The Collegian — Published Dec. 2, 2022

GALT DREAM GONE

BY JADA PORTILLO Opinion Editor

In 2006, the San Joaquin Delta Community College District Board of Trustees pur chased approximately 141.88 acres of property in a rural part of Galt for $2 million.

Sixteen years later, and the land is now being sold to the San Joaquin Council of Gov ernment (SJCOG) for a total of $1,342,557.50.

The sale is largely due to the fact that the property was deemed not suitable for district use for environmental reasons.

The board voted unanimous ly to sell the land to SJCOG during its Nov.15 meeting.

Delta originally bought the land from a local farming group

back in 2006. The selling price is less than what Delta paid for the land, prompting board members to ask why the land wasn’t put on the open market.

“We didn’t test the open mar ket because of the limited land use availability for the prop erty,” said W. Bryce Chastain, legal counsel representing Del ta College in the sale. “There wasn’t going to be an opportu nity for us to increase our prof itability on sale by advertising. We would spend money for a broker, for advertising, for other different things that would be associated with the sale.”

This north campus in Galt was long planned, but a Col legian article from April 2022

Horton, Delta’s longest serving president, dies

BY ARIANNA JUÁREZ Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Lilburn H. Horton, Delta College’s lon gest-tenured president who held the office from 1987 to 1999, passed away on Nov. 8th. He was 90 years old.

Dr. Horton is the namesake for several buildings on campus, including the L.H. Horton Gallery, lo cated in the Shima Building, as well as the Horton Admin istration Building. Horton is also wide ly remembered for opening the Hazel Hill Child Develop ment Center under his tenure.

News of his passing was first reported to the campus community through a campus-wide press release.

According to the press statement released by Delta, Horton’s accomplishments during his tenure at Delta include “advancing educational opportunities for minority students” as well as “raising the quality of faculty and staff.”

Before Horton was superintendent/president at Delta College, he was president at another community college in Illinois called Kankakee Community College.

An obituary written by Dr. Horton’s family detailed his long career in higher education even before becoming Delta’s superintendent/presi dent.

While at Kankakee Community College, the obituary states, Horton helped revitalize key in frastructure on campus. He is also credited with developing a “comprehensive plan for landscap ing and tree planting” utilizing native Illinois vegetation in an effort to beautify the campus.

Horton, or Burnie, as he was known to his loved ones, is also credited with fostering the arts during his tenure at Delta, by acquiring artwork and advancing the development of the college’s

Braden takes on lead instruction role

BY SAADIQ AFZAL Sports Editor

Dr.

and Dr. Rojelio Vasquez, founder and CEO of HBI/RV Associates.

“It was a long process getting here,” said Bra den. “I first began to be aware that there might be an opening almost a year before the job be came open, when Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson moved into the interim presidency position. At that point, I talked it over with my wife and we both decided that this would be a good move,

both in terms of where we wanted to be.”

Braden has been in the community college system for a long time and he felt that Delta was the right choice.

“I’ve been in the community college system for about 24 years now,” said Braden. “The reason why I wanted to be here at Delta is because the more I looked at Delta, the more I felt that Del ta is the right size. While there has been some turmoil over the past two years when it comes to the administration and getting things up, the people that are here are so incredibly committed to this college and so incredibly committed to the students and so incredibly committed to this community. And, that’s what I wanted to be a part of.”

Lawrenson has worked with Braden before.

land

Charles “Kale” Braden, former dean of Fine and Applied Arts at American River Col lege, has been the vice president of Instruction at Delta College for two months as of Dec. 5. Braden was picked for the VPI position last month over Sam Agdasi, current dean of Technolo gy and Health Division at Mt. San Antonio College in Los Angeles County,

The rural plot of land on Liberty Road in Galt that Delta is now selling. Environmental concerns halted development of the land. PHOTOS BY LEO LORENTZEN

Dr. Charles “Kale” Braden in his office.

PHOTO BY SAADIQ AFZAL

DR. L.H. HORTON

Top

GIFT CARDS

If you’re really struggling gift cards are the way to go plus whoever you give it to can buy whatever they want.

A ROCK

Rocks are cute especially when painted on, it’s up to you whether or not you want to get creative but other wise, rocks are a memorable gift since who gives people rocks?

FLUFFY SOCKS

Who doesn’t love fluffy socks, especially in this winter weather?

FOOD

Everyone loves food, get into your baking side or spend a few buying some candy for whoever you’re gifting to.

BOOKMARKS

Buy your friend a bookmark or get creative and design your own bookmark to gift someone.

MUG

We all need mugs, whether for our coffee or tea.

ART

If you can’t buy something you can create it. Paint someone’s favorite cartoon character or a self portrait of their favorite singer.

DIY CHRISTMAS CARDS

Dig into your creative side and make some festive cards!

SHEET MASKS

What’s Christmas break without a little self-care?

CHRISTMAS JAMS TO KEEP YOU MERRY, BRIGHT

BY CHRISTINA GOODMAN Photo Editor

Whenit comes to Christmas, what songs come to mind to put you in the spirit for the holiday? What songs do you have on rotation from when you’re driving, cooking or hang ing with your friends and family?

What does Christmas music mean to you? To me I feel as if it’s a playlist that brings back memories from when I was a child, hoping Santa brought all the gifts that I wanted.

I feel that the Christmas season hasn’t started till I hear Silent night by the temptations.

While others might feel that Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is the song that starts the Christmas season for them

We even have Christmas songs that can relate to adults such as “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt asking

The Collegian

Santa for a yacht to a convertible. I really love that song and when I sing it I have to mimic her.

One song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” was such a problem that it was banned by all radio stations from America and in Canada. Simply because it made people feel a certain way due to some of the lyrics. Also the timing was different in the 40’s will have you looking at a woman differently.

Here’s a list of different Christmas songs from all genres that are sure to make your holiday season more merry and bright.

• “This Christmas” by Donnie Hathaway, also covered by Stevie Wonder and Chris Brown

• “Winter Wonderland” by Richard Himber

• “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year” by Andy Williams

• “Let it Snow” by Boyz II Men, featuring

•

•

•

A PLANT

Succulent plants are by far the world’s easiest plants to take care of. If your friend is a plant person this is the gift for you.

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 vigi lant in the protection of democracy and free speech.

The Collegian is a member of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

Brian McKnight

“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey

“Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano

“Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” by Johnny Marks

Gifts to give this season. PHOTO BY JADA PORTILLO

Accessibility a problem for Delta bathrooms

BY DYLAN JAEKEL Feature Editor

In my household, my parents and I have physical disabilities which often require us to use mobility aids. Accessibility has become a more frequent thought of mine since I started to use a cane and my moth er began to use a wheelchair. Often when I enter buildings or rooms, es pecially bathrooms, I look to see how accessible they are and they always have their problems, including those of Delta College.

After visiting Shima, SCMA, and DeRicco bathrooms, a total of 12 overall, I found that each of the bathrooms were accessible, but not with ease. The layout of the men’s and gender-neutral bathrooms of Shima create turns that are not easily maneuvered by larger wheelchairs and the automatic doors begin to close themselves before you have the chance to get your chair past the threshold. The bathrooms in SCMA have good layouts, but lack automatic doors.

Delta’s bathrooms however are much more accessible than oth ers that I have encountered. Some “accessible” bathrooms I have visited have required you to venture down flights of stairs to reach them or are too small to turn in. This can be seen as a reflection of how ADA accessi bility guidelines can allow architects and businesses to do the bare mini mum to reach compliance. Further more, these guidelines may not be made with everyone in mind. Those who do not fit into one person’s idea of disability may be overlooked when establishing new or updated guide lines and building codes.

The U.S. Access Board states, “The ADA standards are issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) and apply to facilities cov ered by the ADA in new construc

tion and alterations. DOJ’s standards apply to all facilities covered by the ADA, except public transportation facilities, which are subject to DOT’s standards.”

Extensive guidelines and rules are required during construction, how ever, construction rarely sees these guidelines as people trying to live their lives, but rather a code that must be met with no more consider ation.

What ADA compliance fails to accomplish is accessibility for ev eryone. Disability encompasses a large array of physical abilities. If

most buildings are designed with the minimum requirements to reach compliance, they can have bathroom facilities that are not accessible to all. Door clearance and weight may not account for individuals who are unable to properly open the door by themselves such as those with chron ic pain or those who need assistance when there is not an automatic door.

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 and has since created opportunities for disabled people that may not have been at tainable without it. ADA.gov states, “The ADA guarantees that people

with disabilities have the same op portunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government pro grams.”

Though the law has created remarkable change and improved equality, it is still not good enough. Bathrooms being fully accessible is only a fraction of the work that needs to be done. Spaces need to be designed by disabled people with disabled people at the forefront, not as a legal obligation.

Print media still serves vital role in digital-dominated world

BY DYLAN JAEKEL Feature Editor

Technology has become a staple and defining factor of the 21st century. With access to technology being a widespread necessity, it is hard to escape screens. Apps have slowly run bookstores, libraries and print media almost out of business. Despite digital formats dominating media, there is still a need for print today.

Reading print books rather than e-books has been linked to higher liter acy rates. A study conduct ed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an in tergovernmental organiza tion aimed at creating pol icy for positive economic development, measured the literacy rates of teens across 30 countries using reading test scores. The study showed that students who said they often read did better than those who did not, but amongst those who often read, those who

read print books scored much higher than those who only read e-books.

Reading print may allow the reader to retain more information than if they were to read the same in formation digitally. A 2016 study conducted by re searchers at the University of Maryland tested college students on their recall ability based on if they had studied via a print or dig ital source. Most students said that they mainly used digital sources and would likely have better recall when using them, however, researchers found that this was not the case. Students tested better when they used print sources.

There is also the fact that print materials create significantly less eye strain on the reader. The Amer ican Optometric Asso ciation says in reference to digital eye strain, also known as computer vision syndrome, “Viewing a computer or digital screen is different than reading a printed page. Often the letters on the computer or

handheld device are not as precise or sharply defined, the level of contrast of the letters to the background is reduced, and the presence of glare and reflections on the screen may make viewing difficult.” College students spend plenty of time in front of screens

doing schoolwork and at tending classes, and taking a break from that strain can be very beneficial.

Lastly, physical books and materials create a sense of comfort for the reader. Book lovers often develop attachments to the books they read, and

having a physical copy that you can mark, display, and call your own is a nice feeling.

Whether you read print materials or digital ones is a matter of personal preference, but even in a digital age we still have a need and want for print.

An all-gender restroom located first floor of the Shima building. The corners to access restrooms like this on the Delta College campus are difficult to navigate for some models of larger wheelchairs. PHOTO BY JADA PORTILLO

Christmas side dishes sure to impress

BY CHRISTINA GOODMAN Photo Editor

When it comes to Christmas dinner we all know the main is the turkey and ham. But what are the sides that are going to be included in your meal?

Here’s a list of some sides that you could never go wrong with:

MASHED POTATOES: This is also a dish that I know is a simple go to for dinner plain or with some gravy. Homemade mashed potatoes may be a side but it can stand out on its own if cooked right. No bag of mashed potatoes can stand next to this dish. It’s not the same to me compared to homemade mashed potatoes.

MACARONI AND CHEESE : Often considered a con tentious placement among Christmas offerings, mac and cheese has never been an official must-have for the holiday table, but it’s a widely accepted side dish. I feel as if Christ mas is not completed if I don’t have mac and cheese on my plate.

GREENS: This is a sign of vegetables on the table which is healthy as well. But I feel that greens have to have smoked turkey added to it to give it the kick that's need ed. Add some hot sauce and enjoy it.

HOLIDAY DONATION DRIVES

As part of the season of giving there are some local toy, food, and clothing drives to keep people happy and warm this winter:

• Lincoln Center Coat and Sock Drive: Nov. 30- Dec. 30

SWEET POTATOES: It’s a sweet and savory side dish and it’s so good, and it is also a must have for some people. Kids love it because it’s sweet and has a candy-like taste to it.

CORNBREAD DRESSING: This goes perfect with the turkey and gravy on top of it. I know some prefer cran berry sauce to give it a savory and sweet taste. I also pre fer this vs box stuffing.

• Sherwood Mall Toy Drive and Car Show: Dec. 4 Lincoln Center “Fill the Truck” food drive: Dec. 10

• Stockton Holiday Pop up/ Toy Drive: Dec. 17

Why autism self-diagnosis is a valid path

BY DYLAN JAEKEL Feature Editor

The pandemic lockdown left many people with a lot of time on their hands. This abundance of time to think and reflect has led many to new discoveries about themselves and the world around them. For some that dis covery was that they are most likely autistic. However, some question the validity of their neurodivergency without a for mal diagnosis. While it is worth being cautious, there are many reasons why self-diagnosed neu rodivergency is valid.

One problem that many adults run into when trying to get a formal autism diagnosis is that many doctors will not see them. Fewer doctors see autistic adults compared to autistic chil dren, which means that the ones

who do see adults can often be expensive and/or booked out for long periods of time.

There is also the fear that when they do go to see that doc tor they will not be fully heard.

An assistant professor at the University of Vermont who spe cializes in research regarding au tistic adults, Laura Foran Lewis’ paper A Mixed Methods Study of Barriers to Formal Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults addresses the obstacles that autistic adults may have to face when trying to receive diag nosis from medical practitioners.

“Nine overall themes emerged as potential barriers to formal diagnosis among adults who believed they had ASD, including: anxiety, cost, access to adult ASD specialists, fear of not being believed, inability to describe symptoms, mistrust of

healthcare professionals, stig ma, complexity of the healthcare system, and lack of perceived value of formal diagnosis,” says Foran Lewis.

Autism diagnosis also has a gender bias, as people assigned female at birth(AFAB) are diag nosed at a lower rate than those assigned male(AMAB). Often, AFAB people have differing symptoms than AMAB peo ple and because autism research has been largely based on white males, their symptoms are not always recognized.

An article from Altogether Autism, a New Zealand based organization that provides cred ible information to autistic peo ple and others, summarizes why the world of autism diagnosis and research is biased. Research er Liliya John says in the article, “Since the diagnostic criteria for

autism is developed based on research and considering that females are underrepresented in most clinical samples, the di agnostic criteria itself is biased. This in turn reinforces the male bias in diagnostic tools and in struments, perpetuating the exclusion of females in the way autism is both defined and diag nosed.”

There are differing stand points on autism self-diagno sis in the medical field. Some doctors feel that self-diagno sis can be a way for people to better navigate their worlds. While others make valid points that self-diagnosis can lead to misdiagnosis or in some cases self-medication. However, there are many downsides to trying to live your life as neurotypical when you are not, and some may feel that this outweighs the neg

atives of self-diagnosis.

A positive effect of self-di agnosis is that people, who have likely done extensive research before concluding that they are autistic, start to make accom modations for themselves. Peo ple with auditory processing disorders wear headphones or earplugs in classes. People with tactile sensory issues wear gloves at work. Students who are non verbal opt for different modes of communication.

People would have the oppor tunity to make their lives easier by understanding their autism before pursuing formal diagno sis if they so choose to. One of the biggest barriers for many au tistic people is the willingness of others to be understanding and accepting that some people need to approach everyday situations in a different light.

PHOTOS COURTESY FREEPIK

Delicious holiday foods to fill your table

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Yukon gold potatoes, 3 lbs

• Garlic head

• Unsalted butter, 4 tbs

• Olive oil

• Boursin Garlic & Herb Cheese

• Salt and pepper

• Half and half, 1 cup

• Chives

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 de grees.

2. Slice the whole head of garlic vertically in half, season both halves generously with olive oil and salt. Wrap the whole head of garlic in foil and bake on a baking sheet for a minimum of 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly once cooked through.

3. While the garlic is roasting, peel and slice 3 lbs of yukon gold potatoes.

4. Add the chopped potatoes to a large pot filled with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook un til tender, a knife should easily pierce the potato.

5. Drain from the water when ready, and put them back in the empty pot.

6. Season generously with salt and pepper, and roughly mash the potatoes together.

7. Gather the butter and the half and half, pour into a microwave safe dish, and microwave until butter is melted and half and half is hot.

8. Pour this mixture into the po tatoes and mix them together.

9. The garlic should be cool enough to handle at this point,

Spicy Pineapple Margarita

Ingredients:

• Silver tequi la, 1.5 oz

• Orange li queur, 1 oz

• Sliced jala peno

• Juice of one lime

• Agave nectar, 1 tbsp

• Salt

• Ice

• Cold pressed pineap ple juice, to taste

Steps:

1. Slice jalapeno and throw into a cocktail shaker, muddle well to release essential oils.

2. Pour the juice of one lime into the shaker.

3. Pour in 1.5 oz of tequi la, followed by 1 oz of orange liqueur.

4. Add 1 tbsp of agave nectar, and a pinch of salt.

5. Add ice, and give the drink a good shake.

6. Pour in a salt-rimmed glass, over ice.

7. Top off with pineapple juice, and garnish with a few slices of jalapeno and lime.

8. Enjoy!

— Arianna Juárez

Parmesan Crusted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts, cut in half

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• Garlic powder

• Hot honey

• Balsamic vinegar

• Red pepper flakes

squeeze the roasted garlic into the mashed potatoes.

10. Add in the Boursin cheese, and mash one final time to combine it all.

11. Taste for seasonings, add more

salt or pepper if desired.

12. Garnish with more butter, as well as some finely chopped chives, and serve.

— Arianna Juárez

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 head of cabbage (de pending on how many people you’re feeding)

• At least 8 slices of bacon

• One small onion chopped up

• One small bell pepper chopped up

• Creole seasoning and garlic powder

Fried Cabbage Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 6-8 medium size cans of peaches

• 4 boxes of rollable pie crust

• Brown sugar

• Sugar

• Vanilla extract

• Baking powder

• Butter

• Flour

• Nutmeg

• Cinnamon

Steps:

1. Drain the peaches from the can

2. Add peaches to a pot adding all spices to your liking

3. Mix the flour with a glass of

Steps:

1. Cook the bacon slightly done , chop and set to the side

2. Cut and clean the cabbage, roughly chopped

3. Chop the bell pepper and the onion

4. Add all to the bacon grease and let it cook on medium heat till the cabbage is done.

5. Adjust ingredients to your lik ing

— Christina Goodman

water and mix it well

4. Add a small amount of baking powder

5. Have your sitting on medium as you're cooking the peaches

6. Put butter all around the pan and put the crust on the side and bottom of the pan

7. Add cooked peaches to the pan with the crust

8. Add more pie crust on top also add cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, vanilla extract, sugar and brown sugar

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min utes

Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

— Christina Goodman

• Finely grated parmesan cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and slice 1 lb of brussels sprouts and throw them on a sheet pan.

3. Season the brussels sprouts with all the sea sonings, toss really well to ensure they are

evenly coated.

4. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes, flip ping the brussels halfway through.

5. During the last five minutes of baking, shower the brussels sprouts with the finely grated parmesan cheese.

6. Roast until the cheese is golden brown, and serve.

— Arianna Juárez

Latino influence key in ‘Modern Warfare II’

BY BRYAN RAMOS Staff Writer

When “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II” was re leased on Oct. 27, game de veloper Activision did some thing a bit different.

Some of the “Call of Duty” games have been based on various wars such as World War II and the Cold War. For the new game, part of the campaign mode takes place in Mexico and includes Hispan ic/Latino characters.

According to Call of Du ty’s website, Activision sold pre-orders to of the game to get early access by imploring would-be buyers to: “Take the full Early Access period to learn about Task Force 141, its ties to the Mexican Spe cial Forces, and the overall foundational narrative to the next chapter of the Modern Warfare universe’s story.”

Hispanic/Latino charac ters are a key part of the game according to a MeriStation article by Vladimir Arteaga Figueroa, a video game web site. “However, as already re vealed in May, Special Forces 141 will integrate Colonel Alejandro Vargas, a Mexican who will have a major influ ence on the storyline. In fact, in an interview we had with Jeff Negus, Narrative Direc tor and Brian Bloom, Lead Writer, it was confirmed that the Latino presence will play a key role in CODMW2. In fact, in the gameplay trail er we were shown, the Latin presence was hinted at with

the song ‘Wherever I May Roam’ that Metallica and J Balvin worked on together.”

Some of the influence from the Hispanic/Latino commu nity goes beyond gameplay.

One of Mexico’s biggest bands, if not the biggest, Ban da MS also released a song for the video game.

“It’s a huge step for the game and the community,” said the game’s senior fran chise manager Rodrigo Pérez in a Billboard.com interview.

A ‘Vents’ Magazine article by RJ Fromenta noted that Senior Brand Manager Latin

America for “Call of Duty” Rodrigo Perez wanted to take advantage that a chunk of the campaign of the game would take place in Mexico.

“With a portion of the single player campaign set in Mexico, we knew that we had a unique opportunity in the Mexican/Hispanic mar ket with Modern Warfare II,” said Pérez. “It has been exciting creating something special for the fans of Call of Duty and Banda MS, that we have never done before.”

“141” is a song made by Banda MS, featuring the

traditional corrido pattern commonly used in Mexican regional music. “141” rep resents the name of the crew in the video game, Special Forces 141. The cover art also features one of the main characters of the game, called “Ghost”

Banda MS received a lot of positive feedback but part of the Hispanic/Latino commu nity thought they weren’t the best ones suited for it. Banda MS is known for their love songs and sad songs and some of the community thought they weren’t the best fit and

thought that other Mexican regional artists/groups like Luis R Conriquez, El Fan tasma, Codigo FN would’ve fit better because they sing about things that happen in Call of Duty but also in real life.

Banda MS is more popular than all of these artists and would boost the game by a lot. Banda MS is the safer option too because these other art ists that make more aggressive types of Mexican corridos also have ties to cartels and orga nizations in Mexico so having them would cause tension.

of Duty’ is back and better than ever

BY NICHOLAS MICHELSEN Entertainment Editor

Atlast, the season has ar rived for cold air, cozy fires, pumpkin spice seasoning and enough smack-talking, controller gripping lobbies to keep you and your friends fragging enemies all through out the holidays. I’m talking about the highly anticipated, “Modern Warfare II” — the 2022 re-imagining of the flagship game and not the 2009 game with the exact same name.

Call Of Duty has become a name that receives much-deserved scorn from the hardcore gamers and the filthy casu als alike. However, many people have returned to the series since Infinity Ward relaunched the “Modern Warfare” series in 2019 and damn it; it won over our hearts. Forget the awful Vanguard gameplay and the “Black Ops: Cold War” broken server mechanics. Here we have an absolute masterpiece. For starters, the campaign is back with enough stealth mission antics to make Solid Snake and Sam Fisher blush all winter long, while maintaining high, ex plosive-action, and gun fights that one expects from the series without feeling mundane or overplayed. For compar ison, looking back at the narrative of 2019’s “Modern Warfare,” the character development might have been slightly better.

“MW2” takes all the good that Infinity Ward learned last time around and shakes it up. The gunplay is fantas tic to put it lightly. These firearms feel like they were made for every kid with a Nerf fantasy cranked up with 10,000

volts of realism. The art direction was inspired by real military and ballistics experts, right down to the reloading of magazine animations. Every piece of equipment feels unique and fun to use, the maps are well balanced for maximum competitive fairness. Classic game modes are back to gain plenty of XP. Fancy something more of a chal lenge?: Tier 1 replaces the classically titled ‘Hardcore’ game modes. ‘Knock out’ (which plays like Steal the bacon) and ‘Prisoner Rescue’ (which plays like Capture the flag) will have you and the squad playing tactically to revive each other as there are no respawns. ‘Ground War’ is back and bigger than before, now 40 vs. 40 players, ‘Invasion’ is a spinoff mode that works very similarly with some added twists. The all-new Warzone 2.0 has been extremely antic

ipated by fans and does not disappoint. Best of all if you only want to play Warzone, download it today because it’s completely free to play across all major platforms as a standalone game, like the first iteration. The game itself is crossgen and cross-platform, so I can play on my PS4 with my buddy who is on PS5, and we can play with my brother who is using his PC. Awesome.

Co-op stealth missions are back and better than ever for up to three players. Aside from the campaign, co-op gives players the opportunity to drop into large maps to complete objectives while avoiding enemy detection.

The all new DMZ mode makes its debut. DMZ plays similar Warzone 2.0, but there are more objectives and AI bots securing high reward areas. If you run into other teams of real players, you

may have to fight it out if they’re greedy. However, using the proximity chat fea ture, you and your buddies can broker a deal or a cease-fire with the wouldbe combatants and extract safely. The stakes are higher than before because if you die in the DMZ, you lose your loot and any gear/weapons you dropped in with.

THE CAMPAIGN

The game itself over delivers in being the ‘real deal’ of a complete package. The environments are gorgeous and each mission packs definite thrills. The nar rative was short and believable enough. The characters are lively, both new and returning. The only issue with the campaign is it is a bit short at 6-8 hours, and the ending, although exciting, could have been grander. On its own, “MW2’s” campaign can stand alone.

THE MULTIPLAYER

With standard classic modes, good maps, weapon tuning, and exciting new game modes that keep the game fresh, it is safe to say Infinity Ward pulled out all the stops when creating this beauty of a beast. The mechanics, animations, player movement, sound design, shadow rendering, and water ripple FX make every poorly timed grenade worth dying for. “MW2” is by far my favorite COD out of the last decade and makes it into my top 5 ‘first person shooters’ list.

If you are an FPS fan, or got tired of COD in the past, pick this one up. It’s amazing what they’ve done. “MW2” keeps things fresh, nostalgic, and com petitive. If it weren’t for some launch bugs they are fixing, I probably would call this experience perfect. It’s honestly close to it. By far worth the $70 price tag for the ultimate stocking stuffer.

A screenshot of “Modern Warfare 2” running on Playstation 4 hardware. IMAGE CAP TURED FROM PS4

A marketing screenshot of “Modern Warfare 2”. IMAGE COURTESY ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

DELTA BASKETBALL FALLS AGAINST WEST VALLEY

BY SAADIQ AFZAL Sports Editor

On Nov. 23, Delta’s basketball team came up short against an 8-0 West Valley College at home. The score came out to be 77-53, with sophomore shooting guard Kendrick Currey scor ing 16 points and freshman point guard Arvind Sandhu scoring 15 points for the team.

Sandhu, who is in his first year here at Delta, is already a starter for the team and has been averaging double-digit numbers each game.

“Arvind did a great job as a fresh man,” said Head Coach Richard Res sa. “I’m really excited for him and he’s a great kid. He has high basketball IQ and he’s gonna continue to get better throughout the season.”

Even though the Mustangs had three of the team’s usual top eight play ers injured for the game, Ressa said the team still came out the game with great effort and execution.

“I felt that we executed the scatter part well,” said Ressa. “There’s always room for improvement. I thought we boxed out well and I thought we played with more edge and aggression. And, for being so banged up, I thought we had a good effort.”

In the first half of the game, the

Mustangs struggled on defense against West Valley. By the end of the first half, West Valley had put up more than 40 points, while the Mustangs only had 24 points.

“I don’t think there were any down falls in the first half when it came to our defense,” said freshman power forward/ center Dominic Perasso. “I just think that we gotta keep on getting better ev eryday and keep on working.”

Throughout the second half, the Mustangs had a decent offensive end as the team came up with 29 points to end the second half. The Mustang’s defense however continued to struggle against the opposing team’s offense as West Valley ended the half with more than 30 points.

“I felt like our offense was pretty steady, but on the defensive end, we couldn’t grab a rebound to save our life,” said Currey. “I feel like we’re gonna be a smaller team throughout every team play. West Valley was a very good team and we have to focus on boxing out and that was something we didn’t do in the second half especially.”

Although the Mustangs lost, the team used this game as motivation and shifted focus on the next games.

“I definitely use this game as moti

vation,” said Currey. “Anytime you get your butt kicked, you wanna come back and play the next day. But, unfortunate ly, our next game is Friday [Dec. 2] and so, we’re gonna take this time in this long practice week to really fuel us.”

The Mustangs compete in the Gold en Gate Classic in San Francisco next. The team will first go against Northern Idaho College on Friday, Dec. 2 and then College of the Sequoias on Satur day, Dec. 3.

Valley wrestling coach goes back to the mat at Delta

BY NICHOLAS MICHELSEN Entertainment Editor

Meet Jason Betlej. He’s a 24-year old assistant high school wrestling coach. He’s also a Delta Col lege freshman who is captain of the Mustangs wres tling team and on-the-mat competing this semester.

Raised in Manteca, Betlej has been a wrestler for most of his life.

His journey began in the fourth grade with the martial art of Judo, which is a fighting style focused on throwing opponents using leverage and momen tum.

During this time, Betlej was introduced to the competitive art of youth wrestling.

“I liked it right away, but it did take a while to get used to the system of wrestling,” Betlej said. “Fourth grade is a pretty late age to start wrestling to be hon est. Most kids [began] are wrestling way younger than me.”

Betlej said second-generation wrestlers start as young as age 3.

Betlej went on to attend East Union High School, where the Lancers rivaled Manteca High. During his time there, his team took second place for two consecutive years in the Valley Oak League, just be hind Oakdale High School team (also known as the Mustangs), a program notorious for wrestling cham pions.

“My coach says: wrestling is 25 percent physical, 75 percent mental,” Betlej noted the dedication and drive necessary to be a wrestler.

After Betlej graduated from East Union, he put off college to assist high school coach A.J. Reindel by running drills and exercises with the Lancers.

Now after six years, Betlej is back on the mat as a competitor.

“This year is all about learning and just getting back into the rhythm of wrestling,” Betlej said.

Reindel noted Betlej’s dedication to the sport.

“He graduated and has been an assistant coach with me ever since. He’s usually the first one here, one of the last ones to leave. There’s no getting around his commitment- He says he is going to do something and it’s going to happen, and wrestling is one of those sports you have to be committed to,” said Reindel.

Reindel expressed excitement for Betlej compet ing with Delta but admits his absence is noticed at

Reindel said he has aspirations for Betlej

When asked about the workload and schedule for a Mustang wrestler, Betlej noted how much prepa ration and effort goes into the season.

“Early mornings. Late nights. Wrestling is the longest sport. Get in lanes at 7 [AM], wrestling starts at 9 [AM]. Depends on how they run the tourna ment. If something happens, let’s say the computers crash, whatever, sometimes you’re not out until like 8 at night,” Betlej said.

The college wrestling season runs September

through December, with practice five days a week, matches every Wednesday, and tournaments most Saturdays.

The off season for a competitive wrestler is about staying fit, keeping sharp, and keeping the weight off. Being a young athlete, Betlej said he’s never dealt with injury before, however now that he is getting older, he is currently dealing with a shoulder injury.

He is still coaching and plans to return to assist the Lancers at East Union after the end of the col lege wrestling season. He is passionate about the sport.

“Wrestling will always be a part of my life. Whether it’s coaching, competing, whatever. I’m al ways going to be doing something involved in wres tling,” said Betlej.

East Union. Reindel has coached wrestling since 1992 and later became the Lancers’ head coach in 2006. Reindel became Betlej’s youth wrestling coach when he began in the fourth grade.

to take up more responsibilities in coaching.

Freshman shooting guard Jaylen Lee going for a layup while his team watches him from the back. PHOTO BY SAADIQ AFZAL

Freshman wrestler Jason Betlej trying to reverse the maneuver while his opponent is grappling him from the back. PHOTO BY SAADIQ AFZAL

2023 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN

Delta offers more than 150 scholarships annually. Students do not need a FAFSA or Dream Act application on file to apply for these scholarships, nor is a high GPA required.

Any Dreamer, transfer and high school students who plan on attending Delta in the 202324 school year are encouraged to apply.

Students must register an ac count through Delta’s scholarship portal and after they are done with that process, they will be able to work on the scholarship application.

In the application, students are required to complete an online scholarship application, two let ters of recommendation and write a brief essay.

Students must be enrolled in

six units or more to qualify for any scholarship award.

Delta’s scholarships will require additional documents that will be submitted online. Scholarship applications will not be consid ered complete unless the student submits the application electron ically.

The deadline for Delta’s schol arship applications will be on March 2, 2023 and that’s also when all the additional docu ments will be received.

The application will be avail able on Jan. 1 and students can access it at deltacollege.award spring.com

For more information, students are welcome to email Christy Len zi, scholarship specialist at Delta College, at christy.lenzi@deltacol lege.edu

GALT: Protected shrimp snarled campus plans

continued from PAGE 1

notes that “those plans never materialized despite Delta College owning 140 acres of land there.”

By 2016, however, it became clear that the land was ill-suited for Delta’s multi-campus plans.

In November 2016, a report to the board noted the potential for widespread flooding on the land. It also noted that a federally protected species of shrimp, the Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp, were found to be inhabiting the land.

“It’s pretty much a water land,” said former Delta Trustee Richard Vasquez in an article written by the Lodi News Sentinel in Apr. 2017.

There are currently no estimates on closing costs. Escrow peri od is estimated to last about 180 days with an additional 90 days of extension time. Delta expects to close on the sale of the land sometime during the early spring 2023 semester.

“There’s no reason to keep it. We’re not using it,” said Delta Trustee Kathleen Garcia.

BRADEN: Here to help guide students towards success

“He was an excellent leader who was focused on student success and excellence in in struction,” said Lawrenson. “Working with him in his new role at Delta College, I have seen how his skill sets have continued to grow in the past few years. He is a pleasure to have on the executive cabinet, and I am confident his em phasis on student success and instructional excellence will serve Delta well.”

Assistant Superintendent/ Vice President of Student Ser vices Dr. Lonita Cordova has also worked with Braden prior to his journey at Delta. Both of them participated in two workshops together at the Association of California Community College Associa tion (ACCCA): one a profes sional development for deans in the community college sys tem, and another for strategic enrollment management.

“He’s great, really dynamic, he’s a good speaker and he’s just

a strong leader,” said Cordova. “He really really understands the community college system, which is refreshing. As a vice president of student services, he’s kind of like I’m the left hand, he’s the right hand for the pres ident. And, I think that moving into a working relationship with him has been invaluable, espe cially where we are trying to go as an institution.”

As for Braden’s main goal for the future, he believes that coming in as VPI and chang ing the institution isn’t a goal for him. His main goal is to help students at Delta and guide them on the right path.

“My role as a VP isn’t to come in and change the insti tution,” said Braden. “My goal is to help the institution realize the vision that they already put forth in their strategic minds. So, the people who fail most spectacularly in roles like this are the ones that come in and say I’m going to do this and I’m far more interested in coming into this role and asking where do we need to go and figure out what we need to go there.”

HORTON: Left lengthy legacy

art gallery. He is also credited with “restoring campus infra structure” and “increasing stateof-the-art technology” at Delta.

Horton is survived by his children, grand-children, a great-granddaughter, and two brothers, as well as many dear

friends.

In lieu of flowers or a fu neral, Horton requested that donations be made to the Del ta College Foundation or the student scholarship fund of the Kankakee Community College Foundation.

Brownlee charged with three counts of murder, more to come says D.A.

BY ARIANNA JUÁREZ Editor-in-Chief

After being charged with three counts of murder during an Oct. 18 arraign ment, suspected Stockton killer Wesley Brownlee, 43, is set to face a highly public trail in the coming New Year.

The public nature of this trial compelled Brownlee’s state appointed defense at torney, Allison Nobert, to request a pretrial gag order on Oct. 25.

Citing two press confer ences where police Chief Stanley McFadden and District Attorney Tori Ver ber-Salazar made statements regarding the degree of evi dence the state had against Brownlee, Nobert suggested that her client was not facing the prospect of a fair trial.

Judge Xapuri Villapudua struck down the defense’s request.

“The court at this point cannot find that there is a reasonable likelihood that the negative press would prevent Mr. Brownlee from receiving a fair trial,” stated the judge.

Judge Villapudua went on

to suggest that it was “highly likely that this case will not have the coverage that it’s currently generating.”

According to case doc uments filed with the San Joaquin County Superior Court, Brownlee is being charged with the Aug. 30 murder of Jonathan Rodri guez Hernandez, the Sep. 21 murder of Juan Carlos Car ranza-Cruz, and the Sep. 27 murder of Lawrence Lopez.

Brownlee was also charged with felony posses sion of a firearm, as well as felony possession of ammu nition.

Elton Grau, lead prose cutor in the case, stated that this firearm police discovered during Brownlee’s arrest was a “ghost gun,” a weapon that is assembled in pieces and usually bought online.

These ghost guns often lack a serial number, and are virtually untraceable as a re sult.

Grau also gave a brief glimpse into the evidence prosecutors say proves be yond a reasonable doubt that Brownlee is responsible for the three murders he is

charged with.

Grau stated that ballis tic evidence at the scene of the three murders Brownlee is charged with link back to the ghost gun police found during his arrest.

He also stated that “cellu lar data associated with Mr. Brownlee places him at the locations” of the three mur ders he is charged with.

Grau also revealed that the DA’s office is currently investigating two more local murders they believe Brown lee is connected to.

During a press confer ence following the suspect’s arraignment, D.A. Ver ber-Salazar reiterated the ongoing nature of the case.

“There are two more mur der victims, and an attempt ed murder,” she said, “we will make further charging deci sions in relation to those cas es in the next coming weeks.”

“We have more work to do,” she added.

Brownlee is currently be ing held without bail at the San Joaquin County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court next on Jan. 3, 2023 at 9 a.m.

Sky-high housing prices leave college students with few options

BY VANESSA GOMEZ Staff Writer

Along with the typical burdens that a college student may face, housing has been a roadblock for many students to achieve their educational goals.

According to its November 2022 Finance Bulletin, the California Department of Fi nance found that the median price of a single-family home in the state is $821,680.

Community college stu dents in particular are vul nerable to costly housing. A 2021 #RealCollege sur vey found that 52 percent of community college students faced some form of housing insecurity, and 14 percent ex perienced homelessness.

“Housing insecurity is complicated. There is no singular factor,”said Delta College Basic Needs Proj ect Manager Ana Villegas. “Inflation, limited affordable housing, and the pandemic all contributed to students not having secure housing. There is also the extra burden of being a student. It’s difficult to receive a living wage while trying to succeed in school.”

Delta has been trying to help students with housing through various services.

There is access to EOPS/ CARE, a state-funded pro gram that offers qualifying students financial support if they take enough classes. CalWORKS is another as sistance program that helps TANF (Temporary Assis

tance for Needy Families) recipients find steady em ployment. Neither of these programs are focused on af fordable housing specifically, but they help alleviate the pressure that low-income students may face.

“If students come in ask ing for help with housing, we can refer them to other agen cies that we work with,” said Katrina Jaggears, a resource specialist with CalWORKS. “We look at a student’s cur rent situation and go from there.”

One option for students looking for affordable hous ing is the Fair Housing Rent al List. The list is created by the San Joaquin Fair Housing Inc. and tracks the amount of affordable rental units in San Joaquin County.

The main problem with the list is it can be inefficient in helping renters.

The list only states what affordable housing is avail able, and doesn’t help with any costs that could come with renting.

The list is also only avail able in English, which may discourage non-English speakers from using it.

Another way to find hous ing is by searching for devel opers who focus on affordable housing.

Applications are typically much more streamlined since the units are managed by a single company. Finding de velopers can be challenging, and may require a level of In

ternet literacy to find.

For students who are expe riencing homelessness, there are other steps to take before housing can become a possi bility.

HousingWORKS offers CalWORKS recipients with finding temporary housing. The program can also help with securing housing by paying security deposit and rent, for a limited time.

HousingWORKS cannot benefit every student expe riencing homelessness. To receive aid, students must be in the CalWORKS program, which only offers help to stu dents with children.

There is also the question of whether or not Delta could try to build student housing on campus.

The idea has been around for a while. Former Vice President of Student Services Dr. Lisa Cooper Wilkins pre sented the question to the Board of Trustees in February 2020.

“There are currently no concrete plans to build hous ing,” said Villegas. “It takes a lot to begin seriously plan ning for that, but we are hopeful.”

Students are encouraged to be constantly looking for help from both local and state pro grams.

“Things are always chang ing,” said Jaggears. “And that means that students have to be always alert in case any thing that can help may come their way.”