During last week's SWC Street Painting Festival, a student was prevented from rendering her drawing of the three professors suspended this past October. As the student points out, the drawing (at left) is a positive representation that criticizes no one. College authorities, however, found it controversial and said that it didn't relate to the festival's theme of Women's History Month.
The student remarks: "The events that happened last October until today were and are still a part of women's history. Professor [Dinorah Guadiana-]Costa, I, and a lot of female students were there! That's a slap to a lot of people's faces."
Meanwhile, Vice President for Business and Financial Affairs Nick Alioto had no trouble exercising his right to free expression at a recent Governing Board meeting. As reported in the Southwestern College Sun, "while Trustee Nick Aguilar was speaking to reassigned time and discussing the adviser's [to the newspaper] job, Alioto blurted out, 'The guy's a fucking idiot.'"
In an email message to all faculty and staff, Alioto later offered a correction, where he denies blurting, states that Nick Aguilar is not a "fucking idiot," and apologizes to a "hypothesized" fucking idiot:
There is an inappropriate statement that I made at the board meeting to another staff member. It was certainly not blurted out. Someone, however, did overhear it and report it to others. The comment was not directed at the individuals hypothesized in the paper. I have met personally with the person it was directed at and apologized and did it the day after the meeting. I apologize for making the comment to begin with.
Thank goodness that's all cleared up!
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Profressionalism at SWC at its all time "best"....that comment should of not even been made what so ever and I hope he suffers reprocussions for it!
ReplyDeleteMy only question is.....if a classified employee or a member of the faculty had made that comment about a vice-president at a public forum, how long of a suspension without pay would they have received, apology or not??
ReplyDeleteThis is getting really stupid first teachers get suspended for just walking to class during a protest now a board member cusses out another and gets nothing? DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!
ReplyDeleteFolks let's not feed the class war situation. If it isn't classified vs. faculty it's faculty vs. the administration. This institution is imploding and we will all be to blame if we let it happen. Should Alioto have said what he said (intentions of audience aside) - no. Should it become another divisive issue for the college - no. If what he said was directed at that Trustee, I happen to think he (Alioto) was correct.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:59:
ReplyDeleteUnless it's the war over class cuts you're referring to, there isn't any "class war" going on at SWC. There is no rift between classified staff and faculty. Everyone knows that Chopra is the problem, and as soon as he's gone, things will get better.
While Nick Aguilar may not be a the world's best communicator, at least he understands the problems at SWC and is willing to do something about them.
The superintendent Raj Chopra and his executive team members are a big joke. Too bad no one is laughing anymore. Chopra is a bully and incompetant. He knows nothing about running a college! I can't understand how it is taking so long to remove this administration and inept board (and in some cases, board members who are doing illegal, corrupt, and immoral things!) After all the long years of hard work and success at SWC to improve the college for our students, under several decent and ethical presidents, such as Norma Hernandez and her staff such as Fitzsimons, everything is turning into a real mess! Their approach was that of being competent, professional, AND inclusive. Chopra and Alioto's approach is the opposite---mean spiritness, incompetence disquised by arrogancy and pointing the fingers at everyone else for all the problems. Nick Alioto needs to be disciplined for that comment to a board member at a public board meeting. Everyone on campus is so afraid to say or do anything wrong or else we might get fired. We have families to support. These intimidation tactics need to stop now! We need to take back our campus.
ReplyDeletei feel very sorry for that student whose freedom of speech was violated in a place where they are supposed to be protected! Oh, yeah, i forgot, we have no freedom at swc since chopra came here.
ReplyDeleteWhile it sure feels good to vent, complaining to each other on this blog won't get much done at SWC.
ReplyDeleteIf the student who was not allowed to participate in the Street Painting Festival were to show up at tomorrow night's Governing Board meeting and talk about censorship, then something might happen. At the very least, Board members would see one more piece of the big picture at SWC.
--Philip Lopez
I don't think people are venting to feel good, Phil. It's an important voice for you to hear and pay attention to. What do other unions do when things get this out of hand?
ReplyDeleteThe people you represent are angry and bitter. Don't shut us up. This is the only freaking voice we have. The least you can do is listen.
I think you misunderstood me. I certainly am aware that faculty are "angry and bitter." While venting is fine, real change takes work. If "this [blog] is the only freaking voice we have," then we're sunk.
ReplyDeleteOur union is doing what "other unions do when things get out of hand." We're organizing. We've formed a PAC to elect new Board members, and individual union members are collecting signatures to recall Jean Roesch. We put out fliers on campus to raise faculty awareness; we attend Board meetings to raise our concerns; and we participate on the accreditation oversight workgroups that might help repair the damage that's been done to students, classified staff, and faculty at SWC.
I don't think the problem at SWC is that I want to shut folks up; I think it's the Board that wants people to shut up.
So please join us in our efforts instead of commenting anonymously from the sidelines.
--Philip Lopez
exactly....I was there at the last meeting and it was just a flat out circus with board members almost yelling at each other....it dissapoints me as a student that we have such "highly" qualified people trying to fix problems without giving each other a chance to hear stuff.....
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