Navigating the Year of Uncertainty
Netflix film ‘Moxie’ tackles big issues
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Issue 9 • Friday, March 26, 2021 •
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On March 22, Delta College President/Superintendent Dr. Omid Pourzanjani hosted his second Instagram Live Q&A session of the semester. Pourzanjani answered questions from students about a variety of topics, including the commencement ceremony being planned for Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 graduates. Pourzanjani confirmed the institution would be proceeding with a virtual commencement ceremony, similar to the commencement ceremony held in May 2020. “I have a brand new Vice President of Student Services [Dr. Lonita Cordova] who’s responsible for commencement,” Pourzanjani said. “She is really trying to come up to speed and run the virtual commencement because that is the sure thing. We are going to do a virtual commencement.” Pourzanjani added that the institution is planning on providing students with free caps, gowns and tassels. More information will be given to students within the following weeks. Pourzanjani said students will be allowed to submit photos and videos to be featured in the virtual commencement ceremony. In addition to the virtual commencement ceremony, Pourzanjani said the institution is considering a drive-through com-
mencement ceremony. “If I can get the resources to take on the project in running a drive-by commencement, certainly we will do that,” Pourzanjani said. “If I can pull that off, that is definitely a goal for me as well.” Another topic addressed by Pourzanjani is free tuition for firsttime, full-time students. In late 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 19, which waives fees for first-time California community college students for their first academic year. In 2020, Delta College upgraded the program to include free tuition for first-time, full-time students for two academic years. “We’re going to continue doing that, at least this coming year,” Pourzanjani said. Pourzanjani also said the institution is working on a partnership with San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) to provide students with free bus passes when they return to campus. Pourzanjani said his goal is to lower the cost of attending college for students, and encouraged students to not give up on their academic goals despite the challenges that have come with the
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President takes to Instagram as a way to answer student questions, engage
pandemic. “The way to get economic mobility is through education,” Pourzanjani said. “I was a community college student, I was low-income and my career certificate in electronics, my AA degree, completely changed my life from a low-income job to a middle-income job.” Pourzanjani encouraged students to consider degrees in fields that are high in-demand to ensure their best chance at employment. “Look for things that can get you jobs quickly,” Pourzanjani said.
See POURZANJANI, page 4
Delta College’s athletics department is moving forward with discussions in hopes of resuming sports competition after opting into the Spring II season. The athletics department opted out of Spring I due to a spike of COVID-19 cases in December, but now it seeks to put its student-athletes back on the playing field by the end of March and beginning of April after a year of competitive inactivity forced by the pandemic. Track and field, swimming and diving, baseball, softball, beach volleyball and men's golf are the teams slated to participate in late-spring competition. However, there is still a possibility Delta may not participate. Director of Athletics Tony Espinoza said the athletics department is still discussing how it will resume activity, and the decision to opt in is helping prolong the discussion. “By opting in we give ourselves more time to continue the conversation regarding our return and allows us for all possible options,” said Espinoza. “It allows us to see what spring sports will look like come the end of March and the beginning of April.” A full-scale return to campus for all teams to practice is still uncertain. The practice start date for Spring II is March 27 and competition is scheduled to begin on April 10, but Espinoza said the athletics program will go through with a return plan based on the perspective of state and local authorities. “The most important part here is that the state moves our county when it is safe to do so,” said Espinoza. “San Joaquin County remains in the purple tier, a return to the red tier will allow us to start the return process for athletics. We look forward to an opportunity to return and work with our athletes on campus.” Student-athletes are eager to compete and are ready to return after a year of remote training. “I’m ready to see if my hard work pays off and excited to see if we get our season,” said Mustangs track and field distance runner Justin
See ATHLETICS, page 4
Vaccinations begin with aim to get more shots to staff in coming weeks BY HANNAH WORKMAN News Editor
Delta College began vaccinating staff on Feb. 23. A vaccination clinic was opened in the Blanchard Gymnasium to employees 50 years of age or older. A total of 139 shots were administered, said Director of Marketing, Communication, and Outreach Alex Breitler. Dr. Phillip Hutcheon, a professor in the English department, was one of the faculty members who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. “I couldn’t get the Pfizer [vaccine] because my doctor told me that the second round shot for Pfizer has not had many cases of allergic reactions or anything, whereas Moderna has had a little more trouble with the second shot,” Hutcheon said. After much consideration, Hutcheon said he decided to go to Delta College’s vaccination
clinic to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The Moderna vaccine requires two doses given 28 days apart. “It’s very convenient to have it provided to us on campus,” Hutcheon said. Douglas Murray, a professor in the humanities department, also received his first shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Murray said he was excited when he heard that Delta College would be offering employees the vaccine. “It felt like I was going to be able to move forward with some positive to counteract what we were going through,” Murray said. “But then the reality set in of, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to go get in line,’ you know, just the practical aspect.”
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Professor Douglas Murray receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, administered by student nurse Jessica Banderuk. PHOTO BY HANNAH WORKMAN
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2 OPINION 032621
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ASIAN COMMUNITY FAILED BY MANY BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Senior Staff Writer
Editor’s note: This article contains racial slurs. The intent is not to offend, but to provide context of the words used by public officials in positions of power.
I
t is completely saddening to see how long it took to discuss Asian American and Pacific Islanders discrimination and hate crimes on a global platform. In 2020 many concerns and hate crimes were not really paid attention to or taken seriously. They were not given the time of day that they should have been given. Last year, fewer people spoke out about the problem. The previous administration’s treatment of the COVID-19 virus placed a target on the backs of the Asian American community, with individuals misplacing their anger and showing their ugliest colors. Government officials fueled the hatred and discrimination against the Asian American community by using terms referring to the COVID-19 virus as the “Chinese virus” and “Kung-flu,” implying that those with ties to China were to blame for COVID-19. This is a universal virus; no one group is to blame. The use of these dangerous and offensive terms by those in power left the door open for hate to grow against the Asian American community. White House officials defended the terms, leaving
so much room for hate. A prime example of this was experienced first hand last year by CBS Asian-American reporter Weijia Jiang after she tweeted on March 17, 2020, that “a White House official referred to #Coronavirus as the ‘Kung-Flu’ to my face.” After the devastating and deadly mass shooting on March 16 in Atlanta, Ga., in which many of the victims were Asian Americans, more people have become more vocal by both acknowledging and denouncing Asian American hate. Before the deadly targeted attack people had begun to speak up about the issues being faced by the Asian-American community since the start of the pandemic. Especially bringing attention to violent crimes against the elderly primarily in large cities. This comes after almost a year of living through the pandemic. There have been both verbal and violent attacks against this community and had these issues been addressed sooner or denounced by those in power, a lot may have been prevented. Leaving the door open for hate and fueling it was clearly going to lead to devastating events. Yet those in power continue to make embarrassing excuses for those committing these heinous crimes. Cherokee County Sheriff ’s Office Capt. Jay Baker described the actions of a 21-year old man who is accused of taking the lives of eight people as, “he was pretty much fed up and kind of at the end of his rope. Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this
is what he did.” A bad day. Is that really supposed to give comfort or make the Asian American community feel supported or give some type of resolution to those families who just lost their family members? The victim, their family member, and the Asian American community had so much more than a “bad day.” People need to stop trying to make excuses for those who commit these kinds of crimes. To attempt to make an excuse is embarrassing. Saying that this individual was having a ‘bad day’ or that those who stormed the capital on Jan. 6 were “great patriots” according to former President Donald Trump, is appalling they need to be called what they are criminals. There is no excuse. People need to stop trying to humanize the people committing these crimes and pay more attention and respect to the victims and their families. With the rise of unity in the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 many communities came together in support, but at the same time hare directed toward Asian Americans flew under the radar. It was absolutely incredible to see and to continue to see people fighting against the virus that is racism in this country but we can’t leave any community behind. People need to continue to come together because this is a universal fight.
Gen Z transforms the idea of manifestation BY ROBYN JONES
Opinion/Entertainment Editor
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ld practices are finding new life thanks to Generation Z, such as crystal healing and tarot card reading. With their re-emergence it has caused a small uncertainty amongst religious groups. What both these practices have in common is that they use energy to manifest. A common misconception that gen z has developed involving both practices that has caused controversy amongst religious groups is the idea that manifestation is the same as prayer. According to the Therapy Directory, an online counseling website with professional therapists in the UK, “Crystal healing is a holistic and natural therapy that taps into the energetic power of crystals and how they affect the body and mind. A crystal therapist will place healing crystals on or around a client to help unblock, focus and direct energy.” Therapists at Everybody in Mind Wellness Center in Sudbury, Mass., a holistic wellness center that specializes in hypnotheraphy, say tarot reading “is a way to answer people’s questions or counsel them on their concerns using a divination tool called tarot cards.” Mystic Crystal Imports, an online shop based in Dana Point, Calif., run by crystal experts, has defined manifestation as, “an ongoing process of creation that helps shape the fundamental energy of the universe.” It requires an individual to just sit back and wait for the outcome. In regards to using crystals to manifest, a structure is needed. Each crystal has its own unique power, together crystals absorb and radiate energy through one’s body by setting your intentions while meditating and practicing daily according to therapists and doctors at Mind body Green. Same with tarot cards according to blog writer
and website owner of “The Awakening Mind,”Vekke Sind mentions that, we have to “visualize what you want, set your intentions and remove all self doubt to allow you energy to pass within you.” The problem with this now, gen z does not understand that they need to separate manifestation and prayer from each other. According to Pop Culture Commentator Mark Douglas Doran, when dealing with prayer, “we are taught it deals with God who can hear us and if we ask him for something it will happen. But you have to believe in God to start with. It involves accepting the idea of there being a higher power over mankind and the earth. a power that can make anything happen, even miracles. even if it goes against everything we know about science. Leading into manifesting scientifically known as the law of attraction, Doran mentions how, “the law of attraction only talks about an invisible energy within the universe, that pulls positive or negative energy together, and whatever you focus on will determine it.” From a Christian point of view Reverend Alastair McCollum wrote an article in Times Colonist News that, “prayer is a difficult thing to explain,” because there is a lot of confusion up in the air regarding what it’s for and what it does. “Prayer is, in the Christian faith and in many other spiritual traditions, a way of being and a way of relating. Prayer is a way of being: being in the moment, being present, being open. It is a way of learning to be ourselves. For the theist, it is learning to be in the presence of God, a presence that infuses every moment and every space – but one to which we devote our
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EDITORS
attention on order to encounter the Divine,” he said. So why is manifestation different if you’re essentially putting out what you want and letting a higher power answer you? Overall both practices are completely different and should not be conjoined together as identical. If you look into manifesting always do thorough research, so that you understand the basics of it and the background information.
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3 ENTERTAINMENT 032621
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‘MOXIE’ TAKES ON UNIVERSAL ISSUES
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BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Entertainment Editor
ince the start of the pandemic and movie theater shutdowns, movie releases have become heavily reliant on streaming services. Netflix released the film “Moxie” this month, the plot of which perfectly correlates to Women’s History Month. March is Women’s History Month and March 8 marked International Women’s Day. In honor of both occasions, as well as to highlight issues still faced by women today, “Moxie” is a movie to pay attention to. Moxie is a coming-of-age story addressing a number of issues women continue to face. The film focuses on 16-year-old Vivian (Hadley Robinson), who creates a zine in which she remains completely anonymous. She takes the inspiration for the zine from her mother Lisa (Amy Poehler), who had somewhat of a rebellious past herself. Vivian creates the zine, titled “Moxie,” to battle the double standards and sexism at her high school. This battle is the main focus of the film, although it brings in other major issues in society that are associated with battles women fight day in and day out. A new student at her school, Lucy (Alycia Pascual), introduces Vivian to the fact that just because women can keep their head down and ignore annoying toxic behavior coming from men, it does not mean they should, as that behavior could become dangerous. She reminds her that women should not be the ones making the adjustments or accommodations for that kind of behavior. Once Vivian’s zine reaches a larger audience at her school, more and more people support “Moxie,” until a group of girls form an official club that leads to a high school revolution. For the most part Vivian’s identity remains anonymous until the final scene of the film when she reveals it to her love interest Seth (Nico Hiraga). The Moxie school club was first registered as an official club by Claudia (Lauren Tsai), Vivian’s best friend. She registers the club under her name as Vivian is still anonymous and to show that she supports Moxie’s women issues, after Vivian criticized her for not taking part in their protests. This is when the film addresses issues facing immigrants, and Vivian’s lack of understanding of the different rules and expectations in other cultures
and among different parents who have different backgrounds. In the film, Seth is the prime example of how more men should act and the film needs more characters like his, supportive and uplifting women, as opposed to characters like Mitchell (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a jock harassing girls in school. Mitchell goes as far as sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend Emma ( Josephine Langford). Emma gets the courage to speak out because of the support of Moxie, who encouraged students to walk out of school as a form to support Emma. There are multiple unrealistic scenarios that are distracting. Ine one such scene, Vivian vandalizes school property as part of a protest, giving the wrong impression of how to go about protesting. Rather than being held accountable for the vandalism or facing any sort of consequences, Vivian walks away admired by school staff. The film’s resolution of the sexual assault was also unsatisfying. Realistically, most of the time after someone comes forward over a year after the assault took place they do not get a happy resolution and the process is incredibly daunting and long. In the film, after the victim comes forward, the student accused is pulled out of class as if he was going to get into trouble. The shot in the film is quite dramatic, leaving the viewer thinking he is going to get what he deserves, but in reality the victim would likely have to see him many times in the future. Some of the other issues raised within
Top: Vivian’s (Hadley Robinson) first release of the “Moxie” zine. Above: The film’s leading ladies reacting to unexpected support. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EPK.TV
the film, apart from those of sexism, double standards and harassment are those of race, sexual assault and immigration. It is incredibly important to speak about all of those issues, but “Moxie” overwhelms the viewer. It was fantastic to see a film with a diverse cast shining a spotlight on so many issues but there just wasn’t enough time in the film to fully cover every area. Every single topic brought up is incredibly important, and deserves to be given the time to fully be addressed and not just mentioned in a scene or two. The film seemed to try to take on too much, so much so that some of it gets lost. What makes this film universal is the issues it addresses because those issues
are ongoing so the younger generations are born with these issues still in existence. The high school setting shows that these issues do not just pertain to a certain age group, gender, or race. By showing teens and young adults facing these issues the film also shows conversations addressing these universal issues early on as women can be aware and men can understand and support women instead of being part of the problem. Overall the film mainly highlights the fact that these are not just women’s issues because those causing and forming part of the problem makes it their issue. The film greatly highlights the fact that feminism is not just for women.
Musicians represent more than themselves BY ROBYN JONES Opinion Editor
M
usic has been around for 35,000 years according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Created to help people coordinate their movements while engaging in productive activities, music can raise someone’s mood, get them excited, or even make them calm and relaxed. But what happens when a musician dies? Is that purpose lost forever? People create music in hopes to express their thoughts and feelings they’ve had written on paper. Music was created to bring people with a common interest together for pleasure and to share their art within the many genres. At some point, everyone has connected with an artist’s music on a personal level. They let us see a different point of view through their music. It can be humbling for an audience that doesn’t have it as bad. Their words give hope to those who have it bad or worse, advising them to continue fighting their demons, because in the end there will come a point that all their troubles will vanish. These late artists are the voice of the unheard. Late rapper XXXTentacion was killed in a June 2018 shooting. As an artist he has inspired many
teenagers with his lyrics, but a fan who was truly inspired was Swiss student Ambika Ramachandran, “his songs Hope and Save Me,” helped her, “connect to another zone teleporting me to another place in my mind where I just imagine a better life for myself,” she said in a phone interview. In 2015 late rapper Juice Wrld had taken on the rap industry, escalating his career; becoming a prominent Gen Z rapper to break big fast. According to Vox, an American news website, “He attracted artists from other genres as collaborators because he had mastered a radio-friendly kind of misery, taking the sung-rap style to a much higher place than many of his peers.” I spoke to Guillermo Cordero, a big fan of Juice Wrld to get his point of view on his favorite rapper and he had a lot to share. Cordero began by saying, “At the time I was very depressed, I felt like there was a lot of [things] wrong with me… my best friend Matt introduced me to Juice when all his music was about heartbreak and depression, It made me feel like I wasn’t alone anymore, because I related to his music,” he said. In a separate interview Cierra Olvera also mentioned how Juice Wrld was the artist that helped, “teach her heartbreak through other’s eyes and struggles that others face.” “He reminds me that we can all become numb
but at the same time we have to move past pain and essentially thug it out,” she said. Another highly popular artist was late rapper Lil Peep. “A lot of his songs deal with the direct impact of being alone like his song ‘Right here,’ which made me feel that he was going to be there for me or that someone else in the universe feels like how I do,” said Danielle Debock. “He talks about how people nowadays only want drugs and fake stuff and no one cares about life and living dreams.” Debock credits his lyrics with “[helping] me realize that we are more than materialistic items and we are all people who are capable of feelings,” she said. Although a lot of popular music today is based around drug usage in the teen and young adult years, the message artists send to their audience empowers through the message they try to get across. I believe artists try their best to warn us about the other side of life; the struggles they faced as a child, watching their family being killed in the streets, and losing their families to drugs just to follow behind in their footsteps. The power artists have to influence a person to a generation is strong, and should not be taken for granted. Artists are the voices for those who can’t speak for themselves.
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Pandemic limits scholarship opportunities BY DAVID VICTOR Sports Editor
The COVID-19 pandemic is lowering the chances of obtaining scholarship opportunities for community college athletes wanting to transfer to four-year schools. Some student-athletes are unable to compete with their schools opting out of the California Community College Athletic Association’s (CCCAA) 2021 competitive season, making it harder for them to get noticed by coaches from higher education programs. “The opportunities for athletic scholarships may be impacted,” said CCCAA Director of Communications Mike Robles. “Without competition, recruiting student-athletes is more difficult because there are no games or video for
four-year coaches to scout.” Some sophomores may stay at their colleges longer to showcase themselves. Mustangs women’s basketball player Alicia Jones said she’s thinking about staying at Delta for another year of competition. “There’s a possibility I could stay another year,” said Jones. “I didn’t plan on staying another year, but it’s an opportunity for me to get better athletically. I’m not in a hurry to transfer.” Other athletes, however, have decided to leave their current community colleges to compete elsewhere. In a March 18 press release from Delta’s athletics department, Mustangs baseball head coach Reed Peters said players have left California to improve their chances for recruitment at a four-year college, and not
depend on an opt-in decision for Spring II. “Some guys couldn’t afford to miss this season so they moved to other states,” said Peters. In an effort to support student-athletes, the CCCAA modified its eligibility guidelines in response to the pandemic. On March 2, the CCCAA published the updates on its website, which state that students can apply for waivers that will allow them to not get charged with a season of competition upon transfer. “CCCAA student-athletes who compete during the 2020-21 academic year are not being charged a season of competition in our system due to a blanket approval granted by our board of directors in 2020,” said Robles. The waivers for all athletes in the CCCAA are currently
ATHLETICS: Athletes hope to return continued from PAGE 1 Sherman. Mustangs track and field thrower Alexis Pagala is also anxious to compete as soon as possible. “I’m going into this season with a drive like I’ve never had before,” said Pagala. “This team won’t be settling for a closed season.” According to a Nov. 6, 2020, press release from the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), the organization’s contingency plan is only a framework and that the final decisions to participate in competition should be left to the schools in consultation with their local health authorities. Additionally, the re-
lease states that colleges could opt out of competition after the opt-in date. Schools opting in to competition are required to consistently test their athletes and staff for COVID-19, which is now a possibility on campus after Delta College became a public testing site in February. How the athletics department will go through with the testing process is currently under review. “Upon our return we will need to meet current IHE [Institute of Higher Education] guidelines for testing. Those guidelines require 25 to 50 percent of the population [athletes and staff ] being tested every one to two weeks,” said Espinoza. “We are still finalizing the details of the testing.”
honored by Division II and Division III schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and colleges within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Division I colleges have yet to honor waivers for athletes in spring disciplines. “Division I is honoring it for our athletes in NCAA fall and winter sports. Spring sports are not included at the moment, as they have not waived the season of competition for their own student-athletes yet, no less ours,” said Robles. Although the waivers could still allow CCCAA student-athletes to transfer with no difficulties, finding their way into a higher education program could still be more challenging. “The waivers that the NCAA and the NAIA have
provided their own student-athletes could mean finding opportunities at the next level might be a little bit more difficult,” said Robles. “There are still only five people on a basketball court or six people on a volleyball court, meaning there are only so many spots.” Robles said the CCCAA is trying to help student-athletes as much as it can with finding opportunities, but still keeps in mind their health and safety. “Whether it’s been with limited regular season competition or expanded practice opportunities, we want to give our student-athletes the best chances to market themselves for the next level. However, we also need to do it in a way that is safe and in the best interest of their health,” said Robles.
Delta’s Bucky Layland softball complex is closed during the pandemic. PHOTO BY DAVID VICTOR
CCCAA consider adding esports as a discipline BY DAVID VICTOR Sports Editor
Members of the Board of Directors for the California Community College Athletics Association (CCCAA) discussed the possibility of introducing esports as an option for schools to compete in during its Feb.11 meeting. The CCCAA board considered adding esports as a college athletics discipline due to its increasing popularity among younger generations of potential students. “The younger generations are the ones that are watching this. About a third of those 34 and younger are watching esports tournaments,” said Ulises Velasco, Vice President of Student Services at Mendocino College. According to data from the consumer profiler GlobalWebIndex (GWI), 32 percent of global internet users aged 16 to 24 say they’ve watched esports tournaments as of July of 2019. Board members supporting esports in the CCCAA said that its integration would bring in more student-athletes and provide more opportunities. “We would have new student-athletes that might not compete otherwise,” said Stacy Thompson, Vice President of Academic Services at Chabot College.
ESPORTS ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES Thompson and Velasco spoke to the board representing the CCCAA’s esports task force, which was created in June of 2019. They demonstrated a presentation during the meeting which showed the benefits of esports in college athletics and how several junior colleges and universities are already involved. One of those benefits is that it would open another opportunity for students to obtain money for their education. “In terms of scholarships, we would have new student-athletes and an increased graduation rate. Some four-year colleges offer [esports] scholarships,” said Thompson The presentation demonstrated that 175 colleges and universities are members of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), a nonprofit organization focusing on the development of esports at colleges that was founded in 2016. All member institutions of this organization offer some form of scholarship for esports, whether fully or partially. Location convenience for students is another advantage to esports. Unlike traditional sports, students would have the option to choose whether or not they want to travel to a competition, allowing for more flexibility when following a schedule.
“You can be at your campus and compete or you can travel. It’s an option students would have,” said Thompson. Adopting esports into the CCCAA faces several challenges. One of those is addressing the perception that esports aren’t real sports and promote people to spend more time in front of a screen and become less active. In response to this concern, Velasco said the CCCAA would have to structure esports in a way that promotes both gaming and exercise in a positive manner. “Those are very valid points and concerns,” said Velasco. “If we decide to move this forward that could certainly be a recommendation from the CCCAA as we develop the rules and the guidelines to structure it in such a way that it’s not just video game playing for the athletes.” Amateurism in esports is another problem for the CCCAA. The presentation showed most players doing well in esports already earn money and may not have to participate on the collegiate level for educational motives.
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POURZANJANI: President encourages students to pursue academic goals continued from PAGE 1 Considering some students might be hesitant to return to campus, Pourzanjani said the institution would be “exploring
more comprehensive offerings for online.” “When we go back to campus, I don’t believe all of our faculty and I don’t believe all of
our students will want to come back,” Pourzanjani said. “The majority may, but we just don’t know what those numbers are. I do think there will be a
portion of our population that would want to stay online.” Pourzanjani said he wants to ensure students have the option to complete degrees fully
online if they wish. “We will try to make this as flexible as possible going forward,” Pourzanjani said.