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By Elizabeth A. Sandoval
Class of 1976 Dear Mr. Thompson: I am writing as a 1976 Saint Mary's College (interchangeably SMC) alum, and on behalf of the alumni and former students that have endorsed this letter. We would like to arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible. We have been made aware of the recent news coverage and your public responses, that have brought to light the very disturbing incidents where an African American student has been directly subjected to racist hateful actions and speech by other students. We are also aware of and support your efforts to address the situation. We know, unfortunately, that conduct of this nature has been enabled by the political policies that currently are promoting racial and ethnic divisions in our country. However, we here make reference to the fact that Lasallian and Christian values do not adhere to such values. Lasallian Core Principles, must guide SMC's response: Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Faith in the Presence of God, Quality Education, Respect for All Persons, and Inclusive Community, In the spirit of Lasallian principles, Saint Mary's has for 50 years taken leading positions to support people from all backgrounds in their endeavors to successfully seek higher education and opportunities. We need only look to SMC's Diversity Mission statement: "Saint Mary's College is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and learning environment where systems of oppression and exclusion are actively opposed and dismantled. We believe diversity is one of our greatest strengths; we broadly define diversity to include race, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sex, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, immigration status, physical appearance, religion, age, military status, and socioeconomic status.” As one of our alums, Vivian Viscarra says, Saint Mary's has an "obligation to educate its students in love, empathy, collaboration, teamwork, and compassion." In this spirit of collaboration, we would like to make the following recommendations: 1. As soon as possible meet with representatives of the individuals that have endorsed this communication to discuss a potential plan. 2. We suggest that you specifically reach out to Tom Brown a longtime Saint Mary's Lasallian educator who assumed a leadership role in supporting the College to be more diverse, equitable, and inclusive before those terms were first popularized, and more recently demonized. Tom is someone who has a demonstrated commitment to the mission, values and spirit of SMC. We do not believe we are alone in believing that he is uniquely qualified to offer guidance on effective actions that can help counter racial bias. He may also be available to support you, as well as faculty and staff, to craft an effective institutional response to this and similar issues. As you may recall, he was recently honored at St. Mary's for the decades of commitment he has given to SMC and its students. He is also a highly respected individual beyond St. Mary's, who has consulted numerous educational institutions on issues of inclusion rather than exclusion. 3. We encourage you to create a team of individuals trained in addressing cultural bias, Please note that we do not necessarily mean to limit the team to only issues of race. Should other forms of bias be uncovered such as the mistreatment of female students, then appropriate review and responses can be addressed. 4. We are aware your public response has not necessarily been well received by alumni as adequate or in tune with the true values for which SMC stands. In the spirit of offering support, we hope and believe that you are committed to developing an action plan that will reinforce the continued dedication of SMC to its core principles as it pertains to all its students regardless of background. I am happy to assist in the coordination of this requested meeting and look forward to your attention to this very serious matter and to our request for a meeting with you. Thank you. Endorsements to Letter dated April 29, 2025 to SMC President Thompson Alison Armstrong '16 Kamat Abdul-Jabaar '69-71 Musheer Abdul-Jabbar (Edward Badon) '73 Anthony Boutte '78 Debora Boutte (Burroughs) '80 Sharon Denise Bradley '79 Saleem Abdul-Jabaar ‘70-72 Herman Brown '74 Del Brown '75 Roy Brown '72 Eddie Calvo '78 Nathan Carroll Jr. '75 Mireya Casarez '78 Rosamaria Casarez '84 Leslee Ann Chun '79 Gil Cortez '72 Reese Fernandez '75 Greg Ferguson '74 Candace Finnegan Timoney '76 Henry Flores '76 Dennis Fuller '77 Sonya Gonzales '78 Miguel Gonzalez '76 Ana Maria Guerrero '16 Maurice Harper '75 Gary Key '73 Lori Knight '79 Reggie Lemay '72 Bob Manalo '76 Maria Mejorado '78 Kayrna Perez Quirarte '16, M.A.17 John Perez '78 Kim Ramirez Pollack '79 Ann Agnew Rodriguez '79 Paul Rodrigez '73 Sal Rodriguez '76 Maria Servin '82 Nance Tovar '76, M.A.s '79 and '83 Jesus Varela '78 Jose Varela '79 Nancy Vasquez '79 Vivian Viscarra '79 Andrea Wood '78 Joe Ybarra '75 Nancy Nikhazy Ybarra '80 Pamela Washington '79 Addendum: President Thompson has responded to the letter and has asked that they work with the alumni office as of May 6.
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By Anonymous
Sometimes I fear the inevitable. I think that my brain goes into overload and tries so hard to make up for the world and its failures. I believe that we are seeing an uprising. This uprising of fascism. It scares me to know that one day we will all, even our thoughts, be shifted and be redone and reclaimed by the subliminal messaging of the advertisements that will undoubtedly bring us back half a century- if not more. Writing might be a lost art. It is the only thing that helps with the process. In the midst of all of this writing I feel as though it will never be enough. I know that it is something, it is something good, something to record and keep this history alive and well for the future to reckon with. They will and they must reckon with this. I wish we were more capable of reckoning with this now, although I fear that we are greatly encumbered by living day by day. I believe that as humans, part and parcel, the only way to defy the things that are truly evil is to say and do something. It’s a stupid little old adage, the whole “see something say something” it’s catchy, but when it really matters, would anyone be willing to actually do just that? I believe that when there is extreme ethnonationalism there is a lack of empathy towards those who might actually be different. We believe in American exceptionalism, but are we truly exceptional? I fear that we are not as exceptional as we claim to be. If we were exceptional, would we have billionaires that control everything. Would our freedoms be repressed on a daily basis? Would we be living in a society that prioritizes the few at the cost of the many? As Victor Klemperer said on May 15, 1933 "I have given up thinking about things. I feel it's all coming to an end.[...]The mood of the present time, the waiting, the visiting one another, the counting of days, the inhibited telephone conversations and correspondences--- all of that could be recorded in memoirs one day. But my life is coming to an end, and these memoirs will never be written." He is not all doom and gloom, on May 27, 1942 he said "I shall go on writing. That is my heroism. I will bear witness, precise witness!" Out of despair comes hope and a way out. I want to write my way out. I want to build the way out. I want to write the way to the future. The idea of being a witness to horrors and to record them when all else is actively failing has always been interesting to me. I have always wanted to live history, and I know that history happens every day, but I have never once wanted to live this kind of history. I wanted to live this singularly radiant American Dream from which all people could become President. Where a smart, intelligent, woman could become the best that we have to offer. I have never once wanted to live through the rise of facism, or white supremacy, or bigotry, but this is the world in which I live. A world where there is no "innocent." Places like these, places where people die and the world becomes desensitized to violence loose innocence. We have all lost our innocence and now bear the responsibility of whatever happens. We have become culpable or accomplices to this end goal. By Salahideen Salem
Opinion Columnist A conflict often discussed around the world today ended up surfacing in discussion within St. Mary’s in the form of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. A controversial subject, this has remained a contentious matter over the past year, and it has so far been addressed by the college. With more knowledge surfacing through the media, a current of awareness has emerged throughout many places in America, including St. Mary’s, that Israel is conducting a genocide on the Palestinian people, as shown by Amnesty International’s and the UN’s writings on how long the conflict has been going on for. As a Palestinian and someone who has kept a close eye on colonial movements throughout history, this subject means a lot to me. Every day, I see the deaths, be they old or young, prosperous or not, with hopes and dreams crushed, and honestly I wish to speak out about this now. With what I will address next, I think it is most important to do so now. Time has drawn on and the conflict has partially faded in people’s minds as election year has taken prominence in the American landscape. The question has turned from “how can we help stop this genocide” to “what will happen now in Trump’s hands” In this, the answer to many Americans has been clear, with his ineptitude carrying the day often with his actions. One example would be in his desire to make Gaza the 51st state of the United States. In the current landscape of America, we have faced great sums of money diverted from institutions such as healthcare and aid to the poor to now genocide, and ultimately we must ask ourselves how this problem will be solved. The answer, however, seems clear to many amidst the burgeoning ethical and economic issues that plague the world today. They will not be solved, at least, not by Trump, especially not with his current policies. His foreign policy especially seems to be no different from Biden’s, outright stating “Do what you have to do.” to Benjamin Netanyahu during the election. Furthermore, with the burgeoning economic crisis on the rise and the recession that has been ignored due to the elections, it appears that Trump has elected to cause new problems instead of fixing any. He’s cracking down on colleges now, after all . Despite all of this it is not a reason to lose hope. Simply because the person before President Biden is at the wheel again does not mean that it is cause to lose hope. Four years is a relative eyeblink in the passage of time, and we still have to focus and keep fighting. The world will change, but that does not mean we should not stop fighting injustice. With Trump doubling down on America’s already abysmal foreign policies, we must endeavor to keep on speaking, not only for us as Americans but also as people. Just because everyday life continues does not mean we should not hold ourselves accountable. Just because we are local in Moraga does not mean that we can keep silent. Every act of speaking out begins small, and ultimately, this is no different. Time is moving fast and we have to act with it. The only question is how we shall do so. And the answer to that, I feel, is obvious. Though politicians will pretend not to hear, we must raise our voices. We have to grasp the truth and hold it high. There is no other means of going about it beyond non-violence. Speak up. Shout louder. Protest, even. It will all make a difference, no matter how small it might seem. Amnesty International. “Israel Defying ICJ Ruling to Prevent Genocide by Failing to Allow Aid into Gaza.” Amnesty International, 26 Feb. 2024, www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-defying-icj-ruling-to-prevent-genocide-by-failing-to-allow-adequate-humanitarian-aid-to-reach-gaza/. Note: These are not the positions of the editorial board. This contribution is from a visiting opinion columnist. His views are solely his own. By Aaron Deivaprakash Visiting Opinion Columnist Today, Nov. 5, millions of Californians who have not already voted will go to the polls to cast their ballots. While the focus of ongoing election discourse has largely been at the national level, state and local issues are also of utmost importance. Your vote has a much higher chance of flipping the outcomes on these issues that will more directly impact you. As former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” In that spirit, I would like to share my endorsements on the 2024 California ballot and my reasoning behind them. Prop 2: YES A YES vote on Prop 2 authorizes $10B in bonds to upgrade our educational facilities. $8.5B would go to K-12 schools and $1.5B to colleges and universities. This would be paid back over the next 35 years. I’m supporting Prop 2 because our K-12 schools are in a grave state of disrepair and our postsecondary institutions need upgrades. Many K-12 schools across California in low-income neighborhoods (both rural and urban) do not have adequate school supplies, sanitation, building safety, after-school programs, etc., because property taxes fund most educational costs. It has been proven that when kids grow up in low-income neighborhoods and go to low-income schools, they are less likely to learn and more likely to fall into a life of crime, homelessness, addiction, or a host of other negative life outcomes. We want our kids to succeed and become productive, law-abiding, happy and healthy members of society. Prop 2 works towards that. As for our colleges and universities, we as students know very well that we could use more scholarships and fewer tuition hikes. We can also fund more research so college students can be at the cutting edge of science, as well as ensure our buildings don’t crumble during earthquakes as they are set to now. As a student who wants to save money, be in the loop on scientific progress, and not die under a pile of bricks, I’m voting YES on Prop 2. Prop 3: YES A YES vote on Prop 3 amends the California Constitution to enshrine marriage equality. The Supreme Court of the United States has already enshrined marriage equality into federal law in its ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). This is merely a matter of the State of California righting its wrong of having voted against marriage equality in the past (see: Prop 8 from 2008). I’m standing with our LGBTQ+ brethren by voting YES on Prop 3. Prop 4: YES A YES vote on Prop 4 authorizes $10B in bonds for water, wildfire prevention, and environmental protection. This would be paid back over the next 40 years. I’m old enough to remember when the drought of the 2010s first started and our water rates went up. We were finally blessed with a rainy winter 2 years ago, but lacked the reservoirs needed to store the water. We badly need the money Prop 4 would authorize to ensure the next time it rains, it does not go to waste. Furthermore, wildfires remain a significant threat to people and property, with entire cities burning down and leaving people homeless. That smoke also ends up in the air, slowly poisoning us. The money from Prop 4 helps fight that. Finally, California is known for her natural beauty, with wonderful parks like Yosemite, Sequoia, Redwood, Joshua Tree, and Mammoth Lakes. I’m voting YES on Prop 4 to expand our water supply, stop wildfires, and protect the natural beauty of California. Prop 5: YES A YES vote on Prop 5 decreases the threshold needed to pass local affordable housing bonds from the current 66.7% to 55%. It is shocking to me that in a democracy like ours, it is not enough to get things done by a simple majority vote. While not perfect, Prop 5 alleviates this issue. The fact of the matter is that many of us will not be able to afford to live in California after graduation because the rent is too high. Supply and demand tells us that this is because there are too few housing units being built. Developers want to build more homes, but are choked by excessively restrictive zoning laws that force them only to build single-family houses or no housing units at all. This is due to lobbying from older, wealthy homeowners concerned about a slight decrease in home prices and supposed changes to ‘the character of their neighborhoods.’ Their time is up. We, the future of California and America, must come first. Let us make it easier to approve local affordable housing projects so we can have a place to live in our beloved state. I’m voting YES on Prop 5 because it is time to cut the red tape. Prop 6: YES A YES vote on Prop 6 amends the California Constitution to remove the provision allowing for forced prison labor. I was under the impression that we abolished slavery in 1865, but evidently not. While the incarcerated may be in prison for potentially heinous crimes, the righteous punishment is a loss of freedom, not being worked in de facto concentration camps. They should not have their fundamental human rights violated by being forced to work in dangerous professions like firefighting with little to no experience. Under a post-slavery regime, firms would still be incentivized to hire prison laborers because they would be paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25, less than half the California minimum wage of $16. We can rehabilitate prisoners by preparing them for the job market after they finish their sentences, but they deserve fair compensation. I’m voting YES on Prop 6 because I want California inmates to be paid fairly and be prepared for jobs they actually want to work in upon completion of their sentence.. Prop 32: NO A YES vote on Prop 32 immediately raises the California minimum wage from $16 to $17, with another increase to $18 at the start of 2026, after which it would be pegged to inflation. There is a 1-year delay for small businesses. As someone who’s worked minimum-wage jobs, I’m deeply sympathetic to their desire for a wage hike. Our economy is built off of the often thankless work they do, and we owe it to them to ensure they are taken care of. Prop 32 does the exact opposite. There’s a certain point at which raising the minimum wage too much will cause excessive distortion in the market, leading to massive labor surpluses per the law of supply and demand. This means many will be left out of a job. Furthermore, prices will increase in line with wages, leaving those who would become unemployed behind while those who keep their jobs would be no better off than before. It’s also worth noting that cities often set higher minimum wages, the market wage rises higher than the wage floor, and workers get wage increases with promotions. The status-quo peg to inflation is more than sufficient. I’m voting NO on Prop 32 because I do not want to risk sending the California economy into a recession. Prop 33: NO A YES vote on Prop 33 repeals the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which currently bans local rent control ordinances. Thus, rent control will likely be expanded. Ever taken an Econ class? I am a terrible artist so I cannot draw it up for you, but one of the very first graphs Econ students learn is that of supply and demand and how price ceilings affect markets. In a nutshell, a price ceiling (like rent control) is only effective if it is below the market price, in which case supply is less than demand. Therefore, rent control will cause shortages in housing units since developers would not have as much incentive to build and landlords wouldn’t have as much incentive to rent out. Even those still able to acquire housing under a rent control regime would suffer, since rent is used to pay for maintenance. In sum, Prop 33 would lead to more homelessness and worsened living conditions for renters. The way to resolve our housing crisis is by building more housing (see: Prop 5), not artificially restricting rents. Most Californians agree, which is why we voted NO on near-identical propositions in 2018 and 2020. I’m voting NO on Prop 33 because I recognize the basic economic reality that rent control just makes things worse. Prop 34: YES A YES vote on Prop 34 requires healthcare providers spending more than $100M on non-patient expenses and owning/operation apartment buildings with at least 500 severe health and safety violations in the last decade to spend at least 98% of revenue from the federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care. It also makes permanent a policy from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration requiring California state agencies to coordinate Medi-Cal drug price negotiations. Negotiating drug prices to keep pharmaceutical costs low is a no-brainer, so let us talk about the crux of Prop 34. There is only one healthcare provider in California meeting the aforementioned conditions: the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF). You would be hard-pressed to even consider them as such, given that their Co-Founder and President Michael Weinstein seems more interested in spending AHF revenue on campaigning for political causes than he is caring for his AIDS patients. Specifically, Michael Weinstein has backed regressive anti-housing initiatives in multiple states by dumping millions of dollars from the AHF coffers into campaign ads. This includes California, where he is the primary bankroller of Prop 33 in this election and near-identical initiatives in 2018 and 2020. The role of healthcare providers is not to play politics but to provide healthcare. Don’t let Michael Weinstein abuse AHF revenues by failing his patients. I am voting YES on Prop 34 to hold Michael Weinstein accountable and protect AIDS patients. Prop 35: YES A YES vote on Prop 35 makes permanent an existing tax on managed healthcare insurance plans that fund Medi-Cal. After my grandfather tragically succumbed to COVID-19 in 2021, my grandmother left her hometown in India to live with us here in the United States. She is currently on Medi-Cal, which ensures seniors like her do not face the same fate as my late grandfather. The tax on managed healthcare insurance plans already exists, and it is so marginal you have probably never heard about it. Letting it expire would add extra strain to Medi-Cal (whose solvency is constantly at the brink of a fiscal cliff). That would put the lives of millions of California seniors like my grandmother in jeopardy, and that is not an outcome any of us should be willing to accept. I miss my grandpa; a well-funded program like Medi-Cal would’ve let him live to see me graduate. I’m voting YES on Prop 35 to extend a crucial tax that funds Medi-Cal and ensures no California family has to grieve the loss of a grandparent prematurely. Prop 36: YES A YES vote on Prop 36 allows felony charges for drug possession and petty theft against repeat offenders. Drug possession convictions would mandate treatment under the threat of incarceration. When the Westfield Mall in San Francisco shut down due to rampant theft, my friends and I went there on its last day open. In just that one trip, we saw someone smoking crack cocaine on our BART train, people stealing from one of the few stores still open at Westfield, and someone getting put into a body bag following an overdose. It is not hard to see why cities like San Francisco have gone from beacons of prosperity to the laughingstocks of America. We need to get our drug and theft problems under control because the status quo is an absolute disaster. Allowing open-air drug use is not compassionate; it is cruel. True compassion is making our fellow Californians suffering from drug addiction get the help they need. As for theft? Enough is enough. It is time we send a message to the career criminals of California that if they rob our stores, threaten employees, hike prices up and drive businesses out, they will be thrown into prison on felony charges. I’m voting YES on Prop 36 because we need criminal justice reform to help drug addicts and put robbers in custody. Closing Remarks Regardless of how you’re voting, I strongly encourage you to vote if you haven’t already done so. The centuries-honored tradition of elections is the foundation of our Republic, so let’s stand strong and united as Americans by embracing it. By Salahideen Salem Opinion Columnist A complaint not often heard when attending Saint Mary’s is the disparity of opportunities between dorming and commuting students. While many students live close by, others are not often afforded that opportunity when it comes to college, and as a result, it is easy to miss many events for those who do not live in places such as Walnut Creek. While dorming is a less time-consuming alternative, the increased tuition of dorming nowadays makes this more difficult for many students. This grows in starker relief in certain situations where one may live distantly, but not so far as to justify the increased costs of bunking in college. As a result, they are bound to miss many opportunities, such as through events, clubs, or even just forming bonds. Firstly, when attending Saint Mary’s, I was struck by how it was difficult to do much of anything when one was set on a timeframe. Many clubs are restricted to working late nights and when I began participating in the Visiting Writers’ Series course, I had a great deal of difficulty attending because they were set late at night. While one may argue that these are the only times where people can organize these events, it also means that people who come for night classes will seldom have the time to attend these events. Moreover, when I gave my contact information to many of the clubs I was interested in at the beginning of the fall semester, I quickly found they were often set at times when I wasn’t available. Both my brother and I normally just go home whenever we finish classes, and oftentimes free time was dedicated to just finishing work whenever we stayed in school. It made for a rough experience when adding the hour long drive home to it and the value of time to the mix. Being home is a time to wind down, and often staying late to attend events or clubs when you couldn’t before add to stress when there is little respite to the constant flow. On the opposite end of things, going home early is not a solution either. This robs many students of the opportunity to create bonds and in general, further adds to the anxiety propagated by the consistent rush and flow of college. It prevents them from becoming a part of the community and weighing more on issues or matters that pass through time. The inability to join a club makes matters especially difficult, as it grows tougher to befriend anyone or even interact with others beyond the few classes you have with them. It makes for further difficulties and adds to a growing sense of isolation as you are consistently locked out of the loop. While these complaints are not often vocalized in my experience, they tend to feel very real as a commuter, especially when one cannot devote all their time to college. While I feel like the community is great in Saint Mary’s, having limited opportunity to access it really hinders one’s enjoyment to it. It needs more time to be balanced among all sides, as well as more options to use apps to attend events remotely, such as through Zoom. Recently, many events now have been growing later and later in the hours of the day, and often I feel like it makes trying to join in on college activity or camaraderie exhausting. What good is a beneficial event if you can’t take it in due to all the stress and anxiety that comes from the constant flow of activity? We need to balance college life not only for people who dorm but also for commuters so that they can have a healthy and productive school year. By Nicholas Zuniga Visiting Opinion Columnist Fall of 2024 marks the first semester of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) at Saint Mary’s College of California. The GSA, including elected official positions such as president and vice-president, has gathered together in attempts to serve the graduate student body by implementing positive change for the graduate student experience. Considering the lack of embrace and inclusion for graduate students in the general - undergraduate - student experience at Saint Mary’s, graduate students are having to go above and beyond to be recognized within the school’s student body and student associations. Looking at prominent student associations, Associated Students at Saint Mary’s has a particularly influential role in undergraduate student life. Associated Students, an organization on campus that is “committed to fostering the holistic development of students,” has a well-established executive student council and is responsible for allocating $250,000 in funds to student organizations, clubs, programming and more. Within the association are several governing documents, including a constitution, bylaws, election code and budget. However, graduate students are not named or included in any of these documents or executive boards, only “undergraduate” is used. Regina Molitoris, the current president of Associated Students, who, notably, with her menstrual products resolution last year, provided students access to free menstrual products in campus restrooms, was asked about why graduate students are not integrated within Associated Students, “We address the problems and the concerns of the undergraduate, solely because in our constitution it says ‘undergraduate,’ Molitoris said. “The funds allocated to us are paid by the undergraduate students. It’s not to denigrate graduate students at all… I’m very happy about [the formation of the GSA].” Molitoris clarified that her focus for the year remains on undergraduates. However, she noted that Associated Students may be collaborating with the GSA to hold events and help facilitate the works of events. Speaking with Dr. Rebecca Anguiano, a department chair and professor within the counseling program here at Saint Mary’s, she noted that, “[Saint Mary’s] campus… It's a lovely campus, right? And it's geared towards undergraduate students.” “Our graduate students are amazing. They deserve to be represented,”Anguiano added. “Thinking about how we make campus accessible to our graduate students is really important… What are we supposed to do for working professionals who can't get to campus before their four pm class, and it's already a struggle to get [to class] by four.” As a graduate student, it is upsetting to see that only undergraduate student organizations receive funding, from the school, that enhances their extracurricular student experience. As a graduate student who is living on campus, I will be paying just below $50,000 dollars for this academic year alone. Even though my cost of attendance is high, my opportunity for extra funding is low. Graduate students are not eligible for the Pell Grant and we do not have paid leadership opportunities like elected students within Associated Students. Furthermore, textbook scholarships! I spent around $350 by renting most of my 11 textbooks this semester, and I did not get any scholarship from the textbook fund. All I received were several emails telling me to ‘please be patient and await further communications.’ Hopefully, in the near future, graduate students will begin to feel more supported by the beautiful Saint Mary’s campus.  Image C/O GaelAlumni Instagram Page By Emily Brazeal Opinion Columnist
Fall is almost upon us. That’s right, the season of pumpkin spice lattes, Gilmore Girls and crunchy leaves has returned once again. A time where we cater our Spotify playlist to act as if we were the main character of a John Hughes movie. We aestheticize everything from our drinks to our clothing and even our academics. As fun as that can be in reality–life isn’t a Pinterest board. Although we romanticize this season, it proves to be a very taxing one. Starting rigorous classes, juggling extracurriculars, and new potentially stressful social situations all pile up. Midterms loom over us for the whole of October. This stress is not uncommon, as about 1 in 3 students report being anxious about returning to school. In fact, the U.S. is reported to have the most stressed students. For many of us autumn beckons the return of the academic stress and long hours of trying not to fall asleep in the library. Yet Americans overwhelmingly choose autumn as their favorite season and it is chronically romanticized year after year on every social media platform. In fact, our overwhelming classes are one of the main things we aestheticize. We pretend as if our all-nighters are fall-esque instead of completely frustrating. In all autumn’s beauty, this is also the time when seasonal depression returns. The most common type of seasonal depression is fall-onset, beginning in autumn and persisting through winter. As the cool weather begins to creep in symptoms like fatigue, feelings of hopelessness and oversleeping take over. This is not the reality of mini pumpkins and platform uggs that is portrayed on my Pinterest feed. So what is the reason? Are we so delusional to reality that we prioritize pumpkin spice over mental health? Is it because we are so stressed that we desperately need to aestheticize this season to stop ourselves from going crazy? Or do we simply like stepping on crunchy leaves? I don’t fully know why fall becomes an over-romanticized season. Everyone's reason is different, but maybe in the end it’s just because it’s fun to do. However, this over-romanticizing can overshadow the very real stress and depression that come with the change of season. We end up comparing our social media feeds of scented candles and apple picking when really we should be checking up on each other. Maybe check in on yourself. I’m not telling you to stop romanticizing autumn. I love spiced coffee, “cute” study sessions, and getting mad at Rory Gilmore. But maybe we should pause for a second in this stressful season to check in on ourselves and others. Then we can go buy ourselves a pumpkin spice latte. So-called useless college classes and how they might not be so useless.  Image c/o Saint Mary's College By Madison Sciba Editor-in-Chief A common complaint heard around college campuses across the country is “ugh why do I have to take this class? It doesn’t even have anything to do with my major.” STEM students complain about having to take English and History classes while liberal arts students complain about being forced to take science labs and math classes. A great deal of people major in something that they are interested and/or good at, which is why a lot of students dislike having to take classes that are on a widely different topic than the one they are studying. What most students fail to realize is how essential these “other” classes are to creating a well rounded education.
When first starting Saint Mary’s I was infuriated that I had to take a math class. As a communications major and history minor, who has always had a great disdain for mathematics, I wanted to cry at the thought of having to use algebra or even think about the quadratic formula. After a semester of tears and crying out, “I just don’t get it,” I eventually realized that taking the class was actually beneficial to me. Sure I don’t use high level math in my everyday life, but the basic statistics and data that I learned has remained helpful when navigating the real world. In discussing these so called “useless classes” the conversation is usually liberal arts students having to take math and science classes. Interestingly, STEM majors complain almost as much, if not more, about having to take English and history class. My brother is a cyber intelligence and security major at an aerospace and engineering school. When he had to take his required English class it became apparent to me why it was necessary for people to take classes outside of their subject. People like my brother, those who are more geared towards science and technology, are not as skilled at English and language arts as liberal arts majors. Liberal arts requires a lot of writing so those majors get a lot of practice, STEM major’s don’t so they need that required extra English class to get those much needed skills that come with essay writing and reading important novels. Look, we all don’t want to take classes on topics we find difficult/uninteresting, but they are necessary. The goal of most universities is to create well rounded individuals who will be productive in the outside world. An essential part to being well rounded is taking a variety of classes on a range of topics. What good is a person who only knows one subject? An engineer who cannot write a legible paper on their research won’t be an effective one. Being able to quote a Shakespeare play in old English is great but won’t help you when doing math to manage your finances. Our society needs us to study and have a basic understanding of all areas so we can be productive, successful members of society.  Image c/o Mt Diablo Unified School District By Lizeth De La Cruz Visiting Columnist In this country, we all legally have to be enrolled in school from Kinder to 12th grade, therefore this research is meant to serve as a call to action appealing to all human beings. Public high schools are specifically meant to prepare their students for a life post-graduation as they see their students come in as teenagers and leave as young adults. Yet, only the students who attend high schools located in expensive cities have the privilege of receiving this. But how, exactly, does a public high school’s location impact a student’s access and preparation for a higher education?
Schools with higher amounts of lower-income students are given fewer resources to prepare for higher education and I first handily saw the lack of resources within my school district, Mount Diablo Unified. I compared the demographics of two schools in this district, Northgate High School which is located in Walnut Creek, a much more expensive zipcode to live in compared to Mount Diablo High School, located in Concord. According to the US News World Report, it stated that “64% of students” at Northgate took an AP exam and in their entire school only “20%” of students are of lower income”. While at Mount Diablo High School only “18% of students took an AP exam” and “75% of their students are of lower income”. These statistics clearly show the correlation between economic status and exam enrollment but what exactly does it mean for students to be considered of lower income? As specified by the National Center for Education Statistics, Mount Diablo had “433 students” who qualified for free lunch while at Northgate only “141 students qualified”. This means that students who are categorized as lower income have to have families who are annually making under what is federally considered as poverty in California. Students who are at an economic advantage have higher enrollment because of districts like Mount Diablo Unified which only provide the most funding to schools with higher-income students. Advanced Placement exams are meant to prepare students for the rigors of college while also allowing them to earn college credits to lower the cost of their education. Sadly, without having access to proper resources like college and career centers this information is almost impossible for students to learn about. This is a call to action for humanity as a whole as we must fight for the proper resources amongst all schools, not just those in wealthy neighborhoods. This matters because the minds being educated in high school are all the future workers of America. By helping fight we are ensuring that all future generations will have the equal opportunity to break through generational poverty and obtain a bachelor's degree while securing a high-paying job. But, the only way this is achievable is if districts like Mount Diablo Unified promise to have a college and career center with at least two counselors across all high schools. Students, I urge you to fight for your peers while advocating for them by sharing this information with others including your parents as having a proper education is a right, not a privilege.  Image C/O by Dimitrios Kambouris / The MET Museum / Vogue / GETTY Images By Isabella Wynn Visiting Columnist The MET Gala never fails to pump out fashion flops, celebrity drama, and memes. I am not usually very invested in the MET Gala, however this year I took a look at Vogue’s live streaming and their lengthy list of all attendees and their red carpet looks.
The theme for the 2024 MET Gala was “Garden of Time.” As you would expect, the red carpet saw lots of flowers and light colors. Of course there were also looks that were a little out of the box; some abstractly fit the theme and some definitely flopped (right down that giant MET staircase). As someone who knows absolutely nothing about high fashion, I will be giving my honest reviews on the 2024 MET Gala looks. I am simply a thrifting connoisseur and a consumer of the media; don't take these opinions to heart. Starting off strong, Zendaya gifted us with two stunning looks. Her designers definitely fit the theme dressing her in gowns and floral decor. Some may think that the black gown doesn't fit “Garden of Time,” but I think the color black is timeless and the floral headpiece ties it all together. Others who had strong looks were Emma Chamberlain and Lana Del Rey. Both of these women had designers who took similar approaches to the theme. They went for more of a roots and thorns look rather than a floral look. I appreciated the unique and darker take on the theme in these two looks. I always love a brown look. Lizzo’s designer also took on more neutral colors paired with subtle florals. I especially liked the shape of her dress. Sydney Sweeney’s look was another one that dipped its toe into a darker theme, mixing florals and pastel blue with black accents and a black wig. I liked it. My standing ovation critique goes to Tyla in her Balmain gown made out of sand. This was my favorite look as it was so unique and so creative. Playing off the theme of time, her designer made her look like an actual hourglass. The details in accessorizing were beautiful as she wore simple jewelry and carried around a “purse” hourglass. For a bit of a hot take, I really liked Doja Cat’s look. She showed up in a giant, white, soaking wet t-shirt dress. I didn't like it and didn't get it until she explained it in an interview. She chose to represent the cotton flower with a timeless white t-shirt. She felt it was very poetic and I agreed. In wanting to stand out, she succeeded. Another look that stood out, possibly for what I think are the wrong reasons, was Da ‘Vine Joy Randolph’s denim dress. Denim wins the timeless competition and I think her gown was very flattering on her. She looked like a denim flower. Now unfortunately there are quite a few looks that I have brutal opinions on. I saw looks representing (I’m assuming unintentional) themes of wedding cakes, tin foil, 2000s disney red carpet looks, and mermaids. And of course, most of the men disappointed this year wearing simple black and/or white suits with maybe a subtle floral detail. Wedding Cake looks: Gigi Hadid, Lil Nas X, Ayo Edebiri, Taylor Russell, and Madelyn Cline. All of these looks reminded me of a wedding cake. A lot of these looks are gorgeous but I cannot look at them without thinking “wedding cake.” Lil Nas X gets points for consistently stepping out of the black and white suit stereotype. I also love my girl Ayo Edebiri, but the flowers on her dress look tacky to me and I don't think the dress fits her well. Gigi Hadid and Madelyn Cline’s looks simply give “wedding cake”, I cannot focus on anything else. Lastly, I may get some heat for this, but Taylor Russell looks like she is wearing fondue. Tin foil: Michelle Yeoh, Amanda Seyfried, and Kim Kardashian. These are just some of the looks that reminded me of tinfoil. Michelle Yeoh and Amanda Seyfried most of all. These two women were dressed in almost the same wrinkled tin foil looking dresses. The only difference was that Amanda’s had little pink tin foil flowers on the skirt of the dress. I did not like these looks and did not think they were pleasant to look at. Kim Kardashian’s designer took a different approach but still falls into the tinfoil category. There are some beautiful details on Kim’s look however it is ultimately shadowed by the fact that Kim looked like she couldn't breathe, the inclusion of the random, gray sweater, and the looks resemblance to tin foil. Disney Red Carpet: One of my least favorite looks was Zoë Saldaña’s. I did not see how it fit the 2024 theme whatsoever. I feel like the look speaks for itself when you see it. Mermaid: Gabrielle Union’s designer got lazy. They put her in a shiny scaled mermaid dress. It doesn't fit the theme, looks tacky, and isn't anything new. It looks like a bad, ocean themed prom dress. Her husband, Dwyane Wade wore a purple suit, which was a nice color but paired poorly with a plain, v-neck t-shirt. Other: Barry Keoghan and Nicole Kidman. Barry Keoghan’s suit looked like the love child of Willy Wonka and the Mad Hatter. Perhaps he was channeling Timothée Chalamet after the release of his Wonka movie and poking fun at the rumors that Chalamet was the original choice to play Oliver in Saltburn. Again, I appreciate Barry and his designer not going with a black suit, but I did not like what they chose. Another one of my least favorite looks was Nicole Kidman’s. Her dress looked like a black, baby bird emerging from the crotch of her dress. I didn’t get it and didn’t like it. Ultimately, fashion is up for interpretation and in reality, none of us know anything about fashion because it is all made up. Wear what you want and like what you like. I am looking forward to the looks presented in next year’s Hunger Games. Whoops, I mean the MET Gala. |
STAFFAndrew Martinez Cabrera '26, Archives
May 2025
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