Graduation is upon us and the end of the Spring Semester has arrived

  
The 105th San Diego City College Commencement Ceremony is May 24. This year involves a venue change at the San Diego Convention Center. Previous graduations were held at Spreckels Organ Pavilion at Balboa Park, but due to construction that has since been scraped, the venue has been moved to the Convention Center. 

This move has added an extra $15,000 expense, but it could resolve the past seating situations. This is almost twice as much as previous years. 

Unfortunately, the downside is parking will not be free. The upside of being at the Convention center is the variety of vendors available as well as being in close proximity to the Gaslamp Quarter. 
 
Another upside to the Convention Center is there is a overflow room available, which helps for people with children. 

The move to the Convention Center is meant to be a temporary change. The plan is to move back to Balboa, hopefully, where it is meant to be meaningful for students. 

Click here to read the previous story on the venue change.

City Times announces new Editor-in-Chief

Sophomore Sonny Garibay will be the City Times Editor-in-Chief starting in the fall 2019 semester

By: Jen Souza, Managing Editor

Sonny Garibay has been named the new City Times Editor-in-Chief for the fall 2019 semester. The change in leadership comes after the announcement of current Editor-in-Chief Jonny Rico’s transfer to Sacramento State following his San Diego City College graduation.

As the current Sports Editor, Garibay’s leadership skills made an impression right away. Though he’s only been with City Times for one semester, it didn’t take long for staff to realize Garibay’s passion for news and journalism. 

“Sonny has done a fantastic job as sports editor, his first semester at City Times,” said Rico. “He is objective, he has a good sense for news and I have no doubt he’ll continue to build on the legacy of this program. It’s been a pleasure working with him this semester.”

The official announcement of his move to editor in chief was made to staff on Tuesday, April 30.

Click here to read the complete story.

Beloved, 50-year City College professor retires

Professor Cruz Ranjel was honored at the 2019 Chicano Latina Graduation Celebration that he founded.

By: Brian Mohler, Arts & Entertainment Editor

When Professor Cruz Ranjel started teaching at San Diego City College, Richard Nixon was President and many of his students did not have the right to vote. The 26th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution hadn’t lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 yet.

Ranjel has been teaching Chicano studies at City College for the past 50 years and helped start the Chicano-Latina graduation celebration, now in its 49th year.

During the graduation this year, celebrated on May 18, Ranjel congratulated students and gave out sarape sashes, representing pride in cultural heritage.

Although the bookstore now sells mass-produced sarape sashes, Ranjel still makes the brilliantly colored sashes he gives out by hand.

“The different colors represent the diversity within the Chicano population,” Ranjel said.

Click here to read the complete story.

A different kind of family drama hit the City College stage

A father follows in his son's footsteps to the City College drama stage.

This story originally appeared in the spring 2019 edition of the Legend magazine. 

The stage has become the family business for the Tallaksen family. But this endeavor did not follow the traditional father-to-son route.

Instead, it was the son, William Tallaksen, who inspired and passed along the love of the craft to his father, Gary Tallaksen. 

William Tallaksen is a former San Diego City College drama student who now lives in Oregon. Before he left, he issued an impactful challenge to his dad, who he believed was capable of being a part of the drama program, too. 

“I dare you to do it,” William Tallaksen told his father after his final performance at City College. 

Click here to read the complete story.