As we close out the spring semester, many of us are packing up more than just books and assignments. We’re packing uncertainty. Because this summer doesn’t feel like a break. It feels like a buildup.
EDITORIAL
It’s been a semester full of transition as some of us prepare to graduate or transfer. We at the Collegian covered new programs, financial challenges, and student struggles, from immigration barriers to mental health. We saw a campus trying to move forward while the country hangs in limbo.
And now, we’re heading into summer under a presidency that is already reshaping institutions and threatening to undo others.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has come with promises and actions that feel like warning signs. Student visas were revoked, reinstated, then questioned again. Young people from abroad trying to study here are watching their futures swing back and forth like political pawns.
The Collegian
Trump praised El Salvador’s mega prison and said it should be a model. He mocked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, belittled on American stages.
And for many Delta students, especially those who are undocumented, from immigrant families, queer, or relying on education to build a different future, this isn’t background noise.
It’s the atmosphere they’re expected to succeed in.
In California, it’s easy to feel like we’re watching all this from a safe distance. But what happens in D.C. echoes in our classrooms, our homes, our group chats and our jobs.
Whether it's national immigration policy, restrictions on what we can learn, or decisions about who gets to feel safe, the impact reaches here.
We’ve seen it before. We’re seeing it again. So what happens this summer? Honestly, we don’t know. And that’s the most real thing we can say right now.
We don’t know what policies will be signed. We don’t know who will be target-
The Collegian is the student newspaper of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. The paper is published six times a semester.
As a First Amendment newspaper we pride ourselves on a commitment to the students of Delta College while maintaining independence.
We reinvigorate the credo that the newspaper speaks for the students, checks abuses of power and stands vigilant in the protection of democracy and free speech.
The Collegian is a member of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
ANDREA RIVERA Editor-in-Chief
JELISSA KING Editor-in-Chief
ZACKARY KIRK-NEWTON Managing Editor/News
JOE DEMASI
SENIOR STAFF
BALTODANO
ed next. We don’t know what kind of tone we’ll return to in August. Will it be fear? Anger? Silence? Or resistance?
That kind of uncertainty is exhausting. But it’s also a reason to stay awake. Stay informed. Stay together.
The Collegian has always been a space where students tell the truth, even when it’s hard.
This semester, our staff worked through breaking news, long hours and stories that challenged us to think bigger. We tried to capture the urgency of the moment without losing sight of the people living through it.
As we wrap up this final issue of the semester, we won’t pretend to have all the answers. But we have the questions. And we know how to keep asking them.
Whatever we come back to in the fall, let it find us ready.
Ready to report.
Ready to show up.
Ready to keep this space ours.
Stay safe.
Stay sharp.
We’ll see you in the fall.
JOHN NGUYEN NADAR WILLIAMS JR.
JILLIAN ROHRBACH BELINDA SEIBEL
WRIGHT
CELEBRATING CERTIFICATE EARNERS
BY
On May 2, Delta College Career Technical Education(CTE) held its CTE Certificate Ceremony. The event is not a graduation but instead a “special ceremony.”
The event started with Dean of Arts Humanities and Multimedia Jeff Toney introducing President of the Board of Trustees Janet Rivera, and trustees Dr. Charles Jennings and Shelly Swanson.
Then Trustee Rivera and President Superintendent Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson spoke, advising the graduates to “never stop learning.”
After which student speaker Sarah Maimone spoke about her experience as a Delta College student and an intern for Fierce Mustang Media.
Certificates were handed out by Trustees Rivera, Jennings and Swanson, with President Lawrenson. At the ceremony, 508 graduates were honored and received 678 certificates.
LEVI GOERZEN Feature Editor
Far Right: President of the Board of Trustees Janet Rivera speaking at the Delta College Career Technical Education Certificate Ceremony on May 2. Right: Delta College student Christina Goodman receiving her CTE certificate from Trustee Shelly Swanson. Far Bottom Right: The audience at ceremony.
PHOTOS BY LEVI GOERZEN
Top Left:Delta College Student Sarah Maimone speaking at the Delta College Career Technical Education Certificate Ceremony, in Atherton Auditorium on May 2. Top right:The CTE class of 2025 at the Delta College Career Technical Education Certificate Ceremony, in Atherton Auditorium on May 2.
AI continues to pose academic challenges
Instructors set standards for review, use bringing student conduct into question
BY JARRED WRIGHT Staff Writer
As the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have become widespread, Delta faculty have struggled to contend with the challenges it poses to student educational success and expectations of ethical academic conduct.
Questions remain about how to best navigate disputes between faculty and students when evidence of AI use can be inconsistent.
Delta’s Student Conduct Handbook does not address AI directly but does give guidance on academic dishonesty, outlining disciplinary steps to be taken in case of “plagiarism … misrepresenting work completed by others as their own.”
AI large language models such as ChatGPT are trained on datasets of writing produced by others and a student taking credit for the writing as their own may constitute plagiarism.
“A professor usually sets within their syllabus what is allowable for academic dishonesty – i.e. plagiarism, i.e. the use of AI – and from there the instructor talks with students on what’s allowable,” said Associate Vice President of Student Services Dr. James Dalske.
English Professor Paula Sheil says her standards for AI use have shifted over time.
“When [AI] first started my attitude was zero-tolerance … if I discover it I’m gonna run it through some AI-detectors, and I would spend an inordinate amount of time proving it to them and I thought ‘I’m not doing that anymore’ I’m a professional, if I detect it I’m gonna say ‘zero’ and you have to prove it to me, I’m not gonna waste my time,” said Sheil.
A student accused of improperly using AI may be referred to student services, but has the right to appeal the Vice President of Student Services’ decision or file a grievance against the instructor, following the process outlined in the Student Discipline and Appeal Procedure.
“This is what’s called a preponderance of evidence ... 51 percent one way or the other is how I make a decision. Student likes my decision, great, it’s closed. Student doesn’t like my decision; they have the right to appeal,” said Dalske.
A student is guaranteed due process rights and is required to be given a written notice of what conduct warrants discipline which must include a “short statement of facts supporting the accusation,” according to the Student Conduct Handbook.
These facts may include documentation submitted by instructors showing evidence from AI-detectors submitted through a conduct incident report.
However, as one 2023 study by the Journal for Educational Integrity found, “when applied to human-written control responses, the tools exhibited inconsistencies, producing false positives and uncertain classifications.”
The study goes on to recommend balancing the use of such tools with “manual review and contextual con-
siderations,” concluding that, “varying performance underscores the intricacies involved in distinguishing between AI and human-generated text and the challenges that arise with advancements in AI text generation capabilities.”
“GPT detectors frequently misclassify non-native English writing as AI generated, raising concerns about fairness and robustness,” found another 2023 study conducted by Stanford University.
An average of 364 students enrolled each semester in Delta’s English as a Second Language program, according to data from Delta’s program review dashboards from the fall of 2021 to the spring of 2024.
What qualifies as evidence of AI-use may vary between instructors.
“Some teachers will say they may have seen a specific tone-of-writing/tone-of-voice that has changed,” said Dalske.
Delta has no policy either qualifying or disqualifying the use of AI-detection tools. Instructors may opt to use the tools and set their own standards in their syllabi.
“I’ve had some very serious run-ins with students … you say ‘here it is’ and they still filed a grievance and met with my dean and we all had to sit together and it’s just such a waste of my time. So, now when I put it on them I said ‘I’m just gonna give you a zero and no opportunities to redo it and it’s on you to prove to me that you didn’t’ and when you make it that point blank they just don’t – nobody’s challenged me this year,” said Sheil.
One student, Sheil said, was finally caught because of an instance of direct plagiarism from writing copied directly from a website, not because AI-use was detected.
A peer-reviewed 2024 study published in the journal PLOS found that 94 percent of AI-generated submissions went undetected by university graders.
If student conduct escalates to a recommendation of expulsion, the student may formally request a hearing before the disciplinary measure is imposed. While evidence is brought to bear by both sides, the hearing is not subject to strict legal standards and “formal rules of evidence shall not apply,” as the Student Conduct Handbook notes.
“Again this is alleged, student conduct is not a criminal court case. We are not guilty until innocent; innocent until proven guilty,” said Dalske.
The Handbook does not specify what evidence may qualify as acceptable, but notes that the burden of proof lies with the representative of the college, not on the student.
Following a hearing, the final decision is left to the Board of Trustees, who may reject the findings of both the hearing and the Superintendent/President.
While the Board “shall prepare a new written decision which contains specific factual findings and conclusions,” the Handbook does not elaborate further on standards for that evidence.
Delta has formed an AI Taskforce under Superintendent/President Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson, but no AI-specific policy yet exists beyond the general student conduct process already in place.
“The AI Taskforce, the Distance Education Committee and the Academic Senate all seek to make this a requirement to help students understand what tools they can and cannot use in each of their courses,” says Dr. Lynn Hawley, Distance Education Committee Chair.
Chair of the AI TaskForce and Vice President of Administration Services Augustine Chavez says the goal is to train faculty and amend administrative procedures 4020.1-2 to require AI policy on all course syllabi.
“The Academic Senate is producing standard syllabus language that professor[s] could use on their syllabus. I would urge students to review the syllabus for the AI policy and follow what the professor has stated,” says Chavez.
On April 2, a motion was passed unanimously by the Academic Senate recommending the adoption of standard course syllabus language that would codify instructors options of either allowing students “usage of AI with or without citation,” “some AI usage allowed with citation,” or the more restrictive standard, “AI tool usage not allowed.”
The proposal does not stipulate guidelines for handling improper AI use in the classroom or for determining what should constitute evidence of misconduct by students, giving instructors leeway to make that judgment.
Sheil, for her part, no longer takes as severe an approach.
“While I’m dealing with this ambiguity, I’m probably gonna be more lenient this semester … without the earlier hardline repercussions,” said Sheil, adding that AI can be helpful if used “to help you brainstorm,” keeping students critically engaged with the material.
Chemistry club showcases at market
BY JOHN NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer
On April 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Delta’s American Chemical Society (ACS) Club hosted its “Chemistry in Action!” presentation at The Market at Delta.
The event marks the first collaboration of The Market’s monthly carnival initiative, Discovery Days, where clubs at Delta were showcased during the weekend event. The Market had been in plans to bring out Delta clubs for showcases since 2024.
LAVA LAMP
SUPPLIES
• Water
• Vegetable oil, cooking oil or baby oil
• Alka-Seltzer
• Food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
• Fill clear container a third of the way with oil.
At the main entrance booth of The Market, ACS Club members set up stations with various science experiments, including: a homemade lava lamp display, where club members activated bottles of colored water and oil with Alka-Seltzer and put them on lights to showcase the reacting bubbles to spectators; a DIY baking soda volcano station, where participants could add food coloring and baking soda to cups of vinegar to create an eruption of foam and a hands-on oobleck station with gloves for participant to mix and play with large tubs of oobleck.
OOBLECK
SUPPLIES
• 1 ½ cup corn starch
• 1 cup water
• Tempera paint or food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
• Mix water with food coloring, then pour water into oil until two thirds of container is filled.
• Break up Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces.
• Add a piece of the Alka-Seltzer tablet into the container, make sure that lid is loosened when using a closed container. Bubbling effect lasts around 30 seconds, repeat afterwards with other pieces of the Alka-Seltzer tablet.
• Pour corn starch into pie pan.
• Add water to pan and mix, add more water or cornstarch as needed as well as dye to preference.
• Keep mixing until oobleck tears when scraped with a finger and melts back together afterwards.
VOLCANO
SUPPLIES
• Small paper cup
• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Dish soap (optional)
• Food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
• Fill cup with vinegar.
• Add food coloring to vinegar to preference, then optionally add a few drops of dish soap to cup.
• Scoop out baking soda with a large spoon, then quickly dump into cup. Volcano will start foaming and spill from cup.
A basket at the booth offered goods for sale that were 3D printed with polylactic acid, in-house by the ACS club – being an SJDC-branded pencil case with complementary stationery, as well as a set of cookie cutters shaped like volumetric, round-bottom and Erlen-Meyers flasks with an included sugar cookie recipe sheet. While the carnival has come and gone, readers can still pursue science in the comfort of their very own home for these simple DIY projects. Use caution when undertaking these projects.
Mary Ellison, left, Abner Arias, middle, and Julissa Saenz, right, mixing a new batch of oobleck in a tub at the Delta College Flea Market on April 19.
Marilyn Solsona preparing DIY lava lamps at the Delta College Flea Market in the Holt parking lot on April 19.
PHOTOS BY JOHN NGUYEN
Gavin Acosta, left, and Marilyn Solsona, center, help participants with their baking soda volcanoes at the Delta College Flea Market on April 19.
Music! Dance! Extravaganza!
BY JOHN NGUYEN Senior Staff Writer
From April 18 to 19 the Delta Dance and Music Departments held the Music and Dance Extravaganza at the Warren Atherton Auditorium, the first collaboration between the two departments since lockdown in 2020.
“Any time you combine arts, it’s synergistic and it gives meaning to both of them, and you can sense the impact of the rhythms and the music from the percussion ensemble with the dancers,” said Brian Kendrick, Chair of the Music Department and Director of Jazz Studies.
“Really understanding the music on a deeper level and being able to modify what movement is created around those sounds so that it still makes sense if it was done faster or slower, or with less time or with more emphasis in certain areas than in others … Finding those moments is part of the fun and extravaganza of it all,” said Nicole Manker, Associate Adjunct Professor
at Delta and Choreographer of “Ujima” and “Work,” two performances at the event.
The Delta Percussion Ensemble directed by Kendrick performed three pieces, playing instruments like vibraphone, congas, gongs and more at an orchestra pit at the foot of the stage.
A string duet from Delta’s String Orchestra, coached by Adjunct Music Professor and Delta’s String Orchestra Director Myriam Cottin-Rack, also featured and violinists
C.J Chang and Justin Kwong played live on stage
While the performance lineup in some ways resembled previous dance concerts produced by the Stockton Delta Dance Company, many of the pieces featured live music — with only two of the seven pieces using pre-recorded music.
Chair of the Dance Department and Dance Professor Valerie Gnassounou acted as host for the production.
There was a variety of dance, with varying levels of modern, ballet, hip-hop, African and Caribbean dance influence. The performance
Top watches for May
Five films to be seen the way cinema intended — on the big screen
BY NADAR WILLIAMS Senior Staff Writer
LEGACY RELOADED: ‘THE ACCOUNTANT 2’ MAKES ITS MARK
This movie had me laughing to tears one second and then sitting on the edge of my seat the next. Though it may be sillier and more unpredictable than the first movie, the chaos is charming and the chemistry of on-screen brothers Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal is the biggest reason to watch.
COOGLER + JORDAN AT THEIR PEAK: 'SINNERS'
“Sinaloa” had dance in the ballet folklorico style, with traditional Hispanic dresses.
“I saw various different cultures and types of dances, from modern, [ballet folklorico], very colorful dances and expressive. More like communal type dance where I saw that they included the audience…I think that’s really cool to see how different people use dance to either communicate their own emotions or to connect with others,” said Briana Alexander, a dance student at Delta who graduated with a biochemistry major.
“Emotional, tears, I felt so connected,” said Aliza Paulino, a second-year psychology student, former dancer in the Dance program, co-founder and communications executive of the Unifying the Education of Marginalized Communities club at Delta.
“I’m so glad these people are pursuing what they love and what they’re passionate about and I feel like that’s an important message for anyone. It’s just do what you love, and do it with your whole heart and soul.”
Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan deliver a raw, emotionally charged drama. The cinematography alone is worth the admission price. “Sinners” is an experience, with potent emotional storytelling that proves why theaters still exist.
INTIMATE ESPIONAGE ON A GRAND SCALE: 'BLACK BAG'
Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” is a unique slow burn psychological spy thriller that trades shootouts and gadgets for loaded glances and emotional landmines. This is a film built on atmosphere and simmering tension can be felt off the screen. It is the kind of grown-up thriller that disappears into the shuffle of streaming but blooms in the focused space of a cinema.
FEMINIST HORROR THAT DARES YOU TO LOOK AWAY: 'THE UGLY STEPSISTER'
Emilie Blichfeldt's directorial debut is a blistering, blood-soaked critique of beauty culture and misogyny that turns the Cinderella story into a grotesque story of survival and self worth. Uncomfortable and hauntingly composed, there are plenty of squirm-in-your-seat moments. This is horror as confrontation, and it is devastatingly powerful.
A CLAUSTROPHOBIC THRILLER THAT PLAYS WITH PERCEPTION: 'DROP'
If you like your thrillers twisty then this one's for you. A romance that morphs into a psychological mystery, as actor Meghann Fahy delivers an suspenseful performance. Every close-up, sound cue and moment of silence is amplified by the theater’s immersive environment.
Valerie Gnassounou, center, taking a bow with Music and Dance Extravaganza performers. PHOTO BY JOHN NGUYEN
CHICKEN JOCKEY AS A THIRD SPACE? PERHAPS
InBY KAITLYNN BRANDON Entertainment Editor
the quiet before mayhem, a movie theater usher braces for the inevitable. The auditorium rings with the voice of comedian Jack Black: “Chicken Jockey.”
Movie goers jump from their seats, cheering and screaming, popcorn flies through the air. People are lifted to sit on the shoulders of their fellows, and a live chicken is raised into the air, as a mascot of the Chicken Jockey meme.
It’s a scene playing across the nation. It doesn’t always involve a live chicken, and not every theater calls the police or kicks out the rowdy movie goers, but in instances those are the dramatic conclusions.
Why is Chicken Jockey taking the nation’s theaters by storm? And why is there such a backlash to the excitement of a “meme in real life?”
THE BACKSTORY
Chicken Jockey’s origins are based inside the Minecraft game where a baby monster zombie appears riding a chicken, a power boosting combo.
The meme began exclusively
with Jack Black’s delivery of the Chicken Jockey, as well as several other self aware in-game based jokes. The excitement surrounding participating with the movie has led to the social media notion that “A Minecraft Movie” has become Gen Z’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a cult classic from the 1980s famous for being interactive for audiences, where dialogue in the movie is met with rehearsed jeers from viewers.
Why is “A Minecraft Movie” inspiring so much interaction and what does that say about the social needs of Gen Z?
IS CHICKEN JOCKEY A THIRD SPACE?
The subject of “the third space” is a staple of conversation these days. In previous years, third spaces like movie theaters and malls were places where young people could meet and engage in peer communities. As the internet has taken over, and the economy has gotten worse, these places have begun to disappear. There aren’t as many places for youth to go and have youthful antics.
A community raised on interactive media, yet given little interac-
tive media to engage with in public spaces, it’s almost a no-brainer that a reaction like this is inevitable.
Some members of the older generations are rejecting Chicken Jockey as hysteria, and Gen Z’s reported lack of public conduct and manners, as if youthful community conduct is not a part of every generation’s growth.
The hippy movement faced backlash just as much as millennials were mocked for hipster beards and man buns. What Chicken Jockey really reveals is that older generations historically don’t understand or appreciate the new ways in which youth engages with their peers. The takeaway? Let people be people. Chicken Jockey might look ridiculous in action, but young people are participating in the community in the ways that are available for them.
If there are no third spaces, third spaces will be created often in destructive ways. In a world where community is more and more difficult to find and keep, let the Boomers have their Facebook text posts, let the millennials have their avocado toast, and let Gen Z have Chicken Jockey, as long as they agree to keep the popcorn off the floor.
Long-time friends form emo band Phantoma! New EP debuted in late April
BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT Staff Writer
Phantoma! A four-piece hardcore-emo band local to Stockton, debuted an EP titled “White Lies and Goodbyes” on April 20.
The band was started in 2022 by members Donny Cordova (lead and rhythm guitar/vocals), Noah Leyva (scream vocals), Malice Perez (bass guitar) and Delta student Keanu Paler (drums).
“I’ve known Donny since high school,” said Leyva. “Kiwi (Paler) and Donny have known each other since elementary school.”
Perez joked with Cordova: “Oh my God, I’ve known you for 10 years!”
According to the band, the
project was created with recording-engineer, producer and closefriend of the band Josh Bernstein over the course of two years.
“He [Bernstein] really wants to see and hear the best of the band, as much as we do,” said Perez.
With a strong creative dynamic at its core, the band encourages experimentation and cross-pollination of skill sets which are shared between members.
“As a band, we’re trying to bring out the best in each other,” said Cordova. “I’ve been learning drums to better understand Kiwi’s perspective [on songwriting].”
Their song “A Body At Winco is Standard” features call and response vocals between
Leyva and the band member that alternates between stomping vocal cadences and fast-paced delivery.
“We had the instrumental done [for ‘Body At Winco’] and I wrote the lyrics all in one day … sometimes I have bad writer’s block, but if I can sit down with a song on repeat I can get it done, like 'OK, I got this!,'” said Leyva.
Tracks like “I’m Sorry Honey, You Couldn’t Have Known The Sound Of Popcorn Would Make Me Upset” balance heavy subject matter with humor, relating PTSD experiences to a military veteran character in the Stardew Valley PC game.
“The title for ‘I’m Sorry Honey …’ was actually my girlfriend’s idea,” Cordova explained. “It was
a reference to a line from the game [Stardew Valley] but we also wanted to implement elements of personal experiences in a way more people could relate to.”
Hardcore and emo music embodies a broad range of genre influences ranging from black metal to pop-punk; the bread and butter of this project is the fluid blend of genres in pursuit of a dynamic listening experience that keeps the energy flowing throughout the tracklist.
“I grew up drumming poppunk and jazz,” said Paler. “I learned how to improvise from my jazz band class [at Delta] and it makes me more creative!”
By borrowing fundamentals from jazz and theatre, Phantoma! is capable of putting on a live
performance that isn't afraid to layer elements of improvisation and dance over the structure of studio recordings.
“I think we just wanna bring out the energy in people … we choreograph and rehearse some moves for our shows,” said Perez. “We all grew up with performing arts” Cordova added, to which Perez teased him with “THEATRE KID!”
Phantoma! is playing a show at The Hatch Workshop in Stockton at 6:30 p.m. on May 10. Fans can show support by purchasing stickers and T-shirts. Listeners can find “White Lies and Goodbyes” on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube and Bandcamp where they can also find links to the band’s merch.
ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYNN BRANDON
TRUMP’S CHERRY-PICKED CONSTITUTION
Anothershooting. Another statement. Another moment when leadership could have taken action, but didn’t.
In the wake of the Florida State University shooting on April 17, President Donald J. Trump offered his usual response: thoughts, condolences and deflection.
“As far as legislation is concerned, this has been going on for a long time,” Trump said. “I have an obligation to protect the Second Amendment. I ran on the Second Amendment … and I will always protect the Second Amendment.”
That wasn’t surprising.
Trump has made the right to bear arms a cornerstone of his political identity. What continues to surprise — though perhaps it shouldn’t — is how selectively he chooses to defend the Constitution.
While he cloaks himself in the Second Amendment, he routinely tramples the First.
Freedom of the press, a foundational
Press freedom isn’t conditional. The White House doesn’t get to control facts.
BORDERLINES
with ANDREA BALTODANO
right in any democracy, has been treated as expendable. Journalists have been attacked, delegitimized, and denied access for telling the truth.
Just this month, the Associated Press won a landmark First Amendment case after being barred from White House press events. Why? Because it refused to adopt the administration’s preferred terminology “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”
A federal judge, Trump’s appointee Trevor McFadden, made the stakes clear: “If the Government opens its doors to some journalists ... it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less.”
Trump speaks loudly when it suits him. He’ll defend your right to carry a gun. But your right to report the news, question authority or protest peacefully? Suddenly, the Constitution goes quiet.
This contradiction isn’t just hypocritical — it’s dangerous.
The Constitution isn’t a buffet. It’s not something a leader can pick from based on what polls well or preserves their power. It’s a full body of rights, designed to protect everyone, especially when those rights make those in charge uncomfortable.
Over and over again, we watch leaders defend the right to own a gun more fiercely than the right to live without fear in a classroom.
School shootings are the kind of heartbreak that should stir a country to act. Instead, we get recycled soundbites and empty slogans. A deep commitment to doing nothing.
Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)
Coachella: Worth it or overrated?
BY ANDREA RIVERA Editor-in-Chief
Ahh,festival season is upon us.
And while many generations enjoy attending music festivals for the music, we also have many who enjoy it for the increase in social media followers.
The one specific festival that comes to my mind is Coachella.
The festival has brought much attention to fashion, content creation, and brand partnerships.
The festival is “so overrated,” said student Rehnsiann Campna. “You can go to another concert and see your favorite artist somewhere else. It doesn’t have to be at Coachella.”
I agree with Campna.
Coachella has become so overbearing, with influencers going for photo opportunities and sponsorships, that it has started to lack its fundamentals. MUSIC!!!
As someone who has played music for more than 14 years,
performed on stage in different countries, and listened to and taken classes on all genres of music my entire life, I have noticed that the performances have become subpar.
Personally, spending my money on Charlie XCX dancing on stage to her back track only to bring surprise appearances from other artists for a song and then leave is not worth it.
And although the nostalgia of T-Pain’s set list brought warmth to my heart, it was overshadowed by run with watching him barely survive running around the stage, sweating his pores out and singing approximately 200 words over his auto-tuned backtrack. SAD!!
Not to mention that Coachella has been around for almost 24 years and used to price tickets at $50 back in the day.
As time went on, the festival got bigger and of course inflation, tickets start around $600 to $1,300 for just passes. This doesn’t include the “luxurious” parking or camping fees, which
can range from $180 to $500.
For comparison as of April 2025, apartments.com says: “In general, you can expect to pay about $1,847 per month for a studio, $2,182 for a one-bedroom apartment.”
For just that and those performances, it is so not worth it.
Aside from the prices, the first weekend at Coachella sounded like a weekend in hell.
Many attendees flocked to social media and reported having to wait in line for up to 12 hours without food, water, bathrooms, or shade during a heatwave just to get to the entrance for the security clearing and to find a parking spot if they did not pay for the preferred front row parking.
The only plus to the festival becoming a big hit and people paying these insane prices is the option to stream for free off of YouTube and watch from home.
So next year, grab your friend, a projector, your favorite snacks and start throwing Coachella parties at home for FREE!
said it best during his 25-hour speech against Trump’s administration policies: “If America hasn’t broken your heart, then you don’t love her enough.”
How could your heart not break when students are gunned down and the response is to protect guns, not lives?
Loving this country means refusing to accept this as normal. It means demanding more than thoughts and prayers. It means holding our leaders accountable, naming failures for what they are and still believing we can do better.
The FSU shooting, like so many before it, deserves more than deflection. It demands an honest conversation about violence, rights and accountability. It requires actions from those who claim to lead.
Defending the Constitution means defending all of it, not just the parts that fit your brand.
This is what love for a country looks like. Heartbroken. But still watching. Still writing. Still believing it can do better.
EDITORIAL CARTOON
Wrestling makes big moves at state
BY ANDREA RIVERA Editor-in-Chief
The final state rankings for women’s wrestling were released April 10, and it was a banner day for the Mustangs.
“Leading the charge is Samira Mason ranked No. 1 followed by Isabela Zepeda No. 3, Alejandra Ochoa #4, and Victoria Jiminez No. 7. Receiving honorable mention in the rankings include Danny Hurtado, Joceyln Shelly, and Alexia Garcia,” according to Delta College Athletics.
Mason’s season concluded with a 28-1 record, building up to the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) Women’s State Championships held April 18 at East Los Angeles College.
She not only claimed the state title but was also voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, becoming the first women’s state champion in Mustang history.
“Placing 1st at 3c2a state championships and being voted most outstanding wrestler was such a game changer for me. All of the hard work that I put into this season really echoed in my performance for each match,” said Mason in a text interview. “I was very proud of myself. Not only that, but I think was more excited for my coach, because he was the mastermind behind all of this. He believed in me from day 1 and always gave me the best inspiration and advice. I took every word he said to heart and gave it my all, so I can really give him a lot of credit for that. My teammates made such a huge impact as well.”
Mason was Delta’s lone champion with them ranking No. 5 as a team. Ochoa and Zepeda ranked inside the top three in their respective divisions.
Leading up to the championships Ochoa worked on her, “mindset of believing that I belonged to wrestle on every mat I stepped on to compete… I went into the competition not knowing what to expect, but still excited to use what I had learned and worked on,” said Ochoa.
Ochoa said that it was a new feeling being a college wrestler, but was grateful for being able to have this ex -
perience of competing and thankful for the full support of her teammates, coaches and family.
The Mustangs qualified six athletes for the state tournament and finished fifth out of 16 teams, a significant achievement as women’s wrestling enters a new era of official competition.
This year’s championship marked the first time the 3C2A officially recognized women’s wrestling as a sanctioned sport.
The growth of the tournament itself underscores the rapid rise of for women with a total of 120 competitors from across the state taking part.
The Mustangs’ success comes amid a national surge in women’s wrestling participation and recognition.
Long considered a male-dominated activity, women’s wrestling has emerged as the fastest-growing sport in the United States for the second consecutive year. The passage of Title IX in 1972 laid the groundwork by mandating equal opportunities for women in athletics, but progress was slow for decades.
Only recently has the momentum shifted significantly.
“As a woman in wrestling, this sport has empowered me by teaching me great lessons that I can apply in my daily life… With coaches that lead with great examples and toughness I was able to become stronger mentally and physically, I became more confident in myself as well as allowing me to step in and become a leader,” said Zepeda.
Zepeda also said the rise of women in wrestling has definitely changed the aspect of wrestling being a predominantly male sport. Especially because she had never had female coaches or been on a full women’s team.
“Women in this sport are now surpassing the numbers of male to female ratio, but I will say that it is ultimately fascinating and exciting being a woman in this sport… The sisterhood of this sport is beautiful from the support of teammates to female coaches … There is so much kindness and a push to achieve the best outcome possible,” said Zepeda
All three athletes, along with teammate Danny Hurtado, also earned Academic All-American honors, reflecting their commitment not just to wrestling, but to their studies.
“This championship meant more than just a win. This meant history for SJDC’s women’s wrestling team, and inspiration for all of the young ladies in San Joaquin county who want to be a part of the wrestling community and/or continue to wrestle in col -
lege,” said Mason. “This means that they can look up at the banner with my name on it and say ‘I want a banner too.’ That is going to create some mean, badass wrestlers.”
With a core of talented wrestlers and a commitment to excellence both on the mat and in the classroom, the Mustangs are helping to shape the future of women’s wrestling and they’re just getting started.
Top: Wrestlers stand together with their respective awards in at East Los Angeles College Above: Wrestlers standing together before tournament with No. 1 Samira Mason holding the sign. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DELTA COLLEGE ATHLETICS
