Vol. 62 Issue 3

ONE REGION

TWO COUNTRIES

Few places have felt the impact of Trump’s actions like San Diego. A national crisis has been declared by those who rarely set foot on southern soil. Here are the stories of those from the borderlands.

Coverage on backpage

New

Title IX director Gloria Chavez fights for equality

By Sabrina Wu News Editor

At the age of seven, Gloria Chavez was stuffing her hair into a baseball hat to go on a U.S. navy submarine with her uncle because females were not allowed.

Throughout her childhood, Chavez was constantly reminded by society that women were a level below men. But her father and her uncle saw her as an equal, and raised her to be independent and not take anyone’s nonsense.

Decades later, she is now in charge of equality as Southwestern College’s Director of Employee Relations and Title IX.

Under the Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX is a law that protects students, staff, or faculty against discrimination of sex. This law applies to institutions that have federal financial assistance. Both females and males are required to receive equal and unbiased treatment in school programs.

“When I had an opportunity to come back to work at Southwestern Community College, I can’t tell you enough that I put everything in my being to get this job,” Chavez said. “I’ve seen Southwestern College do amazing things, and I want to be part of that.”

Chavez was previously at Santa Monica College as a Labor Relations and an Equal Employment Opportunity Analyst. There, she had put together workshops and trainings to educate faculty, staff, and students about their rights and responsibilities.

“I know that not everyone had the same experience that I had, but I’m gonna make my effort so that when I meet with students who may need that assistance, that we provide it to them,” she said.

Among Chavez’s responsibilties are to work with victims of sexual assault and help them access resources if they want to prosecute.

please see Chavez pg. A3

New docs in SWCPD sex case

Recent filings shed light on assault allegations against officers

By Katy Stegall Editor-in-Chief

Recent filings in a two-year-old sexual assault case involving members of the Southwestern College Police Department present a far more detailed account then had been previously known of an alleged attack inside a storage room in the department’s headquarters building.

The original complaint, filed in February 2017 by a former female student worker identified as “Jane Doe,” alleged, among other things, that former student employee Kevin McKean sexually assaulted her in the storage locker and that former Emergency Management Officer Joseph Martorano aided and abetted McKean by luring her into the locker. Doe also alleged in her complaint that she was repeatedly sexually harassed by her former supervisor, SWCPD officer Ricardo Suarez.

The new filings include a declaration by Doe that lays out in excruciating detail her allegations of what happened to her in the storage locker. They also include a crosscomplaint by Suarez in which he alleges that Doe illegally recorded their interactions. All of the alleged actions occurred between October 2014 and October 2016, during the tumultuous tenure of former SWC Police Chief Michael Cash. Cash, according to many accounts, ran a dysfunctional and corrupt department. Among the complaints:

• In August of 2013, Cash fired his gun in police headquarters and the bullets narrowly missed three college employees.

• Cash routinely filed late and inaccurate campus crime reports.

• The department failed to adequately provide police escorts for sexual assault victims who had requested protection.

• Overspent his budget by $1 million.

Illegally hired and armed friends who were former San Diego Police Department officers.

Doe did not report the alleged sexual assault by McKean to Cash or other authorities. However, she did report comments made by Martorano to Cash and alleges that he mishandled her complaint. Cash was placed on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons in early 2017 and resigned in Sept. with paid leave until December 2017.

Current Police Chief Dave Nighswonger and President Dr. Kindred Murillo were hired in 2017, shortly before knowledge of Doe’s suit became public. Suarez was put on paid administrative leave while his alleged actions were investigated by “an independent party” hired by the college, according to Murillo. Murillo has refused to comment on any aspect of Doe’s suit nor has she commented on the results of the college’s investigation into Suarez’s alleged actions.

On Feb. 12, The Sun filed a California Public Records Act request with the college for documents relating to sexual assault allegation during Cash’s tenure. The request cited newly implemented Senate Bill 1421, which makes records having to do with police misconduct public. a police accountability bill.

Lack of discussion of black history in our current educational system will continue to feed into the problem of racism, discrimination and

Chinese New Year Festival provides essence of Chinese culture.

City College.

Ailyn Dumas/Staff

CHAVEZ

Nearly finished Math and Science building opens

By JoseLuis Baylon and Steven Sylvia Staff Writers

The inaugural semester of Southwestern College’s Math and Science building is underway and by the looks of things, construction still continues.

“This is the future, this is the right way to go”, said Dr. Michel Odu, dean of Math, Science and Engineering.

Odu said school leaders didn’t know if the building would be ready for classes until just weeks before the first day of school.

“We worked all through the holiday and on New Years day,” Odu said. “We made the final call January 1.”

Funded by Prop R, which passed in 2008 and allocated $85.6 million to the construction of classrooms and facilities on campus, the building has state-of-the-art laboratory equipment for physical and life science courses. The building also boasts a new green house, collaboration centers, a rooftop telescope platform, an outdoor projection wall and sustainable technology.

The two-story building features 19 classrooms, 16 laboratories and 46 faculty offices. It replaces the multiple buildings used by Math and Science department over the past 50 years.

“We’ve got a lot more bench space,” instructional lab technician Matthew Millus said. “We’ve got a lot more space in the classroom. Not only more room, we’ve got better safety equipment in all the labs. Its better to have it and not need it than to not have it.”

Yet to be finished are details to the exterior of the building, including sidewalks, ramps, railings and landscaping work. The exterior is expected to be done in the next month or so. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for April 18.

“You need to produce an environment that is conducive to teaching and learning,” Odu said. “Your workspace has to be welcoming.

Every conversation I have with my staff is “how can we do more for our students?”

Still, with work still being done, the building seems like a puzzle to some.

Amanda Velasquez, a nursing major, said the building can be difficult to navigate.

“The only thing that was confusing is trying to find your way around certain things,” Velasquez said. “It’s just like my chemistry professor mentioned, it’s kinda like a maze. So you just kinda have to find out where everything is and navigate your way around.”

Business information systems major Alessandro Rivera said one factor complicating the commute is the building’s design, which is unusual for Southwestern.

Most classrooms have doors leading outside, but in this structure the classes are all indoors.

“It’s pretty annoying because my teacher expects you to get there on time,” Rivera said. But since you have to walk all the way through the building and there’s only a certain amount of ways to get inside to the building, it makes a lot of people late to class.”

“Some staff remember when they took classes here in the early 80s and 90s, they had the same microscopes they used then,” Odu said. “The same microscopes! Not anymore.

Everything is new, new, new.”

Odu credits his staff of lab technicians for preparing the new classroom laboratories before the semester began. Staff stocked the shelves, unwrapped new desks, fitted white boards and even sorted out specimens.

With the building’s maximum occupancy being approximately 1,800, Odu is looking for the opportunity to offer more classes for students on weekends. Which will benefit students who have to work during the week.

“With this building, we are gonna offer classes on Fridays and

Saturdays,” Odu said. “What is the worst case? We offer, it doesn’t work, but we’re gonna try it. I truly believe if we offer it, they will come. Without a doubt.”

The Math and Science building is designed to be a working environment based on the future of teaching and research with cutting-edge technology. Typically, community colleges do not participate in their own research, but Odu wants SWC to challenge four-year universities.

“Now, we take students to the finish line and compete with fouryear colleges in delivering quality education,” Odu said. “We have the capabilities for research. We call it advance study lab. It’s an opportunity for faculty and students to collaborate and publish their work.”

Two science-related features not moving into the new building are the planetarium and the turtle pond. The turtle pond will be moved to the botanical garden and a new planetarium will be built in the future.

However, for stargazers feeling left out, the roof of the new building is a telescope platform.

The building also has the latest in energy-saving and water-conservation technology. All water, whether it be rain or from condensation, is collected in a large cistern in the middle of the building and then recycled.

“Rainwater and all the condensations are going to charge up the cistern.” Odu said. “Science is never off, so why should this facility be off?”

Odu sees the Math and Science building becoming a way to cater to the needs of the community.

“I want students to finish what they started,” Odu said. “We have the resources, we have the tools. We can get students to the finish line. There’s no excuses any more. We are going to meet our students where they are and we are going to take them where they need to be.”

Murillo works to fix campus culture

By Jordyn Bryant Assistant News Editor

Kindred Murillo stepped in as president of Southwestern College at a tumultuous time.

SWC’s accreditation was almost revoked. An investigation into the racial climate on campus unearthed many unpleasant truths. And a shift in cultural rhetoric has endangered the lives of SWC’s undocumented students. Murillo has not solved these problems in her two years at the helm, but she remains dedicated to tackling them.

Respect and inclusivity are two values that Murillo said she cares deeply about. Known to many as “the cleanup president,” Murillo was hired by the board in hopes of mending some of the racial, cultural, and financial problems that have plagued previous SWC presidents. Murillo spent her beginning months addressing the grievances felt by faculty in an effort to usher in a new campus culture. She also mentioned that many faculty members shared stories of PTSD from incidents with former presidents.

“You have to listen in your first six months,” Murillo said. “And that’s what I did. I basically had people in and out of this office all day, everyday and I listened to what people had to say.”

Murillo’s first significant accomplishment came during the first month of her presidency, when she and her team successfully saved

Southwestern’s accreditation.

SWC was handed a warning from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), in 2016. The school was given 18 months to correct 15 areas that were deemed insufficient by the ACCJC.

“I came in January, we were reaffirmed in June,” Murillo said. “Most of the work took place before I got here. One of the things you learn as a leader, never take credit for the things you didn’t do. It’s always the team cause it’s a team effort.”

Accreditation was not the only issue Murillo faced upon entering office.

Rumors of anti-black rhetoric had been spreading across campus long before Murillo arrived. Increased tensions culminated with Murillo reaching out to Shaun Harper, the director of USC’s Race and Equity Center. Harper’s report shed light on a plethora of alleged discriminatory behavior aimed towards black employees at the hands of white and Latinx employees.

The report alleges Southwestern College had the worst anti-blackness climate Harper’s team had ever seen.

“Unfortunately Southwestern’s climate is one of the 2-3 most toxic – many of our discoveries there are especially troubling,” the report claimed.

In the aftermath of the shocking allegations, Murillo held a series of meetings in which faculty,

Remedial classes out, struggles still intact

By Ramona Lopez Staff Writer

Remedial classes are here to stay, but Southwestern College is ditching the placement test.

English 115 classes will require students to be concurrently enrolled in the English 45 support course. Both Cliffe and Nadalet are currently piloting a math course with a co-requisite.

administrators, and governing board members came together to discuss the outcome of the report.

For years, SWC has found itself in hot water. In addition to being burdened with the task of fixing the complex issue of race relations, Murillo was saddled with 28 open Title IX investigations.

Title IX prevents educational institutions from discriminating against students on the basis of sex.

Recently, Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, unveiled a new set of rules that would make it harder for victims of sexual assault to receive aid from their college. The Department of Education said the old Obama-era regulations “lacked basic elements of fairness” and many advocates for accused students have criticized the prior rules of being “heavily biased in favor of female accusers.”

Murillo does not support DeVos’s proposals.

“Title IX is crucial for college campuses,” Murillo said. “I think the way we’re going with Devos is regression rather than progression.”

Gloria Chavez, Director of Employee Relations and Title IX has supported President Murillo’s efforts regarding investigating Title IX investigations.

“The Superintendent is very in it to win it,” Chavez said. She has boots on the ground. If there is any type of case that I have or a student case that may be more of an issue, she absolutely knows what’s going on.”

Students will no longer be required to take nontransferable math and English classes, aside from one exception for business or STEM majors who did not complete Algebra II or Integrated Math 3 in high school. They will be placed in Math 72.

SWC wants to maximize the probability that students will enter and complete transfer level coursework in English and mathematics within a one-year timeframe to meet the requirements of AB 705, which took effect Jan. 1, 2018. Students enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) have three years to complete transfer level classes.

Rather than the placement test, English placement will be determined by the student’s high school GPA. Students with a GPA above 2.6 will be placed in English 115 alone. Those with a GPA below 2.6 will be placed in an English 115 class with a support co-requisite. High school transcripts and the student’s major will determine mathematics placement. Math requirements vary widely depending on the course of study a student chooses.

State law stipulates that if a student graduated or finished their high school coursework within the last 10 years, they will self-report that data to help determine their placement.

Karen Cliffe, who chooses the mathematics department, said there are still some things that need to be worked out when a student is lacking high school data.

“We have not yet finalized guidelines for students coming from adult school, a GED, no schooling background or from another country,” Cliffe said. “We still need to figure out how those students will find their placement. We have a committee that’s working on that.”

Cliffe said students who do not have the required high school information to assist with placement will participate in the guided self-placement process, which is also still being worked on. Cliffe and her mathematics department co-chair Silvia Nadalet, said they are imagining a series of questions asking students about their major, time constraints, goals and potentially incorporating sample math problems to help determine where they are more likely to be successful. They said a team of teachers is working on it and the goal is to have the survey fully designed by midMarch at the latest.

Both the English and mathematics departments are piloting courses with co-requisite support this semester. Four

“We’re piloting two classes, business calculus and college algebra,” Nadalet said. “The goal is to learn as much as we can about implementing co-requisites and what students need so that we can lay it out share the information with other faculty who are going to teach courses in the fall.”

Nadalet said there will be teachers working on that over the summer based on what she and Cliffe had developed as an idea for a template that can be modified for their own courses.

Nadalet said success of the co-requisite classes will be based on a long-term analysis, not just the spring semester results. They will have to see what deficiencies students are going to have in their future classes before they can determine what adjustments will need to be made.

Although AB 705 does not allow SWC to place students below a transfer level class beyond the math class exception, remedial classes are not being eliminated for those who would prefer them. That being said, enrollment is expected to decrease.

“I think we’ll always have some remedial classes because there are some students that take these classes not for any goal or careeroriented reason,” Cliffe said. “Maybe they’re a parent who wants to help their child with math and they need to review for their own sake. We’re still going to have them but fewer sections and students can self-select in it.”

Because of all the recent changes, SWC faculty believes it is important for students to see a counselor to discuss career options.

“For students in the past, some of those pretransfer level courses gave them an opportunity to learn what college was about, orient themselves in that environment and decide what they want to major in while taking general ed,” Cliffe said. “Since they need to make that decision right when they come in, they really have to have an idea of what their major is going to be and where they want to go.”

There has been some debate over whether students will be ready to go straight to transfer level classes, but the English and mathematics leaders say they are doing their best to help students.

“Even if we are concerned about whether students are ready or not,” Nadalet said. “This is what we are being asked to do and we need to give it 100 percent to try and make it successful. We are committed to everything we can do to support students, our concern is that some students need more support.”

Marco Figueroa/Staff

THE DOCTOR IS IN— Dr. Kindred Murillo socializes with faculty members and friends attending the swearing in of elected governing board members.

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

ALMOST THERE— Students wait for classes in Math and Science building that has been in the works for three years. Though classrooms are open, construction continues.

Women’s March: fighting back for third year

By Mikayla Moore-Bastide Staff Writer

Nothing screams unity more than random musicians playing together to the beat of marchers yelling out “stand up, fight back!”

These words rang through the air in San Diego during the Third annual Women’s March on January 19. The march originated in 2017 as a protest to President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

Among other things, they demonstrated for reproductive rights,

racial justice, pro-immigrations rights and LGBTQIA rights. This year, more than 3 million people marched in cities throughout the world.

SWC Governing Board Vice President Nora Vargas, who has been a vocal activist in San Diego throughout her life, was the emcee of this year’s local march.

“I am marching here today because we are stronger together,” Vargas said to the diverse crowd.

The passionate attendees marched throughout downtown San Diego displaying handmade protest signs with

demands for human rights.

Tasha Williams, co-founder of San Diego Compassion Project, spoke about the lack of representation of black women and men in the Women’s March. Williamson encouraged the attendees to make an effort to fight for inclusion similar marches and in their daily lives.

Mara Elliott, San Diego’s first female city attorney, spoke of her accomplishments. Elliott said San Diego prosecuted about 1,000 domestic violence/sexual assault crimes in 2017 with a 95 percent conviction rate.

“Everyone has the right to live without fear,” Elliott said. Marchers said they attended in solidarity with those who fear for their lives on a daily basis. This includes women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA community.

“We are stronger together as a community to say ‘no more,’” said state Assemblyman Todd Gloria.

Gloria was the only man to speak at the march but many others came out to support their loved ones making a stand for women’s equality.

Carissa Razo brought her husband

Mike and two young sons to the march with her. Mike Razo said he was enjoying himself, and was glad to spend the day with his family. Nicole Labrosse said she started to teach her five year old daughter Eloise at a young age about gender equality. Eloise yelled out “girl power” in excitement on their way to the march, Labrosse said.

The march ended with a note of unity and belonging as marchers were holding hands, dancing and hugging strangers while singing, “This Little Light of Mine.”

Marco Figueroa/Staff

Karelly Vidrio/Staff

Karelly Vidrio/Staff

SWCPD: New details emerge in alleged attack

Continued from pg. A1

The college did not respond to The Sun’s request within the 10-day time limit specified under the Public Records Act.

Doe’s allegations

Here are details of what Doe alleged happened in the storage room:

On a day in January 2015, Martorano told Doe she was needed by McKean in the storage room. This was not uncommon, Doe’s declaration states, because the room contained equipment that was used by numerous campus police employees for traffic control. The room was largely dark, only partially lit by a small window, Doe recalls in her declaration. Doe was not surprised by the lights being off but was caught off guard by McKean’s presence, the declaration states.

“As I turned the corner, I saw McKean in the back of the room,” the declaration states. “I was surprised that he was already inside waiting for me.”

McKean grabbed her as soon as she turned the corner and forcefully unzipped her sweater after he pulled her close to him, the declaration states. He then bent her over the sink by the back wall and put his hands around her neck as he pressed up against her, the declaration states. The declaration goes on to state that McKean slapped Doe in the face, kissed her and then turned her around and forcefully bent her over to face the sink.

“He (McKean) pushed his genitals or loins up against my buttocks,” Doe states in her declaration. “At some point, he tried to choke me. I was terrified.” Doe slapped McKean and only escaped when he slapped her a second time, according to Doe’s declaration.

“I went back toward the door while I zipped up my sweater,” Doe states in her declaration. “All of this happened very quickly, and all I wanted to do was to free myself from McKean’s hold on me.”

When Doe broke free, she went towards the door and found it shut. Doe’s declaration states that there would be no reason for Martorano to have closed the

door without leaving it propped open for her and McKean to exit.

Doe’s original complaint states that she did not report the alleged attack because she was “traumatized, humiliated and feared further humiliation and reprisal from her command.”

No declaration by McKean is currently on public file with San Diego Superior Court.

A response to Doe’s original complaint filed on behalf of Martorano denied all of her allegations. It also states that the statute of limitations has run out on the acts the complaint alleges he committed.

Doe’s attorneys responded that

Chavez: Director ready for federal Title IX changes

Continued from pg. A1

“Given the fact that there is a Title IX position, I can say that there is still a lot of awareness to be done,” she said. “That people realize what healthy relationships look like and what unhealthy relationships look like.

U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, proposed new regulations in regards to Title IX. DeVos had changed some of Obama’s policies, such as some anti-discrimination laws.

Current Title IX procedures requires institutions to endorse and publish a grievance procedure that outlines the complaint, investigation and dicipinary process for addressing sexual misconduct within eductional programs in a prompt and equitable manner.

“Title IX is critical for college campuses. Very candidly I don’t agree with the changes DeVos is proposing,” said Dr. Kindred Murillo, President of SWC. “California has kinda preempted a little bit and they put legislation in place that’s going to still maintain the importance of Title IX.” DeVos’s proposals seek how schools handle the process for sexual misconduct, and at SWC, Chavez is preparing for any changes made by federal law.

“An investigator looks at all of the evidence and decides who’s more credible, preponderance of evidence. What is more probable that

occured,” Chavez said. Rob Shaffer, President of the SCEA, shares similar goals with Chavez when it comes to listening to people’s concerns and making them feel protected.

“A good thing she brings is accessibility. She’s the kind of person that makes people feel comfortable,” Shaffer said. “Title IX is extremely important for the entire campus population whether it’s students, staff, faculty, administration. Everybody needs to feel safe, everybody needs to feel respected.”

Throughout her day, Chavez will find time to do yoga so she can mentally prepare herself for dealing with any emotional impact. She strives be in the right mindset so she can meet people where they are and create a safe environment at Southwestern College. Her father and uncle believed she was strong enough to fight discrimination on behalf of herself. Each day she comes to work with the goal of instilling that belief into the students at SWC.

“We keep working. We keep working at it as a society until it eradicates. Until we look at it in history books and we see it as something that it used to be,” Chavez said. “That’s a vision that I have and I work towards. It’s tireless because you meet people where they are. You see the good in people.”

A n article titled “Controversy surrounds new fulltime position” published in the November issue of The Sun incorrectly stated that Gerardo Rios was the first full-time Mexican-American studies professor in the school’s history. Rios is the first full-time MexicanAmerican studies professor to be hired since the 1980s.

Doe is filing under a gender violence claim, which has a three-year statute of limitations. Doe filed her suit less than three years after she alleged the attack happened, her lawyers state in their response.

“Martorano controls in his summary judgment motion that Plaintiff’s sexual harassment claims against him are time-barred by a one-year statute of limitations under the Fair Employment and Housing Act FEHA,” the document reads. “However, (Doe’s) claims against Martorano are for aiding and abetting McKean in his sexual assault (Gender Violence), which is governed by a three-

year statute of limitations outside the FEHA.”

Questions on recordings

In addition to the allegations again McKean and Martorano, Doe claims in her suit that Suarez, who she reported to, continuously sexually harassed her during her two years of employment. The original 2017 complaint states Suarez’s sexual harassment of her began during the fall of 2014 when Suarez returned from leave. Suarez asked Doe for nude photos, inquired about her sex life and shared unsolicited information about his own sex life, Doe’s complaint alleges. It

goes on to allege that Suarez told Doe to grow her hair longer because he liked to pull on hair during sex and provided other examples of his sexual preferences.

“One particularly egregious act of sexual harassment occurred when Suarez told Doe that ‘seeing your mouth open gives me dirty thoughts about you,’ and confirmed that he imagined Doe performing oral sex on him,” her complaint states.

The complaint goes on to allege that Suarez would arrange meetings with Doe, including one in the campus parking lot, when they were both on duty. Suarez would initiate “vulgar and sexually explicit” conversations with Doe during these encounters, the complaint states.

A cross-complaint filed on behalf of Suarez indicates there are audio recordings of interactions involving Doe and Suarez that states Doe’s actions were improper and unlawful since Suarez was under the assumption that all interactions were not being recorded.

“(Suarez) was not aware that his communications with (Doe) were being secretly recorded by Doe’s cellular phone,” the cross-complaint reads. “(Doe) was secretly recording these confidential communications without (Suarez’s) permission or knowledge. These confidential communications were willfully, deliberately, maliciously and intentionally recorded by (Doe) by means of an electronic device.”

Exact dates of the recordings and transcripts of the audio were not provided in the public court filings.

Doe’s response to Suarez’s crosscomplaint states she was legally permitted to record Suarez without consent given the nature of their previous encounters.

“There was no intrusion into a private place, conversation or matter when Jane Doe recorded Suarez’s conversation with her,” the answer to Suarez’s crosscomplaint states. “They were outside in the campus parking lot, and Suarez did not conduct himself as though he was imparting private information. He was openly talking in a vulgar manner with her. Anyone who passed by or was within an earshot of his conversations with Doe would have heard him. He did not whisper in her ear. Suarez did not, and could not, expect that his harassing conversations with Doe be kept confidential.”

New board member hopes to build ‘trust, transparency and accountability’

By Mikayla Moore-Bastide Campus Editor

Leticia Cazares got the opportunity to continue the legacy her family started, yet used her experiences to go above and beyond in a career she had fallen in love with.

After a vigorous campaign season, Cazares now holds the fourth seat on the Southwestern College Governing Board. As a new board member, Cazares now has the responsibility, just like the rest of the board, to display transparency and concern for the students of this campus.

“During the campaign, I didn’t realize just how much information I would be downloading in my brain,” Cazares said. “But I love learning.”

Cazares understands this is a new step in her career and she is excited to apply her knowledge to improve the student life and campus. Since her first board meeting, she said she has felt very connected and welcomed by the board and the rest of the SWC faculty and staff and is focused on ensuring that students have the resources they need in order to succeed at SWC.

“My interest is student success, but actually looking at support services and making sure holistically that there is access to services, food and housing,” Cazares said. “That’s just a passion of mine.”

She said that relationships with the people on the campus are most important to her. She wants to establish a rapport with all levels of the campus community.

“Some of my focus areas especially in the year is building trust, transparency and accountability,” Cazares said. “But it starts with trust.”

She wants the community to have trust in her and strives to improve whatever needs to be done. Cazares also wants to address how mental health is displayed on campus. She wants to incorporate more services, education and awareness. Cazares spoke about her own experiences dealing with a mental illness. She was a college student living with mental health challenges and because of this, she knows she can be a strong voice for it.

“It’s important that I combine passion, purpose, and my strengths and capacity,” Cazares said.

She pushed for college affordability throughout her campaign and after becoming a board member, she was given more knowledge on college affordability and how it could be possible.

“College affordability is absolutely still a priority of mine,” she said. She wants to enhance financial aid in a way that will make it more accessible for students. She also wants to educate students about the different types of financial aid. She wants different programs to be more straightforward with the students on the criteria and qualifications required. Transparency is important to Cazares as well. She wants to ensure that the community can be upfront and honest with any concerns they have. The governing board exists to make improvements on campus and around the community. Cazares explains that each member has their own interests, backgrounds, and strengths. This benefits the solution in different issues that come about.

For instance, the president and vice president work with the superintendent to form the agenda for meetings whereas the rest of the trustees would work in different committees together.

“I think it’s important for students to know more about how the board functions with the

roles and responsibilities and how it pertains to them,” Cazares said. “So you all can hold us accountable, that is the only way.”

Sworn in along with Cazares were Nora Vargas and Tim Nader, who both ran unopposed. Vargas acknowledged that many voices have been ignored in the past.

“I’ve been hearing it loud and clear, there are members of our campus community that don’t feel heard or included,” Vargas said. “That to me is unacceptable.” She is determined to make inclusion a priority.

Tim Nader started off his speech thanking his wife, who was a SWC Alumni when he first got elected into the board. Nader then started to speak on the racial setbacks that plagued the college and how he hopes to solve these issues with the help of Black Alliance and the rest of the campus community. He also wants to ensure that students feel safe on campus, especially DACA and LGBT+ students.

“Together, [the Governing Board is] going to make Southwestern College everything it can be,” Nader said.

Marco Figueroa/Staff

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

FRESH FACE — Leticia Cazares is sworn in by former Governing Board member Norma Hernandez.

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS — Campus police still dealing with two-year-old sexual assault case involving a female student worker and several campus policemen.

VIEWPOINTS

Editorials, Opinions and Letters to the Editor

The Issue:

Devos’s Title IX policy changes makes it harder for students to seek justice for sexual assault.

editor ial

Alan Baquera

Matthew Brooks

Gamaliel Carreno

Siobhan Eagen

Paola Labrada

Ramona Lopez

Adriana Frias-Ruiz

Alan MonterrubioCazares

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ailyn Dumas

Joshua Williams

Andrew Penalosa

Jaime Ramirez

Melissa Rivera

Marissa Romero

Alejo Rosete

Sydney Stanley Aide Valdez

CARTOONISTS

Jaime Ramirez

AWARDS/HONORS

Our Position:

Southwestern College needs to be better than the standard and advocate for students.

New Title IX rules protects schools instead of students

In front of the entire world, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford took a stance against her oppressor, Brett Kavanaugh. It was an act of courage that many women dream of – and even more dread. Ford relived trauma, faced constant criticism and was shamed during each moment of the congressional hearing last October to determine whether he was fit for The U.S. Supreme Court. But despite her life being torn apart, Kavanaugh’s life carried on as he’d always expected. He is now a U.S Supreme Court justice.

With U.S Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos rewriting how schools define sexual assault, students nationwide risk facing similarly long odds as those that Dr. Ford confronted.

educational program or activity – otherwise it is not the college’s responsibility.

This proposal is flawed and does not take into consideration students who live off campus. This is especially important for SWC students where housing is not an option.

A majority of college sexual assaults happen in the neighborhoods beyond campus boundaries according to reports by the Associated Press. Reporters also found that five out of eight of the nation’s largest public universities had more offcampus reports than they did on school property.

SIOBHAN EAGEN

I was in my early 20s and wrought with anxiety the first time I pursued a sexual relationship with a woman. The encounter that ultimately happened involved too much alcohol on both of our parts and the inability to talk about our wants or needs afterward. It tore me apart. This experience helped me maintain an anxiety of same-sex intercourse for years despite my confidence in knowing my sexual orientation.

Though I am not perfect, I considered myself better than most at having frank conversations about relationships, sexual health, boundaries and desires despite having been raised in a conservative catholic environment. For reasons unbeknownst to me, this was different. I have now come to understand that it is a result of systemic biphobia which led to internalized anxiety.

Despite the wealth of information about sex on the internet, I found a disparity of information regarding bisexuals and sex between women in general. Studies show that bisexuals are more disadvantaged in health, happiness and socio-economic measures than both their straight and gay peers. Bisexuals experience erasure from heterosexuals and homosexuals alike and are often dismissed or discriminated against. We are pariahs to everyone. Many women who identify as lesbian flat out refuse to see bisexual women, citing beliefs that we will always choose men or that bisexuality simply does not exist.

Negative critiques and worries flooded me. If I was not “good enough” at homosexual intercourse with a woman, would she not take me seriously? I worried that I would be accused of being a “try-sexual” or “bar-sexual.” I worried that women would never pursue a relationship with me if I could not intuitively perform on first encounter, or that no woman would ever want to be my “first” or “deal with” an inexperienced lover. I felt the same sense of embarrassment, shame and rejection I did from my early days of Catholic education.

I felt doubly frustrated because I had done extensive research and found plenty of information on how to please men orally, but the information for pleasing women was not found in the same abundance.

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, 2001-17 Best of Show Awards, 2003-17 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, 2002-17 San Diego County Multicultural Heritage Award Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence, 2001-17 First Amendment Award, 2002, 2005 San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards 19992017 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

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Current Title IX rules require schools to adopt and publish a grievance procedure that outlines the complaint, investigation and disciplinary process for addressing sexual misconduct within educational programs in a prompt and equitable manner.

Southwestern College has the potential to do better than the standard.

Now is the time for Southwestern College, which has a history of sweeping sexual assault cases under the rug, to stop making empty promises and advocate for campus safety.

One of the big changes being brought forth by DeVos is changing the definition of on-campus sexual harassment. The new rules define it as follows: “Unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it denies a person access to the school’s education program or activity.” Compare that to the current definition, which is: “Unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.”

The new definition requiring that the assault be “severe” and “pervasive” is restrictive, implying that the only form of sexual misconduct is assault or rape. Already, many victims are afraid to step forward and seek help because of society’s minimization of sexual assault. DeVos’ new definition will make the problem worse and enable victim shaming.

According to statistics collected by the National Sexual Violence Research Center (NSVRC), nearly two-thirds of college students will experience sexual harassment. More than 90 percent of sexual assault victims will not report the assault.

Another of DeVos’ controversial changes have to do with how reports are made to authorities. Accusers must first make a formal complaint to someone within administration who has the “authority to take corrective action” in order for their case to be considered for a Title IX investigation, the proposal states. The incident also has to have occurred on campus or within an

Selectively choosing cases that happen by direct campus association provides a loophole for administration to simply ignore a victim and reduce their liability in a case. This does not help solve the toxic mindset that many college campuses hold about sexual assault. It instead makes victims feel more ostracized than they already are. They assume their voices and struggles are not worth listening to if it does not impact the school’s reputation.

We encourage administration not to send this message to SWC students. Do not make the same mistakes and repeat history.

DeVos’ new proposal also allows the accused and accuser to cross-examine one another, require that a neutral third party conduct live hearings and assume the defendant is innocent until proven guilty. This sets the precedent that both parties receive equal opportunities and benefits with no discrimination.

It also gives credence to the mythology of false accusations. Research has consistently shown that instances of women making false accusations of sexual misconduct represent a small minority of all cases.

Both accuser and defendant are harmed by these new resolutions. It protects and prioritizes the school over the students. It promotes victim shaming by focusing on solving the issue of false allegations and assumes that survivors do not face stigma in seeking legal help. It also enables campus sexual assault by grossly narrowing what can be classified as assault and harassment and allowing school administrations to redirect the blame elsewhere.

DeVos is regressing back to the debate of whether schools should care about victims’ rights.

Though DeVos is restructuring a path that others may follow, SWC has the resources to do otherwise. If the college’s leaders want to stand with students, as they claim they do, they should challenge DeVos by doing everything in their power to protect their students’ rights and safety. SWC can do this through organizing with other schools to protest and speak out against DeVos’ archaic policies. This will not only keep students safe, but also reassure them that their voices are heard.

There is limited research on bisexual women. I suspect though, judging by the amount of bisexual women who primarily date men, that most bisexual women “lose their virginity” in a heterosexual construct. I have heard testimonies from many bisexual women about their anxiety with “the second virginity.”

I believe young people are not only entitled to information which helps them stay medically safe sexually, but also that they are entitled to knowledge that helps them enjoy sex for all bodies, genders and orientations. As of now, only 13 states mandate medically accurate information to be taught in K-12 schools. California, thankfully, has one of the most progressive sex education laws in the nation. Still, very few schools teach any material on the safety and homosexual sex, let alone on more nuanced issues that impact LGBTQIA communities. For many young people, pornography is a major source of sexual education. But mainstream heterosexual pornography does not model sexual activity enjoyable for women. I am pro-pornography, not promainstream pornography. It is wrought with violence, degradation and an outright lack of representation of what women enjoy and need sexually. Bisexuals are often viewed as an accessory to a man’s threesome fantasy. What is most aggravating to me, “lesbian” porn commonly falls under the category of “gay for pay” and does not model realistic same-sex sexual activity either.

A mixture of misinformation, bi-phobia and unhealthy representation make navigating samesex attraction for bisexuals extremely difficult. I wish that when I had my first same-sex encounter I had the clarity and understanding of these contributing factors that I do now. It would have certainly led to a healthier experience. As I’ve ruminated on these factors, it has lessened my stress and anxiety around same-sex intercourse. I have learned that communication is key when it comes to anxiety with sexual partners. If you are a bisexual woman who is feeling anxious about the “gay virginity,” I encourage you to express this to your partner. You are not alone. Anyone who does not believe, support and trust bisexual women is not worth your time. Unfortunately, biphobia is still prominent in the LGBTQIA community. Times are changing. There are plenty of potential partners who will love to explore, learn and teach with you healthily. It is okay to wait to find someone who values your lived experience as a bisexual.

and

Stop whitewashing history, learn from it

By Jordyn Bryant A perspective

“Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen-hundred ninety-two.”

Like countless other Americans, I learned to recite this phrase when I was in first grade. We memorized the names of the three ships he sailed on and scribbled vibrant colors on sheets of paper depicting Columbus as a holy figure, a messiah responsible for the discovery of a “New World.”

It wasn’t until the end of eighth grade when I realized the blue water and clear skies I drew were lies. Instead, I should have scribbled the water red and painted the skies black to symbolize the wretched atrocities committed by Columbus and his horde. In many ways, Columbus set the stage for the transatlantic slave trade and the birth of racism in this country. Sadly, these themes are not taught in our current education system. Omission is defined as “the action of excluding or leaving out someone or something.”

The harsh reality of being black in America is knowing no matter how valiant your efforts are, you will be vilified and written out of the history books for being too black or not conforming to the stereotypes of being black in America.

“I have never met a racist who had a complete understanding of the history of the people they hate.”

-Stanley James

By Justin Dottery A perspective

I’ve been told that if I want to get ahead in life, it would be beneficial to cut my locks. But it is a part of my culture and who I am, and those are things that I will not compromise for anyone.

I’m told they are unprofessional, dirty.

A prime example of the destruction of black bodies can be found in the ruins of Black Wall Street, a prominent AfricanAmerican settlement established during the Reconstruction. Located in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street was a symbol of black innovation and affluence.

Established by freed slaves and Native Americans who settled in the area after the Trail of Tears, Greenwood was a beacon of black independence and progression.

People owned cars, raised families, and businesses flourished. Nearly 200 black businesses occupied the small Tulsa suburb, a feat that was unheard of during the time of segregation.

What was not unheard of however, was the response from white Oklahomans to black excellence during the spring of 1921.

They set fire to businesses, pillaged houses and killed innocent citizens. Planes took to the sky and rained down turpentine bombs. In a matter of hours, Greenwood went from a symbol of determination in the face of hard times, to an unrecognizable war zone.

The rising confidence experienced by the Black citizens of Greenwood angered many white people in the area, who referred to the town as “n- - - - - town.” Tensions escalated and on May 31 thousands of armed whites bombarded the peaceful city of Greenwood and destroyed everything in sight.

A poet named Phetote Mshairi compared Greenwood to the fictional African country of Wakanda.

“Don’t you realize that Greenwood was Wakanda before Wakanda?” Mshairi said.

Two years earlier, at least 25 race riots had occurred across the country in what became known as the Red Summer of 1919.

I was never taught about Greenwood or the Red Summer in my K-12 education. The only aspects of my history that I learned in school were the days when my people were in shackles and fighting for our freedom. I wasn’t taught about Mansa Musa, the West African king who throughout his lifetime amassed a net worth of $400 billion in today’s dollars. I didn’t learn about the Black Panthers or their Ph.D certified leader Huey Newton. Black history was reduced to only Martin Luther King Jr. and slavery.

Though Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero and an icon of the Civil Rights Era, he was not the only person fighting for us to be free.

Our educational system places such an emphasis on MLK because he preached non- violence. Malcolm X, Huey Newton, and Stokely Carmichael will never have their day in a publicly funded classroom. The image of a black man instituting his Second Amendment right to bear arms is too much for White America to stomach. Educators re-establish the notion of black inferiority by selectively choosing to show only the negative aspects of history. They will continue to indoctrinate us with scenes of black bodies bloodied, beaten and shackled to ensure that our children don’t get any bright ideas.

The historical omission of black figures and black achievements is an unfortunate

byproduct of a society that thrives on a mindset of white supremacy. Ignorance breeds contempt and it seems as though our country is content with being ignorant. The proof of our laziness and apathy towards progression can be found in the Oval Office.

Professor of African-American Studies

Stanley James summarized, “I have never met a racist who had a complete understanding of the history of the people they hate,” said Stanley James, a Southwestern College professor of African-American studies. In order for our country to fully progress, we must have some complex conversations regarding race and white supremacy. AfricanAmericans have been in subjugation longer than we have been free.

And throughout this time we have constantly been fighting for the freedoms supposedly granted to us by the 13th Amendment.

To be frank, my people have yet to attain freedom in this country. We still fight to not be seen as second-class citizens. We were freed from slavery in 1865, but our struggle for equality is far from over. It is evident that our people are treated as subhuman. The very people sworn to “protect and serve” are executing us.

Plantations have been swapped out for prisons and the shackles were taken off of our bodies and placed on our minds. Everyday we do not teach the youth proper Black history, is another day spent in mental slavery.

My struggle is not your fashion

Yet, the white girl with the Bob Marley t-shirt and makeshift “dreads” is seen as a fashion icon.

This is what it’s like to be black in America. Being black in America is very similar to a popular saying about fame: “Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to put the work in.” Now it seems like everybody wants to be black, but nobody wants to be discriminated against. Growing up, black women were ridiculed for their natural physical features like their full lips, wider hips, bigger butts and dark skin. Now, these features have become the beauty standards that women of all races go under the knife to obtain.

Take for example Kylie Jenner. After

she got lip, hip and butt work done, she became a standard of beauty and has the seventh-most Instagram followers in the world, according to statista.com.

Black people have been trendsetters in the fashion and music industry for nearly a century. In black culture, we express ourselves and our culture through rap and R&B music, cornrows, dreadlocks, afros and more.

Things seen as ghetto in the past are becoming the most popular trends in our society. Cornrows became popular amongst white people in 2015 after Jenner wore them in an Instagram post.

But they’ve been a part of black culture for 400 years. Before black people were enslaved and brought from Africa to America, cornrows signified a tribe one belonged to. It is also believed enslaved Africans used cornrow patterns as maps to escape plantations.

According to an article in Ebony Magazine written by Princess Gabbara

entitled “Cornrows and Sisterlocks and their history,” cornrows re-emerged in the U.S during the 1960s-70s Black Power Movement, as black women wanted to embrace their heritage and reject white beauty standards. So Jenner, a white woman, wearing cornrows and making it trendy takes away from the cultural significance that cornrows have always had and demeans the entire movement of those women attempting to embrace the beauty that comes with our culture.

Not only are our looks being appropriated by other races, our music is also being copied. Rap music was created by black people in the 1970s and was stigmatized as negative, lewd and violent. According to research done by statista.com, rap music now has the highest rate of music album consumption. Music genres popularized by or created by black people make up three of the top four genres (hip hop/

rap, rock, and R&B). Throughout history, black people have been negatively looked upon and put down in every way possible. From slavery, Jim Crow laws, the crack epidemic in mostly black communities that led to high incarceration rates, to being killed by police and institutional racism, not much has improved for us. Now other races are copying all the things that are culturally significant to us while we continue to be discriminated against. No one should be allowed to profit from or make a name for themselves by copying a look, while the originator is judged for to their culture. The selective love of black culture and not black people is a toxicity that exists in our society. If you love black culture, you need to take action in dismantling the institutional racism we face everyday. Until then, you are merely appropriating our culture and looking ignorant in the process.

Anti-Blackness in the Asian Community

By Brin Balboa

By Asian beauty standards, dark skin is considered ugly.

Dark skin signifies that one faced poverty by working in the fields while pale skin represents wealth and privilege because a person had the luxury of staying in the shade. Colorism (defined as discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone) is not outright as it was in the past, but that does not mean it is not still a prevalent issue in the Asian community.

While Asians have their own fair share of struggles in tackling discrimination in America, we also need to acknowledge that we profit and benefit from the inequality of black people. From dubbing black culture as trendy through our fashion and music, allowing Asian American celebrities to profit off acting black and being complicit in the racial hierarchy we are placed in – we are no better than our own oppressors if we are not fighting for equality for all.

We cannot pick and choose what we like and do not like about black culture. Choosing the culture means you must also choose the people.

African-American culture heavily influences Asia’s music and fashion scene, especially in the K-pop industry. K-pop, short for Korean popular music, showcases a large range of genres – indie rock, traditional trot pop, ballads, bubblegum pop, hip hop and R&B being its most popular. Accompanied with most K-pop songs is a catchy beat, flashy choreography, high produced music videos and more often than not, luxury street-wear fashion that are reminiscent of black culture.

In Kenyon Farrow’s piece, “We Real Cool?: On Hip-Hop, Asian-Americans, Black folks and Appropriation,” he writes about how Asian culture profiting off of black culture is similar to how White people do it. “If first-generation White European immigrants…could use minstrelsy…to not

only ensure their status as White people, but also to distance themselves from Black people, can Asian Americans use hip hop (the music, clothing, language and gestures, sans charcoal makeup), and everything it signifies to also assert their dominance over Black bodies, rather than their allegiance to Black liberation?”

K-pop idols like 2NE1’s CL and EXO’s Kai are some leaders in this issue of culture appropriation, often wearing dreads or cornrows to seem gangster and urban.

Viewing black culture as nothing more than a market enables negative stereotypes of black people and teaches consumers that appropriating these styles are acceptable.

Stephanie Choi, who studies ethnomusicology at University of California Santa Barbara, said that these industries believe they are using black culture as “inspiration” rather than appropriation in an interview with the Daily Dot.

“Most of the stereotypical images that [K-pop] portrays comes from American media,” Choi said. “It’s not something they experience from their actual lives. They’re just imitating what they see.”

Imitating black people’s experiences is nothing new in Hollywood either.

Ariana Grande, a white woman, is notorious for appropriating black culture through the use of African-American vernacular English and spray tanning her skin to the point where she is brown/black.

Despite committing multiple forms of appropriation, Grande still has a wide fan base that defends her behavior.

Like Grande, Asian-American actress Nora Lum, better known as Awkwafina, has yet to face repercussions for building her career off through her cringe-worthy blaccent and monetization of acting black.

This was especially evident in her role in “Crazy Rich Asians” as the protagonist’s eccentric and brash best friend Goh Peik Lin.

Throughout the movie, Awkwafina personifies her character by acting out a caricature of the “sassy black friend” through

forced and awkward AAVE.

Many of Awkwafina’s supporters came to her defense by justifying her appropriation by saying she grew up in a black neighborhood. However, when Awkwafina breaks from her persona to Nora Lum, she speaks in her normal speaking language and never in the exaggerated AAVE she puts on for the screens.

For Awkwafina to be rewarded for blackness in a way black people are not is telling of the privilege Asians hold over black people.

In the article, “Can Non-Black People Use AAVE?” Mecca Mutsafa wrote that non-black people appropriating how black people speak is a prime example of society adopting terms without giving its due credit.

“It is akin to mimicking a culture of people who have been consistently oppressed and denied opportunities,” Mutsafa wrote. “However, when it is used by its originators it is denounced as, “ghetto” and in alignment with negative portrayals of black people.”

I know many Asian Americans struggle finding an identity that they feel is truly them. There is so much lack of representation for our community that we grasp at any sort of persona that makes us feel we fit in. We despise the model minority label because it boxes our suffering as an endless struggle of trying to be white.

However, while we seek to break out of the model minority cookie cutter, that does not mean we should crush other minority groups while trying to discover our true selves.

If we want to achieve equality for our community, the first step is to recognize the privilege we hold over black people and reject the negative portrayals media tries to feed us. We need to stop valuing the approval and proximity of white people and instead fight to dismantle the institutionalized discrimination we are put under.

Asian-Americans

need to stop feeding into the standard that white is ideal and start fighting for the justice of black people.

A perspective

mikayla

Its time to make Grindr

By Steven Sylvia A perspective

“Straight top looking for t-girls” or “fem bottoms,” or “No pic= no fems.”

Discriminatory jargon plagues the popular dating app Grindr, which caters to members of the gay, bi, trans and queer community. It also enables the objectification of gay people, trans people and people of color.

While online dating has become a popular way to foster relationships with strangers or possible hook-ups—Grindr has 3.8 million daily users, according to The Washington Post—toxic language has become rampant. Users fill their bios with descriptions like “no blacks,” “no old men,” and “into FIT guys.”

These bios are ageist, bodyshaming and borderline racist filters. Take for instance a trans female on the dating service. If a man was sexually attracted to only trans females that adhered to the societal view of females being more feminine, then this one individual creates a narrative that stigmatizes anyone that strays away from society’s gender norm.

We still live in a country where trans people are murdered simply for identifying as themselves. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 22 trans individuals were murdered in 2018. On January 11, Dana Martin became the first trans person murdered this year, according to The New York Times. We must not tolerate extreme viewpoints towards trans people. Rather, we as a community must accept individuals for who they are. Having sexual preferences geared towards physiological features like finding blue eyes more attractive than brown, or taller people more attractive than shorter people, is generally not toxic behavior. The issue, however, arises when the search for a hookup or long-term relationship is based solely on a person’s one trait that contributes to their identity. To create a relationship that is fostered on the idea that an individual has one redeeming quality is toxic and festishizes an individual’s identity.

Evan Rhoderick is a

kindr for LGBTQIA folk & POC

Chat Back Deez Nutz

Online

1 mile away

29 years old White Slim

Currently: Single

Headline

Any cute femme bottoms? Into vanilla and spice ;) Not chocolate/ rice

Just a preference. Not racist.

community activist that advocates for LGBTQIA rights and is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Rhoderick also identifies as queer and non-binary. They said that Grindr negatively impacts queer people’s mental health. Rhoderick said that they are currently off the application.

“Just elaborating on the dynamics of Grindr, the thing that made me self-conscious, was I knew I could craft my own little persona,” said Rhoderick.

“That meant not putting up pictures that had nail polish on them or anything that would be perceived as feminine. And that was really upsetting cause I really got away from myself and started creating this persona that I wish I was so hot guys would have sex with me.”

For many, Grindr is a great tool to find others of the LGBTQIA community, but it is also not the safest medium.

In Texas last year, four men impersonated the identity of gay single men on Grindr. The group of men lured individuals to their locations where they robbed, assaulted and spewed anti-LGBTQIA rhetoric at their victims, according to The Huffington Post. While there are other applications such as Tinder or Bumble, there currently is no viable replacement that can fill the shoes Grindr has taken on. Yet if communities work together to create safe places for LGBTQIA and people of color to meet together and mingle, then the need to use these applications and the intolerance towards these members will eventually decline.

Rhoderick said they advise users of the application take their time and beware of individuals with ill intentions.

“Take your time and be careful, you know the Internet has given us wonders,” said Rhoderick. “You can find a community online, but I would just say be cautious because not everyone acts with the best intentions online.

There are a lot of people who are looking to take advantage of young people.”

The high price that comes with fast fashion

By Matthew Leksell A perspective

Fast fashion is just like fast food.

The rise in fast food brought an era of change in the average American diet and revolutionized an industry. As the price of fashion has become more accessible and cheaper, like fast food, the damage it has done to the environment and on developing countries holds a greater cost. Stores like H&M, Zara, Forever 21 and Urban

Outfitters are the biggest offenders. One can simply shop the latest trends in the store or online for cheap prices and questionable quality. Materialism has created an industry that harms us and the planet. Consumers need to cut down on unethical consumption.

? Thinking Out Loud

What is your perception of the border crisis?

“It’s disappointing the way our president is acting. This country was built on immigrants, and they are going to help the economy.

Kaya Collins-Hill, 18, Psychology

“I agree we need border security, but not the wall. Other options should be explored.”

kyle myers, 18, music education

“On one hand, I’m not okay with the government shut down. On the other side, [the border issue] is a serious situation.”

carolina lopez, 20, communications

“People are blaming the government and the government is blaming the people. [The border wall] could affect economically, but it’s not going to kills us.”

CArlos garcia, 23, architecture

“The True Cost,” a 2016 documentary directed by Andrew Morgan, sheds light on the industry using developing countries to create their products.

“When everything is concentrated on making profits, what you see is human rights, the environment, and workers rights get lost,” said John Hilary, executive director of the Charity War on Want, in the documentary

Many factors keep this practice afloat— the most prominent being capitalism. Ever since businesses realized they could churn out mass amounts of trendy clothing for a low cost, they never looked back. Americans were still making 95 percent of the clothing sold in the United States until the 1960s. Now, only two percent of our clothes are made in the U.S.

Bad labor practices and low worker wages came to light in Nov. 2017 when shoppers of retail store Zara found notes from Turkish factory workers that were sewn into their clothes.

“I made this item you are going buy, but I didn’t get paid for it,” the note read.

The dark side of the fast fashion industry became more apparent in 2013, when a factory building outside Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed and killed more than 1,000 workers due to a structure problem in the building’s design. Bangladesh is the second largest apparel exporter behind China.

Fast-fashion retailers have also come under scrutiny for cultural appropriation and stealing designs from smaller designers. The Navajo Nation sued Urban Outfitters for producing culturally insensitive underwear, socks and flasks in 2012.

Sadly, there are no laws that condemn retail stores rehashing high fashion designs from lesser-known designers. America’s copyright laws are outdated. They were made when we had more manufacturers than designers – this makes designs free reign, even if they can be extremely similar.

In an industry that is centered on disposable fashion for profit, it is nearly impossible to become completely ethical without dismantling the underlying system. That does not mean that we have to wait for businesses to join the green movement. We can help sustainability by purchasing ethically made apparel from stores like Patagonia, Everlane and PACT, which are all based in the United States.

Thrifting also helps because the buyer will not be contributing to fast fashion’s growing demand. Recognizing the problem behind fast fashion is the first step. Holding companies accountable and filtering out their hold on the industry is what has to follow.

“It should be a quicker process for the people that are trying to get in. They should make a criminal background check and see if they qualify so that bad people don’t get in.”

jackeline villegas, 19, chemistry

brin balboa/staff

Jaime Ramirez/staff

CAMPUS Take Me to Church

By Katy Stegall Editor-in-Chief

Dan Koeshall’s first call to Metropolitan Community Church was on a payphone.

It was 1997. He was gay and didn’t want to be caught calling a gay church. Koehsall had reason to be paranoid. He’d already been kicked out of his last church for his orientation.

Two decades later, Koeshall is the senior pastor of MCC’s congregation. It is the only church in San Diego County openly geared towards the acceptance of the LGBTQIA community.

America has taken small strides towards

through the first half of each service, lovers scattered throughout the room hold one another as they sing praise. Their love is not a sin, they’re reminded, numerous times throughout each service.

“God chose you,” Koeshall said. “Love is not an option if you follow Jesus.”

home and voice for community members, Koeshall said. Members use that voice to bring safety and acceptance to other members of the LBGTQIA community.

“That’s why we’re called a community church,” Koeshall said. “We want to be available for the entire community. I like the fact that people say it’s nondenominational, but I also like to say it’s multi-denominational. We’re all living together with a vision and a mission of helping to bring people closer to God and one another.”

The congregation has done just that. Each service is stitched together with utterances of love and acceptance, a subtle message to the members of the church that they are safe under MCC’s roof. Strangers and veteran members alike are embraced upon entrance, each interaction drenched with care.

MCC board member Beth Kind speaks of another level of spirituality.

“There’s a much deeper sense of connection here,” Kind said. “There’s a sense of safety. People feel safe to reveal themselves. There’s an understanding of confidentiality. It’s nice to feel vulnerable with other people and to feel safe about it.”

Kind said her previous church’s acceptance of her being transgender was only surface deep. It took ten minutes for her to feel at home at MCC, and she said the level of immediate love is indescribable. Of all the work she does on behalf of MCC, including transgender group sessions and counseling for LGBTQIA inmates at George F. Bailey Detention Center, one of her favorite moments is to watch members feel truly accepted for the first time.

“It’s so great to witness other people sense that acceptance and love here,” Kind said. “People break down and take the love. It’s so easy to take. It’s also easy to give love here. It all comes back to vulnerability. People feel safe to feel vulnerable here.”

A Southwestern College employee, who wished to be anonymous, said MCC saved her life. Having a safe place where she and her partner could openly share testimony about their romance and children was uncharted territory before they joined the church. She said it was liberating to be openly gay outside of her home.

“I was so excited to have this resource, to have a gay church,” she said. “To have my partner love it so much and to know that they were so involved in the community, it took me to a higher plan. I felt alive again. It just gave me so much hope.”

She and her wife are one of the many couples a part of the congregation. As worship commences

Koeshall said he was raised in judgement as a child, that he was told God had condemned him to hell for his orientation. He was in a damaged place, he said. It was a place the founding father of MCC knew well.

Reverend Troy Perry was a gay defrocked

hymns, an ASL translator and tribute to various minority groups throughout the year. During February they honor an icon of Black History Month at the beginning of each service.

“We understand what it means to be a part of a minority community where the majority discriminates against us,” Koeshall said. “It’s no question that African-Americans have been put down by as a society as a whole for so long. We can lift up our sisters and our brothers and also let people know they’re not alone. We’re with you.”

The opposition, however, has never been far away. Members of one East County church picketed Sunday services, screaming homophobic slurs and threats as congregates attempted to get inside the church. Vandals spray-painted similar words accompanied with swastikas.

Lee Bowman, MCC’s minister of administration, said the vandalism is a common occurrence. Most often vandalized is the church’s pride flag outside the building. Bowman remains unfazed, the devotion within the congregation motivating him to keep working.

“You know what we do when they tear it down?” He questioned with a chuckle. “We put it back up again.”

Rather than dwell on the attacks, the church provides its enthusiastic and engaged congregation with lively worship and sermons geared more towards real life application than religious theory. Bowman said this is intentional.

“I think we feel that we want to let people know that God, faith and the Bible are things relevant to their lives,” he said. “There is a connection there. I think it’s a plus for us when we can give people ideas or tools of practical application. We can explain how Jesus lived 2000 years ago and He does have something to say to them. He offers them a foundation and hope.”

Koeshall said unity and integration is key. The man who was frightened on the payphone 22 years ago is no more. He found strength in his community.

“My calling continued to be real even though mankind says I’m not worthy,” Koeshall said.

“God says yes always to our gifts and our callings. We’re walking in love, not fear.”

Marco Figueroa/Staff

SWC hops on craft beer craze

By Marco Figueroa Staff Writer

Southwestern College is joining the craft brewery revolution in which San Diego is a leader.

Students can now register for BIO 151-Intro to Fermentation, which will be accepted as a general education course for students. The course will be team taught by chemistry Professor David Hecht and biology Professor Charles Hoyt, who will fuse their knowledge of the sciences central to beer making. For the course, students will learn what it takes to craft a beer worthy of a high-end tavern and dive into the history of beer.

“The fact that it’s a GE course is going to place these ideas into broader context because that’s what GEs do,” Hoyt said. “We are also going to learn about brewing history, brewing around the world, beer styles, what beer flavors should taste like and things like that.”

SWC students interviewed by The Sun said they are excited about the new course.

“I’ve always wanted to learn what exactly gives beers its unique taste and

how it goes down during the process of making it,” said Mason Ramos. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve even heard of classes other than a regular chemistry class, which I’m not fond of at all by the way, that teach you the basics on the process of making beer.”

Both Hecht and Hoyt said they are fully aware of how students tend to be nervous or unamused towards sciencerelated requirements.

“Professor Hoyt and I were both thinking about how we could get GE offerings for physical sciences and biology that would be interesting and fun and not just the treachery of Chem 100,” Hecht said.

This class will fully engage students and give them the true science experience that most labs do not offer. Students will be responsible for coming up with the type of beer they wish to brew, the professors said. They will then have to do the research on the formulas and the procedures to put it together.

“There’s always going to be issues that they’ll have to optimize and

troubleshoot, so this kind of gives a flavor for any engineer process or any scientific process,” Hecht said. He added that the class will take a project based learning approach that most classes tend to not offer. Both professors mentioned how students will have a say in which beers they will be learning to make. IPA’s and amber ales will be introduced to students. Sour beers will be excluded because the process of crafting sour beers involves different ingredients beyond regular yeast.

The class will feature brand new stateof-the-art fermentation equipment that is put together to mimic a real brewery. The only difference is that it will be scaled down in size and produce fivegallon batches instead of the 150-gallon or 500-gallon batches of beer that craft breweries produce.

There is also a chance for guest speakers, local brewers and even owners of breweries to come in and talk about how the business works. George Thornton from The Homebrewer came in and helped them

out with setting up and familiarized them with the fermentation process.

This will be a great opportunity for students who are interested in going into the brewing business. The class will offer a tasting component that both professors call “sip and spit.”

Students would sip the beer so they can get an idea of its flavor then spit it back out. Students who are underage will not be able to take part in sip and spit.

“All, or close to all, community colleges are dry,” Hoyt said. “The fact that we got the sip and spit, were pretty happy about that because we didn’t even think we were going to get that.”

Both Hecht and Hoyt said they appreciate the school giving them the opportunity to teach this class and for being so supportive. Students should expect a hands-on experience with crafting brews and understand why certain beers taste the way they do.

“Don’t join if you just want to keep drinking Bud Light Or Miller Light,” Hecht said. “We’ll just spoil your palate.”

Teaching with an eye on trauma

By Ramona Lopez Staff Writer

Michael Wickert was parked in his truck at Southwestern College’s lot H on a cold, clear February morning in 2009, ready to take his own life.

He had a breakdown when he arrived on campus after he dropped off his children. He decided not to solely because of the trauma it might have caused the students playing tennis nearby if they were to find his body.

Wickert is open with his students about his depression and struggles with mental health. And, as of fall 2018, he incorporates a trauma-informed approach in his class curriculum to teach his students the effect of trauma on their adult development.

Wickert said he heard about trauma-informed education from Oprah on 60 Minutes, but did not decide to incorporate it in his classes until his wife, who works at an elementary school, shared what she learned during training at her school.

Wickert believes trauma-informed education allows students a safe space to begin to consider how these life experiences affect their success in school.

Last semester, Wickert’s English 115 students were required to write a paper that described a problem in a community they are involved in and explore something they can do personally to improve the situation. Wickert said students brought up topics such as homelessness, substance abuse and domestic violence. Many had personal connections to their chosen subject.

“If you’re recognizing stuff here that has happened to you in your life and you’re shutting it out, it’s a good chance it’s going to come to the surface at some point and it’s not going to be pretty,” Wickert said. “We talk about that kind of stuff explicitly in class because I know a lot of students are not going to come out and say ‘this is what happened to me.’” Wickert said he was raised primarily by a single mom, and multiple stepdads, and faced hard times.

“We struggled financially, and my mom would get in relationships with guys who were alcoholics or were just abusive in other ways and I was around that,” said Wickert. “It just made me shrink more and more into myself.”

Before teaching college-level English, Wickert taught elementary school and said that even then he tried to be open with parents when appropriate. He wanted to show

the parents that he too is human and has struggled in life. Wickert believes that taking the opportunity to be vulnerable is important. Students do not always need help writing a better introduction to their essay, but they really need to deal with what is going on in their mind, heart and soul. He said that once they have had the chance to at least confront some of those things and let out the pressure, they would be much better equipped to write the introduction to their essay.

“If you’re just the teacher delivering curriculum, that doesn’t build that human factor,” said Wickert. “There are opportunities for students and instructors to create the more lasting, more complicated, more complex bond. Of course, it’s not going to happen every single time, but sometimes a gesture can make a huge difference.”

Wickert stated that every semester he typically helps two to four students make an appointment at the wellness center on campus. He believes this probably happens with a lot of other instructors as well, but no matter who it is, it requires some level of vulnerability.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable walking up to somebody who’s an authority figure on campus and go ‘Hey, my world is crashing down right now and I need help,’” Wickert said. “So there has to be some level of trust in there between the student and teacher or whatever the scenario might be.”

Creating that connection and level of trust may be hard in a community college environment, especially as an adjunct. When one breaks down the semester schedule and takes away vacations and finals week and classes students may miss, educators only have 12 to 25 class meetings to work with students.

Wickert acknowledges that it takes a lot of courage for a student to walk up and say, “I heard what you said, and I think you’re a person I can talk to.”

Wickert said that even if a student does not talk to him, seeing others going through the same struggles may help them realize that they are not alone and talk to someone.

Wickert said his approach emphasizes that there is more to teaching than making sure students understand the curriculum.

“I have found as a teacher that all the critical thinking and information to become a teacher is valuable and a necessary component to students’ pathways to getting degrees,” Wickert said. “But another really important component of that is not built into the curriculum and does not always get addressed. They go through things that have yet to be resolved.”

Because Wickert has dealt with it his whole life, he said he wants to give students the opportunity to let that out and help them move on to get professional help that they need.

“I’m not a counselor. I’m not a psychologist or anything like that,” Wickert said. “But I can listen, and everybody knows that I sure can talk.”

How our presidents influence education

Let’s pause to reflect on the 55 years of American presidential history that has influenced higher education since the inauguration of Southwestern College in 1961.

When SWC was on the drawing board in 1959, our president was Dwight D. Eisenhower, a general who led the allied forces in World War II. He influenced school curriculums at all levels, including Southwestern College, by launching the National Defense Education Act, which was his way of creating student interest in science for much needed government research programs like NASA.

After John F. Kennedy‘s assassination, his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, led the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Johnson then signed into law the Higher Education Act of 1965, empowering the federal government to support colleges and universities to give students educational resources and grant financial aid.

Gerald Ford took over in an era of high crime and higher inflation. Ford signed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) of 1975, which required public schools to serve students with disabilities. Later, the EHA was renamed as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

In 1979, Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Reorganization Act, creating the Department of Education as a cabinet-level agency with a $14 billion budget to oversee improvement of education, enforce the civil rights of students and provide financial aid. When Ronald Reagan campaigned for president in 1980, he vowed to shut down the Department of Education. He was blocked by Congress and later came to admit he made a mistake.

“Too many people viewed the world the way they wanted it to be, rather than the way it really is,” Reagan said.

President Bill Clinton signed the Goals 2000: Educate America Act in 1994, allocating funds for urgent school renovations, after-school programs, nationwide college preparation efforts and doubled student financial aid. Reading and math scores increased nationwide and more high school graduates were going to college during the Clinton presidency.

George W. Bush’s legacy was the No Child Left Behind Act, which he signed into law in 2002. The law held districts and schools accountable for the achievement of their students by making standardized testing the main measuring stick for student success. Teachers and schools complained that this law offered no flexibility to the teachers.

In 2015, Barack Obama improved on his predecessor’s work by signing the Every Student Succeeds Act. This allowed states to choose their own goals to address the proficiency of testing and graduation rates. If a school is at the bottom of the proficiency list, states and districts must identify and monitor it until it improves.

Obama increased the Department of Education budget to $77 billion and awarded community colleges $500 million for distance-learning and on-campus support for students pursuing technical careers such as geospatial information systems at SWC. The Obama administration also launched the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, calling for an end to all harsh corporal punishments in U.S. schools.

The Trump administration chose to rescind the Obama-era guidance on school discipline. Trump, mirroring Reagan, has pledged to slim down the size of the Department of Education. In 2017, the Senate voted 50-49 to block the accountability rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act. The department’s budget has also been brought down to $68 Billion as of 2018.

Reagan’s words sure ring true these days: Whatever the future is, presidents come and go. Each leave their mark on the history of higher education as decades pass by. Laws inevitably shape our education based on how American presidents choose to lead. As SWC continues to expand, remember the journey is not over. There will always be another American President.

JoseLuis may be reached at plutotoplato@theswcsun.com

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

COURAGEOUS VULNERABILITY English

Professor Michael Wickert incorporates trauma awareness it into his English 115 lectures.

PITCHER PERFECT— Owner of The Homebrewer George Thornton (left) and Professor Charlie Hoyt (right) familiarizing themselves with the process of crafting beer for

BIO 151: Intro Into Fermentation.

Marco Figueroa/Staff

JoseLuis Baylon

Seeing the world through music

By Gamaliel Carreno Arango Staff Writer

Music is a form of communication magically understood by everyone. Melodies send messages throughout the world and open minds. The only thing needed is exposure.

Professor Todd Caschetta is doing his part by teaching Southwestern College students about music from Africa, the Caribbean, Indonesia, China, Japan, India and the Middle East.

“Our goal is to appreciate music around the world and how people all over the world make music,” Caschetta said.

Caschetta takes great satisfaction in knowing students are learning about not only music, but also the story behind it. He said people everywhere make music for the same reasons, and listening to music from different cultures helps students grow.

only required to come to class ready to take notes because the professor will provide all the essential knowledge.

“He specifically made this class so that music majors and non music majors could enjoy it,” Love said.

“Our goal is to appreciate music around the world and how people all over the world make music.”

-Todd Caschetta World Music professor

Love also enjoys that the class is interactive. Caschetta will have his students watch certain videos and replicate the melodies by tapping on their desks. Students can attend musical events in the community for extra credit. They can also improve their grades by attending African drumming classes once a week and working alongside with the African dance class. These experiences give students the reallife experience of the instruments and melody taught in class.

Caschetta brought World Music to SWC in 2000. He has a master’s in both music performance and ethnomusicology and developed a syllabus for a class that explored many cultures of the globe. He designed it with an optional textbook.

“There is really no other materials that the student need other than a notebook and a desire to learn,” Caschetta said.

Caschetta said the course is designed to be approachable for anybody who wants to learn about music, regardless of the musical knowledge an individual retains.

“He (Caschetta) is the textbook,” said Marissa Love, a student currently taking the class.

She also mentioned that a student is

Daniel Jurado, a music instructor at Southwestern and former student of Caschetta said learning about music of the world really opened his eyes to different cultures and their employment of distinct instruments, the practiced costumes, diverse religions and forms of leisure.

“Music itself is universal,” Jurado said.

When sharing his favorite part about the class, Jurado mentioned how Caschetta assigned his students to an Indian music concert at University of California-San Diego. Jurado believes that within today’s society there are many limited views concerning culture and race and taking the class today will open student’s eyes.

“It would open their mind through information and also experience what they are hearing, what they are seeing,” Jurado said.

BEAT YOUR DRUM—

Professor Todd Caschetta plays the conga with his students during an African dance class, which he offers as extra credit for his World Music class. The dancers and the drummers work together to bring African dance culture alive.

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

SPORTS

Jaguars basketball wins PCAC crown

just didn’t go,” said Cosentino. “It was a big game and after already playing them twice there were no surprises.”

Cooke said the players knew they needed to step up defensively to make up for the missed shots.

“Our collective mindset was to get stops,” Cooke said. “Even if we aren’t making shots, we can control the game tempo. When you continue to get stops, it plays into their psyche and they loss confidence.”

Giving birth and inspiration

Champion on the soccer field and in the delivery room, women’s soccer coach Carolina Soto helped carry Southwestern to its first conference championship while carrying a child.

Soto gave birth to her daughter Camila on November 2, 2018. Four days later she was on the sidelines against San Diego City College.

Freshman midfielder Anais Ortiz and the rest of the team were shocked when Soto showed up to coach the conference championship game. Ortiz said it showed Soto’s level of dedication.

“If she was willing to be there just a few days after having her baby, she was that dedicated to this team, then we needed to be at the same level of dedication with her,” Ortiz said.

Soto said she continued to coach during her pregnancy to be a role model and inspiration for her players.

“I try to practice what I preach,” Soto said. “I tell my players put 120 percent into everything you do regardless of what it is. If you’re not going to go hard then why even go in?”

Ortiz said the team had nothing but support for Soto.

“In the beginning of the season she told us that she always had two dreams,” Ortiz said. “One was to win a championship and the other was to become a mother.”

Sophomore defender Andrea Camacho said the team expected Soto to take it easy in practice, yet her intense training never changed.

In front of a packed, rambunctious crowd at the Harry West Gymnasium, Southwestern men’s basketball team clawed back from an 11-point second-half deficit against San Diego City College to capture the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship.

After battling from behind all night, SWC ended the game on a 16-1 run with four steals and two blocks in the game’s final 5:14.

Freshman forward Jordan Cooke finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points, nine rebounds, five steals and a block. Foul trouble kept Cooke out of SWC’s 81-79 win against City on January 25, and head coach John Cosentino said having Cooke on the floor this time around made a big difference.

“When we keep Jordan (Cooke) out of foul trouble early, we are a different team,” Cosentino said. “He got in foul trouble early when we played them here (at home) the first time.”

City scored 46 points in the paint in the January meeting, but only mustered 32 points in the paint with Cooke leading the post defense.

Southwestern struggled offensively throughout the game, shooting 38.1 percent from the field.

Cosentino pointed to the physical nature of City College ‘s defense and the familiarity of playing each other for a third time for the shooting struggles.

“Their defense is very physical and very tough and the shots

The Knights only scored five points in the game’s final eight minutes, making up for the Jaguars shooting woes in the second half. Cosentino switched to a zone defense to protect the paint.

“We went to our drop, which is our zone because we couldn’t stay in front of them,” Cosentino said. “In the first half I think they had 12 layups, in the second half they had three or four.”

That switch proved to be a game-changing adjustment as City shot 65 percent from the field in the first half and only 39.3 percent in the second.

SWC’s defense kept the game tight enough for freshman guard Marquavian Stephens and sophomore guard Marc Combs to catch fire. The pair accounted for 14 of the final 16 points scored during the Jaguars’ the late game rally. Combs said he and Stephens fed off of each other’s energy down the stretch.

“I told Marq keep shooting and when you make one, you’ll get hot,” Combs said. “I’ll feed you, you feed me and we’ll work what the defense gives us and we fed off of each other.”

Their will to comeback showed as Stephens tied the game at 65 with a three-pointer, followed by go ahead free throws by Combs to give the Jags a lead they never relinquished.

The win marked the end of City College’s 22-game conference home win streak, as well as the end of SWC’s

championship drought.

The

“She worked so hard every day, even on days that we knew she was tired,” Camacho said. “It was just so inspirational, and for women that’s so awesome to see.”

Soto mentioned that she did not have to make many changes to her coaching style, she did not want anything to change for her team in preparation for the championship.

“Whenever I did drill demonstration, I could not get as involved physically and I had to make sure I was at a safe distance so the ball would not strike me,” Soto said. “Sometimes I would forget I was pregnant, I would get so into the coaching. Camacho spoke about what an inspiration Soto is for her and other women.

“As a Latina, she’s so inspirational to many people,” Camacho said. “She worked so hard to get to where she is and honestly, this was one of her biggest dreams.”

Soto said she made sure to be the best role model she could be for her team, since she did not see many working pregnant women when she was younger. Soto said that she wants women to know that it is possible to achieve their dreams when they really dedicate themselves.

“You can be a professional and you can reach motherhood,” Soto said. “You can do both.”

four-year conference

Jaguars kick off the regional playoffs March 1 against San Bernardino (22-6, 9-1 PCAC North) as the eight-seed in a battle for PCAC supremacy.

Justin Dottery Sports Editor

WE RUN SAN DIEGO — Freshman guard Marquavian Stephens and sophomore guard Tyler Simmons celebrate the Jaguars’ first conference championship since 2015. The Jaguars are currently the fifth-ranked team in California heading into the state playoffs.

Sydney Dawn Stanley Staff Writer

EMOTIONAL WEEK — Woman’s soccer head coach Carolina Soto celebrates following a hard fought 1-1 tie against San Diego City College on November 6, which clinched the program’s first conference championship just four days after the birth of her daughter Camila.

Marco Figueroa/Staff

Alejandro Nunez/Staff

“Knowing that I was given another chance, I want to use my abilities for good...”

- Marquavian Stephens

CHAMPION HEARTof a

F or most, 15th birthdays are a time for celebrating life. Men’s basketball sophomore guard Marquavian Stephens spent his fighting for his life.

Stephens and his high school teammates had visited local elementary schools in Flint, Michigan, where they engaged in meet-and-greets with the students before the start of his sophomore season.

After finishing, he joined teammates at a nearby gym for pickup games. After playing a few games, Stephens said he felt contact to the head while attacking the basket. He can only remember finishing the game and walking off the court.

“During the game I felt dizzy but I thought it was just from the contact,” Stephens said. “Then I just remember the ball going down the court and me staying on the other end. I just remember the coach calling for two new teams and walking off the court, then waking up in the ambulance with the paramedics asking was I okay and a needle in my arm.”

Stephens woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by family and teammates, confused as to what had actually occurred. After moving into another room with the doctors and his mother and finding out what was happening, he said he only asked one question:

“At the end of the day, am I going to play basketball again?”

Stephens was transferred from a Flint hospital to a children’s hospital in Detroit where he would recover for nearly a month and a half. While in the hospital, Stephens was originally told that he would never play contact sports again and would need a pacemaker. However, after further examination by the doctors, he was told he needed open heart surgery, but would still be able to play.

Stephens jumped at the opportunity.

“We figured out the problem, but you will have to get open heart surgery,” Stephens said. “At the time I was just like open heart surgery? But I can play basketball, y’all can do what y’all want.”

Two days after the surgery, Stephens walked out of the hospital under his own power to begin his recovery process to get back on the court. According to Stephens, it wasn’t until the summer going into his senior year before he was able to go through an entire year of basketball at the rate he was used to.

Though the experience was traumatic, Stephens

says it opened his eyes to just how short life is and the importance of aggressively pursing his dreams.

“No one ever thinks something like that would happen to them,” Stephens said. “So when it actually happened to me, it made me realize that life is too short. Whatever you want to do or accomplish, you have to make it happen now because you never know when it is your time.”

SWC head coach John Cosentino agreed that Stephens going through what he did at such a young age helped him appreciate life and the moment more than others.

“I think he learned to appreciate things that other people may not appreciate,” Cosentino said. “They take it for granted.”

Fortunately for him it was not his time and he was given another chance to live his life. He believes the experience showed him that he was here for a reason, and he believes that reason is to give back using the ability he was given.

“Knowing that I was given another chance, I want to use my abilities for good,” Stephens said. “That’s what makes me want to give back, I think I was meant to take care of myself, my grandma and to my people.”

Stephens has taken advantage of his second chance since coming to Southwestern College. He is currently the leading scorer in the conference with 18.2 points per game, and second in three-point percentage at 45.7 percent and has been named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference South player of the year. This comes as no surprise to Cosentino, who lauded Stephens’ work ethic.

“I don’t think there has been a practice this year when he’s not here about an hour after either with a teammate or shooting,” Cosentino said. “He’s not just corking up jumpshots casually, he works on stuff on his own. He just knows how to work.”

Assistant coach Anthony Cosentino seconded the praise referring to Stephens’ love for being in the gym trying to get better whenever he can.

“He gets here early, he stays late, he gets in here on days off whenever a coach is able to open the gym,” Anthony Cosentino said. “He’s detailed with his workouts, he never questions a workout and he just does what’s asked of him and more.”

Stephens credits his work habits to Flint, Michigan, as well as his mother and grandmother. He knows that he is in a position to possibly improve his own, as well as their lives in a positive way using what he loves to do.

“There’s nothing to look forward to back home. It’s the same cycle everyday,” Stephens said. “They’re knocking down all our schools, on my grandma’s block she has the only house on the street that lives there so that’s a lot of my inspiration. All I really have is my grandma and my mom, so this out here is my opportunity to take care of them, because in Flint it’s tough.”

With his added inspiration, Stephens has his mind set on success for more than just himself. In order to do that, one of the things he needs to do at this level of basketball is win. He has been able to do that, being named player of the year on a conference winning team that finished the regular season 24-4.

At times during the season Stephens has taken matters into his own hands when the team needed a boost. One of these examples can be seen in the team’s February 15 win against San Diego City College. He scored 12 points in the game’s last 10 minutes with the team down by 10 to help comeback and win the game.

John Cosentino said he admires Stephens’ competitiveness and said he hasn’t seen many like Stephens.

“I’ve been coaching 40 years at the Division I, high school and NAIA levels,” John Cosentino said. “He’s as competitive as a guy I’ve ever had.” Anthony Cosentino seconded the sentiment praising his attitude.

“He has a huge chip on his shoulder, and he brings it every practice, every play,” Anthony Cosentino said. Stephens said doing what he needs to do to win no matter the cost is an attitude he adapts in his everyday life, as well as basketball, pointing to NBA stars like Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard as inspiration.

“The fearlessness you see from Westbrook and Lillard I try to implement into my game,” Stephens said. “Some people may say it’s selfish play but it’s not that, it’s just when you want to win so bad. It’s not necessarily I think my teammate or someone else can’t do the same thing, it’s just I want to win so much and I just feel that having that same mentality is going to help me be successful, not just in basketball but in life.”

After making it out of Flint, surviving heart failure and coming back to produce at a high level this year, Stephens has been successful to this point. His road back from open-heart surgery has been a long one. While his heart may have failed him, he has not failed his team as the heartbeat of the Jaguars basketball team.

Justin Dottery • Sports Editor

BUILT FLINT STRONG —After surviving heart failure, men’s basketball freshman guard Marquavian Stephens became an integral piece in the Jagaurs’ state championship hopes. Stephens is currently averaging 18.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game and has been named conference player of the year

Justin Dottery/Staff

The Corazon of Barrio Logan -The

By Jahaziel Valencia & Andrew Penalosa Staff Writers

Chicano Park’s location is both a blessing and a curse for the community. Situated under the Coronado Bridge, it is almost entirely hidden from view. However, the pillars that puncture the park allow for a sight you can’t find anywhere else.

On the pillars are murals that serve as visual representations of struggles the Latino community has faced, as well as tributes to some of the biggest activists for Chicano rights.

Most of Chicano Park’s struggles are not widely known, and without many literary works being published about the park, its struggles remain largely invisible to the wider community. Chicano activist Herman Baca said Chicanos have been historically nonexistent to politicians and policy makers in San Diego. They were believed to not hold any political power, he said.

“Back then we were seen as a little minute minority, not like today,” Baca said. “We were known as the invisible, the forgotten.”

However, by just gazing at one of the many obelisk-sized paintings, a passerby can learn something about Latino culture. The Historical Mural is one of the few that isn’t painted on a pillar, but rather on the freeway exit. This wider space allows for a piece brimming with historical significance. Bordered with over 20 historical figures, such as Baca and Frida Kahlo, it tells the story of not just the Park but also Chicano culture.

The Historical Mural’s many faces are painted in its upper portion to act as protectors of the current generation. Under the guardian angels of Chicano history are depictions of major events the local community has had to endure.

The painting of a Coors beer can with the words “Chale con Coors” (boycott Coors), illustrates the boycott of Coors in 1968 due to the companies racist hiring practices against Chicanos at the time.

“Unless we write our own history, it will not be written or told,” said Professor Alberto Pulido, vice chair of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center.

Another mural, ¡Varrios Si, Yonkes No! (Neighborhoods Yes, Junkyards No!), depicts the moment residents of Barrio Logan decided to stand up

against the junkyards surrounding the neighborhood. The junkyards became a major issue after a stack of crushed cars fell into a residents backyard.

The simplicity of the design is based on a flyer that was used to rally the community during this time period. Its effectiveness lies within its artistic rendition of the poster. Instead of creating a whole new design, it utilizes historical documents in its favor. While some of the murals use historical figures or events as templates, other murals apply symbols to signify an idea.

Many of the murals decayed over the years. Victims of the passage of time and the elements. This led to a revitalization of the murals nearly two decades later. While some were simply repainted with fresh layers, others had different symbols, ideas and faces painted on them while still retaining the original concept.

“The artists received a grant of around $1.6 million to restore 20 of the more antiquated and older murals,” said local muralist and activist Salvador Barajas.

The mural of Quetzalcoatl The Prophecy, the feathered serpent deity of Mayan culture, was the first collaborative piece for the community. Hundreds of residents from Barrio Logan came together to bring color to the lifeless walls of the freeway entrance with their own paintings. A small group of muralists later helped join the individual paintings. The final result was a culmination of multiple ideas that are interpreted as unity and balance.

The yin/yang, swastika, and flag of the United Farm Workers are layered into the murals, illustrating the idea of unity, harmony and balance. Originally the swastika was a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Eurasian cultures and Indian religions before it was appropriated by the Nazis. Surrounding these symbols are a Mayan princess and prince as well as Mayan deities, symbolizing that these gods protect and watch the park.

The murals of Chicano Park are more than just art projects; they are a documentation of Chicano history. They are like unsung heroes, hardly recognizable to many, but cherished by the members of Barrio Logan. The resurrection of the murals and dedication to keep them alive is proof of the resilience of Chicano Culture. Their spirit and undying will is as strong as it ever was.

Murals of Chicano Park

HISTORY NOT WRITTEN— (top) Murals like

Prophecy of Quetzalcoatl,” (above) “¡Varrios Si,

and “Historical Mural” show important moments and figures in Chicano Park and the

Yonkes No!” (l)

MexicanAmerican community.

Choral ‘eXchange’ brings powerful show

By Sydney Stanley Staff Writer

Professional and amateur singers came together in February to show their message of support and love for living composers in the art they create.

SACRA/PROFANA, a choir group based in San Diego, and the LA Choral Lab choir from Los Angeles, joined forces on a tour through Southern California to mark the San Diego group’s 10-year anniversary. The show dubbed the “eXchange Choir Concert,” was the first collaboration between the two groups and featured three conductors and more than 40

singers.

The audience was captivated by the lively and dramatic performance of 12 compositions created by living composers.

The songs varied from a more abstract, unique-sounding piece to ones with a classical feel.

Voices of the combined choirs echoed throughout the room and bounced off the concrete walls of St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown San Diego. Audience members remained silent as they were fully immersed in the calming sounds almost as if they were part of Sunday Mass.

Both groups came together before the intermission to perform “Beneath the Wave,” a bold and emotional song composed by Luke Flynn in dedication

to the victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Their combined harmonies brought to life the sounds of the ocean as well as cries for those who were lost in the Tōhoku tsunami.

“Cherry blossom rain / Paints the sky / The great wave / Paints our eyes,” were among the haunting lyrics.

Michael Alfera, the founder and artistic director of the LA Choral Lab, said he was more than excited to collaborate with SACRA/PROFANA, noting that it was their first performance with a large group since they were established in 2014.

“It was exciting for our group because we have only performed in a small chamber choir setting,” Alfera said. “This is the first time we have been able to perform with a big group and we had a lot of fun

with that.”

Juan Carlos Acosta, the artistic director and conductor for SACRA/PROFANA, said this collaboration started with a friend mentioning that the two groups share similar missions and music style.

“A mutual friend suggested we would be a good match for a collaboration,” Acosta said. “I heard them live and I said, ‘yes this needs to happen.’”

With similar messages the two groups had no trouble rehearsing and melding their styles into one. “Our mission really is promoting living composers and invigorating peoples understanding and love for choral music all around the county,” Acosta said.

“Fundamental Elements” a composition by Jason Rosenberg, a former member

of SACRA/PROFANA, opened the show and captivated the audience with its unique sound that filled the building. Consisting of only four words (“Fundamental / mental / element / lament.”), the song still captivated those who listened as the song recreated the sounds of different vocal elements of choir performance.

Clay Myers-Bowman, the executive director for SACRA/PROFANA, says the collaboration is a wonderful way to show appreciation for living composers who work hard and deserve recognition. “It’s a demonstration that working together we can continue to support and build support for new music, new composers, men and women,” MyersBowman said.

By

The arts department at Southwestern College does the perfect job portraying impartiality and diversity in its upcoming play “Bring It On.”

The play explores themes of equity and inclusion as well as those of privilege, race, and gender.

As a multicultural dancer and full-time student at Southwestern College, Jovani Chavez is a perfect example of this. Chavez will play Twig from the Jackson Squad, which are the more diverse and lower-class cheerleaders from the play. He connects to his character in that like him, Twig is a multicultural young boy who is creative and wants fairness and equality.

“This show pertains to acknowledging people of color as well as how the equality of this campus should be according to how the show demonstrates it,” Chavez said.

Acknowledging LGBTQIA people, Black Lives Matter and diversity in general are the biggest messages of this musical. In fact, all dancers in the show have different backgrounds, nationalities and genders.

This play is not like any other that has been done at

SWC. It is not just a show based on cheer and winning a prize, there’s much more meaning and emotion behind it. This musical’s focus is to show the beauty of different backgrounds and the understanding individuals have towards one another.

Diversity is also shown through the dance styles. While cheer is more about stunts and firm tosses, hip hop includes more fluid dancing with an emphasis on sudden and loud movements.

This is the first time dance choreographer Dana Maue has worked with a cheer coach and used the styles of both dances to keep the theme. With a total of 24 songs throughout the entire musical, the dancers practice four days a week to perfect their performances. Being that not all dancers are cheerleaders, they are constantly learning a variety of new dance routines, cheer moves, stunts and tumbling. However, the amount of practice has been difficult for some of the cast as a lot of full-time students are involved in the show. Since the first few practices at least six to seven dancers have dropped. However, being a part of a play while juggling with school or work helps students learn to multi-task.

“The good thing about musicals is that students leave

knowing how to dance sing and act,” Maue said. Participating in musicals can be beneficial for students because they realize they have abilities and strengths they did not even know they had. There are many dance majors who graduate knowing how to do more than just dance, and as many music majors who leave knowing how to cheer and act.

Maue said what makes her job as a choreographer worth the hard work is when she gets to see students new found confidence show itself on stage. When organizing choreography and choosing the roles the students will be playing, Maue tries to challenge students in a way that will be embraced in the show. She does not put anyone out of their comfort zone but rather tries to make everyone feel confident with their choreographies. What makes this musical stand out is that the music, theatre and dance department are all working in unison. The personal connection with all of the students is stronger compared to other plays. Because there are so many people involved in this play, it is almost as if they have become a family by the time the show is over.

“I think of two words that come to mind when I watch this musical, acceptance and friendship,” Maue said.

Melissa Rivera Staff Writer

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff

PAIRING— SACRA/PROFANA performs “Fundamental Elements” at St. Paul’s Cathedral during its eXchange Choir Concert commemorating the group’s 10th anniversary.

Karelly Vidrio/Staff

POSE— Student performers rehearsing

New Year in the House of China

> REVIEW

By Marissa Romero Staff Writer

Performances at the Chinese New Year festival provided the essence of what Chinese culture is all about. Harmony, vibrant colorful attires, cheerful faces and methodical coordination, all under a fun environment.

The Year of the Pig celebration took place at Balboa Park on the weekend of February 9 and 10 and was full of dynamic dances, vibrant music and the inviting smells of Chinese food.

“This festival was made to promote friendship and culture” said David Seid, President of the House of China in charge of the organization of the festival.

The Chinese New Year celebration in San Diego originated during the Great Depression with an agreement between the city and the park’s International Cottages with the purpose of boosting morale and generating tourism. The House of China was started in 1935 in alliance with the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), and became independent in the 1970s when the International Cottages became incorporated.

The last six Chinese New Year celebrations have taken place at Balboa Park and have begun to expand.

Seid said House of China memberships and fundraising events help contribute to these annual celebrations. Seid encourages students to explore Chines culture by participating in fundraising volunteer work throughout the year.

The festival began with a Q & A session where the audience was invited to participate. The questions involved details of the Chinese New Year celebration and culture. The crowd was very motivated and eager to participate.

Parents pointed to their children, who desperately jumped eagerness to respond. Prizes were provided to participants who delivered the correct answers demonstrating their knowledge

of Chinese culture.

After the Q-and-A session, children performed traditional Chinese dances involving soft harmonized movements that allowed them to move together seamlessly. Their distinctive attire was full of vibrant colors and attracted the attention of other children in the audience.

Several dances during the performances incorporated martial arts demonstrations. The captivated audience continually applauded. The movements of the performers were coordinated and precise, giving the performance an energetic feel. Some of the dances were also performed by teens, teachers and instructors. They also including soft martial arts movements.

Children in the crowd were particularly drawn to the movements of the Chinese umbrella dances, which gave the impression of bright and shiny colorful moving waves.

The Chinese lion and dragon dances involved costumes with enlarged colorful heads and coordinated music movements that kept the positive energy of the festival going. The audience was mesmerized with the performances as the lion and dragon would move to the rhythm of the music and would suddenly stand and shake as a sign of power and force. The lion dance represents power and wisdom while the dragon dance represents prosperity and good luck.

Scattered throughout the festival were exhibits of Chinese artifacts, which included the traditional golden and red fish for good luck, along with greeting cards and jewelry. Booths of Chinese specialty food were full of people tasting and enjoying the delicious plates. The most popular were Teriyaki and traditional Chinese dumplings. The sounds of the food against the grill and aromas quickly attracted crowds.

Planning of the 2020 Chinese New Year Festival started a few days before the 2019 event occurred as it takes a whole year to plan it.

In-betweeners remain UN/Divided

> REVIEW

By Paola G. Labrada Staff Writer

International artists came together at Southwestern College for their mutual love of art.

Instructor Griselda Rosas coordinated the gallery UN/Divided to show SWC the beauty of the border by presenting graffiti artists Israel “Shente” Elizondo, Nestor “Spel Uno” Mondragon and Guillermo Echeveste, who bring border culture to life.

“We emphasize the space between the borders, the two nations in order to communicate not divide us,” Elizondo said. “We are not divided by an invisible line.” The three artists have traveled all over the world, including places like Colombia, Cuba and Israel.

In 2018, President Trump’s mantra: “Build the Wall” became a controversial conversation for those between the borders. The outcome of Trump’s border

promises led to hatred and political division between both countries.

Elizondo and Mondragon displayed “In-Betweener – Entre Lineas,” a 30 foot long piece created with graphite, aerosol, watercolor and solid paint markers. On the left side, the U.S. flag bleeds into the border wall, and on the right, a prickly pear cactus represents the Mexican flag. Placed in the middle is the recurring word “Free.”

“Eres free?” (you are free?) comes into question leading towards the Mexican side. A drawing of gray sketched faces labeled “I THE INBETWEENER!”

They remain conflicted and stare deeply towards the U.S. flag. It is a term for those in between countries, who have to look at both sides and either pick one or stand on the sidelines conflicted. They provide a sincere voice as they know the facts from either side.

“I feel connected as my family is in the States and the rest is in Mexico,” Elizondo said. “I go back and forth. That’s why I never saw it as a division, it is not something that it is dividing us.”

Elizondo was part of Tijuana’s first display of graffiti art. At the age of eight, he began breakdancing with his older brother, which connected him to the culture of graffiti.

“Art was always present at the house and I thought to myself where do I fit in the grand square of the arts,” he said.

Elizondo’s crew HEM, Hecho en Mexico (Made in Mexico), was created in the late 80s in Tijuana and San Diego, a crew of in-betweeners that would display New York Urban style graffiti. Spel Uno is a recent member of HEM.

The crew struggled to show the true art of graffiti due to the comparison of illegal tagging.

“There is a difference between a criminal and an artist,” Elizondo said.

“Some are not being artists but being destructive. What is legal and what is illegal. Even though you are an artist they think of you as a criminal.”

Elizondo said graffiti provided him a great voice. He had no graffiti tutors and developed his skills in the street. Lacking a professor did not stop him from

learning how to graffiti. He was inspired by dance movies and soon began stealing his own Corona paint to practice, as other graffiti artist would do back in the day. Corona was a mainstream Mexican paint brand no longer sold.

Guillermo Echeveste’s artwork was a white obelisk sculpture made of plaster of Paris, placed in the middle of the gallery.

Echeveste’s intention was to reverse the symbol of the 19th Century public art monument that marks the border between Mexico and the United States into a playful cultural practice by playing with typography. He gave the original obelisk a makeover by questioning the “boundary of human intelligence.”

These international artists are “InBetweeners.” They have seen both sides of the border and do not feel divided. They continue to create art to enhance the beauty of this division.

“When we travel I don’t feel divided,” Elizondo said. “There is no no connection.

The necessity they have, you have. I think of divided as a mental line. So cliché.”

Marco Figueroa/Staff

takes

from the Tijuana Urban art Exhibition at the Southwestern College Art Gallery. (below)

Guillermo Echeveste, Tijuana artist explaining his contribution in the art

Karelly Vidrio/Staff

Karelly Vidrio/Staff

CHINESE NEW YEAR PERFORMANCE— A young dancer takes part in the popular umbrella dance to symbolize honor and wealth during the Chinese New Year festival at Balboa Park.

Life in the Borderlands

By Marty Loftin & Karelly Vidrio Staff Writers

Multiple rallies were held across the San Diego region on Janurary 11, many were protests against the government shutdown or on behalf of the rights of migrants fleeing violence in Central America.

Outside the Border Patrol station in Chula Vista a crowd of protestors chanted, “From Palestine to Mexico, border walls have to go.”

During the frenzy of the 2018-midterm elections, the annual migration of asylum speakers travelling north en masse became one of the most discussed talking points.

For a moment, the eyes of the nation were focused on California’s slice of the Southern border as pundits and politicians scrutinized the chaos.

Then Democrats managed to take the House and almost overnight the migrant caravan receded into the background of political discourse.

President Trump’s new obsession became getting money for his border wall.

But even if the cameras are no longer rolling, things have changed for many who call this border region home.

When the migrants finally reached the border on New Years Day, U.S. agents fired tear gas over the border into Tijuana at the crowd of about 150 migrants. Numerous activists and reporters providing aid and documentation of the event were caught in the crossfire.

The situation at the border remains precarious, with many refugees still in dire need of help. Lives on both sides of the border have been upended. And though it is no longer the top story on cable news, the debate rages on locally.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) member Jose Cortez said America’s intervention in foreign policies is at the root of this migration.

“The instability and poverty in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are symptomatic of U.S. interventionism,” Cortez said. “Our countries are rich in natural resources, but people are forced to migrate through the economic policies and military policies from the U.S.”

Others disagreed.

Aimee Sotter, a Trump supporter, organized six other like-minded people to speak out against the protesters.

“I’m here to support our California Border Patrol and I’m also here to counter-protest the people who are supporting and funding the migrants coming into our country right now,” she said.

Sotter also said that the border crisis is not genuine, but it is not Trump that is to blame.

“It’s a manufactured crisis,” Sotter said. “It started because of Mexico and other countries and groups and organizations like Pueblos Sin Fronteras.”

Outside the Border Patrol station the crowd of migrant supporters shout Somos un Pueblo Sin Fronteras!”

“We are a people without borders,” they said.

Meanwhile, in a speech to pro-migrant supporters, Brandon Garcia, a member of the Otay Mesa Detention Resistance, said the U.S. government was mishandling the crisis.

“We demand that governments around the world respect the rights of asylum for all member of the CentralAmericans exodus, and stop the profiling of criminalization of refugees,” said Garcia. “We demand the recognition of

the political and social crisis throughout Central America that are caused by U.S. foreign policy.”

Others told their personal stories. Ricardo Hernandez, 58, came from Honduras and joined the caravan when it passed through Chiapas. It took over 45 days to travel more than 2,300 miles from Chiapas to Tijuana, he said.

“I could not stand, my feet hurt from walking so much,” Hernandez said.

“Throughout the journey I was lucky that I got some rides on my way.”

Hernandez said he used to live in the U.S. but was deported following an arrest for public intoxication. He eventually returned to Honduras, but again had to flee because of the conditions there.

“In our country there is no work and crime is tremendous. The necessity to escape is big,” he said.

Activists unhappy with the Trump administration are taking action into their own hands. Cristian Mejia, a member of Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER) and PSL, said the answer is to fight for social justice.

“I’ve been following this issue for quite some time, locking up kids in jail, throwing tear gas at them,” said Mejia.

“This made me realize the only thing that is going to cause change is by creating a union of solidarity. The government that we have now is one controlled by the rich and it doesn’t truly represents our interests.”

Mejia said he is trying to combat the suffering of the migrants.

“I got to deliver food aid to a camp in TJ and its truly tragic that this folks are

being held there,” he said. “During their journey, families were giving rides and food aid to the migrant, which makes a big deference. There is lesson for people to really reflect on solidarity.”

Brooke Binkowski, a border reporter and managing editor of TruthOrFiction. com, said that Central American asylum seekers are not only expressing their human right to seek safety, but also protesting the U.S. destroying their countries.

“These countries were destabilized in part by the United States,” Binkowski said.

“These migrants are travelling together in large numbers to make a statement to the international community.”

Binkowski said she spends a lot of time fighting disinformation campaigns of those who would demonize asylum seekers online.

“I know that if I can make them look foolish online it will diminish their power a little bit,” she said.

Some people who were migrants now fight for the rights of other migrants. Antonio Arizaga, a member of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) said migrants are asking for asylum to seek better conditions. He could relate. He migrated from Equador 30 years ago, he said.

“We want to make more people conscious, at one point some of us were undocumented, and decided to move north,” said Arizaga. “It’s time for solidarity and to own our little piece of sand. Maybe this dream will come true for them, sooner or later.”

Ailyn Dumas/Staff

Ailyn Dumas/Staff

Brittany Cruz-Fejeran/Staff