The Collegian Issue 2 • Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
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‘TOLERANCE IS OUT OF FASHION’ Removal of posters across campus creates concern, conversation with no immediate resolution PAGES 2-3
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Victory Park volleyball game welcomes LGBTQIA+ community PAGE 11
Safety fair canceled, advocates for police brutality justice show up
PAGE 6
NEXT ISSUE: Oct. 23 • CONTACT US: deltacollegian@gmail.com or (209) 954-5156 • ONE FREE COPY
2 On the Front
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/news
EVENT, DIVERSITY POSTERS TORN DOWN BY GUADALUPE FARFAN Opinion Editor
Posters continue to spark tensions on campus, with continued reports of vandalism. The most recent involve separate incidents over posters on instructor’s office doors, advertising materials for a LGBTQIA+ exhibit at the L.H. Horton Jr. Gallery and the Boo-Gay Ball presented by the Pride Center. GALLERY POSTERS (AND OTHERS) REMOVED MULTIPLE TIMES On Oct. 7 posters promoting “Queer Voices II,” the Horton Gallery’s latest exhibition which showcases pro-LGBTQIA artwork created in the spring, have been taken down for a second time in less than a day after being posted. Also torn down were new posters promoting the Boo-Gay Ball that the Pride Center is hosting. “In the past, Gallery exhibition posters every once in a while, one or two, here and there would get taken down. But never en masse as with these posters… Never in my 20 years of working at the Gallery have I seen such pointed destruction and of so many of our posters,” said Jan Marlese, the gallery’s coordinator. Posters originally went up around campus on Oct. 1 and by Oct. 2. Marlese found the posters from the first floor Holt bulletin board in the trash. In late spring, Collegian reported on the case of the pro-LGBTQIA+ posters being taken down. Police investigation led to the arrest of Matthew Baer, a district employee, on May 20, according to the Associate Vice President of Public Safety Rodney Rego. According to Rego, these incidents were determined to be hate crimes at the time of the arrest. Baer is being charged on one count of misdemeanor vandalism and second count of damages of property to violate civil rights. The case is pending in San Joaquin County Superior Court. The posters were originally a part of an arts in advocacy project in partnership with the Delta College Pride Coalition and the Delta Pride Center funded by the California Teachers Association’s LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant and Scholarship Program in honor of Guy DeRosa, and San Joaquin Delta California Teachers Association. Major funding was provided through Horton Art Gallery program funds. “I feel like there’s always gonna be things that we don’t agree with. We maybe don’t want to participate in, but there is never a reason to rip down, especially student artwork and throw it in the trash,” said Kirstyn Russell, photography professor and president of DCPC who organized the project. “And I really hope we can come up with a way to hold with people that feel comfortable doing things like that accountable, in a way that makes them understand how destructive their actions are.” Nearly all the posters promoting the opening of the exhibition and the Boo-Gay Ball on the first floor bulletins were taken down and only a few of
Top: Posters advertising the Queer Voices II exhibit, which is set to start on Oct. 22, in a trash can. Right: A crumpled version of the poster. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED TO COLLEGIAN
the second floor bulletin board’s posters are intact according to Marlese. “I also want to note how hurtful these actions are to our LGBTQ+ community, students, artists, faculty and staff, as well as a significant impact to the Gallery program workload and budget,” said Marlese. DOORS VANDALIZED The promotional fliers weren’t the only ones targeted in recent days. Posters on professors’ office doors have also been torn down. English Professor Kathleen Gallup was notified on Oct. 2 that the inclusivity posters decorating the door to her office were gone. Edges were left, making it appear that the posters had been ripped away. Multiple people had sent her photos and she quickly notified campus police as well as her union leadership, Academic Senate leadership and her dean. “It’s the message that they don’t agree that we all belong here. And only certain people belong here. And again, we literally have community in our name. Everybody from the community belongs here and we live in one of the most diverse communities in America. And the fact that that’s being destroyed through the material, you know, that messaging is be-
ing destroyed rather than celebrated. Makes me incredibly sad. 2026 and we’re not celebrating diversity in Stockton, California,” Gallup said in an interview. All of Gallup’s posters taken down depicted inclusivity, diversity, anti-ICE sentiments. One poster that was taken down said “We all belong here, we will defend each other” with depictions of people of multiple ethnicities. EXAMINING DELTA’S PROCEDURES Posters around campus have been the talk of many faculty, staff and students as of late. The procedure that is about bulletin boards and posters on campus is Administrative Procedure 3760. It has been revised over the years with the two latest revisions happening in 2019 and 2024. History Professor Dr. Wesley Swanson was one of the authors of the last big revision in 2019. Swanson has done significant policy work on campus as part of the Policy and Procedures Committee. Swanson, an advocate for free speech, wanted to make sure everyone had the right to post what they wanted on campus, without the need to get approval from Delta College officials or campus police. “This to me is always a lesson in tolerance. Tolerance is out of fashion. We need to give everybody the responsibilities of citizenship, a lot of the responsibilities. You tolerate the others, even though you know they’re wrong, they have the right to be wrong, and you tolerate that, and you in exchange get your
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BULLETIN BOARD OUTSIDE SHIMA 146
Oct. 6, 2026
Oct. 7, 2026
As part of Collegian’s reporting this week, staff members have been regularly visiting campus bulletin boards and taking photos from day to day to see what, if any, posters have been removed. This is the bulletin board outside the Digital Media Lab in Shima 146. On Tuesday, Oct. 6 three posters advertising Queer Voices II were on the board as well as a poster for the Boo-Gay Ball, a Pride Center event happening on Oct. 29. By the next morning, all four of those posters had been removed. right to show,... things that they find incorrect, too. That’s the nature of free speech. We’re not all gonna agree on the words, but we all should agree on the principle,” Swanson said. As of late September, Delta has started to put up bulletin point summaries of AP 3760 on the kiosk and bulletin boards “as a starting point to hopefully help educate everyone about the procedure.” “The procedure itself is an important safeguard for free expression because it establishes rules for where and how people may post materials without seeking the College’s permission. I think one lesson we have learned since the incident in early September is that we can do a better job ensuring everyone understands those rules. To address that, the College is placing brief explanations of the procedure on all general-use bulletin boards and kiosks, and additional training has been provided to the Police Department and to College managers. We will continue to look for new ways to get the word out,” said Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler. In a facilities meeting on Oct. 5 the agenda included an item about adding more bulletin boards on campus, specifically one outside the Mustang Room across from the Book Store. The proposed possibilities showed bulletin boards that locked, with the potential for content displayed behind glass. “I would love if we lived in a world where people would just accept each other and walk by, things that maybe they have a hard time with, but maybe reach out and learn rather than being so destructive,” said Russell. “As far as a realistic outcome from this, I suppose a deeper conversation on campus, about freedom of speech, and freedom of ideas, and, maybe an ongoing restorative justice program so that when things like this happen, people can be held accountable without meaning they go to jail.”
Left: English Professor Kathleen Gallup’s office door on Friday, Oct. 2. Above: An image of a poster torn down from Gallup’s office door. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED TO THE COLLEGIAN
4 From the Staff DELTA NEGLECTS SIGNAGE PROBLEMS
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/news
S
an Joaquin Delta College states that it is an open campus, allowing members of the public to attend events to learn and explore new things, even if they do not attend the college. As well as having multiple bulletin boards, students as well as the public put up signs, posters, and advertiseEDITORIAL ments. This is something protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution — “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” Yet this is being tested, from multiple angles, seemingly daily at Delta College. In the past year, The Collegian has covered multiple instances of signs, covering a broad swath of topics including calling out police brutality and supporting LGBTQIA+ rights, being torn down or otherwise impeded. Delta College has barely even begun
to address the situation. These incidents directly undermine community safety, inclusivity, and basic respect on campus. Within the past week, signs on faculty’s offices have been ripped down and posters promoting both a gallery exhibit directly centered on queer expression and a Halloween event hosted by the Pride Center have been removed — at least 18 incidents have been reported to campus police, according to Collegian reporting. The posters are not simply being removed and hidden, either. One teacher’s office door had visibly torn scraps left behind. Trash cans near almost every bulletin board on campus had crumpled posters promoting inclusivity visible. Is this what we, as a college, want to show students who come here to find their voices and themselves? That your attempts to express yourself will, at the end of the day, be tossed in the trash and forgotten?
The Collegian 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.
Posters that had been ripped off of billboards and placed in nearby trashcans. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
EDITORS
STAFF
LEVI GOERZEN
ABRAHAM CARRASCO-QUINONES ELSA HILLSTROM ALEXANDER MAGANA
Editor-in-Chief
RYCKIE HEREDIA Editor-in-Chief
GUADALUPE FARFAN Opinion Editor
KELLIE MENDEZ SIENNA PERALTA
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS SADIE CONTRERAS ZAYY LEAL
MIGUEL LUNA VAZQUEZ ALAYZIA TACARDON
EDEN ATTWOOD Feature Editor
D’ANGELO LEWIS
Entertainment Editor
MULTIMEDIA TECH
ADVISER
MATTHEW WILSON
TARA CUSLIDGE-STAIANO
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shima 203/204, (209) 954-5156 or deltacollegian@gmail.com
information about advertising, letters to the editor and editorial standards CONTACT US: For visit deltacollegian.net The Collegian is a member of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.
Professor Kathleen Gallup’s door was vandalized this week, with all her ON THE FRONT: English posters promoting inclusiveness removed. Photo by Kellie Mendez
5 News DELTA CELEBRATES LATINE HERITAGE
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/news
BY LEVI GOERZEN Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 17, during college hour, Associated Students of Delta College (ASDC), Student Life, Digital Media, the Dreamer’s success center and La Raza club hosted Pachanga Presente, an event to kick off Latine Heritage Month. “Pachanga Presente was created to promote awareness and appreciation for Latinx, Hispanic, Chicanx, Afro, Latinx and indigenous indigenous cultures of the Latin American diaspora,” said ASDC president Tina Rocha. The event featured a flag parade, with free food and access to campus resources for latine students. Delta is a hispanic serving institution and according to Delta’s website 49.45 percent of Delta College students identify as Hispanic or Latinx. “As a Hispanic serving institution, Delta College is committed to creating spaces where cultural celebration, community belonging and civic par-
ticipation can come together,” said Rocha, “Today students will have opportunities to register to vote, develop a personal voting plan and receive a voting and media literacy resources to officially welcome us and recognize the students who helped bring this event together.” The college hour also celebrated Deadline to Democracy in collaboration with The Collegian and CalMatters. CalMatters is a non profit, non partisan news room that aims to make a better educated California and a more transparent government. CalMatters and The Collegian, handed out voter guides made by CalMatters and media literacy guides made by Media Decoded. Deadline to Democracy aims to teach students and community members about what they are voting on during the upcoming elections so that they can make better informed voting decisions in important races such as the governer’s race, propositions and measures or bonds.
Bottom left: Abril Canales, Melody Ibarr, Eliza Martinez and Lucia Martinez painting ceramic pots in the quad during Pachanga Presente on Sept. 17. Top: Delta College Student with a Nicaraguan flag walking during the flag parade at Pachanga Presente in the quad on Spet. 17. Right: Digital Media Professor and Co-Chair of the Chicanx Latine Faculty Task Force Adriana Brogger handing a microhpone to Delta College Student Trustee Edwing Miranda during Pachanga Presente in the quad on Sept. 17. Top left: Cal Maters reporter Yue Stella Yu, Collegian Advisor Tara Cuslidge-Staiano and ASDC President Tina Rocha speaking to and hyping up the crowd during Pachanga Presente in the quad on Sept. 17. PHOTOS BY GUADALUPE FARFAN
6 News
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/news
Public safety career fair canceled after viral video
BY GUADALUPE FARFAN
Top left: A student signs up for a newsletter at the Families Demanding Justice table in the quad on Oct. 7. PHOTO BY LEVI GOERZEN Above right: Member of Families Demanding Justice at their table in the quad on Oct. 7. Left: Flyers and posters that Families Demanding Justice were handing out, on their table in the quad on Oct. 7. Bottom: A poster saying the Public Safety Career Fair had been cancelled and calling out Delta Police on the kiosk outside of Danner Hall on Oct. 7.
Opinion Editor
Delta College quietly canceled the scheduled Public Safety Career Fair on Oct. 7. This comes after previous cases of vandalism around campus, including the viral video of a confrontation of a Delta police officer and a student over anti-police posters. The Public Safety Fair was a recruitment fair for local police departments and correctional facilities that was held in the quad, right outside of Danner Hall. There have been two previous fairs, one on Aug. 25, the second on Sept. 10, and the third was scheduled for Oct. 7. The Collegian had reported that the student who only wanted to be identified as Mia due to fear of retaliation, was putting up posters in protest of the fair when the officer approached her and threatened her with arrest over the posters she was placing on the bulletin board outside of the Holt building. Since then, multiple anti-police brutality posters have been ripped down according to multiple Collegian walkthroughs of campus. Families Demanding Justice organized a protest at the Public Safety Fair on Oct. 7. The fair was, however, canceled “given the concerns raised following the freedom of expression,” according to Alex Breitler, Delta College’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications. “We believe it is appropriate to pause the event while we continue to review our procedures and ensure there is a clear, shared understanding of the rules regarding posting materials on campus,” said Breitler in an email to the Collegian. Three members of Families Demanding Justice still showed up to table in the Quad on Oct. 7. “We think that it’s pretty cowardly, and spineless, that, you know, the college decided to cancel the fair without telling any students … It’s how they usually try to contain issues that they feel like, you know, will embarrass them or make them look bad. And so, you know, their goal in canceling it quietly and not telling anyone was to hope that no one would notice and to hope that we would go away, and very clearly, to, like,
PHOTOS BY GUADALUPE FARFAN
avoid a confrontation with the police that would essentially force their hand and lead their cops to sort of act out, in ways that would confirm what has already been shown by the video and the threats of arrest, and also just, you know, how we know the cops operate in general,” said Mia. The group were out there starting at around 11 a.m. and were handing out fliers promoting their Oct. 22 protest, on National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality, fliers demanding justice for Rocco Robinson, a 19-year old killed by Stockton Police Department officers in 2025, and the flier that was originally in the now viral video, saying “TAKE THE PLEDGE: I WON’T JOIN STOCKTON PD.” “We wanted to be out here today, and, it would have been Rocco’s 21st birthday today. And so we want to honor his life and be out here and continue to keep his name out there so that people know who he is and what happened to him. The cops who killed him are, and, you know, the fact that they faced no punishment. The fact that they were put on leave for three days, paid vacation, after murdering him,” Mia said.
7 Feature FAT BEAR WEEK PACKS IT UP FOR 2026
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/feature
BY EDEN ATTWOOD Feature Editor
“Fat Bear Week” is an annual event held in September by Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska where viewers can watch trail cam footage of brown bears fattening up before hibernation and vote on who is the most rotund bear of the bunch in a tournament style bracket. The event was founded in 2014 by former park ranger Mike Fitz and was initially dubbed Fat Bear Tuesday, before being hosted online and extended to an entire Fat Bear Week. In 2021, a Fat Bear Junior bracket was introduced, to shed a spotlight on the chubby cubs of Katmai Park. This year the junior bracket was not featured, instead allowing whole bear families to compete under one name as a unit. The real absolute unit of Fat Bear Week 2026 however was its champion, Bear 89, otherwise known as “Backpack.” Backpack is an Alaskan brown bear weighing an estimated 1,200 pounds, according to observations by Katmai Park rangers. He earned his nickname by hitching rides on his mother Holly’s back as a young cub. Holly also happens to be a previous champion of Fat Bear Week, winning the 2019 championship at approximately 800 pounds. Backpack was much more docile than his other male competitors, sitting on large rocks in rivers by his lonesome and waiting for fish to come to him. “He’s more of a stoic presence on the river,” said Katmai park ranger Sarah Bruce. “He doesn’t really get into drama or cause any upset in the hierarchy. He holds his own very quietly.” By visiting explore.org, viewers not only can see live trail cam footage of the potential ursine champions to be, but also access the voting documents at the appropriate times depending on the time zone. The website itself gives viewers before and after photos of the bear’s weight gain journey so they can accurately judge their progress.
To qualify for Fat Bear Week, a bear must have been seen being active during the summer and fall months. They also must be seen catching sockeye salmon in the Brooks River. If a bear can meet these qualifications and has shown significant weight increase before the competition, they can be elected by the park rangers to compete in the competition. Only 16 candidates are normally allowed to compete, barring the 2026 rule about grouping certain bear families under one name and number. This means both a mama bear and her cubs count as one contestant in the tournament. This year, more than 2.5 million votes were counted during Fat Bear Week. Backpack won the final round of voting against bear 910, no nickname given, by 5,000 votes. “I was amazed by the number of votes in FBW this year. I hoped we’d reach 2 million votes but did not think the vote total would grow so much this year,” said Mike Fitz, former park ranger and creator of Fat Bear Week in an email. The event itself exists to bring awareness to and help generate interest in the conservation of national wildlife parks. It helps fund the protection of wild bears and salmon through projects like the Otis Fund. Named after bear 480, otherwise known as Otis, who not only won the first Fat Bear Tuesday, but went on to win Fat Bear Week 2016, 2017, and 2021. The most recorded wins in FBW history. Otis was presumed dead after disappearing in 2024 in his late 20s. Most bears in the wild are expected to live 15 to 30 years. The Otis Fund was started in 2020 to honor the first ever winner of the competition. The public can donate to the fundraiser by visiting katmaiconservatory.org with all proceeds going to pay for park staff and infrastructure, youth education programs, and wildlife research. This year, the fundraiser raised $398,000, well over the park’s initial $350,000 goal.
Before and after shots showcasing Bear 89’s or “Backpack’s” weight gain journey leading up to Fat Bear Week PHOTO FROM KATMAI NATIONAL PARK PRESS RELEASE
Fat Bear Week winner Bear 89 or “Backpack” fact card PHOTO FROM KATMAI NATIONAL PARK PRESS RELEASE
Fat Bear Week Winner Bear 89 or “Backpack” as a young cub. PHOTO FROM KATMAI NATIONAL PARK PRESS RELEASE
8 Feature Fall Fest brings programs, clubs together
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/feature
BY D’ANGELO LEWIS Entertainment Editor
Fierce Fall Fest brought students, clubs and campus programs together at San Joaquin Delta College, giving organizations an opportunity to introduce students to what they have to offer. Several STEM organizations participated in the event, including groups representing women in engineering, aerospace and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Students attending Fall Fest were able to learn about projects, opportunities and ways to become involved on campus. Andrea Ochoa Hernandez spoke about a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics -based organization that supports women majoring in engineering and other STEM fields while remaining open to anyone interested in joining. Hernandez said members also have opportunities to attend larger events, including the Society of Women Engineers National Conference. “We also have this huge event called the SWE National Conference,” Hernandez said. “This year we will be attending Boston for it.” Hernandez said selected members can attend the conference fully funded, where they can network with companies and other professionals as they prepare to enter the workforce. The Aerospace Club at Delta also used Fall Fest to showcase opportunities for students interested in engineering and applied science. Andra Htoo said the club focuses on giving students experience beyond what they learn through theory. “So we don’t just do theory; we build stuff,” Htoo said. Htoo said the club is currently working on a
drone that members plan to enter into a national competition. He also discussed the club’s work on an ion thruster design project involving NASA and its collaborations with other STEM organizations. The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, or SHPE, was another organization represented at Fall Fest. The club is open to all students and provides opportunities for engineering students to connect through social events and projects. One current project mentioned at the event was a Solar Decathlon project involving solar homes. Fall Fest also featured programs outside of engineering and STEM. Leo Marquez represented Delta’s Digital Media program and discussed opportu- Top: Delta College nities for students interested in Trustee Janet Rivera audio and video production. poses for a photo with “We’re the digital media pro- the band Bananafgram that teaches audio and video ish, which performed production,” Marquez said. at Fierce’s Fall Fest. Marquez said the program in- PHOTO COURTESY cludes areas such as radio broad- HEATHER MALOY casting, news broadcasting and Right: Delta employees content creation, with different welcoming people at courses focusing on audio and the entrance to Fierce’s video production. Fall Fest. PHOTO BY D’ANGELO LEWIS
Upcoming event focuses on breast cancer awareness BY SIENNA PERALTA Staff Writer
Deciding Halloween costumes and planning spooky events shouldn’t be the only thing on your agenda when the calendar turns over to October. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. A month to spread awareness, recognize the importance of breast health, and provide resources for those in need. “Breast cancer awareness to me is extremely important because it encourages people to learn about early detection for breast cancer and take health care seriously,” said Delta student Amy Tran. On Oct. 14, the Health and Wellness department is holding a Wellness event for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the quad from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The “In October We Wear Pink,” is advertised in fliers across campus. “Join us in recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month with resources and spooky vibes,” it states.
At the Delta College Health Center, Maryann Andres, Director of Health and Wellness, wants students to understand that anyone could be impacted by breast cancer. “Everyone has breasts, biological men, women and all gender identities,” said Andres. According to the United States Cancer Statistics, data rates of new cancers in 2023 had 991,712 cases among males and 949,828 cases among females. In total, that is 1,949,540 cases just in the U.S. There is also quite a misunderstanding that breast cancer is something people should start worrying about once they reach a certain age. In actuality, it can occur among all ages. It is rare for individuals as young as 18 years old to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but it is still very possible. “Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women,” according to the Atlanta-based Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Andres emphasizes it is particularly more concerning for breast cancer diagnosis in younger populations than older. The denser breast tissue in young individuals can make it difficult for early detection, which means the cancer could be more aggressive when found. Spreading awareness not only helps educate those of risk factors and symptoms, but also provides support. “It also shows support for those that are fighting breast cancer, survivors, and their families,” said Tran. “So spreading awareness can help people feel supported while also encouraging others to pay more attention to their health.” As a Delta community, coming together to spread awareness and show support is the very first step to break the stigma around breast cancer. We all have breasts, so why shouldn’t we care about them?
9 Opinion
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/opinion
Freedom of the press: the root of good journalism BY GUADALUPE FARFAN
O
Opinion Editor
n Sept. 18, Trump posted to his Truth Social account saying he was barring certain media groups from entering the White House. Soon after the news outlets filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and a judge sided with the outlets, demanding the outlets be reinstated. Still, Trump is cherry picking on which news outlets are allowed in the press pool outside of the White House. What Trump is doing is a violation of our First Amendment. He is limiting the press in this country and setting a dangerous precedent. In America we are taught that our government is built on checks and balances. No one branch of the government can have more power than the other; the legislative branch creates the laws, the judicial branch interprets the law and the executive branch enforces the law. Across local, state and federal government, the press is a big part of the equation as well. “There should be an avenue for which the public can critique those in power… Never is it more apparent than in the press. The press is always looking at, analyzing, and speaking what people are thinking a lot of times. They’re critiquing power when that becomes the overwhelming feeling of the people who are existing and living under that power,” said local Stocktonia journalist and former Collegian Editor-in-Chief Zackary Kirk-Newton. The press’ job is to be another form of checks that keeps the general public in the know of what’s happening in their government and where their tax dollars are going to. They should be a microscope that people in power should be under, and a guide to help someone understand what is going on in the government, what laws have been passed and why a politician is doing what they’re doing. It is a journalist’s job to inform the public in an approachable way. Freedom of the press is a constitutional right. It is one of the first ones promised to us and one that separates us from other countries. It should be encouraged and protected to ask questions, to seek transparency and to find
EDITORIAL CARTOON BY GUADALUPE FARFAN
out the truth of matters that are important to us. And I can think of few things more important than what is happening in our government. Whether it be local, state or federal, I have the right to know what is happening. “Freedom of the press means I get to walk into City Hall, sit in that meeting and ask questions regardless of whether the people in power like what I wrote yesterday. It means my access should not depend on writing favorable stories or maintaining good relationships with elected officials. I take fairness very seriously, but fairness does not mean making politicians comfortable. To me, freedom of the press is ultimately about the public’s right to know. Journalists are often the people in the room asking questions that ordinary residents do not have the time, access or resources to ask themselves. Protecting our ability to do that protects the public, not just reporters,” said another local Stocktonia journalist and former Collegian Editor-in-Chief Andrea Baltodano.
In recent years we can honestly say that journalism has been under attack, with Trump calling out “fake news” and constantly fighting with publications. This ban is only the latest in a long line of attacks on the media. “He is picking and choosing who he wants in the room based on the convergence that they’ve been providing. And that is not what journalism is. Journalism is supposed to be a balanced and accurate representation of the world we live in,” said journalism professor Tara Cuslidge-Staiano. In addition to the banning of journalists, Trump announced the start of TrumpTV, a live stream news coverage on the White House’s official Youtube Account. “Let’s call it what it is: government-produced political propaganda, not journalism. There is no independent scrutiny, no accountability and no obligation to ask uncomfortable questions. As someone from Nicaragua, I am particularly sensitive to what happens when governments try to control the information people receive. Democracy requires an independent press, not a president’s personal highlight reel. The president should be answering questions from journalists, not trying to replace them with a channel that answers to him,” Baltodano said. And I agree. This is a blatant state run media with no push back or critique from the public. Who would dare stand up and question the government if that causes you to get banned from the White House. How can they be transparent and honest about what they do if they don’t want people who ask questions there. What is it that they don’t want to confront? The war with Iran? The Epstein files? The price of groceries? Our aging president? What is going on in the White House? “Good journalism is transparency. Good journalism is checking the government. Good journalism is journalism acting as the fourth estate, right? Good journalism comes from freedom of the press… if we start to limit freedom of the press, if we start to limit what journalists can do we start to remove them from rooms, we start to lose a big chunk of our history,” Cuslidge-Staiano said.
‘It’s never too early to start thinking about college’ BY KELLIE MENDEZ
T
Staff Writer
hat’s what an article on the Delta College website, attributed to Delta College’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, Alex Breitler, said in promotion of the Sept. 1 College Night event. So how early should students start thinking about college? The answer includes big discussions about the finances involved in attending. It’s a question most people find themselves thinking about, especially with events such as the 49th annual College Night, which brings in representatives from over 40 universities to talk with students and families. The
event, which happens every fall, is open to the public and not just specifically soon-to-be-college attendees. In order to answer this question, we must destigmatize the financial conversations around higher education. For many people, freely talking about money is personal. Due to this avoidance, many families wait until students senior year to start looking into actual costs. From my experience, my mom and I started to entertain the idea of college my senior year of high school while in my Gov/Econ class which would only scratch the surface on college expectations. By the time I had finally enrolled, it had already been a year post-graduation, and we were still just evaluating
costs ourselves. In order to get more detailed information we would be advised to attend after school meetings for parents and students who wanted to know more. In reality not everyone has the ability to do that. For working parents with inconsistent schedules, transportation issues and parents managing childcare make these meetings almost impossible to attend. With all of this in mind it’s clear that to prevent others from the same setback I faced, we must introduce real costs both at home and in school. That way when families look at college costs in their local area it becomes less of a budget crisis but a strategy. According to Delta College’s web-
site a California resident will have to pay $49 per unit assuming a 12-unit schedule families will be spending $590 per semester (which includes mandated fees). An out-of-state resident is looking at $4,526 for the same class load. Understanding your budget doesn’t mean attending college will be unattainable.The earlier students and families can find resources such as financial aid, for local students the California College Promise Grant, and scholarships that can help cover tuition. By normalizing financial conversations at home and looking into local paths early, higher education becomes less of a financial burden and more like an achievable step.
10 Entertainment
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/entertainment
Symphonic band performs Fall Festival at Delta BY RYCKIE HEREDIA Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 29, the Delta Symphonic Band performed with the Stockton Concert Band at Delta College Atherton Auditorium. Delta Symphonic Band, conducted by M.J. Wamhoff, performed a total of three pieces: “Fanfare for a New Era”, “Salvation is Created” and lastly “Thawing.” Justine Louie, a Delta alumna, graduated in the Spring of 2023, transferred to Fresno State, and got her Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.), and graduated in the Spring of 2026. She was originally in the Stockton Concert Band, but she sat in the Delta Symphonic Band and performed with them as well, gave her thoughts on the performance. “We have some intonation problems and maybe listening across the band,” said Louie. “But overall, I think we did amazing. And Atherton, it’s probably one of the best auditoriums I’ve played in…” The second half of the concert was then performed by Stockton Concert Band, directed by Arthur J. Holton Jr. Stockton Concert Band performed a total of seven songs: “Mount Everest,” “Portas,” “Blue Ridge Reel,” “Machu Picchu - City in the Sky,” “Appalachian Morning,” “Appalachian Overture” and lastly their encore of a cover of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
Top left: Stockton concert band director Arthur J. Holto Jr. waits to start his next piece at Warren Atherton Auditorium, on Sept. 29. Top right: Stockton Concert Band performing at Warren Atherton Auditorium on Sept. 29. Right: Tim Daly announces the background of songs on Sept. 29 for the Fall Festival of Bands. PHOTOS BY RYCKIE HEREDIA
At the end of their performance Holton Jr. gave a speech of how Dolly Parton grew up in severe poverty and grew up playing in her band, unable to buy her own instrument. She played percussion and served as a majorette in the Sevier County High School Marching Band before graduating in 1964. Parton discreetly invested years in providing marching band instruments, equipment, and uniforms for underfunded high schools mainly serving Black communities in East Tennessee and nearby regions.
So in honor of her recent death, Stockton Concert Band performed a cover of “9 to 5.” “I was very pleased with their performance,” said Wamhoff via email. “We’ve made a great deal of progress so far this semester. The band this year is young, with many new musicians. Last year twenty-five members graduated and transferred to the four-year universities of their choice, so we’re definitely in a rebuilding situation. Given that context, I was especially happy with how far the ensemble has already come.”
Macklemore starts independent tour after leaving Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ BY LEVI GOERZEN Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 24 Macklemore announced the Macklemore and Friends Free Palestine tour. This tour comes after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” due to his public support of Palestine. The tour currently consists of three dates in Paris, Dublin and England that all sold out Sept. 30, the first day tickets were available. More shows in Europe as well as shows in the United States are currently being planned. All proceeds are to go to organizations supporting Palestine and the Palestinian movement according to the tour announcement. On Sept. 4, Macklemore performed “Hind’s Hall” at Met Life stadium, and echoed his sentiments of “Free Palestine.” The song in question criti-
cizes the government of Israel, police departments and supports free speech crediting college students for speaking up. “If the West was pretendin’ that you didn’t exist. You’d want the world to stand up and the students finally did,” sang Macklemore. After the Met Life shows, the Israeli American Council, an activist organization, posted a petition demanding that Ed Sheeran and tour management drop Macklemore from the remainder of the Loop Tour. Then on Sept. 6, artist Pink reposted a message from the Activist Group “Stop Antisemitism” that called for Macklemore to make a public apology as well as be dropped from the tour. In an instagram post a week later Pink called Hamas a terrorist organization and goes on to say that she grieves the death of every child who
has died in the war between Palestine and Israel. “Hamas is a terrorist organization. Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations,” said Pink. “Protecting innocent life comes first, everywhere, and nobody should ever celebrate the death of a child. Anybody’s child.” On Sept. 14, Macklemore was officially dropped from the tour following a complaint from Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, where Ed Sheeran’s tour was supposed to play on Sept. 25 and 26 however the shows were canceled due to weather concerns. Kraft released a statement defending the banning of Macklemore from Gillette. “Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue
do not provide a platform for hate speech,” said Kraft. On Sept. 15, remaining supporting acts for Sheeran dropped from the tour, including Aaron Rowe, Fineas, Lukas Graham and Sheeran’s supporting band Beoga. Through all this controversy Sheeran has chosen to continue his long held apolitical stance, aiming to not take a side in order to avoid alienating any fans of his. This decision remains ironic as Macklemore believes that there is no neutral position in oppression. “Yet the music industry’s quiet, complicit in their platform of silence, what happened to the artist? What d’you got to say? If I was on a label, you could drop me today, I’d be fine with it ‘cause the heart fed my page,” sang Macklemore in “Hind’s Hall,” the very song that caused him to be dropped from Sheeran’s tour.
11 Sports
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/sports
Women’s Golf team stands out at Spanos Reserve BY ELSA HILLSTROM Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Sept.30, the Mustang Women’s Golf team squared off against four other community colleges in the No. 4 Big 8 Conference match. The schools participating in Wednesday’s match that Delta College hosted at The Reserve at Spanos Park included Napa Valley College, Modesto Junior College, Sacramento City College and Sierra College. With five schools entering no more than six players each, tee times were broken up into groups of three to five opponents in each round; only the top four scores for each team counted in the rankings. The event kicked off at noon with Mustang sophomore Aubrey Reyes taking a tremendous swing to send her ball soaring towards the first hole. Followed by teammates freshman Dastsani Sam, freshman Clare Cook, freshman Gaby Fender, freshman Emily Camara, sophomore Shayne Hackney, and freshman Riley DeSantiago. With a personal best (PB) of 80, Reyes said her focus for the day was “keeping the ball in play,” and when asked how she felt about the day’s match, she answered, “Excited, I know this course!”
So far this season, several more players have scored their PB, including Sam with 70, DeSantiago with 84 and Camara with 84, resulting in the Delta Women’s team sitting in 5th overall in the Big 8 Conference standings. With eleven total match-ups in the Conference before heading to NorCal Regionals next month, the players and coaches are hopeful for a good season. “The team has a chance to make it to State. It will take a team effort. No one individual is the key, each player must use their strengths to play their own best game and as a team we can come together successfully,” said Coach Tony Troncale Tony Troncale began Delta’s Women’s Golf Team in 2008 and has continued coaching the team; in 2010, he became the head coach for Delta’s Men’s golf team that competes in the
Left: Delta College sophomore Shayne Hackney watches her ball head toward the first hole at the No. 4 Big 8 Conference at The Reserve at Spanos Park. Above: Delta College sophomore Aubrey Reyes pulls back her club to begin the No. 4 Big 8 Conference at The Reserve at Spanos Park on Sept. 30. PHOTOS BY ELSA HILLSTROM
spring. Sharing his love of the sport and extensive experience, Lifetime PGA member Coach Troncale manages the tournament at Spanos Reserve while still checking in with his Delta players and preparing them for the day’s match. With support from wife Dawn, service-trained dog “Caddie” and team
mom Leticia Sampson, the golfers are prepared for the warm fall day with snacks, water and electrolytes. “I love it here,” said Manteca native Emily Camara, a freshman. For further matches this fall, you can see the schedule at deltacollegeathletics. com/sports/wgolf/2026-27/schedule
‘Out of the Net’ brings together LGBTQIA+ community for volleyball BY EDEN ATTWOOD Feature Editor
“Out on the Net” is a public, pro-LGBTQIA+ volleyball club started earlier this year. The club meets every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. in Victory Park and is currently inviting more people to join. Although the club is self-labeled as “Stockton’s gay volleyball club,” they accept people of any sexual orientation or skill level. Each meetup starts with stretches and a warmup to gauge the skill level of everyone present, as to assure all teams present will have a fair and fun game. Out on the Net was started by Alexis Razo to combat the rise of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate speech in the country and provide a pillar of safety. Its main goal is to give the queer community a place to relax, listen to music, and play volleyball without the hassle of meeting in far busier and more distant public spaces. “Out on the Net was mostly created to give queer people a safe space, a place to build community, and just a consistent place to meet up without having to make it a whole big thing where you gotta go out of state or city or anything,” said Razo. Although the club is small, the turnout has
greatly increased since the club’s creation. Initially it started out with just Razo and a friend casually playing volleyball, before the thought of a publicly queer volleyball club “ate away” at him, leading to the creation of Out on the Net. “Stockton has a lot of LGBT people, and there’s nowhere consistent for us to be together,” said Razo about the creation of the club. “I’m hoping to have it be basically a small pride fest every Friday. Then maybe people can bring food and do potlucks,” he continued. The meetup on Sept. 25 had approximately 16 people consistently playing with a half-dozen more people spectating. The club is looking to grow its numbers and cement its place as a safe hang-out spot for both queer and non-queer people who have nowhere else to go. “The first time we met no one showed up right? The second time eight people came, and then it’s kinda been slowly growing and growing. Hopefully it’ll just get bigger and better,” said Razo. So far, their numbers have fluctuated but have kept “growing and growing.” The Out on the Net Instagram page, going by @out_on_the_net, currently has 157 followers and consistently Pearl Banks reaches for the ball during “Out at the Net” at Victory posts about upcoming meet-ups and updates to Park in Stockton on Sept. 25. PHOTO BY LEVI GOERZEN the location or activities.
12 Sports
Oct. 9, 2026 deltacollegian.net/sports
MUSTANGS LOSE 2-3 AGAINST LAKE TAHOE BY RYCKIE HEREDIA Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 25, the Delta College soccer team took on Lake Tahoe Community College at home, losing their fourth game of the season. The Mustangs started off with a bang, and within the first minute of the 45 minute half, No. 9, Hayden Sandjak, scored. The Mustangs played hard in the first half ending the first half to 1-0 with the Mustangs up, and keeping Lake Tahoe on their half of the field, while defending their goal. With Lake Tahoe kicking off the second half, both teams aggressively work hard to score another goal. With 19 minutes left of the game, No. 00, Josue Navaro came out of the goal, almost to the halfway line, to kick the ball. Resulting in the ball ricocheting off Lake Tahoe’s player No. 3 Quinton Alewine. Leading to the ball slowly rolling into the Mustangs goal, causing a tied game. Two minutes left on the clock, No. 29, Yoell Montes makes a breakthrough, and scores their second goal of the game, giving them a 2-1 lead. “I see the ball coming to me, and then I’m thinking, I have to hit it on a one time, because they’re both gonna come at me,” said No. 29, Yoell Monte. Celebrating too early, the Mustangs let their guard down, allowing No. 23, Alexis Soto from Lake Tahoe to score their second goal, tying the game once again 2-2. Tired, the Mustangs fight to score the winning goal, trying to end in a win, but No. 17, Mason Franks from Lake Tahoe scores, ending the game to 2-3, with Lake Tahoe winning. “To be honest, every game, the last five minutes of the game, our heads, like the coach says that we have, HPM, which is high performance mode and low performance mode,” said Monte. “It just drops because, like, bodies are tired, and we’re
Top left: No. 16 Mario Franco takes the ball from No. 16 on Lake Tahoe Community College. Above: No. 9 Hayden Sandjak fights for the ball on a Mustangs throw-in against No. 20 on Lake Tahoe Community College. PHOTOS BY RYCKIE HEREDIA
mentally, like, not there in the last five minutes, and I think we got to fix that, going to the league.” For more information on
upcoming games, visit the San Joaquin Delta College Athletics website at www.deltacollegeathletics.com/sports/msoc/202627/schedule.
Top right: The Mustangs defence makes a wall and blocks Lake Tahoe’s free kick. Above: No. 5 Eduardo Torres Corral takes a free kick for the Mustangs against Lake Tahoe. Left: No. 11 Gianni Rigault takes a free kick for the Mustangs. PHOTOS BY RYCKIE HEREDIA