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
Volume 58, Issue 3
theswcsun.com
Winter Edition 2014 - 15
Grievance policies under revision
Assaulted students say police are no shows By Lina Chankar Senior Staff Writer
By Jaime Pronoble News Editor
Southwestern Community College District Procedures 5500 and 5530 are undergoing revision spearheaded by Dean of Student Services Mia McClellan following an incident earlier this semester whereby SWC Sun reporters were banned by McClellan and campus police from covering a student grievance hearing. Procedure 5500 is entitled “Standards of Student Conduct” and 5530 is “Student Rights and Grievance.” A draft presented by McClellan at the November 5 Shared Consultation Council (SCC) meeting and was met with several recommendations. Grade disputes curMCCLELLAN rently directed to the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs should include the Academic Senate as part of the final decision, according to Academic Senate President Patricia Flores-Charter. Faculty have primacy over grades, she said, and the policy in its current form allows disputes to go directly to one person, then be decided immediately. “It is critical if a student believes they have been evaluated and graded unfairly that they get an opportunity to a get more than (a) one- or two-person review,” she said. Flores-Charter said she asked for a timeline in a flow chart format so anyone could see how long each step in process takes and what a student could anticipate. “I think having a flow chart that shows the timeline is going to be extremely helpful for students who are even just considering asking for a hearing,” she said. Grievances must be initiated no later than the end of a term in which the incident occurred, reads the procedure, but please see Policies pg. A3
Nicholas Baltz /Staff
ALL ALONE AT THE TOP — Amniat Olowara breaks the tape in a record 16:59 to win the California Cross Country Championship in Fresno.
SWEET SIXTEENS Cross Country star first to break 17-minute barrier, Sports A10
They just vanished. In September, 43 students on their way to Iguala, Mexico to protest a speech by Mayor José Luis Abarca Velázquez’ wife, María de los Ángeles Pineda Villa, were arrested by the police on the mayor’s orders and allegedly turned over to the Guerreros Unidos Cartel. They have not been seen since and are presumed dead. Border Angels and their supporters filled Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Barrio Logan in solidarity with the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico. It started off with a special mass and the priest praying for God’s blessing for the families of the missing students. A candlelight vigil and moment of silence took place outside, in front of the church in support of the students. A human body was outlined in chalk as if it was a crime scene. Around it were 43 candles and many crosses to represent the missing students. Me x i c a n s a n d A m e r i c a n s a r e protesting the kidnapping. In Mexico City, demonstrators burned
please see Crime pg. A2
Homeowners ask for student parking ban By Adriana Heldiz Online Editor
Homeowners in College Estates insist they have no problems with Southwestern College students. It is the impromptu tailgate parties, speeding, swearing, littering and urinating they are not happy about. Chula Vista city staff and the aide to Council Member Patricia Aguilar met with College Estates residents to hear their frustration with students who park in their neighborhood. Residents across the road from the college have been trying to decrease student parking and rowdiness in their community for four years without success.
Resident Bob Muff said the parking congestion in his neighborhood is not the only issue. “We are overwhelmed by cars speeding, loud radios and trash left by the curb side,” he said. Other residents gave examples of students who moved trash cans and blocked trash service, urinated on lawns and flower beds, consumed alcohol and listened to loud, profane music while sitting in parked cars, and other nuisances. A mother said she no longer allows her children to play in the front yard due to rude, profane students. Chula Vista Safety Commissioners
“We are trying to understand if we have enough general fund money that would be diverted away from classrooms and faculty and teaching.” DR. MELINDA NISH SWC PRESIDENT
please see Parking pg. A3
VP appointee sparks ASO controversy
Border Angels lead vigil for Mexico’s missing students By Rick Flores Assistant Photo Editor
College officials are not keeping their promises to provide campus police escorts to students who request them and do little to punish students who verbally, physically or sexually harass female students, according to Southwestern College crime victims and faculty safety advocates. Campus crime reports, including a federal report required for financial aid, have discrepancies and omissions, according to an investigation by the Southwestern College Sun. At least three female students have reported serious levels of harassment on campus – including two violent sexual assaults – and each reported that campus police subsequently failed to provide promised escorts. Advocates for women students and LGBT students expressed concern that assaults and possible hate crimes were not included in the current Clery Report, also known as Annual Security Report, a compilation of campus crimes required by federal law of all colleges and universities who receive federal financial aid. It is named for Jeanne Clery, a coed who was raped and murdered on her campus at Lehigh University in 1986. President George H. W. Bush signed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus
the doors of the Palacio Municipal, Mexico’s oldest and most elegant government building. Rage is also burning north of the border. Border Angels Executive Director Enrique Morones encouraged attendees to be hopeful. “We pray that these students come back to us,” he said. “They were taken alive and we want them back alive.” After 43 seconds of silence, the students’ names were read to the crowd. “We are going to honor these young men and women that are missing,” he said. “We will call out each name and yell presente to show that they are not forgotten.” Attendees shouted “vivos se lo llevaron” (they were taken alive) and “vivo se los queremos” (we want them back alive). Documentary filmmaker Charlie Minn came to support the vigil. His film “Es el Chapo?” is a startling exposé of the narco wars in Mexico and the government. “Finally something is being done about the violence in Mexico,” he please see Vigil pg. A3
By Alberto Calderon and Anna Pryor Staff Writers
Rick Flores /Staff
HOLDING ON TO HOPE — Florencia Vidrio stands silently holding a cross with the word Esperanza (hope) during a Border Angels candlelight vigil in solidarity with the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico.
Rosella Luna was ratified as the new ASO Vice President of Finance, replacing Mathew Schwimmer who resigned. Several student senators expressed their opposition during the confirmation hearing. Personal attacks against Luna were made and the meeting was called to order multiple times in attempt to keep the discussion civil. After all viewpoints were heard, Luna was voted in 14-5 with one abstention. Luna said she did not want to engage in the personal back and forth. “It was a little awkward,” she said. “I thought some people threw some needless personal attacks, but I can’t get involved in that. Now that I have this position, I just want to do a good job.” Senator Steve Whiting spoke out against Luna, who opposed him at his own ratification. Whiting is pursuing false allegation charges against Luna and said that on the day he was being please see ASO pg. A3
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Crime: Assault victims say they were stood up by campus police escorts Continued from Page A1
Policy and Campus Statistics Act in 1990 after the measure received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate and House of Representatives. Female crime victims asked that their names not be used because in at least two cases the alleged attackers are still attending Southwestern College. The third and fourth attackers have not been identified and it is not known if they are still students here. Jane Doe #1 reported that she was sexually assaulted in campus Parking Lot O during the spring 2014 semester. She said a very persistent male student followed her to the lot and pressured her to go on a date with him. “I thought I’d ask you out,” Doe #1 quoted the male student as saying to her. When Doe #1 told the man she did not wish to go on a date with him, she said he grabbed her and kissed her against her will. “If you’re not going to go on a date with me, then why don’t you kiss me right now?” Doe #1 reported the man said to her as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. Doe #1 said she finally pushed the man off her and demanded that he leave her alone. She said she ran from the parking lot to the physical education area where she encountered tennis coach Susan Reasons, who called campus police. Doe #1 said her attacker followed her halfway across campus and was lurking nearby as she asked Reasons for help. As police arrived he fled and was not apprehended. SWC Officer Benjamin Gess took Doe’s account of the incident and made a report. Under the Clery Act the report of an attempted sexual assault should have triggered a communique from the campus
Jaime Pronoble, editor
NEWS
Winter Edition—Vol. 58, Issue 3
police or administration to the entire campus community, but none was issued and no one was contacted. California Department of Education Spokesperson Jane Glickman said that both forcible and non-forcible sex offenses have to be included in a college’s Annual Security Report required under the Clery Act. Doe #1 said she was told to contact Gess for escorts. She said she called the campus police department at least three times in the three days following the incident to request that Gess escort her to her car, but the officer did not return her calls, she said. Nor did campus police respond to her requests for information on the status of the case, she said. Gess said he never received any messages from Doe #1 and was not aware that she had contacted the campus police department to ask for an escort. Doe #1 was sexually assaulted a second time during the fall 2014 semester in a south campus parking lot. This assault was even more prolonged, violent and personal than the spring attack, she said. She was pinned against her car in the dark, she said, with no SWC campus police or parking safety attendants in sight. She said she felt “scared, helpless, disgusted, weak.” It happened fast and was a blur, she said. “I just remember wanting to get him off me,” she said. “I wanted him to leave me alone. I was just trying to think of ways to get him to stop and leave me alone.” Doe #1 said she survived the second attack because she was eventually able to mace the assailant and kick him in the groin. Doe #1 reported the sexual battery to campus police personnel at the department’s front desk. She said she never received a return call from the campus police and no follow up was done. “I was never contacted to come in or anything,” she said. “I was just discouraged about the whole process. I was really discouraged about how the police handled
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: news@theswcsun.com
2011-2013 - REPORTED TO SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE
2011-2013 - REPORTED TO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Lina Chankar/Staff
MIXED MESSAGES — Southwestern College crime reports have substancial inconsistencies, such as these 2011-13 reports. Some serious campus crimes were not reported.
the first one, and the fact that they never got back to me. I didn’t know anything about the second guy, so I thought it was done and over with. And I know they’re not going to do anything about it because they didn’t do anything about it the first time.” Doe #1 said women are not safe at SWC and their concerns are not taken seriously by SWC’s all-male campus police department. “I really hope they change the process,” she said, “with all of the stuff (related to sexual assaults) going on at San Diego State.” Doe #1 still attends SWC, but has male students she trusts walk her to her car and around campus after dark. At least two other victims, however, decided not to stay at Southwestern because they said they did not feel safe on campus. Jane Doe #2 was verbally harassed and stalked by a male student who was unhappy that he was not mentioned in an article she had written for the campus newspaper. He wrote numerous angry and profane text messages to the petite woman, and did not stop until a professor intervened and campus police called the assailant on his cell phone and ordered him to cease. He stopped the texts, but then began to follow Doe #2 around campus, something that several of her friends and at least one professor verified in reports to the campus police and Dean of Student Affairs Mia McClellan. Despite hard copies of numerous threatening text messages and testimony by classmates and faculty about the stalking, Doe #2’s assailant was not punished and was allowed to remain on campus. Doe #2 requested campus police escorts and received “a few for a day or two,” she said before the campus police stopped showing up. Doe #2 said she was humiliated by her treatment by student affairs staff and did not feel safe on campus. Her assailant was eventually barred from areas of campus where Doe #2 had classes, but the diminutive Doe #2 said she could not take the stress anymore and quit school. Her assailant was allowed to remain at Southwestern and even received a campus scholarship in spring 2014. Jane Doe #3 also requested a campus police escort when a male student began to follow her around campus and crudely demanded explicit sexual favors. Campus police promised escorts, then repeatedly failed to show. Her classmates and two of her professors created an escort schedule for Doe #3 and escorted her themselves for the rest of the semester. Doe #3 finished the semester, but dropped out of Southwestern during a subsequent semester following a severe beating at the hands of a male she was trying to break up with. Because the assault took place off campus, college officials said there was nothing they could do to the male assailant, who freely roams Southwestern College. Doe #3 said that based on the campus police department’s previous failures to escort and protect her, she did not feel safe at Southwestern College and dropped out. Governing Board Member Norma Hernandez asked SWC Police Chief Michael Cash about the case of Doe #3 in open session at the Oct. 8 board meeting. Cash called the missed escorts “a miscommunication” and gave a long answer that left the impression that Doe #3 was at fault. Even so, campus officials continue to make public statements that they will provide escort services for students. Cash told the entire faculty and classified staff on opening day in August that the campus police are “happy to provide escorts” and that “our campus is a safe campus.” Earlier this month President Dr. Melinda Nish told a group of College Estates residents and Chula Vista city officials gathered to discuss citizen complaints about student
parking in residential neighborhoods that part of the $40-per-semester parking fee is to fund police escorts. “The revenue from the parking permits is all used to maintain the parking lots and to maintain enforcement and escorts to the parking lots,” she told the gathering. Gay students have also complained that too little was done about a possible hate crime in the spring 2013 semester when a vandal defaced a poster inviting students to a Gay-Straight Alliance Club meeting. “NO FAGS” was written boldly across the poster, which was taken down by club members and reported to campus authorities. This incident, however, was not mentioned in the 2013 Southwestern College Annual Security Report (ASR). Campus Police Sgt. Robert Sanchez said the vandalism was investigated, but there was not enough evidence to move forward. “There was no suspect information, there was no video, no photos and nobody that actually witnessed it when it took place, so there wasn’t much else we can do at that point,” he said. Cash said he did not know why it was not included on the report as a hate crime under the sexual orientation section of the Clery Act. Seconds later he said it was not in the report because it was not required to report hate crimes in 2012 or 2013. Seconds after that he said it was not in the report because 2013 crimes were not included in the ASR reporting yet. California Department of Education Spokesperson Jane Glickman said hate crimes should always be reported by public colleges in its ASR reports. “The Clery Act has always included hate crimes, but new categories were added to the list of hate crimes in the Higher Education Opportunity Act, passed on August 14, 2008,” said Glickman. “In addition, the Violence Against Women Act of 2013 added gender identity and national origin as two new categories of bias for a determination of a hate crime.” Cash had a different interpretation. “That’s brand new this year of Clery,” he said. “That wasn’t part of the Clery (ASR reporting) last year. That’s a new guideline that Clery did this year. Remember, we’re not going on a year-to-year cycle. We’re going October-to-October cycle.” Cash said that since the report is due by Oct. 1 of each year, “I might lag a little bit of a gap because I gotta get my report in.” An Oct. 1 deadline makes it difficult to include crimes that happen in September, he said, because he needs to show the draft of the Clery Report to his supervisors well before the deadline. “I’m counting crimes from Oct. 1st, 2013 to Oct. 1st, 2014, so I’m trying to capture stuff that’s in there,” he said. “I’m submitting that. And so when I turn in my 2014 (report), it’s really the 2013 year with some of the 2014 numbers.” Glickman said the reports are for crimes that happened between January and December of each year, not an Octoberto-October cycle. She said the reports are due to the Department of Education by October 1, giving colleges nine months to complete them. Cash said the hate crime against the GSA club will be on the 2014 column of the ASR crime report, even though the Clery Act requires 2013 crimes to be on the 2013 ASR crime report. There are no hate crimes listed for 2013 in SWC’s most recent report. Crime reports for Southwestern College have other discrepancies. In the 2010-12 ASR, three vehicles were reported stolen in 2011. In the 2011-13 ASR, there were a reported eight vehicles stolen in 2011. In the 2010-12 ASR there were 10 liquor
violations reported. The 2011-13 ASR reported nine liquor violations. Cash said he submits identical ASRs to the Department of Education and to the campus community. He said he does not know why there are discrepancies in both reports. “I haven’t seen it,” said Cash, “so I don’t know. As far as I know, we don’t have any discrepancies.” Annual Security Reports are required to calculate and report campus statistics for murder, forcible or non-forcible sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, manslaughter and arson. Reports are also supposed to enumerate certain disciplinary actions, hate crimes and arrests. Under the Clery Act, campus officials are required to warn the campus community in a timely way about violent acts that may endanger others. Sexual offense, according to the law, is supposed to trigger a campus-wide notification of an assault that was reported and that a possible sex crime perpetrator may be at large. Campus officials are not required by law to report any other crimes to campus community that are not mandated by the Clery Act, however, college officials are free to warn the campus population of any other crimes they believe students and the community need to be aware of, including off-campus crimes that could impact students or employees. California public colleges and universities are required to make the Clery Report and campus crime reports available to the campus community and the public. The 1990 Clery Act states, “The law requires schools make the report available to all current students and employees, and prospective students and employees must be notified of its existence and given a copy upon request.” On Aug. 28 SWC’s Office of Admissions sent an email to students and faculty informing them of the existence of the college’s 2013 Annual Security Report, as the Clery Act requires. Southwestern College ASRs can be found at the California Department of Education website. Sanchez said reports are also available at the campus police office, McClellan’s office, the student center, and admission and records. SWC crime reports cover the main campus in Chula Vista as well as satellite centers in National City, Otay Mesa and San Ysidro. Reports have failed, however, to include the Coronado-based Silver Strand Aquatic Center. Cash said that it was included with National City crimes. Governing Board member Nora Vargas said officials should look at concerns about campus safety measures as a component of student success, a core goal of both SWC and the California Community College system. “Education is much more holistic than just getting good grades and university transfers,” Vargas said. “You have to feel safe. You have to feel comfortable in the environment. So I want to make sure that we start incorporating all of this and it becomes part of (the) water as we’re having these discussions.” Editor’s Note: It is the policy of the Southwestern College Sun to require named attributions by all sources with rare exceptions that include sexual assault victims, victims of dangerous crimes and situations where personal safety may legitimately be at risk. Due to the sensitive nature of the crimes reported by the women in this story, the Editorial Board of The Sun agreed not to use the victims’ names. All scenarios described in this article, however, were independently verified by at least five campus sources with direct knowledge of the events, including law enforcement or college documents. Appropriate campus police and college officials were given ample opportunity to respond.
NEWS
The Southwestern College Sun
Policies: Dean wants to close off student grievance meetings Continued from Page A1
McClellan said there is some flexibility. “I have taken (grievances) after (a term),” she said. “If it’s a couple weeks after a semester and it just happened, let’s say it happened during finals week, I’m not going to say ‘Well sorry, you didn’t (get your grievance in) last week.’” If a student waited until the next academic year to protest a grade , McClellan said there is probably not much she can do. “People aren’t going to remember, there aren’t going to be any witnesses, there’s not going to be anything,” she said. McClellan said she will no longer be doing full discriminatory action investigations and they will now be going to Human Resources. With new Title IX laws coming into place, she said, this particular part of the policy could be revised again. Student workers were originally not included in in the groups of constituents that could file a Report of Student Misconduct, but they have been added in the current draft. McClellan said the term Administrator has been changed to Dean of Student Services in most of language to easily identify the person responsible for any action taken during the process. Policy 5500 currently reads that all formal hearings will be conducted within 30 days after one has been requested in the fall and spring semesters. McClellan said summer semesters are a little more troublesome because of the low attendance with faculty and students. Current drafts say that hearings are confidential, closed to the general public and cannot be requested to be open. Both parties, however, may call witnesses. Campus police will also be present at every hearing, the draft says. “(The police will be present) to keep the peace and so that panel members feel comfortable and safe,” said McClellan. She said since it is an internal dueprocess hearing, students can have legal counsel, but cannot be represented by them. If a student had any sort of problems with the hearing committee members, she said, they would have to challenge it at the beginning of the hearing as opposed to challenging it while it was in progress. “This not a civil or criminal hearing,” said McClellan, “this is an administrative hearing.” CSEA President Frank Post suggested that the college get a legal opinion about the legality of closed confidential hearings. A response is pending said FloresCharter, who said she does not yet know who will provide the legal opinion. “I don’t know if this legal opinion is coming from our lawyer (at SWC) or a legal office up in the chancellor’s office,” she said. Flores-Charter said she supports the right of members of the public to attend the hearings, but said she understood if the media is involved why it would need the consent of both parties involved in the hearing. Students often file grievances in the hopes of terminating an instructor’s employment, but McClellan said she would like to remind them that these policies are not for firing people. “When a student comes in and says they want (someone) fired, they don’t want (someone) to be here, I clearly tell them this is not the procedure to use,” she said. McClellan said if the student’s goal is to have an instructor removed, it becomes a personnel matter. Current drafts of the policy state that when deemed appropriate, the Dean of Student Services may direct a student grievance to the Vice President of Employee Services. Many faculty and staff have said the existing college policies did not give students fair treatment and the proposed revisions did not look like it would get any better for them. Some faculty said it looked like it would be more difficult for students rather than easier. Flores-Charter said she is feeling positive about the policies and hopes to get meaningful student feedback. She and McClellan will be “taking it slow” so they can “get it right,” she said. “That is one of the things Mia and I discussed,” said Flores-Charter. “If our goal is met, that the language is clear, that would also help if the student does have a question. They will be able to zero in on it, be specific, it will be a smooth collegiate process if we’ve done a good job.”
Winter Edition —Vol. 58, Issue 3
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College searches for alternatives to expensive texts By Alberto Calderon and Brenda Gregorio-Nieto Staff Writer
Milk is more expensive than gasoline, Taylor Swift is more expensive than The Rolling Stones and college textbooks are more expensive than…anything. Or so it may seem to Southwestern College students who may pay $400 for a single textbook and $1,200 a year on texts. Textbook prices have skyrocketed since 2002 at an average of six percent every year, outpacing commodities like milk or gasoline. At SWC, books are by far the highest ticket item. Bill Denton, operating manager of the SWC bookstore for the last 21 years, said the escalating textbook prices hurt everyone. “Over the last five years, we’ve sold about 30 percent fewer books,” he said. “As a bookstore, we make every attempt to get the books as inexpensively as possible and pass the savings on to the students. I know it doesn’t seem that way when there’s a French book over there that costs $189. I understand how that hurts. We try to make affordable options but sometimes we can’t.” There are many factors for the meteoric rise in textbook prices, chief among them is the misaligned incentives between the teachers and the students. Economists have referred to textbooks as “The Broken Market.” Unlike most markets, the consumer (students) are not choosing the product and
ASO: VP’s qualifications are questioned by other government members Continued from Page A1
voted in, she wrongly accused him of sexual harassment. Whiting said he was mortified by her comment and believes it was defamation to his character. He also said that she did not go through the proper channels and that saying that at a public meeting was uncalled for. “You cannot falsely allege something as serious as sexual harassment or sexual misconduct of any sort and think that there won’t be any consequences,” Whiting said. “And to me, it seems like she’s being rewarded.” Whiting said ASO President Sayaka Ridley and Luna are close friends. Whiting ran against Ridley for ASO President at the end of the spring semester and said that after he lost, she told him she did not want him in the ASO. “I believe that it was in an attempt to keep me out of the ASO, which is what the ASO President told me at the end of the semester when she won the election,” Whiting said. “She told me personally.” Whiting is currently waiting for a response on his case. “I hope that the administration, or whoever takes care of the case, can connect the dots that it’s interesting that this person did that and now they’re being promoted to an executive position,” he said. Veteran Senator David Millar said his opposition to the replacement was not personal. “I have no grudge against this person,” he said. “She’s doing her best. For me it was mainly about qualifications. I didn’t see the candidate show qualities that stand above everyone else and there
the teachers who are choosing the product do not have to pay for it. These factors create the environment where powerful publishers can artificially raise the price of textbooks without the usual forces of economics. Research suggests that rising textbook prices are coercing students to gamble with their education. Ethan Senack and The Student Public Interest Research Group found that out of 2,039 students, 65 percent decided against buying textbooks because it was too expensive. Of those students, 94 percent were concerned that not purchasing the textbook would hurt their grade in a course. Educators say that textbook prices in higher education are a real problem, but agreeing on a solution has been difficult. Professor of Political Science Alma Aguilar said she believes textbooks are integral, but departments need to do a better job of procuring cheaper textbooks. “Students need exposure to the seminal pieces and some of those are textbooks,” she said. “Once they get to the next level their teachers are going to assume they’ve read some of these classics and if they haven’t they will be behind. We just need to work with the publishing reps more to get better deals for our departments.” Phil Saenz, a professor of political science, is an outspoken critic of pricey textbooks. He gathers all of the educational materials necessary for his class and posts them on blackboard for students to view free of charge. He said he believes reliance on are other people in that room who have shown qualities that stand out.” Schwimmer said that Luna was not the most qualified for the position, but that the position is not a difficult one to do. “I think she’s capable of doing my job,” he said. “In all honesty, most of the people at Southwestern are capable of doing it.” Ridley defended her decision to appoint Luna. “I think she’s a very hard worker, very organized and I think she’s going to do a great job,” she said. “What some people don’t understand about the ASO is that this is a learning experience. No one is going to come in here knowing everything from the start.” Ridley said she welcomed the dissention and lively debate. “I’m proud of the senators,” she said. “I respect the senators who speak up when they have opposing views.” Although the VP of Finance cannot make any unilateral decisions over how funds are spent, Millar pointed out how influential the position can be. “The position is very important,” he said. “The VP oversees and manages a huge amount of money.” Now that Luna has the post, she said she wants to shift her focus from the confirmation hearing to the job at hand. “I have a lot of ideas,” she said. “One of my main goals is to use our finances to help low income students succeed, because I am one of them, so I can relate. We have the funds, we should use them to help the students. Schwimmer said his acceptance to UC Merced for the spring 2015 semester is his reason for stepping down. His acceptance was the main factor, but he said he resigned earlier than he had to. “Another one that inspired me to resign earlier than the end of the semester is I thought that I’d have more power as an exec and I really didn’t,” he
textbooks should be minimized. “It’s easy to post your course material on Blackboard, you don’t need to kill any trees and the beauty of it is you don’t need to go through a publisher and you don’t need to charge the students for it,” he said. “I’m trying to take out profit made by publishers and authors.” Aguilar said most professors want the same thing. “Teachers are caught in the middle,” she said. “We are trying to make sure that our students are successful, understanding that many have financial hardships. How do you do that in a compassionate and effective way without eroding the integrity of your course, lecture and who you are.” Of the solutions proposed, electronic textbooks seem to be the easiest to implement and the most cost effective. An electronic textbook costs on average 4050 percent less than its paper counterpart and allows students to carry their reading materials in the palm of their hand. Denton said most schools are already beginning to make the conversion. Taking the printing and shipping out of the textbook business should reduce prices significantly, he added. Alejandro Orozco, a philosophy professor, said a complete conversion to digital textbooks is inevitable. “I think books are obsolete,” he said. “Books are like Blockbuster video, they are on their way out, when given a choice people are going to choose the cheaper medium, and that is digital. Anyone who digs their said. “I wasn’t able to do some of the things I was hoping to.” Schwimmer said that his goal for the semester was to allocate funds to the Academic Success Center, but it was not achieved. Schwimmer previously had issues with Ridley after she came to his work last semester and asked him to step down. He said that their tenure together was rocky immediately following the incident. “There was animosity there,” he said. “And maybe a little awkwardness still. She wanted to win and she did. And she kind of did what she needed to do to do that.” He said that for the most part he and Ridley learned to get along, and the duration of his time in the position was a learning experience. “We agreed to disagree on a lot of things,” he said. “She’s very financially conservative and I’m extraordinarily liberal when it comes to financial matters. Yeah, we had giant differences of opinion, but that really didn’t come into play too much.” Schwimmer said the semester’s obstacle was the fact that the executives as well as their advisors were new. He said they could have performed better with experience. While he said he would do things differently if he were to go for a position at UC Merced, he did not regret his time in the SWC ASO. “I’m glad I got to be a very different opinion in the group,” he said. Whiting said he will continue to pursue his charges against Luna because he felt that the attack was personal and potentially damaging to his reputation. “Its bigger than just my situation, it goes into a cultural thing,” he said. “I know that they say the statistics for false allegations of actual sexual assault are so small that they can be written off as error, but I’m that small infinitesimal percentage of somebody that alleged something on me.”
Vigil: Border Angels pray for safe return of 43 kidnapped students Continued from Page A1
said. “It is a shame that this event happened.” Border Angels outreach coordinator Dulce Aguirre, a Southwestern College student, said Border Angels felt it was important to encourage Americans to get involved. “We support everyone protesting in Mexico,” she said. “It is unfair that these students from Ayotzinapa were kidnapped for speaking out.” Aguirre said Border Angels is trying to inform people about the situation. “Our goal is to let everyone know what is going,” she said. “People need to know that they have to speak up to the Mexican government.” Many Border Angels supporters fasted for 43 hours. “The anniversary of the Mexican Revolution is this year,” Aguirresaid. “We are fasting 43 hours for the 43 students that are missing and we want people to join in this purification
Rick Flores /Staff
VIVOS LOS QUEREMOS — Demonstrators placed 43 lit candles in front of the Virgen de Guadalupe statue during the Border Angels candlelight vigil for the missing students from Ayotzinapa, Mexico.
process and think about these student’s lives.” Community member Florencia Vidrio called for divine intervention. “We need to pray for these kids,” she said. “No one deserves to be taken from their families over their free speech.” Minn said corruption in Mexico is an international problem. “Mexicans on both sides need to protest Enrique Peña Nieto and the
corrupt government,” he said. “What kind of leader runs to China when his country is about to implode over the frustration of cartel kidnappings?” Morones said the event is the first of a series of peaceful actions in the U.S. “We are hoping this vigil will set the tone for the Mexican people to protest,” he said. “We want peaceful protests to happen and we need to be the change we want to see in other people.”
heels in on the textbook issue is on the wrong side of history.” Academic Senate President Patricia FloresCharter said SWC has fallen behind, but is now looking to aggressively address the issue. “We formed a textbook committee in 2007-2008 to address the issue of rising textbook prices for students,” she said. “Our goal was to draft policy and procedure and take it through the senate. The policy was approved, but the procedure was not. Then Chopra chaos ensued and we got busy doing other things. I originally chaired that committee, so I brought it back this fall. We made some modifications and now the intent is to take it to the governing board.” Flores-Charter said the policy was greatly influenced by a document put out by the California Academic Senate, which assembled a taskforce that conducted national research looking at other schools and put forth recommendations based on those findings. Some of the recommendations included not requiring a textbook for every class, buying textbooks in bulk with other schools to lower prices and allowing free open source digital materials for instructional use. Denton said that although SWC is late to the textbook issue, it could learn from others’ mistakes. “There are no quick solutions,” he said. “As more and more schools start using digital solutions and working out the kinks, those will be things coming to us. Realistically, look forward to it in about 18 months.”
Parking: Residents call for ban on student parking on streets of College Estates Continued from Page A1
asked residents about designated t-mark parking spaces painted alongside the curb to maintain order. Residents, however, do not agree it would solve the issue. Mark Appleget said students should already know how to park. “I don’t appreciate our neighborhood turning into a parking lot,” he said. “My God, what’s next? Are we going to have parking meters in front of our houses?” Many residents said $40 parking permits at SWC are driving students away from campus lots and into their neighborhood. Residents asked the college to end fees and the city to ban students parking in neighborhoods. SWC President Dr. Melinda Nish said the fee is used for maintenaince and campus security. “The revenue from the parking permits is all used to maintain the parking lots and to maintain enforcement and escorts to the parking lots,” she said. Nish said the college will offer two weeks of free parking at the start of the spring semester in order to discourage residential parking. She said administration is looking at other ways to fund maintenance. “We’re trying to look at that as well,” she said, “and trying to understand if we have enough general fund money that would be diverted away from classrooms and faculty and teaching.” Campus Police Chief Michael Cash said that despite the $40 fee and Proposition R construction that has eliminated some of the most convenient parking spaces, students are still buying parking permits. “We are utilizing the parking,” he said. “Last year I think we sold over 4,000 parking permits.” Cash also said campus police patrol the residential area two to three hours a day, but the department lacks manpower to extend the enforcement. College Estates resident Catherine Rochat said she is concerned about safety and has endured confrontational students. A real estate agent, Rochat said students have damaged the property value of her home and throughout the neighborhood due to all the disturbances, speeding and raucous behavior. “I can’t list my house for the same price I could list a house for blocks up the street,” she said. Commission Member Rodney Caudillo said hearing residential complaints made him re-consider establishing t-marks in the neighborhood. “This is a multi-system problem,” he said. “There needs to be two or three things that probably should be implemented simutaniously to try to alleviate this problem.” Members of the commission said they understood residents’ objections to the t-mark parking spaces in front of homes and instead voted to study the possibility of a residential parking district that would require permits. Violators would be ticketed and fined. City staff agreed to meet with residents again prior to making arecommendation to the city council.
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The Southwestern College Sun
VIEWPOINTS
Winter Edition—Volume 58, Issue 3
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
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sexual assault an epidemic on college campuses
Anna Pryor MANAGING EDITOR
Colin Grylls SENIOR STAFF
Lina Chankar Serina Duarte
NEWS
Jaime Pronoble, editor Asjia Daniels, assistant
VIEWPOINTS
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The Issue: Since 2011 SWC has made progress establishing honesty and transparency.
editorial
Our Position: A looming policy modification could start the college back towards darkness.
Policy modification will say much about college Four years ago this month a revolution crashed over Southwestern College like a 50-foot winter swell on the North Shore of Hawaii. Citizens of the South County took back their college from a criminal governing board and administration that was in short order charged with nearly 100 felonies and misdemeanors for corruption. Raj Chopra and his inner circle of crooks were swept away and four years of abuse, sexual misconduct, thievery, secrecy and misanthropy were brushed aside. SWC is, without a doubt, a better place now than it was in 2010, but that is not good enough. Alabama and Mississippi are better today than they were before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but only an idiot would think that racism and discrimination have gone away. Our nation is better now, but has a long way to go. SWC also has a long way to go. A long, long way to go. We are still a low-income, lowachieving campus with too many employees in all ranks who are sleepwalking to their next paycheck and counting the days to retirement. Worse yet, many of those people are Chopra appointees who got their positions through fealty rather than merit. The Nader, Hernandez, Aguilar/Peraza board came in guns blazing and chased away nearly two dozen crooks, bullies, incompetents and sloths. Bravo to them! We wish, however, that they would have finished the job. Chopra people are clogging Southwestern College’s progress like cholesterol clogs arteries. Too many Chopristas never got the memo that SWC is trying to become a transparent, open and honest institution of higher learning. Too many of the Old Guard are fighting the movement toward the light and trying to wrestle the college back into another Age of Darkness. Dean of Student Services Mia McClellan is one example of this problem. Like the Russian apparatchiks who clung to communism and the White Southerners who resisted Civil Rights for all, McClellan just cannot seem to move into the post-pay for play era with the rest of us. Though it would be silly and shrill to compare her and other laconic employees to
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Chopra, Alioto and Chartier, she is a perfect example of what is wrong with this college. McClellan, like too many other folks in the Student Services building, does not seem to give a rat’s rear end about serving students. Or protecting students. Or educating students. Or letting students do their jobs. Right now McClellan has a rare chance to prove us wrong and do the right thing. Early indications are, however, that she will once again blow it. Earlier this semester when McClellan had her personal attack dogs -- the campus police -- chase journalism students out of a grievance hearing they had the right to attend (that they had been invited to attend) she cited a screwball campus policy that said grievance hearings were private. Except that is not what it said. It actually said that students had the right to invite witnesses into the hearing and in this case the grieving student invited journalists to witness the meeting. McClellan later amended her story to say that the policy was vague and that she had the power to interpret it. We will grant her the part about the policy being shabbily written, but her claim that she has more power that the Ralph M. Brown Open Meetings Act is a gross overreach. In the United States citizens are allowed to watch their government in action. We are allowed to watch trials and court proceedings – including murder trials, rape trials and government corruption trials. Sorry, but there is nothing, not one thing, that happens at SWC student grievance hearings anywhere remotely as important or as controversial as the hearings and trials that happen every week in our municipal, state and federal courts. And guess what? Those are all open to the public. McClellan has brought the policy in question to the powerful SWC Shared Consultation Council, a large committee formed after Chopra’s departure to take a stab at Shared Governance. College President Dr. Melinda Nish is laying down some cover fire for McClellan by saying that she asked the Queen of Darkness to modify the student grievance policy for the sake of clarity. Sometimes very small things have enormous please see UNSIGNED pg. A6
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Sexual assault should not be part of the college experience. For 25 percent of women, however, it is. In higher education an astonishing one of every four women will be raped or sexually assaulted during their college career, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). While the number seems high, the sickening reality is that the number is very likely much higher. Tens of thousands of sexual assault incidents at American colleges and universities go unreported. Only 5 percent of assaults are reported to the authorities, according to the NSVRC. Men and women are reluctant to report assaults because the process can feel long, arduous and futile. Victims of assault face a wall between them and justice. Nearly 42 percent of victims said they did not report because they were afraid of others knowing, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. While it may seem like a superficial reason not to report a crime, the reality is that victims often lose friends or become outcasts. Victims are often told by their friends not to report cases or they will be known as “that” girl among peers. Victims are often uninformed and 35 percent said they did not know what qualified as rape. What most fail to realize is that rape does not have to be violent or done by someone the victim is unfamiliar with. Most rape victims know their assailants, which can be a boyfriend or friend. Victims may lack the confidence that police will believe them, especially if the case involves alcohol or a known attacker. Victims too often have their credibility attacked, their sexual history probed and judgment questioned. “He said-she said” scenarios await many victims. If the victim feels she will not be taken seriously, she may feel there is no point in reporting her case. These fears are not far fetched. Out of every 100 reports, only three people will be convicted. Where students go to report assault is also unclear. Some campuses handle rape and sexual assault internally, while others refer it to outside authorities. Rape and sexual assault are felony cases and should be treated as such. Overmatched administrators and undertrained campus security too often botch sexual assault cases and re-victimize the victims. College campuses need to take responsibility to educate their students about sexual assault. Jeffrey Bucholz’s brilliant “Men Against Rape” seminars are a good start. Education needs to be clear and preventative. Consequences for assailants must be more than just a slap on the wrist for attackers. Southwestern College has slapped a lot of wrists and let a lot of dangerous students back on campus. Victims suffer more punishment by a grueling process and have to endure empty-eyed school employees, lazy campus police and negligent administrators. Studies show that when a college provides more education on sexual assault, the number of reports increases. Students and parents should encourage education and encourage students to report attacks. Rolling Stone magazine’s faulty article about rape at the University of Virginia is a setback. Now rapists and sexual predators feel safer. Sexual assault victims will have to jump higher hurdles. Some people will be slow to believe them and victims will be more hesitant to report crimes. On the other hand, while the UVA story was retracted, it forced UVA and other universities with legitimate problems to face them. SDSU and UCSD have investigated and suspended their fraternities. No one deserves to be raped, especially in the place they chose as their college. SWC has been asleep at the wheel for way too long and has a very sorry record of minimalizing and ignoring legitimate reports of sexual assault, sexual misconduct and bullying of women. This institution needs to straighten up and join the 21st century. Sexual assault on college campuses needs to end now.
Alyssa may be reached at sexandthesun@theswcsun.com
VIEWPOINTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Winter Edition — Vol. 58, Issue 3
A5
Guest Opinion
Waterless urinals stink, should be taken out
Michelle Phillips/Staff
Financial aid needs flexibility Jennalisa Esquivel A Perspective
While the government steps in to provide financial support for some students, others are left in the dust. Disabled students often choke on the dust. Financial aid is there to assist ambitious students who need support so they can accomplish their educational goals. Students in Southwestern College’s Disability Su p p o r t Se r v i c e s a l s o d e s e r ve support. Esther Sakhi of SWC’s DSS said the federal Financial Aid Program should do more to help DSS students. “I was also a DSS student and I know the struggle,” she said. “DSS students deserve more help. If there were something to help out more I would be all for it.” Many DSS students are prevented from striving for their goals due to government financial aid regulations. A disability is beyond the control of the student and no student intends to do poorly, yet
many DSS students are penalized for taking too many classes. Fi n a n c i a l a i d d o e s n o t h a v e p ro g r a m s s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r D S S certified students. DSS students who qualify for financial aid will only receive it if they complete 12 units each semester in a passing grade of A, B or C. Managing 12 units per semester is not feasible for some students. Financial aid programs are funded by the federal government and the state of California. Students are required to follow their regulations and the college cannot make allowances like EOPS is able to. Government financial aid programs need the flexibility to implement services for students who are DSS certified. EOPS regulations require students to enroll in at least six units, compared to 12 for state or federal financial aid. DSS at Southwestern College provides counseling, test proctoring and personal development classes to students with disabilities to help
them achieve academic success. These services are helpful, but not always helpful enough to students with financial needs. SWC’s EOPS provides students with book services, emergency loans and career assistance. EOPS accepts students with a DSS certificate enrolled in a minimum of six units rather than the usual 12. When students have more time to focus on fewer classes, they are more likely to have higher grades and pass rates. EOPS allows them extra time. Disabled students deser ve to be treated with respect. There needs to be a way for a student in DSS to receive more support, even if it requires changing federal regulations. EOPS can be flexible, so can financial aid rules. Financial aid exists, in its own words, to “assist students who might otherwise be unable to continue their education due to financial hardship and by working together.” Unfortunately for disabled students, the words ring hollow.
Southwestern College has installed waterless urinals in most of the men’s restrooms. This was, pardon the pun, a decision that stinks. Water saving figures are debatable because there are no water meters in the men’s room, but the odor is not. Our men’s restrooms are disgusting and contribute to the perception that SWC is becoming a ghetto college. In other places around the nation waterless urinals are being removed because of the odor and damage to the pipes from undiluted urine. Waterless urinals rely on filters to block the odor of urine and the sewer beyond. Regular urinals use about one gallon of water per flush. This water drains into the sewer pipe and the water trap blocks the odor. Waterless urinals have no way to trap the odor. The Waterless Company’s website claims its urinals “save on average 20,000-40,000 gallons of water a year.” But at what cost? Dr. Melissa Conrad Stoppler wrote in medicinenet that urine has an ammonia odor because of the food we eat. Certain medications may change the smell of urine, too. Diseases such as bacteria from urinary tract infections, give urine a foul-smelling odor. Urine, after being released by the body, cultures bacteria and decomposes quickly, which increases odor. Waterless devices retain urine, creating an environment that helps bacteria multiply, resulting in offensive odors. Attorney Shari Sharipo said the foul odor from waterless urinals has led to legal disputes because building codes have not been updated to the new green standards of Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED). A green building certification program, LEED recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices including reduce water use. Sharipo wrote in the blog greenbuildingslaw that throughout America waterless urinals are being torn out because of restroom odor and putrid scale buildups in drainage pipes. Most (but not all) SWC bathrooms are
equipped with air vents and fans to move the odors outside. Building designers calculated the ventilation in restrooms according to the bathroom size, the number of sanitary units, and the number of users of watered urinals. When SWC installed waterless urinals plumbers ignored the need to recalculate the size of ventilation equipment in those restrooms. Consequently, odor is an obvious problem now. Savings in water costs are offset by the other expenses associated with waterless urinals. Chemicals for these urinals include sealer, primer and cleaner which sell for $75 a gallon and harm the environment. One of the two plumbers at SWC said he is not in favor of the waterless system. “The selling point was the 40,000 gallons of water,” he said. James Krug, CEO of Falcon-Waterfree Technologies and former Disney Channel vice president, said the waterless urinal is a good business invention because after every 7,000 uses the urinal requires a new cartridge that sells for about $40. In 2007 the U.S. Army contracted for waterless urinals in all its new construction, but later suffered problems with plumbing. The City of Chicago ordered all zero water urinals removed because concentrated urine caused severe damage to plumbing pipes at City Hall and the O’Hara International airport. Zero water urinals corrode pipes easily and are not made to handle coffee and carbonated drinks. SWC installed 30 new waterless urinals a year ago. These devices are a health risk because many are stopped up with urine and the odor is horrendous. Urinating at SWC requires a nose clip. This college needs either new ventilation systems for restrooms or a return to the water flush urinals. -Guillermo Ramirez SWC Student
Letter to the Editor
It is time for the United States to pass the Human Rights Act This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Civil Rights Act, time to pass Human Rights Act. After centuries of struggle and a shameful history of the treatment of our African American brothers and sisters and other people of color, the Civil Rights Act was signed in 1964. This act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion or sexual orientation. It outlawed unequal application of voter registration and racial segregation in our schools and workplace among other issues. 50 years later I ask, is the civil rights act being honored? Time to pass the Human Rights Act. We see discrimination based on race, color, religion and sexual orientation practiced daily. Just ask any of the Central American refugee children that were stopped in Murrieta by the local mayor and Murrieta police, just ask any African Americans living in Ferguson, Missouri, ask any Muslim living in this country today or any gay if they feel discrimination is outlawed. I can guarantee that these groups and more will tell you that discrimination is very much alive and well in their respective communities and in many cases discrimination and hate crimes are worse than ever. What we need to pass now is a Human Rights Act, as we can not tell the world how we feel they should act,
while we separate mothers from their children and deport people in record numbers. Tell neighboring countries to get along yet build a wall on our Southern border that has killed more than 10,000 people in the last 20 years of Operation Gatekeeper. Tell the world we practice religious freedom, yet claim certain faiths are superior to others, say that Gays shall not be discriminated against, unless they try to form a family. Only allow “certain people to vote” in Texas or go to school in Arizona. Human Rights are Human Rights, regardless of the color of your skin, faith or sexual orientation. Are those of us of color held to a different standard than the white majority? Just ask our President. When have you ever had a Presidents place of birth or religion questioned, had a member of Congress yell out, YOU LIE or had more than three times attempts on his life than our previous Presidents, just ask our current President Obama? Could it possibly have something to do with his race? No doubt. As he stated to me and a select group during a phone call last year, “Before we were US, we were them” Yet many people in this great country conveniently forget, that centuries ago, their families were the day laborers, the ones living in the shadows, the ones being discriminated against and the ones
doing the work nobody else would do. When their forefathers and foremothers came, there was no legal versus illegal immigration, people just came. They also came looking for a better life. Today’s migrants also are looking for a better life, but they have no line to get into, there are no visas for them, no “legal” way to come. “Why do they not speak our language or assimilate immediately, send them back to their countries ?” That was Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of this country speaking about German immigrants here in the US (the “Germanization” of this country). In our lifetimes we have never heard there are too many Germans here, but there was a time. There was a time there were too many Irish, too many Italians, too many Polish, too many Chinese... Now they say there are too many Mexicans, too many Central Americans, it was wrong to discriminate yesteryear and it is even more wrong today. We need a Human Rights Act. A society is judged on how we treat our children and so far, our nation is not doing a good job and the whole world is watching. Join us as we practice that only love can overcome hate and light overcome darkness. Love, si se puede. -Enrique Morones Executive Director/Founder Border Angels
Michelle Phillips/Staff
Give religious solicitors a break and a chance Brian del Carmen A Perspective
“Let me talk to you about religion” is a phrase that evokes revulsion from many who hear it at Southwestern College. Eyes avert. Paths change. Paces quicken. “Not now.” People pass by religious solicitors without acknowledging their existence. Some would sooner spit in their faces than stop and converse with them. But they keep trying. Persisting after so much rejection is admirable. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons and Hare Krishna are three organizations associated with religious solicitation. These organizations are criticized by the public and for trying to help others. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus charges his followers to “make disciples of people of all nations.” Hare Krishna, more accurately the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, spread their Hindu teachings with the ultimate goal set by their founder of “achieving real unity and peace in the world.” At their core, religious solicitors are people trying to help others. People may not like the method, but they should not look down on the attempt. Solicitation has a negative side. Fringe groups like the Westboro Baptist Church do exist and the suffering they bring to those they solicit is real. Protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers with children holding signs that read “Pray for More Dead Soldiers” helps no one. Organizations like these are rare.
Judgment of the whole based on the few is unjust. Religious solicitation receives the same response as solicitation of any other kind. If the people approached are interested they will respond positively and if they are not they will be immediately annoyed. On a college campus, organized religion is a hard sell, like selling gym memberships at a Krispy Kreme. College is a time of experimentation and self-discovery. Students may seek spirituality, but not religion. They are the wrong demographic to advertise messages about faith. Students attend college to improve their minds and build careers. They have no time for preaching. Perhaps they should make time. By learning new things in school students gladly embrace indoctrination of a different variety. History, economics and science are discussed freely on campus and nobody blinks an eye. History is based on educated guesses based on the source materials available. Economics is a system that in light of the financial turmoil and imbalance of the past decade seems to have no basis in reality. Science is a vast desert of theories with oases of laws. All of these things, it could be argued, appear to be part of faith-based systems. Faith is the belief in something that cannot be quantifiably proven. In scientific terms, religion is just another hypothesis. Stop and listen. Treat religious solicitors on campus with the same compassion that they are trying to share with others.
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Kasey Thomas, editor
VIEWPOINTS
Winter Edition — Vol. 58, Issue 3
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: viewpoints@theswcsun.com
Publishers are 21st century bandits Martin Loftin A Perspective
Instructors often get criticism for assigning textbooks they wrote, but the bigger villains are textbook publishers. It is usually not the instructor taking advantage of their students, but the publishing industry. Textbooks have become incredibly expensive and publishers have only made it harder for students to afford their course materials by making it so students have to constantly buy new editions and online keys. Used books, those crumpled and dog-eared manuscripts of higher learning, are more rare than white rhinos. Book publishers have hunted them to the brink of extinction because they cannot make money off them. Publishers will always make more than the writers, who are lucky to get 10 percent of sales in royalties. Most textbooks can earn their authors from 6 to 10 percent in royalties. So for even the most expensive textbooks —the $200-$300 beasts—might only receive $20-$50 per textbook sold. Thankfully, most textbooks only cost around $40. Though it is easier to blame an instructor for an expensive book rather than an unseen publisher, it is not the instructor’s fault that many textbooks cost an arm and a leg…and a torso and a head. While some provide free files of their book, other instructors go the distance to alleviate the cost of textbooks by providing their students with photocopies of the relevant information. Not all textbooks are created equal and an instructor might be compelled to write a book that more accurately
fits the course material. Instructors have a right to choose their course material and in some cases their own work works best. If an instructor can craft a tome that fits his course, then it would be more valuable than a textbook that has chapters-worth of dead weight. It is completely legal for instructors to assign textbooks that they will earn royalties from, but many colleges have rules to remove any tint of impropriety. Some colleges require permission from the dean, school president or depar tment c h a i r
Asjia Daniels A Perspective
Self-internalized racism damages U.S. minorities
Spike Lee is right. “Post-racial” America is “bull****.” Racism, unfortunately, too often comes from people of color tormenting themselves. Internalized racism is the rejection of one’s native ethnicity and culture. Racism manifests itself in ethnic communities that have historically been subjected to violence and
domination. Poverty and oppression of the past have damaged present-day people of color. Through negative, stereotyped media images and acculturation by authority figures, ethnic minorities are conditioned to believe that they are stupid, lazy, violent and unfit to exist in mainstream society. As negative attributes are assigned to people of color and positive attributes to whites, minorities learn as children
Thinking Out Loud
Murquita Shorts, 24, Child Development “Those people are pretty ruthless. It’s like you’re walking to class and someone comes up to you. It’s just a lot of talk and time wasting.”
Michelle Phillips/Staff
Abstinence: sometimes less really is more
Nick Briceno/Staff
Alan Luna A Perspective
before an instructor can assign their own work, and others make the instructors donate their royalties to charities or otherwise give away the money. An instructor that is both an expert in the subject and a good writer should write textbooks. Whether they actually make their students buy the book is a different matter. Publishers commit highway robbery by using unfair tactics that make textbook rentals and used books obsolete. An instructor who wants a clear conscience will go the extra mile to make sure that their textbook is not an excuse for publishers to take advantage of their students.
Julio Calderon, 22, Biotechnology “They are annoying and bothersome.”
of their race’s misfortunes due to their skin color. Within Latino communities mothers and grandmothers swoon over which of their offspring is the whitest and the “loveliest,” the ones with green eyes and blonde hair, all the while muttering indio and prieto to their moreno descendants. “Whiter” individuals are often given preferential treatment by their peers. In African-American communities the brown paper bag test of the 20 th century is a sore memory. Creoles were accepted to church or society only if their skin was lighter than a brown paper bag. One hundred years earlier, the lighter skinned slaves were employed as the house slaves, while the darker skinned slaves suffered in the fields. Darker skinned African Americans and Latinos often resent the preferential treatment, and labeling lighter skinned individuals as race traitors, Uncle Toms, and pochos. De s t r u c t i ve r a c i a l a t t i t u d e s damage the cohesion of ethnic communities. Darker children often grow up hating their skin because it is the most plausible explanation in their developing minds for their mistreatment. Internalized racism damages children, causing feelings of inferiority and resentment that follow them throughout their lives. People of every race should be taught that their color is beautiful, no matter the shade. Until then, the cycle of self-hatred continues.
There are plenty of fish in the sea, but that doesn’t mean you have to sleep with all of them. Abstinence a term misunderstood. Portrayed disparagingly in films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” abstinence can appear entertaining, making fun of those who decide to wait for sex until marriage. Abstinence is commonly practiced in religion due to biblical passages interpreted to say that a man and woman will consummate upon marriage. Celibacy is also a common practice, so is a modified form of abstinence where one has engaged in sex but then chooses to wait for marriage. Regardless of the motivation, abstinence creates boundaries and respect between partners. It is common for a woman who engages in sexual activity to be labeled “whore” or “slut.” For these reasons now more than ever, women go to abstinence or even celibacy to avoid rejection, harassment and to find a trustworthy partner who is interested in more than just physical gratification. Some say that a healthy relationship cannot exist without sex. This may be true, but if the foundation of relationships only consists of sex, then that is bleak, shallow
Unsigned: Policy should support transparency Continued from Page A4
symbolic value. This is one of them. Principles are vastly more important than issues. McClellan may be all worked up about her little student grievances, her tiny little ASO and her insignificant corner of the world in the corner of the Cesar Chavez building. But her fight to hang on to her little fiefdom pales in importance to the principle at stake here. Our college must continue to move in the direction of freedom of information, transparency and democracy. Nish, McClellan and SCC
and pitiful. It is not necessary to have sex with everyone we are interested in to find the one who will accept us for better or worse. Sex appeal is temporary, character endures. Thankfully, more teens are considering other outlets. Surveys conducted by the National Center for Health during 2006-2010 concluded that most teens today are practicing abstinence. In the most recent study, 72 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls between the ages of 15-17 have never had sexual intercourse. Today’s media outlets portray the nihilistic idea that once sex happens there is no need to stick around afterward. Shaming and embarrassing those who make the decision to abstain and find what they seek in a partner other than sexual prowess is not something to laugh at, but something that should be respected. Abstinence dispels lewdness and simple physical attraction, leaving behind a human being. Human beings are more than just sex. Emotion character and moral define people more than sex ever could. Instead of hiding behind sex to compensate for interaction between people, abstinence can bring forth character and respect for not just others but also oneself. Our future selves will thank us when we hold off on sleeping with Mr. Right Now and wait for Mr. Right.
should be making the dark and mysterious world of student affairs more open, not less. If they fail it is up to our governing board to be the final safety net and to vote down any policies that reduce transparency, access and democracy. College employees like McClellan need to get in line with the new direction Southwestern College is headed or ask for an early retirement option. No one person (or one department) should be allowed to sully the reputation of this college any more. Enough! Ya basta! Sapat! This is now an honest, open and crimefree campus – or at least it is supposed to be.
How do you feel about solicitors on campus?
Wa lt e r B a r to n , 2 1 , Architecture “If they were polite, then I guess they’re all right. But if they are persistent and asking for money, then no.”
Maria Morette, 43, Accounting “As long as it’s school related. If it has something to do with us, it’s fine, like voting. But if it’s just some random person asking for money, then I have a problem with it.”
Jose Ramirez, 19, Criminal Justice “I’ve only encountered the religious people on campus with their booths.. They have the freedom to do anything. I don’t mind.”
Winter Edition — Volume 58, Issue 3
The Southwestern College Sun
CAMPUS
Tough mother ‘Too girly’ veteran proves her family wrong, returns from Afghanistan to help other veterans deal with college, civilian life By Luz Aurora Aramburo Staff Writer
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car ride changed her life. It was 2007 and 21-yearold Christina Batiz worked as a hostess and a To-Go specialist at Olive Garden to save up for a car. Careless and running on fumes, it was on a journey home from work that a friend – who had given her a ride – first planted the seed for her future. “You’re crazy,” she initially said to herself. “I’m not joining the army, stupid.” A promise of change and adventure eventually persuaded her to enlist. Her family tried to dissuade her. “The day I signed up they kept calling me, leaving voicemails not to do it,” Batiz said. “Saying that I was crazy, that I can’t do it because I’m too girly. And I was like ‘I’m still gonna do it,’ and I did.” Batiz is now 29, a veteran, and a community, urban and economic development major at SWC. She is part of the debate team and the Student Veterans’ Organization. She is the single mother to four-year-old Mia Juliana. Batiz was born in Los Alamitos, but lived most of her life in Chula Vista. Unlike other military branches, where soldiers specialize in a specific field, the Army National Guard gave her sundry responsibilities. She did secretarial work, went on border missions, worked in public relations
and even took part in some police work during wildfires. Batiz was deployed in Bagram Air field, Afghanistan in 2009 for five months and served as a supply specialist. Her unit was in charge of “detainee operations.” Ergo: they were prison guards. Before the military Batiz never considered herself “girly.” This quickly changed during bootcamp, she said. “I just wanted to have my hands and my face washed!” she recalled. Joking aside, Batiz said she quickly realized that being a woman in the military was not going to be easy. In a culture that has historically excluded them, women now make up more than 15 percent of military personnel. The military is still male dominated, Batiz said, and the increased inclusion has changed little. “Men are going to be men no matter where they are,” she said. “They say nasty things and they have nasty jokes, and they are going to talk like men. It doesn’t matter if you’re there, your lady card has been withdrawn.” In the military women were not required to be as physically fit as men, Batiz said, but that did not mean they were not expected to carry the same emotional burdens. “We are not physically as strong as men, but we are definitely just as mentally tough as they are,” she said. “There are plenty of women in the please see Batiz pg.A8
Courtesy Photo WOMAN WARRIOR — Christina Batiz arrives at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in 2009.
New debaters score upset victory By Mason Masis Campus Editor
buildings, which are modeled after Paramount Studios. Alumni include Ron Howard (“Apollo 13,” “The Da Vinci Code”) George Lucas (“Star Wars”) and John Singleton (“Boys n the Hood,” “Rosewood”). Heritage
D a v i d b e a t G o l i a t h , Tr u m a n beat Dewey and Leon Spink beat Muhammad Ali. Now a pair of first-time SWC debaters beat six teams from four large universities. In the pantheon of great upsets, Molly Johnson and Samantha Uribe pulled off one for the ages. International studies major Johnson, 20, and psychology major Uribe, 21, took first place in their division at the CSU Northridge Robert Barbara Invitational Competition. Johnson also took first and Uribe fourth in the top speaker award competition. SWC’s persuasive pair defeated Arizona State in the quarterfinals, Sacramento State in the semi-finals
please see USC pg.A9
please see Debate pg.A9
Mirella Lopez/Staff
University tours a $5 student bargain By Brenda Gregorio-Nieto Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES — Southwestern College students did not need a Trojan horse to lay siege to the Trojans of University of Southern California. All they needed was the SWC Transfer
Center and $5. Students skipped the giant horse and arrived at USC by bus. Morning began with informational presentations that explained the transfer process. Students visited landmarks such as the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library and the USC School of Cinematic Arts
Jose Luis Baylon
Bonds link people in many surprising ways
WHEN IN ROME — Dr. Teresa Russell conducts the SWC Concert Choir with the Roma Sinfonetta Orchestra at the Saint Ignatius Basilica in Rome. Story: theswcsun.com/when-in-rome
SOCAL IS SO COOL — SWC computer science majors John Mina (l) and Stanley Johnson search USC for the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library. USC was ranked the 11th best computer science college in the world by the Institute of Higher Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
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Attention! Eyes to the front of the line. Ready. March! Social science has dominated the fancy of social media syndicates around the world by statistically dividing the flavors of different social groups, outcomes and even predictions of people worldwide. Groups or fractions come together like a Beatles song. Families, friends, military and work are all denominations of groups. Groups can be divided into smaller fractions and give them more identity and characteristics if you want, but it remains a group. When you form connections with people, it instantly starts activating the meaning or the purpose behind “why” you are close to them. It is bonding. Like animals, humans do the same form of courtship for social acceptance. Everyone wants to belong. What you want to belong to, though, is a whole different story. CNN digital correspondent Kelly Wallace wrote a column about mean girls getting younger. She was celebrating at her daughter’s 9th birthday party when she realized some of the children treated each other with obnoxious, snarky, catty attitudes. Wallace opened up the issue with Rosalind Wiseman, author of the book “Queenbees and WannaBees” which inspired the Tina Fey film “Mean Girls.” Wiseman surmised that young girls are influenced by entertainment and its presentation of young girls with attitudes which portray the worst of stereotypical girl behaviors. These negative portrayals become a “normal” way to act for young girls who watch them. The key word is “normal.” For humans, coming into normalization is part of being accepted into a group. When you form part of the norm, you fit into the clique. Sometimes, however, there are people who are anti-conformist who do not want to be part of any groups. Mavericks. Lone wolfs. Jonathan Touboul, of the Mathematical Neuroscience Laboratory at the College of France, came up with a math formula he called The Hipster Effect. Touboul concluded that even hipsters – who swear to their own vanity that they are unique and nonidentifiable with anyone else – do in fact look like other people who share the medium of their tastes. Touboul made the hipsters into a bubble on a 3D x and y plot graph. He made the contributing force of the hipsters rise against the swarm of mainstream media in the graph and the result was that any trend identifying themselves as anti-anything will always gravitate within itself. It is easy to spot a hipster because they all look the same. Touboul’s formulas also apply to Libyan revolutionaries. In 2011 Oxford University and the University of Texas at Austin researchers interviewed 179 civilians-turned-fighters who helped to form local battalions to fight dictator Mohamar Gaddafi. Researchers introduced the term “identity fusion” a visceral, family-like sense of unity. Libyans formed “bands of brothers.” During the Arab Spring younger soldiers reported being fused with their battalion like family. Those who fought in frontline formed extremely tight bonds with their battalions. Identity fusion. Bonding. Likeminded masses. Social bonds are formed by all of those factors. All forms of life gather together to make something out of themselves. Especially humans. Jose Luis may be reached at plutotoplato@theswcsun.com
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Winter Edition — Vol. 58, Issue 3
Mason Masis, editor
CAMPUS
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: campus@theswcsun.com
Auto club connects enthusiast
Batiz: War veteran, mom now battles for grades at SWC Continued from pg. A7
By David White Staff Writer
Out of sight and out of mind, Southwestern College’s automotive department is like a vintage Ford Mustang. Secluded high on a hill overlooking the college, automotive technology offers a range of courses that teach basic tune-ups to complete engine overhauls. Enthusiastic automotive technology students created the Jaguar Automobile Club (for the college, not the English luxury car). SWC has not had an auto club for many semesters, said Marcus Faugno, a founding club member. Now it is back, he said, and ready to race for pinks. “This club has helped me find my passion,” he said. “Automotive is my life.” Auto Club members come from all walks of life, said Faugno, and the only requirement is loving cars. Members meet twice a week to discuss fund raising and automotive projects that they would like to take on. The club hosts BBQs throughout the semester to help generate funds and often sells drinks, tacos and nachos along Jaguar Walk. Member Audrey Jackson said car enthusiasm is a virus they all share. “It’s a good opportunity to socialize with people who have the same interests,” she said. “We have a chance to learn from each other.” One of the clubs’ largest projects is recycling an old ‘70s Volkswagon bus that has been sitting in the back of the automotive department for more than 10 years. Club President Henry Rue said in order to replace parts, students must first disassemble everything down to the nuts and bolts. Rue said the bus project will be instrumental to club members. They will learn how to repair, restore and register it, and return it to its former glory. Instructor David Preciado said the club’s co-curricular learning is vital. “The automotive club is good for students because it affords them the opportunity to continue growing and learning outside the controlled classroom learning environment,” he said. “Students are able to engage in activities of their choosing that contribute to their educational development while having fun and enjoying extra benefits like going on field trips and barbeques.” At the end of the day, Rue said, it is all about fun, coming together and appreciating cars. “If you join you’ll have a place to come to get away from class, have fun and learn about automobiles in a fun interactive way.”
David White/Staff GREASE JAGUARS — Jaguar Auto Club members disassemble donated engines and other car parts. Steel and aluminum parts are separated for recycling. The club plans to use money from recycling to fix an old Volkswagon bus.
military who could attest to that.” Regardless of training, in the battlefield, sex does do not influence assignments, she said. “The mission is not going to change because you are a girl,” Batiz said. Each servicewoman has a different experience, Batiz said. It depends on their personality and other variables. She said it is harder for competitive women, because if men feel challenged, they will try to belittle them. Marianna Cervantes, a 20-yearold US Army medic stationed in Germany, agreed. “Be strong if it’s the path you want,” she said. “Be ready to be looked down on by men, but that should motivate you more to stand out and try your hardest.” Batiz said she is not the competitive type, so it was easier for her to fit in. She said she gained her peers’ respect because of the way she handled curveballs thrown at her during her career. When she was made Humvee turret-gunner – a position feared by everyone – she did not complain. She “rolled with the punches,” did her best in whatever position she held and befriended her entire unit. Cervantes and Batiz said the brotherhood and sisterhood they felt with their military peers was a type of comradery not found in civilian friendships. After she earns an associate’s degree, Batiz plans to transfer to SDSU to major in sociology and minor in communications. Wherever life takes her, she said, she will always help veterans in any way possible. She admitted that her deployment was not rough, but said she knows many veterans who’s deployments were and require special help readjusting to civilian life. Jim Jones, a former Marine and Veterans Affairs Director for SWC, said this outreach is important because newly discharged veterans are often more lost than they think. “You’d be surprised that a lot of service members are not fully knowledgeable of what rights and benefits they’ve earned by serving in the armed forces,” he said. The VRC provides many services to help veterans readjust to civilian life, Batiz said. “That’s the one thing veterans will always have, we’ll always have each other’s back,” she said. Batiz said her most treasured lesson applies to men and women. “Have your goals set out, stick to your plan, and know that you are strong enough to achieve whatever it is that you want to do. And if there is anyone around you that thinks otherwise, get rid of them.”
Controversial filmmaker doubts Mexicans jailed narco kingpin By Alberto Calderon Staff Writer
On February 22, Mexican authorities arrested billionaire drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán in a cheap condo in Mazatlan. At least that is the official story. Details surrounding the arrest left documentarian Charlie Minn with more questions than answers. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “During his arrest not a single shot was fired. He’s a billionaire yet they found him in an $89-a-night condominium. He was known to have a 300-man security team, yet that day he only had two.” The feisty New York documentary filmmaker visited SWC to promote his “Es El Chapo?”, which played at the Regal Rancho Del Rey Cinema. “Es El Chapo?” is the third installment of Minn’s documentary trilogy on cartel-related violence in Mexico. It focuses on the suspicious circumstances surrounding the arrest of Guzmán, the most powerful and infamous narcotraficante in the world. Minn consults nine experts in his film. Each has a hypothesis to explain the puzzling arrest. But Minn said his real concern is the innocent Mexicans caught in the middle of brutal cartel violence. “There have been 120,000 people
Evan Cintron/Staff VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE — Student Genesis Hernandez Levin speaks to Professor Mark Sisson’s telemedia class. Levin was one of many SWC students who have lost loved ones to cartel violence.
killed in Mexico over the last six years,” he said. “That total exceeds Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and it hardly gets covered by the American media. The Mexican people deserve better.” In San Diego County Minn was a oneman promotional machine. He appeared on several local morning news shows and visited classes at SWC to present his film. At the end of each presentation, he asked students to stand up if they have lost a
loved one as a result of cartel violence. A handful of students stand in each classroom visited, he said, a symptom of South Bay living. Film major Vito Paul Di Stedano, 21, said he didn’t expect anyone to stand. “I was surprised by that, I shouldn’t have been, but I was,” he said. “You just wouldn’t think the cartel situation would please see Chapo pg.A9
April Abarrondo/Staff BLOOD MONEY — Charlie Minn speaks to SWC telemedia students about cartel violence, government corruption in Mexico and his new documentary.
CAMPUS
The Southwestern College Sun
USC: Students visit a world-class university for $5 Continued from pg. A7
Hall, in the center of USC’s athletic department, houses six Heisman Trophies, which students were able to touch. SWC engineer major John Mina said he enjoyed the tour and found USC humbling. “I liked looking around campus because I would just see it on TV and I’ve never been here before,” he said. “I actually go on these tours for motivation for my classes so I know that my end results of putting in work will get me to these schools.” S WC e n g i n e e r m a j o r St a n l e y Jo h n s o n a l s o s a i d t h e t o u r w a s motivating. “I liked how they broke us up into groups based on our majors and explained the appropriate application process for each, I had a better understanding of it,” he said. Sanjeev Chahal, the assistant director for the USC Office of Admissions, said he hoped the visiting students
left with a greater knowledge of the transfer process. “The main reason for the transfer information session is to make sure that transfer students understand exactly what our requirements are and so that they are aware of what USC has to offer,” he said. USC receives nearly 9,000 transfer applications every year. Only about 28 percent are accepted, said Chahal. USC offers campus tours five days a week, but offers the transfer information sessions once a week. USC’s Office of Admissions provides transfer students with valuable information and helping hands they need in order to transfer, Chahal said. “There are hundreds of people who can make sure that transition is smooth and make sure (students) are taking the courses they need,” he said. Melody Valencia, student services specialist the SWC Transfer Center, said her team has hosted several tours. “ We want students to get the exposure to different options outside of San Diego,” she said. “We are constantly pushing them to think outside the box and to not just apply locally.” SWC usually hosts two campus
Winter Edition — Vol. 58, Issue 3
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Mirella Lopez/Staff TROJAN HORSING AROUND — Administration of justice major Armando Ivan Ayon (l) and automotive technician major Chris Heydelaar make the traditional USC Trojan V-for-victory hand sign during tour of the famous university.
tours a semester, said Valencia. “The price is unbeatable,” she said. Valencia said SWC received positive feedback from the tours. “Students who are inspired found
their school through these campus tours,” she said. “It motivates them. By seeing SWC students attending universities it shows (others that) they can.”
Photos by April Abarrondo ARGUABLY THE BEST – Molly Johnson (top) took the best speaker award at the Robert Barbara Invitational Competition at CSU Fullerton. Samantha Uribe placed fourth.
Debate: Winners receive accolades, scholarship offers Continued from pg. A7
Anna Pryor/Staff BAD SEED — David Sanchez, president of the Sustainable Research Alliance club, watches “GMO OMG,” a film about the dangers of genetically modified organisms. SRA and ASO leaders have asked the college president to promote healthier food offerings.
Sustainable Research Alliance tackles GMOs
By Anna Pryor Editor-in-chief
We are what we eat. Opponents of GMOs are well aware of that and do not want to embody t h e c o n t r ov e r s i a l genetically modified organisms. GMOs are the result of a process where genes from Sanchez a species DNA are taken out and inserted into a plant or animal, according to the Institute for Responsible Technology. “ Fo re i g n g e n e s m a y c o m e f ro m bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or
even humans,” according to an IRT white paper. GMOs are present in many processed foods, fruits and vegetables. Companies are not currently required to label when they are used. Only organic foods are prohibited from using GMOs. SWC’s Sustainable Research Alliance (SRA) is a student club concerned with the prevalence of GMOs in food products. SRA hosted a screening of the documentary “GMO OMG,” a father’s exploration of the food his children consume. SRA President David Sanchez said he watched the movie on his own and decided it was important to share with the club. SRA’s goal is to raise
awareness among SWC students on GMOs. Members plan to approach the governing board next semester about the lack of healthy and organic food choices in the campus cafeteria, Sanchez said. “It would be great to get the support from the college and have organic options available on campus,” he said. Sanchez said club member Ambar Guido has been key in the club’s interest to learn more about GMOs and pushing to reform campus cafeteria food. “This semester she’s a senator at the ASO, so that helps a lot as well because she’s also trying to help us push the cafeteria issue to the governing board,” he said. Guido said she eats organic as often as possible, but it is difficult at SWC when
Club is all business, but fun, too By Adriana Heldiz Online Editor
Entrepreneurship is no longer a backyard project, but a stepping-stone into the world of business. Southwestern College students got a chance to understand this concept through an interactive workshop hosted by SWC’s business club. The event attracted dozens of students interested in star ting their own business and gave them a chance to network with those already in the industry. Along with speakers that have been in the industry for several years, students also got to hear from a current San Diego State University student who began her own online jewelry business. Several speakers spoke about their own experiences and answered audience questions. Advisor Elisabeth Shapiro said the panel’s answers gave a closer look into the process of beginning a small business venture. “People were really engaged,” she said. “They were asking really great questions that were really involved.” Franklin Monzon, a Biology major,
William Bird/Courtesy GOOD FOR BUSINESS – Business Club advisor Professor Elizabeth Shapiro kicks off the business workshop.
thought the 19 year-old speaker was a hit. “That was something that a lot of people in this college could relate to,” he said. “We’re around the same age and we’re kind of in the same or similar situations.” Guest speakers did not give a certain guideline as to how one should start their business, instead they used their own experiences to influence others. After speakers told their stories,
attendees got a chance to network with each other and professionals. Shapiro says the event did not see a lack of attention usually seen with other workshops. “When you have events that people do and students get extra credit, sometimes you see the room thinning out,” she said. “But it didn’t, it just was like rock solid, fully engaged to the very end.” Professor Elena Arteaga was invited to represented accounting at the workshop. Arteaga focused on the logistics of starting a new business. President of the Business Club, Rigo Vega felt today’s generation would benefit a lot from the workshop. “Sometimes they don’t know where to start,” he said. “We wanted to provide that.” The event was planned since last semester, Vega said. He said their success was derived from within. “We have a great marketing team,” she said. The clubs in past has also hosted resume workshops that provide the opportunity to interact with employers. They hope to create more events like this in the future.
there are so few options. ASO President Sayaka Ridley also said there is a need for healthier options. She said ASO officers have spoken to SWC President Dr. Melinda Nish about creating more options for students. “We want to do that by having more organic food,” she said. “We want variety.” SRA is looking to partner with the Biology Club to explore using the college greenhouse to grow organic food, said Sanchez. Sanchez said SRA officers plan to speak to the governing board next semester about their concerns. They are also working to inform students about GMOs.
Chapo: Filmmaker doubts authenticity of drug lord’s arrest Continued from pg. A8
spill over here. You don’t hear much about it. I guess people don’t talk about it because it’s traumatic and the media does a poor job of covering it.” Daniel Favela, 23, undecided, splits his time between San Diego and Tijuana. He said the number of students who stood did not surprise him. “For me, it wasn’t about trying to figure out if I knew anybody affected by the violence, but how many,” he said. Minn said Chula Vista was the ideal place to premiere his film. “Any opportunity I have to shine a light on the innocent Mexican people who have been murdered, I will do that,” he said. “Ninety percent of the American public is disconnected from the deaths in Mexico, but here in Chula Vista many have a very real and tragic connection. It was originally supposed to play at Horton Plaza, but I changed it at the very last minute because I felt people in Chula Vista are more engaged with the issue.”
a n d a C S U No r t h r i d g e / C S U Fullerton hybrid team for the win. Victimless crime was the theme of the competition. In the final match SWC argued that legalized marijuana would harm the Californian economy because of the current drought. SWC Forensics Director Jordan Mills said what the two young women did is almost unheard of in the debate world. “It is ver y rare for people at their first tournament to win the tournament,” he said. “That shows real talent and a real future. Normally you go to your first and you get wiped out.” Their victory surprised coaches from other schools, Mills said, in a grand way. “I had other coaches from fouryear schools coming up to me and trying to recruit them and offering scholarships after their first time ever (competing).” Johnson said she and Uribe are students in Mills’ Communications 150 class. They were only given a week’s notice, Mills said. Johnson described the competition as “terrifying” and “nerve-racking.” She said she did not think she would do well. “It was my first debate tournament, so I wasn’t expecting much,” she said. “But getting that first speaking award was really exciting.” Their last match was especially tough, Johnson said. “The final debate was tricky,” she said. “The other team already kind of knew what we were going to throw at them. So we had to think of more strategic ways to present (our argument).” Uribe attributed the win to the entire SWC debate team. Without them, she said, they would not have been prepared for their opponents’ attempts to poke holes in their argument. “Our argument was flawless because the debate team worked really hard and they really got us ready with a great case,” she said. “Any question we were asked, we had an answer right there and we were ready to defend ourselves.” Even with all the accolades, there is unfinished business, Uribe said. “Mallory and I had made a silly bet. I said ‘If I win, I’ll do floor angels,’ and she said if she won she would do the nay-nay (dance),” she said. “It was pretty funny. We were pretty excited and shocked.” So were a lot of university debaters.
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The Southwestern College Sun
SPORTS
Winter Edition—Volume 58, Issue 3
Nicholas Baltz/Staff
CAUGHT IN THE MOMENT — (l-r) State champion Amniat Olowora celebrates with her teammates Erika Gonzalez, who finished 9th, and Jasmine Vasquez who finished 85th. SWC’s women’s team finished 7th in the state.
Olowora takes championship, shatters 30-year-old record
By Evan Cintron Assistant Sports Editor
FRESNO—Amniat Olowora went to the California Cross Country Championships with great hopes. She came home the greatest ever. Ever and ever. Olowora ran away from the field and finished the 5k race in 16 minutes 59 seconds, shattering the previous state record of 17:06 set in 1984. She is the first women runner at a California community college to break the 17-minute barrier.
Sarah Apgar was the last Southwestern College woman to set a course record in 2006. Olowora said she was not aware s h e w a s o n p a c e f o r a re c o rd . “Coming to State, I just wanted to improve my time,” she said. “I wasn’t looking to place first or any position. I got 17 minutes so I am happy. Thanks to God for everything. Thanks to my coaches, coach Lynette, coach Duro and coach Babey. They have always been there for us from the start until the end.” Assistant coach Lynette Zeckua said Olowora’s work ethic propelled her to victory.
“Many people told Olowora before the race, good luck,” she said. “This is not a question of good luck, this is a question of discipline and determination. She is very responsible, that is why she is the best.” Comprised entirely of freshmen, the Lady Jags team took seventh out of 26 top California colleges and more than 100 competitors. Erika Gonzalez also cracked the top 10 and took ninth with a time of 18:31. “My goal was top 10 and I got it,” she said. “The girls that I expected to beat me today were the ones who beat me, but I
didn’t let anybody else beat me.” Jasmine Vasquez finished 85th in 20:11. Her mother, Lorena, drove 365 miles from Chula Vista to show her support. “It was a long journey, but a nice journey,” said Mrs. Vasquez. “I really wanted to be here because I know it’s really important to her. I’m very happy with Jasmine, this is hard work. To be honest, I would have been happy with any positio on of the course. A 13th place finish was disappointing for the PCAC champions. Martinez finished 18th with a time of 20:40. Ponce finished 106th in 22:03.
“I felt great for the first mile, I was leading for quite a while,” Ponce said. “I felt pretty good, but I knew I had to slow it down a little bit so I could maintain the pace. It’s a fast course, but it’s a challenging course.” Coach Dr. Duro Agbede said he has high expectations for next season’s women’s team. “We did what we came here to do today and everybody did very well,” he said. “We worked very hard these last few weeks and it paid off. Thankfully everybody that ran today is coming back.” Including the fastest college runner in state history.
Jaguars cruise to third consective bowl victory By Colin Grylls Managing Editor
Colin Grylls/Staff
PACKED HOUSE — Fans from all over San Diego County watch as Rancho Bernardo High kicker Sam Fenlason’s field goal sails wide during the CIF San Diego Section Division II finals. SWC hosted all six divisions in this year’s championships.
Renovated DeVore Stadium scores big by hosting CIF football playoffs By Colin Grylls Managing Editor
Southwestern College’s parking lots were full. Lines of honking cars blasted the eardrums of passersby. Worst of all, campus was overrun by loud and obnoxious cretins – high schoolers. Fortunately, they were not sneaking around looking to cause mischief. In fact, they were welcomed with open arms when DeVore Stadium hosted the CIF San Diego Section (CIFSDS) Football Championships. Athletic Director Terry Davis said hosting the high school football games was a great opportunity for SWC. “We think it will help us connect to the community and let them know that we are a resource,” he said. “It gives us a chance to showcase the college.” Usually held at cavernous Qualcomm Stadium, DeVore Stadium’s smaller seating capacity created a much more intimate environment. Fans nearly filled the 7,000seat stadium for most of the higher-division games and the lack of empty spaces in the stands made the crowd seem twice as loud. Rick Hubert, who attended the Open Division Championship to watch his grandson play for Helix Charter High School, said he had just one suggestion to improve the event should Southwestern host the CIFSDS finals in the future. “Give the closest team to the stadium the home field seating because the bleachers
are larger over there,” he said. “Outside of that, no (suggestions). The college is easy to find, your way in (and) your way out is obviously going to be great.” Helix had played against Oceanside High School, but because Oceanside High was the higher seed its fans were seated on the home side of the field. Helix fans completely filled the much smaller visitors side and fans were forced to stand at the top of the stands. During halftime, the announcer even asked Helix fans to pinch together in the bleachers to make more room. Aside from Helix’s seating issues, the event went off without a hitch. Courtesy carts shuttled spectators forced to park in distant lots, parking was free and SWC’s cafeteria priced the concessions much cheaper than other venues usually charge. Davis said re-opening DeVore Stadium and hosting events like the CIFSDS Championships involved a lot of trial and error. “We’re trying to get through the first year,” he said. “Everything we do this year, we’re learning from it. Things haven’t always been perfect but we’ve been able to struggle through it and make things work really well. It’s taken a lot of effort out of everyone.” One of the missteps came when Bonita Vista could. For the CIFSDS Championships, however, home teams were allowed to use the Jaguars’ locker room now that the
community college football season is over and the college’s equipment has been put in storage. El Capitan High quarterback Brad Cagle said the locker room made him speechless. “The facilities are amazing,” he said. “We walked into the locker room and just, wow.” High school football is not the final event of the year said SWC football coach Ed Carberry. The United States Naval Academy’s football team has signed a deal to practice at DeVore Stadium in the week leading up to its Poinsettia Bowl appearance against San Diego State. “We’ve got Navy,” he said. “Now once we find out who’s in the Holiday Bowl we’re going to try to get one of those teams. We have everything they need. We have a weight room, team meeting rooms, a big conference table for coaching staff, meetings, laundry – everything they need to function is right here.” Carberry also said that hosting the CIFSDS championships would do wonders for the football program. “It’s the best thing since sliced bread,” he said. “We’re just sitting here and all the best players in the county are going to come to Southwestern College. Everybody gets the same kind of players and then there’s that difference making five guys… If we get the right five then we’re going to be really dangerous for the next few years.”
Since Southwestern College was founded in 1961, the football team had never appeared in three consecutive bowl games. Until now. SWC defeated the Santa Monica Corsairs, 40-23, in the American Division Championship Bowl for its third straight bowl victory. With head coach Ed Carberry at the helm, the Jags have compiled a 29-4 record those three seasons, including this season’s 10-1 mark. Linebacker Blake Wilson was ecstatic. “First time in the school’s history we’ve even been to three bowls in a row,” he said. “To win three in a row, it’s crazy.” Trailing Santa Monica 23-21 in the fourth quarter, SWC faced firstand-goal from the seven-yard line. Quarterback Luis Perez lined up in the shotgun, flanked by running back Diego Rodriguez. Rodriguez took the handoff from Perez and sprinted towards the hole on the right side of the line, but Corsair linebacker Daveed Carter was waiting, leaving no room for Rodriguez to go around. So Rodriguez jumped over him. As Rodriguez hit the ground and ran into the end zone, DeVore Stadium exploded with energy and, though the two-point conversion failed, the Jags took a 27-23 lead with 13:46 remaining in the game. Perez said the hurdle was a pivotal moment that shifted momentum to the Jags. “That just shows you his athletic ability, to be able to jump over somebody in a split second,” he said. “These things aren’t planned out, these things happen in split seconds. I mean I’m not much of a runner, so when I see that I get really fired up. Incredible athlete, incredible worker.” Rodriguez said he just reacted when the defender dove at his legs because he will not settle for a short gain. “I’m a first down type of guy,” he said. “When I get the ball I’m trying to get either a first down or a touchdown. My goal is to run 10 yards every time I touch the ball. If there’s an opening, I’m going to try to get that touchdown.” Rodriguez totaled 132 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries and was
named American Bowl MVP. Defensive end Mike Molina earned the Defensive Player of the Game award with eight tackles and two sacks. “We had faith in our offense,” he said. “If we stop them, they’re gonna score. If they don’t, we’ll stop them again and give them another chance. But when the offense scores twice because of us, we’re stopping them, it gives us a little more push. It tells us we’ve got this in the bag.” Santa Monica was penalized 12 times for 144 yards and had two first half touchdowns – a 99-yard fumble return and a 68-yard punt return– nullified. Corsair quarterback Steven Hamm was the Offensive Player of the Game and said the penalties were not to blame for the loss. please see Football pg. A12
All-Conference FIRST TEAM QB Luis Perez OT Gabe Casillas* OG Junior Ramirez C Mike Kuheleloa WR Kevin Mills DE Mike Molina* DT Sean Fuimaono LB Rocky Fuga SECOND TEAM LB Blake Wilson LB Divanuel Flores WR Sergio Bailey AP Malik Kimbrough RB Diego Rodriguez DB Dorsey Norris TE Tony Jackson *All-State selection
SPORTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Winter Edition—Vol. 58, Issue 3
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New athletic counselor looks to make big impact By Colin Grylls Managing Editor
Towering James Rose fits inside the Cesar Chavez building he where he works, but little else. He laughed as he tried to squeeze behind his desk. “I’m going to get a new desk plan because everything is built for a four-foot person,” he said. “Everything that’s coming in is going to be built for an individual that’s six-foot-six.” Rose is Southwestern College’s first counselor devoted to athletics and routinely deals with digital copies of NCAA rulebooks that, if printed out on paper, would almost be as thick as his biceps. He is no stranger to community college athletics. He was a defensive tackle and the only freshman defensive starter on Mt. San Antonio College’s 1997 national championship team and won two Pac-10 titles with the Oregon Ducks in 2000 and 2001. He is the Ducks’ only defensive lineman, ever, to wear a single digit on his uniform. Rose said he is going to hang his framed Oregon Ducks jersey on the wall when his new desk is installed. His degrees, however, are already displayed on his windowsill. “Most people would say they’re proud of their Master’s or Bachelor’s degree,” he said. “I’m most proud of my community college degree, my A.A. degree. It was the hardest one to get and it’s the most invaluable because that’s where it started.” Evans Roderick, Rose’s athletic counselor, former Mt. SAC football coach and past president of the California Community College Counselors/Advisors Association for Athletics, said he was not surprised by Rose’s love for his A.A. “That’s the one that gave him the confidence,” he said. “He had to learn how to be a student, how to study and all of those things. That’s where it starts for all these kids. Community colleges are the best thing going, they just don’t get the credit.” Rose said Roderick was more than a counselor. In fact, he said Roderick was his inspiration. “My freshman semester at Mt. San Antonio College,” he said, “when I found out I had over 120 Division I scholarships
and basically not having the grades, Evans Roderick said ‘Son, what are you going to do for the rest of your life besides play football? Because it does end one day.’ So I looked at him and I looked at his office. I looked at all the stuff that he does and I said, ‘I want to do your job.’” Roderick then told Rose to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in sociology or psychology and a Master’s in counseling. Rose earned both a Sociology B.S. with a psychology minor and Master’s in Educational Counseling from the University of Oregon. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in Psychology from USC. Rose, however, was quick to relate his experience to SWC’s athletes. “With all those accolades,” he said, “the message I want to send to athletes is that I’ve been in their footsteps and done what they’ve done. Student athletes are responsible for their academics and the way they carry themselves as a student first and athlete second.” Roderick said Rose’s ability to relate to athletes makes him uniquely qualified for his position. “(His experience) gives him more credibility and it gives him more patience,” he said. “He knows that these kids are not going to turn around bad habits in one semester or even one year. You’re not going to change 12 bad years of poor education or poor study habits or poor coaching habits. Whatever it is, it’s not going to happen in a year. It might not happen in two years, but you can start the process.” Rose said the process starts by listening to the problems that students are dealing with. “I have two ears and one mouth,” he said. “I should use my two ears more than my mouth. I definitely listen to people and see what can I try to solve and what can I help them with.” SWC quarterback Luis Perez said Rose’s experiences have made him popular among the school’s athletes. “That’s all you want,” he said. “He can put himself in our shoes as we go through our process. He knows this is the time schools start coming through and asking for us. He knows how it works. He’s been there,
Colin Grylls/Staff
BIG MAN, BIG PLA N — James Rose played football at Mt. San Antonio Community College, then transfered to the University of Oregon as a defensive lineman. Rose now draws from those experiences to help advise student-athletes.
done that.” Roderick said Rose was not always so patient. When recruited to play for Mt. SAC, Rose was better suited for “the School of Knuckleheadness,” Roderick said, though his support system helped him mature. “He was a knucklehead like the rest of them and was all about football,” he said. “But he had a good family. A lot of kids don’t come from good families or they come from families that are disadvantaged, but he had good support. In fact, he knew a foot was going to be put up his ass by me and his parents, so he buckled down right off the bat.” Rose was born in Compton, but spent his formative years in Ontario, where he graduated from Ontario High School. He has worked at Citrus College, College of the
Desert and had multiple stints at Mt. SAC before relocating to San Diego County. He said he hopes to be a Jaguar for years to come. “I used those as pedestals to get to my retiring location here at Southwestern,” he said. Athletic Director Terry Davis said Rose fills a niche that had been a glaring hole at SWC. “It’s been a long time coming for us,” he said. “We’re one of the last schools in the state to get a full-time (athletic) counselor. We’ve always had great support from our counseling department, but we did need somebody to specialize… It’s a great opportunity for us.” Head football coach Ed Carberry went a step further.
“As important as (DeVore Stadium’s new $45 million field house) is and all the things that come with it,” he said, “if we could only have one or the other we would rather have a counselor. He’s the most important hire in 25 years. ” Rose said the focus of his job is to help student-athletes get to the next level – a four-year university. “I’m looking for them to leave tomorrow,” he said. “I’m looking for you to transfer ASAP.” Rose said he still follows the example set by “the Architect,” though he has made some slight changes to Roderick’s blueprints. “He drew out the greatest plan for me and I had to go out and build it,” he said. “I didn’t go out and build a regular house, I built a mansion.”
Jaguars Basketball Season Preview Size and strength give the Lady Jags a legit shot at the PCAC By Nicholas Baltz Sports Editor
Transfers are key for men’s success on the hard court By Alberto Calderon Staff Writer
Tia Griffis and her women’s basketball teammates say they have it figured out. “I think our identity is hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” Jan. 7 Palomar 5 p.m. she said while she and her teammates were lacing up and shooting half an hour Jan. 14 Grossmont 5 p.m. before practice was scheduled to start. “We have both.” Jan. 21 San Diego Mesa 5 p.m. Southwestern College’s Lady Jaguars are off to a 4-4 start, but players insist they Feb. 4 San Diego City 5 p.m. are just warming up. With five returning sophomores and a bevy of recruits, a Feb. 11 MiraCosta 5 p.m. championship run looms. Forwards Brianna Davis, Griffis and Feb. 18 Imperial Valley 7 p.m. Chelsea Ball bring size and strength to the frontcourt. Ball sat out last season, Feb. 20 Mt. San Jacinto 7 p.m. but was the leading rebounder in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference in 2012. Guards Taylor Smalley and Sam Silva have big shoes to fill in the backcourt. Silva is coming off of an injury, but will handle Rebounding-Brianna Davis and Tia the ball a lot this season. Cherry said he expects a lot from this Griffs are pairing up with Chelsea Ball, group. “Leadership,” he said. “We’re not on the who led the PCAC in rebounding in 2012. floor playing as a coaching staff, so I expect those to girls to lead the team on the floor.” Guard play- Sam Silva returns from Davis said it is easy to lead when the team becomes a family. injury and Taylor Smalley brings expereince. “I love my girls,” she said. “Practice doesn’t even start for 30 minutes and we Welcome Freshmen- Anessa Wolfblack are all in here putting shots up. We all have the same mentality and that is to win is a former South Bay Player of the Year. conference.” After three consecutive 2nd place finishes, a strong class of freshmen may bring an end to that chase. Cherry said his best freshman might With so many options, Davis said they can spread be Anessa Wolfblack from Chula Vista High School. the ball around and Cherry has adjusted to the “She was, I believe, the Player of the Year in the talent. South Bay the year before last,” he said. “She sat “He’s putting more of an emphasis on playing out last year and went to San Diego State just to go together,” she said. “Last year was more about to school and then got the itch, so we got her back defense. This year the defense is there, it’s more about in the South Bay. She’s really good. You can be the communication.” best X’s and O’s coach, but you really need talent.” Griffis said that the Lady Jags will be a force on Forward Adrielyn Flauta from Sweetwater High, the court. Eastlake guard Allison Dones and Otay Ranch guard “I think we are very underestimated this year Samantha Lanham round out of the local talent. because we have almost a whole new team,” she said.
Women’s home schedule
What to watch
Sometimes sneaking up from behind is a good strategy. S o u t h w e s t e r n C o l l e g e’s men’s basketball team started Jan. 3 Chaffey 3 p.m. the season unranked and unheralded, but is now ranked Jan. 9 Imperial Valley 5 p.m. sixth in Southern California, due to its impressive play and Jan. 14 Cuyamaca 7 p.m. stellar offense. Coach John Cosentino said his team’s Jan. 28 MiraCosta 5 p.m. progress has him excited. “We’ve played 12 games so Jan. 30 Palomar 5 p.m. far, I don’t know what we’ve got yet,” he said. “We are 100 times Feb. 18 San Diego Mesa 5 p.m. better than the teams we’ve had the last three years.” Feb. 20 San Diego City 5 p.m. Explosive offense has been the Jaguars’ hallmark this season, averaging a whopping 85 points per game. Assistant coach Dominic Cosentino said Shawn Lathan- An All-PCAC forward, their offensive success can be attributed to depth and a fast Lathan is ranked as a recruit out of Southern pace. “We are definitely an upCalifornia community colleges. tempo team,” he said. “We don’t have one big scorer, we Light ‘em up- Averaging 85 points per have four or five guys averaging near double digit points. Any game, the offense has been fast and furious. guy can go off any game. It makes us tough to defend.” Spread it around- The Jaguars have five Not everything has gone SWC’s way early this season. players averaging double figures. Dominique Miller, a standout sophmore, went down with a serious knee injury and will likely miss the entire season. John Cosentino prospect. He said even though SWC has only said it was a big loss, but he expects his players two returning players, he likes the squad’s to pick up the slack. composition. “I don’t want to make any excuses, but we lost “I love this team,” he said. “It’s like a new a returning All-Conference player, Dominique, family. We have to get to know each other and who was probably our best scorer,” he said. “We learn how to work together on the court.” have a talented group of guys, though. I think This team’s expectations for itself are about as we will be fine.” high as its scoring average. Point guard Kevin Shawn Lathan headlines the Jags’ roster. A Windley put it plainly. returning first team All-Conference player, “We expect to win it,” he said. “Not compete, he is a rivals.com Top 10 community college win it.”
Men’s home schedule
What to watch
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Nicholas Baltz, editor
SPORTS
Winter Edition—Vol. 58, Issue 3
Sun 14’ Fall Sports Stars Alegre
Volleyball
Omar
Stephanie
Tellez
Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer
Colin Grylls/Staff
Colin Grylls/Staff
Cindy Espinoza/Staff
“We have a great squad of individuals. We just had to play together to change the game.”
“I loved playing with all these great girls and I will really miss wearing the Jaguar uniform.”
“We have asked so many different things of her and shes always come through.”
-Omar Hernandez
-Stephanie Tellez
-Angela Rock, volleyball head coach
Irene
Ramos
Women’s Water Polo
Mike
Molina Football
Derrius Boyd/Staff
Serina Duarte/Staff
Colin Grylls/Staff
“You have no idea which way she is going to go or what she’s going to do, which makes her more lethal any defense or any goalie.”
“Thanks to my coaches, coach Lynette, coach Duro and coach Babey. They have always been there for us from the start until the end.”
-Jennifer Harper, water polo head coach
-Amniat Olowora, state champion women’s cross country
“He’s the strongest guy in the history of our football program and he just gets off the ball.”
-Ed Carberry, head football coach
George
Martinez Men’s X-Country
Nick
Howard
Amniat
Olowora
Men’s Water Polo
Women’s X-Country
Rick Flores/Staff
Nicholas Baltz/Staff
Nicholas Baltz/Staff
“Nick is a big and physical guy and he has the ability to lead the team.”
“Coach said this was the first time in 10 years that Southwestern has won a conference title, so I’m proud to say that I was able to lead this team.”
“This is not a question of good luck, this is a question of discipline and determination. She is very responsible, that is why she is the best.”
-Raul Lopez II, Assistant coach
-George Martinez
-Lynette Zeckua, assistant coach
Football: SWC wins three straight bowl games for the first time Continued from Page A10
“It is frustrating, but it’s the game,” he said. “I mean, there’s penalties on both sides of the field, they had some big unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that hurt them and we had some big penalties, some blocks in the back and stuff, that
hurt us. We should be able to bounce back from those penalties.” Much like its first matchup with Santa Monica, a 52-27 blowout in September, SWC torched the Corsair defense for 560 yards. Unlike the first matchup, when the Jags piled up 333 rushing yards, the passing game stepped up with 363 yards. Perez threw for 290 yards while Israel “Tofi” Paopao passed for 73 yards. The pair rotated every two series to begin the game, but Perez dominated the second half snap count. Carberry said Perez gave the team the best chance
to win. “What we’ve told everybody is that we’re going to play the hottest guy,” he said. “I don’t care who it is, as long as somebody’s hot. Luis, he did a great job. He came through, made plays.” SWC finished the season with California’s sixth best offense, scoring 42 points per game. Defensively, the team played a bend-but-don’t-break style, finishing 30th in yards allowed per game (369.9) but 14th in points allowed per game (23.6). Turnovers buoyed the defense, as
Men’s water polo takes third place By Joshua Liang Staff Writer
Jillian
Hernandez
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: sports@theswcsun.com
its 21 interceptions were the fourth highest total in the state and its seven touchdowns were the third most. Three of those interceptions came against Santa Monica in the bowl game. Despite their success, the Jags finished second in the American Mountain Conference to undefeated Victor Valley. Victor Valley beat SWC in October, but was banned from postseason play after a brawl in their season finale at San Diego Mesa. Perez said he was shocked to learn that the Jags would be playing in the
Living well is the best revenge. Beating a conference rival is better. Silencing the critics and staying focused, the Southwestern College men’s water polo team won the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference tournament consolation game by beating Mesa College, 11-9. SWC lost to Mesa 14-13 during the regular season, which left the Jaguars with a bitter taste. Victory tasted much sweeter the second time around, according to head coach Jorge Ortega. SWC struggled to a fourth place conference finish with a pedestrian 2-5 conference record (8-11 overall), but grabbed third place in the tournament. Defense was key as freshmen goalkeeper Josue Macias had 16 blocks and team captain Nick Howard forced six turnovers. Ortega said there were many hands in the victory. “If a lot of people score it brings people together,” he said. “Everybody has an opportunity to affect the game whether it’s offense or defense.” Treading through rough water early in the season, the Jags finished strong on a four-game win streak, including an upset of Palomar College. A concussion to Jags freshmen Jesus Santoyo knocked him out of the match, but fired his teammates to a ferocious 17-16 overtime victory. SWC won the match and also gained a pool of respect. Palomar players were overly aggressive from the start and threw elbows more often than the ball. Santoyo was knocked out of the game after taking a vicious elbow to the head in the fourth quarter. Logan Hurst, the offending Pa l o m a r p l a ye r, w a s e j e c t e d , but Santoyo’s loss was palpable. Perimeter David Carroll said the Jags would not stoop to the same level as the Comets. “If elbows are thrown we deal with it,” he said. “We just play through it. We don’t play dirty. Nobody on our team plays dirty.” Ortega said the experience united his players. “This game showed everyone has trust, everybody has faith,” he said. “These guys knew the game was getting physical. We kept our composure and didn’t let Palomar get to our heads.” Behind 15 saves from Macias, the Jags were able to control the ball and minimize turnovers that allowed players to get open shots. Howard scored a team-high eight goals. “We did really good,” he said. “Could’ve put away a couple shots we didn’t, but overall I think we did good.” SWC suffered a one-point loss to Mesa College earlier in the month. Jag players communicated well and moved the ball around to create open shots. They also played relentless defense, forcing five Olympian turnovers en route to a 10-5 halftime lead. At the start of the third quarter, however, it appeared as if the players switched speedos. Mesa scored six unanswered goals to take an 11-10 lead. Howard, Carroll and utility Carlos Lizarraga scored two goals each for SWC. Ortega said he was proud of his team. “I think we played our game well,” he said. “Mesa just played harder then they did in the first half. They capitalized on some of our mistakes.” championship bowl, but quickly set his sights on making history. “At first, somebody had posted something on social media,” he said. “Right away I texted Coach Carberry and he says ‘Yes!!!!’ with four exclamation marks. After that, I texted all the guys. It’s time to get a championship ring. It’s time to get three in a row.” Perez also said SWC answered any questions about whether it deserved to take Victor Valley’s place. “We had our foot on the pedal,” he said. “We just didn’t take it off.”
Winter Edition—Volume 58, Issue 3
The Southwestern College Sun
ARTS
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Portrait of John Baldessari by Hedi Slimane
The Studio. 1987. B+W Photographs, Vinyl Paint. 48 x 63”/Courtesy of John Baldessari
Former SWC instructor is world-famous artist By Gabriel Sandoval Arts Editor
In the 1960s, art instructor John Baldessari never sold a painting. Seven years ago one sold for $4.4 million. Still creating at age 83, Baldessari is possibly the most famous and richest person to have ever taught at Southwestern College. So much for the myth of the starving artist. Baldessari was one of those “overnight sensations” that worked hard for years. He made his living an as instructor at SWC and made art in his spare time. His National City studio, an abandoned movie theatre, was brimming with unsold art. Weary of abstract
expressionism, he started experimenting with a new series of works. He called them text paintings. In 2007 one of Baldessari’s text paintings, “Quality Material,” sold for $4.4 million at Christie’s in New York. Baldessari is considered one of the world’s most influential living artists. He is revered as the “Godfather of Conceptual Art” and has had more than 200 solo exhibitions and 1,000 group exhibitions. He has created paintings, sculptures, installations, films, videos, books and even an iPhone app. His exhaustive 2010 retrospective exhibition “Pure Beauty” please see Baldessari pg. B2
‘Dance Recipes’ a delicious treat By Kasey Thomas Viewpoints Editor
S t u d e n t s and faculty at Southwestern College cooked up a little something in Mayan Hall and it was scrumptious. “Dance Recipes” was a hot melting pot of dance. Programs included a list of each recipe (dance), the chef (choreographer) and ingredients (dancers). Chef Dana Maue cooked “Batter Up!” a theatrical dance. Performers dressed as baseball players kicked off shoes and danced in socks and on benches. One particular female “ingredient,” Sarah Alvarez, took on
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the role of coach, differentiating herself from the team wearing a skirt instead of softball pants. With high energy, the “ingredients” danced around the stage in their knee socks using the benches as platforms and kneeled at the end while holding up their hands in victory. Darling doesn’t even begin to describe this “recipe.” Chef Colleen Shipkowski delivered an upbeat ballet in “Gossip Soup.” Her “recipe” included many lifts, jumps and graceful ballet. “Ingredients” were in sync and obviously gossiping as they danced around the stage. Their faces were filled with expressions that seemed to say “oh my goodness” and they struck poses as if to suggest “did you hear about so-and-so?”
Gossip may have been spreading on the stage, but delight was spread through the audience. Taking home a blue ribbon would have to be Chef Lesa M. Green with her “recipe” “A Touch of Sweetness.” It was a contemporary dance with pinches of ballet and hip-hop. With lifts and a story of heartbreak and happiness, the dance was funky, fun and flirty. Vertical splits and flips across the stage brought up the energy just before intermission, perfectly giving the audience a taste of what was to come. A touch of sweetness truly was added at the end when the once heartbroken “ingredient” discovers please see Recipes pg. B2
Melvin Graham/Staff
A STRANGE ARRANGEMENT— Sydnee Cruse, Hilda Gomez and Ryan Brown dance together in “Gossip Soup,” a delightful number in “Dance Recipes.”
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Gabriel Sandoval, editor
ARTS
Winter Edition — Volume 58, Issue 3
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: arts@theswcsun.com
Baldessari: Former SWC art instructor is a global phenomenom Continued from pg. B1
Gabriel Sandoval/Staff
VIVID MEMORIES — Will Calhoun, drummer for the Grammy Award-winning band Living Colour, is a rock star who loves hip-hop and jazz. He encouraged SWC commercial music students to learn the art and science of sound recording.
Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun rocks SWC recording arts studio By Mason Masis Campus Editor
Young Will Calhoun pushed a milk crate up against the wall below his neighbor’s window in a Bronx brownstone, ambled up and stood on his tippy toes to peer inside. Steve Jordan was in there playing his drums and Will was soaking in the rock legend’s rhythms. Jordan, who played with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, The Blues Brothers and the Saturday Night Live Band, was unknowingly teaching a future Grammy winner and rock pioneer. By the time Calhoun turned 27 his band Living Colour had opened for The Rolling Stones, performed on Saturday Night Live and won two Grammys for Best Hard Rock Performance. Calhoun himself had been named the Best Drummer of 1990 by a Rolling Stone magazine reader’s poll. Living Colour – one of the world’s first all-black power rock bands – shattered categories with music that paid homage to funk, metal and hip-hop in the 1980s and ‘90s. Calhoun has since recorded or toured with music giants such as B.B. King, Mick Jagger, Lauryn Hill and Paul Simon. Calhoun was invited to SWC by Professor of
Commercial Music James “Jay” Henry, a three-time Grammy nominated recording engineer and producer, as part of a guest lecture series for SWC recording arts students. Tucked away on the east side of campus, SWC’s state-of-the-art $6 million recording studio has a multi-year program waiting list. SWC recording arts intern Mary Ann Enginco said there is no place like it in the county. “If Beyoncé came here tomorrow, we would be ready,” she said. “We are the only studio in San Diego (County) that can say that.” Calhoun said his recording arts and engineering education at Boston’s Berklee College of Music gave him an advantage. “(Led Zeppelin guitarist) Jimmy Page was a sound designer at a radio station for the BBC, people don’t know that,” Calhoun said. “Jimmy already had experience on how to make sound shift in a room before he was playing his guitar (for Zeppelin). All those records sound amazing because Jimmy was already educated about sound and how it works.” Calhoun said his life was immersed in music. Growing up, his neighbors included drum and keyboard legend Jordan, pianist Ray Chew and jazz great Lou Donaldson. Becoming a professional musician was not a goal when he was a boy. His brother, a drum prodigy, left Will intimidated. That changed on Feb. 19, 1978 when Calhoun shuffled into the Bottom Line, a New York City music venue, to see a concert. Drummer Billy Cobham headlined the event. Journey bassist Randy Jackson provided the thunder down
under. Calhoun said on this night everything changed. It was “divine intervention.” “When I went backstage to meet (Cobham), (jazz trumpet legend) Miles (Davis) showed up,” he said. “And no one had seen Miles – this was when Miles was cleaning up, so no one had (seen) him for five or six years – and he was always one of my all-time favorite musicians. So when you are (that young) and Miles walks past you and says ‘Hey man, how you doing?’ you can’t speak. After that night I decided to quit all my sports teams and my social life changed. I got a job and I started working and saving money to buy a drum set.” Calhoun was accepted into New York University, where instructor and bassist Malik Abdul convinced him to go to Berklee where he studied drumming, music production and engineering and film scoring. He took the Bronx with him in his heart. “1980 was around the time the industry started to change,” he said. “Where rappers I knew at that time – musicians – were selling beats – music – to record labels. So being in the Bronx, watching this thing start in my neighborhood become an industry, and then me studying with people like Horace Arnold and being able to go to the Vanguard and see Elvin Jones and Max Roach and Charlie Persip and all of these great drummers. I felt like that was my school.” His choice to go to college divided the music community, Calhoun said, and old-school jazz artists like Donaldson and Ralph McDonold told him college would only make him generic. please see Calhoun pg. B3
travelled the globe before touching down at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the same museum where the great works of Classical Antiquity reside. There, Baldessari exhibited works that spanned five decades. Baldessari joined SWC’s faculty to teach art in 1966. “John had a real talent and that’s why we hired him,” said Bob Matheny, SWC’s founding gallery director. “He was starting to do work that was really new and funny. It was no surprise to me that he eventually became world famous.” Baldessari was born in National City in 1931. A son of European immigrants, he grew up in a working-class neighborhood. His mother, a nurse, worked hard to pay for art lessons when he requested them. When Baldessari was a teenager and became interested in photography, his father, a hard working jack-of-all-trades, built him a darkroom. Baldessari attended Sweetwater High School and SDSU, where he graduated with a Master’s in art history. Prior to joining SWC’s art department, the towering, 6-foot, 7-inch Baldessari had taught art around San Diego. He had also been exhibited around San Diego County, including SWC. Baldessari had the inaugural exhibition at the SWC gallery in November of 1961 when the college was sharing the campus of Chula Vista High School. In 1964 he exhibited work in “Snap, Crackle, Pop,” a three-person show, and then again in 1965 for Matheny’s invitational exhibition “Polychrome Sculpture.” Baldessari said SWC’s art department took the liberty of putting on exhibitions and activities that members thought would be fun. “The president of the college, Chester DeVore, said ‘I don’t care what you guys do, just keep it in the walls of the art department,’” he said. Baldessari was an advisor to the gallery program and curated one exhibition of Los Angeles painters, titled “Some L.A. Cats.” His signature style of art emerged in those days. “Looking back,” he said, “since no one cared what I was doing and I had no audience, I tried things that I would not otherwise try to do as art.” That freedom led him to create his now-famous and extremely valuable series of text paintings from 1966 to 1968. It was serious shift from work he had previously done. His new works were conceptual, the idea of the work took precedence over any hands-on craftsmanship and even the actual finished product. Baldessari hired a professional sign painter to paint the text and his instructions were explicit: “Don’t do any beautiful calligraphy. I just want this to be information.” In 1967 Baldessari implemented “Artist Speakout,” a new program at SWC that produced dynamic panel discussions. “Speakout” was free to the public and many notable artists spoke, please see Legend pg. B3
Recipes: Dancers cook up tasty holiday treat with clever ‘Dance Recipes ’
Professor follows the beat of his own drum
Continued from pg. B1
When Francisco Bustos tries to drum up support for his poetry projects he brings real drums. His enthusiasm is hard to beat, as are his results. Bustos, a cheerful professor of English, does not limit himself to one language. Growing up in the borderlands, he said, helps him straddle la frontera and love the literature of two great languages. His experimental music ensemble, Frontera Drum Fusion, propels this exploration. “It’s an evolving project,” he said. “I’ve worked with different poets and musicians from both sides of the border. Every semester, every year, new members come and go.” Bustos’ band seamlessly weaves the rhythm of poetry and percussion, finding an almostprimordial heartbeat to pump life through the language. “Some sounds are more electronic than others and some are more Caribbean,” he said. Bustos began playing music at 14, including rock, electronic and tribal bands led by English Jennalisa Esquivel/Staff and Spanish vocalists. He transferred from FRONTERA MAN — SWC Professor of English Francisco Bustos puts poetry to music in Frontera Southwestern College in 1997 and graduated Drum Fusion, his experimental bi-national band. from SDSU in 2003, earning a MFA in Creative Writing. He was hired at SWC in 2004 and continues to write poetry. in poetry, music and education. the same group of people rehearsing and doing gigs
happiness in her friends. Chef Viviana Alcazar-Haynes concocted a wonderful “recipe” that served as a public service announcement about homelessness. “Blended Outcomes” and its “ingredients” told a story through fluid movements and cool lifts about how “concrete doesn’t discriminate” and the hardships of being homeless. Various signs were shown to the audience throughout the piece that ended with a sign, which read: “seeking happiness.” “My Favorite Ingredients” was a humorous “recipe” cooked up by Chef Jaami Waali-Villalobos. “Ingredients” came out in costumes fitting for the bathroom setting complete with a claw foot bathtub and toilet. They used the set as tools to dance around the stage and they even included a can-can line. Throughout the performance audience members could be heard laughing. Overall, the “recipe” put value to bathrooms in a humorous and charming way. Chef Horvath served up another “recipe” titled “Angel Food,” which was heavenly. It was a mixture of ballet and tap dancing, with a graceful ballerina front and center and three tap dancing “ingredients” in the background. It was a nice blending of tap and ballet with beautiful music complemented by the sounds of tapping. While the tap dancing “ingredients” were marvelous, it was the ballerina who stole the show with her elegant movements. “Caution: Contents May Be Hot!” combined hiphop, jazz and sumo suits. Chef Jaami Waai-Villalobos prepared a sizzling hip-hop performance with “ingredients” dancing in sumo suits to a compilation of songs which included favorites such as “I’m too Sexy” by Right Said Fred and “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton John. But the song that really stood out was The Weather Girls’ “It’s Raining Men,” where “ingredients” danced around the stage, still in the sumo suits, with umbrellas. Throughout the number the audience could be heard burning stomach fat while laughing. True to its title, this “recipe” was as hot as a ghost pepper. Chefs Horvath and Maue concocted a theatrical and delightful curtain call titled “Companies Calling.” SWC students and faculty could not have served up a more marvelous, mouthwatering, morsel in “Dance Recipes.”
By Jennalisa Esquivel Staff Writer
Inspired by his English 271 class in the mid-1990s, Bustos said he found solace in the novels of the late Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez, including “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Chronicle of a Death Foretold.” He said he also loved Rudolfo Anaya’s “Bless Me, Ultima.” “I’ve been writing for 15 years,” Bustos said. “Poetry, mainly.” Bustos is director of the SWC Guest Writers Series that brings authors to campus. “I think it’s important for students to be exposed to literature,” he said. “It’s nice to invite students to express their writing. It’s also nice to meet other writers.” In September San Diego City Councilmember David Alvarez and the Latino City Employees Association (LCEA) celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring Bustos for his accomplishments
“It felt good to be recognized,” he said. “It’s nice to show people what we do and to see that people care. It motivates me to keep producing music and poetry.” Bustos showcased his music and poems for the LCEA the following month. LCEA President John Mendivil said Bustos’ award was well deserved. “He showed what he has done in both poetry and music,” Mendivil said. “We were looking for local people who contributed for the community in Arts and he was chosen. It is always good to reward and recognize people for their effort, especially when they put themselves out in the public. He is a good person, very open and very honest.” Bustos’ project was influenced by his poetry and background growing up as a musician. “Little by little I started working on music again,” he said. “I couldn’t start a traditional band by not having
all the time.” Like many musicians, Bustos rehearsed and recorded in his garage. Music is a meditation, he said, that fuels creativity. “It’s a hobby,” he said. “It’s fun to perform and write. I get to meet a lot of people because of it.” Many musicians have had the opportunity to work with Bustos, including drummer Martin VelaSanchez. He said he has learned a great deal from Bustos. “Bustos shows people that words have a rhythm,” he said. “He shows everyone something he enjoys and (teaches) people how to enjoy it as well.” Bustos said he has been playing frequently in Tijuana and would like to perform more in el norte. “I want to start doing stuff in San Diego again,” he said. “There are a lot of cultural centers where it would be nice to perform.”
The Southwestern College Sun
Winter Edition — Vol. 58, Issue 3
B3
Calhoun: Gifted Grammy award-winning drummer gets real at SWC seminar
Legend: Baldessari remains an artist of great influence
Continued from pg. B2
Continued from pg. B2
“Those communities do not want you to become a carved-out piece of musician,” he said. “A lot of that generation’s musicians thought universities made you another cookie in the roll of cookies.” Henry agreed. College should breed creativity, he said, and it frustrates him when colleges – including SWC – only teach music like it was math. “I’ve been here for 15 years and I hear the teachers giving the students the same breathing exercises, the same warm ups,” he said. “For 15 years, performing the same songs. College should teach students to be creative, not to be generic. If you have a teacher that encourages you to challenge everything – including what they are telling you – and to ask questions, to observed, understand and extract information, then you are developing the skills that you are here to (learn).” While at Berklee, Calhoun only thought about getting back to New York, he said. “I would turn on (The Tonight Show with) Johnny Carson and I would see my friends playing with Duran-Duran, playing with Sting and there I was in school, starving,” he said. “So there was this energy of ‘I need to get back to New York.’” Berklee had its faults, Calhoun said, and his thirst for knowledge sometimes put him at odds with faculty and other students. “Berklee was difficult,” he said. “I was not expecting it to be. Divisive, in a way, how the teachers were teaching their students. But it was a real experience and I was a little bitter about some those experiences.” Calhoun said his closest allies were the rap artists he grew up with. Unlike the jazz generation, the New York rappers he knew supported his decision to go to Berklee. Though he was missing out on the New York scene, Calhoun said he knew it was not his time. “I was a little bit intimidated about missing out when the rap scene was more like KRS-One, RunD.M.C., Public Enemy, when it was still to me intelligent rap, really good tracks. (This was) stuff (that) was happening around me. I went to high school with some of those guys, so it was tough to leave that scene. But they always gave me their blessing. They were like ‘Will, go to Boston man. We need you. We need all kinds of soldiers out here,’ and that was the beginning.” Shortly after graduation he found himself with Living Colour and his career skyrocketed. Calhoun said he did not expect to hit the big time immediately after college. His plans were to be a jazz or session drummer, not join a huge rock band. He was still enthralled by rap. Rap was birthed out of necessity, Calhoun said, thanks to Reagan-era cuts to music and arts education. These cuts created students who yearned to learn music, but could not afford it. “What’s brilliant about that art form is one was created out of nothing,” he said. “(Rap and hip-hop) were created out of necessity for people to be creative, like graffiti. People do not look to that with respect. To me, it has been overlooked because the popular rap became more the negative rap, and that’s not really how rap started. But the guys I played basketball with were there because their parents did not put them in the after-school piano program or Saturday piano lessons. So they created music another way. And there’s the art form.”
including Robert Irwin and Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, as well as at least one Hell’s Angel. That same year Baldessari began working on his National City paintings, a series of black and white photographs enlarged and put on canvas with plain text below them. For this series, Baldessari had taken snapshots from his car window while driving around National City and Chula Vista. Text below each image described where each was taken. One read, “LOOKING EAST ON 4TH AND C / CHULA VISTA, CALIF,” another “ECON-O-WASH / 14TH AND HIGHLAND / NATIONAL CITY CALIF.” In one photo, taken by his wife, Baldessari is purposely posing in front of a palm tree. It created the illusion of a tree sprouting from his head. Inspired by books on photography for beginners, the painting doubles as the perfect example of how not to take a photograph. Appropriately, the word “WRONG” is spelled out just below the image. Baldessari’s conceptual art was a world away from what was being done elsewhere by artists who believed conceptualism was supposed to be serious. Baldessari, in his own irreverent way, turned that idea on its head. Baldessari left SWC after the spring semester of 1968 to teach at UCSD. That October he had his first one-person exhibition in Los Angeles at the Molly Barnes Gallery. It was called “Pure Beauty” and featured his text paintings. Two years later, Baldessari changed jobs again, this time moving to the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, north of Los Angeles. Before he left for Cal Arts, however, Baldessari decided to scorch all paintings he made from May 1953 to March 1966. In an act now known as the “Cremation Project,” he, along with friends and UCSD students, destroyed his paintings before incinerating them in a local mortuary’s crematorium. Ashes were put into a bronze urn in the shape of a book. Some ashes were baked into cookies. Two weeks later, Baldessari published an affidavit about the event in the San Diego Union, formally ending his painterly era and embracing a new direction. Baldessari taught at Cal Arts for 16 years, and some of his former students also became famous artists, including David Salle, Mike Kelley and Barbara Bloom. Baldessari went on to teach at UCLA from 1997 to 2007. Some of Baldessari’s honors and awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the Venice Biennale and a membership to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has also been awarded three Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees, including one from his alma mater, SDSU. Dr. Hugh Davies, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, said he first learned about Baldessari’s work as an undergraduate in the 1960s and later met him in the 1970s. They became friends. Davies said part of the reason he moved to San Diego from the East Coast in 1983 was because “Baldessari had blazed that trail” and “made it seem like it was the future.” “There is no history of art of our time, art of the last 60 years, that doesn’t include Baldessari’s work and its influence,” he said. “John is someone who was able to make conceptual art that was very simple and very philosophically profound, but also had humor.” In a world of ultra-fast information, Baldessari’s work maintains its ability to command attention, becoming increasingly more relevant to our time because of its directness. “(Baldessari) can make these very telling, provocative juxtapositions of images that imply a narrative that are just completely disparate,” Davies said. “They provoke a thinking process, almost like surrealists juxtaposing random objects and creating a sort of absurd dialogue.” These days Baldessari, with his trademark shoulder-length hair and white beard, endures as a vital, even hip artist. He currently has an exhibition at Marian Goodman Gallery in New York titled “Movie Scripts/Art.” He has exhibitions in 2015 at the Marian Goodman Gallery in London, the PKM Gallery in Seoul, Korea and the Staedel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany. Davies said Baldessari has already secured an important place in the history of 20th century and 21st century art. “I think it goes very much as a credit to Southwestern that he was on the faculty,” Davies said. “(He) did some amazing exhibitions while he was there.”
Serina Duarte/Staff
PALACE IN THE SKY — Monuments from the land and creatures of the sea share the heavens in Francis Rosette’s “Fantasy.”
Creativity reigns at student art show By Alan Luna Staff Writer
As the fall semester slowly draws to an end, the SWC art gallery heaves its lungs open and blows some new life into the mild winter air. The SWC Fall Student Art Show showcased selected pieces from SWC’s art students, the body of work covering all of the plastic arts, painting, photography, sculpture and metalwork. With the variety of works, there was, of course, a variety in the degrees of quality and craftsmanship The printmaking category of the exhibition was the strongest overall in terms of a unified body of work, the standouts being Omar Mercado’s “Las Dos Calaveras” and Yurilla Guerrero’s “Catrina.” Mercado’s “Las Dos Calaveras” was intricately carved and printed, and the choice of teal ink made for an interesting visual appeal. Guerrero’s “Catrina” was a curious take on the traditional print by Jose Guadalupe Posada, “La Calavera Catrina.” Curious in the sense that the print takes a postmodern turn, being a facsimile of a piece of papel picado. In the photographic category there were four photographs that were of particular beauty and composition. Gloria Estrada’s “Your Momma or the Day of the Dead” is among its best piece. Reflective of the time of year it was made, a unibrowed papier-mache skull mask stares with bottomless eyes, locks of straight, gray and black hair flowing down the decrepit sides, creating a contrast between the skull’s dead grin of the mask and the life-like hair draping on her bald head like the tender rebozo of a fresh jolly widow. In the foreground, the bright blue of the sky is divided from the figure by the deep brown of a tree. Michael Cook’s “Busker on the Bay” seemed a comic piece, with a modern Ignatius J. Reilly or Don Quixote (albeit perhaps more female), strumming her guitar on the bayside with ankles crossed. A wide-brimmed hat braced down long ombre-dyed locks as she howls out what can only be assumed to be a song to life, adventure and the good life. Behind our portly heroine, a less than postcard-perfect view of San Diego Bay, its waters and sky murky, the shoreline buildings gray and nondescript. But does it matter? The vagueness of the setting leads the
mind to wander. Is it balmy morning in New Orleans, tugboat ready to ply the lukewarm bayou waters? Or an abnormally clear Northwestern day? Only the jolly bard and her guitar may know. Mitzy V. Agraz, in the tradition of the European still life, presented an untitled piece. The tableau is set in rich, earthy tones of beige and red. A gleaming pewter plate rests upon a carved wooden screen and arabesque cloth -unfurls generously beneath. Instead of the luscious fruits and hearty game and fowl of the Dutch Golden Age, however Agraz presents us with dull, aged red snappers, the hapless fish weighed down with a bouquet of pale thistles. Decaying fish and common weeds, along with their setting evocative of Renaissance splendor, create a beautifully composed image. Ishmael Montiel’s piece shows a nude woman in the shower. She holds her breasts in her hands as she stares at the viewer, in defiance of the probing gaze that penetrates her private moment. The photo is almost dreamlike. Geno Rodriguez’ “The Narrator’s Triple Self Portrait” was a curious take on the referential pop culture piece. The drawing is based on Norman Rockwell’s “Triple Self Portrait.” Rather than Mr. Rockwell, however, the subject at the easel is none other than Edward Norton’s unnamed protagonist from “Fight Club,” gazing into a mirror bearing a reflection not his own, but that of Tyler Durden. The piece is an interesting dichotomy, between the familiar and warm style of Norman Rockwell, contrasted with the violent grit of Fight Club. Daniella Yidi’s piece is the standout of the sculpture and ceramics. The sculpture lies resting on a dais, a disjointed female torso that seems to glow with its own pale, ghostly light. It is a voluptuous piece, with curving breasts and an almost pregnant belly. As light falls and highlights the curves and undulations, the sculpture becomes ethereal. The torso is not that of a woman, but something like that of a woman, a shorthand symbol. One becomes almost lost gazing at the blemish less surface of the piece. The Fall Student Art Show is an indicator of the emotion and thinking that runs through this cold grey concrete and glass campus. Warmth and passion, it seems, still have a place.
Melvin Graham/Staff
SOFT SOUNDS AT THE HARD ROCK — Fedra Ramirez and Sheeran Fahrai gig at the San Diego Hard Rock Café in the Gaslamp. The talented BVHS alums are writing songs for their first album. By Andrea Piocos Staff Writer
Broke college students often have to be creative in order to scrounge enough funds for a Lolita’s run. Sheeran Fahrai and Fedra Ramirez decided to put their creativity to work by playing music in San Diego’s Gaslamp District. It was a decision that paid off. Fahrai and Ramirez christened themselves On Fifth, named after the street where the pair first busked. They have performed at Hard Rock Café, House of Blues and Lestats. On Fifth was also the closing act at Bonitafest in September and in October won Bonita’s Got Talent. Both women play acoustic guitars in a range of styles including funk, folk, jazz, blues and classic rock. Fahrai grew up listening to her father’s Persian music and her mother’s ‘80s American pop. Animated films sparked her interest in singing. “Apparently I sang ‘Everybody Wants to be a Cat’ when I was little,” she said. Ramirez grew up in Mexico City and lived in Miami before moving to Chula Vista. Rhythm is important, she said,
and her Latin heritage combined with her father’s love of singing and acting influenced her music. Both women sang in their middle school choirs and met in a drama class at Bonita Vista High School. “We liked the same type of music so we became friends,” said Fahrai. Roger Churley, their high school drama teacher, said his former students are gifted. “Ramirez and Fahrai were the best actresses Bonita Vista has ever had and were incredibly talented,” he said. Fahrai and Ramirez performed together in “Absence of the Cello,” and Churley said that Ramirez was a natural while Fahrai knew how to take direction while building her performance. Out of the 14 shows he directed in his seven years of teaching at BVH, Churley said, Ramirez had the most memorable moment when she had a line that ended a play. He also loves their singing, he said. “Ramirez and Fahrai have sweet voices,” he said. “Their resonance, depth and their complimentary voices give them a nice full sound.” After that class together On Fifth began to take shape.
“I always wanted to do music and always thought it would be cool to have a band,” said Ramirez. Performing in the Gaslamp District did not come easy. Venue owners would often ask if people could dance to their music. “It sucks,” Fahrai said. “Can’t you just appreciate the music for what it is? I mean, you can move, but move from the inside. You don’t always have to feel the urge to dance.” After forming the band they took voice lessons in Old Town with retired opera singer Carolee Thornburgh, who helped them synchronize their voices and develop their songs, said Ramirez. “We want a broad following, whoever wants to listen, old to young,” she said. Their music has developed into a combination of older sounds with modern ideologies that millennials can relate to, explained Fahrai. One original song, “Disease,” focuses on how society tends to label simple behaviors such as absent mindedness with ADHD. Although the two want to keep an eclectic sound, they said that they would also like to work on side projects, like funk. Ramirez and Fahrai
agreed that a backup band containing bass, percussion, harmonica or the French horn players would give them a New Orleans kind of feel and would compliment their vision. They said their initial goal was to have fun and produce as much material as possible. Their new goal is to improve as musicians since they have established their talent and know their way around the business. “It would be great to change the landscape and standard,” said Fahrai. “Lyrics and music with more wisdom and instruments, with interesting sounds and sensibility, less repetition and imitation with small ranges. We want to break away from the tiny pool of sounds and simplistic lyrics.” Little by little the duo is creating its reputation. Ramirez and Fahrai said they are continually striving to reach their dream of performing in places like New York City. On Fifth’s first untitled album will be released by the end of the year. For more information and to listen to On Fifth, visit their website at http://www. onfifthduo.com.
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Winter Edition — Volume 58, Issue. 3
BACKPAGE
The Southwestern College Sun
Shining over the community for 50 years
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hula Vista’s famous lima beans met their match in 1964 when a tiny college called Southwestern moved out of its incubator at Chula Vista High School to a breezy mesa miles from the actual town. As cows grazed nearby, a student newspaper sprung up and grew up with the young college. For half a century it has recorded Southwestern’s growing pains, its triumphs, its failures and its unique history as America’s borderlands college. More than anything, though, the newspaper has recorded the lives and times of the people of Southwestern College, bearing witness to the sublime, the ridiculous, the divine and the profane. Or as Sergio Leone might say, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.” In 1964 the Southwestern College Southwesterner student newspaper launched a journalism journey that is now in its 50th year. Sometime in the later 1960s the inkstained wretches that ran the newspaper changed its name to The Athapascan in tribute to the language of the Apaches, the college’s mascot until 2000. Campus wags called the newspaper The Athatrashcan, even during periods of excellent work. In 1986 the name was changed again, this time to The Sun. In 1996 The Sun officially adopted the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics as its operating principles, started to print in color and moved fully into computer-aided design. In 2003 The Sun won its first-ever National Pacemaker Award, the Pulitzer Prize of college media. It now has nine. All five major college media organizations have named The Sun its National College Newspaper of the Year during that time period, and the newspaper holds all five of those titles concurrently today. The Sun has been home to the National College Reporter of the Year seven times in the past 14 years. More importantly, The Sun remains a strong voice for students and for this college. Sometimes that brings it in conflict with people who do not have the students’ and the community’s best interests at heart. In 2010 college administrators ordered The Sun not to print an edition that was about to break the now-famous South Bay Corruption Case. Journalism students and their advisor were threatened with arrest, suffered vandalism to their cars and homes, and were physically threatened – once at gunpoint. The Sun, however, did rise, thanks to financial contributions by a Hollywood legend, a United States Congressman, faculty and members of the community. The corruption story ran when The Sun was printed at a secret location in Los Angeles County on September 24, 2010 and distributed on campus under the watchful eye of 300 faculty, employees, students, community members and a second U.S. Congressman who had rallied in front of Mayan Hall for the sole purpose of making sure The Sun was safely circulated. In 2011 The Sun was presented by College Press Freedom Award by the Student Press Law Center. In 2012 the San Diego Press Club honored The Sun with its Directors Award for its courageous defense of press freedom. In 2014 journalism faculty and students were honored by the Society of Professional Journalists with its Sunshine Award for vigilant coverage of government and defense of transparency in the public sector. Today’s journalism students at Southwestern College are proud of those who came before them in the past 50 years and look up to the more than 50 alumni known to be working in the professional news media across America right now. We pledge to work hard in 2015 to get the next 50 years of Southwestern College journalism off to a strong start. –The Editorial Board
“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 journalist.” –SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE “SUN” MISSION STATMENT