Toros went head to head on Mar. 21 during “The Great Toro Showdowns” event on the North Lawn outside the Loker Student Union. The afternoon event was hosted by the Immigrant Justice Center (IJC) and kicked off the spring season. Students participated in several games, such
as ax throwing and corn ball tossing. There were also team games like an egg-and-spoon race, a three-legged race, tug of war, and volleyball. Competitors sported team colors and fueled up on pizza, chips, and Gatorade.
In the first set of games, the IJC squared off against the Queer Culture and Resource Center in a series of races. The QCRC claimed the victory, ultimately, taking home the first Toro Showdowns trophy. Junior sociology student Ash Fernandez, who donned a purple bandana as a part of Team QCRC, said the event was a good opportunity for Toros to bond and be active.
“It’d be cool to win – I don’t expect myself to – but at the end of the day as long as I’m having fun, then I guess that’s worth it,” Fernandez said. “At least I got to touch some grass.”
Third-year human services student Shelly Velazquez and first-year child development student Sophia Rendon-Servellon wore pink bandanas as members of an independent Toros team. Their squad walked away with the volleyball trophy – a hard-earned win made all the better by the community spirit of the games. “We’re tired, but we’re having so much fun,” Velazquez said. “We won, so that made my day.”
Rendon-Servellon added that they appreciated the IJC providing the opportunity to play volleyball competitively, because it is the favorite sport among their friend group.
“Our whole group met solely because of volleyball,” Rendon-Servellon said. “So we all love volleyball, and that was just an amazing experience.”
According to IJC program director Ana Miriam Barragan, at the beginning of the academic year, the IJC student staff mentioned the center tends to host a lot of educational programs and workshops, rather than programs focused on community building among people who are undocumented in the U.S. The Toro Showdowns came to be after the student staff had proposed a day when students could come together for fellowship and some friendly competition.
In an interview with The Bulletin, Barragan said, “I think when our undocumented students and our staff here are thinking about their experience here at CSUDH, they also want to remember the joyful moments.” Barragan credited the IJC student staff for “creating the vision” and putting the event together.
“It’s about them as well, enjoying themselves and really seeing the impact that they can have on other students and the power of community,” Barragan said. “As the Immigrant Justice Center, people think that we only serve undocumented or immigrant students, but we are here to show the campus community that we are here for everyone.”
In addition to raising the profile of the IJC, student engagement coordinator Jose Morales Mora said the Showdowns provided an opportunity for Toros on campus to spend time together.
“From what I noticed with students, sometimes they’re working too hard,” said Mora, a fourth-year psychology student. “They study a lot and they tell me, ‘We don’t really have a lot of time to destress’.”
Mora added that the IJC hoped the event would afford students some leisure time during the semester, while also showcasing what the organization has to offer.
“We just wanted to throw this event to get the community engaged and know more about the Immigrant Justice Center,” Mora said. “We hope that by throwing events like these, students are becoming more aware of who our department is.”
