Top Left: Wide Recevier Troy Davis makes a diving grab during Delta College’s game against Hartnell at the Lawrence A. DeRicco Field at Delta College on Sept. 6.
Right: Defensive Back Don’jhae Hardin making a tackle during Delta College’s game against Hartnell at the Lawrence A. DeRicco Field at Delta College on Sept. 6. PHOTOS BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT Right: Running back Maurice Griffin Jr. is lifted by tight end Victor Canche after a touchdown against Coalinga at the Lawrence A. DeRicco Field at Delta College on Sept. 13. PHOTO BY LAYLA CARRASCO Above: Kicker William Henderson kicking off during Delta College’s game against Hartnell at the Lawrence A. DeRicco Field at Delta College on Sept. 6. PHOTO BY LEVI GOERZEN Right: Assistant Head Coach Gary Hyman coaching during Delta College’s game against Hartnell at the Lawrence A. DeRicco Field at Delta College on Sept. 6. PHOTO BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT
ATHLETICS FIELDS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
STORIES BY LEVI GOERZEN Sports Editor
In 2022, Delta College Baseball, Softball, Football, and Track had to move off campus because of safety concerns, as the fields were damaged. Softball returned to campus on March 29, football returned on Sept. 6, and track and baseball have yet to play on campus again.
While the fields were deemed unsafe for use, Delta College Athletics used alternate venues such as Ronald E. McNair High School, University of the Pacific and Billy Hebert Field.
Not having a home field came with its unique disadvantages.
“A big part of practice even, was us having to get our gear go to UOP every day, when we were doing that it was more a lack of safety,” said defensive back Nadar Williams, a former Collegian writer. “For example when we are here if I forget my kneepads or something I could just run back into the locker-room, compared to if I was at UOP then I would have to drive.”
At the Sept. 6, 2022, board meeting $13 million of funds
from the Measure L bond were approved to renovate the sports complexes.
At the Nov. 21, 2023, board meeting, McGuire & Hester was chosen to conduct the construction of the athletic complex.
The project was completed using a “design-build” process, where one entity both designs and builds the project to ensure that the project is finished faster, and several entities don’t have to communicate back and forth.
Construction on the fields began during the summer of 2024. Softball was finished first, followed by baseball after their season had concluded and then the football field and track were finished over the summer of 2025.
After three years of playing without a home-field advantage, athletes finally get to enjoy having a home crowd that represents the spirit of Delta athletics.
In the two games they have played at home, Mustangs football is 1-1, defeating Hartnell College 44-14 and losing to Colinga College 28-21.
“It really felt like home, it felt very warm. Our crowd showed out, showed a lot, helped us be in the game, our crowd stay-
ing in the game with us all 60 minutes, it just felt good to be home,” said defensive back Dinero Burgess after the Mustangs’ win over Hartnell.
Mustangs win first game on new home turf
On Sept. 6, the Mustangs football team played its first game on campus in three years and snapped its 12game loss streak with a 44-14 win over Hartnell College.
The Panthers received the ball to start the game; however, the Mustangs forced a turnover on downs, which was then responded to with seven consecutive run plays and a 10-yard touchdown run from running back Julian Benton. A fumbled snap on the extra point left the Mustangs up 6-0 in the first.
At the end of the first quarter, defensive back Darion Stroman intercepted a pass from Panther’s Adam Shaffer to give the Mustangs the ball, resulting in a 2-yard rush from quarterback Ubedei McGautha, the extra point from William Henders is good, putting the Mustangs up 13-0 after the first.
The Panthers would start the scoring in the second with a 5-yard touchdown pass to make the score 13-7. This was quickly answered by a 41-yard passing touchdown to Treavon Spivey to make the score 20-7 Mustangs.
22 Mustang penalty yards, consisting of a personal foul from defensive back Dinero Burgess, and an
encroachment penalty, would put the Panthers in the red zone, but a fumble recovered by Stroman would prevent a score and give the Mustangs back the ball.
“I just knew that penalty wasn’t the type of player that I was, and I just had to make sure I came down and focus, lock in, and play to the ability I play at,” said Burgess.
The Mustangs would then turn over on downs, giving the Panthers the ball at their 27. A 73-yard touchdown drive would make the score 20-14 going into the half.
The Mustangs struck early in the second half with an 85-yard kick return from running back Maurice Griffin Jr., putting them at the Panthers’ 10. Griffin would then make a 5-yard touchdown run, making the score 27-14.
Two interceptions from Burgess would provide the Mustangs with the opportunity to score a pair of touchdowns, making the score 41-14, and a field goal late in the third put the Mustangs up 44-14.
The crowd was noticeably larger than it had been in past years playing at McNair High School, creating a feeling of hospitality for players.
“It feels amazing, you know, we haven’t had this home
crowd, real school campus feeling in so long. I feel on top of the world right now,” said McGautha. “We just got to stay focused and get that ready for the rest of the season.”
Next week on Sept. 13 the Mustangs would go up against Coalinga college.
The Mustangs would start the scoring early with a 3 yard touchdown run from running back Maurice Griffin and a 77 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ubedei McGautha to wide receiver Jon Hunter.
Coalinga would answer with two touchdowns of their own in the second however the Mustangs would retake the lead with a 14 yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs back up 21-14.
Both teams go scoreless in the third quarter however a trick play from Coalinga would tie the game at 21 then a 54 yard touchdown pass put Coalinga ahead 21-28 with 4:49 left to play.
The Mustangs would drive down to the red zone where a Coalinga interception with 47 seconds left would leave the Mustangs with no chance to score ending the game 21-28.
Overhead photos of the athletics fields at Delta College on Sept. 11.
PHOTOS BY THE COLLEGIAN
FOOTBALL HAS HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE AGAIN
DeltaEDITORIAL
College football is finally home. With the renovated field ready for play, Mustang athletes no longer have to call someone else’s turf their “home.” This goes beyond a construction project completed, it means the restoration of something our athletes have been asking for all along: the true advantage of playing where you belong.
As Collegian’s own Nadar Williams wrote last fall, the absence of a home field left athletes without the basic foundation every team deserves. Quarterback Keyon Nelson described it clearly: “Not having a place to call ours means we miss out on that traditional sense of home. It affects our preparation and overall morale.” Those aren’t just words. They capture what every player knows: home-field advantage is real. When athletes compete on famil iar ground, they don’t just know where the sun hits at kickoff or how the turf feels under their cleats. They know their routine. It’s about their comfort. It’s about
seeing classmates, professors, and family filling the stands. It’s the psychological boost that tells players: this is ours.
Rhodes, who plays both football and runs track, pointed out another truth, one that goes beyond X’s and O’s. “If we had our track, I think more people would come out.”
Crowds matter. Fans matter. They’re part of what turns a game into an event, what makes every play feel bigger, and what reminds athletes that their campus is behind them.
And that’s exactly what’s been missing. Playing at McNair High School created distance; not just in miles, but also in spirit. Students without cars couldn’t show up. Families
“home” games often felt like neutral sites. Now that gap has finally been closed. With football returning to campus, Delta has the chance to rebuild what was lost: connection, energy and pride. But it’s important to remember how long it took to get here. Facilities shape both competition and community. When they’re delayed, students feel it. When they’re prioritized, students thrive.
This fall is our reset. Our Mustangs have their home. Now it’s on the rest of us to show up. To crowd into the bleachers, to be the noise and the energy they’ve been missing. Because home-field advantage doesn’t just come from the field itself. It comes from the people in the stands, reminding players that they belong here, that they’re supported, that they’re not alone.
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.
The athletes are ready. The field is waiting. The only question left is: will we, as a campus community, show up and give our teams the home-field advantage they’ve been longing for?
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES ED CUTS
Minority-serving institutions poised to lose grants, Delta would be impacted
BY ANDREA BALTODANO Editor-in-Chief
In a sweeping shift that uproots decades of bipartisan higher‑education policy, the Trump administration today announced it will end $350 million in federal discre tionary grants aimed at minority‑serving institutions. By declaring these programs unconstitutional, the administration is tar geting the Hispanic‑Serving Institutions (HSI) grant program and several others that link eligibility to racial or ethnic stu dent population thresholds. The decision stems from a lawsuit filed in June by the State of Ten nessee and Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), the same group behind the land mark case overturning affirmative action in admissions in 2023. They contend HSIs and similar programs impose unconstitu tional racial quotas on eligibility, violating the Fifth Amendment’s Equal Protection guarantee, according to the Associated Press.
In a July letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer confirmed that the Justice Depart ment will not defend the HSI program. Sauer cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 which claims HSI’s designations “violate the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon echoed the DOJ’s stance, stating that “dis crimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States.” In an of ficial statement issued Wednesday, she an nounced the Department will reprogram discretionary funds away from the targeted programs and will work with Congress to support under resourced institutions with out using race based criteria.
PROGRAMS AFFECTED AND FINANCIAL STAKES
The HSI grant program, established by Congress in 1998, channels funds to institutions where at least 25 percent of undergraduates are Hispanic. It accounts for more than $250 million of the $350 million being cut. The remainder includes other programs targeting schools where at least 40 percent of students are Black, and those serving high percentages of Asian American, Native American, Pacific Is
lander, Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian stu dents.
These grants have sup ported more than 5000 institutions nationwide, including more than 600 HSIs overall. In Cali fornia alone, at least 171 campuses — spanning University of California, California State Uni versity, and community college systems — stand to lose substantial federal support, data from In sideHigherEd showed.
Supporters warn of immediate harm to in stitutions serving high proportions of minori ty, low income, and first generation students. David Mendez, interim CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), called the administration’s move “troubling” and “unjust” in a press release issued Wednesday), emphasizing that the program helps level uneven playing fields.
LEGAL AND POLICY UNCERTAINTIES
BROADER IMPLICATIONS: EQUITY IN CRISIS?
“More
Even though the administration has begun halting funding for new and non competing continuation awards, it cannot unilaterally abolish the HSI program. Congressional legislation — specifically, the Higher Education Act — codifies the program. Termination would require legislative action or a fi nal court ruling. Meanwhile, HACU has filed a motion to intervene in Tennessee v. United States Education Department to defend the program. Judge Katherine A. Crytzer has not yet ruled on that mo tion.
At Delta College, where more than 51 percent of the student body identifies as Latinx and nearly 20 percent as Asian American, Filipino, or Pacific Island er, administrators say they are watching the situation closely and are concerned about the potential long term fallout.
“We anticipate multiple challenges to the legality of the Department of Edu cation’s announcement,” said Alex Bre itler, Director of Marketing and Com munications. “The impact of this action
than 70 percent of Delta’s students are considered lower-income and many are the first in their families to attend college, eliminating or reducing funds would lead to long-term losses for our underrepresented students and our community.”
- Alex Breitler
remains unclear, but we want to assure students and employees alike that we are fully in support of the programs and ser vices that could be impacted by a loss of grant funding.”
Breitler noted that the potential loss of Title V and other HSI or AANAPI SI related funds could affect key pro grams such as tutoring, advising, transfer services, and culturally responsive learn ing communities. These include initia tives like EPIC and APIAE, which offer linked courses, leadership development, and mental health support.
While no formal contingency plan has been released, Breitler confirmed that campus leaders are “examining potential strategies” to preserve student support systems and “will examine all potential paths forward to maintain these import ant programs and services.”
Since taking office, President Trump has pushed a broader rollback of diversity, eq uity, and inclusion (DEI) measures across the federal government. Increased scrutiny on DEI and race conscious policy reflects a governmental shift toward race neutral approaches, but critics argue that without such support, inequities will widen.
Research conducted by New America, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, warned the move may deepen disparities in access, retention, and completion rates for Latino and other underrepresented stu dents, many of whom rely on HSI funding for academic support, infrastructure up grades, and institutional capacity building.
WHAT’S NEXT
Courts must decide whether programs like HSIs are constitutional. The Justice De partment’s refusal to defend them gives plain tiffs a legal advantage, but outcomes remain uncertain. Lawmakers may choose to defend the program via statutory codification, over ride the administration’s changes, or propose new frameworks to support under resourced institutions without racial thresholds.
Thousands of colleges face budgetary gaps. Community colleges, like Delta, could see cuts to federal funding that sup port student services, remedial programs, and infrastructure.
Students walk in the Dolores Huerta Plaza in front of the Science and Mathematics Building in mid September. PHOTO BY JEWELS ESTRADA
Delta Board OKs AI chatbot extension
BY JARRED WRIGHT Senior Staff Writer
Delta’s board of trustees moved to renew an annual contract for an AI chatbot with the company BlackBel tHelp (BBH), costing the school $96,417.70.
In the 2025 purchase agreement, the contract with BBH includes an annual 7 percent increase, which this year added $6,307.70 to the original cost.
The subscription, approved for renewal on Aug. 19, was previously approved in 2023 and 2024, according to documents ratifying purchase orders.
The AI tool, dubbed “Fierce the Mustang” and modeled after Delta’s mascot, is intended to help specifically with tech related questions. It can be found on the bottom right of the Mustang Tech Squad page on Delta’s website.
The tool is distinct from the LiveChat box featured on other pages of the Delta website, which encourages users to chat directly with a school employee that can assist them, or fill out a ticket if no person is available at that time.
“BBH was initially set up specifically to support stu dents and the tech loan program, so it was not rolled out to other webpages,” said Dave Marciel, Delta’s Director of Information Technology.
In Collegian testing, however, Fierce does not always provide up to date information.
Upon being prompted with the chatbot’s suggested prompt, “Return Tech Loaner Devices,” the bot responds
in part with, “If you have checked out a loaner tech de vice, please return it at the end of each semester. Devices Loaned in Fall 2023 must be returned by Dec. 15, 2023.”
When the prompt is updated to specify the current year and semester, the same response is given.
Rephrasing the prompt to “what day are loaner lap tops due to be returned in fall 2025?,” gives the user a generic response describing Delta’s Loaner Program and directs them to choose from a variety of options, one of which is the suggested prompt.
Similarly, the bot advises to “Mark your calendars!,” for “Thursday, August 10, 2023,” when asked, “what date can I borrow?”
To “what date can I return a borrowed laptop?” Fierce responds with a concise and uncapitalized “sure,” and when prompted with “What can I borrow?,” replies with the misspelled “I am here to answere your queries.”
According to Joe Heltzel, Assistant Vice President for Customer Success with BBH, the system is “not true AI in the sense of what we’d consider AI today…it’s work ing from a fixed FAQ…when the question comes in its pulled into the system, internally the AI picks up on key words.”
The chatbot is designed to provide 24/7 student sup port, as BlackBeltHelp’s website advertises, but when prompted with tech related queries such as, “My com puter is not turning on,” or, “What happens if I break a computer on campus?,” the bot replies to both with,
“Delta has several places that you may use to check your mail,” before recommending the user visit several on campus locations.
Marciel says, “it has a feature to request a live support person from BBH available 24/7. If the support person is not able to assist the student at that moment, they es calate the ticket back to the SJDC IT Department for an MTS member to address.”
The contracted 24/7 live support is based on data giv en to BBH by the school, said Heltzel.
The 2025 purchase order includes a $75,130 charge to the school based on a projection of an anticipated 11,000 interactions.
“The contract is written as such so it’s up to 11,000 interactions …I don’t want to say use it or lose it, use it or you don’t. That’s what the institution based on historical data, and our analysis of the data as well,” said Heltzel.
These interactions include chats with the AI, inter actions with a human agent, emails, and phone calls through BBH, provided the latter last longer than a minute.
If Delta goes above the projection, it will pay more based on the original service agreement. If it goes under the projection, the original baseline payment to BBH is maintained.
“BBH is moving away from their current interaction model … We recognize that the interaction model is an tiquated,” Heltzel said.
Unemployment increases in August report, 7.4 million without jobs
BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT Senior Staff Writer
As of August 2025, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recorded the national unemployment rate at 4.3 percent, marking a 0.10 percent increase from July and a 0.30 percent increase from the beginning of the year.
Approximately 7.4 million Americans are unemployed, but there has only been a net increase of 22,000 to the total “nonfarm payroll employment” statistics. These statistics are consistent with a wave of layoffs that has carried on through all of 2025 so far, most notably in the fed eral employment sector.
California “accounted for 20.5 percent of the nation’s overall July gain,” according to the Employment Development Department (EDD)
The healthcare and social assis tance industries experienced the largest decrease in the number of job openings, with a reduction of
more than 180,000 positions.
Although the rate at which unemployment in the country is increasing, it has not yet risen to April 2020’s peak of 14.8 per cent. The trend in BLS research has been indicating a steady in crease in unemployment since October 2023, which peaked at 3.7 percent for the year.
The last time the country faced a similarly steady rise was in the two years leading up to the Great Recession, which peak ed at 10 percent in October of 2009, following the largest hous ing market crash in U.S. history.
The circumstances surround ing the numbers are largely dif ferent this time around howev er, as there is no singular factor that contributes to current un employment data.
In 2008, the housing market collapsed after being propped up by predatory lending prac tices like subprime mortgages offered by banking institutions to people who would end up defaulting or becoming delin
quent on their loans due to adjustable in terest rates.
According The Rise in Mortgage Defaults, published by the Fed eral Reserve Board (FRB) in 2008, “… by the second quarter of 2008, the share of seriously delinquent mortgages had surged to 4.5 percent. These delinquencies fore shadowed a sharp rise in foreclosures.”
Today, industries across the country that rely on imports are facing a litany of tariffs that are con tributing to the rising inflation rate at a time when healthcare and housing costs are ab surdly high and federally fund ed assistance programs and jobs are being slashed.
for the rising cost of manufacture.
These industries have largely turned to layoffs to compensate
The average cost of a sin gle family home in the United States has experienced a sharp incline month over month ac
cording to the Federal Hous ing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, from ap proximately $275,000 in 2020 to more than $450,000 in 2025.
CIVILIAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
BOARD QUESTIONS USE OF CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS
District justifies
‘historic’ use
BY ZACKARY KIRK-NEWTON Editor-in-Chief
At the Sept. 9 board meeting, Delta’s 2025 26 budget was approved follow ing a barrage of questions from board members and public commenters alike.
The $154,477,667 budget includes various transfers, such as $1 million set aside from capital funds towards campus beautification and a nearly $2,050,000 decrease to facilities maintenance.
Questions over the budget started during public comment, where Harry Mersmann, a Delta professor of sociol ogy and member of the Planning and Budget Committee, asked about poten tial violations of shared governance pro cesses.
Mersmann provided printouts of the budgets that had been approved at plan ning and budget on Aug. 25 and what was shown at the Presidents Council on Sept. 4.
“In pink you will notice all of the changes,” Mersmann said as he went through the pages. “The items that were changed from what was approved at [the Planning and Budget Committee meeting].”
The highlighted changes had been suggested by Mersmann but were nev er voted on, instead being added to the budget before the President’s Council meeting.
“He [Vice President of Administrative Services Augustine Chavez] took some of my comments and made those modi fications, but the problem is there was no motion at Planning and Budget to move those forwards,” said Mersmann.
For these changes to be approved by Planning and Budget, it would have had to have been sent back from President’s Council — delaying the entire process. A vote to do just that did not succeed, according to Chavez.
“There was a vote to send it back to the Planning and Budget Committee,” said Chavez about the Sept. 4 President’s Council meeting. “That vote did not pass.”
Following the vote to send the bud get back to the President’s Council there was a successful vote to move it forward to the Board of Trustees.
“I will leave it up to you, whether we believe that is shared governance,” Chavez told the board before moving on to further questions.
As the meeting left public comment, questions of the actual content of the budget became the focus of many of the
of funds for renewal on scheduling system
board members.
Concerns were raised about the amount placed into facilities maintenance which marked a decrease of more than $2 million from the previous budget.
“$2,800,000 going all the way down to $750,000,” said Trustee Armando Valerio, noting that the campus was in a great deal of need. “What is that gonna accomplish, cutting the grass and paint ing? Is that enough?”
“I think that’s what’s available,” said Chavez, citing inflation and budget pri ority as the principal causes for the lack of funding towards maintenance. “I’ll be honest, $750,000 doesn’t fund quite a lot … inflation is a real factor.”
If, during the year, the need arises for repairs it would have to be put in front of the board once more, potentially de laying repairs.
“The budget approved last week does reflect a need to tighten our belts due to the state budget deficit and the tran sition away from COVID era funding protections,” said Alex Breitler, Direc tor of Marketing and Communications, who responded to questions directed to Chavez. “That said, we recognize that $750,000 will likely not fund a large number of projects, given inflation. It is possible that, as needs arise during the year, we may return to the Board with requests to prioritize certain mainte nance projects.”
While answering questions from the board about facilities maintenance and the methodology around the budget, Chavez noted that IT was an outlier in terms of its funding source, with its budget coming from capital projects funds.
“We fund our ERP (Enterprise Re source Planning), and our core systems, students information systems, and our HR systems, we fund those first, and we fund them through the capital projects bud get,” said Chavez, which prompted further questions from the Board of Trustees.
“I believe that I heard Mr. Chavez say that IT operations is funded through cap ital projects. Did I hear that correctly?,” asked trustee Charles Jennings. “Because my understanding is that capital projects are one time expense kind of things.”
The 2024 25 Adopted Budget de fines the capital projects fund as being used for “the acquisition or construc tion of significant capital outlay items, and Scheduled Maintenance and Spe
cial Repairs (SMSR) projects.” It also notes that money in the fund “shall be used only for capital outlay purposes.”
The California Department of Gen eral Services’ website defines capital out lay expenditures as “for the acquisition of land or other real property, construction, improvements, design, and equipment necessary in connection with a construc tion or improvement project.”
“Kind of, IT licensing is done through capital projects funds” said Chavez. “That’s been the historical way we’ve funded it for many years.”
Following this comment from Chavez, Jennings suggested to Board President Janet Rivera that the board should review the budget preparation process.
“I would like to suggest that the Board
President urge the Board Committee on Finance and Fiscal Over sight to begin a process to review and discuss the whole budget preparation process as it goes from adoption to how it’s utilized and implemented, and then how it rolls into the new budget process for next fiscal year,” said Jennings.
A Collegian review of board agendas indicates the Capital Projects fund being used for IT contracts as far back as No vember of 2019 during the implementa tion of the time and attendance manage ment system. Prior to this, the contracts cited “one time funds” as the source.
“This has long been the practice at Delta College. We’re looking into the historical reason for this and will share more information with the Board as re quested,“ said Breitler.
Delta observes Latine Heritage Month
BY REY VARGAS Staff Writer
“Understanding that multi-generational trauma is part of us, then multi-generational courage must also be part of us,” said Art Professor Mario Moreno.
That’s the message Moreno will bring to students and the community during his presentation of “El Arte Revolucionario: In Search of (Pancho) Villa y Adelita.” This is his sabbatical research focused on revolutionary art and reclamation of historical icons and folk heroes from Chicanx/Latine that have been appropriated or subject to misinformation.
Even labeled as “Gimmicky, unsophisticated or savages.” Moreno said.
The event will take place
Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Dreamer’s Success Center Holt 201.
Latine History month presents several events from September into October, including “Voices of Change: Dolores Huerta Speaks to the Next Generation” on Sept. 25.
Students, staff and community members are invited to attend this free program offered as part of the Latine History month event brought to you by the following partners: San Joaquin Delta College, Dreamers Success Center, SJDC Culinary arts, Phoenix scholars, Chicano Latine Faculty, San Joaquin Delta College Basic Needs Center.
In a world where people want to take a stand against injustice, but don’t know how, Moreno urges the answer: In order to fight back, we need
UPCOMING LATINE HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS
Loteria Bingo (El Invitado), Sept. 23 Mas Que Enough, Oct. 1
El Arte Revolucionario: In Search of (Pancho) Villa y Adelita, Oct. 8 Pushing Ahead, Living into Legacy: Avanzando el Legado, Oct. 15
to go back to the beginning.
It starts with “Cultura,” he said.
Moreno’s presentation traces back to revolutionary figures and Heroes of the Chicanx/Latine culture who have been archived or become obscure over time, in order to highlight and reclaim their narratives, breathing renewed life into their stories and sharing them with a new generation.
“This is about reclaiming the real history, not the caricatures used to sell potato
N.A.S.A. hosts paint and bead
BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT Senior Staff Writer
Following the first event on Sept. 9, the Native American Success Academy (N.A.S.A) hosted its second hands-on paint and bead workshop on Sept. 16 in Forum 110.
The event was organized by Darlene Solorio, manager for N.A.S.A., and welcomed people of all backgrounds.
“People have this preconceived notion of what native people should look like… so we cater to a lot of different backgrounds and tribes to highlight awareness,” Solorio said.
Students and faculty were welcomed to paint with acrylics and make jewelry with locally sourced material and plastic beads.
While the participants in the event were engaged in painting and bead threading, there were also conversations between associate professor of Native American Studies, Nia Gregory, and some of her former students about what it means to be native and how to protect the culture.
“We have a responsibility to use our voice in protecting our own narrative… when you know your story, you’re responsible for sharing it.” Gregory said.
For many of the members of
N.A.S.A., gift-giving is an opportunity to engage in cultural exchange between tribes.
“Our value isn’t material, it’s in our kin,“ Gregory said.
Although the event was a success, those in attendance expressed a need for more space to host N.A.S.A. events
“Sometimes I don’t even come in because there’s too many people and I don’t feel comfortable in crowded spaces,” said Angelica Magallanes, a former student of Gregory’s Intro to Native American Studies course.
chips, but stories about people who fought for justice,we are saturated with images that influence the perception of the dominant culture, which has an impact on minority communities, think Blazing Saddles and Frito Bandito,” said Moreno.
Moreno invites the community to step back into another world through an immersive experience with art, story, food, music and ceremony. The objective is for Students and community members to leave with a
workshop
deeper connection and understanding of their roots.
“We need to compress time and space so that we understand who we are, reclaiming our indigenous history and our historic roots to social justice,” said Moreno.
The San Joaquin Delta College website states: “San Joaquin Delta College celebrates Latine Heritage Month each year between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. Formerly named “Hispanic Heritage Month,” Latine Heritage Month celebrates the diverse Latine cultures of Stockton and surrounding communities. Celebrate with us all month long! Attend one of our featured events (see below).”
There is also Special programming from Delta College Radio station on 93.5 KWDC All month long.
Top: Samantha Martin displays the earrings she made to other attendees in Forum 110 during the Sept. 16 N.A.S.A. workshop. Bottom Left: Nia Gregory (left) hugging Darlene Solorio (right) at Foru 110 during the Sept. 16 N.A.S.A workshop. Bottom Right: Artwork on the wall at Forum 110. PHOTOS BY ELLIS GRIFFIN-JEWETT
Discord servers connect Delta classmates
BY ANDREA BALTODANO Editor-in-Chief
When Armir Camangian enrolled in BIO 31 this semester, he knew the reputation of the anatomy class: heavy memorization, late nights and study sessions that often left students overwhelmed.
Rather than go it alone, he built a Discord server where classmates could trade flashcards, swap notes and hold virtual study groups.
“It created the feeling of being in a classroom, but entirely online,” Camangian said, recalling how a similar setup helped him in Harvard’s free Intro to Python course where he learned the setup. “I do think this Discord model could expand to other classes or departments at Delta.”
The server is simple: organized channels for resources and conversations. Its impact goes beyond convenience.
For Camangian, it’s about making anatomy less isolating
and giving peers a way to lean on each other.
Discord’s popularity in higher education reflects what Delta students are experimenting with locally. The platform counts more than 150 million monthly users, with servers tied to over 200 colleges and universities worldwide, according to the education technology nonprofit Jisc. A systematic review published in Journal of Digital Life and Learning found Discord delivers “increased social presence” and “enhanced student learning outcomes” compared to more traditional platforms.
Faculty have taken notice.
Professor Adriana Brogger, who teaches in Delta’s Digital Media program, said she has seen students use Discord for years and believes it offers collaboration that Canvas can’t replicate.
“Discord allows students to communicate in real time and build community in a way that
Canvas or email just can’t compete with,” Brogger said. “Canvas is great for assignments, but not for collaboration with each other.”
She added that the platform helps students practice professional skills.
“With all the options for texting, file-sharing and screen-sharing, it’s very similar to Slack or Teams,” Brogger said. “Students are learning to manage multiple conversations, give and receive feedback and coordinate timelines. All of those are transferable skills.”
Still, she cautions students to be mindful. Privacy and distraction remain concerns, and she urges students to limit personal information and manage focus.
“With messages happening in real time, it might be a lot to manage,” Brogger said. “This is where setting timers or using the Pomodoro technique can help.”
The Pomodoro Technique is
a time-management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, designed to improve focus and reduce burnout. It works by breaking work into 25-minute intervals (called “pomodoros”) followed by short 5-minute breaks; after four pomodoros, a longer break (15-30 minutes) is taken, according to Pomodoro Technique’s website.
For Camangian, benefits outweigh risks. Anatomy exams demand sharp recall of hundreds of terms and diagrams, and having a space to quickly ask questions or check in with classmates makes the course less daunting.
What began as one student’s idea now hints at a broader shift in study culture at Delta: students building
Student-run food services open at Delta
BY ZEINA TOTAH Staff Writer
It’s time again for the return of the Student Chef and the Mustang Cafe. Located in Danner 108, these student-run food service programs are operated by students in the Culinary Arts 9 Restaurant Operations class and the Culinary 19 Kitchen Management class.
The student-run food service operations started service on Sept. 9. Student Chef, Mustang Cafe, and Mustang Grill run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Student Chef requires reservations, while the other two options offer takeout services.
Associate Professor of Culinary Arts Andrew Griggs has been teaching in the field for 11 years. Griggs has spent the last two years at Delta focusing on teaching students new skills while keeping them on track. The focus has also been
on keeping customers happy and full, he said.
Culinary Arts 9 focuses on caretaking and serving at the restaurant, while Culinary 19 is the kitchen manager, focusing on cooking and prepping food for both the Student Chef restaurant and the newly-opened Mustang Grill.
Students enrolled in the classes work in all the roles related to food delivery, including server, runner, cook, cleaner and cashier.
The Mustang Grill is a new addition this year. Located inside the main Danner food service area, the menu includes grilled cheese, fries and burgers.
At the Mustang Grill, Delta student Marco Egas, 20, said “I don’t know if it’s the sauce but it tastes like In-N-Out to me.”
Nakita Dunbar, 34, said participating in the Culinary
Arts program has helped her with confidence and professionalism. Dunbar, who is in Culinary Arts 9, worked the front of house in early September. She expressed much gratitude for how much this program has helped her.
Jesus Cazares, 19, had prior experience before joining Delta’s program. He was in the FCCLA program and was nominated for many events. In high school, Cazares’ teacher saw a lot of potential in him, and that motivated him to keep going, he said. His job at Student Chef is serving food to customers this week.
Deila Calderon, staff, said she is grateful for the Student Chef on campus. She noted how much thought and creativity the students put into the restaurant and into creating unique dishes.
their own communities and reshaping how learning happens outside the classroom. Alongside peer-run spaces like Discord servers, students also lean on the official Delta College Facebook group, a school-moderated forum where they can ask questions, connect with classmates, and times even get answers directly from faculty or administrators. Together, these spaces reflect a growing mix of student-driven and institution-supported networks that extend campus life far beyond the classroom walls.
“It can be a great online study tool,” Brogger said. “It’s supportive. It helps students connect.”
For Camangian and his classmates, that’s exactly the point.
Top: Darren Echeverria seasoning pork chops in the Student Chef kitchen on Sept. 10. Bottom: Rodrigo Angeles working the register at the Student Chef restaurant on Sept. 10. PHOTOS BY
ZEINA TOTAH
EPIC CLUB KICKS OFF WITH BOBA BASH
BY RYCKIE HEREDIA Staff Writer
On Friday, Sept. 12, the EPIC Club hosted its first event of the year at Shima Green from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Eighty-four students attended the RSVP-required event, which provided boba for registered guests.
Throughout the Boba Bash, the club served snacks, including cookies, chips and fresh popcorn.
EPIC Club President Brandon Yang, a second-year member of the club, walked
around the event to hand out popcorn to students who had not gotten up and waited in line.
“I’m really happy with how it is going so far. When you’re with these people, you really feel like you’re in a community, so I’m just a person who wants to give back, so I wanted to give back however I could,” Yang said.
The event included multiple games, including Big Jenga, Big Uno, “Boba” pong, Big Connect Four, spoons, and corn hole. Club leaders also included three group games to bring all the members together to play.
The EPIC Learning Community (which includes the EPIC Club) at Delta
College was first launched in Spring 2016. EPIC works to help students grow as individuals and improve their leadership abilities so they may better serve their communities, according to Delta College website.
The EPIC Clubs’ goal is to enhance and assist students in reaching their long-term objectives. Members will be able to create relationships while giving back to the community, all while honoring Asian and Pacific Islander (API) cultures.
“They always help us. They also share with us scholarship programs and stuff like that, and I was able to get one of them, I think it’s called AAPI (Asian American and
Pacific Islander) scholarship, and I took advantage of that, and thanks to them, I got it, and it motivates me to keep going. Like, hey, look at me, I didn’t know I can come back to school and do this, and look at me. Even if I graduate, I feel like I should get back here, and you know, like try and get involved as much,” said Biak Sui, 25, who came back to Delta College due to the EPIC Club.
For more information, visit the San Joaquin Delta College website and look up clubs and organizations. EPIC Club also has social media you can visit for more information.
Restoration of Humbargar Garden underway
BY JOHN NGUYEN Feature Editor
Since the summer semester, the grounds department has been working on renovations for the Elizabeth Humbargar Tolerance Garden. The restoration of Humbargar Garden was reported on in a larger update of campus beautification projects at a study session on July 15.
According to Stacy Pinola, director of Facilities Planning and Management, the project came out of a joint request between Delta and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL).
Prior to the renovations, concrete near the benches and lights were broken, and aggressively spreading bamboo needed to be removed. As part of the work, concrete walkways were repaired, decomposed granite was added and new plants were planted in areas missing ground cover. The renovations for the project use the original development plan for the garden location, which debuted as the Tolerance Garden with
the opening of the DeRicco Building in 2009, according to news archives of DeRicco’s original construction partner Kitchell Progress. The garden was later dedicated to Elizabeth Humbargar by Delta and the Stockton chapter of the
JACL on April 14, 2012.
According to Pinola, the restoration project cost around $15,000 and was paid for with Capital Projects funds. The restoration is expected to be completed soon after the upcoming installation of a few benches.
According to the book “In Good Conscience: Supporting Japanese Americans during the Internment” by author Shizue Seigel, Humbargar and her sister moved from Kansas to Stockton in the 1920s
with her sister, later teaching English and math respectively at Stockton High School. During World War II, when Japanese American citizens were interned at the Stockton Assembly Center at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds’ location and Nisei Military Intelligence Service soldiers were assigned to a POW camp 16 miles southwest of Stockton, Humbargar delivered aid to interned Japanese American students and housed Nisei soldiers that were confined to base.
After the end of World War II, Humbargar helped revive the Stockton chapter of the JACL. She later left Stockton High School to become a counselor and leader for the ESL education teaching program, retiring in 1969 after teaching for forty-four years. Humbargar passed away in 1989.
walkway under construction at the Elizabeth Humbargar Tolerance Garden on Sept. 12.
Mikyla Cargo, a third-year San Joaquin Delta College student, plays boba pong at EPIC Club’s Boba Bash at Shima Green at the campus on Sept. 12. PHOTO BY RYCKIE HEREDIA
A
PHOTO BY JOHN NGUYEN
Horton Gallery hosts 16th annual Visions in Clay
BY BELINDA SEIBEL Entertainment Editor
The 16th annual Visions in Clay exhibit held at the Horton Art Gallery at Delta College is currently running until Sept. 25.
The exhibit is displaying 44 pieces from 44 ceramic artists from all across the country.
Nancy M. Servis is serving as juror to select the awards given out to the artists.
Artist Melodie Sidhu is a Delta College alumni, and is displaying her piece called “It’s Pouring” in this year’s exhibit.
Sidhu describes how she draws influence from her cultural background, the pouring vessel inspired by the brass teapots from the Mughal Empire in North India.
“Something that was new on this piece was incorporating my henna practice into it… I have a background in henna, so some of the work on there is inspired by those designs and similar motifs that I used in henna work,” said Sidhu.
Sidhu said her earliest artistic
influences were different Indian textiles, clothing, rugs and the overall very vibrant, colorful culture.
“It’s not necessarily the emphasis for me to connect to my culture, but it’s just in me, it just comes out naturally,” said Sidhu.
Artist Sandy Frank won the award for Regional Artist-in Residence for her piece “Legacy,” from her body of work called “HandWork” that uses hands as the recurring motif. Frank will come to Delta to do a demonstration in late September as part
“It’s Pouring,” left, by Melodie Sidhu and “Legacy,” above, by Sandy Frank on display at L.H. Horton Art Gallery at San Joaquin Delta College on Sept. 11. PHOTOS BY LEVI GOERZEN
of the award.
“All the hands are handing down a pearl to the very small hand at the end, and it’s about handing down wisdom through generations, it could be seen as handing down the treasures of the family, or the pearl of wis-
dom going down through the generations,” said Frank when describing “Legacy.”
Frank has been an anatomy professor at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for 18 years, and uses the intersection of art and science in her work.
“I really do like to use the human figure because everybody recognizes it, it has a vast amount of expression, and it’s something everybody can relate to,” said Frank.
Alyssa Erin Garcia, Delta student, illustrator and kids art teacher came to view the exhibit to get ideas for her art class from the pieces displayed.
“I really like [‘Legacy’], I think the hands and the anatomy is really cool, they put a lot of detail into it,” said Garcia.
Both Sidhu and Frank gave their appreciation for the opportunity to show their work in the Visions in Clay exhibit and for the expertise of the Art Gallery Coordinator Jan Marlese. Visions in Clay is open until Sept. 25 for viewing.
Hamilton raises millions for immigrant rights
BY ANDREA BALTODANO Editor-in-Chief
On Aug. 6, Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre pulsed with purpose as Lin-Manuel Miranda and the original Hamilton cast reunited for an intimate, invite-only performance marking the musical’s 10th anniversary.
Far from a mere celebration, the evening raised nearly $3 million for the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, a union of 14 nonprofits dedicated to defending and uplifting immigrant communities
The coalition, organized by the Hispanic Federation, includes organizations such as the National Immigration Law Center, Asian Law Caucus, Tahirih Justice Center, United We Dream and more. Funds will support legal services, advocacy and education efforts as immigration enforcement grows more aggressive.
The funds will go toward legal defense, youth programs, and advocacy efforts/ services that have had to stretch thin under pressure. Groups like United We Dream and the Asian Law Caucus say
they’re facing rising demand and fewer resources, especially as deportations ramp up.
Miranda, who provided the initial funding through his family and cast, described the initiative as “a fitting tribute” to a musical based on an immigrant Founding Father whose legacy mirrors that of many Americans today. “He came from the Caribbean, escaping harsh circumstances… and he really helped shape this country,” Miranda told AP, drawing a poignant parallel to his own cultural roots.
The impact of #Hamilten has already been felt. Over 125,000 donors contributed via a public sweepstakes, according to the Hispanic Federation website.
The initiative combines both fundraising and visibility. For the 14 organizations in the coalition, the money helps, but the spotlight matters more. Immigration services have seen years of underfunding and political attack. President Donald J. Trump’s administration terminated funding for legal aid to detained minors, dismantled internal watchdog
offices within DHS, prompted the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to end refugee aid contracts and forced massive layoffs at nonprofit refugee service providers.
“President Trump is ensuring taxpayer resources are used to protect the interests of American citizens, not illegal aliens,” the White House said in a Feb. 19 executive order called “President Donald J. Trump Ends Taxpayer Subsidization of
Open Borders.”
For Professor Kevin Bautch, who teaches Drama and Stagecraft at Delta College, the show’s impact is both artistic and cultural.
“Hamilton’s greatest influence has been in bringing younger and more diverse audiences into the theatre-going community,” he said. “The use of contemporary musical styles—while not entirely abandoning classical musical theatre influences — has brought in new audiences without alienating existing ones.”
Beyond the music, Bautch sees relevance in the show’s political nuance. “Hamilton presents an optimistic struggle to develop systems that are best for the country,” he said. “Both sides argue their point… but the dialogue and compromise happen.”
As for its long-term legacy, Bautch said it’s still taking shape. “Hamilton will have a lasting impact on how plays and musicals approach the telling of historical events,” he said. “But it will probably take another 10 to 20 years to track the shifts that are now occurring.”
IMAGE COURTESY FROM DISNEY+
‘Gospel Goes Classical’ at Atherton
BY JOHN NGUYEN Feature Editor
On Sept. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Positive Unity Resource Education (P.U.R.E.) Youth Group presented “Gospel Goes Classical: West Coast Orchestra” to the Atherton Auditorium. The production was hosted as a charity event for P.U.R.E. Youth.
“The idea behind this production was to do three things: we wanted to connect, we wanted to build and we wanted to heal. And that’s what our goal was here, to have people that have came in here to leave different and with a different mentality … and I think it was pretty much met,” said Denita Pickens-Jones, founder and executive director of the P.U.R.E. Youth Group.
The production was a collaboration between the P.U.R.E. Youth Group, a nonprofit organization, and the Gospel Goes Classical brand.
The event marks the first Gospel Goes Classical production hosted on the West Coast. Leading the 45 piece orchestra was Kendrick Armstrong of the West Coast Orchestra.
Joe Ramirez, host of Christian radio station KYCC’s Sunday Night Joy program, acted as the host for the production. The headliner for the program was award-winning gospel recording artist, Byron Cage. Other guest performers include: Callie Day; James Jackson and the All Stars Choir; Lawrence Hill; Joe and Monica Cota; Buddy from “B-Productions” the band; Praise Dancers Donjae Deferrante and “LoveLove Twins” Charlene and Charlette Richardson.
“This is huge: we have a symphony, we have a gospel choir, we have a band, we have dancers, we have soul artists, we have bongo players; these are all different worlds. So someone who may be in our realm, or in the symphony’s
realm, or in the gospel choir’s realm, or in the soloists’ realm or in the African drum realm may not always be in the same company. So events like this brings us all together. It’s unity. It’s inclusion,” Charlette Richardson said. “So I think if we continue this, it can get bigger and bigger and bigger — and a lot of different organizations can follow suit.”
The lineup reflected a variety of music styles with influences from classical, gospel and R&B. The program was also opened by a traditional African ensemble. Performances included: Hill’s cover of Hezekiah Walker’s “I Need You To Survive;” the Cotas’ cover of Tremaine Hawkins’ “The Potter’s House;’ Day’s covers of Kurt Carr’s “For Every Mountain” and Jeannie Tenney’s “One Night With the King” and Cage’s performance of his song “The Presence of the Lord.”
The orchestra also saw other performance elements. As the orchestra played, the Praise Dancers along with child dancers made their way across the stage, weaving a cross sign with white tulle or waving purple and yellow flags as they went in some performances.
For the last performances, Cage spoke advice to the audience and called upon them to raise their hand and stand as believers.
“I think the meaning behind gospel and God and the Bible is that — we should look to him and not look at what’s happening here on Earth as the end-all, be-all — because he’s the one that we are praising. He’s the one we are looking to to rect our path, and as long as we follow him, we’re gonna do well,” said Carrolle McCarter, audience member and wife of Little Flock Missionary Baptist Church pastor Dave McCarter. “We just have to understand that there are things that happen, God didn’t say that we wouldn’t have bad things, he just said
Above: Guest performer Lawrence Hill singing at Atherton Auditorium on Sept. 13. Right: Praise Dancers Donjae Deferrante and the “LoveLove Twins” Charlene and Charlette Richardson performing at Atherton Auditorium on Sept. 13. PHOTOS BY JOHN NGUYEN
he’d protect us from them if we follow him.”
The P.U.R.E. Youth and Community Choir were able to practice regularly prior to the show. However, the orchestra was only able to rehearse live with Armstrong and the other performers the afternoon before the show.
“It’s amazing that even though we have not met before, but you can kind of feel each other; it’s hard to explain but when you can feel a vocalist or any musician, it’s almost that camaraderie where it’s like ‘Okay, so you gonna go there’ and then you just au-
tomatically, nine times out of ten, what you think you would do, it’s actually what they’re thinking that you will do.” Day said. “It’s just amazing to see it all gel and come together, just like that.”
The proceeds from the concert will go into supporting the P.U.R.E. Youth Group’s literacy program, which is being worked on to be introduced to Stockton.
“I’m an educator, I also teach music … our children don’t get
the opportunity to go to see an opera or just to see a symphony play, just to see professional singers sing. That may spark a little spark for a little girl or a little boy, you know.” Day said. “And it’s very important that we include our children in everything. Music is the universal language around the world. If there’s turmoil, as long as we can sing through it, everybody will come into one … It could be a better world if we could just do it through music.”
Phone-free classrooms could cost student safety
BY LUCIA NOEL Staff Writer
K-12schools in America are banning cellphones in classrooms to reduce distractions and boost classroom engagement.
In reality, the only thing this is doing is putting students in danger.
On Sept. 23, 2024, California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 3216, also known as the Phone-Free School Act. The bill was set to be enacted no later than July 1, 2026.
“This new law will help students focus on academics, social development and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school,” said Newsom in an interview with the Sacramento Bee. Local school districts have taken action.
Lincoln Unified adopted a no cell phone policy before the bill was even signed.
They have been a cellphone-free school since the 2024-25 school year.
Manteca school district has started a picket program for
cell phone lockers in classrooms, meaning when instructional time is in progress, students will have to turn off and hand in their phones to be locked up. Lodi Unified school district has a policy on keeping phones away for distraction purposes, but has no order to lock students’ phones in any way.
Stockton Unified School
District (SUSD) adopted a policy at the beginning of its school year in late July.
Students in grades K-8 have a “gate-to-gate” policy which means phones are only permitted during after school hours once they have left campus. High school students in the SUSD are required to turn off and keep phones in their backpacks during instructional
time, however they are permitted to use their devices during passing periods and lunch.
Across the country, 2.5 million students, including Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts, are required to lock their phones in magnetic Yondr pouches.
The inventor of this product, Chief Executive Officer Graham Dugoni, created the pouches in 2014 to create “cellphone-free spaces.” According to CBS News, this product ranges from $25-30 each, and students were held responsible for keeping track of their Yondr pouches for the entire school year.
The most common argument being made in opposition to this policy, between students and parents alike, is the lack of emergency communication if a crisis were to occur. The most frequent concern revolves around school shootings. Without cell phones, students won’t be able to call 911 or text their loved ones if put in this dire situation.
As of August 28, 2025 there have been 146 school
shootings across America and eight have resulted in injury or death. Across these eight, 29 people were injured and four unfortunately lost their lives.
Editor-in-Chief Emmy Martin wrote a CNN Business story compiling a few messages sent between students during a school shooting at the University of North Dakota at Chappell Hill.
Text included: “Are you safe?” “Where are you?” “Are you alone?”
During my senior year of high school, there was an active shooter threat that lasted an entire week. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024 our entire school went into full lockdown mode. I was fortunate enough to have my phone to text my parents and my boyfriend: “We are in lockdown. I love you.”
Some kids aren’t as lucky. With this new state law, students are in danger. Without the use of phones in situations like this, authorities won’t arrive on time, and — in the worst case scenario — parents won’t get to say goodbye.
Fall, winter see spikes in seasonal depression for student population
BY CAMRY TURNER Staff Writer
College students are often coined as “lazy” or told they’re not trying hard enough for their decline in productivity during the winter. But experts say seasonal depression may play a bigger role than students and the people around them realize.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression triggered by changes in daylight and weather. For students balancing classes, jobs, campus life, and a social life, those shifts can affect motivation and mental health.
The Mayo Clinic reports that up to 44 percent of college students experience depression with a spike during the fall and winter time. The most impacted groups are women, low income students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Dr. Torrie Piasecki, Delta College’s Behavioral Health Clinician, said
symptoms look different for everyone, but the main symptoms are: sleeping too much or too little, irritability, foggy brain, isolation, loss of motivation, over or under eating, and weight gain or weight loss.
She added that trying to keep up with multiple things on top of experiencing the previous SAD symptoms will lead to mental distress because it takes a toll on your wellbeing. It will start to affect things like your productivity, ability to focus, and complete assignments.
Makayla Thomilson, a Delta student in her final year at Delta, said winter is always a struggle for her in school. She recalled a professor telling her, “You don’t want it enough,” after she reached out for help on an assignment while experiencing seasonal affective disorder.
To someone unfamiliar with seasonal affective disorder, it might look like laziness. But according to Dr. Piasecki,
there is a clear difference between the two.
“Laziness is an attitude and a choice, while depression is a loss of motivation and an involuntary bodily reaction,” she said.
Seasonal depression doesn’t have to control the school year.
While there is no permanent cure, treatments are available to manage symptoms and bring light to dark days.
With knowledge, routine, and preparation, students can get through the season.
“You’re not in this by yourself and this is not your fault,” Piasecki said. “We can’t control the seasons and how our bodies react to them, but it’s a great time to reach out for help and give yourself grace. This isn’t something made up in your head, it’s a real condition.”
Seasonal depression may not disappear, but students can choose how they
respond to it. Coping skills like light therapy, counseling, and open communication can help make these months more manageable.
Delta offers remote and in person options to receive help for any mental health struggles you may be experiencing.
For in person assistance, you can schedule an appointment on campus with one of our Community Health Clinicians located on the first floor of the LOCKE building. They are available Monday to Friday from 8am5pm.
For remote assistance, you can sign up for To Be Honest (TBH) through your Okta portal. You can enroll in one on one coaching or group sessions, and services are free of charge.
So turn on that Hot Girl or Hot Boy playlist, move your body, and remember: “Everyday the sun won’t shine, but that’s why we love tomorrows.”
The Phone-Free School act raises concerned about student’s ability to contact parents in case of an emergency. IMAGE FROM FREEPIK
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: THREAT OR TOOL?
BY JARRED WRIGHT Senior Staff Writer
IfAI-generated results are used as a substitute for the production of knowledge and the labor of learning, we are alienating ourselves as thinkers, dulling our cognitive skills, and ceding our collective power to control these tools to self-interested others.
Maintaining the status quo gives the private owners who now control these tools carte blanche to shape its future output and use. This is not tenable for either an informed democratic public or the furthering of human knowledge.
On July 8 xAI’s chatbot Grok “proudly” dubbed itself “MechaHitler,” while claiming to be “wired for unfiltered truth,” after owner and Trump’s second-term special government employee Elon Musk tweeted, “We have improved @Grok significantly. You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions.”
Our collective knowledge, the aggregation of centuries of human mental labor crystalized and condensed into data used to train AI models, is the raw material that gives generative AI tools their value.
The quality of this data varies considerably. In the case of Google’s Gemini model, a $60 million purchase of Reddit data, as reported by the Associated Press, consequently may produce questionable results. Google warns that their AI overviews, “can and will make mistakes.”
Generative AI seeks to skip the mediation of creative human mental work by appropriating knowledge from others, but without the widespread practice of actively cultivating cognitive skills, generative AI also undermines the source of its own power.
When a complex problem vexes even well-coordinated groups of thinkers, non-generative and human-supervised AI can be a helpful tool to manage that complexity without subverting mental labor.
The Vesuvius Challenge was launched in 2023, funded largely by AI investors Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, in order to recover the text from the charred remains of several carbonized scrolls from Herculaneum, an ancient Roman library buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and believed to contain many lost classical works.
As detailed by Scientific American, the collaboration of researchers from several fields and the calculated use of methods including the meticulous Micro-CT scanning of the scrolls, AI machine-learning, and scrutiny from papyrologists, has been able to virtually unwrap scrolls to detect ink and read previously inaccessible texts without damaging them.
However, the use of machine learning is limited to identifying written characters, not in interpreting the text. It is used merely as a tool to assist researchers in the production of knowledge.
For the Vesuvius Challenge research-
ers, AI machine learning is employed or in some cases even developed by the researchers using the tools, and the awards are allocated later in an incentive-based model to motivate knowledge creation, not to generate profit.
These two forms of AI are opposed. The latter encourages active human intervention, the former makes knowledge a passively commodified convenience.
Many generative AI chatbots like Grok, far from being neutral knowledge-generators, are privately owned, for-profit, and susceptible to influence.
That the private interests behind generative AI overlap with political interests that threaten democratic norms bodes no better.
In a Dec. 5, 2024 statement, then-President-elect Trump appointed venture capitalist David Sacks as the “White House AI & Crypto Czar.”
“President Trump directed us to produce this Action Plan,” said Sacks, in part to “avoid Orwellian uses of AI,” in a statement published on the White House’s website in July, 2025.
In July 2025, Department of Defense contracts up to $200 million were awarded to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI to implement “a commercial-first approach to accelerating DoD adoption of AI” while ”also providing access to many of the latest generative AI (GenAI) models for general purpose use” according to a press release.
At a dinner between Trump and several tech CEO’s, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that Trump was “a refreshing change” and that the future success of AI “would not be happening now without [his] leadership.”
Altman had previously advocated for ensuring that “democratic AI wins over authoritarian AI,” according to a May 2025 letter posted on OpenAI’s website.
OpenAI, known for ChatGPT, currently operates the chatbot as a nonprofit, but after adopting a capped-profit LLC structure in 2019 announced on its website that it would transition to a Public Benefit Corporation. Under this structure shareholders, the nonprofit primarily, maintain ownership.
“PBCs have become the standard for-profit structure for other AGI labs like Anthropic and X.ai, [sic] as well as many purpose driven companies like Patagonia. We think it makes sense for us, too,” Altman said.
It is in our own best interest to collectively own these tools as a public good and reject the politically-compromised AI infrastructure of knowledge-production as envisioned by tech corporations.
True democratization of AI means limiting ownership by tech corporations and rejecting its use as a substitute for our cognitive labor. For the preservation of the knowledge that belies an informed deliberative democratic public, this is necessary.
September brings somber reminder of the impacts of suicide
BY ELIJAH PROSSER Senior Staff Writer
September is Suicide Prevention
Month and while the topic is very sensitive, we must, as a society, spread awareness and resources for people who are having thoughts of potentially ending their lives.
Mental Health & Wellness Counselor Heather R. Bradford provided me with a wealth of important information on this topic.
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) WISQARS, in 2022, a record high 49,500 people died by suicide. The 2022 rate was the highest level since 1941, at 14.3 per 100,000 people. Then, later on in 2023, it increased to over 14.7 per 100,000 persons.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34 and the fourth
leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 44.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t really take mental health seriously and people don’t take it as personally, they don’t see the signs it’s kinda like they don’t understand it or don’t want to understand it,” said Delta student Leanna Smith.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the common symptoms of depression include persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or guilt and thoughts of suicide.
There are not only those kinds of symptoms, but also emotional and mental, physical and behavioral symptoms.
Delta student Cailean Sulton spoke about the ways she would encourage
someone who was having thoughts of suicide.
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Here are some resources and hotlines for people who need help:
“Well, when it comes to friends I’m very careful of what I say but at the same time I want to be truthful instead of being harsh about it I would say that they go see a professional but also go along with them in a couple of sessions,” said Sulton.
• Major Depressive Disorder: National Alliance on Mental Illness: nami.org
• The Trevor Project: thetrevorproject. org
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
him because he was so young, so I hope everyone remembers what a sweet, funny, great friend, great son and great brother he was. I just don’t want people to forget him,” It’s not just a recent phenomenon, either. In September 2018, CBS Evening News shared a story on 17-year-old Alexandra Valoras, who committed suicide.
On Aug. 26, NBC News reported that 16-year-old Adam Raine committed suicide, and his parents spoke about how they want him to be remembered.
“I’m worried about people forgetting
Her parents later found her two journals, 200 pages full of self-loathing and despair.
“There was just so much joy in everything she did and it doesn’t match what was in that journal,” said Alexandra’s mom, Alysia.
Water polo invitational returns to campus
BY LAYLA CARRASCO Staff Writer
Delta College’s men’s water polo team finished fourth in the William Anttila Invitational Sept. 12-13, going 0-2-1 in the two-day tournament at Delta. The Mustangs fell to conference rival Diablo Valley College 15-3 in Saturday’s thirdplace game Sept. 13, concluding a weekend that also saw them lose to San Mateo 14-7 and tied Merced 11-11 in pool play.
“It’s a first chance for NorCal teams to really get good competition between Coast Conference and Big 8 Conference opponents,” Maroney said. “So we really get to see what the season’s going to lay out for us.”
With freshmen from places like Indo-
nesia and Virginia Beach, Delta College’s men’s water polo team finished fourth in the two-day William Anttila Invitational at Delta.
“With so many true freshmen, we’re making a ton of mistakes,” said Head Coach Michael Maroney. “Not all of our freshmen were here in town training together, so this tournament was really our first time working as a team.”
The tournament honors William Anttila, who founded the Delta Mustangs USA Water Polo Club in 1952, which was the 39th club ever established. With more than 30,000 clubs now in existence, Anttila’s legacy as the “godfather of Central Valley water polo,” said Maroney, remains strong throughout the region.
“So many of the referees out here either
played for Coach Anttila or were coached by someone who played for Coach Anttila,” Maroney said. “There’s just a great deal of admiration in the Stockton community for William and his family.”
Utility player Mateo McKay acknowledged the team’s growing pains while emphasizing its commitment to improvement.
“We need to get everybody working as hard as possible in practice and just get our effort level up to 100 percent,” McKay said. “We just need to come in with a work-hard, 24/7, 100 percent of the time mentality.”
Goalkeeper Joe Gabbard said building chemistry remains the team’s main focus. The players plan to organize a slow-pitch softball league and other activities to
strengthen relationships beyond the practice field.
“Getting to know each other better outside the pool helps chemistry in the water,” McKay said.
Maroney saw the weekend as a foundation for growth, giving his freshmen necessary game experience and a clearer picture of college-level competition.
“Just learning how we need to adapt off of our mistakes and how to capitalize on our strengths,” Maroney said. “And there’s a ton of them. So we’re really excited about going forward this season.”
The Mustangs will compete at Diablo Valley College on Sept. 19-20 as they continue preparing for future conference games to advance to the playoffs this season.
Top Right: Utility player Mateo McKay taking a shot against Santa Rosa Junior College during the Bill Anttila invitational at the Ferguson Pool at Delta College on Sept. 12. PHOTO BY JASMIN AGUAYO Top Left: Utility player Ryan Delay taking a shot during the Bill Anttila invitational at the Ferguson Pool at Delta College on Sept. 12. Bottom Right: Jesus Moncada charges after the ball during Delta College’s match against Diablo Valley College in the William Anttila Tournament on Sept. 13 at San Joaquin Delta College. Bottom Middle: Utility player Mateo McKay prepares to shoot against CSU San Marcos during the William Anttila Tournament on Sept. 13 at San Joaquin Delta College. Bottom Left: Goalie Joe Gabbard stretches to make a save during the William Anttila Tournament against Diablo Valley College on Sept. 13 at San Joaquin Delta College. PHOTOS BY LAYLA CARRASCO
SOCCER BEATS CLOVIS 3-0 AT HOME
BY JOSELUIS HERRERA Staff Writer
On Sept. 9, the Delta Women’s soccer team kickstarted its season at home with a 3-0 win against Clovis.
Carmen Padilla has accepted the role of interim head coach for the season.
Padilla has guided the team to an undefeated preseason run and is trying to keep the winning mentality for the remainder of the 2025 season.
“We have a large group of experienced sophomores and highly skilled freshmen that have efficiently worked together to improve and grow after each game, especially after practicing our build-up plays and transitions in-game,” said Padilla.“We are training our players to play with grit, make sure they never
quit and to tactically be prepared for every opponent, our goal is to be ready for playoffs and fight towards the conference finals.”
The team exhibited an offensive and high-pressure style of play, taking a total of 18 shots by the end of the first half and only allowing one shot against, resulting in a 1-0 advantage by halftime.
“It felt amazing to score my first goal of the season, especially playing alongside my sister,” said midfielder Alexis Magdaleno, “Our team has gotten to know each other well and our coaches motivate us to improve and perform our best.”
The second half was full of excitement, The Mustangs kept possession, highly-pressed its opponents when defending and continuously created plays against Clovis’s defense, eventually leading to two
more goals.
After a well-crafted build-up play, midfielder Samantha Arong scored the second goal of the match, toe-poking the ball past the Clovis goalkeeper in a one-on-one encounter.
The third goal was scored by forward Marcie Jarquin, after she dribbled through the opponent’s backline and accurately shot it through the goalkeeper, sealing the game and guaranteeing the Mustangs first win of the regular season.
Since then, the Mustangs have traveled up to Lake Tahoe, which resulted in a 0-0 tie, making it their third game in a row with a shutout.
Their next four games are on the road. The next game isn’t until Oct. 14 against Diablo Valley.
Gray impresses in her first season at Delta
BY ELIJAH PROSSER Senior Staff Writer
This is Hadlee Gray’s first season with the Mustangs. At six foot one, Gray provides explosive attacking at any part of the court. Throughout 12 games so far, she’s putting on a performance that can’t help but be noticed.
The volleyball team’s current record is 11-1, with big help from Gray’s performances.
Gray currently has 191 kills, 39 sets, 371 attacks, 12 matches started and a hitting percentage of .348 on her stat sheet.
On Aug. 25, Gray was named one of the top players in the state for her stats in her position.
Gray was honored to receive the recognition but she wouldn’t have been able to receive it without the help of her coaches and teammates.
“I was very excited and felt very grateful to receive it. It motivates me to get better throughout the season,” said Gray.
Gray spoke about how much volleyball has impacted her and how it has changed her life.
“I started off playing in 5th grade and I ended up playing until high school,” said Gray. “Then, I was actually recruited to play for San Francisco State my freshman year, but I had some problems, so I ended up moving back home so I attended Delta College which I’m happy that I did now, I get to be a part of this team for one year.”
Hadlee is an R-FR (Athletic Freshman Redshirt), meaning that she decided not to play her first school to save a year of eligibility.
Gray gave me a brief explanation on whether or not the team watches film
in order to prepare for their next game.
“Yeah, we just got done watching film today. We watch film on our opponent for the week and kinda study it and figure out what we should do as a team to be able to beat them,” Gray said.
Head Coach Molly Hummel gave insight into what qualities of Hadlee made her choose her for the team.
“You know obviously she’s a very talented volleyball player that I think even more importantly, is that she’s a great teammate and she’s one of our team captains so she provides maturity last year she played at San Francisco State, so she brings a level of competitiveness to this team that helps drive and push them every day,” said Hummel.
Gray’s teammate, Catherine Frias, shared with the collegian a situation where Hadlee’s personality truly shines.
“Last season, I was going through
something pretty difficult and Hadlee would constantly check in with me to make sure I was okay,” she said. “Hadlee knows how to make anyone smile and she’s really good at making people feel heard and cared about,” said Frias.
Headshot of Outside Hiter Hadlee Gray. IMAGE COURTESY DELTA COLLEGE ATHLETICS
Left: Forward Italia Bailey outruns Clovis’s defenses during the Mustangs game against Clovis, at the chase Chevrolet athletics complex, Sept. 9. Right: Defender and Forward Ellie Keiser shifts her teams focus from the defensive at the Chase Chevrolet athletics complex on Sept. 9. PHOTOS BY ELENA CANDELAS
