Sunday Reads: MMA fighter’s shot at hometown glory; Metro’s failure to safeguard teen riders

Daniel in the Warriors’ Den: Santa Cruz MMA pro faces a make-or-break fight, in front of his hometown

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Kaiser Permanente Arena will be the scene Friday as Soquel High and Cabrillo College grad Daniel Compton headlines a mixed martial arts card with a bout against Renato Valente that could propel him into the upper echelon of the sport. Wallace Baine sets the scene.

➤ MORE FROM WALLACE: ‘She’s a connector’: How Isabel Contreras is building an emerging arts culture for local people of color

I’m 16 and got sexually harassed on the Santa Cruz Metro — why aren’t there safeguards to protect me?

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Izabella León, 16, was sexually harassed on a Santa Cruz Metro bus during her regular commute between Watsonville and Santa Cruz. No one stepped in to help her, and she is frustrated by the lack of safety measures in place for youth and women. “Metro wants more youths like me to ride the bus,” she writes. “It has even put in ‘Youth Cruz Free,’ which lets us ride for free. But it has little in place to make sure we are safe — and to protect us when we are not.” Read her Community Voices opinion piece here.

➤ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Make your voice heard and read what Santa Cruzans are saying about local issues

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‘My story is a Native story’: Astrophysics grad student didn’t feel ‘Native enough’ until UCSC

(Via Madelyn Broome)

Growing up, Madelyn Broome believed two things: She was destined to become a scientist and her Native heritage belonged to her. But when she got to Princeton for college, she began to doubt both. She feared she wasn’t good enough at math to succeed and not “Native enough” to claim her heritage. That changed when she arrived in 2020 at UC Santa Cruz, where she is now getting a Ph.D. in astrophysics. She is also hosting astronomy events for Native youth and mentoring youth to help them see a future for themselves in STEM. Read more here.

➤ MORE FROM LOCAL HIGHER ED: After hourslong public meeting, Cabrillo College puts off renaming plans until November amid deep divisions