City Times

UPDATED: Fear, frustration of SDCCD staff dominates the first fall trustees meeting

Public comments included a letter signed by 36 staff members

Jakob McWhinney, Multimedia Journalist • August 27, 2021

Staff from the student services departments of all four campuses vented their fears and frustrations regarding the SDCCD's recent decision to require them to return to campus amid rising COVID-19 numbers at the Aug. 26 Board of Trustees meeting.

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City College students continue growth at urban farm

Devoted faculty, student volunteers kept the City Urban Farm alive during the pandemic

Marlena Harvey, Editor-in-Chief • August 26, 2021

The City Urban Farm, which is overseen by a volunteer program known as Seeds, could not come to a halt without losing most of the plants and what they produce during the pandemic. Someone had to stay behind and tend to it.

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Relief palpable for City College students returning for in-person learning

Campus requires proof of vaccination or exception and weekly testing

Jakob McWhinney, Multimedia Journalist • August 25, 2021

San Diego City College welcomed students back for the first time since March 2020 on Aug. 23. And for students pursuing majors in subjects that do not translate to remote learning easily, the relief is palpable.

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Fall convocation brings change to campus

Words of hope, resilience and resources come from the leaders of San Diego City College

Kathryn Gray and Will Mauriz • August 24, 2021

San Diego City College President Ricky Shabazz highlighted successes and challenges from the past academic year and laid out a plan for the future at the fall 2021 San Diego City College Convocation.

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National City entrepreneurs struggle to keep business afloat during COVID-19 pandemic (with podcast)

A combination of high COVID-19 cases, surging unemployment hinders Highland Avenue’s smallest businesses

Katia Pechenkina, Vicky Pineda, Gabriel Schneider, and Susana Serrano • June 24, 2021

The second oldest city in San Diego County has been hit disproportionately hard by a distressing combination of soaring COVID-19 infection rates and surging unemployment throughout the pandemic.

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Restaurant owner taps his network for help to survive pandemic

Owner of Birrias, Chivos & Cheves struggled to keep the doors open

Susana Serrano, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

In a small shopping center where Highland Avenue connects with 24th street in National City, a Mexican restaurant called Birrias, Chivos & Cheves stands between a pizzeria and a nail salon.

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Family-owned advertising and marketing business finds ways to survive during the pandemic

Family Decals in National City transitioned to its garage to continue filling customer orders

Gabriel Schneider, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

Family Decals is located in National City inside a Price Breakers outlet located where Highland Avenue and Plaza Boulevard meet.

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GALLERY: A tour of Highland Avenue’s small businesses

The street is home to small, locally-owned restaurants, barbershops and markets

Vicky Pineda, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

Highland Avenue was once known for lowrider car cruising. Now it is National City’s downtown, a strip where small businesses reside.

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About The Highland Avenue Project

The multimedia project takes in-depth look at pandemic’s impact on National City’s family-owned small businesses

Katia Pechenkina, Vicky Pineda, Gabriel Schneider, and Susana Serrano • June 16, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic hit underserved communities in the United States the hardest and Latinx entrepreneurs had to adapt to new challenges to keep their businesses open.

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City College alumna uses skills to tell stories during the pandemic

Shooting and editing video helped Bethany McKee to explore new projects

Kathy Archibald, Contributor • June 11, 2021

McKee uncovered skills during her time at City College in 2018 that have come in especially handy during the pandemic and a cross-country move.

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PODCAST: City Times Sound team reflects on remote production

Student leaders in the program discuss the difficulty of being online

Assad Khalilzadeh, Program Director • June 8, 2021

With San Diego City College still closed for in-person classes, the first news radio class since the start of the pandemic recently wrapped up remote production at the end of the spring 2020 semester.

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MAGAZINE: 6th Annual Festival of New Plays goes digital

The 6th Annual Festival of New Plays was recorded by City Times Media for online streaming

Marlena Harvey, Managing Editor • June 3, 2021

Students and staff of San Diego City College spent weeks putting together eight plays, five of which were recorded by the City Times Media Team in the on-campus TV studio production.

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