El Fin

The final days of my college career have finally come. In 2 weeks and 4 days I will be walking across the stage smilin' like a bylt haddie. Looking back on these past 4 years amazes me. It makes me nostalgic thinking of my freshman and sophomore years however I have learned a lot since 2005. I am happy with my decision to major in Journalism. It has been tough but very rewarding at the same time.


My capstone class, Border Beat, an online publication, has taken all of my training in reporting, editing, producing, organizing, developing ideas and put it to use. I think it has been one of the best classes because it takes everything you have learned and encompasses it into one class. The newsroom structure of Border Beat is wonderful because the students run the class which makes it more comfortable to express ideas and concerns.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the editing team, PR team and in the class as a whole. It really has brought life to the education.

Ted Estrada

In one of my previous posts, St. Andrew's Children's Clinic, I introduced the resources the clinic has to help those in need. I would like to introduce the executive director of the clinc, Ted Estrada.

The first Thursday of every month Estrada travels to Nogales, Ariz. where hundreds of Mexican nationals not only wait for the old church doors to open but also for miracles to happen.

Originally a Los Angeles hospital administrator, Estrada was contemplating retirement when the Board of Directors from St. Andrew’s offered him the position of executive director. He accepted the position May 1, 2008.

“I've been involved in the health care field in one way or another,” Estrada said. “I've never done anything else.”

The transition between jobs wasn’t a difficult one, he says. The role of a health clinic executive director and a hospital administrator holds similar responsibilities.

"I used to tell my employees at the hospital that my job was like running a small city," Estrada said.

St. Andrew’s isn’t much different, he says. Estrada's main priority is to keep the clinic running smoothly while organizing the staff and volunteers so that they provide health care to as many patients as possible.

The volunteers and staff are the people who deserve the credit, Estrada said. Many of the volunteers are pleased to help because of the cause.

Dr. Alan Delman, F.A.C.S. (Foundation of American College Surgeons) is a retired plastic surgeon from Boston, Mass. who moved to Tucson, Ariz. 10 years ago. He heard about the clinic through word-of-mouth and has since volunteered almost every month.

“There aren’t many patients who are looking for nose jobs or face lifts,” Delman said sarcastically. "I do what I can to help those in need and hope it’s enough.”

Depending on the volunteer’s profession or specialty, determines in which area the volunteer works.

Estrada hopes to expand the services in the future. There are many children who are diagnosed with multiple disorders, he says. Expanding the service areas will give those children options. With the hope to expand the service areas, more doctors are needed, he says. Currently, the doctors are volunteers from Arizona and California. Ideally, Ted would like permanent doctors.

Although retiring was Estrada's original plan, he is happy working. Providing health care for children in need is rewarding in its own ways, he says.

University of Arizona's Exhibit: History of Chicano Journalism

The University of Arizona is showcasing Chicano-produced publications in the main library. A group of Mexican American Studies students in UA Professor Roberto Rodriguez's class created the monthlong exhibit, "The History of Red/Brown Journalism & Communications".


The exhibit kickoff was April 7 and included guest speakers, Guadalupe Castillo and Joe Olvera.

Both Chicano and in their 60s, they each shared their stories of struggle and overcoming discrimination while working for Chicano news publications.

Guadalupe worked for Tucson's El Coraje, "The Courage", newspaper in the 1960s.

"We believed that that [mainstream] media was corrupt," said Guadalupe.

El Coraje's last publication was in the 1970s. Due to lack of money, the last publication was not published, Guadalupe said.

"It's better to die standing than live on your knees," she said.

Joe worked for many media outlets in El Paso, Texas, including "The El Paso Reporter" and "El Paso Times," amoung others. He is also the first Chicano T.V. reporter for El Paso in 1971.

"Now I'm the racist," Joe said. "Fine, call me whatever you want but you're reading my stuff...but I'm talking about people, my people, and you better respect."

The following are audio clips from Joe Olvera's presentation:

The Fight for Chicano Professors at Colombia University


Getting Older


The Illegal Aliens Blues - poem by Joe Olvera

St. Andrew's Children's Clinic

St. Andrew's Children's Clinic is a god-send for many parents who don't have the resources to care for their sick children.

The clinic provides free health aid to patients on a first-come first-serve basis one day every month. Doctors, med students, translators, cooks and many other volunteers work together for a stressful yet helpful attention.

I, along with 4 other journalism students and my professor from one of my classes, got the privilege to travel down the Nogales, Ariz. I was able to witness first-hand the selfless acts that the volunteers and staff provide as well as the helplessness and hope of the families that bring their loved ones to the clinic. For some families, the clinic is their only opportunity for health care.

The following are the areas of medicine the clinic provides:
- Vision
- Hearing
- Audiology
- Cardiology/Dermatology
- Physical Therapy
- Orthopedics
- Speech
- Cleft Palate

*The photos posted are those that depict the care and thoughtfulness of the people that allow the clinic to operate.