By Varun Chaturvedi and Mylo Gallardo, Multimedia Journalists
2018 D Building rooftop renovations included a space to host events with a cafeteria being constructed inside years later.
New apartment units at City College promise relief for students struggling with rising rents around San Diego
parking woes in balboa park
concrete plans
2018 The A, T, and D Buildings construction and renovations were completed simultaneously after changes in plans.
sdcitytimes.com
City
2009-2010 P Building construction was completed in 2009 and officially reopened in Spring 2010 along with the V Building.
Anti-ice rally at City
Volume 80, Issue 3 March 26, 2026
The last major construction at City College was funded by Proposition S. and N. Passed in 2002 and 2006, respectively, here's how that was spent:
S
2013 S Building opened after three years of planning and construction, along with the MS Building construction.
2021 The Early Education Center replaced the Child Development Center, marking the final benefits from Measures S and N.
Volume 80, Issue 3 March 17, 2026
2007-09 The R Building was completed in 2007, while the L Building was renovated but not completed until 2009 due to approval delays.
Times
an Diego City College’s new affordable housing project remains under construction months after work began in the fall 2025 semester. A sneak-peek celebration event gave students, faculty and local media a preview of the seven-story, all-electric mid-rise last fall. It will bring 283 apartment-style homes and just under 800 student beds to City College. Guests toured planned spaces through virtual reality renderings, viewed architectural designs and spoke exclusively with project leaders, architects and student representatives. Among those in attendance were San Diego Community College District Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management Joel Peterson, Board of Trustees President Geysil Arroyo and City College President Ricky Shabazz. SDCCD Chancellor Greg Smith said the project highlights the district’s commitment to addressing housing affordability for students. “In a city like San Diego where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,300 a month,” Smith said, “this is going to be a huge investment for students to be able to have access to our educational programs, persist through to completion, and move on to upward socio-economic mobility.” Developed in partnership with the Michaels Organization and designed by TCA Architects, the new housing community is said to offer below-market rental rates, making on-campus living more affordable and attainable for City College students. The development will feature study rooms, tutoring spaces, a fitness and wellness center, outdoor courtyards, and a rooftop lounge area that overlooks downtown San Diego. The $3.5 billion Measure HH bond, approved by San Diego voters in November 2024, is helping fund the project. Measure HH provides resources to modernize SDCCD campuses, improve workforce training facilities, replace aging infrastructure and expand access to learning environments. City Associated Student Government president Celina Martinez echoed students’ desires for more access to affordable housing on campus. “(The importance of) affordable housing is to live in the heart of San Diego without having to go through financial insecurity,” she said. “We expect students to live in an environment that is stable and secure without worrying about where to sleep at night, so we just see many great things happening to our students.” The project is the first student housing development in SDCCD’s history. District officials say it underscores the district’s ongoing efforts to improve student outcomes through access, affordability and sustainability. Construction at the Lot 5 parking site is anticipated to be completed by fall 2028.
Heavy equipment sits at the site of City College’s new affordable housing project, the first of its kind in the SDCCD, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Varun Chaturvedi/City Times Media
CONSTRUCTIONCRAZE:
Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Use this code to read more
By Nadia Lavin, Managing Editor, David J. Bohnet, Co-Editor-in-Chief & Rosemary Archer, Contributor
CITYNEWS
By Venkateswar Rao Vadlamudi, Multimedia Journalist
A
Fact checking as important as ever as generative AI use increases
keeping you - & your data - safe online
&
B
By Angela Galan Martinez, Multimedia Journalist
Listen
More: @sdcitycollegelibrary on Instagram
sdcitytimes.com | March 26, 2026
David J. Bohnet Tresean Osgood Co-Editors-in-Chief Nadia Lavin Managing Editor Itzel Martinez Sports Editor Briana Bush Arts & Culture Editor Mari Pliego Social Media Editor Samira Hassan Chrisdan Peralta Co-News Editors Mylo Gallardo Video Editor Venkateswar Rao Vadlamudi AI Manager Mikey Gonzales Layout Editor Yonatan “Yogi” Hernandez Audio Operations Manager Rosemary Archer Emmanuel Baez Brandon Borrero Azriel Castaneda Dianna Elbadawi Annie Garcia Foradori Angela Galan Martinez Crow Ruiz Multimedia Journalists Nicole Vargas, M.A. Adviser
an Diego City College professor David Kennemer, director of the computer information systems program at City, said “students are prime targets for phishing scams.” Kennemer suggests these five tips for securing user data. 1. Check privacy settings after every app update In today’s digital world, updates occur regularly. It's left to the consumer to check their digital privacy settings regularly. “Application updates often restore default privacy configurations,” Kennemer said. “You have to go back to privacy settings frequently.” 2. Use a web browser, not the mobile app A web browser is the preferred method for safely accessing the web and provides access to a platform's complete data usage policies. Mobile applications often present abbreviated or simplified terms of service. The full legal documentation is typically available on the company's website. 3. Enable multi-factor authentication The multi-factor authentication process requires a second form of verification after entering a password. This is often a code sent to a phone or generated by an app. In the event a password was compromised, the account would remain secure. Kennemer said enabling multi-factor authentication is the most important security step available to users. 4. Use a separate email address for social media Students should create a unique email account used exclusively for social media. This isolates a primary personal email from a professional email address. This strategy minimizes spam and phishing attempts in the primary inbox. It also limits the damage if a social media account is compromised. 5. Change passwords regularly Students are encouraged to change passwords regularly and avoid reusing them across all platforms. Kennemer advised students to operate under the assumption that nothing is private. Any digital communication or post could potentially become public.
Vote on calls for SDCCD to end ties with organizations affiliated with ‘human rights violations’ unanimous
T
YouTube.com/ @sdcitytimes
Construction begins after City College, SDCCD unveil plans for affordable downtown housing Friends, foes reflect on 400 wins for City’s Charlens Valentine’s Day Club Rush draws City College students together
rman Koch, a cybersecurity student at San Diego City College, was doing his math homework when he couldn’t understand how to solve an equation. With no time left to visit the tutoring center, he decided to ask generative artificial intelligence to help him break it down. He heard AI could be wrong, but with it being such an effective tool, he took the gamble. “It’s a tool that you should be able to use,” Koch said. “With some limits, of course.” With generative AI being accessible to everyone, and City College still adapting to AI, City’s librarians are trying to help where it counts. At a recent City College Library workshop, “How to Fact Check AI Answers,” instruction librarian Jessica Wang spoke on AI literacy and fact-checking. “AI is good at the really basic level stuff, which is what the students are usually using shortcuts for,” Wang said. “But then it gets like higher-level nuanced stuff wrong, and that's when generative AI doesn’t work.” According to Anthropic’s Education Report, about 91% of nearly 10,000 conversations on Claude AI did not exhibit any fact-checking of the AI-generated material. Wang discussed how AI tools can be used as a resource for students to polish essays and offer explanations of complex topics. But Wang warned it should not be taken as a fundamental principle. AI-generated content should be regularly verified, she said, especially as it becomes hard to distinguish fake images, news and research. According to NewsGuard, which tracks undisclosed AI-generated news and information websites, it has identified over 2,000 websites in 16 languages designed to spread misinformation. Wang warned that as AI continues to evolve, students need to be more cautious of the spread of misinformation. In 2024, the BBC reported Apple faced backlash over its AI-generated summaries of news headlines on its latest devices. According to media reports, after receiving backlash, Apple paused the feature to work on updating it with a warning display that the summarization was written by Apple Intelligence. International journalism bodies claimed it would not fix the problem because it just shifted the responsibility to the reader to fact-check the summarized story. That's why exercising questioning, confirming, and checking multiple resources to ensure students are getting accurate information, as well as employing media literacy, is important, Wang said. For more information, students can check out the San Diego Community College District website for the AI student guide to make sure they are using AI ethically in their school work. Students can also check out the City College library AI tools resource page.
he Academic Senate at San Diego City College passed a resolution on March 9 calling for the San Diego Community College District to put an end to all ties with companies connected to human rights violations. Students from organizations on campus such as Students for Justice in Palestine, MEChA and El Artivism y Kultura Klub filled the meeting room from front to end, urging senators to vote in favor of the resolution. The public comment period had to be extended because of the overwhelming amount of statements made. Students argued that as corporate council members, these organizations influence what SDCCD prioritizes in terms of what degrees and certifications are offered as well as which courses are taught. “So we must ask ourselves, do we accept that input?" Daniel Airozo, a veteran and student, said in a public comment, "so they can use City College as their personal training pipeline?” Senators asked freshman student Aivany Zuzueta, who drafted the resolution, questions regarding what actions the Corporate Council members are doing that warrants ending ties. It then passed in a unanimous vote. Zuzueta, who describes herself as a humanitarian, said she adjusted the original resolution draft that was endorsed by the Associated Student Government earlier this spring from a divestment resolution to a proposal on improving ethical standing by the district. Divestment is when a business sells off its subsidiaries, investments, or other assets for a financial, ethical, or political objective, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. While City Times obtained a photo of the original resolution, it has not yet confirmed whether that resolution was formally presented and voted upon in an open meeting. The ASG public relations officer said in an interview with City Times that she did her research into the issue on the campus website, while the resolution cites the district website. “I saw a lot of ties to corporations that are funding the militarization of Israel's ongoing genocide to Palestinian-occupied territories,” Zuzueta said in the interview. “I just feel that we have an obligation to speak on that and try and find more suitable solutions. That way, we ... make sure we're being more intentional with how we're contributing to humanity.” In changing the resolution to reflect the unknown impact on classrooms and curriculum the SDCCD Corporate Council has on City College and the wish to “terminate partnerships or contracts by eliminating all ties with companies and organizations with human rights violations as defined by the United Nations,” Zuzueta found a connection others were not aware of. “So until this resolution, we didn't know, because divestment is kind of different than what this is,” Academic Senate President Mona Alsoraimi-Espiritu said. “This is not really a divestment resolution, right? I'm assuming they might be giving us money for scholarships. Also, according to the (district) website, they could be having some kind of impact on the way our programs are run.” City Times reached out to the district on March 12 to confirm the nature of the relationship between these companies and SDCCD and is awaiting a response. The resolution had overwhelming support from students, with multiple student clubs endorsing it. That included El Artivism y Kultura Klub, The Native American Organization Club, MEChA, The Muslim Student Association and Students for Housing Justice and Students for Justice in Palestine.
sdcitytimes.com | @sdcitytimes citytimes@gmail.com
City College cybersecurity professor offers tips to protect your online student profiles, data
WATCH
City College students balance rising costs with financial aid resources
Spotify.com/ sdcitytimes
from struggle to success
City College library leans into AI literacy training for students
an Diego City College accounting major Dante Padilla joined the waitlist to speak to an advisor at the campus financial aid office by scanning a QR code. The 19-year-old wanted to ensure his Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, was accepted and to find out when his aid would be released. “I think (applying) is really important, because most other people that didn't apply for college is because of the money, because they were scared of how expensive it is,” Padilla said. “But once you realize that some scholarships actually cover all your studies, you can actually just put your mind and study and actually learn where you're interacting.” The total cost to attend college in San Diego has risen 4.55% for in-state students, but for only $46 per unit for California residents, City College offers an opportunity to get a foot into the collegiate setting without breaking the bank. In 2025-26, public two-year college tuition and fees saw a decline for first-time students and hovered around $1,440 in California, the lowest of any state in the U.S., according to a study by the research nonprofit organization College Board. City students shoulder wide range of financial hardships Traditional college students are typically between the ages of 18-21. At City, that accounts for roughly 40% of City’s student population compared to the national average of 60%, according to collegefactual.com. With the wide range of ages of City students come other costs to consider - housing, food, transportation, books - and those cost are rising. Over the last year, food costs in San Diego have increased by 3% and energy prices are up nearly 7%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total cost of attending City College in 2025-26 ranges from $23,775 for students who live at home for nine months, or two semesters schooling, to over $40,000 for students who live away from home. Out-of-state students living away from home can expect to pay nearly $50,000 for two semesters, according to the cost of living breakdown provided by City College. Marine biology student Samara Valle-Hameed filled out her 2025-26 FAFSA but has yet to receive her aid. Valle-Hameed planned to use the funds to purchase textbooks and other required materials but she found a book she needed would cost nearly $100. “I'm obviously still in school, and I'm working, but I pay for a lot already,” Valle-Hameed said. “So having that randomly come up is kind of hard.” Fortunately for Valle-Hameed, her professor indicated she may be eligible for a voucher from Financial Aid to absorb the unexpected cost until the federal aid came through. High costs can be offset with scholarships – if students apply Edwidge Dupard, the student services technician and coordinator for scholarships at City College, recognizes students face a wide range of challenges as they navigate through the maze of applying for college aid. “I do feel like a lot of students are still not applying for financial aid,” Dupard said, “because one, they don't think they're going to get it or qualify, and two, because they probably don't have their parents' information." “And there are special cases, special considerations, and circumstances for those individuals. I think everybody should do the application, even if they don't think they're qualified.” Dupard said she received over 1,800 applicants for the fall 2025 semester, ensuring every one of the 55 scholarships was given to students. Scholarship process easier with new matchmaking portal Spring 2026 students have until March 9 to apply for over 75 different scholarships through the Award Spring portal, which is found on the City College scholarships page and on QR codes throughout the campus. The way Dupard described the portal, it’s like a matchmaking service for students and scholarships. Flyer on the San Diego City College campus sharing that scholarship season has arrived and offers a QR code for students to apply before the March 9 deadline. Photo by David J. Bohnet/City Times Media “So what Award Spring does is we have self identifying questions like, ‘are you EOPS? Do you have a disability? Did you serve in the military?’ And those questions are supposed to connect you to the scholarship,” Dupard said. “You answer the general questions and it auto matches you to scholarships that fit your criteria.” Scholarship opportunities for students vary widely at City and are still coming in, according to Dupard. Award amounts begin at $250 and scholarships are given to multiple recipients. Scholarships may be the only solution for students For alcohol and other drug studies (AODS) student Rob Skees, 42, the cost of returning to school has been difficult to cover and has disqualified him for some federal aid. Skees began by filling out his FAFSA and followed up with the scholarship application in the hope of receiving funds to help him pursue his degree and become a substance abuse counselor. “I signed up for all my classes and then found out after all that I had no financial aid because 20 years ago when I was in school my grades and stuff weren't enough to par,” Skees said. “I had to borrow some money from my mom.” Skees said that receiving aid of some type was crucial to continue his studies, and after a friend suggested there might be scholarships, he applied and qualified for 15 different awards. Despite rising costs and the lengthy process of obtaining financial aid, students who attend a public two-year program, on average, have typically received enough grant aid to cover at least tuition and fees since 2009-10, according to a trend in college pricing study. City College offers other grants through EOPS, student-athlete scholarships and the San Diego Promise program that offers two-years of tuition and fees to qualified applicants. Scholarships for the spring semester at City will be awarded sometime in April and students will be contacted via email. Students will then be invited to an awards banquet on May 4, 2026. This story was edited by Chrisdan Peralta and Itzel Martinez.
City College Academic Senate passes ethical standing resolution
3
SNACK, THEN LEARN
Jessica Wang, an instruction librarian at City, left, presents on the importance of AI literacy at the City College Snack N' Learn library event, March, 4, 2026. Angela Galan Martinez/City Times Media
City College student Sebastian Hernandez gives a public comment at the Academic Senate meeting in support of the ethical standing resolution, Monday, March 9, 2026. Rosemary Archer/City Times
By David J. Bohnet, Co-Editor-in-Chief
VO: Construction begins after City College, SDCCD unveil plans for affordable downtown housing CITY COLLEGE CALENDAR: The events you don't want to miss on campus INSIDE CITY: City College counseling chair talks about new common course numbering system
All events are held in Library (R Building) March 23: Scholarly Article Help A "How-To" on reading scholarly articles in 10 minutes (or less) May 6: DnD Research Quest Into DnD? Need research help? Come here! May 11: Research for Procrastinators A place for those who procrastinate for find help on research!
2
4
Students, faculty join nationwide protest against federal agency's recent activity
By Tresean Osgood, Co-Editor-in-Chief
A crowd of City College students and staff march through the streets of Downtown San Diego from campus with posters and chanting in protest of ICE in San Diego. Briana Bush/CTM
n response to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions nationwide, San Diego City College students, staff and faculty joined with community groups to rally against ICE activity in San Diego on Feb. 12. The action began on campus with approximately 100 participants chanting, “Get out of our schools, get out of our community, get out of our city,” at the AH-Free Speech Zone near the corner of 16th and C streets. Participants filled the entire quad, spilling onto the stairs and the sidewalk surrounding the area. Some held signs with anti-ICE slogans, while others carried Mexican and Filipino flags. It ended with ralliers marching for over 40 minutes to the John Rhoades Federal Plaza, walking nearly a mile from campus. San Diego joined cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago in protesting the immigration enforcement crackdown nationwide. As of Fall 2025, 49% of the student population at City College identified as Latine, according to the 2025 City College student profile. “I’m Mexican, I have descendants, I have family,” said Benjamin Rodriguez, a business student at City. “And even if I wasn’t, I don’t think it’s right for masked people, you know, to be taking our neighbors illegally.” Students for Justice in Palestine co-chair Serina Cuza got the rally started at the steps of the AH-Free Speech Zone. “When our schools are under attack, what do we do?” Cuza said. “Stand up, fight back.” Cuza led chants and called for clear communication on how the San Diego Community College District staff and faculty are expected to handle ICE, rapid response training by community coalitions in the case of ICE activity on campus and a freeze on license plate readers used by City College parking enforcement. Following fears of ICE on SDCCD campuses, Chancellor Greg Smith sent an email to the district community on Feb. 9 alerting recipients that each college plans to hold exercises over the course of the spring semester to test protocols should immigration agents attempt to access campuses. “We want our faculty to be trained by our own community,” Cuza said. “That way we know that they’re trusted, and that they’re vetted people that are training them.” Ralliers were urged to get involved with campus and community defense groups, including the Community Self Defense Coalition of Union Del Barrio and the City Heights Defense Committee. “We need to learn and understand what (Minnesotans) did and continue to develop our methods here,” said Justin Akers, a Chicano/a/x Studies professor. “Because even though (ICE has) been set back in Minnesota, they’re still going to continue, regroup and attack other cities. So we must be prepared.” A group of students and faculty created the Emergency Response Committee in response to fears of ICE activity at City. The group works as the eyes and ears of the campus, according to Marco Guajardo, co-chair of Students for Justice in Palestine at City. “We have to be vigilant everywhere, because it’s not a matter of time, right?” Guajardo said. “It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
Mayor's office offers 50 percent off permits to San Diego residents
anti-ice rally comes to city college
City College nursing students stand on the corner of C and 16th streets, rallying up the cars passing by that honk in support of the rally against ICE. Briana Bush/CTM
San Diego City College students, faculty and staff march in response to ICE actions nationwide toward the John Rhoades Federal Plaza in Downtown San Diego, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Nadia Lavin/City Times Media
Balboa Park visitors line up to purchase parking permits for the Organ Pavilion lot, Monday, March 9, 2026. Tresean Osgood/CTM
A s classes started at San Diego City College, paid parking at nearby Balboa Park’s had been in place for almost a month. And San Diego residents were not too thrilled. And a new discount is not changing opinions. Todd Gloria, the city's mayor, responded to the backlash over new fees, saying he’s listening to community members. San Diego residents can now get 50% off parking lot permit fees by signing up online on the sandiego.gov website. This comes after Gloria announced he would modify the program to include free parking for San Diego residents at select lots surrounding Balboa Park. “Good governing also means listening,” Gloria said. “I’ve heard from residents and from members of the City Council about how this program is affecting San Diegans who love Balboa Park as much as I do.” The following lots will offer free parking to San Diego residents: Pepper Grove, Federal, Upper Inspiration Point, Lower Inspiration Point, Marston Point, Palisades and Bea Evenson. Premium lots will still require payment for everyone, regardless of residency.
By Nadia Lavin, Managing Editor
City College students march at the corner of 16th and Broadway to the John Rhoades Federal Plaza while they chant "ICE Out." Nadia Lavin/CTM
backlash forces city to discount parking
I