As a result of the global and racial pandemic that has impacted our communities of color, it is evident that there are challenges and inequities that are amplified in our educational systems.  While it is important to address these inequities, we cannot forget to celebrate and acknowledge the resilience, the strength, and the joy that our youth and students bring into our educational spaces.  How do we begin to move from the metaphorical shelter-in-place to space of infinite possibilities?

Rock The School Bells hosted a webinar on Friday, March 19 titled, “Get Free: Creating Space of Infinite Possibilities through Hip Hop Based Counseling Practices” to over 150+ attendees made up of K-12 counselors, college counselors, social workers, mental health practitioners and counseling graduate students. This event provided attendees with an opportunity to learn about the phenomenal work by counseling professionals who utilize Hip Hop based counseling practices in various settings such as K-12, college counseling, and community-based counseling that meaningfully centers the lives and experiences of their youth and students.

In addition, there were three different breakout tracks (K-12, College, and Community-Based counseling) that allowed attendees to connect, collaborate, learn from, and share ways in which they have utilized Hip Hop to inform their counseling practices working with youth and students.

Thank you to President Dr. Moreno for sharing her welcome remarks, Dr. Raphael Travis for his timely and necessary keynote address, and our panelists – Kim Davalos, Adam Freas, Dr. Ian Levy, Juana Tello, and Qiana Spellman for sharing their knowledge and insights around utilizing Hip Hop based counseling practices in their work.  Also, this event would not be possible without the support of our campus partners including Dean Russell Waldon, Michelle Amaral, Kim Davalos, Mandy Lucas, Alvin Gubatina, Charlie Morales, our RTSB planning team and our RTSB campus partners from De Anza College, Sacramento City College, and RTSB Hawaii.  A huge thanks goes to Roger Marcelo for his assistance behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and successful event.

To view the webinar, check out the link.

https://smccd.zoom.us/rec/share/0nCPBzCT6GKCu9HHNS8dkMaKyn1Jw3w42lmEXyIJsylCCWj5kB-om-rQTIasESBZ.O3Dr1Zn8xXldAB8u

 

For more information, please contact Nate Nevado at nevadon@smccd.edu or visit our website at www.rocktheschoolbells.com.

 

Article written by:  Nate Nevado

Flyer Design by: David Nguyen

NEW DATE: On Wednesday, April 28 from 12:00 – 2:00pm, The Skyline College Human Library will welcome all members of our community interested in connecting with a “human book.” Community members who volunteer as “human books” will make their experiences available to “readers,” usually on issues that can be difficult to discuss, at this virtual session coordinated by the Skyline College Library.

What do volunteer “human books” talk about? You are free to choose anything about yourself that makes your story unique and you are ready to share about with Skyline College community members i one on one conversations.

Would you like to be a Human Book on April 28? Please fill out an interest form: tinyurl.com/SCHumanLibraryInterestForm. We ask for a minimum of a one-hour commitment during this two-hour event. More information is available at the link above. We also ask for a short “book jacket” description of your story or a particular part of your life that you want to share.

Want to read up on past books in the Human Library? Visit the Library Guide guides.skylinecollege.edu/TheHumanLibrary which includes a Book Archive, some of which may reappear at a future Human Library event!

How does this event work? The Human Library is a place where real people go on loan to readers, who are other members of our Skyline College community and this event takes place virtually in real time in breakout rooms on Zoom, hosted and facilitated by Skyline College staff and faculty.

Books are encouraged to meet with multiple readers, usually one at a time, over the course of the two-hour event. Books make their experiences available through one-on-one discussions, while readers ask questions freely and get honest answers in return.

Want to know more about The Human Library?

The Human Library Project is a worldwide movement that began in Denmark to help create dialog and foster understanding among people of different backgrounds and experiences. Human libraries remind us: There is much more that unites us than divides us.

The Human Library at Skyline College is supported by the President’s Innovation Fund (PIF). You can learn more here: https://guides.skylinecollege.edu/TheHumanLibrary

Questions? Please contact Pia Walawalkar at walawalkars@smccd.edu.

 

Umaima Ejaz, an international student from Pakistan, has been selected to be the editor-in-chief for the Skyline View for the Spring 2021 semester! The Skyline View is Skyline College’s student-run newspaper, providing hands-on experience with print-production, journalistic writing, editing, and various forms of online media. Umaima came to Skyline College in Fall, 2019 to pursue her studies in Journalism and Political Science.  Umaima says coming to Skyline College has been one of the best decisions in her life.  She is grateful for the support from professors, classmates, and counselors at Skyline College for a smooth transition as an international student.

She has always looked to the future envisioning where she might be in 10 years to keep her motivated to meet her goals.  Something that helped her is to keep a journal of short term and long-term goals to stay on track.  She, being a woman of color as editor-in-chief at Skyline View, is a reminder of the need for representation of diversity and continuing to strive for diversity.  It is a personal achievement of hers to be editor-in-chief at such a young age, and credits her advisor, Professor Nancy Kaplan-Biegel.   Her advice to international students coming to America is to stick to your goals and take every opportunity you can to grow as a person and as a student.

Article by Adrienne Villegas

SMCCCD Study Abroad will hold an informational meeting for students interested in transferring to the Rennes School of Business (RSB) in France. SMCCCD Students who earn their Associate’s Degree in Business or a related field have the opportunity to transfer into the third year of the International Bachelor Program in Business Management at RSB in order to complete their B.A. in one year post-Associate’s.

Join us on Thursday, April 15^th at 10:00 am for a virtual info meeting with representatives from the Rennes School of Business as well as with SMCCCD alumni who have transferred to RSB.

 

Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time

Register for this meeting:

http://bit.ly/transfer-rennes 

*The meeting will be recorded and shared. To receive the recorded info session, please be sure to register for the event.

The Campus France Program is a recipient of the Skyline College President’s Innovation Fund, providing scholarships for SMCCCD students to transfer to the Rennes School of Business in France. Furthermore, Skyline College was one of only ten U.S. institutions in 2018 selected by the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. to receive a grant for the new Transatlantic Mobility Program. This program aims to strengthen the historic ties between the United States and France by diversifying and doubling the number of students from France and the United States studying abroad in both countries by 2025.

SMCCCD Study Abroad is the district-wide study abroad program housed in the Global Learning Programs and Services Division at Skyline College. For more information about studying or interning abroad, faculty teach abroad opportunities, community travel for lifelong learners, visiting international faculty presenters and student scholarship opportunities, please contact Zaid Ghori at ghoriz@smccd.edu or (650) 738-7088 or Stephanie Wells at wellss@smccd.edu. You can also learn more by visiting the SMCCD Study Abroad Facebook page or Instagram page @smcccd_study_abroad.

Article by Stephanie Wells

This Monday, April 12 at 3 pm PT, student leaders from the two Filipinx American student organizations in the San Mateo Community College District will be presenting a workshop to the Learning Communities Association (LCA) to bring awareness to the violence against the Asian community nationwide. The Filipinx Student Union at Skyline College (FSU) will be presenting along with advisors Dr. Liza Erpelo and Jayde Nieve.  Katipunan at College of San Mateo (KTP) will be presenting with their advisor, Doris Garcia.

The LCA is the national consortium of learning communities in colleges and universities, and this event is being hosted in conjunction with the Washington Center out of Evergreen College, considered by many to be the pioneering site for research and the advancement of learning communities. All are welcome to attend.

#StopAsianHate: Raise Awareness, Rise Up
In this workshop, we will provide a brief historical overview of the discrimination and racism endured by Asians in America since the mid-1800s. This will lead into our discussion of current events: the increase in anti-Asian violence in the United States. Our primary goal for this shared space is to look at the root causes of this problem, discuss how it has affected us and our communities, then identify ways to take action and stand in solidarity with our Asian brothers and sisters.

Presented by: Kababayan Learning Community at Skyline College (Dr. Liza Erpelo, Jayde Nieve, Caitlin Collantes, and Asa Mobley) and Katipunan at College of San Mateo (Doris Garcia, Angeli Ong, Tyler Castillo, and Monica Dollezon-Yu)

Join Zoom Meeting: http://bit.ly/LCAStopAsianHate

Meeting ID: 818 2704 3109

Dial by your location:

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/klKggwXB3

This work began earlier this semester as students from both campuses began discussing the alarming increase in violence targeting the Asian community, which prompted the students to take action. On March 7, the FSU and KTP released a joint statement condemning anti-Asian violence across the nation. This statement, to be posted on Instagram in four parts, provides the historical context of racism against Asians in America, discusses current events, and looks at ways we can all help our Asian American community work towards change and healing.

On March 23, the FSU and KTP student leaders presented a workshop to the College of San Mateo titled “#StopAsianHate: Understanding What Is Currently Happening in the Asian Community and Calls to Solidarity and Action Forward.” The joint solidarity statement was used as the foundation for this workshop, and will be used to frame the upcoming workshop as well.

Below are some links to contextualize the work so far:

Instagram

• KTP x FSU #StopAAPIHate Joint Statement
• KTP x FSU #StopAAPIHate Historical Context

The Skyline View

• Article: KTP and FSU clubs speak out against Asian American Attack
• Podcast: Student unions stand against anti-Asian hate on YouTube and Spotify

Article by Liza Erpelo

The Intercultural Center and Educational Access Center are hosting a Presentation on Disability Etiquette & People First Language on Monday April 12th @ 2PM.

The presentation was developed by Evan Milburn with Center for Independent Living for Individuals w/ Disabilities.

Join us in a student-driven dialogue on the importance of people first language as Evan also shares his own personal experiences.

Please contact ocampoallen@smccd.edu if you have any questions, otherwise, we hope to see you there!

The annual Skyline College President’s Breakfast brings together community members, business leaders, and elected officials for an inspirational event which celebrates the college and raises funds for two pivotal programs at Skyline College. The Promise Scholars Program includes a full scholarship and comprehensive support services for first time, full time students for one year, and the President’s Innovation Fund provides faculty and staff with the funds to explore and launch creative programs and services that better serve the student body.

Despite this year’s celebration being virtual, sponsors and donors rose to the occasion during this difficult time to raise an incredible $107,000 for students. We want to take this opportunity to thank them for their generosity and how they help the community continue to shine.

Thank You Sponsors!

San Bruno Foundation Grant YouTube Kaiser Permanente Town of Colma City of Daly City Pomas Advertising Ron Derenzi Duggan Mortuary Republic Services – Daly City San Mateo Credit Union Northern California Carpenters Regional Council Recology San Bruno Republic Services – Daly City Genentech Swinerton Michelle Jester Shawnna Maltbie David Mauro Mary Sager Susanne Stevens

Sprinklers Fitters Local No 483 Sanitary Truck Drivers & Helpers Teamsters Local 350 Andrea Vizenor Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza Mona Sowiski Gary Simms Rotary of San Bruno Bill Bowdle Cherie Colin Gabriela Nocito Judy Ng Kevin Mullin Ellen Murray Will Minnich Aaron McVean Soledad McCarthy Donald and Jacqueline Jacobberger San Mateo County Convention and Visitors Bureau Laborer’s International Union of North America Local 261

Article by Becky Threewit

Join SESP for our Democracy Series dialogue session on Civic Engagement, next Tuesday April 13th, 2021 @ 4PM.

The Democracy Series is a three-part dialogue series about Race, Gender, and Civic Engagement in a Democratic Society. Join us in examining the state of our democracy, its values and how it values Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC), Women, and all marginalized identities, while creating avenues for us to make systemic changes to create a more perfect union.

All Skyline College community members are welcome to participate in this dialogue around local, state and national governmental structures; understanding & decoding political messages and values; and methods to get involved on campus, locally or statewide.

Session on Civic Engagement facilitated by Social Science and Creative Arts Professor Jesse Raskin & our Educational Access Center Counselor and Faculty Coordinator Melissa Matthews!

Please contact ocampoallen@smccd.edu if you have any questions, otherwise, we hope to see you there!

The Bay Area Entrepreneur Center of Skyline College (BAEC) is an off-campus small business resource center, located in downtown San Bruno serving all of North San Mateo County.  With local partners and engagement, the BAEC provides resources and assistance for local and small businesses and supports the development of ideas from our community of entrepreneurs.  Last summer, the BAEC spearheaded the Small Business Recovery & Assistance Program (SBRAP) and the Micro Grants initiative, to support San Bruno businesses as they worked to navigate all of the challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic.  This program was made possible with a grant from the San Bruno Community Foundation and with support from local and regional partners. In the past year, the BAEC hosted online workshops, coaching sessions, tutorials and webinars, and utilized online spaces to provide resources, assistance and business tools. If you’d like to be a part of our upcoming workshops, register here.

To learn more, contact us at baec@smccd.edu.

 

Written by Ling Chien

Image by Ling Chien

Evelyn Rossi, is a college freshman currently taking classes at Cañada College.  Evelyn is also a new student intern in the Job Shadow Program at the Bay Area Entrepreneur Center of Skyline College (BAEC).  She is currently shadowing the Study Abroad & Exchange Program team and supporting their work of helping students explore the world.  As a student intern, Evelyn works on projects she thoroughly enjoys, including helping to create a trailer explaining how students can better access study abroad resources.

 

Evelyn is originally from Los Angeles and worked hard to graduate from Sequoia High School as an honor roll student.  Evelyn is interested in philosophy, biology and psychology and is happiest when working on projects that involve both creativity and complexity.  In her spare time, she enjoys baking, weight lifting, and writing; if she’s lucky she’ll find it in herself to finish her novel, eventually.  Evelyn is another example of how Skyline College shines.

 

Article by Pcyeta Stroud

Image by Evelyn Rossi