Volume 57, Issue 2
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023
What’s inside De Anza excites students with first ever Homecoming dance PAGE 2
lavozdeanza.com
Foothill rocks Mountain Lions 70-6 at Homecoming
Editorial: Admin must condemn hate, protect rights PAGE 3
DA Voices: What is your ‘ick’? PAGE 7
What’s online ‘The Marvels’: Why is it doing poorly at the box office? Dining services reports almost $1 million deficit since resuming full-time operations Electricity calculator design shocks De Anza Hackathon
Social Media
By Pierre Whitsey STAFF REPORTER
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@ LaVozDeAnza
PHOTO BY PIERRE WHITSEY
Josue Torres, sophomore running back, fights for extra yards in the homecoming game on Nov 18. The Foothill Owls beat the Mountain Lions 70-6.
There was a somber feeling in the air on Saturday, Nov. 18 in the Lion’s Den — it wasn’t because of the final 70-6 score or the torrenting rain. This group of sophomores would be playing their final game of the season against the Foothill College Owls with a Homecoming crowd to match.
For some, this means farewell to the game they loved after a tumultuous season that they lost 2-8. The Mountain Lions may be able to bounce back next season with experienced athletes expected to return, including: n Quarterback Antevious Jackson, 22, kinesiology major. n Linebacker Jordan Leach, 23, kinesiology major. n Defensive lineman Va’inga Mahe
Jr.,18, photography major. n Free safety Isaiah Johnson, 21, communication studies major. n Defensive back Joseph Flood, 19, business major with emphasis on computer information science. n Wide receiver DeAndre Alvarado, 20, engineering major. n Linebacker Osman Sesay, 20, electrical engineering major. n Offensive linebacker Harry Nauci, 21, kinesiology major.
Debate around proper land acknowledgment By Mackenzie Jardine STAFF REPORTER
De Anza’s land acknowledgment, a recognition of Indigenous peoples who are the original inhabitants of the lands De Anza is on, honors the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, whose land stretches from North to South Bay. De Anza is on the “crux” of the Tamien and Ramaytush tribal lands according to the land acknowledgment. But, according to the Tamien and Ramaytush nations, the Muwekma isn’t the only tribe, or may not even be the tribe, that’s indigenous to the lands that De Anza sits on. Meanwhile, the Muwekma assert that the Tamien Nation isn’t a valid, feder-
ally recognized tribe. Muwekma Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh wrote an Op-Ed on Sept. 15, 2022 for the Los Gaten in response to Los Gaten reporter Drew Penner’s article about Native American inclusion efforts in Los Gatos — which quickly became a discussion of tribal legitimacy. Nijmeh wrote, “Los Gatos appears willing to allow any individual of Indian descent to claim territory and start demanding respect and compensation.” This statement is about the Tamien nation which Nijmeh wrote, “never existed prior to 2020.” Nijmeh ends her Op-Ed with calling Tamien to “present legitimate documentation proving tribal status.” See Page 2 for continuation.
This map outlines the Tamien, Muwekma and Ramaytush land claims. The Muwekma claim conflicts with the Tamien and Ramaytush claims. MAP COURTESY OF DE ANZA’S LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THE BLACK, RED AND WHITE AREAS WERE ADDED BY LA VOZ
2 NEWS DEC. 5 2023
News in a minute By Lauren Linh Bui EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Vice president search postponed The search for the role of VP of Instruction, replacing retiring Christina G. Espinosa-Pieb has been postponed because community members requested extended time and opportunities for more applicants. The newest update can be found on De Anza website.
Measure G update FHDA and the Board of Trustees are still deciding on the next step for Measure G after receiving the proposal from the Measure G Task Force in May 8. The next task force meeting will be updated on the Measure G Task Force page on De Anza website.
DASG elections next quarter DASG will host eight info sessions next quarter starting from Jan. 23, 2024 for students to learn more about the election. Application deadline is due by Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 by 4:00 p.m.
President Holmes a finalist at Herkimer College President Lloyd Holmes is being considered for Herkimer College in New York where he’s originally from. Out of the four candidates, Holmes is the only one to have a presidential position prior. He has been President at De Anza College since July, 2020.
Winter quarter 2024 deadlines Registration is open now for students until the first day of winter quarter on Jan. 8. After that, students must ask for an add code. The last day to drop without a W is Jan. 20. The last day to drop with a refund is Jan. 21. The last day to drop with a W is March 1.
Land Acknowledgement continued from page 1.
As of Dec. 5, Nijmeh did not respond to a request for comment when La Voz reached out on Nov. 27. Chairwoman of the Tamien Nation Quirina Geary responded to the Op-Ed by Nijmeh with her own article (with help of undisclosed staff reporter according to their website), published Dec. 15, 2022, for the Los Gatan. Geary wrote, “Tamien Nation is not disputing Muwekma’s status as a Tribe. We support them in their place of origin, the East Bay.” Geary goes on to say that the Muwekma tribe submitted a map to The Office of Family Assistance, which administers several federal grant programs, including Tribal grants. The map, however, does not show that the Muwekma are indigenous to the South Bay, despite their claim of 13 counties. These claims also violate several articles listed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Geary wrote. In regards to the claim that the Tamien had not existed prior to 2020, Geary wrote that 2020, “Refers to the year our Nation was placed on the Native American Heritage List.” As of Dec. 5, Geary did not respond to a
De Anza excites students with first-ever Homecoming dance The crowd of students dance at De Anza’s homecoming dance on Nov. 17.
By Samara Williams STAFF REPORTER
The smell of fresh rain and loud music engulfed De Anza’s cafeteria on a Friday night. Tonight wasn’t a regular night. Tonight, hundreds of students’ dreams came true as they were the first group to join the first-ever De Anza Homecoming dance. The dance was held on Nov. 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., with more than 320 students in attendance. De Anza kicked off the beginning of their Homecoming tradition with help from the Inter-Club Council, President Lloyd Holmes and the Office of College Life. The students of De Anza enjoyed a costless night with fully equipped food and drinks, a rotating camera for pictures, two DJs, raffles, and a caricature artist. Hyon Chu Yi-Baker, director of College Life and conduct officer, said the organizers wanted to emphasize college involvement among students and unite communities. “We’re hoping students will be able to take away from this experience and realize how much they love to be at De Anza,” Yi-Baker said. “(De Anza) allows them to connect and meet other students.” The COVID-19 pandemic turned campuses everywhere into ghost towns. As more students continued to return to De Anza post-pandemic, the importance of bringing people together became inevitable, YiBaker said. Dana Sensi, 19, electrical and computer engineering major and ICC chair of programs said that ICC noticed the disconnect on
request for comment when La Voz reached out on Nov. 27. The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone posted an article about the Muwekma and their claims against other tribal nations on Feb. 7. The Ramaytush wrote, “Evidence of their supremacist disposition can be found in other false statements and actions, like the false claim that the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is ‘comprised of all the known surviving American Indian lineages aboriginal to the San Francisco Bay Region.’ The MOT’s exclusivist claim to being the only (and therefore the only legitimate) tribe in the Bay Area informs their tribal territorial map, which wrongly includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area.” The article also states that the Muwekma Tribe is located exclusively in the East Bay, but the tribe attempts to extend its reach within Tamien, Ramaytush and other Bay Area tribes, thus erasing their history and sovereignty. Both the Tamien and Ramaytush tribes are in agreement that the Muwekma tribe is claiming land, land that De Anza resides on, that they are not indigenous to, which calls into question the validity of De Anza’s land acknowledgment. Despite the confusion and disagreement between the native peoples and county of-
campus and decided to do something about it. “Usually, colleges have all these events and community colleges don’t. Everyone is isolated; there’s not much sense of community,” Sensi said. “Our goal was really to get everyone together and bring life back on campus.” ICC pitched the idea of having a Homecoming event to DASG and was successfully granted $10,000. The ICC then brought up the idea to President Holmes and he said he wanted to make it successful so he matched the ICC with another $10,000. “I was immediately thrilled. (The ICC and I) wanted to make certain it was successful,” Holmes said. “For me, it’s important to use those funds to support student activities.” Sabrina Kulieva, 19, undeclared major, said she had a memorable experience at homecoming. “Since it’s my first quarter at De Anza, I was scared that I wouldn’t find friends. As time passed, I
noticed there were a lot of friendly and interesting people around,” Kulieva said. “I made several useful and meaningful connections that evening.”
PHOTO BY SAMARA WILLIAMS
Caricature artist Jodi Carr prepares to draw her next portrait.
PHOTO BY SAMARA WILLIAMS
The DJ spins his next mix for the crowd of partygoers.
ficials, De Anza’s Land Acknowledgement is continually read before official De Anza meetings. The acknowledgment, drafted by Adriana Garcia, the program coordinator for the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education, wrote the acknowledgment in 2017-2018. Adriana Garcia declined to comment. With tribal legitimacy being questioned within the land that De Anza resides, the validity of the Land Acknowledgement could complicate the petition for De Anza to change its name. La Voz published an article on Oct. 30 about a call from local communities, helmed by Chairwoman Geary of the Tamien, for De Anza to change its name. Geary said that Spanish militant Juan Bautista de Anza, committed violence against the Tamien people. The unearthing of the history behind De Anza’s name and uncertainty surrounding proper acknowledgment of the Indigenous Peoples could lead to equity problems for De Anza amidst calls for recognition from Bay Area tribes. This is a developing story with more updates coming.
PHOTO COURTESEY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Tamien Chairwoman Quirina Geary.
PHOTO COURTESEY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Muwekma Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh.
OPINON LAVOZDEANZA.COM
Administration must condemn hate, protect students’ rights
3
By Editorial Board
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, college campuses across the country have seen a dramatic spike in public incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Students have reported being doxxed, discriminated against and attacked after expressing their stance on the issue, according to NBC News. Even though there are no reported hate incidents on campus, many students, especially those who are pro-Palestine, are hesitant to discuss the conflict at school because of the backlash and opposition they experienced off-campus, according to a La Voz informal survey. As a public institution, De Anza should issue a statement acknowledging the ethnic cleansing in Gaza and reinforcing the student body’s right to discuss, challenge and express different perspectives in a space where their voice will be heard. Colleges around California have responded to similar concerns by institutionally protecting their students’ First Amendment rights, emotional and physical safety amid the increasing threat of antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents on campuses. The University of California leadership publicly condemned antisemitism and Islamophobia on UC campuses in an official statement on Nov. 10, writing “There is no place for hate, bigotry or intimidation at the University of California. Period.” The California State University chancellor and board of trustees also released a statement on Nov. 11, writing “Hate has no place at the CSU.” De Anza’s administration has been quiet about the situation besides mentioning it briefly in Quick Notes emails about mental health resources for students and faculty members. Administrators must realize that students choose to stay quiet about the situation not because of ignorance or apathy; they stay quiet because they’re scared to speak up. Administrators must openly and meaningfully protect all students’ ability to speak up and make space for productive conversations and healing.
The strength of American democracy lies in the ability to engage in open dialogue, to confront uncomfortable truths and allow dissenting voices to be heard. De Anza wrote under its “Vision, Mission and Values” page that the college “strives to acknowledge and address issues that may be difficult to broach.” The fact that the college allows student-run organizations and clubs to organize sit-in conversations intended to educate based on the actual history, speaker panels discussing the ongoing events to temporarily clear up false information and acknowledge physical and emotional loss from both sides of the Israel-Hamas war prove that we are having some efforts in going on the right track. But it is not enough. From the Black Lives Matter movement to the Stop Asian Hate movement, administrators haven’t adapted solutions to address violence when it happens on campus. In the statement, administrators must strengthen legal mechanisms to punish individuals who engage in antisemitic or Islamophobic activities as well as having a clear reporting system if students are victimized or witness a hate crime. The First Amendment also protects students’ right to protest and “peaceably to assemble.” Therefore, the college should also ensure and uphold its obligation to students’ safety against hate and harassment. Condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia requires a collective effort from educational institutions and individuals to challenge stereotypes, promote understanding and combat hate at its roots. The La Voz Editorial Board is making a conscious effort to learn and fairly cover recent events. As such, we have voted to call it the Israeli siege on Gaza from now on, against the option of calling it an “ethnic cleansing” or continue calling it a “war,” because we believe the phrase better demonstrates impartiality based on what’s happening at the moment. We, as a college, must stop this apathetic attitude and initiate real change.
ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN LINH BUI
Lack of resources hurts students on the race to transfer
ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN LINH BUI
By Akshath Mirukula FREELANCER
One of the California Community College system’s primary focuses is helping students transfer to four-year institutions, such as the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) campuses, with associate’s degrees. Despite this, transfer rates continue to fall short of expectations. In 2020, De Anza posted a total enrollment of 16,100 students. Despite this, only 2,567 transferred to a four-year university. De Anza’s transfer rates are actually much better than most other community colleges. In a 2021 study, the Campaign for College Opportunity found that only 2.5% of Californian community college students transfer within two years, and only 23% transfer within four. This number is likely even lower for older students who balance familial and job-related responsibilities. For the few that do transfer to a fouryear university, some of their community college courses may not transfer credit at all; KQED reported that chemical engineering major, Jacob Beeman, had to spend an extra year in college because his counselors at Fresno City College advised him to take classes that did not fulfill his prerequisites he needed to transfer to UC Riverside. Getting help from De Anza’s counselors is hard since their appointments are usually fully booked for the next two weeks, as are the Transfer Center’s. Even after scheduling an appointment, counselors sometimes provide incorrect information about the transferring process and the coursework required for students to achieve their educational goals. From what I see, De Anza lacks the manpower to adequately support the thousands of students who are confused about the transfer process — they are often left to navigate their prospective four year colleges’ requirements and prerequisites on their own, which can become extremely confusing if they plan on applying to multiple institutions, as these requirements differ from school to school.
In fall 2022, The Los Angeles Times reported that Pasadena City College was able to increase its enrollment by 5,000 after a 32% loss between spring 2019 and spring 2022 by focusing on students’ social, emotional and financial needs. “The college created a care center during the pandemic, partnering with community groups to provide students with housing resources, immigration services and mental health counseling. The campus has a food pantry and offers meal delivery service. And students facing eviction or struggling to pay bills can get hotel vouchers or emergency aid.” Additionally, community colleges should place a greater emphasis on assisting older and nontraditional students. De Anza’s Veteran Services is a good example of this; its various financial aid and scholarship programs helps to lower the barriers for veterans to pursue higher education, provides specialized counseling services and has a Work-Study program which allows veteran students to get an education while making a living. There should be a greater number of general and transfer counselors to help with class requirements and provide application recommendations. Furthermore, updating DegreeWorks to include accurate and updated major preparation requirements for the UC and CSU campuses would make it a one-stop destination for transfer planning. Allowing students to select the schools they plan to apply to (along with the major) would provide a useful tool to track transfer eligibility. Students should create their own education plans. Counselors can be helpful, but it’s important to create a roadmap before registering for classes. Assist.org and De Anza’s IGETC form can help students find the major preparation and general education requirements needed to transfer to public institutions in California. Note that some majors within UC and CSU campuses do not accept IGETC for general education.