Volume 62, Issue 2
The voice of De Anza since 1967
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Student activists feel silenced on campus
Anonymous organization dedicates website to exposing activists, community feels freedom of speech at risk
By Wylder Robison LA VOZ STAFF
Students at De Anza College say fears of doxing, harassment and threats of violence discourage them from participating in activism and speaking freely on campus, such as staging demonstrations supporting Israel or Palestine or expressing communist views.
Pro-Palestinian students risk being published on Canary Mission, a website that posts the personal information, social media accounts and offenses against the state of Israel of students and faculty who support proPalestinian or anti-Israel causes across college campuses.
While Canary Mission exposes individuals who share antisemitic conspiracy theories or neo-Nazi propaganda, the site also includes people such as Desiree Humphers, a former De Anza student who served in DASB (now DASG) from 2016 to 2018.
In 2017, Humphers helped pass a resolution that required the FoothillDe Anza Foundation to divest from companies that partner with Israel in the occupied territories of Palestine. She was subsequently listed on the Canary Mission site.
“It affected my activism,” Humphers said. “I was discouraged because I don’t like being stalked, and that’s more or less what they were doing.”
Twenty De Anza alumni are on Canary Mission, including 12 students who voted for the 2017 divestment resolution. The site lists no current De
Anza students, but some still fear being doxed for activism.
Ariel Shalev, 19, history major and member of De Anza’s Jewish Student Union, said he supports the Canary Mission but thinks it should be used responsibly.
“The majority of times I’ve seen it used, it’s actually been warranted,”
Shalev said. “I don’t want it to be abused … I don’t want every single pro-Palestine person (on there).”
Shalev said JSU experienced harassment last fall — vandalism of a temporary, on-campus memorial built to honor Israelis who died in the Oct. 7
Hamas attack on Israel in 2023.
“For the most part, the school administration has been quite helpful,”
Shalev said. “We spoke to the dean of equity … she’s been very supportive,
very cooperative.”
Kavi Kumaresan, 20, film and television major and member of the Revolutionary Marxist-Periyarist Panthers, a Marxist-socialist club at De Anza, said his club was targeted for exercising its freedom of expression and its members received death threats.
“Our posters were vandalized with disgusting words,” Kumaresan said. “There was a quote above my head (on the poster) that said ‘(the) only good communist is a dead communist.’” Kumaresan also reached out to the administration about this issue, but he said they weren’t taken seriously.
The vandalizers of the JSU’s memorial and the RMPP’s poster have not been apprehended.
Activism continues on page 3
From Hong Kong to US
Pro-democracy protester’s path to asylum
By Mitchell Park
Austin Wong, 20, business economics major, says he never imagined he’d be living in the Bay Area.
Part of that is because he’s a loyal LeBron — and now, Los Angeles Lakers — fan.
Wong said he started watching the NBA during the height of the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry while growing up in Hong Kong.
“Personally, I don’t like how KD (Durant) joined the Warriors,” Wong said.
Three years ago, Wong was sitting in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection holding room at the United States-Mexico border. Two years before that, he was on the streets of Hong Kong speaking out against the Communist Party of China.
Wong said, at 14 years old, he joined the 2019 Hong Kong protests despite his parents’ concerns.
The protests began in opposition to a bill that would allow extradition to China and grew into a large-scale movement promoting independence for Hong Kong.
Next Magazine, a sister publication of the defunct pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, documented Wong speaking out against the extradition bill in 2019.
In 2020, Beijing passed the National Security Law, criminalizing a broad range of acts deemed threatening to Beijing’s authority in the special administrative region.
In 2020, authorities raided Apple Daily and imprisoned its founder Jimmy Lai for violation of NSL. The publication closed in 2021.
Fearing arrest following his appearance in the news, Wong, his brother and their parents began planning their departure.
His father lived in Texas decades earlier — the reason for his English name, “Austin” — so in May 2022, he proposed the family cross into the U.S. via the southern border. Mexico, unlike the U.S., does not require visas for Hong Kongers, making it a
feasible route for asylum seekers to enter the U.S.
“We think he is crazy, but we just give it a try,” Wong said.
After saying goodbye to friends and family, Wong and his family flew to Istanbul on June 6, 2022.
From Turkey, they flew to Mexico City then to Tijuana, where they would purchase a dilapidated Nissan Cube – the first available car with U.S. plates.
They waited for hours in line at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and declared asylum as soon as the car crossed to the U.S. side.
Wong said the family was taken into custody and separated into holding rooms. Wong and his brother were placed in a room with about 15 other boys where they spent the night eating chips and watching the movie “Up” on repeat.
“(The officer) goes back to my mom and just says three sentences: ‘They are good. They are fat. They eat a lot.’ And my mom knew me and my brother were all good,” Wong said.
The family was released within 24 hours under asylum protocol and rode into San Diego by bus.
“It was Highway 5. I saw the sunset with the beach and everything,” Wong said. “(It’s) the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen in my life.”
Today, Wong is headed to Los Angeles. He plans to transfer to the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business in the fall.
Wong works at Higher Education for AB 540 Students at De Anza College so he can help students who are new to this country and feel lost like he once did.
“It might be a little bit cringe, but I feel like I’m living my dream right now,” he said.
Wong said his journey to America proved he could make the most of limited resources – that he could be “successful without anything.”
If he had to do it all again, with nothing in his pocket, Wong said, “I would be back in this chair. No doubt.”
Austin Wong, 20, business economics major, speaks to reporter Mitchell Park on De Anza campus on May 27.
Ariel Shalev, 19, history major, engages students at the Jewish Student Union’s Spring Club Day booth on April 24.
PHOTO BY FRANK MAYERS
LA VOZ STAFF
Academic Senate raises dues PAGE 3
Euphrat opens student show PAGE 4
Labubus take over De Anza PAGE 5 Women’s badminton smashes PAGE 7
Students gather in the library quad on May 9, 2024 for a walkout protest calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel following the Israeli invasion of Palestine.
PHOTO BY WYLDER ROBISON
FILE PHOTO BY FRANK MAYERS
JUNE 3, 2025
Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief
Ingrid Lu
Managing Editor
Mitchell Park
News Editor
Wylder Robison
Sports Editor
Allan Galeana
A&E Editor
Sarah Atito
Features Editor
Ann Peñalosa
Opinion Editor
Seanna Henry
Photo Editor
Carolyn Zhao
Video Editor
Ashley Kang
Audio Editor
Xitlaly Martinez
Graphics Editor
Brooklyn Coyle
Social Media Editors
Gordon Yang
Orly Bryan
Copy Editor
Yumeno Matsuo
Staff members
Tommy Ngo
Sam Eaton
Mariana Frias Da Costa
Gavin Rust
Reymond Castañeda
Jasmin Beltran Valdovinos
Grace Gutiérrez
Frank Mayers
Cindy Rodriguez
Luis Aponte Trejo
Aidai Boobekova
Matilda Whelan
Averie Choi
Francesca Cacchione
Atharva Salkar
Grayson Baker
Cosmo Babae
Ashley Diaz
eresa Mummert
Faculty Adviser
Farideh Dada
Office Managers
Xitlaly Martinez
Our instructors’ stress goes ignored
Mental health resources not just for students
By La Voz Editorial Board
Resources are plenty for students, but slim pickings for our professors.
De Anza hosts events and provides resources in plenty to promote student’s mental health all the time — DASG’s quarterly De-Stress week with puppies and boba, Mental Health Awareness Week in May and 24/7 ondemand mental health counseling.
Students have so many resources that the college created a resource to connect them to resources — it’s called CONNECT, and it’s like a personal shopper for mental health and basic needs resources.
On the other hand, our professors experience the administrative stressors of higher education and do not reap nearly the same institutional benefits as students.
De Anza employs 236 full-time and 400 part-time faculty, according to the most recent employee demographics from 2023, but not all are eligible for college-subsidized health insurance.
Full-time faculty’s cheapest option for healthcare, Western Health, costs $137 per month and $343 if instructors want to insure their family.
The most affordable insurance option is also the least feasible for our instructors — its nearest hospital is over 80 miles away in Fairfield, CA. It only insures its patrons’ behavioral health or substance abuse services if they are “medically necessary.”
The district provides a free Employee Assistance Program, offering counseling services, child and
Sta editorials re ect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and not necessarily the views of the entire La Voz Sta .
About us
La Voz News has been written and published by De Anza College students since 1967.
Student access to La Voz News is partially funded by the De Anza Student Government. La Voz News is printed by the Folger Graphics Company
Lauren Hartono Contact us
face the same challenges to mental health as anyone else, often resulting in an uphill battle.
elder caregiver referrals and legal advice; however, it does not include long-term counseling.
These services fall short for professors experiencing burnout, depression or continuous mental health concerns.
We all know the instructor that stays on campus beyond their office hours, answers emails quickly and connects stu-
dents with their professional network. Who’s keeping track of their countless unpaid hours?
Many of our professors, both fulltime and part-time, volunteer in college shared governance, such as the Academic Senate, that is responsible for approving educational curriculum in the interest of students’ success and
planning our graduations. Mental health struggles can keep you from being your best self — so how can we expect staff to keep showing up?
De Anza needs to support everyone on campus — not just those in the classroom seats, but those standing at the front of them.
Send us letters to the editor lavozdeanza.com lavoz@ da.edu +1 (408) 864-5626
“I thought we told you, we’re nudists.”
“If this was the ‘90s, I would stuff you in a locker.”
“I’ll give you $5 to put on some pants.”
“Is this that nightmare again where I show up to school with my clothes on?”
“Do I look like the sexy fox from Zootopia?”
ILLUSTRATION BY GRAYSON BAKER
Faculty invest time and effort into students, but do we return the favor? We ignore how they
ILLUSTRATION BY COSMO BABAEFF
Academic Senate raises faculty membership dues
Voluntary fee will increase by $10 in fall quarter
PHOTO BY GRAYSON BAKER
Academic Senate President and chemistry instructor Erik Woodbury begins covering agenda items under “New & Continuing Business” at the beginning of the meeting on May 19.
By Grayson Baker LA VOZ STAFF
Over 20 members of the De Anza Academic Senate met virtually and in person to consider fundraising strategies, parking enforcement and announce the new vice president of finance and administration and a campus climate survey on May 19 in the Media Learning Center.
A major topic addressed in the meeting concerned changing the monthly dues that fund the full Senate income, paid by volunteer De Anza faculty, because of the Senate’s annual deficit.
Part-time faculty representative Ishmael Tarikh, political science instructor, proposed to increase monthly dues from $5 “to a minimum of $15 a month.”
Chemistry instructor and President of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, Erik Woodbury, added that “baseline spending,” at the current rate, unsustainably draws funds from the reserves.
“There are two philosophies,” said Felisa Vilaubi, English Performance Success counselor.
Some members had concerns that raising the price could jeopardize recruitment. Others said they believed the $5 dues were not enough.
“We cannot recruit our way out of this,” said Alicia Mullens, meteorology instructor.
The Senate ultimately voted to increase the membership donations to $15 a month beginning in the fall.
Another key topic regarded pay for At-Large Part-Time Faculty Representatives. Not all part-time faculty serving on the Academic Senate are paid. There was discussion on rais-
Activism, from page 1
A member from De Anza’s Muslim Student Association, who wished to remain anonymous, said they witnessed a woman with an Israeli flag tied on her neck harassing and recording students wearing keffiyehs at De Anza’s 2024 fall Club Day.
Separately, the MSA club member claimed individuals from Hillel International, a national Jewish college student organization known for being pro-Israeli, filmed students and provoked confrontations on-campus.
“It definitely is challenging to organize, knowing that your freedom of speech stops when it does not meet certain groups’ agendas,” the MSA representative said.
Shalev, a member of Hillel of Silicon Valley, said members of Hillel visited campus before and he did not see them photographing pro-Palestinian students, adding that he never took
ing their rate, but the debate focused primarily on altering eligibility for serving in paid roles and weighing incentives for part-timers to become representatives.
Woodbury also said that the De Anza College administration inquired with the Foothill-De Anza Police Department on ways to enforce staff parking spots.
Woodbury said the department suggested technology to automatically scan student license plates that occupy staff parking spots as an economical alternative to reinstituting parking passes. No official plan is in effect.
The new Vice President of the Office of Finance and Administrative Services, Farhad Sabit, was announced. His term begins on July 1.
Mullens announced that the De Anza Pride Association has become an official affinity group. Affinity groups are faculty-organized safe spaces for underprivileged or underrepresented groups on campus, often for faculty.
Additionally, Mallory Newell, college researcher, announced a campus climate survey. The RP Group, a nonprofit research organization, conducts climate surveys to gather feedba from students and staff of California Community Colleges on their campus experiences.
“De Anza hasn’t had a climate survey in over ten years,” Newell said.
The meeting ended with approval by vote of the Academic Senate Funding Guidelines and Request Process document, with an amendment attached to loosen Academic Senate funding request deadlines for faculty.
The next Academic Senate meeting will be held on June 9 at 2:30 p.m. De Anza Academic Senate meetings are open to the public.
photos of students himself.
A member of Students for Justice in Palestine, requested anonymity and said the club’s members experienced harassment in the form of being photographed and reached out to administrators for support.
James Nguyen, political science instructor, said that the fear of doxing and current political climate in the United States create a “chilling effect” of free speech on campus.
Students with differing political beliefs say they feel unsafe from online harassment, political surveillance and tension at De Anza, with some turning to self-censorship.
“You can’t really say that we support democracy and then silence the voices of those advocating for human rights,” Nguyen said. “If your name might be published online and followed for years, how free is your speech really?”
Coaches race to the finish line
Track and field head position up for grabs; athletes divided
By Seanna Henry LA VOZ STAFF
After a successful season under interim head coach Sean Gwi, the team is once again in limbo.
When Nick Mattis, head coach of nearly 20 years, left for reasons unverifiable by La Voz, at the end of the 2024 track and field season, Gwi stepped up.
In 2025, Gwi’s debut year, De Anza maintained its status as a contending 3C2A team, comparable to Mattis’s dominant final 2024 season — men and women athletes succeeded under multiple events, earning top medals in the California Community College Athletic Association.
Now that the season is over and the buzz of a couple athletes achieving All-American honors has settled, the question remains of who will lead the team next year.
Two names emerged as frontrunners: Gwi, who is favored mostly by sprinters, and Dominique Guinnane, backed by many distance runners.
Mattis said he preferred to hire his former track athletes as coaches, such as Mike Munsick, jumps coach.
“As people have gone through my program to train the way I want and know my system,” said Mattis in an interview in June 2024. “They come back and I rehire them … they know my expectations.”
Athletes said they don’t want to see a stranger brought into the role. They want an in-house coach, similar to Mattis’ hiring method.
Vincent Nguyen, 20, computer engineering major and returning sprinter, reflected on the contrast in coaching styles.
BY
“(Mattis) was a great head coach, but I think in terms of technical skill and stuff he lacked it and the sprinters suffered,” Nguyen said. “But whenever Coach Sean would come over, you could just tell by the drills he set up for us, things were different.”
Two time All-American James Estrella, 19, business and economics major, experienced Guinnane’s coaching first hand.
“Coach Dom is someone who has pushed us more than I could’ve asked for. She has always been one of those coaches that believed,” Estrella said.
The runners said they saw a shift in coaching style — more personal, more hands on and focused on an athlete’s individual growth.
Sophomore sprinter Marisa Windham, 22, kinesiology major, recalled her final year on the team.
“(It) was truly unforgettable. Coach Sean taught me discipline, resilience,
and patience,” Windham said. “He showed up to every meet, offering unwavering support to each and every one of us, consistently (going) above and beyond to ensure we were not only prepared, but genuinely cared for.”
Gwi acknowledged the responsibilities of a track coach.
“I feel like anyone that is qualified and passionate about it (coaching) should go for it,” Gwi said. “I’m at a point in my life (where) it’s like, you do what’s best for you and your family. You do what’s best for the program.”
The goal is simple: find someone who cares deeply and is qualified.
“I don’t think (sprinters or distance runners) want to see a different head coach that they bring in and it goes back to how Mattis was,” Nguyen said.
PHOTO
ALLAN GALEANA
The eight top 3C2A steeplechase athletes at the State Championships on May 17, featuring two De Anza runners
PHOTO ESSAY
Out of the box, into the soul
Annual art show exhibits, celebrates student work
By Aidai Boobekova
VOZ STAFF
The De Anza Student Art Show opened its doors on May 21 at the Visual and Performing Arts Center to recognize vibrant student works. The annual event, hosted by the Creative Arts Department, features a diverse range of media, including paintings, digital illustrations, sculptures, photographs, ceramics, mixed media and more, showcasing the talent of De Anza’s students.
The reception welcomed students, faculty, families, and community members to engage with and celebrate the students’ achievements. The room was filled with conversation as visitors strolled the gallery. What
makes the Student Art Show especially powerful is the emotional honesty in the student works. From abstract compositions that explore identity and mental health to vivid portraits and immersive landscapes, each piece reveals something deeply personal.
By stepping into the gallery, visitors are invited to see deeper into the artists’ souls.
The award ceremony, held during the reception, recognized standout submissions across categories including ceramics, photography, and painting. The exhibition opened to the community May 13 and will be available until June 5.
“The Oracle” by Martin Krikorian draws parallels between the ancient Greek legend of Apollo and modern modes of consuming information.
Wu Jiang, a De Anza physics laboratory technician, observes award-winning “Portrait of Self” by Victoria Almeda, 29, sculpture student at the show.
Left: “Binary Black Holes” by Frank YungFong Tang is character istic of Tang’s big face works, painted using a grid method inspired by Chunk Close.
Below: “A Portrait of Addiction” by Norman Arogones combines a flickering picture of a man smoking and a bowl filled with cigarettes.
“Trophy Wife” by Rubey
is constructed of papiérmâché. Mendoza finds inspiration in nature, sociology and mythology. Rabbits are considered a symbol of good luck, fertility and self-sacrifice in some cultures.
LA
Mendoza
“Identity Maze” by Nyl Htat depicts a person navigating phrases in multiple languages.
Stanford Theatre celebrates 100 years A return to the glamour of traditional movie viewing
By Grace Gutiérrez LA VOZ STAFF
Stepping into the Stanford Theatre feels like stepping back to Hollywood’s Golden Age of cinema, with its classic films, elegant frescoes and chandeliers, only in downtown Palo Alto.
The theater opened one century ago, and is celebrating its 100th anniversary in June. The theatre recently underwent restoration efforts to bring it back to its original splendor and it is also locally owned and operated by the non-profit Stanford Theatre Foundation.
Watching a movie here delivers a unique and timeless experience that leaves moviegoers both wholly immersed in the past and impressed by the elegance.
The theater typically hosts monthlong festivals centered around a wide variety of themes, the previous theme being the iconic British actress, Audrey Hepburn. The current festival began on May 22 and features films starring American dancer and actor Fred Astaire.
To celebrate its 100 year anniversary, the Stanford Theatre will hold a weeklong silent era film festival to return to the films originally played when the theater first opened.
The theater’s opening day on June 9, 1925 was attended by English actor Reginald Denny as the theater’s first feature was his comedy, “I’ll Show You the Town.” The film will be played this
June 9 during the theater’s 100th Anniversary Celebration, and Denny’s granddaughter Kimberly Pucci will be a special guest.
The celebratory silent film festival will be from June 9 to 13 and filmgoers can buy festival passes in advance starting May 30.
During intermissions before and after the evening show, the theater’s “Mighty Wurlitzer Organ” ascends from beneath the screen to entertain the crowd with live music. The organ also accompanies silent films.
Tickets for the theater cost $7 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and youth under 18.
For the Sunday, April 27 showing of the 1953 film “Roman Holiday,” the line to enter stretched down the street but went surprisingly fast.
In the romantic comedy, Hepburn plays a princess who, tired of her monotonous duties, escapes while in Rome to experience the Eternal City for herself, running into trouble, love and self-realization.
Seating is not assigned, which makes it easier to find your ideal spot. There are two levels at the theater, and the mezzanine, or second level, seems to be more popular than the first floor — possibly for the better view.
Perhaps the most enticing feature of the theater for college students is its equally old-timey prices. Popcorn costs $1 to $3.
Whether you’re a lifelong cinephile or simply looking for something to do, the Stanford Theatre offers a unique chance to escape into the glamour and beauty of a classic era.
AHH! Invasion of the Labubus
Fuzzy frenzy of blind-boxed friends hits campus; captures hearts
By Ingrid Lu LA VOZ STAFF
They’re fuzzy, tiny monsters with tall ears and a wide, toothy grin. They come in an array of colors, from lychee berry to green grape. Labubus are collectible plush keychains, and they’re so popular that they sell out in seconds.
Labubus are the creation of Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, and the “designer” toys are produced by Pop Mart, a Chinese company. Lung’s “The Monsters” series contains a diverse cast of characters, including the infamous Labubu, pink-furred Mokoko and Zimomo, who is identical to Labubu besides a spiky tail.
Despite the series taking off in East Asia, Pop Mart has made its way to the Bay Area, opening a physical location in San Jose’s Westfield
Valley Fair mall. You can now spot the monster keychains at De Anza College on backpacks, totes, carabiners and more.
“These things are so ugly that they’re cute,” said Lexi Apolinar, 19, communications major. “I saw them online, but I wasn’t that interested. When Pop Mart opened up at the mall … seeing the little face in person, I was like, okay, yeah, I need one.”
Pop Mart Valley Fair employee Dara Seberiano, 20, undeclared major, said Labubus are the store’s most popular item by far.
“We sell them on the website, and people have to order and then do a store pickup,” Seberiano said. “They sell really fast, in seconds.”
Because the toy is always out of stock, some collectors resort to buying them from resellers for an upcharge. Although they retail for $20 to $30, Apolinar said she has seen them resell for around $80. In-demand colors, such as pink and purple, are priced higher, as are limited editions.
“I would pay a little extra for the ‘Have a Seat’ (series) one I really want,” Apolinar said. “Even for the ‘Big Into Energy’ (series), I would, but I’m not ready to cash out $100 for Labubus. I’m still confident I can get one.”
The Labubus are sold in a blind box format, meaning consumers don’t know which
color variant they are getting until after they pay for it. Buying a full set of six guarantees every colorway.
Aurora Rosales, 22, communications major and Labubu collector, said part of the excitement comes from the blind box packaging.
“I feel like the anticipation, it makes people obviously want to buy a lot more and collect as much as possible,” Rosales said. Seberiano said the collecting trend can sometimes become an unhealthy obsession for Pop Mart customers.
“People reach the point that they don’t really care about the keychain,” Seberiano said. “It’s more just to have it.” Rosales, however, said that collecting trinkets such as Labubus has become a source of joy for her.
“I never really had my own room until a few years ago,” Rosales said. “When I got my own room, I felt like collecting these little things boosted my confidence and personality.”
Apolinar said that while she appreciates other collectors chasing Labubus, she hopes the trend will fade soon.
“I’ve been liking them for a while, so I kind of hope it dies out a little bit so I can enjoy them again,” Apolinar said.
PHOTO BY GRACE GUTIÉRREZ
PHOTO BY GRACE GUTIÉRREZ
Filmgoers line up outside the Stanford Theatre in downtown Palo Alto to purchase tickets for entry into the Audrey Hepburn Film Festival screening of “Roman Holiday” and “Sabrina” on April 27.
The red velvet curtains are about to rise for an event at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto on April 27.
PHOTO BY MITCHELL PARK
Vendors at De Anza’s Mini Flea Market sell everything under the sun, from Labubus to Lafufus — the colloquial name for fake Labubus — in the Main Quad on May 20.
ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKLYN COYLE Labubus give Roary, the De Anza mascot, boo boos.
3D Printing Club braces for takeoff Members ready to fly its new plane on June 20 after a
By Atharva Salkar LA VOZ STAFF
year of work, preparation
The 3D Printing Club had an air of optimism around its remote-controlled plane’s maiden flight on June 16, 2024. The plane, a remote-controlled aircraft printed at De Anza’s 3D printing lab, represented everything the students hoped for: a sleek design and a promising takeoff.
Everything ran smoothly — until it didn’t. The students, a mix of engineering majors, realized a small but crucial detail: nobody actually knew how to fly the plane.
“You’ve got a bunch of engineers that have all these mad skills,” said Max Gilleland, 3D Printing Club adviser. “But then we found out really quickly; nobody actually knows how to fly it.”
Fortunately, an RC plane enthusiast was present at the scene to help the students launch their plane — the plane flew for eight minutes on its first flight before making a sudden, unexpected descent on its second. In other words, it crash-landed in an open field. Students cheered on in a video posted by the club. Despite the crash, the students continued undeterred; energized by the experience, they absorbed valuable lessons from their first test flight. Armed with insight and experience, it was time for them to revamp and relearn.
Arnav Puribya, 17, dual enrollment student, led the RC plane project alongside his club members with Gilleland’s guidance.
“We rushed into flying before fully understanding the plane’s behavior,” Puribya said.
This year, the team took a measured approach, testing each component and researching successful design elements before assembling the aircraft for flight.
Ken Ong, 20, mechanical engineering major, holds the club’s 3D printed RC plane on May 29.
Constructing an RC plane is no easy feat — first, the team finds an opensource 3D model from sites, such as Eclipson. If they want custom features, they need to modify the design on the computer-aided design software.
After the design is ready, the print-
3D
E-35
ing process begins. Parts of the plane, including its body, wings and stabilizers, are fabricated using a lightweight polylactic acid; the whole process can take up to 42 hours.
“It’s different from regular PLA, it ends up being a lot lighter,” said Dylan Banera, 16, design and manufacturing technologies major. “As you know, airplanes have to be pretty light.”
Banera said that the club members glued all the segments of the plane together and reinforced the plane wings with carbon rods for structural support. Finally, after fully assembling the body, they moved on to finalizing electronic components.
The team gave the revamped plane a few upgrades, including new landing gear, and collaborated with another club, AerospaCS, to handle the plane’s electronic components.
The club’s Discord, with its dedicated #rc-planes tab, streamlined communication and coordination.
Members used it to volunteer for tasks, consult RC plane experts and stay updated on printing progress, often through photos Gilleland takes.
“My hope is that this project doesn’t just end with one successful flight — I want it to become a gateway for more students to get involved,”
Puribya said. “This time, I’ve been practicing flying on a simulator.”
The 3D Printing Club plans to fly the plane in the upcoming weeks.
“I want them to have some failures and experiment and enjoy the experience, because going through the experience is priceless.” Gilleland said. “Just jump in and break stuff because you’re not going to learn unless you make a lot of mistakes.”
DA Game Dev Club hosts first Spring Game Jam
Spring Game Jam participants gather in the Fireside Lounge at the Hinson Campus Center on May 25 for the game showcase and competition ceremony.
Students across California compete for $250 pool
By Gordon Yang LA VOZ STAFF
DA Game Development Club hosted the Spring Game Jam, a weeklong competition where teams of 140 college students create original video games; winners were announced on Tuesday, May 27 in the Hinson Campus Center.
“It’s basically just a hackathon,” said Anjoelo Calderon, 24, computer science major and president of the club. “We wanted to create a space where students could explore game development, even if they were doing it for the first time.”
Calderon, who began organizing the event in January, said he originally hoped for 50 participants.
“As the date got closer to the start of the event, the numbers just kept going up – 90, then over 100. We ended with 140 participants,” Calderon said. “I’m happy that we got that many attractions.”
The club received 40 submissions from community colleges and fouryear universities, such as San Jose State University, San Francisco State University, UC Irvine and others.
Competitors were required to follow a theme, “Not Enough Time” and prohibited from using artificial intelligence and pre-made games.
The DA Game Development Club awarded the first-place prize, along with a $125 gift, to the creators of “Before I Go:”
• Dicanio Darren Liong, 19, computer science major, project manager
of the DA Game Development Club
• Anh Tuan Tran, 18, computer science major
• Fabiola Diaz, 18, computer science major
• Jasmine Tu, 20, computer science major
• Chyen Tong, 20, electrical engineering major
“You play as a terminally ill patient who has one day left to live and has to call all loved ones,” Diaz said. “And you are going to explore various relationships—familial, romantic and work — and try to come up with as many conversations as you can within the limited time.”
Katelyn Endow, De Anza English professor and adviser of the club said the event offered more than just fun and games.
“There’s a lot of interpersonal skills, a lot of soft skills, in addition to some of the technical skills, like programming, writing and music production,” Endow said.
The second-place honor went to “52 Seconds,” a game created by Phoenix D. Steele where players fight monsters, and different suits the player gets determines difficulties.
The third place winner was the game named “Out of Jam,” developed by Ironbreaker, where players are leveled up based on how frequently they smash the space bar. “It was very fast paced and very easy to understand,” Calderon said.
“We plan to do the Game Jam quarterly,” Calderon said. “Right now we’re working on the Summer Game Jam.”
The
printing club’s remote controlled airplane sits on a bench at the 3D printing lab in room
on May 29. The club printed it using specialized lightweight printing materials.
PHOTO BY FRANK MAYERS
PHOTO BY GORDON YANG
DA’s most dominant
Women’s badminton defeats any and all competition
By Mitchell Park LA VOZ STAFF
Fourteen wins, zero losses over the regular season. An 11-0 clean sweep against Pasadena City Col— the opposing conference leader and second in the state — to secure their third team championship in four
head coach Mark Landefeld said. “The results bear that out.”
For both the singles semifinals and the final match of doubles, it was Mountain Lion versus Mountain Lion.
Numbers spell out a story of pure dominance delivered by the Mountain Lions and set the women’s badminton players apart
On May 8, De Anza faced Pasadena City College for the 3C2A state team title. May 9-10 saw event, fying
California community colleges competed for singles and doubles honors, at City College of San
De Anza took all three champion-
“This is the most selfdriven team I’ve had,”
In the semifinals match of singles Makayla Than, 18, business major and No. 3 seed, beat teammate MaiLan Vuong, 19, business major and No. 1 seed, 21-18, 21-17.
“It would be fascinating if I didn’t know one of my players was going to lose,” Landefeld said. “(Vuong) could have easily ended up a finalist and a champion this year.”
“In the past, we would just play for fun … (Vuong) would win all the time,” Than said. “I think this was my best performance.”
Than went on to play Fresno City College’s Pj Yang, 19, business major, in what Landefeld described as “a revenge match.”
The match went to three games, with Than rallying twice. taking the first game 21-18. After trailing 14-19 in the second, Than made a five-point push, but lost 19-21 to tie the match.
“I was trying to rush it too
fast, and I noticed it, and I took a breather,” Than said. “I reset myself and then I started doing what I usually, normally do. Relaxed.”
Than led the entire third game, winning 21-17 and closing the match as the 3C2A state singles champion.
“She’s really good at keeping her mental, now. I’ve definitely seen a difference,” teammate Vuong said.
“They’re one of our toughest opponents,” Yang said. “I’m definitely ready for next year.”
Vuong won the doubles title with partner Natalee Lam, 19, business major, defeating teammates Jenny Thai, 19, psychology major, and Karina Chow, 18, cognitive science major.
Landefeld credits sophomores such as Vuong and Thai for motivating the team that “kind of got beat up,” last season, and highlighted freshman performances, from Than and Chow, that show what to expect in the future.
“(Than) goes into the next season with the confidence of a returning state champion,” Landefeld said. “There’s something in the cupboard for next year.”
Left: Makayla Than, 18, business major, celebrates the moment she secured the 3C2A women’s badminton singles championship on May 10. Below: Natalee Lam, 19, business administration major (left), and MaiLan Vuong, 19, business administration major, celebrate their doubles win.
Track team leaves a mark at state championships
De Anza state qualifiers push themselves past expectations with two athletes reaching podium and other standout events
By Allan Galeana LA VOZ STAFF
De Anza track and field placed 12th in men’s and 14th in women’s during the 3C2A State Championships.
Held in the College of San Mateo, the event took place from May 16 to 17. The possibility of winning was deemed as an improbability.
“We didn’t have enough athletes to podium,” said James Estrella, 19, business and economics major.
Strong winds ranging from 24 to 32 mph during the events on May 17 proved to be another obstacle for the athletes’ performance.
Notable standout Estrella competed in three events, scoring in the men’s 10,000-meter run and the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Genesis Mailangi, 18, kinesiology major, participated in four events,
placed in three and scored 11 of the women’s team’s 17 total points.
“I’m just grateful to be here because I think I was the only female thrower to make it to all four events,”
“These medals don’t really mean anything if I’m not progressing.”
Genesis Mailangi, thrower
Mailangi said. This marked Mailangi’s first time at a state event, prioritizing beating her personal record and overall improvement.
“These medals don’t really mean
anything if I’m not progressing,” Mailangi said.
Wade Tsang, assistant throwing coach, said that Mailangi and the rest of the team have grown over the season.
“It could be the weather, it could be the amount of people that are there. Whatever it is, she’s done really, really well and bounced back really strong multiple times,” Tsang said.
The men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase had the most De Anza athletes performing in one event. Estrella, Diego Ochoa-Mendez, 20, accounting major, and Luis Folkers, 20, psychology major, all lined up together, Estrella placing second.
Folkers injured himself warming up for the event.
“I was lucky I had the trainers around me to wrap it right before my
Men’s 3000-meter steeplechase competitors jump over the barrier during the 3C2A Track and Field State championship at College of San Mateo on May 17. race,” Folkers said. “That made it just bearable enough that I could run the race.”
Although injured, Folkers decided to run and finish the race placing 12th, proud of the fact he pushed himself to crawl up the barriers to continue.
“It wasn’t the best race, it wasn’t the prettiest, but I was really happy that I just finished,” Folkers said. With the state championships being the last track and field event of the season, this marks the end of Sean Gwi’s first
PHOTO BY ALLAN GALEANA
Digital gardens: The best solution for doomscrolling
Replacing
passive consumption with actively engaging with media
By Mariana Frias Da Costa LA VOZ STAFF
There used to be excitement attached to going on the internet, talking online with friends and creating digital spaces to inspire connection. Now, the internet is fast, noisy and oftentimes overwhelming. There is a practice, however, that offers a slower, more intentional way of interacting with content: digital gardening.
A digital garden is a visual notetaking system that connects media you consume — books, articles, albums — through your own questions, reflections and ideas.
This process equates each piece of content to a seed being planted in your garden.
The act of “doomscrolling,” passively taking in massive amounts of content, seems to be part of many students’ daily routines.
How many hours have I wasted, lying in bed with a screen held up to my face, watching video after video, not a single one of which I can recall?
How many hours have you spent?
In these moments, we are not present. We allow algorithms to dictate where we place our attention.
Digital gardens bring intention back into our media consumption, helping undo the damage of in-
creased screen times on attention spans and the ability to focus.
I was first introduced to this concept through Anna Howard’s YouTube video, “creating a digital garden to end my doomscrolling,” and I was curious to see what this would look like in practice.
First, I downloaded Obsidian as my note-taking software.
I took notes on a familiar episode of “The X Files,” a classic ‘90s show that I had watched at least three times.
In this episode, Dana Scully, one of the main characters, grapples with her faith when confronted with the sudden loss of her father.
Sitting down with an open laptop, ready to take notes, already felt vastly different from how I typically watch shows: phone in hand, with my eyes wandering restlessly from one screen to another.
As the episode progressed, ideas began to come up naturally. I jotted down interesting quotes, surprising character developments and thought-provoking plot lines.
ideas outside of the source material. The themes brought up in this episode, love, death and faith, reminded me of a poem by Mary Oliver called “Honey Locust.”
own understanding.
The web of ideas develops into a living network of your own thought centered around the media you choose to consume.
How exciting is that?
I was focused so intently on what I was consuming that I found myself noticing things I had never picked up on before. Suddenly, the episode was full of personal significance.
Once I finished watching, the next step was to further develop my own
We invite students to submit their romantic qualms to our social media @lavozdeanza for advice from a love correspondent.
Dearest La Voz,
It is with great distress that I put quill to parchment (or, rather, fingers to keyboard) to lament a most troubling state of my affairs or, more accurately, the utter lack thereof. One would assume that within the lively campus of De Anza, where ambition thrives and intellect is in no short supply, romance too would flourish. And yet, dear editors, I find myself most grievously disappointed by the appalling absence of proper courtship, dare I say — lack of suitable huzz.
Once, a gentleman might have composed poetry, dueled at dawn or braved a storm to confess his affections. Now, I fear we reside in an era where “rizz” is hailed as the mark of a true suitor, yet its presence is rarer than a free parking spot in the Flint Garage.
Tell me, dear La Voz, how is a young lady meant to navigate a world where introductions are feared, eye contact is avoided and potential suitors would sooner like one’s post than dare to approach in person? Must we resign ourselves to admiration from afar, doomed to be mere spectators in another’s love story? Or is there yet hope for those of us who seek a grand, sweeping romance in a world that seems content with half-hearted pursuits and uncertain intentions?
I await your guidance with a heart both hopeful and exasperated.
Yours in longing and lingering expectation, Lady of Ivy Meadows of Bananagrove Lane
After rereading the poem, I added notes to my digital garden about new connections that formed between questions of faith and the significance of love in our daily lives.
Using hashtags created on Obsidian, I linked these notes based on my
Where scrolling is passive and mind-numbing, digital gardening is active and self-reflective. It demands that you be present while consuming.
As I added notes and ideas to my digital garden, I felt my brain truly at work. By forming new and unexpected connections, I was reminded that media does more than entertain, it helps shape our understanding of the world around us. The truth is, nothing can ever replace “doomscrolling.” There’s nothing else as quick and easy. Maybe it should stay that way.
Digital gardening requires effort. The challenge and the reward lie in overcoming the initial laziness and pushing through to rediscover the power of an active mind.
By slowing down, people can shift the purpose of media consumption away from distraction and toward connection. When people change the way they consume, they change the way they live.
Love Voz: Is chivalry utterly dead?
Advice by Sarah Atito LA VOZ STAFF
Dear Lady of Ivy Meadows of Bananagrove Lane,
I would like to thank you for charming me with your mesmerizing language. I know many young women have pondered this exact situation. While I worked on this response, asking friends, coworkers and strangers if chivalry is dead they all agreed, yes — well, rather, it’s dying.
Sometimes it seems as though common courtesy has skipped millennials and younger, and we are at risk of losing it completely. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still find it.
It seems like to you, it is the “courting period” that you’re missing most — the Jane Austen yearning of a man making the first move with a rose in hand instead of that “u up?” text at 2 a.m.
The women I know who are with “chivalrous men” said they had to be pricked by a thousand thorns before they found a rose, so do not feel discouraged.
The one common factor was that they found their person once they started dating outside of their usual type. If you notice none of the guys you typically talk to are adequate, you might be looking in the wrong place.
There was something else about all these women: they all made the first move in their relationships. They sought love from shy people, meaning they had to be the forward ones.
I often find that those who approach me, hardly knowing me, aren’t my type either. Rather, it is the seemingly shy ones who prioritize being respectful. So, if you desire a Mr. Darcy type, I fear you must be much bolder than Elizabeth, at least at first. Their partners may now possess all the other characteristics you deem chivalrous, but they
ILLUSTRATION BY GRAYSON BAKER
The number of petals on a rose, like the number of spikes on a mace, is unchangeable. However, you can change the outcome of a potential relationship. Don’t leave it up to chance if you want it.
didn’t make the first move.
The men I spoke to prefer women to make the first move. Terms like “miscommunication,” “insecurity” and “confidence” commonly came up in conversation. They say life is a lot easier when the women are forward and set the tone. And take things offline. Miscomunication is minimized when conversations shift away from texting, especially when you are still in the “get to know you” stage of things.
Taking another page from “Pride and Prejudice,” it was not love at first
sight — relationships take time. Don’t enter the introductory stage of a relationship with high expectations, hoping to be treated as though they’re head-over-heels — you may miss what is right in front of you.
You can find a man who asks you out first, or you can be the risk taker. Writing as a girl who has never made the first move and realizes how terrifying it might be, I still say go for it. You seem to know what you want, so the only way to avoid merely longing after others’ love stories is to reject the spectator role.
Obsidian
ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKLYN COYLE