Talisman’s release party will take place on Monday, May 18th at 6 p.m. in the Skyline College Art Gallery on the ground floor of Building 1.

Please join us as we celebrate the release of the 45th Issue of Talisman, Skyline College’s Literary Magazine. The event, held in the Skyline College Art Gallery, will include food and beverages, copies of the magazine, as well as feature art and readings from the Student Prose and Poetry Prize Winners and many other student writers from this issue of Talisman.

We hope to see you at this special event. If you have any questions please contact Rob Williams, Talisman Faculty Advisor at williamsrob@smccd.edu.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, The Career Services Center in partnership with Psychological Services hosted “The Waiting Period,” Brian Copeland’s one-man show about his personal battle with depression and suicide. Copeland approached these often taboo and serious subjects with a mix of comedy, personal anecdotes and introspection. Audience members ran a gamut of emotions as Copeland shared his sometimes funny, sometimes tragic struggle with mental health. Audience members remarked:

“I feel like this play was as transformative as it should have been.”

“Copeland provided an inspiring testimony and an uplifting message.”

“A little bit of caring can save a person.”

Following the performance, which was attended by over 250 students, a panel including mental health professionals from Skyline College and community agencies discussed ways audience members can help friends or family members battling depression. The panel, moderated by Lavinia Zanassi, shared resources such as the Psychological Services Center on the Skyline College campus as well as online resources where community members can seek out professional help.

Brian Copeland’s amazing performance helped shed light and destigmatize a subject we often try to avoid. We encourage you to visit Skyline College’s Psychological Services web page at http://www.skylinecollege.edu/psychologicalservices/ or stop by their office in Building 2 Room 2206 if you or someone you know may be struggling with mental health issues. We look forward to working with more speakers like Brian Copeland in the future to create and continue healthy dialogues and conversations.

Article by Brian Jenney | Photo by Lavinia Zanassi

On May 7 and 9, 2015, this year’s Pilipino Cultural Night production Ang Pag-uwi (The Journey Home) followed a fictional, extended family as they traveled by boat to the Philippines from the United States after a nuclear fallout. The group believed that it was worth the journey to find out if they would reach the Philippines or end up sailing forever searching for a better future. The story was written by the English 103/203 AK class under the supervision of head writer CJ Navalta. The students performed two shows, a Preview Night and Gala Night, to an audience of their peers, family members, and PCN alumni. On Gala Night, after the show, the Kababayan Learning Community celebrated three Friends of Kababayan Scholarships and 22 graduates and transfer students. Students were awarded graduation stoles and program patches. The Kababayan Learning Community also awarded the departing Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant for 2014-2015, Edward “Tim” Nubla, with his own stole and program patch.

Ang Pag-uwi is the 10th Annual PCN and the first instructed by Janice Sapigao, following Liza Erpelo’s nine years of teaching the course. Grace Burns will begin teaching English 103/203: Applied English Skills in Cultural Production in Fall 2015 as well as English 104/204 in Spring 2015.

A limited number of the Ang Pag-uwi hooded sweatshirts ($30) are still available, and the DVDs of the Gala Night show ($15) will be on sale in a few weeks. Please contact Janice Sapigao at sapigaoj@smccd.edu or x7161 if you are interested in purchasing either of these items. All proceeds from the show go toward future productions and activities for the Kababayan Learning Community and its very active and dynamic student-initiated and student-run programs: Filipino Student Union and Kapatiran Mentorship Program.

This show would not be possible without the help and support of several important people: Kababayan Learning Community advisors, Grace Burns, Liza Erpelo, Melanie Espinueva, Kent Gomez and Nate Nevado. Many thanks to Theater Events Manager Joshua Harris, Dance Professor Amber Steele for teaching and providing a space for PCN students’ dance rehearsals; Kevin Chak in the Bookstore; Amanda Bortoli and the students in Graphic Arts/Production; Rob Williams for your support during National Poetry Month events; Cherie Colin in Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations; the Associated Students of Skyline College, and our deans and their assistants: Mary Gutierrez and Kennya Ruiz, Donna Bestock and Kathy Fitzpatrick, Joe Morello and Sandra Hatzistratis, and Angélica Garcia and Nadia Tariq. Thanks for your support.

Article by Janice Sapigao | Photos by Venus Cayabyab and Liza Erpelo

On May 13, 2015, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program at Skyline College (YEP) hosted its 6^th bi-annual Student Business Plan Competition. This year, YEP received twenty business plan submissions – our largest competition to date!  Out of all the entries, ten businesses advanced on to the Final’s Round for a chance to present their ideas before a panel of industry judges.  In order of 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place, the Spring 2015 Student Business Plan Competition winners are:

• J’s Automotive, A women-owned and operated automotive business.
• Montego Bay, A down-home Jamaican restaurant.
• Fortune Cookie Empire, A new spin on an old favorite, the fortune cookie.

Congratulations to all of our winners!! 

The Student Business Plan Competition has grown to include more participants, stronger business ideas and ever-increasing involvement with the campus and community.  The Competition provides coaching and mentoring to the students, in addition to external resources and support. YEP has also been fortunate to partner with the Business Division, specifically, the Small Business Management course (BUS 150), for additional support and participation.  As a testament to such a collaboration, two of this year’s winners were also enrolled in the course.

In addition to the cash awards, student receive valuable feedback and advice form the judges. Our judges all hail from various business backgrounds and companies, and include business owners, tech company executives, branding consultants and public speaking experts. Students participating in YEP receive one-on-one coaching and mentoring from YEP staff, local business owners and faculty to help refine ideas and develop other transferable skills.

On behalf of  YEP and the Global Learning Division, we would like to thank the President’s Innovation Fund for providing support, through its network and funding, for this program-we look forward to their continued support.  We also want to thank Skyline College students, administrators, faculty and staff for their support of YEP and this year’s Competition!

For more information on the Student Business Plan Competition or on how to be involved in YEP, please contact Pcyeta Stroud: stroudp@smccd.edu.

Article by Pcyeta Stroud

On May 4, 2015, the Bay Region Retail, Hospitality and Tourism (RHT) Initiative housed at Skyline College participated in Experience Hospitality: Sacramento 2015, a California outreach event for students studying hospitality and culinary arts in high school. Experience Hospitality was held at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento and ended with a lunch reception at the Wedgewood at the Sterling Hotel. This event invited approximately 200 Northern California high school ProStart students to a unique one-day experience in efforts to increase their knowledge of educational pathways in college while highlighting the diversity of careers in the hospitality industry.

In addition, students were provided with resources to continue their hospitality and culinary education and careers beyond high school. The event included an education fair that showcased the community college system and the various California State Universities (CSU) with programs in Hospitality Management. CSUs present included CSU East Bay, San Jose State, Chico State, and Sacramento State. Andrea Vizenor, Bay Region Deputy Sector Navigator for RHT, was in attendance representing Skyline College and California Community Colleges. The event also featured a CSU Hospitality Management student panel, a behind the scenes walking tour of various local hospitality venues in Sacramento, a tourism presentation from Visit California and a networking lunch. During the networking lunch, Vizenor gave a presentation on newly developed Hospitality and Tourism Management Program at Skyline College, the many degree options in the California Community College system, and the opportunity of Associate Transfer Degrees into CSU institutions.

This event was hosted by the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) and the California State University’s Hospitality Management Educational Initiative (CSU HMEI) with sponsorship from The California Community Colleges and Visit California. CRAEF and CSU HMEI hosts a Northern and Southern California events in order to reach high school students pursuing this educational pathway throughout the state of California.

For more information, please contact Andrea Vizenor at vizenora@smccd.edu.

Article and Photo by Elizabeth Tablan

On Friday, May 8, 2015 TRiO Student Support Services (SSS) held its annual “End of the Year Celebration” recognizing 61 TRiO graduate and transfer students, also known as our TRiO All-Stars! A total of 61 TRiO students were acknowledged for their academic accomplishments and active participation in the program.  Our transfer students were accepted at institutions such as UC Berkeley, SFSU, CSU-East Bay, SJSU, USF, UCLA, CSU-Long Beach, and UC Santa Cruz.  Students, family members and Skyline College administrators, faculty, and staff enjoyed a wonderful dinner catered by La Tapatia while they enjoyed a TRiO slideshow that recapped events that took place during the past year.  The event brought out more than 150 attendees.

Nate Nevado, Interim TRiO Director, welcomed the TRiO SSS students, family members, friends, administrators, faculty and staff with a fun and engaging speech that provided an energetic spirit throughout the night. Dr. Angelica Garcia, Dean of Counseling, Advising, and Matriculation also addressed the audience with an inspirational welcome. Brianna Clay, TRiO Counselor, and Miranda Wang, TRiO Math Coordinator, provided words of encouragement to our students as they enter their new academic journey.

We also took a moment to provide a special recognition for Eugene Garcia with a Game of Thrones themed video illustrating his work over the years.  Students also provided quotes that expressed his impact on their academic endeavors. He has served Skyline College students for 20 years with dedication and commitment.

Vanessa Aragon and Naing Aung Min, were both recognized as “TRiO Students of the Year” for demonstrating academic excellence, perseverance in the face of emotional and financial challenges, strong participation in TRiO, and graduating with an Associate Degree as well as transferring to a four-year university. In the fall semester, Vanessa will be attending UC Berkeley to pursue her degree in Psychology and Naing will be transferring to UCLA to pursue a B.S in Computer Science.

In addition, 32 TRiO students were recognized for receiving Grant Aid financial support.  We also would like to acknowledge the Financial Aid Office and Sparkpoint for their support in this endeavor.  TRiO Graduates and Transfers were recognized with a “Certificate of Completion” and a TRiO stole. Throughout the evening, there were photo opportunities at our Photo Booth for students and families to capture these moments of academic achievements.

We would also like to acknowledge Carsbia Anderson and Dr. Angelica Garcia for their support in providing plaques and stoles for our students as well as Kevin Chak of the Bookstore for donating tablets for our TRiO Student of the Year recipients.  You all have been very instrumental in making this celebration a huge success!

Article by Nate Nevado | Photos by Claudia Paz

Skyline College Women’s Badminton concluded a successful season with outstanding single and doubles performances at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Badminton Championships contested at beautiful Irvine Valley College on May 8-9. Skyline College was represented in singles by MJ Phan (Woodside High School) and in doubles by Phan and Rachel Lum (George Washington High School)

In singles competition, Ms. Phan, the second ranked singles player in Northern California, dropped her opening match to Cassandra Ka of San Diego City College placing her in the consolation bracket. From there it was smooth sailing for MJ as she routed two consecutive opponents earning a spot in the consolation finals against Melody Zhou of Fresno City College. In an extremely competitive final, Phan was triumphant in consecutive sets earning her second consecutive Consolation State Championship in singles.

In doubles play, the team of Phan and Lum entered the competition ranked fifth in Northern California. They quickly dispatched their opponents from San Diego Mesa in the opening round. Their second round opponent was the third ranked pair in Southern California, Carmina Ortiz and Eugenia Mendez of Pasadena City College. This match ended up going into a decisive third set which had multiple lead changes until Phan and Lum emerged triumphant by a score of 22-20. This victory put the dynamic duo into the state semi-finals for doubles where they were ultimately eliminated by Alice Liu and Megan Hsioa of DeAnza College.

Congratulations to Coach Jan Fosberg and the players and coaches on a great 2015 season.

Article by Tony Brunicardi | Photo by Jan Fosberg

On Monday, May 11 classified staff gathered in Building 6 to celebrate the dedication of several of their colleagues at the 2015 Classified Service Awards. The awards are held every year to honor classified staff who have served the District for 10, 20, 25 and 30 years, demonstrating their commitment to higher education and their passion for their work.

Dr. Stanback Stroud opened the event with a brief welcome and acknowledgement of the work that all classified staff do on a daily basis. She mentioned that without their consistent dedication, the college simply could not function.

After a greeting from Classified Senate President, Alana Utsumi, the award presenters each took the podium and, one at a time, spoke about each of the award winners. Evident across all of the individual awardees was a clear desire to do good work and to improve student experiences, all while making their workplaces more positive places to be for the people around them.

A special thanks goes to this year’s awardees, and to all Classified Staff on campus for their commitment to Skyline College.

This year’s awardees are:

30 Year Service Award:

• Barbara Daley; Library Support Specialist

25 Year Service Award:

• David Hall; Instructional Aide

20 Year Service Award:

• Marta Cuellar; Bookstore Operations Assistant
• Eugene Garcia Jr.; Instructional Aide II

10 Year Service Award:

• Nancy Rosario Argarin; Senior Accounting Coordinator
• Marcella Escobar; Accounting Technician
• Angelica Gorostiza; Division Assistant
• Kennya Ruiz; Division Assistant

On Monday, May 11, 2015 the Middle School Outreach Project (MSOP) received the prestigious J. Russell Kent Award by the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA).

The J. Russell Kent Award recognizes innovative programs in San Mateo County that promote success in and out of the classroom.  Nominated programs are evaluated and selected based on the following criteria:

1. Program Goals
2. Program Description
3. Evidence of Student Success
4. Program Assessment
5. Innovation
6. Transferability, and
7. Communication

The J. Russell Kent Award is a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and commitment of a passionate team of educators, administrators, and community leaders who have shared and believed in the vision of MSOP.

I would like to thank Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud, Dr. Angelica Garcia, Trustees Karen Schwarz, Thomas Mohr, and Dave Mandelkern, President’s Council members Teresa Proano and Steve Martinez, and our partners at Parkway Heights Middle School for their presence during this important recognition and their continued support of MSOP.

Article by Jessica Lopez | Photo by Teresa Proano