The Collegian - Published Jan. 29, 2021 by The Collegian

Trump leaves White House kicking and screaming

Students get hands dirty in agriculture program

The Collegian OPINION, PAGE 3

Issue 7 • Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 •

FEATURE, PAGE 4

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WAITING FOR A SHOT

California begins the process of vaccinating residents

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Coria named interim Vice President of Student Services BY HANNAH WORKMAN News Editor

On Jan. 23, University of the Pacific held a vaccination clinic for health-care related staff and students, as well as faculty and staff who are 65 and older, per Centers for Disease Control and San Joaquin County distribution guidelines. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC

BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Entertainment Editor

Mass vaccination sites have become a pivotal form of reaching more members of the public quickly to combat the continued spread of COVID-19. The implementation is not without issue. In a statement released Jan. 12, Orange County Health Care Agency announced it had experienced the same issue at three different point of dispensing (POD) sites, specifically related to appointments. “The county’s three existing POD sites were overwhelmed by individuals without appointments today, effectively shutting down the vaccination sites. It is critical for people to understand that appointment slots are available based on vaccine availability. Showing up without an appointment stresses the system and depletes scarce resources.” Due to recent weather conditions in Orange county, the proposed clinic at Disneyland had setbacks. The site was forced to remain closed on Jan. 19 and 20. COVID-19 has impacted the county of Los Angeles county significantly as it is one of the most affected areas in the state of California. On Jan. 15, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Gavin Newsom announced the

transition of turning MORE ONLINE Dodger Stadium into a vaccination site. Read about a town hall “Today we are meeting hosted by the Minority Health Institute here to announce and CLA BRITE Center for something big — not Science, Research, and Poljust the biggest in icy addressed equity issues Los Angeles but what related to vaccine distribunext week will be the tion at deltacollegian.net. biggest in California and the biggest in this country — and taking what here at Dodgers Stadium has been the largest testing site in the world and transforming it into the largest vaccine site in America. Once this site is up and running in the middle of next week at full capacity we’ll be taking in at least 12,000 people a day here at Dodger Stadium,” said Garcetti. “This mega-site will bring the city's contribution to LA vaccinations to 20,000 people a day in our capacity between Dodger Stadium and four city operated sites and the fire stations that are vaccinating members of LAFD and soon other members of the city family.” Newsom elaborated on future plans.

See VACCINATION, page 8

Delta looks to become vaccination site for county BY HANNAH WORKMAN News Editor

Delta College is in talks with San Joaquin County to become a COVID-19 vaccination site. According to Alex Breitler, Director of Marketing, Communications and Outreach, the institution has had preliminary discussions with county officials about logistics.

“That process is still ongoing and we really don’t have any specific details yet about how this might work or a possible timeline,” Breitler said. “Once we know more, we will absolutely let everyone know.” A total of 34,025 doses of the vaccine have been allocated to San Joaquin County as of Jan. 15. Of those, 17,104 doses have

been administered, based on data provided by San Joaquin County Public Health Services. The county is currently in Phase 1A of its COVID-19 vaccine schedule. As of this week, the county added residents 65 years of age and older to the eligible population.

See DELTA, page 8

Delta College is seeing changes in administration at the beginning of the Spring 2021 semester, including within the Student Services department. As of December 2020, Dr. Elizabeth Coria has taken over the role of interim assistant superintendent and vice president of student services. Coria, who last served as Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at City College of San Francisco, has over 18 years of administrative experience within the California Community Colleges system. Coria enters her position after Dr. Lisa Cooper-Wilkins. C o o p e r -W i l k i n s was named Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at City College of San Francisco. Coria is the second new vice president hired in the past year at Delta College. Dr. Lisa Aguilara Lawrenson was hired as a permanent replacement for Dr. James Todd who left Delta College for Sierra College during the summer. Lawrenson’s position became permanent, and Coria was hired as interim at the Nov. 17, 2020, Board of Trustees meeting. One of the main characteristics that drew Coria to Delta College is its diverse student population. According to Coria, Delta College is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HIS), with more than 50 percent of the student population identifying as Hispanic. “We have the responsibility and opportunity to provide access to our students

who have been primarily underserved,” Coria said. “I wanted to be a part of a team with such a rich history and a community that I can identify with personally and provide the leadership to remove barriers for students so they can attain their educational goals and be our leaders of tomorrow.” Coria said she can relate to some members of the institution’s Hispanic student population as her parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico. She is also a first-generation college student. “I wouldn’t have been blessed with my career if it weren’t for achieving a higher education,” Coria said. “Through my personal experience, I understand the challenges that students face trying to navigate our educational system.” Coria said her path towards obtaining a higher education wasn’t easy. “I am the youngest of three siblings,” Coria said. “My siblings tell me that they were my role models on what not to do.” Coria said her older brother has been in and out of the jail system for most of his life and her sister became a mother at the age of 17. She was the only one in her family to graduate from high school and seek a college education. “Education was not instilled at home,” Coria said. “My parents wanted us to graduate from high school in order to get a job, but there was no understanding or conversations of education beyond high school.”

See CORIA, page 8

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2 OPINION 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/opinion

COVID-19: THE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE BY DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS

Editor in Chief

t the start of the pandemic, it seemed rare to find a person who knew someone that had the coronavirus, particularly young people. Ten months into this pandemic, the opposite is true. Our family members have had it, our friends have had it, and some of us have even had it. As of Jan. 19, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported 24,025,817 total cases of coronavirus in the United States with California leading in the number of cases with 2,942,475. Recently, I was one of those nearly three million. You hear people say: “It’s just a flu.” You also hear stories of seemingly healthy people dying from the virus. I understand how both sides can be true. Coronavirus hit me fast and unexpectedly. New Year’s Eve I was celebrating with my husband, feeling normal as ever. New Year’s Day I

woke up with a nasty headache and an overall feeling of fatigue, which one could attribute to a hangover given the timing of the symptoms. It was not a hangover. On Jan. 2 I still had a headache and still felt tired, but I also started to feel congested. When making myself my famous cold-buster tea, I opened a bag of unlabeled spices that was in my cabinet and noticed that it didn’t have a scent, or so it seemed. Still not thinking anything of it, I carried on making myself breakfast. It was when my bacon didn’t taste as satisfying as usual that I knew something was wrong. Not only that, but the effort of simply making tea and frying bacon had me feeling like I had just run a marathon. I quarantined myself to my room and booked a drive-thru appointment at Walgreens to get a COVID-19 test. I had three days of symptoms that kept me bed ridden.

During those three days I came to an understanding of how some people, especially those with underlying issues, don’t survive the virus. Having no chronic respiratory issues, the attack that the virus made on my lungs made it difficult to breathe. Between the chest pain, chest heaviness and only being able to take very shallow breaths, I was sure I would need to go to the hospital. I am fortunate enough to have fought it off, but it wasn’t easy by any means. It’s now 29 days after my first symptoms of COVID-19 and I have tested again with a negative result. The symptoms have not all gone away. I am just starting to regain my sense of smell and taste, I still have a cough and congestion, and I still feel short of breath when active. COVID-19 may have flu-like symptoms, but it’s not “just” a flu. As an otherwise healthy 28-yearold, I was monitoring my heart rate

and taking every recommended vitamin and painkiller just to make it through the peak of symptoms. Even though we’re close to a year of being in this pandemic, let this serve as a reminder to wear your mask. Still stay inside unless for essential activity and still social distance. Don’t be another case number. And don’t think you are invincible and this won’t knock you down.

NEW WAY OF LIVING COMES AFTER DIAGNOSIS BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ

Entertainment Editor

lder generations seem to be more at risk with COVID-19, but the spectrum of COVID-19 has expanded greatly over the past few months with the state of California surpassing 2.5 million COVID-19 cases. I knew I had COVID-19 on Dec.19, I didn’t get tested until 10 days later when my family and I had regained enough strength to drive. One of my brothers was able to get tested sooner and came back positive. My mom, dad, and I received our results on Dec.31. All of us had tested positive. It was frightening thing for me to read not only for myself, but for my family. So many things cross the mind because we have all seen what has happened to so many. We have all seen the case numbers and death toll rise. I knew that I had it along with my dad. My mom’s symptoms weren’t as intense until a week after my dad and I got sick. My brother was the last to show symptoms, they were the most mild. He had a sore throat, loss of smell and taste. My family was focused on my dad’s health. We were all especially on high alert for

him due to his Type 2 diabetes. Data from San Joaquin Public Health Services note 39.6 percent of the 806 deaths from COVID-19 in the county had a comorbidity of diabetes listed. I spent the first week in bed trying to not let my parents see how much pain I was in because I wanted them to focus on my dad’s health. I didn’t eat much. I lost my taste and smell, my body was very weak, I had chills and fever at some point. What took me down the most was the worst headache I had ever experienced. It lasted five days The headache gave me the hardest time there were points where I could not handle it and just burst into tears and prayed for the pain to pass. I couldn’t move my eyes around too much because it would cause the pain to be more intense. I couldn’t sleep it off because it would not let me sleep and when I did manage to fall asleep I would wake up to the same pain. My days with COVID-19 were a roller coaster. I would start the day feeling better, eating, and walking around. Then an hour would go by and it all went downhill. I would be back in bed buried in blankets trying to stop the chills

The Collegian The Collegian is the student newspaper of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. The paper is published six times a semester. As a First Amendment newspaper we pride ourselves on a commitment to the students of Delta College while maintaining independence. We reinvigorate the credo that the newspaper speaks for the students, checks abuses of power and stands vigilant in the protection of democracy and free speech.

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and manage the head pain. After a week in a half I was the healthiest in the house. That’s not to say I no longer had symptoms, but everyone else in the house was just that much worse than I was able to help them out and help around the house. I took a lot of vitamins everyday and tried to eat as healthy as possible. I think that really helped me. By the end the four of us were left with a dry cough that didn’t let us talk much since it continuously interrupted us and occurred when we took in too much air at once. I think a lot of people speak about COVID-19 and there are people who need to report on it, but most of the time what is not spoken about is the emotional and mental health toll it takes. When we were in the clear there was an obvious sense of relief, but we were all drained. We knew it was over, but there was this moment of epiphany where you just think to yourself, OK so this is what so many people around the world have experienced. In a way we felt connected to people who went through their own version of this, we felt connected to people we had never met. I was mentally and emotionally spent once I recuperated

SENIOR STAFF

EDITORS

ITZEL ESPINOZA

HANNAH WORKMAN Editor at Large/News

STAFF

DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS Editor in Chief/Feature

ROBYN JONES Opinion

ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Entertainment

DAVID VICTOR Sports

because throughout the entire process I was in constant worry. While I wish COVID-19 didn’t exist, now that my family and I have thankfully overcome this unscathed we have had to search for positives at a personal level in what seems like a sea of darkness. Apart from being thankful for regaining our health one of the most important things I am taking away from this experience ironically is how it brought people closer together. In my experience it created something of a community support group, a group that treated my family like their own. Neighbors would voluntarily bring us dishes they had cooked as well as holiday drinks and teas they thought would help us. Other neighbors brought us groceries, my brothers friends dropped off all the possible medicine and vitamins we could need as they had gone through the same thing. Some family members also dropped off medicine, an air purifier and other necessities. People around us really took us in when they did not have to and everything was done safely. It would be dropped off at our gate and then I would go out and bring it inside the house.

DANTE CAMACHO CAITLYNN COLEN CHLOE GAMBLE MATTHEW JANG ARIANNA JUAREZ NOAH VANDYKE MICAHELA VINDIOLA

My perception on COVID-19 has changed. This is not to say I was any less safe before or any less grateful to our healthcare works. After having gone through it myself and seen the people that mean the most to me in the world go through having COVID-19 and having to tell my sister and my other brother they couldn’t come home I have become more anxious and cautious. My family wore masks, gloves and carried hand sanitizer in my car. Now we also sanitize everything we bring into the house including ourselves, meaning we spray the bottom of our shoes with a disinfectant my mom makes and spray some in the air and walk into it. We stay home as much as possible if we need something from the store only one person goes. We now make online payments instead of in person. I have seen first hand how hard it is on family and I would never want to go through anything similar again. I would never want any other family to go through the same thing but the reality is that everyday the list of COVID cases is rising affecting thousands and thousands more.

MULTIMEDIA TECH MATTHEW WILSON

ADVISER TARA CUSLIDGE-STAIANO

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3 OPINION 012921 BLACK LIVES MATTER V. TRUMP RIOT Trump supporters are identified as protesters, treated with care after storming the Capitol in The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/opinion

contrast to Black Lives Matter protesters identified as rioters, met with horrendous consequences

Left: police form line in the street during protests in D.C. on the night of May 31, 2020. PHOTO BY BRETT WEINSTEIN. Right: a screenshot from the capital raid live stream Trump supporter is photographed taking a selfie with police officer on Jan.6. PHOTOILLUSTRATION BY ROBYN JONES

BY ROBYN JONES

Opinion Editor

he First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion and the press. It also protects the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government. It’s amazing, then, that respecting basic human rights is so difficult to do. Black men and women have been dealing with an ongoing fight for years. The Black Lives Matter movement began in July 2013 due to the George Zimmerman case, but the gears were turned up higher in May 2020, after the death of George Floyd. Children and adults of different ethnicities across the United States banded together running peaceful protests in masses to get their point across. According to History a website that publishes historical articles, the First Amendment is dated back to 1791 when the bill was adopted along with nine others. The right to petition the government was put in place to allow

people to speak freely and stand up for what they believe in. Why is it that participants of the #BLM movements are denied their First Amendment right? So much for being here to serve and protect the people. Following Floyd’s death, cities were flooded with protesters with the hope the officers involved in Floyd’s death would be held accountable. While Black Lives Matter protesters faced serious repercussions from law enforcement for exercising their First Amendment right, the domestic terrorists who stormed Capitol Hill were seen taking selfies with police officers. The only difference is that they were mostly white. Jan. 6 was a day no one expected. Groups of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C. after a rally. The group was angered that politicians were finalizing the 2020 election that saw Democrat Joe Biden win the presidency.

Pictures posted across social media show these rioters carrying out official podiums, holding zip-ties fashioned to look similar to handcuffs, and taking selfies in places only our elected leaders should be. This group was not treated the same as the BLM protesters. They were treated with respect, Why? Because they were white and supported Trump. One rioter was even peacefully escorted down the stairs. In comparison, BLM protesters were tear gassed, beaten, and shot at with rubber bullets. Videos from the Capitol show officials opening barriers to allow the rioters through otherwise restricted areas. Trump allowed this to happen in many U.S. cities, his response to it all was calling them terrorists and rioters. What the difference between STORMING A CAPITOL versus WALKING A STREET IN SOLI-

DARITY! The difference being Trump supporters are rioters with terrorist intentions. His very own people that he wouldn’t call troops out on. If these people were Black and passionate about their cause, the situation would have ended differently. Let it have been a BLM protest, the streets would be filled with tanks and armed response. . Our country is divided, because of acts like this. You can’t march in honor of lost loves due to police brutality, you can’t march in hopes of being heard, you can’t make petitions to help their families and receive justice for those long gone without being called a terrorist and a rioter. Being upset that your president lost, resulting in you storming federal buildings though is definitely okay as long as you’re a white Trump supporter. A slap on the wrist will be okay. It doesn’t make sense.

NEWSFLASH TRUMP: YOU’RE FIRED BY DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS Editor in Chief

ormer President Donald Trump made quite the spectacle of himself in his last months in office. Not that it comes as a surprise. Trump made a fool of himself his entire presidency. Known for his outlandish and inaccurate Tweets, Twitter finally permanently suspended Trump’s personal account on Jan. 8. Some Twitter users rejoiced while others claimed the company was infringing on Trump’s First Amendment rights. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution allows “freedom of speech” among it’s five central tenets, but the protections are from government interference. Twitter is not the government. The same way that businesses have the right to refuse service to anyone, Twitter has every right to suspend and remove any person from using its platform. The company claimed that Trump’s Tweets violated the company’s rules. “After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the

context around them – specifically how they are being received and interpreted on Twitter – we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter wrote. Trump wasn’t formally accused of being behind the rioter’s attack on the Capitol building in Washington D.C., but the former president’s last Tweets do not cast doubt that he encouraged it. “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” Trump Tweeted. Trump also Tweeted that he would not be attending the inauguration on Jan. 20. True to his word, Trump landed in West Palm Beach, Florida as President Joe Biden was getting ready to be sworn in. Twitter wrote that the specific Tweet could be considered encouragement for those considering violent acts that the inauguration would be a “safe” place to do since he will not be there.

Twitter also said that Trump’s use of the term “American Patriots” is being interpreted as support for the Capitol rioters. Aside from Trump’s embarrassing and dangerous Twitter account, the former president made the 2020 election as difficult and as expensive as possible. Demanding recounts in multiple states and even filing lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia in hopes that he’d later be able to contest the votes in these states, Trump only succeeded in forcing himself to hear that he lost the election more times than other presidential candidates have had to hear it. Trump’s actions made him look like a toddler having a tantrum at the expense of the American people. Accepting his loss to Biden has been as difficult for Trump as elementary students trying to figure out whether paper beats rock in roshambo. There’s only one thing to say to a president who’s been impeached by Congress twice in one term: Trump, you’re fired!

ILLUSTRATION BY ROBYN JONES, WITH ART FROM FREEPIK.COM

4 FEATURE 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/feature

Delta ag program teaches hands-on skills BY DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS Editor in Chief

The agriculture program at Delta College offers students, agriculture-based majors or not, hands-on experience with plants, animals and farm work. Students can take classes in agriculture business, horticulture, plant science, animal husbandry and agriculture mechanics and engineering. With pandemic restrictions still in place, horticulture lab classes are held on campus, while animal science and plant science lab classes take place on Delta’s 157-acre farm located in Manteca. Lecture classes remain online. Plant science professor Travis Cardoso said that adjusting to online learning has been a challenge for everyone, professors and students alike. Animal science professor Jessica Cardoso said that it’s hard to do agriculture classes online because the entire point of the lab is to gain the physical skills to be able to do things. “I could teach you DEPARTMENT the theory in the lecture SPOTLIGHT class, but I can’t make you comfortable to go in that pen and grab one of those sheep,” Jessica Cardoso said. Pandemic aside, the program has made every possible effort to ensure that their students are getting the experiences they need to excel outside of these courses. Travis Cardoso said that the department is very big on learning by doing and that it’s important that students get the hands-on opportunity in the program at Delta to be successful at the next level. “We’re teaching them a lot of soft skills that maybe don’t necessarily pertain specifically to plant science or animal science, but they’ll help them at the next level, whether that’s the workforce, the military or the university system,” Travis Cardoso said. Agriculture business major and Delta student Christina Martinez said that the professors do their best to take students out into the real world to help keep it lively. “Things like field trips, the Manteca farm, and professors who have real world ag experience outside of simply teaching will never let you doubt whether or not this is for you. Our success coach Kim [Trujillo] is also fantastic at keeping you informed on local internships and job opportunities so you can get your foot in the door fast,” Martinez said. On the farm, students literally get their hands dirty, planting their own garden beds and taking care of the animals. Jessica Cardoso said that the agriculture professors teach the things that we have all seen on TV or in a setting where other people are doing them, but have never done ourselves. “All my students today gave a subcutaneous shot. You’ve gone to a doctor, you’ve watched it on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ but you’ve never actually done it. So that’s kind of the cool thing is that you do things like learning to drive a tractor or even just planting their own garden bed, choosing the seeds and what to fertilize them with,” Jessica Cardoso said. Yes, you read that correctly. Have you ever seen a tractor driving down the road or in an orchard and thought how cool it would be to operate one of those yourself ? Sign up for a plant science class. Martinez said that she had the pleasure of utilizing the farm for her plant science course. “We spent time learning about how to operate a tractor for field use, such as creating our own rows and furrows for our own line of crops. This past semester I was able to plant my own snow peas and watch them grow throughout the season,” Martinez said. There’s also an almond orchard and a grape vineyard on the farm. The grapes grown are pinot wine grapes, which are sold to Delicato winery. Jessica Cardoso said that the farm is relatively self-sustaining. “The crops that are grown on the farm help pay for the livestock and the expenses,” Jessica Cardoso said. Travis Cardoso added that when the animals are not grazing through the pastures, they get supplemented with the hay that they cut off the farm. The school farm recently acquired a new large, blue barn through bond money. Jessica Cardoso said that the old red barn was an

Top: One-week-old sheep play together in a pen while ewes look over their young. The sheep stay in the inside pen when they’re first born and get rotated to the outside pens as they get a little bit older. Bottom: Hay bales are stored in the barn and are put together with hay cut off the farm to supplement the sheeps’ diet. This is one way in which the farm is self-sustaining. Left: The new barn at the entrance of the farm houses sheep, allows for socially-distanced classes, and in the future will be used for events. PHOTOS BY

DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS

eighth of the size of the new one. She said that when the pandemic is over, they’ll use the new barn for events. “We can host local high schools, 4H kids, we can do livestock sales, showmanship clinics, teacher conferences,” Jessica Cardoso said. The size of the barn has also allowed for social distancing in lab classes. Off the farm, Jessica Cardoso said that the program has had the ability to do labs with the permission of some of her advisory members who allowed her and her students to use their facility. “We got to ultrasound beef cattle [for meat quality] as part of a research project for UC Davis and USDA,” Jessica Cardoso said. Both the professors and students in the department recommend taking an ag class whether you’re an ag

major or not. “It is beyond informative and I promise it is never boring. There is such a demand for agriculture, it is never going away. You learn so much from our leaders here at Delta it is definitely worth it. I can 100 percent say I would not be in the academic standing I am in now without this department’s help,” said Martinez. Jessica Cardoso said even if you’re going into HR and working for Delicato, you’ve got to understand how grapes grow and understand the seasons to know when you’re going to be hiring seasonal employees. “Come and meet us, come and be a part of the family. If you have any questions about if a class would be appropriate or if you want to know more about the class before you take it, feel free to email a professor,” Jessica Cardoso said.

5 FEATURE 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/feature

Before he was president, Biden visited Delta

Now President Joe Biden, then a junior senator, visited Delta College in 1978 to speak to students and staff. Nearly 44 years later, Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. Delta College’s student newspaper was then known as The Impact and included the article from March 1978 and the image featuring an “unidentified hungry student” in May 1978. ARCHIVE IMAGES FROM THE IMPACT, PRESENT DAY IMAGE FROM THE SENATE JOINT INAUGURAL COMMITTEE

Equity-Minded Honors Program open to students for this semester, beyond Delta College’s Equity-Minded Honors program gives students the opportunity to complete a special project, totaling 25 hours outside of original syllabus requirements, to receive an honors coursework notation on their transcript for the Spring 2021 semester. The honors option is a value add for students wishing to transfer to four-year universities and can be added to a CV or personal statement. Information about the program, as well as a list of Delta College professors offering honors coursework, is available at www. deltacollege.edu/honors. Instructors not listed can still be asked to work with students on an honors project. The program is available every semester. Email questions regarding the Equity-Minded Honors Program to Kristi Capra at kristi.capra@deltacollege.edu.

DREAM Conference goes virtual for 2021 The Dreamers Success Center at Delta College is hosting it’s annual DREAM Conference virtually for 2021. The event provides opportunities and resources available for undocumented high school students, parents, educators and their allies. The two- day virtual conference runs Friday, Feb. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants can engage with fellow students through art activities, workshops, giveaways, presentations, and a chance to interact and ask questions for the Yo Soy and Survive Strive Thrive panel. For registration and more information, visit www.deltacollege.edu/event/2021-dream-virtual-conference.

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6 ENTERTAINMENT 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/entertainment

TIKTOK SUPPORTING BLACK CREATORS

the controversy over credit for the viral “Renegade” dance. The “Renegade” dance was ikTok is taking a step created by a 14-year old Black forward to help black dancer named Jalaiah Harcreators on its app. mon. On Jan. 13 the company The dance was recreated on announced the launch of TikTok by its users after Har“TikTok for Black Creatives,” mon posted it on other social described as a three-month media platforms, yet those incubator program. performing her choreography A news release from the didn’t credit her for the dance. popular social The credit was media app said to popCOMMENTARY given the new proular TikTok gram, “will increators instead. vest in and supMost notably, Charli D’Ameport emerging Black creators lio gained a lot of popularity and music artists on TikTok.” and is well known for her vidThe program will be made up eo of the “Renegade” dance. of 100 TikTok creators. Yet Harmon ultimately got according to CNBC, Tikrecognition for her dance, but Tok receives more than 100 she had to fight for it. million users a month in the According to an article United States alone. from The New York Times, According to the statement Harmon “hopped in the the program will be made comments of several videos, up, “from motivational town asking influencers to tag her. halls with some of the bigFor the most part she was gest, most successful Black ridiculed or ignored.” entrepreneurs and celebrities, There have been other into community-building fostances when creators haven’t rums and educational events felt supported by the app and with TikTok executives, the where they have had to conprogram aims to further grow tinue to fight for fairness. and develop an already flourBlack creators produce a ishing Black creative commu- lot of content for the app, but nity on TikTok.” according to the app’s stateTikTok began accepting ment many users have stated applications for those who in the past that they have, meet the criteria the same day “felt unsafe, unsupported, or the program was announced. suppressed.” Applications were open These claims from creators through Jan. 27 with intent caused TikTok to issue a on announcing finalists in statement in May 2020. In February. the statement TikTok apoloThis initiative comes after gized to users and addressed Black creators have said they an incident that made users been overlooked by the app speak out against the app. time and time again. There “On May 19, Black crehave been multiple instances ators and allies took an where new trends have been important stance in changing set by Black creators and have their profile pictures and gone viral through TikTok connecting on the platform videos, often after other to speak out against how they creators copy a video and end feel the Black community has up getting the recognition been marginalized on Tikinstead of the original creator. Tok,” the response read. One prominent example is BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ

Entertainment Editor

Horton Gallery opens first exhibition of spring semester San Joaquin Delta College’s L.H. Horton Jr. Art Gallery is currently hosting “Shadows from the Past: Sansei Artists & the American Concentration Camps.” Events related to the exhibition run through Feb. 18. “The exhibition presents work from eight nationally recognized Sansei artists whose work reflects their mutual Japanese American history and the racial injustice of their families’ incarceration during WWII in the American Concentration Camps,” said San Joaquin Delta College on Facebook. An artist talk and photo transfer demonstration will run on Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. A panel discussion on American Concentration Campus runs Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. Both events will be hosted on Zoom. The gallery offers six exhibitions annually to the public for free, according to the Horton Gallery’s page on the Delta College website. “The gallery presents contemporary art exhibitions and inter-related lectures and workshops to support Student Learning Outcomes in the visual arts curriculum [and] build knowledge in the aesthetic, technical, cultural and historical context of the visual arts,” according to the website. For information about the exhibition, including Zoom links, visit www.deltacollege.edu/ student-life/delta-center-arts/lh-horton-jr-gallery.

Delta College student Robyn Jones scrolls through her favorite Tik Tok creators finding funny videos, dances she wants to learn, and good recipes. PHOTO BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ

TikTok went on to explain that “a technical glitch made it temporarily appear as if posts uploaded using #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd would receive 0 views. This was a display issue only that widely affected hashtags at large, and powerful videos with the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag continued to be uploaded, viewed, and engaged with – in fact, videos with these hashtags have currently generated well over 2 billion views.” The app did not elaborate any further on the glitch that coincidentally occurred at

a pivotal moment for black creators to express themselves through the app. It is because of events like these that it was important for the app to take this initiative where they can build up creators for success. TikTok can show inclusivity through this new program and in the long run these creators could be creating impactful and successful content for the app itself. “These are long-term and ongoing measures we hope will effect change on our platform, and we recognize that real commitment

requires years of engaging and listening. However, the near-term matters too,” the company said.“Establishing a creator diversity council and impact-driven programs geared towards recognizing and uplifting the voices driving culture, creativity, and important conversations on the platform.” This is the first step in uplifting black creators who have previously felt let down by the app. If this program becomes an annual thing, it can continue to reach a larger audience and impact many more creators.

America’s favorite hero retired BY ROBYN JONES Opinion Editor

rom “Scott Pilgrim vs the World,” “The Fantastic Four” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” actor Chris Evans has given us many enjoyable films and roles. Popularizing his acting career was his recurring appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. A popular ongoing series that many fans would know him by is his role in the Marvel “Avengers” movies as Captain America. After “Avengers: Endgame” it was clear Captain America was going to hang up his shield for good, but according to the Showbiz entertainment article Chatsheet, Captain America should be appearing in small cameos in the new upcoming movie “Black Widow.” Marvel Universe fans are excited for this comeback, but according to Kevin Burwick’s article on Movieweb, the return of Captain America has divided some fans. “Honestly they should leave Captain America’s ending alone, because the way he went out in ‘Endgame’ was the best way,” said Marvel fan Jaylin Dunham. Not everyone agrees. “I’m excited for him to make his return, I just don’t want to be disappointed with his short cameos,” said former Delta student Cierra Olvera. Although Chris Evans will not be returning as Captain America for the new upcoming movies, some fans have already started to name possible replacements. “I would prefer Sebastian Stan to play Cap because in the comics the Winter Soldier takes his place,” said Delta student Aden Milano.

7 SPORTS 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/sports

Athletics out of early-spring competition Program prioritizes health, academic success as it looks to potential mid-April play BY DAVID VICTOR Sports Editor

The Delta College athletics program continues to prioritize academic success for students after deciding to opt out from all early-spring competition. Director of Athletics Tony Espinoza said the program’s main concern is to keep athletes and staff healthy through remote training and provide support for its students as needed. “Our current focus is the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” said Espinoza. “We have also shifted some of our focus over to the academic needs of our student-athletes. Whether it’s financial aid, adding a class or contacting a support service available on campus, we as a team are working to help our student-athletes succeed.” When the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) canceled sporting events in the fall, the spring season was split in half for different sporting events: Spring I for sports typically running in fall and Spring II for sports that are usually held in the spring. COVID-19 continues to remain prevalent across the state, with most of California still in the purple tier. Delta opted not to participate in Spring I, meaning the school will not compete in the following sports: soccer, volleyball, cross country, football, women’s golf, basketball, water polo and wrestling. Delta and other community colleges will make the decision on whether to opt in or opt out of participating in Spring II sports in late February. The athletics department is unsure as to when the athletes can return to practice on campus. The program already has a plan ready for when training transitions back to campus, yet a possible return will depend on the current impact of COVID-19 in the region. “A return to campus for this spring would look similar to our return in the fall,” said Espinoza. “In regards to COVID we hope to see things improve in the state, specifically in our county and region. As things improve we will start to discuss a possible return date.” While competition in the CCCAA remains halt-

MASS COMMUNICATION

DELTA COLLEGE

Beginning Feb. 15 12-week, fully online 31911

Beginning March 15 8-week, online lecture with hybrid with on-campus time 31912

ed, the NCAA has gone through with its competitions and has many wondering how much of an impact not competing will have on students trying to get recruited to a four-year institution. “That is still to be determined. We are not sure how much this will impact our student-athletes at this point,” said Espinoza. “It all depends on what happens at the four-year institutions.” Despite the uncertainty the athletics program continues to work with its student-athletes on assisting them with transferring to an institution. “In addition to conditioning, our coaches are assisting their athletes with current academic needs, future academic goals and possible transfer opportunities. Our resource specialist is also working with our student-athletes throughout the semester,” said Espinoza.

Two sights Delta won’t see this year, as football and soccer seasons are now not running due to continued COVID-19 restrictions. ARCHIVE PHOTOS BY PAUL MUYSKENS

8 NEWS 012921

The Collegian • deltacollegian.net/news

Revisions to academic calendar considered after faculty outcry BY HANNAH WORKMAN News Editor

The early start to the spring semester has been met with a negative response from faculty and students, prompting administration to revisit the 2021-2022 calendar, according to Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson, assistant superintendent/vice president of Instruction and Planning. The Spring 2021 semester started on Jan. 11, as opposed to Jan. 21 in 2020. The decision to shorten the winter break left professors with less time to get courses for the spring semester up and running and burnt-out students with less time to recover from a stressful Fall 2020 semester. Adriana Brogger, associate professor of radio and television, made the decision to work throughout the holidays to prepare content for her courses. “I did this at the expense of spending time with my family and much needed time off,” Brogger said. “I know of many other faculty who made the same decision. Even still, it was not enough time and I did not start this semester feeling as confident in my courses as I could have.” Brogger said she felt overwhelmed by her workload and managing time constraints. “Not only do we have to prepare labs and lectures, but we also need to record them, edit them, caption them and organize them for students to access. Some of us feel like we just can’t catch up.” Brogger said the biggest issue she has with the new academic calendar is that it gave faculty three days, counting the weekend, to get ready for the new semester. “This is not enough time to prepare for a successful semester and it is not equitable for our students,” Brogger said. “My lived perspective is only as faculty but I have heard from staff, students, and even managers that this early start caused anxiety and stress. All of this against the backdrop of 2020. Many of us are running on fumes and cannot sustain another shortened break in 21-22.” Student Vanesa Saldana agreed with Brogger that the break was too short.

“I would have liked the regular break just because I’m a full-time mom, student, and employee so I was enjoying a little bit of stress-free time,” Saldana said. Student Isabel Sandoval said between a hectic holiday schedule and preparing for the spring semester, she didn’t have a chance to unwind. “The two holiday weeks were so eventful anyways with people rushing for last-minute shopping,” Sandoval said. “I felt like I never really got to slow down before I was up and at it again.” Lisa Stoddart, associate professor of nursing and president of the Academic Senate, said she opted to go on a vacation during the winter break. “I tried to have everything done as quickly as I could prior, but when I came back, I felt like I was playing catch up,” Stoddart said. “That’s what I’ve heard from the majority of faculty members, that they didn’t have time to take a break. They either worked through their winter break, or the ones that did take the time off to decompress like myself, came back and felt like they had to play catch up.” Stoddart said while she is concerned about how the new academic calendar has impacted faculty, she is equally concerned about how it has impacted students. She noted the 2021-2022 calendar follows the same pattern as the 2020-2021 calendar. “I don’t want the college, and when I say the college, I’m talking about faculty, staff, and the students, to experience the same headaches that they did with this short break,” Stoddart said. As president of the Academic Senate, Stoddart said she has listened to the concerns and feedback of faculty and students, and wants to make sure their voices are heard at the administrative level. She is asking for revisions to be made to the 20212022 calendar. “I’m hoping we can come to an agreement that benefits the students, faculty, and the district,” Stoddart said. “We want people to succeed, we don’t want people to fail, and sometimes you need those breaks, especially during this time, to take a moment to step back and relax and get your bearings straight.” The 2020-2021 academic calendar was

developed in 2019 under a previous Delta College administration, according to Lawrenson. Lawrenson joined Delta College in July 2020. “I understand and appreciate the concerns that have been raised, and have been meeting with faculty leadership to discuss the impact of the current calendar and examine possible changes to next year’s calendar,” Lawrenson said. Lawrenson said the academic calendar is drafted and approved more than a year in advance to allow time for planning. The 2020-2021 calendar “was first presented to the Academic Senate, where faculty expressed concern about the shorter length of the break between fall and spring semesters,” Lawrenson said. Despite the concerns raised by faculty, the administration recommended approval of the calendar to the Board of Trustees on June 11, 2019, at which point the calendar was approved, according to Lawrenson. “Although I was not involved in the rationale behind these decisions, my understanding is that the intention behind the shorter winter break was to move up the end of the spring semester, providing a break between Commencement and the start of the first set of summer classes,” Lawrenson said. Lawrenson said the administration will make changes as needed for the next academic year. “Like all of our faculty, staff, and administrators, I want the best way forward for our students and the college,” Lawrenson said.

diploma,” Coria said. Coria said making education attainable to students with her similar background is what motivates her to help students succeed. “I was the underrepresented minority female from East Los Angeles, I was expected to be a typical statistic of my environment,” Coria said. “If I was able to successfully get through our education system, I want to pay it forward for our communities to have the same opportunity.” Coria said there are challenges that come with being a community college leader, such as facing limited resources and limited state funding, along with complex federal and state regulations and mandates.

“These are the challenges we deal with year after year,” Coria said. “However, I see these challenges as opportunities. Opportunities to be innovative, creative and resourceful in serving our students and communities.” Coria said the COVID-19 pandemic presents a new opportunity for Delta College to transform education and how it delivers services to students. “I hope to provide leadership and work with my team for transformational changes in order to increase student success outcomes,” Coria said. “I want our work to contribute to higher degree, certificate and transfer rates, an increase in students receiving Federal Pell Grants and providing basic needs to our underrepresented student population.”

CORIA: Aiding underrepresented student population a priority for interim VP continued from PAGE 1

Coria said she didn’t have anybody to guide her until her junior year of high school. That’s when her counselor, Victoria Cuevas, sat her down and discussed her options after graduation. Coria said she expressed to Cuevas she didn’t think she could afford to go to college. Cuevas pointed her to many resources, including application fee waivers and scholarships. With the help of Cuevas, Coria applied to three colleges and was accepted to Whittier College and University of California, Santa Barbara. “Ms. Cuevas guided me and helped me aspire to have educational goals beyond attaining my high school

DELTA: Institution hopes to follow Pacific’s clinic for campus community continued from PAGE 1

The currently eligible population includes hospital staff, medical first responders, long-term care staff and residents, and people over the age of 65. In the next phase, Phase 1B, priority will be given to frontline essential workers including education, childcare, and food and agriculture. San Joaquin County is expected to enter Phase 1B some time between early February to late March, as reported by San Joaquin County Public Health Services. A mass vaccination event held on Jan. 17 at the Robert J. Cabral Center in Stockton caused concerns after families reached out to county officials and informed

them people in their 40s were being vaccinated ahead of the elderly. In a statement, San Joaquin County District 3 Supervisor Tom Patti apologized and said the event was geared towards In-Home Support Services (IHSS) providers. “It’s my understanding they didn’t want to turn people away that showed up, because not every IHSS provider wanted the shot. So we were prepared to administer shots as needed,” Patti said. A successful drive-up distribution clinic was held the next week at another institution located in the county,

University of the Pacific. At the Jan. 24 event, 300 doses of the vaccine were distributed to residents who met the county’s criteria, according to a press release from the institution. There are still questions as to whether Delta College will follow University of the Pacific’s suit. “We are definitely eager to contribute in some way to vaccine distribution efforts,” Breitler said. “We want to help in any way we can. As the Chancellor’s Office put it this week, community colleges throughout the state have a long history of stepping up during these kinds of emergencies.”

VACCINATION: Mass events begin across California, but logistics need work continued from PAGE 1

“We are expanding capacity at eight sites, we are adding mobile teams and we are building a new site at Pearse College in Woodland Hills,” Newsom said. “Dodger Stadium is joining many other mass vaccination sites all throughout the state of California. “ Newsom said state officials are continuing to work in different counties and are working with major and minor leave sports teams in an effort to establish mass vaccination sites. Newsom assured Californians he wants to make access to the vaccine easy. On Jan. 19, Public Health Services of San Joaquin County hosted a mass vaccination event in Stockton at Robert J. Cabral Center. The event was meant for in-home caregivers and others in the Tier 1 health sector to receive vaccinations. The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, specifically District 2 Supervisor Kathy Miller, raised concerns after the event. A social media post brought more

than the designated group to the location, which meant long lines and hours of waiting. Equity and access issues were addressed. “We were telling people these were events for our IHHS workers and then we were bombarded all weekend at home by neighbors, friends, individuals, some of whom were in their 40s saying ‘you’re crazy, I went out there and yeah I had to wait four hours, but I got vaccinated,’” said Miller during the meeting. Miller said the issues eroded public trust. “Right now the general public, they don’t feel like this weekend was a big success, they feel like all the things people had been telling them for months, ‘oh you wait, when those vaccines become available it’s all going to come down to who you know.’ ... That’s exactly what they saw with our first mass vax event.” County Public Health Officer Dr. Maggie Park said future events will require appointment scheduling. The county said it is ramping up to vaccinate 5,000 to 10,000 people a day if it has the vaccine to do so.