Southwestern College may be America’s most diverse college, teaming with variety that conjures the stars in the sky. SWC embraces everyone, but California voters, when they had a chance, did not. Proposition 8 basically said “come back when you are not gay.” Proposition 8, passed in 2008, is easily one of the most controversial voter initiatives ever. It banned gay marriage and ended the “Gay Spring” ushered in by the city of San Francisco. It was divisive, mean-spirited and …

Many students dream of being able to study abroad. Traveling is one of the most expansive endeavors a person can undergo in their life. International travel provides perspective and encourages self-examination. Southwestern College launched the South Africa Volunteer Abroad Program in March. This volunteer program is not a normal study abroad arrangement. Student learning that takes place in a typical study abroad trip focuses on subjects such as international relations, business or foreign languages, rather than hands-on work found in the volunteer program. SWC’s educational service project was a 15-day volunteer program located in Cape Town, South Africa where students teach in poor township schools in impoverished communities. While this was a worthwhile endeavor, it was not a true study …

“The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind— computer programmers who could crank out code, lawyers who could craft contracts, MBAs who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person— creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people— artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers— will now reap society’s richest rewards and …

Transitioning between community college and a four-year university can be a complicated, intimidating change. Many students welcome the new arrangement with a focused attitude and great determination, confident that their former education equipped them with enough groundwork to excel in this new frontier. Southwestern College offers many challenging and stimulating programs that instill the necessary skills needed for students to succeed in top universities. Other students are not so lucky, struggling and disenchanted by unfamiliar obligations of university life, wondering …

Evolution never stops. Neither does progress. Professors adapt the way they educate students, transitioning from the traditional note-taking exchange and into the digital world. But, like biological evolution, change in the classroom is a sluggish process. Slow and steady may be the right pace for tortoises in the Galapagos Islands, but unacceptable in a fast-moving world. Southwestern College’s online educational evolution starts with Blackboard, an online learning resource that can, if properly implemented, revolutionize a student’s integration of their education …

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin …   Complaints about Southwestern College’s counselors are as common as complaints about parking. It can be tricky just getting an appointment. Waiting several weeks for an appointment is the rule, not the exception. Students are often flummoxed after an appointment and blame the counselors for not meeting their needs. Results can range from taking an unneeded class to spending another year on campus, all because of a counselor’s

As the economy continues to sputter, owning a car has become a luxury for many. Biking, skating or walking are decent options if students live in the neighborhood and enjoy working up a sweat. For everyone else there are taxis and buses. Taxi fares are downright unreasonable for most students, so the only alternatives left are the large vehicles operated by Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), San Diego’s regional public transit provider.   Navigating by bus or trolley may not be …

The Issue:  William Stewart’s resignation underscores lingering problems with veracity and trust. Our Position:  All factions of the college need to stop fighting and work together. …   William Stewart’s stunning Friday evening resignation from the governing board was a profound disappointment to the editorial board of this newspaper which voted unanimously last fall to endorse the cheerful and brainy philosophy professor. We would have preferred that he had stayed and fought for students against an administration that has eviscerated academic

Americans seem unable to ever agree about gun control, even after sickening mass killings of innocent people. We do seem to agree that these are the result of mental illness. Chula Vista’s City Council recently passed its own gun control measure in hopes of stopping the innocent slaughter of youth. Southwestern College’s campus police department is hoping to add assault rifles to its inventory in an effort to protect students. Restricting the types of guns one can purchase or limiting …

John Lennon once said, “The postman wants an autograph. The cab driver wants a picture. The waitress wants a handshake. Everyone wants a piece of you.” On Dec. 8, 1980, Lennon was murdered by a stalker, Mark David Chapman, after receiving an autograph from Lennon earlier that day. Chapman was obsessed with murdering him. Six out of nine psychiatrists found Chapman to be psychotic. Stalking is not reserved for the famous. It happens right here at Southwestern College. Getting our …