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The Fairplex, normally home to the Los Angeles County Fair, will serve as an emergency center to temporarily house unac-companied minors who arrive at the U.S.-Mexi-can border.

The Fairplex, which will be the backdrop of CPP’s class of 2021 graduation ceremony, signed a con-tract last week with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency and the Office of Refugee Reset-tlement. The contract is

set for 60 days but can be extended up to one year. The first 250 children began arriving May 1, according to a statement from LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis.

In early April, Solis commented in a press conference that she had been notified by the White House of the decision to create the detention center.

“I thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for recognizing that these young people need the care, sustenance, rec-reation, and education Los Angeles County and

the Pomona Fairplex will provide,” stated Solis.

The children at the facility are to be assisted by the county’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Children and Family Services, Public Health, Health Services and Mental Health depart-ments, according to Solis.

Local activists gathered on April 24 at Ganesha Park, less than a mile away from The Fairplex, to protest against the facility being used as a detention center. The gathering included sev-eral speakers, including an immigration attor-ney, a detention center

survivor and local orga-nization representatives. It concluded with a pro-test from Ganesha Park to Pomona City Hall.

Victor Fernandez, a member of the organiza-tion Alliance to Defend Im/migrants, explained the importance of the community gathering in light of these events. Alliance to Defend Im/migrants is a Los Ange-les-based organization that was instrumental in dismantling detention centers in the City of LA. Fernandez’s goal is to do the same in Pomona.

“I think it’s going to

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Filipinx club celebrates culture

US jumps to old norm

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Track and field steps up for fall.

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CSU campuses to require COVID-19 vaccinations

Fairplex to serve as detention center for migrant children

The California State University and Univer-sity of California systems announced in a press release on April 22 that they will require COVID-19 immunizations for all students, faculty and staff returning to campus this fall.

With the intention of maintaining the health and safety of those return-ing to Cal Poly Pomona and other campuses, the requirement will become effective upon full Food and Drug Administration approval of the vaccine brands currently being distributed with emer-gency authorization, or if

they are not yet approved, at the beginning of the fall semester.

“I think what is really great about this require-ment is that it actually does recognize the effec-tiveness of the vaccine and really what it has done to flatten the curve and make California have the lowest positivity rate in the nation,” said Fran-cis Teves, assistant vice president for the Office of Government and Exter-nal Affairs and lead of the Safer Return Task Force.

Teves explained the vaccine requirement is merely one aspect of the multipronged risk mitiga-tion strategy planned for fall 2021.

Prior to returning to campus, students and

employees of CPP will be required to complete a training and safety pledge demonstrating the appro-priate safety precautions that will be implemented at the university.

The campus will also employ routine testing and face coverings will be required.

“Training and education is a critical component in making sure students, fac-ulty and staff and anyone coming to our campus understands how COVID works and how to slow it down,” said Teves.

Despite the new requirement, CPP will be closing its vaccination hub located in Parking Structure 2 on May 8.

Associate Vice Presi-dent for Student Health &

Wellbeing Dr. Leticia Guti-errez-Lopez, a member of the Safer Return Task Force, explained students and employees are able to volunteer records of their COVID-19 vaccination to Student Health Services.

Providing vaccination records allows the univer-sity to establish who has already received the vac-cination and — alongside official COVID-19 vacci-nation cards — is a way for individuals to document their vaccine.

Despite the climb-ing population of vaccinated individu-als, some students still have reservations about returning to campus this fall.

Third-year mechanical

Among the 23 Cali-fornia State University campuses, Cal Poly Pomona ranks the lowest in budget funds per stu-dent and possesses the second-highest student-to-faculty ratio for the 2020 fall semester.

These findings, using CSU enrollment and instructional faculty full-time equivalence data for the 2020 fall term and budgets for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, demonstrate possible ramifications of the university’s use of over-enrollment, a strat-egy administrators have championed amid adverse financial conditions from the COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of adequate funding from the CSU for Southern California campuses.

CPP was allocated $12,478 from its campus budget per FTE enroll-ment last fall, about $8,737 less than the best-funded campus per student, Humboldt State, excluding Cal Mar-itime, and about $2,179 less than the total CSU campus funding per fall FTE enrollment.

CPP also possesses a 25-to-1 student-to-fac-ulty ratio for the fall 2020 semester, the second-highest in the university system with San Diego State being the only campus with a slightly higher ratio. Humboldt State once again boasted the lowest ratio of 16-to-1 (excluding Cal Maritime) with the CSU average being about 21-to-1. Only counting tenure-track faculty, CPP maintains the second-highest ratio with a 46-to-1 ratio, this time below CSU Domin-guez Hills.

University adminis-trators emphasized that these figures only rep-resent a snapshot of the fall 2020 semester and the campuses’ standings may change when including spring 2021 enrollment figures as spring terms tend to have a drop in enrollment. However, the CSU system does not widely publish spring term enrollment data.

In light of these fig-ures, Associate Provost Sep Eskandari described the fall 2020 semester as “an unusual term” consid-ering the campus’ shift to virtual learning as a result of the pandemic and the related state funding drop-off to CSU campuses that left CPP with a $20 million budget gap.

The fall semester also saw CPP holding the largest increase in enroll-ment than any other CSU campus with a 6.4% jump, whereas other cam-puses, like Humboldt, saw

significant decreases in both first-time undergrad-uate and total enrollment.

“In fall 2020, because of a very large interest in Cal Poly Pomona pro-grams, our enrollment saw an increase that initially had not been anticipated,” said Eskan-dari. CPP also ranked last in 2019-20 budget funds per student in fall 2019, prior to the pandem-ic’s toll on the university system, and CPP has wid-ened its distance between its funding per full-time equivalent student and that of the CSU campus total each consecutive fall term since 2016, accord-ing to full-time equivalent enrollment data from the CSU’s enrollment dash-boards and budget data from past years’ CSU Fact Books.

During last semester’s budget forum, Associate Vice President of Finance and Administrative Ser-vices Joe Simoneschi discussed the budgetary benefits of over-enroll-ment, the process by which the university enrolls more students than its original projection.

“I think when it comes to the dollars, it is ben-eficial for us to have over-enrollment because our costs are fixed; many of them are fixed,” said Simoneschi in an inter-view with The Poly Post, discussing CPP’s fall 2020 rankings. “So if we have over-enrollment and addi-tional dollars are coming in, we can continue to invest in the students and the quality education that we have at Cal Poly Pomona. So, it is a strat-egy that is beneficial.”

For some faculty mem-bers, however, increased enrollment coupled with inadequate funding, puts into question the ability to deliver quality educa-tion and student support.

Mario Guerrero, chair and associate professor in the Department of Polit-ical Science, discussed his concerns about fund-ing per student after a lack of commitment from the provost to rehire the department’s adminis-trative coordinator, Kim Alm, along with support staff from other College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences departments.

“I think the realest thing is losing Kim being that there’s no money in the budget for it,” said Guerrero. “And it’s not like the campus has stopped spending money … even during COVID, they have hiring for administrators, not for staff and depart-ments, not for people at the lowest levels.”

Guerrero attended last semester’s budget meeting where the over-enrollment strategy was touted by administrators

By LESLY VELASCOStaff Writer

By NICOLAS HERNANDEZ Copy Editor

By LAUREN MUTTRAMStaff Writer

CPP holds lowest funds per student of CSU system

See FUNDS / Page 4

See COVID-19 / Page 4

LAUREN MUTTRAM | THE POLY POST

GEORGIA VALDES | THE POLY POST

See PROTESTS / Page 3

Tuesday, May 4, 2021NEWS 2 THE POLY POST

ASI Board of Directors discusses Class Pass’ fall semester launch, proposed mobility hubBy DAVID HERBOLD

Staff Writer

The ASI Board of Directors discussed Cal Poly Pomona’s approval of the free transportation Class Pass service and a proposed transportation hub during its April 8 meeting. The Class Pass, a free bus pass for students, will be implemented in the fall semester while the mobility hub is still in the early stages of development.

The presenters were the co-chairs of the university’s Transportation Advisory Committee: John Lloyd, a CPP history professor, and Danny Wu, director of transportation and planning. They provided an overview of the Class Pass and mobility hub — both of which are possible through Foothill Transit.

“Most studies show that simply electrifying cars isn’t going to solve our climate crisis, so we need to look at

alternative transportation as well. So, from a sustainability and basic needs, social justice aspect, I think this program is worthy of support in the long term,” said Lloyd.

The Class Pass, which has been available to students at other local colleges, will provide unlimited free rides on Foothill Transit vehicles to eligible students. CPP students can already receive a 50% discount on bus passes through Foothill Transit.

The proposed mobility hub on campus would serve as a center of access to buses, the campus shuttle, electric bikes, scooters and other transportation services. This would also be supported by Foothill Transit which is seeking a grant under President Joe Biden’s new infrastructure plan.

“The mobility hub is particularly important because it’s finally the

opportunity for us to bring transit back onto campus,” said Wu. He added that a proposed share system for electric bikes and scooters could be part of the hub.

Lloyd highlighted the importance of creating an accessible campus that is sustainable and walkable to align with the ASI action plan for transportation in 2020-2021. He emphasized the benefits that the Class Pass and the mobility hub would provide when ultimately implemented together in the long term.

In other business, ASI Vice President Manshaan Singh and Executive Assistant Leah Tarin released the results of a student community feedback survey meant to guide administration and ASI efforts for the fall 2021 semester as to students’ preferred learning environments. There were 228 total respondents and the questions generally revolved through student opinions on

returning to campus.The survey revealed the following:• 61% of students said they preferred

in-person classes• 72% of students said attending

in-person events makes them feel more connected to their peers

• 85% of students said they support masks being required

• 51% of students said they prefer a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning

Singh said that ASI would push the results to the university administration to inform their decision-making process.

The board of directors is next scheduled to meet on April 15. The agenda, minutes and Zoom link for previous and upcoming board meetings can be found on the ASI website.

By JOSHUA HERNANDEZStaff Writer

Cal Poly Pomona launched its new on-campus study space program on April 5, the latest in a series of services meant to accommodate students endur-ing distance learning. As students wait for on-campus classes to return, they can now reserve a seat in lecture rooms 1001 and 1002 in the College of Busi-ness Administration.

However, this opportunity is not a per-manent service; reservations will only be available Monday through Thursday from noon to 7:30 p.m., and Friday from 1 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., and the last day to reserve a seat is May 31.

Christina Gonzales, vice president of Student Affairs, said the idea for the study spaces was first pitched in fall 2020 in case COVID-19 restrictions eased in the future. It became clear to Gonzales and other staff members that the program had potential after they noticed students were still coming to campus to do their work.

“What I could anticipate is that once things started changing, it might be fast, and if we waited until it changed, then it could take us a month to have to go find space, to have to figure out how we would do it, and putting all the precau-tions in place,” Gonzales said. “That then wouldn’t serve our students, because then it would just take us longer, we’d be reactive, so I was attempting to be as proactive as we could be in think-ing about it.”

To reserve a study space, students must complete two brief online courses: COVID-19 Safer Return Training for Stu-dents and Working Safely During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Students.

Completing both courses takes about 30 minutes with the material outlin-ing the importance of social distancing, the proper way to wear a mask, washing one’s hands regularly and cleaning high-contact surfaces constantly.

It also stresses the importance of using those four techniques together to reduce the spread, as well as acknowledging that each student has a responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19.

From there, students can apply for res-ervations by completing a study space interest form, which will ask if the appli-cant has a distraction-free area at home to work. Because there are roughly 30 seats available per room at any given time, those who receive and review the interest forms must make sure the stu-dents applying truly need a quiet place to work.

According to Leticia Gutierrez-Lopez, associate vice president of Student Health and Wellbeing and the leader of the Safer Return Incident Investigation Team, if a student should be denied a space, they may apply again.

“We have plenty of spaces left for stu-dents, so we’d love to get our students in there,” Gutierrez-Lopez said.

If approved, the email response will contain a link to the reservation website, which has a daily timetable with every reservation listed, alongside each avail-able time at which a seat is available.

After selecting and confirming a time and seat, students complete a health screening the day of their reservation prior to arriving on campus.

While the rooms can only hold 50 people at a time, patrons who success-fully place reservations have the luxury of doing their schoolwork in a peaceful and quiet lecture hall, emulating the traditional college atmosphere before COVID-19 ravaged the world.

Students who reserve a seat are also entitled to free study kits complete with pens, paper, hand sanitizer and face masks, as well as a free lunch courtesy of Centerpointe Dining Commons in Building 72.

“We could see that there was possibly a need and, honestly, we weren’t sure how many students would want to take advantage of it,” Gonzalez said. “That is why we were starting a little bit smaller.”

To keep the rooms quiet, study spaces are presided over by a study space mon-itor who also confirms reservations. Additionally, they clean the study space twice a day to ensure the rooms are properly disinfected for students.

For students interested in applying to be a Study Space Monitor, it’s a seasonal job that pays $16 an hour, and those hired are eligible to receive a COVID vaccine.

In addition to the on-campus study spaces, students can check out physi-cal library books again as early as April 19 from the University Library. To main-tain social distancing, the library will be installing what will be called the Bronco Lockers 24/7 by the south end of the Bronco Bookstore.

This location is also close by the parking lot off Kellogg Drive, meaning students can drive straight to the lock-ers once they are installed.

Sylvia Alva, provost and vice pres-ident of Academic Affairs, said it was the idea of Library Dean Pat Hawthorne, who envisioned a safer, more convenient way for students to pick up materials from the campus.

“This contactless locker approach allows us to very safely put these things in a secure location, send the student a code, and then they can access it without having to interact with another individ-ual,” said Alva.

Hawthorne said to place orders, stu-dents can log in to their library accounts and search the online library catalog for materials.

After the library staff receives a

On-campus study spaces expand academic support

CPP grieves loss of student, ‘Captain’ Jack DetmersBy GEORGIA VALDES

Managing Editor

Cal Poly Pomona suffered the loss of fellow Bronco, 21-year-old Jack Detmers, an accounting major and involved member of the campus community who died unexpectedly on March 22. The nature of his passing has not been disclosed.

Detmers’ impact was widespread at CPP where he served as director of public relations for the Cal Poly Society of Accountants; senator, treasurer and secretary of Residential Suites; and treasurer and Greek Council member for the Cal Poly Interfraternity Council.

Detmers’ father, Ernest Detmers, is reeling from the loss, as it has always been “just him, our cat Miles as in Davis (she’s a really cool cat) and me.”

Assistant Professor in the Finance, Real Estate & Law Department Anthony Orlando took Detmers on as a research assistant for a project focused on a house pricing model to understand the variation in risks and returns across neighborhoods. Orlando recalled Detmers as gentle and determined when facing challenging questions that surpassed the concepts he learned in the classroom.

“Jack always rose to a challenge. He had a fierce work ethic and a devotion to fulfilling his responsibilities. He found new levels of

insight in that research project. To this day, I am inspired by his example, and I am grateful for the conversations we had,” Orlando said.

A dynamo at an early age, Detmers was an avid Boy Scout and made Eagle Scout in 2015 with 42 merit badges and a project aimed toward alleviating poverty. He had the rare opportunity to visit one of four “High Adventure” bases, Philmont Ranch, where he and his 8-member Crew from Troop 90 trekked 100 miles over the course of eight days.

“Even with all our pre-trek training, having a 46 lbs. pack on my back at (that) altitude Jack saw early on that I was in trouble. So, on the second day before we started, without me asking, he offloaded between 10-12 lbs. of my gear onto his pack and carried it for the next 87 miles,” Ernest Detmers wrote. “And that is just a small flavor of who Jack Clemens Detmers was. A hard-working young man who always looked out for his wards and lent a helping hand to those who needed an assist.”

T h r o u g h t h i s connection to the BSA, Detmers worked for the Newport Sea Base and taught children from the ages of 7-14 how to safely navigate the seas as a U.S. Level 1 sailing and offshore fishing instructor.

Director of Program for Outdoor Adventures

Group at Orange County Council Thomas Hartmann remembered Detmers as a source of joy on staff.

“He had a knack for helping light up a room with his smile and wit,” Hartmann wrote. “He was always inquisitive, wanting to learn, willing to listen, and always respectful. It is nothing short of devastating to lose such (a) good young man and our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Every memory Ernest Detmers has is precious, and he can recall spending days watching his son grow as a leader with love.

“He always made sure to install a sense of confidence and independence in each of his charges. What gave me even more pride was when after a lesson I happened to overhear one of his campers dragged their parent over to introduce them to ‘Captain Jack’, a moniker the campers picked. And see them look up to Jack with that smile of accomplishment and enthusiasm from what he had taught them,” Detmers wrote. “The next time you go to hug someone in your life who is deserving, hold them just a little longer for me as I will never be able to hold my son ‘Captain’ Jack ever again! Life is short, work hard and enjoy it.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERNEST DETMERS

JOSHUA HERNANDEZ | THE POLY POST

Lecture rooms in the College of Business Administration serve as on-campus study spaces.

Find Georgia Valdes on Twitter @ValdesGeorgia

Find David Herbold on Twitter@Herbold_David

See STUDY / Page 4

NEWS 3Tuesday, May 4, 2021 THE POLY POST

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check-out request, stu-dents will receive an email confirmation for their request, and a second email with a QR code once their order is placed within a locker. Students can stop by anytime to pick up their materials, so long as they scan their QR code or input the numer-ical password on the iPad attached to the locker.

According to Haw-thorne, the materials for the lockers and the licenses were bought from Luxer One, a Sacra-mento-based company, using funds from the library’s collections budget, approximately $1.4 million.

However, Hawthorne also said the campus is considering reimburs-ing the library for the locker’s cost through the Higher Education Emer-gency Relief Fund, since the library implemented them as a response to the pandemic.

Hawthorne also said unlike other California

State University cam-puses which have also implemented library lock-ers, the Bronco Lockers 24/7 are unique because the library has partnered with the bookstore and graphic services, meaning students can also pick up orders from those services as well.

These contactless lock-ers will be accessible 24/7, even after the campus reopens, giving students flexibility in deciding when to pick up their materials.

According to Haw-thorne, there are 39 lockers in total, with sizes ranging from small, medium and large; what size students receive will depend on how many books they check out.

“Cal Poly students are really hard-working stu-dents, and our goal is to make sure that we help them by providing the space and the tools they need to get through classes and graduate,” Hawthorne said.

STUDY: University launches library lockers near bookstoreContinued from Page 1

Reach Joshua Hernandez managing@thepolypost.com

PROTESTS: Pomona protests as unaccompanied minors arrive

take a lot of local organi-zation in the community of Pomona,” said Fer-nandez. “I bet you most people that live within a mile away of that deten-tion center don’t even know what’s happening.”

Fernandez, who has served as an immigrant rights activist for 15 years, believes that the first step toward change is to educate.

“The quieter this thing runs and the less that people know about it, the more likely that one, they are most likely to happen but two, that they will also start more of them,” said Fernandez.

In March 2020, former President Donald Trump, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention, invoked Title 42, a public health law that prohibited the entrance of asylum seekers to the country, including adults, family units and unaccompa-nied minors.

In November 2020, a

federal district court ruled that Title 42 could not be applied to unaccompanied minors. Unaccompanied minors, as explained by L.A. based immigration attorney, Sofia Jeannette Gillespie, is any child under the age of 18 who comes in contact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Gillespie explained that this law puts parents in a difficult decision-making position.

“You may feel like your child’s only way of sur-vival is sending them by themselves,” said Gil-lespie. “Because if you go to the border with your child, you won’t be pro-cessed in, but your child will be if they are by themselves.”

The majority of the parents decide to send their children alone to the border in hopes that they are granted asylum protection, explained Gillespie.

According to Gillespie, the law states that chil-dren should not remain in the custody of Customs

and Border Protection for more than 72 hours and these facilities are being designated to accom-modate the overflow. Meanwhile, the children remain in in immigration court proceedings.

Pomona Council-member Victor Preciado explained that between 1,000 to 2,500 children ages 13 to 17 are expected to arrive at the Fairplex. Preciado assured that the city and city council did not have any input in decision making for the Fairplex to be used as a center site and it was all directed by the federal government.

“As of right now, my thoughts are to be positive about it,” said Preciado. “At first, I was in shock because coming off the Trump administration, it was very much detention centers, they are horrible places to be in. I was not going to be accepting of seeing kids on the ground in cages and that was just not going to happen. But they let me know that this was not going to

be border patrol, that it wasn’t going to be Immi-gration and Customs Enforcement, this is the Department of Health and Human Services through local partnerships.”

Preciado, alongside fed-eral, state and other local representatives had the opportunity to tour the facility prior to the chil-dren’s arrival.

Preciado explained that he was told Wraparound Services, in partnership with Cherokee Federal, have been prepared for the children at the Fairplex. According to Preciado, it is expected that there will be minimum six hours of daily education, mental health services provided as well as other wellness services such as the farm and soccer fields.

Preciado added that weekly Friday Zoom meetings are scheduled with local activist groups, councilmembers, mem-bers of the county and members of the Fariplex to discuss the preparation and execution of these services.

“What I have been tell-ing those who want to be involved is to be ready because all of this is still very new and is still being set up,” Preciado added.

Preciado explained that the city is working with local artists and CPP’s mariachi to bring live music and art to create a welcoming environment. He believes the Fairplex has ample space to hold CPP’s graduation cere-mony in addition to the COVID testing and vacci-nation site that currently occupies the Fairplex, and the unaccompa-nied minors that will be arriving.

While the first group of children has arrived,

more are expected to arrive within the fol-lowing week, up to the Fairplex capacity of 2,500 children. The Pomona Community Foundation, a local independent foun-dation made up of leaders from various civic insti-tutions in Pomona, is partnering with the Fair-plex to take monetary donation through the Esperanza Fund. Plans for volunteering and other donations are expected to be announced soon.

“Thank you to everyone

who is reading and want-ing to get involved and knowing this is a moment to step up,” said Preciado. “And at the same time, like all of us had said, we must be ready because if at any moment it’s not what we believe it is or what we hope it is, then we will be the first ones at those doors, march-ing to making sure these unaccompanied minors are cared for in a humane way.”

Continued from Page 1

GEORGIA VALDES | THE POLY POST

Protesters walked from Genesha park through Pomona to city hall on Mission street

Find Lesly Velasco on Twitter @leslyvelasco8driv

Tuesday, May 4, 2021NEWS 4 THE POLY POST

but believes that depart-ments should have been more involved in conver-sations about expanding enrollment.

“It concerns me because we weren’t asked about it as department chairs,” said Guerrero. “Typically, we as chairs, give enrollment tar-gets for our department … And it’s not like we have an ability to set the numbers, but at least it’s a conver-sation. Because of COVID, for the first time in the last couple of years probably, we weren’t asked; they just did it.”

John Lloyd, a professor in the History Department and chair of the CPP Academic Senate Budget Committee, expressed concern about the campus’ funding and stu-dent-faculty ratio as well.

“I would like to see state funding increased for the CSU, class sizes reduced, and class offerings increased,” stated Lloyd in an email to The Poly Post. “This year, every division at CPP was impacted by a $20M budget gap when our budget was reduced.”

Evaluating enrol l-ment strategies, Eskandari pointed out that Southern California campuses are in high demand due to the region’s high population and that CPP specifically has been more attractive to students in recent years due to the campus’ positive reputation — factors that encourage administrators to admit more students.

“And again if we were to just pause back and think, ‘Do we want to be a much more selective school and lock the door on so many students?’” Eskandari said. “‘Or do we want to increase access, meet the needs of our region, meet the needs of the students who want to

come here for our programs, and then do everything in our power to balance that need, offer the classes that they need, and make sure they get the classes?’”

With increased enroll-ment, however, finding the faculty to teach those courses may be more of a challenge.

According to Guerrero, the burden of teaching the political science depart-ment’s intro-level courses is increasingly falling on part-time faculty.

“We really should be going in the other direction, we should be hiring more ten-ure-track faculty,” said Guerrero. “We should not be forced to hire part-time faculty for an over-enroll-ment that we didn’t have any say in.”

As of April 25, the CSU Careers Job Search displayed no results for faculty posi-tions at Cal Poly Pomona while there were 16 search results for staff positions and 12 for management positions. Decisions con-cerning the allocation of tenure-track faculty hiring are usually made during the spring semester. Pomona, Channel Islands, Fresno, San Francisco and Sonoma were the only CSU cam-puses without at least one full-time, tenure-track fac-ulty search ongoing.

The university has launched several admin-istrative job searches after March 2020, during the pan-demic, including: director of Admissions and Enroll-ment Planning; director for the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs; asso-ciate dean for students and operations in the College of Science; presidential associ-ate for Inclusive Excellence and chief diversity officer; senior associate vice presi-dent for facilities; associate vice president and dean of

students; vice president for administrative, finance, and strategic development.

During last semester’s budget forum, Provost Sylvia Alva discussed how the remote learning environ-ment and the university’s actions permitted more students to enroll in each course section.

“What we do see are places across departments and col-leges where, because we don’t have the classroom constraints, faculty were able to add additional stu-dents to their class to be able to serve the needs of their students,” Alva said last October. “We also, in Academic Affairs created incentives for the faculty to take on additional students, by adding, depending on the size of the course, additional workload credit, supplemen-tal instructors, tutors, to ensure that’s a good expe-rience for everyone.”

Eskandari, who previously served as the department chair for the Biological Sciences Department, reit-erated Alva’s appraisal and described tackling the stu-dent-faculty ratio as “a balancing act” and

recalled facing the deci-sion between not offering course sections that have high demand or increasing the number of students in each section.

“Some classes, the peda-gogy allows them to become larger,” Eskandari said. “When the faculty say, ‘Yes, this class can become larger’ then we provide additional

workload considerations for the faculty, but we also pro-vide student assistants who can serve as peer mentors for supplemental instruc-tion or as graders to ensure that not only do we address the faculty workload, but we put measures in place to stay committed to student success.”

Eskandari also said that the student-faculty ratio has never historically been at the 25-to-1 range but predicted that in future years the ratio will begin to decrease and fall back to its pre-pandemic levels.

“Some of the things that we put in place were sus-tainable, some of the things probably were not sustain-able but were necessary to meet the budget constraints this year,” added Eskandari.

Looking ahead, CPP’s future standing in these rankings will depend on its approach to fall 2021 enroll-ment and faculty hiring as well as state funding and federal aid.

Lloyd said that he and a group of students, faculty and alumni have lobbied local legislators to restore the university system’s base funding from its cut last year in an effort supported by University President Soraya Coley, ASI and the Office of Government and External Affairs.

“It is true we don’t have everything we need, but we’re fighting to get more for our students,” added Lloyd.

FUNDS: CPP 2nd-highest in student-faculty ratio

COURTESY OF RICHARD GARIPPO

COVID-19: Campus plans for fall access

official COVID-19 vaccination cards — is a way for individuals to document their vaccine.

Despite the climbing population of vac-cinated individuals, some students still have reservations about returning to campus this fall.

Third-year mechanical engineering student Chris Parlapiano agrees with the decision to mandate vaccinations but believes in-person instruction is starting too soon.

“Putting students on campus with or without a vaccine is inherently dangerous as we still do not know what the vaccines are capable of doing,” said Parlapiano. “The vaccines’ approval by the FDA does not correlate to a 100% safe medicine or immunity to dissimilar strains.”

While awaiting FDA approval, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are being dispersed through emergency use autho-rization. After reports of rare blood clots following the Johnson & Johnson immu-nization, the vaccine is again being distributed for emergency use.

Third-year apparel merchandising and management student Alexa Oliva expected COVID immunizations to be mandated when returning to campus and trusts the vaccinations have the potential to gener-ate a sense of normalcy.

“I believe that Cal State universities have the authority to require vaccina-tions because it is also their duty to keep everyone safe,” said Oliva. “I think this is a step into making things go back to how they were.”

The COVID-19 vaccination requirement will additionally allow for students and employees to request an exemption from the requisite grounded on medical or reli-gious purposes.

Official regulations and COVID-19 immunization requirements have yet to be determined at CPP.

Gutierrez-Lopez believes the mitigation strategy planned for fall 2021 is a posi-tive action for CPP and a step toward a safer return.

“If we are following all these measures and we know that a certain percentage of our population is vaccinated, I think it will allow for a safe return to campus,” said Gutierrez-Lopez.

Continued from Page 1

Continued from Page 1

Find Nicolas Hernandezon Twitter @_NicolasHdz

Find Lauren Muttram on Twitter @MuttramLauren

SPORTS 10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTA&E 5Tuesday, May 4, 2021

CPP Barkada shares Filipino culture through drive-in cultural night

Cal Poly Pomona’s Filipinx club, Barkada, hosted its 31st annual Pilipinx-American Cultural Night with a drive-in event in Azusa, California on April 23 with the showing of its short film, “Sonder,” setting the tone for Filipinx clubs across Southern California by keeping the culture alive amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the event, the club shed light on the familial guilt

first-generation college students endure and the pressures they face to make their parents proud.

“Usually, a PACN centers around a problem or an issue that Filipino Americans relate to or talk about like the social issues that have been going on,” said the club’s Culture Chair Alexandra Manzon, a fourth-year food science and technology student. “From past themes, it has been immigration, and another theme I can think of was Filipino War veterans and how they had been wronged by the government

in the past.” This year, Barkada welcomed

guests with a student-produced film in replacement of its annual play. Through the experience, club members became full-fledged filmmakers to produce “Sonder,” tackling themes revealing that everyone has their own complex lives.

Isaac Haynes, a first-year mechanical engineering student and the lead of the play, shared how meaningful the script was to him and how relatable it is to the Filipino-American community.

Haynes’ character, Rey, is a Filipino-American student who lost touch with his immediate family after moving to college. When Rey is convinced by his Eskrima, national martial arts of the Philippines, master to visit his family, he discovers the hardships his family has faced during his time away. In a journey of rekindling broken bonds, the audience is taken through a story of valuable lessons about family and growing up.

“I think the whole act of putting on

By ETHEREAL REYES & JOSE HERRERA

Staff Writers

See CULTURE / Page 6

Professor-parent persists with never-ending duties at home

As professors were tasked to navigate virtual learning this past year, another obstacle for some has been balancing teaching and childcare at home amid the pandemic. Cal Poly Pomona Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Juanita Jellyman illustrated her experience juggling the two full-time duties.

Jellyman has three daughters: a 14-year-old freshman in high school, an 11-year-old in 6th grade and a 5-year-old in pre-K.

With her children attending virtual classes, Jellyman shared that one of the biggest challenges with working from home is interruptions. She expressed that she relates to The Washington Post’s report analyzing how constant interruptions affect an individual’s workflow.

Regaining focus after an interruption is difficult, especially when sensing the next interruption coming shortly after, she explained. Without a home office and with four family members roaming around the house, Jellyman often works outdoors in her garden.

“When you’re working like that, you’re just inefficient; so everything takes longer and is a little bit harder and then your workday spreads and extends into the evenings,” Jellyman said. “Once you finally have everyone in bed asleep at 8:30 or 9 o’clock at night, then you sit down, and you do your four or five hours of real work before getting up to start again the next day.”

At times, Jellyman feels that her professor side and mother side are clashing but explained that flexibility is key. She adjusted her daily routine to balance the two sides by implementing tasks like making

sandwiches for her daughters while listening to her department meeting.

To maximize her time, she also collaborates with her children on work-related activities like relying on their assistance when filming lectures for her biology courses.

Along with difficulties to care for children while teaching, Jellyman shared that there are two main cons with the online environment: lack of student participation and struggles with checking in with students. She explained that fewer cameras are on and fewer students attend class as the semester progresses.

“Only the most confident students will interrupt you and say, ‘Stop I don’t understand. I got up to here and now I’m lost,’” said Jellyman. “Most of the time they just kind of nod along and try to stay with you, and a good teacher recognizes when they’re just nodding along. It’s really hard to do that when you’re on Zoom, so I miss

those personal interactions and the ability to reach each student where they’re at.”

To better manage her time throughout the day, Jellyman dedicates time to making lists to prioritize urgent, upcoming events.

She and her husband, Andrew Thompson, an environmental science and engineering professor at California Institute of Technology, work together to share the responsibility of parenting so they can find moments throughout the day in which they can focus on their research and teaching.

Jellyman added that the support from the university’s Faculty Center and her colleagues within the science department goes a long way in decompressing.

“I think the Faculty Center has been really helpful in providing tech support and training with various

By JONATHAN FRIASStaff Writer

Biological Sciences Assistant Professor Juanita Jellyman juggles teaching virtually and caring for her children at home.

COURTESY OF JUANITA JELLYMAN

ASI winds down with relaxations and vibrations

As a prefinals relaxation event, ASI BEAT is hosting a virtual ASMR event with content creator Gibi on May 6, giving students a chance to unwind before the exam season.

ASI BEAT Student Activities Assistant Monica Martinez, a third-year public relations student, stated that the team wanted to showcase something different from the regular events that they normally offer, making this Cal Poly Pomona’s first event to infuse autonomous sensory meridian response, or known as ASMR.

“I really wanted to do an ASMR event. ASMR can help reduce your stress and anxiety, especially during this time of

By JUSTYN FULTONStaff Writer

See RELAX / Page 6

CPP’s story time series promotes family bonding

In collaboration with the University Library, Cal Poly Pomona’s Early Childhood Studies students are leading an engaging storytelling series called Children’s Story Times with interactive activities to improve language and literacy development.

Readings and activities are tailored to newborns through to 8-year-olds in a virtual group Zoom setting of up to 15 participa nts. The free 30-minute series is open to the public and the department encourages parents to join their child’s session to foster a supportive environment for them to thrive in.

Kelly Garcia, a third-year business administration student, was pleasantly

By SAMANTHA LOPEZStaff Writer

See CHILDREN / Page 6See PROFESSOR / Page 6

COURTESY OF BARKADA

Tuesday, May 4, 2021A&E 6 THE POLY POST

With the ongoing pandemic, campus life has changed drastically the past year at Cal Poly Pomona — from the empty, eerie hallways to clubs and sports events ceasing activities. For University Photographer Tom Zasadzinski, who has captured the campus for more than 20 years, it has been the biggest change he’s seen at CPP since the turn of the century.

Serving as the university photographer allows him to witness, preserve and record how the campus changes over time. Before 2020, the biggest change for him was having to move his office out of the CLA building with other faculty and administrative staff where he was stationed for 18 years; but when the pandemic resulted in online instruction, his regular photography routines that he maintained for the past 19 years ceased as well.

“One of the worst things for the last year is that Cal Poly Pomona has become a ghost town, and it’s just really sad to me because that’s how I tell time. I don’t really use a calendar,” he said. “I go by the start of the baseball season, when basketball playoffs are coming, when it’s time for commencement and when they’re moving the Rose float. For the past year, my calendar has been all messed up.”

Before transitioning to Zoom meetings, his favorite thing to shoot on campus were the athletic programs and their star athletes.

“Shooting athletic events are just a kick for me, and I really enjoy it,” Zasadzinski said. “I get to know athletes on a personal level, and so I know how hard they work and how difficult it is for student-athletes to compete on that stage and still go to school.”

Launching his career with the university in 2000,

RELAX: Leading ASMR creator visits Broncosthe school year,” Martinez said.

The event will take place on Zoom with a live performance from Gibi. The performance will consist of typical ASMR content, including whispering and soothing sounds, to help calm students. Students will also be allowed to ask questions throughout the event through the chat while the host relays the question to Gibi.

Martinez doesn’t want students to feel pressured to turn their cameras and microphones on during the event.

“Some people will probably fall asleep during the event, and that’s OK. That’s what this event is for,” she said.

There are around 40 people registered for the event so far with the expected number of people to attend the event being around 100 to 200 attendees,

according to Martinez.Martinez has always

been a big fan of Gibi. With Gibi’s accomplishments and star power at the age of 26, Martinez pushed for collaboration to bring her to the CPP community; however, it wasn’t easy.

“Luckily, after emailing her two to three times, we finally got in contact with her,” Martinez said.

Gibi has been an online content creator since 2016.

With over 3.6 million subscribers across mainstream social platforms — including YouTube, Twitch and Instagram — she gained a stable fanbase through her signature ASMR content. Gibi performs a variety of content that showcases her soothing gentle whispers as she eases listeners into relaxation while tapping her fingers on the microphone or fondling with a makeup brush.

Gibi is one of the biggest ASMR content creators on the internet, so when the announcement was made that she would be at CPP virtually, many students were excited. Those like Mia Barrera, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student, are ecstatic about Gibi’s virtual arrival at CPP.

“I think it’s really cool and exciting because it’s somebody who I actually follow is performing here at Cal Poly,”

Barrera said. “I feel like it’s going to be very intimate. I know I wouldn’t have any opportunities to have this kind of conversation with her. I’m definitely going because I personally like Gibi. On a scale from one to 10, I’m for sure at a 10.”

While some students have been fans of Gibi since her rise on YouTube, others caught on late but still watch her content for relaxation.

“I’m really excited she does a good job in destigmatizing ASMR and educating people about it,” said Giselle Alvarez, a fourth-year liberal studies student. “I hope to destress, relax and enjoy my free time away from school.”

To learn more or to register for the free event, visit the event’s myBar website.

Continued from Page 5

COURTESY OF GIBI KLEIN

@JustynFultonFind Justyn Fulton on Twitter

University photographer witnesses campus evolve through another lens

By MAXIMUS RODRIGUEZStaff Writer

See PHOTO / Page 7

PROFESSOR: CPP faculty balance work and childcare

technologies,” Jellyman said. “I found my colleagues to be really supportive in the fact that they have been very accepting of children on laps during department meetings and things like that. They’ve also just been great by checking in. Biology is a really wonderful and collegial department and that has really shown through in the way that colleagues have had those Zoom calls to check in to say, ‘How are you doing?’, and send messages of support when they hear about various challenges.”

Despite the many obstacles in teaching from home, Jellyman enjoys that virtual instruction offers time flexibility while allowing her to avoid the terrors of finding a parking spot on campus. Additionally, the amount of time spent at home during the pandemic allowed her to spend quality time with her family.

The constant balance of being a professor and a mother during a pandemic comes with challenges, but the challenges are worth the trouble in the bigger picture, Jellyman said.

“I don’t want it to sound like I’m moaning about all the stuff that was hard for me because I’m lucky and I’ve had it easy,” Jellyman said. “I have my job, I have my family, I’ve not been sick and I haven’t lost a close friend or family member. The challenges I’ve faced are minuscule compared with what other people are facing during this pandemic.”

Continued from Page 5

@Frias_PolyPostFind Jonathan Frias on Twitter

CHILDREN: Students lead virtual storytelling series from homesurprised when she saw her 6-year-old daughter participating during the Zoom session.

“Since the pandemic hit, she’s really had trouble focusing one thing at a time, whether it be for school, learning and pretty much anything,” Garcia said. “Watching her be so attentive, excited even, to the read-aloud and activity was an overwhelmingly happy sensation for me as a parent.”

The early childhood studies students sign up for dates and times to read to participants using age-appropriate picture books with thought-provoking themes, including diversity and mental health.

After the storytelling session, students engage in activities that support their literacy development, including matching games where they match upper and lowercase letters and point out items on a whiteboard that start with a letter in the alphabet.

Other activities include craft projects that children can complete with their parents to

reflect the reading message. With each session, the

readings and activities are different, including how the student instructors build an inviting environment for the participants by keeping them involved in conversations and asking their opinions on issues relating back to the reading.

Reference and Instruction Librarian Sally Romero said this initiative was first launched in summer 2020 when the stay-at-home order affected practicum courses, like ECS 2100 and 4100 clinicals, which prevented students from attaining their required hands-on fieldwork training hours.

“It went so well that other early childhood studies faculty wanted to be a part of it,” Romero said. “This series is a way for our early childhood studies students to be able to work with children hands-on and develop these skills learned through their courses.”

According to Romero, early childhood studies courses that promote oral language and literacy development are implemented in this activity as

an assignment for students to practice what they learned to solidify their knowledge.

The professors and mentors learned something new as well through this circumstance, according to Soon Young Jang, an assistant professor at the Early Childhood Studies Department. Jang shared that the pandemic provided them with a unique experience to utilize technology to reach out to children and their families.

“We learned the importance of connecting children and families,” Jang said. “Parents are always with children so there was an opportunity to connect with families too. Although they don’t show their faces on the computer, they’re there if they need something. We are continuously coming up with new ideas to utilize this opportunity to involve our families in our children’s learning.”

The Children’s Story Times series will continue for the remainder of the spring semester until May 7.

Continued from Page 5

a show like this — not just my character itself but the whole production — is a really true way to describe the way we grow up as Filipino-Americans,” Haynes said. “They not only showcase the culture through dance or through song, but they also showcase it through theatre.”

The drive-in showing of “Sonder” featured a surprise live performance of tinikling, a traditional Filipino group folk dance that involves coordinated step dancing with two bamboo sticks.

Before the pandemic, Barkada held its Pilipinx-American Cultural Night in the form of an in-person play with 80 to 150 participants, offering the CPP community an evening filled with traditional songs, cultural dances, modern dances and passionate acting.

Last year, the show was canceled due to COVID-19 just two weeks before the performance. The sudden cancellation, however, served as motivation for the club’s executive board to make this year’s cultural night more memorable than ever.

“We really wanted to avenge the past PACN because it sucked when everyone got sad because they couldn’t perform,” said Barkada Entertainment Company Coordinator Albert Andres, a fourth-year computer information systems student. “For the first years especially, we wanted them to experience it. Even if it was not the same as

it usually is, we wanted them to experience the culture and what it’s like to be a part of a PACN.”

According to Manzon, Barkada’s legacy is often underestimated. She stated that Barkada has been around for 35 years, with its first-ever Pilipinx-American Cultural Night launched in the ‘90s.

Andres emphasized that being one of the older Filipino organizations in Southern California comes with the pressure to push the envelope with their events since other Filipino organizations use them for inspiration.

Cal State San Bernardino’s Lubos Pilipino American Student Organization President Jon Ramos highlighted Barkada’s contribution in preserving culture despite the challenges raised by the pandemic.

Lubos Pasos is Cal State San Bernardino’s student organization aimed to promote the Pilipino culture with its campus community. As club president, Ramos was inspired by Barkada’s effort to resume cultural night with an authentic experience.

“To be able to produce an event like their PACN with all the adversity we have all faced during the pandemic is definitely something that inspired me and motivated me to bring Lubos Pasos to their league someday,” Ramos said.

For more information, visit its Instagram @cppbarkada.

CULTURE: Filipinx club reunites for celebrationContinued from Page 5

Jose Herrera ae@thepolypost.comReach Ethereal Reyes &

COURTESY OF MIGS REYES

@samanthaalopezFind Samantha Lopez on Twitter

COURTESY OF TOM ZASADZINSKI

A&E 7Tuesday, May 4, 2021 THE POLY POST

PHOTO: Staff views campus with unique perspective

Zasadzinski has seen five generations of students graduate in about 160 commencements. Throughout the years, he observed the campus undergo major

transformations, including new parking structures, dorms, BRIC, University Library and the College of

Business Administration building getting built. Witnessing these changes, he documented campus life by photographing students at multiple events and activities, including BroncoFusion and Rose Bowl float preparations.

After attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a student for a year Zasadzinski transferred and graduated from the University of La Verne with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in photojournalism in 1983.

After graduating, he worked at four different newspapers in the area, including The Daily Bulletin where he worked for 13 years, and was the sole photographer at three other publications. Given his vast experience, a colleague suggested that he applied to work as the university photographer at CPP.

“I kind of got recruited by a fellow Daily Bulletin convert who was doing stories for our Strategic Communications Department, which was public affairs back then,” Zasadzinski said. “And he said, ‘Hey you know, we’ve got this photographer opening, and you should come do it.’ So, I applied to get the job and I’ve been here ever since. It turns out it was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.”

As the university prepares for in-person classes and activities next semester, the first event he hopes to shoot is an athletic event where he can capture the joyful return of both the athletes and fans in the stands.

“I would love to have that feeling again of just being out there and watching them run around,” Zasadzinski said. “It’s a lot of fun, but almost anything that would get something interesting in front of my camera is what I miss the most.”

Continued from Page 6

Find Maximus Rodriguez on Twitter @maximuscruzrod2

With a love for building and creating since her childhood days, Annikka Priya Rodriguez, a third-year aerospace engineering student, established a crochet business last January from her Pomona home, one stitch at a time.

Rodriguez sells an assortment of unique hand-crocheted items — from bags and bandanas to stress ball plushies — using recycled products through her small business, Annika Crochets.

Though she began the business by selling beanies, she diversified her products since the launch to include a variety of items that follow current market trends. She finds inspiration for new products using social media platforms and her inventive wit. Items are updated seasonally — with the latest addition being flower earrings just in time for spring.

“I am always doing things with my hands,” Rodriguez said. “In class, I’m crocheting and if I’m in a meeting and I don’t have to show my face, I’ll be crocheting. It’s my stress reliever like how some people like the little stress balls.”

Rodriguez also gives back to the community by donating 10% of her proceeds to charity.

This past March, Rodriguez donated her handmade beanies to St. Vincent De Paul Lancaster Shelter Program, a homeless assistance organization in Lancaster, California, that supports the homeless community by providing housing, food, employment opportunities and basic necessities.

In the same month, she also donated 10% of her proceeds to Stop AAPI Hate when the awareness surrounding the discrimination that

the Asian community faces reached its peak. When donating, she seeks organizations that she believes do the most significant work in that month. Other times, she accepts suggestions from her customers on the charities to donate to.

“I knew if I encouraged people to buy stuff and said that 10% of the proceeds would go to a charity, not only would they be helping me keep busy and stay creative, but they are also donating a part of what they are sending me,” Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez, she began crocheting when she was 10 years old but revived her hobby during the pandemic to make beanies for her and her boyfriend as a pastime. Shortly

after, Rodriguez received requests from her family and friends to have their own beanies, which inspired her to launch her online shop.

Ever since she was a child, Rodriguez enjoyed working with her hands which flared her enthusiasm for hands-on work like arts and crafts. Her passion for handcrafted projects

resonates in her decision to pursue a career in engineering.

“With all these things I grew up doing, that was sort of just the path that I was taking that wasn’t art-related, but I would like to say that engineering does involve art and creativity,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez feels that crocheting is similar to her work in the engineering industry because they both require her to utilize innovation and creativity. She strives to continue her small business while pursuing her engineering degree at Cal Poly Pomona with steady growth.

For more information, visit her Instagram @annikkacrochets.

By ETHEREAL REYESStaff Writer

@etherealumiFind Ethereal Reyes on Twitter

Engineering student stitches up old hobby with crochet business

Annikka Priya Rodriguez, a third-year aerospace engineering student, launched a crochet business selling earrings, stress pall plushies, bags and beanies.

COURTESY OF ANNIKKA PRIYA RODRIGUEZ

“In class, I’m crocheting and if I’m in a meeting and I don’t have to show my face, I’ll be crocheting. It’s my stress reliever.”

OPINIONSPORTS 10SPORTS 10 Tuesday, May 4, 2021OPINION 8

Group work: it’s cruel and unusual

Dear professors and lecturers of Cal Poly Pomona, I’m going to get straight to the point: Please stop making your classes group-work heavy (especially during a pandemic)!

The words “group work” have always been synonymous with “nightmare” for me. Although many professors tell us that we have to get used to working in groups because in our jobs we’ll be working in groups, I don’t think they take into consideration that in a workplace you’re being paid to collaborate, so people tend to care more about their performance because there is more at stake. However, in a classroom setting, there are students who don’t care about their own grades, let alone other people’s grades or time — making it a nightmare to work in groups.

The pandemic has not made anything easier for any of us, and I never thought that group projects or group assignments could get any more annoying. But they have. Now, aside from sitting in front of a computer for class, assignments, club meetings and work meetings, we also need to find time as groups to meet

online and sit through hours of an assignment we could have done individually on our own time and at our own pace? I’m sorry, but no.

Our schedules are just as crazy as anyone’s and having to find time every other week to work with a group is stressful because the pandemic has changed all of our lives and schedules. There are also many students whose home environments aren’t remote-learning-friendly and working in groups outside of class often can become troublesome or inconvenient.

Please hear me out. I understand if there are a couple or a few group assignments that will aid toward our growth and success in your class throughout the semester, but can it please not be more than one?

The first semester that we went remote, I had a professor who loved to assign group work. At the beginning of the semester it was fine because we were able to meet on campus or discuss our

assignment during class. It was much easier to get a hold of all our group members, and even then, my group members were horrible at cooperating. I really had to do the majority of the work because I didn’t want our assignment to be incomplete or inadequate because of others’ faults (I know

a lot of students will relate to this).

Picking up the slack for others is even harder online, especially if the groups are made up of more than three people. And to make it worse, sometimes we’re

left feeling like we have no option but to pick up the slack for others because of how heavily group assignments impact our overall grade.

So, on behalf of all students who aren’t fans of group work, please consider revising your syllabi and assigning less group work — at least during the pandemic.

@iamblancaggFInd Blanca Gonzalez on Twitter

By BLANCA GONZALEZStaff Writer

SHARON WU | THE POLY POST

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Nell Horowitz

Tears rushed to my eyes, blurring my vision as my father was placed into the back of the ambulance. The day after Christmas, my entire family and I had tested positive for COVID-19 and my father was having difficulty breathing and in a constant state of confusion. Never, in a million years, would I have thought I would see one of my parents placed into the back of an ambulance.

The daunting feeling of not knowing if my father would receive the proper medical attention from the paramedics, who did not speak Spanish, if they would transport him to the hospital on time or if I would ever get to see my father alive again was overpowering.

Though I am grateful that the U.S. is distributing C O V I D vaccines, it is extremely u n s e t t l i n g to see that some states are eager to rush back to what was once “the norm” without taking into consideration any safety precautions.

A week after my father returned home from the hospital, I once again found myself calling for an ambulance

as my oldest brother had a deadly high fever of 106°F. Watching how COVID-19

nearly took my oldest brother and seeing the plastic tubes in my parents’ nostrils as both my parents e v e n t u a l l y r e l i e d o n o x y g e n machines to breath tore my spirit.

I later fell into depression

when my uncle, who had texted me words of encouragement throughout my sickness, passed away from COVID-19 on Jan. 26.

It is infuriating to see that 20 states are nearly fully open and no longer have any mask

requirements nor other safety guidelines suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop the spread of COVID.

It is even more disturbing to see some states have been fully reopened with no mask requirements such as Florida, which has reported over 34,000 new cases in the last seven days, according to CDC records, and only a 27% full vaccination rate.

It is outrageous that even with low vaccination numbers, these states have decided to fully reopen because they are more worried about the economy than the safety of its citizens.

Not only does COVID affect you physically, but it takes a mental and emotional toll that calls for a great amount of time to recover.

Never would I wish for anyone to experience what my family and I experienced this winter. This is why I truly wish not only politicians, but all Americans, would take this pandemic seriously.

I appreciate that the majority of the U.S. is taking a slower approach to reopen, but it is still scary to see people gathering without masks and hearing others say they won’t get vaccinated.

We can live without visiting best friends for a few weeks, we can live without visiting Disneyland, but most importantly, we won’t ever go back to “the norm” if people do not take proper safety precautions and get vaccinated.

The US is too eager for the old norm

GRACE JOHNSON | THE POLY POST

@connywitha_y

Find Conny Chavez on Twitter

By CONNY CHAVEZStaff Writer

See HELP/ Page 9

It’s never too late to ask for help

Going to college for a better tomorrow is a dream most parents push on their children, especially first-generation students. However, is going to college for everyone and is it too late to ask for help when struggling?

When I was first accepted into the universities I applied to, my biggest worry was whether I wanted to accept a loan and move across state — away from the life I knew — or if I wanted to stay nearby and have everything paid for while still seeing my childhood friends every weekend.

Today, my biggest worry is if these past five years have really been worth it and if it’s too late to ask for help.

When I first stepped foot on campus on my first day of class in summer 2016, I had a future envisioned; today, as I sit here typing this piece, I ask myself when that vision changed.

Like most college students, I had a “four-year plan” in mind and thought

By JULISSA SANCHEZStaff Writer

“Watching how C O V I D - 1 9 nearly took my oldest brother tore my spirit.”

“The words ‘group work’ have always been synonymous with ‘nightmare’ for me.”

OPINION 9THE POLY POSTTuesday, May 4, 2021

HELP: I never anticipated the stuggles college brought upon methat by the time my name was called on commencement day, I would be walking away with a job and living the life my 18-year-old self planned.

However, this is where most students usually go wrong. Some students don’t stop to think whether they will graduate by the four-year mark or think to apply to jobs within their field while still in school to gain some experience for when graduation comes around.

Take it from me, it is best to take it slow and prepare for the worst, and never fear asking for help!

When I say prepare for the worst, I mean know that the classes you need to graduate won’t always be available. Know that being waitlisted does not always mean you will make it into the course, and that schools have the right to change the system from quarters to semesters, or from in-person to virtual instruction.

School used to be easy for me; now I have come to find out the hard way that things don’t always go as planned.

When fall 2019 came around, I thought I was one semester away from graduating but I never stopped to check my degree progress report. Turns out I was missing required courses that held me back another year.

This semester has been a true wake up call for me. I am so close to the finish line but at the same time I am not and instead of saying, “Oh, well”

and throwing all my time here down the drain, maybe it isn’t too late to ask for help.

Being a college student full-time or even part-time can take a toll on one’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

With all the c h a n g e a n d pressure happening

this school year, on top of my daily life, I willingly admit to falling into a moderately severe depression and

now have mild anxiety simply because I haven’t been brave enough to ask for help.

Know that there are many resources out there, each one serving a different purpose. We pay for some of them in our tuition so take advantage of it and, if not, there are plenty of free resources out there and finding them is as easy as opening Safari on your phone.

Remember, don’t throw away an option just because it did not help

somebody else. Give it a try first and then be the judge.

You can always open up to a counselor, advisor or friend but until you admit you need the help and finally speak up you won’t see a change.

Take it from me, a fifth-year college student who was ready to give up —it is never too late to ask for help; it will get better.

Continued from Page 8

Humanity has officially had its one-year anniversary existing in a world with COVID-19, among many other social injustices, trials and tribulations. This past year was filled with dark and taunting moments of loneliness and uncertainty, but I can undoubtedly say that one of the things that kept me afloat was my ability to read.

A human being’s mental health is exceptionally sensitive in times of crisis, deficit and vulnerability, such as the pandemic. Reading books during this past year has not only gifted me the opportunity to theoretically escape reality, but also a way to live vicariously through a character living a much more adventurous and colorful life than my own.

When Cal Poly Pomona first announced that its doors would soon close to the student body, I was initially in a state of denial. Thoughts raced through my head at a million miles-per-hour with tormenting things such as losing my beautiful friendships, not being able to learn properly, moving back into my parent’s home, being unable to fully live out the college experience or losing my job.

Sure enough, the month of March trudged on and my friends moved home, I moved home, I lost my job and it was

harder than ever to focus on school. The cherry on top of this harsh reality was that not only did my school close, but so did the world. Restaurants were no longer open, shelves in stores were empty, so many people were losing their livelihoods, homelessness increased, violence increased and the streets of my home looked like a ghost town. The light at the end of the tunnel was becoming dimmer by the day and I realized I was spiraling into a pit of depression that I feared I would never climb out of.

Getting ready each morning felt like a daunting task and I soon found myself feeling too weak to crawl out of my bed, even to eat or drink water. It didn’t help that the first thing I reached for each morning was my cell phone. I sat scrolling

through hundreds of social media posts that only made me feel worse than before, wishing I was someone else, wishing I lived near my friends and realizing that I was losing my motivation for everything.

This spiral continued on for months, until one day I decided I couldn’t bear to look at my phone anymore. I deactivated all my social media accounts, decided to filter out friendships and focus on the most enduring ones and proceeded to pick up a book. I read the entire novel in one day. I came to the realization that after finishing the book, I felt refreshed and excited because for a blip in time, I didn’t once think about my sadness, loneliness or the pandemic.

I began, what you might call, a reading rampage. I did not watch any shows, I

never watched the news, I was behind on current things events; but I didn’t care. I felt uplifted and my vocabulary was growing along with my newly blossoming mental health. My friends danced on the pages of my books and I began to feel that the colors of my imagination were uplifting me out of a place I didn’t think I could escape.

I know that we are I am not alone in this because according to JAMA Network statistics, depression symptom prevalence was more than three-fold higher during the ever persistent COVID-19 pandemic when compared to data from the prior previous year. This unfortunate burden has exceedingly fallen upon those associated with greater risk of depression symptoms before the pandemic began.

Furthermore, the lack of sociability due to stay at home orders, social distancing and unemployment caused suicide rates to skyrocket. According to America’s Health Rankings, suicide rates reached an astonishing 14.8 deaths per 100,000, approximately 48,573 deaths due to suicide in just 2020 alone.

As much as reading these statistics was discouraging for me, to know that so many individuals felt alone and lost hope, there is still light for those who are fighting the good fight. Studies have shown all across the board that reading is one of the healthiest things you can do to stimulate positivity in your mind.

Reading can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, fear, self-loathing, loneliness and intimidation.

The beauty of having this knowledge during this time for me was that reading is effortless during a pandemic. All you’re required to do is keep your pajamas on, light a candle, curl up under the covers and open to page one.

Once you do that, and allow your imagination to blossom, your thoughts stop revolving around the reality you’re facing and open the doors to a new world of appreciating the small things, like the ability you have to read, write and think.

When the phone dies, the pages see you thriveBy GRACE JOHNSON

Staff Writer

@Julissah_sFInd Julissa Sanchez on Twitter

@gracepolypostFInd Grace Johnson on Twitter

GRACE JOHNSON | THE POLY POST

SHARON WU | THE POLY POST“I have come to find out the hard way that things don’t always go as planned”

SPORTS 10SPORTS 10

SPORTSTuesday, May 4, 2021SPORTS 10

Track & field sprints Track & field sprints toward a new starttoward a new start

Jumping hurdles due to pandemic restrictions over the past year, Cal Poly Pomona’s track and field athletes are now allowed to return to campus from April 5 to May 7 for in-person training, and indoor training as of April 29.

Track and field is the first of the university’s athletic programs to return to campus with 46 student-athletes having participated so far in on-campus training sessions.

Chris Bradford, head coach of the cross coun-try and track and field teams, revealed that the decision was reached due to the unique nature of track and field. Already an outdoor sport, the team members compete in multiple events on the track, including shot put throwing, discus throwing, high jump, long jump, distance run-ning and sprinting. This makes maintaining the safety procedures put forth by the university and CCAA an easier feat.

“We can kind of control the group sizes a little bit more compared to some of the other teams that are all out at the same time and we can sep-arate practices,” said Bradford.

Both Athletics Director Brian Swanson and Facilities & Events Coordinator Sarah Macias did not respond to interview requests by the Poly Post before deadline.

Upon hearing the news, both team members and coaches scrambled to have everything in place. Some student-athletes living in North-ern California chose to return to Pomona just to take advantage of the opportunity of finally stepping foot onto campus again.

Analexis Glaude, sophomore sprinter, said she was not expecting to return to campus this year. Upon hearing that she would get a chance to practice on campus again, she dropped every-thing. Within a week, Glaude, along with her fellow teammates, completed a physical exam and COVID-19 test for their return.

“It feels really good and it’s something I really

wanted to do; I live in Sacramento, California, and drove super far to be a part of this because that is how important this is,” said Glaude.

According to Bradford, student-athletes are tested for COVID-19 twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition, team members must complete a daily wellness check that consists of answering a questionnaire before they can practice. Some of the questions center around contact with others who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as the athletes’ personal symptoms, temperatures and reasons for going to campus.

During warmups, participants can remove their masks but must maintain a 6-foot distance from others at all times. Once the actual train-ing session begins, however, student-athletes and staff must wear a mask covering at all times.

As a secondary precaution, each team event holds a 10-person limit. To follow the universi-ty’s capacity restrictions, athletes participating in each event are designated a specific practice schedule detailing if they are to be weight train-ing or event training on the outdoor track that day and at what time.

“Today, (Wednesday) our jumpers are at 8:30 this morning, our throwers are at 10 a.m., our distance runners are at 12 p.m., our sprints and hurdlers are at 1 p.m., so there is like a differ-ent group and even though they are not doing the same work out they are all more spread out,” explained Bradford.

Alejandro Sandoval-Guzman, senior shot put and discus thrower, chose to take advantage of the opportunity, given his short com-mute to the CPP campus from his home in Fontana.

Sandoval-Guzman explained that he pre-fers in-person practice over the virtual Zoom practices he partici-pated in this past year.

Dealing with poor internet connection and mobile devices overheating while trying to train are obstacles that he is glad to leave behind.

Moreover, Sandoval-Guzman missed the camaraderie with his fellow team members during practice and competition.

“Competing with my teammates honestly, having that bond it’s like an unbreakable bond I can’t really explain it but being with my teammates I missed be ing able to joke around and just be with them,” said Sandoval-Guzman.

By JULISSA SANCHEZStaff Writer

Find Julissa Sanchez on Twitter @july_jewels

Midfielder, Allison Hung; goalkeeper, Jordan Aldama; and middle blocker, Jane Woodward are amongst the 16 seniors planning to compete one last time with their team in the fall. COURTESY OF CPP ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

BRIC works out summer opening

After more than a yearlong closure, the BRIC plans to reopen for student access this summer.

The opening comes with a plethora of changes to ensure the safety of all students, alongside many upgrades to the resources of the facility. The university’s Safer Return Task Team is currently reviewing the plan.

According to Kaycee Martin, interim associate director of Campus Recreation Programs,

campus recreation hopes to reopen the facility June 7.

“The way that we planned our reopening is a tiered approach,” said Martin. Each tier will allow further access to equipment and sections of the facility.

She explained the first tier would provide access primarily to the third-floor fitness area and the pool. During this time, the facility will most likely be open at 10% capacity. To maintain this, the facility will reopen on a reservation basis with students having primary access through reservations made online with a

Bronco ID. For students, the BRIC does

not only serve as a gym, but it also provides students with a spot to interact with each other and unwind from the stressful nature of college. However, Martin noted that the primary focus is for students to come at their reservation time, workout and leave when the reservation time ends. Students won’t be able to wait in the common areas and the lounge spaces won’t reopen until a later tier.

By AMANDA COSCARELLI & ZACHARY CHEN

Staff Writers

See OPEN DOORS/ Page 11

The NCAA is allowing all student-athletes to compete for an additional season of competition with an extended period of eligibility due to previous seasons’ cancel-lations caused by the pandemic. In total, 16 senior athletes will return to com-pete in their final season as Bron-cos on August 16.

P r e v i o u s l y, Division II ath-letes would only receive an extra year of eligibility if their team did not compete in more than 50% of the scheduled competitions. How-ever, after the NCAA revised the eligibility rules, the Division II com-mittee is now granting fall and winter

athletes an extra year of eligibility regardless of their participation in the 2020-21 season. The decision to extend student-athlete’s eligibility was announced in October.

Both the men and women’s soccer teams have seven returning senior players and the women’s vol-leyball team is welcoming back two seniors, while men and women’s cross country teams have no returning senior athletes.

Senior mid-fielder Allison

Hung expressed her motivation for deciding to stay one extra year at CPP.

“I decided to come back in the fall because I saw an opportunity

By BRYNN SHERBERTStaff Writer

See RETURN/ Page 12

“To suddenly walk away from the

sport...did not sit right with my soul, so I could not be

done just yet.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CPP ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

Fall cues last dance for senior Broncos to compete

SPORTS 11THE POLY POSTTuesday, May 4, 2021

Fair Pay to Play Act hopes to sport earlier implementation

California State Sens. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Steven Bradford, D-Gar-dena, released an amendment to SB 206, the Fair Pay to Play Act, to cover student-athletes no later than January 2022.

The original Fair Pay to Play Act was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019, allowing college athletes to receive payment for their use of name, likeness and image beginning in 2023. Current NCAA rules strive to make a clear distinction between college athletes and pro-fessional athletes, but this distinction leads to student-athletes missing out on paid opportunities and offers.

The NCAA claims Divi-sion I and II schools offer compensation to student-athletes in the form of scholarships: however, these scholarships are often not enough for students to fully pay for their education.

“You could just com-pletely avoid college and just go pro if you’re really that good,” said graduate student Gerardo Flores, a thrower for CPP’s track and field team. “But then you lose out on having a backup plan and stuff like that.”

Other areas of college life do not have these same regulations.

“Other students in other disciplines can do it; they have the opportunity to use their name or expertise to earn extra money,” said CPP’s Director of Inter-collegiate Athletics Brian Swanson. “I think student-athletes should have the

same opportunity as their colleagues on campus.”

The News Record’s Owen Racer made a similar argu-ment in a March opinion piece advocating that stu-dent-athletes should have the ability to receive pay-ment in a similar fashion to the 60.8% of interns who were paid in 2019.

To combat this, in a 73-0 vote, the state assembly voted to make it illegal for Califor-nia universities to cancel the athlete’s scholarship or eligi-bility if they receive payment for the use of their name, image or l i k e n e s s . However, this does not mean that univer-sities would be tasked with paying a t h l e t e s , instead this means ath-letes can hire agents to find business deals for them.

The U.S. Department of Education has reported that out of the $14 billion reve-nue colleges receive from sports programs, only a fraction of that amount is returned to players. The NCAA has been known to reject petitions from current and former athletes who wish to receive compensation for their time as college athletes. They have also played a role in preventing students from receiving any third-party deals.

Global Sports Matters interviewed former interna-tional student-athletes, and part of the reason why play-ers failed to understand and

were compliant with univer-sity demands was due to the lack of knowledge surround-ing NCAA rules for name, image and likeness as well as how Divisions I and II col-leges function.

Division I schools are known to train and compete throughout the year, allowing little time for student-ath-letes to find internships or jobs outside of it. Division II schools, such as CPP, do offer a more balanced sched-ule for athletes with enough time to seek opportunities outside of their sport.

Because of the con-t r o v e r s y surround-ing college a t h l e t e s , SB 206 has r e c e i v e d plenty of s u p p o r t from people like LeBron James and U.S. Sen.

Bernie Sanders. However, a vocal opponent of this bill continues to be the NCAA.

The NCAA believes SB 206 will cause an imbalance in college sports whereby California college-athletes will receive benefits ath-letes in other states do not, creating an unfair advantage in the recruitment process and the playing field. This could lead to California’s 58 NCAA schools being unable to compete.

On March 31, the U.S. Supreme Court heard NCAA v. Alston, a court case deal-ing with whether the NCAA should be allowed to place a cap on how much NCAA universities can compensate their athletes. The final ruling

has not been decided, but a lower district judge ruled in favor of Alston, making this potential cap on universities illegal. The NCAA contested that this ruling would affect, and possibly tarnish, per-severing sport amateurism and lead to future legislation chipping away at the distinc-tion between college sports and professional sports.

“The NCAA talks about keeping student-athletes amateur and they’re wor-ried about people taking advantage of this, like flat out paying athletes to come to that school or stay at that school,” said Chris Brad-ford, the head coach of CPP’s track and field team. “But I think that’s only a very small portion of how this will be used. Again, I think it’s time; I think this is something that needs to happen.”

The NCAA has already started adapting to growing support for student-athlete compensation and began working on adapting new rules to change the way stu-dent athletes use their name, image and likeness.

USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz reported that under new regulations stu-dent-athletes would be allowed to use their name, image and likeness for athletic and non-athletic business: however, schools would still have the right to veto deals if it conflicts with a preexisting sponsorship deal or NCAA guidelines.

California, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska and New Jersey have all passed laws to allow student-athletes to use their name, image and likeness for monetary gain.

By ELIZABETH CASILLAS

Staff Writer

California, Colorado, Florida, Nebraska and New Jersey have all passed laws allowing student-athletes to use their name, image and likeness for monetary gain.

COURTESY OF CPP ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

OPEN DOORS: Maintaining Bronco fitness and safety for the summer

As the BRIC plans to reopen with increased sanitation and safety regulations, such as more frequent cleaning and limiting the number of students coming in, ASI is looking to hire more members to join their Campus Recreation team.

Stephanie Rodriguez, a fourth-year biochemistry student, was an employee at the BRIC prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and plans to return when in-person classes resume in fall.

“Working at the BRIC is a fun and social environment,” said Rodriguez. “You get to help people, and it also motivates you to work out because you’re already there.”

Despite the summer 2021 semester remaining fully online, and the majority of students off campus, students are still excited to return to the BRIC when in-person classes resume in fall.

“I definitely look forward to return to the BRIC this

upcoming fall,” said Derrick Khousavath, third-year international business and marketing student. “I’m going to be on campus for a couple of classes next semester, so I might as well go to the BRIC and make use of it.”

Khousavath was a regular at the BRIC prior to the pandemic, and he was forced to make adjustments such as making his own home gym.

“When everything was shutting down, I felt the need to actually go out and do what I need to stay in shape,” said Khousavath. “Seeing everything close during the pandemic became a motivating factor for me because you don’t know how good something is until it’s gone.”

Before the facility opens, Campus Recreation will alert students of the specific guidelines and conditions of operation. Martin notes that a video is currently being put together to explain the various changes made throughout the facility.

Continued from Page 10

Find Amanda Coscarelli on Twitter @uhhhmandaaaFind Zachary Chen on Twitter @zach_comm

Community sports resume after pausing for COVID-19

ISO Elite Basketball Coach Kenneth Cabado huddles up with his team.

COURTESY OF KENNETH CABADO

With COVID-19 restric-tions easing on organized sports in California, Pomona residents are excited to kick off the new season with their local teams.

Due to the pandemic, parks, schools and other facilities were closed for competition, bringing many athletes’ seasons to an abrupt end in early 2020. As California con-tinues to gradually reopen, many teams, coaches and staff members are prepared to resume their operations while following COVID-19 guidelines.

Director and coach at ISO Elite Basketball, Ken-neth Cabado, is preparing to open the doors to youth teams starting from first through 12th grade.

“Right now we’re get-ting ready to open back up,” Cabado said. “We have about four or five youth teams and we’ll be following protocols like minimizing the capacity of players, daily tempera-ture checks and sanitizing in between workouts.”

Cabado emphasized his enthusiasm for resuming his program since he feels it does more than teach kids how to play basketball.

“We focus on kids on building confidence,” Cabado said. “We teach them how to socialize not just on the court, but off the court. It builds charac-ter with mistakes and losses and obvious wins. And we can teach these kids at a young age that giving up is never an option.”

Pomona’s recreational sports leagues for both youth and adults began their season in March, according to Roberto Curiel, facility and sports rental supervi-sor at Pomona Parks and Recreation. Recreational leagues must follow man-datory health issued by the County of Los Angeles Public Health.

Protocols for resuming activities state that all par-ticipants are required to wear an appropriate face mask covering the nose

and mouth at all times and undergo mandatory entry screenings. Other partic-ipants, including coaches and support staff, must be tested regularly in order to attend. If participants come into contact with anyone with COVID-19 or con-tract the virus themselves, they must quarantine for 14 days and receive a neg-ative COVID-19 test result before returning.

Despite numerous safety guidelines in place for local youth sports, local soccer leagues are determined to make space for players of all ages to perfect their skills.

Goals Soccer Center in Pomona is a soccer facil-ity that offers both youth and adult teams a place to practice and play, according to General Manager Jenny Rivera.

“I think everyone wanted us to be back because they had no one to play with, especially with the parks closed and the schools closed,” Rivera said. “Now that we’re open, they’re able to come in here and just play soccer with their friends.”

Goals Soccer Center has already allowed men’s soccer leagues to gather and will soon start up the women’s soccer divi-sion. It is open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Students from the Pomona Unified School District play for free Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ernesto Franco, acad-emy coach at Goals Soccer Center, believes the ath-letic fields’ reopening is not only a great opportunity for children to be active, but to develop character.

“It’s important for kids, especially in that age range, to kind of go somewhere and be productive and just stay off the streets,” Franco said. “They channel their energy toward a positive environment, and it gives kids the opportunity to develop not just as soccer players, but as people too.”

By ANEL CEBALLOSStaff Writer

Find Anel Ceballos on Twitter @anelcceballos

“I think it’s time; I

think this is something that needs

to happen.”

Find Elizabeth Casillas on Twitter @EllyVibesss

SPORTS 12 THE POLY POST Tuesday, May 4, 2021

POMONA, CA

FIND US ON GRUBHUB OR CALL 909.979.6197

@IBREWWORKS IBREWWORKS.COM

NOW OPEN FOR INDOOR AND

OUTDOOR DINING

RETURN: S e n i o r B r o n c o s b o u n c e back

Find Brynn Sherbert on Twitter @BrynnSherbert

Continued from Page 10

to further my education through a masters program and wanted to take advantage of the NCAA giving stu-dents an extra year of eligibility,” Hung said.

Hung acknowledge she is blessed to have experienced playing soccer at CPP and wants to pass forward the same opportunities to the next gener-ation of athletes.

Senior goalkeeper Jordan Aldama, is taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility to enjoy playing soccer one last season. Aldama is staying active and playing every day to stay in shape for his return.

“Since I first joined an organized team at age 3, soccer has been con-sistently involved in my life to the point where it helped shape me into the young man I am today,” Aldama said. “To suddenly walk away from the sport without realizing I did it all for the last time did not sit right with my soul ,so I could not be done just yet.”

Aldama explained that the cheerful feeling of being with his team in the locker room, and lacing up his cleats to compete is something he cannot wait to experience again.

Senior middle blocker for the wom-en’s volleyball team, Jane Woodward, is determined to use her last year of eligibility to finish off her career on a high note. Woodward has been playing three times a week with the volleyball team off campus to prepare for August.

“I had only played one season at CPP before the pandemic hit,” Wood-ward said. “I did my time at a junior college in order to prepare to play in a program like CPP and I really did not want to give that opportunity up.”

With reports from staff writer Grace Johnson.

Stunts wait, cheers stay: CPP cheer team elevates its spirits

Due to COVID-19 limitations, the CPP Cheer Team recruited new members through video tryouts in 2020 and 2021.COURTESY OF THE CPP CHEER TEAM

As student-athletes await the return of in-person practices and competitions, the CPP Cheerleading Team continues virtual practices despite several pandemic-related challenges tossed their way.

Previously, the cheer team was spotted twice a week at the Kellogg Gymnasium located in front of the BRIC, as they practiced their stunts, pyramids and cheers. Due to the pandemic, the team was forced to move virtually and host practices through Zoom.

One of the biggest challenges for the team’s captains — Alexa Oliva, a third-year apparel merchandising and management student, and Crystal Lopez, a second-year psychology student — were the performance issues during Zoom practices.

“Our coach is very adamant about being all together and in unison,” said Oliva. “We (captains) make sure we are all on

count and it’s very hard to see if people actually knew the dance.”

“Since the camera is inverted, you can’t really see in detail as you would in person,” adds Lopez. “I think that it is a struggle and getting people to come to practice because everyone’s schedule is really hectic with COVID-19, especially with people who need to work.”

Through Zoom, cheer practices are held on the last fortnight of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Its echos and glitches were not the only complications the team faced, as recruiting new members proved to be challenging. Last year, the captains held try-outs through a video submission link.

“In the video we had to put our position, the stunts we can hit, if we tumbled, the dance, the fight song, some cheers and introduction to yourself like what year you were in, your major and your cheer experience,” said Meagan Jardinel, third-year business accounting student and third-year cheerleader. “It was

a process that took two to three weeks and we got a lot of new members.”

Currently the CPP cheer team consists of 22 members. With upcoming tryouts the captains are willing to expand their team to 30 members. Registration was open from March 27 to April 15.

Despite the obstacles the pandemic brought forth, the cheer team lifts its spirits through their “cheer sister.”

Phoebe Granado, second-year history student and second-year cheerleader, revealed it was her coaches’ idea to form and strengthen the bond with the new members of the team. Each returner was assigned a ‘cheer little,’ while a ‘cheer big’ stabilized and enforced their bond.

“To CDC regulations, I made sure my ‘cheer little’ was OK. We wore masks, gloves, everything and met outdoors,” said Granado. “It was a nice opportunity to meet someone new on the team that we haven’t already previously talked to. ”

While CPP’s sport participation

is slowly opening, on March 30 the Blueprint for a Safer Economy revealed Los Angeles County had transitioned to the orange tier, therefore allowing gyms and fitness centers to open indoors with proper CDC guidelines of sanitation and disinfection procedures.

This gives hope for the CPP cheer team to compete sooner than expected. Before the pandemic, the CPP cheer team attended basketball, soccer, and volleyball games, but Granado recalled the last in-person performance was the basketball victory game.

“We won at the last three seconds, the basketball went in, the score went in, everyone jumped and the crowd started screaming, ‘We made it to the tournament,’” said Granado. “Through this all, what we want our cheerleaders to do is be good representations on campus. We really do love this sport and that we are able to cheer for our school.”

By MARIA FLORESStaff Writer

Find Maria Flores on Twitter @MariaFl17978104