SAN MARCOS — Nearly 200 people braved the chilly weather to celebrate solidarity at Palomar College during the inaugural Strength and Solidarity Festival.
Strong winds and a light drizzle rolled into San Marcos on April 26, which didn’t stop the Strength and Solidarity Festival. The Palomar Faculty Federation (PFF) and the Council of Classified Employees (CCE) hosted the event. The goal of the festival was to encourage solidarity throughout the Palomar community.
“Palomar College is an anchor institution in our community. We want everyone to know they’re welcome here,” PFF Co-President Lawrence Lawson said. “We want everyone to see themselves represented here. And that is part of showing who we are, who the employees are, who the students are, so that people can see this as a place that they want to come and hang out and be at.”
The event featured giveaways, a car show, various local food trucks, live music, dance performances, and poetry readings. It brought together Palomar College students, faculty, and administrators to celebrate each other. Speakers at the event included Palomar President/Superintendent Star Rivera-Lacey, PFF Part-time President William Dalrymple, PFF Full-time President Lawrence Lawson, and CCE Local 4522 President Anel Gonzalez.
“Solidarity means that I know that I can count on my siblings,” Gonzalez said. “Whether they’re other union members or whether they’re my real siblings or my community … People push me up and people can count on me to do the same thing. Standing together, we can survive just about anything.”
The Pop Warner Hip Hop Dancers, Wildcat Hip Hop, and the Rancho Buena Vista High School Ballet Folklorico team also performed at the event.
Tomas Quetzal De Crane, of K’iché Maya/Crow/Navajo nations, shared different Powwow dances from his culture, including an interactive dance that involved the audience. The different dances were brought in to celebrate different cultures in the Palomar community.
Palomar’s K-Pop Club was also at the event, performing a dance routine as the wildkardz dance team. The club also had a booth where attendees could learn more about the club.
“It’s a place where we can come together as one,” wildkardz member Ryles Walker said. “We want to share this responsibility of our culture and give this knowledge back to the other dances. And if we teach newcomers, maybe they’ll benefit from that knowledge.”
The Palomar K-Pop Club hosts meetings on the second and fourth Wednesdays and Thursdays of every month in room PAC-216. The club hosts events such as dance workshops, photo card decorations, and movie watching to encourage inclusivity. For more information on the K-Pop club, visit the Instagram.
The emphasis on unity extended beyond the festival itself, touching on broader conversations about belonging at Palomar. Governing Board Trustee Roberto Rodriguez said a sense of connection is especially important at a community college.
“There’s more things that unite us than divide us,” Rodriguez said. “I think we need to focus on those things and create community and create a sense of belonging, especially at a place like this … Not only do we provide a service, but we’re an important part of what the community is.”
