The SWC Sun, Spring 2023, Issue 5

Viewpoints

Students Need Debt Relief

College students and graduates are counting on Biden to stand up the GOP and pass meaningful relief.

Story Page 5

RECORDS TUMBLE

A resurgent swim team smashed 11 school records and won four conference championships in a meet hosted at the new aquatic center.

Read the full story, Page 10

MEChA FIGHTS ON FOR CHICANO STUDIES

BY EWAN TOLEDO

El Plan de Southwestern College has not gone as planned.

Time for El Plan B

MEChA’s 10-point proposal to create a Chicano Studies department got the “once over lightly” from college administrators and faculty leaders, according to MEChista Julia Woock, one of the student leaders who advocated for the plan.

Based on the seminal El Plan de Santa Barbara , the Southwestern College proposal outlines a vision for a modern Chicano Studies program for a fronteriza campus — America’s closest college to Mexico. Student leaders have argued that colleges and universities around America already have modern Chicano Studies programs and curriculum, but not their own college that is between 65 and 70 percent Latino.

During the pandemic, SC student Myriam Ortiz collaborated with MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan ) on the plan. Ortiz said she was motivated when she discovered she had to take an additional class at Mesa College not offered at SC to fulfill her degree requirements as a Mexican American Studies major. She said she created El Plan as an assignment at Mesa College and presented her outline to former SC MEChA advisor Dr. Francisco Fuentes. With his support, MEChA finalized El Plan de Southwestern College and collected 1,347 signatures on a student petition.

In March 2021, members of MEChA presented the plan to

Wondrous Wings

SC alum who studied dance at Julliard returns to choreograph stunning performance of “The Winged.”

Story Page 8

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

Sandra Scheller, the tireless Holocaust educator and human rights activist, was presented the Southwestern College Honorary Degree for her decades of service. Her mother, Holocaust survivor Ruth Goldschmiedova Sax, was the recipient in 2018. Scheller’s latest exhibit will be hosted for one year at the Rancho San Diego Library in El Cajon.

CONGRATS GRADS!

morning

afternoon sessions.

A LARGE RETIREE COHORT DEPARTS

BY CHERI-ANN INOUYE

Fueled by an early retirement offer from the college, more than two dozen senior faculty and staff will retire at the end of this academic year on June 30. It is one of the larger retirement cohorts in recent years.

Beverly DeLara is the longest-serving of the group at 37 years, followed by Mary Jo Horvath and Margarita AndradeRobledo with 33 years.

Diane Edwards and Julieta Hatz both compiled 30 years of service.

Record numbers of students earn certificates or transfer

Southwestern College’s new and greatly improved stadium still could not fit all the 2023 graduates and their cheering sections, so for the first time ever the college held two celebrations.

More than 800 students were split into morning and afternoon ceremonies, both of which drew nearcapacity crowds to DeVore Stadium. Students were sorted by the schools their presenting professors belonged to.

Among the special guests were Latin Grammy-winning guitarist and Spanish knight Pepe Romero (a friend of honorary degree recipient Sandra Scheller) and Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, a former student and adjunct instructor.

ASO Vice President Imani Drew gave an inspiring commencement address that encouraged her classmates to be persistent and to use their educations for the betterment of the nation.

— Sun Staff

Diana Avila, Sylvia Banda-Ramirez, Adam Cato, George Essex, Michael Gargano and Edmund Guerrero all completed 26 years of service.

Serving 20 years or more are Pila Aleman-Taijeron, Bruce Boman, Carmen Cortez, Josefina Flores, Al Garrett, Nora Guido and Richard Hettich.

RETIREES • PG 2

Fueled by an early retirement offer from the college, more than two dozen senior faculty and staff will retire at the end of this academic year on June 30. It is one of the larger retirement cohorts in recent years.

REMEMBERING DAVID LYNCH

HUMANITARIAN FOUNDED SCHOOLS IN TIJUANA DUMPS

BY CAMILA A. GONZALEZ

COLONIA PAN AMERICANO, TIJUANA

When David Lynch told a friend that the Tijuana school he taught in was a dump, his friend assumed it was a rhetorical flourish.

No. Lynch literally taught in the dump. A humble humanitarian

CROSSING THE STAGE — Ngoc Phu Xinh Nguyen, who goes by Sally, was one of about 800 students to participate in commencement. For the first time ever SC split the event into

and

PHOTOS BY CHERI-ANN INOUYE

DAVID LYNCH

Adobe

RETIREES Early retirement incentive contributes to exit of large group of senior employees

Retirees with 11-18 years of service include Dr. Clarence Amaral, Felipe Ballon, Margarita Barrios, Joyce Bayles, Johnny Blankenship, Jose Ibarra, Lillian Leopold and Joel Levine.

Several of the retirees were eligible for a Supplemental Early Retirement Plan (SERP), which

LYNCH

and revered figure at Southwestern College, Lynch died recently but not before educating at least 12,000 desperately poor children in Mexico, Nicaragua and Uganda.

“Earth has lost a saint and Heaven has gained an angel,” said his friend Enrique Morones, founder of Gente Unida. “He is a hero. David Lynch, presente!”

When he was 27 Lynch worked as a special education teacher in Philadelphia. In 1980 he volunteered to teach for a month during the summer in Tijuana. He was shocked by what he saw. A teaming mountain of garbage piled at the edge of a settlement of desperately poor people. Every day swarms of filthy men, women and children would dodge dump trucks and graders as they scrambled like ants over the wretch-inducing hills of daily garbage drops.

Lynch’s “classroom” was a blue tarp that served as rudimentary shade on the edge of the municipal dump in Colonia Pan Americano. As goats, dogs and chickens meandered through his “school,” basuraros (trash pickers) scavenged through the dump for anything of value, including food.

“The smell is unbelievable and there are billions of flies, clouds of them,” Lynch said at a 1999 fundraiser attended by dozens of SC colleagues. “I remember being shocked that entire families lived in cardboard boxes in a massive city dump with no electricity or water. It was horrifying but the kids were just like any other kids, running about and trying to have fun in the dump.”

His first students had never been to any kind of class and did not know what a school was.

But they learned.

When the month was up Lynch left, relieved to be away from the squalor and filth. Philadelphia seemed like paradise after that, he said.

Lynch left the children of the dump behind, but they never left him. Tijuana’s urchins of Colonia Pan Americano had burrowed into his mind and heart. His view of life and the broader world would never be the same.

Each time he heard a Philadelphia parent or student complain he would think of the destitute but cheerful kids in El Dompe. Same when he took a new job in New York.

He returned to Tijuana for a second summer, then a third. After six weeks during his third summer he asked his New York school district for a oneyear leave of absence. He was granted a second year, then a third but with the proviso that he had to return after that year or resign. Lynch did not wait a year. He resigned on the spot and decided to dedicate his life to the children of the dump.

An adjunct teaching position at SC’s San Ysidro Higher Education Center gave him enough income to pay for his $55-a-month Tijuana apartment and a meager existence. He also met his friend and great supporter Araceli Moreno, an ESL instructor.

“I was born in Tijuana, so I loved the project,” she said. “I immediately started helping him. One summer, I taught English and participated in tasks like providing clothes and occasionally toys.”

pays up to 80 percent of a year’s salary upon retirement. The SERP is paid in installments over a period of eight years. Sometimes a SERP allows an employee to retire a year early by offsetting early retirement costs and purchases of service time.

Southwestern College can save sizable

amounts of salary payments if enough of the higher-paid senior employees leave the district and are replaced by younger, lower salaried personnel.

Faculty members and administrators acknowledge that a SERP means tradeoffs. A large retirement group often means sizable

Moreno said she and Lynch were friends for 29 years before he died.

She said his love and generosity were superhuman.

“He resigned from his job in New York as a teacher in a good school to do what he was called to do here,” she said. “He never left. That is the beauty of this remarkable human being. He believed in this project.”

Tijuana’s crushing poverty was not limited to Colonia Pan Americano. Not too far away los pobres who lived near Colonia Fausto Gonzalez, a sprawling dumpsite in Tijuana, worked as pepenadores (scavengers) to collect aluminum and glass. Children often would accompany their parents to

losses of experience and institutional memory, as well as a year or more of a retired professor’s classes taught by several part time instructors. On the plus side, the college can save millions in salary over time and has the opportunity to reassess the type of faculty the college requires. Some

argue that it also brings a new energy to the faculty and staff.

SERPs are only offered periodically and only pencil out if enough senior employees accept them. Many eligible faculty declined their SERP offers and decided to continue their teaching careers.

the Tijuana school.

Eventually, Lynch turned the elementary school over to Mexico’s Secretaria de Educación, the federal government authority that oversees the development and implementation of the national educational policy and school standards. Lynch and his team had by this time given thousands of Tijuana children an introduction to education and a roadmap out of the dump.

Lynch and his team followed a guidepost philosophy.

“If you want to help someone for a day, give them food,” he said. “If you would to help someone for a year, give them a tree. But if you want to help someone for a lifetime, give them an education.”

One the beneficiaries of the Tijuana school is Felipe Gonzalez, 52, a physical education teacher. He was a nine-yearold basuraro when he meandered into the school near the dumpsite and met Lynch.

“My parents did not let me study,” he said. “For them, work was the priority. I had to help them support and feed my younger siblings. Education was not in my future. It was difficult to get to school, work, collect material from the dump, pay for my school supplies and to find something to eat.”

Gonzalez began his education late, but Lynch provided language and writing lessons to help him build an academic foundation. Gonzalez said Lynch transformed his life.

Morones said he met Lynch through his older brother Luis Morones, who volunteered regularly for Responsibility.

“He showed that children can blossom even in terrible situations when a loving adult helps them,” he said. “David was a miracle worker. He was also tireless and generous to a fault. He led a very ascetic life, sacrificing for others.”

the mounds of trash where oblivious dump trucks would unload near them.

Pepenadores were often injured or killed by the trucks or the falling loads of refuse.

Lynch convinced parents their children would be safer with him under the blue tarp than dodging dump trucks. His school was born and later his support organization, Responsibility. He had success writing grants and partnering with churches and charitable organizations, but his biggest support came from a Hollywood superstar. Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon visited Lynch’s school in Tijuana and was amazed.

“David asked me if I would donate something for an auction for a fund raiser he was holding,” Sarandon said.

“I was intrigued by what I heard about his school and wanted to visit. I am very moved by the people who work here, everyone who has dedicated their lives to work here with these children.

You can forget how much you have and it’s good to be reminded that there are others less fortunate.”

Sarandon said Lynch was one of the most selfless people she had ever met in all her years as an activist.

“He volunteered here and then came back,” she said. “And he inspired others to come back. This is a hard place, but there is a joyfulness here that these people have created.”

Lynch also attracted support from an unlikely source on the other end of the political spectrum. Conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly was also a financial backer of Responsibility and

Lynch and Responsibility opened a school in Matagalpa, Nicaragua in 2008 when he saw a documentary by filmmaker John Sheedy about a community living in a dump. Before he started the school, however, he determined that he needed to help the people of dump to secure clean water. He watched in horror as a mother with a days-old infant put the baby in a cardboard shoe box to carry it to work with her in the dump.

Soon his new school was booming with 560 students ranging in age from 6 to adult. Later he raised money to take them on field trips to museums and the beach.

“For a lot of them, it’s their first time leaving the dump,” he said at the time.

His next mission was to Uganda, where he worked with orphans in a war torn society with a kleptocratic government that did not adequately fund a school system, much less a social services safety net.

“Education is the only way to help poverty-stricken people help themselves and improve their lives,” Lynch wrote shortly before his death. “English classes, in particular, can teach important skills that can mean gaining entrance into institutions of higher education or gainful employment.”

Lynch saw horror and despair, but also redemption and joy during his 40 years of service to some to the world’s poorest people. He was never down in the dumps.

“He was special,” said Moreno. “There was no one else quite like David. He was a blessing from Heaven.” Sarandon agreed.

“Imagination is the greatest gift we are given,” she said. “If you can imagine your life different, you can make it happen. Our ability to dream is what makes change happen. David can dream.”

‘Saintly’ humanitarian dedicated his life to educating poverty stricken children in three countries

NEVER DOWN IN THE DUMPS — David Lynch (above) writes an inspirational message to his students in Matagalpa, Nicaragua to mark the start of construction of a new school for children previously excluded from education by abject poverty. His uncle Bob Keenan donated the money to build the school. (below) A humble but modern and clean classroom for children who live and scavenge in filthy dump sites. The Southwestern College adjunct devoted his life and all his earnings to serving the poorest of the poor in Tijuana, Nicaragua and Uganda.

Photo Courtesy of Responsibility

Photo Courtesy of Responsibility

Photo Courtesy of Responsibility’s Facebook

“I was intrigued by what I heard about his school and wanted to visit. I am very moved by the people who work here, everyone who has dedicated their lives to work here with these children. You can forget how much you have and it’s good to be reminded that there are others less fortunate.”

SUSAN SARANDON Academy Award

Winning Actress

Susan

Sarandon Photo Courtesy of Responsibility

VIEWPOINTS

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. Editor-in-Chief

GUTTING FREE SPEECH IS A DANGEROUS IDEA

If it is true that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it, our college may be doomed to repeat a major blunder from its recent past.

Brace yourselves for another attack on free speech.

College administrators are apparently considering explosive revisions to Policy 3900: Freedom of Expression, the 2011 document passed unanimously by the Academic Senate and the Governing Board in the wake of the autocratic Chopra/Alioto era. A current draft of the re-write goes so far as to change the policy’s name from “Freedom of Expression” to “Speech: Time, Place and Manner.”

It is worse than it sounds.

Our evergreen top administrators cannot be blamed for not knowing everything about the colorful past of Southwestern College, but we are alarmed by how little effort they make to learn even basic elements of our history and culture. (As far as we know VPAA Isabel Sabor is the only college leader to visit the archives of The Sun and take some back issues to read.)

Here are the crib notes:

• Southwestern College has a history of corruption.

• Southwestern College has a history of abuse of power.

• Southwestern College has a history of squelching free speech.

This unholy trinity is inextricably linked.

We will be generous today and not assume malicious intent, but even at the most innocent level our leadership is guilty of utter cluelessness. Gutting the Freedom of Expression policy on this campus is like erecting a National Guard monument at Kent State. It is ignorant and insensitive.

Cynical lawyers have defiled the elegant and philosophical 2011 policy crafted by former Academic Senate President Angelina Stuart and a team of faculty. It has been splattered with page after page of red ink and strike-throughs.

It is a document any dictator could love. It returns the much-hated “free speech area” of the Chopra times and puts a clock on it. The First Amendment may soon only apply M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in an approved spot somewhere off to the side.

Here are a few highlights of the proposed new policy:

Time: Monday through Friday, 8-5, excluding holidays. Overnights or sleeping on campus is prohibited. Protests like the successful 2011 sleep-in at Howard University (like SC, a minority-serving institution), where students of color protested unsafe campus conditions, would be banned.

Place: Grassy areas, walkways and “similar common areas.” However, “The District reserves the right to revoke that designation.” So, at a whim, administrators could designate any square foot of campus out-of-bounds for free speech.    Manner: There is a prohibition against “any means of amplification” and a vague declaration that “expressive activities shall not disturb the operation of the college.” That definition is left to “the discretion of The District.”

What could possibly go wrong?

A quick visit to The Sun’s archives provides some enlightening history that prompted the original “Freedom of Expression” policy.

Here are some lowlights:

• In 2008 Chopra and Alioto passed policies banning classified employees from publically criticizing the college.

• In October 2009 about 100 students protested Chopra’s decree to cut 439 classes while giving himself an 8 percent raise. Feeling ignored, the students left the designated free speech area and walked toward Chopra’s office. They were met by armed campus police. After 15 minutes the group peacefully dispersed because Chopra was not on campus anyway.

• That evening four faculty members received visits at their homes from armed campus police and an HR employee notifying them that they were suspended for marching with the students. (One of the suspended professors – the union president — was not even at the rally.)

There is so much more, but only so much paper and ink.

Our archives are not the only source for SC free speech hijinks. Stories of Southwestern’s First Amendment abuses can be found in Newsweek, CNN, San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, Huffington Post as well as our region’s ABC, NBC, CBS affiliates, KUSI and Telemundo. It is a case study in academic journals, to boot.

So our troubled past is hardly a secret.

In fact, in 2010 Southwestern College was awarded the “Jefferson Muzzle” by the Virginia-based Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression as one of America’s worst First Amendment violators. Former university president Dr. Robert M. O’Neil singled out former SC president Raj. K Chopra and his henchman VP Nicolas Alioto “for promulgating and enforcing a policy limiting even peaceful and non-disruptive protests to a designated ‘free speech patio’.”

There was more. SC was also hammered by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Foundation for Individual Rights (FIRE), the national Society of Professional Journalists, both local members of Congress, both California Senators and our accreditation body. There were plenty of others, but again space limits constrain us.

So this is a serious matter.

We can only hope that this screwball draft revision somehow “slipped by” administration and was never seriously considered or that our Governing Board crushes it in open session like Chopra and his board supporters were crushed at the polls in November 2010.

If this abomination of a policy passes, expect more history to repeat itself. Expect the resignation or termination of any administrator who lacks the good sense and decency to spike this attack on the First Amendment. Expect the political death of any governing board member who votes to curtail free speech. It happened before.

ILLUSTRATION BY EDMUNDO GODINEZ / STAFF

DARK CAMPUS WORRISOME FOR WOMEN AT NIGHT

BY JULIAN HERRERA

A Perspective

These are dark days for Southwestern College. Really dark. Construction has turned our once-lovely campus into a nighttime maze of muddy, dusty and dark allies.

Women taking and teaching night classes have noticed. A lot of them are quitting out of fear.

Isabel Poag is one of them.

“It didn’t really feel safe at all,” she said. “You couldn’t see around corners or anything in front of you or even see if there was someone else around. I ended up dropping out of my night class because I didn’t feel safe.”

Poag said some of her former classmates made her feel uncomfortable.

“I would always try and pack up early enough so I could leave with a group of people, because if I stayed even a little bit behind, I would be left alone,” she said. “Some creepy men in the classes really pushed to talk to me after class, even after I told them I didn’t want to. I just felt unsafe.”

Southwestern College police say they offer escorts for students who may not feel comfortable traversing the campus alone at night, but actually getting one is another matter. Poag, among others, said she had no idea escorts were available.

“Considering I’ve never even seen any security around school at that time of night, I don’t really have much trust in them to help me out if I needed it,” she said.

Darkness is the friend of astronomers, but the enemy of women. Fear is an unneeded strain and an educational barrier for more than half our student population. Feeling secure on campus is a right and an expectation. While women already systematically face setbacks and unfavorable environments in the workplace, Southwestern College should work to keep every student’s safety a priority.

Here is a challenge to college leadership: Take a walk around campus at 10 p.m. Alone. And imagine your wife or young daughter out there after dark.

To request a Southwestern College Campus Police escort call (619) 482-6380.

BY JULIAN HERRERA / STAFF

TIME

TO GO TO

THE MAT, RESTORE WRESTLING FOR MEN AND WOMEN

BY HAN PSALMA A Perspective

Wrestling is the oldest sport known to humanity and popular in every corner of the world in its many forms. Greco-Roman grapplers from antiquity are celebrated in statues, Asian martial artists in paintings and Native Americans in sandstone. Wrestling is everywhere… …except Southwestern College.

Wrestling had the mat pulled away prior to 1978 when it stopped making appearances in SC’s student newspaper then called The Athapascan. While this misconstrues wrestling as a sport of the past, the opposite is true. There are more than 400 university men’s wrestling programs and countless more in community colleges.

Here is why SC should bring back wrestling: It would make SC more popular More than 75 percent of the high schools that feed into Southwestern College have wrestling programs. There is no data, but it seems a reasonable presumption that many young men and women who enroll at other colleges to continue wrestling might attend SC instead given the option. Wrestling would make SC more of a destination college.

Kayla Tolentino, a former varsity wrestler at Otay Ranch High School, said she would love to see a team at SC.

“Having a San Diego (County) college wrestling team would be amazing,” she said. “I think the sport is (growing in popularity), so why not be involved and open the opportunity for students?”

PLANET EARTH’S OLDEST SPORT — Southwestern College had a solid wrestling program until about 1978 when it disappeared. The sport has had a resurgence in the U.S., thanks largely to women wrestlers at the high school and collegiate level.

There are currently only 15 wrestling teams registered on the California Community College website and only one in San Diego County — at Palomar College, an hour away on a good traffic day. A wrestling team would give SC a unique selling point for student athletes and bring luster to the athletic department. It would own most of San Diego County.

Community college sports support equity, diversity and inclusion Most student-athletes look to transfer and many hope to compete at the university level on athletic scholarships.

SC athletic department data backs this.

“At least 73 percent of the current 22,000 student-athletes in the California Community College system emanate from disproportionately impacted groups.”

SC can play a leading role in helping minority students find inclusion in collegiate sports. South County high school wrestlers are predominantly minority as opposed to the national wrestling demographic that it predominantly white. A 202122 NCAA survey indicated that college wrestlers where 62 percent White, 16 percent Black and 7 percent Latino. Southwestern College could flip those numbers.

WRESTLING WITH A MALE-

ONLY PAST — Women athletes now compete on many of the more than 400 community college and university wrestling teams across America. It is an inclusive, low-cost sport that deserves another chance at SC.

Wrestling would make the football team better Football head coach Dionicio Monarrez said a wrestling team would yield great benefits for the gridiron program.

“I wrestled for seven years, so I know there’s a crossover in technical things,” he said. “I have always believed there’s a crossover with the grappling of a wrestler and the strength required for football.” Wrestling would help with recruiting, Monarrez said.

“I have had recruits ask if we had a wrestling team,” he said. “They would love the chance to (participate in) wrestling as well as football.”

Wrestling aligns with Title IX

Title IX of the Higher Education Act requires that women and men are provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports. Title IX does not require institutions to offer identical sports but an equal opportunity to participate.

Women did not wrestle much in the 20th century, but that has changed. Women’s wrestling is the NCAA’s fastest growing sport. USA Wrestling estimates that there are about 120 collegiate women’s programs and a growth rate of 50 percent since the pandemic.

Helping women also helps men, according to data. Research by Wrestle Like a Girl shows that colleges that add women’s wrestling enjoy a corresponding increase in men’s wrestling.

Southwestern would benefit from a wrestling program and so would the community. We should go to the mat for this ancient sport that is more popular than ever.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SC LIBRARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF SC LIBRARY

ILLUSTRATION

BY LUIS ZAVALA

A Perspective College Hour is the killer of clubs and the bane of classes.

A well-intentioned idea to turn over the time from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. to the ASO and clubs has not worked out and needs to be changed.

A few years ago Southwestern College condensed its schedule from 18 weeks to 16 weeks and needed to change start and finish times for classes. Former President Kindred Murillo got talked into an idea by the former ASO leadership that was to clear the deck of all classes at midday on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

That was a good-hearted bad idea from the start. The most popular time for classes at SC are the hours between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Many students work in the afternoon and need to leave by noon or 1:30 p.m. Morning classes, research shows, are also the best time for students to focus and learn.

Most of the T-TH classes start times were switched from noon to 1:30 p.m. Theoretically the ASO and clubs were supposed to have “college hour” from noon – 1:15 p.m. on T-TH for meetings and activities. By clearing out all classes Murillo and the students of the ASO thought they would see an increase in students participating in student government, clubs and campus activities.

The move backfired.

Dozens of classes, for a variety of reasons, could not abandon the midday and moved to the 11:45 a.m. – 1:10 p.m. slot. Others moved there later when students complained that they could not take classes that kept them on campus until after 3 p.m. New classes were also moved into that slot.

So now almost no one is happy.

ASO activities are conducted during a time when about half the students cannot participate because they are in class. Some students sit around for more than an hour and a half waiting for the 1:30 p.m. classes to start. Other students take fewer units and stay at Southwestern a year or more longer because they need to work in the afternoon.

What are the options? Moving College Hour to 8 a.m. would avoid prime time for classes, but would also avoid students. Students who use public transportation (and there are a lot of us) may find it difficult and exhausting to slog to school early for a club or ASO meeting.

The best option is to move College Hour to 1:30 p.m. on T-TH and resume teaching classes during the 11:45 a.m. – 1:10 p.m. slot. That way students would be able to take a full 15-unit load if they wanted to and still be able to devote the early afternoon to club and ASO activities.

Student government and clubs are important and deserve the full support of our college leaders. These clubs can be social or academic-based and enriching for students. ASO and clubs develop leadership skills, create networks, encourage socialization and help students build a connection to the college. Research consistently shows that students who feel connected to their schools do better and are happier.

Southwestern has a rich array of clubs like the Arts Club, Environmental Biology Club, Pagkakaisa and many others that nourish students academically, socially and spiritually. Clubs are well-resourced and have energetic, idealistic faculty advising them. Our ASO is well-funded and has the authority to make meaningful decisions about student life.

We need to do a better job or aligning our schedule and system of classes to allow more students to participate. College Hour a little later in the day would end the confusion and stop the slow motion collision between clubs and classes that no one wants to see. Focusing on academics in the morning and letting your hair down a little in the afternoon makes more sense than the current system which serves no one. A 1:30 p.m. college hour would increase enrollment in morning classes and increase participation in student government and club activities.

Timing is everything and the time to act is now, during the summer. Let’s reorganize our schedule into a less-chaotic, more logical system that ends of conflicts and difficult choices between classes and clubs. We ought to be about to do both.

Were you aware of mental health resources provided by Southwestern College?

Would you be comfortable using them?

“Yes. I started with Conflict Resolution, and (learned of) the Grief and Loss Workshop. I would be very comfortable utilizing these resources because it feels like they listen to me.”

NATHAN TRAN (Computer Science)

“No, I was not. I would be comfortable because they’re free resources, so that’s cool.”

ILLUSTRATION BY EDMUNDO GODINEZ / STAFF

PREDITORY STUDENT LOANS

STRANGLE A GENERATION, BIDEN MUST PROVIDE RELIEF

BY JULIO RODRIGUEZ

A

Perspective

Student debt hangs over the heads of millions of young Americans like the Sword of Damocles. It prevents us from buying homes, opening businesses, saving for retirement and even getting married.

It is a 10-30 year sentence in debtor’s prison.

Last year the Biden Administration and U.S Department of Education announced a threepart plan to forgive up to $20,000 in individual debt for millions of borrowers. A dream come true.

A nightmare followed.

Our rightwing Supreme Court has decided to weigh in.

Why on earth does the Supreme Court need to be involve itself in something that can elevate the lives of millions of Americans?

Republicans. Specifically, loudmouthed Republicans.

Five Republican-dominated states (Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa and South Carolina) filed a lawsuit in September to block the forgiveness program. Its reasons are specious, but with our politicized

court, debt holders fear the worst.

GOP governors argue it violates the Separation of Power Act and Administrative Procedures Act. Separation of power is a constitutional doctrine that separates the executive, legislative and judicial. It is designed to maintain a balance of power. The Administrative Procedures Act determines the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

These clearly have nothing to do with student loans.

The fearless five states argue they have standing to sue due to The American Rescue Plan, passed in 2021 for COVID relief. They insist the relief should be taxed, which is consistent with the Republican Party’s war on poor people.

Then there is Maniacal Missouri, the Florida of the Midwest. Missouri has MOHELA, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, an alleged nonprofit loan servicing agency that has made a lot of GOP donors wealthy on the backs of students. Missouri argued in the suit that if the loans were discharged, the nonprofit might not make a profit. Seriously.

In a moment of clarity and logic,

Missouri District Judge Henry Autrey dismissed the case outright. Unfortunately, this eventually passed the case up to the Supreme Court.

Student debt relief has other foes.

At least 126 House Republicans filed a “friends of the court” brief with the Supreme Court urging justices to strike down Biden’s plan. They claim Biden “overreached” and lacks authority to forgive loans.

While these Republican states remain focused on helping rich supporters who make campaign contributions, they threaten the enormous good this plan can do.

Canceling loans would help with deficit reduction. The $300 billion put into the hands of millions of college graduates would be a boon to the economy. Borrowers could put that money toward starting businesses, purchasing a home and paying off other debts.

Canceling the debt would ease financial hardship for vulnerable Americans. Most Americans support debt relief and support its young people. Let’s hope the Supremes sing the right notes this time and allow debt relief. Maybe it’s not great for Missouri GOP donors, but it is good for America.

NEFERTARI DESCHAMPS (Psychology)

“I knew about them because I got an email. I’d be comfortable utilizing them because I know it would help with my progression mentally, physically and emotionally, and I’m not opposed to any type of growth.

SARAH BRAITHWAITE (Philosophy)

“I saw a campus flyer about Personal Wellness things on the college website. I’d be interested in pursuing the resources because it gets stressful.”

MICHAEL BRADSTREET (Theater Arts)

COLLEGE HOUR WAS GOOD IDEA THAT BACKFIRED, TIME TO MOVE IT TO AFTERNOON

CAMPUS

MJ’S FUSION GRILL IS A BRILLIANT, UNIQUE SD COUNTY GEM

BY AILYN PARADA

MJ went into business with a humble frozen yogurt shop across the street from Southwestern College that has evolved into one of San Diego County’s best multicultural delicatessens.

Move over vanilla and make space for lizano sauce, longanisa and sisig.

Hidden underneath a sign that reads It’s Yogurt Time & Deli is MJ’s Fusion Grill, one of the most creative and delicious eateries in Southern California. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that MJ’s may be among the most intriguing and exotic restaurants anywhere in the world.

MJ and his uber-talented friend Chef Kevin, a former four-star restaurant chef schooled in the cuisines of the planet, created a complicated menu rich with choices that is like a truckload of pastel Legos in a skilled artist’s hands. MJ’s is a culinary reflection of the soil it sits on, a crossroads of the borderlands and Pacific Rim influenced by naval outposts, immigration hot spots and indigenous landscapes.

It is an array of earth’s best flavors artfully blended to make something completely unique.

MJ’s symphony of savoury began as a song simple as “Happy Birthday.”

“We got the idea from our childhoods when we would go to backyard parties in diverse neighborhoods,” said MJ. “San Diego County is this crazy melting pot. So at that party at your friend’s house the parents would bring the foods they loved. On your paper plate there might be pizza, hamburgers, pancit, burritos, rice and beans, jello, orange chicken, Spam, egg rolls, teriyaki…you name it.”

MJ’s is the ultimate SoCal backyard party with food elements from Guam, Mexico, the Philippines, Hawaii, Central America, Japan, Europe and the U.S. The brilliance of MJ’s, though, is not that they brought together an international menu, it is how they brought it together. Spices and seasoning is the key. That is what welcomes newcomers to the party.

Another part of the appeal of MJ’s is familiarity. The combinant food choices are not something weird from the Belt of Orion, but comforting formats with loving twists.

“That’s part of the goal,” said MJ. “We want to make food people are comfortable with that also challenges them a little. We want to invite people into other cultures through food. There really is no better way to get to know someone new.”

Chef Kevin and MJ are refreshingly open minded to the suggestions of regulars who offer ideas about seasonings and unheard of new combinations.

“Our customers have joined in on the fun and got to thinking about recipes,” said MJ. “That’s not exactly something you will see at the typical burger joint.”

MJ’s offers one-of-a-kind food

CELEBRATING ASIAN-AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITIES

PAGKAKAISA IS ALTRUISTIC HOME FOR SC FILIPINOS

BY DIEGO HIGUERA

Editor’s Note: It is policy of the Southwestern College Sun and standard journalism practice to identify all voices in an article and to attribute quotes, with rare exceptions for sexual assault and situations that may place the source in danger. Due to a misunderstanding prior to this interview, members of Pagkakaisa were told their statements would be unattributed. Rather than cancel the article, the Editorial Board agreed to a one-time exception. All names in this article are pseudonyms.

In Tagalog pagkakaisa means “unity,” a word that represents many sentiments in Filipino culture. It can mean unity in family, among friends or other Filipinos.

At Southwestern College, Pagkakaisa is also the name of a venerable campus organization. Since 1968 Pagkakaisa has supported the South County’s robust Filipino-American community and promoted community service. Members and advisers have come and gone, but in Pagkakaisa’s 55th year its motto “Strength in Unity” remains.

Neil said he felt lost at SC before he discovered the club.

“Pagkakaisa is really important because since I came to America I wanted to learn about Filipino culture,” he said. “I feel that coming (to Pagkakaisa meetings) and having that connection with FilipinoAmericans. I felt like we all kind of relate to each other. I’d say it’s a family. We all kind of grew up with separate lives, but can come together here and (explore) the origin of our ethnicity.”

Pagkakaisa members are very supportive, said Neil, and “we pick each other up.” The club provides a safe place, he said, and a sense of belonging.

“We all have a mindset that we feel out of place (at Southwestern College) because we have to (conform) and not be who we actually are,” he said. “It’s a safe place for us to be Asian American. We’re here as a family that we can connect to. (We connect) to other cultures as well. We have some members who are (mixed race Asian) and they also feel safe here.”

Jack said Pagkakaisa is a wonderful outlet for self-expression and community building.

“The club was born out of shared life experiences and (creating) a safe place to share those experiences,” he said. “We also have to learn more about other communities here at Southwestern College. Student clubs and learning communities help with that. Asian Americans are relatively invisible, particularly Filipino Americans. They are seen as part of that ‘model minority’ stereotype. We don’t look at our experiences, particularly when it comes to migration and assimilation.”

Diana said Pagkakaisa brings awareness to Filipino Americans and the broader AAPI community in San Diego County.

“Our goal is cultural awareness,” she said. “We want to be sure we have a voice as minorities. Southwestern’s Pagkakaisa Club is the first of its kind in Southern California. We have sister organizations (throughout the county). That have picked up the torch and carried on the work this club started.”

SC’s Pagkakaisa Club was very active at the turn of the century and is the founder of the San Diego County Asian Cultural Festival. Former Pagkakaisa President Neil Allen Garcia organized the first festival in the old football stadium. For many years Pagkakaisa was Southwestern’s largest and most activist organization. COVID tripped up the club’s momentum.

Lalinda said Pagkakaisa has begun the process of rebuilding.

“We kind of took a step back (due to the pandemic),” she said. “I think all of our (student) organizations had to step back because we lost our connections (and momentum). We’re trying to reestablish them so we can get back to where we once were.”

Pagkakaisa emphasizes service and helping others, Lalinda said.

“I think it’s important to emphasize community building,” she said. “(We must) understand (other students) background and understand the history of the college. We need to know about the social movements that have occurred. It’s a part of our history and a lot of students don’t learn the history.”

Pagkakaisa members said it is important for the broader community to know about the vast contributions of AAPI people in San Diego County. Neil said AAPI People helped to build the region.

“San Diego County has thrived thanks to the help of all those AAPI People who helped it grow into what it is,” he said. “Knowing that history and how the AAPI community has helped cultivate it is paramount. Pagkakaisa is important to because it helps students make connections necessary to help the whole of the AAPI community in San Diego County.”

“We all have a mindset that we feel out of place (at Southwestern College) because we have to (conform) and not be who we actually are. We’re here as a family that we can connect to.”

— JACK, SC Pagkakaisa member

MJ’s

Backyard parties inspired MJ’s multicultural

SoCal menu

alternatives from breakfast to lunch to dinner. The hearty breakfast burrito is a revelation, a Mexican-Filipino reincarnation of the egg, bacon, and toast breakfast of heartland America. It is enough to make you want breakfast three times a day.

For 15 years MJ’s has thrilled diners with Longanisa Fries, a headon collision of American and Filipino cuisine with a dash of Costa Rica.

Formed by Chef Kevin and tweaked by MJ’s customers over time, this popular plate is a found-nowhereelse blend of Asian salad mixed with fries, eggs, proprietary house sauces and longanisa. It is the deli’s best seller and a South Bay legend.

“No doubt, longanisa fries have kept us in business,” said MJ. “They are super popular with almost everyone.”

Its 805 South Burrito and 671 Par Burrito are tasty tributes to the nearby interstate freeway and the area code of Guam. The powerhouse 805 South Burrito consists of lumpia (traditional Filipino egg rolls), fries, eggs, house sauces, seaweed sesame seeds, a meat of choice and cheese.

Even the frozen yogurt flavors are unique. Purple taro root, verdant avocado and translucent thai tea are among the island-inspired swirls that can also be swirled into brave new combinations.

Brilliant and beloved, MJ’s has nevertheless struggled in recent years to keep the lights on and the longanisa simmering. COVID almost finished them off.

“Honestly, I don’t even know how we made it this far,” MJ said. “We should’ve closed a long time ago, but we’re still grinding.”

Running a restaurant requires an enormous amount of dedication and often keeps MJ and Chef Kevin anchored to their post. MJ said he regretted missing a Bonitafest ceremony in 2021 when he and Chef Kevin were honored for their pioneering contributions to the culture of San Diego County.

Their customers are glad for their resilience.

Kevin Bonilla, who said he considers himself a regular, is a diehard fan.

“Best place to eat, period,” he said. “First time I came here it blew my taste buds.”

Megan Carrillo, a brand new customer, concurred.

“I was stationed in Guam, so having some of the food from over there was nostalgic,” she said. “Wasn’t sure I would ever find Chamorro food again.”

MJ’s is food for the pallet and the soul that comes in flavors most people never knew existed. It’s a funky fusion funhouse that will make you feel at home.

MEChA

FACULTY GRAPPLE WITH PROS, CONS OF AI IN THE CLASSROOM

BY RAZYLIN M. AVENDANO A Perspective

Has the childish fantasy of a homework-doing robot finally become reality?

Possibly, and the emergence of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has faculty and administrators at Southwestern College scrambling for boundaries.

ChatGPT is the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed by San Franciscobased OpenAI. It is described as a “large language model” that uses an extensive natural language database to respond to user prompts in a conversational, humanlike manner.

It learns much like a human does, too.

Dr. Joshua Davis, assistant professor of psychology, had experience with similar technology as a graduate student at the UCSD Language and Cognition Lab. He worked with early latent semantic analysis models which, like ChatGPT, operate by sampling a language database and figuring out relationships between words and how they come together, he said.

“ChatGPT and all these other models are based on cognitive psychology,” he said. “It relies on something called ‘reinforcement learning,’ where people will ask it questions and when it gives an answer people will say ‘yes that is good’ or ‘that is incorrect’ and (it learns) from what people have said.”

ChatGPT has become a topic of interest among academics because it can easily spit out essays, speeches or even programming code in a matter of seconds. AI’s response can seem human-like, leading educators to worry about the potential of cheating and students submitting AI-written responses as their own.

This concern has led some institutions like Oakland Unified School District to ban ChatGPT.

Other educators, however, argue that ChatGPT has potential deserving of consideration.

D’Angelo Silva, a business major, said cheating concerns are valid, but insisted that ChatGPT can be used by students as a legitimate tool to support learning.

“I have used it on some assignments where the questions (are) unclear and the professor did not explain it well in class,” he said. “When it is inconvenient to email them, I go to ChatGPT and ask it to reword (the question).”

Davis agreed, saying students can use ChatGPT to help them understand challenging concepts. If a student struggles to understand a topic, they can ask the

border ought to make Chicano Studies

in Chula Vista “a no brainer.”

amassed 100 million monthly users within two months of its late November launch. Southwestern’s Academic Senate decided to weigh in. At the March meeting faculty expressed conflicting opinions about ChatGPT. A training workshop offered by the Professional Development Department showcased the learning and teaching potential of the chatbot. It was guided by Dr. Ryan Watkins, Professor of Educational Technology at the George Washington University.

Professional Development Coordinator

Jonathan Henderson said faculty has discretion on ChatGPT matters, though the college is likely to develop policy defining breach of academic integrity.

Dr. Erika Behrmann, assistant professor of communication studies, teaches Oral Communications and plans to use ChatGPT as an educational tool in the classroom.

“I think that communication is always evolving and changing,” they said. “It is my job as an educator and scholar in the field to be okay with those changes and move along with them because they are going to happen either way.”

Behrmann acknowledged that educators in other fields of study might feel different.

Behrmann expressed concerns over biases in the AI coding and the accuracy of the responses. For example, this technology — coded by White men — may generate

EL PLAN DE SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE

“interesting responses” when writing speeches about the bodies of those assigned female at birth, Behrmann said.

Davis agreed and said it is unwise to assume that all responses by ChatGPT are true and unbiased. He also emphasized the importance of critical thinking.

“I think (ChatGPT) can be highly problematic if used incorrectly,” he said. “That is why I think it is important that we help students understand how it works, how they can use it and its dangers.”

In April the Academic Senate approved the use of ChatGPT in campus computer labs. Henderson said that regardless of how SC plans to regulate ChatGPT, students should be given the benefit of the doubt that they will use AI ethically.

“I think most students want to learn and they want to use ChatGPT in a way that will help them learn,” he said. “Any sort of policy that (SC) makes has to assume good intentions because our students are doing great.”

studies instructor last year, following Rios.

‘El Plan de Southwestern’ urges creation of Chicano studies program at the most Latino American college

CONT FROM PG 1 the Academic Senate during a Zoom meeting. Ortiz was joined by ASO President Sonja Camargo, Anna Sanchez, Christian Sanchez and Woock. Each student explained two points of the plan.

Unfortunately, said Woock, the Academic Senate rejected most of the plan and college administration rejected all of it. Woock, now at UC Riverside, said El Plan hit a wall and frustrated SC’s Chicano students.

“I don’t think people know how much we discussed this plan and the hours it took,” she said. “It was wellconceived and relevant.”

Ortiz said SC’s proximity to the

“It shouldn’t be something that students fight for,” she said. “It should be a given.”

Fuentes said the college implemented only two points of the plan to pacify MEChA but not with the intention of helping students.

Fuentes said administrators asked newly hired Dr. Gerardo Rios to create additional courses, but they refused to hire other new faculty. One part of El Plan called for binational students to pay local rates. That has since happened, but it was California state legislators that drove the change, not campus leaders.

Broad goals of El Plan are to increase transfer and graduation rates by becoming more culturally responsive to the needs of the dominantly Hispanic student population, said Fuentes.

“(MEChA) wanted administrators and employees to take institutional responsibility for the planning, but it has fallen on the students,” he said.

MEChA prepared to launch its first

A 10-Point Guide for Establishing a Chicanx Studies Department:

Establish a Chicanx Studies Department.

• Hire faculty with advanced degrees in Chicano/a Studies.

• Faculty must be bilingual. Curriculum comprised of a broad selection of Chicanx Studies courses.

• Involvement in Hispanic Serving Institution grant and program development.

Raza Graduation in 2021, Camargo said, but the club’s successful effort to bring legendary civil rights leader Dolores Huerta to campus that May caused the postponement of Raza Grad until 2022.

The first binational graduation ceremony allowing students to graduate in San Diego or Tijuana was held last month for the first time, said Camargo.

Scholarships for Chicanx Studies majors.

• Cultural activities throughout the year.

A dedicated Multicultural Resource Center.

• An appointed faculty advisor for MEChA.

Institutional support for Raza Graduation.

This is a condensed version of the plan written by Miriam Ortiz.

“It’s a huge accomplishment, especially in the Latino household,” she said. “It’s something you live for.”

All California community colleges require students to take at least one ethnic studies course to graduate. SC came into compliance in the fall of 2022.

Dra. Angelica Gonzalez became the second full-time Mexican American

Gonzalez said it may not be the best time to break away as a standalone department because it would be difficult for new hires to chair their own department.

“We still have things to work out and we don’t want to prematurely do something that will hurt us in the end,” she said.

Although SC recently brought new hires for the Ethnic Studies department, Gonzalez sees the need for more faculty trained in Mexican American studies.

“Every semester I’m bombarded with so many students trying to bypass the waitlists,” she said. “We have the capacity of having more sections than we even offer.”

Camargo said she plans to have MEChA present the 10-point plan to the governing board next year.

“There’s nothing wrong with us wanting to represent who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going because that’s what it’s all about.”

Some predict artificial intelligence will evolve into a powerful teaching tool, others fear it will encourage cheating and laziness that will damage cognitive development.

GUEST ILLUSTRATION BY CHATBOT

SC MARIACHI SHOWS ONCE AGAIN WHY IT IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST

BY ALEXA LIMA

Mariachi was made to move people. Southwestern College’s legendary groups did just that, rocking the PAC and electrifying those fortunate enough to have a ticket.

SC’s world-renowned Mariachi Garibaldi and Mariachi Ensemble blazed though a sold out concert and reminded a dazzled audience why they

are invited by heads of state to play around the globe.

Directed by Dr. Jeff Nevin, Celebrando

El Mariachi honored the late composer Ruben Fuentes, the former director of Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, and legendary Jose Jimenez of the golden era of mariachi bands. It was the first mariachi performance since the pandemic and could probably have sold out the San Diego Sports Arena.

Mariachi is a traditional musical genre that originated in Mexico. It developed on small ranches and towns from states like Jalisco, Zacatecas, Michoacán and Aguascalientes. A small ensemble typically features four or more performers who sing and play traditional folk music instruments, including a high-pitched, five-string guitar called a vihuela, a bass guitar called the guitarrón, violins and

trumpets.

Nevin led three levels of mariachi groups, though even the beginner group sounded like pros. “El Tilingo

Lingo” was the opener as the sharply dressed newbies rocked traditional charro black outfits with a red bow. They were a bit nervous but more than solid with great vocals nailing Y Andale,” “Una Pagina,” “Mas Fallaste Corazón,” “Los Laureles” y “El Garabato.” A

CELEBRATED ALUM HELPS DANCE STUDENTS FIND THEIR WINGS

spirited rendition of the 1907 standard “Chaparrita De Mi Vida” assured the audience that the next generation of Southwestern mariachistas is nearly ready for promotion.

Nevin’s intermediates elevated “Son Del Ausente” with beautiful violins and soaring voices. Highlights were Mujeres Divinas,” “Como Quien Pierde

RETURN FLIGHT

BY ALEXA LIMA

Life can open doors in strange ways.

Tijuana teenager Pablo Francisco Ruvacaba Tovar got his big break when an unfortunate dancer was hit by a car.

Tovar stepped into a Ballet Camara de la Frontera production of “The Nutcracker” and his life was never the same. After earning degrees from Julliard and NYU, a celebrated 20-year career as a professional dancer, Tovar returned to Southwestern College this spring to collaborate with his former professor Mary Jo Horvath on a stunning presentation of “The Winged.” Dance helped young Tovar spread his wings and fly. He danced with other Tijuana children in elementary and high school, and was admitted to ballet training at Casa de la WINGED • PG 9

GIFTED ALUMNUS FLIES HOME — Julliardtrained SC alum Pablo Francisco Ruvacaba

Tovar spent 20 years as a featured dancer for the renowned Jose Limon Dance Company. He returned at the invitation of his former professor Mary Jo Horvath to choreograph a section of “The Winged,” Limon’s elegant and athletic study of flight.

n REVIEW

DANCERS SOAR TO NEW HEIGHTS IN ‘THE WINGED’

BY ALEXA LIMA

Dance at its best can seem magical. Southwestern College’s Spring 2023 Dance Concert, “A Magical World of Dance,” deserves the billing. Inspired by Disney films, students and faculty members of the Southwestern College Dance Department choreographed and performed pieces in a rich array of styles including tap, musical theater, contemporary, hip-hop, salsa and ballet.

A special performance of the suite from “The Winged” from José Limón Dance Company staged by the acclaimed Pablo

REVIEW PG 9

CLEVER STAGING OF ‘MISER OF MEXICO’ GENEROUS WITH LAUGHS

BY ANAHY J. GUTIERREZ

Carlos Morton’s comedy “Miser of Mexico” swept the audience off its feet right from the start.  Literally.

Laughter broke out before the play even started as one of the characters, La Maruja (Julietta Ceballos) make a haughty presentation of the theatre rules to the audience as she made them lift her feet so she could sweep.

“Miser of Mexico” features a greedy old man, Don Profundo Quequemafer, who obsesses over his money and love interest, Marianna, who also happens to be the lover of his own son, Clemente (Julian Ortega Flores). Valentin (Jesus Eduardo) and Elisa (Diana Gomez) are hiding their relationship from Elisa’s father due to his disapproval of Valentin’s low social status. Hijinks ensues and the laughter rolls like thunder in a

Yucatan rain forest.

Meanwhile Filero (Andree Reynoso), la Maruja’s lover, wants to steal Don

Profundo’s money in order to give his lover a better life. Filero hides Don Profundo’s money inside a piñata.

(What could possibly go wrong, verdad?)

Little did Don Profundo know that the loss of his money would be the least of his problems that day. Morality trumps mirth, Chekov checkmates Moliere.

Though the play has a tragic ending, the cast helped the audience cry with laughter before they cried with sadness. It was a French farce mixed with broad Mexican comedy like Parisian demiglace on enchiladas.

An ongoing joke that kept the audience roaring was the constant mispronunciation of Don Profundo Quequemafer’s name as the scatological “Cacamafer.” His anger was palpable, though his completely unsympathetic character had the audience cheering for more disses.

Morton, a college professor and playwright, is a SoCal gift to modern Mexican-inspired comedy. Director Sandra Cortez once again displayed her steady hand with Latino-flavored

material, deftly leading her talented cast of comedians through their welltimed paces. Comedy is as difficult to make as good mole’ and Cortez mixed the ingredients like a master chef.

A lovely, authentically Mexican set featured a light brown, coarse-textured wall defined by a round gable peak complimented by a floral-shaped gable at the center. Lively green vines with hot pink roses adorned the borders of the portico, which embossed the pine green door to the family’s home. Cacti punctuating the garden’s tawny stencil concrete perfectly depicted its Mexican heritage.

“Miser of Mexico” was generous with laughs and a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of greed and the foolishness of underestimating the pointed power of cacti. It was cactus, as much as the cast, that put an exclamation point on a solid year of theater at Southwestern College. Delicious salsa ladled over a diverse and tasteful banquet that left the audience hungry for more.

Photo Courtesy of Daren Scott

MAS SABE EL DIABLO Greedy and lustful Don Profundo Quequemafer is obsessed with wealth as well as his own son’s lover. His madcap pursuits of both do not end well.

Photo Courtesy of Pablo Tovar

Sold out year-end performances are a highlight of the academic year

Una Estrella,” “Que Murmuren” “Motivos, Yo Quiero Ser” and “Tecalitleco”

Mariachi Garibaldi lived up to its reputation as America’s best collegiate Mariachi. Its virtuosity was immediately apparent on the opener “La Noche y Tu,” and soared like an eagle on a summer breeze through “No Te Detengas,” “El Pecador y Amor” and “Mas Amor” which Nevin dedicated to

his wife. And there was a very special guest. Well-known Mexican singer-composer Mario Mata performed “Tomados De Las Manos,” which he has performed with Ruben Fuentes and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan. He said it was an honor to perform with Mariachi Garibaldi and Nevin.

“

Es un estupendo maestro, que apoya

a sus alumnos,” he said. “Es un orgullo y honor estar aquí y presentar con mis compañeros, exponiendo la música de mariachi a la comunidad.”

Nevin announced that Mariachi Garibaldi will rehearse with Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan for a performance at the The Mariachi Scholarship Foundation’s 2023 San Diego International Mariachi Summit Gala

Concert on July 14 at the Balboa Theater.

Mariachi Garibaldi remains one of Southwestern College’s most renowned programs and a source of pride in the community. Its performance served as the headlining act for Southwestern’s first real year back for COVID and all the disruptions it wrought. All seems right with the world.

WINGED REVIEW

Gifted alum spent 20 years as featured dancer at renowned Jose Limon Company

Cultura Tijuana in September 1989 when he had his fateful encounter with Tchaikovsky and the holiday perennial “The Nutcracker.”

Rave reviews followed, but so did a bad injury that nearly derailed his blossoming career. He had surgery for a hernia and needed months of recovery time. Discouraged, he did not apply for any colleges or universities after high school. As he healed and started to inch his way back toward the stage he was advised that Southwestern College on the other side of la frontera might be a good place to start.

Tovar clicked right away with Horvath, who during her recentlyconcluded 33-year career at SC became a dance legend in the region. She spotted his talent immediately.

“Pablo was always very creative even in his early days,” she said. “He was gifted when it came to dance.”

Tovar said he crossed la linea daily to take as many dance classes as he could from Horvath and her team. Besides ballet, he studied modern dance and jazz. Horvath said he excelled in every style.

On the well-worn hardwood of Southwestern, Tovar once again found wind beneath his wings. He decided to pursue dance as a career. He also knew it was a hard choice that was uber-competitive with limited opportunities, so he aimed high when applying to universities.

“I was convinced that the Boston Conservatory was the only great dance school in America,” he said. “I figured (nearby) Harvard is where brainy people go. It made sense to me that the only dance school in the United States is (in Boston).”

Not so fast said Horvath and her staff. Tovar broadened his applications to include NYU and The Julliard School, and was invited to audition for both revered dance programs. He received acceptance to both, but decided to go to Julliard, a world leader in performance arts education, with an acceptance rate of 7.3 percent.

“Looking at the two schools, I realized I had much to learn,” he said. “NYU has an amazing program, but I needed a place that would teach me (fundamentals) and tradition.”

Tovar earned a Bachelors in Fine Arts at Julliard and a Masters in Fine Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. In 1996, he joined the Limon Dance Company were performed his first solo, “Pegasus,” from “The Winged.” He became a lead dance for the Limon Company and danced the featured role of the Moor in “The Moor’s Pavane.”

After 20 years with the company he retired in 2016. Like other athletes, dance careers are typically short. Two decades as a performer is on the outer edge of longevity.

His body said it was done dancing as a performer, but his spirit said his career must continue. He became a teacher of Limon technique as an internationally licensed repetiteur.

Horvath and the SC dance program lured Tovar back to Chula Vista as a guest artist for the spring dance concert “A World of Magical Dance.” He directed an adaptation of “The Winged,” an original contemporary piece originally choreographed by Jose Limon. Tovar choreographed 12 dancers in four sections: “Dawn Chorus” performed by the entire group,

“Duel” a male duet, “Feast of Harpies” a female quintet and “Circular Flight” performed by the entire group.

Limon’s original inspiration was to impart through dance what it is like to fly.

“I think Jose created ‘The Winged’ to show us that we are free to soar as high as possible,” said Tovar. “He knew that humanity has always been fascinated by flight and wanted to give people that sensation through his choreography. People have always aspired to be free and we find freedom in flight.”

Limon and his collaborators developed the piece to be flexible and to empower performers. He gave his company dancers the artistic liberty

to be free and expressive. Composer John Magnus based the tempo on the rhythm of the dancers’ breath rather than traditional time signatures.

Whereas most dances are developed after the composition, “The Winged” was created for dancers.

Southwestern’s dance students turned in stunning performances and grew under Tovar’s tutelage. He was a demanding, but kindly and inspiring choreographer, and said the dance students were a pleasure to work with because they were curious and willing to take chances.

“When you let go of the idea of being pretty,” he said, “you open yourself up to the possibility of being beautiful.”

Francisco Ruvalcaba Tovar was the highlight and a number worthy of PBS Great Performances. Tovar, a Julliardeducated former professional and SC alum, elevated “The Winged” to stratospheric heights and encouraged students to fly.

Director Professor Dana Maue, affectionately known as “The Dancing Queen,” was rightfully effusive.

“Our dancers are our best kept secret of the South Bay,” she said. “They are all stars.”

No argument with The Queen. Dancers lit the stage from the first moment of the first act, which led off with a dive into the lair of the evil sea witch. Choreographed by José Barba VI and euphonious vocals by Montse Cabrera, “A Sea Wish” was colorful and enchanting, an ocean of fun.

Jaida Martin’s tap choreography rocked “The Jungle Book” showstopper “Swing like You” and Edwin Rodriguez got his swing dance kicks on Route 66 with “Kachow.”

Dreamy “Integration” choreographed by Samuel Varrin was a reflection on the powers of darkness and light. “Before The Stroke of Midnight,” choreographed by Christina Hernandez, was an innovative blending of Mexican Folklorico and waltz mashup worthy of MJ’s Fusion Grill. It was tasty to the last bite.

Julia Alster created “Misfits” and encouraged outcasts to find their community. “City of Embers” choreographed by Jovani Chavez was a triumphant Phoenix of a dance that created beauty from the ashes.

“Strike!” was a fun and athletic performance choreographed by Maue prompting us to seize the day.

Professor Mary Jo Horvath took the audience to Wakanda with “Spear-It Rhythms,” a powerful synchronized tap performance with spears.

“Sleeping Beauty Jewels” performed en pointe by Ximena Delgado with original choreography by Marius Petipa was a burst of elegance underscored by the technical prowess of Delgado. Her years of training were evident.

Other highlights were Maue’s “Spiders in the Ballroom,” Angie Robles’ jazz and calypso juggernaut “Muses of Ancient Greece” and the tireless tapper “Jungle Bratz” choreographed by Talia Castellanos.

Crowning the Dancing Queen’s evening was a sublime gift to the community from Pablo Francisco Rubalcaba Tovar of “The Winged,” a stunning creation originally choreographed by Jose Limon of his namesake Limon Dance Company. Based on classic mythology and literature using the Limon Technique, the performance celebrated the freedom of winged creatures and the inspiration they provide humanity. It was a stunning performance that will leave dance aficionados in this region talking for years to come.

Southwestern College has this year reclaimed its rightful place as the performing arts center of the South County with a series of outstanding theatrical, musical and dance performances in the leaky but beautiful new Performing Arts Center. Tovar’s triumphant return reminds us that SC has for decades set lovely little birds flying free into the larger arts world. Sometimes, like the swallows or monarch butterflies, they become even more beautiful, then return home.

Tovar’s uplifting choreography elevates talented dance students

“I was convinced that the Boston Conservatory was the only great dance school in America. I figured (nearby) Harvard is where brainy people go. It made sense to me that the only dance school in the United States is (in Boston).

Looking at the two schools, I realized I had much to learn.”

PABLO

TOVAR Guest Choreographer

Pablo Tovar Photo Courtesy of Pablo Tovar

POSSIBILITY OF BEING BEAUTIFUL — Pablo Francisco Ruvacaba Tovar is a Tijuana native and SC dance alum who learned to fly in “The Winged” with the Jose Limon Dance Company. “The Winged” is an innovative suite of dance and movement composed and choreographed to evoke flight.

Photo Courtesy of Pablo Tovar

Photo Courtesy of Pablo Tovar

Photo Courtesy of Pablo Tovar

SWIMMERS RISE AS RECORDS FALL

Four Jaguars win PCAC titles at memorable meet

BY ALEXA LIMA

There is no place like home for the Southwestern College swim team which smashed 11 school records at the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championships held in the new aquatic center. Better still, they had a quartette of champions.

Kiana Henriquez won first place in the Women’s 400-Yard Individual Medley in 5:00.06. She also broke the SC record in the Women’s 100Yard Butterfly clocking a 1:03.75.

“This is my last year competing so my mindset is to have fun and enjoy it,” she said. “I love feeling like a mermaid in the water.”

Mayra Lobato won the PCAC championship in the Women’s 200Yard Backstroke in 2:15.25.

“I am very thrilled that I won,” she said. “There are some great swimmers here today, so winning is very cool.”

SC’s men’s team broke 10 school records and took home two PCAC championships. Luis Serrano led the way with a PCAC title in the Men’s 200-Yard Backstroke in the record time of 2:01.88. He also broke his own college record in the Men’s 100-Yard Backstroke clocking 55.78 seconds.

Serrano said he was pleased with his performance and proud of his teammates.

“I am content with my results,” he said. “We achieved what we were training for.”

Emilio Rujana brought home a PCAC championship in the Men’s 100-Yard Freestyle. He won in the record time of 46.31 seconds.

“After three years of not swimming, I am very happy with my achievement but never satisfied,” he said. “I want to continue to improve.”

Rujana, Luis Serrano, Ethan Hastings and Alejandro Serrano shattered the college record in the Men’s 400-Yard Freestyle Relay. They shaved nearly 10 seconds off the previous record when they turned in a time of 3:18.97.

The same four swimmers also broke the college record in the 200Yard Free Style Relay with a time of 1:31.07.

SOFTBALL TEAM PLAYS HARDBALL BEHIND SLUGGING ACE PITCHER

MADISON MENDEZ

BY JUAN H ESTRADA

Softball two-way star Madison Mendez won 14 games this year, batter over .300 and slugged over .500 but it was a funky play in the final game of the season that had fans scratching their heads. She was charged with throwing an illegal pitch. Best thing that could have happened. The mysterious call enraged her manager and fired up her team on its way to a 6-4 win over Mesa College.

Verbal fireworks erupted in the 3rdinning because of confusion interpreting the rules. On a 1-0 count, Mendez was called for throwing an illegal pitch, the first time for the pitcher who started 35 of the team’s 39 games this year. Two pitches later an even longer delay occurred stemming from the Olympians’ manager arguing over the balls and strikes count.

Tempers flared and it appeared for a few moments that the umpire was losing control of the game. After a lengthy delay and a few deep breaths, the umpire decided to resume the game without altering the count. Mendez kept her cool and wiggled out of a jam.

Southwestern’s Shohei Ohtani did it all by pitching a gem, hitting some rockets that drove in runs and turning in stellar defense.

Daniela Sandez, Elyssa Garcia and Haley Oceguera joined Mendez on offense swinging big bats. Sandez and Oceguera also contributed some outstanding base running that led to scores.

Sandez electrified her teammates and fans with a laser beam of a throw from deep centerfield that appeared to nail a runner at the plate. Catcher Kassidy Harper made an outstanding tag in a cloud of dust as the crowd and the Jaguars exploded into roars of celebration.

The jubilation was cut short when the umpire, in a delayed call, waved the runner safe.

Jaguar players and fans howled in protest, but Mendez again was all composure. Two batters later she accidently hit an Olympian batter and the same umpire who barely maintained order earlier inexplicably decided it was time for a macho show of authority. He removed his mask and glared toward the Jaguar bench and raised both hands over his head.

“We are finished here already?” he asked, presumably rhetorically.

Southwestern refused the bate. Mendez struck out the next Olympian on three pitches.

Between innings, however, the Jaguars’ manager was informed that he had received his first official warning. Shrugs ensued.

It was Mesa that needed to be warned that a Jaguar outburst was coming. In the bottom of the 4th Devyn Krystek singled, but was injured running to first. Angela Allen came in as a pinch runner. Sandez hit a smash that ate up the third baseman and everyone was safe. Oceguera followed with her second hit of the day to load the bases for the Jaguars’ hottest hitter, Kassidy Harper. The slugging catcher knocked in two runs to hand the Jaguars the lead. Jaguars defense shined all afternoon but was especially spectacular in the 6th. Jaguars third baseman Bella Hurtado made an athletic lunge to spear a line drive. Second baseman Oceguera also made a stellar catch on a line drive. Harper then leapt from her catcher’s crouch into a full sprint and completed an outstanding diving catch in foul territory. The back-toback-to-back stellar plays took the wind out of Mesa’s sails. Their season was over. Southwestern escaped with a 6-4 victory to cap a tough but inspiring season.

Four players -- Kassidy Harper, Madison Mendez, Elyssa Garcia and Haley Oceguera

Photos Courtesy of Abe Photography

POOLING THEIR TALENTS — SC women won two of the four conference championships and broke two records in the process. It was one of the strongest showings in years.

A LEAP FORWARD —

A rebuilding swim team won four individual conference championships and broke 11 school records in an impressive performance at the SC Aquatic Center.

Rough and rowdy roller derby stars athletic, flamboyant women of all walks

ground. Roller derby is played in at least 50 countries and all 50 states. Its popularity peaked in the late 1960 and into the 1970s when it was a televised professional sport, but it has never faded away. Today, in fact, roller derby is once again on a roll.

A proud Chicana, Mamarazzi is an elbow-throwing trailblazer in a sport born of white skaters in the Depression-era Midwest. Today’s roller derby athletes are a rich mix of women from many races and every socio-economic tier.

“People will see all walks of life in this sport,” she said. “We are all very welcoming of each other and roller derby is very welcoming all around. After each bout we are proud of each other and does not matter if we made mistakes. I love the camaraderie and excitement we have for one another.”

FUN AND INFECTIOUS

Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell is hardly the first person to fall in love with roller derby on first sight.

After a rollicking concert in Oakland, the Oklahoma singer-songwriter was trying to unwind in his hotel room when he came across a bout featuring the Bay City Bombers on TV. His “queen of the roller derby” was a sexy star who could throw a mean right hook.

“It was infectious fun,” he said. “It needed a song, so I gave it one.”

Roller derby’s creation story is a little blurry and possibly embellished, but the accepted narrative is that the sport was invented by Chicago promoter Leo Seltzer and given its edge by legendary Windy City sports writer Damon Runyon. Seltzer started a touring league that was proto-punk and camp, but also legit. The women played for keeps and played to win.

During the late 1970s and up against the 21st century roller derby strayed from the true faith and often become scripted spectacles in the manner of WWF and other made-for-television performance sport. It was popular on TV in the 1960s and 1970s in some urban markets, but suffered a decline during the glum Reagan years.

Amateurs have resurrected the sport’s integrity and popularity. There are about 1,250 leagues worldwide. Though roller derby is most popular in the United States, it also thrives in England, Australia, New Zealand as well as parts of Asian and Africa. Most leagues honor the brashness and tongue-in-cheek nomenclature of the American game.

Roller derby is played by two teams on an oval track. Each team fields five skaters at a time and may have up to 15 on a roster. Like hockey, teams send out lines of players for short but intense bursts of activity, then rotate in rested players.

Matches are called “bouts” and last for 60 minutes. During twominute “jams” a player on each time designated as the “jammer” attempts to score points by lapping opposing skaters. “Blockers” work to prevent the jammers from scoring. Jammers score a point each time they lap a blocker. There are four points to be had if all the blockers are passed.

Bouts are often freewheeling scrums of flying elbows and hip checks evocative of rugby, hockey or football.

Players can land in the penalty box like hockey and score a four-point grand slam like baseball. Bruises are the most common injury, but the occasional concussion or broken bones mean medical personnel with stretchers are usually standing by.

SLAMMING SISTERHOOD

Roller derby is fast, full contact and the domain of legit badasses, said Lisa Del Gado, 36, a member of the Winetown Rollers better known by her skate name Legatron 88.

“Being able to hit people is my favorite part of bout days,” she said. “After a long work week, it is nice to have a release from that. In regular day-to-day life you cannot hit people, but in roller derby you can.”

An eight-year skating veteran, Legatron said her team practices hard and is strategic like the NFL or NBA.

“I try to visualize everything we have practiced,” she said. “I visualize executing for my team.”

Legatron assures fans that her use of the word “execute” is figurative and that in spite of their hyper-aggressive bouts, roller derby skaters support and respect each other. Weekend combatants, like crabs, have hard exteriors but soft insides. “Play hard and leave as friends” is the ethos for a sport that is aggressive, but also an act of sisterhood that allows women a forum for physical and personal expression.

“There is a sense of unity,” she said. “We come together to be rowdy and have fun, but also to push one another to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Mamarazzi, who was throwing some wicked elbows minutes earlier, agreed.

“We are very supportive of each other and (roller derby) is a forum for different kinds of women to come together,” she said.

A recent bout between San Diego Roller Derby and the Winetown Rollers was a flurry of fishnets, long legs, heavy makeup and hot wheels rumbling laps around the thundering rink. With just four minutes before the final whistle, the jammers give it their all in a desperate effort to grab the final points and victory.

Elbows and shoulder checks sent blockers wobbling, but not out. A timer blared and the skaters’ hands dropped to their knees as they allowed their momentum to carry them around the track gasping for breath and dripping with sweat.

San Diego Roller Derby racked a 146 to 131 victory. Advil and Aspercreme will follow, but endorphins and euphoria fueled toothy grins on mascara-streaked faces.

For Mamarazzi it harkens back to her childhood and teens circling the old hardwood skating palace in National City and its Chula Vista counterpart on the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue near Chula Vista Middle School. For 26-year-old Olivia Hill, a first-time spectator, it was a moment of awe.

“These are great athletes,” she said. “What impeccable balance! You never hear about (roller derby) as a mainstream sport, but it was so inspiring to see women in a fullcontact sport.”

Mamarazzi admitted that she relishes her Jekyll and Hyde avocation.

So do her skating sisters Maiden China, Molly Tov Cocktail, Anne Smashaway, Sandra Day O’Clobber and Roly Mary Mother of Quad. Sometimes she has to explain the bruises to her photography customers, but she considers them badges of honor.

“It’s all good, clean fun, verdad?”

Weekend warriors on wheels, the derby women rest up for Saturday night.

BASEBALL TEAM WALLOPS GROSSMONT

BY JUAN H. ESTRADA

Jaguars vs. Griffins may not be Yankees-Red Sox or DodgersGiants, but the half century rivalry is intense nonetheless. The two teams were on collision course in a late season game with playoff implications.

And there was an actual collision.

Southwestern outslugged

Grossmont 10-7 in a game that largely hinged on an umpire’s out call against a Griffin baserunner who collided with second baseman Aiden Miller on a cover play that blunted a rally. Grossmont’s manager went nose-to-nose with the ump, but the call stood and SC escaped.

SC’s offense racked up one of its best showings of the season.

It needed to.

Grossmont got off to an explosive

start scoring three runs on soft singles amid poor pitching and worse defense. SC was lucky it was only three.

SC responded with three runs of its own and none of the hits were soft.

Centerfielder Adrian Hinojosa hit a rocket to left and poor Grossmont defense allowed him to score. Two batters later leftfielder Aiden Perez blasted a two-run homerun to knot the game at 3.

The Jaguars struck again in the third inning, when third baseman Eric Nakano spanked an 0-2 pitch to into the right field corner to give SC a 5-3 lead.

Pitcher Andy Canedo was cruising until the 4th when Grossmont strung together hits to score a run and threatened for more. On the first pitch the next batter hit a weak dribbler that first baseman Nico Vallarelli scrambled to his right to

glove. Second baseman Aiden Millan moved over to cover first base and in a bang-bang play had his extended leg on first base. There was a collision that sent the Griffins baserunner tumbling. Shouts from the Jaguars bench encouraged Millan to tag the runner for missing the base. The umpire called the runner out.

Grossmont’s manager bounded out of the dugout to argue the call, to no avail. Two runs that had scored were taken off the board and a potentially huge inning for Grossmont was suddenly over.

SC scored in the 6th and 7th innings, capped by Hinojosa’s tworun double.

Adrian Sanchez came in with one out in the ninth and Grossmont bringing the tying run to the plate. He got a quick three-pitch strikeout and a weak grounder to seal the 10-7 victory.

TONI REPLACES TONIE AS FIRST WOMAN TAKES REIGNS OF TRACK TEAM

BY DEVIN LAWSON

WANTED: Head track coach at Southwestern College. Must be a college All-American and a national champion who is fast and can jump. Must be cool and able to connect with a diverse team. First name of Tonie preferred.

Tonie Campbell left big spikes to fill when he departed Southwestern College to become athletic director at Cuyamaca College in December. Unsurprisingly, Campbell skillfully mentored his replacement.

Toni Smith, the Jaguars’ sprightly jumpers coach for the past six years, took over the head coaching position just before the season started – the first female track and field coach in SC history and a rare woman coach anywhere who coaches men.

The young men and women on the team like the call, especially former Jaguar triple jumper Amanda Shaw, who won the CCCAA State Championship last year as well as a full ride to UC Davis.

Smith said she is humbled by the thought of succeeding Campbell, but is ready to run with the top job.

“Tonie Campbell was a legend,” she said. “So yes I’m very nervous but I’m going to let those nerves be the fuel to my fire. Coach believed that I was the perfect coach for his team and my goal is keep the winning culture alive, bring my A game and always be there for my athletes.”

Campbell was a record-setting high hurdler at USC and an Olympic silver medalist. Smith also has an

PCAC

• CONT FROM PG 10

Alejandro Serrano set a new record in the Men’s 200-Yard Individual Medley by touching in at 2:04.61. He joined Luis Serrano, Hanson Gallegos and Rujana to set a new record in the Men’s 400-Yard Medley Relay with a time of 3:53.92.

A record fell in the Men’s 200-Yard

Medley Relay thanks to Luis Serrano, Rujana, Hastings and Jake Osthimer. Alejandro Serrano’s 4:23.99 in the Men’s 400-Yard Individual Medley was yet another new SC record.

Rujana shaved more than two seconds off the school record in the Men’s 100-Yard Butterfly and Luis Serrano broke his own record in the Men’s 100-Yard Backstroke.

Matt Ustaszewski, head coach for the Swim and Dive Team for 20 years, said

he was was pleased with his crew.

“Our student-athletes did an amazing job and we are very proud of their performances,” he said. “They were dedicated and focused on swimming to the best of their abilities. It was great to see them achieve their goals and compete at such a high level.”

Overall both teams took fourth place at the PCAC Championship meet. SC men scored 426 points, the women 264 points.

SOFTBALL

• CONT FROM PG 10

-- finished the season with batting averages over .300. The dynamic duo of Mendez and Harper both slugged over .500. Harper finished her incendiary season with six homeruns, a .371 batting average and slugging percent of .643. She also did a Joe DiMaggio/ Tony Gwynn, walking more than she

impressive athletic pedigree. She was 4-time All American who broke the long jump record at Oklahoma University as a junior.

Even as a little girl Smith loved track, she said.

“It’s just something about seeing the track that makes me feel free,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s the breeze I catch when running or the euphoric feeling of doing a high jump and feeling on top of the world.

I love it. It frees me mentally.”

Smith is CEO of Total Starr Fitness and enjoys serving the community. Coaching the Jaguars track team fits that box.

“This is a new challenge I am ready for,” she said. “I went from having seven athletes (in private training) to now being captain of the ship. It’s going to be a rollercoaster, but I will thrive and survive.”

struck out.

Iron-armed pitcher Mendez appeared in 35 of the 39 games. She completed 24 and racked up 14 wins, including several where she pitched both games of a doubleheader. Madison Villaescusa also recorded three complete games.

Jordyn Beatty led the Jaguars with 21 walks and tied with Daniela Sandez, for the team lead with five stolen bases without getting caught.

TAKING THE LEAP — SC jumpers had been fans of their specialties coach Toni Smith for six years. Now the Oklahoma University All-American is the head coach, the first woman to coach men at Southwestern College.

Toni Smith, a four-time long jump All-American, succeeds her revered mentor Tonie Campbell

“This is a new challenge I am ready for. It’s going to be a rollercoaster, but I will thrive and survive.”

TONI SMITH

SC Head Coach Track & Field

BACK PAGE

TOUGH BUT

FUN-LOVING WOMEN BRING ROLLER DERBY BACK AROUND

BY CAMILA A. GONZALEZ

“As fast as a bullet, she can jam all night

Makes a full-grown wonder bull die with fright

She’s the queen of the roller derby”

— Leon Russell

“Queen of the Roller Derby”

Monik Gutierrez is a nicely-dressed, well-coifed 46-year-old professional photographer whose art is to capture the loveliness of nature and the best of people.

When night falls her other side emerges.

Her makeup transforms from moderate to menacing. Her professional attire vanishes and her warrior gear wraps around her muscular body like improvised armor. “Pretty Woman” becomes “The Road Warrior” as quickly as thumbing the channel changer.

Monik surrenders to Mamarazzi 619. The beast is set free.

It’s derby night.

Roller derby is a rowdy sport dominated by athletic, rough-and-tumble women. It is more than 90 years old and narrowly missed being a sport in the 2020 Olympics, but is unknown to most Americans and an afterthought in the South County.

Mamarazzi and her sisters of slam are out to change that.

National City’s Mamarazzi is part of an underground sport that is not really under the

DERBY • PG 11

PHOTO BY CAMILA A. GONZALEZ / STAFF

“We are very supportive of each other and (roller derby) is a forum for different kinds of women to come together. You never hear about (roller derby) as a mainstream sport, but it was so inspiring to see women in a full-contact sport.”

— MAMARAZZI 619, National City Roller Derby Queen