Student dies from foul air

Priscilla Frias succumbs to respiratory distress

By Lauren Manary

Priscilla Frias was hard at work on her American Dream. With her went the dreams of her migrant parents. Frias' dream ended all too soon in a plume of smoke and ash when she died of respiratory distress during the Harris Fire. She was 20. Frias' death was "related to the poor air quality" in the South Bay on Oct 24, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office.

The fire next time

By Vanessa K. Nevarez

What happened in October 2003 was supposed to be an epic, once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. At least it was epic. Just four years later an even bigger cluster of fires burned more acreage and became California's biggest conflagration ever. South County's Harris Ranch Fire forced a week-long closure of Southwestern College and burned 90,440 acres.

Hope ignites after firestorm

Trio of SWC instructors lose homes

By Esmeralda F. Ramirez

October's epic wildfires destroyed the homes of three Southwestern College adjunct instructors. Starley Dullien, Walter Harrison and Terry Young all escaped injury, but have to start over after losing their houses and most of their worldly possessions. Starley Dullien English as a Second Language Adjunct Instructor One thing SWC part-timer Starley Dullien was sad about losing when she found out her house had fallen to the Witch Creek fire was her book collection.

Dyste no confidence vote looms

A pointed list of 16 "concerns" given to Vice President of Academic Affairs Ron Dyste by the Academic Senate has evolved into a movement to conduct a Dec. 11 no confidence vote on the long-embattled VP. Academic Senate President Valerie Goodwin-Colbert said the vice president had been scheduled for a discussion of the 16-point list, but that "things had escalated" and the faculty had asked the Senate's executive board to "pursue action.

Faculty votes decisively to retain its SCEA union

An insurgent campaign to supplant Southwestern College's faculty union and slough off the California Teachers Association overwhelmingly failed in a vote tallied Nov. 6. The Southwestern College Education Association (SCEA) received 431 votes, while the challenging union, the Independent Faculty Association, received 76 in the decertification vote conducted by the California Public Employee Relations Board.

ASO leaders assist migrants terrorized by fires

By Rebbeca Niebla

More than 1,000 houses were lost in the wild fires that scorched San Diego County. Not counted in the grim statistics were the dwelling places of homeless migrant workers. Of the 17 known fire fatalities, 11 were migrants caught in runaway flames. Fire and rescue officials have not ruled out the possibility that the bodies of even more migrants will be found in the weeks ahead.

SWC student gets a baptism of fire

What started off as a routine Sunday morning turned into a 54-hour fight against an epic wildfire for Matt Sowell, president of the Southwestern College Fire Science club. The 25-year-old firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician helped battle the Harris Fire.

Part-time instructor Cawthon is a full-time fire hero

By Gabriel Orendain-Necochea

On the Monday scheduled for a midterm no one showed up for class. The students and adjunct instructor Dane Cawthon missed that day. Cawthon could not help it. His other job needed him. His city needed him. Big time. Captain Cawthon of the Poway Fire Department joined his colleagues in the firefight of their lives.

ASO, Financial Aid will increase size of loans

By Kemesha Thomas

It seems $100 does not buy what it used to, so members of the Associated Student Organization and the Southwestern College Financial Aid office are going to pony up a little more. They are also trying to spread the word about no-interest loans students have at their fingertips.

Governor gives up on the DREAM

Schwarzenegger veto derails bill to aid foreign-born college students

By Lauren Manary

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have allowed international students to be treated like in-state students. The consequences could mean big money for these students. Governor said his action on the bill was due to the bill's implications on the state's budget.

SWC Small Business Center helps fire victims

First came the fires, next may be a tsunami. County organizations that help small businesses are bracing for a flood of applications for grants, loans and other assistance. Southwestern College's Small Business Development Lead Center (SBDC) is taking a leadership role in the effort to help businesses, farms and ranches recover from the October wildfires.

Fundraiser turns into a pumpkin

When dealt lemons make lemonade. When dealt pumpkins…make pumpkin pie? Southwestern College's baseball team lost a pile of money and gained a pile of pumpkins thanks to the October wildfires which forced the closure of the campus as well as the Jaguar Pumpkin Station.

Crowning achievements

All four scholarship pageant titlists are also busy Southwestern College students

By Lauren Manary

Luckily the ambassadors of South County do not need beauty sleep because the young ladies do not have time for it anyway. Six cities, four classes and one full-time job-Miss South County, Dionna Anderson, a Southwestern College student, does not have a lot of time for small talk.