Monthly Archives: February 2021

First International Student to Virtually Intern Abroad

The International Student Program Office is proud to announce that Habiba Sultana is the first international student accepted to a global virtual internship program. Habiba is an international student from Pakistan majoring in Business Management. To enhance her major, Habiba will be interning as an events team leader with AGE UK. Habiba’s major is Business Management. She is participating in the COOP 671- General Cooperative Education for virtual International Internships course which began on February 1, 2021 and ends in May 2021.

Habiba’s opportunity came through the Virtual Internships through the Study Abroad office. The Global Virtual Internship program provides internship opportunities through AIFS for students to intern in countries like Costa Rica, Florence, London. Students have the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals globally to enhance their professional skills. The Virtual Internship is a great way for students to enhance their resume and build their professional network.

Habiba decided to apply to the internship program because “it provides a practical experience in [an] international setting in my major field [of] study. It helps in learning cross-cultural communication, time management, digital literacy, and understanding of the sector” and “it is a great way to earn academic credits and for practical training”.

To learn more about the Virtual Internship opportunity visit smccd.edu/studyabroad.

Article by Kimiko Petsche

 

Professor John Ulloa brings Lowrider Culture to the World

Though Professor John Ulloa’s days are spent teaching History and Cultural Anthropology at Skyline College in the world of academia, he is also an integral member and advocate of the international Lowrider community. As a native of Modesto, California and eventual owner of six different lowriders, Ulloa began “cruising” at age 16 when he bought his first Lowrider, a ‘65 Impala Station Wagon. From that moment forward, Ulloa’s passion for the sociocultural history of Lowrider, personal experiences, and research positioned him as a thoughtful and informative Conference Co-Chair of the 1st Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference held on January 29, 2021.

As an event centered around storytelling and lived experiences, the 1st Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference organized by lowrider clubs, members, youth, and formerly incarcerated people throughout the world, presented an encouraging place of appreciation for Lowrider culture.

Throughout the conference, Ulloa and other speakers shared information and anecdotes about Lowrider history. Spanning from cultural to political issues; discussions of justice, community, style, geography, art, music, and fashion were only some of the many topics presented while exploring this cultural phenomenon in a global context. Professor Ulloa presented Bouncing Across Borders: The Globalization of Lowriding in addition to acting as co-chair; while in the spirit of unpacking the politics of gender, award-winning Lowrider scholar, filmmaker, and media creative Gloria Moran’s presentation, provided feminist commentary through critical analysis on the erasure of women’s labor in lowrider and lowriding spaces.

Through his research, Ulloa is able to examine the global diffusion of lowriding culture from the Mexican-American barrios to various countries outside of the United States including Japan, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Saudi Arabia, and several other countries. The Lowrider scene in Nagoya, Japan serves as one example of this global cultural exchange. Beginning in the 1980’s, a man named Junichi Shimodaira traveled from Nagoya to Los Angeles to better immerse himself and understand Chicano culture, practices, and aesthetics; and bring what he learned back to Japan.

“In [Nagoya], Japan, they are heavily influenced by 70’s style Lowriding… And the reference there are old Cheech and Chong movies: Up in Smoke, Nice Dreams, and Next Movie. You’ll see the true Spokes, the Cragar wheels, the Appliance wheels. They came over here and they were buying all of those 70s style wheels which are now worth their weight in gold, but at that time nobody wanted them. That is why you see, in Nagoya in particular, that 70s style influence,” Ulloa said.

Prior to acting as conference co-chair of the 1st Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference, Professor Ulloa presented the Opening Ceremony Seminar at The Lowrider Experience at CSU San Marcos in 2018 and was a curator for the Skyline College Art Gallery’s Lowride Worldwide Exhibit in 2017. Additionally, Ulloa led a Study Abroad course in Cuba from 2015 to 2017 organized by the district Study Abroad Program.  He remains active in the Bay Area lowriding community.

For more information about the 1st Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference and links to conference presentations go to:  https://savethekidsgroup.org/jan-29-2021-1st-annual-international-lowrider-studies-conference/

Article by Anna Harberger

 

SPARC MEETING UPDATE FOR SKYLINE SHINES

The Skyline College Strategic Planning and Allocation of Resources Committee (SPARC) met on Thursday, February 11, 2021.

Tri-chair Ingrid Vargas, Dean of Planning, Research, Innovation and Effectiveness led the discussion on review of the new Skyline Planning and Allocation Process. (See CPR Task Force Recommendations, p. 5)

The Committee heard presentations from Vice President of Administrative Services Eloisa Briones and Manager of Finance and Operations Paul Cassidy on outstanding resource requests and allocation scenarios of fund 1 for Fiscal Year 2020-2021. Due to the better than planned projections for the State Budget and the college budget, SPARC will have an opportunity to provide a recommendation on funding options for fund 1.  Committee members broke out into small groups to confer and provide their initial feedback.  The next steps include members soliciting input from their constituent groups and bringing them back to the next SPARC meeting for committee discussion.

More details on these topics can be found here

Vote to recommend to CGC that the recommendations of the CPR Redesign Task Force be accepted and implemented.

SPARC meets on the second and the last Thursday of the month from 2:10 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for February 25, 2021.  For additional information, please see https://skylinecollege.edu/sparc/.

Article by Judy Hutchinson

Job Opportunities

We understand that many students and our community members may have lost their job due to the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is our commitment to continue to offer information regarding paid internships and quality job opportunities that are available along with support in design or update of a resume, preparing for an interview and expanding one’s network to secure employment during these uncertain times. The Career Readiness & Job Placement Team looks forward to doing all we can to ensure students and our community members have what they need to get a job and continue to offer remote services and resources during this time. If one of the jobs shared does not meet your needs or interests please complete this form and we will reach out to you directly to assist!  Please stay safe. 

How may we assist you in landing your dream job? The Career Readiness & Job Placement team is excited to share the following job opportunities with you. Check them out—

Internship Opportunities

We understand that many students and our community members may have lost their job due to the  unprecedented times of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It is our commitment to continue to offer information regarding paid internships and quality job opportunities that are available along with support in design or update of a resume, preparing for an interview and expanding one’s network to secure employment during these uncertain times.  The Career Readiness & Job Placement Team looks forward to doing all we can to ensure students and our community members have what they need to get a job and continue to offer remote services and resources while the shelter-in-place order is in effect.  If one of the jobs shared does not meet your needs or interests please complete this form and we will reach out to you directly to assist!  Please stay safe. 

Expand your network in ways that will lead to your dream job. The Career Readiness & Job Placement team is excited to share the following paid internship opportunities with you. Check them out—

Join us for Activist Poetry and More @ Skyline College Library

The Poetry Corner series of virtual readings is pleased to present “Words Changing Worlds: Activist Poetry” next Friday, February 26 from 2:00-4:00pm. All members of our community are welcome to share their own works – or poems by others – on the theme of activism. Poetry Club president Hilary Mejia Cruz and Skyline College faculty will lead the afternoon’s discussion. Invite a friend for what promises to be an inspiring, insightful Friday afternoon! Register here: tinyurl.com/WordsChangingWorlds

In collaboration with our campus and community partners, the Library is also excited to announce a host of other virtual programs this month and next. Mark your calendars for film screenings, additional poetry readings, discussions, and more. You’ll receive details by email in advance of each event.

February

March

  • Real News vs. Fake News Tuesday, March 23: More information coming soon.

Questions? Interested in bringing your class to an event or offering credit to your students? Please contact Pia Walawalkar, Equity and Outreach Librarian <walawalkars@smccd.edu>.

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp

 

BAEC Hosts Mock Interviews for Students!

Mock Interviews Last week the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center (BAEC) hosted a series of mock interviews for students interested in joining the Virtual Internship Job Shadow Program (IJSP) for the spring semester.  Mock interviews are a great way for students to practice the important art of interviewing for their next job or opportunity and can help them boost their confidence and reduce anxiety about the idea of interviewing.  During the mock interviews students are given constructive feedback and valuable insights from members of the interview panel, usually comprised of Skyline College faculty, staff and other community partners.

The Job Shadow Program provides students with opportunities and resources to build their knowledge, skill sets, and resumes. Students job shadow with the BAEC Team, campus partners, and the San Bruno Community, to experience real-world learning in a professional, supportive, and safe environment.  We look forward to welcoming our spring cohort of student interns!

For more information, connect with us at baec@smccd.edu.

Article by Ling Chien

Image by Pcyeta Stroud

BAEC Awards $65k in Micro Grants to Small and Local Businesses

Micro Grant Ceremony On Thursday, January 28, 2021, the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center held an awards ceremony for sixteen local businesses, awarded grants through the Micro Grant Program.  Businesses were awarded over $4000 each and received group and one-on-one business coaching, as part of a technical assistance program called the Small Business Recovery & Assistance Program.  This unique program was funded by a San Bruno Community Foundation grant, awarded to the BAEC to support small and local businesses in San Bruno, in their recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through the efforts of this program and with the work of BAEC team and community partners, micro grants totaling $65,000 have been awarded and over 100 San Bruno businesses have been served and supported.  This program officially launched in the summer of 2020, and continues to assist businesses.

For more information on the SBRAP connect with us here: baec@smccd.edu

Article by Pcyeta Stroud

Image by Olivia Vialau

Skyline College Art Gallery Presents Pandemic Polarity, An Online Exhibit – Inspired by a COVID-19 Computer Application Developed by David Eisenberg

Pandemic Polarity Artists Engage with and Challenge the Times

Throughout history artists have engaged with, challenged, and tried to make sense of the world around them through the art making process. We can see this through artworks like Guernica by Picasso, which protested the bombing of the Basque village of Guernica by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy at the request of Spanish Nationalists; and the 1970’s art installation The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, widely regarded as the first epic feminist artwork. The power of these works transcends their time, as shown in 2003 when the U.N. draped a curtain over a reproduction of Guernica when debating the Iraq War.

Artistic expression is at the foundation of who we are as a global community. It has the power to transcend and transform.

In Pandemic Polarity we asked 4 artists from Barbados (Alanis Ford), California (Joseph Pascual), Iowa (Tom Mueske), and New York (Tim Maxwell), to re-contextualize Corona Virus data through their art in the midst of a worldwide pandemic exacerbated by political divide and climate change.

Pandemic Polarity brings the intellectual, creative, and social impact of art into our collective reckoning with the COVID-19 pandemic. This thought-provoking exhibition highlights the power of inter-disciplinary collaboration, while illuminating the insights that emerge when we reframe our personal connections to human tragedy, utilizing an artistic lens to interrogate and reimagine our world” -Danni Redding Lapuz, Dean Social Science/Creative Arts Division.

 

Combining Art and Science

The COVID-19 Polar Graph Export used for these projects is a web application designed and built by early Apple employee David Eisenberg. It takes real-time data from USA Facts and turns them into a polar graph. Polar graphs are graphs created using polar coordinates (measuring distance from the center) rather than the X and Y axis coordinates used in Cartesian graphs.

Eisenberg’s application allows artists to export these polar graphs as vector line art for use in the art making process. Eisenberg chose the Polar Graph for his export program as a way to attract attention with something more visually appealing than bar and line charts.

In a time when art is seen as unessential and science is constantly in question, Pandemic Polarity combines the two to show what is possible when there is a cross-section of science and art.

Along with enjoying the amazing art, and the interview with Barbadian artist Alanis Forde, take a few minutes to view the videos about Polar Graphs and David Eisenberg included in the Pandemic Polarity Exhibit, you will not be disappointed.

 

The Artists

Alanis Forde (Barbados)

Alanis Forde works mainly with oil paint and collage. Her concepts are based primarily on the black female identity in an idealized, exotic, paradisiacal Caribbean space. Through her proxy she navigates life through paradise.

“An epidemic has erupted throughout the paradisiacal landscapes. . . Paradise is no longer an escape from reality. Everywhere has been affected. What will the world she live in look like in the future?”

Tim Maxwell (New York)

Each of Tim Maxwell’s drawings is sketched out in pencil, then laboriously drawn using unruled lines. Each of these architectural “constructs” is the result of the implementation of geometry in which most start with a very simple vanishing point that is multiplied as the drawing recedes to create an unsettling and alienating atmosphere.

Initially, I was completely perplexed how to integrate my style into two points. Then, after breaking things down into their essence, the chart became my friend and the process unraveled naturally.”

Tom Mueske (Iowa)

Tom Mueske’s work began as ink on paper, and now includes mixed media on canvas. He graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with an MFA in 2007 and has exhibited throughout the United States.

“I don’t consider myself an abstract artist—I illustrate abstraction.”

Joseph Pascual (California)

Recent Skyline College graduate Joseph Pascual’s work explores Bay Area Filipino heritage through the art of portraiture. His sculptures are exaggerated three dimensional contours of his subject’s auras with gouache paintings of the actual subject inside them.

“I find motivation in the people around me and for this reason the subjects I work with are mostly Bay Area natives. By painting them and embellishing them with halos, I am glorifying what some would call the ordinary, but I call it life.”

 

Skyline College Art Gallery

Skyline College’s Art Gallery is an artistic venue with programming that reflects the cultural diversity of the Skyline College community.

Pandemic Polarity is the gallery’s first online exhibit.

Article by Chris Burwell-Woo

 

STEM Did it Again: Lab Kit Distribution

Lab Kit DistributionTo keep up the good practice of providing hands-on experience while we are staring at screens in Zoom meetings and Canvas all day, the STEM division has distributed lab kits again for several Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Engineering courses. The students and faculty alike benefit from this practice and try to keep the instructions as close to face-to-face learning as possible.

Over that last week the STEM lab coordinators Gary Cheang, Mousa Ghanma, and Marco Wehrfritz were able to distribute almost 600 lab kits in three days for a total of 11 different classes.

This time we were able to smooth the process and implemented the lessons learned from the past. The bookstore team, especially Kevin Chak, were a big help again in this endeavor. They were able to give us access to their scheduling system, which allowed the students to set up appointments to pick up their lab kits very easily. The pick-up happened on a drive through base but this time at building 7, which was logistically a huge improvement. The run was occasionally so big, that there was some congestion, but eventually everyone got served and was able to leave with their precious equipment.

A large part of the lab kits was thoroughly assembled at Skyline College. Most of the Physics kits were retrieved from the Fall semester and over the winter break checked for missing or broken parts, restocked and repacked to be handed out again in Spring. The Biology 215 and 230 kits were also made in-house and thoroughly assembled over several weeks to be ready for Spring. Some vital parts were indeed vital, like water plants, which could only be put in right before distribution to keep them alive. To handle this situation, a thorough time management strategy was set up by Lab Coordinator Gary Cheang.

On a side note: the bookstore was shipping more than 100 lab kits for Physics 210 and 106 for us! A big thank you for that!

And a special thanks for helping us out goes to Nadia Tariq and our two student assistants Sabrina Locsin and Kyar Loo and of course our Dean Carla Grandy, who managed again to make the funds for all this available.

Article by Marco Wehrfritz
Photo by  Gary Cheang