thecollegian Issue 3 • Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 • deltacollegian.net
/deltacollegian
Pride Club sees resolution in space dispute By Mark Larks Copy Editor
The posters, games and stuffed animals that once adorned Delta College’s Pride Center are sitting in a storage unit, with Pride Club members awaiting direction as to when the items will be displayed again. A more sterile setting has been in place in recent weeks, after members of the campus club were asked to remove decorations from the center. That’s not the way it should be, said Delta Pride Club Advisor Lisa Perez. “The purpose of the Pride Center is to provide peer support and a safe environment for LGBT students to be their authentic selves,” said Perez. “This is a group
of students who are basically invisible on campus. This is a time in their lives when [they] need each other.” While Delta’s Pride Club has been in existence for nearly a decade, the Pride Center has only been around for roughly five years. After the establishment of “Safe Zones” at Delta — areas staffed by individuals trained to help those in the LGBT community who are in distress—a student-driven plea was made to Delta’s administration to add a permanent “Safe Space” on campus. The original location for the Pride Center was in the Cunningham building. It was relocated to the Holt building when Cunningham was torn down, then briefly to Budd before winding up in its current location in Shima 108. Until recently the center was maintained and run
by the Pride Club. Funding, furnishings and resources were paid for and provided by the club and its executive board. Now, however, the club has been asked to relinquish oversight of the center, ostensibly to Director of Student Activities, Aja Butler. In lieu of an official director of the center, the administration has created the post of Student Support Program Specialist. That position is currently being held by Sam Allen, who reports to Butler. The position is part-time, however, which means that the center closes early in the afternoon on most days.
See CLUB, page 8
IMAGINING A NEW PATH FORWARD
Mayoral candidate Michael Tubbs looking more promising as he gains endorsements, traction in community Michael Tubbs addressing crowd at a Bernie Sanders rally in early May. COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO BY ZACHARIAH MERCES
By Elany Orozco Staff Writer
With the elections on Nov. 8, the Young Democrats of San Joaquin County have endorsed Stockton City Councilman Michael Tubbs for Stockton Mayor. “The Young Dems of San Joaquin is a collective of young democrats who endorse and work with candidates, who partner up with other groups and participate at events and are usually really involved with the community,” said the secretary of the Young Dems Itzel Godinez. For the last six years the Young Dems have been involved with the San Joaquin County community. “As of February of this year we have 20 members,” said vice president Jefferson Leiva. According to the Young Democrats of San Joaquin County website, ydofsj. com, the group came together in 2012 with the “the goal of creating an organization that would promote democratic values and foster political and community involvement for our youth.” The Young Dems haven’t taken any concrete initiatives to demonstrate support for Tubbs but the group knows for certain the actions it will soon take. “When it comes to time what we will do is we will work closer with the cam-
paign office in March Lane and that is when we will start working with Michael Tubbs and other endorse candidates,” said Leiva. Tubbs was also recently endorsed by The Record newspaper. The Stockton Police Officer Association endorsed Tubbs in early August. The Truman Club of San Joaquin endorsed Tubbs around the same time The Young Dems. Current Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva’s website shows no endorsements. Since Silva’s arrest on charges relating to illegally recording an alledged strip poker game during the summer, many Stockton citizens are getting behind Tubbs. When asked why they support Tubbs, Delta College students addressed the controversy with Silva. “I wouldn’t want him to be because of the stories I’ve heard,” said Anthony Owens, a Delta student. One of the main factors that contribute to Tubbs qualifying and receiving the Young Dems endorsement is the claim he returned Stanford to help the Stockton community. “As a district council and as being part of District 6 and the council he was able to bring positive change to South Stockton,” said Leiva. “He is very outgoing to the community and he shows a lot of care for the people of Stockton.”
Forum at Delta nears as mayoral race heats up online By Killian Barnhart Assistant News Editor
On Friday, Oct. 14 at 4:55 p.m. Councilmember Michael Tubbs and Mayor Anthony Silva will face off in a debate hosted by San Joaquin Delta College in the South Forum. The event is hosted by the League of Women Voters of San Joaquin County, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Stockton Branch and Delta College’s Political Science, History and Multimedia departments. Both candidates will be pressed on issues Stockton has to deal with, from a lackluster economy to a high crime rate and they will have to share their ideas on how to successfully tackle these issues. Silva will have to convince Stocktonians that, despite his eccentricities and controversies, including recent charges against him, he is still the best candidate. “I expect the night to go well. Both candidates participated in the May
primary forum at Delta and gave thoughtful and informed answers to the questions posed,” said Kathy Casenave, a representative from the League of Women’s Voters. On Tuesday, Oct. 5, Silva published a Facebook post demanding constituents to imagine Stockton’s problems. The mayor vented over the fact that Stockton has too many problems, and then asked his followers to ask themselves “why people would give so much money to a twenty six year old that lives with his mother and doesn’t pay bills? Why would they want him to manage a six million dollar budget?” Tubbs, however, didn’t take this sitting down. He responded with a more concise comment. “Imagine a city where leadership does more than fear monger but inspires and brings people together to solve the real challenges it faces … that’s the city I plan to lead as your mayor in 34 days,” said Tubbs in a Facebook post on Oct. 5.
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