Second-year student Zora Williams is using her voice to bring more mental health and nutrition programming to San Diego Mesa College. Williams was elected president of the college’s Associated Students (AS) for the 2024-2025 academic year and serves as the college’s student representative on the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees.
Sometimes, you hear a story that makes you want to know more. Kevin Gonzalez has such a story. The last time this story was updated, San Diego Mesa College student Kevin Gonzalez was a 15 year-old heading off to Massachusetts to complete his high school education. In the ensuing years, he has travelled to the other side of the world, built houses, but remained in close contact with his Mesa College professors and connections he made while on campus.
The San Diego Community College District has appointed four new student trustees for the upcoming academic year. Dalia Ramirez (San Diego City College), Zora Williams (San Diego Mesa College), Hailey Hua (San Diego Miramar College), and Haydee Zuniga (San Diego College of Continuing Education), will be sworn in during the June 20 SDCCD Board of Trustees meeting.
March 23, 2017
Death Experience – an annual campus event organized by Student Health Services that aims to prevent distracted, drugged and drunk driving – returned to San Diego Mesa College on Wednesday, March 22 in the LRC Quad.
“We started this event to help our students to understand what alcohol is because maybe they’re trying it for the first time and they’re not aware of how dangerous it is,” said Suzanne Khambata, FNP, Nurse Practitioner at Mesa College. “There’s a cognitive dissonance that occurs in the mind of the young adult and it separates the repercussions of your actions in your mind, so drunk or drugged driving or using alcohol and drugs is separated from what could happen to you.”
Khambata added that through this event, the staff aims to bridge the gap between using alcohol and drugs or texting while driving, and what some of the consequences of those actions may be.
During the event, San Diego Community College District Police provided drunk goggles for students to use during a simulated DUI stop and interrogation, as well as a fatal vision driving course. Assistant District Attorney Callie Bright spoke from her experience prosecuting drunk and drugged drivers, Michael Booth gave one-on-one education regarding recovery from addiction and support, and AT&T conducted “Distracted Driving” education. Students were encouraged to sign Mesa’s No Texting While Driving pledge banner.
Restaurants Against Drunk Driving – a non-profit that aims to increase road safety and driver responsibility – also presented educational materials during Death Experience.
A dramatic “Jaws of Life” demonstration by the San Diego Fire Department showed students how victims in car crashes are extracted from crushed cars.
Cars involved in DUIs accidents and corresponding photos were on display from March 20 to 24, along with autopsies from alcohol and drug related deaths and driving accidents.
“I see the death experience as a look into mortality,” said Community Health Nurse Mark Malebranche, Ph.D., RN. “The evidence of what a car crash looks like up close, and the demonstration of the jaws of life by the San Diego Fire Department show our students not only what can happen, but that events such as car crashes do happen. We want all our students back after Spring break, and believe the Death Experience helps us to do so.”
Students who participated during the Death Experience event on March 22 by getting involved with the activities and answering a quick quiz received a free lunch. Last year, 515 students participated by filling out a survey during the Death Experience event.
Survey results showed that 40 percent of students would not ride with texting drivers in the pre-survey compared to 92 percent in the post-survey; and 46 percent of students said that driving after one drink is very dangerous in the pre-survey, compared to 81 percent of students in the post-survey. Other results include an increase from 71 to 92 percent of students saying that they will not text and drive, and an increase of 81 to 100 percent of students saying that they will not ride with impaired drivers.
For more information about Death Experience, contact Suzanne Khambata, FNP at (619) 388-2774 or skhambat@sdccd.edu.
Tags: Student Health Services, Death Experience
Jennifer Nichols Kearns
Director of Communications
jnkearns@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2759
Suzanne Khambata, FNP
Nurse Practitioner - Student Health Services
skhambat@sdccd.edu
(619) 388-2774
San Diego Mesa College recently introduced a Wellness Vending Machine stocked with reduced cost and free essential items. The vending machine, created by San Diego company Dotstash, brings equity and affordability in the health space to students and the greater Mesa College community.
San Diego California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office declared the week of Oct 16 to Oct 20, “DACA Advocacy Week”. In support of this, San Diego Mesa College held various events on campus throughout the week that provided information, resources, workshops and materials for all students.
Death Experience – an annual campus event organized by Student Health Services that aims to prevent distracted, drugged and drunk driving – returned to San Diego Mesa College on Wednesday, March 22 in the LRC Quad.
