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Happy Holidays!

It's finals week and we have all your year-end campus news. The board of trustees will have its second reading to vote on a vaccine mandate for students and hear the chancellor's recommendation for Santa Ana College's new president at their upcoming Dec. 13 meeting.

Football had a record-breaking season under new Head Coach Anthony White, winning conference for the first time in four years! Men's soccer also won their conference for the first time in a decade with a conference record of 6-2-4. Read about one of their star players Omar Rodriguez.

Looking for places to study and tunes to help you do it? Check out our lists of places to cram for finals and our staff picks for a winter playlist!

December birthdays aren't "the most wonderful time of the year." Read on to hear the struggles of a late-December baby, why Superman being bisexual is no big deal, and how the district's proposed vaccine mandate sends mixed signals.

We'll be reporting over break and checking out social media. Don't hesitate to Slide into our DMs wherever you get your social media fix or email us anytime.

Have a great winter break, see you next year!

NEWS

Student vaccine mandate in the works

Student Vax mandate in the works
The district is considering a vaccine mandate for students that would include a controversial personal exemption in addition to the standard religious and medical exemptions. The mandate would apply to all students taking in-person classes or utilizing on-campus resources such as tutoring or the library.  Rancho Santiago Community College District trustees could vote on the policy as early as Dec. …

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College works to build enrollment after losses

a male and female student wearing walk through the Santa Ana college campus
Kristopher Cecil loved majoring in English. A transfer from Tennessee State University, he was a starter on the Dons football team and thrived on the interaction of his in-person classes. Three weeks into his second semester at SAC, the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, forcing his classes online. Like many, Cecil said that distance education was not replicating the …

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Presidential candidate forums held in Johnson Center

Presidential candidate forums held in Johnson Center
Seven months after the district restarted its search for a permanent president, the final four candidates for Santa Ana College’s next top administrator introduced themselves at an on-campus forum Nov. 15.  The original search was ended after one of the final two candidates from the previous search chose to take positions at other institutions. SAC’s previous president, Linda Rose, retired …

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SPORTS

Dons end record-breaking season with bowl loss

Bowl game
  After four intense quarters of back-to-back touchdowns, the Dons narrowly fell to the Pasadena City College Lancers 28-21 at their first bowl game in four years. The loss at Eddie West Field on Nov. 27 ended a record-breaking season during which the Dons, under new head coach Anthony White, won the American Metro Coach of the Year. SAC scored …

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Don's soccer season recap

Don's soccer season recap
Men's With a dominant defense, the Dons are leading the Orange Empire Conference undefeated in their first season back on the field since 2019. “Our backline has put in miles defending, especially Antonio Wall, but that backline has been playing a lot of minutes,” head coach Jose Vazquez said. It’s an impressive return for the team consisting mostly of freshmen …

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Dons add another conference title

Dons add another conference title
After 10 years the Dons are once again Orange Empire Conference champions. The last time that Santa Ana won the conference was in 2011.  This conference title is being shared with Golden West College after both teams ended with the same conference record of 6-2-4. The Rustlers have been the strongest opponents for the Dons winning conference four times in …

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Omar Rodriguez: A Student Athlete Experience

Omar Rodriguez: A Student Athlete Experience
As one of five siblings, Omar Rodriguez has always been close with his family. But his relationship with his mom is an affectionate bond. Since Rodriguez first started playing with Santa Ana’s youth soccer leagues at the age of four, his mother has juggled working full time at a factory with making sure that her second eldest made all his …

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Dons wrestling team rising after missed year

Dons wrestling team rising after missed year
After missing last season, the Dons are pushing through adversity, including a late start because of a wrestler testing positive for COVID-19. Since 2019, the team lost four returning wrestlers, either from them solely focusing on school or finding jobs. There are also two vacant spots, in both the 197 and 285 weight classes. Despite setbacks, the team currently has …

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LIFESTYLE

8 cozy study spots for Finals Week

8 cozy study spots for Finals Week
Here is a compiled list of some of the coziest places in OC to study at depending on your preference. It’s near the end of the semester, and finals week is coming up. Finding a study spot right now has been a little tricky considering there aren’t many places you can sit down for a few hours and try to …

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Here is your new Winter Break playlist

Photo of casettes in the studio
When it comes to music there are many styles to shape it in and there are many genres of music for those with different tastes. If fast and loud is not your thing maybe something calm and slow. Here are some of the top picks on behalf of the El Don staff. Nujabes - "Hikari" “I like this song because …

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VOICES & VIEWS

Having a late December birthday sucks. Here's why

Photo of cupcakes with lit birthday candles and Christmas decorations
Ahh, the holidays. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Unless, of course, your birthday is in late December like mine. Then, it’s the worst because I’m competing with Christmas and New Year’s for everyone’s attention. I don’t get a party and I’ll cry if I want to. My birthday is December 28 which is three days after Christmas …

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The new Superman is bisexual, but it shouldn't be big news

The new Superman is bisexual, but it shouldn't be big news
On National Coming Out Day last month, DC Comics announced the next issue of Superman: Son of Kal El will reveal the new Superman will be openly bisexual. DC comics was met with lots of criticism and backlash about changing one of their most popular characters. If you don’t read the comics or know about the DC comics universe, you might be …

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Stop pandering and mandate vaccines already

Stop pandering and mandate vaccines already
The district is finally discussing mandating COVID-19 vaccines for students, making us the last college in the surrounding area to do so. But unlike every other school in the state, RSCCD is the only one considering a “personal” exemption, which will be granted for virtually any reason.  Another idea, mentioned at the Nov. 8 board meeting by Trustee John Hanna, …

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