The Society of Western Artists Gallery in San Bruno is presenting an exhibition of artworks by Skyline College art students from October 26 – November 23.

There will be a reception and awards ceremony at the S.W.A. Gallery in downtown San Bruno on Friday, November 1, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Come join the festivities! The exhibition features over 50 artworks in all media by current and former Skyline College art students, and $500 in awards will be presented to winning artists! The exhibition is a great place for students, their families, faculty, staff, and others to view and enjoy the creative talents of Skyline College students. The S.W.A. gallery is located at 527 San Mateo Avenue in downtown San Bruno, and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Article by Paul Bridenbaugh | Photo by Todd Owens

 

On October 23, 2019 about 40 students, staff, administrators, faculty and community members sat down together in pairs at Skyline College Library, as eight of them  — in the form of “human books” — shared courageous conversations about life experiences with “readers” they’d never met.

This month’s human books, with such inventive titles as Legend of Latin Rock’s Rise from the Darkness to the Light, All Who Wander are not Lost and A Bear Ate a Man, raised hot topic issues. On the table for frank discussion? Topics ranged from racism and drug addiction to politics, pressures and other prejudices. Each session of the Human Library features new and different books.

Time and time again, powerful connections were made as human books and readers from different spheres found commonality in sharing stories. Students reported that they drew courage from dialog with books who’d overcome major life challenges and persevered. One former student back for a visit “read” all eight books and explained how the event had reversed what had started out a very bad day.  Another relayed, “I had the most awesome time…I “read” five books today…and I’ll be returning to read more…Wow!”

One human book participant commented on “my readers crying and relating; it was pure human connection.” Another spoke of the significance of their reader relaying “that with my book, they broke an inner wall in them.” While responses by participants in the Human Library have been overwhelming positive, some students learning about the event through email or flyers are unsure of what to expect. To our past participants: please help us spread the word! Read about October’s books and visit The Learning Common’s Human Library photo gallery on Facebook.

Lastly, mark your calendars for our next Human Library session Thursday, November 21, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m! Questions? Contact Please Pia Walawalkar at walawalkars@smccd.edu

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp | Photo by Marisa Thigpen

On October 17-18, 2019, Skyline College hosted the Fall 2019 Promise Scholars Program – CUNY ASAP Convening. This convening was a vital component of Promise Scholars Program (PSP) Replication project partially funded by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Award for Innovation in Higher Education grant. Organized by Lauren Ford, Project Director for the PSP Replication, the site visit included teams from the three San Mateo County Community College District colleges (Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College) along with Cuesta College, Lake Tahoe Community College, and Pasadena City College who are planning for replication of the PSP. The PSP is recognized replication of the City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Studies in Associates Programs (ASAP) model.

Working in collaboration with the CUNY ASAP Replication Team, we created an informative, robust, and engaging experience. The convening included two tracks: one for counseling faculty, PSP leads/directors and PSP staff, and one for college leadership (presidents, vice presidents, and deans). This made the visit meaningful and impactful for all constituents attending.

The leadership track included in-depth conversations about balancing student to counselor ratios by integrating across programs such as EOPS, TRiO, and Learning Communities, programmatic considerations, data and reporting, collaborating with instruction, and strategic funding and sustainability. The counseling teams completed an in-depth training facilitated by the CUNY ASAP Advisor Training Team and supported by Skyline College PSP counseling faculty. The counseling training started with an overview of the history of CUNY ASAP, a grounding discussion about equity in counseling, a review of the ASAP model, and case studies to identify the ways in which SMCCCD faculty and staff can apply the ASAP model within the Promise Scholars Program.

Many thanks to the CUNY ASAP team: Mary Hiebert, Clara Chen, Amy Prince, Elizabeth Rincon, and Lesley Leppert for their collaboration in developing this convening. Thank you to Kim Davalos, Kent Gomez, Ellen Murray, Marisol Quevedo, Lizette Bricker, Priscilla Menjivar, Allie Fasth, Ray Hernandez, Chris Gibson, Zahra Mojtahedi, Angélica Garcia, Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, and Aaron McVean for your assistance in developing engaging activities for participants. Thanks to Roger Marcelo for your technological genius. Much kudos to Pacific Dining for keeping us fed and nourished. As always, thank you to the facilities team who helped with set up and maintaining a space for our engaging conversations.

Article by Lauren Ford and Aaron McVean | Photo by Ricardo Coronado

On Wednesday, October 23, 2019 the International Student Program (ISP) hosted an employment workshop for international students currently attending Skyline College. ISP Program Services Coordinator, Chikako Walker, advised students about various on- and off-campus job opportunities and internships.

There was a special focus on informing students about jobs offered on campus, providing more insight into how they can find on-campus employment. The workshop also covered the basics of immigration regulations for international students, the types of employment they are allowed to engage in and how to apply for work authorization. Many of the international students in attendance had plans to work after graduation, and the workshop helped clear up many misconceptions students may have had, helping them to be better informed.

ISP will continue to provide international and cultural programs and events for Skyline College students, faculty and staff members and the greater Skyline College community. Please check future events on the ISP website at: skylinecollege.edu/international

Article by Chikako Walker | Photo by Zaw Min Khant

Throughout Skyline College’s 2nd Annual UndocuWeek, the Library hosted a series of crafting and story-sharing opportunities for the students, staff, faculty, and administrators of Skyline College to show their support for undocumented students.

Folks that visited were invited to support in different ways. Any visitor could create a paper flower in solidarity with undocumented students and place it on the wall. Additionally, folks were invited to fill out a piece of paper titled “My immigrant story is…” where they could share their stories, family stories, support for immigrant students, or anything else that the prompt brought up for them. Educators were also encouraged to take a picture as an “Unafraid Educator” who supports undocumented students.

The wall is a beautiful display of solidarity, resilience, and the courage it takes to share one’s story. The wall will continue to be up for the next couple of weeks so we invite you to come read some of the really powerful stories shared by the Skyline College community, and even add your own story, picture, or paper flower!

Article and Photo by Pamela Ortiz Cerda

On the week of October 14 -18, 2019, Skyline College hosted a week full of events to support and advocate for undocumented students and community members. Every day had a different theme starting off with a “Tell Your Story” pizza lunch where students shared their poems, thoughts, and stories about how immigration had impacted them, their friends, and their families.

On Tuesday, the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC), the Dream Center, Latin American Student Organization (L.A.S.O.) and the Filipino Student Union (FSU) partnered up for an Abolish ICE rally which was followed by a Legal Rights Workshop updating students on what is happening with today’s immigration policy.

Wednesday, the Dream Center partnered with ASSC to bring undocumented entrepreneur, Alejandro Flores-Muñoz, to speak about the opportunities for making a living without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as a business owner. This luncheon talk was followed up by a workshop from the Bay Area Entrepreneurship Center (BAEC) for students to learn how they could start their own businesses.

With “Mental and Emotional Wellness” being Thursday’s theme, the Dream Center and Psychcology services hosted “UndocuTalks” and invited therapy dogs to campus for students to be able to talk and de-stress.

Friday closed with a big reveal of the Library’s Wall of Support for Undocumented Students.

The Dream Center would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated and supported this week full of events. For more updates on future Dream Center programming please follow their Instagram @skyline_dreamcenter or email skylinedreamcenter@smccd.edu

Article and Photo by Pamela Ortiz Cerda