September Issue
- The Scuttle Team
- Sep 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 11
The SCUTTLE’s New Team
This semester the SCUTTLE welcomes two new journalists/editors, Josephine and Isabella. The new writers filled the roles of the two previous student journalists, Emma and Olivia. The new team is dedicated to shaping the SCUTTLE into a well-rounded and robust monthly publication. In the interest of adhering to its motto, “For the students, by the students,” the publication seeks new and interesting student perspectives in the form of student-submitted editorials, artwork, and creative writing. On the reporting side of things, Josephine and Isabella are committed to shining a spotlight on different campus events and happenings, in an effort to create a more connected and informed student body. Cabrillo College has many different communities within it that deserve a platform.
Isabella is a second-year student at Cabrillo, majoring in English and History. She’s also the VIce President and Treasurer of the college’s English Club, The Bookworms. She hopes to become a college professor of American Literature while continuing to pursue her love for writing. Isabella has always had a passion for news and journalism and has prior experience writing news articles for several local publications, including the Pajaronian and the Good Times. She hopes to bring that same level of quality reporting to Cabrillo.
Josephine is also a second-year English major at Cabrillo, with interests in rhetoric and composition. She is the Co-founder and President of Cabrillo’s English club, The Bookworms, and has experience in writing poetry and prose. Previously, she was an editor of the 2023 Porter Gulch Review, a publication that featured student and faculty writing and art; she was published as a writer in the same review a year later. Josephine is excited to contribute to the Cabrillo student community by writing articles with diverse angles and nuanced perspectives as a first-generation Ethiopian-American student. “The SCUTTLE is a way to connect and discover. My goal as an Editor is to give a voice to the students and strengthen our community.” –Isabella Blevins, Josephine Fahey-Demoz
Upcoming Events
Grand Opening of Cabrillo College Multicultural Student Center
This event commemorates the opening of Cabrillo College’s first ever Multicultural Student Center. The center will be located inside the lower level of the SAC East building at the Aptos campus. The grand opening ceremony will be held there on September 8 from 12:30-2pm. Students interested in attending can RSVP via this Link. The event will feature speakers, music, and light refreshments. According to the event’s description, the goal of the Multicultural Student Center is to celebrate “the rich diversity of our campus and community, promoting inclusivity, and creating opportunities for connection, cultural exchange, and student success.”
HSI Week/Hispanic Heritage Month Events
Cabrillo College will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month–September 15 through October 15– with an array of events throughout September and October. Additionally, the college will celebrate its designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) during HSI Week, which lasts September 8-12. Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month is the Grand Opening of Cabrillo’s Student Multicultural Center on September 8 (above). A series of events titled La Lucha Sigue (The Fight Continues) will take place later that week.
Watsonville Cannery Strikes Exhibit/ A Powerful Evening of Film and Resistance
On September 9 from 1-3pm, students can visit the Library to view the Watsonville Cannery Strikes Exhibit. That same day, from 4-6pm, A Powerful Evening of Film and Resistance will take place in the Samper Recital Hall. Multiple documentaries will be shown that “uplift the stories of working class communities, women, and youth who stood at the forefront of local labor and justice movements.”
La Lucha Sigue en STEM
On September 10 from 11am-2pm at the Watsonville Center, La Lucha Sigue en STEM will honor the successes of the Latine community in STEM. The celebration will feature student-led interactive STEM demonstrations, cultural performances, and food.
La Lucha Interna: Wellness Day
This wellness day is a day of “reflection, care, and connection.” This event will be held at the Aptos Campus in the 900 Plaza from 11am-1pm on Thursday, September 11. The goal of this event is to “uplift the emotional and spiritual strength of our Latine community.”
Problemista Screening
Also taking place on Thursday, September 11 is a screening of Julio Torres’ 2023 film, Problemista. The screening will be in the VAPA 1001 building at the Aptos campus. Following the film will be a community dialogue on art, immigration, and student activism.
Reception and Artist’s Talk for Ana Teresa Fernández: TransPollination of Eden
Come to the Cabrillo Gallery at the Aptos campus on Saturday, September 27 from 2:30-5pm to view this year’s gallery exhibition as part of the LatinXperienca Series Exhibition. This year’s exhibition is titled TransPollination of Eden, created by San Francisco based artist Ana Teresa Fernández. –Isabella Blevins
5 Resources on Campus for You
Ranked the #1 community college in California and 37th in the country, Cabrillo College has a number of student aid and resources available to every student. Are you a first-year student overwhelmed with college, or a returning student unsure what’s available to you? Here is a list of resources, aimed to help you succeed as a student, that you may not know about.
The Welcome Center
Located in the center of campus in the SAC East Building, the Welcome Center is your hub for all the information you will need as a student. From making a payment to connecting you with the multitude of programs Cabrillo has to offer, the staff will make sure you are on the right path. Stop by to get your Student ID, ask for directions, or check out what's happening on campus!
Student Health Services
Did you know you get free therapy as a Cabrillo Student? Included in your tuition is a health service charge that provides services that most students don’t utilize! Student Health Services will hook you up with feminine hygiene products, birth control, therapy, and sex education, all provided by credible and licensed staff. Keeping up with your health and the costs can be difficult for students; that’s why Cabrillo has your back. These resources are available in Room 912, located by the Cafeteria.
Multicultural Student Center
One of Cabrillo's newest developments, the Multicultural Student Center is a lounge, study space, and social space that aims to highlight the diversity of the student body. The grand opening on September 8th from 12:30-2:30 is meant to kick off Cabrillo’s HSI Week and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Featuring games, computers, and snacks, the Multicultural Student Center, right underneath the Welcome Center, was created to be your safe space.
The Cabrillo Gallery
Need a break from the hustle and bustle of student life? Check out the Cabrillo Gallery in Room 1002 underneath the main library stairs. This incredibly meditative space features art pieces and installations by faculty, students, and local artists. With new exhibitions and artists featured every month, you're sure to find a piece that leaves you in awe. Students are welcome to submit their pieces to be displayed through their open invitational “12x12”. For more information, visit the Cabrillo Gallery website.
The Puente Lounge
This lounge is the base of operations for system impacted students. They serve five programs, including Puente, Cal Works, Rising Scholars, CAP, and JV. Justice. These programs offer a plethora of aid and guidance for students who are parents, come from within the justice system, are under 18, etc. Their services extend as far as providing diapers for parents of infants, financial aid, and tattoo removal. If you are a student facing adversity, go to the first floor of the SAC West building to see what resources are available to you. –Josephine Fahey-Demoz
Is Cabrillo College Losing its Voice?
After 66 years as Cabrillo College’s official student newspaper, The Voice now faces an uncertain future, following the cancellation of the college’s News Production class last month.
Previously, the class served as an entry point for students interested in reporting for the newspaper. The News Production class has been canceled this fall until further notice because of low enrollment, according to Paul Allen, the dean of the English, Library, & Language Arts (ELLA) Department.
An article published by the Voice on August 15, stated that students who were enrolled in the course were notified of its termination on August 12.
Although the Voice itself has not been cut, it is currently unclear how it will operate moving forward, now that the class dedicated to producing it is no longer offered.
“We have been reviewing the best ways to manage the publication so that it remains a strong learning experience for students and a valued resource for our community,” Allen said.
He added that the college is “exploring different approaches to how student work on the paper is organized and how course credit is awarded.”
According to Allen, updates on Cabrillo’s plan for the Voice will be shared as they arise.
The newspaper’s Former Editor-in-Chief, Ruby Lee Schembari, expressed her skepticism about the future viability of the Voice, saying that the situation has left “a lot more questions than answers.”
Schembari also said she thinks it's possible the News Production class might return sometime in the future, if enough students want it to.
“I think there’s clear signs that young people do want to be in journalism,” she said.
Schembari was the Voice’s Editor for about a year and she will no longer be a part of its team. She said she is stepping away to focus on her career and reporting. Her “successor,” she said, is Bennett Scalzo who is one of the newspaper’s reporters.
News Production is not the only Journalism course cut by Cabrillo this semester. Dwindling enrollment also caused the cancellation of Reporting for the News Media, which was taught by Brad Kava. Reporting for the News media also has the potential to be offered again in the future if students demonstrate enough interest.
In light of the recent cuts to the college’s Journalism Department, the only class remaining this fall is Mass Communications, which is taught by Department Chair Alexandria Bordas. That course has managed to retain popularity among students, as 33 of its 34 available seats are filled this semester.
–Isabella Blevins
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