By Nathan Hermanson

Assistant Arts Editor

Southwestern Colleges revolving door
of top leadership is spinning again as
the governing board searches for a new
superintendent. Tis time, though, the
governing board is optimistic that a
permanent new CEO will usher in an
era of stability.
Governing Board Vice President
Norma Hernandez chai red an
18-member screening committee that
paper screened 34 applicants and selected
fve semi-fnalists. After a series of public
forums where candidates addressed the
public, the governing board narrowed
the pool to three fnalists.
I believe that it is essential, at this
critical time for our college district,
to have an educational leader with
community college background and a
demonstrated commitment to a governance
structure that promotes collaborative
decision making, collegial consultation
and active involvement of all constituent
groups, she said.
Hernandez said she is very impressed
with the three finalists who are SWC
Interim Superintendent Denise Whittaker,
Berkeley City College President Dr. Betty
Inclan, and Orange Coast College Vice
President of Instruction Dr. Melinda Nish.
Tis week a small subcommittee of board
members, students and employees will travel
to the colleges of the fnalists to interview
co-workers and gather information.
Governing board members hope to
announce the new superintendent/
president at its October 12 meeting.
With three highly-qualifed candidates
it boils down to who is the best ft for the
college, Hernandez said. Tat is the big
question the board must decide.
a nat i o na l pa c e ma k e r awa r d n e ws pa p e r
www.theswcsun.com aug.17 - oct.1, 2011 Volume 55, Issue 1
please see Superintendent pg. 12
Superintendent search narrowed to three
please see Plagiarism pg. 16
Prof. accuses
superintendent
of plagiarism
Marshall B. Murphy/staff
NO CROSSING ZONE After a day of chaos and standstill at the worlds busiest border crossing, fve northbound lanes reopen
as crews work to remove debris after scafolding used to support overhead construction collapsed on top of incoming vehicles at the
San Ysidro Border. Several cars were damaged and 11 people were injured, including two that were hospitalized.
PAGE 1 7 ONLI NE WWW. THES WCS UN. COM
BREAKDOWN AT THE BORDER
UCSD to raise TAG GPA for fall 2012
please see UCSD pg. 17
Campus, 3
Viewpoints, 6
Unsigned, 6
Sex Column, 7
Thinking Out Loud, 8
Sports, 10
Arts, 18
InsIde
:
Newspaper
honored for
defense of
free speech
please see Award pg. 17
paBlo Gandara/staff
THREE HIGHLY-QUALIFIED CANDIDATES: Speaking at recent public forums are superintendent fnalists (l-r) Dr. Betty Inclan, Denise
Whittaker and Dr. Melinda Nish.
By Sun Staff
Following more than three years of strife
where Southwestern College journalism
students and faculty were harassed and
punished by college administrators and
some governing board members, the
staf of the SWC Sun will be awarded
collegiate Americas most prestigious
recognition for defense of the First
Amendment, the College Press Freedom
Award.
Presented annually by theStudent Press
Law Center (SPLC) of Virginia andthe
Associated Collegiate Press (ACP)
of Minneapolis, colleges nationwide
are nominated for demonstrating
By Alyssa Simental
Online Editor
A Southwestern College professor
said in a global campus e-mail that
Int eri m Superi nt endent Deni s e
Whittaker plagiarized portions of a 9/11
commemoration message she had sent
out over the campus e-mail. Whittaker
immediately acknowledged that she had
neglected to cite the original source of two
lines from her message.
Dr. Carla Kirkwood, coordinator of
International Programs, said she received a
call about the possible plagiarism incident
and searched the statement via Google. She
said she was immediately directed to an
article in the Washington Post. Kirkwood
said Whittaker also co-opted language from
the History Channel.
Kirkwood sent a global email to Whittaker
and all staf stating that the 9/11 message
contained plagiarized material.
The attached document by the
Washington Post and the History Channel
is a great tool in teaching this historic
tragedy to our students, wrote Kirkwood.
A proximity of this information begins on
page two of the document.
Whittaker responded immediately and
called the episode an oversight.
Tank you for bringing to my attention
By Lina Adriana Sandoval
Staff Writer
Students still have an opportunity
to get into UCSD with a 3.0, but the
window is closing quickly.
In March UCSD increased its
Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG)
minimum GPA requirements from a
3.0 to a 3.5 for students planning to
apply for fall 2012. University Link
was created to assist community
college students who are close but
just short of UCSD requirements.
Students from Region 10 community
colleges including Southwestern
College, who have attained a GPA
of 3.0 or higher are eligible. As long
as the University Link program is
available, UCSD will offer some
students extended time to raise their
GPAs while they attend community
college.
The ori gi nal purpose of the
University Link program was to
identify students during the spring
of their senior year of high school
to ensure that we establ ish and
maintain a pipeline from high school
to postsecondary education, said
Dr. Angelica L. Suarez, SWC Vice
President of Student Afairs.
SWC representatives asked UCSD
leaders to expand University Link to
include community college students
at a 3.0 minimum GPA effective
immediately, Suarez said.
Students need to be designated in
the University Link pipeline program
in order to be able to qualify to transfer
with a 3.0 GPA, said Suarez. Unless
the student has been identifed by
Colleges full
accreditation
is restored
Whittaker credits
hard working staf
By Mary York
News Editor
In an announcement that caught even
the most optimistic staf members by
surprise, the regional accreditation body
that placed Southwestern College on
probation in February 2010 lifted all
sanctions and this summer reafrmed the
colleges accreditation and good standing.
Te announcement by the Accrediting
Commission for Community and Junior
Colleges (AACJC) marks the end of a
two-year period of turmoil at the college
that culminated in the unseating of
two governing
board members,
the fring of top
administrators
and a campus-
wide effort by
faculty, staf and
an interim superintendent to get SWC
out of its worst predicament in its 50-
year history.
Tis is a huge victory for our students,
institution and community, said Interim
Superintendent Denise Whittaker.
Weve been working tirelessly to resolve
the ACCJCs concerns while safeguarding
the high-quality education Southwestern
College provides. Our hard work paid
of.
SWC was slapped with probation
for 10 defciencies in administration,
budgeting, planning and board conduct
under a previous governing board and the
administration of former superintendent
Raj K. Chopra. Though none of the
sanctions were related to teaching
and learning, SWC risked closure if
the deficiencies were not corrected.
Board members Yolanda Salcido and
Jorge Dominguez were swept from
office last November, and Chopra
resigned shortly thereafter. Two vice
presidents, the chief of campus police
and other administrators were fred or
resigned following the election of Norma
Hernandez and Tim Nader to the board.
Colleges on probation with as many
sanctions as SWC faced usually are
moved of in increments, said Academic
Senate President Angelina Stuart, a
leader in the efort to restore the colleges
accreditation. SWC made an epic leap
from probation to fully accredited, she
said.
Tats like going from a D- to an
A+, she said. There is such a great
sense of relief and hope in what we have
accomplished. Te spirit of the college
is back.
A follow-up report will be sent to the
accrediting body in October to document
progress that has already been made.
Its meant to show we are doing what
we said we would, she said.
SCEA faculty union president Andy
MacNeill said SWC was fortunate to
have great support from the inside.
We had the right people in the right
place at the right time and that made all
the diference, he said. Our change in
administration was huge. I dont think we
would have been able to do it if we didnt
have such an incredible turn around
within our governing board and top
leadership. Tere was no doubt Denise
was the person to help us reafrm our
accreditation.
Boa r d Pr e s i de nt Na de r s a i d
the combined efforts of the school
and community to restore SWCs
accreditation was incredible.
Its been such a phenomenal efort
See ARTS pg. 18
Great faculty art
show brings out
the beast
please see Accreditation pg. 16
By Nickolas Furr
Staff Writer
Some conservative building contractors
and taxpayer advocates are complaining that
two experienced members of the colleges
Proposition R Oversight Committee were
replaced with pro-union representatives.
Members of the governing board said one
representative was not reappointed because
she had not applied for another term.
In 2008, voters of the Southwestern
Communi t y Col l e g e Di s t r i c t
overwhelmingly approved a $389 million
construction and modernization bond
meant to improve the college, including
the corner lot project, a parcel of empty
former farmland located at the corner of
H Street and Otay Lakes Road in Chula
Vista. Following California law, the Prop
R Citizens Oversight Committee was
formed to monitor expenditures and
provide representation, not to the college or
construction companies, but to the voters
of the district.
Tree new members joined the committee
this summer. Nicholas Segura, Tomas
Davis and Matt Kriz filled one vacant
seat and replaced members David Krogh
and Rebecca Kelley. Te boards refusal to
reappoint Kelley to her seat proved to be a
controversial decision.
Rebecca had been serving as the San
Diego County Taxpayers Association
representative since the passage of the
bond, said Chris Cate, vice president of
the association. Her term was up and
she indicated that she would be interested
in reappointment to the board. We sent
a letter to the district, expressing our
support. Tis was prior to the release of
their [reformatted] application. Once the
suggested appointments were brought to
the governing board, Rebeccas name did
not appear.
Oversight Committee President David
Adams has sat on the committee since its
inception.
Basically, the purpose is just to see if
theyre spending that money right, that
theyre not misspending the money and
that there is transparency there, he said.
Earlier this year the terms of three
members of the oversight committee came
up for reappointment. Adams said Kelleys
failure to reapply for her position led to the
end of her term, but he also said there might
be something sinister behind it.
Te Taxpayers Association has made a
big stink about getting their person back
in, but then a union person got it, he said.
My attitude is that theres a hidden agenda
that might be coming around the corner.
Lets face it, all the teachers and everyone
up there, theyre all union people. So theyre
all going to cover their union sides. I think
the board is behind it. I know Tim Naders
behind it. Hes behind the union, big time.
Why? I dont know.
Cate said the Taxpayers Association had
sent their letter before the new application
was available and they never thought it was
necessary.
Typically, they never ask you to reapply
because they already know who you are, he
said. You already flled out an application
once. But they changed the application
and added a couple of diferent questions,
so they felt she did not apply and was not
considered.
Governing Board President Tim Nader
said that Kelley failed to submit an
application on time and that was a factor.
Under the procedures that we have
for filling vacancies on the oversight
committee, Denise Whittaker, the
superintendent/president, recommends a
slate of candidates to the board, and we
adopted that recommendation. She made
her recommendations only considering
those who applied.
Nader also said the loss of Kelley and
Krogh from the oversight committee
was one of the reasons that he suggested
increasing the size of the committee from
seven to nine.
Former Trustee Nick Aguilar and I
wanted to expand it, but that was the
minority view, he said. Te upside is
you can get more diverse participation. In
terms of this latest round of appointments,
we might have been able to get the beneft
of experience and get some fresh blood at
the same time. Te downside, to be fair, is
that a larger committee can be a little more
unwieldy.
Without that increase in positions, the
Taxpayers Association was cut out of the
proceedings altogether. Kriz is a member
of the San Diego Middle Class Taxpayers
Association, a group which maintains
an unafliated web presence, but whose
Facebook page links it to several pro-union
and progressive political groups. Kriz
himself is political director of International
Union of Painters and Allied Trades,
District Council 36 and Local 831.
The oversight committees makeup
was determined prior to opening for
applications in 2009 and one of the slots
was set aside for a member of a taxpayers
association. Kelleys politically-conservative
group was the only one in existence at that
time. Krizs organization was launched on
April 18, 2011, around the time that SWC
was seeking applications for committee
Marshall Murphy
Assistant Photo Editor
Tere is a new breed of drugs on the
market. It is a kind of drug you can buy in
daylight, at local corner stores or online.
Outbreaks of this drug are wreaking havoc
on users, causing cardiac arrest, nightmarish
trips and thoughts of suicide and violence.
California politicians and law enforcement
are teaming up to take down these kinds
of drugs in the state. Tey are synthetic
drugs known on the street as spice and
bath salts
Chula Vista Council member Steve
Castaneda has been working for more than
two months with Council member Patricia
Aguilar and the Sweetwater Union School
District to ban sales and possession of
spice and bath salts in Chula Vista. Te
Ordinace to ban possession will go before
Chula Vista Public Safety Subcommittee
October 12, 2011 before it can go onto
the full council.
Assemblyman Ben Hueso representative
of the 79th District introduced Assembly
Bill 486. The Bill tackles bath salts,
a synthetic cathinone stimulant that
produces a high similar to cocaine,
compos ed of Mephedr one and
methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV).
While Senator Ed Hernadezs Senate Bill
420 takes aim at synthetic cannabinoid
potpourri sold as spice which replicates
a high similar to marijuana, both bills
would make it a misdemeanor to sell
the substances, punishable up to $1,000
in fines or six months in jail. Grossly
mislabeled, the substances are sold under
the guise of incense and bath salts. Both
are labeled not for human consumption.
Ely McLaughlin, a 20-year-old video
production student at San Diego City
College, started using spice and bath salts
after being sentenced to federal parole. At
his highest point he was smoking more than
300 grams of spice a month. Sold in pocket-
sized canisters, spice resembles marijuanas
herb-like appearance. Standard sizes
hold two grams but can be sold at larger
quantities. McLaughlin said he has smoked
brands of spice such as, Armageddon, K2,
X-rated, K2 Chronic.
But there are negative side efects.
I feel dumber a bit, a little slow, said
McLaughlin. Sometimes I have heat
fashes and my heart hurts every now and
again.
Spice and bath salts have developed a
mythical air to them with tales of people
experiencing extreme psychosis, terrifying
hallucinations and self-mutilation.
Dustin Bellis, age 23, a beverage
management major at University Nevada,
Las Vegas smoked spice for two years,
taking two month breaks every six months.
He smoked brands such as Fat Cat Spice
and Pulse. In a three day period of time
he and his roommate would smoke 10
grams. He smoked enough to build up a
tolerance, sometimes smoking enough to
result in hallucinations. During his times
of quitting he would experience withdrawal
symptoms.
Te withdrawal symptoms vary from
person to person but my side efects were
headaches, intense heat fashes, extreme
morning sickness, loss of appetite, extreme
mood swings and weight loss, said Bellis.
Te worst of the side efects for me was
throwing up foam. When I stopped every
morning for about two weeks I would
throw up foam, which was painful and
disgusting
Synthetic drugs have been hiding in plain
view. Only recently have politicians, parents
and school administrations in Chula Vista
realized the extent and danger of this
drug after the heavily covered case of the
Olympian High School student who went
into cardiac arrest on graduation day after
smoking spice.
Six months ago if you were to mention
spice or K2 I wouldnt know what you were
talking about, said Castaneda. I thought
K2 were skis.
Castaneda learned about synthetics
from a segment on ABCs 20/20. Little
did he know they were being used in his
own town.
These synthetic drugs seem to be
mimicking efects of PCP we saw in the
80s and 90s, said Castaneda. Weve had
people that have busted out of handcufs
and fnd themselves non-susceptible to pain
and have spurts of super strength.
Part of the problem with spice and bath
salts is the constant evolving of the chemical
foundation.
Te laws have not been able to catch up
with this substance, said Castaneda Tey
constantly change the chemical makeup to
skirt the law.
Manager Joe at South Bay Liquor pulled
spice of his shelves for moral reasons.
I dont want to have a mom come in
here and cuss me out because I sold her son
spice, said Joe as he rings up a customer at
his family-owned store. He stopped selling
the pseudo incense after Joe did a little
homework.
Tey dont know what it is, said Joe.
The first time the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) put the ban on the
frst substance was the frst and last time I
ever had it.
In March 2011 the DEA temporarily
placed five variations of spice into the
Controlled Substances Act as a Schedule 1
substance, putting them in the company
of Ecstasy (MDMA) GHB, heroin and
Marijuana. Of the fve substances, JWH-
018, CP-47, and cannabicyclohexanol
were included. On September 7 a
similar temporary banning was placed
on three of the active ingredients in
bath salts, Mephedrone, Methylone and
methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV).
Stores do not card for traditional incense
and the same is true for synthetics and this
is adding to the controversy. Stores are
Te Southwestern College Sun news
Aug.17 - Oct.1, 2011Vol. 55, Iss. 1
2
Chula Vista seeks ban on the sale of synthetic drugs
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
DECEIVING DRUGS Deadly synthetic drugs labeled as bath salts and potpourri are commonly smoked or snorted in
blunts and lines like other illegal narcotics and target marketed to youth.
Deadly compounds ofen available in local
stores, sold to children near public schools
NICKOLAS FURR/STAFF
DISSENTING OPINION Proposition R Oversight Committee Chair David Adams said it
was a mistake to replace two experienced members.
please see Drugs pg. 13
Builder decries loss of oversight members
SWC board replaced two on Prop. R committee over the summer
please see Prop. R pg. 15
Free press, speech policies
approved by SWC board
By Ana Ochoa
Staff Writer
Southwestern Colleges Academic
Senate and governing board have been
busy this year replacing ambiguous and
outdated policies that faculty leaders
said provided loopholes for the previous
administration and board to abrogate free
speech and free press rights of employees
and students.
Freedom of Expression Procedures
for new Policy No. 3900 were approved
by the colleges Shared Consultation
Council, changing the old rules that
limited freedom of speech to a small
area by the cafeteria. New procedures are
more in line with the spirit of the First
Amendment of the Constitution of the
United States, according to SCC member
Angelina E. Stuart, SWCs Academic
Senate President.
Tese new procedures allow anyone to
use any portion of the campus as opposed
to only having the free speech area
designated previously, she said. Tis will
open up our campus for students during
college hours, ensuring that they have a
voice with their constituency.
Te Campus Use Request Form allows
staf and students to reserve an area on
campus to engage in expressive activity
as long as it does not interfere with
instruction and campus activities.
The procedures for freedom of
expression are another good step forward,
though they do not fully address all of the
issues raised by FIRE and the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of San
Diego and Imperial Counties, said Vice
President of Programs for the Foundation
for Individual Rights in Education
(FIRE), Adam Kissel.
In July the governing board voted
unanimously to approve Policy No. 4500,
Student News Media and Journalism
Publications. This new policy lifts
restrictions and adds protective measures
for the student newspaper, its students
and advisor, unlike the two-decade old
Policy No. 6063 which former college
Superintendent Raj K. Chopra, and Vice
Presidents Nicholas Alioto and Mark
Meadows, cited when Chopra ordered
the newspaper to cease publication prior
to the 2010 governing board elections.
Te new policy states the Southwestern
College Governing Board protects
freedom of expression and promotes
ideals of freedom of the press by thus
establishing this policy to college
news media. Procedures passed the
SCC despite opposition from some
administrators who did not want to
allow the newspaper advisor fnal say
over selection of the printers, on-line
hosting and other contractors. Professor
of Journalism Max Branscomb said
he compromised where he could, but
refused to concede that point for fear that
future deans and student publications
would again be vulnerable to threats and
intimidation.
In the end the SCC did the right
thing, he said. We now have a sensible
policy and set of procedures to prevent
future abuses and First Amendment
violations.
Lindsay Winkley, former editor-in-
chief of the Southwestern College Sun,
said she is pleased the new policy is in
place.
Te environment was defnitely pretty
aggressive towards Te Sun, and there was
a lot of insecurity about us being able to
do what we felt was within our rights as
student journalists, she said.
She said students writing for Te Sun
were in a position where they did not feel
protected by the SWC Governing Board.
Policy No. 6063 allowed an oversight
committee the power to approve and fre
the editor-in-chief, but under Policy No.
4500, this decision now rests fully on
the hands of the SWC Editorial Board,
comprised of student editors.
Aside from new freedom of expression,
Southwestern College students have the
opportunity to repeat certain courses,
with some exceptions.
Students who wish to retake a course
after excessive Fs and Ws have a new
vehicle. A policy called Course Repetition
and Course Withdrawal (No. 4225) was
developed over the summer to allow
students to submit a petition to repeat a
course, though they must demonstrate
that they are now in a position to
complete the course.
A subcommittee then reviews the
request and either approves or denies it
on a case-by-case basis, said Stuart.
A student is only allowed two repetitions
for each course in which they have received
an F grade, D or NP. If a student ends up
with a W grade on a certain course, the
student may only repeat it three times and
only after proving medical emergencies or
compelling situation. Foreign Language
and English as a Second Language (ESL)
courses are prohibited a single repetition.
By Albert H. Fulcher
Editor-in-chief
April Fools Day was a good day for Professor of
Spanish Deana Alonso-Post. It was her first day back
teaching after eight months of terrifying illness and
tenacious recovery. It was a perilous journey and
not the first time she overcame catastrophic life-
changing events.
A nati ve of Mexi co Ci ty, Al onso came to
Southwestern College in 1979, took English as a
Second Language and earned an associate degree in
mathematics. She made Southwestern home again
in 1995, this time as a newly-minted professor.
Within a year of her arrival an unthinkable
t r a ge dy hi t .
Her husband,
t he bri l l i ant
Prof es s or of
Engi neer i ng
Dr . Co s t a s
Lyrintzis, was
murdered by a
deranged student
gunman at San Diego State University in 1996 in a
crime that shocked the nation. In an instant Alonso
was a widow and a single mother of a one-year-old
daughter.
She dyed her hair black and solemnly mourned her
husband for a year. Then during a stirring address
during a memorial for Lyrintzis at SDSU on the
one year anniversary of his murder, she pledged to
get on with her life. Even in death Lyrintzis was a
model husband and father.
If I had not had that full-time job and my
husband had not provided us with good insurance,
I would have lost my house and my life would have
been totally different, said Alonso.
Alonso rebounded to become one of SWCs most
talented and respected professors. She authored two
successful textbooks and was voted Outstanding
Faculty Member. Her daughter Sofia was growing
up a spunky and outgoing personality like her
mother and a kind intellectual like her father.
Alonso was happily re-married to Frank Post, an
SWC adaptive computer specialist with Disability
Support Services.
Life was good for Alonso when tragedy struck
again last year in August, shattering her life and
leaving her new husband, family and the campus
community in shock.
She underwent emergency surgery for an aneurism
that burst, spreading blood through her brain. After
days of headaches, nightmares and hallucinations, a
perforated colon led to a second surgery, triggering
a stroke. Waking up the next morning, she found
herself in terror.
I could not speak, she said. I could think in
Spanish, but I could not speak a word of it.
Even with the headaches and hallucinations, she
said she possessed all her thinking and considerable
language abilities, but the stroke prevented her brain
from connecting her language center to her speech
center. She slowly began to speak in small words,
but only in English.
I really panicked, she said. Inside my brain was
fully working, but I could not tell anyone. I realized
I was stuttering and sounding like an idiot.
Her sister, Professor of Spanish Esther Alonso, said
it began during a trip to Italy. She said her sister
had problems with dizziness and had tripped twice.
We just thought she wasnt paying attention, she
said. When her husband found out that she had
had dizzy spells and fallen, he insisted that Deana
go to the hospital and find out why these things
were happening. The neurologist saw her and told
her we need to have surgery tomorrow.
Alonsos doctor found a nine-millimeter aneurism
with a weird shape and a daughter
aneurism attached. He told her if it
burst she had a 30 percent chance
of living and an unknown chance
of keeping all her abilities. Deciding
to go with the surgery, she wrote
her family and colleagues hoping
for the best.
After having someone die in my
life, I know how difficult it is to
deal with, she said. So I got all
my papers in check, gave them to
my husband, told him to take care
of my daughter in case anything
happened.
Alonso said Post never left her side.
Without him she said she might not
have survived. Post did everything
she needed, even changi ng the
dressings of her open wound three times a day for
four months while they waited for her colostomy
reversal.
My husband was an angel, said Alonso. So
I believe I had an angel up above and down here
looking after me. But it was tough.
Behind the scenes, headed into surgery, Esther
Alonso said that it was Dinorah Guadiana-Costa,
chair of world languages, who did most of the work
to keep the classes going, relieving the family to face
the crisis at hand.
It is amazing how fast you can solve problems
when it is imperative, said Esther Alonso. It was
one day to the next without any preparation. That
tells you how fantastic the department is.
Guadiana-Costa said she did what she had to.
When she was going in for surgery, no one was
ready for how things turned out, she said. That
is, that her aneurysm would burst in the middle of
surgery and she would remain on the verge of death
for weeks.
Anguished day and night by her condition,
Guadiana-Costa said she could not stop worrying
about Sofia, Frank and her dear friend Esther
Alonso. Guadiana-Costa said it seemed impossible
to start the new semester without Alonso.
I felt like a ghost coming back to classes
invisible, empty and lost, she said. I went
through the motions but they were rote and totally
meaningless. She just had to get better.
Alonso did get better, but only after
several setbacks. With the horrible
headaches and hal l uci nat i ons she
thought people were there to sell her
body parts and believed her husband
wanted her deported. Even though she
had just gone through the hell of brain
surgery, her perforated abdomen could
kill her, meaning another surgery.
I kept thinking, This cannot be the
end of me here, she said. It was hard
to have so much fear, but I did not break
down. I was very strong. The whole time
I was in the hospital there was always
someone with me, even every night. I
was not alone for a minute.
After the stroke, she said she felt lost
and the loss of her native tongue scared
CAMPUS
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011, Volume 55, Issue 1 Te Southwestern College Sun
3
Albert H. FulcHer
SWC negligent
not having an
Emergency Plan
Te
Human
Chord
New life after a near-death experience
f
aces
Immigration
of
My husband
was an angel.
I believe I had
an angel up
above and
down here
looking after
me. But it was
tough.
Deana Alonso-Post
Spanish Professor
EtEr DafnE EstraDa/staff
A CLASS ACT Spanish Professor Deana Alonso-Post (center) helps her students with a project in one of her Spanish classes. Alonso-Post said she believes that work is play
is work and she creates diferent games where students can learn their Spanish vocabulary while having fun.
W
hat happens when thousands
of people on campus are left
in the dark at Southwestern
College? Absolutely nothing. We have no
safety plan.
Tere is no excuse for this. It is pure
negligence. Tis is especially disquieting
for a 50-year-old institution for higher
learning that has had its share of near
misses in the recent past.
Walking around campus shortly after
the largest blackout in San Diego County
history, I saw that faculty had no choice
but to make decisions on their own. Some
gathered classes outside while others
immediately sent students home. Faculty
members did an excellent job in handling
the situation as best as they could. But
that is not enough in an uncertain,
possibly dangerous situation.
I somewhat expected to see campus
leadership spreading the word that the
campus was closed, but I saw nothing.
Most of them were just as much in the
dark as the rest of us.
Someone from the college tweeted
the news about the power outage and
eventually the closing of the campus, but
with only 332 followers, it is not even close
to being an efective way to communicate
to the 20,000-plus campus community.
Two people walking the campus with a
bullhorn is a better solution than relying
on the colleges Twitter account.
Some cell phones died immediately and
some maintained service but experienced
delays in getting messages and calls due
to system overload.
In this day and age, emergency text
messaging systems like San Diego States
are the quickest and most reliable way
to reach a majority of the campus
community. It is highly unlikely that there
is any ofce, classroom or campus facility
that will not have at least one person with
a cell phone that has texting capacity.
My next-door neighbor works at
Mendoza Elementary School in San
Diego near Imperial Beach. Within 20
minutes of the blackout all faculty, staf
and parents were sent text messages, and
school grounds closed safely and orderly.
She could not comprehend that SWC
has no safety plan and expressed shock
at the colleges inability to communicate
with people on campus. She said bad
management and poor planning is the
only excuse for this and was happy her
daughter no longer attended this college.
Her daughter was in class at SDSU and
came home shortly after the blackout
because the college has an emergency text
messaging system in place.
Emergency text messaging is not the
answer to all emergency situations, but it
is a good place to start. In dire scenarios,
emergency text messaging is not the
answer if all service is lost. Tat is why it
is called an emergency plan. Plans have to
cover every contingent emergency.
Scenarios involving earthquakes, fres,
predators, health epidemics and shooters
need to be planned, practiced and
understood by every person on campus.
With our proximity to the border, SWC
needs to address issues that many colleges
might not, like the recent collapse of
scaffolding at the San Ysidro/Tijuana
border crossing.
It is fortunate in this case that it was
only a blackout. If not for my android,
I could have sat in the dark for a long
time, completely unaware of what was
happening and what to do. In a situation
like this, faculty and staf could have just
as easily led students out into the center
of a major crisis, possibly even a shooting
zone.
Now that SWC has cleaned out its
corrupt former leaders and regained
accreditation, it needs to get serious about
a safety plan. Former Campus Police
Chief Brent Chartier did not want the
responsibility, so the college needs to fnd
a competent grown-up to lead the efort.
Mother Nature has a temper and all the
great engineering of man has faws. Before
our next cascading blackout SWC needs
to employ some cognitive candlepower
and come up with a workable emergency
plan that is understood by all employees.
Safety is job one, so it is time to get busy.
Professor Deana Alonso-Post triumphs over tragedy
By Mary York
News Editor
College and community leaders rolled
out the red carpet for new San Diego State
University president Dr. Elliot Hirshman
and used the event to make a pitch for
improved access for Southwestern College
transfer students to the regions largest
university.
Governing Board Vice President Norma
Hernandez hosted a formal reception for
Hirshman in the Student Center. As SWC
culinary students served tiny hors doeuvres,
local education and business leaders
implored Hirshman to keep SDSUs door
open to SWC transfers.
We want to emphasize how important
local access is to our students, said Denise
Whittaker, interim superintendent, as
she introduced the guest of honor and
the evenings theme of collaborative
opportunity.
Hirshman, though non-committal,
seemed very receptive and expressed his
excitement over SWCs enthusiasm and
spirit.
What a sense of family here, he said.
What kindness people have shown me.
Hirshman addressed the gathered
faculty, staf, administrators, students and
community members, reminding them of
the fnancial obstacles colleges are facing.
Were in a very special periodof
economic challenges, he said. In response
to these we need to focus on our core
values.
Hirshman highlighted the values of
pursuing excellence, the responsibilities
of institutions of higher education and
the partnerships that support and engage
the community.
It is a belief that is grounded in our
potential, that working together our
faculty and staf can achieve great things,
he said.
Claudia Duran, the Associated of
Student Organization president, said she
was pleased with the outcome of the event.
I hope that we really bring about
options for more students to transfer to
SDSU, she said.
Many in attendance have close ties to
SDSU and expressed hope for the future
between SWC and the university.
John Brown, director of facilities and an
SDSU Masters student, was among those
who support the political alliance.
I think SWC education is what defnes
opportunity a lot of times in this country,
said Brown. It represents the American
ideal of people who want to better
themselves. Our relationship with SDSU
will help us get from one point to the next.
SWC leaders urge new SDSU president to keep access open
please see Alonso pg. 4
sErina DuartE/staff
POINTING THE WAY SDSU President
Dr. Elliot Hirshman, guest of honor at an SWC
reception, said he looks forward to a productive
relationship with the college and South Bay
community.
her most of all. She said little by little,
she spoke more English and eventually
the Spanish came back.
When I began speaking in Spanish
it came stronger and better than the
English, she said. I believe it is
because it is my native language and
always a part of my life. It was amazing
that I began in English, but it was scary
because I teach Spanish.
Esther Alonso said Deana was finally
able to come home while waiting to
have the colostomy reversed. While
Alonso recovered from the surgery
and the stroke, she started feeling ill
again. She went back to the hospital for
five more days, once again faced with
deadly consequences.
She had a bacterial infection that
ruins your stomach and intestinal
lining caused by the colon surgery,
sai d Esther Al onso. It was ver y
dangerous and painful for Deana.
She had lost weight through the prior
surgeries, but this was the one where
she lost the most. When released from
the hospital, she started climbing out
of the hole all over again.
Alonso said it took about three
months before she began feel i ng
normal. Going to a speech therapist
and with a colostomy bag, she said she
came out of the hospital like an old
rag, walking with a walker. She said
she lost more than 30 pounds on top of
wounds from two surgeries and a severe
infection that set her back.
It was very difficult, both physically
and emot i onal l y. I was j us t s o
depressed, she said. Then they could
not reconnect me because I had a huge
tumor in my uterus.
It took four months before the two
surgeons could work together. During
that time she got a huge cyst on her
ovary, once again in extreme pain and
facing another surgery. She said she was
amazed that her current health benefits
covered it all.
But that surgery was good and I felt
normal, she said. It was hard, but
now I think my brain is between 95
and 98 percent back.
For 20 days faculty fed her family,
Alonso said. Each day someone would
bring food to feed the family for the
day. She said her 76-year-old aunt came
to take care of her twice after the first
and third surgeries.
My aunt is a swimmer, beginning
at 15, and has won medals in her
division, she said. And she is in better
shape than anyone. She would help me
bathe. She made me walk
every day, even when I
started at about 10 steps at
a time. Now I walk three
miles every single day.
Esther Alonso said it
was Deanas personality,
strength and tenaci ty
that sped her recovery.
She said the tragedies and
adversities that her sister
has faced would have made
another person give up,
but her sister never loses
sight of her goals in life.
Even when her husband
was killed, she did not fall
to pieces because she had
a 14-month-old baby that
needed a mother, said
Esther Al onso. She i s
incredible. If those things
would have happened to
me, I would have crumbled.
Alonso said she notices small grammar
mistakes or forgetting the right word
from time to time, and experiences
sciatic pain due to weakened muscles.
I am a fighter, she said. I am
going to come out of all of this just
like everything else. I have my life, my
family and my colleagues to support
me. I wont take no for an answer.
She came back i n Apri l wi th a
reduced load for six weeks to see if she
was ready to teach.
It was invigorating to me, she said.
I love so much what I do, the minute
I got into the classroom I forgot all the
pain, everything. So, this semester I
wanted to come back with a full load.
Its good to be home.
SWC has been home since 1979, she
said, when her father decided to move
the family business. He sold everything
they owned to make a home for his
family. With the exception of her sister,
the entire family moved to Chula Vista.
My father burned all the boats
leaving Mexico City, like any great
Spaniard would do, said Alonso.
Alonso said she came to the United
States well educated, just finishing her
first year of university in Mexico City.
Her parents went back home to Mexico
after a few years because they could
not recreate the lifestyle they had there
in Chula Vista. Her brother moved
with his family to Tijuana, leaving
the Alonso sisters living in a tiny
apartment. Alonso earned a bachelors
degree i n mathemati cs
because she felt she did
not have a good command
of English. Numbers, she
said, are numbers.
Her experi ences as a
migrant and an English
learner gave her empathy
f o r S WC s t u d e n t s
a t t e mpt i ng t o l e a r n
English without having a
proper structure of their
native language. Alonso
returned to col l ege to
earn her Masters degree
i n l i ngui st i cs wi t h an
e mpha s i s on s e c ond
language acquisition at
SDSU. She later earned
another Masters degree
in English as a Second
Language.
I became fascinated in
the transition of going to English from
Spanish, she said. I had gone through
it, but for me it wasnt hard. I had a very
good educational background and you
transfer all of those skills with you. You
do not have to relearn how to think, or
organize thoughts for an essay. But my
students had a lot of problems because
they had no skills in their native tongue
to transfer into English.
Alonso said she is a strong believer
in bilingual education and giving
students the language they already
have, strengthening and solidifying the
foundation of language to transfer to
learning English.
Before coming to SWC she taught
at Castle Park High School, Pasadena
City College and Citrus College. She
co-authored, along with her sister,
two textbooks. Ent re mundo and
Invitaciones. After many rejections and
unwilling to give up, she published
Invitaciones with her own money and
eventually sold the rights. It is now the
official text in more than 100 college
and universities in the United States.
Destiny has interesting ways of
finding what you are going to need,
she said.
Alonso said she did not want to be
a halfway-there citizen. She wanted
to make sure the United States did not
become like parts of Mexico where they
do not protect their people. In August
1987 she became an American citizen.
I wanted to be part of the people, to
have a say and this country has always
been so good to immigrants, she said.
Those of us who want to work hard
and do something. To be industrious
and creative, this country has always
been there for us. It is just amazing.
I think anyone who comes to this
country and works hard can. It is not
so in other countries.
Through all her trials, Alonso said
the people in her world, her country
and her home inspire her.
Life has hit me pretty hard, she
said. But it has also given me many
blessings, my daughter and my family.
I have an awesome sister. And now I
also have an awesome husband. That is
good news. I believe I have been blessed
all my life by having people around me
that make me a better human being.
Green thumbs up
for garden event
By Enrique Raymundo and Michelle
Robles
Staff Writers
While people around the world continue
to talk about going green, Bill Homyak
has spent a lifetime doing it. His creation,
the SWC Botanical Garden, is the regions
gold standard for green standards.
Green thumbs had their moment in
the summer sun during Green Scene,
Homyaks homage to home gardening
and environmental sustainability. Since
its creation in 2008, the Botanical Garden
has put down roots.
Te whole idea was to have a garden
show in the South Bay, said Homyak.
It always seems like were going to Del
Mar and other locations that arent really
convenient for people in the South Bay.
Vendors offered a wide variety of
tropical plants, including an exotic
symbiotic fungus called Mycorrhiza that
grows on the roots of a plant. Energy-
efcient green technology products were
the talk of the event, including a quirky
but popular eco-friendly frearm cleaner.
I bought the biodegradable gun-
cleaning solution for my husband who
goes dove hunting, said shopper Sonia
Flowers.
Project Wildlife taught attendees
how to support local indigenous fauna.
An eye-catching woodpecker attracted
more spectators, giving volunteers
opportunities to give easy tips on going
green. Professionals ofered lectures on
native Californian plants, composting,
and foral design.
Local experts Dave DeDonato,
recycling specialist for Chula Vistas
environmental services division, and
Mark Valen, horticulturalist for the Chula
Vista Nature Center, made a pitch for
composting.
Composting is something anyone
can and should do, said Valen. SWC
could incorporate composting into its
trash operations and save money on
landscaping.
SWCs Botanical Garden opened in
2008 and is registered with the American
Public Garden Association.
Te Southwestern College Sun
campus
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
4
EtEr DafnE EstraDa/staff
MASTERFUL MAESTRA Multi-lingual and nationally-respected as a teacher and author,
Deana Alonso-Post said she is thrilled to be back at SWC after a series of life-threatening illnesses.
I am a
fghter. I am
going to come
out of all of
this just like
everything
else. I have
my life, my
family and my
colleagues to
support me.
Deana Alonso-Post
Spanish Professor
Photos by sErina DuartE/staff
GREEN MACHINE Dale Rekus (above) of Mission Hills is a member of the Gardener Association of San Diego. Te group gives advice
about home gardens, landscapes and pest management. (below) Copper fowers celebrate the creativity of garden art. (bottom left) Project Wildlifes
ambassador was an eye-catching, ear-popping woodpecker.
Southwesterns Botanical Garden is South
Bay center of burgeoning green movement
Alonso: charismatic
professor survives a
frightening ordeal
Continued from Page 3
Campus
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1 5
By Ana Bahena
Assistant Campus Editor
Like a borderlands Phoenix, the
San Ysidro campus of Southwestern
College has been reborn of death and
despair into a beautiful monument to
the resilience of its unique community.
On the site of the infamous 1984
McDonal ds Massacre where 21
members of the community were
murdered by a deranged gunman,
SWCs Higher Education Center
stands to honor them by giving wings
to those who came after.
Dean Silvia Cornejo-Darcy said
she has enjoyed working at the HEC
for the last 10 years because the
community values its presence.
Because of its history, the campus
serves as a tribute to the community
we are a symbol of triumph over
tragedy, she said. It is very fulfilling
to know that you are a part of
something so special.
Joan Kroc, t he l at e owner of
McDonalds, donated the site to SWC
shortly after the shootings, which were
at the time the largest mass murder in
American history.
Si nce 1988 the new HEC has
served tens of thousands of students,
most of whom live in or near the
surrounding community. For some it
is convenience, others it is the tight
knit feeling they receive with faculty
and staff.
With the capacity to serve 2,000
students, the HEC at San Ysidro
provides a wide variety of classes
with flexible schedules. It offers full
semester and 15-week or 8-week
classes, hybrid courses, and weekend
classes, same as the main campus.
Cornejo-Darcy said that prior to
closing for reconstruction in 2007,
HECSY was onl y open Monday
through Saturday. She said when
it reopened in 2009, as a result of
limited funds, it was only able to open
and offer classes Monday through
Thursday.
This semester, we are finally able
to open Monday to Saturday, she
said. The result? Greater access for
students.
She added that the community
was in need of access on Fridays and
Saturdays, and class enrollments
i ncreased by approxi matel y 36
percent (comparing Fall 2010 to Fall
2011).
Educati on Center Techni ci an
Nancy Reyes, 31, said the SY HEC
offers students the feeling of closeness.
Students feel more comfortable
here, she said. Its nice to know
people personally and to work with a
fewer number of staff and students.
Financial Aid Technician Laura
Arana, 38, said she enjoys assisting
students wi th grants and other
financial help.
I l i ke the popul ati on of the
students, Arana said. Theres also a
little more confidentiality here since
there isnt long lines, so there is no
one looking over you hearing about
the things youre discussing.
Located only minutes away from
the border, the San Ysidro Center
includes courses for completing
general education requirements for
transfer, pursuit of an associate degree
and personal development.
Cornejo-Darcy said the students at
the center are eager to learn.
With a large population of students
with English as their second language,
and often first-generation college
students, they are often surprised
and often surprised by the programs
and services available to them.
HECSY supplies a variety student
services such as admissions and
records, EOPS, Financial Aid and
Counseling. It hosts a reading lab,
computer lab and tutoring services
are offered at no cost to students.
Disability support and health services
are also available at the center.
Reyes said students have everything
they need at one convenient location.
Instead of doing one thing at one
office then moving to another, its all
done here at once, she said. No long
wait times.
Cor nej o- Dar cy s ai d t he San
Ysidro campus is a gateway into
higher education for an underserved
community.
I encourage every student to
give the HEC SY a try, she said. I
am convinced that they will have a
positive experience.
ANGELICA GONZALES/STAFF
SAN YSIDRO CENTER OF DREAMS Built from the ashes of the 1984 McDonalds
Massacre, the Southwestern College Higher Education in San Ysidro features a memorial to the
21 victims. College leaders and San Ysidro residents call the satellite campus an important asset
to the border region.
SWC satellite campus
glows near the border
phi Theta Kappa adds members
By Angelica Gonzales
Campus Editor
Southwestern Colleges honor roll
grew by 63 this month. Phi Teta
Kappa, the ofcial honors program
for two-year colleges, welcomed new
members invited to join based on
outstanding academic achievement.
PTK invitees must maintain a 3.5
grade point average and be enrolled
in at least 12 units.
Phi Teta Kappa ofers exclusive
schol arshi ps to the members,
fosters an atmosphere of academic
achi evement and encour ages
leadership skills.
Tese students have worked their
tails of to achieve this academic
goal, said Phi Teta Kappa advisor,
Myriam Moody. For myself, it
is a pleasure and an honor to be
associ ated wi th our members.
Because of who they are, I want to
help them as much as I can and help
them become the best individual
they can be.
SERINA DUARTE / STAFF
MODELS OF EXCELLENCE Phi Teta Kappa members Alfredo Calderon, Christina Marie
Kirker, Antonette Sandoval, Juan Manuel Huerta and Kevin Leach sing the traditional song of the
honor society.
New Members
Phi Theta Kappa
Christina Elena Gutierrez
Gerardo Lorenzo
Eman Deiranieh
Jireh Flores Datuin
Meagan Williams
Bazz Khurshid
Ritchie Agpaoa
Nancy Ahuna-Sweat
Jessica Arroyo
Michael Ary
Marcos Ayala
Ana Alicia Bahena
Ashley Bailey
Marisa Barocio
Mary Beck
Rose Blackmon
Alfredo Agustin Calderon
Diana Marlene Campos
Claudia Carvajal
Davidson Cervantes
Alejandro Chavez
Juan Fernando Gadd
Adrienne Galamoam Torres
Daniela Garcia
Luis Garcia
Krista Ann Garrigus
Luis Alberto Gonzalez
Alexia Lorelei Gutierrez
Sheila Alvina Hearvey
Rebecca Pradis Hernandez
Carl Hobbs
Christina Maria Kirker
Alice E. Kumagai
Kevin Anthony Leach
Ann Yena Lee
Ricardo Licona
Lacey Loika
Mariana Macedo
Sandra Martha
Kimberly McDonough
Maria Fernanda Mercado
Ariana Molina
Dulce Mota
Princess Abano Pangan
Carlos Placeres
Mylady Artap Puno
Gustavo Alfredo Ramirez
Irma Ramirez
Maria Leticia Ramirez
Margie A. Reese
Diana Rodriguez
Jesus Rodriguez
Melissa Romo
Tomoko Ruelas
Guillermo Sanchez-Aldana
Antonette Burgos Sandoval
Javier Segura
Tomas Joseph Sepulvado
Sean Solis
Norma E. Torres
Aaron Josue Urrea Ortiz
Gerardo Alberto Velazquez
Madison Wagner
Edward Walter
Jesse John Ward
Briele Nicole Warren
Kenneth Alan Wilson
Robert Yorba
Rong Zhao
New Ofcers
san Ysidros Higher Education Center is a
gateway of hope at americas front door
southwestern College honor society welcomes 63 standouts
Angelica Gonzales, Editor
Tel: (619) 482-6368
E-mail: campus@theswcsun.com
ARTS
Te Southwestern College Sun
6
Aug. 17- Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Issue 1
Folklorico
club brings
color, passion
By Anna Ven Sobrevias
Staff Writer
Afcionados of Mexican culture have for
years ofered Vivas! for Southwesterns
brilliant Mariachi Garibaldi, but have
bemoaned the absence of a campus ballet
folklorico. Te wait is over.
Folklor Jaguar is stomping its way to los
corazones of the campus community with
its colorful and passionate performances
of Madre Mexicos national dance form.
Members of the ballet folklorico club perform
traditional forms found throughout diverse
Mexico. Each regional dance tells its own,
characterized by distinctive styles and
costumes. Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Nayarit,
Jalisco, Michocan, Veracruz and Chiapas
are all represented by Folklor Jaguar.
Club president Vivian Mendoza describes
Sinaloan music as vivid, bright, exciting,
sexy and firty. Sinaloa dances have sets of
partners, but dancers are not together for
the whole performance. It usually depicts a
suitor wooing a woman. She exaggeratingly
swings her skirt left to right along with her
head, sneaking a peek of her suitor while he
follows her closely, impressing her with his
quick and tempting movements.
Head-dipping is also a famous trait of
Sinaloan dance, said Mendoza. While
supported by her partner, a woman bends
backward with her head almost touching
the foor.
Si nal oa dancers chase women
throughout the dance, but the opposite
Josh Baltezar used to be the
kind of guy who would give
you the shirt off his back.
Now you will probably have
to buy it.
While consumers are sheep-
ishly buying up the common
brands, Baltezar has been
spearheading a creative new
label he calls Clean Clothing.
Baltezar said he saw shirt
designs at some of his fa-
vorite stores and wanted
to create clothing just as
good or e ve n be t t e r.
I wanted to prove to my-
self I could do it, said the
20-year-old business major.
At frst Baltezar branded his
shirts with the acronym JBC
(Josue Baltezar Custom) for
MISAEL VIRGEN/STAFF
HOT SHIRT Josue Baltezar, a 20-year-old business major, created his own clothing
line based on his whimsical drawings. His screen-printed tees are now a hit among SWC
students.
please see Folklorico pg. 7
Faculty show how its done at edgy exhibit
By Gregory L. Ewing
Staff Writer
In the early days of Southwestern
College its visual arts instruction
was sublime. Half a century later the
colleges arts programs are not getting
older, they are getting better.
Looking Back, Moving Forward,
an exhibit which showcased the artistic
talents of the faculty, was a time-
tripping celebration of past and present
faculty members showing students
and the community how it is done.
An artist for more than 30 years,
Instructional Lab Tech George Essex
brought life to his piece about death. A
yellow-eyed gargoyle fxes its haunting
stare on visitors leading them to a
message sprawled in blood ink in a
mirror. It is Twilight Zone meets
Te Shining, a little monster with
his own caution of red rum.
Te piece is also homage and the
mirror is cleverly festooned with
photos in tribute to Essexs family and
friends who have passed away. In the
spirit of Dia de los Muertos, Essex also
salutes fallen members of the U.S.
Armed Forces.
I wanted to bring people closer to
death, said Essex. Basically the piece
is about the very moment that you face
death and remembering those who
have come before you.
Human hair brings authenticity
to the gargoyles look along with the
yellow eyes, he said.
Te gargoyle is the apprehension
that I presume people feel at that
moment when you are about to die,
Essex said.
Jacki e Bar r er a, f i ne ar t s and
photography major, took the full brunt
of the piece.
Although I was unable to sit down
in the chair, I respected the message of
Essexs piece, Barrera said. Tis piece
makes me also look at all the people
who have died and makes me not want
to waste my time.
Professor of Ceramics John Oliver
Lewis tossed convention out the
wi ndow and went i n a di fferent
direction than Essex. Te gifted Lewis
used soft color on what he describes as
an ice cream Michelin Man.
I saw a few students pretending
they were licking it and apparently
other people wanted to have a bite of
it, too, said Lewis.
His work was enjoyed by Andrew
Connolly, an art and studio major.
It is very welcoming and charming,
said Connolly. It has a very whimsical,
cartoon appeal that gives you a very
happy feeling. It reminds me of an
animation of a cartoon and the colors
and shapes are esthetically pleasing. It
is a really good piece.
Sheri Robles said she was impressed
by all the art at the exhibit.
With each art you see, you fnd a
piece of you in it and a piece of beauty,
she said.
FANTASTICAL FACULTY SWC art
professors compelling exhibition featured (top) a
deathly gargoyle by George Essex, (left) an ice cream
man by John Lewis and (above) art student Rebecca
Cribs Critter.
Clean
shirts
pay off
Talented SWC entrepreneur tries on his own business in competitive fashion industry
By Alyssa Simental Online Editor
Low budget,
high marks
for choirs
please see Designer pg. 7
please see Choir pg. 7
PABLO GANDARA/STAFF
PABLO GANDARA/STAFF
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
By Eileen Salmeron
Staff Writer
Southwestern Colleges vocal music
department refuses to sing the blues
despite small audiences this semester
and an even smaller budget. Big talent
and big plans still set the tempo.
Director Dr. Teresa Russell said
there were several factors that led to a
poor turnout at a recent performance,
including the power outage, a Chargers
game and the anniversary of 9/11.
Te Chargers being tied at the end
of the fourth quarter when the concert
started didnt help us, she said. So
I mean I understand, but we get the
date that we get and on September 11
a lot of people had events to go to, so
that didnt help us either.
Ticket sales are important to the
budgets of the Concert Choir, Jazz
Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Singers,
but they have plenty more chances
with upcoming shows on November
10 for Veterans Day and a holiday
performance December 11.
Balboa Parks annual December
Ni ghts on December 2, i s the
singers biggest event and draws
several thousand people. Ensemble
coordinator Maricela Paniagua said
December Nights will end the semester
with a bang.
All of our shows are really fun, but
this is our main event, she said.
Co s t ume , s t a g e s e t up a nd
preparation can be expensive, so the
choirs rely on fund raising to augment
ticket sales. Trader Joes has agreed to
sponsor the choir this year, relieving
some of the pressure of costs.
Russell said the choir collects old cell
phones, plastic bottles and aluminum
cans to recycle for extra cash.
It seems ridiculous, but it is about
$1,000 a year, she said. (We do)
whatever pays for the music and the
travel.
SWC choirs have had performances
i n Aust ral i a, Pari s, Greece and
Carnegie Hall in recent years. Te
Concert Choir was invited to Rome
for the American Festival of Music and
a performance at Te Vatican.
Preparation requires much time
and effort, according to rehearsal
assistant BJ Robinson. Tere is a lot
Looking Back, Moving Forward
a stirring celebration of creativity
applies in Chihuahua.
Chihuahuas exclusively known for
partnerwork, said dancer Erik Berumen.
Chihuahua is to folklorico what salsa is
to Latin dance. It is completely based of
partnerwork. Te dance is only as good
as the connection the two dancers have
on stage.
All throughout a Chihuahuan dance, a
couples hands are intertwined, supporting
each other through the twirling, bending
and stomping of the feet. Chihuahua ballet,
like other regions, features unique costumes,
props, hair and make up styles. Eye make
up for women is a key signature.
Jalisco style is one of the most recognizable,
displayed through a black dress with multi-
colored rufes horizontally lined up by the
skirt and sleeves. Vibrant green, orange,
pink, blue and gold surround the eyes.
Members said dancing ballet folklorico
makes them feel more connected with their
Mexican ancestry.
Many of the second generation takes
its culture for granted, said the clubs
ICC representative Vanessa Garcia. And
so much history and tradition is lost and
dancing and listening to traditional music
makes me able to communicate better
with my parents and grandparents who
lived in Mexico.
Diversity flourishes in Folklor Jaguar
and is not exclusive to Mexicans, Latinos
or even dancers.
Krystell Andrade said prior to joining the
club she lacked rhythm.
I had no experience whatsoever, she
confessed. I was just like I wanna join.
Vice President Miriam Hernandez said
the most important thing to bring to the
club is an open mind, a positive attitude and
a willingness to work with others.
If you just wanna join and learn, you can
just come, said costume director Tomas
Gonzalez. If you wanna start performing
with everybody you gotta be dedicated.
What we actually learn a lot is how to not
mix business with pleasure.
Ballet folklorico combines the great
Mexican arts of music, dance and fashion,
and Folklor Jaguar brings them all together
in a borderlands context that celebrates the
convergence of two great cultures. More
important to the dedicated dancers, its
just plain fun.
ARTS
7
Amber Sykes, editor
Tel: (619) 482-6360
e-mail: arts@theswcsun.com
Aug. 17- Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
Designer: Talented
entrepreneur plans
to expand business
Continued from Page 6
Folklorico: New club
celebrates great dance
art form of Mexico
Continued from Page 6
his custom t-shirt patterns and pictures.
It took me one year to create my frst
shirt, Chief Buddha, in 2009, he said.
I decided just to get one box of shirts
made and give them to my friends and
family, but then everyone wanted one.
Baltezar said he sent shirts to relatives and
buddies throughout Southern California
and Tijuana. Soon friends of those friends
were asking where they could get their
hands on one.
After creating his website cleancloth-
ing09.com, he decided to move on to
social networking.
I made a page on Facebook for Clean,
he said. People kept adding the page and
asking if they could buy a shirt.
Samantha Tellez, 20, English major, said
she was one of those people.
I frst saw his label on campus at SWC
(last year), she said. A student walked
past me with Joshs Buddha shirt on and
I knew I wanted one.
Shipping problems are making growth
hard, but Baltezar said he opened a PayPal
account for the label.
I personally deliver the shirts, he
laughed. I dont having shipping on the
website, so I have to right now.
Even though he had difculty putting
together a website where people can shop
and place orders, consumers have been
very supportive, he said.
I work at the Brigantine and sometimes
I tell the customers about my designs, he
said. One time I had a former Marine
ask me if I had a website. He left the res-
taurant, checked out my stuf and came
back to give me some thoughts on what I
was working on.
His newfound success got a push from
his friends, Baltezar said, one of whom
encouraged him to put the design on more
than just paper.
I bought a shirt for him to put the
Buddha design on, said Breanna Legg,
20. I just kept asking him to do it until
he fnally did.
Alyssa Tucker, 20, said she has known
Baltezar for seven years and realized he was
exceptionally artistic since they were kids.
Hes always been creative, she said.
Tere is something behind every design
which is the cool part.
Tucker said she has been active in sup-
porting his label, even owns one of his
rose t-shirts.
Besides his captivating designs, the
style of it does too, she said. Its very
modern.
Baltezar said the support he received is
more than he expected.
Its something that I really like to do,
so why not make a living out of it? he
said. I want people to like my brand
and I want it to be successful, but Im not
impatient for it.
Choir: Low budget,
high expectations
for SWC choirs
Continued from Page 6
of responsibility on the individual,
he said. It is really about coming
together, making sure theyre making
time allowances, practicing their music
and choreography, getting the right
clothes.
Upcoming performances:
November 10, SWCs Veterans Day
Observance, Mayan Hall
December 2, December Nights,
Balboa Park
December 11, Holiday Concert,
Mayan Hall
December 21, luncheon performance,
Ronald McDonald House of San Diego
Ericka GonzalEz/staff
RECIPE FOR DANCE Folklor Jaguar represents the diferent regions of Mexico through
dance.
Backpage
LOOKING BEYOND BARRIERS Enrique Morones joined hundreds of Americans and Mexicans at Friendship Park for its 40th anniversary.
Morones and other human right leaders call for increased access to the park and the elimination of the fence that bisects it.
The Southwestern College Sun Aug. 17, 2011 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Issue 1 8
Friendship scales the wall
Never
should there
be a wall
between
these
two great
nations,
only
friendship.
Pat Nixon
Former First Lady
Activists, families and friends gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Friendship Park
BEAUTY AT THE BORDER (above) Mexican media and citizens wait
to hear Congressman Bob Filner speak. (left) In the most Southwestern corner of
the United Stated lies Friendship Park.
By Ana Bahena
Assistant Campus Editor
Former frst lady Pat Nixon extended
her hand across the U.S.-Mexico border
to greet Mexican residents during the
inauguration of Friendship Park in Playas
de Tijuana 40 years ago. In her eyes, she
said the purpose of Friendship Park was
for families living in the United States
to be connected with their loved ones in
Mexico. It did not involve the planets
largest security system.
Never should there be a wall between
these two great nations, only friendship,
Nixon said in 1971. We hope this wall
does not remain here long.
After September 11, 2001, a
triple border fence that bisects
the park made contact with
the other side impossible.
On the 40
th
anniversary
of Friendship Park, activists
gathered for a binational
celebration. From Tijuana,
Los Guayaberos held a salsa
dancing lesson that brought
Americans and Mexicans
to their feet with infectious
music.
Once the laughter and
swaying of hips ceased, a
moment of silence was held
for the thousands of migrants
who have died while traveling
north to work.
Enrique Morones, founder
of the civil rights organization Border
Angels, said he wanted to celebrate the
anniversary of the park since it has always
united both communities regardless of
the wall separating them.
We believe friendship has no borders,
Morones said.
Friends of Friendship Park is a coalition
of individuals and organizations who care
about Friendship Park and border issues.
They, along with the Border Angels
and other activists, are advocating that
the park be reopened to allow physical
contact between people on each side, its
original purpose. Friends of Friendship
Park is working with U.S. Homeland
Security ofcials on a redesign of the
park that would allow for cross-border
gatherings without compromising
security. The plan features a 60-foot
retractable gate, which could be opened
and closed by the U.S. Border Patrol.
Jamie Gates, a professor at Point Loma
Nazarene University and a founder of
Friends of Friendship Park, said he wants
to see the park restored.
In the process of building a new fence
they really destroyed what has for decades
and decades been a place where families
gathered, he said.
Congressman Bob Filner, who also
participated in the Freedom Rides of
1961, said the park is a
place of friendship and
a symbol of cooperation
between two great nations.
We have to get rid of
this wall so that we can
touch, see, dance and sing
to each other, said Filner.
When I look towards the
U.S. side with my back to
the wall, all I see is beauty.
Te ocean, the people, its
all beautiful. But when I
look towards the other side,
I see beautiful people and a
very ugly wall.
Henry Sanchez Pardo,
41, is a Colombian math
professor who is running
barefoot from Argentina to
Alaska and planting trees along the way.
He planted four small trees in Tijuana
two days prior and four more in the
binational garden within Friendship
Park.
Maria Luisa Sanchez Meza, president
of the Committee on Border Afairs,
unveiled a plaque in Tijuana with the
park rules in Spanish in order for visitors
from the Mexican side to learn about
how, when and at what times they can
visit loved ones.
Sometimes not knowing the rules
pushes families and friends farther
away rather than closer, said Meza.
We hope that this sign, more than just
be informative, be a point of family
togetherness and friendship between the
two nations. We need to be respectful
of the rules and laws so that there is
cordiality. Tis park represents the hope
for families to be together.
Basilio Meza Gastelum, a delegate of
Playas de Tijuana, said that the contact
through the border now does not
compared to physical contact.
Tings need to change so that families
can truly fnd each other, not just see each
other, Gastelum said.
Filner said before the wall was built
families on both sides of the border came
to eat and talk together, not try to cross
over illegally.
I want to quote another president in a
diferent context, he said, echoing John
F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan at the
Berlin Wall. Mr. President, tear down
this wall!
People on both sides of the border
should be teaching and learning from
each other, Filner said, not being
separated by a wall.
Tijuana resident Eva Valladolid spok
tearfully of speaking to her family
through the wall at Friendship Park and
how it lifts her spirits. She said she hopes
the wall will disappear in the future.
Carlos Santos Garcia, 30, said he
found his mother at Friendship Park after
seven years of not seeing her. In 2007 on
Mothers Day, he politely asked a Border
Patrol agent if his mother could cross by
the ocean to give him a hug.
He allowed her to come over for fve
minutes, Garcia said. We embraced and
those fve minutes were worth a lifetime.
9
Te Southwestern College Sun
VIEWPOINTS
Editorials, Opinions and Letters to the Editor
Opinions expressed in the Viewpoints section
are those of the individual writers and do not
necessarily represent the views of Te Sun Staf,
the Editorial Board or Southwestern College.
Te
Spinning
Wheel
AngelA VAn OstrAn
You can reach Angela by e-mail at
angela.vanostran@gmail.com
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
Southwestern College has Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder. Though
incomparable to a war-worn veteran,
this college is still haunted by demons
of past battles. Muddy trenches and
explosive issues have battered this school,
wounding many faculty and employees.
For the past nine months SWC has
fought to regain its accreditation and rid
itself of the oppression of incompetent
board members, a brutal and bumbling
superintendant, and a supplicant
administration. Wounds are deep, but it is
time to heal.
But even with the promise of a new
future ahead, much of the schools faculty,
staff and students seem to be stuck in the
shadows of past wrongs, unable to let go.
Jaded and hurt, SWC declares rebirth,
promises new beginnings and parades in
garments of a false peace. How long will
it take this campus and its leadership to
realize that there is a difference between
claiming to move forward and actually
making a conscious decision to heal?
Many of the people and businesses that
participated in the misdeeds of the old
regime are still here, bopping around
campus like nothing ever happened.
Putting the painful memories on a
shelf where they can be pulled out at a
future time when things seem to be going
badly again is not moving on. It is merely
putting a bandage on an unclean wound
and letting it fester.
The toxic environment that the
Western Association of Schools and
Colleges cited SWC for is not just a dust
cloud that follows Raj K. Chopra and his
cronies around like Pigpen from Peanuts.
It has settled into the cracks of our
spackled walls and still hovers in the air.
Cruelty, freedom of expression
violations, corruption, heavy-handedness
and betrayal that once dominated
this campus are not entirely gone and
forgotten. Why are construction firms
that tried to buy the governing board
election still here? Why is the dishonest
auditing firm that worked closely with
VP Nicholas Alioto to close down the
student newspaper still here? Why was a
controversial VP given a dean position
in the middle of a hiring process? These
and other unanswered questions are left
hanging and need resolution.
Survivors of trauma, those living with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, have
difficulty perceiving the beauty and peace
rising after tragedy when they face constant
reminders. With scarring visions of battles
from the past, many at SWC still hear the
echoes of horror from last year. Some
of us are still mourning friends lost to
imperiousness and shaking our heads that
their talents are now lost to us.
It is essential to battle for ideals worth
fighting for, and the Chopra regime needed
to be fought and defeated. Freedom of
speech, freedom of assembly, freedom to
redress your government, fairness, integrity
and reputation must always be defended.
These principles far outweigh the local and
transitory issues of the day.
Wounds can heal. Many have. SWC
has an excellent new governing board,
protective new freedom of expression and
student media policies and procedures, and
soon a new president. All constituents on
campus are welcomed to become involved
in the colleges future, the way it should be.
This college cannot afford to cling
to ghosts of the past. It only drains the
promise of a sunny future by letting its
energy and spirit flow out of open wounds.
Alan Paton, the South African writer
who endured the tragedy of apartheid,
told his countrymen When a deep injury
is done to us, we never recover until we
forgive. Forgiveness, as South African
President Nelson Mandela knew, happens
only after there is a process of coming
clean and acknowledging misdeeds and
injustices. That is the missing step so far at
Southwestern.
Finish the housecleaning and do it
quickly. A lot of time has been wasted
easing out the people who came too close
to destroying a 50-year-old institution of
higher learning with a rich and diverse
history. Finish the job so SWC might truly
embrace a new attitude and a renewed way
of thinking. Only then can we really move
on.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Albert Fulcher
SENIOR DESIGNER
Diana Inocencio
NEWS
Mary York, editor
Ernesto Rivera, assistant
Elizabeth Lucas, assistant
VIEWPOINTS
Tom Lord, editor
CAMPUS
Angelica Gonzales, editor
Ana Bahena, assistant
ARTS
Amber Sykes, editor
Nathan Hermanson, assistant
SPORTS
Jiamay Austria, editor
Daniel Guzman, assistant
ONLINE
Alyssa Simental, editor
Christopher Soto, designer
MULTIMEDIA
Andrea Aliseda, editor
Walter Graham, staff
PHOTOGRAPHY
Serina Duarte, editor
Marshall Murphy, assistant
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Cody Yarbro
COPY EDITOR
Margie Reese
STAFF WRITERS
Adriana Melero
Alexis Dominguez
Ana Ochoa
Anna Sobrevinas
Eileen Salmeron
Elizabeth L Thompson
Enrique Raymundo
Gregory L Ewing
Jose Alverado
Jose Anguiano
Kyle Nelson
Lamar Dent
Michelle Robles
Nickolas Furr
Valeria Genel

CARTOONISTS
Rashid Hasirbaf
Carlos Magana
DESIGNERS
Diana Inocencio
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Amparo Mendoza
David Sepulveda
Erika Gonzalez
Eter Dafne Estrada
Jeremy Lawson
Juan Castaneda
Karime Ponce DeLeon
Karen Janeth Perez
Kyla Guerrero
Lina Sandoval
Pablo Gandara
Paula Waters
ASSISTANT ADVISOR
Amanda L. Abad
ADVISER
Max Branscomb
Honors
Student Press Law Center
College Press FreedomAward, 2011
National Newspaper Association
National College
Newspaper of the Year, 2004-11
Associated Collegiate Press
National College Newspaper of the Year
2005-2006
National Newspaper Pacemaker Award,
2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
General Excellence Awards, 2001-10
Best of Show, 2003-09
Columbia University
Scholastic Press Association
Gold Medal for JournalismExcellence, 2001-10
California Newspaper Publishers Assoc.
California College Newspaper of the Year, 2011-2012
Student Newspaper
General Excellence, 2002-11
Society of Professional Journalists
National Mark of Excellence, 2001-11
First Amendment Award, 2002, 2005
San Diego Press Club
Excellence in JournalismAwards 1999-2011
California Chicano News Media Assoc.
La Pluma Awards 2000-08
JournalismAssociation of
Community Colleges
Pacesetter Award 2001-09
General Excellence Awards, 2000-11
San Diego County Fair
Media Competition
Best of Show 2001-03, 2005-2011
San Diego County Multicultural Heritage Award
2004, 2006
Wounds must be cleaned
before healing
Once upon a time, before Broadway or
minstral shows, the stage was a completely
different place. The message to the public
was shame and negativity. For centuries
women were played by cross-dressing
men. African-Americans were buffoon-
ishly portrayed by white actors in heavy
black makeup. Audiences were locked
in a confusing battle of images of racism
and sexism that were cemented into the
cultural norm.
Actors today are known for their ability
to immerse themselves so deeply in a char-
acter that they seem transformed. Through
Tom Hanks we explored the world of
Forrest Gump, not as a baseless person sit-
ting on a bus stop bench nibbling happily
on sugar, but as a thoughtful, graceful and
perceptive person that some of us could
only wish we could be. Hanks brought
depth to the screen and to our culture that
hadnt been shared before. I was in awe at
how convincingly the story delved into a
rarely-explored layer of humanity.
But the disability community has not
always been portrayed so well. Like the
black-faced actors of the minstral shows, a
controversial character being represented
was almost always a comedic poke at a
painful social mole. But Marlee Matlin
performing in Children of a Lesser God
stunned me. I had never seen a deaf ac-
tor play the role of a deaf character and
actually use real signs that I understood.
Television shows had tried and often failed
at portraying the deaf community with
any sort of reality. Usually an actor with a
disability was a one-time role, or a quick-
quipped background character with little
depth.
Will and Grace, Ellen and Rose-
anne cracked barriers for the LGBT com-
munity. Today gay and lesbian lifestyles are
treated with respect in the media, and not
just as a random afternoon special. They
are portrayed as real people, with clarity
and depth. Characters with disabilities are
starting to see that same clarity in main-
stream television. Zach Anner recently
charmed Oprah Winfrey, calling himself
the the sexiest of the palsies. He was
awarded a television special on Oprahs
OWN network on the perils and rewards
of traveling the world with a disability.
People with disabilities are often labeled
as wheelchair-bound, confined and
special needs. Sometimes they are so pa-
thetic and self-destructive that they com-
mit suicide rather than live in a crippled
body as the case of Million Dollar Baby.
If one out of 10 Americans live with a dis-
ability, where are these very real people in
our made-up, contrived reality just at the
end of the remote?
I am a fan of Glee, but Arties charac-
ter, played by Kevin McHale, makes me
cringe. He may be able to sing, play guitar
and woo the ladies, but the boy cant dance
in a wheelchair to save his life. This actor
makes me scream needs research! As
he is pushed around in his chair his arms
have apparently lost all self motivation.
The episode where he got up and danced
in the mall nearly made me stop watch-
ing altogether. As a dancer, McHale was
incredible, but as the character, it was a
slap in the face. His character bio says that
dancing is a dream he may never achieve.
Artie needs some serious wheelchair danc-
ing lessons. Either that or have his chair
strapped down on a public bus and watch
pieces break off every time the driver
stops. With creative and educated writers,
Arties character could portray the reality
of living with an actual disability.
Not all disabled characters need be
played by actors with disabilities, nor
should the roles of able-bodied characters
be restricted to those who are able-bodied.
A character should be played by the best
actor or actress for that particular part.
Media has finally taken the time to peek
into the lives of the world less seen. TV
and film bear a huge responsibility for rep-
resentatives of people. It took a long time
for the entertainment media to make right
by African-Americans, gays and Latinos.
Lets hope the learning curve is shorter for
the disabled.
Media portrayals
of disabled still
need some work
editorial
Our Position:
Superintendant Denise Whittaker has worked
magic, but much remains to be done.
The Issue:
Southwestern College has just come through
a prolonged period of abusive leadership.
Letters Policy
The Sun reserves the right to republish web
comments in the newspaper and will not consider
publishing anonymously posted web comments or
comments that are infamatory or libelous. Post web
comments at southwesterncollegesun.com.
Online Comments Policy
Send mailed letters to: Editor, Southwestern College Sun,
900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910. Send e-mailed
letters to southwestern_sun@yahoo.com. E-mailed letters must
include a phone number. Te Sun reserves the right to edit letters
for libel and length and will not consider publishing letters that
arrive unsigned.
Carlos Magana / Staff
By Kyla Guerrero
A Perspective
Back in 2007 you could not turn
a corner at Southwestern College
without inhaling the toxic fumes of
nicotine and tobacco. Now, in its
attempt to join the community college
band-wagon, Southwestern is trying
to go smoke free. Instead of being a
victim of second-hand smoke at every
turn, it is now only every other turn.
There are some not-so-strategically-
placed signs around campus that read
This is a Smoke-Free Facility or
No Smoking Beyond This Point.
Nearly every window and glass door
has a sticker that reads No Smoking
wi thi n 20 f eet of Any Operabl e
Window and Door. But that is not
stopping smokers from giving in to
their addiction and polluting our
learning environment.
Walking onto the campus, from
Parking Lot J, between the library and
the gym, to the cafeteria patio, you
can light up and walk directly into a
Smoke-Free Zone and never know it.
There is a sign in that area, but only
seen as you exit the cafeteria, walking
to the bookstore, that is if the sign is
not covered by plants. Dark windows
have a No Smoking sign, but if it is
a bright and sunny day or if you have
poor vision, it goes unnoticed.
Turing the corner to walk between
the cafeteria and the Student Center,
the cement is littered with cigarette
butts and huddled masses of students
catching a drag. These smokers have
no excuse. A Smoke-Free Facility
sign stands feet away from them, but
no one stops them. They smoke freely,
without disciplinary consequences. On
the other side of the Student Center,
more groups, each claiming their own
cement bench, toss their cigarette ash
and butts in the grass. Again, there is
a sign directly in front of the Cesar
Chavez Building, but it is obstructed
by a planter.
Not to say that the smokers are
completely innocent. There are visible
sti ckers, i f smokers cared or pay
attenti on. Head to the Academi c
Center and catch a f ew smokers
hustling to their next class, puffing
along their way.
SWC has four designated smoking
areas. One outside the 390 building on
the south side campus, one at the bus
station on the east side of campus,
one past Lot N and right before Lot
J on the north side of campus, and
one in Lot H on the west side of
campus. Only three of the four are
clearly marked and found.
At the bus stati on there i s a
green, vandalized sign that once
said Please use ashtrays and two
ashtrays are provi ded. Another
designated smoking area between
Lots N and J has a clearly-placed
sign, two ashtrays, one bench and
one trashcan are provided, but the
area remains empty. The last found
designated smoking area, in Lot H,
a facility parking lot, provides one
bench and one trashcan, but no
ashtrays.
SWC is trying to become smoke-
free by placing signs at common
gathering and eating areas, and
by providing areas for smokers
to rejoice, however the signs are
meaningless if they are not enforced.
It may not be a campus police issue,
but SWC faculty, ASO and even
students who respect their campus
should step in and kindly direct these
smokers to their designated areas.
Making SWC smoke-free would be
beneficial to the health of all students.
AmAndA l. AbAd
viewpoints
Tom Lord, editor
tel: (619) 482-6368
e-mail: viewpoints@theswcsun.com
10
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
Got a burning question? Sex
and The Sun can be reached at
sexandthesun@gmail.com.
surrogate sex
partners sub
in to help
By Andrea Aliseda
A Perspective
Big, juicy, colorful and perfectly shaped
fruits and vegetables often appear more
appetizing when they have been altered.
Its no wonder the Evil Queen had no
trouble tempting Snow White into a bite
of her delectable blood red apple. Little
did she know, a single bite would lead to
her demise.
Just like the oblivious Snow White, some
SWC students purchase nice-looking fruits
and vegetables, not realizing they maybe
biting into poison.
Beloved apples took top spot on a
notorious new list by www.thedailygreen.
com. Te New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods
to Eat Organic ranks apples as the most
dangerous fruit because they can contain
more than 40 diferent pesticides.
Globally grown and distributed fruits
and vegetables can be incredibly unhealthy
and some of the most toxic food on the
market today.
In order to maintain a healthy and
balanced diet, most students rush to local
grocery stores, gas stations and campus
cafeteria to get a nutritional fx, blissfully
unaware of the underlying dangers lurking
behind the peel. Modern chemistry makes
fruits and veggies look great, but turns a
miracle of nature into a myriad of poisons.
It is like when morticians apply chemicals
to corpses to preserve their appearance
unnatural and just wrong.
Starting from the ground up, the
chemical fertilizers commonly used to grow
our produce are anhydrous ammonia (gas
with 82% nitrogen), urea (solid compound
with 42% nitrogen gas), superphosphate
(proportionate amounts of nitrogen and
phosphate), and diammonium phosphate
(18% nitrogen and 46% phosphate). Tese
chemicals are great for speeding up the
growth of crops, but you might as well be
drinking engine coolant.
(Some fun facts: overdosing on engine
coolant causes damage to the lungs,
kidneys, and liver, not to mention the
brain. Similarly the metals in the pesticides
can also cripple major organs, even leading
to cancer.)
Farmers know to avoid any sort of
contact with this calamitous chemical
cocktail, wearing chemical-resistant gloves,
face shields or masks, overalls and goggles,
because it is crystal clear to them, inhaling
them could prove to be fatal. So, if simply
breathing in these fumes can be a cause of
death to a farmer, what would eating the
fruits of its labor do to our bodies?
Nutritional sources acquired from
organically grown fruits and vegetables,
the kind we should already be eating, are
completely essential for healthy functioning
of the human body. But spray on all those
chemicals with all that good stuf and the
benefts are cancelled out. Your net gain
is nada. Our bodies are missing out on
nourishing vitamins, minerals, fber and
health-enhancing phytochemicals all the
stuf thats good for you.
University of Montreal researchers
looked for organophosphate pesticide
metabolites, an indicator of pesticide
exposure, in the urine of 1,139 kids
ages 8 to 15 and found that close to 95
percent had at least one of these chemical
byproducts in their system, according
to an article in the Washington Post. A
high percentage of those who had higher
doses of the chemicals in their urine were
diagnosed with ADHD. Now thats a real
piss of!
Organic vegetables to the rescue! In
a 2008 study by Te National Pesticide
Information Center, children who switched
over to organic diets, had increasingly
lower levels of chlorpyrifos metabolites in
their urine.
Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxin used in crops
to kill insects and its side efects are scary,
especially for the unborn. Chlorpyrifos
increases the chances of challenged motor
and mental development. Degenerative
effects of the chemicals occur usually
from more of a long-term usage. Sick
produce breeds sick people. Pesticides have
even been linked to Parkinsons Disease.
Chemicals that we ingest in soaps and food
are increasing these health risks.
Best alternatives for a healthier and
happier lifestyle is to start purchasing
produce from community gardens and
farmers markets. Te majority of locally
grown fruits and vegetables are not
contaminated with sickening pesticides
and other harmful chemicals. Tey are
cultivated the way fruits and vegetables
were made to be cultivated, au naturel.
Better to take a bite of potassium, calcium,
iron, zinc and many more nutritious
vitamins and minerals, than 40 kinds of
poisons. Organics are also grown with a
whole lotta love. Now thats something
really worth sinking your teeth into.
Contributions by Jean-Carlo Trujillo and
Diego Duran.
A few bad apples can ruin students health
Time to transition to a smoke-free campus
Andrea Aliseda / Staff
Rashid Hasirbaf / Staff
education cuts will damage states future
By Liz Lucas
A Perspective
Cal i forni as communi ty col l ege
system was designed 50 years ago to be
the Golden Door into higher education
for students who did not have a lot
of gold. But the golden days may be
coming to an end as rising tuition
and other expenses are forcing many
aspiring students out of the classroom
and into a treacherous job marketor
unemployment or welfare.
Severe cuts from the state have
dramatically impacted Southwestern
College. Nearly half of its courses
have been eliminated in the past three
years. Enrollment fees leapt from $26
per unit to $36, and another hike
looms. Students also face rising costs
for textbooks, parking passes and gas.
Though community colleges in the
Golden State are still arguably the
nations best deal in higher education,
too many students from this community
have been priced out.
Fees rising from $26 to $36 a unit is
an extra $120 per semester for full-time
students. Financial aid, that lifeboat
for low-income students, has become
more competitive and takes longer to
navigate the system. Textbooks often
range from $75 to $120. A semester at
SWC for a full-time, 12-unit student
likely exceeds $700, a fraction of UC
tuition, but a lot for a teenager working
the p.m. shift at Taco Bell.
St udent s cont i nue t o t ur n t o
financial aid, scholarships, grants and
loans to help pay for school. Great
programs like the Board of Governors
Fee Waiver (BOG) and Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services
(EOPS) are under-funded and overrun,
and students who might have qualified
two years ago are being turned down.
Low-income and lower middle class
students are feel i ng the squeeze.
Combine this with the South Countys
high unemployment rate, and students
are feeling pressure to spend less on
school and work more.
Community college is a melting pot
of all cultures and hosts students from
all walks of life. Our current economic
turmoil leaves everyone baffled about
how to adapt and survive. And many
students, from all cultures, are starting
to reconsider school, which is a very
serious problem for our states future.
Californias higher education system
is beginning to wobble after years
of stagnant or reduced f undi ng.
Educat i ont he dri vi ng f orce i n
our states once-robust economyis
becoming more difficult to attain.
Access is critical or California will
slowly divide into the haves and the
have nots. Our work force will lack the
skills to succeed in the careers of the
21st century.
SWC of f e r s a wi de - r a nge of
opportunities to students, maybe
too many. GED programs, basi c
skill training, transfer opportunities,
and degree training are core to the
SWC mission, but maintaining so
many pri ori ti es i s di ffi cul tand
expensive. Hard choices loom for our
next president and her team.
Access is critical, especially in a
challenged community like ours where
education is the pathway out of poverty
and into productivity. Our state needs
to find a way to keep our higher
education system healthy, cutting-edge
and affordable.
We cant afford to leave so many of
our citizens behind.
Surrogates can be male or female
and work with heterosexual and
homosexual clients. Safety procedures
are also enforced with surrogates.
People who want to work as a partner
are HIV tested. It is actually the
surrogates responsibility to provide
contraception and disease prevention
for their clients. Many surrogates
require their clients to take two
different AIDS tests.
Surrogate sex partners help patients
become comfortable with physical
and emotional intimacy. Working
together, the partner and therapist
have sessions with a patient to ensure
that the joint therapy is working for
the patient. After every session, the
surrogate sex partner reports to the
therapist, and the therapist works
with the client about the progress
or drawbacks from the session.
According to the International
Professional Surrogates Association
(IPSA), clients who seek surrogate
sex therapy have problems from
general social anxiety to specific sexual
dysfunctions.
Surrogate sex partners, however,
may or may not need to have genital-
to-genital contact. If needed, genital
contact is a minor part of the therapy.
Surrogates model honesty, social
skills and communication so the
patient will progress through the
experiences they provide. The
process brings healing to the patient.
As therapy progresses, clients may
find themselves relaxed and more
comfortable with physical and
emotional intimacy, according to the
IPSA.
Surrogate sex therapy seems
beneficial because the surrogate and
the patients relationship serves as a
basis for learning, and models the
stages of a relationship, including
the end. This relationship gives the
client a chance to learn and explore
relationship skills and shows the
surrogate and therapist personal
issues to work with. Through this
relationship, clients learn to trust and
be intimate, eventually feeling ready
to choose his or her own partner.
The legality of surrogate partners
is undefined in most of the U.S.
and other countries. There are no
governmental licensing or regulation
for surrogate partners, however, IPSA
said they have assumed responsibility
to ensure that its members have
received adequate training and
adhere to the highest standards
of ethical practice. IPSA provides
training for people who want to be
surrogate partners, a 60-hour course
that includes exercises, counseling
sessions, lectures and readings.
Surrogates also have to be sure to
not get emotionally attached to their
clients.
Through 1970 until 1980,
surrogate sex partners went from
unknown to appealing and slowly the
fascination faded away. Respectability
and politics chased the fascination
away.
Surrogate sex partners tend to be
misunderstood, and are viewed as
overpriced prostitution. Its not about
the sex, it is about intimacy. Its about
reintroducing patints to their own
bodies.
By Angelica Gonzales
A Perspective
When students at Southwestern
College think of the words buy
back, they see red -- as in red
ink. Students buying and selling
textbooks should all get the old
Hells Angels tattoo, Born to lose.
SWCs books t or e c ont a i ns
loosely-stated criteria on its website
regarding buy backs that gives
students high hopes, only to be
crushed once they reach the tiny
window protecting the bearers of
bad news.
Dreams of green become a reality
of copper. Who said five-and-dime
stores are dead?
Buyback cri teri a are si mpl e.
Buybacks must be a current edition
that teachers expect to use again and
in good shape. Maximum payout
will be up to 50 percent of the new
retail price, or so the website says. It
is rare that students ever see that 50
percent. More common is 50 cents,
and for a book that originally cost
an arm and a leg, getting a toe back
is insulting.
So why does it seem to be so
complicated once students get to the
window? Bookstore employees put
the students through the wringer,
finding any reason not to give back
the money students invested in their
textbooks. Common themes: too
many highlights, too many bent
pages, new editions and the classic
plain old no!
Along with soaring enrollment
fees, textbook costs are a major
barrier to student success. They
attend school because they want to
further their education to make a
better life through higher paying
jobs. Book costs are at a tipping
point and are scaring away potential
students who can barely afford to
keep their heads above water.
For many students just walking
past the bookstore sends thei r
blood pressure through the roof.
Painful is the first week of school,
when arms are piled high with
expensive textbooks that seem to
have a new edition and a new price
every time students turn around.
During finals week, students flock
to the bookstore in the hopes that
they can get a fraction of the price
back, enough to buy lunch if they
are lucky. Students who choose to
use books for review and studying
for finals have little to no chance of
getting any cash if other students
with the same book got there before
them. The store limits how many
copies it can afford to buy back,
turning a majority of students away
with empty pockets.
Despite the abuse wallets endure
from publishers and bookstores,
students are finding crafty ways
around the red tape. Typical campus
bookstores have a two-week return
period for the start of the semester,
this can be plenty of time.
Timing for buying textbooks can
be tricky. Students who scramble
the week before school buying
books may not realize that the first
day involves no real instruction or
textbooks. Frugal students wait
until professors let them know if
they really need the textbooks. If
the books are required shopping
around online takes time, but can
be worth it. Smart phone scanner
applications come in handy as well.
All textbooks have a barcode, which
an application can upload on to the
Internet, providing the best price of
the textbook.
St udent s who have bought
textbooks and cannot seem to get
any cash from the bookstore can
advertise and barter with other
students seeking to enter the course.
Feel i ng the pi nch of col l ege
cost does not have to leave such a
permanent mark on students with
crafty ways students can beat the
odds.
viewpoints
Tom Lord, editor
tel: (619) 482-6368
e-mail: viewpoints@theswcsun.com
11
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
OutLoud
Tinking
Photos & Compilation
By
Karen Perez
and
Anna Sobrevinas
When I read the perspective on the
campus police department, (Summer
Edition 2011) all my normal easy-going,
laissez faire demeanor went out the
window.
Te police phrase being used by some
of our men in blue is that the SWC faculty
think they can get away with anything.
One ofcer is said to have stated that the
female instructor deserved it. By any
standard, the issue here appears to be
gender-based. Had the instructor been
male, it would never have gone this far. An
attitude that Chartier openly encourages.
Do we expect to see any citations as to
who these alleged ofcers are that made
these comments? I doubt it. Tese are
just made-up, infammatory comments
without so much as a standard ...on
condition of anonymity used by people
who think they can be journalists but,
having no true writing ability, try and
make their sloppy work sound more
titillating.
Though misogynistic, anti-faculty
police ofcers work on campus.
Again, nice sensationalist opinion. Any
psychological proof or fled grievances to
back up this statement? Of course not.
Other faculty members have reported
numerous occasions where police have
been seen roughly disciplining students.
Any of these other faculty members
willing to cover your backside and take
credit for these allegations that should
have been reported; if they actually
happened, that is?
Numerous professors have complained
about the tactics some ofcers are using
against students carrying skateboards.
Same question. Any of the numerous
professors willing to cover your backside
and take credit for these allegations?
....some ofcers have begun to claim
that carrying one (skateboard) is also an
infraction.
Proof, please. Name names or it means
nothing.
Yet others act with the heavy-handed
tactics of cowboy police who they feel have
carte blanche to act as they please.
Without some sort of grievance or other
documented evidence, this is just more
unfounded, infammatory rhetoric used
as fller to occupy space.
Chief Chartier can be aloof, impetuous
and disengaged.
Libelous and unfounded opinion. Have
you ever met with or talked to the Chief?
Maybe your opinions come from the
opinions of others youve interviewed? If
thats the case, proper citation with credit
given to the person making the comment
makes for much more credible writing
and reporting.
Chartier rules with an autocratic
management style reminiscent of a Wild
West gunslinger.
Leaving aside the minor issue of history
having no reference to any Wild West
gunslingers ruling with autocracy, what
makes you think this is proper writing
skills? Have you ever worked for, or even
interviewed Mr. Chartier in order to
personally evaluate his management style?
A crony of the discredited Alioto
embodies casual misogyny, an anti-
student and anti-faculty state of mind
open disdain for those that disagree
Chartier is also lazy.
Chief Chartier was here before Mr.
Alioto therefore the cronyism charge has
no merit and demonstrates complete
lack of concern for factual reporting,
relying instead on a reference to a
current bogeyman as a means of inciting
contempt through unsubstantiated guilt
by association.
As for the statements, expressed as fact
and not quoted as opinions of the writer,
that the Chief is a lazy misogynist, with
an anti-student and anti-faculty state
of mind, I can honestly say that is the
vilest and clear-cut example of libel Ive
ever seen.
Te hot-headed chief manhandled
students including teenaged girls and
stormed around in a white-hot rage.
Really? Te Chief manhandled teenaged
girls and nobody fled a lawsuit?
In hindsight, Im surprised Mr.
Branscomb and the editor, , would allow
an amateurish article to appear in this
award-winning newspaper.
The bottom of page two in every
edition of the Sun contains a statement as
to the Letters Policy of the newspaper.
Te Sun reserves the right to edit letters
for libel and length and will not consider
publishing letters that arrive unsigned.
Heres my signature. I stand by every
word of it and will defend it to the end.

Al Garrett
I use it for
research with my
on-line classes.
I use it to e-mail
my teachers and
communicating in
general.
All the
research, all
the resources.
Now they
are on-line,
including
In the design
class Im taking
for engineering
I have to use a
software called
Pro/E. It helps
me translate 2D
drawings to 3D
models.
Textbook business preys on low-income students
Daniel Iribe
19, Graphic Design
Patricia Duart
28, Undecided
Adaark Carmona
18, Engineering
How does
technology help
you with your
classes?
viewpoint was unfair to police Chief
in defense of
planned
parenthood
Letters to the Editor
In your Volume 54. Issue 9 of the
Summer Edition 2011 of the Sun, a
column titled, Planned Parenthood
no longer deserves public funding,
gives misinformation!
Paragraph 6 states, Abortion
ma k e s up 37 % o f Pl a nne d
Parenthoods revenue.
I cal l ed Pl anned Parenthood
because, as a contributor, I knew
the information was incorrect. The
correct statement should have read,
Abortion makes up less than 8% of
Planned Parenthoods revenue.
Roberta Tugenberg
Professor Emeritus
Southwestern College
Community should support better transportation
By Daniel Sanchez
A Perspective
For the past 50 years Southwestern
College students have arrived by
car, bus, bicycle, skateboard, in-
line skates, horseback, motorcycle,
wheelchair, helicopter, parachute
(true!) and, of course, on foot.
Alas, along the journey to higher
education, they have endured
parking headaches, permits, traffic
and transportation meltdowns.
Driving to SWC is not a smooth
road. Students pay $40 for a
semester parking permit or a daily
$3 fee. Next comes the adventure
of finding a spot and not getting
hit. Buying permits at the Student
Service Center can take as long
as it does to park Tuesdays and
Thursdays at 9:15 a.m.
A better alternative to driving
to Southwestern College is public
transportation. There are four
Metropolitan Transit System bus
routes that go to SWC. There is
also the San Diego Trolley that
students from outside Chula Vista
can take and connect to buses.
Much l i ke dri vi ng a car to
school, taking the transit comes
with hassles and misfortunes. A
SWC MTS semester pass costs
$178 -- the most expensive for any
college or university in the county
-- nearly five times as much as a
parking permit. The prices for
daily and monthly passes are just
as much of a hassle. The monthly
permits costs are $18-72, all-day
passes prices are $5-14, and single
rides are $1.25-2.50.
Chula Vista should support
higher education and do what
other college towns do to move
students around. For example,
public transportation for Chico
State University students is free.
An educated populace is in our
communitys best interests. We
need to make it easier and less
expensive to attend college.
Amber Sykes / Staff
Christian Blake
20, Forensic Science/
Administration of Justice
I have pretty much
everything I need. I
could be right at home.
I have many tools,
like wordprocessing
software to help me do
my writing effectively.
Christopher Soto / Staff
By Nathan Hermanson
Assistant Arts Editor
Like Brett Favre, Denise Whittaker
has had a hard time staying retired.
No w, a f t e r a wi d e l y - p r a i s e d
year as Sout hwes t er ns i nt er i m
superintendent, she finds herself a
finalist for the permanent position.
Whittaker has worked in higher
education for 35 years and has served
the California community college
system for 30 years. She worked at
Citrus College, Oxnard College, El
Camino College, San Bernardino Valley
College and Orange Coast College.
Her time at each institution helped
her earn a large amount of experience
in the fields of accreditation, budget
management, economic development
and institutional advancement, she
said.
At a recent public forum Whittaker
confessed she was for a while uncertain
if she would apply for the permanent
job.
I entered the college at the end of
January with no intention of applying
for the position and actually wasnt
sure I was going to up until the last
few weeks as I was seeing how things
were going, she said. And I was
fighting it, because I retired and I have
commitments back home. But there
was something in this position and
in this college that drew me and my
heart. It probably started last February
when the community welcomed me so
graciously.
Whittaker said she believes her
experience at previous colleges and
her insight to this colleges particular
circumstances make her uniquely
qualified for the position.
Ive dealt with so many of the issues
at prior institutions, she said. But
also having had a human resources
background and a s ophi s t i cat ed
budget background. (These) are areas
that I think are really important to the
institution that I could help in ways
that others may not be able to.
Whittaker said access and finances are
the greatest obstacles facing the college.
Right now with the state of the
budget and the reduction in the ability
of the community colleges to be able
to offer the classes that they would
like, we could easily be an institution
with 30,000 students if we were able
to offer as many classes as we wanted,
she said.
Whittaker said constituent groups
should play a major role in the process
of participatory government and the
invol vement of those constituent
groups should be expanded.
I have had extensive experience in
the collegial consultation participatory
process, she said. But I think it goes
beyond participation, it goes to what
I value and what I believe in. I think
a president makes better decisions
with input from constituent groups.
Its more than just lip service, its
living it.
Whittaker received positive feedback
after her publ i c forum from Dr.
Joel Levine, dean of the School of
Language and Literature.
At the end of the day, Whittaker
was in a class by herself, he said.
She has the strength to garner the
good will of people I havent seen in
the other two.
Gustavo Perez, ASO Vice President
of Public Relations, said Whittaker
has a great track record at SWC so far.
Dur i ng he r t i me he r e , our
accredi tati on has been restored,
said Perez, but I am open to a new
candidate with great qualifications
as well.
Whi t t aker was coaxed out of
retirement by the governing board
to help the college get off probation
and regain its accreditation. She said
she would like to serve two years as
Southwesterns superintendent, then
retire again.
NEWS 12
Aug.17 - Oct.1, 2011Vol. 55, Iss. 1
By Elizabeth Lucas
Assistant News Editor
Dr. Betty Inclan has 36 years of
experience in education from coast to
coast.
Inclan worked her way up at Miami-
Dade Community Collegeone of
the largest community colleges in the
nationfrom part-time faculty member
to director of general education. She
became Dean of Language Arts at Allan
Hancock College and was accreditation
liaison ofcer for 14 years, then associate
superintendent/vice president.
President of Berkeley City College
since January 2008, the poly-lingual
Inclan said she is intimately familiar
with accreditation, grant writing,
entrepreneurial partnerships, fundraising,
strategic planning, educational and
facilities master plans, and technology
plans. She helped to develop Miami-
Dades partnership programs, considered
the nations best.
One of my values is accountability,
said Inclan. And that means that all plans
be integrated. Stafng plans, technology
plans, all of the plans. Its an important
measure for accreditation.
Inclan said student success, engagement
and a collaborative culture that continually
changes as a colleges community changes
are top priority.
One of my core values is that the
college is center of the community, she
said. When people think Where do we
go as the center? Southwestern College is
foremost in their minds.
Inclan said her experiences with previous
colleges are similar to Southwestern
College, particularly with accreditation.
I had to create a culture that was a
lot more collaborative in nature, she
said. It was really working with college
community, with students, with faculty.
Im very proud of that.
Inclan said there are many opportunities
at Southwestern College, but budget
challenges loom.
My concentration is focused on the
triggers that are set for budget cuts, she
said. We need to make these very tough
decisions, and thats very hard for the
students.
Tere must be a balanced approach to
the cuts, Inclan said. Advanced classes
need to continue and students should be
informed about how best to cope with the
cuts. She told students to advocate and get
involved in the community.
I really think its important to look at
strategies to increase student retention,
she said.
Inclan said another method of student
success is working with faculty in thinking
of new ways to close the loop. Looking
for improvements and thinking of projects
to complete to better the school for little
or no cost are important, she said.
What we want is to create an
environment that is trusting, that enables
the faculty to do the work that they need
to do, she said. Many times, the role of
superintendent/president is to leverage the
funding. A great deal of my energy and my
interest is in making sure that we leverage
funds and it could be through fundraising
to grant writing.
Inclan said in her college career she
noticed that many students drop because
personal challenges get in the way.
So I think its really important as were
in a process of constantly scanning the
environment to ask the students what is
it that makes it a great experience for the
students, she said. Bottom line, I do
believe that many of the skills that Ive had
for 36 years of experience I bring to you.
Always try to have a sense of optimism.
Yes, we can do better. We can succeed.
Diego De Alzua, 21, political science
major, said Inclan was well informed.
But I think our college has some
specifc problems that she might not know
of, he said. She was pretty good. She has
some ideas.
Sally Randolph supervisor of San Ysidro
Higher Education Center. said she liked
the process of how the college selects the
superintendent/president.
I like that we get to meet them, hear
from them, interact with them, she said.
Its better than reading a bio or resum.
Seeing them in action and how they
handle themselves.
Final decision expected by next week, trustees seeking a fresh start
Gov. board mulls three finalists for superintendent
By Lina Adriana Sandoval
Staff Writer
Dr. Melinda Nish joined Orange Coast
College in 2002 as dean of the business
and computing division. In 2005 she
was appointed Orange Coast Colleges
Vice President of Instruction, responsible
for overseeing the colleges instructional
program.
She has led Orange Coast Colleges
accreditation efforts since 2005 as the
colleges accreditation liaison ofcer for
the Western Association of Schools and
Colleges, and the school has received solid
ratings from WASC.
From her time as department chair of
fnance, business and economics at Salt
Lake City Community College to her
nearly decade-long tenure with Orange
Coast College, Nish said she is familiar
with the struggles of a community college.
Nish became president of the 2010-
2012 California Community College
Chief Instructional Ofcers and she is
currently a member of the California
Community Colleges Task Force on
Student Success and Intersegmental
Curriculum Worgroup.
To complete her education, Nish
fnished her educational decorate at the
Fielding Graduate University in Santa
Barbara.
Nish spent almost a decade in Europe and
speaks a variety of languages. Much of her
educational and professional
background refects her passion
for internationalism and the
world marketplace. She said
that her time experiencing
other cultures was crucial to
her growth and she is a strong
supporter of study abroad
programs.
Nish said that working
together as a community will
produce great results.
We dont do things alone,
we do things as a community,
she said. Tats my personal
philosophy and the philosophy
Ill live by as superintendent. I
want to become a part of your
communityI want to invest
a good part of my life into a
good part of your life.
Nish said she is student-centered and not
hoping to use this position as a stepping-
stone to something bigger or as another
item to check of on her resume.
Students are necessary for an active
participatory governing, Nish said, and
she encourages them to get involved.
She believes students should be given the
chance to vote whenever possible.
Part of the challenge is
to make sure the process is
inclusive, she said.
Students at the forum
seemed very receptive of Nish.
Shes very eloquent and
seems to understand our
community and collaborative
style, said Angelina Stuart,
Academic Senate president.
She seems like she plays well
with others.
Carl os Ochoa, 20, an
international business major,
agreed.
I liked how she understands
that diversity is such a big part
of our college, he said. She
seems very on point and on
top of things.
A French-speaking scuba
diving enthusiast, Nish said she was
looking to start a new chapter in her life
at SWC.
I see potential here and I see a future
here and I want to be a part of it, she said.
Interim Superintendent Denise Whittaker
Dr. Betty Inclan, superintendent fnalist
Dr. Melinda Nish, superintendent fnalist
Te Southwestern College Sun
PABLO GANDARA/STAFF
NISH Superintendent fnalist Dr. Melinda Nish addresses the public at a recent public forum
at Southwestern College. Nish is a college vice president, an internationalist who supports study
abroad programs and is experienced with accreditation.
PABLO GANDARA/STAFF
WHITTAKER SWCs Interim Superintendent/President has earned high marks for her
leadership in reestablishing the colleges accreditation, restoring shared governance and rehabilitiating
the reputation of the college.
PABLO GANDARA/STAFF
INCLAN Superintendent fnalist Dr. Betty Inclan is president of Berkeley City College and
had leadership positions at Miami-Dade College, one of Americas largest and most innovative
community colleges.
With three
highly
qualifed
candidates,
it boils
down to
who is the
best ft for
SWC.
Norma Hernandez
Governing Board
Vice President
Te Southwestern College Sun news Aug.17 - Oct.1, 2011Vol. 55, Iss. 1
13
By Mary York
News Editor
Long-time political activist Humberto
Peraza is the Southwestern College
Governing Boards choice to replace the
recently-retired trustee Nick Aguilar.
Peraza has served on the Executive
Board and Board of Directors of
Planned Parenthood, participated in
Political Action Front, and served on the
board for the League of Conservation
Voter. He is former chief of staf for
Congressman Bob Filner and has been
a part of the Chula Vista community
since childhood.
Peraza sat down for a ranging interview
with the Southwestern College Sun.
Following are highlights in his own
words.
Te original inspiration.
What inspired me was just service
to the community, said Peraza. Tats
what Ive always done throughout my
career and this was another
opportunity to serve the
community that I love.
Tis is the center of the
community--it absolutely
has a huge i mpact on
the community. I think
you saw that in this last
administration. It wasnt just
the campus that was up in
arms about it.
Ive worked for some
of the really great elected
ofcials that we have here
in the community. I think
Ive learned from them and
I think the thing you really
take away from them is work
ethic. Ive learned to be involved in the
community and work my butt of.
Ive worked with elected ofcials for
so long that I understand the process
and I also understand about how to
make decisions and making decisions for
whats the best thing to do rather than
what the best thing individually to do
is. You cant think about that, you cant
think about whats best for me. Youve
got to think about whats best for this
community, whats best for this college.
Application from beginning to
end.
You got this questionnaire that was,
I think, I dont remember how many
questions, but I think it was like fve
or six questions. You had to put your
resume together. You had to show up
and give a speech in public.
In the (speech) process, you couldnt
hear anybody else speak. So they put you
in this little jail cell and they would only
bring you in when you were up and you
could stay after and listen to everybody
after. And you had all these community
people and they were all campaigning
really hard to get this spot.
And then the next process was just
being selected. It was like 12 people
out of 22. It was really fun to meet
these people youd never met before,
but they were really involved and loved
the college.
Tey brought us back and we got
picked. They narrowed it to 12. I
thought 12 was a lot. Its like
the NBA playofseverybody
makes it.
Then you move on to
the next week. So you try to
prepare for that. Cause you
didnt know their questions
so you...started looking at
the website, making sure that
you were really studied up on
the issues.
Ten they put you back in
the jail cell again. I was kind
of studying and making sure
I was prepared because you
had an hour-long interview
at that point.
When they went through
the frst straw pollthey put it up on
the screen. And I really couldnt see it
because of the angle I was at. I couldnt
really see what the numbers were. And
they started going and I said to the
person next to me, I dont want to see,
just tell me what happens.
Tey ended up just picking me then
because I was the only one that got fve
votes. So they said Lets just make a
motion now. And my hearts beating
and Im thinking Really, is it over?
I didnt realize everything that was
going to happen after that. I didnt
know they were going to do the swearing
in afterwardsit was a blur. And it
happened so fast I hadnt even told my
mom, so I knew I was going to get in
trouble.
A place to start.
First its just meeting everyone. I
mean you really want to get a feel for the
college. Ive been outside the college for
a long time. I know and understand the
community pretty well.
But you have to meet with the leaders
of the campusfrom the students to
the administration to the financial
folks, classifed unions, janitors and the
secretaries to the faculty and academic
senate. You need to try and meet with
everybody to get a feel for whats going
on on campus -- what the issues are.
And I think Im getting up to speed fast,
which is what I wanted to do.
Setting goals.
Te presidential searchthats our
main job. I think you want somebody
whos going to lead this college for the
next however many years. We were in
a rut. Te leadership has already gotten
us out of that and put us on the right
trackits my job to make sure we keep
going down that right track.
Te budget is the next big thingand
then also working on bringing in new
revenue. I think we have some really
amazing opportunities here on campus
to bring in more revenue and I think
that will help us in the future. Because
we have less and less money we need
to make sure that we use some of the
resources that we have to bring in some
extra money to pay for the services we
provide.
Im a little worried about the budget
just because of the budget cuts the state
is doing. We want to make sure that we
have enough money to maintain the
services that we have and that were not
cutting jobs or classes, because thats
really the life-blood of this college. Te
job is to try and maintain services at the
existing level.
You have to really pay attention to
Aguilar resigns, predicts brighter days ahead for college
Humberto Peraza appointed to college governing board
By Albert Fulcher
Editor-in-Chief
G
eneral Douglas Macarthur
said, Old soldiers never die,
they just fade away.
Tere is no fading away for
Governing Board Member Nick Aguilar.
Even in his short term at Southwestern
College, his valor and fght for justice
leaves an inerasable mark for many in
the college community and a big set
of footprints difcult for the current
governing board to fll.
Aguilar frst came to SWC as a student.
Since that time, he devoted his life to the
service of his country and his community.
Elected in 2008, he came back to SWC
with impeccable credentials and an
untarnished reputation. He leaves his
positions with the same comportment.
Aguilar resigned his seat on the board
for personal and professional reasons
on June 30. In a rare, unplugged
interview, Aguilar candidly shares his
personal struggles with a dysfunctional
administration and governing board, a
change in leadership and the colleges
struggle with accreditation.
In his own wordsthe past, present
and promising future of Southwestern
college.
In the beginning.
First, lets begin with why I came to
Southwestern, said Aguilar. Previously,
I had a very comfortable job with the
County Board of Education. I decided to
step down when I saw that Southwestern
was under very difcult circumstances.
There was a college environment of
intimidation and a high turnover in
top administration. I thought my
talents and experience would be put to
better use at SWC. I hoped to restore a
collegiate and collaborative college. Fear
at that time created an environment that
was tumultuous.
One reason I am leaving is I am
experiencing some health problems.
Tey have been exasperated by difculties
in the management style of the previous
superintendent. With his retaliatory
tactics, I felt personally attacked.
Working with a dysfunctional
superintendent.
Chopras frst reorganization plan
(2009), combining departments and
fring employees was unnecessary. From
that point on, I found that Chopra
did his best to isolate me as a board
member and my efforts to create a
collegiate and collaborative college.
In my observations, my opinion was
that Chopra had no prior experience
at the community college level and
relied on what he knew best a K-12
administrator.
Chopra had a top down management
structure, where the superintendent has
the last say. His way or the highway. If
anyone disagreed with him, they risked
very negative consequences. Faculty
is protected by tenure, but classifed
employees had no protection. They
were subjected to serious consequences.
Reorganization was based on funding,
but the facts did not agree.
Chopra accused me of discrimination
as a tactic for me not to be able to make
inroads with former governing board
members. Now there are two more
members committed to collegiality and
will not accept any tactics to punish
employees.
A fresh start.
Since the election of a new board,
we have come a long way. First, when
Chopra l eft it al l owed the board
to move forward and able to deal
with the colleges issues. I believe the
boards unanimous vote for Interim
Superintendent Denise Whittaker,
with many very good choices for the
job was the boards most important
decision. With her leadership, she
helped create collaboration between all
the constituencies in the college.
The search committee worked
together to fnd an excellent candidate.
The governing board moved in a
signifcant direction with the ability of
both old and new members to work as
a team of fve. Tis enabled the board
to model the collegiality and respect
required in higher education.
Whittaker had experience, put it into
action and modeled what a president
should be. She was very effective to
bring everyone together and changing
around the adversarial environment.
It was a difcult problem to walk into,
accreditation.
Toughts on accreditation.
I am very pleased in the Western
Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC) decision to take Southwestern
of probation. It was a team efort from all
constituents in the college community.
A true sign of accomplishment to be at
the point of losing accreditation and
then regaining the status the college
deserves. Whittaker contributed her
leadership skills generously to get the
job done in a credible, sensible way and
backed with evidence.
From the beginning, I came with
the view of a higher institution of
learning, and it was not what happened.
Chopra delegated his tactics to lower
administrators. Faculty taught every
day for removal from probation and
even under the eyes of WASC the
quality of education never faltered, even
working under a lack of leadership and a
dysfunctional governing board. Tey did
not have a clue how to run a community
college.
Moving forward with a new
governing board.
One of the biggest challenges for me
to move on was with the problems at
Southwestern. It was a major concern
for me. I intended to resign a year
ago, but I would not do so until
Southwesterns envi ronment was
restored. We brought some sense of
justice for laid of employees. We did our
best to resolve damage complaints and
lawsuits satisfactory to the employees.
It was very important to me to bring
justice to those employees fred during
Chopras reorganizations.
Te college now faces the prospect
of a severe budget crisis. Trust in the
environment is critical, not continuing
in an adversarial mode. We were able
to get all the work together and then
plan the next steps keeping frst in mind
the employees of the college and the
education of students.
I was thankful that the board
considered me for president, but I turned
it down. I believe it is important for a
new president to have a clear slate and no
connection to prior administrators. Tim
Nader is an excellent board president.
He has the experience to manage the
needs of the college as former city
councilmember, mayor of Chula Vista
and attorney at the Attorney Generals
Ofce. Tese things give him a bag of
tools to run a board and providing policy
direction with a consensus of all fve
board members.
A series of changes.
I have to say something about all
the ones who participated in the early
retirement program. Southwestern now
has a signifcant void of institutional
memory and expertise. It all illustrates
the committed faculty and staf under
difcult circumstances. It also provides
an opportunity to reinvigorate the
campus when we get past the budget
crisis.
Tere is a very good pool of very
talented faculty and staf that are looking
to teach and work in the educational
feld. Higher education has taken a big
hit, but we will get a lot of great talent
to become part of Southwestern in a
couple of years. Te college will have
the ability to bring in individuals with
fresh ideas and new perspectives. Given
the current environment I am confdent
Southwestern will continue to get better
in the long haul.
Te role of the Academic Senate as an
equal partner with the governing board
in guideline with the Southwestern
College 10 +1 Agreement was not
existent. New policies adopted by the
board ensure that the Academic Senate
has direct communication with the
governing board. As long as they can
continue to engage in collegial process in
planning all phases of decision-making,
Southwestern College will continue to
be a model for the rest of the state and
a service to its students.
With the adoption of the new Free
Speech Policy, it has now opened up
MARGIE REESE/STAFF
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Nick Aguilar resigned his seat on the SWC governing board in
June after leading the college through a contentious era.
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
EVERYONES TOP PICK: Humberto Peraza was unanimously selected by the governing board
to serve the last year-and-a-half of Nick Aguilars term.
please see Aguilar pg. 18
please see Peraza pg. 18
Its my
job to
make sure
we keep
going down
that right
track.
Humberto Peraza
Board Trustee
Te Southwestern College Sun sports Summer Edition, 2011 Vol. 54, Iss. 9 10 sports 11
Jiamay Austria, editors
Tel: (619) 482-6368
e-mail: news@theswcsun.com
Summer Edition, 2011 Vol. 54, Iss. 9
Athletes
Adaptive
on a roll
Story by Angela Van Ostran | Managing Editor
N
estled between the last week of summer
classes and the start of the fall semester, the
empty halls of Southwestern College come
alive with the sound of laughter and the
smash of metal against metal.
Tiffany ayala/sTaff
HOT RODDER Mikale Herivaux discovered he had talent in handcycling and turned in a good time on a course at North Crown Point Shore Park.
Diana inocencio/sTaff
ALL TOGETHERNOW TeamGreen leaves the rest in its wake in a kayak race of North Crown Point Shore Park.
JAMAY AUSTRA/STAFF
ALL FOR ONE A trio of competitors keep things loose prior to their next event. JAMAY AUSTRA/STAFF
GOTIT, COACH(above) Olivia Curcur, 6, gets a fewlast-minute
tips from coach Peter Liang before storming the hardwood of the SWC
basketball court. (right) Hunter Pochop, 6, peers in at the bullseye in
the archery competition, assisted by volunteer Greg Wright.
JAMAY AUSTRA/STAFF
PINK THUNDER Following some coaching fromthe Womens Wheelchair Basketball Division of the University of Arizona, the ladies of TeamPink demonstrated hardwood magic.
ALBERT FULCHER/STAFF
GREAT NET RESULTS Patrick Ivison, 17, lets fy a forehand during the tennis competition on SWC courts.
For the past 25 years SWC has hosted
a rigorous sports camp for kids from
four to 18 years old designed to fnd
the athlete in each child. Split into
team colors by age group, these kids
have the opportunity to test their
skills at 17 diferent sports, including
archery, tennis, scuba diving, rugby and
basketball.
And they do it all on some very nifty
sets of wheels, through the organization
and dedication of the San Diego Adaptive
Sports Foundation.
Through t he SDASF, at hl et es
participate year-round in a number of
sports, including over-the-line, hockey
and soccer. It also ofers opportunities
for winter sports later in the year, such
as snowboarding, and skiing. Parents of
younger children are cautious at frst, not
sure if their child can participate in any of
the sports at camp. But they are quickly
impressed at the number of things they
may never have known their child could
do. Hovering parents are encouraged to
sit back and learn.
Camp Counselor Sara Cantor, 22,
enforces self-made independence in her
athletes from the frst day.
Some of the kids have spent their
whole lives being pushed wherever they
want to go, says Cantor. Tey just dont
have the armstrength to push themselves
long distances, so weve really been
working on making sure that the campers
are able to do as much as possible for
themselves.
Jorlina Bailey, mother of a camper,
explained on the frst day of camp that
her daughter had never pushed up a
curb cut by herself. By day four, with
encouragement and tips on technique,
Bailey said her daughter pushed up a
big ramp leading to the tennis courts
completely on her own. Cantor was not
surprised. Her counselor would not let
her give up.
It wasnt the technique, it was the
encouragement and the opportunity to
succeed at it, she said.
Cantor, a former camper for 10 years,
recalls teachers who told her she couldnt
participate in activities with her peers due
to her disability and she believed them.
When I came to this camp and they
were trying to tell me I could do things,
it was really confusing, she said.
My mom always talks about how
coming to camp totally changed my
attitude. Before, it was really easy for me
to set myself apart from other kids and
be like, Well, I have a disability, so Im
diferent, so I cant go on with you, so we
cant be friends.
Participating in sports camp changed
her entire attitude about herself and her
disability.
I was normal. Tat we were all normal
and relating to all these other people
really made me realize that I could be
friends with anybody, that I could be part
of any group, she said. It made me feel
like I could be part of a teamand I never
felt that before.
Jazmin Garcia, administrative program
assistant for SDASF, has helped organize
the camp for the past three years. Prior
to coming onboard, however, she had
never been involved with the disability
community. Now she said she cannot
imagine her life without this connection.
Eight sports programs running year-
round keep her very busy.
Garcia said she recruits at schools,
malls and anywhere she meets people
who might beneft from this program.
She considers the connection to sports
as a gateway to fnding a connection
to the disability community, as well as
a connection to improving self-esteem
and the encouragement to succeed in all
aspects of life. Sports camp, for many, is
just the beginning.
One participant has done her
Bachelors and Masters, and now shes
going to Santa Barbara to do her Ph.D.,
said Garcia.
Coachessome of whom are former
Parolympians--are on hand to show
kids how each sport works. Learning to
block, catch and score are just the frst
steps. More rigorous sports, such as rugby
and basketball, require kids to transfer
into chairs designed especially for that
particular sport, preventing damage to
their everyday wheelchairs and their
bodies. For some, the switch from their
own chairs to a completely diferent style
is a big change. But it is a bigger change
for the athletes who do not have their
own wheelchairs or do not use them on
a regular basis.
Rugby is considered the roughest
sport on the court by older athletes.
It requires athletes to use specialized
wheelchairs designed to withstand the
forces of slamming wheelchairs. Tires and
titanium-built chairs specifcally designed
to resist tipping over and spilling athletes
onto the court, though that does not
stop spills entirely. Originally called
murderball due to its aggressive and
full-contact nature, it is internationally
known today as quad rugby and
is a rough combination of football,
basketball and hockey without the added
padding or protective gear.
Most sports are less aggressive. Most of
the kids favorite sports were swimming,
scuba diving and basketball.
The camp, which costs between
$25-30,000 to run each year, survives
entirely on donations from sponsors
and would not be possible without the
help of hundreds of volunteers, nurses,
counselors and coaches who donate their
time and equipment to make it happen.
SWC donates its facilities every year,
an estimated in-kind value of $17,000.
Budget cuts forced many gymnasiums
and theraputic centers across the county
to close their doors, leaving SDASF
scrambling to fnd ways to keep athletes
on courts or in the water. Many cities,
however, ofer very few opportunities
for wheelchair athletes. Tis years sports
camp introduced 10 new athletes who
had never participated in sports activities,
to the fast-paced world of wheelchair
athletics. Some travel fromas far as Texas
and Mexicali to be a part of this camp.
Campers, counselors and volunteers
could be found all over campus wearing
t-shirts which represented their team
colors. Track and feld featured archery,
while the tennis courts were home
to soccer, tennis and lacrosse. SWCs
swimming pool was host to snorkeling
and scuba diving, while the gym was
alive with teams competing in basketball
and rugby.
Trough this camp experience, they
send a message to their peers and family
and most importantly, to themselves
that there are no boundaries, even at
the fnish line.
Te Southwestern College Sun news
Aug.17 - Oct.1, 2011Vol. 55, Iss. 1
14
Budget: Whittaker
looking for additional
$2 million in savings
Continued from Page 13
Closure of northbound lanes causes many SWC students to miss classes
defcit at the end of the year, but his
understanding of the proposed budget
is that the college is working to save $2
million more than already proposed
cuts, leaving only a defcit of $3 million.
Temple said the goal is not to spend $2
million of the reserve funds requested.
We dont have a specific way of
achieving this at this time and we will
be reporting monthly to the board
with progress on our expenditures, our
progress on obtaining revenues and any
other questions the board might have,
said Temple.
Interim Superintendent Denise
Whittaker said the $2 million would not
only come from salary savings and lower
expenditures of supplies, materials,
contracts and service.
Our goal is to reach $2 million, if
not more, said Whittaker. It would be
savings in all parts of the budget. Te
salaries will be the largest part of that
because of the vacant positions we are
trying not to backfll.
Nader said in reviewing the past few
years of budget the actual ending fund
balance has been about $5 million less
than the projected ending fund balance.
And if history held then the actual
fund balance (2011-12) would again
end up at in the neighborhood of a little
more than $13 million as opposed to a
little over $8 million, said Nader.
Temple said the proposed budget
makes the assumption that everything
budgeted will be expended.
You are kind of comparing apples to
oranges, said Temple. Tat is where we
are committing the fund balance of $5
million. Do we expect to spend all of
that $5 million? No, we do not. Temple
said last years budget savings was due to
a very conservative efort by the district
in the spring semester not to use funds.
Tere have been a number of years
as I have looked at the budget where
there have been cutbacks year, after
year, after year, said Temple. I do not
expect you to have that kind of fallout
that you had in the past or unexpended
dollars because there is a demand of
need out there.
Templ e sai d much of budget
misunderstandings are difficult-to-
understand state requirements in
submitting budgets and are most often
higher projections than expenditures.
Professor of Japanese Andy MacNeill,
SWCs Budget Committee co-chair said
what is seen in the proposed budget are
imaginary numbers because the state
has not yet released ofcial fgures to
the district.
Tis is a forecast and the expenditures
are high and they are not going to be
what we actually wind up with at the
end of the year. Tis is the way it has
always been, he said.
Budget committee members have
attempted to build a budget that will
not disrupt programs with mid-year
cuts, MacNeill said. Te hope of the
committee is that the SWC budget is a
worst case scenario.
It is not going to be this $8.6 million
fund balance, it is probably going to be
about $10.6 million, said MacNeill.
For the very first time we are very
comfortable with what these numbers
say. We are all on the same page of what
the numbers should say.
Director of Finance Wayne Yanda said
the phenomena that occurred over the
past few years will not occur for fscal
year 2011-12.
Five million is a stretch and trying
to save an extra $2 million is very
challenging, said Yanda. I think we
could push it if we held back on some
of the positions and cut some of the
services. I would estimate that it would
be between $10 and $10.6 million in
the ending fund balance.
Whittaker said her goal is to identify
as soon as possible the $2 million in
savings. She said the big ticket items
are going to be in salaries of positions
that are not backflled. Once the $2
million target is reached additional
savings beyond will divert to the Shared
Conciliation Council prioritization list
to meet some of the colleges unmet
needs, Whittaker said.
Tis is a real tricky process because
we are robbing Peter to pay Paul. But
the needs dont go away so we still have
to fnd dollars in the long run, she said.
Nader said he heard members of this
budget committee have worked this
process better than any time in recent
history.
If we have to come back for any mid-
year cuts it will not be because the budget
committee has not done its job, but the
states failure to do its job, said Nader.
UCSD: Requirements
for transfer guarantee
will stifen in 2012
Continued from Page 1
your Transfer Center Director as a
Transition Pipeline participant, he or
she will be held to the 3.5 or better
GPA.
In May SWC representatives met
with the UCSD president and board of
overseers to discuss alternative options
for students. Tere were some wins and
some losses for SWC students, said
Jaime Salazar, an SWC Transfer Center
Coordinator.
Thi s wi l l be the l ast year the
University of California, San Diego will
be allowing students to transfer with a
3.0 TAG transfer, he said.
SWC was informed in Spring 2011
that TAG students would need to have
a 3.5 GPA beginning with the Fall
2012 admission cycle. SWC requested
a meeting with Chancellor Mary Fox
to discuss alternative options for SWC
students. Salazar said the higher GPA
requirement will hurt students from
this community and could lessen the
diversity of the UCSD student body.
Raising the GPA isnt about student
success, its about reducing the number
of applicants, said Salazar.
A lot of students are disappointed
and concerned about where they are
going to be able to meet the GPA
requirements to be eligible to transfer.
Jose Luis Gonzales, 22, expressed
conficting emotions.
I think its a good idea because
school funding and space wont be
wasted on students who dont really
care, he said. But on the other hand, I
think its ridiculous because theyre not
taking into consideration the students
who are already struggling to transfer.
Students interested in applying for
TAG are encouraged to visit www.
swccd.edu/transfer.
By Ernesto Rivera
Assistant News Editor
Trafc at the San Ysidro border crossing
came to a snarling halt. Scafolding used
to support overhead construction of
new immigration facilities collapsed on
the top of incoming vehicles, raining
concrete and inj uring 11 peopl e.
Northbound lanes closed for the day as
rescue and construction workers cleared
debris blocking the worlds busiest
border crossing.
Travelers scrambled to the Otay and
Tecate ports of entry, causing havoc
all along the border and forcing many
people to abandon cars and walk.
As news of the event spread across
campus, members of the large community
that commutes over the border daily
were left to wonder if they could return
home.
I couldnt cross and go home to
Tijuana, said Elizabeth Ramos, 19,
psychology and photography. I had to
stay with my aunt.
Trafc was diverted to the Otay Mesa
crossing, five miles east, driving the
border wait times up to four and a half
hours for vehicles and two hours for
pedestrians.
Tey closed the border and everybody
had to go to the Otay border, said Aldo
Loera, undeclared. So, on a regular basis
in Otay, it takes about two hours to cross
the border, and that day it was double
the time.
I have friends that cross but they
didnt come to school on time, said
Raquel Ramirez, 20, hotel operations
management. Tey had to go to the
Otay border.
Pedestrian trafc opened eight hours
later at the San Ysidro border and
13 of the 24 lanes were reopened by
midnight. By Saturday only three lanes
were closed and by Sunday all lanes had
been reopened.
Professor of Spanish Angelina Stuart
said the situation reminded her of 9/11
because many of her ESL students missed
class that day because the border was
closed.
Im sure this week afected classes
as well, said Stuart. I am fnding that
more and more of my own students are
moving to this side of the border in order
to avoid the horrendous trafc.
Adjunct ESL Instructor Carol Stuardo
said most of her students had crossed
earlier that morning and heard of the
construction accident later in the day
from family or news sources.
My students read about it or got texts
during class and were quite concerned,
she said. However, the next day they
told me they had no problem crossing
the border because the border had
opened at midnight.
Felix Tuyay, professor of social sciences
and humanities, said the mishap created
a mess and thinks the construction
workers should be more careful, but his
classes were not afected.
Many students said their families
were afected. Arturo Gonzales, 22, said
his mom could not get her migraine
medication.
She couldnt get across the border
to get her medicine so she had to go
through Tecate, he said. It was even
worse because she couldnt make it across
there either, because there was so much
trafc. My grandma had to come all the
way around from Tecate and bring her
medicine.
Felipe Rogel, 18, an art major, was on
his way to Tijuana to go see his dad, but
could not get through because of the
trafc jam.
Students expressed disbelief that
something like this could happen.
I was surprised because I thought it
was safe, said Luis Canett, 19, biology.
Its a federal property so you think
everythings safe.
Safety was also a concern for students.
Tey should keep in mind that they
should be more careful of how the
bridge is built, said Nancy Valcazar, 18,
undecided.
Many students who crossed early that
morning said they were unafected by
the border tie up.
I was a little worried about getting
home, said Laura Campos, English.
But I knew the situation would be
taken care of.
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
GRINDING TO A HALT: A construction scafolding that crashed down on cars prevented hundreds of SWC students from crossing into the U.S.
to attend class.
Border collapse rumbles into the classroom
outstanding support for college press
freedom.
Frank LoMonte, executive director
of the SPLC, said the threats delivered
to Te Sun and newspaper advisor Max
Branscomb were almost inconceivable
in America.
It is in no small part thanks to these
students persistent and truthful reporting
that the reign of President Chopra and
his puppets on the Board of Trustees
ended last year, he said, and that the
new trustees enacted more protective
policies to prevent such fagrant disregard
for First Amendment principles from ever
recurring.
Te Sun will join 25 colleges since
1984 to be awarded the College Press
Freedom Award.
For never wavering from their
journalistic mission in the face of
adversity, and for keeping the presses
running when those in power wanted
them shuttered, the editors and staff
of Te Sun are richly deserving of the
College Press Freedom Award, said
LoMonte.
Before the turnaround in college
leadership last fall, The Sun and
SWCs former administration often
faced off over the papers coverage
of plagiarism by the superintendent,
misappropriation of college funds,
conficts of interest between governing
board members and contractors, bribing
of college administrators and many other
controversies. Te publication drew the
ire of former superintendent Raj K.
Chopra and other administrators for
publishing content deemed controversial
and unfattering to college leadership,
said Albert Fulcher, editor-in-chief.
Te Sun was out in front of coverage
of issues that eventually generated
wide-spread media attention. Local and
national media outlets bombarded the
college when four faculty members were
suspended for attending a peaceful rally
against class cuts and again when former
vice president Nicholas
Alioto solicited donations
to support two governing
board candidates from
construction companies
he had just awarded
contracts to. Alioto was
also exposed by Te Sun
for accepting personal
gi fts from the same
companies.
Chopra and Alioto
declared war on Te Sun
in the fall of 2009 after
Branscomb refused to
give Alioto the names
of faculty members who
paid for a full-page No
Confidence in Chopra
advertisement in The
Sun. Alioto hired an
a u d i t o r t o l o o k
for irregularities in
newspaper advertising
sales. When that efort
wa s uns uc c e s s f ul ,
Alioto refused to pay
printing bills and froze
Sun budget lines. The
college also stripped
Branscomb of reassigned
time for advising the
Sun. Branscomb refused
to resign and supervised
the newspaper for two
years without pay.
Preceding a closely
contested governi ng
board election in fall
2010, Chopra threatened the paper with
a shut down, promising consequences for
Branscomb and the Dean of Arts and
Communications Donna Arnold if Te
Sun went to print.
Staf members decided to get creative,
said Fulcher.
We brought the matter to media
attention immediately and started raising
money to put that issue out ourselves,
said Fulcher. We werent going to give
in to threats. We did what we had to.
Staf members raised enough money
to print every issue that semester and
hired an Orange County printer after
school ofcials intimidated Te Suns
regular printer and threatened to cancel
college printing contracts. Issue #1 of
fall 2010 was lost, but Issue #2 broke
the story of Aliotos pay for play
with contractors and architects. The
Sun later broke a story about Aliotos
dumping of nearly $5 million in college
funds that he miscalculated rather than
funding hundreds of classes he had
earlier recommended eliminating. SWC
lost nearly half of its classes
under the Chopra-Alioto
regime.
Tis award is to us as an
Oscar is to an actor, said
John Carter, former editor-
in-chief. It reflects the
integrity and passion with
which our young journalists
accomplish their tasks. Te
only diference is Te Sun
had no script to follow.
Dave Waddell, newspaper
faculty advisor of Te Orion
at Chico State University,
s ai d he recommended
the paper to SPLC for its
i ndomi tabl e resol ve to
continue printing.
I nominated The Sun
f or t hi s award f or i t s
courageous defense of a free
press against what I would
characterize as a corrupt
admi ni strati on seeki ng
desperately, arrogantly and
ruthlessly to silence the
student newspaper, he said.
But they failed. Tey failed
because Te Sun would not
be intimidated. I admire
them for standing up to the
attack and for winning this
battle.
Chopra and Alioto, along
wi th hal f a dozen vi ce
presidents and directors,
resi gned f ol l owi ng the
November 2010 elections
that changed the board majority. At least
two faced District Attorney and Grand
Jury investigations.
Student leaders and Branscomb will
accept the award at the ACP and College
Media Advisors National College Media
Convention Oct. 26-30 in Orlando,
Florida.
Award: Newspaper
honored for defense of
the First Amendment
Continued from Page 1
Te Southwestern College Sun news
Aug.17 - Oct.1, 2011Vol. 55, Iss. 1
17
Budget: Whittaker
looking for additional
$2 million in savings
Continued from Page 16
Closure of northbound lanes causes many SWC students to miss classes
defcit at the end of the year, but his
understanding of the proposed budget
is that the college is working to save $2
million more than already proposed
cuts, leaving only a defcit of $3 million.
Temple said the goal is not to spend $2
million of the reserve funds requested.
We dont have a specific way of
achieving this at this time and we will
be reporting monthly to the board
with progress on our expenditures, our
progress on obtaining revenues and any
other questions the board might have,
said Temple.
Interim Superintendent Denise
Whittaker said the $2 million would not
only come from salary savings and lower
expenditures of supplies, materials,
contracts and service.
Our goal is to reach $2 million, if
not more, said Whittaker. It would be
savings in all parts of the budget. Te
salaries will be the largest part of that
because of the vacant positions we are
trying not to backfll.
Nader said in reviewing the past few
years of budget the actual ending fund
balance has been about $5 million less
than the projected ending fund balance.
And if history held then the actual
fund balance (2011-12) would again
end up at in the neighborhood of a little
more than $13 million as opposed to a
little over $8 million, said Nader.
Temple said the proposed budget
makes the assumption that everything
budgeted will be expended.
You are kind of comparing apples to
oranges, said Temple. Tat is where we
are committing the fund balance of $5
million. Do we expect to spend all of
that $5 million? No, we do not. Temple
said last years budget savings was due to
a very conservative efort by the district
in the spring semester not to use funds.
Tere have been a number of years
as I have looked at the budget where
there have been cutbacks year, after
year, after year, said Temple. I do not
expect you to have that kind of fallout
that you had in the past or unexpended
dollars because there is a demand of
need out there.
Templ e sai d much of budget
misunderstandings are difficult-to-
understand state requirements in
submitting budgets and are most often
higher projections than expenditures.
Professor of Japanese Andy MacNeill,
SWCs Budget Committee co-chair said
what is seen in the proposed budget are
imaginary numbers because the state
has not yet released ofcial fgures to
the district.
Tis is a forecast and the expenditures
are high and they are not going to be
what we actually wind up with at the
end of the year. Tis is the way it has
always been, he said.
Budget committee members have
attempted to build a budget that will
not disrupt programs with mid-year
cuts, MacNeill said. Te hope of the
committee is that the SWC budget is a
worst case scenario.
It is not going to be this $8.6 million
fund balance, it is probably going to be
about $10.6 million, said MacNeill.
For the very first time we are very
comfortable with what these numbers
say. We are all on the same page of what
the numbers should say.
Director of Finance Wayne Yanda said
the phenomena that occurred over the
past few years will not occur for fscal
year 2011-12.
Five million is a stretch and trying
to save an extra $2 million is very
challenging, said Yanda. I think we
could push it if we held back on some
of the positions and cut some of the
services. I would estimate that it would
be between $10 and $10.6 million in
the ending fund balance.
Whittaker said her goal is to identify
as soon as possible the $2 million in
savings. She said the big ticket items
are going to be in salaries of positions
that are not backflled. Once the $2
million target is reached additional
savings beyond will divert to the Shared
Conciliation Council prioritization list
to meet some of the colleges unmet
needs, Whittaker said.
Tis is a real tricky process because
we are robbing Peter to pay Paul. But
the needs dont go away so we still have
to fnd dollars in the long run, she said.
Nader said he heard members of this
budget committee have worked this
process better than any time in recent
history.
If we have to come back for any mid-
year cuts it will not be because the budget
committee has not done its job, but the
states failure to do its job, said Nader.
UCSD: Requirements
for transfer guarantee
will stifen in 2012
Continued from Page 1
your Transfer Center Director as a
Transition Pipeline participant, he or
she will be held to the 3.5 or better
GPA.
In May SWC representatives met
with the UCSD president and board of
overseers to discuss alternative options
for students. Tere were some wins and
some losses for SWC students, said
Jaime Salazar, an SWC Transfer Center
Coordinator.
Thi s wi l l be the l ast year the
University of California, San Diego will
be allowing students to transfer with a
3.0 TAG transfer, he said.
SWC was informed in Spring 2011
that TAG students would need to have
a 3.5 GPA beginning with the Fall
2012 admission cycle. SWC requested
a meeting with Chancellor Mary Fox
to discuss alternative options for SWC
students. Salazar said the higher GPA
requirement will hurt students from
this community and could lessen the
diversity of the UCSD student body.
Raising the GPA isnt about student
success, its about reducing the number
of applicants, said Salazar.
A lot of students are disappointed
and concerned about where they are
going to be able to meet the GPA
requirements to be eligible to transfer.
Jose Luis Gonzales, 22, expressed
conficting emotions.
I think its a good idea because
school funding and space wont be
wasted on students who dont really
care, he said. But on the other hand, I
think its ridiculous because theyre not
taking into consideration the students
who are already struggling to transfer.
Students interested in applying for
TAG are encouraged to visit www.
swccd.edu/transfer.
By Ernesto Rivera
Assistant News Editor
Trafc at the San Ysidro border crossing
came to a snarling halt. Scafolding used
to support overhead construction of
new immigration facilities collapsed on
the top of incoming vehicles, raining
concrete and inj uring 11 peopl e.
Northbound lanes closed for the day as
rescue and construction workers cleared
debris blocking the worlds busiest
border crossing.
Travelers scrambled to the Otay and
Tecate ports of entry, causing havoc
all along the border and forcing many
people to abandon cars and walk.
As news of the event spread across
campus, members of the large community
that commutes over the border daily
were left to wonder if they could return
home.
I couldnt cross and go home to
Tijuana, said Elizabeth Ramos, 19,
psychology and photography. I had to
stay with my aunt.
Trafc was diverted to the Otay Mesa
crossing, five miles east, driving the
border wait times up to four and a half
hours for vehicles and two hours for
pedestrians.
Tey closed the border and everybody
had to go to the Otay border, said Aldo
Loera, undeclared. So, on a regular basis
in Otay, it takes about two hours to cross
the border, and that day it was double
the time.
I have friends that cross but they
didnt come to school on time, said
Raquel Ramirez, 20, hotel operations
management. Tey had to go to the
Otay border.
Pedestrian trafc opened eight hours
later at the San Ysidro border and
13 of the 24 lanes were reopened by
midnight. By Saturday only three lanes
were closed and by Sunday all lanes had
been reopened.
Professor of Spanish Angelina Stuart
said the situation reminded her of 9/11
because many of her ESL students missed
class that day because the border was
closed.
Im sure this week afected classes
as well, said Stuart. I am fnding that
more and more of my own students are
moving to this side of the border in order
to avoid the horrendous trafc.
Adjunct ESL Instructor Carol Stuardo
said most of her students had crossed
earlier that morning and heard of the
construction accident later in the day
from family or news sources.
My students read about it or got texts
during class and were quite concerned,
she said. However, the next day they
told me they had no problem crossing
the border because the border had
opened at midnight.
Felix Tuyay, professor of social sciences
and humanities, said the mishap created
a mess and thinks the construction
workers should be more careful, but his
classes were not afected.
Many students said their families
were afected. Arturo Gonzales, 22, said
his mom could not get her migraine
medication.
She couldnt get across the border
to get her medicine so she had to go
through Tecate, he said. It was even
worse because she couldnt make it across
there either, because there was so much
trafc. My grandma had to come all the
way around from Tecate and bring her
medicine.
Felipe Rogel, 18, an art major, was on
his way to Tijuana to go see his dad, but
could not get through because of the
trafc jam.
Students expressed disbelief that
something like this could happen.
I was surprised because I thought it
was safe, said Luis Canett, 19, biology.
Its a federal property so you think
everythings safe.
Safety was also a concern for students.
Tey should keep in mind that they
should be more careful of how the
bridge is built, said Nancy Valcazar, 18,
undecided.
Many students who crossed early that
morning said they were unafected by
the border tie up.
I was a little worried about getting
home, said Laura Campos, English.
But I knew the situation would be
taken care of.
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
GRINDING TO A HALT: A construction scafolding that crashed down on cars prevented hundreds of SWC students from crossing into the U.S.
to attend class.
Border collapse rumbles into the classroom
outstanding support for college press
freedom.
Frank LoMonte, executive director
of the SPLC, said the threats delivered
to Te Sun and newspaper advisor Max
Branscomb were almost inconceivable
in America.
It is in no small part thanks to these
students persistent and truthful reporting
that the reign of President Chopra and
his puppets on the Board of Trustees
ended last year, he said, and that the
new trustees enacted more protective
policies to prevent such fagrant disregard
for First Amendment principles from ever
recurring.
Te Sun will join 25 colleges since
1984 to be awarded the College Press
Freedom Award.
For never wavering from their
journalistic mission in the face of
adversity, and for keeping the presses
running when those in power wanted
them shuttered, the editors and staff
of Te Sun are richly deserving of the
College Press Freedom Award, said
LoMonte.
Before the turnaround in college
leadership last fall, The Sun and
SWCs former administration often
faced off over the papers coverage
of plagiarism by the superintendent,
misappropriation of college funds,
conficts of interest between governing
board members and contractors, bribing
of college administrators and many other
controversies. Te publication drew the
ire of former superintendent Raj K.
Chopra and other administrators for
publishing content deemed controversial
and unfattering to college leadership,
said Albert Fulcher, editor-in-chief.
Te Sun was out in front of coverage
of issues that eventually generated
wide-spread media attention. Local and
national media outlets bombarded the
college when four faculty members were
suspended for attending a peaceful rally
against class cuts and again when former
vice president Nicholas
Alioto solicited donations
to support two governing
board candidates from
construction companies
he had just awarded
contracts to. Alioto was
also exposed by Te Sun
for accepting personal
gi fts from the same
companies.
Chopra and Alioto
declared war on Te Sun
in the fall of 2009 after
Branscomb refused to
give Alioto the names
of faculty members who
paid for a full-page No
Confidence in Chopra
advertisement in The
Sun. Alioto hired an
a u d i t o r t o l o o k
for irregularities in
newspaper advertising
sales. When that efort
wa s uns uc c e s s f ul ,
Alioto refused to pay
printing bills and froze
Sun budget lines. The
college also stripped
Branscomb of reassigned
time for advising the
Sun. Branscomb refused
to resign and supervised
the newspaper for two
years without pay.
Preceding a closely
contested governi ng
board election in fall
2010, Chopra threatened the paper with
a shut down, promising consequences for
Branscomb and the Dean of Arts and
Communications Donna Arnold if Te
Sun went to print.
Staf members decided to get creative,
said Fulcher.
We brought the matter to media
attention immediately and started raising
money to put that issue out ourselves,
said Fulcher. We werent going to give
in to threats. We did what we had to.
Staf members raised enough money
to print every issue that semester and
hired an Orange County printer after
school ofcials intimidated Te Suns
regular printer and threatened to cancel
college printing contracts. Issue #1 of
fall 2010 was lost, but Issue #2 broke
the story of Aliotos pay for play
with contractors and architects. The
Sun later broke a story about Aliotos
dumping of nearly $5 million in college
funds that he miscalculated rather than
funding hundreds of classes he had
earlier recommended eliminating. SWC
lost nearly half of its classes
under the Chopra-Alioto
regime.
Tis award is to us as an
Oscar is to an actor, said
John Carter, former editor-
in-chief. It reflects the
integrity and passion with
which our young journalists
accomplish their tasks. Te
only diference is Te Sun
had no script to follow.
Dave Waddell, newspaper
faculty advisor of Te Orion
at Chico State University,
s ai d he recommended
the paper to SPLC for its
i ndomi tabl e resol ve to
continue printing.
I nominated The Sun
f or t hi s award f or i t s
courageous defense of a free
press against what I would
characterize as a corrupt
admi ni strati on seeki ng
desperately, arrogantly and
ruthlessly to silence the
student newspaper, he said.
But they failed. Tey failed
because Te Sun would not
be intimidated. I admire
them for standing up to the
attack and for winning this
battle.
Chopra and Alioto, along
wi th hal f a dozen vi ce
presidents and directors,
resi gned f ol l owi ng the
November 2010 elections
that changed the board majority. At least
two faced District Attorney and Grand
Jury investigations.
Student leaders and Branscomb will
accept the award at the ACP and College
Media Advisors National College Media
Convention Oct. 26-30 in Orlando,
Florida.
Award: Newspaper
honored for defense of
the First Amendment
Continued from Page 1
NEWS 18
Aug. 17 - Oct. 1, 2011 Vol. 55, Iss. 1
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Aguilar: Former
trustee tells of
struggles with PTSD
Continued from Page 13
the campus and community. They
are no longer limited to a tiny space
in front of the cafeteria. That was
an abusive setting as we saw with
the suspension of the four faculty
members. Te decisions made then
were later rescinded, and rightfully so.
Tis is a positive outcome. It makes
it clear to everyone they have the
right to express their views without
any retaliation, with the exception
of disrupting the functioning of the
college. You cant disrupt classes and
teaching or go storming into the
presidents ofce.
A new path.
I still feel reluctant in resigning but
have come to the point of accepting
that the college is now on the right path
to provide a positive environment for
everyone and the best student learning
possible. It is a good time for me to
step down. Te college is now in good
standing. Tis will give the governing
board an opportunity to select a new
superintendent. Tey have 60 days to
fll the vacancy. Appointment of the
new governing board member is the
best way to go. Te cost of an election
during the current budget crisis is
unreasonable.
Tis way the new governing board
member will be a part of the process
in selecting a new superintendent
and part of the discussion. Tat is an
important element. It requires fnding
someone with community college
experience and experience in working
collegiately with all constituent groups.
Tis is important criteria and I feel
confident that the board will get a
candidate that fts these criteria.
I feel comfortable that I can now
step down now and get the treatment
that I need, knowing the college is on
the right path. I was just fortunate
to be a part of the community efort,
because it took everyone. I could never
have done any of this myself. I feel
fortunate to be part of the reform team
in having a new board, a critical key,
committed in a way I have been trying
to communicate.
Without the communitys help
in getting two new governing board
members elected, we could still be
where we were. I am thankful to the
entire college community for giving
me the opportunity and knowing that
I have been a part of this change. Look
forward to what a community college
can be not how it has been in the past.
Now, I am looking forward to
coming back and hanging around,
said Aguilar. But, this time, as a
student.
members intending to re-up.
Cate said he does not believe that the
lack of application was the real reason why
Kelley was not reappointed.
She has experience, he said. She was
heavily involved in the committee, asked
great questions, expressed concerns about
where the program was going. Shes been
working closely with us. We are heavily
involved in oversight committees across
the county. Tis is what we do. We have
a set of best practices that all the districts
with bond measures have adopted. We
know what were doing.
Adams, himself a builder, proudly
declares himself as anti-union and is
concerned about a possible Project Labor
Agreement that the governing board
would enter into with local unions. Tat
would mean increased wages for the
construction workers.
Teyre going to get less bang for their
buck, he said. Te bottom line is that
its going to cost money. Tey only have x
amount of dollars to spend, period. How
much are they going to get done with that
x amount? Teyre going to get less done
with the PLA than they are just going
they way theyre going. Teyve got health
benefits, theyve got retirement funds,
theyve got training programs, and they
make damn good hourly wages. What do
you need a union for?
Adams acknowledged that the board has
not signed any agreements yet and has not
even begun seeking outside opinions on
the matter. Tat is a crucial detail, he said.
Theyre talking about it, he said.
We should be in on those meetings. I
asked them once in writing and then the
Taxpayers Association urged that I be put
in, and that got ignored. Te problem I
have with it is that theyre making decisions
and were not even getting flled in on it.
Were the oversight committee. We should
know whats going on.
Nader said that the governing board has
appointed a subcommittee to consider the
pros and cons of the PLA, but its only in
the earliest formative stage.
Te subcommittee consists of Trustee
Terri Valladolid and me right now, he said.
Prop R issues are a priority for the
board. Te board has had its hands full
with a whole lot of issues, said Nader, and
obviously this year the top concerns have
been accreditation, the superintendent
search and the budget. But Prop R is
certainly up there among our concerns.
Nader said the oversight committee is
doing its best to serve the community,
but wishes it were a little more accessible.
Frankly, I hope the committee will
consider scheduling its meetings to be not
at the same time as our meetings so we can
interact a little more readily.
Stability can only improve the
relationship between the board and the
oversight committee, Nader said.
I think that the entire Prop R project
is in a state of fux, he said, or at least
the corner lot project is, because staf has
uncovered concerns. I think there may be
a sense that not all the information that
should have been provided to both the
committee and the board was provided.
Some of those were procedural issues,
like bringing contracts to the board
before they were approved. Some of them
are substantive issues, like the specific
programmatic uses of the buildings.
But those all have something to do with
the planning process, and the oversight
committee is supposed to be part of
making sure were getting out of this bond
what the community should be getting
well-spent money on uses that will beneft
the college and community.
Cate said that his group, as part of the
committee or not, would continue to keep
an eye on just that.
Were going to monitor the fulfllment
of the bond program to make sure its done
on time, on budget, and that the projects
are being completed at the price that was
promised to voters, he said.
Adams said there is nothing the oversight
committee or anyone outside of the college
can do regarding the projects fnancial
standing until the end of the year.
Were waiting on the [projects] second
fnancial statement, which we should be
getting the end of December or frst of
January, he said. Well compare it to
the old one and be able to see if there any
discrepancies there. Last year, there were
a couple of things that were questioned.
Tey said they were going to correct them.
If they do, theres no problem. If they dont,
thatll be an issue. Tats going to make
it or break it. And then theres the union
deal. Im going to insist we at least get
representation in that group thats going
to decide whether they go with the PLA
or not. As far as Im concerned, those are
the only issues.
Prop. R: David Krogh
and Rebecca Kelley
replaced over summer
Continued from Page 2
INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT/PRESIDENT
APOLOGIZES
In a college-wide e-mail I recently sent, I failed to place in
quotes or note the source for a sentence used in a reference
to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.
No one, at any level, including the Superintendent/President,
is exempt from providing the source for a statement taken
from any document, and failure to do so could be interpreted
as plagiarism.
No matter what the circumstances surrounding this
ommission, I hereby owe the students and the college
community an apology for subjecting them to this
embarrassment and error on my part. It is inexcusable.
Respectfully submitted,
Denise Whittaker
Interim Superintendent/President
Te Southwestern College Sun
taxpayers. Tey dont want to see waste.
Right now I think that somebody
like Bob Temple is doing the job. I
really like what Ive seen in him. Hes
somebody that you immediately trust.
He knows what hes talking about.
He has the background, he knows
exactly what hes doing and I trust this
president to do whats best and bring
long-term benefts to this college.
If there are things that we dont
like we can tell the president that we
dont support that. When I believe
in something, Ill stand up for it. Ill
fght for the community, Ill fght for
what I think is best for this college.
Sometimes well disagree. Will I be
tough? Yeah, there are times when youll
see me be tough. But I think its also
about working together, its not just
about being a cowboy and going out
and doing something on your own. We
have a system of shared governance.
And that means working together with
off campus constituency, including
students and the administration to get
things done.
Behind every great man
I told my wife when we frst got
married, Hey, youre going to have to
share me because this is what I love
to do, this is where my passion is, to
serve the community. And its tough
because you want to make sure that
youre spending enough time with your
kids to be a good dad.
I think ultimately in life you want to
be somebody who looks back and not
necessarily say you were a great elected
ofcial. Id rather say that I was a great
dad. I think thats what you really strive
to be, a good dad and a good husband.
So serving the community is something
that is really important to me but I have
to make sure that my familys okay all
through that process.
Ive got to be sure to make a lot
more date nights, spend a lot more time
with the kids, because youre missing
a lot of things. When you make the
decision that
youre goi ng
t o d o t h i s
kind of work,
theres a price
you pay. Its
one thing to
actually say it
and say, Oh,
you know, that
may happen
in the future.
On c e y o u
actually start
doing it and
you go home
and your son is
disappointed
because you
mi s s e d t he
big game with
them or the big goalTats tough.
Tose are tough things to miss. But
thats the price you pay to serve the
community sometimes. And I dont
always like it, but I understand you
really have to work hard to represent
the community.
Looking long-term.
I want to make sure that Im a ft
for this, that I really enjoy it and that
my family is okay with it. Im going to
wait a little while (before deciding to
run for the position). I know everyone
just expects it, but thats not the way
I work. I need to sit down with my
family and make that decision. But
Im expecting by December or January
well have made that decision. Teres
no need to start campaigning if we
dont have to right away. It takes away
from everything else. I mean you really
want to serve the community--you
want to serve the college rather than
be campaigning.
No ddi ng t o v i s i o ns and
predecessors.
Its not just about my vision, its a
shared vision for this college that we
work together on. Its not one board
member who decides, Hey, this is
going be the vision. We come to it
together the students, the faculty, the
academic senate, the administration, the
governing board. Tey work together
with the vision for this college. We do
this together.
I love working with this board. So far
I love working with this administration,
faculty and constituency groups. I
feel like Ive walked into this gigantic
family and it feels really good to feel like
theyve accepted me. Im just working
really hard to live up to maybe some of
the expectations that Nick Aguilar left.
Nick is the one who really kind of
brought a lot of things to light and
really started pushing. Youve got to
give him a lot of credit for whats gone
on on this campus and for the change.
Tere are leaders in a community
that you follow that you couldnt
possibly have done what you did if
they had not been in those places
before you. And I think he is somebody
to truly look up to, someone who
fought for his country, someone who
really did a lot and led the way in
the Latino community. I think hes a
total trailblazer and I truly believe if it
werent for people like him I wouldnt
be where I am.
Everybodys really back on the same
page to do whats best for Southwestern
College and Im just happy to be a part
of that.
Peraza: Setting goals
and looking long-
term, top priorities
Continued from Page 13
By Mary York
News Editor
Crimes, public disruptions and
violations of school policy are
handled by the Campus Police.
For everything else there is the
Crisis Response Team (CTR).
As s embl ed i n 2007, CRT
representatives have already been
employed several times since the
semester started to help take care
of students who are in situations
that could balloon into traumatic
events.
CRT is composed of members
from Disability Support Services,
Counseling, Health, Campus
Police and Higher Education
Centers, as well as representatives
from the Classifed and Academic
Senates.
With the multi-disciplined
approach that you can successfully
solve these incidents we do the
most good, said Robert Sanchez,
acting chief of campus police.
Sanchez said the CRT has two
goals: to deal with student issues
and to provide resources for
students in crisis.
NEWS BRIEF
Crisis Team
provides
resources
for students
I feel like
Ive walked
into this
gigantic
family and it
feels really
good to feel
like theyve
accepted
me.
Humberto Peraza
Board Trustee
SPORTS
Aug. 17- Oct. 1, 2011-Vol. 55, Iss. 1 Te Southwestern College Sun 19
Jags 3-1 start fuels bowl hopes
By Alexis Dominguez
Staff Writer
Football coach Ed Carberry could be
forgiven for mixed metaphors after his
team rebounded from a season-opening
thrash with a dominant performance that
launched a three-game winning streak.
We were at the absolute bottom of
the barrel, and this week we are on top of
the mountain, he said following a 31-10
romp over San Diego Mesa.
Just a week earlier SWC had been
run-over by nationally-ranked Palomar
College, 45-13. Te Jaguars have bounced
to a 3-1 record after a thrilling 40-37 win
over perennial powerhouse Grossmont
and a 20-10 victory over Mt. San Jacinto
College.
SWC grabbed the lead early against
Mt. San Jacinto when wide receiver Cass
White scored on a 38-yard rush. Only a
fre across the street from DeVore Stadium
could interrupt the Jaguars patient ofense
and aggressive defense. Defensive lineman
Jamiel Raymore had a sack and the
secondary snagged three interceptions,
including a last-second pick by Rodney
Williams to close out the game.
Defensive coordinator Dionicio
Monarrez praised his players.
Te defense did not quit, they kept
coming, he said. Everybody hustled and
got to the ball.
Running back Patrick Mitchell flled
in for Aaron Harris, who did not suit up
for the game. Mitchell ran for 108 yards
and a touchdown. Carberry said he was
impressed.
Patrick Mitchell is doing a great job,
he said. He is not a big guy, but he plays
big.
Carberry said Jaguar players are
attracting college scouts.
SDSU recruiters were looking at
two ofensive tackles, sophomores Mark
Pouvave and Marcus Clements, he said.
Clements is the younger brother of San
Diego Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips.
Te Jags will visit 1-3 San Bernardino
Valley College on Saturday.
RUSSELL SCOFFIN/STAFF
SLICK PICK Defensive back Jacob Coogan snags an interception to shut down a drive by San Diego Mesa College. Southwestern won 31-10
Misael Virgen/staff
Te Southwestern College Sun
sPORTs
Aug. 17- Oct. 1, 2011--Vol. 55, Iss. 1
20
Mens soccer kicks out to conference lead
By Daniel Guzman
Assistant Sports Editor
Cem Tont picked up with the
mens soccer team the same place
he left off with the womens
winning. Tonts troops marched
through pre-season play with a
5-1-1 record and optimism for a
conference title.
I expect us to be the top team
or between the top two teams in
the conference with our quality of
play and performance, he said.
After a forgettable first half,
thi ngs heated up f ast i n the
90th minute of the season home
opener, a thrilling 2-1 victory over
Riverside Community College.
In the final ticks of the match,
Riverside shook the back of the net
and the confidence of the Jaguars,
knotting the match up. But SWC
responded with a last-minute,
explosive finish.
A desperate attack earned the
Jags a free kick from the edge
of the box. With time running
out,striker Juan Villaseor tucked
a curling shot into the bottom
right corner to put away Riverside,
2-1.
I was just trying to bury it in the
back of the net, said Villaseor.
It was our last chance and I felt
confident to take a shot. I executed
exactly how I pictured it.
Momentum from the home
opener propel l ed the Jaguars
to dribble past their next four
opponents until East Los Angeles
nipped them 1-0 in the seventh
game of the season. Though a
blemish on an otherwise perfect
record, Tont saw the defeat as a
learning moment and a possible
blessing in disguise.
This was the best game of
soccer we have played the whole
season and obviously we are not
happy with the result, said Tont.
But tight games like these can go
either way and I am quite pleased
with our performance.
Sophomore captain and starting
center back Isaac Veenstra said
he did not agree and thought
the team had periods of sloppy
pl ay. Our touch was off and
we didnt play the ball like we
normally play, he said.
Conference play for the Jags
begins Sept. 23rd as they face off
Cuyamaca College. Tont motivates
his squad with a few choice words
to calm their nerves.
I told my players that if you
leave your soul on the field you
have nothing to worry about,
said Tont.
Cem Tonts players are scoring
threats and shutdown defenders
Even dozen college records
for all-time swim champion
Jeremy Lawson/STAFF
GREATEST EVER Leslie Rodriguez owns 12 Southwestern College swimming records and
was the frst Jaguar to compete for the state championship. She was also a star water polo player.
By Elizabeth Montes De Oca
Staff Writer
Leslie Rodriguez knows how to
make a splash. Southwestern Colleges
greatest ever swimmer has left a fotilla
of competitors in her wake.
Rodriguez, 20, a criminal justice
major, raced in the state championships
this spring and now holds 12 SWC
records.
She has al ways had a natural
swimming ability, said SWC swim
coach Matt Ustaszewski.
Rodriguez began swimming lessons
when she was four and began competing
at six. She won her frst competition.
Nobody thought I was going to win
because I was barely starting on the
swim team, she said.
Entering her teenage years Rodriguez
s ai d s he was uns ur e about her
swimming future and admitted to
losing motivation.
For swim you always try to set a
goal to make a time, said Rodriguez.
Instead of swim meets you try to go
to Junior Olympics.
During her freshman year in high
school she felt a rekindled desire to
continue swimming and to try water
polo. She starred at both.
She owns all four relay records for
Otay Ranch High School and a pool
full of awards. During her freshman
year at SWC she was not the best
on team she said, and was motivated
to improve. At her first conference
competition she surprised herself and
teammates by winning big and setting
records.
Compet i t i on i s somet hi ng she
welcomes and she enjoys high-level
showdowns.
Tere is always those couple girls
you want to beat, said Rodriguez.
Tough many seemed surprised by
her late-season domination, her coach
was not.
She dedicated herself to improving
and getting better, said Ustaszewski.
It was really nice to see her perform
at that level because she had put in all
that efort.
Jennifer Harper, her water polo coach,
said Rodriguez has all the characteristics
of a successful person.
She is competitive. Tat with being
smart makes you a good athlete and
she has a really good work ethic, said
Harper. So when she is in the water she
works hard every day and thats how she
gets better and better.
Her siblings are following in her
wake. Rodriguezs sister, Mariela 17,
is on the ORHS swim and water polo
teams. Her freshman brother is on the
soccer team, and is now trying water
polo.
Rodriguez said her family and friends
have always been there to support her
at meets. Her most recent was the most
memorable of all, she said. Competing
for state championships, she added, was
her proudest accomplishment.
Rodriguez likes to spend her spare
time with her friends and watching her
favorite criminal case-solving shows.
Her interest in criminal justice began
when she attended the Academy of
Justice and Criminology at ORHS,
and said she would like to become
an investigator or detective one day.
Rodriguez is working to wrap up her
academics so she can transfer to San
Diego State University in the spring
of 2012. In the meantime, she works a
lifeguard at the SWC pool and Chula
Vista YMCA.
MARSHALL MURPHY/STAFF
POWER SLIDE SWC striker Michael Perez knocks the ball away from a San Diego Mesa College attacker.