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The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

The independent student news site of San Marcos, California

The Cougar Chronicle

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The library’s exhibit on the pandemic hopes to capture and document this historical moment for future generations.

CSUSM library unveils exhibit to document pandemic

Sonya Vargas, Staff Writer March 5, 2021

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been collectively felt on a global scale. Throughout San Diego County, various archivists have been putting together materials from a communal perspective to document this moment in history.  CSUSM’s Kellogg Library is no different, as the library’s...

Interim Medical Director of CSUSM's Student Health & Counseling Services Dr. James Chun discusses vaccine distribution and campus reopening.

CSUSM medical director discusses vaccine distribution and campus reopening

Christopher King, Staff Writer February 20, 2021

With vaccines coming out, some students are hoping that CSUSM may be an ideal location to receive their shots, but for places like Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS), the ability to give out vaccines might not be as easy as it seems. As of now CSUSM hosts the largest vaccine center in...

People wait in line to get a COVID-19 vaccine at the CSUSM Sports Center on Jan. 31.

Vaccine supersite opens at CSUSM

Anneliese Esparza, Editor-in-Chief February 11, 2021

To see this story in video form, click here. As part of the effort to fight COVID-19 in the region, San Diego County has begun to operate a vaccine supersite center at CSUSM.  Beyond providing a location, CSUSM is not directly involved in running the supersite; the county is overseeing all operations...

The Academic Senate voted to expand the credit/no credit (CR/NC) grading option for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Academic Senate alters credit/no credit policy

Anneliese Esparza and Richard Ho February 9, 2021

The Academic Senate passed a resolution on Wednesday to expand the credit/no credit (CR/NC) grading option for the 2020-2021 academic year. The resolution passed with 57 votes for, three against and one abstain. “As the semester progressed, it became increasingly apparent how stressful the fall...

A Cougar Pantry staff member assembles a bag of groceries. The Cougar Pantry will reopen on Feb. 17.

ASI Cougar Pantry temporarily suspended, to reopen in mid-February

Anneliese Esparza, Editor-in-Chief February 5, 2021

To see this story in video form, click here. ASI Cougar Pantry will not resume food distributions until Feb. 17, according to an update posted on their website. The Cougar Pantry did not hold distributions over winter break, but was originally scheduled to start up on Jan. 27. “The decision...

CSUSM’s annual security report showed that there was a net increase in reported crimes and violations of state and local drug, liquor and weapons laws in 2019 compared to the previous year.

Annual security report shows increase in reported crime

Anneliese Esparza, Editor-in-Chief February 5, 2021

To see this story in video form, click here. CSUSM’s annual security report revealed that 2019 had a net increase in reported crimes and violations of state and local drug, liquor and weapons laws compared to the previous year.  The report contains statistics on calendar years 2017, 2018 and...

ASI canceled their Cougar Pantry for the remainder of the fall semester, a decision some students disagreed with.

ASI suspends Cougar Pantry distributions, drawing criticism from students

Ariana L. Kitts, News Reporter December 23, 2020

ASI announced on Dec. 4 that they are canceling Cougar Pantry distributions for the remainder of the fall semester because an ASI team member tested positive for COVID-19.  ASI cannot disclose when the ASI team member tested positive or when they last worked the Cougar Pantry, but ASI was notified...

Student athletes will have to wait another semester to compete. (Pictured: Sarah Aragon on the women's soccer team.)

Winter, spring athletic competition canceled at CSUSM

Brittney Scardina, Staff Writer December 23, 2020

The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) announced on Dec. 3 that there will be no athletic competition for the spring semester.  By the next time competition is allowed, student athletes will have not played competitively for a year and a half.  “CCAA Board of Presidents, in conjunction...

An unknown actor infiltrated the CSUSM network in October. The school has now launched a two-step authentication system to improve security.

CSUSM’s internal network hacked; university launches two-step authentication system

Ruben Santana, Staff Writer December 13, 2020

Instructional & Information Technology Services (IITS) issued an email notice to the entire campus community on Oct. 6 that CSUSM’s internal network had recently been infiltrated by an unknown actor. An Information Security unit identified the harmful incident took place overnight from Oct....

Alleged victim of CSUSM student files police report

Alleged victim of CSUSM student files police report

Ariana L. Kitts, News Reporter October 28, 2020

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) is investigating a report of a sexual battery allegedly committed by a CSUSM student.  The police report, filed by second-year UC Davis student Angie Pham, was received by SDPD on Oct. 13. Pham gave the report’s case number to The Cougar Chronicle and SDPD...

A petition with over 13,000 signatures is calling for a CSUSM student's expulsion for alleged sexual assault and abuse.

Petition calls for expulsion of student

Ariana L. Kitts, News Reporter October 13, 2020

A petition on Change.org calling for the expulsion of a CSUSM student for alleged sexual assault and abuse has gathered over 13,000 signatures in five days.   The third-year CSUSM student is being accused of “sexual assault, groping, sexual coercion, abuse, gaslighting and other non-consensual...

Students for Quality Education demanded that CSUs defund university police departments on Oct. 1. However, CSU Chancellor-select Joseph I. Castro told The Cougar Chronicle in a Sept. 30 press conference that universities need police.

Students for Quality Education voices statewide demands to defund UPD

Ariana L. Kitts, News Reporter October 12, 2020

This story was updated on Oct. 13 with an explanation of  what SQE is and links to their website. Students for Quality Education (SQE) voiced their demands for CSU campuses to defund UPD on Oct. 1.  SQE is a a statewide student organization with chapters on 22 out of 23 CSU campuses that advocates...

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