A N AT I O N A L PA C E M A K E R AWA R D N E W S PA P E R
Volume 57, Issue 6
theswcsun.com
February 22 - April 6, 2014
Ricasa sentenced, Sandoval pleads guilty EOPS director dodges prison term, gets fine and three years probation
Ex-president admits to one felony, faces possible prison time for corruption
Jaime Pronoble /Staff
Kristina Saunders /Staff
NO PRISON, NO DEMOTION — Arlie Ricasa and attorney Allen Bloom arrive for Ricasa's sentencing. He argued for leniency and said the college had "demoted" her. College officials deny Ricasa has been demoted.
STILL ON THE HOT SEAT — Greg Sandoval still faces sentencing. Though prison is a possibility, a district attorney said he doubted Sandoval would be incarcerated.
By Lina Chankar Senior Staff Writer
By Lina Chankar Senior Staff Writer
Southwestern College EOPS Director Arlie Ricasa officially avoided a prison term this week when Judge Ana España sentenced her to 33 months of probation, a $4,589 fine and 80 hours of community service. Ricasa originally faced 33 criminal charges, including 16 felonies in the South Bay Corruption Case. Ricasa’s attorney, Allen Bloom, told the judge in open court that SWC Interim Vice President of Human Resources Lynn Solomita wrote a letter addressing the impact the case has had on Ricasa. “This plea has put her position in jeopardy,” he said to the judge. “She has suffered the loss, a demotion from one position. She has not been fired, she has been demoted from an administrative spot to a staff position. That’s a loss of $16,000 a year.” After the hearing Bloom was asked by a reporter for a copy of the letter. He walked away while he recanted that Ricasa had been demoted as EOPS director. He then said Solomita wrote a letter confirming that Ricasa had been demoted from another position. Solomita denied writing any such letter. “I did not send Mr. Bloom or the court a letter stating Ms. Ricasa had been demoted,” Solomita wrote in an e-mail to The Sun. “There is no such letter. Ms. Ricasa is the director of EOPS and has not been demoted.” Ricasa’s San Diego County Superior Court file did not have a copy of a letter from Solomita. It had several letters from family members and supporters requesting leniency.
Greg Sandoval, former interim president of Southwestern College and a former Sweetwater Union High School District trustee, pleaded guilty to one felony count and one misdemeanor for his role in the South Bay Corruption Case. He was originally indicted on 34 counts, including perjury, filing false instrument, accepting bribes and wrongful influence by public official. Sandoval accepted gifts for dinners, sporting events tickets and hotel rooms, according to a thick San Diego County District Attorney affidavit. He appeared in court alongside Jesus Gandara, the former superintendent of the Sweetwater District. Gandara also pleaded guilty to one felony count. Sandoval was immediately placed on paid administrative leave from his position of vice president of student services at Moreno Valley College. His yearly salary is $151,811. Sentencing is set for April 28 in Superior Court in Chula Vista. Sandoval could face three years in prison, but a district attorney said that was unlikely. Sandoval worked at SWC for 32 years before resigning after he was charged with sexual harassment by a female subordinate. He was later cleared of the charges and asked to be reinstated, but the college, led at the time by Raj K. Chopra, refused. Chopra also pleaded guilty in the corruption case.
please see Ricasa pg. A3
Transfers to UCSD down sharply By Jason O’Neal Assistant News Editor
A vocal group of Southwestern College educators have said applications to UCSD should come with a disclaimer— local students need not apply. Fewer students from SWC and other community colleges in San Diego County were accepted by UCSD this year. SWC acceptances are down by nearly half. This marks another year of a decade-long trend of fewer transfers. UCSD Chancellor Dr. Pradeet Khosla attended a town hall meeting with SWC administrators and faculty recently and
offered no viable reason for the low numbers. When questioned about the declining number of students from SWC transferring to UCSD, Khosla accused dissenters of “throwing rocks in public.” SWC Counselor Norma Cazares said the topic is urgent and needs to be addressed. She said community colleges of San Diego and Imperial Counties suffered a 23 percent decrease in successful student transfers to UCSD last year. SWC had a one-year drop of 44 percent, the 10th straight year in decline. She said the effects of UCSD’s admissions policy are far-reaching and a threat to the livelihood of the South Bay,
INSIDE:
SWC Bachelor's under study
something she considers to be in conflict with the California Higher Education Master Plan established in 1960. S a n D i e g o C o u n t y ’s p u b l i c universities—UCSD and SDSU—have acknowledged accepting fewer students from the county and substituting them for foreign students, which pay much higher tuition and fees, and out-ofregion students that need student housing. Both universities have recently built expensive new dormitories and other forms of student housing. “We need to move away from viewing please see UCSD pg. A3
UCSD is freezing out its region's students Viewpoints, A5
By Fernanda Gutierrez Campus Editor
It will likely be years before a fouryear university comes to Chula Vista, but Bachelor’s degrees may be here by 2016. California Senator Marty Block, a former SDSU dean, authored Senate Bill 850 which enables about 50 state community college districts to create one Bachelor’s degree program apiece. SWC Trustees Tim Nader and Humberto Peraza both said the bill is a step in the right direction. “The absence of these degrees right
DREAM Act remains a dream for students Dreamers, A12
now is forcing many of our students into very high-cost for-profit private education institutions,” said Nader. “Those institutions are not in the best interest of our students. I think we should be offering a more affordable alternative for our community.” Academic Senate President Randy Beach said he has concerns about SB 850. He said he fears the college’s primary mission could be lost. “All opportunities to improve access to students should be considered very carefully,” he said. “We should be
Maria de Jesus Garcia is a soaring track talent Sports, B8
please see SB 850 pg. A4
Theatre students take a walk on the dark side Arts, A8
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Feb. 22-April 6, 2014—Vol. 57, Issue 6
NEWS
Jaime Pronoble, editor Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: news@theswcsun.com
Students march for access
By Jaime Pronoble News Editor
SACRAMENTO—“No cuts! No fees! Education should be free!” Voices of thousands of community college students thundered throughout the streets of Sacramento as they marched on the State Capitol to advocate for affordable higher education. Local Assembly Members Lorena Gonzalez, Marty Block and Ben Hueso heard the message. Michael Greenberg, a student at Santa Monica Community College, said students should not be shut out of the college by the costs. “Access to education should be equal,” he said. “Education is not a commodity. No one should be allowed to tell me that I can’t better myself because I don’t have the money.” Dr. David Morse, an English professor at Long Beach City College, agreed. Morse shared a story about a student who was an English learner and homeless. After considerable perseverance, the student earned a full-ride scholarship to Berkeley.
“(He) is a great example of why community colleges are important,” said Morse. “They provide opportunities to individuals who might have none otherwise.” Alma San Juan, 20, is a social work major and an advocate for higher learning. “I believe education is important,” she said. “I believe a good education is important to excel in life.” While most supported student rights, others had their own agendas, such as political science major Alex Mendoza. “I came with the purpose of seeing how government works,” he said. “Seeing how it actually does stuff and possibly talk to some people in charge.” David Hodges, 26, a mechanical engineering major, said the trip was a good experience, though he was not sure if the students actually had impact. “I don’t know how effective a chat with some students will be,” he said. “But a lot of (the elected officials) seem really interested in the ideas.” Geronimo Sotello, 19, a history major, said March in March was inspiring. “Marching on Sacramento was unlike
anything I’ve been to before,” he said. “I want equal education for everybody, equal access, but I didn’t realize how much everybody really cared about it.” Karla Gadea, 20, a business administration major, said the conversations are just the beginning. “Sometimes I feel like it’s not enough for students because we want straight up responses,” she said. “But I like that (Lorena Gonzalez came) to our college (to) get more responses from other students.” Morse encouraged communication between students and state senators. “No voice is more powerful than yours,” he said. “No one can speak to the legislature and other influential groups in this state about the needs of students quite the way the students themselves can. No one is going to represent you better than you represent yourselves.”
Rick Flores /Staff
GROUND TROOPS — (top) Southwestern College students were part of a large contingency of students marching in Sacramento for improved access to higher education. (above) Southwestern College ASO Senator Valeria Hernández-Blake prepared her message.
With contribution by Rick Flores
SWC embarks on water conservation By Jason O’Neal Assistant News Editor
Southern California’s rainy season is once again slipping away without much rain, the third year in a row the drought-striken Golden State has come up dry. And the worst may be yet to come. As reservoirs up and down the state dry out and crack like a broken windshield, Southwestern College is bracing for a desiccated 2014. John Brown, SWC Director of Facilities, said the college is working to use water more efficiently. New construction projects will include superior design and technology, he said, such as low-flow and automated fixtures. Existing buildings are in the process of replacing outdated plumbing devices with more efficient water-saving alternatives. Landscaping and grounds personnel have modified irrigation techniques to manage water and minimize waste, Brown said. “The campus facilities team treats every leaking fixture as an emergency,” he said. “Students should report leaks and malfunctioning sprinklers and plumbing fixtures to campus extension 6366.” Local officials said the drought is the worst in 120 years and warned that an epic catastrophe could be at hand. Chula Vista City Councilwoman Mary Salas said the state water shortage is past emergency and is now a full-on disaster. “We really, really have to watch how we use water,” she said. “It is a resource that is diminishing and this year we have, for the first time ever, a zero allocation of water from the State Water Project. This is unprecedented.” Salas described her recent trip to the Oroville Dam as an eye opener. Southern California counts on Oroville Dam and the Colorado River for most of its water. Both are drying up. “The reservoir is down to historic lows,” she said. “It is incredible to see just how empty our water storage facilities really are.” California State Water Project (SWP) has historically allocated about 40 percent of the water supply for our region, Salas said. San Diego may not get a drop of water from the California Department of Water Resources this year, she added Jose Preciado, a trustee of the South Bay Irrigation District, said San Diego County has been cut back before, most recently in the early 1990s. “This region relied heavily on imported water, the Colorado River and the Sacramento Delta…90 percent was imported from those regions,” he said. “The state was in a drought and Metropolitan cut water supplies by 50 percent.” please see Water pg. A4
NEWS
The Southwestern College Sun
Self-evalution report is due next summer By Jaime Pronoble and Adriana Heldiz Staff Writers
It was only three years ago that a federal accreditation agency had its hands around the throat of Southwestern College, threatening to close it down. SWC received a stay of execution after a reformist board majority took control in 2010 and swept out the corrupt Raj K. Chopra administration. Today, like a hard-to-kill zombie, the accreditation agency is back. SWC Accreditation Oversight Committee Co-Chair Dr. Rebecca Wolniewicz said the college should be in good shape this time around. “It’s quality assurance,” she said. “It just says that the programs we offer here are valuable, worthwhile programs that have been approved by the federal government and our accreditors.” The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) is looking at that and more. Visiting accreditors will look at myriad of criteria, including quality of administration, instruction, campus climate and service to the community. To begin the six-year accreditation cycle, the college must conduct a self-evaluation. A midterm report is provided to ACCJC three years into the cycle, along with yearly reports and special reports that could be requested at any time. To remain accredited, a college must meet ACCJC eligibility requirements related to effectiveness, learning services, resources for students and school leadership. Although the ACCJC grants colleges its authorization, its own operation is being examined. City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is currently suing the ACCJC for threatening to close the school, California’s largest community college. “Right now people are actually challenging the power of accrediting agencies” due to the recent news at CCSF said Wolniewicz. SWC was placed on probation in 2010 for 10 serious administrative deficiencies when investigators deemed the environment as “toxic” and demanded sweeping changes. In the 38- page report, WASC reported a “culture of fear” under Chopra and former administrators Nicholas Alioto, Michael Kerns and police chief Brent Chartier. All were fired or resigned after the 2010 elections, though many Chopra appointees remain. Most have altered their behavior to comply with ACCJC and
Feb. 22-April 6, 2014—Vol. 57, Issue 6
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Building plans emphasize community By Jaime Pronoble and Kimberly Ortiz Staff Writers
Humberto Peraza is hoping the stakes in the ground in the notorious corner lot are a stake in the heart of the corruption that has plagued the jinxed chunk of empty land for nearly 15 years. “Corruption is dead,” said the reformist trustee. “Now something great can come to life.” New facilities funded by the 2008 Proposition R bond measure are beginning to take shape after five startand-stop years marked by the South Bay Corruption Case. A Kafkaesque chain of events that have led to a dozen years of turmoil, criminal behavior, prosecutions, churning leadership and delayed construction have left the community bewildered and angry. The corner of East H Street and Otay Lakes Road has swallowed dozens of administrators and board members, as well as tens of millions of tax dollars. Peraza said a new epoch is dawning.
“Would it have been better to go and build everything that the corrupt regime had proposed and supported and just planted it out there, with a lot of contracts that were questionable?” he said. “Should we have just moved forward with that? My answer to that is no. You don’t build a monument to corruption. We needed to redo our master plan to update it.” Nine of the 15 defendants in the corruption case fueled by former SWC administrators Raj K. Chopra and Nicholas Alioto had SWC ties. All nine pleaded guilty to corruption related crimes, though none received prison time. Prop R’s first and most visible project, an extensive remodel of DeVore Stadium, is scheduled to be completed by August 15, before the first football game of the 2014 season. (see story page B5) New construction projects approved last fall include a wellness center, a performing arts center, and a new math and science building. The wellness center will be built on the west side of
DeVore Stadium and includes two new swimming pools and an expanded gym complex. Peraza said a plaza will be built between the wellness center and the performing arts center as a means to attract and welcome members of the community. Some plans are still in flux, including a possible culinary arts facility. A new math and science complex will go in the space that is currently the pool and gym. Construction Program Director Mark Claussen, a college consultant, said all projects are “bottom up,” meaning the facilities will be entirely new. “ We d i d a n o u t r e a c h t o t h e community, we did a feasibility study on this lot,” he said. “We went out and we figured out (what the community) thinks of all this. Do you like this idea of having a wellness center here? Do you like the idea of a performing arts center? We got a lot of input back on that.”
Reformist trustee Norma Hernandez said she is pleased with the development so far. “That corner lot has been controversial to say the least,” she said. “I feel that was one of our major accomplishments. I’m pleased with the fact that as a board we were patient, we took time and made sure that we involved all the constituent groups on campus and people from the community so that we could feel good about approving the development of that corner lot.” Peraza said community input was essential and he hopes the community will come to campus and use the facilities. “I think that is going to be a huge benefit,” he said. “We’re going to be able to create revenue, we’re going to be able to bring the community to our campus. The community is going to be able to use our fields and we’re going to create a revenue stream to be able to pay for some of the programs that were underfunded during our budget cut times.”
Pablo Gandara /Staff
FROM THE BOTTOM UP — DeVore Stadium is undergoing an extensive renovation project that includes a four-story field house and offices. please see Accreditation pg. A4
Ricasa: EOPS director gets probation, but avoids prison time
UCSD: Focus on foreign students for revenue generation
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Bloom did not return phone calls seeking follow-up about the letter he cited in court. In her plea, Ricasa admitted to taking $2,099 in illegal gifts, although the District Attorney’s Affidavit for Search Warrant stated Ricasa had taken in excess of $36,000. Deputy District Attorney Leon Schorr said Ricasa was not entitled to receive the large gifts she received from vendors, which exceeded the maximum of $420 legally allowed. By pleading guilty Ricasa was forced to resign her seat as a Sweetwater Union High School District trustee. Fellow SUHSD Trustee Pearl Quiñones also pleaded guilty and resigned, leaving the high school district with just three of its normal five trustees. Two of remaining trustees still face criminal charges. SWC trustees and administrators have remained quiet about Ricasa’s situation and her future at the college. A poll by The Sun in February showed that the community was aware of the Ricasa case and a solid majority said she should be terminated. Respondents, by a margin of 82 percent to 5 percent, indicated that they favored the college parting ways with Ricasa. Fifteen percent said they were undecided. Ricasa has refused opportunities to comment.
this as an SWC issue and recognize it as a regional issue,” Cazares said. Cazares said the entire South County would suffer. If local students are not getting the education needed to become productive and employable members of society, it could bring down the local economy and quality of living, she said. Under-represented students would also be without access to higher education. In the 1980s many UC campuses instituted the Transfer Admission G u a r a n t e e ( TA G ) , a p r o g r a m developed to support access for underrepresented African-American, Latino and Native-American students. After many attempts to do away with TAG, UCSD officials cited an internal policy against awarding transfers based on regional preferences and eliminated TAG earlier this year. It was replaced with University Link, which awards access based on the same regional preferences not allowed for the TAG program. California colleges and universities were hit hard by the Great Recession, said Cazares. Some UC and CSU campuses decided to accept fewer students from their own service area to create seats for students from China, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar and other wealthy nations.
Rick Flores /Staff
'SHE HAS BEEN DEMOTED' — Ricasa's attorney Allen Bloom told the judge his client had her pay cut. College officials denied that.
“I think there needs to be some sort of accountability or responsibility to area students,” she said. “There was a need to generate revenue and UCSD chose to balance its budget on the backs of the local area community college students.” SWC Governing Board Member Humberto Peraza agreed and said the UCSD actions are unacceptable. Blocking access for local students is a concern for the entire San Diego region, he said. When the local area loses more than 200 applicants and UCSD increases enrollment from Los Angeles by 400, it makes you wonder where the focus is, said Peraza. “They are choosing to be a Los Angeles school,” he said. “They will become the University of California except San Diego.” Peraza said he appreciated Khosla attending the meeting in South Bay and he said he is optimistic the conversation will result in something substantial. “I think Khosla is someone we can work with,” he said. “We need to educate him about the issues and why (UCSD) needs to do a better job.” Peraza said UCSD and SDSU should be accommodating, or at least work with, the local colleges and high schools, to ensure students get into regional universities. Peraza said he hopes UCSD is not placing revenue generation above the education of regional students. “Universities create diversity,” said Peraza. “When it solely relies on the exclusion of your local students, it’s not something that you want to do.”
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NEWS
Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 —Vol. 57, Issue 6
The Southwestern College Sun
College working hard to make financial aid easier Nationally, only 12 percent of eligible college students apply for assistance, SWC rate is much higher Jason O’Neal Assistant News Editor
Financial aid fuels Southwestern College. Said differently, this campus would be a profoundly different place without it. About 75 percent of SWC students receive some form of financial aid. SWC‘s financial aid office receives more than 20,000 Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. Students have 18 months to apply for FAFSA and the option to apply for two academic years. Not all students who apply for FAFSA intending to apply to SWC end up enrolling here, Larkin said. Applications are processed on a first-come, firstserved basis, she said. Students are ineligible if they already have a bachelor’s degree, more than 90 units or a GPA below 2.0. Most impressive, perhaps, is that most SWC students report that they are very happy with the service they receive from college financial aid staff, despite some bumps and bruises along they way. Patti Larkin, director of Financial Aid, Evaluations and Veteran Services, wants to keep it that way. Recent changes to financial aid disbursement are an effort to make the process even smoother, she said. SWC’s Financial Affairs Office has updated its website, she said, and published a new student financial aid handbook. “The guide is new,” she said. “We felt that we needed to put all of that information in one centralized document that was relatively easy to navigate and understand.” Millions of students eligible for FAFSA never apply, according to U.S. Department of Education figures. More than 14 million students receive federal student aid every year, which is only 12 percent of those who are eligible. With a staff of 12, the SWC financial aid department juggles FAFSA and DREAM Act applications starting in January, with the priority deadline for Cal Grant beginning in March. Board of Governor’s Fee Waivers (BOGW) are available in April or May. Larkin said it is important that students understand the application process and timelines. Students intending to enroll in summer classes should have a BOGW in place before the summer, she said.
Unlike FAFSA, which covers fall to summer, BOGW starts in summer and runs through to spring of the following year. “I think one thing students need to know is that they have to apply for financial aid every academic year, not every semester,” she said. It is wise to apply before the priority deadline, said Larkin, even if students do not plan to attend SWC because other schools can be added to the application later. That’s the good news, she said, the bad is that it needs to be consistent with other government records. “ I d o n’t t h i n k students understand that when they fill o u t t h e i r FA F S A application it runs through all sorts of federal databases,” she said. “If there are inconsistencies with what is filed through FA F S A a n d o t h e r federal databases, like marital status or transposed numbers, it can be a conflict and it slows awards down.” Financial aid assistants Myrna Tucker and Rosa Carbajal agreed. They urged students to keep their addresses updated. It is also important for students to update their declared major because federal student aid regulations require it. “That’s the advantage of submitting an accurate application,” said Tucker. “The system will autopackage it and it is reviewed faster.” Students should answer every single question carefully because corrections can slow down the process, said Larkin. Help screens and glossaries are available. “Any time there is a correction, it has to be transmitted back to the Department of Education, processed and retransmitted back to us,” she said. “It takes time.” Once the applications are corrected, some are selected for verification and need supporting documentation. Mass emails notify students to
SB 850: Dental hygiene may be a candidate for SWC Bachelor's degree
Water: College pledges to find more ways to conserve, save money
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promoting them as long as its not deviating significantly from what the mission of our college is, which is still transfer preparation, workforce development and basic skills.” Trustee Nora Vargas said SWC has, for the first time, the necessary funding for student success and said SB 850 needs further discussion. Discussions between CSUs and c o m m u n i t y c o l l e g e s a re s t i l l i n progress, said Beach but all sides agree that community college must not compete with CSU degree programs. I m p a c t e d p r o g r a m s , h o w e v e r, a r e a d i f f e r e n t s t o r y. Block said it is his hope that students can find relief BEACH from over-crowded university programs at community colleges. Beach said that concept has merit. “We definitely have some programs which are shovel ready,” Beach said. “Their faculty is ready, their curriculum is ready, they can make that transition very quickly.” Vickie Kimbrough-Walls, dental hygiene director at the National City Higher Education Center, said the overall intent of the bill is good. She said her program could be a good candidate for a Bachelor’s degree curriculum. “Everybody really wants to focus on nursing, but we have a real good opportunity to be unique,” she said. “Foothill College in Los Altos is going to move forward with the Bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene and that’s in the Bay Area. It would be really great if Southwestern could do it for Southern California.” Whether or not a BA from a community college would be equally valued as one from a university is in the eye of the beholder, Beach said. “The reason why these programs are being created at community colleges is because there is demand,” he said. “Our associate’s programs are well respected, so why wouldn’t our baccalaureate programs be?”
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is made up of 26 cities and water districts and provides water for more than 19 million people, delivering an average of 1.7 billion gallons of water per day to a service area that covers nearly 5,200 square miles. San Diego County made an effort to become self-sufficient. Local water authorities expanded existing reservoirs and established new water sources in Imperial Valley and along the Colorado River. They may not be enough, Preciado said. SWC is located in the Otay Water District, which may pose a potential problem for the campus, he said. “What is interesting for SWC is they buy water from Otay Water,” he said. “(Otay owns) no water resources. Otay Lakes belongs to the city of San Diego.”
provide hard copy documents such as income statements, tax returns and proof of residency. This document verification usually results in long lines at the financial aid counter during the fall semester. By reading emails carefully, Larkin said, students can eliminate multiple visits and waits in lines. Students are also encouraged to bring their own copies of documents to reduce waits. After supporting documentation is reviewed, Larkin said, students are given a receipt for documents turned in and those that are still missing. She called the receipt a reminder hat the process is not yet complete. Last year Higher One, a financial services company, was contracted to help disburse payments to students. “The whole reason for doing this was to streamline what we do and get money Join the adventure, page B4 into students’ hands faster,” said Larkin. “Even if they use their own bank accounts, their money is to them in less than 24 hours and it is secure. I think overall it has been really successful.” Students can elect to use Higher One’s services to have funds deposited directly to a debit/credit card, their own bank account or still have the paper check delivered by mail. “This is the first time students have had a choice,” said Larkin. “In the past students never had a choice on how to receive their funds.” Larkin said Higher One is new and different, and requires students to manage transaction fees. “I think it’s really important to clarify there are absolutely no fees at all for this process,” she said. “There’s never any money charged to disperse financial aid to anybody. There are banking fees associated with the Higher One account just as there are fees with any checking account.” Students who open a Higher One account learn more about the process and some would much rather have the money deposited to their checking account,
Preciado explained that if the Otay Water District were to lose its ability to purchase water from surrounding districts, its service area would be without water. This region needs to consider investing in large-scale reclamation projects, he said, including desalinization of ocean water and recycling sewage water. He recounted how Australia survived one of the worst droughts of the last century by treating sewer water and building desalinization plants. “I am pretty sure that Australians did not want to use their sewer water as a water resource until they didn’t have a choice,” he said. “And guess what? The ‘ick’ factor is gone. Communities are going to have to rethink how they dispose of their sewer water.” Salas said treating water is essential and people must stop referring to the process as “toilet to tap.” “Recycled water and the process of recycling water and using it for municipal water supplies is nothing new,” she said. “Most cities actually already do that.” Orange County is on the cutting edge of that technology, she said, and their model is something San Diego County should
Larkin said. They are able to access their accounts easily and change their disbursement methods. Students only need to sign up once, but disbursement methods can be changed as often as needed. “Not only is this a new process, but the whole banking idea is brand new for some students,” she said. “There is a learning curve on several different levels.” Tucker said Higher One has been a positive experience for students that wanted direct deposit. Students do not have to create a Higher One account to use its disbursement services, she said. Carbajal and Tucker both said that a lack of banking skills and failure to read instructions thoroughly has lead to some student confusion. “We explain to (students) in a couple of weeks they are going to receive a green neon envelope and to follow the directions step-by-step,” said Carbajal. “A lot of people throw it away. They think it is a credit card from outside. They don’t have a chance to read it and realize it is something from the school that is going to help them get their money.” Once the Higher One account is created and the funds are released, all questions of disbursement should be directed to Higher One, Tucker said. SWC is not responsible for changing disbursement options or resetting PIN numbers, she said, but most students come directly to the financial aid department expecting to correct any problems. It is the students’ responsibility to contact Higher One, she said, but many are unable to explain their problem clearly and effectively. Tucker advised students to be patient, persistent and smart. “A student will stand sometimes 30-45 minutes in line just to be told something they could have checked on WebAdvisor,” she said. “Don’t wait in line, go online.” Feedback from students has shaped the financial aid process, said Larkin. “Our students are telling us what they want, but I think the important thing to consider is we are listening and responding,” she said. “We are bringing in additional staff and making changes.” To check the eligibility requirements for FAFSA and other financial aid programs visit http://www. swccd.edu/financialaid.
look at as a means of cleaning used water to potable standards. Irrigation is the region’s biggest water draw, Preciado said, on resources is irrigation and residents of the Otay Water District are already using reclaimed water for that. He said residents should consider utilizing recycled water for everything. “It has happened in other places around the world, why aren’t we collecting our sewer (water)?” he said. “Students should get informed on water and how sewer water can be treated and made available for drinking. With more information people will change their minds.” Salas and Preciado emphasized the importance of conserving the water we have. Citizens are encouraged to practice good habits, like washing cars less often, taking shorter showers and not letting water run while washing hands, dishes or brushing teeth. “Water resources are finite and set, but population growth and wastefulness are not,” said Salas. “Mandating water usage might be in our future if the weather pattern doesn’t change. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that.”
Accreditation: Selfevaluation report is due by next summer Continued from Page A3
the expectations of the new board majority, according to a campus leader who requested anonymity. Problems at CCSF are something SWC leaders must monitor, Wolniewicz said. “We have no idea where it’s going to go,” she said. “Everybody’s just waiting to see what happens at the end of June.” SWC Accreditation Liaison Officer Dr. Mink Stavenga said the self-evaluation procedure is rigorous. “The key to everything is documentation,” he said. “ You can say everything you want, but you need to back it up with documentation and evidence.” SWC’s first self-evaluation report is due next summer.
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The Southwestern College Sun
VIEWPOINTS
February 22 - April 6, 2014 — Volume 57, Issue 6
Editorials, Opinions and Letters to the Editor
The mission of the Southwestern College Sun is to serve its campuses and their communities by providing information, insights and stimulating discussions of news, activities and topics relevant to our readers. The Staff strives to produce a newspaper that is timely, accurate, fair, interesting, visual and accessible to readers. Though the “Sun” is a student publication, staff members ascribe to the ethical and moral guidelines of professional journalists.
ANNA PRYOR
Trusty condoms: Where the rubber meets the road
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
David McVicker SENIOR STAFF
Lina Chankar Serina Duarte Nickolas Furr NEWS
Jaime Pronoble, editor Adriana Heldiz, assistant Jason O’Neal, assistant VIEWPOINTS
Anna Pryor, editor Joaquin Junco Jr., assistant Alyssa Pajarillo, assistant CAMPUS
Fernanda Gutierrez, editor Liliana Cervantes, assistant Wendy Gracia, assistant
Kim Garza/Staff
ARTS
Daphne Jauregui, editor Saira Araiza, assistant SPORTS
Nicholas Baltz, co-editor Colin Grylls, co-editor Lee Bosch, assistant ONLINE
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The Issue: UCSD has methodically squeezed out county students for higher paying foreign students.
editorial
Our Position: Our UC selling seats to the highest bidders is unethical and must stop.
UCSD is selling our seats to the rich “University of California except San Diego.” Trustee Humberto Peraza’s off-the-cuff remark is the most concise description of the higher education holocaust that has played out at UCSD for a decade. UCSD flat out does not want Southwestern College students. We do not bring in as much cash as foreign students. Guilty as charged. When indignant UCSD administrators throw their arms in the air and accuse the citizens of the South Bay of “throwing rocks,” consider the evidence. For 10 consecutive years the number of South Bay students admitted to UCSD has declined. Last year UCSD took 44 percent fewer SWC students than the year before. UCSD ended its Transfer Admission Guarantee and South Bay students are as rare at UCSD as snowmen in Kuwait. UCSD administrators have methodically executed a strategy to eliminate local students from their own region’s UC. UCSD has all but sealed shut the doors for first-generation college scholars from working class families, most of them under-represented minorities. No one here is accusing UCSD of intentional racism, but discrimination does not always burn crosses and wear hoods. UCSD likes to boast of a diverse student body with 68 percent of undergraduate categories as “students of color.” A closer look, however, tells a much different story. UCSD has the lowest levels of under-represented students in the UC system, even though it serves the county with the most. Most of UCSD’s students of color come from other countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China) and more affluent parts of America, and they pay much higher fees than local students of color (and rent pricey student housing). UCSD’s enrollment of Latino students is 14.7 percent, the lowest in California. The statewide average is 22.5 percent. This is shameful considering San Diego County is one-third Latino. African-Americans are 2.7 percent of the UCSD student body, also the lowest in California. UCSD ranks second to last in American Indian enrollment with 0.6 percent. San Diego County, however, has more American Indian reservations than any other in the U.S. Surprise! UCSD has the highest percentage of profitable international transfer students with 19.5 percent. The state average is 11.5 percent. Historically, the community colleges in San Diego and Imperial Counties (Region X) have contributed the most under-represented minority students that transfer to UCSD. This was accomplished through the enlightened TAG program designed to provide greater access to under-represented students in the region. For more than 20 years the minimum GPA for
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TAG was 2.8 and it worked perfectly. Then came the sabotage. In 2007 the GPA for TAG rose to 3.0. In 2009 UCSD opened TAG to all 112 California community colleges. TAG applications exploded in 2010, going from 408 to 1,946. UCSD claimed this was done because “geographical preferences” for student enrollment was not allowed. Hmm. A diversity statement adopted by the UC Regents says the exact opposite. It says neighborhood demographics, gender and income can be used to assign students to schools. The hits kept coming. In 2011 the UC system allowed students to apply to multiple campuses that participated in TAG. No need to be Nostradamus to see where that would go. TAG transfer applications for UCSD increased to 8,715. More locals lost out. UCSD continued to poison the well. GPA for TAG jumped to 3.5, higher than UCSD’s cumulative average GPA of 3.03. Other UC schools in TAG require GPAs between 3.0 and 3.2. Despite these obstacles, students from San Diego County were still transferring to UCSD, so UCSD finally eliminated TAG all together. UCSD’s new scam is University Link, which offers “geographical preferences” to local students. Spring 2014 saw the GPA requirements for University Link increased to 3.5. Examining the historical trends of TAG and University Link, it is clear that UCSD is stacking the deck against San Diego County. UCSD manipulates statistics, claiming that 93 percent of new transfer students are from California community colleges. That might be true, but odds are they did not come from a college in San Diego County. Region X had a decrease of 23 percent in transfers to UCSD and SWC was hit with a 44 percent decline. UCSD Chancellor Dr. Pradeet Khosla used a recent South Bay meeting to accuse SWC transfer counselor Norma Cazares of “throwing rocks in public” because she challenged him on UCSD transfer policy changes that hurt South Bay students. Cazares should be commended for her integrity and courage to confront such an injustice. The SWC response? A letter of apology to Khosla from SWC President Dr. Melinda Nish. Our president – who is truly a smart woman – made a truly bad blunder by selling out the courageous Cazares and us to curry favor with the UCSD boss. She owes Cazares a letter of apology. UCSD is, intentionally or otherwise, engaging in class warfare. It needs to stop, now. Khosla has answered his own question posed to this community – “What does UC San Diego do for us?” Judging by his recent actions, nothing.
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They come in all different sizes and play a role in reproduction. They vary in length, width and thickness. They even have different flavors. Condoms are a basic staple in birth control. They are inexpensive, accessible and fairly easy to use. They are also effective. In a single year, only 2 percent of those who used condoms correctly ended up with an accidental pregnancy. Planned Parenthood hands them out like candy on college campuses, with flashy packaging. Also resembling candy, they come in an abundance of flavors such as apple and cherry. Companies are adapting to accommodate a wide range of preferences. Some people still complain that it does not feel the same when using protection. This is not an excuse not to use one. Proving that they do not have to be boring, they have even progressed past the point of simplicity to have multiple functions such as temperature and vibration. Monogamous, infection-free partners escape most risk. In the college years, however, when there is hooking up and getting off with multiple partners, it is important to understand and be willing to use protection. Condoms prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as STDs and HIV. A partner should, of course, disclose any necessary medical history prior to engaging in intercourse, but that is a responsibility that can and has been ignored. A few seconds of putting on a condom is better than a lifetime spent with a irreversible disease. Safe sex is hard to take seriously when the first interaction with it is a teacher rolling a latex condom over a banana. This example is both hysterical and uncomfortable, but the truth is protection is important. Too often parents and teachers are wary of teaching younger generations about birth control. Having the birds and the bees talk is dreaded, but is a conversation worth having. Only 39 percent of high schoolers in America are instructed on how to correctly use a condom. Health classes are vital for students learning sex education. What is learned early on is what is practiced in college years and into adult life. Misinformation brings mishaps. Students from middle school to university need a better understanding of the importance of using protection and how to correctly use it. With Google and YouTube videos it is easier than ever to be educated on how and why to use protection. Although the U.S. still has a high amount of teenage pregnancies, condom availability has lowered the numbers. An estimated 78 percent of teenage pregnancies are unintended. Among them, Hispanic females make up the largest portion. Availability of protection helps to decrease unintended pregnancies. Knowledge on how to use birth control and where it is available is essential in prevention. Protection also prevents abortion. More than half of abortions are obtained by women under the age of 25. By decreasing the amount of accidental pregnancies, the amount of abortions would decrease as well. Advancements in condom production have made it so that anyone can use them. Those who have allergic reactions to latex can use condoms made from different materials. There is a condom for every size. No penis, no matter how big or small, is exempt. If a man tries to say he is too big for one, he is trying to get out of using one. Condoms are made durable and stretchable and can even be custom sized. There are also condoms made for the women to wear, although male condoms are more popular and effective. Talking about protection and birth control methods is applicable in any relationship. Do not let discomfort with the topic halt conversation about it. Being informed is the best protection.
Anna may be reached at sexandthesun@theswcsun.com
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Anna Pryor, editor
VIEWPOINTS
Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 — Vol. 57, Issue 6
Tel: (619) 309-7908 E-mail: viewpoints@theswcsun.com
“N word” needs to go By Evan Cintron A Perspective
“The word nigger to colored people of high and low degree is like a red rag to a bull. Used rightly or wrongly, ironically or seriously, of necessity for the state of realism, or impishly for the sake of comedy, it dosen’t matter… The word nigger, you see, sums up for us who are colored all the bitter years of insult and struggle in America.” —Langston Hughes
Dan Cordero/Staff
Racial slurs victimize and demean all ethnic groups. Of all the races of the United States, though, African- Americans have suffered the most from derogatory terms. African-Americans have been called “coons,” “jigaboos,” “porch monkeys,” “tar babies” and other foul epithets, but the word that tops the list is “nigger.” Slave owners in America used “nigger” to dehumanize black people. “Nigga” is the derivation created by black people to be used with other black people. Some people like to identify black culture with “nigger” in all the wrong ways. Beyond the word, Americans need to learn about the word’s connection to black culture. “Nigger” is a small portion
of African-American culture. AfricanAmericans are not defined by the word. When you confine and describe someone with a single word, you limit their potential. “Nigga” has now become mainstream. In recent years it has been condoned through comedy and music. This word has caused trouble no matter who says it. No amount of rap songs saying “nigga” will ever make the word positive. Use of the word is an embarrassment to the black community. People today that use this word in a song or casual conversation are likely too young to have ever been sent to the back of the bus or had fire hoses turned on them. Society has lost sensitivity to the painful reality of the word. It is pointless to fight for the right to say the N word when there are much bigger issues facing the black community. With so many other injustices that need attention, a single word holds no importance. It is time to retire the word. Too many people say the word every day because it is second nature for them. Bad habits die slowly. There needs to be more respect and love for one another. This starts by calling ourselves “brothers” and “sisters.” Or, better still, our real names.
SWC needs to invest in gender neutral restrooms By Dan Cordero A Perspective
For most, the decision to use a public restroom is made with little thought and consequence. For others it can be a high-stress situation. Gender minority students are not always sure where to go. Southwestern College has a considerable number of students who fall within a gender minority, a term used to refer to the wide range of variance and diversity of gender-based identities within the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community. Gender minority students feel their gender identity does not match their biological sex. These identities spread over a number of possibilities and labels including transgender, agender and genderqueer. A college campus like SWC should prioritize creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for all. Safety in public facilities should extend to students who do not feel secure using the men’s and women’s restrooms. Implementation of genderneutral restrooms at SWC would be a giant step towards alleviating stress for these students. By making gender-neutral facilities available, students who find themselves mid-transition or not identifying with either label of male or female would have a safer alternative open to them when they need to seek out a restroom on campus.
People whose physical presentations do not coincide with their biological sex are likely to face harassment within public restrooms. A survey conducted in 2011 by the National Center for Trans Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force asked 6,000 transgender identifying people about their experiences in public
caught between a rock and a hard place. Mid-transition transgender individuals often find themselves struggling in a societal limbo due to the slow progression of physical change during hormone replacement therapy. A transgender male who was assigned as a female at birth could find himself too intimidated to use the men’s restroom, despite it matching his true gender identity, for fear of harassment or assault by other men. The alternative suits him no better. Despite his biology coinciding with the women’s restroom, his outward male presentation could startle and alarm women, leading to an equally unpleasant interaction. Even transgender people who have completed their transition and live fully as their presented identity experience disproportionate discrimination and harassment in a gendered restroom. Implementing gender neutral restrooms gives these students another option. Joaquin Junco Jr./Staff While this will not rid these students of all the challenges accommodations, including restrooms. they face, it will be a big step towards More than half reported experiencing some SWC doing what it can to improve form of harassment and 10 percent reported their experiences. Southwestern being assaulted. There alarming statistics, College students deserve the freedom illustrate why students who are transitioning to work towards an education in or aligned to an alternative gender identity an environment that is safe and would not feel safe using a public restroom. comfortable for all students, not just Transgender students find themselves the majority.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SWC provides plays for bilingual actors This letter is in response to the article in the Sun’s Volume 57, Issue 5 “Por que no hay plays en espanol?” Mayan Hall theatre has produced over 45 percent of is productions in the past 8 years in Spanish-English, written by and for Hispanic audiences. These plays were per formed by bilingual students utilizing both of their languages. Just a month ago at a department meeting we were discussing the fact that possibly too many of our productions are selected for a Spanish speaking audience and we should be doing more plays addressing
the concerns of other cultures and other groups. The faculty cultivates bilingualism in performance classes and encourages its students to celebrate their bilingual skills. Bilingual performers at SWC unilaterally want to perform in English and to work on their enunciation so that they won’t face a future of being type cast. The article proposes that SWC perform Caridad Svich’s adaptation of Marquez’s, Love in the Time of Cholera. Impossible. 1. The play is a tome of talking talking talking 2.
The play has received nothing but lukewarm to horrid reviews. 3. The play tries to put an expansive epic novel into a tiny zip lock bag 4. SWC’s administration will not allow the theatre department to mount a play with Cholera’s 4 characters … or 8 …or 10. Our administration censures us from mounting 85% of the world’s dramatic literature because we must have 18-26 performers in every production. - Mark Pentilescu Professor
Graffiti is an artistic outlet, not a crime What is graffit? Is it a way of rebellion against our law enforcement? Does it stand for gang names or territories? There is a positive, it can lead you to a better path. You can use graffiti to create a magnificent future for yourself, to create great paintings with the tools you use to make trouble in the streets, where the consequences
can haunt you. What can you do to create a better future for yourself? Look for something that inspires you to work hard and develop an inspiration to make you step for success. What should you do right now? Go out and do what you are best at. What makes graffiti so recognized? Is it that law enforcement has looked upon it since
the 70’s? Or is it that the art world has admired graffiti’s massive murals that express many emotions and thoughts from the artist’s life? Every painting and every mural tells a story related to the artists themselves. - Alejandro Martin Del Campo Student
Thinking
Out Loud
How do you feel about the implementation of the Student Success Act (SB 1456)?
“If you are dropping classes because you can’t handle them, you should not be getting financial aid.”
Hector Duran Business Administration/ Management Major
“I think that it is harsh because these classes are hard for some people.”
Sandra Meza Accounting/Business Major
“I feel that it’s unfair. Are we really going to let those grades ruin your financial needs?”
Javier Villegas Fire SciencE Major
“They should be more understanding that life happens outside of community college.”
Claudia Campos Multimedia Major
“It will keep people on the right track and make them not fall behind.”
Jorge Ramirez Undecided Major
Thank you officer Gess A few weeks ago my day began with a few sprinkles of rain. By the end of the day I had buckets of water pouring over my head, especially when I found myself going through my backpack frantically looking for my thick brown wallet. A wallet overflowing with receipts carrying all my information, identification cards, drivers license and my family’s money for groceries. I remember feeling a sensation of numbness come over me as my blood pressure descended. I felt like a zombie as I sat in my car outside the grocery store staring at my 13-year-old son and my two -year-old baby boy. I returned to campus and checked each place I had been throughout the day, from classroom to classroom and bathroom to bathroom. I ran to the police department and found the doors locked and no one around. I saw the emergency pole, pressed the red button and found myself asking the operator if I could have an officer assist me. He asked me to come back the second day and told me that all the officers were too busy at a current scene and were not able to help me. I left there feeling even worse. I felt so helpless and extremely worried. I started to pray. Sure enough, far away in the distance, I saw through my rear mirror what looked to be a police car. I stopped in the middle of the road and started to walk nervously toward the cop car.
As I approached, the officer rolled down his window and I began to tell him what I needed. I told him lost and found had refused to help and that I was advised to come the following day. He proceeded to let me know he could only take down a report in case I needed proof of it being lost for future reference and that he could look in the log to see if it was in the lost and found. Immediately, as promised, he checked the log and did not find anything logged in for a wallet. After going to the back and searching, he found my thick brown wallet. All my things were there. My debit cards, my food stamp card with my grocery and half of my rent money. I turned around and hugged this man, took a glimpse at his nametag and there it was. Gess. I am glad I did not listen to the operator who denied me help and disregarded the welfare of my family and protocol for a lost or stolen wallet. I am thankful to God for my persistence for help, which directly restored my faith in who protects our campus. To officer Gess and the unknown person who returned my wallet: May God bless you both and reward your families. - Sarah Paez Gonzalez-Amrollahi Student
VIEWPOINTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 — Vol. 57, Issue 6
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Mental illness, like other conditions, can be treated
Joaquin Junco Jr./Staff
By Reena Ocampo A Perspective
Millions of people avoid mental health treatment because they fear social stigma. They shouldn’t. People with serious health conditions such as bipolar disorder and bulimia often self diagnose. They shouldn’t. It is essential for those who think they have a mental illness to seek professional help. Of those who are diagnosed, 28.8 percent do not seek treatment. People
are told to “tough it out.” This is not an effective strategy. Rather than advising someone to deal with their problems quietly, providing empathy would be much more beneficial. Colleges across the country have seen increases in enrollment and mental illness. One in four adults from 18-24 have a diagnosable mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Some people are capable of turning in assignments on time on top of juggling responsibilities outside of school. For others that is not so easy. A medical
condition may be sabotaging an otherwise willing student. Taking medicine for diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma or other physical ailments is seen as individuals trying to take care of themselves through preventative treatment. Taking medicine that will help the brain to function should be seen in the same light. Antidepressants open a synapse in the brain. Neurotransmitters become higher, strengthening brain circuits that regulate mood. People who seek treatment should be supported, not criticized. These people need treatment to
go through life and to function in society. Students with mental illnesses undergo obstacles that affect their motivation. Depression and anxiety can overwhelm productivity. Allen Chu, ABLE Club Advisor, said the SWC campus has many ways to assist students with mental illness, Disability Support Services helps students to communicate with counselors and receive accommodations. Counselors at the ABLE Club, Veterans office and Wellness Program are excellent campus resources for students.
They are reliable and keep all information confidential. SWC’s Disables Student Services can recommend accommodations that will help support students. Rather than speaking in hushed voices, people should never be afraid to ask questions, learn and look for ways to aid each other. Advocating for people that have mental illness should be supported and encouraged. Promoting awareness and assistance is fundamental for those with mental health issues to have equal opportunities.
Grade inflation hurts serious college students
SWC is a marvelous bargain
By Anna Pryor and Romina Serrano A Perspective
Community college is an education at a discount. Unfortunately, others have chosen to see it as a discounted education. Community colleges have been referred to as the 13th grade because of the supposed lack of dedication as opposed to a university. It has been called a trap because some students have managed to attend them for longer than necessary and have left with nothing to show. This is only a portion of attendees. For those who take their education seriously, the experience is invaluable Anyone looking for the Hollywood college experience is going to have a hard time finding a frat party around the Southwestern College campus and they might be the only fan covered with face paint at the football games. While there are no dorms and many students have jobs off campus which make it hard for them to socialize as much, SWC is not lacking in things to be proud of. While there are the less than great aspects such as low math passage rates, there is still an abundance of clubs on campus to participate in, a beautiful botanical garden and amazing automotive services. All of this comes at a price that does not break a students bank. Some SWC alumni who have moved on to universities, such as David Mojica, criminal justice major, said the costs of tradition are overhyped. Financially independent students such as Mojica have had to take out loans to pay off the price of a four-year education. “There is no shame in starting at in a junior college,” Mojica said. “I’m seeking a degree. A college experience is really all universities have to offer. Classes are cheaper at a junior college and in the end it’s the same education.” High costs of universities are discouraging. Cost of tuition for attending universities like San Diego State University average about $6,766 per student, not including books which average an annual cost of $1,746. Even after this, it still does not include food, rent and miscellaneous expenses. Mojica is a full time student as well as a full-time worker at a local restaurant who started at Southwestern in an effort to control costs as much as possible.
America’s grading system is inflating faster than balloons at Party City. Southwestern College’s grading policy justifies an A, or “Grade of Excellence,” as achieving exceptional mastery of all course objectives and being a student that shows initiative, imagination and s e l f d i re c t i o n well beyond that required by the instructor. Blasted by the highest amount of A grades in the history of American education, what qualifies as mastery of objectives has blurred and is more open to instructor interpretation. In c re a s i n g l e n i e n c y i n grading is shaping a dumbed down future. Grade inflation is an example of overprotecting feelings. Coddling students by giving easy grades reduces motivation and diminishes reward for the truly superior performance. This makes it almost impossible to differentiate between average and superior students because they are not being ranked accurately. All students should follow a syllabus and be explicitly informed of what is expected in order to be graded correctly. Any slack in grading could skew their permanent record. Through high grades, we delude students into thinking that they know more than they actually do. Dishonesty is not the only issue. With students being duped into thinking they have a higher ability than they actually do, they are not prepared for universities and real-world situations. Some students and educators are not
aware of the issues that come with grade inflation or that it is even an issue at all. College grade point averages have risen from a 2.3 in 1930 to almost 3.1 in 2006. Standardized testing in math showed that 54 percent of high school seniors could not do seventh grade math and only 5 percent were truly college ready. Although they are not ready for college, higher grades delude them into thinking they are. With a larger pool of applicants for universities to choose from, those who are capable and deserving of getting into colleges and receiving degrees are camouflaged by slackers. Those who come from schools or have taken teachers that give grades that are real reflections of earned grades are disadvantaged next to students who have all “As” that were not earned. Fo r t u n a t e l y, s o m e c o l l e g e s have caught on and are looking at supplemental activities such as club participation and community service. Unfortunately, this does not help busy “A” students who have outside responsibilities that have hindered them from participating in extracurricular activities. Some argue that it is stressful for a student to receive a lower grade. Lame. If they can not handle the stress, they are not ready for college.
Aydan Lopez/Staff
By Gabriel Hernandez A Perspective
Wendy Gracia/Staff
SDSU charges $372 per unit in addition to tuition where Southwestern only charges $46. As a result of this cheaper fee, some students may find it easier to slack off because they have not invested as much. However, this same example is seen in any college system, community or university. Some people are not made for college. This extra cushion turns into students staying a lot longer than necessary, occupying their stay with nonsense classes, which results with more students claiming to have fallen victim to the community college “trap”. When compared to a university, it is easy to see the failing side of community colleges. It falls short on some levels, but
fortunately that does include price. This reduced financial pressure is what can allow students the freedom to explore their interests rather than rushing into majors. As for any negative references towards community college such as it being a trap, each student has a responsibility to figure out what classes they need to take. It is not always as simple as it sounds, but there are resources that can be used and counselors that can be asked. Even if the stereotypes do not go away, serious students must learn how to be self-sustaining, even if that means learning to ignore the influence of underachievers or avoid contagious levels of apathy in the process.
The Southwestern College Sun
February 22 - April 6, 2014 Volume 57, Issue 6
ARTS
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Big Apple’s Rotten Core
Balkis Nasery/staff
BALMY NIGHT — A brooding Joe Martorano, playing Joe, a hunky drug dealer, turns on the charm for straying housewife Darelene, played by Lauren Yowell, in the SWC production of “Balm in Gilead.”
> REVIEW
Intimate staging of edgy drama leaves audience squirming By Paulina Quintero / Staff Writer
L
anford Wilson’s salty characters in his gritty “Balm in Gilead” were poetic, profane, proud, pathetic, prostitutes and pimps. And an eavesdropping audience heard every delicious word. Director Ruff Yeager turned audience from voyeur to visitor by putting the seats on stage, essentially pulling out a few chairs for guests at fictional Frank’s Café. Mayan Hall got the grand New York treatment by gifted production designer Michael Buckley and became the gritty city that never sleeps. Prostitutes, druggies, hustlers and boozers, populate Wilson’s mini-dystopia of artful dodgers. Cast members were challenged, but mostly kept up with Wilson’s manic dialogue. Even when the script veered into the grotesque with loads of foul language, the grody conversations rang true. Frank’s is not the happiest place on Earth. Having the audience so close generated a sense of relaxation in the actors because they did not have to scream their conversations to be heard. Proximity promoted subtlety rare in a stage play. Actors spoke casually and conversationally, and were heard perfectly. Short dresses, fishnet tights, stilettos, baggy jeans, ripped sweaters and old dirty beanies, dressed the 23-members as well as the set dressed the stage, allowing 2014 to melt away to 1954. Dopey (DeLeon Dallas) is an African-American junky who skulked around in the same rolled up pants, filthy hat and a mucky, yellow sleeveless
sweater every day. He was crudely charming, his friendly and sarcastic voice a portal into the oddly symbiotic community. Kyle Lord and Jorge Becerra struggled as cross dressers Franny and David, but kept everyone chuckling with their antics. John the café worker (Diego Arias) wore a fishnet cap, a large button-up shirt, an apron and a spot-on “Jersey Shores” accent. Joe, the macho drug dealer (Joe Martorano), was a cruddy stud with a silky deep voice. Gitalia Diferretti was impressive as Ann, the café’s resident hooker. Lauren Yowell struggled as Darlene. She never really connected with Martorano and appeared under-rehearsed until she rebounded with a strong monologue about her life back home in Chicago, her frustration on love and her almost perfect-marriage. Yowell finally slipped into Darlene and drew in the audience. Subtle noises of the busy city began to chime again as drug dealers, hookers and trannies all scurried into the café. Technician extraordinaire Tammy Ray kept the sounds and lights busy as a nervous New York street, but never stole the spotlight from the cast. “Balm in Gilead” suggested a hopeless future for the less fortunate of Manhattan, demonstrating how they are forever stuck in the same cycle. SWC’s inyour-face production was a stark reminder that we need to drive our own destinies. Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize recipient and three-time Tony Award nominee, seemed to offer SWC students a cautionary tale that said “stay in school and take control of your life—or some else will.”
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Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 Vol. 57, Issue 6
ARTS
Daphne Jauregui, editor Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: arts@theswcsun.com
Life with ‘Death’ SWC rockers, jazz singer are a musical match By Daphne Jauregui
Arts Editor
“Snoo Snoo,” legend has it, means “death by sex with Amazon women.” A group of young Southwestern College musicians decided that was the way to go. Chula Vista’s Death by Snoo Snoo is alive and well, and there are no Amazons in sight. “When we thought of the band name I wasn’t taking it too serious,” said guitarist Julian Sobejana. “I wasn’t taking this band too serious.” What started out as goofing off quickly turned into six-hour-long weekly band practices in a tiny room in Partee’s grandma’s house. Former SWC students Jon Madrigal (guitar), Sam Thomson (bass), Tanner Partee (drums) and Sobejana fit together from the start. Singer Nicky Garcia came in later to pull it all together. “The band started off with Tanner and I,” said Madrigal. “Tanner played bass, but then switched to drums. I brought in Sam after Tanner and I had been playing together for a few weeks once he got a drum set. I brought in Jules once we started working together. Nicky was the last member to join. I met Nicky at SWC in Chamber Singers when I announced to the class that my band was looking for a singer.” Sobejana said that he was intimidated when he decided to join the band. “I only played music alone, so it was uncomfortable for me to share riffs and ideas,” he said. “This band is my first rock band. Coming in with the guys, though, one of the things we all quickly found in common with each other was that we really enjoyed being loud and also enjoyed listening to the same bands.” Sobejana said he was skeptical when Madrigal introduced Garcia to the rest of the band. “It didn’t make sense to me that a singer with a jazz background could fit in to our band’s sound,” he said. “Nicky, however, actually made it happen. (When) Nicky left from her first practice with us, Tanner and I gave each other one of those silent nods, both thinking ‘yeah, this could work.’” Their songs, “Ellie,” “Amy,” “Barbara,” “Amelia,” “Jill” and “Claire” are all names of women from TV shows or video games band members like. “I always write about an experience, whatever it is,” said Garcia. “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, so I don’t really say I go for one or the other. Whatever happens
to be happening at the time. Sometimes it happens naturally. These last couple songs I really feel like the guys have gotten together and tell me they have something and I’m like ‘okay let’s figure it out.’” Their music spans genres. Death by Snoo Snoo draws elements from indie tunes, punk rock and alternative music. “I always say that there are certain parts of the songs that have different feels to it,” said Partee. Garcia agreed. “I really think that (we) are still finding our sound,” she said. Using SWC’s Center for Recording Arts and Technology, the band recorded “Jill,” which was one of the tracks in “Soundbytes,” a compilation of local San Diego music sold at the studio. Maribel Alcala, a commercial music major, worked at the studio and contacted the band in fall of 2011 about recording. “I was in a few music classes with Jonathan when I found out he had a band,” said Alcala. “I loved that they were serious about the music, yet at the same time easygoing.” Daniel Cabeza de Baca, the studio manager, said he saw the potential in the band. “They can have their music go on to another level,” he said. “They were actually more excited to keep going with their own material.” Madrigal said recording in the studio was a bit of a challenge at first. “I thought it was pretty awkward going in there,” he said. “Our amps are in a completely different room, we were all listening to each other through a headset. That is weird because the energy, the aura that you feel from playing together is kind of gone.” Thomson said the band is trying to establish a media footprint. “Digital downloading is really going to change the face of how people distribute media,” said Thomson. “Kids are going to be hooked to the idea of ‘Hey, I like this band. Let me Google search, let me look at their Facebook, let me follow their Twitter, let me look at their Instagram.’” Songs by Death by Snoo are available at the band’s SoundCloud page. “We’re not making music just to sell,” said Madrigal. “We’re not in it just to be famous and make money. We do what we love and whoever is out there should do it, too.”
Serina Duarte/Staff
THE BOYS (AND GIRL) IN THE BAND — Death by Snoo Snoo is (l-r) Sam Thomson (bass), Julian Sobejana (guitar), Jon Madrigal ( guitar/ vocals), Tanner Partee (drums) and Nicky Garcia (vocals).
Photos by John Freeman
WEIRD NAME, BIG PROMISE — Death by Snoo Snoo had a successful debut at The Tin Can music club. (middle) Garcia writes and sings of her experiences, (above) Madrigal with a powerful vocal.
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Meditative Persian music cool as a shady palm
By Victoria Leyva Staff Writer
Like cool water trickling over sunburnt skin, the Persian music from group Dornob was an instrumental oasis in a cultural desert. Sitting upon a Persian rug, five men faced the small audience. Swathed in a Bill Cosby sweater, Farhad Bahrami, the eldest member, began. Plucking each string of his tar he created a sparse yet hypnotizing melody for “PishDaramond.” Long necked and slightly peculiar, the band leader’s instrument sounded similar to a banjo. Astride a tall wooden box, the percussionist sat hunched on the instrument and softly set up a resonating rhythm on his cajón. Enter the oud player, who added complexity. Resting on the lap of the stone-faced musician, the oud looked like a cross between a mandolin and guitarron, its odd shape and beautiful woodwork were compelling. A creeping bass line slithered into sync, while the keyboardist offset the
low tones. Each instrument sounded unique, yet they melded perfectly. Music slowly made its way through the audience, hanging heavy and smooth like smoke from an old hookah pipe. Audience members closed their eyes and were cloaked by the music. Local ghetto overwhelmed Persian entrancement when a door swung open and eight obnoxious students filed in, their oblivious chatting ruining the mood. Exasperated sighs and irritated glances rose from the seated crowd, all annoyed that the atmosphere had been dashed by the poor manners of some clueless SWC students. Class overcame crass. During “Sabzeyar” musicians led the audience through a maze. Complex and at times confusing, Persian music was puzzling yet pleasant. As the leader began to sing “Land of the Sun” in Farsi. His voice was guttural yet soft, unfamiliar yet soothing. Strain and repetition caused some audience members to become weary.
Although beautiful and foreign, the music was similar to instrumental jazz music in the sense that it can sound the same after a while. For the final song, “Pas-Daramand,” the band leader plugged an electric tar into an amp and strummed a few notes that sounded fitting for a Persian metal band. As the song progressed the electric instrument added a hint of modernity to a complex traditional song. Keyboard notes sounded as if though they were ripped from an early 1980s band. Audience members appeared drained by the night’s end. Dornob was refreshing as a cool spring at the end of a long hike.
Karen Tome/staff
PRINCE OF PERSIA — Farhad Bahrami, leader of the group Dornob, plays guitar and tar. Bahrami’s group has made Persian music accessible to American audiences since 1985.
ARTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 Vol. 57, Issue 6
Mago de Mariachi popularizes Mexico’s music By Rick Flores Staff Writer
Karen Tome/staff
MAESTRO DE MARIACHI — Dr. Jeff Nevin is a classically-trained trumpet player who loves mariachi most of all. He has been a one-man army spreading mariachi across the Southwest.
Dr. Jeff Nevin is arguably America’s Johnny Appleseed of Mariachi, the angel Gabriel of the guitarron, blowing the Heavenly trumpet to announce that something wonderful is coming. Juanito Semilla de la Manzana learned mariachi as a boy in Tucson and brought it to Southwestern College in 1998. Today, SWC’s Mariachi Garibaldi is the best and best known collegiate mariachi in the world. Nevin has trained scores of professional Mariachis, including three members of the Grammy-winning all-women’s ensemble Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea. Music, he said, is in his DNA. “My grandparents and parents were all musicians,” he said. “I started playing trumpet in band when I was 10 years old and have been playing ever since.” He caught the mariachi bicho as a teen. “When I was 15 I was invited to be in a mariachi in my hometown of Tucson,” he said. “At the same time I joined a local symphony orchestra and broadened my musical horizons.” In 1998, during the last semester of his doctorate program at UCSD, Nevin started at SWC with three mariachi classes and the college symphony orchestra. “I love teaching at SWC,” he said. “Starting the mariachi program here has been an amazing experience because it has given students an outlet to perform mariachi music after high school.” SWC Professor of Music Dr. Cynthia McGregor called herself a Nevin fan. “Dr. Nevin is one of the most brilliant musical minds I have met,” she said. “He spreads himself so thin in order to help further mariachi music in this country and to further the education of his mariachi students.” Nevin has a BA in music composition from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampagne. He earned a Master’s from Arizona State University and his Doctorate at UCSD, also in composition. He is classicallytrained trumpet player of enormous talent and versatility. He has performed with the San Diego Symphony and the La Jolla Symphony, as well as muchos mariachis. “Playing in these ensembles helped push me as a musician at UCSD,” he said. “Many of these musicians had been playing longer
than I had been alive and it forced me to improve.” Last November Nevin organized the first ever SWC Mariachi Conference that hosted more than 200 local high school musicians. It featured workshops with Mariachi Garibaldi members and local high school mariachi instructors. “I called them master classes because students worked with former SWC mariachi students and professional classical musicians on instrumental technique,” he said. “Mariachi musicians tend to place an emphasis on learning song after song, but they do not realize (sometimes) that you need to spend time improving your technique.” Nevin has a professional group called Mariachi Champaña. “Champaña is the group I use to perform with symphonies around the country and around the world,” said Nevin. “Garibaldi performs primarily at SWC and many festivals and has toured several countries.” SWC’s mariachi has played in Mexico, Russia, China, France, South Korea, Spain and Italy. Brazil may be next. Nevin is also president of the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation, which supports high school mariachi students in San Diego County. Donna Arnold, dean of the School of Arts and Communication, said Nevin is one of a kind. “Dr. Nevin is extremely passionate about mariachi and his students,” she said. “He works hard to provide his students with amazing learning and performance opportunities.” During the 2012-13 academic year Nevin went on sabbatical and wrote more than 1,500 pages of music for mariachis as well as symphony and mariachi combinations. His book, “The Ultimate Mariachi,” contains more than 100 arrangements of mariachi classics. He gives them away to high school music teachers. “These books have given many students arrangements that are well written for the modern mariachi,” he said. “Students can now have physical music instead of transcriptions or playing by ear.” Busy as he is, Nevin always finds time to play his beloved trumpet. “I never stopped performing,” he said. “Mariachi has and will always be something I truly love and enjoy.”
Talented retiree trumpets music programs By Kayla Hall Staff Writer
Trading the tin badge for the brass horn, Norman Rains is hitting all the right notes. Rains, a 79-year-old semi-retired investigator for the federal government, has been coming to Southwestern College for 13 years. He is a former aircraft mechanic for the Marine Corps who graduated from San Jose State with a Bachelor’s in psychology. He has intermittently attended SWC since the Fall of 1971. He started coming regularly to the school since 2001 when Professor of Music Dr. Jeff Nevin introduced the beginning brass class and Mariachi Ensemble. Rains said he loves jazz and has always had the desire to play the trumpet. “If it hadn’t been for music, I never would have stayed in high school,” he said. Rains said he had not played trumpet since 1952. SWC presented an opportunity to pick up his horn again and re-learn what he had lost. He initially chose SWC because of the proximity, but stayed because of the quality. SWC music programs include an AA in Mariachi and a beginning brass class that is difficult to find at the collegiate level. Rains played in the beginning Mariachi and brass class for five years. “I used to say I’m going to get a Ph.D in beginning Mariachi,” he said. “I was learning new concepts all the time and still am today.” As he improved, Rains joined the Jazz Band, tried his hand at improvisation and took advantage of the different disciplines of music offered at the college. Professors and instructors here are top flight, he said. “I don’t think they hire them because of their professional abilities to make music, but because of their ability to instruct,” he said. “They’re good at it. I’m sure they’re all top-notch musicians in their field, but aside from that they’re instructors and they can teach at any level.” Rains said he has since moved to the intermediate Mariachi class and took up guitar. Ray Nowak, a trumpet player for the San Diego Symphony, taught for one year at SWC while Nevin was on sabbatical in 2013 and worked with Rains.
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Art interns need more class sections By Wendy Gracia Assistant Campus Editor
Apprenticeships are the introduction to a serious relationship with the art world. Master artists take aspiring students under their guidance and into their workshops expecting nothing less than a dedicated intern. Mentors are the foundation to this new era, powered by creative people. Finding a mentor is as essential now as it was during the Renaissance. Southwestern College gets it – sort of. Its internship class, Art 290, is a “cooperative work experience in applied arts” and “provides students with professional applied arts experience by working in a visual arts related occupation,” according to the catalog. Yet this opportunity is not offered openly. It is restricted to declared art majors, despite the fact that more than a dozen seats are available. Micajah Truitt, chair of the Visual Arts Department, said the program is about creating avenues for students to make connections in the creative art world. “The main goal of that class is to get students into internships,” he said. “By being in those internships it exposes them to people that can h a ve t h o s e me n t o ri n g ro l e s .” Only a small amount of students take advantage of this beneficial opportunity. “It needs five students to be able to function,” he said. “It’s a little different than other classes.” Still, the opportunities that students are provided through this excellent class should be advertised more openly. SWC hosts thousands of artists and creative people, and the resources are widely overlooked. Art Collective an SWC club, is seeking to “provide a well-structured program that further develops and trains the essential skills for art students to become active elements of society as professional artists.” Adviser Nicholas “Nikko” Mueller, assistant professor of art, said he has high hopes for the club. “Personally, I didn’t have an internship at any point in my career,” he said. “I wish I had. I think it’s a great way to see the nuts and bolts of an operation in terms of what is going on in an artist’s studio.” As art students prepare for a fouryear university or a private art school, any open door is a golden opportunity. Paola Catano, fine arts major, is president of Art Collective. She said Professor of Art Marisol Rendon and Mueller have guided her. “They help me with a lot of things,” she said. “They inspire me to keep doing what I love, no matter what it is.” Catano said she considers Rendon a n d Mu e l l e r h e r m e n t o r s . “(Mueller) is so dedicated to everyone,” said Catano. “He actually treats you like a person, not as a student.” Finding a friendly face in a throng of faculty can be a comfort for art students looking to find a place in the art world. Networking is essential. Although the way art is created has changed with the advancement of technology, the way students learn through their professors and mentors has remained the same. SWC’s internship class is good. It is time to scale up.
Arts Calendar Kayla Hall/staff
HORN OF PLENTY — Versatile musician Norman Rains is a 79-year-old jazz and mariachi virtuoso as well as an advocate for the performing arts at Southwestern College. He has played in college ensembles since 2001.
“He was always very energetic about music and the trumpet,” Nowak said. “He was always interested in finding new techniques on the instrument or interested in finding out about new concepts in music.” Rains said SWC’s music classes performs a vital service. “I was very impressed,” he said. “The level of exposure to the arts was very impressive and kind of a relief because it’s something I am concerned about in today’s society.” Rains said he has been with the program for so long that he has seen its transformation, from one Mariachi class
with 20 or so students to four levels of Mariachi instruction and more than 100 students actively participating. “It’s a terrific opportunity for anybody who ever had any aspirations or a desire to play,” he said. “They can do it here comfortably. Age should not be taken into consideration, there’s no need for that because they accept anyone. They know I’m never going to be great, they know I am paddling so to speak, but they continue to challenge me and push me to get better.” Rains’ long-term presence at SWC is fueled by the concept Nevin strives to keep alive—the value of community enrichment.
“We faculty are constantly fighting to keep the no-credit offerings in music,” Nevin said. “I really do think Norm is the perfect example. His life is better, he feels better for himself and has more activities he can do. He is here all the time, at least two or three days a week and it’s valuable to him. If we eliminated it I think we wouldn’t just be hurting him, it would hurt all of us.” Rains said he will continue to come to Southwestern College as long as he can raise his trumpet. “They say old people should keep active.” Rains said. “Well, learning these concepts, reading and playing music, keeps me active.”
Vagina Monologues (Play) April 25, 26 7:30 p.m. Mayan Hall Theatre Spring Choral Concert April 27, 4 p.m. Mayan Hall Theatre Student Art Exhibition May 1-15 SWC Art Gallery Moliere One Acts (Play) May 14-17, 7:30 p.m. May 18, 2 p.m. Mayan Hall Theatre (limited seating)
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ARTS
Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014 Vol. 57, Issue 6
The Southwestern College Sun
> REVIEW
> REVIEW
Gospel choir lifts audience
By Angela Soberanes Staff Writer
Gatekeeper’s Children By Andrew Perez / Staff Writer
Photos by Karen Tome
ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL — Operation Gatekeeper is the backdrop of the stunning “Labor Migrant Gulf ” exhibit in the Art Gallery. John Pitman shows a farmworker surrendering to the social and political forces that he faces.
As Operation Gatekeeper polices push migrant death counts past the 10,000 mark, the angry ghosts of dead immigrants haunt the unsettling “Labor Migrant Gulf” at the Southwestern Art Gallery. Racism and xenophobia buffet migrants in their adoptive lands, leaving proud hardworking people bruised, humiliated and dead. Visitors get a taste of the dehumanization. At the entrance to the gallery, a lone table awaits patrons. A long white sheet of paper has been rolled out and an inkpad stands by. Entrants stamp the underside of their fists and leave their mark upon the paper, an artistic act of solidarity with the migrant workers this exhibit represents. Marks on the paper bear a striking resemblance to the “boteh/paisley” symbol that is the exhibit’s main motif. Resembling a teardrop, the symbol represents a myriad of things to many cultures, but to Indian migrant workers it means pay day. Historically these workers were illiterate and when it came time to sign for their pay, they would ink the underside of their fist and leave a boteh. This is an interesting interactive work that allows each patron the opportunity to be a part of a piece of art. Each wall of the gallery is dedicated to a different subculture. On one wall features three superimposed pictures showing a normal day at the U.S./Mexico border. All of the immigrants, though, have been whited-out and the scenes have lost their sunny California veneer. What are left are pictures of ghosts trying to cross into the U.S. They are unseen to those around them as they swallow their identity and spit out wisps of clouds. These photos demonstrate the invisibility of immigrants and America’s glance-the-other-way attitude towards them. Metal signboards depicting paintings of beloved pets adorn another wall. A red
rooster stares out of one above the words “Be Aware of Enlightened Chicken,” a cute little terrier wearing a blue scarf next to the words “Beware of Danger Dog!” is featured in another. These paintings are part of a project called “Nepal Art Dogs,” which strives to give poor, non-working Nepali sign painters’ commissions of artwork to get them enough money to buy food and clothes. Supporters can send a picture of a beloved family pet or animal with a donation to NepalDog.com and the fully-compensated artists produce a colorful and humorous sign featuring the pet. Vibrant colors and interesting subjects make these little signs one of the highlights of the exhibit. Cheerful looks on the pet’s faces stand as a stark contrast to the gloomy surroundings. Most striking in the exhibit, though, is a piece that focuses on the labor aspect of immigrant life. Dismembered mannequin arms have been pasted onto the wall. They are bruised, burned, disfigured and scratched, resembling the arms of a rotting corpse instead of the faux-happy plastic life mannequins usually depict. Next to the arms are drawings and pictures of dried cornhusks and vegetables. Los brazos are positioned as if they are trying to crawl up the wall, adding a creepy vibe. These arms accuse us of ignoring their plight, blind to the bigger picture and hurting others without knowing. “Labor Migrant Gulf ” is a rich and solid exhibit. Each piece serves its purpose. Essence and immediacy bleed from each canvas and bludgeons every onlooker. Art in this exhibit is angry. Angry at the way its subjects are treated, subjected and debased. It demands that migrants to be noticed. They are not invisible ghosts, but flesh and blood, veins and brains. They are people like the rest of us and they demand fairness.
Chalking Up a Winner By Wendy Gracia Assistant Campus Editor
Photo by Karen Tome
FESTIVAL OF COLORS — “Left is Right” by Sonia Morelos at the street painting festival.
Rain is the friend of the farmer but the mortal enemy of the sidewalk chalk artist. A spring rainstorm washed some great work down the drain, but when the storm passed and the sun shone, the walkways at the heart of the college blossomed with color like the flower fields of Carlsbad. Women’s History Month was celebrated at the 8th annual Southwestern College Street Painting Festival with an array of stunning portraits made of chalk and elbow grease. Chalk artists in knee pads and old Levis crawled around their creations and spoke up for women one square of concrete at a time. Organizer Brenda Mora said she wanted to bring motivation and a great venue to the community. “It is one of the largest events on campus and one that staff and faculty look forward to,” said Mora. “It is the first time children are involved and that’s what I was aiming for.” SWC’s Art Collective won Best of Show with its collaborative piece, inspired by artist Glenn Ibbitson, of a woman hunched over, bruised and beaten. It represented the very harsh
reality of human trafficking. Around the border of the image club members wrote, “Every year 2,450,000 people become victims of human trafficking, of whom 92% end up being used for sex. 98% of victims are women and children.” Lidia Vasquez, 12, a gifted student at High Tech Middle School, took the Best Portrayal of Women’s History Award with her stunning rendition of Frida Kahlo. Hugo Moreno’s black and white portrait of Audrey Hepburn won the award for Best Technique. “I Am Malala,” by Cecilia Linayao and Giovanni Cerda, honored the brave young Muslim schoolgirl shot by the Taliban for seeking an education. They won the Most Original Award. SWC’s Book Club created a popular tribute to author J.K. Rowling and her magical world of Harry Potter, mankind’s all-time best-selling book series. Harry, Ron and Hermione would have been hard pressed to equal the magic of a group of talented artists who with the wave of their chalk wands turned a white sidewalk into an outdoor art gallery. Art admirers had a world of wonder at their feet.
Go out and sing it on the mountain! Southwestern College has a gospel choir. Exuberant and uplifting, the choir made up for a general lack of polish with an overabundance of charisma and spirit. It does not have to be Sunday to sing to The Lord and the gospel choir borrowed deep from the church to bring a bit of heaven to a secular audience. “Give Him Praise” was the first song the choir premiered and the audience clapped and shouted with love. “He Reigns” was more upbeat and fun. Many unique voices came together along with the powerful drums and piano. Choir director Leonard Patton snapped along to Michael Beers’ beat as David Castel de Oro conjured delta gospel and African call-and-response from his piano. A l e x Va r g a s f o l l owe d a l o n g gamely on bass. Patton’s arrangement of “Walk With Me” moved the audience. Fo u r s o l o i s t s e x p re s s e d t h e struggle of the tedious journey through their passionate chant. Jo n - A n t h o n i Ni e ve s , L o r i s e Diamond, Elisha Moore and Andrew Kaswik showcased their talent. Kaswik lifted the crowd skyward as he hit the high notes like a melodic stairway to heaven. “I Won’t Go Back” sent out a joyous vibe even as soloist flubbed some passages. Audience members, though, were less concerned about a few sharps and flats, and more about the spirit of the evening. A gospel choir is not about exceptional singers, it is about singers who love to the music and the innovative people who create it in the cotton patches, docks and pews of the Old South. Freedom has rarely sounded so divine.
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The Southwestern College Sun
Story by Saira Araiza and Colin Grylls • Photos by John Domogma
UNDREDS OF PROTESTERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEIR DREAMS ARE ALIVE.
Students on both sides of the Otay Mesa Border Crossing shared their dreams. They dreamed that deported students could go back to their homes in the United States. That dream remains alive even if the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is dead, at least for now. Even a balky Congress could not quash the dream. Wearing graduation caps and gowns, a delegation of DREAMers who grew up in America but were deported looked to end their nightmares as they lined up on the Mexican side of la linea.
About 100 DREAMers had a clear message for President Obama, “Aqui comienza la reforma migratoria” (Immigration reform starts here). In el norte, protestors from the National Immigrant Youth Alliance gathered on the U.S. side of the border to support those in el sur trying to regain their lives as American students. Border Angels founder Enrique Morones supported the protesters. “Right now what’s being practiced here in the United States is not humane immigration policy,” he said. “How is it possible that these families are separated from their loved ones? How is it possible that this country goes around preaching human rights, but because of a broken taillight (deported students) never see their parents again?”
Dulce Guerrero, 21, helped put the protest together. It drew participants from as far as Washington, North Carolina, Ohio and her hometown of Atlanta. please see Dreamers pg. B1
February 22—April 6, 2014 Volume 57, Issue 6
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The Southwestern College Sun
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February 22 - April 6, 2014, Volume 57 Issue 6
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DREAM Continued from Page A12
“I feel like it’s very important for families to be united, especially families who were separated through deportation,” she said. “I think it’s very important to make sure that they are reunited here in the United States for their safety, for the sake of the children.” Fatima Gallegos said her family was torn apart by America’s immigration policies. She travelled to the Otay crossing from Phoenix with her daughter, Herminia, to speak on behalf of her brother, who was deported. Despite deep resistance from Republicans in the U.S. Congress, she said she remains optimistic. “The day they took him I didn’t have a chance to see him because I couldn’t get there in time,” she said. “I’m really excited and really energetic. I know my brother is going to come home.” As Gallegos and the rest of the protesters waited, Brian Borya was trying to cross. The 22-year-old DREAMer said he came to the United States at the age of two when his mom crossed without inspection. He lived in New Jersey until he was deported to his native Columbia two years ago. “One day I was traveling on a Greyhound (bus),” Borya said. “A Border Patrol agent was asking for documents I didn’t have and he took me into custody.” Borya said after a month of being in an INS detention center he had a hearing before a judge. He said he was deported the same week Obama announced he would freeze deportations for
potential DREAMers. “The judge told me I would have to sign a voluntary departure or (he would) deport me anyway and that (the DREAM Act) is only a dream and it will never become a reality,” he said. “I’m asking for political asylum to return to my home (in the United States), my country that I consider my home. We all deserve to go home.” Kimberly Sotelo said she hoped to return to her home in the Washington. She lived in the United States for 17 years and could not go back home once she crossed the border to Mexico. “I felt I didn’t have a future in the United States,” said Sotelo. “They don’t let us get into college if you don’t have a social security number. If you don’t have money, you can ask for scholarships or financial aid, but I couldn’t, so I decided to go back to Mexico.” Sotelo said after her visa was rejected four times she felt unwanted by both countries. “I’m Mexican, but I can’t read or write (in Spanish),” she said. “My Spanish is pocho. My home is the United States with my parents and sisters.” Sotelo said after two years of being alone in a foreign land and two years of not seeing her family, she is asking for permission to be with them, work and go to school. “My parents support me and they told me that if I think [this movement] is going to help me, then I Please See DREAMERS page B2
Photos by John Domogma
LET NO MAN PUT A SUNDER — Protesters on both sides of the U.S. - Mexican border called for an end to American deportations of young people born in Mexico, but raised in the United States.President Obama called for a halt to deportations of DREAM Act - eligible youth after Republicans blocked the proposal to offer citizenship to students, persons serving in the military and other contributing people in good standing. Protesters in San Ysidro and Tijuana also demanded an end to mistreatment of deportees by the Mexican government, Baja California Police and drug cartels.
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Fernanda Gutierrez, editor
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Jan. 21 - Feb. 21, 2014 — Vol. 57, Issue 5
Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: Campus@theswcsun.com
Slaughter of bees on campus may have violated law By JoseLuis Baylon Staff Writer
crew said bees are essential to our campus. global die off of life“Bees are pollinators and they’re no giving bees has scientists strangers to our school,” said Bruce perplexed, farmers on Boman, a groundskeeping intern. “We e d g e a n d i n f o r m e d need to understand the true nature of humans worried about bees and their impact on human lives. our future. In China, farmers are individually Southwestern College apparently has pollinating plants by hand because the not been paying attention to the buzz. bees aren’t around to pollenate. It takes C o l l e g e o f f i c i a l s a u t h o r i z e d t h e hundreds of man hours to pollenate extermination of nearly 5,000 bees that one site. Bees do it in 15, 20 minutes.” had swarmed near Parking Lot J and Laws have changed the way bees are some staff members want to know why. managed in California and nationally. A clustered swarm of bees was California’s Apiary Protection Act discovered by Chula Vista Police enforces 16 articles which deem proper near student parking and the area legal steps in order to take possession was closed down before a college of a bee colony, distribute their honey l a n d s c a p i n g e m p l oye e c o n t a c t e d or transport it. Carlos Richardson, photography lab SWC, by reflexively killing 5,000 technician and go-to beekeeper at SWC. bees, likely violated state and federal law. Richardson identified the bees on the Priya Jerome, director of Procurement, fence as a routine, non-lethal cluster. Central Services and Risk Management, “ T h e y d o n’t b o t h e r a n y b o d y,” was directed to address the issue with h e s a i d . “ Yo u l e t t h e m s u r v i v e SWC employees. a n d i n a d a y t h e y ’r e g o n e . ” “Procedures are being reviewed to Richardson said he offered to remove ensure that all employees understand and transport the bees out of the the protocol regarding bees,” she said. parking lot. When he returned a Jerome said the bee removal protocol few hours later, the bees were dead. instructs maintenance and grounds San Diego Pest was hired by SWC’s personnel to section off areas with purchasing department to exterminate swarming bees until they fly away the bees with Product 7, a poison on their own. Richardson said he is specifically made for killing bee swarms. hopeful the protocol will take the sting Western honey bees, the species killed out of future bee incursions. on campus, are a wild, native, free“ We can’t be wiping out bees roaming bee. They are the roaming i n d i s c r i m i n a t e l y, ” h e s a i d . mustangs of the breeze, spending “Southwestern college—an educational their time s oaring through California institution—should be providing April Abarrondo/Staff a n d t h e S o u t h w e s t , p o l l i n a t i n g leadership. We need to model for the ALL THE BUZZZZ — Neuroscience major JoseLuis Baylon collects the carcasses of about flowers and plant life beneath them. rest of the community the 21st century 5,000 hastily-exterminated European honey bees that swarmed near Parking Lot J. College Members of SWC’s groundskeeping way to care for which does not include officials promised to revisit policies about wild bees.
Hieroglyphics class carves its way back into schedule
John Domogma/ Staff
CRACKING THE CODE — Dr. Mark Van Stone designed the Mayan hieroglyphics that ring the campus library.. By Martin J. Loftin Staff Writer
Dr. Mark van Stone can read the writing on the wall—even if its Mayan, Aztec, Olmec or Egyptian. He is, in fact, the rare man who prefers messages written in stone. Spring 2014 loomed as a temple of doom for Van Stone’s Art of Hieroglyphics class at Southwestern College due to low enrollment. Van Stone channeled his inner Indiana Jones and persevered. He put up flyers around campus in an effort to spread the word. From out of the jungles, deserts and mountains of the South Bay, students came forward and took the leap. His class survived. Van Stone lived to teach another day. Van Stone became interested in hieroglyphic writing systems early in his career, he said, but it originally developed out of his love for art. He said there is a common bond between art and written language. “I have always been interested in abstract art,” he said. “I was never interested in what I call lazy abstract art where people just let the paint do its own thing.” His research into calligraphy led him to
discover many styles of writing that helped him diversify his own work. Fascinated by the history of writing and guided by his research of the English alphabet, Van Stone said he explored the Arabic alphabet’s roots in the Egyptian alphabet. Discovering how beautiful Mayan hieroglyphs made him realize there was a lack of appreciation and understanding of the art form of written language. Ernest M. Saenz, a retired psychotherapist and SWC alumnus, is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts. He used Mayan hieroglyphs in his Chicano-styled art for years before fully comprehending their significance. Saenz said he hopes Van Stone’s class will help him as a muralist by giving him a better understanding of Mesoamerican art. “It is exactly what I expected,” Saenz said. “I am getting a very in-depth introduction to the material.” In Van Stone’s class typical homework assignments include translating ancient texts, researching Egyptian kings and discovering the history of written language. Citlali Marshburn, a former student, took Van Stone’s hieroglyphics class out of
curiosity after taking his Mesoamerican Art class last semester. “He is a really good teacher,” she said. “He knows how to explain everything so that you will understand it perfectly.” Van Stone said he wants to demonstrate how different ancient cultures used language as an art form. Hieroglyphs adorning temples and pyramids were used not only to show beauty through complex characters, but also to signify the importance of the buildings they decorated. Characters of Mayan glyphs resemble jaguars, frogs and many symbols are abstractions of the environment. More complex characters are subtle fusions of two different glyphs that form new words or ideas. For everyday functions, the scribes of Mayan culture would use a simplified script that was far less pictorial than the hieroglyphs found on important buildings. Van Stone said putting so much work into adorning buildings with beautiful glyphs served as political propaganda to the rest of the illiterate population. Even though 99 percent of Mayans could not read, they were still able to appreciate beautiful art and recognize the power behind the symbols.
“Writing, written forms and inscriptions in particular are a very important form of cultural abstract art,” said Van Stone. “Their meaning is not obvious and is derived by a gut reaction.” Van Stone said he was eventually able to fill his class, but SWC’s new add date deadline policy has hurt students and teachers. He said the strict add dates alleviated some of the chaos administrators deal with during the first few weeks of school, but are not in the best interest of the students. “The decisions are wrong-headed with top-down interests in mind,” he said At one point the possibility of The Art of Hieroglyphics and Asian Art getting cancelled was high, but Van Stone’s own on-the-wall advertising paid off. Noah Werner, a radiation therapist and fan of Van Stone’s work, said he has been waiting two years for this class to be taught. He is not a regular student at SWC, but wanted to take the course due to his own fascination with the Mayan culture. “Mark is an awesome teacher,” Werner said. “He is very entertaining and keeps class interesting.”
DREAMERS: Rally calls for humane immigration reform Continued from Page B1
should do it because I have nothing to lose,” she said. Macrina Cardenas is a volunteer at La Casa del Migrante in Tijuana. She said this movement is a way to educate Americans about the injustices immigrants endure. “The United States has recognized that immigrants are big (contributors to) the American economy,” she said. “When these people are deported and expelled from the country, America is not recognizing those contributions.” Cardenas said she witnessed many cases of civil rights violations and family separations. “These people have given a lot to the economy and at the end their essential right is being violated which is the right for parents and children to live together,” she said. The rate of deportees during the Obama administration has been the highest ever, said Cardenas, even though Latino voters helped him win the presidential elections in 2008 and 2012. On the American side of the border, protesters chanted, “Obama, Obama! Don’t deport my momma!” “I think the president doesn’t even know about the suffering he is causing by separating these families,” said Cardenas. “The American government and society promote family values on one hand, but on the other hand they are separating families. This is the question I would ask to each American family: If they separate you from your children, who wouldn’t want to come back?” Not everyone on the American side of the border was supportive of reuniting the families. A lone protester, who withheld her name, set up across the street from the DREAMers and waved a massive American flag as she chanted through her megaphone. “You are illegal, you are criminal! You are illegal, you are criminal!” The DREAMers quickly responded with their own rallying cry. “No human is illegal! No human is illegal!” Jose Conchas, a University of Arizona student, said DREAMers would not be deterred. “ We d o n’t c a r e ( a b o u t counterprotesters),” he said. “We’ve been through so much in this fight with people who do not (agree with us), we don’t care. Their messages are irrelevant because they take the humanity out of it. That’s one of our main values. Every person is a human. Families are families and not something to be separated.” Morones said Latinos have been wonderful Americans who have served in the military, earned college degrees and contributed to the economy. Still, he said, they have historically been made to feel unwelcomed. “What happened to our Statue of Liberty?” he said. “Those people with European backgrounds had a statue that welcomed them. ‘Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses.’ We don’t have that, we have a wall.”
Journalists win big at convention Southwestern College journalism students once again captured the top awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges California State Convention held this year in Burbank. The Sun earned the Pacemaker Award, the sweepstakes honor, as well as awards for General Excellence, Enterprise Reporting and the People’s Choice Awards for design. SWC won a total 24 awards, the most of any college in the state. Sun staffers were recognized for their outstanding coverage of the American deportees living in a squalid Tijuana refugee camp just feet from the international border. National and international media have subsequently followed the story after it was broken by The Sun, including CNN, Al Jazeera, UT San Diego and the Los Angeles Times. International health and human rights organizations are now involved, though many refugees remain.
CAMPUS
The Southwestern College Sun
By Liliana Cervantes Assistant Campus Editor
Legions of Southern California college students stare out the window on the sunny days wishing they could be surfing instead of being in class. Now they can do both. Surf ’s up at the Southwestern College Crown Cover Aquatic Center on Silver Strand State Beach. So is sailing, canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddling. SWC’s innovative water sports campus has hallways of sand, ceilings of sun and classrooms of blue Pacific Ocean. Director Patricia Milkovich seems reluctant to admit that she loves working there. Maybe she just doesn’t want to rub it in. Aquatic classes, though, are no day at the beach, she said. “Mother Nature and the water can be very intimidating,” she said. “It is an equalizer when you put people on a sailboat in a team situation. If they cannot work together, they fail.” Aquatic courses are transferrable and fulfill physical education requirements for AA degrees said Milkovich and they cost only $46 per credit. Classes also include Community CPR, First Aid and l i f e g u a r d c e r t i f i c a t i o n . T h e r e i s a Sp r i n g S a i l i n g
Photos by Serina Duarte
SMOOTH SAILING — (above) CrownCove Aquatic Center students enjoy a perfect day on the bay. (r) Students dip their toes in the water as they learn the esssentials of stand- up paddleboarding.
Raising Hell, raising funds at popular PTK car show By Irving Moya Staff Writer
Lucifer has a nice ride, but the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Car Show was definitely on the side of the angels. “Classic” was the word of the day as proud car aficianados showed off their babies to a steady stream of impressed visitors. Chula Vista’s Fire Department got the hot event off to a hot start, said PTK adviser Myriam Moody. “They literally came out with fire glaring, lights flashing and they were in gear,” she said. “They pulled out the water hoses and started to water away.” Even a fire hose could not cool off “El Diablo,” a hellishly cool 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser with a red and black interior embellished with skulls, fire David McVicker/ Staff and death. Terry Rainey said LIKE FINE WINE—Pete Jimenez’s 1940 Ford coupe with its special “merlot jewel” red paint job and he loves his devil-themed car, handleless suicide doors. though it suprises people every mile of the way. “What is scary, wicked, and Music legend John Lennon which was simple but powerful. an impressive event. mean,” he said. “What is more made a surprise appearance It was an unembellished car that “I can’t do this by myself and scarier than the devil?” under the hood of an extravagant over-powered the 116 other all of our members had a role Pete Jimenez, owner of the a 1953 yellow Ford P/4. Lime vehicles on display with its getting it organized, getting unique “merlot-jewel”colored green flames licked the exterior simplicity. raffle prices and putting stuff 1940 Ford Coupe, said he spent to mesmerizing effect. PTK’s fundraiser will help 15 together,” she said. “The Phi $40,000 on his Opera Coupe. One car came out victorious. members of the club attend the Theta Kappa members really Part of that money was for Richard Dinnen collected the International Conference this pulled off the show. I’m very suicide doors without handles, “Best of Show” award for his month in Orlando. Moody proud of them for acting as an he said. sparkling black 1956 Ford F100, said her students put together awesome team.”
Jan. 21 - Feb. 21, 2014 — Vol. 57, Issue 5
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Academy for kid’s ages 10 through 17 and a Summer Aquatic Adventure Camp open for children ages 7 to 15. Erik Blackwood, a medical student at the University of Notre Dame, works at Crown Cove as head lifeguard trained assistant (LTA). He said he came to the center when he was 12 for summer camp and loved it so much he came back every summer. He got his first job at the center after landing a work permit at age 15. “When I was in college I just missed being outside,” he said. “I missed doing things here. That’s why I came back.” Darby Alden, the aquatic equipment technician, said he loves surfing, sailing, kayaking and working at Crown Cove. Alden rigs boats, repairs damaged equipment, welds and can work with fiberglass. Alden, 63, an army veteran and retired pwost office m a n a g e r, i n s i s t s o n w o r k i n g a n d s t a y i n g a c t i v e . “I use to watch people when they retire from the post office be dead in a couple years,” he said. “Your body just gives out on you. Figures you’re done, I guess. I didn’t want that to happen to me. I learned you stay active you keep doing things you live a lot longer you have a much fuller life.” Milkovich said Alden is in the right place. “(Crown Cove is) not the traditional learning that occurs in a classroom,” she said. “Our classroom is the outdoors.”
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SPECIAL FEATURE
The Southwestern College Sun
START
February 22 - April 6, 2014 — Volume 57, Issue 6
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THE ROAD TO
First, make sure you meet the right qualifications to apply for financial aid: •Financial needs •High school diploma •U.S. citizenship or residency
Some unethical students take aid money, then quit school. Bad idea. submitting complete and accurate applications on time will make the process go faster.
DISQUALIFIERS
•Already possessing a bachelor’s degree •more than 90 units •not maintaining a 2.0 gpa
re-submit Inaccurate/Incomplete application
Beware the killer atm fees! THE BANK
Higher One offers students the option to create a bank account to receive financial aid. (WARNING: Transaction fees apply)
Not providing hard copy documents
After your journey, make sure to keep those grades up to keep your financial aid for next semester.
After qualifying, avoid the booby traps along the way, such as not checking e-mails and failing your classes.
HIGHER ONE
Once approved, Students must choose 1 of 3 methods to receieve financial aid.
DIRECT DEPOSIT TO ACCOUNT
The most secure transaction for students to receieve their financial aid.
Remember to repeat the process for next year! (Good news, it is easier the second time.)
PAPER CHECK
Students electing to receieve paper checks must wait for delivery by the postal service.
Dan Cordero, Kim Garza, Wendy Gracia, Gabriel Hernandez, Joaquin Junco Jr., Aydan Lopez, Jason O’Neal, Andrea Munguia, Anna Pryor/Staff
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February 22 - April 6, 2014—Volume 57, Issue 6
SPORTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Fieldhouse of Dreams
WONDERWALL — An artist’s rendering of the remodeling of DeVore Stadium. Work will continue through the summer, culminating in an August 15 grand opening of the new athletic fieldhouse complex. By Nicholas Baltz and Lee Bosch Co-Sports Editor & Assistant Sports Editor
After three years, $40 million and a whole lot of unexpected water, Southwestern College Athletic Director Terry Davis is ready to party. A re-invented DeVore Stadium is scheduled to open August 15. “We’re looking at having a rededication ceremony,” he said. “We are going to advertise to the community and the Devore family will be there. We’re going to invite back athletes and show our community what we’re doing.” That grand opening almost got washed away in a great flood. Balfour Beatty Construction suffered a setback when crew members hit water on the bank of the hill where the field house was being built. Justin Maletic, project manager for Balfour Beatty, said the company solved the issue with a canyon drain system. “When we dug down we hit this body of water, basically an underground aquifer and had quite a bit of water coming out of the wall,” he said. “We put in horizontal drains and basically relieved the hydrostatic pressure behind the wall. (We) eventually diverted it under the building
to drain into the sewage system.” SWC construction consultant Mark Claussen said the water issues set the project back six months. “That was quite an event when we hit that water,” he said. “That’s a good reason sometimes to shut a project down and scratch your head a little bit come up with an answer. We couldn’t afford to do that, so really we were planning, designing and building at the same time to work around it.” Maletic said the stadium will be ready for the fall sports season. Now the goal is to finish the building in time for classes in August. The field house consists of four floors, with two elevators and exterior staircases to give an open design, with access to all levels of the facility. The first floor will have locker rooms and showers for football, soccer, visiting teams and officials, as well as an aqua-therapy pool. A weight room occupies the second floor for use by the football team and the public. It will be separated so that a power lifting class can take place while students workout. Glass windows will allow people a view and allow sunlight into the building. Locker rooms and restrooms are
also on this floor. Four classrooms for kinesiology and sports therapy will make up the third story. They will each seat about 40 students and will be equipped with digital touch screen boards and central Wi-Fi. In front of these classrooms will be a patio area with box seating for a unique endzone view of the stadium. Next to the classrooms will be a lecture hall with a 25foot projector screen, for guest speakers, lectures and athletes. Football coach Ed Carberry said he is eager to use the new facility. “The thing that excites me the most is that theater,” he said. “Instead of a 70seat room we’re going to have a 140-seat theater to have a team meeting where we can get everybody in at one time without guys lying on the floor in a not-very-instructional mode. That will be awesome.” The fourth floor holds offices for the dean and the health and exercise science staff, as well as tutoring rooms. Devore Stadium will also be the new home of Jaguar’s soccer. A new synthetic field will have a cooling system for hot days and a drainage system for wet
weather. It will be marked with both football and soccer lines, with offsetting colors to differentiate what lines are in play. This is very common for high schools and colleges with turf fields, said Claussen. Men’s soccer coach Cem Tont said he is a soccer purist by nature who believes the game should always be played on grass, but said he sees the benefits to playing on a new turf. “It’s a little bit narrow for soccer standards, but we are very flexible,” he said. “As a college coach, I look at things a bit differently. What matters are the players. You play in a great venue, you attract more people, psychologically there are benefits.” Tont also said the fierce rivalry with San Diego City College could become a big local attraction. “I’d like to maybe get a couple of night games, [City] can bring their fans down to,” he said. “We don’t really have professional soccer in San Diego, so things might develop.” Balfour Beatty Construction Superintendent Tyler Steele said the field house could earn lead silver
ranking for sustainability. “The U.S. Green Building Council certifies building based on a number of criteria all related to sustainability, such as energy efficiency, day lighting, environmental footprints and what it’s made of,” said Steele. “If you can buy organic for a building and get your building products from close by, you save money.” Press boxes, concessions and restrooms have been completed, said Steele. A central plant building will house a mechanical system for the field house and three other buildings on site, but has capacity to handle all of the heating and cooling systems on the campus. Davis said the finished product will model the way SWC building projects go. “This is the new future of Southwestern College, we’re rebuilding the college bit by bit,” said Davis. “This is what Southwestern can do with imagination and all parties being involved. We were very happy that our architects did what our students wanted.” With contributions by Colin Grylls
Gifted Ayded Reyes still on track Bartow’s boys still battling By Gabriel Sandoval Staff Writer
Serina Duarte/Staff
DREAMERS’ CHAMPION— Former SWC cross country and track superstar Ayded Reyes has had a stellar career at CSU San Marcos. Her next goal is medical school.
SAN MARCOS, Calif.—Ayded Reyes lives on hope. There were times that was all she had. In 2011 the Southwestern College cross country champion, track star, straight A student and perfect citizen was alone in a cold, dirty INS detention center treated as a criminal and hours away from being deported. She was helped. She was saved. “I sometimes think about it,” she said. “I still cannot believe what happened, because I never thought it would.” Now a senior scholarship athlete at Cal State San Marcos and well on her way to American citizenship, Reyes said the threat of deportation has helped her become a stronger person. Reyes’s blessing in disguise began in 2011, about a week before the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championships. Captain of SWC’s women’s cross country team and owner of multiple college track records, Reyes was the passenger in a car stopped for a minor traffic violation by two Harbor Police officers in Chicano Park. Reyes, who was born in Mexico and carried across the U.S./Mexico border at the age of two by family, was unable to provide proof of citizenship. Border Patrol agents were summoned and she was detained. She was transferred into the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and shuttled around between Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and San Ysidro detention cells for four miserable and sleepless days. She said it felt like months.
Reyes was finally released after former Congressman Bob Filner intervened and compelled the INS to free her. After her release, she led her team to first place in the PCAC championships. Her story made national news. She was featured on CNN, ESPN and her poster-sized photo was held overhead by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin on the floor of the U.S. Senate. She became the face of the DREAM Act. She won the SWC Student of Distinction Award, several academic scholarships and many university athletic scholarship offers. Hollywood screenwriters would have had a hard time coming up with the story. A subsequent court case against Reyes for being in the U.S. illegally led to dismissal of all charges. Lawyer Jacob Sapochnick represented her pro bono and was able to secure a Deferred Action status, which means all legal actions to deport her have now been postponed. “I have to carry a paper with me, just in case immigration stops me,” she said. “It is proof that I am in the program, or in the process, to get either residency or citizenship.” With deferred action, Reyes can legally work in the U.S. and get a driver’s license. She now has a social security number. Sapochnick said he was inspired by Reyes’s resolve. He said she is a person that deserves to live in the U.S. and stories like hers illustrate why immigration reform is needed. “Many of the young kids that are getting their paperwork in stages are going to be examples,” he said. “The more we have these please see Reyes pg. B8
John Domogma/Staff
DEUCES WILD— Freshman pitcher Dylan McDonald throws a curveball for a strike in a 2-1 victory against San Diego Mesa College. By Colin Grylls Co-Sports Editor
With two clutch victories over Palomar College, the Jaguars baseball team kept its Pacific Coast Athletic Conference and postseason hopes alive by a whisker. At 20-8 (10-6 PCAC) and ranked 10th in Southern California, they are still in position to snag home-field advantage in the playoffs. Third place is not good enough for retiring coach Jerry Bartow, who said the team has room to improve. “We just haven’t been able to put the
bat on the ball at the right time,” he said. “If we ever decide when we’re going to hit, it might be alright if the pitching stays good.” SWC has been hitting, they are 13th in the state with a .293 team batting average, but only 40 of their 276 hits have been for extra bases. 11 of those have come from centerfielder Chris Allen, who said that the team has yet to reach their potential. “It’s either one or the other,” he said. “We’ve never played to our top, we’ve never pitched and hit at the same time. I please see Baseball pg. B7
SPORTS
The Southwestern College Sun
Feb. 22- April 6, 2014—Vol. 57, Issue 6
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Colin Grylls/staff
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN— Jaguars’ center fielder Chris Allen breaks for second on a hit and run during a 4-2 victory over Palomar College. (below) Shortstop Oscar Fitch singles in a 9-5 loss to Palomar.
Baseball: Clutch wins keep Jaguars in the ultimate playoff hunt Continued from Page B6
can’t wait to see it because once we do it’s going to click. We’re going to run with it.” SWC dropped the first two games against first place Palomar and needed to split the season series to stay in contention for the PCAC title. After a 7-2 road victory, freshman Kevin Ginkel started on the mound in the series finale at the Jaguar Junction. Ginkel set the tone in the first inning when he struck out Palomar’s third and fourth batters. Right fielder Roberto Lucero built off of the momentum with a leadoff walk and promptly stole second base. Lucero is fifth in the PCAC with 12 steals and has yet to be caught this season. With one out and runners on second and third, second baseman Miguel Solano pulled a ground ball to the shortstop and was thrown out at first, but Lucero’s speed helped the Jaguars score the first run of the ballgame. Designated hitter Francis Christy tried to start a Palomar rally in the second with aggressive baserunning, stretching a base hit single into a double on a lazy throw back to the infield. SWC catcher Albert Canedo, however, responded with a brazen play of his own. Christy took a large secondary lead as Ginkel kicked up his leg. He threw a trademark fastball and without skipping
a beat Canedo fired the ball behind the runner to shortstop Oscar Fitch. Christy could not get back in time as Fitch slapped the tag to kill the Comets’ momentum. Canedo translated his aggressiveness to the batter’s box in the fifth inning. Leading 2-0 with the bases loaded, he drove a fastball to right field to knock in first baseman Roman Garcia and third baseman Frank Mello to make it 4-0 Jags. Palomar could not score against Ginkel or his electric 90 mph fastball. In seven innings he recorded seven strikeouts and allowed just six hits. “My fastball felt amazing today,” Ginkel said. “I was hitting the corners. I could hit it up and down. The umpire didn’t give me anything low, but that’s something you’ve got to work with.” Deandre Simpson relieved Ginkel and gave up an unearned run in the eighth inning to make the score 4-1. Palomar tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, centerfielder Dillan Smith hit an RBI single to bring the Comets within two. Left fielder Matt Matlock stepped up to the plate as Simpson delivered a sidearm fastball. Matlock got underneath the pitch and looked relieved as the ball tailed across the left field foul line. Daniel Goodrich, however, was running full bore towards the fence and ended the game with a sliding catch in the shadows. SWC’s pitching staff has been a large part of the team’s success. Its 2.96 ERA is second in the conference. The Jags, however, have given up 31 unearned runs in 28 games. Without a true power threat they need to play small ball to push runs
across the plate. Allen has been one of the team’s top performers. He has an outstanding .416/.516/.545 slash line, giving him the best batting average, top on-base percentage and second highest slugging percentage in the PCAC. He is also third in the conference with 14 steals and is one of the team’s vocal leaders. “That’s what you have to look to do when you’re a sophomore,” he said. “Lead the way because we’ve got a young team, we’ve only got a few sophomore starters so you gotta pave the way and show them how to do it next year. You can’t leave them with nothing.” A 4-3 extra-inning loss to Grossmont dropped the Jags back to third place, leaving them four games behind Palomar with just eight games remaining. As Bartow is quick to point out, however, Grossmont is only one game ahead of SWC in the standings. “If we get in second place, we’re two out of three at home because we have a high ranking,” he said. “If we can win these other games. If we don’t then we get into third place – we might get into the playoffs, but then we’ve got to travel. I’d rather be in second. Well, I’d rather win it if something happened but I don’t think anyone else can beat Palomar.” Allen said the team is determined to earn a spot in the playoffs in Bartow’s final season. “This series right now against Grossmont is a pretty big one,” Allen said. “This is the grind right now to make it to playoffs. These last eight games are pretty much starting our playoffs.”
John Domogma/Staff
Softball squad shows no mercy with offensive onslaughts By Steven Uhl & Adrian Gomez Staff Writers
Some Jaguars are going to have to start hitting their spots. Or else. Softball coach Yasmin Mossadeghi said Southwestern’s potent offense is putting up runs, but the pitching needs to improve if the Lady Jaguars hope to make the playoffs. A 20-14 record (8-5 in conference) has SWC third in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference. “Every game from here on out is important, no matter who we play,” she said. Poor pitching doomed the Lady Jaguars against defending state champion Palomar College, the PCAC frontrunner. The Lady Jags were clobbered 10-2, managing just eight hits. “We are struggling,” said Mossadeghi. “It is difficult to fend off batters when pitchers are not hitting their spots constantly.” The Lady Jaguars were tied 2-2 in the third inning against Grossmont, but could not find any offense. SWC was held scoreless until the last inning, losing 6-3. SWC found its groove against Mt. San Jacinto. Up 5-0 going into the seventh inning, the game seemed over until MSJC put up four runs. The Lady Jaguars held on to win, 5-4. A doubleheader against the Rio Hondo Roadrunners made the softball diamond look like a carousel. SWC racked up 11
runs in the first inning. Roadrunner’s pitcher Monica Gomez was the offensive catalyst for the Jags, walking the first four batters. Rio Hondo rallied for seven runs in the second to pull within one. SWC clawed back in the bottom of the third to take a 12-10 lead. SWC scored half a dozen in the sixth to seal an 18-10 win. In the second game the Lady Jags scored two runs in the first and three in the fifth. Freshman pitcher Rachel Beasley held Rio Hondo scoreless until the seventh. She recorded nine strikeouts while allowing just four hits in the 7-1 victory. Freshman Chelsea Aguilar said the Lady Jags’ pitching is a huge asset, as evidenced by their PCAC-leading 90 strikeouts. “Beasley has a lot of speed,” she said. “(Brianna) Conser and I do not have as much speed, but our spins are more consistent.” Beasley’s velocity overmatches most teams, while Conser and Aguilar rely on finesse. In the Lady Jaguars next matchup against Mt. San Jacinto Beasley pitched five scoreless innings, but the offense carried the day. Conser, who plays the outfield when she does not pitch, led off with a single and freshman third baseman Sydni Toilolo drove her home. In the bottom of the second sophomore catcher Jessica Thompson drove in a run to make the score 2-0. After back-to-back singles,
Kayla Hall/Staff
STEAL WHEELS — Kayla Appenzeller swipes second in a 14-0 route of Mt. San Jacinto College.
sophomore first baseman Sonia Mazon hit a bases-clearing two-run double to put the Jags up 4-0. Toilolo then hit a tworun home run to increase the lead to 8-0. In the bottom of the 4th with the Lady Jags leading by 11 runs, the offense did not let up. Toilolo hit a three-run double to cap a 14-0 route of MSJC with the five-inning mercy rule. Toilolo praised the defense. “Other teams make a lot more errors when we start hitting,” she said. “If other teams hit our pitchers, we already know
that our defense is pretty solid.” SWC hosted Orange Coast College for a doubleheader in its home opener. Trailing 5-4 in the fifth inning, the Lady Jags broke the game open with six runs capped by Seeta Noa’s bases-clearing double. SWC won 15-9. It was more of the same in game two. Toilolo hit a two-run home run in the second inning to launch a 12-1 onslaught that ended when the umpires invoked the mercy rule in the fifth inning.
Toilolo has six home runs on the season. Noa said her hitting has had a profound effect on the team. “It’s a domino effect,” she said. “If one girl starts off the inning with a hit, most likely it’s going to be hit after hit after hit.” With a month left Mossadeghi already has the season finale circled on her calendar. “Our season looks like it is coming down to the final game against San Diego City,” she said. “We’ll be ready.”
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Feb. 22 - April 6, 2014—Vol. 57, Issue 6
SPORTS
Nicholas Baltz & Colin Grylls, co-editors Tel: (619) 482-6368 E-mail: sports@theswcsun.com
Jaguars lucky seven
John Domogma/staff
HEP CAT — Multi-talented freshman Maria De Jesus Garica soars during the long jump, part of her seven-event heptathlon competition. She captured first place at the PCAC Hepthalon Championship and also competes as a sprinter. By Nicholas Baltz Co-Sports Editor
Javelins flying, hurdlers soaring, records falling. It’s track and field season at Southwestern College and this year’s squad is teeming with talent. Head coach Tonie Campbell said his athletes have already broken 12 school records and personal records are falling weekly. “We’re still on a record-breaking season this year and it’s been unexpected,” he said. “We have a great group of coaches, disciplined athletes and we’re just having fun. It’s a winning combination.” Leading the Jaguars is sophomore team captain Paula Aleman. Campbell said that Aleman is a major contender for the state championship in the 400-meter hurdles. “She’s on a mission and that’s the type of athlete you like,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun day. I’m going to have my popcorn ready up in the bleachers watching that one.” Aleman is currently ranked second in
the state in the 400mh and is the anchor for the 4 x 400 meter women’s rely team. She dreams of competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics, but not for the United States. “Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to represent Mexico,” she said. “Now that it is a possibility, I’m working even harder than anybody else I know.” Returning state high jump champion Branden Greene looks to continue his reign and add a long jump title to his resume. Jumping coach Kuba Wasowski said Greene cleared a mental barrier. “At a certain level every athlete runs into that height where they don’t really believe in their heart that they can clear,” he said. “You have to train them mentally first to be able to overcome that.” Mental training methods can be as simple as a trick of the eyes. “In practice, before he shows up, I put the bar at 7-feet-8-inches or higher,” said Wasowski. “I need him to constantly see that height, that ultimate elite height. Then, when the bar comes down to 7-feet, it doesn’t look so high to him.”
Seven-feet is nothing to sophomore pole-vaulter Korin Chapman. She was a state finalist last season and owns the women’s school record. Despite suffering an ankle injury, Chapman fought through the pain to finish first and record her season’s best vault of 11-5 ¾ inches at the Ross and Sharon Irwin Invite at Pt. Loma Nazerne University. Campbell said Chapman is a petite warrior. “She’s the most pleasant person you’ll ever meet and you don’t see that killer instinct in her normally until you see it on the field,” he said. “It’s like a Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde that comes out in her. She’s an amazing athlete and I don’t think she’s done.” Another breakout star is multi-talented freshman Maria De Jesus Garcia, who won her first individual competition, the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Heptathlon/Decathlon Championship at Cuyamaca College. The two-day, seven-event competition consists of high jump, shot put, 100-meter
Reyes: Immigration issues behind her, medical school beckons Continued from Page B6
examples, I think the quicker we are going towards reform. If it was not for Ayded and people like her, this whole discussion would not be happening.” At San Marcos Reyes continues to excel. Living off-campus and commuting to school on her bicycle, she attends full-time while also running for the cross country and track teams. “I really like the atmosphere here, there’s no pressure,” she said. “Coach makes it easy for us to love running and keep ourselves motivated more than anything.” Reyes’s coach, former U.S. Olympian Steve Scott, set the American record for fastest mile at 3 minutes and 47.69 seconds in 1982. His record stood for more than 25 years. He says Reyes is a joy to work with. “She definitely is an inspiration to others, especially with everything she has been through,” Scott said. “One thing about Ayded, she never complains about her situation. She is a scholarship athlete, but it does not cover everything. She did not come to me and say, ‘Hey coach, I need more scholarship money.’ She went out and got a job.” Reyes does not have a job anymore. She
hurdles, 200-meter sprints, javelin, long jump and the 800-meter run. Her point total of 3,507 broke the women’s school record. She currently ranks seventh in the state for the heptathlon. Campbell has been blown away by her performance. “She’s a woman who’s never done the heptathlon and has taken it like the cliché duck to water,” he said. “To do it on her first attempt and get ranked in the state, it’s amazing.” With so many new events, Garcia is constantly pushing her limits. “You have to go all out in every single one,” she said. “It depends on points. If I’m not good in one event I have to go hard in another one. You get a half hour between each event so you have a little bit of time to gain all of your energy back.” A big year is also expected from the throwers, said Campbell. “Other than that we have an amazing team,” he said. “I mean Grace Ward is coming from basketball and on her first throw of the season breaks the
school record by almost 2 meters, that’s phenomenal.” A unique advantage for the Jaguars is they get to practice in a world-class facility, the United States Olympic Training Center. Campbell, an Olympic medalist, said that it is a dream scenario. “A world champion just walked off the field a second ago,” he said. “Some of them become friends with our athletes and they share their experiences. It’s a ship that can’t be beat. Being here is a great privilege and one that I don’t take lightly.” Ward is one athlete who benefits. “Not only do you have a beautiful facility, you have beautiful people who work out in this facility who help you grow as a person.” A shot-putter in high school, Ward said there are similarities to basketball. “Just like when you shoot the ball in basketball, if your release is not right, it doesn’t matter how perfect your feet or how soon you release it,” she said. “If it doesn’t follow through right, it’s not going in.”
had to quit last summer after running into a slight problem. “I was biking home and I got hit by a car,” she said. “I was not able to train for a while.” The accident left Reyes with a broken hamate bone. Undeterred, Reyes prevailed. She credits hard work, family and a faith in God for her perseverance and successes in life. “I always pray before a race and in the morning,” she said. “It makes me feel like I’m not alone, like he’s here for me, going to give me the energy, the power, the positivity, the strength and the willingness to go out there and give it my all.” Humbled by all the support she has received, Reyes’s ultimate goal is to become an obstetrician and help low-income parents like her own in the communities of San Diego. “I want to have a job that is going to be able to help others. I do not want a job where I am just going to be making money and not really make a difference,” she said. “I have definitely gotten a lot of help from a lot of different people. All kinds of people, different kinds of help.” Although she is excited for the next chapter to begin, Reyes is sad to see the current one end. 2014 will be her last year competing at the college level. After this season, she plans to join a private team or continue running unattached. She is unsure of which medical school she wants to attend and is contemplating taking a year off after
graduation. After all that has happened, she is grateful to be where she is today. “It was a horrible experience and it sucks to say, but I kind of am glad that kind of thing happened to me because now I’m able to help, or at least guide, people that are in my same situation.” She wants students to know that their dreams are possible too, but admits they will not come without significant effort. While in high school, Reyes did not see a future so bright. “I had to pretty much knock through every single door and look for options. I wasn’t able to get FAFSA or scholarships, nothing. I had to pay (for college) with my own pocket money.” Reyes said she has been contacted by high school students classified as AB540s who feel there is no point continuing school. Reyes has a message for them. “Don’t give up! There is a lot of help you can get.” Ever-optimistic, Reyes is rarely seen without a smile and her friends all say she truly cares about people, especially those who are less fortunate. “I think the best thing you can really do to any one, good or bad, is give them the best of you. Smile or make them smile because you never know what they have been through. You always have to see the positive side of everything.”