el Don V. 94 No. 4 | Page 5

SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don / eldonnews . org • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 21 , 2016 NEWS 5

FACULTY REJECTS DISTRICT ’ S CONTRACT OFFER

“ We ’ re not going to disappoint or somehow leave our students in a lurch ... and we ’ re really hoping that the board will follow our lead ... in terms of our professionalism .”
Kristen Guzman , FARSCCD Vice President
BY LAURA O . GARCIA / el Don
After working for about a year and a half without a new contract , faculty from Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College attended last week ’ s district board meeting dressed in black .
“ We are wearing black because we are mourning the loss of a fair contract , and we are grieving because we believe the board is not bargaining in good faith ,” Kristen Guzman , vice president and chief negotiator for the Faculty Association of Rancho Santiago Community College District , said .
A contract was signed and ratified for the 2014-2015 academic year remains still in place until a new contract is ratified .
“ We are united in our desire to have a fair and just contract . We are over 1700 strong and we have been working without a contract for the last 18 months . Now is the time to work together to reach an agreement ,” Narges Rabii-Rakin , FARSCCD president , told board members .
Any discussion that they ’ re working without a contract is not true , according to Rancho Santiago Community College Board of Trustees member Arianna Barrios . When one contract ends if a new contract is not ratified , then they continue to work under the terms of the old contract that stays in place .
“ I ’ m really disheartened to see it being characterized as we ’ re
refusing , that is absolutely untrue ,” Barrios said .
District negotiators and RSCCD Chancellor Raul Rodriguez have both acknowledged that they owe faculty a pay raise , according to Guzman , but chose not to include the additional money in their August paychecks .
“ We ’ re all trying to figure out how best to get that as quickly as possible into the hands of our faculty since that is owed to them ,” Barrios said .
SAC counselor Mary Castellanos and engineering professor Susan Sherod joined Guzman and Rabii-Rakin in speaking out for a new contract .
Castellanos told board members she has been working for over 30
years and has never known a situation in which board members refused to settle their contract . “ Before I retire , I would like to have my good faith in you restored ,” she said . “ I continue to teach and counsel students in good faith and I would like you to do the same . Please settle our contract .”
Several faculty members stated their desire to maintain their professionalism and avoid displeasing students .
“ We ’ re not going to disappoint , or somehow leave our students in a lurch ; so we show up to work , we hold office hours , we teach our classes ,” Guzman said , “ and we really are hoping that the board will follow our lead ... in terms of our professionalism .”

TRUMP CALLS FOR UNITY AFTER DIVISIVE ELECTION

BY RUBY NUNEZ / el Don
In a shocking win that defied polls , Donald J . Trump became the 45th president elect of the United States Nov . 8 after launching a long campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton . The New York City-based real estate mogul , 70 , was declared the winner early Nov . 9 with 290 electoral votes . During his acceptance speech , he appeared more composed than during his campaign rallies , and called for unity in a country split by a contentious election that pitted divergent ideologies against each other . “ Now it ’ s time for America to bind the wounds of division ,” he said . “ To all Republicans , Democrats , and Independents , it ’ s time to come together .” In her concession speech , Hillary Clinton said : “ We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead .” During his campaign , Trump took strong stances on controversial issues , including abortion , the environment and illegal immigration . As a result , people in cities across the country — including Santa Ana — took to the streets after the election to protest his proposed policies . The announcement of Trump ’ s victory also resonated among students nationwide . Young people under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program were uncertain if their eligibility would be terminated , while Muslims who wear hijabs to class were afraid of becoming a target . In a Nov . 13 interview on 60 Minutes ,
Trump renewed his call for unity and said that protestors should not “ fear ” him or his proposed policies . At SAC , students continue to reflect on the results and what they mean for their future .
Santa Ana College administrators are hoping to assist students by addressing their fears , anxieties and questions regarding the election results . SAC president Dr . Linda Rose will host an open forum for students today from 11:30 a . m . to 1 p . m . in A-210 .
Trump supporters on campus are in a more celebratory mood over his win .
SAC student Daniel Ayala thinks Trump will focus more on enacting political change and move away from the hateful rhetoric that he was known for on the campaign trail . “ I think it ’ s a good direction for the country ,” Ayala said . “ It ’ s something fresh , new , and I like that .”
International student Gracia Sanchez , on the other hand , is uncertain about how the results will play out . “ I ’ m really sad and really angry right now because I don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen in the future , for us Latinos especially ,” she said . “ Or other communities like the minorities here .”
Exit polls show that Clinton lacked support from women , Millennials , Hispanics and African-Americans , all of whom helped elect President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 . “ I feel like Hillary is a little too liberal and usually , as a Hispanic , we tend to be more conservative ,” SAC student Jesus Ortiz said .
PRESIDENT-ELECT / Donald Trump visited the Oval Office during a meeting with President Barack Obama Nov . 10 . / Olivier Douliery / TNS