. The governor passed a budget stating that this bill would pass. That was wrong. I was able to raise the GPA and lower the cost of business.” McLeroy’s top three priorities if elected are fiscal responsibilities, education, and bringing together local businesses and students. “I intend to make Southwestern College a premier school system that will be the model for other colleges as the standard for a good, solid education,” he wrote in his candidate profile on Voter’s Edge. “The parents and students of Southwestern College deserve a board that is open and honest.”
• Casey Tanaka is completing his second term as Mayor of Coronado. • Originally from Hawaii, he has been a Coronado resident since 1983. • Since 2002 Tanaka has served on the Coronado City Council. • He is a history teacher at Coronado High School. Casey Tanaka said his experience as an educator puts the importance of Southwestern College into a special context. “The fact that I’ve been teaching at the high school level for 18 years gives me a perspective of how important it is for young adults to have an opportunity to move ahead through their college education,” he said. “It’s vital that institutions like Southwestern College exist to enable that sort of upward mobility.” Tanaka said he would like to increase student involvement in college matters. “I’m not entirely convinced students are involved in terms of how administration asks them for opinions or how they gather the insight,” he said. Tanaka said he is lukewarm on Proposition Z. “I’m not entirely convinced that the relationship between the electorate and the community college is strong enough,” he said. “I think I’m still trying to assess whether or not the Southwestern Community College District has earned that much faith in order to have that bond measure pass. I’m leaning towards supporting it because I feel a number of your buildings need remodeling or being knocked down and replaced.” Student input should also play a role in the hiring of the new president, said Tanaka. He also said that whoever comes in should be experienced. “Ideally, you’re looking for a candidate pool where candidates have done the same job somewhere else,” he said. “Sometimes someone fits that profile because they left their other job in a negative way so you have to be savvy enough to tell if that person is applying because they want to move up to the position and not down. You want someone who has done this before and is choosing to switch jobs for a positive reason not a negative one.” Tanaka said the new president should also be ready to focus on the accreditation issues facing the school and foster a better environment for the future. “You need to make sure enough resources are for the people involved handling the accreditation so that they don’t feel overwhelmed,” he said. “Then I think deeper down, underneath the accreditation issue, there is probably a morale issue and a need for stronger communications and better relationships between the administration and the faculty. This isn’t the first time there’s been an accreditation issue. It’s a very thankless job, so the people who are tasked with accreditation need to feel supported.” Tanaka also said campus safety would be a priority. “If I’m elected I’m going to spend time evaluation the major system of the college and of the ones I would be evaluating, of course, is your campus police,” he said. “I can tell you anecdotally every time I’ve visited your campus I’ve seen a police presence so I don’t feel anecdotally that you have a staffing problem. It seems like there would be roughly the right number of officers on duty. The first system I’d evaluate would be your staff to make sure that anecdotal conclusion is correct or accurate. Next you have to evaluate what training those officers received, to see what was the training and how often.”
Lei-Chala Wilson
Gov. board seat #3
“This college belongs to the community. If more people were aware of what’s going on in this college, we would have more support.” -Lei-Chala Wilson Gov. board candidate • Lei-Chala Wilson worked as a San Diego public defender for more than 24 years. • Wilson is former president of the San Diego branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. • Wilson is a former President of the National Council of Negro Women. • Wilson served as Director for Region IX of the National Bar Association. Attorney Lei-Chala Wilson is eager to bring a lawyer’s perspective to the governing board. “I spent 24 years as a deputy public defender, which means I know how to advocate, litigate,” she said. “It doesn’t matter to me whether I’m popular or not. I’m going to fight the issues.” Wilson was endorsed by the CSEA classified employees union. She said Southwestern College is her community and that she is familiar with the school. “I promised myself when I got out of law school and came back, I’d serve my community,” she said. “This is my community and I’m here to serve.” Wilson said a balanced budget and better community outreach are two of her main priorities. “I’ve been a community organizer, I put together community forums. This college belongs to the community. If more people were aware of what’s going on in this college, we would have more support. An informed community is a better community. An informed college is a better college. We also need to work on accreditation. I know that’s a concern right now. Let’s make sure once it’s fixed, that this is the last time.” Campus safety can be solved by having better communication with campus police, Wilson said. “I saw the blue (poles),” she said. “That doesn’t make me feel safe. If someone is attacking me, what am I going to do pushing a button? I was sort of surprised (SWC) has this problem. (SWC doesn’t) have the dorms. It’s a little bit different. People are starting to become more aware of what’s going on. It’s starting to make the news more.” Wilson said Proposition Z should be passed because college building projects cannot afford to be delayed any longer due to inflation. “With me being a taxpayer, I think (the funds) are necessary,” she said. “If you don’t do it now, it’s just going to cost money later. (Prop Z) is going to have my vote.” Wilson said a college is a people business and caring for employees is essential. “I have a civil rights background,” she said. “I always believe that civil rights and unions are one. Without the unions, we wouldn’t have a middle class. When they first did the project labor agreement out here in Southwestern, I was contacted when I was the president of the NAACP. Without hesitation, I wrote a letter in support for the PLA agreement. Every time any of the unions called on me, it got done. If it’s right, I’ll do it. Without hesitation, I did.”
Decision 2016
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The Southwestern College Sun
VIEWPOINTS
November 2, 2016— Volume 60, Special Edition
Editorials, Opinions and Letters to the Editor
The mission of the Southwestern College Sun is to serve its campuses and their communities by providing information, insights and stimulating discussions of news, activities and topics relevant to our readers. The staff strives to produce a newspaper that is timely, accurate, fair, interesting, visual and accessible to readers. Though the “Sun” is a student publication, staff members ascribe to the ethical and moral guidelines of professional journalists. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Mirella Lopez PRODUCTION MANAGER
Jaime Pronoble NEWS
Cristofer Garcia-Saldivar, editor Josh Navarro, assistant Brelio Lozano, assistant CAMPUS
Domonique Scott, editor Carolina Rubio Ruiz, assistant Veronica Cruz, assistant VIEWPOINTS
Alyssa Pajarillo, editor Katy Stegall, assistant ARTS
Jeanette Sandoval, editor Chelsea Pelayo, assistant
editorial
SPORTS
Chariti Niccole, editor ONLINE
Chariti Niccole, editor Darcy Aguayo, assistant PHOTOGRAPHY
Natalie Mosqueda, editor Thomas Contant, assistant SENIOR STAFF
Stephanie Garrido/staff
Our Position: We endorse Roberto Alcantar and Griselda Delgado for the board, and a Yes vote on Prop. Z
The Issue: Southwestern College faces a critical governing board election and a $400 million bond.
The Sun endorses Alcantar, Delgado and Prop. Z
Nicholas Baltz Andrew Dyer
COPY EDITOR
Brian del Carmen STAFF WRITERS
Alejandro Anguiano
Elena Hernandez
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Marty Loftin
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Michael McDonald
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Elizabeth Farin
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Netzai Sanchez
Viandy Gonzalez
Thomas Solis
Victoria Gonzalez CARTOONISTS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
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ADVISOR
Dr. Max Branscomb
AWARDS/HONORS Student Press Law Center National College Press Freedom Award, 2011 National Newspaper Association National College Newspaper of the Year, 2004-16 Associated Collegiate Press National College Newspaper of the Year National Newspaper Pacemaker Award, 2003-06, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012-2015 General Excellence Awards, 2001-16 Best of Show Awards, 2003-16 Columbia University Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal for Journalism Excellence, 2001-16 California Newspaper Publishers Assoc. California College Newspaper of the Year, 2013, 2015 Student Newspaper General Excellence, 2002-16 San Diego County Multicultural Heritage Award
Roberto Alcantar for seat #3. Alcantar is passionate, smart and
Magic Mountain and Universal Studios have nothing on
Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence, 2001-16 First Amendment Award, 2002, 2005 San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards 1999-2016 Directors Award for Defense of Free Speech, 2012 Journalism Association of Community Colleges Pacesetter Award 2001-16 General Excellence Awards, 2000-16 American Scholastic Press Association Community College Newspaper of the Year San Diego County Fair Media Competition Best of Show 2001-03, 20052015
Southwestern College when it comes to roller coasters. Since 2002
grounded in realism. He has deep roots in the district and cares
our institution has had 14 people sit in the President’s chair and a
deeply about SWC and higher education. As a field representative
revolving door of administrators.
for California State Senator Marty Block, he has served as a point man in Sacramento and San Diego County for education and has
Thank goodness for the election of 2010 that brought in the stabilizing influence of trustees Tim Nader and Norma
enormous, valuable experience. He is also well-connected politically
Hernandez. It was a turning point. Since then the community has
and seems capable of “bringing home the bacon,” a valuable talent.
sent three more excellent people to our board. Humberto Peraza,
With the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior
Nora Vargas and Griselda Delgado have continued the 2010
Colleges breathing down our neck waiting for SWC to slip, it is the
revolution that began the process of stamping out corruption,
governing board’s job to ensure that a capable president restores our
addressing a toxic campus climate and restoring our good standing
accreditation and our reputation. Accreditation has, unfortunately,
in terms of accreditation.
become highly political and Alcantar has the game to help the
Delgado is running unopposed for re-election, which is good news for the college. She has been a solid trustee who cares about
college steer between the rocks. We were also impressed that Alcantar is ready to fight against
students, respects employees and is focused on community service.
sexual assault on our campus and hold our campus police
The Editorial Board of The Sun enthusiastically endorses Trustee
accountable for improving student safety, filing accurate crime
Delgado for a new term.
reports and molding professional conduct.
Unfortunately, the talented Peraza has decided not to run for
Alcantar is an active supporter of Proposition Z, which the
re-election. He is in graduate school working on a Master’s degree
Editorial Board also strongly endorses. Due to the South Bay
that he hopes will help him to become a college professor. We are
Corruption Scandal, some of SWC’s Proposition R funds were
saddened by his departure and worried about who will replace him. misspent and gobbled up by inflation. It is very important that our community knows that all the corrupt board members and
We thank Trustee Peraza for his outstanding service. Vying to replace Peraza are senate aid Roberto Alcantar, SWC
administrators are long gone. Our college is in much better hands
student Lander Iriarte, Coronado Mayor Casey Tanaka, attorney
now and is worthy of the trust of the community. Proposition
Lei-Chala Wilson and firefighter William “Bud” McLeroy.
Z is a necessary investment in the next 50 years of Southwestern
The Sun invited each of the five candidates to speak with the
College. Griselda Delgado and Roberto Alcantar will help keep our college
Editorial Board. McLeroy did not respond, but during hourlong interviews Alcantar, Iriarte, Tanaka and Wilson all answered
on the right track. Proposition Z is a vote for our community’s
questions about issues students and faculty face at SWC.
future. We urge members of this district to vote for Delgado and Alcantar for the SWC Board of Trustees, and to vote Yes on
We were impressed by Mayor Tanaka, who would almost
Proposition Z on Nov. 8.
certainly make an excellent trustee, but The Sun is endorsing
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