CAMPUS
The Southwestern College Sun
Writing Center mourns loss of talented tutor Crystal Veytia By Nickolas Furr Senior Staff Writer
Crystal Veytia was living the life she wanted when she boarded a Moscow train to her teaching job one final time. Happy and upbeat as she headed to work, Veytia, 28, experienced a sudden cardiac arrest and died. The Moscow Metro operator stopped the train to let paramedics board, but it was too late. From 2005 until 2011 Veytia was an institution at the SWC Writing Center and a tutor known for her easy rapport with fellow students, her big laugh and her insistence on spending as much time with each student as she could. After the Chula Vista resident earned her bachelor’s degree in English at SDSU, she decided to go abroad to teach. Andrew Rempt, professor of English and director of the Academic Success Center, said she had not originally planned to teach in Russia. “She was going to teach English in Japan, which is a lovely idea,” he said. “Then she got to LAX the day of the March 2011 earthquake. She was ready to get on the plane but was told, ‘No. The flight’s canceled. There’s a massive earthquake and tsunami there.’” It could have been much worse, said Laura Brooks, Veytia’s close friend and fellow SWC tutor. It might have been, had she not had a history of being chronically tardy. “She was supposed to take an earlier flight,” Brooks said. “She would have been arriving there just as it hit. But she asked the airline to take a later flight because she was always late. For once that helped her out.” Brooks said when taking that job became impossible, Veytia remained in California, her future uncertain. “(Crystal) was really upset about not being able to go to Japan,” Brooks said. “She was stuck here for six months, not knowing if she still had a job. It was hard on her, but she was finally given a list of different countries she could choose from and she picked Russia.” The former Bonita Vista High School student spent the past six years sharing a home in Chula Vista with her aunt, Mary King, whom she insisted on calling “Tia Roomie.” She grew networks of real life friends as well as online ones and her death impacted them all. After receiving the news, four of her friends – Brooks, Hana Lohorn, Emily Lohorn, and Ben Nahoum – got tattoos in her honor. All four still work as tutors in the writing center. When her friends were asked about Veytia, none fell silent or became tearyeyed. Each broke into a favorite story about their irascible friend. Some were sophisticated, some were ribald and most were funny. Veytia, they agreed, was alternately brilliant, goofy, generous and exasperating. Losing her, they said, was like losing a close family member. Then, after a beat, they could not resist telling another Crystal story.
Crystal Veytia Rempt said Veytia was a student of his when he realized she would make a good tutor. “Three times she had to take my English 116, the second half of English Composition,” he said. “She got through the third time and she was wonderful. She was delightful, smart and funny. She was able to work with the other students very well. I knew she’d do really well here. And she did.” Rempt estimated that in the five years Veytia worked as a tutor, she served about 1,000 students – most of whom loved her, he said. “She had incredible diagnostic skills,” he said. “She was able to figure out what people needed, and she was so unbearably friendly. Even when she was ill she was cheerful.” Brooks said Veytia’s sense of humor and attitude helped her to help others. “Crystal spoke Spanish,” Brooks said. “She didn’t have much of an accent. When students come in and find out we speak Spanish, they want to use it for the whole session. But Crystal always encouraged students to speak English instead. She was awesome at making them feel comfortable with her.” Co-worker Hana Lohorn said Veytia spent as much time with her students as she could. “Students usually had 20 minute sessions, but Crystal’s always went over,” she said. “She was proud of that because she gave the students whatever time they needed.” Rempt said Veytia had interpersonal skills that he does not have, but also acknowledged that she could be a character. “She had the patience I don’t always have,” he said. “The grace, the kindness and the brains. She was wonderful. She was also a pain in the ass. She was remarkably mischievous. I don’t think she ever showed up on time for work – ever.” He said one particular example stood out. “She blew off work and ended up going to Coachella (for a rock festival),”
Rempt said. “We’re Facebook friends and she posted, ‘My dreams came true! I’m going to Coachella!’ I responded, ‘You know I’m on here, right? You know that I know?’ She got back and I told her we’d have to talk about it. She said, ‘Do we really?’ But it was part and parcel. You’re not going to get incredibly smart, talented, vivacious Crystal without getting pain-in-the-ass Crystal.” Emily Lohorn said the tutoring team had extensive relationships outside of work. They spent time at each other’s houses, went out together and traveled together. “My favorite memories of Crystal don’t come from work,” she said. “Crystal was Queen of the call-in. She was really big on getting up and going. She wanted to get in a car and go anywhere. It was even better if you didn’t know how to get there first. We did a lot of questionable road trips.” Hana Lohorn agreed. “She was the hub and we were her spokes,” she said. Brooks described Veytia as irrepressible. “I consider myself restless,” she said. “I always want to be doing something. She was impetuous. The two of us together was kind of lethal. But it was so fun. I’d have an idea, she’d say okay. It was never about how we were going to do that or that we shouldn’t. It was okay, let’s go.” Veytia took her work in Russia seriously, Brooks said. “Ironically, she’d never been a moment late to work in Russia,” Brooks said. “Her students were so surprised by her not being there that they went to the administration. They found out quickly and contacted her family here. It’s a blessing we found out as fast as we did.” Rempt said it is difficult for her friends to describe exactly what Veytia meant to them. “The language fails,” he said. “There are not even words to explain the feeling, much less what’s been lost.” Hana Lohorn said Veytia will live forever in her memory. “I knew from the first time we hung out that she had changed my life,” she said. “If I had a baby, I’d name her after Crystal. I’ll never forget her.” Brooks agreed. “More than anyone outside my family, I was devoted to her,” she said. Emily Lohorn said Veytia could elevate any gathering. “Crystal had the gift of gab,” she said. “Any time you were lucky enough to be in a room with her, you felt like you had never been wittier, never been funnier, never been better. Everything was a laugh riot with her.” Rempt said that even though it is hard to explain to others, he knows how he feels. “I love her and I miss her,” he said. “And… I love her and I miss her.” Veytia’s family has created the Crystal Veytia Scholarship Fund at Pacific Trust Bank. Memorial contributions will be appreciated.
Eclectic Earth Day can draw a crowd By Kyla Guerrero Assistant Campus Editor
Planet Earth’s biggest party in its honor is held every year in San Diego. Other cities are green with envy. A rock concert-sized crowd of at least 60,000 drifted around Balboa Park to learn, share, celebrate, warn and remind, but mostly to have fun. Reggae, rock and folk music were the soundtrack of the day as the spring breeze carried the fragrance of the mostly-vegetarian cuisine over the grassy rolling hills of the park hosting the largest environmental fair of its kind. Southwestern College Professor of English Kathy Parish said she was encouraged that so many Americans are aware of the environmental issues and willing to speak for the Earth. “Over the years it has evolved,” she said. “It’s gotten more and more to where large companies are there because people are more aware of environmental issues.” High gas prices, large carbon footprints and chemicals in processed food are no longer a secret, Parish said, and younger Americans need to be involved in the effort to protect our finite natural resources. “Some people think, ‘oh it’s just a bunch of hippies,’” said Parish. “And that’s not true at all. It’s very mainstream.” SWC Environmental Club President Joanna Ortiz said she has researched ways for the college to go green and become more energy sufficient. But she said her real hunt was to save the school money with energy-
saving technology. “I’m actually excited about looking at the engineering, probably solar panels,” she said. “I know the budget is really bad right now, but I think there’s ways we can implement solar panels (so) the school can save tons of money on energy.” Earth Fair showcased about 400 exhibitors including animal protection, alternative healing, political interest groups and religious organizations. Visitors had the opportunity to visit different wellness and chiropractic information tents. Companies offered free back pain diagnostics, discounted massage therapy and information on herbal healing. Cannabis Planet TV in conjunction with CalMed 420 offered discounted medicinal marijuana certificate evaluations by licensed physicians. “What better place to get your medical marijuana card than at the Earth Fair?” said Bill Scher, a Cannabis Planet TV representative. Denise Arneson, a volunteer at the San Diego recycling center AWARE, said the organization pays homeless to collect recyclables. “It’s very low-budget, grassroots kind of company,” said Arneson. Animal activists advocated for cruelty-free farming, prevention of animal extinction, habitation protection. San Diego Zoo Global and Greenpeace we represented as were the local activists La Jolla Friends Of The Seals, who provided information about protecting Casa Beach (aka, Children’s Beach) as a natural habitation for mother seals who come ashore to birth their pups. Some swimmers and divers continue to harass the seals and want them off the beach. Earth Fair provided a variety of people with an array of lifestyles and backgrounds a place to peacefully mingle together and learn from one another. “Partly it’s there to educate and for people to find products,” said Parish, “and partly to have fun.” With her extensive energy and time being put into educating others regarding environmental issues, Earth Fair has become a lifestyle for Parish, one that she hopes to relay onto others.
Summer Edition 2012—Vol. 55, Iss. 6
CFK: Fifth graders get first taste of college in popular program Continued from Page A9
always overwhelmingly say yes.” Rob Unger, interim human resources coordinator and reading professor, attended one of the first College for Kids sessions as a student. He said that college appeared to be a wonderful, natural place to be a student. “I was comfortable about college and more interested in higher education,” he said. “I remember I took two classes, Introduction to Aviation and Library Research.” About 450 students attend College for Kids every year. Most of the instructors are K-12 teachers. “They’re off during the summer, they’re looking for extra income, and this is something they really like to do,” Tadlock said. Manuel Paul, superintendent of San Ysidro School District, was invited to be one of the first CFK instructors. He said he wanted to be involved with the education of young people, regardless of where they were from. “I taught a karate class back in 1977,” he said. “It was my way of being involved in education beyond our district-only programs.” Now classes have returned to San Ysidro and Tadlock said he is delighted. One of the classes is Introduction to Robotics, which took years to organize. “Up until about four years ago, San Ysidro provided scholarship and transportation for their students,” he said. “But since they stopped doing that, the numbers of kids coming from there has been really, really low. It’s the economy.” He said that extending the programs on multiple campuses benefited everyone.
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“Last year, we had only three kids come from San Ysidro public schools, and one or two from National City,” Tadlock said. “This was a way of helping the kids and community, but also promoting the centers. We’re bringing the education to them in their community, so they don’t have to worry about the challenges of getting transportation to the main campus.” This year 281 students were signed up on April 25, the first day of registration. Tadlock said that much early excitement generally continues through the summer. “A week before it starts, you’ll see parents on campus, walking around,” he said. “The kids are pointing up at the buildings, looking around at all the different locations. They generate a lot of excitement around the college.” Meadows said that the children’s presence on campus benefited everyone. “I enjoy the children’s enthusiasm for the subject matter, their curiosity and interest,” he said. “There’s just something about that energy that I really enjoy. When you walk across campus between their classes, you notice it. Their parents are gone and they’re walking around with confidence, from one classroom to another. They’re sharing the sidewalks with the college students on their way to their next classes.” Meadows said College for Kids is a strong form of community outreach and a good recruiting tool for the school. “This lets those kids in grades five through nine look at the possibilities of going on to college,” he said. “The college touches so many lives here, and it also touches the kids’ lives just by its own presence.” Tadlock agreed. “This is a community program,” he said. “We have a great reputation. We’ve got a great network of people here. College for Kids is a win-win for everyone.” Registration is ongoing until sessions begin on June 11 and July 2.