Vol. 63, Issue 1, Nov. 4, 2025 by La Voz News

La V z News

Conflict of interest

Facilities sends student government quote from admin relative's company

DASG Chair of Finance Alan Ma, 19, electrical engineering and computer science major, asked the DASG senate to send the bike program’s funding request back to his committee over what he called “serious issues” at its Wednesday, Oct. 22 meeting in the Student Council Chambers.

By Ann Peñalosa

LA VOZ STAFF

The DASG Senate put off approving $22,000 to place vinyl covers over its bicycle corrals on Oct. 22, sending the proposal back to its finance committee to look into “serious issues” with its procurement process, namely a conflict of interest.

Operations Specialist and Student Activities Coordinator Dennis Shannakian said Foothill College Director of College Operations, Edgar Tovar, sent him the quote on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

DASG Chair of Finance Alan Ma, 19, electrical engineering and computer science major, asked the senate to send the request back to his committee and said it “ought to look into” the quote more. The senate passed Ma’s motion unanimously in the Student Council Chambers.

“There are serious issues with how the quote for this proposal was (procured),” Ma said.

The quote, which expired Friday, Oct. 31, would have covered labor costs for assembly and installation for brand new frames, as well as a three-year limited warranty on the new structures; the four structures from the last set of coverings remain standing outside the Registration and Student Services building, with only the vinyl coverings blown away.

This is despite the district having a section on work orders and service requests, shifting labor costs away from the district and college, and

onto the student government.

The senate would have pulled the money for this project from its pool of special allocations, which DASG Accountant Lisa Kirk said had

"An employee involved in obtaining quotes had a personal connection to one of the vendors."

Ellen Kamei

Foothill-De Anza

Public Information Officer

$152,441 remaining as of the finance committee’s Oct. 20 meeting.

The DASG Bike Program, which the student government launched in 2011, previously had two of its corral coverings blown away by heavy winds; first in 2023, then again in December last year. The Office of College Life put in the recent funding request for new coverings to protect bikes in the corral from further damage.

Before the college installed bike coverings, the student government dealt with elemental damage to the bikes. In October 2019, former DASB Bike Coordinator Casey Cosgrove and Environmental Sustainability Chair Steve Hoang reported the issue, noting repairs cost

See "Bike corral" on page 3

Survey finds some college employees fear retaliation

72% of 225 employee respondents did not think De Anza makes transparent decisions

By Gavin Rust LA VOZ STAFF

De Anza College’s most recent campus climate survey results show that 28% of employee respondents feel the college makes decisions transparently and 38% of employee respondents feel they can freely criticize the college without retaliation.

For faculty, those figures dip to 19% and 32% respectively.

The 59-question voluntary survey, which the college conducted last spring quarter, covered both students and employees. This was the first climate survey the college had conducted since 2014.

The De Anza Academic Senate discussed the survey’s results at its Oct. 20 meeting, where Academic Senate President Erik Woodbury called survey results below 25% “beyond a failing grade.”

“This can be a useful tool for

where we want to effect change to make ourselves happier with our campus climate,” Woodbury said. “When I see something below 25% is how a particular group feels, I’m like, ‘OK, how do we definitely make that better?’”

Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Accreditation Mallory Newell said over 900 employees worked for De Anza last spring quarter. Less than one in four employees took the survey – similar to 2014 results, where around 20% of more than 1,000 employees responded to the survey.

Newell said the college will conduct its next climate survey in 2027. The numbers still raised concerns from employees, including one classified professional from Admissions and Records who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

See "Survey" on page 3

PHOTO COURTESY OF YVONNE CHAMBERLAIN-MARQUEZ

Staff members guide student residents through

Students move in, McClellan Terrace residents move out

Some parents say relocation separates children from friends, schools

By Zain Kane LA VOZ STAFF

The Foothill-De Anza district purchased and then converted the McClellan Terrace Apartments into student housing over the summer.

Current tenants must relocate by June 30, 2026, to make room for Foothill and De Anza students, but

some worry about the impact on their children’s schooling.

“They’re (current tenants) probably comfortable here, but a lot of the students who are moving in really needed the space,” Student Resident Assistant, Julia Rodriguez, 19, political science major, said.

EDITORIAL 2

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Wylder Robison

Managing Editor

Carolyn Zhao

News Editor

Gavin Rust

Sports Editor

Xitlaly Martinez

Opinion Editor

Mariana Frias Da Costa

Photo Editor

Averie Choi

Multimedia Editor

Tommy Ngo

Graphic Design Editor

Atharva Salkar

Social Media Editor

Gordon Yang

Copy Editor

Ann Peñalosa

Meryem Sezgin

Staff members

Apollo Seay

Saijal Chaudhary

Laila Zedan

Hayden Rush

Htet Shar Ko Ko (Sam)

Arjun Shah

Leslie Machorro Reynoso

Andres Silva

Yosselyn Garcia Rodas

Cindy Rodriguez

Ashritha Chand

Jamie Watt

Jennifer Yamanaka

Nicole Vargas

Damian Renteria Mata

Chloe Kenrow

Ko Ko Lin Thant

Zhuxiao (Winnie) Xie

Sango Levonian

Kinjal Dhandar

Zain Kane

Frank Meyers

Faculty Adviser

Farideh Dada

Office Managers

Xitlaly Martinez

Dicanio Darren Liong

About us

De Anza College students have written and published La Voz News since 1967.

Student access to La Voz is partially funded by the De Anza Student Government. La Voz News is printed by the Folger Graphics Company.

Staff editorials reflect the opinions of the majority of the editorial board and not necessarily the views of the entire La Voz Staff.

Send letters to the editor

lavozdeanza.com

lavoz@fhda.edu

+1 (408) 864-5626

‘A’ for austerity Service guts harm students, staff

By the La Voz Editorial Board

De Anza College has gradually reduced or outsourced many of its core services, citing “cost-neutrality” as one of the district’s guiding principles, a strategy that leaves students and staff with less support each year.

Dining Services, which the district shut down in favor of contractor Pacific Dining, is only the most recent victim of these cuts; it met the same fate as both the campus print shop by the start of summer 2023 and the old bookstore by the end of 2021.

It’s not just a matter of cutting certain services but also cost-cutting decisions which have weakened programs, such as the De Anza’s College Promise, that directly benefit students.

The De Anza College Promise covers two years of tuition for new full-time students with a 15-unit cap per quarter and a 2.0 GPA requirement; those requirements didn’t exist before the fall 2023 quarter. De Anza also ended its $1,000 book stipend after the winter 2024 quarter, leaving students on the hook for costly textbooks and equipment.

Additionally, it seems as though the district is taking steps to make it easier to get rid of its free parking policy by fall 2026.

As the district begins implementing free parking pass requirements, the new enforcement and digital cataloging system will make it easier to restrict parking to students. Once people become accustomed to registering for passes, the college could more easily introduce a fee later.

While parking fees existed before the pandemic, a shift to free parking saved students both money and stress — it should stay that way.

In economics, this type of gradual decline is called austerity.

Austerity is a policy mindset where governments and institutions balance their budgets by cutting, squeezing and selling. In practice, whether it’s on the scale of a nation or a school district, it means people lose critical services and shoulder the costs of services they once had.

A historical example was in the United Kingdom in 2008, when the government introduced austerity measures to reduce the deficit by cutting

public spending and welfare programs instead of raising taxes on the wealthy.

Most students don’t feel the impact it has over their two years; after all, De Anza prides itself as tops in transfers. Losing services is a blip to students who are only here to get their degree and transfer.

But over time, these losses build up and students who stay around longer than two years feel the impact. Continued budget tightening could eventually put central spaces, like the campus center and village centers, in jeopardy. We have already lost Le Café, which was a student favorite.

When Foothill-De Anza Chancellor Lee Lambert came to the district, his goals included “finding entrepreneurial ways to raise revenue” and “promoting income-generating partnerships with business and industry,” while staying “costneutral;” this means running the district like a business and cutting back, which is not how a “community” college should be run.

To be clear, this didn’t start when Lambert arrived in 2023. The district had been operating under austerity long before his tenure, largely because of its budget deficit; of the budget reports the district hosts on its website, it was either actively cutting its budget or in a deficit every year except 2010-11 and 201516; the district projected a deficit as far out as 202728 last

year, though it is in the green this year by over $600,000 more than it claimed it would be.

But it’s definitely been accelerating, with district leadership hiring an extra vice chancellor last year as parttime faculty barely scrape by and students foot the bill for hundreds of dollars a quarter in online “textbook” access codes that they can’t even get secondhand or for cheap, through third parties such as WebAssign and Pearson.

As Pima Community College’s CEO and chancellor, Lambert oversaw Pima selling off its community campuses in 2019 for $6 million, delayed track repairs that left athletes running in unsafe conditions and cut $15 million from its budget and 6% of staff as faculty wages fell while administrators’ pay rose — including his own, to $348,935 a year. His 2023-24 compensation at Foothill-De Anza totaled $553,354, with $82,432 in benefits.

In this era of uncertainty regarding federal funding for California colleges and universities, district leadership should not be banking on “entrepreneurship” or “making its money back” just to stay afloat. Rather than investing in large venues that

most students rarely use — but that can be rented out for private events — such as the Visual and Performing Arts Center or the now-scrapped De Anza Event Center, the district should prioritize projects that directly serve students.

Instead of squeezing its students and staff, district leadership can consider more conventional and less “entrepreneurial” ways to raise money — like raising property taxes on wealthier residents within the FoothillDe Anza district. They can afford to pay their fair share without expecting the district to line their pockets like bond measures would.

Right now, college president Omar Torres is taking feedback on his draft strategic plan for the college until 2030. While Torres talks about making “equitable access and pathways,” De Anza’s students and staff want a college that holds on to its services and programs.

A college built for education, not short-term returns on investment, is one students will want to attend and see as more than just a transfer school. It’s our job as students to make our voices heard — on campus and at Board of Trustees meetings — and to remind the administration that De Anza is not just a community college; it’s a public institution that serves its community, not a private asset to be sold off.

De Anza College stands at a crossroads. After years of privatization, it is up to its students, workers and administrators to reverse course, prioritizing robust campus services over making a profit.

Campus faces Wi-Fi issues

Technology department promises major network upgrades

BY AVERIE CHOI LA VOZ STAFF

De Anza College students have expressed dissatisfaction with ongoing poor internet conditions on campus since the start of this fall quarter.

Students said the Wi-Fi is affecting their ability to access online materials on personal devices and disrupting their ability to use school devices during in-person classes.

Jaehwan Lee, 20, mechanical engineering major, said the internet connection has worsened.

“Last year, the internet was quite good, but starting this fall quarter, it’s so bad,” Lee said.

Students also said the quality of the internet feels different depending on the place and situation.

Jun Kim, 21, biology major, said there are certain spots on campus where the connection is exceptionally bad.

“Especially in the Fireside Room, the Wi-Fi is pretty bad,” Kim said. It’s not just the connection that students say is bad — they have other concerns about the Wi-Fi, too.

Riwa Watanabe, 21, electrical engineering major, said the Wi-Fi doesn’t cover the entire campus.

“When I go to the Resource Hub, there’s no internet there,” Watanabe said.

Police Blotter Oct. 1 to Oct. 15

Oct. 1 – Foothill College, Lot 2A: Hazmat leak, informational report: Officers responded to a hydraulic fluid leak from a garbage truck.

Oct. 2 – Elena Road and Moody Road: Reckless driving, suspended license: Police arrested a driver with a suspended license for reckless driving. The vehicle was towed.

Oct. 3 – Southbound Interstate 280 at Foothill Expressway: Expired registration, unlicensed driver: A driver without a license or proof of insurance was cited, and the vehicle was towed.

Oct. 5 – Southbound Interstate 280 at De Anza Boulevard: Driving under the influence: An intoxicated driver was arrested and taken to the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

Oct. 7 – Foothill College, 5400 Building: Suspicious person, felony warrant: A person wearing an ankle monitor was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant and parole violation.

Oct. 7 – Foothill College, 1000 Building: Vandalism: Unknown suspect(s) vandalized a women’s restroom.

Oct. 8 – Campus Center Building: Disturbance, theft, dissuading a witness: Police escorted a student off campus after reports of theft and aggressive behavior in the cafeteria.

Oct. 10 – Lot A:

Hit-and-run, property damage: An unknown vehicle sideswiped a parked car and fled the scene.

Oct. 14 to 15 – Lot F: Tampering with a vehicle: Unknown suspect(s) removed a vehicle’s windshield wipers.

Survey cont. from page 1.

“If someone (from administration) promises me something, I don’t take it,” the classified professional said. “I don’t trust that they’re going to keep their word.”

The classified professional also said they feel De Anza has a culture of favoritism and that promotions are based on workplace politics, not merit or job knowledge.

“If I were the president, I would start with my supervisors and my deans,” the classified professional said. “‘What do they know about their program?’ That’s the first thing I want to know.”

A full-time faculty member from the Biological, Health and Environmental Sciences Division, who also asked to remain anonymous, agreed with the classified professional.

“I’ve seen relationships turn sour because of feedback which makes our job more difficult,” the full-time faculty

Kassidy Toralba, 18, communications major, said cellular data is unstable on campus and the Wi-Fi connection is unreliable.

“When you’re on campus, you get zero bars,” Toralba said. “There’s no service at all, and I don’t like it.”

According to the Educational Technology Services Department, De Anza College’s Wi-Fi is part of a districtwide system that supports both De Anza and Foothill colleges.

Kevin Metcalf, associate vice chancellor of networks and client services

member said.

They went on to say that the hiring process for part-time faculty and budgeting matters are also decisions that need more transparency.

“We (them and their coworkers) have seen faculty feel unsafe in their work environment and when it was reported, the situation was not handled carefully,” they said.

However, part-time communications professor Patrick McDonnell expressed skepticism that the survey results accurately represent the whole campus climate as only a minority of employees took the survey.

McDonnell also criticized the survey for being too broad in its questioning, saying it relied too heavily on perception, rather than reality.

“Asking people how they feel or perceive something is a very ambiguous and abstract concept”, McDonnell said.

“It’s not going to give you rich, detailed information.”

Vice President of Instruction Ram Subramaniam, who took the position in spring quarter, said that the results laid the groundwork for change.

“We need to create inclusive spaces and to really listen to all the constituents and make sure that decisions that are being made are clear”, Subramaniam said.

“There should be really no surprise in sort of any decision that gets rolled out.”

Of the survey’s 347 student respondents, 91% said they feel their instructors respecte them, and 83% said they feel respected by other students.

“I am optimistic about the new executive team we’ve assembled at the college,” college President Omar Torres wrote in an emailed statement to La Voz.

“I am committed to ensuring that we engage in transparent, inclusive dialogue to elevate the voices of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators as we plan for the future of our college.”

Chancellor Lee Lambert told La Voz he could only meet and comment after the publication of this article.

“I’m a big believer that we can always do something better,” Subramaniam said.

$12,655.20 in spring 2019.

The corral has gone 10 months without a cover, leaving bikes withrusted gears, deformed handlebars, fogged gear indicators and broken e-bike electronics.

for the ETS Department, said a specific team manages the district’s internet.

“Our Networks and Telecommunications team works with vendors to install, monitor and maintain equipment across the district anywhere Wi-Fi service exists,” Metcalf said.

The system includes backups and load balancing a –process that distributes connected devices among multiple access points to prevent congestion –to keep services running. The ETS Department also “works with the vendor when support from the manufacturer is

required,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf also said that the ETS Department is “aware of major or recurring issues through our system monitoring and close partnership with Instruction and Student Services,” and that they understand students’ frustrations.

Metcalf said there are multiple factors that come into play that would cause the slow and unstable Wi-Fi.

“Student reliance on Wi-Fi has grown every year,” Metcalf said. “Much of that growth has happened organically as more classes, apps and

learning tools move online.”

Metcalf said students now connect multiple devices and use Wi-Fi for more instructional activities than the system was designed for.

“Wi-Fi performance can also be affected by device settings, building materials and the age of some of our equipment,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf said the underlying network on campus is strong, but the wireless infrastructure cannot handle the large amount of people on campus using it all at once.

“The ETS Department and the district leadership have set aside Measure G bond funds to overhaul and modernize the Wi-Fi system over the next few years,” Metcalf said. Through these funds, Metcalf said the campus will be able to expand Wi-Fi coverage, increase capacity and replace aging equipment.

The district plans to upgrade campus Wi-Fi by putting in more connection points. Most of the legacy Wi-Fi equipment will be replaced with modern hardware within five years.

Metcalf advised students to update their device software, stay within known coverage areas and avoid signal blockers such as metal and concrete.

At that meeting, Shannakian said that “to his knowledge,” DASG didn’t have an alternative. Shannakian also said the Office of College Life did not do a background check before sending the quote to the finance committee.

“That (doing background checks) is not part of our responsibility,” Shannakian said in an interview. “We (the Office of College Life) work through the district and hope that they have done what they are supposed to. Different areas of the district have different expertise.”

Edgar Tovar declined to comment, redirecting to Joel Cortez, director of facilities and maintenance. Cortez then redirected to Foothill-De Anza Public Information Officer Ellen Kamei, who wrote that the district found a conflict of interest.

“It was determined that an employee involved in obtaining quotes had a personal connection to one of the vendors,” Kamei wrote in an email. “The employee immediately recused themselves from any further involvement.”

Kamei later clarified that she was writing about Edgar Tovar, and that he had recused himself by Oct. 14.

Robert Tovar is listed as CEO of Top Choice Builders and the now-defunct Tovar Concrete; Tovar Concrete lost its right to do business in the state starting Jan. 1, as it fell out of good standing with California’s Franchise Tax Board and the state suspended its business license.

Tovar “took the reins,” saying the business began in 1984. Top Choice Builders also cites 1984 as its start year but does not mention the Tovars. Records show Robert Tovar registered Top Choice Builders with the Secretary of State on Aug. 15, 2024, before the state suspended Tovar Concrete’s license.

Both companies list 1090 Lincoln

"We work through the district and hope they have done what they are supposed to."

Dennis Shannakian Operations Specialist and Student Activities Coordinator

Ave. in San Jose as their address, though Google Maps and other businesses at the lot show Top Choice Builders does not appear to have to have an office there.

Additionally, Top Choice shares the same logo as Tovar Concrete.

recusing himself,” Shannakian said. “Edgar (Tovar) was still emailing me on Oct. 13.”

In a call, Kamei said facilities could bring items to DASG “early in the process” to seek funding.

“At that point (Oct. 20), when it (the coverings) came to the student government finance committee, the project was still under consideration,” Kamei said.

Shannakian said he first put in a work order for the corral in January, which the district closed in April; he put in a second request, but facilities and college operations only returned with an option in early October.

“No one contacted me about anything,” Shannakian said. “They (facilities) wanted to find something that would be more durable. They (facilities) did not want to have to replace them (the coverings) regularly.”

Kamei wrote that the district did not move forward with the project and did not award a contract.

“The process was halted before any commitments were made,” Kamei wrote.

The quote Top Choice provided to Edgar Tovar listed 1285 Matterhorn Drive, the same address used by Tovar Concrete, legally Bellajavu Corporation.

“The first time (the coverings came down), it was insurance that replaced it,” Shannakian said.

Records from the California Secretary of State’s office show Tovar Concrete, which claimed 40 years in business, was only registered on Dec. 11, 2019, and did not file its required statement of information since 2021.

Tovar Concrete’s website lists Enrique Tovar as founder and said Robert

Although the district’s “Contact Us” page listed Interim Director of College Operations Oscar Guillen by April 30, meeting minutes from May 6 show Edgar Tovar has acted in Guillen’s role.

“That (Kamei’s email) was the first I heard anything about Edgar (Tovar) Bike corral cont. from page 1.

Kamei also wrote that the bike corral was not subject to the district’s bidding process, as its cost of $22,000 fell under the $220,000 threshold California lawmakers set on Jan. 1. It also does not meet the district’s statutory bid threshold of $114,800.

Michael Salinas, the representative who provided Edgar Tovar with the Top Choice quote, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Robert Tovar declined to comment after repeated requests.

“Stop harassing me,” Robert Tovar wrote in a text.

PHOTO BY AVERIE CHOI

Students study in the campus library on their personal devices on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

As of Oct. 27, the bike corral outside the Registration and Student Services building has gone without coverings since December, leaving bikes exposed to rain and sun damage.

PHOTO BY ANN PEÑALOSA

La Voz recognized for excellence

Journalism Association of Community Colleges awards De Anza journalism students at annual regional NorCal conference

By Wylder Robison LA VOZ STAFF

La Voz staff won 31 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges NorCal Regional Conference at San Jose State University on Oct. 25.

This breaks its previous record of 27 awards at the annual regional conference — first set in 2005, which the paper only recently tied in 2023 and 2024 — as well as its record for most first place finishes, with seven this year.

The awards recognized work submitted to JACC within the past year, including best photo essay, news story, sports photo, sports story and more.

The conference gave students from Northern California community colleges a chance to compete and network with fellow student journalists, while learning from industry professionals and news organizations.

David DeBolt, editor at Bay Area News Group, said events like this are helpful for student journalists’ growth, highlighting the value of local journalism today.

“There are news deserts up and down the state,” DeBolt said. “I want my paper to go into the towns that are not being covered, really get in there and do some impactful reporting.”

Annie Sciacca, an investigative journalist and journalism professor at Contra Costa College, said reporters play a key role in bearing witness to and documenting acts of free speech such as protests.

“One way we can (lift up voices)

is by covering protests, that is a real action,” Sciacca said.

JACC Student President Gregory Hawthorn led a discussion with editors-in-chief from college newspapers about improving newsroom skills and reaching wider audiences.

Hawthorn said conferences like these and discussions between different newsrooms ultimately help everyone “improve and learn from others,” which positively impacts journalism as a whole.

Aerin Haro, staff writer at Diablo Valley College, said she was grateful to learn more about how to stay safe as a journalist.

“In this day and age, where the internet connects us all, we have more likely chances of being (doxxed) and our information being spread,” Haro said.

Haro said it is important for journalists to be taught how to keep themselves safe physically and mentally.

Dylan Cooper, 18, reporter for The Oak Leaf, said he loves journalism because he gets to write consistently.

“It’s not like writing a book, where you have to sit down for a while and then, after a year or two, getting that out there — every week

you might be publishing,” Cooper said.

Richard Craig, adviser to the Spartan Daily at SJSU, said the best way to get new journalists to want to do more than they think they can is to show them what’s possible with their reporting.

“When they see what’s possible, they think, ‘Damn, why don’t we do this?’” Craig said.

Attendees also participated in workshops on topics ranging from protest coverage and global reporting to pursuing journalism as a career, as well as five on-the-spot competitions in news and opinion writing, feature

photography, copy editing and social media.

La Voz will also attend the Associated Collegiate Press Spring National College Media Conference in San Francisco March 5-7, which will be held in conjunction with JACC and the California College Media Association.

La Voz awards include:

● General Excellence – Newspaper: La Voz Staff

● General Excellence – Online: La Voz Staff

● Sports Game Story: First place — Orly Bryan, Xitlaly Martinez, Mitchell Park

● Critical Review: First place — Tommy Ngo

● Photo Story/Essay: First place —

Sarah Atito, Carolyn Zhao

● Sports Action Photo: Second place — Frank Mayers

● News Photo: First place — Ann Peñalosa

● Environmental Portrait: First place

— Gavin Rust

● Illustration: First place — Alice

Shen

● Inside Page Layout: First place

— Brooklyn Coyle; Second place — Brooklyn Coyle

On-the-spot awards include:

● Social Media: First place — Laila Zedan, Kinjal Dhandar, Gordon Yang, Atharva Salkar

Full list available on our website

La Voz staff collectively gathered quotes and contributed to the production of this story.

La Voz staff hold up their awards at the end of the JACC conference at San Jose State University on Oct. 25.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BETSY GEBHART

Finding queer community on and off campus

An attack from the Trump administration will never dim our light

By Jamie Watt

As queer students, life under the current administration can evoke many feelings as our rights come under attack. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we lean on one another and build solidarity to protect ourselves.

There have been 616 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in the U.S. in 2025 alone, 368 of which have been passed or will likely pass, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Despite the administration’s obvious targeting of the queer community, they seem to have forgotten how hard past generations have fought for our rights and how that determination doesn’t dissipate through history.

I see community all the time: on campus, at work, with my friends, and even out and about in the Bay Area. Queer friends, relatives, couples and allies, join together to build the life we all dream of.

Just recently, I visited De Anza’s Pride Center for the first time and was immediately delighted by the welcoming presence. I was quickly noticed as a newcomer and was given a detailed tour of all of the available guidance and resources.

From a food pantry, arts and crafts materials, gender-affirming clothes, all the way to endless resources on things like LGBTQ+ mental and physical health support – they offer everything.

As I continued to look around on my own, I found myself grinning, overhearing the giggles and gossip from the group of friends sitting in the corner. I took in the colors of several different pride flags that hung on the wall, and felt washed over with comfort. This is the community we all need.

As queer monuments and history are actively being eradicated, queer communities continue showing up.

In August, the Florida Department of Transportation painted over the rainbow-colored crosswalk that was originally painted in 2017 in remembrance of the 49 victims killed in the attack at Pulse nightclub.

Many local Orlando residents responded with protest, some by restoring the crosswalk’s lively colors with chalk, according to an article from Spectrum News 13. This is one beautiful and symbolic representation of how seemingly small actions can unite our community.

Community isn’t limited to the Pride Center at De Anza, it can be found and created anywhere.

We all may be experiencing differing stages of emotions in times like these, but at the end of the day, the answer is community. Reach out and hug your friends, make new ones, compliment that cool stranger, go to that queer event, or even ask for help. Cry, laugh, fight and love.

If you are interested or are in need of LGBTQ+ resources, visit De Anza’s Pride Center website.

Sabrina Carpenter is not a feminist icon

New album is sexual, contains submissive undertones, but does that really make her an anti-feminist?

By Yosselyn Garcia Rodas LA VOZ STAFF

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Man’s Best Friend” did not do anything for the feminist movement but it also did not set the movement back.

She has drastically rebranded herself from a Disney girl to a woman leaning into her sexual appeal. With her stage outfits and song lyrics, her brand and image has become very controversial. Especially with the album’s cover, a photo of her on her knees as a man grabs her hair.

While she isn’t doing anything revolutionary for feminism, feminism stands for women having the freedom of choice. Everyone is within their rights to have opinions on anything, including her music and lyricism. But disagreeing with her music and image choices does not automatically make her regressive or patriarchal.

Many users on various social media sites have accused Carpenter of catering to the male gaze, promoting regressive stereotypes and even threatening women’s safety at large. “Insanely misogynistic imagery”, wrote one Instagram user, according to The Guardian.

Many people believe that she is glamorizing traditional gender roles, or even promoting sexist stereotypes in her album cover.

Carpenter said in an interview with the New York Post that her interpretation of the artwork is “being in on your lack of control and when you want to be in control,” adding that being a “young woman, you’re just as aware of when you’re in control as when you’re not.”

Carpenter’s image and brand has become increasingly tied to her sexuality. Her album cover and many of her performances include her own

experiences and wants.

The album cover is directly influenced by her own desires. She chooses to be submissive in her relationships, handing over control to her partner and letting herself be dominated.

Sabrina Carpenter is not a feminist icon, but that doesn’t mean she is enforcing misogynistic stereotypes. Her album cover, music and brand is not doing anything for the feminist movement, but it doesn’t have to.

Her music and image is selfexpression, she controls what she makes and puts out to the media. Her music and image is not feminist or revolutionary by any means, but not everything a woman creates has to be.

Feminism is all about equality, being able to make choices and have the freedom to live by those choices.

Whether that means choosing to go against societal expectations or living by them.

The whole point of feminism is

to have a choice, and if that means taking on the submissive role in the bedroom, is that really so bad?

There are so many more pressing issues going on in the world right now. If we want to talk about women’s rights being set back we should start with the President of the United States and State Governors around the nation who have already attacked women’s reproductive rights.

PHOTO BY JAMIE WATT Posters on the wall of the De Anza Pride Center give students inspiration on Oct. 14.

LA VOZ STAFF

Sabrina Carpenter’s album, “Man’s Best Friend,” has sparked controversy across the internet.

COURTESY OF ISLAND RECORDS

Football holds on to razor-thin homecoming win

De Anza tallies 2-point victory, continues undefeated 8-0 record

BY SANGO LEVONIAN LA VOZ STAFF

The Mountain Lions hosted the Homecoming football game against the Coalinga College Falcons on Saturday, Oct. 25.

The two teams met at 1 p.m. at De Anza College Stadium, with the Mountain Lions achieving an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. As the game continued, the Falcons were

able to adjust strategy and conclude the game with a 42-40 score, marking a close victory for De Anza.

After the game, Coach Joe D’Agostino, head football coach and Football Academic Success Team coordinator, met with his team to analyze their performance and prepare for upcoming games.

The Mountain Lions look forward to two more games in the regular season.

Left, From left, running back Fausto Gonzalez, undeclared major, running back Diego Ortega-Gerow, business major and wide receiver Michael Valenti, engineering major, wait to be subbed in.

The Mountain Lions line up at the start of the game’s first quarter at De Anza College Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Running back Isaiah Addison, business major, evades two Coalinga College players on his way to touchdown, bringing the lead to 42-27.

Right, Wide receiver Akeem Wright, liberal arts - business and computer systems major, takes a moment away from the field.

Defensive back Caleb Richardson, business major, assumes his position for the next play at De Anza College Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Defensive lineman Andrew Rheubottom, business major, denies Coalinga possession.

From left, Peyton Anderson, Chris Rubalcaba Jr. , Decaurrey Clark and Ian Kirby congratulate the opposing team at the game’s finale. The Mountain Lions take home a 42-40 victory.

Left: From left, offensive lineman Chase DeSantis, humanities major and quarterback Ian Kirby, business major, take the ball.

Above: Head Football Coach Joe D’Agostino watches his team warm up before the start of the game with Coalinga College.

The Hub opening offers fresh start

Expanded services aim to ease student stress, meet growing needs

By Chloe Kenrow LA VOZ STAFF

The Hub at De Anza College, formerly known as the Resource Hub, reopened at the Baldwin Winery Building at the start of the Fall Quarter.

The Hub now has a wider variety of items, the new Roary’s Closet for clothes and shoes and offers more access to hot meals, Nazy Galoyan, dean of enrollment services, said.

“We are partnered with World Food Movement and they bring in hot meals and serve our students every Wednesday,” Galoyan said.

Students may stop by the Hub for fresh produce, groceries, clothing items and hot meals. Inside, Roary’s Market-formerly known as the Food Pantry-is stocked with meat, produce, dairy and more.

Mobile food markets, including Park it Market and Loaves and Fishes, set up in Parking Lot A on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Hub also serves hot meals twice a week, offers one free cafeteria meal voucher and daily snacks and essentials such as toiletries, school materials and Crumbl cookies.

Alice An, 18, computer science major, said she enjoyed the selection of produce offered at the mobile markets and added that the Hub is a great convenience for students.

“The Hub helps us to reduce the time it would take to go to other food markets. It helps us focus more on our studies,” An said.

Galoyan said the Hub now offers more convenient access to students than before.

“In the past we had a food pantry location, the Hub’s mobile location and storage in our

third location,” Galoyan said. “It was very hard to manage all the rotations and now it’s one stop for students.”

Galoyan explained that it’s not just a financial burden for students to get fresh produce and food, but it is also time taken from their schedules and sometimes a lack of convenience.

Davon Hopkins, 20, business major, said there’s more space now at the Hub and he enjoys how he can browse items and pick out what he wants.

“Before you would just scan your card and someone would hand it to you,” Hopkins said. Hopkins added having free groceries is helpful for him and his household.

The Hub staff and representatives from the Bill Wilson Center also serve students on

Tuesdays, offering information about on- and off-campus resources that support academic success, mental health, housing and financial security.

Grisel Vasquez, program coordinator, said the Hub helps ease students’ stress and that she enjoys being able to provide this kind of service.

“I know how important academics are. So if I can remove some of that heaviness that a student has then I think that is what we are here for,” Vasquez said.

The Hub’s hours, services and location are listed on its De Anza College webpage and Instagram. It is located across from the Financial Aid office, facing the A Quad and Stevens Creek Boulevard.

and Ta’Shaun

20,

From left, Casie Wheat, interim supervisor, Raquel Perez, student success specialist, Nazy Galoyan, dean of enrollment services and Grisel Vasquez, program coordinator, pose for a photo as they reflect on the growth and recent accomplishments of the Hub’s team, in front of Roary’s Market on Oct. 7.

PHOTO BY CHLOE KENROW

Students leave the Hub after they collect snacks and other essentials on Oct 6.

PHOTO BY CHLOE KENROW

From left, Lamy Constant, 21, liberal arts major, Davon Hopkins, 20, business major, Hosie Hopkins, 20, kinesiology major

Skinner,

kinesiology major, hold up their finds while browsing fresh produce inside Roary’s Market on Oct. 7.

STAYC comes to Bay Area for North American tour

K-pop group deliveres powerful vocals, polished choreography during their first San Jose concert

STAYC performing their song “YOUNG LUV” at the San Jose Civic for their “Stay Tuned” tour on Sunday, Oct. 5.

By Leslie Machorro Reynoso LA VOZ STAFF

South Korean girl group

STAYC kicked off their second world tour, coming to San Jose for the first time on Oct. 5.

The six-member group debuted in 2020, releasing singles and an album. On May 5, the North American tour dates were announced.

The show was set to begin at 8 p.m. at the San Jose Civic Center, with fans lined up for merchandise before the show.

The concert began with a prerecorded video, often known as a VCR, of each group member. The video ended with their tour title, “2025 STAYC Tour Stay Tuned.”

When the screen faded to black with flashing red lights, the group walked onto the stage and started with their song “BEBE.”

After the first three songs, the group spoke to the audience, expressing their excitement. They performed two more songs and then left the stage for an outfit change.

There were three outfit changes in total, showing VCRs during the wait. Each video was different, from showing the concert concept to interviews with each member.

The group members performed their solos with the fans’ energy being high. Fans danced the choreography, sang and chanted the famous catchphrase, “STAYC girls, it’s going down!”

The 23-song set list ranged

from newer tracks like “I Want It,” and their older, but most popular, “ASAP” and “RUN2U.”

Each song had a video playing on the screen behind them with lyrics, lights and visuals.

What was fascinating was their choreo. As they sang with a clear voice, their movements were satisfying to watch.

Fans cheered loudly and expressed their support for the group.

“I try to suppress my emotions and be cool when we perform the songs, but today I could not hold back my smile,” lead singer Isa said.

The group’s commentary between songs was a highlight, as they asked fans if they were having fun and what the best things to do in the Bay Area were.

During their encore song “Gummy Bear,” the group surprised their fans as they walked through the crowd, greeting fans as they sang.

Before their final song, the group sat down on stage and said their final thoughts to their fans.

“First of all, it’s our first time in San Jose,” said J, the youngest member of the group. “The energy is insane.”

As a final wrap, the group took a picture with their fans as a memory of the event.

Rating: 5/5

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ falls flat

With uninspired writing and misplaced bravado, the pop star struggles to find meaning at the top

By Arjun Shah

Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” is her weakest album to date

“The Life of a Showgirl,” Taylor Swift’s 16th studio album, finds the most famous singer in the world at her most depraved. Having at long last achieved the love story she so infamously sang about as a young woman, Swift is only able to offer a sparse and shallow album that suggests getting what you want may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

The album opens with the “Fate of Ophelia,” an energetic pop number that takes its name from “Hamlet,” continuing the singer’s love of Shakespeare. This song is generic in its repetitive pop riffs and tired lyrics, which are perhaps emblematic of the fact that to be at the top is to be uninspired and dejected.

The album is strongest when Swift is at her most braggadocious. In “Father Figure,” she sings: “I’ll be your father figure/ I drink that brown liquor/ I can make deals with the devil because my (expletive)’s bigger.” This riff is undeniably catchy and serves as the highlight of the album.

While the album reaches its pinnacle near the middle, it quickly plummets with “Eldest Daughter,” where Swift, with apparently no sense of irony, sings: “But I’m not a bad (explative) / This isn’t savage.” These lyrics mock Black artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Swift

attempts to recover from “Eldest Daughter” with “Ruin the Friendship,” which offers the advice to her young and impressionable listeners to “always ruin the friendship.” This bad advice, coupled with a lackluster instrumental, marks the song as one of the weakest on the album.

As someone who has “ruined the friendship,” Swift’s advice is not one to abide by as it often leads to more heartbreak and pain then letting things unfold naturally does.

It wouldn’t be a Swift album without the singer showing some teeth. In “The Life of a Showgirl,” however, Swift doesn’t take aim at her usual ex-boyfriends, but instead at another pop sensation: Charli XCX.

The diss comes on “Actually Romantic,” but it is this diss that is perhaps the greatest signifier of an artist in decline. With lazy songwriting and a dejected falsetto, Swift sings laconically about Charli XCX’s betrayal.

Yet this diss doesn’t quite land. Instead, it seems to suggest Swift realizes that she is in the twilight of her career and is attacking an upand-comer out of fear of relinquishing her throne.

“The Life of a Showgirl” is an artist’s attempt to deny that her time has long since passed. With resentful, angry lyrics tied up in upbeat melodies, Swift appears to be grasping for air in a world that has long since evolved past her.

Rating: 2/5

An hourglass shows glitter falling and Taylor Swift’s album covers, symbolizing a diminishing career. The graphic reads “Tick Tock, Taylor” and “The stage is bright, the crowd is quiet.”

LA VOZ STAFF

PHOTO BY LESLIE MACHORRO REYNOSO

STATISTICS

CROSS

Ladies’ soccer: surviving its revival

A losing season tests sophmores, freshman, new coaches

COUNTRY By Ashritha Chand LA VOZ STAFF

WOMEN’S COAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS

Regular-Season Player Rank: No. 2 - Siena Pignataro PR - 5k meters (18:10.01)

MEN’S 5CTCA Rank as of Oct. 16 No. 10

Regular-Season Player Rank: No. 2 - Giovanni Lancellotti PR - 4 miles (21:16.70)

FOOTBALL

UNDEFEATED SEASON

3C2A Coaches Poll Rank: No. 18

All-Purpose Leading Player: Akeem Wright - Wide Receiver 105.9 yds/game, 8 Touchdowns

SOCCER

WOMEN’S Overall Record: 1-10-3

Top Scorers: Lia Hirata - 1 goal, 1 assist Xitlaly Martinez - 1 goal, 1 assist

Most Saves: Madison Braun - 57 saves MEN’S Overall Record: 8-4-3

Top Scorer: Ryan Corcoran - 12 goals, 2 assists

Most Saves: Luc Narido - 23 saves

VOLLEYBALL

Overall Record: 13-11

Most Kills: Ajla Cakisic - 265 kills

De Anza women’s soccer team improve upon last year’s bottomranked performance by beefing its roster with new players and coaches.

“There’s a higher level of expectation for our performance, still realistic for where we are, but it pushes us as a team to work harder and strive for better,” midfielder and captain Lia Hirata, 18, liberal arts major said. “It’s faster paced and there’s a lot more intensity in training.”

This season’s head coach of the men’s soccer team, Rusty Johnson leads the women’s team, bringing more than a decade’s worth of experience coaching De Anza’s men’s program. In his collegiate career goalkeeping for Santa Clara University, he helped the team make consecutive appearances at the national championship in 1999 and 2000.

The women’s program struggled to find a head coach and Johnson presented himself to the administration as an option.

“I wanted a new challenge …. I’ve done a little bit of women’s coaching in the past, and I’ve enjoyed it,” Johnson said. “I know we’ve gotta have a growth mindset this year because the program’s struggled in the past, but the girls have responded well this year.”

In overall matches this season, women’s soccer has one win, ten losses and three ties. Compared to last season at this time in the quarter, the Lions had

zero wins, eleven losses and two ties. The team also changed its drills and exercises to better position itself for results. Last year, the team struggled with filling its roster with players and keeping them accountable. This season, four returning sophomores welcomed 16 new athletes and Johnson responded with stricter enforcement of training attendance.

“There’s a higher level of expectation for our performance, still realistic for where we are, but it pushes us as a team to work harder and strive for better.”

- Lia Hirata, team captain

“We have more girls joining on the team, more numbers, which is exciting, and it’s a positive vibe,” midfield and captain Jazmin Lucas, 19, psychology major said.

To further develop the team, new coaches were onboarded including Veronica Cashman, Women’s Indoor World Cup champion in 2017 and NCAA Division I women’s

soccer national champion in 2001.

“We went from having usually one coach running 12 to 15 girls to five coaches running 20 girls,” Johnson said. “The increase in numbers helps me to keep them all accountable. It’s having a better player to coach ratio, making them feel like they’re really cared for.”

Johnson said the goal for this year is to end mid-table in the rankings and use that as a foundation to improve upon for the upcoming seasons.

“We know we’re going to come across some teams in the conference that are gonna be able to handle us pretty easily. So it’s learning how to make it difficult for those teams,” Johnson said. “We’ve been at the

bottom of the table every year. So if we can get mid-table with the girls this year and then hit the recruiting trail, I think we could have this program back to where it was.”

The women’s soccer program won state championships twice, in 1994 and 1995 making a total of five consecutive appearances from 1992-96.

“Hopefully, it goes even higher than it’s going and more girls start to show up,” Hirata said. “Regardless of wins or losses, it’s to have fun and also for the girls to come back.”

“One of my goals is to at least tie games, not necessarily win,” Lucas said. “I want to get results and I want us to come off the field feeling like we did something.”

New sand volleyball courts open

Beach volleyball team hopes for more program awareness

By Ashritha Chand LA VOZ STAFF

After a little over a year in construction and a budget of $7.07 million, De Anza’s outdoor volleyball courts opened on the first day of fall quarter, allowing the beach volleyball team to train on campus and host games.

“We’ve had beach volleyball for five or six years now, but we’ve been practicing in a facility that we could get by in, but really wasn’t providing all of the resources that made a program successful,” Athletics Director Ron Hannon said. “I really think that this is going to benefit the program.”

The new construction sits next to Parking Lot D and boasts six courts with ample spacing for future spectators, bleachers and players’ sidelines. The court also includes stadium lighting and a training area with synthetic grass. It also fulfills official volleyball requirements to host games and tournaments.

“We had to drive extra far for every game we had,” Ava Hudnut, (De Anza No. 13) 18, ceramics major said. “Now we get to host for half

Funded by Measure G, the six new beach volleyball courts meet competition requirements for De Anza College conference matches.

our season. We don’t have to pay for buses and all that kind of stuff.”

The courts are also used to teach a beach volleyball technique class on Monday evenings. Students are able to reserve the facility through the administration.

Athletes shared hopes that the courts would bring more

awareness to the program.

“I don’t think many people knew that we had a beach team because there was nowhere on campus that we had a place to go,” Hudnut said. “But now that it’s something on campus, and it’s so big, I think the home-game advantage is definitely going to be big for team spirit.”

By Jamie Watt LA VOZ STAFF

De Anza women’s volleyball team swept Gavilan College 3-0 at home during its annual Dig Pink Volleyball Fundraiser for breast cancer awareness on Oct. 24.

The team raised a total of $826 for The Side-Out Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds for the treat-

ment of metastatic breast cancer.

“As a team, I think it’s definitely very known that at least one of our family members struggled with breast cancer,” said Violeta

Midfielder Hermione Thompson (De Anza No. 16), 19, political science major rushes to defend Samantha Wallace (Evergreen No. 17) dribbing toward the goal. Keeper Madison Braun (De Anza No. 33), 24, animation and illustration major and midfielder Emily Aquino Salazar (De Anza No. 4), 18, nursing major position themselves to minimize the attacking angle during the Oct. 25 home game.

Volleyball wins big for Dig Pink charity

Velazquez (De Anza

PHOTO BY DAMIAN RENTERIA

PHOTO BY JAMIE WATT

Lions, coaches and athletic trainers sporting pink gear after Dig Pink Fundraiser and match win on Oct. 24 at De Anza College.

PHOTO BY ZHUXIAO XIE

Striker freshman, Orly Bryan, (De Anza No. 20) 20, communications major, presses midfielder and team captain, Lia Hirata, (De Anza No. 12) 18, liberal arts major, during a posession training exercise on Oct. 6 at the De Anza College soccer field. The Lions train Monday through Saturday, with matches twice a week.

PHOTO BY ASHRITHA CHAND

Q&A: Shining light on star athletes

Sophomore guard-forward Theo McDowell brings leadership preparing for the upcoming season

By Nicole Vargas LA VOZ STAFF

What are your feelings going into sophomore season?

A lot of people were talking about us and (during) pre-season, everyone was surprised how good we became. We’re going to shock a lot of people.

What is your biggest goal this season?

My goal is to become a better leader for the team. I’ve been there, I’ve compet-

Top scorer caught attention from San Diego State, Stanford, San Jose State, more Division I programs

By Jennifer Yamanaka LA VOZ STAFF

Division I scouts are watching you, what does this mean to you?

It means that we have a good program, and that they’re here to watch players that play here, who have the ability to go and play at the next level.

How do you balance your time between school and sports?

I’m taking only one in-person class, my other two classes are online and that’s helping a lot. I have training for three hours a day, and games twice a week. So it’s honestly hard to find some time. I am able to knock the assignments out in the morning or after training.

What are some of your most

memorable moments?

I’m a freshman, so there are plenty of great moments to come, but, I’d say whenever I score or my teammates score and we just get to run to the corner together … since everything is a team effort and we are all here for hours everyday working towards scoring.

Are there times that the team meets up after the game or after practice?

Well, sometimes after training a few of us will go get Chipotle, or go to Starbucks before training. Or go to local four-year university games together just to watch where we want to be.

What motivates you to keep moving forward?

I have always loved playing and I want to play as long as I can. It’s something I wanted to do since I was little, so I feel I’d be letting my younger self down if I ever stopped playing. Also, all the work my teammates have put in, my family, my past coaches, all the people in my life that sacrificed a lot of time … it’s not just for me but for all the people who supported me.

Is there anything you want to add?

“The team feels like a family. We’re all moving towards the same goal ... the state championship. In order to do that, we all have to give absolutely everything that we have to every game, every practice, every little moment that we have. Nobody feels out of place when they’re here training .... It is very important that we have that environment and that closeness.”

ed, I did my scoring last year but now I want to lead us and make sure that everyone on the team feels included and that we all come together as one team.

How do you connect with younger teamates?

When all the new freshmen came in we brought them into the family. If you were to ask them, they’d definitely feel like this is one of the best programs you could be in.

How do you prepare for matches?

I’m very superstitious when I play. I eat the same food at the same time. I like to meditate, clear my mind and be confident going into the game, and tell myself I’m the best player on the court, I’m a leader.

Are there any players , college or NBA that you model your game or your playing style after?

Luka Doncic of the Lakers.

That’s one of my favorite players.

ran contributed two goals within seven minutes against Gavilan, contributing to the total six goals for the first match of the season. The freshman leads the team with 20 shots-on-goal, scoring a sum of 12.

Theo McDowell (De Anza No. 24), 19, business marketing major, runs in front of King-Njhsanni Wilhite (San Francisco No. 3), while dribbling the ball in the De Anza gymnasium on Jan. 22.

FILE PHOTO BY BROOKLYN COYLE

PHOTO BY FRANK MAYERS

Ryan Corcoran (De Anza No. 9), 18, kinesiology major grapples with Gavilan forward

Darren Hernandez (Gavilan No. 26) who jumps to head the ball at the De Anza soccer field on Sept. 26. Corco-

Navigating class waitlists and poor counselor experiences, how smoothly will you make it?

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