The Sun Vol 61. Issue 5

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 62, Issue 5

theswcsun.com

April 20, 2018

Facilities director on leave ADA lawsuit claims neglect

By Katy Stegall Senior Staff

Director of Facilities Charlotte Zole zzi, who has been on administrative leave since Feb. 20, said she is not in any kind of trouble.

College officials are actually trying to protect her, she insisted.

Zolezzi was placed on leave

by Southwestern College’s Vice

President of Human Resources Robert Unger after three college custodians made a series of charges against her and the college. They claimed Zolezzi was harassing them at work by following them around during their night shifts, blackmailing them with photographs of them sleeping or engaging in illegal activities during work hours, spying on them, and allowing them

to be insulted and harassed by their direct supervisor.

Zolezzi said the charges of harassment were untrue and that she was doing her job by holding the custodians accountable to perform their work. She also said the custodians’ complaints with the college reached back long before she was hired in 2016. A group of four custodians and a computer

technician had charged the college with institutional racism and their claims set off a volatile series of events that included at least three lawsuits, a death threat against a union official, raids of employee offices, impounded computers and the resignation of a college dean.

Zolezzi said she stepped into a

Zolezzi

please see On leave pg. A2

Legally blind student hurt in fall from curb

By Paola G. Labrada News Editor

BUTTERFLY

Nicole Aispuro-Machado powers through the last leg of the 100-meter butterfly event at the first swim meet hosted at the new $52 million Aquatic Center built with Proposition R funds. Coverage on pg. 9

Former SWC student is running for Congress

Three-time Olympian Tonie Campbell loves coaching track and helping Paralympians.

The 50th district encompasses most of San Diego’s East County and reaches north into Temecula in Riverside County.

It has been historically a staunchly Republican stronghold populated by conservative white voters.

“It’s changing though,” said CampaNajjar, refering to demographic changes that are pushing more democratic voters into the district.

Communities historically occupied by people of color, like Barrio Logan

Southwestern students and faculty walk out of class in remembrance of students murdered in Parkland, Fl.

please see Campa pg. A2

VIEWPOINTS

Alumna’s vegan blog is a tasteful map of America’s best food cities and eateries.

SPORTS

ARTS

Campa-Najjar

“It feels like I never left,” said Ammar Campa-Najjar as he walked through what he called “memory lane” of Southwestern College’s halls. Campa-Najjar is running for California’s 50th Congressional District. He is also a Southwestern College alumnus.

Campa-Najjar received a 97 percent party vote in the Democratic preendorsement process in February to secure the Democratic endorsement for

California’s 50th Congressional District primary in June. He will face incumbent Duncan Hunter, the Republican who has held the position since 2009.

“I’m the first Mexican-PalestinianAmerican Millennial ever to get” the California Democratic Party endorsement, he said with a winking grim.

Campa-Najjar said he is a proud Democat, but emphasized his bipartisan approach to public policy.

“I’m trying to depoliticize politics,” he said.

CAMPUS

By Siobhan Eagen Assistant Viewpoints Editor

Students struggle to overcome the stigma of depression and need to get the help they deserve.

please see Lawsuit pg. A2

@THESWCSUN

M

ADAME

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

A legally blind student has filed a lawsuit against the college after he fell and broke his leg stepping off a curb that was too high to meet ADA standards.

A former college grounds supervisor said campus officials knew the curb was dangerous and ignored the problem.

Albert Jordan Arguilla, 20, an art major who is a legally blind, filed a complaint for civil rights violations Arguilla and personal injury damages after he broke his femur falling from a curb near the 750 building on an access road.

Arguilla said he had left his class in room 755 and was walking toward the bookstore on a pedestrian access route when he fell from a curb that ranges in height from 6 inches at its lowest up to 12 inches at the corner. There were no warnings about the curb anomalies, according to the suit, other than yellow paint on the edge of the curb that a legally blind person cannot see.

Arguilla’s suit against the college claims the pedestrian access route is unsafe and not really accessible. SWC Director of Facilities Charlotte Zolezzi agreed.

Zolezzi said she was told by a superior to paint the curb after Arguilla’s fall, but nothing else.

“At the time I didn’t know that someone had been hurt or really what the problem was,” she said. “I was just told to paint the curb. I think there was yellow paint and then we wrapped and continued down because there is a driveway and it is really not a walkway.”

When Zolezzi learned what had happened she said she returned to re-evaluate the site.

“I didn’t think of someone who was blind, I was thinking wheelchair and didn’t know the extent of the injuries,” she said.

“Afterward I understood that someone had been hurt and I was taken over there to inspect. Man, this curb is kinda high. This can’t be in the path of travel. Construction did not have correct ADA.” Former Grounds Supervisor Jose Aguilera was critical of Zolezzi and other college leaders for ignoring a long-standard problem.

“This is not the first incident,” he said.

“This is, unfortunately, a situation where you are dealing with a disabled student who is blind and it is sad that it had to happen to

A2

Paola G. Labrada, editor

NEWS

April 20, 2018 — Vol. 61, Issue 5

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

On leave: Zolezzi denies all charges of discrimination Continued from pg. A1

racially-charged “cesspool” when she came aboard. She was tasked with getting more productivity out of the night custodians, but insisted she went into her new job wanting to help them and encourage them, too.

“So I think the complaints back then, everyone was like ‘we’re mad because we’re being treated bad because of our ethnicity,’” Zolezzi said. “And HR did nothing. They just kind of shuffled people.

If anything went wrong or someone got caught with their pants down, literally, they got shuffled. Somebody stole something, they got shuffled. No one got let go, no one got suspended. People just got into that mindset of getting away with anything and everything and nobody cared. It was like a bad child. They got to the point where if they don’t care, we don’t care.”

Night custodians at SWC have been accused of numerous illegal activities over the years, such as stealing food from cafeterias, drinking and using drugs during work hours, sleeping on the job, and leaving campus to party during work hours and returning intoxicated. To date, however, none have been fired for any such offenses.

At least four custodians have claimed severe racial discrimination and harassment over a period of years. Custodians have charged that dead rats and human feces were placed in their lockers, a picture of President Obama was defaced with the word “nigger” across his forehead, and co-workers made ape and monkey noises over their walkietalkies. Three of the complaining custodians are African-American, one is Latino. The IT technician is also African-American.

Zolezzi said college administration was focused on passing accreditation last year and had her focusing less on employees she supervised. She said other employees started coming to her to complain about custodians who were stealing and sleeping on the job.

She tried tackling the issues, she said, but former HR Vice President Trinda Best and former HR Director Marvin Castillo did not resolve them. She said Best was afraid to process complaints against the custodians for fear of a backlash from the racism complaints custodians Thaao Streeter, Roderick Curry and Mark Gutierrez had filed. Best is also African-American.

“I sent them packages of paper on the custodians and I would turn it in,” Zolezzi said. “Months would go by and (Best and Castillo) would not submit it. It was like they were gun shy. They just didn’t want to deal with the problems.”

Zolezzi was relieved of custodial supervision duties in the midst of the investigation. Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs Tim Flood has overseen the custodial department since June 2, 2017.

Curry said the custodians were unable to comment on matters pertaining to Zolezzi because of the lawsuit he, Streeter and Gutierrez have filed against SWC. A civil jury trial is scheduled to begin November 9.

Zolezzi said she hopes the truth comes out before the trial. She also said she hopes the people in the custodial department tell the truth and do not risk their employment over lying for their co-workers.

“If I’m wrongfully terminated, they’re going to have to say it in court,” Zolezzi said. “Are you really willing to jeopardize your freedom? Perjury is punishable.”

Zolezzi said having Unger as the Acting VP of HR is a step in the right direction for the college and “administration is in the process of clearing the swamp.” Being placed on administrative leave was depressing at first, she said, but she is optimistic that she will not be found of any wrong doing and will be back to work soon.

“I did what I felt was my responsibility and I know I did the right thing,” she said. “It was ethically correct to do what I did. It may have pushed some buttons, but if it pushes your buttons to work hard, something is wrong with you. You shouldn’t have that button. Hard work is why we’re here. It’s a good job, good pay.

We have nice pensions. We’re teaching students here, good students.”

Zolezzi is the latest in a series of permanent and temporary facilities directors employed at the college over the last decade. John Wilson was entangled in the South Bay Corruption Scandal of 2010-12 for financial malfeasance and John Brown was let go for mishandling personnel issues.

SWC’s Human Resources Department has also been an area of turmoil going back nearly 13 years to the resignation of college president Norma Hernandez in 2005. Federal accreditation agencies have been highly critical of both areas since 2009 when SWC was placed on probation and threatened with closure.

Unger, a former personal injury attorney and reading professor, has been serving as acting vice president since October 2017.

Best has been on leave since July 2017 and still holds the title of Title IX Coordinator.

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

VERTICAL CHALLENGE — A curb near the 750 building where Jordan Arguilla broke his femur was 6 inches at some points, 12 inches at others.

Lawsuit: High curb said to be an ADA violation

Continued from pg. A1

him, but there are other students that have tripped there. Faculty and all kinds of people have complained about these dangerous areas on campus.”

Aguilera said he bought a small concrete grinder at Home Depot to fix some unsafe sidewalks and curbs, but it was not powerful enough to reshape the curb near room 755.

Aguilera said he and his team did not have the proper equipment for the job.

Aguilera said he was trying to fix many of the hazard areas on campus, but Zolezzi told him not to.

“Zolezzi said no, don’t worry about it, it is not a big issue, it is not a concern right now to worry about,” he said. “All the other deans and directors know about this because we’ve discussed it in meetings.”

Zolezzi said her hands were tied and her

Campa: Former SWC student worked for Obama Continued from pg. A1

and Chula Vista, are becoming more expensive due to gentrification, he said. Chula Vista’s average rent has risen by $500 from 2011 to 2018. As a result, single mothers, newly weds, Latinx families and young people are moving east to live in bigger homes for less money.

“Think about those demographics, young people, mixed families and single moms,” he said. “They’re all Democrats.”

Campa-Najjar said he hopes to bridge America’s political chasms.

“There still is a lot of conservative thinking, but I don’t look at it that way,” he said.

“I don’t talk about people’s personal politics. I talk about their personal health, their personal safety, their personal finances.”

Campa-Najjar’s said his top three issues are jobs, immigration and healthcare. An example of a bipartisan bill supported by the Campa-Najjar campaign is the modification of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, which passed in 2013, but was never introduced to the House of Representatives. Protecting DACA recipients is another priority.

“Whenever I talk about things, I explain them from the frame of the person who disagrees with it,” he said.

“Instead of saying ‘you’re wrong,’ I try to say ‘I might share your value but how do we get there?’”

Campa-Najjar uses this method to discuss controversial topics like abortion, gun control and immigration.

“If we can make it about public ser vice and coming together,

department lacked resources to fix unsafe areas of campus. She said the college hired an ADA consultant to evaluate problems and assemble an ADA compliance binder.

It was given to the Proposition R team, she said, but the team was not fixing anything, so she had to take over the project herself.

“We started fixing things with the budget that we had in our department when we saw how behind the Prop R team was,” she said. “I was given this spreadsheet that was half done. I asked why didn’t anybody implement any of this? No one had a real answer. The money was there, it has been there.”

Zolezzi said she is still trying to get through the binder, though progress was stalled when she was placed on administrative leave over an unrelated personnel matter.

“I never got through the binder and this was in January, but I don’t know if the curb was added,” she said.

Zolezzi also said her department was understaffed.

“I didn’t have any project managers, I didn’t have any supervisors to help me get started in some of the other projects so most

of it we relied on the Prop R team to do a lot of these incidental projects,” she said.

Arguilla said through his lawyer that the college needs to stop making excuses and start providing equal access to students and staff with disabilities. He said he had no chance of safely navigating the high curb.

It did not have an ADA regulation slope, lacked warnings and did not have handrails.

These are all in violation of statutory measures, according to his court filing.

Patricia Flores-Charter, SWC Director of Disability Support Services, said she was concerned about the construction on campus and a lack of signage.

Zolezzi said she agreed.

“I took on that responsibility as the consulting contractor to make sure we help students re-route their pathway during construction,” she said. “I offered to put a fence, a wall and the Prop R team kept saying it was not necessary because we are going to remodel.”

Arguilla’s legal brief argued that disabled students are vulnerable during construction projects and cannot wait for safety measures. Arguilla said he could not

see the curb line and has “problems with depth perception.” His fracture required surgery and hospitalization, he said, and could have been life threatening. He said he suffers from anxiety and depression over the incident, but is back on campus resuming his studies.

Zolezzi said she regrets that a student with disabilities was injured, but she said it could have been anyone.

“I feel bad that someone — especially someone who is visually impaired — had to face this,” she said. “Students are looking at their phones when switching from class to class. Anybody could’ve fallen.”

Aguilera said Zolezzi and college administrators are far too cavalier about campus hazards and he expects more injuries.

“It is unfortunate that it happened to a student, but I’m glad that somebody brought this to light because Zolezzi is completely responsible for addressing these issues and these concerns,” he said.

“Especially because the biggest thing is that they wiped it and put it under the rug. They don’t care about it, they just squashed it.”

I think we can do it,” he said.

Southwestern College was the place Campa-Najjar developed his interest in public service, he said.

“After each class, me and my group of friends would just sit and talk for an hour or two,” he said. I’d be smoking cigars and talking about philosophy. I just really found myself the leader of those discussions.”

Southwestern College faculty influenced his interest in political thinking and active civic engagement, he said.

“I felt like I was able to sway opinion and influence other people’s thinking,” he said. “Not just because I was a good student, but, I think that I coupled my academic experience with my lived experience.”

Campa-Najjar was born in East County and raised by his single, working mother. He lived in Gaza from the age of nine, until 12 years old.

“Living in the Middle East, seeing war, and seeing really tough conditions (was illuminating),” he said. “My mom raising me on her own, and what that meant (effected my) learning about economic injustice, social injustice and how politics can be a vehicle to create a level playing field. I built an intellectual framework from those experiences. I think this school really matured my thinking on how to use politics to impact the public.”

After SWC, Campa-Najjar attended SDSU. He served as a field director for Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential campaign while he was still in his early 20s. His work on the campaign managed to reach across state lines and turn out voters in neighboring states. Campaigning for Obama is where he cultivated more political experience and met people who are now colleagues.

“Most of us 2012 volunteers knew he was going to run at some point,” said Katie Meyer, Field Director of the Ammar Campa for Congress

Campaign. “Because of his ability to tell his story, his passion, his work ethic, we knew that he was going to run.”

Meyer said she has known CampaNajjar since she was 16.

She was phone-banking for Obama’s campaign during high school when she met him.

Meyer said she wanted to support Campa-Najjar when he announced

The Campa-Najjar campaign team includes a Dreamer, LGBTQ people, veterans, young people new to politics and self proclaimed “rednecks,” he said. “It’s as diverse as the country that I’m hoping to serve, it’s incredible.”

Campa-Najjar said he has been working to build relationships with East County Native American bands, who are often overlooked by all political parties. He is also reaching out to veterans. He said he has personal understanding of both groups.

“I think being Palestinian-American I have a connection with Native Americans on certain levels, with the whole idea of displacement,” he said.

Campa-Najjar said he would like to bring a project like Elon Musk’s Space-X to the district and ensure 30 percent of jobs go to Native Americans, in which 30 percent of whom still live in poverty.

Though he is running against three veterans, Campa-Najjar said he finds common ground with them.

“I didn’t choose to live in a warzone when I lived in Gaza,” he said, “but that gave me a bond with veterans that I can’t explain. War changes you.”

Improving veteran reintegration resources such as mental health care, wrap-around services, vocational training and housing assistance is another priority, he said.

During Campa-Najjar’s White House internship he said he read thousands of letters addressed to Obama which he said put him on “the fast track to internalize the voice of the American people all around the country, not just in the places I grew up.”

Helping America is simpler than most may realize, he said.

“We have to invest in people,” he said. “I think in all these things, injustice economic and socially, it comes down to making sure people who have been very successful are not avoiding the obligation they have to the very country that made their success possible.”

“I built an intellectual framework from those experiences.

I think this school really matured my thinking on how to use politics to impact the public.”

-Ammar Campa-Najjar his campaign though said she “was shocked” that he chose to run for Congress against Hunter instead of a local office first.

“But I remember everything we were able to accomplish in 2012, all the energy behind the campaign and what he was able to do,” she said.

NEWS

The Southwestern College Sun

April 20, 2018 — Vol. 61, Issue 5

A3

Shunted GIs fight to return home Deported Vets Support House in Tijuana helps exiled soldiers

By Aileen Orozco Assistant Photo Editor

Army Sgt. Hector Barajas came home alive after fighting for freedom in Iraq.

Now he is coming home again, this time after fighting for his freedom in Tijuana.

Deportee Alan Balbuena was not so lucky. He died fighting for his life in Tijuana.

Both honorably discharged military veterans were discharged without honor from the United States, deported for committing a crime. Barajas paid his debt to society by serving two years in prison, then several years living in poverty in Tijuana.

Balbuena paid with his life.

Barajas and U.S. Marine Corps veterans Marco Chavez Medina and Erasmo Apodaca were given a second chance to be Americans when Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned them – the first deported veterans to recieve pardons.

Chavez had lived as a deportee in Mexico for 15 years, Apodaca for 20.

Robert Vidar is the father of a current U.S. soldier. He works at a Playas de Tijuana center for deported veterans.

“We’re really proud of Governor Brown and we’re very supportive of his actions,” he said. “We hope that more governors in the country can take on that challenge.”

Barajas recently earned his U.S citizenship in a high-profile ceromony that was attended by a U.S. Congressman and other elected officials. It was the end of a 14-year struggle.

Barajas admitted he was no angel when he was a younger man. He was deported in 2004 after serving a prison sentence for shooting at a car. He returned illegally to the U.S., but in 2010 he was caught and deported to Tijuana once again. He left behind an 11-year-old daughter.

Barajas said he learned his lesson and decided to fly right. He founded the Deported Veterans Support House in 2013. It is affectionately known by veterans as “The Bunker.” Barajas helped other deported veterans find housing, medical services, food, clothing and other needs.

The Sun visited The Bunker in Spring 2014 and other news media soon followed. Elected officials also took note of the spector of deported veterans in Tijuana, said Barajas.

“We’ve had three congressional visits,” he said. “We work directly with the Veterans Administration to help them file for their VA benefits and have been able to get at least 10 people their benefits through The Bunker. The guys are getting anywhere between $600 and $3,000 a month, plus their medical benefits.”

The Deported Veterans Support House also provides shelter for veterans trying to find housing and jobs in what is essentially a foreign country. Barajas and his small cadre of helpers became a de facto social service agency, helping vets access psychologists, health care and overcoming drug or alcohol addictions.

Barajas built a close relationship with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), he said, and they are working together to secure more pardons for other deported veterans. Journalists at “Stars and Stripes,” the international newspaper that covers the U.S. military, estimated that there are almost 3,000 deported military veterans in several countries.

Felix Peralta Jr. served in the U.S. Army in the 1980s. He was deported in 2001 after resisting arrest following a high-speed chase. After spending time living on the streets of Tijuana, he found temporary help at Desayunador Salesiano Padre Chava, a homeless shelter. When he came across the Support House, he said, his life took a turn for the better.

“It’s like a trampoline, you come and stay here three or six months, maybe a year, to then move on,” said Peralta. “It’s helped me a lot, they are like my family.”

Deported veteran Enrique Salas said Barajas helped to find him a lawyer to apply for a pardon.

“Hope is the last thing we have,” said Salas. “That’s all we can do, hope every single morning we get up.”

Zachary Valdez and Alfredo Figueroa, both UC Berkeley students and Army

Aileen Orozco/Staff

Aileen Orozco/Staff

A SCAR ON THE HEART – (clockwise from top l) Names of deported veterans on the Mexican side of the border wall.

Virgilio and Cristina Balbuena mourn the murder of their son, who was killed in Tijuana following his deportation. Family members touch fingertips through border fencing. U. S. Army vet Hector Barajas honors deceased deported veterans in a tribute at the border wall. Barajas was recently pardoned by Gov. Brown and granted U. WS. citizenship 14 years after he was deported.

veterans, support The Bunker by advocating and raising funds. Figueroa said they were outraged to learn U.S. veterans were being deported.

“Nobody cares about your citizenship status when bullets are flying around your head, so why should we care about it now?” he said.

Figueroa started a care package campaign at Berkeley to gather food, clothing and hygiene products.

What started out as a small apartment has become a chain of Support Houses.

Barajas and his team recently established a Support House in Ciudad Juarez and plan to open another in the Dominican

Republic.

Valdez, Figueroa and other Berkeley recruits plan to join Barajas and his team over the summer in the Dominican Republic to set up a new Support House. Their mission is to help deported veterans apply for their VA benefits that can help them get back on their feet.

“We want to keep the promise to our brothers and sisters that we don’t leave a person behind,” said Figueroa. “We all have to come home.”

Most veterans said the hardest part of deportation is leaving behind families.

Every Sunday at Friendship Park in Playas de Tijuana deported veterans and

immigrants are given an opportunity to see their families through hulking metal barricades. Families gather on the American side of the border to see their deported friends and family who stand in Mexico.

Vidar is one of the many deported immigrants who assist weekly in organizing the event.

“It’s an area where families that have been separated by unjust immigration laws can have an opportunity to visit with each other,” he said.

Priests on each side of the border give a binational communion service.

A speaker on the Mexican side allows

people on the U.S. side to hear the priest.

Friendship Park is home to a deported veterans mural featuring the names of many exiled soldiers. It is a meeting point for many deported immigrants.

Rafael Mendoza, a musician in a mariachi band, is a deported immigrant.

After 31 years living in the U.S, he was ripped apart from his children and pushed over the border into Tijuana by ICE. “I come (to Friendship Park) because we all understand each other,” he said.

“We all feel the sadness and pain of being seperated from our families.”

Mendoza and his mariachis play for the families to generate joy, he said.

Recently-deceased immigrants are periodically honored.

For the son of Cristina Balbuena, deportation was a death sentence.

Hector Alan Balbuena, her son, was murdered after he was deported.

A ceremony was hosted at Friendship Park in his memory. His devastated parents and twin brother mourned his death, but also celebrated his life.

Valdez said he believes few people are aware that thousands of U.S. military veterans are being deported. They have no voice, he said, and are left to fend for themsleves as they navigate the bewildering process of applying for citizenship.

Many things need to change to prevent these unjust actions, said Valdez. “(The government should ensure) that once you join the military, you automatically become a citizen,” he said.

Peralta agreed.

“They told me when I joined the service that I would become an American citizen. But they didn’t do what they said.”

A4

The Southwestern College Sun

VIEWPOINTS

April 20, 2018— Volume 63, Issue 5

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

Hookup culture is not healthy

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alyssa Pajarillo COPY EDITOR

Brian del Carmen NEWS

Paola G. Labrada, editor CAMPUS

Justin Dottery, editor VIEWPOINTS

Alyssa Pajarillo, editor Siobhan Eagan, assistant Larry Estrada, head cartoonist ARTS

Marty Loftin, editor SPORTS

Ivana E. Morales, editor Brittany Cruz-Fejeran, assistant ONLINE

Ramona Lopez/staff

Arantxa Calles, editor

editorial

PHOTOGRAPHY

Victoria Sanchez, editor Aileen Orozco, assistant SENIOR STAFF

Natalie Mosqueda Katy Stegall

The Issue: College leaders have decided students will have to pay extra to use the new gym and pools.

Our Position: This is a betrayal of the mission of our college and its low-income students.

STAFF WRITERS

Alyson Attencio

Juan Morales

JoseLuis Baylon

Alejandro Padilla

Kateley Boardman

Arianna Pintado

Yazmin Chavez

Marla Raudales

Natalie Davila

Matthew Reilly

Karen Estrada

Joshua Ruiz-

Alberto Gandara

Ortega

Sydni Ingram

Aide Valdez

Elizabeth Juarez

Jahaziel Valencia

Matthew Leksell

Dasha Vovk

Ramona Lopez

Paloma Zaizar

Alejandro Morales PHOTOGRAPHERS

CARTOONISTS

Thomas Contant

Dan Cordero

Alexander Contreras

Stephanie Garrido

Pablo Corona

Michelle Phillips

Maria Joaquin ADVISOR

Dr. Max Branscomb

AWARDS/HONORS Student Press Law Center National College Press Freedom Award, 2011 National Newspaper Association National College Newspaper of the Year, 2004-17 Associated Collegiate Press National College Newspaper of the Year National Newspaper Pacemaker Award, 2003-06, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012-2017 General Excellence Awards, 2001-18 Best of Show Awards, 2003-18 Columbia University Scholastic Press Association Gold Medal for Journalism Excellence, 2001-18 California Newspaper Publishers Assoc.

California College Newspaper of the Year, 2013, 2016 Student Newspaper General Excellence, 2002-18

San Diego County Multicultural Heritage Award Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence, 2001-18 First Amendment Award, 2002, 2005 San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards 1999-2017 Directors Award for Defense of Free Speech, 2012 Journalism Association of Community Colleges Pacesetter Award 2001-17 General Excellence Awards, 2000-18 American Scholastic Press Association Community College Newspaper of the Year San Diego County Fair Media Competition Best of Show 200103, 2005-2017

Charging fees to use the gym runs counter to college rhetoric about equity, inclusion The Curse of the Corner Lot lives on.

For more than half a century the seven-acre patch of highly-visible ground at the corner of Otay Lakes Road and East H Street has been a source of anguish, argument, silly proposals, corruption, threats of violence, political turnover, administrative bloodletting, false starts and – finally – a palatial athletic facility most students will never, ever be able to use.

Southwestern College’s two decades of misadventures on the lot has been like watching a child inflate a party balloon, then letting it go to watch it fly randomly here, there and everywhere until it putters out and falls limply to the ground.

Now that this community has invested $57 million in a gym and a collection of pools comes the gut punch – SWC students have to pay extra to use them.

College leaders argue that the facilities should generate revenue and be self-supporting. That is a sound business model. The problem is, this is a college, not a corporation. We serve students and this community, not shareholders. There is a sizable difference.

President Dr. Kindred Murillo said repeatedly during the center’s opening press conference that “this center is for the students.” Dean of Athletics Jim Spillers said the Wellness and Aquatics Center will “create the most opportunities possible for our students.”

What it seems they meant was “this center is for students with lots of money who can pay membership fees.”

Charging fees almost automatically cuts away four out of every five students. About 80 percent of SWC students rely on financial aid. That means only about 3,400 of SWC’s 17,000 students are not on federal financial aid and many of those are on other forms of assistance for food, housing and healthcare.

Most colleges, two-year and four-year alike, do not make students pay for access to their fitness centers because they know exercise is good for learning (stimulates growth of dendrites in the brain), stress management (alleviates depression, PTSD and inflammation) and health (counters obesity, diabetes

Online Comments Policy

and osteoporosis).

Exercise is cost-effective. Students who exercise are healthier. Healthy people are cheaper to maintain that stressed and sick ones. Our enlightened college president knows this and is a regular exerciser.

Low-income Americans are the sickest. They are disproportionately stressed, eat badly, spend hours on awful public transportation and in soul-sucking jobs at the bottom of the food chain. We have less control of our lives, less access to medical care, and the most stress and nutrition-based ailments.

Exercise is the magic medicine when we have the time and access.

SWC does so many things well, or at least tries to.

We have legal services for undocumented students, showers for homeless students and twice-weekly access to a food pantry. We applaud our college for being socially aware of the problems of its students face, but it is no secret that poor health typically bites at the heels of lower-income individuals. Students who cannot afford three meals a day – let alone heathy options – do not have money for a fancy gym. Abraham Maslow was right, food and shelter come before gym membership.

SWC’s betrayal of its low-income clientele is starkly highlighted by the fact that most other California community colleges and universities have free gyms and exercise centers that are much nicer and better equipped than ours. While visiting UC and CSU campuses we found gyms with indoor soccer, relaxing pools, shock-reducing running tracks, rock climbing walls and bountiful intermural sports opportunities of all types. SWC, as it often does, has settled for less.

This is a train wreck that does not have to happen.

We would like to encourage our talented and athletic college president to load up on endorphins on her treadmill, get her blood flowing to her brain and have a change of heart. It is not too late to change course and do the right thing. Open the gym to our community’s most stressed, lowest-income and most optimistic people – the students of Southwestern College.

You can do it – no sweat.

Letters Policy

The Sun reserves the right to republish web comments

Send mailed letters to: Editor, Southwestern College Sun, 900

in the newspaper and will not consider publishing

Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Send e-mailed letters to

anonymously posted web comments or comments that

viewpoints@theswcsun.com. E-mailed letters must include a phone

are inflammatory or libelous. Post web comments at

number. The Sun reserves the right to edit letters for libel and length and

theswcsun.com.

will not consider publishing letters that arrive unsigned.

Opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Sun Staff, the Editorial Board or Southwestern College.

College students’ sexually liberating carefree attitude about sex may be doing more harm than good.

Up to 80 percent of college students have reported engaging in casual sex outside of a committed relationship, according to a 2012 study conducted by The Kinsey Institute.

Students are engaging in casual sex more than committed relationships resulting in a “Hookup Culture.”

Mornings after parties and tinder dates can be spent discussing hookup encounters with friends. But what does it mean to “hookup with someone?”

Sociologist Daniell Currier asked her students at Randolph College that very question.

Their answers varied. About 40 percent said that hooking up meant sexual intercourse, 12 percent said it meant nudity and some genital touching, and 13 percent said oral sex. Lastly, 35 percent of students said hooking up meant going no further than open-mouth kissing or making out.

Hookup culture is rampant on college campuses and college-age people across the nation. How can a prevalent term have so many different meanings?

It is by design.

The term “hookup” can mean whatever the person wants it to mean. Ambiguity leaves much to the imagination. That mysterious air of hooking up, however, may be counterintuitive to the sexual-liberated mindset many college students embrace.

A culture where casual sex is the norm may mislead many to assume that everyone should be having the same amount of sex, with anyone they would like. That is, in fact, the opposite.

Ambiguity in the word “hookup” permits toxic patriarchal norms to slide in undetected.

By allowing “hookup” to mean anything with no clear definition permits storytellers to paint their own pictures of their encounters.

Hookups may be exaggerated or downplayed depending on what the storyteller thinks their audience wants to hear.

Currier found that by allowing the hookup to be open to interpretation women could keep their “good girl” status in their minds.

Engaging in sexual activity, in this definition, is seen as promiscuous. It also allowed men the opportunity to protect their “stud” social status, without disclosing any blunders to spoil their image as campus Casanovas.

Hookup culture reinforces the toxic thinking that women should remain untouched and pure, while men are permitted and encouraged to seek as many partners as they wish.

Encounters with partners perceived as attractive may be exaggerated, while regretful hookups with someone considered less attractive may be boiled down to a casual drunken make-out session. Truth rests be somewhere in between.

In her book, American Hookup, Lisa Wade wrote that the attractiveness level of a partner is open for debate among peers.

“In hookup culture...beauty is in the eyes of the beholders, plural.” she said, “A body’s value is determined by collective agreement.

It’s crowd sourced. So is ugliness.”

Telling a big fish story may seem to be damaging, but the exaggeration of a story reduces sexual partners to nothing more than a social commodity used to gain social status.

Hookup culture can feed rape culture.

If two people have planned to meet and hookup, what exactly have both parties consented to? When hooking up is interpreted as anything from making out to intercourse, is can be difficult to make sexual communication about consent clear and can put people at risk.

Step one to hooking up: Pregame.

Students describe being intoxicated as the vital first step of hooking up, according to Wade. Students who party reported that alcohol enhanced their experience. They also described it as a confidence booster while working to land a hookup partner.

Students getting wasted with the intent of finding a sexual partner blur the lines of consensual sexual behavior.

Hookup culture may seem fun and liberating, but it is nothing more than a mislabeled sexual moment enforcing the same toxic culture many millennials are trying to combat.

Alyssa may be reached at sexandthesun@theswcsun.com

Alyssa Pajarillo, editor

VIEWPOINTS

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

?

April 20, 2018 — Vol. 61, Issue 5

A5

Thinking Out

Loud

How do you feel about students paying to use the new gym?

Ramona Lopez/staff

Counseling helped chart a better path

“It’s not right if we’re already paying tuition or having financial aid assistance. We shouldn’t have to pay for extra fees if it’s equipment we could use for free.”

By Ramona Lopez A perspective

Angel Collins, 25, History

“It would’ve been better if they just kept it free for students. I agree that outsiders should be asked for membership fees.”

Justine Buenaventura, 23, Kinesiology and Physical Therapy

siobhan eagen/staff

Bad counseling experience traumatizes student in need

By Siobhan Eagen A perspective

“I feel like if its part of the school, it’s something that should be provided to the students.”

Wendy Galvan, 18, Business

“I kind of feel like the school makes enough money off of us as students. It sucks that it’s not included and we have to pay for that separately.”

Miguel Elias, 25, Pre-law

“It’s something that isn’t fair to the students, it’s supposed to be for the students.”

Rafael Bermudez, 21, biology

Follow us on: The SWC Sun Theswcsun

@theswcsun

Theswcsun

Theswcsun

S

tress is a beast.

Crying desperately in the office of my advisor frantic, I was nervously trying to make sure my schedule could be worked out so the VA would pay for my credits. I was facing eviction and needed to move, so the money was pivotal.

Homelessness and transient living have become significant triggers for my Bipolar Disorder Type 1 and PTSD. The advisor noticed my stress and suggested I see a counselor.

My father was disabled from military service, which makes the California Veterans Waiver available to me if my annual income is below the poverty line.

My parents could not afford to send me to college in Arizona, so I moved to California in 2014 to use my father’s benefits.

I have been homeless or nearly homeless three times since then. In the three years I have attempted to return to school, I was unable to while working the hours I needed to survive.

My father died in late 2016 and grief left me unable to work. I moved to San Diego to live in an unoccupied family home for a year so I could get on my feet and return to school.

My housing situation blew up via an eviction notice. I had to move quickly.

My anxiety peaked when the semester began and I did not have a confirmation of my VA benefits.

I keep myself financially stable through a VA benefit called “Chapter 35,” which I receive as a survivor of my father.

Essentially, if I am taking fulltime credit hours, I receive about $1,000 a month. To receive the benefit, though, all classes must be required by my Student Education Plan at Southwestern.

My academic adviser kindly walked me over to speak with someone. At first I was delighted there were counselors on campus for students to speak to. About 10 minutes into the counseling session, though, I was made to feel guilty for feeling stressed.

The less-than-helpful advice

I received was to “think more positively.”

I felt demeaned. I did not go to the counselor for not “thinking more positively.” “ T h i n k m o re p o s i t i v e l y” sounds more like “your problems aren’t important” and “your pain is your own fault.” Stress made me incapable of thinking positively. I did not have the physical or emotional energy to move or find housing. I also did not have the money, so I could not form an emergency plan.

The counselor’s statement would have been dangerous to my fragile state of mind had I not had previous experience with therapy.

The first time I landed in a mental health counselor’s office was in 2005. I have been seeing therapists and counselors for 13 years. I have experienced a variety of care and caregivers in the mental health field. In all my years of therapy and psychiatric care, though, I have never received a slap in the face like “have you tried thinking more positively.”

The counselor did not explore stress tolerance techniques with me. He did not give me literature to read or exercises to try. I sat there with a full school schedule, financial debt, an eviction notice and grieving the death of my father with a bipolar cherry-ontop. I was told to be happier as if I somehow forgot to hit the light switch upon entering a room.

Instead of making a second appointment, I left the office seething. I was more angr y and distressed than I had been walking in.

Worst of all, I felt insulted.

As a long-time patient, I have learned what a “good” counselor or therapist should be. Or should not be.

I should have left that appointment feeling calmer or validated. Instead my pain was deligitimized. Decent counselors should at least validate pain.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy is one of the most popular modalities of modern therapy.

Effective DBT prioritizes validation of the client’s pain, according to Dr. Alexander Chapman of the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University. When a person in distress is told they “shouldn’t feel

that way,” they are invalidated.

Emotional invalidation during crisis causes shame, according to the DBT approach.

“Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change,” said Dr. Brene Brown of the University of Houston, an expert in vulnerability and shame.

My counseling appointment could have been dangerous, even lethal.

If I was sitting in that chair five years earlier, and my first reaction was guilt or shame, it could have triggered a suicidal state. I was able to recognize how grossly I was mistreated because of my previous experience.

In this instance, my critical analyzation and anger saved me.

I do not believe the counselor meant to do harm. But counselors, more than anyone, need to recognize the power of their words. I am grateful that SWC has mental health resources available to students. I have heard wonderful testimonies about the mental health support students receive. I did not, unfortunately, have that kind of experience.

SWC leadership must take action to lessen the likelihood that a dangerous situation like this happens again. Counselors may need more training and review. Hiring more certified psychotherapists will insure that students are receiving mental health advice from the most experienced and qualified professionals.

If students are struggling emotionally, I urge them to check out SWC’s resources.

Our campus professionals offer consultations for behavioral health issues, crisis intervention, workshops and community referrals to seek off-campus re s o u rc e s . S WC ’s Pe r s o n a l Wellness webpage contains a list hotlines and resources for crisis, domestic violence and LGBTQ issues.

See another counselor if the first one does not “fit.” I call the process “shopping.” Do not give up. Keep pursuing your health.

Seek help, but exercise your critical judgement, it is OK to not rebook the same counselor.

The mental health of students is a sound investment. My case is not unique. Many fight similar

“I would rather kill myself than go to counseling.”

That was my response to a friend’s suggestion that I make an appointment.

I felt too much anxiety to even consider counseling.

Depression hit me like a high-speed train after a breakup two years ago. I was blindsided when he broke up with me via text message. I felt as though he never actually cared about me. I felt worthless.

I was constantly bullied throughout school. I was attacked on my appearance and personality. I was told I was not enough. In my mind, my ex breaking up with me validated everything I was told as a teenager.

I was ugly.

I was stupid.

I was boring.

I set a self-imposed time limit for grieving, but that did not work. My deadline to stop feeling sad came and went.

I eventually confided in friends. I never liked talking about my struggles because it made me feel like a burden. Breaking down that wall was a huge step. Pressure from bottled up emotions diminished when I no longer feared judgment.

I rejected counseling because my parents would not allow me to show emotion. My father hated when I cried.

“Crying makes you ugly,” he said. “Be strong.”

If he thought crying was embarrassing, how would he react to his daughter fighting depression?

I was ashamed. I felt I should have been able to deal with this situation on my own. Otherwise I would be seen as weak.

Worries about perception hung over me. Would professors and students find out I had gone to counseling and see me in a different light?

My friend Aubrey begged me to make an appointment at the Personal Wellness Center. I was devastated he thought I needed professional help.

Deep down I knew he was right. I was crying out for help, but stigma froze me. I wanted to stop feeling depressed. I needed to make an appointment.

My friends are sympathetic, but it was not enough. Counseling is more than having a strong support system. They are trained professionals who use therapeutic techniques. They teach students coping mechanisms and manage stress.

Only 50 percent of students disclose their mental health condition to their college, according to a 2012 report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Fear and stigma are the top reasons.

SWC’s counseling services are strictly confidential. Nothing will ever appear in your academic records.

I was uncomfortable talking about things with a stranger when I could barely speak about them with friends.

My friend Gezell sat in on the first few sessions. I eventually started attending appointments by myself. I continue to struggle with depression, but counseling is helping.

It might not work for everyone, but counseling helps legions of students.

Therapy is a relationship. If the connection is not there, it is not a reflection on either party. Sometimes students need to meet different counselors before finding a good fit.

Pride prevents too many students from seeking help. Going to a counselor is like going to the doctor for a sore back or sprained ankle. Mental health is no different.

Mental health does not discriminate.

It does not care about race, sex, religion or social-economic standing. We need to get to the point where someone talking about mental illness is no longer seen as brave, but routine.

A6

April 20, 2018 – Volume 61, Issue 5

The Southwestern College Sun

CAMPUS

Hernandez honored for lifetime of service

By Elizabeth Juarez Staff Writer

JoseLuis Baylon

Geography effects music and language Music is beautiful, even the stuff blaring from the car next to you.

“If Rick Moranis could sing in ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’” a friend said,” anyone can learn to sing. You have to coach yourself!”

Keeping a beat is more intuitive than we might suspect. Take, for example, beatboxers.

Beatboxers are the only people who can imitate the sounds and phonemes of the world’s many languages, without needing to know the language.

Their voices create pops, clicks and slaps that are identifiable worldwide.

Their beat holds a rhythm. Music connects us without language.

Singing is part of the evolution of language. Melody comes from nature, rhythm comes from the Earth. Wind, humidity and elevation all have effect how voices, language and songs sound.

Tone and pitch are used to give meaning to many of the languages on Earth. Findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that complex tones used in languages (three or more tones occur to create contrast) are likely to occur in Earth’s humid regions. In frigid or desert regions languages use simplistic tones. This is an example of a non-conscious way humans adapted to their environments.

Geography and anatomy work in harmony.

Breathing in dry air will cause laryngeal dehydration and will decrease vocal fold elasticity. In cold areas it will be difficult to make complex sounds compared to humid, warmer areas. That results in one of reasons behind the deviation of sounds in human language.

Ejectives are sounds used in languages spoken at higher altitudes.

They are produced with a powerful burst of air by creating a pocket of air in the pharynx then compressing it. Since air pressure decreases with altitude, it takes less effort to compress thin air. This is why Tibetan people breathe at a faster rate than other high altitude populations. They have adaptated to reduce the effects of hypoxia in high altitudes.

Where you live will shape you. Take beatboxers, if a beatboxer creates an inventory of sounds, he can use them for artful vocal expression. These sounds are universal.

A beatboxer who creates an inventory of sounds can use them for vocal expression. These sounds are universal. Ejective consonant — bursts of air generated by closing the vocal cords — are common to the languages of the Hausa from Nigeria, the Chechen in Chechnya, Nuxálk people from British Columbia, and several regions of Africa.

When researchers at the University of Exeter and Tokyo University of the Arts worked together to study the structure and function of human music, they found features frequently present in a majority of songs across different world regions. Pitch and rhythms based on two or three beats were present in music from all regions — North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

We all sing and dance to the same beat.

Music is expressed socially in its cultural context, but its root is earthly.

In the future, traditional ethnomusicological approaches will combine with state-of-theart scientific tools to offer insight into cultural and human biological evolution.

Until then, rock on!

Norma Hernandez has been a college president, a transformational trustee and even hosted a national media event for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at her home in Bonita.

Nothing, though, affected her like a group of humble ESL kids at a Barrio Logan elementary school.

Hernandez received the 2018 Ja g u a r Aw a rd f o r a l i f e t i m e outstanding of community service from Southwestern College, one of the many accolades during a life rich

with achievement born of humility.

She never predicted the 15-year-old girl who moved to the United States from Tijuana would lead Chicano activism, and mentor hundreds of students as a counselor.

It really started with a small group of English as a Second Language students, she said, when she was a young teacher’s aide in low-income elementary schools.

She realized there was an achievement gap between ESL and non-ESL students. Schools then failed to provide adequate services for ESL students, many of which were shoved into special education classes,

LA REINA— Governing Board Member Norma Hernandez is a recipient of the Jag Award for her achievements as pioneer in higher education.

leaving them far behind the rest of their peers even though they were capable of so much more. These programs were extremely discriminatory, she said, because children were being punished for not growing up as English speakers.

“Those children were my inspiration and my motivation, but because I was just a teacher’s aide I did not have a strong voice,” she said. “But I knew I had to do something.”

Hernandez said she was determined to help give all students quality education, so she enrolled at San Diego Mesa College and eventually transferred to SDSU. She earned a Aileen Orozco/Staff

please see Hernandez pg. A8

Students stand with Parkland

By Kateley Boardman Assistant Campus Editor

Aileen Orozco/Staff

¡VIVA CHICANA!—Former SWC Counselor Beatriz Zamora is considered la jefa (the boss) of the Aztecinspired Danza Azteca. Zamora is featured in the new book “Chicana Tributes.”

Chicana leaders help write local history

By Aileen Orozco / Assistant Photo Editor

H

e who does not look ahead remains behind,” goes an old Mexican proverb.

Sonia Lopez inserted “She.” Lopez, a former Southwestern College counselor, published the book “Chicana Tributes,” the stories of 61 women who broke through stereotypes and el techo de cristal.

Three of the über-Chicanas are former Southwestern College educators, Norma Hernandez, Norma Cazares and Beatrice Zamora-Aguilar.

A Chicano awakening stirred in the 1970s as Cesar Chaver and Delores Huerta fought for the rights of farm workers. Urban Chicanos and academics also took up la causa.

“For the first time, Mexican-Americans and other under-represented students on our campuses were able to learn about themselves in college courses,” wrote Lopez. “At the same time, others in academia were now exposed to the diversity truly representative of the country’s population.”

Lopez, herself a Chicana activist, was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014. Female activists were somewhat rare until the 1970s, she said.

Latinas were expected to stay home and act like “proper housewives.” Sometimes would-be Chicana activists were discouraged by their own husbands.

“We had to fight not only the institutions, but we had to fight our own,” said Lopez. “It has been even today, a very hard process.”

Hernandez has been a vocal force for change in the educational system of this border community. She was America’s second Latina college president, a two-term member of the governing board and once hosted a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in her Bonita home.

Hernandez said she was a victim of the please see Activism pg. A7

Southwestern College dodged a bullet.

Possibly 265 bullets.

On Oct. 11, 1999 a schizophrenic man dressed in combat fatigues with an assault rifle, a pistol and 265 rounds of ammunition parked at a Chevron station across the street from the college, and prepared to cross the street to kill a professor and whomever else was nearby.

An alert gas station employee spotted him and called the police, preventing a possible mass shooting.

SWC was lucky that day. Parkland High School in Florida was not. Students and staff honored the 17 students killed in America’s most recent mass murder.

SWC nursing major Matta Fallah, 18, said mass shootings on campus have become too routine.

“It can happen to any school, it can happen here, you do not know,” she said.

“It impacts me a lot and it is also going to impact our generation and future children. A school is a place people are comfortable to come to learn, but if people are dying, what is the point of coming to school?”

English Professor Jessica Posey said she is a mother of three from a family of avid hunters. To spread the message of gun reform, she said, the nation needs fewer moments of silence and more communication.

“I think that as a family that is progun, it is important for us to share our voice with other gun advocates so then they can make the necessary reforms for unnecessary violence,” she said.

Director of Student Development Brett Robertson said America needs to “stop the violence. We need action.”

“Gun violence in this country is a serious problem and I think we need legislative political action,” he said. “I am really happy that so many people came out to support this effort today. We want to honor the victims, but we also need to do more. We need to take action. I do not want to live in a country where this threat is an ongoing problem.” please see Parkland pg. A8

Backbone of college stands firm at Adjunct Day Rally

By Kateley Boardman Assistant Campus Editor

Students and faculty rallied in support of part-time instructors on Adjunct Action Day, but college officials said that nothing will change unless state funding increases — a lot.

Southwestern College adjunct instructors were praised as heroes, role models and the backbone of the college by their students and admiring fulltime colleagues. Part-time instructors make up about 75 percent of all academic personnel, according to college

data. They are also paid considerably less than full-time faculty.

Professors generally teach 15 units a semester, which is considered a fulltime course load. Adjuncts are only allowed to teach up to nine units and are paid at a lower rate. Adjunct English instructor Geoffrey Johnson said that this often forces part-timers to teach at two or three colleges every day each semester. Adjuncts have been nicknamed “freeway flyers” because they frequently race along county freeways to teach at Southwestern, San Diego City College, Mesa, Grossmont, Cuyamaca and

SDSU. Some drive to Palomar College, Saddleback College in Orange County, and even colleges in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Johnson said speaking up for adjuncts is an issue of social and labor justice.

“Adjunct Action Day is about protecting our students,” he said. “Seeing that they are safe, but also protecting the quality of their instruction. I am not a lift in your shoes. I represent an essential part of this institution.”

Johnson said he organized the event for adjuncts to speak out about their

frustrations and gather signatures for a petition addressed to Governor Jerry Brown for better Community College funding.

Liliana Tolson works part-time at the Academic Success Center and National City Higher Educational Center as a tutor. She earned a master’s degree in educational technology and learning, but said she has to scramble to scrape together a living.

“Some of us have to work at multiple locations just to make ends meet, but we are happy to be here with all of you,” please see Adjuncts pg. A7

Justin Dottery, editor

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

April 20, 2018 – Volume 61, Issue 5

CAMPUS

A7

Support pledged to DACA recipients Counselors say some undocumented students not aware of available resources

By Ramona Lopez Assistant Viewpoints Editor

America’s debate over DACA has done more to confuse this issue than to clarify it, according to college leaders.

Southwestern College students, including unknown numbers in the bulls-eye of the target, may be eligible for support they do not know about.

SWC’s governing board and leadership have made it very clear that DACA students are safe, welcomed and supported at the college. DACA students are safe to ask questions about enrollment, financial aid and any other college issues.

Patti Larkin, director of financial aid and veteran services, said she is passionate about providing college students with the financial support they deserve. “ We have so many students coming from so many different places,” she said. “It is incumbent upon us to serve every student the way he or she needs to be served.”

Southwestern College received a one-time grant of $75,000 from the state under AB-134, Emergency Aid for Dreamers.

SWC has two financial aid specialists dedicated to DACA students and trained in state laws AB-130 and AB-131, said Larkin.

Specialists are available for walk-ins and hold presentations for students at the Cesar Chavez building throughout the semester.

DACA recipients can also watch Financial Aid TV (FATV), 17 online videos available in Spanish and English.

SWC’s popular FAFSA Friday has been expanded to include Dream Act Fridays. DACA students can receive help completing Dream Act applications. DACA recipient can receive California state aid.

Outreach specialist Angel Salazar said the tone of America’s politics is having a dampening effect on programs to assist migrant students.

“One difference I have noticed this year is that DACA recipients are not coming out to events,” he said. “There is a fear in the community. They do not want to all be in one place, identified as undocumented.”

This same sense of fear can cause DACA recipients to not come forward, said EOPS Director Omar Orihuentas. Students reporting as DACA recipients have decreased, he said.

“Every time we do a report to identify them, we get anywhere between 300-400 students who have identified themselves as AB540,” he said. “We also feel that there might be a lot of students afraid to come out and really identify themselves.”

This fear causes a lack of attendance at events, said Orihuentas, and a lack of applications for scholarships specifically for DACA recipients. It also increases the chances of being misinformed, said Salazar.

DACA students should ask professionals for counseling and legal advice, said Salazar, not family members, friends or faculty. They may have good intentions, he said, but they may be wrong.

“Recently a DACA recipient came to my office and was telling me that his dad told him there was no help for DACA recipients or aid available for him because he is undocumented,” said Marquez.

Larkin encouraged DACA eligible students to visit the Financial Aid Office in the Cesar Chavez Student Services Building.

Sh e p l e d g e d v i s i t s w i l l b e confidential and that students will be safe.

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

¡YA BASTA!— Attorney Dulce Garcia tells a crowd of DACA students and their supporters at a waterfront rally that the Trump Administration is breaking the law.

DACA attorney sues Trump

By Marla Raudales Assistant Campus Editor

Many undocumented workers are paid “under the table.” Attorney Dulce Garcia spent much of her childhood sleeping under the table.

Garcia has famously filed suit against the Trump Administration over its decision to the end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

She and her four co-claimants argue that the government went back on its word to provide a path to citizenship for the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients.

Like 79 percent of Dreamers, Garcia was born in Mexico. She was apart of a hard-working family that came to the United States when she was four years

old. She grew up in Barrio Logan and worked hard to become educated and earn a law degree.

Garcia’s family could not afford to rent an apartment, so they rented a room — the dining room.

“We rented out the dining room, so I used to sleep underneath the dining room table,” she said.

In 2015 Garcia earned a law degree from Marshall-Cleveland College of Law in San Diego and passed the California State Bar that same year.

She is a practicing immigration and criminal defense attorney who established her own law firm in Chula Vista in 2016.

Now Garcia is seeking justice for DACAeligible people who have worked hard to earn a place in America as students,

members of the military and contributing professionals.

“For me, this lawsuit is a voice for us,” she said. “We are speaking on our own behalf. We are filing the lawsuit on behalf of 800,000 DACA recipients.”

Garcia said the lawsuit is a means to inform the Trump Administration about the history of Dreamers and the pledge this nation made to them.

“It is a way to speak, to tell our stories, to tell who we are,” she said. “To tell the stories of our parents and their sacrifices, as well.”

Ali Torabi, a DACA recipient from Iran, said he supports the lawsuit.

“Some people were worried (the suit) was going to (get us sent) back, but it didn’t do that at all,” he said. “(It means

we no longer) have to accept trash from the White House.”

Torabi said he admires Garcia.

“Of all the Dreamers I know, I firmly believe Dulce is one of the most remarkable and inspiring figures of this community,” he said.

Border Angels founder Enrique Morones said he respects Garcia’s bravery and self-motivation.

“She could easily be the victim but here she is saying, ‘I’m undocumented and unafraid,’” Morones said.

Garcia said she will continue to advocate for Dreamers in the community despite constant attacks by President Trump.

“We will not be bullied,” she said.

“We have the law and fairness on our side.”

Adjuncts: Part-time teaching proves to be a full-time hardship Continued from pg. A6

Aileen Orozco/Staff

FREEWAY FLYER— English Instructor Geoffrey Johnson, leader of the Adjunct Association, teaches class at SWC on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, then drives off to teach at another college.

Activism: Latina heroes honored in comprehensive local history book Continued from pg. A6

inequality in education for Latino students. One semester after enrolling in a Mexican-American Studies Master’s program at the University of New Mexico, the program was cut. Besides putting her into an educational quandry, it sent a message that MAS was not important, even in a heavily Latino state like New Mexico. Henandez worked diligantly in San Ysidro,

Logan Heights and at SWC to promote Latino subject matters and provide opportunities for Latinos and Latinas.

Marissa Urias wrote the chapter about Cazares, whom she called her mentor.

Cazares guided her through a successful educational journey, she said.

“Norma became more than my mentor and academic advisor, she became my advocate,” wrote Urias.

“As such, she became the fierceness in my voice when all I could do was whisper.”

Zamora-Aguilar, a retired SWC Dean of Counseling, said she found her love for Chicano heritage through Danza Mexicayotl, a Chicano dance group that embraces Aztec culture.

Novelist Lizz Huerta wrote about Zamora.

she said. “Imagine if an adjunct instructor had additional office hours to provide you with that care beyond the classroom. Those additional hours are crucial for those who need additional support. If we are able to provide that for our faculty, I could just imagine how many amazing things they could do for all of you.”

Biology instructor and SWC alumna Maria Rodriguez-Aguirre said she usually works 40-50 extra hours each semester for students who need additional assistance, but only gets paid for nine.

She said she wants to make a difference at SWC and see her

“Danza allowed her to walk in two worlds, the world of her everyday work life, where she was a college counselor helping students realize their potential, and a world much deeper, with a more sacred connection,” wrote Huerta.

Zamora-Aguilar said Latinas should never feel out of place.

“We are allowed to be proud of the color of our skin because we have been on this continent of Las Americas for thousands and thousands of years,” she said. “Our roots run deep so nobody can tell us that we do not belong here.”

Cazares agreed. She said she was deprived of an education that acknowledged her roots and the contributions of her ancestors.

“You did not learn anything about

students succeed, but she has to work a full-time job during the day because she cannot make a living wage as a college instructor.

“I really love SWC,” she said. “It is part of me, part of my children.

I would love to teach here fulltime at some point, but right now there has not been an opportunity for me.”

Professor of Philosophy Alejandro Orozco said adjuncts are the “backbone of the college” and he feels fortunate to have a full-time position at SWC. “I am a spotted owl,” he said. “I represent a very small percentage of full-time, fully-employed, fullyrepresented people with health care benefit. I am living good! I have that, but I would love that for our part-time faculty members, too.”

Johnson said two adjuncts live in their cars. He said he works 70 hours a week and still requires government assistance to feed his family. Part-time instructors are integral to the academic success of students and should be compensated as such, he said.

your cultura, or how your culture or group contributed to the development of the United States,” she said.

Cazares began her activism when she protested against Proposition 187, which denied basic human services and education to undocumented immigrants. She supported the Puente Program, which aimed to increase the number of minority students who transfer to universities.

Lopez said Latinas are on the ascent after decades of subservience.

“We took on the name Chicana,” said Lopez. “It meant being conscious, that we were mexicanas, that we were on this side of the border, that we had an identity and that we chose our identity. Somos Chicanas.”

A8

Justin Dottery, editor

CAMPUS

April 20, 2018 – Volume 61, Issue

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

Global students, worldly wonders

By Paloma L. Zaizar Assistant Sports Editor

Mexico sends great numbers of students to Southwestern College, but the rest of the world is showing up, too. International students from Africa, South America, Asia and Europe walk among the locals, sometimes barely noticed.

Aida Mora, the college’s International Students Coordinator, said SWC’s famous multiculturalism can cloak its international richness.

“Many of Southwestern College students do not realize students from other countries are here because our campus has such a diverse community,” she said. “It is really important for these new students to feel comfortable in a new country, especially in a new school environment.”

Dineo Maine, 21, an English major from Botswana, said SWC is a welcoming place.

“I was thrilled to see that students are recognized and embraced, no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and immigration status,” she said. “The Southwestern College student community has been a joy to observe and be a part of.”

After Maine graduated from high school she was thirsty for new opportunities, she said, though leaving Botswana has fueled bouts of homesickness.

“Not being home during these times and being away from my mother has been difficult, but I understand that this is all a part of the process and I have faith in my journey,” she said.

Botswana’s education level is similar to SWC’s, Maine said, but she struggled with differences in the English language.

“I graduated from high school in South Africa and our National Senior Certificate is equivalent to the high school diploma, so I had no trouble adjusting to the level of work,” she said. “However, I did have to remember to make the transition from British to American spelling.”

Maine said she traveled 10,000 miles to create a new life.

“I want to experience more, take risks, gain knowledge and insight, broaden my perspective and absorb as much as I possibly can from this period of time in my life,” she said.

Enrolling can be an ardous process for international students, said Mora. They must apply early and provide a visa approved by the U.S. Embassy. They have to find their own housing and transportation.

Some of these individuals graduate from SWC with their Associate’s degree before going on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at a university far away from home.

Mariana Silva-Gomez, 22, media arts major and ASO Executive Vice President of Outreach, traveled from Colombia to California with the dream of becoming a film editor. Silva-Gomez first traveled to Orlando to learn English, then enrolled at the EC San Diego English Language School in La Jolla.

International students said they were shocked by how little local students seem to value their education. Silva-Gomez said she was surprised to see how classrooms empty during the semester and how often students miss lectures.

South County students take precious educational opportunities for granted, she said.

Silva-Gomez agreed. She said higher education systems in the U.S. stress fundamentals more than many other nations.

“I know a lot of students get tired of the general education classes,” she said. “In Colombia, as soon as we graduate and go to a university, we start with our major. We don’t have to take any general education classes.”

Silva-Gomez said she came to Southwestern College for its telemedia program. Her dream is to transfer to an Ivy League school, then start a career in the American film industry.

Her transition from Colombia to California was a challenge, she said.

“I did not speak English, so when I came to the United States it was very hard, especially because I came by myself,” she said.

It took Silva-Gomez about a year and a half to adapt to the American culture, she said, though people made her feel welcomed. Being a member of the student government helped.

“I am part of the ASO now and I could help the community get more engaged,” she said. “I love to be busy and working, and I am able to do that here at Southwestern College.”

SWC’s large percentage of Latinos has helped her to blend in, said Silva-Gomez. She said she would like to see resident students interact more with students from other countries.

“I would love for other students to join in activities, since all those activities for international students are very exclusive.”

HEART OF THE MATTER —Professor of Nursing Cathy McJannet supervises SWC’s booming nursing program based at the Otay Mesa Higher Education Center. (r) A memorial for victims of the 1984 McDonald’s Massacre at the San Ysidro satellite campus, which houses the family studies program.

Natalie Mosqueda/Staff

SWC centers small but mighty

By Joshua Ruiz-Ortega Staff Writer

After a deranged mass murderer killed 21 at a San Ysidro McDonald’s restaurant in 1984, a wounded community agonized over what to do with the site of the horror.

Southwestern College found a way to turn the tragedy into hope.

In 1989, the High Education Center at San Ysidro opened its doors, initiating a new era of SWC satellite campuses. Today the college has centers in Otay Mesa, National City and Coronado. Each houses specialty programs or services in far-flung corners of the sprawling district.

National City received a major upgrade with the $25.8 million plaza building that adds modern science laboratory classrooms for all students. This adds to a campus that houses the dental hygiene and medical assistant programs.

Christine Perri, a registered dental hygienist, has served as the dean of the National City campus and the Crown Cove Aquatic Center in Coronado for nearly 10 years.

She said the campus offers a complete class schedule of in demand courses, especially science.

“It affords (National City residents) so many more opportunities right here where they live,” she said.

HEC Otay Mesa specializes in training healthcare workers and first responders. It serves nearly 5,000 students annually according to the SWC website.

Otay Mesa hosts the Police Academy, fire science technology, emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic programs, as well as its wide-range of nursing programs.

Silvia Cornejo is the dean of the Otay Mesa and San Ysidro campuses.

She said the centers provide opportunities for students and an economic stimulus for the community.

“What it provides is access to fabulous career education programs that have an excellent reputation in the community and train students to be in a job, with living wages,” she said.

San Ysidro’s HEC hosts the district’s popular Family Studies program (formerly called Child Development). Vivien Mayo, 45, an exercise science and psychology major, said HEC San Ysidro generated positive change from tragedy.

“Let us build something for other people to get together and remember those people who have passed away,” she said. “Yet let us make it fruitful.”

Cornejo agreed. “(The center) is a commitment to that community that we believe in their desire to better themselves, to better their lives, and what better way than through education?”

William Bird/Staff

Parkland: Students say enough is enough, walkout in unity Continued from pg. A6

Victoria Sanchez/Staff

SONS AND DAUGHTERS BEYOND YOUR COMMAND— SWC students walked out of classes in support of Parkland, Florida students demanding a modernization of gun laws.

Hernandez: Award honors her contributions to higher education Continued from pg. A6

Bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in Chicano Studies. She then earned a Master’s in Counseling and Guidance from the University of New Mexico.

In 2003 Hernandez became the first Latina counselor at SWC and promoted diversity. She helped to create the Summer Readiness Program, a free service designed to help high school

students successful transition into college.

Hernandez became a dean and then vice president of student services. From 2003-06 she served as college president, the second Latina to run a college in the United States. She is remembered for staving off financial crisis that threatened layoffs by negotiating a temporary pay cut with the faculty.

Hernandez is featured in the recently published book “Chicana Tributes:

Activist Women of the Civil Rights Movement,” a collection of biographies of 61 prominent women.

SWC President Dr. Kindred Murillo said she selected Hernandez for the Jaguar Award because of her service to education and devotion to civil rights.

“Norma Hernandez is a very resilient, dedicated Chicana activist as well as higher education professional,” Murillo said. “She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others and ensuring that equitable education attainment is always a priority.”

Former Trustee Humberto Paraza said her impact at SWC is profound,

Black Student Union Secretary Danae Edwards, 19, a theater major, said students can be the faces and voices of change.

“Seeing that everyone was together during college hours and seeing how many p e o p l e we re i m p a c t e d , impacted me,” she said.

“Seeing all these people taking pictures and writing how they feel about certain things is beautiful.”

Hernandez was at the vanguard of a reformist board elected in 2010 that rid the college of corruption and criminal administrators Raj Chopra and Nicholas Alioto.

“There is no one, besides the original founders of SWC, that has done more for this college,” he said. “She is a true champion for our community and our students. I cannot possibly explain in a few sentences the magnitude of her impact. I can only feel privileged that I was able to be part of it for a few years.”

Hernandez decided not to seek reelection to a third term in 2018 and will step down from the board in December.

April 20, 2018 — Volume 61, Issue 5

SPORTS

The Southwestern College Sun

A9

Victoria Sanchez / Staff

SWIMMING BACK ON CAMPUS— Elizabeth Rozow (above) wins the backstroke at the very first swim meet hosted at the new Aquatic Center. (below) Brent Bernal flies towards the finish line.

WATERBENDERS

By Ivana E. Morales Sports Editor

There is no place like home.

After two exhausting years of commuting to Las Palmas Pool in National City, SWC’s swimming team is back on campus once again.

Head coach Matt Ustaszweski said this year’s team has a place in college history as the first to compete in the new Aquatics Center.

“Having a home I think will provide great opportunities for them to move forward,” he said.

“Being able to realize what a full year now would be like at the new facility is a huge difference. Now the swimmers are going to transition to the off-season and make sure they’re prepared for what comes next year.”

SWC hosted its first two swim meets at the new Wellness and Aquatics Complex, and Ustaszewski said the “excitement levels” of Jaguar swimmers were “phenomenal,” he said.

“It was great to see that passion about swimming during the meets,” he said. “Normally we would always have to be going away and driving for hours and hours, so the athletes were pretty excited that they were able to compete here at their home pool.”

The First Meet

Palomar College and Crafton Hills College helped inaugurate the new pool complex. Women’s 200 medley relay was the first race of the meet and SWC claimed a historic win. Ustaszewski said it was remarkable victory against quality rivals.

“Palomar is always very competitive in that event,” he said. “They are national contenders every year, so winning the race was special.”

The Jaguar relay was composed of sophomores Elizabeth Rozow, Alyna Schlachter, Maria Tello and freshman Nicole Aispuro-Machado. They took first place and set a new pool record of 2:07.47.

Rozow, a native of Milford, Indiana, broke eight schools records and was named All-American in 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke and 200yard backstroke in 2017. During the winter she was involved in a terrible car accident and suffered a concussion. She also had a serious back injury. She said it has been a long road to recovery.

“I was crying at practices because I was in so much pain,” she said. “I couldn’t bend down. I couldn’t do flip turns.”

When she got back in the pool after rehab, Rozow said, she had to start from scratch.

“I re-learned how to do flip turns,” she said. “The first time I actually did a flip turn was during a competition, so it was a little bit painful. Instead of doing my regular races, in order to get back in shape, I was swimming longer events.”

Rozow, a natural backstroker, said she switched to breaststroke because of back pain.

“My breaststroke is my strongest event this season,” she said. “My backstroke events have not been what

they should be at this point in the season because my back was hurting so bad.”

Rozow went undefeated in the 100-yard backstroke and 50-yard backstroke against Palomar College.

“Betsy did great,” said Ustaszweski. “Our athletes drew from her experience to see how you prepare for a race and how you prepare for a meet. Their improvement can be attributed to her leadership.”

With only six members on the roster, the SWC men’s team won six races against Crafton Hills College.

“It’s a smaller group, but they have been really competitive,” he said. “They always challenge each other to finish strong.”

Sophomore Jordi Brown won the 50-yard backstroke, while sophomore Brent Bernal took the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard individual medley.

Freshman Rolando Zarzosa dominated both the 50- and 100-yard breaststroke, while freshman Ryan Brown won the 100-yard backstroke.

Bernal competed in seven events and broke his personal record in the 500-yard freestyle. Ustaszewki said Bernal is an all-around swimmer.

“Brent is in the jack-of-all-trades,” he said. “He’s done every event we have asked him to. Anything we throw Brent in he has competed well and he’s kind of our captain.”

Bernal said he learned not to make excuses.

“After I finished the 500-yard I had no break time and I went to compete in the 50-yard butterfly,” he said. “Everyone was so proud and I feel I inspired them after that performance.”

The Second Meet

Grossmont College was next up for Jaguars.

Southwestern once again won the women’s 200yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:57.90.

Rozow dominated the 50-yard breaststroke in 33:41, adding a new school record. She also won the 100-yard backstroke and the 100-yard individual medley. Freshman Nicole Aispuro-Machado won the 100-yard freestyle in 1:04.88.

Aispuro-Machado has been a pleasant discovery this season. A graduate of Colegio Ibero in Tijuana, she represented Baja California three times at the National

Olympics Championships. She said she quit the sport her senior year.

“When I was in high school I was so done with swimming,” she said. “I was a high-performance athlete and I couldn’t balance school and the sport, so I had to choose between my grades and the pool.”

A year since her “retirement,” Aispuro-Machado decided to swim again. She joined the Jaguars after reading Ustaszewski’s bio on the SWC Athletics Webpage.

“I wanted to train with him,” she said. “It caught my attention that a lot of my friends continued swimming at a collegiate level here in the United States and it motivated me to return. If I reach a good level, I would like to get a scholarship.”

Aispuro-Machado said she expects to reach her peak as the season advances.

“My performance has been improving considering I stopped swimming for a long time,” she said. “I am about to reach my best personal records from two years ago.”

PCAC Championships

With 12 athletes competing at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championships at Palomar College, the men’s and women’s teams both finished in fourth. SWC brought home 14 medals, its most ever. Ustaszweski said he is proud of the Jaguars’ performance.

“The improvement was incredible,” he said. “From the beginning of the year to the end of the year it was an amazing amount of drop time. Almost everyone got personal bests.”

Rozow was conference runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. She finished fifth in 50-yard freestyle.

“I am upset my best was not good enough,” she said. “I did what I could and I am proud of my experience as a Jaguar.”

Aispuro-Machado finished in the top 16 in California in the 200-yard butterfly and earned the right to compete in the 2018 State Championships at De Anza College. She set a school record in the 100yard butterfly.

“The 200-yard butterfly is a really exhausting stroke,” said Ustaszweski. “At the end of the first four laps, she had a school record for the 100-yard race.

Nicole went for it and it was unique to see her get her fastest time of the year during a 200-yard race. It shows you how hard she was going and how hard she wanted to compete with those upper swimmers.”

Aispuro-Machado said she is happy to represent SWC at the state championship.

“My goal is to qualify for finals,” she said. “I feel all the hard work during the semester is paying off.”

Ustaszewski said Aispuro-Machado is well prepared for the competition.

“Nicole proved this year that she was really competitive,” he said. “We are going to be able to be more strategic on how she races.”

SWIMMING IN NUMBERS Southwestern College hosted two meets the first week of Spring.

On March 21, Palomar and Crafton Hills competed against the Jaguars. On March 23, the Grossmont Griffins visited SWC.

60

EVENTS

85

ATHLETES

5

SCHOOLS

14

WINS

5 RECORDS

Month Day - Month Day, Year, Volume XX, Issue X

SPORTS

The Southwestern College Sun

s rte C ou

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM — SWC track coach Tonie Campbell won a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdle at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Campbell made the 1980 and 1984 teams as well, but global politics interfered.

h yp

o ot

5

s

Olympic medalist helps athletes clear every hurdle

By Brittany Cruz-Fejeran Assistant Sports Editor

It was the best 13 seconds of his life.

In 13 ticks of stopwatch, Tonie Campbell won a bronze medal in 100-meter hurdles at the 1988 Olympics.

Today, 30 years later, he said he remembers every second. Every breath, every step, even the angle of his arms.

“In a race you are a robot,” he said.

“You have to divorce yourself from what is happening and control what is happening.”

As a teenager in Compton Campbell played baseball in the spring and football in the winter, he said, but he got tired of both sports and asked his parents if he could take a break.

His Dad said no way.

"My father believed an idle mind leads to trouble," Campbell said. "Keep your mind and body active as a way to keep away from the temptations of drugs and gangs."

There were no idle minds in the Campbell house, or idle feet. His friends were going out for track so he joined, too, even though he said he was the second slowest kid in his neighborhood.

"The reason I was not the slowest because the other kid was my little sister who was three years younger than me," he said mischievously.

Campbell said he felt he was not strong or fast enough for any of the events, but team captain Curtis Perry urged him to try the high hurdles. Campbell told Perry he was nuts.

"I said, 'Look, I'll do the low hurdles, '" Campbell said, "'but I am not doing the high hurdles because you are crazy if you do high hurdles.'"

Perry said, "Don't be a p****.”

Perry pushed Campbell. As Campbell staggered from the push he found a high hurdle in his path. In his desire to not hit his face on the hurdle he instinctively jumped over it instead. It was love at first flight.

He was a hurdle protégé and soon went from the slowest to the fastest in Compton. Then he became one of the fastest in the nation.

Campbell was invited to Olympic tryouts.

His coach told him the key was to finish in the top three of each heat. Campbell said he followed his coach’s orders, making top three in every race leading up to the last finals.

“I was setting personal records every round getting in the top three,” he said.

Campbell was an Olympian…until he wasn’t.

World events overwhelmed the next two Olympic Games. In 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. In protest the United States and other countries boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics hosted that year in Moscow.

“I realized the things that were going to happen to me were (out of my control),” he said.

Then the International Olympic Committee dangled an alternative before the U.S. athletes. They could go to Moscow, but not as Americans. They could represent the committee, rather than their country. Weird as that was, it got a whole lot weirder, Campbell said.

“The CIA found out about it,” he said.

“They sent a letter to our leaders saying, ‘You will not disgrace your president and if you do, your visas and passports will be cancelled.’”

None of the American athletes took that risk and they instead went to the Philippines to participate in the “Freedom Games” with other athletes from other boycotting nations. Campbell said politics and sports should never mix, but the Freedom Games was as infused with politics as much as the Moscow Olympics. He said it felt like a poor consolation prize.

“After that summer, I promised myself I would always be awake,” he said. “I would always try to take control of my future, my career.”

In 1984 he made the Olympic team for a second time, only to have the Los Angeles Olympics boycotted by the Soviet Union.

Campbell said this does not make an athlete any less of an Olympian, but the 1984 Olympics lost luster when the Soviet Bloc nations stayed away.

“With the Russians and several other countries not there, we were not allowed to compete against the best,” he said. “That was something taken away from us.”

In 1988 Campbell made the Olympic team for the third time and traveled to Seoul, South Korea. He returned home an Olympic medalist.

“Making a third team in Korea made it all make sense,” Campbell said. “I got to fulfill my dream of being an Olympian and an Olympic medalist.”

His Olympic finals was nearly a catastrophe, he recalled. There was confusion at the starting line and a runner mistakenly jumped the gun.

Runners who had exploded out of the blocks were stopped and told there would be a restart.

Campbell said this was a dramatic blow for him because he had used lots of energy in that false start. He returned to the starting line and was not completely reset when the gun fired again. He got a poor start and trailed the field.

He remembers every second, every step, every hurdle.

Of the 90,000 people cheering in the stands, he said, he only heard the people most important to him. Strategically placing them at each hurdle, he heard his coach give him a verbal cue to accelerate, his parents at hurdle four shouted encouragement and his best friend Róbert Cannon spurred him at hurdle seven because Campbell said he tends to slow at certain hurdles. Despite the awful start, he rocketed from last place to the podium and a bronze medal.

"That was one of my proudest races ever because I should have come in last," Campbell said. "I hit a gear that I had never known I had before."

Bronze was his gold and Campbell was happy to be an Olympic medalist of any color, he said, but he wonders how the race would have played out had things gone according to plan.

"It is nerve-racking. It is scary. It is exhilarating," he said. "It only lasts 13 seconds in real time, but it lasts a lifetime in the moment."

His Olympic experience was the gift that keeps on giving, he said, and inspired him to help others to feel it. He continued his legacy

“I would never have believed in myself in the ways I do now if it were not for Coach Tonie.”

-Scout Bassett

Paralympic Athlete

as an Olympian by giving back to his sport.

Following his retirement as a competitor in 1992, Campbell began coaching track and field at USC. In 2003 he became head coach at SWC. He still continues to do camps, clinics and private coaching. He has mentored 17 Olympians and one Olympic medalist, and remains flush with the Olympic spirit.

"People may think of Olympians as selfish in that Olympians probably think this is all about me, this is my time," Campbell said.

"But becoming an Olympian changes your life forever.”

Campbell’s wife Deborah said he enjoys helping young athletes.

“He gets personally involved,” she said. “It is a passion he has and, for as long as he can, he is going to keep giving back.”

Deborah Campbell said her husband works seven days a week sharing his wisdom with other athletes. He also volunteers for charity organizations like Athletes for Education and his own Prodigy Coaching.

“He tries to be at home more for his family, but it is who he is,” she said. “It is what he does. We all support it and America needs people willing to give their time like that.”

Campbell said one of the athletes he is most proud of is Scout Bassett, who competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil in the long jump and 100-meter dash. She placed fifth in the Rio de Janeiro, which Campbell said is outstanding for her first big race. He told her he did not place in his first race, either.

Bassett said Campbell is inspiring.

“I would never have believed in myself in the ways I do now if it were not for Coach Tonie,” she said. “I have never felt that kind of faith from a coach who really believes I can do amazing things.”

Bassett said Campbell pushes her hard, but keeps it enjoyable.

“One thing I want people to know about him is that he is so much fun,” she said.

“Training is intense and there is a lot of stress, but I love that he just makes it fun.”

Campbell also coached Maya Nakanishi from Japan, who won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 2017 London World Championships. He said he hopes to coach more champions, including his SWC athletes.

“The ride is still happening. It is going to

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran / Staff

WINNING THE RACE OF LIFE — (top) Campbell coaches Paralympian Scout Bassett at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center. (above) Putting SWC track athletes through their paces.

The Southwestern College Sun

SPORTS

April 20, 2018 — Vol. 61, Issue 5

A11

Photo by Russell Scoffin

BANG - BANG PLAY — Jaguars first baseman Jorge Martinez receives the throw a split second before San Bernadino Valley’s Joshua Torrance hit first base to complete a double play. SWC won 7-6.

Home runs power contending baseball team

By Joshua Ruiz-Ortega Staff Writer

Getting deep into the playoffs may depend on the baseball team’s continued ability to go deep at the plate.

Home runs have jolted SWC to a 21-13 record and a shot at another playoff. Big fly baseball can often overcome shaky pitching and defense, but head coach Jay Martel said pitching and defense are a must to win a championship. Until then, though, the former pitcher will remain a fan of the four-bagger.

“If we fall behind, we’re strong enough offensively to come back,” he said.

With 16 home runs, the Jaguars are giving opposing pitchers the jitters. Hitting coach Mike Butterfield said sophomores are setting the pace.

“We had a lot of young guys (returning from 2017),” he said. “Now they’re a little bit older this year, so it should be better.”

Sophomore Abraham Valdez is the team’s starting catcher, a defensive cornerstone and a major offensive contributor. In 120 atbats he has compiled a team-leading .367 batting average with 44

hits, 23 RBIs and 2 home runs. He also has a .979 fielding percentage and leads the team in confidence.

“We know we’re a superior team,” he said. “We just didn’t execute the first two games, but it feels good to finally come out on top and show what we’re capable of.”

Sophomore right fielder Kenny Ohlhauser is hitting .343, and leading the team with 23 walks and 10 stolen bases.

“I feel like we’re definitely stronger in all aspects,” he said. “We definitely hit way better and we’re more together. Last year we were a bunch of individuals, but this year we’re coming together as a team and we’re able to pick each other up and play for all nine innings.”

Pitching coach Kyle Brown has experience competing at a higher level. The Seattle Mariners drafted Brown and he played in their minor league system until a labrum tear ended his playing career.

Brown said building a lasting culture is conducive to creating a successful organization.

“Sophomores teach the freshman, those freshmen become sophomores, they teach the new freshmen, so you continue to build that culture year-in and year-out,” he said.

On the mound right-handed ace Dylan Wannamaker is a staple

on a maturing pitching staff. He has amassed a 3.62 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.

“We make mistakes, but we lean on our guys to pick us up,” he said. “We do the best we can and hopefully it’s good enough to win each game.”

Brandon Weed has pitched 57 2/3 innings with a 3.12 ERA and 39 strikeouts, giving the Jags a powerful one-two punch on the mound.

On April 12, freshman pitcher Ricky Yoquigua threw a dominant six innings in a 16-1 blowout victory at home against Mt. San Jacinto.

The victory puts the southpaw at a 3.22 ERA with 31 strikeouts through 50 1/3 innings on the season.

Early struggles during conference play put the Jags in a must-win position to make playoffs.

“We came out a little slow during league, so we just gotta win (every game),” said Yoquigua. SWC currently sits at 10-8 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference, winning eight of its last nine games. With six games left, the team faces pivotal matchups against Imperial Valley and San Diego City College. This makes every game a crucial contest that could be the difference between a playoff spot and a long summer.

Lady Jaguars struggle to return to the playoffs

By Paloma L. Zaizar Assistant Sports Editor

Southwestern’s College softball team is swinging for the fences this season.

Head coach Yasmin Mossadeghi and her staff intentionally scheduled tough opponents right off the bat to harden the Lady Jaguars on the field. A 17-12 record demonstrates the gambit is working.

SWC was 27-12 last season and made the playoffs for the first time in college history. Playing top-ranked opponents prepared the Lady Jaguars for their 2018 conference games. A 4-2 win against Citrus College and a loss to El Camino College were productive learning experiences, Mossadeghi said.

“We’re really understanding how important communication is and, most importantly, how important feedback is,” she said. “Usually after a drill we do what is called a ‘recap,’ where we expect the players to do the talking more so that they are able to learn from each other and build trust Pablo Corona / Staff amongst each other.”

WIPE OUT —Palomar’s Alicia Garcia upends SWC infielder Brielle Tyseling at second base after hitting a double.

Freshman outfielder Cassie Van Til also SWC lost, 7-2. (below) Pitcher Trudie Nixon unleashes a fastball against Orange Coast. SWC won 6-1. got off to a good start and was named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week after her perfomance against Orange Coast College. She went 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI to go with a stolen base and the game winning run.

“I was surprised because I struggled in our first two games,” she said. “It’s a big step, especially from high school, because I was never seen as one of the good players and being named Player of the Week from all those different sports women play was pretty cool.”

Van Til, a graduate from Patrick Henry -Yasmin Mossadeghi High School, said her transition from a high school team to a college team was Head coach illuminating.

“In high school we did not have much one-on-one coaching like we do here,” she said. “The coaches here want you to succeed and get better more than just the team to do better. They actually want to help you individually, which will help the team.”

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran / Staff SWC had a winning streak of five games

“We want the other teams to feel intimidated when they come to our softball field.”

at the beginning of April. The victory against Grossmont, 3-0, was key for Pacific Coast Athletic Conference to name sophomore infielder Nicole Correia Player of the Week. Freshman pitcher Trudie Nixon also got recognized as Player of the Week following the games against Mesa, 5-1, and Moorpark, 13-1.

“I’m really honored and proud of myself,” said Nixon. “I think this is just the beginning for me.”

Nixon said the women are dedicated and put in tremendous effort to succed.

“I’ve never been on a team that has the talent and the will to want to win,” she said.

“The act of pursuing our goal and caring about our team and our success is what makes it so good.”

Nixon said her team supports her well when she pitches.

“I think our defense is extremely strong,” she said. “I can always trust them not to make any errors and if we do, we can always bounce right back.”

Even losses have been thrillers, said Nixon. Palomar beat the Lady Jaguars, 7-2 on April 11, but it was a battle to the last inning.

Palomar scored the first run in the top of the third on a throwing error.

In the bottom of the third, Nixon was able to get to first base after a throwing error from Palomar’s shortstop sending freshmen shortstop Geena Henderson home and sophomore right fielder Rebecca McKown to third base. Correia drove in McKown but was out at first by fielder’s choice as well as Nixon on second.

Palomar scored six runs at the top of the seventh inning to grab the win.

“They’re a good team and they have a lot of talent,” said Nixon. “I think we held it together, but we just lost confidence at the end.”

Mossadeghi said the Lady Jaguars are still in the hunt.

“One of our goals is definitely to host playoffs again,” she said. “We want the other teams to feel intimidated when they come to our softball field.”

A12

SPORTS

April 20, 2018 — Vol. 61, Issue 5

The Southwestern College Sun

Football players are headed to universities

By Alejandro Padilla Staff Writer

Last fall was magical for Southwestern College football players. A 9-2 record. A bowl championship.

And for most of the sophomores, the end of the road.

Most community college studentathletes lose the hyphenate as juniors, but a dozen fortunate Jaguar gridders will get a second act thanks to university scholarships.

Head coach Ed Carberry said community college is a last chance for student-athletes.

He said he wants his players to have a fighting chance.

“Community college and punting is the same in that you get to reposition yourself,” he said. “We want to be the easiest school to recruit from in the country.”

So far 12 Jaguars have received Division I or Division II scholarships.

Special teams coach Clyde Logan doubles as placement coordinator charged Steven Mason with helping players with recruitment.

“I put all the players contact information together,” he said. “I also attach highlight tape and create an accurate picture.

I send this PDF to every Division I, Division II and Sergio Ayon NAIA school in the country.”

Many student-athletes use social media to connect. Logan said Twitter has evolved into a viable recruiting tool.

“Twitter is big now,” he said. “You can recruit yourself on social media and that’s what a lot of players are doing.”

SWC athletes must work with academic counselor Dr. James Rose before sending out highlight videos to recruiters. Rose said he structures education plans players must fulfill in order to be eligible.

“I can do everything all the other counselors do, the only difference is the athletic portion,” he said. “Connection with student-athletes is like a role model or mentor a person that is relatable to them.

Let me get to know who they are and so as I get to know about them, they get to know about me.”

Southwestern College has created a successful pathway, said Rose. Logan agreed and said some students who complete one year at SWC can transfer without an Associate’s degree.

“We get a lot of players who qualify out of high school, but didn’t get the scholarship they wanted,” he said. “They didn’t get a full-ride or only got partial paid, so their parents don’t want that.

Players come to community college, play for a year and can move right away (to a university) because they’ve meet NCAA clearance.”

Defensive lineman Steven Mason took an alternative route. He will transfer to UCLA after playing one season for the Jaguars. Mason said SWC opened many doors in his life.

“Football set up my future,” he said.

“I never pictured myself at UCLA. The number one thing that helped me was my counselor, Dr. Rose. He gave me a plan of what classes I need to take and we kind of rushed them. I took summer and winter classes with his guidance and we got what I need to get where I am. I feel like I’m ready for this.”

Another success story is middle linebacker Sergio Ayon. He was named first-team All-State and received three offers from Division II schools.

“I’m grateful for Division II,” he said. “It’s a full ride. I can’t beat a free education. I like to play football and I’m not scared of how big somebody is, but the speed thing is going to be the factor. The transition from high school to community college was fast but then going from a community college to a NCAA it’s going to be even faster.”

Feel good stories abound, but few community college players earn full ride scholarships.

Carberry said most players do not make it to the next level of football.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “It’s heart crushing.”

But, he added, not the end of the world.

Even if they are no longer student-athletes, they can still be students who pursue a college degree. The game is far from over.

Victoria Sanchez / Staff

PUT SOME IRISH ON IT — Freshman Irish Valentos has emerged as a star on the rebuilding women’s tennis team. She has earned a spot in the SoCal Regionals in her first season playing college tennis after moving to the U.S. from The Philippines.

P-NOM! Athletic Pinay powers into elite of SoCal women’s tennis

By Ivana E. Morales / Sports Editor

L

eft-handed tennis star Rafael Nadal said he always strives to improve as a player and a person. Left-handed Jaguar Irish Valentos agrees.

“Win or lose, give your best effort,” she said. “If you hear negative comments outside the court, you block it off. ” Valentos, 20, grew up on the notorious Bataan Peninsula on Luzon, the most populated island of The Philippines archipelago. She fell in love with tennis at first sight.

“I grew up with uncles who live next to tennis courts and on my father’s side all of my family plays tennis,” she said. “The first time I hit the ball I knew it right away. This sport was for me.”

Following this romance, Valentos competed at a high-performance level through her first years of school. At Catherine Academy High School on Luzon she reached fiery levels.

“I won the provincial tournament against all the schools in the area,” she said. “I was able to reach the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association meet.”

CLRAA, the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association, is a showcase of the best studentathletes in the region. Valentos said preparation was rigorous.

“You need to train for a month,” she said.

“All the athletes that qualified for CLRAA were concentrated in one particular school. You practice and sleep there. You cannot go home.”

Valentos won her first three matches, she said, but lost the fourth that would put her in the national championship round.

“It was nerve-wracking,” she said. “I did not cry, but I was very emotional because I knew I could have done better.”

Early success may have spawned overconfidence, Valentos confessed. The following year she failed to qualify for CLRAA. “I thought I would win again,” she said. “It was a big lesson for me because after that game I believed I was not going to win anymore matches. After that, I learned just to play the game.”

Valentos moved to the U.S. with her family when she was 17 and enrolled at Southwestern

College. It was a culture shock.

“I realized it was a pretty diverse campus and it was overwhelming for me,” she said. “ I did not know how to socialize with other people.

Valentos grew up speaking Tagalog, the first language of almost a third of Filipinos. Her transition was bumpy.

“At first it was hard for me to speak English,” she said. “I was not used to it and I don’t like to make mistakes when I am talking.”

Things fall into place when discovered SWC’s Bayan program. Founded in 2006 by professors Maria Abuan and Henry Aronson, this learning community seeks to promote inclusion and of support FilipinoInternational Athletes American students.

“I have grown so much in Bayan,” she said. “It is a Filipino (learning) community, so now I can relate. It’s kind of building up myself again and starting a new life here.”

Valentos said Bayan helped her conquer the language barrier.

“In Bayan we always do group projects,” she said. “I learned to socialize and talk more, so this helped me enhance my English skills.”

After two years on standby with her athletic career, Valentos joined the newly-restored SWC tennis team.

“I couldn’t join in 2017 because of my schedule,” she said. “I played tennis my whole life so I wanted to experience the college level. I missed the feeling of being part of a team.”

Valentos’ first match after her long absence was against Riverside City College.

“Even though I lost, I felt I did great,” she said. “We went to a third set and it was a tiebreaker.”

Head coach Susan Reasons said Valentos is one of the top five athletes she has guided in her entire career.

“Irish is extremely coachable,” she said. “She absorbs everything you tell her. She is the perfect athlete to coach because she does exactly what you ask her to do.”

faces Immigration

Valentos said the SWC team has a strong bond and is resilient.

“It has been great,” she said. “We have fun and we always remind ourselves we got this. We always remain a team.”

Teammate Sophia Maple became Valentos’ doubles partner and they have learned to collaborate on the court. Maple said Valentos has helped her remain calm during matches.

“She is mentally strong,” she said. “I tend to be an emotional player and being with her I have learned to relax and focus on the next point.”

Maple praised Valentos’ sportsmanship.

“Irish is always kind and respectful to the opponent,” she said. “She is really sweet and humble on the court and off.”

Barely 5 feet tall, Valentos compensates with a unique style of play. Reasons said she designed a special strategy so Valentos is able to face any kind of rival.

“Irish is a defensive-offensive player,” she said.

“She is not going to hit through the players because she is small. Irish is going to take her rivals out of their zone and having them play her style.”

Her counter-punch strategy means long matches.

“I told her she needs to be patient,” said Reasons. “The style of play I developed for Irish this season was new to her.”

Like Nadal, Valentos has a biting topspin forehand that forces rivals to stay behind the baseline. Valentos said Reasons likes her shot.

“Coach Reasons told me I had a great forehand,” Valentos said. “She said she could watch it all day long and I was really flattered.”

Valentos qualified for the SoCal Regionals at Ojai. Her biggest challenge, she said, will be facing her fears.

“Sometimes before the match I have an anxiety attack,” she said. “I need to change my perspective and just block it off because it can affect my game.”

Reasons said Valentos has the “heart of an athlete.”

“Irish is the type of player every coach wants,” she said. “An athlete that believes in the things you are saying, respects it and just does it. She is a really nice girl and she is a joy to be around.”

The Southwestern College Sun

April 20, 2018 — Volume 61, Issue 5

A13

ARTS Blogger creates food for thought

By Andrew Perez Senior Staff

Food can be an art…in an artist’s hands.

Andrea Aliseda is an artist.

Southwestern College alumna Aliseda said food can rise to the level of art or literature, even in the challenging niche of vegan cooking Aliseda’s interest in culinary arts grew from her experience in the restaurant industry, she said, but it was her blog that stirred her passion.

Like a culinary Don Quixote, she is on a never-ending quest to find the perfect meal.

She explores gastronomic mysteries with her Instagram blog Food Hound (@food_hound) as Jacques Cousteau explored the oceans or Carl Sagan explored the heavens.

“The blog really gave my passing interest new meaning,” she said. “It became a way to learn more about food, cooking techniques, flavors, culinary styles and different dishes. So I started to carve that path for myself by starting small and I taught myself to write about food.”

Aliseda also credits chef and author Anthony Bourdain and his unique punk rock ethos as one of her main influences.

“I always felt inspired after watching one of his shows,” she said. “He did it his way. He was unapologetically himself and he made it on his own terms, in his own style. He made genuine connections with people and their culture.

Seeing that inspired me to continue going against the grain and keep searching for what makes me happy, to fight for it and work hard for it.”

Like Bourdain, Aliseda has become a wandering culinary traveling to different cultures through their cuisine. From the streets of her hometowns of San Diego and Tijuana to the restaurants of San Francisco, New Orleans and New York City, Aliseda has experienced some wild adventures for the sake of a good meal.

She said the Big Easy has been by far the most satisfying.

“The people of New Orleans have a cuisine and culture all their own,” she said. “It’s so rich, complex and full of life. There’s nothing in the world like it. It’s a medley that emerged out of African, French and Spanish cooking with warmth, spice, tons of green bell pepper and centuries of history before getting to your plate.

That place is really special and I’m itching to go back.”

As far as the weirdest thing she has ever eaten, that distinction goes to hormigas chicatanas, giant winged ants native to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Sometimes satisfying one’s curiosity is more important than sticking to a diet.

“I tried them last time I was at a Oaxacan open-air market and was feeling particularly brave,” she said. “The booth vendors egged me on and had me try all their insect offerings. The ants in particular had a really terrible flavor I don’t care to remember. But I ate them!”

Managing a blog can be even worse than eating dyspeptic ants, she confessed. Aliseda said she has had some sour moments trying to keep Food Hound up and running.

Immense stress and pressure to deliver entertaining content regularly are taught to manage, she said. Her main concern, though, is how her blog life seems to tower over her personal one and the difficulty finding the balance between sharing and over-sharing.

“There’s always this big decision of when to

blog or not to blog,” she said. “We eat two, three or more times a day and it’s a really special event. You’re nourishing your body and performing a culturally significant ritual. You might be spending it alone, with a loved one, or friends but when you blog you are making a choice to deliberately ignore all that the moment you are sharing your meal, to snap a photo and post it on your social media. It takes a lot away from the authenticity of the experience, which is why I don’t post everything I eat.”

Yet Aliseda said she is committed to serving a large portion of her time and energy to Food Hound and trying to make the best content she can.

“The blog is always on my mind,” she said.

“Even when I’m not posting or actively engaging social media, I’m thinking about Food Hound.

How can I make it better? What’s my goal? How can I organize myself more? What things should I do different? What works? What doesn’t?

‘Shit! I forgot my camera!’ Or, ‘Hold on guys, let me get a good shot!’ Should I change up my hash tags? It’s a full-time gig.”

Longtime friend Paula Johnson was there at the inception of Food Hound and has fond recollections of watching Aliseda working tirelessly in a Starbucks, writing for hours on end and fine-tuning the early stages of the blog.

“Andrea worked her ass off,” Johnson said.

“The key to what makes Food Hound so special and different from other food blogs can’t be narrowed down to one thing. Andrea has taken on a huge challenge. She’s found her niche. This coupled with her talent for writing is a winning ‘recipe’ for Food Blog success. I am eager to see Food Hound grow and the places it will take one of my lifelong friends.”

Food Hound has grown. Aliseda has worked to branch out into different platforms and recently created her own website called Eat Well or Dine Trying (www.eatwellordinetrying.com).

She said that she has started branding, organized photo shoots and has even started a YouTube channel (Food Hound) that comes with a whole new set of challenges.

“Filming is a beast all it’s own,” Aliseda said.

“Being yourself in front of the camera in the public’s eye can be intimidating. Things like filming yourself inside of a restaurant, at a farmer’s market, going ‘live’ on Instagram, or even figuring out how to act on camera and how you want to present yourself and your style – these are all new challenges I’m facing right now.

But it’s something I really want to hone and embrace. A big goal for me this year is tackling the YouTube world.”

Aliseda had relocated New York City and said she hopes to enroll in The Natural Gourmet Institute, a plant-based culinary school that emphasizes a health supportive culinary education. So far high tuition costs and other factors have prevented her from attending.

Despite this setback, Aliseda is more determined than ever to follow her dreams and is taking matters into her own hands by creating her own culinary curriculum and teaching herself the fundamentals of gastronomy.

“When I learned I couldn’t attend the Institute I felt sad,” she said. “But sometimes life has other plans, and you can’t allow yourself to wallow and sink. You have to pick yourself up and keep going forward. The journey may look different but different is sometimes better, it’s okay to allow life to surprise you, otherwise where’s the fun in it?”

Courtesy of Alana Ocano

A TASTEFUL AFFAIR—Food blogger Andrea Aliseda, an SWC alumna, is on a quest to find great vegan food. (left) Fruit bowls are essential to the vegan diet, but canine friends are not. (bottom, l) One of the greatest challenges is translating other foods to the vegan language, such as this vegan Reuben sandwich that looks just like the real deal. (below) Even the iconic spaghetti and meatballs can be transmogrified into a version sans animal-based products.

Courtesy of Andrea Aliseda

Courtesy of Andrea Aliseda

Courtesy of Andrea Aliseda

A14

Marty Loftin, editor

ARTS

April 20, 2018 — Volume 61, Issue 5

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

Aileen Orozco/Staff

ARTE EN EL BARRIO—Barrio Logan’s weekly Art Walks feature an everchanging selection of art from a number of galleries, allowing the community to regularly engage with an evolving scene. (left) La Bodega is one of the most popular galleries in Barrio Logan and attracts the best local artists from both sides of the border.

Fronterizos explores history of early Spanish speakers in San Diego region

> REVIEW

By Elizabeth Juarez Staff Writer

Speaking Spanish in Chula Vista used to be risky.

Even deadly.

Mexicans who lived in the San Diego region became Mexican-Americans when the international border moved south following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1884.

A new people, Los Fronterizos (People of the Borderlands) emerged, but were not always made to feel welcome – or safe.

A new exhibit at the Chula Vista Public Library highlights the history of Spanish-speaking people, including the terrible truths about how they were persecuted. Chula Vista’s wonderful and underrated Heritage Museum snuggled in the main branch of the Chula Vista Public Library, has mounted “Fronterizos,” a brilliant exhibit created by graphic designer Eva Salas. It is a celebration of speakers of Spanish, their contributions to this community and the permanent imprint they left.

Well – they never left, just evolved.

Spanish-speaking people were not all Mexican. Many ethnicities settled in San Diego, including Spaniards and African-Spaniards who were Black or Arab. Though they were all Spanishspeaking, their cultures were markedly different. Native-American Kumeyaay often married Latino pioneers and took their Spanish names. Handmade baskets and stone arrowheads are displayed in a manner that highlights the skill of the Kumeyaay. Items look as if they were

made with factory precision.

Spanish-speakers were treated as second-class citizens in San Diego County and endured decades of terrible racism. One example was Pedro Gonzalez, who came to the United States in 1924 and almost immediately was drafted into the Army. He later became a radio personality that grew a big following because his show was early in the morning and many MexicanAmericans working in the fields and factories at the time listened.

His large following concerned Los Angeles District Attorney Buron Fitts, who was convinced the popular Gonzalez could start a racial revolt.

Gonzalez was accused of rape and faced felony charges, although the accuser later signed an affidavit stating she made the rape charge because authorities had treatened her. Depite the affidavit, Gonzalez was convicted to 50 years in prison and was sent to San Quentin. He served six years before being deported to Mexico, innocent of any wrong doing.

Police and government officials played roles in the mistreatment of Spanishspeaking people. Land promised by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to Californios who lived in the region before the Mexican-American War was taken away by the Land Claims Act of 1851.

Immigration and Naturalization Services was prominently displayed in the exhibit. In 1977 the INS gave two KKK leasders a tour of the border, outraging Mexican-Americans. Chicano activists organized a large march at the border expressing their disapproval.

Salas, contributors and the museum created a powerful living history display

that transports visitors back in time in hopes that we do not repeat history. It is free, ferocious and not to be missed.

“Fronterizos” is open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m.

– 5 p.m. on Sunday. It runs through Dec. 31.

Weekly Art Crawl explores the creativity of Barrio Logan

By Sydni Ingram Staff Writer

Aileen Orozco/Staff

EXPLORE THE PAST—(top) The Fronterizos exhibit presents a history of Spanish-speakers in San Diego. (above) Maps and artifacts show the Native American influence. (below) Fronterizos were the earliest generations of Spanish speakers to live in the region.

Barrio Logan’s world-famous Chicano Park Murals are not the only great art in this hive of creativity. Its burgeoning art gallery scene is reaching for the sky just like the towering paintings on Chicano Park’s pillars.

Art Crawl welcomed visitors to see, touch, taste and smell the rich artistic culture of the famous San Diego neighborhood. Paintings, sculpture, drawings, clothing, food and music mingled with the energy of bright primary colors. Streets became canvases, studios, fitting rooms and cocinas.

In the year of female empowerment, women were the foci of many artists.

Venus, an all-woman art exhibition presented by the La Bodega Gallery, was the main attraction. Women painted women, which made the walls rumble with empowerment.

“Inhale Spring – Exhale Love” by Lana Chromium was a breath of fresh air. A pair of lungs made of small purple and pink flowers, with a larger flower in the center represented the heart. It was a celebration of life, love and learning.

Barrio Bureaus was the pop-up show that celebrated color-bright popping primary color like a terracotta flowerpot alone on an adobe wall.

Watercolors bristled with feminist clarion calls like ‘Resist, Persist,’ ‘viva la vulva,’ ‘Fierce AF’ and other political messages.

Carolyn Osario displayed handpainted furniture with daring colors and one-of-a-kind patterns. Strutting yellows, reds, and greens made the furniture step forwards. Her use of polka dots lent youth and vitality.

Osario took old, used furniture and transformed it with paint from the Fountain of Youth.

BasileIE, a hip gallery, blossomed with paintings extolling Chicano culture. Modern women in traditional clothing challenged Latinas to stride boldly into the future while always honoring heritage.

Struggle was the theme of a clutch of paintings that told stories of injustice.

In one, three men laid in the trunk of a low rider. Darker still was a man lying dead on the street in a pool of flat burgundy blood. It was dark and moody, providing contrast to the wondrous women.

Barrio Art Gallery was alive with of famous people or characters like Biggie Smalls, Eleven from Stranger Things, Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon. Standing out were wire sculptures of naked women, including one who was breastfeeding elephants.

Three dimensional and provocative, the sculptures were the taste of Michelangelo in medal, right down to the wire.

Gabi Vega, a portrait artist with vision-impairment, shared a room with her wife, Anah Turner-Vega, creator of handmade jewelry, pipes and crystals. Vega is a powerful portrait and character artist. Her drawing of Erik Killmonger, a character from the film “Black Panther,” was the most compelling. He was bad to the bone, conjured with the pen and ink by an Earth mother.

Barrio Logan’s Art Crawl was crawling with creativity, cleverness and Chicanisma. Like marigolds pushing out through cracks in the road, Chicano Park is a holy ground of rebirth and resurrection, reminiscent of the Aztec heaven Omeyocan. There is no heaven without Omecihuatl, the goddess who rules the cycle of life.

There is no Heaven on Earth without women and the Art Crawl beckoned them to step forth.

Brilliant piano recital channels Beethoven’s genius

By Matthew Leskell Staff Writer

> REVIEW What Anton Diabelli did well, Ludwig van Beethoven did better. Then along came Barbara Scheidker to make both composers sound great.

Scheidker, an über talented Southwestern College music instructor, triumphantly summoned the beauty, melancholy and passion of the great composer during her performance that channeled the Austrian master.

Beethoven’s last major composition for piano was originally a sort of 19th century community service project.

Diabelli, an Austrian publisher and composer, sent a waltz he wrote to 50 composers asking them to write variations he would publish to raise money for the widows and orphans of the Napoleonic Wars. Beethoven, always an overachiever, wrote 33 variations by himself—one more than the rest of the composers combined.

Many music critics have declared it the best piano music ever written.

Scheidker showcased her talent and passion for

Beethoven by playing all 33 of his variations.

She played a bit of Diabelli’s waltz first, then Beethoven’s variations right after. She started with “Alla Marcia Aaestoso” the beginning of Diabelli’s original waltz, which was light and airy.

Beethoven’s variation was more dramatic, which should not surprise fans of Ludwig Van. Scheidker described Beethoven’s variations as “hitting the whole of human experience,” drawing on his hardships as a neglected child, alcoholism in his family and, most famously, his deafness. She glided through the pieces, turning her piano into a looking glass that conjured the deeply-held emotions of Beethoven nearly two centuries after the Great One shuffled off his mortal coil.

A highlight was Variation 11, “Allegretto,” where Beethoven’s style shines. He used Diabelli’s opening three notes, then veered into his own miniature masterwork while foreshadowing the 20th variation. This method of weaving themes throughout celebrates his storytelling prowess and ability to create imagery in the minds of his audience like a great novelist. In nearly every variation, Beethoven compositions swamp Diabelli’s original compositions.

Scheidker said she has yearned to play these variations for an audience ever since she first played them when she was 19.

“It was one sort of a dream I had, to play this,” she said. “It’s one of those pieces that everyone is kind of scared of.”

Her practice sessions were grueling, she said, and she became a musical hermit during rehearsals.

“I actually took my keyboard to the desert and I was hiding from the world,” she said. “I was hiking in the daytime and then practicing at night, so I wouldn’t have any distractions and it really helped. I just kinda had to get out of everything.”

Her hard work paid off in a brilliant recital worthy of Carnegie Hall. Once again, Southwestern College’s underappreciated performing artists gave this community an enriching gift that New Yorkers would pay a day’s salary to hear.

Scheidker is a local buried treasure that can bring the long gone musical geniuses of our history back to life in our humble music halls.

Members of this community who love great music already wonder what she has in store next.

Aileen Orozco/Staff

VARIATIONS OF PERFECTION—Music instructor Barbara Scheidker plays a challenging set of 33 variations by Beethoven, originally written to aid the widows and orphans of the Napoleonic Wars.

ARTS

The Southwestern College Sun

April 20, 2018 — Volume 61, Issue 5

A15

Natalie Mosqueda/Staff

Wonder Wall Legendary Chicano muralist Salvador Barajas transforms restroom wall in Chicano Park

Morones. “I reached out to Sal and asked him to paint a mural about love has no borders and no border wall.

When Salvador Barajas painted his There was a great response to the mural, first mural in Chicano Park in 1974, it so I asked Sal for another one. His work was an act of protest. and support has been outstanding.”

When he finished his third Chicano Barajas painted the first Border Park mural this month, it was an act of Angels mural in 2016 on a tall support love. pillar. It depicts classic themes of Barajas, 75, has retired from the immigration. A worker sends money U.S. Air Force and a long career as back to his family in Mexico while a commercial artist, but he is busier being choked by two hands. One than ever. A sprightly former boxer, his hand represents the U.S. Immigration activism and art packs a punch. and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “We don’t want to just paint that deports immigrants, the other a pretty pictures, we want to create Mexican government unable to provide something that tells the story about this good jobs for its citizens. Other images community and its needs,” he said. include the so-called “promise land,” Barajas recently completed a new portraits of former Border Angels mural that pays homage to the activists, Roberto Martinez and Micaela work done by the Border Saucedo, and the messages “No Border Angels human rights Wall” and “Love Has No Borders” organization. It is written on crosses. a stunning In 2012 Barajas and some of the original artists were commissioned to restore the murals of Chicano Park, which were painted in 1974 following the 1970 uprising. That year, members of the Logan Heights community seized the land under the Coronado Bridge after the city of San Diego went back on its promise to build a park as mitigation for the vivisection of the community by the I-5 freeway. When the city tried to sneak in a police station, the community said “¡No Mas!” Barajas restored and updated the Founders Mural at the southeastern edge of Chicano Park along Logan Avenue. His update includes Sanchez, artist Michael Schnorr (a former SWC professor) and Chicano rights activist Herman Baca.

Barajas is a San Diego County treasure, said Baca.

“Sal is a great artist and a great Chicano,” he said.

“He has been active for almost 50 years.

His legacy will live Aileen Orozco/Staff forever in Chicano MAESTRO DEL MURALISMO— Chicano art master Salvador Barajas applies the finishing touches Park and all the places on his latest Chicano Park mural—his third. Barajas was a key contributor to the park’s Founders Mural, he has painted his the first one painted in 1974. He also painted the two newest murals, both commissioned by Border Angels. murals.”

By Dasha Vovk Staff Writer

depiction of the Virgen de Guadalupe placing water in the desert to prevent the deaths of migrants. Flanking La Virgen is a happy, nuclear Latino family and a group of activists anchored by the legendary musician and teacher Ramon “Chunky” Sanchez. It is the second Border Angels mural Barajas has painted in Chicano Park.

Border Angels founder Enrique Morones said Barajas is one of the world’s greatest Chicano muralists.

He said he had wanted for years to commission Barajas to paint a Border Angels mural. Ironically, the surprise election of Donald Trump made it possible.

“After Trump was elected many people donated to Border Angels,” said

La Virgen of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico and that nation’s most beloved icon, but even red tape can bog her down. Shortly after he began painting in early January, Barajas was interrupted and notified by the city of San Diego that he needed to have a right-of-entry permit to continue the mural. Although Barajas had already completed about half of the mural, he was forced to wait two months for a attorney’s signature on the permit before he could continue his work.

His new mural is 12 feet high and just over 20 feet wide, and combines the power of La Virgen with the work of the Border Angels. Barajas brilliantly married classic Mexican motifs with contemporary human rights activism. La Virgen holds a gallon of water in one hand and a cross in another that reads “No Olvidados” (Do Not Forget). Her water represents the organization’s life-saving Water Drop project, where volunteers distribute water across the desert near the border for migrants travelling north.

A group of people to the left of the Virgen de Guadalupe represent Day Labor Outreach, a monthly event where volunteers visit immigrants outside of Home Depot stores and provide food. Depicted in the crowd are Dolores Huerta, a civil rights hero who co-founded the United Farmworkers Association, board member Hugo Castro, Border Angel general manager Dulce Aguirre and Chunky Sanchez, who died in November 2016.

On the right side a happy family hugging is modeled on Morones’ sister, nephew, mother and father. This image references the Door of Hope project, emotional events where the international border gate at Friendship Park was opened briefly to allow family member’s who live on the opposite sides of the border to hug each other.

Border Patrol Chief Scott Rodney cancelled the events early this year.

Above the mural, large white letters proclaim: “Amor, si se puede,” (Love, yes we can).

Barajas is the owner and creative director of the graphic design company Motivational Design. He produces posters and other creative materials that promote heritage, literacy, diversity, bilingualism and higher education. Messages on the posters, written in English and Spanish, include “Be bilingual, be smart,” “Proud of my heritage,” “Learn to read, read to learn,” “Education is the key” and “Diversity achievers.”

Barajas said Latino families are trying to retain their culture and heritage, and there is a need for bilingual education.

“One of the biggest problems in our community is that as Latinos get assimilated here, their parents push them to speak English only,” he said.

“Bilingualism is a gift that should be nurtured. It binds Latinos to their heritage and also gives them an advantage in their careers.”

Barajas was president of the PTA and the Bilingual Advisory chairperson at his children’s elementary school.

He realized that children needed motivational images of people who look like them to learn and appreciate where they came from. He got his business license in 1995 and started to promote the importance of education through his art. His posters can be found in schools throughout San Diego County and across the state.

Born in 1943 in the village of Nio, Sinaloa in an adobe house, Barajas was raised in the pioneering Colonia Libertad community of Tijuana. Once a month he meets for a rousing breakfast in Chula Vista with about 30 of his surviving classmates of his all-boys elementary school. He is working with a librarian in Tijuana to collect and display photographs and artifacts from Colonia Libertad.

Barajas’ relationship with Morones began in 1999 when the Mexican Heritage Foundation, founded by TV journalist Maria Velasquez, nominated 100 people as “role models, visionaries and pioneers” in the Latino community.

Barajas and Morones were both on the list.

“All 100 nominees had to be approved by the board members of the Foundation and Enrique was one of them,” he said. “That’s how he knew about me.”

Retirement may never come for Barajas, he confessed with a grin. He is too busy creating baseball memorabilia, educational art and his towering murals. The former boxer is also willing to fight for his people and Chicano Park. When white supremacists threatened to deface murals in Chicano Park earlier this year, the septuagenarian was standing squarely in front of his Border Angels mural, linking arms with several Chicano activists who encircled the pillar.

“Those vatos will have to come through me first,” he said in a rare moment when his grin was gone.

He was not kidding.

Evil backed down.

The Chicanos won again.

A16

April 20, 2018 — Volume 61, Issue 5

Design by Marty Loftin

BACKPAGE

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

Barrio Bonanza

By Aileen Orozco Assistant Photo Editor

Chicano Park, like Eden, rose from dust and became a thing of great beauty. This year, on its 48th birthday, the park and its world-famous collection of outdoor murals hosted a boisterous celebration of courage, determination, justice, culture and creativity.

Aztec gods, mythological creatures and secular heroes all hovered over the fiesta from their perches atop towering murals, glowering, smiling and beckoning la Raza to once again step into the light and be free.

Logan Heights’ famous people’s park was born in April 1970 from broken promises, betrayal, conflict and creativity. Like the citizens of Puebla who defended their town from the French with pitchforks and shovels at the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, San Diego County Chicanos fought off the California Highway Patrol and city council

with their own pitchforks and shovels. Councilmen had promised a park under the brand new Coronado Bridge, but betrayed Logan Heights by beginning work unannounced on a police station instead.

Citizens said “ya basta!” and for 12 harrowing days stood in front of bulldozers and tractors. Irene Mena was there.

“When we took over Chicano Park it was a beautiful day like this,” she said. “It was the integrity and self-determination that our people had to take this fight over.

They did not care that la placa (the police) were coming in with their shields and gear to shoot us down.

La Raza (the people) were here and the police knew why we were here.”

Nearly five decades later Chicano Park is still here, more vibrant and important than ever. Its collection of outdoor murals is the largest in the world. Today the 7.4-acre park is a National Historical Landmark, recognized by the

U.S. Department of the Interior for its “social, cultural and political significance.”

Park founders scratched like farmers in the dry dirt with rakes, picks and shovels to plant the seeds of the park. Like stalks of maize, the murals seemed to grow out of the ground and reach for the same Sun that shown on Aztlan during the time of the Aztecs.

Brown Beret Eddie Chavez is one of the park’s many volunteer guardians.

He said Chicano Park will be here 48 years from now for his descendants to find their roots.

“With all of us together, united, we will never be divided!” he shouted proudly as a legion of parkistas chanted along. “Que viva la Raza! Que viva Azltan!”

Victoria Sanchez/staff

Victoria Sanchez/Staff

Aileen Orozco/staff

Victoria Sanchez/staff

LET HIM ATTACK WHO WILL, THE STRONG AWAIT—Supporters of Chicano Park have fended off two attempted attacks by white supremacists in the past six months, but Chicano Park Day was alegria pura.

Vows of defiance and solidarity blended with iconic Chicanisma like Aztec dancing, ballet folklorico, classic lowriders and comida Mexicana. Chicano Park is 48 years old, has the world’s largest collection of outdoor murals and is a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

Victoria Sanchez/staff

Victoria Sanchez/staff

Aileen Orozco/staff