Daily Archives: February 13, 2020

ISP and CSSA Usher in the Year of the Rat!

year of the rat celebrationOn February 5, 2020, the International Student Program (ISP) and the Chinese Student Scholar Association (CSSA) hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration at the Fireside Dining Room. Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of the biggest and most important festivals in Chinese culture. Students from the CSSA set up tables with traditional food and games and played traditional Chinese music.

Mingsha Mo, an international student in charge of one of the games, shared the meaning behind her game, “Eating nuts on Chinese New Year symbolizes good luck and in this game they will attempt to eat the most sunflower seeds in 60 seconds. The one who eats the most wins a prize.”

CSSA President Xiao Xin Li spoke about bringing the community together at school through such events. CSSA’s Spring Festival succeeded in bringing not only the Chinese community at school together but also students from many other countries.

Oleg, a student from Russia, really liked haw flakes (山楂餅, shan zha bing), a Chinese candy. He said, “I like Chinese candies. The candies are not sweet like American candies.” Another student, Yunrui Bao, spoke about her heart-warming experience, “Spring Festival is the biggest event in China for family reunions and is about being able to relax and share your happiness with your family. Today, at this event, I felt the same.”

Events like these bring the students together despite their hectic schedules. CSSA and ISP are glad to have been able to provide this experience to students.

Article by Umaima Ejaz | Photo by Clair Yeo-Sugajski

Women’s Basketball Selected by CCCAA as Scholar Team for 2018 – 2019

women's basketball team photoSkyline College Women’s Basketball Team was named Scholar Team recipient by the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) for the 2018 – 2019 Academic Year. Only one team is selected for each sport sponsored by the CCCAA. This is a special award as it emphasizes academic achievement of all the members of a specific team.

The criteria for nomination are:

  1. Participation in an intercollegiate sport during the 2018 – 2019 academic year
  2. 80% or more of team participants successfully completing 12 or more units during their season of sport.
  3. Achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for all units attempted by members of the team during their season of sport.
  4. Achieving better than average results in intercollegiate athletic competition

Teams are nominated by each conference in every sport and compete against all other teams / conferences in the state for this honor. Congratulations to our deserving students on their wonderful accomplishments both in the classroom and on the court and to their Head Coach Chris Watters, and his staff in supporting and working with the students.

Additional thanks to all the faculty and staff at Skyline College, with special recognition to Kate Browne and Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza who wrote letters of support for the nomination, for your hard work in helping our students. This is the second consecutive year that our Women’s Basketball program has been selected for this honor.

Article by Joseph Morello | Photo by Visual Sports

Join the Taal Relief Fundraiser with World of Dance U-Jam Fitness

Taal relief fundraiser flyerThe Kababayan Learning Community (KLC) and the Filipino Student Union (FSU), in partnership with the Kabataan Alliance and World of Dance U-Jam will be hosting a fundraising event for the victims of the recent eruption of the Taal Volcano in the Philippines. The dance workshop fundraiser will be held on February 19, 2020 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Building 6, on second floor.

World of Dance U-Jam is a premier dance fitness community synergizing the energy and grittiness of urban dance with fitness. Expect funky, adrenaline-based urban beats from around the world with easy-to-follow choreography so that y’all can JAM! The organizers suggest a donation of $10 – $20 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds! Volunteer instructors from the World of Dance U-Jam namely LP, LIL J, and J-CAPZ will be leading a 90-minute cardio dance workout.

NPR reported on January 13, 2020 that “the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, the Philippines’ disaster-response agency, said 13,000 villagers have moved away from the area to evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite provinces. Nearly 25,000 people had been displaced by the eruption.” The proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to the Kapit Bisig Program of the Kabataan Alliance— an organization whose mission is “To build national unity among Filipino youth and student organizations across the United States to advocate for the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the U.S., the Philippines and around the world.”

Visit our Facebook page for more information on the fundraiser.

Article by Joedel O. Peñaranda

Save the Date: The Human Library

human library logoThe Human Library returns! 

Save the dates:

Tuesday, March 10, 2020 | Library, Bldg. 5 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 16, 2020 | Library, Bldg. 5 | 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Human Library is a place where real people are on loan as books to readers. People who volunteer to become “books” make their experiences open and available, usually on issues that can be difficult to discuss. The Human Library Project is a worldwide movement that began in Denmark to help create dialogue and foster understanding among people of different backgrounds and experiences. Learn more about the project here.

See you at the Library!

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp

Black History Month at the Library

bhm library eventsSkyline College Library and Learning Commons are excited to announce February’s activities in celebration of Black History Month. All are invited!

  • Our Celebration of Natural Hair and Hair Pride begins February 11 through the end of the month with displays, activities, books and videos. Read more
  • Tuesday, February 18, 2020 | Library lounge area | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
    Poetry Corner Series 
    with Dr. Bianca Rowden-Quince reading and a discussion of poetry by African American authors.
  • Wednesday, February 26, 2020 | Library lounge area| 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
    Gathering: Share your stories about Natural Hair and discuss The Crown Act.
  • Green Book poster display in the Library’s quiet study area, courtesy of Burlingame Public Library. Read more

February’s events are sponsored by a President’s Innovation Fund (PIF) award.

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp

Spring Tech Updates from the Library

students using e-boardSkyline College Library would like to remind our community about new technology in spring 2020!

  • New interactive e-boards offering a range of great features are available to all onsite library users. One mobile e-board is first come first served; the other can be reserved by students (clubs, study groups, etc.) by selecting Study Room 5202 up to one week in advance.
  • Everyone in the Skyline College community now has access to OneSearch, our District’s new library search platform. Be sure to ask a librarian if you have questions or need help!
  • All 47 student computers have been replaced with new CPUs and monitors.
  • Students can check out chromebooks for one week (extended from three days), any time during the semester.
  • The Library’s instructional classroom now has laptops for a more flexible teaching and learning environment.
  • 25 mobile hotspots with unlimited data will be available for students to check out beginning February 15, 2020.

The Library is also pleased to remove the following barriers:

  • Students no longer need library cards to check out books or use electronic sources from off-campus.
  • Overdue fines for books in the Library’s circulating collection have been eliminated.

Look forward to more changes planned throughout spring 2020! Questions? Contact Gabriela Nocito, Learning Commons Director, nocitog@smccd.edu.

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp | Photo by Athena Nazario

SPARC Meeting Update

The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) met on Thursday, January 30, 2020 for the first meeting of the spring semester.

The committee reviewed the college’s integrated planning and budget timelines to provide a context for the impetus to revise the program review cycle so that it can inform the annual budget cycle.

Going further in depth, Dean of Planning, Research, Innovation and Institutional Effectiveness Ingrid Vargas, and Academic Senate President Kathryn Williams Browne, presented a proposal to develop alternatives to the current program review process and calendar. The committee discussed various options and will continue this topic at the next meeting after gathering feedback from constituents.

Dean Vargas also presented a draft of the Skyline College Scorecard, with a particular focus on the first-time full-time cohorts and in relation to the State Chancellor’s Office’s ambitious Vision for Success goals. There will be additional review and committee input on the college goals at a future meeting.

The SPARC agenda and committee information can be found online.

Next meeting is Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 2:10 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Building 6, Room 6-203.

Article by Judy Hutchinson

Welcome Spring Job Shadow Students!

spring job shawdow studentsOn February 5, 2020, the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) on-boarded the newest cohort of students into the Internship Job Shadow Program, a semester-long career exploration experience. This group of students will spend the spring semester shadowing under local business owners and campus programs, learning all that can from this real-world career experience.

The theme for this semester’s job shadow is “Leadership at all Levels”.  The new student interns attended an interactive workshop where they painted their own picture of leadership and will have several opportunities throughout the semester to learn leadership practices and philosophies. Please join the BAEC in welcoming the new students to the team!

For more information on the Internship Job Shadow Program, please contact baec@smccd.edu.

Article by Pcyeta Stroud | Photo by Sarina O’Gilvie