Category: Education

By Angelo Haynes

Charles Beard, a local man with deep ancestral roots to San Diego, has begun construction of a residential micro farm in southeast San Diego.

Totaling under half an acre, the farm area is nestled in the Jamacha foothills near Encanto, Skyline Hills and Lemon Grove contributing to the steep incline on the property. The farm currently has a variety of fruit trees including a pomegranate, apricot, mulberry, guava and loquat. Future plans include dividing the hill into unique terraces, each containing unique groups of crops. Construction on an irrigation system is already underway, with future plans of integrating a grey water filtration system.

Charles, or “Sibee” as his friends call him, had the idea for creating the micro farm after having a vision while standing on the top of the hill behind his childhood home.

By Colin Sekerka / The Point PLNU / Dec 9, 2025

Human trafficking in San Diego is prevalent, profitable, horrific and about as American as apple pie.

Over the past year and a half, I researched, interviewed, wrote and presented on the topic of human trafficking in San Diego, statewide and international sociopolitical spheres. As a fourth-year political science major minoring in economics, I owe an incredible deal of research and topic-relevant guidance to Point Loma Nazarene University’s History and Political Science Department professors, especially in helping me pinpoint where this wicked sociopolitical economic issue ought to be addressed.

I’ve dedicated my time, discipline and skillset this semester to conducting an honors research project on the nature of human trafficking in America’s Finest City.

The conversation around human trafficking is drenched in anger, disappointment, sympathy for the victims and frustration. In the time I’ve spent researching, interviewing high-caliber personnel involved in regional anti-human trafficking efforts and mapping trends in previous political science courses, I’ve grown familiar with its origin. To tackle the issue and attempt to assess the root causes for its presence in San Diego, there are a couple of realities to keep in mind.

By Savannah Smith / The Point – LomaBeat / Nov 17, 2025

Point Loma Nazarene University’s Surf Team anticipates a strong season after taking first place in their opener at Black’s Beach last month.

The annual season opener, hosted by the University of California, San Diego’s Surf Team, took place from Oct. 25-26 and marked an exciting start to the year for the team. They competed against 31 collegiate teams and scored a total of 211 points, 63 points higher than any other team.

Sydney Ott, a third-year marketing major and returning team member, said it felt great to start the season with a win, especially after the team’s ninth national championship title win in June.

“Everyone was surfing super well, so it was awesome seeing us win as a team,” Ott said.

Leading up to the opener, the team held group practices at Mission Beach to prepare and get into the competition mindset.

“For me personally, I made sure to surf consistently leading up to the event and made sure that I had my board dialed in,” Ott said.

This preparation proved to be valuable once the contest began, as competitors were met with difficult conditions throughout the weekend.

By Grace Chaves / The Point – PLNU /  Nov 5, 2025

In an email to Point Loma Nazarene University’s student body from President Kerry Fulcher, it was announced that the Associated Student Body (ASB) rejected a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) student club at PLNU. According to the email, a motion to establish the club was brought to a vote within the ASB Board of Directors, but it failed to pass.

Fulcher said that the primary reason for its rejection was ASB’s concern regarding TPUSA’s “Professor Watchlist,” a list sourced by news stories that detail instances of “radical behavior” among college professors, as described by ProfessorWatchlist.org.

by Scott Hopkins / Times of San Diego / October 28, 2025

Point Loma High School‘s football team will be playing to make dreams come true at home on Oct. 31 against Eastern League foe St. Augustine.

One of those dreams is to finish the regular season undefeated as the Pointers enter the game with a 9-0 record and first place in the league at 4-0.

The St. Augustine Saints are in second place at 4-5 and 3-1. But Point Loma scored 101 more points and gave up 109 fewer than the private school.

The Pointers last finished the regular season undefeated in 2005 under longtime coach Mike Hastings. That team went on to the California Interscholastic Federation championship, where it lost, coincidentally to the Saints and finished 12-1.

Another dream is to receive a high seed in CIF Division I playoffs when pairings are announced on Nov. 1. Highest seeds receive a coveted first-round bye and home games against every lower-seeded team.

These dreams, if realized, would lead to a third dream – the team’s first CIF championship since Bennie Edens guided his 1991 team to the title.

From San Diego 350

Young people called on lawmakers, including SD Council President LaCava, to pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act to protect schools and communities.

On Friday, October 24, over 1,000 students from 19 schools across San Diego and thousands from 50 California middle schools, high schools, and colleges walked out of class in a coordinated statewide action demanding that oil and gas companies be held accountable for the damage caused by their pollution.

Organized by youth climate groups and advocacy organizations including Youth v. Oil and SanDiego350 in partnership with the Make Polluters Pay campaign, the walkouts spanned San Diego County — with major events at Hilltop High School, Pacific Beach Middle School, University City High School, Eastlake High School, La Jolla High School, and Otay Ranch High School.

“Californians are already reeling from wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. We’re taking to the streets to demand passage of the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act to send a clear message that we won’t let Big Oil continue to destroy our futures,” said Diego Sandoval, senior at Eastlake HS in Chula Vista.

From SanDiego350

Students will call on lawmakers to pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act to protect schools and communities, to force Big Oil to pay for climate damages.

San Diego students, including those at Point Loma High, will join others at 50 schools across California will walk out of classrooms to fight for their future. Youth are calling on decision-makers to hold polluters accountable for the climate damages they’ve caused. This statewide day of action, co-organized by Youth v. Oil, a part of SanDiego350, will bring thousands of students together to call for lawmakers to pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act — sending a clear message that California’s young people refuse to let Big Oil write the rules of their future.

19 Middle schools, high schools, and colleges across San Diego 50 across the state, with major hubs at:

“I’m not 14 years old anymore, and her music will be a lot better when she realizes she isn’t either.”

By Milla Kuiper / The Point – PL Nazarene University / Oct 21, 2025

Taylor Swift, to me, used to represent the idea that womanhood could be both glamorous and innocent. Her lyrics were whimsical and clever, the music was fun and my juvenile voice could keep up with hers.

But I’m not 14 years old anymore, and her music will be a lot better when she realizes she isn’t either.

Listening to “The Life of a Showgirl” feels like watching a teenager stand in front of her parents with her arms crossed and a hip popped, saying, “What’re you gonna do about it?”

This would be entertaining if it were Swift’s first stunt like this, if the music was good, and if she weren’t 35 years old.

She already did the “This is who I am now, mom,” thing with “reputation,” and back then, it mostly worked. But “reputation” was feisty, and every song was unique enough to be memorable. Not so with “The Life of a Showgirl.”

My first complaint is that I think the songs are boring, unmemorable, sad-girl pop. The album is called “The Life of a Showgirl,” but there is no hint of the loud, brassy burlesque music characteristic of the New York City showgirl scene in the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s.

By News Writing Staff / The Guardian – UCSD / Oct 6, 2025

UC San Diego’s administration sent personally identifiable information of UCSD faculty, staff, and students to the University of California Office of the President, which sent said information to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. This comes following a request from the OCR in its investigation into the UC’s handling of discrimination and harassment claims, especially in regard to antisemitism. UCSD and UCOP have not indicated whose information was divulged, nor when it was shared. As of Oct. 5, UCSD officials have not notified the individuals affected.

All the individuals are connected with the University, but their exact affiliations remain unclear. However, the Faculty Defense Group told The UCSD Guardian in early September that all the individuals had some relation to “complaints of harassment and discrimination.” On Sept. 18, The Guardian received confirmation that federal investigators have acquired names. No other details can be identified at this time.

By Bradley Granieri / The Point – PL Nazarene University / Oct 8, 2025

Having a fantasy football team isn’t all that fun. But watching that team beat somebody else’s is thrilling.

I didn’t start playing fantasy football because I loved watching the NFL. Four seasons ago, I barely watched football. I said “yes” to joining a league because I was bored, and figured doing so would give me something mildly interesting to do in math class. But when the next season rolled around, I agreed again.

“It’s a fun thing to talk to your friends about, even though I don’t really care about football,” Kate Walter, a third-year applied health major, said.

Just like Walter, I don’t care all that much about the NFL, but I still sign up because it’s what happens off the field that makes fantasy football truly matter. It’s the community and competition that comes from it that keeps me coming back year after year.

When I started my first fantasy football team four years ago, I didn’t know how anything worked. I was a rookie, but I quickly learned the basics in a trial-by-fire period of just a few short weeks. What I learned was that fantasy football put me, the “coach,” in control of a virtual team composed of real NFL players who play against other virtual teams.

By Danna Givot

The City is planning to increase the College Area’s zoning to allow 34,150 (2050) versus 8200 housing units on the ground in 2024 – a 316% increase. That’s crazy when SANDAG estimates the entire city of San Diego will increase housing by 107,778 units between 2023 and 2050.

Why should the College Area be upzoned to provide almost one quarter of the City’s new housing between now and 2050? It shouldn’t!

In 2020, the College Area housed only 1.8% of the City’s people and accounted for less than 1% of San Diego’s acreage, so why would it be upzoned to accommodate 24% of the new housing in San Diego. It makes no sense.

Let’s look at what other recent community plan updates have upzoned their community planning areas for and compare them to what is being asked of the College Area.

Mira Mesa, University, Hillcrest/Uptown and Clairemont have three or more times the existing housing and their community plans are only increasing their housing density by 98% on average, while the College Area is being hammered with a 316% increase. What could justify this?

By Sydney Brammer / LomaBeat  / Sep 12, 2025
 
Following the tragic accident of Point Loma Nazarene University student, Dakota Briley, an auction with over 300 items, including hotel stays to surfboards signed by professional surfers, went through Monday, Sept. 15, to raise money for his rehabilitation funds.

Nearly three months ago, Briley was hit by an 18-year-old driver while on the side of the road in Haleiwa, HI. Crushed between two cars, Briley’s spine, skull and lower body were critically injured.

After spending 58 days in the Queens Medical Center in downtown Honolulu, mostly in a coma, Briley was transferred to Craig Hospital in Colorado, where they believe his rehabilitation needs will be better met, said Erin Lau, his sister.

Since the accident, Briley has awakened from his coma, undergone 11 surgeries, can hold conversations,