Spring 2015: Issue 4

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

theswcsun.com

College will restore staff pay cut in 2012-13 SWC governing board returns the five percent lost during fiscal crisis

Volume 58, Issue 4

43

Mexico’s Missing

By Brenda Gregorio Staff Writer

College board members attempted to heal a lingering wound in January by fully restoring five percent pay reductions endured by employees during a financial downturn in 2012-13.

Board President Norma Hernandez announced the trustees’ decision at a special meeting on January 14.

“Due to the district’s severe budget crisis, SWC was looking for options to balance the budget,” she said of the original agreement to cut employee pay.

Hernandez All employee groups agreed to the reductions.

Hernandez said new sources of income allowed the college to repay the employees.

Satellite campuses in National City and San Ysidro qualified as California educational centers, giving the college a $2 million boost. Proposition 30 also provided additional funding and enabled the board to restore 1.5 percent of the total five percent that was taken from employees.

Faculty union president Frank Post made a presentation to the board last fall and argued that the district was now in a position to refund the wage cuts.

“I made a presentation along with a written document and politely asked for our money back, gave them proof and walked them step by step and showed the district that our money was still available,” said Post.

CSEA unit members received a 3.5 percent salary restoration from the board in November. Two percent was restored in December. CSEA President Andre Harris said the pay cut impacted him substantially.

January 21 - February 13, 2015

please see Adjuncts pg. A3

please see Crime pg. A2

Adjuncts to march for office hours

By Alan Luna Staff Writer

Anna Pryor/Staff

By Lina Chankar Senior Staff Writer

Adjunct instructors, the college’s silent majority, are about to make some noise.

Adjuncts have scheduled a demonstration for February 25th to protest low pay, poor benefits, lack of paid office hours and other hardships. Adjuncts across the state have been urged to walkout of classes, but SWC instructors decided not to, focusing instead on a rally-style protest.

Many students at SWC are unaware that their instructors are adjuncts, let alone the work conditions they face.

“I had no idea,” said Stephanie Hergert, 28, a child development major. “The professor who was the adjunct eventually (told us) on her own.”

An adjunct is an instructor designated by the state of California as a temporary worker intended to augment the workload of the institution’s full-time faculty. In the decades since the law was drafted, the educational landscape has shifted

April Abarrondo /Staff

please see Restoration pg. A3

KEY TO MY HEART (AND CLASSROOM)— Ursula Morris Williams and her team at the Facilities Office had to supervise the production and distributing of hundreds of new keys to the Chula Vista campus after a contractor lost a grand master. Every single lock on campus had to be changed. Faculty members gave Williams and her team roses, chocolate and free lunches to honor their Herculean efforts.

Investigation finds reports hard to access, inconsistent Police logs at Southwestern College have been out of compliance with state and federal law for much of the past year and a half, including the Jeanne Clery Act, according to an investigation by the Southwestern College Sun. College police in the United States are legally bound to maintain accurate daily crime logs that can be easily understood by members of the community. Police officials are required to make the logs and crime reports readily available to the public upon request.

In 1990 the Clery Act was signed into law

by President George H. W. Bush following the rape and murder of Lehigh University student Jeanne Clery in 1986. Public universities and colleges must comply with the Act to remain eligible to receive federal student aid funding.

Higher education institutions are required to produce easily-understood crime logs to make the public aware of crimes and dangerous situations on campus so that students and staff can make informed safety decisions. Between 80-85 percent of SWC students receive financial aid.

An examination of campus crime reports since July 2013 shows inconsistencies, unreported sexual assaults and hate crimes, and a period of at least two months when numerical police codes were used rather than clear language.

Between October and December 2014 campus police changed from plain English that is easily understood to numerical police codes.

Southwestern College Police Chief Michael Cash refused to answer why the crime logs were changed to police codes, though after he was questioned by a reporter in mid-December, the logs were switched back to plain English.

Weeks later Campus Police Dispatcher James Watson said the logs were changed to code because his co-worker, dispatcher Christina Luna, changed the logs to include the end time of the incident. When she did this, Watson said, she inadvertently changed the logging to numerical police codes. Luna has been with Cash the police department for 10 years, according to SWCPD Sgt. Robert Sanchez.

Every night at the end of each dispatcher’s shift, crime logs are emailed to everyone in the police department, including Cash. This mistake was overlooked for two months before it was corrected in mid-December.

Logs must include the time the crime occurred and when it was reported. SWC logs fail to include that information. Crime logs, according to the Clery Act, are only supposed to include references to actual crimes. Clear examples are provided in the legislation.

SWCPD logs, however, consistently include vague “special details” – typically 30-40 per week – that police officials said are not crimes.

Special details are often errands, deliveries and, in some cases, car washes.

Several crime logs on the SWC police website would not open. Sometimes entire weeks were inaccessible. Others had wrong dates corresponding to logs. One log opened a document that was minutes to a meeting.

Clery mandates that an update or a change in the disposition of a case requires an update in the crime log within two business days. SWC crime logs have failed to do so. Campus police have crime logs that state “more info to follow” that date back to 2013, but no new information was ever added.

Non-compliant record keeping by the SWCPD makes it difficult to use data to fight crime and enhance campus safety at best. At worst, shoddy records could be construed as

Artists and human rights advocates protest the kidnapping of college students in Iguala, Guerrero. Pg. A6

Holding the re-keys to success

SWCPD crime logs not accurate

A2

Bianca Quilantan, editor

NEWS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2015 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: news@theswcsun.com

Former trustee Dominguez dies at 67

Innovative Sweetwater technology guru was an inventor and a pilot

Dominguez was genuine and likeable even during times of political conflict

By Jaime Pronoble Senior Staff Writer

By Nickolas Furr A Remembrance

Former Southwestern College governing board member Dr. Jorge Dominguez died December 28 from cancer. He was 67.

Dominguez was the director of educational technology at Sweetwater Union High School District where he worked with William Virchis, a former SWC professor of theater. Virchis said their friendship started when Dominguez was elected to the SWC governing board in 2006.

“He was a loyal friend and he was truthful friend,” he said. “(Dominguez) told it like it is.”

Otay Ranch High School Principal Jose Brosz agreed. He said he felt a significant loss.

“It was unfortunate he was taken so young,” he said.

SWC Public Information Officer Lillian Leopold worked with Dominguez at Sweetwater. She said he was a caring man who enjoyed his work with colleagues and students.

“It was a shock to a lot of us,” she said.

Although he opposed many decisions Dominguez made as a governing board member, former Sun staff writer Nickolas Furr said he respected him.

“I think he was a hell of a good guy and I like to think we were friends,” said Furr. “I opposed him, but I respected him at the same time. He believed in what he was doing.”

Virchis said Dominguez died with dignity. He described him as a private man who did not let on that he was gravely ill.

“He didn’t want the information out,” said Virchis. “The last time I talked to him was six months before his passing and he didn’t mention anything.”

Virchis said Dominguez was a Renaissance man.

“He was a genius,” said Virchis. “He incorporated a lot of new (educational technology) for students. He was a pilot, he was an inventor.

He was like the Benjamin Franklin of Chula Vista and nobody knew that.”

Leopold said he built and flew his own plane.

Virchis said Dominguez was really interested in creating a media technology pathway for all students to improve their lives.

“At Sweetwater, (Dominguez) actually designed programs for student evaluation and faculty evaluation,” Virchis said.

I first became aware of Dr. Dominguez in 2009, not long after I’d arrived in Chula Vista, but before I became a student. I became aware of him as one of the governing board members, and not one I felt was good for the school. I ended up meeting him in mid-2010 after he’d decided to run again for his board position. We crossed paths several times, met each other at several events and got to be on a first-name basis. I liked him. I genuinely liked him, even though I rarely agreed with him.

We weren’t close, but we were friendly. Every time we saw each other we took a few minutes to talk.

Back in 2010, as a citizen – not a journalist, not yet a student – I took an active role in trying to help throw Southwestern College governing board members Jorge Dominguez, Yolanda Salcido and Terri Valladolid out of office. Like a majority of people who actually knew them, I thought they were bad for SWC. They were bad for the faculty and employees, they were bad for the community, and most of all, they were bad for the students.

Over the previous year or so, I’d turned my personal blog, the Writer’s Washroom, into a very political blog, which became quite well known in the community. And – I’ll be perfectly honest here – I did every single legal thing I could to get those three voted out of office.

I was not nice to Jorge. If he said or did something that I thought was dumb, or that others would think was dumb, I posted it. When he appeared to be falling asleep at board meetings, I took photos and posted them online. I wanted him out of office as badly as I wanted Yoli and Terri out.

I was hard on all three of them, and I have no regrets doing it. They WERE bad for SWC. But even as it was going on, I found I could still talk to Jorge. We were on opposite sides and we weren’t friends then, but he was civil. He was civil and friendly, and he was able to put up with a lot of things that most people couldn’t handle.

When it was over Jorge and Yolanda were gone.

Jorge and I didn’t speak for a few months. But the next time I saw him we were friendly. In fact, we always got along, even when I was coming down hard on him publicly. When the DA showed up one morning to search his home, looking for evidence of criminal behavior, he spoke to me about it, both on the record and off.

Crime: Survey shows concerns about student safety Continued from pg. A1

negligence or an attempt to misrepresent the college’s image related to safety.

When asked about a number of crime log irregularities, Cash thanked a reporter for bringing it to his attentions, but refused other comment.

A survey of 316 SWC students and staff demonstrated ambivalence about campus safety and disappointment by female students about broken promises of escorts from SWCPD. While 67 percent said they felt safe on campus, 17 percent said they were not sure. Nine percent said no, many of those said they had been crime victims.

Of the respondents, 13.6 percent said

Dr. Jorge Dominguez 1947-2014 Brosz agreed that Dominguez had a tremendous impact on students and was an innovative educational leader.

Dominguez spoke enthusiastically about the future of SWC, said Virchis.

“Not building buildings, but building the infrastructure technology (such as) how to better communicate with people, how to use resources,” Virchis said.

Dominguez was voted off the SWC board in 2010 and later pleaded guilty in the South Bay Corruption Case. Furr said he and Dominguez agreed to go out for drinks when the trials were over.

“It was to be my treat,” said Furr.

Furr said he was not able to reach Dominguez after the trial.

“We never got that drink,” said Furr. “I’m sorry we didn’t. I genuinely liked the man. It was hard not to.”

they had requested a police escort. More than half of those said the police did not respond in a timely manner. Many wrote comments that the police never showed up at all. More than 1 in 10 (11.4 percent) of the SWC students in the survey said they had been followed without permission or stalked.

Governing Board Trustee Humberto Peraza said he was concerned about campus safety and transparent police logs, but also said that missed escorts and other police-student issues were a systemic problem.

“It’s not just about police,” he said.

“It’s how the campus is handling it. How administration is handling it. What are we doing to make people feel safe on our campus? It’s much bigger than whether it’s police or not. We should be talking about it during orientations for freshman and educating people on sexual harassment, the rights that they have, where they can

When he was in court and I was there to cover it for The Sun, we talked. We talked about my health – because he’d heard that I had troubles.

We talked about his wife’s health – because I’d heard she had similar issues – and his family. We never talked about his health, I’m afraid, because he always seemed so blasted healthy.

In fact, I think the first day I actually saw him in court and had a chance to speak with him, we met outside the courtroom in the hallway. We immediately started talking – but NOT about the case. I was there to cover it and he was there as a defendant. I refused to bother him about it because I liked Jorge and I hated to see him in such a situation. As we were talking about this, that or the other, his lawyer spotted my press badge and came screeching over, all waving hands and frantic noises, trying to stop him from talking to me. I started to say something, but Jorge spoke first, and told his own attorney, “This is a friend of mine.

We’re talking about more important things.”

Even after all that had gone on and with my role in his life as an opponent, a community gadfly and finally a reporter, and he still considered me a friend. That says much more about the quality of man that Jorge Dominguez was than it does about me.

I think he was a hell of a good guy and I like to think we were friends. I opposed him, but I respected him at the same time. He believed in what he was doing. There was no stench of malevolent opportunism that came from whoring out his board votes for kickbacks from contractors and construction companies. He didn’t have the virulent odor of Yolanda or Terri, who sold out their positions for fat campaign war chests. I think he voted his heart and what he actually believed.

You can disagree with that all you want. I did, as did a majority of the voters of the district, but you can’t disrespect him for doing what he genuinely believed.

During the trial Jorge and I agreed to go out when it was over and get a drink. It was to be my treat. I didn’t know what was going to happen, and frankly, I didn’t care. I never got that chance.

After the judge’s findings, I couldn’t reach him to speak to him, either professionally or personally.

We never got that drink. I’m sorry we didn’t. I genuinely liked the man. It was hard not to.

Furr is a former Senior Staff Writer for The Sun. In 2013 he was named National College Reporter of the Year for his coverage of the South Bay Corruption Case.

call. We should be promoting those things to let students know this is where you go if this type of issue happens. These are the forms you can file. They are online. It should be easy to find on the website. You shouldn’t have to hunt for it.”

Peraza said campus officials have to make sure people are safe on campus.

“That is the number one priority,” he said. “I think mandatory freshman orientation would be a good start. There should never be a time when somebody feels unsafe on campus.”

Peraza said if his own kids were ignored or did not feel safe on campus he would have “a few choice words to elected leaders of this college and for the administration of how my kids are treated.”

Having an all-male police department at SWC may be contributing to the problem, Peraza said.

“Males don’t worry about safety to the extent women do.”

SAFETY SURVEYED— (from top down) Three graphs highlighting the results of a Southwestern College Sun survey conducted this month. An excerpt of the SWCPD’s daily crime log from Oct. 17, 2014. The log uses numerical codes instead of plain English.

NEWS

The Southwestern College Sun

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2015 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

A3

Courtesy Photo

CHECK IT OUT- SWC administrators accept a $50,000 grant from Wells Fargo to support the Small Business Development Center, an institution that currently aids an average of 1,500 small businesses a year.

SWC small business center receives $50,000 grant

By Luz Aramburo Assistant News Editor

SWC’s Small Business Development Center got a nice Christmas present.

Wells Fargo donated $50,000 to the Small Business Development Center of San Diego, housed at SWC’s National City campus.

“We are proud to support all of the efforts of the San Diego Small Business Development Center in helping local businesses succeed,” said Ernesto Arredondo, president of the Wells Fargo San Diego Area Bank.

One of 62 SBDC’s across the United States, SWC’s services San Diego and Imperial Counties.

“Researchers in the area of small business development have determined that small

businesses are the engine of our economy,” said Aleta Wilson, regional director of the SBDC in San Diego.

Wilson, said she is passionate about small businesses and calls SBDC her passion.

“If small businesses are that important to the United States economy,” she said. “then we need a way to support those small businesses so they can become more successful, economically successful.”

Forbes Magazine research concluded that, “more employer businesses shut down than start up each month.” in their ‘16 Surprising Statistics About Small Businesses’ article.

Lack of experience in the competitive realm of business could be the main reason for most closures, the Forbes piece concluded. This is

Restoration: SWC salaries will soon be fully restored

Adjuncts: Rally set for better treatment, paid office hours

Continued from pg. A1

Continued from pg. A1

“It took about $164 off my monthly check,” Harris said. “It impacted me because I have a family. I was very, very happy (about the pay restoration). It showed that all groups were (treated) equal across the board.”

He r n a n d e z s a i d t h e c o l l e g e appreciated the staff ’s sacrifice.

“The board is grateful of the commitment of our employees,” she said. “Everyone was behind it and we are extremely thankful.”

dramatically, with 70-80 percent of classes nationwide now taught by part-time adjunct faculty. At SWC alone, 617 of the 820 instructors on campus are adjuncts whose status and work conditions on campus differ drastically from their full-time colleagues.

Adjunct instructors have the same minimum qualifications as their full-time colleagues, and have either Master’s degrees or Doctorates in their fields. SWC adjuncts have included published authors, medical doctors, working lawyers, a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist, renown motivational

ASO broadcasting program hits air from student center

By Anna Pryor Editor-in-Chief

To get on the air, the Associated Student Organization (ASO) has found its wings.

Southwestern College’s ASO has reached its long-standing goal of starting up an internal broadcasting program.

ASO President Sayaka Ridley said the project has been in the works for a few years, but has run into obstacles along the way.

“We started it two years ago, before I was even here,” she said. “It’s just so hard to put it through. There’s a lot of things behind it that I wasn’t aware of until I became president.”

ASO leaders’ most recent obstacle was technical difficulties with the program they are using to air the broadcasts on the TVs. “We had to basically put a halt on it until we got the TVs up and running,” Ridley said.

Jonathan Higa, senior project clerk for the ASO, said that the technical difficulties were resolved at the end of the fall 2014 semester and that he now has a better understanding of the program the ASO is using.

Philip Leo Pascual, ASO Vice President of Public Relations, is one of the driving forces behind the project and is the anchor for the programs.

“When I was sworn in as VP of PR I felt like this broadcast program would be the central point of our administration,” he said.

Pascual said the program will feature events on campus, ASO information and will ultimately serve as a medium between

the ASO and the student body. He said student government representatives want to inform their constituents about what the ASO is and what they do.

Ridley said the program will be useful to students.

“My personal view is that it would benefit the students a lot to know what’s going on on their campus,” she said. “I think that’s huge.”

There is currently no set budget for the program, according to Ridley.

“We didn’t allocate a certain amount of money for it and the reason why is because it’s practically free,” she said.

Pascual said the ASO is considering opening a scholarship of $150 to encourage students to submit an intro and outro for the episodes.

For video shooting and editing, the ASO is working with the SWC CinemaArts and Media (CAM) club.

Pascual said that episodes will air weekly.

Their production schedule will start on Monday mornings at 8 a.m. They will submit the recordings to the CAM club, which will edit them and get the finished product back to the ASO on Fridays.

Broadcasts and announcements are playing on the four TVs in the student center. Ridley said they may try to branch out in the future, but that it is not a current priority.

Pascual said he wants the broadcast to be sustainable.

“I would hope that prior to me leaving, we would have a solid foundation so future administrations can pick up where we leave off,” he said.

where the SBDC steps in to walk their clients through the process of creating a successful business.

“The trouble with small businesses is that many people know their trade or what their craft is, but they don’t know the business side,” said Wilson.

Once passion is combined with experienced marketing, the only predictable outcome is a successful business.

They do this by offering one-on-one advising and workshops to help create a business mindset.

“We have extremely skilled advisors who are available to assist firms and pretty much any business need that they have,” said Wilson. “And if we can’t offer it, we have a

sister agency who can.”

Some of their sister agencies include the Senior Corps of Retired Executives, also known as SCORE, that is located in downtown San Diego and the Contracting Opportunity Center, which is located at SWC. “We take everybody in,” said Wilson.

“From just having an idea to already up and running and just need somebody to bounce ideas off of.”

With the exception of a few workshops, most services offered are free, which is why the SBDC relies on grants. Two-thirds of their funds are provided by the Small Business Administration, yet the other third has to be acquired through grants. Since the SBDC

staff is directly related to the amount of money they receive, grants are always needed.

About a year ago Wilson invited Wendell French, Regional Vice President for Community Development of Southern California Region of Wells Fargo to become part of the Advisory Board of SBDC. A couple of months later, they were offered grant funds by Wells Fargo, and on January 20th the SBDC received a $50,000 check.

More funds mean more services can be offered. SBDC currently services an average of 1,500 small businesses a year and has open arms to anyone interested. People can contact them through their website: growmybiz. org or visit them in the SWC National City Campus.

speakers, a leading playwright, and business owners. Some only want to teach a class or two, but most strive for full-time professorships.

Despite their education and credentials, full-time faculty are hired on a contractual basis and, if they earn tenure within five years, their work is guaranteed and they are paid a fixed salary. Adjuncts are hired on a semester-to-semester basis at the pleasure of the district. Adjuncts are paid on an hourly basis with wages averaging $70 an hour.

“Adjuncts make approximately 50 percent of what full-time professors make, with the same amount of work,” said Geoffrey Johnson, the adjunct representative at SWC and MESA. “They are only paid for their time spent lecturing,” Johnson said, “not for grading homework, preparing lesson plans, and meeting with students.”

Most adjuncts do not receive health insurance. Cobbling together enough work to survive requires them to undertake lengthy commutes between colleges. Many spend multiple hours in traffic, daily “freeway flying” between SWC, Palomar, Cuyamaca and other colleges and universities. Some teach at three institutions.

Adjuncts usually do not have offices and are not paid for office hours, deprving students of out-of-class contact with their teachers.

Adjunct proliferation is linked to the defunding of California’s public education institutions, beginning with Proposition 13 in 1978.

Full-time faculty hiring has decreased sharply, but there has been a statewide increase in administrative hiring.

Johnson said poor work conditions harm

adjuncts as well as the school at large. The cohesiveness of the faculty as a body is damaged, he said, and entire departments often consist wholly of adjunct professors and with no full-time faculty. Students are often unable to schedule meetings with their professor, so the quality of students’ education is compromised.

“I thought it’d be easier to contact them,” said Anthony Diez, 18, an exercise science major. “But it’s not, because it’s on their time, and sometimes they are not able to get back to me. Or I’d try to schedule a meeting with them, but they’d never be able to.”

Johnson encouraged students to engage in signs of solidarity during the rally. “(Students can help) by sort acknowledging and thanking an adjunct,” he said. “and by pressuring the governing board for more full-timers, student accessibility and paid office hours.”

OpenAire Marketplace closed down until spring

By Jaime Pronoble Senior Staff Writer

So u t h we s t e r n’s e x p e r i m e n t a l OpenAire Marketplace has closed, at least for a while. Disappointing vendor and sales totals have led the college to pull back and re-evaluate, Bianca Quilantan /Staff according to Dr. Steven Crow, vice FALLING MARKET— SWC’s OpenAire Marketplace has experienced whithering crowds president of business and financial and has been shut down until at least April. affairs. A spring re-opening is possible, he said. of cutting them in the next recession.

Clubs are also able to host events.

SWC has partnered with Straight Nish said the revamped market Student Veteran Organization and Talk, to host OpenAire Marketplace would have more variety. the Sustainable Research Alliance’s every weekend from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“A farmers market element will be E-Waste held an event last fall. in Parking Lot O. part of it,” she said, “but there will Crow said he is looking forward to “We didn’t have quite as much also be services and other types of re-opening the market. activity as we hoped, so it’s probably goods. There can be some used goods, “ We are just getting into the better to go back and market this and but there’s a control on what type of business of revenue generation for do an additional grand opening for used goods can be there.” the college and I know there will be the spring,” he said.

Nish said about 10 percent of the opportunities to partner some of the Crow said it is typical for similar market will be used goods such as events,” he said. “We have car shows, markets to close during the winter and antiques. dog shows, things the community about 150 vendors have indicated they Food trucks and clothing vendors wants to do.” are interested in returning in April. are also in the equations.

Trustee Humberto Peraza said he He said the market would provide Nish said the markets could also be expects the market to be positive for revenue of $18,000 before moving to a platform to inform visitors of the the community. a income sharing model with Straight college’s multitude of services.

“It’s supposed to make use of our Talk. President Dr. Melinda Nish said “For example, if there was a theme campus,” he said. “It is a called a she hoped the market would generate one month about health, we might be community college. The problem is revenue outside of the general fund advertising to the community all the we don’t see a lot of community. Our to give the college more flexibility to different courses that we have that are facilities should be shared with the reinforce academic programs instead health related,” she said. community as much as possible.”

A4

The Southwestern College Sun

VIEWPOINTS

January 21 - February 13, 2015, Volume 58, Issue 4

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.

ALYSSA PAJARILLO

For honest sex consent is never implied

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anna Pryor MANAGING EDITOR

Colin Grylls PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mason Masis SENIOR STAFF

Lina Chankar Serina Duarte Jaime Pronoble Kasey Thomas COPY EDITOR

Brian del Carmen NEWS

Bianca Quilantan, editor Luz Aramburo, assistant Eliza Cana, assistant VIEWPOINTS

Alyssa Pajarillo, editor

Michelle PHILLIPS/Staff CAMPUS

Asjia Daniels, editor Alberto Calderon, assistant ARTS

Gabriel Sandoval, editor Andrew Perez, assistant SPORTS

Nicholas Baltz, editor

The Issue: SWC, like many universities across America, has a sexual assault problem that needs serious attention from college leaders.

editorial

Our Position: Campus leaders must show more interest in the safety of female students and hold campus police accountable.

Evan Cintron, assistant Rudee Amaral III, assistant ONLINE

Adriana Heldiz, editor Adrian Gomez, assistant PHOTOGRAPHY

April Abarrondo, editor

Despite feel-good rhetoric from leadership, Southwestern College is unsafe for women

Mirella Lopez, assistant

STAFF WRITERS

Andrea Aliseda

Joshua Liang

Jose-Louis Baylon

Martin Loftin

Joshua Carter

William Nimmo

Veronica Deck

Jamie Pronoble

Vito Di Stefano

Crystal Quezada

Rick Flores

Guillermo Ramirez

Abraham Gertz

Jose A. Salazar

Elizandra Granillo

Netzai Sanchez

Brenda Gregorio

Domonique Scott

Brittany Henderson

Tyrice Simmons

Cesar Hirsch

Kenslow Smith

Victoria Leyva

Jennifer Soto

CARTOONISTS

Stephanie Garrido Mark Hyde Michelle Phillips John Ryu Victor Santander PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jocelyn Melody Davalos Kayla Hall David Hodges ADVISOR

Dr. Max Branscomb

AWARDS/HONORS Student Press Law Center

Society of Professional

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Journalists

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National Mark of

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Excellence, 2001-14

Association

First Amendment Award,

National College

2002, 2005

Newspaper of the Year, 2004-15

San Diego Press Club

Associated Collegiate Press

Excellence in Journalism

National College Newspaper

Awards 1999-2014

of the Year

Directors Award for

National Newspaper Pacemaker

Defense of Free Speech,

Award,

2012

2003-06, 2008, 2009, 2011,

Journalism Association of

2012 2014

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General Excellence Awards,

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of the Year, 2013

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General Excellence, 2002-14

Multicultural Heritage Award

San Diego State is not the only local higher education institution with a sexual harassment problem. Southwestern College is also losing women to predatory attacks, only at SWC our police and administrators have given us no indication that they care.

An investigation in the winter edition of The Sun brought to light accounts from three women who were sexually assaulted or severely bullied by men on campus. They were promised police escorts, but were stood up. Blown off. Left alone. Ignored.

Two left school and one was sexually assaulted a second time, an even more personal and violent attack.

Our campus police department’s reaction? No reaction.

SWCPD officials could not be bothered.

Neither could clerical staff who did not open the front door even though a scared young lady was frantically knocking and did not bother responding to phone calls from an assault victim.

Police response to the article? None.

Silence. Indifference. Same from administrators, who apparently spent time unsuccessfully trying to poke holes in the story, but spent no time addressing the problem. Our police chief, Michael Cash, went so far as to blame an abused women for the blown escorts. Our administration, once again, circled the wagons around the controversial cop and threw the victims under the bus.

SWC’s campus police department is all-male, well-armed and oblivious to women’s safety and their needs. The chief is thin skinned and hyper defensive about any criticism. Office personnel are unfriendly, uncaring and unhelpful. There are some good cops at SWC, but ineffective leadership. Since the buck stops with the boss, President Dr. Melinda Nish has to own this mess.

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Cash once again seems to be in over his head as SWC Chief of Police. He even struggles with paperwork and reports, including the federally-mandated Jeanne Clery Act report that enumerates the year’s campus crimes. Mysteriously, the sexual assaults were not on the reports, nor was a high-profile hate crime that targeted gay and lesbian students. Cash seemed completely baffled by the report, its requirements and even the period of time it is supposed to cover.

It would be easy to slap our foreheads and say “duh!”, but there are serious ramifications for the college. An accurate, timely Clery Report is required if SWC wishes to continue receiving millions of federal dollars of financial aid. At SWC four out of five students receive financial aid.

Federal law also requires that all reported crimes make the annual report. Cherry picking is not permitted. Police officials need to make the records more accessible, more transparent and more accurate.

There are people at SWC trying to make the campus safer. Our Public Safety Committee has contributed many excellent ideas. Some of our campus police officers work hard and care about students. We thank you all and encourage you to help again now.

We need your help more than ever. Our women to a large extent do not feel safe. A Southwestern College Sun survey of 300 students reflects this. Almost 10 percent said they do not consider the campus safe and another 17 perceent said they are not sure. For women, the numbers are are higher.

That is unacceptable. There are too many sexual crimes against women and too few leaders who seem to care. Shame on all of you who have let so many young women suffer.

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Consent is key to sex, but some people are still trying to pick the lock.

Most students had a sex education class in middle or high school. While these programs teach anatomy and how bodies mature, most programs do not teach about consent.

Consent is a fundamental part of sex. It is the affirmative, avid and active agreement between people who wish to engage in sexual activity.

While this concept may seem obvious, consent is still a concept that society is wrestling with.

Consent is not implied. There are no blurred lines. Let’s be clear: Consent is not given if the person is under the influence. If a man or a woman cannot even drive home, they are not able to give consent because their judgment is impaired.

Consent is not necessarily given even if a person does not object.

Not objecting does not mean they agree. Consent requires expressed verbal agreement Consent cannot be given if the person is unconscious. Prior consent does not apply if the person has passed out or is sleeping.

Consent is not given if the person is giving into pestering or bullying.

Succumbing to peer pressure is not consent and can lead to prosecution of the perpetrator.

Consent is not given if the person gives a reluctant answer. “I guess…” or weak “…okay,” responses show that a person may be reluctant to agree to sexual activity. If a person hesitates, they may not be all that willing. Consent should be given with an affirmative and avid “yes.”

There are some things to keep in mind while engaging in sexual activity to ensure that your partner is comfortable and still giving consent.

Pay attention to body language.

If a partner seems to tense up, shy away from touch, or fall silent second thoughts may have crept in. Keep in mind that participants should be appear to be enthusiastic about the activities.

It is wise to get verbal reassurance from your partner. A simple, “is this okay?” or “would it be okay if…?” should suffice. Be sure to get verbal feedback. It is okay to stop if either party express discomfort.

Have a discussion afterwards.

Take a few minutes after the activity to discuss what was and what was not enjoyed. It is important to be attentive to a partner’s likes and dislikes.

A person may give consent at the start of sexual activity, but can revoke if the situation becomes uncomfortable. It is important that people express their discomfort or when they are unwillingness to continue. While it may be frustrating, it is important to be an understanding partner and not badger or make someone feel guilty for revoking consent.

A recent study funded by the Center for Disease Control concluded that 10 percent of high school and college-aged people have coerced another person into sexual activity.

The study also finds that the age of 16 seems to be when teens are most likely to coerce others into doing things against their will.

Teaching consent at an early age and reinforcing it through higher levels of education is the key to preventing sexual assault and empowering individuals to speak up against pressure.

Alyssa may be reached at sexandthesun@theswcsun.com

Alyssa Pajarillo, editor

VIEWPOINTS

Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: viewpoints@theswcsun.com

S

By Anna Pryor A perspective

“The freedom to bear arms may be righteously rejected to encourage the preservation of all corporeal forms of life.”

-Kevin Alan Lee

Dan Cordero/Staff

prohibition and that failed. Alcohol is legal, but there are restrictions.

America needs gun regulations that are airtight.

Banning guns would not prevent criminals from getting them.

Instead of trying to eliminate them, we need to regulate them and educate people on gun safety.

Education is a preventative solution that would be more effective than banning them or having useless legislation. An educated population makes educated decisions. High gun violence rates are seen in low-income and underprivileged neighborhoods. Changing a culture means changing a lifestyle. This is done through giving people outlets and opportunities through education.

Having a driver’s license is a privilege, not a right. Gun ownership should be the same.

Admitting that there is problem is the first step. It is past time for America’s leaders to take that stride.

in June that reported there had been 74 school shootings since the December 2012 Sandy Hook shooting. This number will only continue to grow if guns are not regulated.

Shootings go beyond the schoolyard. Homicide has this country in a chokehold.

It is difficult to remedy when one side yells that we need to ban guns and the other refutes that they are a constitutional right that should not be regulated.

They both are incorrect.

While the right to bear arms seems to be protected under the constitution, it does not give every yahoo the right to own guns. The 2 nd amendment calls for a well-regulated militia, not an unrestricted one. The right to have a gun has less standing when it infringes on someone’s right to life.

Banning guns would be nearly impossible. The U.S. tried to outlaw alcohol during the

Je Suis Charlie!

Journalists are the guardians of our most precious freedoms.

The Sun stands in solidarity with the staff of Charlie Hebdo and the people of France.

Cartoonists: Keep on drawing!

-The Editorial Board andrea aliseda/staff

Thinking Out Loud What do you think of SWC police wearing body cameras?

Christopher Johnson, 23, Accounting

outhwestern College continued to make progress last year in the area of accessibility and transparency among its elected and administrative leaders.

President Dr. Melinda Nish and her vice presidents all earned high scores.

The Prezzies would have gotten straight A’s if friendly but busy VP of Financial Affairs Dr. Steven Crow had been a little more responsive. Governing Board members also scored very well. The longest discussion among the Editorial Board of The Sun was the split-decision grade for Tim Nader. Universally respected, liked and appreciated by this newspaper, Mr. Nader was bumped from an A to a B+ this year because he is very difficult to reach due to demands of his job.

Dean Mia McClellan, who got the lowest score last year, got bumped up to a D for 2014 because she accepted a few interviews last semester and was more helpful than the previous year. This year’s only F was Joe Fighera, the Director of Food Services and College Bookstore. Mr. Fighera is a friendly man and unfailingly polite, but completely uncooperative with the student news media. Maybe he had a bad experience with The Sun in the 1980s and is holding a grudge against the 2015 staff, but we don’t know because he won’t speak to us. We wish Mr. Fighera would realize that he runs what are probably the two most important campus operations for students and we would on occasion like to get his points of view on important issues.

This year’s biggest improvement was Dean of Humanities Dr. Mark Meadows, who moved up two spots from C to A. We appreciate his efforts to be more accessible.

Some administrators are not on this year’s list because they are new or Sun reporters did not attempt to contact them last year.

The Editorial Board

An A grade was awarded to leaders who consistantly show a willingness to talk to the press, respond to emails and do not make gathering information a chore.

-Dr. Donna Arnold, Dean, School of Arts and Communication -Dr. Raga Bakhiet, Director of MESA Program -John Clark, Vice President of Employment Services -Griselda Delgado, Governing Board Member -Dr. Malia Flood, Director of the DDS -Linda Gilstrap, Dean, Officer of Institutional Effectiveness -Linda Hensley, Director of Institutional Effectiveness -Norma L. Hernandez, Governing Board President -Lillian Leopold, Public Information Officer -Dr. Joel Levine, Dean, School of Language and Literature -Janet Mazzarella, Dean, School of Mathamatics, Science and Engineering -Catherine McJannet, Director of Nursing and Health Occupations -Dr. Mark Meadows, Dean, School of Social Sciences, Business and Humanities -Patrice Milkovich, Director, Crown Cove Aquatic Center -Dr. Melinda Nish, Superintendent / President -Humberto Peraza, Governing Board Member -Dr. Mink Stavenga, Dean, Instructional Support Services and Continuing Education -Dr. Angelica Suarez, Vice President of Student Affairs -Stephen Tadlock, Director of Continuing Education -Kathy Tyner, Vice President of Student Affairs -Nora E. Vargas, Governing Board Member

B grades were assigned to friendly, helpful campus leaders who are a little too hard to reach.

-Dr. Steven Crow, Vice President Financial Affairs -Tim Nader, Governing Board Member -Cynthia Nagura, Director of Operations -Christine Perri, Dean, Higher Education Center at National City and Crown Cove Aquatic Center

Grades of C were given to leaders who are difficult to schedule or who put off information requests.

-John Brown, Director, Facilities, Operations & Planning -Michael Cash, Campus Police Chief Mercurial and moody, Cash alternates between charming and churlish. He handled the Ebola scare well, but has been uncooperative at other times.

-Terry Davis, Dean, School of Health, Exercise Science, Athletics and Applied Technology

“It’s gonna be just as beneficial as it is on the outside because it’ll give you a full account of what exactly happened in that occurrence.”

Yesenia Molinari, 19, Biology

“It’s scary they should not have a right to film you without permission. It’s a basic right of privacy.”

Alena De Ocampo, 18, nursing

Correction:

“It kinda makes me feel uneasy.

As long as they don’t harass anybody I don’t really see a problem with it.”

A5

College leaders once again score well on accessibility

Handguns should not be allowed on campus

School shootings have become the violence America condones.

People have overly abused the phrase “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”

Wrong.

People with guns kill people.

Attributing deaths to guns rather than the people shooting does not lessen the impact that families across the country feel when their loved ones lives are lost.

America stands in silence and mourns the losses when a shooting occurs. Columbine, Virginia Tech, Newtown and countless others have brought a nation to tears, shock and disbelief.

With all this raw emotion and pain, though, we have failed to address the issue.

Politicians and NRA officials defend gun rights with a fire and urgency that should be applied to defending our rights to be safe.

When someone has the courage to speak out against the machine they are shot down by gun rights activists who scream that it is “too soon.” Too soon to talk about it, too soon to fix this.

Nonsense. The time to talk is now. America has allowed this problem to escalate while young bodies pile up. An organization called Everytown published a study

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2013 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

“I think it is extremely important that we know what the campus police are doing and I feel cameras are a great way to show that no one is above the law.”

Gustavo Vega, 18, Art

In Issue #3 of the SWC Sun ASO Senator Charlie Millar was incorrectly referred to as David Millar. The Sun apologizes for the error.

D grades were assigned to leaders who are frequently uncooperative or who give incomplete or inaccurate information.

-Silvia Darcy, Dean, Higher Education at Otay Mesa and San Ysidro -Mia Celia McClellan, Dean, Student Services McClellan moves up from an F to D and has been better about granting interviews. We still have grave concerns about her lack of transparancy.

Failing grades were given to serious cases of media hostility and inaccessibility.

-Joe Fighera, Director of Food Services and College Bookstore A nice man, “Silent Joe” remains an acute mediaphobe.

A6

The Southwestern College Sun

January 21 - February 13, 2015, Volume 58, Issue 4

ARTS

PREVIEW

Nine shows, two casts,‘12 Angry Jurors’

By Cesar Hirsch Staff Writer

Photos by April Abarrondo

AYOTZINAPA AWARENESS — Outside Barrio Logan’s Original Gentleman, 43 candles burn for “43,” an exhibition in support of the 43 students from Mexico kidnapped in September.

“Universal Mother” by Elena Marques (right). Artist Karina Zuñiga adjusts one of 43 pieces hung in the exhibition. (far right) Each piece represents one of the 43 students.

Remembering Mexico’s 43

By Gabriel Sandoval Arts Editor

S

uddenly they were gone.

Mexico’s 43 missing students – kidnapped in Iguala on the way to protest a speech – are presumed dead, murdered by the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel.

Since September, the month they vanished, furious protesters on both sides of the border have organized rallies, vigils and marches. They have expressed vehement support for the students and contempt for the cartels that run amok amid widespread corruption by Mexican police and politicians who allow them to perpetrate acts of violence without due process.

Local artists have joined the effort. A recent art

exhibition at Original Gentleman, a new Barrio Logan barbershop and gallery, gave artists an opportunity to show solidarity with the missing students. Titled “43,” the exhibition was comprised of 43 artists, each assigned a student to honor with a piece.

Exactly 43 Mexican candles burned outside on a shrine near the gallery’s entrance. Inside, walls were lined with colorful canvases, hung from a chain link fence.

Some were painted blood red, depicting sadistic acts of horror. Others, however, had hopeful messages.

One read “todos somos uno” (we are all one). Another demanded and asked a question: “Mexico ya basta / Cuantos mas se mueren a la mano de los narco politicos?”

(Mexico, enough / How many more will die at the hands of the political narcos?)

Elena Marques, an artist and one of the exhibition’s organizers, said the situation in Mexico resonates in the United States because of the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown, two unarmed black men killed by police.

“It’s an abuse of power, an over-militarized police and a human rights violation,” Marques said.

A few of the artists in the exhibition, Marques said, have family members who were affected by Mexico’s violence.

Artist German Corrales, 27, said his uncle was murdered.

“It’s a disgrace,” he said. “People are not getting the idea. It takes 43 students to die because they’re fighting for education and better rights? It’s ridiculous!”

In order for the situation to change, he said, people need to get involved, educate their children and show them that they can be part of the solution.

“If (we) don’t show our children the way to a better tomorrow, then we’re not going to succeed,” he said.

Corrales said to do his part he volunteers at three Tijuana orphanages, where a few bucks go a long way and are much appreciated.

Philosophy prof rocks and reasons

Ph.D. physicist takes his breaks by breakdancing

By Serina Duarte Senior Staff Writer

By Cesar Hirsch Staff Writer

Peter Bolland is a reluctant rock star.

As a Southwestern College philosophy professor he brings enchantment to academia with his mild and soothing voice.

As a successful local musician, he captivates audiences with his folky sounds.

“He has two different worlds,” said Professor of Philosophy Alejandro Orozco.

“One day he’s wearing a suit and a tie and giving a lecture on Buddhism, and the next you’re seeing him strap on a Les Paul doing a Neil Young cover in front of hundreds of people.”

After earning a BA in religious studies from UC Santa Barbara and meeting his wife, he moved on to earn his Master’s in philosophy at SDSU. Soon after he landed a professorship at SWC. “I feel absolutely humbled and blessed to have this job,” Bolland said. “I get to be the communicator of these great traditions, these great voices from the past who have struggled, but found a way to articulate their ideas.”

Bolland said teaching is more than please see Bolland pg. A7

please see 43 pg. A7

“12 Angry Men,” 26 talented actors and one crafty director.

It all adds up to a compelling theatre production that will take a timely look at racism, classism and sexism in America.

Theatre instructor Ruff Yeager is revisiting the 1954 classic about a young man accused of murdering his father.

What first looks like a clear-cut guilty turns personal and convoluted, as jurors head toward the jury room and begin allowing their biases to influence the verdict.

This gripping drama gives a glimpse into a troubled era in American history.

Dealing with issues that penetrated and shook the psyche of the 1950s, “12 Angry Jurors” explores major issues like racism, marginalization, bigotry and the American justice system, issues which Yeager said make this play especially relevant.

“I think given the recent headlines concerning the shooting of Michael Brown and its aftermath, it is important that we continue to discuss the plight of people of color,” he said. “Young people create change. I hope this play spurs our student body onto wanting to take an active role in social justice.”

“12 Angry Men” was first cast with an all-male, all-white jury. Over time the original dynamic changed, Yeager said.

“What is going to be exciting about our production is that we are going to have a multiracial cast,” he said.

SWC’s “12 Angry Jurors” will also feature women.

“I am interested in seeing how gender influences the interpretation of the text,” Yeager said.

Running for nine performances, two different casts will perform on three separate occasions as “12 Angry Women,” “12 Angry Men” and “12 Angry Jurors.”

These variations of the play have been done before, but never at the same time, Yeager said.

“It is going to be exciting to see if our conceptions of traditional gender roles will play out on stage,” he said. “As a theatre artist, I am very interested in exploring that.”

Yeager said he has a strong ensemble.

“I am so excited for the campus to see these two fantastic and wonderfully dynamic casts.”

“12 Angry Jurors” runs March 18 - 29 at Mayan Hall. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. March 18 - 28 and 2 p.m.

March 29.

Serina Duarte/Staff

A BODY IN MOTION — Adjunct physics instructor Dr. Jae Calanog breakdances in front of Mayan Hall as part of a weekly regimen that relieves stress from juggling teaching positions at Southwestern, San Diego Mesa and Grossmont Colleges. Calanog is an award-winning breakdancer and a Ph.D. in physics.

Dr. Jae Calanog’s physics classes often leave his students’ heads spinning.

Calanog himself often spins on his head.

Calanog is certainly Southwestern College’s only physicist/academic/break dancer. A youthful 29 years old, he is more frequently mistaken for a teenage student than recognized as a UC Irvine Ph.D. Spinning planets in outer space are Calanog’s priority now, but he still enjoys spinning on the ground for relaxation—if hip-hop and break dance can be considered relaxing.

“I have a dance bucket list for breakdancing and I’ve done it all,” he said. “But as for teaching, that is my passion.”

After moving to San Diego County last summer, Calanog has been teaching at three community colleges.

This semester he has five astronomy classes: three at SWC and two at Grossmont College. He also teaches a physics class at San Diego Mesa College.

“Teaching has been a challenge especially because each of the schools

has their own labs and equipment,” he said.

Calanog said breakdancing allows him to zone out his problems of the day.

“Since I began teaching (last) year, all I do is work, work, work,” he said.

Calanog regularly practices breakdancing at 24-Hour Fitness or in front of Mayan Hall, often with his colleague Phillip Diwa, an assistant professor of mathematics.

“I met Jae at 24-Hour Fitness through one of my students,” said Diwa. “I’m always learning new dance moves and Jae is always teaching me something new and vice versa.”

Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Calanog said he and his family immigrated to the United States in 1997 when he was 11, settling down in San Francisco. When he began high school, he grew interested in the rave and breakdancing scenes. He also fell in love with physics thanks to a very passionate teacher. Calanog said that is when he knew he wanted to become a teacher himself.

“Right from day one of starting college I knew what I wanted to be,” please see Breakdancer pg. A7

Gabriel Sandoval, editor

ARTS

Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: arts@theswcsun.com

Bolland: Popular professor rocks on stage, in the classroom and in life Continued from pg. A6

cracking opening a book, it is a performance.

“You get to get in front of a room and lead people through an experience,” he said. “It comes down to the willingness of being in front of people and being vulnerable. To draw smaller stories to larger stories of philosophy and let people experience themselves and see that they’re struggling with a universal question that we’re all struggling with.”

Bolland said philosophy heals and has a power that transcends the classroom.

“When I’m lecturing on something powerful I see my students lean in, because all of the sudden it becomes significant and immediate and relevant for them,” he said. “They realize that they’re living through this too and realize that it’s not about what happened in some ancient teaching, it’s about what’s happening right now, and it’s about suffering, and it’s about how maybe there is a door, an opportunity to alleviate some of the pressure in life.”

Bolland said he structures classes in a way that is worthwhile for those not continuing on with philosophy by making it relevant and connecting it to a larger tapestry.

“I hope for a more personal change to be happening in my classes. I hope students begin to realize the common theme among the world’s religions, and hope they begin to realize that all around the globe human beings are kind of the same. And through this to be more compassionate, more humble, able to see the underlining humanity and commonality.”

Orozco said he admires Bolland’s passion.

“He’s just such a humanistic person,” Orozco said “He practices a philosophical outlook in life by living through what he teaches.”

Bolland said philosophy can show people a path to happiness.

“Forgetfulness of self is the key,” he said. “Forgetfulness of self and not thinking about me all the time by getting into nature or through the loving kindness towards others or selflessness and the consciousness of service, trying to do your part to contribute to the healing of the well, that’s liberating if you can find it.”

Through these intimate reflections Bolland copes with his daily frustrations, he said. Like anyone, he

A7

Problem, a collaboration that resulted in two albums, “Wire,” in 2005 and “California,” in 2007. Both won Best American Album at the San Diego Music Awards.

Bolland has also released two solo albums, “Frame,” in 2002, and most recently, “Two Pines,” which he said has been his most intimate project yet. “‘Two Pines’ was seven years in the making,” he said.

“I just wanted to bring everything I had into this album and make the best music I possibly could. I wanted it to be true to who I am and true to my aesthetic sensibilities and have complete integrity. It’s a very personal album in that way.”

Bolland said he is able to achieve his musical goals with the discipline of an academic and passion of an artist.

“I’ve learned that when you combine passion and discipline, you can achieve great things,” he said.

“Passion isn’t enough, you have to do the hard work and that’s were discipline comes in, to help you push through it. Just like Chuck Close said, ‘Amateurs look for inspiration, the rest of us get up and go to work.’”

There is a lot of suffering in the world, Bolland said, and art serves as a way to cope. Art is often inspired by tragedy, he added, which is part of the human condition.

“Your art is written by your suffering. It comes out of the wounded places, the broken places. It’s out of that urgency that the passion to help others heal comes from.

I’m in it because there’s a real need for healing. People are walking around wounded, sad, lost and you feel it when you open your heart and eyes.”

Bolland said he uses his wounds to fuel his creativity and drive to help heal.

“I don’t see my own weaknesses and wounds as a problem. Those of us who teach or are in the arts use that dissatisfaction, the restlessness to kind of push you April Abarrondo/Staff into looking for solutions and bridges to carry you over the gaps and golfs of life.”

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK — Peter Bolland captivates the crowd with the performance of an original song at Along with philosophy, life and spirituality, nature a Neil Young-themed show at the Folkey Monkey in San Diego. holds a significant place in Bolland’s music and life, he said. works on self-improvement. students feel welcomed and not like outsiders.”

Bolland said he believes that nature has a capacity to “I’ve learned to soften my demands and be present Bolland said he escapes the machinery of daily life heal and provides people an escape from the monotony with what is actually happening,” he said. “I’m always through his music, communicating at the same time of life. thinking of that, and when I catch myself falling into his philosophies and ideas about life.

“Out in nature you breathe differently and your the battle of habits, cravings and expectations, and see “All of my work is interconnected,” he said. “The senses heighten because you feel the wind and smell the how miserable it makes me, I focus on how much richer songs I end up writing have a kind of philosophical water and see the different cycles of nature, of birth and and satisfying it is to be grateful for what I do have.” flavor to them. Music helps us celebrate the whole death,” he said. “It throws you out of self-absorption and Students should grow and explore their discomfort range of experiences of being alive, and the joy and pain. you become the eyes of the world. The self falls away and zones in college, he said.

Sometimes you’re done talking and just want to sing.” you become awareness. The boundaries dissolve and you “College is about growth and growth is inherently For years he has undertaken numerous collaborations become interconnected with the interconnectedness of uncomfortable, it means you are changing,” he said. “At with groups like Jackson-Bolland – which resulted in an everything and that’s very healing. Nature informs and the same time making sure we walk this line making album titled “Live at a Better World” – and The Coyote you’re able to take it back into your life.”

Young entrepreneur shreds obstacles CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD — Ricky Milroy’s Gram and Pop Skateboard Shop is currently housed in his grandparent’s garage, but the talented skateboard artist has big plans for the future.

grandparents, are Gram and Pop’s namesakes. Mrs. Roberts said she is extremely proud of her grandson. She said Many fledgling companies emerged from she and her husband raised Milroy and a garage, including Apple, Google, Amazon his sister, Mikayla, after their parents died and Disney. when they were two and 10-months old, Now, a College Estates garage has birthed respectively. the artsy Gram and Pop Skateboard Shop.

Roberts said in 2012 when Milroy broke Launched by Ricky Milroy in 2012 out of the news about the shop’s name, she was his grandparent’s garage, Gram and Pop sells quite surprised and it brought a tear to her an assortment of affordable, high-quality eye. She is his unpaid staff. skateboard products.

“If he’s not home, the kids know – a lot “It’s really word-of-mouth right now,” of kids come with their parents – and so said Milory, 23, a Southwestern College I’ll call him and say ‘Ricky, (customers) student. “I’m in the process of making a are here. You have to come home.’ And he website and being able to please a bigger does,” she said. customer base.”

Roberts said she used to run a ceramic Milroy’s shop touts a gamut of hard business and currently runs a gardening goods like boards, wheels, bearings, bolts business with her husband, which explains and trucks. where Milroy inherited his entrepreneurial “I started with a few boards and I grew spirit. from there, getting all the parts, getting all Bianca Farias, Milroy’s girlfriend, said his the accessories, different shapes, cruisers and skate shop is “awesome” and added that he long boards,” he said. has wanted one for “so long.”

Milroy said his best sellers are blanks, “Not many people can say that they’re boards that are generic and have no graphics doing what they want to do,” she said. whatsoever, which customers prefer over Last semester Milroy had an exhibit in pricey brand-name boards. A unique the SWC Student Art Gallery where he service he provides is “customs,” boards sold products. Artists he knew contributed he designs based on his customers’ specific boards. A projector streamed skate videos instructions. Laser engraving, applying onto a white backdrop as herds of students sticker decal and spray-painting stencil wedged themselves through eager crowds. images are a few options.

“A lot of people went out of their Although Gram and Pop is currently way to promote what I did,” he said. resigned to a garage, Milroy said he “Someone made a full slide show and put sometimes takes his shop on the road it up on Google.” via his 1985 Toyota van. In addition to Despite his growing reputation, Milroy visiting local skate parks where he scopes for said Gram and Pop is far from where he prospective clients, he said he sets up shop wants it to be. at local venues such as Bonitafest, Chula “I want to work towards having maybe a Vista’s Lemon Festival, Bonita’s Chili Cook warehouse and my own skate park and skate Off and SWC’s OpenAire Marketplace. shop in the warehouse,” he said. “Kind of Sometimes, he said, if he gets a text or call, all in one.” he can even deliver for a small fee.

Milroy said he supports San Diego shops Patti and Walt Roberts, Milroy’s like Route 44, which are not mainstream,

Breakdancer: SWC physicist defies the laws of physics Continued from pg. A6

Gabriel Sandoval/Staff

By Gabriel Sandoval Arts Editor

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2015 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

and deplores shops like Zumiez, which are.

Overall though, he said he felt like there was something lacking in every shop and wanted to create his own to fill the void.

Jim Ruonala, owner of Pacific Drive Skate Shop in Pacific Beach, wanted to fill a void, too. In 1987 he founded Pacific Drive in tiny 500-square-foot space. In 1991 he moved his shop to where it has been ever since, a narrow garage near the beachfront boardwalk where bikini’d blondes tan and skaters skate. Ruonala said it is important to support local shops because it helps the progression of skateboarding. “(Local shops) bring up kids that are good and help them out,” he said. “Skate shops are there to find those kids, bring them up and get them in touch with the companies (and) be the intermediary between them.”

Skateboard product manufactures, he explained, are in industrial complexes, which are often found in the middle of nowhere.

“Selling skateboard product at other places... doesn’t do skateboarding as much good,” he said. “The board of directors at Zumiez… they are not involved in skateboarding day to day, so they really don’t care that much about skateboarding. They care about the bottom line.”

For now, Milroy said he buys boards and other products from a third party at a slight discount. Other items, like trucks, he reluctantly buys from Zumiez. Companies that sell trucks at wholesale prices will not sell to him, he said, because he does not have “a brick building.”

Perhaps now a Hollywood ending is in order for Milroy, who does not expect get rich quick, but has dreams.

Garage legends Apple, Google, Amazon, Disney and Pacific Drive have shown that a business card-carrying member of their club can go big. Milroy, the Chairman of the Board, is clearly on a roll.

he said.

After graduating from high school, Calanog attended Diablo Valley College, where he realized that becoming a teacher was possible. He transferred to UC Berkeley in 2009 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in physics.

In 2010 Calanog started graduate school at UC Irvine. School was his number one priority, but he still found time to breakdance. He became involved with B-Boys Anonymous, a UCI dance crew, and future fiancé Aizel Agustino.

“I randomly ran into him in Tokyo, Japan,” Agustino said. “That’s when we actually started to know each other and started dating. Now we’re engaged.”

After finishing his doctorate, Calanog said he was ready to teach. This new chapter in Calanog’s life meant he was going to have cut back on

breakdancing, but he found a new form of music called house electronic, which doesn’t require absolute dedication.

House dancers can move freely and be relaxed, whereas breakdancing is rigorous.

“House dancing is more surreal and calm,” said Calanog. “That is why I’m taking it up.”

When cooling down or when practicing by himself, Calanog he usually listens to break beats.

“Sometimes I practice to house music, but when I practice by myself I listen to a really toned down, instrumental hip-hop because it fuels my creativity,” he said.

Teaching at three different colleges has been an eye-opening experience, Calanog said.

“I’m learning something from this,” he said. “I have nothing to complain about. I should already know this as astronomy professor my problems compared to the rest of the universe are nothing compared to what everyone is going through right now.”

Life, he said, is precious and he encourages his students and colleagues to take it out for a spin.

43: Exhibition honors Mexico’s missing students Continued from pg. A6

Artist Dulce Martinez, 22, created a piece for the 19-year-old missing student Benjamin Ascencio Bautista.

“He really loved children,” she said.

Tears ran down her cheeks, smearing her makeup, as she wiped her eyes. She listed the similarities between her and the 43 students.

“They weren’t into violence. They weren’t into cartels,” she said. “Why did they get that?”

It was a question she and her colleagues could not answer.

Southwestern College student Sarah Vianna, 22, an art major, contributed to the exhibition. She said violence begets violence, so all people can really do is remain strong.

“Stand up against it,” she said. “(The cartels) are not going to be able to do what they’re doing if everybody’s against them.”

Rick Trujillo, a community liaison of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, said he was a huge supporter of the exhibition. He said that, although it is great to appreciate history, Chicano Park’s blank walls belong to a new message, from a younger generation.

“Enough with Frida (Kahlo)! Enough with Diego (Rivera)!” he said “Where’s

April Abarrondo/Staff

TRAGIC ART — “Luis Angel Abarca Carillo” by David Varela in “43.”

the sign ‘Ayotzinapa’ in Chicano Park?”

There was no sign visible that night.

In December, human remains were uncovered in a remote dump in Guerrero, the state where the students went missing.

Forensic experts have identified one of the 43 missing students, Alexander Mora Venancio, 19, among the remains.

In a press conference on Jan.27, Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam officially confirmed that all 43 students are dead, citing confessions and forensic evidence as proof.

Many protesters firmly believe otherwise.

Melancholy and tragedy continues to disturb the region. People on both sides of the border have their reasons to be upset.

Marques said she hoped to bring more attention to this heartbreaking issue.

“I think it’s important,” she said, “no matter what side of the border you’re on.”

A8

The Southwestern College Sun

SPORTS

January 21 - Febuary 13, 2015—Volume 58, Issue 4

Photos by Colin Grylls

OPENING DAY — (above) SWC’s starting lineup honors the flag as it eagerly awaits the first pitch of the year. (below) Sophomore pitcher Kevin Ginkel fires a 96 mph fastball to record the save in the Jags’ season opening 3-1 victory against Barstow College.

Bartow gone, baseball goes on

By Colin Grylls Managing Editor

California community college baseball players share a single goal – reaching the Final Four in Fresno. In 2014, Southwestern College was stopped one round shy of the tournament by eventual national champion Orange Coast College.

SWC did not have to wait long for revenge. In just their second game of the season, the Jaguars made the trek back to Costa Mesa and blew out the preseason #1 Pirates, 9-3. Head coach Jay Martel said he did not want to jump the gun.

“It’s so early in the year,” he said. “I think everybody’s trying to figure out what kind of club you have. You don’t really know what kind of club you’re going to have until you start playing some games.”

2015 is the first season since 1975 without the whistle of legendary coach Jerry “Forty” Bartow ringing from the dugout and the first year Martel does not have a co- attached to his title. Five games into his solo career, Martel has already put his stamp on Jaguar Junction. He scheduled a pair of non-conference games against Cerro Coso to fill the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference bye week.

“I’m expecting us to be in the battle of our league play,” he said. “So I’m hoping that instead of a whole week of practicing and not doing a whole lot, we can have a couple games to keep us sharp when we finish with Mt. San Jacinto and Palomar. Because I’m

pretty sure that last series with Palomar is going to be for first or second. It’s going to be for a playoff spot I’m pretty sure.”

Ranked sixth in the CCCAA Southern California preseason poll, the Jags’ schedule is no cakewalk. They will face-off against defending PCAC champion Palomar College four times and still have to play four top-20 schools in non-conference play including #20 El Camino, #19 Fullerton, #10 East L.A. and the home leg of their series with Orange Coast.

Martel said the early-season road trips will help mature the team.

“I think what’s going to happen is, even though these guys are experienced, they’re going to grow a little bit having to go on the road and compete with these teams which are all ranked,” he said. “I don’t just want to compete, I want to go up there and beat these guys.”

SWC’s strength this season will be a pitching staff that returns three pitchers with sub-3.00 ERAs – Dylan McDonald, Calvin Faucher and Kevin Ginkel. McDonald and Ginkel started the lions’ share of last season’s playoff games, but this year Ginkel, who was drafted by the Giants in the 16th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, will join Faucher in the bullpen.

In the season opener against Barstow College, Ginkel retired the side in the ninth inning to record the save and was clocked at 96 mph by a scout. He said he wanted to be SWC’s closer because he can thrive

under the pressure.

“Coming in the ninth with the lead, there’s no better feeling for me,” he said.

“The adrenaline kicks in and it’s more or less just go out and show ‘em what you’ve got.”

The trio of experienced pitchers will be joined by a talented group of newcomers highlighted by Adrian Orozco, a transfer from UCSD that will join the starting rotation and will play some second base, and Chaffey College transfer Keith Kozak, who struck out eight in his debut against Victor Valley College.

“We’ve got a lot of really good arms on this team,” Orozco said. “I think if we do what we’ve been doing so far they’re going to keep us in games… If we just score a couple runs every game, our pitchers are going to keep us in there.”

Along with the strong pitching staff, SWC returns a slew of players with starting experience. Sophomore outfielder Goodrich said the experience should help the Jags thrive.

“I’m feeling good and looking forward to this year,” he said. “(We’ve) got a lot of returners, only losing two guys out of our starting lineup. They’re big guys. It’s going to be tough to replace them but I think we’ve got the guys who can do it.”

Still, said Martel, centerfielder Chris Allen – and his .389 batting average – will be missed in the dugout.

“Allen was more than just the stats guy.

He was the leader, he was the vocal guy,”

Martel said. “I’m hoping that one guy can step up verbally and push the team a little bit…

I think Goodrich is that kind of guy that will get people going and (third baseman Anthony) York’s attitude, his work ethic, he’ll make people follow the way he works.”

Goodrich’s .333 average was the second highest on the team last year and, against Barstow, he was penciled into Allen’s old spot as the starting centerfielder.

York hit .286 and has the speed and power to take advantage of Jaguar Junction’s cavernous dimensions – he finished 2014 tied for third in the PCAC with four triples and added another in the season opener. Other returning starters include right fielder Roberto Lucero – who hit .321, was third in the PCAC with 19 steals and infamously bunted for a double against Santa Ana in the 2014 playoffs – and speedy Daniel Macias. Macias, or Mighty Mouse as his teammates call the diminutive left fielder, earned a starting spot for last season’s playoff run after primarily being used as a pinch runner in the early part of the year.

Ginkel said he expects the offense, which is loaded with speed, to consistently reward

his decision to move to the bullpen with late-inning leads.

“Giving it a couple games, I think our bats will start to kick in,” he said. “Once we get the bats going… I think we’re going to be really good this year.”

Powerful softball squad swings for the fences

By Rudee Amaral III Assistant Sports Editor

David Hodges/Staff

LADIES SET FOR BATTLE — The Lady Jaguars aren’t shying away from their expectations of 30 wins and making school history.

Yasmin Mossadeghi admits she has a thirty mind. Only one SWC softball team in the playoffs in 30 years.

Ouch, she said.

Thirty wins to make the playoffs in 2015.

Doable, she says.

Two straight seasons on the cusp of the playoffs has Mossadeghi driven to win with her arsenal of young players.

Last year’s 23-16 (11-7 PCAC) campaign was good, but not good enough.

“We want to try to seal it early before April,” Mossadeghi said. “Get our wins towards the 30 mark. It’s great when you have 20 wins and it’s a winning record, but it may not be enough for you to get into the playoffs.”

Mossadeghi said SWC has the talent.

“I think we’ll be really strong this year,” she said. “The girls have a hunger to win. Even when I put them against each other they want to win. It doesn’t matter who they’re playing against.”

Redshirt sophomore Kayla Appenzeller, one of three returning players, said she is not concerned by the roster overhaul and looks forward to playing with her new sisters-in-arms.

“Last year we struggled playing as one,” she said. “This year we have the same goal, a championship. We all play hard. This team doesn’t give up

like the last few teams I’ve played on.”

Freshman Savannah Fenn has played with some of her teammates before.

She said she hopes the familiarity and chemistry will help the program succeed.

“I’ve played softball for 14 years,” she said.

“Ideally I would like to win with the girls I’ve been playing with for a few more years or earn a scholarship somewhere in the process.”

Mossadeghi said the Lady Jags’ versatility is a plus.

“ThereisnopositionIcansayweneedtowork on,” she said. “We are balanced everywhere.”

She said she is confident in her players that are fluent in more than one position.

“We’re pretty stacked within our 15, she said. ”We have seven players that can play multiple positions. Infielders that can play outfield and vice versa, so it’s kinda like we’ve got two teams.”

Last season SWC was third in the Pacific Coast Conference in hits with 125 and walks with 34. The Jags finished just behind rival Grossmont, which knocked them out of playoff contention. Mossadeghi said does not want a third consecutive post season whiff.

“We missed the playoffs by one game,” she said. “It came down having to beat Grossmont and lost in a thriller. We’re looking to turn that around and not make it come down to one game anymore.”

Nicholas Baltz, editor

Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: sports@theswcsun.com

SPORTS

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2015—Vol. 58, Issue 4

A9

Jags atop PCAC

By Alberto Calderon Assistant Campus Editor

Alberto Calderon/Staff

IN THE AIR TONIGHT— Freshman forward Sean Butts throws down a thunderous dunk in a 91-77 victory over

Imperial Valley College.

While most Southwestern College students were relaxing at home getting plump off eggnog, the men’s basketball team was traveling Southern California competing against the who’s who of elite basketball programs.

Now 8-2 against PCAC opponents, SWC is in the pole postion for the conference championship. Its two recent losses have caused concern for head coach John Cosentino although he said the skid may have some benefits.

“We were without our primary playmaker Kevin [Windley],” he said. “You would hope you would learn while winning, but you really do learn a lot from losing. We were kind of full of ourselves. Once we get back to full strength I think we will be in a good position for the playoffs.”

Although the results have been good, they have not always looked pretty. In the conference opener against winless Imperial Valley, the Jags left the crowd stunned with a 35-31 halftime deficit.

In the second half, the Jags unleashed a 60-point onslaught on the shell-shocked Arabs, cruising to a 91-77 victory. SWC’s offensive outburst was spearheaded by sophomore guard Shawn Lathan’s 20-point, 8-rebound performance.

Cosentino said Lathan’s leadership was key as the sophomore battled through injury.

“He’s going to make plays, drain threes and do a lot of little things,” he said. “He’s our team leader on offense and he played hurt with the thigh bruise, but with him you never know. He’s very theatrical.”

Lathan described the injury.

“It felt like someone shot me,” he said. “If the game gets close, I’m going to turn up the intensity and my teammates will follow my lead. Kevin [Windley] is right there as my second scorer.”

SWC got off to another sloppy start against the Cuyamaca Coyotes. Turnovers and careless fouls helped Cuyamaca to a 31-26 lead late in the first half.

Like a case of déjà vu, SWC stormed

back and took the lead in the second half behind freshman reserve guard Richard Grove’s 21 points. This time, despite Grove’s torrid three-point shooting, the game stayed competitive until the waning minutes when the Jags’ 51-29 rebounding edge powered an 80-71 win.

Rebounding has been SWC’s one consistent statistical category all season.

Ranked first in Southern California, the Jags average 43.5 rebounds per game and their rebounding margin in conference play is an astounding 22.5 per game. Sean Butts, a 6-foot-7-inch freshman, leads the conference and is fourth in the state with 11.6 rebounds per contest. If the Jags fail to rebound from their early-half doldrums, however, they could struggle in an extremely deep conference that boasts four teams ranked in the Top 10 in Southern California.

Cosentino said his team needs to stop underestimating their opponents.

“If I could explain it, I’d fix it,” he said.

“I think we start paying attention to our ranking and the other teams record and we get comfortable. I’ve told them we are going to get everyone’s best game. When the third place team plays the fourth place team that’s something else, but when anybody plays the team that is eleventh in the state and first in the conference, you get everyone’s A game.”

Sophomore Yobby Williams, the team’s 6-foot-8-inch defensive anchor, concurred.

“I don’t know why our energy hasn’t been there to start games,” he said. “I guess we need to start sweating first, but once we do there’s no stopping us.”

Cosentino said, despite SWC’s big victories, the players are not taking any win for granted.

“There are no easy games left, your not going to blow anyone out,” he said. “We did beat [San Diego] Mesa by 20 points, but that was probably because I had pneumonia and I wasn’t there.”

All kidding aside, Cosentino said the Jags are primed to achieve their preseason goal and stacked with enough talent to make a deep playoff run. Skip the eggnog, chill the champagne.

Heartbreaking losses end Lady Jags’ playoff hopes

By Nicholas Baltz Sports Editor

style of basketball.

“San Jacinto and Palomar both want you to speed Valentines Day came and went and the Lady Jaguars you up so that you take quick shots and then run it basketball squad had no date for the postseason dance. down your throat,” he said. “So what we want to do Heartbreaking losses have squandered the romantic is make them play half court defense, don’t turn the dream of a Pacific Coast Conference Championship. ball over, kind of grind the shot clock out, take a good Southwestern College beat the MiraCosta Spartans shot at the end of the shot clock and then get back 66-50 to end a four-game skid, but sit at 3-7 in the and defend.”

PCAC standings. Cherry said it was a refreshing change First up was MSJ, the Eagles were able to use 40 free of fortune. throw attempts to foul out four SWC players and deal a “Winning is like a good deodorant, it cleans 59-50 defeat. Palomar was next, but 23 SWC turnovers everything up,” he said. “As a coach I’m never going to and an abysmal 11-26 (42 percent) from the free throw stop working and that’s kind of where it’s at. I’m going line doomed the Lady Jags as the Comets won 62-47. strive to get wins and push our kids and they are really Sophomore Brianna Davis had a phenomenal receptive to the coaching.” two-game stretch, totaling 20 points, 30 rebounds, Playoff dreams were dashed after a 56-53 loss to the 12 blocks and 9 steals. Fellow sophomore Taylor San Diego City College Knights.

Smalley and freshman standout Anessa Wolfblack also Trailing 26-17 at the half, sophomore forward Tia filled the stat sheet in that stretch. Smalley totaled 27 Griffis rallied the team by scoring 8 straight points to points, 7 assists, 4 steals and Wolfblack had 25 points put the pressure on, but opportunities slipped away 20 rebounds, 7 steals and 6 assists. Smalley and Davis and the comeback fell short. City dealt the Lady Jags are both fielding scholarship offers, but have not yet a 64-61 overtime loss in their first matchup. decided on a university. Wolfblack may only be a Head coach Darnell Cherry said inconsistent defense freshman, but her work ethic is professional. She said has held back the team’s potential. her teammates taught her a lot.

“We score enough points to “I learned that you can never win, but we don’t stop people, so work too hard,” she said as she that has really been our Achilles put up hundreds of shots after heel over the last month,” he practice. “There’s always someone said. pushing you or better than you, This season Southwestern there are always goals you can has not had all of their stars on achieve so keep pushing, keep the court together. An injury to working hard and hopefully good sophomore forward Chelsea Ball things will come.” caused her to miss the last five SWC pushed the Comets to games, losing her 13 points and the brink in their first matchup, 10 rebounds per game. While shooting an astounding 71 percent Ball was healthy, Griffis was from the field led by Chelsea Ball missing from the lineup because and Brianna Davis who combined she wasn’t cleared to play until for 28 points. Unfortunately, eight the spring semester started. missed free throws would hurt Griffis said it was unbearable them in the 76-68 loss. to watch from the sidelines.

The Lady Jags had rolled off “It was very hard, I’ve never sat two consecutive victories over San out that long,” she said. “My first Diego Mesa and Imperial Valley thought when I heard I couldn’t heading into their matchup with play, I just wanted to fall, I just MSJ. Though this season draws wanted to ball my eyes out.” to an end without her dreams Griffis will continue with fulfilled, Wolfblack doesn’t let it Nicholas Baltz/Staff hinder her spirit. basketball next season at William Penn University, in Iowa. There SHAKEDOWN — Freshmen star guard “I find a lot of motivation she will join her sister Tiarra Annessa Wolfblack fires a 3-pointer that to play basketball through my and former SWC star Gabby rattles in and out in a 56-53 loss to City. family and just telling jokes to Robledo. the girls, getting to know them Cherry said Griffis is like a transformer on the court. on a personal level,” she said. “I think it does a lot to “She can handle the ball, guard their best perimeter motivate yourself to come everyday and to find a love defender and plays multiple positions,” he said. “She in the sport by finding strength within yourself and helps us with our versatility.” your team.”

The Lady Jaguars had their hands full facing rivals For Griffis, she said her career at SWC has passed Palomar (19-3), ranked 3rd in Southern California and in a blink of eye.

Mt. San Jacinto (20-4) ranked 6th.

“Never take anything for granted,” she said. “It can Cherry said his team would have to play its own be gone in just a split second.”

Nicholas Baltz/Staff

BORN TO RUN — California cross-country state champion Amniat Olowora will anchor a talented Jaguar track and field team.

Track & field squad could be best ever

By Evan Cintron Assistant Sports Editor

Last spring the Southwestern College track and field team broke 15 school records.

This spring the team is ready to break some barriers.

Head coach Tonie Campbell said his 65 athletes could easily make it all the way to the State Championships.

“We’re looking stronger than ever before and well balanced,” he said. “I’ve never won regionals and I’ve never won state with the women’s team.

To me this is the best chance to win both.”

Leading the Lady Jags’ crusade is reigning state cross-country champion Aminat Olowora.

Campbell said Olowora could end the year with a second state title.

“Realistically, in my opinion, she could win state by herself if she wanted to,” he said.

Pole vaulter Kayla Nunez, a transfer from Ohio State, is also a potential state champion, Campbell said.

On the men’s side, Campbell said he is excited for the return of Aaron Conde and Gary Birtwell.

“They’re my two throws guys,” he said. “They were with us two years ago but sat out last season because of family and job-related issues, but they’re both back. They scored in the conference meet and they will definitely score again this year and go on probably all the way to state.”

In 2013 Birtwell broke a school record for hammer throw. He plans on another successful season.

“I want to break my own record and get to state,” he said. “Last season it was just me and Coach Campbell, but this season we have a specific coach for throwing, so I’m hoping to get very far.”

PCAC cross-countr y champion George Martinez will be returning for his second year as a distance runner.

Training at the nearby U.S. Olympic Training Center gives the Jaguars a unique advantage, said Campbell. The 155-acre training facility has state-of-the-art equipment and advice from Olympians. Campbell, by the way, is an Olympic silver medalist himself.

Fr e s h m a n Je s u s A g u i l a r s a i d h e w a s overwhelmed by the opportunity.

“It’s so nice there and the all-weather track, what more could you ask for?” he said. “This team is a lot more organized, a lot more of a challenge and they’re much better results.”

SWC will be tested this season against rival San Diego Mesa, but Campbell said he is not worried.

“There are a lot of teams that are not going to be able to hang with us,” he said. “They’ll get a point here, a point there, but I’m going to spread points all over the place. I can possibly walk away with not only a conference title, but also a regional title and a state title. It would be the first time the school has ever had one for track and field.”

SWC’s first meet is the Pomona-Pitzer All Comers on February 14 at Pomona-Pitzer College in Rancho Cucamonga.

A10

The Southwestern College Sun

CAMPUS

January 21 - February 13, 2015 — Volume 58, Issue 4

Jose Luis Baylon

Words and voice team to communicate

KING JASON’S COURTYARD—Jason Brooks has weathered bumpy campus politics and a brutal recession to emerge as a popular SWC institution.

Asjia Daniels/Staff

Caffeine king creates a buzz Courtyard café a popular campus gathering spot

By Asija Daniels Campus Editor

It may not be the Fountain of Youth or the Oasis of Mara, but Jason’s Courtyard Café is a place of refuge for bleary-eyed SWC students and staff. Caffeine flows like mahogany springs of liquid ambition, transforming the walking dead into revved-up scholars.

Jason Brooks looked over what he had made and said it is good. His customers agreed as they carted off coffee, tea, muffins, bagels and fruit to their first class.

Brooks, 49, is the owner of Jason’s Courtyard Café, arguably the college’s most popular hangout for 17 years. More than a fuelling station for the tired, poor and huddled masses, Jason’s is a happy sanctuary of civility, conversation and connection. Not to mention damn good coffee.

“I love doing what I do,” Brooks said. “I feel brand new every day. I’m a creature of interaction. I love that about this business. I get to interact with all of you every day and I completely enjoy it.”

Brooks said he got started in the coffee business when he was in community college.

Coffee shops were always fun and frothy, he said, leading him into the bean business.

“I’ve always been a lover of coffee and desserts,” he said. “I was going to San Diego City College at the time and needed a parttime job. I found a couple of coffee businesses that were hiring and I worked at Jimmy J’s at the time. That’s where it all began.”

It was 17 years ago that Brooks and Jimmy J’s came south to SWC. “The ASO actually approached us at one of our older locations long ago, so we had to

put in a bid and we had to do a proposal and we had to come in and give a demonstration, taste tests, check out our menu and they asked us what we wanted to do, and that’s how we got started,” he said.

Faculty and student’s tastes are constantly changing, Brooks said, requiring him to be observant and nimble.

“Employee’s tastes change. Right now they are about white chocolate,” he said. “House coffee and the mocha do well.”

His business has grown, but Brooks’ ego has not. He will give four scholarships this spring. His customers are legendarily loyal.

Fabiola Ibarra, 36, a child development major and a regular for 10 years, gave Jason five stars.

“I cannot function in the morning without his coffee,” she said. “(I like the) border mocha. They use Ibarra chocolate like my last name.”

More important, she said, Brooks is friendly and charming.

“I know there are other coffee places I can go to, but I love (Jason’s) customer service,” she said. “Even his employees are friendly and a joy to be around.”

Employee Luke Carpenter said Jason is a prince.

“He’s great at what he does and he is very friendly,” said Carpenter.

Jason said he is offering wider varieties of healthier choices to help customers reduce their footprint.

“We compost our coffee grounds,” he said.

“We bag some of it up for our customers to take home for their composting and gardening needs. We recycle our plastic bottles as well.”

Brooks said grinding coffee is never a grind.

“This is a great gig here at Southwestern and I plan to stay around for a long time.”

“I like making people happy and seeing the smile on people’s faces,it’s what I enjoy doing every day.”

JASON BROOKS

Dr. Faustino Escalera Jr. — 1942-2014

Beloved sociology professor leaves legion of fans

By Andrew Perez Assistant Arts Editor

“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.”

– Andy Rooney Patrick Escalera remembered looking over at his father on the way home from the doctor. Minutes earlier Dr. Faustino Escalera Jr. was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer yet, despite the foreboding uncertainness that permeated the air, Escalera was calm and composed, nodding along to Credence Clearwater Revival on the radio.

“You all right, pa?” Patrick recalled asking.

“There isn’t much I can do,” Escalera said. “It’s just a bump in the road.”

With optimism and studiousness, Escalera lived his life right to the end when he passed away at 72 on December 14 after a yearlong battle with cancer.

One of five children, Escalera was born in Brawley on March 17, 1942 to Conception Gonzalez and Faustino Escalera. After moving to San Diego County he was drafted into the Army in 1966 and served three years in the field of communications.

Upon returning home Escalera earned a Doctorate in sociology, started a family with his wife of 43 years, Mary, and fathered his only child, Patrick.

He spent 33 years at SWC, the first nine as an adjunct and the last 24 as a full-time professor of sociology.

Sociology Professor Lisa Ballesteros said he remembers her former office mate and mentor fondly. She first met Escalera when she took his Sociology 101 class in 1994. It was there, she said, that her life came into perspective and she changed her major from accounting to sociology.

After she earned her Master’s degree she was hired by the college and became his office partner.

“He was quite funny,” Ballesteros said,

Courtesy Photo

CHEERFUL CHAMPION OF WISDOM—Dr. Faustino Escalera Jr. and his wife of 43 years, Mary. An enormously popular professor of Sociology, Escalera died in December of cancer.

“yet also reserved and quiet. He had the most contagious laugh.”

Andres Sanchez, another former student, said he was struck by Escalera’s “caring and loving” personality.

“He was very charismatic towards us,” Sanchez said. “He made me feel as if I was a part of his family not because please see Escalera pg. A11

Words.

Voice.

Like lyrics and music, words and voice work in tandem to communicate ideas and emotions. Culture and history assign the meanings to words, but the origin of a voice comes from psychological factors. Spoken communication goes back to Mesolithic times and into the dwellings of flintknapping men. One day a man struck his finger so hard he screamed.

This cry was communicating his agony to others. It is believed that the sensation of pain, along with the yelling, helped provoke the first spoken words.

Experimental biologist, Aaron J. Corcoran found competitive voices in a sound wave that had never been examined before. His fieldwork with bat sonar systems at the University of Maryland concluded that the flying rodents do not have time to argue with a fellow bat over a moth. Instead, bats will shriek a specific audible tone into the ears of their competitors, causing them to believe south is east and north is west. This confusion allows them a split second to take their rival’s kill.

Scientists are also learning the truth behind lying. By definition, fibbing is when someone uses their actions to deceive another.

Much like bats use their larynx to emit a distraction, humans use their vocal chords to create words and lies. Social psychology characterizes liars into four categories: pro-social, self enhancement, selfish and antisocial. In 2013, a journal “Effects of Deception in Social Networks,” created an agent-based model of individuals, communities and societal enterprises living with antisocial and pro-social influence. They concluded that white lies, like when coworkers have your back when you show up late, keep society together calmly and peacefully. Because pro-social lies are typically meant to help keep good relationships by hiding little secrets, an individual can form a group because there is the feeling of reinforcement coming from a neighbor.

At the opposite end of the ethics continuum, antisocial lying is done solely for the benefit of the liar and leads to the destruction of relationships. The key to a good society is trust. A lack of trust will usually disrupt people from coming together.

In 2004 an Italian politician named Umberto Bossi suffered a severe stroke that left a permanent speech impediment. Rosario Signorello and colleagues at UCLA studied Bossi’s speeches from before and after his stroke, processing his voice through a technique called delexicalization, which helps see Bossi’s voice as a wavelength.

Prior to the stroke, Bossi’s voice registered at a low tone with a wide range of frequency which gave him an authoritative appeal to his Italian countrymen. After the stroke, his flat pitch gave him a softer presence. His dominant tone had disappeared and a benevolent one took its place.

Signorello then compared the voices of other European politicians to Bossi’s.

The team discovered that authoritative, dominant political leaders share the same frequency of voice, ranging in an average low tone as compared to sincere, benevolent leaders which have a higher tone.

For Bossi, his voice no longer conveys the same authority, even if the words are the same. Words are symbols we use to convey ideas and a voice gives them power (or not).

“Thy voice is a celestial melody,” wrote Henry Longfellow. On this matter, once again, the poet best explains the science. Our universe did not have to create a voice, but it did, and what a melody it is.

Jose Luis may be reached at plutotoplato@theswcsun.com

Asjia Daniels, editor

Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: campus@theswcsun.com

CAMPUS

January 21 - February 13, 2015 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

A11

Courage, lucky dog, lead to America Student flees arranged marriage at 18, runs factory in Pakistan, lands at SWC

By Gabriel Sandoval Arts Editor

O

ne cold, crummy afternoon in 1980, 18-yearold Sushila Chandegra was in London arguing with her father over a pragmatic proposition — her arranged marriage.

Her mother and two younger sisters stood by. “ I d o n’t w a n t t o m a r r y h i m ! ” Chandegra said.

“You can leave home!” her father fired back.

“Okay, I will!” she replied.

Moments later Chandegra was in her upstairs bedroom, packing. She said she grabbed a few things, clothes and towels, and stuffed them in a large suitcase, then scurried downstairs.

“Please don’t do it!” her mother cried, pleading desperately, holding her back. Chandegra said her sisters latched on too, but it was not enough.

Suitcase in hand, Chandegra broke free.

She left.

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” she said. “I was just numb.”

With nowhere to go, Chandegra wandered aimlessly, lugging her suitcase.

“It had hardly anything in it,” she said. Adding, “If I had time to cool down — maybe it would have been different.”

Terrified, she stopped at a bus stand and waited for a miracle.

Today 35 years later, Chandegra, a Southwestern College alumna who was twice named to the Vice President’s Honor Roll List, the top three percent of students in GPA, said everything worked out for the better, though it did take a few years for the numbness to subside.

She said her family disowned her the day she left and they did not see each other again for more than a quarter century.

Chandegra said she has dealt with the fallout and has since moved on.

Her focus now, she said, is becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN).

Chandegra is currently taking a six-week course at Eastlake Medical College, earning a credential to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA), which is a stepping-stone toward her main goal.

Born in Rawal, India, in 1961, Chandegra was the second of four children. She migrated to Kenya with her family when she was an infant.

She said her parents ran a strict Hindu household and spoke Gujarati, their native language.

Chandegra said as a child she was an outspoken, tree-climbing tomboy who occasionally stole mangos from her neighbors’ trees. Her childhood was carefree, she said, and she remembered learning English in elementary school, starting with the alphabet.

“When we had (lunch) breaks,” she said, “my mother would bring a glass of milk and a cookie.”

When she was 10 the Chandegras moved back to India, to a city called Rajkot. Three years later they moved again, this time to London, to a neighborhood called Southall, also known as “Little India” because of its ULTIMATE ROLE MODEL— Friends of Dr. Faustino Escalera said he showed the right way to live and the courageous way to face death.

A respected professor of sociology, Escalera died in December at age 72.

large South Asian population.

There was not a culture shock, she said, “We just went with the flow.”

Chandegra said she loved the weather in London, particularly its rainy season.

As a teenager, Chandegra said she led two lives.

“When we went to school, we wore the uniform, spoke English and we mixed with other people, but when we went home, we couldn’t speak to anybody outside our culture, our people. So at home it was Indian, we spoke Indian, wore Indian clothes.

Ever ything was Indian, Indian, Indian, Indian.”

Chandegra said she always knew her marriage was going to be arranged and that did not bother her. What did bother her, though, was when a man actually requested marriage.

“I just didn’t like him,” she said. “He was a nice person. That’s about it.”

Chandegra told her mother how she felt and was met with meek support.

To her recollection, her mother said, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll help you get a divorce.”

Chandegra said she also told her suitor.

“I told him after we met, ‘I don’t like you, so if you say no, then I won’t have to marry you.’ But he went along after.

He knew I didn’t like him.”

Frustrated, Chandegra had the argument with her father that wrecked their relationship and severed her family ties.

Gabriel Sandoval/Staff “My sisters weren’t allowed to talk YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE — As part of her beginning ceramics class final project, Sushila Chandegra presents a ceramic sculpture of to me,” she said. “My brother, any of books and gives a speech honoring Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, a champion for women’s rights and education in Pakistan. my relatives, didn’t want anything to do with me.”

Ostracized, she said she had to work over there.” and settled in New Jersey. taking care of the dogs, watering the survive on her own. She worked three Chandegra said she would sometimes “It was really an exciting moment, it lawn — she does everything.” jobs to support herself and eventually sleep on the factory’s floor when she was just nice,” she said. “I found a job Three years ago, Chandegra said, found an Indian family to live with. worked long shifts, some longer than after two weeks.” she and Phipps regularly visited tribal She lived with them for about six years, 24 hours.

Chandegra said she worked at several casinos and she became mildly addicted acting as their in-house babysitter for One day, unexpectedly, Chandegra’s kiosks, below New York City’s World to gambling. After recognizing the the couple’s two young children. husband, an animal lover, suggested Trade Center, selling hats, t-shirts, symptoms, she said, she decided to This arrangement allowed Chandegra they adopt a dog. Chandegra initially gloves and souvenirs. quit – cold turkey – and found a hobby to save money because the family did resisted the idea, she admitted, but “I worked seven days a week, 12 that was more productive. That hobby, not charge rent. She would go on caved in. hours a day,” she said. “I made good she said, was school. She enrolled in month-long vacations every few years.

“The first day, when he brings her, money.” adult school and did relatively well. A On one vacation to Singapore she met she’s a little white cotton thing,” she In 1999 they moved to San Diego, friend she met there, named Carolina, her future husband. said. “I was so scared because I had where her husband had relatives. encouraged her to try SWC. “It was nice to be able to choose never been around a dog.”

Chandegra established a business “I said, ‘I can’t go to college at this someone that you loved,” she said.

About an hour later, Chandegra said selling postcards and setup a stand at age’” said Chandegra, who was 50 at “He was a different religion. He was a she fell in love. They named their dog the 32nd Street Naval Base. There she the time.

Muslim. I was a Hindu. That’s a no-no Sundri, which means “Beautiful” in met Carl Phipps, a retired Navy officer, Initially nervous, Chandegra said with both.”

Hindi. Sundri was a Samoyed, a fluffy, who bought one of her postcards. she found her college experience to be So m e h ow t h e y m a d e i t w o rk , white herding dog.

“I stood around there talking and I quite pleasant.

Chandegra said. About six months After a few years in Karachi, Chandegra forgot to pay for it,” he said. “I started “Some (classes) are hard,” she said, after they met, they married and she said the Taliban began wreaking havoc. to walk off and she called me back and “but that means I had to go home and relocated to Singapore, where her There were ethnic wars and Pakistan made me pay for it.” put in that much extra work.” husband had a job at an international was becoming a dangerous place to Phipps, 93, who was a frequent Professor of Art John Lewis had finance company. After a year in live. They planned a move to England visitor to the Naval Base, said when Chandegra in one of his beginning Singapore, they moved to Bangkok, to flee the violence. They discovered, his wife passed away 13 years ago, ceramics classes last semester. He said Thailand. A year later they visited her however, that their dog would need to Chandegra and her husband became she emerged as a leader in a program husband’s family in Pakistan. be quarantined for up to six months, his friends. of more than 200 students.

“We just ended up staying there,” she said.

“She has a great personality, one of “Her participation in class discussions she said.

Days later, strolling along a Karachi the greatest,” he said. “She has a big and her contributions to the overall They settled in Karachi, she said, beach, Chandegra met an American heart.” climate of the program has been the most populous city in Pakistan. who told her that in America there Ye a r s i n t o t h e i r f r i e n d s h i p , articulate, accurate and catalyst for Chandegra said locals taught her to was no quarantine. All she needed was Chandegra said she and her husband thought,” he said. “Her work has been speak their language, Urdu, and she the proper paperwork to bring her dog divorced, her dog Sundri died and thoughtful and her interest in learning, and her husband opened a garment into the U.S. her business collapsed, which led to growing is evident in her immaculate factory.

Her husband went to the U.S. financial worries. Phipps offered both attendance, high performance on “We made a lot of jogging suits and Embassy the next day, she said, to her and her ex-husband a room each in coursework and good use of class time.” exported them to America,” she said. confirm the news. his Bonita home to stay at while they In October 2012 Chandegra was It was the early 1990s, she said, and He called her from the embassy. recovered from hardship. Chandegra granted American citizenship. jogging suits were very trendy. They “ We c a n t a k e t h e d o g ! ” s h e said she moved in but her ex-husband “I could have had dual citizenship had about 20 sewing machines and remembered him saying. did not. She subsequently became because (I was) a British national,” she employed a staff of about 30.

Elated, she said she cried.

Phipp’s caretaker and has lived with said. “I thought to myself, I don’t want “(I) managed the factory,” Chandegra Chandegra said her family of three him ever since. to be here and there. This is my place. said, “which was a very rare thing to immigrated to the U.S. in the mid“She does everything,” Phipps said, I don’t want two homes. It’s like two do because women aren’t supposed to ‘90s, during the O.J. Simpson trial, “does my cooking, cleaning the house, sets of parents.”

ESCALERA: Respected professor a soaring intellect, popular mentor and colleague Continued from pg. A10

of any special treatment, but because of the way he naturally was with everyone. The most important thing that I learned from his class was how he put life into perspective.” Student Stephen Kitchens recalled Escalera’s unique teaching style and nearperfect study guides.

“Dr. Escalera humanized his subject,” Kitchens said. “Every concept was followed up with a story, often personal, to illustrate what could be an elusive topic.”

Online Instructional Support Specialist Larry Lambert remembered Escalera being the first person to greet him at SWC in 2000.

“Faustino was there to welcome me as the new Training Services Coordinator coming aboard,” Lambert said. “He never stopped smiling and took me aside to have a chat. He asked me a lot of questions about my background and was endlessly supportive. He filled me on the nuts and bolts of SWC college employee life and was my mentor for

years.”

Escalera was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on November 1, 2013 and went through two rounds of chemotherapy.

Ballesteros recalls how bravely Escalera handled his condition.

“When I first heard about his cancer he looked very jaundiced and we could tell something was wrong,” she said. “Come spring semester, January of 2014, after he started his chemotherapy, he came back like a rock star. He looked like the picture of health.”

During the fall semester, though, the effects of the chemotherapy began to take a toll on Escalera.

“He looked frail,” Ballesteros recalls. “He didn’t look like the person that we all knew.”

Despite his failing health, Escalera remained positive, Ballesteros said, “always trying to walk with a spring in his step. He was amazing.”

Escalera’s son Patrick agreed.

“He was very composed,” he said. “If you didn’t know him, you’d never guess he had cancer. I remember he would call his sister and say ‘It’s okay, Lucy, don’t cry, don’t worry.’”

Patrick Escalera said his father embodied happiness and a life well lived.

“It’s impossible to describe my father in one word,” Patrick said. “There isn’t any word that’s sufficient enough. He was always happy, always smiling.”

BUSCAMOS EMPLEADOS — (top) A migrant worker waits for employment with his compadres at the Mission Gorge Home Depot. (above) A NOW HIRING / BUSCAMOS EMPLEADOS sign hangs outside of the Home Depot on Fairmount Avenue in San Diego, near 10 day laborers desperately waiting for work.

Kasey Thomas /Staff

BACKPAGE

WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS MAN — “Jorge,” 67-year-old migrant worker (above), rarely smiles because he has no teeth and rarely finds work because he is considered too old. He is currently trying to reunite with his family in Utah. (right) A Cuban day laborer recounts the story of his migration to a student from Colorado’s Jefferson County Open School. Teachers from the school flew students to San Diego County to learn about the harsh reality of immigration.

technical colleges to find medical help for the laborers.

Mostly though, he wants to raise awareness about the workers and tell their stories. Some of the stories are disturbing, like the abuse suffered by “Carlos” (a pseudonym) whose wife recently gave birth to twins in Tijuana. His job in Mexico did not pay enough to feed them, he said.

Neither did a recent job in the U.S. “I worked four days straight for a man that offered me $40 a day to work in his yard, fix appliances inside his house and other jobs,” Carlos said. “As soon as I finished everything he needed, he dropped me off, didn’t pay me and there was nothing I could do.”

Even though they are virtually homeless and live in encampments in the canyons near the Home Depots, the labors work hard to keep a clean look so as to not scare away potential customers.

“I cannot smile because I do not have teeth!” said Jorge from Jalisco, who is saving money to reunite with his family in Utah. “But just because I do not have any teeth does not mean I cannot keep a sharp appearance. I take pride in myself to always look good when going to work and the shirts Mr. Morones has given us are great to work in.”

Some laborers are economic refugees, others are fleeing the vicious drug cartel wars in Mexico.

“It has been difficult to support my family with the recent kidnapping and mutilation of my son-in-law,” said Juan from Juarez. “They kidnapped my son-in law, who at the time was working with drug dealers because money had been tight. Something went wrong and they sent us his severed hand to us in a box.”

Juan lives with his family in the canyon, a less-than-ideal situation, he said, but safe from cartel hit men.

When work opportunities are slow the laborers pass time in good spirits by playing cards, sharing meals and telling stories about their families.

“What I make here in the States in one day is what I would make in (Mexico in) two weeks,” said “Jorge”, 67, who as an older man has trouble attracting jobs.

Day laborers have a code that requires them to look out for one another, a tradition from their homeland. Work is distributed evenly and younger men help older ones.

“Whenever I go seek out laborers to cut my lawn or do heavier yard work, I have noticed that they have paired the older men with the younger ones and have created a type of packaged deal in order to make sure he gets work,” said Edalia Gomez, an Eastlake resident who has hired many of these men to do yard work.

As the sun slips from the sky and the afternoon dissipates into evening, the lucky ones are dropped off near the Home Depot and rejoin their compadres. After a full day of clearing brush, painting fences and repairing retaining walls, the workers are once again as ghosts, visible but not, shuffling slowly back into the canyons to sleep. With tomorrow’s sun there will be work to do – if they are lucky.

Jan. 21 - Feb. 13, 2015 — Vol. 58, Issue 4

It is time to find work—any work.

Rough, callused hands worn from a thousand lawns, ten thousand nails and one hundred thousand gallons of sweat wave at drivers pulling into the Home Depot. Few slow down, most do not look. These tired, frail faces wait hopefully under the relentless San Diego sun in front of Home Depots across the county, including Chula Vista, barely two miles from Southwestern College.

Sometimes, though, a car door opens and a hasty negotiation takes place. A day laborer hops in. He has work.

Day laborers are Latino migrants who do yard work, construction, moving, demolition and countless other forms of heavy lifting for modest wages, no benefits, and little or no respect. Sometimes they work for days without being paid—or worse. They are strong armed but powerless, free roaming but often treated like slaves.

Border Angels, a human rights organization led by Enrique Morones, visits the laborers and provides sack lunches and clean shirts. Morones said he worries about the men because they are vulnerable and sometimes mistreated.

“We check in on them to make sure they are alright and to let them know there are people who care about them,” he said. “Sometimes they work all day and are not paid.

Sometimes they are not adequately fed or given enough to drink.”

Morones was joined recently by teachers and students from Jefferson County Open School in Colorado. Teachers Connie Kowal and Jordan Hopkins flew with a group of their students to the borderlands to see firsthand the realities of immigration.

“We want to take kids to places to see what’s happening, not just read about it,” Kowal said. “There’s nothing in the curriculum about Mexico in terms of refugees and immigrants. It’s as if this issue does not exist.”

Morones said he is looking to create relationships with

hosts haunt the canyons of eastern Chula Vista. At dawn they rise from the fragrant sage and drift toward the rim, in plain sight but invisible.

Fantasmas of weathered flesh and sturdy blood amble past the carloads of harried people who seem to see them, but look right through.

Story & Photos by Bianca Quilantan, News Editor

NO G

WORK RIGHTS COUNTRY

A12 The Southwestern College Sun