About

Dons Press by El Cid is the official student news site of Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego, CA. The Dons Press team produces news stories throughout the school year.  Journalism I, Journalism II Honors, and Journalism III Honors are English elective courses available to all students at CCHS and meet under the supervision of the advisor, Paulina Gonzales. The opinions expressed throughout Dons Press are not necessarily those of Cathedral Catholic High School or The Diocese of San Diego.

The 2024-2025 school year will be Dons Press by El Cid’s 57th year in existence.  The publication is a member of the following press associations: 

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Journalism Education Association

Southern California Journalism Education Association 

Dons Press Mission Statement

Dons Press is a student news source that aims to inform the student body of Cathedral Catholic High School with unbiased truth on news, diverse perspectives, updates on sports, clubs, honor societies and the people that make-up the CCHS community. Dons Press is dedicated to producing content that is journalistically responsible, ethically gathered, and meticulously edited — all while promoting democratic citizenship through diverse public engagement.

Dons Press makes every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. The staff avoids electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph without indicating that the photograph is an illustration. 

El Cid serves the student body and greater CCHS community with integrity and justice, and aims to:

I. Protect First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, promoting the free flow of information.

II. Drive a quest for diversity in opinion and opportunity to express such opinions through an organized and distinguished publication.

III. Advocate for voices often unheard by elucidating points of contention among the student population.

IV. Teach and provide valuable experience to individuals contemplating careers within the realm of journalism.

V. Inform, entertain, and communicate with the public so as to promote the existence of a well-informed CCHS community.

Dons Press welcomes reader input. Please send any letters, articles, comments or corrections to [email protected], mail to 5555 Del Mar Heights Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 or drop them off in Cabrini 105 with advisor Paulina Gonzales or any editor. Letters must be signed, and emailed letters will require verification before publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

Comments are welcome as a means of sharing experiences, suggesting improvements, responding to polls/questions or engaging in the conversation. Comments will be reviewed by the adviser prior to being posted publicly.To ensure that exchanges are informative, respectful and lawful, we will NOT post comments that are:

• Off topic. We will exclude comments not related to the subject.
• Spam. Comments focused on selling a product or service will not be posted.
• Personal attacks. If you disagree with a post, we’d like to hear from you. We ask that you refrain from personal attacks or being disrespectful of others.
• Illegal. Laws that govern use of copyrights, trade secrets, student and staff confidentiality, etc., will be followed. No comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity or activities that violate school behavior guides will be posted. Comments regarding a personal issue with the district, a school or staff member will not be posted. Comments regarding a student discipline will not be posted.
• Language. Comments including, but not limited to: profane or provocative language, hateful, racially or ethnically offensive or derogatory content, threats, obscene or sexually explicit language will be excluded.
• Not factual. Blatantly inaccurate information will not be allowed. False information will be removed and factual information will be posted.